bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
40 years neonatology
Authors: Pollak Arnold
Published: April 2024

Background

A complete review of the development of neonatology in the last 40 years would probably require a compendium with several volumes, to bring to view the remarkable improvements in survival rates and neurodevelopmental outcomes of ill babies in Austria, most industrial countries and to some extent worldwide. The challenge I had to solve here was to integrate my own contributions to the field of neonatology during this period and particularly the contributions of my team from the Division of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescence Medicine, Medical University Vienna where I was working first as an intern and resident and later had the privilege to become head of department.

Aim

This very personal review was conceived to showcase the milestones of neonatology where, in my opinion, our department made some meaningful contributions in research and clinical practice during the past 40 years.

Methods

A total of 10 areas of interest were selected which most likely influenced survival rates of preterm infants born at increasingly younger gestational ages and ameliorated long-term clinical and neurodevelopmental outcomes, including:

1) Construction and continuous modernization of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). 2) Installation of the “Regionalization Program for NICUs in Vienna”. 3) Treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) of premature babies. 4) Fine tuning of glucose metabolism for growth and outcome. 5) Neurodevelopmental care. 6) Neonatal hematology. 7) Infection control. 8) The toxoplasma screening program. 9) The newborn screening program. 10) Quality control: the Vermont Oxford Neonatal Network (VONN).

Results

Over the past four decades advancements in research and technology have allowed a transformative development of neonatal medicine. Survival rates without increased morbidity for very premature infants with gestational ages reaching to what we consider nowadays the border of viability have constantly increased. In my professional life as a neonatologist in Austria I have had the possibility to support and shape some of these developments together with my team.

Conclusion

As we look ahead it is imperative to build upon the progress made, harnessing the power of science and technology to further improve the survival and quality of life for preterm infants in Austria and worldwide. At the same time, neonatology must continue to prioritize ethical reflection and education, fostering a culture of integrity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of guidelines and protocols that uphold ethical standards while addressing the evolving needs and complexities of neonatal medicine.
Exploring deep echo state networks for image classification: a multi-reservoir approach
Authors: López-Ortiz E. J. , Perea-Trigo M. , Soria-Morillo L. M. , Sancho-Caparrini F. , Vegas-Olmos J. J.
Published: April 2024

Echo state networks (ESNs) belong to the class of recurrent neural networks and have demonstrated robust performance in time series prediction tasks. In this study, we investigate the capability of different ESN architectures to capture spatial relationships in images without transforming them into temporal sequences. We begin with three pre-existing ESN-based architectures and enhance their design by incorporating multiple output layers, customising them for a classification task. Our investigation involves an examination of the behaviour of these modified networks, coupled with a comprehensive performance comparison against the baseline vanilla ESN architecture. Our experiments on the MNIST data set reveal that a network with multiple independent reservoirs working in parallel outperforms other ESN-based architectures for this task, achieving a classification accuracy of 98.43%. This improvement on the classical ESN architecture is accompanied by reduced training times. While the accuracy of ESN-based architectures lags behind that of convolutional neural network-based architectures, the significantly lower training times of ESNs with multiple reservoirs operating in parallel make them a compelling choice for learning spatial relationships in scenarios prioritising energy efficiency and rapid training. This multi-reservoir ESN architecture overcomes standard ESN limitations regarding memory requirements and training times for large networks, providing more accurate predictions than other ESN-based models. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the potential of ESNs as a tool for image classification.
Machine learning-based stock picking using value investing and quality features
Authors: Priel Ronen , Rokach Lior
Published: April 2024

Value Investing stands as one of the most time-honored strategies for long-term equity investment in financial markets, specifically in the domain of stocks. The essence of this approach lies in the estimation of a company's "intrinsic value," which serves as an investor's most refined gage of the company's true worth. Once the investor arrives at an estimation of the intrinsic value for a given company, she proceeds to contemplate purchasing the company's stocks solely if the prevailing market price of the stocks significantly deviates below the estimated intrinsic value, thus presenting an enticing buying opportunity. This deviation, referred to as the "margin of safety," represents the disparity between the intrinsic value and the current market capitalization of the company. Within the scope of this endeavor, our objective is to automate the stock selection process for value investing across a vast spectrum of US companies. To accomplish this, we harness a combination of value-investing principles and quality features derived from historical financial reports and market capitalization data, thereby enabling the identification of favorable value-driven opportunities. Our methodology entails the utilization of an ensemble of classifiers, where the class is determined as a function of the margin of safety. Consequently, the model is trained to discern stocks that exhibit value characteristics warranting investment. Remarkably, our model attains a success rate surpassing 80%, effectively identifying stocks capable of yielding an annualized return of 15% within a three-year timeframe from the recommended stock purchase date provided by the model.
Few-shot classification of ultrasound breast cancer images using meta-learning algorithms
Authors: Işık Gültekin , Paçal İshak
Published: April 2024

Medical datasets often have a skewed class distribution and a lack of high-quality annotated images. However, deep learning methods require a large amount of labeled data for classification. In this study, we present a few-shot learning approach for the classification of ultrasound breast cancer images using meta-learning methods. We used prototypical networks and model agnostic meta-learning (MAML) algorithms as meta-learning methods. The breast ultrasound images (BUSI) dataset, which has three classes and is difficult to use in meta-learning, was used for meta-testing in a cross-domain approach along with other datasets for meta-training. Our proposed approach yielded an accuracy range of 0.882–0.889, achieved by implementing the ResNet50 backbone with ProtoNet in a 10-shot setting. These results represent a significant improvement ranging from 6.27 to 7.10% over the baseline accuracy of 0.831. The results showed that ProtoNet outperformed the MAML method for all k-shot settings. In addition, the use of ResNet models as the backbone network for feature extraction was found to be more successful than the use of a four-layer convolutional model. Our proposed method is the first attempt to apply meta-learning for few-shot classification in the BUSI dataset while providing higher accuracy compared to deep learning methods for medical images with small-scale datasets and few classes. The methodology used in this study can be adapted to other datasets with similar problems.
Integrating facies, mineralogy, and paleomagnetism to constrain the age and provenance of Paleozoic siliciclastic sedimentary rocks along the northern Gondwana margin: insights from the Araba and Naqus formations in western Gulf of Suez, Egypt
Authors: Al-Nashar Ashraf M. , Hafez Nabil A. Abdel , El-Moghny Mohamed W. Abd , Awad Ahmed , Farouk Sherif , Ayyad Haitham M.
Published: April 2024

The depositional ages and provenance of the Paleozoic Araba and Naqus Formations along the northern Gondwanan margin in Egypt have remained uncertain due to a lack of index fossils. Resolving this issue is crucial for understanding regional geology during deposition and subsequent tectonic development. We integrate detailed facies analysis, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), paleomagnetism, and mineralogical data to elucidate the genesis and depositional ages of the Araba and Naqus Formations. Petrographic analyses identified seven distinct facies types, providing insights into sedimentary textures, maturity, and sources, with contributions from igneous and metamorphic sources indicated by heavy minerals. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis identified accessory minerals such as quartz, goethite, kaolinite, hematite, and anatase. Paleomagnetism isolated two magnetic components (CA and CN) providing the first robust paleo pole positions at Lat. = 70.8° N, Long. = 308.2° E and Lat. = 37.8° N, Long. = 233.1° E, indicating Cambrian and Carboniferous ages for the Araba and Naqus formations, respectively. Thermal demagnetization constrained these dates using established polarity timescales. Mineralogical data indicated that the Araba Formation originated from an igneous source, while the Naqus Formation had a mixed metamorphic-igneous provenance. The integrated AMS and paleomagnetic data reveal evidence of post-depositional deformation. Specifically, the clustering of maximum AMS axes in the NW–SE direction for both formations, suggests the initial presence of a primary depositional fabric. However, prevalent tectonic activity during the Cenozoic appears to have overprinted and modified this fabric through deformation related to rifting of the Gulf of Suez region. Through this novel multi-proxy approach, we have resolved long-standing uncertainties regarding the formations' depositional ages. Our study thereby provides the first chronostratigraphic framework for these strategically important sedimentary units, significantly advancing understanding of regional Paleozoic geology.

Graphical abstract
Clinical effectiveness of cefiderocol for the treatment of bloodstream infections due to carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii during the COVID-19 era: a single center, observational study
Authors: Oliva Alessandra , Liguori L , Covino S , Petrucci F , Cogliati-Dezza F , Curtolo A , Savelloni G , Comi M , Sacco F , Ceccarelli G , Viscido A , Alessandri F , Raponi G , Pugliese F , Mastroianni CM , Venditti M
Published: April 2024

Background

We assessed the clinical effectiveness of cefiderocol (CFDC) in comparison with colistin (COL) for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) bloodstream infections (BSI).

Materials/methods

Retrospective cohort study including adults with CRAB-BSI. Outcomes were mortality, clinical cure and adverse events during therapy. The average treatment effect of CFDC compared to COL was weighted with the inverse-probability treatment weight (IPTW).

Results

Overall, 104 patients were included (50 CFDC, 54 COL), median age 66.5 years, median Charlson Comorbidity Index 5, septic shock in 33.6% of patients. Primary BSI accounted for 43.3% of cases, followed by ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) (26%), catheter-related BSI (20.2%) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) (9.6%). Although not significantly, mortality at all time points was lower for CFDC than COL, while clinical cure was higher in CFDC than COL (66% vs. 44.4%, p = 0.027). Adverse events were more frequent in COL than CFDC-group (38.8% vs. 10%, p < 0.0001), primarily attributed to acute kidney injury (AKI) in the COL group. Patients with bacteremic HAP/VAP treated with CFDC had a significant lower 30-d mortality and higher clinical cure than COL (p = 0.008 and p = 0.0008, respectively). Increment of CCI (p = 0.005), ICU (p = 0.025), SARS-CoV2 (p = 0.006) and ECMO (p < 0.0001) were independently associated with 30-d mortality, while receiving CFDC was not associated with survival.

Conclusions

CFDC could represent an effective and safe treatment option for CRAB BSI, especially in patients with bacteremic HAP/VAP and frail patients where the risk of acute renal failure during therapy should be avoided.
International consensus on the management of metastatic gastric cancer: step by step in the foggy landscape
Authors: Morgagni Paolo , Bencivenga Maria , Carneiro Fatima , Cascinu Stefano , Derks Sarah , Di Bartolomeo Maria , Donohoe Claire , Eveno Clarisse , Gisbertz Suzanne , Grimminger Peter , Gockel Ines , Grabsch Heike , Kassab Paulo , Langer Rupert , Lonardi Sara , Maltoni Marco , Markar Sheraz , Moehler Markus , Marrelli Daniele , Mazzei Maria Antonietta , Melisi Davide , Milandri Carlo , Moenig Paul Stefan , Mostert Bianca , Mura Gianni , Polkowski Wojciech , Reynolds John , Saragoni Luca , Van Berge Henegouwen Mark I. , Van Hillegersberg Richard , Vieth Michael , Verlato Giuseppe , Torroni Lorena , Wijnhoven Bas , Tiberio Guido Alberto Massimo , Yang Han-Kwang , Roviello Franco , de Manzoni Giovanni ,   Bertinoro Workshop Working Group
Published: April 2024

Background

Many gastric cancer patients in Western countries are diagnosed as metastatic with a median overall survival of less than twelve months using standard chemotherapy. Innovative treatments, like targeted therapy or immunotherapy, have recently proved to ameliorate prognosis, but a general agreement on managing oligometastatic disease has yet to be achieved. An international multi-disciplinary workshop was held in Bertinoro, Italy, in November 2022 to verify whether achieving a consensus on at least some topics was possible.

Methods

A two-round Delphi process was carried out, where participants were asked to answer 32 multiple-choice questions about CT, laparoscopic staging and biomarkers, systemic treatment for different localization, role and indication of palliative care. Consensus was established with at least a 67% agreement.

Results

The assembly agreed to define oligometastases as a “dynamic” disease which either regresses or remains stable in response to systemic treatment. In addition, the definition of oligometastases was restricted to the following sites: para-aortic nodal stations, liver, lung, and peritoneum, excluding bones. In detail, the following conditions should be considered as oligometastases: involvement of para-aortic stations, in particular 16a2 or 16b1; up to three technically resectable liver metastases; three unilateral or two bilateral lung metastases; peritoneal carcinomatosis with PCI ≤ 6. No consensus was achieved on how to classify positive cytology, which was considered as oligometastatic by 55% of participants only if converted to negative after chemotherapy.

Conclusion

As assessed at the time of diagnosis, surgical treatment of oligometastases should aim at R0 curativity on the entire disease volume, including both the primary tumor and its metastases. Conversion surgery was defined as surgery on the residual volume of disease, which was initially not resectable for technical and/or oncological reasons but nevertheless responded to first-line treatment.
Materials for sustainable metallic iron-based water filters: a review
Authors: Xiao Minhui , Hu Rui , Gwenzi Willis , Tao Ran , Cui Xuesong , Yang Huichen , Noubactep Chicgoua
Published: April 2024

Water pollution is calling for a sustainable remediation method such as the use of metallic iron (Fe0) to reduce and filter some pollutants, yet the reactivity and hydraulic conductivity of iron filters decline over time under field conditions. Here we review iron filters with focus on metallic corrosion in porous media, flaws in designing iron filters, next-generation filters and perspectives such as safe drinking water supply, iron for anaemia control and coping with a reactive material. We argue that assumptions sustaining the design of current Fe0filters are not valid because proposed solutions address the issues of declining iron reactivity and hydraulic conductivity separately. Alternatively, a recent approach suggest that each individual Fe0atom corroding within a filter contributes to both reactivity and permeability loss. This approach applies well to alternative iron materials such as bimetallics, composites, hybrid aggregates, e.g. Fe0/sand, and nano-Fe0. Characterizing the intrinsic reactivity of individual Fe0materials is a prerequisite to designing sustainable filters. Indeed, Fe0ratio, Fe0type, Fe0shape, initial porosity, e.g. pore size and pore size distribution, and nature and size of admixing aggregates, e.g. pumice, pyrite and sand, are interrelated parameters which all influence the generation and accumulation of iron corrosion products. Fe0should be characterized in long-term experiments, e.g. 12 months or longer, for Fe dissolution, H2generation and removal of contaminants in three media, i.e., tap water, spring water and saline water, to allow reactivity comparison and designing field-scale filters.
Simultaneous Detection of Grapevine Viruses via Multiplex Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction: An Academic Approach
Authors: Güller Hilal Kartal , Paylan İsmail Can
Published: April 2024

Grapevine viruses pose a significant threat to the viticulture industry, resulting in reduced grape yield, poor fruit quality, and economic loss. Accurate and timely detection of multiple viruses are essential for effective disease management and the implementation of appropriate control measures. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), grapevine leafroll-associated virus‑1 (GLRaV-1), arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), and grapevine virus A (GVA) in 320 plant samples collected from the Aegean region of Turkey using the powerful technique of multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Through comprehensive analysis, 119 of the 320 infected samples were identified using PCR. The distribution of the detected viruses revealed the presence of 28 GFLV, 31 GLRaV‑1, 12 GFkV, 21 GVA, and 27 ArMV. By comprehensively analyzing the samples, the researchers were able to simultaneously detect and identify the target viruses using a single, cost-effective assay. These results reveal the prevalence and distribution of these viruses in the Aegean region, providing valuable insights into the viral landscape of grapevines in this important viticultural area. The high detection rates of these viruses highlight the urgent need for improved disease management strategies to safeguard vine health and productivity.
Influence of abiotic factors on diapause termination and temperature requirements for postdiapause development in the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Martínez-Villar E. , López-Manzanares B. , Legarrea S. , Pérez-Moreno I. , Marco-Mancebón V. S.
Published: April 2024

The European red mite Panonychus ulmi (Koch) is widely distributed and it can severely affect pome fruit crops, particularly apple. Pest outbreaks are related to an overuse of non-selective pesticide treatments that lead to the development of resistance and the absence of natural enemies in the orchard. A key aspect to optimize the use of pesticide treatments in the context of IPM is to increase the knowledge on the biology and ecology of the pest to better predict population dynamics and outbreaks. For the European red mite, knowledge on the conditions that lead to diapause breaking by winter eggs is essential to model population dynamics. To increase this knowledge, winter eggs were collected during field surveys in northen Spain during three years and egg hatching was monitored under controlled temperature and photoperiod conditions in the laboratory. The “number of days exposed to cold temperatures” was the most significant factor that positively affected hatching of overwintering eggs. The time required for 50% of the egg population to hatch (T50%) was also negatively modulated by the duration of exposure to cold temperature. The temperature threshold for postdiapause eggs development collected from the field was estimated between 5 and 6 ºC in 2005 and 2007, respectively. Moreover, the degree-days required for post diapause development were estimated between 263.2 and 270.3, depending on the year of collection. Collectively, we provide additional information on the diapause termination and postdiapause development of the European red mite that may effectively contribute to optimize pest population models.
“I Feel Like a Fraud Who Acts Like a Feminist”: The Discussion Themes and Sexual Scripts in the Porn Free Women Online Forum
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Silva David E.
Published: April 2024

Research on online pornography abstinence movements has predominantly focused on men’s perspectives, often within the context of the broader manosphere. This focus has overshadowed the unique experiences and viewpoints of women in these movements. Our study aimed to fill this gap by exploring women-centric perspectives in pornography abstinence forums, particularly Porn Free Women (r/pornfreewomen). Using a mixed methods approach, this study examined the sexual scripts presented in women-dominated pornography abstinence communities. Our structural topic modeling analysis delineated the interplay of therapeutic, heteronormative, and empowerment themes that were evident in women’s narratives and expressions. Further, our discourse analysis elucidated three specific scripts: the addiction script, the heterosexual script, and the liberation script. These interweaving narratives show that discussions of women’s pornography abstinence are multifaceted and include a variety of perspectives to negotiate. These results contribute to a nuanced understanding of the values of health and well-being, sexual liberation, and feminism within women’s pornography abstinence communities.
Regional and Country Prevalence Estimates of Unsafe Sex Among Adolescents in 68 Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Leung Janni , Lim Carmen , Belete Habte , Mcclure-Thomas Caitlin , Foo Shaun , Chan Gary Chung Kai
Published: April 2024

Prioritizing adolescent health is a public health priority to achieve the sustainable development goals, including reducing the risk of unsafe sex. Data on unsafe sex have remained scarce among adolescents in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). To estimate the prevalence of unsafe sex in LMICs, we conducted secondary data analysis on the Global School-based Student Health Surveys among 244,863 students aged 13–17 years from 68 countries across five World Health Organization regions. The overall prevalence of ever had sex was 16.2%. The highest to lowest regional prevalence estimation of ever had sex was 30.5% (28.9–32.1) in the Americas, 28.6% (26.8–30.4) in Africa, 10.9% (9.2–12.6) in the Eastern Mediterranean, 9.6% (8.8–10.5) in South-East Asia, and 8.0% (6.8–9.1) in the Western Pacific. The highest prevalence of sexual intercourse before age 14 and practicing sexual intercourse without condom use were 36.5% (34.5–38.5) and 32.2% (30.1–34.3) in Africa, respectively. Findings suggest that current interventions are inadequate in promoting the uptake of safe sexual behaviors and an urgent intervention is needed.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cN0 breast cancer patients: impact on axillary morbidity and survival—a propensity score cohort study
Authors: Fernandez-Gonzalez Sergi , Falo Catalina , Pla Maria J. , Campos Miriam , Ortega-Exposito Carlos , Ortega Raul , Vicente Maria , Petit Ana , Bosch-Schips Jan , Bajen Maria Teresa , Reyes Gabriel , Martínez Evelyn , González-Viguera Javier , Peñafiel Judith , Stradella Agostina , Pernas Sonia , Ponce Jordi , Garcia-Tejedor Amparo
Published: April 2024

Purpose

In patients with clinically lymph node-negative (cN0) breast cancer, performing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) has been preferentially embraced in comparison to before NACT. However, survival outcomes associated with both strategies remain understudied. We aimed to compare the axillary lymphadenectomy (ALND) rate, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS), between two strategies.

Methods

We included 310 patients in a retrospective observational study. SNLB was performed before NACT from December 2006 to April 2014 (107 cases) and after NACT from May 2014 to May 2020 (203 patients). An inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method was applied to homogenize both groups. Hazard ratios (HR) and odd ratios (OR) are reported with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).

Results

The lymphadenectomy rate was 29.9% before NACT and 7.4% after NACT (p < 0.001), with an OR of 5.35 95%CI (2.7–10.4); p = .002. After 4 years of follow-up, SLNB after NACT was associated with lower risk for DFS, HR 0.42 95%CI (0.17–1.06); p = 0.066 and better OS, HR 0.21 CI 95% (0.07–0.67); p = 0.009 than SLNB before NACT. After multivariate analysis, independent adverse prognostic factors for OS included SLNB before NACT, HR 3.095 95%CI (2.323–4.123), clinical nonresponse to NACT, HR 1.702 95% CI (1.012–2.861), and small tumors (cT1) with high proliferation index, HR 1.889 95% (1.195–2.985).

Conclusion

Performing SLNB before NACT results in more ALND and has no benefit for patient survival. These findings support discontinuing the practice of SLNB before NACT in patients with cN0 breast cancer.
A comparative analysis of deep learning-based location-adaptive threshold method software against other commercially available software
Authors: Park Daebeom , Park Eun-Ah , Jeong Baren , Lee Whal
Published: April 2024

Automatic segmentation of the coronary artery using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images can facilitate several analyses related to coronary artery disease (CAD). Accurate segmentation of the lumen or plaque region is one of the most important factors. This study aimed to analyze the performance of the coronary artery segmentation of a software platform with a deep learning-based location-adaptive threshold method (DL-LATM) against commercially available software platforms using CCTA. The dataset from intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) of 26 vessel segments from 19 patients was used as the gold standard to evaluate the performance of each software platform. Statistical analyses (Pearson correlation coefficient [PCC], intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], and Bland-Altman plot) were conducted for the lumen or plaque parameters by comparing the dataset of each software platform with IVUS. The software platform with DL-LATM showed the bias closest to zero for detecting lumen volume (mean difference = -9.1 mm3, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -18.6 to 0.4 mm3) or area (mean difference = -0.72 mm2, 95% CI = -0.80 to -0.64 mm2) with the highest PCC and ICC. Moreover, lumen or plaque area in the stenotic region was analyzed. The software platform with DL-LATM showed the bias closest to zero for detecting lumen (mean difference = -0.07 mm2, 95% CI = -0.16 to 0.02 mm2) or plaque area (mean difference = 1.70 mm2, 95% CI = 1.37 to 2.03 mm2) in the stenotic region with significantly higher correlation coefficient than other commercially available software platforms (p < 0.001). The result shows that the software platform with DL-LATM has the potential to serve as an aiding system for CAD evaluation.
Clinical characteristics, imaging findings, management, and outcomes of patients with scimitar syndrome at a tertiary referral healthcare center in Colombia
Authors: Aristizabal Ana M. , Guzmán-Serrano Carlos A. , Mondol-Villamil Nancy Vanessa , Bolaños-Vallejo Lina Maria , Mejia-Quiñones Valentina , Recio-Gómez Maria Alejandra , García-Pretelt Enrique Carlos , Mejía-González Mauricio , Alvarez Walter Mosquera , Gutiérrez-Gil Jaiber Alberto
Published: April 2024

Scimitar Syndrome is part of a complex spectrum of congenital cardiovascular anomalies related to anomalous pulmonary venous return. Depending on the extent of involvement, treatment can be either expectant or surgical. Prognosis and survival have been controversial, with some results supporting early surgical management. This research aims to disclose the outcomes and describe the management, clinical and imaging characteristics of patients diagnosed with Scimitar Syndrome treated in a tertiary referral healthcare center. Longitudinal descriptive observational study. The study included all patients diagnosed with scimitar syndrome in our institution between January/2011 and December/2022. A description of the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, diagnostic tools used, treatment features, and patient outcomes is provided. Eleven patients were included, with a mean age at diagnosis of five years (CI 0–17), six of which were female (54.55%). Nine (81.82%) patients had evidence of a scimitar vein on the chest radiograph, six (54.55%) cardiac dextroposition, six (54.55%) pulmonary hypoplasia, five (45.45%) right pulmonary artery hypoplasia, and three (27.27%) had aortopulmonary collaterals. Four (36.36%) patients had horseshoe lungs, and four (36.36%) had bronchopulmonary sequestration. In the associations, two (18.18%) patients were found to have an atrial septal defect, three (27.27%) ventricular septal defect, and one (9%) had Tetralogy of Fallot. Pulmonary hypertension was demonstrated in two (18.18%) patients. Seven (63.64%) required surgical management to correct the scimitar vein, and two patients died due to unrelated complications. Scimitar syndrome presents diagnostic and treatment challenges, necessitating a multidisciplinary approach for timely care. Chest radiography and CT scans are primary diagnostic tools, with surgical intervention often warranted alongside other heart defects or significant hemodynamic repercussions. Medical management is effective for mild to moderate cases. Long-term patient outcomes remain uncertain due to study limitations, but improved life expectancy is anticipated with ongoing care.
Fatigue crack growth of WC–Co cemented carbides: a comparative study using small indentation flaws and long through-thickness cracks
Authors: Mahani S. Fooladi , Liu C. , García-Marro F. , Lin L. L. , Cabezas L. , Wen X. , Mansilla N. , Llanes L.
Published: April 2024

The fatigue crack growth behavior of a submicron-grained WC–Co hardmetal is investigated by artificially introducing small flaws by means of sharp indentation. Similar fatigue testing is also conducted on notched specimens with long through-thickness cracks for comparison purposes. The use of controlled small indentations flaws is shown to be a valid and successful approach for studying and describing crack growth behavior under cyclic loading for the material under consideration. This statement is based on the similitude found in fatigue mechanics and mechanisms between both crack types. Regarding the former, accounting of the indentation-induced residual stresses is key to rationalize the experimental findings. Concerning the latter, inspection of crack-microstructure interaction as well as fracture surfaces permit to discern similar features and scenarios, at both meso- and micrometric length scales. Results from this research yield an immediate practical implication, as indentation techniques may then be proposed as an alternative testing route for investigating fatigue crack growth behavior of hardmetal grades where sharp indentation is capable to induce well-developed radial crack systems.
The role of dimension and electric charge on a collapsing geometry in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity
Authors: Brassel Byron P.
Published: April 2024

The analysis of the continual gravitational contraction of a spherically symmetric shell of charged radiation is extended to higher dimensions in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity. The spacetime metric, which is of Boulware–Deser type, is real only up to a maximum electric charge and thus collapse terminates with the formation of a branch singularity. This branch singularity divides the higher dimensional spacetime into two regions, a real and physical one, and a complex region. This is not the case in neutral Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity as well as general relativity. The charged gravitational collapse process is also similar for all dimensions $$N\ge 5$$

N
≥
5

unlike in the neutral scenario where there is a marked difference between the $$N=5$$

N
=
5

and $$N>5$$

N
>
5

cases. In the case where $$N=5$$

N
=
5

uncharged collapse ceases with the formation of a weaker, conical singularity which remains naked for a time depending on the Gauss–Bonnet invariant, before succumbing to an event horizon. The similarity of charged collapse for all higher dimensions is a unique feature in the theory. The sufficient conditions for the formation of a naked singularity are studied for the higher dimensional charged Boulware–Deser spacetime. For particular choices of the mass and charge functions, naked branch singularities are guaranteed and indeed inevitable in higher dimensional Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity. The strength of the naked branch singularities is also tested and it is found that these singularities become stronger with increasing dimension, and no extension of spacetime through them is possible.
Does the introduction of streamlight decrease refractive surgery operating time?
Authors: Kanclerz Piotr , Przewłócka Katarzyna , Mimouni Michael
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The aim of the study was to analyze the time-savings associated with introduction of Streamlight™ (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX, USA) transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in surface corneal ablations.

Methods

All refractive surgeries were performed using the Alcon WaveLight® EX500 at the ArtLife Clinic, Gdańsk, Poland. The study included patients treated for refractive errors with transepithelial PRK between April 2019 and October 2021, who were matched with patients treated with alcohol-assisted PRK during the same period. Only results for the left eye were analyzed.

Results

One-hundred-five patients underwent transepithelial PRK (age 33.42 ± 8.67 years) and were matched with 105 patients that underwent alcohol-assisted PRK (age 33.05 ± 10.16 years;p = 0.11). The mean preoperative spherical equivalent refraction was − 2.04 ± 2.28 D, and − 1.9 ± 1.71 D for the transepithelial and alcohol-assisted PRK group, respectively (p = 0.20). The total surgery time was non-significantly shorter in transepithelial PRK (349.46 ± 47.83 s) than in alcohol-assisted PRK (354.93 ± 137.63 s;p = 0.7); however, the variance of surgical time was significantly lower in transepithelial PRK (p < 0.001). The laser treatment duration was greater in transepithelial PRK (41.78 ± 17.2 s) than in alcohol-assisted PRK (8.48 ± 6.12 s;p < 0.001), and so was the number of breaks during the laser treatment (0.95 ± 0.63 vs. 0.53 ± 0.88, respectively;p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The introduction of transepithelial PRK did not bring significant time-associated savings into the refractive surgery suite.
Adaptive Non-singular Fast Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Car-Like Vehicles with Faded Neighborhood Information and Actuator Faults
Authors: Hussein Mahmoud , Zhang Youmin , Liu Zhaoheng
Published: April 2024

This study addresses the problem of cooperative control design for a group of car-like vehicles encountering fading channels, actuator faults, and external disturbances. It is presumed that certain followers lack direct access to the states of the leader via a directed graph. This arises challenges in maintaining synchronization and coordination within the network. The proposed control strategy utilizes non-singular fast terminal sliding mode control to accelerate consensus tracking and enhance the convergence of the overall system. This controller is designed to mitigate the impact of actuator faults in the presence of fading channels in the communication network. The effects of such issues on team performance are rigorously analyzed. Based on the Lyapunov stability principle, it has been demonstrated that the controller is capable of providing satisfactory performance for the entire system despite these challenges. Moreover, vehicle synchronization can be effectively maintained. Numerical simulations are conducted to verify the theoretical findings.
Exploring various Integration Methods of carbon quantum dots in CsPbCl3 perovskite solar cells for enhanced power conversion efficiency
Authors: Sawires Eman F. , Ismail Zahraa , Samir Mona , Agour Ahmed M. , Amer Fathy Z. , Nageh Hassan , Abdellatif Sameh O.
Published: April 2024

In this study, we explore the integration of carbon quantum dots (QDs) in cesium lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) across the electron transport layer (ETL), hole transport layer (HTL), and the perovskite absorber to enhance power conversion efficiency (PCE). We conduct a comprehensive investigation from thin film analysis to complete device characterization, encompassing eight different device topologies. Our results reveal that the integration of QDs in various layers significantly impacts the performance of the PSCs. Notably, adding QDs in the HTL and ETL improves charge transport and reduces recombination, enhancing device efficiency. Furthermore, introducing QDs in the perovskite layer leads to modifications in the energy landscape, reducing charge trapping and enhancing stability. We observe a trade-off between short-circuit current and overall PCE, with different QD integration strategies yielding distinct performance outcomes. Additionally, incorporating QDs in the ETL layer reduces hysteresis, attributed to mitigated ion migration and charge-trapping effects. Overall, the addition of QDs in these layers demonstrates improved charge transport, reduced recombination, and enhanced stability, ultimately contributing to the enhanced performance and efficiency of perovskite solar cells, reaching 22.5%. This study paves the way for future investigations into the potential of QDs in PSC technology and their impact on device forecasting and operational stability.
Silymarin and MSC-exosomes ameliorate thioacetamide-evoked renal fibrosis by inhibiting TGF-β/SMAD pathway in rats
Authors: Mekawy Dina Mohamed , Sabry Dina , Sabry Rania Mohamed , Abozeid Naglaa F.
Published: April 2024

Background

TGF-β1 and SMAD3 are particularly pathogenic in the progression of renal fibrosis.

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the kidney protective potentials of silymarin (SM) and exosomes of mesenchymal stem cells against the nephrotoxin thioacetamide (TAA) in rats.

Methods

32 female rats were randomly assigned into four groups: the control group, the TAA group, the TAA + SM group, and the TAA + Exosomes group. The kidney homogenates from all groups were examined for expression levels of TGF-β receptors I and II using real-time PCR, expression levels of collagen type I and CTGF proteins using ELISA, and the expression levels of nuclear SMAD2/3/4, cytoplasmic SMAD2/3, and cytoplasmic SMAD4 proteins using the western blot technique.

Results

Compared to the control group, the injection of TAA resulted in a significant increase in serum levels of urea and creatinine, gene expression levels of TβRI and TβRII, protein expression levels of both collagen I and CTGF proteins, cytoplasmic SMAD2/3 complex, and nuclear SMAD2/3/4 (p-value < 0.0001), with significantly decreased levels of the co-SMAD partner, SMAD4 (p-value < 0.0001). Those effects were reversed considerably in both treatment groups, with the superiority of the exosomal treatment regarding the SMAD proteins and the expression levels of the TβRI gene, collagen I, and CTGF proteins returning to near-control values (p-value > 0.05).

Conclusion

Using in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches, the research discovered a reno-protective role of silymarin and exosomes of BM-MSCs after thioacetamide-induced renal fibrosis in rats, with the advantage of exosomes.
The RAS oncogene in brain tumors and the involvement of let-7 microRNA
Authors: Messina Samantha
Published: April 2024

RAS oncogenes are master regulator genes in many cancers. In general, RAS-driven cancers have an oncogenic RAS mutation that promotes disease progression (colon, lung, pancreas). In contrast, brain tumors are not necessarily RAS-driven cancers because RAS mutations are rarely observed. In particular, glioblastomas (the most lethal brain tumor) do not appear to have dominant genetic mutations that are suitable for targeted therapy. Standard treatment for most brain tumors continues to focus on maximal surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Yet the convergence of genomic aberrations such as EGFR, PDGFR and NF1 (some of which are clinically effective) with activation of the RAS/MAPK cascade is still considered a key point in gliomagenesis, and KRAS is undoubtedly a driving gene in gliomagenesis in mice. In cancer, microRNAs (miRNA) are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate carcinogenesis. However, the functional consequences of aberrant miRNA expression in cancer are still poorly understood. let-7 encodes an intergenic miRNA that is classified as a tumour suppressor, at least in lung cancer. Let-7 suppresses a plethora of oncogenes such as RAS, HMGA, c-Myc, cyclin-D and thus suppresses cancer development, differentiation and progression. let-7 family members are direct regulators of certain RAS family genes by binding to the sequences in their 3′untranslated region (3′UTR). let-7 miRNA is involved in the malignant behaviour in vitro—proliferation, migration and invasion—of gliomas and stem-like glioma cells as well as in vivo models of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) via KRAS inhibition. It also increases resistance to certain chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy in GBM. Although let-7 therapy is not yet established, this review updates the current state of knowledge on the contribution of miRNA let-7 in interaction with KRAS to the oncogenesis of brain tumours.
Sowing summer grain crops early in late winter or spring: effects on root growth, water use, and yield
Authors: Zhao Dongxue , deVoil Peter , Rognoni Bethany G. , Wilkus Erin , Eyre Joseph X. , Broad Ian , Rodriguez Daniel
Published: April 2024

Context

Drought and extreme heat at flowering are common stresses limiting the yield of summer crops. Adaptation to these stresses could be increased by sowing summer crops early in late winter or early spring, to avoid overlap of drought and heat with critical crop stages around flowering. Though little is known about the effects of cold weather on root growth, water use and final grain yield in sorghum.

Objective

This study aims to explore the effects of cold conditions in early sowing sorghum on crop and root growth and function (i.e., water use), and final grain yield.

Methods

Two years of field experiments were conducted in the Darling and Eastern Downs region of Qld, Australia. Each trial consisted of three times of sowing (late winter, spring, and summer), two levels of irrigation (i.e., rainfed and supplementary irrigated), four plant population densities (3, 6, 9 and 12 pl m−2), and six commercial sorghum hybrids. Roots and shoots were sampled at the flag leaf stage on three times of sowing, two levels of irrigation, and three replications, for a single hybrid and a single plant population density (9 pl m−2). Crop water use and functional root traits were derived from consecutive electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys around flowering. At maturity crop biomass, yield and yield components were determined across all treatments.

Results

The combinations of seasons, times of sowing and levels of irrigation created large variations in growth conditions that affected the growth and production of the crops. Early sowing increased yield by transferring water use from vegetative to reproductive stages and increasing grain numbers in tillers. Cold temperatures in the early sowing times tended to produce smaller crops with smaller rooting systems, smaller root-to-shoot ratios, and larger average root diameters. Total root length and root length density increased with increasing pre-flowering mean air temperatures up to 20 °C. Linear relationships were observed between an EMI derived index of root activity and the empirically determined values of root length density (cm cm−3) at flowering.

Conclusions

Sowing sorghum, a summer crop, early in late winter or spring transferred water use from vegetative stages to flowering and post-flowering stages increasing crop water use later in the season. Root length and root length density were reduced by pre-flowering mean temperatures lower than 20 °C, indicating a need to increase cold tolerance for early sowing. The higher grain numbers in early sown crops were related to higher grain numbers in tillers. The EMI derived index of root activity has a potential in the development of high throughput root phenotyping applications.
Toffoli-depth reduction method preserving in-place quantum circuits and its application to SHA3-256
Authors: Lee Jongheon , Kang Yousung , Lee You-Seok , Chung Boheung , Choi Dooho
Published: April 2024

When implementing a quantum circuit for a desired reversible function, an attempt is made to design an accurate quantum circuit. Then, the quantum circuit is optimized based on a specific cost function, such as design cost, width (the number of qubits), depth, etc. In particular, if an in-place subcircuit itself can be optimized while maintaining its in-place property, it will be a very useful way to increase efficiency without changing the initial architecture of the entire quantum circuit. Furthermore, since its (clean) work qubits can easily be utilized in subsequent subroutines of the quantum circuit, it has an additional important advantage in terms of width. In this paper, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, we present a global Toffoli-depth reduction methodology for an in-place version reversible circuit in the case that the given input circuit is optimized with Toffoli-count. We mainly introduce a process to optimize the$$\chi $$χinternal function block in SHA3-256 to explain our Toffoli-depth reduction approach preserving the in-place property, and hence, well-balanced five$$\chi $$χquantum circuits are induced in terms of its width and T-depth. And then, we apply these five$$\chi $$χcircuits to design the entire SHA3-256 cryptosystem. One of the proposed SHA3-256 quantum circuits has a width of 1600 and a T-depth of 264, and this shows a result of 50% and 38.9% reduction compared to the previous circuit in terms of width and T-depth, respectively. Other versions of our SHA3-256 circuits just required 10–33 qubits per one T-depth compared to the previous results which require over 1800 qubits per T-depth, and so this means that our SHA3-256 circuits are well-balanced. Finally, we constructed Grover’s algorithm circuit using each version that realized SHA3-256. When output circuits for the presented method were used, quantum volume values of Grover’s algorithm circuits became 33 and 50$$\%$$%of the value when the input circuit was used.