bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guidelines to improve internationalization in the psychological sciences
Authors: Puthillam Arathy , Montilla Doble Lysander James , Delos Santos Junix Jerald I. , Elsherif Mahmoud Medhat , Steltenpohl Crystal N. , Moreau David , Pownall Madeleine , Silverstein Priya , Anand‐Vembar Shaakya , Kapoor Hansika
Published: July 2023

Conversations about the internationalization of psychological sciences have occurred over a few decades with very little progress. Previous work shows up to 95% of participants in the studies published in mainstream journals are from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic nations. Similarly, a large proportion of authors are based in North America. This imbalance is well‐documented across a range of subfields in psychology, yet the specific steps and best practices to bridge publication and data gaps across world regions are still unclear. To address this issue, we conducted a hackathon at the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science 2021 conference to develop guidelines to improve international representation of authors and participants, adapted for various stakeholders in the production of psychological knowledge. Based on this hackathon, we discuss specific guidelines and practices that funding bodies, academic institutions, professional academic societies, journal editors and reviewers, and researchers should engage with to ensure psychology is the scientific discipline of human behavior and cognition across the world. These recommendations will help us develop a more valid and fairer science of human sociality.
An experimental demonstration of level attraction with coupled pendulums
Authors: Lu Chenyang , Turner Bentley , Gui Yongsheng , Burgess Jacob , Xiao Jiang , Hu Can-Ming
Published: July 2023

We have experimentally demonstrated dissipative coupling in a double pendulum system through observation, which shows three distinctly different patterns of motion over the accessible parameter space. The described dissipative coupling apparatus is easy to manufacture and budget-friendly. The theoretical calculations are also suitable for the undergraduate level. Our experiment can serve as a novel demonstration for ubiquitous dynamic coupling effects encountered in many disparate physical systems. Unlike the well-known spring-coupled pendulums, our experiment employs Lenz's effect to couple the pendulums through electromagnetic damping, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been demonstrated in the classroom. Our pendulums exhibit level attraction behaviour between two modes, induced by the dissipative coupling. This stands in contrast to the traditionally taught concept of level repulsion (avoided crossing) with spring-coupled pendulums. This experiment showcases distinctly different time domain dynamics of the dissipatively coupled pendulums over the parameter space, characterized by different oscillation patterns, damping rates, and relative phase between the two pendulums, which is a valuable lesson elucidating the dynamics of synchronization in linear systems for undergraduate students.
Infinite-fold energy degeneracy in 2D square lattices of magnetic spheres
Authors: Kim Kyongwan
Published: July 2023

We show that a two-dimensional square lattice of magnets can be studied by placing small cylindrical neodymium magnets inside plastic spherical shells and floating them on water, leaving their magnetic moments free to re-orient within the plane. Experimentally, anti-correlated dipole orientations between nearest neighbors appear to be favored energetically. This motivates the construction of a simplified single-variable energy function for a 2D square lattice of magnetic dipoles. For odd numbers of spheres, this ansatz yields a continuum of dipole configurations with the same energies, matching the observed behavior that the orientation of the dipoles in these lattices can be rotated freely. The behavior of square lattices with even numbers of spheres is strikingly different, showing strongly preferred orientations. While the energy calculated in this simplified model is larger than that of the actual ground state for finite size clusters, its asymptotic value in the limit where the number of spheres goes to infinity is in good agreement with the literature value. Additionally, rectangular arrangements of magnetic spheres with and without a defect are analyzed within the class of the single variable energy function. Simple experimental demonstrations qualitatively reproduce several interesting results obtained from all these analyses.
Helping students apply superposition principle in problems involving spherical, cylindrical, and planar charge distributions
Authors: Li Jing , Maries Alexandru , Singh Chandralekha
Published: July 2023

We describe student difficulties in applying the superposition principle in combination with Gauss's law. We addressed these difficulties by developing a tutorial that uses guided inquiry. Students who used this tutorial following lecture-based instruction performed significantly better on these topics than those who did not. Instructors can assign the tutorial as classwork or homework.
Durable reprogramming of neutralizing antibody responses following Omicron breakthrough infection
Authors: Lee Wen Shi , Tan Hyon-Xhi , Reynaldi Arnold , Esterbauer Robyn , Koutsakos Marios , Nguyen Julie , Amarasena Thakshila , Kent Helen E. , Aggarwal Anupriya , Turville Stuart G. , Taiaroa George , Kinsella Paul , Liew Kwee Chin , Tran Thomas , Williamson Deborah A. , Cromer Deborah , Davenport Miles P. , Kent Stephen J. , Juno Jennifer A. , Khoury David S. , Wheatley Adam K.
Published: July 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) breakthrough infection of vaccinated individuals is increasingly common with the circulation of highly immune evasive and transmissible Omicron variants. Here, we report the dynamics and durability of recalled spike-specific humoral immunity following Omicron BA.1 or BA.2 breakthrough infection, with longitudinal sampling up to 8 months after infection. Both BA.1 and BA.2 infections robustly boosted neutralization activity against the infecting strain while expanding breadth against BA.4, although neutralization activity was substantially reduced for the more recent XBB and BQ.1.1 strains. Cross-reactive memory B cells against both ancestral and Omicron spike were predominantly expanded by infection, with limited recruitment of de novo Omicron-specific B cells or antibodies. Modeling of neutralization titers predicts that protection from symptomatic reinfection against antigenically similar strains will be durable but is undermined by new emerging strains with further neutralization escape.
Pancakification and negative Hawking temperatures
Authors: McMaken Tyler
Published: July 2023

Vacuum models of charged or spinning black holes possess two horizons, the inner of which has the oft-overlooked property that gravitational tidal forces initially spaghettifying a freely falling observer will eventually change signs and flatten the observer like a pancake. Inner horizons also may induce a classical blueshift instability known as mass inflation, and a number of recent studies have found that inner horizons exhibit even stronger quantum singular behavior. In this essay, we explore the quantum effect of Hawking radiation, which in the presence of compressive tidal forces seems to predict negative temperatures. By analyzing the interaction of quantum fields with black hole geometries, we can come to a closer semiclassical understanding of what really happens near a black hole’s inner horizon.
Fractionation and Antibacterial Evaluation of the Surface Compounds from the Leaves of Combretum zeyheri on Selected Pathogenic Bacteria
Authors: Manyawi Monica , Mozirandi Winnie Yevai , Tagwireyi Dexter , Mukanganyama Stanley
Published: July 2023

Combretum zeyheri is traditionally used for the treatment of many infections, including bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to fractionate and evaluate antibacterial activity of the crude extract of C. zeyheri, as well as the surface compounds from the leaves of C. zeyheri, in two pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibacterial activities of fractions obtained from chromatographic separations were determined using broth microdilution assay on the laboratory and clinical strains of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. The fractionation of the compounds on the leaf surface yielded 262 fractions. The fractionated compounds with similar TLC profiles were pooled together to yield 47 pools. The extract and pooled fractions CZSC151154, CZSC155160, and CZSC209213 showed significant antibacterial activity with MIC values ranging from 12.5 μg/ml to 100 μg/ml. The clinical strain of S. aureus had MIC greater than 100 μg/ml for CZSC151154 and CZSC155160. The minimum bactericidal concentration values for these fractions were also in the range of 12.5 μg/ml to 100 μg/ml. The extract and fractions CZSC151154, CZSC155160, and CZSC209213 showed a concentration-dependent inhibition of growth in S. aureus. Analyses of the CZSC209213 pool by LC-MS showed the presence of nine compounds which are (3R,7R)-1,3,7-octanetriol, (-)-tortuosamine, 11-aminoundecanoic acid, 1-piperidinecarboxaldehyde, 3-hydroxy-4-isopropylbenzyl alcohol 3-glucoside, hydroxy-isocaproic acid, oleamide, palmitic amide, phytospingosine, and sphinganine. In conclusion, C. zeyheri leaf surface compounds exhibited antibacterial activity. The crude extract and the pooled fractions showed concentration-dependent inhibition of growth on S. aureus. Results from this study indicate the potential of C. zeyheri as a source of lead compounds that may be further developed into antibacterial drugs.
Spatial Profiling of Circular RNAs in Cancer Reveals High Expression in Muscle and Stromal Cells
Authors: García-Rodríguez Juan L. , Korsgaard Ulrik , Ahmadov Ulvi , Jarlstad Olesen Morten T. , Dietrich Kim-Gwendolyn , Hansen Emma B. , Vissing Stine M. , Ulhøi Benedichte P. , Dyrskjøt Lars , Sørensen Karina D. , Kjems Jørgen , Hager Henrik , Kristensen Lasse S.
Published: July 2023

Circular RNAs (circRNA) are covalently closed molecules that can play important roles in cancer development and progression. Hundreds of differentially expressed circRNAs between tumors and adjacent normal tissues have been identified in studies using RNA sequencing or microarrays, emphasizing a strong translational potential. Most previous studies have been performed using RNA from bulk tissues and lack information on the spatial expression patterns of circRNAs. Here, we showed that the majority of differentially expressed circRNAs from bulk tissue analyses of colon tumors relative to adjacent normal tissues were surprisingly not differentially expressed when comparing cancer cells directly with normal epithelial cells. Manipulating the proliferation rates of cells grown in culture revealed that these discrepancies were explained by circRNAs accumulating to high levels in quiescent muscle cells due to their high stability; on the contrary, circRNAs were diluted to low levels in the fast-proliferating cancer cells due to their slow biogenesis rates. Thus, different subcompartments of colon tumors and adjacent normal tissues exhibited striking differences in circRNA expression patterns. Likewise, the high circRNA content in muscle cells was also a strong confounding factor in bulk analyses of circRNAs in bladder and prostate cancers. Together, these findings emphasize the limitations of using bulk tissues for studying differential circRNA expression in cancer and highlight a particular need for spatial analysis in this field of research.

Significance:

The abundance of circRNAs varies systematically between subcompartments of solid tumors and adjacent tissues, implying that differentially expressed circRNAs discovered in bulk tissue analyses may reflect differences in cell type composition between samples.
Molecular Residual Disease in Breast Cancer: Detection and Therapeutic Interception
Authors: Medford Arielle J. , Moy Beverly , Spring Laura M. , Hurvitz Sara A. , Turner Nicholas C. , Bardia Aditya
Published: July 2023

Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related death in women despite screening and therapeutic advances. Early detection allows for resection of local disease; however, patients can develop metastatic recurrences years after curative treatment. There is no reliable blood-based monitoring after curative therapy, and radiographic evaluation for metastatic disease is performed only in response to symptoms. Advances in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assays have allowed for a potential option for blood-based monitoring. The detection of ctDNA in the absence of overt metastasis or recurrent disease indicates molecular evidence of cancer, defined as molecular residual disease (MRD). Multiple studies have shown that MRD detection is strongly associated with disease recurrence, with a lead time prior to clinical evidence of recurrence of many months. Importantly, it is still unclear whether treatment changes in response to ctDNA detection will improve outcomes. There are currently ongoing trials evaluating the efficacy of therapy escalation in the setting of MRD, and these studies are being conducted in all major breast cancer subtypes. Additional therapies under study include CDK4/6 inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, HER2-targeted therapies, and immunotherapy. This review will summarize the underlying scientific principles of various MRD assays, their known prognostic roles in early breast cancer, and the ongoing clinical trials assessing the efficacy of therapy escalation in the setting of MRD.
USP1 Expression Driven by EWS::FLI1 Transcription Factor Stabilizes Survivin and Mitigates Replication Stress in Ewing Sarcoma
Authors: Mallard Halle J. , Wan Shibiao , Nidhi Prakriti , Hanscom-Trofy Yvan D. , Mohapatra Bhopal , Woods Nicholas T. , Lopez-Guerrero Jose Antonio , Llombart-Bosch Antonio , Machado Isidro , Scotlandi Katia , Kreiling Natasha F. , Perry Megan C. , Mirza Sameer , Coulter Donald W. , Band Vimla , Band Hamid , Ghosal Gargi
Published: July 2023

In this study, we identify USP1 as a transcriptional target of EWS::FLI1 and demonstrate the requisite function of USP1 in Ewing sarcoma (EWS) cell survival in response to endogenous replication stress. EWS::FLI1 oncogenic transcription factor drives most EWS, a pediatric bone cancer. EWS cells display elevated levels of R-loops and replication stress. The mechanism by which EWS cells override activation of apoptosis or cellular senescence in response to increased replication stress is not known. We show that USP1 is overexpressed in EWS and EWS::FLI1 regulates USP1 transcript levels. USP1 knockdown or inhibition arrests EWS cell growth and induces cell death by apoptosis. Mechanistically, USP1 regulates Survivin (BIRC5/API4) protein stability and the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3/7 in response to endogenous replication stress. Notably, USP1 inhibition sensitizes cells to doxorubicin and etoposide treatment. Together, our study demonstrates that USP1 is regulated by EWS::FLI1, the USP1–Survivin axis promotes EWS cell survival, and USP1 inhibition sensitizes cells to standard of care chemotherapy.

Implications:

High USP1 and replication stress levels driven by EWS::FLI1 transcription factor in EWS are vulnerabilities that can be exploited to improve existing treatment avenues and overcome drug resistance.
Analysis of Several Common APOBEC-type Mutations in Bladder Tumors Suggests Links to Viral Infection
Authors: Rao Nina , Starrett Gabriel J. , Piaskowski Mary L. , Butler Kelly E. , Golubeva Yelena , Yan Wusheng , Lawrence Scott M. , Dean Michael , Garcia-Closas Montserrat , Baris Dalsu , Johnson Alison , Schwenn Molly , Malats Nuria , Real Francisco X. , Kogevinas Manolis , Rothman Nathaniel , Silverman Debra T. , Dyrskjøt Lars , Buck Christopher B. , Koutros Stella , Prokunina-Olsson Ludmila
Published: July 2023

FGFR3 and PIK3CA are among the most frequently mutated genes in bladder tumors. We hypothesized that recurrent mutations in these genes might be caused by common carcinogenic exposures such as smoking and other factors. We analyzed 2,816 bladder tumors with available data on FGFR3 and/or PIK3CA mutations, focusing on the most recurrent mutations detected in ≥10% of tumors. Compared to tumors with other FGFR3/PIK3CA mutations, FGFR3-Y375C was more common in tumors from smokers than never-smokers (P = 0.009), while several APOBEC-type driver mutations were enriched in never-smokers: FGFR3-S249C (P = 0.013) and PIK3CA-E542K/PIK3CA-E545K (P = 0.009). To explore possible causes of these APOBEC-type mutations, we analyzed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from 798 bladder tumors and detected several viruses, with BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) being the most common. We then performed IHC staining for polyomavirus (PyV) Large T-antigen (LTAg) in an independent set of 211 bladder tumors. Overall, by RNA-seq or IHC-LTAg, we detected PyV in 26 out of 1,010 bladder tumors with significantly higher detection (P = 4.4 × 10−5), 25 of 554 (4.5%) in non–muscle-invasive bladder cancers (NMIBC) versus 1 of 456 (0.2%) of muscle-invasive bladder cancers (MIBC). In the NMIBC subset, the FGFR3/PIK3CA APOBEC-type driver mutations were detected in 94.7% (18/19) of PyV-positive versus 68.3% (259/379) of PyV-negative tumors (P = 0.011). BKPyV tumor positivity in the NMIBC subset with FGFR3- or PIK3CA-mutated tumors was also associated with a higher risk of progression to MIBC (P = 0.019). In conclusion, our results support smoking and BKPyV infection as risk factors contributing to bladder tumorigenesis in the general patient population through distinct molecular mechanisms.

Prevention Relevance:

Tobacco smoking likely causes one of the most common mutations in bladder tumors (FGFR3-Y375C), while viral infections might contribute to three others (FGFR3-S249C, PIK3CA-E542K, and PIK3CA-E545K). Understanding the causes of these mutations may lead to new prevention and treatment strategies, such as viral screening and vaccination.
Table S12 from Spatial Transcriptomics of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the Pancreas Identifies NKX6-2 as a Driver of Gastric Differentiation and Indolent Biological Potential
Authors: Sans Marta , Makino Yuki , Min Jimin , Rajapakshe Kimal I. , Yip-Schneider Michele , Schmidt C. Max , Hurd Mark W. , Burks Jared K. , Gomez Javier A. , Thege Fredrik I. , Fahrmann Johannes F. , Wolff Robert A. , Kim Michael P. , Guerrero Paola A. , Maitra Anirban
Published: July 2023

Differentially expressed genes between NKX6-2 "high", "mid", and "low" spots.
Supplementary_Table3 from Effectors Enabling Adaptation to Mitochondrial Complex I Loss in Hürthle Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Gopal Raj K. , Vantaku Venkata R. , Panda Apekshya , Reimer Bryn , Rath Sneha , To Tsz-Leung , Fisch Adam S. , Cetinbas Murat , Livneh Maia , Calcaterra Michael J. , Gigliotti Benjamin J. , Pierce Kerry A. , Clish Clary B. , Dias-Santagata Dora , Sadow Peter M. , Wirth Lori J. , Daniels Gilbert H. , Sadreyev Ruslan I. , Calvo Sarah E. , Parangi Sareh , Mootha Vamsi K.
Published: July 2023

Supplementary Table3 provides the RNAseq analysis
Table S1 from Immunologic Characterization and T cell Receptor Repertoires of Expanded Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Moon Hee , Theodoropoulos Jason , Huuhtanen Jani , Bhattacharya Dipabarna , Järvinen Petrus , Tornberg Sara , Nísen Harry , Mirtti Tuomas , Uski Ilona , Kumari Anita , Peltonen Karita , Draghi Arianna , Donia Marco , Kreutzman Anna , Mustjoki Satu
Published: July 2023

Supplementary Table S1 shows the RCC patient data including clinical parameters and status
Figure S6 from Immunologic Characterization and T cell Receptor Repertoires of Expanded Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Moon Hee , Theodoropoulos Jason , Huuhtanen Jani , Bhattacharya Dipabarna , Järvinen Petrus , Tornberg Sara , Nísen Harry , Mirtti Tuomas , Uski Ilona , Kumari Anita , Peltonen Karita , Draghi Arianna , Donia Marco , Kreutzman Anna , Mustjoki Satu
Published: July 2023

Figure S6 shows the flow cytometric analyses of the immune cell subsets, T-cell phenotypes, and marker expressions, as well as correlation analyses between the T-cell subsets and the expansion potential (fold-change of REP TILs/pre-REP TILs).
Figure S5 from Immunologic Characterization and T cell Receptor Repertoires of Expanded Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Moon Hee , Theodoropoulos Jason , Huuhtanen Jani , Bhattacharya Dipabarna , Järvinen Petrus , Tornberg Sara , Nísen Harry , Mirtti Tuomas , Uski Ilona , Kumari Anita , Peltonen Karita , Draghi Arianna , Donia Marco , Kreutzman Anna , Mustjoki Satu
Published: July 2023

Figure S5 shows representative gating strategies for the co-culture assays with different timepoints (6h, 48h) and conditions (baseline, unstimulated, T-cell stimulated).
Figure S14 from Immunologic Characterization and T cell Receptor Repertoires of Expanded Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Moon Hee , Theodoropoulos Jason , Huuhtanen Jani , Bhattacharya Dipabarna , Järvinen Petrus , Tornberg Sara , Nísen Harry , Mirtti Tuomas , Uski Ilona , Kumari Anita , Peltonen Karita , Draghi Arianna , Donia Marco , Kreutzman Anna , Mustjoki Satu
Published: July 2023

Figure S14 shows the clonalities, expression scores and size of clonotypes represented in the T-cell UMAP clusters.
Data from Immunologic Characterization and T cell Receptor Repertoires of Expanded Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Moon Hee , Theodoropoulos Jason , Huuhtanen Jani , Bhattacharya Dipabarna , Järvinen Petrus , Tornberg Sara , Nísen Harry , Mirtti Tuomas , Uski Ilona , Kumari Anita , Peltonen Karita , Draghi Arianna , Donia Marco , Kreutzman Anna , Mustjoki Satu
Published: July 2023

The successful use of expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in adoptive TIL therapies has been reported, but the effects of the TIL expansion, immunophenotype, function, and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of the infused products relative to the tumor microenvironment (TME) are not well understood. In this study, we analyzed the tumor samples (n = 58) from treatment-naïve patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), “pre-rapidly expanded” TILs (pre-REP TIL, n = 15) and “rapidly expanded” TILs (REP TIL, n = 25) according to a clinical-grade TIL production protocol, with single-cell RNA (scRNA)+TCRαβ-seq (TCRαβ sequencing), TCRβ-sequencing (TCRβ-seq), and flow cytometry. REP TILs encompassed a greater abundance of CD4+ than CD8+ T cells, with increased LAG-3 and low PD-1 expressions in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell compartments compared with the pre-REP TIL and tumor T cells. The REP protocol preferentially expanded small clones of the CD4+ phenotype (CD4, IL7R, KLRB1) in the TME, indicating that the largest exhausted T cell clones in the tumor do not expand during the expansion protocol. In addition, by generating a catalog of RCC-associated TCR motifs from >1,000 scRNA+TCRαβ-seq and TCRβ-seq RCC, healthy and other cancer sample cohorts, we quantified the RCC-associated TCRs from the expansion protocol. Unlike the low-remaining amount of anti-viral TCRs throughout the expansion, the quantity of the RCC-associated TCRs was high in the tumors and pre-REP TILs but decreased in the REP TILs. Our results provide an in-depth understanding of the origin, phenotype, and TCR specificity of RCC TIL products, paving the way for a more rationalized production of TILs.
Significance:
TILs are a heterogenous group of immune cells that recognize and attack the tumor, thus are utilized in various clinical trials. In our study, we explored the TILs in patients with kidney cancer by expanding the TILs using a clinical-grade protocol, as well as observed their characteristics and ability to recognize the tumor using in-depth experimental and computational tools.
Democracy: Should We Replace Elections with Random Selection?
Authors: Lever Annabelle
Published: July 2023

The aim of this paper is to explore the claim that lotteries are more democratic than elections. The paper starts by looking at the two main forms of equality that give lotteries their democratic appeal: an individually equal chance to be selected for office, and the proportionate representation of groups in the legislature. It shows that they cannot be jointly realized and argues that their egalitarian appeal is more apparent than real. Finally, the paper considers the democratic reasons to value randomly selected assemblies, even if claims about their distinctively egalitarian properties are exaggerated.
Using Ensemble Sensitivity Analysis to Identify Storm Characteristics Associated with Tornadogenesis in High-Resolution Simulated Supercells
Authors: Hutson Abby , Weiss Christopher
Published: July 2023

This study aims to objectively identify storm-scale characteristics associated with tornado-like vortex (TLV) formation in an ensemble of high-resolution supercell simulations. An ensemble of 51 supercells is created using Cloud Model version 1 (CM1). The first member is initialized using a base state populated by the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) proximity sounding near El Reno, Oklahoma, on 24 May 2011. The other 50 ensemble members are created by randomly perturbing the base state after a supercell has formed. There is considerable spread between ensemble members, with some supercells producing strong, long-lived TLVs, while others do not produce a TLV at all. The ensemble is analyzed using the ensemble sensitivity analysis (ESA) technique, uncovering storm-scale characteristics that are dynamically relevant to TLV formation. In the rear flank, divergence at the surface southeast of the TLV helps converge and contract existing vertical vorticity, but there is no meaningful sensitivity to rear-flank outflow temperature. In the forward flank, warm temperatures within the cold pool are important to TLV production and magnitude. The longitudinal positioning of strong streamwise vorticity is also a clear indicator of TLV formation and strength, especially within 5 min of when the TLV is measured.

Significance Statement

Tornadoes that form in supercell thunderstorms (long-lived storms with a rotating updraft) are heavily influenced by the features created by the storm itself, such as the temperature of a downdraft. In this study, many different iterations of a strong supercell thunderstorm are simulated, in which tornado-like features are formed at different times with widely different strengths. A statistical method is used to identify what the storms had in common when they produced a tornado-like feature, and what they had in common when one failed to form. This study is important because it highlights which storm features are most influential to tornado formation using an objective method, with results that can be used when observing supercells in the field.
The Association Between the Fibrinogen-to-Albumin Ratio and Intracranial Arterial Stenosis in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Wang Xiaoyu , Pan Yuesong , Zhang Runhua , Wang Mengxing , Qin Haiqiang , Meng Xia , Li Zixiao , Li Hao , Wang Yilong , Zhao Xingquan , Wang Yongjun , Liu Gaifen
Published: July 2023

The association between the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) and intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has not yet been reported. In this large-scale investigation, 7894 AIS patients with ICAS-evaluation imaging data from the Third China National Stroke Registry were included. ICAS was defined as >50% stenosis of the intracranial arteries. We dichotomized the degree of ICAS into stenosis and occlusion. The number of ICAS lesions was the total number of intracranial stenotic arteries. Fibrinogen and albumin levels were assessed in the central laboratory of Beijing Tiantan Hospital. Univariate and multivariate analyses with logistic regression were used to determine the association between the FAR quartiles and ICAS. A total of 3900 (49.66%) patients had ICAS. Compared with those of the lowest FAR quartile, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the highest FAR quartile were 1.26 (1.10–1.44), 1.15 (.99–1.33), and 1.19 (1.01–1.39) for ICAS, symptomatic ICAS, and asymptomatic ICAS, respectively. An elevated FAR was also associated with occlusion (adjusted OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.10–1.49) and lesion number ≥2 (adjusted OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.07–1.45).
Adaptive fault control for robot manipulators based on nonsingular terminal sliding mode control technique
Authors: Long Mai Thang , Toan Tran Huu , Suong Nguyen The Ky
Published: July 2023

This work studies to improve the efficiency of the tracking control system based on the nonsingular terminal sliding mode technique for the robot manipulators in case of sudden faults. In the proposed control strategy, the adaptability is first enhanced by the self-updating algorithms for all control gains of the main sliding mode controller. Next, the unknown dynamics and abrupt faults are estimated to ensure the robustness and tracking performances of the control system. In addition, the proposed control method has more advantages in addressing the inevitable updating/estimating errors and guaranteeing the continuity and smoothness of control signals through an added robust controller. And based on the Lyapunov theorem, the designed adaptive updating/estimating control strategy has guaranteed for the stability, robustness, and finite time convergence of the control system. In the end, the improved features of the proposed control method are verified by the compared numerical simulation results.
Characterization and drug release of benzalkonium chloride-loaded organo-palygorskite or organo-montmorillonite
Authors: Lobato-Aguilar Héctor A. , Herrera-Kao Wilberth A. , Duarte-Aranda Santiago , Aguilar-Pérez Fernando J. , Oliva-Arias Andrés I. , Rejón-Moo Víctor , Baas-López José M. , Uribe-Calderón Jorge A. , Cervantes-Uc José M.
Published: July 2023

This study examined the incorporation of benzalkonium chloride into palygorskite and montmorillonite, assessing their potential as drug carriers. The aim was to evaluate the use of both clay minerals as viable options for antibacterial drug delivery. Various amounts (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 times the cation-exchange capacity) of benzalkonium chloride were incorporated into both clay minerals, and the resulting materials were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis using both CHNS-O elemental analysis and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis results indicate that benzalkonium chloride was incorporated successfully into the clay minerals. The X-ray diffraction traces of organo-montmorillonite indicate that the d-value increased as benzalkonium chloride content increased, confirming the intercalation of benzalkonium chloride within the montmorillonite interlayer space. By contrast, this behaviour was not observed for palygorskite. For the benzalkonium chloride-release studies, an initial burst release was found within the first 5 h, followed by a sustained release of benzalkonium chloride during the remaining testing time (24 h). Drug-release profiles were similar for modified palygorskite or montmorillonite during the testing time (24 h). Both clay minerals modified with benzalkonium chloride are promising materials for use as antibacterial fillers for several applications, including in the dental care industry.
Differential expression of diacylglycerol kinase ζ is involved in inferior parietal lobule-related dysfunction in schizophrenia with cognitive impairments
Authors: Liu Xiao-Fan , Zhao Shu-Wan , Cui Jin-Jin , Gu Yue-Wen , Fan Jing-Wen , Fu Yu-Fei , Zhang Ya-Hong , Yin Hong , Chen Kun , Cui Long-Biao
Published: July 2023

Background

Cognitive impairment is the main factor in the poor prognosis of schizophrenia, but its mechanism remains unclear. The inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is related to various clinical symptoms and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. We aimed to explore the relationship between IPL-related functions and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.

Methods

136 schizophrenia patients and 146 demographically matched healthy controls were enrolled for a cross-sectional study. High-spatial-resolution structural and resting-state functional images were acquired to demonstrate the alternations of brain structure and function. At the same time, the digit span and digit symbol coding tasks of the Chinese Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test Revised (WAIS-RC) were utilized in assessing the subjects’ cognitive function. Patients were divided into cognitive impairment and normal cognitive groups according to their cognitive score and then compared whether there were differences between the three groups in fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF). In addition, we did a correlation analysis between cognitive function and the fALFF for the left IPL of patients and healthy controls. Based on the Allen Human Brain Atlas, we obtained genes expressed in the left IPL, which were then intersected with the transcriptome-wide association study results and differentially expressed genes in schizophrenia.

Results

Grouping of patients by the backward digit span task and the digit symbol coding task showed differences in fALFF values between healthy controls and cognitive impairment patients (P < 0.05). We found a negative correlation between the backward digit span task score and fALFF of the left IPL in healthy controls (r = − 0.388, P = 0.003), which was not seen in patients (r = 0.203, P = 0.020). In addition, none of the other analyses were statistically significant (P > 0.017). In addition, we found that diacylglycerol kinase ζ (DGKζ) is differentially expressed in the left IPL and associated with schizophrenia.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that the left IPL plays a vital role in cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. DGKζ may act as an essential regulator in the left IPL of schizophrenia patients with cognitive impairment.
Triglyceride glucose-body mass index and hypertension risk in iranian adults: a population-based study
Authors: Nikbakht Hamid Reza , Najafi Farid , Shakiba Ebrahim , Darbandi Mitra , Navabi Jafar , Pasdar Yahya
Published: July 2023

Background

Insulin resistance (IR) and obesity are risk factors for hypertension; triglyceride-glucose (TyG) is known as a surrogate for IR. The present study investigated the association between the triglyceride-glucose body mass index (TyG-BMI) index and the risk of hypertension in Iranian adults.

Methods

This study was conducted on a sample of 8,610 participants from the baseline phase of the Ravansar non- communicable diseases (RaNCD) in Iran. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between TyG-BMI and hypertension. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to estimate the predictive power of TyG-BMI for hypertension.

Results

A total of 4176 men and 4434 women with an average age of 46.74 years were examined. The anthropometric indices were significantly higher in hypertensive than normotensive subjects (P < 0.001). The level of physical activity was significantly higher in the bottom quartiles (P < 0.001). The odds of hypertension in the highest quartile and 3.10 (95% CI: 2.28, 4.16) times significantly higher than the bottom quartile of the TyG-BMI index. The discriminating ability of TyG-BMI to predict blood pressure was 61% (AUC: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.63), and higher than BMI and TyG.

Conclusion

The TyG-BMI index is associated with an increase in the odds of hypertension. Therefore, the TyG-BMI index can be a new clinical index for early diagnosis of hypertension. Lifestyle modifications such as weight control through physical activity and a healthy diet can help improve IR and prevent hypertension.
Association of pro-inflammatory diet with increased risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's dementia: a prospective study of 166,377 UK Biobank participants
Authors: Shi Yisen , Lin Fabin , Li Yueping , Wang Yingqing , Chen Xiaochun , Meng Fangang , Ye Qinyong , Cai Guoen
Published: July 2023

Background

Increasing evidence suggests an association between pro-inflammatory diets and cognitive function. However, only a few studies based on small sample sizes have explored the association between pro-inflammatory diets and dementia using the dietary inflammatory index (DII). Additionally, the relationship between DII and different subtypes of dementia, such as Alzheimer's dementia and vascular dementia, remains largely unexplored. Given the changes in brain structure already observed in patients with dementia, we also investigated the association between DII and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain structure to provide some hints to elucidate the potential mechanisms between pro-inflammatory diet and cognitive decline.

Methods

A total of 166,377 UK Biobank participants without dementia at baseline were analyzed. DII calculations were based on the information collected by the 24-h recall questionnaire. Brain structural anatomy and tissue-specific volumes were measured using brain MRI. Cox proportional hazards models, competing risk models, and restricted cubic spline were applied to assess the longitudinal associations. The generalized linear model was used to assess the association between DII and MRI measurements.

Results

During a median follow-up time of 9.46 years, a total of 1372 participants developed dementia. The incidence of all-cause dementia increased by 4.6% for each additional unit of DII [hazard ratio (HR): 1.046]. Besides, DII displayed a “J-shaped” non-linear association with Alzheimer’s dementia (Pnonlinear = 0.003). When DII was above 1.30, an increase in DII was significantly associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s dementia (HR: 1.391, 95%CI: 1.085–1.784, P = 0.009). For brain MRI, the total volume of white matter hyperintensities increased with an increase in DII, whereas the volume of gray matter in the hippocampus decreased.

Conclusions

In this cohort study, higher DII was associated with a higher risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s dementia. However, our findings suggested that the association with DII and vascular and frontotemporal dementia was not significant.
Regulatory role of Chitinase 3-like 1 gene in papillary thyroid carcinoma proved by integration analyses of single-cell sequencing with cohort and experimental validations
Authors: Zhang Xiaojun , Peng Wanwan , Fan Jie , Luo Ruihua , Liu Shanting , Du Wei , Luo Chaochao , Zheng Jiawen , Pan Xinghua , Ge Hong
Published: July 2023

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is one of the most common thyroid carcinomas. The gross extrathyroidal extension and extensive metastases of PTC lead to high rates of recurrence and poor clinical outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying PTC development are poorly understood. In this study, using single-cell RNA sequencing, the transcriptome profiles of two PTC patients were addressed, including PTC1 with low malignancy and good prognosis and PTC2 with high malignancy and poor prognosis. We found that epithelial subcluster Epi02 was the most associated with the malignant development of PTC cells, with which the fold change of Chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) is on the top of the differentially expressed genes between PTC1 and PTC2 (P < 0.001). However CHI3L1 is rarely investigated in PTC as far. We then studied its role in PTC with a series of experiments. Firstly, qRT-PCR analysis of 14 PTC patients showed that the expression of CHI3L1 was positively correlated with malignancy. In addition, overexpression or silencing of CHI3L1 in TPC-1 cells, a PTC cell line, cultured in vitro showed that the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of the cells were promoted or alleviated by CHI3L1. Further, immunohistochemistry analysis of 110 PTC cases revealed a significant relationship between CHI3L1 protein expression and PTC progression, especially the T (P < 0.001), N (P < 0.001), M stages (P = 0.007) and gross ETE (P < 0.001). Together, our results prove that CHI3L1 is a positive regulator of malignant development of PTC, and it promotes proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of PTC cells. Our study improves understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of PTC and provides new insights for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PTC.
Fovea-UNet: detection and segmentation of lymph node metastases in colorectal cancer with deep learning
Authors: Liu Yajiao , Wang Jiang , Wu Chenpeng , Liu Liyun , Zhang Zhiyong , Yu Haitao
Published: July 2023

Background

Colorectal cancer is one of the most serious malignant tumors, and lymph node metastasis (LNM) from colorectal cancer is a major factor for patient management and prognosis. Accurate image detection of LNM is an important task to help clinicians diagnose cancer. Recently, the U-Net architecture based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has been widely used to segment image to accomplish more precise cancer diagnosis. However, the accurate segmentation of important regions with high diagnostic value is still a great challenge due to the insufficient capability of CNN and codec structure in aggregating the detailed and non-local contextual information. In this work, we propose a high performance and low computation solution.

Methods

Inspired by the working principle of Fovea in visual neuroscience, a novel network framework based on U-Net for cancer segmentation named Fovea-UNet is proposed to adaptively adjust the resolution according to the importance-aware of information and selectively focuses on the region most relevant to colorectal LNM. Specifically, we design an effective adaptively optimized pooling operation called Fovea Pooling (FP), which dynamically aggregate the detailed and non-local contextual information according to the pixel-level feature importance. In addition, the improved lightweight backbone network based on GhostNet is adopted to reduce the computational cost caused by FP.

Results

Experimental results show that our proposed framework can achieve higher performance than other state-of-the-art segmentation networks with 79.38% IoU, 88.51% DSC, 92.82% sensitivity and 84.57% precision on the LNM dataset, and the parameter amount is reduced to 23.23 MB.

Conclusions

The proposed framework can provide a valid tool for cancer diagnosis, especially for LNM of colorectal cancer.
Is vagotomy necessary in palliative surgery for incurable advanced gastric cancer?: a retrospective case–control study
Authors: Park Yong-Eun
Published: July 2023

Background

The interplay between the nervous system and cancer plays an important role in the initiation and progression of gastric cancer. Few studies have presented evidence that the sympathetic nervous system inhibits the occurrence and development of gastric cancer while the parasympathetic nervous system promotes the growth of gastric cancer. To investigate the effect of vagotomy, which is the resection of a parasympathetic nerve innervating the stomach, on the progression of gastric cancer, a retrospective study was conducted comparing the prognosis of simple palliative gastrojejunostomy (PGJ) and palliative gastrojejunostomy with vagotomy (PGJV).

Methods

From January 01, 2000, to December 31, 2021, the medical records of patients who underwent PGJ or PGJV because of gastric outlet obstruction due to incurable advanced gastric cancer at the Yeungnam University Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: locally unresectable gastric cancer (LUGC) or gastric cancer with distant metastasis (GCDM), according to the reason for gastrojejunostomy, and factors affecting overall survival (OS) were analyzed.

Results

There was no significant difference in surgical outcomes and postoperative complications between the patients with PGJV and patients with PGJ. In univariate analysis, vagotomy was not a significant factor for OS in the GCDM group (HR 1.14, CI 0.67–1.94, p value 0.642), while vagotomy was a significant factor for OS in the LUGC group (HR 0.38, CI 0.15–0.98, p value 0.045). In multivariate analysis, when vagotomy is performed together with PGJ for LUGC, the OS can be significantly extended (HR 0.25, CI 0.09–0.068, p value 0.007).

Conclusions

When PGJ for LUGC was performed with vagotomy, additional survival benefits could be achieved with low complication risk. However, to confirm the effect of vagotomy on the growth of gastric cancer, further prospective studies using large sample sizes are essential.
Pancreatic follicular dendritic cell sarcoma: a rare case report and systematic literature review of 7 cases
Authors: Li Xu , Gu Jin , He Qingyun , Han Shuwen , Wu Huichao
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Pancreatic follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is an exceptionally rare and low-to-moderate malignancy, with only seven reported cases to date. Clinical diagnosis of FDCS is challenging due to the lack of distinct biological and radiographic features.

Case presentation

A 67-year-old woman presented to the hospital with a 4-day history of severe abdominal pain. Imaging studies (CT and MRI) revealed a large cystic mass located at the tail of the pancreas, which was suspected to be myeloid sarcoma (MS) based on EUS and CT-guided pancreatic puncture. Postoperative pathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of pancreatic FDCS. After the diagnosis was confirmed, the patient received postoperative chemotherapy with the CHOP regimen. At 11 months of follow-up, there was no evidence of recurrence. Seven published cases have been reviewed to comprehensively summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment options of FDCS.

Conclusion

While imaging can be useful in detecting pancreatic FDCS, it should be interpreted with caution as it can be challenging to differentiate from other pancreatic tumors. Pathology and immunohistochemistry are considered the gold standard for diagnosis, with CD21, CD23, and CD35 being specific tumor cell markers. However, preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic FDCS remains difficult, and the pancreatic puncture may further increase the risk of misdiagnosis. The disease is highly prone to recurrence and metastasis, and surgery is the preferred method for both diagnosis and treatment of localized disease.