bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TDP‐43 pathology and functional deficits in wild‐type and ALS/FTD mutant cyclin F mouse models
Authors: van Hummel Annika , Sabale Miheer , Przybyla Magdalena , van der Hoven Julia , Chan Gabriella , Feiten Astrid F. , Chung Roger S. , Ittner Lars M. , Ke Yazi D.
Published: March 2023

Aims

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterised by a progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons leading to muscle weakness and eventually death. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) presents clinically with significant behavioural decline. Approximately 10% of cases have a known family history, and disease‐linked mutations in multiple genes have been identified in FTD and ALS. More recently, ALS and FTD‐linked variants have been identified in the CCNF gene, which accounts for an estimated 0.6% to over 3% of familial ALS cases.

Methods

In this study, we developed the first mouse models expressing either wild‐type (WT) human CCNF or its mutant pathogenic variant S621G to recapitulate key clinical and neuropathological features of ALS and FTD linked to CCNF disease variants. We expressed human CCNF WT or CCNFS621G throughout the murine brain by intracranial delivery of adeno‐associated virus (AAV) to achieve widespread delivery via somatic brain transgenesis.

Results

These mice developed behavioural abnormalities, similar to the clinical symptoms of FTD patients, as early as 3 months of age, including hyperactivity and disinhibition, which progressively deteriorated to include memory deficits by 8 months of age. Brains of mutant CCNF_S621G mice displayed an accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins with elevated levels of phosphorylated TDP‐43 present in both CCNF_WT and mutant CCNF_S621G mice. We also investigated the effects of CCNF expression on interaction targets of CCNF and found elevated levels of insoluble splicing factor proline and glutamine‐rich (SFPQ). Furthermore, cytoplasmic TDP‐43 inclusions were found in both CCNF_WT and mutant CCNF_S621G mice, recapitulating the key hallmark of FTD/ALS pathology.

Conclusions

In summary, CCNF expression in mice reproduces clinical presentations of ALS, including functional deficits and TDP‐43 neuropathology with altered CCNF‐mediated pathways contributing to the pathology observed.
Poaceae‐specific β‐1,3;1,4‐d‐glucans link jasmonate signalling to OsLecRK1‐mediated defence response during rice‐brown planthopper interactions
Authors: Dai Yang‐Shuo , Liu Di , Guo Wuxiu , Liu Zhi‐Xuan , Zhang Xue , Shi Li‐Li , Zhou De‐Mian , Wang Ling‐Na , Kang Kui , Wang Feng‐Zhu , Zhao Shan‐Shan , Tan Yi‐Fang , Hu Tian , Chen Wu , Li Peng , Zhou Qing‐Ming , Yuan Long‐Yu , Zhang Zhenfei , Chen Yue‐Qin , Zhang Wen‐Qing , Li Juan , Yu Lu‐Jun , Xiao Shi
Published: March 2023

Brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens), a highly destructive insect pest, poses a serious threat to rice (Oryza sativa) production worldwide. Jasmonates are key phytohormones that regulate plant defences against BPH; however, the molecular link between jasmonates and BPH responses in rice remains largely unknown. Here, we discovered a Poaceae‐specific metabolite, mixed‐linkage β‐1,3;1,4‐d‐glucan (MLG), which contributes to jasmonate‐mediated BPH resistance. MLG levels in rice significantly increased upon BPH attack. Overexpressing OsCslF6, which encodes a glucan synthase that catalyses MLG biosynthesis, significantly enhanced BPH resistance and cell wall thickness in vascular bundles, whereas knockout of OsCslF6 reduced BPH resistance and vascular wall thickness. OsMYC2, a master transcription factor of jasmonate signalling, directly controlled the upregulation of OsCslF6 in response to BPH feeding. The AT‐rich domain of the OsCslF6 promoter varies in rice varieties from different locations and natural variants in this domain were associated with BPH resistance. MLG‐derived oligosaccharides bound to the plasma membrane‐anchored LECTIN RECEPTOR KINASE1 OsLecRK1 and modulated its activity. Thus, our findings suggest that the OsMYC2‐OsCslF6 module regulates pest resistance by modulating MLG production to enhance vascular wall thickness and OsLecRK1‐mediated defence signalling during rice‐BPH interactions.
Primary vulvar melanoma in an adolescent patient
Authors: Li Kathy P. , Ajebo Etsubdenk M. , Diamond Davis , Powell Matthew , Belcher Matthew
Published: March 2023

Herein we describe the case of a Black adolescent who was found to have widely metastatic melanoma originating from a primary vulvar lesion. The lesion presented as a pink, vegetative nodule of the clitoral hood which grew in size over several years and was confirmed to be melanoma on shave biopsy. This patient's amelanotic presentation in conjunction with the rare incidence of vulvar melanoma contributed to the delay in diagnosis. This case exemplifies the challenge of early recognition of potentially malignant vulvar lesions for primary care providers in adolescents.
Principals as Human Capital Managers: A Literature Review
Authors: Shell Darron L.
Published: March 2023

This review focuses on the school system's evolution and the principal's role as an administrator. Principalship refers to the professional standards to which a school's leadership aims to meet the needs of staff, students, and parents. The roles include student management, enforcing curriculum, assisting teachers, and allocating material and financial resources to ensure high academic performance. The review identifies that most principals fulfill a minimum requirement of undergraduate and postgraduate education with vast experience as regular teachers, school counselors, or educational professionals.The review identifies several academic preparation programs for state credentialing to become a school administrator. The study reveals that applicants for school leadership roles achieve higher learning goals such as master's or doctoral in education, psychology, and business administration. Most states require a minimum of three years of field experience with diverse communities. Scholars emphasize the need for continued learning programs for effective principalship and managing diverse school communities. Furthermore, each state has a local credentialing agency open to various professionals, thus creating varied leadership experiences for different schools.The review seeks to establish the functions of a principal as a human capital manager. Scholars differentiate human resource management and human capital management by emphasizing the role of principals as business managers whose goal is to steer a school toward the best student, staff, and institutional output. The study uses human capital theory to maximize staff potential and achieve better institutional results. Therefore, the roles of a principal as a human capital manager include recruitment of qualified personnel, provision of professional growth opportunities for various staff, capacity building, and retention of qualified staff.
Mean values of the logarithmic derivative of the Riemann zeta‐function near the critical line
Authors: Ge Fan
Published: March 2023

Assuming the Riemann hypothesis and a hypothesis on small gaps between zeta zeros (see equation (ES 2K) below for a precise definition), we prove a conjecture of Bailey, Bettin, Blower, Conrey, Prokhorov, Rubinstein and Snaith [J. Math. Phys. 60 (2019), no. 8, 083509], which states that for any positive integer K and real number ,
When , this was essentially a result of Goldston, Gonek and Montgomery [J. Reine Angew. Math. 537 (2001), 105–126] (see Equation (1) below).
Laser Forming of Compliant Mechanisms
Authors: Ames Daniel C. , Smith Gabriel L. , Lazarus Nathan , Howell Larry L. , Magleby Spencer P.
Published: March 2023

Small-scale flexible (or compliant) mechanisms are valuable in replacing rigid components while retaining comparable motion and behavior. However, fabricating such mechanisms on this scale (from 0.01 to 10 cm) proves difficult, especially with thin sheet metals. The manufacturing method of laser forming, which uses a laser to cut and bend metal into desired shapes, could facilitate this fabrication. However, specific methods for designing mechanisms formed by lasers need to be developed. This work presents laser forming as a means for creating compliant mechanisms on this scale with thin sheet metal. The unique challenges for designing mechanisms to be laser formed are explored, and new adaptations of existing designs are fabricated and discussed. The design of basic “building-block” features is developed for several mechanisms: a parallel-guided mechanism, a cross-axis flexural pivot, a lamina emergent torsional (LET) joint array, a split-tube flexure, and a bi-stable switch. These mechanisms are shown to perform repeatable behavior and motion comparable to existing nonlaser-formed versions. The further possibilities for fabricating compliant mechanisms with laser forming are explored, as advanced applications can benefit from using lasers to create compliant mechanisms from thin sheet metal.
Modeling the frequency response of an acoustic cavity using the method of images
Authors: Rice Frank , Riedel Teresa , Curtis Isaiah
Published: March 2023

We demonstrate the ability of a simple algorithm based on the venerable method of images (MOIs), to accurately model the detailed frequency response of a multidimensional, rectangular, lossy resonant cavity. The convergence properties of the model's infinite series solution are shown to be determined by the cavity's quality factor Q. A 1D example demonstrates that the MOI series converges to the exact solution. Next, a comparison to precisely measure 2D cavity data confirms that a straightforward extension of the 1D algorithm to multiple dimensions provides accurate results. The algorithm is short, easily understandable by undergraduate students and relatively undemanding to code. An example using ®mathematica is provided.
Mel frequency spectral domain defenses against adversarial attacks on speech recognition systems
Authors: Mehlman Nicholas , Sreeram Anirudh , Peri Raghuveer , Narayanan Shrikanth
Published: March 2023

Automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems are vulnerable to adversarial attacks due to their reliance on machine learning models. Many of the defenses explored for defending ASR systems simply adapt defense approaches developed for the image domain. This paper explores speech-specific defenses in the feature domain and introduces a defense method called mel domain noise flooding (MDNF). MDNF injects additive noise to the mel spectrogram speech representation prior to re-synthesizing the audio signal input to ASR. The defense is evaluated against strong white-box threat models and shows competitive robustness.
Evolutionarily conserved role of oxytocin in social fear contagion in zebrafish
Authors: Akinrinade Ibukun , Kareklas Kyriacos , Teles Magda C. , Reis Thais K. , Gliksberg Michael , Petri Giovanni , Levkowitz Gil , Oliveira Rui F.
Published: March 2023

Emotional contagion is the most ancestral form of empathy. We tested to what extent the proximate mechanisms of emotional contagion are evolutionarily conserved by assessing the role of oxytocin, known to regulate empathic behaviors in mammals, in social fear contagion in zebrafish. Using oxytocin and oxytocin receptor mutants, we show that oxytocin is both necessary and sufficient for observer zebrafish to imitate the distressed behavior of conspecific demonstrators. The brain regions associated with emotional contagion in zebrafish are homologous to those involved in the same process in rodents (e.g., striatum, lateral septum), receiving direct projections from oxytocinergic neurons located in the pre-optic area. Together, our results support an evolutionary conserved role for oxytocin as a key regulator of basic empathic behaviors across vertebrates.
Pall of suspicion
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: March 2023

The National Institutes of Health’s “China initiative” has upended hundreds of lives and destroyed scores of academic careers
Bartonella
Prevalence and Genome Sequences in Rodents in Some Regions of Xinjiang, China
Authors: Xu Ai-Ling , Chen Yan-Fang , Mu Long , Liu Peng-Bo , Wang Jun , Li Rui-Xiao , Li Dong-Mei
Published: March 2023

Rodent-borne
Bartonella
species have been associated with zoonotic diseases.
Bartonella
species such as
Bartonella elizabethae
,
Bartonella grahamii
, and
Bartonella tribocorum
can cause disease in humans. Humans can be infected by blood-sucking arthropods through the scratches and bites of an infected reservoir host or via contact with infectious rodents.
In Vitro
Staphylococcal Aggregate Morphology and Protection from Antibiotics Are Dependent on Distinct Mechanisms Arising from Postsurgical Joint Components and Fluid Motion
Authors: Staats Amelia , Burback Peter W. , Casillas-Ituarte Nadia N. , Li Daniel , Hostetler Michaela R. , Sullivan Anne , Horswill Alexander R. , Lower Steven K. , Stoodley Paul
Published: March 2023

The formation of a bacterial biofilm in the postsurgical joint environment significantly complicates the resolution of an infection. To form a resilient biofilm, incoming bacteria must first survive the initial invasion of the joint space.
A Complete Genome of the Alphaproteobacterial Methanotroph Methylocystis parvus OBBP
Authors: Claxton Stevens Benedict H. , Rumah Bashir L. , Stead Christopher E. , Zhang Ying
Published: March 2023

A complete genome is presented for
Methylocystis parvus
OBBP, a Gram-negative aerobic methanotroph of the phylum
Alphaproteobacteria
.
M. parvus
OBBP is the genus type strain and of interest in the production of polyhydroxybutyrate and environmental microbiology. The genome consists of two plasmids (248 kbp and 205 kbp) and a chromosome (4.076 Mbp).
Draft Genome Sequence of Fusobacterium vincentii CNGBCC1850030, Isolated from Healthy Human Feces
Authors: Jing Xiaohuan , Liu Chuanfa , Ye Yuman , Xu Jingchun , Huang Hongmei , Wang Bo , Wei Jinpu , Zhao Jiao
Published: March 2023

Fusobacterium vincentii
usually inhabits the oral cavity and plays an important role in periodontal diseases. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
F. vincentii
strain CNGBCC1850030, isolated from healthy human feces.
Erratum to: Tropospheric Ozone Concentration on the Territory of Russia in 2021
Authors: Andreev V. V. , Arshinov M. Yu. , Belan B. D. , Belan S. B. , Davydov D. K. , Demin V. I. , Dudorova N. V. , Elansky N. F. , Zhamsueva G. S. , Zayakhanov A. S. , Ivlev G. A. , Kozlov A. V. , Konovaltseva L. V. , Kotel’nikov S. N. , Kuznetsova I. N. , Lapchenko V. A. , Lezina E. A. , Obolkin V. A. , Postylyakov O. V. , Potemkin V. L. , Savkin D. E. , Senik I. A. , Stepanov E. V. , Tolmachev G. N. , Fofonov A. V. , Khodzher T. V. , Chelibanov I. V. , Chelibanov V. P. , Shirotov V. V. , Shukurov K. A.
Published: March 2023

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856023330011
Erratum to: Backscattering Characteristics of Optical and Electromagnetic Waves in Joint Sensing of Cirrus Clouds by a Polarizing Lidar (0.355 μm) and a 94-GHz Radar
Authors: Shishko V. A. , Timofeev D. N. , Konoshonkin A. V. , Kustova N. V. , Kan N. , Tkachev I. V. , Masuda K. , Ishimoto H. , Okamoto H. , Borovoi A. G.
Published: March 2023

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856023330023
Bouveret syndrome: a rare complication of gallstone disease
Authors: Karimi Akbar , Ghandour Omar , Wong Christopher
Published: March 2023

A Caucasian man in his late 80s was admitted with central abdominal pain, abdominal distension and continuous vomiting, on the background of a recent admission for acute cholecystitis. The patient was managed for subacute bowel obstruction and was admitted to general surgery for further investigation. His blood tests showed raised inflammatory markers and deranged liver function tests. A CT scan showed the migration of a large gallstone, previously seen in the neck of the gallbladder on prior admission, to the proximal duodenum causing a degree of gastric outlet obstruction. A diagnosis of Bouveret syndrome was made, and although initially managed conservatively, the patient ultimately underwent surgery to remove the gallstone which had relocated again to the terminal ileum. Our case highlights the importance of considering rare complications such as Bouveret syndrome in patients presenting with bowel obstruction, particularly in the context of recent or chronic cholecystitis.
Use of an armoured endotracheal tube in a toddler with mediastinal mass
Authors: Prasad Aalekh , Elangaratnam Diluxshy , Agrawal Shruti , O'Donnell Roddy
Published: March 2023

Anterior mediastinal mass presents an airway challenge due to its relative size in a paediatric chest and its invasion and compression of the surrounding structures. We present a case of a toddler with airway obstruction secondary to an anterior mediastinal mass. We describe how the use of an armoured endotracheal tube helped with ventilation while waiting for steroids and chemotherapy to reduce the tumour size and compression.
Cost-effectiveness of a direct to beneficiary mobile communication programme in improving reproductive and child health outcomes in India
Authors: LeFevre Amnesty Elizabeth , Mendiratta Jai , Jo Youngji , Chamberlain Sara , Ummer Osama , Miller Molly , Scott Kerry , Shah Neha , Chakraborty Arpita , Godfrey Anna , Dutt Priyanka , Mohan Diwakar
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Kilkari is the largest maternal messaging programme of its kind globally. Between its initiation in 2012 in Bihar and its transition to the government in 2019, Kilkari was scaled to 13 states across India and reached over 10 million new and expectant mothers and their families. This study aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of exposure to Kilkari as compared with no exposure across 13 states in India.

Methods

The study was conducted from a programme perspective using an analytic time horizon aligned with national scale-up efforts from December 2014 to April 2019. Economic costs were derived from the financial records of implementing partners. Data on incremental changes in the practice of reproductive maternal newborn and child health (RMNCH) outcomes were drawn from an individually randomised controlled trial in Madhya Pradesh and inputted into the Lives Saved Tool to yield estimates of maternal and child lives saved. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were carried out to assess uncertainty.

Results

Inflation adjusted programme costs were US$8.4 million for the period of December 2014–April 2019, corresponding to an average cost of US$264 298 per year of implementation in each state. An estimated 13 842 lives were saved across 13 states, 96% among children and 4% among mothers. The cost per life saved ranged by year of implementation and with the addition of new states from US$392 ($385–$393) to US$953 ($889–$1092). Key drivers included call costs and incremental changes in coverage for key RMNCH practices.

Conclusion

Kilkari is highly cost-effective using a threshold of India’s national gross domestic product of US$1998. Study findings provide important evidence on the cost-effectiveness of a national maternal messaging programme in India.

Trial registration

NCT03576157.
Transradial flow diversion with an aberrant right subclavian artery
Authors: Bram Richard , Atwal Gursant
Published: March 2023

Transradial access for diagnostic and therapeutic neurointerventional procedures has gained popularity due to a decreased incidence of access site complications and improved patient comfort compared with transfemoral access.1–4 An aberrant right subclavian artery is an aortic arch variant characterized by a right subclavian artery that arises directly from the arch as the most distal great vessel. Transradial access with an aberrant right subclavian artery is anatomically challenging due to the predilection of the catheter system to collapse into the descending aorta. In this (video 1), we describe a step-by-step technique for transradial access in a patient with an aberrant right subclavian artery undergoing endovascular flow diversion for a left superior hypophyseal artery aneurysm. Particular emphasis is placed on the technique for accessing the proximal arch and aortic valve as well as distal catheter navigation while avoiding prolapse into the descending aorta.

Video 1
3 Imaging of high activity radioactive fragments with mobile digital radiography equipment
Authors: May Eleanor , Melley Thomas , Bland Steven , Gibb Iain , Napier Ian
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Defence Medical Services, supporting CBRN Casualty Care, requested that Dstl consider the use of a crude radiological dispersal device (‘dirty bomb’) in a mass casualty scenario, and the effect of a radioactive fragment embedded in a patient on a diagnostic medical radiograph, as well as the impact on the patient and surgical team. Initial work showed an unpredicted white ‘bloom’ artefact, opposite to the expected darkening; subsequently this trial empirically tested all Defence mobile X-ray systems (DRagon, DART, and DR-Go).

Method

Measurements were taken with DART equipment; a 600 GBq sealed iridium-192 source at varying heights to simulate different activities; and a caesium iodide flat panel detector. The width of the resulting artefact was plotted against source height, to determine a threshold dose rate at which the bloom was indistinguishable. From this, minimum detectable activities (MDAs) were calculated for several fragment depths.

Results

The MDAs, without the scatter reduction grid (MDAs with it are higher), for radioactive fragments 0.5 cm and 24.5 cm from the detector are 0.79 ± 0.06 GBq and 1900 ± 140 GBq, respectively. Other effects are discussed such as inconclusive results on changing exposure factors, shadows and an unaffected central region at high dose rates. Anatomically representative images were also taken with a test phantom for future clinical training use.

Conclusion

Even for fragment activities below the MDA, surgical teams are likely to approach occupational dose limits within an hour, and in some cases, minutes. Patient images could appear normal, with the injury site still receiving several hundred Grays, having severe impacts on patient outcomes and clinical decision making, such as amputation. This work has contributed to surgical and CBRN medical training, planning recommendations in NHS Emergency Preparedness procedures, and will support further work to develop UK and international clinical guidelines, refine dose thresholds, and investigate other imaging modalities.
4 Using virtual reality to deliver essential neurosurgery in austere and low-resource settings
Authors: Please H , Edemaga D , Bolton W , Nagadya C , Obiga O , Kiryabwire J , Smith C , Khan M , Dhanda J , Ekanayake J
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Head injuries account for >¼ of all battlefield deaths1. Simple but essential neurosurgical procedures on the field such as burr-holes can save lives2,3. These penny-sized, manually drilled holes in the skull, enable release of compressive blood clots or placement of catheters. However, there is little to no training in this procedure for the field surgeon. As such, patients presenting in coma from traumatic head injuries are by default triaged to no treatment1. We provide an alternative approach, with life-saving potential- real-time guidance for field practitioners using an established virtual reality interface to enable delivery of emergency neurosurgery.

Method

We carried out a combined virtual reality and face-to-face neurosurgical training program at the Human Cadaveric lab, Brighton (UK) and concurrently in Ugandan Christian University, Kampala (Uganda). We demonstrated the feasibility of remote and in-person proctorship of emergency neurosurgical procedures including burr-hole, craniotomy, and ventriculostomy, by general surgeons using non-powered neurosurgical instruments (e.g., Hudson brace, Gigli saw). Delegates had limited or no previous experience of cranial access. UK faculty worked with delegates in-person, supported by Ugandan faculty via videoconferencing. This was filmed in 360-degree video for the VRiMS (Virtual Reality in Medicine and Surgery) procedural library, accessed in real-time from Uganda, and stored for training.

Results

Delegates ‘attended’ the teleconference via three approaches: 1.Hands-on training, Brighton, (9 delegates): UK faculty supported by picture-in-picture live-feed from Ugandan faculty. Delegates were divided into 3 groups and each performed 2 sets of burr-holes. 2.Real-time virtual reality training, Uganda, (23 delegates): low-cost cardboard headsets were provided to each delegate, used with personal smartphones to allow 360-degree video viewing. 3.Remote live-streaming (107 delegates): attendance from 19 countries.

Conclusion

We demonstrate proof-of-principle for bi-directional surgical skills assessment using a remote proctorship interface combining live-streaming, 2D and 360-degree videos, and access via the VRIMS telesurgical platform.
5 Association between combat-related traumatic injury and skeletal health: bone mineral density loss is localised and correlates with altered loading in amputees – the ADVANCE study
Authors: McMenemy L , Behan FP , Kaufmann J , Cain D , Bennett AN , Boos C , Fear NT , Cullinan P , Bull AMJ , Phillips ATM , McGregor AH
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The association between combat-related traumatic injury (CRTI) and bone health is uncertain. A disproportionate number of lower limb amputees from the Afghanistan conflict are diagnosed with osteopenia/osteoporosis, increasing lifetime risk of fragility fracture and challenging traditional osteoporosis treatment paradigms.

It was hypothesised that CRTI results in a reduction in Bone Mineral Density (BMD). Specifically, a localised BMD reduction in the amputated limb of lower limb amputees that is progressively greater with higher level amputations.

Method

Cross-sectional analysis of the first phase of a cohort study comprising 579 male adult UK military personnel with CRTI (UK-Afghanistan War 2003–2014; including 153 lower limb amputees) who were frequency-matched to 565 uninjured men by age, service, rank, regiment, deployment period, and role-in-theatre. BMD was assessed using DEXA scanning of the hips and lumbar spine.

Results

Femoral neck BMD was lower in the CRTI than the uninjured group (T-score -0.08 vs -0.42 p=0.000). Subgroup analysis revealed this reduction was significant only at the femoral neck of the amputated limb of amputees (p=0.000), where the reduction was greater for above knee amputees than below knee amputees (p=0.037). There were no differences in spine BMD.

Conclusion

Changes in bone health in CRTI appear to be mechanically driven rather than systemic. This may arise from altered joint and muscle loading creating a reduced mechanical stimulus to the femur. These findings support a lexicon change tounloading osteopeniaand should not be associated with a diagnosis of systemic osteoporosis nor systemic treatments.
6 Analysis of 983 civilian blast and ballistic casualties and the generation of a predictive model of injury burden
Authors: Maitland Laura , Veen Harald , Harrison David , Baden James , Hettiaratchy Shehan
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Wars, such as in Ukraine, as well as terror attacks cause blast and ballistic casualties that are unusual in civilian practice. The immediate surgical response has not been systematically characterised due to the unpredictable, stochastic nature of such mass casualty events. We studied how the military trauma system managed civilian casualties during the Afghanistan conflict (2009-2014), to quantify and assess the surgical response to blast and ballistic injuries managed in a developed world paradigm and may be a tool for Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) planning.

Method

Throughout the Afghanistan conflict (2009–2014) data was gathered prospectively by surgical teams at the UK-led military Medical Treatment Facility, Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. A total of 10,891 consecutive surgical cases were catalogued. Civilian cases were identified that had primary trauma surgery for blast and ballistic injuries and these formed the focus of this study (n=983). Statistical analyses with z-tests, significance was accepted at the 5% level (p<0·05).

Results

Paediatric wounding patterns when compared to adults show that children suffered consistently significantly more head (36·9% ;29·4%) and abdominal trauma (52·5%; 60·3%) for blast and ballistic injuries respectively (blast: 26·5%, z-2·263; p<0·05; 43·6%, z=-1·758, p<0·05; ballistic: 11·8%, z=2·926, p<0·01; 8%, z=-4·992; p<0·001; 60·3%, z=2·071, p<0·05). The three most common surgical procedures for blast injuries were debridement, amputation and laparotomy. For ballistic injuries, these were debridement, laparotomy and vascular procedures. A scalable predictive model of injury burden for blast and ballistic injuries in both adults and children is presented.

Conclusion

This evidenced based, predictive model of the immediate response required to manage civilians injured by blast and ballistic mechanism can be applied to the conflict in Ukraine and to prepare for terror attacks on mass urban populations where blast and ballistic injuries are commonplace.
Promoting substitute aggregate system for the environmental-friendly geopolymer paver applications
Authors: Rajendran Mohana , S. Mariappa Kumaresh , E.K. Chandru
Published: March 2023

Concerning the environmental imbalance caused by the over-exploitation of natural aggregates and the greenhouse emission of cementitious materials in the construction industry, in this paper, abundant laterite soil and natural coconut shells were used as partial substitutes for aggregate to make the cement-less geopolymer concrete a resource-efficient product. The effect of the alternative aggregate system in the geopolymer concrete was assessed in the aspects of strength and sustainability. The inclusion of laterite soil and coconut shell in the geopolymer resulted in 1.81 times improved toughness without significant change in the compressive strength. The use of laterite soil and coconut shell aggregates maintained the thermal stability up to 600 °C and reduces the consumption of 280 kg natural sand and 390 kg coarse aggregates while casting 1 m3 concrete, which supports to promote the alternative aggregate system for the efficient production of environmental-friendly geopolymer pavers.
A regional integrated assessment of the impacts of climate change and of the potential adaptation avenues for Quebec's forests
Authors: Boulanger Yan , Puigdevall Jesus Pascual , Bélisle Annie Claude , Bergeron Yves , Brice Marie-Hélène , Cyr Dominic , De Grandpré Louis , Fortin Daniel , Gauthier Sylvie , Grondin Pierre , Labadie Guillemette , Leblond Mathieu , Marchand Maryse , Splawinski Tadeusz B. , St-Laurent Martin-Hugues , Thiffault Evelyne , Tremblay Junior A. , Yamasaki Stephen H.
Published: March 2023

Regional analyses assessing the vulnerabilities of forest ecosystems and the forest sector to climate change are key to considering the heterogeneity of climate change impacts as well as the fact that risks, opportunities, and adaptation capacities might differ regionally. Here we provide the Regional Integrated Assessment of climate change on Quebec's forests, a work that involved several research teams and focused on climate change impacts on Quebec's commercial forests and on potential adaptation solutions. Our work showed that climate change will alter several ecological processes within Quebec's forests. These changes will result in important modifications in forest landscapes. Harvest will cumulate with climate change effects to further alter future forest landscapes, which will also have consequences on wildlife habitats (including woodland caribou habitat), avian biodiversity, carbon budget, and a variety of forest landscape values for Indigenous peoples. The adaptation of the forest sector will be crucial to mitigate the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystem goods and services and improve their resilience. Moving forward, a broad range of adaptation measures, notably through reducing harvest levels, should be explored to help strike a balance among social, ecological, and economic values. We conclude that without climate adaptation, strong negative economic and ecological impacts will likely affect Quebec's forests.
Intraday Seasonality and Volatility Pattern: An Explanation with Recurrence Quantification Analysis
Authors: Unal Baki , Kucukkocaoglu Guray , Kadioglu Eyup
Published: March 2023

The Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA), a pattern recognition-based time series analysis method, can be successfully utilized for short, nonstationary, nonlinear, and chaotic time series. These RQA measures quantify several properties of time series, including predictability, regularity, stability, randomness, and complexity. In this regard, first, we analyzed the intraday seasonality with RQA and demonstrated how RQA measures change among the intraday periods by using 160 million row matched orders of 100 shares from Borsa Istanbul Equity Market between 2019M10 and 2020M02. We selected 50 stocks from the BIST50 Index group and 50 stocks from outside of the BIST100 Index group. Since these two share groups exhibit similar intraday RQA seasonality, our results are robust. Second, we explained intraday volatility with RQA measures and found a relationship between RQA measures and intraday volatility using a regression model.
Cryptanalysis of a Multiround Image Encryption Algorithm Based on 6D Self-Synchronizing Chaotic Stream Cipher
Authors: Lin Zhuosheng , Feng Yue , Liang Shufen
Published: March 2023

Recently, a chaotic secure video communication system based on FPGA is proposed, which essentially encrypts the original image data of each frame in the video in multiple rounds by using the 6D self-synchronizing chaotic stream cipher. In this paper, the security performance of the multiround encryption algorithm is analyzed based on divide-and-conquer attack. In the case of one round encryption, the keys [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] can be deciphered by setting 30 appropriate initial conditions according to known-plaintext attack. After that, according to chosen-ciphertext attack, the chaotic iterative equation of the decryption end is degenerated into a linear one if ciphertexts are all set to zero. Under this condition, the equations between the unknown keys and the plaintext-ciphertext pairs can be obtained by setting 24 appropriate initial conditions, and the keys [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] can be deciphered by solving the equations in Mathematica. Secondly, in order to reduce the multiplication times of the unknown keys in the case of two-round encryption, the number of pixels in an image can be selected as little as possible. According to chosen-ciphertext attack, when the number of the pixels in an image is only one, the keys [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] can be deciphered by setting 30 appropriate initial conditions. Then, when the number of pixels in an image is two, the keys [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] can be deciphered by setting 24 appropriate initial conditions. However, in the case that the encryption round is three or more, the keys cannot be deciphered by the attack method proposed in this paper. The analysis results show that the multiround image encryption algorithm is not secure when the number of encryption rounds is one or two.
Modeling the Effect of TV and Social Media Advertisements on the Dynamics of Vector-Borne Disease Malaria
Authors: Misra A. K. , Pal Soumitra , Gupta Rabindra Kumar
Published: March 2023

Vector-borne disease malaria is transmitted to humans by arthropod vectors (mosquitoes) and contributes significantly to the global disease burden. TV and social media play a key role to disseminate awareness among people by broadcasting awareness programs. In this paper, a nonlinear model is formulated and analyzed in which cumulative number of advertisements through TV and social media is taken as dynamical variable that propagates awareness among people to control the prevalence of vector-borne disease. The human population is partitioned into susceptible, infected and aware classes, while the vector population is divided into susceptible and infected classes. Humans become infected and new cases arise when bitten by infected vectors (mosquitoes) and susceptible vectors get infected as they bite infected humans. The feasibility of equilibria is justified and their stability conditions are discussed. A crucial parameter, basic reproduction number, which measures the disease transmission potentiality is obtained. Bifurcation analysis is performed by varying the sensitive parameters, and it is found that the proposed system shows different kinds of bifurcations, such as transcritical bifurcation, saddle-node bifurcation and Hopf bifurcation, etc. The analysis of the model shows that reduction in vector population due to intervention of people of aware class would not efficiently reduce the infective cases, rather we have to minimize the transmission rates anyhow, to control the disease outbreak.
Dynamics of a Delayed Predator–Prey Model with Prey Refuge, Allee Effect and Fear Effect
Authors: Wei Zhen , Chen Fengde
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we consider a Holling type II predator–prey system with prey refuge, Allee effect, fear effect and time delay. The existence and stability of the equilibria of the system are investigated. Under the variation of the delay as a parameter, the system experiences a Hopf bifurcation at the positive equilibrium when the delay crosses some critical values. We also analyze the direction of Hopf bifurcation and the stability of bifurcating periodic solution by the center manifold theorem and normal form theory. We show that the influence of fear effect and Allee effect is negative, while the impact of the prey refuge is positive. In particular, the birth rate plays an important role in the stability of the equilibria. Examples with associated numerical simulations are provided to prove our main results.
Bifurcations and Exact Bounded Solutions of Some Traveling Wave Systems Determined by Integrable Nonlinear Oscillators withq-Degree Damping
Authors: Zhang Lijun , Chen Guanrong , Li Jibin
Published: March 2023

For a class of nonlinear diffusion–convection–reaction equations, the corresponding traveling wave systems are well-known nonlinear oscillation type of systems. Under some parameter conditions, the first integrals of these nonlinear oscillators can be obtained. In this paper, the bifurcations, exact solutions and dynamical behavior of these nonlinear oscillators are studied by using methods of dynamical systems. Under some parametric conditions, exact explicit parametric representations of the monotonic and nonmonotonic kink and anti-kink wave solutions, as well as limit cycles, are obtained. Most important and interestingly, a new global bifurcation phenomenon of limit bifurcation is found: as a key parameter is varied, so that singular points (except the origin) disappear, a planar dynamical system can create a stable limit cycle.
PEDIATRIC VERSUS ADULT DOSIMETRY: A CHALLANGE?
Authors: ROSSI PIER LUCA , LOMBI ALESSANDRO , CORAZZA IVAN , BONZI GIANCARLO , GIANNETTI EMANUELE , RECCHIA THOMAS
Published: March 2023

Concern about the radiation dose to children from diagnostic radiology examinations has recently been popularly expressed, particularly related to Computed Tomography (CT) procedures. The common belief is that children receive higher doses compared to adults since the optimization of the procedure settings for different anatomies are not always implemented (i.e., FOV, kV and mA not optimized for children). Since the dosimetric quantities related to effective dose are essentially defined for adults, it becomes important to study and propose methods applicable also to pediatric cases. In current clinical and radiological practice, sizes, shapes, and data for pediatric organs are commonly derived from adult ones, but these statements do not reduce dosimetric problems at the definition of scaling algorithms.

The aim of this study is to analyze the differences in pediatric vs adult dosimetry, starting from measured organ doses in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) procedures for maxillofacial region. Two different anthropomorphic phantoms (child vs adult phantoms) were scanned, acquiring all data: results will be presented in terms of organ and derived doses, discussing approaches and differences.
MECHANOLUMINESCENCE OF WALKER-256 CARCINOSARCOMA CELLS INDUCED BY MAGNETO-MECHANOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF Fe3O4–Au NANOCOMPOSITE
Authors: OREL VALERII B. , GALKIN OLEXANDER YU. , OREL VALERII E. , DASYUKEVICH OLGA YO. , RYKHALSKYI OLEKSANDR YU. , KURAPOV YURII A. , LITVIN STANISLAV A. , YUKHYMCHUK VOLODYMYR O. , ISAYEVA OKSANA F. , SYVAK LIUBOV A. , DEDKOV ANATOLIY G.
Published: March 2023

Magnetic fields have been used to deliver magnetic nanocomposites (MNCs) and alter mechanochemical transduction pathways in malignant tumors. We study mechanoluminescence (ML) of Walker-256 carcinosarcoma cells induced by the magneto-mechanochemical effects of Fe3O4–Au MNCs under a nonuniform rotating magnetic field (RMF). Photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectra were recorded to investigate the optical response of MNCs. The PL spectrum of MNCs showed three broad emission bands with peaks at 525, 570 and 680 nm. MNCs underwent a phase transition attributed to localized surface plasmon resonance as indicated by the Raman spectra. ML intensity recorded from MNCs[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cells[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]RMF was 3.5 and 1.4 times greater than chemiluminescence (CL) of MNCs[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cells and cells alone, respectively ([Formula: see text] 0.05). ML exhibited lesser variation than CL. The nonuniform distribution of a magnetic force exerted on MNCs resulted in more symmetric distributions of ML signals. Therefore, the observed ML emission could originate from the magneto-mechanochemically and light-induced free radical reactions in cancer cells in response to MNCs[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]RMF. The magneto-mechanochemical effects have the possibility to translate ML to cancer diagnosis and treatment by providing additional information about changes in breaking asymmetry to symmetric processes at the quantum level.
OPTIMIZATION OF PRE-PROCESSING ROUTINES IN SPEECH IMAGERY-BASED EEG SIGNALS
Authors: SREE R. ANANDHA , KAVITHA A. , DIVYA B.
Published: March 2023

Speech imagery is one type of mental imagery specific to processing verbal sequences and plays a vital role in human thought processes. Speech imagery has become an interesting paradigm for researchers as speech imagery has a high similarity to real voice communication. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a noninvasive electrophysiological technique that measures the mental state of the brain directly from the scalp. The nature of the acquired EEG signals is nonlinear and nonstationary. As EEG signals have a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), artifacts occur during acquisition. Hence, an efficient framework of pre-processing is required to obtain artifact-free EEG for further applications. Selection of the optimal pre-processing techniques for EEG still remains a challenging task. This work focuses on employing and comparing the different pre-processing techniques and lists out the optimal solutions for pre-processing Speech imagery-based EEG signals. The techniques are compared based on the Mean Square Error and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio values.
DEEP LEARNING-BASED TOOL FOR MORPHOTYPIC ANALYSIS OF 3D MULTICELLULAR SPHEROIDS
Authors: PICCININI FILIPPO , PEIRSMAN ARNE , STELLATO MARIACHIARA , PYUN JAE-CHUL , TUMEDEI MARIA M. , TAZZARI MARCELLA , DE WEVER OLIVIER , TESEI ANNA , MARTINELLI GIOVANNI , CASTELLANI GASTONE
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Three-dimensional (3D) multicellular spheroids are fundamental in vitro tools for studying in vivo tissues. Volume is the main feature used for evaluating the drug/treatment effects, but several other features can be estimated even from a simple 2D image. For high-content screening analysis, the bottleneck is the segmentation stage, which is essential for detecting the spheroids in the images and then proceeding to the feature extraction stage for performing morphotypic analysis. Problem: Today, several tools are available for extracting morphological features from spheroid images, but all of them have pros and cons and there is no general validated solution. Thanks to new deep learning models, it is possible to standardize the process and adapt the analysis to big data. Novelty: Starting from the first version of AnaSP, an open-source software suitable for estimating several morphological features of 3D spheroids, we implemented a new module for automatically segmenting 2D brightfield images of spheroids by exploiting convolutional neural networks. Results: Several deep learning segmentation models (i.e., VVG16, VGG19, ResNet18, ResNet50) have been trained and compared. All of them obtained very interesting results and ResNet18 ranked as the best-performing. Conclusions: A network based on an 18-layer deep residual architecture (ResNet-18) has been integrated into AnaSP, releasing AnaSP 2.0, a version of the tool optimized for high-content screening analysis. The source code, standalone versions, user manual, sample images, video tutorial, and further documentation are freely available at: https://sourceforge.net/p/anasp .
SYNTHETIC DATA GENERATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF HISTOPATHOLOGICAL IMAGES
Authors: DERUS NICOLAS , CURTI NICO , GIAMPIERI ENRICO , DALL’OLIO DANIELE , SALA CLAUDIA , CASTELLANI GASTONE
Published: March 2023

Histopathology involves the analysis of microscopic tissue images for diagnosing and studying the progress of diseases, such as cancers. Recently, Artificial Intelligence algorithms reached encouraging success in diagnosing diseases related to these medical images. However, research in this area can be hampered by several problems. Indeed, due to the sensitive nature of medical data, it is challenging to access real datasets, making it impossible to train Deep Learning models. Moreover, real datasets often contain biases or imbalances that hinder the generalization of the results on new unseen data. Variational Autoencoders are a popular class of probabilistic generative models that enable consistent training and a useful latent representation of the original input. However, there are theoretical and practical obstacles that hinder their generative potential. Here, we consider different approaches to address the challenges of synthetic data generation of histopathology images and discuss the potential impact in improving the performance of diagnosis models.
A Physics-Informed Recurrent Neural Network for Solving Time-Dependent Partial Differential Equations
Authors: Liang Ying , Niu Ruiping , Yue Junhong , Lei Min
Published: March 2023

In this paper, a physics-informed recurrent neural network (PIRNN) is proposed to solve time-dependent partial differential equations (PDEs), which devices LSTM cells to ensure the continuity of field variables in time stepping. The number of the training parameters is sharply reduced due to the parameter sharing implemented in LSTM cells so that the efficiency of PIRNN greatly improves. In order to preferably simulate the physical process and improve the accuracy of prediction, the predicted values of the current layer are employed as the input of the next layer, which exploits the idea of FDM. Thus, more information can be applied for the next prediction, and the field values at different time steps can be obtained as well. Besides, the loss value of the governing equation, the loss value of the initial condition and the loss value of the boundary condition are used to construct the loss function so that the physical law is also fully utilized. Finally, we conduct the heat conduction equation, wave equation and 2D Burgers equation to demonstrate the performance of PIRNN. Numerical experiments show that the proposed PIRNN can accurately and efficiently predict the field values at any time, in which nonuniform time steps can be used and the error accumulation is avoided.