bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical decision support and electronic interventions to improve care quality in chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis
Authors: Ge Jin , Fontil Valy , Ackerman Sara , Pletcher Mark J. , Lai Jennifer C.
Published: August 2023

Significant quality gaps exist in the management of chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis. Clinical decision support systems—information-driven tools based in and launched from the electronic health record—are attractive and potentially scalable prospective interventions that could help standardize clinical care in hepatology. Yet, clinical decision support systems have had a mixed record in clinical medicine due to issues with interoperability and compatibility with clinical workflows. In this review, we discuss the conceptual origins of clinical decision support systems, existing applications in liver diseases, issues and challenges with implementation, and emerging strategies to improve their integration in hepatology care.
Retifanlimab: a breakthrough for the management of Merkel cell carcinoma
Authors: Shaukat Ayesha , Khan Afsheen , Riaz Rumaisa , Batool Um E Abiha , Malikzai Abdullah
Published: August 2023

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly metastatic cutaneous neuroendocrine cancer originating from specialized Merkel cells, which are responsible for touch sensation in the skin. It is characterized by a firm, rapidly expanding nodule on sun-exposed skin areas, especially the head and neck. It has a high mortality rate, with reported overall survival rates ranging from 14% for distant disease to 51% for local disease. In March 2023, retifanlimab (Zynyz) received accelerated U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treating adults with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced MCC. This drug offers a first-line response against MCC by improving the body’s immune response against cancer cells. This article aims to provide updated guidelines on the properties, dosing, and mechanism of action while discussing its use for the management of adults.
Developmental and Social-Emotional Screening
Authors: Chen Chieh-Yu , Anunciação Luis , Stegenga Sondra M.
Published: August 2023

This study examined the agreement between the Ages & Stages Questionnaires, third edition (ASQ-3), and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, second edition (ASQ:SE-2), and investigated the relationship of the overall indication of “parental concerns” about their child's behavior on the ASQ-3 and the results of the ASQ:SE-2. A large and U.S. representative sample of 16,739 birth to 6 years old children was used to calculate agreements (1) between the ASQ-3 and the ASQ:SE-2, as well as (2) between the indication of “parental concerns” about their child's behavior on the ASQ-3 and the results from the child's ASQ:SE-2. Findings indicated .80 agreement between “typical” classifications on the ASQ-3 and the ASQ:SE-2; as well as .57 agreement on the “at-risk” status. When parents indicated a “behavioral concern” about their child on the ASQ-3 overall questions, 74% of these children were identified by a subsequent ASQ:SE-2. High agreement on the “at-risk” status between developmental and social-emotional screening tests was found. High agreement between parental concerns about child's behavior and results of the social-emotional screening test was found. This finding adds to the foundations of research on the importance of parental input in the early identification processes and can inform efforts to increase the efficiency of the screening process.
Chinese expert consensus on multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine liver metastases
Authors: Chi Yihebali , Jiang Liming , Shi Susheng , He Shun , Bai Chunmei , Cao Dan , Cai Jianqiang , Chen Qichen , Chen Xiao , Deng Yiqiao , Du Shunda , Huang Zhen , Huo Li , Ji Yuan , Li Jie , Lou Wenhui , Luo Jie , Shi Xueying , Song Lijie , Sun Bei , Tan Huangying , Wang Feng , Wang Xuan , Wei Zhewen , Wu Wenming , Xiu Dianrong , Xu Jianming , Xue Huadan , Yang Yi , Yin Fei , Yu Jiangyuan , Yuan Chunhui , Zhang Yefan , Zhou Weixun , Zhao Dongbing , Zhao Hong
Published: August 2023

Many management strategies are available for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms with liver metastases. However, a lack of biological, molecular, and genomic information and an absence of data from rigorous trials limit the validity of these strategies. This review presents the viewpoints from an international conference consisting of several expert working groups. The working groups reviewed a series of questions of particular interest to clinicians taking care of patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms with liver metastases by reviewing the existing management strategies and literature, evaluating the evidence on which management decisions were based, developing internationally acceptable recommendations for clinical practice, and making recommendations for clinical and research endeavors. The review for each question will be followed by recommendations from the panel.
Nutritional interventions in prehabilitation for cancer surgery
Authors: Wall Joshua , Paul Melanie , Phillips Bethan E.
Published: August 2023

Purpose of review

Nutrition remains a key focus in the preoptimization of patients undergoing cancer surgery. Given the catabolic nature of cancer, coupled with the physiological insult of surgery, malnutrition (when assessed) is prevalent in a significant proportion of patients. Therefore, robust research on interventions to attenuate the detrimental impact of this is crucial.

Recent findings

As a unimodal prehabilitation intervention, assessment for malnutrition is the first step, as universal supplementation has not been shown to have a significant impact on outcomes. However, targeted nutritional therapy, whether that is enteral or parenteral, has been shown to improve the nutritional state of patients’ presurgery, potentially reducing the rate of postoperative complications such as nosocomial infections. As part of multimodal prehabilitation, the situation is more nuanced given the difficulty in attribution of effects to the differing components, and vast heterogeneity in intervention and patient profiles.

Multimodal prehabilitation is proven to improve length of hospital stay and postoperative outcomes, with nutrition forming a significant part of the therapy given. Further work is required to look at not only the interplay between the optimization of nutritional status and other prehabilitation interventions, but also how to best select which patients will achieve significant benefit.
Implementation of a Bleeding Risk Screening Tool and Hematology Referral Process Prior to Pediatric Endoscopy
Authors: McSorley Brianna , Chugh Ankur , Abazi Tea , Lerner Diana , Jobe Shawn , Pan Amy Y. , Zhang Liyun , Sharma Ruchika , Ashai-Khan Farhat
Published: August 2023

Objectives:

Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic procedures are considered low risk with an overall bleeding risk for upper and lower endoscopies of 0.11%. However, a certain population of patients may have a higher risk for bleeding, and there is not a standardized process for screening patients to determine who these patients are.

Methods:

At Children’s Wisconsin, our gastroenterology and hematology divisions adapted an abbreviated version of a validated, history-based bleeding risk screening tool and implemented a hematology referral process to identify those at risk for bleeding prior to their first endoscopy. Provider compliance with the bleeding screen, referral to hematology, time to be seen in hematology clinic, new diagnoses of bleeding disorders, and bleeding complications were assessed from 2019 to 2021 across 3 phases.

Results:

Provider compliance with the bleeding screen improved throughout our study from 48% (120/251) to 75% (189/253). For those who screened positive, compliance with referral to hematology ranged from 38% to 74% across our phases. The overall time to be seen by hematology decreased from 30 days to 7.5 days. Eighteen patients ultimately screened positive and were seen in hematology clinic, of whom 22% (4/18) were diagnosed with a new bleeding disorder. No bleeding complications were seen in our study population.

Conclusions:

Our quality improvement project provided a standardized screening tool to assess preoperative bleeding risk and reinforced the value of a history-based screening tool. This modified screening tool identified those with an undiagnosed bleeding disorder and preventative measures were undertaken to prevent procedural bleeding complications.
Safety of the One Step Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (Push-PEG) Button in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Brinkmann Julian , Fahle Luise , Broekaert Ilse , Hünseler Christoph , Joachim Alexander
Published: August 2023

Objectives:

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)-systems are essential tools for enteral feeding in a broad variety of pediatric patients. The One Step (“Push-PEG”) technique allows the direct introduction of a PEG-Button. The aim of the study was to investigate the safety and parental view of the Push-PEG technique.

Methods:

We conducted a single-center retrospective data and questionnaire (SDC, http://links.lww.com/MPG/D296) based study including all pediatric patients receiving a PEG via push or pull technique between 2015 until end of 2020 and compared these 2 groups. The primary outcome was the detection of minor and major complications. Secondary outcomes were growth, thriving, and parental contentment using a Likert-scaled questionnaire.

Results:

Eighty-three patients were included in the analysis. There were no significant differences in the basic data regarding age, weight, or diagnosis category. Overall complication rate was 34.9%. The Push-PEG group showed a lower rate of complications (32.7% vs 38.7%) and a lower rate of major complications (4.1% vs 8.8%), although the difference is not significant. Thirty-four families completed the questionnaire (SDC, http://links.lww.com/MPG/D296) (response rate 40%). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups regarding answers of the Likert-scaled questions.

Conclusion:

Push-PEG placement seems to be as safe as placement via traditional pull technique, even in small infants more than 2.8 months and 4 kg. As Push-PEG placement requires less follow-up interventions it may show significant advantages and could be the method of first choice in many cases.
Profiles and Outcomes of Skin Injuries Caused by Injectable Drug Extravasation
Authors: Maezawa Mika , Inoue Misaki , Satake Riko , Wakabayashi Wataru , Oura Keita , Miyasaka Koumi , Hirofuji Sakiko , Goto Fumiya , Iwata Mari , Suzuki Takaaki , Tanaka Hideyuki , Horibe Megumi , Nakao Satoshi , Tsuji Toshikazu , Ieiri Ichiro , Iguchi Kazuhiro , Nakamura Mitsuhiro
Published: August 2023

Extravasation occurs when injectable drugs leak out of the blood vessels, damaging the surrounding tissues and causing a variety of skin injuries. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze extravasation risk, skin injury profiles, and outcomes for suspect drugs from the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. Adverse events were defined according to the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities/Japanese version; the term extravasation (Standardized MedDRA Query Code: 20000136) was used in this analysis. The names of adverse events were entered as unified preferred terms and redefined to evaluate skin injury profiles. In addition, skin injury outcomes were divided into 2 broad categories: “improvement” and “no improvement.” Reporting odds ratios were used to detect signals for adverse events. A total of 656 cases of extravasation-related adverse events were reported between April 2004 and January 2022. Signals for extravasation-related adverse events were detected from 11 drugs. Then, their respective skin injury profiles and outcomes were determined. These results suggest a relationship between adverse events associated with extravasation and 11 drugs and identify the characteristics of each skin injury and their outcomes. These findings will contribute to improving the quality of infusion management in clinical practice.
Unravelling the variations of the society of England and Wales through diffusion mapping analysis of census 2011
Authors: Xiu Gezhi , Chen Huanfa
Published: August 2023

We propose a new approach to identify geographical clustering and inequality hotspots from decadal census data, with a particular emphasis on the method itself. Our method uses diffusion mapping to study the 181 408 output areas in England and Wales (EW), which enables us to decompose the census data’s EW-specific feature structures. We further introduce a localization metric, inspired by statistical physics, to reveal the significance of minority groups in London. Our findings can be adapted to analogous datasets, illuminating spatial patterns and differentiating within datasets, especially when meaning factors for determining the datasets’ structure are scarce and spatially heterogeneous. This approach enhances our ability to describe and explore patterns of social deprivation and segregation across the country, thereby contributing to the development of targeted policies. We also underscore the method’s intrinsic objectivity, guaranteeing its ability to offer comprehensive and unbiased analysis, unswayed by preconceived hypotheses or subjective interpretations of data patterns.
Biomechanical determinants of endothelial permeability assessed in standard and modified hollow-fibre bioreactors
Authors: Gray Stephen G. , Weinberg Peter D.
Published: August 2023

Effects of mechanical stress on the permeability of vascular endothelium are important to normal physiology and in the development of atherosclerosis. Here we elucidate novel effects using commercially available and modified hollow-fibre bioreactors, in which endothelial cells form confluent monolayers lining plastic capillaries with porous walls, contained in a cartridge. The capillaries were perfused with a near-aortic waveform, and permeability was assessed by the movement of rhodamine-labelled albumin from the intracapillary to the extracapillary space. Permeability was increased by acute application of shear stress and decreased by chronic shear stress compared with a static control: this has previously been shown only for multidirectional flows. Increasing viscosity reduced permeability under both acute and chronic shear; since shear rate remained unchanged, these effects resulted from altered shear stress. Reducing pulsatility increased permeability, contrary to the widely held assumption that flow which is highly oscillatory causes endothelial dysfunction. Chronic convection across the monolayer increased effective permeability more than could be explained by the addition of advective transport, contrary to results from previous acute experiments. The off-the-shelf and modified bioreactors provide an excellent tool for investigating the biomechanics of endothelial permeability and have revealed novel effects of flow duration, viscosity, pulsatility and transmural flow.
Elastic pinch biomechanisms can yield consistent launch speeds regardless of projectile mass
Authors: Jorge Justin F. , Patek S. N.
Published: August 2023

Energetic trade-offs are particularly pertinent to bio-ballistic systems which impart energy to projectiles exclusively during launch. We investigated such trade-offs in the spring-propelled seeds of
Loropetalum chinense
,
Hamamelis virginiana
and
Fortunearia sinensis
. Using similar seed-shooting mechanisms, fruits of these confamilial plants (Hamamelidaceae) span an order of magnitude in spring and seed mass. We expected that as seed mass increases, launch speed decreases. Instead, launch speed was relatively constant regardless of seed mass. We tested if fruits shoot larger seeds by storing more elastic potential energy (PE). Spring mass and PE increased as seed mass increased (in order of increasing seed mass:
L. chinense
,
H. virginiana
,
F.
sinensis
). As seed mass to spring mass ratio increased (ratios:
H. virginiana
= 0.50,
F. sinensis
= 0.65,
L. chinense
= 0.84), mass-specific PE storage increased. The conversion efficiency of PE to seed kinetic energy (KE) decreased with increasing fruit mass. Therefore, similar launch speeds across scales occurred because (i) larger fruits stored more PE and (ii) smaller fruits had higher mass-specific PE storage and improved PE to KE conversion. By examining integrated spring and projectile mechanics in our focal species, we revealed diverse, energetic scaling strategies relevant to spring-propelled systems navigating energetic trade-offs.
Profundirhabdus halotolerans gen. nov., sp. nov., an haloalkaliphilic actinobacterium isolated from seawater of the Mariana Trench
Authors: Liu Ronghua , Wang Xinyue , Huang Rong , Zhang Xiao-Hua , Wang Xiaolei
Published: August 2023

A Gram-stain-positive, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped actinobacterium, designated strain ZYF776T, was isolated from seawater of the Mariana Trench collected at a depth of 4000 m. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain ZYF776Twas a member of the classNitriliruptoriaand closely related toNitriliruptor alkaliphilusDSM 45188T(member of the orderNitriliruptorales, 94.94 % sequence similarity) andEgicoccus halophilusKCTC 33612T(member of the orderEgicoccales, 94.46 %). Strain ZYF776Twas catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Growth occurred at 16–37 °C (optimum, 28 °C), in the presence of 0–13 % NaCl (w/v; optimum, 4 %) and at pH 7.0–10.0 (optimum, pH 8.0). Cell-wall hydrolysates of strain ZYF776Tcontainedmeso-diaminopimelic (peptidoglycan type A1γ), with ribose, rhamnose and a smaller amount of xylose as the cell-wall sugars. The major menaquinone was MK-10. The predominant fatty acids (>10 %) were C16:0, C17:1ω8cand summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7cand/or C16 : 1ω6c). The polar lipid profile mainly contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphoglycolipid. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain ZYF776Twas 68.7 mol%. The genome of strain ZYF776Twas about 5.61 Mbp in size, which was larger than those of the reference strainsN. alkaliphilusDSM45188T(5.56 Mbp) andE. halophilusKCTC 33612T(3.98 Mbp). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between ZYF776Tand the related strainsN. alkaliphilusDSM 45188TandE. halophilusKCTC 33612Twere 76.7 and 20.3 % and 75.8 and 20.0 %, respectively. Based on the polyphasic evidence, a novel genus and species with the nameProfundirhabdus halotoleransgen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZYF776T(=JCM 33008T=MCCC 1K03555T).
Automated detection of genetic relatedness from fundus photographs using Siamese Neural Networks
Authors: Bhandari Sakshi Manoj , Singh Praveer , Arun Nishanth , Sekimitsu Sayuri , Raghu Vineet , Rauscher Franziska G. , Elze Tobias , Horn Katrin , Kirsten Toralf , Scholz Markus , Segrè Ayellet V. , Wiggs Janey L. , Kalpathy-Cramer Jayashree , Zebardast Nazlee
Published: August 2023

Heritability of common eye diseases and ocular traits are relatively high. Here, we develop an automated algorithm to detect genetic relatedness from color fundus photographs (FPs). We estimated the degree of shared ancestry amongst individuals in the UK Biobank using KING software. A convolutional Siamese neural network-based algorithm was trained to output a measure of genetic relatedness using 7224 pairs (3612 related and 3612 unrelated) of FPs. The model achieved high performance for prediction of genetic relatedness; when computed Euclidean distances were used to determine probability of relatedness, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for identifying related FPs reached 0.926. We performed external validation of our model using FPs from the LIFE-Adult study and achieved an AUROC of 0.69. An occlusion map indicates that the optic nerve and its surrounding area may be the most predictive of genetic relatedness. We demonstrate that genetic relatedness can be captured from FP features. This approach may be used to uncover novel biomarkers for common ocular diseases.
The significance and characteristics of the patients with Ribbon-like signal hyperintensity after acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Miyamoto Takeshi , Sogabe Shu , Korai Masaaki , Yamaguchi Izumi , Ishihara Manabu , Shimada Kenji , Kanematsu Yasuhisa , Kuroda Kazutaka , Yamamoto Yuki , Yamamoto Nobuaki , Harada Masafumi , Izumi Yuishin , Takagi Yasushi
Published: August 2023

Background

We discovered a novel finding of ribbon-like signal hyperintensity of the cerebral cortical gyri, named the ribbon sign, after reperfusion therapy. Herein, we report the significance and clinical characteristics of ribbon signs.

Methods

Data from consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke and anterior large-vessel occlusion were prospectively extracted from the Tokushima University Hospital Stroke Registry between January 2011 and March 2020. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was retrospectively assessed in patients with acute ischemic stroke with large-vessel occlusion, with or without treatment.

Results

A total of 140 patients (78 males, Average age: 75.7 years) were enrolled in the study. The mean DWI-Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (DWI- ASPECTS) was 7.0. Among the patients, 113 (80.7%) underwent reperfusion therapy and 95 (67.9%) had unfavorable outcomes. Eighty-one (57.9%) patients underwent successful recanalization. The ribbon sign was more common in patients with successful recanalization than in the patients with unsuccessful recanalization (53.1% vs. 8.5%, respectively;p<0.01).

Conclusion

Our study is the first to report that the ribbon sign is a specific finding after successful recanalization in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
A Spatiotemporal Molecular Atlas of the Ovulating Mouse Ovary
Authors: Mantri Madhav , Zhang Hanxue Hannah , Spanos Emmanuel , Ren Yi A , De Vlaminck Iwijn
Published: August 2023

Ovulation is essential for reproductive success, yet the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are far from clear. Here, we applied high-resolution spatiotemporal transcriptomics to map out cell-type- and ovulation-stage-specific molecular programs as function of time during follicle maturation and ovulation in mice. Our analysis revealed dynamic molecular transitions within granulosa cell types that occur in tight coordination with mesenchymal cell proliferation. We identified new molecular markers for the emerging cumulus cell fate during the preantral-to-antral transition. We describe transcriptional programs that respond rapidly to ovulation stimulation and those associated with follicle rupture, highlighting the prominent roles of apoptotic and metabolic pathways during the final stages of follicle maturation. We further report stage-specific oocyte-cumulus cell interactions and diverging molecular differentiation in follicles approaching ovulation. Collectively, this study provides insights into the cellular and molecular processes that regulate mouse ovarian follicle maturation and ovulation with important implications for advancing therapeutic strategies in reproductive medicine.
The impact of Gam-COVID-Vac, an AdV5/AdV26 COVID-19 vaccine, on the biomarkers of endothelial function, coagulation and platelet activation
Authors: Turmukhambetova Anar , Yegorov Sergey , Korshukov Ilya , Barkhanskaya Valentina , Kolesnichenko Svetlana , Klyuyev Dmitriy , Zhumadilova Zhibek , Pralieva Aruzhan , Absaghit Laylim , Belyaev Ruslan , Babenko Dmitriy , Hortelano Gonzalo H. , Miller Matthew S. , Vazenmiller Dmitriy , Kadyrova Irina
Published: August 2023

Background

COVID-19 vaccines have played a critical role in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Although overall considered safe, COVID-19 vaccination has been associated with rare but severe thrombotic events, occurring mainly in the context of adenoviral vectored vaccines. A better understanding of mechanisms underlying vaccine-induced hypercoagulability and prothrombotic state is needed to improve vaccine safety profile.

Methods

We assessed changes to the biomarkers of endothelial function (endothelin, ET-1), coagulation (thrombomodulin, THBD and plasminogen activator inhibitor, PAI) and platelet activation (platelet activating factor, PAF, and platelet factor 4 IgG antibody, PF4 IgG) within a three-week period after the first (prime) and second (boost) doses of Gam-Covid-Vac, an AdV5/AdV26-vectored COVID-19 vaccine. Blood plasma collected from vaccinees (n=58) was assayed using ELISA assays. Participants were stratified by prior COVID-19 exposure based on their baseline SARS-CoV-2-specific serology results.

Results

We observed a significant post-prime increase in circulating ET-1, with levels sustained after the boost dose compared to baseline. ET-1 elevation following dose 2 was most pronounced in vaccinees without prior COVID-19 exposure. Prior COVID-19 was also associated with a mild increase in post-dose 1 PAI.

Conclusions

Vaccination was associated with elevated ET-1 up to day 21 after the second vaccine dose, while no marked alterations to other biomarkers, including PF4 IgG, were seen. A role of persistent endothelial activation followingCOVID-19 vaccination warrants further investigation.
Metabolic Engineering on a 3D-Printed Microfluidic Platform: A New Approach for Modular Co-Metabolic pathways
Authors: Helalat Seyed Hossein , Seder Islam , Téllez Rodrigo C. , Amani Mahmood , Sun Yi
Published: August 2023

Metabolic engineering of cell factories often requires extensive modification of host cellular machinery, leading to numerous challenges such as metabolic burden, intermediate metabolite toxicity, and inadequate endogenous fluxes. To overcome the limitations, we presented an innovative approach for metabolic engineering, by constructing modular biosynthetic pathways on a 3D-printed microfluidic platform. Several new techniques have been developed, including novel designs of chip configurations, effective methods for enzyme immobilization on printed resins, and proper ways to regenerate cofactors in redox reactions. As a proof of concept, we built xylose consumption and CO2fixation pathways in the microfluidic chips and successfully demonstrated that the platform was able to convert xylose and enable the rapid growth ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae,which otherwise will not grow with xylose as the only carbon source. Overall, the 3D-printed microfluidic platform presents a much simpler and more efficient cell-free strategy for developing modular, optimized biosynthetic pathways.
Semantic redundancy-aware implicit neural compression for multidimensional biomedical image data
Authors: Ma Yifan , Yi Chengqiang , Zhou Yao , Wang Zhaofei , Zhao Yuxuan , Zhu Lanxin , Wang Jie , Gao Shimeng , Liu Jianchao , Yuan Xinyue , Wang Zhaoqiang , Liu Binbing , Fei Peng
Published: August 2023

With the rapid development in advanced imaging techniques, massive image data have been acquired for various biomedical applications, posing significant challenges to their efficient storage, transmission, and sharing. Classical model-or learning-based compression algorithms are optimized for specific dimensional data and neglect the semantic redundancy in multidimensional biomedical data, resulting limited compression performance. Here, we propose a Semantic redundancy based Implicit Neural Compression guided with Saliency map (SINCS) approach which achieves high-performance compression of various types of multi-dimensional biomedical images. Based on the first-proved semantic redundancy of biomedical data in the implicit neural function domain, we accomplished saliency-guided implicit neural compression, thereby notably improving the compression efficiency for large-scale image data in arbitrary dimensions. We have demonstrated that SINCS surpasses the alternative compression approaches in terms of image quality, compression ratio, and structure fidelity. Moreover, with using weight transfer and residual entropy coding strategies, SINCS improves compression speed while maintaining high-quality compression. It yields near-lossless compression with over 2000-fold compression ratio on 2D, 2D-T, 3D, 4D biomedical images of diverse targets ranging from single virus to entire human organs, and ensures reliable downstream tasks, such as object segmentation and quantitative analyses, to be conducted at high efficiency.
Homeostatic regulation of REM sleep by the preoptic area of the hypothalamus
Authors: Maurer John , Lin Alex , Jin Xi , Hong Jiso , Sathi Nicholas , Cardis Romain , Osorio-Forero Alejandro , Lüthi Anita , Weber Franz , Chung Shinjae
Published: August 2023

Rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMs) is characterized by activated electroencephalogram (EEG) and muscle atonia, accompanied by vivid dreams. REMs is homeostatically regulated, ensuring that any loss of REMs is compensated by a subsequent increase in its amount. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the homeostatic control of REMs are largely unknown. Here, we show that GABAergic neurons in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus projecting to the tuberomammillary nucleus (POAGAD2→TMN neurons) are crucial for the homeostatic regulation of REMs. POAGAD2→TMN neurons are most active during REMs, and inhibiting them specifically decreases REMs. REMs restriction leads to an increased number and amplitude of calcium transients in POAGAD2→TMN neurons, reflecting the accumulation of REMs pressure. Inhibiting POAGAD2→TMN neurons during REMs restriction blocked the subsequent rebound of REMs. Our findings reveal a hypothalamic circuit whose activity mirrors the buildup of homeostatic REMs pressure during restriction and that is required for the ensuing rebound in REMs.
Accurate Simulation of Coupling between Protein Secondary Structure and Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation
Authors: Zhang Yumeng , Li Shanlong , Gong Xiping , Chen Jianhan
Published: August 2023

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) frequently mediate liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) that underlies the formation of membraneless organelles. Together with theory and experiment, efficient coarse-grained (CG) simulations have been instrumental in understanding sequence- specific phase separation of IDPs. However, the widely-used Cα-only models are severely limited in capturing the peptide nature of IDPs, including backbone-mediated interactions and effects of secondary structures, in LLPS. Here, we describe a hybrid resolution (HyRes) protein model for accurate description of the backbone and transient secondary structures in LLPS. With an atomistic backbone and coarse-grained side chains, HyRes accurately predicts the residue helical propensity and chain dimension of monomeric IDPs. Using GY-23 as a model system, we show that HyRes is efficient enough for direct simulation of spontaneous phase separation, and at the same time accurate enough to resolve the effects of single mutations. HyRes simulations also successfully predict increased beta-sheet formation in the condensate, consistent with available experimental data. We further utilize HyRes to study the phase separation of TPD-43, where several disease-related mutants in the conserved region (CR) have been shown to affect residual helicities and modulate LLPS propensity. The simulations successfully recapitulate the effect of these mutants on the helicity and LLPS propensity of TDP-43 CR. Analyses reveal that the balance between backbone and sidechain-mediated interactions, but not helicity itself, actually determines LLPS propensity. We believe that the HyRes model represents an important advance in the molecular simulation of LLPS and will help elucidate the coupling between IDP transient secondary structures and phase separation.
“Agentic” cluster aggression: KIBS auditors and law firms as key tax haven drivers
Authors: Cooke Philip
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose here is to show how the “shadow” economy has grown in scale and impetus in recent years, though even before modern times it has been present (e.g. the City of London, Shaxson, 2011) since at least the middle ages. The reasons for this have become complicated, but we can identify some “deep structures” that are common. Firstly, “globalisation” made it easier for multinationals to escape national regulatory regimes. Secondly, one of the ways neoliberal trading regulations allowed such actors to augment their assets was by means of what they initially called “transfer-pricing” but which now is officially known as “profit shifting” through tax havens. Thirdly, the growth in international trade in legal and illegal ways caused money laundering – even by otherwise respectable banks – to grow across borders. Conversely, from the supply-side, tax haven status was increasingly accessed by jurisdictions that sought to achieve economic growth by supplying tax haven services, both Delaware and Ireland as exemplars of a “developmental” fiscal policy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a “pattern recognition” design, an approach that is abductive, meaning interpretive, as shown in the observation that explanation can be valid or reliable without direct observation. This is shown in the indirect observation that “rain fell because the terrace has puddles” or “ancient glaciers once carved this valley”.

Findings

Reviewing the European Union’s (EU) list of non-co-operating jurisdictions in support of the OECD’s review of base erosion and profit-shifting activity, Collin concluded the EU’s listing “moved the needle” somewhat but was only a modest success. This is because of its reluctance to sanction its own members or large economies like the USA. Data on foreign direct investment and offshore banking assets suggest listed jurisdictions did not suffer notably from being named and shamed. In all cases studied, this contribution found legally damaging, fraudulent, conflict of interest and corrupt practice activities everywhere.

Originality/value

The originality is found in three spheres. Firstly, the pattern recognition method was vindicated in yielding hard to research results. Secondly, the “assemblage-thirdspace” theory was found advantageous in demonstrating the uneven geography of tax haven clusters and their common history in turbocharging economic development. Finally, the empirics showed the ruses executed by cluster members in tax havens to circumvent the law from global management consultancies to micro-firms consisting of tax lawyers and other experts interacting in knowledge supply chains of dubious morality.
An efficient gradient-enhanced kriging modeling method assisted by fast kriging for high-dimension problems
Authors: He Youwei , Tan Kuan , Fu Chunming , Luo Jinliang
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The modeling cost of the gradient-enhanced kriging (GEK) method is prohibitive for high-dimensional problems. This study aims to develop an efficient modeling strategy for the GEK method.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-step tuning strategy is proposed for the construction of the GEK model. First, an auxiliary kriging is built efficiently. Then, the hyperparameter of the kriging model is served as a good initial guess to that of the GEK model, and a local optimal search is further used to explore the search space of hyperparameter to guarantee the accuracy of the GEK model. In the construction of the auxiliary kriging, the maximal information coefficient is adopted to estimate the relative magnitude of the hyperparameter, which is used to transform the high-dimension maximum likelihood estimation problem into a one-dimensional optimization. The tuning problem of the auxiliary kriging becomes independent of the dimension. Therefore, the modeling efficiency can be improved significantly.

Findings

The performance of the proposed method is studied with analytic problems ranging from 10D to 50D and an 18D aerodynamic airfoil example. It is further compared with two efficient GEK modeling methods. The empirical experiments show that the proposed model can significantly improve the modeling efficiency without sacrificing accuracy compared with other efficient modeling methods.

Originality/value

This paper developed an efficient modeling strategy for GEK and demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method in modeling high-dimension problems.
Nudging eyewitnesses: the effect of social influence on recalling witnessed events
Authors: Luther Kirk , Keeping Zak , Snook Brent , de Almeida Hannah , Fahmy Weyam , Smith Alexia , Han Tianshuang
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the literature on information elicitation. The authors investigated the impact of social influence strategies on eyewitness recall performance. Specifically, the authors examined the effect of social influence techniques (Cialdini, 2007) on recall performance (Experiment 1) and conducted a follow-up experiment to examine the incremental effect of social proof on the report everything cognitive interview mnemonic (Experiment 2).

Design/methodology/approach

Participants watched a video depicting vandalism (Experiment 1: N = 174) or a verbal altercation (Experiment 2: N = 128) and were asked to recall the witnessed event. Experiment 1: Participants were assigned randomly to one of six conditions: control (open-ended prompt), engage and explain (interview ground rules), consistency (signing an agreement to work diligently), reciprocity (given water and food), authority (told of interviewer’s training) and social proof (shown transcript from an exemplar participant). Experiment 2: The authors used a 2 (social proof: present, absent) × 2 (report everything: present, absent) between-participants design.

Findings

Across both experiments, participants exposed to the social proof tactic (i.e. compared to a model exemplar) spoke longer and recalled more correct details than participants not exposed to the social proof tactic. In Experiment 2, participants interviewed with the report everything mnemonic also spoke longer, recalled more correct details, more incorrect details and provided slightly more confabulations than those not interviewed with the report everything mnemonic.

Originality/value

The findings have practical value for police investigators and other professionals who conduct interviews (e.g. military personnel, doctors obtaining information from patients). Interviewers can incorporate social proof in their interviewing practices to help increase the amount and accuracy of information obtained.
Lean manufacturing implementation in iron and steel industries: effect of wastes management on the production costs
Authors: Zaky Nasser , Ahmed Mohamed Zaky , Alarjani Ali , Attia El-Awady
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to improve the market competitiveness of iron and steel manufacturers in developing countries by reducing their production costs.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology relies on a case study-based approach. The study relies on six steps. The first is the preparation, then the five steps of the six-sigma – define, measure, analyze, improve, control. The qualitative and quantitative data were considered. The qualitative analysis relies on the experts’ judgment of internal status. The quantitative analysis uses the job floor data from three iron and steel manufacturers. After collecting, screening and analyzing the data, the root causes of the different wastes were identified that increase production costs. Consequently, lean manufacturing principles and tools are identified and prioritized using the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method, and then implemented to reduce the different types of waste.

Findings

The main wastes are related to inventory, time, quality and workforce. The lean tools were proposed with the implementation plan for the discovered root causes. The performance was monitored during and after the implementation of the lean initiatives in one of the three companies. The obtained results showed an increase in some performance indicators such as throughput (70.6%), revenue from by-products (459%), inventory turnover (54%), operation availability (45%), and plant availability (41%). On the other hand, results showed a decrease of time delay (78%), man-hour/ton (52.4%) and downgraded products (63.3%).

Practical implications

The current case study findings can be utilized by Iron and Steel factories at the developing countries. In addition, the proposed lean implementation methodology can be adopted for any other industries.

Social implications

The current work introduces an original and practical road map to implement the lean six-sigma body of knowledge in the iron and steel manufacturers.

Originality/value

This work introduces an effective and practical case study-based approach to implementing the lean six-sigma body of knowledge in the iron and steel manufacturers in one of the underdevelopment countries. The consideration of the opinion of the different engineers from different sectors shows significant identification of the major problems in the manufacturing and utility sectors that lead to significant performance improvement after solving them.
The Double Jeopardy in high street footfall
Authors: Graham Charles , O'Rourke Grace , Khan Kamran Muhammad
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Calls for empirical and theory-based outcome measures in the place marketing literature are made more pressing as policymakers manage post-COVID high street recovery. This study aims to evaluate how knowledge of repeat buying established in the consumer marketing domain might be adapted to benchmark place marketing effectiveness, applying the Law of Double Jeopardy to capture the predictable relationship between footfall and visit frequency on competing high streets.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors match footfall and survey data collected simultaneously on nine local high streets in one London borough to ask if a predictable Double Jeopardy relationship exists. The authors then test the theoretical assumptions of independence that underpin the Law in patterns of switching; the predictable distribution of regular, infrequent and new visitors; and the absence of user segmentation.

Findings

The authors observe that Double Jeopardy constrains behavioural outcomes, that a simple model fits high street footfall data well and that its theoretical assumptions are supported.

Originality/value

This paper makes several practical and theoretical contributions. The authors demonstrate a method to model expected repeat visit frequency from footfall density and elaborate footfall data into its frequency classes. The authors also locate the effects of loyalty over time within existing knowledge of spatial competition for high street patronage and demonstrate how place marketing insights can be derived from applications of this useful law.
The influence of knowledge-oriented leadership on business model innovation and open innovation: mediating role of absorptive capacity
Authors: Bashir Makhmoor , Pradhan Sudeepta
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the importance of knowledge-oriented leadership in the context of business model innovation (BMI) and open innovation. This study also seeks to explore the existence of a mediating effect of absorptive capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using a survey, from the information technology industry in India. The relationships proposed in the conceptual framework were tested with structural equation modeling (SEM) using Smart partial least squares (PLS) 3.

Findings

The findings highlight a positive influence of knowledge-oriented leadership on BMI and open innovation. Results also revealed that open innovation can facilitate BMI. Additionally, findings highlighted the mediating role of absorptive capacity in these relationships.

Practical implications

This study suggests that businesses should employ and value leaders who can create, transform, store and use knowledge resources. Companies that employ such leaders encourage the creation and exchange of new knowledge, which consequently would lead to the successful exploration of innovative approaches. A culture of open innovation would help managers break down barriers, overcome inertia and continuously test new business models to generate revenues, increase value, enhance organizational effectiveness and ultimately gain competitive advantage.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to empirically contribute to the role of knowledge-oriented leadership and BMI from the perspective of open innovation.
How do organizational performances vary between early adopters and late adopters of Quality 4.0? An exploratory qualitative study
Authors: Antony Jiju , Swarnakar Vikas , Sony Michael , McDermott Olivia , Jayaraman Raja
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how early and late adopters of Quality 4.0 (Q4.0) differ in terms of organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employed a grounded theory approach for interviewing 15 senior managers from diverse organizational contexts throughout the globe as part of their qualitative research methodology.

Findings

The research's findings were analyzed based on four types of performance: operational, financial, environmental and social. It was clear that early adopters of Q4.0 were sustaining superior performance in quality over time, even though their investment was significantly higher than that of late adopters. From a financial viewpoint, it was evident that early adopters had a competitive edge over their rivals compared to late adopters. Late adopters have utilized the notion of the circular economy (CE) more effectively than many early adopters in the context of environmental performance in order to establish a green economy and sustainable development.

Research limitations/implications

Although the results of the interview indicate that Q4.0 is having some positive effects on social performance, in the authors' view, it is still least understood from an empirical standpoint.

Originality/value

The study's findings assist organizations in comprehending the performance differences between Q4.0 early adopters and late adopters.