bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attitudes toward a COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination status in cancer patients: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Heyne Svenja , Esser Peter , Werner Anne , Lehmann-Laue Antje , Mehnert-Theuerkauf Anja
Published: February 2022

Purpose

We aim to assess attitudes toward a COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination status in cancer patients and to explore additional factors such as the level of information and comprehensibility and accessibility of this information, anxiety symptoms in general and toward COVID-19, and general health literacy.

Methods

We included 425 outpatients (mean age 61.4, age range 30–88 years, 60.5% women) of the Psychosocial Counseling Center for Cancer patients of the Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Leipzig. We recorded attitudes toward a COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination status via self-report. The impact of psychosocial factors, including anxiety (GAD-7), COVID-19-specific anxiety (OCS; FCV-19S) and health literacy (HLS-EU-Q16) were analyzed with point-biserial correlations using Pearson’s r.

Results

We found that the vast majority (95.5%) reported being vaccinated against COVID-19 and that overall trust in safety and protective effects of a COVID-19 vaccine was high (90.9%). The vaccination readiness among nonvaccinated cancer survivors was low to very low with “fear of side effects” the most mentioned (72.2%) reason against a COVID-19 vaccine. There was no significant correlation between vaccination status and fear or anxiety symptomatology, and health literacy. Obsessive thoughts about COVID-19 was significantly higher in nonvaccinated cancer patients.

Conclusions

Majority of respondents are positive about COVID-19 vaccine, accompanied by a very high rate of COVID-19 immunization in our sample. Further studies with a larger sample of nonvaccinated cancer patients should further investigate the relationship on fear and vaccination hesitancy and align communication strategies accordingly.
A two-phase comprehensive NSCLC prognostic study identifies lncRNAs with significant main effect and interaction
Authors: Zhu Jing , Guan Jinxing , Ji Xinyu , Song Yunjie , Xu Xiaoshuang , Wang Qianqian , Zhang Quanan , Guo Renhua , Wang Rui , Zhang Ruyang
Published: February 2022

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) are involved in regulating physiological behaviors for various malignant tumors, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, few studies comprehensively evaluated both lncRNA–lncRNA interaction effects and main effects of lncRNA on overall survival of NSCLC. Hence, we performed a two-phase designed study of lncRNA expression in tumor tissues using 604 NSCLC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas as the discovery phase and 839 patients from Gene Expression Omnibus as the validation phase. In the discovery phase, we adopted a two-step strategy, Screening before Testing, for dimension reduction and signal detection. These candidate lncRNAs first screened out by the weighted random forest (Ranger), were then tested through the Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for covariates. Significant lncRNAs with either type of effects aforementioned were carried forward into the validation phase to confirm their significances again. As a result, in the discovery phase, 19 lncRNAs were identified by Ranger, among which five lncRNAs and one pair of lncRNA–lncRNA interaction exhibited significant effects (FDR-q ≤ 0.05) main and interaction effects on NSCLC survival, respectively, through Cox model. After the independent validation, we finally observed that one lncRNA (ENSG00000227403.1) with main effect was robustly associated with NSCLC prognosis (HRdiscovery = 0.90, P = 1.20 × 10–3; HRvalidation = 0.94, P = 4.11 × 10–3) and one pair of lncRNAs (ENSG00000267121.4 and ENSG00000272369.1) had significant interaction effect on NSCLC survival (HRdiscovery = 1.12, P = 3.07 × 10–4; HRvalidation = 1.11, P = 0.0397). Our comprehensive NSCLC prognostic study of lncRNA provided population-level evidence for further functional study.
Image and audio caps: automated captioning of background sounds and images using deep learning
Authors: Poongodi M. , Hamdi Mounir , Wang Huihui
Published: February 2022

Image recognition based on computers is something human beings have been working on for many years. It is one of the most difficult tasks in the field of computer science, and improvements to this system are made when we speak. In this paper, we propose a methodology to automatically propose an appropriate title and add a specific sound to the image. Two models have been extensively trained and combined to achieve this effect. Sounds are recommended based on the image scene and the headings are generated using a combination of natural language processing and state-of-the-art computer vision models. A Top 5 accuracy of 67% and a Top 1 accuracy of 53% have been achieved. It is also worth mentioning that this is also the first model of its kind to make this forecast.
Epidemiological trends of low back pain at the global, regional, and national levels
Authors: Wang Linfeng , Ye Hong , Li Zhichao , Lu Chengwu , Ye Jian , Liao Mingxin , Chen Xiaojie
Published: February 2022

Purpose

We aimed to assess the global, regional, and national burdens of low back pain (LBP) from 1990 to 2019 by gender, age, and the sociodemographic index (SDI) from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 study.

Methods

The number of incident cases, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardized incidence rates, and age-standardized DALY rates during 1990–2019 were obtained from the GBD 2019 study. The estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) in the age-standardized incidence rates and age-standardized DALY rates were determined to measure the temporal trends of LBP.

Results

In 2019, there were an estimated 223.5 million cases of LBP and 63.7 million LBP-related DALYs worldwide. During 1990–2019, the age-standardized incidence rate [EAPC =  − 0.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) − 0.46 to − 0.36] and age-standardized DALY rate decreased (EAPC =  − 0.51; 95% CI − 0.56 to − 0.46) globally. The age-standardized incidence rate of LBP decreased the most in low-middle SDI regions. The age-standardized incidence rate of LBP decreased the most in South Asia (EAPC, − 1.51), East Asia (EAPC, − 0.68), and Australasia (EAPC, − 0.26). The incidence in male subjects was lower than that in female subjects. The largest decreases in the age-standardized incidence rate and age-standardized DALY rate of LBP were observed in India, and China.

Conclusions

The global age-standardized incidence rate and age-standardized DALY rate of LBP showed a downward trend, especially in East and South Asia. In addition, a heavier burden of LBP was observed in older and female populations.
Evaluation of the RSR 3 screen ICA™ and 2 screen ICA™ as screening assays for type 1 diabetes in Sweden
Authors: Törn Carina , Vaziri-Sani Fariba , Ramelius Anita , Elding Larsson Helena , Ivarsson Sten Anders , Amoroso Marie , Furmaniak Jadwiga , Powell Michael , Smith Bernard Rees
Published: February 2022

Aim

The study aim was to evaluate the RSR 3 Screen ICA™ and 2 Screen ICA™ for detection of islet cell autoimmunity in healthy Swedish subjects and patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods

3 Screen is designed for combined detection of autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA), to the islet antigen IA-2 (IA-2A) and to zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8A), while 2 Screen detects GADA and IA-2A. Serum samples from 100 T1D patients at onset and 200 healthy controls were studied.

Results

3 Screen achieved 93% assay sensitivity and 97.5% specificity, while 2 Screen achieved 91% assay sensitivity and 98.5% specificity. Samples were also tested in assays for individual autoantibodies. There was only one 3 Screen positive healthy control sample (0.5%) that was positive for multiple autoantibodies (IA-2A and ZnT8A). In contrast, most of the 93 3 Screen positive patients were positive for multiple autoantibodies with 72% (67/93) positive for both GADA and IA-2A and 57% (53/93) positive for three autoantibodies (GADA, IA-2A and ZnT8A). Insulin autoantibodies (IAA, measured by radioimmunoassay) were positive in 13 patients and two healthy controls.

Conclusion

3 Screen achieved high sensitivity and specificity, suitable for islet cell autoimmunity screening in a healthy population. In the case of 3 Screen positivity, further assays for GADA, IA-2A and ZnT8A are required to check for multiple autoantibody positivity, a hallmark for progression to T1D. In addition, testing for IAA in children below two years of age is warranted.
Die primäre und die psychiatrisch-„komorbide“, nichtorganische Insomnie in einem neurologisch geführten Schlaflabor
Authors: Deutsch-Lang Sarah , Kuchling Maria , Valeske Isabel , Hulle-Wegl Petra , Stepansky Robert , Lang Wilfried
Published: March 2022

Patientinnen und Patienten, die in einem neurologischen Schlaflabor die Abschlussdiagnose nichtorganische Insomnie erhalten, leiden zu einem großen Teil (34 von 43 Personen) unter einer psychiatrischen Erkrankung: Persönlichkeitsstörungen, mit und ohne zusätzliche affektive Störung, Depression, Dysthymie, Zyklothymie, bipolare Störung, Angststörungen (generalisierte Angststörung, soziale Phobie), somatoforme (autonome) Funktionsstörung, hypochondrische Störung, Zwangsstörung, Anpassungsstörungen nach dramatischen Lebensereignissen sowie posttraumatische Belastungsstörungen. Sie befinden sich in laufender psychiatrischer und psychotherapeutischer Behandlung, leiden aber anhaltend unter den Symptomen der Insomnie. Allen Patientinnen und Patienten mit nichtorganischer Insomnie wird die kognitive Verhaltenstherapie der Insomnie angeboten.
Is the pattern of mandibular asymmetry in mild craniofacial microsomia comparable to non-syndromic class II asymmetry?
Authors: Chen Yun-Fang , Vinayahalingam Shankeeth , Bergé Stefaan , Liao Yu-Fang , Maal Thomas , Xi Tong
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To compare the characteristics of mandibular asymmetry in patients with unilateral craniofacial microsomia (CFM) and class II asymmetry.

Materials and methods

Pretreatment cone-beam computed tomography of consecutive adults with Pruzansky-Kaban type I and IIA CFM (CFM group) was analyzed by 3D cephalometry. Fourteen mandibular landmarks and two dental landmarks were identified. The mandibular size and positional asymmetry were calculated by using landmark-based linear and volumetric measurements, in terms of asymmetry ratios (affected/non-affected side) and absolute differences (affected − non-affected side). Results were compared with non-syndromic class II with matched severity of chin deviation (Class II group). Statistical analyses included independent t test, paired t test, chi-square test, and ANOVA.

Results

CFM group (n, 21; mean age, 20.4 ± 2.5 years) showed significantly larger size asymmetry in regions of mandibular body, ramus, and condyle compared to Class II group (n, 21; mean age, 27.8 ± 5.9 years) (p < 0.05). The curvature of mandibular body was asymmetric in CFM. Regarding the positional asymmetry of mandibular body, while a comparable transverse shift and a negligible yaw rotation were found among the two groups, the roll rotation in CFM was significantly greater as well as the occlusal (6.06° vs. 4.17°) and mandibular (7.84° vs. 2.80°) plane cants (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Mild CFM showed significantly more severe size asymmetry and roll rotation in mandible than non-CFM class II asymmetry.

Clinical relevance

To improve the mandibular size and positional asymmetry in CFM, adjunct hard tissue augmentation or reduction in addition to OGS orthodontics with a meticulous roll and yaw planning is compulsory, which is expected to be distinct from treating non-CFM class II asymmetry.
The role of maternal trauma and discipline types in emotional processing among Syrian refugee children
Authors: Peltonen Kirsi , Gredebäck Gustaf , Pollak Seth D. , Lindskog Marcus , Hall Jonathan
Published: February 2022

Stressful experiences in armed conflict incur intergenerational effects through parental behaviors with their children. A recent study reported that among Syrian refugee families, mothers’ (but not fathers’) post-traumatic stress (PTS) impacted children’s emotional processing. In this study, we aim to shed further light on this phenomenon by analyzing how the parenting practices in the context of post-traumatic stress confers protection or risk for children’s emotional processing. Participants were 6–18-year-old children (n = 212) and their mothers (n = 94), who fled from Syria and were residing in Turkish communities. We used the computer-based emotional processing task including photos of facial movements typically associated with different emotions to measure children’s capacity for emotional processing. Mothers reported their PTS and the discipline types they use, as well as the contextual factors related to their refugee background. Linear mixed effect models were constructed first, to find out the discipline types that are most strongly associated with emotional processing of the child, and second, to examine whether these discipline types moderate the effect of maternal PTS on children's emotional processing. Finally, generalized linear models were constructed to examine which contextual factors are associated with the use of these discipline types by mothers. We found that spanking as a discipline type was associated with poorer child emotional processing, whereas withholding of media access was associated with better emotional processing. Younger and less religious mothers were more prone to use spanking. The study underlines the need for parenting programs alongside with efforts to address mental health issues among mothers living under armed conflict.
Forest maturity has a stronger influence on the prevalence of spider monkeys than howler monkeys in an anthropogenically impacted rainforest landscape
Authors: Shedden A. , Dunn J. C. , Martínez-Mota R. , Cristóbal-Azkárate J. , Gillingham P. K. , MacSwiney-González C. , Newton A. C. , Rodríguez-Luna E. , Korstjens A. H.
Published: February 2022

The transformation and depletion of primary forest over the past few decades have placed almost half of the world’s primate species under the threat of extinction. Developing any successful conservation program for primates requires distribution and demography data, as well as an understanding of the relationships between these factors and their habitat. Between March and June 2010 and 2011 we collected data on the presence and demographic parameters of howler and spider monkeys by carrying out surveys, and validated our findings using local knowledge. We then examined the relationship between forest type and the presence of these primates at 54 sites in the northern area of the Selva Zoque Corridor, Mexico. We detected 86 spider monkey groups across 31 plots and censused 391 individuals (mean ± SD = 5.9 ± 3.0 individuals per sub-group, n = 67 sub-groups). We also detected 69 howler monkey groups across 30 plots and censused 117 individuals (mean ± SD = 5.3 ± 2.4 individuals per group, n = 22 groups). Howler monkey presence was not related to any specific vegetation type, while spider monkeys were present in areas with a higher percentage of tall forest (trees > 25 m high). Overall, spider monkeys were more prevalent than howler monkeys in our sampling sites and showed demographic characteristics similar to those in better protected areas, suggesting that the landscape features in the Uxpanapa Valley are suitable for their needs. Conversely, howler monkey presence was found to be more limited than in other regions, possibly due to the extended presence of spider monkeys.
The past, present and future of euro area monetary-fiscal interactions
Authors: Whelan Karl
Published: March 2022

The EU’s Treaties were designed to limit the interaction between fiscal and monetary policies. However, over the last decade, the introduction of the ECB’s Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT) programme and its sovereign bond purchase programmes has created some strong linkages between monetary and fiscal policies in the Eurosystem. The ECB’s monetary policies have improved fiscal debt sustainability and reduced the probability of sovereign default. However, there may need to be limits to the ECB’s purchases of sovereign bonds. This paper discusses the interactions between fiscal and monetary policies in the euro area and describes how the arguments raised by the European Court of Justice in the Weiss and Gauweiler cases suggest there may be hard limits on the size of the Eurosystem’s sovereign bond holdings. These limits may undermine the positive impact of the OMT announcement and force the ECB into some difficult choices in the coming years.
Amycolatopsis camponoti sp. nov., new tetracenomycin-producing actinomycete isolated from carpenter ant Camponotus vagus
Authors: Zakalyukina Yuliya V. , Osterman Ilya A. , Wolf Jacqueline , Neumann-Schaal Meina , Nouioui Imen , Biryukov Mikhail V.
Published: February 2022

An actinobacterial strain A23T, isolated from adult ant Camponotus vagus collected in Ryazan region (Russia) and established as tetracenomycin X producer, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Morphological characteristics of this strain included well-branched substrate mycelium and aerial hyphae fragmented into rod-shaped elements. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene and genome sequences showed that strain A23T was most closely related to Amycolatopsis pretoriensis DSM 44654T. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between the genome sequences of isolate A23T and its closest relative, Amycolatopsis pretoriensis DSM 44654T, were 39.5% and 88.6%, which were below the 70% and 95–96% cut-off point recommended for bacterial species demarcation, respectively. The genome size of the isolate A23T was 10,560,374 bp with a DNA G + C content of 71.2%. The whole-cell hydrolysate contained meso-diaminopimelic acid and arabinose and galactose as main diagnostic sugars as well as ribose and rhamnose. It contained MK-9(H4) as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C16:0, iso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and C16:0 as the major cellular fatty acids. Diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine prevailed among phospholipids. Mycolic acids were not detected. Based on the phenotypic, genomic and phylogenetic data, isolate A23T represents a novel species of the genus Amycolatopsis, for which the name Amycolatopsis camponoti sp. nov. is proposed, and the type strain is A23T (= DSM 111725T = VKM 2882T).
Intergenerational Transmission of Anxious Information Processing Biases: An Updated Conceptual Model
Authors: Aktar Evin
Published: February 2022

Anxiety disorders are globally one of the most prevalent and disabling forms of psychopathology in adults and children. Having a parent with an anxiety disorder multiplies the risk of anxiety disorders in the offspring, although the specific mechanisms and processes that play a role in this intergenerational transmission remain largely unknown. According to information processing theories, threat-related biases in cognitive processing are a causal mechanism in the development and maintenance of anxiety. These theories propose that individuals with anxiety are more likely to cognitively process novel stimuli in their environment as threatening. Creswell and colleagues proposed a theoretical model that highlighted the role of these cognitive biases as a mechanism in the intergenerational transmission of anxiety (Creswell et al., in Hadwin, Field (eds) Information processing biases and anxiety: a developmental perspective, Wiley, pp 279–295, 2010). This model postulated significant associations between (1) parents’ and children’s threat-related cognitive biases (2) parents’ threat-related cognitive biases in their own and their child’s environment, (3) parents’ threat-related cognitive biases and parenting behaviors that convey anxiety risk to the offspring (e.g., modeling of fear, and verbal threat information transmission), and (4) parenting behaviors and child threat-related biases. This theoretical review collated the recent empirical work testing these four core hypotheses of the model. Building on the reviewed empirical work, an updated conceptual model focusing on threat-related attention and interpretation is proposed. This updated model incorporates the links between cognition and anxiety in parents and children and addresses the potential bidirectional nature of parent–child influences.
Documenting fishes in an inland sea with citizen scientist diver surveys: using taxonomic expertise to inform the observation potential of fish species
Authors: Ashley Elizabeth A. , Pattengill-Semmens Christy V. , Orr James W. , Nichols Janna D. , Gaydos Joseph K.
Published: February 2022

Long-term monitoring enables scientists and managers to track changes in the temporal and spatial distributions of fishes. Given the anthropogenic stressors affecting marine ecosystem health, there is a critical need for robust, comprehensive fish monitoring programs. Citizen science can serve as a meaningful, cost-effective strategy to survey fish communities. We compared data from 13,000 surveys collected over 21 years (1998–2019) by Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) volunteer divers to a published compilation of Salish Sea ichthyofauna collected using an assortment of methods. Volunteer divers observed 138 of 261 recognized species in the Salish Sea, expanded the range of 18 species into additional Salish Sea sub-basins, and identified one species novel to the Salish Sea (Gibbonsia metzi — Striped Kelpfish). To identify Salish Sea fish species that are most suitable to be monitored by underwater visual census and to evaluate confidence in in situ identification, we developed a categorization system based on the likelihood of recreational divers and snorkelers encountering a given species, and on whether identification required a specimen in hand or could be classified to species visually (with or without a high-quality photograph). REEF divers encountered 62% (138 of 223) of the visually detectable species occurring in the region and 85% (102 of 120) of species most likely to be observed by recreational divers. Our findings show that citizen scientists provide valuable monitoring data for over half of the 261 marine and anadromous fish species known to occupy the Salish Sea, many of which are not routinely monitored otherwise.
Does the Mortality of Individuals with Severe Disabilities Contribute to the Persistent East–West Mortality Gap Among German Men?
Authors: Grigoriev Olga , Doblhammer Gabriele
Published: March 2022

After three decades since reunification male life expectancy in East Germany still lags behind that of West Germany. Unlike most of the prior studies focusing on the role of socioeconomic factors, this study aims at assessing the contribution of the population with severe disabilities to the persistent East–West male mortality gap. Our analysis is mainly based on the German Pension Fund data. It is restricted to men aged 30–59 receiving disability pension (DP). We estimate mortality indicators and compare trends among populations with or without DP. We use decomposition method to quantify the effects of changes in mortality and compositional changed in the prevalence of receiving DP on the East–West mortality difference. The analysis covers the period 1995–2013. The German Socioeconomic Panel data and Cox proportional hazard models are used to evaluate the regional differences in the risk of receiving DP. Our results suggest that both the higher prevalence of receiving DP in the East and the higher mortality level among men not receiving DP in the East explain the East–West gap. The mortality difference among those receiving DP is negligible and does not contribute much to it. The observed higher prevalence in receiving DP in the East is very likely to reflect the reality as we found no regional differences in the risk of transitioning to receiving DP. The disadvantageous position of the East can be explained by the post-reunification crisis which particularly hit young men in the 1990s, selective migration from East to West after reunification, and the higher proportion of the healthier foreign population living in the West.
Reconsidering the Relation Between “Matter Wave Interference” and “Wave–Particle Duality”
Authors: Mairhofer Lukas , Passon Oliver
Published: February 2022

Interference of more and more massive objects provides a spectacular confirmation of quantum theory. It is usually regarded as support for “wave–particle duality” and in an extension of this duality even as support for “complementarity”. We first give an outline of the historical development of these notions. Already here it becomes evident that they are hard to define rigorously, i.e. have mainly a heuristic function. Then we discuss recent interference experiments of large and complex molecules which seem to support this heuristic function of “duality”. However, we show that in these experiments the diffraction of a delocalized center-of-mass wave function depends on the interaction of the localized structure of the molecule with the diffraction element. Thus, the molecules display “dual features” at the same time, which contradicts the usual understanding of wave–particle duality. We conclude that the notion of “wave–particle duality” deserves no place in modern quantum physics.
Scientific Visualization on the Cloud: the NEANIAS Services towards EOSC Integration
Authors: Sciacca Eva , Krokos Mel , Bordiu Cristobal , Brandt Carlos , Vitello Fabio , Bufano Filomena , Becciani Ugo , Raciti Mario , Tudisco Giuseppe , Riggi Simone , Topa Eugenio , Azzi Sami , Kyd Benjamin , Mantovani Simone , Vettorello Laura , Tan Jiacheng , Quintana Josep , Campos Ricard , Pina Noela
Published: March 2022

NEANIAS is a research and innovation action project funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 program. The project addresses the challenge of prototyping novel solutions for the underwater, atmospheric and space research communities, creating a collaborative research ecosystem, and contributing to the effective materialization of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). NEANIAS drives the co-design, implementation, delivery, and integration into EOSC of innovative thematic and core services, derived from state-of-the-art assets and practices in the target scientific communities. We present the overall NEANIAS ecosystem architecture, with an emphasis on its core visualization services, detailing their specifications and software development plan, and focusing on the underpinning service-oriented architecture for their delivery. We report on the underlying ideas and guiding principles for designing such visualization services, outlining their current release status and future development roadmaps towards Technological Readiness Level (TRL) 8 maturity and EOSC integration.
Improving Object Grasp Performance via Transformer-Based Sparse Shape Completion
Authors: Chen Wenkai , Liang Hongzhuo , Chen Zhaopeng , Sun Fuchun , Zhang Jianwei
Published: February 2022

Currently, robotic grasping methods based on sparse partial point clouds have attained excellent grasping performance on various objects. However, they often generate wrong grasping candidates due to the lack of geometric information on the object. In this work, we propose a novel and robust sparse shape completion model (TransSC). This model has a transformer-based encoder to explore more point-wise features and a manifold-based decoder to exploit more object details using a segmented partial point cloud as input. Quantitative experiments verify the effectiveness of the proposed shape completion network and demonstrate that our network outperforms existing methods. Besides, TransSC is integrated into a grasp evaluation network to generate a set of grasp candidates. The simulation experiment shows that TransSC improves the grasping generation result compared to the existing shape completion baselines. Furthermore, our robotic experiment shows that with TransSC, the robot is more successful in grasping objects of unknown numbers randomly placed on a support surface.
High-Dimensional Central Limit Theorems for Homogeneous Sums
Authors: Koike Yuta
Published: February 2022

This paper develops a quantitative version of de Jong’s central limit theorem for homogeneous sums in a high-dimensional setting. More precisely, under appropriate moment assumptions, we establish an upper bound for the Kolmogorov distance between a multi-dimensional vector of homogeneous sums and a Gaussian vector so that the bound depends polynomially on the logarithm of the dimension and is governed by the fourth cumulants and the maximal influences of the components. As a corollary, we obtain high-dimensional versions of fourth-moment theorems, universality results and Peccati–Tudor-type theorems for homogeneous sums. We also sharpen some existing (quantitative) central limit theorems by applications of our result.
Resistance to obinutuzumab-induced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity caused by abnormal Fas signaling is overcome by combination therapies
Authors: Kawasaki Natsumi , Yamashita-Kashima Yoriko , Fujimura Takaaki , Yoshiura Shigeki , Harada Naoki , Kondoh Osamu , Yoshimura Yasushi
Published: February 2022

Background

Obinutuzumab, a Type II anti-CD20 antibody, is used to treat follicular lymphoma. A major mode of action of obinutuzumab is antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Knowledge of the mechanisms of resistance to obinutuzumab is important for the development of next-line strategies to follow obinutuzumab-containing therapy, including obinutuzumab retreatment. Unfortunately, the mechanisms by which tumor cells acquire resistance to ADCC are still poorly understood. To address this, we examined the mechanisms of resistance to obinutuzumab-induced ADCC and the combination efficacy of obinutuzumab and clinically available agents in the established resistant cells.

Methods and results

We established cells resistant to obinutuzumab-induced ADCC using the non-Hodgkin lymphoma cell line RL and examined their mechanisms of resistance and the combination efficacy of obinutuzumab and clinically available agents. Comprehensive analysis by RNA sequencing of resistance mechanisms revealed that abnormal Fas signaling decreased sensitivity to ADCC in resistant clones. Combination treatment with prednisolone, a component of CHOP and CVP, was found to enhance ADCC sensitivity of RL cells and resistant clones and to significantly suppress tumor growth in xenograft models. Treatment with prednisolone upregulated expression of CD20 and an apoptosis-inducing protein BIM, which might augment perforin/granzyme B-mediated cell death. Furthermore, pretreatment of the effector cells with bendamustine enhanced ADCC activity, and treatment with obinutuzumab plus bendamustine showed significant antitumor efficacy in xenograft models. It was speculated that bendamustine upregulates ADCC activity by potentiating granules-mediated cell killing.

Conclusions

Our study revealed a novel mechanism underlying obinutuzumab-induced ADCC resistance and indicated that ADCC resistance could be overcome by combining obinutuzumab with prednisolone or bendamustine. This study provides a scientific rationale for obinutuzumab-retreatment in combination with clinically available chemotherapeutic agents for obinutuzumab resistant follicular lymphoma.
Thermal response of electronic, optical, mechanical properties, phonon frequencies, and sound velocity of InPxAsySb1−x−y/InAs quaternary semiconductor system
Authors: Degheidy A. R. , Abuali A. M. , Elkenany Elkenany B.
Published: February 2022

The temperature dependence of acoustic velocities, thermal properties, phonon frequencies, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties for the InPxAsySb1−x−y/InAs system has been studied. The physical properties of the binary components InSb, InP, and InAs that constitute the quaternary alloy were used in this research. The study has been done using the empirical pseudo-potential method (EPM) under the virtual crystal approximation (VCA). The thermal properties, phonon frequencies, and acoustic velocities for the InPxAsySb1−x−y/InAs system under the effect of temperature have not been fully studied. Therefore, we have focused on these properties under the influence of temperature. Due to the lack of published theoretical and experimental values on these properties, our findings will provide a significant reference for future experimental work.
White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2 requires additional phosphorus for N2 fixation
Authors: O’Sullivan James B. , Jin Jian , Tang Caixian
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The steady rise of atmospheric CO2 concentrations enhances symbiotic N2 fixation and plant growth. However, it is largely unknown whether more P is required to enhance N2 fixation under elevated CO2. We examined if plants under elevated CO2 require more P to support enhanced N2 fixation.

Methods

White lupin (Lupinus albus L. cv. Kiev) was grown in nutrient solution under ambient (380 ppm) and elevated (700 ppm) CO2 levels at 0, 2, 5, 12, 25 and 50 µM P. Nodulation, nodule function, N2 fixation and plant growth were assessed at 4 and 6 weeks post inoculation. Excess cation uptake and proton release were also analysed due to its importance in P acquisition.

Results

Elevated CO2 increased the critical P concentration in nutrient solution for N2 fixation, indicating plants under elevated CO2 need to acquire additional P to support greater N2 fixation. Elevated CO2 improved N2 fixation in P-deficient plants by increasing specific nitrogenase activity. Elevated CO2 also enhanced excess cation uptake which increased proton release by roots.

Conclusions

As elevated CO2 increased the plant demand for P, it increased the critical P concentration in nutrient solution for N2 fixation, thereby plants require more P to mitigate the effect of P deficiency on N2 fixation. Despite this, elevated CO2 could enhance N2 fixation in P-limiting environments.
Active and sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improved quality of life in female patients with fibromyalgia
Authors: Samartin-Veiga N. , González-Villar A. J. , Pidal-Miranda M. , Vázquez-Millán A. , Carrillo-de-la-Peña M. T.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome with a strong impact on quality of life (QoL). Treatment of this condition remains a challenge, due to the scarce evidence for the effectiveness of the therapeutic approaches available. Current attention is focused on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which has yielded promising results for pain treatment. Rather than focusing only on pain relief, in this study, we aimed to determine how active or sham tDCS (over three cortical targets -the primary motor cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the operculo-insular cortex-) affect QoL in patients with FM.

Methods

Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, we applied fifteen tDCS sessions of 20’ to initial 130 participants (randomized to any of the four treatment groups). We evaluated the QoL (assessed by SF-36) and the symptoms’ impact (assessed by FIQ-R) in baseline, after treatment and at 6 months follow-up.

Results

All groups were comparable as regards age, medication pattern and severity of symptoms before the treatment. We found that QoL and symptoms’ impact improved in all treatment groups (including the sham) and this improvement lasted for up to 6 months. However, we did not observe any group effect nor group*treatment interaction.

Conclusions

After the intervention, we observed a non-specific effect that may be due to placebo, favoured by the expectations of tDCS efficacy and psychosocial variables inherent to the intervention (daily relationship with therapists and other patients in the clinic). Therefore, active tDCS is not superior to sham stimulation in improving QoL in FM.
Having a disagreement: expression, persuasion and demand
Authors: Pietroiusti Giulio
Published: February 2022

It is common to distinguish between disagreement in the state sense (being in disagreement) and disagreement in the activity sense (having a disagreement). This paper deals with the question of what it is for two people to have a disagreement. First, I present and reject the thesis according to which having a disagreement is a matter of expressing conflicting attitudes. I argue that this is not sufficient for having a disagreement: two people can express conflicting attitudes without having a disagreement. Second, I present and reject the thesis according to which having a disagreement involves not only the expression of conflicting attitudes, but also the persuasive attempt to bring the other around to one’s view. I argue that this is not necessary for having a disagreement: two people can have a disagreement without trying to change each other’s minds. Finally, I put forward an alternative account that goes beyond the mere expression of conflicting attitudes, but that does not go as far as to posit the attempt to change someone’s mind. Having a disagreement, I submit, is a matter of expressing conflicting attitudes and demanding agreement, that is, advancing the normative claim that the other should share one’s attitude.
Persistence of Fecal Indicators and Microbial Source Tracking Markers in Water Flushed from Riverbank Soils
Authors: Calderon Jose S. , Verbyla Matthew E. , Gil Mia , Pinongcos Federick , Kinoshita Alicia M. , Mladenov Natalie
Published: February 2022

Sewer overflows and exfiltration can potentially contaminate water bodies with pathogens from wastewater. Microbial source tracking (MST) methods such as the detection of the HF183 gene target of Bacteroides have been proposed to monitor human fecal pollution inputs to surface waters; however, the persistence of HF183 and other MST markers in water flushed from soils after contamination events is not well understood. In this study, the persistence and decay of two culture-based fecal indicators, Escherichia coli and enterococci, and two molecular MST markers, HF183 and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), were evaluated in riverbank soils spiked with untreated sewage, which were left idle for 1, 14, 28, 60, and 121 days under dark conditions and then flushed with synthetic rainwater. All four microbial indicators were still detected in flush water 4 months after the soil was contaminated. PMMoV persisted much longer and had a slower decay rate than the other microbial indicators, and E. coli degraded most rapidly. In consecutive flushing experiments with fresh (1 day) sewage-spiked soils, HF183, E. coli, and enterococci were all detected after 20 consecutive flushes with rainwater, but PMMoV was not detected after the fifth flush. Our findings indicate that water (e.g., stormwater interflow) flushing through riverbank soils that have previously been contaminated by sewer overflows or sewer exfiltration can potentially be a source of microbial pollution to surface waters, even for several months after the contamination occurs. Results from this study also demonstrate the benefits of using multiple human-associated fecal indicators to distinguish pollution from different microbial groups in water bodies.

Graphical abstract
Cost-effectiveness analysis of including contrast-enhanced ultrasound in management of pancreatic cystic neoplasms
Authors: Faccioli Niccolo’ , Santi Elena , Foti Giovanni , D’Onofrio Mirko
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCN) management consists of non-invasive imaging studies (CT, MRI), with a high resource burden. We aimed to determine the cost-effectiveness of including contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the management of PCN without risk features.

Materials and methods

By using a decision-tree model in a hypothetical cohort of patients, we compared management strategy including CEUS with the latest Fukuoka consensus, European and Italian guidelines. Our strategy for BD-IPMN/MCN < 1 cm includes 1 CEUS annually. For those between 1 and 2 cm, it includes CEUS 4 times/year during the first year, then 3 times/year for 4 years and then annually. For those between 2 and 3 cm, it comprises MRI twice/year during the first one, then alternating 2 CEUS and 1 MRI yearly.

Results

CEUS surveillance is the dominant strategy in all scenarios. CEUS surveillance average cost is 1,984.72 €, mean QALY 11.79 and mean ICER 181.99 €. If willingness to pay is 30,000 €, 45% of patients undergone CEUS surveillance of BDIPMN/MCN < 1 cm would be within budget.

Conclusion

Guidelines strategies are very effective, but costs are relatively high from a policy perspective. CEUS surveillance may be a cost-effective strategy yielding a nearly high QALYs, an acceptable ICER, and a lower cost.
Treating Cardiovascular Disease with Liver Genome Engineering
Authors: Hurley Ayrea , Lagor William R.
Published: March 2022

Purpose of Review

This review examines recent progress in somatic genome editing for cardiovascular disease. We briefly highlight new gene editing approaches, delivery systems, and potential targets in the liver.

Recent Findings

In recent years, new editing and delivery systems have been applied successfully in model organisms to modify genes within hepatocytes. Disruption of several genes has been shown to dramatically lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels in mice as well as non-human primates. More precise modification of cardiovascular targets has also been achieved through homology-directed repair or base editing. Improved viral vectors and nanoparticle delivery systems are addressing important delivery challenges and helping to mitigate safety concerns.

Liver-directed genome editing has the potential to cure both rare and common forms of cardiovascular disease. Exciting progress is already being made, including promising results from preclinical studies and the initiation of human gene therapy trials.
Models of Care of Schizophrenia in the Community—An International Perspective
Authors: Gowda Guru S. , Isaac Mohan K.
Published: March 2022

Purpose of Review

We reviewed the existing and recent community models of care in schizophrenia. We examine characteristics, recent updates, evidence, cost-effectiveness, and patients’ acceptance for existing and new community-based care models in high-income (HI) and low- and middle-income (LAMI) countries.

Recent Findings

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Intensive Case Management (ICM), and Crisis Intervention are cost-effective interventions for schizophrenia and time tested in the last few decades in HI countries. The growing evidence suggests that tailor-made ACTs and ICM can effectively reduce substance use, homelessness, and criminal activity in persons with schizophrenia who live in the community. Similarly, in LAMI Countries, a few community-based care models for schizophrenia have been developed and tested based on community-based rehabilitation principles.

The modality of a community model of care and interventions for a person with schizophrenia should be chosen based on the person’s co-existing psychosocial difficulties and challenges such as homelessness, criminal behaviour, and substance use.
Tackling Foam-Based Process Disruptions in Spirit Distillation by Thermal Energy Input Adaptations
Authors: Heller Daniel , Roj Simon , Switulla Julia , Kölling Ralf , Einfalt Daniel
Published: March 2022

Process impairing foam formation occurs regularly in batch distillation devices of the spirit industry. It negatively influences process and product quality. Up to now, such foam-related problems have not been in the focus of scientific investigations. This study aimed at preventing impairing foam formations by adapting the thermal energy input in fruit and grain mash distillations in larger scale batch distillations. The results showed that a reduction of the thermal energy input to 43 ± 1 W·L−1 during the initial heating of the mash leads to less flooding of the distillation apparatus and to a higher concentration of lower boiling compounds like methanol, acetaldehyde, and ethyl acetate as well as ethanol in the first fractions of the distillates. A standard process time and less energy consumption could be achieved by increasing the energy input again after prior reduction. However, this led to a reduction of the ethanol concentration in the distillate fractions of up to 4.3%vol, also most severe in the first fractions. A significant influence on analyzed volatile compounds in the distillate besides ethanol could not be detected. This is the first study that uses defined thermal energy input adaptations for foam management in larger scale distillation devices. The results lead the way to a more efficient distillation process with less foam formation.
Cross-cultural evidence of a space-ethnicity association in face categorisation
Authors: Dalmaso Mario , Vicovaro Michele , Watanabe Katsumi
Published: February 2022

According to a space-valence association, individuals tend to relate negatively- and positively-connoted stimuli with the left and right side of space, respectively. So far, only a few studies have explored whether this phenomenon can also emerge for social dimensions associated with facial stimuli. Here, we adopted a cross-cultural approach and conducted two experiments with the main aim to test whether a left–right space-valence association can also emerge for other- vs. own-race faces. Asian Japanese (Experiment 1) and White Italian (Experiment 2) participants engaged in a speeded binary classification task in which a central placed face had to be classified as either Asian or White. Manual responses were provided through a left- vs. right-side button. In both experiments, other-race faces elicited faster responses than own-race faces, in line with the well-documented other-race categorisation advantage. Moreover, evidence of an association between space and ethnic membership also arose and, interestingly, was similar in both groups. Indeed, Asian faces were responded to faster with the right-side key than with the left-side key, whereas response side had no effect for White faces. These results are discussed with regard to possible cross-cultural differences in group perception.
Prognostic model based on six PD-1 expression and immune infiltration-associated genes predicts survival in breast cancer
Authors: Junjun Shen , Yangyanqiu Wang , Jing Zhuang , Jie Pu , Jian Chu , Yuefen Pan , Shuwen Han
Published: March 2022

Background

The prognosis of breast cancer (BC) was associated with the expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1).

Methods

BC-related expression and clinical data were downloaded from TCGA database. PD-1 expression with overall survival and clinical factors were investigated. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and weighted gene correlation network analysis were performed to investigate the PD-1 expression-associated KEGG pathways and genes, respectively. Immune infiltration was analyzed using the ssGSEA algorithm and DAVID, respectively. Univariate and multivariable Cox and LASSO regression analyses were performed to select prognostic genes for modeling.

Results

High PD-1 expression was related to prolonged survival time (P = 0.014). PD-1 expression status showed correlations with age, race, and pathological subtype. ER- and PR-negative patients exhibited high PD-1 expression. The GSVA revealed that high PD-1 expression was associated with various immune-associated pathways, such as T cell/B cell receptor signaling pathway or natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity. The patients in the high-immune infiltration group exhibited significantly higher PD-1 expression levels. In summary, 397 genes associated with both immune infiltration and PD-1 expression were screened. Univariate analysis and LASSO regression model identified the six most valuable prognostic genes, namely IRC3, GBP2, IGJ, KLHDC7B, KLRB1, and RAC2. The prognostic model could predict survival for BC patients.

Conclusion

High PD-1 expression was associated with high-immune infiltration in BC patients. Genes closely associated with PD-1, immune infiltration and survival prognosis were screened to predict prognosis.