bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Rearrangement of Manufacturing Industrial Zones Based on MCDM in Mojokerto Regency. Case Study Northern Mojokerto Region
Authors: Sihotang Reynaldi Z. F. , Santoso Eko B. , Irawan Naila H. , Estiningtyas Amanda P.
Published: December 2023

Mojokerto Regency is part of the national strategic area (Gerbangkertasusila) in East Java. Gerbangkertasusila serves as the driving force behind East Java’s economy, with the manufacturing industry becoming the prime mover as it contributes to 2022 GRDP by 56.68 percent. The spatial plan of Mojokerto Regency includes the development of an industrial estate in the northern part, specifically in Jetis and Dawarblandong Districts, covering a total area of 8.553 hectares. However, the government’s attempt to make industrial estates has only been realized by 2.65% since 2012. This research aims to assess the suitability of space allocation within the industrial estates in the northern region of Mojokerto. The research method uses spatial analysis approach, multi criteria decision making (MCDM). Spatial data were obtained through RBI and Bhumi ATR, also Mojokerto Regency’s RTRW as comparative data to assess the suitability of industrial locations. This study also considers other spatial aspects, such as projections of land use based on cellular automata, population, infrastructure, transportation, and physical conditions. Analysis result shows that the allocation of space requirements for industrial estate development is 1,081 hectares or 12.64 percent of the original plan. The area is much smaller than the planned area in the Mojokerto Regency’s RTRW. The study identifies four potential locations for Industrial Estate development in the northern Mojokerto region, consisting of two in Jetis District and two in Dawarblandong District. The research results can be an input for the industrial cluster development in the northern Mojokerto region.
Hexa-Helix Approach for Smart Disaster Governance Framework in Developing Cities, Case Study: Slawi Urban Area, Tegal Regency
Authors: Barbarossa Ghiffari , Putri Savira N. A. K. , Rahayu Kristantri , Siddiq Amar , Maulana Muhammad I. , Ferawati Nur A.
Published: December 2023

Disasters, whether natural or unnatural, cause substantial loss and damage. Due to its abrupt nature and unpredictable scale, disaster management can be challenging. To tackle this, cities need innovative strategies to face the challenge of managing disasters. Rapid widespread of technologies has encouraged cities to develop innovative strategies called Smart Governance. The use of technology is convinced to be able to achieve a more effective and efficient service while also maintaining external collaboration and internal coordination. However, the complexity of disaster events and the large scale of the people involved calls for a more inclusive strategy. This research aims to develop a conceptual framework for innovative disaster governance. The framework was set out to be developed using the hexa-helix approach. This approach is an adaptation from the penta-helix one with an additional sixth actor, the affected communities. The addition of the sixth actor is proven to give substantial inputs regarding disaster management from a distinct point of view. This research used qualitative methods to develop a conceptual disaster framework. Supporting data for this research were collected mainly using group discussions and interviews. Those data were further analyzed using Mendelow Stakeholder Matrix to map roles for each actor. The finding shows that each actor of the hexa-helix has a significant role in the framework. These roles help the collaboration and coordination needed for disaster governance to be more effective and efficient. The result expects to provide a base framework for disaster governance integration with technological innovation.
Matrix-Matched Mapping for Rural Development Planning Study in Ngestirejo Village, Gunungkidul Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Hasanati Surani , Rijanta Raden , Pitoyo Agus J.
Published: December 2023

The Village Medium-Term Development Planning (RPJMDes) is a result of development planning as formed as document that shows the direction, objectives and policies of village development. Several considerations in forming RPJMDes document were the objective conditions of the village and the development priorities of the district. The RPJMDes is prepared to be a systematic framework of thinking about the problems faced by villagers, about the potential sources of villages, as well as the formulation of strategic actions oriented. These were important to fulfill common ideals namely improving welfare and at the same time building a democratic, fair and open (transparent) village government system or good governance. Ngestirejo Village in the Tanjungsari District, Gunungkidul Regency is one of coastal village which received award from Government as one of good village that implemented good administration and regulations in 2018. After local election, Ngestirejo Village then has a RPJMDes for the period 2020-2025. This study aims to examine the suitability of the development planning process of Ngestirejo Village with selected reference documents. The method used was descriptive method. The result shows that Ngestirejo RPJMDes had several discrepancies between existing RPJMDes and the ideal rules of the RPJMDes regulation by government. The stages in preparation of Ngestirejo RPJMDes document’s must be adjusted to the provisions of the legal references.
The organization and structure of nutrition of the Ukrainian population as a health factor
Authors: Beztelesna L , Pliashko O , Khomych S , Palamarchuk O
Published: December 2023

The paper examines the relationship between the organization of nutrition according to the locations (at home and out-of-home) and formats (restaurants, canteens, buffets/cafeterias, etc.), nutrition structure (consumption of basic staples) and health and mortality of the population of Ukraine. The organization and structure of nutrition of the population of Ukraine is analyzed. It was determined that the organization of food outside the home has long-term consequences for morbidity and mortality of the population. The authors investigated morbidity and mortality from the most common diseases and found that the morbidity rate in Ukraine is high, and deaths from ischaemic heart disease, also called coronary heart disease (CHD), infectious and parasitic diseases, also mortality from cerebrovascular and circulatory system. The paper found and interpreted dependences between household expenses for food according to different organization, development and health of the population. The scholars established that household expenditures on eating at home and out-of-home do not have a significant impact on the morbidity of the population in Ukraine. The results of the activities of food establishments (their revenue) cause a slight increase in the obesity of the population. Food consumption and the spread of morbidity in Ukraine are also poorly linked. However, the study revealed that there are groups of food products whose consumption is associated with the loss of health of the population, and therefore an increase in mortality. It was determinated that such products are sugar, bread and bakery products. The authors found that the development of food organization formats by increasing household expenditures contribute to a slight decrease in population mortality in Ukraine, and increasing household expenditures on food products prevent an increase in mortality from malignant neoplasms.
Assessment of the impact of recreation load on the development of responsible community tourism
Authors: Kolesnyk T , Konarivska O , Pozniakovska N , Mikluha O , Yakovyshyna M
Published: December 2023

The concept of sustainable development is based on the interdependence of three key aspects of development – environmental, economic and social. Tourism and recreational nature use are seen as effective tools for achieving financial self-sufficiency of local communities, development of private entrepreneurship, positive impact on the social sphere and minimizing the exploitation of natural resource. However, excessive recreational activity can lead to the degradation of natural complexes. In order to preserve biodiversity and sustainable development of territories, it is necessary to monitor the condition of zones with intensive recreational innovation to prevent their degradation and develop responsible tourism. To monitor the environmental condition, there are used modern methods of remote sensing of the Earth, which should be combined with field ecological studies. In the course of the research, there was proved the existence of interrelationships between the enzymatic activity of soils, soil density and the vegetation condition according to NDVI. Currently, there is an urgent issue of maintaining a balance between the population’s requests for recreation and the ability of natural resources to satisfy them. The given research method is able to provide information to ensure the responsible attitude of the community to nature-protected zones, to influence ecological awareness and to ensure the effective use of the ecosystem. Calculations were carried out on the example of complex slope ecosystems of the Barmakivske tract, which are subjected to a strong recreational load.
The Kazakhstan dairy enterprises’ problem analysis and innovative potential of an agricultural enterprise
Authors: Akhmedyarov Y , Kurmanov N , Petrova M , Gordeyeva Y
Published: December 2023

In this study, the current situation in the agricultural sector of Kazakhstan and specifically the diary sphere is analized. Innovations and technologies for the dairy industry are also being researched, and the possibility of their utilization in Kazakhstan is proposed, along with ways to further agricultural development. This study shows the largest dairy enterprises of the Republic of Kazakhstan, their production capacities, and methods of milk production. It presents innovative methods that improve the process of milk production as well as its quality and quantity. This study reveals the problems of lack of acreage, absence of a clear subsidizing policy and state programs on supporting current and new industries, shortage of qualified personnel, and dependence on regulatory at both the national and transnational levels, etc. in the Republic of Kazakhstan in recent years. All these factors do not allow us to achieve adequately the required production rates, and with them comes the introduction of the latest technological methods in the production of dairy products. At the same time, there was an increase by 57.4% in the number of operating agricultural enterprises over the last 5 years, and the share of agriculture in the country’s GDP by 0.8-1%. The study shows the further ways of the innovative development of milk production, as well as the problems that these productions face and the ways to solve them.
Insights into the interface during ice adhesion measurements
Authors: Apelt Sabine , Bergmann Ute
Published: December 2023

When evaluating published results from ice adhesion measurements to characterise the applicability of surface coatings, there is usually a large variation of the published properties and a high scattering of these values. Moreover ice adhesion is known as a highly susceptible parameter regarding the measurement temperature which additionally leads to deviations. This paper is a contribution to the evaluation of ice adhesion results and provides a correlation of the measurements with the surface characteristics. In the paper a novel instrumentalised method of a quasistatic ice adhesion test is proposed in order to measure additional information about force and displacement behaviour of adhered ice. The evaluation of several measurements reveals insights into nanoscopic processes in the interface during the adhesion process. Different modes of the adhesion process of ice, like clean breaks, sliding with almost no force, sliding with high forces, multiple breaks or multiple sticking, not only we found to correlate to the material, but also to methodological test parameters. The overlapping influence of surface characteristics and test parameters is highlighted.
A note on Teissier problem for nef classes
Authors: Zhang Yashan
Published: December 2023

Teissier problem aims to characterize the equality case of Khovanskii-Teissier type inequality for

(
1
,
1
)

(1,1)

-classes on a compact Kähler manifold. When each of the involved

(
1
,
1
)

(1,1)

-classes is assumed to be nef and big, this problem has been solved by the previous works of Boucksom-Favre-Jonsson [J. Algebraic Geom. 18 (2009), pp. 279–308], Fu-Xiao [Algebr. Geom. 6 (2019), pp. 177–185] and Li [The Alexandrov-Fenchel type inequalities, revisited, https://arxiv.org/abs/1710.00520]. In this note, we shall settle the case that the involved

(
1
,
1
)

(1,1)

-classes are just assumed to be nef. We also extend the results to some settings where some of the

(
1
,
1
)

(1,1)

-classes are not necessarily nef. By constructing examples, it is shown that our results are optimal.
Lessons from assembling a microbial natural product and pre-fractionated extract library in an academic laboratory
Authors: Cook Michael A , Pallant Daniel , Ejim Linda , Sutherland Arlene D , Wang Xiaodong , Johnson Jarrod W , McCusker Susan , Chen Xuefei , George Maya , Chou Sommer , Koteva Kalinka , Wang Wenliang , Hobson Christian , Hackenberger Dirk , Waglechner Nicholas , Ejim Obi , Campbell Tracey , Medina Ricardo , MacNeil Lesley T , Wright Gerard D
Published: December 2023

Microbial natural products are specialized metabolites that are sources of many bioactive compounds including antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, anticancer agents, and probes of biology. The assembly of libraries of producers of natural products has traditionally been the province of the pharmaceutical industry. This sector has gathered significant historical collections of bacteria and fungi to identify new drug leads with outstanding outcomes—upwards of 60% of drug scaffolds originate from such libraries. Despite this success, the repeated rediscovery of known compounds and the resultant diminishing chemical novelty contributed to a pivot from this source of bioactive compounds toward more tractable synthetic compounds in the drug industry. The advent of advanced mass spectrometry tools, along with rapid whole genome sequencing and in silico identification of biosynthetic gene clusters that encode the machinery necessary for the synthesis of specialized metabolites, offers the opportunity to revisit microbial natural product libraries with renewed vigor. Assembling a suitable library of microbes and extracts for screening requires the investment of resources and the development of methods that have customarily been the proprietary purview of large pharmaceutical companies. Here, we report a perspective on our efforts to assemble a library of natural product-producing microbes and the establishment of methods to extract and fractionate bioactive compounds using resources available to most academic labs. We validate the library and approach through a series of screens for antimicrobial and cytotoxic agents. This work serves as a blueprint for establishing libraries of microbial natural product producers and bioactive extract fractions suitable for screens of bioactive compounds.

One-Sentence Summary

Natural products are key to discovery of novel antimicrobial agents: Here, we describe our experience and lessons learned in constructing a microbial natural product and pre-fractionated extract library.
Probing the Galactic halo with RR Lyrae stars – V. Chemistry, kinematics, and dynamically tagged groups
Authors: Cabrera Garcia Jonathan , Beers Timothy C , Huang Yang , Li Xin-Yi , Liu Gaochao , Zhang Huawei , Hong Jihye , Lee Young Sun , Shank Derek , Gudin Dmitrii , Hirai Yutaka , Komater Dante
Published: December 2023

We employ a sample of 135 873 RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) with precise photometric-metallicity and distance estimates from the newly calibrated P–ϕ31–R21–[Fe/H] and Gaia G band P–R21–[Fe/H] absolute magnitude–metallicity relations of Li et al., combined with available proper motions from Gaia EDR3, and 6955 systemic radial velocities from Gaia DR3 and other sources, in order to explore the chemistry and kinematics of the halo of the Milky Way (MW). This sample is ideally suited for characterization of the inner- and outer-halo populations of the stellar halo, free from the bias associated with spectroscopically selected probes, and for estimation of their relative contributions as a function of Galactocentric distance. The results of a Gaussian mixture model analysis of these contributions are broadly consistent with other observational studies of the halo, and with expectations from recent MW simulation studies. We apply the hdbscan clustering method to the specific energies and cylindrical actions (E, Jr, Jϕ, Jz), identifying 97 dynamically tagged groups (DTGs) of RRLs, and explore their associations with recognized substructures of the MW. The precise photometric-distance determinations (relative distance errors on the order of 5 per cent or better), and the resulting high-quality determination of dynamical parameters, yield highly statistically significant (low) dispersions of [Fe/H] for the stellar members of the DTGs compared to random draws from the full sample, indicating that they share common star-formation and chemical histories, influenced by their birth environments.
Optical quasi-periodic oscillations in the TESS light curves of three blazars
Authors: Tripathi Ashutosh , Smith Krista Lynne , Wiita Paul J , Wagoner Robert V
Published: December 2023

We report the time series analysis of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite light curves of three blazars, BL Lacertae (BL Lac), 1RXS J111741.0+254858, and 1RXS J004519.6+212735, obtained using a customized approach for extracting active galactic nucleus light curves. We find tentative evidence for quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in these light curves that range from 2 to 6 d. Two methods of analysis are used for assessing their significance: generalized Lomb–Scargle periodograms and weighted wavelet Z-transforms. The different approaches of these methods together ensure a robust measurement of the significance of the claimed periodicities. We can attribute the apparent QPOs to the kink instability model, which postulates that the observed QPOs are related to the temporal growth of kinks in the magnetized relativistic jet. We confirm the application of this model to BL Lac and extend the kink instability model to the other two BL Lac objects.
Pre-supernova outbursts by core magnetic activity
Authors: Cohen Tamar , Soker Noam
Published: December 2023

We conduct one-dimensional stellar evolutionary numerical simulations under the assumption that an efficient dynamo operates in the core of massive stars years to months before core collapse and find that the magnetic activity enhances mass-loss rate and might trigger binary interaction that leads to outbursts. We assume that the magnetic flux tubes that the dynamo forms in the inner core buoy out to the outer core where there is a steep entropy rise and a molecular weight drop. There the magnetic fields turn to thermal energy, i.e. by reconnection. We simulate this energy deposition where the entropy steeply rises and find that for our simulated cases the envelope radius increases by a factor of ≃1.2–2 and luminosity by about an order of magnitude. These changes enhance the mass-loss rate. The envelope expansion can trigger a binary interaction that powers an outburst. Because magnetic field amplification depends positively on the core rotation rate and operates in cycles, not in all cases the magnetic activity will be powerful enough to change envelope properties. Namely, only a fraction of core-collapse supernovae experiences pre-explosion outbursts.
The RMS survey: A census of massive YSO multiplicity in the K band
Authors: Shenton Robert G , Houghton Rebecca J , Oudmaijer René D , Goodwin Simon P , Lumsden Stuart L , Koumpia Evgenia , Koutoulaki Maria
Published: December 2023

Close to 100 per cent of massive stars are thought to be in binary systems. The multiplicity of massive stars seems to be intrinsically linked to their formation and evolution, and massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) are key in observing this early stage of star formation. We have surveyed three samples totalling hundreds of MYSOs ($\gt 8\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$) across the Galaxy from the Red MSX Source (RMS) catalogue, using United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope (UKIRT) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) and Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) point source data, and UKIRT K-band imaging to probe separations between 0.8 and 9 arcsec (approx 1000–100 000 au). We have used statistical methods to determine the binary statistics of the samples, and we find binary fractions of 64 ± 4 per cent for the UKIDSS sample, 53 ± 4 per cent for the VVV sample, and 49 ± 8 per cent for the RMS imaging sample. Also, we use the J- and K-band magnitudes as a proxy for the companion mass, and a significant fraction of the detected systems have estimated mass ratios >0.5, suggesting a deviation from the capture formation scenario which would be aligned with random IMF sampling. Finally, we find that YSOs located in the outer Galaxy have a higher binary fraction than those in the inner Galaxy. This is likely due to a lower stellar background density than observed towards the inner Galaxy, resulting in higher probabilities for visual binaries to be physical companions. It does indicate a binary fraction in the probed separation range of close to 100 per cent without the need to consider selection biases.
Interchromosomal Colocalization with Parental Genes Is Linked to the Function and Evolution of Mammalian Retrocopies
Authors: Yan Yubin , Tian Yuhan , Wu Zefeng , Zhang Kunling , Yang Ruolin
Published: December 2023

Retrocopies are gene duplicates arising from reverse transcription of mature mRNA transcripts and their insertion back into the genome. While long being regarded as processed pseudogenes, more and more functional retrocopies have been discovered. How the stripped-down retrocopies recover expression capability and become functional paralogs continually intrigues evolutionary biologists. Here, we investigated the function and evolution of retrocopies in the context of 3D genome organization. By mapping retrocopy–parent pairs onto sequencing-based and imaging-based chromatin contact maps in human and mouse cell lines and onto Hi-C interaction maps in 5 other mammals, we found that retrocopies and their parental genes show a higher-than-expected interchromosomal colocalization frequency. The spatial interactions between retrocopies and parental genes occur frequently at loci in active subcompartments and near nuclear speckles. Accordingly, colocalized retrocopies are more actively transcribed and translated and are more evolutionarily conserved than noncolocalized ones. The active transcription of colocalized retrocopies may result from their permissive epigenetic environment and shared regulatory elements with parental genes. Population genetic analysis of retroposed gene copy number variants in human populations revealed that retrocopy insertions are not entirely random in regard to interchromosomal interactions and that colocalized retroposed gene copy number variants are more likely to reach high frequencies, suggesting that both insertion bias and natural selection contribute to the colocalization of retrocopy–parent pairs. Further dissection implies that reduced selection efficacy, rather than positive selection, contributes to the elevated allele frequency of colocalized retroposed gene copy number variants. Overall, our results hint a role of interchromosomal colocalization in the “resurrection” of initially neutral retrocopies.
Long-term retention rates of anti-tumour necrosis factor and anti-interleukin-17 antibodies for patients with psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Takami Kenji , Tsuji Shigeyoshi , Sato Sachina , Akaji Kazuya , Yamashita Chigusa , Hiroumi Shiori , Konaka Hachiro , Hayashi Misa , Higashiyama Mari
Published: December 2023

Objective

While biologics have been used for the patients with psoriatic arthritis, there remains to be unknown concerning long-term retention rates. This study aims to present real-world data about long-term retention rates of biologics for the patients with psoriatic arthritis, and to undertake an analysis of the contributing factors.

Methods

We examined retention rates and the reasons for discontinuation for biologics (adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, secukinumab, and ixekizumab) in 146 prescriptions (of which, 109 prescriptions were as naive) at our hospital since March 2010.

Results

Throughout the entire course of the study, the 10-year retention rates were approximately 70% for adalimumab, 50% for ixekizumab, and 40% for secukinumab. When evaluating retention rates in the biologic-naïve subgroups, the 10-year retention rates were all approximately 70%. Regarding certolizumab pegol, the 3-year retention rate was approximately 75%. For adalimumab, a higher degree of arthritis at the initiation of treatment was found to correlate with an increased likelihood of secondary inefficacy. The main reason for discontinuation was secondary inefficacy, except for ixekizumab.

Conclusions

Each biologic exhibited a favourable long-term retention rate. The main reason for discontinuation was secondary inefficacy. Regarding adalimumab, secondary inefficacy was linked to the extent of arthritis upon treatment initiation.
Rethinking Context in Continuing Professional Development: From Identifying Barriers to Understanding Social Dynamics
Authors: Wong René , Kitto Simon
Published: December 2023

Introduction:

For continuing professional development (CPD) to reach its potential to improve outcomes requires an understanding of the role of context and the influencing conditions that enable interventions to succeed. We argue that the heuristic use of frameworks to design and implement interventions tends to conceptualize context as defined lists of barriers, which may obscure consideration of how different contextual factors interact with and intersect with each other.

Methods:

We suggest a framework approach that would benefit from postmodernist theory that explores how ideologies, meanings, and social structures in health care settings shape social practices. As an illustrative example, we conducted a Foucauldian discourse analysis of diabetes care to make visible how the social, historical, and political conditions in which clinicians experience, practice, and shape possibilities for behavior change.

Results:

The discursive construction of continuing education as a knowledge translation mechanism assumes and is contingent on family physicians to implement guidelines. However, they enact other discursively constituted roles that may run in opposition. This paradoxical position creates a tension that must be navigated by family physicians, who may perceive it possible to provide good care without necessarily implementing guidelines.

Discussion:

We suggest marrying “framework” thinking with postmodernist theory that explores how ideologies, meanings, and social structures shape practice behavior change. Such a proposed reconceptualization of context in the design of continuing professional development interventions could provide a more robust and nuanced understanding of how the dynamic relationships and interactions between clinicians, patients, and their work environments shape educational effectiveness.
Delayed and Forgone Health Care Among Adults With Limited English Proficiency During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Chang Eva , Davis Teaniese L. , Berkman Nancy D.
Published: December 2023

Background:

Individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) have long faced barriers in navigating the health care system. More information is needed to understand whether their care was limited further during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective:

To assess the impact of English proficiency on delayed and forgone health care during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

Research Design:

Multivariate logistic regression analysis of National Health Interview Survey data (July–December 2020; n=16,941). Outcomes were self-reported delayed and forgone health care because of cost or the COVID-19 pandemic. Delayed health care included medical, dental, mental health, and pharmacy care. Forgone health care also included care at home from a health professional.

Results:

A greater percentage of LEP adults reported delayed (49%) and forgone (41%) health care than English-proficient adults (40% and 30%, respectively). However, English proficiency was not significantly associated with delayed or forgone health care, after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors. Among LEP adults, multivariate models showed that being uninsured, having a disability, and having chronic conditions increased the risk of delaying and forgoing health care. LEP adults of Asian race and Hispanic ethnicity were also more likely to forgo health care while those with 65+ years were less likely to forgo health care.

Conclusions:

Adults with LEP were more likely to experience challenges accessing health care early in the pandemic. Delayed and forgone health care were explained by low socioeconomic status and poor health. These findings highlight how during a period of limited health resources, deficiencies in the health care system resulted in an already disadvantaged group being at greater risk of inequitable access to care.
Belgian Recommendations for Analytical Verification and Validation of Immunohistochemical Tests in Laboratories of Anatomic Pathology
Authors: Verbeke Hannelien , Van Hecke Donald , Bauraing Caroline , Dierick Anne Marie , Colleye Orphal , Dalle Ignace , Dewachter Kathleen , Guiot Yves , Lequeu Raphael , Vanderheyden Nancy , Zwaenepoel Karen , Croes Romaric
Published: December 2023

Analytical verification and validation of immunohistochemical (IHC) tests and their equipment are common practices for today’s anatomic pathology laboratories. Few references or guidelines are available on how this should be performed. The study of Sciensano (the Belgian national competent authority regarding licensing of medical laboratories) performed in 2016, demonstrated a significant interlaboratory variation in validation procedures of IHC tests among Belgian laboratories. These results suggest the unavailability of practical information on the approach to the verification and validation of these tests. The existing Belgian Practice Guideline for the implementation of a quality management system in anatomic pathology laboratories has been reviewed to meet this demand and, in addition, to prepare the laboratories for the EU—IVD revised regulations (IVDR). This paper describes Belgian recommendations for the verification and validation of IHC tests before implementation, for ongoing validation, and for revalidation. For each type of test (according to the IVDR classification and the origin) and its intended use (purpose), it addresses how to perform analytical verification/validation by recommending: (1) the number of cases in the validation set, (2) the performance characteristics to be evaluated, (3) the objective acceptance criteria, (4) the evaluation method for the obtained results, and (5) how and when to revalidate. A literature study and a risk analysis taking into account the majority of variables regarding verification/validation of methods have been performed, resulting in an expert consensus recommendation that is a compromise among achievability, affordability, and patient safety. This new consensus recommendation has been incorporated in the aforementioned ISO 15189:2012–based Practice Guideline.
A Prospective Comparative Study of 18F-FDOPA PET/CT Versus 123I-MIBG Scintigraphy With SPECT/CT for the Diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma
Authors: Sung Changhwan , Lee Hyo Sang , Lee Dong Yun , Kim Yong-il , Kim Jae Eun , Lee Sang Ju , Oh Seung Jun , Sung Tae-Yon , Lee Yu-Mi , Kim Young Hoon , Kim Beom-Jun , Koh Jung-Min , Lee Seung Hun , Ryu Jin-Sook
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performances of 18F-FDOPA PET/CT and 123I-MIBG scintigraphy with SPECT/CT for detection of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL).

Patients and Methods

We conducted a prospective, single-institution comparative study. Patients suspected of having PPGL or those showing recurrence and/or distant metastasis of PPGL were enrolled. The primary objective was to affirm the noninferiority of 18F-FDOPA PET/CT for diagnostic sensitivity. Both 123I-MIBG scintigraphy with SPECT/CT (at 4 and 24 hours) and 18F-FDOPA PET/CT (at 5 and 60 minutes after radiotracer administration) were performed. The final diagnosis was established either pathologically or via clinical follow-up. Nuclear physicians, unaware of the clinical data, undertook image analysis.

Results

Thirty-two patients were evaluated: 14 of 21 with an initial diagnosis and 9 of 11 with recurrence/metastasis had PPGLs in their final diagnoses. In patient-based analyses, 18F-FDOPA PET/CT (95.7%) exhibited noninferior sensitivity compared with 123I-MIBG SPECT/CT (91.3%), within the predetermined noninferiority margin of −12% by a 95% confidence interval lower limit of −10%. Both modalities showed no significant difference in specificity (88.9% vs 88.9%). In the region-based analysis for the recurrence/metastasis group, 18F-FDOPA PET/CT demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity compared with 123I-MIBG SPECT/CT (86.2% vs 65.5%, P = 0.031) and superior interobserver agreement (κ = 0.94 vs 0.85). The inclusion of an early phase in dual-phase 18F-FDOPA PET/CT slightly improved diagnostic performance, albeit not to a statistically significant degree.

Conclusions

18F-FDOPA PET/CT demonstrated noninferior sensitivity and comparable specificity to 123I-MIBG SPECT/CT in the diagnosing PPGL. Notably, in the assessment of PPGL recurrence and metastasis, 18F-FDOPA PET/CT outperformed 123I-MIBG SPECT/CT in terms of both sensitivity and interobserver agreement.
Mandible-First Sequencing Increase Surgical Accuracy for Patients With Skeletal Class II Malocclusion Concomitant With Unstable Condyle-Fossa Relation
Authors: Wang Shoupeng , Ge Weiwen , Qi Lei , Cao Ningning , Meng Jian , Zhang Lei
Published: December 2023

The aim of this study was to explore whether mandible-first sequencing increases the surgical accuracy in bimaxillary orthognathic surgery for patients with skeletal class II malocclusion concomitant with the unstable condyle-fossa relation. A retrospective evaluation of 19 patients who had undergone virtually planned double-splint orthognathic surgery with different operation sequences was performed: maxilla-first (n=9) or mandible-first (n=10) surgery. The centroid position, translational, and rotational differences in the maxilla were evaluated by comparing the virtual plans with actual results. The stability was assessed by comparing the actual results with the follow-up outcomes 6 months postoperatively. The accuracy of the maxilla centroid position was improved in mandible-first sequencing surgery: mandible-first 1.87±0.94 mm versus maxilla-first 2.70±0.75 mm (P<0.05). Moreover, no significant difference was detected in the translational and orientational discrepancies between the 2 groups. Neither sequencing procedure differed in the overall stability: maxilla-first (1.48±1.13 mm) versus mandible-first (1.57±0.90 mm). This study indicated that the mandible-first surgery leads to a more accurate maxilla position than the maxilla-first surgery for patients with skeletal class II malocclusion concomitant with the unstable condyle-fossa relation.
Surgical Margin of Resected Colorectal Liver Metastases
Authors: McIntyre Sarah M. , Soares Kevin C. , Chou Joanne F. , D’Amico Francesco , Shin Paul J. , Gönen Mithat , Shia Jinru , Balachandran Vinod P. , Wei Alice C. , Kingham T. Peter , Drebin Jeffrey A. , Jarnagin William R. , D’Angelica Michael I.
Published: December 2023

Objective:

The aim of this study was to describe the surgeon’s ability to accurately predict the margin following resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs).

Background:

The decision to resect CRLM is based on the surgeon’s ability to predict tumor-free resection margins. However, to date, no study has evaluated the accuracy of surgeon margin prediction.

Methods:

In this single-institution prospective study, the operating attending and fellow independently completed a preoperative and postoperative questionnaire describing their expected resection margin in 100 consecutive cases (200 assessments) of CRLM resections. In cases with multiple metastases, the closest margin was assessed as the margin of interest for the primary outcome. Surgeon assessments were compared with the gold-standard histopathologic assessment.

Results:

After excluding aborted cases, 190 preoperative and 190 postoperative assessments from 95 cases were included in the analysis. The pathologic margin was noted to be wide (≥1 cm), 1 mm to 1 cm, narrow (<1 mm), and positive in 28 (29.5%), 55 (57.9%), 5 (5.3%), and 7 (7.4%) cases, respectively. The 88 cases with negative margins were all predicted to be negative. None of the cases with positive margins were predicted to be positive. Ninety-one (48%) preoperative and 104 (55%) postoperative predictions were accurate. The sensitivity of predicting a margin <1 mm was 8.3% preoperatively and 16.7% postoperatively. The positive predictive value for preoperative and postoperative predictions of margin <1 mm was 18.2% and 26.7%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Surgeons are inaccurate at predicting positive and close surgical margins following resection of CRLM. A predicted close margin should not necessarily preclude resection.
Is thrombectomy indicated in all ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion?
Authors: Pujara Deep K. , Al-Shaibi Faisal , Sarraj Amrou
Published: December 2023

Purpose of review

Purpose of this topical review is to examine the current randomized and nonrandomized evidence evaluating endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in selected patient populations with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusions.

Recent findings

After establishing EVT as the first-line treatment in patients with large vessel occlusions and limited ischemic changes on neuroimaging, recent trials successfully demonstrated efficacy and safety in patients with large core strokes and those with basilar occlusions up to 24 h of last known well. Nonrandomized evidence in patients with mild stroke severity, baseline disability, medium and distal vessel occlusions and time from last known well >24 h also suggested potential benefit of EVT in selected patients. Further randomized evidence will help establish EVT efficacy and safety in these populations.

EVT is established as the de-facto treatment of choice in a significant proportion of patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke due to a large vessel occlusion and has shown potential benefits in additional patient subgroups. A rigorous risk-benefit assessment and discussions with patients and their families in the absence of randomized evidence should help facilitate an informed, individualized decision-making process for this revolutionary treatment in peripheral patient subgroups with limited evidence.
Small tube-nosed seabirds fledge on the full moon and throughout the lunar cycle
Authors: Collins Sydney M. , Hedd April , Montevecchi William A. , Burt Tori V. , Wilson David R. , Fifield David A.
Published: December 2023

Many seabirds are attracted to anthropogenic light, and the risk is greater for recent fledglings. Moon phase predicts the probability of stranding (fewer birds strand on the full moon), but it remains uncertain whether moon phase is associated with when young seabirds fledge. Fledging behaviour of nocturnal, burrowing seabirds can be difficult to monitor using traditional methods but can provide insight into environmental factors that influence the risk of stranding. We used passive integrated transponder tags to monitor the fledging dates and times of Leach's storm-petrel (
Hydrobates leucorhous
) chicks across four breeding seasons (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022) at a major colony in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. We also assessed whether moon phase and incident illumination related to fledging date and time. The median fledge time was 1.6 h after sunset (0.6–11.7 h). The median fledge date was 10 October, and fledging dates ranged from 13 September to 13 November. Most importantly, moon phase was not associated with the time and date that Leach's storm-petrel chicks fledged. These results suggest that recently fledged storm-petrels are less attracted to anthropogenic light during high levels of natural illumination, which could indicate periods of higher stranding risk and help concentrate conservation efforts.
Uncovering the Holocene roots of contemporary disease-scapes: bringing archaeology into One Health
Authors: Rayfield Kristen M. , Mychajliw Alexis M. , Singleton Robin R. , Sholts Sabrina B. , Hofman Courtney A.
Published: December 2023

The accelerating pace of emerging zoonotic diseases in the twenty-first century has motivated cross-disciplinary collaboration on One Health approaches, combining microbiology, veterinary and environmental sciences, and epidemiology for outbreak prevention and mitigation. Such outbreaks are often caused by spillovers attributed to human activities that encroach on wildlife habitats and ecosystems, such as land use change, industrialized food production, urbanization and animal trade. While the origin of anthropogenic effects on animal ecology and biogeography can be traced to the Late Pleistocene, the archaeological record—a long-term archive of human–animal–environmental interactions—has largely been untapped in these One Health approaches, thus limiting our understanding of these dynamics over time. In this review, we examine how humans, as niche constructors, have facilitated new host species and ‘disease-scapes’ from the Late Pleistocene to the Anthropocene, by viewing zooarchaeological, bioarchaeological and palaeoecological data with a One Health perspective. We also highlight how new biomolecular tools and advances in the ‘-omics’ can be holistically coupled with archaeological and palaeoecological reconstructions in the service of studying zoonotic disease emergence and re-emergence.
The intricate triangular interaction between protective microbe, pathogen and host determines fitness of the metaorganism
Authors: Griem-Krey Hanne , Petersen Carola , Hamerich Inga K. , Schulenburg Hinrich
Published: December 2023

The microbiota shapes host biology in numerous ways. One example is protection against pathogens, which is likely critical for host fitness in consideration of the ubiquity of pathogens. The host itself can affect abundance of microbiota or pathogens, which has usually been characterized in separate studies. To date, however, it is unclear how the host influences the interaction with both simultaneously and how this triangular interaction determines fitness of the host–microbe assemblage, the so-called metaorganism. To address this current knowledge gap, we focused on a triangular model interaction, consisting of the nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans
, its protective symbiont
Pseudomonas lurida
MYb11 and its pathogen
Bacillus thuringiensis
Bt679. We combined the two microbes with
C. elegans
mutants with altered immunity and/or microbial colonization, and found that (i) under pathogen stress, immunocompetence has a larger influence on metaorganism fitness than colonization with the protective microbe; (ii) in almost all cases, MYb11 still improves fitness; and (iii) disruption of p38 MAPK signalling, which contributes centrally to immunity against Bt679, completely reverses the protective effect of MYb11, which further reduces nematode survival and fitness upon infection with Bt679. Our study highlights the complex interplay between host, protective microbe and pathogen in shaping metaorganism biology.
Influenza Mortality as an Indicator of the Efficacy of COVID-Related, Non-pharmaceutical Interventions to Reduce the Spread of Respiratory Infections
Authors: Morris Robert
Published: December 2023

Background

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been criticized as ineffective in preventing COVID. Because it is a new disease with NPIs introduced almost immediately, we have no way to evaluate the counterfactual of non-intervention easily and directly. We do, however, have historic data on influenza, a respiratory disease with similar patterns of transmission and a well-established CDC surveillance system in the US. These data provide us with an excellent way to indirectly evaluate the efficacy of these interventions.

Results

During the three seasons prior to COVID from 2016-17 to 2018-19, the mean total US influenza mortality was 9,917 deaths per season. During the pandemic, total influenza mortality declined by 80 percent relative to historical levels. Pediatric influenza morality decreased by 85 percent. At the state level, the average drop in mortality over the two flu seasons of the pandemic was strongly correlated with the percent of the 2020 presidential votes cast for Joe Biden (r2=0.39).

Conclusions

These data provide strong evidence that COVID NPIs dramatically reduced the spread of influenza. Given its similar routes of transmission, these results support the assertion that these NPIs also substantially reduced COVID transmission, morbidity, and mortality. The effectiveness of NPIs was highly correlated with the political leanings of each state, suggesting that politics influenced the effectiveness of and/or compliance with NPI strategies.
Signals of positive selection in Palearctic bat species coexisting with a fungal pathogen
Authors: Twort VG , Laine Veronika N , Field K , Whiting-Fawcett F , Ito F , Lilley TM
Published: December 2023

Traits that directly influence the survival of an organism are suspect to positive selection. Disease can act as a driving force in shaping the genetic makeup across populations, even species, if the impacts are influencing a particularly sensitive part of their life cycles. White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that affects bats during hibernation. The mycosis has caused massive population declines of susceptible species in North America, whereas in Eurasia, where the fungal pathogen has coevolved with its hosts for an extended period of time, bats appear to tolerate infection. Here, we adopted both whole-genome sequencing approaches and a literature search to compile a set of 300 genes from which to investigate for signals of positive selection in genomes of 11 Eurasian bats at the codon-level. Our results indicate significant positive selection in 38 genes, many of which have a marked role in responses to infection. Our findings suggest the fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome may have applied a significant selective pressure on hibernatory Eurasian Myotis-bats in the past, which can partially explain their survival in the presence of the pathogen.