bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FORECASTING THE COVID-19 USING THE DISCRETE GENERALIZED LOGISTIC MODEL
Authors: DHAHBI ANIS BEN , CHARGUI YASSINE , BOULAARAS SALAH , RAHALI SEYFEDDINE , MHAMDI ABADA
Published: November 2022

Using mathematical models to describe the dynamics of infectious-diseases transmission in large communities can help epidemiological scientists to understand different factors affecting epidemics as well as health authorities to decide measures effective for infection prevention. In this study, we use a discrete version of the Generalized Logistic Model (GLM) to describe the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Saudi Arabia. We assume that we are operating in discrete time so that the model is represented by a first-order difference equation, unlike time-continuous models, which employ differential equations. Using this model, we forecast COVID-19 spread in Saudi Arabia and we show that the short-term predicted number of cumulative cases is in agreement with the confirmed reports.
Enhancing Human Pose Estimation in Ancient Vase Paintings via Perceptually-grounded Style Transfer Learning
Authors: Madhu Prathmesh , Villar-Corrales Angel , Kosti Ronak , Bendschus Torsten , Reinhardt Corinna , Bell Peter , Maier Andreas , Christlein Vincent
Published: November 2022

Human pose estimation (HPE)
is a central part of understanding the visual narration and body movements of characters depicted in artwork collections, such as Greek vase paintings. Unfortunately, existing HPE methods do not generalise well across domains resulting in poorly recognised poses. Therefore, we propose a two step approach: (1) adapting a dataset of natural images of known person and pose annotations to the style of Greek vase paintings by means of image style-transfer. We introduce a perceptually-grounded style transfer training to enforce perceptual consistency. Then, we fine-tune the base model with this newly created dataset. We show that using style-transfer learning significantly improves the SOTA performance on unlabelled data by more than 6% 
mean average precision (mAP)
as well as
mean average recall (mAR)
. (2) To improve the already strong results further, we created a small dataset (ClassArch) consisting of ancient Greek vase paintings from the 6–5th century BCE with person and pose annotations. We show that fine-tuning on this data with a style-transferred model improves the performance further. In a thorough ablation study, we give a targeted analysis of the influence of style intensities, revealing that the model learns generic domain styles. Additionally, we provide a pose-based image retrieval to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. The code and pretrained models can be found at
https://github.com/angelvillar96/STLPose
.
Lessons Learned from the ISCHEMIA Trial for the Management of Patients with Stable Ischemic Heart Disease
Authors: Boden William E. , Stone Peter H.
Published: November 2022

The recent landmark International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA) trial was undertaken to assess whether stable angina patients with moderate to severe baseline ischemia would benefit from an invasive approach with revascularization versus a conservative approach of intensive lifestyle intervention and pharmacologic secondary prevention. This trial addressed the hypothesis that treating ischemia with an invasive approach would reduce major adverse cardiac events more than a noninvasive pharmacologic and lifestyle approach. ISCHEMIA is discussed in detail, along with current implications for contemporary management of this very common cardiac disorder afflicting millions of patients worldwide.
High-efficient Photoelectrochemical Reduction of Cr(VI) to Produce Chromium Formate over Pure Bi2S3 Thin Films
Authors: Hou Yueru , Wang Hongbin , Wang Jun , Liu Fangyaang , Zhang Zongliang , Jia Ming , Jiang Liangxing
Published: November 2022

As a typical heavy metal ion pollutant in water and soil, Cr(VI) exhibits significant toxicity and carcinogenicity, which urges the development of an effective and environment-friendly technique for Cr(VI) treatment. Herein, bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) photoanode is fabricated through a chemical bath deposition followed by sulfurization treatments. The structure and physicochemical characteristics of the thin films were analyzed and optimized. The obtained Bi2S3 thin films exhibit the photocurrent of 5.37 mA·cm−2 at 1.22 V vs RHE. It can achieve 100% reduction efficiency of 70 ppm Cr(VI) solution in 1 h, and the reduction rate is 159.47 × 10−3
μmol·min−1·cm−2. Further, the mechanism of the photoelectrochemical reaction was explored, and the reduced Cr(Ⅲ) was converted into industrial raw material chromium formate, which realized the harmless recycling of Cr(VI)-contaminated wastewater.
Improvement of PEFC Performance Stability under High and Low Humidification Conditions by Use of a Gas Diffusion Layer with Interdigitated Gas Flow Channels
Authors: Inoue Tatsuya , Sakai Daiki , Hirota Kazuyuki , Sano Koichi , Nasu Mitsunori , Yanai Hiroshi , Watanabe Masahiro , Iiyama Akihiro , Uchida Makoto
Published: November 2022

A new design concept for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, which included a flat-metal separator and a gas diffusion layer (GDL) with interdigitated gas flow channels (FCs), was developed in our previous research. This design led to improved performance compared to that obtained with the conventional design of a metal separator with FCs and a flat GDL. Applications of the interdigitated gas flow channels formed on the separator, however, have conventionally faced two issues associated with low performance: one occurs under high humidity conditions because of nonuniform gas flow due to accumulated water in the GDL; the other is caused by forced water discharge from the GDL under low humidity conditions. In this study, both conventional and new cell designs are tested with single cells of 1 cm2 active area, and the performances are compared at high and low humidity with various conditions of gas supply. From these results, we have found that the new design of the GDL with interdigitated channels has a clear advantage over the conventional interdigitated cell in being able to maintain high performance under conditions of both water excess and water shortage.
Application and Analysis of a Salt Bridge Reference Electrode Setup for PEM Water Electrolysis: Towards an Extended Voltage Loss Break Down
Authors: Bühre Lena V. , Bullerdiek Sven , Trinke Patrick , Bensmann Boris , Deutsch Anna-Lena E. R. , Behrens Peter , Hanke-Rauschenbach Richard
Published: November 2022

Information on PEMWE performance is often obtained from full cell measurements. The level of detail of this information is, however, comparably low. This contribution analyzes kinetic parameters for anode and cathode reactions separately as a step towards an extended loss breakdown through a salt bridge reference electrode. The reference electrode setup is shown in detail, and qualitative measurements are discussed. OER and HER Tafel slopes and exchange current densities for both reactions are reported. An outlook on future use cases for the salt bridge reference electrode is given and supported by measurement data.
Effects of Developmental Hypoxia on the Vertebrate Cardiovascular System
Authors: Galli Gina L. J. , Lock Mitchell C. , Smith Kerri L. M. , Giussani Dino A. , Crossley Dane A.
Published: November 2022

Developmental hypoxia has profound and persistent effects on the vertebrate cardiovascular system, but the nature, magnitude, and long-term outcome of the hypoxic consequences are species specific. Here we aim to identify common and novel cardiovascular responses among vertebrates that encounter developmental hypoxia, and we discuss the possible medical and ecological implications.
Development of a Negative Stiffness Bistable Damper for Structural Vibration Control
Authors: Fan Liming , Huang Chen , Huo Linsheng
Published: November 2022

Linear dampers have been widely applied for suppressing the dynamic responses of structures to mitigate their damage. However, the primary disadvantage of the classical linear damper is that it is vulnerable to detuning, which has become an issue of great importance recently due to a great reduction in vibration control performance. To overcome the shortcoming, this study develops a negative stiffness bistable damper (NSBD) composed of a simple assembly consisting of a bistable buckling beam with a mass. Energy is dissipated through the transformation between the bistable states. The constitutive equation of the NSBD is derived to analyze the effects of the stiffness ratio, the arch-span ratio, and the damping ratio on its restoring capabilities. The vibration reduction effect of the NSBD is experimentally evaluated under different sinusoidal and seismic excitations in shaking table tests. The obtained results reveal that the NSBD can effectively restrain structural displacements.
The Prevalence of Bacterial and Fungal Coinfections among Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients in the ICU in Jordan
Authors: Alsheikh Ayman Daifallah , Abdalla Mohamed Abdelsalam , Abdullah Mai , Hasan Hanan
Published: November 2022

Background. Secondary bacterial and fungal coinfections have been reported among critically ill coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients and are associated with increased disease severity and mortality incidence (MI) rates. Aims. This study aimed to track bacterial and fungal coinfections among COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and to assess the impact of these infections on disease prognosis and patient outcomes in Jordan. Materials and Methods. This was a single-center study that enrolled 46 ICU patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Microbiological and antimicrobial susceptibility results and inflammatory biomarker data were retrospectively analyzed. Results. The MI rate attributed to bacterial and fungal coinfections was 84.8%, and the highest rate was reported among patients older than 70 years (66.7%). The MI rate related to bacterial coinfections was 95.2%, whereas that of fungal coinfections was 4.8%. The most commonly isolated bacterium in the blood was a coagulase-negative staphylococcus (41%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae in nasopharyngeal swabs (34%) and Acinetobacter baumannii in sputum samples (31%). Candida species were the sole cause of fungal coinfections in the studied population. In particular, Candida albicans was isolated from 3% of patients with bacteremia, whereas Candida glabrata was isolated from 8% of nasopharyngeal swabs. Klebsiella pneumoniae was considered the major cause of upper respiratory tract infections (34%). Multifactorial infection was significantly associated with increased MI (pvalue <0.001). Conclusion. COVID-19 MI is associated with respiratory bacterial/fungal coinfections. The ability to predict bacterial and fungal coinfections in ICU patients may be crucial to their survival and prognosis.
Nail Changes during Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Patients at an Academic Center
Authors: Matushansky Justin , Wang Yu , Chang Michelle J. , Thomas Charlene , Hockstein Steven , Lipner Shari R.
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Physiological changes in skin and hair are common during pregnancy. There are limited data on nail changes during pregnancy. Therefore, our study objectives were to determine prevalence and types of nail changes in pregnant women. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in the Weill Cornell Obstetrics and Gynecology waiting room, where a 32-question survey was administered to pregnant and nonpregnant patients. Results: There was a total of 167 subjects (73 pregnant, 94 nonpregnant). Nail changes were reported by 25/73 (34.2%) and 12/94 (12.8%) pregnant and nonpregnant women, respectively (p < 0.05). Onychocryptosis and leukonychia were more common in pregnant (12.3% and 13.7%, respectively) versus nonpregnant women (5.3% and 0%, respectively) (p < 0.05). The majority of patients reported no changes in nail growth, thickness, brittleness, during their pregnancies. Discussion/Conclusion: Most nail changes in pregnant and nonpregnant women are similar. Physicians should educate women that onychocryptosis and leukonychia are common and benign findings during pregnancy.
Gaming Disorder and Psychotic Disorders: A Scoping Review
Authors: Huot-Lavoie Maxime , Gabriel-Courval Mina , Béchard Laurent , Corbeil Olivier , Brodeur Sébastien , Massé Charles , Fournier Émilien , Essiambre Anne Marie , Anderson Elizabeth , Cayouette Audrey , Giroux Isabelle , Khazaal Yasser , Demers Marie-France , Roy Marc-André
Published: November 2022

Background: There is a growing interest in understanding the impact of video games in the clinical field, given that their excessive use could be associated with health issues. Particularly, gaming disorder (GD) is considered as an addictive behavioral disorder. Clinicians widely recognize the comorbidity of gaming and psychotic disorders (PDs). Furthermore, association between addictive (i.e., substance use disorders) and PDs are well recognized by clinicians. It seems of high interest to explore GD among people with PDs. To this day, little is known about the consequences of GD in vulnerable populations. Objectives: The aim of this scoping review was to summarize the available research on the comorbidity between GD and PD and to identify the knowledge gaps in this field. Methods: We used Levac’s six-stage methodology for scoping review. Two-hundred and forty-two articles from seven databases were identified. Eight articles respected our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: No available study has assessed the prevalence or incidence of GD among patients with PDs. The cases reported highlight the possibility that excessive video gameplay or abrupt gaming disruption could trigger psychosis in some patients. Conclusion: The results highlight a significant lack of knowledge concerning PDs associated with GD as only a few reported cases and one empirical study exposed the potential association between those conditions.
Diagnosis of Interproximal Caries Lesions in Bitewing Radiographs Using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network-Based Software
Authors: García-Cañas Ángel , Bonfanti-Gris Mónica , Paraíso-Medina Sergio , Martínez-Rus Francisco , Pradíes Guillermo
Published: November 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic reliability of a web-based artificial intelligence program for the detection of interproximal caries in bitewing radiographs. Three hundred bitewing radiographs of patients were subjected to the evaluation of a convolutional neural network. First, the images were visually evaluated by a previously trained and calibrated operator with radiodiagnosis experience. Then, ground truth was established and was clinically validated. For enamel caries, clinical assessment included a combination of clinical-visual and radiography evaluations. For dentin caries, clinical validation was performed by instrumentally accessing the cavity. Second, the images were uploaded and analyzed by the web-based software. Four different models were established to analyze its evaluations according to the confidence threshold (0–100%) offered by the program: model 1 (values >0% were considered positive and values of 0% were considered negative), model 2 (values ≥25% were considered positive and values <25% were considered negative), model 3 (values ≥50% were considered positive and values <50% were considered negative), and model 4 (values ≥75% were considered positive and values <75% were considered negative). The accuracy rate (A), sensitivity (S), specificity (E), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) were calculated for the four models of agreement with the software. Models showed the following results respectively: A = 70.8%, 82%, 85.6%, 86.1%; S = 87%, 69.8%, 57%, 41.6%; E = 66.3%, 85.4%, 93.7%, 98.5%; PPV = 42%, 57.2%, 71.6%, 88.6%; NPV = 94.8%, 91%, 88.6%, 85.8%; PLR = 2.58, 4.78, 9.05, 27.73; NLR = 0.2, 0.35, 0.46, 0.59; AUC = 0.767, 0.777, 0.753, 0.701. Findings in the present study suggest that the artificial intelligence web-based software provides a good diagnostic reliability on the detection of dental caries. Our study highlighted model 2 for showing the best results to differentiate between healthy teeth and decayed teeth.
Dampak Kenaikan Upah Minimum Terhadap Kesenjangan Upah Antar Gender: Kasus di Seluruh Provinsi di Indonesia
Authors: Simamora Leonardo Alexius , Widyawati Diah
Published: November 2022

Wage gap disparities have become polemic in almost all countries in the world, especially in developing countries. Minimum wage is present as a policy on wage system that aims to be a safety net for workers. Although this policy is not a gender-oriented policy, if the number of women and the actual wage distance of women's minimum wage is lower than that of men, then the minimum wage may raise the wage gap. This study aims to examine the impact of minimum wage increases on wage gap across all provinces in Indonesia by using counterfactual methods on wage distribution. The results of this study indicate that the impact of minimum wages in Indonesia actually widen the wage gap between the gender especially on workers in the distribution of low wages. The impact of regional minium wages varies across provinces.
Masoretic Accents and Phrasing in the Hebrew Bible Recitation: New Reflections
Authors: Kleiner Boris
Published: November 2022

The Masoretic Text is a codification of the recitation tradition, the crucial aspect of which is its phrasing represented by the masoretic accents. The accents address primarily the declamation rhythm rather than the pitch of the recitation melody. Disjunctive accents of different hierarchic prominence mark the phrasing caesurae as relatively major or minor, distinguishing between various grades of caesural depth. However, the chanted recitation realizes the caesurae by the positionally assigned durations that do not express the significance of the individual caesurae and are aligned only with the division of the text into superordinate phrases. Caesurae of different depth may be realized indiscriminately, yet are distinguished in the accentuation. By their differentiating notation the accentuators were able both to capture the phrasing sound of the oral tradition and to interpret, determine, and even manipulate its sense.
Thalictrum hengduanshanense and T. longistipitatum (Ranunculaceae), two new species from southeastern Xizang and northwestern Yunnan, China
Authors: ZENG YOU-PAI , YUAN QIONG , YANG QIN-ER
Published: November 2022

Thalictrum hengduanshanense and T. longistipitatum (Ranunculaceae), two new species from the southern Hengduan Mountains region in southeastern Xizang and northwestern Yunnan, China, are illustrated and described. Morphologically T. hengduanshanense is most closely similar to T. tsawarungense in having narrowly oblanceolate-linear filaments of stamens and apically slightly recurved styles, but differs by having laxly branched, corymb-like (vs. narrowly paniculiform) inflorescences and larger (ca. 9 mm vs. 4.5‒7 mm long), narrowly lunate (vs. broadly lunate) achenes (body width/body length = ca. 1/3 vs. ca. 1/2). Thalictrum longistipitatum is closely similar to T. hengduanshanense in habit and in having narrowly oblanceolate-linear filaments of stamens, apically slightly recurved styles, and long stipitate achenes, but differs by having apically abruptly recurved (vs. straight) pedicels and shorter styles (ca. 1 mm vs. ca. 2 mm long). Chromosome numbers of T. longistipitatum (2n = 14), T. rostellatum (2n = 28), T. tsawarungense (2n = 14) and T. wangii (2n = 14) are reported here for the first time.
Potamophilus acuminatus (Fabricius, 1792): distribution update in North Africa confirmed by COI barcoding sequencing (Coleoptera, Elmidae)
Authors: KODADA JÁN , BENNAS NARD , GOFFOVÁ KATARÍNA , ČIAMPOR FEDOR Jr
Published: November 2022

Potamophilus acuminatus (Fabricius, 1792) is here recorded for the first time from Morocco and the recent distribution in Slovakia is updated. The North African distribution was hitherto based only on two larvae from Tunisia. DNA-barcoding confirmed the identification of specimens from Morocco after comparing ten sequences of P. acuminatus from Germany, France and Slovakia. The COI haplotype of the Moroccan samples was quite divergent (0.033–0.035 uncorrected p-distance) compared with European specimens. These high p-distances suggest the existence of a different intraspecific lineage. A brief morphological diagnosis of adults and larvae is given.
Three new spider species of Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) from the Gaoligong Mountains of Yunnan, China
Authors: LIU PING , LI SONG-LIN , MI XIAO-QI , PENG XIAN-JIN
Published: November 2022

Both sexes of three new species of the spider genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 are described and named as: A. breviscapus n. sp., A. floriformis n. sp. and A. pianmaensis n. sp. from the Yunnan province. Detailed descriptions, photos of somatic features and copulatory organs, as well as the map of collection localities are provided.
The Forecast Skill of Tropical Cyclone Genesis in Two Global Ensembles
Authors: Zhang Xiping , Fang Juan , Yu Zifeng
Published: November 2022

Tropical cyclone (TC) genesis forecasts during 2018–20 from two operational global ensemble prediction systems (EPSs) are evaluated over three basins in this study. The two ensembles are from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF-EPS) and the MetOffice in the United Kingdom (UKMO-EPS). The three basins include the northwest Pacific, northeast Pacific, and the North Atlantic. It is found that the ensemble members in each EPS show a good level of agreement in forecast skill, but their forecasts are complementary. Probability of detection (POD) can be doubled by taking all the member forecasts in the EPS into account. Even if an ensemble member does not make a hit forecast, it may predict the presence of cyclonic vortices. Statistically, a hit forecast has more nearby disturbance forecasts in the ensemble than a false alarm. Based on the above analysis, we grouped the nearby forecasts at each model initialization time to define ensemble genesis forecasts, and verified these forecasts to represent the performance of the ensemble system. The PODs are found to be more than twice that of the individual ensemble members at most lead times, which is about 59% and 38% at the 5-day lead time in UKMO-EPS and ECMWF-EPS, respectively; while the success ratios are smaller compared with that of the ensemble members. In addition, predictability differs in different basins, and genesis events in the North Atlantic basin are the most difficult to forecast in EPS, and its POD at the 5-day lead time is only 46% and 23% in UKMO-EPS and ECMWF-EPS, respectively.

Significance Statement

Operational forecasting of tropical cyclone (TC) genesis relies greatly on numerical models. Compared with deterministic forecasts, ensemble prediction systems (EPSs) can provide uncertainty information for forecasters. This study examined the predictability of TC genesis in two operational EPSs. We found that the forecasts of ensemble members complement each other, and the detection ratio of observed genesis will be doubled by considering the forecasts of all members, as multiple simulations conducted by the EPS partially reflect the inherent uncertainties of the genesis process. Successful forecasts are surrounded by more cyclonic vortices in the ensemble than false alarms, so the vortex information is used to group the nearby forecasts at each model initialization to define ensemble genesis forecasts when evaluating the ensemble performance. The results demonstrate that the global ensemble models can serve as a valuable reference for TC genesis forecasting.
Psychiatric service delivery for older people in hospital and residential aged care: An updated systematic review
Authors: Cations Monica , Wilton-Harding Bethany , Laver Kate E , Brodaty Henry , Low Lee-Fay , Collins Noel , Lie David , McKellar Duncan , Macfarlane Steve , Draper Brian
Published: November 2022

Objective:

To review studies reporting on the effectiveness of psychiatry service delivery for older people and people with dementia in hospital and residential aged care.

Methods:

A systematic search of four databases was conducted to obtain peer-reviewed literature reporting original research published since June 2004 evaluating a psychiatry service for older people (aged 60 years and over) or people with dementia in inpatient or residential aged care settings.

Results:

From the 38 included studies, there was consistent low-to-moderate quality evidence supporting the effectiveness of inpatient older persons’ mental health wards ( n = 14) on neuropsychiatric symptoms, mood, anxiety and quality of life. Inpatient consultation/liaison old age psychiatry services ( n = 9) were not associated with improved depression, quality of life or mortality in high-quality randomised studies. However, low-quality evidence demonstrated improved patient satisfaction with care and reduced carer stress. The highest quality studies demonstrated no effect of psychiatric in-reach services to residential aged care ( n  = 9) on neuropsychiatric symptoms but a significant reduction in depressive symptoms among people with dementia. There was low-quality evidence that long-stay intermediate care wards ( n = 6) were associated with reduced risk for dangerous behavioural incidents and reduced costs compared to residential aged care facilities. There was no effect of these units on neuropsychiatric symptoms or carer stress.

Conclusions and implications:

The scarcity of high-quality studies examining the effectiveness of old age psychiatry services leaves providers and policy-makers to rely on low-quality evidence when designing services. Future research should consider carefully which outcomes to include, given that staff skill and confidence, length of stay, recommendation uptake, patient- and family-reported experiences, and negative outcomes (i.e. injuries, property damage) are as important as clinical outcomes.
False discovery rate estimation using candidate peptides for each spectrum
Authors: Lee Sangjeong , Park Heejin , Kim Hyunwoo
Published: November 2022

Background

False discovery rate (FDR) estimation is very important in proteomics. The target-decoy strategy (TDS), which is often used for FDR estimation, estimates the FDR under the assumption that when spectra are identified incorrectly, the probabilities of the spectra matching the target or decoy peptides are identical. However, no spectra matching target or decoy peptide probabilities are identical. We propose cTDS (target-decoy strategy with candidate peptides) for accurate estimation of the FDR using the probability that the spectrum is identified incorrectly as a target or decoy peptide.

Results

Most spectrum cases result in a probability of having the spectrum identified incorrectly as a target or decoy peptide of close to 0.5, but only about 1.14–4.85% of the total spectra have an exact probability of 0.5. We used an entrapment sequence method to demonstrate the accuracy of cTDS. For fixed FDR thresholds (1–10%), the false match rate (FMR) in cTDS is closer than the FMR in TDS. We compared the number of peptide-spectrum matches (PSMs) obtained with TDS and cTDS at a 1% FDR threshold with the HEK293 dataset. In the first and third replications, the number of PSMs obtained with cTDS for the reverse, pseudo-reverse, shuffle, and de Bruijn databases exceeded those obtained with TDS (about 0.001–0.132%), with the pseudo-shuffle database containing less compared to TDS (about 0.05–0.126%). In the second replication, the number of PSMs obtained with cTDS for all databases exceeds that obtained with TDS (about 0.013–0.274%).

Conclusions

When spectra are actually identified incorrectly, most probabilities of the spectra matching a target or decoy peptide are not identical. Therefore, we propose cTDS, which estimates the FDR more accurately using the probability of the spectrum being identified incorrectly as a target or decoy peptide.
Phylogenomics, plastome degradation and mycoheterotrophy evolution of Neottieae (Orchidaceae), with emphasis on the systematic position and Loess Plateau-Changbai Mountains disjunction of Diplandrorchis
Authors: Peng Huan-Wen , Lian Lian , Zhang Jun , Erst Andrey S. , Wang Wei
Published: November 2022

Background

Mycoheterotrophy is a unique survival strategy adapted to dense forests and has attracted biologists’ attention for centuries. However, its evolutionary origin and related plastome degradation are poorly understood. The tribe Neottieae contains various nutrition types, i.e., autotrophy, mixotrophy, and mycoheterotrophy. Here, we present a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the tribe based on plastome and nuclear ITS data. We inferred the evolutionary shift of nutrition types, constructed the patterns of plastome degradation, and estimated divergence times and ancestral ranges. We also used an integration of molecular dating and ecological niche modeling methods to investigate the disjunction between the Loess Plateau and Changbai Mountains in Diplandrorchis, a mycoheterotrophic genus endemic to China that was included in a molecular phylogenetic study for the first time.

Results

Diplandrorchis was imbedded within Neottia and formed a clade with four mycoheterotrophic species. Autotrophy is the ancestral state in Neottieae, mixotrophy independently originated at least five times, and three shifts from mixotrophy to mycoheterotrophy independently occurred. The five mixotrophic lineages possess all plastid genes or lost partial/all ndh genes, whereas each of the three mycoheterotroph lineages has a highly reduced plastome: one lost part of its ndh genes and a few photosynthesis-related genes, and the other two lost almost all ndh, photosynthesis-related, rpo, and atp genes. These three mycoheterotrophic lineages originated at about 26.40 Ma, 25.84 Ma, and 9.22 Ma, respectively. Diplandrorchis had presumably a wide range in the Pliocene and migrated southward in the Pleistocene.

Conclusions

The Pleistocene climatic fluctuations and the resultant migration resulted in the Loess Plateau-Changbai Mountains disjunction of Diplandrorchis. In the evolution of mycoheterotrophic lineages, the loss of plastid-encoded genes and plastome degradation are staged and irreversible, constraining mycoheterotrophs to inhabit understories with low light levels. Accordingly, the rise of local forests might have promoted the origin of conditions in which mycoheterotrophy is advantageous.
Non-adherence to antihypertensive medications in Lebanese adults hospitalized for hypertensive urgency and its cost
Authors: Abbas Hanine , Hallit Souheil , Kurdi Mazen , Karam Rita
Published: November 2022

Background

Drug non-adherence is assumed to play an important role in development of hypertensive urgency, which is a common health problem resulting in frequent emergency department admissions and thus increased healthcare spending wastage. The objective of this study is to assess the rate of non-adherence to antihypertensives and to evaluate influencing factors predicting this behavior in Lebanese hypertensive adults. In addition, this study aim to estimate the cost of hospitalization for hypertensive urgency covered by the Ministry of Public Health in patients’ non-adherent to their antihypertensives.

Methods

A multi-methods approach is used comprising a cross-sectional study, additionally to an observational, retrospective, cost of illness study. A cross-sectional questionnaire based study is conducted from May to Dec, 2019 to address the study objective. Using the Ministry of Public Health hospitalization data during 2019, the cost of hospitalization for hypertensive urgency is assessed. Multivariable analysis is performed to calculate the adjusted odd ratios by fitting a logistic regression model.

Results

The cross-sectional study includes 494 participants and shows that 43.0% of patients hospitalized and covered by the Ministry of Public Health are non-adherent. The univariate regression model shows that adherence to antihypertensive medications is significantly associated with age (p-value = 0.005) and follow-up visits (p-value = 0.046). The odds of adherence for participants earning more than USD 2000 was 3.27 times that for those who earn less than USD 1000 (p = 0.026). The estimated cost of hospitalization for non-adherent patients is USD 452,353 in 2019.

Conclusion

Non-adherence associated hospitalization costs represents a financial burden to Lebanese health system.
Machine learning in medicine: a practical introduction to techniques for data pre-processing, hyperparameter tuning, and model comparison
Authors: Pfob André , Lu Sheng-Chieh , Sidey-Gibbons Chris
Published: November 2022

Background

There is growing enthusiasm for the application of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to clinical research and practice. However, instructions on how to develop robust high-quality ML and AI in medicine are scarce. In this paper, we provide a practical example of techniques that facilitate the development of high-quality ML systems including data pre-processing, hyperparameter tuning, and model comparison using open-source software and data.

Methods

We used open-source software and a publicly available dataset to train and validate multiple ML models to classify breast masses into benign or malignant using mammography image features and patient age. We compared algorithm predictions to the ground truth of histopathologic evaluation. We provide step-by-step instructions with accompanying code lines.

Findings

Performance of the five algorithms at classifying breast masses as benign or malignant based on mammography image features and patient age was statistically equivalent (P > 0.05). Area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) for the logistic regression with elastic net penalty was 0.89 (95% CI 0.85 – 0.94), for the Extreme Gradient Boosting Tree 0.88 (95% CI 0.83 – 0.93), for the Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline algorithm 0.88 (95% CI 0.83 – 0.93), for the Support Vector Machine 0.89 (95% CI 0.84 – 0.93), and for the neural network 0.89 (95% CI 0.84 – 0.93).

Interpretation

Our paper allows clinicians and medical researchers who are interested in using ML algorithms to understand and recreate the elements of a comprehensive ML analysis. Following our instructions may help to improve model generalizability and reproducibility in medical ML studies.
Association of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D with gait speed and handgrip strength in patients on hemodialysis
Authors: Fu Chen , Wu Fengqin , Chen Fang , Han Enhong , Gao Yuehua , Xu Yongxing
Published: November 2022

Background

Muscle dysfunction is prevalent in dialysis patients. Gait speed and handgrip strength are simple and reliable methods of assessing muscle function. Numerous observational studies have linked 25-hydroxy vitamin D[25(OH)D] status with gait speed and handgrip strength in populations without kidney diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the potential associations of 25(OH)D status with gait speed and handgrip strength in patients on hemodialysis.

Methods

In this observational cross-sectional study, demographic data, biological data, and dialysis parameters were collected. Gait speed and handgrip strength were measured. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship of 25(OH)D status with gait speed and handgrip strength after adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

Overall, a total of 118 participants undergoing hemodialysis were included. Seventy-one (60.2%) participants were male. The median 25(OH)D status in participants was 11.58 (interquartile range: 8.51 to 15.41) ng/ml. When controlling for age, gender, dialysis vintage, and other confounders with a p-value < 0.15 in univariate analyses, 25(OH)D was significantly positively associated with gait speed (β = 0.16, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.28, p = 0.006) and handgrip strength (β = 3.83, 95% CI 1.09 to 6.56, p = 0.007).

Conclusion

Our study showed that 25(OH)D status seemed to be associated with gait speed and handgrip strength in patients on hemodialysis. However, these results were not robust. The relationships between 25(OH)D status and gait speed and handgrip should be further explored.
The influence of adjuvant chemotherapy dose intensity on overall survival in resected colon cancer: a multicentered retrospective analysis
Authors: Breadner Daniel , Loree Jonathan M. , Cheung Winson Y. , Gipson Meghan , Lakkunarajah Suganija , Mulder Karen E. , Spartlin Jennifer L. , Kong Shiying , Ding Philip Q. , Gill Sharlene , Welch Stephen A.
Published: November 2022

Background

Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in North America. Fluorouracil and oxaliplatin based adjuvant chemotherapy for resected colon cancer (CC) reduces cancer recurrence, but also causes significant toxicity requiring dose reductions. The effect of dose intensity on survival outcomes is not fully understood and strengthening the evidence supports informed decision making between patients and oncologists.

Methods

Patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, between 2006 and 2011, for resected colon cancer at four Canadian academic cancer centers were retrospectively analyzed. All patients must have received oxaliplatin with either capecitabine (CAPOX) or 5-FU (FOLFOX). Dose intensity (DI) was calculated as total delivered dose of an individual chemotherapy agent divided by the cumulative intended dose of that agent. The influence of DI on overall survival was examined.

Results

Five hundred thirty-one patients with high-risk stage II or stage III resected CC were eligible and included in the analysis. FOLFOX was the most common regimen (69.6%) with 29.7% of patients receiving CAPOX and 0.7% receiving both therapies. Median follow-up was 36.7 months. The median DI for 5-FU and capecitabine was 100% and 100% with 13.6% and 9.8% of patients receiving ≤ 80% DI, respectively. The median DI of oxaliplatin was 70% with 56.8% of patients receiving ≤ 80% DI. A DI of > 80% for each chemotherapy component was associated with a significant improvement in overall survival compared to those with a DI of ≤ 80% (5-FU HR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.08–0.65, p = 0.006; capecitabine HR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.33–0.94, p = 0.026; oxaliplatin HR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.33–0.82, p = 0.005). Patients with T2 and/or N2 disease with an oxaliplatin DI > 80% had a trend towards improved survival (HR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.38–1.02, p = 0.06).

Conclusions

In resected CC an adjuvant chemotherapy DI of > 80%, of each chemotherapy agent, is associated with improved overall survival.
Association of alcohol use with memory decline in middle-aged and older Chinese: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Tian Yu Meng , Zhang Wei Sen , Jiang Chao Qiang , Zhu Feng , Jin Ya Li , Zhu Tong , Cheng Kar Keung , Xu Lin
Published: November 2022

Background

Previous studies on associations of alcohol use with memory decline showed inconclusive results. We examined these associations using longitudinal data from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study (GBCS) and explored whether these associations varied by sex and age group.

Methods

Memory function was assessed by delayed 10-word recall test (DWRT) and immediate 10-word recall test (IWRT) at both baseline (2003–2008) and follow-up (2008–2012) examinations, expressed as the mean annual change and mean annual rate of change in scores. Memory cognitive impairment was defined by DWRT scores of less than 4. Multivariable linear regression models and restricted cubic spline were used for data analysis.

Results

Of 14,827 participants without memory cognitive impairment at baseline, 90.2% were never or occasional drinkers, 5% moderate drinkers, 1.5% excessive drinkers, and 3.3% former drinkers. The mean (standard deviation) age was 60.6 (6.6) years old. During an average of 4.1 years follow-up, 1000 (6.7%) participants developed memory cognitive impairment. After adjusting for confounders, compared with never or occasional drinkers, moderate and excessive drinkers had significant decline in DWRT scores (β, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.04 (-0.08 to -0.01), and − 0.07 (-0.14 to 0.01), respectively), and IWRT scores (β, 95% CI = -0.10 (-0.19 to -0.01), and − 0.15 (-0.30 to 0.01), respectively) annually. With respect to the mean annual rate of change, moderate and excessive drinkers also showed greater decline in DWRT scores (β, 95% CI = -1.02% (-1.87% to -0.16%), and − 1.64% (-3.14% to -0.14%), respectively). The associations did not vary by sex and age group (all P values for interaction ≥ 0.10).

Conclusion

Compared to never or occasional alcohol use, moderate and excessive alcohol users had greater memory decline and the associations did not vary by sex and age group.
The effect of a locally tailored intervention on the uptake of preconception care in the Netherlands: a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial (APROPOS-II study)
Authors: Maas V. Y. F. , Poels M. , Ista E. , Menge L. F. , Vanden Auweele K. L. H. E. , de Bie R. W. A. , de Smit D. J. , van Vliet-Lachotzki E. H. , Franx A. , Koster M. P. H.
Published: November 2022

Background

The preconception period provides a window of opportunity for interventions aiming to reduce unhealthy lifestyle behaviours and their negative effect on pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a locally tailored preconception care (PCC) intervention in a hybrid-II effectiveness implementation design.

Methods

A stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial was performed in four Dutch municipalities. The intervention contained a social marketing strategy aiming to improve the uptake (prospective parents) and the provision (healthcare providers) of PCC. Prospective parents participated by administering a questionnaire in early pregnancy recalling their preconceptional behaviours. Experiences of healthcare providers were also evaluated through questionnaires. The composite primary outcome was adherence to at least three out of four preconceptional lifestyle recommendations (early initiation of folic acid supplements, healthy nutrition, no smoking or alcohol use). Secondary outcomes were preconceptional lifestyle behaviour change, (online) reach of the intervention and improved knowledge among healthcare providers.

Results

A total of 850 women and 154 men participated in the control phase and 213 women and 39 men in the intervention phase. The composite primary outcome significantly improved among women participating in the municipality where the reach of the intervention was highest (Relative Risk (RR) 1.57 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.11–2.22). Among women, vegetable intake had significantly improved in the intervention phase (RR 1.82 (95%CI 1.14–2.91)). The aimed online reach- and engagement rate of the intervention was achieved most of the time. Also, after the intervention, more healthcare providers were aware of PCC-risk factors (54.5% vs. 47.7%; p = 0.040) and more healthcare providers considered it easier to start a conversation about PCC (75.0% vs. 47.9%; p = 0.030).

Conclusion

The intervention showed some tentative positive effects on lifestyle behaviours among prospective parents. Primarily on vegetable intake and the knowledge and competence of healthcare providers. The results of this study contribute to the evidence regarding successfully implementing PCC-interventions to optimize the health of prospective parents and future generations.

Trial registration

Dutch Trial Register: NL7784 (Registered 06/06/2019).
Healing effects of monomer and dimer resveratrol in a mouse periodontitis model
Authors: Ikeda Eri , Tanaka Daiki , Glogauer Michael , Tenenbaum Howard C , Ikeda Yuichi
Published: November 2022

Background

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol have been reported previously. Particularly, monomeric trans-resveratrol has been demonstrated to produce positive effects in various pathological processes. We reported previously that resveratrol dimer-rich melinjo extract, among others, caused bone healing, decreased local oxidative damage, and activated antioxidants nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathways in a mouse model of experimentally induced periodontitis (EP). This study aimed to compare the bone-healing effects of the resveratrol monomer to the resveratrol dimer (gnetin C found in melinjo seed extract) in a model of EP and investigate the involvement of Nrf2 for effects of either form of resveratrol.

Methods

EP was induced experimentally in mice by placement of a 9 − 0 silk ligature around the left second molar. Mice received 10 mg/kg of either resveratrol monomer or dimer intraperitoneally on day 15 after induction of EP. The bone level around the ligated teeth was measured over time, and levels of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress were measured in the periodontal tissues around the ligated teeth.

Results

Resveratrol dimer induced greater periodontal bone healing as compared to that related to use of the resveratrol monomer. It appears that healing of periodontal bone in either group was likely related to master regulation of antioxidant nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) significantly. Downregulation of IL-1β, a proinflammatory cytokine was also demonstrated in the resveratrol dimer group.

Conclusion

Our results showed that administration of resveratrol in either dimer form or the monomeric form reduced periodontal bone loss with greater inhibition of bone loss being demonstrated in the dimer group as compared to the monomer group and that these effects were related in all likelihood to decreased oxidative stress and hence reduction in local inflammation.
Bayesian spatio-temporal modelling and mapping of malaria and anaemia among children between 0 and 59 months in Nigeria
Authors: Ibeji Jecinta U. , Mwambi Henry , Iddrisu Abdul-Karim
Published: November 2022

Background/M&M

A vital aspect of disease management and policy making lies in the understanding of the universal distribution of diseases. Nevertheless, due to differences all-over host groups and space–time outbreak activities, data are subject to intricacies. Herein, Bayesian spatio-temporal models were proposed to model and map malaria and anaemia risk ratio in space and time as well as to ascertain risk factors related to these diseases and the most endemic states in Nigeria. Parameter estimation was performed by employing the R-integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) package and Deviance Information Criteria were applied to select the best model.

Results

In malaria, model 7 which basically suggests that previous trend of an event cannot account for future trend i.e., Interaction with one random time effect (random walk) has the least deviance. On the other hand, model 6 assumes that previous event can be used to predict future event i.e., (Interaction with one random time effect (ar1)) gave the least deviance in anaemia.

Discussion

For malaria and anaemia, models 7 and 6 were selected to model and map these diseases in Nigeria, because these models have the capacity to receive strength from adjacent states, in a manner that neighbouring states have the same risk. Changes in risk and clustering with a high record of these diseases among states in Nigeria was observed. However, despite these changes, the total risk of malaria and anaemia for 2010 and 2015 was unaffected.

Conclusion

Notwithstanding the methods applied, this study will be valuable to the advancement of a spatio-temporal approach for analyzing malaria and anaemia risk in Nigeria.