bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping existing research on flushing peripheral vascular catheters: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Deng Jiaxin , Hernon Orlaith , Liu Liping , Duggan Catriona , Quinlan Leo R , Alfahl Zina , Carr Peter J
Published: January 2025

Introduction

The peripheral vascular catheter (PVC) is the most common intravenous medical device used in hospitals, given it is crucial for the delivery of intravenous therapies. Despite its widespread use, PVC complications such as occlusion, infiltration, extravasation, phlebitis, thrombophlebitis, catheter-related thrombosis and catheter-related bloodstream infection significantly affect patient safety, leading to increased morbidity and healthcare costs. One approach to maintain PVC patency and therefore device longevity is to flush the PVC. This usually involves the use of 5 to 10 mL syringes with normal saline. The evidence on PVC flushing practices is dispersed, making it difficult to draw clear conclusions about current practices and clinical implications. A scoping review is needed to explore and synthesise this evidence systematically and to systematically map the existing research on PVC flushing by assessing the scope, methodologies and outcomes of existing studies.

Methods and analysis

The review will adhere to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology, using a three-phase search strategy as recommended by JBI and covering the full-time range available in each database. Systematic searches will be conducted across Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL; clinical trial registries; and grey literature sources to identify potentially eligible studies published up to May 2024. Following duplicate removal, 3021 records will remain for screening. Two independent reviewers will screen the records and extract data based on the review questions. The reporting will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews, with the results and discussion structured according to the Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Evidence for practice and Research recommendations framework.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval is not required for this study. The findings will be shared through professional networks, presented at conferences and published in a scientific journal.
Multimorbidity patterns and function among adults in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review
Authors: Berner Karina , Nizeyimana Eugene , Bedada Diribsa Tsegaye , Louw Quinette A
Published: January 2025

Objectives

To map the scope of available evidence on relationships between multimorbidity patterns and functioning among adults in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and describe methods used.

Design

Scoping review guided by a five-step methodological framework and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews reporting guidelines.

Data sources

PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, EBSCOhost (CINAHL) and Cochrane databases were searched from January 1976 to March 2023, plus reference lists of included studies.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Peer-reviewed full-text articles or conference proceedings of any design, published in English or Afrikaans, involving adults (>18 years) with multimorbidity living in LMICs. Studies had to refer to associations between multimorbid patterns of co-occurrence and functioning. Multimorbidity was defined as the coexistence of ≥2 diseases, including any combination of non-communicable, infectious and mental health conditions.

Data extraction and synthesis

Data were extracted independently by two reviewers using a piloted form. Findings were synthesised according to methodological approaches, multimorbidity-pattern epidemiology, evidence gaps/limitations and recommendations for future research. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework was used to classify functional problems.

Results

Nine studies (total sample size: 62 003) were included, mainly from upper-middle-income Asian countries. Key methodological inconsistencies were identified in defining and operationalising multimorbidity, conditions included in determining patterns, statistical methods for pattern determination and functioning outcome measures. Five main multimorbidity pattern domains emerged: Cardio-Metabolic and Coronary Atherosclerotic, Musculoskeletal, Respiratory and Digestive/Visceral, Degenerative, and Mental Health-Related. Mobility limitations, instrumental activities of daily living, self-care and bowel/bladder problems were consistently linked to all pattern domains.

Conclusions

The limited and geographically skewed body of literature, along with methodological inconsistencies, hampers a comprehensive understanding of multimorbidity patterns and associations with functioning in LMICs. Future research should explore context-specific multimorbidity definitions, employ transparent methodologies, use standardised measures and incorporate diverse samples to inform tailored interventions and policies.
Biology of extracellular vesicles and the potential of tumor-derived vesicles for subverting immunotherapy of cancer
Authors: Whiteside Theresa L
Published: January 2025

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are produced by all living cells and are present in all body fluids. EVs are heterogeneous in size, biogenesis, molecular/genetic content and functions. They constitute a part of the intercellular communication system. Among them, a subset of small EVs (sEVs) (30–150 nm) originating in the tumor cell endosomes and often referred to as “tumor cell-derived exosomes” have been of special interest. Tumors have adapted sEV they produce to promoting their own survival. Plasma of patients with cancer contains variably elevated numbers of tumor-derived sEV called “TEX,” which differ from circulating sEV produced by non-malignant cells by the immunosuppressive phenotype and the molecular/genetic content. Immunosuppressive molecular profiles and abilities to signal, enter and functionally reprogram a variety of recipient cells enable TEX to exert pro-tumor effects that promote tumor resistance to immunotherapy. This review describes phenotypic and functional attributes of TEX that underline their reprogramming capabilities. It also considers mechanisms responsible for TEX pro-tumor activities and the potential significance of TEX signaling for responses of patients with cancer to immune therapies.
Sclerotherapy combined with sirolimus for the treatment of complex cervicofacial lymphatic malformations in infants: avoiding the need for tracheostomy
Authors: Qi Weiwei , Yin Chuan-Gao , Wang Song , Pan Deng , Chen Xiao-Li , Hu Gui-Dan
Published: January 2025

Background

Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are low-flow, congenital lesions commonly presenting as asymptomatic masses in the head and neck. However, large lymphangiomas can significantly affect breathing or swallowing, posing considerable treatment challenges.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of complex cervicofacial LMs in infants was conducted over the past 8 years at the Department of Radiology. Patients were included if they had complex cervicofacial LMs. The size and type of LMs were assessed using ultrasound or MRI. All patients underwent sclerotherapy combined with sirolimus treatment. Treatment outcomes were evaluated through clinical examination and imaging findings.

Results

Nineteen infants with large and extensive LMs of the head and neck were identified, including 12 males and 7 females. Thirteen patients had macrocystic lesions, five had mixed lesions, and one had microcystic lesions. Posttreatment, 18 children showed a size reduction of more than 75%, and one case demonstrated a reduction of 51–75%. Mild-to-moderate fever was observed in four cases postoperatively, and two cases experienced localized swelling. None of the 19 cases developed serious adverse reactions, such as allergies, pulmonary fibrosis, nerve injury, or skin necrosis.

Conclusions

Sclerotherapy combined with sirolimus appears to be a safe and effective treatment for complex cervicofacial LMs in infants. This approach reduced the necessity for tracheotomy in affected children.
Effect of Lithospheric Thickness and Radial Mantle Viscosity Profile on Glacial Isostatic Adjustment Crustal Motions in North America
Authors: Brierley-Green Connor , James Thomas S.
Published: January 2025

North America is experiencing vertical and horizontal crustal motion due to glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). To explore these motions across central and eastern North America, GIA modelling was carried out employing the ICE-6G_C surface loading model. The Earth model response was determined for 500 3-layered mantle viscosity profiles at nine different lithospheric thicknesses, assuming a constrained density and elastic structure. The predictions were compared to observed velocities downloaded from the Nevada Geodetic Laboratory for selected Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sites and were corrected for hydrological loading and current global ice change. The fit is assessed through a Root Mean Square (RMS) calculation of the residual velocities. Scanning across lithospheric thicknesses and viscosity profiles, the preferred models were compiled to assess the overall best fit for vertical, horizontal, and combined crustal motions. The horizontal and combined responses exhibit two optimal viscosity profile ranges dependent on the lithospheric thickness. The viscosity profile for thinner lithospheres (<120 km) is akin to other published profiles but inferred mantle viscosities shift by an order of magnitude at thicker lithospheres (≥120 km). The optimal viscosity for the vertical velocities is similar to published profiles with a preferred lithosphere thickness of 100 km. Tests with a different loading model (ICE-7G) and without hydrological corrections give similar results. Despite the exhaustive exploration of a constrained parameter space, the significant remaining horizontal residuals (RMS of the preferred model is 0.56 mm/yr, RMS of horizontal observations is 1.24 mm/yr) suggests the need for more complex Earth models.
Crystallization conditions and magmatic-hydrothermal evolution of syenite dykes spatially associated with gold mineralization: the example of the Dolodau syenite-carbonatite complex, Abitibi greenstone belt
Authors: Mathieu Lucie , Estrade Guillaume , Miranda Mara , Laurent Oscar , Grégoire Michel
Published: January 2025

The Dolodau syenite-carbonatite complex is one of several syntectonic intrusions of the Abitibi greenstone belt, Superior craton, Canada. It formed during the syntectonic period, which is the main deformation stage leading to craton stabilization. Such magma can be involved in intrusion-related gold systems (IRGS) and be overprinted by orogenic gold systems (OGS), with IRGS and OGS being the main gold mineralizing systems of the syntectonic period. Determining whether magmas of the syntectonic period can transport enough gold to fertilize the upper crust requires insights into the crystallizing conditions and the volatile content of these magmas. Retrieving such data from the altered rocks generally encountered in mineralized areas is best accomplished by accumulating case studies. This study focuses on the Au-W-Ag mineralization spatially associated with the Dolodau intrusive complex to evaluate its fertility for Au. Using field relationships, petrographic observations, whole rock geochemical analyses, and mineral chemistry (titanite, apatite), we show that Dolodau is a carbonatite-syenite-granodiorite intrusive suite that crystallized rapidly at shallow depth in an active fault zone. The magma was S- and Cl-poor according to apatite chemistry and it was likely incapable of transporting a significant amount of gold through the crust. It is concluded that the Dolodau Au-W-Ag mineralization is an OGS related to a major NE-SW oriented fault.
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN PERENNIAL BIOENERGY CROPS ON MARGINAL LAND IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO
Authors: Osei Augustine Kwame , Thevathasan Naresh , Oelbermann Maren
Published: January 2025

Knowledge of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes in unfertilized perennial bioenergy crops on marginally productive cropland is crucial to understanding their climate mitigation benefits through reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The static chamber method was used to quantify and compare N2O and CO2 fluxes in miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus L.), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), and willow (Salix miyabeana L.) to a successional site over two growing seasons. Mean N2O and CO2 fluxes ranged from –0.02 to 0.09 µg N2O-N m–2 hr–1 and 0.01 to 0.27 mg CO2-C m–2 hr–1, respectively. Whereas mean CO₂ fluxes differed (p<0.05) among land use types and between growing seasons, mean N₂O fluxes did not differ (p≥0.166) among land use types or between growing seasons. Our findings suggest that N₂O fluxes from unfertilized perennial bioenergy crops such as miscanthus, switchgrass, and willow on marginally productive croplands are comparable to those from marginal croplands left to undergo natural succession with regrowth vegetation. This alleviates concerns that cultivating perennial bioenergy crops on marginal croplands could increase GHG emissions, particularly when fertilization is minimized or eliminated, if these results hold true on a global scale. Additionally, variations in soil available nitrogen (N), moisture, and temperature did not correspond with differences in mean CO₂ fluxes during both growing seasons. This suggests that root respiration accounted for most of the CO₂ fluxes, rather than microbial soil respiration.
Effect of torsion in long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments
Authors: Panda Papia , Singha Dinesh Kumar , Ghosh Monojit , Mohanta Rukmani
Published: January 2025

In this work, we investigate the effect of curved spacetime on neutrino oscillation. In a curved spacetime, the effect of curvature on fermionic fields is represented by spin connection. The spin connection consists of a non-universal “contorsion” part which is expressed in terms of vector and axial current density of fermions. The contraction of contorsion part with the tetrad fields, which connects the internal flat space metric and the spacetime metric, is called torsion. In a scenario where neutrino travels through background of fermionic matter at ordinary densities in a curved spacetime, the Hamiltonian of neutrino oscillation gets modified by the torsional coupling constants

$$\lambda _{21}^{\prime }$$

λ

21

′

and

$$\lambda _{31}^{\prime }$$

λ

31

′

. The aim of this work is to study the effect of

$$\lambda _{21}^{\prime }$$

λ

21

′

and

$$\lambda _{31}^{\prime }$$

λ

31

′

in DUNE and P2SO. In our study we, (i) discuss the effect of torsional coupling constants on the neutrino oscillation probabilities, (ii) estimate the capability of P2SO and DUNE to put bounds on these parameters and (iii) show how the physics sensitivities get modified in presence of torsion.
Black string solutions in Lifshitz spacetime
Authors: Lessa L. A. , Silva J. E. G. , Furtado J.
Published: January 2025

In this paper we study black string solutions considering the Lifshitz anisotropic scaling. We have shown that a new class of asymptotically Lifshitz solutions can be generated by an Einstein–Maxwell-Dilaton theory with a cosmological constant. In the limit where we recover conformal scale invariance, we retrieve the usual black string solution. Furthermore, we demonstrated that to incorporate the effects of electric charge in the black string, at least two independent gauge fields coupled to the dilaton field are necessary. The charged black string solution exhibits new horizons that depend on the potential in Lifshitz exponent z. The stability of these new solutions is investigated through the thermodynamic analysis of the charged black string. The temperature, entropy, and heat capacity indicate that these modified black strings are thermodynamically stable.
Simultaneous quantum identity authentication scheme utilizing entanglement swapping with secret key preservation
Authors: Dutta Arindam , Pathak Anirban
Published: January 2025

Unconditional security in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) relies on authenticating the identities of users involved in key distribution. While classical identity authentication schemes were initially utilized in QKD implementations, concerns regarding their vulnerability have prompted the exploration of Quantum Identity Authentication (QIA) protocols. In this study, we introduce a new protocol for QIA, derived from the concept of controlled secure direct quantum communication. Our proposed scheme facilitates simultaneous authentication between two users, Alice and Bob, leveraging Bell states with the assistance of a third party, Charlie. Through rigorous security analysis, we demonstrate that the proposed protocol withstands various known attacks, including impersonation, intercept and resend and impersonated fraudulent attacks. Additionally, we establish the relevance of the proposed protocol by comparing it with the existing protocols of similar type.
Charmonium pair production at the LHCb in the ICEM using the kT–factorization: DPS versus SPS
Authors: Chernyshev Alexey , Saleev Vladimir
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we study pair production of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] charmonium states in the forward rapidity region of the LHCb experiment at the [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]TeV using the improved color evaporation model and the parton Reggeization approach, which is a gauge invariant version of the [Formula: see text]–factorization approach. Taking into account single and double parton scattering mechanisms and using the set of model parameters which have been fixed early, we compare our theoretical predictions with the recent LHCb experimental data as well as with another theoretical predictions. The numerical calculations are performed using the parton–level Monte–Carlo event generator KaTie and modified KMRW model for unintegrated parton distribution functions. We have found absolutely dominant role of the double parton scattering mechanism in the charmonium pair production at the LHCb.
Proof to count bound state nodes in supersymmetric quantum mechanics
Authors: Aynbund Asya , Kiselev V. V.
Published: January 2025

A normalizable static supersymmetric bound ground state annihilated by the super-generators has got zero number of internal nodes in the framework of one-dimensional supersymmetric quantum mechanics. The super-generator transformations between excited super-partner bound states as combined with the standard technique of Wronskian provide an elegant and self-sufficient way to derive the equality of internal nodes amount to the number of consequent excitations.
The information conservation in Hawking radiation by laws of thermodynamics
Authors: Li Li-Fang , Jiang Ji-Jian
Published: January 2025

By solving the field equation in curved spacetime, we obtained the relative emissivity of the Kerr–Newman black hole. The results show that the relative emissivity satisfies the Boltzmann distribution law. With the first law of thermodynamics, we found that the emissivity is related to the entropy change of black holes which helps us solve the information loss in the Hawking radiation. Through calculating the information entropy of black holes, it is shown that the information conservation is satisfied in the Hawking radiation. Furthermore, we also studied the contribution of space-time background to Hawking radiation.
TATAA: Programmable Mixed-Precision Transformer Acceleration with a Transformable Arithmetic Architecture
Authors: Wu Jiajun , Song Mo , Zhao Jingmin , Gao Yizhao , Li Jia , So Hayden Kwok-Hay
Published: January 2025

Modern transformer-based deep neural networks present unique technical challenges for effective acceleration in real-world applications. Apart from the vast amount of linear operations needed due to their sizes, modern transformer models are increasingly reliance on precise non-linear computations that make traditional low-bitwidth quantization methods and fixed-dataflow matrix accelerators ineffective for end-to-end acceleration. To address this need to accelerate both linear and non-linear operations in a unified and programmable framework, this paper introduces TATAA. TATAA employs 8-bit integer (int8) arithmetic for quantized linear layer operations through post-training quantization, while it relies on bfloat16 floating-point arithmetic to approximate non-linear layers of a transformer model. TATAA hardware features a transformable arithmetic architecture that supports both formats during runtime with minimal overhead, enabling it to switch between a systolic array mode for int8 matrix multiplications and a SIMD mode for vectorized bfloat16 operations. An end-to-end compiler is presented to enable flexible mapping from emerging transformer models to the proposed hardware. Experimental results indicate that our mixed-precision design incurs only 0.14% to 1.16% accuracy drop when compared with the pre-trained single-precision transformer models across a range of vision, language, and generative text applications. Our prototype implementation on the Alveo U280 FPGA currently achieves 2935.2 GOPS throughput on linear layers and a maximum of 189.5 GFLOPS for non-linear operations, outperforming related works by up to 1.45× in end-to-end throughput and 2.29× in DSP efficiency, while achieving 2.19× higher power efficiency than modern NVIDIA RTX4090 GPU.
WALSH: Write-Aggregating Log-Structured Hashing for Hybrid Memory
Authors: Liu Yubo , Wang Yongfeng , Chen Zhiguang , Lu Yutong , Zhao Ming
Published: January 2025

Persistent memory (PM) brings important opportunities for improving data storage including the widely used hash tables. However, PM is not friendly to small writes, which causes existing PM hashes to suffer from high hardware write amplification. Hybrid memory offers the performance and concurrency of DRAM and the durability and capacity of PM, but existing hybrid memory hashes cannot deliver high performance, low DRAM footprint, and fast recovery at the same time. This paper proposes WALSH, a flat hash with novel log-structured separate chaining designs to optimize the performance while ensuring low DRAM footprint and fast recovery. To address the overhead of hash resizing and garbage collection (GC), WALSH further proposes partial resizing/GC mechanisms and a 4-phase protocol for concurrent hash operations. As a result, WALSH is the first flat index for hybrid memory with embedded write aggregation ability. A comprehensive evaluation shows that WALSH substantially outperforms state-of-the-art hybrid memory hashes; e.g., its insert throughput is up to 2.4X that of related works while saving more than 87% of DRAM. WALSH also provides efficient recovery; e.g., it can recover a dataset with 1 billion objects in just a few seconds.
Assessment of Trends and Magnitude of Climate Variability and Change in the Kembata Tembaro Zone in Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Tadesse Getachew , Lemenih Mulugeta , Woldeamanuel Teshale , Tadesse Menfese
Published: January 2025

Incorporating large‐scale climate indices like the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is essential for understanding climate variability and change on a finer scale. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the trends and magnitude of climate variability and change in the Kembata Tembaro zone in Southern Ethiopia. Climate data from the Kadida Gamella (KG), Kacha Birra (KB), and Hadaro Tunto (HT) stations were collected. The coefficient of variation (CV), standardized anomaly index (SAI), and standard precipitation index (SPI) were used to assess the climate variability. The Pearson product moment correlation was used to determine the association between rainfall variability and ENSO. In addition, the Mann–Kendall (MK) trend test was used to assess climate trends. The results revealed that rainfall variability was observed between seasons, with CVs ranging from 14.1% to 25.0%. Higher percentages of dry (negative) rainfall anomaly values over time were estimated during the Kiremt (June–September) (51.6%) and Belg (February–May) (53.8%) seasons, indicating an increase in the number of dry years. These findings show that droughts have become more frequent and severe in the study area. Additionally, ENSO strongly influences both Kiremt and Belg rainfall amounts. However, some of the stations had significant (p < 0.05) positive trends in Kiremt for KB and HT as well as in annual rainfall for KB. Furthermore, annual and seasonal temperature trends showed significant (p < 0.05) increasing trends at all stations. The average rates of change for the maximum and minimum annual temperatures were 0.029 and 0.030°C, respectively. Overall, the findings showed that over the past 31 years, the study area has experienced significant fine‐scale climatic variability and change. This suggests that microscale analysis of trends and magnitude of climate variability and change could be useful for developing context‐specific adaptation strategies.
Comparative Study on the Physicochemical and Volatile Compounds of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen Honey From Guizhou, China, and Honey From Different Floral Sources
Authors: Xu Haoxiang , Wang Qingfeng , Li Ting , Yu Bo , Zhao Yuanfeng , Jiang Ran , Zhou Jing Rui , Li Juan , Lei Lu
Published: January 2025

This study compared the physicochemical properties and characteristic volatile compounds of honey samples from Guizhou, China (such as Dalbergia odorifera T, Rhus chinensis Mill, blueberry, and loquat honey), and Manuka honey. The moisture content, 5‐HMF, antioxidant capacity, sugars, amino acids, minerals, and volatile compounds were measured. The results indicated that all honey samples met the standards of the Chinese honey industry. Using GC × GC‐TOF MS technology, 927 volatile substances were detected in Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen honey, 930 in Manuka honey, 764 in Rhus chinensis Mill honey, 768 in blueberry honey, and 617 in loquat honey. The study described the volatile compounds and sensory characteristics of each honey. The main volatile compounds identified in all samples were hydrocarbons, aldehydes, esters, ketones, and alcohols, with predominant sensory flavors of sweet, green, and floral notes.
Physicochemical Qualities and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Drinking Water From Selected Areas of the Gofa Zone, Ethiopia
Authors: Dube Atose Duka , Kanido Camerun Kastro
Published: January 2025

Spring and well waters are among the most important sources of drinking water in Gofa Zone rural areas; therefore, it is vital to evaluate the quality of these water sources. Hence, this study aims to determine the physicochemical parameters and metallic mineral concentration with its associated health risks of drinking water in selected rural areas of the Gofa zone, Ethiopia. The purposive sampling method was used for water sample collection. Standard analytical procedures were used to determine the physicochemical parameters and mineral contents. The average values of all physicochemical parameters of spring and well‐drinking water of the selected areas were obtained as temperature (20.73°C and 20.30°C), pH (7.2 and 6.07), electrical conductivity (481.13 µS/cm and 584.24 µS/cm), dissolved oxygen (4.09 and 6.07 mg/L), turbidity (1.60 NTU and 6.55 NTU), total dissolved solids (330.83 and 338.3 mg/L), total suspended solids (84.76 and 89.24 mg/L), chloride concentrations (58.15 and 60.47 mg/L), SO42− ion (68.50 mg/L and 5.58 mg/L), NO3+ ion (3.25 and 2.75 mg/L), and fluoride ion concentration (0.49 mg/L and 0.37 mg/L). Health risk assessment indicates that Co metal showed high hazard indices compared with Fe, Cu, and Zn. Additionally, the values of the heavy metal pollution index (MPI) and heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) indicate that the Sawla Kusti spring water (SSW5), Geze Gofa Mhirzho Wola spring water (GGSW7), and Geze Gofa Bulki Guya well water (BGWW8) sources are considered highly polluted and not recommended for drinking purposes.
Dynamics of Porcine Circovirus Type 3 Detection in Pre‐Weaning Piglets: Insight From Multiple Sampling Methods
Authors: Yang Danchen Aaron , Li Meng , Wang Yi , Zhao Kangning , Zhang Qiyang , Laven Richard Anthony , Yang Zhen
Published: January 2025

Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) has been identified worldwide and is associated with reproductive and systemic diseases, yet the dynamics of PCV3 within pig farms remain unclear. Building upon our previous study, which initialised comparisons of different sample types for the detection of PCV3 in a sow farm, this study expanded both the range of sample types and the timeline of sampling in piglets and sows to better understand the PCV3 dynamics. This study collected two additional sample types—oropharyngeal swab (OS) and oral fluid (OF) along with placental umbilical cord (PUC) blood and processing fluid (PF) that were used in the previous study. Data were collected from July to August and October 2022; the aforementioned four sample types from 51 litters were collected, and additional OS samples were collected from two to three identified piglets per litter on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 post‐farrowing. Besides, blood swabs were taken from 135 sows subject to both PCR test and oestrogen measurement. PF showed the highest detection rates (50/51), while OS and OF revealed 33/51 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 51.2%–76.8%) and 37/51 (95% CI: 59.5%–83.5%) detection rates; both were higher than that of PUC blood (22/51, 95% CI: 30.2%–56.8%). Despite the similarity between OS and OF samples, they did not identify the same population as infected, as the agreement between the samples was only fair at 90% level. The Bayesian generalised linear mixed model suggested PCV3 was more likely to be detected in both OS and OF compared to PUC blood, and PCV3 was present in the farrowing room throughout the pre‐weaning period using an OS. Finally, we observed higher PCV3 detection rates in sows after farrowing; however, no evidence was found that such a pattern was associated with the decreased concentration of oestrogen.
Mutant KRAS and CK2 Cooperatively Stimulate SLC16A3 Activity to Drive Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Progression
Authors: Chen Ran , Ma Cuihong , Qian Haoran , Xie Xinyu , Zhang Yuxue , Lu Dayun , Hu Shunjie , Zhang Mao , Liu Fen , Zou Yunhao , Gao Qiang , Zhou Hu , Liu Hailong , Lin Moubin , Ge Gaoxiang , Gao Daming
Published: January 2025

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a lethal malignancy affecting the liver and biliary system. Enhanced understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying iCCA tumorigenesis and the discovery of appropriate therapeutic targets are imperative to improve patient outcomes. Here, we investigated the functions and regulations of solute carrier family 16 member 3 (SLC16A3), which has been reported to be a biomarker of poor prognosis in iCCA. High SLC16A3 expression was enriched in KRAS-mutated iCCA tumors, and mutant KRAS elevated SLC16A3 expression via the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1/HIF1α pathway. SLC16A3 not only enhanced glycolysis but also induced epigenetic reprogramming to regulate iCCA progression. Phosphorylation of SLC16A3 at S436 (p-S436) was vital for its oncogenic function and was linked to iCCA progression. Casein kinase 2 (CK2) directly phosphorylated SLC16A3 at S436, and CK2 inhibition with CX-4945 (silmitasertib) reduced the growth of KRAS-mutated iCCA tumor xenografts and patient-derived organoids. Together, this study provides valuable insights into the diverse functions of SLC16A3 in iCCA and comprehensively elucidates the upstream regulatory mechanisms, providing potential therapeutic strategies for iCCA patients with KRAS mutations.
Interstitial Lung Disease due to Tepotinib after Durvalumab in a Patient with Lung Adenocarcinoma Harbouring MET Exon 14 Skipping Mutation: A Case Report
Authors: Tatsuhige Ryota , Yokoo Keiki , Hatakeyama Taku , Nagao Takayuki , Ota Satoshi , Yamada Gen , Chiba Hirofumi
Published: January 2025

Introduction: Tepotinib is a targeted agent for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with MET exon 14 skipping mutation (METex14). Whereas durvalumab is an immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), which has been administered to those with unresectable stage III NSCLC. The efficacy and safety of sequential treatment in patients with METex14 are unclear. Reports have suggested that the administration of tyrosine kinase inhibitors after ICIs could potentially increase the incidence of drug-induced lung injury. Case Presentation: A 76-year-old female patient was diagnosed NSCLC harbouring METex14 with clinical stage IIIA (cT2aN2M0). Chemoradiotherapy and consolidation therapy with durvalumab were initiated to achieve a cure. Durvalumab was discontinued due to interstitial lung disease (ILD). After systemic disease progression was observed, tepotinib was initiated 7 weeks after the last dose of durvalumab. She developed ILD due to the sequential treatment of tepotinib after durvalumab. Conclusion: It is unclear whether tepotinib is safe in patients with METex14 after durvalumab administration. Considering the residual period of ICIs in the body, caution should be exercised when initiating molecular-targeted drugs after ICI administration in patients with NSCLC with METex14.
Higher visceral and lower peripheral adiposity characterize fat distribution and insulin resistance in Asian Indian women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Mauritius
Authors: Ramessur Vinaysing , Hunma Sadhna , Joonas Noorjehan , Ramessur Bibi Nasreen , Schutz Yves , Montani Jean-Pierre , Dulloo Abdul
Published: January 2025

Introduction
There are controversies about whether women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) show a disproportionately higher visceral adiposity, and its relevance to their higher cardiometabolic risks. We investigated in women of Asian Indian descent in Mauritius, a population inherently prone to abdominal obesity, whether those with PCOS will show a more adverse cardiometabolic risk profile that could be explained by abnormalities in fat distribution.

Methods
Young women newly diagnosed with PCOS (n=25) were compared with a reference control cohort (n =139) for the following measurements made after an overnight fast: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body composition by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, blood pressure and blood assays for glycemic (glucose, HbA1c, insulin) and lipid (triglycerides, cholesterols) profiles.

Results
Compared to controls, women with PCOS showed, on average, higher BMI, WC, fat mass and lean mass (p<0.01), but linear regression analyses indicate that, for the same BMI (or same WC), the two groups showed no significant differences in fat mass and lean mass. By contrast, linear regression plots indicate that for the same total fat mass, women with PCOS showed higher trunk, android and visceral fat (p<0.01), no difference in abdominal subcutaneous fat, and lower peripheral (gynoid or limb) fat (p<0.05). Furthermore, the women with PCOS showed higher fasting plasma insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index and lower insulin sensitivity index QUICKI (all p<0.001), which were completely or markedly abolished after adjusting for visceral fat or central-to-peripheral fat ratios.

Conclusion
In Mauritius, young women of Asian Indian descent with PCOS show altered fat distribution characterized by a disproportionately higher visceral (hazardous) adiposity in parallel to lower peripheral (protective) adiposity, which together explain their exacerbated state of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance.
Lungenkrebsscreening – Risikoanpassung und Shared-Decision-Making im Fokus
Authors: Schumann Christian
Published: January 2025

Importance: Addressing poor uptake of low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening (LCS) is critical, especially for those having the most to gain-high-benefit persons with high lung cancer risk and life expectancy more than 10 years. Objective: To assess the association between LCS uptake and implementing a prediction-augmented shared decision-making (SDM) tool, which enables clinicians to identify persons predicted to be at high benefit and encourage LCS more strongly for these persons. Design, setting, and participants: Quality improvement interrupted time series study at 6 Veterans Affairs sites that used a standard set of clinical reminders to prompt primary care clinicians and screening coordinators to engage in SDM for LCS-eligible persons. Participants were persons without a history of LCS who met LCS eligibility criteria at the time (aged 55-80 years, smoked ≥30 pack-years, and current smoking or quit <15 years ago) and were not documented to be an inappropriate candidate for LCS by a clinician during October 2017 through September 2019. Data were analyzed from September to November 2023. Exposure: Decision support tool augmented by a prediction model that helps clinicians personalize SDM for LCS, tailoring the strength of screening encouragement according to predicted benefit. Main outcome and measure: LCS uptake. Results: In a cohort of 9904 individuals, the median (IQR) age was 64 (57-69) years; 9277 (94%) were male, 1537 (16%) were Black, 8159 (82%) were White, 5153 (52%) were predicted to be at intermediate (preference-sensitive) benefit and 4751 (48%) at high benefit, and 1084 (11%) received screening during the study period. Following implementation of the tool, higher rates of LCS uptake were observed overall along with an increase in benefit-based LCS uptake (higher screening uptake among persons anticipated to be at high benefit compared with those at intermediate benefit; primary analysis). Mean (SD) predicted probability of getting screened for a high-benefit person was 24.8% (15.5%) vs 15.8% (11.8%) for a person at intermediate benefit (mean absolute difference 9.0 percentage points; 95% CI, 1.6%-16.5%). Conclusions and relevance: Implementing a robust approach to personalized LCS, which integrates SDM, and a decision support tool augmented by a prediction model, are associated with improved uptake of LCS and may be particularly important for those most likely to benefit. These findings are timely given the ongoing poor rates of LCS uptake.
Transferring mouse Emx1 and Emx2 lentiviruses into the chicken embryonic brain and their implication to the organization and evolution of the amniote pallium
Authors: Zhao Rui , Gao Yuanyuan , Xi Chao , Liu Ping , Lin Shiying , Lu Shan , Liu Jin , Bing Jie , Zhang Xinwen , Zeng Shaoju
Published: January 2025

Introduction: Homeobox genes are highly conserved and play critical roles in brain development. Recently we have found that mammals have an additional fragment of approximately 20 amino acids in Emx1 and a poly-(Ala)6-7 in Emx2, compared to other amniotes. It has been shown that Emx1 and Emx2 have synergistic actions in the brain development. These reports raise an interesting issue whether the differences of Emx1 and Emx2 between mammals and non-mammals are concerned with the organization and evolution of amniote pallium. Methods: Lentiviruses expressing mouse Emx1 and Emx2 (mEmx1/2) with additional fragments were injected into the ventricle of the chick telencephalon at embryonic day 3 to study the effects of mEmx1/2 on the development of chick pallium, whereas injections of lentiviruses containing chick Emx1 and Emx2 (cEmx1/2), no targeted gene insert or saline were as controls. The expressions of reelin, vimentin, GABA and MAP2, neurogenesis patterns for calbindin and parvalbumin neurons and the sizes of anterior commissure were then studied by immuohistochemical staining, and open-field tests were performed to assess locomotor activities and curious or exploratory behaviors of the chicks. Results: Following the injections of lentiviruses expressing mEmx1/2, the expressions of reelin, vimentin, GABA and MAP2 increased in most parts of Wulst (W) and mesopallium (M), but not of nidopallium (N). Neurogenesis patterns for calbindin (CB) and parvalbumin (PV) neurons changed towards mammalian inside-out one, and the sizes of anterior commissure staining for neurofilament were significantly larger. In addition, posthatchling chicks showed higher rates of passive avoidance after training, but no significant differences in the total distance traveled and the percentage of time spent in the central rectangle, compared to those in the control group. Conclusion: The present study indicated that mEmx1/2 had effects on the development of chick pallium, suggesting that they are probably involved in the organization and evolution of amniote pallium.
Concentration dependent effects of human Cometin on spiral ganglion neuron survival and neurite outgrowth
Authors: Schwieger Jana , Wei Chunjiang , Munro Gordon , Petersen Kenneth Ahrend , Lenarz Thomas ,   Scheper
Published: January 2025

Introduction: Neurotrophic factors are widely known for their protective effect on spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) and the protection of these neurons is of great importance to optimize Cochlear Implants, which directly stimulate SGN in deaf patients. Previous studies have identified Cometin - also known as Meteroin-like - to be neuroprotective and beneficial for metabolic disorders. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of different concentrations of recombinant human Cometin (hCometin) on SGN in regard to neuroprotection and neurite outgrowth and to evaluate its neurite guidance potential using a neurite outgrowth chamber.
Methods: Human Cometin was initially tested in two separate dosing experiments: 5, 10, and 15 µg/ml (medium dose group) and 10, 25, and 50 µg/ml (high dose group). The hCometin was added to dissociated neonatal murine SGN. The number, morphology, and neurite length of SGN treated with hCometin were compared to untreated (negative control, NC) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor treated (50 ng/ml) (positive control, PC) cells. Subsequently, to investigate a potential effect on neurite guidance, 10 µg/ml hCometin was delivered via osmotic pumps to neonatal murine spiral ganglion explants (SGE) cultured in a neurite outgrowth chamber to experimentally mimic the scala tympani and the Rosenthal’s canal. The amount of pump-released hCometin was measured by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay and neurite growth was quantified and compared to a Cometin-free NC.
Results: All medium dose group concentrations of hCometin resulted in significant neuronal protection, whereas high dose group concentrations (25 and 50 µg/ml) were neurotoxic. The medium doses significantly increased the number of monopolar neurons compared to NC, and 10 and 15 µg/ml hCometin increased the number of neurons with a physiological bipolar morphology to an even greater extent than BDNF. For neurite length, 5 and 10 µg/ml hCometin had the greatest effect, which was comparable with the BDNF-PC. The osmotic-pump based delivery of 10 µg/ml hCometin to SGE had no or an adverse effect on the number, extent, or orientation of outgrowing neurites in the culture set up used.
Conclusion: A concentration of 10 µg/ml hCometin significantly protects dissociated SGN from degeneration and significantly increases the outgrowth of neurites, which is favourable in view of induced neurite outgrowth towards cochlear electrode arrays for future optimisation of the nerve-electrode-interface. The study failed to detect a guided neurite outgrowth by pump-based drug release, which may be due to the experimental set up, which could be improved in future studies.
“Amiga, deixa de ser trouxa!”: uma visão crítica sobre o lugar de fala e a função do humor na discussão
Authors: Silva Isabelle Luisa Amorim da
Published: January 2025

A partir del libro "Amiga, deja de ser tonto!", producido por la pareja de diseñadores y propietarios del canal de YouTube "Diva Despiração", Eduardo Camargo y Filipe Oliveira, esta revisión tiene como objetivo discutir y problematizar el "lugar de la palabra" desde del término "ser mujer", poniéndolo en perspectiva a partir de la noción de "humor" para dialogar con este tema que aún se considera tabú en la sociedad actual.
Characteristics of In Vivo Lesion Formation With a Temperature-Controlled Diamond-Tip Radiofrequency Ablation Catheter in the Ventricle: A Preclinical Model
Authors: Hirao Tatsuhiko , Rettmann Maryam E. , Schmidt Megan M. , Yasin Omar Z. , Kowlgi Gurukripa N. , Otsuka Naoto , Koya Taro , Newman Laura K. , Packer Douglas L. , Siontis Konstantinos C.
Published: January 2025

BACKGROUND:

Power-controlled radiofrequency ablation with irrigated-tip catheters has been the norm for ventricular ablation for almost 2 decades. New catheter technology has recently integrated more accurate tissue temperature sensing enabling temperature-controlled irrigated ablation. We aimed to investigate the in vivo ablation parameters and lesion formation characteristics in ventricular myocardium using a novel temperature-controlled radiofrequency catheter.

METHODS:

Twenty canines were divided into 3 groups: 4 noninfarcted, acute (phase I); 8 noninfarcted, chronic (phase II); and 8 infarcted, chronic (phase III). Lesions were delivered with a temperature-controlled radiofrequency system utilizing a chemical vapor deposit diamond for efficient thermal diffusivity. In phase I, 17 ablation settings were tested (temperature set points, 50/60/70 °C; ablation duration, 15/30/60/90/120 s; and power limit, 30/50 W). Four and one of these sets of parameters were further tested in phases II and III, respectively. Lesions were assessed by ex vivo contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and gross pathology 5 weeks after ablation in phases II/III.

RESULTS:

Across all phases, 111 ablation lesions were delivered. Ablation with the power limit of 50 W, the temperature set point of 60 °C, and the duration of 60 s produced significantly larger and deeper lesions (mean, 569.2 mm
3
; mean maximal depth, 9.8 mm) compared with 50 W/60 °C/30 s (mean, 340.4 mm
3
; mean maximal depth, 8.3 mm) and 50 W/50 °C/60 s (mean, 227 mm
3
; mean maximal depth, 6.9 mm), with
P
<0.05 for all pairwise comparisons. Ablation of infarcted myocardium in phase III (50 W/60 °C/30 s) resulted in smaller impedance and bipolar electrogram amplitude changes and lesion size compared with ablation in normal myocardium with the same settings. No steam pop, myocardial perforation, or char formation was observed in any of the 111 ablations across all phases.

CONCLUSIONS:

In vivo radiofrequency ablation in a canine model with a diamond-tip temperature-controlled catheter using a temperature set point of 60 °C and a power limit of 50 W created large lesions without steam pop risk in both normal and infarcted ventricular myocardia.