bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A federal learning and PointCNN‐based approach to substation site safety control
Authors: Shi Peijie , Zhao Jining , Meng Rong , Zhao Zhilong
Published: January 2025

Aiming at the problem of low detection accuracy due to insufficient feature extraction of point cloud information in the 3D scene of substation by the existing methods, this article proposes a safety control method based on joint learning and PointCNN for the substation site. First, voxel filtering and statistical filtering methods are used to appropriately simplify the point cloud data, and the point cloud is smoothed using the moving least squares method. Second, the PointCNN's substation site safety control model is designed under the federal learning (FL) framework, and in the first stage, the cross self‐attention module (CSA) is introduced, as well as the point cloud features are extracted by the CSA module to help the model in the encoding process, and the point cloud features are extracted using the PointCNN by extracting the semantic features of each point, performing the prospective point separation and extracting the pre‐selected frames. In the second stage, features are extracted from each candidate box by point cloud region pooling operation, and the global semantic features obtained in the first stage are used for feature fusion in combination with other relevant point features in the enveloping box (local spatial point features, Li‐DAR distance‐depth information, laser reflection intensity etc.), and the classification header and regression header are used for the optimization of the 3D enveloping box and the prediction of the confidence level. Finally, the experiments demonstrate that the proposed method has the highest accuracy in the case of relatively low running time, and the APs for the medium difficulty scenario targeting pedestrians, transformers, bushings, and GIS equipment are 63.98%, 85.29%, 57.11%, and 69.23%, respectively. Therefore, the proposed method can effectively improve the safety control ability at substation sites.
Versorgung von Sakruminsuffizienzfrakturen
Authors: Schnake Klaus John , Scheyerer Max Josef , Ullrich Bernhard , Spiegl Ulrich Josef Albert
Published: January 2025

Sakruminsuffizienzfrakturen zeigen eine kontinuierlich ansteigende Inzidenz. Ihre
Behandlung ist in der Mehrzahl der Fälle konservativ, jedoch können anhaltende Schmerzen und
Mobilitätseinschränkungen eine Indikation zur Operation darstellen. Mit Hilfe der OF-Pelvis
Klassifikation lassen sich die Frakturen relativ einfach nach ihrem Schweregrad einteilen. Der
OF-Pelvis Score dient zur Therapieentscheidung und kann auch zur Verlaufsbeobachtung
eingesetzt werden. Die chirurgische Therapie ist regelhaft minimal-invasiv und reicht von der
Sakroplastie, über iliosakrale Verschraubungen bis hin zur lumbopelvinen Stabilisation.
Pränatale Diagnose einer Trisomie 21: Einfluss der kinderärztlichen
Beratung Schwangerer und des Kontaktes zu Familien mit einem betroffenen
Kind
Authors: Kondakov Sandra , Faschingbauer Florian , Beckmann Matthias W. , Schneider Holm
Published: January 2025

Der breite Einsatz nichtinvasiver Pränataltests
(NIPT) hat vorgeburtliche Diagnostik auf Chromosomenanomalien von der
Ausnahme zur Regel werden lassen. Ein häufiger Befund ist der Verdacht auf
eine Trisomie 21 des Fetus, der das Angebot fachübergreifender Beratung nach
sich ziehen sollte. Deren Bedeutung für die Entscheidungsfindung der
Schwangeren wurde bisher nicht untersucht.

Vollständig anonymisierte Daten zur pädiatrischen
Beratung von 251 Schwangeren wegen unklarer NIPT-Befunde, Verdachts auf eine
fetale Trisomie 21 oder schon gesicherter Diagnose wurden retrospektiv
ausgewertet. Sämtliche Beratungen zum Thema Trisomie 21 in dieser Kohorte
waren durch denselben erfahrenen Kinderarzt erfolgt, der das Gespräch erst
beendete, wenn die Ratsuchenden keine Fragen mehr hatten, und stets anbot,
direkten Kontakt zu Familien zu vermitteln, in denen ein Kind mit Trisomie
21 lebt. Kontaktaufnahmen mit solchen Familien sowie der Ausgang der
Schwangerschaft wurden jeweils erfasst. Die Datenanalyse umfasste
deskriptive Statistik und geeignete statistische Tests.

Relevant für die Entscheidung der Schwangeren
über die Fortsetzung oder den Abbruch der Schwangerschaft schienen
insbesondere der Zeitpunkt des pädiatrischen Beratungsgesprächs, dessen
Dauer sowie die Kontaktaufnahme zu Familien mit einem betroffenen Kind zu
sein.

Bei Verdacht auf eine fetale Trisomie 21
ist zeitnahe und ausführliche pädiatrische Beratung sowie der Kontakt zu
Betroffenen von entscheidender Bedeutung.
Ergonomische Belastung des OP-Teams bei offenen, laparoskopischen sowie roboterassistierten Operationsverfahren
Authors: Koch Oliver Owen , Leberbauer Karoline , Hitzl Wolfgang , Wallner Eva , Emmanuel Klaus
Published: January 2025

Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die ergonomische Belastung des OP-Teams bei offenen, laparoskopischen sowie roboterassistierten Operationsverfahren (RC) zu untersuchen.

Mitarbeiter der Salzburger Landeskliniken (SALK) wurden im Dezember 2023 zu einer standardisierten Onlinebefragung eingeladen. Die Ausprägung und die Unterschiede der psychophysischen Belastung für die einzelnen Berufsgruppen und Fachgebiete zwischen den unterschiedlichen Operationsverfahren wurde untersucht.

Es nahmen 64/111 (57,7%) Mitarbeiter an der Studie teil, davon waren 30 (46,9%) männlich und 34 (53,1%) weiblich. Die Tätigkeit im OP ist für die Mehrheit der Befragten körperlich belastend, 60,9% der Befragten mussten bereits ärztliche Hilfe in Anspruch nehmen oder ein Schmerzmittel einnehmen. Die am häufigsten betroffen Körperregionen sind Rücken und Nacken, und 17,2% der Befragten halten es für wahrscheinlich, vorzeitig in den Ruhestand gehen zu müssen. Die Mehrheit empfindet Spaß an der Arbeit im OP. Für 61,9% wird die RC als am wenigsten körperlich belastend empfunden. Signifikante Unterschiede in psychophysischen Belastungen und bei Präferenzen für Operationsarten zeigten sich bei Geschlecht, Altersgruppen, Berufsgruppen, Fachgebieten, Arbeitsjahren im OP und biometrischen Daten.

Diese Ergebnisse könnten dazu dienen, gezielt gesundheits- und mitarbeiterzufriedenheitsfördernde Maßnahmen einzuleiten und entsprechende Schulungen durchzuführen.
Managing Home Oxygen and Nasogastric Feeds Post-NICU Discharge: PCP Practices and Perspectives
Authors: Beard Lauren A. , Weikel Blair W. , Hannan Kathleen E. , Messinger Amanda I. , Bourque Stephanie L.
Published: January 2025

Objective NICU graduates are frequently technology dependent including home oxygen, pulse oximetry, and/or nasogastric (NG) feedings. Primary care provider (PCP) perceptions, practices, and barriers to managing these infants are not well described, especially at altitude. We sought to 1) describe PCP comfort and 2) determine practices and barriers in managing this technology at higher altitudes.

Study Design This cross-sectional survey assessed Colorado and Wyoming PCP perceptions and practices surrounding technology in NICU graduates. We explored bivariate analysis between clinic altitude, location, and provider's experience with comfort caring for infants discharged with technology using chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests. Significant relationships were modeled using logistic regression for odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results Among 203 respondents, 82% were pediatricians, and 86% practiced in urban/suburban environments. Clinic altitude ranged 2,500–9,000 ft. PCPs endorsed comfort managing oxygen in term (92%) and moderately/late preterm infants (82%), versus 52% comfort in very/extremely preterm infants. 62% utilized an oxygen-weaning algorithm. Comfort managing oxygen was greater in suburban versus urban locations (odds ratio [OR] = 4.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6–11.7) and providers practicing for >10 versus <5 years (OR = 3.5, 95% CI: 1.5, 8.4). 60% found pulse oximetry useful, though 70% perceived caregiver stress. 69% accepted infants on NG feeds, though 61% endorsed discomfort with management.

Conclusion PCPs are comfortable managing home oxygen in moderately preterm to term infants but find caring for most preterm infants challenging. Discomfort in managing NG feeds is prevalent. This highlights peridischarge barriers and improvement opportunities for high-risk, technology-dependent infants.

Key Points
Association of an HIV-Prediction Model with Uptake of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
Authors: Romero Steven , Alvarez Kristin , Nijhawan Ank E , Nethi Arun , Bistransin Katie , King Helen Lynne
Published: January 2025

Background: Global efforts aimed at ending human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence have adapted and evolved since the turn of the century. The utilization of machine learning incorporated into an electronic health record (EHR) can be refined into prediction models that identify when an individual is at greater HIV infection risk. This can create a novel and innovative approach to identifying patients eligible for preventative therapy.

Objectives: This study's aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of an HIV prediction model in clinical workflows. Outcomes included pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prescriptions generated and the model’s ability to identify eligible patients.

Methods: A prediction model was developed and implemented at the safety-net hospital in Dallas County. Patients seen in primary care clinics were evaluated between July 2020 to June 2022. The prediction model was incorporated into an existing best practice advisory (BPAs) used to identify potentially eligible PrEP patients. The prior, basic BPA (bBPA) displayed if a prior sexually transmitted infection was documented and the enhanced BPA (eBPA) incorporated the HIV prediction model.

Results: A total of 3,218 unique patients received the BPA during the study time period, with 2,346 ultimately included for evaluation. There were 678 patients in the bBPA group and 1,666 in the eBPA group. PrEP prescriptions generated increased in the post-implementation group within the 90-day follow-up period (bBPA:1.48 v. eBPA:3.67 prescriptions per month, p<0.001). Patient demographics also differed between groups, resulting in a higher median age (bBPA:36[IQR 24] v. eBPA:52[QR 19] years, p<0.001) and an even distribution between birth sex in the post-implementation group (female sex at birth bBPA:62.2% v. eBPA:50.2%, p=<0.001).

Conclusions: The implementation of a HIV prediction model yielded a higher number of PrEP prescriptions generated and was associated with the identification of twice the number of potentially eligible patients.
A Concise Account on Organocatalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis of Epoxide and Aziridine Derivatives from α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds
Authors: Martinez Alice Karoline de Almeida , Mourão Penina Sousa , Corrêa Arlene
Published: January 2025

Epoxides and aziridines are important pharmacologically active compounds, found in many drugs. These three-membered rings are also employed in the synthesis of a wide range of other heterocycles. In this account, we highlight the contributions of our research group to the organocatalyzed asymmetric synthesis of epoxides and aziridines from α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, followed by multicomponent reactions that afford novel peptidomimetics. Additionally, these scaffolds have been employed in the synthesis of lactones, lactams, and hydantoins, showcasing their versatility in drug development and synthetic chemistry.
Effects of additional scapular movements on the scapular muscle
activity during arm raising
Authors: Yu Ilyoung , Kang Minhyeok
Published: January 2025

The effects of the two popular strategies, scapular adduction and depression and
scapular posterior tilt, on the muscle activity of trapezius and serratus
anterior muscles have not been compared. This study demonstrates the effects of
additional scapular adduction and depression and scapular posterior tilt
movements on the activation of trapezius and serratus anterior muscles and
scapular kinematics during arm raising. Eighteen asymptomatic men performed arm
raising tasks with and without additional scapular movements, including scapular
adduction and depression and scapular posterior tilt. During all tasks, the
muscle activity of the upper/middle/lower trapezius and serratus anterior
muscles was measured using surface electromyography; scapular upward rotation
and posterior tilt angles were measured using a smartphone application. Lower
trapezius muscle activity significantly increased during arm raising with
scapular adduction and depression (p=0.001) or scapular posterior tilt
compared to preferred arm raising (p<0.001). However, arm raising with
the scapular posterior tilt showed significantly greater serratus anterior
muscle activity (p=0.002) and scapular posterior tilt angle
(p=0.001) together with lesser upper trapezius muscle activity
(p=0.027) compared with those of scapular adduction and depression.
Scapular posterior tilt may be effective for increasing the lower trapezius and
serratus anterior muscle activity while reducing the upper trapezius muscle
activity.
Percutaneous Biliary and Gallbladder Interventions: Where Should Interventional Radiology Be Headed?
Authors: Riaz Ahsun , Husnain Ali
Published: January 2025

Interventional radiology (IR) has evolved significantly in the past three decades due to improvements in techniques and technologies. The role of IR in managing biliary and gallbladder disease is evolving. A factor that has influenced our ability to perform advanced procedures has been the progress in endoscopes and their availability to IR. In addition to urgent or emergent decompression for these tubular structures and hollow organs, IR can also perform definitive therapies such as stenting and lithotripsy. The main objective of our therapies should be to remove drains as quickly as possible to improve patients' quality of life. The evolution of IR's role in this space is ongoing and should focus beyond decompression on treating the disease and the patient.
CT and MR Imaging in Colorectal Carcinoma: A Tool for Diagnosis, Staging, Response Evaluation, and Follow-Up
Authors: Ghuman Samarjit Singh , Kochhar Rohit , Mahajan Harsh , Buxi T.B.S. , Gupta Arun , Arora Anil , Saxena K.K. , Sud Seema , Sud Aditi , Rawat Kishan , Sachdeva Munish K. , Yadav Ajit , Rawat Saumitra , Aggarwal Shyam , Parikh Purvish M. , Selvasekar C.
Published: January 2025

The present review highlights the role of computed tomography (CT), CT colonography (CTC), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis, staging, response evaluation, and follow-up of colorectal cancer. For a CT scan, prior bowel preparation is required. This is done to enhance imaging of the colon with the use of oral or rectal contrast agents. Negative contrast like air or carbon dioxide are helpful in detecting polyps and masses by distending the colon. Virtual colonoscopy offers a lower-radiation alternative for polyp and cancer detection. Intravenous contrast administration with arterial and venous phase CT images is also important in complete staging of a known case of colon cancer and for evaluation of residual/recurrent disease. With respect to MRI, high-resolution T2-weighted images in multiple planes are important, with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences being important for restaging. Intravenous contrast is not generally recommended. Contrast-enhanced CT and MRI are used for nodal and distant metastasis staging, with special attention to the pelvic side wall nodes. Positron emission tomography (PET) CT is to be considered for further evaluation if the findings are unclear and recurrence is suspected.
Exploring the innovation potential of urban space at the micro scale: a case study of Suzhou’s main urban area
Authors: Wang Shumin , Liu Hao , Li Yingcheng , Hu Mingxing
Published: January 2025

As urban areas serve as spatial carriers for innovation activities, exploring the interaction between innovation and urban spaces has become a research hotspot. Previous studies have primarily focused on urban innovation capacity assessment and measurement, with less attention given to the urban innovation potential and issues such as insufficient granularity of research and weak stability in factor weighting. In this study, an urban spatial innovation potential measurement system was proposed from a demand-side perspective, the structural equation model (SEM) was employed to investigate the direct and indirect influences of factors, and micro-scale empirical analysis was conducted in the main urban area of Suzhou, China. Coupling and coordination with innovation outputs were analyzed. The results revealed that (1) the innovation potential exhibits significant spatial clustering characteristics; (2) there is clear core-periphery spatial differentiation in the innovation potential, demonstrating decreasing spatial diffusion effects with distance from the center; and (3) only 8.18% of the plots in the study area occur at the harmonized innovation coupling stage, indicating that the overall innovation conversion efficiency should be improved. This study aimed to provide a sound basis and practical references for optimizing the layout and improving the quality of urban innovation spaces from a detailed scale perspective, thereby enhancing urban competitiveness.
Structural transition induced by a magnetic field in a crystal with strong anisotropy in the g-tensor of rare-earth ions
Authors: Pereverzev Yu. V.
Published: January 2025

The structural phase transition in a magnetic field is described theoretically. The transition is caused by a strong anisotropy in the g-tensor of the magnetic ion and a magnetic analog of the Jahn-Teller effect at the ground doublet. The interaction of the structure order parameter with the magnetic field is simulated. The obtained results are in agreement with the experimental data for a KEr(MoO4)2 crystal.
Effect of orientational ordering of molecules on dislocation mobility in C60 crystals
Authors: Natsik V. D. , Lubenets S. V. , Fomenko L. S.
Published: January 2025

Experimental data on plasticity parameters of the C60 crystals obtained by microscopic indentation are systematized over a wide temperature range 81–570 K. Anomalies in the temperature dependence of microhardness are compared with the temperature spectrum of acoustic relaxation, and their relation to orientational transformations in these crystals is discussed. The contribution of dynamic interaction between dislocations and the rotational degrees of freedom of C60 molecules is analyzed. It is shown that these effects determine the main peculiarities in the temperature dependence of microhardness in the fcc → sc phase transition region and in the temperature range of orientational glass transition (of the order of 160K and below).
On superconducting and normal states in HTS materials
Authors: Abramov V. S.
Published: January 2025

Microscopic mechanisms of the emergence of superconducting ordering associated with condensation of soft optical and acoustic vibrational modes in oxide superconductors are described. The results of the theory and experiments for YBa2Cu3O7–x and Pb are compared.
Peculiarities of crystal lattice dynamics for layered HTS cuprates and similar compounds
Authors: Parshin P. P. , Zemlyanov M. G. , Irodova A. V.
Published: January 2025

Vibrational spectra of a crystal lattice and partial vibrational spectra of copper atoms are investigated by the method of inelastic scattering of neutrons for compounds from the homologous series of bismuth-based HTS cuprates and the parent phase of CaCuO2. It has been concluded that the main force interactions of atoms in –Ca–CuO2– and –BiO–SrO– blocks are preserved in the entire series, and the dynamic behavior of copper atoms is mainly determined by their nearest neighborhood, viz., oxygen atoms in the – CuO2– layer.
Neutron diffraction study of anisotropy of crystal lattice compression in high-T
c superconductors under pressure
Authors: Voronin V. , Mirmelstein A. , Karkin A. , Teplykh A. , Goshchitskii B. , Ivanov A. , Smirnov L.
Published: January 2025

Pressure-induced structural changes in irradiated YBa2Cu3Ox (x = 6.95) and unirradiated (x = 6.91, 6.54, 6.39) samples have been measured by neutron powder diffraction under high pressure. Tc has been measured for irradiated superconductors under pressure and the value of dTc/dP is found to be high (1.5 K/kbar). The increase in Tc is associated with charge transfer between the CuO2 planes and CuO chains which is reflected by anisotropy of crystal lattice compression.
Nonlinear phenomena in the mobility of two-dimensional electron layer at the liquid helium surface
Authors: Sivokon’ V. E. , Dotsenko V. V. , Sokolov S. S. , Kovdrya Yu. Z. , Grigor’ev V. N.
Published: January 2025

The dependence of the mobility of electrons localized in a two-dimensional charged layer at the liquid helium surface on the driving electric field is investigated experimentally below 1 K in the electron–ripplon scattering region. The measurements were made at electron concentrations smaller than the values corresponding to screening of confining electric field by the field of the electron layer (below saturation). The form of the observed dependence of mobility on the driving field indicates that the two-ripplon mechanism of energy relaxation plays a decisive role in the system of surface electrons under superheating conditions. Experimental results are in accord with theoretical dependences obtained under the assumption that the short-wave ripplon spectral region coincides with the long-wave asymptotic form.
Spatial distribution of trapped magnetic field in cylindrical HTS samples
Authors: Rostami Kh. R. , Mantorov V. V. , Omel’chenko V. I.
Published: January 2025

The “evolution” of the magnetic field trapped by Y−Ba−Cu−O ceramics from very weak to strong external magnetic fields is demonstrated for the first time. It is shown that a consideration of the spatial distribution of the trapped magnetic field is essential while choosing models that correctly describe the residual magnetization of the Y−Ba−Cu−O ceramics in a wide range of external magnetic fields. It is found that in low fields H0⩽50 Oe, the magnetization is described quantitatively by Bean’s model quite correctly, while the model of uniform magnetization is applicable in fields H0⩾1 kOe. A smooth transition from the range of applicability of one model to the other is observed in fields 50 Oe<H0<1 kOe. Contactless measurements are used to estimate the density of intra- and intergranular currents and the pinning forces of Abrikosov and Josephson vortices. The obtained data are in good agreement with the known results. A new express method is proposed for diagnostics and technological control of HTS materials.
Correlations in invariant ensembles of random matrices
Authors: Freilikher V. , Kanzieper E. , Yurkevich I.
Published: January 2025

Eigenvalue correlations in primordially invariant ensembles of random matrices and in ensembles with spontaneously broken symmetry are studied. Universal relationships among different correlation characteristics are established for very wide class of invariant ensembles. The density of levels, two-point kernel, locally rescaled two-level cluster function and smoothed connected correlations between the density of eigenvalues are calculated for primordially invariant α-Ensemble. Universal description of eigenvalue statistics for ensembles with spontaneously broken symmetry is suggested.
Low-energy excitation spectrum of KY(MoO4)2–KEr(MoO4) 2
Authors: Kut’ko V. I. , Kharchenko Yu. N. , Nesterenko N. M. , Gurskas A. A.
Published: January 2025

The low-frequency IR transmission spectra of the system of isostructural crystals KY1−xErx(MoO4)2(x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 0.7, 1) have been measured in the energy range from 13 to 40 cm−1. An interpretation is provided for low-frequency vibrational modes. It is shown that the vibrational spectrum of crystals can be described correctly by the one-dimensional model. Cross splitting of low-frequency acoustic branches of the spectrum on account of interaction with the lowest electron excitations of Er3+ ions is postulated.
Structure and lattice parameters of CoCl2 in the magnetic phase transition region
Authors: Baryl’nik A. S. , Prokhvatilov A. I. , Strzhemechnyĭ M. A.
Published: January 2025

The data on lattice parameters of CoCl2 have been obtained for the first time in the temperature range from 5 to 293 K by using the x-ray diffractometry. The values of lattice parameters at room temperature are in good agreement with the results obtained by other authors. The obtained results are used to estimate the spontaneous magnetostriction in the ordered phase of CoCl2. The values of lattice distortion obtained in the phase transition region have the same sign as the values obtained for NiCl2 but opposite to that for FeCl2.
Introduction
Authors: Shelleg Assaf
Published: January 2025

Ruby Namdar’s 2013 novel The Ruined House is introduced as a literary equivalent to contemporary music in and about Israel. Much in the way the novel expropriates the many registers of the Hebrew language and relocates them outside the national soil, so do the composers featured in this book who employ similar registers and diasporic imports, but never as sites for the reproduction of ideology and territorialism. The introduction explores the Israeli and Jewish ecosystems that animate this book (in addition to the Actor-Network Theory at their base) while connecting them to the histories of modern music written by and about Jews. By reverting to diasporism, composers in Israel have come full circle with the manner by which modern Jewish composers had been unconditioned by territorialism. With indifference to and disinterestedness in the constituent tropes that have shaped Hebrew culture, both immigrant composers in Israel and their native born students defied the paradigmatic definition of Israeli art as a national territorial project—a project that exempted itself from the option of Jewish art existing outside Zionist temporality. And this is where the state of afterness emerges: it is the state of being unconditioned by territorialism while opting for previously unavailable spatial and temporal affordances that have been previously denied a modernist function in this cultural ecosystem.
Pnima
Authors: Shelleg Assaf
Published: January 2025

Chapter 2 is titled after Chaya Czernowin’s first opera Pnima . . . ins Innere (1998–1999), which draws its plot from David Grossman’s novel See Under: Love (1986). With Grossman’s dense literary text emptied out, Czernowin disnarrates the plot through sonic textures she transcribes from sounds previously translated into words by Grossman—all while effacing signifiers whose crippled imagery denationalize Holocaust memorialization. Chapter 2 features similar musical and literary examples that wrestle with the politicization of the Holocaust in Israel by Arik Shapira and Yishai Sarid. Shapira’s works feature blunt, machine-like vocal deliveries and other readymades that render grotesque the national pedagogy of the Holocaust in early statehood years, while Sarid’s novel (The Memory Monster) stages the emotional overload of such political distortions in the present. Still, while Czernowin writes under the purview of the contemporary global, Shapira is caught in the echo chamber of a national culture, squarely inverting symbolisms that betray the confines of his resistance. The second part of Chapter 2 unfolds the collapse of Jewish ethnography and art in works by Betty Olivero and Joseph Bardanashvili: Olivero undoes exoticisms by multiplying variants, temporalities, and harmonic additives that together deem the movement from one variant to another more meaningful than any potential (and in fact nonexistent) ethnographic “source.” Bardanashvili, comparatively, employs mutable Hebrew psalmodic formulae and polystylistic solvents whose most constituent feature is porousness. Two novels by A. B. Yehoshua steer this chapter—the 1999 Journey to the End of the Millennium (the title of Bardanashvili’s 2005 opera), and The Tunnel (2018), which recounts the atrophy of memory in contemporary Israel. Atrophy in turn is examined in the late works of Olivero and Czernowin.
Allodynia (skin tenderness) associated with semaglutide: A case series
Authors: Stark Jennifer , Klass Marian J , Owen Lauren
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) class of medications are widely prescribed for management of diabetes mellitus as well as obesity or weight management. Although there have been rare reports of skin hypersensitivity associated with GLP-1RA medications, no published reports have documented allodynia or skin pain to the touch.

We report 4 cases of allodynia associated with dose escalation of the GLP-1RA medication semaglutide. Each patient was prescribed semaglutide for management of obesity and developed symptoms of allodynia with the 2.4-mg subcutaneous once-weekly dose. Therapy was stopped in 2 patients, both of whom had resolution of symptoms. Two patients opted to continue semaglutide despite the adverse effect, with one experiencing resolution after 4 months. No pharmacological mechanism was identified for this unique adverse drug reaction. There was a clear temporal and dose-response relationship in each of the 4 cases.

Conclusion

The 4 cases presented had scores of 5 or 6 (probable) on the Naranjo scale. It is not known whether this is a class effect of the GLP-1RA medications or if the adverse effect will consistently resolve or improve with continuation.
A preliminary study of microwave ablation for Bethesda IV follicular neoplasms (≤3 cm)
Authors: Yu Xin-Yu , Zhou Xin-yi , Wei Ying , Zhao Zhen-Long , Peng Li-Li , Li Yan , Wu Jie , Cao Shi-Liang , Yu Ming-an
Published: January 2025

Objectives

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of patients with Bethesda IV follicular neoplasms (FNs) (≤3 cm).

Methods

In the retrospective study, patients who underwent MWA for Bethesda IV FNs (≤3 cm) were included. Technical success, volume reduction, disease progression, and adverse event (AE) rates were analysed postablation.

Results

The study cohort consisted of 44 patients with a mean age of 48.2 ± 15.7 years. The median follow-up period was 16 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 9-24 months). The technical success rate was 100%. The median volume reduction ratio (VRR) reached 100% (IQR: 98.8%-100.0%) after the 18th month of follow-up. The disease progression rate was 4.5% (2/44), and both of those patients experienced local recurrence. The overall AE rate was 9.1% (4/44), and AEs included 3 cases of voice hoarseness and 1 case of cough.

Conclusion

This study presents promising clinical outcomes regarding the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of MWA for the treatment of patients with Bethesda IV FNs ≤ 3 cm.

Advances in knowledge

The study highlights the high technical success rate, low disease progression rate and AE rate of MWA for FNs, which underscores its potential for broader application. Future research should aim to validate these results in larger populations to increase the scope of therapy for FNs.
Learning to optimize based on rate decay
Authors: Ma Wenmin
Published: January 2025

Learning to optimize (L2O) is a technique that uses neural networks to learn optimization algorithms automatically. While it holds promise for diverse optimization problems, achieving consistently ideal results remains a challenge. Typically, L2O through a parameterized optimization method (i.e. “ optimizer”) learns from training samples and generalizes to test tasks with the same distribution. However, the new test tasks usually have some deviation from the training set distribution. In this case, the generic L2O methods may not produce good optimization results. Thus, we introduce a step-size control mechanism based on the generic L2O to solve the common problem of insufficient control of the iteration amplitude in L2O and adopt different update strategies for various optimization problems to adapt to complex optimization scenarios. Additionally, we also innovatively use the gated recurrent unit network as the core model of the optimizer to achieve better optimization results. Finally, the experimental outcomes from numerical simulations and real-world datasets show that our proposed methods are significantly better than other optimization algorithms.
Understanding the Lived Experience After Colectomy and Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis for Ulcerative Colitis: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Barnes Edward L , Boynton Marcella H , DeWalt Darren A , Brenner Erica , Herfarth Hans H , Kappelman Michael D
Published: January 2025

Background

The patient experience after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC) remains poorly defined, resulting in heterogeneity in clinical assessments and research. We performed a qualitative study to better understand the experience of patients after IPAA for UC, with a focus on the symptoms experienced by patients and the resultant effects on quality of life (QoL).

Methods

We conducted semi-structured focus groups among patients who had undergone IPAA for UC. We invited patients with a variety of pouch-related conditions, including patients reporting normal pouch function and those with diagnosed inflammatory conditions of the pouch. We included questions on patients’ experiences and symptoms after IPAA based on 4 thematic areas identified by a previously performed systematic review: bowel symptoms, activities, general issues and quality of life, and psychosocial.

Results

We interviewed 15 individuals over the course of 4 focus groups. Participants described the significant impact that bowel symptoms after IPAA had on other activities including work and daily life, and their subsequent relation to QoL themes. Participants noted symptoms of frequency, urgency, and incontinence after IPAA, and many shared how these symptoms required them to change their lifestyle, particularly by altering their daily schedule or changing their diet. Nevertheless, most participants reported QoL improvement after IPAA.

Conclusions

In this qualitative study evaluating the experience of patients after IPAA, multiple bowel-related symptoms impact other areas of life and overall QoL. Patients undergoing IPAA for UC represent a unique patient population, and thus patient-centered outcome measures should be designed to standardize their assessment.
Lipid-Lowering and Antihypertensive Drugs on Aortic Disease Risk: Insights from Mendelian Randomization Analysis and Real-World Pharmacovigilance Data
Authors: Han Nie , Zhao Wenpeng , Wang Qingqing , Zhou Weimin
Published: January 2025

Objective

To assess the impact of lipid-lowering drugs (LLDs) and antihypertensive drugs on the risk of aortic diseases.

Methods

Mendelian randomization was utilized to analyze data from 500,000 participants in the UK Biobank to evaluate the effects of statins, PCSK9 inhibitors (PCSK9i), beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers on the risks of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and aortic dissection (AD) using genetic variants as proxies. Real-world pharmacovigilance data from the FAERS database was used.

Results

PCSK9i and statins significantly reduced the risks of aortic aneurysms and AD, respectively. Furthermore, the two LLDs reduced the risk of aortic diseases through certain metabolites. Meanwhile, real-world pharmacovigilance reports also indicated a low incidence of aortic diseases with PCSK9i and statin treatment.

Conclusion

LLDs, particularly statins and PCSK9i, significantly protect against aortic diseases, providing a scientific basis for preventing and treating aortic diseases.
The optimal annual case volume for acute type A aortic dissection surgery in relation to long-term outcomes
Authors: Kawczynski Michal J , van Kuijk Sander M J , Olsthoorn Jules R , Maessen Jos G , Kats Suzanne , Bidar Elham , Heuts Samuel
Published: January 2025

OBJECTIVES

Previous analyses of the volume–outcome relationship have focused on short-term outcomes such as early mortality. The current study aims to update a novel statistical methodology, facilitating the evaluation of the relation between procedural volume and time-to-event outcomes such as long-term survival, using surgery for acute type A aortic dissection as an illustrative example.

METHODS

This study employed an existing dataset of type A dissection outcomes, retrieved from literature. Studies were included when reporting on annual case load and long-term survival, which served as the primary outcome of interest. Individual patient data were reconstructed from the included studies, and a hazard ratio was determined per study in relation to overall survival, after which the calculated hazard ratios were incorporated in a restricted cubic-spline model, facilitating the application of the elbow method.

RESULTS

Fifty-two studies were included (n = 14 878 patients), with a median follow-up of 5 years. One-, 3-, 5- and 10-year survival of the overall cohort were 82% [95% confidence interval (CI) 82–83%], 79% (95% CI 78–80%), 74% (95% CI 74–75%) and 60% (95% CI 59–62%), respectively. A significant non-linear volume–outcome relation for long-term survival was observed in both the unadjusted and adjusted analyses (P = 0.030 and P = 0.002), with an optimal annual case load of 32 cases/year (95% CI 31–33).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the available data, these findings imply that the annual case volume to achieve optimal long-term survival is located near a procedural volume of 32 cases/year. After accrual of more annual procedures, long-term survival may no longer significantly improve any further.
HemaScope: A Tool for Analyzing Single-cell and Spatial Transcriptomics Data of Hematopoietic Cells
Authors: Wang Zhenyi , Miao Yuxin , Li Hongjun , Cheng Wenyan , Shi Minglei , Gang Lv , Zhu Yating , Zhang Junyi , Tan Tingting , Gu Jin , Zhang Michael Q , Li Jianfeng , Fang Hai , Chen Zhu , Chen Saijuan
Published: January 2025

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) techniques hold great value in evaluating the heterogeneity and spatial characteristics of hematopoietic cells within tissues. These two techniques are highly complementary, with scRNA-seq offering single-cell resolution and ST retaining spatial information. However, there is an urgent demand for well-organized and user-friendly toolkits capable of handling single-cell and spatial information. Here, we present HemaScope, a specialized bioinformatics toolkit featuring modular designs to analyze scRNA-seq and ST data generated from hematopoietic cells. It enables users to perform quality control, basic analysis, cell atlas construction, cellular heterogeneity exploration, and dynamical examination on scRNA-seq data. Also, it can perform spatial analysis and microenvironment analysis on ST data. Meanwhile, HemaScope takes into consideration hematopoietic cell-specific features, including lineage affiliation evaluation, cell cycle prediction, and marker gene collection. To enhance the user experience, we have deployed the toolkit in user-friendly forms: HemaScopeR (an R package), HemaScopeCloud (a web server), HemaScopeDocker (a Docker image), and HemaScopeShiny (a graphical interface). In case studies, we employed it to construct a cell atlas of human bone marrow, analyze age-related changes, and identify acute myeloid leukemia cells in mice. Moreover, we characterized the microenvironments in angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma and primary central nervous system lymphoma, elucidating tumor boundaries. HemaScope is freely available at https://zhenyiwangthu.github.io/HemaScope_Tutorial/.
The cop and the mob: Joe Petrosino against the Mafia in the United States and Italy during the Progressive Era
Authors: Landolfi Francesco
Published: January 2025

This article reconstructs the clash between local police and Italian crime in New York during the Progressive Era. During the 1900s the Black Hand organized crime began to blackmail Italian businesses and, to counter this felony, the New York Police Department decided to establish Detective Joseph Petrosino’s Italian Squad. The clash between Petrosino and the Black Hand lasted until 1909, when the officer was killed in Palermo. However, the death of the Italian American detective led to the conviction of the alleged contract murderers and, finally, to the end of the Black Hand in the early 1910s.
High ectomycorrhizal relative abundance during winter at the treeline
Authors: Saona Luis A , Oporto Christian I , Villarreal Pablo , Urbina Kamila , Correa Cristian , Quintero-Galvis Julian F , Moreno-Meynard Paulo , Piper Frida I , Vianna Juliana A , Nespolo Roberto F , Cubillos Francisco A
Published: January 2025

The rhizosphere is the soil region around plant roots hosting a diverse microbial community, influencing nutrient availability and how plants react to extreme conditions. However, our understanding of the fungi biodiversity and the impact of environmental variations on this biodiversity is still in its infancy. Our study investigates fungal communities’ diversity and functional traits in the rhizosphere of Nothofagus pumilio, one of the few winters deciduous treeline species in the world, forming the treeline in southern South America. At four distinct locations covering 10° latitude, we collected soil samples at treeline and 200 m below over four seasons during a single year. We employed ITS metabarcoding to elucidate fungal community structures. Our results reveal that fungal diversity was mainly determined by latitudinal variation, with higher levels during warmer seasons and lower altitudes. Interestingly, we found a marked dominance of ectomycorrhizal fungi at the treeline, particularly during the winter. In contrast, saprotrophic fungi were more abundant at lower altitudes, particularly during the warmer spring and summer seasons. These findings highlight the temporal and spatial dynamics of rhizospheric fungal communities and their potential roles in ecological processes, emphasizing the value of these communities as indicators of environmental change in high-elevation forests.
AXpert: human expert facilitated privacy-preserving large language models for abdominal X-ray report labeling
Authors: Zhang Yufeng , Kohne Joseph G , Webster Katherine , Vartanian Rebecca , Wittrup Emily , Najarian Kayvan
Published: January 2025

Importance

The lack of a publicly accessible abdominal X-ray (AXR) dataset has hindered necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) research. While significant strides have been made in applying natural language processing (NLP) to radiology reports, most efforts have focused on chest radiology. Development of an accurate NLP model to identify features of NEC on abdominal radiograph can support efforts to improve diagnostic accuracy for this and other rare pediatric conditions.

Objectives

This study aims to develop privacy-preserving large language models (LLMs) and their distilled version to efficiently annotate pediatric AXR reports.

Materials and Methods

Utilizing pediatric AXR reports collected from C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, we introduced AXpert in 2 formats: one based on the instruction-fine-tuned 7-B Gemma model, and a distilled version employing a BERT-based model derived from the fine-tuned model to improve inference and fine-tuning efficiency. AXpert aims to detect NEC presence and classify its subtypes—pneumatosis, portal venous gas, and free air.

Results

Extensive testing shows that LLMs, including Axpert, outperforms baseline BERT models on all metrics. Specifically, Gemma-7B (F1 score: 0.9 ± 0.015) improves upon BlueBERT by 132% in F1 score for detecting NEC positive samples. The distilled BERT model matches the performance of the LLM labelers and surpasses expert-trained baseline BERT models.

Discussion

Our findings highlight the potential of using LLMs for clinical NLP tasks. With minimal expert knowledge injections, LLMs can achieve human-like performance, greatly reducing manual labor. Privacy concerns are alleviated as all models are trained and deployed locally.

Conclusion

AXpert demonstrates potential to reduce human labeling efforts while maintaining high accuracy in automating NEC diagnosis with AXR, offering precise image labeling capabilities.
Probability of achieving bone mineral density treatment goals with denosumab treatment in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis
Authors: Cosman Felicia , Wang Zhenxun , Li Xiaodong , Cummings Steven R
Published: January 2025

BMD levels achieved on osteoporosis treatment are predictive of subsequent fracture risk, and T-score >−2.5 has been proposed as a minimum treatment target for women with osteoporosis. Knowing the likelihood of attaining target T-scores with different medications for different baseline BMD levels can help determine appropriate initial treatment for individual patients. In this post hoc analysis, we estimated the probability of achieving a non-osteoporotic T-score (>−2.5 or ≥−2.0) at the TH or LS in postmenopausal women >60 yr old treated with denosumab for either 3 or 10 yr in the FREEDOM trial and its long-term extension. In women with baseline TH T-scores of −2.7, −3.0, and −3.5, the probabilities of achieving target T-scores >−2.5 with 3 yr of denosumab were 71%, 12%, and 0.1%, respectively. At LS, for baseline T-scores of −2.7, −3.0, and −3.5, the probabilities were 86%, 59%, and 11%, respectively. Longer treatment duration of up to 10 yr increased the probability of achieving target T-scores. The baseline T-scores that permitted at least 50% of women to achieve a target T-score >−2.5 were −2.8 at TH and −3.1 at LS after 3 yr and −3.0 at TH and −3.7 at LS after 10 yr of treatment. To achieve higher treatment targets (T-scores ≥ −2.0), overall probabilities were lower at both skeletal sites, particularly for TH, even with longer treatment duration. Our results demonstrate that the probability of achieving T-score targets with denosumab is dependent on baseline BMD, skeletal site, and treatment duration. Knowing the probability of achieving treatment targets for different baseline TH and LS T-scores can help determine whether denosumab is an appropriate first choice of treatment in individual patients.
Epiregulin ameliorates ovariectomy-induced bone loss through orchestrating the differentiation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts
Authors: Dong Yuan , Wu Xiaowen , Hao Yinglong , Liu Wei , Hu Xingli , Zhou Jie , Li Xiaoxia , Wang Baoli
Published: January 2025

Epiregulin plays a role in a range of biological activities including malignancies. This study aims to investigate the potential contribution of epiregulin to bone cell differentiation and bone homeostasis. The data showed that epiregulin expression was upregulated during osteogenesis but downregulated during adipogenesis. Functionally, epiregulin promoted osteoblast differentiation while inhibiting adipocyte differentiation from mesenchymal progenitor cells. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), one of the two known receptors for epiregulin, exerted opposing effects compared to epiregulin. Intriguingly, silencing EGFR almost completely abolished the dysregulation of osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation induced by epiregulin, suggesting that EGFR is indispensable for mediating epiregulin function. Further mechanistic exploration indicated that epiregulin/EGFR signaled via the inactivation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. Moreover, epiregulin downregulated receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) expression in BMSCs and inhibited the differentiation of bone marrow osteoclast precursor cells into osteoclasts. Treatment of ovariectomized female mice with recombinant epiregulin increased osteoblasts and bone formation, decreased osteoclasts and bone resorption, and ameliorated cancellous bone loss. Consistently, epiregulin treatment improved the potential of BMSCs to differentiate into osteoblasts. Collectively, this study has identified a critical role of epiregulin in regulating osteoblast differentiation through EGFR-mediated inactivation of mTORC1 pathway, as well as osteoclast differentiation via a mechanism associated with RANKL signaling. Additionally, it highlights the potential of epiregulin as a strategy for combating osteoporosis.