bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of snow refugia in the rain-snow transition zone of north-central Idaho
Authors: Strickfaden Kaitlyn M , Marshall Adrienne M , Svancara Leona K , Ausband David E , Link Timothy E
Published: February 2023

Knowledge of snow cover distribution and disappearance dates over a wide range of scales is imperative for understanding hydrological dynamics and for habitat management of wildlife species that rely on snow cover. Identification of snow refugia, or places with relatively late snow disappearance dates (SDDs) compared to surrounding areas, is especially important as climate change alters snow cover timing and duration. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of snow refugia in complex terrain spanning the rain-snow transition zone at fine spatial and temporal scales. To accomplish this objective, we used remote cameras to provide relatively high temporal and spatial resolution measurements on snowpack conditions. We built linear models to relate SDDs at the monitoring sites to topoclimatic and canopy cover metrics. One model to quantify SDDs included elevation, aspect, and an interaction between canopy cover and cold-air pooling potential. High-elevation, north-facing sites in cold-air pools (CAPs) had the latest SDDs, but isolated lower-elevation points also exhibited relatively late potential SDDs. Importantly, canopy cover had a much stronger effect on SDDs in CAPs than in non-CAPs, indicating that best practices in forest management for snow refugia could vary across microtopography. A second model that included in situ hydroclimate observations (December–February (DJF) temperature and March 1 snow depth) indicated that March 1 snow depth had little impact on SDD at the coldest winter temperatures, and that DJF temperatures had a stronger effect on SDD at lower snow depths, implying that the relative importance of snowfall and temperature could vary across hydroclimatic contexts in their impact on snow refugia. This new understanding of factors influencing snow refugia can guide forest management actions to increase snow retention and inform management of snow-dependent wildlife species in complex terrain.
Choosing water shutoff technologies for fractured reservoirs of the White Tiger field
Authors: Veliev M M , Veliev E M , Mukhametshin V V , Kuleshova L S , Kobishcha D I
Published: February 2023

A complex of laboratory tests for water shutoff agents and their compositions as well as pilot tests were performed. It was found that a combined use of OrganoSEAL-F gel (based on seawater) and SquezeCRETE microcement meets the technical requirements to the greatest extent. The considered water shutoff technology implies deep penetration of OrganoSEAL-F gel into the flooded interval of the fractured foundation and subsequent injection of SquezeCRETE cement slurry (as a fixing composition). The proposed compositions and technologies can be used to ensure water shutoff in production wells of the White Tiger field.
Development of projects for recultivation of lands using GIS technologies
Authors: Avezboyev S , Sharipov S , Xujakeldiev K
Published: February 2023

The necessity of reclamation of disturbed lands as a result of mining is substantiated. Disturbed lands lose all economic importance. In addition, they are a source of pollution of soil and air in the adjacent territories, worsen the living conditions of the population and the appearance of the landscape. The technique of drawing up the working projects for the recultivation of disturbed lands as a result of mining by using the GIS software “Panorama” is considered. The use of this software reduces the time needed to complete a project, reduces the costs and improves the accuracy of project calculations. The use of the technique is shown by the example of the recultivation of disturbed lands in the “Kushbulak” plot of the Karakhtay field. Agricultural reclamation with restoration of pastureland use is recommended. It is planned to create a beach zone with a 30 cm layer of sand in the far northwestern section. It is planned to fill the bottom of the quarry with soil to the design level and create a terrace, as well as work on the land area with a fertile soil layer of 20 cm and planning the surface. The efficiency of reclamation in parallel with the use of a mineral deposit is substantiated.
On electromagnetic impacts on the water absorption of vegetable seeds in the sown soil layer
Authors: Ksenz N V , Sidortsov I G , Stepanchuk G V , Belousov AV , Khomenko P A
Published: February 2023

One of the most important tasks for the agro-industrial complex of the Russian Federation is to develop methods for increasing crop seed viability. The way seeds absorb water determines the most important physicochemical processes that ensure their germination and further development of seedlings. There has been studied the impact of the magnetic field, direct and alternating current on the water absorption of cucumber and tomato seeds in the soil layer at a depth of 0.02 m. The surface current density was 0.0022 mA/cm 2, while the magnetic field induction was 3.1 mT. Within 5 hours with an interval of one hour, the seeds were removed and weighed. Direct current (negative/positive) has the greatest impact on the rate of water absorption of cucumber seeds, provided that the positive electrode is in the soil, while the negative one is on the soil surface (20.2% increase). The impact ranks second (12.7% increase), alternating current ranks third (10.1% increase). When using alternating current, the water absorption of tomato seeds increases by 80% higher, while using magnetic impact it increases by 50% than with no impact at all. There have been noted negative rates of water absorption. The results of the work can be used to develop the methods for controlling the rates of water absorption of vegetable seeds with the help of external electrophysical effects.
Sustainability in land use and maintenance of soil productivity
Authors: Asatov S R , Sulaymonov J N , Mukhamadov K M , Akhrorov A K , Bobojonov S U
Published: February 2023

It is known that a population growth in any country leads to a steady increase in demand for food and consumer goods. This demand can be met only by constantly increasing the production of agricultural products, improving their quality and increasing their variety. Therefore, in our opinion, if we take into account the limited land and water resources, which are the main means of production in agriculture, the only way to increase agricultural production will be the intensive development of this sector and its transition to an industrial basis.
Reduction of technogenic impact on the soil by increasing the stability of road trains movement within the field
Authors: Stroganov Yu N , Aldokhina N P , Vikhrova T V , Glazova L P , Dolgushin V A , Krishtanov E A , Ognev O G , Summanen A V
Published: February 2023

The outcomes of assessing the possibility of reducing the technogenic impact on the soil during field operations in crop production are presented by increasing the stability of the transport movement and technological means in agricultural fields. An increase in the number of passes, a distortion of the tramline shape, an increase in slippage, wobbling and sliding of technical equipment on the field lead to a significant deterioration in the topography and structure of the soil layer, which causes soil destruction and a decrease in its productivity. Transport work performed on agricultural fields leads to a significant negative technogenic impact on the soil due to the numerous passes, large transported weight, and the application of trailers. The impact on the stability of the road trains movement is considered in the paper. Characteristics of damped oscillations are used to evaluate the efficiency of impacts on stability. The method of changing the inclination angle of the turntable kingpin of the road train trailer is chosen by the method of influencing the movement stability. It is established that changing the inclination angle of the turntable kingpin of the road train trailer allows reducing the average amplitude of oscillations of the trailer front side by 26.5–28%, increasing the period of oscillations by 33.3%, and also slightly changing the decrement of oscillations by 0.5–2.5%. Therefore, structural changes in the towing device of vehicles, by providing better directional stability, will reduce the technogenic load on the soil: decrease compaction and destruction of the soil layer.
The characteristics of irrigated meadow-swamp soils and their quality
Authors: Karimov E Q , Akhrorov A Q
Published: February 2023

It is known that the soils of the Bukhara oasis were formed in a dry and sharply continental climate. Therefore, the relationship between soil-forming parent rocks and groundwater is important. This article describes the natural processes that take place in this relationship, the negative effects that affect soil fertility. The article examines the mechanical composition, salinity, nutrient content, and fertility of these soils by the example of a single type of soil in Vabkent district, and describes their importance for irrigated lands.

In particular, the origin, distribution, chemical properties, productivity, as well as quality of irrigated meadow-swamp soils were determined by morphological, profile and other methods compared with the results of previous years.
Spectral-spatial neural network classification of hyperspectral vegetation images
Authors: Podlipnov V V , Firsov N A , Ivliev N A , Mashkov S V , Ishkin P A , Skidanov R V , Nikonorov A V
Published: February 2023

The paper presents the results of a study of the method of classification of vegetation types based on hyperspectral survey data. A hyperspectrometer based on the Offner scheme was used as a shooting equipment. The spatial-spectral architecture of a convolutional neural network is used as a classifier. The experiments performed show the effectiveness of the proposed approach for the classification of vegetation types.
Application of mathematical modeling for calculation of dock structures of the spillway construction of the Krasnodar reservoir
Authors: Bandurin M A , Volosukhin V A , Prikhodko I A , Bandurina I P
Published: February 2023

The article deals with modern issues of the application of mathematical modeling taking into account the changing parameters of the reliability of the final resource of the dock structures of the spillway construction of the Krasnodar reservoir. Hydraulic structures of the pressure front of the Krasnodar reservoir are designed and built as structures of the II capital class. Analyzing the performed mathematical modeling, we see that the sections in the wall are “dangerous” at the place where it adjoins the bottom. To perform static calculations, we select a strip with a width of 1 linear meter in the longitudinal direction. Authors apply all types of loads acting on the structure of the strip of the cross-section of the structure and determine the forces in the dangerous sections of the wall and bottom. The main one is the calculation of the structure in the transverse direction. To construct diagrams of bending moments and transverse forces in the bottom plate, with the worst-case scenario of the structure, during mathematical modeling, a model of the dock structures of the spillway construction of the Krasnodar reservoir was built and later various emergency situations under the influence of seismic loads were calculated.
A comprehensive analysis of impacts of socio-economic development and land use on river water quality in a megacity-region: a case study
Authors: Zhu Liying , Chen Yuanyuan , Wang Yawei , Wei Yuansong , Zheng Hua , Zhang Yuxin
Published: February 2023

A comprehensive analysis of impacts of socio-economic development and land use on water quality is very useful for better planning and management of river basins by government. In this study, the North Canal River through a megacity-region of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Province in China was chosen to quantify impact of 10 socio-economic factors and 6 land use types on water quality in the watershed. The principal component regression (PCR) method was thus applied in this study to quantify effects of socio-economic development and land use types on river water quality through overcoming multicollinearity problems among influencing factors. Results showed that the water quality in the North Canal River improved significantly from serious pollution. Compared with 2010, the annual average pollution index (PI) of COD, NH3–N, TN, and TP decreased significantly in 2018, especially the PI of NH3–N decreased the most, from 8.62 in 2010 to <1 in 2018, implying that the concentration of NH3–N basically met the water quality assessment standard in 2018. The major water pollutant in the basin had shifted from NH3–N in 2010 to TN in 2018. The absolute impact coefficients of industrial restructuring, population density, upgraded municipal sewage treatment requirements (including sewage treatment rate and discharge standards of water pollutants for municipal WWTPs), and urbanization rate with COD, NH3–N and TP were higher than those of other factors, indicating that the impact of socio-economic factors on water quality was more significant than that of land use types, and the socio-economic factors may offset or alter the impact of land use on river water quality in areas disturbed by human activities.
Computation of homological equations for Hamiltonian normal form
Authors: Batkhin Alexander
Published: February 2023

The procedure of deriving homological equations of arbitrary order, which solutions are used in iterative procedure of normalization of a Hamiltonian in a neighborhood of an equilibrium position, is considered. A formula for a homological equation of arbitrary order used in the method of normalization by means of the Lie series is proposed. The normalization procedure is applied to Hamiltonian of the Hill problem written in scaled regular variables. The resulting normal form of the Hill problem can be used to find sets of analyticity of the normalizing transformation.
A note on value distribution of solutions of certain second order ODEs
Authors: Ciechanowicz Ewa
Published: February 2023

While value distribution of solutions of Painlevé equations

P
1

−

P
6

P_1-P_6

has been thoroughly examined, so-called Painlevé sigma equations

S
1

,

S
2

S_1, S_2

and

S
4

S_4

are relatively less recognized. Various properties of

S
1

,

S
2

S_1,\,S_2

and

S
4

S_4

can be derived both from the form of the equations themselves and from their connection through Hamiltonian systems with

P
1

,

P
2

P_1,\,P_2

and

P
4

P_4

, respectively. This includes distribution of zeros, asymptotic form of the second main theorem and behavior with respect to small target functions. Apart from usual Nevanlinna functionals, also Petrenko’s function of deviation plays a role in the estimates. Additionally, results concerning distribution of values are presented for the modified third Painlevé equation in the final part of the paper.
Relations between different Hamiltonian forms of the third Painlevé equation
Authors: Filipuk Galina , Ligȩza Adam , Stokes Alexander
Published: February 2023

In this paper we study different Hamiltonian systems with polynomial and rational Hamiltonians associated with the generic third Painlevé equation and present explicit birational transformations relating them.
On the positive powers of 𝑞-analogs of Euler series
Authors: Zhang Changgui
Published: February 2023

The most simple and famous divergent power series coming from ODE may be the so-called Euler series

∑

n
≥
0

(
−
1

)
n

n
!

x

n
+
1

\sum _{n\ge 0}(-1)^n\,n!\,x^{n+1}

, that, as well as all its positive powers, is Borel-summable in any direction excepted the negative real half-axis (see \cite{Ba} or \cite{Ma}). By considering a family of linear

q
q

-difference operators associated with a given first order non-homogenous

q
q

-difference equation, it will be shown that the summability order of

q
q

-analoguous counterparties of Euler series depends upon of the degree of power under consideration.
Comparison of Restorative Proctocolectomy with and Without Defunctioning Loop Ileostomy in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Donnelly Mark , Ryan Odhrán K , Ryan Éanna J , Bass Gary A , Kelly Michael E , McNamara Deirdre , Whelan Maria , Neary Paul C , O’Riordan James M , Kavanagh Dara O
Published: February 2023

Background

Restorative proctocolectomy [RPC] without a defunctioning loop ileostomy [DLI] in patients with ulcerative colitis [UC] remains controversial.

Aim

To compare safety and efficacy of RPC with and without DLI in patients exclusively with UC.

Methods

A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA/MOOSE guidelines. Dichotomous variables were pooled as odds ratios [OR]. Continuous variables were pooled as weighted mean differences [WMD]. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa score [NOS].

Results

A total of 20 studies [five paediatric and 15 adult] with 4550 UC patients [without DLI, n = 2370, 52.09%; with DLI, n = 2180, 47.91%] were eligible for inclusion. The median NOS was 8 [range 6–9]. There was no increased risk of anastomotic leak [AL] (OR 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92, 1.39; p = 0.25), pouch excision [OR 1.01, 95% CI: 0.68, 1.50; p = 0.97], or overall major morbidity [OR 1.44, 95% CI, 0.91, 2.29; p = 0.12] for RPC without DLI, and this technique was associated with fewer anastomotic strictures [OR 0.45, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.68; p = 0.0002] and less bowel obstruction [OR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.93; p = 0.01]. However, RPC without DLI increased the likelihood of pelvic sepsis [OR 1.68, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.75; p = 0.04] and emergency reoperation [OR 1.74, 95% CI: 1.22, 2.50; p = 0.002].

Conclusion

RPC without DLI is not associated with increased clinically overt AL or pouch excision rates. However, it is associated with increased risk of pelvic sepsis and emergency reoperation. RPC without DLI is feasible, but should only be performed judiciously in select UC patient cohorts in high-volume, specialist, tertiary centres.
Cardiac light-chain deposition disease and hints at diagnosing: a case report
Authors: Nishioka Ryo , Yoshida Shohei , Takamatsu Hiroyuki , Kawano Mitsuhiro
Published: February 2023

Background

Light-chain deposition disease (LCDD) is a systemic disorder characterized by non-amyloidotic light-chain deposition in various organs with Bence-Jones type monoclonal gammopathy. Although known as monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance, it may involve interstitial tissue of various organs, and in rare cases, proceeds to organ failure. We present a case of cardiac LCDD in a patient initially suspected of dialysis-associated cardiomyopathy.

Case summary

A 65-year-old man with end-stage renal disease requiring haemodialysis presented with fatigue, anorexia, and shortness of breath. He had a history of recurrent congestive heart failure and Bence-Jones type monoclonal gammopathy. A cardiac biopsy performed for suspected light-chain cardiac amyloidosis was negative for diagnostic Congo-red stain, however, paraffin immunofluorescence examination for light-chain suggested diagnosis of cardiac LCDD.

Discussion

Cardiac LCDD may go undetected leading to heart failure due to lack of clinical awareness and insufficient pathological investigation. In heart failure cases with Bence-Jones type monoclonal gammopathy, clinicians should consider not only amyloidosis but also interstitial light-chain deposition. In addition, in patients with chronic kidney disease of unknown cause, investigation is recommended to rule out cardiac light-chain deposition disease concomitant with renal LCDD. Although LCDD is relatively rare it occasionally affects multiple organs; therefore, it would be better to describe it as a monoclonal gammopathy of clinical significance rather than one of renal significance.
A case report of isolated cardiac light chain amyloidosis without clinically overt heart failure: an under-recognized presentation
Authors: Nuzzi Vincenzo , Porcari Aldostefano , Gigli Marta , Zaja Francesco , Dore Franca , Bussani Rossana , Sinagra Gianfranco , Merlo Marco
Published: February 2023

Background

Cardiac involvement in amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis usually represents a brick in the wall of a multi-system disease. The presence of cardiac deposition of free light chains (FLCs) is the main determinant of survival. Isolated cardiac AL is an uncommon scenario characterized by a challenging diagnostic and therapeutic workup.

Case summary

A 57-year-old asymptomatic man was presented for an incidental finding of myocardial necrosis at the electrocardiogram (ECG) performed for newly diagnosed arterial hypertension. Alongside signs of previous myocardial infarction, transthoracic echocardiography showed a severely increased left ventricular (LV) wall thickness not consistent with ECG voltages, segmental akinaesia with normal LV systolic function with ‘apical sparing’ pattern. Laboratory assessment showed an unexpectedly high level of natriuretic peptide and persistently abnormal troponin in the absence of symptoms or signs of heart failure or ongoing ischaemia. Coronary angiogram confirmed the coronary artery disease. Before revascularization, a complete diagnostic workup was carried. Serum electrophoresis detected a monoclonal gammopathy that was further investigated by serum immunofixation, revealing high lambda FLCs concentration. Fat pad, bone marrow, and salivary glands biopsies resulted negative for amyloid deposition. Finally, endomyocardial biopsy was consistent with AL amyloidosis. Urgent percutaneous revascularization was performed, and the patients was timely started on chemotherapy.

Discussion

The diagnosis of isolated cardiac AL amyloidosis is challenging and carries important therapeutic implications. As the short-term prognosis might be severely compromised, an accurate diagnostic flowchart has to be systematically pursued to obtain a precise diagnosis and address the optimal, tailored management.
‘Just the two of us’: single-operator interventional left atrial appendage closure—a case report
Authors: Hammerstingl Christoph , Yahya Mohammed Ali , Völz Alexander
Published: February 2023

Background

Different procedural strategies have been published targeting to facilitate transcatheter left atrial appendage closure (LAAc). We demonstrate feasibility of a procedural set-up allowing single-operator LAAc in a selected patient.

Case summary

A 87-year-old male with persistent Afib (CHA2DS2VASc, five; HASBLED, three) was referred to our hospital for LAAc. Pre-procedural planning and device sizing with three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) confirmed a non-complex anatomy of the essential anatomical structures predicting suitability for LAAc. Therefore, the procedure was performed with a simplified single-operator interventional approach. Intraprocedural TEE guidance, device preparation, and LAAc were accomplished by the interventionalist himself. For procedural guidance, the TEE probe was arranged and handled in a technique comparable to the use of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE). Procedure time (skin-to-skin) was 21 min, left atrial access time 9 min, and fluoroscopy time was 4:28 min without the use of contrast dye. The patient was discharged the following day in good medical conditions.

Discussion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on successful single-operator LAAc in a selected patient. The intervention, pre-procedural screening, and intraprocedural 3D TEE were performed by one single experienced interventionalist. This simplified technique is based on a standardized pre-procedural imaging-protocol with 3D echocardiography. According to our experience, this streamlined approach is a valuable option in non-complex LAAc cases. In the growing field of structural cardiac interventions, this approach might be an interesting option for centres with limited personal and technical resources.
Optimizing an Outpatient mHealth Intervention for Children with Burns: A Convergent Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Lesher Aaron , McDuffie Lucas , Smith Tiffany , Foster Abigail , Ruggiero Kenneth , Barroso Julie , Gavrilova Yulia
Published: February 2023

Burn injury is one of the most common traumatic injuries in childhood. Fortunately, 90% of pediatric burns may be treated in the outpatient setting after appropriate burn triage. Patients with burns face significant geographic disparities in accessing expert burn care due to regionalized care. To aid patients and their families during acute outpatient burn recovery, we developed a smartphone app, Telemedicine Optimized Burn Intervention (TOBI). With this app, we aimed to increase access to care by allowing secure, streamlined communication between patients and burn providers, including messaging and wound image transfer. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate user feedback to optimize the patient and provider experience. TOBI was evaluated using a convergent mixed-methods approach consisting of qualitative semi-structured interviews and quantitative measurements of app usability via the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire. Participants included 15 caregivers of pediatric patients with burns who used TOBI during treatment and ten burn providers. Users found TOBI to be a highly usable application in terms of usefulness, ease of use, satisfaction, and functionality. Qualitative data provided insight into user experience, satisfaction and preferences, difficulty navigating, usability and acceptability, and potential improvements. Although most users were highly satisfied, improvements were needed to optimize the burn app. We systematically made these improvements before we released TOBI for routine patient use. This study uncovered helpful recommendations for app improvements that can be generalized to other mobile health apps to increase their appeal and adoption.
Conversational dynamics of joint attention and shared emotion predict outcomes in interpersonal influence situations: an interaction ritual perspective
Authors: Liao Wang , Oh Yoo Jung , Zhang Jingwen , Feng Bo
Published: February 2023

This article addresses conversational dynamics in interpersonal influence situations. Drawing on interaction ritual theories and the research of interaction processes and patterns, we argue that sequential transition patterns of task and social–emotional acts can capture essences of conversational interaction ritual.A successful ritual then generates emergent solidarity and induces desired outcomes of interpersonal influence. In two experimental situations of online text chats between strangers (advice-giving, Nconversation = 336 with a student sample and compliance-gaining, Nconversation = 737 with a MTurk sample), we found certain transition patterns consistently predicted influence outcomes and interpersonal perceptions. Aligning with our theoretical expectations, these transitions indicate the moment-to-moment emergence of joint attention and shared emotion, which are essential ingredients of a successful interaction ritual.
Sparse tree-based clustering of microbiome data to characterize microbiome heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Shi Yushu , Zhang Liangliang , Do Kim-Anh , Jenq Robert , Peterson Christine B
Published: February 2023

There is a keen interest in characterizing variation in the microbiome across cancer patients, given increasing evidence of its important role in determining treatment outcomes. Here our goal is to discover subgroups of patients with similar microbiome profiles. We propose a novel unsupervised clustering approach in the Bayesian framework that innovates over existing model-based clustering approaches, such as the Dirichlet multinomial mixture model, in three key respects: we incorporate feature selection, learn the appropriate number of clusters from the data, and integrate information on the tree structure relating the observed features. We compare the performance of our proposed method to existing methods on simulated data designed to mimic real microbiome data. We then illustrate results obtained for our motivating dataset, a clinical study aimed at characterizing the tumour microbiome of pancreatic cancer patients.
Identification of a novel adjuvant loperamide that enhances the antibacterial activity of colistin against MCR-1-positive pathogens in vitro/vivo
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Shi Liming , Lv Lu , Zhang Yan , Chen Huiping
Published: February 2023

Severe infection with multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales caused by the plasmid-induced colistin resistance gene MCR-1 is a serious public health challenge. In this case, it is necessary and pressing to find a treatment to overcome antibiotic resistance. Here, we investigated the synergistic effect and mechanism of loperamide combined with colistin against MCR-1-positive pathogens. We evaluated the combined effect of loperamide and colistin using the checkerboard method and the time-kill experiment. The results showed that loperamide could enhance the bactericidal ability of colistin, and this combination regimen could completely kill the tested bacteria within 4 h. Subsequently, spectrofluorimetric methods were used to explore the mechanism of loperamide combined with colistin. The results indicated that the mode of action of loperamide combined with colistin was found to involve mechanical disruption of the membrane. Furthermore, molecular simulation and microscale thermophoresis results revealed that loperamide reduced the impact of MCR-1 protein by directly binding to its active site. In addition, the combined regimen of loperamide and colistin effectively reduced the bacterial load in the thighs of mice while increasing the protection rate by 70%. In short, as a potential lead compound, loperamide can enhance the killing effect of colistin on pathogenic Enterobacterales carrying MCR-1 by causing membrane damage and inhibiting MCR-1 protein activity.
Microlensing due to free-floating moon-planet systems
Authors: Sajadian Sedighe , Sangtarash Parisa
Published: February 2023

Gravitational microlensing is a powerful method for detecting and characterizing free-floating planetary-mass objects (FFPs). FFPs could have exomoons rotating them. In this work, we study the probability of realizing these systems (i.e. free-floating moon-planet ones) through microlensing observations. These systems make mostly close caustic configurations with a considerable finite-source effect. We investigate finite-source microlensing light curves owing to free-floating moon-planet systems. We conclude that crossing planetary caustics causes an extensive extra peak at light curves’ wing that only changes its width if the source star does not cross the central caustic. If the source trajectory is normal to the moon-planet axis, the moon-induced perturbation has a symmetric shape with respect to the magnification peak, and its light curve is similar to a single-lens one with a higher finite-source effect. We evaluate the Roman efficiency for realizing moon-induced perturbations, which is $\left[0.002-0.094\right]\ \mathrm{ per\, cent}$ by assuming a log-uniform distribution for moon-planet mass ratio in the range ∈ [ −9,   −2]. The highest detection efficiency (i.e. $\simeq 0.094~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) happens for Saturn-mass planets when moon-planet distance is ∼43Rp, where Rp is the Saturn radius. Enhancing planetary mass extends the event’s time-scale and decreases the finite-source effect, but it reduces the projected moon-planet distance normalized to the Einstein radius s(RE) which in turn decreases the size of planetary caustics and takes them away from the host planet’s position in close caustic configurations.
RFI flagging in solar and space weather low frequency radio observations
Authors: Zhang Peijin , Offringa André R , Zucca Pietro , Kozarev Kamen , Mancini Mattia
Published: February 2023

Radio spectroscopy provides a unique inspection perspective for solar and space weather research, which can reveal the plasma and energetic electron information in the solar corona and inner heliosphere. However, radio-frequency interference (RFI) from human activities affects sensitive radio telescopes, and significantly affects the quality of observation. Thus, RFI detection and mitigation for the observations is necessary to obtain high quality science-ready data. The flagging of RFI is particularly challenging for the solar and space weather observations at low frequency, because the solar radio bursts can be brighter than the RFI, and may show similar temporal behaviour. In this work, we investigate RFI flagging methods for solar and space weather observations, including a strategy for aolagger, and a novel method that makes use of a morphology convolution. These algorithms can effectively flag RFI while preserving solar radio bursts.
Activity of Anlotinib in the Second-Line Therapy of Metastatic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: A Prospective, Multicenter, In Vitro Study
Authors: Zhou Yongjian , Zeng Chunling , Sun Xiaofeng , Zhang Jun , Qu Hongyan , Zhang Xinhua , Zhou Ye , Liu Zimin , Wu Xiaojun , Wu Xin , Jiao Xuelong , Shen Lin , Zhou Yanbing , Wang Yuexiang , Li Jian
Published: February 2023

Background

Anlotinib is a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor that can effectively inhibit tumor cell proliferation after receptor kinase activation caused by KIT gene mutation.

Methods

We tested the inhibitory effect of anlotinib in GIST cell lines with different gene mutations and evaluated the efficacy of anlotinib for patients with metastatic GIST after imatinib failure in a multicenter, single-arm, phase II study.

Results

In vitro, V654A mutation encoded by KIT exon 13 was intermediately sensitive to anlotinib. Moreover, anlotinib was able to partly suppress the activation loop mutation D820A from exon 17 while another activation loop mutation N822K, also from exon 17, was resistant to anlotinib. From September 2018 to October 2020, 64 patients from 9 Chinese medical centers were enrolled in this study. Seven patients had partial response and 39 patients had stable disease. The median PFS was 8.0 months. There was no statistical significance comparing with PFS of sunitinib second-line therapy at the same period. The most common adverse events related to anlotinib treatment were hypertension, neutropenia, and fatigue.

Conclusion

Anlotinib showed moderate antitumor activity in drug-resistant GIST cell lines in vitro, and good PFS and better tolerance in second-line therapy study.
The RNA‐binding protein Snd1/Tudor‐SN regulates hypoxia‐responsive gene expression
Authors: Saarikettu Juha , Lehmusvaara Saara , Pesu Marko , Junttila Ilkka , Partanen Juha , Sipilä Petra , Poutanen Matti , Yang Jie , Haikarainen Teemu , Silvennoinen Olli
Published: February 2023

Snd1 is an evolutionarily conserved RNA‐binding protein implicated in several regulatory processes in gene expression including activation of transcription, mRNA splicing, and microRNA decay. Here, we have investigated the outcome of Snd1 gene deletion in the mouse. The knockout mice are viable showing no gross abnormalities apart from decreased fertility, organ and body size, and decreased number of myeloid cells concomitant with decreased expression of granule protein genes. Deletion of Snd1 affected the expression of relatively small number of genes in spleen and liver. However, mRNA expression changes in the knockout mouse liver showed high similarity to expression profile in adaptation to hypoxia. MicroRNA expression in liver showed upregulation of the hypoxia‐induced microRNAs miR‐96 and ‐182. Similar to Snd1 deletion, mimics of miR‐96/182 enhanced hypoxia‐responsive reporter activity. To further elucidate the function of SND1, BioID biotin proximity ligation assay was performed in HEK‐293T cells to identify interacting proteins. Over 50% of the identified interactors were RNA‐binding proteins, including stress granule proteins. Taken together, our results show that in normal growth conditions, Snd1 is not a critical factor for mRNA transcription in the mouse, and describe a function for Snd1 in hypoxia adaptation through negatively regulating hypoxia‐related miRNAs and hypoxia‐induced transcription consistent with a role as stress response regulator.
Fixing a Broken Clerkship Assessment Process: Reflections on Objectivity and Equity Following the USMLE Step 1 Change to Pass/Fail
Authors: Huynh Ashley , Nguyen Andrew , Beyer Ryan S. , Harris Mark H. , Hatter Matthew J. , Brown Nolan J. , de Virgilio Christian , Nahmias Jeffry
Published: February 2023

Clerkship grading is a core feature of evaluation for medical students’ skills as physicians and is considered by most residency program directors to be an indicator of future performance and success. With the transition of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 score to pass/fail, there will likely be even greater reliance on clerkship grades, which raises several important issues that need to be urgently addressed. This article details the current landscape of clerkship grading and the systemic discrepancies in assessment and allocation of honors. The authors examine not only objectivity and fairness in clerkship grading but also the reliability of clerkship grading in predicting residency performance and the potential benefits and drawbacks to adoption of a pass/fail clinical clerkship grading system. In the promotion of a more fair and equitable residency selection process, there must be standardization of grading systems with consideration of explicit grading criteria, grading committees, and/or structured education of evaluators and assessors regarding implicit bias. In addition, greater adherence and enforcement of transparency in grade distributions in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation is needed. These changes have the potential to level the playing field, foster equitable comparisons, and ultimately add more fairness to the residency selection process.
Parents of Children with Cleft Lip Exhibit Heightened Visual Attention to the Perioral Area
Authors: Abuelezz Israa , Qaraqe Marwa K. , Stotland Mitchell A.
Published: February 2023

Background:

Following high-quality surgical repair, children born with a cleft lip anomaly may still display lasting visual differences. We exposed control adults and parents of affected children to images of children with cleft deformity and compared their visual tracking patterns. The protocol investigated whether parental exposure to secondary cleft deformity heightens or diminishes visual attraction to this type of structural facial variation.

Method:

Twenty participants (10 control adults, 10 parents of affected children) assessed 40 colored images of children's faces while their eye movements were tracked. Twenty-four control images and 16 repaired cleft lip images were displayed to observers. Nine bilateral facial aesthetic zones were considered as regions of interest. Percentage of time visually fixating within each region, and statistical differences in fixation duration percentage between the two participant groups and across the bilateral regions of interest were analyzed.

Results:

While both groups of observers directed more visual attention to the nasal and oral regions of the cleft images than control images, parents of children with cleft lip spent significantly more time fixating on these areas (25% and 24% of the time, respectively) than did unaffected adults (14.6% and 19.3%; P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

These results demonstrate that parents of cleft lip children exhibit heightened attention to this type of facial difference relative to the naive observer. These findings highlight that observer profile can meaningfully influence the perception of a facial deformity. Awareness of this information may enhance communication between surgeon and parents of an affected child by providing added insight into parental perspective.
Modified Antia-Buch Flap Incorporating an Extended Temporal Scalp Incision
Authors: Maglic Dino , Sudduth Jack D. , Marquez Jessica L. , Tieman Joshua , Overschmidt Bo , Siddiqi Faizi , Gociman Barbu
Published: February 2023

Background:

The Antia-Buch flap is a popular reconstructive method for full-thickness ear defects involving the helical rim. However, scaphal or conchal resection is often required to prevent ear distortion. Noel et al described a modified technique to the Antia-Buch flap, which includes an incision in the temporal scalp and complete detachment of the preauricular helical root to increase mobility of the flap. Since then, no studies have reported on the use of this modification. We report our experience in implementing Noel et al’s modification of the Antia-Buch flap for helical rim defects.

Methods:

The modified technique differs from the original Antia-Buch flap by completely detaching the root of the helix and adding a vertical incision to the temporal scalp to increase mobility of the flap. No scaphal resection is necessary. After complete elevation of the flaps, the flaps are advanced and inset toward each other followed by closure.

Results:

In our practice, 10 patients have been treated with Noel et al’s modification to the Antia-Buch flap. In each of these patients, acceptable reconstruction of the helical rim was able to be achieved. All the patients were pleased with their reconstructive outcome and ear anatomy was able to be successfully maintained.

Conclusions:

The modified Antia-Buch flap has shown to be an excellent method for large, helical rim defects, creating versatility by adding the temporal scalp incision. Our outcomes with Noel et al’s modification to the original Antia-Buch flap support this method as a versatile technique for wide full-thickness helical rim defects.
Validation of the A&D UM-212BLE monitor according to ISO 81060-2, 2018: a device with clinically important programmability
Authors: Alpert Bruce S.
Published: February 2023

Objective

The objective of this report was to describe the validation of the A&D UM-212BLE automated oscillometric sphygmomanometer to the ISO 81060-2, 2018 protocol. The device is specifically designed for enhanced office and out-of-office programmability.

Methods

A combined pediatric (n = 35) and adult (n = 50) population was studied at Clinmark LLC in Louisville, Colorado, USA. Same-arm sequential testing was performed following the ISO 81060-2, 2018 requirements. Five cuffs were tested with a total arm circumference range from 12 to 50 cm. Reference readings were done by two blinded observers performing simultaneous auscultation.

Results

For validation of Criterion 1 the mean ± SD (mmHg) of the device minus the reference differences were 3.94 ± 6.89 for SBP and 2.09 ± 6.68 for DBP. Both passed the Standard limits for Criterion 2; the systolic(S)SD achieved was 5.56 (5.70 permitted) and the diastolic(D)SD was 6.01 (6.62 permitted). All other Standard requirements were met.

Conclusions

The UM-212BLE passed all requirements. The features that make this device clinically superior include settings for automated office BP, variable pressure inflation, dual measurement modes (oscillometry, auscultation), the wide range of cuffs tested, automated irregular heartbeat detection, and full validation in a pediatric population. The inclusion of all of these features makes the UM-212BLE a highly attractive device for both office and out-of-office BP estimation.
A Quality Improvement Project to Decrease Suboptimal Patient Transfers between Two Neonatal Units
Authors: Douglas Kiane A. , Eriobu Chinonye , Sanderson Ann , Tumin Dmitry , Akpan Uduak S.
Published: February 2023

Introduction.

Poorly executed transitions of care in health care systems are associated with safety concerns and patient dissatisfaction. We noticed several problems in the transfer process between our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and special care nursery (SCN) and designed this quality improvement project to address them. The aim was to decrease suboptimal transfers from the NICU to the SCN by 50% over 9 months. We defined suboptimal transfers as the discharge of a patient within 3 days of transfer from the NICU to the SCN or the return of a patient to the NICU within 5 days of the transfer.

Methods.

We formed a multidisciplinary team and collected baseline data from October 2019 to December 2020. Major interventions included implementing a transfer checklist and algorithm. We utilized 3 staff surveys to evaluate the progress of the project. We used statistical process control charts to track project measures over time.

Results.

Patient demographics and SCN length of stay were similar for the baseline and postintervention periods. We decreased suboptimal transfers over 21 months (January 2021 to September 2022), achieved a significantly increased rate of parent notification before transfers (81% baseline versus 93% postintervention), and increased staff satisfaction with the transfer process (15% baseline versus 43% postintervention).

Conclusions.

We successfully improved the transfer process from our NICU to the SCN via a quality improvement project. Increased staff satisfaction and the lack of perception of additional burden to the staff from the new process are expected to sustain our results.
Skin-fat composite grafts for reconstructing large full-thickness skin defects
Authors: Jang Young Chul , Burm Jin Sik , Cho Jaeyoung
Published: February 2023

Background:

The uppermost layer of subcutaneous tissue has a rich vascular network, the subdermal plexus and multiple perforating vessels in the interlobular septa. When skin-fat composite grafts (SFCGs) include this uppermost layer, they can be readily vascularized to enhance survival. We describe our clinical experience with large-sized SFCG transplantations.

Methods:

This retrospective study included patients that underwent SFCG transplantation for large, full-thickness skin defects, formed after burn scar contracture or contraction deformity excision. The recipient tissue bed was prepared by retaining the deepest layer of scar tissue or reticular dermis to preserve the interlobular septa, subdermal plexus, and ascending arterioles above the subcutaneous tissue. The SFCG was prepared by trimming fat lobules and preserving the interlobular septa and vessels to form a 1-4-mm thick base of subdermal fat tissue. The trimmed SFCG was placed onto the defective tissue and secured with a tie-over dressing.

Results:

Among 86 grafts, 76 (88.4%) survived completely (sizes: 6 to 161 cm 2, mean surface area 68.7cm 2). Focal skin sloughing or graft loss occurred in 10 cases. These events were followed by spontaneous healing in 8 cases. Focal hypertrophic scars formed in 6 cases. In 15 cases, hyperpigmentation occurred, but improved gradually. Most transplantations achieved satisfactory pliability (93.0%), contour (90.7%), and color (88.4%).

Conclusions:

SFCGs survived better than expected with minimal complications, probably due to the preservation of rich vascular networks in both the recipient and SFCG tissues. Therefore, SFCG transplantation may be a good option for reconstructing full-thickness skin defects in a large surface area.