bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reproductive biology, length‐weight relationship and diet of co‐occurring butterfly rays, Gymnura poecilura and Gymnura zonura, in Malaysian waters
Authors: Leung Amanda Jhu‐Xhin , Then Amy Yee‐Hui , Loh Kar‐Hoe
Published: December 2022

Recent IUCN assessments had resulted in up listing of the status of butterfly rays due to concerns of overfishing, but inadequate biological understanding of these rays prevents meaningful conservation and management measures. Therefore, this study was undertaken to address knowledge gaps in the reproductive biology and diet of longtail butterfly ray (Gymnura poecilura) and zone tail butterfly ray (Gymnura zonura) in Malaysian waters. From surveys of landing sites and fish markets from years 2017 to 2022, size (disc width, DW), weight and maturity were recorded, and stomachs were collected from 94 G. poecilura (N = 39 females and 55 males) and 20 G. zonura (N = 10 females and 10 males) specimens. The length‐weight relationships were significantly different between sexes for G. poecilura. The size at maturity (DW50) was estimated to be 476.0 mm (females), 385.0 mm (males) for G. poecilura and 442.0 mm (combined) for G. zonura. The number of embryos ranged from 1 to 6, and the embryo size was between 73.90 to 130.44 mm DW. Dietary analysis of stomach contents revealed that fish prey was dominant in both G. poecilura [94.4% Index of Relative Importance (IRI)] and G. zonura (100% IRI). Ontogenetic shift was seen in G. poecilura that fed on more variety of prey items, including shrimps, squids and crabs with an increase in body size. Both species co‐occur all along coastal Malaysia although G. zonura is rarely encountered from fisheries surveys along the Strait of Malacca. Given similar habitat associations and dietary habits, G. poecilura may be able to outcompete G. zonura across their shared habitat range. The validity of G. japonica and G. micrura records in Malaysia remains questionable and requires future investigation.
Management and monitoring of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in the Asia‐Pacific region: A position paper by the Asian Pan‐Pacific Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (APPSPGHAN) PIBD Working Group: Surgical management, disease monitoring, and special considerations
Authors: Lee Way Seah , Arai Katsuhiro , Alex George , Treepongkaruna Suporn , Kim Kyung Mo , Choong Chee Liang , Mercado Karen Calixto , Darma Andy , Srivastava Anshu , Aw Marion M. ,   APPSPGHAN PIBD Working Group
Published: December 2022

Disease phenotype of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) in children from the Asia‐Pacific region differs from that of children from the West. Many parts of Asia are endemic for tuberculosis, making diagnosis and management of pediatric Crohn's disease a challenge. Current available guidelines, mainly from Europe and North America, may not be completely applicable to clinicians caring for children with PIBD in Asia due to differences in disease characteristics and regional resource constraints. This position paper is an initiative from the Asian Pan‐Pacific Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (APPSPGHAN) that aims to provide an up‐to‐date, evidence‐based approach to PIBD in the Asia‐Pacific region. A group of pediatric gastroenterologists with a special interest in PIBD performed an extensive literature search covering epidemiology, disease characteristics and natural history, management, and monitoring. Attention was paid to publications from the region with special consideration to a resource‐limited setting. This current position paper deals with surgical management, disease monitoring, immunization, bone health, and nutritional issues of PIBD in Asia. A special section on differentiating pediatric Crohn's disease from tuberculosis in children is included. This position paper provides a useful guide to clinicians in the surgical management, disease monitoring, and various health issues in children with IBD in Asia‐Pacific region.
Influence of Laboring People's Mobility and Positional Changes on Birth Outcomes in Low‐Dose Epidural Analgesia Labor: A Systematic Review with Meta‐Analysis
Authors: de Verastegui‐Martín Maite , de Paz‐Fresneda Ana , Jiménez‐Barbero José Antonio , Jiménez‐Ruiz Ismael , Ballesteros Meseguer Carmen
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Freedom of movement has been identified as a key issue for pregnant individuals during the birthing process, even if they opt for epidural analgesia, which has relegated people to more static positions during birth for many years. The aims of this systematic review were to evaluate the influence of mobility and positional changes on perinatal and neonatal outcomes in people in labor with epidural analgesia, describe the range of movement interventions used during the first and second stage of labor, and describe the level of motor blockade among people with low‐dose epidural analgesia.

Methods

Bibliographic databases (Web of Science, Cochrane, CINAHL) were consulted from December 2020 to January 2021. The articles selected were clinical trials and observational or analytical studies, the subject of which was mobilization during labor in people with epidural analgesia. The outcome measures were mode of birth, duration of labor, and extrauterine adaptation after birth. A narrative synthesis was used to describe the types of movements interventions employed during the stages of labor and the level of motor blockade among people with low‐dose epidural analgesia.

Results

Ten articles were selected (8 clinical trials, one cross‐sectional study, and one quasiexperimental study), with a total sample of 6086 individuals. A meta‐analysis showed nonsignificant results between groups for mode of birth (relative risk [RR], 1.00; 95% CI, 0.87‐1.14), duration of labor (RR, 1.64; 95% CI, ‐34.57 to 37.86), and extrauterine adaptation after birth (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.39‐1.93). There was heterogeneity among studies in the type of movement interventions used during the first and second stage of labor.

Discussion

Although no clear benefit was observed for mobilization in epidural labor, no detrimental effects were found either, so perinatal care providers should encourage mobilization if the laboring person so desires, throughout the entire childbirth process.
Beyond Basis Basics: Liquidity Demand and Deviations from the Law of One Price
Authors: HAZELKORN TODD M. , MOSKOWITZ TOBIAS J. , VASUDEVAN KAUSHIK
Published: December 2022

Deviations from the law of one price between futures and spot prices—the futures‐cash basis—capture information about liquidity demand for equity market exposure in global markets. We show that the basis comoves with dealer and investor futures positions, is contemporaneously positively correlated with futures and spot market returns, and negatively predicts futures and spot returns. These findings are consistent with the futures‐cash basis reflecting liquidity demand that is common to futures and cash equity markets. We find persistent supply‐demand imbalances for equity index exposure reflected in the basis, giving rise to an annual premium of 5% to 6%.
Frequency of translocation of USP‐6 in the aneurysmal bone cyst of the jaw
Authors: Obermeier Katharina Theresa , Schmöckel Elisa , Otto Sven , Haidari Selgai
Published: December 2022

Background

This study aims to detect USP6 translocation in aneurysmal cysts located in the jaw and to give an overview of demographic data.

Methods

The present retrospective cohort study includes 10 patients who underwent surgery due to an aneurysmal cyst of the jaw in our hospital between 2002 and 2021. Unstained formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded tissue sections cut at 4 μm thickness were subjected to USP6 FISH testing.

Results

All patients underwent surgical treatment. In four of ten patients (40%) USP‐6‐translocations have been found.

Conclusion

Based on the study, it is hypothesized that the aneurysmal bone cyst of the jaw bone may be subject to a different pathomechanism than that of the long bones. Therefore, it seems conceivable that the primary cause of aneurysmal bone cysts in the jaw might differ.
Open‐ended question method investigation: A study with mashed potatoes
Authors: Sharma Chetan , Swaney‐Stueve Marianne , Chambers Edgar , Jayanty Sastry S. , Talavera Martin J.
Published: December 2022

Twelve cultivars of potatoes were used for open‐ended question (OEQ) method investigation. OEQs’ were examined for answer box number effect, questioning type, and compared to check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) in the difficulty of information generation for sensory profile development. Up to four small list‐style answer boxes were recommended for OEQ information collection irrespective of questioning type. A focused questioning technique on specific modalities was found to generate information that is more actionable over‐generalized questioning. The frequency of abstract words was lowest in texture focused open‐ended questioning, followed by aroma or flavor. Overall, OEQ's generated rich information but were difficult to accomplish (more cognitively challenging to respond than CATA, potential ambiguous interpretation of certain terms and dimensionality reduction through data analysis). Irrespective of method type, some cultivars of potato (CO99076‐6R, Purple Majesty, AC99330‐1PY, and Rio Colorado) were found to have similar textures whereas Purple Majesty and Masquerade were similar in flavor. Purple Majesty, Masquerade, CO99076‐6R, and AC99330‐1PY were liked for their texture. Masquerade cultivar was highly liked for aroma, flavor, and texture over others.

Practical applications

The findings of this study are helpful to understand the type of information open‐ended questions generate and how effectively they can be used to generate terminology in the context of food‐related studies. Open‐ended questions were tested for questioning effect, information type, diversity of responses, and difficulty.
Behavioural responses to chemical cues of predators differ between fire salamander larvae from two different habitats
Authors: Hahn L. G. , Oswald P. , Caspers B. A.
Published: December 2022

Prey organisms need to detect predators and respond with adequate antipredator behaviours. To recognize predators, chemosensory cues play a pivotal role, particularly in aquatic ecosystems, where sight may be restricted. However, it is less known whether the ability to use these cues, enabling appropriate antipredator behaviour, varies between subpopulations occupying different habitats with different predation risks. We examined antipredator behaviour of wild‐caught larval fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) from two different habitats, ponds and streams. Ponds and streams are inhabited by habitat‐specific predators, such as alpine newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris), which only occur in ponds. We confronted larvae from both habitats with either tap water (control) or tap water that had contained alpine newts (newt treatment) and investigated potential behavioural differences in activity and shelter emergence. In the activity test, pond larvae, but not stream larvae, were significantly less active when faced with chemical cues (potentially kairomones) from newts than those faced with a control stimulus, but stream larvae generally exhibited significantly lower activity than pond larvae. In the shelter‐emergence test, larvae from both habitats spent significantly less time outside a shelter in the newt treatment than in control water. This suggests that larval fire salamanders, independent of their habitat, recognize chemical cues from potential predators and alter their behaviour accordingly. Larvae of both habitats were able to detect and use chemical cues released from potential predators, but they differed slightly in their response to these chemical cues. This finding reflects varying antipredator strategies in response to the habitat‐specific differences.
Sugar intake above international recommendations and oral disease burden: A population‐based study
Authors: Ladeira Lorena Lucia Costa , Nascimento Gustavo G. , Leite Fabio Renato Manzolli , Alves‐Costa Silas , Thomaz Erika Bárbara Abreu Fonseca , Alves Claudia Maria Coelho , Cury Jaime Aparecido , Ribeiro Cecilia Claudia Costa
Published: December 2022

Objective

To evaluate the association between added sugar intake above the daily limit for the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the Chronic Oral Disease Burden in adolescents.

Methods

This was a population‐based study using cross‐sectional data nested to RPS Cohorts Consortium, São Luís, Brazil, from the 18–19‐year‐old follow‐up (n = 2515). High consumption of added sugars was estimated according to the limits of the World Health Organization guidelines (WHO) (≥5% of total energy/day) and the American Heart Association statement (AHA) (≥25 g/day). The Chronic Oral Disease Burden was a latent variable (number of decayed teeth, periodontal probing depth ≥4 mm, clinical attachment level ≥3 mm, and bleeding on probing). Models were adjusted for Socioeconomic Status, sex, obesity, and plaque index and analyzed through structural equation modeling.

Results

Adolescents had high sugar consumption according to the WHO (78.6%) and AHA (81.4%) recommendations. High sugar intake, according to WHO (SC = 0.096; p = 0.007) and AHA (SC = 0.056; p = 0.027), was associated with a heavier Chronic Oral Disease Burden. Even half of the recommended dose was sufficient to affect some oral disease indicators.

Conclusion

Sugar intake over international statements to prevent NCDs is associated with higher Chronic Oral Disease Burden among adolescents.
Incorporating equity and justice concerns in regulation
Authors: Cecot Caroline , Hahn Robert W.
Published: December 2022

US regulatory agencies have been encouraged to consider the equity and distributional impacts of regulations for decades. This paper examines the extent to which such analysis is done and provides recommendations for improving it. We analyze 189 regulatory impact analyses (RIAs) that monetize at least some benefits and costs prepared by a variety of agencies from October 2003 to January 2021. We find that only two RIAs calculated the net benefits of a policy for a specific demographic group. Furthermore, only 21% of RIAs calculate some benefits by group (typically for demographic groups) and only 20% calculate some costs by group (typically for industry groups such as small entities). Overall, the differences between presidential administrations are relatively small compared to the differences between agencies in their performance using our measures of distributional analysis. We then evaluate a sample of 23 analyses related to environmental justice (EJ) prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) between January 2010 and January 2022. The EJ analyses frequently identify disproportionate exposures to pollutants for a variety of groups and discuss the effects of proposed regulations on these exposures, but they rarely consider the distribution of costs and less than half consider any alternatives. To date, virtually no agency prepares a distributional analysis that could help regulators evaluate whether a proposed regulation, on net, advantages or disadvantages a particular group and whether an alternative could generate a preferred distributional outcome.
Assessing the Effect of School Closures on the Spread of COVID-19 in Zurich
Authors: Bekker-Nielsen Dunbar Maria , Hofmann Felix , Held Leonhard ,   on Behalf of the SUSPend modelling consortium
Published: December 2022

The effect of school closure on the spread of COVID-19 has been discussed intensively in the literature and the news. To capture the interdependencies between children and adults, we consider daily age-stratified incidence data and contact patterns between age groups which change over time to reflect social distancing policy indicators. We fit a multivariate time-series endemic–epidemic model to such data from the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland and use the model to predict the age-specific incidence in a counterfactual approach (with and without school closures). The results indicate a 17% median increase of incidence in the youngest age group (0–14 year olds), whereas the relative increase in the other age groups drops to values between 2% and 3%. We argue that our approach is more informative to policy makers than summarising the effect of school closures with time-dependent effective reproduction numbers, which are difficult to estimate due to the sparsity of incidence counts within the relevant age groups.
The impact of ideological positions and personal attributes of candidates in intraparty competition: A study under the Swiss open‐list PR System
Authors: Ortega Carmen , Oñate Pablo , Martín Ángel Cazorla
Published: December 2022

Intraparty preference voting systems offer different incentives for candidates to cultivate a personal vote, but little is known about how the candidates' policy positions affect their electoral success in intraparty competition. This article analyses the effect of candidates' ideological positions and personal attributes on their preference vote share in the 2015 and 2019 Swiss Lower House elections. We used candidate survey data combined with official election statistics. Our findings demonstrate that the ideological distance between candidates' positions and their party's median position is of minor importance for their electoral success when compared to their personal attributes. However, ideological distance between candidates and their party's median position reduce their preference vote share.
Constrained Large-Displacement Thermal Analysis
Authors: Shabana Ahmed A. , Elbakly Mahmoud , Zhang Dayu
Published: December 2022

Two different cases are encountered in the thermal analysis of solids. In the first case, continua are not subject to boundary and motion constraints and all material points experience same displacement-gradient changes as the result of application of thermal loads. In this case, referred to as unconstrained thermal expansion, the thermal load produces uniform stress-free motion within the continuum. In the second case, point displacements due to boundary and motion constraints are restricted, and therefore, continuum points do not move freely when thermal loads are applied. This second case, referred to as constrained thermal expansion, leads to thermal stresses and its study requires proper identification of the independent coordinates which represent expansion degrees-of-freedom. To have objective evaluation and comparison between the two cases of constrained and unconstrained thermal expansion, the reference-configuration geometry is accurately described using the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) finite elements. ANCF position-gradient vectors have unique geometric meanings as tangent to coordinate lines, allowing systematic description of the two different cases of unconstrained and constrained thermal expansions using multiplicative decomposition of the matrix of position-gradient vectors. Furthermore, generality of the approach for large-displacement thermal analysis requires using the Lagrange–D'Alembert principle for proper treatment of algebraic constraint equations. Numerical results are presented to compare two different expansion cases, demonstrate use of the new approach, and verify its results by comparing with conventional finite element (FE) approaches.
A Numerical Study on Spray Combustion and Emissions Characteristics of n-Heptane, Dimethyl Ether, and Their Blends in a Constant Volume Combustion Chamber
Authors: Sahu Balram , Srivastava Dhananjay Kumar
Published: December 2022

Dimethyl ether appears to be a better choice among various diesel alternatives due to its high cetane number and sootless combustion. However, the physical and chemical properties of dimethyl ether are very different from those of diesel. The physical properties influence spray formation and atomization characteristics, while chemical properties determine combustion and emission formation characteristics. Thus, fuel's physical and chemical properties significantly determine engine performance and emissions. In the present work, spray combustion and emission formation characteristics of n-heptane, dimethyl ether, and their blends (10, 25, and 50% dimethyl ether in n-heptane) were numerically studied in a constant volume chamber. Results show that the n-heptane spray combustion has the highest heat release rate with an intense premix combustion phase, whereas dimethyl ether spray combustion has the lowest heat release rate and shortest premix combustion phase. The magnitude of the premixed phase and heat release rate decreases with the increase in dimethyl ether mass fraction in the blends. Soot, carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbon (UHC), and nitric oxide (NO) emissions decreased with the increase in the dimethyl ether mass fraction in the blends and were lowest for the dimethyl ether.
System for interpolating work function for a cold-field emitter
Authors: Bahm A.
Published: December 2022

Simulating electron emission current density J from a hemispherical cold-field emitter requires work function ϕ and field F over the surface of the emitter. Typically, the surface is approximated by a polygonal tile model with polygons whose normals may point in a variety of directions, representing arbitrary facet planes. As ϕ has only been experimentally determined on a few planes of tungsten, the simulation must infer the work function for these nonstandard directions. This paper presents and demonstrates this interpolation system as tailored to crystals with three or more known crystallographic work functions.
Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Metabolism of Telacebec (Q203) for the Treatment of Tuberculosis: a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multiple Ascending Dose Phase 1B Trial
Authors: Kim Jeongjun , Choi Jinho , Kang Hwankyu , Ahn Jiye , Hutchings Jane , Niekerk Christo van , Kim Jaeseung , Jeon Yeejin , Nam Kiyean , Kim Tae Hwan , Shin Beom Soo , Shin Soyoung
Published: December 2022

A phase 1b, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multiple ascending dose study (NCT02858973) was conducted to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the new antituberculosis agent telacebec (Q203). A total of 47 healthy adult subjects entered the study; 36 received telacebec, and 11 received placebo.
Diverse Methylmercury (MeHg) Producers and Degraders Inhabit Acid Mine Drainage Sediments, but Few Taxa Correlate with MeHg Accumulation
Authors: Zheng Jin , Liang Jie-Liang , Jia Pu , Feng Shi-wei , Lu Jing-li , Luo Zhen-hao , Ai Hong-xia , Liao Bin , Li Jin-tian , Shu Wen-sheng
Published: December 2022

Microorganisms are the main drivers of MeHg production and degradation in the environment. However, little attention has been paid to the simultaneous investigation of the diversities of microbial MeHg producers and degraders in a given habitat.
Effects of Silage Diet on Meat Quality through Shaping Gut Microbiota in Finishing Pigs
Authors: Niu Jiakuan , Liu Xiao , Xu Junying , Li Fen , Wang Jincan , Zhang Xixi , Yang Xu , Wang Lin , Ma Sen , Li Defeng , Zhu Xiaoyan , Wang Chengzhang , Shi Yinghua , Cui Yalei
Published: December 2022

To avoid competition between people and animals for food, it is essential to develop nontraditional feeds. In this study, the effects of the silages of the unconventional feed resources mulberry and paper mulberry on meat quality of finishing pigs were examined.
Thermal Fractionation of Polyolefins: Brief History, New Developments and Future Perspective
Authors: Zhao X. T. , Men Y. F.
Published: December 2022

For semi-crystalline polymer materials, the difference in chain structure often leads to different physical properties; therefore, in-depth analysis of the chain structure is of great significance. With the continuous development of advanced instruments, many research means have emerged to characterize the structure of molecular chains. Among them, fractionation techniques provide effectively structural information on inter- and intra-molecular comonomer distribution, branching degree, and sequence length, etc. This work briefly presents the history of developments of various classical fractionation means such as temperature-rising elution fractionation, stepwise crystallization and successive self-nucleation and annealing, while focusing on the present and future of their applications.
Evidence at time of regulatory approval and cost of new antibiotics in 2016-19: cohort study of FDA approved drugs
Authors: Mitra-Majumdar Mayookha , Powers John H , Brown Beatrice L , Kesselheim Aaron S
Published: December 2022

Objective

To review the clinical evidence, regulatory background, and cost of antibiotics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2016-19.

Design

Cohort study of FDA approved drugs.

Data sources

FDA databases, ClinicalTrials.gov, and drug labelling. Launch prices were extracted from IBM Micromedex Red Book.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Antibiotics approved by the FDA from October 2016 to December 2019 were identified, and key features of their clinical development were extracted from publicly available FDA databases, ClinicalTrials.gov, and drug labelling. Launch prices were extracted from IBM Micromedex Red Book to evaluate the cost of treatment against comparators.

Results

15 new antibiotics received at least one special regulatory designation and were supported by a median of two pivotal trials. More than half of the pivotal trials used an active control non-inferiority design. All drugs were approved based on surrogate outcome measures. 52 postmarketing requirements and commitments were included across the cohort (median 3 for each drug). From January 2021, 27 postmarketing requirements and commitments were listed as pending, seven as ongoing, three as delayed, one as submitted, eight as released, and four as fulfilled. The most expensive new antibiotic was pretomanid at $36 399 (£29 618; €34 582) for a course of treatment, and the least expensive was rifamycin ($176). Cost ratios between study drugs and comparators ranged from 0.48 to 134.

Conclusions

New antibiotics have been approved by the FDA in recent years mostly based on fewer, smaller, and non-inferiority pivotal trials that often used surrogate outcome measures but were commonly more costly. Efforts to incentivise the development of antibiotics should balance growing the antibiotic development pipeline with ensuring that clinical trials provide clinically relevant evidence of effectiveness in showing added benefits for the patient.
Needs of informal caregivers of people with a rare disease: a rapid review of the literature
Authors: Mcmullan Julie , Lohfeld Lynne , McKnight Amy Jayne
Published: December 2022

Objectives

Many people living with a rare disease (RD) are cared for by a family member. Due to a frequent lack of individual RD knowledge from healthcare professionals, the patient and their informal caregiver are frequently obliged to become ‘experts’ in their specific condition. This puts a huge strain on family life and results in caregivers juggling multiple roles in addition to unique caring roles including as advocate, case manager and medical navigator. We conducted a rapid review of literature reporting on the unmet needs of informal caregivers for people living with an RD. All searches were conducted on 14 September 2021, followed by a manual searches of reference lists on 21 September 2021.

Setting

Searches were conducted in Medline, Embase, Web of Science, GreyLit and OpenGrey.

Results

Thirty-five papers were included in the final review and data extracted. This rapid review presents several unmet needs identified by informal caregivers of persons with an RD. The related literature was organised thematically: caregiver burden, support through the diagnosis process, social needs, financial needs, psychological needs, information and communication needs and acknowledgement from healthcare professionals.

Conclusions

This review provides evidence that increased meaningful support is required for caregivers. Active engagement should be encouraged from this cohort in future research and awareness raised of the support available to improve the quality of life for families living with an RD. The unmet needs identified through this review will benefit people living with an RD, caregivers, healthcare professionals and policy makers.
Exercise oxygen desaturation is a predictor of cardiopulmonary complications after lung resection
Authors: Fukui Mariko , Matsunaga Takeshi , Hattori Aritoshi , Takamochi Kazuya , Oh Shiaki , Nojiri Shuko , Suzuki Kenji
Published: December 2022

Background

To investigate whether oxygen desaturation during low technology tests was associated with complications after lung resection.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 1097 candidates for pulmonary resection; seven metabolic equivalents in the Master’s double two-step test were loaded. The predicted postoperative (PPO) forced expiratory volume in 1 s and PPO diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide were estimated. The patients were divided into three groups: those with both values ≥60% (≥60% group (n=298)), either value <30% (<30% group (n=112)) and others (30%–60% group (n=687)). The relationships between postoperative cardiopulmonary complications and exercise stress test based on availability, symptoms and percutaneous oxygen saturation values were investigated in each group.

Results

Τhe cardiopulmonary morbidity rates in the ≥60%, 30%–60%, and <30% groups were 7.7%, 14.6%, and 47.3%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that predictors of complications were age (OR 0.96; p<0.001), male sex (OR 1.74; p=0.016) and exercise oxygen desaturation (EOD) >4% (OR 2.39; p=0.001) in the 30%–60% group, and male sex (OR 3.76; p=0.042) and EOD >4% (OR 2.28; p=0.030) in the <30% group.

The two-flight test (TFT) was performed in 181 patients (22.8%); desaturation >4% in the TFT was also a predictor of complications.

Conclusions

A low technology test is also valuable for high-risk patients. EOD >4% is a predictor of postoperative complications.

Clinical registration

This study is a non-interventional observational study and has not been registered in a public database. The study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guidelines.

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Juntendo University School of Medicine (no. 2016085).
Outcomes in patients with moderate and asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis followed up in heart valve clinics
Authors: Paolisso Pasquale , Beles Monika , Belmonte Marta , Gallinoro Emanuele , De Colle Cristina , Mileva Niya , Bertolone Dario Tino , Deschepper Celine , Spapen Jerrold , Brouwers Sofie , Degrieck Ivan , Casselman Filip , Stockman Bernard , Van Praet Frank , Penicka Martin , Collet Carlos , Wyffels Eric , Vanderheyden Marc , Barbato Emanuele , Bartunek Jozef , Van Camp Guy
Published: December 2022

Background

Heart valve clinics (HVC) have been introduced to manage patients with valvular heart disease within a multidisciplinary team.

Objective

To determine the outcome benefit of HVC approach compared with standard of care (SOC) for patients with moderate and asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis (mAS and asAS).

Methods

Single-centre, observational registry of patients with mAS and asAS with at least one cardiac ambulatory consultation at our Cardiovascular Centre. Based on the outpatient strategy, patients were divided into HVC group, if receiving at least one visit at HVC, and SOC group, if followed by routine cardiac consultations.

Results

2129 patients with mAS and asAS were divided into those followed in HVC (n=251) versus SOC group (n=1878). The mean age was 76.5±12.4 years; 919 (43.2%) had asAS. During a follow-up of 4.8±1.8 years, 822 patients (38.6%) died, 307 (14.4%) were hospitalised for heart failure and 596 (28%) underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR). After propensity score matching, the number of consultations per year, exercise stress tests, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) determinations and CTs were higher in the HVC cohort (p<0.05 for all). A shorter time between indication of AVR and less advanced New York Heart Association class was reported in the HVC cohort (p<0.001 and p=0.032). Compared with SOC, the HVC approach was associated with reduced all-cause mortality (HR=0.63, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.98, p=0.038) and cardiovascular death (p=0.030). At multivariable analysis, the HVC remained an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (HR=0.54, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.85, p=0.007).

Conclusions

In patients with mAS and asAS, the HVC approach was associated with more efficient management and outcome benefit compared with SOC.
Variants inBSNgene associated with epilepsy with favourable outcome
Authors: Ye Tingting , Zhang Jiwei , Wang Jie , Lan Song , Zeng Tao , Wang Huaili , He Xuelian , Li Bing-Mei , Deng Weiwen , Liao Wei-Ping , Liu Xiao-Rong
Published: December 2022

Background

BSNgene encodes Bassoon, an essential protein to assemble the cytomatrix at the active zone of neurotransmitter release. This study aims to explore the relationship betweenBSNvariants and epilepsy.

Methods

Whole-exome sequencing was performed in a cohort of 313 cases (trios) with epilepsies of unknown causes. Additional cases withBSNvariants were collected from China Epilepsy Gene V.1.0 Matching Platform. The Clinical Validity Framework of ClinGen was used to evaluate the relationship betweenBSNvariants and epilepsy.

Results

Four pairs of compound heterozygous variants and one cosegregating heterozygous missense variant inBSNwere identified in five unrelated families. These variants presented statistically higher frequency in the case cohort than in controls. Additional two de novo heterozygous nonsense variants and one cosegregating heterozygous missense variant were identified in three unrelated cases from the gene matching platform, which were not present in the Genome Aggregation Database. The missense variants tended to be located in C-terminus, including the two monoallelic missense variants. Protein modelling showed that at least one missense variant in each pair of compound heterozygous variants had hydrogen bond alterations. Clinically, two cases were diagnosed as idiopathic generalised epilepsy, two as focal epilepsy and the remaining four as epilepsy with febrile seizures plus. Seven out of eight probands showed infancy or childhood-onset epilepsy. Eight out of 10 affected individuals had a history of febrile convulsions. All the cases were seizure-free. The cases with monoallelic variants achieved seizure-free without treatment or under monotherapy, while cases with biallelic missense variants mostly required combined therapy. The evidence from ClinGen Framework suggested an association betweenBSNvariants and epilepsy.

Conclusion

TheBSNgene was potentially a novel candidate gene for epilepsy. The phenotypical severity was associated with the genotypes and the molecular subregional effects of the variants.
Facilitators and barriers of vaccine uptake in patients with autoimune inflammatory rheumatic disease: a scoping review
Authors: Neusser Silke , Neumann Anja , zur Nieden Pauline , Speckemeier Christian , Schlierenkamp Sarah , Walendzik Anke , Karbach Ute , Andreica Ioana , Vaupel Kristina , Baraliakos Xenofon , Kiltz Uta
Published: December 2022

Objectives

Patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRD) often have lower vaccination coverage rates compared with the general population, despite being disproportionately affected by infectious complications. We aim to systematically review the literature regarding vaccination willingness and hesitancy in AIRD.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library in June 2021. Study selection was performed by two independent reviewers and data were extracted using a standardised form. Risk of bias was assessed using instruments from McMaster University. Identified barriers were categorised into the WHO’s measuring behavioural and social drivers (BeSD) of vaccination conceptual model.

Results

The search yielded 1644 hits of which 30 publications were included (cross-sectional studies based on interviews (n=27) and intervention studies (n=3)). The majority of studies reported barriers to influenza and pneumococcal vaccination only (n=9) or in combination with another vaccination (n=8) from the patients’ perspective. Only one study assessed the view of rheumatologists. Coverage of domains matched to the BeSD model suggests a lack of awareness of infection risk by both patients and physicians. Patients mainly mentioned behavioural and social factors that negatively influenced their willingness to be vaccinated while physicians mentioned organisational deficits as major barriers.

Conclusions

The view on vaccination in patients with AIRD diverges between patients and rheumatologists. Our results show that in-depth counselling on vaccines is important for patients, whereas physicians need support in implementing specific immunisation recommendations. The themes identified provide a starting point for future interventions to improve vaccine rates in patients with AIRD.
Impacts of cooperative adaptive cruise control and cooperative lane changing on delay and riding comfort in autonomous car–autonomous truck mixed traffic
Authors: Semnarshad Mohammadsina , Lee Chris , Kim Yong Hoon
Published: December 2022

This study examines the impacts of cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) and cooperative lane changing (CLC) on the delay and the riding comfort in autonomous car–autonomous truck (AC–AT) mixed traffic at a freeway merging area. For this task, AC–AT mixed traffic on a 5.25 km section of freeway was analyzed using the Aimsun Next microscopic traffic simulation. The effects of different CACC parameters and CLC on the average speed and acceleration distributions as the measures of delay and riding comfort, respectively, were evaluated. It was found that (1) lower sensitivity to the lead vehicle reduced the merging time, (2) shorter time gaps between autonomous vehicles and between platoons decreased the delay, and (3) longer time gaps reduced the delay at higher percentage of ATs. These results demonstrate that the delay of AC–AT mixed traffic at a freeway merging area can be reduced and riding comfort can be increased by adjusting CACC parameters.
Does ontogeny matter for the spring temperature requirement for bud burst of two coniferous species in cool temperate forests?
Authors: Makoto Kobayashi
Published: December 2022

Spring leaf phenology is an important event for trees to determine carbon fixation during the growing season. However, less is understood about the intraspecific variation in spring leaf phenology and its relationship with the spring temperature requirements of conifers, which is problematic for accurately predicting the influence of spring climate warming on conifers. I monitored bud burst timing and the degree days required for bud burst for seedlings and large individuals of Abies sachalinensis (fir) and Larix kaempferi (larch) over two seasons in northern Japan. Contrary to my expectation, the degree days required for the bud burst of small individuals were similar to or larger than those of the large individuals for fir and larch. Consequently, the bud burst timing of small individuals was similar to or later than that of large individuals for fir and larch. Even when conifer species are in their early stage, the spring temperature requirement for bud burst is not necessarily less than that for large individuals, which is not the case for many broad-leaved species. These results indicate that for these two coniferous species, ontogenetic differences in temperature requirements are not necessary to be considered for the response of communities to spring climate change.
High temperature dielectric relaxation and energy storage properties achieved in the CaZrO3–SrTiO3composite ceramics
Authors: Wang Xiaofei , Hu Qiubo , Wang Zhenhao , Zhou Fengzi , Li Liben
Published: December 2022

We synthesized lead-free ([Formula: see text]CaZrO3–[Formula: see text]SrTiO3solid-solution ceramics and studied their structure, dielectric and energy storage properties. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope reveal the microstructure of the samples. A high temperature dielectric relaxation behavior at the temperature ranges of 200[Formula: see text]C–550[Formula: see text]C is found for [Formula: see text], 0.5 and 0.7 samples. We explore that the origin of high temperature dielectric relaxation behavior is related to the migration of oxygen vacancies by Arrhenius law and oxygen treatment experiment. Moreover, with the increase of SrTiO3content, the 0.3CaZrO3–0.7SrTiO3exhibits high dielectric constant ([Formula: see text] at 1 kHz), low dielectric loss ([Formula: see text] at 1 kHz), good energy density ([Formula: see text] J/cm[Formula: see text] and high efficiency ([Formula: see text]%) simultaneously, and the possible causes of energy storage behavior dependence are analyzed in detail.
Duplicate Bug Report Detection: How Far Are We?
Authors: Zhang Ting , Han Donggyun , Vinayakarao Venkatesh , Irsan Ivana Clairine , Xu Bowen , Thung Ferdian , Lo David , Jiang Lingxiao
Published: December 2022

Many Duplicate Bug Report Detection (DBRD) techniques have been proposed in the research literature. The industry uses some other techniques. Unfortunately, there is insufficient comparison among them, and it is unclear how far we have been. This work fills this gap by comparing the aforementioned techniques. To compare them, we first need a benchmark that can estimate how a tool would perform if applied in a realistic setting today. Thus, we first investigated potential biases that affect the fair comparison of the accuracy of DBRD techniques. Our experiments suggest that data age and issue tracking system (ITS) choice cause a significant difference. Based on these findings, we prepared a new benchmark. We then used it to evaluate DBRD techniques to estimate better how far we have been. Surprisingly, a simpler technique outperforms recently proposed sophisticated techniques on most projects in our benchmark. In addition, we compared the DBRD techniques proposed in research with those used in
Mozilla
and
VSCode
. Surprisingly, we observe that a simple technique already adopted in practice can achieve comparable results as a recently proposed research tool. Our study gives reflections on the current state of DBRD, and we share our insights to benefit future DBRD research.
Investigation of Mo Doping Effects on the Properties of AlN-Based Piezoelectric Films Using a Sputtering Technique
Authors: Feng Guang-Huan , Li Cheng-Ying , Chen Yueh-Han , Ho Yi-Chen , Chu Sheng-Yuan , Tsai Cheng-Che , Hong Cheng-Shong
Published: December 2022

In this study, AlN-based films are deposited using a sputtering deposition method, and Mo dopants with different concentrations are added in the proposed system by controlling the sputtering power in order to improve the crystallinity and piezoelectric properties of AlN films. Through a detailed material analysis including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), and nano-indentation, the piezoelectric property optimization mechanism of proposed films was explored and the best process parameters were determined. The piezoelectric coefficient d33 of AlN:Mo (3.46%) films reached 7.33 pm V−1, which is 82.79% higher than that of undoped AlN. As compared with the reported data about the dopants in AlN system, our proposed films have the better d33 values with those dopants in AlN-based films except Sc dopants. However, Sc is known as an expensive metal, our proposed films could be applied to low-cost piezoelectric MEMS applications.
Improvement of Energy Storage Properties of NaNbO3-Based Ceramics through a Relaxation Strategy
Authors: Jin Zhengquan , Wu Xiusheng , Shi Sijia , Wen Hongjuan , Cao Jufang , Zhang Tao , Chen Yimu
Published: December 2022

NaNbO3 (NN) is a widely studied antiferroelectric ceramics in recent years. However, NN ceramics always exhibit a square P-E loop with larger P
r, originating form an irreversible antiferroelectric-ferroelectric (AFE-FE) phase transition under an applied electric field and limit the further development. In this paper, a novel lead-free relaxor ferroelectric ceramic, (1−x)NaNbO3-x(0.5Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3−0.5Ba0.3Sr0.7TiO3) [(1−x)NN-xBNBST, x = 0, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30], was designed and prepared via a local random field relaxation strategy. Dielectric testing show that the addition of BNBST significantly improved the relaxor behavior of the NN, which is effective for enhancing the W
rec and η of NN-based ceramics. When x = 0.2, the ceramic obtains a high recoverable energy storage density (W
rec = 2.024 J cm−3) and energy storage efficiency (η = 63%) at a low electric field of 130 kV cm−1. Meanwhile, the polarization-electric field (P-E) hysteresis loops and charge-discharge results of the sample with x = 0.2 at different temperatures and frequencies show that it is a prospective material for pulsed energy storage capacitors.
Use of a Full Factorial Design to Study the Relationship between Water Absorption and Porosity of GP and BW Mortar Activated
Authors: Tebbal Nadia , Maza Mekki , Rahmouni Zine El Abidine
Published: December 2022

The alkali‐activated materials prepared by activation of glass powder (GP) and brick waste (BW) on the porosity and absorption of geopolymer paste by alkaline solution (alkali + water glass) were investigated. The effect of the combination of GP and BW on the porosity and absorption of the prepared geopolymer paste was monitored and evaluated by both laboratory and analytical methods. In this paper, three mortars were made with two sources of geopolymer containing 100% BW and 100% GP and blended with 90% GP and 10% BW replacements by mass. The compressive strength, porosity, and absorption of alkali‐activated mortar were concurrently examined. Furthermore, the laboratory results obtained were estimated by the general full factorial design method. Finally, the analysis of variance was performed using the test results to analyze the importance of the effect factors and their interactions on the selected responses. The results concluded that mortar activated combined with 10% BW and 90% GP could be utilized in the industry of construction with minimum pollution problems and environment‐friendly building materials, with the effect variables significantly affecting the responses.