bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Citizenship Dilemma in Decolonising New Caledonia
Authors: Robertson Scott
Published: April 2024

A “citizenship of New Caledonia” has proven to be one of the most significant yet polarising aspects of the 1998 Nouméa Accord. Citizenship of New Caledonia restricted who could vote in provincial elections and for the Congress but also shaped efforts to promote local employment. In the Accord, it is the political and moral basis for New Caledonia’s common destiny and endeavours to transcend pro- and anti-independence divisions. This chapter outlines the historical roots of the notion of citizenship within New Caledonia and how it has emerged within competing understandings of decolonisation and self-determination. Citizenship of New Caledonia rejects the universal assumptions of French decolonisation in favour of a new political community with the Kanak people at its centre. This chapter highlights the difficulties of agreeing to boundaries of citizenship due in part to citizenship’s role as a political mechanism to achieve balance between the two opposing forces.
What Makes New Caledonia’s Flora So Outstanding?
Authors: Isnard Sandrine , Jaffré Tanguy
Published: April 2024

This chapter explores the main characteristics of New Caledonian plant biodiversity, and provides a condensed picture of the major unique elements of its flora. We present the results of recent research conducted in a territory that has much to contribute to science and society. We explore the original and unique representation of some plant lineages and functional groups, as well as the rich and diversified vegetation.
Marine Biodiversity in New Caledonia and Contemporary Conservation Challenges
Authors: Pelletier Dominique
Published: April 2024

New Caledonia is internationally renowned for its exceptional marine biodiversity, which has resulted in 80% of the lagoons and reef areas being placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. This chapter presents the main features of this outstanding marine biodiversity and its ecological significance, highlighting the threats posed by anthropogenic pressures and global drivers, and associated conservation challenges. Oceanic and coastal dynamics determine distinct marine ecosystems. The oceanic ecosystem of the Coral Sea will be described first, and this chapter will focus on the lagoon and reef areas, which are in close relation to human populations.
Waste Level Rise? Scales, Spaces and Policies of Waste in New Caledonia
Authors: Pestaña Gilles , Garcier Romain , Rocher Laurence , Ortar Nathalie
Published: April 2024

New Caledonia is known as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. However, it began developing its environmental policies and improving operational measures with an eye towards prevention and protection only two decades ago. So far, waste management responsibilities have been shared among the various levels of government (municipalities, provinces and territories) by default, based on other explicitly defined responsibilities, including public hygiene, health, mining, environment and energy. This chapter analyses waste management in New Caledonia in terms of territories and levels of government. Its central hypothesis is that there is tension between increasing waste generation and territorial waste management practices. The first section discusses the qualitative and quantitative evolution of waste during the last two decades. The second section examines the subject of political and territorial responsibility for waste and how the multi-layered web of these responsibilities is constructed. The third and concluding section of this chapter builds on the case of New Caledonia to address future concerns about the Pacific’s cultural politics on waste.
The Decolonisation Process Without Independence in the Light of Changes in the Nickel Sector in New Caledonia
Authors: Demmer Christine
Published: April 2024

From the Matignon-Oudinot Accords of 1988 onwards, the pro-independence parties agreed to play the economic development game proposed by the State in order to reduce the glaring inequalities between Indigenous Kanaks and non-Kanaks. The FLNKS (Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste) took up the challenge in two of the three provinces, where Kanak people were in the majority, and the pro-independence coalition tried to establish a form of economic sovereignty by claiming partial public control of the “country’s” main resource, nickel. The story of the stages of this mining nationalism, which enabled the pro-independence movement to gain a foothold in a reconfigured nickel sector (despite encountering opposition both in the economic and the local political arena), aims to measure the road still to be travelled by FLNKS to achieve decolonisation. This could be in harmony with the foundation of a new national community of citizens, one that would be more autonomous vis-à-vis metropolitan France and in which the Kanaks would be fully included.
Genetic characterization of a locus responsible for low pungency using EMS-induced mutants in Capsicum annuum L.
Authors: Back Seungki , Kim Jung-Min , Choi Hayoung , Lee Joung-Ho , Han Koeun , Hwang Doyeon , Kwon Jin-Kyung , Kang Byoung-Cheorl
Published: April 2024

Key message

The pepper mutants (‘221-2-1a’ and ‘1559-1-2h’) with very low pungency were genetically characterized. The Pun4 locus, responsible for the reduced pungency of the mutant fruits, was localized to a 208 Mb region on chromosome 6. DEMF06G16460, encoding 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase, was proposed as a strong candidate gene based on the genetic analyses of bulked segregants, DEG, and expression analyses.

Capsaicinoids are unique alkaloids present in pepper (Capsicum spp.), synthesized through the condensation of by-products from the phenylpropanoid and branched-chain fatty acid pathways, and accumulating in the placenta. In this study, we characterized two allelic ethyl methanesulfonate-induced mutant lines with extremely low pungency (‘221-2-1a’ and ‘1559-1-2h′). These mutants, derived from the pungent Korean landrace 'Yuwolcho,' exhibited lower capsaicinoid content than Yuwolcho but still contained a small amount of capsaicinoid with functional capsaicinoid biosynthetic genes. Genetic crosses between the mutants and Yuwolcho or pungent lines indicated that a single recessive mutation was responsible for the low-pungency phenotype of mutant 221-2-1a; we named the causal locus Pungency 4 (Pun4). To identify Pun4, we combined genome-wide polymorphism analysis and transcriptome analysis with bulked-segregant analysis. We narrowed down the location of Pun4 to a 208-Mb region on chromosome 6 containing five candidate genes, of which DEMF06G16460, encoding a 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase associated with branched-chain fatty acid biosynthesis, is the most likely candidate for Pun4. The expression of capsaicinoid biosynthetic genes in placental tissues in Yuwolcho and the mutant was consistent with the branched-chain fatty acid pathway playing a pivotal role in the lower pungency observed in the mutant. We also obtained a list of differentially expressed genes in placental tissues between the mutant and Yuwolcho, from which we selected candidate genes using gene co-expression analysis. In summary, we characterized the capsaicinoid biosynthesis-related locus Pun4 through integrated of genetic, genomic, and transcriptome analyses. These findings will contribute to our understanding of capsaicinoid biosynthesis in pepper.
Eigenvalue estimates for Fourier concentration operators on two domains
Authors: Marceca Felipe , Romero José Luis , Speckbacher Michael
Published: April 2024

We study concentration operators associated with either the discrete or the continuous Fourier transform, that is, operators that incorporate a spatial cut-off and a subsequent frequency cut-off to the Fourier inversion formula. The spectral profiles of these operators describe the number of prominent degrees of freedom in problems where functions are assumed to be supported on a certain domain and their Fourier transforms are known or measured on a second domain. We derive eigenvalue estimates that quantify the extent to which Fourier concentration operators deviate from orthogonal projectors, by bounding the number of eigenvalues that are away from 0 and 1 in terms of the geometry of the spatial and frequency domains, and a factor that grows at most poly-logarithmically on the inverse of the spectral margin. The estimates are non-asymptotic in the sense that they are applicable to concrete domains and spectral thresholds, and almost match asymptotic benchmarks. Our work covers, for the first time, non-convex and non-symmetric spatial and frequency concentration domains, as demanded by numerous applications that exploit the expected approximate low dimensionality of the modeled phenomena. The proofs build on Israel’s work on one dimensional intervals arXiv:1502.04404v1. The new ingredients are the use of redundant wave-packet expansions and a dyadic decomposition argument to obtain Schatten norm estimates for Hankel operators.
On the stability of stationary compressible Navier–Stokes flows in 3D
Authors: Deguchi Naoto
Published: April 2024

This paper studies the stability of the stationary solution of the compressible Navier–Stokes equation in the 3D whole space with an external force which decays at spatial infinity. We obtain the global existence result of the non-stationary problem under the smallness assumptions on the initial perturbation around the small stationary solution. We also derive the time decay rates of the perturbations under the smallness assumption on the initial perturbations, and show the optimality of the time decay rates. The proofs are based on the combination of the spectral analysis and energy method in the framework of Besov spaces. The time-space integral estimate for the linearized semigroup around the constant state in some Besov spaces plays a crucial role in the proofs.
Vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation: does size affect outcome?
Authors: Parodi Costanza , Aluffi Valletti Margherita , Tortora Domenico , Buratti Silvia , Mallamaci Marisa , Tuo Giulia , Pistorio Angela , Moscatelli Andrea , Rossi Andrea , Severino Mariasavina ,   on behalf of the I. G. G. VGAM Team
Published: April 2024

Purpose

To validate a semiautomated method for segmenting vein of Galen aneurysmal malformations (VGAM) and to assess the relationship between VGAM volume and other angioarchitectural features, cardiological findings, and outcomes.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we selected all subjects with VGAM admitted to the Gaslini Children’s Hospital between 2009 and 2022. Clinical data were retrieved from electronic charts. We compared 3D-Slicer segmented VGAM volumes obtained by two independent observers using phase-contrast MR venography to those obtained with manual measurements performed on T2-weighted images. The relationship between VGAM volumes and clinical and neuroimaging features was then explored.

Results

Forty-three subjects with VGAM (22 males, mean age 6.56 days) were included in the study. Manual and semiautomated VGAM volumes were well correlated for both readers (r = 0.86 and 0.82, respectively). Regarding reproducibility, the inter-rater interclass correlation coefficients were 0.885 for the manual method and 0.992 for the semiautomated method (p < 0.001). The standard error for repeated measures was lower for the semiautomated method (0.04 versus 0.40 of manual method). Higher VGAM volume was associated with superior sagittal sinus narrowing, jugular bulb stenosis, and aqueductal stenosis (p < 0.05). A weak correlation was found between VGAM volume and straight sinus dilatation (r = 0.331) and superior sagittal sinus index (r =  − 0.325). No significant associations were found with cardiac findings, post-embolization complications, and outcome (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Semiautomated VGAM volumetry is feasible and reliable with improved reproducibility compared to the manual method. VGAM volume is not a prognostic factor for clinical outcome, but it is related to other venous findings with potential hemodynamic effects.
Strategies for the synthesis of the osmolyte glucosylglycerate and its precursor glycerate
Authors: Allaert Yentl , Leyder Arthur , Franceus Jorick , Desmet Tom
Published: April 2024

Glycosidic osmolytes are widespread natural compounds that protect microorganisms and their macromolecules from the deleterious effects of various environmental stresses. Their protective properties have attracted considerable interest for industrial applications, especially as active ingredients in cosmetics and healthcare products. In that regard, the osmolyte glucosylglycerate is somewhat overlooked. Glucosylglycerate is typically accumulated by certain organisms when they are exposed to high salinity and nitrogen starvation, and its potent stabilizing effects have been demonstrated in vitro. However, the applications of this osmolyte have not been thoroughly explored due to the lack of a cost-efficient production process. Here, we present an overview of the progress that has been made in developing promising strategies for the synthesis of glucosylglycerate and its precursor glycerate, and discuss the remaining challenges.

Key points

• Bacterial milking could be explored for fermentative production of glucosylglycerate

• Glycoside phosphorylases of GH13_18 represent attractive alternatives for biocatalytic production

• Conversion of glycerol with alditol oxidase is a promising strategy for generating the precursor glycerate
Dual-loss of PBRM1 and RAD51 identifies hyper-sensitive subset patients to immunotherapy in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Xu Ziyang , Jiang Wenbin , Liu Li , Qiu Youqi , Wang Jiahao , Dai Siyuan , Guo Jianming , Xu Jiejie
Published: April 2024

Background

Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), though largely uncharacterized in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), was found associated with RAD51 loss of expression. PBRM1 is the second most common mutated genes in ccRCC. Here, we introduce a HRD function-based PBRM1-RAD51 ccRCC classification endowed with diverse immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) responses.

Methods

Totally 1542 patients from four independent cohorts were enrolled, including our localized Zhongshan hospital (ZSHS) cohort and Zhongshan hospital metastatic RCC (ZSHS-mRCC) cohort, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort and CheckMate cohort. The genomic profile and immune microenvironment were depicted by genomic, transcriptome data and immunohistochemistry.

Results

We observed that PBRM1-loss ccRCC harbored enriched HRD-associated mutational signature 3 and loss of RAD51. Dual-loss of PBRM1 and RAD51 identified patients hyper-sensitive to immunotherapy. This dual-loss subtype was featured by M1 macrophage infiltration. Dual-loss was, albeit homologous recombination defective, with high chromosomal stability.

Conclusions

PBRM1 and RAD51 dual-loss ccRCC indicates superior responses to immunotherapy. Dual-loss ccRCC harbors an immune-desert microenvironment but enriched with M1 macrophages. Dual-loss ccRCC is susceptible to defective homologous recombination but possesses high chromosomal stability.
A two-phase thin-film model for cell-induced gel contraction incorporating osmotic effects
Authors: Reoch J. R. , Stokes Y. M. , Green J. E. F.
Published: April 2024

We present a mathematical model of an experiment in which cells are cultured within a gel, which in turn floats freely within a liquid nutrient medium. Traction forces exerted by the cells on the gel cause it to contract over time, giving a measure of the strength of these forces. Building upon our previous work (Reoch et al. in J Math Biol 84(5):31, 2022), we exploit the fact that the gels used frequently have a thin geometry to obtain a reduced model for the behaviour of a thin, two-dimensional cell-seeded gel. We find that steady-state solutions of the reduced model require the cell density and volume fraction of polymer in the gel to be spatially uniform, while the gel height may vary spatially. If we further assume that all three of these variables are initially spatially uniform, this continues for all time and the thin film model can be further reduced to solving a single, non-linear ODE for gel height as a function of time. The thin film model is further investigated for both spatially-uniform and varying initial conditions, using a combination of analytical techniques and numerical simulations. We show that a number of qualitatively different behaviours are possible, depending on the composition of the gel (i.e., the chemical potentials) and the strength of the cell traction forces. However, unlike in the earlier one-dimensional model, we do not observe cases where the gel oscillates between swelling and contraction. For the case of initially uniform cell and gel density, our model predicts that the relative change in the gels’ height and length are equal, which justifies an assumption previously used in the work of Stevenson et al. (Biophys J 99(1):19–28, 2010). Conversely, however, even for non-uniform initial conditions, we do not observe cases where the length of the gel changes whilst its height remains constant, which have been reported in another model of osmotic swelling by Trinschek et al. (AIMS Mater Sci 3(3):1138–1159, 2016; Phys Rev Lett 119:078003, 2017).
Collating the voice of people with autoimmune diseases: Methodology for the Third Phase of the COVAD Studies
Authors: Kadam Esha , Javaid Mahnoor , Sen Parikshit , Saha Sreoshy , Ziade Nelly , Day Jessica , Wincup Chris , Andreoli Laura , Parodis Ioannis , Tan Ai Lyn , Shinjo Samuel Katsuyuki , Dey Dzifa , Cavagna Lorenzo , Chatterjee Tulika , Knitza Johannes , Wang Guochun , Dalbeth Nicola , Velikova Tsvetelina , Battista Simone , Cheng Karen , Boyd Peter , Kobert Linda , Gracia-Ramos Abraham Edgar , Mittal Srijan , Makol Ashima , Gutiérrez Carlos Enrique Toro , Uribe Carlo V Caballero , Kuwana Masataka , Burmester Gerd-Rüdiger , Guillemin Francis , Nikiphorou Elena , Chinoy Hector , Aggarwal Vikas , Gupta Latika ,   the COVAD Study Group
Published: April 2024

Introduction

The growing recognition of holistic patient care highlights the various factors shaping the quality of life of individuals with autoimmune and rheumatic diseases (AIRDs). Beyond the traditional disease measures, there is an emerging acknowledgment of the less-explored aspects, including subjective well-being, social determinants of health, comorbidities, mental health, and medication adherence. Moreover, digital health services have empowered patients to engage actively in decision-making alongside clinicians. To explore these domains within the context of AIRDs, the “Collating the Voice of People with Autoimmune Diseases” COVAD survey was conceived, a successor of the previous two COVAD surveys. In this document, we present the study protocol in comprehensive detail.

Methods

The COVAD-3 survey is a cross-sectional patient self-reported e-survey incorporating multiple widely accepted scales/scores to assess various aspects of patients’ lifestyles objectively. To ensure the survey's accuracy and usability across diverse regions, it will be translated into multiple languages and subjected to rigorous vetting and pilot testing. It will be distributed by collaborators via online platforms and data will be collected from patients with AIRDs, and healthy individuals over eight months. Data analysis will focus on outcome measures related to various social, demographic, economic, and psychological factors.

Conclusion

With the increasing awareness to adopt a holistic treatment approach encompassing all avenues of life, the COVAD-3 survey aims to gain valuable insights into the impact of social, demographic, economic, and psychological determinants of health on the subjective well-being in patients with AIRDs, which will contribute to a better understanding of their overall health and well-being.
Calorimetric wall-shear-stress microsensors for low-speed aerodynamics
Authors: Weiss Julien , Giani Alain
Published: April 2024

This article describes the design, calibration, and testing of new calorimetric microsensors for the measurement of wall shear stress in low-speed aerodynamic flows. The sensors are made of three beams of platinum-plated silicon nitride suspended over a small cavity. Their range of operation and their bandwidth are of the order of $$\pm 10$$

±
10

 Pa and 1 kHz, respectively. Results from experimental campaigns in a laminar separation bubble, a turbulent separation bubble, and on a NACA 0015 airfoil at low Reynolds number indicate a high sensitivity and an inherent capacity to measure instantaneous backflow. This demonstrates the capability of the new sensors to accurately determine the mean and fluctuating wall shear stress in laminar, transitional, and turbulent separating and reattaching flows.
Cut-PFEM: a Particle Finite Element Method using unfitted boundary meshes
Authors: Zorrilla Rubén , Franci Alessandro
Published: April 2024

In this work, we present a novel unfitted mesh boundary strategy in the context of the Particle Finite Flement Method (PFEM) aiming to improve endemic limitations of the PFEM relative to boundary conditions treatment and mass conservation. In this new methodology, which we called Cut-PFEM, the fluid–wall interaction is not performed by adding interface elements, as is done in the standard PFEM boundaries. Instead, we use an implicit representation of (all or some of) the boundaries by introducing the use of a level set function. Such distance function detects the elements trespassing the (virtual) contours of the domain to equip them with opportunely boundary conditions, which are variationally enforced using Nitsche’s method. The proposed Cut-PFEM circumvents important issues associated with the standard PFEM contact detection algorithm, such as the artificial addition of mass to the computational domain and the anticipation of contact time. Furthermore, the Cut-PFEM represents a natural ground for the imposition of alternative wall boundary conditions (e.g., pure slip) which pose significant difficulties in a standard PFEM framework. Several numerical examples, featuring both no-slip and slip boundary conditions, are presented to prove the accuracy and robustness of the method in two-dimensional and three-dimensional scenarios.
Brain-inspired spiking neural networks in Engineering Mechanics: a new physics-based self-learning framework for sustainable Finite Element analysis
Authors: Tandale Saurabh Balkrishna , Stoffel Marcus
Published: April 2024

The present study aims to develop a sustainable framework employing brain-inspired neural networks for solving boundary value problems in Engineering Mechanics. Spiking neural networks, known as the third generation of artificial neural networks, are proposed for physics-based artificial intelligence. Accompanied by a new pseudo-explicit integration scheme based on spiking recurrent neural networks leading to a spike-based pseudo explicit integration scheme, the underlying differential equations are solved with a physics-informed strategy. We propose additionally a third-generation spike-based Legendre Memory Unit that handles large sequences. These third-generation networks can be implemented on the coming-of-age neuromorphic hardware resulting in less energy and memory consumption. The proposed framework, although implicit, is viewed as a pseudo-explicit scheme since it requires almost no or fewer online training steps to achieve a converged solution even for unseen loading sequences. The proposed framework is deployed in a Finite Element solver for plate structures undergoing cyclic loading and a Xylo-Av2 SynSense neuromorphic chip is used to assess its energy performance. An acceleration of more than 40% when compared to classical Finite Element Method simulations and the capability of online training is observed. We also see a reduction in energy consumption down to the thousandth order.
Oceanic maintenance of atmospheric blocking in wintertime in the North Atlantic
Authors: Mathews Jamie , Czaja Arnaud
Published: April 2024

The connection between atmospheric blocking over the North Atlantic and the diabatic influence of the Gulf Stream is investigated using potential vorticity and moist potential vorticity diagnostics in the ERA5 reanalysis data set during wintertime (1979 - 2020). In line with previous research, the reliance atmospheric blocking has on turbulent heat fluxes over the Gulf Stream and its extension, for induction and maintenance, is shown to be significant. The air-sea heat flux generates negative potential vorticity air masses in the atmospheric boundary layer. These air masses subsequently contribute to the block’s negative potential vorticity anomaly at upper levels through ascending motion in the warm conveyor belt. It is shown that the block’s size and frequency partially depends on oceanic preconditioning via anomalous oceanic heat transport and heat content, prior to the blocking event, both of which allow for stronger turbulent heat fluxes. It is further hypothesized that the block feeds back positively on itself through the advection of cold dry air over the Gulf Stream, sustaining this air-sea interaction. This in turn decreases ocean heat content, eventually halting this air-sea interaction and severing the atmospheric block from its maintenance pathway.
Analysis of the differential expression of serum miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p by Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules during the perioperative stage of colorectal cancer
Authors: Zhang Jing , Guo Ji , He Ruochong , Li Ji , Du Bingyi , Zhang Yi , He Rongliang , Cheng Haixia
Published: April 2024

Objective

In this study, we investigated the impact of perioperative administration of Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules on the serum levels of circulating miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of this study is to provide a foundation for future research on the use of Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules to enhance postoperative recovery in patients with CRC.

Methods

A total of 60 patients with primary CRC admitted to the Department of General Surgery at Shanxi Bethune Hospital between June 2020 and December 2020 were selected and randomly divided into two groups: 20 cases in the control group and 40 cases in the experimental group. The experimental group was administered oral Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules during the perioperative period, while the control group was administered oral placebo. Before and after the perioperative period, the expression levels of miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p were compared in the serum of both groups of patients. Furthermore, we established the prognostic value of these three miRNAs in CRC patients.

Results

After surgery, the expression levels of miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p decreased in both groups of patients (P < 0.05). Significantly greater differences were observed between miR-21-5p and miR-135-5p (P < 0.001). Expression levels of serum miR-21-5p (P = 0.020) and miR-135-5p (P = 0.023) decreased significantly more in the experimental group than in the control group. The levels of the above three miRNAs after surgery did not correlate with 3-year OS (HR = 4.21; 95% CI 0.37–47.48; log-rank P = 0.20) or 3-year DFS (HR = 1.57; 95% CI 0.32–7.66; log-rank P = 0.55) in two groups.

Conclusion

Radical surgery reduces the levels of serum miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p expression in patients with CRC. The use of Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules assists in achieving quicker perioperative recovery from radical surgery in CRC patients, and this underlying mechanism may be associated with the regulation of serum miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p expression levels.
Glycemic response to meals with a high glycemic index differs between morning and evening: a randomized cross-over controlled trial among students with early or late chronotype
Authors: Stutz Bianca , Krueger Bettina , Goletzke Janina , Jankovic Nicole , Alexy Ute , Herder Christian , Dierkes Jutta , Berg-Beckhoff Gabriele , Jakobsmeyer Rasmus , Reinsberger Claus , Buyken Anette E.
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Glycemic response to the same meal depends on daytime and alignment of consumption with the inner clock, which has not been examined by individual chronotype yet. This study examined whether the 2-h postprandial and 24-h glycemic response to a meal with high glycemic index (GI) differ when consumed early or late in the day among students with early or late chronotype.

Methods

From a screening of 327 students aged 18–25 years, those with early (n = 22) or late (n = 23) chronotype participated in a 7-day randomized controlled cross-over intervention study. After a 3-day observational phase, standardized meals were provided on run-in/washout (days 4 and 6) and intervention (days 5 and 7), on which participants received a high GI meal (GI = 72) in the morning (7 a.m.) or in the evening (8 p.m.). All other meals had a medium GI. Continuous glucose monitoring was used to measure 2-h postprandial and 24-h glycemic responses and their variability.

Results

Among students with early chronotype 2-h postprandial glucose responses to the high GI meal were higher in the evening than in the morning (iAUC: 234 (± 92) vs. 195 (± 91) (mmol/L) × min, p = 0.042). Likewise, mean and lowest 2-h postprandial glucose values were higher when the high GI meal was consumed in the evening (p < 0.001; p = 0.017). 24-h glycemic responses were similar irrespective of meal time. Participants with late chronotype consuming a high GI meal in the morning or evening showed similar 2-h postprandial (iAUC: 211 (± 110) vs. 207 (± 95) (mmol/L) × min, p = 0.9) and 24-h glycemic responses at both daytimes.

Conclusions

Diurnal differences in response to a high GI meal are confined to those young adults with early chronotype, whilst those with a late chronotype seem vulnerable to both very early and late high GI meals. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04298645; 22/01/2020).
Accuracy of routinely collected hospital administrative discharge data and death certificate ICD-10 diagnostic coding in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome: a systematic review and validation study
Authors: Swallow Diane M. A. , Counsell Carl E.
Published: April 2024

Background

We conducted a systematic review to identify existing ICD-10 coding validation studies in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome [PSP/CBS]) and, in a new study, evaluated the accuracy of ICD-10 diagnostic codes for PSP/CBS in Scottish hospital inpatient and death certificate data.

Methods

Original studies that assessed the accuracy of specific ICD-10 diagnostic codes in PSP/CBS were sought. Separately, we estimated the positive predictive value (PPV) of specific codes for PSP/CBS in inpatient hospital data (SMR01, SMR04) compared to clinical diagnosis in four regions. Sensitivity was assessed in one region due to a concurrent prevalence study. For PSP, the consistency of the G23.1 code in inpatient and death certificate coding was evaluated across Scotland.

Results

No previous ICD-10 validation studies were identified. 14,767 records (SMR01) and 1497 records (SMR04) were assigned the candidate ICD-10 diagnostic codes between February 2011 and July 2019. The best PPV was achieved with G23.1 (1.00, 95% CI 0.93–1.00) in PSP and G23.9 in CBS (0.20, 95% CI 0.04–0.62). The sensitivity of G23.1 for PSP was 0.52 (95% CI 0.33–0.70) and G31.8 for CBS was 0.17 (95% CI 0.05–0.45). Only 38.1% of deceased G23.1 hospital-coded cases also had this coding on their death certificate: the majority (49.0%) erroneously assigned the G12.2 code.

Discussion

The high G23.1 PPV in inpatient data shows it is a useful tool for PSP case ascertainment, but death certificate coding is inaccurate. The PPV and sensitivity of existing ICD-10 codes for CBS are poor due to a lack of a specific code.
Survival outcome following surgical versus non-surgical treatment of colorectal lung metastasis—a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Denz Axel , Hahn Veronika , Weber Klaus , Weber Georg F. , Grützmann Robert , Krautz Christian , Brunner Maximilian
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The optimal management of colorectal lung metastases (CRLM) is still controversial. The aim of this study was to compare surgical and non-surgical treatment for CRLM regarding the prognostic outcome.

Methods

This retrospective single-center cohort study included 418 patients, who were treated from January 2000 to December 2018 at a German University Hospital due to their colorectal carcinoma and had synchronous or metachronous lung metastases. Patients were stratified according the treatment of the CRLM into two groups: surgical resection of CRLM versus no surgical resection of CRLM. The survival from the time of diagnosis of lung metastasis was compared between the groups.

Results

Two- and 5-year overall survival (OS) from the time of diagnosis of lung metastasis was 78.2% and 54.6%, respectively, in our cohort. Patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy showed a significantly better 2- and 5-year survival compared to patients with non-surgical treatment (2-year OS: 98.1% vs. 67.9%; 5-year OS: 81.2% vs. 28.8%; p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression revealed the surgical treatment (HR 4.51 (95% CI = 2.33–8.75, p < 0.001) and the absence of other metastases (HR 1.79 (95% CI = 1.05–3.04), p = 0.032) as independent prognostic factors in patients with CRLM.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that patients with CRLM, who qualify for surgery, benefit from surgical treatment. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm our findings.

Clinical trial registry number

The work has been retrospectively registrated at the German Clinical Trial Registry (DRKS00032938).
Long non-coding RNA RAD51-AS1 promotes the tumorigenesis of ovarian cancer by elevating EIF5A2 expression
Authors: Zhao Lu , Huang Jia , Liu Wenting , Su Xiaoyan , Zhao Bei , Wang Xianggang , He Xiaoju
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The present study aims to determine the molecular mechanism mediated by RAD51 antisense RNA 1 (RAD51-AS1) in ovarian cancer (OvCA).

Methods

The data associated with RAD51-AS1 in OvCA were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Relative expression of RAD51-AS1 was detected. Determination of cell proliferation, metastasis, and invasion was performed by cell counting, colony formation, would-healing, and transwell invasion assays. Protein levels were detected by western blotting. The molecular mechanism mediated by RAD51-AS1 was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and verified by dual-luciferase reporter assays. Subcutaneous tumorigenesis models were used to confirm the function of RAD51-AS1 in vivo.

Results

Data from TCGA and GEO showed that RAD51-AS1 was associated with poor prognosis in OvCA patients and DNA repair, cell cycle, focal adhesion, and apoptosis in SKOV3.ip cells. High levels of RAD51-AS1 were detected in OvCA cells. Overexpressing RAD51-AS1 enhanced the proliferative, invading, and migratory capabilities of OvCA cells in vitro while silencing RAD51-AS1 exhibited the opposite effects. Mechanically, RAD51-AS1 elevated eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 (EIF5A2) expression as a sponge for microRNA (miR)-140-3p. Finally, the role of RAD51-AS1 was verified by subcutaneous tumorigenesis models.

Conclusion

RAD51-AS1 promoted OvCA progression by the regulation of the miR-140-3p/EIF5A2 axis, which illustrated the potential therapeutic target for OvCA.
Targeted multifidus muscle activation reduces fibrosis of multifidus muscle following intervertebral disc injury
Authors: James G. , Ahern B. J. , Goodwin W. , Goss B. , Hodges P. W.
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Aerobic exercise produces beneficial outcomes in patients with low back pain and partially attenuates the fibrotic changes to the multifidus in a model of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. More targeted exercise might be required to fully attenuate these fibrotic alterations. This study aimed to investigate whether activation of the multifidus induced by neurostimulation could reduce fibrosis of the multifidus in a model of IVD degeneration in sheep.

Methods

IVD degeneration was induced in 18 merino sheep via a partial thickness unilateral annulus fibrosus lesion to the L1/2 and L3/4 IVDs. All sheep received an implantable neurostimulation device that provides stimulation of the L2 medial branch of the dorsal ramus. Three months after surgery, the animals were assigned to Injury or Activated groups. Activated animals received neurostimulation and the Injury group received no stimulation. Six months after surgery, the multifidus was harvested at L2 and L4. Van Gieson’s, Sirius Red and immunofluorescence staining for Collagen-I and -III and quantitative PCR was used to examine fibrosis. Muscle harvested from a previous study without IVD injury was used as a control.

Results

Neurostimulation of the multifidus attenuated IVD degeneration dependent increases in the connective tissue, including Collagen-I but not Collagen-III, compared to the Injury group at L4. No measures of the multifidus muscle at L2, which received no stimulation, differed between the Injury and Activated groups.

Conclusions

These data reveal that targeted activation of the multifidus muscle attenuates IVD degeneration dependent fibrotic alterations to the multifidus.
A clinical assessment of three-dimensional-printed liver model navigation for thrice or more repeated hepatectomy based on a conversation analysis
Authors: Igami Tsuyoshi , Maehigashi Akihiro , Nakamura Yoshihiko , Hayashi Yuichiro , Oda Masahiro , Yokoyama Yukihiro , Mizuno Takashi , Yamaguchi Junpei , Onoe Shunsuke , Sunagawa Masaki , Watanabe Nobuyuki , Baba Taisuke , Kawakatsu Shoji , Mori Kensaku , Miwa Kazuhisa , Ebata Tomoki
Published: April 2024

Purposes

We performed a conversation analysis of the speech conducted among the surgical team during three-dimensional (3D)-printed liver model navigation for thrice or more repeated hepatectomy (TMRH).

Methods

Seventeen patients underwent 3D-printed liver navigation surgery for TMRH. After transcription of the utterances recorded during surgery, the transcribed utterances were coded by the utterer, utterance object, utterance content, sensor, and surgical process during conversation. We then analyzed the utterances and clarified the association between the surgical process and conversation through the intraoperative reference of the 3D-printed liver.

Results

In total, 130 conversations including 1648 segments were recorded. Utterance coding showed that the operator/assistant, 3D-printed liver/real liver, fact check (F)/plan check (Pc), visual check/tactile check, and confirmation of planned resection or preservation target (T)/confirmation of planned or ongoing resection line (L) accounted for 791/857, 885/763, 1148/500, 1208/440, and 1304/344 segments, respectively. The utterance’s proportions of assistants, F, F of T on 3D-printed liver, F of T on real liver, and Pc of L on 3D-printed liver were significantly higher during non-expert surgeries than during expert surgeries. Confirming the surgical process with both 3D-printed liver and real liver and performing planning using a 3D-printed liver facilitates the safe implementation of TMRH, regardless of the surgeon’s experience.

Conclusions

The present study, using a unique conversation analysis, provided the first evidence for the clinical value of 3D-printed liver for TMRH for anatomical guidance of non-expert surgeons.
Pharmacokinetics of L-theanine and the effect on amino acid composition in mice administered with L-theanine
Authors: Yamaura Shinnosuke , Sadamori Koki , Konishi Reiko , Majima Takashi , Mukai Akira , Uno Kyosuke , Kinjo Toshihiko , Komori Koji , Kuramoto Nobuyuki , Kawada Kou
Published: April 2024

L-theanine, an amino acid component of the tea leaves of Camellia sinensis, is sold in Japan as a supplement for good sleep. Although several studies in humans and mice have reported the effects of L-theanine on brain function, only a few reports have comprehensively clarified the disposition of theanine administered to mice and its effects on concentrations of other blood amino acids. In this study, we aimed to determine the changes in the blood levels of L-theanine administered to mice and amino acid composition of the serum. L-theanine were administered to four-week-old Std-ddY male mice orally or via tail vein injection. L-theanine and other amino acids in serum prepared from blood collected at different time points post-dose were labeled with phenylisothiocyanate and quantified. The serum concentration of orally administered L-theanine peaked 15 min after administration. The area under the curve for tail vein injection revealed the bioavailability of L- theanine to be approximately 70%. L-theanine administration did not affect any amino acid levels in the serum, but a significant increase in the peak area overlapping the Glycine (Gly) peak was observed 30 min after administration. L-theanine administered to mice was rapidly absorbed and eliminated, suggesting that taking L-theanine as a supplement is safe without affecting its own levels or serum levels of other amino acids. However, considering that Gly, similar to L-theanine, is used as a dietary supplement for its anxiolytic effects and to improve sleep, determining the effects of L-theanine administration on Gly is important and needs further research.
Stochastic gradient descent without full data shuffle: with applications to in-database machine learning and deep learning systems
Authors: Xu Lijie , Qiu Shuang , Yuan Binhang , Jiang Jiawei , Renggli Cedric , Gan Shaoduo , Kara Kaan , Li Guoliang , Liu Ji , Wu Wentao , Ye Jieping , Zhang Ce
Published: April 2024

Modern machine learning (ML) systems commonly use stochastic gradient descent (SGD) to train ML models. However, SGD relies on random data order to converge, which usually requires a full data shuffle. For in-DB ML systems and deep learning systems with large datasets stored onblock-addressable secondary storagesuch as HDD and SSD, this full data shuffle leads to low I/O performance—the data shuffling time can be even longer than the training itself, due to massive random data accesses. To balance the convergence rate of SGD (which favors data randomness) and its I/O performance (which favors sequential access), previous work has proposed several data shuffling strategies. In this paper, we first perform an empirical study on existing data shuffling strategies, showing that these strategies suffer from either low performance or low convergence rate. To solve this problem, we propose a simple but noveltwo-leveldata shuffling strategy named , which canavoida full data shuffle while maintainingcomparableconvergence rate of SGD as if a full shuffle were performed. We further theoretically analyze the convergence behavior of and empirically evaluate its efficacy in both in-DB ML and deep learning systems. For in-DB ML systems, we integrate into PostgreSQL by introducing three newphysicaloperators with optimizations. For deep learning systems, we extend single-process to multi-process for the parallel/distributed environment and integrate it into PyTorch. Our evaluation shows that can achieve comparable convergence rate with the full-shuffle-based SGD for both linear models and deep learning models. For in-DB ML with linear models, is 1.6$$\times $$×$$-$$-12.8$$\times $$×faster than two state-of-the-art systems, Apache MADlib and Bismarck, on both HDD and SSD. For deep learning models on ImageNet, is 1.5$$\times $$×faster than PyTorch with full data shuffle.
Influence of nano-crystallization on Li-ion conductivity in glass Li$$_3$$PS$$_4$$: a molecular dynamics study
Authors: Kobayashi Ryo , Takemoto Seiji , Ito Ryuichiro
Published: April 2024

Understanding the ionic conduction mechanisms in solid electrolyte glasses and glass-ceramics is an important task for improving the performance of next-generation all-solid-state batteries. Although many ionic conduction mechanisms have been proposed, the mechanism of increased ionic conductivity in partially crystallized glass is not fully understood. In this study, molecular dynamics was used to analyze the strain and local ion mobility in the glass around the crystal nano-particles of Li$$_3$$

3

PS$$_4$$

4

, which is a promising material for solid electrolytes. From the analysis of the results, we find that a local strain field is generated around the crystal particles and that the tensile strain field decreases the activation energy of ion migration and increases the ionic conductivity. This study opens the possibility of improving the ionic conductivity of glass-ceramics by controlling crystallization and dispersing the tensile strain field, even though the crystalline phase is not a high ionic conducting phase.
Adversarial attack detection framework based on optimized weighted conditional stepwise adversarial network
Authors: Barik Kousik , Misra Sanjay , Fernandez-Sanz Luis
Published: April 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based IDS systems are susceptible to adversarial attacks and face challenges such as complex evaluation methods, elevated false positive rates, absence of effective validation, and time-intensive processes. This study proposes a WCSAN-PSO framework to detect adversarial attacks in IDS based on a weighted conditional stepwise adversarial network (WCSAN) with a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and SVC (support vector classifier) for classification. The Principal component analysis (PCA) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) are used for feature selection and extraction. The PSO algorithm optimizes the parameters of the generator and discriminator in WCSAN to improve the adversarial training of IDS. The study presented three distinct scenarios with quantitative evaluation, and the proposed framework is evaluated with adversarial training in balanced and imbalanced data. Compared with existing studies, the proposed framework accomplished an accuracy of 99.36% in normal and 98.55% in malicious traffic in adversarial attacks. This study presents a comprehensive overview for researchers interested in adversarial attacks and their significance in computer security.
Low-cost GNSS antennas in precise positioning: a focus on multipath and antenna phase center models
Authors: Krzan Grzegorz , Dawidowicz Karol , Paziewski Jacek
Published: April 2024

The rapid growth of the GNSS equipment market has put affordable receivers and antennas capable of receiving satellite signals into the hands of users. High positioning accuracy, previously achievable only with high-grade devices, is becoming possible with low-cost ones. However, simplifications in the design of these devices, intended to reduce the manufacturing cost, affect their capabilities. This study analyzes the positioning accuracy that may be achieved with recent low-cost antennas. We put particular stress on investigating the susceptibility of such antennas to the multipath effect and implications from the quality of the antenna phase center models. The positioning performance is assessed by employing the Precise Point Positioning method with the integer ambiguity resolution of phase observations. The results obtained with three low-cost antennas are validated against three high-grade antennas. We reveal a two-to threefold decrease in positioning performance with low-cost antennas compared to high-quality equipment. However, positioning accuracy increased when a low-cost antenna with a phase correction model was used, particularly for the eastern component of coordinate bias. In addition, a significant susceptibility of low-cost antennas to the multipath effect was confirmed, especially for GPS L2 and Galileo E5a signals.