bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards carbon‐neutral society: Reconciling peak carbon strategy and thermal power generation via regional eco‐efficiency analysis
Authors: Jiang Nanyue , Zhang Chonghui , Su Weihua , Jin Huanhuan , Balezentis Tomas
Published: November 2023

Transition towards low‐carbon and carbon‐neutral society requires multiple technological solutions. Thermal power generation is the main source of power generation in China and contributes to a large portion of carbon emission. Under the goal of “carbon peak”, thermal power generation efficiency will become an important factor affecting industrial development. Based on the directional distance function, this article assumes energy used as inputs and power generation as an output. Then, energy‐oriented and energy‐generation oriented power generation efficiency analysis models are proposed. The carbon emission is treated as an undesirable output to analyze the regional power generation efficiency with and without industrial transfer. The application focuses on panel data of three regions in China over the period 2013–2017, accounting for three energy inputs: solid, oil and gaseous fuel. The results show that in regard to the factors improving power generation efficiency, pure efficiency and scale efficiency change is positive for the eastern and central regions, while pure technical efficiency change is positive for the western region. By further analyzing the power generation potential, the results also show that the eastern region exhibits potential savings in gaseous fuel, the central region has potential in three fuels, but all not prominent, and the western region has potential in solid and oil fuels. Accordingly, the article puts forward policy recommendations from the perspective of technological innovation, differentiated development, and collaborative communication.
Embedded multilevel regression and poststratification: Model‐based inference with incomplete auxiliary information
Authors: Li Katherine , Si Yajuan
Published: November 2023

Health disparity research often evaluates health outcomes across demographic subgroups. Multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP) is a popular approach for small subgroup estimation as it can stabilize estimates by fitting multilevel models and adjust for selection bias by poststratifying on auxiliary variables, which are population characteristics predictive of the analytic outcome. However, the granularity and quality of the estimates produced by MRP are limited by the availability of the auxiliary variables' joint distribution; data analysts often only have access to the marginal distributions. To overcome this limitation, we embed the estimation of population cell counts needed for poststratification into the MRP workflow: embedded MRP (EMRP). Under EMRP, we generate synthetic populations of the auxiliary variables before implementing MRP. All sources of estimation uncertainty are propagated with a fully Bayesian framework. Through simulation studies, we compare different methods of generating the synthetic populations and demonstrate EMRP's improvements over alternatives on the bias‐variance tradeoff to yield valid subpopulation inferences of interest. We apply EMRP to the Longitudinal Survey of Wellbeing and estimate food insecurity prevalence among vulnerable groups in New York City. We find that all EMRP estimators can correct for the bias in classical MRP while maintaining lower standard errors and narrower confidence intervals than directly imputing with the weighted finite population Bayesian bootstrap (WFPBB) and design‐based estimates. Performances from the EMRP estimators do not differ substantially from each other, though we would generally recommend using the WFPBB‐MRP for its consistently high coverage rates.
Preparation of Cu‐BTC@Fe3O4 Composites for the Thermodynamics and Kinetics Performance on Xylene Isomers Adsorption
Authors: Chen Le , Qiu Tianping , Zhu Yujun , Chong Hailing , Zhao Yupei , Lu Yunxiang , Chen Qun , He Mingyang , Zhang Zhihui
Published: November 2023

Magnetic Cu‐BTC@Fe3O4 materials were synthesized as core‐shell nanocomposites through a secondary growth technique by the combination of magnetic Fe3O4 and Cu‐BTC, which effectively improved the thermal stability of the materials. The interaction energy of Cu‐BTC and Cu‐BTC@Fe3O4 with the xylene isomers, o‐xylene (OX), m‐xylene (MX) and p‐xylene (PX), was calculated by DFT method, which were consistent with the results of the experimental adsorption separation results. In order to study the adsorption performance of xylene isomers on Cu‐BTC@Fe3O4 composite materials, the thermodynamics and kinetics were systematically studied. The adsorption equilibrium curves were obtained by collecting the gas phase adsorption equilibrium data at different temperatures (298, 318 and 338 K) and being fitted with Langmuir and Freundlich isothermal models, respectively, in which the Langmuir isotherm equation was fitted well. Further thermodynamic calculations indicated that the affinity of xylene on Cu‐BTC@Fe3O4 is spontaneous physical adsorption combining exothermic process, while kinetic studies showed the adsorption of xylene isomers on Cu‐BTC@Fe3O4 a pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. In breakthrough experiments, Cu‐BTC@Fe3O4 has a high adsorption capacity and selectivity (3.3 for OX/MX) at 453 K, 1.0 MPa.
Reducing Depletion Region Width at Electrode Interface via a Hole‐transport Layer for Over 18% Efficiency in Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Yang Yi , Xu Bowei , Hou Jianhui
Published: November 2023

The large depletion region width at the electrode interface may cause serious energy loss in charge collection of organic solar cells (OSCs), depressing the open‐circuit voltage and power conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein, a pH neutral solution‐processed conjugated polyelectrolyte PIDT‐F:IMC as hole transport layer (HTL) to reduce the depletion region width in efficient OSCs is developed. By utilizing “mutual doping” strategy, the doping density of PIDT‐F:IMC is increased by more than two orders of magnitude, which significantly reduces the depletion region width at the anode interface from 55 to 7.4 nm, playing an effective role in decreasing the energy loss in hole collection. It is also revealed that the optimal thickness of HTL should be consistent with the depletion region width for achieving the minimum energy loss. The OSC modified by PIDT‐F:IMC shows a high PCE of 18.2%, along with an amazing fill factor of 0.79. Moreover, a PCE of 16.5% is achieved in the 1 cm2 OSC by using a blade‐coated PIDT‐F:IMC HTL, indicating the good compatibility of PIDT‐F:IMC with large‐area processing technology. The PIDT‐F:IMC‐modified OCS exhibits a lifetime of 400 h under operational conditions, which is ten times longer than that of the PEDOT:PSS device.
Engineered Macrophages Tune Intratumoral Cytokines through Precisely Controlled Self‐Pyroptosis to Enhance Bladder Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Guo Pengyu , Dai Peng , Yang Shenghao , Wang Ziqi , Tong Zhichao , Hou Dayong , Liu Xiao , Xu Wanhai
Published: November 2023

Engineered macrophages are a promising tool for drug delivery and immunotherapy in cancer treatment. However, simultaneous targeted enrichment and controllable immunological activation of these macrophages at the tumor site remains challenging. As a solution, macrophages loaded with an advanced nanoparticle encapsulating CpG‐conjugated magnetic nanoclusters (MNC) with indocyanine green (ICG) and nigericin (NIG) (MNC‐ICG‐NIG@SiO2 (MINS)), utilizing Se─Se bond‐modified SiO2, are designed and applied in bladder cancer, which is typically managed surgically, followed by Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) adjuvant instillation therapy. Upon intravenous administration, BCG‐mediated tumor‐localized inflammation leads to targeted accumulation of MINS@MΦ. MINS@MΦ accumulates within the tumor tissue and is immunologically activated through laser irradiation, leading to ICG‐mediated generation of reactive oxygen species, Se─Se bond cleavage, and subsequent NIG release to induce self‐pyroptosis. Consequently, MINS@MΦ releases Fe2+ ions and CpG, thus promoting the M1 polarization of tumor‐associated macrophages and secretion of appropriate antitumor cytokines. However, without intervention, MINS@MΦ undergoes apoptosis in the bloodstream after 48 h without eliciting any immune response. Therefore, this innovative approach optimizes and enhances the efficacy of BCG immunotherapy by precisely modulating the cytokines for effective bladder cancer treatment without inducing a systemic inflammatory response.
Exploring the context of use for voice user interfaces: Toward context‐dependent user experience quality testing
Authors: Klein Andreas M. , Deutschländer Jana , Kölln Kristina , Rauschenberger Maria , Escalona Maria José
Published: November 2023

Voice user interface (VUI) systems, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, are popular and widely available. Still, challenges such as privacy and the ability to have a dialog remain. In the latter example, the user expects a human‐like conversation, that is, that the VUI understands the dialog and its context. However, this VUI feature of context‐aware interaction is rather error prone. For this reason, we intend to explore the VUI context of use and its impact on interaction, that is, relevant user experience (UX). We see a demand for context‐dependent UX measurement because analyzing the context of use and UX assessment are both critical human‐centered design (HCD) methods. Therefore, we examine the VUI context of use by asking users about how, where, and for what they use VUIs, as well as their UX and improvement proposals. We interviewed people with disabilities who rely on VUIs and people without disabilities who use VUIs for convenience or fun. We identified VUI context‐of‐use categories and factors and explored their impacts on relevant UX qualities. Our result is a matrix containing these elements; thus, it provides an overview of the contextual UX of our target group's VUI interaction. We intend to develop a VUI context‐of‐use conceptual structure in the future based on this matrix, which is needed to create an automated context‐dependent UX measurement recommendation tool for VUIs. This conceptual structure could also be useful for automated UX testing in the context of VUI.
The effect of distance metrics in a general purpose synthesizer of imperative programs: A second empirical study using enlarged search spaces
Authors: Correia Alexandre R. S. , Iyoda Juliano M. , Mota Alexandre C.
Published: November 2023

Context

Program synthesis is the task of automatically finding a program that satisfies the user intention. In previous work, we developed APS‐GA, a program synthesizer based on a genetic algorithm. As genetic algorithms depend on a fitness function, so does APS‐GA. Researchers argue that different distance metrics for a fitness function may reveal behavioral differences in the genetic algorithm. More recently, we presented initial evidence that APS‐GA was not affected by different distance metrics for its fitness function. However, that study was carried out on a medium‐sized scale.

Objective

In order to investigate our previous study on a larger scale, we extended our experiment to replicate it on a search space that is up to 6500 times larger than our previous work, and we ran it with a synthesis time that was at least 20 times longer. We have chosen the same five distance metrics as fitness functions to check whether they affect the synthesis task of five integer domain imperative toy programs.

Method

A hypothesis test was proposed and experiments were conducted to observe the number of calls to the fitness function () and to measure the synthesis time ().

Results

By considering a confidence level of 95% (with ), we found out that there were no significant differences in both and .

Conclusion

With these results, our extended replication study suggests that the discrete distance metric constitutes the best choice for APS‐GA as it guides the search with the same effectiveness as the other metrics, and is cheaper to compute.
Flexural design curves of steel plate I‐girders at elevated temperatures: I‐girders with yield or local buckling failure mode
Authors: Rasoulnia Akbar , Broujerdian Vahid , Ghamari Ali , Ghadami Abbas
Published: November 2023

The present study was undertaken to characterize the structural behavior and ultimate flexural strength of steel plate I‐girders under pure flexural moment at elevated temperatures. A novel design procedure along with flexural design curves was proposed to predict the flexural behavior of the I‐girders and estimate corresponding ultimate flexural strengths. The main strategy of the procedure is to find an ambient‐temperature equivalent of the I‐girder by quantifying and formulating the effects of elevated temperatures. The proposed procedure comprises overall and partial phases. The former phase deals with the determination of equivalent laterally unbraced length, and the latter phase addresses the equivalent web and compression flange slenderness parameters. The calibration factor was defined to adapt the design curves to the effects of high compression flange slenderness parameters and residual stress at elevated temperatures. To generate comparative results, a numerical study was conducted by analyzing 216 finite element (FE) models. Fifty‐four out of 216 FE models with different cross‐sectional elements were dedicated to the I‐girders fail by yield or local buckling failure mode, the results of which are reported in the present paper. Data fitting analysis was carried out to capture the variation of calibration factor with respect to compression flange slenderness parameters. By calibrating the proposed design procedure, the results were converged and, therefore, good conformity was reached between the numerical and parametric results.
Addressing the needs and challenges of mentorship in veterinary medicine
Authors: Yanke Amy B. , Weigand Kelly A. , Hofmeister Erik H.
Published: November 2023

Veterinary medicine provides a rewarding career but is met with a high degree of mental, emotional, and physical fatigue and, as a result, professional burnout. A structured mentoring system in veterinary schools is integral to promoting well‐being as well as professional and personal growth for resilience and lifelong learning. While professional programs (e.g., human medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy) often provide mentorship opportunities, program descriptions, and evidence of effectiveness have limited review in the literature, especially for veterinary medicine. Depending on the individual's professional stage, mentor and mentee roles may be established throughout one's career between a faculty mentor and a veterinary student early in the curriculum, between near‐peer students, between a private practitioner and new graduate, between a faculty mentor and house officers (interns/residents), and others. Mentorship of junior faculty by senior faculty is also important to nurture successful retention, professional growth, and promotion. With all of these relationships, expectations should be developed between the mentor and mentee to achieve mutual benefit from the relationship.

While instituting a mentoring program is beneficial, not all programs are created equal. To ensure a successful program, faculty must be trained to effectively mentor veterinary and graduate students. With adequate training, more seasoned students could also provide peer mentorship to less experienced students. Consideration should be given to how mentors and mentees are matched, recognizing that pairings based on core interests may strengthen foundational relationships. Effective mentoring relationships would ensure continued support for mentees as they develop in the years following graduation. With this article, we present the opportunities and challenges for mentoring within veterinary medicine, including a review of the literature.
It is PRIME time to streamline the prostate cancer MRI diagnostic pathway
Authors: Rossiter Marimo , Khetrapal Pramit , Ng Alexander , Asif Aqua , Nathan Arjun , Kasivisvanathan Veeru
Published: November 2023

A switch to pre‐biopsy multiparametric MRI as the first investigation in patients with a clinical suspicion of prostate cancer has resulted in capacity issues that may mean not all men will be tested in a timely manner. Biparametric MRI might produce similar results using fewer resources and thus help tackle the capacity issues. A new trial is designed to test whether the strategy could work.
Type I and type IV dermoid sinus with associated cervical spina bifida in a Labrador Retriever mixed breed dog
Authors: Torres Roman , Giovanella Carley , Sessums Kara
Published: November 2023

A 6‐month‐old female Labrador Retriever mix rescued by a local shelter developed respiratory distress and later became tetraplegic. After transferring to a specialty centre, diagnostic imaging (CT and MRI) revealed spina bifida at C3 and dermoid sinuses at the level of C3 and T1. Surgery was performed to remove the dermoid sinuses. The dog was placed on broad‐spectrum antibiotics and a tapering anti‐inflammatory dose of prednisone, postoperatively. Independent ambulation was regained within 14 days with no recurrence of neurologic clinical signs.
Influence of scutellaria baicalensis extract on the thermo‐oxidative and composting stability of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate)
Authors: Li Yueqiu , Kong Zhe , Zhang Jie , Wang Zhongwei , Cheng Guiqing , Yu Qing , Han Yuxi
Published: November 2023

Scutellaria baicalensis extract (SBE), as a natural phenolic antioxidant, was added to poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) matrix. With the addition of SBE, both the short‐term and long‐term antioxidant activity of PBAT samples noticeably improved. The results showed that the oxidation onset temperature (OOT) value of the modified sample (PBAT‐SBE2.5 sample) is increased by 62°C versus neat PBAT. Compared with neat PBAT with decreased OOT value after 240 days of storage, the OOT values of modified samples showed no significant change after long‐term storage. The excellent antioxidant activity is attributed to the high total phenolic content in SBE, which provides significant free radical scavenging efficiency. Additionally, the introduction of SBE could effectively enhance the processing performance of the PBAT matrix, the melt flow rate of PBAT‐SBE2.5 increased by ca. 42.6%. Compared with neat PBAT, the addition of SBE has no obvious effect on the mechanical properties of the matrix, the tensile strength remains unchanged and the elongation at break of PBAT‐SBE2.5 retains 74%. Composting degradation experiment indicated that the SBE promoted the degradation of PBAT. Moreover, SBE could reduce the surface hydrophilic tendency of the film materials. All results reveal that SBE was a good natural multifunctional stabilizer for PBAT.

Highlights

SBE shows high total phenolic content and free radical scavenging activity.

SBE improves the short‐term and long‐term antioxidant activity of PBAT.

The addition of SBE promoted the degradation of PBAT films.

SBE could effectively enhance the processing performance of the PBAT matrix.
Improvement and Analysis for Accuracy of Baseflow Using SWAT-CUP Premium in the Yongjeon Stream, South Korea
Authors: Kim Jong-Tae , Lee Chang-Hun , Lee Namjoo
Published: November 2023

Here, the results of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) simulation are calibrated and validated using SWAT-CUP Premium, and the R2 (coefficient of determination) values of simulated and observed flows are compared. According to the SWAT analysis of the Cheongsong Yongjeon stream basin, low accuracy of 0.40 was the R2 value for simulated and observed flows, and the baseflow was calculated at an annual average of 46.659 m3/s. During the same period, after calibration and validation using SWAT-CUP Premium, the R2 value of simulated and observed flows was improved to 0.71, and the evaluation indexes showed 0.51 for Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NS), 37.1 for percent bias (PBIAS), 0.73 for P-factor, and 0.33 for R-factor, indicating that the relationship between observed and simulated flows was improved. In addition, after calibration and validation, the baseflow was 56.951 m3/s, which was a more accurate value than the one before calibration and validation.
Single‐incision bone bridge lateral meniscus allograft transplantation: preserving neurovascular safety with promising results for posterior horn distortion and graft maturation
Authors: Lee JiHwan , Lee Dhong Won , Kyeong Tae Hyun , Lee Jung Wook , Kim Jin Goo
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the graft maturation and safety of single‐incision bone bridge lateral meniscus allograft transplantation (LMAT).

Methods

This study involved 35 patients who underwent LMAT between 2019 and 2020. All patients completed at least 2 years of follow‐up (median 34 months; range 24–43) and underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the trajectory safety of the leading suture passer and all‐inside suture instrument (Fast‐Fix). Graft status was evaluated according to the Stoller classification.

Results

Based on preoperative MRI measurements, the expected trajectory of the leading suture passer did not transect the common peroneal nerve (CPN), with the closest distance between the expected trajectory and CPN being 1.4 mm and the average distance being 6.8 ± 3.2 mm. The average distance from the lateral meniscal posterior horn (LMPH) to the popliteal neurovascular bundle (PNVB) was 7.4 ± 2.6 mm and the nearest was 4.8 mm. The expected trajectory of the all‐inside suturing instrument did not transect the PNVB when the distance was at least 12 mm, from the most lateral margin of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Grade 3 signal intensity in the posterior third of the allograft on MRI was observed in 6 of 35 (17.1%) patients. Amongst the grade 3 signal intensities in the posterior one‐third of the allografts, 3 of the 35 (8.5%) LMATs had a distorted contour.

Conclusion

The single‐incision bone bridge LMAT technique introduced in this study is a convenient approach that preserves neurovascular safety and provides good results for the distortion of the posterior horn of the allograft and graft maturation. The safety zone for the penetrating devices during the procedure extended from 12 mm laterally to the most lateral margin of the PCL to the medial margin of the popliteal hiatus.

Level of evidence

IV.
Spherical harmonic coefficients of isotropic polynomial functions with applications to gravity field modeling
Authors: Piretzidis Dimitrios , Kotsakis Christopher , Mertikas Stelios P. , Sideris Michael G.
Published: November 2023

Various aspects of gravity field modeling rely upon analytical mathematical functions for calculating spherical harmonic coefficients. Such functions allow quick and efficient evaluation of cumbersome convolution integrals defined on the sphere. In this work, we present a new analytical method for determining spherical harmonic coefficients of isotropic polynomial functions. This method in computationally flexible and efficient, since it makes use of recurrence relations. Also, its use is universal and could be extended to piecewise polynomials and polynomials with compact support. Our numerical investigation of the proposed method shows that certain recurrence relations lose accuracy as the order of implemented polynomials increases because of accumulation of numerical errors. Propagation of these errors could be mitigated by hybrid methods or using extended precision arithmetic. We demonstrate the relevance of our method in gravity field modeling and discuss two areas of application. The first one is the design of B-spline windows and filter kernels for the low-pass filtering of gravity field functionals (e.g., GRACE Follow-On monthly geopotential solutions). The second one is the calculation of spherical harmonic coefficients of isotropic polynomial covariance functions.
Inflammation as common link to progressive neurological diseases
Authors: Dias-Carvalho Ana , Sá Susana Isabel , Carvalho Félix , Fernandes Eduarda , Costa Vera Marisa
Published: November 2023

Life expectancy has increased immensely over the past decades, bringing new challenges to the health systems as advanced age increases the predisposition for many diseases. One of those is the burden of neurologic disorders. While many hypotheses have been placed to explain aging mechanisms, it has been widely accepted that the increasing pro-inflammatory status with advanced age or “inflammaging” is a main determinant of biological aging. Furthermore, inflammaging is at the cornerstone of many age-related diseases and its involvement in neurologic disorders is an exciting hypothesis. Indeed, aging and neurologic disorders development in the elderly seem to share some basic pathways that fundamentally converge on inflammation. Peripheral inflammation significantly influences brain function and contributes to the development of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Understanding the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of progressive neurological diseases is of crucial importance for developing effective treatments and interventions that can slow down or prevent disease progression, therefore, decreasing its social and economic burden.
Nitric Oxide (NO) and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S): New Potential Biotechnological Tools for Postharvest Storage of Horticultural Crops
Authors: Corpas Francisco J. , Muñoz-Vargas María A. , González-Gordo Salvador , Rodríguez-Ruiz Marta , Palma José M.
Published: November 2023

Storage and maintenance of horticultural products in optimal conditions for a reasonable period, once they have been harvested is a technological challenge. Diverse methods are generally used, i.e., low temperature but, in many cases, it may provoke undesirable collateral effects such as softening or promoting pathogens infections, thus causing their deterioration. Nitric oxide (·NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are compounds generated endogenously by plants with signaling properties that mediate fruit development and ripening. Additionally, when these molecules are applied exogenously, they can provide benefits such as maintaining the quality of horticultural products and even prolonging their shelf-life once they are stored. This review provides a broad perspective of ·NO and H2S metabolism in plant cells and, in addition, different plant models are described of how the exogenous application of either NO or H2S to horticultural products preserves nutritional quality during postharvest storage.

Graphical Abstract
Factors associated with in-hospital mortality in HIV-infected children treated for tuberculous meningitis hydrocephalus
Authors: Enicker Basil , Aldous Colleen
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The study aimed to investigate factors associated with in-hospital mortality in children diagnosed with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) hydrocephalus and HIV co-infection undergoing cerebrospinal fluid diversion procedures and their complications.

Methods

Data were collected retrospectively and prospectively between 2007 and 2022. Data collected included demographics, clinical characteristics, antiretroviral therapy (ART) status, biochemistry results, CD4 count, radiology findings, CSF diversion procedures (and complications), length of hospital stay (LOHS), and in-hospital mortality.

Results

Thirty-one children were included, with a mean age of 6.7 ± 5.3 years and 67.7% males. Median admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was 11 (IQR 9–15). Hypertonia (64.5%) and seizures (51.6%) were frequently observed clinical characteristics. Sixty-one percent of children were on ART. Cerebral infarcts and extra-meningeal TB were diagnosed in 64.5% and 19.3% of cases, respectively. The median CD4 count was 151 (IQR 70–732) cells/µL. Surgical procedures included ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) in 26 cases and endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) in five children. VPS complication rate was 27%. No complications were reported for ETV. Median LOHS was 7 days (IQR 4–21). Eleven children (35.5%) died during admission. Factors associated with mortality included GCS (p = 0.032), infarcts (p = 0.004), extra-meningeal TB (p = 0.003), VPS infection (p = 0.018), low CD4 count (p = 0.009), and hyponatremia (p = 0.002). No statistically significant factors were associated with VPS complications.

Conclusion

TBM hydrocephalus in HIV-infected children carries a high mortality. Clinicians in high-prevalence settings should have a high suspicion index and institute early treatment.
Acute pulmonary embolism and cancer: findings from the COPE study
Authors: Becattini Cecilia , Cimini Ludovica Anna , Bassanelli Giorgio , Maggioni Aldo P. , Pomero Fulvio , Lobascio Ilaria , Enea Iolanda , Pomata Daniela P. , Ruggieri Maria Pia , Zalunardo Beniamino , Novelli Anna , Di Fusco Stefania Angela , Triggiani Marco , Marzolo Marco , Fioravanti Chiara , Agnelli Giancarlo , Gonzini Lucio , Gulizia Michele M. ,   on behalf of COPE Investigators
Published: November 2023

Background

Patients with acute venous thromboembolism associated with cancer have an increased risk of recurrences and bleeding in the long term.

Research question

To describe the clinical features and short-term course of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and active cancer, previous cancer or no cancer.

Study design and methods

Patients with acute PE included in COPE—prospective, multicentre study of adult patients with acute, symptomatic, objectively diagnosed PE—were classified as having active cancer, previous cancer, or no cancer.

Results

Overall, 832 patients had active cancer, 464 with previous cancer and 3660 patients had no cancer at the time of acute PE. The most prevalent primary sites of active cancer were urogenital (23.0%), gastrointestinal (21.0%), and lung (19.8%), with a high prevalence of metastatic disease (57.6%) and ongoing anticancer treatment (16.2%). At discharge, a direct oral anticoagulant was used in 43.1%, 78.8%, and 82.0% of patients with active cancer, previous cancer, and no cancer, respectively. Rates of death in-hospital and at 30 days were higher in patients with active cancer compared to patients with previous cancer and no cancer (7.9% vs. 4.3% vs. 2.2% and 13.8% vs. 5.2% vs. 2.6%, respectively). Rates of major bleeding were 4.8%, 2.6%, and 2.4%, respectively. Among patients with active cancer, lung or metastatic cancer were independent predictors of death; brain, hematological or gastrointestinal cancer had the highest risk of major bleeding.

Interpretation

Among patients with acute PE, those with active cancer have high risks for death or major bleeding within 30 days. These risks vary based on primary site of cancer.

Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrial.gov identifier: NCT03631810.

Graphical abstract
Awareness of forensic anthropology in Switzerland: a survey among forensic practitioners, police, and prosecutors
Authors: Siebke Inga , Abegg Claudine , Fracasso Tony , Moghaddam Negahnaz , Obertová Zuzana
Published: November 2023

Forensic anthropology (FA) as a specialized discipline has been practised in multi-lingual Switzerland for over a decade. A variety of expertise regarding osteological assessments as well as facial image comparison (FIC) is provided by different centres. Nevertheless, information is lacking about the awareness of FA and its benefits for forensic investigations among forensic stakeholders. Therefore, a survey was sent to Swiss anthropologists (AN) and related professions (police officers, prosecutors, and forensic pathologists) to assess three main aspects: (1) the experience of working (biological/forensic) anthropologists within FA; (2) how FA is perceived by other professions within the legal system; and (3) identify gaps (if any) in understanding of FA with the aim to suggest avenues for improvement if necessary. The results show that awareness of FA varies by occupation and cantonal regions. In areas where close collaborations between forensic anthropologists (FAs) and other stakeholders have been formally established, be it with focus on osteological analyses or FIC, the awareness of FA competencies was superior to areas where this was not the case. An overwhelming majority of forensic actors expressed interest in continuing education related to the role of FA. These findings indicate that facilitation of communication and collaboration leads to improvement in the awareness of the competencies of FAs and their contribution to forensic investigations.
Modelling inter-individual variability in acute and adaptive responses to interval training: insights into exercise intensity normalisation
Authors: Bossi Arthur Henrique , Naumann Ulrike , Passfield Louis , Hopker James
Published: November 2023

Purpose

To investigate the influence of exercise intensity normalisation on intra- and inter-individual acute and adaptive responses to an interval training programme.

Methods

Nineteen cyclists were split in two groups differing (only) in how exercise intensity was normalised: 80% of the maximal work rate achieved in an incremental test (%$$\dot{\text{W}}$$

W
˙

max) vs. maximal sustainable work rate in a self-paced interval training session (%$$\dot{\text{W}}$$

W
˙

max-SP). Testing duplicates were conducted before and after an initial control phase, during the training intervention, and at the end, enabling the estimation of inter-individual variability in adaptive responses devoid of intra-individual variability.

Results

Due to premature exhaustion, the median training completion rate was 88.8% for the %$$\dot{\text{W}}$$

W
˙

max group, but 100% for the %$$\dot{\text{W}}$$

W
˙

max-SP the group. Ratings of perceived exertion and heart rates were not sensitive to how intensity was normalised, manifesting similar inter-individual variability, although intra-individual variability was minimised for the %$$\dot{\text{W}}$$

W
˙

max-SP group. Amongst six adaptive response variables, there was evidence of individual response for only maximal oxygen uptake (standard deviation: 0.027 L·min−1·week−1) and self-paced interval training performance (standard deviation: 1.451 W·week−1). However, inter-individual variability magnitudes were similar between groups. Average adaptive responses were also similar between groups across all variables.

Conclusions

To normalise completion rates of interval training, %$$\dot{\text{W}}$$

W
˙

max-SP should be used to prescribe relative intensity. However, the variability in adaptive responses to training may not reflect how exercise intensity is normalised, underlining the complexity of the exercise dose–adaptation relationship. True inter-individual variability in adaptive responses cannot always be identified when intra-individual variability is accounted for.
Identification and expression profile of the SMAX/SMXL family genes in chickpea and lentil provide important players of biotechnological interest involved in plant branching
Authors: Basso Marcos Fernando , Contaldi Felice , Lo Celso Fabrizio , Baratto César Milton , Grossi-de-Sa Maria Fatima , Barone Giampaolo , Ferrante Antonio , Martinelli Federico
Published: November 2023

Main conclusion

SMAX/SMXL family genes were successfully identified and characterized in the chickpea and lentil and gene expression data revealed several genes associated with the modulation of plant branching and powerful targets for use in transgenesis and genome editing.

Strigolactones (SL) play essential roles in plant growth, rooting, development, and branching, and are associated with plant resilience to abiotic and biotic stress conditions. Likewise, karrikins (KAR) are “plant smoke-derived molecules” that act in a hormonal signaling pathway similar to SL playing an important role in seed germination and hairy root elongation. The SMAX/SMXL family genes are part of these two signaling pathways, in addition to some of these members acting in a still little known SL- and KAR-independent signaling pathway. To date, the identification and functional characterization of the SMAX/SMXL family genes has not been performed in the chickpea and lentil. In this study, nine SMAX/SMXL genes were systematically identified and characterized in the chickpea and lentil, and their expression profiles were explored under different unstressless or different stress conditions. After a comprehensive in silico characterization of the genes, promoters, proteins, and protein-protein interaction network, the expression profile for each gene was determined using a meta-analysis from the RNAseq datasets and complemented with real-time PCR analysis. The expression profiles of the SMAX/SMXL family genes were very dynamic in different chickpea and lentil organs, with some genes assuming a tissue-specific expression pattern. In addition, these genes were significantly modulated by different stress conditions, indicating that SMAX/SMXL genes, although working in three distinct signaling pathways, can act to modulate plant resilience. Most CaSMAX/SMXL and partner genes such as CaTiE1 and CaLAP1, have a positive correlation with the plant branching level, while most LcSMAX/SMXL genes were less correlated with the plant branching level. The SMXL6, SMXL7, SMXL8, TiE1, LAP1, BES1, and BRC1 genes were highlighted as powerful targets for use in transgenesis and genome editing aiming to develop chickpea and lentil cultivars with improved architecture. Therefore, this study presented a detailed characterization of the SMAX/SMXL genes in the chickpea and lentil, and provided new insights for further studies focused on each SMAX/SMXL gene.
High density of CXCL12-positive immune cell infiltration predicts chemosensitivity and recurrence-free survival in ovarian carcinoma
Authors: Köhn Philipp , Lalos Alexandros , Posabella Alberto , Wilhelm Alexander , Tampakis Athanasios , Caner Ercan , Güth Uwe , Stadlmann Sylvia , Spagnoli Giulio C. , Piscuoglio Salvatore , Richarz Sabine , Delko Tarik , Droeser Raoul A. , Singer Gad
Published: November 2023

Background

Ovarian carcinoma is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy because of its late diagnosis, extremely high recurrence rate, and limited curative treatment options. In clinical practice, high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) predominates due to its frequency, high aggressiveness, and rapid development of drug resistance. Recent evidence suggests that CXCL12 is an important immunological factor in ovarian cancer progression. Therefore, we investigated the predictive and prognostic significance of the expression of this chemokine in tumor and immune cells in patients with HGSC.

Methods

We studied a cohort of 47 primary high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas and their associated recurrences. A tissue microarray was constructed to evaluate the CXCL12 immunostained tumor tissue. CXCL12 expression was evaluated and statistically analyzed to correlate clinicopathologic data, overall survival, and recurrence-free survival.

Results

A high proportion of CXCL12 + positive immune cells in primary ovarian serous carcinoma correlated significantly with chemosensitivity (p = 0.005), overall survival (p = 0.021), and longer recurrence-free survival (p = 0.038). In recurrent disease, high expression of CXCL12 was also correlated with better overall survival (p = 0.040). Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that high CXCL12 + tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) (HR 0.99, p = 0.042, HR 0.99, p = 0.023, respectively) and combined CXCL12 + /CD66b + infiltration (HR 0.15, p = 0.001, HR 0.13, p = 0.001, respectively) are independent favorable predictive markers for recurrence-free survival.

Conclusion

A high density of CXCL12 + TICs predicts a good response to chemotherapy, leading to a better overall survival and a longer recurrence-free interval. Moreover, with concomitant high CXCL12/CD66b TIC density, it is an independent favorable predictor of recurrence-free survival in patients with ovarian carcinoma.
Characteristics of HPV integration in cervical adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma
Authors: Bi Yuxin , Hu Junbo , Zeng Ling , Chen Gang , Cai Hongning , Cao Huang , Ma Quanfu , Wu Xufeng
Published: November 2023

Purpose

HPV integration usually occurs in HPV-related cancer, and is the main cause of cancer. But the carcinogenic mechanism of HPV integration is unclear. The study aims to provide a theoretical basis for understanding the pathogenesis of cervical adenocarcinoma (AC) and cervical squamous carcinoma (SCC).

Methods

We used HPV capture sequencing to obtain HPV integration sites in AC and SCC, and analyzed cytobands, distribution of genetic and genomic elements, identified integration hotspot genes, clinicopathological parameters, breakpoints of HPV16 and performed pathway analysis. Then we conducted immunohistochemical (IHC) assay to preliminarily verify the expression of most frequently integrated genes in AC, STARD3 and ERBB2.

Results

The results revealed that the most frequently observed integrated cytoband was 17q12 in AC and 21p11.2 in SCC, respectively. The breakpoints in both AC and SCC were more tended to occur within gene regions, compared to intergenetic regions. Compared to SCC samples, AC samples had a higher prevalence of genomic elements. In AC, HPV integration has no significantly difference with clinicopathological parameters, but in SCC integration correlated with differentiation (P < 0.05). Breakpoints of HPV in SCC located in LCR more frequently compared to AC, which destroyed the activation of promoter p97. Hotspot genes of HPV integration were STARD3 and ERBB2 in AC, and RNA45S rDNA and MIR3648-1 in SCC, respectively. Meanwhile, we preliminarily proved that the expression of STARD3 and ERBB2, the most frequently integrated genes, would increase after integration.

Conclusion

These results suggested that HPV may utilize the powerful hosts’ promoters to express viral oncogenes and overexpression of viral oncogenes plays a significant role in the carcinogenesis of SCC. In AC, HPV integration may affect hosts’ oncogenes, and the dysregulation of oncogenes may primarily contribute to progression of AC.
Thermal environment and indices: an analysis for effectiveness in operational weather applications in a Mediterranean city (Athens, Greece)
Authors: Pantavou Katerina , Kotroni Vassiliki , Lagouvardos Konstantinos
Published: November 2023

The large number of thermal indices introduced in the literature poses a challenge to identify the appropriate one for a given application. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of widely used indices in quantifying the thermal environment for operational weather applications within a Mediterranean climate. Eight indices (six simple and two thermo-physiological) were considered, i.e., apparent temperature, heat index, humidex, net effective temperature (NET), physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), universal thermal climate index (UTCI), wet-bulb globe temperature, and wind chill temperature. They were estimated using hourly meteorological data between 2010 and 2021, recorded in 15 stations from the Automatic Weather Station Network of the National Observatory of Athens in the Athens metropolitan area, Greece. The statistical analysis focused on examining indices’ sensitivity to variations of the thermal environment. NET, PET, and UTCI were evaluated as suitable for operational use, assessing both cool and warm environments, and extending their estimations to the entire range of their assessment scales. NET and PET often tended to classify thermal perception in the negative categories of their scales, with 63% of NET and 56% of PET estimations falling within the range of cool/slightly cool to very cold. UTCI estimations in the negative categories accounted for 25.8% (p < 0.001), while most estimations were classified in the neutral category (53.1%). The common occasions of extreme warm conditions in terms of both air temperature (Tair) and NET was 77.7%, Tair and UTCI 64.4%, and Tair and PET 33.6% (p < 0.001). According to the indices considered and the method followed, NET and UTCI satisfied sufficiently the requirements for operational use in the climate conditions of the Mediterranean climate.
Real-world evaluation of an acceptance and commitment therapy–based group programme for breast cancer survivors with fear of cancer recurrence
Authors: Sinclair Fiona , Gillanders David , Rooney Natalie , Bonathan Christine , Hendry Kirsty , McLoone Philip , Hewitt Christopher
Published: November 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of a 6-week acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)–based group programme on participants’ fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), quality of life (QoL), psychological distress and psychological flexibility at the end of the programme and 12-week follow-up.

Methods

A one-group, post-test service evaluation of a real-world psychological programme was carried out to evaluate collected outcome measures and attendance for a total of 21 groups facilitated between 2017 and 2019. Participants were breast cancer survivors who attended a 6-week group programme led by NHS clinicians. Descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA analyses were carried out for each outcome measure. Attendance levels were examined to assess acceptability.

Results

A total of 97 group participants who had completed curative treatment for breast cancer took part. Of whom, 89% completed at least 4 of the 6 weekly group sessions and 76% attended the 12-week follow-up session. Eighty-four (87%) participants returned outcome measures at all three time points relative to group participation (T1 = pre, T2 = post T3 = 12-week follow-up). Group participants were female, mean age 51.9 years. FCR was highest at T1 (mean 25.2, SD 4.7), reduced T2 (mean 21.2, SD 5.4) and further lowered T3 (mean 19.5, SD 6.2). This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). QoL was lowest at T1 (mean 62.4, SD 15.7), increased T2 (mean 71.7, SD 18.1) and further increased at T3 (mean 75.9, SD 17.5). This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Psychological distress measures were shown to reduce, and psychological flexibility increased.

Conclusions

This real-world evaluation of an ACT-based group programme led to improvements in FCR, QoL, psychological distress and psychological flexibility in this population. This evaluation provides basis for further investigation to determine if these results can be replicated by controlled research design across diverse populations.
Effect of whitening toothpastes on the surface roughness and microhardness of human teeth—an in vitro study
Authors: Jamwal Navodita , Rao Ashwini , MC Gowri Shankar , K Ramya Shenoy , BH Mithun Pai , Jodalli Praveen , KS Aparna , BR Avinash
Published: November 2023

Objective

To determine the effect of whitening toothpastes on the surface roughness and microhardness of human teeth.

Methodology

Surface roughness was estimated using the Talysurf instrument, and microhardness was estimated using the Vickers hardness tester before and after the application of whitening toothpastes on mounted extracted human teeth.

Results

In the activated charcoal group, there was a reduction in the surface roughness from 1.21 at baseline to 1.09 at 1 month and a further reduction to 1.02 at 3 months, which was found to be statistically significant. However, no statistically significant difference in surface roughness was found in the other toothpaste groups. With respect to microhardness, all 4 whitening toothpastes showed a statistically significant reduction in microhardness after 3 months of brushing. However, the reduction was significantly higher in group 2 and in group 4 compared to the others.

Conclusion

This study showed that whitening toothpaste containing activated charcoal significantly reduced the surface roughness, whereas toothpastes with blue covarine and toothpastes containing activated charcoal significantly reduced the microhardness of the tooth.

Clinical relevance

This study emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to be aware of the potential disadvantages of whitening toothpastes and make evidence-based decisions when recommending the product to patients.