bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementation of seasonal differences and sociodemographic factors on the achievement of agribusiness MSME output in the Bengawan Solo Wonogiri Watershed
Authors: Rahayu E S , Suryanto  , Sudarwanto A S , Sutrisno J
Published: May 2023

The socioeconomic characteristics of the community in the Bengawan Solo Hulu watershed allow the agribusiness MSMEs business process to occur in production and significantly impact aspects of socioeconomic life. The limited reliable sources of income will affect the community’s tendency to repressive actions. The purpose of the study is (1) to determine the sociodemographic conditions of agribusiness MSME households, (2) to determine the effect of the season on the achievement of agribusiness MSME output, and (3) to find out the solutions of Agribusiness MSMEs. The research method used was a survey on Agribusiness MSMEs by taking locations in 2 Sub-watershed, Alangunggahan Sub-Watershed (Eramoko District) and Keduang Sub-Watershed (Jatipurno District and Jatisrono District) with a total sample of 60 MSMEs. The analysis used is the input-output analysis and Econometric analysis. The results showed that the R2 value was 87.14%, the F test was significant at 95%, and all sociodemographic variables were significant except the age factor of Agribusiness MSME actors. There is a significant seasonal difference in the achievement of agribusiness MSME output. This phenomenon indicates that post-Covid, efforts have risen from the Covid 19, and seasonal differences are considered in decision-making efforts to increase output achievements in the Agribusiness MSME.
Analysis of Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Misshapen Horticultural Commodities
Authors: Widyawati Wiwit , Mutisari Rini , Meitasari Deny
Published: May 2023

This research is conducted in considering that large number of misshapen horticultural commodities that are not considered by consumers due to the shape and/or other characteristics inherent in horticultural products in vegetable and fruit commodities, such as suboptimal physical conditions, different sizes, and unattractive colors that affect consumer preferences in buying them, although the nutritional content is not different from physically perfect products. The purpose of this study are to 1) analyze consumer preferences for suboptimal agricultural products, 2) analyze consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for suboptimal products. Further, conditional logit analysis is used to analyze consumer preferences using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) approach, while Marginal Willingness to Pay or MWTP method is used to analyze consumer willingness. The result, the consumer preference on papaya commodities was based on optimal performance, no message framing, available in traditional markets and the amount of purchase exceeded one kilogram. Tha for cucumber, consumers preferred to buy it by considering optimal performance, without message framing, and available in traditional markets. The WTP value on papaya and cucumber indicates that the average WTP value for suboptimal products was lower than the optimal products. The WTP value for the optimal papaya was higher than the suboptimal papaya. For cucumber, the WTP value for the optimal cucumber was higher than the suboptimal product. We suggest producers should set the price cheaper for suboptimal products to compete in the market and reduce the amount of waste.
Contribution of women labor to orange farmers income in tebas sub-district sambas regency
Authors: Kilmanun Juliana C. , Warman Riki , Burhansyah Rusli
Published: May 2023

The role of women workers in horticultural farming is quite large. Women are not only housewives but also make a real contribution to farming activities and household income. This study aims to determine and analyze the outpouring of labor and the contribution of women’s income to citrus farmers in Tebas District, Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan. The method used in this research was a descriptive analytic method. Data analysis to determine the amount of labor and the amount of contribution by using quantitative analysis. Determination of the sample in this study using purposive sampling technique. Interviews were conducted on 40 female farmer households. The results of the study show that: (1) The labor force of women farmers for citrus farming is 85,97 HOK/MT, (2) The income of women farmers in citrus farming activities in Tebas District is Rp1.328.000/year, (3) Income women non farming in citrus farming activities is Rp1.205.000/year, 4) The contribution of women’s income to household income is 4,3%.
Women and Household Livelihood (Case Study on Villages Around Private Plantation in Seram Island, Maluku Province)
Authors: Sopamena Junianita Fridianova , Pattiselanno August Ernst
Published: May 2023

Structural alteration against access to agrarian resources has reduced agricultural coverage area. Farmers feel being urged to seek another work to maintain their income and livelihood. Massive investment on agriculture sector (through plantation enterprises and pearl enterprises) give a quite similar problem to the inhabitants of Seram Island in Maluku Province. The objective of this research is to examine the position of women amidst the alteration of agrarian structure in the villages around plantations and to analyze the income condition of these women. This research used qualitative method. Method of this research used is survey that involves questionnaire. Data collected from women as research sample are tabulated, analyzed and arranged to produce conclusion. The result of research shows that women have strong contribution to household income. Land use conversion becomes a part of massive investment on agriculture sector (plantation and fishery). The contribution of women to household income is 42.2 percents. The biggest contribution comes from job as worker at plantation enterprises and pearl enterprises. Women participation in agrarian structure alteration is done through manners of on-farm, off-farm and non-farm. The strongest contributor to household income is non-farm.
Effect of Zr content on microstructure and tensile properties of cast and T6 heat-treated A356-0.3Yb alloy
Authors: He Shengyang , Du Jinghong , Ji Quanxin , Qin Chaoqian , Chen Jiaxing , Lv Jiahao , Yang Jiarui
Published: May 2023

In this paper,the influence of different Zr addition amounts on the microstructure and tensile properties of A356 alloy modified by 0.3 wt%Yb in cast state and T6 heat-treated state were systematically investigated. The results show that adding Zr on the basis of 0.3 wt%Yb can further refine α-Al and eutectic Si branches. When the content of Zr is 0.25 wt%, α-Al has the smallest grain size of 133 μm, and the aspect ratio of eutectic Si is 1.6. However, the addition of excessive Zr will weaken the modified effect of Yb and make the eutectic Si start coarsening. The addition of Zr forms the (Al,Si)3(Zr,Ti) phase with Ti in the alloy, provides the heterogeneous nucleation base, increases the number of α-Al grains, and refines the α-Al matrix. After T6 heat treatment, the eutectic Si is further spheroidized and the aspect ratio decreases to 1.3. The tensile strength and elongation of A356 alloy with Yb and Zr under cast condition are 187.4 MPa and 5.6% respectively, which are 10.4% and 36.6% higher than those without Zr. The tensile strength and elongation of the alloy after T6 heat treatment are 296.3 MPa and 9.2% respectively, which are 8.2% and 27.7% higher than those of the alloy without Zr after the same heat treatment.
Balancing economic and ecological benefits for hydro-junction operation based on the ecological flow from the four major Chinese carps: a case study from Xinjiang River, China
Authors: Zhang Yue , Zhang Jie , Zhang Lichen , Hu Kelong , Wang Yin , Ji Yong
Published: May 2023

The construction and utilization of the hydro-junctions would change the water flow and affect the hydrologic process required for the survival and reproduction of the aquatic organism in the river basin. To investigate the influence of the construction of the Jiepai (JP) and Bazizui hydro-junction (BZZ) on the hydrologic process in the Xinjiang River and coordinate the benefits between power generation and downstream ecological protection of the four major Chinese carps (FMCC), a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model is established to simulate the river hydrological regime of the spawning site before and after the construction of BZZ. Meanwhile, eleven ecological hydrologic parameters are used to evaluate the degree of hydrological changes for the spawning site caused by JP and BZZ, and four hydrological methods are applied to calculate the minimal and optimal ecological flows to satisfy the demands of FMCC. The multi-objective operation model combined with the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II(NSGA-II) is established to evaluate the relationship among the objective functions and design the ecological operation scheme of BZZ. The results indicate that the hydrologic changes in the spawning site has been moderately changed since the construction of the JP and would change more after the construction of BZZ. An obvious antagonistic relationship between electricity generating and ecological changes are presented in the simulation results, and the multiobjective operation model could clearly increase the comprehensive benefits under three typical years (dry, average, and abundant) by 20%, 19%, and 34% with the corresponding electricity generating lost by 4.9%, 3.5%, and 4.1%, respectively. This study is expected to provide scientific guidance to coordinate the restrictions and conflicts between economic and ecological benefits of hydro-junction operation in the lower reaches of the Xinjiang River.
Efficient bearing fault diagnosis with neural network search and parameter quantization based on vibration and temperature
Authors: Thuan Nguyen Duc , Dong Trinh Phuong , Thi Nguyen Hue , Hoang Hong Si
Published: May 2023

In this work, we propose a deep-learning method to diagnose bearing faults of electric motors based on vibration and bearing housing temperature. Our methods can accurately diagnose faults related to bearing cracking and lubricant shortages. The proposed method is effective in terms of computational complexity and model capacity thanks to the advantages of neural architecture search (NAS) and parameter quantization in the model establishment. The experimental results found that the information on bearing temperature improved the diagnostic accuracy for the bearing fault diagnosis task. The proposed method has explored the most optimal model in terms of computational resources and model capacity with a pre-defined accuracy target. The searched model has a relatively high diagnostic accuracy of 98.7% and a size of about 27.3 kB. After quantization, the obtained model maintained 96.9% accuracy and reduced 4 times in size. All experiments are executed elaborately on our custom bearing fault dataset.
Denoising gravitational-wave signals from binary black holes with a dilated convolutional autoencoder
Authors: Bacon Philippe , Trovato Agata , Bejger Michał
Published: May 2023

The broadband frequency output of gravitational-wave (GW) detectors is a non-stationary and non-Gaussian time series data stream dominated by noise populated by local disturbances and transient artifacts, which evolve on the same timescale as the GW signals and may corrupt the astrophysical information. We study a denoising algorithm dedicated to expose the astrophysical signals by employing a convolutional neural network in the encoder-decoder configuration, i.e. apply the denoising procedure of coalescing binary black hole signals to the publicly available LIGO O1 time series strain data. The denoising convolutional autoencoder neural network is trained on a dataset of simulated astrophysical signals injected into the real detector’s noise and a dataset of detector noise artifacts (‘glitches’), and its fidelity is tested on real GW events from O1 and O2 LIGO-Virgo observing runs.
Mississippi River low-flows: context, causes, and future projections
Authors: Muñoz Samuel E , Dee Sylvia G , Luo Xinyue , Haider M Rezaul , O’Donnell Michelle , Parazin B , Remo Jonathan W F
Published: May 2023

The Mississippi River represents a major commercial waterway, and periods of anomalously low river levels disrupt riverine transport. These low-flow events occur periodically, with a recent event in the fall of 2022 slowing barge traffic and generating sharp increases in riverine transportation costs. Here we combine instrumental river gage observations from the lower Mississippi River with output from the Community Earth System Model v2 Large Ensemble (LENS2) to evaluate historical trends and future projections of Mississippi River low streamflow extremes, place the 2022 low-flow event in a broader temporal context, and assess the hydroclimatic mechanisms that mediate the occurrence of low-flows. We show that the severity and duration of low-flow events gradually decreased between 1950 and 1980 coincident with the establishment of artificial reservoirs. In the context of the last ∼70 years, the 2022 low-flow event was less severe in terms of stage or discharge minima than other low-flow events of the mid- and late-20th century. Model simulations from the LENS2 dataset show that, under a moderate-high emissions scenario (SSP3-7.0), the severity and duration of low-flow events is projected to decrease through to the end of the 21st century. Finally, we use the large sample size afforded by the LENS2 dataset to show that low-flow events on the Mississippi River are associated with cold tropical Pacific forcing (i.e. La Niña conditions), providing support for the hypothesis that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation plays a critical role in mediating Mississippi River discharge extremes. We anticipate that our findings describing the trends in and hydroclimatic mechanisms of Mississippi River low-flow occurrence will aid water resource managers to reduce the negative impacts of low water levels on riverine transport.
Diagnostic Utility of CD200 Immunohistochemistry in Distinguishing EBV-Positive Large B-Cell Lymphoma From Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma
Authors: Batuello Christopher , Mason Emily F
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Epstein-Barr virus–positive large B-cell lymphoma (EBV+ LBCL) is a heterogeneous group of diseases that may resemble classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) both morphologically and immunophenotypically. However, these diseases are treated with different therapies and carry distinct prognoses. We examined CD200 expression by immunohistochemistry in EBV+ LBCL and evaluated its diagnostic utility in the differential diagnosis with CHL.

Methods

CD200 immunohistochemistry was performed on archival material from 20 cases of CHL (11 EBV+, 9 EBV−), 11 cases of EBV+ LBCL, and 10 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (DLBCL NOS). Staining pattern and intensity (0-3+ scale) were recorded.

Results

CD200 positivity was seen in Reed-Sternberg cells in 19 (95%) of 20 cases of CHL, predominantly in a strong (3+, 15/19) and diffuse (>50% of cells, 17/19) pattern. In contrast, CD200 was negative in 8 (73%) of 11 cases of EBV+ LBCL; the 3 positive cases showed 1 to 2+ staining in less than 50% of lesional cells. All cases of DLBCL NOS were negative for CD200.

Conclusions

CD200 may be a useful immunophenotypic marker in differentiating EBV+ LBCL from CHL, with negative to partial/weak staining favoring a diagnosis of EBV+ LBCL and strong diffuse staining favoring a diagnosis of CHL.
Pathophysiology and treatment of adults with arrhythmias in the emergency department, part 1: Atrial arrhythmias
Authors: Ray Lance , Geier Curtis , DeWitt Kyle M
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This article, the first in a 2-part review, aims to reinforce current literature on the pathophysiology of cardiac arrhythmias and various evidence-based treatment approaches and clinical considerations in the acute care setting. Part 1 of this series focuses on atrial arrhythmias.

Arrhythmias are prevalent throughout the world and a common presenting condition in the emergency department (ED) setting. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and expected to increase in prevalence. Treatment approaches have evolved over time with advances in catheter-directed ablation. Based on historic trials, heart rate control has been the long-standing accepted outpatient treatment modality for AF, but the use of antiarrhythmics is often still indicated for AF in the acute setting, and ED pharmacists should be prepared and poised to help in AF management. Other atrial arrhythmias include atrial flutter (AFL), atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT), and atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT), which warrant distinction due to their unique pathophysiology and because each requires a different approach to utilization of antiarrhythmics. Atrial arrhythmias are typically associated with greater hemodynamic stability than ventricular arrhythmias but still require nuanced management according to patient subset and risk factors. Since antiarrhythmics can also be proarrhythmic, they may destabilize the patient due to adverse effects, many of which are the focus of black-box label warnings that can be overreaching and limit treatment options. Electrical cardioversion for atrial arrhythmias is generally successful and, depending on the setting and/or hemodynamics, often indicated.

Conclusion

Atrial arrhythmias arise from a variety of mechanisms, and appropriate treatment depends on various factors. A firm understanding of physiological and pharmacological concepts serves as a foundation for exploring evidence supporting agents, indications, and adverse effects in order to provide appropriate care for patients.
MPI-VGAE: protein–metabolite enzymatic reaction link learning by variational graph autoencoders
Authors: Wang Cheng , Yuan Chuang , Wang Yahui , Chen Ranran , Shi Yuying , Zhang Tao , Xue Fuzhong , Patti Gary J , Wei Leyi , Hou Qingzhen
Published: May 2023

Enzymatic reactions are crucial to explore the mechanistic function of metabolites and proteins in cellular processes and to understand the etiology of diseases. The increasing number of interconnected metabolic reactions allows the development of in silico deep learning-based methods to discover new enzymatic reaction links between metabolites and proteins to further expand the landscape of existing metabolite–protein interactome. Computational approaches to predict the enzymatic reaction link by metabolite–protein interaction (MPI) prediction are still very limited. In this study, we developed a Variational Graph Autoencoders (VGAE)-based framework to predict MPI in genome-scale heterogeneous enzymatic reaction networks across ten organisms. By incorporating molecular features of metabolites and proteins as well as neighboring information in the MPI networks, our MPI-VGAE predictor achieved the best predictive performance compared to other machine learning methods. Moreover, when applying the MPI-VGAE framework to reconstruct hundreds of metabolic pathways, functional enzymatic reaction networks and a metabolite–metabolite interaction network, our method showed the most robust performance among all scenarios. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first MPI predictor by VGAE for enzymatic reaction link prediction. Furthermore, we implemented the MPI-VGAE framework to reconstruct the disease-specific MPI network based on the disrupted metabolites and proteins in Alzheimer’s disease and colorectal cancer, respectively. A substantial number of novel enzymatic reaction links were identified. We further validated and explored the interactions of these enzymatic reactions using molecular docking. These results highlight the potential of the MPI-VGAE framework for the discovery of novel disease-related enzymatic reactions and facilitate the study of the disrupted metabolisms in diseases.
Successful treatment of urticarial vasculitis with omalizumab in children: a case series
Authors: Wang Shan , Fu Libing , Xiang Xin , Zhang Bin , Ma Lin , Xing Huan
Published: May 2023

Urticarial vasculitis (UV) is a small vessel leucocytoclastic vasculitis, which often needs to be distinguished from urticaria and other dermatoses. Treatment of UV in children is challenging because of the unsatisfying efficacy of antihistamines and the safety concern of long-term systemic corticosteroids or immunosuppressive agents. As a classic biological agent widely used in chronic spontaneous urticaria, omalizumab might also be a potential therapeutic option in the treatment of children with UV. This report presented four children, aged 4–6 years, with glucocorticoid-unresponsive UV successfully treated by omalizumab, thus providing evidence that omalizumab can be used to treat UV with good efficacy and tolerability in the paediatric population.
Fecal Calprotectin in Gastrointestinal Disease
Authors: Murray Jennifer , Kok Klaartje B , Ayling Ruth M
Published: May 2023

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises a group of chronic conditions characterized by relapsing and remitting inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The incidence is increasing worldwide, and the therapeutic options for management are expanding. Endoscopy is the gold standard investigation for diagnosis of IBD and for assessing mucosal healing, which is increasingly being used as a measure of disease control. However, it is an invasive procedure that is unpleasant for patients and expensive and time-consuming for hospitals. Fecal calprotectin has been shown to be an accurate surrogate marker of gastrointestinal inflammation in IBD.

Content

Fecal calprotectin was initially used for the diagnosis of IBD but is now recognized as having a role in assisting in assessment of disease activity, prediction of relapse, and informing decisions around therapy and may help to minimize requirement for endoscopy. However, there are various preanalytical and analytical factors that can affect interpretation of the results; these need to be understood to optimize clinical care.

Preanalytical and analytical factors that can potentially influence fecal calprotectin concentrations are examined, and an overview is provided of clinical situations in which fecal calprotectin is commonly measured.
A Comparative Evaluation of the Measurement Properties of Three Histological Indices of Mucosal Healing in Ulcerative Colitis: Geboes Score, Robarts Histopathology Index and Nancy Index
Authors: Peyrin-Biroulet Laurent , Arenson Ethan , Rubin David T , Siegel Corey A , Lee Scott , Stephen Laroux F , Zhou Wen , Finney-Hayward Tricia , Sanchez Gonzalez Yuri , Shields Alan L
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims

To inform their future use in regulated clinical trials to evaluate treatment efficacy hypotheses, the measurement properties of three histological indices, Geboes Score [GS], Robarts Histopathology Index [RHI] and Nancy Index [NI], were evaluated among patients with ulcerative colitis.

Methods

Analyses were conducted on data from a Phase 3 clinical trial of adalimumab [M14-033, n = 491] and focused on evaluating the measurement properties of the GS, RHI and NI. Specifically, internal consistency and inter-rater reliability, convergent, discriminant and known-group validity, and sensitivity to change were assessed at Baseline, and at Weeks 8 and 52.

Results

Internal consistency for the RHI showed lower alpha [α] values at Baseline [α = 0.62] relative to Weeks 8 [α = 0.82] and 52 [α = 0.81]. The inter-rater reliability values of RHI [0.91], NI [0.64] and GS [0.53] were excellent, good and fair, respectively. Regarding validity, Week 52 correlations were moderate to strong between full and partial Mayo scores and Mayo subscale scores and the RHI and GS, and were weak to moderate for the NI. Significant differences between mean scores of all three histological indices were observed across known-groups based on Mayo endoscopy subscores and full Mayo scores at Weeks 8 and 52 [p < 0.001].

Conclusions

The GS, RHI and NI are each capable of producing reliable and valid scores that are sensitive to changes in disease activity over time, in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. While all three indices demonstrated relatively acceptable measurement properties, the GS and RHI performed better than the NI.
Bacterial Oncotraits Rather than Spatial Organization Are Associated with Dysplasia in Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Bruggeling Carlijn E , te Groen Maarten , Garza Daniel R , van Heeckeren tot Overlaer Famke , Krekels Joyce P M , Sulaiman Basma-Chick , Karel Davy , Rulof Athreyu , Schaaphok Anne R , Hornikx Daniel L A H , Nagtegaal Iris D , Dutilh Bas E , Hoentjen Frank , Boleij Annemarie
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims

Colonic bacterial biofilms are frequently present in ulcerative colitis [UC] and may increase dysplasia risk through pathogens expressing oncotraits. This prospective cohort study aimed to determine [1] the association of oncotraits and longitudinal biofilm presence with dysplasia risk in UC, and [2] the relation of bacterial composition with biofilms and dysplasia risk.

Methods

Faeces and left- and right-sided colonic biopsies were collected from 80 UC patients and 35 controls. Oncotraits [FadA of Fusobacterium, BFT of Bacteroides fragilis, colibactin [ClbB] and Intimin [Eae] of Escherichia coli] were assessed in faecal DNA with multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction [qPCR]. Biopsies were screened for biofilms [n = 873] with 16S rRNA fluorescent in situ hybridiation. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing [n = 265], and ki67-immunohistochemistry were performed. Associations were determined with a mixed-effects regression model.

Results

Biofilms were highly prevalent in UC patients [90.8%] with a median persistence of 3 years (interquartile range [IQR] 2–5 years). Biofilm-positive biopsies showed increased epithelial hypertrophy [p = 0.025] and a reduced Shannon diversity independent of disease status [p = 0.015], but were not significantly associated with dysplasia in UC: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63–3.40. In contrast, ClbB independently associated with dysplasia [aOR 7.16, 95% CI 1.75–29.28], and FadA and Fusobacteriales were associated with a decreased dysplasia risk in UC [aOR 0.23, 95% CI 0.06–0.83, p <0.01].

Conclusions

Biofilms are a hallmark of UC; however, because of their high prevalence are a poor biomarker for dysplasia. In contrast, colibactin presence and FadA absence independently associate with dysplasia in UC and might therefore be valuable biomarkers for future risk stratification and intervention strategies.
Transcatheter tricuspid valve edge-to-edge repair after a heart transplant: a single-centre experience with a novel therapy
Authors: Kerbel Tillmann , Uyanik-Ünal Keziban , Mach Markus , Bartunek Anna , Gökler Johannes , Osorio Emilio , Bartko Philipp , Zuckermann Andreas , Andreas Martin
Published: May 2023

OBJECTIVES

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in patients who had heart transplants is associated with poor outcome. The increased risk for surgical and postoperative complications might be reduced in these vulnerable patients by transcatheter therapies.

METHODS

All patients with a prior heart transplant (HTX) undergoing transcatheter edge-to-edge repair in the tricuspid position (T-TEER) were prospectively enrolled in an institutional registry.

RESULTS

Seven patients who had heart transplants (5/7 female) at a mean age of 53 [48; 64] and median TRI-SCORE of 14 [7; 22] underwent T-TEER to treat symptomatic TR ≥ IV in an elective (n = 6) and urgent (n = 1) setting, respectively. The median time from HTX to T-TEER was 13 years. A total of 2 (n = 4) and 3 (n = 3) clips were implanted with a technical success in 6/7 (one single- device detachment). TR reduction was effective and durable within a median echocardiographic follow-up time of 10 months (TR baseline vs last follow-up: P = 0.03). Further, significant right ventricular remodelling (right ventricular end-diastolic diameter: 50 mm–36 mm, P = 0.02), decrease in the inferior vena cava diameter (24 mm–18 mm, P = 0.04) and in the gamma-glutamyl-transferase (255 U/l–159 U/l, P = 0.04) was found. Four of 7 patients were free of cardiovascular death (n = 1, 267 days after T-TEER), cardiac redo surgery (n = 1) and heart failure hospitalization (n = 2) and had no further clinical signs of right heart failure.

CONCLUSIONS

T-TEER after HTX is feasible and effective regarding TR reduction in a short-term follow-up. The initial results may pave the way for a novel approach in TR management in patients having HTX.
Strategies for avoiding misunderstanding in English L2 conversations
Authors: McDonough Kim , Liu Chen , Trofimovich Pavel
Published: May 2023

To contribute to existing research that describes how L2 speakers avoid misunderstanding during conversation, the current study examines the strategies used by university students in Canada. The students (N = 104) were audio-recorded while carrying out two communicative tasks in pairs: exchanging personal experiences about moving to Canada, and discussing academic research studies. Transcripts were coded for the occurrence of speaker strategies (e.g. comprehension check, elaboration) and listener strategies (e.g. confirmation check, clarification request) for avoiding misunderstanding. Their use of speaker and listener strategies was compared overall and by conversational topic (i.e. personal or academic). The results indicated that the students used more speaker strategies than listener strategies and produced more speaker strategies during the academic discussion than the personal topic. Implications for L2 teaching are highlighted.
Sex-related differences in the impact of nutritional status on in-hospital mortality in heart failure: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kwaśny Adrian , Uchmanowicz Izabella , Juárez-Vela Raúl , Młynarska Agnieszka , Łokieć Katarzyna , Czapla Michał
Published: May 2023

Aims

A nutritional status is related to the length of hospitalization and in-hospital mortality of patients with heart failure (HF). The aim of this study is to assess the prognostic impact of nutritional status and body mass index (BMI) on in-hospital mortality among patients with HF relative to their sex.

Methods and results

We conducted a retrospective study and analysis of 809 medical records of patients admitted to the Institute of Heart Disease of the University Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw (Poland). Women were statistically significantly older than men (74.67 ± 11.15 vs. 66.76 ± 17.78; P < 0.001). In unadjusted model, significant predictors of the odds of in-hospital mortality for men were underweight (OR = 14.81, P = 0.001) and the risk of malnutrition (OR = 8.979, P < 0.001). In the case of women, none of the traits analysed was significant. In age-adjusted model, significant independent predictors of the odds of in-hospital mortality in the case of men were BMI < 18.5 (OR = 15.423, P = 0.001) and risk of malnutrition (OR = 5.557, P = 0.002). In the case of women, none of the nutritional status traits analysed were significant. In multivariable-adjusted model in men, significant independent predictors of the odds of in-hospital mortality were BMI < 18.5 (OR = 15.978, P = 0.007) compared with having normal body weight and the risk of malnutrition (OR = 4.686, P = 0.015). In the case of women, none of the nutritional status traits analysed were significant.

Conclusion

Both underweight and the risk of malnutrition are direct predictors of the odds of in-hospital mortality in men, but not in women. The study did not find a relationship between nutritional status and in-hospital mortality in women.
Relation of Life’s Essential 8 to the genetic predisposition for cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality: results from a national prospective cohort
Authors: Zhang Junguo , Chen Ge , Habudele Zierdi , Wang Xiaojie , Cai Miao , Li Haitao , Gao Yanhui , Lip Gregory Y H , Lin Hualiang
Published: May 2023

Aims

To evaluate the independent, mediating, interactive, and associated effects of Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and genetic predisposition on the risk of cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality.

Methods and results

We retrieved a total of 254 783 individuals from the UK Biobank. LE8 was determined by eight metrics (nicotine exposure, physical activity, diet, sleep, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids), and was characterized as low, moderate, and high cardiovascular health (CVH). Genetic predisposition was estimated using the polygenic risk score (PRS). Cox regressions were performed to evaluate the associations between LE8, PRS, and outcomes. During a median follow-up of 12.53 years, all-cause mortality occurred in 10 257 of 197 473 participants, cardiovascular mortality in 2074 of 215 675, and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 71 774 of 215 675. Individuals with moderate or high CVH experienced a lower risk [hazard ratios (HRs) 0.33 to 0.81] of adverse health outcomes compared with their counterparts with low CVH. A substantial proportion (16.1∼69.8%) of health outcomes could be attributable to moderate or high LE8, and up to 51.2% of the associations between PRS and adverse outcomes were mediated by LE8. In high PRS group, individuals with high CVH had lower CVD mortality (HR: 0.26, 95% confidence interval: 0.18, 0.39), compared to those with low CVH.

Conclusion

Ideal CVH was associated with lower risks of cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality, with a more pronounced association observed in individuals with high PRS for CVD. Improving CVH according to LE8 guidelines should be encouraged, especially for those with PRS that indicate high CVD risk.
Phylogeny and lipid profiles of snow-algae isolated from Norwegian red-snow microbiomes
Authors: Suzuki Hirono , Détain Alexandre , Park Youngjin , Viswanath Kiron , Wijffels René H , Leborgne-Castel Nathalie , Procházková Lenka , Hulatt Chris J
Published: May 2023

Snow algae blooms often form green or red coloured patches in melting alpine and polar snowfields worldwide, yet little is known about their biology, biogeography, and species diversity. We investigated eight isolates collected from red snow in northern Norway, using a combination of morphology, 18S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) genetic markers. Phylogenetic and ITS2 rRNA secondary structure analyses assigned six isolates to the species Raphidonema nivale, Deuterostichococcus epilithicus, Chloromonas reticulata, and Xanthonema bristolianum. Two novel isolates belonging to the family Stichococcaceae (ARK-S05-19) and the genus Chloromonas (ARK-S08-19) were identified as potentially new species. In laboratory cultivation, differences in the growth rate and fatty acid profiles were observed between the strains. Chlorophyta were characterized by abundant C18:3n-3 fatty-acids with increases in C18:1n-9 in the stationary phase, whilst Xanthonema (Ochrophyta) was characterized by a large proportion of C20:5n-3, with increases in C16:1n-7 in the stationary phase. In a further experiment, lipid droplet formation was studied in C. reticulata at the single-cell level using imaging flow cytometry. Our study establishes new cultures of snow algae, reveals novel data on their biodiversity and biogeography, and provides an initial characterization of physiological traits that shape natural communities and their ecophysiological properties.
Insights into the Genomics of Clownfish Adaptive Radiation: The Genomic Substrate of the Diversification
Authors: Marcionetti Anna , Salamin Nicolas
Published: May 2023

Clownfishes are an iconic group of coral reef fishes that evolved a mutualistic interaction with sea anemones, which triggered the rapid diversification of the group. Following the emergence of this mutualism, clownfishes diversified into different ecological niches and developed convergent phenotypes associated with their host use. The genetic basis of the initial acquisition of the mutualism with host anemones has been described, but the genomic architecture underlying clownfish diversification once the mutualism was established and the extent to which clownfish phenotypic convergence originated through shared genetic mechanisms are still unknown. Here, we investigated these questions by performing comparative genomic analyses on the available genomic data of five pairs of closely related but ecologically divergent clownfish species. We found that clownfish diversification was characterized by bursts of transposable elements, an overall accelerated coding evolution, incomplete lineage sorting, and ancestral hybridization events. Additionally, we detected a signature of positive selection in 5.4% of the clownfish genes. Among them, five presented functions associated with social behavior and ecology, and they represent candidate genes involved in the evolution of the size-based hierarchical social structure so particular to clownfishes. Finally, we found genes with patterns of either relaxation or intensification of purifying selection and signals of positive selection linked with clownfish ecological divergence, suggesting some level of parallel evolution during the diversification of the group. Altogether, this work provides the first insights into the genomic substrate of clownfish adaptive radiation and integrates the growing collection of studies investigating the genomic mechanisms governing species diversification.
Sarcopenia Definition and Outcomes Consortium 2020 Definition: Association and Discriminatory Accuracy of Sarcopenia With Disability in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Authors: Mayhew Alexandra J , Sohel Nazmul , Beauchamp Marla K , Phillips Stuart , Raina Parminder
Published: May 2023

Background

Previous sarcopenia definitions have poor discriminatory accuracy for identifying people with/without relevant health outcomes, and poor agreement between methods of operationalizing sarcopenia criterion. The 2020 Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC) definition recommends grip strength (absolute, or standardized to body mass index, total body fat, lean arm mass, or weight), and gait speed. The agreement between methods of operationalizing grip strength and discriminatory accuracy of the SDOC definition for health outcomes such as activities of daily living (ADL) disability is unknown.

Methods

Cross-sectional analyses of 27 924 Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging participants aged 45–85 at baseline (2012–2015) stratified by sex. The associations of the SDOC definitions with ADL disability were assessed using logistic regression. Area under the curve (AUC) analyses were conducted to assess discriminatory accuracy. Agreement between methods of operationalizing grip strength was measured using Cohen’s kappa.

Results

Sarcopenia was associated with 1.60 (1.42–1.80) to 5.80 (4.89–6.88) greater odds of ADL disability with AUC values between 0.60 and 0.81. Agreement between methods of operationalizing grip strength was between 0.10–0.80 for grip strength alone and 0.45–0.91 when combined with gait speed.

Conclusions

The SDOC-suggested criteria of grip strength and gait speed are significantly associated with ADL disability and have high discriminatory accuracy. However, the agreement between methods of operationalizing grip strength tended to be modest, and AUC, sensitivity, and specificity differed depending on the definition. We suggest a single measure of grip strength be considered and age-stratified cutoff values to improve AUC values.
Developmental dynamics of chromatin accessibility during post-implantation development of monkey embryos
Authors: Dai Xi , Shao Honglian , Sun Nianqin , Ci Baiquan , Wu Jun , Liu Chuanyu , Wu Liang , Yuan Yue , Wei Xiaoyu , Yang Huanming , Liu Longqi , Ji Weizhi , Bai Bing , Shang Zhouchun , Tan Tao
Published: May 2023

Background

Early post-implantation development, especially gastrulation in primates, is accompanied by extensive drastic chromatin reorganization, which remains largely elusive.

Results

To delineate the global chromatin landscape and understand the molecular dynamics during this period, a single-cell assay for transposase accessible chromatin sequencing (scATAC-seq) was applied to in vitro cultured cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis, hereafter referred to as monkey) embryos to investigate the chromatin status. First, we delineated the cis-regulatory interactions and identified the regulatory networks and critical transcription factors involved in the epiblast (EPI), hypoblast, and trophectoderm/trophoblast (TE) lineage specification. Second, we observed that the chromatin opening of some genome regions preceded the gene expression during EPI and trophoblast specification. Third, we identified the opposing roles of FGF and BMP signaling in pluripotency regulation during EPI specification. Finally, we revealed the similarity between EPI and TE in gene expression profiles and demonstrated that PATZ1 and NR2F2 were involved in EPI and trophoblast specification during monkey post-implantation development.

Conclusions

Our findings provide a useful resource and insights into dissecting the transcriptional regulatory machinery during primate post-implantation development.
3-D crustal shear wave velocity model derived from full-waveform tomography for Central Honshu Island, Japan
Authors: Mukumoto Kota , Tsuji Takeshi
Published: May 2023

We present a crustal shear wave (S-wave) velocity model for central Japan that accurately captures the previously mapped geology and lithology of the region. We perform a full-waveform tomographic inversion using a large seismic data volume that was recorded by the dense, permanent seismic monitoring network that spans the Japan Islands to resolve the seismic structure beneath central Honshu Island. The inversion reduces the time–frequency phase misfit by 16.4 and 6.7 per cent in the 20–50-s and 10–30-s period ranges, respectively. We infer that the resolved seismic velocity anomalies in our inversion reflect a range of subsurface features, including volcanic fluids, dehydration fluids from the subducted crust and sedimentary basins. In contrast to previous S-wave velocity models of the same region, which have been based primarily on first-arrival tomography, our S-wave velocity model is based on the explicit computation of the full seismic wavefield. This approach makes our model more suitable for modelling seismic wavefields in the 10–50-s period range and enables high-resolution imaging of the subsurface.
Instantaneous 3D tomography-based convection beneath the Rungwe Volcanic Province, East Africa: implications for melt generation
Authors: Njinju Emmanuel A , Stamps D Sarah , Atekwana Estella A , Rooney Tyrone O , Rajaonarison Tahiry A
Published: May 2023

Within the Western Branch of the East African Rift (EAR), volcanism is highly localized, which is distinct from the voluminous magmatism seen throughout the Eastern Branch of the EAR. A possible mechanism for the source of melt beneath the EAR is decompression melting in response to lithospheric stretching. However, the presence of pre-rift magmatism in both branches of the EAR suggest an important role of plume-lithosphere interactions, which validates the presence of voluminous magmatism in the Eastern Branch, but not the localized magmatism in the Western Branch. We hypothesize that the interaction of a thermally heterogeneous asthenosphere (plume material) with the base of the lithosphere enables localization of deep melt sources beneath the Western Branch where there are sharp variations in lithospheric thickness. To test our hypothesis, we investigate sublithospheric mantle flow beneath the Rungwe Volcanic Province (RVP), which is the southernmost volcanic center in the Western Branch. We use seismically constrained lithospheric thickness and sublithospheric mantle structure to develop an instantaneous 3D thermomechanical model of tomography-based convection (TBC) with melt generation beneath the RVP using ASPECT. Shear wave velocity anomalies suggest excess temperatures reach ∼250 K beneath the RVP. We use the excess temperatures to constrain parameters for melt generation beneath the RVP and find that melt generation occurs at a maximum depth of ∼140 km. The TBC models reveal mantle flow patterns not evident in lithospheric modulated convection (LMC) that do not incorporate upper mantle constraints. The LMC model indicates lateral mantle flow at the base of the lithosphere over a longer interval than the TBC model, which suggests that mantle tractions from LMC might be overestimated. The TBC model provides higher melt fractions with a slightly displaced melting region when compared to LMC models. Our results suggest that upwellings from a thermally heterogeneous asthenosphere distribute and localize deep melt sources beneath the Western Branch in locations where there are sharp variations in lithospheric thickness. Even in the presence of a uniform lithospheric thickness in our TBC models, we still find a characteristic upwelling and melt localization beneath the RVP, which suggest that sublithospheric heterogeneities exert a dominant control on upper mantle flow and melt localization than lithospheric thickness variations. Our TBC models demonstrate the need to incorporate upper mantle constraints in mantle convection models and have global implications in that small-scale convection models without upper mantle constraints should be interpreted with caution.
Graph-based approximate message passing iterations
Authors: Gerbelot Cédric , Berthier Raphaël
Published: May 2023

Approximate message passing (AMP) algorithms have become an important element of high-dimensional statistical inference, mostly due to their adaptability and concentration properties, the state evolution (SE) equations. This is demonstrated by the growing number of new iterations proposed for increasingly complex problems, ranging from multi-layer inference to low-rank matrix estimation with elaborate priors. In this paper, we address the following questions: is there a structure underlying all AMP iterations that unifies them in a common framework? Can we use such a structure to give a modular proof of state evolution equations, adaptable to new AMP iterations without reproducing each time the full argument? We propose an answer to both questions, showing that AMP instances can be generically indexed by an oriented graph. This enables to give a unified interpretation of these iterations, independent from the problem they solve, and a way of composing them arbitrarily. We then show that all AMP iterations indexed by such a graph verify rigorous SE equations, extending the reach of previous proofs and proving a number of recent heuristic derivations of those equations. Our proof naturally includes non-separable functions and we show how existing refinements, such as spatial coupling or matrix-valued variables, can be combined with our framework.
Memory B cell differentiation from germinal centers
Authors: Inoue Takeshi
Published: May 2023

Establishment of humoral immune memory depends on two layers of defense: pre-existing antibodies secreted by long-lived plasma cells; and the antibodies produced by antigen-reactivated memory B cells. Memory B cells can now be considered as a second layer of defense upon re-infection by variant pathogens that have not been cleared by the long-lived plasma cell-mediated defense. Affinity-matured memory B cells are derived from the germinal center (GC) reaction, but the selection mechanism of GC B cells into the memory compartment is still incompletely understood. Recent studies have revealed the critical determinants of cellular and molecular factors for memory B cell differentiation from the GC reaction. In addition, the contribution of antibody-mediated feedback regulation to B cell selection, as exemplified by the B cell response upon COVID-19 mRNA vaccination, has now garnered considerable attention, which may provide valuable implications for future vaccine design.