bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Subclonal p53 immunostaining in the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma molecular subtype
Authors: Huvila Jutta , Thompson Emily F , Vanden Broek Jamie , Lum Amy , Senz Janine , Leung Samuel , Gilks C Blake , Köbel Martin , McAlpine Jessica N , Jamieson Amy
Published: August 2023

Aims

The significance of subclonal expression of p53 (abrupt transition from wild‐type to mutant‐pattern staining) is not well understood, and the arbitrary diagnostic cut‐off of 10% between NSMP and p53abn molecular subtypes of endometrial carcinoma (EC) has not been critically assessed. Our aim was to characterise subclonal p53 and discrepant p53 expression/TP53 sequencing results in EC and assess their clinical significance.

Methods and results

Subclonal p53 immuostaining on whole sections from 957 ECs was recorded. Agreement between TP53 mutational assessment and p53 immunostaining was evaluated. Subclonal p53 IHC staining was seen in 4.0% (38 of 957) of cases, with 23 of 957 (2.4%) showing mutant‐pattern p53 staining in ≥10% of tumour cells. It was most commonly seen in POLEmut (nine of 65, 14%) and MMRd (13 of 274, 4.7%) EC (‘multiple classifier’ ECs), where subclonal p53 staining does not impact the molecular subtype diagnosis. Excluding POLEmut and MMRd EC, 11 of 957 (1.1%) showed ≥10% subclonal p53 from which four patients died of disease, while there were no deaths due to disease in the five patients with <10% mutant‐pattern p53 staining. Agreement between p53 immunostaining and TP53 sequencing was 92.6%; most of the discrepant results were in the ultramutated POLEmut or hypermutated MMRd ECs. In NSMP and p53abn EC the agreement between IHC and sequencing was 95.8%.

Conclusions

Subclonal p53 staining ≥10% is present in only 1.1% of EC after excluding ‘multiple classifier’ ECs. The cut‐off of ≥10% subclonal p53 staining identified patients at increased risk of dying from EC, supporting its use to diagnose p53abn molecular subtype.
Impact of tissue sampling on detection of venous invasion in colorectal cancer: a prospective analysis
Authors: Duan Kai , Chow Brian , Tsui William , Elliot Colin , Sari Aysegul , Shivji Sameer , Kirsch Richard , Conner James R
Published: August 2023

Aims

Venous invasion (VI) is a powerful yet under‐reported prognostic factor in colorectal cancer (CRC). Efforts to improve its detection have largely focused upon histological assessment, with less attention paid to tissue‐sampling strategies. This study aimed to prospectively determine the number of tumour blocks required to optimise VI detection in CRC resections. In addition, the relationship between linear spiculation (LS) and extramural venous invasion (EMVI) was investigated.

Methods and results

A standardised tissue sampling protocol was developed and applied prospectively to 217 CRC resections [AJCC 8th edition, stage 1 (n = 32); stage 2 (n = 84); stage 3 (n = 87); stage 4 (n = 14); and post‐neoadjuvant therapy (n = 46)]. Elastin stains were performed on all tumour blocks. VI was identified in 55% of cases (EMVI = 37%; IMVI alone = 18%). The sensitivity of VI detection increased with increasing numbers of tumour blocks submitted [one block (35%), three blocks (66%), five blocks (84%), six blocks (95%) and seven blocks (97%)]. Similar findings were observed for EMVI [one block (35%), three blocks (73%), five blocks (89%), six blocks (96%) and seven blocks (96%)]. LS was identified macroscopically in 22% of specimens. In cases where no neoadjuvant therapy had been given, EMVI was significantly associated with LS (71% in LS+ cases versus 29% in LS– cases; P < 0.001). In addition, tumour blocks targeting LS were associated with a fivefold higher rate of EMVI compared with blocks that did not (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate the impact of tissue sampling and quality of gross examination on VI detection and may inform practices in future CRC protocols.
Mn2+/Pr3+/Tb3+ single‐doped Mg4Ga4Ge3O16 persistent luminescence materials for optical information storage application
Authors: Jiang Chen , Zhang Rui , Han Lidan , Chen Yanhui
Published: August 2023

Persistent luminescence (PersL) phosphors are considered as promising candidates for the next generation of information storage medium. Mg4Ga4Ge3O16 (MGG) is an electron trapping material which exhibits defect luminescence, and the luminescent properties are easily tuned via doping various activated ions. In this work, undoped and Mn2+/Pr3+/Tb3+ single‐doped MGG phosphors were synthesized via high temperature solid phase reactions. X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope results confirm that the activated ions tend to occupy Mg2+ sites. Excited at 265 nm, the MGG host exhibits a defect emission band peaked at 450 nm. Red, pink and green emissions are observed in the Mn2+/Pr3+/Tb3+ single‐doped MGG samples, which are ascribed to the Mn2+: 4T1(G) → 6A1(S), Pr3+: 1D2 → 3H4 and Tb3+: 5D4 → 7F5 transitions, respectively. All the samples exhibit bright PersL for minutes after the cessation of excitation. The energy transfer, concentration quenching, luminescence decay and afterglow mechanisms are also discussed in detail. The phosphors exhibit efficient thermal and optical stimuli response, showing great potentials in the optical information storage.
Further psychometric validation and test–retest reproducibility of the WOUND‐Q
Authors: Simonsen Nina Vestergaard , Klassen Anne F. , Rae Charlene , Dalaei Farima , Cano Stefan , Poulsen Lotte , Pusic Andrea L. , Sørensen Jens Ahm
Published: August 2023

WOUND‐Q is a condition‐specific patient‐reported outcome measure developed for all types of chronic wounds, located anywhere on the body. To establish reliability and validity of a patient‐reported outcome measure, multiple pieces of evidence are required. The purpose of this study was to examine the measurement properties of 9 of the 13 WOUND‐Q scales and perform a test–retest reproducibility study in an international sample. In August 2022, we invited members of an international online community (Prolific.com) with any type of chronic wound to complete a survey containing the WOUND‐Q scales, the Wound‐QoL and EQ‐5D. A test–retest survey was performed 7 days after the first survey. It was possible to examine the reliability and validity of eight of the nine WOUND‐Q scales by Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT). To examine test–retest reproducibility intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), the standard error of the measurement and the smallest detectable change were calculated. In total, 421 patients from 22 different countries with 11 different types of chronic wounds took part in this study. Our analyses provided further evidence of the reliability and validity of the scales measuring wound characteristics (assessment, drainage, smell), health‐related quality of life (life impact, psychological, sleep, social) and wound treatment (dressing).
On vector linear double autoregression
Authors: Lin Yuchang , Zhu Qianqian
Published: August 2023

This article proposes a vector linear double autoregressive (VLDAR) model with the constant conditional correlation specification, which can capture the co‐movement of multiple series and jointly model their conditional means and volatilities. The strict stationarity of the new model is discussed, and a self‐weighted Gaussian quasi‐maximum likelihood estimator (SQMLE) is proposed for estimation. To reduce the computational cost, especially when the series dimension is large, a block coordinate descent (BCD) algorithm is provided to calculate the SQMLE. Moreover, a Bayesian information criterion is introduced for order selection, and a multi‐variate mixed portmanteau test is constructed for checking the adequacy of fitted models. All asymptotic properties for estimation, model selection, and portmanteau test are established without any moment restrictions imposed on the data process, which makes the new model and its inference tools applicable for heavy‐tailed data. Simulation experiments are conducted to evaluate the finite‐sample performance of the proposed methodology, and an empirical example on analyzing S&P 500 sector indices is presented to illustrate the usefulness of the new model in contrast with competitors.
Effects of dietary supplementation of Achyranthes aspera extract on growth performance, digestibility, innate immunity, antioxidant capacity, and disease resistance of juvenile Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei
Authors: Ko Daehyun , Medagoda Nalin , Yun Kawn‐Sik , Lee Kyeong‐Jun
Published: August 2023

A supplemental effect of Achyranthes aspera extract (200 mg/kg phytosterol) in diets was evaluated for Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) on growth performance, digestibility, innate immunity, antioxidant capacity, and disease resistance against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. A fish meal and soybean meal‐based control diet (Con; protein 38.0% and lipid 8.7%) was formulated and five other diets were prepared by adding A. aspera extract into Con diet to be 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 mg phytosterol/kg concentration (designated as P05, P10, P20, P40, and P80, respectively). Three replicate groups of 30 shrimp (initial body weight, 0.40 ± 0.001 g) per diet were randomly assigned into 18 acrylic tanks (240 L) and fed one of the diets for 53 days. The growth performance and feed utilization efficiency were significantly higher in shrimp fed P20 and P80 diets than in shrimp fed Con and P10 diets. The dietary phytosterol supplementation improved non‐specific immune response, antioxidant capacity, and apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter and protein of shrimp. The IGF‐binding protein gene expression was also upregulated with dietary phytosterol supplementation. During the challenge test, the disease resistance of shrimp was significantly enhanced against V. parahaemolyticus when shrimp were fed P20 diet. These results indicate that A. aspera extract could be used as a functional feed additive for the improvements in the growth performance, feed efficiency, innate immunity, antioxidant capacity, digestibility, and disease resistance of the shrimp. The optimum dietary inclusion level of the phytosterol seems to be 0.2–0.4 mg/kg diet.
Using Interactive Fiction to Stimulate Metalinguistic Talk in the English Classroom
Authors: Holdstock Sam
Published: August 2023

Interactive Fiction (IF)—a digital form of non‐linear narrative writing—requires readers to respond, to make choices that shape their reading experience. I argue that such choices can be put to use in the classroom, helping teachers to facilitate metalinguistic talk. In this article, I offer a clear conceptualisation of metalinguistic talk, drawing upon existing research to create a useful framework comprised of four characteristics. Using this framework, and with reference to interview data and field notes, I analyse and consider two transcripts of classroom talk in order to explore the extent to which a particular work of IF enabled me to facilitate metalinguistic talk with a class of 16–17‐year‐old English Literature students. The lesson in question formed part of an action research project exploring the possibilities for IF in the secondary school English classroom. I argue that the choices contained withinA Great Gatsby, a work of IF which I designed via a process of critical‐creative textual intervention and using Fitzgerald'sThe Great Gatsbyas my source material, can help to scaffold metalinguistic talk—conversationsaboutlanguage.
The analysis of reliability and validity of a competency evaluation model for front‐line nursing staff during the outbreak of major infectious diseases
Authors: Bai Xue , Gan Xiuni , Yang Ruiqi , Gao Ruqi , Zhou Wen , Zheng Qiulan , Shi Yan
Published: August 2023

Background

Outbreaks of major infectious diseases represent a tremendous threat to people's health, safety and property, yet little is known about the competence of front‐line caregivers in such situations.

Aim

To construct a model for evaluating the competency of front‐line nursing staff during major infectious disease outbreaks and to test the model's reliability and validity.

Study Design

This was a cross‐sectional study that took place between November and December 2021, in Chinese hospitals. The model was constructed through literature reviews, descriptive qualitative research, the Delphi method and the analytic hierarchy process. To evaluate the model's validity and reliability, 550 front‐line nurses were selected to complete a questionnaire survey, and six experts were invited to conduct a content validity evaluation. Cronbach's α coefficient was used to test the model's reliability, while an exploratory factor analysis was used to measure the structural validity of the model.

Results

The model included 57 items. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the model was 0.983, and the content validity index was 0.958. Six common factors were produced by exploratory factor analysis. The cumulative variance contribution rate was 66.718%. After discussion, the original four dimensions were maintained.

Conclusion

The model for evaluating the competency of front‐line nursing staff during an outbreak of major infectious diseases has strong reliability and validity and can be used as a tool to assess the competency level of front‐line nursing staff.

Relevance to clinical practice

This model can provide a useful reference for care managers to accurately evaluate, train and select caregivers during an epidemic.
Association between vaginal bleeding in pregnancy that resulted in delivery and risk of cancer: A Danish registry‐based cohort study
Authors: Dudukina Elena , Horváth‐Puhó Erzsébet , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Ehrenstein Vera
Published: August 2023

Background

Vaginal bleeding (VB) before 20 gestational weeks of a viable pregnancy is a manifestation of a threatened miscarriage. VB is associated with increased levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines such as interferon‐gamma, tumour necrosis factor‐alpha and interleukin‐6. Increased levels of these cytokines and oxidative stress are risk factors for cancer. The risk of cancer following a VB‐affected pregnancy that ended in childbirth is unknown.

Objectives

To investigate the associations between VB in pregnancy that resulted in delivery and risk of incident cancer.

Methods

We conducted a cohort study (1995–2018) in Denmark using administrative and healthcare registries. We included 37,082 VB‐affected deliveries, 1,363,614 VB‐unaffected deliveries, 324,328 pregnancies ending in terminations, and 137,104 miscarriages. We computed the absolute risk of cancer and hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for age, calendar year, morbidities, and socio‐economic factors using Cox proportional hazards regression. Multiple pregnancies to the same woman were accounted for in the analysis.

Results

The median (25th–75th percentile) follow‐up in the study was 12.6 (6.9, 18.2) years. The prevalence of VB in the present study was 3%. At the end of the follow‐up, there were 1320 cancer cases among the VB‐affected delivery cohort, 40,420 among the VB‐unaffected delivery cohort, 10,300 among the termination cohort and 4790 among the miscarriage cohort. HRs for any cancer among VB‐affected deliveries were 1.03 (95% CI 0.97, 1.08) compared with VB‐unaffected deliveries, 1.03 (95% CI 0.97, 1.09) compared with terminations and 0.90 (95% CI 0.84, 0.95) compared with miscarriages. There were no increased risks of premenopausal breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovary and fallopian tube cancer or uterine cancer following VB‐affected deliveries vs. comparison cohorts.

Conclusions

We found no evidence of an association between vaginal bleeding in pregnancy and an increased risk of cancer.
Small for gestational age preterm infants and later adiposity and height: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Elmrayed Seham , Pinto Jahaira , Tough Suzanne C. , McDonald Sheila W. , Scime Natalie V. , Wollny Krista , Lee Yoonshin , Kramer Michael S. , Ospina Maria B. , Lorenzetti Diane L. , Madubueze Ada , Leung Alexander A. , Kumar Manoj , Fenton Tanis R.
Published: August 2023

Background

Overweight and obesity and their consequent morbidities are important worldwide health problems. Some research suggests excess adiposity origins may begin in fetal life, but unknown is whether this applies to infants born preterm.

Objective

The objective of the study was to assess the association between small for gestational age (SGA) birth and later adiposity and height among those born preterm.

Data sources

MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL until October 2022.

Study selection and data extraction

Studies were included if they reported anthropometric (adiposity measures and height) outcomes for participants born preterm with SGA versus non‐SGA. Screening, data extraction and risks of bias assessments were conducted in duplicate by two reviewers.

Synthesis

We meta‐analysed across studies using random‐effects models and explored potential heterogeneity sources.

Results

Thirty‐nine studies met the inclusion criteria. In later life, preterm SGA infants had a lower body mass index (−0.66 kg/m2, 95% CI −0.79, −0.53; 32 studies, I2 = 16.7, n = 30,346), waist circumference (−1.20 cm, 95% CI −2.17, −0.23; 13 studies, I2 = 19.4, n = 2061), lean mass (−2.62 kg, 95% CI −3.45, 1.80; 7 studies, I2 = 0, n = 205) and height (−3.85 cm, 95% CI −4.73, −2.96; 26 studies, I2 = 52.6, n = 4174) compared with those preterm infants born non‐SGA. There were no differences between preterm SGA and preterm non‐SGA groups in waist/hip ratio, body fat, body fat per cent, truncal fat per cent, fat mass index or lean mass index, although power was limited for some analyses. Studies were rated at high risk of bias due to potential residual confounding and low risk of bias in other domains.

Conclusions

Compared to their preterm non‐SGA peers, preterm infants born SGA have lower BMI, waist circumference, lean body mass and height in later life. No differences in adiposity were observed between SGA preterm infants and non‐SGA preterm infants.
HLA‐OLI: A new MHC class I pseudogene and HLA‐Y are located on a 60 kb indel in the human MHC between HLA‐W and HLA‐J
Authors: Alexandrov Nickolai , Wang Ting , Blair Lindley , Nadon Brian , Sayer David
Published: August 2023

Analysis of publicly available whole‐genome sequence data from the Human Pangenome Project and the 1000 Genomes Project has identified a DNA segment of approximately 60 kb in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) between HLA‐W and HLA‐J that is present in some MHC haplotypes but not others. This DNA segment is largely repeat element‐rich but includes the pseudogene HLA‐Y, thus pinpointing the location of this pseudogene, and a new HLA class I sequence we have called HLA‐OLI. HLA‐OLI clusters phylogenetically with the HLA class I pseudogenes, HLA‐P and HLA‐W, and appears to have a similar genetic structure. The availability of whole‐genome sequence data from diverse populations enables a detailed characterization of the MHC at the population level and will have implications for understanding MHC disease associations and the non‐HLA MHC factors that impact unrelated hematopoietic cell transplant outcomes.
Cover Image
Authors: Schrock Morgan S. , Zalenski Abigail A. , Tallman Miranda M. , Kollin Luke , Bratasz Anna , Weeks Griffin , Miller Margaret A. , Sweeney Courtney N. , Pluhar G. Elizabeth , Olin Michael R. , Kisseberth William C. , Bentley R. Timothy , Dickinson Peter J. , York Daniel , Webb Amy , Wang Xu , Moore Sarah , Venere Monica , Summers Matthew K.
Published: August 2023

The cover image is based on the Original Article Establishment and characterization of two novel patient‐derived lines from canine high‐grade glioma by Morgan S. Schrock et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/vco.12912.

image
Detagging Sylvia Plath from Feminism by Tracing Her Writing Trajectory
Authors: Liu Siqun
Published: August 2023

Be a genius? Be a tragedy? Is Sylvia Plath a feminist or is she an impeded writer? When some feminist scholars entitle Plath as a feminist vanguard, they credit her writing desire to feminism impulsion and her writing block to social oppression against females. However, her journals and letters offer direct materials that speak for Plath’s not being a feminist. She writes for self-fulfillment and her writing anxiety is a consequence of her destitution and fading inspiration.
Denoising odontocete echolocation clicks using a hybrid model with convolutional neural network and long short-term memory network
Authors: Yang Wuyi , Chang Wenlei , Song Zhongchang , Niu Fuqiang , Wang Xianyan , Zhang Yu
Published: August 2023

Ocean noise negatively influences the recording of odontocete echolocation clicks. In this study, a hybrid model based on the convolutional neural network (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) network—called a hybrid CNN-LSTM model—was proposed to denoise echolocation clicks. To learn the model parameters, the echolocation clicks were partially corrupted by adding ocean noise, and the model was trained to recover the original echolocation clicks. It can be difficult to collect large numbers of echolocation clicks free of ambient sea noise for training networks. Data augmentation and transfer learning were employed to address this problem. Based on Gabor functions, simulated echolocation clicks were generated to pre-train the network models, and the parameters of the networks were then fine-tuned using odontocete echolocation clicks. Finally, the performance of the proposed model was evaluated using synthetic data. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed model for denoising two typical echolocation clicks—namely, narrowband high-frequency and broadband echolocation clicks. The denoising performance of hybrid models with the different number of convolution and LSTM layers was evaluated. Consequently, hybrid models with one convolutional layer and multiple LSTM layers are recommended, which can be adopted for denoising both types of echolocation clicks.
Shear wave modes in an equilateral triangular prismatic bar
Authors: Asfar Omar , Morvan Bruno
Published: August 2023

Shear wave excitation of an equilateral triangular solid bar shows the existence of horizontally polarized (SH) and vertically polarized (SV) shear waves. The SH wave modes are Lamé solutions of the Neumann problem for displacement and Dirichlet problem for stress in the equilateral triangle. It is shown that Lamé's solutions are obtained from superposition of three equal plane waves and their reflections. The Neumann SH modes have cutoff wavenumber 4mπ/(3a), where m=1,2,3,…, a being the side length of triangular cross section. The first Dirichlet SH mode has a higher cutoff wavenumber 4π7/(3a). The SV modes are related to the 30°–60°–90° and 30°–120°–30° sub triangles. Their cutoff wavenumbers lie between those of the first (m = 1) and second (m = 2) Neumann SH modes. The standing wave condition in each sub triangle is related to three unequal plane waves which decompose via symmetrical component analysis into two different sets of equal plane waves. A nonlinear product solution based on the new plane wave set leads to modal SV wave solutions. Dispersion curves calculated using COMSOL confirm the correct cutoff wavenumbers of both SH and SV waves. Normal displacement mode shapes are calculated analytically and verified experimentally using laser vibrometer with good agreement for all modes.
Uncertainty quantification for direction-of-arrival estimation with conformal prediction
Authors: Khurjekar Ishan D. , Gerstoft Peter
Published: August 2023

Uncertainty quantification (UQ) of deep learning (DL)-based acoustic estimation methods is useful for establishing confidence in the predictions. This is crucial to enable the real-world applicability of DL-based systems for acoustic tasks. Specifically, it is proposed to use conformal prediction (CP) for UQ in direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation. CP is a statistically rigorous method to provide confidence intervals for an estimated quantity without making distributional assumptions. With CP, confidence intervals are computed via quantiles of user-defined scores. This easy-to-use method can be applied to any trained classification/regression model if an appropriate score function is chosen. The proposed approach shows the potential to enhance the real-time applicability of DL methods for DOA estimation. The advantages of CP are illustrated for different DL methods for DOA estimation in the presence of commonly occurring environmental uncertainty. Codes are available online (https://github.com/NoiseLabUCSD/ConformalPrediction).
Critical role for ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase subunit M2 in ALV-J-induced activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling via interaction with P27
Authors: Tang Shuang , Leng Mei , Tan Chen , Zhu Lin , Pang Yanling , Zhang Xinheng , Chang Yung-Fu , Lin Wencheng
Published: August 2023

Avian leukemia virus subgroup J (ALV-J) causes various diseases associated with tumor formation and decreased fertility and induced immunosuppressive disease, resulting in significant economic losses in the poultry industry globally. Virus usually exploits the host cellular machinery for their replication. Although there are increasing evidences for the cellular proteins involving viral replication, the interaction between ALV-J and host proteins leading to the pivotal steps of viral life cycle are still unclear. Here, we reported that ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase subunit M2 (RRM2) plays a critical role during ALV-J infection by interacting with capsid protein P27 and activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. We found that the expression of RRM2 is effectively increased during ALV-J infection, and that RRM2 facilitates ALV-J replication by interacting with viral capsid protein P27. Furthermore, ALV-J P27 activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling by promoting β-catenin entry into the nucleus, and RRM2 activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling by enhancing its phosphorylation at Ser18 during ALV-J infection. These data suggest that the upregulation of RRM2 expression by ALV-J infection favors viral replication in host cells via activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

IMPORTANCE

Our results revealed a novel mechanism by which RRM2 facilitates ALV-J growth. That is, the upregulation of RRM2 expression by ALV-J infection favors viral replication by interacting with capsid protein P27 and activating Wnt/β-catenin pathway in host cells. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of serine at position 18 of RRM2 was verified to be the important factor regulating the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. This study provides insights for further studies of the molecular mechanism of ALV-J infection.
Metabolomic analysis of pig spleen reveals African swine fever virus infection increased acylcarnitine levels to facilitate viral replication
Authors: Yang Xing , Bie Xintian , Liu Huanan , Shi Xijuan , Zhang Dajun , Zhao DengShuai , Hao Yu , Yang Jinke , Yan Wenqian , Chen Guohui , Chen Lingling , Zhu Zixiang , Yang Fan , Ma Xusheng , Liu Xiangtao , Zheng Haixue , Zhang Keshan
Published: August 2023

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) that adversely affects the pig industry. The spleen is the main target organ of ASFV; however, the function of metabolites in the spleen during ASFV infection is yet to be investigated. To define the metabolic changes in the spleen after ASFV infection, untargeted and targeted metabolomics analyses of spleens from ASFV-infected pigs were conducted. Untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed 540 metabolites with significant differential levels. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that these metabolites were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, including nucleotide metabolism, purine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. Moreover, 134 of 540 metabolites quantified by targeted metabolomics analysis had differential levels and were enriched in metabolic pathways such as the biosynthesis of cofactors, ABC transporters, and biosynthesis of amino acids. Furthermore, coalition analysis of untargeted and targeted metabolomics data revealed that the levels of acylcarnitines, which are intermediates of fatty acid β-oxidation, were significantly increased in ASFV-infected spleens compared with those in the uninfected spleens. Moreover, inhibiting fatty acid β-oxidation significantly reduced ASFV replication, indicating that fatty acid β-oxidation is essential for this process. To our knowledge, this is the first report presenting the metabolite profiles of ASFV-infected pigs. This study revealed a new mechanism of ASFV-mediated regulation of host metabolism. These findings provide new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of ASFV, which will benefit the development of target drugs for ASFV replication.

IMPORTANCE

African swine fever virus, the only member of the
Asfarviridae
family, relies on hijacking host metabolism to meet the demand for self-replication. However, the change in host metabolism after African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection remains unknown. Here, we analyzed the metabolic changes in the pig spleen after ASFV infection for the first time. ASFV infection increased the levels of acylcarnitines. Inhibition of the production and metabolism of acylcarnitines inhibited ASFV replication. Acylcarnitines are the vital intermediates of fatty acid β-oxidation. This study highlights the critical role of fatty acid β-oxidation in ASFV infection, which may help identify target drugs to control African swine fever disease.
Genomic epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility profiling of uropathogenic
Escherichia coli
among children in the United States
Authors: Salamzade Rauf , McElheny Christi L. , Manson Abigail L. , Earl Ashlee M. , Shaikh Nader , Doi Yohei
Published: August 2023

Escherichia coli
is the most common cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children, and yet the underlying mechanisms of virulence and antibiotic resistance and the overall population structure of the species is poorly understood within this age group. To investigate whether uropathogenic
E. coli
(UPEC) from children who developed pyelonephritis carried specific genetic markers, we generated whole-genome sequence data for 96 isolates from children with UTIs. This included 57 isolates from children with either radiologically confirmed pyelonephritis or cystitis and 27 isolates belonging to the well-known multidrug-resistant sequence type ST131, selected to investigate their population structure and antibiotic resistance characteristics. We observed a UPEC population structure that is similar to those reported in adults. In comparison with prior investigations, we found that the full
pap
operon was more common among UPEC from pediatric cases of pyelonephritis. Further, in contrast with recent reports that the P-fimbriae adhesin-encoding
papGII
allele is substantially more prevalent in invasive UPEC from adults, we found
papGII
was common to both invasive and non-invasive UPEC from children. Among the set of ST131 isolates from children with UTIs, we found antibiotic resistance was correlated with known genetic markers of resistance, as in adults. Unexpectedly, we observed that
fimH
30, an allele of the fimbrial gene
fimH
often used as a proxy to type ST131 isolates into the most drug-resistant subclade C, was carried by some of the subclade A and subclade B isolates, suggesting that the
fimH
30 allele could confer a selective advantage for UPEC.

IMPORTANCE

Urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are most often caused by
Escherichia coli
, are not well studied in children. Here, we examine genetic characteristics that differentiate UTI-causing bacteria in children that either remain localized to the bladder or are involved in more serious kidney infections. We also examine patterns of antibiotic resistance among strains from children that are part of
E. coli
sequence type 131, a group of bacteria that commonly cause UTIs and are known to have high levels of drug resistance. This work provides new insight into the virulence and antibiotic resistance characteristics of the bacteria that cause UTIs in children.
Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines on postdural puncture headache: a consensus report from a multisociety international working group
Authors: Uppal Vishal , Russell Robin , Sondekoppam Rakesh V , Ansari Jessica , Baber Zafeer , Chen Yian , DelPizzo Kathryn , Dirzu Dan Sebastian , Kalagara Hari , Kissoon Narayan R , Kranz Peter G , Leffert Lisa , Lim Grace , Lobo Clara , Lucas Dominique Nuala , Moka Eleni , Rodriguez Stephen E , Sehmbi Herman , Vallejo Manuel C , Volk Thomas , Narouze Samer
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) can follow unintentional dural puncture during epidural techniques or intentional dural puncture during neuraxial procedures such as a lumbar puncture or spinal anesthesia. Evidence-based guidance on the prevention, diagnosis or management of this condition is, however, currently lacking. This multisociety guidance aims to fill this void and provide practitioners with comprehensive information and patient-centric recommendations to prevent, diagnose and manage patients with PDPH.

Methods

Based on input from committee members and stakeholders, the committee cochairs developed 10 review questions deemed important for the prevention, diagnosis and management of PDPH. A literature search for each question was performed in MEDLINE (Ovid) on 2 March 2022. The results from each search were imported into separate Covidence projects for deduplication and screening, followed by data extraction. Additional relevant clinical trials, systematic reviews and research studies published through March 2022 were also considered for the development of guidelines and shared with contributors. Each group submitted a structured narrative review along with recommendations graded according to the US Preventative Services Task Force grading of evidence. The interim draft was shared electronically, with each collaborator requested to vote anonymously on each recommendation using two rounds of a modified Delphi approach.

Results

Based on contemporary evidence and consensus, the multidisciplinary panel generated 50 recommendations to provide guidance regarding risk factors, prevention, diagnosis and management of PDPH, along with their strength and certainty of evidence. After two rounds of voting, we achieved a high level of consensus for all statements and recommendations. Several recommendations had moderate-to-low certainty of evidence.

Conclusions

These clinical practice guidelines for PDPH provide a framework to improve identification, evaluation and delivery of evidence-based care by physicians performing neuraxial procedures to improve the quality of care and align with patients’ interests. Uncertainty remains regarding best practice for the majority of management approaches for PDPH due to the paucity of evidence. Additionally, opportunities for future research are identified.
Radiative MHD Casson nanofluid flow through a porous medium with heat generation and slip conditions
Authors: Hussain Usama , Zeb Salman , Yousaf Muhammad
Published: August 2023

This paper presents an investigation of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) Casson nanofluid flow along a stretchable surface through a permeable medium. The modeling of the physical phenomena is considered with impact of thermal radiation, heat generation, slip conditions and suction. Transformations of the governing set of mathematical equations for the physical model are carried out into nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with appropriate similarity variables. The nonlinear ODE solutions are carried out using the optimal homotopy analysis technique (OHAM), and the findings are presented for determining the influences of the emerging important parameters. The results indicate that velocity field increases in respect of porosity parameter, Casson fluid parameter and magnetic parameter while it declines for enhancing velocity slip and suction parameters. The temperature profile shows rising behavior for heat source, Prandtl number, thermophoresis, radiation and Brownian motion parameters while it declines for enhancing thermal slip parameter. Moreover, the concentration profile enhances for rise in Brownian motion parameter while it reduces for Schmidt number and nanoparticle parameter. We also showed the accuracy of the present results by indicating that skin friction values for varied magnetic parameters agree with earlier findings in the literature.
High pressure effects on ferroelectric tetragonal phase in BaTi1−xFexO3 (x=1%)
Authors: Tran T. A. , Tran T. K. C. , Nguyen L. V. T. , Khan D. T. , Truong-Son L. V. , Thao L. T. P. , Truong V. C. , Thanh-Nghiem N. , Phuc H. T. , Jabarov S. H. , Tien D. P. T.
Published: August 2023

The pressure-driven phase transformation in polycrystalline BaTi[Formula: see text]FexO3 ([Formula: see text]%), synthesized by a solid-state reaction method, was investigated using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. All measurements were performed at room temperature within a large pressure range up to 36.5 GPa. The results clearly demonstrate a phase transformation from the ferroelectric tetragonal structure of P4mm symmetry to the paraelectric cubic structure of Pm-3m symmetry in the studied sample at the pressure of about 18 GPa. This phase transformation pressure is much higher than those previously reported for BaTiO3-based systems, indicating the stabilization of the ferroelectric phase by doping 1% Fe into BaTiO3. Feature modes of the tetragonal phase still persist while some new modes appear in the Raman spectra at pressures above 18 GPa. This is probably due to accumulated stress and/or local microscopic disorders in the sample, which are associated with the displacement of the Ti atoms along unit-cell diagonals.
Shift of the semimetal-dielectric phase transition boundary in case of violation of sublattice symmetry in the extended Hubbard model
Authors: Mostovoy S. D. , Pavlovsky O. V.
Published: August 2023

Within the framework of the extended Hubbard model on a hexagonal lattice, the effect of sublattice symmetry breaking on the position of the semimetal-antiferromagnet phase transition is studied. The study is carried out using the Quantum Monte Carlo method with five auxiliary Hubbard fields. It is shown that the difference in the intensity of the on-site interaction of electrons on the sublattices leads to a shift of the phase transition point towards lower values of the interaction parameter. An antiferromagnetic condensate is considered.
First-principles study of halide double perovskite Cs2SnX6 (X=Cl, Br, I) for solar cell applications
Authors: Khuili M. , Ouhammou A. , Fazouan N. , Atmani E. H. , Allaoui I. , Al-Qaisi S. , Maher K. , Bouidmar R.
Published: August 2023

In this work, we used different approximations, namely the GGA and LDA of the density functional theory framework, to investigate the properties of the double perovskite Cs2SnX6 ([Formula: see text], Br, I). We found that these materials are mechanically stable, and the calculated band gaps are 3.62[Formula: see text]eV for Cs2SnCl6, 2.33[Formula: see text]eV for Cs2SnBr6, and 1.00[Formula: see text]eV for Cs2SnI6, which agree well with the experimental results. The band structure reveals that the conduction band primarily arises from hybridization between the Sn-5s orbitals and the halogen p orbitals, while the valence band is predominantly composed of the halogen p orbitals. Additionally, we observed that all Cs2SnX6 compounds exhibit strong optical absorption in the ultraviolet region. Moreover, the absorption spectra edges shift toward the red from Cs2SnCl6 to Cs2SnI6. The thermoelectric properties have also been extensively characterized in this study. These favorable physical characteristics make Cs2SnX6 compounds attractive candidates for replacing expensive silicon cells in solar panels.
ChemCarcinoPred: Carcinogenicity Prediction of Small Drug-Like Molecules Using LightGBM and Molecular Fingerprints
Authors: Jalal Muhammad , Kamal Muhammad , Zafar Andleeb
Published: August 2023

The conventional method for determining whether a drug is carcinogenic involves subjecting rodents to a 2-year bioassay, but this approach is both time-consuming and expensive, not to mention unethical. Consequently, machine learning techniques have emerged as a popular alternative. One such technique is ensemble learning, which aims to create more accurate and robust models. In this particular study, the LightGBM model was utilized to predict the carcinogenicity of chemicals using its fingerprints. Molecular fingerprints were generated from the Simplified Molecular-Input Line-Entry System (SMILES) of 1003 chemicals from the Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB) dataset. The performance of the LightGBM model was found to be superior to other machine learning models reported in previous research. To further validate the model, it was tested on a database related to humans from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), as well as on chemicals that were withdrawn from the market between 1950 and 2014. The results showed that the LightGBM model was effective in identifying carcinogenic chemicals, suggesting that this approach could potentially replace traditional methods of carcinogenicity testing in the future.
Planetary Relationships to Birth (Imputed Conception) Rates in Humans: A Signature of Cosmic Origin?
Authors: Georgiopoulou E. , Hofmann S. , Maroudas M. , Mastronikolis A. , Matteson E. L. , Tsagri M. , Zioutas K.
Published: August 2023

This report addresses the time dependence of normal biomedical processes. The conception rate in humans shows relationships that strikingly coincide with planetary periodicities like the orbital period of Jupiter, the 11 years solar cycle and the 237 days Jupiter–Venus synod, and the combined dependence on Jupiter with Mars’ orbital position. The birth rates are used as conception surrogates based on a data set available from the Minnesota Department of Health. The statistical significance of each independent analysis (far) exceeds 5[Formula: see text]. This result cannot be explained with known science. As with other observations in Physics and Medicine (i.e., melanoma), tentatively the only viable explanation we have is the otherwise invisible streaming matter from the dark Universe we live in. The favored dark matter scenario involves streams or clusters as opposed to an isotropic dark sector. The dark Universe scenario has been the driving idea for this type of work. The high sensitivity of living matter to the tiniest external impact might help identify the nature of the dark matter particles, a major problem in all physics since the 1930s. This work is a model for evaluating other biological processes and mutation rates.
Practical Charger Placement Scheme for Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Networks with Obstacles
Authors: You Wei , Ren Meixuan , Ma Yuzhuo , Wu Die , Yang Jilin , Liu Xuxun , Liu Tang
Published: August 2023

Benefitting from the maturation of Wireless Power Transfer technology, Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Networks have become a promising solution for prolonging network lifetime. In practical charging scenarios, obstacles are ubiquitous. However, most prior arts have failed to consider the combined impacts of the material, size, and location of obstacles on the charging performance, making these schemes unsuitable for real applications. In this article, we study a fundamental issue of
W
ireless ch
A
rger placement w
I
th obs
T
acles (WAIT), that is, how to place wireless chargers by comprehensively considering these parameters of obstacles, such that the overall charging utility is maximized. To tackle the WAIT problem, we first build a practical charging model with obstacles by introducing shadow fading, and conduct experiments to verify its correctness. Then, we design a piecewise constant function to approximate the nonlinear charging power. Afterwards, we develop a Dominating Coverage Set extraction algorithm to reduce the continuous solution space to a limited number. Finally, we prove the WAIT problem is a maximizing monotone submodular function problem, and propose a 1-1/e-ε approximation algorithm to address it. Extensive simulations and field experiments show that our scheme outperforms comparison algorithms by at least 20.6% in charging utility improvement.
Alkaline Hematin-Based Disposable Electrochemical Sensor for Haemoglobin
Authors: Neena P. K. , Reshma K. , Pradeep Aarathi , Nair Bipin G. , Babu T. G. Satheesh , Suneesh Punathil Vasu
Published: August 2023

Estimating haemoglobin levels in the blood is crucial as it indicates various diseased conditions, including anaemia, cancers, and liver, kidney, and lung diseases. This paper presents the fabrication of an electrochemical biosensor to estimate haemoglobin in alkaline conditions. The rifting of the quaternary structure of the haemoglobin under high alkaline conditions paves the pathway for the formation of alkaline hematin. Graphite-kaolin clay composite electrocatalyst was synthesized and screen printed on a disposable electrode for the direct electrooxidation of alkaline hematin. The sensor exhibited high selectivity, linear responses over a concentration range from 10 to 80 μM, and a sensitivity of 43.26 μA μM−1 cm−2. The performance of the sensor was validated by testing it with whole blood samples. The novelty of the work lies in the direct electrooxidation of alkaline hematin on the disposable screen-printed electrode without any cell separation or cell lysing steps.
Effect of Reaction Temperature on the Molten Salt Electrodeposition of Silicide Coating on Molybdenum Substrate and its Oxidation Behavior
Authors: Zhang Ya Long , Wang Qian , Wang Dan Tong , Zhang Liang , Chen Dong Xu , Zhang Jun Wei
Published: August 2023

In this study, silicide coatings were successfully prepared on Mo substrates using NaCl-KCl-NaF molten salt as the reaction medium and K2SiF6 as the silicon source. The electrochemical reduction mechanism of Si(IV) was studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry technology. The effect of reaction temperature on the phase composition, microstructure, and growth kinetics of the electrodeposited coatings were investigated in detail. The long-term oxidation behaviors of Mo and MoSi2-coated Mo samples at 873 K were also compared. The results revealed that the electrodeposition of silicide coatings was closely related to the reaction temperature. Dense and coherent single-layer MoSi2 coatings could be obtained at 1023 K and 1073 K, while double-layer coatings with inner MoSi2 layer and outer Si layer could be obtained at 1123 K. Under the same electrodeposition time, the overall thickness of the silicide coatings increased with the reaction temperature. Moreover, long-term oxidation tests at 873 K proved that MoSi2 coatings could effectively prevent the Mo substrate from oxidation. The mass gain of the MoSi2-coated Mo sample was only 0.46 wt% after 500 h of oxidation, which could be attributed to the formation of the continuous SiO2 protective layer.
Analysis of the Current Transport Characteristics (CTCs) in the Au/n-Si Schottky Diodes (SDs) with Al2O3 Interfacial Layer over Wide Temperature Range
Authors: Buyukbas-Ulusan A. , Tataroglu A. , Altındal-Yerişkin S.
Published: August 2023

Temperature dependent electrical-parameters and CTCs in Au/Al2O3/n-Si SDs have been analysed between 200 K and 400 K using current/voltage (IV) characteristics. While the value of quality/ideality factor (n) decreases, zero bias potential barrier height (BH, ΦB0) increases with increasing temperature. The value of Richardson constant (A*) and activation energy (Ea) were also derived from the conventional Richardson plot (RP) as 0.567 eV and 7.34 × 10−3 A.cm−2K−2, respectively. This low A* value shows that deviation from standard thermionic-emission (TE) model and to determine whether this situation may be described by Gaussian-distribution (GD) model or not, ΦBo vs n and ΦBo vs q/(2kT) curves were illustrated. The

Φ
¯

B value was found as 1.19 eV from the linear ΦB0 vs n plot for ideal case (n = 1). The mean-value of BH (

Φ
¯

B
0

) and standart deviation (σ
s) values were found from the ΦBo vs q/(2kT) curve as 1.130 eV and 0.127 V, respectively. By using value of σ
s, RP was modified and then

Φ
¯

B
0

and A* values were found as 1.128 eV and 108.88 Acm−2K−2, respectively, and this value of A* very close to its theoretical value (=112 Acm−2K−2). The surface state density (Nss) were also obtained from the forward bias IV data for three-temperatures.