bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Enhanced Involuntary Stress-Strain Characteristics and Environmental Assessment: GGBS & Silica-Fume
Authors: Agnihotri Anamika , Ramana P.V. , Agnihotri Ayushman
Published: January 2024

The research looks at the characteristics of Normal Concrete (NC) by testing small square blocks and larger cylindrical samples to see how they respond under pressure and strain. The flexibility of different Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) and silica fume mixtures is measured using the Saenz Model, and the results are shown in graphs comparing stress and strain. This study examines how substituting materials like GGBS and adding materials like silica fume to concrete affects its strength and environmental impact. Seven mix designs of M35 grade concrete were prepared to study strength, toughness, ability to stretch, and absorb energy, and how stress and strain are related. The results show that substituting 35% GGBS and adding 10% silica fume is best for improving the strength of NC when compressed. The suggested mathematical equations for how well NC can resist being compressed match up closely with the real-life test results. However, the measured factors show that incorporating 30% GGBS with 5% and 15% silica fume in the concrete causes more environmental harm. However, the NC without pozzolana shows a lower measure of its environmental impact, except for its contribution to climate change.
Assessment of Medical Geology from Major Element Trilinear Diagrams Cl-SO4-HCO3 and Na-K-Mg from Geothermal and Non-Geothermal Springs; Case Study the Wayang Windu Geothermal Area, West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Maria R. , Prasetio R , Shoedarto R.M , Nurohman H , Yuliyanti A. , Lestiana H. , Dida E.N. , Aminuddin  , Rahayudin Y.
Published: January 2024

Medical geology research involves the processes, deficiencies, and excessive exposure of significant elements and minerals to present solutions to health problems. Minerals from volcanic aquifers from geothermal and non-geothermal springs interest medical geology research. Major elements in source rocks essential for our health come from the rocks beneath the earth’s surface. This study aims to evaluate the medical geology of major elements in the water from volcanic aquifers in the Wayang Windu Geothermal Area. The methods used are trilinear analysis of major elements, Piper diagram, and statistical analysis. We have investigated six cold springs, four hot springs, and three dug wells surrounding the Wayang Windu geothermal area. The results of hydrochemical study and field checking identified the location of water sources that have potential uses in medical geology and balneotherapy. The primary relationship elements in the Piper Diagram defined five major water types: CaCl, MgCl, CaMgHCO3, and CaHCO3. Results from hydrochemical analyses, statistics, and trilinear diagrams were used to identify springs suitable for medical geology and balneotherapy. Hot springs with good health criteria that meet the balneotherapy requirements are found at locations H1, H2, H3, and H4. Hydrochemical data shows that hot springs in several areas of Pangalengan are suitable for bathing and body contact activities but not for drinking water. Cold springs at locations C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, and C6 meet the drinking water criteria surrounding the Wayang Windu geothermal area.
Structural Model Update on the Patuha geothermal system, West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Reski Ezidin , Amin Taufik Al , Ramadhan Yuris , Atmaja Randy Wijaya , Wilmarth Maxwell
Published: January 2024

The Patuha geothermal field is a steam-dominated geothermal system lying on a quaternary volcanic unit in West Java Province, Indonesia. The existence of manifestations in this field is interpreted from the structure control and rock deformation that generate steam production in reservoir zone. This updated study is aimed to further describe the geometry and kinematics of the geological structures model to estimate the permeable areas. The model also will explain the link between the larger tectonic framework and the detailed structure model scale in Patuha. The analysis consists of reassessment the LiDAR data, surface structure features measurement from fieldwork, and review the updated subsurface data such as feed zones, new borehole images, and re-visit the geophysical data such as microearthquakes and gravity. The surface structural interpretation is drawn from a larger area to understand the regional tectonic framework and the relation with small detail from faults and non-tectonic features. Later, the new structural framework from surface data is correlated with subsurface data that indicates permeable features, including feed zones and conductive fractures, then coupled with the geophysical data. The latter part, which concerns validating surface fault traces using subsurface data, is currently being developed and will be included in the subsequent paper. An integrated review of the geological structure of the lineament found that a strike-slip system developed in the larger Patuha area with the main fault trending NE-SW, while the accompanying fault is en-echelon faults trending relatively NNE-SSW.
Fourier-transform-only method for random phase shifting interferometry
Authors: Saltik Alperen , Saylan Sueda , Tokel Onur
Published: January 2024

An accurate and computationally simple phase shifting interferometry (PSI) method is developed to reconstruct phase maps without a priori knowledge of the phase shift. Previous methods developed for random PSI either do not address general sources of error or require complex iterative processes and increased computational time. Here we demonstrate a novel method that is able to extract the phase using only Fourier transform (FT). With spatial FT analysis, randomly phase-shifted data is reordered to allow performing temporal FT on the intensity, which is a function of the phase shift. Since the entire process, including order analysis and phase calculation, is based only on Fourier analysis, it is rapid, easy to implement, and addresses general sources of error. The method exhibits high performance in experiments containing random phase shifts. Moreover, simulations incorporating common experimental error sources such as random intensity noise, intensity harmonics, and phase shift errors demonstrate that the proposed method performs as good as or better than the state-of-the-art phase reconstruction techniques in terms of accuracy and time.
Measuring the performance of an artificial intelligence–based robot that classifies blood tubes and performs quality control in terms of preanalytical errors: A preliminary study
Authors: Şişman Ali Rıza , Başok Banu İşbilen , Karakoyun İnanç , Çolak Ayfer , Bilge Uğur , Demirci Ferhat , Başoglu Nuri
Published: January 2024

Objectives

Artificial intelligence–based robotic systems are increasingly used in medical laboratories. This study aimed to test the performance of KANKA (Labenko), a stand-alone, artificial intelligence–based robot that performs sorting and preanalytical quality control of blood tubes.

Methods

KANKA is designed to perform preanalytical quality control with respect to error control and preanalytical sorting of blood tubes. To detect sorting errors and preanalytical inappropriateness within the routine work of the laboratory, a total of 1000 blood tubes were presented to the KANKA robot in 7 scenarios. These scenarios encompassed various days and runs, with 5 repetitions each, resulting in a total of 5000 instances of sorting and detection of preanalytical errors. As the gold standard, 2 experts working in the same laboratory identified and recorded the correct sorting and preanalytical errors. The success rate of KANKA was calculated for both the accurate tubes and those tubes with inappropriate identification.

Results

KANKA achieved an overall accuracy rate of 99.98% and 100% in detecting tubes with preanalytical errors. It was found that KANKA can perform the control and sorting of 311 blood tubes per hour in terms of preanalytical errors.

Conclusions

KANKA categorizes and records problem-free tubes according to laboratory subunits while identifying and classifying tubes with preanalytical inappropriateness into the correct error sections. As a blood acceptance and tube sorting system, KANKA has the potential to save labor and enhance the quality of the preanalytical process.
Multiple augmented reduced rank regression for pan-cancer analysis
Authors: Wang Jiuzhou , Lock Eric F
Published: January 2024

Statistical approaches that successfully combine multiple datasets are more powerful, efficient, and scientifically informative than separate analyses. To address variation architectures correctly and comprehensively for high-dimensional data across multiple sample sets (ie, cohorts), we propose multiple augmented reduced rank regression (maRRR), a flexible matrix regression and factorization method to concurrently learn both covariate-driven and auxiliary structured variations. We consider a structured nuclear norm objective that is motivated by random matrix theory, in which the regression or factorization terms may be shared or specific to any number of cohorts. Our framework subsumes several existing methods, such as reduced rank regression and unsupervised multimatrix factorization approaches, and includes a promising novel approach to regression and factorization of a single dataset (aRRR) as a special case. Simulations demonstrate substantial gains in power from combining multiple datasets, and from parsimoniously accounting for all structured variations. We apply maRRR to gene expression data from multiple cancer types (ie, pan-cancer) from The Cancer Genome Atlas, with somatic mutations as covariates. The method performs well with respect to prediction and imputation of held-out data, and provides new insights into mutation-driven and auxiliary variations that are shared or specific to certain cancer types.
Efficient estimation for left-truncated competing risks regression for case-cohort studies
Authors: Fang Xi , Ahn Kwang Woo , Cai Jianwen , Kim Soyoung
Published: January 2024

The case-cohort study design provides a cost-effective study design for a large cohort study with competing risk outcomes. The proportional subdistribution hazards model is widely used to estimate direct covariate effects on the cumulative incidence function for competing risk data. In biomedical studies, left truncation often occurs and brings extra challenges to the analysis. Existing inverse probability weighting methods for case-cohort studies with competing risk data not only have not addressed left truncation, but also are inefficient in regression parameter estimation for fully observed covariates. We propose an augmented inverse probability-weighted estimating equation for left-truncated competing risk data to address these limitations of the current literature. We further propose a more efficient estimator when extra information from the other causes is available. The proposed estimators are consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. Simulation studies show that the proposed estimator is unbiased and leads to estimation efficiency gain in the regression parameter estimation. We analyze the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study data using the proposed methods.
Incorporating graph information in Bayesian factor analysis with robust and adaptive shrinkage priors
Authors: Zhang Qiyiwen , Chang Changgee , Shen Li , Long Qi
Published: January 2024

There has been an increasing interest in decomposing high-dimensional multi-omics data into a product of low-rank and sparse matrices for the purpose of dimension reduction and feature engineering. Bayesian factor models achieve such low-dimensional representation of the original data through different sparsity-inducing priors. However, few of these models can efficiently incorporate the information encoded by the biological graphs, which has been already proven to be useful in many analysis tasks. In this work, we propose a Bayesian factor model with novel hierarchical priors, which incorporate the biological graph knowledge as a tool of identifying a group of genes functioning collaboratively. The proposed model therefore enables sparsity within networks by allowing each factor loading to be shrunk adaptively and by considering additional layers to relate individual shrinkage parameters to the underlying graph information, both of which yield a more accurate structure recovery of factor loadings. Further, this new priors overcome the phase transition phenomenon, in contrast to existing graph-incorporated approaches, so that it is robust to noisy edges that are inconsistent with the actual sparsity structure of the factor loadings. Finally, our model can handle both continuous and discrete data types. The proposed method is shown to outperform several existing factor analysis methods through simulation experiments and real data analyses.
Genetics in Parkinson’s disease, state-of-the-art and future perspectives
Authors: Trevisan L , Gaudio A , Monfrini E , Avanzino L , Di Fonzo A , Mandich P
Published: January 2024

Background

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is clinically characterized by the presence of motor (bradykinesia, rigidity, rest tremor and postural instability) and non-motor symptoms (cognitive impairment, autonomic dysfunction, sleep disorders, depression and hyposmia). The aetiology of PD is unknown except for a small but significant contribution of monogenic forms.

Sources of data

No new data were generated or analyzed in support of this review.

Areas of agreement

Up to 15% of PD patients carry pathogenic variants in PD-associated genes. Some of these genes are associated with mendelian inheritance, while others act as risk factors. Genetic background influences age of onset, disease course, prognosis and therapeutic response.

Areas of controversy

Genetic testing is not routinely offered in the clinical setting, but it may have relevant implications, especially in terms of prognosis, response to therapies and inclusion in clinical trials. Widely adopted clinical guidelines on genetic testing are still lacking and open to debate. Some new genetic associations are still awaiting confirmation, and selecting the appropriate genes to be included in diagnostic panels represents a difficult task. Finally, it is still under study whether (and to which degree) specific genetic forms may influence the outcome of PD therapies.

Growing points

Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) may represent a useful tool to genetically stratify the population in terms of disease risk, prognosis and therapeutic outcomes.

Areas timely for developing research

The application of PRS and integrated multi-omics in PD promises to improve the personalized care of patients.
Reduced covariation between brain morphometry and local spontaneous activity in young children with ASD
Authors: Chen Bosi , Olson Lindsay , Rios Adriana , Salmina Madison , Linke Annika , Fishman Inna
Published: January 2024

While disruptions in brain maturation in the first years of life in ASD are well documented, little is known about how the brain structure and function are related in young children with ASD compared to typically developing peers. We applied a multivariate pattern analysis to examine the covariation patterns between brain morphometry and local brain spontaneous activity in 38 toddlers and preschoolers with ASD and 31 typically developing children using T1-weighted structural MRI and resting-state fMRI data acquired during natural sleep. The results revealed significantly reduced brain structure–function correlations in ASD. The resultant brain structure and function composite indices were associated with age among typically developing children, but not among those with ASD, suggesting mistiming of typical brain maturational trajectories early in life in autism. Additionally, the brain function composite indices were associated with the overall developmental and adaptive behavior skills in the ASD group, highlighting the neurodevelopmental significance of early local brain activity in autism.
Smelling of the mothers’ diet in amniotic fluid by adult noses
Authors: Gellrich Janine , Breidel Pauline , Birdir Cahit , Lohrer Elisabeth C , Schriever Valentin A
Published: January 2024

In this study, the transfer of odorants, namely vanilla, and garlic, into the amniotic fluid (AF) during the second trimester was investigated by examination of collected AF samples through healthy adults. Eleven AF samples were collected from pregnant women (aged 32.9 ± 4.9 yr, 16–25 wk of gestation) undergoing diagnostic amniocentesis after eating garlic oil or vanilla powder in high-fat yogurt. The control group did not receive food before amniocentesis. Two vanilla, 3 garlic, and 6 control samples were collected through amniocentesis 60–120 min after ingestion. Samples were collected at −80 °C and carefully defrosted over 12 h at the same time point. Sixteen healthy volunteers (8 males, aged 26.5 ± 5.0 yr) were asked to judge AF samples with potential garlic or vanilla odors from controls in a 2-alternative forced choice (2AFC) paradigm. Judges were able to identify vanilla in the AF samples with an estimated probability of 50%, resulting in a significant P-value of < 0.001. In contrast, the identification of garlic was unsuccessful with a P-value of 0.86, and only 2 judges were able to identify both vanilla and garlic. According to the results of this study, the vanilla odor probably passes into the amniotic fluid.
Enhancing Aspect Category Detection Through Hybridised Contextualised Neural Language Models: A Case Study In Multi-Label Text Classification
Authors: Karaoglan Kursat Mustafa , Findik Oguz
Published: January 2024

Recently, the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) has made significant progress with the evolution of Contextualised Neural Language Models (CNLMs) and the emergence of large LMs. Traditional and static language models exhibit limitations in tasks demanding contextual comprehension due to their reliance on fixed representations. CNLMs such as BERT and Semantic Folding aim to produce feature-rich representations by considering a broader linguistic context. In this paper, Deep Learning-based Aspect Category Detection approaches are introduced to perform text classification. The study extensively assesses classification model performance, emphasising enhanced representativeness and optimised feature extraction resolution using CNLMs and their hybridised variants. The effectiveness of the proposed approaches is evaluated on benchmark datasets of 4500 reviews from the laptop and restaurant domains. The results show that the proposed approaches using hybridised CNLMs outperform state-of-the-art methods with an f-score of 0.85 for the laptop and f-scores higher than 0.90 for the restaurant dataset. This study represents a pioneering work as one of the initial research efforts aiming to jointly evaluate the representation performance of CNLMs with different architectures to determine their classification capabilities. The findings indicate that the proposed approaches can enable the development of more effective classification models in various NLP tasks.
AHP DB: a reference database of proteins in the human aqueous humor
Authors: Lee Tae Jin , Goyal Arnav , Jones Garrett , Glass Joshua , Doshi Vishal , Bollinger Kathryn , Ulrich Lane , Ahmed Saleh , Kodeboyina Sai Karthik , Estes Amy , Töteberg-Harms Marc , Zhi Wenbo , Sharma Shruti , Sharma Ashok
Published: January 2024

The aqueous humor (AH) is a low-viscosity biofluid that continuously circulates from the posterior chamber to the anterior chamber of the eye. Recent advances in high-resolution mass-spectrometry workflows have facilitated the study of proteomic content in small-volume biofluids like AH, highlighting the potential clinical implications of the AH proteome. Nevertheless, in-depth investigations into the role of AH proteins in ocular diseases have encountered challenges due to limited accessibility to these workflows, difficulties in large-scale AH sample collection and the absence of a reference AH proteomic database. In response to these obstacles, and to promote further research on the involvement of AH proteins in ocular physiology and pathology, we have developed the web-based Aqueous Humor Proteomics Database (AHP DB). The current version of AHP DB contains proteomic data from 307 human AH samples, which were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The database offers comprehensive information on 1683 proteins identified in the AH samples. Furthermore, relevant clinical data are provided for each analyzed sample. Researchers also have the option to download these datasets individually for offline use, rendering it a valuable resource for the scientific community.

Database URL: https://ahp.augusta.edu/
Intestinal Epithelia and Myeloid Immune Cells Shape Colitis Severity and Colorectal Carcinogenesis via High-mobility Group Box Protein 1
Authors: Foelsch Katharina , Pelczar Penelope , Zierz Elisabeth , Kondratowicz Stephanie , Qi Minyue , Mueller Christian , Alawi Malik , Huebener Sina , Clauditz Till , Gagliani Nicola , Huber Samuel , Huebener Peter
Published: January 2024

Background

High-mobility group box protein 1 [HMGB1] is a ubiquitous nucleoprotein with immune-regulatory properties following cellular secretion or release in sterile and in infectious inflammation. Stool and serum HMGB1 levels correlate with colitis severity and colorectal cancer [CRC] progression, yet recent reports indicate that HMGB1 mainly operates as an intracellular determinant of enterocyte fate during colitis, and investigations into the roles of HMGB1 in CRC are lacking.

Methods

Using mice with conditional HMGB1-knockout in enterocytes [Hmgb1ΔIEC] and myeloid cells [Hmgb1ΔLysM], respectively, we explored functions of HMGB1 in pathogenetically diverse contexts of colitis and colitis-associated CRC.

Results

HMGB1 is overexpressed in human inflammatory bowel disease and gastrointestinal cancers, and HMGB1 protein localises in enterocytes and stromal cells in colitis and CRC specimens from humans and rodents. As previously described, enterocyte HMGB1 deficiency aggravates severe chemical-induced intestinal injury, but not Citrobacter rodentium or T cell transfer colitis in mice. HMGB1-deficient enterocytes and organoids do not exhibit deviant apoptotic or autophagic activity, altered proliferative or migratory capacity, abnormal intestinal permeability, or aberrant DSS-induced organoid inflammation in vitro. Instead, we observed altered in vivo reprogramming of both intestinal epithelia and infiltrating myeloid cells in Hmgb1ΔIEC early during colitis, suggesting HMGB1-mediated paracrine injury signalling. Hmgb1ΔIEC had higher CRC burden than wild types in the Apc+/min model, whereas inflammatory CRC was attenuated in Hmgb1ΔLysM. Cellular and molecular phenotyping of Hmgb1ΔIEC and Hmgb1ΔLysM cancers indicates context-dependent transcriptional modulation of immune signalling and extracellular matrix remodelling via HMGB1.

Conclusion

Enterocytes and myeloid cells context-dependently regulate host responses to severe colitis and maladaptive intestinal wound healing via HMGB1.
Distinctive left ventricular–arterial and right ventricular–pulmonary arterial coupling observed in patients with heart failure and a higher left ventricular ejection fraction range
Authors: Ohte Nobuyuki , Kikuchi Shohei , Iwahashi Noriaki , Kinugasa Yoshiharu , Dohi Kaoru , Takase Hiroyuki , Masai Kumiko , Inoue Katsuji , Okumura Takahiro , Hachiya Kenta , Kitada Shuichi , Seo Yoshihiro ,   EASY HFpEF investigators, Ohte Nobuyuki , Kikuchi Shohei , Iwahashi Noriaki , Kinugasa Yoshiharu , Dohi Kaoru , Takase Hiroyuki , Masai Kumiko , Inoue Katsuji , Okumura Takahiro , Hachiya Kenta , Kitada Shuichi , Seo Yoshihiro , Murohara Toyoaki , Iwano Hiroyuki , Murata Mitsushige , Yamada Hirotsugu , Kusunose Kenya , Iwataki Mai , Sugiura Emiyo , Yuda Satoshi , Suzuki Takeshi
Published: January 2024

Aims

Higher left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) is related to unfavourable prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The cause of this finding needs to be haemodynamically explained. Thus, we investigated this crucial issue from the perspective of LV–arterial (A) and right ventricular (RV)–pulmonary arterial (PA) coupling.

Methods and results

Study patients were derived from our prospective cohort study of patients hospitalized due to acute decompensated HF and LVEF > 40%. We divided the 255 patients into three groups: HF with mildly reduced EF (HFmrEF), HFpEF with 50% ≤ LVEF < 60%, and HFpEF with LVEF ≥ 60%. We compared LV end-systolic elastance (Ees), effective arterial elastance (Ea), and Ees/Ea as a representative of LV–A coupling among groups and compared the ratio of tricuspid annular plane excursion to peak pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) as a representative of RV–PA coupling. All-cause death and readmission due to HF-free survival was worse in the group with a higher LVEF range. Ees/Ea was greater in HFpEF patients with LVEF ≥ 60% (2.12 ± 0.57) than in those with 50% ≤ LVEF < 60% (1.20 ± 0.14) and those with HFmrEF (0.82 ± 0.09) (P < 0.001). PASP was increased in the groups with higher LVEF; however, TAPSE/PASP did not differ among groups (n = 168, P = 0.17). In a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model, TAPSE/PASP but not PASP was significantly related to event-free survival independent of LVEF.

Conclusion

HFpEF patients with higher LVEF have unfavourable prognosis and distinctive LV–A coupling: Ees/Ea is elevated up to 2.0 or more. Impaired RV–PA coupling also worsens prognosis in such patients.

Clinical trial registration

URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm Unique identifier: UMIN000017725.
The Political Legacy of Nazi Annexation
Authors: Cannella Mario , Makarin Alexey , Pique Ricardo
Published: January 2024

We explore the legacy of foreign state repression by using the case of the de facto annexed Nazi operational zones in Italy and a spatial regression discontinuity design. We show that the operational zones experienced harsher political persecution and violence. After the war, these exhibited greater support for radical opposition at the expense of the moderate ruling party. Consistent with a mechanism of greater distrust in the government, formerly annexed areas are more likely to vote against laws suppressing dissent and report lower political trust. These results suggest that repressive annexation, even if temporary, has enduring political and social consequences.
Day-to-day home blood pressure variability and risk of atrial fibrillation in a general Japanese population: the Hisayama Study
Authors: Maezono Akihiro , Sakata Satoko , Hata Jun , Oishi Emi , Furuta Yoshihiko , Shibata Mao , Ide Tomomi , Kitazono Takanari , Tsutsui Hiroyuki , Ninomiya Toshiharu
Published: January 2024

Aims

Several prospective studies have reported that higher visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, no studies have investigated the association between day-to-day BPV assessed by home blood pressure measurement and the development of AF.

Methods and results

A total of 2829 community-dwelling Japanese aged ≥40 years without prior AF were followed up for 10 years (2007–17). Day-to-day home BPV [defined as coefficient of variation (CoV) of home systolic blood pressure (SBP) for 28 days] was categorized into four groups according to the quartiles: Q1, ≤ 4.64%; Q2, 4.65–5.70%; Q3, 5.71–7.01%; Q4, ≥ 7.02%. The hazard ratios for developing AF were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. During the follow-up period, 134 participants developed new-onset AF. The crude incidence rates of AF increased significantly with higher CoV levels of home SBP: 2.1, 4.9, 5.2, and 8.8 per 1000 person-years in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively (P for trend < 0.01). After adjusting for potential confounders, increased CoV levels of home SBP were associated significantly with a higher risk of AF (P for trend = 0.02). The participants in the highest quartile of CoV had a 2.20-fold (95% confidence intervals: 1.18–4.08) increased risk of developing AF compared with those in the lowest quartile.

Conclusion

The present findings suggest that increased day-to-day home BPV levels are associated with a higher risk of the development of AF in a general Japanese population.
Associations Between Prior Head Injury, Physical Functioning, and Frailty in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
Authors: Hunzinger Katherine J , Walter Alexa E , Rosenthal Kimberly A , Windham B Gwen , Palta Priya , Juraschek Stephen P , Hicks Caitlin W , Gottesman Rebecca F , Schneider Andrea L C
Published: January 2024

Background

Older adults have the highest rates of head injury and are at the greatest risk for subsequent dysfunction, yet research on subsequent physical decline is limited. We sought to examine cross-sectional and prospective associations of head injury with physical functioning and frailty among older adults.

Methods

A total of 5 598 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study participants from Visit 5 (2011–13) underwent assessments of physical functioning (Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB], comprised of gait speed, chair stands, and balance) and frailty (defined using established criteria) were followed through Visit 7 (2018–19). Head injury was self-reported or based on ICD-9 codes. Adjusted linear and multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate associations. Prospective models incorporated inverse probability of attrition weights to account for death or attrition.

Results

Participants were a mean age of 75 years, 58% were women, 22% were Black, and 27% had a prior head injury. Compared to individuals without head injury, individuals with head injury had worse physical functioning (SPPB total score, β-coefficient = −0.22, 95% CI: −0.35 to −0.09) and were more likely to be pre-frail (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.35) or frail (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.80) compared to robust. Prospectively, head injury was associated with a 0.02 m/s greater decline (95% CI: −0.04 to −0.01) in gait speed over a median of 5 years. Among baseline robust individuals (n = 1 847), head injury was associated with increased odds of becoming pre-frail (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.67) or frail (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.05 to 3.51) compared to robust.

Conclusions

Older adults with prior head injury had worse physical functioning and greater frailty at baseline and were more likely to become frail and walk slower over time, compared to individuals without head injury.
Differences in Falls and Physical Activity in Older Women From Two Generations
Authors: Kwok Wing S , Khalatbari-Soltani Saman , Dolja-Gore Xenia , Byles Julie , Oliveira Juliana S , Pinheiro Marina B , Sherrington Catherine
Published: January 2024

Background

Falls and physical inactivity increase with age. However, physical activity, falls and their associations in older people born at different times are unclear.

Methods

Women born 1921–26 and 1946–51 who completed follow-up questionnaires in 1999 (n = 8 403, mean (SD) age: 75 (1) years) and 2019 (n = 7 555; 71 (1) years) in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Self-reported noninjurious and injurious falls in the previous 12 months and weekly amounts and types of physical activity (brisk walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity) were compared between the cohorts using Chi-square tests. Associations between physical activity, and noninjurious and injurious falls were estimated using multinomial logistic regressions informed by a directed acyclic graph.

Results

A greater proportion of the later (1946–51) cohort (59%) reached 150–300 minutes of weekly physical activity, as recommended by the World Health Organization, compared to the earlier (1921–26) cohort (43%, p < .001). A greater proportion of the later cohort reported noninjurious falls (14% vs 8%). Both cohorts reported similar proportions of injurious falls (1946–51:15%, 1921–26:14%). In both cohorts, participation in 150–300 minutes of physical activity was associated with lower odds of noninjurious falls (adjusted Odds Ratio, 95% CI: 1921–26: 0.66, 0.52–0.84; 1946–51: 0.78, 0.63–0.97) and injurious falls (1921–26: 0.72, 0.60–0.87; 1946–51: 0.78, 0.64–0.96).

Conclusions

Participation in recommended levels of physical activity was associated with reduced falls in both cohorts. However, generational differences were found with more falls and more physical activities in the women born later. Future studies could examine the reasons contributing to the generational differences.
Does the Impact of Episodic Memory Declines on Future Changes in Perceived Control Vary Based on Individuals’ Experience With Cognitively Demanding Jobs?
Authors: Oi Katsuya
Published: January 2024

Objectives

This study proposes and evaluates a scenario wherein cognitive demands experienced at work can amplify the positive cross-lagged association of a shift in control beliefs following changes in episodic memory.

Methods

From the Health and Retirement Study (2006–2018) for 9,998 participants aged 50 or above, we used repeated observations of memory and control beliefs, assessed with the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified (TICS-m) and self-mastery and perceived constraints questionnaires. A dual-Latent Change Score Model estimated the cross-lagged effects between memory and control beliefs, separately for individuals with prior high cognitive job demands and those without.

Results

A decline in memory led to decreased control beliefs in terms of perceived constraints, only among those with experiences in cognitively demanding jobs.

Discussion

High cognitive job demands may lead to a more cognitively oriented awareness of aging, thus amplifying the impact of memory decline on control constraints.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, constitutional interpretation, and the right to same-sex marriage
Authors: O’Brien Derek
Published: January 2024

The recent judgments of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) in Day and Another v. Government of the Cayman Islands, and Attorney General for Bermuda v. Ferguson and Others, upholding the constitutionality of laws limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, respectively, have disrupted a consensus that had been emerging amongst constitutional courts in the common law world that such laws were unconstitutional. This article critiques the JCPC’s justifications for distancing itself from this consensus and instead aligning itself with the much-criticized jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) on the issue of same-sex marriage. It will be argued that the JCPC’s decisions were based on a narrowly textual interpretation of the respective constitutions and failed to take account of the impact of the ban on same-sex marriage on the gay and lesbian communities in each jurisdiction. It will further be argued that the JCPC relied too heavily on the jurisprudence of the ECtHR and UNHRC at the expense of foundational principles such as liberty and equality. The article also considers the consequences of these decisions for the other countries over which the JCPC continues to exercise jurisdiction and which prohibit same-sex marriage, as well as for the other countries whose courts continue to be influenced by the jurisprudence of the JCPC even though it is no longer their final appellate court.
Evaluation and economic analysis of battery energy storage in smart grids with wind–photovoltaic
Authors: Yang Di , Lv Yuntong , Ji Ming , Zhao Fangchu
Published: January 2024

The large number of renewable energy sources, such as wind and photovoltaic (PV) access, poses a significant challenge to the operation of the grid. The grid must continually adjust its output to maintain the grid power balance, and replacing the grid power output by adding a battery energy storage system (BESS) is a perfect solution. Based on this, this paper first analyzes the cost components and benefits of adding BESS to the smart grid and then focuses on the cost pressures of BESS; it compares the characteristics of four standard energy storage technologies and analyzes their costs in detail. It is challenging to gain benefits from BESS consisting of lead–acid batteries or vanadium redox flow batteries, while BESS consisting of lithium-ion batteries can gain a meager number of benefits. The best-performing one is BESS, consisting of sodium-ion batteries, which can bring considerable benefits to the system and can finally analyze the feasibility of sodium-ion batteries applied to wind–PV-containing power grids. Lithium-ion batteries are widely used because of their excellent performance, and sodium-ion batteries have a similar version to lithium-ion batteries and are more suitable for grid energy storage due to their lower price and more abundant raw materials.
Periodic event-triggered formation control of multi-agent systems via complex Laplacian
Authors: Guo Xiaoya , Chen Xia , Fu Lu
Published: January 2024

The event-triggered formation control of first-order continuous multi-agent systems is studied based on complex Laplacian in this paper. Periodic event-triggered control is designed in which continuous communication between agents is not required. For each agent, two different triggering conditions are discussed. The first one relies on the inter-neighboring communication at each verification time, while the second one only need the broadcast states of neighbors at their triggering instants. According to the Lyapunov stability theory and algebraic graph theory, consensus conditions on the verification period and parameters in the triggering conditions are also provided. It is demonstrated that the maximum verification period under two triggering conditions are two times larger than the existing results. And a certain amount of communication between neighbors can be further reduced in the second one. Finally, the simulation examples prove the validity of the results proposed.
On the rate of convergence of Yosida approximation for the nonlocal Cahn–Hilliard equation
Authors: Gwiazda Piotr , Skrzeczkowski Jakub , Trussardi Lara
Published: January 2024

It is well-known that one can construct solutions to the nonlocal Cahn–Hilliard equation with singular potentials via Yosida approximation with parameter $\lambda \to 0$. The usual method is based on compactness arguments and does not provide any rate of convergence. Here, we fill the gap and we obtain an explicit convergence rate $\sqrt{\lambda }$. The proof is based on the theory of maximal monotone operators and an observation that the nonlocal operator is of Hilbert–Schmidt type. Our estimate can provide convergence result for the Galerkin methods where the parameter $\lambda $ could be linked to the discretization parameters, yielding appropriate error estimates.
Genetic evaluation of crossbred Bos indicus cow temperament at parturition
Authors: Munguía Vásquez María F , Gill Clare A , Riggs Penny K , Herring Andy D , Sanders James O , Riley David G
Published: January 2024

Cow temperament at parturition may be mostly a measure of aggressiveness. The heritability of cow temperament at parturition in Bos taurus cows has been reported to be low. The objectives of this study were to estimate the heritability of cow temperament at parturition, conduct a genome-wide association analysis of cow temperament at the time of parturition, and estimate the correspondence of cow temperament at the time of parturition with cow productive performance and early-life temperament traits in Bos indicus crossbreds. Cow temperament was assessed from 1 to 5 indicating increasing levels of aggressiveness of cows (937 cows and 4,337 parturitions) from 2005 to 2022. Estimates of heritability and repeatability were 0.12 ± 0.024 and 0.24 ± 0.018. The estimates of proportion of phenotypic variance were 0.13 ± 0.019 and 0.02 ± 0.011 for permanent and maternal permanent environmental components, respectively. Estimates of heritability for maximum lifetime temperament score and proportions of temperament scores >1 were 0.18 ± 0.07 and 0.13 ± 0.072. Within cycles (generations), 2-yr-old cows had lower temperament score means than cows in most other age categories. There were low to moderate positive estimates of unadjusted correlation coefficients (r = 0.22 to 0.29; P < 0.05) of unadjusted temperament score with temperament measured on the same females when they were 8 mo old. There were low to moderate positive estimates of correlation coefficients (r = 0.09 to 0.37; P < 0.05) of unadjusted temperament score with calving rate, weaning rate, weaning weight per cow exposed, and weaning weight per 454 kg cow weight at weaning. Cows with the lowest temperament score had lower (P < 0.05) calving and weaning rate than cows in other temperament categories. Within 3 of 5 cycles, cows with the lowest temperament score (totally docile) had lower (P < 0.05) weaning weight per cow exposed than cows in other temperament categories. There were 2 SNP on BTA 4 associated with maximum lifetime temperament score (FDR < 0.05). The non-genetic influence of a cow’s mother was documented in her own temperament measured at the time of calving; this may be a consequence of learned behavior. Less aggressiveness displayed by cows at the time of calving may be accompanied by lower reproductive and maternal performance.
An Appraisal of Pharmacotherapy-Pertinent Literature Published in 2021 and 2022 for Clinicians Caring for Patients With Thermal or Inhalation Injury
Authors: Hill David M , Reger Melissa , Todor Lorraine A , Boyd Allison N , Cogle Sarah , DeWitt Alexandra , Drabick Zachary , Faris Janie , Zavala Sarah , Adams Beatrice , Alexander Kaitlin M , Carter Kristen , Gayed Rita M , Gutenschwager David W , Hall Alexandria , Hansen Meaghan , Krantz Erica N , Pham Felix , Quan Asia N , Smith Lisa , Tran Nicolas , Walroth Todd A , Mueller Scott W
Published: January 2024

Studies focusing on pharmacotherapy interventions to aid patients after thermal injury are a minor focus in burn injury-centered studies and published across a wide array of journals, which challenges those with limited resources to keep their knowledge current. This review is a renewal of previous years’ work to facilitate extraction and review of the most recent pharmacotherapy-centric studies in patients with thermal and inhalation injury. Twenty-three geographically dispersed, board-certified pharmacists participated in the review. A Medical Subject Heading-based, filtered search returned 2336 manuscripts over the previous 2-year period. After manual review, 98 (4%) manuscripts were determined to have a potential impact on current pharmacotherapy practice. The top 10 scored manuscripts are discussed. Only 17% of those reviewed were assessed to likely have little effect on current practice. The overall impact of the current cohort was higher than previous editions of this review, which is encouraging. There remains a need for investment in well-designed, high-impact, pharmacotherapy-pertinent research for patients sustaining thermal or inhalation injuries.
Age-dependent natural killer cell and interferon γ deficits contribute to severe pertussis in infant mice
Authors: Mitchell Ashley E , Scanlon Karen M , Flowers Emily M , Jordan Cassandra M , Tibbs Ellis J , Bukowski Alicia , Gallop Danisha , Carbonetti Nicholas H
Published: January 2024

Many respiratory infections are selectively injurious to infants, yet the etiology of age-associated susceptibility is unknown. One such bacterial pathogen is Bordetella pertussis. In adult mice, innate interferon γ (IFN-γ) is produced by natural killer (NK) cells and restricts infection to the respiratory tract. In contrast, infant pertussis resembles disease in NK cell– and IFN-γ–deficient adult mice that experience disseminated lethal infection. We hypothesized that infants exhibit age-associated deficits in NK cell frequency, maturation, and responsiveness to B. pertussis, associated with low IFN-γ levels. To delineate mechanisms behind age-dependent susceptibility, we compared infant and adult mouse models of infection. Infection in infant mice resulted in impaired upregulation of IFN-γ and substantial bacterial dissemination. B. pertussis–infected infant mice displayed fewer pulmonary NK cells than adult mice. Furthermore, the NK cells in the infant mouse lungs had an immature phenotype, and the infant lung showed no upregulation of the IFN-γ–inducing cytokine IL-12p70. Adoptive transfer of adult NK cells into infants, or treatment with exogenous IFN-γ, significantly reduced bacterial dissemination. These data indicate that the lack of NK cell–produced IFN-γ significantly contributes to infant fulminant pertussis and could be the basis for other pathogen-induced, age-dependent respiratory diseases.
TEM Investigation on the Dislocation Loops in Zirconium Alloy by Neutron and Kr+ Ion Irradiation Tests
Authors: Wang Zhen , Fang Zhong-Qiang , Yan Qing-Xue , Wu Lu , Lu Chen-Yang
Published: January 2024

Neutron irradiation (E ≥ 1 MeV) and 400 keV Kr+ ion irradiation tests were carried out and compared to study the formation and growth mechanism of dislocation loops in zirconium alloys. The results show that, as the irradiation reached 1.9 × 1025 n/m2 and 1.0 × 1020 Kr+/m2, a large number of -type dislocation loops and a small amount of large-sized -type dislocations hundreds of nanometers or even micrometers in size are observed in both samples. EDS results confirmed that the concentrations of Nb and Fe in the -type dislocation loops are higher than that in the matrix. With the increases of the dislocation loop size, part of the loop structure will decompose into the twisted, small-sized dislocation lines. Between two of the small-sized dislocation lines, a cubic structure was observed.
Copy number gain of FAM131B-AS2 promotes the progression of glioblastoma by mitigating replication stress
Authors: Wang Shaobo , Qi Yanhua , Zhao Rongrong , Pan Ziwen , Li Boyan , Qiu Wei , Zhao Shulin , Guo Xiaofan , Ni Shilei , Li Gang , Xue Hao
Published: January 2024

Background

Glioblastoma (GBM) is characterized by chromosome 7 copy number gains, notably 7q34, potentially contributing to therapeutic resistance, yet the underlying oncogenes have not been fully characterized. Pertinently, the significance of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in this context has gained attention, necessitating further exploration.

Methods

FAM131B-AS2 was quantified in GBM samples and cells using qPCR. Overexpression and knockdown of FAM131B-AS2 in GBM cells were used to study its functions in vivo and in vitro. The mechanisms of FAM131B-AS2 were studied using RNA-seq, qPCR, Western blotting, RNA pull-down, coimmunoprecipitation assays, and mass spectrometry analysis. The phenotypic changes that resulted from FAM131B-AS2 variation were evaluated through CCK8 assay, EdU assay, comet assay, and immunofluorescence.

Results

Our analysis of 149 primary GBM patients identified FAM131B-AS2, a lncRNA located in the 7q34 region, whose upregulation predicts poor survival. Mechanistically, FAM131B-AS2 is a crucial regulator of the replication stress response, stabilizing replication protein A1 through recruitment of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 7 and activating the ataxia telangiectasia and rad3-related protein kinase pathway to protect single-stranded DNA from breakage. Furthermore, FAM131B-AS2 overexpression inhibited CD8+ T-cell infiltration, while FAM131B-AS2 inhibition activated the cGAS-STING pathway, increasing lymphocyte infiltration and improving the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Conclusions

FAM131B-AS2 emerges as a promising indicator for adjuvant therapy response and could also be a viable candidate for combined immunotherapies against GBMs.