bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between chiropractic care and use of prescription opioids among older medicare beneficiaries with spinal pain: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Whedon James M. , Uptmor Sarah , Toler Andrew W. J. , Bezdjian Serena , MacKenzie Todd A. , Kazal Louis A.
Published: January 2022

Background

The burden of spinal pain can be aggravated by the hazards of opioid analgesics, which are still widely prescribed for spinal pain despite evidence-based clinical guidelines that identify non-pharmacological therapies as the preferred first-line approach. Previous studies have found that chiropractic care is associated with decreased use of opioids, but have not focused on older Medicare beneficiaries, a vulnerable population with high rates of co-morbidity and polypharmacy. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the association between chiropractic utilization and use of prescription opioids among older adults with spinal pain.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study in which we examined a nationally representative multi-year sample of Medicare claims data, 2012–2016. The study sample included 55,949 Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with spinal pain, of whom 9,356 were recipients of chiropractic care and 46,593 were non-recipients. We measured the adjusted risk of filling a prescription for an opioid analgesic for up to 365 days following diagnosis of spinal pain. Using Cox proportional hazards modeling and inverse weighted propensity scoring to account for selection bias, we compared recipients of both primary care and chiropractic to recipients of primary care alone regarding the risk of filling a prescription.

Results

The adjusted risk of filling an opioid prescription within 365 days of initial visit was 56% lower among recipients of chiropractic care as compared to non-recipients (hazard ratio 0.44; 95% confidence interval 0.40–0.49).

Conclusions

Among older Medicare beneficiaries with spinal pain, use of chiropractic care is associated with significantly lower risk of filling an opioid prescription.
Vitrectomy, subretinal Tissue plasminogen activator and Intravitreal Gas for submacular haemorrhage secondary to Exudative Age-Related macular degeneration (TIGER): study protocol for a phase 3, pan-European, two-group, non-commercial, active-control, observer-masked, superiority, randomised controlled surgical trial
Authors: Jackson Timothy L. , Bunce Catey , Desai Riti , Hillenkamp Jost , Lee Chan Ning , Lois Noemi , Peto Tunde , Reeves Barnaby C. , Steel David H. , Edwards Rhiannon T. , van Meurs Jan C. , Wafa Hatem , Wang Yanzhong
Published: January 2022

Background

Neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be associated with large submacular haemorrhage (SMH). The natural history of SMH is very poor, with typically marked and permanent loss of central vision in the affected eye. Practice surveys indicate varied management approaches including observation, intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, intravitreal gas to pneumatically displace SMH, intravitreal alteplase (tissue plasminogen activator, TPA) to dissolve the clot, subretinal TPA via vitrectomy, and varying combinations thereof. No large, published, randomised controlled trials have compared these management options.

Methods

TIGER is a phase 3, pan-European, two-group, active-control, observer-masked, superiority, randomised controlled surgical trial. Eligible participants have large, fovea-involving SMH of no more than 15 days duration due to treatment-naïve or previously treated neovascular AMD, including idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and retinal angiomatous proliferation. A total of 210 participants are randomised in a 1:1 ratio to pars plana vitrectomy, off-label subretinal TPA up to 25 μg in 0.25 ml, intravitreal 20% sulfahexafluoride gas and intravitreal aflibercept, or intravitreal aflibercept monotherapy. Aflibercept 2 mg is administered to both groups monthly for 3 doses, then 2-monthly to month 12. The primary efficacy outcome is the proportion of participants with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) gain of ≥ 10 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) letters in the study eye at month 12. Secondary efficacy outcomes (at 6 and 12 months unless noted otherwise) are proportion of participants with a BCVA gain of ≥ 10 ETDRS letters at 6 months, mean ETDRS BCVA, Radner maximum reading speed, National Eye Institute 25-item Visual Function Questionnaire composite score, EQ-5D-5L with vision bolt-on score, Short Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing score, scotoma size on Humphrey field analyser, and presence/absence of subfoveal fibrosis and/or atrophy and area of fibrosis/atrophy using independent reading centre multimodal image analysis (12 months only). Key safety outcomes are adverse events, serious adverse events, and important medical events, coded using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities Preferred Terms.

Discussion

The best management of SMH is unknown. TIGER aims to establish if the benefits of SMH surgery outweigh the risks, relative to aflibercept monotherapy.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govNCT04663750; EudraCT: 2020-004917-10.
The regional sequestration of heterochromatin structural proteins is critical to form and maintain silent chromatin
Authors: Oh Junsoo , Yeom Soojin , Park Jiyeon , Lee Jung-Shin
Published: January 2022

Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe are good models for heterochromatin study. In S. pombe, H3K9 methylation and Swi6, an ortholog of mammalian HP1, lead to heterochromatin formation. However, S. cerevisiae does not have known epigenetic silencing markers and instead has Sir proteins to regulate silent chromatin formation. Although S. cerevisiae and S. pombe form and maintain heterochromatin via mechanisms that appear to be fundamentally different, they share important common features in the heterochromatin structural proteins. Heterochromatin loci are localized at the nuclear periphery by binding to perinuclear membrane proteins, thereby producing distinct heterochromatin foci, which sequester heterochromatin structural proteins. In this review, we discuss the nuclear peripheral anchoring of heterochromatin foci and its functional relevance to heterochromatin formation and maintenance.

Graphical Abstract
Opportunities to improve the quality of inpatient consultation: one hospital’s investigation but an age old struggle
Authors: Stevens Jennifer P. , Landon Bruce
Published: January 2022

Inpatient consultation is widely used by hospital physician teams to access specialized expertise and procedures. However, the quality of the resultant consultation varies widely. This commentary describes prior efforts to understand variation in rates of consultation and potential implications across the spectrum of care from underuse to overuse. Improving the quality of consultation requires a full understanding of the aspects of consultation that contribute to quality, including clear requests and communications from the consulting team, but also recognition of organizational and cultural constraints that can impact the availability and quality of consultations provided.
Neonatal ICU antibiotic use trends within an integrated delivery network
Authors: Boverman Gregory , Perez Christine , Vij Shruti , Tgavalekos Kristen , Ravindranath Shreyas , Antonescu Cornel , Chambers-Hawk Bobbi
Published: January 2022

Background and objectives

There is a need for robust antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) in the neonatal population. This study's objectives were to assess neonatal antibiotic use practices over an extended period across an integrated delivery network (IDN), including six Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), to identify those most successful practices reducing use rates.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 15,015 NICU admissions from an integrated delivery network, across six hospitals over eight years (50% Level III and 50% Level II) computing antibiotic use rates (AURs) stratified by usage: in the first few days of the stay vs. later in the stay and by gestational age. Several metrics were examined for assumptions of strong correlation with AUR: (1) the percentage of infants given antibiotics early in their stays and (2) durations of courses of antibiotics.

Results

Results conclude a wide variation in AURs and trends that these rates followed over time. However, there was a decrease in overall AUR from 15.7–16.6 to 10.1–10.8%, with four of the six NICUs recording statistically significant reductions in AUR vs. their first year of measurement. Specifically, the level III NICUs overall AUR decreases from 15.1–16.22 to 8.6–9.4%, and level II NICUs overall AUR 20.3–24.4 to 14.1–16.1%. A particularly successful level II NICU decreased its AUR from 22.9–30.6 to 5.9–9.4%.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study to utilize data analytics at an IDN level to identify trends in AUR, We have identified practices that allowed an institution to reduce NICU AURs significantly, and which, if done as a standard practice, could be replicated on a broader scale.
LRRK2, GBA and their interaction in the regulation of autophagy: implications on therapeutics in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Pang Shirley Yin-Yu , Lo Rachel Cheuk Nam , Ho Philip Wing-Lok , Liu Hui-Fang , Chang Eunice Eun Seo , Leung Chi-Ting , Malki Yasine , Choi Zoe Yuen-Kiu , Wong Wing Yan , Kung Michelle Hiu-Wai , Ramsden David Boyer , Ho Shu-Leong
Published: January 2022

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) and glucocerebrosidase (GBA) represent two most common genetic causes of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Both genes are important in the autophagic-lysosomal pathway (ALP), defects of which are associated with α-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation. LRRK2 regulates macroautophagy via activation of the mitogen activated protein kinase/extracellular signal regulated protein kinase (MAPK/ERK) kinase (MEK) and the calcium-dependent adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathways. Phosphorylation of Rab GTPases by LRRK2 regulates lysosomal homeostasis and endosomal trafficking. Mutant LRRK2 impairs chaperone-mediated autophagy, resulting in α-syn binding and oligomerization on lysosomal membranes. Mutations in GBA reduce glucocerebrosidase (GCase) activity, leading to glucosylceramide accumulation, α-syn aggregation and broad autophagic abnormalities. LRRK2 and GBA influence each other: GCase activity is reduced in LRRK2 mutant cells, and LRRK2 kinase inhibition can alter GCase activity in GBA mutant cells. Clinically, LRRK2 G2019S mutation seems to modify the effects of GBA mutation, resulting in milder symptoms than those resulting from GBA mutation alone. However, dual mutation carriers have an increased risk of PD and earlier age of onset compared with single mutation carriers, suggesting an additive deleterious effect on the initiation of PD pathogenic processes. Crosstalk between LRRK2 and GBA in PD exists, but its exact mechanism is unclear. Drugs that inhibit LRRK2 kinase or activate GCase are showing efficacy in pre-clinical models. Since LRRK2 kinase and GCase activities are also altered in idiopathic PD (iPD), it remains to be seen if these drugs will be useful in disease modification of iPD.
Evaluating two respiratory correction methods for abdominal PET/MRI imaging
Authors: Ruan Weiwei , Liu Fang , Sun Xun , Hu Fan , Wu Tingfan , Zhang Yongxue , Lan Xiaoli
Published: January 2022

Background

To evaluate two respiratory correction methods for abdominal PET/MRI images and further to analyse the effects on standard uptake values (SUVs) of respiratory motion correction, 17 patients with 25 abdominal lesions on 18F-FDG PET/CT were scanned with PET/MRI. PET images were reconstructed using end-expiratory respiratory gating and multi-bin respiratory gating. Meanwhile, full data and the first 3 min and 20 s of data acquired both without respiratory gating were reconstructed for evaluation. Five parameters, including the SUVmax and SUVmean in the lesions, the SUVmean and standard deviation (SD) in the background, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), were calculated and used for statistical comparisons. The differences in multi-bin respiratory gating and reconstruction of full data, relative to the reconstruction of the first 3 min and 20 s of data acquired, were calculated.

Results

Compared with PET/CT, the longer scanning time of abdominal PET/MRI makes respiratory motion correction necessary. The multi-bin respiratory gating correction could reduce the PET image blur and increase the SUVmax (11.98%) and SUVmean (13.12%) of the lesions significantly (p = 0.00), which was much more effective than end-expiratory respiratory gating for abdominal PET/MRI. The added value of SUVmax caused by respiratory motion correction has no significant difference compared with that caused by count loss with the correction (p = 0.39), which was rarely reported by previous studies.

Conclusion

Based on the current parameters, the method of multi-bin respiratory gating was more effective for respiratory motion correction in abdominal PET/MRI in comparisons with the method of end-respiratory gating. However, the increased noise in gated images, due to the fact that PET data get discarded, is partly responsible for the increase in SUVmax.
Assessing the effects of local contexts on the mobility choices of university students in Campania region in Italy
Authors: Santelli Francesco , Ragozini Giancarlo , Vitale Maria Prosperina
Published: January 2022

The mobility of university students in Italy has been framed as a phenomenon linked to so-called intellectual migrations and as a subset of the historical and consolidated internal migration path explained in terms of South–North trajectory. This study describes the most important mobility trajectories of students across macro-areas and disciplinary fields, and then evaluates, using a multilevel logistic regression model, the factors that encouraged student cohort, who were enrolled in a degree program in the academic years 2014–2015, to move elsewhere from the Campania region. Beyond fixed and interaction effects related to the students’ personal characteristics, the model included possible random effects linked to the high schools attended by the students to capture the possible influence of the local context on migration choices.
“He was the one with the gun!” Associative memory for white and black faces seen with weapons
Authors: Erickson William Blake , Wright Arianna , Naveh-Benjamin Moshe
Published: January 2022

Much research has found that implicit associations between Black male faces and aggression affect dispositional judgments and decision-making, but there have been few investigations into downstream effects on explicit episodic memory. The current experiment tested whether such implicit associations interact with explicit recognition memory using an associative memory paradigm in younger and older adults. Participants studied image pairs featuring faces (of Black or White males) alongside handheld objects (uncategorized, kitchenware, or weapons) and later were tested on their recognition memory for faces, objects, and face/object pairings. Younger adults were further divided into full and divided attention encoding groups. All participants then took the race faces implicit association test. Memory for image pairs was poorer than memory for individual face or object images, particularly among older adults, extending the empirical support for the age-related associative memory deficit hypothesis (Naveh-Benjamin in J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cognit 26:1170–1187, 2000) to associations between racial faces and objects. Our primary hypothesis—that older adults’ associative memory deficit would be reduced under Black/weapon pairings due to their being schematically related stimuli—was not confirmed. Younger adults and especially older ones, who were predominantly White, exhibited an own-race recognition bias. In addition, older adults showed more negative implicit bias toward Black faces. Importantly, mixed linear analyses revealed that negative implicit associations for Black faces predicted increased explicit associative memory false alarm rates among older adults. Such a pattern may have implications for the criminal justice system, particularly when weighting eyewitness testimony from older adults.
VR as a choice: what drives learners’ technology acceptance?
Authors: Noble Sean M. , Saville Jason D. , Foster Lori L.
Published: January 2022

Post-secondary institutions are investing in and utilizing virtual reality (VR) for many educational purposes, including as a discretionary learning tool. Institutions such as vocational schools, community colleges, and universities need to understand what psychological factors drive students’ acceptance of VR for learning in discretionary contexts. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT; Venkatesh et al. in MIS Quarterly 27:425–478, 2003) offers a theoretical framework for understanding students’ receptivity to VR for learning. Undergraduate university students (N = 300) read a description of VR and video training mediums, then indicated which they would choose to learn a novel task. Three psychological variables—performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence—tended to be related to acceptance of VR, which was measured in two ways: (a) rated intentions to use VR and (b) preference for VR over a video-based alternative. Relative weight analyses compared the importance of the three predictors and revealed that performance expectancy tended to be the most influential antecedent of VR acceptance.
Vector-field dynamic x-ray (VF-DXR) using optical flow method in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Hino Takuya , Tsunomori Akinori , Hata Akinori , Hida Tomoyuki , Yamada Yoshitake , Ueyama Masako , Yoneyama Tsutomu , Kurosaki Atsuko , Kamitani Takeshi , Ishigami Kousei , Fukumoto Takenori , Kudoh Shoji , Hatabu Hiroto
Published: January 2022

Background

We assessed the difference in lung motion during inspiration/expiration between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and healthy volunteers using vector-field dynamic x-ray (VF-DXR) with optical flow method (OFM).

Methods

We enrolled 36 COPD patients and 47 healthy volunteers, classified according to pulmonary function into: normal, COPD mild, and COPD severe. Contrast gradient was obtained from sequential dynamic x-ray (DXR) and converted to motion vector using OFM. VF-DXR images were created by projection of the vertical component of lung motion vectors onto DXR images. The maximum magnitude of lung motion vectors in tidal inspiration/expiration, forced inspiration/expiration were selected and defined as lung motion velocity (LMV). Correlations between LMV with demographics and pulmonary function and differences in LMV between COPD patients and healthy volunteers were investigated.

Results

Negative correlations were confirmed between LMV and % forced expiratory volume in one second (%FEV1) in the tidal inspiration in the right lung (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, rs = -0.47, p < 0.001) and the left lung (rs = -0.32, p = 0.033). A positive correlation between LMV and %FEV1 in the tidal expiration was observed only in the right lung (rs = 0.25, p = 0.024). LMVs among normal, COPD mild and COPD severe groups were different in the tidal respiration. COPD mild group showed a significantly larger magnitude of LMV compared with the normal group.

Conclusions

In the tidal inspiration, the lung parenchyma moved faster in COPD patients compared with healthy volunteers. VF-DXR was feasible for the assessment of lung parenchyma using LMV.
Reproducibility of fingerprint microfeatures
Authors: Kaur Jaisleen , Dhall Meenal
Published: January 2022

Background

Poroscopy, as a means of personal identification, is largely unexplored. The present study aims at assessing the reproducibility of fingerprint microfeatures namely, pore area, inter-distance, and angle, in fingerprints obtained on two surfaces namely, glass and sticky side of adhesive tape, for a period of ten consecutive days. As far as the authors are aware, no prior research has attempted to evaluate pore parameters on sticky side of adhesive tape.

Methods

Plain-inked fingerprints of the left thumb, right thumb, and right index finger were collected on two surfaces namely, glass and sticky side of adhesive tape (using two methods) for ten consecutive days. Photomicrographs were captured and four pores, lying on the same ridge and having clear well-defined margins, were selected from the central region of each print. These specific sweat pores were used to measure the pore area, inter-distance, and angle using Image Pro® Software. Data were analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) software version 16. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out using “area,” “length,” and “angle” as the dependent variables.

Results

Results obtained depict pore area, inter-distance, and angle to be significant (p<0.001), on all 10 days for both the surfaces. In terms of quality, better pore details were depicted by fingerprints obtained on the sticky side of adhesive tape (using procedure (iii), wherein the sticky side of adhesive tape was pressed against the inked thumb of the participant). Furthermore, the pore area was found to be non-reproducible while the pore inter-distance and angle were found to be reliable and reproducible in nature.

Conclusions

Crime scene fingerprints should be first matched with specimen fingerprints on the basis of ridge characteristics. However, on occasions when sufficient number of ridge characteristics are not available for comparison, sweat pores should be employed. This study highlights the reproducibility and reliability of pore inter-distance and angle and encourages their use in fingerprint matching.
Intestinal parasitic infection among school children in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ahmed Haytham Mahmoud , Abu-Sheishaa Gamal Ali
Published: January 2022

Background

Intestinal parasitic infections are still representing a significant health problem in developing countries including Egypt. School children are highly vulnerable to this type of infection, and they suffered many health consequences. This study was conducted to identify the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among school children and its related factors.

Results

This is a school-based cross-sectional study conducted on 726 school children selected from primary, preparatory, and secondary schools located at Aga district, Dakahlia governorate. A questionnaire sheet including data on the socio-demographic characters of students and their families, environmental and behavioral variables, and gastro-intestinal symptoms was filled. Also, fresh stool samples were collected from each child for microscopic examination to detect eggs, cysts, and trophozoites of intestinal parasites. There were 239 of 726 children with IPIs representing an overall prevalence of 32.9%. The most prevalent parasitic species were E. histolytica (12.3%), G. lamblia (8.5%), H. nana (7.7%), and A. lumbricoides (5.7%). There were significant differences between infected and non-infected children regarding age, educational stage, residence, monthly family income, and maternal education levels. Also, there were highly significant differences between infected and non-infected children regarding all environmental and behavioral variables and the occurrence of GIT symptoms.

Conclusion

High prevalence of IPIs among school children indicates little personal hygiene and poor environmental sanitation. Much more efforts are needed for the application of proper prevention and control strategy.
The prevention of pressure injuries in the positioning and mobilization of patients in the ICU: a good clinical practice document by the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI)
Authors: Ippolito Mariachiara , Cortegiani Andrea , Biancofiore Gianni , Caiffa Salvatore , Corcione Antonio , Giusti Gian Domenico , Iozzo Pasquale , Lucchini Alberto , Pelosi Paolo , Tomasoni Gabriele , Giarratano Antonino
Published: January 2022

Background

The aim of this document is to support clinical decision-making concerning positioning and mobilization of the critically ill patient in the early identification and resolution of risk factors (primary prevention) and in the early recognition of those most at risk (secondary prevention). The addresses of this document are physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and other professionals involved in patient positioning in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods

A consensus pathway was followed using the Nominal Focus Group and the Delphi Technique, integrating a phase of focused group discussion online and with a pre-coded guide to an individual phase. A multidisciplinary advisory board composed by nine experts on the topic contributed to both the phases of the process, to reach a consensus on four clinical questions positioning and mobilization of the critically ill patient.

Results

The topics addressed by the clinical questions were the risks associated with obligatory positioning and therapeutic positions, the effective interventions in preventing pressure injuries, the appropriate instruments for screening for pressure injuries in the ICU, and the cost-effectiveness of preventive interventions relating to ICU positioning. A total of 27 statements addressing these clinical questions were produced by the panel. Among the statements, nine provided guidance on how to manage safely some specific patients’ positions, including the prone position; five suggested specific screening tools and patients’ factors to consider when assessing the individual risk of developing pressure injuries; five gave indications on mobilization and repositioning; and eight focused on the use of devices, such as positioners and preventive dressings.

Conclusions

The statements may represent a practical guidance for a broad public of healthcare professionals involved in the management of critically ill patients.
An efficient multigrid solver based on a four-color cell-block Gauss-Seidel smoother for 3D magnetotelluric forward modeling
Authors: Guo Rongwen , Wang Yongfei , Egbert Gary D. , Liu Jianxin , Liu Rong , Pan Kejia , Li Jian , Chen Hang
Published: January 2022

Practical application of 3D magnetotelluric inversion requires efficient forward modeling of electromagnetic (EM) fields in the earth. To resolve realistic 3D structures, large computational domains and extremely large linear systems of equations are required. The iterative solvers, which are almost exclusively used to solve these systems, can be inefficient due to the abundant null space of the curl-curl operator. Multigrid (MG) solvers are considered a potentially efficient technique for solving such problems. However, due to the abundant null solution space and existence of the air layer, MG solvers can still converge slowly or even diverge. We have developed an efficient MG solver for finite-difference frequency-domain EM solution. In this algorithm, the excellent smoothing property of an efficient four-color cell-block Gauss-Seidel (GS) is exploited to remove the short-range errors effectively, and the interpolation and prolongation operators are used to handle the long-range errors. They work as a whole to speed the convergence of our algorithm remarkably. Because all of the nodes for the four-color cell-block GS are grouped into four colors and the edge components attached to different nodes in each color are completely decoupled, this can be used to develop a highly vectorized or parallelized algorithm. Another important property is that our algorithm is locally current divergence free, effectively eliminating spurious solutions in the null space of the curl-curl operator. The accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm are verified by comparing the numerical solutions obtained with our MG solver to those from the biconjugate gradient stabilized solver with different preconditioners based on synthetic models and a model from 3D inversion. Comparisons, in terms of iteration number and computational time, indicate that our algorithm is extremely stable and efficient relative to the other solvers. Our MG algorithm will be suitable for massively parallel computing as well.
Prediction of the ocean water sound speeds via attribute-guided seismic waveform inversion
Authors: Mallick Subhashis , Chakraborty Dwaipayan
Published: January 2022

Oceanic temperature and salinity are important for studying ocean dynamics and marine ecosystems, and for developing climate prediction models. Physical oceanographers measure these properties using expendable instruments, providing accurate measurements at high vertical resolution at sparse lateral locations. Accuracy of these temperature and salinity data when laterally interpolated and used for ocean dynamics, marine biology, and weather-related studies is questionable. Marine seismic data indicate visible reflections within the water columns, which, in turn, are primarily controlled by the vertical and lateral variations of the ocean water sound speeds. Because these sound-speed variations are functions of temperature and salinity, water-column seismic reflection data have been inverted for sound speeds and used to estimate temperature and salinity. These seismically derived temperature and salinity data have lower vertical, but much finer lateral resolution than those measured by expendable instruments, and therefore are useful for physical oceanography, marine biology, and climate research. However, quality of the seismic inversion relies on a good initial model, which requires generating models at sparse locations over 2D or 3D seismic data volumes and interpolating them over the horizon, manually picked from the stacked seismic data. Because horizon picking is subject to human error and bias, replacing it with an automated process is desirable. We outline a new attribute-guided methodology for initial model generation where no horizon picking is necessary. Starting with this initial model, we run prestack waveform inversion based on genetic algorithm optimization and demonstrate that our method can predict reliable sound-speed profiles. We conclude that our method is a good way for estimating ocean water sound speeds and relating them to the temperature and salinity.
Reflection and transmission of thermoelastic waves in multilayered media
Authors: Hou Wanting , Fu Li-Yun , Carcione Jose M.
Published: January 2022

In many cases, multilayered media with flat interfaces are a suitable representation of the geologic features of the crust. In general, the isothermal theory is used, and the transfer-matrix (TM) method is applied to compute the scattering reflection and transmission (R/T) coefficients. We have generalized the TM algorithm to the more general case of thermoelastic layers, in which elastic waves give rise to a temperature field (the thermal [T] wave) and vice versa. The stress-strain relation is based on the Lord-Shulman (LS) thermoelasticity theory. Then, the R/T coefficients of the fast compressional (P), T, and shear (S) waves are computed and verified by the conservation of energy. We also obtain the energy ratios and phase angles for P- and S-wave incidences. We consider a hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal model to study the effects of temperature, frequency, and layer thickness, and we find that the coefficients potentially can be used to obtain information about the characteristics of a multilayered medium.
Exercise suppresses mouse systemic AApoAII amyloidosis through enhancement of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: Cui Xiaoran , Sawashita Jinko , Dai Jian , Liu Chang , Igarashi Yuichi , Mori Masayuki , Miyahara Hiroki , Higuchi Keiichi
Published: January 2022

Exercise interventions are beneficial for reducing the risk of age-related diseases, including amyloidosis, but the underlying molecular links remain unclear. Here, we investigated the protective role of interval exercise training in a mouse model of age-related systemic apolipoprotein A-II amyloidosis (AApoAII) and identified potential mechanisms. Mice subjected to 16 weeks of exercise showed improved whole-body physiologic functions and exhibited substantial inhibition of amyloidosis, particularly in the liver and spleen. Exercise activated the hepatic p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathway and the downstream transcription factor tumor suppressor p53. This activation resulted in elevated expression and phosphorylation of heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1), a chaperone that defends against protein aggregation. In amyloidosis-induced mice, the hepatic p38 MAPK-related adaptive responses were additively enhanced by exercise. We observed that with exercise, greater amounts of phosphorylated HSPB1 accumulated at amyloid deposition areas, which we suspect inhibits amyloid fibril formation. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the exercise-activated specific chaperone prevention of amyloidosis, and suggest that exercise may amplify intracellular stress-related protective adaptation pathways against age-associated disorders, such as amyloidosis.
TLE4 regulates muscle stem cell quiescence and skeletal muscle differentiation
Authors: Agarwal Megha , Bharadwaj Anushree , Mathew Sam J.
Published: January 2022

Muscle stem (satellite) cells express Pax7, a key transcription factor essential for satellite cell maintenance and adult muscle regeneration. We identify the corepressor transducin-like enhancer of split-4 (TLE4) as a Pax7 interaction partner expressed in quiescent satellite cells under homeostasis. A subset of satellite cells transiently downregulate TLE4 during early time points following muscle injury. We identify these to be activated satellite cells, and that TLE4 downregulation is required for Myf5 activation and myogenic commitment. Our results indicate that TLE4 represses Pax7-mediated Myf5 transcriptional activation by occupying the −111 kb Myf5 enhancer to maintain quiescence. Loss of TLE4 function causes Myf5 upregulation, an increase in satellite cell numbers and altered differentiation dynamics during regeneration. Thus, we have uncovered a novel mechanism to maintain satellite cell quiescence and regulate muscle differentiation mediated by the corepressor TLE4.
Drp1 regulates transcription of ribosomal protein genes in embryonic hearts
Authors: Zhao Qiancong , Yan Shun , Lu Jin , Parker Danitra J. , Wu Huiying , Sun Qianchuang , Crossman David K. , Liu Shanrun , Wang Qin , Sesaki Hiromi , Mitra Kasturi , Liu Kexiang , Jiao Kai
Published: January 2022

Mitochondrial dysfunction causes severe congenital cardiac abnormalities and prenatal/neonatal lethality. The lack of sufficient knowledge regarding how mitochondrial abnormalities affect cardiogenesis poses a major barrier for the development of clinical applications that target mitochondrial deficiency-induced inborn cardiomyopathies. Mitochondrial morphology, which is regulated by fission and fusion, plays a key role in determining mitochondrial activity. Dnm1l encodes a dynamin-related GTPase, Drp1, which is required for mitochondrial fission. To investigate the role of Drp1 in cardiogenesis during the embryonic metabolic shift period, we specifically inactivated Dnm1l in second heart field-derived structures. Mutant cardiomyocytes in the right ventricle (RV) displayed severe defects in mitochondrial morphology, ultrastructure and activity. These defects caused increased cell death, decreased cell survival, disorganized cardiomyocytes and embryonic lethality. By characterizing this model, we reveal an AMPK-SIRT7-GABPB axis that relays the reduced cellular energy level to decrease transcription of ribosomal protein genes in cardiomyocytes. We therefore provide the first genetic evidence in mouse that Drp1 is essential for RV development. Our research provides further mechanistic insight into how mitochondrial dysfunction causes pathological molecular and cellular alterations during cardiogenesis.
Characterization of Novel Deep Eutectic Solvent, Choline Chloride/Glutamic Acid, as Efficient Solvent for Lignin Dissolution
Authors: Saito Kaori , Hashizume Tomohiro , Kitayama Kenji , Watanabe Takashi
Published: January 2022

A novel amino acid-based deep eutectic solvent (DES), choline chloride (ChCl)/glutamic acid (Glu), was developed as a green renewable solvent for efficient biomass pretreatment. Spectroscopic analysis revealed that Glu is rapidly converted to pyroglutamic acid (pGlu) through dehydration during the DES formation. However, hydrogen bond formation differed between ChCl/Glu DES and DES formed by mixing ChCl/pGlu. Furthermore, lignin was dissolved readily at 10% concentration in ChCl/Glu DES, indicating significant potential for application of ChCl/Glu DES in lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment.
Chiral Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Synthesis of Chiral Tetrahydrocarbazoles with Allenylsilanes from Racemic Indolylmethanols
Authors: Umemiya Shigenobu , Lingqi Kong , Eto Yuno , Terada Masahiro
Published: January 2022

An efficient method for the synthesis of chiral tetrahydrocarbazoles (THCs) containing an allene moiety is disclosed, which was established by an enantioconvergent substitution reaction catalyzed by a chiral phosphoric acid. Racemic indolylmethanols bearing the THC motif reacted with N-methylpyrrole in the presence of the SPINOL-derived chiral phosphoric acid to give the corresponding chiral THCs with allenylsilanes in good yields with high enantioselectivities.
3D Interconnected N-doped Carbon/Sulfur Derived from Organic-inorganic Hybrid ZnS Superlattice Nanorods for High-performance Lithium-sulfur Batteries
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Xu Juan , Mi Liwei , Huo Kaifu
Published: January 2022

S/C composites in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are conventionally prepared by melt-diffusion method, by which S is difficult to uniformly distribute into matrix. Herein, a novel 3D N-doped carbon/sulfur (S/CNx) composite is fabricated by a simple in situ oxidizing reaction, which delivers a specific capacity of 830 mA h g−1 at 1 C after 100 cycles with 98.8% of capacity retention. The unique synthetic strategy in this work could provide a new thought for designing high performance Li-S batteries.
A Homogeneous Polymer Network Organogel Prepared in Concentrated Lithium-ion Battery Electrolytes Using a Nonflammable Fluorinated Solvent
Authors: Takano Saori , Sawayama Saki , Han Jihae , Fujii Kenta
Published: January 2022

We report an organogel electrolyte for lithium (Li)-ion batteries based on tetra-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (TetraPEG) network and highly concentrated electrolyte using nonflammable solvent, tris (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphate. The gel electrolyte was obtained via a Michael addition reaction between maleimide (MA)-terminated and thiol (SH)-terminated TetraPEGs, which was characterized via chemical reaction kinetics. The resulting TetraPEG gels with an ideal polymer network exhibited comparable ionic conductivity to the corresponding liquid electrolytes and reversible electrode reaction for graphite negative electrode.
Green Supply Chain Management: uma revisão sistemática integrativa dos estudos publicados
Authors: Endo Gustavo Yuho , Lucion Eric Vinicius , Paschoalotto Marco Antonio Catussi , Santos Lechan Colares , Mayumi Kato Cruz Érika
Published: January 2022

O Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) busca integrar os diferentes agentes da cadeia produtiva considerando os fatores relacionados à perspectiva ambiental. Por ser um campo em crescimento, este estudo justifica-se pela valoração da base teórica do assunto e identificação de como essa base se conecta. Desse modo, o objetivo neste estudo é analisar as publicações mais relevantes e citadas na base de dados da Web of Science sobre o GSCM. O procedimento metodológico adotado foi a revisão sistemática e integrativa de literatura, na qual foram identificados 216 artigos. Destes, foram analisados os vinte mais relevantes da Web of Science. Com os resultados obtidos, foi possível observar a evolução do GSCM, a qual teve início com preocupações ambientais na China e a necessidade de adesão das fábricas de manufatura chinesas às práticas de GSCM. A agenda de pesquisa sugere: estudos que contenham a utilização de modelos matemáticos robustos para analisar o GSCM; analisá-lo sob a perspectivas da gestão de recursos humanos; buscar identificar as barreiras em relação às suas práticas; relacioná-lo com a sustentabilidade organizacional; e, por fim, diversificar as pesquisas em diferentes países. Conclui-se que, com a pesquisa, foi possível contribuir para o fortalecimento da temática e que gaps teóricos ainda existem e precisam ser estudados.
Development of ultra-wideband and super-shaped antennas based of a frequency pulling technique for applications to software defined radio
Authors: Κουτίνος Αναστάσιος
Published: January 2022

Στόχος της παρούσας διατριβής είναι η θεμελίωση μιας μεθοδολογίας που μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για το σχεδιασμό κεραιών με ενισχυμένο εύρος ζώνης ως απαραίτητο βήμα προς την υλοποίηση του λογισμικά οριζόμενου ράδιο ή των δικτύων 5G και 6G. Αυτή η μεθοδολογία ονομάζεται Τεχνική Έλξης Συχνότητας (ΤΕΣ) καθώς το κύριο χαρακτηριστικό της είναι η μετατόπιση-ολίσθηση συντονισμών που έχουν την ίδια κεντρική συχνότητα με τέτοιο τρόπο ώστε να διαμορφώνεται ένα ευρύτερο εύρος ζώνης. Η Τεχνική βασίζεται στην εφαρμογή της διαδικασίας σχεδιασμού του φίλτρου διέλευσης ζώνης (BPF) στο σχεδιασμό κεραιών, καθώς προσφέρει τη δυνατότητα εκ των προτέρων επιλογής του εύρους ζώνης λειτουργίας. Η ΤΕΣ προσφέρει πολλαπλασιαστική βελτίωση του εύρους ζώνης με βάση τον αριθμό των πανομοιότυπων κεραιών ή συμμετρικών σημείων τροφοδοσίας όταν χρησιμοποιείται μία μόνο κεραία. Όταν χρησιμοποιούνται πολλαπλές κεραίες, οι συστοιχίες που σχεδιάζονται παρουσιάζουν μια στροφή της δέσμης του διαγράμματος ακτινοβολίας τους καθώς και αυξημένο μέγεθος. Από την άλλη πλευρά, όταν χρησιμοποιούνται πολλαπλά σημεία τροφοδοσίας, σχεδιάζονται συμπαγείς κεραίες που προσφέρουν ενίσχυση του εύρους ζώνης και το ίδιο μέγεθος επιφάνειας αλλά με διπλάσιο πάχος-ύψος. Η ΤΕΣ μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για να σχεδιαστεί μια κεραία εντελώς από την αρχή με τη βοήθεια κλασικών τεχνικών σχεδιασμού κεραιών ή μπορεί να εφαρμοστεί σε μια ήδη γνωστή γεωμετρία για να αυξήσει το εύρος ζώνης της. Ο μόνος περιορισμός στη βελτίωση τίθεται από το εύρος ζώνης της απόδοσης ακτινοβολίας, επειδή εάν ξεπεραστεί από το εύρος ζώνης της αντίστασης, η κεραία χάνει την ικανότητά της να ακτινοβολεί αποτελεσματικά. Το όριο του εύρους ζώνης ακτινοβολίας προκύπτει από το όριο του Fano για το εύρος ζώνης όταν χρησιμοποιείται ένας πεπερασμένος αριθμός κυκλωμάτων προσαρμογής μεταξύ πηγής και φορτίου. Η ΤΕΣ έχει δοκιμαστεί, προσομοιωθεί και επαληθευτεί μέσω μέτρησης κατασκευασμένων πρωτοτύπων σε μια πληθώρα κεραιών μικροταινίας, αλλά δεν υπάρχουν ενδείξεις ότι δεν μπορεί να εφαρμοστεί και σε άλλες κεραίες.
Green, Sarah (2020). Σημειώσεις από τα Βαλκάνια. Τόπος, περιθωριακότητα και αμφισημία στα ελληνοαλβανικά σύνορα. Μτφρ.: Α. Σιώτου και Σ. Θεοδοσίου, πρόλογος: Α. Μπακαλάκη, επιμέλεια: Σ. Θεοδοσίου. Ισνάφι, 443 σελ.
Authors: Papadaki Eirini
Published: January 2022

N/A
Mindfulness-based cognitive theory on cancer pain management: comments on the outcomes of the Aarhus University Hospital research protocol
Authors: Pilafas Georgios , Lyrakos Georgios
Published: January 2022

Over the last 20 years a branch of ‘Mindfulness-Based Interventions’ (MBIs) has been strongly introduced against anxiety and depression. In between, practitioners perform ‘Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy’ (MBCT) to cancer patients in order to assist them manage the intensity of cancer pain. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) communicated very recently that MBIs should be used against cancer pain to compliment the effect of medical drugs. However, the scientific community is still quite skeptical regarding the efficacy of MBCT on cancer pain management, since there is a lack of proper scientific evidence in clinical trials. This article makes comments on the outcomes that were obtained by a single research protocol in Denmark. The published studies tested the efficacy and cost effectiveness of MBCT. What is more, the findings are reflected, as well as further considerations and suggestions are communicated throughout this article.
Quantification of the effects of chimerism on read mapping, differential expression and annotation following short-read de novo assembly.
Authors: Linheiro Raquel , Archer John
Published: January 2022

Background: De novo assembly is often required for analysing short-read RNA sequencing data. An under-characterized aspect of the contigs produced is chimerism, the extent to which affects mapping, differential expression analysis and annotation. Despite long-read sequencing negating this issue, short-reads remain in use through on-going research and archived datasets created during the last two decades. Consequently, there is still a need to quantify chimerism and its effects. 

Methods: Effects on mapping were quantified by simulating reads off the Drosophila melanogaster cDNA library and mapping these to related reference sets containing increasing levels of chimerism. Next, ten read datasets were simulated and divided into two conditions where, within one, reads representing 1000 randomly selected transcripts were over-represented across replicates. Differential expression analysis was performed iteratively with increasing chimerism within the reference set. Finally, an expectation of r-squared values describing the relationship between alignment and transcript lengths for matches involving cDNA library transcripts and those within sets containing incrementing chimerism was created. Similar values calculated for contigs produced by three graph-based assemblers, relative to the cDNA library from which input reads were simulated, or sequenced (relative to the species represented), were compared. 

Results: At 5% and 95% chimerism within reference sets, 100% and 77% of reads still mapped, making mapping success a poor indicator of chimerism. At 5% chimerism, of the 1000 transcripts selected for over-representation, 953 were identified during differential expression analysis; at 10% 936 were identified, while at 95% it was 510. This indicates that despite mapping success, per-transcript counts are unpredictably altered. R-squared values obtained for the three assemblers suggest that between 5-15% of contigs are chimeric.  

Conclusions: Although not evident based on mapping, chimerism had a significant impact on differential expression analysis and megablast identification. This will have consequences for past and present experiments involving short-reads.