bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A closer look at the Supra Tutor’s prosody lessons and the pedagogical and technological rationale behind
them
Authors: Lima Edna F.
Published: January 2024

This report provides a detailed discussion of the suprasegmental lessons in the Supra Tutor course and the main
teaching approaches and pedagogical and technological decisions behind those lessons. First, the paper provides a brief background
section explaining the study (Lima, 2020), its target population, and the focus of the
Supra Tutor course. Section 2 expands on the pedagogical and technological rationales and
explains the activities included in the Tutor and their purpose. Section 3 provides a
description of how instruction was implemented in the study. Finally, Section 4 concludes the
report by reflecting on major changes made to the Supra Tutor after the research was concluded.
Raman spectroscopy of monolayer to bulk PtSe2 exfoliated crystals
Authors: Tharrault Marin , Desgué Eva , Carisetti Dominique , Plaçais Bernard , Voisin Christophe , Legagneux Pierre , Baudin Emmanuel
Published: January 2024

Raman spectroscopy is widely used to assess the quality of 2D materials thin films. This report focuses on

P
t
S

e
2

, a noble transition metal dichalcogenide which has the remarkable property to transit from a semi-conductor to a semi-metal with increasing layer number. While polycrystalline

P
t
S

e
2

can be grown with various crystalline qualities, getting insight into the monocrystalline intrinsic properties remains challenging. We report on the study of exfoliated 1–10 layers

P
t
S

e
2

by Raman spectroscopy, featuring record linewidth. The clear Raman signatures allow layer-thickness identification and provides a reference metrics to assess crystal quality of grown films.
Advances in guided bone regeneration membranes: a comprehensive review of materials and techniques
Authors: Ali Mohammed , Mohd Noor Siti Noor Fazliah , Mohamad Hasmaliza , Ullah Faheem , Javed Fatima , Abdul Hamid Zuratul Ain
Published: January 2024

Guided tissue/bone regeneration (GTR/GBR) is a widely used technique in dentistry to facilitate the regeneration of damaged bone and tissue, which involves guiding materials that eventually degrade, allowing newly created tissue to take its place. This comprehensive review the evolution of biomaterials for guided bone regeneration that showcases a progressive shift from non-resorbable to highly biocompatible and bioactive materials, allowing for more effective and predictable bone regeneration. The evolution of biomaterials for guided bone regeneration GTR/GBR has marked a significant progression in regenerative dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. Biomaterials used in GBR have evolved over time to enhance biocompatibility, bioactivity, and efficacy in promoting bone growth and integration. This review also probes into several promising fabrication techniques like electrospinning and latest 3D printing fabrication techniques, which have shown potential in enhancing tissue and bone regeneration processes. Further, the challenges and future direction of GTR/GBR are explored and discussed.
Self-attention-driven retrieval of chest CT images for COVID-19 assessment
Authors: Fili Victoria , Savelonas Michalis
Published: January 2024

Numerous methods have been developed for computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), based on chest computed tomography (CT) images. The majority of these methods are based on deep neural networks and often act as “black boxes” that cannot easily gain the trust of medical community, whereas their result is uniformly influenced by all image regions. This work introduces a novel, self-attention-driven method for content-based image retrieval (CBIR) of chest CT images. The proposed method analyzes a query CT image and returns a classification result, as well as a list of classified images, ranked according to similarity with the query. Each CT image is accompanied by a heatmap, which is derived by gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) and represents the contribution of lung tissue and lesions to COVID-19 pathology. Beyond visualization, Grad-CAM weights are employed in a self-attention mechanism, in order to strengthen the influence of the most COVID-19-related image regions on the retrieval result. Experiments on two publicly available datasets demonstrate that the binary classification accuracy obtained by means of DenseNet-201 is 81.3% and 96.4%, for COVID-CT and SARS-CoV-2 datasets, respectively, with a false negative rate which is less than 3% in both datasets. In addition, the Grad-CAM-guided CBIR framework slightly outperforms the plain CBIR in most cases, with respect to nearest neighbour (NN) and first four (FF). The proposed method could serve as a computational tool for a more transparent decision-making process that could be trusted by the medical community. In addition, the employed self-attention mechanism increases the obtained retrieval performance.
Fragmentstein—facilitating data reuse for cell-free DNA fragment analysis
Authors: Balázs Zsolt , Gitchev Todor , Ivanković Ivna , Krauthammer Michael
Published: January 2024

Method development for the analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sequencing data is impeded by limited data sharing due to the strict control of sensitive genomic data. An existing solution for facilitating data sharing removes nucleotide-level information from raw cfDNA sequencing data, keeping alignment coordinates only. This simplified format can be publicly shared and would, theoretically, suffice for common functional analyses of cfDNA data. However, current bioinformatics software requires nucleotide-level information and cannot process the simplified format. We present Fragmentstein, a command-line tool for converting non-sensitive cfDNA-fragmentation data into alignment mapping (BAM) files. Fragmentstein complements fragment coordinates with sequence information from a reference genome to reconstruct BAM files. We demonstrate the utility of Fragmentstein by showing the feasibility of copy number variant (CNV), nucleosome occupancy, and fragment length analyses from non-sensitive fragmentation data.

Availability and implementation

Implemented in bash, Fragmentstein is available at https://github.com/uzh-dqbm-cmi/fragmentstein, licensed under GNU GPLv3.
Conscription and Gender in Mass Opinion on Foreign Affairs: South Korean Views of North Korea
Authors: Bae Joonbum , Lee YuJung Julia
Published: January 2024

How does military conscription influence mass opinion on foreign affairs? Is gender relevant for the impact compulsory service has on public opinion? Leveraging South Korea's mandatory military service for men and fluctuations in inter-Korea relations from 2003 to 2018, we assess conscription's impact on South Korean opinions of North Korea. We rely on the random nature of a child's gender, given the number of children in a family, to infer the effect of conscription on the views of parents via a “son effect." While the gender and foreign policy opinion literature suggests that female aversion to the costs of conflict can result in positive views toward an adversary, we find that the high costs of conscription result in mothers of sons subject to military service holding more negative and hostile perceptions of North Korea compared to women with no sons as well as men. We do not find such differences between fathers of sons and men without sons.
BRD2 and BRD3 genes independently evolved RNA structures to control unproductive splicing
Authors: Petrova Marina , Margasyuk Sergey , Vorobeva Margarita , Skvortsov Dmitry , Dontsova Olga A , Pervouchine Dmitri D
Published: January 2024

The mammalian BRD2 and BRD3 genes encode structurally related proteins from the bromodomain and extraterminal domain protein family. The expression of BRD2 is regulated by unproductive splicing upon inclusion of exon 3b, which is located in the region encoding a bromodomain. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that BRD2 exon 3b inclusion is controlled by a pair of conserved complementary regions (PCCR) located in the flanking introns. Furthermore, we identified a highly conserved element encoding a cryptic poison exon 5b and a previously unknown PCCR in the intron between exons 5 and 6 of BRD3, however, outside of the homologous bromodomain. Minigene mutagenesis and blockage of RNA structure by antisense oligonucleotides demonstrated that RNA structure controls the rate of inclusion of poison exons. The patterns of BRD2 and BRD3 expression and splicing show downregulation upon inclusion of poison exons, which become skipped in response to transcription elongation slowdown, further confirming a role of PCCRs in unproductive splicing regulation. We conclude that BRD2 and BRD3 independently acquired poison exons and RNA structures to dynamically control unproductive splicing. This study describes a convergent evolution of regulatory unproductive splicing mechanisms in these genes, providing implications for selective modulation of their expression in therapeutic applications.
Life’s Essential 8, Life’s Simple 7 and the odds of hyperuricaemia: results from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Yanjiao , Meng Qiong , Zhang Xuehui , Baima Kangzhuo , Chen Liling , Dai Yingxue , Yang Tingting , Feng Yuemei , Mi Fei , Zhou Junmin , Yin Jianzhong
Published: January 2024

Objective

Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) is a new comprehensive metric based on Life’s Simple 7 (LS7). Few studies have investigated the association between LE8 and the odds of hyperuricaemia (HUA). This study examined the association between LE8, LS7 with odds of HUA.

Methods

We cross-sectionally analysed data from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) study. LE8 and LS7 were categorized as low, moderate and high. The CMEC provided an ideal and unique opportunity to characterize the association between LE8, LS7 and the odds of HUA.

Results

Of the 89 823 participants, 14 562 (16.2%) had HUA. A high level of LE8 was associated with lower odds of HUA after full adjustment. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 1 (reference), 0.70 (95% CI 0.67, 0.73) and 0.45 (0.42, 0.48) across low, moderate and high LE8 groups, respectively (Ptrend < 0.001). Similar results were observed in LS7 and HUA. The adjusted ORs were 1 (reference), 0.68 (95% CI 0.65, 0.71) and 0.46 (95% CI 0.43, 0.49) across low, moderate and high LS7 groups, respectively (Ptrend < 0.001). There were significant interactions between LE8 and age, gender, ethnicity and drinking habits on HUA. Receiver operating characteristics analysis showed that the area under the curve for LE8 and LS7 were similar (0.638 and 0.635, respectively).

Conclusion

This study indicated a clearly inverse gradient association between the cardiovascular health metrics LE8 and LS7 and the odds of HUA.
Simultaneous melanomas in the setting of multiple primary melanomas
Authors: Kostaki Maria , Plaka Michaela , Befon Aggeliki , Dessinioti Clio , Kypraiou Katerina , Chardalia Vasiliki , Christofidou Eleftheria , Polydorou Doris , Stratigos Alexandros
Published: January 2024

It is estimated that about 1–13% of melanoma patients will develop multiple primary melanomas. Although the occurrence of subsequent tumors has been described during the last few years, the development of simultaneous melanomas has not yet been extensively studied. We reviewed our registries to identify patients with multiple primary melanomas. We studied epidemiological, clinical, and histological characteristics of patients who were diagnosed with simultaneous melanomas and compared them with those of patients who developed non-synchronous multiple primary melanomas. As simultaneous were defined subsequent melanomas that were diagnosed either at the same visit or within a time-period of maximum of 1 month. Between 2000 and 2020, 2500 patients were diagnosed with melanoma at Andreas Syggros Hospital. 86 (3.4%) patients presented multiple primary melanomas and among them, 35 (40.7%) developed simultaneous melanomas. Patients with simultaneous melanomas developed more frequently more than 2 tumors. First tumors of patients with non-synchronous melanomas were significantly thicker than second tumors while those of patients with simultaneous melanomas did not differ significantly. Slight differences in the tumor localization, staging and histologic type were observed between the two groups. However significant differences were ascertained between first and second tumors in both groups. Simultaneous melanomas occupy an important proportion of multiple primary melanomas, affecting a non-negligible number of patients. Slight differences between simultaneous and non-synchronous multiple primary melanomas seem to define a distinct subcategory of multiple primary melanomas.
Is YouTube Propagating Concerns About Breast Implant Illness?
Authors: Herzog Isabel , Pandher Meher , Mansukhani Priya A. , Kapadia Kailash , Lee Edward S.
Published: January 2024

Background

An increasing number of patients who underwent breast implant surgery are reporting a cluster of concerning physical and psychological symptoms—newly coined term breast implant illness (BII). YouTube is a popular educational tool for plastic surgery patients.

Objectives

The purposes of this study were to assess the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on BII, compare the quality and reliability of different video categories and publishers, and determine the frequencies of reported BII symptoms.

Methods

On YouTube, videos were searched for the term breast implant illness, and the first 100 results were collected. Engagement parameters and symptoms of BII mentioned in each video were recorded. Video power index, a modified DISCERN instrument, and the Global Quality Scale (GQS) were used to assess popularity, reliability, and quality, respectively.

Results

Ninety videos met the inclusion criteria. More than half mentioned fatigue (66%), cognitive dysfunction (59%), or muscle and/or joint pain (57%). Videos with a plastic surgeon present had higher DISCERN (P = 0.001) and GQS (P = 0.002) scores than those without. Educational videos had higher DISCERN and GQS scores than patient experience (P < 0.0001, P = 0.001) and entertainment and advertisement videos (P = 0.014, P = 0.022). Videos published by plastic surgeons had higher Video power index (P = 0.033), DISCERN (P < 0.0001), and GQS scores (P < 0.0001) than those by nonmedical publishers.

Conclusions

The top YouTube videos for BII are generally of low reliability and low-to-moderate quality. Patients unaware of YouTube's limited quality control measures for health education videos are susceptible to misinformation. Additional social media content created by plastic surgeons can improve the quality and accuracy of videos viewed by patients.
Clinical and Histological Response to Talimogene Laherparepvec Therapy in Advanced Melanoma: Impact on Overall Survival
Authors: Ologun Gabriel O , Jones C Paige , Landrum Kelsey R , Pham P Veronica , Ismail Sherin , Long Patricia K , Sorah Jonathan D , Stitzenberg Karyn B , Meyers Michael O , Ollila David W
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND:

Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is an FDA-approved oncolytic herpesvirus therapy used for unresectable stage IIIB through IV metastatic melanoma. However, the correlation between clinical complete response (cCR) and pathologic complete response (pCR) in patients treated with T-VEC is understudied.

STUDY DESIGN:

We conducted a retrospective study from a prospectively maintained IRB-approved melanoma single-center database in patients treated with T-VEC from October 2015 to April 2022. Patients were categorized into 3 groups: cCR with pCR, cCR without pCR, and less than cCR. The primary endpoint was overall survival. We used descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests to compare key covariates among exposure groups. We used survival analysis to compare survival curves and reported hazard ratio of death (95% CI) across exposure groups.

RESULTS:

We included 116 patients with a median overall survival (interquartile range) of 22.7 (14.8–39.3) months. The majority were men (69%) and White (97.4%), with a median age of 74.5 years. More than half of patients (n = 60, 51.6%) achieved cCR. Distribution among the groups was as follows: cCR with pCR (35.3%), cCR without pCR (16.3%), and less than cCR (48.4%). Median overall survival time (interquartile range) was 26.5 (18.6–36.0) months for cCR with pCR, 22.7 (14.4–35.5) months for cCR without pCR, and 17.8 (9.2–47.0) months for less than cCR (log-rank p value = 0.0033).

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients achieving cCR with pCR after T-VEC therapy have the most favorable overall survival outcomes, whereas those achieving cCR without pCR have inferior survival and those achieving less than cCR have the poorest overall survival outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of histological confirmation and provide insights for optimizing T-VEC therapy in patients with advanced melanoma.
Operating Room Supply Cost and Value of Care after Implementing a Sustainable Quality Intervention
Authors: Filiberto Amanda C , Loftus Tyler J , Crippen Cristina J , Hu Die , Balch Jeremy A , Efron Philip A , Sarosi George A , Upchurch Gilbert R
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND:

Variability in operating room supply cost is a modifiable cause of suboptimal resource use and low value of care (outcomes vs cost). This study describes implementation of a quality improvement intervention to decrease operating room supply costs.

STUDY DESIGN:

An automated electronic health record data pipeline harmonized operating room supply cost data with patient and case characteristics and outcomes. For inpatient procedures, predicted mortality and length of stay were used to calculate observed-to-expected ratios and value of care using validated equations. For commonly performed (1 or more per week) procedures, the pipeline generated figures illustrating individual surgeon performance vs peers, costs for each surgeon performing each case type, and control charts identifying out-of-control cases and surgeons with more than 90th percentile costs, which were shared with surgeons and division chiefs alongside guidance for modifying case-specific supply instructions to operating room nurses and technicians.

RESULTS:

Preintervention control (1,064 cases for 7 months) and postintervention (307 cases for 2 months) cohorts had similar baseline characteristics across all 16 commonly performed procedures. Median costs per case were lower in the intervention cohort ($811 [$525 to $1,367] vs controls: $1,080 [$603 to $1,574], p < 0.001), as was the incidence of out-of-control cases (19 (6.2%) vs 110 (10.3%), p = 0.03). Duration of surgery, length of stay, discharge disposition, and 30-day mortality and readmission rates were similar between cohorts. Value of care was higher in the intervention cohort (1.1 [0.1 to 1.5] vs 1.0 [0.2 to 1.4], p = 0.04). Pipeline runtime was 16:07.

CONCLUSIONS:

An automated, sustainable quality improvement intervention was associated with decreased operating room supply costs and increased value of care.
Conformal methods in mathematical cosmology
Authors: Tod Paul
Published: January 2024

When he first introduced the notion of a conformal boundary into the study of asymptotically empty space–times, Penrose noted that the boundary would be null, space-like or time-like according as the cosmological constant

Λ

was zero, positive or negative. While most applications of the idea of a conformal boundary have been to the zero-

Λ

, asymptotically Minkowskian case, there also has been work on the non-zero cases. Here, we review work with a positive

Λ

, which is the appropriate case for cosmology of the universe in which we live.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘At the interface of asymptotics, conformal methods and analysis in general relativity’.
Hyperboloidal approach for static spherically symmetric spacetimes: a didactical introduction and applications in black-hole physics
Authors: Panosso Macedo Rodrigo
Published: January 2024

This work offers a didactical introduction to the calculations and geometrical properties of a static, spherically symmetric spacetime foliated by hyperboloidal time surfaces. We discuss the various degrees of freedom involved, namely the height function, responsible for introducing the hyperboloidal time coordinate, and a radial compactification function. A central outcome is the expression of the Trautman–Bondi mass in terms of the hyperboloidal metric functions. Moreover, we apply this formalism to a class of wave equations commonly used in black-hole perturbation theory. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive derivation of the hyperboloidal minimal gauge, introducing two alternative approaches within this conceptual framework: the in-out and out-in strategies. Specifically, we demonstrate that the height function in the in-out strategy follows from the well-known tortoise coordinate by changing the sign of the terms that become singular at future null infinity. Similarly, for the out-in strategy, a sign change also occurs in the tortoise coordinate’s regular terms. We apply the methodology to the following spacetimes: Singularity-approaching slices in Schwarzschild, higher-dimensional black holes, black hole with matter halo, and Reissner–Nordström–de Sitter. From this heuristic study, we conjecture that the out-in strategy is best adapted for black hole geometries that account for environmental or effective quantum effects.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘At the interface of asymptotics, conformal methods and analysis in general relativity’.
IN SILICO DESIGN AND BINDING MECHANISM OF E3 LIGASE UBR1 RECRUITERS
Authors: Maria-Solano Miguel A. , Lazim Raudah , Choi Sun
Published: January 2024

Proteolysis Targeting Chimeric Molecules (PROTACs) represent a promising avenue in drug discovery, as they can induce the targeted degradation of disease-relevant proteins within the cellular machinery. These compounds comprise a ligand tailored to bind the specific targeted protein connected to a recruiter molecule that engages with the E3 ligase. Despite their promise as therapeutic agents, their clinical advancement has encountered substantial challenges, primarily due to the limited availability of suitable E3 ligases. Additionally, cell permeability and proteolytic stability due to their peptide nature often hamper their application. In this study, we focus on the development of recruiters for the E3 ligase UBR1. This widely expressed protein has recently been demonstrated to be efficient in driving the degradation of oncogenic proteins. Our computational approach leverages a fragment-based peptidomimetics strategy, integrating pharmacophore filtering, docking, and fragment-linking optimization. Finally, we subject the wild-type peptide and the most promising combined fragments to advanced binding free energy calculations, unveiling insights into their dynamic water-mediated binding mechanisms and their potential as robust E3 ligase UBR1 recruiters, ultimately leading to the identification of promising compounds. This computational workflow is readily applicable to the development of related PROTACs and also to model protein-protein interactions with similar characteristics.
Differences between volatiles that affect the attraction of different Rosa chinensis (Rosales: Rosaceae) cultivars for Frankliniella intonsa (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
Authors: Zeng Li , Yang Yuping , Li Shuai , Wang Zhaocui , Meng Yonglu , Wei Shuangfei , Maggi Filippo , Cao Yu
Published: January 2024

Frankliniella intonsa Trybom is a common flower‐inhabiting thrips species and an economically important pest of numerous horticultural and agricultural crops. Olfactory cues are important for thrips to find host plants. In this study, the olfactory behavioral responses of F. intonsa to volatiles from five Rosa chinensis cultivars (Samantha, Zeprti, Queen Elizabeth, Golden Scepter, and Witte Koster) were tested in Y‐tube and six‐arm olfactometer experiments. Then the volatile components of the R. chinensis flowers were analyzed by SPME coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Both female and male thrips showed significant preferences for volatiles from the five R. chinensis cultivars compared with clean air (CA). However, according to the six‐arm olfactometer bioassays, female F. intonsa adults were better than male thrips at recognizing the odor stimulation and showed the strongest olfactory preference for Samantha, followed by Zeprti, Queen Elizabeth, Golden Scepter, and then Witte Koster. SPME‐GC–MS analysis identified 56, 53, 53, 57, and 60 components in the volatile profiles of Samantha, Zeprti, Queen Elizabeth, Golden Scepter, and Witte Koster, respectively. Eugenol (12.53%) was the most abundant volatile compound in cultivar Witte Koster, ɑ‐pinene was the most abundant compound in Samantha (18.26%) and Zeprti (23.73%), and phenylethyl alcohol was the most abundant in Queen Elizabeth (30.10%) and Golden Scepter (31.33%). Therefore, the olfactory responses of F. intonsa to different R. chinensis cultivars demonstrated that host‐related volatiles play an important role in thrip host‐searching. Future mitigation approaches, for example, attractant traps, could still be used for key monitoring and control of this pest.
A review of food safety in low‐moisture foods with current and potential dry‐cleaning methods
Authors: Karuppuchamy Veeramani , Heldman Dennis R. , Snyder Abigail B.
Published: January 2024

Food is one of the basic needs of human life. With the increasing population, the production and supply of safe and quality foods are critical. Foods can be classified into different categories including low moisture, intermediate moisture, and high moisture content. Historically, low‐moisture foods have been considered safe for human consumption due to the limited amount of moisture for microbial activity. Recalls of these foods due to pathogens such as Salmonella and undeclared allergens have brought attention to the need for improved cleaning and sanitization in dry food manufacturing facilities. In the food industry, cleaning and sanitation activities are the most efficient methods to prevent microbial contamination; however, water is most often required to deliver cleaning and sanitation agents. A well‐written and properly implemented sanitation standard operating procedure can take care of microbial and allergen cross‐contamination. Nevertheless, there are unique challenges to cleaning and sanitation processes for low‐moisture food manufacturing facilities. The introduction of moisture into a low‐moisture food environment increases the likelihood of cross‐contamination by microbial pathogens. Hence, the use of water during cleaning and sanitation of dry food manufacturing facilities should be limited. However, much less research has been done on these dry methods compared to wet sanitation methods. This review discusses recent foodborne outbreaks and recalls associated with low‐moisture foods the accepted methods for cleaning and sanitation in dry food manufacturing facilities and the limitations of these methods. The potential for air impingement as a dry‐cleaning method is also detailed.
The role of target difficulty and career tournaments in retaining creative R&D employees
Authors: Grabner Isabella , Seiter Mischa , Wabnegg Markus , Wirth Henning
Published: January 2024

We explore the turnover intentions of creative R&D employees and the role of performance management practices in shaping these considerations. Since the success of a firm's R&D efforts hinges on the innovative ideas of its employees, it is crucial to retain particularly creative individuals. At the same time, however, we argue that this is especially difficult because both the higher outside options of creative employees and their specific individual characteristics make them, on average, more likely to leave their company. Most importantly, we suggest that two widely studied performance management design choices (target difficulty and career tournaments) typically used to motivate effort may influence the loss of creative talent. Using survey data from our unique access to R&D employees of a large manufacturing firm and a complementary experiment among business students, we find evidence that creative employees are, on average, more likely to leave their firm. Consistent with creative employees possessing a stronger learning orientation, we also predict and find that this tendency to leave is mitigated by target difficulty (as difficult targets speak to creative individuals' learning orientation) and exacerbated by the intensity of career tournaments (as they reduce team cohesion and, ultimately, undermine learning opportunities).
Navigating through the noise: The effect of color‐coded performance feedback on decision‐making
Authors: Cardinaels Eddy , Kramer Stephan , Maas Victor S.
Published: January 2024

Many companies use color codes in their internal performance reports to highlight how current performance compares to performance in a previous period. We examine whether the use of color coding affects managers' decision‐making in a resource allocation task. We argue that managers' decision accuracy will be lower if they receive noisier feedback, but that this detrimental effect of noise can be mitigated through color coding. Using two experiments, we find evidence consistent with our theory. Managers who receive reports in which performance increases are color‐coded green and performance decreases are color‐coded red are less affected by noise than managers who receive feedback reports without color coding. Supplemental analyses suggest that color coding induces managers to process feedback in a more holistic manner, which reduces the adverse effect of noise on managers' learning processes. Our findings have several important implications for research and practice.
The predictive value of serum IL‐17A and IL‐6 expression in postoperative recurrence in patients with intrauterine adhesion
Authors: Cui Xia , Xiao Hui‐Chao , Pan Wen
Published: January 2024

Background

The recurrence rate of intrauterine adhesions (IUA) was high. At present, there are few studies on the relationship between proinflammatory factors IL‐17A and IL‐6 and IUA. The expression of serum IL‐17A and IL‐6 in IUA patients and their predictive value for postoperative recurrence were retrospectively analyzed.

Methods

A total of 90 IUA patients who underwent hysteroscopic adhesion lysis in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2023 were selected as the IUA group. Patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe IUA groups. At the same time, 60 cases of secondary infertility patients with normal endometrium were selected as the control group. The clinical baseline characteristics and serum levels of IL‐17A and IL‐6 were compared between control group and IUA group. To analyze the correlation and predictive value of IL‐17A and IL‐6 expression levels with the recurrence rate of IUA patients.

Results

The preoperative levels of IL‐17A and IL‐6 in the IUA group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The higher the levels of inflammatory factors IL‐17A and IL‐6, the deeper the degree of IUA. Multivariate analysis showed that pregnancy, curettage history, IL‐17A, and IL‐6 levels were risk factors for IUA recurrence. In addition, the specificity and area under the curve of combining baseline data with postoperative serum IL‐17A and IL‐6 for predicting IUA were higher than those predicted separately.

Conclusion

The expression levels of serum IL‐17A and IL‐6 can be used as a value index to evaluate postoperative recurrence in IUA patients.
Exchange rates and political uncertainty: the Brexit case
Authors: Manasse Paolo , Moramarco Graziano , Trigilia Giulio
Published: January 2024

This paper studies the impact of political risk on exchange rates. We focus on the Brexit Referendum as it provides a natural experiment where both exchange rate expectations and a time‐varying political risk factor can be measured directly. We build a portfolio model that relates changes in the Leave probability to changes of the British pound's market price, both via expectations and via a political risk factor. We estimate the model for multilateral and bilateral British pound exchange rates. We find that the Leave probability predicts a depreciation of the pound, consistent with the outcome post‐referendum, and that the time‐varying political risk affects exchange rates independently.
Adopting the service system view toward successful implementation of assistive technologies
Authors: Watanabe Kentaro , Miwa Hiroyasu , Wakui Tomoko , Kajitani Isamu
Published: January 2024

This study aims to provide an overview of the service system view (SSV), and the current status of its adoption for the development and implementation of assistive technology (AT). The role of ATs in the global aging scenario is anticipated; however, their diffusion is cumbersome. The SSV captures stakeholders, technologies, and their interactions as integrated systems. Based on this perspective, several approaches for designing long‐term care services have been proposed that would be helpful for the successful implementation of ATs. However, the existing geriatrics and gerontology literature seldom addresses these topics. Based on a literature review, this study first illustrates the challenges of using ATs in the real world. The existing literature highlights the sociotechnical challenges of utilizing ATs, such as the changes required in care work and resistance to them. To overcome the challenges, three approaches associated with the SSV have been introduced: service design, service engineering and living labs. This paper also introduces recent national projects in Japan that have adopted these approaches. As the importance of the SSV is growing for the successful implementation of ATs, the ability to adopt the SSV and its approaches is anticipated. In relation to geriatrics and gerontology studies, the impact on older adults' quality of life, as well as the economic effect, needs to be analyzed in future research. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 74–80.
Effect of BN interfacial layer on the mechanical behavior of SiC fiber reinforced SiC ceramic matrix composites
Authors: Chen Mingwei , Qiu Haipeng , Zhao Yuliang , Zhang Bingyu , Liu Shanhua , Luo Wendong , Ma Xin , Xie Weijie , Chen Yi , Zhang Qiyue , Zhao Yuliang
Published: January 2024

Boron nitride (BN) interfacial layer with controlled thickness and structure was prepared on the surface of near stoichiometric ratio SiC fiber preforms by a chemical vapor deposition process, and the SiC/SiC composites were obtained by polymer precursor infiltration and pyrolysis process. The microstructure of the BN interfacial layer and SiC/SiC composites was tested by scanning electron microscopy, and the mechanical behavior of SiC/SiC composites was characterized by a mechanical properties test. Results showed that BN interfacial layer was evenly distributed in the fiber preforms with excellent thickness consistency. As the thickness of the BN interfacial layer increased, the deflection path of the crack increased gradually, resulting in the flexural strength first increasing and then decreasing. The mechanical behavior mentioned above was mainly attributed to the dual effects of load transfer and crack propagation of the BN interfacial layer; that was, the crack propagation of ceramic matrix under external load lengthened the path of load transfer and formed a large number of fibers bridging and pulling out successively, which contributed to the energy dissipation mechanism.
Serum lipase in acute pancreatitis associated with hypertriglyceridaemia
Authors: Morton Adam
Published: January 2024

The incidence of hypertriglyceridaemic pancreatitis is increasing. Hypertriglyceridaemia may be associated with false lowering of serum amylase and lipase in vitro. A retrospective study of serum lipase levels in 26 individuals who had acute pancreatitis diagnosed based on clinical criteria together with changes on computer tomography in the setting of severe hypertriglyceridaemia over a 5‐year period from January 2017 to December 2021 was performed. Serum lipase levels were in the normal range in two patients (7.7%) and less than three times the upper end of the reference interval in 11 individuals (42%). Awareness of the potential for normal and nonsignificantly elevated serum lipase levels in the setting of hypertriglyceridaemic pancreatitis is important to avoid a missed diagnosis, to enable appropriate short‐ and long‐term management and to prevent recurrent episodes.
Manifestation of chemical pressure: Magnetism and magnetostriction in nanoscale RFeO3 (R = Sm, Dy, Ho, and Lu)
Authors: Chaturvedi Smita , Shyam Priyank , Liu Ying , Srinivasan Gopalan
Published: January 2024

The effect of ionic radii sizes on magnetostriction is studied in relation to structural and magnetic properties. To explore the effect of the chemical pressure, nanoparticles of rare‐earth (RE) orthoferrites, SmFeO3, DyFeO3, HoFeO3, and LuFeO3 are studied using X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Magnetic and magnetostriction measurements are also performed. In these orthoferrites, the coordination of the RE ion is eightfold, whereas the RE ionic radii are significantly different, which directly influences the structural parameters. The distortion of FeO6 octahedra is observed as a result of changing chemical pressure within the lattice. The different magnitudes of magnetostriction in RE orthoferrites can be attributed to the different degrees of distortion of FeO6 octahedra, R–O dynamics, and spin–orbit interactions in the system. The maximum value of magnetostriction (∼ 19 ppm) and magnetization at 2 K (30.64 emu/g) is demonstrated by HoFeO3. Comparison of structural parameters of the samples to their respective bulk counterparts indicated relative structural distortion in nanoparticles.
The Effect of Ice Massage Applied to the SP6 Point on Labor Pain, Labor Comfort, Labor Duration, and Anxiety: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Türkmen Hülya , Çetinkaya Serap , Kiliç Hafize , Tuna Serpil Dinçer , Şirvanci Mehmet , Mutlu Hilmi
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Acupressure and cold application are nonpharmacologic methods that midwives can use for labor pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ice massage applied to the SP6 acupressure point during labor on labor pain, labor comfort, labor duration, and anxiety.

Methods

A single‐masked, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 100 nulliparous women, including 50 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group. Rotational ice massage was applied to the SP6 point on both legs of the pregnant women in the intervention group at 4 to 5 cm, 6 to 7 cm, and 8 to 9 cm dilation amounts during 3 contractions. Routine oxytocin was administered to all pregnant women to promote progress of labor. Standard midwifery care was provided to the control group. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a partograph form, the Childbirth Comfort Questionnaire (CCQ), and the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory State subscale.

Result

The VAS pain scores of the pregnant women in the intervention group were significantly lower compared with the control group following the intervention at dilatations of 4 to 5 cm, 6 to 7 cm, and 8 to 9 cm (P = .001, P = .003, P <.001, respectively). The total CCQ and comfort level scores of the pregnant women in the intervention group at 8 to 9 cm cervical dilatation were significantly higher than the control group (P = 0.044, P = .027, respectively). Additionally, as the anxiety levels of the pregnant women increased, their total comfort scores decreased (P <.05).

Discussion

Ice application to the SP6 point during stage 1 of childbirth reduced labor pain, increased comfort, and reduced anxiety levels. No adverse events were found in the intervention group with ice massage applied to the SP6 point. Therefore, this method can be used as a safe and effective midwifery intervention in childbirth.
Faecal cortisol levels in a wild Iberian red deer population are best explained by prior weather conditions
Authors: Gort‐Esteve A. , Carbajal A. , López M. , Manteca X. , Ruiz‐Olmo J. , Riera J. L.
Published: January 2024

The responsiveness of the hypothalamic–pituitary‐adrenocortical axis to stressors is crucial for wild animals to survive and adapt to environmental changes without compromising individual welfare. We analysed the influence of prior weather conditions, seasonality, the influx of ecotourism, and nutrition on stress levels in a wild population of red deer in a Mediterranean hunting reserve in the Pre‐Pyrenees, Spain. We used faecal cortisol metabolites as a proxy for physiological and psychological stress, and faecal triiodothyronine metabolites as an indicator of nutritional stress. Faecal analyses were chosen because it is a non‐invasive technique that does not alter an individual's behaviour, and it is easy to conduct in a wild population, something which presents added challenges due to the lack of a controlled environment. Our results indicate that prior weather conditions, rather than just seasonality, best explained the variations in these hormones within seasons and among years. On the contrary, the results showed that high levels of the cortisol hormone did not necessarily correspond to low levels of the triiodothyronine hormone. This could be a sign of acute nutritional stress in this population. Finally, we did not find an effect of the ecotourism influx on cortisol levels, suggesting that this deer population tolerates the presence of tourists.
How does the use of evidence in policy narratives change during crises? A comparative study of New York City's pandemic school shutdowns
Authors: Klatt Nikolina , Blum Sonja
Published: January 2024

Narratives play an essential role in fast‐paced policy making that occurs during crises. The COVID‐19 pandemic brought numerous disruptions of normality, including school closures, which were intensely debated in narratives by many policy actors. Two shutdowns of New York City's public school system affected over 1.1 million students. This article investigates how scientific evidence was used in the narratives surrounding the school shutdowns in NYC by analyzing around 160 policy narratives with the Narrative Policy Framework. We ask whether and how the growing certainty of evidence on the new Coronavirus was reflected in the policy narratives in the second compared to the first shutdown. While there is increased use of scientific evidence in the second shutdown stage, this does not reflect an increased evidence base: The evolving use of evidence in policy narratives is mainly reflected in its strategic uses to support a certain policy solution within a blame‐avoidance strategy.
Nonparametric plug‐in classifier for multiclass classification of S.D.E. paths
Authors: Denis Christophe , Dion‐Blanc Charlotte , Ella‐Mintsa Eddy , Tran Viet Chi
Published: January 2024

We study the multiclass classification problem where the features come from a mixture of time‐homogeneous diffusions. Specifically, the classes are discriminated by their drift functions while the diffusion coefficient is common to all classes and unknown. In this framework, we build a plug‐in classifier which relies on nonparametric estimators of the drift and diffusion functions. We first establish the consistency of our classification procedure under mild assumptions and then provide rates of convergence under different set of assumptions. Finally, a numerical study supports our theoretical findings.
Glucocorticoids rescue cell surface trafficking of R451C Neuroligin3 and enhance synapse formation
Authors: Diamanti Tamara , Trobiani Laura , Mautone Lorenza , Serafini Federica , Gioia Roberta , Ferrucci Laura , Lauro Clotilde , Bianchi Sara , Perfetto Camilla , Guglielmo Stefano , Sollazzo Raimondo , Giorda Ezio , Setini Andrea , Ragozzino Davide , Miranda Elena , Comoletti Davide , Di Angelantonio Silvia , Cacci Emanuele , De Jaco Antonella
Published: January 2024

Neuroligins are synaptic cell adhesion proteins with a role in synaptic function, implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. The autism spectrum disorder‐associated substitution Arg451Cys (R451C) in NLGN3 promotes a partial misfolding of the extracellular domain of the protein leading to retention in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR). The reduced trafficking of R451C NLGN3 to the cell surface leads to altered synaptic function and social behavior. A screening in HEK‐293 cells overexpressing NLGN3 of 2662 compounds (FDA‐approved small molecule drug library), led to the identification of several glucocorticoids such as alclometasone dipropionate, desonide, prednisolone sodium phosphate, and dexamethasone (DEX), with the ability to favor the exit of full‐length R451C NLGN3 from the ER. DEX improved the stability of R451C NLGN3 and trafficking to the cell surface, reduced the activation of the UPR, and increased the formation of artificial synapses between HEK‐293 and hippocampal primary neurons. The effect of DEX was validated on a novel model system represented by neural stem progenitor cells and differentiated neurons derived from the R451C NLGN3 knock‐in mouse, expressing the endogenous protein. This work shows a potential rescue strategy for an autism‐linked mutation affecting cell surface trafficking of a synaptic protein.
Selective Damping of Plasmons in Coupled Two-Dimensional Systems by Coulomb Drag
Authors: Safonov I. , Petrov A. S. , Svintsov D.
Published: January 2024

The Coulomb drag is a many-body effect observed in proximized low-dimensional systems. It appears as emergence of voltage in one of them upon passage of bias current in another. The magnitude of drag voltage can be strongly affected by exchange of plasmonic excitations between the layers; however, the reverse effect of Coulomb drag on properties of plasmons has not been studied. Here, we study the plasmon spectra and damping in parallel two-dimensional systems in the presence of Coulomb drag. We find that Coulomb drag leads to selective damping of one of the two fundamental plasma modes of a coupled bilayer. For identical electron doping of both layers, the drag suppresses the acoustic plasma mode; while for symmetric electron-hole doping of the coupled pair, the drag suppresses the optical plasma mode. The selective damping can be observed both for propagating modes in extended bilayers and for localized plasmons in bilayers confined by source and drain contacts. The discussed effect may provide access to the strength of Coulomb interaction in 2d electron systems from various optical and microwave scattering experiments.
Intermittent Ophthalmoplegia as the Initial Manifestation of Giant Cell Arteritis
Authors: Wong Edmund Ka Ming , So Ho
Published: January 2024

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common form of vasculitis in elderly with multiple cardinal clinical features, such as headache associated with acute visual loss, jaw claudication and high inflammatory markers. GCA is readily treatable with immunosuppressants. Yet, if treated late, GCA could result in significant morbidities, such as aortic aneurysm, dissection, rupture and permanent visual loss. Early initiation of diagnostic evaluations, such as ultrasound of the temporal and axillary arteries and temporal artery biopsy, is thus very important. We present a case of an 84-year-old man who was diagnosed with GCA who presented with solely painless-intermittent ophthalmoplegia. He was later confirmed to have GCA with temporal artery ultrasound and biopsy. This case serves to emphasise the importance of recognising uncommon presentations of GCA and early initiation of its diagnostic tests and treatment.