bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between engagement in cultural activities and use of general practitioner consultations: 7-year follow-up of adults from the HUNT study, Norway.
Authors: Løkken Bente Irene , Sund Erik R , Krokstad Steinar , Bjerkeset Ottar , Rangul Vegar
Published: September 2023

Objective

Assess whether engagement in a range of cultural activities, both ‘passive’ and ‘active’ (ie, receptive and creative) participation, is associated with later demand for general practitioner (GP) consultations.

Design

Longitudinal prospective cohort study.

Setting

Data from the population-based the third Survey of Trøndelag Health Study (2006–2008) in Norway was linked to an administrative register including service information from all GP offices nationwide.

Participants

This study included 17 396 (54.6%) women and 14 451 (45.4%) men aged 30–79 years.

Main outcome measures

Multilevel negative binomial regression models assessed the relationship between cultural engagement and GP consultations, and reported as rate ratios.

Results

A mean of 3.57 GP visits per patient was recorded during the 7 years of follow-up. Participation in creative activities and a combination of both receptive and creative activities was associated with lower number of GP consultation. Gender-specific analyses suggest that these effects were attributable to men. The rate ratio of GP consultations among men taking part in creative activities less than once, twice and more than twice (<9 times) per week is 0.90, 0.89 and 0.87 times lower, respectively, compared with non-participants. Whereas weekly frequency of receptive and creative activity engagement showed a 0.92, 0.87 and 0.83 times lower rate ratio among engaged men. The variety of activities shows a similar pattern and participation in creative activities lowers the rate ratio among men. Engagement in a wide range/variety of activities, compared with non-engagement, was associated with lower numbers of GP consultations in men, but not women.

Conclusions

Engagement in creative or combined receptive and creative cultural activities was associated with lower numbers of GP consultations among men. Thus, facilitating and promoting a culturally engaged lifestyle, particularly in men, may affect primary healthcare use. However, this study design gives no evidence of a causal relationship between cultural engagement and use of GP consultations.
Randomised controlled trial on the effect of video-conference cognitive behavioural therapy for patients with schizophrenia: a study protocol
Authors: Katsushima Masayuki , Nakamura Hideki , Hanaoka Hideki , Shiko Yuki , Komatsu Hideki , Shimizu Eiji
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing positive symptoms, improving depression, enhancing coping skills and increasing awareness of illness. However, compared with cognitive behavioural therapy for depression and anxiety, the spread of CBTp in clinical practice is minimal. The present study designed a randomised controlled trial (RCT) research protocol to evaluate whether real-time remote video-conference CBTp (vCBTp) could facilitate access to psychosocial interventions and effectively improve symptoms compared with usual care (UC) for patients with schizophrenia.

Methods and analysis

This exploratory RCT will consist of two parallel groups (vCBTp+UC and UC alone) of 12 participants (n=24) diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or paranoid disorder, who remain symptomatic following pharmacotherapy. Seven 50-min weekly vCBTp interventions will be administered to test efficacy. The primary outcome will be the positive and negative syndrome scale score at week 8. The secondary outcome will be the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale to assess insight, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to assess depression, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 to assess anxiety, the 5-level EuroQol 5-dimensional questionnaire to assess quality of life and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised to assess subjective distress about a specific stressful life event. We will take all measurements at 0 weeks (baseline) and at 8 weeks (post-intervention), and apply intention-to-treat analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

We will conduct this study in the outpatient department of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center at Chiba University Hospital. Further, all participants will be informed of the study and will be asked to sign consent forms. We will report according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials.

Trial registration number

UMIN000043396.
A nomogram for predicting hospital mortality of critical ill patients with sepsis and cancer: a retrospective cohort study based on MIMIC-IV and eICU-CRD
Authors: Yuan Zhen-nan , Xue Yu-juan , Wang Hai-jun , Qu Shi-ning , Huang Chu-lin , Wang Hao , Zhang Hao , Xing Xue-zhong
Published: September 2023

Objective

Sepsis remains a high cause of death, particularly in immunocompromised patients with cancer. The study was to develop a model to predict hospital mortality of septic patients with cancer in intensive care unit (ICU).

Design

Retrospective observational study.

Setting

Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC IV) and eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD).

Participants

A total of 3796 patients in MIMIC IV and 549 patients in eICU-CRD were included.

Primary outcome measures

The model was developed based on MIMIC IV. The internal validation and external validation were based on MIMIC IV and eICU-CRD, respectively. Candidate factors were processed with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and cross-validation. Hospital mortality was predicted by the multivariable logistical regression and visualised by the nomogram. The model was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve and decision curve analysis curve.

Results

The model exhibited favourable discrimination (AUC: 0.726 (95% CI: 0.709 to 0.744) and 0.756 (95% CI: 0.712 to 0.801)) in the internal and external validation sets, respectively, and better calibration capacity than Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation IV in external validation.

Conclusions

Despite that the predicted model was based on a retrospective study, it may also be helpful to predict the hospital morality of patients with solid cancer and sepsis.
Pharmacists’ approaches to vaccination consultations in Switzerland: a qualitative study comparing the roles of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and biomedicine
Authors: Zimmermann Clara , Jusufoska Meliha , Tolic Josipa , Abreu de Azevedo Marta , Tarr Philip E , Deml Michael J
Published: September 2023

Background

Many community pharmacies in Switzerland provide complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches in addition to providing biomedical services, and a few pharmacies specialise in CAM. A common perception is that CAM providers are sceptical towards, or opposed to, vaccination.

Objectives

Key objectives of this study are to examine the potential roles of biomedically oriented and CAM-specialised pharmacists regarding vaccine counselling and to better understand the association between vaccine hesitancy and CAM.

Design

We conducted semistructured, qualitative interviews. Transcripts were coded and analysed using thematic analysis. Interview questions were related to: type of pharmaceutical care practised, views on CAM and biomedicine, perspectives on vaccination, descriptions of vaccination consultations in community pharmacies and views on vaccination rates.

Setting

Qualitative interviews in three language regions of Switzerland (German, French and Italian).

Participants

We interviewed 18 pharmacists (N=11 biomedically oriented, N=7 CAM specialised).

Results

Pharmacist participants expressed generally positive attitudes towards vaccination. Biomedically oriented pharmacists mainly advised customers to follow official vaccination recommendations but rarely counselled vaccine-hesitant customers. CAM-specialised pharmacists were not as enthusiastic advocates of the Swiss vaccination recommendations as the biomedically oriented pharmacists we interviewed. Rather, they considered that each customer should receive individualised, nuanced vaccination advice so that customers can reach their own decisions. CAM-specialised pharmacists described how mothers in particular preferred getting a second opinion when they felt insufficiently advised by biomedically oriented paediatricians.

Conclusions

Vaccination counselling in community pharmacies represents an additional option to customers who have unmet vaccination consultation needs and who seek reassurance from healthcare professionals (HCPs) other than physicians. By providing individualised vaccination counselling to vaccine-hesitant customers, CAM-specialised pharmacists are likely meeting specific needs of vaccine-hesitant customers. As such, research and implementation efforts should more systematically involve pharmacists as important actors in vaccination provision. CAM-specialised pharmacists particularly should not be neglected as they are important HCPs who counsel vaccine-hesitant customers.
Effects of mass casualty incidents on anxiety, depression and PTSD among doctors and nurses: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Uddin Helal , Hasan Md Khalid , Castro-Delgado Rafael
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Both doctors and nurses showed a greater risk of being exposed to different mental health conditions following mass casualties. This systematic review aims to synthesise the existing evidence on the prevalence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and their associated risk factors among doctors and nurses following mass casualty incidents.

Methods and analysis

Seven electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE Ovid, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and Nursing & Allied Health database) will be searched from 2010 to 2022 with peer-reviewed articles in English language using the predefined keywords. Two reviewers will independently screen the titles and abstracts, as well as review the full texts using the eligibility criteria, then extract data independently. The National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tools (NIH-QAT) for quantitative studies, the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Checklist for qualitative studies and the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) for mixed-method studies will be used to measure the quality appraisal of eligible studies. A third reviewer will resolve the discrepancies when the two reviewers cannot reach an agreement in any step. The result from the eligible studies will be described following narrative synthesis with the key characteristics and findings of the included studies, and meta-analysis will be performed, if applicable.

Ethics and dissemination

This systematic review deals with existing published studies without any personally identifiable information of participants. Therefore, ethical approval from the research committee is not required. Findings from this review will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant international conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023412852.
Patient experiences of Cytosponge: a qualitative study
Authors: Neilson Laura Jane , Fitzgerald Rebecca C , Deane Jennifer , Debiram-Beecham Irene , Gulle Halime , Rees Colin , Sharp Linda
Published: September 2023

Objective

Cytosponge is a novel technology for oesophageal pathology diagnosis. Uses include diagnosis of Barrett’s oesophagus and as a triage tool to prioritise upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Patient experience is a key component of quality care. Previous work has developed endoscopy patient-reported experience measures. An appropriate tool to measure patient experience of Cytosponge is required. The aim of this work was to describe the patient experience of Cytosponge.

Design/Method

Individuals aged 18 years or over, who had undergone Cytosponge from September 2020 to March 2021, were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and anonymised. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Themes were organised into two overarching areas relating to patient experiences and patient perceptions of the test.

Results

19 patients underwent interview (aged 37–80 years, 13 male). In terms of patient experiences of Cytosponge, five themes were identified: emotional reaction; expectations; environment and physical process; sensory experience; communication and information. All themes were present across all procedural phases, aside from sensory experience which was only present during the test. With regard to perception of the test, two major themes were identified: test novelty (encompassing patient awareness of the test and reaction to the new test) and trusting the test results.

Conclusion

Patients must remain central to novel technologies such as Cytosponge. Measuring patient experience is essential to achieve that. This study demonstrates five major themes which describe the patient experience of this procedure. These have been used to adapt the Newcastle ENDOPREM for use in Cytosponge.
Preoperative cerebral angiography nearly doubles the rate of diffusion-weighted imaging lesion detection following minimally invasive surgery for intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Rossitto Christina P , Vasan Vikram , Downes Margaret H , Yildiz Sema , Smith Colton J , Liang John W , Schupper Alexander J , Hardigan Trevor , Liu Xinyan , Ali Muhammad , Chapman Emily K , Devarajan Alex , Odland Ian C , Kellner Christopher P , Mocco J
Published: September 2023

Background

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions have been linked to poor outcomes after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to assess the impact of cerebral digital subtraction angiography (DSA) on the presence of DWI lesions in patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for ICH.

Methods

Retrospective chart review was performed on ICH patients treated with MIS in a single health system from 2015 to 2021. One hundred and seventy consecutive patients who underwent postoperative MRIs were reviewed. Univariate analyses were conducted to determine associations. Variables with p<0.05 were included in multivariate analyses.

Results

DWI lesions were present in 88 (52%) patients who underwent MIS for ICH. Of the 83 patients who underwent preoperative DSA, 56 (67%) patients demonstrated DWI lesions. In this DSA cohort, older age, severe leukoaraiosis, larger preoperative hematoma volume, and increased presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Score (NIHSS) were independently associated with DWI lesion identification (p<0.05). In contrast, of 87 patients who did not undergo DSA, 32 (37%) patients demonstrated DWI lesions on MRI. In the non-DSA cohort, presenting systolic blood pressure, intraventricular hemorrhage, and NIHSS were independently associated with DWI lesions (p<0.05). Higher DWI lesion burden was independently associated with poor modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 6 months on a univariate (p=0.02) and multivariate level (p=0.02).

Conclusions

In this cohort of ICH patients who underwent minimally invasive evacuation, preprocedural angiography was associated with the presence of DWI lesions on post-ICH evacuation MRI. Furthermore, the burden of DWI lesions portends a worse prognosis after ICH.
Impact of heart rate, aortic compliance and stroke volume on the aortic regurgitation fraction studied in an ex vivo pig model
Authors: Reil Jan Christian , Saisho Hiroyuki , Jockwer Antonia , Fujita Buntaro , Paluszkiewicz Lech , Reil Gert-Hinrich , Ensminger Stephan , Scharfschwerdt Michael , Aboud Anas
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Drug therapy to reduce the regurgitation fraction (RF) of high-grade aortic regurgitation (AR) by increasing heart rate (HR) is generally recommended. However, chronic HR reduction in HFREF patients can significantly improve aortic compliance and thereby potentially decrease RF. To clarify these contrasts, we examined the influence of HR, aortic compliance and stroke volume (SV) on RF in an ex vivo porcine model of severe AR.

Methods

Experiments were performed on porcine ascending aorta with aortic valves (n=12). Compliance was varied by inserting a Dacron graft close to the aortic valve. Both tube systems were connected to a left heart simulator varying HR and SV. AR was accomplished by punching a 0.3 cm2hole in one aortic cusp. Flow, RF, SV and aortic pressure were measured, aortic compliance with transoesophageal ultrasound probes.

Results

Compliance of the aorta was significantly reduced after Dacron graft insertion (0.55%±0.21%/mm Hg vs 0.01%±0.007%/mm Hg, p<0.001, respectively). With increasing HR, RF was significantly reduced in each steady state of the native aorta (HR 40 bpm: 88%±7% vs HR 120 bpm: 42%±10%; p<0.001), but Dacron tube did not affect RF (HR 40 bpm: 87%±8%; p=0.79; HR 120 bpm: 42%±3%; p=0.86). Increasing SV also reduced RF independent of the stiff Dacron graft.

Conclusion

Aortic compliance did not affect AR in the ex vivo porcine model of AR. RF was significantly reduced with increasing HR and SV. These results affirm that HR lowering and negative inotropic drugs should be avoided to treat severe AR.
Shell-model calculations for two-neutron transfer near the $$N=20$$ island of inversion
Authors: Wuosmaa Alan H. , Stecenko Juliette K.
Published: September 2023

We describe connections between shell-model calculation results and predictions for two-nucleon transfer reactions. Measurements of the $$^{30}$$

30

Mg(t,p)$$^{32}$$

32

Mg reaction were used to identify a low-lying shape-coexisting 0$$^+$$

+

state in $$^{32}$$

32

Mg. Interpretations of those early, limited data were based on simple empirical models. The cross sections for two-nucleon transfer are, however, extremely sensitive to the details of the nuclear-structure. Motivated by the possibility of new high-resolution two-nucleon transfer measurements around the $$N=20$$

N
=
20

Island of Inversion, we have performed shell-model calculations wave functions for states in the nuclei $$^{30,32}$$

30
,
32

Mg using the SDPF-M and SDPF-MU interactions, and from those calculations obtain the two-nucleon transfer amplitudes that we use to predict cross sections for the $$^{28,30}$$

28
,
30

Mg(t,p)$$^{30,32}$$

30
,
32

Mg reactions. The combined results show how the nuclear structure properties influence experimental observables for the (t,p) reaction. We compare our results with the existing data.
Coherent structure modification by a shear acting at the surface of a turbulent open channel
Authors: Chibbaro Sergio , Reyes Jair , Rossi Maurice , Soldati Alfredo , Zonta Francesco
Published: September 2023

Recent experiments in the river Seine have revealed the presence of persistent large rolls. This finding has motivated the present numerical study of a turbulent open channel flow. Our pseudo-spectral direct numerical simulations are aimed at understanding how the shear at the surface, for instance produced by an external wind, can change vortical structures in the bulk. Simulations are run at a Reynolds number in the range $$[5\times 10^3\div 10^4]$$

[
5
×

10
3

÷

10
4

]

, in line with similar laboratory experiments. We investigate how flow structures located near the bottom wall, near the surface or inside the bulk are modified by a surface shear. Statistical signatures are extracted through Fourier analysis of the simulated fields, and typical wavelengths of vortices or streaks are computed. Moreover, instantaneous fields are used to show the existence of upwelling and downwelling motions. These motions can be hindered by the presence of a large enough surface shear. This condition turns out to be necessary for the existence of streaks at the surface as well. Our investigation clarifies the dynamics of vortices in an open channel flow at moderate Reynolds number, indicating that unsteady vortex structures are indeed present, but the existence of long coherent rolls cannot be accounted for by the sole presence of shear at the surface. Numerical studies with a much longer domain and possibly at higher Reynolds numbers are needed to provide a firm answer to the question.
Improving Worst-case TSN Communication Times of Large Sensor Data Samples by Exploiting Synchronization
Authors: Peeck Jonas , Ernst Rolf
Published: September 2023

Higher levels of automated driving also require a more sophisticated environmental perception. Therefore, an increasing number of sensors transmit their data samples as frame bursts to other applications for further processing. As a vehicle has to react to its environment in time, such data is subject to safety-critical latency constraints. To keep up with the resulting data rates, there is an ongoing transition to a Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)-based communication backbone. However, the use of TSN-related industry standards does not match the automotive requirements of large timely sensor data transmission, nor it offers benefits on time-critical transmissions of single control data packets. By using the full data rate of prioritized IEEE 802.1Q Ethernet, giving time guarantees on large data samples is possible, but with strongly degraded results due to data collision. Resolving such collisions with time-aware shaping comes with significant overhead. Hence, rather than optimizing the parameters of the existing protocol, we propose a system design that synchronizes the transmission times of sensor data samples. This limits network protocol complexity and hardware requirements by avoiding tight time synchronization and time-aware shaping. We demonstrate that individual sensor data samples are transmitted without significant interference, exclusively at full Ethernet data rate. We provide a synchronous event model together with a straightforward response time analysis for synchronous multi-frame sample transmissions. The results show that worst-case latencies of such sample communication, in contrast to non-synchronized approaches, are close to their theoretical minimum as well as to simulative results while keeping the overall network utilization high.
A Robust and Energy Efficient Hyperdimensional Computing System for Voltage-scaled Circuits
Authors: Liang Dehua , Awano Hiromitsu , Miura Noriyuki , Shiomi Jun
Published: September 2023

Voltage scaling is one of the most promising approaches for energy efficiency improvement but also brings challenges to fully guaranteeing stable operation in modern VLSI. To tackle such issues, we further extend the
DependableHD
to the second version
DependableHDv2
, a HyperDimensional Computing (HDC) system that can tolerate bit-level memory failure in the low voltage region with high robustness.
DependableHDv2
introduces the concept of margin enhancement for model retraining and utilizes noise injection to improve the robustness, which is capable of application in most state-of-the-art HDC algorithms. We additionally propose the dimension-swapping technique, which aims at handling the stuck-at errors induced by aggressive voltage scaling in the memory cells. Our experiment shows that under 8% memory stuck-at error,
DependableHDv2
exhibits a 2.42% accuracy loss on average, which achieves a 14.1× robustness improvement compared to the baseline HDC solution. The hardware evaluation shows that
DependableHDv2
supports the systems to reduce the supply voltage from 430 mV to 340 mV for both item Memory and Associative Memory, which provides a 41.8% energy consumption reduction while maintaining competitive accuracy performance.
Distributed Computing Column 87 Recent Advances in Multi-Pass Graph Streaming Lower Bounds
Authors: Alistarh Dan
Published: September 2023

Overview. In this Fall edition of the column, we resume our coverage of "hot topics" in areas connected to distributed computing with a column by Sepehr Assadi, who is an Associate Professor at the Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo. Sepehr's work was highlighted by the PODC community before, as he was the recipient of the 2019 PODC Doctoral Dissertation Award for his work on streaming algorithms, multiparty communication, and massively parallel computation on graphs, and features frequently in the proceedings of mainstream theory conferences such as FOCS, STOC, and SODA. In this column, Sepehr covers some of the recent progress on multi-pass graph streaming lower bounds, which includes a significant amount of his own work. Many thanks to Sepehr for his interesting contribution!
CFD-Based Thermal Abuse Simulations including Gas Generation and Venting of an 18650 Li-Ion Battery Cell
Authors: Ostanek Jason K. , Parhizi Mohammad , Li Weisi , Kilaz Gozdem , Crompton K. R.
Published: September 2023

A high-resolution, 3D, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed and implemented for simulating the heat and gas generation during thermal runaway failure of an 18650 Li-ion battery cell. The model accounts for volumetric gas generation within the active material of the cell and for gas flow through the jellyroll, into the headspace regions, through the safety vent, and out into the surrounding air space. The simulation captures the key features of the oven test, including: self-heating from decomposition reactions, initial venting (i.e. blowdown), temperature decrease due to evaporative cooling, thermal runaway, a second venting event associated with thermal runaway, and cooldown. The highly detailed geometric model of the safety vent allowed for new insight into the physics of venting during thermal runaway. Secondary flows, including ring vortices, counter-rotating vortex pairs, and corner vortices, were found to increase the rate of mixing of the vented gases with the surrounding air. The simulation was compared to previously reported experimental results and found to have good qualitative agreement of jet flow direction. The present thermal abuse model forms the basis for future studies to consider the role of gas impingement heat transfer and gas combustion in full battery pack propagating failures.
New Insights into Urea Electro-Oxidation: Complete Mass-Balances and Proof of Concept with Real-Matrix Effluent
Authors: Hopsort Guillaume , Latapie Laure , Groenen Serrano Karine , Loubière Karine , Tzedakis Theodore
Published: September 2023

In the present work, all the by-products formed during the urea electrooxidation (UEO) by Ni(III) in alkaline medium are identified and quantified for the first time (e.g.,

OCN

−

,

CO

3

2
−

,

NH

4

+

,

N

2

,

NO

2

−

). Complete mass balances are simultaneously established in both aqueous and gas phases for large urea conversion rates (>80%). The results provide clear evidence (with a maximal deviation of 2%) that, in addition to

N

2

,

N-overoxidized by-products are produced during the UEO. Electrolyses conducted with human urine samples under identical operating conditions result in different distributions of N and C-by-products. In particular, the formation of formic and oxalic acids in these latter experiments suggests the presence of different and/or additional mechanistic pathways during the UEO process. The amount of

H

2

generated at the cathode is also quantified, showing a reduction of 30% in energy consumption when compared with water electrolysis. Finally, this study assesses the energy efficiency of UEO with urea synthetic and real-matrix effluents, thereby contributing to the development of this sustainable process, which enables energy recovery from waste.
A Novel Computational Platform for Steady-State and Dynamic Simulation of Dual-Chambered Microbial Fuel Cell
Authors: Naseer Muhammad Nihal , Zaidi Asad A. , Dutta Kingshuk , Jaafar Juhana , Wahab Yasmin Abdul , Cai Yuhang
Published: September 2023

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is attractive for research community as a promising bioelectricity production technology using organic waste. However, due to low performance and erroneous reproducibility and replicability, MFC lacks industrial application. Additionally, the nonlinear dynamic behavior of MFC, along with the involvement of electrochemistry and biology in mathematical models, makes it difficult to comprehend and simulate. To overcome these barriers, this study provides a simulation platform for conducting theoretical studies using a fundamental mathematical model of MFC. This novel Simulink/MATLAB model is based on mass balance across both compartments of MFC, and provides power density as a function of a wide range of performance-affecting parameters. Model validation depicts only 2%–10% error. This model can provide a stepping stone to perform theoretical optimization and industrial application studies in future. By varying the values of different parameters; studies may be performed to spot optimum values of the most sensitive parameters. Therefore, using the proposed tool paves the path for further improvements in design, cost effectiveness and performance efficiency that ultimately promises up-scaling of MFCs as a renewable and alternative energy resource.
Redox state and altered pyruvate metabolism contribute to a dose-dependent metformin-induced lactate production of human myotubes
Authors: Maurer Jennifer , Zhao Xinjie , Irmler Martin , Gudiksen Anders , Pilmark Nanna S. , Li Qi , Goj Thomas , Beckers Johannes , Hrabě de Angelis Martin , Birkenfeld Andreas L. , Peter Andreas , Lehmann Rainer , Pilegaard Henriette , Karstoft Kristian , Xu Guowang , Weigert Cora
Published: September 2023

Metformin shifts the equilibrium of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) reaction by low dose-induced phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) resulting in inhibition of pyruvate oxidation and high dose-induced increase in NADH, which explains the dose-dependent lactate production of differentiated human skeletal muscle cells.
Irisin deficiency exacerbates diet-induced insulin resistance and cardiac dysfunction in type II diabetes in mice
Authors: Wang Jianguo , Zhao Yu Tina , Zhang Ling X. , Dubielecka Patrycja M. , Qin Gangjian , Chin Y. Eugene , Gower Adam C. , Zhuang Shougang , Liu Paul Y. , Zhao Ting C.
Published: September 2023

By utilizing the CRISPR/Cas-9 genome-editing system and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced type II diabetes model, our results provide direct evidence showing that the loss of irisin exacerbates cardiac dysfunction and insulin resistance while promoting myocardial remodeling and a hypertrophic response in HFD-induced diabetes. This study provides new insight into understanding the molecular evidence and the critical role of irisin in modulating insulin resistance and cardiac function in type II diabetes.
Pentastatin, a matrikine of the collagen IVα5, is a novel endogenous mediator of pulmonary endothelial dysfunction
Authors: Mutgan Ayse Ceren , Jandl Katharina , Radic Nemanja , Valzano Francesco , Kolb Dagmar , Hoffmann Julia , Foris Vasile , Wilhelm Jochen , Boehm Panja M. , Hoetzenecker Konrad , Olschewski Andrea , Olschewski Horst , Heinemann Akos , Wygrecka Malgorzata , Marsh Leigh M. , Kwapiszewska Grazyna
Published: September 2023

This study is the first to show that pentastatin, the matrikine of the basement membrane (BM) collagen IVα5 polypeptide, triggers rapid pulmonary arterial endothelial cell barrier disruption, activation, and apoptosis in vitro and ex vivo. Mechanistically, pentastatin partially acts through binding to the β1-integrin subunit and the Rho/ROCK pathway. These findings are the first to link pentastatin to pulmonary endothelial dysfunction and, thus, suggest a major role for BM-matrikines in pulmonary vascular diseases such as pulmonary hypertension.
Effects of biological sex and oral contraception on the sympathetic neurocirculatory adjustments to static handgrip exercise in humans
Authors: D’Souza Andrew W. , Hissen Sarah L. , Manabe Kazumasa , Washio Takuro , Annis Meghan C. , Sanchez Belinda , Fu Qi , Shoemaker J. Kevin
Published: September 2023

While biological sex affects the neurocirculatory adjustments to exercise, the effects of sex hormones on sympathetic action potential (AP) patterns and ensuing vascular transduction remain unknown. We tested the hypothesis that males, and females using oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), would demonstrate larger increases in sympathetic activation and sympathetic vascular transduction compared with naturally menstruating females during static handgrip exercise (SHG) and postexercise circulatory occlusion (PECO). Young males [ n = 14, 25 (5) yr], females using OCPs [ n = 16, 24 (6) yr], and naturally menstruating females [ n = 18, 26 (4) yr] underwent assessments of multiunit muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA)/AP discharge patterns (microneurography) and femoral artery blood flow (ultrasound) during fatiguing SHG at 40% maximum voluntary contraction and 2-min PECO. Sympathetic vascular transduction was determined as the quotient of the change in leg vascular conductance (LVC) and MSNA/AP discharge. Males demonstrated greater increases in APs/burst [males: Δ7 (6) vs. midluteal: Δ2 (3), P = 0.028] and total AP clusters [males: Δ5 (3) vs. midluteal: Δ2 (3), P = 0.008] compared with naturally menstruating females only but not those using OCPs during exercise (APs/burst: P = 0.171, total clusters: P = 0.455). Sympathetic vascular transduction of MSNA burst amplitude, APs/burst, and total AP clusters was greater in males and females using OCPs compared with naturally menstruating females (range: P = 0.004–0.044). In contrast, during PECO no group differences were observed in AP discharge (range: P = 0.510–0.872), and AP discharge was not related to LVC during PECO (range: P = 0.08–0.949). These data indicate that biological sex and OCP use impact the central generation of AP discharge, as well as the transduction of these neuronal messages into peripheral vasoconstriction during static exercise.
White-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) liver and pectoralis flight muscle transcriptomic changes in preparation for migration
Authors: Elowe Cory R. , Babbitt Courtney , Gerson Alexander R.
Published: September 2023

Migratory songbirds undergo significant physiological changes to accomplish their impressive migratory journeys. However, we have a limited understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying these changes. Here, we explore the transcriptomic changes to the flight muscle and liver of white-throated sparrows as they develop the migratory condition. We use these patterns to develop hypotheses about metabolic flexibility and tissue restructuring in preparation for migration.
Changes in the fecal gut microbiome of home healthcare patients with disabilities through consumption of malted rice amazake
Authors: Kageyama Suzumi , Inoue Rikako , Park Jonguk , Hosomi Koji , Yumioka Hitomi , Suka Tomo , Teramoto Kazuaki , Syauki A. Yasmin , Doi Miki , Sakaue Haruka , Miyake Miyuu , Mizuguchi Kenji , Kunisawa Jun , Irie Yasuyuki
Published: September 2023

The consumption of malted rice amazake (MR-Amazake) showed significant changes in the gut microbiome according to principal coordinate analysis in some home healthcare patients with disabilities, including those with severe motor and intellectual disabilities. After discontinuation of intake, the gut microbiome returned to its original state. This is the first pilot study to examine both the changes in the gut microbiome and their sustainability after MR-Amazake intake.
Forward Modeling and Model Test of Ground-Penetrating Radar toward Typical Asphalt Pavement Distresses
Authors: Liu Zhijun , Sun Tao , Huang Tao , Liu Guoqiang , Tao Yunhan , Wang Gaoxin , Wang Liangliang
Published: September 2023

As the total mileage of roads with asphalt concrete pavement is increasing rapidly, using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to estimate the dimension of internal distresses of the asphalt pavement is of great significance for pavement maintenance. However, the relationship between the dimension of road distress and the characteristics of road distress’s radar echo has not been quantified. Therefore, in this paper, a GPR forward modeling toward base cracks and interlayer voids is conducted to investigate the relationship, and a model test is conducted to verify the forward modeling. The results indicate that it is feasible to use a GPR image to estimate the dimension of interlayer voids and base cracks. For vertical dimension estimation, the vertical dimension of the distressed area has a positive relationship with the difference in the return time of radar echoes from the top and bottom of the distressed area. However, the area’s vertical dimension must be at least a quarter of the length of the electromagnetic wave used in the GPR to be correctly identified. Otherwise, it is not easy to distinguish the overlapping echoes from each other. For horizontal dimension estimation, the base crack’s horizontal dimension has a quadratic correlation with the echo’s amplitude, and the horizontal dimension of an interlayer void is approximately equal to the length of its echo’s flat segment.
Spray Encapsulation of Iron in Chitosan Biopolymer for Tea Fortification
Authors: Siddiqui Juveria , McGee Elisa June Teresa , Mhasavade Deepak , Palagiri Swathy , Balamurugan V. , Diosady Levente László
Published: September 2023

Aim. Tea was studied as a carrier for iron in a fortification strategy to reduce iron deficiency. Iron forms insoluble coloured complexes with tea polyphenols which lower consumer acceptability. Complexation of iron by polyphenols and quinones derived from tea inhibits iron absorption in the first segment of the small intestine. Spray-dried chitosan-iron microcapsules were prepared to prevent iron-polyphenol interaction before the beverage is consumed. A competing chelating agent (EDTA) or antioxidant (sodium ascorbate) was added to prevent interactions and help improve iron bioavailability. Methods. The effect of concentration of chitosan (0.2–1.5%w/w), iron loading (10–60% w/w FeSO4), addition of secondary coatings on particle morphology, surface iron exposure and release, and bioaccessibility were evaluated. Tea-containing chitosan microcapsules and chelating agents to enable iron absorption were evaluated for sensory acceptability. Results. The iron release profile at pH 1 and pH 7 exhibited reverse enteric behaviour of non-cross-linked chitosan microcapsules. Increasing the iron content leads to more iron exposure on the surface due to a high core to coat ratio. Cross-linked chitosan effectively encapsulated iron, and its release in tea was inhibited, as indicated by lower delta E values in comparison with untreated tea and positive sensory testing scores. The use of maltodextrin as secondary coating slightly improved the spray process and produced larger particles, with less exposed iron on the surface. However, it did not improve the colour performance in milk tea. Conclusions. Tea fortified with encapsulated iron and a chelating agent providing 40% of the daily iron requirement of an adult, prepared in a traditional South Asian manner, i.e., with milk and water, resulted in tea with acceptable colour and taste. However, further research is required to develop an encapsulation formulation for stable iron encapsulation in hot tea and exploration of equivalent plant-based chitosan sources to address concerns of consumers with dietary restrictions.
Fraxin in Combination with Dexamethasone Attenuates LPS-Induced Liver and Heart Injury and Their Anticytokine Activity in Mice
Authors: Shaker Nada Sahib , Sahib Hayder Bahaa
Published: September 2023

Background. Cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in people suffering from hyperinflammatory status, which diverse etiological factors, including pathogens, therapeutic interventions, malignancies, and autoimmune disorders, can instigate. Since there is limited research on the antioxidant properties of fraxin and no studies have investigated its potential as an anticytokine storm agent, it is important to note that most studies have primarily focused on proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα during cytokine storm. However, little research discusses the role of chemokines, particularly IL-8, during cytokine storms. Therefore, further investigation is warranted into the role of fraxin as an anticytokine storm agent and the involvement of IL-8 in cytokine storms. The present study examines the preventive efficacy of fraxin and the combination of fraxin and dexamethasone (FD) in mitigating lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic inflammation in mice caused by Escherichia coli, 055: B5. Methods. Five groups of ten mice were randomly assigned: LPS only group (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally i.p.), control (normal saline N.S. 1 ml/kg, i.p.), concentrations were selected based on previous literature, fraxin (120 mg/kg, i.p.), dexamethasone (5 mg/kg, i.p.), fraxin + dexamethasone (FD) (60 mg/kg + 2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), administered one hour before LPS injection (5 mg/kg,i.p.), animals were euthanized next day, and interleukin-8 (IL-8) was quantified in serum using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The liver and heart tissues underwent histopathological analysis to assess morphological changes. For data analysis using ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests, the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were employed to analyze the histological results. Results. A significant decline in IL-8 levels was recorded in the treatment groups almost to the same degree (

p
<
0.001

), and the percentage of inhibition of IL-8 for fraxin, dexamethasone, and FD was 93%.92.4%, and 93%, respectively, compared to the LPS-only group. Histopathological scores were significantly reduced in liver and heart tissue (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusions. All interventions used in this study significantly reduced interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels and reduced LPS-induced liver and cardiac damage. The combination (FD) did not result in an evident superiority of either agent. More research is required to identify the possible usefulness of these agents in treating hyperinflammatory diseases, such as cytokine storms, in future clinical practice.
A Hybrid Random Forest and Least Squares Support Vector Machine Model Based on Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Slope Stability Prediction: A Case Study in Sichuan–Tibet Highway, China
Authors: Shu Tao , Tao Wei , Lu Haotian , Li Hao , Cao Jingxuan
Published: September 2023

Slope stability estimation is an engineering problem that involves several parameters. The problems of low accuracy of the model and blind data preprocessing are commonly existent in slope stability prediction research. To address these problems, 10 quantitative indicators are selected from 135 field cases to improve the accuracy of the model. These indicators were analyzed and visualized to examine their reliabilities after preprocessing. Combined with random forest (RF), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) algorithms, a hybrid prediction model that the RF–PSO–LSSVM model is proposed for identifying slope stability, and its reliability is verified by other prediction models that SVM, logistic regression, decision trees, k-nearest neighbor, naive Bayes, and linear discriminant analysis. Besides, the importance score of each indicator in the prediction of slope stability is discussed by employing the RF algorithm. The research results show that the proposed hybrid model exhibits the best accuracy and superiority in slope stability prediction than other models in this paper, which its values of the best fitness, area under the curve, T-measure, and accuracy are 98.15%, 96.4%, 96.55%, and 95.82%, respectively. The most influential factors affecting slope stability are precipitation and gravity, and the slope type and pore water ratio are identified as the least significant factors in this paper. The results provide a novel approach toward slope stability prediction in the field of geotechnical engineering.
Conception, Features, and Framework of Curriculum and Instruction Integration
Authors: Zhao Linglan , Fan Wei
Published: September 2023

Experience shows that the separation of curriculum and instruction can seriously block the process of curriculum reform. In the context of the new round of elementary education reform, curriculum and instruction plans should involve developing in an integrated way to implement the goal of students’ key competencies. Therefore, there is great value to resist one-size-fits-all thinking and reassess the issue of curriculum and instruction integration from a practical perspective. Following the practical essences of the key competencies, the research involved constructing three dimensions, practice, system, and structure, to reconstruct the connotation of curriculum and instruction integration. Curriculum and instruction integration is defined as the process of reorganizing and sequencing the internal elements of the system to form a new structure and new educational function in practice. There are three characteristics: it takes student learning practice as the goal, the existing curriculum and instruction structure as the basis, and the system hierarchical structure integration as the result. Based on the determined connotation and characteristics, authors constructed a hierarchical framework model for curriculum and instruction integration that was oriented around the key competencies. Research may provide useful references for promoting the high-quality development of curriculum and instruction.
Impact of Peripheral Nerve Block Technique on Incidence of Phrenic Nerve Palsy in Shoulder Surgery
Authors: Campbell Aaron S. , Johnson Christopher D. , O’Connor Shaun
Published: September 2023

Peripheral nerve blocks are an increasingly common method of providing postoperative analgesia for shoulder surgeries. However, the standard technique, the interscalene block (ISB), inevitably causes hemidiaphragmatic paresis (HDP), secondary to phrenic nerve palsy. This can cause morbidity in patients with preexisting respiratory compromise, prompting investigation into alternative “phrenic-sparing” nerve blocks. The aim of this review was to give an overview of these blocks and critically evaluate the current literature to determine if any are suitable replacements for ISB. The incidence of HDP and analgesic efficacy were considered. We queried four electronic databases and one register. Twenty-eight original articles were selected for review. The use of ultrasound guidance, lower volumes of local anaesthetic (LA), and injection 4 mm outside the brachial plexus fascia reduced HDP incidence for the ISB; however, no single modification did so sufficiently. While the anterior suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) showed comparable analgesic effects to the ISB, HDP prevalence was also high. The posterior SSNB produced consistently low HDP incidences but also inferior analgesia to ISB, except when combined with an infraclavicular brachial plexus block. The superior trunk block (STB) provided equivalent analgesia to the ISB while reducing HDP incidence, but not significantly. Lower LA volumes consistently led to lower HDP incidence across all blocks, likely due to a reduced ability to spread to the phrenic nerve. Further investigation into the minimum effective volumes of the extrafascial ISB, anterior SSNB, STB, and combined posterior SSNB with infraclavicular block is warranted to determine if any of these blocks can successfully balance HDP prevention with analgesic efficacy.