bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advancement of Heart Transplantation in Thai Recipients: Survival Trends and Pharmacogenetic Insights
Authors: Manomaisantiphap Siwaporn , Boon‐yasidhi Pasawat , Tanathitiphuwarat Napatsanan , Thammanatsakul Kanokwan , Puwanant Sarinya , Ariyachaipanich Akekarach , Sinphurmsukskul Supanee , Pachinburavan Monvasi , Chariyavilaskul Pajaree , Siwamogsatham Sarawut , Ongcharit Pat
Published: January 2025

Since 1987, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) has performed a substantial number of heart transplants as a specific therapy for advanced‐stage heart failure. This descriptive study aimed to analyze post‐transplant survival in the recent era compared to earlier periods and examine the pharmacogenetics of related immunosuppressants. Data from all recipients who underwent heart transplants from 1987 to 2021 were retrospectively retrieved from the electronic medical record. The genotypes of relevant pharmacogenes were analyzed in recipients who were alive during the enrollment period. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed improved overall survival rates in the recent era compared to the past. Dilated cardiomyopathy was identified as the most common pretransplant diagnosis, while infection remained the leading cause of mortality. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate significant advancements in the quality of heart transplantation in Thailand. Future studies are warranted to explore the correlation between pharmacogenetic variations identified in this study and subsequent clinical outcomes, with a focus on genetic‐guided treatment to optimize patient care.
Increased sodium consumption is associated with psoriasis: A population‐based cohort study
Authors: Chattopadhyay Aheli , Ye Morgan , Chiang Brenda , Halezeroglu Yagmur , Van Blarigan Erin L. , Liao Wilson , Bhutani Tina , Abuabara Katrina
Published: January 2025

Background

Sodium is stored in skin and may trigger or perpetuate autoimmune diseases including psoriasis. One previous study found skin sodium was elevated in a small group of patients with severe psoriasis compared to healthy controls, but the relationship between sodium intake and psoriasis within a population has not been investigated.

Objectives

To identify whether dietary sodium intake is associated with psoriasis and whether there are subgroups of individuals more likely to have salt‐sensitive psoriasis.

Methods

This cross‐sectional, population‐based study evaluated a UK Biobank cohort of nearly 500,000 participants in the 2006–2010 period and a US‐based National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) validation cohort of 2393 participants in the 2003–2004 period. Dietary sodium intake, the exposure, was estimated using urine biomarkers and the previously validated INTERSALT equation. Psoriasis outcome was assessed by the presence of ICD‐10 code L40.

Results

In the UK Biobank, of the 468,913 included participants, 54% were female and mean (standard deviation) age at recruitment was 57 (8) years. Multivariable logistic regression models revealed that every 1 g increase in estimated 24‐h urine sodium was associated with an 18% increase in odds of psoriasis (OR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.14–1.21) after adjustment for sex, age, race/ethnicity, education and socioeconomic status. There was no consistent evidence of large effect modification by age, sex, race/ethnicity, polygenic risk score for psoriasis or those with a history of hypertension, chronic renal failure or type 2 diabetes mellitus. In NHANES, each additional gram of self‐reported dietary sodium intake was also associated with increased odds of examination‐confirmed psoriasis (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.19–1.83).

Conclusions

Increased sodium intake was associated with psoriasis in two population‐based cohorts; future clinical trials could investigate whether decreasing sodium intake improves psoriasis.
First Best Implementation With Costly Information Acquisition
Authors: Larionov Daniil , Pham Hien , Yamashita Takuro , Zhu Shuguang
Published: January 2025

We study mechanism design with flexible but costly information acquisition. There is one principal and four or more agents, who share a common prior belief over a set of payoff‐relevant states. The principal proposes a mechanism to the agents, each of whom can then acquire information about the state by privately designing a signal device. As long as it is costless for each agent to acquire a signal that is independent of the state, there exists a mechanism that allows the principal to implement any social choice rule at zero information acquisition cost for the agents.
The Relationship Between Neonatal Nurses' e‐Health Literacy Levels and Care Behaviours: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Akkoyun Sevinc , Tas Arslan Fatma
Published: January 2025

Aim

The study aims to determine the relationship between e‐health literacy level and the care behaviour of neonatal nurses.

Background

E‐health literacy is becoming increasingly important, as health‐related information can be obtained easily and quickly from electronic sources.

Design

A cross‐sectional design was adopted in the survey. The STROBE checklist for cross‐sectional studies was used in reporting this study (Data S1). The study was conducted between July and November 2023.

Methods

The sample of the study consists of 384 neonatal nurses working in different hospitals in Türkiye. An introductory form, the E‐Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS), and the Care Behaviours Inventory‐24 (CBI‐24) were used for data collection. The data collection forms were created using Google Forms.

Result

eHEALS 4.32 ± 0.551, CBI‐24 5.58 ± 0.567, CBS‐24 sub‐dimension: Assurance 5.58 ± 0.591, CBS‐24 sub‐dimension: Knowledge‐Skills 5.64 ± 0.561, CBI‐24 sub‐dimension: Respect 5.56 ± 0.565, CBI‐24 sub‐dimension: Connectedness 5.52 ± 0.637 was found. It was determined that there was a very weak positive relationship between eHEALS, CBI‐24 and sub‐dimension scores (p < 0.001). A significant relationship was found between the eHEALS and the independent variables age, female, living in the Southeastern Anatolia region, working in a public hospital, using the internet for their profession, and CBI‐24 sub‐dimension: assurance (F = 6.111; p < 0.001).

Conclusion(s)

The relationship between e‐health literacy and care behaviours of neonatal nurses was examined. Neonatal nurses' was found eHEALS, CBI‐24, and sub‐dimension scores had a high and very weak positive relationship. A significant relationship was found between the eHEALS level and age, female, Southeastern Anatolia region, state hospital, using the internet for their profession, and assurance sub‐dimension.

Impact

Study determines the eHEALS of neonatal nurses and provides information about this field. Interventions aimed at eHEALS should be developed and implemented at both the institutional and individual levels.

Reporting

STROBE, No Patient or Public Contribution.
Behavioural Changes of Late Talkers During the Covid‐19 Pandemic, One Year Follow‐Up From a Community Sample
Authors: Çelen Yoldaş Tuba
Published: January 2025

Aim

Global threats to child health and well‐being, compounded by the COVID‐19 pandemic, have put child development at grave risk. This study aimed to observe the behavioural changes of children with isolated language delays from a paediatric outpatient clinic as a community sample during the pandemic with a 1‐year follow‐up.

Methods

Patients admitted to the paediatrics outpatient clinic due to isolated language delays were included in the study. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire and Child Behaviour Checklist‐1½‐5 were implemented at baseline and 1 year later. All families were provided with information on developmental supportive strategies and called at 3‐month intervals for follow‐up.

Results

Eighty‐three children were initially included in this prospective study and completed with a 66.3% retention rate after 1 year. The mean initial age of the children was 30 ± 5.1 months. Internalising behaviour problems were high enough for concern at the baseline and all behavioural problem scores decreased after 1 year (p < 0.001). The initial proportion of children with borderline or clinical internalising problems also decreased from 69.1% to 5.5% after 1 year, and most children had normal language development.

Conclusions

Late talkers experienced some behavioural problems during the pandemic, and the language and behaviour outcomes of these children who attended the paediatric clinic were better after the 1‐year follow‐up, even during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The management of language delays in young children in crisis should include providing families with developmental support strategies consistently through the paediatric healthcare system to optimise child developmental and behavioural functioning.
Parent‐Reported Feeding Practices Associated With Children's Observed Willingness‐to‐Try‐New‐Foods in Childcare
Authors: Behbehani Farah , Hurley Kristen M. , Black Maureen M.
Published: January 2025

Feeding behaviours are established early in life, with lifelong influences on children's appetite, growth and health, emphasizing the importance of understanding how parent–child feeding interactions relate to children's eating and growth patterns. The objective was to examine reciprocity between parent‐reported feeding practices and children's observed willingness‐to‐try‐new‐foods in childcare settings without parental presence, thereby assessing independence from context and parental influence. The sample included parent–child dyads (n = 436) recruited from 51 childcare centres across 10 counties. Parent‐reported feeding practices, children's observed willingness‐to‐try‐new‐foods and children's height and weight were measured using the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ), a food tasting activity and standardized anthropometric protocols, respectively. Logistic and linear regression models assessed associations between parent‐reported feeding practices and children's observed willingness‐to‐try‐new‐foods, as well as body mass index z‐score (BMIz), respectively. All models adjusted for potential confounders, including clustering within childcare centres. Children's observed willingness‐to‐try‐new‐foods was positively associated with parent‐reported restriction for weight control, suggesting independence from context. A child‐driven interpretation suggests parental perceptions of children's high food responsivity or concerns about excess weight gain and a parent‐driven interpretation suggests that children exhibit higher willingness‐to‐try‐new‐foods in response to parental weight‐related restriction. Children's observed willingness‐to‐try‐new‐foods was not related to other parent‐reported feeding practices. Child BMIz was positively associated with parent‐reported restriction for weight and health and negatively associated with pressuring and giving children control over food intake. Future research is needed to determine factors associated with child and parent‐driven interpretations of feeding practices and effective strategies to promote responsive parent feeding practices.
The photochemical inheritance of Eduardo Lissi and Juan Grotewold and the intersystem crossings with other inheritances
Authors: Braslavsky Silvia E. , Previtali Carlos M.
Published: January 2025

In 1963, Eduardo Lissi and Juan Grotewold started a chemical kinetics and photochemistry group at the School of Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires (Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, FCEN, UBA). Political circumstances in Argentina and in Chile were a great determinant of the evolution, dispersion, and re‐encounters of the group members. The initial graduate students in the group developed their own research groups working in various Countries and on a variety of projects. We relate the story of the strong interactions with each other of the original group as well as the cooperations and synergy (Intersystem Crossings) of Lissi and Grotewold and of their descendants with other research groups, mainly (but not only) in Latin America. A strong network of partnerships, friendships, and fruitful collaborations between the kineticists, photochemists, and photobiologists in Argentina, Chile and Brazil has evolved from the initial steps in the 1960s.
Organizing, Transmitting, and Accessing Vector Data in DGGS Based on Progressive Tile Structure
Authors: Zheng Senyuan , Zhou Liangchen , Zhong Yang , Lv Guonian
Published: January 2025

In order to solve the efficiency problem of massive multiresolution vector data organization in DGGS field, we propose a vector data organization method based on progressive tile structure in DGGS. The method is a combination of DGGS with tile structure, which are traditionally used in the field of GIS. That structure can support tile scheduling and express vector objects asymptotically in the inner pairs of tiles, which reduces the amount of data transfer and improves the access and construction efficiency of vector objects while guaranteeing the efficiency of data scheduling. To validate the above design, we first resampled the global 1:100,000 vector data containing multiple topological types to multiresolution vector data with a data resolution of 1:559,000–1:35,000, the data volume is 22,312 MB after converting to tile structure. Then we carried out three experiments: data volume, data construction, and data access. The results of the experiments show that compared with the organization method based on the traditional tile‐pyramid structure, the method is able to achieve higher construction efficiency and access efficiency, as well as the smaller data storage volume. Therefore, we believe that this method provides an efficient method for the organization of massive multiresolution vector data based on DGGS and also provides an idea for the organization of massive multiresolution data in the field of GIS.
Reconstruction of vibration noise in plate structures based on Data-Physics driven model and transfer learning
Authors: Zhou Hualun , Song Xiaodong , Huang Yue
Published: January 2025

The identification of vibration and reconstruction of sound fields of plate structures are important for understanding the vibroacoustic characteristics of complex structures. This paper presents a data-physics driven (DPD) model integrated with transfer learning (DPDT) for high-precision identification and reconstruction of vibration and noise radiation of plate structures. The model combines the Kirchhoff-Helmholtz integral equation with convolutional neural networks, leveraging physical information to reduce the need for extensive data. By embedding transfer learning, it enhances generalization across different structures. Two plate models of different sizes and publicly experimental data were used to evaluate the model's performance. Results show that the DPDT model achieves superior prediction accuracy stability, and faster convergence compared to the DPD model, with high R2, normalized cross-correlation, and low normalized mean squared error values, demonstrating its robustness and efficacy in reconstructing sound fields even with limited data points. This approach demonstrates significant potential for practical engineering applications, particularly in bridge vibration and noise control.
Blind-label subwavelength ultrasound imaging
Authors: Lin Jinuan , Ma Chu
Published: January 2025

There is a long-existing trade-off between the imaging resolution and penetration depth in acoustic imaging caused by the diffraction limit. Most existing approaches addressing this trade-off require controlled “labels,” i.e., metamaterials or contrast agents, to be deposited close to the objects and to either remain static or be tracked precisely during imaging. We propose a “blind-label” approach for acoustic subwavelength imaging. The blind labels are randomly distributed acoustic scatterers with deep-subwavelength sizes whose exact locations and trajectories are not necessary information in image reconstruction. The proposed method achieves the resolution of 0.24 wavelengths in ultrasound imaging experiments and 0.2 wavelengths in simulations, providing over 10 times improvement compared to the diffraction limit. We also elucidate the influence of scatterer size and concentration on imaging performance. The proposed “blind-label” approach relaxes the restrictions of existing acoustic subwavelength imaging technologies relying on controlled labels, therefore substantially improving the practicality of acoustic subwavelength imaging in biomedical ultrasound imaging, sonar, and nondestructive testing.
Anomalous superconductivity in twisted MoTe
2
nanojunctions
Authors: Jia Yanyu , Song Tiancheng , Zheng Zhaoyi Joy , Cheng Guangming , Uzan Ayelet J. , Yu Guo , Tang Yue , Pollak Connor J. , Yuan Fang , Onyszczak Michael , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Lei Shiming , Yao Nan , Schoop Leslie M. , Ong N. P. , Wu Sanfeng
Published: January 2025

Introducing superconductivity in topological materials can lead to innovative electronic phases and device functionalities. Here, we present a unique strategy for quantum engineering of superconducting junctions in moiré materials through direct, on-chip, and fully encapsulated 2D crystal growth. We achieve robust and designable superconductivity in Pd-metalized twisted bilayer molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe
2
) and observe anomalous superconducting effects in high-quality junctions across ~20 moiré cells. Unexpectedly, the junction develops enhanced, instead of weakened, superconducting behaviors, exhibiting fluctuations to a higher critical magnetic field compared to its adjacent Pd
7
MoTe
2
superconductor. In addition, the critical current further exhibits a notable V-shaped minimum at zero magnetic field. These features are unexpected in conventional Josephson junctions and absent in junctions of natural bilayer MoTe
2
created using the same approach. We discuss implications of these observations, including the possible formation of mixed even- and odd-parity superconductivity at the moiré junctions. Our results also demonstrate a pathway to engineer and investigate superconductivity in fractional Chern insulators.
Epstein-Barr virus–driven cardiolipin synthesis sustains metabolic remodeling during B cell transformation
Authors: You Haixi , Havey Larissa , Li Zhixuan , Wang Yin , Asara John M. , Guo Rui
Published: January 2025

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects nearly 90% of adults globally and is linked to over 200,000 annual cancer cases. Immunocompromised individuals from conditions such as primary immune disorders, HIV, or posttransplant immunosuppressive therapies are particularly vulnerable because of EBV’s transformative capability. EBV remodels B cell metabolism to support energy, biosynthetic precursors, and redox equivalents necessary for transformation. Most EBV-driven metabolic pathways center on mitochondria. However, how EBV regulates B cell mitochondrial function and metabolic fluxes remains unclear. Here, we show that EBV boosts cardiolipin (CL) biosynthesis, essential for mitochondrial cristae biogenesis, via EBV nuclear antigen 2/MYC-induced CL enzyme transactivation. Pharmacological and CRISPR genetic analyses underscore the essentiality of CL biosynthesis in EBV-transformed B cells. Metabolomic and isotopic tracing highlight CL’s role in sustaining respiration, one-carbon metabolism, and aspartate synthesis. Disrupting CL biosynthesis destabilizes mitochondrial matrix enzymes pivotal to these pathways. We demonstrate EBV-induced CL metabolism as a therapeutic target, offering synthetic lethal strategies against EBV-associated B cell malignancies.
Undocking of an extensive ciliary network induces proteostasis and cell fate switching resulting in severe primary ciliary dyskinesia
Authors: Brody Steven L. , Pan Jiehong , Huang Tao , Xu Jian , Xu Huihui , Koenitizer Jeffrey R. , Brennan Steven K. , Nanjundappa Rashmi , Saba Thomas G. , Rumman Nisreen , Berical Andrew , Hawkins Finn J. , Wang Xiangli , Zhang Rui , Mahjoub Moe R. , Horani Amjad , Dutcher Susan K.
Published: January 2025

Primary ciliary dyskinesia is a rare monogenic syndrome that is associated with chronic respiratory disease, infertility, and laterality defects. Although more than 50 genes causative of primary ciliary dyskinesia have been identified, variants in the genes encoding coiled-coil domain-containing 39 (CCDC39) and CCDC40 in particular cause severe disease that is not explained by loss of ciliary motility alone. Here, we sought to understand the consequences of these variants on cellular functions beyond impaired motility. We used human cells with pathogenic variants in
CCDC39
and
CCDC40
,
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
genetics, cryo–electron microscopy, and proteomics to define perturbations in ciliary assembly and cilia stability, as well as multiple motility-independent pathways. Analysis of proteomics of cilia from patient cells identified that the absence of the axonemal CCDC39/CCDC40 heterodimer resulted in the loss of a network of more than 90 ciliary structural proteins, including 14 that were defined as ciliary address recognition proteins, which provide docking for the missing structures. The absence of the network impaired microtubule architecture, activated cell quality control pathways, switched multiciliated cell fate to mucus-producing cells and resulted in a defective periciliary barrier. In
CCDC39
variant cells, these phenotypes were reversed through expression of a normal
CCDC39
transgene. These findings indicate that the CCDC39/CCDC40 heterodimer functions as a scaffold to support the assembly of an extensive network of ciliary proteins, whose loss results in both motility-dependent and motility-independent phenotypes that may explain the severity of disease. Gene therapy might be a potential treatment option to be explored in future studies.
Organ-specific microenvironments drive divergent T cell evolution in acute graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Omdahl Kayleigh Ingersoll , Bermea Rene S. , Fleming Ryan , Kimler Kyle , Kaminski James , Hariri Lida P. , Ly Amy , Rui Xianliang , Cagnin Lorenzo , Lane Jennifer , Gerdemann Ulrike , Blazar Bruce R. , Tkachev Victor , Kean Leslie S.
Published: January 2025

Tissue-specific T cell immune responses play a critical role in maintaining organ health but can also drive immune pathology during both autoimmunity and alloimmunity. The mechanisms controlling intratissue T cell programming remain unclear. Here, we leveraged a nonhuman primate model of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to probe the biological underpinnings of tissue-specific alloimmune disease using a comprehensive systems immunology approach including multiparameter flow cytometry, population-based transcriptional profiling, and multiplexed single-cell RNA sequencing and TCR sequencing. Transcriptional profiling revealed substantial biological differences between T cells infiltrating the lung and liver during aGVHD. These included enrichment for transcriptional pathways controlling extracellular matrix remodeling and chemotaxis in the lung and enrichment for transcriptional pathways linked to nucleic acid metabolism and proliferation in the liver. Single-cell RNA sequencing and TCR sequencing substantiated divergent organ-specific transcriptional programing of tissue-infiltrating T cells, which was linked to clonal expansion, with expanded clones progressively enriched for
C-X3-C motif chemokine receptor 1
(
CX3CR1
)–expressing CD8 effector T cells in the lung and
eomesodermin
(
EOMES
)–expressing CD8 effector-memory T cells in the liver. This divergent evolution of T cells was maintained even for T cells sharing the same TCRs, indicating its independence from antigen specificity. Together, these results provide insights into the role that tissue microenvironment–derived signals play in local T cell transcriptional programming during alloimmune-mediated clonal expansion and suggest potential opportunities to develop tissue-specific therapeutics to curtail pathogenic immunity after transplant.
Facilitators and barriers to parental involvement in neonatal pain management in the NICU: a scoping review
Authors: Feng Lu , Jing Jie , Shi Min , Tang Binzhi , Xie Linli
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Neonatal pain prevention is not only a humanistic but also an ethical imperative. Fitting with the principles of family-centred care, parental involvement in neonatal pain management plays an active role in infant development and parental well-being. However, the process of parental involvement faces constant challenges. To help structure and implement a family engagement programme in neonatal pain management in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), we conducted a scoping review to identify facilitators and barriers to parental involvement in neonatal pain management.

Methods

We conducted the scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, Scopus, Wanfang database (Chinese), CNKI (Chinese), VIP database(Chinese) and SinoMed (Chinese) were searched systematically for relevant studies published in English and Chinese from inception up to October 2023. We categorised the facilitators and barriers based on the socioecological model and analysed the results thematically in each category.

Results

Ten English qualitative studies were included in the final analysis. The 34 facilitators and 41 barriers extracted were grouped into 4 domains of the socioecological model framework. Of the 10 facilitator themes, the most critical theme was informational and emotional support. Of the 10 barrier themes, the most frequently reported theme was restricted policies and resources.

Conclusions

Our review highlights the essential roles of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors in parental involvement in pain management while suggesting the interconnectedness of factors in various domains within the context of the socioecological model. It implies that most interventions require development and administration at both intrapersonal and interpersonal levels. Regarding the macrolevel, a broad programme with clear regulatory approaches and targeted guidelines could be developed in the future to drive innovations in NICU pain management mode.
Doing ‘detective work’ to find a cancer: how are non-specific symptom pathways for cancer investigation organised, and what are the implications for safety and quality of care? A multisite qualitative approach
Authors: Black Georgia B , Nicholson Brian D , Moreland Julie-Ann , Fulop Naomi J , Lyratzopoulos Georgios , Baxter Ruth
Published: January 2025

Background

Over the past two decades, the UK has actively developed policies to enhance early cancer diagnosis, particularly for individuals with non-specific cancer symptoms. Non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways were piloted and then implemented in 2015 to address delays in referral and diagnosis. The aim of this study was to outline the functions that enable NSS teams to investigate cancer and other diagnoses for patients with NSSs.

Methods

The analysis was derived from a multisite ethnographic study conducted between 2020 and 2023 across four major National Health Service (NHS) trusts. Data collection encompassed observations, patient shadowing, interviews with clinicians and patients (n=54) and gathered documents. We used principles of the functional resonance analysis method to identify the functions of the NSS pathway and analyse their relevance to patient safety.

Results

Our analysis produced 29 distinct functions within NSS pathways, organised into two clusters: pretesting assessment and information gathering, and post-testing interpretation and management. Safety-critical functions encompassed assessing the reason for referral, deciding on a plan of investigation and estimating the remaining cancer risk. We also identified ways that teams build and maintain safety across all functions, for example, by cultivating generalist-specialist expertise within the team and creating continuity through patient navigation. Variation in practice across sites revealed targets for an NSS pathway blueprint that would foster local development and quality improvement.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that national and local improvement plans could differentiate specific policies to reduce unwarranted variation and support adaptive variation that facilitates the delivery of safe care within the local context. Enhancing multidisciplinary teams with additional consultants and deploying patient navigators with clinical backgrounds could improve safety within NSS pathways. Future research should investigate different models of generalist-specialist team composition.
Use of biodegradable stents in ERCP: lessons from a single high-volume centre
Authors: Dwarampudi Siva , Asmat Huma , Al Farsi Usama , Devlin John , Barnabas Ashley , Harrison Phillip , Reffitt David , Joshi Deepak
Published: January 2025

Objectives

The Archimedes biodegradable stents (ABSs) are licensed for use in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the clinical use in both biliary and pancreatic indications in paediatric and adult populations.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of an unselected population of 132 patients who received an ABS during an ERCP over a 53-month period. Data collected included baseline characteristics, indications for ERCP and success of ABS placement. Postprocedural adverse events were also collected.

Results

138 ABSs were inserted into 132 patients of which 20 patients were paediatrics (60% male, median age 11.8 years). 96 pancreatic ABSs were placed (n=89 fast degradation). Fast degradation stents were used prophylactically to mitigate against pancreatitis or for a strictured pancreatic duct (PD). 42 biliary Archimedes stents were placed (n=40 slow degradation stents). Slow degradation stents were placed following stone fragmentation and for those awaiting surgical intervention.

Overall, 63.6% of patients (n=84) required a pancreatic ABS to mitigate against pancreatitis as the PD was initially cannulated or contrast was injected—only 3.0% developed post-ERCP pancreatitis.

97% of ABSs were placed successfully. There were no reported adverse events relating to the use of ABS.

Conclusion

The ABS is safe and highly efficacious in the use of both pancreatic and biliary indications at ERCP in adult and paediatric populations. Further indications for the use of the ABS appear to be evolving in clinical practice.
Risk stratification and exercise recommendations in cardiomyopathies and channelopathies: a practical guide for the multidisciplinary team
Authors: Basu Joyee , MacLachlan Hamish , Bhatia Raghav , Alexander Helen , Cooper Robert , Sheikh Nabeel
Published: January 2025

Exercise offers a plethora of health benefits. However, certain genetic and acquired diseases such as cardiomyopathies and channelopathies are associated with sudden cardiac death during exercise. Several factors complicate exercise prescription in individuals living with these conditions. The lack of high-quality evidence supporting exercise recommendations, variation in the clinical phenotypes within the same condition and sparse physician education around exercise prescription all leads to a reluctance to provide specific guidance on how to engage in physical activity.This article aims to summarise the latest evidence underpinning risk stratification and current guideline recommendations for physical activity in individuals with cardiomyopathies and channelopathies wishing to engage in exercise. It also aims to provide a basic practical approach to exercise prescription for health professionals involved in the care of these patients. This approach may then serve as a foundation that can be easily personalised. Since risk can never be completely eliminated, all decisions regarding exercise participation should be taken following shared dialogue between the physician, patient and wider stake holders where appropriate.
Arginase-1-specific T cells target and modulate tumor-associated macrophages
Authors: Martinenaite Evelina , Lecoq Inés , Aaboe-Jørgensen Mia , Ahmad Shamaila Munir , Perez-Penco Maria , Glöckner Hannah Jorinde , Chapellier Marion , Lara de la Torre Lucía , Olsen Lars Rønn , Rømer Anne Mette Askehøj , Pedersen Ayako Wakatsuki , Andersen Mads Hald
Published: January 2025

Background

Arginase-1 (Arg1) expressing tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) may create an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which is a significant challenge for cancer immunotherapy. We previously reported the existence of Arg1-specific memory T cells among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and described that Arg-1-based immune modulatory vaccines (IMVs) control tumor growth and alter the M1/M2 macrophage ratio in murine models of cancer. In the present study, we investigated how Arg1-specific T cells can directly target TAMs and influence their polarization.

Methods

Murine Arg1-specific CD4+T cells isolated from splenocytes of animals vaccinated with an Arg1-derived peptide in the adjuvant montanide were co-cultured with eitherin vitroM2-differentiated bone marrow-derived macrophages orex vivoisolated F4/80+TAMs. Human Arg1-specific CD4+T cell clones were co-cultured with Arg1-expressing TAMs generatedin vitrofrom either PBMC-derived CD14+cells or the myeloid cell lines MonoMac1 and THP-1. MHC class II-restricted Arg-1 peptide presentation by macrophages was confirmed by immunopeptidomics. T-cell-mediated changes in the macrophage immune phenotype and cytokine microenvironment were examined using flow cytometry, RT-qPCR and multiplex immunoassay. The effect of Arg1-derived peptide IMV on TAMsin vivowas assessed by multiplex gene analysis of F4/80+cells.

Results

We show that Arg1-based IMV-mediated tumor control was linked to a decrease in multiple immunosuppressive pathways in the TAM population of the treated animals. Tumor-conditioned media (TCM) derived from Arg1-vaccinated mice induced significantly higher upregulation of MHC-II on exposed myeloid cells compared with controls. Furthermore, murine CD4+Arg1-specific T cells were able to target TAMs and effectively reprogram their phenotypeex vivoby secreting IL2 and IFNγ. Next, we established that human Arg1+TAMs present Arg1-derived peptides and are directly recognized by proinflammatory CD4+Arg1-specific T cell clones. These CD4+Arg1-specific T cells were able to reprogram TCM-conditioned macrophages as observed by increased expression of CD80 and HLA-DR.

Conclusions

TAMs may be directly targeted and modulated by Arg1-specific CD4+T cells. These findings provide a strong rationale for future clinical development of Arg1-based IMVs to alter the immune-suppressive TME by reprogramming TAMs and promoting a proinflammatory TME.
How (not) to define ‘assisted dying’
Authors: Jones David Albert
Published: January 2025

In the last 20 years ‘assisted dying’ (and/or its variants ‘assisted death’, ‘assistance in dying’, ‘aid in dying’) has become increasingly prevalent as a term to denote the intentional ending of the life of a patient by or with the assistance of a doctor. However, there is no agreed definition. This paper focuses on the debate over the definition of this term in the UK. It notes that, broadly speaking, there are two ways in which ‘assisted dying’ has been defined. There are generic definitions, which cover a variety of practices, including self-administration of a lethal drug (assisted suicide) and administration by a healthcare professional (euthanasia) with or without specific eligibility criteria. In contrast, there are stipulative definitions which limit the term to a particular practice, for example, assisted suicide (not euthanasia) of adults (not minors) who are terminally ill (not those with chronic conditions). Examples of the former kind of definition are provided by the British Medical Association in its 2020 members’ survey and the POSTbrief on Assisted dying. Examples of the latter are provided by the British Medical Journal and the British Broadcasting Corporation. This paper argues that stipulative definitions are problematic in that they exclude practices that are widely referred to as ‘assisted dying’. The attempt to restrict the definition leads to the term being used inconsistently. Stipulative definitions can be used consistently if it is acknowledged that they are secondary to the generic sense. This matters because clarity of terminology is a prerequisite of rational debate.
Regional anesthesia in the patient receiving antithrombotic or thrombolytic therapy: American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Evidence-Based Guidelines (fifth edition)
Authors: Kopp Sandra L , Vandermeulen Erik , McBane Robert D , Perlas Anahi , Leffert Lisa , Horlocker Terese
Published: January 2025

Hemorrhagic complications associated with regional anesthesia are extremely rare. The fifth edition of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine’s Evidence-Based Guidelines on regional anesthesia in the patient receiving antithrombotic or thrombolytic therapy reviews the published evidence since 2018 and provides guidance to help avoid this potentially catastrophic complication.

The fifth edition of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine’s Evidence-Based Guidelines on regional anesthesia in the patient receiving antithrombotic or thrombolytic therapy uses similar methodology as previous editions but is reorganized and significantly condensed. Therefore, the clinicians are encouraged to review the earlier texts for more detailed descriptions of methods, clinical trials, case series and pharmacology. It is impossible to perform large, randomized controlled trials evaluating a complication this rare; therefore, where the evidence is limited, the authors continue to maintain an ‘antihemorrhagic’ approach focused on patient safety and have proposed conservative times for the interruption of therapy prior to neural blockade. In previous versions, the anticoagulant doses were described as prophylactic and therapeutic. In this version, we will be using ‘low dose’ and ‘high dose,’ which will allow us to be consistent with other published guidelines and more accurately describe the dose in the setting of specific patient characteristics and indications. For example, the same ‘high’ dose may be used in one patient as a treatment for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and in another patient as prophylaxis for recurrent DVT. Due to the increasing ability to obtain drug-specific assays, we have included suggestions for when ordering these tests may be helpful and guide practice. Like previous editions, at the end of each recommendation the authors have clearly noted how the recommendation has changed from previous editions.
Nutrient intakes of Canadian children and adolescents at school by meal occasion and location of food preparation
Authors: Ziraldo Emily R. , Ahmed Mavra , Mulligan Christine , Sellen Daniel W. , L'Abbé Mary R.
Published: January 2025

Canadian children consume a significant proportion of daily foods at school, do not benefit from any federal school food program, and have historically inadequate diets. Assessment of dietary intakes at school can inform policy discussions for the design, funding, and delivery of school-based nutrition interventions. The objectives were to examine the most recent nationally representative dietary intake data of Canadian children at school by (i) location of food preparation, (ii) meal occasion, and (iii) as a proportion of total daily intakes. Intake data from the first day 24 h dietary recalls of the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition were examined for children 4–18 years old ( n = 1690). Intakes were reported by location of food preparation and meal occasion and were expressed as means and as a proportion of daily intake. At school, 98.6% of children consumed foods that did not require preparation, while 37.1% consumed foods prepared at home. Lunch and snacks were the meal occasions consumed most often at school, by 85.5% and 66.1% of children. Children consumed 32.6% of their daily energy intake and between 28.4% and 35.6% of daily nutrient intakes at school. School-based nutrition interventions for frequently consumed meal occasions, such as snack or lunch programs, that include foods lower in added sugar and sodium and higher in calcium, fibre, and iron may improve the health of Canadian children.
Winter diet of five sympatric ungulates in west-central Alberta, Canada—inference from DNA metabarcoding of fecal pellets
Authors: Stevenson Suzanne , Johnson Chris J. , Finnegan Laura , Rea Roy V.
Published: January 2025

Diet is one of the determinants of ungulate ecology. However, there have been few studies of the diet of sympatric ungulates in western Canada. We used DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples to evaluate the winter diet of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus), mule deer ( O. hemionus), moose ( Alces americanus), elk ( Cervus canadensis), and caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou) in west-central Alberta. We found that forbs comprised 53%–82% of the reads from plant DNA, while mosses, sedges, grasses, and shrubs made up relatively little of each ungulate’s diet. There was considerable overlap in the winter diet of the five ungulates (Horn-Morisita index = 42%–64% overlap; Bray-Curtis index = 20%–45% overlap). Moose had the most distinct diet, while elk and caribou had the least distinct. However, our analysis was restricted to a coarse taxonomic resolution (family). Lichen species were not identifiable, beyond their fungal component and a number of taxonomic assignments were difficult to rationalise given our knowledge of the diet of the five ungulate species and the ecology of west-central Alberta, Canada. DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples is efficient, but apparent limitations with the technique restrict the description and quantification of diet of the five species of ungulate that we studied.
Bound chaotic photon orbits in a magnetized Kerr–Newman spacetime
Authors: Liu Caiyu , Yang Daqi , Wu Xin
Published: January 2025

Unlike those in the nonmagnetized counterpart, equatorial photon effective potentials outside the horizons allow for the existence of closed pockets or potential wells corresponding to local minimum values in a magnetized Kerr–Newman spacetime of Gibbons et al. There are three bound photon orbits, which neither fall into the black hole nor escape to infinity. They are stable circular orbits, bound quasiperiodic orbits and bound chaotic orbits. The stable circular photon orbits and bound quasiperiodic photon orbits are allowed on and outside the equatorial plane, but the bound chaotic photon orbits are only allowed outside the equatorial plane. On the other hand, the photon effective potentials have potential barriers with local maximum values in the magnetized case, similar to those in the nonmagnetized case. This fact means the existence of three other photon orbits, which include the photons falling to the center, scattering to infinity and unstably circling in the center. They are not necessarily restricted to the equatorial plane, either. The six types of photon orbits are confirmed numerically via an explicit symplectic integrator and the techniques of fast Lyapunov indicators and 0–1 test correlation method. In particular, a number of bound quasiperiodic photon orbits and bound chaotic photon orbits are found. The method for finding these six types of photon orbits in the phase space will also be used as a new ray-tracing method to find the corresponding six regions on the observer’s plane and to obtain black hole shadows.
Gravitational odd-parity perturbation of a Horndeski hairy black hole: quasinormal mode and parameter constraint
Authors: Yang Zhen-Hao , Lei Yun-He , Kuang Xiao-Mei , Wang Bin
Published: January 2025

During the binary black hole coalescence, gravitational waves emitted at the ringdown stage can be well described by black hole perturbation theory, where the quasinormal modes (QNMs) become the important ingredient in modeling the pattern waveform. In general relativity (GR), the QNMs can be obtained from solving the Regge–Wheeler (RW) equation of a non-rotating black hole. While in Horndeski gravity, the isospectrality between the odd and even parity perturbations is broken due to the scalar field, the odd perturbation equation can be simplified into a modified RW equation from the perturbed action. In this paper, we propose a new auxiliary field and tortoise coordinate to refine the modified RW equation in Horndeski gravity, and calculate the QNM frequencies of the odd perturbation of a specific hairy black hole. We find that this proposal not only cures the superluminal propagation addressed in the previous literature, but also holds the original QNM spectrum of the odd perturbation. Moreover, our results indicate that such a Horndeski hairy black hole is stable under the odd perturbation, which is also verified by the time evolution of the perturbation. In particular, in contrast to GR, the modes with

$$\ell =2$$

ℓ
=
2

can decay faster than modes with

$$\ell >2$$

ℓ
>
2

for a certain range of the Horndeski hair, and the link between the null geodesics and QNM for the odd perturbation in the current theory is violated. We then use the ringdown QNMs to preliminarily investigate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) rescaled measurement error of the Horndeski hair. We obtain significant effects of the angular momentum and overtone on the error bound of the hair parameter. We hope that our findings will inspire further theoretical and phenomenological work on the testing of the no-hair theorem of black holes using gravitational wave physics.
Measurement of neutron source anisotropy using the Mini Labyrinth experimental setup
Authors: Čerba Š. , Vrban B. , Lüley J. , Blahušiak P. , Filová V. , Glavo O. , Nečas V.
Published: January 2025

The Institute of Nuclear and Physical Engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava is actively engaged in research on application of neutron sources and shielding. These neutron sources are regularly utilized for educational purposes and international research projects. Most current activities take place in the Laboratory of Reactor Physics, using Pu–Be, Am–Be, and Cf-252 neutron sources. The Mini Labyrinth is one of the most frequently used experiments. Since 2020, five versions have been developed and used for various purposes. In the previous activities of the research team, the measurements were usually compared with simulations using high-fidelity simulation codes. These comparisons identified two important effects that may influence the experiments and the simulations: room effects and source anisotropy. In this paper, we focus on determining the axial and radial anisotropy of the IBN-10 Pu–Be neutron source through two simple experiments and simulation tasks using state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulation tools, MCNP6 and Monaco. The aim of this study is to determine the uncertainty that represents the geometry effects influencing the source emission rate.
Maintaining CMSO
2
properties on dynamic structures with bounded feedback vertex number
Authors: Majewski Konrad , Pilipczuk Michał , Sokołowski Marek
Published: January 2025

Let φ be a sentence of

\(\mathsf {CMSO}_2 \)

(monadic second-order logic with quantification over edge subsets and counting modular predicates) over the signature of graphs. We present a dynamic data structure that for a given graph
G
that is updated by edge insertions and edge deletions, maintains whether φ is satisfied in
G
. The data structure is required to correctly report the outcome only when the feedback vertex number of
G
does not exceed a fixed constant
k
, otherwise it reports that the feedback vertex number is too large. With this assumption, we guarantee amortized update time

\(\mathcal {O}_{\varphi,k}{(\log n)} \)

. If we additionally assume that the feedback vertex number of
G
never exceeds
k
, this update time guarantee is worst-case.

By combining this result with a classic theorem of Erdős and Pósa, we give a fully dynamic data structure that maintains whether a graph contains a packing of
k
vertex-disjoint cycles with amortized update time

\(\mathcal {O}_{k}{(\log n)} \)

. Our data structure also works in a larger generality of relational structures over binary signatures.