bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Artificial intelligence for automated detection and measurements of carpal instability signs on conventional radiographs
Authors: Hendrix Nils , Hendrix Ward , Maresch Bas , van Amersfoort Job , Oosterveld-Bonsma Tineke , Kolderman Stephanie , Vestering Myrthe , Zielinski Stephanie , Rutten Karlijn , Dammeier Jan , Ong Lee-Ling Sharon , van Ginneken Bram , Rutten Matthieu
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To develop and validate an artificial intelligence (AI) system for measuring and detecting signs of carpal instability on conventional radiographs.

Materials and methods

Two case-control datasets of hand and wrist radiographs were retrospectively acquired at three hospitals (hospitals A, B, and C). Dataset 1 (2178 radiographs from 1993 patients, hospitals A and B, 2018–2019) was used for developing an AI system for measuring scapholunate (SL) joint distances, SL and capitolunate (CL) angles, and carpal arc interruptions. Dataset 2 (481 radiographs from 217 patients, hospital C, 2017–2021) was used for testing, and with a subsample (174 radiographs from 87 patients), an observer study was conducted to compare its performance to five clinicians. Evaluation metrics included mean absolute error (MAE), sensitivity, and specificity.

Results

Dataset 2 included 258 SL distances, 189 SL angles, 191 CL angles, and 217 carpal arc labels obtained from 217 patients (mean age, 51 years ± 23 [standard deviation]; 133 women). The MAE in measuring SL distances, SL angles, and CL angles was respectively 0.65 mm (95%CI: 0.59, 0.72), 7.9 degrees (95%CI: 7.0, 8.9), and 5.9 degrees (95%CI: 5.2, 6.6). The sensitivity and specificity for detecting arc interruptions were 83% (95%CI: 74, 91) and 64% (95%CI: 56, 71). The measurements were largely comparable to those of the clinicians, while arc interruption detections were more accurate than those of most clinicians.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that a newly developed automated AI system accurately measures and detects signs of carpal instability on conventional radiographs.

Clinical relevance statement

This system has the potential to improve detections of carpal arc interruptions and could be a promising tool for supporting clinicians in detecting carpal instability.
Influence of fabrication deviations on the polarization-maintaining behavior of inhibited-coupling guiding hollow-core fibers
Authors: Chen Bowen , Kühlthau Tim , Röhrer Christian , Graf Thomas , Abdou Ahmed Marwan
Published: April 2024

Numerical simulations were conducted to analyze the influence of the design parameters of tubular inhibited-coupling guiding hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (IC-HCPCFs) on the bending-induced phase shift. The possibility to implement polarization-maintaining (PM) tubular IC-HCPCFs using a low-birefringence approach (with a modal birefringence parameter $$B<$$

B
<

$$7\times {10}^{-9}$$

7
×

10

-
9

) is discussed. Two different tubular IC-HCPCF designs with 7 and 8 glass capillaries are proposed for operation at a wavelength of 1030 nm. The numerical simulation predicts low guiding losses and a PM behavior sustaining a degree of linear polarization (DOLP) larger than 90% after 10 m of fiber with a bend radius larger than 0.2 m. This shows great potential for high-power beam delivery in an industrial environment. The influence that fabrication deviations have on the polarization-maintaining behavior was also investigated and indicates tight fabrication tolerances for both proposed fiber designs. Small deviations from the ideal symmetrical structure can lead to an enhancement of undesired modal birefringence. To ensure a DOLP larger than 90% at the exit of a 10 m-long fiber and for a bending radius > 0.2 m precise control of the drawing parameters during the fiber production is required, which is challenging but is considered to be technically feasible.
Preventive strategies to reduce the rate of periprosthetic infections in total joint arthroplasty; a comprehensive review
Authors: Egerci Omer Faruk , Yapar Aliekber , Dogruoz Fırat , Selcuk Huseyin , Kose Ozkan
Published: April 2024

The increasing frequency of total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasties (TKA) is marred by the rise in periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) and surgical site infections (SSIs), with PJIs incurring costs over $1.62 billion as of 2020 and individual case management averaging $90,000. SSIs additionally burden the U.S. healthcare economy with billions in expenses annually. PJI prevalence in primary THA and TKA ranges from 0.5% to 2.4%, spiking to 20% in revisions and representing 25% of TKA revision causes. Projections estimate up to 270,000 annual PJI cases by 2030. Often caused by gram-positive bacteria, particularly methicillin-resistant staphylococci, these infections demand preventive measures. This review dissects PJI prevention across preoperative, intraoperative, and perioperative phases, aligning with evidence-based CDC and WHO guidelines. Preoperative measures include managing diabetes, obesity, tobacco use, Staphylococcus aureus screening and nasal decolonization, nutritional optimization, and management of inflammatory arthropathies. Intraoperatively, antibiotic prophylaxis, skin preparation, operative room environmental controls, surgical technique precision, and irrigation options are scrutinized. Perioperative concerns focus on anticoagulation, blood management, and infection risk mitigation. Integrating these strategies promotes a patient-centric care model, aiming to reduce PJI incidence, improve patient outcomes, and increase care cost-effectiveness in joint arthroplasty.
Predicting community acquired bloodstream infection in infants using full blood count parameters and C-reactive protein; a machine learning study
Authors: Brouwer Lieke , Cunney Robert , Drew Richard J.
Published: April 2024

Early recognition of bloodstream infection (BSI) in infants can be difficult, as symptoms may be non-specific, and culture can take up to 48 h. As a result, many infants receive unneeded antibiotic treatment while awaiting the culture results. In this study, we aimed to develop a model that can reliably identify infants who do not have positive blood cultures (and, by extension, BSI) based on the full blood count (FBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) values. Several models (i.e. multivariable logistic regression, linear discriminant analysis, K nearest neighbors, support vector machine, random forest model and decision tree) were trained using FBC and CRP values of 2693 infants aged 7 to 60 days with suspected BSI between 2005 and 2022 in a tertiary paediatric hospital in Dublin, Ireland. All models tested showed similar sensitivities (range 47% – 62%) and specificities (range 85%-95%). A trained decision tree and random forest model were applied to the full dataset and to a dataset containing infants with suspected BSI in 2023 and showed good segregation of a low-risk and high-risk group. Negative predictive values for these two models were high for the full dataset (> 99%) and for the 2023 dataset (> 97%), while positive predictive values were low in both dataset (4%–20%).

   Conclusion: We identified several models that can predict positive blood cultures in infants with suspected BSI aged 7 to 60 days. Application of these models could prevent administration of antimicrobial treatment and burdensome diagnostics in infants who do not need them.

What is Known:• Bloodstream infection (BSI) in infants cause non-specific symptoms and may be difficult to diagnose.• Results of blood cultures can take up to 48 hours.

What is New:• Machine learning models can contribute to clinical decision making on BSI in infants while blood culture results are not yet known.
Early neurological signs in infants identified through neonatal screening for SMA: do they predict outcome?
Authors: Pane Marika , Stanca Giulia , Ticci Chiara , Cutrona Costanza , De Sanctis Roberto , Pirinu Matteo , Coratti Giorgia , Palermo Concetta , Berti Beatrice , Leone Daniela , Sacchini Michele , Cerboneschi Margherita , Fanelli Lavinia , Norcia Giulia , Forcina Nicola , Capasso Anna , Cicala Gianpaolo , Antonaci Laura , Ricci Martina , Pera Maria Carmela , Bravetti Chiara , Donati Maria Alice , Procopio Elena , Abiusi Emanuela , Vaisfeld Alessandro , Onesimo Roberta , Tiziano Francesco Danilo , Mercuri Eugenio
Published: April 2024

Neonatal screening for SMA has allowed the identification of infants who may present with early clinical signs. Our aim was to establish whether the presence and the severity of early clinical signs have an effect on the development of motor milestones. Infants identified through newborn screening were prospectively assessed using a structured neonatal neurological examination and an additional module developed for the assessment of floppy infants. As part of the follow-up, all infants were assessed using the HINE-2 to establish developmental milestones. Only infants with at least 24 months of follow-up were included. Normal early neurological examination (n = 11) was associated with independent walking before the age of 18 months while infants with early clinical signs of SMA (n = 4) did not achieve ambulation (duration follow-up 33.2 months). Paucisymptomatic patients (n = 3) achieved ambulation, one before the age of 18 months and the other 2 between 22 and 24 months.

  Conclusion: Our findings suggest that early clinical signs may contribute to predict motor milestones development.

What is Known:• There is increasing evidence of heterogeneity among the SMA newborns identified via NBS.• The proposed nosology describes a clinically silent disease, an intermediate category (‘paucisymptomatic’) and ‘symptomatic SMA’.

What is New:• The presence of minimal clinical signs at birth does not prevent the possibility to achieve independent walking but this may occur with some delay.• The combination of genotype at SMN locus and clinical evaluation may better predict the possibility to achieve milestones.
Association between viral infection and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Guo Xin , Ma Defei , Li Rui , Zhang Ruolin , Guo Yanping , Yu Zhangbin , Chen Cheng
Published: April 2024

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common serious complication of very preterm infants (VPI) or very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Studies implicate viral infections in etiopathogenesis. The aim of this study was to summarize the relationship between viral infections and BPD through a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, Embase, the Web of Science Core Collection, and the Cochrane Database on December 19, 2023. We included observational studies that examined the association between viral infections and BPD in preterm infants. We extracted data on study methods, participant characteristics, exposure assessment, and outcome measures. We assessed study risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). We included 17 and 15 studies in the qualitative review and meta-analysis, respectively. The meta-analysis showed a significant association between viral infection and BPD diagnosed at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (odds ratio (OR): 2.42, 95% confidence interval: 1.89–3.09, 13 studies, very low certainty of evidence). In a subgroup analysis of specific viruses, cytomegalovirus (CMV) proved to be significantly associated with BPD diagnosed at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (OR: 2.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.80–3.05, 11 studies). We did not find an association between viral infection and BPD diagnosed on the 28th day of life, probably due to the small sample size of the included prospective studies.

  Conclusion: Viral infections, especially CMV, are associated with an increased risk of BPD in preterm infants. Methodologically reliable prospective studies with large samples are needed to validate our conclusions, and high-quality randomized controlled studies are needed to explore the effect of prevention or treatment of viral infections on the incidence of BPD.

What is Known:• Studies have attempted to identify viral infections and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants; however, results have been inconsistent.

What is New:• Systematic demonstration that viral infections, particularly cytomegalovirus, are positively associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia diagnosed in preterm infants at the 36th week of postmenstrual age.• The importance of screening for viral infections in preterm infants, especially cytomegalovirus. More high-quality studies should be produced in the future to investigate the causal relationship between viral infections and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Effects of dependent care theory-based post-surgical home care intervention on self-care, symptoms, and caregiver burden in patients with primary brain tumor and their caregivers: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Dağdelen Derya , Zincir Handan
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the effect of dependent care theory-based post-surgical home care intervention on self-care, symptoms, and caregiver burden in primary brain tumor patients and their caregivers.

Methods

A parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted with patients who underwent surgery for a primary brain tumor between March 2019 and January 2020 in a tertiary hospital and with caregivers who cared for them at home. Eligible patients and caregivers were determined by block randomization. Outcome measures included validated measures of self-care agency (Self-Care Agency Scale), symptoms and interference by symptoms (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory Brain Tumor-Turkish Form), and caregiver burden (Caregiver Burden Scale). Two-way analysis of variance was used in repeated measurements from general linear models compared to scale scores.

Results

Self-care agency was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group in the first and sixth months after surgery (p < 0.05). The severity of the patients’ emotional, focal neurologic, and cognitive symptoms and interference by symptoms were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Caregiver burden was significantly lower in the intervention group in the first, third, and sixth months after surgery (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Dependent care theory-based post-surgical home care intervention increased patients’ self-care and reduced symptoms and their effects. It also reduced the caregiver burden. Dependent care theory can guide the nursing practices of nurses who provide institutional and/or home care services to patients with chronic diseases and their caregivers.

Trial Registration

NCT05328739 on April 14, 2022 (retrospectively registered).
Health and economic impact of dapagliflozin for type 2 diabetes patients who had or were at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the Italian general practitioners setting: a budget impact analysis
Authors: Cortesi Paolo Angelo , Antonazzo Ippazio Cosimo , Palladino Pasquale , Gnesi Marco , Mele Silvia , D’Amelio Marco , Zanzottera Ferrari Elena , Mazzaglia Giampiero , Mantovani Lorenzo Giovanni
Published: April 2024

Aim

In 2022, in Italy, general practitioners (GPs) have been allowed to prescribe SGLT2i in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) under National Health Service (NHS) reimbursement. In the pivotal clinical trial named DECLARE-TIMI 58, dapagliflozin reduced the risk of hospitalization for heart failure, CV death and kidney disease progression compared to placebo in a population of T2D patients. This study evaluated the health and economic impact of dapagliflozin for T2D patients who had or were at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the Italian GPs setting.

Methods

A budget impact model was developed to assess the health and economic impact of introducing dapagliflozin in GPs setting. The analysis was conducted by adopting the Italian NHS perspective and a 3-year time horizon. The model estimated and compared the health outcomes and direct medical costs associated with a scenario with dapagliflozin and other antidiabetic therapies available for GPs prescription (scenario B) and a scenario where only other antidiabetic therapies are available (scenario A). Rates of occurrence of cardiovascular and renal complications as well as adverse events were captured from DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial and the literature, while cost data were retrieved from the Italian tariff and the literature. One-way sensitivity analyses were conducted to test the impact of model parameters on the budget impact.

Results

The model estimated around 442.000 patients eligible for the treatment with dapagliflozin in the GPs setting for each simulated year. The scenario B compared to scenario A was associated with a reduction in the occurrence of cardiovascular and renal complication (−1.83%) over the 3 years simulated. Furthermore, the scenario A allowed for an overall cost saving of 102,692,305€: 14,521,464€ in the first year, 33,007,064€ in the second and 55,163,777€ in the third. The cost of cost of drug acquisition, the probability of cardiovascular events and the percentage of patients potentially eligible to the treatment were the factor with largest impact on the results.

Conclusions

The use of dapagliflozin in GPs setting reduce the number of CVD events, kidney disease progression and healthcare costs in Italy. These data should be considered to optimize the value produced for the T2D patients who had or were at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Clinical outcomes of left upper segmentectomy vs. lobectomy for early non-small-cell lung cancer: a nationwide database study in Japan
Authors: Tane Shinya , Okami Jiro , Maniwa Yoshimasa , Shintani Yasushi , Ito Hiroyuki , Ohtsuka Takashi , Toyooka Shinichi , Mori Takeshi , Watanabe Shun-ichi , Chida Masayuki , Endo Shunsuke , Nakanishi Ryoichi , Kadokura Mitsutaka , Suzuki Hidemi , Miyaoka Etsuo , Yoshino Ichiro , Date Hiroshi ,   Japanese Joint Committee of Lung Cancer Registry
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Given that left upper lobe and right upper and middle lobes share a similar anatomy, segmentectomy, such as upper division and lingulectomy, should yield identical oncological clearance to left upper lobectomy. We compared the prognosis of segmentectomy with that of lobectomy for early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the left upper lobe.

Methods

We retrospectively examined 2115 patients who underwent segmentectomy or lobectomy for c-stage I (TNM 8th edition) NSCLC in the left upper lobe in 2010. We compared the oncological outcomes of segmentectomy (n = 483) and lobectomy (n = 483) using a propensity score matching analysis.

Results

The 5-year recurrence-free and overall survival rates in the segmentectomy and lobectomy groups were comparable, irrespective of c-stage IA or IB. Subset analyses according to radiological tumor findings showed that segmentectomy yielded oncological outcomes comparable to those of lobectomy for non-pure solid tumors. In cases where the solid tumor exceeded 20 mm, segmentectomy showed a recurrence-free survival inferior to that of lobectomy (p = 0.028), despite an equivalent overall survival (p = 0.38).

Conclusion

Segmentectomy may be an acceptable alternative to lobectomy with regard to the overall survival of patients with c-stage I NSCLC in the left upper lobe.
Characterization of mutations in hepatitis B virus DNA isolated from Japanese HBsAg-positive blood donors in 2021 and 2022
Authors: Sedohara Ayako , Takahashi Kazuaki , Arai Keiko , Arizono Kotaro , Tuvshinjargal Khulan , Saito Makoto , Nakahara Fumio , Tsutsumi Takeya , Ikeuchi Kazuhiko , Adachi Eisuke , Yotsuyanagi Hiroshi
Published: April 2024

Missense mutations in certain small envelope proteins diminish the efficacy of antibodies. Consequently, tracking the incidence and types of vaccine-escape mutations (VEMs) was crucial both before and after the introduction of universal hepatitis B vaccination in Japan in 2016. In this study, we isolated hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA from 58 of 169 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive blood samples from Japanese blood donors and determined the nucleotide sequence encoding the small envelope protein. DNA from six (10%) of the samples had VEMs, but no missense mutations, such as G145R, were detected. Complete HBV genome sequences were obtained from 29 of the 58 samples; the viral genotype was A1 in one (3%), A2 in three (10%), B1 in nine (31%), B2 in five (17%), B4 in one (3%), and C2 in 10 (34%) samples. Tenofovir-resistance mutations were detected in two (7%) samples. In addition, several core promoter mutations, such as 1762A>T and 1764G>A, and a precore nonsense mutation, 1986G>A, which are risk factors for HBV-related chronic liver disease, were detected. These findings provide a baseline for future research and highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring of VEMs and drug resistance mutations in HBV DNA from HBsAg-positive blood donors without HBV antibodies.
Causal effects of neuroticism on postpartum depression: a bidirectional mendelian randomization study
Authors: Hu Qianying , Chen Jianhua , Ma Jingjing , Li Yuting , Xu Yifeng , Yue Chaoyan , Cong Enzhao
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Postpartum depression (PPD) brings adverse and serious consequences to both new parents and newborns. Neuroticism affects PPD, which remains controversial for confounding factors and reverse causality in cross-sectional research. Therefore, mendelian randomization (MR) study has been adopted to investigate their causal relationship.

Methods

This study utilized large-scale genome-wide association study genetic pooled data from three major databases: the United Kingdom Biobank, the European Bioinformatics Institute, and the FinnGen databases. The causal analysis methods used inverse variance weighting (IVW). The weighted median, MR-Egger method, MR-PRESSO test, and the leave-one-out sensitivity test have been used to examine the results’ robustness, heterogeneity, and horizontal pleiotropy. The fixed effect model yielded the results of meta-analysis.

Results

In the IVW model, a meta-analysis of the MR study showed that neuroticism increased the risk of PPD (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11–1.25, p < 0.01). Reverse analysis showed that PPD could not genetically predict neuroticism. There was no significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy bias in this result.

Conclusion

Our study suggests neuroticism is the risk factor for PPD from a gene perspective and PPD is not the risk factor for neuroticism. This finding may provide new insights into prevention and intervention strategies for PPD according to early detection of neuroticism.
An academic recommender system on large citation data based on clustering, graph modeling and deep learning
Authors: Stergiopoulos Vaios , Vassilakopoulos Michael , Tousidou Eleni , Corral Antonio
Published: April 2024

Recommendation (recommender) systems (RS) have played a significant role in both research and industry in recent years. In the area of academia, there is a need to help researchers discover the most appropriate and relevant scientific information through recommendations. Nevertheless, we argue that there is a major gap between academic state-of-the-art RS and real-world problems. In this paper, we present a novel multi-staged RS based on clustering, graph modeling and deep learning that manages to run on a full dataset (scientific digital library) in the magnitude of millions users and items (papers). We run several tests (experiments/evaluation) as a means to find the best approach regarding the tuning of our system; so, we present and compare three versions of our RS regarding recall and NDCG metrics. The results show that a multi-staged RS that utilizes a variety of techniques and algorithms is able to face real-world problems and large academic datasets. In this way, we suggest a way to close or minimize the gap between research and industry value RS.
Schwein gehabt? – Das Hausschwein als ein rechtlicher Hybrid
Authors: Hasenau Barbara Maria
Published: April 2024

Eine Höhlenwand auf einer indonesischen Insel ist mit einer Zeichnung versehen, auf der ein Schwein
und die Umrisse zweier menschlicher Hände zu sehen sind. Die Zeichnung wurde vor mindestens 43900
Jahren gemalt und stellt damit den ältesten Hinweis für eine Beziehung zwischen Mensch und Schwein
dar. Interessant ist dabei die Darstellung des Schweins, die eher dem rosa Hausschwein der Neuzeit ähnelt
als dem borstigen Wildschein der Altsteinzeit. Heute erübrigt sich eine Reise zu der indonesischen
Insel, um sich ein Bild von einem Hausschwein zu machen, denn die domestizierte Form des Wildschweins findet
sich als weltmarktfähige Ware in allen Teilen der Erde, hier eher in Anlagen die auf Massentierhaltung
getrimmt sind als in Hinterhöfen idyllischer Bauernhöfe, in den meisten Fällen aber um sie
zur Fleischproduktion zu nutzen.
Husserl and Disjunctivism Revisited
Authors: Salice Alessandro
Published: April 2024

In a recent series of important papers, Søren Overgaard has defended a disjunctivist reading of Edmund Husserl’s theory of perception. According to Overgaard, Husserl commits to disjunctivism when arguing that hallucination intrinsically differs from perception because only experiences of the latter kind carry singular content and, thereby, pick out individuals. This paper rejects that interpretation by invoking the theory of intentionality developed by Husserl in the Logical Investigations. It is claimed that this theory not only lacks the notion of singular content, but it also entails the idea that perceptions and hallucinations belong to the same kind of experience. If that is correct, a commitment to conjuctivism on Husserl’s end follows, pace Overgaard.
The Loud Silent Side of Single Parenthood in Europe: Health and Socio-Economic Circumstances from a Gender Perspective
Authors: Lanza-León Paloma , Cantarero-Prieto David
Published: April 2024

Lone parenthood is one of the multiple accepted family types that make up today’s societies. In Europe, 3.2% of total households were single adults with children in 2019. Understanding the socioeconomic and demographic transformations that have led to the relatively high rates of single-parent families have attracted the attention and concern of researchers and policy makers. This study contributes to the literature by exploring trends in and predictors of health outcomes, lifestyle factors (obesity, smoking and alcohol) and social support among single-parent families and cohabiting couples in 20 European countries. To do so, microdata from the European Health Interview Survey-EHIS (2013–2015 and 2018–2020) is used. Running multivariate logistic regressions, we estimate the impact of individual factors associated with single parents’ health status, lifestyle factors and social support, adjusting by demographic characteristics and stressors. Our analysis suggests that both single mothers and fathers are left behind in several respects compared to their couple counterparts: lower education levels, lower income and worse economic conditions, worse physical health, and poorer social support relationships. Differences in health status, lifestyle factors and social support between single and couple parents, both mothers and fathers could be associated with the unequal distribution of demographic and stress factors found in this article. Understanding these characteristics of single-parent families could enable the establishment of community-level interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of lone parenthood and their children.
Summability of Transseries Solution of Non-integrable Hamiltonian System
Authors: Yoshino Masafumi
Published: April 2024

This paper studies the summability of the transseries solution of a nonintegrable Hamiltonian system. Since our system has a resonance and is not integrable a general transseries theory does not work well as far as the author knows. In order to construct a formal transseries solution and prove its summability our main idea is to use the superintegrability of a Hamiltonian system in a class of transseries. More precisely we first show the superintegrability of a Hamiltonian system in the category of transseries via the key Lemmas 1 and 4 which follow. By virtue of the superintegrability we show the existence of a formal transseries solution. Then its summability is proved via the superintegrability. We note that the argument based on the superintegrability is elementary.
The entrepreneurial university: strategies, processes, and competing goals
Authors: Abreu Maria , Grinevich Vadim
Published: April 2024

The configuration of the entrepreneurial university remains poorly understood given the complexity of the university as an organisation with multiple missions and multiple ‘products and services’, delivered by multiple and sometimes competing sub-organisations with different cultures and norms, in response to different outside pressures and demands. The outcomes of the entrepreneurial university reflect the plurality of goals, including research, teaching, knowledge commercialisation, and civic and community empowerment, but they are rarely considered within the same conceptual and empirical framework. Hence, the aim of this paper is to explore how multiple and sometimes competing strategies and associated arrangements, resources and capabilities within the entrepreneurial university affect the delivery of economic and social benefits to the external world across teaching, research, knowledge commercialisation, and civic and community empowerment missions. To achieve this aim, we elaborate the entrepreneurial university ecosystem concept so that we can systematically capture the cross-influences of the entrepreneurial university elements in their entirety rather than focussing on selected ecosystem elements and their effects in relation to one particular university mission. Our analysis is based on a novel institution-level database on university strategies, goals, policies, and support mechanisms, providing annual data for all higher education institutions in the UK over the period 2017–2020, complemented with annual administrative data on staff, finances, graduate outcomes, and infrastructure, as well as contextual data on the wider regional entrepreneurship ecosystem. Using a Seemingly Unrelated Estimation approach, we contribute with novel fundings explicitly identifying synergies and tensions between different elements of the entrepreneurial university ecosystem that affect the delivery of its outcomes.
Partitioning genetic structure of a subterranean rodent at multiple spatial scales: accounting for isolation by barriers, distance, and environment
Authors: Alexander Nathan , Cosentino Bradley J. , Schooley Robert L.
Published: April 2024

Context

Understanding genetic structure at multiple spatial scales and identifying drivers of genetic isolation are important for developing comprehensive conservation plans including for grassland conservation efforts. However, few studies account for multiple genetic isolation processes nor partition genetic variance among these processes.

Objectives

We assess key processes that can create spatial genetic patterns including isolation by barrier (IBB), isolation by distance (IBD), and isolation by environment (IBE) for a widespread pocket gopher species (Geomys bursarius) and a spatially restricted subspecies (Geomys bursarius illinoensis). We further partition genetic variation to each isolating effect and identify genetic variation that was shared between processes.

Methods

We used seven microsatellites to determine spatial genetic clustering and identify environmental factors impacting genetic similarities. Then, we used redundancy analysis to partition variance explained by IBB, IBD, and IBE.

Results

Major rivers including the Mississippi River acted as barriers and explained the most genetic variation across the species. In contrast, IBD explained the most genetic variation for G. b. illinoensis. Gophers had genetic associations to soil sand percent and soil color, but IBE uniquely explained a small amount of genetic structure for G. bursarius, with additional variation shared with other isolating processes.

Conclusions

Gopher genetic structure resulted from barriers, distance, and environmental factors at the species range as well as for a subspecies’ region, but the relative amount of genetic variance assigned to unique isolating processes differed between scales. Delineation of conservation units should consider major rivers as natural boundaries, and finer-scale management should identify and protect areas close to source populations with similar soil friability. Our study exemplifies how analyzing gene flow at rangewide and regional scales can aid managers in developing localized strategies that fit within broader conservation units.
On Finite Difference Jacobian Computation in Deformable Image Registration
Authors: Liu Yihao , Chen Junyu , Wei Shuwen , Carass Aaron , Prince Jerry
Published: April 2024

Producing spatial transformations that are diffeomorphic is a key goal in deformable image registration. As a diffeomorphic transformation should have positive Jacobian determinant $$\vert J\vert $$

|
J
|

everywhere, the number of pixels (2D) or voxels (3D) with $$\vert J\vert <0$$

|
J
|
<
0

has been used to test for diffeomorphism and also to measure the irregularity of the transformation. For digital transformations, $$\vert J\vert $$

|
J
|

is commonly approximated using a central difference, but this strategy can yield positive $$\vert J\vert $$

|
J
|

’s for transformations that are clearly not diffeomorphic—even at the pixel or voxel resolution level. To show this, we first investigate the geometric meaning of different finite difference approximations of $$\vert J\vert $$

|
J
|

. We show that to determine if a deformation is diffeomorphic for digital images, the use of any individual finite difference approximation of $$\vert J\vert $$

|
J
|

is insufficient. We further demonstrate that for a 2D transformation, four unique finite difference approximations of $$\vert J\vert $$

|
J
|

’s must be positive to ensure that the entire domain is invertible and free of folding at the pixel level. For a 3D transformation, ten unique finite differences approximations of $$\vert J\vert $$

|
J
|

’s are required to be positive. Our proposed digital diffeomorphism criteria solves several errors inherent in the central difference approximation of $$\vert J\vert $$

|
J
|

and accurately detects non-diffeomorphic digital transformations. The source code of this work is available at https://github.com/yihao6/digital_diffeomorphism.
Genetic and Phenotypic Profiling of Triptan Users in a Swedish Cluster Headache Cohort
Authors: Jennysdotter Olofsgård Felicia , Ran Caroline , Qin Yuyan , Fourier Carmen , Waldenlind Elisabet , Steinberg Anna , Sjöstrand Christina , Belin Andrea Carmine
Published: April 2024

Up to 25% of individuals who live with cluster headache (CH), an extremely painful primary headache disorder, do not adequately respond to the first-line treatment, triptans. Studies have indicated that genetic variants can play a role in treatment response. Likewise, differences in clinical characteristics can give clues to mechanisms underlying triptan non-response. Our aim was to investigate five genetic variants previously implicated in triptan response and their relation to triptan usage in our Swedish CH cohort and to investigate potential distinctions in clinical characteristics. 545 CH patients were screened for the genetic variants rs1024905, rs6724624, rs4795541, rs5443, and rs2651899 with a case control design based on triptan usage. Analysis of clinical characteristics was based on self-reported questionnaire data from 893 patients. One genetic variant, rs1024905, was significantly associated with triptan non-usage in CH (Pc = 0.010). In addition, multi-allele effector analysis showed that individuals with a higher number of effector variants were less likely to use triptans (P = 0.007). Analysis of clinical characteristics showed that triptan users were more likely to have alcohol as a trigger (57.4% vs 43.4%, P = 0.002), have autonomic symptoms (95.1% vs 88.1%, P = 0.002), and be current smokers (27.0% vs 21.9%, P = 0.033) compared to non-users. These results support the hypothesis that genetic variants can play a role in triptan usage in CH and that patients with a typical CH phenotype are more likely to use triptans.
Mechanisms of Ferroptosis-Related Genes in Gallbladder Cancer Based on Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Li Miao , Shi Hang , Dong Jing , Lu Ning , Lou Jinjie , Xu Yangbo
Published: April 2024

Gallbladder Cancer (GBC) is a lethal malignancy with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Recent studies have emphasized the role of ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death, in various cancers, including GBC. We applied bioinformatics methodologies on four GBC datasets to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). An intersection of DEGs from the four datasets with ferroptosis and GBC-associated genes was done to identify key ferroptosis-related genes in GBC. GSVA pathway enrichment analysis and immune cell infiltration assessment were conducted to explore their functional roles and interactions. Seven ferroptosis-related genes, EZH2, MUC1, PVT1, GOT1, CDO1, LIFR, and TFAP2A, were identified to be related to GBC. These genes were associated with vital signaling pathways like the G2/M checkpoint and DNA repair and showed significant correlations with immune cell infiltration in GBC. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed their high diagnostic potential, with Area Under the Curve (AUC) values ranging from 0.796 to 0.953. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of ferroptosis in GBC and the potential of ferroptosis-related genes as diagnostic biomarkers. This study lays a foundation for further research into ferroptosis-based therapeutic strategies for GBC.
Assessment of ICD eligibility in non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy patients: a position statement by the Task Force of the Dutch Society of Cardiology
Authors: van der Lingen Anne-Lotte C. J. , Verstraelen Tom E. , van Erven Lieselot , Meeder Joan G. , Theuns Dominic A. , Vernooy Kevin , Wilde Arthur A. M. , Maass Alexander H. , Allaart Cornelis P.
Published: April 2024

International guidelines recommend implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below 35% despite optimal medical therapy and a life expectancy of more than 1 year with good functional status. We propose refinement of these recommendations in patients with NICM, with careful consideration of additional risk parameters for both arrhythmic and non-arrhythmic death. These additional parameters include late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and genetic testing for high-risk genetic variants to further assess arrhythmic risk, and age, comorbidities and sex for assessment of non-arrhythmic mortality risk. Moreover, several risk modifiers should be taken into account, such as concomitant arrhythmias that may affect LVEF (atrial fibrillation, premature ventricular beats) and resynchronisation therapy. Even though currently no valid cut-off values have been established, the proposed approach provides a more careful consideration of risks that may result in withholding ICD implantation in patients with low arrhythmic risk and substantial non-arrhythmic mortality risk.
Facing the Emotional Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening. The Roles of Reappraisal and Situation Selection
Authors: Scaglioni Giulia , Capasso Miriam , Bianchi Marcella , Caso Daniela , Cavazza Nicoletta
Published: April 2024

Background

Disgust, embarrassment, and fear can hinder the attendance of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. However, individuals can respond to these emotions differently. The present study tested whether reappraising a negative stimulus versus avoiding a negative stimulus is associated with age; whether these two emotion regulation strategies (reappraisal and situation selection) moderate the effects of disgust, embarrassment and fear on CRC screening intention; and the efficacy of a message based on participants’ preferred emotion regulation strategy.

Methods

We recruited 483 Italian participants (aged 40–84 years) through snowball sampling. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions differing for a message promoting CRC screening with an affective lever, a cognitive lever, both levers or none. Key variables included emotion regulation strategies, emotional barriers and intention to get screened.

Results

The preference for reappraisal over situation selection increased with age. Reappraisal neutralized the effect of disgust on CRC screening intention. The combined message with both affective and cognitive levers increased CRC screening intention (b = 0.27, β = 0.11, SE = 0.13 p = .049), whereas reading the message based only on the affective (b = 0.16, β = 0.06, SE = 0.14 p = .258) or the cognitive (b = 0.22, β = 0.09, SE = 0.14 p = .107) lever was not effective.

Conclusions

Communication campaigns should support the activation of a reappraisal strategy of emotion control, and messages promoting CRC screening should highlight both the instrumental (i.e., early detection) and affective (i.e., peace of mind) benefits of attendance.
The clinical significance and oncogenic function of LRRFIP1 in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Li Jinping , Tuo Dayun , Guo Gunan , Gao Yan , Gan Jinfeng
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignancy with a grim prognosis. Previous studies have proven that Leucine Rich Repeat of Flightless-1 Interacting Protein 1 (LRRFIP1) plays a pivotal role in cell biological processes, while its clinical significance and function in pancreatic cancer remain to be elucidated. Hence, we aimed to explore the roles and mechanisms of LRRFIP1 in pancreatic cancer.

Methods

The expression of LRRFIP1 in pancreatic cancer tissues and its clinical significance for pancreatic cancer were analyzed by immunohistochemistry assay and bioinformatic analysis. The influences of LRRFIP1 on the proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells were assessed in vitro. The underlying mechanisms of LRRFIP1 in pancreatic cancer progression were explored using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and molecular experiments.

Results

The results showed that LRRFIP1 expression was significantly upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues compared to the normal tissues, and such upregulation was associated with poor prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. GSEA revealed that LRRFIP1 upregulation was significantly associated with various cancer-associated signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and Wnt pathway. Furthermore, LRRFIP1 was found to be associated with the infiltration of various immune cells. Functionally, LRRFIP1 silencing suppressed cell proliferation somewhat and inhibited migration substantially. Further molecular experiments indicated that LRRFIP1 silencing inactivated the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling axis.

Conclusion

Taken together, LRRFIP1 is associated with tumorigenesis, immune cell infiltration, and prognosis in pancreatic cancer, which suggests that LRRFIP1 may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.
Non-betahemolytic streptococcal bacteremia, cardiac implantable electronic device, endocarditis, extraction, and outcome; a population-based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Berge Andreas , Lundin Johannes , Bläckberg Anna , Sunnerhagen Torgny , Rasmussen Magnus
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Patients with non-beta-hemolytic streptococcal bacteremia (NBHSB) are at risk of infective endocarditis (IE). Patients with cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) have been described to have an increased risk of IE. The aim of the study was to describe a population-based cohort of patients with NBHSB and CIED and variables associated with IE and recurrent NBHSB.

Methods

All episodes with NBHSB in blood culture from 2015 to 2018 in a population of 1.3 million inhabitants were collected from the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Lund, Sweden. Through medical records, patients with CIED during NBHSB were identified and clinical data were collected. Patients were followed 365 days after NBHSB.

Results

Eighty-five episodes in 79 patients with CIED and NBHSB constituted the cohort. Eight patients (10%) were diagnosed with definite IE during the first episode, five of whom also had heart valve prosthesis (HVP). In 39 patients (49%) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was performed of which six indicated IE. Four patients had the CIED extracted. Twenty-four patients did not survive (30%) the study period. Four patients had a recurrent infection with NBHSB with the same species, three of whom had HVP and had been evaluated with TEE with a negative result during the first episode and diagnosed with IE during the recurrency.

Conclusion

The study did not find a high risk of IE in patients with NBHSB and CIED. Most cases of IE were in conjunction with a simultaneous HVP. A management algorithm is suggested.
An H-div finite element method for the Stokes equations on polytopal meshes
Authors: Ye Xiu , Zhang Shangyou
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we introduce an$$H({\text {div}})$$H(div)finite element method on polygonal and polyhedral meshes for solving the Stokes equations in the primary velocity–pressure formulation. An$$H({\text {div}})$$H(div)finite element on polygons or polyhedra is introduced to approximate the velocity so that the method is pressure robust and produces exact divergence free solutions, when the discontinuous$$P_k$$Pkfinite element is adopted for the pressure approximation. In addition, this method is stabilizer-free, in handling the$$H^1$$H1non-conformity. Optimal order error estimates are established for the method. Numerical tests are conducted to confirm the theory.
Genetic diversity of common carp Cyprinus carpio in the base population of a selective breeding programme in India
Authors: Lalramnunsanga  , Mishra Archana , Singh Angom Lenin , Prakash Satya , Salvi Aditya , Kumar A. Pavan , Pathan Mujahidkhan A.
Published: April 2024

A selective breeding program for developing a suitable strain ofCyprinus carpio(Linnaeus, 1758) for inland saline aquaculture in India is in progress. At ICAR-CIFE, various geographical populations of common carp of India, viz. Madhya Pradesh (MP), Haryana (HR), Tripura (TR), Andhra Pradesh (AP), Manipur (MN), and Maharashtra (MH) formed the base population for selective breeding. The present study assesses the genetic diversity of these stocks using truss morphometry and mitochondrial DNA D loop marker analysis. The images of 600 fish were captured and digitized. The landmarks were identified, and an image network was constructed for truss analysis using tpsDig2 and PAST software. The data was subjected to scale transformation and factor analysis using SAS for Academics. The top 3 factors could explain 85.40% of the total variation. The results indicate stock-wise and sex-wise groupings. The mitochondrial DNA (D-loop) sequence analysis was conducted on 169 samples using MEGA6 software. The overall average haplotype and nucleotide diversity of the population were 0.08129 and 0.01134, respectively. Among stocks, the MP stock had a maximum of four haplotypes. The AMOVA results reveal that the stock AP is unique, and the other stocks form a single grouping. The information generated from the present study delineates genetic diversity among stocks and will aid in designing breeding plans.