bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forest management history influences eight decades of shallow landsliding in the northwest Cascade Mountains, USA
Authors: Seixas Gustav B. , Veldhuisen Curt N.
Published: August 2023

Forest management‐driven increases in landsliding may impact aquatic habitat and water quality, yet it is difficult to disentangle the effects of hydroclimate from evolving land‐use practices when interpreting landslide rate fluctuations over decadal timescales. We compiled shallow landslide inventories starting in the 1940s from nine small watersheds in the northwest Cascade Mountains, USA, and updated the mapping through 2019. We stratified the landscape by management regime (industrial/state and federally managed forests and forests with no history of management) and compared landslide volume generation rates against timeseries representing regional climate, precipitation and river discharge, timber harvest rate, and instability ratings from the topographic model SHALSTAB. Results demonstrate a bell‐shaped temporal trend in composite landsliding that peaked in the 1970s and 1980s and is unlikely to have arisen from random variation alone. The signal from unmanaged forests correlates with regionally warm/wet climatic conditions at decadal scales, but we found mixed quantitative support for storm hydrology in explaining the landslide trends. Landsliding in federal managed forests was greatly reduced following cessation of clearcut logging in the mid‐1990s in most basins. In contrast, topographic and stand age modelling suggest the private industrial and state forest trend is consistent with reduced landsliding resulting from regulations requiring hazard avoidance in logging unit design—not changes to logging rate—demonstrated by a decline in probability of recent clearcuts on highly unstable terrain relative to more stable terrain following the 1980s in most basins. The analysed covariates could not explain all trends in all watersheds, suggesting the presence of methodological or data‐based limitations in the analyses. Late 20th century landslide sediment delivery acutely impacted tributaries but likely became muted downstream due to lag effects and mixing with other sources; our results suggest that proximal sediment supply impacts may be greatly reduced.
Land surface diversity: A geomorphodiversity index of Italy
Authors: Burnelli Martina , Melelli Laura , Alvioli Massimiliano
Published: August 2023

Geomorphodiversity refers to the variety of landforms and morphological processes characterizing the landscape. The definition of an index to quantify geomorphodiversity is a relevant step for multiple fields of Earth sciences, since it is widely accepted that the variability of the geosphere deeply influences the diversity of the biosphere. Such an index should describe the number and type of landforms and geomorphological processes. We propose a quantitative land surface diversity index valid for Italy, considering multiple input quantities to describe geological constraints and geomorphological processes. Critical issues were the selection of moving window size for focal statistics operations, to calculate local diversity of slope, lithology, drainage density and terrain forms in individual raster maps. We compared the index with traditional geomorphological maps, in selected locations, in which information was available. Results show that a minimal set of heterogeneous data is a satisfactory approach to investigate the landscape diversity. Relating processing parameters and terrain spatial characteristics to the dataset resolution is a good choice to assess a reproducible land surface diversity index. Inclusion of drainage density allows the improvement of results in flat areas, in which other factors show trivial results. We argue that the index is relevant for land use management, assessment of ecodiversity, and it may help describing the interaction between abiotic and biotic compartments.
Substantially Delayed Maturation of Growth Plate Chondrocytes in “Humanized” PTH1R Mice with the H223R Mutation of Jansen's Disease
Authors: Reyes Monica , Firat Damla , Hanna Patrick , Khan Mohd , Bruce Michael , Shvedova Maria , Kobayashi Tatsuya , Schipani Ernestina , Gardella Thomas J. , Jüppner Harald
Published: August 2023

Activating parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH‐related Peptide (PTHrP) receptor (PTH1R) mutations causes Jansen's metaphyseal chondrodysplasia (JMC), a rare disease characterized by growth plate abnormalities, short stature, and PTH‐independent hypercalcemia. Previously generated transgenic JMC mouse models, in which the human PTH1R allele with the H223R mutation (H223R‐PTH1R) is expressed in osteoblasts via type Ia1 collagen or DMP1 promoters cause excess bone mass, while expression of the mutant allele via the type IIa1 collagen promoter results in only minor growth plate changes. Thus, neither transgenic JMC model adequately recapitulates the human disease. We therefore generated “humanized” JMC mice in which the H223R‐PTH1R allele was expressed via the endogenous mouse Pth1r promoter and, thus, in all relevant target tissues. Founders with the H223R allele typically died within 2 months without reproducing; several mosaic male founders, however, lived longer and produced F1 H223R‐PTH1R offspring, which were small and exhibited marked growth plate abnormalities. Serum calcium and phosphate levels of the mutant mice were not different from wild‐type littermates, but serum PTH and P1NP were reduced significantly, while CTX‐1 and CTX‐2 were slightly increased. Histological and RNAscope analyses of the mutant tibial growth plates revealed markedly expanded zones of type II collagen‐positive, proliferating/prehypertrophic chondrocytes, abundant apoptotic cells in the growth plate center and a progressive reduction of type X collagen‐positive hypertrophic chondrocytes and primary spongiosa. The “humanized” H223R‐PTH1R mice are likely to provide a more suitable model for defining the JMC phenotype and for assessing potential treatment options for this debilitating disease of skeletal development and mineral ion homeostasis. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
A 219‐year reconstruction of April–June mean minimum temperature from the tree‐ring earlywood density on the Changbai Mountains, China
Authors: Abudureheman Ruxianguli· , Zhang Tongwen , Wang Yonghui , Yu Shulong , Zhang Ruibo , Yuan Yujiang , Guo Dong
Published: August 2023

Using mean earlywood density data from Pinus koraiensis cores, we reconstructed the April–June mean minimum temperature from 1797 to 2015 for the Changbai Mountains. The reconstruction explained 52.6% of the actual mean minimum temperature variance during 1901–2015. After smoothing with an 11‐year moving average, we identified three major cold periods (1797–1875, 1881–1899, and 1903–1946) and three major warm periods (1876–1880, 1900–1902, and 1947–2015) in the reconstructed series. Spatial correlation showed that the reconstruction contained climatic signals for a large area including most of northeast China, especially the Bohai Rim region and the eastern side of the Mongolian Plateau. A comparison between the newly reconstructed temperature series for the surrounding areas reveals similar variations, particularly in the warming trend during the second half of the 20th century. The driving factors of the mean minimum temperature were influenced mainly by the interaction of solar activity and large‐scale atmospheric‐oceanic variability. The reconstructed series provides a basis for understanding past climate change in the Changbai Mountains and for predicting future climate change trends in Northeast China.
Omics shed light on the mechanisms of petroleum‐contaminated soil remediation: When biochar meets nitrogen
Authors: Kong Dexu , Liu Zhe , Wu Juan
Published: August 2023

Decontamination of oil‐affected soil is an urgent worldwide issue. In this study, a microcosm experiment was conducted to explore the effect of combined utilization of urea and biochar on oil‐contamination remediation in an eastern China oil‐field soil and explored their impact on soil physicochemical properties, organic pollutants degrading‐related enzyme and functional genes, microbiome, and metabolome. Then, a pot experiment was conducted to verify the impact of the remediation experiment. Results showed that a combined application of biochar and nitrogen reduced 78.6% of total petroleum hydrocarbons in soil. Combined treatment enhanced soil dehydrogenase and catalase activities, alkB, and CYP gene abundances relative to Control. Moreover, nitrogen input reduced soil microbial α‐diversity, while improving the relative abundances of Alcanivorax and Pseudogym. In addition, the pathways of glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, naphthalene and anthracene degradation, butanoate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and glycolysis or gluconeogenesis were up‐regulated in combined treatment relative to Control. Besides, both biochar and nitrogen addition can increase the number of edges and clustering coefficient of the microbial network, and improve the network robustness. The pot experiment showed that combined treatments enhanced ryegrass shoot length, root length, and biomass by 57.8%, 38.5%, and 42.8%, respectively. Overall, this study proved the feasibility of combined biochar and urea co‐application in remedying oil‐contaminated soil and shed light on the inner mechanism.
Drought monitoring performance of global precipitation products in three wet seasons in Ethiopia: Part I—Quasi‐objective examination
Authors: Degefu Mekonnen Adnew , Bewket Woldeamlak
Published: August 2023

The need for representative and accurate climate data such as precipitation useful for drought monitoring has been rapidly increasing among policymakers and practitioners to tackle climate‐change‐induced drought events. Hence, the objective of this article is to evaluate the drought monitoring performance of global precipitation products for the three wet seasons and rainfall regions in Ethiopia. Drought indices were calculated using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at 3‐month timescale for Belg (March–May) and Autumn (September–November) seasons and at 4‐month timescale for the Kiremt (June–September) seasons. Data products were evaluated for their accuracy in representing drought magnitude, geographical coverage and frequency using quasi‐objective (visual inspection), and frequency and correlation analysis methods. The performance of gridded precipitation products was compared against the SPI value computed for 126 reference stations and the Ethiopian satellite‐gauge merged precipitation data. Precipitation products showed different levels of performance in representing the magnitude, frequency and geographical coverage of drought events for the three wet seasons and rainfall regions. None of the data products outperformed in representing the occurrence of drought for all three wet seasons and the corresponding three rainfall regions. However, the Ethiopian merged precipitation, Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Land Data Assimilation System (FLDAS) and Climate Hazard Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) precipitation products are relatively better than others. The study results generally indicate that no single data outperform the other precipitation products in representing the complex spatiotemporal characteristics of drought events in a mountainous region like Ethiopia.
A hybrid spectral approach based on 2D cardinal and classical second kind Chebyshev polynomials for time fractional 3D Sobolev equation
Authors: Hosseininia M. , Heydari M. H. , Razzaghi M.
Published: August 2023

In this work, the Caputo fractional derivative defines the time fractional 3D Sobolev equation. The 2D shifted second kind Chebyshev cardinal polynomials (SSKCCPs) and 2D shifted second kind Chebyshev polynomials (SSKCPs) (as two well‐known classes of basis functions) are utilized to establish a hybrid technique for this new problem. First, the problem solution is approximated simultaneously using the 2D SSKCCPs (relative to
) and 2D SSKCCPs (relative to
). Next, the classical and fractional operational matrices of these polynomials are achieved and applied to make the hybrid algorithm. With a combination of derived operational matrices and the collocation approach, solving the expressed fractional 3D problem turns into solving an equivalent system of algebraic equations. The proposed algorithm's accuracy is checked using four numerical examples.
Modeling orientational features via geometric algebra for 3D protein coordinates prediction
Authors: Pepe Alberto , Lasenby Joan
Published: August 2023

Protein structure prediction (PSP) is the prediction of the three‐dimensional (3D) folding of a protein (its tertiary structure) starting from its amino acid sequence (its primary structure). The state of the art in PSP is achieved by deep learning pipelines that require several input features extracted from amino acid sequences. It has been demonstrated that features that grasp the relative orientation of amino acids positively impact the prediction accuracy of the 3D coordinates of atoms in the protein backbone. In this paper, we demonstrate the relevance of geometric algebra (GA) in instantiating orientational features for PSP problems. We do so by proposing two novel GA‐based metrics which contain information on relative orientations of amino acid residues. We then employ these metrics as additional input features to a graph transformer (GT) architecture to aid the prediction of the 3D coordinates of a protein, and compare them to classical angle‐based metrics. We show how our GA features yield comparable results to angle maps in terms of accuracy of the predicted coordinates. This is despite being constructed from less initial information about the protein backbone. The features are also fewer and more informative and can be (i) closely associated to protein secondary structures and (ii) more easily predicted compared to angle maps. We hence deduce that GA can be employed as a tool to simplify the modeling of protein structures and pack orientational information in a more natural and meaningful way.
Extinction and strong persistence in the Beddington–DeAngelis predator–prey random model
Authors: Zhu Huijian , Li Lijie , Pan Weiquan
Published: August 2023

This paper studies a predator–prey model with a Beddington–DeAngelis type functional response under the stationary Ornstein–Uhlenback process. First, we prove the existence and uniqueness of the global positive solution for the given system for any initial datum. Second, we turn to its internal structures and establish the existence of a compact forward‐absorbing set as well as a forward attracting one. Finally, we carry out some numerical simulations to support the theoretical results.
Borel resummation of secular divergences in stochastic inflation
Authors: Honda Masazumi , Jinno Ryusuke , Pinol Lucas , Tokeshi Koki
Published: August 2023

Abstract

We make use of Borel resummation to extract the exact time dependence from the divergent series found in the context of stochastic inflation. Correlation functions of self-interacting scalar fields in de Sitter spacetime are known to develop secular IR divergences via loops, and the first terms of the divergent series have been consistently computed both with standard techniques for curved spacetime quantum field theory and within the framework of stochastic inflation. We show that Borel resummation can be used to interpret the divergent series and to correctly infer the time evolution of the correlation functions. In practice, we adopt a method called Borel-Padé resummation where we approximate the Borel transformation by a Padé approximant. We also discuss the singularity structures of Borel transformations and mention possible applications to cosmology.
Anomalous triple gauge couplings in electroweak dilepton tails at the LHC and interference resurrection
Authors: Hwang Haeyun , Min Ui , Park Junghyeon , Son Minho , Yoo Jae Hyeok
Published: August 2023

Abstract

We study the electroweak dilepton production with two forward jets at the LHC, aiming to measure the anomalous triple gauge couplings in the Effective Field Theory (EFT) approach. This process exhibits a distinctive feature, namely, the interference between Standard Model (SM) and beyond the SM is resurrected in the inclusive cross section of the full amplitude, including two forward jets. As a concrete illustration, we perform the detailed analytic and numerical study of the interference using a simpler toy process, and discuss the subtlety of the effective W approximation. We propose a new kinematic variable, VBFhardness, that controls the amount of energy flowing into the dilepton subprocess. We show that an appropriate cut on VBFhardness makes the interference resurrection manifest. Finally, we use the invariant mass of the dilepton system as well as the transverse momentum, as done in the literature, to derive the sensitivity to anomalous triple gauge couplings at the LHC and the high luminosity LHC. Our result is compared with the existing limits from the experiments.
Bridging the static patches: de Sitter holography and entanglement
Authors: Franken Victor , Partouche Hervé , Rondeau François , Toumbas Nicolaos
Published: August 2023

Abstract

In the context of de Sitter static-patch holography, two prescriptions have been put forward for holographic entanglement entropy computations, the monolayer and bilayer proposals. In this paper, we reformulate both prescriptions in a covariant way and extend them to include quantum corrections. We argue that the bilayer proposal is self-consistent, while the monolayer proposal exhibits contradictory behavior. In fact, the bilayer proposal leads to a stronger holographic description, in which the full spacetime is encoded on two screens at the cosmological horizons. At the classical level, we find large degeneracies of minimal extremal homologous surfaces, localized at the horizons, which can be lifted by quantum corrections. The entanglement wedges of subregions of the screens exhibit non-trivial behaviors, hinting at the existence of interesting phase transitions and non-locality in the holographic theory. In particular, while each screen encodes its corresponding static patch, we show that the entanglement wedge of the screen with the larger quantum area extends and covers the causal diamond between the screens, with a phase transition occurring when the quantum areas of the screens become equal. We argue that the capacity of the screens to encode the region between them is lost, when these are pushed further in the static patches of the observers and placed on stretched horizons.
Atorvastatin lowers 68Ga-DOTATATE uptake in coronary arteries, bone marrow and spleen in individuals with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Oostveen Reindert F. , Kaiser Yannick , Ståhle Mia R. , Nurmohamed Nick S. , Tzolos Evangelos , Dweck Marc R. , Kroon Jeffrey , Murphy Andrew J. , Dey Damini , Slomka Piotr J. , Verberne Hein J. , Stroes Erik S. G. , Hanssen Nordin M. J.
Published: August 2023

Aims/hypothesis

Inflammation is a core component of residual cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes. With new anti-inflammatory therapeutics entering the field, accurate markers to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing cardiovascular disease are paramount. Gallium-68-labelled DOTATATE (68Ga-DOTATATE) has recently been proposed as a more specific marker of arterial wall inflammation than 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG). This study set out to investigate whether 68Ga-DOTATATE uptake is amenable to therapeutic intervention in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Individuals aged >50 years with type 2 diabetes underwent 68Ga-DOTATATE positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) at baseline and after 3 months treatment with atorvastatin 40 mg once daily. Primary outcome was the difference in coronary 68Ga-DOTATATE uptake, expressed as target-to-background ratio (TBR). The secondary outcome was difference in bone marrow and splenic uptake, expressed as the standardised uptake value (SUV).

Results

Twenty-two individuals with type 2 diabetes (mean age 63.2±6.4 years, 82% male, LDL-cholesterol 3.42±0.81 mmol/l, HbA1c 55±12 mmol/mol [7.2%±3.2%]) completed both 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT scans. The maximum TBR was −31% (95% CI −50, −12) lower in the coronary arteries, and bone marrow and splenic 68Ga-DOTATATE uptake was also significantly lower post statin treatment, with a mean percentage reduction of −15% (95% CI −27, −4) and −17% (95% CI −32, −2), respectively.

Conclusions/interpretation

68Ga-DOTATATE uptake across the cardio–haematopoietic axis was lower after statin therapy in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, 68Ga-DOTATATE is promising as a metric for vascular and haematopoietic inflammation in intervention studies using anti-inflammatory therapeutics in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05730634

Graphical Abstract
IFNɣ but not IFNα increases recognition of insulin defective ribosomal product-derived antigen to amplify islet autoimmunity
Authors: Thomaidou Sofia , Munoz Garcia Amadeo , de Lange Sabine , Gan Jin , van der Slik Arno R. , Hoeben Rob C. , Roep Bart O. , Carlotti Françoise , Zaldumbide Arnaud
Published: August 2023

Aims/hypothesis

The inflammatory milieu characteristic of insulitis affects translation fidelity and generates defective ribosomal products (DRiPs) that participate in autoimmune beta cell destruction in type 1 diabetes. Here, we studied the role of early innate cytokines (IFNα) and late immune adaptive events (IFNɣ) in insulin DRiP-derived peptide presentation to diabetogenic CD8+ T cells.

Methods

Single-cell transcriptomics of human pancreatic islets was used to study the composition of the (immuno)proteasome. Specific inhibition of the immunoproteasome catalytic subunits was achieved using siRNA, and antigenic peptide presentation at the cell surface of the human beta cell line EndoC-βH1 was monitored using peptide-specific CD8 T cells.

Results

We found that IFNγ induces the expression of the PSMB10 transcript encoding the β2i catalytic subunit of the immunoproteasome in endocrine beta cells, revealing a critical role in insulin DRiP-derived peptide presentation to T cells. Moreover, we showed that PSMB10 is upregulated in a beta cell subset that is preferentially destroyed in the pancreases of individuals with type 1 diabetes.

Conclusions/interpretation

Our data highlight the role of the degradation machinery in beta cell immunogenicity and emphasise the need for evaluation of targeted immunoproteasome inhibitors to limit beta cell destruction in type 1 diabetes.

Data availability

The single-cell RNA-seq dataset is available from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) using the accession number GSE218316 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE218316).

Graphical Abstract
Evaluation of sexual function and vaginal prolapse after radical cystectomy in women: a study to explore an under-evaluated problem
Authors: Wenk Maren Juliane , Westhoff N. , Liedl B. , Michel M. S. , Grüne B. , Kriegmair M. C.
Published: August 2023

Introduction and hypothesis

The objective was to evaluate sexual function, vaginal prolapse, and quality of life (QoL) in women after radical cystectomy (RC) using validated questionnaires and pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) measurement.

Methods

Female bladder cancer patients who underwent RC at our tertiary care center were included (January 2008 to March 2022). Patients received three validated questionnaires (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Vaginal Symptoms [ICIQ-VS] Part A, Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire IUGA revised [PISQ], European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire [EORTC] C30/BLM30). Patients who consented were examined with vaginal POP-Q measurement.

Results

Out of 322 patients, 193 were still alive, 54 patients were lost to follow-up, and 43 were excluded, resulting in 96 patients who received the questionnaire. Finally, 35 patients were included, of whom 17 patients consented to vaginal examination. Complaints due to vaginal symptoms were low (ICIQ-VS 6.17 + 5.37). Sexual activity was reported by 12 patients (34.3%); 23 patients (65.71%) were not sexually active. No apical prolapse was found in POP-Q measurement; 6 patients (35.3%) had anterior, and 14 patients (82.4%) posterior prolapse; the highest prolapse stage was 2. No significant differences were found regarding POP stages, sexual function, and QoL (all p > 0.05) when comparing continent and incontinent urinary diversions. Comparing the vaginal approach (no sparing vs sparing), significant differences were found in only two PISQ subscales (significantly higher scores after vagina sparing, p = 0.01 and p = 0.02).

Conclusions

The type of urinary diversion, POP-Q stages, and tumor stages did not show significant differences regarding sexual function, QoL, and prolapse complaints in women after RC, whereas a vagina- sparing approach showed significant differences only in two subscales without clinical relevance.
Reproductive experience alters the effects of diazepam and fluoxetine on anxiety-like behaviour, fear extinction, and corticosterone levels in female rats
Authors: Pestana Jodie E. , Graham Bronwyn M.
Published: August 2023

Overview

Reproductive experience (pregnancy and motherhood) leads to long-term changes in the neurobiological and hormonal features of anxiety in rats and humans. The aim of this study was to examine whether reproductive experience alters the effects of two pharmacological treatments for anxiety, a benzodiazepine (diazepam) and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (fluoxetine), on animal models of anxiety.

Methods

In Experiment 1, virgin (n = 47) and age-matched mother (n = 50) rats at 1-month post-weaning were injected with diazepam (1.3 mg/kg or 1.7 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle, in the proestrus (high estradiol/progesterone/allopregnanolone) or metestrus (low estradiol/progesterone/allopregnanolone) phase of the estrous cycle 30 min prior to the elevated plus maze (EPM). In Experiment 2, virgin (n = 25) and mother rats (n = 20) were administered fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) or vehicle for 2 weeks prior to being tested on a Pavlovian fear conditioning and extinction protocol, and the EPM.

Results

Replicating past research, in virgin rats, the low dose of diazepam produced anxiolytic-like effects in proestrus, but only the high dose was anxiolytic-like in metestrus. In contrast, in mother rats, both doses of diazepam were anxiolytic-like irrespective of estrous phase. Fluoxetine produced anxiogenic-like effects in virgin rats during fear extinction and the EPM, but had no behavioural effects in mothers. In contrast, fluoxetine increased plasma corticosterone levels measured 30-min post-EPM in mothers, but not virgin rats.

Conclusions

Reproductive experience alters the dose responsivity and efficacy of common anti-anxiety medications in female rats. These findings highlight the importance of considering reproductive status in studies on anxiety and its treatment.
Association between alcohol and urolithiasis: a mendelian randomization study
Authors: Yang Shijian , Tan Wenyue , Wei Baian , Gu Chiming , Li Siyi , Wang Shusheng
Published: August 2023

The causal relationship between alcohol and urolithiasis remains uncertain, despite previous observational studies reporting an association between the two. To determine the causality, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the causal relationship between alcohol and kidney stones using a two-sample MR approach. Two sets of genetic instruments were utilized in the analysis, both of which were derived from publicly available genetic summary data. The first set consisted of 73 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) robustly linked to alcohol intake frequency (AIF) and the second set was comprised of 69 SNPs associated with alcohol consumption (AC). Our MR analysis was performed using several methods including the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, weighted median method, MR-Egger regression, MR Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier test. Our results from the MR analysis revealed a borderline significant association between AIF and the risk of urolithiasis. This was established through the use of the IVW method (OR (95% CI) = 1.29 (1.02, 1.65), p = 0.036) and the weighted median approach (OR (95% CI) = 1.44 (1.10, 1.89), p = 0.008). The MR-Egger model also yielded similar risk estimates (OR (95% CI) = 1.39 (0.66, 2.93), p = 0.386), although the relationship was not statistically significant. Sixty-eight SNPs were identified as having a substantial and independent link with AC. However, the IVW approach revealed no significant effect of AC on the risk of urolithiasis (OR (95% CI) = 0.74 (0.48, 1.14), p = 0.173). The MR analysis suggested a potential causal association between alcohol intake frequency and the risk of urolithiasis, but not alcohol consumption.
Impact of Topical Epinephrine with Xylocaine on Drainage After Axillary Lymph Node Dissection: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Dehariya Prerna , Agarwal Namrata , Yadav Sanjay Kumar , Agarwal Pawan , Sharma Dhananjaya
Published: August 2023

Introduction

We evaluated the impact of topical epinephrine with xylocaine on drainage after axillary lymph node dissection.

Methods

Fifty‐two women were randomized into two groups, epinephrine with xylocaine drainage (ED) and conventional drainage group (CD). The amount of drainage, duration of drainage catheter, incidence of seroma formation and wound infection were noted.

Results

The mean total drainage volume was less in ED group as compared to CD group (195 ml vs. 353 ml; p = .002). Drainage catheter was removed earlier in ED group as compared to CD group (5.07 + / − 0.99 days vs. 6.65 + / − 1.07 days; p = 0.0001). The incidence of seroma and wound infection was similar in two groups.

Conclusion

Topical epinephrine with xylocaine after axillary lymph node dissection results in significantly decreased drainage volume and duration of drainage.
Evaluation of left ventricular and left atrial volumetric function from native MR multislice 4D flow magnitude data
Authors: Reiter Clemens , Reiter Gert , Kräuter Corina , Scherr Daniel , Schmidt Albrecht , Fuchsjäger Michael , Reiter Ursula
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To assess the feasibility, precision, and accuracy of left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) volumetric function evaluation from native magnetic resonance (MR) multislice 4D flow magnitude images.

Materials & Methods

In this prospective study, 60 subjects without signs or symptoms of heart failure underwent 3T native cardiac MR multislice 4D flow and bSSFP-cine realtime imaging. LV and LA volumetric function parameters were evaluated from 4D flow magnitude (4D flow-cine) and bSSFP-cine data using standard software to obtain end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection-fraction (EF), stroke-volume (SV), LV muscle mass (LVM), LA maximum volume, LA minimum volume, and LA total ejection fraction (LATEF). Stroke volumes derived from both imaging methods were further compared to 4D pulmonary artery flow-derived net forward volumes (NFV). Methods were compared by correlation and Bland-Altman analysis.

Results

Volumetric function parameters from 4D flow-cine and bSSFP-cine showed high to very high correlations (r = 0.83-0.98). SV, LA volumes and LATEF did not differ between methods. LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes were slightly underestimated (EDV: –2.9 ± 5.8 mL; ESV: -2.3 ± 3.8 mL), EF was slightly overestimated (EF: 0.9 ± 2.6%), and LV mass was considerably overestimated (LVM: 39.0 ± 11.4 g) by 4D flow-cine imaging. SVs from both methods correlated very highly with NFV (r = 0.91 in both cases) and did not differ from NFV.

Conclusion

Native multislice 4D flow magnitude data allows precise evaluation of LV and LA volumetric parameters; however, apart from SV, LV volumetric parameters demonstrate bias and need to be referred to their respective normal values.

Clinical relevance statement

Volumetric function assessment from native multislice 4D flow magnitude images can be performed with routinely used clinical software, facilitating the application of 4D flow as a one-stop-shop functional cardiac MR exam, providing consistent, simultaneously acquired, volume and flow data.

Key points

• Native multislice 4D flow imaging allows evaluation of volumetric left ventricular and atrial function parameters.

• Left ventricular and left atrial function parameters derived from native multislice 4D flow data correlate highly with corresponding standard cine-derived parameters.

• Multislice 4D flow-derived volumetric stroke volume and net forward volume do not differ.
Diffusion histogram profiles predict molecular features of grade 4 in histologically lower-grade adult diffuse gliomas following WHO classification 2021
Authors: Kurokawa Ryo , Hagiwara Akifumi , Kurokawa Mariko , Ellingson Benjamin M. , Baba Akira , Moritani Toshio
Published: August 2023

Objectives

In the latest World Health Organization classification 2021, grade 4 adult diffuse gliomas can be diagnosed with several molecular features even without histological evidence of necrosis or microvascular proliferation. We aimed to explore whole tumor histogram-derived apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram profiles for differentiating between the presence (Mol-4) and absence (Mol-2/3) of grade 4 molecular features in histologically lower-grade gliomas.

Methods

Between June 2019 and October 2022, 184 adult patients with diffuse gliomas underwent MRI. After excluding 121 patients, 18 (median age, 64.5 [range, 37–84 years]) Mol-4 and 45 (median 40 [range, 18–73] years) Mol-2/3 patients with histologically lower-grade gliomas were enrolled. Whole tumor volume-of-interest-derived ADC histogram profiles were calculated and compared between the two groups. Stepwise logistic regression analysis with Akaike’s information criterion using the ADC histogram profiles with p values < 0.01 and age at diagnosis was used to identify independent variables for predicting the Mol-4 group.

Results

The 90th percentile (p < 0.001), median (p < 0.001), mean (p < 0.001), 10th percentile (p = 0.014), and entropy (p < 0.001) of normalized ADC were lower, and kurtosis (p < 0.001) and skewness (p = 0.046) were higher in the Mol-4 group than in the Mol-2/3 group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the entropy of normalized ADC and age at diagnosis were independent predictive parameters for the Mol-4 group with an area under the curve of 0.92.

Conclusion

ADC histogram profiles may be promising preoperative imaging biomarkers to predict molecular grade 4 among histologically lower-grade adult diffuse gliomas.

Clinical relevance statement

This study highlighted the diagnostic usefulness of ADC histogram profiles to differentiate histologically lower grade adult diffuse gliomas with the presence of molecular grade 4 features and those without.

Key Points

• ADC histogram profiles to predict molecular CNS WHO grade 4 status among histologically lower-grade adult diffuse gliomas were evaluated.

• Entropy of ADC and age were independent predictive parameters for molecular grade 4 status.

• ADC histogram analysis is useful for predicting molecular grade 4 among histologically lower-grade gliomas.
Value of a short non-contrast CMR protocol in MINOCA
Authors: Gatti Marco , Palmisano Anna , Gerboni Mattia , Cau Riccardo , Pintus Alessandra , Porcu Michele , Tore Davide , Vignale Davide , Andreis Alessandro , Bergamasco Laura , De Ferrari Gaetano Maria , Esposito Antonio , Saba Luca , Fonio Paolo , Faletti Riccardo
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a short non-contrast CMR (ShtCMR) protocol relative to a matched standard comprehensive CMR (StdCMR) protocol in patients with myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA).

Methods

This multicenter retrospective study included patients with a working diagnosis of MINOCA who underwent a StdCMR between January 2019 and December 2020. An expert and a non-expert reader performed a blinded reading with the ShtCMR (long-axis cine images, T2w-STIR, T1- and T2-mapping). A consensus reading of the StdCMR (reference standard) was performed at least 3 months after the ShtCMR reading session. Readers were asked to report the following: (1) diagnosis; (2) level of confidence in their diagnosis with the ShtCMR; (3) number of myocardial segments involved, and (4) functional parameters.

Results

A total of 179 patients were enrolled. The ShtCMR lasted 21 ± 9 min and the StdCMR 45 ± 11 min (p < 0.0001). ShtCMR allowed reaching the same diagnosis as StdCMR in 85% of patients when interpreted by expert readers (rising from 66% for poor confidence to 99% for good, p = 0.0001) and in 73% (p = 0.01) by non-expert ones (60% for poor vs 89% for good confidence, p = 0.0001). Overall, the ShtCMR overestimated the ejection fraction, underestimated cardiac volumes (p < 0.01), and underestimated the number of segments involved by pathology (p = 0.0008) when compared with the StdCMR.

Conclusion

The ShtCMR was found to be a debatable alternative to the StdCMR in patients with MINOCA. Nevertheless, when an experienced reader reaches a good or very good diagnostic confidence using the ShtCMR, the reader may choose to stop the examination, reducing the length of the CMR without affecting the patient’s diagnosis.

Clinical relevance statement

A short non-contrast CMR protocol may be a viable alternative to standard protocols in selected CMR studies of patients with MINOCA, allowing for faster diagnosis while reducing time and resources and increasing the number of patients who can be scanned.

Key Points

• The ShtCMR lasted 21 ± 9 min and the StdCMR 45 ± 11 min (p < 0.0001).

• In 57% of patients with MINOCA, the experienced reader considers that contrast medium is probably not necessary for diagnosis without affecting the patient’s diagnosis (99% of agreement rate between ShtCMR and StdCMR).
Deep learning enables the differentiation between early and late stages of hip avascular necrosis
Authors: Klontzas Michail E. , Vassalou Evangelia E. , Spanakis Konstantinos , Meurer Felix , Woertler Klaus , Zibis Aristeidis , Marias Kostas , Karantanas Apostolos H.
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To develop a deep learning methodology that distinguishes early from late stages of avascular necrosis of the hip (AVN) to determine treatment decisions.

Methods

Three convolutional neural networks (CNNs) VGG-16, Inception ResnetV2, InceptionV3 were trained with transfer learning (ImageNet) and finetuned with a retrospectively collected cohort of (n = 104) MRI examinations of AVN patients, to differentiate between early (ARCO 1–2) and late (ARCO 3–4) stages. A consensus CNN ensemble decision was recorded as the agreement of at least two CNNs. CNN and ensemble performance was benchmarked on an independent cohort of 49 patients from another country and was compared to the performance of two MSK radiologists. CNN performance was expressed with areas under the curve (AUC), the respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and precision, and recall and f1-scores. AUCs were compared with DeLong’s test.

Results

On internal testing, Inception-ResnetV2 achieved the highest individual performance with an AUC of 99.7% (95%CI 99–100%), followed by InceptionV3 and VGG-16 with AUCs of 99.3% (95%CI 98.4–100%) and 97.3% (95%CI 95.5–99.2%) respectively. The CNN ensemble the same AUCs Inception ResnetV2. On external validation, model performance dropped with VGG-16 achieving the highest individual AUC of 78.9% (95%CI 51.6–79.6%) The best external performance was achieved by the model ensemble with an AUC of 85.5% (95%CI 72.2–93.9%). No significant difference was found between the CNN ensemble and expert MSK radiologists (p = 0.22 and 0.092 respectively).

Conclusion

An externally validated CNN ensemble accurately distinguishes between the early and late stages of AVN and has comparable performance to expert MSK radiologists.

Clinical relevance statement

This paper introduces the use of deep learning for the differentiation between early and late avascular necrosis of the hip, assisting in a complex clinical decision that can determine the choice between conservative and surgical treatment.

Key Points

• A convolutional neural network ensemble achieved excellent performance in distinguishing between early and late avascular necrosis.

• The performance of the deep learning method was similar to the performance of expert readers.
Diagnostik und Management von Patient*innen mit erblichen Netzhautdegenerationen in Deutschland
Authors: Künzel Sandrine H. , Mahren Elias , Morr Mitjan , Holz Frank G. , Lorenz Birgit ,   Arbeitsgruppe IRDs in Deutschland, Märtz Josef , Nagel Ines , Kaya Sema , Freimuth Marc-Aurel , Rating Philipp , Liakopoulos Sandra , Singh Pankaj , Friedburg Christoph , Feltgen Nicolas , Take Patricia , Viestenz Arne , Wienrich Ricarda , Dulz Simon , Spitzer Martin , Käsmann-Kellner Barbara , Lentzsch Anna , Grisanti Salvatore , Besgen Volker , Sekundo Walter , Gerhardt Maximilian , Priglinger Siegfried , Maier Mathias , Eter Nicole , Al-Nawaiseh Sami , Brockmann Claudia , Fuchsluger Thomas A. , Kempf Melanie , Stingl Katarina , Kilani Adnan , Wolf Armin , Schwabe Dorothee , Stemplewitz Birthe , Rüther Klaus , Engelhardt Lucia , Schrecker Jens , Schargus Marc , Kaskel-Paul Susanne , Bonhoeffer Dietrich , Bonhoeffer Dietrich , Brinkmann Christian Karl , Gabel-Pfisterer Ameli , Ladewig Markus S. , Kellner Ulrich , Stanzel Boris V. , Szurman Peter
Published: August 2023

Hintergrund

Aufkommende Therapien führen zu wachsendem Interesse an hereditären Netzhauterkrankungen (engl. „inherited retinal diseases“ [IRDs]), einer heterogenen Gruppe seltener Erkrankungen, die potenziell zur Erblindung führen. Aktuell sind nur unzureichend systematische Studien zur Demografie und zum Management der IRDs in deutschen augenärztlichen Einrichtungen vorhanden.

Ziele der Arbeit

Charakterisierung der Versorgung von IRD-Patient*innen in Deutschland, Erfassung von Daten zur Diagnostik, zur systematischen Speicherung der Patient*innendaten und zur Weiterbildung in Ophthalmogenetik.

Methoden

Die anonyme Umfrage mittels Online-Fragebogen (SoSci Survey GmbH) wurde an alle deutschen Augenkliniken (Quelle: Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft) und 3 IRD-Schwerpunktpraxen versandt. Der für die Umfrage entwickelte Katalog bestand aus 69 Fragen.

Ergebnisse

Die Antwortquote betrug 44,8 %. Fast alle Einrichtungen (93,6 %) gaben an, IRD-Patient*innen zu betreuen, jedoch unterscheiden sich universitäre und nichtuniversitäre Kliniken stark in der Patient*innenzahl. Datenbanken wurden in 60 % der universitären (UK) und 5,9 % der nichtuniversitären Kliniken (NUK) genutzt. Die Hälfte (53 %) der NUKs und 12 % der UKs gaben an, dass weniger als 20 % der betreuten Patient*innen eine molekulargenetische Diagnose erhielten. Die Antworten der Schwerpunktpraxen ähnelten denen der UKs. Patient*innen mit der mittels Voretigen Neparvovec therapierbaren RPE65-mutationsassoziierten IRD wurden in 9 UKs betreut.

Diskussion

Die Umfrage zeigt Defizite in der Versorgung von IRDs auf. Insbesondere war der Prozentsatz von Betroffenen mit bekanntem Genotyp zwischen UKs und NUKs sehr unterschiedlich. Hier sollten gerade wegen der aufkommenden Therapien Verbesserungen initiiert werden.
Conventional and living guideline for schizophrenia: barriers and facilitating factors in guideline implementation
Authors: Lorenz Carolin , Güler Duygu , Halms Theresa , Khorikian-Ghazari Naiiri , Röh Astrid , Flick Marisa , Burschinski Angelika , Pielenz Charline , Salveridou-Hof Eva , Schneider-Axmann Thomas , Schneider Marco , Wagner Elias , Falkai Peter , Gaebel Wolfgang , Leucht Stefan , Hasan Alkomiet , Gaigl Gabriele
Published: August 2023

This study aims to investigate the barriers and facilitators to guideline adherence for the print format of the German schizophrenia guideline as well as for the concept of a digital living guideline for the first time. For this purpose, the schizophrenia guideline was transferred to a digital guideline format within the web-based tool MAGICapp. An online survey was performed under participation of mental healthcare professionals (medical doctors, psychologists/psychotherapists, psychosocial therapists, caregivers) in 17 hospitals for psychiatry in Southern Germany and a professional association for German neurologists and psychiatrists. 524 participants opened the survey, 439 completed the demographic questions and commenced the content-related survey and 309 provided complete data sets. Results indicate a higher occurrence of knowledge-related barriers for the living guideline. The print version is associated with more attitude-related and external barriers. Older professionals reported more attitude-related barriers to a living guideline compared to younger professionals. Differences between professions regarding barriers were found for both formats. Various barriers exist for both guideline formats and a need for facilitators was expressed across professions. Many of the mentioned obstacles and facilitators can be more easily addressed with living guidelines. However, also living guidelines face barriers. Thus, the introduction of these new formats alone cannot lead to sustainable behavior change regarding guideline adherence. Yet, living guidelines seem to be a cornerstone to improved and tailored guideline implementation as they facilitate to keep recommendations up to date and to address the need of individual professional groups.
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parental Depression
Authors: Karra Srinivas V. , Krause Trudy M. , Yamal Jose-Miguel , Ogle Nicholas T. , Tanner Rebecca , Revere Lee
Published: August 2023

Studies exploring associations between children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and depression in parents are limited. This study compares healthcare utilization, depression treatment costs, and risk factors, in parents of children with and without ASD. Using a matched case-control, individuals aged 27 to 64 with continuous enrollment from 2017–2019 and a child diagnosed with ASD were selected from nationally representative administrative claims data. Individuals were randomly matched 1:3 to a non-ASD group based on the child's age, gender, and family characteristics. Statistical models were used to evaluate the association between ASD in children, depression in their respective parents, and resulting healthcare utilization and costs incurred by parents. The study consisted of 23,316 families, out of which 5,779 had children with ASD, and 17,337 had children without ASD. Having a child with ASD was a predictor of depression in parents (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.73 – 2.10). Mothers of children with ASD had a higher risk of having depression (OR 4.0, 95% CI 2.62 – 6.12). Parents having multiple ASD children were also at higher risk of depression (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.18 – 2.13). The sex and age of the child were not associated with parental depression. While family-level income and education attainment were not associated, urbanicity (rural) had an association with depression. Parents with ASD children are at a higher risk of depression. Findings suggest that parents of children with ASD may benefit from depression screening at the onset of ASD diagnosis in their children.