bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Underutilization of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Northern Plains American Indians with Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Roberts Jon , Gauthier Chase , Teigen Luke , Row Hunter , Sandstrom Anne , Haldis Thomas , Dyke Cornelius
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has overtaken surgical aortic valve replacement and revolutionized the treatment strategy for aortic valve replacement. Little is known on the disparities among minorities, especially American Indians (AI), undergoing this procedure. We explore TAVR outcomes to identify disparities at our institution.

Methods

Retrospective chart review was completed on patients who underwent TAVR at a North Dakota community hospital between 2012 and 2021. There were 1133 non-AI and 20 AI patients identified (n = 1153). AI patients were identified by enrollment in nationally recognized tribes, Indian Health Service (IHS), or who self-identified as AI. Patient demographics, preoperative characteristics, procedural information, and outcomes were collected. United States 2020 census data was used for state-wide population racial percentages. Unpaired two tail t test assuming unequal variance and chi-squared tests were used to evaluate data and identify disparities between AI and non-AI.

Results

AI presented at an earlier age (71 vs. 79; p = .001) with higher rates of diabetes (60% vs. 35%; p = .018) and history of smoking (100% vs. 60%; p ≤ .001) than Caucasian/white (C/W). The Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) risk scores (3.2% vs. 4.6%; p = .054) and aortic valve mean gradients were lower among AI (42.8 mmHg vs. 47.5 mmHg; p = .010). For those deceased, AI had significantly shorter lifespans post-TAVR compared to C/W (374 days vs. 755 days; p = .004). AI from North Dakota had fewer TAVR procedures performed than expected (4 actual vs. 32 expected; p < .001).

Conclusions

AI undergoing TAVR presented earlier, with higher rates of diabetes and smoking, lower STS risk scores, and lesser aortic valve gradients than C/W. The number of TAVR procedures performed on AI from North Dakota was lower than anticipated despite a nearly 10-year period and the disparities experienced by AI who could have otherwise benefited from TAVR.
Simion and Kelp on trustworthy AI
Authors: Carter J. Adam
Published: May 2023

Simion and Kelp offer a prima facie very promising account of trustworthy AI. One benefit of the account is that it elegantly explains trustworthiness in the case of cancer diagnostic AIs, which involve the acquisition by the AI of a representational etiological function. In this brief note, I offer some reasons to think that their account cannot be extended — at least not straightforwardly — beyond such cases (i.e., to cases of AIs with non-representational etiological functions) without incurring the unwanted cost of overpredicting untrustworthiness.
Cancer is chronic but antimicrobial stewardship is iconic: A retrospective cohort of optimal antibiotic use in ambulatory oncology clinics
Authors: Ho Tiffany A. , Patterson Katelyn M. , Gadgeel Shirish M. , Kenney Rachel M. , Veve Michael P.
Published: May 2023

Objective:

To evaluate antibiotic prescribing in ambulatory oncology clinics and to identify opportunities to improve antibiotic use.

Methods:

Retrospective cohort of adult patients who received care at 4 ambulatory oncology clinics from May 2021 to December 2021. Patients were included if they actively followed with a hematologist-oncologist for a cancer diagnosis and received an antibiotic prescription for uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), urinary tract infection (UTI), or acute bacterial skin–skin structure infection (ABSSSI) at an oncology clinic. The primary outcome was receipt of optimal antibiotic therapy, defined as a composite of drug, dose, and duration according to local and national guidelines. Patient characteristics were described and compared; predictors of optimal antibiotic use were identified using multivariable logistic regression.

Results:

In total, 200 patients were included in this study: 72 (36%) received optimal antibiotics and 128 (64%) received suboptimal antibiotics. The proportions of patients receiving optimal therapy by indication were ABSSSI (52%), UTI (35%), URTI (27%), and LRTI (15%). The most common suboptimal prescribing components were dose (54%), selection (53%) and duration (23%). After adjusting for female sex and LRTI, ABSSSI (adjusted odds ratio, 2.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.19–4.37) was associated with optimal antibiotic therapy. Antibiotic-associated adverse drug events occurred in 7 patients; 6 occurred patients who received prolonged durations and 1 occurred in a patient who received an optimal duration (P = .057).

Conclusions:

Suboptimal antibiotic prescribing in ambulatory oncology clinics is common and mostly driven by antibiotic selection and dosing. Duration of therapy may also be an area for improvement as national oncology guidelines have not adopted short-course therapy.
Development of a clinical and translational research curriculum for undergraduate students
Authors: James Laura , Venable Tara , Caro Andres , Moran Jeffrey H. , Nesmith Claire , Gannon Matthew A. , Cornett Lawrence E.
Published: May 2023

Introduction:

Research participation during undergraduate years has a powerful influence on career selection and attitudes toward scientific research. Most undergraduate research programs in academic health centers are oriented toward basic research or address a particular disease focus or research discipline. Undergraduate research programs that expose students to clinical and translational research may alter student perceptions about research and influence career selection.

Methods:

We developed an undergraduate summer research curriculum, anchored upon a clinical and translational research study developed to address a common unmet needs in neonatal nurseries (e.g., assessment of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome). Program topics reflected the cross-disciplinary expertise that contributed to the development of this “bedside to bench” study, including opioid addiction, vulnerable populations, research ethics, statistics, data collection and management, assay development, analytical laboratory analysis, and pharmacokinetics. The curriculum was delivered through three offerings over 12 months, using Zoom video-conferencing due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results:

Nine students participated in the program. Two-thirds reported the course enhanced their understanding of clinical and translational research. Over three-quarters reported the curriculum topics were very good or excellent. In open-ended questions, students reported that the cross-disciplinary nature of the curriculum was the strongest aspect of the program.

Conclusion:

The curriculum could be readily adapted by other Clinical and Translational Science Award programs seeking to provide clinical and translational research-oriented programs to undergraduate students. Application of cross-disciplinary research approaches to a specific clinical and translational research question provides students with relevant examples of translational research and translational science.
Uneven States, Unequal Societies, and Democracy’s Unfulfilled Promises: Citizenship Rights in Chile and Contemporary Latin America
Authors: Luna Juan Pablo , Medel Rodrigo M.
Published: May 2023

In contemporary Latin America, deep-seated social discontent with political elites and institutions has been, paradoxically, the counterpart of democratic stability and resilience. This paradox suggests that scholarly assessments of democracy are, at least partially, at odds with citizens’ own views of democracy. This article thus develops a framework to describe citizens’ everyday experience with civil, political, and social entitlements associated with democracy. It introduces the framework by analyzing the structural underpinnings of democratic discontent in Chile and then applying it to the analysis of perceived citizenship entitlements in 18 countries, using the AmericasBarometer data. Significant variance is observed across time and both across and within countries. The descriptive findings also imply that only a (declining) minority of Latin American citizens feel fully entitled to civil, political, and social citizenship rights. We advocate the need to bring the demand side of democracy back to the analysis of democratic shortcomings and crises.
Programmable metamaterials
Authors: Wu Rui Y. , Wu Liang W. , He Shi , Liu Shuo , Cui Tie J.
Published: May 2023

As a major approach for controlling electromagnetic (EM) waves, metamaterials have experienced an abundant and rapid development in the 21st century. They have provided flexible and powerful techniques for controlling EM waves and brought many unique applications that are difficult to realise with natural materials. With increasing demands on dynamic controls of the EM waves, many innovations have been conducted in both three-dimensional metamaterials and two-dimensional metasurfaces, in which the meta-atom has been gradually evolved from passive to active. In 2014, coding and digital mechanisms were initially introduced to the metamaterials, further advancing the appearance of digitally programmable metamaterials. The programmable metamaterials have shown great potentials in not only real-time manipulations of the EM waves, but also direct information processing on the EM wave level. In this article, we present an in-depth review of the programmable EM metamaterials and metasurfaces, focusing on the programmable features including theoretical concepts, implementing methods and applications in EM controls. We first give a short retrospect of traditional metamaterials and metasurfaces, followed by the concepts and detailed discussions of digital coding and field-programmable metamaterials. Then, we introduce space-domain, time-domain and space–time-domain programmable metamaterials and metasurfaces, mainly focusing on their theories, functionalities, experimental implementations, and system-level applications. Finally, we conclude the current advances of the programmable metamaterials and metasurfaces, and give a prospect for the future developments.
The Reference Class Problem and Probabilities in the Individual Case: A Response to Fuller
Authors: Devanesan Arjun
Published: May 2023

In a recent article on the interpretation of probability in evidence-based medical practice, Jonathan Fuller argues that we should interpret probabilities as credences in individual cases because this avoids some important problems. In this article, I argue that Fuller misidentifies the real issue and so fails to offer a meaningful solution to it. The real problem with making probability judgments in individual cases is deciding which objective considerations ought to constrain our formation of credences. This leads us to the reference class problem, which, as Alan Hajek argues, is a problem for any interpretation of probability.
Heuristic Projection: Why Interest Group Cues May Fail to Help Citizens Hold Politicians Accountable
Authors: Broockman David E. , Kaufman Aaron R. , Lenz Gabriel S.
Published: May 2023

An influential perspective argues that voters use interest group ratings and endorsements to infer their representatives' actions and to hold them accountable. This paper interrogates a key assumption in this literature: that voters correctly interpret these cues, especially cues from groups with whom they disagree. For example, a pro-redistribution voter should support her representative less when she learns that Americans for Prosperity, an economically conservative group, gave her representative a 100 per cent rating. Across three studies using real interest groups and participants' actual representatives, we find limited support for this assumption. When an interest group is misaligned with voters' views and positively rates or endorses their representative, voters often: (1) mistakenly infer that the group shares their views, (2) mistakenly infer that their representative shares their views, and (3) mistakenly approve of their representative more. We call this tendency heuristic projection.
The association between reasons for first using cannabis, later pattern of use, and risk of first-episode psychosis: the EU-GEI case–control study
Authors: Spinazzola Edoardo , Quattrone Diego , Rodriguez Victoria , Trotta Giulia , Alameda Luis , Tripoli Giada , Gayer-Anderson Charlotte , Freeman Tom P , Johnson Emma C , Jongsma Hannah E , Stilo Simona , La Cascia Caterina , Ferraro Laura , La Barbera Daniele , Lasalvia Antonio , Tosato Sarah , Tarricone Ilaria , D'Andrea Giuseppe , Galatolo Michela , Tortelli Andrea , Tagliabue Ilaria , Turco Marco , Pompili Maurizio , Selten Jean-Paul , de Haan Lieuwe , Rossi Menezes Paulo , Del Ben Cristina M , Santos Jose Luis , Arrojo Manuel , Bobes Julio , Sanjuán Julio , Bernardo Miguel , Arango Celso , Kirkbride James B , Jones Peter B , O'Donovan Michael , Rutten Bart P , Van Os Jim , Morgan Craig , Sham Pak C , Austin-Zimmerman Isabelle , Li Zhikun , Vassos Evangelos ,   EU-GEI WP2 Group, Murray Robin M , Di Forti Marta
Published: May 2023

Background

While cannabis use is a well-established risk factor for psychosis, little is known about any association between reasons for first using cannabis (RFUC) and later patterns of use and risk of psychosis.

Methods

We used data from 11 sites of the multicentre European Gene-Environment Interaction (EU-GEI) case–control study. 558 first-episode psychosis patients (FEPp) and 567 population controls who had used cannabis and reported their RFUC.

We ran logistic regressions to examine whether RFUC were associated with first-episode psychosis (FEP) case–control status. Path analysis then examined the relationship between RFUC, subsequent patterns of cannabis use, and case–control status.

Results

Controls (86.1%) and FEPp (75.63%) were most likely to report ‘because of friends’ as their most common RFUC. However, 20.1% of FEPp compared to 5.8% of controls reported: ‘to feel better’ as their RFUC (χ2 = 50.97; p < 0.001). RFUC ‘to feel better’ was associated with being a FEPp (OR 1.74; 95% CI 1.03–2.95) while RFUC ‘with friends’ was associated with being a control (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.37–0.83). The path model indicated an association between RFUC ‘to feel better’ with heavy cannabis use and with FEPp-control status.

Conclusions

Both FEPp and controls usually started using cannabis with their friends, but more patients than controls had begun to use ‘to feel better’. People who reported their reason for first using cannabis to ‘feel better’ were more likely to progress to heavy use and develop a psychotic disorder than those reporting ‘because of friends’.
On Orthodox panentheism
Authors: Carey Jeremiah
Published: May 2023

Panentheism is the position that the world is in some sense ‘in’ God, and God ‘in’ the world, without the world being identical to God. Thus, it tries, like what I call mainstream theism and against pantheism, to protect the transcendence of God, while giving greater emphasis to his immanence in creation than the former. I aim to explicate an approach that I call Orthodox Panentheism. The word ‘orthodox’ is to be read in two ways. First, the picture is derived from the writings of some of the most important figures in Eastern Christian thought, so that it is Orthodox in the ‘big “O” sense’. Second, I hope to show that it is a legitimate Christian picture of the God–world relation which is both distinctive and worthy of being called ‘panentheism’ – an orthodox panentheism in the ‘little “o” sense’.
The impact of dialect differences on spoken language comprehension
Authors: Byrd Arynn S. , Huang Yi Ting , Edwards Jan
Published: May 2023

Research has suggested that children who speak African American English (AAE) have difficulty using features produced in Mainstream American English (MAE) but not AAE, to comprehend sentences in MAE. However, past studies mainly examined dialect features, such as verbal -s, that are produced as final consonants with shorter durations when produced in conversation which impacts their phonetic saliency. Therefore, it is unclear if previous results are due to the phonetic saliency of the feature or how AAE speakers process MAE dialect features more generally. This study evaluated if there were group differences in how AAE- and MAE-speaking children used the auxiliary verbs was and were, a dialect feature with increased phonetic saliency but produced differently between the dialects, to interpret sentences in MAE. Participants aged 6, 5–10, and 0 years, who spoke MAE or AAE, completed the DELV-ST, a vocabulary measure (PVT), and a sentence comprehension task. In the sentence comprehension task, participants heard sentences in MAE that had either unambiguous or ambiguous subjects. Sentences with ambiguous subjects were used to evaluate group differences in sentence comprehension. AAE-speaking children were less likely than MAE-speaking children to use the auxiliary verbs was and were to interpret sentences in MAE. Furthermore, dialect density was predictive of Black participant’s sensitivity to the auxiliary verb. This finding is consistent with how the auxiliary verb is produced between the two dialects: was is used to mark both singular and plural subjects in AAE, while MAE uses was for singular and were for plural subjects. This study demonstrated that even when the dialect feature is more phonetically salient, differences between how verb morphology is produced in AAE and MAE impact how AAE-speaking children comprehend MAE sentences.
Studies on pre-primary learners of foreign languages, their teachers, and parents: A critical overview of publications between 2000 and 2022
Authors: Nikolov Marianne , Mihaljević Djigunović Jelena
Published: May 2023

This article offers insights into trends found in 74 empirical studies on teaching and learning a foreign language (FL) in pre-primary schools in 25 countries. The emerging picture is like that of primary-school programs: most are implemented in English, mostly owing to parents’ enthusiasm rather than evidence on long term FL benefits. Researchers focus on measurable outcomes in the FL rather than embedding studies in what early childhood education and language policies aim for: developing children not only in a FL, but also in their first language and emotional, cognitive, and social domains. A short literature review on how children learn languages and what necessary conditions include, is followed by the evidence empirical studies offer along themes found in them. Research has revealed encouraging results as well as weaknesses, whereas most authors frame their findings in positive terms. Overall, the younger the children the slower their rate of FL development. The field is dominated by FL experts; it would benefit from early childhood expertise to shift it towards the whole child. Although the increase in research is significant, more is necessary to build a model of pre-primary FL programs. A table available online complements the text.
NMPC-based visual path following control with variable perception horizon
Authors: Ribeiro Tiago T. , Franco Iago José P. B. , Conceição André Gustavo S.
Published: May 2023

For greater autonomy of visual control-based solutions, especially applied to mobile robots, it is necessary to consider the existence of unevenness in the navigation surface, an intrinsic characteristic of several real applications. In general, depth information is essential for navigating three-dimensional environments and for the consistent parameter calibration of the visual models. This work proposes a new solution, including depth information in the visual path-following (VPF) problem, which allows the variation of the perception horizon at runtime while forcing the coupling between optical and geometric quantities. A new NMPC (nonlinear model predictive control) framework considering the addition of a new input to an original solution for the constrained VPF-NMPC allows the maintenance of low computational complexity. Experimental results in an outdoor environment with a medium-sized commercial robot demonstrate the correctness of the proposal.
ON THE SIZE CONTROL OF THE HYBRID TEST FOR SUPERIOR PREDICTIVE ABILITY
Authors: Kim Deborah
Published: May 2023

This article analyzes the theoretical properties of the hybrid test for superior predictive ability. A simple example reveals that the test may not be size-controlled at common significance levels with rejection rates exceeding

$11\%$
at a

$5\%$
nominal level. Generalizing this observation, the main results show the pointwise asymptotic invalidity of the hybrid test under reasonable conditions. Monte Carlo simulations support these theoretical findings.
Outcomes of surgery for coarctation of the aorta based on a new classification system
Authors: Choi Kwang Ho , Kim Hyungtae , Sung Si Chan , Lee Hyoung Doo , Ko Hoon , Byun Joung-Hee , Kim Taehong , Chung Chanyoung
Published: May 2023

Objectives:

To evaluate early- and long-term outcomes of the surgical treatment for coarctation of the aorta based on a new classification system.

Methods:

A retrospective clinical review of 111 patients with coarctation of the aorta who underwent surgery (March 2011 to August 2020) was performed. We categorised coarctation of the aorta into type I, with all three head vessels tightly packed; type II, with the left subclavian artery separated from the two other head vessels; and type III, with all three head vessels separated from one another. Each type included subtype a, with a short isthmic portion, and subtype b, with a long isthmic portion.

Results:

The median patient age and weight at operation were 8 (range, 1–1490) days and 3.2 (range, 1.9–18.5) kg, respectively. Extended end-to-end anastomosis was performed via sternotomy in 54, via thoracotomy in 12, end-to-side anastomosis in 31, autologous main pulmonary artery patch augmentation in 12, and modified end-to-end anastomosis combined with subclavian artery flap aortoplasty in two patients. There was one (0.9%) case of early mortality and 12 (10.8%) cases of post-operative complications. Two (1.8%) late deaths occurred during follow-up. Five (4.5%) patients underwent balloon dilatation and three (2.7%) underwent reoperation for restenosis of coarctation of the aorta. All patients with type Ia (21 patients, 18.9%) underwent extended end-to-end anastomosis via sternotomy or thoracotomy.

Conclusions:

According to the early and late outcomes observed in this study, surgical treatment of coarctation of the aorta using the new classification system could be safe and low risk.
Association of dietary variety with the risk for dementia: the Yabu cohort study
Authors: Yokoyama Yuri , Nofuji Yu , Seino Satoshi , Abe Takumi , Murayama Hiroshi , Narita Miki , Shinkai Shoji , Kitamura Akihiko , Fujiwara Yoshinori
Published: May 2023

Objective:

The consumption of various foods is internationally recommended in healthy diet although the association between dietary variety and incident dementia is unknown. We aimed to examine the association between dietary variety and the incidence of disabling dementia in older Japanese adults.

Design:

We conducted a prospective cohort study. Dietary variety was assessed based on the Dietary Variety Score (DVS). DVS was assessed by counting the number of ten food components (meat, fish/shellfish, eggs, milk, soyabean products, green/yellow vegetables, potatoes, fruit, seaweed and fats/oils) that were consumed almost daily using a FFQ. Participants were categorised into low (0–2 points), middle (3–4 points) and high (5–10 points) groups based on the DVS. Data on newly diagnosed disabling dementia were retrieved from the public long-term care insurance database. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) with 95 % CI.

Setting:

Yabu cohort study, Japan.

Participants:

A total of 4972 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older.

Results:

During the median follow-up of 6·8 years, 884 participants were newly diagnosed with disabling dementia. After adjusting for confounders, the multivariable-adjusted HR for incident disabling dementia was 0·82 (95 % CI, 0·69, 0·97) for participants in the highest DVS category compared with those in the lowest DVS category (Pfor trend = 0·019).

Conclusions:

A higher dietary variety is associated with a reduced risk of disabling dementia in older Japanese adults. These results have potential implications for the development of effective public nutritional approaches to prevent dementia in older adults.
Wall shear rate and energy loss coefficient measures using	conventional Doppler ultrasound do not predict carotid plaque	progression
Authors: Goudot Guillaume , Bellomo Tiffany R. , Gaston Brandon , Pauly Meghan , Patel Shiv , Manchester Scott , Dua Anahita
Published: May 2023

Summary: Background: The rate of carotid plaque progression is believed to be related to blood flow hemodynamics and shear stress. Our objective was to determine if wall shear rate (WSR) and the energy loss coefficient (ELC) measured by Doppler ultrasound could predict atherosclerotic carotid disease progression. Patients and methods: Patients at a large tertiary center with an initial ultrasound between 2016 and 2018 with a significant carotid plaque were included if they had at least one 6 months follow-up comparative study. Stenosis progression was assessed according to the NASCET (The North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial) percentage criterion. Results: The average annual progression rate for the 74 plaques included was 5.7% NASCET per year. We identified 18 plaques with ≥10% NASCET progression and 56 plaques without significant progression <10% NASCET. Among the plaques with progression, only four plaques had progression greater than 20% NASCET. Median WSR was 6266 s−1 [5813–8974] in plaques with progression and 6564 s−1 [5285–8766] in stable plaques (p=0.643). Median ELC was 3.86 m2 [2.78–5.53] in plaque with progression and 4.32 m2 [3.42–6.81] in stable plaques (p=0.296). Conclusions: Although it is a widely accepted hypothesis that shear stress and hemodynamics of the carotid bifurcation contribute to plaque progression, we found that WSR and ELC estimated by Doppler ultrasound do not reliably predict atherosclerotic plaque progression in the carotid artery. Other ultrasound modalities, such as 3D imaging, may be used to assess the influence of plaque geometry and hemodynamics in plaque progression.
Predementia Counseling
Authors: Schwegler Carolin , Schmitz-Luhn Björn , Romotzky Vanessa , Cañabate Pilar , Moreno Mariola , Ortega Gemma , Boada Mercè , Jessen Frank , Woopen Christiane , Rostamzadeh Ayda
Published: May 2023

Abstract: Improving risk prediction of Alzheimer’s dementia poses challenges to healthcare professionals, patients, and their social environment. Moreover, predictive diagnosis faces limited operationalized clinical recommendations. In this study, we developed manuals for counseling individuals with mild cognitive impairment on their biomarker-based dementia risk prediction; we interviewed 16 participants postcounseling. The interview analysis examines sources of knowledge concerning the decision regarding risk prediction. Subsequently, an interdisciplinary interpretation discusses implications for practice. By focusing on sources of the participants’ knowledge, we identified epistemic authorities, such as (former) medical-related professional background or previous disease experiences. The findings provide information on cues and conversational elements for improving counseling sessions. Sensibly integrated language-based and legal considerations may achieve a targeted and efficient joint decision-making process.
Lithospheric Imaging Through Reverberant Layers: Sediments, Oceans, and Glaciers
Authors: Zhang Ziqi , Olugboji Tolulope
Published: May 2023

The Earth, in large portions, is covered in oceans, sediments, and glaciers. High‐resolution body wave imaging in such environments often suffers from severe reverberations, that is, repeating echoes of the incoming scattered wavefield trapped in the reverberant layer, making interpretation of lithospheric layering difficult. In this study, we propose a systematic data‐driven approach, using autocorrelation and homomorphic analysis, to solve the twin problem of detection and elimination of reverberations without a priori knowledge of the elastic structure of the reverberant layers. We demonstrate, using synthetic experiments and data examples, that our approach can effectively identify the signature of reverberations even in cases where the recording seismic array is deployed in complex settings, for example, using data from (a) a land station sitting on Songliao basin, (b) an ocean bottom station in the fore‐arc setting of the Alaska amphibious community seismic experiment, and (c) a station deployed on ice‐sediment strata in the glaciers of Antarctica. The elimination of the reverberation is implemented by a frequency domain filter whose parameters are automatically tuned using seismic data alone. On glaciers where the reverberating sediment layer is sandwiched between the lithosphere and an overlying ice layer, homomorphic analysis is preferable in detecting the signature of reverberation. We expect that our technique will see wide application for high‐resolution body wave imaging across a wide variety of conditions.
Rougher Faults May Generate More Earthquake Aftershocks
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: May 2023

Lab experiments on pieces of granite reflect natural aftershock dynamics and highlight the role of rock roughness along a fault.
Statistical Characteristics of Nighttime Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances From 10‐Years of Airglow Observation by the Machine Learning Method
Authors: Lai Chang , Xu Jiyao , Lin Zhishuang , Wu Kun , Zhang Donghe , Li Qinzeng , Sun Longchang , Yuan Wei , Zhu Yajun
Published: May 2023

For the first time, we used the machine learning method to analyze the statistical occurrence and propagation characteristics of nighttime medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) from October 2011 to December 2021 observed by the all‐sky airglow imager deployed at Xinglong (40.4°N, 117.6°E, 30.5° MLAT), China. We developed a program code using the algorithms to identify and extract the propagation and morphological features of MSTIDs in 630 nm airglow images automatically. The classification model and detection model have accuracies of 96.9% and 70%–85%, respectively. We identified 611 MSTID events from 749,888 airglow images, and obtained the following statistical results: (a) the MSTIDs occurrence peaked at 2200–2300 local time in summer and 2300–2400 in winter; (b) the annual average of horizontal wavelength and velocity are 160–311 km and 98–133 m/s, respectively; (c) among 611 events, 589 MSTIDs propagated southwestward. Fifteen events are northeastward and all of them are periodic MSTIDs, most of which occurred between April and August; (d) the annual trend of relative intensity perturbation (%) shows a negative correlation with the horizontal phase speed; (e) horizontal wavelengths of MSTIDs are independent of the solar activity. Further analyses found those southwestward propagating MSTIDs are consistent with the Es‐Perkins coupling theory, while those non‐southwestward ones could be related to the atmospheric gravity waves and other possible sources. The northeastward events exhibit morphological and seasonal characteristics, which cannot be explained by the Perkins instability, more simultaneous observations (GPS‐TEC, OH airglow, etc.) are required to reveal the mechanism behind these characteristics.
Gut microbiota changes require vagus nerve integrity to promote depressive-like behaviors in mice
Authors: Siopi Eleni , Galerne Mathieu , Rivagorda Manon , Saha Soham , Moigneu Carine , Moriceau Stéphanie , Bigot Mathilde , Oury Franck , Lledo Pierre-Marie
Published: May 2023

Chronic stress constitutes a major risk factor for depression that can disrupt various aspects of homeostasis, including the gut microbiome (GM). We have recently shown that GM imbalance affects adult hippocampal (HPC) neurogenesis and induces depression-like behaviors, with the exact mechanisms being under active investigation. Here we hypothesized that the vagus nerve (VN), a key bidirectional route of communication between the gut and the brain, could relay the effects of stress-induced GM changes on HPC plasticity and behavior. We used fecal samples derived from mice that sustained unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) to inoculate healthy mice and assess standard behavioral readouts for anxiety- and depressive-like behavior, conduct histological and molecular analyses for adult HPC neurogenesis and evaluate neurotransmission pathways and neuroinflammation. To study the potential role of the VN in mediating the effects of GM changes on brain functions and behavior, we used mice that sustained subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (Vx) prior the GM transfer. We found that inoculation of healthy mice with GM from UCMS mice activates the VN and induces early and sustained changes in both serotonin and dopamine neurotransmission pathways in the brainstem and HPC. These changes are associated with prompt and persistent deficits in adult HPC neurogenesis and induce early and sustained neuroinflammatory responses in the HPC. Remarkably, Vx abrogates adult HPC neurogenesis deficits, neuroinflammation and depressive-like behavior, suggesting that vagal afferent pathways are necessary to drive GM-mediated effects on the brain.
Biological and clinical implications of FGFR aberrations in paediatric and young adult cancers
Authors: Brown Lauren M. , Ekert Paul G. , Fleuren Emmy D. G.
Published: May 2023

Rare but recurrent mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) pathways, most commonly in one of the four FGFR receptor tyrosine kinase genes, can potentially be targeted with broad-spectrum multi-kinase or FGFR selective inhibitors. The complete spectrum of these mutations in paediatric cancers is emerging as precision medicine programs perform comprehensive sequencing of individual tumours. Identification of patients most likely to benefit from FGFR inhibition currently rests on identifying activating FGFR mutations, gene fusions, or gene amplification events. However, the expanding use of transcriptome sequencing (RNAseq) has identified that many tumours overexpress FGFRs, in the absence of any genomic aberration. The challenge now presented is to determine when this indicates true FGFR oncogenic activity. Under-appreciated mechanisms of FGFR pathway activation, including alternate FGFR transcript expression and concomitant FGFR and FGF ligand expression, may mark those tumours where FGFR overexpression is indicative of a dependence on FGFR signalling. In this review, we provide a comprehensive and mechanistic overview of FGFR pathway aberrations and their functional consequences in paediatric cancer. We explore how FGFR over expression might be associated with true receptor activation. Further, we discuss the therapeutic implications of these aberrations in the paediatric setting and outline current and emerging therapeutic strategies to treat paediatric patients with FGFR-driven cancers.
Algorithm for optimized mRNA design improves stability and immunogenicity
Authors: Zhang He , Zhang Liang , Lin Ang , Xu Congcong , Li Ziyu , Liu Kaibo , Liu Boxiang , Ma Xiaopin , Zhao Fanfan , Jiang Huiling , Chen Chunxiu , Shen Haifa , Li Hangwen , Mathews David H. , Zhang Yujian , Huang Liang
Published: May 2023

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are being used to combat the spread of COVID-19 (refs. 1–3), but they still exhibit critical limitations caused by mRNA instability and degradation, which are major obstacles for the storage, distribution and efficacy of the vaccine products4. Increasing secondary structure lengthens mRNA half-life, which, together with optimal codons, improves protein expression5. Therefore, a principled mRNA design algorithm must optimize both structural stability and codon usage. However, owing to synonymous codons, the mRNA design space is prohibitively large—for example, there are around 2.4 × 10632 candidate mRNA sequences for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This poses insurmountable computational challenges. Here we provide a simple and unexpected solution using the classical concept of lattice parsing in computational linguistics, where finding the optimal mRNA sequence is analogous to identifying the most likely sentence among similar-sounding alternatives6. Our algorithm LinearDesign finds an optimal mRNA design for the spike protein in just 11 minutes, and can concurrently optimize stability and codon usage. LinearDesign substantially improves mRNA half-life and protein expression, and profoundly increases antibody titre by up to 128 times in mice compared to the codon-optimization benchmark on mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 and varicella-zoster virus. This result reveals the great potential of principled mRNA design and enables the exploration of previously unreachable but highly stable and efficient designs. Our work is a timely tool for vaccines and other mRNA-based medicines encoding therapeutic proteins such as monoclonal antibodies and anti-cancer drugs7,8.
A potential primary endpoint for clinical trials in glaucoma neuroprotection
Authors: De Moraes Carlos Gustavo , Lane Keith J. , Wang Xiao , Liebmann Jeffrey M.
Published: May 2023

The purpose of this retrospective, longitudinal study is to evaluate the relationship between MD slope from visual field tests collected over a short period of time (2 years) and the current United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended endpoints for visual field outcomes. If this correlation is strong and highly predictive, clinical trials employing MD slopes as primary endpoints could be employed in neuroprotection clinical trials with shorter duration and help expedite the development of novel IOP-independent therapies. Visual field tests of patients with or suspected glaucoma were selected from an academic institution and evaluated based on two functional progression endpoints: (A) five or more locations worsening by at least 7 dB, and (B) at least five test locations based upon the GCP algorithm. A total of 271 (57.6%) and 278 (59.1%) eyes reached Endpoints A and B, respectively during the follow up period. The median (IQR) MD slope of eyes reaching vs. not reaching Endpoint A and B were −1.19 (−2.00 to −0.41) vs. 0.36 (0.00 to 1.00) dB/year and −1.16 (−1.98 to −0.40) vs. 0.41 (0.02 to 1.03) dB/year, respectively (P < 0.001). It was found that eyes experiencing rapid 24-2 visual field MD slopes over a 2-year period were on average tenfold more likely to reach one of the FDA accepted endpoints during or soon after that period.
Muscle co-activation in the elderly contributes to control of hip and knee joint torque and endpoint force
Authors: Kubota Keisuke , Yokoyama Moeka , Hanawa Hiroki , Miyazawa Taku , Hirata Keisuke , Onitsuka Katsuya , Fujino Tsutomu , Kanemura Naohiko
Published: May 2023

We investigated the coordinated activity patterns of muscles based on cosine tuning in the elderly during an isometric force exertion task. We also clarified whether these coordinated activity patterns contribute to the control of hip and knee joint torque and endpoint force as co-activation. Preferred direction (PD) of activity for each muscle in 10 young and 8 older males was calculated from the lower limb muscle activity during isometric force exertion task in various directions. The covariance of endpoint force (η) was calculated from the exerted force data using a force sensor. Relationship between PD and η was used to examine the effect of muscle co-activation on the control of endpoint force. Co-activation between rectus femoris and semitendinosus/biceps femoris increased with changes in muscle PD. Additionally, the η values were significantly low, suggesting that co-activation of multiple muscles may contribute to endpoint force exertion. The mechanism for cooperative muscle activity is determined by the cosine tuning of the PD of each muscle, which affects the generation of hip and knee joint torque and endpoint force exertion. Co-activation of each muscle’s PD changes with age, causing increased muscle co-activation to control torque and force. We demonstrated that co-activation in the elderly is a stabilizer of unsteady joints and a muscle control strategy for cooperative muscle activity.
Plasma 1H-NMR metabolic and amino acid profiles of newborn piglets from two lines divergently selected for residual feed intake
Authors: Liaubet Laurence , Guilmineau Camille , Lefort Gaëlle , Billon Yvon , Reigner Sébastien , Bailly Jean , Marty-Gasset Nathalie , Gress Laure , Servien Rémi , Bonnet Agnès , Gilbert Hélène , Vialaneix Nathalie , Quesnel Hélène
Published: May 2023

Together with environmental factors, physiological maturity at birth is a major determinant for neonatal survival and postnatal development in mammalian species. Maturity at birth is the outcome of complex mechanisms of intra-uterine development and maturation during the end of gestation. In pig production, piglet preweaning mortality averages 20% of the litter and thus, maturity is a major welfare and economic concern. Here, we used both targeted and untargeted metabolomic approaches to provide a deeper understanding of the maturity in a model of lines of pigs divergently selected on residual feed intake (RFI), previously shown to have contrasted signs of maturity at birth. Analyses were conducted on plasma metabolome of piglets at birth and integrated with other phenotypic characteristics associated to maturity. We confirmed proline and myo-inositol, previously described for their association with delayed growth, as potential markers of maturity. Urea cycle and energy metabolism were found more regulated in piglets from high and low RFI lines, respectively, suggesting a better thermoregulation ability for the low RFI (with higher feed efficiency) piglets.
Automatic resin duct detection and measurement from wood core images using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Fabijańska Anna , Cahalan Gabriel D.
Published: May 2023

The structure and features of resin ducts provide valuable information about environmental conditions accompanying the growth of trees in the genus Pinus. Therefore analysis of resin duct characteristics has been an increasingly common measurement in dendrochronology. However, the measurement is tedious and time-consuming since it requires thousands of ducts to be manually marked in an image of an enlarged wood surface. Although tools exist to automate some stages of this process, no tool exists to automatically recognize and analyze the resin ducts and standardize them with the tree rings they belong to. This study proposes a new fully automatic pipeline that quantifies the properties of resin ducts in terms of the tree ring area to which they belong. A convolutional neural network underlays the pipeline to detect resin ducts and tree-ring boundaries. Also, a region merging procedure is used to identify connected components corresponding to successive rings. Corresponding ducts and rings are next related to each other. The pipeline was tested on 74 wood images representing five Pinus species. Over 8000 tree-ring boundaries and almost 25,000 resin ducts were analyzed. The proposed method detects resin ducts with a sensitivity of 0.85 and precision of 0.76. The corresponding scores for tree-ring boundary detection are 0.92 and 0.99, respectively.
The association between serum uric acid and cognitive performance in patients with ischemic stroke is modified by estimated glomerular filtration rate
Authors: Zhang Chunyan , Zhang Xiuping , Meng Pengfei , Gao Huizhong , Bai Bo , Li Dongfang
Published: May 2023

The relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and poor cognitive performance in patients with ischemic stroke is unclear. We hypothesized that the severity of renal function mediates the association between SUA and cognitive dysfunction.A retrospective analysis of 608 patients with ischemic stroke was conducted between 2016 and 2020. SUA was obtained from inpatient medical records. Global cognitive function via mini-mental state exam (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was determined one month after hospital discharge. The relationship between SUA and cognitive function was assessed by multiple linear and logistic regression analyses. Patients had a mean age of 66.6 years (SD: 4.1 years), and 52% were male. The mean SUA level was 298.6 ± 75.4 μmol/L. SUA increases were significantly positively associated with lower MMSE and MoCA scores and increased risk of moderate-severe cognitive impairment one month after stroke (p < 0.01), even after adjusting for factors including age, gender, BMI, diabetes and hypertension history. Adding a term for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) attenuated these associations such that SUA was no longer associated with cognitive performance. A fully adjusted stronger negative association between SUA and cognitive performance was found in those who had lower eGFR, with a significant eGFR interaction for MMSE (p-interaction = 0.016) and MoCA (p-interaction = 0.005). In patients with ischemic stroke, SUA showed an inverse association with cognitive function among those who have lower eGFR. The renal function might mediate the association between SUA and cognitive dysfunction.
Lithium hydroxide as a high capacity adsorbent for CO2 capture: experimental, modeling and DFT simulation
Authors: Ahmadi Marziyeh , Ghaemi Ahad , Qasemnazhand Mohammad
Published: May 2023

In this work, the potential of monohydrate Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) as a high capacity adsorbent for CO2 capture was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The effects of operating parameters, including temperature, pressure, LiOH particle size and LiOH loading, on the CO2 capture in a fixed-bed reactor have been experimentally explored using response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design. The optimum conditions obtained by the RSM for temperature, pressure, mesh and maximum adsorption capacity were calculated as 333 K, 4.72 bar, 200 micron and 559.39 mg/g, respectively. The experiments were evaluated using isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic modeling. Isotherm modeling showed that Hill model could deliver a perfect fit to the experimental data, based on the closeness of the R2-value to unity. The kinetics models showed that the process was chemical adsorption and obeyed the second order model. In addition, thermodynamic analysis results showed that the CO2 adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. In addition, based on the density functional theory, we investigated the chemical stability of LiOH atomic clusters and examined the effects of LiOH nanonization on the physical attraction of carbon dioxide.