bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gravity modelling by using vertical prismatic polyhedra and application to a sedimentary basin in Eastern Anatolia
Authors: Aydın Nedim Gökhan , İşseven Turgay
Published: March 2024

There are various methods suggested for modelling the geometry of sedimentary basins by using gravity anomalies in the literature. When dealing with datasets that are non‐uniformly distributed across a study area, the choice of modelling method can significantly impact data reliability and computational resource usage. In this study, we present a gravity modelling approach utilizing prismatic vertical polyhedra. First, we summarize the requirement of such a method by highlighting limitations associated with a commonly employed modelling method that uses rectangular grid‐following vertical prisms for modelling. By contrast, we propose a method that adapts a polygonal mesh to the distribution of input gravity data points, each polygonal mesh cell containing one data point and using polygonal grid‐following vertical prisms for gravity modelling. To validate our method, we conduct tests using two synthetically constructed subsurface models – one featuring a normal fault and the other a deep basin. These are used to generate synthetic gravity observation data at irregularly spaced points that broadly follow the geology. The data are then inverted for obtaining subsurface structures by modelling with (a) rectangular prisms on a regular grid and (b) with our polygonal prisms on the tessellated grid. The inversion process involves calculating the heights of the prisms in both approaches, assuming a constant density contrast. The comparative analysis demonstrates the superior effectiveness of our approach (b). Finally, we apply our newly developed method to real gravity data recently collected from Gezin province, situated in the north‐eastern region of the Lake Hazar pull‐apart basin in Eastern Turkey. Our modelling results reveal previously underestimated basin geometry, suggesting the presence of an additional, previously unidentified fault to the east of Gezin, which forms the southern boundary of the basin.
Daily versus three times weekly dosing for treatment of iron deficiency nonanemia in NCAA Division 1 female athletes
Authors: Schulte Josh , Peterson Kyle , Thomsen Timothy , Lentz Steven , Hall Mederic , Slayman Tyler
Published: March 2024

Objective

To compare the effectiveness, compliance, and side effect profile between daily or three times weekly (TIW) oral iron supplementation regimens in treating iron deficiency nonanemia (IDNA) in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 female track and field or soccer athletes.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Division 1 collegiate athletics.

Participants

Thirty‐three NCAA Division 1 female athletes (18 track and field, 15 soccer).

Interventions

Daily or TIW dosing of ferrous bisglycinate.

Main Outcome Measures

Serum ferritin (μg/L) was measured before and after 8 weeks of supplementation. Self‐reported compliance and side effect profile was assessed by electronic survey every 2 weeks.

Results

The average main effect for the TIW regimen was a significant increase of 5.17 μg/L (95% CI: 0.86–9.47) in serum ferritin (p = .02). The average main effect for the daily regimen was a significant increase of 12.88 μg/L (95% CI: 4.84–20.93) in serum ferritin (p = .003). The estimated average effect of the treatment on the treated between regimens was a nonsignificant decrease of −7.17 μg/L (95% CI: −19.02 – 3.59) in serum ferritin (p = .17). Thus, the TIW regimen increased serum ferritin 7.17 units less than the daily regimen on average after 8 weeks of supplementation. The athletes following the daily regimen experienced significantly more nausea (p = .04) and constipation (p = .002) compared to the TIW regimen. There was no statistical difference in compliance between the two groups (p = .14).

Conclusions

Both the daily and TIW regimens increased serum ferritin. Compared to the daily regimen, the TIW regimen produced a smaller increase in serum ferritin but less nausea and constipation.
“A bloodless social revolution”: Land reform and multiple cropping in Cold War Taiwan, 1950–1979
Authors: Chu Leo
Published: March 2024

Societal Impact Statement

Multiple cropping, the cultivation of several crops on the same land in a year, occupied an important part of Taiwan's agricultural research from 1950 to 1970. This research originated in the context of Taiwan's land reform and diversification programs and their connections to the government's political ambition to maximize food production. The study of how multiple cropping was politicized and depoliticized by different actors helps to expand the narratives of the Green Revolution in Asia, analyze their legacies, and highlight Taiwan's role in the international exchange of visions of agricultural development during the Cold War.

Scholars have recently expanded the history of the Green Revolution to move beyond the narrative of North–South technological diffusion. This article enriches the scholarship with the case of multiple cropping in Taiwan and its connection to Cold War geopolitics.

Rice productivity in postwar Taiwan was boosted through a land reform launched by the Sino‐American Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction (JCRR) in the 1950s. Backed by American aid and staffed by scientists from the Republic of China (ROC) government, the JCRR envisioned to turn tenant farmers into landowners so as to encourage labor input and adoption of seeds and fertilizers.

By 1960, the JCRR presented its reform as a “bloodless social revolution” and extended its focus to multiple cropping through a diversification program. The JCRR further created the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) in 1971 to spread Taiwan's breeding and cropping techniques. The ROC's diplomatic isolation in the 1970s, however, prompted the center to reinterpret Taiwan's success in multiple cropping from a political achievement to a technological triumph, thus reinforcing the technology‐driven narrative used by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Through Taiwan's influences on IRRI's rice breeding and multiple cropping research, this paper illustrates that the history of the Green Revolution requires more complex narratives. In addition, with Taiwan's political and economic transition since the 1980s, farmers began to reclaim their voice and influence agricultural policies. The case thus highlights the need of democratic participation in agricultural research, a concern that remains relevant today.
Mask interfaces and devices for home noninvasive ventilation in children
Authors: Khirani Sonia , Ducrot Vivian
Published: March 2024

Home noninvasive ventilation (NIV), including continuous (CPAP) and bilevel (BPAP) positive airway pressure, is increasingly used in children worldwide. In this narrative review, we present a comprehensive summary of the equipment available for home NIV in pediatrics, excluding neonates. NIV may be challenging in young children, as the majority of the equipment has been developed for adults. Regarding the interfaces, only a few masks have been specifically developed for young children in recent years, while older children may benefit from a large variety of interfaces. Even though much progress has been made, skin injuries are still present, and need to be managed rapidly. Several studies addressed the management of the side effects, but recent studies are lacking regarding orofacial anomalies. No recent study reported the available interfaces for young children and the strategies for an optimal mask fit. Regarding the devices, an adapted NIV device to pediatrics that allows an adequate patient's breathing detection should guarantee optimal ventilatory efficiency and monitoring of NIV. A close follow‐up and regular monitoring should be mandatory to rule out the potential issues, optimize NIV therapy and ascertain the efficacy of NIV. However, studies are lacking to guide the choice of devices in young children and the optimal management of home NIV in pediatrics. We summarized the characteristics of the different interfaces available for young children and the limitations of NIV devices. We finally addressed potential areas for future research on long‐term home NIV in children.
Pediatric pulmonology year in review 2023: Physiology
Authors: Boas Heather , Ren Clement L.
Published: March 2024

Application of the principles of pulmonary physiology and lung development to the care and management of respiratory disease in children is a distinguishing feature of pediatric pulmonology. In 2023, this was evident in numerous publications in Pediatric Pulmonology and other journals. This review will highlight some of the papers in this area.
Quantification and molecular correlates of tertiary lymphoid structures in primary prostate cancer
Authors: Shahait Mohammed , Hakansson Alexander K. , Daniel Reba E. , Hosny Kareem , Davicioni Elai , Liu Seagle Yang , Sandberg Alex , Lee David I. , Lal Priti
Published: March 2024

Objective

To morphologically describe tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in prostatectomy specimens and correlate them with clinical and transcriptomic features.

Methodology

A total of 72 consecutive cases of entirely submitted radical prostatectomy (RP) patients tested with the Decipher Genomic Classifier were included in the study. Images were manually annotated using QuPath tools to denote tumor regions and each cluster of TLS. Clusters of lymphocytes that were surrounded on all four sides by tumor were defined as intra‐tumor TLS (IT‐TLS). Clusters of lymphocytes at the leading edge of carcinoma with either the prostatic pseudocapsule or benign parenchyma at one end were defined as peri‐tumor TLS (PT‐TLS). A classification algorithm to distinguish lymphocytes from non‐lymphocytic cells using a supervised machine learning model was used. The associations between TLS formation and 265 gene expression‐based signatures were examined.

Results

The magnitude of total TLS correlations with primary tumor gene expression signatures was moderate (~0.35–0.5) with several HLA, T‐cell and B‐cell Cluster signatures, showing positive correlation with various metrics for quantification of TLS. On the other hand, immune suppressive signatures (Treg, MDSC) were negatively correlated. While signatures for macrophages, NK cells and other immune cell types were uncorrelated for the most part. PT‐TLS was associated with MHC signatures while IT TLS correlated with MHC and T‐cell signatures.

Conclusions

Clusters of inflammatory cells in the RP specimen can be divided spatially into PT TLS and IT‐TLS, each with its unique molecular correlates of tumor immune microenvironment. The presence of TLS is positively correlated with MHC signatures, T‐ cell and B‐cell cluster signatures but, negatively correlated with immune suppressive signatures. A subset of prostate cancer demonstrate a robust inflammatory response, and warrant further characterization in larger cohorts.
Lanthanum hydroxide protects kidney through gut microbiota in a rat model of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Gao Yuan , Wang Shengnan , Sun Lijun , Li Bing , Liu Hong , Bu Ren , Su Changhai , Guo Min , Liu Yang , Zhao Lulu , Gu Chao , Li Xiaojia , Yuan Xiaorong , Wang Qiwen , Li Gang
Published: March 2024

The progression of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) is complex, influenced by a myriad of factors including gut microbiota. While emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota can have beneficial effects in managing CKD, it is also recognized that dysbiosis may contribute to the progression of CKD and associated uremic complications. Our previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of lanthanum hydroxide in delaying kidney failure and preserving renal function. However, the role of lanthanum hydroxide in modulating gut microbiota in this context remains unclear. In our study, we induced CKD in rats using adenine, leading to gut microbial dysbiosis, kidney pathology, and disturbances in amino acid metabolism. In this adenine‐induced CKD model with hyperphosphatemia, treatment with lanthanum hydroxide improved renal function. This improvement was associated with the restoration of gut microbial balance and an increase in urine ammonium metabolism. These results suggest that the therapeutic potential of lanthanum hydroxide in CKD may be partly due to its ability to reshape gut microbiota composition. This study underscores the significance of lanthanum hydroxide in kidney protection, attributing its benefits to the modulation of gut microbiota in a rat model of CKD.
A mixed uncertain structural reliability analysis method considering random and convex set variables with correlation
Authors: Ma Hang , Bi Junxi , Li Haibin , Ge Xinyu , Zhou Dachuan , Jiao Jiaming , Wang Guofu
Published: March 2024

In this paper, a mixed model reliability analysis method is put forward for the problem of assessing the reliability of complex engineering structures containing both random and convex aggregate variables. By integrating the ellipsoidal model with correlation and the interval model, the uncertainty region characterized by the ellipsoidal model with correlation is optimized with full consideration of the limited amount of engineering structure sample data, and the risk region represented by the reliability model is redefined, a new mixed reliability assessment criterion is established, and the minimum safe nonprobability reliability index of the structure is built. A key reference is offered by the safety limit diagram of constant reliability indexes set for the first time for the optimal design of engineering structure reliability. The proposed mixed reliability model is compared and analyzed with three classical models. The sensitivity of nonprobability reliability indexes, influenced by random variable parameters and correlation coefficients, is analyzed. This verification confirms that the new reliability model not only provides an accurate assessment of engineering structures' reliability but also lowers the computational demands of engineering design. In this paper, aero‐engine blades and wind turbine blades are taken as examples to expound the validity of the reliability model built using this method and its importance to the structural safety analysis of actual engineering.
The case of huge simple pulmonary aspergilloma that responded remarkably to drug therapy
Authors: Yokota Makoto , Takiguchi Junji , Tomioka Hiromi
Published: March 2024

Key message

The first choice of treatment for simple pulmonary aspergilloma is surgery, but in clinical practice, many cases find surgery difficult. We report a case of simple pulmonary aspergilloma in which significant improvement was observed with pharmacological treatment alone, despite initially presenting with a large fungus ball.
Compositional variable selection in quantile regression for microbiome data with false discovery rate control
Authors: Li Runze , Mu Jin , Yang Songshan , Ye Cong , Zhan Xiang
Published: March 2024

Advancement in high‐throughput sequencing technologies has stimulated intensive research interests to identify specific microbial taxa that are associated with disease conditions. Such knowledge is invaluable both from the perspective of understanding biology and from the biomedical perspective of therapeutic development, as the microbiome is inherently modifiable. Despite availability of massive data, analysis of microbiome compositional data remains difficult. The nature that relative abundances of all components of a microbial community sum to one poses challenges for statistical analysis, especially in high‐dimensional settings, where a common research theme is to select a small fraction of signals from amid many noisy features. Motivated by studies examining the role of microbiome in host transcriptomics, we propose a novel approach to identify microbial taxa that are associated with host gene expressions. Besides accommodating compositional nature of microbiome data, our method both achieves FDR‐controlled variable selection, and captures heterogeneity due to either heteroscedastic variance or non‐location‐scale covariate effects displayed in the motivating dataset. We demonstrate the superior performance of our method using extensive numerical simulation studies and then apply it to real‐world microbiome data analysis to gain novel biological insights that are missed by traditional mean‐based linear regression analysis.
Harnessing the Synergetic Effects of Ag, Mn Dopants in Eco‐Friendly Ultraviolet Selective Quantum Dots for Luminescent Solar Concentrators
Authors: Jin Lei , Hamzehpoor Ehsan , Selopal Gurpreet Singh , Liu Jiabin , Kumar Pawan , Benetti Daniele , Tong Xin , Perepichka Dmytro F. , Wang Zhiming M. , Rosei Federico
Published: March 2024

Quantum dots (QDs) are promising building blocks for luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), yet most QD‐based LSCs suffer from toxic metal composition and color tinting. UV‐selective harvesting QDs can enable visible transparency, but their development is restricted by large reabsorption losses and low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The developed here Ag, Mn: ZnInS2/ZnS QDs show a high PLQY of 53% due to the passivating effect of ZnS shell. These QDs selectively absorb UV light and emit orange‐red light with a large Stokes shift of 180 nm. A LSC of 5 × 5 × 0.2 cm3, fabricated using a poly(lauryl methacrylate) (PLMA) as a matrix, maintains 87% of integrated PL after 7 h of UV exposure. The QD‐PLMA achieved 90.7% average visible transparency (AVT) and a color rendering index (CRI) of 95.8, which is close to plain PLMA (AVT = 90.8%; CRI = 99.5), yielding excellent visible light transparency. Incorporating Si‐PVs at LSC edges, the Ag, Mn: ZIS/ZnS QD‐LSC achieved an optical efficiency of 1.42%, ranking competitively among high‐performing UV‐harvesting LSCs.
Extending the theory of planned behavior with government support and perceived risk to test the adoption of light electric vehicles in Tainan
Authors: Fouad Mohamed Tamer Z.
Published: March 2024

Taiwan has become a pioneer in light electric vehicles (LEVs) despite limited government support (GS) and the perceived risks (PR) that discouraged the public from buying them. This article aims to confirm these two factors as key determinants for LEV adoption in Taiwan. The method relies on confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test the behavioral intention (BI) of Tainan youth to adopt LEVs. In particular, the method extends the theory of planned behavior by addressing GS and PR while testing behavioral control (BC) as mediator and demographics as moderator. The report's findings confirm the mediating role of BC but do not confirm the effect of subjective norm. Young adults emphasized GS as a key factor influencing their adoption of LEVs. These findings are further discussed to bridge literature gaps of early stage adoption. The article also explores the implications of its research findings and offers recommendations for future research.
Delayed haemolytic transfusion reaction in a Lhasa Apso with Dal– blood type
Authors: Walton Jenny Elizabeth , Euler Catharina Cynthia , Giger Urs , Tappin Simon , Hale Anne S.
Published: March 2024

An adult Lhasa Apso presented with non‐regenerative immune‐mediated anaemia received DEA 1+ type‐matched blood and immunosuppressive therapy. After initially responding well, anaemia recurred. A rapid decline in packed cell volume occurred 18 days post‐transfusion, and because of this, a delayed haemolytic transfusion reaction (DHTR) was suspected. Major crossmatches performed subsequent to the suspected DHTR were incompatible to all available DEA 1+ and DEA 1– blood units (64 standard large breed donors). Additional crossmatching and extended typing was performed against 16 volunteer donors of the recipient's breed, including one sibling. The recipient and the compatible donors were typed as Dal–, and nine incompatible donors were typed as Dal+. The anaemic dog responded to medical treatment and was managed without further transfusions. This case documents a first likely delayed haemolytic transfusion reaction against the Dal blood type and a high incidence of Dal– Lhasa Apsos in the northeast of England.
Retained urethral catheter forming a closed loop secondary to excessive length in a cat: A non‐invasive technique to unwind and remove the loop
Authors: Amalbert Tancrède
Published: March 2024

A polytraumatised, 5‐year‐old, neutered, male cat was diagnosed with a retained urethral catheter due to inadvertent excessive catheter insertion. The catheter formed a closed loop within the urinary bladder with the distal end travelling antegrade along the urethra. Unfortunately, first attempts to remove the catheter tightened the loop, preventing removal. Abdominal radiographs confirmed development of a loop obstructing the urethra. Careful palpation of the catheter residing in the urinary bladder was performed under general anaesthesia. The loop was unwound with external digital palpation and gentle cranial pulling. This technique avoided an emergency surgery in an already polytraumatised animal.

The goal of this article is to describe a novel non‐invasive technique to safely withdraw a retained urinary catheter in cats. Clinical signs, differential diagnosis, risk factors, non‐invasive and invasive treatment options and prevention of a retained catheter are discussed.
A review of reasoning characteristics of RDF‐based Semantic Web systems
Authors: Colucci Simona , Donini Francesco M. , Di Sciascio Eugenio
Published: March 2024

Presented as a research challenge in 2001, the Semantic Web (SW) is now a mature technology, used in several cross‐domain applications. One of its key benefits is a formal semantics of its RDF data format, which enables a system to validate data, infer implicit knowledge by automated reasoning, and explain it to a user; yet the analysis presented here of 71 RDF‐based SW systems (out of which 17 reasoners) reveals that the exploitation of such semantics varies a lot among all SW applications. Since the simple enumeration of systems, each one with its characteristics, might result in a clueless listing, we borrow from Software Engineering the idea of maturity model, and organize our classification around it. Our model has three orthogonal dimensions: treatment of blank nodes, degree of deductive capabilities, and explanation of results. For each dimension, we define 3–4 levels of increasing exploitation of semantics, corresponding to an increasingly sophisticated output in that dimension. Each system is then classified in each dimension, based on its documentation and published articles. The distribution of systems along each dimension is depicted in the graphical abstract. We deliberately exclude resources consumption (time and space) since it is a dimension not peculiar to SW.

This article is categorized under:

Fundamental Concepts of Data and Knowledge > Knowledge Representation

Fundamental Concepts of Data and Knowledge > Explainable AI
Correcting for cutoff dependence in backward evolution of QCD parton showers
Authors: Frixione S. , Webber B. R.
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Monte Carlo event generators for hard hadronic collisions depend on the evolution of parton showers backwards from a high-scale subprocess to the hadronization scale. The evolution is treated as a branching process with a sequence of resolvable parton emissions. The criterion of resolvability involves cutoffs that determine the no-emission probability (NEP) for a given range of the evolution scale. Existing event generators neglect cutoff-dependent terms in the NEP that, although formally power-suppressed, can have significant phenomenological effects. We compute such terms and study their consequences. One important result is that it is not possible for the backward shower to faithfully reproduce the cutoff-independent parton distribution functions (PDFs) used to generate it. We show that the computed NEP corrections mitigate but do not eliminate this problem. An alternative approach is to use cutoff-dependent PDFs that are consistent with the uncorrected NEP. Then one must apply cutoff-dependent corrections to hard subprocess matrix elements. We compute those corrections to the first nontrivial order for the Drell-Yan process and for Higgs production by gluon fusion.
Cosmology meets cohomology
Authors: De Shounak , Pokraka Andrzej
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The cosmological polytope and bootstrap programs have revealed interesting connections between positive geometries, modern on-shell methods and bootstrap principles studied in the amplitudes community with the wavefunction of the Universe in toy models of FRW cosmologies. To compute these FRW correlators, one often faces integrals that are too difficult to evaluate by direct integration. Borrowing from the Feynman integral community, the method of (canonical) differential equations provides an efficient alternative for evaluating these integrals. Moreover, we further develop our geometric understanding of these integrals by describing the associated relative twisted cohomology. Leveraging recent progress in our understanding of relative twisted cohomology in the Feynman integral community, we give an algorithm to predict the basis size and simplify the computation of the differential equations satisfied by FRW correlators.
Vitamin A-containing dietary supplements from German and US online pharmacies: market and risk assessment
Authors: Rathmann Anna-Miriam , Seifert Roland
Published: March 2024

Vitamin A supplements are used by many people, and the number of newly registered dietary supplements is continuously increasing. The preparations fall under food law and are not subject to the strict controls of pharmaceuticals. Risk indications and maximum quantity recommendations, e.g., from the Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are not binding, which means that overdoses and potentially serious health problems can easily occur. The hepatotoxicity and teratogenicity of vitamin A are well documented, and other negative effects of high doses of vitamin A are also being discussed. Nevertheless, preparations with exorbitantly high doses are freely available for sale and unrestricted. In this study, 75 supplements containing vitamin A available in Germany and 26 available in the USA were critically examined on the basis of various parameters such as the recommended daily dose according to the manufacturer, daily therapy costs (DTC), the presence of warnings about overdose, use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and information on adverse effects/interactions. The aim was to gain insights into their risk potential and to examine the need for closer monitoring and stricter guidelines for these preparations. The results show some considerable country-specific differences. Overall, there are serious deficiencies in compliance with the labeling requirements for both the German and the US preparations, and the dosages are often far too high in view of the applicable expert recommendations. Overall, these deficits can pose a risk for consumers that is difficult to assess in its entirety, especially for vulnerable consumer groups. It should be noted that the US preparations perform better overall than the German preparations. This suggests better regulation of dietary supplements in the US market. Based on the available data and literature research, it is doubtful whether the intake of vitamin A-containing preparations, without a diagnosed vitamin A deficiency, has a positive health benefit. Furthermore, it should be examined whether vitamin A should continue to be offered over-the-counter as a food supplement.
Association between microsatellite status and characteristics and outcomes of early-onset compared to late-onset rectal cancer
Authors: Emile Sameh Hany , Horesh Nir , Garoufalia Zoe , Gefen Rachel , Zhou Peige , Strassmann Victor , Wexner Steven D.
Published: March 2024

Background

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is an important prognosticator for colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study aimed to assess the impact of MSI status on the characteristics and outcomes of early-onset compared to late-onset rectal cancer.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study used data from the US National Cancer Database (2004–2019) to assess the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, short-term outcomes, and overall survival (OS) of early-onset rectal adenocarcinoma affecting patients < 50 years compared to late-onset rectal adenocarcinoma according to the MSI status.

Results

The present study included 48,407 patients (59.9% male) with rectal cancer, 17.3% of patients were < 50 years and 6.3% had MSI-H tumors. In the early-onset group, patients with MSI-H tumors had a lower mean age (41.5 vs 43 years, p < 0.001) and presented less often with stage IV disease (22.1% vs 17.7%, p = 0.03) and liver metastasis (9.1% vs 13.5%, p = 0.011) than patients with MSS tumors. In the late-onset group, patients with MSI-H and MSS tumors had similar demographics, disease stage, and metastatic pattern, yet MSI-H patients more often received neoadjuvant radiation therapy (58.9% vs 55.1%, p = 0.009) and neoadjuvant systemic therapy (40% vs 36.2%, p = 0.005). In both age groups, MSI-H tumors were associated with more pathologic T3-4 stage and were more likely mucinous and poorly differentiated carcinomas than MSS tumors. The median OS of MSI-H tumors was similar to MSS tumors (108.09 vs 102.31 months, p = 0.1), whether in the early-onset (139.5 vs 134.2 months, p = 0.821) or late-onset groups (106.1 vs 104.3 months, p = 0.236).

Conclusions

In both age groups, MSI-H rectal cancers were more often mucinous and poorly differentiated carcinomas and had pT3-4 stage more often than MSS cancers. MSI-H rectal cancers tend to present less often with distant metastases and nodal involvement than MSS cancers only in early-onset, but not in late-onset rectal cancers. The association between MSI status and survival was not notable in this study, whether in the early-onset or late-onset groups.
Development of a nomogram to predict the prognosis of patients with secondary bone tumors in the intensive care unit: a retrospective analysis based on the MIMIC IV database
Authors: Li Weikang , Li Jinliang , Cai Jinkui
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The present study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict the prognosis of patients with secondary bone tumors in the intensive care unit to facilitate risk stratification and treatment planning.

Methods

We used the MIMIC IV 2.0 (the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV) to retrieve patients with secondary bone tumors as a study cohort. To evaluate the predictive ability of each characteristic on patient mortality, stepwise Cox regression was used to screen variables, and the selected variables were included in the final Cox proportional hazard model. Finally, the performance of the model was tested using the decision curve, calibration curve, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

A total of 1028 patients were enrolled after excluding cases with missing information. In the training cohort, albumin, APSIII (Acute Physiology Score III), chemotherapy, lactate, chloride, hepatic metastases, respiratory failure, SAPSII (Simplified Acute Physiology Score II), and total protein were identified as independent risk factors for patient death and then incorporated into the final model. The model showed good and robust prediction performance.

Conclusion

We developed a nomogram prognostic model for patients with secondary bone tumors in the intensive care unit, which provides effective survival prediction information.
Overexpression of Transmembrane Phosphatase with Tensin homology (TPTE) in prostate cancer is clinically significant, suggesting its potential as a valuable biomarker
Authors: Zainodini Nahid , Abolhasani Maryam , Mohsenzadegan Monireh , Farajollahi Mohammad M. , Rismani Elham
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are a family of proteins typically expressed in male testicles but overexpressed in various cancer cell types. Transmembrane Phosphatase with Tensin homology (TPTE) is expressed only in the testis of healthy individuals and is a member of the family of CTAs. The current study, for the first time, examined the significance of TPTE expression in prostate cancer (PCa) tissues by generating a novel antibody marker targeting TPTE protein.

Methods

Polyclonal antibodies were prepared for TPTE-p1 and TPTE-p2 peptides, which are derived from the extracellular domains of TPTE. Anti-TPTE-p2 antibody was then used to study the extent and pattern of TPTE expression in 102 PCa and 48 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissue samples by immunohistochemistry. The viability of cancer cell lines (PC-3 and MCF-7 cells) was also evaluated in the presence of anti-TPTE-p2 antibody using the MTT test.

Results

The immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated a significant increase in cytoplasmic and membrane TPTE expression in the PCa samples compared to the BPH group (both P < 0.0001). Cytoplasmic TPTE expression was positively correlated with Gleason score and PSA levels (P = 0.03 and P = 0.001, respectively). Significant correlations were identified between the levels of PSA and perineural invasion and the membrane expression (P = 0.01, P = 0.04, respectively). Moreover, anti-TPTE-p2 antibody inhibited PC-3 and MCF-7 cells proliferation compared to the control group for 24 h (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively) as well as for 48 h (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that increased TPTE expression is associated with progression of disease. The ability of anti-TPTE-p2 antibody to recognize and target the TPTE protein makes it a potential biomarker to assess and/or target the PCa.
The 2023 Guidelines for the management and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
Authors: Tanaka Yoshiya , Soen Satoshi , Hirata Shintaro , Okada Yosuke , Fujiwara Saeko , Tanaka Ikuko , Kitajima Yuriko , Kubota Takuo , Ebina Kosuke , Takashi Yuichi , Inoue Reiko , Yamauchi Mika , Okubo Naoaki , Ueno Masanobu , Ohata Yasuhisa , Ito Nobuaki , Ozono Keiichi , Nakayama Hisanori , Terauchi Masakazu , Tanaka Sakae , Fukumoto Seiji
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Although synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs) are commonly used to treat autoimmune and other diseases, GC induced osteoporosis (GIOP) which accounts for 25% of the adverse reactions, causes fractures in 30–50% of patients, and markedly decreases their quality of life. In 2014, the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research (JSBMR) published the revised guidelines for the management and treatment of steroid-induced osteoporosis, providing the treatment criteria based on scores of risk factors, including previous fractures, age, GC doses, and bone mineral density, for patients aged ≥18 years who are receiving GC therapy or scheduled to receive GC therapy for ≥3 months.

Materials and methods

The Committee on the revision of the guidelines for the management and treatment of GIOP of the JSBMR prepared 17 clinical questions (CQs) according to the GRADE approach and revised the guidelines for the management and treatment of GIOP through systematic reviews and consensus conferences using the Delphi method.

Results

Bisphosphonates (oral and injectable formulations), anti-RANKL antibody teriparatide, eldecalcitol, or selective estrogen receptor modulators are recommended for patients who has received or scheduled for GC therapy with risk factor scores of ≥3. It is recommended that osteoporosis medication is started concomitantly with the GC therapy for the prevention of fragility fractures in elderly patients.

Conclusion

The 2023 guidelines for the management and treatment of GIOP was developed through systematic reviews and consensus conferences using the Delphi method.
Production of iron-enriched yeast and it’s application in the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia
Authors: Chen Ying , Pang Yuanxiang , Wan Hongbing , Zhou Xinyi , Wan Mingli , Li Shengshuo , Liu Xuelian
Published: March 2024

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the most serious forms of malnutrition. Wild type strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have higher tolerance to inorganic iron and higher iron conversion and accumulation capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of S. cerevisiae enriched iron as a potential organic iron supplement on mice with iron deficiency anemia. 60 male Kunming mice (KM mice, with strong adaptability and high reproduction rate, it can be widely used in pharmacology, toxicology, microbiology and other research) were randomly divided into normal control group and iron deficiency diet model group to establish IDA model. After the model was established, IDA mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control group, IDA group, organic iron group (ferrous glycinate), inorganic iron group (ferrous sulfate) and S. cerevisiae enriched iron group. Mice in the experimental group were given different kinds of iron by intragastric administration once a day for 4w. The results showed that S. cerevisiae enriched iron had an effective recovery function, and the body weight and hematological parameters of IDA mice returned to normal levels. The activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidant capacity in serum were increased. In addition, the strain no. F8, able to grow in an iron-rich environment, was more effective in alleviating IDA and improving organ indices with fewer side effects compared to ferrous glycinate and ferrous sulfate groups. This study suggests that the iron-rich strain no. F8 may play an important role in improving IDA mice and may be developed as a new iron supplement.
Anticipatory governance in government: the case of Finnish higher education
Authors: Kallo Johanna , Välimaa Jussi
Published: March 2024

In response to uncertain times, liberal democracies aspire to develop anticipatory practices that usher in changes in policies and governance. These practices include creating visions and implementing roadmaps, which seek to address, and ultimately preempt, future challenges (Anderson, 2010). While such practices are increasingly implemented today in decision-making in Nordic countries and around the world (Dreyer & Stang, 2013; Beckert & Bronk, 2018; Beerten & Kranke, 2022), their implications are seldom studied, especially in the context of higher education. This article addresses this gap in current research by analyzing the case of the future governance of Finnish higher education. The analysis focuses on the creation of visions and roadmaps, as well as reports anticipating the future needs of higher education. The article investigates how the anticipation of higher education needs has developed and how it is related to current visions. Moreover, it examines the consequences of anticipatory practices in the development of policy and governance and investigates the policy future that will be enacted through these anticipatory practices. The findings show that the anticipation of higher education needs underpins the strategic choices affecting the allocation of resources and the population’s educational levels in the long term, while visions draw actors into the coproduction of future imagining and instigate widespread reforms. Visions and other practices underpin anticipatory governance in higher education, where goals for the long term are established through the negotiation of normative preferences based on a human capital view of the future.
Efficiency improvement by using metal–insulator-semiconductor structure in InGaN/GaN micro-light-emitting diodes
Authors: Yin Jian , Hwang David , Siboni Hossein Zamani , Fathi Ehsanollah , Chaji Reza , Ban Dayan
Published: March 2024

InGaN/GaN micro-light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) with a metal–insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure on the sidewall are proposed to improve efficiency. In this MIS structure, a sidewall electrode is deposited on the insulating layer-coated sidewall of the device mesa between a cathode on the bottom and an anode on the top. Electroluminescence (EL) measurements of fabricated devices with a mesa diameter of 10 μm show that the application of negative biases on the sidewall electrode can increase the device external quantum efficiency (EQE). In contrast, the application of positive biases can decrease the EQE. The band structure analysis reveals that the EQE is impacted because the application of sidewall electric fields manipulates the local surface electron density along the mesa sidewall and thus controls surface Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) recombination. Two suggested strategies, reducing insulator layer thickness and exploring alternative materials, can be implemented to further improve the EQE of MIS micro-LEDs in future fabrication.

Graphical Abstract
Formative Feedback on Student-Authored Summaries in Intelligent Textbooks Using Large Language Models
Authors: Morris Wesley , Crossley Scott , Holmes Langdon , Ou Chaohua , Dascalu Mihai , McNamara Danielle
Published: March 2024

As intelligent textbooks become more ubiquitous in classrooms and educational settings, the need to make them more interactive arises. An alternative is to ask students to generate knowledge in response to textbook content and provide feedback about the produced knowledge. This study develops Natural Language Processing models to automatically provide feedback to students about the quality of summaries written at the end of intelligent textbook sections. The study builds on the work of Botarleanu et al. (2022), who used a Longformer Large Language Model (LLM) to develop a summary grading model. Their model explained around 55% of holistic summary score variance as assigned by human raters. This study uses a principal component analysis to distill summary scores from an analytic rubric into two principal components – content and wording. This study uses two encoder-only classification large language models finetuned from Longformer on the summaries and the source texts using these principal components explained 82% and 70% of the score variance for content and wording, respectively. On a dataset of summaries collected on the crowd-sourcing site Prolific, the content model was shown to be robust although the accuracy of the wording model was reduced compared to the training set. The developed models are freely available on HuggingFace and will allow formative feedback to users of intelligent textbooks to assess reading comprehension through summarization in real time. The models can also be used for other summarization applications in learning systems.
Effect of MnO2-biochar composites on promoting humification during chicken manure composting
Authors: Qi Haishi , Gao Wenfang , Xie Lina , Zhang Guogang , Song Caihong , Wei Zimin , Hu Ning , Li Tong
Published: March 2024

The present study aimed to accelerate the humification and to investigate how MnO2 modification of biochar (MBC) drives the humus formation during composting with chicken manure. In this study, compared with the control group (CK), the addition of MBC caused an increase in the concentration of both humus and humic acid (HA), with a respective enhancement of 29.1% and 37.2%. In addition, MBC also improved the stability of compost products. Hetero two-dimensional correlation spectra further exhibited that the MBC could alter the formation mechanism of humus fractions during composting. Random forest analysis showed that Microbacterium, Bacteroides, Kroppenstedtia, Gracilibacillus, and Lentibacillus were significantly related to humus formation (P < 0.05). MBC enhanced the absolute abundance of these five genera during composting. The structural equation model further confirmed that these five genera could be indirectly involved in humus formation, through the production of aromatic compounds via secondary metabolism. Additionally, these five genera could directly transform organic components into macromolecular humus structures. Therefore, the increase in these five genera might be a direct response to the acceleration of the humification during MBC composting. These findings demonstrate the potential value of MBC in harmless disposal of hazardous biowastes through composting.

Highlights

MnO2 modification of biochar changed the formation mechanism of humus fractions.

Key genera involved in humus formation were identified.

Among of MnO2 modification of biochar, key genera and humus formation were revealed.

Graphical Abstract
Sustainable sewage water treatment based on natural plant coagulant: Moringa oleifera
Authors: Nzeyimana Bahati Shabani , Mary A. Daisy Caroline
Published: March 2024

In response to global water scarcity and environmental degradation, one promising technique in natural plant coagulation that has gained attention in recent years is the use of Moringa oleifera a plant native to the Indian subcontinent. This study investigates the potential of Moringa oleifera as a sustainable solution for sewage water treatment. The problem of effective wastewater treatment was addressed by employing Moringa oleifera as a natural plant coagulant (NPC). The methodology involved the use of a jar test as a qualitative technique in coagulation and flocculation to assess the plant’s effectiveness in reducing turbidity and impurities in sewage water. The physical and chemical parameters of raw and treated water were analyzed, revealing that an optimum dose of 0.4 g/1000 mL resulted in significant reductions in various water quality parameters: turbidity by 92%, COD by 88%, total solids by 96%, chloride by 75%, total hardness by 74%, and inorganic phosphorous by 68%. The specific reduction in BOD was not provided, indicating a need for further investigation. The results suggest that Moringa oleifera could offer significant improvements in water quality and societal health while promoting sustainability and environmental harmony. The study concludes that Moringa oleifera presents a promising green technique for sustainable sewage water treatment, with implications for future research focusing on the scalability of this method and its effectiveness in treating different types of wastewater.
Hepatitis B virus reactivation associated with CAR T-cell therapy
Authors: Lin Haolong , Dai Zigang , Huang Liang , Zhou Xiaoxi
Published: March 2024

Patients with hematological malignancies who also have a hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection need to be aware of the potential risk of HBV reactivation when undergoing anti-cancer treatments. Among these treatments, CAR T-cell therapy has gained significant attention as a promising option, but it also raises concerns regarding HBV reactivation. This review aims to provide an overview of published reports on HBV reactivation during CAR T-cell therapy, along with an assessment of the effectiveness of prophylactic antiviral therapy. Additionally, we propose a systematic approach for monitoring and managing HBV reactivation during CAR T-cell therapy to enhance the safety of this treatment for patients with HBV infection.