bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A probabilistic approach to estimating timber harvest location
Authors: Truszkowski Jakub , Maor Roi , Yousuf Raquib Bin , Biswas Subhodip , Chater Caspar , Gasson Peter , McQueen Scot , Norman Marigold , Saunders Jade , Simeone John , Ramakrishnan Naren , Antonelli Alexandre , Deklerck Victor
Published: January 2025

Determining the harvest location of timber is crucial to enforcing international regulations designed to protect natural resources and to tackle illegal logging and associated trade in forest products. Stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA) can be used to verify claims of timber harvest location by matching levels of naturally occurring stable isotopes within wood tissue to location‐specific ratios predicted from reference data (“isoscapes”). However, overly simple models for predicting isoscapes have so far limited the confidence in derived predictions of timber provenance. In addition, most use cases have limited themselves to differentiating between a small number of predetermined location options. Here, we present a new analytic pipeline for SIRA data, designed to predict the harvest location of a wood sample in a continuous, arbitrarily large area. We use Gaussian processes to robustly estimate isoscapes from reference wood samples, and overlay with species distribution data to compute, for every pixel in the study area, the probability of it being the harvest location of the examined timber. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that this approach is applied to determining timber provenance, providing probabilistic results rather than a binary outcome. Additionally, we include an active learning tool to identify locations from which additional reference data would maximize the improvement to model performance, allowing for optimisation of subsequent field efforts. We demonstrate our approach on a set of SIRA data from seven oak species in the United States as a proof of concept. Our method can determine the harvest location up to within 520 km from the true origin of the sample and outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art approach. Incorporating species distribution data improves accuracy by up to 36%. The future sampling locations proposed by our tool decrease the variance of resultant isoscapes by up to 86% more than sampling the same number of locations at random. Accurate prediction of harvest location has the potential to transform worldwide efforts to enforce anti‐deforestation legislation and protect natural resources.
Regulation Active Sites of Porous GaN Crystal Via Mn3O4 Nanosheets for Advanced High Temperature Energy Storage
Authors: Lv Songyang , Wang Shouzhi , Zhang Qirui , Xu Lin , Tian Ge , Yu Jiaoxian , Wang Guodong , Li Lili , Xu Xiangang , Zhang Lei
Published: January 2025

Gallium nitride (GaN) single crystal with prominent electron mobility and heat resistance have great potential in the high temperature integrate electric power systems. However, the sluggish charge storage kinetics and inadequate energy densities are bottlenecks to its practical application. Herein, the self‐supported GaN/Mn3O4 integrated electrode is developed for both energy harvesting and storage under the high temperature environment. The experimental and theoretical calculations results reveal that such integrated structures with Mn‐N heterointerface bring abundant active sites and reconstruct low‐energy barrier channels for efficient charge transferring, reasonably optimizing the ions adsorption ability and strengthening the structural stability. Consequently, the assembled GaN based supercapacitors deliver the power density of 34.0 mW cm−2 with capacitance retention of 81.3% after 10 000 cycles at 130 °C. This work innovatively correlates the centimeter scale GaN single crystal with ideal theoretical capacity Mn3O4 and provides an effective avenue for the follow‐up energy storage applications of the wide bandgap semiconductor.
Remote patient monitoring in heart failure: A comprehensive meta‐analysis of effective programme components for hospitalization and mortality reduction
Authors: De Lathauwer Ignace L.J. , Nieuwenhuys Wessel W. , Hafkamp Frederique , Regis Marta , Brouwers Rutger W.M. , Funk Mathias , Kemps Hareld M.C.
Published: January 2025

Aims

Methods of non‐invasive remote patient monitoring (RPM) for heart failure (HF) remain diverse. Understanding factors that influence the effectiveness of RPM on HF‐related and all‐cause hospitalizations, mortality, and emergency department visits is crucial for developing successful RPM interventions. This meta‐analysis aims to synthesize and compare existing literature on RPM components that impact HF‐related and all‐cause hospitalizations, mortality and emergency department visits in HF patients.

Methods and results

A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL) identified randomized controlled trials from January 2012 to June 2023, comparing non‐invasive RPM interventions for HF with usual care. A random‐effects meta‐analysis assessed outcomes, and additional analyses identified effective RPM components. A total of 41 studies with 16 312 patients (mean follow‐up: 9.88 ± 6.37 months) were included. RPM was associated with lower mortality risk (pooled odds ratio [OR] 0.81 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69–0.95; I2 = 0.39) and reduced first HF hospitalization risk (pooled OR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.70–0.87; I2 = 0.21) compared to usual care. RPM interventions with a self‐management module (p < 0.001) and education module (p = 0.028) significantly lowered HF‐related hospitalizations. Video calls during RPM interventions further reduced HF‐related (p = 0.047) and all‐cause hospitalizations (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This meta‐analysis confirms the efficacy of RPM in reducing HF‐related hospitalizations and mortality. Effective components include self‐management, education modules, and video communication. However, heterogeneity among interventions challenges the overall evaluation. Modernizing RPM with advanced technologies like non‐invasive sensors, artificial intelligence, and cardiac telerehabilitation could enhance its potential.
A Quinidine‐Based Squaramide‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Cascade Double Hetero‐Michael Addition‐Cyclization of N‐Benzylhydroxylamine: Synthesis of Chiral 1,2‐Benzoxazines
Authors: Kamilya Chandan , Das Dipankar , Gorane Nikhil L. , Ghorai Prasanta
Published: January 2025

The double hetero‐Michael addition (DHMA), leveraging the reactivity of two distinct nucleophilic centers (oxygen and nitrogen), has emerged as a transformative strategy in organic synthesis for constructing carbon‐hetero nuclear bonds in a single step. In this work, we report an innovative intermolecular DHMA cascade cyclization reaction catalyzed by a quinidine‐based squaramide catalyst. The use of the squaramide catalyst is particularly noteworthy, as it enhances the electrophilicity of the α,β‐unsaturated bis‐enone, thereby promoting excellent enantioselective formation of the 1,2‐benzoxazine. The process demonstrates excellent enantiomeric excess (up to 99% ee), moderate diastereoselectivity (up to 6:1 dr), and high yields. The four different 1,2‐benzoxazine stereoisomers have been synthesized with excellent enantiomeric excess. Furthermore, the scaleup reaction of the methodology has been extended with excellent outcomes.
Clinicians' Experiences of Eating Disorder Focused Family Therapy With Autistic Young People
Authors: Duffy Fiona , Peebles Imogen , Clark Emma , Loomes Rachel , Thomson Lisa , Maloney Ellen , Nimbley Emy
Published: January 2025

Objective

Eating disorder focused family therapy (FT‐ED) is the leading outpatient intervention for adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa. Autistic people report poorer eating disorder treatment experiences and may be at increased risk of inpatient admissions. There is a need to consider adaptions to eating disorder treatment for this population. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of clinicians in the delivery of FT‐ED for Autistic young people with Anorexia Nervosa and any adaptations currently being implemented.

Method

FT‐ED trained clinicians who had experience of delivering this modality with young Autistic people and their families, were invited to take part in interviews. Transcripts were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Results

Eleven clinicians completed interviews and analysis generated four themes and eight subthemes: (1) Systemic context, (2) Raising potential autism, (3) Autism eating disorders crossover, (4) Manual versus adaptations.

Conclusions

This paper is the first exploration of clinician's experience delivering FT‐ED to Autistic young people and their families and highlighted unique considerations with this population. It is an initial step to consider adaptations to the FT‐ED model, with the aim of making eating disorder treatments more effective, accessible and acceptable for Autistic young people and their families.
A Bibliometric Analysis on the Risk Factors of Cancer
Authors: Chen Shan , Ding Yuanzhao
Published: January 2025

Given the high lethality of cancer, identifying its risk factors is crucial in both epidemiology and cancer research. This study employs a novel bibliometric analysis method, which uses the tidytext package and tidy tools in R. This approach surpasses traditional tools like VOSviewer, offering more comprehensive and complex keyword data and clearer results compared to Bibliometrix. By using R, researchers can efficiently handle useful keywords, ignore irrelevant terms, adjust specific settings, and correct errors such as repeated evaluations. This study examines 1000 articles sourced from the Web of Science database, using advanced bibliometric tools like R Studio to analyze publication quantity, frequency, and word co‐occurrences. The primary goal is to uncover key risk factors associated with cancer and explore the underlying mechanisms that link these factors to cancer development. Risk factors are categorized into exogenous (environmental exposures and lifestyle choices) and endogenous (genetic predispositions and hormonal imbalances). By providing a comprehensive analysis of these factors, the study aims to deepen our understanding of cancer risk. This research contributes valuable insights to the broader field of cancer research and has the potential to inform future studies and strategies for cancer prevention and treatment.
Water carrier volume minimally affects fungicide efficacy against pink snow mold of turfgrass
Authors: Hockemeyer K. , Koch P. L.
Published: January 2025

Snow mold diseases of turfgrass are an economically important and damaging complex of diseases in areas with persistent snow cover. Traditionally, control is best achieved with fungicide applications made before snow cover, and water carrier volume is one of the variables of a fungicide application that may impact efficacy. Fungicides from all phytomobility groups were applied to fairway height turf at three levels of water carrier volume (204, 407, and 611 L H2O ha−1) before snowfall in late fall over six winters from 2017 to 2023. There was no statistically significant effect of water volume on the efficacy of each fungicide on snow mold control during any of the winters. In some cases, decreasing the water carrier volume did decrease the effectiveness of the fungicide application on snow mold control, but it was not statistically significant. These effects appeared more frequently with the contact fungicides that were tested than any local or acropetal penetrant fungicides included in the study.
Polydopamine‐Induced BMP7‐Poly (Lactic‐Co‐Glycolic Acid)‐Nanoparticle Coating Facilitates Osteogenesis in Porous Tantalum Scaffolds
Authors: Ao Yu , Jiang Dianming
Published: January 2025

Bone defects are difficult to treat clinically and most often require bone grafting for repair. However, the source of autograft bone is limited, and allograft bone carries the risk of disease transmission and immune rejection. As tissue engineering technology advances, bone replacement materials are playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of bone defects. Porous tantalum (PT) scaffolds have shown beneficial clinical effects in the repair of bone defects, surface modification of PT to induce osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) is the key to optimizing this material. Poly (lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) nanoparticle (PLGA NPs) encapsulating bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) (BPNPs) was prepared by a double emulsion (water/oil/water [W/O/W]) method and adhered on polydopamine (PDA)‐coated PT (PPT) that was prepared by biomimetic method to prepare BPNPs‐coated PPT (BPPT). The successful preparation of BPPT was monitored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy spectrum. Murine calvarial preosteoblasts (MC3T3‐E1) cells were co‐cultured with BPPT, vitro experiments showed that BPPT promoted cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. BPPT was further implanted into the bone defect of the distal femoral epiphysis of the rabbit. At 4 weeks postoperatively, in the BPPT group, high‐resolution CT reconstruction indicated that bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) was near 50%, and the hard tissue section indicated that the depth of new bone ingrowth into the scaffolds was nearly 2 mm. The immunofluorescence staining of bone tissue around the bone defects indicated that the expression of osteogenic‐related proteins was higher in the BPPT group than the other groups. Taken together, our results suggest that BPPT promoted early osteointegration, which may provide a novel approach for the clinical treatment of bone defects.
Comprehensive Phenotyping of Extracellular Vesicles in Plasma of Healthy Humans – Insights Into Cellular Origin and Biological Variation
Authors: Holcar Marija , Marić Ivica , Tertel Tobias , Goričar Katja , Čegovnik Primožič Urška , Černe Darko , Giebel Bernd , Lenassi Metka
Published: January 2025

Despite immense interest in biomarker applications of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from blood, our understanding of circulating EVs under physiological conditions in healthy humans remains limited. Using imaging and multiplex bead‐based flow cytometry, we comprehensively quantified circulating EVs with respect to their cellular origin in a large cohort of healthy blood donors. We assessed coefficients of variations to characterize their biological variation and explored demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors contributing to observed variation. Cell‐specific circulating EV subsets show a wide range of concentrations that do not correlate with cell‐of‐origin concentrations in blood, suggesting steady‐state EV subset concentrations are regulated by complex mechanisms, which differ even for EV subsets from the same cell type. Interestingly, tetraspanin+ circulating EVs largely originate from platelets and to a lesser extent from lymphocytes. Principal component analysis (PCA) and association analyses demonstrate high biological inter‐individual variation in circulating EVs across healthy humans, which are only partly explained by the influence of sex, menopausal status, age and smoking on specific circulating EV and/or tetraspanin+ circulating EV subsets. No global influence of the explored subject's factors on circulating EVs was detected. Our findings provide the first comprehensive, quantitative data towards the cell‐origin atlas of plasma EVs, with important implications in the clinical use of EVs as biomarkers.
Selective synthesis of triacylglycerols by the ADS‐17‐supported Candida antarctica lipase B through esterification of oleic acid and glycerol
Authors: Zheng Jiawei , Zhang Qiangyue , Zhong Nanjing
Published: January 2025

BACKGROUND

Immobilized enzyme possessing both high activity and good selectivity is important in practice. In this study, Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) was immobilized onto the macroporous resin ADS‐17 for triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis through esterification of oleic acid and glycerol. The reaction conditions were optimized by single‐factor study and orthogonal test, and the reusability of the immobilized CALB (CALB@ADS‐17) was evaluated. In addition, the mechanism of lipase immobilization was studied and the catalytic mechanism of CALB@ADS‐17 was investigated.

RESULTS

Oleic acid conversion up to 99.20% and TAG content at 91.58 wt% could be obtained under optimal conditions. In addition, the CALB@ADS‐17 retained 84.28% of its initial activity after 11 cycles of reuse. The mechanism of lipase immobilization was through hydrophobic adsorption. The relationship between temperature and oleic acid conversion was lnV0 = 6.3316 − 4.3321/T, and the activation energy (Ea) was 36.02 kJ mol−1. CALB@ADS‐17 did not exhibit an obvious interfacial activation phenomenon. Its kinetic behavior can be described by the Michaelis–Menten model, whose kinetic parameters of vmax, kcat, Km, Ki, and kcat/Km were 0.01265 μmol L−1 s−1, 9310.72 s−1, 0.4907 mmol L−1, 3.997 mmol L−1, and 1.90 × 104 L mmol−1 s−1, respectively.

CONCLUSION

CALB@ADS‐17 showed good esterification performance and exhibited good selectivity towards TAG generation. In addition, CALB@ADS‐17 exhibited good reusability in esterification reactions and has potential in practical applications. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.
Ultrasound Erosion of Rabbit Liver Induced by Locally Injected Phase‐Shift Acoustic Droplets and With Lauromacrogol
Authors: Li Hui , Deng Qingyue , Cai Zhiping , Wang Qin , Huang Leidan , Gao Yuejuan , Dong Xiaoxiao , Sun Litao , Liu Zheng
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Our previous studies have found that low‐frequency, low‐pressure, weakly focused ultrasound (FUS) can induce acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) of perfluoropentane (PFP) droplets and result in localized liver and prostate tissue controllable cavitation resonance and mechanical damage. To further investigate the mechanical erosion induced by ultrasound and locally injected phase‐shift acoustic droplets in rabbit liver.

Methods

The liver of each rabbit was treated with perfluoromethylcyclopentane (PFMCP) alone, FUS combined with PFMCP (FUS + PFMCP), and FUS combined with PFP (FUS + PFP).

Results

Two‐dimensional ultrasound images showed that immediately after the completion of FUS + PFP group treatments, a high echogenicity bubble cloud could be observed, while there were no significant differences in the PFMCP and FUS + PFMCP group before and after treatment. The liver necrotic area in the FUS + PFP group was 6.2 times that of the FUS + PFMCP group (P < .05), whereas no liver necrosis was observed in the PFMCP group. At the same time, the number of vacuoles in the liver in the FUS + PFP group was approximately 70 times that of the FUS + PFMCP group (P < .001), whereas no vacuoles were observed in the PFMCP group (P < .001).

Conclusions

Both FUS + PFMCP and PFMCP alone have poor mechanical erosion in liver tissue, and may even cause no damage. Only PFP droplets combined with FUS can cause significant mechanical destruction of liver tissue, leading to tissue necrosis in the droplet injection area.
Benthic bacterial communities are shaped by browning in boreal headwater streams
Authors: Brüsecke Joanna , Muotka Timo , Huttunen Kaisa‐Leena , Lehosmaa Kaisa , Jyväsjärvi Jussi
Published: January 2025

Owing to the rapid progress of high‐throughput sequencing technologies, microbial assemblages have gained growing interest in environmental impact assessment. However, research on microbial community responses, particularly those of benthic biofilm, to browning (increased concentrations of dissolved organic carbon [DOC]), is scarce. We used data from 55 boreal streams to examine if biofilm bacterial communities exhibit changes in diversity and community composition along a gradient of browning (3.6–27 mg DOC L−1). Species richness increased slightly with increasing DOC, whereas community composition changed markedly across the gradient, especially in the active community. Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota were overall dominant bacterial phyla. In the active community, Bacteroidota became relatively less abundant and Pseudomonadota more abundant with increasing DOC. Nitrate‐N (NO3‐N) and DOC were the most important predictors of bacterial community turnover. The greatest change in community composition occurred between 75 and 100 μg NO3‐N L−1. For DOC, the first change point was at the low‐end of the gradient, followed by a major change in strongly brownified waters (> 20 mg L−1). Bacterial communities became phylogenetically more similar than expected by chance as DOC increased. Concordance between bacterial and benthic invertebrate communities was very high, indicating that browning exerts a strong control over both taxonomic groups. Our results suggest that microbial communities, particularly the active portion of the community, may provide a sensitive and reliable tool for stream bioassessment. We defined a threshold‐type response in bacterial assemblages to water browning but more research is needed on microbial responses to multiple simultaneous stressors related to global warming and land‐use intensification.
Hypoxia Promotes Malignant Progression of Colorectal Cancer by Inducing POSTN+ Cancer‐Associated Fibroblast Formation
Authors: Qin Jian , Hu Shangshang , Chen Yuhan , Xu Mu , Xiao Qianni , Lou Jinwei , Ding Muzi , Sun Huiling , Xu Tao , Pan Yuqin , Wang Shukui
Published: January 2025

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies. Hypoxia can promote the occurrence and development of CRC. However, how hypoxia regulates the CRC immune microenvironment needs to be further explored. The bulk RNA sequencing data and clinicopathological information of CRC patients were enrolled from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. The single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) datasets of CRC were collected from and analyzed from the GEO database and the ArrayExpress database. The score of the hypoxia gene set was estimated using the “ssGSEA” algorithm in the “GSVA” R package. The functional characteristics of CAF subtypes were studied by bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments, and a prognostic model was constructed based on machine learning correlation. Hypoxia is associated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. Periostin (POSTN) + Fib is a cancer‐associated fibroblast (CAF) closely associated with hypoxia, and high infiltration of POSTN + Fib is associated with adverse outcomes in overall survival (OS) and relapse‐free survival (RFS) in CRC patients. Hypoxia can induce POSTN expression and secretion in CAFs. Hypoxia‐induced increase of POSTN expression in CAFs can significantly promote the migration and proliferation of CRC cells. Hypoxia‐induced increase of POSTN expression in CAFs can significantly promote the proliferation and migration of CRC cells. The POSTN+Fib Hypoxia‐Related Risk Model (PFHRM) can predict the survival and immunotherapy response of CRC patients. Our study identified a POSTN+Fib cell subpopulation closely associated with hypoxia, which promotes the malignant progression of CRC. The development of PFHRM provides a theoretical basis for improving patient survival and prognosis.
Clinical Features and Genetic Characteristics of XLID Patients With KDM5C Gene Mutations: Insights on Phenotype–Genotype Correlations From 175 Previous Cases and Identification of a Novel Variant
Authors: Ghasemi Mohammad‐Reza , Esmaeilizadeh Zahra , Tehrani Fateh Sahand , Sadeghi Hossein , Bagheri Saman , Hashemi‐Gorji Farzad , Sheikhi Nooshabadi Morteza , Madannezhad Rasoul , Tavabe Ghavami Toktam Sadat , Mirfakhraie Reza , Miryounesi Mohammad
Published: January 2025

Background

X‐linked intellectual disability (XLID) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder that results in cognitive impairment and developmental delays. Mutations in the KDM5C gene have been identified as a causative factor in XLID. This study aimed to identify novel variants associated with XLID and to investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of XLID patients with mutations in the KDM5C gene. This study also conducted a narrative review of the literature to identify key clinical and genetic characteristics of XLID caused by mutations in the KDM5C gene.

Study Design

Whole‐exome sequencing was performed on the proband's DNA, and Sanger sequencing was used to confirm and analyze the identified variant in a 20‐month‐old male patient with motor and speech delays. Moreover, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to gather previously reported cases, providing insights into the molecular findings and clinical characteristics of this disorder.

Results

The study identified a novel variant, c.2704C>T:p.Gln902X, located in exon 19 of the KDM5C gene (NM_004187.5) using Whole exome sequencing (WES), highlighting the utility of this approach in identifying rare genetic disorders. The analysis also revealed the variable clinical features associated with KDM5C‐related disorders and identified missense variants as the most prevalent among the reported variants.

Conclusions

This study provides insights into the clinical and genetic characteristics of XLID associated with KDM5C gene mutations, highlighting the higher manifestation of seizures in males and also addressing the heterogeneity of phenotypes in females.

It also identifies a novel pathogenic variant and emphasizes the importance of considering gender‐specific factors and further research to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms.

CLINVAR Accession Number

SCV004034082
Perforator‐Based Propeller Flap Application in Pressure Ulcer Reconstruction: A Comparative Analysis With Advancement Flaps
Authors: Kim Jong‐Ho , Han Man Wong , Park Joseph Kyu‐hyung , Lee Kyoung Min , Kim Baek‐Kyu
Published: January 2025

Background

Pressure ulcers are a prevalent and debilitating condition, often necessitating surgical reconstruction. Various flap techniques, such as Advancement Flaps (AF) and Perforator‐based Propeller Flaps (PBPF), are commonly used for pressure sore reconstruction. While both techniques have proven effective, there is limited research comparing their outcomes in different clinical scenarios. In recent years, PBPF has demonstrated favorable outcomes in various reconstruction fields. However, there remains a need to establish the optimal technique for specific clinical conditions and patient populations. Therefore, this study aims to compare the outcomes of PBPF and AF in patients undergoing pressure ulcer reconstruction.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent pressure sore reconstruction utilizing either AF or PBPF techniques between January 2020 and December 2023. Data on demographics, pressure ulcer details, operative time, hospital stay, recurrence rate, and complications were collected and analyzed.

Results

In this study of 56 patients, 30 underwent AF, and 26 underwent PBPF. Demographic and clinical characteristics showed no significant differences. Clinical and surgical outcomes indicated no significant differences in defect size (p = 0.517), hospitalization period (p = 0.786), follow‐up duration (p = 0.746), number of preoperative debridements (p = 0.781), time to recurrence (p = 0.224), or postoperative complications (p = 0.757). However, PBPF resulted in a smaller flap size (93.7 ± 29.5 cm2 for AF vs. 70.5 ± 19.7 cm2 for PBPF, p < 0.001), a longer operation time compared to AF (94.6 ± 39.1 min for AF vs. 161.0 ± 38.9 min for PBPF, p < 0.001), and lower recurrence rate in long‐term follow‐up (p = 0.036).

Conclusions

PBPF may have the drawback of prolonged surgical time due to the complexity of the surgical procedure. However, when applied appropriately, it can be a meaningful surgical approach for reducing the recurrence rate of pressure ulcers.
Learning‐based motion artifact correction in the Z‐spectral domain for chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI
Authors: Singh Munendra , Mahmud Sultan Z. , Yedavalli Vivek , Zhou Jinyuan , Kamson David Olayinka , van Zijl Peter , Heo Hye‐Young
Published: January 2025

Purpose

To develop and evaluate a physics‐driven, saturation contrast‐aware, deep‐learning‐based framework for motion artifact correction in CEST MRI.

Methods

A neural network was designed to correct motion artifacts directly from a Z‐spectrum frequency (Ω) domain rather than an image spatial domain. Motion artifacts were simulated by modeling 3D rigid‐body motion and readout‐related motion during k‐space sampling. A saturation‐contrast‐specific loss function was added to preserve amide proton transfer (APT) contrast, as well as enforce image alignment between motion‐corrected and ground‐truth images. The proposed neural network was evaluated on simulation data and demonstrated in healthy volunteers and brain tumor patients.

Results

The experimental results showed the effectiveness of motion artifact correction in the Z‐spectrum frequency domain (MOCOΩ) compared to in the image spatial domain. In addition, a temporal convolution applied to a dynamic saturation image series was able to leverage motion artifacts to improve reconstruction results as a denoising process. The MOCOΩ outperformed existing techniques for motion correction in terms of image quality and computational efficiency. At 3 T, human experiments showed that the root mean squared error (RMSE) of APT images decreased from 4.7% to 2.1% at 1 μT and from 6.2% to 3.5% at 1.5 μT in case of “moderate” motion and from 8.7% to 2.8% at 1 μT and from 12.7% to 4.5% at 1.5 μT in case of “severe” motion, after motion artifact correction.

Conclusion

The MOCOΩ could effectively correct motion artifacts in CEST MRI without compromising saturation transfer contrast.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Median Nerve Cross‐Sectional Area in Suspected Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Stikvoort García Diederik J. L. , van den Berg Leonard H. , Sleutjes Boudewijn T. H. M. , Goedee H. Stephan
Published: January 2025

Introduction/Aims

Reduced nerve sizes obtained by nerve ultrasound (NUS) have been proposed as a potential diagnostic marker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, prospective studies evaluating patients with suspected ALS are currently lacking. We, therefore, evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a standardized NUS protocol in a large sample of suspected ALS patients.

Methods

We prospectively recruited 193 patients with suspected ALS, all of whom underwent the relevant ancillary tests. They also underwent a standardized NUS protocol, evaluating median nerve cross‐sectional area (CSA) at upper arm, forearm and wrist. Additionally, we selected, retrospectively, a random sample of incident patients with multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN, n = 42). We determined diagnostic accuracy using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

Ultimately, 143/193 patients received a final diagnosis of ALS, at a median disease duration of 10 months. Fifty patients were classified as non‐ALS. Diagnostic yield of NUS to distinguish between patients with and without ALS was low (highest area under the curve (AUC) at the wrist: 0.57). In contrast, abnormal nerve sizes accurately discriminated MMN from patients with ALS, with AUCs ranging from 0.65 at the wrist to 0.86 at the upper arm.

Discussion

Our study shows that reductions in nerve size are unlikely to have diagnostic utility during routine evaluation of suspected patients with ALS. However, when the differential diagnosis includes both ALS and MMN, median nerve size demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy.
Successful Clozapine Treatment for Treatment‐Resistant Schizophrenia With Zinc Deficiency Severe Anemia: A Case Report
Authors: Matsuo‐Yamamoto Kaoru , Uenishi Shinya , Ishiyama Yuta , Yamada Shinichi , Kitabata Yuji , Okamura Kazuya , Kimoto Sohei
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug approved for treatment‐resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Despite its high efficacy for TRS, clozapine is associated with several serious adverse effects, such as neutropenia and diabetes, so it requires vigilant monitoring. Severe anemia has also been documented as a rare but serious complication with an unclear mechanism. We present a case report of severe anemia potentially associated with zinc deficiency during clozapine therapy.

Case Report

A 51‐year‐old woman was diagnosed with TRS without physical complications. Zinc deficiency was identified as a potential contributing factor. Zinc supplementation improved her hemoglobin levels, enabling the patient to continue clozapine at a therapeutic dose. The patient has remained stable, with no recurrence of anemia.

Discussion

Clozapine is a highly effective antipsychotic, despite side effects including blood dyscrasias. While zinc deficiency is most likely to be implicated in clozapine‐induced anemia, the exact mechanism remains unclear. Further research is required to explore this relationship between clozapine and zinc decrement.
Impact of Platelet Transfusion at Different Doses in Oncohematology Pediatric Inpatients and Outpatients: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Berti Pierpaolo , Montanari Mauro , La Raja Massimo , Giua Renato , Terrenato Irene , Becilli Marco , Paganelli Valeria , Di Ruscio Valentina , Deriu Daniele , D'Agostino Eleonora , Ferruzzi Ilaria , Conte Marta , Porzio Ottavia , Vacca Michele
Published: January 2025

Background

Platelet (PLT) transfusion is an essential strategy to prevent bleeding in children with thrombocytopenia associated to cancer treatment. However, data on optimal pediatric dosing and transfusion thresholds are limited.

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed data from 607 pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies, nonmalignant disorders, and solid tumors who developed hypoproliferative thrombocytopenia during therapy. In the first phase (Objective 1), the effective response to transfusion (ERTR) was assessed following International Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine guidelines (ICTMG), comparing low‐dose (1.1 × 1011 PLT/m2 body surface area) transfusions for inpatients and medium dose (2.2 × 1011) for outpatients. Transfusion thresholds were set at less than 10,000/µL versus 10,000–20,000/µL, and overall PLT concentrate consumption was analyzed. The second phase (Objective 2) examined the total number of transfusions per patient, incidence of major bleeding events, and bleeding‐related mortality rates across dosing groups.

Results

ERTR ranged from 65% to 82%, with significantly higher rates in outpatients compared to inpatients. In outpatients with PLT less than 10,000/µL, the medium dose showed no significant advantage over the lower inpatient dose. Similar efficacy was observed between low (<10,000/µL) and high (10,000–20,000/µL) transfusion triggers, with no statistically significant difference in the incidence of major bleeding events across groups. The low‐dose strategy was significantly associated with a reduction in PLT volume transfused compared to the standard expected dose.

Conclusions

These findings support the application of ICTMG in pediatric settings. The lower PLT dose for inpatients is safe and effective, providing benefits in resource utilization, while a higher transfusion trigger (20,000/µL) does not improve outcomes.
Medulloblastoma Molecular Subgrouping and Outcomes Data of a Single Center From a Low‐ and Middle‐Income Country
Authors: Mushtaq Naureen , Bashir Farrah , Zahid Soha , Riaz Quratulain , Javed Gohar , Tariq Maria , Qureshi Bilal Mazhar , Hilal Kiran , Ramaswamy Vijay , Hawkins Cynthia , Minhas Khurram , Bouffet Eric
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant childhood brain tumor. Molecular subgrouping of MB has become a major determinant of management in high‐income countries. Subgrouping is still very limited in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), and its relevance to management with the incorporation of risk stratification (low risk, standard risk, high risk, and very high risk) has yet to be evaluated in this setting. We describe molecular findings from a tertiary care center in Pakistan and their implications for outcome.

Methods

Children aged between 3 and 18 years diagnosed with MB from April 2014 to December 2020 at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) were included. Subgrouping was performed by NanoString through a collaboration with The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.

Results

Thirty‐seven patients (30 males) were included in this study; median age was 9 years. Twenty patients (54.1%) were high‐risk, including 12 with metastatic disease. In 30 children, there was a clear molecular subgroup: 4 wingless (WNT) (10.8%), 6 sonic hedgehog (SHH) (16.2%), 3 Group 3 (8.1%), and 17 Group 4 (45.9%) MBs. Molecular subgrouping was inconclusive for three patients (8.1%) and not done in four patients (10.8%). All patients underwent surgery; 26 patients received radiation therapy at AKUH, and 9 were referred outside for radiotherapy; 24 patients received chemotherapy at AKUH (10 outside AKUH). Overall survival (OS) at 5 years was 100%, 66.7%, 66.7%, and 88.2% for WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 patients, respectively (p = 0.668). Low‐ and standard‐risk patients had a 5‐year OS of 100%, whereas very high‐risk patients exhibited a significantly lower OS of 0% (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

WNT and Group 4 patients had excellent results despite one WNT patient having metastatic disease and eight Group 4 patients being high risk. Our study depicts that molecular subgrouping aids in accurately predicting survival, suggesting the potential benefit of tailored testing and treatment in the LMIC setting.
Trans‐scale thermo‐viscoelastic behavior prediction of 3D tubular braided composites
Authors: Zhang Yuyang , Li Huimin , Wang Yulin , Wang Lizheng , Ge Lei
Published: January 2025

The prediction of viscoelastic behavior of resin‐based three‐dimensional (3D) tubular braided composites is important due to their long‐term application at different temperatures in fields such as aerospace. Based on the time–temperature superposition principle and the automatic translation algorithm, this study establishes isotropic and transversely isotropic thermo‐viscoelastic constitutive models for defect‐containing resin and yarn respectively. In addition, based on micro‐CT technology and multi‐scale continuum mechanics, a realistic trans‐scale finite element model from microscopic (fiber/matrix representative volume element [RVE], resin/pore RVE) to macroscopic (3D tubular braided composites) has been developed to sequentially simulate the long‐term viscoelastic properties of 3D tubular braided composites at different scales. The results show that defects have a minor effect on the viscoelastic properties of the matrix, while temperature significantly affects the time it takes for the elastic properties of the material to stabilize at all scales. Although the braiding angle does not affect the time for the axial compression relaxation modulus of 3D tubular braided composites to reach stability, it is positively correlated with the rate of change of the axial compression relaxation modulus. The accuracy of the proposed model is verified by good agreement with the experimental curves at different temperatures.

Highlights

A trans‐scale thermo‐viscoelastic constitutive model is established.

The viscoelastic behavior of 3D tubular braided composites at different temperatures is predicted.

Experimental curves show good agreement with the model predictions.
The Classification Algorithm Based on Functional Logistic Regression Model With Spatial Effects and Its Application in Air Quality Analysis
Authors: Xinran Cai , Yuzhu Tian , Wang Yue , Maozai Tian
Published: January 2025

With the acceleration of economic development and urbanization, air pollution has become increasingly severe and has been a crucial issue affecting social advancement. Considering the spatial correlation between regions in air quality analysis can improve the accuracy of model estimation for the data on air pollution. First, we propose the functional Logistic regression model with spatial effects. Second, we fit the original data into functional data using B‐spline basis functions and apply functional principal component analysis for dimension reduction. Further, the model is estimated using the maximum likelihood method. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed model is validated through numerical simulations and a real data analysis for PM2.5 air quality in the Sichuan‐Chongqing region of China.
An Adaptive Microbiome‐Based Truncated Test
Authors: Gao Hailong , Bu Deliang , Guo Hongping , Wang Xiao
Published: January 2025

The human microbiome has been demonstrated to be associated with many complex diseases. Identifying the differences in microbial taxa across two different health conditions is clinically important, as it can enhance our understanding of disease pathology from a microbiome perspective and potentially lead to preventive or therapeutic strategies. However, there are three main challenges for analyzing microbiome data, due to compositionality, sparsity, and high dimensionality of the relative abundances. Although a few two‐sample tests have been proposed for analyzing microbiome data, the statistical power cannot be guaranteed as the true alternative hypothesis is unknown. To potentially address this issue, we propose an adaptive microbiome‐based truncated test (AMTT) that produces high power for various alternative hypotheses. Simulation studies with a wide range of scenarios are conducted, the results indicate that AMTT is not only powerful in almost all the scenarios but also effectively controls type I error rates. Real data about Parkinson's intestinal microbiome is analyzed to demonstrate its practical performance.
Catalytic Synthesis of Xanthene and Unprecedented Evolution of Naphthopyrans Using Heteropoly Acid‐Tantalum(V) Oxide Hybrid Composite as Promoter
Authors: Mahapatra Joydeep , Dastidar Sneha Ghosh , Jagankar Damini , Roy Namrata , Sharma Jyoti , Mukherjee Amitava , Maity Chandan , Panda Tarun K. , Mal Sib Sankar
Published: January 2025

Xanthene derivatives are prepared by using tantalum(V) oxide (Ta2O5)‐supported heteropoly acid (HPA), Keggin 12‐phosphotungstic acid (PTA)‐based heterogeneous catalyst PTA@Ta2O5 under neat conditions. The composite is prepared by the wetness impregnation method and is characterized by various techniques. Under optimized conditions, xanthenes are synthesized with prominent yields in remarkably short reaction times. The green chemistry metrics are appraised for the xanthene reaction. Surprisingly, a few novel naphthopyran derivatives are isolated instead of the conventional xanthene derivatives when cinnamaldehyde analogous are introduced under the same reaction protocol. Unprecedented naphtho[2,1‐b]pyran‐type derivatives of 3m, 3n, and 3o are isolated, depending on the specific substituted cinnamaldehyde used, and interestingly, the nature of the substituent in cinnamaldehyde decides the different reaction pathways leading to the formation of respective pyrans. Diverse possible mechanisms are encountered with the PTA@Ta2O5 catalyst based on the respective transformations. The solid‐state structures of xanthenes and naphthopyrans are thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, some derivatives are studied in vitro to assess their antimicrobial activity, and the findings are compared with those of reference standard antibiotics.
A rationale for the “meeting competition defense” under primary‐line injury
Authors: Aguirre Iñaki , Yenipazarli Arda
Published: January 2025

This paper finds that price discrimination tends to enhance social welfare under oligopoly when the number of firms in the strong market is higher than in the weak market. As a result, we obtain a fundamental justification for the “meeting competition” defense (MCD) under the Robinson‐Patman Act (RPA): In cases of primary‐line injury, when the strong market is more competitive than the weak market, the use of MCD may allow price discrimination to improve social welfare. This outcome holds true regardless of whether price discrimination occurs in the final good market or intermediate good market, and it is robust to the nature of competition.
Signaling endogenous product quality with price in the presence of consumer boycotts
Authors: Cheng Yi‐Ling , Tung Chris Y.
Published: January 2025

This paper constructs a two‐period model of price signaling, where an entry firm sells experience goods with endogenous product quality while its cost efficiency of producing quality and product quality may be private information at first. The main results show that when firms' cost efficiencies are known but product quality is unobservable, the entrant reduces both the quality and price compared to the scenario with perfect information, as consumers can infer the quality from the observed costs, making price signaling unnecessary. When both cost efficiency and product quality are unknown, this does not further affect quality but leads to the entrant using prices to signal its cost type. However, the pooling outcome Pareto‐dominates the separating one. If consumers boycott upon perceiving deceitful product quality, the entrants with different cost efficiencies choose distinct prices to avoid demand loss, fostering the emergence of separating equilibria, which can enhance consumer surplus.
Perspective: Minimally clinically important “symptomatic” benefit associated with disease modification resulting from anti‐amyloid immunotherapy
Authors: Alam John , Sabbagh Marwan N.
Published: January 2025

Despite some skepticism regarding the amyloid hypothesis, there is growing evidence that clearing amyloid by targeting specific species of amyloid (plaque, oligomers, fibrils, and protofibrils) for removal has therapeutic benefits. Specifically, there is growing evidence that, in mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD), robust and aggressive removal of amyloid can slow cognitive decline as measured by global instruments, composite measures, and cognitive testing. Furthermore, clinical efficacy signals coupled with clear biomarker changes provide the first evidence of disease modification. This effect seems to be in addition to symptomatic treatments and opens speculation that the effect of anti‐amyloid monoclonal antibodies might be clinically meaningful through symptomatic amelioration that is a result of disease modification.

Highlights

Clearance of brain amyloid plaques may lead to a clinical benefit in patients with early AD.

Aggregated Aβ may play a role in both disease expression and progression.

Anti‐amyloid monoclonal antibodies might be clinically meaningful through symptomatic amelioration resulting from disease modification.
Why adult learners attend college
Authors: May Rachel
Published: January 2025

Adult learners have more higher education options than ever — from degree‐bearing to non‐degree‐bearing programs. Understanding whether adult learners still desire a four‐year degree — and if so, why — is, the authors of a new white paper assert, “especially important at a time of great enthusiasm about novel alternatives to college diplomas.”