bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resolving unsolved whole-genome sequencing data in paediatric neurological disorders: a cohort study
Authors: Chi Ching-Shiang , Tsai Chi-Ren , Lee Hsiu-Fen
Published: May 2024

Objective

To resolve unsolved whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data in individuals with paediatric neurological disorders.

Design

A cohort study method using updated bioinformatic tools, new analysis targets, clinical information and literature databases was employed to reanalyse existing unsolved genome data.

Participants

From January 2016 to September 2023, a total of 615 individuals who aged under 18 years old, exhibited neurological disorders and received singleton WGS were recruited. 364 cases were unsolved during initial WGS analysis, in which 102 consented to reanalyse existing singleton WGS data.

Results

Median duration for reanalysis after initial negative WGS results was 2 years and 4 months. The diagnostic yield was 29 of 102 individuals (28.4%) through reanalysis. New disease gene discovery and new target acquisitions contributed to 13 of 29 solved cases (44.8%). The reasons of non-detected causative variants during initial WGS analysis were variant reclassification in 9 individuals (31%), analytical issue in 9 (31%), new emerging disease–gene association in 8 (27.6%) and clinical update in 3 (10.3%). The 29 new diagnoses increased the cumulative diagnostic yield of clinical WGS in the entire study cohort to 45.5% after reanalysis.

Conclusions

Unsolved paediatric WGS individuals with neurological disorders could obtain molecular diagnoses through reanalysis within a timeframe of 2–2.5 years. New disease gene, structural variations and deep intronic splice variants make a significant contribution to diagnostic yield. This approach can provide precise genetic counselling to positive reanalysis results and end a diagnostic odyssey.
Foveal atrophy in patients with active central serous chorioretinopathy at first presentation: characteristics and treatment outcomes
Authors: Son Ki Young , Lim Seul Gi , Hwang Sungsoon , Choi Jaehwan , Kim Sang Jin , Kang Se Woong
Published: May 2024

Background/aims

This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with active central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and foveal atrophy.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with active idiopathic CSC using multimodal imaging and followed up for at least 6 months were included. They were divided into two groups (foveal atrophy group vs foveal non-atrophy group) according to a cut-off central foveal thickness of 120 µm on baseline optical coherence tomography (OCT). Baseline characteristics, angiographic and tomographic features and treatment outcomes were compared between the two groups.

Results

Of the 463 patients, 92 eyes of 92 patients (19.9%) were in the foveal atrophy group and 371 eyes of 371 patients (80.1%) were in the foveal non-atrophy group. The baseline subretinal fluid (SRF) height was 111.3±76.8 µm in the foveal atrophy group and 205.0±104.4 µm in the foveal non-atrophy group on OCT images (p<0.001). Complete resolution of SRF after treatment was noted in 60.4% and 93.5% of patients in the foveal atrophy and foveal non-atrophy groups at the final visit, respectively (p<0.001). The foveal atrophy group showed worse visual acuity at baseline (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution, 0.43±0.33 vs 0.13±0.18, p<0.001) and final visit (0.41±0.32 vs 0.05±0.15, p=0.035).

Conclusions

CSC with foveal atrophy was associated with a shallow SRF height, low treatment efficacy and poor vision before and after treatment. We suggest that early active treatment should be considered for eyes with CSC accompanied by a persistent shallow SRF and foveal atrophy.
Unveiling the clinical incapabilities: a benchmarking study of GPT-4V(ision) for ophthalmic multimodal image analysis
Authors: Xu Pusheng , Chen Xiaolan , Zhao Ziwei , Shi Danli
Published: May 2024

Purpose

To evaluate the capabilities and incapabilities of a GPT-4V(ision)-based chatbot in interpreting ocular multimodal images.

Methods

We developed a digital ophthalmologist app using GPT-4V and evaluated its performance with a dataset (60 images, 60 ophthalmic conditions, 6 modalities) that included slit-lamp, scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography of the posterior pole (FPP), optical coherence tomography, fundus fluorescein angiography and ocular ultrasound images. The chatbot was tested with ten open-ended questions per image, covering examination identification, lesion detection, diagnosis and decision support. The responses were manually assessed for accuracy, usability, safety and diagnosis repeatability. Auto-evaluation was performed using sentence similarity and GPT-4-based auto-evaluation.

Results

Out of 600 responses, 30.6% were accurate, 21.5% were highly usable and 55.6% were deemed as no harm. GPT-4V performed best with slit-lamp images, with 42.0%, 38.5% and 68.5% of the responses being accurate, highly usable and no harm, respectively. However, its performance was weaker in FPP images, with only 13.7%, 3.7% and 38.5% in the same categories. GPT-4V correctly identified 95.6% of the imaging modalities and showed varying accuracies in lesion identification (25.6%), diagnosis (16.1%) and decision support (24.0%). The overall repeatability of GPT-4V in diagnosing ocular images was 63.3% (38/60). The overall sentence similarity between responses generated by GPT-4V and human answers is 55.5%, with Spearman correlations of 0.569 for accuracy and 0.576 for usability.

Conclusion

GPT-4V currently is not yet suitable for clinical decision-making in ophthalmology. Our study serves as a benchmark for enhancing ophthalmic multimodal models.
Two-year outcomes of Xen 45 gel stent implantation in patients with open-angle glaucoma: real-world data from the Fight Glaucoma Blindness registry
Authors: Arnould Louis , Balsat Elise , Hashimoto Yohei , White Andrew , Kong George , Dunn Hamish , Fan Leo , Gabrielle Pierre-Henry , Bron Alain M , Creuzot-Garcher Catherine P , Lawlor Mitchell
Published: May 2024

Objective

To evaluate efficacy and safety outcomes of the Xen 45 gel stent implant over 24 months of follow-up.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the Fight Glaucoma Blindness observational registry. Complete success (CS) was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction ≥20% from preoperative and an IOP ≤18 mm Hg and ≥6 mm Hg with no secondary procedure at 2 years and without IOP-lowering medications. Qualified success (QS) was defined similarly, allowing the use of IOP-lowering medications.

Results

The Xen 45 gel stent implant was implanted in 646 eyes of 515 patients. Preoperative IOP was 21.4±7.6 (mean±SD) mm Hg on 2.7±1.3 IOP-lowering medication and mean deviation was −10.2±8.4 dB. After 24-month follow-up, IOP was 16.8±7.3 mm Hg (mean reduction of 21.7%) on 1.2±1.4 IOP-lowering medications. CS and QS rates at 24 months were 26% and 48%, respectively. CS and QS were higher in the Xen stand-alone group (33% and 52%, respectively) than in the Xen+cataract group (16% and 42%, respectively). Bleb needling was performed in 28.4% of cases, and 18% underwent a secondary procedure.

Conclusions

The Xen 45 gel stent implant offers acceptable long-term efficacy for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma. However, there is a significant rate of reoperation and needling, and outcomes are less effective if combined with cataract surgery.
Long acting progestogens versus combined oral contraceptive pill for
preventing recurrence of endometriosis related pain: the PRE-EMPT pragmatic,
parallel group, open label, randomised controlled trial
Authors: Cooper Kevin G , Bhattacharya Siladitya , Daniels Jane P , Horne Andrew W , Clark T Justin , Saridogan Ertan , Cheed Versha , Pirie Danielle , Melyda Melyda , Monahan Mark , Roberts Tracy E , Cox Emma , Stubbs Clive , Middleton Lee J
Published: May 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of long acting progestogens
compared with the combined oral contraceptive pill in preventing
recurrence of endometriosis related pain.

Design

The PRE-EMPT (preventing recurrence of endometriosis) pragmatic,
parallel group, open label, randomised controlled trial.

Setting

34 UK hospitals.

Participants

405 women of reproductive age undergoing conservative surgery for
endometriosis.

Interventions

Participants were randomised in a 1:1 ratio using a secure internet
facility to a long acting progestogen (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate
or levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system) or the combined oral
contraceptive pill.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome was pain measured three years after
randomisation using the pain domain of the Endometriosis Health Profile
30 (EHP-30) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes (evaluated at six months,
one, two, and three years) included the four core and six modular
domains of the EHP-30, and treatment failure (further therapeutic
surgery or second line medical treatment).

Results

405 women were randomised to receive a long acting progestogen
(n=205) or combined oral contraceptive pill (n=200). At three years,
there was no difference in pain scores between the groups (adjusted mean
difference −0.8, 95% confidence interval −5.7 to 4.2, P=0.76), which had
improved by around 40% in both groups compared with preoperative values
(an average of 24 and 23 points for long acting progestogen and combined
oral contraceptive pill groups, respectively). Most of the other domains
of the EHP-30 also showed improvement at all time points compared with
preoperative scores, without evidence of any differences between groups.
Women randomised to a long acting progestogen underwent fewer surgical
procedures or second line treatments compared with those randomised to
the combined oral contraceptive pill group
(73v97; hazard ratio 0.67, 95% confidence
interval 0.44 to 1.00).

Conclusions

Postoperative prescription of a long acting progestogen or the
combined oral contraceptive pill results in similar levels of
improvement in endometriosis related pain at three years, with both
groups showing around a 40% improvement compared with preoperative
levels. While women can be reassured that both options are effective,
the reduced risk of repeat surgery for endometriosis and hysterectomy
might make long acting reversible progestogens preferable for
some.

Trial registration

ISRCTN registryISRCTN97865475.
Examining the application of the IDEAL framework in the reporting and evaluation of innovative invasive procedures: secondary qualitative analysis of a systematic review
Authors: Richards Hollie Sarah , Cousins Sian , Scroggie Darren L , Elliott Daisy , Macefield Rhiannon , Hudson Elizabeth , Mutanga Ian Rodney , Shah Maximilian , Alford Natasha , Blencowe Natalie S , Blazeby Jane
Published: May 2024

Objectives

The development of new surgical procedures is fundamental to advancing patient care. The Idea, Developments, Exploration, Assessment and Long-term (IDEAL) framework describes study designs for stages of innovation. It can be difficult to apply due to challenges in defining and identifying innovative procedures. This study examined how the IDEAL framework is operationalised in real-world settings; specifically, the types of innovations evaluated using the framework and how authors justify their choice of IDEAL study design.

Design

Secondary qualitative analysis of a systematic review.

Data sources

Citation searches (Web of Science and Scopus) identified studies following the IDEAL framework and citing any of the ten key IDEAL/IDEAL_D papers.

Eligibility criteria

Studies of invasive procedures/devices of any design citing any of the ten key IDEAL/IDEAL_D papers.

Data extraction and synthesis

All relevant text was extracted. Three frameworks were developed, namely: (1) type of innovation under evaluation; (2) terminology used to describe stage of innovation and (3) reported rationale for IDEAL stage.

Results

48 articles were included. 19/48 described entirely new procedures, including those used for the first time in a different clinical context (n=15/48), reported as IDEAL stage 2a (n=8, 53%). Terminology describing stage of innovation was varied, inconsistent and ambiguous and was not defined. Authors justified their choice of IDEAL study design based on limitations in published evidence (n=36) and unknown feasibility and safety (n=32) outcomes.

Conclusion

Identifying stage of innovation is crucial to inform appropriate study design and governance decisions. Authors’ rationale for choice of IDEAL stage related to the existing evidence base or lack of sufficient outcome data for procedures. Stage of innovation was poorly defined with inconsistent descriptions. Further work is needed to develop methods to identify innovation to inform practical application of the IDEAL framework. Defining the concept of innovation in terms of uncertainty, risk and degree of evidence may help to inform decision-making.
Trust and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Dominican Republic: a national cross-sectional household survey, June–October 2021
Authors: Garnier Salomé , Then Cecilia , de St Aubin Michael , Cadavid Restrepo Angela , Mayfield Helen J , Dumas Devan , Duke William , Peña Farah , Kucharski Adam J , Skewes Ronald , Zielinski Gutiérrez Emily , Coyoli Julia , Etienne Marie Caroline , Lau Colleen L , Vázquez Marietta , Nilles Eric
Published: May 2024

Objective

This study investigates the role of trust in shaping COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the Dominican Republic (DR) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

Cross-sectional household survey.

Setting

Randomly selected households across 134 clusters in the DR, from 30 June 2021 to 12 October 2021.

Participants

5999 participants ≥16 years of age were enrolled.

Outcome measures

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (CVH) data were collected from participants ≥16 years of age and analysed as both an ordinal and binary variable.

Results

Overall, CVH was low (5.2% (95% CI 4.6% to 5.8%)), but more common among younger individuals, women and individuals of Mestizo ethnicity. Higher trust in local government, national government, scientists and local doctors (considered official sources) was associated with lower odds of CVH (OR 0.89 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.88), 0.89 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.98), 0.87 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.94) and 0.70 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.80), respectively). Higher trust in religious leaders, social media and traditional media (considered unofficial sources) was associated with higher odds of CVH, with respective ORs of 1.32 (95% CI 1.18 to 1.47), 1.30 (95% CI 1.19 to 1.41) and 1.08 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.22).

Conclusion

We report findings on CVH from a national household survey in the DR and identify overall low rates of CVH but marked heterogeneity by age, gender and ethnicity. Trust in unofficial versus official sources of information is associated with increased CVH. These findings highlight and quantify the importance of trust as a key parameter when considering public health communication strategies.
Exploring registered nurses’ perspectives as mentors for newly qualified nurses: a qualitative interview study
Authors: Kallerhult Hermansson Stina , Kasén Anne , Hilli Yvonne , Norström Fredrik , Vaag Jonas Rennemo , Bölenius Karin
Published: May 2024

Objective

Existing research has focused mostly on mentees’ experiences of mentoring rather than mentors’ experiences. Therefore, this study describes registered nurses’ experiences of being a mentor for newly qualified nurses.

Design

A qualitative interview study based on semistructured individual interviews. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Participants and setting

A purposive sample of experienced registered nurses (n=21) from healthcare units in northern Sweden and northern Norway. Inclusion criteria were to have been a mentor to at least one newly qualified nurse, hold permanent employment of 75%–100% as a registered nurse and to be able to communicate in Swedish or Norwegian.

Results

Our study’s findings suggest that being a mentor plays a crucial role in establishing safety in complex work environments. The main theme consists of three themes: feeling motivated in being a mentor; continuously developing the learning environment; and navigating obstacles and cultivating support.

Conclusion

Being a mentor is a complicated role for registered nurses. The mentoring role is beneficial—ie, positive and rewarding—if facilitated sufficiently in the context of a structured organisation. This study brings a more profound understanding of and provides new insights into registered nurses’ perspectives and needs regarding being a mentor and the study’s findings make an important contribution to the field of nursing regarding the facilitation of mentoring.
Gastrointestinal Surgical Outcomes Study (GISOS): a 30-day monocentric prospective cohort study in Ethiopia
Authors: Awedew Atalel Fentahun , Asefa Zelalem
Published: May 2024

Objective

The impact of perioperative mortality and morbidity extends globally, playing substantial roles in mortality rates, levels of disability and economic consequences. This study was primarily designed to provide insights into the surgical outcomes of gastrointestinal surgeries carried out in a high-volume centre in Ethiopia in the year 2023.

Design

A 30-day prospective cohort observational study employed.

Setting

High volume surgical specialised hospital in Ethiopia.

Participants

All adult patients who had abdominal surgery.

Outcome measures

30th-day postoperative mortality and complications.

Results

During this prospective observational study, data from 259 patients were collected. This prospective observational study found that 30-day complication rate was 30.5%. Surgical site infection is the leading complications (15.8%) followed by postop acute kidney injury (9.3%). Malignant pathology (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.43 (1.01 to 3.06); p=0.035, ASA III (AOR=4.00 (1.01 to 16.5); p=0.049), ECOG III (AOR=2.8 (1.55 to 7.30); p=0.025) and comorbidity (AOR=2.02 (1.02 to 3.18); p=0.008) had statistically significant association with 30-day complication rates. We also found that a 30-day mortality rate was 14.3%. Emergency surgery (AOR=5.53 (1.4 to 21.6); p=0.014), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group III (AOR=8.6 (1.01 to 74.1); p=0.0499), American Society of Anesthesiology III (AOR=12.7 (1.9 to 85.5); p=0.009) and comorbidity (AOR=7.5 (1.4 to 39.1); p=0.017) had statistical significance association with a 30-day mortality rate after gastrointestinal surgery.

Conclusion

The findings of this study indicated that postoperative mortality and complications were alarmingly high, which highlights the need for innovative solutions to lower postoperative mortality and complications.
Perceived social support and professional quality of life of health professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Singh Bikram Kumar , Pandey Samip , Humagain Urja , Bista Pariwesh Raj , Pahari Durga Prasad
Published: May 2024

Objective

To assess the perceived social support and professional quality of life (ProQOL) among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, encompassing both positive (compassion satisfaction) and negative (compassion fatigue) dimensions as well as the factors associated with them.

Design

A cross-sectional web-based study.

Setting

Nepal

Participants

We carried out a convenience sampling technique to enrol 313 health professionals aged 18–60 years old.

Outcome measures

We employed the ProQOL V.5 questionnaire (comparing 30 self-report items) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support with 12 items to assess the ProQOL and social support, respectively. A χ2test was performed to determine associated factors of different dimensions of ProQOL.

Results

The study included a total of 313 participants, mostly consisting of frontline health workers. More than one-third of the participants worked in places where precautionary measures were insufficient. However, the majority of them (73.8%) had high social support. Concerning the ProQOL, the percentage of health professionals that had moderate compassion satisfaction (CS), moderate Burnout (BO) and moderate secondary traumatic stress (STS) were 57.5%, 58.2% and 75.4%, respectively. Factors like sex, marital status, profession, work-shift, type of health institution and status of precautionary measures at the workplace were associated with the different dimensions of ProQOL at the significance level of 0.05.

Conclusion

This study findings revealed a considerable proportion of BO and STS among health professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Implementation of appropriate interventions and support systems are needed to enhance CS, alleviate BO and mitigate STS among health professionals to combat future health emergencies.
Impact of Islamophobic myths on Indian healthcare
Authors: Saboowala Sana
Published: May 2024

This paper explores how anti-Muslim myths, particularly the related neo-eugenic ideas of ‘population jihad,’ ‘love jihad,’ and ‘corona jihad’, work to stigmatise Muslims in India. I discuss how these ideas, although debunked, are mobilised in the Indian healthcare system, systematising eugenics and negatively impacting Indian Muslims. This paper focuses, in particular, on the discriminatory experiences of pregnant Muslim women due to the ‘population jihad’ myth. I conclude by discussing the activist work of doctors in India who oppose Islamophobia and outline their suggestions for moving towards a more just healthcare system.
Prevalence and viral suppression of hepatitis B virus infection among people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Sierra Leone
Authors: Song Jin-Wen , Lakoh Sulaiman , Chen Si-Yuan , Jalloh Mohamed Boie , Sevalie Stephen , Baldeh Mamadu , Nyambe Mohamed K , Nicholas Victoria Donicia , Yendewa George , Wang Fu-Sheng , Yang Guang
Published: May 2024

Objective

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions with the highest burdens of HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV), but data on the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on HBV DNA suppression is limited. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of a positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among people living with HIV, and assess the suppression of ART on HBV replication in people living with HIV in Sierra Leone.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was designed to recruit people living with HIV aged 18 years or older in ten public hospitals in Sierra Leone between August 2022 and January 2023. Statistical analyses were performed using R software. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors independently associated with positive HBsAg and HBV DNA suppression.

Results

Of the 3106 people living with HIV recruited in this study, 2311 (74.4%) were women. The median age was 36 years, 166 (5.3%) had serological evidence of HBV vaccination. The overall prevalence of HBsAg positivity was 12.0% (95% CI: 10.9% to 13.2%). Male sex (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.11, 95% CI: 1.67 to 2.68; p<0.001) and being separated (aOR 1.83, 95% CI: 1.06 to 3.16, p=0.031; reference group: being married) were independent predictors of HBsAg seropositivity. Among 331 people living with HIV and HBV receiving ART, 242 (73.1%) achieved HBV DNA suppression (below 20 IU/mL). HBV suppression rate was higher in HIV-virally suppressed patients than those with unsuppressed HIV viral load (p<0.001). In addition, the male sex was more likely to have unsuppressed HBV DNA (aOR 1.17, 95% CI: 1.17 to 3.21; p=0.010).

Conclusions

We reported a high prevalence of HBsAg seropositivity and low HBV immunisation coverage in people living with HIV in Sierra Leone. In addition, we observed that ART can efficiently result in a viral suppression rate of HBV infection. Therefore, achieving the global target of eliminating HBV infection by 2030 requires accelerated access to care for people living with HIV and HBV, including HBV testing, antiviral treatment and hepatitis B vaccination.
STRIKE-HBV: establishing an HBV screening programme in Kilifi, Kenya—challenges, successes and lessons learnt
Authors: Downs Louise O , Chirro Oscar , Zaharani Mwanakombo , Safari Benson , Okanda Dorcas , Githinji George , Andersson Monique I , Newton Rob , Etyang Anthony , Aliyan Nadia , Matthews Philippa Clare
Published: May 2024

Objectives

Chronic hepatitis B infection affects 65 million people in the WHO African Region, but only 4.2% of these are diagnosed and 0.2% on treatment. Here, we present a short report describing establishment of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) programme in Kenya. We share experiences, successes and challenges to support development of future programmes.

Methods

From March 2023, we began the ‘STRIKE-HBV’ Study to identify people living with HBV (PLWHB) in Kilifi, Kenya. We employed local staff and provided education and training. Individuals were identified through three routes: (1) we offered free-of-charge HBV testing for all non-pregnant adults attending Kilifi Country Hospital (KCH) outpatient department; (2) we invited PLWHB to reattend for review; and (3) we invited close contacts of PLWHB for screening and vaccination if HBV was negative. All those seropositive for HBV were offered a comprehensive liver health assessment.

Results

We have established a framework for HBV screening, assessment and linkage to care in Kilifi. Between March 2023 and March 2024, we collected data for 80 PLWHB, comprising (1) screening of 1862 people of whom 30 were seropositive, (2) enrolment of 38 people known to be living with HBV and (3) testing of 97 close contacts of PLWHB, of whom 12 were positive. Among a limited subset with elastography data, we identified 9 of 59 as having significant fibrosis, and a further 6 people had laboratory aspartate transaminase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) scores in keeping with fibrosis. We encountered challenges including procurement delays for hepatitis B surface antigen testing kits and HBV vaccinations, and issues accessing liver elastography.

Conclusions

HBV screening was well received by the Kilifi population, has identified people at risk of liver disease progression and is improving linkage to care and vaccination at KCH. Future HBV programmes in WHO Africa can build on this experience as we work to develop accessible, affordable and acceptable care pathways.
Holocene vegetation and wildfire disturbance in boreal central Yukon, Canada
Authors: Brown Kendrick J. , Jain Piyush , Hebda Nicholas J.R. , Conder Nicholas , Hebda Richard J. , Cwynar Les C.
Published: May 2024

Sediment cores were collected from Wrong (WL) and Lenore (LL) lakes in boreal central Yukon Territory, Canada, spanning circa 6000 years. Analyses of pollen, charcoal, magnetic susceptibility, levoglucosan, and down-scaled paleoclimatic data reveal the vegetation history and character/drivers of Holocene fire disturbance. Boreal forest has persisted in the region for millennia, with a regional mid-Holocene expansion of Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb. followed by expansion of Pinus contorta var. latifolia Douglas ex Loudon Engelm. ex S. Watson in the latest Holocene. The shortest reconstructed fire return intervals (FRIs; ca. 110–125 years) occurred in the mid-Holocene, coincident with the development of highly flammable Picea-dominated forest and warm, dry summers that were characterized by elevated June-August 500 hPa geopotential height anomalies (JJA Z500) and associated with an eastward/intense Aleutian Low. In the late-Holocene, FRI increased to ca. 240 years at WL and 280 years LL. Drivers of this change include regional cooling and increased precipitation, with a westward/weaker Aleutian Low position delivering more moisture to interior Yukon. Longer FRIs allowed for greater fuel accumulation between fires, enhancing fire size/severity. While higher fire frequency is noted in the mid-Holocene and increased fire size/severity in the late-Holocene, recent changes in Yukon fire disturbance suggest that the fire regime may soon lie outside the natural range of mid- and late-Holocene variability.
Contributions of leaflet anatomy to the distinction of two species of Ceiba Mill. (Malvaceae—Bombacoideae): Ceiba pubiflora (A. St.-Hil.) K. Schum. and Ceiba speciosa (A. St.-Hil.) Ravenna
Authors: Bento João Pedro Silvério Pena , Rodrigues da Silva Jane , Belan dos Santos Fernando , Amano Érika , Dias Edna Scremin
Published: May 2024

Ceiba is a genus of tree species with a predominantly neotropical distribution which, in general, are readily recognized in the landscape in the vegetative stage by their large trunk with prickles, commonly ventricose (swollen). Some Ceiba species have overlapping geographical distributions, such as Ceiba speciosa and Ceiba pubiflora. These species have quite uniform vegetative features, making it difficult to differentiate them when they are not in flowering. Here, we examined the leaflet anatomical features of the two species to distinguish them while in the vegetative phase. Fully expanded leaves were collected, fixed, embedded in paraffin, and cross-sections were made from the leaflets' midvein, margin, and intercostal region. Ceiba speciosa has hypostomatic leaflets, with continuous biseriate epidermis along the adaxial face, rectilinear margin with a vascular bundle at the end of the margin, while C. pubiflora has amphistomatic leaflets, with interrupted biseriate epidermis along the adaxial face and curved margin on the abaxial face. These taxonomically important anatomical features of C. speciosa and C. pubiflora leaflets have provided additional characters good for distinguishing the species, especially when they are in the vegetative phase, and therefore updates the existing accounts of the characters useful for the taxonomy of Malvaceae.
Ash fertilization increases long-term timber production in drained nitrogen-poor Scots pine peatlands
Authors: Hökkä Hannu , Ahtikoski Anssi , Sarkkola Sakari , Väänänen Päivi
Published: May 2024

Wood ash fertilization remarkably increases tree growth and hence, carbon sequestration in drained boreal peatland forests, particularly in nitrogen (N)-rich Scots pine sites with limited phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Because ash lacks N, N-deficient ombrotrophic and poor oligotrophic sites are generally considered unsuitable for ash fertilization. In this study, timber production was investigated in six field experiments in N-poor, drained Scots pine dominated peatlands in central Finland, where ash fertilization was applied 15–85 years earlier. Ash significantly increased tree growth in all the study sites. Unfertilized plots showed long-term average mean annual increment (MAI) of 2.01 m3·ha−1·a−1, whereas in fertilized plots MAI was 4.46 m3·ha−1·a−1. An analysis with nonlinear mixed effects model revealed a faster volume yield development and higher asymptote of the mean curve in fertilized plots. Higher amount of K in the ash significantly increased the response. Fertilizations were financially lucrative: on average, the break-even cost surpassed the ash fertilization cost (390 € ha−1) more than two-fold at 5% interest rate. The current nutrient status of fertilized trees was rather balanced. The results proved that the long-term growth response to ash fertilization in poor drained peatland sites is comparable to N-rich sites, but the response time is distinctively longer.
Theoretical MRCI + Q study on electronic structure and spectroscopic properties of the HX+(X = F, Cl, Br, I) cations
Authors: Zhang Xiaomei , Zhang Xueyao , Chen Fanfan , Zhou Xiaohui , Liu Yufang
Published: May 2024

In this work, we have systematacially investigated the electronic structure and spectroscopic properties of the HX+ (X = F, Cl, Br, I) cations by using the highly correlated MRCI + Q approach. This is the first comprehensive ab initio study on the electronic states of the HX+ cations. The spin–orbit coupling (SOC) effect is introduced with the state interaction approach. There are total 10 Λ-S and 18 Ω states obtained in the calculation. The results show that the potential energy curves’ (PECs) shapes and structure of the electronic states of different HX+ cations exhibit the significant distinction due to the X-dependent energy-level order of the unique dissociation channel H+(1Sg) + X(2Pu). From PECs, the spectroscopic constants of the bound electronic states are determined, which are in good agreement with available observed values. Regarding HBr+ and HI+, the good agreement has been achieved only when the SOC effect is considered. The predissociation for the first excited A2Σ+ state of HCl+, HBr+, and HI+ is analyzed based on computed spin–orbit matrix elements. Around the equilibrium position, the energy splittings of X2Π are calculated to be 288, 661, 2691, and 5137 cm−1 for HF+, HCl+, HBr+, and HI+, respectively. It has been demonstrated that SOC is substantial for HX+, leading to significant changes in PECs’ shapes as well as in electronic structure. Finally, the transition properties are predicted, including transition dipole moments, Franck–Condon factors, and radiative lifetimes. Both the Ω transitions A2Σ+ 1/2-X2Π3/2 and A2Σ+ 1/2-X2Π1/2 of the HX+ cations are determined to possess the radiative lifetimes at the microsecond (µs) level.
Testing space-time non-commutativity with TianQin
Authors: Huang Zeyu , Shi Changfu , Lyu Xiangyu , Mei Jianwei
Published: May 2024

The direct detection of gravitational waves offers a powerful tool to explore the nature of gravity and the structure of space-time. This paper focuses on the capabilities of space-based gravitational wave detectors in testing space-time non-commutativity. Our findings indicate that TianQin has the potential to impose constraints on the non-commutative scale at a sub-Planckian level using massive black hole binaries. Additionally, we have developed a pipeline tailored to this specific topic.
Nmssm with correct relic density and an additional 95 GeV Higgs boson
Authors: Ellwanger Ulrich , Hugonie Cyril
Published: May 2024

We investigate whether it is possible within the NMSSM to describe simultaneously a correct dark matter relic density complying with the latest null results from the LZ experiment, an extra Higgs boson with a mass of $$\sim 95$$

∼
95

 GeV visible in the bb channel at LEP and the diphoton channel at the LHC, and the deviation of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon from its value within the Standard Model. We find that this is still possible for a variety of dark matter annihilation mechanisms, for singlino-like but also bino-like lightest supersymmetric particles. We show the signal rates of the extra Higgs boson and the dark matter detection rates as function of the dark matter mass and annihilation mechanism. The dark matter direct detection cross section may well fall below the neutrino floor. The masses of the lightest electroweakly interacting supersymmetric particles are typically not far above 100 GeV, but not excluded due to unconventional decays.
Monitoring Edge-Geodetic Numbers of Mycielskian Graph Classes
Authors: Li Xin , Li Wen , Tan Ao , He Mengmeng , Chen Weizhen
Published: May 2024

Let [Formula: see text] be a graph and [Formula: see text] be the vertex set of [Formula: see text]. If any edge appears in the unique shortest path of at least one vertex pair in set [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] is defined as the monitoring edge-geodetic set (MEG-set for short). We denote by [Formula: see text] the size of a smallest MEG-set of [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we studied the monitoring edge-geodetic numbers of Mycielski graph classes.
Best Paper I've Read Last Year
Authors: Irwin David
Published: May 2024

Which paper was your best read in 2023?
I'd like to highlight "Adapting Datacenter Capacity for Greener Datacenters and Grid"
1
by Liuzixuan Lin and Andrew Chien, which was published in e-Energy '23 and was selected as the runner-up for the Best Paper Award.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of Murray’s law in the coronary arterial circulation
Authors: Taylor Daniel J. , Saxton Harry , Halliday Ian , Newman Tom , Hose D. R. , Kassab Ghassan S. , Gunn Julian P. , Morris Paul D.
Published: May 2024

Coronary artery blood flow ([Formula: see text]) and vessel diameter ( D) around bifurcations may be related by an exponential relationship ([Formula: see text]·∝· Dc). The value of the exponent is frequently suggested to range between 2.0 and 3.0. We performed a meta-analysis of 4,524 articles, to derive an optimum exponent of 2.39. This challenges prior assumptions regarding coronary physiology and has implications for the assessment, diagnosis, and interventional treatment of coronary artery disease.
Percent duration of heart rate acceleration within the respiratory cycle: a novel approach to assess heart rate asymmetry
Authors: Wang Yong-Ping , Wang Guo-Zhi , Yang Cheryl C. H.
Published: May 2024

In healthy adults who regulated their breathing across nine combinations of inspiration and expiration durations, we used averaged pattern waveform technique to quantify the durations of heart rate acceleration and deceleration within the respiratory cycle. The percent duration of acceleration showed a strong correlation with traditional heart rate asymmetry indexes, which evaluate the magnitude and number of beat-to-beat changes. This new approach opens a window to explore the asymmetric features of heart rate variability.
30-Day and 1-Year Mortality after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: The Impact of Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty as a Bridging Therapy in a Portuguese Tertiary Center
Authors: Albuquerque Francisco B. , Teixeira Bárbara L. , Grazina André , Ramos Rúben , Fiarresga António , Castelo Alexandra , Mendonça Tiago , Rodrigues Inês , Cacela Duarte , Ferreira Rui
Published: May 2024

Introduction. Since the advent and development of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the contemporary era, balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) has seen renewed interest. We aimed to compare 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality between patients submitted to BAV as a bridging therapy before definite TAVR and patients submitted directly to TAVR. Methods. This was an observational, retrospective study of patients who underwent TAVR between 2009 and 2022 in a tertiary center. Patients with severe aortic stenosis (SAS) who underwent TAVR without prior BAV (woBAV group) and patients who were performed TAVR with prior BAV (wBAV group) as a bridging therapy were included. Primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 30 days and 1 year after TAVR between wBAV and woBAV groups. Results. 800 patients were included, of which 767 were in woBAV group and 33 were in wBAV group. 30-day all-cause mortality rate was 21% in wBAV group compared to 4.4% in woBAV (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 5.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3–11.7, p < 0.001). At 1-year, all-cause mortality rate was 27% in wBAV group compared to 12% in woBAV group (unadjusted HR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.28–5.10, p = 0.007). After covariate adjustments, mortality remained significantly higher in wBAV group. Conclusion. This study provides valuable insights into the outcomes of patients undergoing TAVR with prior BAV as bridging therapy, as these patients had higher mortality at 30 days and 1 year compared to patients direct to TAVR.
Pixel‐Level Crack Identification for Bridge Concrete Structures Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Photography and Deep Learning
Authors: Song Fei , Liu Bo , Yuan Guixia
Published: May 2024

Traditional manual inspection technology has the problems of high risk, low efficiency, and being time‐consuming in bridge safety management. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)‐based detection technology is widely used in bridge structure safety monitoring. However, the existing deep learning‐based concrete crack identification method has great limitations in dealing with complex background and tiny cracks in bridge structures. To address these problems, this study designs a crack pixel‐level high‐performance segmentation model for bridge concrete cracks that is suitable for UAV detection scenarios using machine vision (MV) and deep learning (DL) algorithms. First, considering the high requirements for the computing performance of the MV‐based model for UAV‐based detection, the ResNet‐18‐based lightweight convolutional neural network is used to represent the traditional large‐scale backbone network of the pyramid scene parsing network (PSPNet) to develop a high‐performance crack automatic identification model. Then, considering that bridge concrete cracks have the characteristics of subtle shapes and complex backgrounds, the spatial position self‐attention module is inserted into the PSPNet to improve its detection accuracy. A concrete bridge is used for the case study, and a dataset of cracks in bridge concrete structures collected by UAVs is constructed and used for model training. The experimental results show that the loss function of the developed method in the training process results in a smooth decline, and the developed algorithm achieves the evaluation indicators of 0.9008 precision, 0.8750 recall, 0.8820 accuracy, and 0.9012 IOU on the bridge concrete crack dataset, which are significantly higher than other state‐of‐the‐art baseline methods. In addition, four common UAV bridge detection scenarios, including low light, complex crack forms, high background roughness, and complex background scenes, are used to further test the crack detection ability of the developed crack identification model. The experimental results show that the proposed crack identification method can effectively overcome interference and real‐size pixel‐level segmentation of crack morphology. In addition, it also achieved a detection efficiency of 35.04 FPS, which shows that the real‐time detection ability of the method has good applicability in the UAV detection scene.
Systematic Review of Sleep Monitoring Systems for Babies: Research Issues, Current Status, and Future Challenges
Authors: Khan Neda , Al-Hamid Duaa Zuhair , Chong Peter H. J. , Mirza Farhaan , Kumar Arun
Published: May 2024

Recently, baby healthcare monitoring systems have emerged as a key research area. However, numerous research studies have been conducted on babies and their state of either awakening or sleeping. But there is a lack of comprehensive and systematic review in this area of research. The existing research considers mostly the children’s monitoring vital health parameters, in turn, giving relaxation to the parents in caring of their babies. Still, the fundamental practical issues related to daily life are missing. As a result, the safety of babies against suffocation and falling hazards for employed parents or mothers involved in the workforce has been overlooked. Only a few studies exist that cover the age range of 0 months to 4 years, with further focus on the age range of 6 months to 4 years. In response to these gaps in previous research and existing technologies, this review work proposes a vision for a baby safety system that utilizes various sensors and technologies like machine learning and image processing to ensure a safer environment for babies.
Bitumen-Biopolymer Materials Modified with Polylactic Acid with Improved Physical and Chemical Properties
Authors: Jexembayeva Assel , Konkanov Marat , Mamedova Larisa , Aruova Lyazat
Published: May 2024

With the continuous expansion of the global automobile fleet, there is an escalating demand to enhance and maintain current road infrastructure. Given the information provided, there will be a growing demand for bitumen, a key raw material used in the manufacturing of asphalt. Bitumen may account for up to 60% of the total usage in asphalt production. This study aims to determine the effect of different content of polylactic acid (PLA) on the change in the chemical and physical properties of biopolymer bitumen during its modification. This study was carried out by using a sample of petroleum road bitumen from CASPI BITUM (Kazakhstan) and a sample of PLA from Zhejiang Hisun (China). As a part of the research, the change of quality indicators of biopolymer bitumen when adding 4%–10% of PLA to it has been established. The results showed that the values of the average molecular weight and average molar mass increased with increasing the content of PLA in biopolymer bitumen. In particular, when the PLA content in biopolymer bitumen increased up to 10%, the average molecular weight of the biopolymer bitumen increased from 1,263 to 2,759 Mw and the average molar mass increased from 1,215 to 1,395 Mn. It was shown that increasing the PLA content in biopolymer bitumen from 0% to 10% leads to an increase in the softening temperature from 47 to 70°C or ∼ 49%. It was found that all examined samples of biopolymer bitumen are characterized by increased plasticity at 25°C (>100 cm). It has been established that the addition of 8% PLA to bitumen allows one to obtain a biopolymer bitumen of optimal quality. The results obtained can be used to produce road biopolymer bitumen.
Age-Stage, Two-Sex Life Table of an Alarming Quarantine Pest Trogoderma granarium on Stored Products
Authors: Ramzan Muhammad , Murtaza Ghulam , Maalik Sadia , Mushtaq Sajida , Majeed Waqar , Elhadef Khaoula , Hedfi Amor , Ali Manel Ben , Rana Naureen
Published: May 2024

Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) is a polyphagous pest of stored products and an alarming threat to food security around the globe. The current study is designed to construct the life table of T. granarium on four stored products, i.e., wheat, barley, rice, and maize at controlled conditions (33±1°C, 65% RH, and a photoperiod of 14 : 10 (L:D) h). The incubation period of T. granarium was longer (5.13 d) on maize and shorter (4.30 d) on wheat. The developmental period of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th larval instars of T. granarium was longer on maize than the other three hosts were significant. Statistical difference between the longevity of females and males was recorded, while no statistically significant difference was found in the preoviposition period. The mean fecundity values observed on wheat, barley, rice, and maize were 31.33±1.62, 26.21±1.49, 28.00±1.35, and 25.58±1.13, respectively. The highest fertility was observed in wheat and the lowest in maize. The net reproductive rate (R0) of T. granarium ranged from 8.66±2.86, 13.16±2.65, 12.53±2.27, and 10.23±2.32 offsprings on wheat, barley, rice, and maize, respectively. The highest gross reproductive value (GRR) was for T. granarium reared on barley (18.31±4.10/d), and the lowest was for maize (15.35±2.95/d). To complete the development, T. granarium took 48.97±0.68 d on maize, significantly higher than on other treatments (p<0.05). The mean generation time (T) of T. granarium was considerably affected by tested products. Based on the results of the present study, maize is a less favorable diet for the development and reproduction of T. granarium and may be considered for the management of this detrimental pest.