bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The morality of vengeance: Confucianism and Tutuism in dialogue
Authors: Cordeiro‐Rodrigues Luís , Lee Ting‐mien
Published: July 2022

This paper analyzes two main pro‐vengeance Confucian arguments in light of Desmond Tutu's thinking. In the absence of just authority, Confucianism argues that carrying out blood vengeance is fulfillment of filial piety and fulfillment of moral duty for deterring crime and reforming the wrongdoer's character. Confucianism does not propose a systematic theory of blood vengeance after laws have been installed to prohibit act of revenge. As Confucian ethics focuses on virtue cultivation and advocates moral learning over punishment, it may find the Tutuist approach of addressing wrongdoing compatible and complementary. In line with Tutuism, we argue that revenge is not justified because engaging in vengeance fuels negative and obsessive emotions, which undermine virtue and may lead to undesirable results, such as escalation of violence and harming of the innocent. Moreover, we defend that more conditions need to be met than the ones enunciated by the pro‐vengeance standpoint to justify an act of revenge.
Contingent stimulus in crowdfunding
Authors: Du Longyuan , Hu Ming , Wu Jiahua
Published: July 2022

Reward‐based crowdfunding is a form of innovative financing that allows project creators to raise funds from potential backers to start their ventures. A crowdfunding project is successfully funded if and only if the predetermined funding goal is achieved within a given time. We study the optimal timing of contingently placing a “fulcrum” in the random pledging process, with the potential of tilting it toward success, which would be a win‐win for the creator, backers, and platform. Specifically, we consider a model where backers arrive sequentially at a crowdfunding project. Upon arrival, a backer makes her pledging decision by taking into account the expected success of the project. We characterize the dynamics of the project's pledging process. We show that there exists a cascade effect on backers' pledging, which is mainly driven by the all‐or‐nothing nature of crowdfunding projects. According to our data collected from the most popular online crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, the majority of projects fail to achieve their goals. To address this issue, we propose three contingent stimulus policies, namely, seeding, feature upgrade, and limited‐time offer. As a result of the cascade effect on backers' pledging, the optimal timing to apply stimulus policies has a cutoff‐time structure. Lastly, we show that the benefit of contingent policies is greatest in the middle of crowdfunding campaigns. Testing with the dataset of Kickstarter, we obtain empirical evidence that the projects' success rates improve by 14.6% on average with updates in the middle of the campaign and when the pledging progress is lagging.
Having the will, finding the ways, and wishes for the future: A model of relational hope and well‐being
Authors: Shimshock Claire J. , Le Bonnie M.
Published: July 2022

Hope is a ubiquitous experience in daily life and acts as a force to help individuals attain desired future outcomes. In the current paper, we review existing research on hope and its benefits. Building on this work, we propose a new model of hope in romantic relationships. Our model seeks to expand the study of hope, addressing limitations of past research by bringing hope into the interpersonal domain and adding a future‐oriented perspective. More specifically, we argue that relational hope encompasses three facets, including relational agency, relational pathways, and relational aspirations, or what we call the wills, ways, and wishes people have in their relationship. We outline specific ways that these three facets may promote well‐being in romantic relationships. First, we propose that relational agency—the motivation to achieve relational goals—fuels approach‐motivated goals, which in turn promotes higher quality relationships. Additionally, we posit that relational pathways—the perception of sufficient strategies to pursue relational goals—enhance self‐regulation to support effective communication and conflict management with a romantic partner. Finally, we propose that relational aspirations—the positive emotions felt in anticipation of future relationship outcomes—foster growth beliefs which in turn promote relationship maintenance and commitment over time. While our model posits that relational hope has many potential benefits for relationships, we also discuss key contexts in which hope may undermine relationships and well‐being. Overall, our proposed model of relational hope offers a new area of insight into how hope may shape well‐being in romantic relationships.
Amblovenatum immersum (Thelypteridaceae): A new record for the flora of Vietnam
Authors: SON Doan Hoang , HAI Do Van , QUANG Bui Hong , CHEN Cheng Wei , DUONG La Anh , HIEU Trinh Van , CHOUDHARY Ritesh Kumar , LEE Joongku
Published: July 2022

Amblovenatum immersum (Blume) Mazumdar (Thelypteridaceae) is newly recorded in Vietnam. It is similar to A. terminans (Panigrahi) J. P. Roux in its woody rhizome and cristate spores but differs in terms of its plant size, lobed pinnae, lobed segments, veinlets, sori and indusia. It was previously found to exist in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand as well as in east Africa, tropical America, northern Australia and Micronesia. The present study provides a detailed description, photos, and line drawing of the species. Furthermore, a comparison of the diagnostic characters with the closely related species in Vietnam A. terminans is provided.
Characteristics of the complete plastid genome sequence of Lindera angustifolia (Lauraceae) in the geographically separated northern edge
Authors: GANTSETSEG Amarsanaa , KIM Jung-Hyun , HYUN Chang Woo , HAN Eun-Kyeong , LEE Jung-Hyun
Published: July 2022

Lindera angustifolia is mainly distributed in the temperate climate zone of China but shows an extraordinary distribution, disjunctively isolated on the western coastal islands of Korea. We therefore present the complete chloroplast genome of Korean L. angustifolia. The complete plastome was 152,836 bp in length, with an overall GC content of 39.2%. A large single copy (93,726 bp) and a small single copy (18,946 bp) of the genome were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (20,082 bp). The genome consists of 125 genes, including 81 protein-coding, eight ribosomal RNA, and 36 transfer RNA genes. While five RNA editing genes (psbL, rpl2, ndhB×2, and ndhD) were identified in L. angustifolia from China, the "ndhD" gene was not recognized as an RNA editing site in the corresponding Korean individual. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that Korean L. angustifolia is most closely related to the Chinese L. angustifolia with strong bootstrap support, forming a sister group of L. glauca.
Saussurea namhaedoana (Compositae), a new species from Namhaedo Island, Korea
Authors: SUN Eun-Mi , YUN Seon A , KIM Seung-Chul , CHUNG Jae-Min , IM Hyoung-Tak
Published: July 2022

Saussurea namhaedoana, a new endemic species narrowly restricted to Namhaedo Island of Korea, is reported in this study. It can be distinguished from other congeneric species of Saussurea in Korea by having persistent radical leaves until flowering, hastate or sagittate leaves with mucronate toothed to undulate-lobulate margins, grayish cobwebby hairs on abaxial leaf surfaces when young, and tubular involucre with grayish cobwebby hairs. Morphologically, S. namhaedoana is closely related to other species in Korea, such as S. gracilis Maxim., S. insularis Kitam., S. seoulensis Nakai and S. albifolia M. J. Nam and H. T. Im, sharing grayish or white hairs on the abaxial leaf surfaces. It, however, can be distinguished from its close relatives by having a distinct leaf shape, i.e., sagittate or hastate leaves. The phylogenetic relationship relative to congeners in East Asia is yet to be determined.
Narrative and Gendered Identities: A Feminist Narratological Reading of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and D.H Lawrence’s The Fox
Authors: Niba Nforbin Gerald
Published: July 2022

The significant role that narrative strategy, plot structure, characterization, perspectivity and language, precisely, metaphors and metanarratives can play as textual sites of gendered identities has been recognized within feminist narratology which is an interdisciplinary sub-domain within narrative theory. Although the central role that narrative might proffer in the analysis of gender has over the last twenty years featured as a crucial area of research in feminist narratology, over-trodden data like Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and D. H. Lawrence’s The Fox, seem to have received less attention in the light of categories or narrative strategies which can serve as sites of gender. In privileging feminist narratology as a suitable theoretical framework for locating, interpreting and analyzing sites of gendered identity construction in Things Fall Apart and The Fox, this study argues that the two text teem with narrative structures and strategies as well as linguistic evidences like metaphors and folkloric metanarratives, that may encourage a categorization of people into male and female; masculinities, femininities, and the subaltern. Gender markers: sexuality, characterization (psychological and biological elements), male-centered or “masculinist” plot structure, folkloric metanarratives, linguistic elements like metaphors and images in general as well as social codes that are gender-specific and that play a huge role in the context of the cultural construction/transmission and memory of gender are largely represented in the chosen texts. These textual devices have a highly ideological function: they are creative medial elements that play an important role in constructing and passing on the complex system of values, norms and ideas which constitute a society’s patriarchal mentality.
Extracting Skeletons of Two-Manifold Triangular Mesh Surface for Planning Skeleton-Guided Five-Axis Surface Inspection Path
Authors: Zhang Yang , Shen Yijun , Zhu Limin , Huang Nuodi , Hu Pengcheng
Published: July 2022

Skeleton curve-guided five-axis sweep scanning is an emerging surface inspection technique with marvelous inspection efficiency. The precondition of applying such a technique to a complex surface is to extract the skeleton curves of a two-manifold surface associated with partitioning the surface into compact surfaces. However, the work on extracting skeletons of two-manifold triangle mesh surfaces is scarce, as existing skeletonization methods mostly focus on either 2D planar shapes or 3D solid shapes. In this paper, we present a new approach to extract the skeletons on a two-manifold triangle mesh with boundaries. The skeletons are formed in the most intuitive manner of wave front propagation which is based on computing the initial value problem of geodesics on a triangle mesh. The step-length of wave front propagation is adaptively controlled to guarantee the appropriate density of skeleton points for having good connectivity. Experiments show that, as a direct application of the proposed skeleton generation and its associated surface partitioning result, the five-axis sweep scanning path of complex free-form surface can be generated conveniently. Experimental results also validate that the computation of our proposed approach is simpler and faster than the state-of-the-art geodesic Voronoi diagram (GVD) method when most of the two-manifold triangle mesh is nearly planar. Additionally, the augmented parameter used for tracing the wave front’s geodesic propagation information is helpful for the skeleton-based surface partition, which is necessary for skeleton curve-guided five-axis sweep scanning.
On the Fabrication of Defect-Free Nickel-Rich Nickel–Titanium Parts Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Zhang Chen , Xue Lei , Atli Kadri C. , Arróyave Raymundo , Karaman Ibrahim , Elwany Alaa
Published: July 2022

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing (AM) is an effective method of fabricating nickel–titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloys (SMAs) with complex geometries, unique functional properties, and tailored material compositions. However, with the increase of Ni content in NiTi powder feedstock, the ability to produce high-quality parts is notably reduced due to the emergence of macroscopic defects such as warpage, elevated edge/corner, delamination, and excessive surface roughness. This study explores the printability of a nickel-rich NiTi powder, where printability refers to the ability to fabricate macro-defect-free parts. Specifically, single track experiments were first conducted to select key processing parameter settings for cubic specimen fabrication. Machine learning classification techniques were implemented to predict the printable space. The reliability of the predicted printable space was verified by further cubic specimens fabrication, and the relationship between processing parameters and potential macro-defect modes was investigated. Results indicated that laser power was critical to the printability of high Ni content NiTi powder. In the low laser power setting (P < 100 W), the printable space was relatively wider with delamination as the main macro-defect mode. In the sub-high laser power condition (100 W ≤ P ≤ 200 W), the printable space was narrowed to a low hatch spacing region with macro-defects of warpage, elevated edge/corner, and delamination happened at different scanning speeds and hatch spacing combinations. The rough surface defect emerged when further increasing the laser power (P > 200 W), leading to a further narrowed printable space.
Supplemental Material: Middle Miocene faulting and basin evolution during central Basin and Range extension: A detailed record from the upper Horse Spring Formation and red sandstone unit, Lake Mead region, Nevada, USA
Authors: Lamb M.A. , al. et
Published: July 2022

Item S1: Detailed methods used by the New Mexico Geochronology Research Laboratory at New Mexico Tech for the 40Ar/39Ar and tephrochronologic analyses and additional data on the six new dates. Item S2: Detailed map of the Bitter Ridge and White Basin. Items S3–S8: Detailed measured sections and chronostratigraphic panels. 
Gastrocutaneous fistula and gastrointestinal bleeding due to left superior epigastric artery haemorrhage as a rare complication of anterior gastropexy
Authors: Andrea-Ferreira Patrícia , Pedersen Jan Bech , Antonsen Henning Kold
Published: July 2022

A woman in her 70s was referred to our institution with upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding 3 months after a Toupet fundoplication with anterior gastropexy, performed due to gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and a large paraoesophageal hernia. Clinical investigation revealed two ulcers, with one of them at the gastropexy site. A couple of weeks later, the patient presented with a gastrocutaneous fistula. Failure of conservative and endoscopic treatment of the fistula and GI bleeding demanded surgical treatment. The gastropexy tissue was excised and bleeding from the left superior epigastric artery, involved at the ulcerated gastropexy site, was identified; a definitive surgical repair was performed at a second stage. This is an extremely rare complication of anterior gastropexy and bleeding from the gastropexy site, especially when refractory to endoscopic treatment, should raise suspicion for involvement of superior left epigastric artery. The timing of the definitive surgical repair might be of major relevance.
Pancreatic insufficiency as a complication of type 1 diabetes causing enteric hyperoxaluria in a transplant kidney
Authors: Chambers Joshua , Appleton Alice , Dudley Christopher
Published: July 2022

A kidney transplant recipient with a medical history of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) presents to the clinic with an acute kidney injury (AKI) and diarrhoea. Kidney biopsy found deposition of focal oxalate crystals, and further investigation revealed a raised 24-hour urinary oxalate and reduced faecal elastase. Therefore, we present a case of acute oxalate nephropathy (AON) secondary to enteric hyperoxaluria as a result of pancreatic insufficiency caused by T1DM. T1DM is a common cause of end-stage renal failure and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Therefore, AON secondary to enteric hyperoxaluria should be considered in patients with a transplant AKI. Earlier testing of 24-hour urinary oxalate and faecal elastase could generate diagnosis before biopsy results and allow commencement of pancreatic replacement therapy earlier to avoid permanent loss of kidney function.
Uncommon cause of acute appendiceal torsion mucocele
Authors: Nyandoro Munyaradzi Gift , Palanisamy Vignesh Kumar , Singh Rajesh Kumar
Published: July 2022

Appendiceal torsion is a rare phenomenon, presenting with symptoms mimicking acute appendicitis. Preoperative imaging generally has a low pick-up rate of appendicular torsion and is thus mostly diagnosed intraoperatively. The cause of the appendicular torsion should guide the required surgical resection to ensure adequate oncological treatment. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on minimal tissue handling in such operative cases to reduce the risk of accidental rupture, tumour spillage and spread.
Fanconi syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease
Authors: Papaioannou Ourania , Karampitsakos Theodoros , Sampsonas Fotios , Tzouvelekis Argyrios
Published: July 2022

A middle-aged man was referred to our respiratory department with dyspnoea progressively deteriorating and non-productive cough over the past 8 months. High-resolution CT revealed multiple bilateral consolidations, traction bronchiectasis, reticular pattern and honeycombing with basal and peripheral predominance. Serology tests were negative. Pulmonary function tests showed moderate restrictive functional impairment and severe reduction in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. Meticulous evaluation of patient’s medical history revealed recent administration of oral corticosteroid due to pulmonary fibrosis potentially in the context of Fanconi syndrome diagnosed at childhood. The working diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) as a rare complication of Fanconi syndrome was proposed following multidisciplinary discussion. Despite combination treatment with low doses of corticosteroids and antifibrotic compound, the patient exhibited clinical, radiological and functional deterioration, was admitted to intensive care unit due to respiratory failure following infection-driven progression of fibrotic ILD and finally died.
Nutrition risk, physical activity and fibre intake are associated with body composition in OA: analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Authors: Chopp-Hurley Jaclyn N , Wiebenga Emily G , Keller Heather H , Maly Monica R
Published: July 2022

Objective

Sarcopenic obesity is a key feature in osteoarthritis (OA). While ideal OA treatment involves physical activity and diet, how diet influences OA pathophysiology is unclear. We explored the associations between diet, nutrition risk and physical activity with body composition in older adults with OA.

Methods

Baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging data set were analysed. Participants with hip, knee, hand or multiple forms of OA were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Body composition measures (lean, fat and total masses (kg) and body fat percentage) were separate dependent variables. Regression analyses were conducted to explore associations between body composition with dietary intake (high calorie snack, fibre), nutrition risk (SCREEN II) and physical activity (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly).

Results

1596 participants were 66.5 (9.0) years old with a body mass index of 28.2 (5.3) kg/m2. Higher fibre cereal intake was associated with higher lean mass (unstandardised beta coefficient 0.5 (0.1, 0.9), p=0.02) and lower body fat percentage (−0.3 (−0.6, 0.0), p=0.046). Lower nutrition risk was associated with higher lean mass (0.1 (0.0, 0.1), p=0.03), lower fat mass (−0.05 (−0.1, 0.0), p=0.009) and lower body fat percentage (−0.1 (−0.1, 0.0), p<0.001). Higher physical activity was associated with higher lean mass (0.01 (0.01, 0.02), p<0.001), lower fat mass (−0.01 (0.0, 0.0), p=0.005) and lower body fat percentage (−0.01 (0.0, 0.0), p<0.001).

Conclusion

Greater physical activity and lower nutrition risk were associated with better body composition. While fibre intake was also associated body composition, the CIs were wide suggesting weak associations.
Adverse drug reactions, multimorbidity and polypharmacy: a prospective analysis of 1 month of medical admissions
Authors: Osanlou Rostam , Walker Lauren , Hughes Dyfrig A , Burnside Girvan , Pirmohamed Munir
Published: July 2022

Objective

To ascertain the burden and associated cost of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), polypharmacy and multimorbidity through a prospective analysis of all medical admissions to a large university teaching hospital over a 1-month period.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

Liverpool University Hospital Foundation National Health Service (NHS) Trust, England.

Participants

All medical admissions with greater than 24-hour stay over a 1-month period.

Main outcome measures

Prevalence of admissions due to an ADR and associated mortality, prevalence and association of multimorbidity and polypharmacy with ADRs, and estimated local financial cost of admissions where an ADR was a contributing or main reason for admission with projected costs for NHS in England.

Results

There were 218 identified patient admissions with an ADR giving a prevalence of 18.4%. The majority of these (90.4%) were ADRs that directly resulted in or contributed to admission. ADRs thus accounted for 16.5% of total admissions. Those with an ADR were on average taking more medicines (10.5 vs 7.8, p<0.01) and had more comorbidities than those without an ADR (6.1 vs 5.2, p<0.01). Drugs most commonly implicated were diuretics, steroid inhalers, anticoagulants and antiplatelets, proton pump inhibitors, chemotherapeutic agents and antihypertensives. 40.4% of ADRs were classified avoidable or possibly avoidable. The mortality rate due to an ADR was 0.34%. The average length of stay for those with an ADR was 6 days. Direct 1-month cost to the Trust from ADR admissions was £490 716. Extrapolated nationally, the projected annual cost to the NHS in England is 2.21 billion.

Conclusion

The local prevalence of admission and mortality from ADRs is higher than previously reported. Important factors that could be contributing to this include polypharmacy and multimorbidity. ADRs place a significant burden on patients and healthcare services with associated financial implications. Reducing inappropriate polypharmacy should be a major aim for preventing ADRs.
Effect of folic acid supplementation on diminished ovarian reserve: study protocol of a single-centre, open-label, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial
Authors: Liao Kaijun , Wang Yan , Zheng Ling , Lu Dongli , Wu Jiaxin , Wu Binjin , Wu Zhaochun , Jiang Zhenghua
Published: July 2022

Introduction

The prevalence of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), a common gynaecological disorder, is approximately 10% across the world. Failure in early diagnosis and treatment may result in continuous decreases in ovarian function and the resultant loss in an opportunity of pregnancy, which greatly affects the happiness of the women’s family and women’s physical and mental health. Nevertheless, there has been no effective treatment for such a disorder until now. Folic acid, a member of the vitamin B family, is involved in one-carbon cycle and methylation regulation. It has been found that folic acid affects the whole period of pregnancy, and folic acid supplementation has shown effective to remarkably reduce the incidence of fetal neural tube defects and decrease plasma homocysteic acid levels, thereby resulting in a decline in the incidence of abortion. In addition, folic acid is reported to mediate ovarian functions. It is therefore hypothesised that folic acid may improve DOR.

Methods and analysis

A single-centre, open-label, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial is designed. We plan to recruit 140 women with DOR at ages of 30–35 years. All participants will be randomised into the folic acid group and placebo group, and each subject will be given a tablet with the same appearance daily for 6 months. The primary outcome is antral follicle count, and the secondary outcomes are ovarian reserve markers, ovarian low-dose stimulation responses and safety.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of Nanping First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University on 10 February 2021 (approval number: NPSY202002042). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to randomisation, following a detailed description of the purpose of the study. The results of this clinical trial will be presented at scientific conferences and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100047410.
Creating an inexpensive hospital-wide surgical complication register for performance monitoring: a cohort study
Authors: Saarinen Ira H , Malmivaara Antti , Huhtala Heini , Kaipia Antti
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Basic tools that measure a hospital’s performance are required in order to benchmark or compare hospitals, but multispecialty institutional registries are rarely reported, and there is no consensus on their standard definitions and methodology. This study aimed to describe the setting up and first results of a hospital-wide surgical complication register that uses a minimal set of patient-related risk factors based on bedside data and produces outcomes data based on severity of complications.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

Perioperative data related to all adult surgical procedures in a tertiary referral centre in Finland for 3 years (2016–2018) were included in the study. Complications were recorded according to a modified Clavien-Dindo classification, and the preoperative risk factors were compiled based on the literature and coded as numerical measures. The associations of preoperative risk factors with postoperative complications were analysed using the χ2test or Fisher’s exact test.

Results

In total, 19 158 operations were performed between 2016 and 2018. Data on complications (Clavien 0–9) were recorded for 4529 surgical patients (23.6%), and 779 complications were reported (Clavien 1–9), leading to an overall complication rate of 17.2%. Of these, 4.6% were graded as major (Clavien 4–7). Patient-related risk factors with the strongest association with complications were growing American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification System score (p<0.001), growing Charlson Index (p<0.001), poor nutritional status (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002), p=0.041) and urgency of surgery (p<0.001).

Conclusions

We describe an inexpensive hospital-wide surgical complication monitoring system that can produce valid numerical data for monitoring risk-adjusted surgical quality. The results showed that only a few patient-related risk factors were sufficient to account for the case mix.
Study design and rationale for the TETON phase 3, randomised, controlled clinical trials of inhaled treprostinil in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Nathan Steven D , Behr Jurgen , Cottin Vincent , Lancaster Lisa , Smith Peter , Deng CQ , Pearce Natalie , Bell Heidi , Peterson Leigh , Flaherty Kevin R
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) greatly impacts quality of life and eventually leads to premature death from respiratory failure. Inhaled treprostinil was associated with improvements in forced vital capacity (FVC) and reduced exacerbations of underlying lung disease in post hoc analyses from a phase 3 study in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension due to interstitial lung disease. These results, combined with preclinical evidence of treprostinil’s antifibrotic activity, support its investigation in the treatment of IPF.

Methods and analysis

The TETON programme consists of two replicate, 52-week, randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled, phase 3 studies, each enrolling 396 subjects (NCT04708782,NCT05255991). Eligible subjects must have a diagnosis of IPF confirmed by central imaging review, along with an FVC ≥45%. Stable background use of pirfenidone or nintedanib is allowed. The primary endpoint is change in absolute FVC at week 52. Secondary endpoints include time to clinical worsening (first event of death, respiratory hospitalisation or ≥10% decline in % predicted FVC), time to first acute exacerbation of IPF, overall survival, change in % predicted FVC and change in the King’s Brief Interstitial Lung Disease Questionnaire at week 52. Safety parameters include adverse events, hospitalisations, oxygenation and laboratory parameters. Patients who complete week 52 will be eligible to enter an open-label extension study.

Ethics and dissemination

Studies will be conducted in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonisation Guideline for Good Clinical Practice, Declaration of Helsinki principles, and local regulatory, ethical and legal requirements. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed publication.
Novel intravesical bacterial immunotherapy induces rejection of BCG-unresponsive established bladder tumors
Authors: Moreo Eduardo , Uranga Santiago , Picó Ana , Gómez Ana Belén , Nardelli-Haefliger Denise , del Fresno Carlos , Murillo Ingrid , Puentes Eugenia , Rodríguez Esteban , Vales-Gómez Mar , Pardo Julian , Sancho David , Martín Carlos , Aguilo Nacho
Published: July 2022

Background

Intravesical BCG is the gold-standard therapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC); however, it still fails in a significant proportion of patients, so improved treatment options are urgently needed.

Methods

Here, we compared BCG antitumoral efficacy with another live attenuated mycobacteria, MTBVAC, in an orthotopic mouse model of bladder cancer (BC). We aimed to identify both bacterial and host immunological factors to understand the antitumoral mechanisms behind effective bacterial immunotherapy for BC.

Results

We found that the expression of the BCG-absent proteins ESAT6/CFP10 by MTBVAC was determinant in mediating bladder colonization by the bacteria, which correlated with augmented antitumoral efficacy. We further analyzed the mechanism of action of bacterial immunotherapy and found that it critically relied on the adaptive cytotoxic response. MTBVAC enhanced both tumor antigen-specific CD4+and CD8+T-cell responses, in a process dependent on stimulation of type 1 conventional dendritic cells. Importantly, improved intravesical bacterial immunotherapy using MBTVAC induced eradication of fully established bladder tumors, both as a monotherapy and specially in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitor antiprogrammed cell death ligand 1 (anti PD-L1).

Conclusion

These results contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms behind successful bacterial immunotherapy against BC and characterize a novel therapeutic approach for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC cases.
Advance care planning and caregiver outcomes: intervention efficacy – systematic review
Authors: Malhotra Chetna , Huynh Vinh Anh , Shafiq Mahham , Batcagan-Abueg Ada Portia M
Published: July 2022

Context

Caregivers make difficult end-of-life (EOL) decisions for patients, often adversely affecting their own psychological health. Understanding whether advance care planning (ACP) interventions benefit caregivers can enable healthcare systems to use these approaches to better support them.

Objective

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and quantify the impacts of ACP interventions on caregiver outcomes.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases for English-language randomised or cluster randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published until May 2021. Two reviewers independently assessed methodological quality using the Physiotherapy Evidence-Based Database Scale. We conducted a narrative synthesis for each outcome. Difference between arms with a p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Of the 3487 titles reviewed, 35 RCTs met eligibility; 68.6% were rated high quality. Included RCTs were heterogeneous in intervention characteristics, setting and disease. Meta-analysis of 17 RCTs showed that ACP had large and significant improvement in congruence in EOL care preferences between caregivers and patients (standardised mean difference 0.73, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.05). The effect of ACP on this outcome, however, declined over time. We also found some evidence that ACP improved bereavement outcomes (three of four RCTs), satisfaction with care quality/communication (four of the six RCTs), reduced decisional conflict (two of the two RCTs) and burden (one RCT). No study showed that mental health of caregivers were adversely affected.

Conclusion

The review provides most comprehensive evidence about the efficacy of ACP on caregiver outcomes. Findings suggest some evidence of benefit of ACP on caregiver outcomes.
Testing exotic scalars with HiggsBounds
Authors: Bahl Henning , Lozano Victor Martin , Stefaniak Tim , Wittbrodt Jonas
Published: July 2022

The program is a well-established tool for testing Beyond-the-Standard Model (BSM) theories with an extended Higgs sector against experimental limits from collider searches at LEP, Tevatron and LHC. Thus far, it could be applied to any neutral or charged Higgs bosons originating from the modified Higgs sector. Implicitly, these particles were assumed to exhibit a somewhat hierarchical Yukawa structure as present in the Standard Model, where in particular the couplings to first generation fermions could be neglected. In this work, we extend the functionalities to go beyond these restrictions, thus making the code applicable to any neutral or charged BSM scalars. Moreover, we develop a new approach to implement experimental searches whose kinematic acceptance depends significantly on the values of the involved couplings. We achieve this by recasting the searches to general scalar models. Using this approach we incorporate relevant current experimental limits from LHC searches for exotic scalars, and present the implications of these limits for a dark matter scalar mediator model, a flipped Two-Higgs-Doublet Model and a supersymmetric model with R-parity violation.
Systematics of the heavy flavor hadronic molecules
Authors: Chen Kan , Chen Rui , Meng Lu , Wang Bo , Zhu Shi-Lin
Published: July 2022

With a quark level interaction, we give a unified description of the loosely bound molecular systems composed of the heavy flavor hadrons$$({\bar{D}},{\bar{D}}^*)$$(D¯,D¯∗),$$(\Lambda _c, \Sigma _c, \Sigma _c^*)$$(Λc,Σc,Σc∗), and$$(\Xi _c, \Xi _c^\prime ,\Xi _c^*)$$(Ξc,Ξc′,Ξc∗). Using the$$P_c$$Pcstates as inputs to fix the interaction strength of light quark-quark pairs, we reproduce the observed$$P_{cs}$$Pcsand$$T_{cc}^+$$Tcc+states and predict another narrow$$T_{cc}^{\prime +}$$Tcc′+state with quantum numbers$$[D^*D^*]_{J=1}^{I=0}$$[D∗D∗]J=1I=0. If we require a satisfactory description of the$$T_{cc}^+$$Tcc+and$$P_c$$Pcstates simultaneously, our framework prefers the assignments of the$$P_{c}(4440)$$Pc(4440)and$$P_{c}(4457)$$Pc(4457)as the$$[\Sigma _c{\bar{D}}^*]_{J=1/2}^{I=1/2}$$[ΣcD¯∗]J=1/2I=1/2and$$[\Sigma _c{\bar{D}}^*]_{J=3/2}^{I=1/2}$$[ΣcD¯∗]J=3/2I=1/2states, respectively. We propose the isospin criterion to explain naturally why the experimentally observed$$T_{cc}$$Tcc,$$P_c$$Pc, and$$P_{cs}$$Pcsmolecular candidates prefer the lowest isospin numbers. We also predict the loosely bound states for the bottom di-hadrons.
Recent Advances in the Discovery and Development of Anti-HIV Natural Products
Authors: Ma Xinyu , Zhang Hongjia , Wang Shirui , Deng Rui , Luo Dan , Luo Meng , Huang Qing , Yu Su , Pu Chunlan , Liu Yuanyuan , Tong Yu , Li Rui
Published: July 2022

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a serious public problem threatening global health. At present, although “cocktail therapy” has achieved significant clinical effects, HIV still cannot be completely eradicated. Furthermore, long-term antiviral treatment has caused problems such as toxic side effects, the emergence of drug-resistant viruses, and poor patient compliance. Therefore, it is highly necessary to continue to search for high-efficient, low-toxic anti-HIV drugs with new mechanisms. Natural products have the merits of diverse scaffolds, biological activities, and low toxicity that are deemed the important sources of drug discovery. Thus, finding lead compounds from natural products followed by structure optimization has become one of the important ways of modern drug discovery. Nowadays, many natural products have been found, such as berberine, gnidimacrin, betulone, and kuwanon-L, which exert effective anti-HIV activity through immune regulation, inhibition of related functional enzymes in HIV replication, and anti-oxidation. This paper reviewed these natural products, their related chemical structure optimization, and their anti-HIV mechanisms.
Insight into the addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes to dynamics of water conveying single surface carbon nanotubes due to torsional motion of cylinder subject to Lorentz force and joule heating
Authors: Khan Masood , Sarfraz Mahnoor , Ahmed Awais , Fatima Umm-ul-Khair
Published: July 2022

Hybrid nanofluid is deployed to optimize the heat transfer features of an axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow exterior to a rotating cylinder. Hybrid nanofluids contain composite nanoparticles, which improve thermal conductivity. Here, two distinct particles single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are taken and mixed to form hybrid nanoparticles, and water is taken as the working fluid. The energy transport phenomenon is examined by incorporating the Joule heating effect. The axial pressure gradient is generated as a consequence of the torsional motion of the cylinder, which results in the wall jet phenomenon on the axial axis. The governing equations are transformed into an ordinary differential system in view of the similarity group. The numerical approach bvp4c is employed to solve the problem. The graphical results for flow and thermal energy transport with a comparison of nanofluid and hybrid nanofluid are analyzed. The axial component of velocity escalates by augmenting Reynolds number, while the azimuthal components of velocity and thermal profile decline. Moreover, the numerical outcomes of wall stresses and Nusselt number enhance for higher Reynolds number. The temperature field declines by increasing the Prandtl number because of less thermal diffusivity.
Efficient Design of Low Bitwidth Convolutional Neural Networks on FPGA with Optimized Dot Product Units
Authors: Véstias Mário , Duarte Rui P. , de Sousa José T. , Neto Horácio
Published: July 2022

Designing hardware accelerators to run the inference of
convolutional neural networks (CNN)
is under intensive research. Several different architectures have been proposed along with hardware-oriented optimizations of the neural network models. One of the most used optimizations is quantization since it reduces the memory requirements to store weights and layer maps, the memory bandwidth requirements and the hardware complexity. As a consequence, the inference throughput has improved and the computing cost has been reduced, allowing inference to be executed on embedded devices. In this work, we propose highly efficient dot-product arithmetic units for ternary and non-ternary convolutional neural networks on FPGA. The non-ternary dot-product unit uses a fused multiply-add that avoids expensive adder trees, while the ternary dot-product unit uses a dual product unit followed by an optimized conditional adder tree structure. In both cases, designs with and without embedded DSP are considered. The solution is configurable and can be adapted to the available number of resources of the FPGA to achieve the best efficiency. A CNN architecture was developed and characterized using the proposed dot product units. The results show a performance improvement of 1.8 × with a 2× more area efficiency for low bit-width quantizations when compared to previous works running large CNNs in FPGA.
Construction Cost Budget Control Based on the Dynamic Distributed Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Li Junqing , Li Yongbing
Published: July 2022

In order to improve the effect of construction cost budget control, this paper applies the dynamic distributed clustering algorithm to the analysis of project cost budget data and proposes a two-stage strategy iterative algorithm to obtain the iterative control law and iterative performance index function. Moreover, this paper constructs an executive evaluation neural network to approximate the iterative control law and iterative performance index function, respectively. This neural network structure can implement the proposed algorithm online without the need for system dynamics. Through numerical simulation research and evaluation test research, it can be seen that the dynamic distributed clustering algorithm proposed in this paper has a good effect on the construction cost budget control system, which can effectively improve the reliability of construction project cost budget control.
Acupuncture for Female Infertility: Discussion on Action Mechanism and Application
Authors: Xu Jing-yu , Zhao An-lan , Xin Ping , Geng Jun-ze , Wang Bao-juan , Xia Tian
Published: July 2022

A higher incidence of female infertility has been reported with an unexpectedly early appearance in recent years. The female infertility treatment and application of assisted reproductive technology have recently gained immense interest from scientists. Many studies have discussed the beneficial effects of acupuncture on female infertility. With advancements in science and medical technology, acupuncture-related research has increased in investigating its effectiveness in treating female infertility. This review focuses on a compilation of research in recent years on acupuncture for female infertility treatment and the exploration of the underlying mechanism. For this purpose, literature was searched using various search engines like PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The search was refined by only focusing on recent studies on acupuncture effectiveness and mechanism in female infertility and evaluating pregnancy outcomes.
The Export Operation Mode and Optimization Strategy of Crossborder e-Commerce Enterprises Integrating Data Mining Algorithms
Authors: Li Jiling , Zhang Xiaheng
Published: July 2022

With the advent of the crossborder e-commerce (CE) boom, more and more traditional enterprises have transformed into the field of crossborder e-commerce. It has become a new outlet for enterprises in the international trade environment, and at the same time, it has some problems in the utilization of resources and the maximization of benefits. In response to this problem, it is very important to optimize the export operation model of crossborder e-commerce enterprises (CEE). With the development of intelligent algorithms, research on the application of intelligent algorithms to the economic field has gradually been carried out. Its characteristics and advantages are of great significance to the optimization of CEE export operation mode. The purpose of this paper is to study the CEE export operation mode and optimization strategy based on data mining algorithm (DMA). Through the analysis and research of DMA, it can be applied to the optimization of CEE export operation mode to cope with the world trade in the new environment. This paper explains the basic theory of DMA and CEE export operation mode. Its effect is experimentally analyzed, and the relevant theoretical formulas are used to explain. The results show that the comprehensive trade quality index of the CEE export operation mode integrating DMA is higher, and the adaptability is stronger. Compared with the traditional operating model, the difference between the two indices is 3.175 index points. It has guiding significance in terms of CEE export operation mode and optimization strategy.
Design of Drug Sales Forecasting Model Using Particle Swarm Optimization Neural Networks Model
Authors: Yu Chenggong
Published: July 2022

The establishment of enterprise target inventory is directly related to the forecast of drug sales volume. Accurate sales forecasting can help businesses not only set accurate target inventory but also avoid inventory backlogs and shortages. In this paper, NN technology is used to forecast sales and is optimized using the PSO algorithm, resulting in the creation of a drug sale forecast model. The model optimizes the weights and thresholds of NN using the improved PSO optimization algorithm and predicts the periodic components based on time correlation characteristics, effectively describing the trend growth and seasonal fluctuations of sales forecast data. Furthermore, the model in this paper has been creatively improved according to the needs of practical application, which has improved the shortcomings of traditional NN, such as long training time, slow convergence speed, and ease to fall into local minima, to improve performance and quality, and has received positive results in application. The experimental results show that this model has a prediction accuracy of 96.14 percent, which is 12.78 percent higher than the traditional BP model. The optimized model can be used to forecast drug sales in a practical and feasible way.
Enhancement of Mitochondrial Function by the Neurogenic Molecule NSI-189 Accompanies Reversal of Peripheral Neuropathy and Memory Impairment in a Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Jolivalt C. G. , Aghanoori M. R. , Navarro-Diaz M. C. , Han M. M. , Sanchez G. , Guernsey L. , Quach D. , Johe K. , Fernyhough P. , Calcutt N. A.
Published: July 2022

Aims. Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to many forms of peripheral and central nervous system degeneration. Therapies that protect mitochondrial number and function have the potential to impact the progression of conditions such as diabetic neuropathy. We therefore assessed indices of mitochondrial function in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and brain cortex of the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat model of type 2 diabetes and tested the therapeutic impact of a neurogenic compound, NSI-189, on both mitochondrial function and indices of peripheral and central neurological dysfunction. Materials and Methods. ZDF rats were maintained for 16 weeks of untreated diabetes before the start of oral treatment with NSI-189 for an additional 16 weeks. Nerve conduction velocity, sensitivity to tactile and thermal stimuli, and behavioral assays of cognitive function were assessed monthly. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, mitochondrial protein levels, and respiratory complex activities were assessed in the DRG and brain cortex after 16 weeks of treatment with NSI-189. Results. Treatment with NSI-189 selectively elevated the expression of protein subunits of complexes III and V and activities of respiratory complexes I and IV in the brain cortex, and this was accompanied by amelioration of impaired memory function and plasticity. In the sensory ganglia of ZDF rats, loss of AMPK activity was ameliorated by NSI-189, and this was accompanied by reversal of multiple indices of peripheral neuropathy. Conclusions. Efficacy of NSI-189 against dysfunction of the CNS and PNS function in type 2 diabetic rats was accompanied by improvement of mitochondrial function. NSI-189 exhibited actions at different levels of mitochondrial regulation in central and peripheral tissues.