bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resilience Strategies of Students in Highly Complex Educational Contexts: Opportunities for Inclusive Pedagogical Transformation
Authors: Santos-Villalba María Jesús , Leiva-Olivencia Juan José , González-Sodis José Luis , Alcalá del Olmo-Fernández María José
Published: March 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic had various effects on the social, personal and educational spheres that made it necessary to rethink how to respond to new emerging needs. In Spain, a massive closure of schools occurred, which led to a transition from face-to-face teaching to emergency remote teaching. This led to the implementation of pedagogical measures to ensure continuity in the teaching process. The aim of this research is to explore the impact of the pandemic on the educational and personal trajectories of students from their own experiences of attending a poorly performing school in the province of Malaga (Spain). The methodology was qualitative, and the information was collected through a focus group. The most relevant results indicated that the students, in response to the pandemic situation, developed resilience strategies to cope with the lack of technological devices, connectivity problems, difficulties in managing their emotions and the absence of interactions with their peer groups. The main conclusions include the need to build resilient and inclusive educational spaces as key pillars for educational transformation.
A Dynamic Analysis Data Preprocessing Technique for Malicious Code Detection with TF-IDF and Sliding Windows
Authors: Kim Mihui , Kim Haesoo
Published: March 2024

When using dynamic analysis data to detect malware, time-series data such as API call sequences are used to determine malicious activity through deep learning models such as recurrent neural networks (RNN). However, in API call sequences, APIs are called differently when different programs are executed. To use these data as input for deep learning, preprocessing is performed to unify the size of the data by adding dummy zeros to the data using the zero-padding technique. However, when the standard deviation of the size is significant, the amount of dummy data added increases, making it difficult for the deep learning model to reflect the characteristics of the data. Therefore, this paper proposes a preprocessing technique using term frequency–inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) and a sliding window algorithm. We trained the long short-term memory (LSTM) model on the data with the proposed preprocessing, and the results, with an accuracy of 95.94%, a recall of 97.32%, a precision of 95.71%, and an F1-score of 96.5%, showed that the proposed preprocessing technique is effective.
WhistleGAN for Biomimetic Underwater Acoustic Covert Communication
Authors: Kim Yongcheol , Seol Seunghwan , Lee Hojun , Park Geunho , Chung Jaehak
Published: March 2024

This paper proposes a whistle-generative adversarial network (WhistleGAN) that generates whistles for biomimetic underwater covert acoustic communication. The proposed method generates new whistles to maintain covertness by avoiding the repetitive use of the same whistles. Since the human ear perceives octave frequency such that low-frequency resolution is relatively larger than that of low frequencies, the proposed WhistleGAN uses mel filter banks to keep the fidelity in mimicking while reducing the complexity. The mean opinion score test verified that the whistles generated by the proposed method and the recorded real whistles have a similar score of 4.3, and the computer simulations proved that the bit error rate performance of the proposed method is the same as that of the real whistle.
RCAT: Retentive CLIP Adapter Tuning for Improved Video Recognition
Authors: Xie Zexun , Xu Min , Zhang Shudong , Zhou Lijuan
Published: March 2024

The advent of Contrastive Language-Image Pre-training (CLIP) models has revolutionized the integration of textual and visual representations, significantly enhancing the interpretation of static images. However, their application to video recognition poses unique challenges due to the inherent dynamism and multimodal nature of video content, which includes temporal changes and spatial details beyond the capabilities of traditional CLIP models. These challenges necessitate an advanced approach capable of comprehending the complex interplay between the spatial and temporal dimensions of video data. To this end, this study introduces an innovative approach, Retentive CLIP Adapter Tuning (RCAT), which synergizes the foundational strengths of CLIP with the dynamic processing prowess of a Retentive Network (RetNet). Specifically designed to refine CLIP’s applicability to video recognition, RCAT facilitates a nuanced understanding of video sequences by leveraging temporal analysis. At the core of RCAT is its specialized adapter tuning mechanism, which modifies the CLIP model to better align with the temporal intricacies and spatial details of video content, thereby enhancing the model’s predictive accuracy and interpretive depth. Our comprehensive evaluations on benchmark datasets, including UCF101, HMDB51, and MSR-VTT, underscore the effectiveness of RCAT. Our proposed approach achieves notable accuracy improvements of 1.4% on UCF101, 2.6% on HMDB51, and 1.1% on MSR-VTT compared to existing models, illustrating its superior performance and adaptability in the context of video recognition tasks.
Automatic Speech Recognition of Vietnamese for a New Large-Scale Corpus
Authors: Tran Linh Thi Thuc , Kim Han-Gyu , La Hoang Minh , Van Pham Su
Published: March 2024

Vietnamese is an under-resourced language. The requirement for a large-scale and high-quality Vietnamese speech corpus increases on demand. We introduce a new large-scale Vietnamese speech corpus with 100.5 h collected from various audio sources in the Internet. The raw collected audio was processed to obtain clean speech. Transcription of the clean speech was made manually. The new corpus was analyzed in terms of gender, topic and regional dialect. Results shows that the new corpus has good diversity of genders, topics and regional dialects. We also evaluated the new corpus using state-of-the-art automatic speech recognition models like LAS and Speech-Transformer for multiple scenarios. This is the first time that these models have been applied to Vietnamese speech recognition and obtained reasonable results. Simulation results showed that the new corpus would be a good dataset for the Vietnamese ASR tasks because it reflected correctly difficulties in recognizing speech from different dialects and topic domains.
Making Path Selection Bright: A Routing Algorithm for On-Chip Benes Networks
Authors: Zhao Li , Li Zhiwei , Ma Tianming
Published: March 2024

Optical interconnects are being discussed as a replacement for conventional electrical interconnects and are expected to be applied for future generations of high-performance supercomputers and data centers. Benes networks have attracted much attention because they require only 2 × 2 optical switches, which reduce the cost of rearrangeable nonblocking. However, optical power imbalances can significantly challenge receiver sensitivity. In this work, insertion loss (IL) fairness has been proposed and applied to the field of switches to achieve a relative balance of optical path data transmission in Benes networks. Fairness can be achieved when the port count is small (4 × 4) if the IL between ports is balanced. When the number of ports is moderate (8 × 8), we must use a suitable algorithm or determine the appropriate operating wavelength to minimize the power imbalance. An efficient two-step algorithm (ETS) has particular advantages in solving the path fairness problem and mitigating the power imbalance. As the number of ports increases, the switch states and topology jointly deteriorate the power imbalance. Finally, the ETS algorithm narrows the dynamic range requirement to 13.66 dB, with a 2 dB improvement. It achieves an extinction ratio of 24 dB and a bandwidth of 375 GHz, which outperforms the conventional 32 × 32 Benes network, respectively.
Pressure Transient Analysis on the Condenser of the HPR1000 Nuclear Power Unit
Authors: Lu Chuntian , Yang Jianjun , Zhang Qiang
Published: March 2024

The transient characteristics of pressure in the condenser under fault conditions have a crucial impact on the safe operation of the entire nuclear power plant. In order to ascertain whether the condenser pressure of a HPR1000 nuclear power unit meets the requirements of the steam generator, this paper establishes a mathematical model of the condenser, along with the connected steam turbine bypass steam system and circulating water system, based on Apros. The accuracy of the simulation model is verified by comparing the coasting curve of the circulating water pump with the flow change curve under the pump-tripping condition in Apros. Under the initial CCR condition and the half-side operating condition of the condenser, simulation analyses were conducted for two transient sequences involving the loss of normal external power and the simultaneous tripping of two circulating water pumps. The corresponding changes of pressure in the condenser under the transient sequence were obtained. The study reveals that, under different initial conditions and transient sequences, the condenser pressure of the unit can meet the requirements of a 12 s steam discharge to the condenser before the internal pressure of the condenser reaches the “unavailable” set value when the turbine bypass system is under the fault condition. The research findings of this paper can provide reference data for the design, commissioning, and operation of subsequent HPR1000 nuclear power plants.
Stability, Content of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Emulsions with Propolis Extracts during Simulated In Vitro Digestion
Authors: González Montiel Lucio , León-López Arely , García-Ceja Adelfo , Franco-Fernández Melitón Jesús , Pérez-Soto Elizabeth , Cenobio-Galindo Antonio de Jesús , Campos-Montiel Rafael G. , Aguirre-Álvarez Gabriel
Published: March 2024

The objective in this work was the evaluation of the stability and content of bioactive compounds (total phenols and total flavonoids) and antioxidant activity of emulsions of ethanolic extracts of propolis obtained by ultrasound, during simulated in vitro digestion. The emulsions prepared with propolis extracts were evaluated on certain properties: their emulsion efficiency, stability (zeta potential, particle size, electrical conductivity), content of bioactive compound (total phenolics and total flavonoids), antioxidant activity and their behavior during simulated in vitro digestion. Based on the total phenol content, an emulsification efficiency of 87.8 ± 1.9% to 97.8 ± 3.8% was obtained. The particle size of the emulsions was 322.5 ± 15.33 nm to 463.9 ± 33.65 nm, with a zeta potential of −31.5 ± 0.66 mV to −28.2 ± 1.0 mV and electrical conductivity of 22.7 ± 1.96 µS/cm to 30.6 ± 0.91 µS/cm. These results indicate good emulsion stability. During simulated in vitro digestion, the content of bioactive compounds (total phenolics, total flavonoids) and antioxidant activity were affected during 77 days of storage at 4 °C. It was concluded that the emulsion process fulfills the function of protecting the bioactive compounds and therefore their biological activity.
Multiscale Static Compressive Damage Characteristics of Kiwifruit Based on the Finite Element Method
Authors: Zhu Yue , Zhu Licheng , Guo Wangkun , Han Zhenhao , Wang Ruixue , Zhang Weipeng , Yuan Yanwei , Gao Jianbo , Liu Suchun
Published: March 2024

In the handling or processing process, fruits are easily crushed by external loads. This type of damage in fruit often leads to the internal pulp browning and rotting, with the severity largely dependent on the fruit tissue’s geometric and mechanical properties. In kiwifruits, with their thin skin and dark-colored flesh, it is particularly challenging to observe and analyze the damage caused by extrusion through traditional experimental methods. The objective of this research is to construct a multi-scale finite element model encompassing the skin, flesh, and core by measuring the geometric and mechanical properties of kiwifruit, to assess and predict the damage characteristics under compression, and to verify the accuracy of the finite element model through experiments. The results indicated that kiwifruits demonstrated different compressive strengths in different directions during compression. The compressive strength in the axial direction was higher than that in the radial direction, and there was little difference between the long and short radial directions. The flesh tissue is the most vulnerable to mechanical damage under external compression, followed by the core. At strain levels below 5%, there was no noticeable damage in the axial or radial directions of the kiwifruit. However, when strain exceeded 5%, damage began to manifest in some of the flesh tissue. To maintain fruit quality during storage and transportation, the stacking height should not exceed 77 fruits in the axial direction, 48 in the long direction, and 53 in the short direction. The finite element analysis showed that the established model can effectively simulate and predict the internal damage behavior of kiwifruits under compression loads, which is helpful for a deeper understanding of the mechanical properties of fruits and provides a theoretical basis and technical guidance for minimizing mechanical damage during fruit handling.
Microbial-Transferred Metabolites and Improvement of Biological Activities of Green Tea Catechins by Human Gut Microbiota
Authors: Su You , Hu Kaiyin , Li Daxiang , Guo Huimin , Sun Li , Xie Zhongwen
Published: March 2024

Green tea catechins (GTCs) are dietary polyphenols with broad bioactivities that undergo extensive microbial metabolism in the human gut. However, microbial-transferred metabolites and their health benefits are not fully understood. Herein, the microbial metabolism of GTCs by human fecal microbiota and dynamic alteration of the microbiota were integrally investigated via in vitro anaerobic fermentation. The results showed that the human gut microbiota exhibited a strong metabolic effect on GTCs via UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. A total of 35 microbial-transferred metabolites were identified, far more than were identified in previous studies. Among them, five metabolites, namely EGCG quinone, EGC quinone, ECG quinone, EC quinone, and mono-oxygenated EGCG, were identified for the first time in fermented GTCs with the human gut microbiota. Consequently, corresponding metabolic pathways were proposed. Notably, the antioxidant, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of the GTCs sample increased after fermentation compared to those of the initial unfermented sample. The results of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that the GTCs significantly altered gut microbial diversity and enriched the abundancy of Eubacterium, Flavonifractor, etc., which may be further involved in the metabolisms of GTCs. Thus, these findings contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between GTCs and gut microbiota, as well as the health benefits of green tea consumption.
Effectiveness of Online Food-Safety Educational Programs: A Systematic Review, Random-Effects Meta-Analysis, and Thematic Synthesis
Authors: Berglund Zachary , Simsek Senay , Feng Yaohua
Published: March 2024

Online food-safety educational programs are increasingly important to educate different populations as technology and culture shift to using more technology. However, the broad effectiveness of these programs has yet to be examined. A systematic review, random-effects meta-analysis, and thematic synthesis are conducted to identify the effect size of online food-safety educational programs on knowledge, attitudes, and practices of consumers, food workers, and students and their respective barriers and recommendations. Online food-safety education was found to be of moderate and low effectiveness, with attitudes being the lowest in all populations. Consumers struggled with staying focused, and it was found that messaging should focus on risk communication. Students struggled with social isolation and a lack of time, and it was recommended that videos be used. Food workers struggled with a lack of time for training and difficulty understanding the material, and future programs are recommended to implement shorter but more frequent trainings with simple language. Future online food-safety educational programs should focus on incorporating social elements, as they can remain a huge barrier to learning. They should also focus on changing the participant’s attitude to risk perception and beliefs in the importance of food safety.
Issues of Bias in Groundwater Quality Data Sets in an Irrigated Floodplain Aquifer of Variable Salinity
Authors: Hibbs Barry J. , Eastoe Christopher J. , Merino Mercedes
Published: March 2024

In arid regions characterized by large variations in groundwater salinity, the data derived from irrigation and domestic water supply wells may exhibit bias, reflecting an overall lower salinity than the true aquifer distribution. This bias stems from the decommissioning, non-use, or disrepair of wells that are frequently sources of higher salinity readings, rendering them unavailable for sampling. Baseflow-fed streams, agricultural drains, seeps, springs issuing into agricultural drains, and randomly located test hole samples tend to manifest higher averages and ranges of salinity when compared to supply wells. Agricultural drain flows, springs, and test holes, if sampled following recommended guidelines, are less susceptible to such bias. This study presents a case of groundwater bias identified through an initial water well sampling program in El Paso (Texas, USA). Subsequent rounds of sampling, incorporating drain samples, spring samples, and test hole samples, revealed a more comprehensive understanding of the salinity dynamics. The dataset not only highlights the existence of bias but also provides evidence for a combined geological and agricultural origin of salinity. Additionally, it demonstrates that drain sampling in an earlier study did not accurately depict a primary salinity source due to incomplete analysis of the data. Recommendations are outlined to mitigate bias, emphasizing the importance of sample control from baseflow-fed drains, springs, water wells, and test hole samples. The study also infers the upwelling of saline groundwater from deeper formations in the study area, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of groundwater salinity dynamics.
Definitions, Classification Schemes for Active Faults, and Their Application
Authors: Wu Zhonghai , Hu Mengmeng
Published: March 2024

Active faults are generally defined as faults that have moved in the past and will continue to be active in the future. They are expected to cause deformation and potential disasters if they are localized close to human activities. The definition and classification of active faults are important bases for evaluating the risk. This paper summarizes and compares the history, status, and progress of their definition and classification schemes used in representative countries and regions, as well as in some relevant standards, in active fault mapping, in the construction of spatial databases, and in some other aspects. It is concluded that the current geodynamic setting, existing technical means, geological operability, application purpose, and social acceptability of active faulting hazard in a specific area comprehensively determine the selection of the definition and classification. The key parameter in defining active faults is the time limit. It usually involves four time scales, i.e., Neotectonic (post-Neogene), Quaternary, Late Quaternary, and Holocene. The definition using a short time scale, such as Late Quaternary and Holocene, is usually suitable for the plate boundary zone, which has a high strain rate, but active faults in the intraplate deformation region and stable continental region should be defined with a long time scale, such as the Quaternary and Neotectonics. In addition, the magnitude standard can determine the activity intensity of active faults, which most generally includes three classes, namely, M ≥ 5.0 damaging earthquakes, M ≥ 6.0 strong earthquakes, and M ≥ 6.5 earthquakes that may produce surface displacement or deformation. The M ≥ 5.0 earthquake is generally applicable to regional earthquake prevention and risk mitigation in many countries or regions, but the M ≥ 6.5 earthquake magnitude benchmark is generally used as the standard in rules or regulations regarding active fault avoidance. The most common classification schemes in many countries or regions are based on fault activity, which is reflected mainly by the fault slip rate and fault recurrence interval (FRI), as well as by the last activation time. However, when determining the specific quantitative parameters of the different activity levels of faults, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the differences in activity and ages of the faults in the study region, as well as the amount and validity of existing data for the purpose of classifying different active levels of faults effectively.
Ghosts of the Techno-Fix Ocean? A Short History of Periphylla periphylla in the Norwegian Fjords
Authors: Meyer Tirza
Published: March 2024

In 1980, reports of deep-sea jellyfish blooms in Norwegian fjords led researchers to investigate the problem. The helmet jellyfish, Periphylla periphylla, has since migrated far north into Arctic waters. This paper examines what happened when the jellyfish blooms were noticed in 1980 from a historical and ethnographic perspective. It traces four research projects and business ideas that proposed solutions to the jellyfish problem and asks how they are representative of the ways in which humans meet the challenges of anthropogenic climate change. The paper concludes that the jellyfish problem was met with a “techno-fix” attitude that sought to “turn a problem into a resource”, which eventually leads to what Julia Livingston has termed “self-devouring growth”. In a final outlook, the article asks how we can engage with questions of conservation from a humanities perspective and concludes that the jellyfish story can help us to ask questions about “conservation for whom”.
Hourly PM2.5 Concentration Prediction Based on Empirical Mode Decomposition and Geographically Weighted Neural Network
Authors: Chen Yan , Hu Chunchun
Published: March 2024

Accurate prediction of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration is crucial for improving environmental conditions and effectively controlling air pollution. However, some existing studies could ignore the nonlinearity and spatial correlation of time series data observed from stations, and it is difficult to avoid the redundancy between features during feature selection. To further improve the accuracy, this study proposes a hybrid model based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD), minimal-redundancy-maximal-relevance (mRMR), and geographically weighted neural network (GWNN) for hourly PM2.5 concentration prediction, named EMD-mRMR-GWNN. Firstly, the original PM2.5 concentration sequence with distinct nonlinearity and non-stationarity is decomposed into multiple intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a residual component using EMD. IMFs are further classified and reconstructed into high-frequency and low-frequency components using the one-sample t-test. Secondly, the optimal feature subset is selected from high-frequency and low-frequency components with mRMR for the prediction model, thus holding the correlation between features and the target variable and reducing the redundancy among features. Thirdly, the residual component is predicted with the simple moving average (SMA) due to its strong trend and autocorrelation, and GWNN is used to predict the high-frequency and low-frequency components. The final prediction of the PM2.5 concentration value is calculated by an artificial neural network (ANN) composed of the predictive values of each component. PM2.5 concentration prediction experiments in three representational cities, such as Beijing, Wuhan, and Kunming were carried out. The proposed model achieved high accuracy with a coefficient of determination greater than 0.92 in forecasting PM2.5 concentration for the next 1 h. We compared this model with four baseline models in forecasting PM2.5 concentration for the next few hours and found it performed the best in PM2.5 concentration prediction. The experimental results indicated the proposed model can improve prediction accuracy.
Smart Urban Cadastral Map Enrichment—A Machine Learning Method
Authors: Hajiheidari Alireza , Delavar Mahmoud Reza , Rajabifard Abbas
Published: March 2024

Enriching and updating maps are among the most important tasks of any urban management organization for informed decision making. Urban cadastral map enrichment is a time-consuming and costly process, which needs an expert’s opinion for quality control. This research proposes a smart framework to enrich a cadastral base map using a more up-to-date map automatically by machine learning algorithms. The proposed framework has three main steps, including parcel matching, parcel change detection and base map enrichment. The matching step is performed by checking the center point of each parcel in the other map parcels. Support vector machine and random forest classification algorithms are used to detect the changed parcels in the base map. The proposed models employ the genetic algorithm for feature selection and grey wolf optimization and Harris hawks optimization for hyperparameter optimization to improve accuracy and performance. By assessing the accuracies of the models, the random forest model with feature selection and grey wolf optimization, with an F1-score of 0.9018, was selected for the parcel change detection method. Finally, the detected changed parcels in the base map are deleted and relocated automatically with corresponding parcels in the more up-to-date map by the affine transformation.
The Optimization Design of Macrophage Membrane Camouflaging Liposomes for Alleviating Ischemic Stroke Injury through Intranasal Delivery
Authors: Liu Tianshu , Wang Yan , Zhang Mengfan , Zhang Jin , Kang Naijin , Zheng Linlin , Ding Zhiying
Published: March 2024

Ischemic stroke is associated with a high mortality rate, and effective treatment strategies are currently lacking. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel nano delivery system to treat ischemic stroke via intranasal administration. A three-factor Box–Behnken experimental design was used to optimize the formulation of liposomes co-loaded with Panax notoginseng saponins (PNSs) and Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) (Lip-Rg3/PNS). Macrophage membranes were coated onto the surface of the optimized liposomes to target the ischemic site of the brain. The double-loaded liposomes disguised by macrophage membranes (MM-Lip-Rg3/PNS) were spherical, in a “shell–core” structure, with encapsulation rates of 81.41% (PNS) and 93.81% (Rg3), and showed good stability. In vitro, MM-Lip-Rg3/PNS was taken up by brain endothelial cells via the clathrin-dependent endocytosis and micropinocytosis pathways. Network pharmacology experiments predicted that MM-Lip-Rg3/PNS could regulate multiple signaling pathways and treat ischemic stroke by reducing apoptosis and inflammatory responses. After 14 days of treatment with MM-Lip-Rg3/PNS, the survival rate, weight, and neurological score of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats significantly improved. The hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and TUNEL staining results showed that MM-Lip-Rg3/PNS can reduce neuronal apoptosis and inflammatory cell infiltration and protect the ischemic brain. In vivo biological experiments have shown that free Rg3, PNS, and MM-Lip-Rg3/PNS can alleviate inflammation and apoptosis, especially MM-Lip-Rg3/PNS, indicating that biomimetic liposomes can improve the therapeutic effects of drugs. Overall, MM-Lip-Rg3/PNS is a potential biomimetic nano targeted formulation for ischemic stroke therapy.
Aland Island Eye Disease with Retinoschisis in the Clinical Spectrum of CACNA1F-Associated Retinopathy—A Case Report
Authors: Wyględowska-Promieńska Dorota , Świerczyńska Marta , Śpiewak Dorota , Pojda-Wilczek Dorota , Tronina Agnieszka , Dorecka Mariola , Smędowski Adrian
Published: March 2024

Aland island eye disease (AIED), an incomplete form of X-linked congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB2A), and X-linked cone-rod dystrophy type 3 (CORDX3) display many overlapping clinical findings. They result from mutations in the CACNA1F gene encoding the α1F subunit of the Cav1.4 channel, which plays a key role in neurotransmission from rod and cone photoreceptors to bipolar cells. Case report: A 57-year-old Caucasian man who had suffered since his early childhood from nystagmus, nyctalopia, low visual acuity and high myopia in both eyes (OU) presented to expand the diagnostic process, because similar symptoms had occurred in his 2-month-old grandson. Additionally, the patient was diagnosed with protanomalous color vision deficiency, diffuse thinning, and moderate hypopigmentation of the retina. Optical coherence tomography of the macula revealed retinoschisis in the right eye and foveal hypoplasia in the left eye. Dark-adapted (DA) 3.0 flash full-field electroretinography (ffERG) amplitudes of a-waves were attenuated, and the amplitudes of b-waves were abolished, which resulted in a negative pattern of the ERG. Moreover, the light-adapted 3.0 and 3.0 flicker ffERG as well as the DA 0.01 ffERG were consistent with severely reduced responses OU. Genetic testing revealed a hemizygous form of a stop-gained mutation (c.4051C>T) in exon 35 of the CACNA1F gene. This pathogenic variant has so far been described in combination with a phenotype corresponding to CSNB2A and CORDX3. This report contributes to expanding the knowledge of the clinical spectrum of CACNA1F-related disease. Wide variability and the overlapping clinical manifestations observed within AIED and its allelic disorders may not be explained solely by the consequences of different mutations on proteins. The lack of distinct genotype–phenotype correlations indicates the presence of additional, not yet identified, disease-modifying factors.
Secondary Metabolites and Their Antioxidant Activity Enhance the Tolerance to Water Deficit on Clover Lotus corniculatus L. through Different Seasonal Times
Authors: González-Espíndola Luis Angel , Pedroza-Sandoval Aurelio , de los Santos Gabino García , Trejo-Calzada Ricardo , Álvarez-Vázquez Perpetuo , del Rosario Jacobo-Salcedo Maria
Published: March 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a water limitation in different ecotypes and one variety of Lotus corniculatus L. on the production of secondary metabolites and their antioxidant activity in response to a water deficit (WD) through other seasonal times. A randomized block experimental design with three replicates was used. Two levels of soil water content and five genotypes were arranged in a factorial way (2 × 5) with ten treatments for replication. The 255301 ecotype showed significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) concentrations of total phenols, with a concentration of 86.6 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/gram of fresh weight (gFW); total flavonoids, with a concentration of 63.2 mg Quercetin Equivalent (QE)/gFW); total tannins (71.7 mg GAE/gFW); and radical scavenging activity, with an average of 200 mg Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC)/gFW) in winter under a WD. The 255305 ecotype showed an increase in radical scavenging activity of 230 mg (TEAC)/gFW) and a total tannin concentration of 65.3 mg GAE/gFW in winter and spring, respectively, under a WD. The 255301 ecotype showed an increase in the concentration of total saponins (254.8 mg saponins/gFW) in summer under a WD. All these responses were triggered to mitigate a water deficit and extreme temperatures.
Dyadic Adjustment of Couples and State Anxiety in Patients Tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections
Authors: Pintea-Trifu Martina-Luciana , Vică Mihaela-Laura , Leucuța Daniel-Corneliu , Coman Horia George , Nemeș Bogdan , Matei Horea-Vladi
Published: March 2024

Background: While existing literature addresses the psychological impact of HIV, there is a notable gap in data regarding other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study aims to fill this gap by evaluating the association between STIs, the psychological profile of patients as measured by anxiety levels, and the impact on couple adaptability. Methods: A prospective investigation was conducted in Romania, from November 2021, including individuals with high suspicion of STI and healthy controls. Data collection comprised a questionnaire, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Y-1). Statistical methods, including multivariate logistic and linear regressions, were used to carry out the analyses. Results: The participant cohort consisted of 441 individuals. STI participants exhibited consistently lower DAS scores, notably in dyadic adaptability (DA) (p = 0.031), dyadic satisfaction (DS) (p = 0.006), and affectional expression (AE) (p = 0.016). Multivariate logistic regression with adjustment for confounders confirmed a significant association between STIs and atypical DAS responses (2.56-fold increase). STAI T scores were significantly higher in the STI suspected group (p < 0.01), remaining robust after adjusting for confounders in a multiple linear regression model. Conclusions: Our prospectively designed study highlights the mental health repercussions associated with STIs. This is evident through the diminished DAS scores and heightened STAI Y-1 scores observed in individuals with suspected STIs.
The Role of Anxiety and Depression in Shaping the Sleep–Pain Connection in Patients with Nonspecific Chronic Spinal Pain and Comorbid Insomnia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Authors: Goossens Zosia , Bilterys Thomas , Van Looveren Eveline , Malfliet Anneleen , Meeus Mira , Danneels Lieven , Ickmans Kelly , Cagnie Barbara , Roland Aurore , Moens Maarten , Nijs Jo , De Baets Liesbet , Mairesse Olivier
Published: March 2024

(1) Background: This exploratory study aims to explore the relationship between nonspecific chronic spinal pain (nCSP) and insomnia symptoms, by examining the interconnections, strengths, and directional dependence of the symptoms. In addition, we aim to identify the key symptoms of the nCSP–insomnia relationship and shed light on the bidirectional nature of this relationship. (2) Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of the baseline data (cross-sectional) from a randomized controlled trial, which examined the added value of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) combined with cognition-targeted exercise therapy, conducted in collaboration with the Universiteit Gent and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium). One hundred and twenty-three nCSP patients with comorbid insomnia were recruited through the participating hospitals, advertisements, announcements in local newspapers, pharmacies, publications from support groups, and primary care. To explore the interconnections and directionality between symptoms and the strengths of the relationships, we estimated a regularized Gaussian graphical model and a directed acyclic graph. (3) Results: We found only one direct, but weak, link between sleep and pain, namely, between average pain and difficulties maintaining sleep. (4) Conclusions: Despite the lack of strong direct links between sleep and pain, pain and sleep seem to be indirectly linked via anxiety and depression symptoms, acting as presumable mediators in the network of nCSP and comorbid insomnia. Furthermore, feeling slowed down and fatigue emerged as terminal nodes, implying their role as consequences of the network.
Correspondence between Expected, Perceived, and Measured Effects of BoNT-A Treatment in Calf Muscles among Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Sæther Rannei , Elvrum Ann-Kristin Gunnes , Brændvik Siri Merete
Published: March 2024

(1) Background: Our study explores the relationship between expected, perceived, and measured effects of botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) treatment and saline (placebo) in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) in the calf muscles of 20 children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), aged 4–15 years, using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) I–II. (2) Methods: A mixed methods parallel database design was used. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected at baseline and four weeks after treatment. The primary quantitative measure was gross energy cost (EC) during walking, obtained from a 5-Minute Walk Test (5MWT), while qualitative semi-structured interviews were performed with each parent and child/adolescent individually. (3) Results: Four weeks after treatment, we did not find any correspondence between expected, measured, and perceived effects. Interestingly, parental perceptions of treatment effects were more consistent than the measured outcomes. We also observed a connection between parental treatment expectations and perceived effects, often related to reduced energy expenditure. Children tended to view their parents as treatment experts and had fewer expectations and perceptions themselves. (4) Conclusions: These findings support the importance of child-centered care, which entails actively listening to children’s expectations and perceptions during the treatment process.
The Challenge of Treating Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms with Hostile Neck Anatomy: An Overview
Authors: Houser Alex , Martinez Camilo , Tassiopoulos Apostolos
Published: March 2024

Hostile aortic neck anatomy challenges the outcomes of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Besides reverting to open surgical repair (OSR), thoughtful endograft selection and a number of advanced endovascular techniques have been suggested as potential solutions for preventing proximal seal zone complications, improving EVAR durability, and preventing aneurysm-related death. Each technique is associated with advantages and limitations and there has not been a credible direct comparison amongst them in the form of a well-designed prospective trial. The not infrequent presence of multiple hostile anatomic characteristics further complicates decision making and challenges the surgeon’s skills. This paper serves as an overview of hostile neck anatomy and its implications on EVAR. We provide a concise literature review with the purpose of outlining the treatment modalities and outcomes in this patient population.
Buried Autologous Breast Reconstruction: Outcomes and Technical Considerations
Authors: Creasy Henrietta , Citron Isabelle , Davis Timothy P. , Cooper Lilli , Din Asmat H. , Rose Victoria
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes in patients undergoing buried and non-buried free flaps for breast reconstruction, in addition to evaluating the safety and reliability of venous flow couplers. A retrospective review was performed of all patients undergoing free flap breast reconstruction between 2013 and 2023. The primary outcomes were free flap failure, complications and the number of procedures required to complete the reconstructive journey. A total of 322 flaps were performed in 254 consecutive patients, with 47.5% (n = 153) being buried and 52.0% (n = 169) being non-buried reconstructions. The most common flap of choice being deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flaps (81.9%) followed by profunda artery perforator flaps (14.3%). There was no significant difference between the two groups in complications, including flap failure (buried 2.0% vs. non-buried 1.8% p = 0.902). There was a significant reduction in the number of procedures required to complete the reconstructive journey, with 52.2% (n = 59) of patients undergoing single-stage breast reconstruction in the buried group compared with only 25.5% (n = 36) in the non-buried group (p < 0.001). Two (0.6%) patients experienced a false negative in which the signal of the flow coupler was lost but the flap was perfused during re-exploration. No flap losses occurred without being identified in advance by a loss of audible venous flow signal. Buried free flap breast reconstruction is safe and requires fewer operations to complete patients’ reconstructive journey. Flow couplers are a safe and effective method of monitoring buried free flaps in breast reconstruction.
Retinal Microvascular Alterations in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Patients: A Pilot Study Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Authors: Manfredini Marco , Ragusa Emanuele , Gibertini Matteo , Bigi Laura , Ferrari Barbara , Lasagni Claudia , Magnoni Cristina , Lazzerini Andrea , Farnetani Francesca , Verdina Tommaso
Published: March 2024

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a relapsing–remitting inflammatory disease characterized by the progression of asymptomatic nodules to deep-seated lesions and fistula formation that leads to suppuration and scarring. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a new non-invasive imaging technique that carefully analyzes retinal microvasculature networks with high-resolution imaging. Recent studies have demonstrated that retinal vessel density and retinal perfusion reflect systemic inflammatory responses. This study’s aim was to analyze OCTA-derived retinal microvasculature parameters to understand if patients affected by HS and without any relevant ocular or systemic comorbidities showed impaired retinal vascular function and morphology. Method: We performed a case–control study of HS patients and age- and sex-matched control cohort. A total of 20 eyes from 10 HS patients and 30 eyes from 15 healthy controls were analyzed, and OCTA-derived microvasculature parameters were compared between groups. Results: OCTA images showed that HS patients, compared to healthy controls, were typically characterized by higher values of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) both in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and in the deep capillary plexus (DCP), and by lower values of vessel density (VD)-SCP, VD-DCP, and vessel length density (VLD)-SCP in the foveal region. These findings partially reflect changes that have been demonstrated in diabetic patients that could be induced by a protracted metabolic or systemic inflammatory dysregulation. Conclusions: In conclusion, OCTA enables large-scale, non-invasive visual screening and follow-up of the retinal vasculature features, providing a new strategy for the prevention and monitoring of visual changes in HS patients.
Endoscopic Resection for Duodenal Neuroendocrine Neoplasms between 10 and 20 mm—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rossi Roberta Elisa , Masoni Benedetta , Massironi Sara , Marcozzi Giacomo , Franchellucci Gianluca , Zullo Angelo , Facciorusso Antonio , Carrara Silvia , Mahmud Nadim , Migliorisi Giulia , Ferretti Silvia , Maselli Roberta , Hassan Cesare , Repici Alessandro
Published: March 2024

Background. The optimal management of duodenal neuroendocrine neoplasms (dNENs) sized 10–20 mm remains controversial and although endoscopic resection is increasingly performed instead of surgery, the therapeutic approach in this setting is not fully standardized. We performed a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis to clarify the outcomes of endoscopic resection for 10–20 mm dNENs in terms of efficacy (i.e., recurrence rate) and safety. Methods. A computerized literature search was performed using relevant keywords to identify pertinent articles published until January 2023. Results. Seven retrospective studies were included in this systematic review. The overall recurrence rate was 14.6% (95%CI 5.4–27.4) in 65 patients analyzed, without significant heterogeneity. When considering studies specifically focused on endoscopic mucosal resection, the recurrence rate was 20.5% (95%CI 10.7–32.4), without significant heterogeneity. The ability to obtain the free margin after endoscopic resection ranged between 36% and 100%. No complications were observed in the four studies reporting this information. Conclusions. Endoscopic resection could be the first treatment option in patients with dNENs sized 10–20 mm and without evidence of metastatic disease. Further studies are needed to draw more solid conclusions, particularly in terms of superiority among the available endoscopic techniques.
Probability Score to Predict Spontaneous Conversion to Sinus Rhythm in Patients with Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation When Less Could Be More?
Authors: Mariani Marco Valerio , Pierucci Nicola , Trivigno Sara , Cipollone Pietro , Piro Agostino , Chimenti Cristina , Della Rocca Domenico Giovanni , Miraldi Fabio , Vizza Carmine Dario , Lavalle Carlo
Published: March 2024

Background: The probability of spontaneous conversion (SCV) to sinus rhythm (SR) in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with hemodynamically stable, symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) is not well known. Objective: To develop and validate a score to determine the probability of SCV to SR in patients presenting to the ED with hemodynamically stable, symptomatic AF. Methods: This retrospective, observational study enrolled consecutive patients admitted with AF to the ED. Variables associated to SCV during a 6 h “wait-and-see” approach were used to develop and validate a score to determine the probability of SCV to SR in AF patients. The study was divided in two phases: (1) score development and (2) validation of the predictive score. Results: Out of 748 eligible patients, 446 patients were included in the derivation cohort, whereas 302 patients were included in the validation cohort. In the derivation cohort, based on multivariable logistic analysis, a probability score weight was developed including: previous SCV (3 points), AF-related symptom duration < 24 h (5 points), age ≥ 65 years (3 points) and female sex (2 points). The score allowed us to divide patients in three groups based on the probability of SCV to SR during the 6 h observation period. The probability prediction model showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.707 and 0.701 in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed score allowed us to predict SCV probability with good accuracy and may help physicians in tailoring AF management in an effective and timely manner.
Mechanical Thrombectomy in Stroke—Retrospective Comparison of Methods: Aspiration vs. Stent Retrievers vs. Combined Method—Is Aspiration the Best Starting Point?
Authors: Meder Grzegorz , Żuchowski Paweł , Skura Wojciech , Płeszka Piotr , Dura Marta , Rajewski Piotr , Nowaczewska Magdalena , Meder Magdalena , Alexandre Andrea M , Pedicelli Alessandro
Published: March 2024

Background: There are three main methods of mechanical thrombectomy (MT): using a stent retriever (SR) only (SO), aspiration catheter (AC) only (AO) and the combined method (CM) using both the SR and AC. This paper describes a real-life, single-center experience using SO, AO and CM during 276 consecutive MTs. Methods: The primary endpoint was the frequency of first-pass complete (FPE TICI3). The secondary endpoints were final mTICI 2b-3, procedure duration, clinical outcome and the total number of device passes. The third aim of this study was to test the association between the clinical outcomes in patients treated with each method and various factors. Results: There was a significant difference (p = 0.016) between the groups’ FPE TICI3 rates with 46% mTICI 3 in the AO group, 41% in the CM group and 21% in the SO group. AO resulted in procedure time shortening to a mean duration of 43 min, and the scores were 56 min for CM and 63 min for SO (p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes or in-hospital mortality. The analysis showed a correlation between good clinical outcomes and the administration of IVT: OR 1.71 (1.03–2.84) p = 0.039. Patients ≥66 years old had higher odds of a bad outcome compared to younger patients in general (OR, 1.99 95% CI, 1.17–3.38; p = 0.011). FPE TICI3 was associated with good functional outcomes in the whole treated cohort (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.21–3.25; p = 0.006). Conclusions: In our series, AO proved to be the best starting point in most cases. It demonstrates good technical efficacy regarding FPE, it is fast and clinical outcomes seem to be the least age- and FPE TICI3-dependent. It can be easily converted into the combined method, which had the second-best outcomes in our cohort.