bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expanding SPG18 clinical spectrum: autosomal dominant mutation causes complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia in a large family
Authors: Trinchillo Assunta , Valente Valeria , Esposito Marcello , Migliaccio Miriana , Iovino Aniello , Picciocchi Michele , Cuomo Nunzia , Caccavale Carmela , Nocerino Cristofaro , De Rosa Laura , Salvatore Elena , Pierantoni Giovanna Maria , Menchise Valeria , Paladino Simona , Criscuolo Chiara
Published: April 2024

Background

SPG18 is caused by mutations in the endoplasmic reticulum lipid raft associated 2 (ERLIN2) gene. Autosomal recessive (AR) mutations are usually associated with complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), while autosomal dominant (AD) mutations use to cause pure SPG18.

Aim

To define the variegate clinical spectrum of the SPG18 and to evaluate a dominant negative effect of erlin2 (encoded by ERLIN2) on oligomerization as causing differences between AR and AD phenotypes.

Methods

In a four-generation pedigree with an AD pattern, a spastic paraplegia multigene panel test was performed. Oligomerization of erlin2 was analyzed with velocity gradient assay in fibroblasts of the proband and healthy subjects.

Results

Despite the common p.V168M mutation identified in ERLIN2, a phenoconversion to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was observed in the second generation, pure HSP in the third generation, and a complicated form with psychomotor delay and epilepsy in the fourth generation. Erlin2 oligomerization was found to be normal.

Discussion

We report the first AD SPG18 family with a complicated phenotype, and we ruled out a dominant negative effect of V168M on erlin2 oligomerization. Therefore, our data do not support the hypothesis of a relationship between the mode of inheritance and the phenotype, but confirm the multifaceted nature of SPG18 on both genetic and clinical point of view. Clinicians should be aware of the importance of conducting an in-depth clinical evaluation to unmask all the possible manifestations associated to an only apparently pure SPG18 phenotype. We confirm the genotype–phenotype correlation between V168M and ALS emphasizing the value of close follow-up.
Lincosamide monotherapy treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia in tropical Australia: a case series
Authors: Campbell Stuart , Smith Simon , Hanson Josh
Published: April 2024

Existing recommended first-line antibiotic agents for MRSA pneumonia have several shortcomings. We reviewed 29 cases of community- and hospital-acquired MRSA pneumonia managed at our hospital. Lincosamide monotherapy was administered to 21/29 (72%) and was the predominant antibiotic regimen (> 50% course duration) in 19/29 (66%). Patients receiving lincosamide-predominant monotherapy were no more likely to die or require intensive care unit admission than patients receiving vancomycin-predominant monotherapy (5/19 (26%) versus 4/7 (57%), p = 0.19); 5/7 (71%) patients admitted to ICU and 4/5 (80%) bacteraemic patients received lincosamide-predominant monotherapy. MRSA pneumonia can be safely treated with lincosamide monotherapy if the isolate is susceptible.
Derivation and validation of a predictive mortality model of in-hospital patients with Acinetobacter baumannii nosocomial infection or colonization
Authors: Gagliardo Carola Maria , Noto Davide , Giammanco Antonina , Catanzaro Andrea , Cimino Maria Concetta , Presti Rosalia Lo , Tuttolomondo Antonino , Averna Maurizio , Cefalù Angelo Baldassare
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) is a Gram-negative opportunistic bacterium responsible for nosocomial infections or colonizations. It is considered one of the most alarming pathogens due to its multi-drug resistance and due to its mortality rate, ranging from 34 to 44,5% of hospitalized patients. The aim of the work is to create a predictive mortality model for hospitalized patient with Ab infection or colonization.

Methods

A cohort of 140 sequentially hospitalized patients were randomized into a training cohort (TC) (100 patients) and a validation cohort (VC) (40 patients). Statistical bivariate analysis was performed to identify variables discriminating surviving patients from deceased ones in the TC, considering both admission time (T0) and infection detection time (T1) parameters. A custom logistic regression model was created and compared with models obtained from the “status” variable alone (Ab colonization/infection), SAPS II, and APACHE II scores. ROC curves were built to identify the best cut-off for each model.

Results

Ab infection status, use of penicillin within 90 days prior to ward admission, acidosis, Glasgow Coma Scale, blood pressure, hemoglobin and use of NIV entered the logistic regression model. Our model was confirmed to have a better sensitivity (63%), specificity (85%) and accuracy (80%) than the other models.

Conclusion

Our predictive mortality model demonstrated to be a reliable and feasible model to predict mortality in Ab infected/colonized hospitalized patients.
Symptoms predictive of Fusobacterium necrophorum pharyngotonsillitis – an observational study of cases presenting to hospitals in Southern Sweden
Authors: Pagels Josefina , Torisson Gustav , Wasserstrom Lisa , Hedin Katarina , Holm Karin , Nygren David
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Fusobacterium necrophorum is a common cause of pharyngotonsillitis. However, no guidelines exist on when to diagnose or treat it. We aimed to investigate associations between clinical criteria and F. necrophorum-positivity in pharyngotonsillitis and assess the predictive potential of a simple scoring system.

Methods

Pharyngotonsillitis patients who were tested for F. necrophorum (PCR) and presented to hospitals in the Skåne Region, Sweden, between 2013–2020 were eligible. Data were retrieved from electronic chart reviews and registries. By logistic regression we investigated associations between F. necrophorum-positivity and pre-specified criteria: age 13–30 years, symptom duration ≤ 3 days, absence of viral symptoms (e.g. cough, coryza), fever, tonsillar swelling/exudate, lymphadenopathy and CRP ≥ 50 mg/L. In secondary analyses, associated variables were weighted by strength of association into a score and its predictive accuracy of F. necrophorum was assessed.

Results

Among 561 cases included, 184 (33%) had F. necrophorum, which was associated with the following criteria: age 13–30, symptom duration ≤ 3 days, absence of viral symptoms, tonsillar swelling/exudate and CRP ≥ 50 mg/L. Age 13–30 had the strongest association (OR5.7 95%CI 3.7–8.8). After weighting, these five variables had a sensitivity and specificity of 68% and 71% respectively to predict F. necrophorum-positivity at the proposed cut-off.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that F. necrophorum cases presenting to hospitals might be better distinguished from other pharyngotonsillitis cases by a simple scoring system presented, with age 13–30 being the strongest predictor for F. necrophorum. Prospective studies, involving primary care settings, are needed to evaluate generalisability of findings beyond cases presenting to hospitals.
Sound symbolism in manual and vocal responses: phoneme-response interactions associated with grasping as well as vertical and size dimensions of keypresses
Authors: Vainio L. , Myllylä I. L. , Vainio M.
Published: April 2024

It has been shown that reading the vowel [i] and consonant [t] facilitates precision grip responses, while [ɑ] and [k] are associated with faster power grip responses. A similar effect has been observed when participants perform responses with small or large response keys. The present study investigated whether the vowels and consonants could produce different effects with the grip responses and keypresses when the speech units are read aloud (Experiment 1) or silently (Experiment 2). As a second objective, the study investigated whether the recently observed effect, in which the upper position of a visual stimulus is associated with faster vocalizations of the high vowel and the lower position is associated with the low vowel, can be observed in manual responses linking, for example, the [i] with responses of the upper key and [ɑ] with lower responses. Firstly, the study showed that when the consonants are overtly articulated, the interaction effect can be observed only with the grip responses, while the vowel production was shown to systematically influence small/large keypresses, as well as precision/power grip responses. Secondly, the vowel [i] and consonant [t] were associated with the upper responses, while [ɑ] and [k] were associated with the lower responses, particularly in the overt articulation task. The paper delves into the potential sound-symbolic implications of these phonetic elements, suggesting that their acoustic and articulatory characteristics might implicitly align them with specific response magnitudes, vertical positions, and grip types.
The oxidation of potassium hexacyanoferrate(II)trihydrate by potassium dibromodicyanoaurate(III) in acidic solution: a kinetic study
Authors: Swarts Jannie C. , Dennis C. Robert
Published: April 2024

The reduction of the dibromodicyanoaurate(III) ion by hexacyanoferrate(II)trihydrate was studied in an acidic medium. The reaction was first order in both Au(CN)2Br2− and Fe(CN)64− and a second order rate constant of k2 = 255 ± 5 M−1 s−1 at [H+] = 2.041 × 10−4 M, an ionic strength of 0.51 M (NaBr) and 20.0 ± 0.1 °C was found for the reaction. The reaction rate decreases with increasing [H+] in the region 0.0004 ≤ [H+] ≤ 0.065 M. An equilibrium constant of Ka = (3.00 ± 0.01) × 10−3 M (pKa = 2.52) at 20.0 ± 0.1 °C was found for the deprotonation of H2Fe(CN)62−. Activation parameters of ∆H# = 47.8 ± 0.9 kJ mol−1 and ∆S# = −37 ± 3 J K−1 mol−1 have been obtained by a least squares fit of temperature data directly to the Eyring equation.

Graphical abstract
Detection of plant cadmium toxicity by monitoring dielectric response of intact root systems on a fine timescale
Authors: Cseresnyés Imre , Takács Tünde , Füzy Anna
Published: April 2024

The root dielectric response was measured on a minute scale to assess its efficiency for monitoring short-term cadmium (Cd) toxicity non-destructively. Electrical capacitance (CR), dissipation factor (DR) and electrical conductance (GR) were detected during the 24 to 168 h after Cd treatment (0, 20, 50 mg Cd2+ kg–1 substrate) in potted maize, cucumber and pea. Stress was also evaluated by measuring leaf chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm and stomatal conductance (gs) in situ, and shoot and root mass and total root length after harvest. CR showed a clear diurnal pattern, reflecting the water uptake rate, and decreased significantly in response to excessive Cd due to impeded root growth, the reduced tissue permittivity caused by accelerated lignification, and root ageing. Cd exposure markedly increased DR, indicating greater conductive energy loss due to oxidative membrane damage and enhanced electrolyte leakage. GR, which was coupled with root hydraulic conductance and varied diurnally, was increased transiently by Cd toxicity due to enhanced membrane permeability, but declined thereafter owing to stress-induced leaf senescence and transpiration loss. The time series of impedance components indicated the comparatively high Cd tolerance of the applied maize and the sensitivity of pea cultivar, which was confirmed by visible shoot symptoms, repeated physiological investigations and biomass measurements. The results demonstrated the potential of single-frequency dielectric measurements to follow certain aspects of the stress response of different species on a fine timescale without plant injury. The approach can be combined with widely used plant physiological methods and could contribute to breeding crop genotypes with improved stress tolerance.
Identification and Expression Analysis of Transcription Factors in Carallia Brachiata Genome
Authors: Qiao Hongmei
Published: April 2024

Transcription factors are important regulatory factors in gene expression. To explore the role of transcription factors in the adaptation of Carallia brachiata to its environment, this study identified the transcription factor family across the genome and analyzed their expression in eight tissues (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, ovules, fruits, seeds, embryos). The results showed that a total of 2322 transcription factor from 91 families were identified. They were significantly enriched in 12 pathways including plant signal transduction, circadian rthythm, MAPK signaling pathway-plant and plant-pathogen interaction etc. Most genes were involved in environmental information processing and environmental adaptation through signal transduction. The results of expression analysis showed 204 genes were tissue-specific. Genes that were responsible for the signal transduction of cytokinine, auxin, gibberellin, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid were mainly expressed in root, stem, leaf, flower, ovule and fruit while the genes that involve in ethylene and abscisic acid signal transduction were only expressed in seed and embryo. This study suggested that the transcription factors regulated different tissues of C. brachiata by participating in different hormone response pathways, so as to regulate plant growth and development.
The influence of an urban hukou and its acquisition methods on older adults’ happiness: an analysis based on the Chinese General Social Survey
Authors: He Li , Zhao Jinxu , Wang Jiangyin , Zheng Jialiang , Zhang Zixian , Jiang Liu
Published: April 2024

The hukou system is a population management policy in China. However, existing research has paid little attention to the relationships between Chinese urban hukou, its acquisition methods, and older adults’ happiness. This study was based on 10,954 samples from the Chinese General Social Survey in 2013, 2015, and 2017. An ordinary least squares model was used to analyze the influence and differential influence of an urban hukou and its access paths on happiness among older adults. Compared with having a rural hukou, having an urban hukou is correlated with higher levels of happiness in older adults. Moreover, those who had actively converted to an urban hukou or were born with it were happier, while passive conversion to an urban hukou was not significantly correlated with happiness. Additionally, actively converting to an urban hukou and being born with urban hukou influence the happiness of older adults by affecting their class identity and income. To improve older adults’ happiness, it is necessary to narrow the welfare gap between an urban and rural hukou, balance the allocation of public resources in urban and rural areas, and make targeted assessments to solve the difficulties of older adults who passively convert to an urban hukou.
A combination of cuproptosis and lncRNAs predicts the prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment in cervical cancer
Authors: Huang Yitong , Pan Chenxiang , Wu Suni , Ye Feng , Yang Lihua
Published: April 2024

Background

Cuproptosis induces proteotoxic stress and eventually leads to cell death. However, the relationship between cuproptosis and lncRNAs in cervical cancer has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we aim to explore the association among lncRNAs, cuproptosis and clinical features in cervical cancer.

Methods

RNA sequencing, genetic mutations, and clinical data of CESC patients were obtained from TCGA. Cuproptosis-associated genes were gathered. WGCNA was used to cluster important modules, and KEGG, GO, GSEA and GSVA were used to explore functional and pathway enrichment. The association between immune microenvironment and cuproptosis-related lncRNAs was performed by using cibersort algorithm and other platforms, including XCELL, TIMER, QUANTISEQ, MCPCOUNTER and EPIC. Fluorescence quantitative PCR was employed to detect the expression of LINC01833 and LINC02321, and CCK-8 and cell scratch assays were used to assess cell proliferation and migration capabilities after LINCRNA interference.

Results

202 upregulated and 45 downregulated lncRNAs were selected. The survival analysis showed that there was a statistically significant difference in survival rates between the high-risk and low-risk groups. The prognosis of tumour mutation burden and the degree of immune infiltration were differed noticeably between the high-risk and low-risk groups. BHG712, TL-2-105, FR-180204, Masitinib, TAK-715, ODI-027, JW-7-24-2, and OSI-930 had substantially higher IC50 values in the high-risk group. Notably, we found AL360178.1 was associated with RNF44 E3 ubiquitin ligase expression. In cervical cancer cell lines, LINC01833 and LINC02321 displayed significant upregulation. Efficient siRNA transfection led to a decreased expression of LINC01833 and LINC02321. This knockdown significantly hindered both cell proliferation and migration capabilities in cervical cancer cells compared to the negative control.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we constructed five cuprotosis-related lncRNA prognostic models, which may be new tumor therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.
Identification of hub genes and diagnostic efficacy for triple-negative breast cancer through WGCNA and Mendelian randomization
Authors: Lin Yilong , Wang Songsong , Yang Qingmo
Published: April 2024

Objective

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer with a poor prognosis due to a lack of targeted treatments resulting from limited a understanding of the underlying mechanisms. The aim of this study was the identification of hub genes for TNBC and assess their clinical applicability in predicting the disease.

Methods

This study employed a combination of weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to identify new susceptible modules and central genes in TNBC. The potential functional roles of the central genes were investigated using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses. Furthermore, a predictive model and ROC curve were developed to assess the diagnostic performance of the identified central genes. The correlation between CCNB1 and immune cells proportion was also investigated. At last, a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis utilizing Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) data was analyzed to establish the causal effect of CCNB1 level on TNBC.

Results

WGCNA was applied to determine gene co-expression maps and identify the most relevant module. Through a screening process, 1585 candidate hub genes were subsequently identified with WGCNA and DEGs. GO and KEGG function enrichment analysis indicated that these core genes were related to various biological processes, such as organelle fission, chromosome segregation, nuclear division, mitotic cell cycle phase transition, the cell cycle, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and motor proteins. Using STRING and Cytoscape, the top five genes with high degrees were identified as CDC2, CCNB1, CCNA2, TOP2A, and CCNB2. The nomogram model demonstrated good performance in predicting TNBC risk and was proven effective in diagnosis, as evidenced by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Further investigation revealed a causal association between CCNB1 and immune cell infiltrates in TNBC. Survival analysis revealed high expression of the CCNB1 gene leads to poorer prognosis in TNBC patients. Additionally, analysis using inverse variance weighting revealed that CCNB1 was linked to a 2.8% higher risk of TNBC (OR: 1.028, 95% CI 1.002–1.055, p = 0.032).

Conclusion

We established a co-expression network using the WGCNA methodology to detect pivotal genes associated with TNBC. This finding holds promise for advancing the creation of pre-symptomatic diagnostic tools and deepening our comprehension of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in TNBC risk genes.
On axially rational regular functions and Schur analysis in the Clifford-Appell setting
Authors: Alpay Daniel , Colombo Fabrizio , De Martino Antonino , Diki Kamal , Sabadini Irene
Published: April 2024

In this paper we start the study of Schur analysis for Cauchy–Fueter regular quaternionic-valued functions, i.e. null solutions of the Cauchy–Fueter operator in $${\mathbb {R}}^4$$

R

4

. The novelty of the approach developed in this paper is that we consider axially regular functions, i.e. functions spanned by the so-called Clifford-Appell polynomials. This type of functions arises naturally from two well-known extension results in hypercomplex analysis: the Fueter mapping theorem and the generalized Cauchy–Kovalevskaya (GCK) extension. These results allow one to obtain axially regular functions starting from analytic functions of one real or complex variable. Precisely, in the Fueter theorem two operators play a role. The first one is the so-called slice operator, which extends holomorphic functions of one complex variable to slice hyperholomorphic functions of a quaternionic variable. The second operator is the Laplace operator in four real variables, that maps slice hyperholomorphic functions to axially regular functions. On the other hand, the generalized CK-extension gives a characterization of axially regular functions in terms of their restriction to the real line. In this paper we use these two extensions to define two notions of rational function in the regular setting. For our purposes, the notion coming from the generalized CK-extension is the most suitable. Our results allow to consider the Hardy space, Schur multipliers and their relation with realizations in the framework of Clifford-Appell polynomials. We also introduce two notions of regular Blaschke factors, through the Fueter theorem and the generalized CK-extension.
Integer Carathéodory results with bounded multiplicity
Authors: Kuhlmann Stefan
Published: April 2024

The integer Carathéodory rank of a pointed rational cone C is the smallest number k such that every integer vector contained in C is an integral non-negative combination of at most k Hilbert basis elements. We investigate the integer Carathéodory rank of simplicial cones with respect to their multiplicity, i.e., the determinant of the integral generators of the cone. One of the main results states that simplicial cones with multiplicity bounded by five have the integral Carathéodory property, that is, the integer Carathéodory rank equals the dimension. Furthermore, we give a novel upper bound on the integer Carathéodory rank that depends on the dimension and the multiplicity. This bound improves upon the best known upper bound on the integer Carathéodory rank if the dimension exceeds the multiplicity. At last, we present special cones that have the integral Carathéodory property such as certain dual cones of Gorenstein cones.
A Retrospective Analysis of 129 Ameloblastoma Cases: Clinical and Demographical Trends from a Single Institution
Authors: Vila Stefan , Oster Robert A. , James Sherin , Morlandt Anthony B. , Powell Kathlyn K. , Amm Hope M.
Published: April 2024

Ameloblastomas are benign neoplasms of the jaw, but frequently require extensive surgery. The aim of the study was to analyze the demographic and clinicopathological features of ameloblastoma cases at a single Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery group in the United States. Study Design: A retrospective chart review of patients evaluated for ameloblastoma between 2010 and 2020 at a single tertiary care center. Age, race, sex, tumor size, tumor location, and histological subtypes were recorded. Results: A total of 129 cases of ameloblastoma were recorded with a mean patient age of 42 ± 18.6 years (range 9–91 years old), male to female ratio 1.08:1. Ameloblastoma presenting in the mandible outnumbered maxilla in primary (118 to 8, respectively) and recurrent cases (8 to 1, respectively). There was a higher prevalence of ameloblastoma in Black patients (61.3%) with mean age of Black patients occurring at 40.5 years and the mean age of White patients occurring at 47.8 years and mean tumor size trended larger in the Black patients (15.7 cm2) compared to White patients (11.8 cm2). Conclusion: Data suggests a strong influence of racial factors on the incidence of ameloblastoma, with regards to size, Black patients with ameloblastoma trended higher and more data is needed to clearly elucidate any relationship between the tumor size and race, as other factors may influence the size (such as time to discovery).
Assessing the predictability of fungicide resistance evolution through in vitro selection
Authors: Hawkins Nichola J.
Published: April 2024

Plant pathogens are highly adaptable, and have evolved to overcome control measures including multiple classes of fungicides. More effective management requires a thorough understanding of the evolutionary drivers leading to resistance. Experimental evolution can be used to investigate evolutionary processes over a compressed timescale. For fungicide resistance, applications include predicting resistance ahead of its emergence in the field, testing potential outcomes under multiple different fungicide usage scenarios or comparing resistance management strategies. This review considers different experimental approaches to in vitro selection, and their suitability for addressing different questions relating to fungicide resistance. When aiming to predict the evolution of new variants, mutational supply is especially important. When assessing the relative fitness of different variants under fungicide selection, growth conditions such as temperature may affect the results as well as fungicide choice and dose. Other considerations include population size, transfer interval, competition between genotypes and pathogen reproductive mode. However, resistance evolution in field populations has proven to be less repeatable for some fungicide classes than others. Therefore, even with optimal experimental design, in some cases the most accurate prediction from experimental evolution may be that the exact evolutionary trajectory of resistance will be unpredictable.
Upscaling earth formworks: 3D printing strategies for material optimised reinforced concrete structures
Authors: Cutajar Sacha , Dielemans Gido , Krakovska Ema , Dorresteijn Evelien , Mai Inka , Lowke Dirk , Doerfler Kathrin , Lloret-Fritschi Ena
Published: April 2024

There is a growing need to understand how locally sourced earthen materials can be processed to build more efficiently and sustainably. Earthen formworks combined with 3D printing technologies present a unique opportunity for the concrete construction sector to address the wastefulness and complexity of custom formworks. The current state-of-the-art projects in academia and industry demonstrate that earthen formwork strategies effectively address this challenge, but remain burdened by upscaling issues such as production speed. This research bridges the gap by exploring strategies for 3D Printed earth formworks to efficiently produce structural elements using custom self-compacting and set-on-demand concrete mixtures. A first base earth mix is developed for reduced shrinkage and later modified via a plasticizer for increased green strength, forming the final mix. Two mix iterations are deployed in two corresponding strategies where concrete is cast into the earth formwork in a dry or plastic state. The methods highlighting the setups for 3D printing and procedures for appropriate material processing such as slump flow, shrinkage and rheology are presented. The results are explored via two column prototypes leading to a final demonstrator for a 2 m high reinforced concrete column. Conclusions are drawn on the implications of the two casting strategies, the current persisting challenges and the crucial next steps for development. Thus, the research provides a foundation for how clay formworks can be upscaled effectively for more sustainable production of complex concrete structures.
Efficient annotation reduction with active learning for computer vision-based Retail Product Recognition
Authors: Griffioen Niels , Rankovic Nevena , Zamberlan Federico , Punith Monisha
Published: April 2024

The retail industry encounters huge obstacles with computer vision (CV) technology due to frequent model retraining with changing products and time-consuming, costly data annotation. Previous research in this field has been primarily focused on optimizing model performance rather than minimizing annotation effort. Therefore, the main idea of this paper is to evaluate active learning as a method to minimize annotation effort in the retail industry. The MVTEC Densely Segmented Supermarket dataset is used to evaluate various active learning methods such as the Least Confident, Entropy and Cost-Effective Active Learning (CEAL) along with Mask R-CNN model. The results demonstrate that annotating only 20.83$$-$$
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24.34% of the data achieves 95% of the full dataset’s performance. When training, out-of-sample data share similar characteristics, the Least Confident and CEAL methods reduce annotation requirements by 7.7$$-$$
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15.7% while maintaining 95% and 97% of the full dataset’s performance. However, the Entropy method under-performs compared to the random selection baseline. Ultimately, none of the methods show a clear advantage when the data characteristics differ between training and out-of-sample data. Finally, the proposed active learning methods on an industry-specific retail dataset remarkably propels the development of highly efficient and cost-effective CV solutions meticulously tailored for the retail industry.
Effect of Sampling Frequency on a Unilateral Isometric Hamstring Strength Assessment Using Force Plates
Authors: Ripley Nicholas J , McMahon J. J. , Comfort P
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sampling frequency on the 90–90° (90-degrees hip and knee flexion) isometric hamstring assessment. Thirty-three elite female soccer players (age: 18.7 ± 3.7 years; height: 158.3 ± 5.9 cm; body mass: 62.8 ± 5.5 kg) performed three unilateral trials on a single occasion of the 90–90° isometric hamstring assessment. Force-time data were collected using force plates at 1000 Hz and down sampled to 500-, 250-, and 100 Hz. Peak force (N), force (N) at 100- and 200 ms and average rate of force development (aRFD) (N/s) over a 100- and 200 ms epoch were calculated. A repeated measures of analysis of variance and effect size was used to compare means. Excellent absolute and good relative reliability was observed for peak force across all sampling frequencies. Force at 100- and 200 ms and aRFD over 100 ms and 200 ms resulted poor-moderate relative reliability and poor-excellent absolute reliability. No significant trivial differences were observed for peak force between sampling frequencies (P > 0.05, Cohen’s d = 0.02–0.12). A significant difference (P < 0.001) was identified in 500, 250 and 100 Hz, with small-moderate and small-large increases in force at set time points and aRFD, respectively, in comparison to 1000 Hz (d = 0.21–2.00). Higher sampling frequencies (> 500 Hz) reduces the reliability of time dependent force characteristics, with minimal effect on peak force. Regular monitoring of peak force can be performed with higher sampling frequencies, but lower sampling frequencies would be beneficial to collect reliable rapid-force generating measures.
Comparative and interactive response of salicylic acid, 24–epibrassinolide or sodium nitroprusside against cadmium stress in Linum usitatissimum
Authors: Nazir Sabreena , Arif Yamshi , Mir Anayat Rasool , Siddiqui Husna , Faizan Mohammad , Alam Pravej , Shamsul Hayat
Published: April 2024

Concerns regarding the effects of heavy metals (HMs) on agricultural productivity have grown over time. Because HM stress disrupts a number of the plants' physiological-biochemical and metabolic processes, it severely limits production. Phytohormones can effectively improve plants resistance to HM stress. This work was done to examine the comparative effectiveness of salicylic acid (SA), 24–epibrassinolide (EBL) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on photosynthetic attributes, growth, & antioxidant enzymes activity in Linum usitatissimum cv. RLC–6 (flax) subjected to cadmium (Cd) stress during vegetative growth stages. Cd considerably decreases the length, biomass, leaf diameter, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic traits; and further triggered ROS and MDA content in plant. Moreover, exogenous application of SA, EBL and SNP individually and in combination improved the antioxidant enzymatic machinery by increasing the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX), and catalase (CAT) and decrease the superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, scavenges ROS and MDA accumulation. Furthermore, submission of phytohormones also caused proline to accumulate and the activities of carbonic anhydrase (CA) and nitrate reductase (NR) to be activated which were impaired due to Cd stress. Among the phytohormones, the most effective method for dropping the damaging impacts of Cd and promoting plant growth and development was EBL. However, combined application of all three phytohormones (SA + EBL + SNP) proved to be the best. Thus, it can be concluded that, these augmented activity of antioxidants and proline elicited by application of phytohormones, would have continued to be able to give Linum usitatissimum exposed to Cd stress resistance.
Minimally invasive surgery is safe and effective for advanced HCC patients receiving perioperative adjuvant therapy: a real-world retrospective study
Authors: Ma Ben , Jiang Nan , Liu Boyuan , Wang Zhaohai , Li Chenggang , Wu Shurui , Wu Yintao , Zhao Wenchao , Xia Nianxin , Hu Minggen
Published: April 2024

Background

Combining surgery and perioperative adjuvant therapy, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), anti-PD-1 antibody, and interventional therapy, can prolong the survival of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Adverse reactions to adjuvant therapy, surgical trauma, and surgical complications are challenging for this combined treatment mode. This study aims to explore whether minimally invasive hepatectomy is safe or appropriate in patients with advanced HCC.

Methods

This retrospective study involved patients with advanced HCC who underwent minimally invasive surgery (MIS group, n = 31) or open surgery (OS group, n = 35) from August 2020 to April 2023 from four medical groups at two medical centers. Operation-related indicators, early postoperative complications, and postoperative drug tolerance were compared between the two groups.

Results

Sixty-six patients were enrolled. Between the MIS group and the OS group, there were no significant differences in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) tumor staging (P = 0.44), surgical difficulty (P = 0.29), and R0 resection rate (P = 0.34). Compared with the OS group, the MIS group had less blood loss (101.9 mL vs. 209.0 mL, P = 0.003), shorter average operation time (165.7 min vs. 224.5 min, P = 0.000 4), shorter postoperative fasting time (1.5 d vs. 2.4 d, P = 0.002), shorter postoperative bed time (1.7 d vs. 3.0 d, P < 0.0001) and length of hospital stay (7.1 d vs. 9.4 d, P = 0.001), lower incidence of complication (Clavien-Dindo grade II–III, P = 0.03), better nutritional status, and earlier postoperative adjuvant treatment.

Conclusion

Minimally invasive hepatectomy is safe for patients with advanced HCC after conversion therapy and may improve tolerance to combination treatment relative to open surgery.

Graphical Abstract
Ruins to Riches
Authors: Stokes Raymond G.
Published: April 2024

In 1945, Germany and Japan lay prostrate after total war and resounding defeat. By 1960, they had the second and fifth largest economies in the world respectively. This global leadership has been maintained ever since. How did these 'economic miracles' come to pass, and why were these two nations particularly adept at achieving them? Ray Stokes is the first to unpack these questions from comparative and international perspectives, emphasising both the individuals and companies behind this exceptional performance and the broader global political and economic contexts. He highlights the potent mixtures in both countries of judicious state action, effective industrial organisation, benign labour relations, and technological innovation, which they adapted constantly – sometimes painfully – to take full advantage of rapidly growing post-war international trade and globalisation. Together, they explain the spectacular resurgence of Deutschland AG and Japan Incorporated to global economic and technological leadership, which they have sustained to the present.
An extension of the stochastic sewing lemma and applications to fractional stochastic calculus
Authors: Matsuda Toyomu , Perkowski Nicolas
Published: April 2024

We give an extension of Lê’s stochastic sewing lemma. The stochastic sewing lemma proves convergence in

$L_m$

of Riemann type sums

$\sum _{[s,t] \in \pi } A_{s,t}$

for an adapted two-parameter stochastic process A, under certain conditions on the moments of

$A_{s,t}$

and of conditional expectations of

$A_{s,t}$

given

$\mathcal F_s$

. Our extension replaces the conditional expectation given

$\mathcal F_s$

by that given

$\mathcal F_v$

for

$v<s$

, and it allows to make use of asymptotic decorrelation properties between

$A_{s,t}$

and

$\mathcal F_v$

by including a singularity in

$(s-v)$

. We provide three applications for which Lê’s stochastic sewing lemma seems to be insufficient. The first is to prove the convergence of Itô or Stratonovich approximations of stochastic integrals along fractional Brownian motions under low regularity assumptions. The second is to obtain new representations of local times of fractional Brownian motions via discretization. The third is to improve a regularity assumption on the diffusion coefficient of a stochastic differential equation driven by a fractional Brownian motion for pathwise uniqueness and strong existence.
Psychosocial and psychological interventions for schizophrenia relapse prevention: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Liu Fang , Qiao Wei , Yuan Xiuxia , Hei Gangrui , Li Xin , Zhang Yu , Song Xueqin , Zhang Dongqing
Published: April 2024

Various psychosocial and psychological interventions have been developed to reduce schizophrenia relapse prevention. A better understanding of these active interventions is important for clinical practice and for meaningful allocation of resources. However, no bibliometric analysis of this area has been conducted. Studies were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. The publication outputs and cooperation of institutions were visualized with Origin 2021. Global cooperation was visualized using ArcGIS Pro3.0. VOSviewer was used to generate visualizations of network of authors and keywords. The number of annual publications generally showed a fluctuating upward trend over the past 20 years. Germany published the most relevant articles (361, 26.76%). The Technical University of Munich was the most productive institution (70, 9.86%). Leucht Stefan published the most articles (46, 6.48%) and had the highest number of citations (4,375 citations).Schizophrenia Researchpublished the most studies (39, 5.49%). Keywords were roughly classified into three clusters: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), family interventions and family psychoeducation and other factors related to interventions. The findings provided the current status of research on psychosocial and psychological interventions for schizophrenia relapse prevention from a bibliometric perspective. Recent research has mainly focused on CBT, family interventions and family psychoeducation.
Departure from the statistical equilibrium of large scales in forced three-dimensional homogeneous isotropic turbulence
Authors: Ding Mengjie , Xie Jin-Han , Wang Jianchun
Published: April 2024

We study the statistically steady states of the forced dissipative three-dimensional homogeneous isotropic turbulence at scales larger than the forcing scale in real separation space. The probability density functions (p.d.f.s) of longitudinal velocity difference at large separations are close to, but deviate from, Gaussian, measured by their non-zero odd parts. The analytical expressions of the third-order longitudinal structure functions derived from the Kármán–Howarth–Monin equation prove that the odd-part p.d.f.s of velocity differences at large separations are small but non-zero. Specifically, when the forcing effect in the displacement space decays exponentially as the displacement tends to infinity, the odd-order longitudinal structure functions have a power-law decay with an exponent of

$-$

2, implying a significant coupling between large and small scales. Under the assumption that forcing controls the large-scale dynamics, we propose a conjugate regime to Kolmogorov's inertial range, independent of the forcing scale, to capture the odd parts of p.d.f.s. Thus, dynamics of large scales departs from the absolute equilibrium, and we can partially recover small-scale information without explicitly resolving small-scale dynamics. The departure from the statistical equilibrium is quantified and found to be viscosity-independent. Even though this departure is small, it is significant and should be considered when studying the large scales of the forced three-dimensional homogeneous isotropic turbulence.
The dynamics of fibres dispersed in viscoelastic turbulent flows
Authors: Aswathy M.S. , Rosti Marco Edoardo
Published: April 2024

This study explores the dynamics of finite-size fibres suspended freely in a viscoelastic turbulent flow. For a fibre suspended in Newtonian flows, two different flapping regimes were identified by Rosti et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 121, issue 4, 2018, 044501): one dominated by time scales from the flow, and another dominated by time scales associated with its natural frequency. We explore in this work how the fibre dynamics is modified by the elasticity of the carrier fluid. For this, we perform direct numerical simulations of a two-way coupled fibre–fluid system in a parametric space spanning different Deborah numbers, fibre bending stiffness (flexible to rigid) and linear density difference between the fibre and the flow (neutrally buoyant to denser-than-fluid fibres). We examine how these parameters influence various fibre characteristics such as the frequency of flapping, curvature, and alignment with the fluid strain and polymer stretching directions. Results reveal that the neutrally buoyant fibres, depending on their flexibility, oscillate with large and small time scales transpiring from the flow, but the smaller time scales are suppressed as the polymer elasticity increases. Polymer stretching is uncommunicative to denser-than-fluid fibres, which flap with large time scales from the flow when flexible, and with their natural frequency when rigid. Thus the characteristic elastic time scale has a subdominant effect when the fibres are neutrally buoyant, while its effect is absent when the fibres become more inertial. In addition, we also explore the fibre's bending curvature and its preferential alignment with the flow to identify the other roles of viscoelasticity in modifying the coupled fluid–structure dynamics. Inertial fibres have larger curvatures and are less responsive to the polymer presence, whereas the neutrally buoyant fibres show quantitative changes. The perceptible passivity of the denser fibres is again reflected in the way they align preferentially with the polymeric stretching directions: the neutrally buoyant fibres show a higher alignment with the polymer stretching directions compared to the denser ones. In a nutshell, the polymers exert a larger influence on neutrally buoyant fibres, which are more reflective of the polymeric influence in the flow. The study addresses comprehensively the interplay between polymer elasticity and the fibre structural properties in determining its response behaviour in an elasto-inertial turbulent flow.
Crafting British medicine in the Empire: the establishment of medical schools in India and Canada, 1763–1837
Authors: Robert Martin
Published: April 2024

In the early nineteenth century, medical schools became a growing means of regulating medicine in the British Empire, both in the metropole and in two colonies: India and Canada. By examining the establishment of medical schools in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto between the end of the Seven Years’ War and the beginning of the Victorian era, this article argues that the rise of the British Empire was a key factor in the gradual replacement of private medical apprenticeships with institutional medical education. Although the imperial state did not implement a uniform medical policy across the British Empire, the medical schools established under its jurisdiction were instrumental in devising a curriculum that emphasised human dissection, bedside training in hospitals and organic chemistry as criteria of medical competence.
When can networks be inferred from observed groups?
Authors: Neal Zachary P.
Published: April 2024

Collecting network data directly from network members can be challenging. One alternative involves inferring a network from observed groups, for example, inferring a network of scientific collaboration from researchers’ observed paper authorships. In this paper, I explore when an unobserved undirected network of interest can accurately be inferred from observed groups. The analysis uses simulations to experimentally manipulate the structure of the unobserved network to be inferred, the number of groups observed, the extent to which the observed groups correspond to cliques in the unobserved network, and the method used to draw inferences. I find that when a small number of groups are observed, an unobserved network can be accurately inferred using a simple unweighted two-mode projection, provided that each group’s membership closely corresponds to a clique in the unobserved network. In contrast, when a large number of groups are observed, an unobserved network can be accurately inferred using a statistical backbone extraction model, even if the groups’ memberships are mostly random. These findings offer guidance for researchers seeking to indirectly measure a network of interest using observations of groups.
Normalized solutions to the quasilinear Schrödinger equations with combined nonlinearities
Authors: Mao Anmin , Lu Shuyao
Published: April 2024

We consider the radially symmetric positive solutions to quasilinear problem
\begin{equation*}-\triangle u-u\triangle u^{2}+\lambda u=f(u),\quad{\rm in} \ \mathbb{R}^{N},\end{equation*}

having prescribed mass $\int_{\mathbb{R}^{N}}|u|^2 =a^2,$ where a > 0 is a constant, λ appears as a Lagrange multiplier. We focus on the pure L2-supercritical case and combination case of L2-subcritical and L2-supercritical nonlinearities
\begin{equation*}f(u)=\tau |u|^{q-2}u+|u|^{p-2}u,\quad \tau \gt 0,\qquad{\rm where}\ \ 2 \lt q \lt 2+\frac{4}{N} \ {\rm and} \quad \ p \gt \bar{p},\end{equation*}

where $\bar{p}:=4+\frac{4}{N}$ is the L2-critical exponent. Our work extends and develops some recent results in the literature.
Cercarial productivity of redial generations in single-miracidium infections of Lymnaea truncatula with Paramphistomum daubneyi or Fasciola hepatica
Authors: Abrous M. , Rondelaud D. , Dreyfuss G.
Published: April 2024

Single-miracidium infections of Lymnaea truncatula with Paramphistomum daubneyi or with Fasciola hepatica were carried out under laboratory conditions to count free rediae, their germinal embryos, and to determine the cercarial productivity of each redial generation. In snails infected by P. daubneyi, the cercariae were produced by the first (8.7 cercariae per redia) and second (8.9 per redia) generations. At day 63 post-exposure, they corresponded, respectively, to 53.9% and 46.1% of cercariae produced by all rediae. In snails infected by F. hepatica, the majority of cercariae were produced by the R2a group (18.2 cercariae per redia) and corresponded to 66.0% of cercariae produced all rediae. The cercariae produced by the other redial groups were more limited in number: 17.5 per redia in the R1b group (28.7%) and 2.0 per redia in the R2b/R3a group (5.3%). Cercarial productivity of P. daubneyi until day 63 post-exposure was more limited in number than that of F. hepatica: a total of 145 cercariae per snail versus 427 per snail.