bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
White matter hyperintensities had a correlation with the cerebral perfusion level, but no correlation with the severity of large vessel stenosis in the anterior circulation
Authors: Feng Fanfan , Kan Weihao , Yang Hongchao , Ding Hongmei , Wang Xiaolong , Dong Ruiguo
Published: March 2023

Objective

The contribution of large vessel stenosis to the development of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) has not been fully elucidated. This study aims to explore the correlation between ipsilateral white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and the severity of large vessel stenosis in the anterior circulation and cerebral perfusion level, as well as analyze the factors influencing WMHs.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study of 150 patients with unilateral anterior circulation large vessel stenosis of ≥50% was conducted. The severity of ipsilateral WMHs was assessed by Fazekas scale on T2‐weighted image and/or fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery MR imaging, vascular stenosis severity was evaluated on computed tomography angiography images, and the level of cerebral perfusion was rated according to a staging system for abnormal cerebral perfusion based on CTP results. The relationships between the stenosis severity, cerebral perfusion level and ipsilateral WMHs severity were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors independently influencing WMHs.

Results

Among 150 patients (mean age, 63.12 ± 10.55 years), there was a statistically significant positive correlation between cerebral perfusion level and the severity of DWMHs and PWMHs (Gamma = 0.561, p < .001; Gamma = 0.600, p < .001), and a positive correlation between cerebral perfusion level and the severity of vascular stenosis (Gamma = 0.495, p < .001).While, there was no statistically significant correlation between the severity of vascular stenosis and the severity of DWMHs and PWMHs (Gamma = 0.188, p = .08; Gamma = 0.196, p = .06). The multivariate logistic regression analysis results demonstrated that age (OR = 1.047, 95% CI 1.003–1.093; p = .035), stroke/TIA history (OR = 2.880, 95% CI 1.154–7.190; p = .023) and stage II of cerebral perfusion (OR = 2.880, 95% CI 1.154–7.190; p = .023) were independent influencing factors on ipsilateral DWMHs. Age (OR = 1.051, 95% CI 1.009–1.094; p = .018), and stage II of cerebral perfusion (OR = 12.871, 95% CI 3.576‐46.322; p < .001) were factors independently influencing ipsilateral PWMHs.

Conclusion

White matter hyperintensities may be attributed to cerebral hypoperfusion secondary to vascular stenosis but not directly to the severity of stenosis in the large vessels of anterior circulation. Moreover, longitudinal studies with sequential imaging exams may further reveal the impact of cerebral perfusion secondary to vascular stenosis on the development and progression of WMHs.
Using functional near‐infrared spectroscopy to measure prefrontal cortex activity during dual‐task walking and navigated walking: A feasibility study
Authors: Kvist Alexander , Bezuidenhout Lucian , Johansson Hanna , Albrecht Franziska , Ekman Urban , Conradsson David Moulaee , Franzén Erika
Published: March 2023

Introduction

While functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can provide insight into motor‐cognitive deficits during ecologically valid gait conditions, the feasibility of using fNIRS during complex walking remains unknown. We tested the process and scientific feasibility of using an fNIRS device to measure cortical activity during complex walking tasks consisting of straight walking and navigated walking under single and dual‐task (DT) conditions.

Methods

Nineteen healthy people from 18 to 64 years (mean age: 45.7 years) participated in this study which consisted of three complex walking protocols: (i) straight walking, DT walking (walking while performing an auditory Stroop task) and single‐task auditory Stroop, (ii) straight and navigated walking, and (iii) navigated walking and navigated DT walking. A rest condition (standing still) was also included in each protocol. Process feasibility outcomes included evaluation of the test procedures and participant experience during and after each protocol. Scientific feasibility outcomes included signal quality measures, and the ability to measure changes in concentration of deoxygenated and oxygenated hemoglobin in the prefrontal cortex.

Results

All participants were able to complete the three protocols with most agreeing that the equipment was comfortable (57.9%) and that the testing duration was adequate (73.7%). Most participants did not feel tired (94.7%) with some experiencing pain (42.1%) during the protocols. The signal qualities were high for each protocol. Compared to the rest condition, there was an increase in oxygenated hemoglobin in the prefrontal cortex when performing dual‐task walking and navigation.

Conclusion

We showed that our experimental setup was feasible for assessing activity in the prefrontal cortex with fNIRS during complex walking. The experimental setup was deemed acceptable and practicable. Signal quality was good during complex walking conditions and findings suggest that the different tasks elicit a differential brain activity, supporting scientific feasibility.
RNA sequencing of myeloid sarcoma, shed light on myeloid sarcoma stratification
Authors: Yang Yunfan , Shu Yang , Tang Yuan , Zhao Sha , Jia Yongqian , Ji Jie , Ma Hongbing , Lin Ting , Zheng Ke , Xu Heng , Wu Yu
Published: March 2023

Background

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a rare, extramedullary tumor consisting of myeloid blasts. Little is known about the genetic background of MS and the prognostic value of genetic abnormalities in MS. In particular, the broad variety of gene fusions that occur in MS is marginally covered by traditional testing methods due to lack of fresh tumor specimens.

Methods

Here, we analyzed the clinical and genetic features of 61 MS cases. We performed RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) on formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) or fresh samples to analyze fusion genes in 26 cases. In addition, we performed genetic abnormalities‐based risk stratification using fusion genes and gene mutations.

Results

A total of 305 fusion genes were identified in 22 cases, including the following five recurrent fusion genes: RUNX1‐RUNX1T1, CBFβ‐MYH11, ETV6‐MECOM, FUS‐ERG, and PICALM‐MLLT10. The prognosis in the adverse‐risk group was significantly worse than that in the favorable/intermediate‐risk group (median survival: 12 months vs. not reached; p = 0.0004).

Conclusion

These results indicated the efficacy of RNA‐seq using FFPE‐derived RNA as a clinical routine for detecting fusion genes, which can be used as markers for risk stratification in MS.
Clinical application of the anti‐human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) antibody (SCD‐A7) immunocytochemistry in liquid‐based urine cytology: A prospective, single institute study
Authors: Moon Ji Hye , Nikas Ilias P. , Moon Kyung Chul , Kim Bohyun , Ryu Han Suk
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Urine cytology is the most widely used noninvasive screening tool for urothelial carcinoma diagnosis and surveillance. Although highly specific, urine cytology exhibits suboptimal sensitivity. This study aimed to determine whether hTERT immunocytochemistry (ICC) could be applicable as an ancillary test in routine cytology practice.

Methods

A total of 561 urinary tract samples were initially screened in this study. All of them were prepared using SurePath liquid‐based cytology (LBC), while additional LBC slides were made and subsequently used for hTERT (SCD‐A7) ICC.

Results

From the 561 samples screened, 337 were finally analyzed, all having an adequate cellularity and available follow‐up histology. The hTERT ICC‐positive rate was 95.9% (n = 208/217), 96% (n = 24/25), and 100% (n = 4/4) in cytology samples with high‐grade urothelial carcinoma, carcinoma in situ, and low‐grade urothelial carcinoma subsequent histology. Among the 64 atypical cytology cases histologically confirmed as urothelial carcinomas, 92.2% (n = 59/64) were immunoreactive to hTERT, whereas the two histologically benign cases were ICC‐negative. 87/90 (96.7%) of the cytology cases confirmed to be benign in follow‐up were hTERT‐negative. The overall sensitivity and specificity of hTERT ICC were 96.3% and 98.8%, respectively (AUROC = 0.963; 95% CI = 0.960–0.967).

Conclusions

The hTERT ICC test exhibited consistent and intense staining in malignant urothelial cells, suggesting its value as an ancillary test in liquid‐based urine cytology.
MRI features of pediatric atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors and medulloblastomas of the posterior fossa
Authors: Wu Hsin‐Wei , Wu Chia‐Hung , Lin Shih‐Chieh , Wu Chih‐Chun , Chen Hsin‐Hung , Chen Yi‐Wei , Lee Yi‐Yen , Chang Feng‐Chi
Published: March 2023

Background

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) occurs at a younger age and is associated with a worse prognosis than medulloblastoma; however, these two tumor entities are mostly indistinguishable on neuroimaging. The aim of our study was to differentiate AT/RT and medulloblastoma based on their clinical and MRI features to enhance treatment planning and outcome prediction.

Methods

From 2005–2021, we retrospectively enrolled 16 patients with histopathologically diagnosed AT/RT and 57 patients with medulloblastoma at our institute. We evaluated their clinical data and MRI findings, including lesion signals, intratumoral morphologies, and peritumoral/distal involvement.

Results

The age of children with AT/RT was younger than that of children with medulloblastoma (2.8 ± 4.9 [0–17] vs. 6.5 ± 4.0 [0–18], p < 0.001), and the overall survival rate was lower (21.4% vs. 66.0%, p = 0.005). Regarding lesion signals on MRI, AT/RT had a lower ADCmin (cutoff value ≤544.7 × 10−6 mm2/s, p < 0.001), a lower ADC ratio (cutoff value ≤0.705, p < 0.001), and a higher DWI ratio (cutoff value ≥1.595, p < 0.001) than medulloblastoma. Regarding intratumoral morphology, the “tumor central vein sign” was mostly exclusive to medulloblastoma (24/57, 42.1%; AT/RT 1/16, 6.3%; p = 0.007). Regarding peritumoral invasion on T2WI, AT/RT was more prone to invasion of the brainstem (p < 0.001) and middle cerebellar peduncle (p < 0.001) than medulloblastoma.

Conclusions

MRI findings of a lower ADC value, more peritumoral invasion, and absence of the “tumor central vein sign” may be helpful to differentiate AT/RT from medulloblastoma. These distinct MRI findings together with the younger age of AT/RT patients may explain the worse outcomes in AT/RT patients.
Advancing wide implementation of precision oncology: A liquid nitrogen‐free snap freezer preserves molecular profiles of biological samples
Authors: van der Wijngaart Hanneke , Jagga Sahil , Dekker Henk , de Goeij Richard , Piersma Sander R. , Pham Thang V. , Knol Jaco C. , Zonderhuis Babs M. , Holland Harry J. , Jiménez Connie R. , Verheul Henk M. W. , Vanapalli Srinivas , Labots Mariette
Published: March 2023

Purpose

In precision oncology, tumor molecular profiles guide selection of therapy. Standardized snap freezing of tissue biospecimens is necessary to ensure reproducible, high‐quality samples that preserve tumor biology for adequate molecular profiling. Quenching in liquid nitrogen (LN2) is the golden standard method, but LN2 has several limitations. We developed a LN2‐independent snap freezer with adjustable cold sink temperature. To benchmark this device against the golden standard, we compared molecular profiles of biospecimens.

Methods

Cancer cell lines and core needle normal tissue biopsies from five patients' liver resection specimens were used to compare mass spectrometry (MS)‐based global phosphoproteomic and RNA sequencing profiles and RNA integrity obtained by both freezing methods.

Results

Unsupervised cluster analysis of phosphoproteomic and transcriptomic profiles of snap freezer versus LN2‐frozen K562 samples and liver biopsies showed no separation based on freezing method (with Pearson's r 0.96 (range 0.92–0.98) and >0.99 for K562 profiles, respectively), while samples with +2 h bench‐time formed a separate cluster. RNA integrity was also similar for both snap freezing methods. Molecular profiles of liver biopsies were clearly identified per individual patient regardless of the applied freezing method. Two to 25 s freezing time variations did not induce profiling differences in HCT116 samples.

Conclusion

The novel snap freezer preserves high‐quality biospecimen and allows identification of individual patients' molecular profiles, while overcoming important limitations of the use of LN2. This snap freezer may provide a useful tool in clinical cancer research and practice, enabling a wider implementation of (multi‐)omics analyses for precision oncology.
Multiple directional DWI combined with T2WI in predicting muscle layer and Ki‐67 correlation in bladder cancer in 3.0‐T MRI
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhang Zhichao , Xiao Weixiong , Wang Yiqian , Ye Liefu , Wei Yongbao , Luo Min
Published: March 2023

Objective

To investigate the value of 3.0T MRI multi‐directional diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) combined with T2WI morphological features and lesion distribution in preoperative prediction of muscle layer invasion of bladder cancer (BC) and the correlation with postoperative Ki‐67.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective study enrolled patients with BC between 2019 and 2021. Patients with muscular invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) or non‐muscular invasive BC (NMIBC) were also analyzed by preoperative 3.0T MRI aFostic efficacy.

Results

A total of 186 patients were enrolled. About 27 patients with MIBC (35 lesions in total) and 62 with NMIBC (99 lesions in total). We found the tumor with a larger size, a wide base, and a smaller apparent dispersion coefficient (ADC) value and normalized ADC(nADC) value, without a stalk, presenting a greater risk of muscle invasion. ADC value, nADC value, maximum diameter, and stalk were independently associated with muscle invasion. Lesions located at the bladder fundus or involvement of multiple sites were independently associated with muscle invasion compared to the bladder body. In combination with morphological features, the AUCs of ADC and nADC showed accuracies of 0.925 and 0.947–0.951, respectively. TADC and nTADC showed the best diagnostic efficacy in multiple respects. KI‐67 LI was negatively correlated with ADC and nADC values.

Conclusions

This is the first report in which we found Multi‐directional DWI combined with T2WI in 3.0T MRI can be used to predict the muscle layer invasion of bladder cancer. ADC values reflect the muscular invasion of bladder cancer and show a moderate negative correlation with Ki‐67. It is especially suitable for bladder cancer patients with renal insufficiency or tumor recurrence.
Neighborhood factors and triple negative breast cancer: The role of cumulative exposure to area‐level risk factors
Authors: Siegel Scott D. , Brooks Madeline M. , Berman Jesse D. , Lynch Shannon M. , Sims‐Mourtada Jennifer , Schug Zachary T. , Curriero Frank C.
Published: March 2023

Background

Despite similar incidence rates among Black and White women, breast cancer mortality rates are 40% higher among Black women. More than half of the racial difference in breast cancer mortality can be attributed to triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive subtype of invasive breast cancer that disproportionately affects Black women. Recent research has implicated neighborhood conditions in the etiology of TNBC. This study investigated the relationship between cumulative neighborhood‐level exposures and TNBC risk.

Methods

This single‐institution retrospective study was conducted on a cohort of 3316 breast cancer cases from New Castle County, Delaware (from 2012 to 2020), an area of the country with elevated TNBC rates. Cases were stratified into TNBC and “Non‐TNBC” diagnosis and geocoded by residential address. Neighborhood exposures included census tract‐level measures of unhealthy alcohol use, metabolic dysfunction, breastfeeding, and environmental hazards. An overall cumulative risk score was calculated based on tract‐level exposures.

Results

Univariate analyses showed each tract‐level exposure was associated with greater TNBC odds. In multivariate analyses that controlled for patient‐level race and age, tract‐level exposures were not associated with TNBC odds. However, in a second multivariate model that included patient‐level variables and considered tract‐level risk factors as a cumulative exposure risk score, each one unit increase in cumulative exposure was significantly associated with a 10% increase in TNBC odds. Higher cumulative exposure risk scores were found in census tracts with relatively high proportions of Black residents.

Conclusions

Cumulative exposure to neighborhood‐level risk factors that disproportionately affect Black communities was associated with greater TNBC risk.
Raw or roasted Brosimum alicastrum seed powder as a nutritional ingredient in composite sugar‐snap cookies
Authors: Carter Chad T. , Northcutt Julie K.
Published: March 2023

Background and Objectives

Brosimum alicastrum seeds have been a common indigenous food source from southern Mexico to Bolivia for centuries. Yet, information on how roasting affects the nutrition of baked goods made from this seed powder is lacking. A study was conducted to determine nutritional properties of raw and roasted B. alicastrum seeds and sugar snap cookies made from composite flour with equal quantities of wheat and B. alicastrum seed.

Findings

Using a 50% composite blend of raw or roasted B. alicastrum seed powder produced cookies with higher moisture, fat, carbohydrate, and ash than cookies made from 100% all‐purpose wheat flour. Roasting seeds increased total carotenoid content of seed powder but reduced levels of five of the nine essential amino acids.

Conclusion

B. alicastrum seed powder can be used at a 50% level composite blend with wheat to increase fat, carbohydrate, total carotenoids, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and sodium levels in cookies without compromising fiber, vitamin C, iron, or manganese content.

Significance and Novelty

Raw or roasted B. alicastrum seed powder can be used as a composite blend with wheat to enhance or maintain the nutritional composition of baked goods, such as sugar snap cookies.
A novel Block Bi‐diagonalization based pre‐coding scheme for bit error reduction in mutiple input multiple output‐orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
Authors: Paul Prajit , Roy Bappadittya , Bhattacharjee Anup Kumar
Published: March 2023

The MIMO‐OFDM increases spectral efficiency without the use of channel state information (CSI). However, the bit error rate (BER) in the MIMO‐OFDM model increases dramatically due to the increase in nonlinear distortion in the power amplifier (PA). In this research, a novel pre‐coder integrated MIMO‐OFDM technology is designed for effective BER reduction, and its performance is analyzed. The discrete wavelet‐based OFDM system is one of the key ideas to present good orthogonal by emphasizing orthogonal wavelets. It helps to mitigate inter‐symbol interference (ISI) and noise within the channel by extending the bandwidth (BW) compared to conventional OFDM systems. But, DWT‐OFDM highly suffered due to downsampling, which degrades system efficiency. To overcome this, a redundant discrete wavelet transform (RDWT) is proposed in this article to enhance spectral efficiency. For modulation, 16‐bit quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) is introduced in this work. In addition to this, a block bi‐diagonalization (BBD) pre‐coder technique is proposed to mitigate unwanted noise and interference in the MIMO‐OFDM system. The performance measures such as ergodic sum capacity, BER, throughput, average jitter noise power, mean square error (MSE), and power consumption are analyzed using the MATLAB platform. The proposed method obtains the ergodic sum capacity of 6.25 bps/Hz, a BER of 0.021, a throughput of 95.2%, MSE of −0.47, and a power consumption of 1.15 μW. The simulative results prove the efficacy of the proposed method.
A Plio‐Pleistocene eustatic and storm‐controlled mixed carbonate–siliciclastic marine ramp deposit in south‐west Florida: An example of sediment homogenisation with maintenance of carbonate‐producing organisms
Authors: Missimer Thomas M. , Hegy Michael
Published: March 2023

Mixed siliciclastic and carbonate sediments are common in the stratigraphic record, but fully homogenised mixes are not. Many occurrences of mixed sediment sequences are dominated by end‐members with stacking of ‘nearly pure’ lithfacies (e.g. cyclothems containing alternating sandstone, limestone and coal units). The Plio‐Pleistocene sediments within south‐west Florida provide insights into the occurrence of fully homogenised siliciclastic/carbonate deposits. In all defined environments from lagoon to supratidal to inner tidal to beach to offshore to coral reef, quartz sand coexists with carbonates. Perhaps the key feature that allowed full homogenisation of the sediments within all facies and subfacies was the relatively shallow water (<10 m), which facilitated mixing during low‐order eustatic sea‐level events and storms. However, four factors contributed to the full homogenisation of the sediment types without termination or inhibition of carbonate organism growth. These factors are (1) the shallow water allowing wave‐driven sediment transport (all environments within the wave orbital depth), (2) close proximity and perhaps irregular nature of the depositional environment boundaries, (3) low influx rate of quartz sand via longshore transport, and (4) the lack of significant terrigenous mud transport into the system. Mixing processes at the large‐scale included movement of sediments from one depositional environment to another during storms, mixing along facies boundaries, and in situ mixing within autochthonous and parautochthonous mollusc death assemblages. At the smaller scale, mixing occurred by bioturbation and diagenetic dissolution of carbonate skeletal grains during minor high sea‐level stands.
Mortality in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: A population‐based cohort study in Taiwan, 2002–2017
Authors: Tseng Mei‐Chih Meg , Chien Li‐Nien , Tu Chao‐Ying , Liu Hung‐Yi
Published: March 2023

Objective

To investigate natural‐ and unnatural‐cause mortality at different follow‐up time points in Taiwanese patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN).

Method

In this longitudinal cohort study, 330,393 patients, including 2143 patients with AN, 13,590 with BN, and 20 times as many respective non‐AN and non‐BN patients, were followed up for 16 years. We performed conditional Cox regression survival analysis to examine the risk of mortality in the AN and BN groups relative to the comparison group.

Results

A total of 1242 patients died, including 101 and 343 patients with AN and BN, respectively. Mortality rates for AN and BN were 5.42 and 2.90 deaths per 1000 person‐years, respectively. Compared with the non‐AN group, the AN group had a significantly higher risk of both natural‐ and unnatural‐cause mortality, and the BN group had a significantly higher risk of unnatural‐cause mortality. Suicide was the most common cause of death, and suicide risk was significantly higher in both the AN and BN groups. All‐cause mortality risk was the highest at the beginning of follow‐up and markedly declined in the AN group. In the BN group, all‐cause mortality risk was lower but stable at follow‐up. The risk of unnatural‐cause mortality remained high throughout the follow‐up period for both the groups.

Conclusions

Early detection and treatment for associated physical problems in patients with AN are crucial. Regular monitoring for unnatural‐cause mortality events (mainly suicide) in AN and BN over time is also crucial.

Public Significance

AN had a significantly higher risk of both natural‐ and unnatural‐cause mortality and BN had a significantly higher risk of death from unnatural causes. All‐cause mortality risk was highest at the beginning of follow‐up in AN, but unnatural‐cause mortality risk remained high throughout the follow‐up period for both groups. Our findings imply that early detection and treatment in AN and regular monitoring for unnatural‐cause mortality events in AN and BN are crucial.
Environmental DNA survey of the Winter Salmonosphere in the Gulf of Alaska
Authors: Deeg Christoph M. , Li Shaorong , Esenkulova Svetlana , Hunt Brian P. V. , Schulze Angela D. , Miller Kristina M.
Published: March 2023

Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are a foundation species around the north Pacific, yet many wild populations have experienced steep declines over the last decades associated with decreased marine survival. Due to limited sampling, our understanding of the dynamic North Pacific Ocean ecosystem remains poor and factors impacting marine survival of salmon remain largely unknown, specifically in the winter when salmon face limited resources. Here, we present a late winter ecosystem‐wide environmental DNA (eDNA) survey performed in 2019 and 2020 in the Gulf of Alaska. Our eDNA data refines the ocean distribution and relative abundance of Pacific salmon, as well as their prey such as copepods. Vertical diurnal migrators like myctophids and squid that are prey and/or competitors of salmon and represent the bulk of the open ocean biomass in the Gulf of Alaska. We detected these species irrespective of time of day in the eDNA data, resolving the nighttime bias associated with trawl catches. Furthermore, eDNA uncovered cryptic predators of salmon such as salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) and beaked whales (Ziphiidae) not evident from catch or observer data. Open‐ocean communities of the central Gulf of Alaska were characterized by low species richness in contrast to hotspots of biological activity associated with oceanographic features such as eddies and the continental shelf. Network analysis revealed the ecological interactions that salmon navigate in the open‐ocean ecosystem by identifying key prey species, competitors, and predators and revealed the negative impact of the northern sea nettle (Chrysaora melanaster) on salmon that was associated with a marine heatwave in 2019. Finally, we highlight the utility of eDNA for open ocean ecosystem research and provide recommendations for further surveys. This dataset, complementing traditional survey methods, illustrates the winter salmonosphere in the North Pacific Ocean at improved resolution and provides a baseline for future research.
Privacy‐preserving authentication scheme for digital twin‐enabled autonomous vehicle environments
Authors: Chen Chien‐Ming , Miao Qingkai , Kumar Sachin , Wu Tsu‐Yang
Published: March 2023

Currently, the automotive industry has entered a period of considerable advancement, shifting towards the development of safe, comfortable, and connected autonomous vehicles. However, the need for real‐time sensing, computation, and communication may lead to information overflow in autonomous cars, resulting in data redundancy. Furthermore, anticipating traffic conditions beyond a vehicle's field of view can be quite difficult owing to the restricted range of communication systems. To solve these problems, digital twin systems have been developed for autonomous driving environments. Because autonomous vehicles are driven on open public road networks, this function may jeopardize vehicles, user‐identifying information, and sensitive data. Hence, an authentication scheme that can be deployed in digital‐twin‐enabled autonomous vehicle environments is needed. In this study, we propose a privacy‐preserving authentication mechanism. To establish the security of the proposed method, we performed a formal security analysis based on the real‐or‐random model. Furthermore, we assessed the performance of the proposed scheme, and our results demonstrate that it can reduce calculation and transmission costs.
Resource allocation and user assignment schemes in cellular supported industrial IoT networks
Authors: Ferdouse Lilatul , Khwaja Ahmed Shaharyar , Anpalagan Alagan , Stimpson Brad , Arad Ali , Woungang Isaac
Published: March 2023

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) deployment underlying cellular networks has been drawing increasing attention in recent years. In this work, we consider group based resource allocation for industrial IoT networks where cellular‐IoT (C‐IoT) devices support uplink transmission for multiple IoT groups/clusters. The joint group and subcarrier optimization problem is formulated for maximizing the cell/group throughput under the optimal group member selection, subcarrier and minimum data rate constraints. Depending on the interference information, the interference aware group allocation (IA‐GA) is proposed to find the cellular user and cellular‐IoT device grouping for each subcarrier. However, to achieve the maximizing the cell/group throughput, another iterative algorithm, namely genetic algorithm based group allocation (GA‐GA) method is proposed, which provides an optimal solution for the user grouping in the most of the cases where an iterative technique is used for the sub‐carrier allocation. Simulations results show that the proposed IA‐GA and GA‐GA methods provide enhanced cell throughput gain and accessibility of the C‐IoTs.
Origin and evolution of vanadium‐rich oxide and titanite phases in lamprophyre and mafic dykes from the Nuapada diamondiferous Lamproite field, BastarCraton‐EasternGhats Mobile belt contact, India: Metallogenic and geodynamic implications
Authors: Pandey Rohit , Singh Mahendra Kumar , Rao N. V. Chalapathi
Published: March 2023

Transitional boundaries of the craton and mobile belt mark diverse and long‐term tectono‐thermal events like hot and cold lithospheric contact, back‐arc‐type subduction, and also constitute a favourable locale for metallogeny. The exact nature and origin of such metallogenic enrichment in the lithospheric mantle source beneath contact zones are still uncertain. The contact of Bastar Craton and the Eastern Ghat Mobile Belt (EGMB), India, provides an ideal geological setup to study the metallogenic enrichment processes. In this study, we present a detailed petrographic and mineralogical investigation of various iron oxide phases and titanites in spatially and temporally distinct lamprophyre and mafic dykes from the diamondiferous Nuapada Lamproite Field (NLF) at the contact between Bastar Craton and EGMB. Diverse textural assemblages of oxides, namely, trellis, sandwich‐type exsolutions and reaction–replacement, are widespread. Ilmenites, magnetites and titanites from the mafic dykes as well as lamprophyre exhibit an anomalous enrichment of vanadium (V2O3up to 3.7 wt%), whereas ilmenites are also characterized by their elevated manganese content (MnO up to 3.8 wt%). Mineral chemistry‐based plots and thermo‐oximetric studies suggest the magmatic origin of iron oxides belonging to the Fe–Ti–V‐type ore in which partitioning and sequestration of the elements were controlled by differential crystallization, exsolution and fractionation rather than any imprints of contamination. Multiphase sequestration of vanadium as well as manganese in lamprophyre and mafic dykes, separated in space as well in relative depths of origin, signifies the presence of a fertile mantle. The role of subduction‐derived metasomatized fluids as a causative factor of vanadium metallogeny in this domain is evaluated. Low‐Mg and high‐Mn ilmenites of this study are consistent with the reported occurrences of diamonds from the NLF and adjoining areas of the Bastar Craton.
Depth‐resolved attenuation mapping of the human ovary and fallopian tube using optical coherence tomography
Authors: Li Shuying , Luo Hongbo , Kou Sitai , Hagemann Ian S. , Zhu Quing
Published: March 2023

Due to the lack of reliable early‐diagnostic tools, most ovarian cancers are diagnosed at late stages. Although optical coherence tomography (OCT) has shown promise for identifying diseased ovaries and fallopian tubes at an earlier stage, previous studies either did not provide quantitative scattering mapping or simply used Beer's law to fit the scattering coefficients of each A‐line. In this paper, we calculated the pixel‐wise attenuation coefficients of ovaries and fallopian tubes in OCT images. Data from 73 freshly excised human ovaries and fallopian tubes from 36 patients have shown that statistical features are statistically different between cancerous ovaries, infundibula, and fimbriae and normal ones.
Structure and stability of the sH binary hydrate cavity and host‐guest versus guest‐guest interactions therein: A DFT approach
Authors: Mondal Sukanta , Jana Gourhari , Srivastava Hemant K. , Sastry Garikapati N. , Chattaraj Pratim Kumar
Published: March 2023

The intrinsic ability of clathrate hydrates to encage gaseous molecules is explored. Encapsulation ability depends on the cavity size and the type of guest gaseous species in addition to the physical parameters, temperature and pressure. Here we have reported the structure, stability and nature of interaction in dissimilar guest occupied sH hydrate cavity. Diatomic gas molecules and small polyatomic hydrocarbons are considered as guests. The irregular icosahedron (51268) cavity of sH hydrate is the host. Different thermodynamic parameters for the guest molecules encapsulation were calculated using three different hybrid DFT functionals, B3LYP, M05‐2X, M06, and moreover using dispersion correction (PBE0‐D3). With the consideration of large H‐bonded systems the 6‐31G* and cc‐pVTZ basis sets were used for two set of computations. To disclose the nature of interaction between the host‐guest systems as well as the interaction between the guest molecules inside the host the non‐covalent interaction (NCI) indices and energy decomposition analysis (EDA) were done. Impact of host‐guest and guest‐guest interactions are discussed.
Partially hydrolyzed guar gum upregulates heat shock protein 27 in intestinal Caco‐2 cells and mouse intestine viamTOR and ERK signaling
Authors: Rini Dina Mustika , Yamamoto Yoshinari , Suzuki Takuya
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

The intestinal epithelium acts as a barrier against harmful luminal materials, thus preventing intestinal diseases and maintaining intestinal health. Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) promotes intestinal epithelial integrity under both physiological and stressed conditions. The effects of partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) on HSP27 expression in intestinal Caco‐2 cells and mouse intestines were investigated.

RESULTS

The present study showed that PHGG upregulated HSP27 expression in Caco‐2 cells without upregulating Hspb1, the gene encoding HSP27. Feeding PHGG increased HSP25 expression in epithelial cells of the small intestine of mice. Inhibition of protein translation using cycloheximide suppressed PHGG‐mediated HSP27 expression, indicating that PHGG upregulated HSP27 via translational modulation. Signaling inhibition of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and phosphatidyl 3‐inositol kinase reduced PHGG‐mediated HSP27 expression, whereas mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase inhibition by U0126 increased HSP27 expression, irrespective of PHGG administration. PHGG increases mTOR phosphorylation and reduces extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase (ERK) phosphorylation.

CONCLUSION

PHGG‐mediated translation of HSP27 in intestinal Caco‐2 cells and mouse intestine via the mTOR and ERK signaling pathways may promote intestinal epithelial integrity. These findings help us better understand how dietary fibers regulate the physiological function of the intestines. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Assessing Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries
Authors: Zhao Baihua , Li Yinbo , Tang Yingchun , Guo Yuyang , Yang Yalin , Wen Lieming , Dietz Hans Peter
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To explore the differences in assessing obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI) between transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) and endoanal ultrasound (EAUS) and test relationships between ultrasound findings and anal incontinence (AI) symptoms.

Methods

A group of 196 women with a history of vaginal delivery was recruited. OASI was detected in a set of 5 slices by EAUS and 8 slices by TPUS. OASI grading was performed on TPUS rules and EAUS rules. A “significant sphincter defect” was diagnosed by TPUS and EAUS using “2/3 rules.” Symptoms of AI were determined using the St Mark's Incontinence Score (SMIS). Ultrasound findings were compared between the two methods and correlated with symptoms.

Results

Of 196 women, 29 (14.8%) suffered from AI with a mean SMIS of 12.1 ± 4.5, and 70 (35.7%) women with a mean age of 57 years had suspected OASI on imaging. Twenty‐one (10.7%) “significant defects” were diagnosed by TPUS and 24 (12.2%) by EAUS. OASI Grades on TPUS had good agreement with EAUS rules (k = 0.70, P < .001). Logistic regression analysis showed that OASI Grade on imaging and “significant sphincter defects” seen on both forms of imaging were associated with AI symptoms. The odds ratio was 46 and 38 for “significant defects” on TPUS and EAUS, and 14 and 7 for OASI 3b+ on TPUS and EAUS in predicting AI, respectively.

Conclusions

“Significant defects” diagnosed by EAUS or TPUS and OASI Grade 3b+ predict AI symptoms. The diagnostic performance of endoanal and exoanal ultrasound (EAUS and TPUS) appear to be very similar.
Soil fertility thresholds driven by sand content indicate drylands degradation phases on the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Cai Qin‐Yue , Wang Xiang‐Sheng , Ma Tao , Ye Jian‐Sheng
Published: March 2023

Understanding the process of dryland degradation is crucial to combating desertification and maintaining land sustainability. To identify important indicators of dryland degradation, we conducted a field survey of 46 drylands spanning an aridity gradient across the Tibetan Plateau. Our random forest model suggested that soil sand content was the most important predictor of variation in soil fertility (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus). Most soil fertility showed a nonlinear and abrupt decline with increasing soil sand content, and displayed three sequential thresholds. First, soil organic carbon sharply decreased beyond a soil sand content threshold of 47%. Second, exceeding a subsequent threshold of 70%, the total nitrogen and light fraction carbon declined dramatically with increasing soil sand content. Finally, soil heavy fraction carbon, inorganic carbon, and total carbon were drastically reduced when the soil sand content exceeded 80%. The three soil fertility thresholds along the gradient of the soil sand content indicated a sequence of dryland degradation phases. Our findings provide an approach for detecting the severity of dryland degradation and suggest vulnerable areas of degradation on the Tibetan Plateau.
Selective Colloid Transport across Planar Polymer Brushes
Authors: Laktionov Mikhail Y. , Zhulina Ekaterina B. , Klushin Leonid , Richter Ralf P. , Borisov Oleg V.
Published: March 2023

Polymer brushes are attractive as surface coatings for a wide range of applications, from fundamental research to everyday life, and also play important roles in biological systems. How colloids (e.g., functional nanoparticles, proteins, viruses) bind and move across polymer brushes is an important yet under‐studied problem. A mean‐field theoretical approach is presented to analyze the binding and transport of colloids in planar polymer brushes. The theory explicitly considers the effect of solvent strength on brush conformation and of colloid‐polymer affinity on colloid binding and transport. The position‐dependent free energy of the colloid insertion into the polymer brush which controls the rate of colloid transport across the brush is derived. It is shown how the properties of the brush can be adjusted for brushes to be highly selective, effectively serving as tuneable gates with respect to colloid size and affinity to the brush‐forming polymer. The most important parameter regime simultaneously allowing for high brush permeability and selectivity corresponds to a condition when the repulsive and attractive contributions to the colloid insertion free energy nearly cancel. This theory should be useful to design sensing and purification devices with enhanced selectivity and to better understand mechanisms underpinning the functions of biological polymer brushes.
Price rigidity, wholesale price passthrough, and quality‐tiered private labels
Authors: Anders Sven , Volpe Richard , Bittmann Thomas
Published: March 2023

Quality‐tiered private labels have become a main strategy for grocery retailers. However, impacts of private label development on wholesale prices and their effects on retail price rigidity remain unanswered as appropriate wholesale price data remain scarce. This paper fills this research gap by analyzing retail‐pricing behavior and wholesale passthrough for categories with quality‐tier differentiated private labels. We find the speed of wholesale passthrough to differ across categories, quality tier, and direction of adjustment. Overall, we find wholesale prices to play a secondary role to price promotions in explaining price rigidity across grocery categories with quality‐tiered private labels.
Approximation of multiphase mean curvature flows with arbitrary nonnegative mobilities
Authors: Bonnetier Eric , Bretin Elie , Masnou Simon
Published: March 2023

This paper is devoted to the robust approximation with a variational phase field approach of multiphase mean curvature flows with possibly highly contrasted mobilities. The case of harmonically additive mobilities has been addressed recently using a suitable metric to define the gradient flow of the phase field approximate energy. We generalize this approach to arbitrary nonnegative mobilities using a decomposition as sums of harmonically additive mobilities. We establish the consistency of the resulting method by analyzing the sharp interface limit of the flow: A formal expansion of the phase field shows that the method is of second order. We propose a simple numerical scheme to approximate the solutions to our new model. Finally, we present some numerical experiments in dimensions 2 and 3 that illustrate the interest and effectiveness of our approach, in particular for approximating flows in which the mobility of some phases is zero.
Application of Duhamel's convolution integral in computer measurement systems
Authors: Torbus Sławomir A. , Szyszkowska Paulina
Published: March 2023

The paper is a new approach to the Duhamel's convolution integral. It contains a brief description of the Duhamel's convolution integral and an overview of applications of this integral. The scientific novelty presented in the work is the original algorithm for determining the frequency characteristic, together with its mathematical justification as well as with hardware and software implementation. The proposed algorithm was used in computer measurement systems enabling the determination of Bode and Nyquist characteristics of objects used in automation. The measurement system was built by the authors on the basis of the proposed algorithm. Measurements were carried out using it. During the measurements of the selected automation object, actual results were obtained and referenced to theoretical results. Then their correctness was assessed using the theory of measurement errors. In this way, the correctness of the mathematical considerations concerning the application of the Duhamel's convolution integral in computer measurement systems enabling the determination of the frequency characteristics of objects used in automation was confirmed.
Monitoring of Emulsion Polymerization in the Presence of Ionic Liquids Using NIR Spectroscopy
Authors: Santos Leila Medeiros , Dariva Claudio , Masso Caroline Martins , Fortuny Montserrat , Santos Alexandre Ferreira
Published: March 2023

Much effort has been done toward the development of new emulsifiers able to improve the latex stability. In this sense, ionic liquids based on imidazolium constitute a new category of stabilizer in study. Moreover, the near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been extensively investigated as a tool to follow the properties of polymerization reactions. In this study different ionic liquids are investigated as emulsifiers during the emulsion homopolymerization of the styrene and methyl methacrylate. A quantitative analysis method is developed to determine the properties of latex based on the joint use of the NIR spectra and partial least squares regression (PLS). Kinetic results indicate that the latex properties are greatly influenced by the type of ionic liquid. The current work shows that the NIR spectrophotometer can be successfully used for monitoring of the latex properties, enabling to track the polymerization dynamics even in the presence of ionic liquids.
A single‐breath‐hold protocol for hyperpolarized 129Xe ventilation and gas exchange imaging
Authors: Niedbalski Peter J. , Willmering Matthew M. , Thomen Robert P. , Mugler John P. , Choi Jiwoong , Hall Chase , Castro Mario
Published: March 2023

Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI (Xe‐MRI) is increasingly used to image the structure and function of the lungs. Because 129Xe imaging can provide multiple contrasts (ventilation, alveolar airspace size, and gas exchange), imaging often occurs over several breath‐holds, which increases the time, expense, and patient burden of scans. We propose an imaging sequence that can be used to acquire Xe‐MRI gas exchange and high‐quality ventilation images within a single, approximately 10 s, breath‐hold. This method uses a radial one‐point Dixon approach to sample dissolved 129Xe signal, which is interleaved with a 3D spiral (“FLORET”) encoding pattern for gaseous 129Xe. Thus, ventilation images are obtained at higher nominal spatial resolution (4.2 × 4.2 × 4.2 mm3) compared with gas‐exchange images (6.25 × 6.25 × 6.25 mm3), both competitive with current standards within the Xe‐MRI field. Moreover, the short 10 s Xe‐MRI acquisition time allows for 1H “anatomic” images used for thoracic cavity masking to be acquired within the same breath‐hold for a total scan time of about 14 s. Images were acquired using this single‐breath method in 11 volunteers (N = 4 healthy, N = 7 post‐acute COVID). For 11 of these participants, a separate breath‐hold was used to acquire a “dedicated” ventilation scan and five had an additional “dedicated” gas exchange scan. The images acquired using the single‐breath protocol were compared with those from dedicated scans using Bland–Altman analysis, intraclass correlation (ICC), structural similarity, peak signal‐to‐noise ratio, Dice coefficients, and average distance. Imaging markers from the single‐breath protocol showed high correlation with dedicated scans (ventilation defect percent, ICC = 0.77, p = 0.01; membrane/gas, ICC = 0.97, p = 0.001; red blood cell/gas, ICC = 0.99, p < 0.001). Images showed good qualitative and quantitative regional agreement. This single‐breath protocol enables the collection of essential Xe‐MRI information within one breath‐hold, simplifying scanning sessions and reducing costs associated with Xe‐MRI.
Preparation facilitates response inhibition based on a stop‐signal task
Authors: Jia Lu‐xia , Li Shuang‐chen , Cui Ji‐fang , Liu Jia‐li , Guo Xiao‐xiao , Wang Ya
Published: March 2023

This study demonstrated that the higher stop‐signal probability condition showed a longer go reaction time and shorter stop‐signal reaction time (SSRT) compared with the lower stop‐signal probability condition. In addition, preparation cost was correlated with SSRT. These results suggest that preparation facilitates response inhibition.