bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toenail Composite Tissue Flap as a Novel Reconstructive Approach in the Treatment of Macrodactyly of the Foot
Authors: Wang Yang , Hu Yong , Lian Xiaojie , Chen Hua
Published: October 2023

Background:

The microsurgical technique has been used to dissect macrodactyly into a composite tissue flap with arteries, veins, and toenail phalanxes to reconstruct the deformed toe into a nearly normal one.

Methods:

This study retrospectively collected relevant data from 10 patients undergoing toenail composite tissue flaps to reconstruct their macrodactyly. This case series included 2 female and 8 male pediatric patients with a mean age of 27.2 months (range, 8 to 64 months), who had been followed up for an average of 24.3 months after the reconstruction surgery (range, 3 to 57 months). The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Scale score was obtained by the operating surgeons before and after the reconstruction operation, and all the patients completed the postoperative questionnaires.

Results:

The reconstruction surgery took an average of 3 hours with minimal intraoperative blood loss. The postoperative American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Scale score was significantly improved from the one before surgery (33.3 ± 12.4 versus 76.3 ± 10; P ≤ 0.001). The average score obtained from the postoperative questionnaires for foot macrodactyly was 9.4, in the range between 0 and 10 for the functional and aesthetic restorations. All reconstructed toes were viable without signs of infection or necrosis and possessed satisfactory function and appearance during the follow-up period after the reconstruction operations.

Conclusion:

It is feasible and effective to dissect a macrodactyly into a composite tissue flap for being reconstructed into a nearly normal toe.
Bridging the gap: identifying factors impacting mRNA severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine booster response in people with HIV-1
Authors: Chammartin Frédérique , Griessbach Alexandra , Kusejko Katharina , Audigé Annette , Epp Selina , Stoeckle Marcel P. , Eichenberger Anna L. , Amstutz Alain , Schoenenberger Christof M. , Hasse Barbara , Braun Dominique L. , Rauch Andri , Trkola Alexandra , Briel Matthias , Bucher Heiner C. , Günthard Huldrych F. , Speich Benjamin , Abela Irene A.
Published: October 2023

Objectives:

This study aimed to investigate the association of demographic and clinical characteristics, including HIV-specific parameters with the antibody response to a third dose of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mRNA vaccine in people with HIV-1 (PWH).

Design:

Post hoc analysis of data collected during the observational extension of the COrona VaccinE tRiAL pLatform trial (COVERALL-2) nested into the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS).

Methods:

Serological measurements were conducted on a total of 439 PWH who had received a third dose of either mRNA-1273 (Moderna) or BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Antibody reactivity was assessed using the multifactorial ABCORA immunoassay that defines SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion and predicts neutralization activity. The association between log transformed antibody reactivity and various baseline factors, including vaccine type, demographics, immune and viral status, smoking status, comorbidities, infection history, and co-medication with chemotherapy and immunosuppressive drugs, was investigated using a multivariable linear regression model.

Results:

Antibody response to third SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was significantly lower among PWH with CD4+ cell count less than 350 cells/μl [ratio of means 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65–0.95]. Having a detectable HIV-1 viral load at least 50 copies/ml and being on concurrent chemotherapy was associated with an overall lower humoral immune response (ratio of means 0.75; 95% CI 0.57–1.00 and 0.34; 95% CI 0.22–0.52, respectively).

Conclusion:

The study highlights the importance of optimal antiretroviral treatment for PWH, emphasizing the need for timely intervention to enhance the vaccine immunogenicity in this population. Moreover, it underscores the significance of sequential mRNA vaccination and provides important evidence for informing vaccine guidelines.
The Role of Adjuvant Therapy in Duodenal Adenocarcinoma and Intestinal Subtype Ampullary Carcinoma After Curative Resection
Authors: Finton Sarah , Bolm Louisa , Nebbia Martina , Petruch Natalie , Férnandez-Del Castillo Carlos , Qadan Motaz , Lillemoe Keith D. , Wellner Ulrich F. , Distler Marius , Zimmermann Carolin , Weitz Jürgen , Rückert Felix , Rahbari Nuh N. , Reissfelder Christoph , Nappo Gennaro , Keck Tobias , Zerbi Alessandro , Ferrone Cristina R.
Published: October 2023

Objective:

To define the role of adjuvant therapy in duodenal adenocarcinoma (DAC) and intestinal subtype ampullary carcinoma (iAC).

Background:

DAC and iAC share a similar histologic differentiation but the benefit of adjuvant therapy remains unclear.

Methods:

Patients undergoing curative intent surgical resection for DAC and iAC between 2010 and 2021 at 5 high-volume centers were included. Patient baseline, perioperative, and long-term oncological outcomes were evaluated. Statistical testing was performed with SPSS 25 (IBM).

Results:

A total of 136 patients with DAC and 171 with iAC were identified. Patients with DAC had more advanced tumors than those with iAC. Median overall survival (OS) in patients with DAC was 101 months versus 155 months for patients with iAC (P = 0.098). DAC had a higher rate of local (14.1% vs 1.2%, P < 0.001) and systemic recurrence (30.4% vs 3.5%, P < 0.001). Adjuvant therapy failed to improve OS in all patients with DAC and iAC. For DAC, patients with perineural invasion, but not other negative prognostic factors, had improved OS rates with adjuvant therapy (72 vs 44 m, P = 0.044). Patients with iAC with N+ (190 vs 57 m, P = 0.003), T3-T4 (177 vs 59 m, P = 0.050), and perineural invasion (150 vs 59 m, P = 0.019) had improved OS rates with adjuvant therapy.

Conclusions:

While adjuvant therapy fails to improve OS in all patients with DAC and iAC in the current study, it improved OS in patients with DAC with perineural invasion and in patients with iAC with T3-T4 tumors, positive lymph nodes, and perineural invasion.
Psychroserpens ponticola sp. nov. and Marinomonas maritima sp. nov., isolated from seawater
Authors: Kristyanto Sylvia , Jung Jaejoon , Kim Jeong Min , Choi Byeong Jun , Han Dong Min , Lee Sung Chul , Jeon Che Ok
Published: October 2023

Two Gram-stain-negative, catalase- and oxidase-positive, aerobic non-motile and motile rod bacteria, strains MSW6T and RSW2T, were isolated from surface seawater. Strain MSW6T optimally grew at 20 °C, pH 7.0 and 3 % NaCl, while strain RSW2T optimally grew at 25 °C, pH 7.0–8.0 and 2 % NaCl. Strain MSW6T possessed menaquinone-6 as the major respiratory quinone, and its major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH. The major polar lipid identified in strain MSW6T was phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). On the other hand, strain RSW2T had ubiquinone-8 as the predominant respiratory quinone, and its major fatty acids consisted of summed feature 3 (C16 : 1
 ω7c and/or C16 : 1
 ω6c), summed feature 8 (C18 : 1
 ω7c and/or C18 : 1
 ω6c) and C16 : 0. The major polar lipids identified in strain RSW2T were PE and phosphatidylglycerol. As the sole respiratory quinone, strain MSW6T possessed menaquinone-6, while strain RSW2T had ubiquinone-8. The DNA G+C contents of strains MSW6T and RSW2T were 31.9 and 43.4 mol%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA and core gene sequences showed that strain MSW6T formed a phylogenic lineage with

Psychroserpens mesophilus

KOPRI 13649T, while strain RSW2T formed a phylogenic lineage with

Marinomonas primoryensis

KMM 3633T. Strain MSW6T shared 97.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 80.7 % average nucleotide identity (ANI) ith

P. mesophilus

KOPRI 13649T, and strain RSW2T shared 99.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 93.1 % ANI with

M. primoryensis

KMM 3633T. Based on the results of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, strains MSW6T and RSW2T represent novel species of the genera

Psychroserpens

and

Marinomonas

, respectively, for which the names Psychroserpens ponticola sp. nov. and Marinomonas maritima sp. nov. are proposed, respectively. The type strain of P. ponticola is MSW6T (=KACC 22338T=JCM 35022T) and the type strain of M. maritima is RSW2T (=KACC 22716T=JCM 35550T).
ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Sunviridae 2023
Authors: Kuhn Jens H. , Kurath Gael , Wolf Yuri I. , Hyndman Timothy H.
Published: October 2023

Sunviridae is a family of negative-sense RNA viruses with genomes of about 17.2 kb that have been found in snakes. The sunvirid genome comprises nonsegmented RNA with six open reading frames (ORFs) >1 kb that are predicted to encode six proteins. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Sunviridae, which is available at ictv.global/report/sunviridae.
Acute avoidance of hydrogen sulfide is modulated by external and internal states inC. elegans
Authors: Pu Longjun , Zhao Lina , Wang Jing , Henriksson Johan , Laurent Patrick , Chen Changchun
Published: October 2023

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can act as an energy source, a poison and a gasotransmitter in organisms. We used the robust locomotory responses to H2S inCaenorhabditis elegansto delineate the molecular mechanisms governing sensory and adaptive responses to H2S exposure. We found thatC. elegansexhibited transiently increased locomotory activity and turning behavior as a strategy to escape the noxious H2S stimulation. The behavioral responses to H2S were modulated by a complex network of signaling pathways, including cyclic GMP signaling in ciliated sensory neurons, calcineurin, nuclear hormone receptors, to the major starvation regulators such as insulin and TGF-β signaling. The response to H2S was substantially affected by the ambient O2levels and their prior experience in low O2environments, suggesting an intricate interplay between O2and H2S sensing mechanisms. Prolonged exposure to H2S robustly evoked H2S detoxification coupled with reduced locomotory response to the subsequent H2S challenges. Intriguingly, the expression of genes involved in iron homeostasis, includingftn-1andsmf-3, was substantially modified in exposure to H2S, implying that labile iron levels are affected by H2S. In support of this, iron supplement significantly bolstered the behavioral response to H2S. In addition, mitochondria, one of the central hubs for H2S metabolism, played a crucial role in adaptive responses to H2S. In summary, our study provides molecular insights into the mechanisms through whichC. elegansdetects, modulates, and adapts its response to H2S.
The impact of short-term forearm immobilization and acipimox administration on muscle amino acid metabolism and insulin sensitivity in healthy, young volunteers
Authors: Dirks Marlou L. , Jameson Tom S.O. , Andrews Rob C. , Dunlop Mandy V. , Abdelrahman Doaa R. , Murton Andrew J. , Wall Benjamin T. , Stephens Francis B.
Published: October 2023

The mechanisms underpinning short-term muscle disuse atrophy remain to be elucidated, but perturbations in lipid metabolism may be involved. Specifically, positive muscle non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) balance has been implicated in the development of disuse-induced insulin and anabolic resistance. Our aim was to determine the impact of acipimox administration (i.e. pharmacologically lowering circulating NEFA availability) on muscle amino acid metabolism and insulin sensitivity during short-term disuse. Eighteen healthy individuals (age 22±1 years, BMI 24.0±0.6 kg·m-2) underwent 2 days of forearm cast immobilization with placebo (PLA;n=9, 5M/4F) or acipimox (ACI; 250 mg Olbetam;n=9, 4M/5F) ingestion four times daily. Before and after immobilization, whole-body glucose disposal rate (GDR), forearm glucose uptake (FGU, i.e. muscle insulin sensitivity), and amino acid kinetics were measured under fasting and hyperinsulinaemic-hyperaminoacidaemic-euglycaemic clamp conditions using arteriovenous forearm balance and intravenous L-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine infusions. Immobilization did not affect GDR but decreased insulin-stimulated FGU in both groups, but to a greater degree in ACI (from 53±8 to 12±5 µmol·min-1) than in PLA (from 52±8 to 38±13 µmol·min-1;P<0.05). In ACI only, fasting arterialised NEFA concentrations were elevated to 1.3±0.1 mmol·L-1post-immobilization (P<0.05), and fasting forearm NEFA balance increased ∼4-fold (P=0.10). Forearm phenylalanine net balance tended to decrease following immobilization (P<0.10), driven by increases in phenylalanine rates of appearance (from 32±5 (fasting) and 21±4 (clamp) pre-immobilization to 53±8 and 31±4 post-immobilization;P<0.05) while rates of disappearance were unaffected and no effects of acipimox observed. Altogether, we show disuse-induced insulin resistance is accompanied by early signs of negative net muscle amino acid balance, which is driven by accelerated muscle amino acid efflux. Acutely elevated NEFA availability worsened muscle insulin resistance without affecting muscle amino acid kinetics, suggesting that disuse-associated increased muscle NEFA uptake may contribute to inactivity-induced insulin resistance but does not represent an early mechanism causing anabolic resistance.
FCGR2A-131H/H is under-represented amongst patients with primary immunodeficiencies
Authors: Flewitt Edward W D , Charlesworth James E G , Patel Smita Y , Hargreaves Chantal E
Published: October 2023

The Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) act as modulators of the immune system and have previously been shown to play a role in immune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus and immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Thus far, their role in primary immunodeficiencies (PID), including common variable immunodeficiency disorders (CVID), has not been studied. In this paper we explored whether there is an association between the following single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and CVID:FCGR2AH131R (rs1801274),FCGR2BI232T (rs1050501), andFCGR3AF158V (rs396991). We compared the genotypes of a cohort of 83 patients with PID, including 56 with CVID, against controls. We found a significant difference between our mixed PID cohort and controls at theFCGR2AH131R SNP (X2=7.884, p=0.019). There was not a significant difference at either of the other SNPs studied. Further, we examined the effect of FCGR SNPs on the incidence of the most common CVID complications within our cohort: anaemias, organ-specific autoimmunity, bronchiectasis, splenomegaly, granulomata, and cytopenias. We found no significant association between SNPs and the development of these complications. In summary, we have shown that there is a link between theFCGR2AH131R SNP and the development of a PID.
ChatGPT achieves comparable accuracy to specialist physicians in predicting the efficacy of high-flow oxygen therapy
Authors: Liu Taotao , Duan Yaocong , Li Yanchun , Hu Yingying , Su Lingling , Zhang Aiping
Published: October 2023

Rationale

The failure of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy can necessitate endotracheal intubation in patients. Timely prediction of the endotracheal intubation risk due to HFNC failure is critical for avoiding delays in intubation, therefore potentially decreasing mortality.

Objectives

To investigate the accuracy of ChatGPT in predicting the risk of endotracheal intubation within 48 hours after HFNC therapy and compare it with the predictive accuracy of specialist and non-specialist physicians.

Methods

We conducted a prospective multicenter cohort study based on the data of 71 adult patients who received HFNC therapy. We recorded patient baseline data, the results of blood gas analysis, and physiological parameters after 6-hour HFNC therapy. For each patient, this information was used to create a 6-alternative-forced-choice natural language questionnaire that asked participants to predict the risk of 48-hour endotracheal intubation using graded options from 1 to 6, with higher scores indicating a higher risk. GPT-3.5, GPT-4.0, respiratory and critical care specialist physicians and non-specialist physicians completed the same 71 questionnaires respectively. We then determined the optimal diagnostic cutoff point for each of them, as well as 6-hour ROX index, using the Youden index and compared their predictive performance using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

The optimal diagnostic cut-off points for GPT-4.0 and specialist physicians were determined to be ≥4. The precision of GPT-4.0 was 76.1% [specificity=78.6% (95%CI=52.4-92.4%); sensitivity=75.4% (95%CI=62.9-84.8%)]. The precision of specialist physicians was 80.3% [specificity=71.4% (95%CI=45.4-88.3%); sensitivity=82.5% (95%CI=70.6-90.2%)]. The optimal diagnostic cut-off points for GPT-3.5 and non-specialist physicians were determined to be ≥5, with precisions of 73.2% and 64.8% respectively. The area under the ROC (AUROC) of GPT-4.0 was 0.821 (95%CI=0.698-0.943), which was greater than, but not significantly (p>0.05) different from the AUROCs of GPT-3.5 [0.775 (95%CI=0.652-0.898)] and specialist physicians [0.782 (95%CI=0.619-0.945)], while was significantly higher than that of non-specialist physicians [0.662 (95%CI=0.518-0.805), P=0.011]. Grouping the patients by GPT-4.0’s prediction value ≥4 (high-risk group) and ≤3 (low-risk group), the 28-day cumulative intubation rate (56.00% vs. 15.22%, P<0.001) and 28-day mortality (44.00% vs. 10.87%, P<0.001) of the high-risk group were significantly higher than those of the low-risk group.

Conclusion

GPT-4.0 achieves an accuracy level comparable to specialist physicians in predicting the 48-hour endotracheal intubation risk in patients after HFNC therapy, based on patient baseline data and 6-hour parameters of receiving HFNC therapy. Large-scale studies are needed to further inspect whether GPT-4.0 can provide reliable clinical decision support.
Subtyping Schizophrenia Using Psychiatric Polygenic Scores
Authors: Lu Yi , Kowalec Kaarina , Song Jie , Karlsson Robert , Harder Arvid , Giusti-Rodríguez Paola , Sullivan Patrick F. , Yao Shuyang
Published: October 2023

Background

Subtyping schizophrenia can disentangle heterogeneity and help with treatment decision- making. However, current schizophrenia subtypes have not demonstrated adequate clinical utility, limited by sample size, suboptimal clustering methods, and choice of clustering input. Polygenic scores (PGS) reflect the genetic risk of phenotypes including comorbidities and are available before treatment, making them candidate clustering input.

Methods

We derived PGS for schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder type-1, depression, and intelligence in 4,915 schizophrenia cases with register linkage. We randomly divided the sample into discovery and replication partitions and applied a novel clustering workflow on both: preprocessing PGS, feature extraction with uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP), and clustering with density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN). After replication, we re-performed clustering on the entire sample and evaluated treatment-relevant variables of medication and hospitalization (extracted from registers) across clusters.

Outcomes

We identified five well-replicated PGS clusters. Cluster 1 (26% of entire sample) with generally lower PGS, had the least use of antipsychotics (including clozapine), and fewer outpatient visits. Cluster 2 (48%) with generally higher PGS, especially schizophrenia PGS, had more prescriptions of antipsychotics including clozapine and longer treatment with clozapine. Each featured by specific PGS, clusters 3 (high IQ-PGS, 11%), 4 (high ASD-PGS, 8%), 5 (high BIP-PGS, 7%) showed sub-threshold level significance in the corresponding phenotypic measures but did not differ significantly in the treatment-relevant variables. Solely categorizing the patients with SCZ-PGS did not generate any significant patterns in the phenotypic and treatment-relevant variables.

Interpretation

The results suggest that combinations of PGS of brain disorders and traits can provide clinically relevant clusters, offering a direction for future research on schizophrenia subtyping. Future replications in independent samples are required. The workflow can be generalized to other disorders and with mechanism-informed PGS.
ENOX1, CCDC122ANDLACC1ROLE IN PROGRESSION OF PROSTATE CANCER
Authors: Ongaba Timothy
Published: October 2023

Prostate cancer (PCa) continues to trend among top 3 cancers that kill men over 20 years in the United Kingdom and worldwide despite extensive research and resources directed towards its treatment and prevention. In the application of a hallmark of survival mechanisms by the cancer, our study used mRNA seq data to identify genes that are increasingly mutated with progressing PCa from a cohort of 491 PCa patients. We found thatENOX1, CCDC122andLACC1deep deletion was positively associated with increasing age of diagnosis. Pathway analysis of enriched genes, following their deep deletion identified estrogen biosynthesis, KSRP signalling, omega 3 and 6 fatty acid biosynthesis and, Rap1 signalling as the top 5 enriched pathways. Previous individual and combined role of these genes in PCa progression was not fully established but thanks to this study, these pathways could be druggable targets in PCa patients with these gene deep deletions.
THE IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME OF DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAM LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN HIGH RISK OR PREDIABETES: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Authors: Ningsih Oliva Suyen , Pandin Moses Glorino Rumambo , Efendy Ferry
Published: October 2023

Background

Effective lifestyle intervention can lower Type 2 diabetes mellitus in high-risk or prediabetic people through diabetes mellitus prevention programmes. The aim of this review of the research is to provide an explanation of how diabetes prevention programmes (DPP) are implemented in high-risk people or those with prediabetes using a variety of DPP methods and results.

Method

The method used is a literature review by searching for relevant peer-reviewed articles published in English in three databases: Scopus, PubMed, and CINAHL. Studies assessing the use of diabetes mellitus preventive programmes in high-risk people or people with prediabetes were the inclusion criteria for this review. Individuals with prediabetes or high risk were among the subjects. The main result is the outcome of the DPP. Literature search is limited to publications in 2018–2023 and open access.

Result

18 articles in all were reviewed.The main focus of DPP-based lifestyle interventions is dietary and physical activity. Health education and behaviour change strategies are also included in lifestyle interventions. The implementation of nutrition or dietary interventions can be provided face-to-face on a group-based basis for an average of 6–12 months and online through intensive interventions with weekly online modules through web-based platforms, text messaging, and digital therapy. The implementation of diet and physical activity interventions needs support from families or groups to be able to make healthy behaviour changes, one of which is peer support. The short-term effects of DPP are decreased waist circumference, plasma glucose levels, increased knowledge, diet, and physical activity. The long-term consequences of DPP include weight loss with a lowered risk of developing diabetes, modifications to lipid profiles, enhanced pancreatic cell function, increased insulin sensitivity, decreased body fat mass, and HbA1C.

Conclusion

Diabetes mellitus prevention programme through effective lifestyle interventions to slow the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus in prediabetic individuals
Comparison of polystyrene and hydrogel microcarriers for optical imaging of adherent cells
Authors: Benavides Oscar R. , White Berkley P. , Gibbs Holly C. , Kaunas Roland , Gregory Carl A. , Maitland Kristen C. , Walsh Alex J.
Published: October 2023

The ability to observe and monitor cell density and morphology has been imperative for assessing the health of a cell culture and for producing high quality, high yield cell cultures for decades. Microcarrier-based cultures, used for large-scale cellular expansion processes, are not compatible with traditional visualization-based methods such as widefield microscopy due to their thickness and material composition. Light-sheet tomography using label-free elastic scattering contrast from planar side illumination can achieve optical sectioning of thick samples, permitting non-invasive and non-destructive,in toto,three-dimensional, high-resolution visualization of cells cultured on microcarriers. Here, we assess the optical imaging capabilities of commercial polystyrene microcarriers versus custom-fabricated gelatin methacrylate (gelMA) microcarriers for non-destructive and non-invasive visualization of the entire microcarrier surface, direct cell enumeration, and sub-cellular visualization of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). The polystyrene microcarrier prevents visualization of cells on the distal half of the microcarrier using either fluorescence or elastic scattering contrast, whereas the gelMA microcarrier allows high fidelity visualization of cell morphology and quantification of cell density using light sheet fluorescence microscopy and tomography. The combination of optical-quality gelMA microcarriers and label-free light-sheet tomography will facilitate enhanced control of bioreactor-microcarrier cell culture processes.
Kilohertz serial crystallography with the JUNGFRAU detector at a fourth-generation synchrotron source
Authors: Leonarski Filip , Nan Jie , Matej Zdenek , Bertrand Quentin , Furrer Antonia , Gorgisyan Ishkhan , Bjelčić Monika , Kepa Michal , Glover Hannah , Hinger Viktoria , Eriksson Thomas , Cehovin Aleksander , Eguiraun Mikel , Gasparotto Piero , Mozzanica Aldo , Weinert Tobias , Gonzalez Ana , Standfuss Jörg , Wang Meitian , Ursby Thomas , Dworkowski Florian
Published: October 2023

Serial and time-resolved macromolecular crystallography are on the rise. However, beam time at X-ray free-electron lasers is limited and most third-generation synchrotron-based macromolecular crystallography beamlines do not offer the necessary infrastructure yet. Here, a new setup is demonstrated, based on the JUNGFRAU detector and Jungfraujoch data-acquisition system, that enables collection of kilohertz serial crystallography data at fourth-generation synchrotrons. More importantly, it is shown that this setup is capable of collecting multiple-time-point time-resolved protein dynamics at kilohertz rates, allowing the probing of microsecond to second dynamics at synchrotrons in a fraction of the time needed previously. A high-quality complete X-ray dataset was obtained within 1 min from lysozyme microcrystals, and the dynamics of the light-driven sodium-pump membrane protein KR2 with a time resolution of 1 ms could be demonstrated. To make the setup more accessible for researchers, downstream data handling and analysis will be automated to allow on-the-fly spot finding and indexing, as well as data processing.
Modelling the domino effect of advance payment system on project cash flow and organisational performance
Authors: Omopariola Emmanuel Dele , Windapo Abimbola Olukemi , Edwards David John , Aigbavboa Clinton Ohis , Yakubu Sunday Ukwe-Nya , Obari Onimisi
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Previous studies have postulated that an advance payment system (APS) positively impacts the contractor's working capital and is paramount to ensuring an efficient and effective project cash flow process. However, scant research has been undertaken to empirically establish the cash flow performance and domino effect of APS on project and organisational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The epistemological design adopted a positivist philosophical stance augmented by deductive reasoning to explore the phenomena under investigation. Primary quantitative data were collected from 504 Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) registered contractors (within the grade bandings 1–9) in South Africa. A five-point Likert scale was utilised, and subsequent data accrued were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

Emergent findings reveal that the mandatory use of an APS does not guarantee a positive project cash flow, an improvement in organisational performance or an improvement in project performance.

Practical implications

The ensuing discussion reveals the contributory influence of APS on positive cash flow and organisational performance, although APS implementation alone will not achieve these objectives. Practically, the research accentuates the need for various measures to be concurrently adopted (including APS) towards ensuring a positive project cash flow and improved organisational and project performance.

Originality/value

There is limited empirical research on cash flow performance and the domino effect of APS on project and organisational performance in South Africa, nor indeed, the wider geographical location of Africa as a continent. This study addresses this gap in the prevailing body of knowledge.
Research on fuzzy impedance control of upper-limb rehabilitation robot based on membership functions online optimization learning strategy
Authors: Wang Peng , Dong Renquan
Published: October 2023

Purpose

To improve the position tracking efficiency of the upper-limb rehabilitation robot for stroke hemiplegia patients, the optimization Learning rate of the membership function based on the fuzzy impedance controller of the rehabilitation robot is propose.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the impaired limb’s damping and stiffness parameters for evaluating its physical recovery condition are online estimated by using weighted least squares method based on recursive algorithm. Second, the fuzzy impedance control with the rule has been designed with the optimal impedance parameters. Finally, the membership function learning rate online optimization strategy based on Takagi-Sugeno (TS) fuzzy impedance model was proposed to improve the position tracking speed of fuzzy impedance control.

Findings

This method provides a solution for improving the membership function learning rate of the fuzzy impedance controller of the upper limb rehabilitation robot. Compared with traditional TS fuzzy impedance controller in position control, the improved TS fuzzy impedance controller has reduced the overshoot stability time by 0.025 s, and the position error caused by simulating the thrust interference of the impaired limb has been reduced by 8.4%. This fact is verified by simulation and test.

Originality/value

The TS fuzzy impedance controller based on membership function online optimization learning strategy can effectively optimize control parameters and improve the position tracking speed of upper limb rehabilitation robots. This controller improves the auxiliary rehabilitation efficiency of the upper limb rehabilitation robot and ensures the stability of auxiliary rehabilitation training.
Make it easy: the effect of prospectus readability on IPO performance
Authors: Mariani Massimo , Cardi Mavie , D'Ercole Francesco , Raimo Nicola , Vitolla Filippo
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Understanding the determinants of a corporate initial public offering (IPO) success is essential for reducing investors' valuation uncertainty when participating in share offerings. In this sense, this study contributes to the existing debate by examining IPO prospectus readability. The authors specifically investigate how clear and more informative insights into pure corporate key financial numbers can lead to a higher valuation for the company after the listing process.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a sample of European IPOs, the authors employ a cross-sectional regression to test the relationship between prospectus readability through the Flesch reading ease (FRE) score and companies' market-to-book ratio at the period end date after the listing process.

Findings

The study findings show a positive impact of higher readability on the post-IPO market-to-book ratio. Thus, clear and more informative communication results in stocks being traded at a premium to their book value. This study presents a concrete call for firms to increase corporate documents’ readability to mitigate the risk of withdrawing or spoiling corporate market access. Specifically, enhanced clarity and transparency increase investors' confidence, facilitating a better understanding of companies' intrinsic value and the overall IPO process. The authors conducted several tests to validate the results.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is among the first works to explore the relationship between the readability of corporate prospectus and the sustained IPO success in the European context.
Shifts in wood anatomical traits after a major hurricane
Authors: Ziemińska Kasia , Bibbo Silvia , Farrar Samuel , Thompson Jill , Uriarte María , Ziaco Emanuele , Zimmerman Jess K. , Muscarella Robert
Published: October 2023

Trait variation across individuals and species influences the resistance and resilience of ecosystems to disturbance, and the ability of individuals to capitalize on postdisturbance conditions. In trees, the anatomical structure of xylem directly affects plant function and, consequently, it is a valuable lens through which to understand resistance and resilience to disturbance.

To determine how hurricanes affect wood anatomy of tropical trees, we characterized a set of anatomical traits in wood produced before and after a major hurricane for 65 individuals of 10 Puerto Rican tree species. We quantified variation at different scales (among and within species, and within individuals) and determined trait shifts between the pre‐ and posthurricane periods. We also assessed correlations between traits and growth rates.

While the majority of anatomical trait variation occurred among species, we also observed substantial variation within species and individuals. Within individuals, we found significant shifts for some traits that generally reflected increased hydraulic conductivity in the posthurricane period. We found weak evidence for an association between individual xylem anatomical traits and diameter growth rates.

Ultimately, within‐individual variation of xylem anatomical traits observed in our study could be related to posthurricane recovery and overall growth (e.g. canopy filling). Other factors, however, likely decouple a relationship between xylem anatomy and diameter growth. While adjustments of wood anatomy may enable individual trees to capitalize on favourable postdisturbance conditions, these may also influence their future responses or vulnerability to subsequent disturbances.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Modelled microgravity impacts Vibrio fischeri population structure in a mutualistic association with an animal host
Authors: Bongrand Clotilde , Foster Jamie S.
Published: October 2023

Perturbations to host–microbe interactions, such as environmental stress, can alter and disrupt homeostasis. In this study, we examined the effects of a stressor, simulated microgravity, on beneficial bacteria behaviours when colonising their host. We studied the bacterium Vibrio fischeri, which establishes a mutualistic association in a symbiosis‐specific organ within the bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes. To elucidate how animal–microbe interactions are affected by the stress of microgravity, squid were inoculated with different bacterial strains exhibiting either a dominant‐ or sharing‐colonisation behaviour in High Aspect Ratio Vessels, which simulate the low‐shear environment of microgravity. The colonisation behaviours of the sharing and dominant strains under modelled microgravity conditions were determined by counting light‐organ homogenate of squids as well as confocal microscopy to assess the partitioning of different strains within the light organ. The results indicated that although the colonisation behaviours of the strains did not change, the population levels of the sharing strains were at lower relative abundance in single‐colonised animals exposed to modelled microgravity compared to unit gravity; in addition, there were shifts in the relative abundance of strains in co‐colonised squids. Together these results suggest that the initiation of beneficial interactions between microbes and animals can be altered by environmental stress, such as simulated microgravity.
To go with or against the grain? Politics as practice in the Budget Strengthening Initiative, Uganda
Authors: Pinnington Rose
Published: October 2023

Responding to the failures of the good governance agenda in the post‐Cold War period, development scholars and policy researchers have placed increasing emphasis on approaches that can enable practitioners to support local change processes in politically savvy ways. Sometimes referred to as the ‘second orthodoxy’ in donor practice, these models aim to take the politics of aid‐receiving contexts seriously and work ‘with the grain’ of the institutional landscapes in which they are applied. This paper examines how these principles were put into practice within the ODI's Budget Strengthening Initiative (BSI) in Uganda. The paper shows how an ‘embedded’ form of technical assistance enabled the BSI to act micro‐politically, brokering the adoption of fiscal decentralisation reforms within the Uganda government. However, in the face of a broader political landscape of regime survival, the BSI's position within Uganda's financial technocracy also constrained its capacity to support these reforms. In this context of declining autonomy and shifting political constraints, the BSI worked ‘with the grain’ to reshape the reforms to align with pre‐existing political logics that hindered pro‐poor outcomes. Going forward, the paper suggests that further attention might be applied to understanding and addressing the fundamental tensions and trade‐offs involved in working ‘with the grain’ of challenging political contexts like Uganda.
Letter: Consensus in international guidelines when discontinuing nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Trinh Steven , Andrew Bridgette , Bloom Stephen , Sawhney Rohit
Published: October 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Hsu et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17614
Letter: Association between aspirin use and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Zhao Jian
Published: October 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Lee et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17643 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17712
Letter: Association between aspirin use and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Huang Rui , Zhang Zhiyi , Wang Jian , Zhang Shaoqiu , Wu Chao
Published: October 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Lee et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17643 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17711
Editorial: Unravelling the fibres—low dietary fibre may lower risk of developing IBD. Authors' reply
Authors: Dan Lintao , Wang Xiaoyan , Chen Jie
Published: October 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Deng et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17649 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17663
Trends in day‐case bladder outflow obstruction surgery: a study using Hospital Episode Statistics
Authors: John Joseph B. , Gray William K. , O'Flynn Kieran , Briggs Tim W.R. , McGrath John S.
Published: October 2023

Objectives

To describe the contemporary evolution of day‐case bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) surgery in England and to profile day‐case BOO surgery practices across England in terms of the types of operation performed and their safety profiles.

Materials and Methods

This was a retrospective observational analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics and UK Office for National Statistics data. All 111 043 recorded operations across 117 hospital trusts over 66 months, from 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2022, were obtained. Operations were identified as one of: transurethral resection of prostate (TURP); laser ablation or enucleation; vapour therapy; prostatic urethral lift (PUL); or bladder neck incision. Monthly day‐case rate trends were plotted across the study period. Descriptive data, day‐case rates and 30‐day hospital readmissions were analysed for each operation type. Multilevel regression modelling with mixed effects was performed to determine whether day‐case surgery was associated with higher 30‐day hospital readmissions.

Results

Day‐case patients were younger, with fewer comorbidities. Time series analysis showed a linear day‐case rate increase from 8.3% (January 2017) to 21.0% (June 2022). Day‐case rates improved for 92/117 trusts in 2021/2022 compared with 2017. Three of the six trusts with the highest day‐case rates performed predominantly day‐case TURP, and the other three laser surgery. Nationally, PUL and vapour surgery had the highest day‐case rates (80.9% and 38.1%). Most inpatient operations were TURP. Multilevel regression modelling found reduced odds of 30‐day readmission after day‐case BOO surgery (all operations pooled), no difference for day‐case vs inpatient TURP, and reduced odds following day‐case LASER operations.

Conclusions

The day‐case rates for BOO surgery have linearly increased. Minimally invasive surgical technologies are commonly performed as day cases, whereas high day‐case rates for TURP and for laser ablation operations are seen in a minority of hospitals. Day‐case pathways to treat BOO can be safely developed irrespective of operative modality.
The efficacy of a transdermal hydrogel patch containing betamethasone dipropionate for treatment of chronic hand eczema: A single‐blind, randomized and controlled trial
Authors: Thaitirarot Sirinan , Shuwisitkul Duangratana , Udompataikul Montree , Kamanamool Nanticha , Kanokrungsee Silada
Published: October 2023

Background

Topical corticosteroids under occlusion have been used to enhance the treatment of eczema. However, no study has investigated the efficacy of a steroid‐containing transdermal patch for the treatment of chronic hand eczema.

Methods

We conducted a randomized, controlled, assessor‐blinded trial to determine the efficacy of a transdermal patch containing betamethasone dipropionate compared to topical betamethasone dipropionate ointment in the treatment of mild to moderate chronic hand eczema. The patients were included and assigned to receive either the transdermal patch once daily at night or the ointment twice daily for a period of 8 weeks. The outcomes were assessed using the Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI), Physical Global Assessment (PGA) score, self‐reported compliance, level of patient satisfaction, quality of life, and side effects.

Results

Fifty‐six patients completed this study. At 8 weeks, there was a significant reduction in the HECSI scores in both the transdermal patch and topical ointment groups compared to those measured at baseline (14.61 to 1.86, p < 0.001; 18.46 to 3.43, p < 0.001, respectively) without a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Similarly, the two groups did not show any significant difference in the PGA scores, quality of life and side effects. However, the transdermal patch group reported better compliance and a higher level of patient satisfaction than the topical ointment group.

Conclusion

The transdermal corticosteroid patch has proven to be a safe and effective treatment, comparable to topical corticosteroids, after 8 weeks of use. Its sustained‐release properties, along with once‐daily use, can improve patient satisfaction and promote greater adherence to the treatment.

Trial Registration

This study was registered with the Thai Clinical Trials Registry (www.clinicaltrials.in.th) under registration number TCTR20220413003.
Potential for biochar carbon sequestration from crop residues: A global spatially explicit assessment
Authors: Karan Shivesh Kishore , Woolf Dominic , Azzi Elias Sebastian , Sundberg Cecilia , Wood Stephen A.
Published: October 2023

Global warming necessitates urgent action to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Biochar, a type of carbonized biomass which can be produced from crop residues (CRs), offers a promising solution for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) when it is used to sequester photosynthetically fixed carbon that would otherwise have been returned to atmospheric CO2 through respiration or combustion. However, high‐resolution spatially explicit maps of CR resources and their capacity for climate change mitigation through biochar production are currently lacking, with previous global studies relying on coarse (mostly country scale) aggregated statistics. By developing a comprehensive high spatial resolution global dataset of CR production, we show that, globally, CRs generate around 2.4 Pg C annually. If 100% of these residues were utilized, the maximum theoretical technical potential for biochar production from CRs amounts to 1.0 Pg C year−1 (3.7 Pg CO2e year−1). The permanence of biochar differs across regions, with the fraction of initial carbon that remains after 100 years ranging from 60% in warm climates to nearly 100% in cryosols. Assuming that biochar is sequestered in soils close to point of production, approximately 0.72 Pg C year−1 (2.6 Pg CO2e year−1) of the technical potential would remain sequestered after 100 years. However, when considering limitations on sustainable residue harvesting and competing livestock usage, the global biochar production potential decreases to 0.51 Pg C year−1 (1.9 Pg CO2e year−1), with 0.36 Pg C year−1 (1.3 Pg CO2e year−1) remaining sequestered after a century. Twelve countries have the technical potential to sequester over one fifth of their current emissions as biochar from CRs, with Bhutan (68%) and India (53%) having the largest ratios. The high‐resolution maps of CR production and biochar sequestration potential provided here will provide valuable insights and support decision‐making related to biochar production and investment in biochar production capacity.
Prevalence and clinical manifestations of cutaneous findings in patients with adult‐onset immunodeficiency due to anti‐interferon gamma autoantibodies: an eight‐year retrospective study
Authors: Pattanaprichakul Penvadee , Leeyaphan Charussri , Angkasekwinai Nasikarn , Bunyaratavej Sumanas , Senawong Sansnee , Sereeaphinan Chudapa , Munprom Kanyalak
Published: October 2023

Background

Cutaneous findings in adult‐onset immunodeficiency due to anti‐interferon gamma autoantibodies (anti‐IFN‐γ autoAbs) are common. Currently, data on this topic are scarce.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 202 skin episodes from 77 patients diagnosed with adult‐onset immunodeficiency due to anti‐IFN‐γ autoAbs. The exclusion of drug eruptions left 180 episodes from 74 patients for further analysis.

Results

Reactive dermatosis was diagnosed in 66.1%, followed by disseminated skin infection (18.3%) and local skin infection (15.6%). Neutrophilic dermatosis (ND) tended to appear on the upper part of bodies, while leg lesions were common in the non‐ND. Disseminated infection occurred more frequently with ND. Mycobacterium abscessus was the most common pathogen of concomitant infection. Remission was achieved in 21.6% and was significantly associated with females.

Conclusion

Reactive dermatosis was the most common skin manifestation. ND was found in the upper part of bodies and associated with disseminated infection. Drug‐free remission was scarcely achieved.