bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CNS-associated macrophages contribute to intracerebral aneurysm pathophysiology
Authors: Glavan Martina , Jelic Ana , Levard Damien , Frösen Juhana , Keränen Sara , Franx Bart A. A. , Bras Ana-Rita , Louet Estelle R. , Dénes Ádám , Merlini Mario , Vivien Denis , Rubio Marina
Published: March 2024

Intracerebral aneurysms (IAs) are pathological dilatations of cerebral arteries whose rupture leads to subarachnoid hemorrhage, a significant cause of disability and death. Inflammation is recognized as a critical contributor to the formation, growth, and rupture of IAs; however, its precise actors have not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we report CNS-associated macrophages (CAMs), also known as border-associated macrophages, as one of the key players in IA pathogenesis, acting as critical mediators of inflammatory processes related to IA ruptures. Using a new mouse model of middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms we show that CAMs accumulate in the IA walls. This finding was confirmed in a human MCA aneurysm obtained after surgical clipping, together with other pathological characteristics found in the experimental model including morphological changes and inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition, in vivo longitudinal molecular MRI studies revealed vascular inflammation strongly associated with the aneurysm area, i.e., high expression of VCAM-1 and P-selectin adhesion molecules, which precedes and predicts the bleeding extent in the case of IA rupture. Specific CAM depletion by intracerebroventricular injection of clodronate liposomes prior to IA induction reduced IA formation and rupture rate. Moreover, the absence of CAMs ameliorated the outcome severity of IA ruptures resulting in smaller hemorrhages, accompanied by reduced neutrophil infiltration. Our data shed light on the unexplored role of CAMs as main actors orchestrating the progression of IAs towards a rupture-prone state.

Graphical abstract
Comparison of 3D-printed and laboratory-fabricated Hyrax on stress distribution and displacement of the maxillary complex: a 3D finite element study
Authors: Bocklet Michael , Ahmadi Farhad , Tremont Timothy , Ross Loring , Yao Hai , Andrade Ildeu
Published: March 2024

Objective

To analyze and compare the effects of a traditional laboratory-fabricated Hyrax expander (T-Hyrax) and two different 3D-printed Hyrax expander models relative to tension points, force distribution, and areas of concentration in the craniofacial complex during maxillary expansion using finite element analysis.

Materials and methods

Three maxillary expanders with similar designs, but various alloys were modeled: a T-Hyrax, a fully printed Hyrax (F-Hyrax), and a hybrid printed Hyrax (H-Hyrax). The stress distributions and magnitude of displacements were assessed with a 5 mm expansion in a symmetrical finite element model. The areas of interest included the teeth, alveolar processes, midpalatal suture, nasal complex, circummaxillary sutures (CS), and the expanders themselves.

Results

The highest stress value (29.2 MPa) was found at the midpalatal suture of the F-Hyrax, while the lowest stress (0.90 MPa) was found at the temporozygomatic suture in the T-Hyrax. On average, the F-Hyrax increased stress at the CS by 24.76% compared with the T-Hyrax and H-Hyrax. The largest displacements were found at the upper incisor (U1) and anterior nasal spine (ANS). The findings indicated an average increase of 12.80% displacement at the CS using the F-Hyrax compared to the T-Hyrax.

Conclusion

The F-Hyrax exerts more stress and displacement on the maxilla than both the T-Hyrax and H-Hyrax, where the weak link appears to be the solder joint.
An elementary review on basic principles and developments of qubits for quantum computing
Authors: Chae Eunmi , Choi Joonhee , Kim Junki
Published: March 2024

An elementary review on principles of qubits and their prospects for quantum computing is provided. Due to its rapid development, quantum computing has attracted considerable attention as a core technology for the next generation and has demonstrated its potential in simulations of exotic materials, molecular structures, and theoretical computer science. To achieve fully error-corrected quantum computers, building a logical qubit from multiple physical qubits is crucial. The number of physical qubits needed depends on their error rates, making error reduction in physical qubits vital. Numerous efforts to reduce errors are ongoing in both existing and emerging quantum systems. Here, the principle and development of qubits, as well as the current status of the field, are reviewed to provide information to researchers from various fields and give insights into this promising technology.
Slip distribution of the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake (MJMA 7.6) estimated from tsunami waveforms and GNSS data
Authors: Fujii Yushiro , Satake Kenji
Published: March 2024

The 1 January 2024 Noto-Hanto (Noto Peninsula) earthquake (MJMA 7.6) generated strong ground motion, large crustal deformation and tsunamis that caused significant damage in the region. Around Noto Peninsula, both offshore submarine and partially inland active faults have been identified by previous projects: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and Japan Sea Earthquake and Tsunami Research Project (JSPJ). We inverted the tsunami waveforms recorded on 6 wave gauges and 12 tide gauges around Sea of Japan and the GNSS data recorded at 53 stations in Noto Peninsula to estimate the slip amount and seismic moment on each of active faults. The results show that the 2024 coseismic slips were 3.5 m, 3.2 m, and 3.2 m on subfaults NT4, NT5 and NT6 of the JSPJ model, located on the northern coast of Noto Peninsula and dipping toward southeast. A smaller slip, 1.0 m, estimated on NT8 on the southwestern end of the 2024 rupture, may be attributed to its previous rupture during the 2007 Noto earthquake. The total length of these four faults is ~ 100 km, and the seismic moment is 1.90 × 1020 Nm (Mw = 7.5). Almost no slip was estimated on the northeastern subfaults NT2 and NT3, which dip northwestward, opposite to NT4–NT5–NT6, and western subfault NT8. Aftershocks including the MJMA 6.1 event occurred in the NT2–NT3 region, but they are smaller than the potential magnitude (Mw 7.1) those faults can release in a tsunamigenic earthquake. Similar features are also found for the MLIT model; the 2024 slip was only on F43 along the northern coast of Noto Peninsula, and northeastern F42 did not rupture, leaving potential for future event.

Graphical Abstract
Extended radical resection and chest wall reconstruction for a pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Zhao Yingzhi , Xie Shaohua , Zheng Haoqian , Zhang Kaixin , Gao Xin , Liu Wenwu , Dai Wei , Yu Hongfan , Shi Qiuling , Hu Bin , Li Qiang , Xie Tianpeng , Wei Xing
Published: March 2024

Background

Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rare and highly malignant type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), for which the treatment of choice is surgery. For peripheral PSC growing outward and invading the chest wall, a complete resection of the affected lung lobes and the invaded chest wall can improve long-term prognosis. However, when the extent of the resected chest wall is large, reconstruction is often required to reduce the risk of postoperative complications. Here, we present a case of PSC invading the chest wall treated with successful extended radical resection for lung cancer and chest wall reconstruction.

Case presentation

A 58-year-old male patient with a nodule in the right upper lobe that had been identified on physical examination 2 years before presentation presented to our hospital with a recent cough, expectoration, and chest pain. Imaging revealed a mass in the right upper lobe that had invaded the chest wall. Preoperative puncture pathology revealed poorly differentiated NSCLC. We performed extended radical resection for lung cancer under open surgery and reconstructed the chest wall using stainless steel wire and polypropylene meshes. The procedure was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 7 days postoperatively. Furthermore, the final pathology revealed PSC.

Conclusions

This case underscores the feasibility of surgical R0 resection in patients with PSC with chest wall invasion and no lymph node metastasis, potentially enhancing long-term outcomes. The novel aspect of this case lies in the individualized chest wall reconstruction for a large defect, using cost-effective materials that offered satisfactory structural support and postoperative recovery, thereby providing a valuable reference for similar future surgical interventions.
Measurement properties of the falls efficacy scale in patients on hemodialysis
Authors: de Jesus Luciana Angélica da Silva , Pinheiro Bruno Valle , Almeida Ana Beatriz Laguardia , da Cunha Lara Fagundes Fonseca , Resende Gabriela Moreira , Moreira-Júnior Marco Aurelio , Campos-Junior Mauricio Becho , Koufaki Pelagia , Lucinda Leda Marília Fonseca , Reboredo Maycon Moura
Published: March 2024

Background

The measurement properties of the falls efficacy scale have not been evaluated in patients on hemodialysis. This study determined the inter- and intrarater reliability, standard error of measurement, minimal detectable change, and limits of agreements of the falls efficacy scale in patients on hemodialysis.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 65 patients (57.5 ± 13.9 years, 63.1% male) on hemodialysis. The fear of falling was assessed by two previously trained raters using the falls efficacy scale. The intraclass correlation coefficient, standard error of measurement, minimal detectable change, and Bland–Altman plot were calculated to assess the inter- and intrarater reliability of the falls efficacy scale.

Results

The interrater intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.91, and the intrarater intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.78, representing excellent interrater and good intrarater reliability. The standard error of measurement for inter- and intrarater assessments were 2.99 and 4.46, and the minimal detectable change for inter- and intrarater assessments were 9.26 and 12.33, respectively. The interrater mean difference score was 0.26 (95% limits of agreement: − 8.01 to 8.53), and the intrarater mean difference score was − 1.06 (95% limits of agreement: − 13.39 to 11.27).

Conclusion

In patients on hemodialysis, the falls efficacy scale showed excellent and good inter- and intrarater reliability, respectively. Additionally, standard error of measurement, minimal detectable change, and limits of agreements of the falls efficacy scale score were satisfactory.
Individual differences in emerging adults’ spatial abilities: What role do affective factors play?
Authors: Desme Carlos J. , Dick Anthony S. , Hayes Timothy B. , Pruden Shannon M.
Published: March 2024

Spatial ability is defined as a cognitive or intellectual skill used to represent, transform, generate, and recall information of an object or the environment. Individual differences across spatial tasks have been strongly linked to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) interest and success. Several variables have been proposed to explain individual differences in spatial ability, including affective factors such as one’s confidence and anxiety. However, research is lacking on whether affective variables such as confidence and anxiety relate to individual differences in both a mental rotation task (MRT) and a perspective-taking and spatial orientation task (PTSOT). Using a sample of 100 college students completing introductory STEM courses, the present study investigated the effects of self-reported spatial confidence, spatial anxiety, and general anxiety on MRT and PTSOT. Spatial confidence, after controlling for effects of general anxiety and biological sex, was significantly related to performance on both the MRT and PTSOT. Spatial anxiety, after controlling for effects of general anxiety and biological sex, was not related to either PTSOT or MRT scores. Together these findings suggest some affective factors, but not others, contribute to spatial ability performance to a degree that merits advanced investigation in future studies.
First-year students AI-competence as a predictor for intended and de facto use of AI-tools for supporting learning processes in higher education
Authors: Delcker Jan , Heil Joana , Ifenthaler Dirk , Seufert Sabine , Spirgi Lukas
Published: March 2024

The influence of Artificial Intelligence on higher education is increasing. As important drivers for student retention and learning success, generative AI-tools like translators, paraphrasers and most lately chatbots can support students in their learning processes. The perceptions and expectations of first-years students related to AI-tools have not yet been researched in-depth. The same can be stated about necessary requirements and skills for the purposeful use of AI-tools. The research work examines the relationship between first-year students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes and their use of AI-tools for their learning processes. Analysing the data of 634 first-year students revealed that attitudes towards AI significantly explains the intended use of AI tools. Additionally, the perceived benefits of AI-technology are predictors for students’ perception of AI-robots as cooperation partners for humans. Educators in higher education must facilitate students’ AI competencies and integrate AI-tools into instructional designs. As a result, students learning processes will be improved.
Design of experiments and white analytical chemistry-driven green and sensitive spectrofluorimetric estimation of pregabalin in its pharmaceutical dosage forms and spiked human plasma
Authors: Prajapati Pintu , Pulusu Veera Shakar , Shah Shailesh
Published: March 2024

Background

Pregabalin (PGB) is a medication with anticonvulsant, analgesic and anxiolytic properties, employed in the treatment of epilepsy, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, opioid withdrawal syndrome and generalized anxiety disorder. Several spectrofluorimetric techniques have been documented for the determination of PGB in pharmaceutical dosage forms. However, these published methods typically involve the use of expensive and toxic organic solvents and reagents, as well as high reaction temperatures for PGB analysis. These components pose risks to aquatic life and the environment, making them less environmentally friendly and user-friendly. A recent advancement in analytical chemistry has introduced a white analytical approach, providing an economical, eco-friendly and user-friendly method for the development of analytical procedures.

Objectives

Therefore, a green and sensitive spectrofluorimetric determination of PGB, guided by white analytical chemistry principles, has been conducted utilizing distilled water as an environmentally friendly solvent.

Methods

The establishment of the spectrofluorimetric method involved employing the design of experiments approach to ensure a robust, precise and accurate estimation of PGB. Response surface analysis and optimization of critical procedural variables and responses were carried out using the central composite design. The validation of the developed method adhered to the guidelines outlined in ICH (International Council for Harmonization) Q2 (R1) and M10.

Results

The established spectrofluorimetric method was utilized to determine the PGB content in commercially available formulations and human plasma samples spiked with PGB. The obtained results were in accordance with the labeled claim of PGB in the formulations. The recovery of PGB in the spiked human plasma samples ranged from 85 to 90% of the spiked amount.

Conclusions

The greenness profiles of the published and suggested spectrofluorimetric methods for PGB estimation were evaluated and compared using the AGREE calculator, GAPI software and ESA tool. The suggested method demonstrated sensitivity, robustness, environmental friendliness and user-friendliness.
Turkish dichotic sentence mobile scan test results in young and elderly people
Authors: Tabak Seyma Nur , Konukseven Ozlem
Published: March 2024

Background

This study investigated the impact of age on dichotic listening performance by comparing results from the Turkish Dichotic Sentence Mobile Screening Test in young and elderly individuals with normal hearing. A total of 60 adults (30 young, 30 old) underwent otoscopic examination, audiological tests, and, for the elderly group, a mini-mental test. The Turkish Dichotic Sentence Mobile Screening Test was administered, and directed and undirected scores for the right and left ears were compared between age groups.

Results

In the young group, the directed left ear mean (96.67% ± 8.02%), directed right ear mean (98.33% ± 3.79%), undirected left ear mean (97.67% ± 6.26%), and undirected right ear mean (98.67% ± 5.71%) were obtained. In the elderly group, corresponding values were lower: directed left ear mean (49.00% ± 36.33%), directed right ear mean (54.67% ± 40.66%), undirected left ear mean (64.00% ± 32.86%), and undirected right ear mean (65.00% ± 30.82%). Statistically significant differences were found between the young and elderly groups (p < 0.001), with the young group consistently outperforming the elderly group.

Conclusions

These results align with existing literature on dichotic listening tests, highlighting age-related declines in performance. The study contributes valuable insights into age-related changes in auditory processing and cognition, emphasizing the importance of considering dichotic listening as a marker of cognitive aging. Future research should explore potential interventions to mitigate age-related declines in dichotic listening performance.
Evaluation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex with the functional head impulse test in people with motion sickness
Authors: Binay-Bolat Kübra , Aydogan Zehra , Ocak Emre , Tokgoz-Yilmaz Suna
Published: March 2024

Background

In this study, we aimed to examine functional VOR values with and without optokinetic background stimulation in fHIT (functional head impulse test) in individuals with motion sickness.

Methods

Forty-two individuals between the ages of 18–50 years were included in study. The lateral fHIT test was applied to the motion sickness group and the control group with and without dynamic optokinetic (OKN) background stimulation.

Results

In the control group, no significant difference was observed in the correct response percentages (% CA) for fHIT and OKN-fHIT for the right and left lateral canals (p > 0.05). In the MS group, a significant difference was observed when comparing fHIT and OKN-fHIT correct response percentages for the right and left lateral canals (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

It has been observed that the optokinetic background triggers the disease in individuals with MS, and there is a decrease in the percentage of correct readings in the fHIT.
Distributed acoustic sensing for seismic surface wave data acquisition in an intertidal environment
Authors: Trafford Andrew , Ellwood Robert , Godfrey Alastair , Minto Christopher , Donohue Shane
Published: March 2024

The application of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) for shallow marine seismic investigations is assessed, in particular with respect to the collection of seismic surface wave data in an intertidal setting. Appropriate selection and directional sensitivity of fiber-optic cables is considered and the measured data is validated with respect to conventional seismic data acquisition approaches, using geophones and hydrophones, along with independent borehole and seismic cone penetration test (SCPT) data. In terms of cable selection, a reduction in amplitude and frequency response of an armored cable is observed, when compared with an unarmored cable. For seismic surface wave surveys in an offshore environment where the cable would need to withstand significant stresses, the use of the armored variant with limited loss in frequency response may be acceptable from a practical perspective. The DAS approach also has indicated good consistency with conventional means of surface wave data acquisition, and the inverted [Formula: see text] also is very consistent with downhole SCPT data. Observed differences in phase velocity between high tide (Scholte wave propagation) and low tide (Rayleigh wave propagation) are not thought to be related to the particular type of interface wave due to shallow water depth. These differences are more likely to be related to the development of capillary forces in the partially saturated granular medium at low tide. Overall, this study demonstrates that our novel approach of DAS using seabed fiber-optic cables in the intertidal environment is capable of rapidly providing near-surface S-wave velocity data across considerable spatial scales (multikilometer) at high resolution, which is beneficial for the design of subsea cables routes and landfall locations. The associated reduction in deployment and survey duration, when compared with conventional approaches, is particularly important when working in the marine environment due to potentially short weather windows and expensive downtime.
Nurse-Led Individualized Follow-Up Versus Regular Physician-Led Visits After Early Breast Cancer (MyHealth): A Phase III Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Saltbæk Lena , Bidstrup Pernille E. , Karlsen Randi V. , Høeg Beverley L. , Horsboel Trine A. , Belmonte Federica , Andersen Elisabeth A.W. , Zoffmann Vibeke , Friberg Anne S. , Svendsen Mads N. , Christensen Helle G. , Glavicic Vesna , Nielsen Dorte L. , Dalton Susanne O. , Johansen Christoffer
Published: March 2024

PURPOSE

Follow-up after breast cancer with regular visits has failed to detect recurrences, be cost-effective, and address patient needs.

METHODS

MyHealth is a phase III randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02949167 ). Patients, who recently completed primary treatment for stage I-II breast cancer, were randomly assigned in variable block sizes and stratified by age and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status to intervention or control follow-up. The nurse-led intervention comprised three to five individual self-management sessions, regular reporting of symptoms, and navigation to health care services. The control follow-up comprised regular outpatient visits with the physician. The primary outcome was breast cancer–specific quality of life (QoL) measured by the Trial Outcome Index-Physical/Functional/Breast summary score of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast 2 years after random assignment. Secondary outcomes were fear of recurrence, anxiety, depression, and health care utilization. Analyses were intention-to-treat and P values were two-sided with 95% confidence level set at 0.005 because of multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

Among 1,101 eligible patients, 875 were invited and 503 were randomly assigned to control (n = 252) or intervention (n = 251) follow-up. At 2 years, patients in the intervention group reported a significantly and clinically relevant higher QoL (mean, 75.69 [standard deviation [SD], 12.27]) than patients in the control group (71.26 [SD, 14.08]), with a mean difference of 5.05 (95% CI, 3.30 to 6.79; P < .001). The intervention group reported significantly less fear of recurrence, anxiety, and depression; they had fewer physician consultations but more nurse contacts and an unchanged diagnostic imaging pattern. The effect on all outcomes was stable through a 3-year follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The MyHealth study suggested a new strategy for follow-up after early breast cancer as it provided significant improvements in QoL.
C4 to C7 Laminoplasty for Resection of an Intradural Intramedullary Ependymoma: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Peeters Sophie , Batzdorf Ulrich , Holly Langston T.
Published: March 2024

A 28-year-old woman with a history of a prolactinoma presented with about 5 months of neck pain and left upper extremity numbness and tingling in the C7 and C8 dermatomal distribution. She had no weakness on examination though notable increased deep tendon reflexes in the lower extremities. She had a homogenously enhancing lesion with an associated syrinx on MRI of her cervical spine. She was offered a C4–7 laminoplasty for resection of the tumor and ultimate tissue diagnosis. The patient consented to the procedure. Her postoperative imaging was notable for gross total resection and significant improvement of the syrinx and cervical alignment. Clinically, her paresthesias and gait improved significantly. The pathology confirmed a diagnosis of World Health Organization grade II ependymoma. The management of ependymomas in adults often starts with surgical resection for cytoreduction followed by postoperative radiotherapy for World Health Organization grade II and grade III at least.
1-4
Spinal cord ependymomas tend to have favorable prognosis, except when carrying an MYCN gene amplification.
5,6
A blueprint most wonderful, the homeobox discovery
Authors: McGinnis William , Levine Michael
Published: March 2024

This is a personal, non-linear summary of the discovery of the homeobox, a short DNA sequence encoding a DNA-binding domain conserved in developmental control genes. It is based on our recollections, a few decaying lab notebooks and letters, the early research papers we published, and conversations with a few colleagues who were in Basel at the time. It presents a simple story, when the research we did was anything but, with failed experiments, blind alleys and dumb ideas. Homeobox DNA sequences were independently discovered by Matt Scott and Amy Weiner in Thomas Kaufmann's lab at Indiana University ( Scott and Weiner, 1984). The accompanying Perspective from Scott (2024), provides their fascinating story.
Circadian coupling of mitochondria in a deep-diving mammal
Authors: Ciccone Chiara , Kante Fayiri , Folkow Lars P. , Hazlerigg David G. , West Alexander C. , Wood Shona H.
Published: March 2024

Regulation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is essential to match energy supply to changing cellular energy demands, and to cope with periods of hypoxia. Recent work implicates the circadian molecular clock in control of mitochondrial function and hypoxia sensing. Because diving mammals experience intermittent episodes of severe hypoxia, with diel patterning in dive depth and duration, it is interesting to consider circadian–mitochondrial interaction in this group. Here, we demonstrate that the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), a deep-diving Arctic pinniped, shows strong daily patterning of diving behaviour in the wild. Cultures of hooded seal skin fibroblasts exhibit robust circadian oscillation of the core clock genes per2 and arntl. In liver tissue collected from captive hooded seals, expression of arntl was some 4-fold higher in the middle of the night than in the middle of the day. To explore the clock–mitochondria relationship, we measured the mitochondrial oxygen consumption in synchronized hooded seal skin fibroblasts and found a circadian variation in mitochondrial activity, with higher coupling efficiency of complex I coinciding with the trough of arntl expression. These results open the way for further studies of circadian–hypoxia interactions in pinnipeds during diving.
Comparison of doses of Nebulized Magnesium sulphate as an adjuvant treatment with salbutamol in children with Status Asthmaticus
Authors: Asif Rabia , Rais Heena , Bai Prinka , Aziz Ramsha
Published: March 2024

Objectives: To compare the response between different doses of nebulized magnesium sulphate along with Salbutamol in children between two to 12 years of age with status asthmaticus.

Methods: This single blinded, randomized clinical trial was carried out at the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Ziauddin University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan during October 2021 to September 2022. A total of 104 children aged between 2-12 years, with the diagnosis of asthma having “Pediatric Rapid Assessment Measure (PRAM)” score>4 and with reactive airways were included. Children either received three back-to-back nebulization with salbutamol solution only (n=50) or salbutamol and MgSO4 with three different doses (250mg, 500mg or 750mg) after every 20 minutes for 60 minutes. The PRAM score was used as an assessment tool to clinically score asthma.

Results: In a total of 104 children, 53 (51.0%) were girls. The mean age was 5.25±2.86 years. No statistically significant difference was found in PRAM scores at baseline (p=0.448) and at 20-minutes (p=0.072) but significant differences were observed at 40-minutes (p=0.009), 60-minutes (p=0.011), 120-minutes (p=0.010), 6-hours (=0.034), 12-hours (p=0.018), 18-hours (p=0.033) and at 24-hours (p=0.029). The reduction in PRAM scores from baseline to 24-hours following treatment among Salbutamol, Salbutamol+ MgSo4 250mg, Salbutamol+ MgSo4 500mg and Salbutamol+ MgSo4 750mg group were 6.53±1.09, 7.22±1.09, 6.85±1.43 and 7.57±1.06 respectively (p=0.007).

Conclusion: While children with status asthmaticus managed using salbutamol, with or without nebulized MgSO4, showed improved clinical outcomes, combining salbutamol with higher dosages of nebulized MgSO4 resulted in even greater clinical improvement.

Clinical Trial Registry: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04929626.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.5.7682

How to cite this: Asif R, Rais H, Bai P, Aziz R. Comparison of doses of Nebulized Magnesium sulphate as an adjuvant treatment with salbutamol in children with Status Asthmaticus. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.5.7682

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Inputs-Oriented VRS DEA in dairy farms
Authors: Zuniga-Gonzalez C. A. , Jaramillo-Villanueva J. L. , Blanco-Roa N.E
Published: March 2024

Background This paper aims to examine the efficiency of Mexico’s dairy farms within its four regions of Tlaxcala Stated. Methods The Envelopment Data Analysis (DEA) applied to the variable returns to a scale model (VRS) for the year 2020. Also, Examine the statistical accuracy of efficiency estimation using bootstrap resampling techniques. The results reveal that Tlaxcala’s dairy farm efficiency, on the other hand, was adversely influenced by three inputs (costs): cost of investment in livestock, the total annual cost for feeding, reproduction, diseases and treatments, preventive medicine, sanitation, milking, fuel, and total labor. Results The efficiency distribution among farms using VRS, CRS, and FDH technologies reveals varying patterns. Under VRS and CRS, the majority of farms exhibit high efficiency within the 0 to less than 0.2 range, while FDH displays a broader distribution, with notable efficiency at 1 and across various ranges. These findings highlight the diverse landscape of efficiency levels across different technological approaches within the agricultural sector, offering valuable insights for optimization strategies and resource allocation. Conclusions The utilization of Bootstrap methodology enhances the reliability of efficiency assessments by providing robust statistical techniques that accommodate non-normal data distributions. By incorporating Bootstrap, decision-makers can obtain more accurate estimates of efficiency levels and confidence intervals, thereby making informed decisions regarding resource allocation and optimization strategies within the agricultural sector. As part of the study, provided The Policy suggestions.
Let the Laser Beam Connect the Dots: Forecasting and Narrating Stock Market Volatility
Authors: Zhang Zhu (Drew) , Yuan Jie , Gupta Amulya
Published: March 2024

Forecasting market volatility, especially high-volatility incidents, is a critical issue in financial market research and practice. Business news as an important source of market information is often exploited by artificial intelligence–based volatility forecasting models. Computationally, deep learning architectures, such as recurrent neural networks, on extremely long input sequences remain infeasible because of time complexity and memory limitations. Meanwhile, understanding the inner workings of deep neural networks is challenging because of the largely black box nature of large neural networks. In this work, we address the first challenge by proposing a long- and short-term memory retrieval (LASER) architecture with flexible memory and horizon configurations to forecast market volatility. Then, we tackle the interpretability issue by devising a BEAM algorithm that leverages a large pretrained language model (GPT-2). It generates human-readable narratives verbalizing the evidence leading to the model prediction. Experiments on a Wall Street Journal news data set demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed LASER-BEAM pipeline in predicting high-volatility market scenarios and generating high-quality narratives compared with existing methods in the literature.

History: Accepted by Ram Ramesh, Area Editor for Data Science & Machine Learning.

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2022.0055 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2022.0055 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .
Demand Inertia and the Hidden Impact of Pharmacy Benefit Managers
Authors: Feng Josh , Maini Luca
Published: March 2024

Do pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) reduce spending on prescription drugs? Reduced-form evidence suggests that PBMs enforce a tradeoff between net-of-rebate prices and access to drugs within each market. However, net-of-rebate prices grow consistently over time and appear unresponsive to competitor entry. We argue that inertia in drug demand can reconcile these facts. To formally analyze the roles played by PBMs and demand inertia, we build a dynamic structural model of drug pricing and estimate it using net-of-rebate prices of three major statins from 1996 to 2013. Counterfactuals suggest that, relative to a market with price-setting by drug manufacturers and patients who face coinsurance, PBMs reduce overall spending by 28%, without greatly limiting patient access. Without demand inertia, the presence of PBMs would cause prices to fall significantly as competitors enter.

This paper was accepted by Raphael Thomadsen, marketing.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes on Aging [Grants R24-AG048059 and T32-AG000186] and the National Institute for Healthcare Management Foundation.

Supplemental Material: The online appendices and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.03331 .
Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable
Authors: Jackson Robert , Lynch-Levy Bradford , Taylor Daniel
Published: March 2024

Whereas corporate insiders at U.S.-listed, U.S.-domiciled companies must disclose their stock sales electronically within two business days on Form 4, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) exempts insiders at U.S.-listed, foreign-domiciled companies from this requirement. Instead, these “foreign insiders” report their sales on a paper form mail-filed with the SEC. Using a unique data set compiled from digitized versions of thousands of paper forms, we examine the stock sales of foreign insiders and compare their trading to that of their U.S. counterparts. Consistent with a lack of public scrutiny facilitating opportunism, we show that foreign insiders’ stock sales are highly opportunistic and opportunistic trading is concentrated in companies that are domiciled in nonextradition countries beyond the reach of U.S. legal authorities: specifically, Russia and China. The average stock sale by foreign insiders affiliated with companies domiciled in these countries is more than four times larger than that of U.S. insiders and occurs prior to stock price declines of at least −18%. In our sample, we estimate that insiders at these companies have traded to avoid losses of more than $9 billion. Collectively, our results suggest that corporate insiders associated with Chinese and Russian companies listed on U.S. exchanges trade in a highly opportunistic and abusive manner. The SEC’s decision to exempt these insiders from Form 4 reporting requirements prevents much needed public scrutiny of their trading and, in turn, prevents market forces from disciplining their trading.

This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting.

Funding: We thank our schools and the Dean’s Research Fund at Wharton for financial support.

Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.02131 .
Pediatric Synovial Osteochondromatosis of the Knee with Leg Length Discrepancy: A Case Report
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan,, Shimizu Junya , Fujita Hiroki ,   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hokkaido medical center for child health and rehabilitation, Sapporo, Japan,, Suzuki Tomoyuki ,   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sapporo Maruyama Orthopaedic Hospital, Sapporo, Japan., Okimura Shinichiro ,   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan,, Yamashita Toshihiko ,   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan,
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Synovial chondromatosis (SC) is very rare among children. We are aware of no reports of patients with SC accompanied by leg length discrepancy (LLD). Case Report: We describe a case of synovial osteochondromatosis of a 7-year-old boy complicated by LLD. We performed epiphysiodesis of the distal femur and arthroscopic resection of loose bodies and total synovectomy. Three years after surgery, LLD had been corrected and there was no sign of recurrence. Conclusion: Physicians should be aware of synovial osteochondromatosis complicated by LLD in childhood and take radiographs of the whole length of lower legs when this condition is suspected. Keywords: Synovial osteochondromatosis, leg length discrepancy, knee joint, child.
Calibration for endoscopic 3D shape measurement with cone beam projection
Authors: Takahashi Yuta , Higashiguchi Takeshi , Wakayama Toshitaka
Published: March 2024

We demonstrate a calibration method for endoscopic three-dimensional shape measurement with cone beam projection. In this method, changes in the shape of the optical sectioning profiles are quantified and fitted while scanning a calibration board in the depth direction, using a cubic function. In accuracy tests using a flat plate and a ring reference gauge, the proposed method obtains an accuracy of 0.02 mm in the depth dimension and 0.09 mm in the radial dimension. These results represent 88% and 55% improvements compared to previous analysis. For medical applications, an ear examination simulator was employed, and our measurement results were compared to ground truth data obtained by microfocus X-ray computed tomography. The surface deviation of our method relative to the ground truth data was ±0.36mm during manual operation. A comparison of the measurement results before and after calibration revealed an improvement in the peak agreement with the ground truth data, with the deviation shifting from 0.2 mm to −0.05mm. Our strategy achieves a digital transformation of 3D endoscopy, which would benefit a number of medical fields.
Local and global optimization methods for optical line control based on quality of transmission
Authors: Borraccini Giacomo , Straullu Stefano , D’Amico Andrea , Aquilino Francesco , Piciaccia Stefano , Tanzi Alberto , Galimberti Gabriele , Curri Vittorio
Published: March 2024

The ever-increasing demand for data traffic in recent decades has pushed network operators to give importance to the aspect of infrastructure control to facilitate its scalability and maximize its capacity. A generic lightpath (LP) is deployed starting from a traffic request between a given pair of nodes in a network. LPs are operated in the network based on an estimate of the quality of transmission (QoT), which is derived from the physical layer characteristics of a selected route. Regardless of the model used to estimate QoT, it is necessary to calibrate the model to maximize its accuracy and define minimum design margins. The model calibration process depends significantly on the type of data that can be collected in the field (i.e., type of metric, resolution) and therefore on the available monitoring devices. In this work, a systematic evaluation of the QoT estimation is carried out on a multi-span erbium-doped-fiber-amplified optical line system (OLS) using in the first case only total power monitors and in the second experimentally emulating optical channel monitors (OCMs). Given the type of monitoring devices available, three different physical models are calibrated, and six optimization methods are used to define the optimal configuration of the target gain and tilt parameters of the optical amplifiers, jointly optimizing the working point of all amplifiers (global approach) or proceeding span by span (local approach). Subsequently, the OLS was set in each configuration obtained, and the generalized signal-to-noise ratio (GSNR) profile was measured at the end.
Physical-layer-aware multi-band optical network planning framework for rate-adaptive transceivers
Authors: Müller Jasper , Di Rosa Gabriele , Jovanovic Ognjen , Wenning Mario , Autenrieth Achim , Elbers Jörg-Peter , Mas-Machuca Carmen
Published: March 2024

Flexible-grid elastic optical networks (EONs) have recently been widely deployed to support the growing demand for bandwidth-intensive applications. For cost-efficient scaling of the network capacity, multi-band systems are a promising solution. Optimized utilization of EONs is required to delay cost-extensive network upgrades and to lower cost and power consumption. Next-generation bandwidth-variable transceivers (BVTs) will offer increased adaptivity in symbol rate and modulation through techniques such as probabilistic shaping (PS). In this work, we investigate the impact of increased configuration granularity on optical networks. We account for practical implementation considerations of BVT configurations for estimating the required signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, an optimization algorithm is presented that selects the most efficient configuration for each considered data rate and bandwidth combination. We utilize advanced quality of transmission estimation modeling to evaluate PS configurations in multi-band systems with optimized launch power distributions. We present results of network planning studies for C-band systems in a national and a continental optical backbone network topology considering different granularities of the configurations. Our analysis confirms that finer modulation-based rate-adaptivity results in substantial resource savings, decreasing the number of necessary lightpaths by at most 13% in C-band EONs. Additional savings are observed in multi-band systems, showing further increased savings in the number of required lightpaths of up to 20%. In contrast, increased symbol rate granularity only results in minor savings.
High efficiency independent modulation at dual-wavelength based on Pancharatnam–Berry and propagation phases
Authors: He Minglei , Wu Jiepeng , Chen Haohan , Wang Hao , Wu Xinen , Feng Qianbin , Wu Qiwen , Wu Xiaosong , Liu Haiying , Li Qiang , Wu Lijun
Published: March 2024

Metasurfaces capable of controlling multiple wavelengths independently have attracted broad interests these years due to their significance in multi-channel information processing applications. Previous solving strategies include spatial multiplexing or extensive searching for appropriate structures, both of which have their own disadvantageous, such as low efficiency, large computer resource requirement, or time consumption. In this paper, by combining the Pancharatnam–Berry (PB) phase and propagation phase, we propose a strategy to simplify the design complexity in a dual-wavelength metasurface system, in which two simple rectangular-shaped dielectric pillars (T1 and T2) with different aspect ratios are chosen as basic structures and crossed at the geometric center to achieve manipulation. The larger pillar T2 controls the longer wavelength through the PB phase while the smaller T1 acts as a perturbation to T2. The crossed T1&T2 is studied as a whole to tune the short wavelength. The investigations by the multipole expansion method reveal that the polarization conversion ratio of the meta-atoms is dependent on the interference of the formed multipoles. To validate the proposed strategy, a dual-wavelength achromatic metalens and a wavelength-multiplexed holographic metasurface operating at the infrared thermal imaging band are designed. Our design strategy can find widespread applications in metasurfaces where multiple objectives are required to be realized.
Modeling extended L-band fiber amplifiers using neural networks trained on experimental data
Authors: Rabbani Hamed , Jalilpiran Saber , Monga Kaboko Jean-Jacques , Larochelle Sophie , Rusch Leslie A.
Published: March 2024

Producing high performance amplifiers requires accurate numerical models. As the optimization space is large, computationally efficient models are of great value. Parameter-based models for L-band amplifiers have accuracy limited by difficulty in estimating the Giles-parameter. The use a neural network model can avoid parametrization. We exploit a rich, experimentally captured training set to achieve a high accuracy neural network model. Our approach creates independent models for gain and noise figure. We examine both core and cladding pumping methods, again with independent models for each. The neural networks outperform parameter-based models with higher accuracy (variance of error reduced by 50%) and extremely fast simulation times (400 times faster), greatly facilitating amplifier design. As an example application, we design an amplifier to optimize optical signal-to-noise ratio by exhaustive search with our fast neural network models.
Direct object detection with snapshot multispectral compressed imaging in a short-wave infrared band
Authors: Wei Naike , Sun Yingying , Jiang Tingting , Gao Qiong
Published: March 2024

Snapshot multispectral imaging (SMSI) has attracted much attention in recent years for its compact structure and superior performance. High-level image analysis based on SMSI, such as object classification and recognition, usually takes the image reconstruction as the first step, which hinders its application in many important real-time scenarios. Here we demonstrate the first, to our knowledge, reconstruction-free strategy for object detection with SMSI in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) band. The implementation of our SMSI is based on a modified 4f system which modulates the light with a random phase mask, and the distinctive point spread function in each narrowband endows the system with spectrum resolving ability. A deep learning network with a CenterNet structure is trained to detect a small object by constructing a dataset with the PSF of our SMSI system and the sky images as background. Our results indicate that a small object with a spectral feature can be detected directly with the compressed image output by our SMSI system. This work paves the way toward the use of SMSI to detect a multispectral object in practical applications.