bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with mpox during the 2022 mpox outbreak compared with those before the outbreak: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Cho Wonyoung , Park Sangil , Kim Hyeon Jin , Lee Myeongcheol , Choi Yong Sung , Yeo Seung Geun , Lee Jinseok , Koyanagi Ai , Jacob Louis , Smith Lee , Rahmati Masoud , Ahmad Suhana , Fond Guillaume , Boyer Laurent , Rhee Sang Youl , Lee Seung Won , Shin Jae Il , Woo Ho Geol , Yon Dong Keon
Published: January 2024

On 23 July 2022, the World Health Organization declared the global mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international significance. The mpox virus (MPXV) that caused the outbreak was classified as clade IIb, which belongs to the West African clade. However, the relationship between MPXV clades and symptoms, as well as the severity of mpox outcomes, is not fully understood. Thus, we aimed to investigate the global mpox prevalence and the differences in clinical manifestations and outcomes among patients with mpox between pre‐outbreak (2003–2021) and the current mpox outbreak. In this systematic review and meta‐analysis, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Google Scholar were searched using the keyword “monkeypox” and “mpox” up to 13 October 2022. A random effects model was used to obtain the pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals. This study included 27 articles, and 5698 patients with mpox with 19 distinctive features from 19 countries across five continents were assessed. Patients with mpox during the 2022 mpox outbreak showed mild clinical manifestations and outcomes compared with those before the 2022 mpox outbreak: mild rash (relative ratio [RR]: 5.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52–17.08), fever (0.68, 0.49–0.94), pruritus (0.25, 0.19–0.32), myalgia (0.50, 0.31–0.81), headache (0.56, 0.35–0.88), skin ulcer (0.32, 0.17–0.59), abdominal symptom (0.29, 0.20–0.42), pharyngitis (0.32, 0.18–0.58), nausea or vomiting (0.15, 0.02–0.93), conjunctivitis (0.11, 0.03–0.38), concomitant infection with HIV (1.70, 0.95–3 0.04), and death (0.02, 0.001–0.31). MPXV clade IIb exhibited higher infectivity but may cause mild disease symptoms and low mortality rate. It is important to consider MPXV infection in patients with mpox‐related features and/or a history of sexual transmission to prevent the spread of the disease and recognise the current pandemic threat.
Scale‐Dependent Rheology of Synovial Fluid Lubricating Macromolecules
Authors: Martin‐Alarcon Leonardo , Govedarica Aleksandra , Ewoldt Randy H. , Bryant Steven L. , Jay Gregory D. , Schmidt Tannin A. , Trifkovic Milana
Published: January 2024

Synovial fluid (SF) is the complex biofluid that facilitates the exceptional lubrication of articular cartilage in joints. Its primary lubricating macromolecules, the linear polysaccharide hyaluronic acid (HA) and the mucin‐like glycoprotein proteoglycan 4 (PRG4 or lubricin), interact synergistically to reduce boundary friction. However, the precise manner in which these molecules influence the rheological properties of SF remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate this by employing confocal microscopy and multiscale rheometry to examine the microstructure and rheology of solutions containing recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4) and HA. Contrary to previous assumptions of an extensive HA‐rhPRG4 network, it is discovered that rhPRG4 primarily forms stiff, gel‐like aggregates. The properties of these aggregates, including their size and stiffness, are found to be influenced by the viscoelastic characteristics of the surrounding HA matrix. Consequently, the rheology of this system is not governed by a single length scale, but instead responds as a disordered, hierarchical network with solid‐like rhPRG4 aggregates distributed throughout the continuous HA phase. These findings provide new insights into the biomechanical function of PRG4 in cartilage lubrication and may have implications in the development of HA‐based therapies for joint diseases like osteoarthritis.
Design of a Single‐Atom In–N3–S site to Modulate Exciton Behavior in Carbon Nitride for Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance
Authors: Shao Weifan , Yu Mengjiao , Xu Xusheng , Han Xinrui , Chen Yuwen , Han Jiangang , Wu Guangyu , Xing Weinan
Published: January 2024

Rational tailoring of the local coordination environment of single atoms has demonstrated a significant impact on the electronic state and catalytic performance, but the development of catalysts beyond noble/transition metals is profoundly significant and highly desired. Herein, the main‐group metal indium (In) single atom is immobilized on sulfur‐doped porous carbon nitride nanosheets (In@CNS) in the form of three nitrogen atoms coordinated with one sulfur atom (In–N3−S). Both theoretical calculations and advanced characterization investigations clearly elucidated that the single‐atomic In–N3–S structures on In@CNS are powerful in promoting the dissociation of excitons into more free carriers as well as the charge separation, synergistically elevating electron concentration by 2.19 times with respect to pristine CNS. Meanwhile, the loading of In single atoms on CNS is responsible for altering electronic structure and lowering the Gibbs free energy for hydrogen adsorption. Consequently, the optimized In@CNS‐5.0 exhibited remarkable photocatalytic performance, remarkable water‐splitting and tetracycline hydrochloride degradation. The H2 production achieved to 10.11 mmol h−1g−1 with a notable apparent quantum yield of 19.70% at 400 nm and remained at 10.40% at 420 nm. These findings open a new perspective for in‐depth comprehending the effect of the main‐group metal single‐atom coordination environment on promoting photocatalytic performance.
Monosodium Urate Crystal‐Induced Pyroptotic Cell Death in Neutrophil and Macrophage Facilitates the Pathological Progress of Gout
Authors: Chen Chen , Wang Jingyun , Guo Yiyang , Li Min , Yang Kaijun , Liu Yang , Ge Dan , Liu Yong , Xue Changying , Xia Tian , Sun Bingbing
Published: January 2024

Monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition in joints can lead to the infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages, and their activation plays a critical role in the pathological progress of gout. However, the role of MSU crystal physicochemical properties in inducing cell death in neutrophil and macrophage is still unclear. In this study, MSU crystals of different sizes are synthesized to explore the role of pyroptosis in gout. It is demonstrated that MSU crystals induce size‐dependent pyroptotic cell death in bone marrow‐derived neutrophils (BMNs) and bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMDMs) by triggering NLRP3 inflammasome‐dependent caspase‐1 activation and subsequent formation of N‐GSDMD. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the size of MSU crystal also determines the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and aggregated neutrophil extracellular traps (aggNETs), which are promoted by the addition of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β). Based on these mechanistic understandings, it is shown that N‐GSDMD oligomerization inhibitor, dimethyl fumarate (DMF), inhibits MSU crystal‐induced pyroptosis in BMNs and J774A.1 cells, and it further alleviates the acute inflammatory response in MSU crystals‐induced gout mice model. This study elucidates that MSU crystal‐induced pyroptosis in neutrophil and macrophage is critical for the pathological progress of gout, and provides a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of gout.
Maximizing Photoelectrochemical Performance in Metal‐Oxide Hybrid Composites via Amorphous Exsolution—A New Exsolution Mechanism for Heterogeneous Catalysis
Authors: Kim Myeong‐Jin , Hassan Mostafa Afifi , Lee Changhoon , Jung Wan‐Gil , Bae Hyojung , Jeon SungHyun , Jung WooChul , Ha Jun‐Seok , Shim Ji Hoon , Park Jae‐Hoon , Ryu Sang‐Wan , Kim Bong‐Joong
Published: January 2024

Exsolution generates metal nanoparticles anchored within crystalline oxide supports, ensuring efficient exposure, uniform dispersion, and strong nanoparticle–perovskite interactions. Increased doping level in the perovskite is essential for further enhancing performance in renewable energy applications; however, this is constrained by limited surface exsolution, structural instability, and sluggish charge transfer. Here, hybrid composites are fabricated by vacuum‐annealing a solution containing SrTiO3 photoanode and Co cocatalyst precursors for photoelectrochemical water‐splitting. In situ transmission electron microscopy identifies uniform, high‐density Co particles exsolving from amorphous SrTiO3 films, followed by film‐crystallization at elevated temperatures. This unique process extracts entire Co dopants with complete structural stability, even at Co doping levels exceeding 30%, and upon air exposure, the Co particles embedded in the film oxidize to CoO, forming a Schottky junction at the interface. These conditions maximize photoelectrochemical activity and stability, surpassing those achieved by Co post‐deposition and Co exsolution from crystalline oxides. Theoretical calculations demonstrate in the amorphous state, dopant─O bonds become weaker while Ti─O bonds remain strong, promoting selective exsolution. As expected from the calculations, nearly all of the 30% Fe dopants exsolve from SrTiO3 in an H2 environment, despite the strong Fe─O bond's low exsolution tendency. These analyses unravel the mechanisms driving the amorphous exsolution.
Subtractive Patterning of Nanoscale Thin Films Using Acid‐Based Electrohydrodynamic‐Jet Printing
Authors: Cho Tae H. , Farjam Nazanin , Barton Kira , Dasgupta Neil P.
Published: January 2024

As an alternative to traditional photolithography, printing processes are widely explored for the patterning of customizable devices. However, to date, the majority of high‐resolution printing processes for functional nanomaterials are additive in nature. To complement additive printing, there is a need for subtractive processes, where the printed ink results in material removal, rather than addition. In this study, a new subtractive patterning approach that uses electrohydrodynamic‐jet (e‐jet) printing of acid‐based inks to etch nanoscale zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD) is introduced. By tuning the printing parameters, the depth and linewidth of the subtracted features can be tuned, with a minimum linewidth of 11 µm and a tunable channel depth with ≈5 nm resolution. Furthermore, by tuning the ink composition, the volatility and viscosity of the ink can be adjusted, resulting in variable spreading and dissolution dynamics at the solution/film interface. In the future, acid‐based subtractive patterning using e‐jet printing can be used for rapid prototyping or customizable manufacturing of functional devices on a range of substrates with nanoscale precision.
Extracorporeal Blood Treatment Using Functional Magnetic Nanoclusters Mitigates Organ Dysfunction of Sepsis in Swine
Authors: Park Sung Jin , Park Inwon , Kim Suhyun , Kim Min Kyu , Kim Seonghye , Jeong Hwain , Kim Dongsung , Cho Seung Woo , Park Tae‐Eun , Ni Aleksey , Lim Hankwon , Joo Jinmyoung , Lee Jae Hyuk , Kang Joo H.
Published: January 2024

Mitigating sepsis‐induced severe organ dysfunction with magnetic nanoparticles has shown remarkable advances in extracorporeal blood treatment. Nevertheless, treating large septic animals remains challenging due to insufficient magnetic separation at rapid blood flow rates (>6 L h−1) and limited incubation time in an extracorporeal circuit. Herein, superparamagnetic nanoclusters (SPNCs) coated with red blood cell (RBC) membranes are developed, which promptly capture and magnetically separate a wide range of pathogens at high blood flow rates in a swine sepsis model. The SPNCs exhibited an ultranarrow size distribution of clustered iron oxide nanocrystals and exceptionally high saturation magnetization (≈ 90 emu g−1) close to that of bulk magnetite. It is also revealed that CD47 on the RBCs allows the RBC‐SPNCs to remain at a consistent concentration in the blood by evading innate immunity. The uniform size distribution of the RBC‐SPNCs greatly enhances their effectiveness in eradicating various pathogenic materials in extracorporeal blood. The use of RBC‐SPNCs for extracorporeal treatment of swine infected with multidrug‐resistant E. coli is validated and found that severe bacteremic sepsis‐induced organ dysfunction is significantly mitigated after 12 h. The findings highlight the potential application of RBC‐SPNCs for extracorporeal therapy of severe sepsis in large animal models and potentially humans.
Microfluidic‐Aerosol Hyphenated Synthesis of Metal–Organic Framework‐Derived Hybrid Catalysts for CO2 Utilization
Authors: Sung Yi‐Hsuan , Senthil Raja Duraisamy , Huang Jen‐Huang , Tsai De‐Hao
Published: January 2024

A new and efficient technique is developed by combining the hyphenated microfluidic‐ and aerosol‐based synthesis with the coupled differential mobility analysis for the effective and continuous synthesis and simultaneous analysis of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)‐derived hybrid nanostructured products. HKUST‐1, a copper‐based MOF, is chosen as the representative to fabricate Cu‐based hybrid catalysts for reverse water‐gas shift (RWGS) reaction, an effective route for CO2 utilization. The effect of precursor concentration and carrier selection on the properties of the resulting products, including mobility size distribution, crystallization degree, surface area, and metal dispersion are investigated, as well as the correlation between the material properties of the synthesized catalysts and their catalytic performance in RWGS reaction in terms of conversion ratio/rate, selectivity, and operational stability. The results indicate that the continuous microfluidic droplet system can successfully synthesize MOF colloids, followed by the continuous production of MOF‐derived hybrid materials through the tandem aerosol spray‐drying‐reaction system. High catalytic activity and low initiate temperature toward RWGS (turnover frequency = 0.0074 s−1; 450 °C) are achievable. The work facilitates the production and the designed concept of relevant MOF‐derived hybrid nanostructured catalysts in the continuous synthesis system and the enhancement of applications in CO2 capture and utilization.
Dual‐Use Self‐Assembled Monolayer Controlling Charge Carrier Extraction in Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Xu Zhuo , Meitzner Rico , Anand Aman , Djoumessi Aurelien Sokeng , Stumpf Steffi , Neumann Christof , Turchanin Andrey , Müller Frank A. , Schubert Ulrich S. , Hoppe Harald
Published: January 2024

The development and use of interface materials are essential to the continued advancement of organic solar cells (OSCs) performance. Self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) materials have drawn attention because of their simple structure and affordable price. Due to their unique properties, they may be used in inverted devices as a modification layer for modifying ZnO or as a hole transport layer (HTL) in place of typical poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) in conventional devices. In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) is modified using five structurally similar SAM materials. This resulted in a smoother surface, a decrease in work function, a suppression of charge recombination, and an increase in device efficiency and photostability. In addition, they can introduced asfor hole extraction layer between the active layer and MoO3, enabling the use of the same material at several functional layers in the same device. Through systematic orthogonal evaluation, it is shown that some SAM/active layer/SAM combinations still offered device efficiencies comparable to ZnO/SAM, but with improved device’ photostability. This study may provide recommendations for future SAM material's design and development as well as a strategy for boosting device performance by using the same material across both sides of the photoactive layer in OSCs.
Noble Metal Phosphides: Robust Electrocatalysts toward Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Guo Bingrong , Wen Xinxin , Xu Li , Ren Xiaoqian , Niu Siqi , YangCheng Ruixue , Ma Guoxin , Zhang Junchao , Guo Ying , Xu Ping , Li Siwei
Published: January 2024

Facing with serious carbon emission issues, the production of green H2 from electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has received extensive research interest. Almost all kinds of noble metal phosphides (NMPs) consisting of Pt‐group elements (i.e., Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir and Pt) are all highly active and pH‐universal electrocatalysts toward HER. In this review, the recent progress of NMP‐based HER electrocatalysts is summarized. It is further take typical examples for discussing important impact factors on the HER performance of NMPs, including crystalline phase, morphology, noble metal element and doping. Moreover, the synthesis and HER application of hybrid catalysts consisting of NMPs and other materials such as transition metal phosphides, oxides, sulfides and phosphates, carbon materials and noble metals is also reviewed. Reducing the use of noble metal is the key idea for NMP‐based hybrid electrocatalysts, while the expanded functionality and structure‐performance relationship are also noticed in this part. At last, the potential opportunities and challenges for this kind of highly active catalyst is discussed.
Behavior of Pasting Properties of Ohmic‐Heated Corn Starch Versus Moisture and Temperature Applied
Authors: Morales‐Sánchez E. , Gaytán‐Martínez M. , Rodriguez‐García M. E. , B. M. Millan‐Malo , Cabrera‐Ramírez A. H.
Published: January 2024

Starch is an essential biopolymer for creating viscous food systems in the food industry. Viscosity behavior is unclear in the literature and varies with the thermal process and moisture content used. This study analyzed how ohmic heating affects the pasting properties of corn starch in response to changes in moisture and temperature. Corn starch is mixed with water at varying ratios (1:1, 1:3, and 1:5). The mixture is heated at 5 °C min−1 using an ohmic heating cooker to 80, 100, and 120 °C. Moisture affects pasting and starch properties. Peak viscosity varies with moisture content, decreasing from 5904 cP (native) to 3204–4510 cP at a 1:1 ratio. At a moisture ratio of 1:3, peak viscosity matched the native sample. Higher peak viscosity (6539 to 8772 cP) occurred at high moisture levels (1:3). Thermal properties confirmed different gelatinization degrees, which is evidenced by a shift in the x‐ray diffraction pattern from A‐type (native starch) to V‐type crystalline. The viscosity and physicochemical properties of corn starch depend on temperature and moisture levels. Moisture has a more significant impact on these properties than temperature. Therefore, varying the moisture content it can improve corn starch properties precisely, making it useful for the food industry.
The Law of Sustainability
Authors: Bussani Mauro
Published: January 2024

Inasmuch as keeping the world sustainable requires continuous commitments and substantial changes in human behavior, law is, and should be, a central concern for any sustainability-oriented initiative.
Diabetes in Cross-Cultural Perspective
Authors: Al-Kuwari Shaikha H.
Published: January 2024

This chapter provides a systemic comprehensive review of the causes, symptoms, treatments, and management of diabetes across cultures. The review shows some overlaps in the cultural beliefs. Diabetes can be caused by factors related to genetics, obesity, lack of physical activity, and mental illness. Most studies have found that symptoms of diabetes are thirst, vision problems, dizziness, joint problems, and headaches. In addition, studies have shown that diabetes can be treated by medication, exercise, and healthy diet.
History and Culture of Muslims in America
Authors: Al-Kuwari Shaikha H.
Published: January 2024

This chapter offers a comprehensive review of the history of Muslims in America. The chapter will be divided into three sections. The first section reviews the history of Muslims in America, including African American Muslims, Arab American Muslims, and South Asian American Muslims, and their immigration history, as well as Islamic movements and the groups’ relationships. The second section of the chapter will discuss the significance of mosques in the lives of American Muslim immigrants. This section will include ethnographic observations related to the experience of visiting mosques and the dynamic political and religious roles of mosques in Dearborn, MI. The third section of the chapter addresses the culture and identity of American Muslim immigrants as they relate to family and marriage, gender roles, and identity formation.
The Association of Gestational Age and Size with Management Strategies and Outcomes in Symptomatic Neonatal Tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Duhaney Leanne , Steurer Martina A. , Baer Rebecca , Chambers Christina , Rajagopal Satish , Mercer-Rosa Laura M. , Reddy V. Mohan , Jelliffe-Pawlowski Laura L. , Peyvandi Shabnam
Published: January 2024

In neonatal, symptomatic tetralogy of Fallot (sTOF), data are lacking on whether high-risk groups would benefit from staged (SR) or complete repair (CR). We studied the association of gestational age (GA) at birth and z-score for birth weight (BWz), with management strategy and outcomes in sTOF. California population-based cohort study (2011–2017) of infants with sTOF (defined as catheter or surgical intervention prior to 44 weeks corrected GA) was performed, comparing management strategy and timing by GA and BWz categories. Multivariable models evaluated composite outcomes and days alive and out of hospital (DAOOH) in the first year of life. Among 345 patients (SR = 194; CR = 151), management strategy did not differ by GA or BWz with complete repair defined as prior to 44 weeks corrected gestational age; however, did differ by GA with regard to complete/timely repair (defined as complete repair within first 30 days of life). Full-term and early-term neonates underwent CR 20 (95%CI: − 27.1, − 14.1; p < 0.001) and 15 days (95%CI: − 22.1, − 8.2; p < 0.001) sooner than preterm neonates. Prematurity and major anomaly were associated with mortality or non-cardiac morbidity, while only major anomaly was associated with mortality or cardiac morbidity (OR = 3.5, 95%CI: 1.8,6.7, p < .0001). Full-term infants had greater DAOOH compared to preterm infants (35.2 days, 95%CI: 4.0, 66.5, p = 0.03). LGA infants and those with major anomaly had significantly lower DAOOH. In sTOF, patient specific risk factors such as prematurity and major anomaly were more associated with outcomes than management strategy.
Digitale Pflegebetten in der Langzeitpflege – Unterstützung, Entlastung für Pflegende oder nur Illusion? Eine ethnografisch-explorative Studie
Authors: Ruppert Sven-Nelson , Hasseler Martina
Published: January 2024

Hintergrund

Die Digitalisierung von Pflegedingen, hier dem Pflegebett, ist eine mögliche Konsequenz auf den allgemeinen Personal- und Ressourcenmangel in der beruflichen Pflege und eine Zunahme pflegebedürftiger, hochaltriger Menschen in der Langzeitpflege. Durch in das Pflegebett integrierte Sensoren und Schnittstellen zur Datenübertragung bzw. Anschluss an ein Monitoring sollen für beruflich Pflegende Unterstützungs- und Entlastungsmomente generiert werden sowie das pflegerische Outcome gesteigert werden. Eine pflegewissenschaftliche Begleitforschung untersucht die Implementierung von 97 digitalen Pflegebetten in einer Langzeitpflegeeinrichtung der Altenhilfe.

Methode

Mixed-Methods-Forschungsansatz über 24 Monate.

Ergebnis

Das Fehlen bzw. Umsetzen eines konsequenten Pflegeprozesses, ungünstige Begleitumstände, interdependente Kontextfaktoren und ein unzureichendes Implementierungsmanagement wirken sich nachteilig auf die Inbetriebnahmen und Integration der digitalen Pflegebetten in die Versorgungsroutinen aus.

Schlussfolgerung

Für eine erfolgreiche Implementierung digitaler Assistenzsysteme (dAS) müssen diese neben einer zuverlässigen technischen Anbindung im Pflegeprozess berücksichtigt werden. Im Weiteren erforderlich sind ein Implementierungsmanagement sowie die Überprüfung und Anpassung aller relevanten Kontextfaktoren.
Interpretable scientific discovery with symbolic regression: a review
Authors: Makke Nour , Chawla Sanjay
Published: January 2024

Symbolic regression is emerging as a promising machine learning method for learning succinct underlying interpretable mathematical expressions directly from data. Whereas it has been traditionally tackled with genetic programming, it has recently gained a growing interest in deep learning as a data-driven model discovery tool, achieving significant advances in various application domains ranging from fundamental to applied sciences. In this survey, we present a structured and comprehensive overview of symbolic regression methods, review the adoption of these methods for model discovery in various areas, and assess their effectiveness. We have also grouped state-of-the-art symbolic regression applications in a categorized manner in a living review.
More Efficient Approach: Independent Diagnostic Value of Audiovisual Sexual Stimulation for Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Liu Zhiwei , Wu Tao , Ma Shanjin , Wang Lei , Jiang Xiaoye , Xue Wei , Tang Qisheng , Zhang Keying , Liu Shaojie , Xu Chao , Chen Yurui , Zhou Yenong , Ma Jianjun
Published: January 2024

The diagnostic value of audiovisual sexual stimulation (AVSS) for psychogenic erectile dysfunction (ED) is still unclear. We investigated the independent diagnostic value and optimal cut-off parameter of AVSS for psychogenic ED. All participants had received the AVSS test and nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) monitoring at least twice. ED patients were divided into psychogenic ED and organic ED according to NPTR examination. The diagnostic accuracy of AVSS parameters was evaluated with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the Youden index was employed to determine the optimal diagnostic cut-off values. A total of 346 patients with ED and 60 healthy men were included in this study, among which 162 and 184 cases of psychogenic and organic ED were identified based on NPTR, respectively. When comparing the two ED groups, the area under the curve (AUC) of AVSS parameters was 0.85–0.89. Six-selected AVSS parameters could precisely diagnose psychogenic ED, exhibiting increased diagnostic specificity compared with corresponding sensitivity. When comparing psychogenic ED with the control group, the AUC of the tumescence of the tip was superior to the AUC other parameters (0.81 vs. 0.58, 0.66, 0.59, 0.53, 0.68), and the best determined diagnostic cut-off value was the tumescence of the tip < 29.87%. Independent AVSS could diagnose psychogenic ED objectively and effectively, and its diagnostic value was highest when 1.50% ≤ tumescence of the tip < 29.87%.
Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Low Body Weight Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Elshafei Mohamed Nabil , Salem Muhammad , El-Bardissy Ahmed , Abdelmoneim Mohamed S. , Khalil Ahmed , Elhadad Sherine , Al Mistarihi Mutasem , Danjuma Mohammed
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) agents are established as the anticoagulation strategy of choice for a variety of clinical risks. Despite this, uncertainty still exists with regard to their efficacy and safety for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in some patient populations; most notably those with low body weight (LBW) (<60 kg or body mass index [BMI] <18 kg/m2). Currently, there is a paucity of trial and non-trial data to support a prescriptive recommendation for their use in these patient cohorts. We have carried out a pooled systematic review of the most up to date published data of patients stabilized on various DOAC analogs with the view to ascertaining the exact matrices of their efficacy and safety in these cohorts of patients.

Methods

We initially carried out a comprehensive search of databases from inception to June 2023 for eligible studies exploring the efficacy and safety of various analogs of direct oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation who had low body weight. Databases accessed include PubMed, EMBASE, the Science Citation Index, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness. We carried out a weighted comparison of derived pooled odd ratios (with their corresponding confidence intervals) of mortality outcomes between various DOACs using the random effects model.

Results

Thirteen studies (n = 165,205 patients) were included in our meta-analysis. DOAC analogs were associated with increased stroke-related events, composite outcome, and mortality in low body weight patients compared to non-low body weight patients (odds ratio [OR] 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–1.92), (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.29–1.86), (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.87–4.58), respectively. There was no significant difference in the safety outcome (major bleeding events) between the DOAC analogs (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.93–1.52).

Discussion

In this meta-analytical review comprising both real-world and randomized controlled studies, the use of DOAC analogs in low body weight patients (body weight of <60 kg or BMI<18 kg/m2) with atrial fibrillation was associated with increased risks of stroke-related events, composite outcomes, and mortality compared to non-low body weight cohorts patients. At the same time, there was no significant difference in terms of major bleeding events. This finding has provided the first resolution of pervading uncertainty surrounding the use of DOAC analogs in these patient cohorts and suggests the need for follow-up confirmatory systematic studies in this group of patients.
Effective signal reconstruction from multiple ranked lists via convex optimization
Authors: Schimek Michael G. , Vitale Luca , Pfeifer Bastian , La Rocca Michele
Published: January 2024

The ranking of objects is widely used to rate their relative quality or relevance across multiple assessments. Beyond classical rank aggregation, it is of interest to estimate the usually unobservable latent signals that inform a consensus ranking. Under the only assumption of independent assessments, which can be incomplete, we introduce indirect inference via convex optimization in combination with computationally efficient Poisson Bootstrap. Two different objective functions are suggested, one linear and the other quadratic. The mathematical formulation of the signal estimation problem is based on pairwise comparisons of all objects with respect to their rank positions. Sets of constraints represent the order relations. The transitivity property of rank scales allows us to reduce substantially the number of constraints associated with the full set of object comparisons. The key idea is to globally reduce the errors induced by the rankers until optimal latent signals can be obtained. Its main advantage is low computational costs, even when handling $$n < < p$$

n
<
<
p

data problems. Exploratory tools can be developed based on the bootstrap signal estimates and standard errors. Simulation evidence, a comparison with the state-of-the-art rank centrality method, and two applications, one in higher education evaluation and the other in molecular cancer research, are presented.
VNS improves VSMC metabolism and arteriogenesis in infarcted hearts through m/n-AChR-Akt-SDF-1α in adult male rats
Authors: Li Xing-yuan , Liu Jia-Qi , Wang Yan , Chen Yan , Hu Wen-hui , Lv Yan-xia , Wu Yan , Lv Jing , Tang Jun-ming , Kong Deying
Published: January 2024

Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) provides a novel therapeutic strategy for injured hearts by activating cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathways. However, little information is available on the metabolic pattern and arteriogenesis of VSMCs after MI. VNS has been shown to stimulate the expression of CPT1α, CPT1β, Glut1, Glut4 and SDF-1α in coronary VSMCs, decreasing the number of CD68-positive macrophages while increasing CD206-positive macrophages in the infarcted hearts, leading to a decrease in TNF-α and IL-1β accompanied by a reduced ratio of CD68- and CD206-positive cells, which were dramatically abolished by atropine and mecamylamine in vivo. Knockdown of SDF-1α substantially abrogated the effect of VNS on macrophagecell alteration and inflammatory factors in infarcted hearts. Mechanistically, ACh induced SDF-1α expression in VSMCs in a dose-dependent manner. Conversely, atropine, mecamylamine, and a PI3K/Akt inhibitor completely eliminated the effect of ACh on SDF-1α expression. Functionally, VNS promoted arteriogenesis and improved left ventricular performance, which could be abolished by Ad-shSDF-1α. Thus, VNS altered the VSMC metabolism pattern and arteriogenesis to repair the infarcted heart by inducing SDF-1α expression, which was associated with the m/nAChR-Akt signaling pathway.
Reducing Mortality and Morbidity in Children with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency in Switzerland: the Role of Newborn Screening
Authors: Soomann Maarja , Prader Seraina , Pinto Monteiro Aline , Zeilhofer Ulrike , Hauri-Hohl Mathias , Güngör Tayfun , Pachlopnik Schmid Jana , Trück Johannes , Felber Matthias
Published: January 2024

Newborn screening (NBS) for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) has been introduced in various countries with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality. However, studies analyzing outcomes before and after the implementation of NBS programs remain limited. This study sought to compare the outcomes of SCID patients identified through Switzerland’s national SCID NBS program, introduced in January 2019, with those of a historical cohort diagnosed between 2007 and 2019. The study included seven patients (32%) identified through NBS, and 15 (68%) born before NBS implementation and diagnosed based on clinical signs. Children in the NBS group were younger at diagnosis (median age 9 days vs 9 months, P = .002) and at hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT, median age 5 months vs 11 months, P = .003) compared to the clinical group. The NBS group had a lower incidence of infections before HSCT (29% vs 93%, P = .004). Although not statistically significant, the overall survival rate on last follow-up was higher in the NBS group (86% vs 67%, P = .62). Importantly, patients with active infections undergoing HSCT had a significantly lower overall survival probability compared to those without (P = .01). In conclusion, the introduction of NBS in Switzerland has led to earlier and often asymptomatic diagnosis of affected children, enabling timely intervention, infection prevention, and prompt treatment. These factors have contributed to higher survival rates in the NBS group. These findings underscore the critical importance of NBS for SCID, offering potential life-saving benefits through early detection and intervention.
Let Slip the Dogs of Commerce: The Ethics of Voluntary Corporate Withdrawal in Response to War
Authors: Ó Laoghaire Tadhg
Published: January 2024

Over 1000 companies have either curtailed or else completely ceased operations in Russia as a response to its invasion of Ukraine, a mass corporate exodus of a speed and scale which we’ve never seen. While corporate withdrawal appears to have considerable public support, it’s not obvious that it has done anything to hamper the Russian war effort, nor is it clear what the long-run effects of corporate withdrawal as a regularised response to war might be. Given this, it’s important the evaluate the ethical merits of such a response. In this paper I critique what I take to be the two most common arguments given in favour of voluntary corporate withdrawal, which I label ‘the instrumental argument’ and ‘the clean hands argument’ respectively. After illustrating their shortcomings, I reframe corporations’ predicament as a ‘spattered hands’ case—one where they may do good by remaining in a war-waging state, but where they contribute indirectly to grave wrongdoing by doing so. Drawing on ideas from the ‘Business for Peace’ and ‘Business and Human Rights’ literature, I highlight the potentially positive role of corporate presence within war-waging countries, before highlighting four considerations which corporations ought to bear in mind when determining whether to withdraw, or whether it is the lesser evil to stay and to let their hands be spattered.
DC-programming for neural network optimizations
Authors: Awasthi Pranjal , Mao Anqi , Mohri Mehryar , Zhong Yutao
Published: January 2024

We discuss two key problems related to learning and optimization of neural networks: the computation of the adversarial attack for adversarial robustness and approximate optimization of complex functions. We show that both problems can be cast as instances of DC-programming. We give an explicit decomposition of the corresponding functions as differences of convex functions (DC) and report the results of experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of the DCA algorithm applied to these problems.
Energy-Stable Global Radial Basis Function Methods on Summation-By-Parts Form
Authors: Glaubitz Jan , Nordström Jan , Öffner Philipp
Published: January 2024

Radial basis function methods are powerful tools in numerical analysis and have demonstrated good properties in many different simulations. However, for time-dependent partial differential equations, only a few stability results are known. In particular, if boundary conditions are included, stability issues frequently occur. The question we address in this paper is how provable stability for RBF methods can be obtained. We develop a stability theory for global radial basis function methods using the general framework of summation-by-parts operators often used in the Finite Difference and Finite Element communities. Although we address their practical construction, we restrict the discussion to basic numerical simulations and focus on providing a proof of concept.
Techno-economic assessment of atmospheric CO2-based carbon fibre production enabling negative emissions
Authors: Keiner Dominik , Mühlbauer Andreas , Lopez Gabriel , Koiranen Tuomas , Breyer Christian
Published: January 2024

The fight against global warming requires novel approaches for the defossilisation of industrial processes, and the limitation of global warming requires options for negative carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The production of carbon fibre (CF) is an energy-intensive chain of processes which cause CO2 emissions. Having in mind the high market growth for CF composite materials, CF production might stand against the fight against global warming. CF also offers a huge mitigation opportunity, as CF contain up to 95–98wt% of pure carbon. This study investigates possible ways to link CF production to atmospheric CO2, enabling negative CO2 emissions through CF manufacturing. Production value chains for CF based on poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) and pitch, the two most important CF precursor materials, are developed and analysed regarding their energy and mass balances. The PAN value chain is further assessed regarding a first economic estimation of CF production cost with atmospheric CO2 as carbon source. The results show that production costs per ton CO2 removed might be unattractive at 2949 €/tCO2 in 2050. However, from a CF perspective, production cost of 10.3 €/kgCF in 2050 might enable a business case for electricity-based CF production from atmospheric CO2 in the future. Each ton of CF produced can store about 3.5 tCO2 due to a very high carbon share in the final product. With an increasing market for CF, a total negative emission potential of at least 0.7 GtCO2 per year can be enabled by 2050. Further research opportunities are discussed.
Upregulation of BRCA1 and 2 protein expression is associated with dysregulation in amino acids profiles in breast cancer
Authors: Saleem Tahia H. , Rizk Mohamed A. , Abdelhafez Nashwa F. , Sabra Ahmed , Radwan Eman
Published: January 2024

Background

The prevalence of breast cancer (BC) is high among cancers in Egypt, ranking it the most common cause of cancer mortality in women. BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumor suppressors proteins have a specific relationship with BC. Plasma free amino acids levels (PFAAs) have been reported to exhibit altered profiles among cancer patients. Thus, the present study aims to examine the alteration of the PFAAs profiles and investigate their association with BRCA1 and 2 circulating levels in Egyptian females diagnosed with BC and in females with family history of BC to establish potential early detection strategies for BC.

Methods and results

This study included 26 BC patients, 22 females with family history of BC (relatives) in addition to 38 healthy females as control group. Quantitative measurement of PFAAs was determined by the ion exchange separation method through high performance liquid chromatography. BRCA1 and BRCA2 concentrations were determined using ELISA. Our results showed PFAAs profiles in BC patients and in females with BC family history with significant upregulation in mean plasma levels of Alanine, Phenylalanine, Glutamate and Cysteine and downregulation of Taurine, Threonine, Serine, Glycine, Valine, Methionine and Histidine levels compared to controls. Also, a significant positive correlation was observed between plasma BRCA1 and Valine levels while a significant negative correlation was observed between BRCA2 and Lysine plasma levels.

Conclusion

PFAAs profile can potentially be used in early screening for BC patients and for susceptible females.
The determinants of decision time in an ambiguous context
Authors: Conte Anna , De Santis Gianmarco , Hey John D. , Soraperra Ivan
Published: January 2024

This paper builds on the data from a published paper on behaviour under ambiguity (Conte & Hey, 2013)—henceforth C&H—to explore the determinants of decision time. C&H categorized individual subjects as being of one of four types (of decision-maker)—Expected Utility, Smooth Ambiguity, Rank Dependent and Alpha Expected Utility—by using the decisions of the subjects, but did not look at the decision times of the different types. We take as given the categorization identified by C&H, and explore whether the classification can explain the decision times of the subjects. We investigate whether and why different types take a different amount of time to decide. We explore the effects of various features related to (mainly psychological) theories of the process of decision-making—i.e., experience with the task, complexity, closeness to indifference and similarity of the options. Our results show that different types take a similar time to make their decisions on average, but decision times of different types are explained by different features of the decision task. This paper is the first investigating the heterogeneity of decision times based on a classification of subjects into different types in an ambiguous (rather than risky) decision context.
Who benefits from criminal legal reform? A natural experiment to assess racial disparities in a policy targeting monetary sanctions
Authors: Mauri Amanda Isabel , Nicosia Nancy , Kilmer Beau
Published: January 2024

Objective

To examine disparities in court fines between American Indian and White convicted persons before and after a South Dakota reform, which trained court personnel to only assess fines that could be reasonably paid by defendants.

Methods

A natural experiment design using criminal records for the universe of convictions for misdemeanor arrests between July 2011–June 2015 (N = 34,700) was employed to estimate the association between the reform and the likelihood of a fine using logistic regression.

Results

The reform was associated with reductions in fine assessments in urban (OR, 0.63; CI, 0.39–1.04); rural, no Indian Country (OR, 0.24; CI, 0.18–0.33); and rural, part-Indian Country counties (OR, 0.24; CI, 0.18–0.32). Both American Indian and White persons experienced these reductions, but the reductions were smaller for American Indians in urban counties.

Conclusions

A defendant’s race and features of local court structures may shape judicial behavior in response to monetary sanctioning reforms.
Towards developing a control of grinding processes using a combination of grinding power evaluation and Barkhausen noise analysis
Authors: Jedamski Rahel , Kuhlmann Gerrit , Rößler Maximilian , Karpuschewski Bernhard , Dix Martin , Epp Jérémy
Published: January 2024

After grinding of hardened workpieces, especially in case of safety-relevant components, usually non-destructive testing is carried out to detect thermo-mechanical damages in the surface layer. In-process detection methods allow a fast reaction to negative changes before producing a large amount of rejects and open the possibility to save additional time for post-process inspection. However, these are not industrially used yet, since boundary conditions and application limits are not defined so far. This study shows the potential of a grinding process control based on a soft sensor combining a thermal limit in a $${P}_{c}^{{\prime}{\prime}}$$

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− Δt-diagram and magnetic Barkhausen noise analysis applied in-situ during grinding (BN). The specific grinding power $${P}_{c}^{{\prime}{\prime}}$$

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in dependence of the contact time Δt allows to identify/avoid grinding burn starting from light tempering zones. Furthermore, the BN is well suited for the detection of detrimental residual stress changes (tensile) occurring even before tempering zones are generated. The developed process control based on this combination optimizes the process parameters to prevent negative thermo-mechanical surface changes while keeping the productivity of the process as high as possible. The applicability is demonstrated for external cylindrical and non-circular grinding processes. Due to the radius varying over the workpiece circumference, the latter ones require special demands on signal evaluation, resolution and control speed.
Suppression of the long non-coding RNA LINC01279 triggers autophagy and apoptosis in lung cancer by regulating FAK and SIN3A
Authors: Wu Jiancong , Huang Xiaobi , Li Xiaofang , Zhou Honglian , Chen Xiaorao , Chen Yongyang , Guo Yudong , Huang Jian , Huang Hanqing , Huang Zhong , Chen Guoan , Yang Zhixiong , Zhang Jian , Su Wenmei
Published: January 2024

Long non-coding RNAs play critical roles in the development of lung cancer by functioning as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. Changes in the expression of LINC01279 have been associated with cell differentiation and human diseases. However, the mechanism underlying LINC01279 activity in tumorigenesis is not clear. Here, we analyzed the function of LINC01279 in lung adenocarcinoma using clinical samples, xenografts, and non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines. We found that LINC01279 is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma and may be considered as a predictive factor for this cancer. Knockdown of LINC01279 prevents tumor growth in xenografts and in cancer cell lines by activating autophagy and apoptosis. Molecularly, we revealed that LINC01279 regulates the expression of focal adhesion kinase and extracellular-regulated kinase signaling. In addition, it complexes with and stabilizes the transcriptional co-repressor SIN3A protein. Suppression of focal adhesion kinase and SIN3A also induces apoptosis and prevents tumor progression, suggesting that they may at least in part mediate the oncogenic activity of LINC01279. These results identify LINC01279 as a possible oncogene that plays an important role in the development of lung cancer. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism underlying LINC01279-mediated oncogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma. They may help to discover potential therapeutic targets for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.