bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
3-D joint space mapping at the ankle from weight-bearing CT: reproducibility, repeatability, and challenges for standardisation
Authors: Turmezei Tom D. , Malhotra Karan , MacKay James W. , Gee Andrew H. , Treece Graham M. , Poole Kenneth E. S. , Welck Matthew J.
Published: May 2023

Objectives

We present a 3-D approach to joint space width (JSW) measurement across the ankle from weight-bearing CT (WBCT) to demonstrate inter-operator reproducibility, test-retest repeatability, and how differences in angulation affect ankle JSW distribution.

Methods

One side from repeat WBCT imaging of both feet and ankles was analysed from 23 individuals as part of their routine clinical care pathway. Joint space mapping was performed at four facets across the talus: talonavicular, talar dome and medial gutter (dome-medial), lateral gutter, and posterior subtalar. Inter-operator reproducibility was calculated for two users, while test-retest repeatability was calculated by comparing the two visits, both presented as Bland-Altman statistics. Statistical parametric mapping determined any significant relationships between talocrural joint space angulation and 3-D JSW distribution.

Results

The average ± standard deviation interval between imaging was 74.0 ± 29.6 days. Surface averaged bias ± limits of agreement were similar for reproducibility and repeatability, the latter being: talonavicular 0.01 ± 0.26 mm, dome-medial 0.00 ± 0.28 mm, lateral gutter − 0.02 ± 0.40 mm, and posterior subtalar 0.02 ± 0.34 mm. Results are presented as 3-D distribution maps, with optimum test–retest repeatability reaching a smallest detectable difference of ± 0.15 mm.

Conclusions

Joint space mapping is a robust approach to 3-D quantification of JSW measurement, inter-operator reproducibility, and test–retest repeatability at the ankle, with sensitivity reaching a best value of ± 0.15 mm. Standardised imaging protocols and optimised metal artefact reduction will be needed to further understand the clinical value of these 3-D measures derived from WBCT.

Clinical relevance statement

Weight-bearing computed tomography is an increasingly important tool in the clinical assessment of orthopaedic ankle disorders. This paper establishes the performance of measuring 3-D joint space width using this technology, which is an important surrogate marker for severity of osteoarthritis.

Key Points

• Joint space width values and error metrics from across the ankle measured from weight-bearing CT can be presented as 3-D maps that show topographic variation.

• The best sensitivity for detecting meaningful change in 3-D joint space width at the ankle was ± 0.15 mm, a value less than the isotropic imaging voxel dimensions.

• Standardised imaging protocols and optimised metal artefact reduction will be needed to understand the clinical value of 3-D measures from weight-bearing CT.
Low adherence to recommended use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer
Authors: van Hoogstraten Lisa M. C. , Man Calvin C. O. , Witjes J. Alfred , Meijer Richard P. , Mulder Sasja F. , Smilde Tineke J. , Ripping Theodora M. , Kiemeney Lambertus A. , Aben Katja K. H. ,   BlaZIB Study Group, Witjes J. Alfred , Ripping Theodora M. , Boormans Joost L. , Goossens-Laan Catharina A. , van der Heijden Antoine G. , van der Heijden Michiel S. , Helder Sipke , Hermans Tom J. N. , Hulshof Maarten C. C. M. , Leliveld Anna M. , van Leenders Geert J. L. H. , Meijer Richard P. , van Moorselaar Reindert J. A. , Noteboom Juus L. , Oddens Jorg R. , de Reijke Theo M. , van Rhijn Bas W. G. , van Roermund Joep G. H. , Venderbosch Guus W. J. , Wijsman Bart P.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To evaluate guideline adherence and variation in the recommended use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and the effects of this variation on survival in patients with non-metastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Patients and methods

In this nationwide, Netherlands Cancer Registry-based study, we identified 1025 patients newly diagnosed with non-metastatic MIBC between November 2017 and November 2019 who underwent radical cystectomy. Patients with ECOG performance status 0–1 and creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min/1.73 m2 were considered NAC-eligible. Interhospital variation was assessed using case-mix adjusted multilevel analysis. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the association between hospital specific probability of using NAC and survival. All analyses were stratified by disease stage (cT2 versus cT3-4a).

Results

In total, of 809 NAC-eligible patients, only 34% (n = 277) received NAC. Guideline adherence for NAC in cT2 was 26% versus 55% in cT3-4a disease. Interhospital variation was 7–57% and 31–62%, respectively. A higher hospital specific probability of NAC might be associated with a better survival, but results were not statistically significant (HRcT2 = 0.59, 95% CI 0.33–1.05 and HRcT3-4a = 0.71, 95% CI 0.25–2.04).

Conclusion

Guideline adherence regarding NAC use is low and interhospital variation is large, especially for patients with cT2-disease. Although not significant, our data suggest that survival of patients diagnosed in hospitals more inclined to give NAC might be better. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanism. As literature clearly shows the potential survival benefit of NAC in patients with cT3-4a disease, better guideline adherence might be pursued.
Historical explosive activity of Mount Melbourne Volcanic Field (Antarctica) revealed by englacial tephra deposits
Authors: Del Carlo Paola , Di Roberto Alessio , Re Giuseppe , Albert Paul G. , Smith Victoria C. , Giudice Gaetano , Larocca Graziano , Scateni Bianca , Cannata Andrea
Published: May 2023

Five tephra layers named BRH1 to 5 were sampled in an ice cliff located on the north-eastern flank of Mount Melbourne (northern Victoria Land, Antarctica). The texture, componentry, mineralogy, and major and trace element compositions of glass shards have been used to characterize these layers. These properties suggest that they are primary fall deposits produced from discrete eruptions that experienced varying degrees of magma/water interaction. The major and trace element glass shard analyses on single glass shards indicate that Mount Melbourne Volcanic Field is the source of these tephra layers and the geochemical diversity highlights that the eruptions were fed by compositionally diverse melts that are interpreted to be from a complex magma system with a mafic melt remobilizing more evolved trachy-andesitic to trachytic magma pockets. Geochemical compositions, along with textural and mineralogical data, have allowed correlations between two of the englacial tephra and distal cryptotephra from Mount Melbourne, recovered within a marine sediment core in the Edisto Inlet (~ 280 km northeast of Mount Melbourne), and constrain the age of these englacial tephra layers to between the third and the fourth century CE. This work provides new evidence of the intense historical explosive activity of the Mount Melbourne Volcanic Field and better constrains the rates of volcanism in northern Victoria Land. These data grant new clues on the eruptive dynamics and tephra dispersal, and considerably expand the geochemical (major and trace elements) dataset available for the Mount Melbourne Volcanic Field. In the future, this will facilitate the precise identification of tephra layers from this volcanic source and will help define the temporal and spatial correlation between Antarctic records using tephra layers. Finally, this work also yields new valuable time-stratigraphic marker horizons for future dating, synchronization, and correlations of different palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic records across large regions of Antarctica.
GAN-based one dimensional medical data augmentation
Authors: Zhang Ye , Wang Zhixiang , Zhang Zhen , Liu Junzhuo , Feng Ying , Wee Leonard , Dekker Andre , Chen Qiaosong , Traverso Alberto
Published: May 2023

With the continuous development of human life and society, the medical field is constantly improving. However, modern medicine still faces many limitations, including challenging and previously unsolvable problems. In these cases, artificial intelligence (AI) can provide solutions. The research and application of generative adversarial networks (GAN) are a clear example. While most researchers focus on image augmentation, there are few one-dimensional data augmentation examples. The radiomics feature extracted from RT and CT images is one-dimensional data. As far as we know, we are the first to apply the WGAN-GP algorithm to generate radiomics data in the medical field. In this paper, we input a portion of the original real data samples into the model. The model learns the distribution of the input data samples and generates synthetic data samples with similar distribution to the original real data, which can solve the problem of obtaining annotated medical data samples. We have conducted experiments on the public dataset Heart Disease Cleveland and the private dataset. Compared with the traditional method of Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) and common GAN for data augmentation, our method has significantly improved the AUC and SEN values under different data proportions. At the same time, our method has also shown varying levels of improvement in ACC and SPE values. This demonstrates that our method is effective and feasible.
Analysing sentiment change detection of Covid-19 tweets
Authors: Theocharopoulos Panagiotis C. , Tsoukala Anastasia , Georgakopoulos Spiros V. , Tasoulis Sotiris K. , Plagianakos Vassilis P.
Published: May 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic made a significant impact on society, including the widespread implementation of lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus. This measure led to a decrease in face-to-face social interactions and, as an equivalent, an increase in the use of social media platforms, such as Twitter. As part of Industry 4.0, sentiment analysis can be exploited to study public attitudes toward future pandemics and sociopolitical situations in general. This work presents an analysis framework by applying a combination of natural language processing techniques and machine learning algorithms to classify the sentiment of each tweet as positive, or negative. Through extensive experimentation, we expose the ideal model for this task and, subsequently, utilize sentiment predictions to perform time series analysis over the course of the pandemic. In addition, a change point detection algorithm was applied in order to identify the turning points in public attitudes toward the pandemic, which were validated by cross-referencing the news report at that particular period of time. Finally, we study the relationship between sentiment trends on social media and, news coverage of the pandemic, providing insights into the public’s perception of the pandemic and its influence on the news.
Can anterior vertebral body tethering provide superior range of motion outcomes compared to posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis? A systematic review
Authors: Wong Darren Li Liang , Mong Pak Tung , Ng Chun Yin , Ong Chun Kwan , Qian Zhekai , Shao Mang Hong , Sin Ling Kwan Ernest , Wong Bao Yi , Wong Chun Ming , Cheung Jason Pui Yin , To Michael
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT) was introduced as a fusionless alternative to treating adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) while preserving range of motion (ROM). This is the first systematic review to compare the ROM outcomes between AVBT and PSF in treating AIS.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search on PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were patients with AIS treated with AVBT or PSF or both, and clearly defined ROM outcomes; exclusion criteria were scoliosis other than AIS, biomechanical or cadaveric studies, non-English publications, case reports, conference summaries, unpublished literature, commentaries, and reviews. Primary outcome was ROM. Secondary outcomes included Cobb angle correction, quality of life (QOL), complications, and muscle strength and endurance.

Results

Twelve studies were included in this review. We found moderate evidence to support that AVBT results in superior ROM outcomes than PSF while achieving comparable Cobb angle correction with low evidence. The comparison of QOL outcomes between AVBT and PSF remained inconclusive. In addition to the complications noted conventionally in PSF, AVBT could result in over-correction and distal adding-on. We also found very low evidence to support that AIS patients treated with AVBT have superior muscle strength and endurance when compared to those treated with PSF.

Conclusions

AVBT provides better preservation of ROM and muscle strength postoperatively when compared with PSF, while achieving comparable curve correction. Future studies should explore the spinal growth trajectory to determine the window of opportunity for AVBT in AIS.
All reported non-canonical splice site variants in GLA cause aberrant splicing
Authors: Okada Eri , Horinouchi Tomoko , Yamamura Tomohiko , Aoto Yuya , Suzuki Ryota , Ichikawa Yuta , Tanaka Yu , Masuda Chika , Kitakado Hideaki , Kondo Atsushi , Sakakibara Nana , Ishiko Shinya , Nagano China , Ishimori Shingo , Usui Joichi , Yamagata Kunihiro , Matsuo Masafumi , Nozu Kandai
Published: May 2023

Background

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by insufficient α-galactosidase A (GLA) activity resulting from variants in theGLAgene, which leads to glycosphingolipid accumulation and life-threatening, multi-organ complications. Approximately 50 variants have been reported that cause splicing abnormalities inGLA. Most were found within canonical splice sites, which are highly conserved GT and AG splice acceptor and donor dinucleotides, whereas one-third were located outside canonical splice sites, making it difficult to interpret their pathogenicity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the genetic pathogenicity of variants located in non-canonical splice sites within theGLAgene.

Methods

13 variants, including four deep intronic variants, were selected from the Human Gene Variant Database Professional. We performed anin vitrosplicing assay to identify splicing abnormalities in the variants.

Results

All candidate non-canonical splice site variants inGLAcaused aberrant splicing. Additionally, all but one variant was protein-truncating. The four deep intronic variants generated abnormal transcripts, including a cryptic exon, as well as normal transcripts, with the proportion of each differing in a cell-specific manner.

Conclusions

Validation of splicing effects using anin vitrosplicing assay is useful for confirming pathogenicity and determining associations with clinical phenotypes.
Landscape genetics of the protected Spanish Moon Moth in core, buffer, and peripheral areas of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (Central Pyrenees, Spain)
Authors: González-Castellano Inés , Marí-Mena Neus , Segelbacher Gernot , Lopez-Vaamonde Carlos , González-López Jorge , Fagúndez Jaime , Vila Marta
Published: May 2023

Conservation managers need to know the degree of connectivity showed by the populations to be preserved, especially when protected areas and/or species are involved. One of the conservation projects carried out by the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (Central Pyrenees, Spain) is the monitoring of the protected Spanish Moon Moth, Graellsia isabellae (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae), in several sites within the actual park, buffer zone, and peripheral area. Here we studied the genetic diversity, geographical structure, and connectivity of this iconic insect in those areas with the aim of producing evidence-based recommendations that might help the National Park staff in their decision-making. For this, we non-lethally sampled 402 adult moths from 17 sites and worked at two geographic scales: Western/Central Pyrenees and the area monitored by the staff of the National Park. The multilocus genotypes obtained for nine nuclear microsatellite markers allowed us to quantify genetic variation, investigate population structure, and calculate recent migration rates. Our results revealed a large-scale (ca. 125 km) west–east cline in allele frequencies that causes low overall genetic differentiation (FST = 0.038) and similar levels of diversity among sites. Habitat connectivity revealed as an important element determining dispersal for G. isabellae, given the patchy distribution of the host plant (Pinus sylvestris) in the study area. Gene flow within and outside the National Park was proved, with a particular site of the buffer zone (Bujaruelo) acting as a source of migrants to other localities within and outside the National Park. This finding underlines the importance of considering buffer zones to preserve genetic diversity within protected areas, and that safeguarding the connectedness of pine patches is key to the conservation of this iconic moth.
Multi-model query languages: taming the variety of big data
Authors: Guo Qingsong , Zhang Chao , Zhang Shuxun , Lu Jiaheng
Published: May 2023

A critical issue in Big Data management is to address the variety of data–data are produced by disparate sources, presented in various formats, and hence inherently involves multiple data models. Multi-Model DataBases (MMDBs) have emerged as a promising approach for dealing with this task as they are capable of accommodating multi-model data in a single system and querying across them with a unified query language. This article aims to offer a comprehensive survey of a wide range of multi-model query languages of MMDBs. In particular, we first present the SQL-based extensions toward multi-model data, including the standard SQL extensions such as SQL/XML, SQL/JSON, and GQL, and the non-standard SQL extensions such as SQL++ and SPASQL. We then study the manners in which document-based and graph-based query languages can be extended to support multi-model data. We also investigate the query languages that provide native support on multi-model data. Finally, this article provides insights into the open challenges and problems of multi-model query languages.
On the exceptionality of rational APN functions
Authors: Bartoli Daniele , Fatabbi Giuliana , Ghiandoni Francesco
Published: May 2023

We investigate APN functions which can be represented as rational functions and we provide non-existence results exploiting the connection between these functions and specific algebraic varieties over finite fields. This approach allows to classify families of functions when previous approaches cannot be applied.
Let Learners Monitor the Learning Content and Their Learning Behavior! A Meta-analysis on the Effectiveness of Tools to Foster Monitoring
Authors: Dignath Charlotte , van Ewijk Reyn , Perels Franziska , Fabriz Sabine
Published: May 2023

Self-monitoring is an integral part of self-regulated learning. Tools that foster learners’ monitoring, such as learning journals, portfolios, or rubrics, are supposed to promote self-regulation and to improve performance. The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the effectiveness of tools designed to foster monitoring on learning-related variables (academic achievement, self-regulated learning, and motivation). As these tools vary greatly in their design and the addressed components, this meta-analysis aims to uncover how such tools should be implemented to foster monitoring most effectively. The results of this meta-analysis, integrating 109 effect sizes with 3492 participants from 32 intervention studies, supported a reactivity effect by revealing a moderate effect size on academic achievement (d = 0.42), and low effects on self-regulated learning (d = 0.19) and motivation (d = 0.17). These effects were moderated by characteristics of the tool and their implementation. Effect sizes were highest for tools that (1) focused on the monitoring of both learning content as well as learning behavior, (2) stimulated metacognitive monitoring, and (3) were implemented in shorter studies. On a descriptive level, higher effects were found in favor of monitoring interventions that included teacher feedback on self-monitoring entries and allowed learners to directly revise their work based on this feedback. The findings show that there is substantial variation across tools, which yield theoretical and methodological implications on how to foster monitoring as important parts of the self-regulation cycle.
Elliptic soliton solutions of the spin non-chiral intermediate long-wave equation
Authors: Berntson Bjorn K. , Langmann Edwin , Lenells Jonatan
Published: May 2023

We construct elliptic multi-soliton solutions of the spin non-chiral intermediate long-wave (sncILW) equation with periodic boundary conditions. These solutions are obtained by a spin-pole ansatz including a dynamical background term; we show that this ansatz solves the periodic sncILW equation provided the spins and poles satisfy the elliptic A-type spin Calogero-Moser (sCM) system with certain constraints on the initial conditions. The key to this result is a Bäcklund transformation for the elliptic sCM system which includes a non-trivial dynamical background term. We also present solutions of the sncILW equation on the real line and of the spin Benjamin–Ono equation which generalize previously obtained solutions by allowing for a non-trivial background term.
Poset Ramsey Number $$R(P,Q_{n})$$. I. Complete Multipartite Posets
Authors: Winter Christian
Published: May 2023

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. For any posets P and Q, the poset Ramsey number R(P, Q) is the smallest integer N such that any blue/red coloring of a Boolean lattice of dimension N contains either a copy of P with all elements blue or a copy of Q with all elements red. A complete $$\ell $$
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-partite poset $$K_{t_{1},\dots ,t_{\ell }}$$

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. In this paper we show that $$R(K_{t_{1},\dots ,t_{\ell }},Q_{n})\le n+\frac{(2+o_{n}(1))\ell n}{\log n}$$

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Extensive ITR expansion of the 2022 Mpox virus genome through gene duplication and gene loss
Authors: Brinkmann Annika , Kohl Claudia , Pape Katharina , Bourquain Daniel , Thürmer Andrea , Michel Janine , Schaade Lars , Nitsche Andreas
Published: May 2023

Poxviruses are known to evolve slower than RNA viruses with only 1–2 mutations/genome/year. Rather than single mutations, rearrangements such as gene gain and loss, which have been discussed as a possible driver for host adaption, were described in poxviruses. In 2022 and 2023 the world is being challenged by the largest global outbreak so far of Mpox virus, and the virus seems to have established itself in the human community for an extended period of time. Here, we report five Mpox virus genomes from Germany with extensive gene duplication and loss, leading to the expansion of the ITR regions from 6400 to up to 24,600 bp. We describe duplications of up to 18,200 bp to the opposed genome end, and deletions at the site of insertion of up to 16,900 bp. Deletions and duplications of genes with functions of supposed immune modulation, virulence and host adaption as B19R, B21R, B22R and D10L are described. In summary, we highlight the need for monitoring rearrangements of the Mpox virus genome rather than for monitoring single mutations only.
Predicting the output error of the suboptimal state estimator to improve the performance of the MPC-based artificial pancreas
Authors: Dodek Martin , Miklovičová Eva
Published: May 2023

The error of single step-ahead output prediction is the information traditionally used to correct the state estimate while exploiting the new measurement of the system output. However, its dynamics and statistical properties can be further studied and exploited in other ways. It is known that in the case of suboptimal state estimation, this output prediction error forms a correlated sequence, hence it can be effectively predicted in real time. Such a suboptimal scenario is typical in applications where the process noise model is not known or it is uncertain. Therefore, the paper deals with the problems of analytical and empirical modeling, identification, and prediction of the output error of the suboptimal state estimator for the sake of improving the output prediction accuracy and ultimately the performance of the model predictive control. The improvements are validated on an empirical model of type 1 diabetes within an in-silico experiment focused on glycemia prediction and implementation of the MPC-based artificial pancreas.
Equalising the Transmission Properties of Graph-Modelled Networks by Introducing the Control of the Resources Used to Transmit Information
Authors: Bujnowski Sławomir , Marciniak Beata , Oyerinde Olutayo Oyeyemi , Lutowski Zbigniew , Flizikowski Adam , Galan Sebastián García
Published: May 2023

The object of the presented paper is to demonstrate the possibility of equalizing the transmission properties of networks described by graphs with an equal number of nodes of the same degree but differing in diameter and average path length. A node of a graph is understood to be a specialised device performing commutation and transmission functions, while an edge is understood to be a transmission link. It was assumed that this alignment can be achieved by controlling the transmission resources assigned to specific edges of a graph through which the network nodes communicate with each other. The concept of transmission resource, counted in contractual units, is understood as, for example, the number of time slots or the bandwidth of the links used to transmit information. The authors show that with the proposed method, the equalization of the mentioned network properties is achieved with a minimal increase in the global resources used for transmission.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Updates in Leptomeningeal Disease
Authors: Roy-O’Reilly Meaghan A. , Lanman Tyler , Ruiz Amber , Rogawski David , Stocksdale Brian , Nagpal Seema
Published: May 2023

Purpose of Review

Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a devastating complication of advanced metastatic cancer associated with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. This study reviews the current understanding of the clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of LMD. We highlight opportunities for advances in this disease.

Recent Findings

In recent years, the use of soluble CSF biomarkers has expanded, suggesting improved sensitivity over traditional cytology, identification of targetable mutations, and potential utility for monitoring disease burden. Recent studies of targeted small molecules and intrathecal based therapies have demonstrated an increase in overall and progression-free survival. In addition, there are several ongoing trials evaluating immunotherapy in LMD.

Though overall prognosis of LMD remains poor, studies suggest a potential role for soluble CSF biomarkers in diagnosis and management and demonstrate promising findings in patient outcomes with targeted therapies for specific solid tumors. Despite these advances, there continues to be a gap of knowledge in this disease, emphasizing the importance of inclusion of LMD patients in clinical trials.
Meta-model of Human Recognition-behavioral Adaptation System
Authors: Masuda Yutaka
Published: May 2023

Scientific modeling is a syllogistic system of definitive premise, sound inference and consistent explanation to understand, define, quantify, visualize or simulate feature of the target. Single-model is defined to an informative representation for identifying a property of a target object/phenomenon, and meta-model integrates the relevant single-models to explain phenomenological realities. Human recognition-behavioral adaptation is an information-metabolism system to maintain homeostasis of human-self, and that has been investigated in neurological, psychiatric and psychological aspects. I analyzed human recognition-behavioral adaptation-system via scientific modeling. Neurological meta-model of human recognition-behavioral adaptation system was synthesized as complex-network of the functional neuronal modules, and the meta-model was integrated to Mentality-model in the psychiatric aspect, and to Personality-model in the psychological aspect. The integrated meta-models successfully explained phenomenological realities in the aspects. From the above, I comprehended that the meta-model of human recognition-behavioral adaptation-system has been developed to Biopsychosocial model integrating the biological, psychological and socio-environmental factors.
User profile of an online cognitive behavioral therapy self-help platform in Turkey
Authors: Özer Ömer , Ceyhan Aydoğan Aykut , Struijs Sascha Y.
Published: May 2023

Online mental health self-help services are of societal importance and increasingly popular. Therefore, we have developed an online platform offering free self-help to the Turkish public with modules based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targeting depression, anxiety, and stress respectively. The main purpose of this study is to describe the user profile of this platform. A pre-intervention self-report assessment including general demographic information and the Brief Symptom Inventory questionnaire during October 2020 until September 2022. 8331 participants completed the assessment and created an account out of the 11.228 users who registered during a two-year period, of which 8.331 (74%) completed the assessment and created an account. The majority of these users were female (76.17%), highly educated (82%), single (68%) and actively studying or working (84%). Slightly more than half (57%) of the platform user had not received psychological assistance before, while those who did receive previous assistance indicate to have benefitted from that (74%). The psychological symptoms of users are widely distributed, encompassing a broad range of user profiles. Approximately half of all users actively used the platform, while the other half did not complete any module. Among active users, the course “coping with depressive mood” was the most popular (41.45%), followed by “coping with anxiety” (37.25%) and “coping with stress” (21.30%). Offering a free online CBT self-help platform to the Turkish public seems feasible, with strong uptake among both man and woman struggling with a variety of psychological symptoms. Further research is needed to assess user satisfaction and change in symptoms over time during platform use by means of a feasibility trial.
Targeting NAD Metabolism for the Therapy of Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Li Feifei , Wu Chou , Wang Gelin
Published: May 2023

As the aging population continues to grow rapidly, age-related diseases are becoming an increasing burden on the healthcare system and a major concern for the well-being of elderly individuals. While aging is an inevitable process for all humans, it can be slowed down and age-related diseases can be treated or alleviated. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a critical coenzyme or cofactor that plays a central role in metabolism and is involved in various cellular processes including the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis, post-translational protein modifications, DNA repair, and immune responses. As individuals age, their NAD levels decline, and this decrease has been suggested to be a contributing factor to the development of numerous age-related diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. In pursuit of healthy aging, researchers have investigated approaches to boost or maintain NAD levels. Here, we provide an overview of NAD metabolism and the role of NAD in age-related diseases and summarize recent progress in the development of strategies that target NAD metabolism for the treatment of age-related diseases, particularly neurodegenerative diseases.
The Secondary Motor Cortex-striatum Circuit Contributes to Suppressing Inappropriate Responses in Perceptual Decision Behavior
Authors: Liu Jing , Liu Dechen , Pu Xiaotian , Zou Kexin , Xie Taorong , Li Yaping , Yao Haishan
Published: May 2023

The secondary motor cortex (M2) encodes choice-related information and plays an important role in cue-guided actions. M2 neurons innervate the dorsal striatum (DS), which also contributes to decision-making behavior, yet how M2 modulates signals in the DS to influence perceptual decision-making is unclear. Using mice performing a visual Go/No-Go task, we showed that inactivating M2 projections to the DS impaired performance by increasing the false alarm (FA) rate to the reward-irrelevant No-Go stimulus. The choice signal of M2 neurons correlated with behavioral performance, and the inactivation of M2 neurons projecting to the DS reduced the choice signal in the DS. By measuring and manipulating the responses of direct or indirect pathway striatal neurons defined by M2 inputs, we found that the indirect pathway neurons exhibited a shorter response latency to the No-Go stimulus, and inactivating their early responses increased the FA rate. These results demonstrate that the M2-to-DS pathway is crucial for suppressing inappropriate responses in perceptual decision behavior.
Molekulare Schnappschüsse der Phageninfektion
Authors: Wolfram-Schauerte Maik , Pozhydaieva Nadiia , Höfer Katharina
Published: May 2023

Today, the clinical potential of antibiotics is almost exhausted, which has led to a renaissance of phage research and phage therapy. To maximize phage therapy efficiency, we need an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which phages fight their hosts. Omics technologies can provide valuable insights in the molecular processes of infection. We applied time-resolved proteomics and transcriptomics to characterize the T4 phage infection of Escherichia coli on the molecular level.
Das FuN Screen-Prinzip zur experimentellen Analyse von Nanoporen in E. coli
Authors: Weber Wadim , Probanowski Tobias , Eisenhauer Klara , Kemp Philipp , Stein Viktor
Published: May 2023

Nanopores constitute an important class of biotechnologically relevant proteins. Unlike binders and enzymes, their experimental characterization is limited to high-resolution, yet low throughput biophysical methods. Addressing this technological gap, the functional nanopore (FuN) screen now provides a versatile assay to study and engineer nanopores in Escherichia coli combining quantitative resolution with the ease, scalability, and throughput of cellular assays.
Field Notes and Fictional Realms
Authors: Landa Yesenia Rubi , Thompson Amy E.
Published: May 2023

Overview

As an escape from the day-to-day drudgery of our “real” world, video games allow us to leave reality and explore new fictional worlds. These worlds are more enjoyable when they are developed from various digital materials and presented as an official story, which is called “lore.” Lore invites the player to submerge into background stories of fictional worlds, including but not limited to those in video games. Video-game lore often provides historical narratives of these worlds, sometimes even drawing on archaeological themes in the creation of characters and places. The video game League of Legends (LoL), developed by Riot Games, has its own detailed lore, often revolving around individual characters. Riot has developed this lore not only through the video game itself but through accompanying media. Although the lore is separate from the game and not necessarily needed, the advantage is that it can orient individuals to the world and the background stories of the characters and players. Additionally, it allows people who are not interested in playing the game to interact with the fictional world, given that the stories are captivating on their own. Here, we briefly discuss Riot's interactive lore website and focus on the background of two places within the LoL fictional world: Ionia and Targon. We examine the presentation of these places through an archaeological framework. Then, we evaluate how archaeology is portrayed throughout the lore, focusing specifically on archaeological field notes and the methods that we are told are employed by one of the characters. In our analysis of the portrayal of Targon, the discussion centers on how archaeological perspectives are an integral framework for the LoL lore. Lore creates a sense of place (a connection between a person and a spatial setting) for the fan community, players, and even developers. Consequently, it is useful to focus on this idea of storytelling through lore, taking a critical view of its power and how it can impact various audiences.
Criminology of Atrocity Crimes: Analysing the Aetiology of the Rohingya Persecution in Myanmar
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Pizuar
Published: May 2023

The current paper examines the aetiology of persecution committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar from a criminological perspective. Criminological theories focusing on one level of analysis may not fully explain the incidents concerning the systematic implementation of policies of persecution against the Rohingya for decades. Thus, the author scrutinizes the factors which are involved in the aetiology of persecution at three different levels: macro (national), meso (organizational) and micro (local community and individual) within four dynamics – namely, motivation, opportunity, control and constraint. This paper employs the case study method and collects data through focus group discussions with the Rohingya in the Kutupalong refugee camp in the Cox’s Bazar region of Bangladesh. It limits its analysis to the data that covers the events of persecution against the Rohingya in Myanmar, such as revocation of their citizenship, deprivation of their fundamental rights, and different forms of atrocity crimes, from 1962 to 2019. It reveals that, despite the heterogeneity of the actions that led to atrocity crimes against the Rohingya, the military leaders in charge of Myanmar (and somewhat Myanmar’s civilian government), military personnel and other security force members, paramilitaries and vigilantes played various roles in the perpetration of such crimes.
Sylvester O'Halloran's influence on medicine in eighteenth-century Ireland
Authors: Grace Pierce A.
Published: May 2023

Sylvester O'Halloran was a prominent surgeon in late eighteenth-century Limerick. He wrote extensively on medicine, history and antiquarianism. His contribution to medicine included a series of monographs on eye disease, limb amputation and head injury. Of these many publications only his work on head injury was of clinical significance. His proposals to standardise the training and assessment of surgeons in Ireland were reflected in the procedures of the County Infirmaries Board and likely inspired the curriculum of the newly founded Royal College of Surgeons in 1784. This article reflects on O'Halloran's medical career, suggesting that his impact on practice was modest but his proposals on surgical education contributed to the professionalisation of surgery in Ireland in the eighteenth century.
‘Our sacred and civil obligations as Christians and as Citizens’: religion, charity and governance in early nineteenth-century Dublin and Edinburgh
Authors: Curran Joe
Published: May 2023

Recent historiography gives an increasingly nuanced picture of interactions between religion and wider society in nineteenth-century Ireland. Yet, when considering the relationships between religion and philanthropy, something central to everyday life in urban centres, emphasis is still placed on the role of the institutional Catholic Church, and there is a sense that lay Catholics were less involved in charity than their Protestant counterparts. Connected with this is the idea that Protestant charities used open forms of governance, but Catholic charities were secretive, an assertion that parallels claims about tensions between Catholicism and democracy. This historiography, however, also suggests that the situation in the early nineteenth century may have been different from later in the century. This article compares small-scale Catholic and Protestant parochial charities in early nineteenth-century Dublin, while also considering similar institutions associated with Presbyterian congregations in Edinburgh. It indicates that some Catholic parochial charities were at least as committed to open procedures and lay participation as their Anglican and Presbyterian counterparts. By exploring these charities and making comparisons, the article shows that some of Dublin's middle-class Catholics were dedicated to the same ideals as early nineteenth-century British reformers.
New soft-bodied panarthropods from diverse Spence Shale (Cambrian; Miaolingian; Wuliuan) depositional environments
Authors: Kimmig Julien , Pates Stephen , LaVine Rhiannon J. , Krumenacker L.J. , Whitaker Anna F. , Strotz Luke C. , Jamison Paul G. , Gunther Val G. , Gunther Glade , Witte Matt , Daley Allison C. , Lieberman Bruce S.
Published: May 2023

The Cambrian (Miaolingian; Wuliuan) Spence Shale Lagerstätte of northern Utah and southern Idaho is one of the most diverse Burgess Shale-type deposits of Laurentia. It yields a diverse fauna consisting of abundant biomineralized and locally abundant soft-bodied fossils, along a range of environments from shallow-water carbonates to deep-shelf dark shales. Panarthropods are the dominant component throughout the deposit, both in time and space, but whereas the trilobites and agnostoids are abundant, most of the soft-bodied taxa are only known from very few specimens. Additionally, the knowledge of soft-bodied panarthropods is currently largely limited to locations in the Wellsville Mountains of northeastern Utah. This contribution describes 21 new soft-bodied panarthropods from six locations, including the first occurrences of soft-bodied panarthropods in the High-Creek, Smithfield Creek, Spence Gulch, and Two-Mile Canyon localities. Additionally, we report the presence of bradoriids— i.e., Branchiocaris pretiosa Resser, 1929, Perspicaris? dilatus Robison and Richards, 1981, Naraoia? sp. indet., Thelxiope cf. T. palaeothalassia Simonetta and Delle Cave, 1975, and Tuzoia guntheri Robison and Richards, 1981—for the first time from the Spence Shale Lagerstätte; the first reported occurrence outside of the Burgess Shale for Thelxiope cf. T. palaeothalassia; and the first Wuliuan occurrence of Tuzoia guntheri. We also report on a new hurdiid carapace element and additional specimens of Buccaspinea cooperi? Pates et al., 2021, Dioxycaris argenta Walcott, 1886, Hurdia sp. indet., and Tuzoia retifera Walcott, 1912. This new material improves our understanding of the panarthropod fauna of the Spence Shale Lagerstätte and substantially increases our understanding of the distribution of the described taxa in time and space.
Rousseau and Bourgeois Man's Search for Wholeness
Authors: Yarbrough Jean M.
Published: May 2023

Why We Are Restless is informed by a certain Tocquevillean urgency. As the Storeys tell us in their introduction, their students, among the most privileged young people in America, are profoundly uneasy, their souls agitated and restless as they ponder questions about how they should live and what will make them happy. The Storeys attempt to make sense of this by examining the thought of what they call four “old French philosophers” (xii). They acknowledge that such an approach, focusing on the writings of Montaigne, Pascal, Rousseau, and Tocqueville as a way of understanding this contemporary American unease, might seem “counterintuitive” (xii) and they are not wrong. The French moralistes are by no means the only thinkers who can shed light on what the authors argue is a distinctively modern form of restlessness. But they convincingly show that these thinkers offer a good, if for Americans somewhat novel, starting point to help our anxious young understand what is troubling them. In brief, the Storeys argue, it is the modern turn away from the transcendent in all its forms (philosophic, religious, and heroic) that explains the restlessness of their souls. As Tocqueville sagely observed, “the soul has needs that must be satisfied,” needs that we moderns have for too long ignored.
Evaluation of preterm infants having bronchopulmonary dysplasia with echocardiography and serum biomarkers
Authors: Pamukcu O. , Narin N. , Sunkak S. , Tuncay A.
Published: May 2023

Background and objectives:

Pulmonary hypertension is frequent in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Echocardiography is easy to perform, non-invasive, and recommended by guidelines even though solely it is not enough. Catheterisation is gold standard but invasive, expensive, and not cost effective. Therefore, we aimed to assess to find out the role of biomarkers besides echocardiography in the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in preterm with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Methods:

This study is done during the time period January 2016–2017. The diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension was assessed by echocardiography at 36 weeks later repeated at 3rd and 6th months. We also repeated biomarkers at 3rd and 6th months. The infants born ≤ 28 weeks in Erciyes University hospital who were diagnosed bronchopulmonary dysplasia were included. Infants with genetic syndromes, structural lung, and CHDs were excluded. Patients without bronchopulmonary dysplasia but having pulmonary hypertension due to other reasons and patients having echocardiograms without adequate images were excluded.

Results:

At initial, 21/59 patients had bronchopulmonary dysplasia-pulmonary hypertension (Group 1), 21/59 had no bronchopulmonary dysplasia-pulmonary hypertension (Group 2), and 17/59 had bronchopulmonary dysplasia without pulmonary hypertension (Group 3). Systolic pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were found high in Group 1 (36 mmHg; p <0.001, 1.25 Woods Unit; p < 0.0017, respectively). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion values of Group 1 were low. Median serum kallistatin levels of Group 1 were lower than the other groups (230.5 (114.5–300.5) µg/ml; p < 0.005). During the study period, pulmonary hypertension of 14/21 bronchopulmonary dysplasia-pulmonary hypertension resolved, six patients in Group 3 developed pulmonary hypertension. However, there was no difference in the biomarkers of these six patients.

Conclusion:

In the diagnosis and the follow-up of pulmonary hypertension in bronchopulmonary dysplasia patients, besides echocardiography kallistatin, gelsolin, NT-probrain natriuretic peptide, homocysteine, and cystatin-C levels can be used. Further studies were required with large sample sizes.