bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synergistic effects of PI3K inhibition and pioglitazone against acute promyelocytic leukemia cells
Authors: Esmaeili Shadi , Yousefi Amir‐Mohammad , Delshad Mahda , Bashash Davood
Published: November 2022

Background

Although pioglitazone, a well‐known anti‐diabetic agent, has recently established itself as a pillar of cancer treatment, its therapeutic value could be attenuated by the aberrant activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Aim

To evaluate whether the PI3K/Akt suppression in leukemic cells could potentiate the anti‐leukemic effects of pioglitazone.

Methods

To assess the anti‐leukemic effects of PI3K/Akt inhibitors on anti‐leukemic effects of pioglitazone, we used MTT and trypan blue assays. Flow cytometric analysis and qRT‐PCR were also applied to evaluate cell cycle and apoptosis.

Result

The resulting data revealed that upon PPARγ stimulation in different leukemic cell lines using pioglitazone, the survival and the proliferative capacity of the cells were significantly halted. Then, we evaluated the impact of the PI3K/Akt axis on the effectiveness of the drug in the most sensitive leukemic cell line; NB4 cells. Our results showed that treatment of NB4 cells with the PI3K inhibitors increased the sensitivity of leukemic cells to pioglitazone to the degree that even lower concentrations of the agent succeeded to induce apoptotic as well as the anti‐proliferative effects. Moreover, it seems that PI3K inhibition could potentiate the anti‐leukemic effect of pioglitazone through induction of p21‐mediated sub‐G1 cell cycle arrest and altering the balance between the pro‐and anti‐apoptotic genes.

Conclusion

This study sheds light on the significance of the PI3K/Akt pathway in APL cell sensitivity to pioglitazone and proposed that the presence of the PI3K inhibitor in the therapeutic regimen containing pioglitazone could be promising in the treatment of this malignancy.
Caregivers: Effective treatments needed for people with BD‐I
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: November 2022

Nearly all caregivers of people living with bipolar I disorder (BD‐1) said that they wish there were more medications to effectively treat all of their loved one's symptoms of BD‐I, according to a new survey released by Alkermes and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) in observation of National Family Caregivers Month.
Large time behavior of nonautonomous differential systems modeling antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in rivers
Authors: Mostefaoui Imene Meriem , Moussaoui Ali , Jabbari Sara
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we study a general nonautonomous model for bacterial dynamics in rivers. The mathematical model is represented by a nonautonomous system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. We show the existence of a bounded positive invariant and attracting set. By using the Lyapunov function method, we establish global stability of steady‐state solutions of the associated autonomous system. Second, the existence of positive periodic solutions of the nonautonomous system is proven using a continuation theorem based on coincidence degree theory.
Motion‐robust, blood‐suppressed, reduced‐distortion diffusion MRI of the liver
Authors: Geng Ruiqi , Zhang Yuxin , Rice James , Muehler Matthias R. , Starekova Jitka , Rutkowski David R. , Uboha Nataliya V. , Pirasteh Ali , Roldán‐Alzate Alejandro , Guidon Arnaud , Hernando Diego
Published: November 2022

Purpose

To evaluate feasibility and reproducibility of liver diffusion‐weighted (DW) MRI using cardiac‐motion‐robust, blood‐suppressed, reduced‐distortion techniques.

Methods

DW‐MRI data were acquired at 3T in an anatomically accurate liver phantom including controlled pulsatile motion, in eight healthy volunteers and four patients with known or suspected liver metastases. Standard monopolar and motion‐robust (M1‐nulled, and M1‐optimized) DW gradient waveforms were each acquired with single‐shot echo‐planar imaging (ssEPI) and multishot EPI (msEPI). In the motion phantom, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was measured in the motion‐affected volume. In healthy volunteers, ADC was measured in the left and right liver lobes separately to evaluate ADC reproducibility between the two lobes. Image distortions were quantified using the normalized cross‐correlation coefficient, with an undistorted T2‐weighted reference.

Results

In the motion phantom, ADC mean and SD in motion‐affected volumes substantially increased with increasing motion for monopolar waveforms. ADC remained stable in the presence of increasing motion when using motion‐robust waveforms. M1‐optimized waveforms suppressed slow flow signal present with M1‐nulled waveforms. In healthy volunteers, monopolar waveforms generated significantly different ADC measurements between left and right liver lobes (, reproducibility coefficients (RPC) =  mm/s for monopolar‐msEPI), while M1‐optimized waveforms showed more reproducible ADC values (, mm/s for M1‐optimized‐msEPI). In phantom and healthy volunteer studies, motion‐robust acquisitions with msEPI showed significantly reduced image distortion () compared to ssEPI. Patient scans showed reduction of wormhole artifacts when combining M1‐optimized waveforms with msEPI.

Conclusion

Synergistic effects of combined M1‐optimized diffusion waveforms and msEPI acquisitions enable reproducible liver DWI with motion robustness, blood signal suppression, and reduced distortion.
Measuring water exchange on a preclinical MRI system using filter exchange and diffusion time dependent kurtosis imaging
Authors: Li Chenyang , Fieremans Els , Novikov Dmitry S. , Ge Yulin , Zhang Jiangyang
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Filter exchange imaging (FEXI) and diffusion time (t)‐dependent diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI(t)) are both sensitive to water exchange between tissue compartments. The restrictive effects of tissue microstructure, however, introduce bias to the exchange rate obtained by these two methods, as their interpretation conventionally rely on the Kärger model of barrier limited exchange between Gaussian compartments. Here, we investigated whether FEXI and DKI(t) can provide comparable exchange rates in ex vivo mouse brains.

Theory and Methods

FEXI and DKI(t) data were acquired from ex vivo mouse brains on a preclinical MRI system. Phase cycling and negative slice prewinder gradients were used to minimize the interferences from imaging gradients.

Results

In the corpus callosum, apparent exchange rate (AXR) from FEXI correlated with the exchange rate (the inverse of exchange time, 1/τex) from DKI(t) along the radial direction. In comparison, discrepancies between FEXI and DKI(t) were found in the cortex due to low filter efficiency and confounding effects from tissue microstructure.

Conclusion

The results suggest that FEXI and DKI(t) are sensitive to the same exchange processes in white matter when separated from restrictive effects of microstructure. The complex microstructure in gray matter, with potential exchange among multiple compartments and confounding effects of microstructure, still pose a challenge for FEXI and DKI(t).
Experience of the homecare of children on automatic peritoneal dialysis during the COVID‐19 outbreak: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Zhou Qing , Zhao Rui , Shen Xia , Zhang Hui , Zhai Yihui , Gu Ying , Shen Qian , Xu Hong
Published: November 2022

Aims

To describe the home care experience, challenges and coping strategies of caregivers with children on automatic peritoneal dialysis (PD) in mainland China during the early stage of the COVID‐19 outbreak.

Design

A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted. Semi‐structured telephone interviews were conducted among 14 families with children on automatic peritoneal dialysis from February 2nd to 10th, 2020. The care routine, stress and coping strategies of caregivers of children on peritoneal dialysis were collected. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Methods

Four key themes were defined: (1) concerns about PD treatment intertwined with worries about COVID‐19; (2) retaining a sense of normality in the middle of the challenges; (3) staying safe; and (4) staying positive and carrying on.

Results

Families with children on automatic PD addressed the stress from COVID‐19 and its containment measures by closely adhering to COVID‐19 preventative measures, actively adjusting mentality and maintaining a sense of normality during the outbreak. This implies that healthcare staff need to be more aware of the complex medical needs of families with children on automatic PD, advocate for them and facilitate their navigation through the repurposed healthcare system.
CHILD CARE IN THE UNITED STATES: MARKETS, POLICY, AND EVIDENCE
Authors: Herbst Chris M.
Published: November 2022

Participation in non‐parental child care arrangements is now the norm for preschool‐age children in the U.S. However, child care services are becoming increasingly expensive for many families, and quality is highly uneven across providers and sectors, raising questions about the impact of child care costs and quality on parental employment and child development. The U.S. policy landscape is dominated by three policies that subsidize costs for low‐income families or attempt to improve the safety and quality of providers: the Child Care and Development Fund, regulations, and quality rating and improvement systems. In this paper, I provide a thorough review of the evidence on each policy, focusing on how they influence a wide range of family and provider outcomes. The paper begins with a detailed description of the structure and functioning of the child care market, using the most up‐to‐date data on families’ utilization of care services and provider characteristics. I then draw on a diverse set of studies across multiple fields to summarize the evidence on the impact of child care policy. In the final section of the paper, I offer recommendations for future research in each policy area.
Role of Acid Treatment of the Carbon Support in the Growth of Atomic‐Layer‐Deposited Pt Nanoparticles for PEMFC Fabrication
Authors: Lee Woo‐Jae , Kwon Se‐Hun
Published: November 2022

Ultrathin films or particles of atomic layer deposition (ALD) on high surface can improve the activity and durability of catalyst fields, so depending on the surface state, the ALD growth mechanism on porous materials should be systematically investigated and optimized to improve their characteristics of catalysts. Herein, a Pt catalyst used in polymer electrode membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications is synthesized through fluidized‐bed‐reactor ALD on carbon black whose surface is modified through treatment with citric acid. The functional groups, analyzed through X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), are found to be maximized after 60 min of acid treatment with stirring. Compared with bare carbon (untreated), the acid‐treated carbon presents rich oxidized functional groups and abundant defects but lower surface areas and pore volumes. After ALD Pt deposition, highly dense, uniform, and well‐dispersed Pt nanoparticles (NPs) are observed on the carbon black subjected to acid treatment, because of the favorable surface modifications for ALD growth resulting from the acid treatment. The ALD‐Pt NPs on the acid‐treated carbon exhibit larger electrochemical active surface areas, improved oxygen reduction reactions, and PEMFC performances, when compared with that of NPs on bare carbon with similar Pt weight loading.
Third‐Order Susceptibility of Lithium Niobate: Influence of Polarons and Bipolarons
Authors: Kozub Agnieszka L. , Gerstmann Uwe , Schmidt Wolf Gero
Published: November 2022

The third‐order susceptibility of lithium niobate (LiNbO3) is calculated within a Berry‐phase formulation of the dynamical polarization based on the electronic structure obtained within density‐functional theory (DFT). Maximum values of the order of  m V are calculated for photon energies between 1.2 and 2 eV, i.e., in the lower half of the optical bandgap of lithium niobate. Both free and bound electron (bi)polarons are found to lead to a remarkable enhancement of the third‐order susceptibility for photon energies below 1 eV.
Combined depth and heading control and experiment of ROV under the influence of residual buoyancy, current disturbance, and control dead zone
Authors: Yuan Jian , Liu Hailin , Wan Junhe , Li Hui , Zhang Wenxia
Published: November 2022

To improve the underwater control effect of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) with residual buoyancy, current disturbance, and control dead zone, the depth and heading combined control of ROV is studied to improve the control accuracy of the control system. First, the heading control with fixed depth is divided into heading control and depth control. The tanh‐sigmoid‐surface control laws for designed degrees of freedom are designed by using tanh function. To suppress the influence of residual buoyancy and control law dead zone in depth control, and to offset the influence of control law dead zone of ROV thruster control, a reserved control quantity is introduced to map the depth deviation and control dead zone with residual buoyancy into a control deviation quantity. An adaptive amplification factor method is proposed for the amplification factors of depth control, speed control, and heading control. The proportional coefficient is adopted to make that the balance among rise time, convergence speed, and overshoot can be achieved by adjusting the proportional coefficient. Then the corresponding tanh‐sigmoid‐surface controller module is designed in MOOS‐IvP environment to track the desired heading and depth. The proposed controller refines fuzzy rules and reduces the complexity of parameter adjustment. Compared with the classical proportional, integral, and derivative control method, the experiment results show that the proposed method can resist the influence of residual buoyancy, current disturbance, and control dead zone and has a better control effect with less control error in depth and heading determination.
Recent progress in the development of smart supercapacitors
Authors: Xiong Chuanyin , Wang Tianxu , Zhao Zhenyang , Ni Yonghao
Published: November 2022

Recently, with the continuous development of human society and the continuous innovation of technologies, the intelligence era has arrived. Various intelligent electronic devices continue to be developed, in which flexible wearable electronic devices are highly favored by people. To meet the requirements of the normal operation of intelligent devices, the key point lies in the development of new smart energy storage devices. Accordingly, smart supercapacitors have been widely focused on and studied by researchers recently with the introduction of intelligent functions, such as electrochromism, self‐healing, and shape memory, into supercapacitors to broaden their application fields and promote their smart development. This can meet not only people's energy needs but also people's diverse personality needs and make our life more convenient, fast, and more intelligent than ever. Therefore, it is very important to summarize related work on smart supercapacitors. Although researchers have performed much research on smart supercapacitors, there is still little literature summary on the related work of different smart supercapacitors. Accordingly, this paper mainly introduces the research progress on electrochromic, self‐healing, shape memory, and self‐charging smart supercapacitors in recent years and discusses the development prospects and challenges of smart supercapacitors.
Adopting microservices and DevOps in the cyber‐physical systems domain: A rapid review and case study
Authors: Fritzsch Jonas , Bogner Justus , Haug Markus , Franco da Silva Ana Cristina , Rubner Carolin , Saft Matthias , Sauer Horst , Wagner Stefan
Published: November 2022

The domain of cyber‐physical systems (CPS) has recently seen strong growth, for example, due to the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) in industrial domains, commonly referred to as “Industry 4.0.” However, CPS challenges like the strong hardware focus can impact modern software development practices, especially in the context of modernizing legacy systems. While microservices and DevOps have been widely studied for enterprise applications, there is insufficient coverage for the CPS domain. Our goal is therefore to analyze the peculiarities of such systems regarding challenges and practices for using and migrating towards microservices and DevOps. We conducted a rapid review based on 146 scientific papers, and subsequently validated our findings in an interview‐based case study with nine CPS professionals in different business units at Siemens AG. The combined results picture the specifics of microservices and DevOps in the CPS domain. While several differences were revealed that may require adapted methods, many challenges and practices are shared with typical enterprise applications. Our study supports CPS researchers and practitioners with a summary of challenges, practices to address them, and research opportunities.
OS‐in‐the‐Loop verification for multi‐tasking control software
Authors: Choi Yunja
Published: November 2022

Embedded control software that controls safety‐critical IoT devices requires systematic and comprehensive verification to ensure safe operation of the device. However, rigorous verification in this domain has not been feasible due to the high complexity of embedded control software, which is characterized by the frequent use of multi‐tasking, interrupts, and periodic alarms. Realizing that two major factors, scalability and exactness, are extremely difficult to achieve at the same time but critical for effective and efficient verification in this domain, this work introduces a domain‐specific compositional OS‐in‐the‐Loop (OiL) verification approach and sets out to push the boundary in achieving both factors. The suggested approach (1) models the behavior of the underlying operating system to limit the search space using the notion of controlled concurrency, (2) performs heterogeneous composition of controllers with the formal OS model to reduce verification complexity, and (3) utilizes state‐of‐the‐art verification techniques for the purpose of comprehensive verification up to a given search depth.
How a group of community colleges in San Antonio created an award‐winning program to help its students transfer to four‐year schools
Authors: D'Orio Wayne
Published: November 2022

When officials at the Alamo Colleges District in San Antonio started planning how to improve their students’ ability to transfer to four‐year colleges, they examined which courses would not only transfer, but also apply to students’ intended majors.
College athletics experts share insights about transfer portal challenges
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: November 2022

Although the NCAA transfer portal has given student‐athletes more freedom, it's also created more challenges for coaches and staff, which we discussed with members of the College Athletics and the Law Advisory Board.
‘The time is now to take action on biodiversity loss’
Authors: Mills Georgina
Published: November 2022

Georgina Mills discusses a new report showing a sharp decline in animal populations.
Applying for a research grant opened doors I never expected
Authors: Liston Abigail
Published: November 2022

At vet school Abigail Liston completed a research project that led her to develop a host of essential skills, which gave her a sense of purpose and success.
Nano‐α‐Fe2O3 for enhanced denitrification in a heterotrophic/biofilm‐electrode autotrophic denitrification reactor
Authors: Yin Haoran , Lin Xiangyu , Zhao Fan , Pu Yu , Chen Yini , Tang Xinhua
Published: November 2022

In this study, a heterotrophic/biofilm‐electrode autotrophic denitrification reactor (HAD‐BER) was constructed and nano‐ɑ‐Fe2O3 was coated on granular activated carbon (GAC) as a third electrode to enhance the nitrate removal performance. The introduction of nano‐ɑ‐Fe2O3 could stimulate microorganisms to secrete more extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), accelerating the electron transfer. Moreover, more denitrification bacteria were enriched on the particle electrodes, especially Pseudomonas and Thermomonas, which played a significant role in denitrification. The denitrification performance at different COD/N ratios (0.65–3.23) and current intensities (0–150 mA) was investigated in depth. When the nitrate concentration of the influent was 60 mg/L, nitrate was almost completely removed at the optimal current intensity (60 mA) and COD/N ratio (1.29). At the same time, there was almost no nitrite (<0.10 mg/L) and ammonia nitrogen (0 mg/L) accumulation in the effluent. This study provided a new direction for the advancement of HAD‐BER and accelerated its implementation.

Practitioner Points

By introducing nano‐a‐Fe2O3 into HAD‐BER, more denitrification bacteria were enriched on the particle electrodes.

The increased contents of polysaccharide and protein content could accelerate the electron transfer.

Almost completely denitrification could be achieved at current = 60 mA and COD/N = 1.29.

The study provided a new direction for the further development of HAD‐BERs.
Assessment of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy using a deep learning method for muscle T2 mapping segmentation
Authors: Wang Fengdan , Zhou Shuang , Hou Bo , Santini Francesco , Yuan Ling , Guo Ye , Zhu Jinxia , Hilbert Tom , Kober Tobias , Zhang Yan , Wang Qian , Zhao Yan , Jin Zhengyu
Published: November 2022

Objective

To investigate the utility of an automatic deep learning (DL) method for segmentation of T2 maps in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) against healthy controls, and also the association of quantitative T2 values in patients with laboratory and pulmonary findings.

Methods

Structural MRI and T2 mapping of bilateral thigh muscles from patients with IIM and healthy volunteers were segmented using dedicated software based on a pre-trained convolutional neural network. Incremental and federated learning were implemented for continuous adaptation and improvement. Muscle T2 values derived from DL segmentation were compared between patients and healthy controls, and T2 values of patients were further analyzed with serum muscle enzymes, and interstitial lung disease (ILD) which was diagnosed and graded based on chest HRCT.

Results

Overall, 64 patients (27 patients with dermatomyositis, 29 with polymyositis, and 8 with antisynthetase syndrome (ASS)) and 10 healthy controls were included. By using DL-based muscle segmentation, T2 values generated from T2 maps accurately differentiated patients from those of controls (p < 0.001) with a cutoff value of 36.4 ms (sensitivity 96.9%, and specificity 100%). In patients with IIM, muscle T2 values positively correlated with all the serum muscle enzymes (all p < 0.05). ILD score of patients with ASS was markedly higher than that of those without ASS (p = 0.011), while dissociation between the severity of muscular involvement and ILD was observed (p = 0.080).

Conclusion

Automatic DL could be used to segment thigh muscles and help quantitatively assess muscular inflammation of IIM through T2 mapping.

Key Points

• Muscle T2 mapping automatically segmented by deep learning can differentiate IIM from healthy controls.

• T2 value, an indicator of active muscle inflammation, positively correlates with serum muscle enzymes.

• T2 mapping can detect muscle disease in patients with normal muscle enzyme levels.
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y feeding jejunostomy as a long-term solution for severe feeding problems in children
Authors: van Braak H. , Gorter R. R. , van Wijk M. P. , de Jong J. R.
Published: November 2022

Enteral feeding is a common problem in children with gastric emptying disorders. Traditional feeding methods in these patients often show a high rate of complications and maintenance issues. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y feeding jejunostomy (LRFJ) has been described in a few patients as a minimal invasive option for enteral access in these children. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of the LRFJ procedure in our tertiary referral center. We conducted a retrospective case-series including all patients, aged 0–18 years old, that underwent a LFRJ procedure between August 2011 and December 2020 for the indication of oral feeding intolerance due to delayed gastric emptying. Outcomes evaluated were complications (short and long term) and parenteral satisfaction. In total, 12 children were identified that underwent LRFJ for the indication of oral feeding intolerance due to delayed gastric emptying. A total of 16 complications were noted in 8/12 patients (67%). Severity classified by Clavien-Dindo were grade I (n = 13), grade II (n = 1), and grade IIIB (n = 2). In 11/12 patients, parents were satisfied with the results.

Conclusions: Although minor complications after LRFJ are common in our patients, this technique is a safe solution in patients with gastric emptying disorders leading to a definitive method of enteral feeding and high parenteral satisfaction.

What is Known:• Traditional tube feeding in children (duodenal, PEG-J-tubes) with severe delayed gastric emptying can be challenging with a high rate of complications and maintenance issues.• Open loop jejunostomy and Roux-en-Y jejunostomy are alternative, permanent methods of feeding but either invasive or are accompanied by severe complications. Little is known in the literature about laparoscopic Roux-en-Y feeding jejunostomy.

What is New:• Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y feeding jejunostomy is a permanent, safe and minimal invasive alternative option for enteral feeding in children with severe delayed gastric emptying..
Critical Aspects Concerning Large-scale Production of a Batch-annealed Medium-Mn 780 MPa Grade for Automotive Applications
Authors: Steineder K. , Krizan D. , Stadler M. , Ritsche S. , Berger E. , Holtmann N. , Schnitzer R. , Schneider R.
Published: November 2022

This article presents the results of the development of a medium-Mn780 grade at large scale production via conventional LD-converter route at the voestalpine steel plant in Linz. It highlights the property profile of the newly developed grade—being a well-balanced global-formability type for demanding deep drawing operations and crash applications. Furthermore, it offers the possibility of weight reduction by replacing grades with lower strength levels.

The article highlights critical aspects of the application of the material that had to be overcome. The first aspect addresses the often-observed presence of extensive yield point elongation (YPE) in medium-Mn steels. This contribution clearly shows that YPE can be avoided by a two-step heat treatment. The second aspect concerns the robustness of the manufacturing process and refers to the sensitivity of mechanical properties to the intercritical annealing temperature, which is a concern for industrial scale production. Based on the large-scale material, this contribution can emphasize that, with a precise temperature control during a batch annealing cycle, stable mechanical properties throughout an entire coil can be achieved. The third aspect addresses the necessary suitability of the material for the resistance spot welding process. In our first investigations, the material revealed rather low cross tension strength (CTS) after welding with standard parameters. Therefore, the chemical composition was adjusted and a double-pulse regime was established to vastly increase CTS.

Considering all the above-mentioned aspects, this contribution represents a compilation of critical points and possible solutions towards the large-scale implementation and subsequent use of the present material by the automotive industry.
RaQuN: a generic and scalable n-way model matching algorithm
Authors: Schultheiß Alexander , Bittner Paul Maximilian , Boll Alexander , Grunske Lars , Thüm Thomas , Kehrer Timo
Published: November 2022

Model matching algorithms are used to identify common elements in input models, which is a fundamental precondition for many software engineering tasks, such as merging software variants or views. If there are multiple input models, an n-way matching algorithm that simultaneously processes all models typically produces better results than the sequential application of two-way matching algorithms. However, existing algorithms for n-way matching do not scale well, as the computational effort grows fast in the number of models and their size. We propose a scalable n-way model matching algorithm, which uses multi-dimensional search trees for efficiently finding suitable match candidates through range queries. We implemented our generic algorithm named RaQuN   (Range Queries on $$\text {N}$$
N
input models) in Java and empirically evaluate the matching quality and runtime performance on several datasets of different origins and model types. Compared to the state of the art, our experimental results show a performance improvement by an order of magnitude, while delivering matching results of better quality.
Minimizing patients total clinical condition deterioration in operating theatre departments
Authors: Mashkani Omolbanin , Ernst Andreas T. , Thiruvady Dhananjay , Gu Hanyu
Published: November 2022

The operating theatre is the most crucial and costly department in a hospital due to its expensive resources and high patient admission rate. Efficiently allocating operating theatre resources to patients provides hospital management with better utilization and patient flow. In this paper, we tackle both tactical and operational planning over short-term to medium-term horizons. The main goal is to determine an allocation of blocks of time on each day to surgical specialties while also assigning each patient a day and an operating room for surgery. To create a balance between improving patients welfare and satisfying the expectations of hospital administrators, we propose six novel deterioration rates to evaluate patients total clinical condition deterioration. Each deterioration rate is defined as a function of the clinical priorities of patients, their waiting times, and their due dates. To optimize the objective functions, we present mixed integer programming (MIP) models and two dynamic programming based heuristics. Computational experiments have been conducted on a novel well-designed and carefully chosen benchmark dataset, which simulates realistic-sized instances. The results demonstrate the capability of the MIP models in finding excellent solutions (maximum average gap of 4.71% across all instances and objective functions), though, requiring large run-times. The heuristic algorithms provide a time-efficient alternative, where high quality solutions can be found in under a minute. We also analyse each objective function’s ability in generating high quality solutions from different perspectives such as patients waiting times, the number of scheduled patients, and operating rooms utilization rates. We provide managerial insights to the decision makers in cases where their intention is to meet KPIs and/or maintaining trade-offs between patients and administrators expectations, more fair assignments, or ensuring that the most urgent patients are taken care of first.
LES and PIV Investigation of the Flow Past a Cactus-Shaped Cylinder with Four Ribs
Authors: Zhdanov Oleksandr , Green Richard , Busse Angela
Published: November 2022

The flow past a cactus-shaped cylinder with four ribs is investigated numerically using large eddy simulations (LES) at Reynolds number of 20,000 and experimentally using particle image velocimetry (PIV) at Reynolds number of 50,000. In both approaches, the full range of angle of attack is covered. LES results show a good qualitative and quantitative match of the aerodynamic properties to previous experimental data, although the value of the critical angle of attack is slightly lower. The results confirm that there is no Reynolds number dependency within the investigated range allowing a comparison of the flow fields from the present LES and PIV. Significant variations of the flow patterns with the angle of attack are found and quantified using the recirculation length and wake width. Overall, the observed angle of attack dependence resembles the behaviour of the square cylinder. However, the studied cylinder has a narrower wake at all angular orientations. Proper orthogonal decomposition is used to identify large coherent structures in the flow. At all angles of attack the first two modes remain dominant making it possible to reconstruct the periodic vortex shedding process using a low-order model.
The Intransparency of Parentheticalism
Authors: Freitag Wolfgang
Published: November 2022

It has frequently been observed that typical utterances of the form “I believe that P” are assertions of the embedded proposition P. Yet that the matrix clause “I believe that” should be semantically idle creates an interesting puzzle: linguistic orthodoxy holds that the utterance is an assertion about one’s doxastic state, not about the content of this state. In response to the puzzle, Tim Henning has recently proposed a new semantic theory, parentheticalism, according to which “S believes that P” expresses P from S’s point of view: the at-issue content in belief ascriptions is the embedded proposition P. The puzzle is then claimed to be resolved as follows: as speaker and doxastic subject are identical in the first-person case, “I believe that P” expresses P from the speaker’s own point of view. In this paper, I argue, first, that parentheticalism is highly doubtful and, second, that even if parentheticalism were true, it would be unable to resolve the transparency puzzle.
Pure shift amide detection in conventional and TROSY-type experiments of 13C,15N-labeled proteins
Authors: Haller Jens D. , Bodor Andrea , Luy Burkhard
Published: November 2022

Large coupling networks in uniformly 13C,15N-labeled biomolecules induce broad multiplets that even in flexible proteins are frequently not recognized as such. The reason is that given multiplets typically consist of a large number of individual resonances that result in a single broad line, in which individual components are no longer resolved. We here introduce a real-time pure shift acquisition scheme for the detection of amide protons which is based on 13C-BIRDr,X. As a result the full homo- and heteronuclear coupling network can be suppressed at low power leading to real singlets at substantially improved resolution and uncompromised sensitivity. The method is tested on a small globular and an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) where the average spectral resolution is increased by a factor of ~ 2 and higher. Equally important, the approach works without saturation of water magnetization for solvent suppression and exchanging amide protons are not affected by saturation transfer.
Fast and slow skeletal myosin binding protein-C and aging
Authors: Perazza L. R. , Wei G. , Thompson L. V.
Published: November 2022

Aging is associated with skeletal muscle strength decline and cardiac diastolic dysfunction. The structural arrangements of the sarcomeric proteins, such as myosin binding protein-C (MyBP-C) are shown to be pivotal in the pathogenesis of diastolic dysfunction. Yet, the role of fast (fMyBP-C) and slow (sMyBP-C) skeletal muscle MyBP-C remains to be elucidated. Herein, we aimed to characterize MyBP-C and its paralogs in the fast tibialis anterior (TA) muscle from adult and old mice. Immunoreactivity preparations showed that the relative abundance of the fMyBP-C paralog was greater in the TA of both adult and old, but no differences were noted between groups. We further found that the expression level of cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C), an important modulator of cardiac output, was lowered by age. Standard SDS-PAGE along with Pro-Q Diamond phosphoprotein staining did not identify age-related changes in phosphorylated MyBP-C proteins from TA and cardiac muscles; however, it revealed that MyBP-C paralogs in fast skeletal and cardiac muscle were highly phosphorylated. Mass spectrometry further identified glycogen phosphorylase, desmin, actin, troponin T, and myosin regulatory light chain 2 as phosphorylated myofilament proteins in both ages. MyBP-C protein-bound carbonyls were determined using anti-DNP immunostaining and found the carbonyl level of fMyBP-C, sMyBP-C, and cMyBP-C to be similar between old and adult animals. In summary, our data showed some differences regarding the MyBP-C paralog expression and identified an age-related reduction of cMyBP-C expression. Future studies are needed to elucidate which are the age-driven post-translational modifications in the MyBP-C paralogs.
Rapamycin not dietary restriction improves resilience against pathogens: a meta-analysis
Authors: Phillips Eleanor J. , Simons Mirre J. P.
Published: November 2022

Dietary restriction (DR) and rapamycin both increase lifespan across a number of taxa. Despite this positive effect on lifespan and other aspects of health, reductions in some physiological functions have been reported for DR, and rapamycin has been used as an immunosuppressant. Perhaps surprisingly, both interventions have been suggested to improve immune function and delay immunosenescence. The immune system is complex and consists of many components. Therefore, arguably, the most holistic measurement of immune function is survival from an acute pathogenic infection. We reanalysed published post-infection short-term survival data of mice (n = 1223 from 23 studies comprising 46 effect sizes involving DR (n = 17) and rapamycin treatment (n = 29) and analysed these results using meta-analysis. Rapamycin treatment significantly increased post infection survival rate (lnHR =  − 0.72; CI =  − 1.17, -0.28; p = 0.0015). In contrast, DR reduced post-infection survival (lnHR = 0.80; CI = 0.08, 1.52; p = 0.03). Importantly, the overall effect size of rapamycin treatment was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than the estimate from DR studies, suggesting opposite effects on immune function. Our results show that immunomodulation caused by rapamycin treatment is beneficial to the survival from acute infection. For DR, our results are based on a smaller number of studies, but do warrant caution as they indicate possible immune costs of DR. Our quantitative synthesis suggests that the geroprotective effects of rapamycin extend to the immune system and warrants further clinical trials of rapamycin to boost immunity in humans.
Ramadan: devotion, compassion, and purification in Sydney
Authors: Possamai Adam , Openshaw Kathleen , Khosronejad Pedram , Rasheed Ayesha , Mubashar Aisha
Published: November 2022

While Ramadan in Western societies has been studied extensively in relation to health issues, no research to date has explored its representation through social scientific lenses. This article uses the Greater Western Sydney region in New South Wales, Australia, as a case study. This agglomeration of suburbs from the outer western suburbs of Sydney to the Blue Mountains has the highest proportion of Muslims in the country. To understand the representation of Islam in this region, this paper first analyses the articles in its major and local newspapers to then contrast them to the way the Ramadan festival is represented by mosques on their websites. This research discovers that Ramadan in Sydney newspapers tends to be reported in a secular fashion with a stronger focus on its public and economic activities. The focus of a large proportion of these articles on the way it attracts business demonstrates that it is a well-accepted event in Australia. In contrast, the pictures provided in Muslim sites in Sydney are more religious than the newspaper depiction and show a contrast with regard to ethnicity and gender. While the newspaper pictures are from the public sphere and tend to be multicultural across various Muslim ethnicities and do not show gender segregation, the online pictures from Muslim organisation show a strong gender segregation and represent the local ethic community they serve. While the representations in the public sphere are neo-liberal post-secularism and multiculturalism, those from these organisations are curating religiously important rather than business orientated moments in their community.
Sleep in German female youth national ice hockey athletes
Authors: Kiel A. , Hof zum Berge A. , Schwarzenbrunner K. , Otto K. , Loch F. , Kellmann M. , Jakowski S.
Published: November 2022

Background

Adequate sleep is of great importance in recovering from and preparing for training and competition.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate subjective sleep quality and daytime sleepiness of the German women’s junior national ice hockey team before and after a training camp immediately preceding the World Championship Division IA tournament.

Materials and methods

Twenty athletes (16.40 ± 0.68 years) completed German paper–pencil versions of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) before the training camp (T1, day 1) and on the final day of the training camp (T2, day 7).

Results

Paired t-tests indicated a significant decrease in PSQI global scores from pre- to post-training camp assessments (t = 2.33, p = 0.031, df = 19), with a medium effect size (d = 0.52). Regarding ESS global scores, results of the paired t-test indicated no significant pre- to post-training camp differences (t = 0.67, p = 0.510, df = 19) and the effect size was trivial (d = 0.15). Mean scores were reduced for both PSQI (T1 = 5.90 ± 2.36, T2 = 4.65 ± 2.18) and ESS (T1 = 9.00 ± 3.58, T2 = 8.60 ± 4.04) after the training camp. When analyzed according to the position of the players, no statistically significant intergroup differences were found.

Conclusion

This study underlines the need for monitoring and screening youth athletes’ sleep before special sports events in order to identify a potential need for intervention as early as possible, to prevent serious consequences for athletes’ performance capability and well-being.
Diagnostic value of molecular approach in screening for fragile X premutation cases
Authors: Refeat Miral M. , El Saied Mostafa M. , Abdel Raouf Ehab R.
Published: November 2022

Background

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, caused by CGG-repeats expansion (> 200 repeats). Premutation alleles (PM) (55–200 CGG repeats) are associated with tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI), and autistic problems.

Aim

To screen the frequency of premutation carriers using molecular diagnostic assays, in a cohort of Egyptian males with suspected clinical features of (FXS) checking for the presence of premutation alleles.

Methods

The current study comprised 192 Egyptian male children, 92 participants presented with intellectual disability, delayed language development, autistic-like features, behavioral difficulties, anxiety, seizures, and depression compared to 100 healthy males. All cases were subjected to clinical and neuroimaging assessments, when indicated as well as molecular analysis using methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).

Results

Thirty-four premutation carriers out of 92 Egyptian males (37%) of CGG repeats (55 to 200) were illustrated with elevated FMR1 mRNA expression level (p-value < 0.001). Additionally, 2 intermediate (IM) cases (0.03%) (45–55 CGG repeats) showed poor increase in expression level (p-value = 0.02838) plus 6 full mutation (FM) patients (0.07%) with (> 200 CGG repeats) (p-value < 0.001) resulted in FMR1 gene silence.

Conclusion

Molecular diagnostic assay including (MS-PCR) and (qRT-PCR) proved to be a sensitive and rapid screening tool for the detection of premutation cases. Furthermore, the presence of positive correlation between FMR1 mRNA expression levels with CGG repeats in premutation cases could serve as a potential diagnostic marker. Application of these diagnostic tools on larger number clinically suspected cases is recommended.
Stabile Langzeitkultivierung mikrobieller Gemeinschaften im loop-design
Authors: Li Shuang , Müller Susann
Published: November 2022

In isolated environments such as stand-alone bioreactor systems, microbial communities change their composition stochastically. Starting from identical inocula and with identical reactor operation, communities will always evolve into different compositions. Here, we have developed a loop-designed reactor system that synchronizes and stabilizes multiple communities in connected reactors over long periods of time.
New tricyclic systems as photosensitizers towards triple negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Barreca Marilia , Ingarra Angela Maria , Raimondi Maria Valeria , Spanò Virginia , Piccionello Antonio Palumbo , De Franco Michele , Menilli Luca , Gandin Valentina , Miolo Giorgia , Barraja Paola , Montalbano Alessandra
Published: November 2022

Nineteen pyrrolo[1,2-h][1,7]naphthyridinones and pyrido[2,3-c]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepinones were synthesized as new tricyclic systems in which the pyridine ring is annelated to the 6,7-dihydroindolizin-8(5H)-one and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-9H-pyrrole[1,2-a]azepine-9-one moieties to obtain potential photosensitizing agents. They were tested for their photoantiproliferative activity on a triple-negative breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, in the dark and under UVA light (2.0 J/cm2). We demonstrated that their toxicity, only when exposed to light, was primarily due to the generation of reactive oxygen species while their photodegradation products were not responsible for their activity. The most active compounds exhibited photocytotoxicity with IC50 values at low micromolar level inducing a decrease in the intracellular content of thiol, thus triggering cancer cell death through apoptosis. All the pyridone derivatives revealed to be pure photosensitizers with preferential photocytotoxic activity towards cancerous over healthy cells. Altogether, the results obtained confirm pyrrolo[1,2-h][1,7]naphthyridinones and pyrido[2,3-c]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepinones as promising photosensitisers against triple-negative breast cancer.
The Phenotypes of Anthropomorphism and the Link to Personality Traits
Authors: Spatola Nicolas , Marchesi Serena , Wykowska Agnieszka
Published: November 2022

Facing robotic agents, we cannot help but ascribe them anthropomorphic characteristics. While this cognitive process has been extensively studied, numerous questions remain about how the tendency to anthropomorphize is related to individual differences and personality traits (i.e. phenotypes). Understanding what generates inter-individual differences is crucial since these differences can explain an important part of the representations and therefore behaviors towards robots. In two studies we aimed to evaluate the idea that anthropomorphism and appraisal of robots can be related to individual phenotypes. We also investigated the relationship between personality traits and anthropomorphic phenotypes. Our results support the idea that anthropomorphism can be considered a phenotype with clear individual differences in anthropomorphic tendencies based on a 2 × 2 anthropomorphism tendency/appraisal matrix.
Feasibility of wear reduction for soft nanostructured thin film through enhanced elastic recoverability and contact stress relief
Authors: Seo Kuk-Jin , Kim Hyun-Joon , Kim Dae-Eun
Published: November 2022

This work shows that a soft, thin film comprising randomly aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can reduce surface wear more effectively than a homogeneous thin film because of enhanced elastic recoverability and contact stress relief originating from its mesh structure. To investigate the wear characteristics of the mesh structure compared to those of the homogeneous thin film, multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) and diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films were prepared to conduct nanoscale tribological experiments using the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The MWCNT thin film showed unmeasurably low wear compared with the DLC thin film under a certain range of normal load. To demonstrate the wear reduction mechanism of the MWCNT thin film, its indentation and frictional behaviors were assessed. The indentation behavior of the MWCNT thin film revealed repetitive elastic deformation with a wide strain range and a significantly lower elastic modulus than that of the DLC thin film. The permanent deformation of the MWCNT thin film was observed through frictional experiments under relatively high normal load conditions. These results are expected to provide insights into the design of highly wear-resistant surfaces using nanostructures.