bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Black women's perspectives on bladder health: Social‐ecological and life course contexts
Authors: Williams Beverly R. , Brady Sonya S. , Levin Elise C. , Brown Oluwateniola , Lipman Terri H. , Klusaritz Heather , Nodora Jesse , Coyne‐Beasley Tamera , Putnam Sara , Gahagan Sheila , Burgio Kathryn L. ,   The Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium
Published: March 2024

Aims

This paper explores Black women's perspectives on bladder health using a social‐ecological conceptual framework and life course perspective.

Methods

We conducted a directed content analysis of data from the Study of Habits, Attitudes, Realities, and Experiences (SHARE), a focus group study by the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium. Analysis was conducted on data from five focus groups and a member‐checking session where all participants self‐identified as Black or African American.

Results

Forty‐two participants aged 11–14 or 45+ years reported life course experiences with their bladder. The intersection of race and gender was the lens through which participants viewed bladder health. Participants' accounts of their perspectives on bladder health explicitly and implicitly revealed structural racism as an explanatory overarching theme. Participants described (a) historically‐rooted and still pervasive practices of discrimination and segregation, engendering inequitable access to quality medical care and public facilities, (b) institutional barriers to toileting autonomy in educational and occupational settings, promoting unhealthy voiding habits, (c) internalized expectations of Black women's stereotyped role as family caregiver, compromising caregiver health, (d) lack of reliable information on bladder health, leading to unhealthy bladder behaviors, and (e) potentially stress‐related comorbid chronic conditions and associated medication use, causing or exacerbating bladder problems.

Conclusions

Bladder health promotion interventions should address social‐ecological and life course factors shaping Black women's bladder health, including social and structural barriers to accessing equitable health information and medical care.
Conformity of ChatGPT recommendations with the AUA/SUFU guideline on postprostatectomy urinary incontinence
Authors: Pinto Vicktor B. P. , de Azevedo Matheus F. , Wroclawski Marcelo L. , Gentile Guilherme , Jesus Vinicius L. M. , de Bessa Junior Jose , Nahas William C. , Sacomani Carlos A. R. , Sandhu Jaspreet S. , Gomes Cristiano M.
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) shows immense potential in medicine and Chat generative pretrained transformer (ChatGPT) has been used for different purposes in the field. However, it may not match the complexity and nuance of certain medical scenarios. This study evaluates the accuracy of ChatGPT 3.5 and 4 in providing recommendations regarding the management of postprostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPUI), considering The Incontinence After Prostate Treatment: AUA/SUFU Guideline as the best practice benchmark.

Materials and Methods

A set of questions based on the AUA/SUFU Guideline was prepared. Queries included 10 conceptual questions and 10 case‐based questions. All questions were open and entered into the ChatGPT with a recommendation to limit the answer to 200 words, for greater objectivity. Responses were graded as correct (1 point); partially correct (0.5 point), or incorrect (0 point). Performances of versions 3.5 and 4 of ChatGPT were analyzed overall and separately for the conceptual and the case‐based questions.

Results

ChatGPT 3.5 scored 11.5 out of 20 points (57.5% accuracy), while ChatGPT 4 scored 18 (90.0%; p = 0.031). In the conceptual questions, ChatGPT 3.5 provided accurate answers to six questions along with one partially correct response and three incorrect answers, with a final score of 6.5. In contrast, ChatGPT 4 provided correct answers to eight questions and partially correct answers to two questions, scoring 9.0. In the case‐based questions, ChatGPT 3.5 scored 5.0, while ChatGPT 4 scored 9.0. The domains where ChatGPT performed worst were evaluation, treatment options, surgical complications, and special situations.

Conclusion

ChatGPT 4 demonstrated superior performance compared to ChatGPT 3.5 in providing recommendations for the management of PPUI, using the AUA/SUFU Guideline as a benchmark. Continuous monitoring is essential for evaluating the development and precision of AI‐generated medical information.
Primary double teeth in archeological medieval material from the area of Poland: A report on two cases
Authors: Borowska Beata , Marchewka‐Długońska Justyna , Dzieńkowski Tomasz , Wołoszyn Marcin , Budnik Alicja , Leszczyński Bartosz , Wróbel Andrzej , Mrożek Kamil , Bartecki Bartłomiej , Hyrchała Anna , Bruzda–Zwiech Agnieszka
Published: March 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate primary double teeth in archeological material from the area of Poland and a brief review of the literature on the subject. Two cases of fusion of anterior primary teeth in two infants from past populations living in eastern (8th–9th cent. CE) and southern (15th cent. CE) parts of Poland are presented. A macroscopic as well as a radiographic assessment of the teeth was performed, which, in case 1, included a periapical X‐ray and CBCT imaging (Gendex–USA GXDP‐800) and, in case 2, scanning with a SkyScan micro‐CT scanner, along with reconstruction images made using NRECON SkyScan. In case 1, cross‐section and axial CBCT images showed that the fused teeth were joined by dentin in the lower portion of the crown and had two separate pulp chambers and one wide root canal. In case 2, a cross‐sectional microscan confirmed partial fusion with two distinct crowns, two pulp chambers, and one wide common root canal. The discovery of fused teeth in the remains of children, which are typically poorly preserved, is a rare event. Consequently, the reported first cases of double teeth originating from the 8th–9th and 15th centuries CE, found in Poland in Central Europe, are of great value, as they can be used to map dental anomalies in archaeological populations. 3D imaging technologies are essential to establish the final diagnosis of double teeth.
An approach to distinguish chemical and kinetic energy of reactive materials: PTFE/LiF as an inert substitute to PTFE/Al
Authors: Zhou Jie , Zhao Xufeng , Wang Shaohong , Yang He , Pi Aiguo
Published: March 2024

To distinguish between the kinetic and chemical contributions in the impact of PTFE/Al, this study explores the feasibility of introducing an inert substitute for PTFE/Al by substituting aluminum (Al) with inert materials. Three specimens were fabricated through a process involving mixing, compression, and sintering of raw materials The mechanical properties of these specimens were assessed. Dynamic fragmentation tests of PTFE/Al and PTFE/LiF specimens were performed. These results further substantiate the potential of PTFE/LiF as an inert alternative to PTFE/Al, the two materials exhibit comparable fragmentation distribution characteristics. A preliminary exploration of the energy release in both materials was conducted via vented chamber calorimetry tests. The findings reveal that, at an impact velocity of roughly 650 m/s, only 66.9 % of the materials were deposited into the chamber, with a mere 17.8 % being initiated, about 88.9 % of the total deposited energy results from the chemical reaction energy within the PTFE/Al materials. Importantly, this method demonstrates promise for further application in energy release analysis experiments for various PTFE/Al‐based reactive materials. These findings are beneficial for evaluating the energy release characteristics of reactive fragments on typical targets and lay the foundation for refining energy release models of such materials in future research.
Nonparametric adaptive cumulative sum charting scheme for monitoring process location
Authors: Abbas Zameer , Nazir Hafiz Zafar , Xiang Dongdong , Shi Jianqing
Published: March 2024

For effective monitoring of the range of sustainable changes in the process median, a nonparametric adaptive cumulative sum signed‐rank (NPACUSUM‐SR) control chart has been suggested in this study. Through the use of Monte Carlo simulation, the numerical analysis of the suggested NPACUSUM‐SR scheme has been calculated for zero and steady states. Run length (RL) profiles have been used to explore and compare the proposed NPACUSUM‐SR chart's in‐control resilience under various symmetrical heavy‐tailed, light‐tailed, and contaminated normal distributions. The suggested NPACUSUM‐SR chart has undergone a thorough investigation of the competition using Wilcoxon signed‐rank statistics and sign statistics under steady‐state and zero‐state conditions. The comparison shows that the suggested NPACUSUM‐SR design is superior to its competitors, especially when considering steady‐state performance over a wide range of shifts. This study examines the viability of the suggested design through a manufacturing‐related application.
On monitoring the standard deviation of log‐normal process
Authors: Akhtar Noureen , Abid Muhammad , Amir Muhammad Wasim , Riaz Muhammad , Nazir Hafiz Zafar
Published: March 2024

Control charts are widely used in the manufacturing and service sectors to track, regulate, and enhance process output. A manufacturing industry desires to utilize a control chart that has an effective structure and is sensitive to detect infrequent variations in the process. Generally, control charts are developed with the presumption that the understudy quality variable is normally distributed. In actual application, many processes have skewed distributions. The purpose of this study is to use the moving average (MA) charts to track the dispersion of a log‐normal distribution. The design of the proposals is developed and the performance is assessed by run‐length properties. The cumulative distributions of run‐length under in‐control and out‐of‐control are provided to have a broad view of the performance. The simulation findings show that when the value of the log‐normal dispersion parameter is large, the proposed chart is more sensitive to the changes in the dispersion. Additionally, an industrial application is given to illustrate the suggested charts in this research.
Relapsing eosinophilic pneumonia in a patient with recurrent breast cancer receiving abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy
Authors: Ogata Hiroaki , Koga Chinami , Yanagihara Toyoshi , Moriuchi Yuki , Enokizu‐Ogawa Aimi , Ishimatsu Akiko , Otsuka Junji , Taguchi Kazuhito , Moriwaki Atsushi , Tokunaga Eriko , Yoshida Makoto
Published: March 2024

This report presents the case of a 42‐year‐old Japanese woman with recurrent hormone receptor–positive breast cancer who developed eosinophilic pneumonia (EP) during treatment with abemaciclib combined with endocrine therapy. Seven years after a radical surgery and definite diagnosis of Stage I breast cancer, her cancer recurred with metastases to multiple organs. Initially treated with abemaciclib plus letrozole and goserelin for 3 months, she developed EP, which improved after the discontinuation of anti‐cancer treatment and the administration of prednisolone. However, EP occurred again upon the reintroduction of endocrine therapy (i.e., letrozole and goserelin). It improved gradually with the suspension of endocrine therapy and the re‐administration of prednisolone. This case underscores the need for further research into the prevention and management of EP in patients receiving abemaciclib with endocrine therapy for advanced breast cancer.
Aldol Insights: The Route to Chiral Synthesis of 3‐Substituted 3‐Hydroxy‐2‐Oxindoles
Authors: Kaur Jasneet , Kaur Sukhmeet , Kaur Kirandeep
Published: March 2024

This research article explores the recent advancements in the enantioselective synthesis of 3‐substituted‐3‐hydroxyoxindoles, vital intermediates in drug development. Utilizing various catalysts, including prolinamides, peptides, and metal‐catalyzed reactions, the study showcases the evolution of asymmetric aldol reactions over the past 6–7 years. Notable innovations include eco‐friendly approaches, such as on‐water catalysis, and the strategic use of chiral thiourea catalysts. Emphasizing the intricate relationship between molecular structure and biological activity, the review provides valuable insights into the current state of asymmetric synthesis and foreshadows future possibilities in tailored molecular design for medicinal applications.
Informal care and financial stress: Longitudinal evidence from Australia
Authors: Koomson Isaac , Lenzen Sabrina , Afoakwah Clifford
Published: March 2024

The number of people providing informal care has increased considerably in the last years while, at the same time, about one in four Australians have financial stress problems. This study uses rich longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to estimate the effect of informal care on financial stress. To establish causality, we exploit a fixed effect‐instrumental variable approach to address omitted variable bias and reverse causality problems. Our findings show that informal caregiving increases financial stress between 9.9 and 14.5 percentage points. This finding is robust across a battery of quasi‐experimental methods. The effect of informal caregiving on financial stress is more pronounced among males, rural residents and those living in low socioeconomic areas. Our analyses further show that financial fragility and social isolation are important channels through which informal caregiving affects financial stress.
Emerging approaches for the development of artificial islets
Authors: Li Jingbo , Sun Lingyu , Bian Feika , Pandol Stephen J. , Li Ling
Published: March 2024

The islet of Langerhans, functioning as a “mini organ”, plays a vital role in regulating endocrine activities due to its intricate structure. Dysfunction in these islets is closely associated with the development of diabetes mellitus (DM). To offer valuable insights for DM research and treatment, various approaches have been proposed to create artificial islets or islet organoids with high similarity to natural islets, under the collaborative effort of biologists, clinical physicians, and biomedical engineers. This review investigates the design and fabrication of artificial islets considering both biological and tissue engineering aspects. It begins by examining the natural structures and functions of native islets and proceeds to analyze the protocols for generating islets from stem cells. The review also outlines various techniques used in crafting artificial islets, with a specific focus on hydrogel‐based ones. Additionally, it provides a concise overview of the materials and devices employed in the clinical applications of artificial islets. Throughout, the primary goal is to develop artificial islets, thereby bridging the realms of developmental biology, clinical medicine, and tissue engineering.
Optimal designs for crossover model with partial interactions
Authors: Zhang Futao , Druilhet Pierre , Kong Xiangshun
Published: March 2024

This paper studies the universally optimal designs for estimating total effects under crossover models with partial interactions. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for a symmetric design to be universally optimal, based on which algorithms can be used to derive optimal symmetric designs under any form of the within‐block covariance matrix. To cope with the computational complexity of algorithms when the experimental scale is too large, we provide the analytical form of optimal designs under the type‐H covariance matrix. We find that for a fixed number of treatments, say , the number of distinct treatments appearing in the support sequences increases with the increase of the number of periods, , until , in which case all treatments appear. The optimal design can be constructed from up to two representative sequences, within which each treatment appears in consecutive periods with equal or almost equal numbers of replications.
Bootstrapping the effect of the twist operator in the D1D5 CFT
Authors: Guo Bin , Hampton Shaun
Published: March 2024

Abstract

In the D1D5 CFT the twist operator of order 2 can twist together two copies in the untwisted sector into a single joined copy in the twisted sector. Traditionally, this effect is computed by using the covering map method. Recently, a new method was developed using the Bogoliubov ansatz and conformal symmetry to compute this effect in a toy model of one free boson. In this paper, we use this method with superconformal symmetry to compute the effect of the twist operator in the D1D5 CFT. This may provide more effective tools for computing correlation functions of twist operators in this system.
Boosting the production of sterile neutrino dark matter with self-interactions
Authors: Astros María Dias , Vogl Stefan
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Sterile neutrinos are well-motivated and simple dark matter (DM) candidates. However, sterile neutrino DM produced through oscillations by the Dodelson-Widrow mechanism is excluded by current X-ray observations and bounds from structure formation. One minimal extension, that preserves the attractive features of this scenario, is self-interactions among sterile neutrinos. In this work, we analyze how sterile neutrino self-interactions mediated by a scalar affect the production of keV sterile neutrinos for a wide range of mediator masses. We find four distinct regimes of production characterized by different phenomena, including partial thermalization for low and intermediate masses and resonant production for heavier mediators. We show that significant new regions of parameter space become available which provide a target for future observations.
Anomalies in global SMEFT analyses. A case study of first-row CKM unitarity
Authors: Cirigliano Vincenzo , Dekens Wouter , de Vries Jordy , Mereghetti Emanuele , Tong Tom
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Recent developments in the Standard Model analysis of semileptonic charged-current processes involving light quarks have revealed ~ 3σ tensions in Cabibbo universality tests involving meson, neutron, and nuclear beta decays. In this paper, we explore beyond the Standard Model explanations of this so-called Cabibbo Angle Anomaly in the framework of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT), including not only low-energy charged current processes (‘L’), but also electroweak precision observables (‘EW’) and Drell-Yan collider processes (‘C’) that probe the same underlying physics across a broad range of energy scales. The resulting ‘CLEW’ framework not only allows one to test explanations of the Cabibbo Angle Anomaly, but is set up to provide near model-independent analyses with minimal assumptions on the flavor structure of the SMEFT operators. Besides the global analysis, we consider a large number of simpler scenarios, each with a subset of SMEFT operators, and investigate how much they improve upon the Standard Model fit. We find that the most favored scenarios, as judged by the Akaike Information Criterion, are those that involve right-handed charged currents. Additional interactions, namely oblique operators, terms modifying the Fermi constant, and operators involving right-handed neutral currents, play a role if the CDF determination of the W mass is included in the analysis.
Production of two, three, and four Higgs bosons: where SMEFT and HEFT depart
Authors: Delgado Rafael L. , Gómez-Ambrosio Raquel , Martínez-Martín Javier , Salas-Bernárdez Alexandre , Sanz-Cillero Juan J.
Published: March 2024

Abstract

In this article we study the phenomenological implications of multiple Higgs boson production from longitudinal vector boson scattering in the context of effective field theories. We find compact representations for effective tree-level amplitudes with up to four final state Higgs bosons. Total cross sections are then computed for scenarios relevant at the LHC in which we find the general Higgs Effective Theory (HEFT) prediction avoids the heavy suppression observed in Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT).
A new winter wheat genetic resource harbors untapped diversity from synthetic hexaploid wheat
Authors: Wright Tally I. C. , Horsnell Richard , Love Bethany , Burridge Amanda J. , Gardner Keith A. , Jackson Robert , Leigh Fiona J. , Ligeza Aleksander , Heuer Sigrid , Bentley Alison R. , Howell Philip
Published: March 2024

Key message

The NIAB_WW_SHW_NAM population, a large nested association mapping panel, is a useful resource for mapping QTL from synthetic hexaploid wheat that can improve modern elite wheat cultivars.

The allelic richness harbored in progenitors of hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a useful resource for addressing the genetic diversity bottleneck in modern cultivars. Synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW) is created through resynthesis of the hybridisation events between the tetraploid (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum Desf.) and diploid (Aegilops tauschii Coss.) bread wheat progenitors. We developed a large and diverse winter wheat nested association mapping (NAM) population (termed the NIAB_WW_SHW_NAM) consisting of 3241 genotypes derived from 54 nested back-cross 1 (BC1) populations, each formed via back-crossing a different primary SHW into the UK winter wheat cultivar ‘Robigus’. The primary SHW lines were created using 15 T. durum donors and 47 Ae. tauschii accessions that spanned the lineages and geographical range of the species. Primary SHW parents were typically earlier flowering, taller and showed better resistance to yellow rust infection (Yr) than ‘Robigus’. The NIAB_WW_SHW_NAM population was genotyped using a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and 27 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected for flowering time, plant height and Yr resistance. Across multiple field trials, a QTL for Yr resistance was found on chromosome 4D that corresponded to the Yr28 resistance gene previously reported in other SHW lines. These results demonstrate the value of the NIAB_WW_SHW_NAM population for genetic mapping and provide the first evidence of Yr28 working in current UK environments and genetic backgrounds. These examples, coupled with the evidence of commercial wheat breeders selecting promising genotypes, highlight the potential value of the NIAB_WW_SHW_NAM to variety improvement.
Trust, artificial intelligence and software practitioners: an interdisciplinary agenda
Authors: Pink Sarah , Quilty Emma , Grundy John , Hoda Rashina
Published: March 2024

Trust and trustworthiness are central concepts in contemporary discussions about the ethics of and qualities associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and the relationships between people, organisations and AI. In this article we develop an interdisciplinary approach, using socio-technical software engineering and design anthropological approaches, to investigate how trust and trustworthiness concepts are articulated and performed by AI software practitioners. We examine how trust and trustworthiness are defined in relation to AI across these disciplines, and investigate how AI, trust and trustworthiness are conceptualised and experienced through an ethnographic study of the work practices of nine practitioners in the software industry. We present key implications of our findings for the generation of trust and trustworthiness and for the training and education of future software practitioners.
Phase I pharmacokinetic, safety, and preliminary efficacy study of tiragolumab in combination with atezolizumab in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors
Authors: Shemesh Colby S. , Wang Yongsheng , An Andrew , Ding Hao , Chan Phyllis , Liu Qi , Chen Yih-Wen , Wu Benjamin , Wu Qiong , Wang Xian
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Tiragolumab is an immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor ITIM domains. Targeting multiple immune pathways may improve anti-tumor responses. The phase I YP42514 study assessed the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and preliminary efficacy of tiragolumab plus atezolizumab in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors.

Methods

Adult patients from mainland China with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score 0/1, life expectancy of ≥ 12 weeks, and adequate hematologic/end organ function were eligible. Patients received tiragolumab 600 mg and atezolizumab 1200 mg intravenous every 3 weeks. Key endpoints were PK (serum concentrations of tiragolumab and atezolizumab) and safety. Results from this study were compared with the global phase I study, GO30103 (NCT02794571).

Results

In this study, 20 patients received a median of five doses of tiragolumab plus atezolizumab. Median age was 57.5 years, 85.0% of patients were male and the most common tumor type was non-small cell lung cancer. Exposures in Chinese patients were comparable to the global GO30103 population: geometric mean ratio was 1.07 for Cycle 1 tiragolumab area under the concentration–time curve0–21 and 0.92 and 0.93 for Cycle 1 peak and trough atezolizumab exposure, respectively. Treatment-related adverse events were consistent across the Chinese and global populations. Two patients (10.0%) in this study achieved a partial response.

Conclusion

In this study, tiragolumab plus atezolizumab was tolerable and demonstrated preliminary anti-tumor activity. There were no meaningful differences in the PK or safety of tiragolumab plus atezolizumab between the Chinese and global populations.

Clinical trial registration number: China Clinical Trial Registry Identifier CTR20210219/YP42514. Date of registration 16 March 2021.
The evolution and functional divergence of FT-related genes in controlling flowering time in Brassica rapa ssp. rapa
Authors: Li Xieshengyang , Zheng Yan , Luo Landi , Chen Qian , Yang Tianyu , Yang Ya , Qiao Qin , Kong Xiangxiang , Yang Yongping
Published: March 2024

Key message

The BrrFT paralogues exhibit distinct expression patterns and play different roles in regulating flowering time, and BrrFT4 competes with BrrFT1 and BrrFT2 to interact with BrrFD proteins.

Flowering time is an important agricultural trait for Brassica crops, and early bolting strongly affects the yield and quality of Brassica rapa ssp. rapa. Flowering Locus T paralogues play an important role in regulating flowering time. In this study, we identified FT-related genes in turnip by phylogenetic classification, and four BrrFT homoeologs that shared with high identities with BraFT genes were isolated. The different gene structures, promoter binding sites, and expression patterns observed indicated that these genes may play different roles in flowering time regulation. Further genetic and biochemical experiments showed that as for FT-like paralogues, BrrFT2 acted as the key floral inducer, and BrrFT1 seems to act as a mild ‘florigen’ protein. However, BrrFT4 acts as a floral repressor and antagonistically regulates flowering time by competing with BrrFT1 and BrrFT2 to bind BrrFD proteins. BrrFT3 may have experienced loss of function via base shift mutation. Our results revealed the potential roles of FT-related genes in flowering time regulation in turnip.
Identification and functional analysis of rare HECTD1 missense variants in human neural tube defects
Authors: Oxman Elias , Li Huili , Wang Hong-Yan , Zohn Irene E.
Published: March 2024

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are severe malformations of the central nervous system that arise from failure of neural tube closure. HECTD1 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase required for cranial neural tube closure in mouse models. NTDs in the Hectd1 mutant mouse model are due to the failure of cranial mesenchyme morphogenesis during neural fold elevation. Our earlier research has linked increased extracellular heat shock protein 90 (eHSP90) secretion to aberrant cranial mesenchyme morphogenesis in the Hectd1 model. Furthermore, overexpression of HECTD1 suppresses stress-induced eHSP90 secretion in cell lines. In this study, we report the identification of five rare HECTD1 missense sequence variants in NTD cases. The variants were found through targeted next-generation sequencing in a Chinese cohort of 352 NTD cases and 224 ethnically matched controls. We present data showing that HECTD1 is a highly conserved gene, extremely intolerant to loss-of-function mutations and missense changes. To evaluate the functional consequences of NTD-associated missense variants, functional assays in HEK293T cells were performed to examine protein expression and the ability of HECTD1 sequence variants to suppress eHSP90 secretion. One NTD-associated variant (A1084T) had significantly reduced expression in HEK293T cells. All five NTD-associated variants (p.M392V, p.T801I, p.I906V, p.A1084T, and p.P1835L) reduced regulation of eHSP90 secretion by HECTD1, while a putative benign variant (p.P2474L) did not. These findings are the first association of HECTD1 sequence variation with NTDs in humans.
Generalized minimum 0-extension problem and discrete convexity
Authors: Dvorak Martin , Kolmogorov Vladimir
Published: March 2024

Given a fixed finite metric space

$$(V,\mu )$$

(
V
,
μ
)

, the minimum 0-extension problem, denoted as

$$\mathtt{0\hbox {-}Ext}[{\mu }]$$

0
-
Ext
[
μ
]

, is equivalent to the following optimization problem: minimize function of the form

$$\min \nolimits _{x\in V^n} \sum _i f_i(x_i) + \sum _{ij} c_{ij}\hspace{0.5pt}\mu (x_i,x_j)$$

min

x
∈

V
n

∑
i

f
i

(

x
i

)

+

∑

ij

c

ij

μ

(

x
i

,

x
j

)

where

$$f_i:V\rightarrow \mathbb {R}$$

f
i

:
V
→
R

are functions given by

$$f_i(x_i)=\sum _{v\in V} c_{vi}\hspace{0.5pt}\mu (x_i,v)$$

f
i

(

x
i

)

=

∑

v
∈
V

c

vi

μ

(

x
i

,
v
)

and

$$c_{ij},c_{vi}$$

c

ij

,

c

vi

are given nonnegative costs. The computational complexity of

$$\mathtt{0\hbox {-}Ext}[{\mu }]$$

0
-
Ext
[
μ
]

has been recently established by Karzanov and by Hirai: if metric

$$\mu $$

μ

is orientable modular then

$$\mathtt{0\hbox {-}Ext}[{\mu }]$$

0
-
Ext
[
μ
]

can be solved in polynomial time, otherwise

$$\mathtt{0\hbox {-}Ext}[{\mu }]$$

0
-
Ext
[
μ
]

is NP-hard. To prove the tractability part, Hirai developed a theory of discrete convex functions on orientable modular graphs generalizing several known classes of functions in discrete convex analysis, such as

$$L^\natural $$

L
♮

-convex functions. We consider a more general version of the problem in which unary functions

$$f_i(x_i)$$

f
i

(

x
i

)

can additionally have terms of the form

$$c_{uv;i}\hspace{0.5pt}\mu (x_i,\{u,v\})$$

c

u
v
;
i

μ

(

x
i

,

{
u
,
v
}

)

for

$$\{u,\!\hspace{0.5pt}\hspace{0.5pt}v\}\in F$$

{
u
,

v
}
∈
F

, where set

$$F\subseteq \left( {\begin{array}{c}V\\ 2\end{array}}\right) $$

F
⊆

V

2

is fixed. We extend the complexity classification above by providing an explicit condition on

$$(\mu ,F)$$

(
μ
,
F
)

for the problem to be tractable. In order to prove the tractability part, we generalize Hirai’s theory and define a larger class of discrete convex functions. It covers, in particular, another well-known class of functions, namely submodular functions on an integer lattice. Finally, we improve the complexity of Hirai’s algorithm for solving

$$\mathtt{0\hbox {-}Ext}[{\mu }]$$

0
-
Ext
[
μ
]

on orientable modular graphs.
Feature engineering impact on position falsification attacks detection in vehicular ad-hoc network
Authors: Abdelkreem Eslam , Hussein Sherif , Tammam Ashraf
Published: March 2024

The vehicular ad-hoc network is a technology that enables vehicles to interact with each other and the surrounding infrastructure, aiming to enhance road safety and driver comfort. However, it is susceptible to various security attacks. Among these attacks, the position falsification attack is regarded as one of the most serious, in which the malicious nodes tamper with their transmitted location. Thus, developing effective misbehavior detection schemes capable of detecting such attacks is crucial. Many of these schemes employ machine learning techniques to detect misbehavior based on the features of the exchanged messages. However, the studies that identify the impact of feature engineering on schemes’ performance and highlight the most efficient features and algorithms are limited. This paper conducts a comprehensive literature survey to identify the key features and algorithms used in the literature that lead to the best-performing models. Then, a comparative study using the VeReMi dataset, which is publicly available, is performed to assess six models implemented using three different machine learning algorithms and two feature sets: one comprising selected and derived features and the other including all message features. The findings show that two of the suggested models that employ feature engineering perform almost equally to existing studies in identifying two types of position falsification attacks while exhibiting performance improvements in detecting other types. Furthermore, the results of evaluating the proposed models using another simulation exhibit a substantial improvement achieved by employing feature engineering techniques, where the average accuracy of the models is increased by 6.31–47%, depending on the algorithm used.
Theoretical-methodological approaches and textbook design: analysis of arithmetic word problems in Spanish textbooks
Authors: Vicente Santiago , Sánchez Rosario , Sánchez-Barbero Beatriz , Rodríguez-Sánchez Mercedes , Ramos Marta
Published: March 2024

Primary school textbooks can enhance the acquisition of arithmetic word problem solving skills by offering diverse problems based on their semantic-mathematical structure with targeted reasoning aids, including schematics highlighting their mathematical structure. While certain countries, such as the USA and Singapore, have made progress in improving the problems and aids found in their textbooks through the use of specific theoretical-methodological approaches, textbooks from other countries, such as Spain, have included a very limited variety of problems, with hardly any aids to reasoning. Recently, however, two of the most widely used Spanish publishers have released textbooks that adhere to these theoretical-methodological approaches. To assess whether these textbooks progressed past their predecessors in relevant aspects related to the resolution of arithmetic word problems, we conducted an analysis of the quantity of problems and their variety in terms of semantic-mathematical structure and level of difficulty, as well as the inclusion of schematic representations of their mathematical structure. The study demonstrated improvements among textbooks when publishers adopted a theoretical framework, suggesting that a reference framework could enhance textbook design. This is particularly relevant in countries such as Spain, where there are no applicable standards or official curricula for designing textbooks related to solving arithmetic word problems.
Terrain-Shape-Adaptive Coverage Path Planning With Traversability Analysis
Authors: Qiu Wenwei , Zhou Dacheng , Hui Wenbo , Kwabena Afimbo Reuben , Xing Yubo , Qian Yi , Li Quan , Pu Huayan , Xie Yangmin
Published: March 2024

Coverage path planning (CPP) is in great demand with applications in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, etc. Most research in this area focused on 2D CPP problems solving the coverage problem with irregular 2D maps. Comparatively, CPP on uneven terrains is not fully solved. When there are many slopy areas in the working field, it is necessary to adjust the path shape and make it adapt to the 3D terrain surface to save energy consumption. This article proposes a terrain-shape-adaptive CPP method with three significant features. First, the paths grow by themselves according to the local terrain surface shapes. Second, the growth rule utilizes the 3D terrain traversability analysis, which makes them automatically avoid entering hazardous zones. Third, the irregularly distributed paths are connected under an optimal sequence with an improved genetic algorithm. As a result, the method can provide an autonomously growing terrain-adaptive coverage path with high energy efficiency and coverage rate compared to previous research works. It is demonstrated on various maps and is proven to be robust to terrain conditions.
Unique Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Psilocybin Therapy Versus Escitalopram Treatment in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Weiss Brandon , Roseman Leor , Giribaldi Bruna , Nutt David J. , Carhart-Harris Robin L. , Erritzoe David
Published: March 2024

The mechanisms by which Psilocybin Therapy (PT) improves depression remain an important object of study, with scientists actively exploring acute psychological experiences and neurobiological processes as candidates. In a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, active comparator controlled trial involving patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder, we investigated whether acute psychological experiences could meaningfully account for the unique efficacy of PT versus Escitalopram Treatment over a core 6-week trial period. An exploratory-factor-analysis-derived single-factor of depression was used as the outcome. Among a comprehensive set of acute experiences related to psilocybin, so-called “mystical experience” and “ego dissolution” were unique in mediating the effect of treatment condition on depressive response with high specificity. Higher reported levels of mystical experience, emotional breakthrough, and intense responses to music-listening were furthermore associated with greater antidepressant response. These results provide qualified support for the causal mechanistic role of acute psychological experiences in the treatment of depression via PT.
The Impact of the Pandemic on Health and Quality of Life of Informal Caregivers of Older People: Results from a Cross-National European Survey in an Age-Related Perspective
Authors: Socci Marco , Di Rosa Mirko , Quattrini Sabrina , Lamura Giovanni , Hanson Elizabeth , Magnusson Lennart , Yghemonos Stecy , Cavrini Giulia , Teti Andrea , Santini Sara
Published: March 2024

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the care services interruption/delay resulted in increased amount of care for informal caregivers of older people with long-term care needs. This study aimed at understanding how the Pandemic affected physical health, mental well-being and quality of life of older people’ informal caregivers of different ages and to what extent starting caregiving affected such life realms among new caregivers. An online survey was carried out in Winter 2020–2021 targeted to informal caregivers living in 16 European countries. A sub-sample of 848 adult (aged 18–64) was compared to another of 542 older (over 65) informal caregivers. People who started caring during the Pandemic were also identified and the impact of the Pandemic on the three life realms of this group were analysed separately by gender and age. The differences between the two groups of adult and older caregivers were estimated using logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders. Analyses were repeated after propensity score matching. During the second Pandemic wave hitting Europe in Winter 2020-21, regardless of age, being female entailed a worsening in physical health, mental well-being and quality of life, in line with previous research Also new caregivers were mostly females and their physical health and quality of life were worsened by caregiving. Gender-specific work-life balance policies and measures are needed to support female working caregivers. More attention should be paid to older female caregivers through scheduled physical and mental health screenings and home visits. Future studies on the topic in a gender and intergenerational perspective are encouraged.
Success Predictors of Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty
Authors: Matteo Maria Valeria , Bove Vincenzo , Ciasca Gabriele , Carlino Giorgio , Di Santo Riccardo , Vinti Laila , Polidori Giulia , Pontecorvi Valerio , Papi Massimiliano , Spada Cristiano , Boškoski Ivo
Published: March 2024

Objective

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is a minimally invasive procedure that proved to be safe and effective in obesity treatment. However, not all subjects respond to treatment in the same way, and, with a view to personalized care, it is essential to identify predictors of success or failure.

Methods

A retrospective 2-year followed-up cohort of ESG subjects was analyzed to investigate the presence of any baseline or early indicators of long-term optimal or suboptimal ESG outcomes.

Results

A total of 315 subjects (73% women) were included, with 73% of patients exhibiting an Excess weight loss percentage (%EWL) >25% at the 24 months. Neither demographic parameters (age and sex), smoking habits, and menopause in women nor the presence of comorbidities proved potential predictive value. Interestingly, the %EWL at 1 month after ESG was the strongest predictor of 24-month therapeutic success. Subsequently, we estimated an “early threshold for success” for 1 month-%EWL by employing Youden’s index method.

Conclusions

ESG is a safe and effective bariatric treatment that can be offered to a wide range of subjects. Early weight loss seems to impact long-term ESG results significantly and may allow proper early post-operative care optimization.

Graphical Abstract
Asia’s Growing Contribution to Obesity Surgery Research: A 40-year Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Liu Ziyun , Wang Haiqin , Fan Dazhi , Xu Tingting , Wan Fuzhen , Xia Qing
Published: March 2024

Bariatric metabolic surgery’s global research interest is growing, particularly in Asia due to its high obesity rates. This study focuses on Asia, especially China, analyzing 3904 publications (1221 from China) from 1980 to 2022. Research output accelerated until the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by economic growth and rising obesity rates. China led contributions from 2010, but Western Asia led when adjusted for population. An intra-regional research collaboration network emerged, driven by geographic proximity and similar economic environments. Keyword analysis highlighted emerging topics like “laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy” and “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” indicating a shift in focus. The study recommends disseminating research in top-tier journals to enhance visibility and impact.

Graphical Abstract
Heavy rainfall induced colony fission and nest relocation in nocturnal bull ants (Myrmecia midas)
Authors: Deeti Sudhakar , Tjung Isaac , Freas Cody , Murray Trevor , Cheng Ken
Published: March 2024

In recent years the bull ant Myrmecia midas Clark, 1951, has attracted attention for its impressive visual navigation during its nocturnal activity. Still, a basic understanding of this species’ ecology is lacking. Nest relocation and colony fissions are rarely observed and largely undocumented in M. midas colonies. In the current study, we quantified the nest-relocation and colony-splitting behaviour of suburban populations of M. midas in response to flooding in its habitat, caused by record rainfalls in eastern Australia in 2022. The flooding caused the destruction of nest chambers and disrupted colony activities. We documented nine relocations of the fifty observed colonies with another four split into 12 different colonies. Most relocations occurred a few days after one period of especially heavy rains. We collected several characteristics of these relocations: the distance of a nest from the nearest tree, the elevation of the nest above ground level and the diameter of the nest entrance, with all of these metrics predicting whether a colony moved after heavy rains. Moreover, we conducted excavations of some abandoned colonies, uncovering evidence of an internal collapse of nest chambers due to heavy flooding, which likely induced the nest relocation and colony fission in M. midas. In normal weather, we have not observed any colony relocating, suggesting that moving may bear a fitness cost.
Metronomic Chemotherapy in Elderly Patients
Authors: Bandini Arianna , Calabrò Pasquale Fabio , Banchi Marta , Orlandi Paola , Bocci Guido
Published: March 2024

Purpose of Review

This review describes the most relevant studies found in the scientific literature regarding metronomic chemotherapy (MCT) in the geriatric oncology population to support its use as a feasible treatment of care in the frail elderly patients.

Recent Findings

Recent years have seen a reevaluation of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs and MCT is an emerging schedule in phase II and III clinical trials.

Ageing is one of the risk factors for the development of cancer, the incidence of whom increases dramatically in people who live longer. To date, standard oncological protocols involve chemotherapeutic drugs in short cycles of therapy at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Although these therapeutic regimens may be successful, they can cause important adverse drug reactions, especially in elderly or frail patients. MCT is a different modality of delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs (frequent low dose for prolonged time) and it looks at the overcoming of the limitations and disadvantages of MTD, in particular the toxicity aspect. We reviewed the experience of clinicians who have used MCT in clinical trials enrolling elderly patients with different cancer types.
Understanding human–robot interaction forces: a new mechanical solution
Authors: Pippo Irene , Albanese Giulia Aurora , Zenzeri Jacopo , Torazza Diego , Berselli Giovanni
Published: March 2024

Nowadays, robots hold crucial roles in an increasing number of different fields, highlighting an ongoing transition to ever-closer collaboration between humans and machines. In this context, this new technological era has brought out safety issues and, consequently, robots need to be monitored with an appropriate control architecture and human–machine interaction forces should be correctly estimated. For this purpose, friction, inertia, external perturbation, and the intrinsic dynamic of the robots should be monitored. This specific work starts from the need to monitor human–robot interaction forces to ensure safety for users. A successful case study concerning the integration of additional sensors on a wrist robot that directly interacts with humans is shown. Its limits have been the inability to directly measure forces applied by users and the impossibility to know accurately the end-effector position. Firstly, introducing a force/torque sensor, the detection of the forces applied by the user to the robot has been enabled. The user’s force data have been used to measure force dissipation and, together with the smoothness of operation, to compare three different embeddable mechanisms. Moreover, the integration of a linear encoder allowed measuring the instantaneous end-effector position on a non-actuated linear guideway, consequently knowing the motor torque value and the force applied by the robot to the user. This has been compared to the interaction force estimated from the motor torques without the linear sensor. The error assessed between the force measured with the encoder and estimated without it is about 12.9%. These results demonstrate the importance of this new embedded system to detect human–machine interaction forces in an accurate way and prevent safety issues.