bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Safety and feasibility of minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer in elderly patients: A retrospective study
Authors: Aoyama Shu , Ohmura Yoshiaki , Takeda Yutaka , Katsura Yoshiteru , Kinoshita Mitsuru , Shinke Go , Kihara Yukari , Yanagisawa Kiminori , Katsuyama Shinsuke , Ikeshima Ryo , Hiraki Masayuki , Sugimura Keijiro , Masuzawa Toru , Hata Taishi , Murata Kohei
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Previous studies have not evaluated the surgical difficulty of minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer in elderly patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of elderly age on the perioperative outcomes of minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy, focusing on surgical difficulty.

Methods

This single‐center retrospective study included patients who underwent minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer at Kansai Rosai Hospital between September 2012 and December 2023. Perioperative outcomes were investigated between the elderly (>75 years) and non‐elderly (≤75 years) groups.

Results

Fifty‐six patients were included: 26 and 30 in the elderly and non‐elderly groups, respectively. The median operative time was significantly shorter in the elderly group than in the non‐elderly group (324 vs. 414 min, p = .022), but other surgical outcomes were not significantly different including oncological factors. The median difficulty score was similar between the elderly and non‐elderly groups (6 vs. 7, respectively; p = .699). The incidences of postoperative complications and pancreatic fistulas were not significantly different in the elderly and non‐elderly groups (23% vs. 43%, p = .159, and 19% vs. 36%, p = .236, respectively), even though analyzed in subgroups with low‐to‐intermediate or high difficulty score.

Conclusions

The safety and feasibility of minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer were not significantly different between elderly and non‐elderly patients, even when surgical difficulty was considered. This surgical procedure can be safe and feasible for elderly patients.
Landsystem analysis of temperate non‐surging glaciers on the Mýrdalsjökull Ice Cap, southern Iceland
Authors: Lee Rebecca E. , Narro Pérez Rodrigo A. , Eyles Carolyn H.
Published: June 2024

Glacial deposits are important sources of palaeoclimatic information but not all deposits are formed by processes that reflect the overall climatic conditions of a region; surge‐type glaciers undergo periodic episodes of rapid ice movement, often unrelated to ambient climatic conditions. This study examines the glacier forefields of Öldufellsjökull and western Sléttjökull, two outlet glaciers of the Mýrdalsjökull Ice Cap in southern Iceland, to identify landform characteristics indicative of past episodes of fast flow. Previous studies suggest episodes of fast flow at these glaciers in the past century. Remotely sensed data and field investigations were combined to complete a landsystem analysis of the forefields of these glaciers and an uncrewed aerial vehicle was used to collect high‐resolution imagery of areas of particular interest. Two assemblages of landsystems are identified on each forefield, which pass from streamlined landforms containing abundant flutes close to the glacier to spatially restricted bands of arcuate moraines with associated glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine deposits more distally. This distribution of landsystem tracts has limited similarity to the current surge‐type glacier landsystem model, suggesting that other processes are controlling the development of landform–sediment assemblages. Using a high‐resolution digital elevation model of an area within the 1984 ice margin, two distinct landform types were identified that were not apparent on the coarse resolution imagery: hummocky moraine and a circular feature hypothesized to have formed as a result of water escape caused by changing hydrological regimes. The forefields of Öldufellsjökull and western Sléttjökull lack many of the characteristics typical of surge‐type landsystems and instead are more similar to the active temperate landsystem common in Iceland.
Reconstructing the Holocene glacial history of northern Troms and western Finnmark, Arctic Norway
Authors: Leigh Josh R. , Jones Richard S. , Stokes Chris R. , Evans David J. A. , Carr J. Rachel , Andreassen Liss M.
Published: June 2024

Here we present the first Lateglacial and Holocene glacial history from Rotsunddalen, northern Troms and western Finnmark county, northern Norway, based on both relative and numerical moraine dating using Schmidt hammer, soil chronosequencing and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating. We combine these chronological data with a regional map of the glacial geomorphology to hypothesize key events in the glacial history from around 14 ka to present. Our reconstruction shows that, following deglaciation of the main ice sheet across central Troms and Finnmark, mountain glaciers were terminating on land, close to the coast, between around 12.1 and 10.6 ka. Continued recession of the main Fennoscandian Ice Sheet margin towards the SE led to the isolation of several large plateau icefields and outlet glaciers that generated moraines at around 10.2–9.2 ka, which we ascribe to the Erdalen Event, and 8.4–8.2 ka, which is broadly contemporaneous with the 8.2 ka cold event. Although the latter corresponds with the Scandinavian Finse Event, very few moraines have been dated to this time and we therefore view it as a tentative hypothesis for future work to test. During the Holocene Thermal Maximum (~6.6 to 6.3 ka) most (if not all) glaciers in the region disappeared, but then regrew during the Neoglaciation and produced large moraines dated to around 4.7 ka that lie a few hundred metres distal to the prominent Little Ice Age moraines (previously dated to AD 1810s–1870s). Given the limitations of our dating approach, the preservation of moraines dated to this period in northern Norway also warrants further investigation. We also highlight that terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating of the moraines is not consistent with other dating approaches and the widely established deglaciation history of the region, probably owing to cosmogenic inheritance and insufficient glacial erosion.
Enmity then empathy: How militarisation facilitated collaborative but exclusive exchange in Sierra Leone's Ebola response
Authors: Boland Samuel T. , Mayhew Susannah H. , Rohan Hana , Lillywhite Louis , Balabanova Dina
Published: June 2024

In the autumn of 2014, with the 2013–16 West Africa Ebola epidemic spiralling out of control, the United Kingdom announced a bespoke military mission to support—and in some ways lead—numerous Ebola response functions in Sierra Leone. This study examines the nature and effect of the civil‐military relationships that subsequently developed between civilian and military Ebola response workers (ERWs). In total, 110 interviews were conducted with key involved actors, and the findings were analysed by drawing on the neo‐Durkheimian theory of organisations. This paper finds that stereotypical opposition between humanitarian and military actors helps to explain how and why there was initial cooperative and collaborative challenges. However, all actors were found to have similar hierarchical structures and operations, which explains how and why they were later able to cooperate and collaborate effectively. It also explains how and why civilian ERWs might have served to exclude and further marginalise some local actors.
Conceptualizing Socialization, Qualification, and Subjectification as Purposes of Education†
Authors: Juvonen Sara , Huilla Heidi , Kosunen Sonja , Thrupp Martin , Toom Auli
Published: June 2024

The authors of this paper explore Gert Biesta's theorization of three domains of purpose of education: socialization, qualification, and subjectification. The aim is to study the interrelations of the domains and to develop further the theoretical discussion concerning schools' purpose for both individuals and society. Outlining the relationships of the domains of purpose allows one to see how the societal purpose of education is realized in the education of individual students. The domain of socialization sets the stage for the domains of qualification and subjectification, making the balance of the latter two crucial for disadvantaged students as well as schools' societal purpose of both maintaining and reforming soci(et)al structures. Two key ideas are raised: First, in order to better understand the current dynamics of the three domains, the authors suggest separating the logic and content of “qualification.” Second, the authors discuss why it is equally useful to separate the everyday and societal dimension of purpose. The central question is this: Can individual educators find a balance between the three domains if the surrounding society overvalues the logic of qualification?
Nutritional enrichment of cereal foods: feasibility study and characterisation of biscuits fortified with seabass by‐products
Authors: Honrado Adrián , Ardila Paula , Leciñena Paula , Beltrán José A. , Calanche Juan
Published: June 2024

Industrial fish processing generates large amounts of fish by‐products. Therefore, this research aimed to explore alternatives that allow better exploitation of these by‐products and promote sustainability and a circular economy. To achieve this, the possibility of producing and using fish meal (FM) and fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) from seabass was studied for the nutritional fortification of biscuits. The results showed that the heat applied in the production of FPH was a factor that negatively affected the lipidic fraction, reducing the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids but also producing a product with darker shades. The incorporation of FM and FPH into the biscuits produced nutritional enrichment, especially in protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids, but also caused colour changes, which were more intense due to the increase of Maillard reaction, and changes in sensory perception, where higher intensities of colour and toasted flavour were perceived (especially when including FPH), but also fish flavours. Scanning electron microscopy made possible the visualisation of differences in the internal structure, which could be related to differences found in instrumental texture measurements. In conclusion, this research demonstrated that using fish by‐products to enrich biscuits is possible from a nutritional perspective. However, other techniques such as the use of antioxidant substances to preserve the fish's fatty acid profile or the combination of enzymes to reduce fish flavours should be considered for future research.
Prevalence of physical inactivity and its determinants among older adults living in nursing homes: A cross‐sectional study based on COM‐B model
Authors: Shi Ying , Xie Xi‐yan , Lao Ai‐di , Shao Lu , Wang Zhang‐an , Zhang Jun‐e
Published: June 2024

Aims

To investigate the prevalence of physical inactivity in older adults living in nursing homes and explore the determinants of physical inactivity by using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation–Behaviour model.

Design

A multisite, cross‐sectional study was performed by convenience sampling and questionnaire survey.

Methods

A total of 390 nursing home residents were recruited from three nursing homes in Southern China from May 2022 to April 2023. The participants completed a self‐designed general information questionnaire, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, Self‐Efficacy for Exercise Scale, Exercise Benefits Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 and the Short Physical Performance Battery test. Descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, and ordinal logistic regression were applied for data analysis.

Results

The prevalence of physical inactivity among the nursing home residents reached 88.46%. Ordinal logistic regression results showed that exercise self‐efficacy, perceived exercise benefits, physical function, availability of physical activity instruction, having depression, number of chronic diseases and living with spouse were the main influencing determinants of physical inactivity and explained 63.7% of the variance.

Conclusions

Physical inactivity was considerable in nursing home residents in China and influenced by complex factors. Tailored measures should be designed and implemented based on these factors to enhance physical activity while considering the uniqueness of Chinese culture.

Implications for the profession and patient care

Healthcare professionals should enhance physical activity of residents by increasing benefits understanding, boosting self‐efficacy, improving physical function, alleviating depression and integrating personalized physical activity guidance into routine care services. And more attention should be paid to the residents who had more chronic diseases or did not live with spouse.

Impact

Physical inactivity is a significant problem in nursing home residents. Understanding physical inactivity and its determinants enables the development of tailored interventions to enhance their physical activity level.

Reporting method

This study was reported conforming to the STROBE statement.

Patients or Public Contribution

Nursing home residents who met the inclusion criteria were recruited.
‘Food doesn't control me anymore!’ psychosocial experiences during dietary management in adults with inflammatory bowel disease: A qualitative study
Authors: Li Yiting , Tu Wenjing , Yin Tingting , Mei Ziqi , Zhang Sumin , Gu Weisheng , Liu Hanjiao , Xu Guihua
Published: June 2024

Aims

To explore the psychosocial experiences during dietary management among Chinese adults with inflammatory bowel disease.

Design

Qualitative phenomenological design.

Methods

Eighteen adults diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease for more than 6 months were recruited using purposive sampling from June to December 2023. Two trained researchers used van Manen's approach to analyse the data.

Results

The three themes with multiple subthemes emerged: facing the unknown: at a loss and aggrieved, trying to cope: uncertain and distressed, and growing in adaptation: relieved and transcendent. The first theme included unknown relapses, overlooking diet management and the absence of dietary rules. The second theme showed different coping situations, like complex dietary information and ever‐closing worlds. The third theme explores how participants adapted to disease and their eating patterns.

Conclusion

The psychosocial experiences during dietary management are complex. The accumulation of diet‐related experience, acceptance of illness and social support facilitate patients in overcoming negative emotions and adhering to dietary management.

Implications for the Profession and Patient Care

Nurses should provide tailored dietary guidance and appropriate psychological interventions to promote healthy eating in patients.

Impact

This study may enhance healthcare professionals' understanding, particularly those in China, of the diet‐related experiences among patients.

Reporting Method

The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.

Patient or Public Contribution

Participants contributed by sharing their first hand experiences.
Association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and COVID‐19 severity
Authors: Nassi‐Liberman Oria , Oberman Bernice , Strahl Tamar , Yosef Noga , Shlomi Dekel
Published: June 2024

Obstructive sleep apnea and sleep‐related hypoxia have been associated with higher rates of hospitalization and mortality among patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). We further explored the association between obstructive sleep apnea, COVID‐19 severity and related mortality. In addition, we examined the effects of clinical and demographic parameters on COVID‐19. In this retrospective study, we included adult patients who were diagnosed with COVID‐19 prior to the Omicron variant identification. We compared the severity of COVID‐19 and mortality with the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. The study population included 44,275 patients who tested positive for COVID‐19. Of these, 97% had mild or asymptomatic disease, 1.2% had moderate disease, and 1.8% had severe disease. Obstructive sleep apnea was diagnosed in 980 (2.2%) patients. In a multivariate analysis, obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis increased the risk of severe COVID‐19 by 1.6 (95% confidence interval: 1.1–2.4) compared with mild disease. However, no increase in mortality was associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Interestingly, patients with moderate and high socioeconomic status had a 1.6 times higher risk for severe COVID‐19 than patients from the low socioeconomic status group (95% confidence interval: 1.2–2.1 and 95% confidence interval: 1.1–2.3, respectively). The risk of dying due to COVID‐19 was 1.6 (95% confidence interval: 1.1–2.5) and 3.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.8–5.3) times higher in patients with medium and high socioeconomic status, respectively, compared with patients with low socioeconomic status. Diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea was found to be an independent risk factor for severe COVID‐19. The higher the socioeconomic status, the higher the risk of severe COVID‐19 morbidity and mortality.
European survey on Paediatric Early Warning Systems, and other processes used to aid the recognition and response to children's deterioration on hospital wards
Authors: Gawronski Orsola , Briassoulis George , El Ghannudi Ziad , Ilia Stavroula , Sánchez‐Martín María , Chiusolo Fabrizio , Jensen Claus Sixtus , Manning Joseph C. , Valla Frederic V. , Pavelescu Carmen , Dall'Oglio Immacolata , Coad Jane , Sefton Gerri ,   For the European Society for Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ESPNIC) Resuscitation Section and Pediatric Nursing Associations of Europe (PNAE) study group
Published: June 2024

Background

Internationally, there is an increasing trend in using Rapid Response Systems (RRS) to stabilize in‐patient deterioration. Despite a growing evidence base, there remains limited understanding of the processes in place to aid the early recognition and response to deteriorating children in hospitals across Europe.

Aim

To describe the processes in place for early recognition and response to in‐patient deterioration in children in European hospitals.

Study Design

A cross‐sectional opportunistic multi‐centre European study, of hospitals with paediatric in‐patients, using a descriptive self‐reported, web‐based survey, was conducted between September 2021 and March 2022. The sampling method used chain referral through members of European and national societies, led by country leads. The survey instrument was an adaptation to the survey of Recognition and Response Systems in Australia. The study received ethics approval. Descriptive analysis and Chi‐squared tests were performed to compare results in European regions.

Results

A total of 185 questionnaires from 21 European countries were received. The majority of respondents (n = 153, 83%) reported having written policies, protocols, or guidelines, regarding the measurement of physiological observations. Over half (n = 120, 65%) reported that their hospital uses a Paediatric Early Warning System (PEWS) and 75 (41%) reported having a Rapid Response Team (RRT). Approximately one‐third (38%) reported that their hospital collects specific data about the effectiveness of their RRS, while 100 (54%) reported providing regular training and education to support it. European regional differences existed in PEWS utilization (North = 98%, Centre = 25%, South = 44%, p < .001) and process evaluation (North = 49%, Centre = 6%, South = 36%, p < .001).

Conclusions

RRS practices in European hospitals are heterogeneous. Differences in the uptake of PEWS and RRS process evaluation emerged across Europe.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

It is important to scope practices for the safe monitoring and management of deteriorating children in hospital across Europe. To reduce variance in practice, a consensus statement endorsed by paediatric and intensive care societies could provide guidance and resources to support PEWS implementation and for the operational governance required for continuous quality improvement.
patrimonio arquitectónico modesto en zonas rurales: aproximaciones teóricas para su definición y caracterización
Authors: Esteves Matias José
Published: June 2024

Se presenta una revisión teórica del concepto de patrimonio arquitectónico modesto en zonas rurales, mediante un análisis crítico y exhaustivo de textos científicos disponibles en bases de datos de acceso libre, así como libros y documentos en bibliotecas locales. Se analizan aportes de diferentes autores, y a partir de los resultados hallados y las reflexiones realizadas, se llega a una definición propia de lo que se entiende por patrimonio arquitectónico rural y su vinculación con lo modesto. Este enfoque se aplicará en un proyecto de investigación en el cinturón verde de Mendoza (Argentina) y su relación con el paisaje agrícola a escala local. Las conclusiones destacan la importancia de definir, comprender y analizar al patrimonio rural en su contexto, así como cuestionar el alcance de lo modesto, con el fin de aportar algunos aspectos útiles en la valorización del patrimonio al interior de la región latinoamericana.
Force Stiffness Technique for Non-Destructive Evaluation of Buckling Load of Oblate Ellipsoidal Shells
Authors: Rangarajan Gopikrishna , Dinavahi Ramkrishna , Raju Gangadharan , Jain Prakash Chand
Published: June 2024

Buckling is a critical mode of failure that governs the design of thin-walled shell structures. The buckling load of shells is sensitive to geometric imperfections, the effect of boundary conditions, or eccentricity in the load application path. Non-destructive evaluation techniques are widely used for estimating the buckling load of structures. Force-stiffness (F-s) technique is one such method used for the estimation of buckling load without subjecting the structure to failure. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the buckling load of oblate ellipsoidal shell structures subjected to external pressure using the F-s technique. Experiments are carried out on scaled ellipsoidal shells fabricated using steel with similar R/t values. The experiments are performed on five domes until buckling and the strains under pressure loading are measured using strain gages. Graphs of the pressure-to-strain ratio versus applied pressure are plotted for the five scaled-down domes. It is observed from these plots that the F-s technique can predict the buckling load with 95% accuracy in all the scaled-down domes using strain data up to 80% of the buckling load. All the domes buckled within a range of 2.8 to 3.5 MPa. With this confidence, the F-s technique is applied for buckling load prediction of a large-scale dome structure, almost 3 times the size of the scaled-down dome, subjected to external pressurization. Furthermore, the application of the F-s technique numerically to predict the buckling load of oblate shells is also explored.
Method Development Towards Strength and Flaw Characterization of Single Carbon Fibers
Authors: Dockter Andrew , Decker Ryan , Forslof David , Egloff Matthew , Cairns Douglas , Bajwa Dilpreet , Ridgard Christopher , Nelson Jared , Amendola Roberta , Ryan Cecily
Published: June 2024

Stretch breaking of carbon fibers is a process to break single to multiple tows to produce discontinuous, aligned fibers within a tow. The process stretches the carbon fibers causing breakage according to intrinsic flaws leading to a distribution of fiber lengths within the tow. These breaks allow the stretch broken fiber tows to exhibit increased formability during composites manufacturing that is useful to produce parts with complex geometries. This work aims to establish a repeatable method to characterize the carbon fibers flaw types, and their distributions, that lead to fiber breakage to better understand the stretch breaking process.

To assess the flaws exploited by the stretch breaking process, single continuous carbon fibers were extracted from a Hexcel IM7-12K tow and tensile tested both in water and in air at a gauge length of 25 mm. The Weibull distribution was used to describe the strength behavior of brittle carbon fibers. Higher strength values were overall recorded for fibers tested in water when compared to the ones tested in air. Scanning electron microscopy was used for flaw characterization.
Stochastic Thermal Buckling Analysis of Variable Angle Tow Composites
Authors: Thapa Mishal , Zhao Wei , Mulani Sameer B.
Published: June 2024

Variable angle tow (VAT) enables tailoring the stiffness distribution across the laminates for improved structural performance by combining the features of advanced automated tape laying and filament winding. However, the performance of VAT composites is affected by the presence of uncertainties in material properties, geometric properties, loads, and boundary conditions that are unwantedly introduced during the manufacturing process. This leads to composite products that may not exactly perform as expected during the operation, which necessitates accounting for the effects of the uncertainties during the design and analysis of VAT composites. Therefore, a sparse polynomial chaos expansion (PCE)-based approach for uncertainty quantification (UQ) and global sensitivity analysis of the thermal buckling response of a variable angle tow (VAT) laminate is presented. Two test cases are considered for thermal buckling analysis of a VAT laminate under material and geometric uncertainties — similar random properties for different plies and different random properties for different plies. Furthermore, the effect of assumption regarding the distribution of random parameters is also studied by considering normal and uniform distribution. The results have been verified with a large number of Monte Carlo Simulations. The results underlined the benefits of using a PCE-based approach for quantifying the effects of uncertainties on the thermal buckling response of VAT laminate and identifying the influential random parameters.
Integrated platform for multiscale molecular imaging and phenotyping of the human brain
Authors: Park Juhyuk , Wang Ji , Guan Webster , Gjesteby Lars A. , Pollack Dylan , Kamentsky Lee , Evans Nicholas B. , Stirman Jeff , Gu Xinyi , Zhao Chuanxi , Marx Slayton , Kim Minyoung E. , Choi Seo Woo , Snyder Michael , Chavez David , Su-Arcaro Clover , Tian Yuxuan , Park Chang Sin , Zhang Qiangge , Yun Dae Hee , Moukheiber Mira , Feng Guoping , Yang X. William , Keene C. Dirk , Hof Patrick R. , Ghosh Satrajit S. , Frosch Matthew P. , Brattain Laura J. , Chung Kwanghun
Published: June 2024

Understanding cellular architectures and their connectivity is essential for interrogating system function and dysfunction. However, we lack technologies for mapping the multiscale details of individual cells and their connectivity in the human organ–scale system. We developed a platform that simultaneously extracts spatial, molecular, morphological, and connectivity information of individual cells from the same human brain. The platform includes three core elements: a vibrating microtome for ultraprecision slicing of large-scale tissues without losing cellular connectivity (MEGAtome), a polymer hydrogel–based tissue processing technology for multiplexed multiscale imaging of human organ–scale tissues (mELAST), and a computational pipeline for reconstructing three-dimensional connectivity across multiple brain slabs (UNSLICE). We applied this platform for analyzing human Alzheimer’s disease pathology at multiple scales and demonstrating scalable neural connectivity mapping in the human brain.
A market for 30x30 in the ocean
Authors: Villasenor-Derbez Juan Carlos , Costello Christopher , Plantinga Andrew J.
Published: June 2024

Marine protections could benefit from trade in obligations
Venturicidin A affects the mitochondrial membrane potential and induces kDNA loss in
Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Hauser Dennis A. , Kaiser Marcel , Mäser Pascal , Albisetti Anna
Published: June 2024

Neglected tropical diseases caused by trypanosomatid parasites have devastating health and economic consequences, especially in tropical areas. New drugs or new combination therapies to fight these parasites are urgently needed. Venturicidin A, a macrolide extracted from
Streptomyces
, inhibits the ATP synthase complex of fungi and bacteria. However, its effect on trypanosomatids is not fully understood. In this study, we tested venturicidin A on a panel of trypanosomatid parasites using Alamar Blue assays and found it to be highly active against
Trypanosoma brucei
and
Leishmania donovani
, but much less so against
Trypanosoma evansi
. Using fluorescence microscopy, we observed a rapid loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential in
T. brucei
bloodstream forms upon venturicidin A treatment. Additionally, we report the loss of mitochondrial DNA in approximately 40%–50% of the treated parasites. We conclude that venturicidin A targets the ATP synthase of
T. brucei
, and we suggest that this macrolide could be a candidate for anti-trypanosomatid drug repurposing, drug combinations, or medicinal chemistry programs.
Supplemental Material: Oxygen and sulfur stable isotope ratios of Late Devonian vertebrates trace the relative salinity of their aquatic environments
Authors: Goedert Jean , Broussard David , et al.
Published: June 2024

Tables S1–S5 and Figures S1–S11.
Molecular mechanisms underlying the modulation of T-cell proliferation and cytotoxicity by immobilized CCL21 and ICAM1
Authors: Yado Sofi , Dassa Bareket , Zoabi Rawan , Reich-Zeliger Shlomit , Friedman Nir , Geiger Benjamin
Published: June 2024

Background

Adoptive cancer immunotherapy, using engineered T-cells, expressing chimeric antigen receptor or autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes became, in recent years, a major therapeutic approach for diverse types of cancer. However, despite the transformative potential of adoptive cancer immunotherapy, this field still faces major challenges, manifested by the apparent decline of the cytotoxic capacity of effector CD8+T cells upon their expansion. To address these challenges, we have developed an ex vivo “synthetic immune niche” (SIN), composed of immobilized CCL21 and ICAM1, which synergistically induce an efficient expansion of antigen-specific CD8+T cells while retaining, and even enhancing their cytotoxic potency.

Methods

To explore the molecular mechanisms through which a CCL21+ICAM1-based SIN modulates the interplay between the proliferation and cytotoxic potency of antigen-activated and CD3/CD28-activated effector CD8+T cells, we performed integrated analysis of specific differentiation markers via flow cytometry, together with gene expression profiling.

Results

On day 3, the transcriptomic effect induced by the SIN was largely similar for both dendritic cell (DC)/ovalbumin (OVA)-activated and anti-CD3/CD28-activated cells. Cell proliferation increased and the cells exhibited high killing capacity. On day 4 and on, the proliferation/cytotoxicity phenotypes became radically “activation-specific”; The DC/OVA-activated cells lost their cytotoxic activity, which, in turn, was rescued by the SIN treatment. On longer incubation, the cytotoxic activity further declined, and on day7, could not be rescued by the SIN. SIN stimulation following activation with anti-CD3/CD28 beads induced a major increase in the proliferative phenotype while transiently suppressing their cytotoxicity for 2–3 days and fully regaining their killing activity on day 7. Potential molecular regulatory pathways of the SIN effects were identified, based on transcriptomic and multispectral imaging profiling.

Conclusions

These data indicate that cell proliferation and cytotoxicity are negatively correlated, and the interplay between them is differentially regulated by the mode of initial activation. The SIN stimulation greatly enhances the cell expansion, following both activation modes, while displaying high survival and cytotoxic potency at specific time points following stimulation, suggesting that it could effectively reinforce adoptive cancer immunotherapy.
Modifying T cell phenotypes using TYK2 inhibitor and its implications for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Satoh-Kanda Yurie , Nakayamada Shingo , Kubo Satoshi , Yamagata Kaoru , Nawata Aya , Tanaka Hiroaki , Kosaka Shunpei , Kanda Ryuichiro , Yu Shan , Fujita Yuya , Sonomoto Koshiro , Tanaka Yoshiya
Published: June 2024

Objectives

The tuning effects of JAK/TYK2 inhibitors on the imbalance between T follicular helper (Tfh) and T regulatory (Treg) cells, related to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis, were investigated using human peripheral blood samples.

Methods

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from untreated patients with SLE and healthy controls were analysed. Tfh1 cells were identified in nephritis tissue, and the effect of Tfh1 cells on B-cell differentiation was examined by coculturing naïve B cells with Tfh1 cells.

Results

Tfh1 cell numbers were increased in the peripheral blood of patients, and activated Treg cell counts were decreased relative to Tfh1 cell counts. This imbalance in the Tfh to Treg ratio was remarkably pronounced in cases of lupus nephritis, especially in types III and IV active nephritis. Immunohistochemistry revealed Tfh1 cell infiltration in lupus nephritis tissues. Co-culture of Tfh1 cells (isolated from healthy individuals) with naïve B cells elicited greater induction of T-bet+B cells than controls. In JAK/TYK2-dependent STAT phosphorylation assays using memory CD4+T cells, IL-12-induced STAT1/4 phosphorylation and Tfh1 cell differentiation were inhibited by both JAK and TYK2 inhibitors. However, phosphorylation of STAT5 by IL-2 and induction of Treg cell differentiation by IL-2+TGFβ were inhibited by JAK inhibitors but not by TYK2 inhibitors, suggesting that TYK2 does not mediate the IL-2 signalling pathway.

Conclusions

Tfh1 cells can induce T-bet+B cell production and may contribute to SLE pathogenesis-associated processes. TYK2 inhibitor may fine-tune the immune imbalance by suppressing Tfh1 differentiation and maintaining Treg cell differentiation, thereby preserving IL-2 signalling, unlike other JAK inhibitors.
Factors associated with lifetime use of commercial sex work services among Japanese men aged 20–49: findings from a quasi-representative national survey, 2022
Authors: Ghaznavi Cyrus , Ueda Peter , Nomura Shuhei , Ishikane Masahiro , Uno Shunsuke , Sakamoto Haruka
Published: June 2024

Objectives

Approximately half of Japanese men aged 20–49 years have purchased sexual services, but data concerning the use of commercial sex work (CSW) in Japan remain scarce.

Methods

We used online survey data from the National Inventory of Japanese Sexual Behavior conducted in 2022 (N=4000 Japanese men aged 20–49 years). We calculated the median number of paid sexual partners over the lifetime. We performed logistic regression analysis to determine the sociodemographic, anthropometric and attitudinal factors associated with any lifetime CSW use among men in Japan.

Results

The median number of paid sexual partners reported among men who had ever used CSW was 6 (IQR 3–17) across the lifetime; the corresponding value for those who had ever used CSW in the past year was 2 (IQR 1–4) over the last 12 months. In general, those reporting lifetime use of CSW were significantly more likely than their CSW-naïve counterparts to be older, be married, be heterosexual or bisexual, have higher income and have higher education. Those reporting higher self-rated attractiveness, high or low satisfaction with their sex lives, a desire to increase their frequency of sex and considering sex to be an important aspect of their lives were also found to have a higher likelihood of having used CSW.

Conclusions

High rates of CSW use in Japan likely reflect ease of access, low stigma with respect to use of sexual services and the diversity in the type of services offered. High-income, employed older men have more financial resources at their disposal to purchase services, which can be cost-prohibitive for part-time or unemployed young men with low incomes. These findings will serve as a launchpad for public health efforts directed at promoting safe sexual practices and improved sexually transmitted infection screening rates among users of CSW in Japan.
Genetic-informed proteome-wide scan reveals potential causal plasma proteins for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Zhu Jiahao , Liu Houpu , Gao Rui , Gong Ruicheng , Wang Jing , Zhou Dan , Yu Min , Li Yingjun
Published: June 2024

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal lung disease for which there are no reliable biomarkers or disease-modifying drugs. Here, we integrated human genomics and proteomics to investigate the causal associations between 2769 plasma proteins and IPF. Our Mendelian randomisation analysis identified nine proteins associated with IPF, of which three (FUT3, ADAM15 and USP28) were colocalised. ADAM15 emerged as the top candidate, supported by expression quantitative trait locus analysis in both blood and lung tissue. These findings provide novel insights into the aetiology of IPF and offer translational opportunities in response to the clinical challenges of this devastating disease.
Remanufacturing of paper waste for pencil production: a sustainable business assessment
Authors: Abdullah Ziyad Tariq
Published: June 2024

Large amounts of waste paper are generated annually worldwide. Although some of it is recycled, up to 50% is landfilled or incinerated. The remanufacturing of waste paper to produce pencils is proposed as a novel, sustainable business solution. A sustainability analysis of this process was performed to quantify indexes of technical, environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Small-to-medium business models were evaluated, in which 15 000 pencils/shift/day can be produced from 135 kg of waste paper, with a maximum productivity of 64 800 pencils/day. Productivity, operating costs, power consumption, land footprint, machine delivery cost, and number of workers were used to analyze the technical feasibility. The cost-to-profit ratio, cost and profit per pencil, and daily profit were used to evaluate economic sustainability. The amounts of municipal solid waste and recovered paper waste, saved embodied energy, and prevented CO2 emissions were used to analyze environmental sustainability. The number of workers and labor costs were used to evaluate human development and social sustainability. The machines required for the remanufacturing line are considered sufficiently mature, remanufactured pencils are less expensive to produce than wooden pencils, and the proposed process minimizes the amount of waste paper sent to landfills and avoids the use of new wood for producing pencils, thereby satisfying technical, economic, and environmental sustainability, respectively. The final sustainability index of 0.9 is considered very high and sufficient for operating a profitable, sustainable business with a profit of 252–583 USD/day.
ROND: Rethinking Overlay Network Design with Underlay Network Awareness
Authors: Zhang Yuchao , Zhang Huahai , Cong Peizhuang , Wang Wendong
Published: June 2024

Overlay network is an effective way for constructing end-to-end high-quality network services. Service Overlay Network (SON) leverages existing data transmission infrastructure to offer overlay network as network services, which provides flexibility and controllability for deploying value-added services. In this paper, we study the overlay topology design problem of SON deployment, that is, purchasing bandwidth with certain Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees in the underlay network, and building a logical overlay network that adapts to communication requirements with guaranteed reliability. The challenge lies in the difficulty of designing an overlay network with adaptability for dynamic of traffic requirement and uncertainty of underlay network failures. Traditional methods lack the underlay network view and rarely consider network failure scenarios, making it difficult to achieve global optimization. We mathematically formulate the minimum-cost overlay network design problem with network reliability constraints. Then, we propose a novel method, ROND, that samples critical traffic matrices to capture the dynamic of traffic patterns and generates failure scenarios to characterize the volatility of underlay network for avoiding significant network reconfiguration. On this basis, we simplify overlay network design problem and solve it iteratively, thereby minimizing the transmission cost as much as possible while ensuring the network performance. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that ROND is cost-effective and performance-guaranteed.
A First Look At IPv6 Hypergiant Infrastructure
Authors: Hilal Fahad , Sattler Patrick , Vermeulen Kevin , Gasser Oliver
Published: June 2024

Today's Internet is dominated by a small number of companies which are responsible for a large fraction of Internet traffic. These so called "hypergiants" make use of off-nets to deploy parts of their infrastructure in ISP networks. Off-nets ensure that clients from these ISPs get lower latencies and the ISP needs to send less traffic to its upstream providers. They have been relatively well studied in the IPv4 Internet, although their footprint in IPv6 remains unclear.

In this paper, we take a first look at the IPv6 hypergiant infrastructure. We perform a first-of-its-kind study of IPv6 off-nets for 14 hypergiants and compare their deployment to IPv4. We find IPv6 off-nets in 2k ASes, compared to the more than 6k off-net ASes for IPv4. Moreover, the majority of IPv6 off-nets deployments are seen in ASes which already deploy IPv4 off-nets. Interestingly, we also see some hypergiants such as Disney and Hulu not making use of any IPv6 off-nets at all. We also uncover the phenomenon of cross-hypergiant deployments, where one hypergiant deploys its infrastructure in another hypergiant's network. Finally, we use latency measurements to compare IPv6 vs. IPv4 latency to off-net prefixes within off-net ASes and find similar results for both protocol versions. We make all our code and data available to encourage replicability.
BB-FLoC: A Blockchain-based Targeted Advertisement Scheme with K-Anonymity
Authors: Kruminis Edvinas , Navaie Keivan , Ascigil Onur
Published: June 2024

New data protection regulations, e.g., General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), enforced advertisement providers to amend their conventional approaches, enhancing users’ data privacy. As a result, major Internet browsers such as Apple Safari and Firefox were quick to announce their plans to remove third-party cookies from their browsers entirely. In an effort to preserve conventional advertising practices, Google proposed a Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) system to deliver higher privacy guarantees to users whilst also providing interest-based advertising. In FLoC, users sharing similar browsing histories are put into cohorts, and thus advertisements can be targeted to them as a group, rather than individually. Since each user independently calculates their cohort group, a minimum cohort size cannot be enforced, making them vulnerable to identification and tracking. To address this issue, in this paper, a blockchain-based FLoC (BB-FLoC) system is proposed that guarantees k-anonymity for its users whilst at the same time allowing for effective personalised advertising. We further evaluate the operational feasibility of such a design and demonstrate that k-anonymity guarantees can be fulfilled in a fully decentralized manner in the proposed system. The proposed system is relatively lightweight, showcasing that it can be adapted for low-end devices such as mobile phones.
Broken Instrument Removal Methods with a Minireview of the Literature
Authors: Aminsobhani Mohsen , Hashemi Nasim , Hamidzadeh Fatemeh , Sarraf Pegah
Published: June 2024

Instrument fracture in the root canal system is an unpleasant incident that may occur during root canal treatment. Comprehensive cleaning of the root canal system is often impossible in the presence of a broken instrument. Therefore, it is often imperative to remove the broken fragment from the root canal system. To date, various methods have been proposed for the removal of broken instruments from the root canal system. However, no consensus has been reached on a safe technique with a high success rate for broken instrument removal. This case series reports six cases of successful removal of broken instruments using different methods including the ultrasonic, tube‐and‐glue, tube‐and‐wire, tube‐and‐internal shaft, and the forceps techniques and also provides a brief review of the relevant literature.
Hepatitis and Vasodilatory Shock due to an Unsuspected Culprit: A Rare Presentation of Multisystem Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
Authors: Bhatt Shubhang K. , Ashcherkin Nikita , Fanous John , Pai Rish K. , Athale Janhavi
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare hematologic condition which can affect multiple organ systems and has variable presentation. LCH is more commonly seen as a malignancy of childhood. LCH in adulthood can have poor outcomes depending on the involvement of critical organs. Case Presentation: We report a case of a 71-year-old female who presented with progressive weakness, weight loss, diarrhea, and jaundice, and had been undergoing outpatient workup for elevated liver enzymes for the last 2 years. She required admission to the intensive care unit for vasodilatory shock, requiring vasopressor and chronotropic support. Imaging showed an underlying multiorgan process involving the gastrointestinal tract, liver, spleen, and central nervous system. A repeat liver biopsy after a prior inconclusive one revealed the diagnosis of multisystem LCH presenting as secondary sclerosing cholangitis. Conclusion: The uniqueness of this multisystem LCH case lies not only in its rarity but also in the diagnostic journey that necessitated a repeat biopsy for a conclusive diagnosis. Early identification and targeted intervention can help in ensuring better patient outcomes, especially when the presentation can overlap with various other possible conditions.
The Occurrences of Gelatinous Drop-Like Corneal Dystrophy within an Acehnese Family
Authors: Cut Putri Samira  , Muhammad Khalil Akbar  , Islami Dian
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Gelatinous drop-like dystrophy (GDLD) presents as an infrequent form of corneal dystrophy characterized by an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. While its incidence in Japan stands at roughly 1 in 33,000 individuals, it manifests less frequently in other populations. Surgical intervention, such as lamellar or penetrating keratoplasty is typically necessary to relieve symptoms
Objective: To describe 3 cases of Gelatinous drop-like dystrophy and their treatment approaches
Illustration: Three brothers were diagnosed with corneal dystrophy, marked by a white-yellow nodular lesion resembling a kumquat on the corneal surface. Each patient exhibited light perception with good projection in terms of visual acuity. All underwent full-thickness lamellar keratoplasty for treatment. A month post-surgery, their visual acuity had improved to 3/60, 2/60, and 2/60, respectively.
Conclusion: GDLD is a rare corneal condition associated with potential vision loss. Identification through familial history, corneal clinical features and involvement contributes to diagnosing GDLD. Full-thickness penetrating keratoplasty may be considered for managing significant visual impairment resulting from GDLD
Keywords: corneal dystrophy, full-thickness penetrating keratoplasty, gelatinous drop-like