bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Education and training in radiation protection in Europe: results from the EURAMED Rocc-n-Roll project survey
Authors: Santos Joana , Foley Shane , Andersson Jonas , Figueiredo João Paulo , Hoeschen Christoph , Damilakis John , Frija Guy , Alves Francisco , Riklund Katrine , Rainford Louise , Nestle Ursula , McNulty Jonathan , Bacher Klaus , Hierath Monika , Paulo Graciano
Published: April 2023

Purpose

To analyse the existing radiation protection (RP) education and training (E&T) capabilities in the European Union and identify associated needs, problems and challenges.

Method

An online survey was disseminated via the EURAMED Rocc-n-Roll consortium network and prominent medical societies in the field of radiological research. The survey sections analyse the RP E&T during undergraduate, residency/internship and continuous professional development; RP E&T problems and legal implementation. Differences were analysed by European geographic regions, profession, years of professional experience and main area of practice/research.

Results

The majority of the 550 respondents indicated that RP topics are part of undergraduate curricula in all courses for their profession and country (55%); however, hands-on practical training is not included according to 30% of the respondents. The lack of E&T, practical aspects in current E&T, and mandatory continuing E&T were considered the major problems. The legal requirement that obtained higher implementation score was the inclusion of the practical aspects of medical radiological procedures on education (86%), and lower score was obtained for the inclusion of RP E&T on medical and dental school curriculums (61%).

Conclusions

A heterogeneity in RP E&T during undergraduate, residency/internship and continuous professional development is evident across Europe. Differences were noted per area of practice/research, profession, and European geographic region. A large variation in RP E&T problem rating was also obtained.
Topological data analysis in medical imaging: current state of the art
Authors: Singh Yashbir , Farrelly Colleen M. , Hathaway Quincy A. , Leiner Tim , Jagtap Jaidip , Carlsson Gunnar E. , Erickson Bradley J.
Published: April 2023

Machine learning, and especially deep learning, is rapidly gaining acceptance and clinical usage in a wide range of image analysis applications and is regarded as providing high performance in detecting anatomical structures and identification and classification of patterns of disease in medical images. However, there are many roadblocks to the widespread implementation of machine learning in clinical image analysis, including differences in data capture leading to different measurements, high dimensionality of imaging and other medical data, and the black-box nature of machine learning, with a lack of insight into relevant features. Techniques such as radiomics have been used in traditional machine learning approaches to model the mathematical relationships between adjacent pixels in an image and provide an explainable framework for clinicians and researchers. Newer paradigms, such as topological data analysis (TDA), have recently been adopted to design and develop innovative image analysis schemes that go beyond the abilities of pixel-to-pixel comparisons. TDA can automatically construct filtrations of topological shapes of image texture through a technique known as persistent homology (PH); these features can then be fed into machine learning models that provide explainable outputs and can distinguish different image classes in a computationally more efficient way, when compared to other currently used methods. The aim of this review is to introduce PH and its variants and to review TDA’s recent successes in medical imaging studies.
Therapeutic potential of stem cell extracellular vesicles for ischemic stroke in preclinical rodent models: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zhao Jing , Deng Huiyin , Xun Chengfeng , Chen Chunli , Hu Zhiping , Ge Lite , Jiang Zheng
Published: April 2023

Background

Extracellular vesicles derived from stem cells (SC-EVs) have been proposed as a novel therapy for ischemic stroke. However, their effects remain incompletely understood. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to systematically review the efficacy of SC-EVs on ischemic stroke in preclinical rodent models.

Methods

Using PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science, we searched through studies published up to August 2021 that investigated the treatment effects of SC-EVs in a rodent ischemic stroke model. Infarct volume was the primary outcome. Neurological severity scores (mNSS) were the secondary outcome. The standard mean difference (SMD) and the confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model. R and Stata 15.1 were used to conduct the meta-analysis.

Results

Twenty-one studies published from 2015 to 2021 met the inclusion criteria. We also found that SCs-EVs reduced infarct volume by an SMD of − 2.05 (95% CI − 2.70, − 1.40; P < 0.001). Meanwhile, our results revealed an overall positive effect of SCs-derived EVs on the mNSS with an SMD of − 1.42 (95% CI − 1.75, − 1.08; P < 0.001). Significant heterogeneity among studies was observed. Further stratified and sensitivity analyses did not identify the source of heterogeneity.

Conclusion

The present meta-analysis confirmed that SC-EV therapy could improve neuron function and reduce infarct volume in a preclinical rodent ischemic stroke model, providing helpful clues for human clinical trials on SC-EVs.
Homogenous subpopulation of human mesenchymal stem cells and their extracellular vesicles restore function of endometrium in an experimental rat model of Asherman syndrome
Authors: Mansouri-Kivaj Nahid , Nazari Abdoreza , Esfandiari Fereshteh , Shekari Faezeh , Ghaffari Marefat , Pakzad Mohammad , Baharvand Hossein
Published: April 2023

Background

Asherman syndrome (AS), or intrauterine adhesions, is a main cause of infertility in reproductive age women after endometrial injury. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising candidates for therapies that repair damaged endometria. However, concerns about their efficacy are attributed to heterogeneity of the cell populations and EVs. A homogenous population of MSCs and effective EV subpopulation are needed to develop potentially promising therapeutic options in regenerative medicine.

Methods

AS model was induced by mechanical injury in adult rat uteri. Then, the animals were treated immediately with homogeneous population of human bone marrow-derived clonal MSCs (cMSCs), heterogenous parental MSCs (hMSCs), or cMSCs-derived EV subpopulations (EV20K and EV110K). The animals were sacrificed two weeks post-treatment and uterine horns were collected. The sections were taken, and hematoxylin–eosin was used to examine the repair of endometrial structure. Fibrosis was measured by Masson’s trichrome staining and α-SMA and cell proliferation by Ki67 immunostaining. The function of the uteri was explored by the result of mating trial test. Expression changes of TNFα, IL-10, VEGF, and LIF were assayed by ELISA.

Results

Histological analysis indicated fewer glands, thinner endometria, increased fibrotic areas, and decreased proliferation of epithelial and stroma of the uteri in the treated compared with intact and sham-operated animals. However, these parameters improved after transplantation of both types of cMSCs and hMSCs and/or both cryopreserved EVs subpopulations. The cMSCs demonstrated more successful implantation of the embryos in comparison with hMSCs. The tracing of the transplanted cMSCs and EVs showed that they migrated and localized in the uteri. Protein expression analysis results demonstrated downregulation of proinflammatory factor TNFα and upregulation of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and endometrial receptivity cytokines VEGF and LIF in cMSC- and EV20K-treated animals.

Conclusion

Transplantation of MSCs and EVs contributed to endometrial repair and restoration of reproductive function, likely by inhibition of excessive fibrosis and inflammation, enhancement of endometrial cell proliferation, and regulation of molecular markers related to endometrial receptivity. Compared to classical hMSCs, cMSCs were more efficient than hMSCs in restoration of reproductive function. Moreover, EV20K is more cost-effective and feasible for prevention of AS in comparison with conventional EVs (EV110K).
Removing the stumbling block of exosome applications in clinical and translational medicine: expand production and improve accuracy
Authors: Han Li , Zhao Zhirong , He Chuanshi , Li Jiami , Li Xiangyu , Lu Man
Published: April 2023

Although the clinical application and transformation of exosomes are still in the exploration stage, the prospects are promising and have a profound impact on the future transformation medicine of exosomes. However, due to the limitation of production and poor targeting ability of exosomes, the extensive and rich biological functions of exosomes are restricted, and the potential of clinical transformation is limited. The current research is committed to solving the above problems and expanding the clinical application value, but it lacks an extensive, multi-angle, and comprehensive systematic summary and prospect. Therefore, we reviewed the current optimization strategies of exosomes in medical applications, including the exogenous treatment of parent cells and the improvement of extraction methods, and compared their advantages and disadvantages. Subsequently, the targeting ability was improved by carrying drugs and engineering the structure of exosomes to solve the problem of poor targeting ability in clinical transformation. In addition, we discussed other problems that may exist in the application of exosomes. Although the clinical application and transformation of exosomes are still in the exploratory stage, the prospects are promising and have a profound impact on drug delivery, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and regenerative medicine.
Label extension, single-arm, phase III study shows efficacy and safety of stempeucel® in patients with critical limb ischemia due to atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Gupta Pawan Kumar , Shivashankar P. , Rajkumar M. , Mahapatra Subhendu S. , Desai Sanjay C. , Dhar Anita , Krishna Vinay , Raviraja N. S. , Bhat Samatha , Viswanathan Pachaiyappan , Kannan Suresh , Abraham Jijy , Boggarapu Hema , Manjuprasad M. S. , Udaykumar K.
Published: April 2023

Background

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) of lower extremities comprises a clinical spectrum that extends from asymptomatic patients to critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients. 10% to 40% of the patients are at the risk of primary amputation. This study was planned in “no-option” patients of CLI due to atherosclerotic PAD to assess the efficacy and safety of pooled, allogeneic, adult human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells which is already approved for marketing in India for CLI due to Buerger’s disease.

Methods

This was a single-arm, multi-centric, phase III study where mesenchymal stromal cells was injected as 2 million cells/kg body weight in the calf muscle and around the ulcer. Twenty-four patients of lower extremity CLI due to PAD with Rutherford III-5 or III-6 and ankle–brachial pressure index ≤ 0.6 and having have at least one ulcer with area between 0.5 and 10 cm2 were included in the study. These patients were evaluated over 12 months from drug administration.

Results

Over a period of 12 months, statistical significant reduction of rest pain and ulcer size along with improvement in ankle–brachial pressure index and ankle systolic was observed. The quality of life of patients improved together with increase in total walking distance and major amputation-free survival time.

Conclusion

Mesenchymal stromal cells may be a feasible option to treat “no-option” patients with atherosclerotic PAD.

Trial registration This study is registered prospectively in National Institutes of Health and Clinical Trials Registry—India (CTRI) website: CTRI/2018/06/014436. Registered 6th June 2018. http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?trialid=24050&EncHid=&userName=stempeutics.
Aerobic exercise improves executive functions in females, but not males, without the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism
Authors: Barha Cindy K. , Starkey Samantha Y. , Hsiung G. Y. Robin , Tam Roger , Liu-Ambrose Teresa
Published: April 2023

Background

Aerobic exercise promotes cognitive function in older adults; however, variability exists in the degree of benefit. The brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism and biological sex are biological factors that have been proposed as important modifiers of exercise efficacy. Therefore, we assessed whether the effect of aerobic exercise on executive functions was dependent on the BDNFval66met genotype and biological sex.

Methods

We used data from a single-blind randomized controlled trial in older adults with subcortical ischemic vascular cognitive impairment (NCT01027858). Fifty-eight older adults were randomly assigned to either the 6 months, three times per week progressive aerobic training (AT) group or the usual care plus education control (CON) group. The secondary aim of the parent study included executive functions which were assessed with the Trail Making Test (B–A) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test at baseline and trial completion at 6 months.

Results

Analysis of covariance, controlling for baseline global cognition and baseline executive functions performance (Trail Making Test or Digit Symbol Substitution Test), tested the three-way interaction between experimental group (AT, CON), BDNFval66met genotype (Val/Val carrier, Met carrier), and biological sex (female, male). Significant three-way interactions were found for the Trail Making Test (F(1,48) = 4.412,p < 0.04) and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (F(1,47) = 10.833,p < 0.002). Posthoc analyses showed female Val/Val carriers benefited the most from 6 months of AT compared with CON for Trail Making Test and Digit Symbol Substitution Test performance. Compared with CON, AT did not improve Trail Making Test performance in male Val/Val carriers or Digit Symbol Substitution Test performance in female Met carriers.

Conclusions

These results suggest that future randomized controlled trials should take into consideration BDNF genotype and biological sex to better understand the beneficial effects of AT on cognitive function in vascular cognitive impairment to maximize the beneficial effects of exercise and help establish exercise as medicine for cognitive health.
The role of risk preferences: voluntary health insurance in rural Tanzania
Authors: Kagaigai Alphoncina , Grepperud Sverre
Published: April 2023

Background

Lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) have a common goal to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) through voluntary health insurance schemes. This is important to improve access to healthcare services and ensure financial protection for all by reducing out-of-pocket expenditures. This study aimed to examine the role of risk preferences on enrollment status (currently insured, previously insured, and never insured) into a Tanzanian voluntary health insurance scheme targeted at the informal sector.

Methods

Data were collected from households in a random sample of 722 respondents. The risk preference measure was based on a hypothetical lottery game which applies the BJKS instrument. This instrument measures income risk where the respondents are to choose between a certain income and a lottery. Both multinomial and simple logistic regression models have been used to analyze the relationship between risk aversion and enrollment status.

Results

On average, the respondents have a high degree of risk aversion, and the insured are more risk averse than the uninsured (previously insured and never insured). There is a weak tendency for the wealthiest, measured by household income or total household expenditure, to be somewhat more risk averse than the less wealthy. Logistic and multinomial logistic regressions show that risk aversion is strongly associated with enrollment status. A higher degree of risk aversion significantly increases the probability of being insured, relative to being previously insured, and relative to being never insured.

Conclusion

Risk aversion matters in a decision to enroll into the iCHF scheme. Strengthening the benefit package for the scheme, might increase the enrollment rate and hence improve access to healthcare services for people in rural areas and those employed in the informal sector.
Book review of “Conservation and Community in Kenya: Milking the Elephant” by Carolyn Lesorogol
Authors: Homewood Katherine M.
Published: April 2023

Book details

Book review of Conservation and Community in Kenya: Milking the Elephant by Carolyn Lesorogol. Lanham, Boulder, New York, London: Lexington. 2022. ISBN 9781793650290; e-ISBN 9781793650306.
Slit-Robo expression in the leech nervous system: insights into eyespot evolution
Authors: Kwak Hee-Jin , Medina-Jiménez Brenda I. , Park Soon Cheol , Kim Jung-Hyeuk , Jeong Geon-Hwi , Jeon Mi-Jeong , Kim Sangil , Kim Jung-Woong , Weisblat David A. , Cho Sung-Jin
Published: April 2023

Background

Slit and Robo are evolutionarily conserved ligand and receptor proteins, respectively, but the number of slit and robo gene paralogs varies across recent bilaterian genomes. Previous studies indicate that this ligand-receptor complex is involved in axon guidance. Given the lack of data regarding Slit/Robo in the Lophotrochozoa compared to Ecdysozoa and Deuterostomia, the present study aims to identify and characterize the expression of Slit/Robo orthologs in leech development.

Results

We identified one slit (Hau-slit), and two robo genes (Hau-robo1 and Hau-robo2), and characterized their expression spatiotemporally during the development of the glossiphoniid leech Helobdella austinensis. Throughout segmentation and organogenesis, Hau-slit and Hau-robo1 are broadly expressed in complex and roughly complementary patterns in the ventral and dorsal midline, nerve ganglia, foregut, visceral mesoderm and/or endoderm of the crop, rectum and reproductive organs. Before yolk exhaustion, Hau-robo1 is also expressed where the pigmented eye spots will later develop, and Hau-slit is expressed in the area between these future eye spots. In contrast, Hau-robo2 expression is extremely limited, appearing first in the developing pigmented eye spots, and later in the three additional pairs of cryptic eye spots in head region that never develop pigment. Comparing the expression of robo orthologs between H. austinensis and another glossiphoniid leech, Alboglossiphonia lata allows to that robo1 and robo2 operate combinatorially to differentially specify pigmented and cryptic eyespots within the glossiphoniid leeches.

Conclusions

Our results support a conserved role in neurogenesis, midline formation and eye spot development for Slit/Robo in the Lophotrochozoa, and provide relevant data for evo-devo studies related to nervous system evolution.
Behaviour change interventions for responsible antimicrobial use on farms
Authors: Regan Áine , Burrell Alison , McKernan Claire , Martin Hannah , Benson Tony , McAloon Conor , Manzanilla Edgar Garcia , Dean Moira
Published: April 2023

Background

In the coming years, major governance changes in the form of policy directives and regulations will catalyse major top-down change with respect to animal health on European farms in an effort to combat the OneHealth threat of antimicrobial resistance. This top-down approach must be met with bottom-up strategies to ensure target actors (namely, farmers and vets) are supported and motivated to change their practices, thus, avoiding unintended consequences of forced change. Although much behavioural research has explored the factors influencing antimicrobial practices on farms, a gap exists translating these findings into evidence-based behaviour change interventions that can be put into practice. The current study aims to fill this gap. It provides insights into identifying, understanding, and changing the behaviours of farmers and veterinarians with respect to the responsible use of antimicrobials in farming.

Results

Through an inter-disciplinary and multi-actor approach, the study combines scientific knowledge from the behavioural sciences and animal health sciences, coupled with tacit knowledge from a co-design, participatory approach to recommend seven behaviour change interventions that can help to support good practices amongst farmers and vets, with respect to animal health, and reduce the use of antimicrobials on farms. The behaviour change interventions include message framing; OneHealth awareness campaign; specialised communications training; on-farm visual prompts and tools; social support strategies (for both farmers and vets); and antimicrobial use monitoring. The study details each intervention with respect to their evidence base and scientific concept, grounded in behavioural science, along with stakeholder feedback on design and delivery of the interventions.

Conclusions

These behaviour change interventions can be taken, adapted, and put into practice by the agri-food community to support good animal health practices and responsible antimicrobial use on farms.
Ten circumstances and solutions for finding the sample mean and standard deviation for meta-analysis
Authors: Chi Kuan-Yu , Li Man-Yun , Chen Chiehfeng , Kang Enoch ,   Cochrane Taiwan
Published: April 2023

A common problem in meta-analyses is the unavailability of mean and standard deviation (SD). Unfortunately, only having values of the median, interquartile range (IQR), or range cannot be directly utilized for meta-analysis. Although some estimation and conversion methods have been proposed in the past two decades, there were no published and user-friendly tools developed based on multiple scenarios of missing SD. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a collection of possible circumstances of missing sample means or SD with solutions for teaching and research. A total of 10 common circumstances of missing SD or mean could have available statistics of p value, t value, z score, confidence interval, standard error, median, IQR, and range. Teachers and investigators can use relevant formulas for finding the sample mean and SD according to the available circumstance. Due to the complicated computations, our team provides a free available spreadsheet. With ever-evolving statistical methods, some formulas may be further improved in the future; therefore, it is recommended to involve statisticians in evidence-based practice or systematic reviews.
Measuring situation awareness in health care providers: a systematic review of measurement properties using COSMIN methodology
Authors: Ghaderi Chiman , Esmaeili Roghayeh , Ebadi Abbas , Amiri Mohammad Reza
Published: April 2023

Background

Situation awareness (SA) is a key factor in accountability and ensuring patient safety in health care. SA is an essential element to research on human factors in healthcare. It is essential to identify valid instruments for measuring this concept and assessing how it is affected by interventions and educational methods.

Methods

This systematic review aimed to assess the measurement properties of situation awareness instruments in health care providers’ (HCPS) using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) methodology. Four databases (Medline (through PubMed), Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science) were systematically searched. A manual search was also conducted on Google Scholar and the reference list of the included primary studies to supplement the electronic search. Studies aiming to determine the measurement properties of SA instruments or non-technical skills in HCPS were included. The overall results for each measurement property were reported as sufficient, insufficient, inconsistent, or indeterminate, and the quality of evidence was reported as high, moderate, low, or very low.

Results

A total of 25 studies and 15 instruments were included in the study. More than one measurement property was reported in some of the studies, and none of the studies presented all measurement properties. The most common measurement properties were content validity (12/25) and internal consistency (12/25). Cross‐cultural validity and responsiveness were not investigated in any study. Evidence quality for the measurement properties was not high in any of the 15 instruments.

Conclusions

None of the instruments can be recommended as the most suitable instrument, and all instruments were classified as promising instruments in need of further psychometric assessment. This systematic review proves the dire need for the development and psychometric evaluation of instruments to measure SA in HCPs in clinical settings.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO CRD42020147349.
Colonization of patients hospitalized at orthopedic department of tertiary hospital in Uganda with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing enterobacterales
Authors: Bizimana Jules , Ndayisenga Jerome , Kajumbura Henry , Mulepo Phillip , Christine Najjuka Florence
Published: April 2023

Background

Beta-lactamase production remains the most contributing factor to beta-lactam resistance. Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) are associated with risk factors both in hospital and community settings.

Objectives

To assess the incidence and risk factors for intestinal carriage of ESBL-PE among patients admitted to orthopedic ward of Mulago National Referral Hospital, and to analyze the acquisition of ESBL-PE during hospital stay and associated factors.

Methods

We screened 172 patients aged 18 years old and above who got admitted to the orthopedic ward of Mulago National Referral Hospital between May to July 2017. Stool samples or rectal swabs were collected at admission, every 3 days until fourteen days and screened for ESBL-PE. Data on demographic status, antibiotic use, admission and travel, length of hospital stay, hygiene practices and drinking boiled water were analyzed by logistic regression and cox regression model.

Results

At admission, 61% of patients showed intestinal ESBL-PE carriage. Co- resistance was common but no Carbapenem resistance was detected. Of the ESBL-PE negative, 49% were colonized during hospitalization. On admission, prior antibiotic use was significantly associated with carriage, but none was associated with acquisition during hospitalization at p-value < 0.05.

Conclusion

Carriage of ESBL-PE on admissions and acquisition at orthopedic ward of Mulago Hospital were high, and dissemination into the community are of substantial concern. We suggested refinement of empirical treatment based on risk stratification, and enhanced infection control measures that target health care workers, patients and attendants.
Treatment of laundry wastewater using extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)
Authors: Kumar Sushil , Mostafazadeh Ali Khosravanipour , Drogui Patrick , Tyagi R. D.
Published: April 2023

The problem of management and treatment of wastewater from commercial laundries is a matter of concern. The present study provides an effective and eco-friendly solution to the treatment of wastewater from commercial laundries in Quebec (Canada) by using the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) as a bio-flocculant. EPS was produced from the valorization of crude glycerol and paper mill sludge by a bacterial strain (BS-04). Two different types of EPS: Slime EPS (S-EPS) and Broth EPS (B-EPS) were used for the treatment of commercial laundry wastewater (CLWW). This is the first study for the treatment of CLWW using bio-flocculant EPS. A comparison between the conventional treatment of laundry wastewater (LWW) by chemical coagulants (FeSO4, CaCl2, Alum) and enhanced treatment by bio-flocculant EPS has been drawn in the study. Moreover, LWW treatment by a combination of EPS and chemical coagulants was also investigated. It was observed that S-EPS (0.6 g/L) gave better flocculation activity (FA) than B-EPS. S-EPS alone can remove 83.20% of turbidity, 77.69% of suspended solids (SS), and 76.37% of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The best results were obtained by combining S-EPS (0.6 g/L) with alum (300 mg/L) at pH 7 for a treatment time of 30 min. This combination was able to remove 98% of turbidity, 95.42% of SS, and 83.08% of COD from LWW. When treatment time has been increased to 4 h at pH 7, it resulted in more than 88% COD removal from CLWW.

Graphical Abstract
Under the sun: adaptation effects to changes in facial complexion
Authors: Utz Sandra , Mueller Ronja , Strobach Tilo , Carbon Claus-Christian
Published: April 2023

Background

Many Western people enjoy sunshine, and through the sun’s stimulated increase in melanin, the skin tone or skin complexion will darken (and lighten again during winter). Although the initial salience of such a new look is remarkable – especially in the face – we seem to adapt to this new look relatively quickly. Research on face adaptation in general repeatedly showed that the inspection of manipulated versions of faces (so-called adaptor faces) leads to a change of the perception of subsequently presented faces. The present study investigates face adaptation to very natural changes in faces such as changes in complexion.

Methods

During the adaptation phase in the present study, participants saw faces with either strongly increased or decreased complexion. After a pause of 5 min, participants had to identify the veridical (non-manipulated) face out of two faces (a face slightly manipulated in complexion combined with the non-manipulated face) during a test phase.

Results

Results show strong adaptation effects to decreased complexion intensities.

Discussion

It seems that we are updating our facial representations in memory quite quickly (i.e., optimizing our processing through adaptation) and seem to sustain those new representations over a certain timespan (at least 5 min). Our results demonstrate that changes in complexion draw our attention for deeper analysis (at least with decreased complexion). However, it loses its informative quality quickly via fast and relatively sustainable adaptation.
New insights into the function of Interleukin-25 in disease pathogenesis
Authors: Yuan Qingfang , Peng Na , Xiao Fan , Shi Xiaofei , Zhu Bo , Rui Ke , Tian Jie , Lu Liwei
Published: April 2023

Interleukin-25 (IL-25), also known as IL-17E, is a cytokine belonging to the IL-17 family. IL-25 is abundantly expressed by Th2 cells and various kinds of epithelial cells. IL-25 is an alarm signal generated upon cell injury or tissue damage to activate immune cells through the interaction with IL-17RA and IL-17RB receptors. The binding of IL-25 to IL-17RA/IL-17RB complex not only initiates and maintains type 2 immunity but also regulates other immune cells (e.g., macrophages and mast cells) via various signaling pathways. It has been well-documented that IL-25 is critically involved in the development of allergic disorders (e.g., asthma). However, the roles of IL-25 in the pathogenesis of other diseases and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. This review presents current evidence on the roles of IL-25 in cancers, allergic disorders, and autoimmune diseases. Moreover, we discuss the unanswered key questions underlying IL-25-mediated disease pathology, which will provide new insights into the targeted therapy of this cytokine in clinical treatment.
Human tau-overexpressing mice recapitulate brainstem involvement and neuropsychiatric features of early Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Khan Kanza M. , Balasubramanian Nagalakshmi , Gaudencio Gabriel , Wang Ruixiang , Selvakumar Govindhasamy Pushpavathi , Kolling Louis , Pierson Samantha , Tadinada Satya M. , Abel Ted , Hefti Marco , Marcinkiewcz Catherine A.
Published: April 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) poses an ever-increasing public health concern as the population ages, affecting more than 6 million Americans. AD patients present with mood and sleep changes in the prodromal stages that may be partly driven by loss of monoaminergic neurons in the brainstem, but a causal relationship has not been firmly established. This is due in part to a dearth of animal models that recapitulate early AD neuropathology and symptoms. The goal of the present study was to evaluate depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in a mouse model of AD that overexpresses human wild-type tau (htau) prior to the onset of cognitive impairments and assess these behavior changes in relationship to tau pathology, neuroinflammation, and monoaminergic dysregulation in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and locus coeruleus (LC). We observed depressive-like behaviors at 4 months in both sexes and hyperlocomotion in male htau mice. Deficits in social interaction persisted at 6 months and were accompanied by an increase in anxiety-like behavior in males. The behavioral changes at 4 months coincided with a lower density of serotonergic (5-HT) neurons, downregulation of 5-HT markers, reduced excitability of 5-HT neurons, and hyperphosphorylated tau in the DRN. Inflammatory markers were also upregulated in the DRN along with protein kinases and transglutaminase 2, which may promote tau phosphorylation and aggregation. Loss of 5-HT innervation to the entorhinal cortex and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus was also observed and may have contributed to depressive-like behaviors. There was also reduced expression of noradrenergic markers in the LC along with elevated phospho-tau expression, but this did not translate to a functional change in neuronal excitability. In total, these results suggest that tau pathology in brainstem monoaminergic nuclei and the resulting loss of serotonergic and/or noradrenergic drive may underpin depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in the early stages of AD.
Zero-sample mural superresolution reconstruction for enhanced perceptual quality
Authors: Cao Jianfang , Hu Xiaohui , Tian Yun
Published: April 2023

Aiming at the problem of texture loss and poor perceptual quality in low-resolution mural images, this paper proposes a zero-sample mural superresolution reconstruction method called EPZSSR to enhance perceptual quality, and the specific model is obtained by training the image. The algorithm takes the zero-shot superresolution method as the framework, randomly cuts the original image into a 128 * 128 size, performs Gaussian blurring on the image, uses Lanczos interpolation to downsample the smooth image to reduce artifacts, and uses convolutional attention module and skip connection to optimize the network structure. SmoothL1Loss is used to enhance the robustness of the model, and the PI value is introduced as the perceptual quality evaluation index. The experimental results show that compared with other superresolution reconstruction algorithms, the peak signal-to-noise ratio of the algorithm in this paper is increased by 0.98–3.23 dB on average. The mural texture reconstruction effect is better, the PI value is reduced by 0.56 on average, the mural perception quality is better, and the running time is reduced by 89.68 s on average. It has a certain value for mural superresolution reconstruction.
Assessment of the inferior vena cava collapsibility from subcostal and trans-hepatic imaging using both M-mode or artificial intelligence: a prospective study on healthy volunteers
Authors: Sanfilippo Filippo , La Via Luigi , Dezio Veronica , Santonocito Cristina , Amelio Paolo , Genoese Giulio , Astuto Marinella , Noto Alberto
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Assessment of the inferior vena cava (IVC) respiratory variation may be clinically useful for the estimation of fluid-responsiveness and venous congestion; however, imaging from subcostal (SC, sagittal) region is not always feasible. It is unclear if coronal trans-hepatic (TH) IVC imaging provides interchangeable results. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) with automated border tracking may be helpful as part of point-of-care ultrasound but it needs validation.

Methods

Prospective observational study conducted in spontaneously breathing healthy volunteers with assessment of IVC collapsibility (IVCc) in SC and TH imaging, with measures taken in M-mode or with AI software. We calculated mean bias and limits of agreement (LoA), and the intra-class correlation (ICC) coefficient with their 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Sixty volunteers were included; IVC was not visualized in five of them (n = 2, both SC and TH windows, 3.3%; n = 3 in TH approach, 5%). Compared with M-mode, AI showed good accuracy both for SC (IVCc: bias − 0.7%, LoA [− 24.9; 23.6]) and TH approach (IVCc: bias 3.7%, LoA [− 14.9; 22.3]). The ICC coefficients showed moderate reliability: 0.57 [0.36; 0.73] in SC, and 0.72 [0.55; 0.83] in TH. Comparing anatomical sites (SC vs TH), results produced by M-mode were not interchangeable (IVCc: bias 13.9%, LoA [− 18.1; 45.8]). When this evaluation was performed with AI, such difference became smaller: IVCc bias 7.7%, LoA [− 19.2; 34.6]. The correlation between SC and TH assessments was poor for M-mode (ICC = 0.08 [− 0.18; 0.34]) while moderate for AI (ICC = 0.69 [0.52; 0.81]).

Conclusions

The use of AI shows good accuracy when compared with the traditional M-mode IVC assessment, both for SC and TH imaging. Although AI reduces differences between sagittal and coronal IVC measurements, results from these sites are not interchangeable.
Relationship between the shape of the elliptical knee joint and jumping height in a leg-type robot driven by pneumatic artificial muscle
Authors: Okumura Taichi , Nakanishi Daisuke , Naniwa Keisuke , Sugimoto Yasuhiro , Osuka Koichi
Published: April 2023

The McKibben pneumatic actuator (MPA) is a soft actuator used for performing various practical functions in robots. Particularly, many dynamic robots have been realized using MPAs. However, there is a trade-off between torque generated by MPA and the range of motion of the joint. In this study, we focus on the jumping motion of a leg-type robot and use an elliptical pulley whose moment arm changes depending on the robot’s posture. To confirm the effectiveness of the elliptical pulley, the relationship between the knee joint pulley (patella) shape and jumping height was analyzed by simulation, and the shape of the patella maximizing jumping height was determined. It was shown that an elongated elliptical patella shape is more effective for the jumping motion than a circular one. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the analytically determined patella shape was confirmed by experiments using an actual robot.
Design of the contingent royalty rate as related to the type of investment
Authors: Jou Jyh-Bang , Lee Charlene Tan
Published: April 2023

This study investigates the design of the royalty rate in a first-price auction across three types of investments: incremental and lumpy with or without an exogenously given intensity. A bidder’s investment cost comprises private information. This, together with the stochastic evolution of the price of the output generated from the auctioned project, precludes the seller from setting the exact dates of investment with the winner. However, the seller can set the royalty rate to equate the winner’s royalty payment with the winner’s information rent so that the winner acts as if to maximize the seller’s revenue. We derive two main conclusions. First, compared with the case in which investment is lumpy with an exogenously given intensity, the seller can set a lower royalty rate on incremental investment because she can collect additional royalty payments from the winner, who has the option to later expand capacity. Second, the impact of output price uncertainty on the optimal royalty rate for the three types of investments exhibits two different patterns. When investment is either incremental or lumpy with an exogenously given intensity, greater output price uncertainty reduces the royalty rate. When investment is lumpy with variable intensity, greater output uncertainty raises the royalty rate. Our results imply that auctioneers may charge differential royalty rates for different types of investments.
Feasibility of aortic aneurysm sac embolization using a novel shape memory polymer embolic device
Authors: Massmann Alexander , Fries Peter , Shayesteh-Kheslat Roushanak , Buecker Arno , Berg Patrick , Frenzel Felix
Published: April 2023

Background

We investigated the feasibility of aneurysm sac embolization using a novel self-expanding porous shape memory polymer (SMP) device during endovascular aortic abdominal or thoracic aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods

Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients treated at 2 centers in Germany. Patients were treated from January 2019 to July 2021 with follow-up at 7 days and 3, 6, and 12 months. Aneurysm sacs were implanted with SMP devices immediately following endograft placement during the same procedure. Primary endpoint was technically successful SMP-device deployment into the aneurysm sac outside the endograft. Secondary endpoints were changes in aneurysm volume and associated complications (e.g., endoleaks).

Results

We included 18 patients (16 males), aged 72 ± 9 years, achieving 100% technical success. Mean preprocedure aortic aneurysm sac volume was 195 ± 117 mL with a perfused aneurysm volume of 97 ± 60 mL. A mean of 24 ± 12 SMP devices per patient were used (range 5–45, corresponding to 6.25–56.25 mL expanded embolic material volume). All evaluable patients exhibited sac regression except 2 patients yet to reach 3-month follow-up. At mean 11 ± 7 months (range 3–24), change in aneurysm volume from baseline was -30 ± 21 mL (p < 0.001). In 8 patients, aneurysm regression was observed despite type 2 endoleaks in 6 and type 1A endoleaks in 2, none of them requiring further intervention to date. No morbidity or mortality related to this treatment occurred.

Conclusions

SMP devices for aortic aneurysm sac embolization during endovascular repair appear feasible and safe in this small case series. Prospective studies are needed.

Key points

• Shape memory polymer is a novel, self-expanding, porous, and radiolucent embolic device material.

• Aortic aneurysm sacs were treated with polymer devices immediately following endograft placement.

• Aortic aneurysm sac regression was observed in all patients with over 3-month follow-up.

• Aortic aneurysm sac regression was observed even in the presence of endoleaks.
Interventional non-operative management of low back and neck pain
Authors: Alkosha Hazem M.
Published: April 2023

Background

Chronic neck and back pain are among the most commonly encountered health problems in neurosurgical practice. Many cases fail prolonged pharmacological and physical therapy and are not proper candidates for surgical interventions, or had refused proposed surgical treatment.

Objective

To provide an informative critical summary of the literature about the topic of interventional management of axial neck and low back pain and highlighting the new trends and pieces of evidence.

Methods

The English literature published over the last two decades was reviewed by the author for recent and relevant data about the principles of interventional management of chronic neck and low back pain. A PubMed search was performed through phrase searching and combined searching using Boolean operators. The articles thought to be most relevant to the study aim and the neurosurgeons’ practice were extracted.

Results

Neck and low back pain continue to be among the most common musculoskeletal health problems and the most common cause of disability worldwide. A detailed understanding of relevant spine anatomy is crucial for interventionists who should deal with the concept of “functional spine unit” with multiple potential pain generators. Chronic spinal pain is best managed through a dedicated multidisciplinary team in well-equipped healthcare facilities. An algorithmic approach for the diagnosis and management of spinal pain is the mainstay of providing the best patient care and should be based on the commonality and treatability of pain generators, values of patients and available resources.

Conclusion

Management of chronic neck and back pain can represent a clinical dilemma due to the multiplicity of pain generators that may coexist in the same individual resulting in a complex type and pattern of pain. Approach to these patients requires contributions from the members of a multidisciplinary team, implementing a standardized approach in a well-equipped healthcare facility.
Jeu de mots paronomasia: a StackOverflow-driven bug discovery approach
Authors: Yang Yi , Li Ying , Chen Kai , Liu Jinghua
Published: April 2023

Locating bug code snippets (short for BugCode) has been a complex problem throughout the history of software security, mainly because the constraints that define BugCode are obscure and hard to summarize. Previously, security analysts attempted to define such constraints manually (e.g., limiting buffer size to detect overflow), but were limited to the types of BugCode. Recent researchers address this problem by extracting constraints from program documentation, which shows the potential for API misuse. But for bugs beyond the scope of API misuse, such an approach becomes less effective since the corresponding constraints are not defined in documents, not to mention the programs without documentation In this paper, inspired by the fact that expert programmers often correct the BugCode on open forums such as StackOverflow, we design an approach to automatically extract knowledge from StackOverflow and leverage it to detect BugCode. As we all know, the contexts in StackOverflow come from ordinary developers. Their writing tends to be loosely organized and in various styles, which are more challenging to analyze than program documentation. To address the challenges, we design a custom tokenization approach to segment sentences and employ sentiment analysis to find the Controversial Sentences (CSs) that typically contain the constraints we need for code analysis. Then we use constituency parsing to extract knowledge from CSs, which helps locate BugCode. We evaluated our system on 41,144 comments from the questions tagged with Java and Android. The results show that our approach achieves 95.5% precision in discovering CSs. We have discovered 276 pieces of BugCode proved to be true through manual validation including an assigned CVE. 89.3% of the discovered bugs remained in the current version of answers, which are unknown to users.
Risk factors for pain after total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review
Authors: Zhang Bo , Rao Sandesh , Mekkawy Kevin L. , Rahman Rafa , Sarfraz Anzar , Hollifield Lauren , Runge Nick , Oni Julius K.
Published: April 2023

Background

Approximately 23% of patients develop hip pain after total hip arthroplasty (THA). In this systematic review, we aimed to identify risk factors associated with postoperative pain after THA to optimize preoperative surgical planning.

Methods

Six literature databases were searched for articles published from January 1995 to August 2020. Controlled trials and observational studies that reported measurements of postoperative pain with assessments of preoperative modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors were included. Three researchers performed a literature review independently.

Results

Fifty-four studies were included in the study for analysis. The most consistent association between worse pain outcomes and the female sex is poor preoperative pain or function, and more severe medical or psychiatric comorbidities. The correlation was less strong between worse pain outcomes and preoperative high body mass index value, low radiographic grade arthritis, and low socioeconomic status. A weak correlation was found between age and worse pain outcomes.

Conclusions

Preoperative risk factors that were consistently predictive of greater/server postoperative pain after THA were identified, despite the varying quality of studies that prohibited the arrival of concrete conclusions. Modifiable factors should be optimized preoperatively, whereas non-modifiable factors may be valuable to patient education, shared decision-making, and individualized pain management.