bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-time kinetic studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis LexA–DNA interaction
Authors: Chatterjee Chitral , Majumdar Soneya , Deshpande Sachin , Pant Deepak , Matheshwaran Saravanan
Published: November 2021

Transcriptional repressor, LexA, regulates the ‘SOS’ response, an indispensable bacterial DNA damage repair machinery. Compared with its Escherichia coli ortholog, LexA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) possesses a unique N-terminal extension of additional 24 amino acids in its DNA-binding domain (DBD) and 18 amino acids insertion at its hinge region that connects the DBD to the C-terminal dimerization/autoproteolysis domain. Despite the importance of LexA in ‘SOS’ regulation, Mtb LexA remains poorly characterized and the functional importance of its additional amino acids remained elusive. In addition, the lack of data on kinetic parameters of Mtb LexA–DNA interaction prompted us to perform kinetic analyses of Mtb LexA and its deletion variants using Bio-layer Interferometry (BLI). Mtb LexA is seen to bind to different ‘SOS’ boxes, DNA sequences present in the operator regions of damage-inducible genes, with comparable nanomolar affinity. Deletion of 18 amino acids from the linker region is found to affect DNA binding unlike the deletion of the N-terminal stretch of extra 24 amino acids. The conserved RKG motif has been found to be critical for DNA binding. Overall, the present study provides insights into the kinetics of the interaction between Mtb LexA and its target ‘SOS’ boxes. The kinetic parameters obtained for DNA binding of Mtb LexA would be instrumental to clearly understand the mechanism of ‘SOS’ regulation and activation in Mtb.
ZNF76 predicts prognosis and response to platinum chemotherapy in human ovarian cancer
Authors: Hua Tian , Wang Rui-min , Zhang Xiao-chong , Zhao Bei-bei , Fan Shao-bei , Liu Deng-xiang , Wang Wei
Published: November 2021

Ovarian cancer (OV) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. One major reason of the high mortality of the disease is due to platinum-based chemotherapy resistance. Increasing evidence reveal the important biological functions and clinical significance of zinc finger proteins (ZNFs) in OV. In the present study, the relationship between the zinc finger protein 76 (ZNF76) and clinical outcome and platinum resistance in patients with OV was explored. We further analyzed ZNF76 expression via multiple gene expression databases and identified its functional networks using cBioPortal. RT-qPCR and IHC assay shown that the ZNF76 mRNA and protein expression were significantly lower in OV tumor than that in normal ovary tissues. A strong relationship between ZNF76 expression and platinum resistance was determined in patients with OV. The low expression of ZNF76 was associated with worse survival in OV. Multivariable analysis showed that the low expression of ZNF76 was an independent factor predicting poor outcome in OV. The prognosis value of ZNF76 in pan-cancer was validated from multiple cohorts using the PrognoScan database and GEPIA 2. A gene-clinical nomogram was constructed by multivariate cox regression analysis, combined with clinical characterization and ZNF76 expression in TCGA. Functional network analysis suggested that ZNF76 was involved in several biology progressions which associated with OV. Ten hub genes (CDC5L, DHX16, SNRPC, LSM2, CUL7, PFDN6, VARS, HSD17B8, PPIL1, and RGL2) were identified as positively associated with the expression of ZNF76 in OV. In conclusion, ZNF76 may serve as a promising prognostic-related biomarker and predict the response to platinum in OV patients.
Trajectory prediction of cyclist based on spatial‐temporal multi‐graph network in crowded scenarios
Authors: Li Meng , Chen Tao , Du Hao
Published: November 2021

Cyclist trajectory prediction is an essential task in autonomous driving and surveillance systems. This task is challenging due to that the bicycles go much faster than the pedestrians and a minor prediction error could lead to a severe deviation in the actual path. Existing cyclist trajectory prediction models usually employ the social pooling mechanism to depict the mutual interactions between targets. They ignore that the pooling operation is leaky in information. Moreover, they prefer to use the recurrent architecture to capture the time‐varying features, which is not efficient in computation and parameter learning. To address these issues, a spatial‐temporal multi‐graph module which employs the topology of graphs to represent social interactions and design multi‐kernel functions to depict the social attributes from various aspects is proposed. Instead of the recurrent architecture, a temporal convolution to forecast the future paths is introduced. Experimental results on real‐world datasets demonstrate its superior performance against state‐of‐the‐art baselines. It reduces 9% prediction error when compared to recurrent neural network based models and is more effective in crowded scenarios.
LBP‐based progressive feature aggregation network for low‐light image enhancement
Authors: Yu Nana , Li Jinjiang , Hua Zhen
Published: November 2021

At night or in other low‐illumination environments, optical imaging devices cannot capture details and color information in images accurately because of the reduced number of photons captured and the low signal‐to‐noise ratio. Consequently, the image is very noisy with low contrast and inaccurate color information, which affects human visual perception and creates significant challenges in computer vision tasks. Low‐light image enhancement has great research value because it aims to reduce image noise and improve image quality. In this study, we propose an LBP‐based progressive feature aggregation network (P‐FANet) for low‐light image enhancement. The LBP feature has insensitivity to illumination, and it contains rich texture information. In the network, we input the LBP feature into each iteration of the network in an accompanying manner, which helps to restore some detailed information of the low‐light image. First, we input the low‐light image into the dual attention mechanism model to extract global features. Second, the extracted different features enter the feature aggregation module (FAM) for feature fusion. Third, we use the recurrent layer to share the features extracted at different stages, and use the residual layer to further extract deeper features. Finally, the enhanced image is output. The rationality of the method in this study has been verified through ablation experiments. Many experimental results show that the method in this study has greater advantages in subjective and objective evaluations compared with many other advanced methods.
Identification of the key genes and immune infiltrating cells determined by sex differences in ischaemic stroke through co‐expression network module
Authors: Xu Haipeng , Ge Yanzhi , Liu Yang , Zheng Yang , Hu Rong , Ren Conglin , Liu Qianqian
Published: November 2021

Stroke is one of the leading causes of patients' death and long‐term disability worldwide, and ischaemic stroke (IS) accounts for nearly 80% of all strokes. Differential genes and weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) in male and female patients with IS were compared. The authors used cell type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) to analyse the distribution pattern of immune subtypes between male and female patients. In this study, 141 up‐regulated and 61 down‐regulated genes were gathered and distributed into five modules in response to their correlation degree to clinical traits. The criterion for Gene Ontology (GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway indicated that detailed analysis had the potential to enhance clinical prediction and to identify the gender‐related mechanism. After that, the expression levels of hub genes were measured via the quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) method. Finally, CCL20, ICAM1 and PTGS2 were identified and these may be some promising targets for sex differences in IS. Besides, the hub genes were further verified by rat experiments. Furthermore, these CIBERSORT results showed that T cells CD8 and Monocytes may be the target for the treatment of male and female patients, respectively.
The BINGO project
Authors: Wuensche Carlos A. , Villela Thyrso , Abdalla Elcio , Liccardo Vincenzo , Vieira Frederico , Browne Ian , Peel Michael W. , Radcliffe Christopher , Abdalla Filipe B. , Marins Alessandro , Barosi Luciano , Brito Francisco A. , Queiroz Amilcar R. , Wang Bin , Costa Andre A. , Ferreira Elisa G. M. , Fornazier Karin S.F. , Landim Ricardo G. , Novaes Camila P. , Santos Larissa , dos Santos Marcelo V. , Zhang Jiajun , Chen Tianyue , Delabrouille Jacques , Dickinson Clive , de Gasperis Giancarlo , Gurjão Edmar C. , Harper Stuart , Ma Yin-Zhe , Machado Telmo , Maffei Bruno , de Mericia Eduardo J. , Monstein Christian , Motta Pablo , Otobone Carlos H. N. , Reitano Luiz A. , Remazeilles Mathieu , Roychowdhury Sambit , Santos João R. L. , Serres Alexandre J. R. , Souza Andreia P. , Strauss Cesar , Vieira Jordany , Xu Haiguang
Published: November 2021

Context.The measurement of diffuse 21-cm radiation from the hyperfine transition of neutral hydrogen (H Isignal) in different redshifts is an important tool for modern cosmology. However, detecting this faint signal with non-cryogenic receivers in single-dish telescopes is a challenging task. The BINGO (Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from Integrated Neutral Gas Observations) radio telescope is an instrument designed to detect baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAOs) in the cosmological H Isignal, in the redshift interval 0.127 ≤ z ≤ 0.449.

Aims.This paper describes the BINGO radio telescope, including the current status of the optics, receiver, observational strategy, calibration, and the site.

Methods.BINGO has been carefully designed to minimize systematics, being a transit instrument with no moving dishes and 28 horns operating in the frequency range 980 ≤ ν ≤ 1260 MHz. Comprehensive laboratory tests were conducted for many of the BINGO subsystems and the prototypes of the receiver chain, horn, polarizer, magic tees, and transitions have been successfully tested between 2018–2020. The survey was designed to cover ∼13% of the sky, with the primary mirror pointing at declinationδ = −15°. The telescope will see an instantaneous declination strip of 14.75°.

Results.The results of the prototype tests closely meet those obtained during the modeling process, suggesting BINGO will perform according to our expectations. After one year of observations with a 60% duty cycle and 28 horns, BINGO should achieve an expected sensitivity of 102 μK per 9.33 MHz frequency channel, one polarization, and be able to measure the H Ipower spectrum in a competitive time frame.
Magnetic field structure of OMC-3 in the far infrared revealed by SOFIA/HAWC+
Authors: Zielinski N. , Wolf S.
Published: November 2021

We report the SOFIA/HAWC+ band D (154 μm) and E (214 μm) polarimetric observations of the filamentary structure OMC-3 that is part of the Orion molecular cloud. The polarization pattern is uniform for both bands and parallel to the filament structure. The polarization degree decreases toward regions with high intensity for both bands, revealing a so called “polarization hole”. We identified an optical depth effect in which polarized emission and extinction act as counteracting mechanisms as a potential contributor to this phenomenon. Assuming that the detected polarization is caused by the emission of magnetically aligned non-spherical dust grains, the inferred magnetic field is uniform and oriented perpendicular to the filament. The magnetic field strength derived from the polarization patterns at 154 and 214 μm amounts to 202 and 261 μG, respectively. The derived magnetic field direction is consistent with that derived from previous polarimetric observations in the far infrared and submillimeter wavelength range. Investigating the far-infrared polarization spectrum derived from the SOFIA/HAWC+ observations, we do not find a clear correlation between the polarization spectrum and cloud properties, namely, the column density, N(H2), and temperature, T.
Gravitational atmospheric tides as a probe of Titan’s interior: Application to Dragonfly
Authors: Charnay B. , Tobie G. , Lebonnois S. , Lorenz R. D.
Published: November 2021

Context.Saturn’s massive gravity is expected to causes a tide in Titan’s atmosphere, producing a surface pressure variation through the orbit of Titan and tidal winds in the troposphere. The future Dragonfly mission could analyse this exotic meteorological phenomenon.

Aims.We aim to analyse the effect of Saturn’s tides on Titan’s atmosphere and interior to determine how pressure measurements by Dragonfly could constrain Titan’s interior.

Methods.We model atmospheric tides with analytical calculations and with a 3D global climate model (the IPSL-Titan GCM), including the tidal response of the interior.

Results.We predict that the Love numbers of Titan’s interior should verify 1 +ℜ(k2−h2) ~ 0.02–0.1 andℑ(k2−h2) < 0.04. The deformation of Titan’s interior should therefore strongly weaken gravitational atmospheric tides, yielding a residual surface pressure amplitude of only ~5 Pa, with a phase shift of 5–20 h. Tidal winds are very weak, of the order of 3 × 10−4m s−1in the lower troposphere. Finally, constraints from Dragonfly data may permit the real and the imaginary parts ofk2−h2to be estimated with a precision of ±0.01–0.03.

Conclusions.Measurements of pressure variations by Dragonfly over the whole mission could give valuable constraints on the thickness of Titan’s ice shell, and, via geophysical models, its heat flux and the density of its internal ocean.
Manufacturing risk management in optical design
Authors: Faehnle O. , Livshits I.
Published: November 2021

This paper reports on strategies to determine optimal sets of optical fabrication technologies (OFT) for given optical elements, to be applied in optical fabrication chains. For this purpose, optical systems are categorized and linked to critical characteristics of optical fabrication technologies, which are determined by a methodical analysis of their processing parameters.
Hybrid Confinement of Visible Light in a Nanophotonic Resonator
Authors: Perani Tommaso , Liscidini Marco
Published: November 2021

We report on the design of a novel nanoresonator operating at visible wavelengths, in which light confinement is achieved by a hybrid mechanism based on total internal reflection and photonic band gap. We show that this structure can support resonant nanophotonic modes with mode volumes on the order of one cubic wavelength, and Q factors exceeding several tens of thousands. Its properties make it ideal for controlling and enhancing the light-matter interaction at sub-wavelength scales.
Second and third harmonic generation from gold nanolayers: experiment versus theory
Authors: Rodríguez-Suné L. , Trull J. , Akozbek N. , De Ceglia D. , Vincenti M. A. , Scalora M. , Cojocaru C.
Published: November 2021

The use of semiconductors, metals, or ordinary dielectrics in the process of fabrication of nanodevices is at the front edge of nowadays technology, exploiting the properties of light propagation and localization at nanometric scale in new and surprising ways. Understanding accurately how light interacts with these materials at the nanoscale is crucial if one is to properly engineer nano-devices. When the nanoscale is reached, light-matter interactions display new phenomena where conventional approximations may not always be applicable and they should be either revised or voided. In this work, we measure the efficiency of second and third harmonic generation from gold nanolayers. The experimental results are compared with numerical simulations based on a detailed microscopic hydrodynamic model that considers different effects playing a role in the nonlinear response, not usually considered by more generic models. The agreement between experimental and theoretical results proves the importance of all these contributions.
Simulation of the optical properties of gold nanoparticles on sodium alginate
Authors: Summonte Caterina , Maccagnani Piera , Maurizi Alberto , Pizzochero Giulio , Bolognini Gabriele
Published: November 2021

In this contribution, we report on the simulation of optical reflectance and transmittance (R&T) taken on a set of gold nanoparticles thin film, deposited on sodium alginate by magnetron sputtering. The gold layer is very thin, so that the films are not continuous and the material is arranged in nanostructured layers. R&T spectra are simulated using the Generalized Transfer Matrix method applied to the film-on-substrate model. The gold NP films are simulated using the Drude-Lorentz model, by taking into account that the optical function of nanostructured gold exhibits increased collision frequency and reduced relaxation time. Moreover, the signal of localized surface plasmon, evident in the spectra, is simulated by introducing a dedicated modified Lorentz oscillator. The experimental results are well reproduced by the applied model. All trends (amplitude and energy position of the plasmon oscillator, film thickness, relaxation time) are correlated with the deposition parameters. The procedure represents a useful tool in the characterisation of such nanoparticles thin films.
Light confinement in liquid crystals for optofluidic integrated microsystems -INVITED
Authors: d’Alessandro Antonio , Kumaran Anju M.
Published: November 2021

In this paper technology to make optical waveguides and microfluidic channels integrated on the same substrate will be reported to envisage novel micro-optofluidic chips. PolyDiMethylSiloxane (PDMS) is used to make microchannels to be filled with biological solutions. Liquid crystals (LC) are used to confine light to produce optical interaction with biological fluidic specimen. Optical waveguides base on PDMS channels filled with LC, named LC:PDMS waveguides, including both straight and bending channels are reported to design photonic devices. Electro-optic effect of LC allows to make tuneable optical waveguides to reconfigure the entire optofluidic microsystem which can include gold nanoparticles for photo-thermal therapies. Coplanar gold electrodes can switch LC molecules with applied voltage of about 2 V. Such electrode configuration can be used to make optical switches and wavelengths demultiplexers. A zero-gap directional coupler based on LC:PDMS waveguides has been designed to switch light from one waveguide to another with an extinction ratio of 16 dB by applying a voltage of just 1.62 V. A multimode interference demultiplexer has been also designed to demultiplex wavelengths at 980 nm and 1550 nm in two output waveguides with an extinction ratio better than 11 dB by applying about 7 V.
Ultrashort-pulse, terawatt, long-wave infrared lasers based on high-pressure CO2amplifiers
Authors: Polyanskiy Mikhail N. , Pogorelsky Igor V. , Babzien Marcus , Kupfer Rotem , Palmer Mark A.
Published: November 2021

We discuss the state of the art, the ongoing research and development, and the potential for achieving a supra-terawatt peak power in few-cycle pulses at a long-wave infrared wavelength with a laser system based on high-pressure, mixed-isotope CO2amplifiers.
3D printing of long period gratings for curvature applications
Authors: Valente Nuno F. , Bilro Lúcia , Oliveira Ricardo
Published: November 2021

In this paper we will discuss a new type of long period grating (LPG) that consists on an optical fibre glued on top of a 3D printed grooved plate. The LPG performance will be tested for the case when pressure is applied transversely to the grooved plate. Results showed the appearance of attenuation bands at specific wavelengths, that grow with increasing load. The evolution of the dip power at those resonances, as function of the curvature will be shown, demonstrating the potentialities of the sensor for low cost intensity detection schemes.
Wide band UV/Vis/NIR blazed-binary reflective gratings: two lithographic techniques investigation
Authors: Lee Mane-Si Laure , Cholet Julie , Delboulbé Anne , Guillemet Raphaël , Loiseaux Brigitte , Garabedian Patrick , Flügel-Paul Thomas , Benkenstein Tino , Sadlowski Susann , Tetaz Nicolas , Windpassinger Roman , Mahalik Saroj
Published: November 2021

We report on subwavelength reflective gratings for hyperspectral applications operating in the 340 nm-1040 nm spectral range. The blazed grating period is 30 μm and is composed of 2D subwavelength binary structures with sizes in-between 120 nm and 350 nm. We demonstrate the manufacturing of gratings on 3” wafers by two lithography technologies (e-beam or nanoimprint) followed by dry etching process. These subwavelength gratings enable broadband efficiency which is in average 15%-20% above the efficiency requirement for next generation of spectro-imagers for Earth observation missions and a wavefront error that is much smaller than the 100 nm requirement for space application.
Editorial
Authors: Rauner Martina
Published: November 2021

Liebe Freunde der Osteologie, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen,

Das Fachgebiet der Osteoimmunologie beschäftigt sich mit den
Interaktionen des Immunsystems mit dem Knochen. Bereits in den 1990ern, kurz
nach der Entdeckung von RANKL, dem Schlüsselprotein zur Differenzierung
von Osteoklasten, etablierte sich dieses Themengebiet innerhalb der Osteologie.
Schon damals hatte man erkannt, dass RANKL nicht nur von Osteoblasten produziert
und für die Kommunikation zu Osteoklasten verwendet wird, sondern auch
von aktivierten T-Zellen, die so zur vermehrten Generation von Osteoklasten und
damit zum Knochenabbau im Kontext der chronischen Entzündung beitragen
können. Somit ist die Osteoimmunologie klinisch von hoher Relevanz.
Liver metastasis mimicking a liver cyst of a thymoma in a 38-year-old immunocompromised patient
Authors: Petzold Golo , Ströbel Philipp , Seif Amir Hosseini Ali , Ellenrieder Volker , Neesse Albrecht
Published: November 2021

Cystic liver lesions (CLL) are common and, in the majority of cases, benign. However, the range of differential diagnoses of CLL is wide. A combination of medical history, blood test results, and imaging can help find the correct diagnosis. We report the case of a 38-year-old immunocompromised female patient with a history of thymectomy and postoperative radiation 3 years prior due to thymoma. Subsequently, the patient was referred to our department for clarification of a cystic liver lesion. During short-term follow-up, the lesion increased in size, and due to the contrast agent behavior in the ultrasound and MRI examination, the suspicion of a biliary cystadenocarcinoma was considered.

Furthermore, imaging showed several subcentimetric liver lesions of unknown dignity. Finally, pericystectomy and atypical partial liver resection was performed. Histology revealed a cystic metastasis of the malignant B3 thymoma and a cavernous hemangioma. Liver metastases of a thymoma are rare, and this is the first case of a cystic liver metastasis of a thymoma. The presented case illustrates that in the management of CLLs beside imaging techniques, the medical history with previous conditions should be considered, especially in past malignancies.
Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes – Actors in Osteoimmunology
Authors: Beckmann Denise , Korb-Pap Adelheid , Wehmeyer Corinna
Published: November 2021

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an immune mediated inflammatory disease (IMID),
characterized by chronic inflammation and irreversible bone loss. Studies have
shown that fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), a key cell population in the
pathogenesis of RA, have an impact on balancing bone-forming osteoblasts and
bone-destroying osteoclasts towards joint damage. Once activated, RA-FLS are
able to destroy cartilage and subchondral bone through the release of RANKL,
members of the metalloproteinase family and many more cytokines, chemokines and
growth factors. Additionally, RA-FLS are responsible for the perpetuation and
chronicity of the disease due the interaction with immune cells supporting the
influx of T and B lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages neutrophils and dendritic
cells from the blood stream into the inflamed synovial tissue. In this review we
highlight the direct and indirect impact of synovial fibroblasts in RA on joint
damage and disease progression. Moreover, we describe mechanisms of synovitis
and regulators of bone homeostasis in further inflammatory joint diseases such
as ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and compare them to
RA.
Beyond the Psychoactive Effects of Ayahuasca: Cultural and Pharmacological Relevance of Its Emetic and Purging Properties
Authors: Politi Matteo , Tresca Giorgia , Menghini Luigi , Ferrante Claudio
Published: November 2021

The herbal preparation ayahuasca has been an important part of ritual and healing practices, deployed to access invisible worlds in several indigenous groups in the Amazon basin and among mestizo populations of South America. The preparation is usually known to be composed of two main plants, Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, which produce both hallucinogenic and potent purging and emetic effects; currently, these are considered its major pharmacological activities. In recent decades, the psychoactive and visionary effect of ayahuasca has been highly sought after by the shamanic tourism community, which led to the popularization of ayahuasca use globally and to a cultural distancing from its traditional cosmological meanings, including that of purging and emesis. Further, the field of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology has also produced relatively limited data linking the phytochemical diversity of ayahuasca with the different degrees of
its purging and emetic versus psychoactive effects. Similarly, scientific interest has also principally addressed the psychological and mental health effects of ayahuasca, overlooking the cultural and pharmacological importance of the purging and emetic activity. The aim of this review is therefore to shed light on the understudied purging and emetic effect of ayahuasca herbal preparation. It firstly focuses on reviewing the cultural relevance of emesis and purging in the context of Amazonian traditions. Secondly, on the basis of the main known phytochemicals described in the ayahuasca formula, a comprehensive pharmacological evaluation of their emetic and purging properties is presented.
Validation of a Brochure to Guide Health Professionals in the Dressing and Undressing of Personal Protective Equipment During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic
Authors: Salomé Geraldo Magela , Miranda Flávio Dutra
Published: November 2021

Objective To develop and validate a brochure to guide health professionals in properly dressing and undressing the personal protective equipment (PPE) used in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Methods To develop the brochure, an integrative literature review was conducted after searching the following databases: SciELO, LILACS, and MEDLINE. The brochure was evaluated by 38 health professionals (nurses, physical therapists, and doctors) employing the Delphi technique. The results were analyzed using the Content Validity Index.

Results In the first evaluation cycle, the items in the brochure were considered by the panel of experts as ranging from “unsuitable” to “totally adequate”. After the appropriate corrections suggested by the experts, the brochure once again was sent to the second evaluation cycle, in which all items were rated as “adequate” or “totally adequate.” The result is a Content Validity Index of 1.0.

Conclusion The present study allowed the development of a brochure and its validation by consensus among the evaluation group. The developed and validated brochure presents the reliability of the technique of dressing and undressing the PPE used by health professionals during the pandemic of COVID-19. This information contributes to the management of assistance with quality and safety for the frontline workers and patients.
IDH Wild-type Glioblastoma Presenting with Seizure: Clinical Specificity, and Oncologic and Surgical Outcomes
Authors: Pesce Alessandro , Armocida Daniele , Paglia Francesco , Palmieri Mauro , Frati Alessandro , D'Andrea Giancarlo , Salvati Maurizio , Santoro Antonio
Published: November 2021

Background Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain neoplasia in adults. Seizure is a common manifestation in GBM. Up to 25 to 60% of patients with GBM have seizures. We aim to summarize all the relevant clinical, surgical, radiologic, and molecular features of a cohort of patients suffering from GBM-related epilepsy and measure the outcome, to understand the possible existence of a clinical/phenotypical specificity of this subgroup of patients.

Methods We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 177 patients affected by isocitrate dehydrogenase wild-type (IDH-WT) GBM; 49 patients presented seizure at onset (SaO) and 128 were seizure free (SF). We investigated the relationship between seizures and other prognostic factors of GBMs.

Results A statistically significant association between the location of the lesions in the parietal lobe and seizures was observed. The left side was more commonly affected. Interestingly, there was a statistical relationship between tumors involving the subventricular zone (SVZ) and SaO patients. The tumors were also smaller on average at diagnosis, and generalized SaOs were associated with longer overall survival.

Conclusions The typical patient with IDH-WT GBM with SaO is a young (<55 year) male without a history of headache. The lesion is typically small to medium in size and located in the temporoparietal dominant lobe, with a high tendency to involve the SVZ.
Diagnosis of Advanced Disease in Cases of Colorectal Cancer in a Developing Country
Authors: Silva Ricella Maria Souza da , Collaço Polyana Maria Cruz , Cunha Karin S. , Dias Eliane Pedra
Published: November 2021

Objectives Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the world, with survival correlated with the extension of the disease at diagnosis. In many low-/middle-income countries, the incidence of CRC is increasing rapidly, while decreasing rates are observed in high-income countries. We evaluated the anatomopathological profile of 390 patients diagnosed with CRC who underwent surgical resection, over a six-year period, in the state of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil.

Results Adenocarcinomas accounted for 98% of the cases of primary colorectal tumors, and 53.8% occurred in female patients. The average age of the sample was 63.5 years, with 81.8% of individuals older than 50 years of age and 6.4% under 40 years of age. The most frequent location was the distal colon; pT3 status was found in 71% of patients, and pT4 status, in 14.4%. Angiolymphatic and lymph-node involvements were found in 48.7% and 46.9% of the cases respectively. Distant metastasis was observed in 9.2% of the patients. Advanced disease was diagnosed in almost half of the patients (48.1%). The women in the sample had poorly-differentiated adenocarcinomas (p = 0.043). Patients under 60 years of age had a higher rate of lymph-node metastasis (p = 0.044). Tumor budding was present in 27.2% of the cases, and it was associated with the female gender, the mucinous histological type, and the depth of invasion (pT3 and pT4).

Conclusions We conclude that the diagnosis of advanced disease in CRC is still a reality, with a high occurrence of aggressive prognostic factors, which results in a worse prognosis.
A Mobile Game Platform for Improving Social Communication in Children with Autism: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Penev Yordan , Dunlap Kaitlyn , Husic Arman , Hou Cathy , Washington Peter , Leblanc Emilie , Kline Aaron , Kent John , Ng-Thow-Hing Anthony , Liu Bennett , Harjadi Christopher , Tsou Meagan , Desai Manisha , Wall Dennis P.
Published: November 2021

Background Many children with autism cannot receive timely in-person diagnosis and therapy, especially in situations where access is limited by geography, socioeconomics, or global health concerns such as the current COVD-19 pandemic. Mobile solutions that work outside of traditional clinical environments can safeguard against gaps in access to quality care.

Objective The aim of the study is to examine the engagement level and therapeutic feasibility of a mobile game platform for children with autism.

Methods We designed a mobile application, GuessWhat, which, in its current form, delivers game-based therapy to children aged 3 to 12 in home settings through a smartphone. The phone, held by a caregiver on their forehead, displays one of a range of appropriate and therapeutically relevant prompts (e.g., a surprised face) that the child must recognize and mimic sufficiently to allow the caregiver to guess what is being imitated and proceed to the next prompt. Each game runs for 90 seconds to create a robust social exchange between the child and the caregiver.

Results We examined the therapeutic feasibility of GuessWhat in 72 children (75% male, average age 8 years 2 months) with autism who were asked to play the game for three 90-second sessions per day, 3 days per week, for a total of 4 weeks. The group showed significant improvements in Social Responsiveness Score-2 (SRS-2) total (3.97, p <0.001) and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II (VABS-II) socialization standard (5.27, p = 0.002) scores.

Conclusion The results support that the GuessWhat mobile game is a viable approach for efficacious treatment of autism and further support the possibility that the game can be used in natural settings to increase access to treatment when barriers to care exist.
Screening for Celiac Disease in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Fulfilling Rome III Criteria
Authors: Al-Abachi Khaldoon Thanoon
Published: November 2021

Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder. Celiac disease (CD), a treatable autoimmune enteropathy, with varied presentations, may simulate clinically symptoms of IBS. The aim of the present study is to screen for CD in patients with IBS diagnosed based on the Rome III criteria.

Patients and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at a secondary care gastrointestinal unit in Al-Salam General Hospital in Mosul city, Iraq, from November 2015 to October 2016. All patients fulfilling the Rome III criteria for IBS were screened for CD using antitissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies (anti-tTG). Patients who tested positive were subjected to endoscopic duodenal biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of CD.

Results A total of 100 patients were included in the present study (58 female and 42 male), the mean age of the participants was 40.8 years old (standard deviation [SD] ± 11.57). Ten patients (10/100, 10%) tested positive for anti-tTG antibodies. Five of the seropositive patients (5/10, 50%) showed positive biopsy results according to the Marsh classification, 3 of whom having diarrhea, and 2 with constipation.

Conclusion Positive serology and biopsy results suggestive of CD are common among patients with IBS. Screening patients with IBS for CD is justified.
The Neglected Role of Bile Duct Epithelial Cells in NASH
Authors: Cadamuro Massimiliano , Lasagni Alberto , Sarcognato Samantha , Guido Maria , Fabris Roberto , Strazzabosco Mario , Strain Alastair J. , Simioni Paolo , Villa Erica , Fabris Luca
Published: November 2021

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver disease worldwide, and affects 25% of the population in Western countries. NAFLD is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, linked to insulin resistance, which is the common pathogenetic mechanism. In approximately 40% of NAFLD patients, steatosis is associated with necro-inflammation and fibrosis, resulting in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a severe condition that may progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Although the hepatocyte represents the main target of the disease, involvement of the bile ducts occurs in a subset of patients with NASH, and is characterized by ductular reaction and activation of the progenitor cell compartment, which incites portal fibrosis and disease progression. We aim to dissect the multiple biological effects that adipokines and metabolic alterations exert on cholangiocytes to derive novel information on the mechanisms driven by insulin resistance, which promote fibro-inflammation and carcinogenesis in NASH.
Postoperative Doxycycline Did Not Improve Early Postoperative Outcomes in Hip Arthroscopy Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Akhtar Zeeshan M. , Hunt Emily R. , Platt Brooks N. , Turner Alex L. , Jacobs Cale A. , Stone Austin V. , Duncan Stephen T.
Published: November 2021

Doxycycline has been shown to reduce fibroblast activity in the treatment of multiple pathologies, and was utilized as part of the postoperative medication protocol to help prevent adhesions from developing after hip arthroscopy. The purpose of this study was to compare early postoperative pain outcomes between consecutive case series of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) patients treated with or without a 7-day postoperative course of doxycycline following hip arthroscopy. We hypothesized that the doxycycline-treated group would have superior patient-reported outcomes at 6 weeks, and the effect would be more pronounced for patients with low preoperative mental health scores.

Our institutional review board–approved prospective outcomes registry was queried for patients who had undergone arthroscopic femoral osteochondroplasty and/or labral repair or reconstruction secondary to FAIS performed by a single, fellowship-trained surgeon. A 7-day postoperative course of doxycycline was initiated in 2018. Six-week postoperative Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) global (HOOSglobal) and International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT) scores were compared between the consecutive series treated with versus without doxycycline. Additional subgroup analysis was performed on patients with low preoperative Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12) mental component scores to determine possible additional benefit of postoperative doxycycline in this group.

A total of 134 patients (98 female, 36 male, age = 36.2 ± 13.4 years, body mass index [BMI] = 27.2 ± 5 kg/m2) were identified between 2013 and 2020. There were no differences between the control (n = 84) and doxycycline group (n = 50) in age, sex, or BMI. Postoperative HOOSglobal scores (control = 58.5 ± 13.1, doxycycline = 58.7 ± 14.7, p = 0.96) and iHOT scores (control = 54.4 ± 22.2, doxycycline = 52.3 ± 24.8, p = 0.61) did not differ between groups. The subset of 83 patients with low preoperative mental scores showed no differences in HOOSglobal (control = 51.6 ± 13.3, doxycycline = 57.3 ± 7.4, p = 0.12) or iHOT scores (control = 45.5 ± 20.3, doxycycline = 53.6 ± 23.1, p = 0.250).

Our results do not support the hypothesis that postoperative doxycycline leads to significant improvement in early postoperative pain scores or functional outcomes in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAIS.
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Gone Wrong: Endoscopic Closure to the Rescue
Authors: Dhar Jahnvi , Kumar Naveen , Gupta Pankaj , Kochhar Rakesh , Samanta Jayanta
Published: November 2021

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is one of the most commonly performed endoscopic procedures and a first-line treatment for the establishment of enteral access in those with intolerance or contraindication to oral feedings. A small amount of pneumoperitoneum in the immediate postprocedure period is well reported after PEG tube placement. However, pneumoperitoneum resulting from displaced gastric bumper within 24 hours postprocedure is uncommon and rarely reported in the literature. Timely diagnosis and early endoscopic management can help tackle such an unusual complication.
Evaluating the Success of Decentralisation in Facilitating the Inclusion of Rwanda’s Marginalised
Authors: Goodwin Morag
Published: November 2021

Decentralisation plays a key role in Rwanda’s efforts to overcome the violence and instability of the past by fostering national unity and by bringing governance closer to the people. This paper examines the impact of decentralisation on the feelings of inclusion of Rwanda’s most marginalised group, the Batwa. Drawing on a 4-year empirical project, our findings suggest that, despite impressive improvements in the living standards of the poorest and efforts to encourage participation in local decision making, many Twa do not feel included. This suggests that the government has not yet succeeded in creating downward accountability. We attribute this to two factors: continuing economic inequality and poor communication.
Affective computing scholarship and the rise of China: a view from 25 years of bibliometric data
Authors: Ho Manh-Tung , Mantello Peter , Nguyen Hong-Kong T. , Vuong Quan-Hoang
Published: November 2021

Affective computing, also known as emotional artificial intelligence (AI), is an emerging and cutting-edge field of AI research. It draws on computer science, engineering, psychology, physiology, and neuroscience to computationally model, track, and classify human emotions and affective states. While the US once dominated the field in terms of research and citation from 1995–2015, China is now emerging as a global contender in research output, claiming second place for the most cited country from 2016–2020. This article maps the rhizomatic growth and development of scientific publications devoted to emotion-sensing AI technologies. It employs a bibliometric analysis that identifies major national contributors and international alliances in the field over the past 25 years. Contrary to the ongoing political rhetoric of a new Cold War, we argue that there are in fact vibrant AI research alliances and ongoing collaborations between the West and China, especially with the US, despite competing interests and ethical concerns. Our observations of historical data indicate two major collaborative networks: the “US/Asia-Pacific cluster” consisting of the US, China, Singapore, Japan and the “European” cluster of Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands. Our analysis also uncovers a major shift in the focus of affective computing research away from diagnosis and detection of mental illnesses to more commercially viable applications in smart city design. The discussion notes the state-of-the-art techniques such as the ensemble method of symbolic and sub-symbolic AI as well as the absence of Russia in the list of top countries for scientific output.
Blood flow in abdominal aortic aneurysms indicates severity and threat
Authors: Cockshott Anne
Published: November 2021

Modeling underlying flow in abdominal aortic aneurysms will aid monitoring, severity assessment and patient care.
Temperature lag with the onset of exchange bias, superparamagnetic blocking, and antiferromagnetic ordering in ultrathin ferromagnet/antiferromagnet thin film
Authors: Shiratsuchi Yu , Tao Yiran , Tsutsumi Rou , Toyoki Kentaro , Nakatani Ryoichi
Published: November 2021

The magnetization of a nanosized magnet, such as an ultrathin film, thermally fluctuates and can become superparamagnetic. In ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic thin films, superparamagnetism can be suppressed in accordance with antiferromagnetic ordering. The exchange bias can also be induced at the ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interface, and it is nontrivial whether the superparamagnetic blocking temperature (TB_SPM) can match either the onset temperature of the exchange bias (TB_EB) or the Néel temperature (TN). In this study, we investigated the temperature dependence of parameters such as coercivity, exchange bias field, magneto-optic Kerr rotation (θK), and AC magnetization (MAC) to elucidate the matching of TB_EB, TB_SPM, and TN in a Pt/Co/Au/Cr2O3/Pt thin film. Based on the temperature dependences of MAC, TB_SPM was yielded as about 283 K. TB_EB and TN, which were determined based on the temperature dependence of θK, were 278 and 282 K, respectively. TB_SPM was almost equal to TN but TB_EB was smaller. This temperature lag was caused by the difference in the magnetic anisotropy energy required to induce the exchange bias and suppress superparamagnetism.
Muonic Rydberg states in dense plasmas of inertial confinement interest
Authors: Deutsch Claude , Tahir Naeem A.
Published: November 2021

We investigate the atomic recombination of stopped muons in dense plasmas of potential μ-catalysis concern. It is shown that in addition to the usual two-body radiative μ-ion recombination R2 highlighting low excited states and moderate plasma temperature T, a novel three-body process R3 involving ion–ion correlations could deliver a contribution several order of magnitudes above R2, steadily increasing with atomic excitation and T. It thus appears possible to explore the feasibility of μ catalysis in less dense Z or MTF plasmas but with longer lifetimes than laser-produced inertial confinement relevance ones.
Extreme ultraviolet-excited time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy using an ultrafast table-top high-harmonic generation source
Authors: van der Geest M. L. S. , Sadegh N. , Meerwijk T. M. , Wooning E. I. , Wu L. , Bloem E. , Castellanos Ortega S. , Brouwer A. M. , Kraus P. M.
Published: November 2021

We present a table-top extreme ultraviolet (XUV) beamline for measuring time- and frequency-resolved XUV-excited optical luminescence (XEOL) with additional femtosecond-resolution XUV transient absorption spectroscopy functionality. XUV pulses are generated via high-harmonic generation using a near-infrared pulse in a noble gas medium and focused to excite luminescence from a solid sample. The luminescence is collimated and guided into a streak camera where its spectral components are temporally resolved with picosecond temporal resolution. We time-resolve XUV-excited luminescence and compare the results to luminescence decays excited at longer wavelengths for three different materials: (i) sodium salicylate, an often used XUV scintillator; (ii) fluorescent labeling molecule 4-carbazole benzoic (CB) acid; and (iii) a zirconium metal oxo-cluster labeled with CB, which is a photoresist candidate for extreme-ultraviolet lithography. Our results establish time-resolved XEOL as a new technique to measure transient XUV-driven phenomena in solid-state samples and identify decay mechanisms of molecules following XUV and soft-x-ray excitation.
Static and dynamic water structures at interfaces: A case study with focus on Pt(111)
Authors: Dávila López Alexandra C. , Eggert Thorben , Reuter Karsten , Hörmann Nicolas G.
Published: November 2021

An accurate atomistic treatment of aqueous solid–liquid interfaces necessitates the explicit description of interfacial water ideally via ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Many applications, however, still rely on static interfacial water models, e.g., for the computation of (electro)chemical reaction barriers and focus on a single, prototypical structure. In this work, we systematically study the relation between density functional theory-derived static and dynamic interfacial water models with specific focus on the water–Pt(111) interface. We first introduce a general construction protocol for static 2D water layers on any substrate, which we apply to the low index surfaces of Pt. Subsequently, we compare these with structures from a broad selection of reference works based on the Smooth Overlap of Atomic Positions descriptor. The analysis reveals some structural overlap between static and dynamic water ensembles; however, static structures tend to overemphasize the in-plane hydrogen bonding network. This feature is especially pronounced for the widely used low-temperature hexagonal ice-like structure. In addition, a complex relation between structure, work function, and adsorption energy is observed, which suggests that the concentration on single, static water models might introduce systematic biases that are likely reduced by averaging over consistently created structural ensembles, as introduced here.