bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the specimen quality of endobronchial ultrasound‐guided intranodal forceps biopsy using standard‐sized forceps versus mini forceps for lung cancer: A prospective study
Authors: Nakai Toshiyuki , Matsumoto Yuji , Ueda Takahiro , Kuwae Yuko , Tanaka Sayaka , Miyamoto Atsushi , Matsumoto Yoshiya , Sawa Kenji , Sato Kanako , Yamada Kazuhiro , Watanabe Tetsuya , Asai Kazuhisa , Furuse Hideaki , Uchimura Keigo , Imabayashi Tatsuya , Uenishi Riki , Fukui Mitsuru , Tanaka Hidenori , Ohsawa Masahiko , Kawaguchi Tomoya , Tsuchida Takaaki
Published: January 2024

Background and Objective

Endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) is a diagnostic procedure with adequate performance; however, its ability to provide specimens of sufficient quality and quantity for treatment decision‐making in advanced‐stage lung cancer may be limited, primarily due to blood contamination. The use of a 0.96‐mm miniforceps biopsy (MFB) permits true histological sampling, but the resulting small specimens are unsuitable for the intended applications. Therefore, we introduced a 1.9‐mm standard‐sized forceps biopsy (SFB) and compared its utility to that of MFB.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled patients from three institutions who presented with hilar/mediastinal lymphadenopathy and suspected advanced‐stage lung cancer, or those who were already diagnosed but required additional tissue specimens for biomarker analysis. Each patient underwent MFB followed by SFB three or four times through the tract created by TBNA using a 22‐gauge needle on the same lymph node (LN). Two pathologists assessed the quality and size of each specimen using a virtual slide system, and diagnostic performance was compared between the MFB and SFB groups.

Results

Among the 60 enrolled patients, 70.0% were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. The most frequently targeted sites were the lower paratracheal LNs, followed by the interlobar LNs. The diagnostic yields of TBNA, MFB and SFB were 91.7%, 93.3% and 96.7%, respectively. The sampling rate of high‐quality specimens was significantly higher in the SFB group. Moreover, the mean specimen size for SFB was three times larger than for MFB.

Conclusion

SFB is useful for obtaining sufficient qualitative and quantitative specimens.
Security screening metrics for information‐sharing partnerships
Authors: Yu Wendy , Collier Zachary A. , Thekdi Shital
Published: January 2024

Recent history has shown both the benefits and risks of information sharing among firms. Information is shared to facilitate mutual business objectives. However, information sharing can also introduce security‐related concerns that could expose the firm to a breach of privacy, with significant economic, reputational, and safety implications. It is imperative for organizations to leverage available information to evaluate security related to information sharing when evaluating current and potential information‐sharing partnerships. The “fine print” or privacy policies of firms can provide a signal of security across a wide variety of firms being considered for new and continued information‐sharing partnerships. In this article, we develop a methodology to gauge and benchmark information security policies in the partner‐selection process that can help direct risk‐based investments in information sharing security. We develop a methodology to collect and interpret firm privacy policies, evaluate characteristics of those policies by leveraging natural language processing metrics and developing benchmarking metrics, and understand how those characteristics relate to one another in information‐sharing partnership situations. We demonstrate the methodology on 500 high‐revenue firms. The methodology and managerial insights will be of interest to risk managers, information security professionals, and individuals forming information sharing agreements across industries.
Central bank communication and expectations: Evidence for inflation‐targeting economies
Authors: Szyszko Magdalena , Kliber Agata , Rutkowska Aleksandra , Próchniak Mariusz
Published: January 2024

We seek to investigate the effects of communication by central banks on professional and consumer inflation expectations. Accordingly, we investigate 12 small open economies implementing inflation targeting. The communication tone of the central banks is determined based on their post‐decision releases. We use computational linguistics to quantify this factor. With regard to two subsamples that are identified based on the central bank's experience in inflation targeting, we estimate panel models while controlling for other prospective drivers of expectations. The communication tone of a central bank significantly affects the expectations of professional forecasters from economies with more experience in inflation targeting.
Suicide by sodium nitrite poisoning: Findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2018–2020
Authors: Khan Harun , Barber Catherine , Azrael Deborah
Published: January 2024

Objectives

Suicide by sodium nitrite may be an emerging trend in the United States. Our mixed‐methods study aims to: (1) describe the rates of suicides secondary to sodium nitrite self‐poisoning in the United States between 2018 and 2020 and (2) characterize the use of sodium nitrite as a suicide method.

Methods

Using NVDRS data, descriptive statistics, population‐based incident rates/year and incidence estimates across 50 states were calculated. An inductive thematic analysis characterized the use of sodium nitrite as a suicide method on review of medical examiner and law enforcement reports.

Results

260 incidents were identified as suicides secondary to self‐poisoning with sodium nitrite/nitrate across 37 states and 1 territory—69% of which occurred in 2020. The typical victim was a white male student with a known depressive disorder and a history of suicidal thoughts (n = 120). The annual suicide rate using sodium nitrite increased from 0.01–0.09/100,000 person‐years over the three‐year period. Online forums were used to share knowledge on the procurement and preparation of sodium nitrite poisoning.

Conclusions

Sodium nitrite self‐poisoning is an increasingly used planned suicide method among young people. Further studies are required to identify the impact of means safety interventions on the incidence of sodium nitrite self‐poisoning incidents.
Outcomes of 35 dogs with craniomaxillofacial osteosarcoma treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy
Authors: Altwal Johnny , Lee Ber‐In , Boss Mary‐Keara , LaRue Susan M. , Martin Tiffany Wormhoudt
Published: January 2024

Canine craniomaxillofacial osteosarcoma (OSA) is most commonly treated surgically; however, in cases where surgery is not feasible or non‐invasive treatment is desired, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) may be elected for local tumour control. In this study, we evaluated 35 dogs treated with SBRT. Nine dogs (26%) had calvarial, seven (20%) had mandibular and 19 (54%) had maxillary OSA. Median time to first event (TFE) was 171 days, and overall median survival time (MST) was 232 days. Site‐specific MSTs were 144 days for mandible, 236 days for calvarium and 232 days for maxilla (p = .49). Pulmonary metastatic disease was observed in 12/35 (34%) patients and was detected pre‐SBRT in six dogs (17%) and post‐SBRT in the remaining six dogs (17%). Eighteen adverse events post‐SBRT were documented. Per veterinary radiation therapy oncology group criteria, five were acute (14%) and three were late (9%) grade 3 events. Neurological signs in two dogs were suspected to be early‐delayed effects. Cause of death was local progression for 22/35 (63%) patients, metastasis for 9/35 (26%) patients and unknown for four. On univariate analysis, administration of chemotherapy was associated with a longer TFE (p = .0163), whereas volume of gross tumour volume was associated with a shorter TFE (p = .023). Administration of chemotherapy and five fractions versus single fraction of SBRT was associated with increased survival time (p = .0021 and .049). Based on these findings, a treatment protocol incorporating chemotherapy and five fractions of SBRT could be considered for dogs with craniomaxillofacial OSA electing SBRT with careful consideration of normal tissues in the field.
Proliferative, lymphocytic, infundibular mural folliculitis and dermatitis with prominent follicular apoptosis and parakeratotic casts in a Labrador retriever: Clinical, histopathological and dermoscopic features and co‐morbidities
Authors: Wyatt Eleanor K. , Roccabianca Paola , Schmidt Vanessa , Legnani Sara
Published: January 2024

Proliferative, lymphocytic, infundibular mural folliculitis and dermatitis have been reported in six female Labrador retrievers from North America. This is the first report of the disease outside North America, describing the clinical and histopathological diagnosis and dermoscopic aspect of the verrucous plaques, treatment and co‐morbidities in a female Labrador retriever dog.
Herbicide‐resistant weeds from dryland agriculture in Argentina
Authors: Oreja Fernando H. , Moreno Natalia , Gundel Pedro E. , Vercellino Roman B. , Pandolfo Claudio E. , Presotto Alejandro , Perotti Valeria , Permingeat Hugo , Tuesca Daniel , Scursoni Julio A. , Dellaferrera Ignacio , Cortes Eduardo , Yanniccari Marcos , Vila‐Aiub Martin
Published: January 2024

We reviewed and performed a quantitative synthesis on herbicide‐resistant weeds from rain‐fed crops in Argentina. Twenty‐four weed species distributed in the main extensive crops (soybean, maize, wheat, barley, oilseed rape, sunflower, chickpea and peanut) have evolved herbicide resistance. Of the total, 54% are grasses, 88% are annual species and 63% are cross‐pollinated species. The most representative families were Poaceae with 54% resistant species, followed by Brassicaceae with 17%, and Asteraceae with 13%. Buenos Aires, Santa Fe and Córdoba were the provinces with the most documented cases of resistance (35%, 33% and 30%, respectively). The proportion of cases resistant to pre‐emergence herbicides was 10%, whereas the proportion of cases resistant to post‐emergence herbicides was 90%. Glyphosate was the herbicide with the highest incidence (92%) of resistance among weed species, followed by 29% of species that evolved resistance to ALS‐inhibiting herbicides. Whereas resistance to auxin‐like herbicides comprised 17% of the weed species, acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (8%) and protoporphyrinogen oxidase (4%) inhibiting herbicides showed the least incidence of resistance evolution among weeds. The highest number of resistant species was identified in soybean (19), followed by maize (13), wheat/barley (10) and fallow (9). Weed species with a higher number of resistant populations to a higher number of herbicide mode of action were Amaranthus hybridus, A. palmeri, Lolium multiflorum and Raphanus sativus. The change in the production system since the mid‐1990s, based on the use of herbicides (glyphosate mainly) to control weeds, is likely to account for the notorious increase in the average rate of evolution of herbicide‐resistant weeds in Argentina.
Decarbonizing the Fertilizers Sector: An Alternative Pathway for Urea and Nitric Acid Production
Authors: Ribeiro Domingos Meire Ellen Gorete , Florez-Orrego Daniel Alexander , Teles dos Santos Moisés , Maréchal François
Published: January 2024

In order to alleviate the environmental impact that nitrogen fertilizers production is responsible for, several efforts have been addressed to incentivize the partial or total decarbonization of the supply chains of ammonia and its derivatives. The decarbonization of the nitrogen fertilizers sector might help not only improve its carbon footprint, but also reduce its dependence on international market prices of natural gas. To this end, in this work, two fertilizers production plants, namely nitric acid and urea, are integrated into a kraft pulp mill via black liquor gasification to supply the renewable input required by the chemical processes. The performance of the proposed systems is assessed and compared in the light of thermodynamic, economic, and environmental indicators. The choice of the utility system has been driven by the interrelation of the market conditions, as well as the extent of the energy integration of the chemical plants. As a result, the exergy efficiency of the integrated plants remains competitive against the conventional kraft pulp mill thanks to the optimal selection of the operating conditions of the utility system. This efficiency indicator compares the exergy input with the minimum theoretical work needed to reversibly produce the chemicals out from the components in the environment. Furthermore, the overall CO2 emissions balance achieves negative values for some scenarios, pointing out the potential for atmospheric CO2 depletion when the integrated processes are implemented. The indirect emissions of the biomass supply chain proved to have a great impact on the CO2 balance. Finally, the findings suggest that both nitric acid and urea production have positive incremental net present values across the range of carbon taxes considered, indicating the economic viability of these integrated systems vis-à-vis the traditional standalone pulp and fertilizers production plants.
Direct numerical simulations of long-range infrasound propagation: Implications for source spectra estimation
Authors: Tope Liam J. , Kim Jae Wook , Spence Peter
Published: January 2024

The evolution of observed dominant frequencies from a high-intensity infrasonic pulse with receiver range and stratospheric temperature is investigated using direct numerical simulations of the two-dimensional unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes equations. There is a high level of uncertainty in estimating source dominant frequencies based on received signals at sparse points on the ground. Nonlinear propagation effects in the ground-level thermospheric arrivals are found to significantly alter dominant frequency measurements compared to stratospheric arrivals with smaller amplitude sources. With a larger amplitude source, variations in observations are minimized as a result of nonlinear effects being ubiquitous across all atmospheric components of received signals but have a greater offset to the source dominant frequency. An approach to determine the source dominant frequency and minimize atmospheric variability is presented by calculating a source-to-receiver spectral transfer function averaged across the atmospheric states. This method reduces atmospheric variability in source frequency estimates within the pseudo-linear propagation regime and the average error to the known source frequency with a large amplitude source. The reduction of errors in source frequency estimates demonstrates the feasibility of using remote infrasound measurements as an indicator of source frequency and, in turn, the explosive yield of clandestine nuclear weapon test explosions.
Formant dynamics in second language speech: Japanese speakers' production of English liquids
Authors: Nagamine Takayuki
Published: January 2024

This article reports an acoustic study analysing the time-varying spectral properties of word-initial English liquids produced by 31 first-language (L1) Japanese and 14 L1 English speakers. While it is widely accepted that L1 Japanese speakers have difficulty in producing English /l/ and /ɹ/, the temporal characteristics of L2 English liquids are not well-understood, even in light of previous findings that English liquids show dynamic properties. In this study, the distance between the first and second formants (F2–F1) and the third formant (F3) are analysed dynamically over liquid-vowel intervals in three vowel contexts using generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs). The results demonstrate that L1 Japanese speakers produce word-initial English liquids with stronger vocalic coarticulation than L1 English speakers. L1 Japanese speakers may have difficulty in dissociating F2–F1 between the liquid and the vowel to a varying degree, depending on the vowel context, which could be related to perceptual factors. This article shows that dynamic information uncovers specific challenges that L1 Japanese speakers have in producing L2 English liquids accurately.
Exercising Empathy in the Sport Management Classroom: The True Flipped Classroom
Authors: Strode James
Published: January 2024

Many universities focus on improving pedagogy through training sessions related to technology and assessment. However, what is missing is an emphasis on the humanistic side of teaching, specifically emphasizing empathy in the classroom. This essay makes an argument for faculty to employ empathy in their teaching. Empathy is a learned behavior that motivated faculty can develop and enhance to better serve students. Empathetic teaching is critical for sport management professors due to the numerous challenges and stressors students face, notwithstanding the competitive sport job market. The essay concludes with a novel example of the lessons faculty can employ using knowledge of the motivations of attending a concert to help create an empathetic classroom experience.
Rarefaction is currently the best approach to control for uneven sequencing effort in amplicon sequence analyses
Authors: Schloss Patrick D.
Published: January 2024

Considering it is common to find as much as 100-fold variation in the number of 16S rRNA gene sequences across samples in a study, researchers need to control for the effect of uneven sequencing effort. How to do this has become a contentious question. Some have argued that rarefying or rarefaction is “inadmissible” because it omits valid data. A number of alternative approaches have been developed to normalize and rescale the data that purport to be invariant to the number of observations. I generated community distributions based on 12 published data sets where I was able to assess the ability of multiple methods to control for uneven sequencing effort. Rarefaction was the only method that could control for variation in uneven sequencing effort when measuring commonly used alpha and beta diversity metrics. Next, I compared the false detection rate and power to detect true differences between simulated communities with a known effect size using various alpha and beta diversity metrics. Although all methods of controlling for uneven sequencing effort had an acceptable false detection rate when samples were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, rarefaction was consistently able to control for differences in sequencing effort when sequencing depth was confounded with treatment group. Finally, the statistical power to detect differences in alpha and beta diversity metrics was consistently the highest when using rarefaction. These simulations underscore the importance of using rarefaction to normalize the number of sequences across samples in amplicon sequencing analyses.

IMPORTANCE

Sequencing 16S rRNA gene fragments has become a fundamental tool for understanding the diversity of microbial communities and the factors that affect their diversity. Due to technical challenges, it is common to observe wide variation in the number of sequences that are collected from different samples within the same study. However, the diversity metrics used by microbial ecologists are sensitive to differences in sequencing effort. Therefore, tools are needed to control for the uneven levels of sequencing. This simulation-based analysis shows that despite a longstanding controversy, rarefaction is the most robust approach to control for uneven sequencing effort. The controversy started because of confusion over the definition of rarefaction and violation of assumptions that are made by methods that have been borrowed from other fields. Microbial ecologists should use rarefaction.
A late refugium for Classopollis in the Paleocene Lower Wilcox Group along the Texas Gulf Coast
Authors: Smith Vann , Hessler Angela , Moscardelli Lorena , Bord David , Olariu Iulia , Lorente Maria Antonieta , Sivil Evan , Liu Xiuju
Published: January 2024

We report a new ecological refugium for the Cheirolepidiaceae family (pollen form genus Classopollis) in the Paleocene Lower Wilcox Group in the Gulf Coast of southeastern Texas based on palynological analysis of four wells. The Cheirolepidiaceae were once thought to have gone extinct at the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary or earlier in North America; however, similar ecological refugia for this family in the Paleocene have previously been reported in China, Argentina, and potentially the Rocky Mountains of the United States. The highest relative abundances of Classopollis pollen were found in delta front, lagoon, and shoreface depositional paleoenvironments marked by high mud-fraction Sr/Ba (a geochemical proxy for salinity), and abundances generally increased down section in older Paleocene strata. The high relative abundance of Classopollis pollen in the well samples, the rarity of reworked Mesozoic palynomorphs, the generally good preservation of Classopollis pollen, and the similarity of Classopollis fluorescence spectra to other in situ Paleocene pollen all provide strong evidence for the survival of the Cheirolepidiaceae family in the coastal salt marshes of Texas through at least the late Paleocene.
Predicting incident heart failure from population-based nationwide electronic health records: protocol for a model development and validation study
Authors: Nakao Yoko M , Nadarajah Ramesh , Shuweihdi Farag , Nakao Kazuhiro , Fuat Ahmet , Moore Jim , Bates Christopher , Wu Jianhua , Gale Chris
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Heart failure (HF) is increasingly common and associated with excess morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Treatment of HF can alter the disease trajectory and reduce clinical events in HF. However, many cases of HF remain undetected until presentation with more advanced symptoms, often requiring hospitalisation. Predicting incident HF is challenging and statistical models are limited by performance and scalability in routine clinical practice. An HF prediction model implementable in nationwide electronic health records (EHRs) could enable targeted diagnostics to enable earlier identification of HF.

Methods and analysis

We will investigate a range of development techniques (including logistic regression and supervised machine learning methods) on routinely collected primary care EHRs to predict risk of new-onset HF over 1, 5 and 10 years prediction horizons. The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)-GOLD dataset will be used for derivation (training and testing) and the CPRD-AURUM dataset for external validation. Both comprise large cohorts of patients, representative of the population of England in terms of age, sex and ethnicity. Primary care records are linked at patient level to secondary care and mortality data. The performance of the prediction model will be assessed by discrimination, calibration and clinical utility. We will only use variables routinely accessible in primary care.

Ethics and dissemination

Permissions for CPRD-GOLD and CPRD-AURUM datasets were obtained from CPRD (ref no: 21_000324). The CPRD ethical approval committee approved the study. The results will be submitted as a research paper for publication to a peer-reviewed journal and presented at peer-reviewed conferences.

Trial registration details

The study was registered on Clinical Trials.gov (NCT 05756127). A systematic review for the project was registered on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022380892).
Association of D-dimer to albumin ratio with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in ischaemic heart failure patients with diabetes mellitus: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Li Qiuyu , Lin Xiaolong , Bo Xiaowen , Chen Siyuan , Zhao Donghui , Liu Jinghua , Fan Qian
Published: January 2024

Objective

To determine the association of D-dimer to albumin ratio (DAR) with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in ischaemic heart failure patients with diabetes mellitus.

Design

A retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting

Single centre in Beijing, China, conducted at one of the largest cardiology centres in China.

Participants

From June 2017 to June 2019, 3707 patients with heart failure and concomitant multiple vessel disease undergoing elective PCI were screened. A total 1021 of patients were enrolled after exclusion and the follow-up period was up to 36 months.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The MACE was the primary measured outcome. The secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction and any revascularisation.

Methods

These participants were grouped according to DAR tertiles. The cumulative incidence functions, Cox regression, restricted cubic spline and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the association between DAR and outcomes. The subgroup analysis was also performed.

Results

After follow-up, MACE occurred in 404 (39.6%) participants. The cumulative hazards curve manifested significant differences in MACE, all-cause mortality and any revascularisation (log-rank test: all p<0.001). In adjusted models, DAR was an independent risk factor of MACE (tertile 2: HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.37 to 2.42; tertile 3: HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.36) and all-cause mortality (tertile 2: HR 2.04, 95% CI 1.35 to 3.11; tertile 3: HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.20 to 2.98). The optimal cut-off of DAR was 1.2. In the stratified analysis, sex, age, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, total revascularisation and any interfered vessel did not affect the independent predictive ability.

Conclusion

Higher DAR was independently associated with MACE and all-cause mortality after PCI in ischaemic heart failure patients with diabetes mellitus.
Comparison of diuretics and fluid expansion in the initial treatment of patients with normotensive acute pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Febra Cláudia , Santos Ana Rita , Cabrita Isabel , Bento Joana , Pacheco João , Mendes Mariana , Isidro Michael , Batista Rafael , Macedo Ana Margarida André Febra Moita
Published: January 2024

Background

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is the main cause of death in patients with normotensive acute pulmonary embolism (PE). The optimal management for this subset of patients remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis focused on the comparison of diuretics and fluid expansion in patients with acute PE presenting with RV dysfunction and haemodynamic stability.

Methods

A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines considering only RTCs. The authors searched the traditional and grey literature through 1 November 2022. Meta-analysis used open source packages in R. Inverse variance fixed-effects models with OR as the effect measure were used for primary analyses. The main outcomes defined in this review protocol included pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP), creatinine value changes and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide during the first 24 hours.

Results

Four studies with a total of 452 patients met the inclusion criteria. The baseline characteristics of patients were similar across all studies. Overall, patients receiving diuretics had a significant 24 hours reduction in pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (standard mean difference of −41.97; 95% CI −65.79 to −18.15), and PASP (standard mean difference of −5.96; 95% CI −8.06 to −3.86). This group had significantly higher creatinine levels (standard mean difference of 7.74; 95% CI 5.04 to 10.45). The quality of the studies was heterogeneous; two had a low risk of bias, and the other two had a high risk of bias.

Conclusions

Very few studies have compared the efficacy and safety of diuretics and fluid expansion in normotensive patients with acute PE with RV failure. Overall, furosemide appears to reduce RV dysfunction in this subset of patients compared with fluid expansion. Further research is required to confirm these findings.
Large language models in medical ethics: useful but not expert
Authors: Ferrario Andrea , Biller-Andorno Nikola
Published: January 2024

Large language models (LLMs) have now entered the realm of medical ethics. In a recent study, Balaset alexamined the performance of GPT-4, a commercially available LLM, assessing its performance in generating responses to diverse medical ethics cases. Their findings reveal that GPT-4 demonstrates an ability to identify and articulate complex medical ethical issues, although its proficiency in encoding the depth of real-world ethical dilemmas remains an avenue for improvement. Investigating the integration of LLMs into medical ethics decision-making appears to be an interesting avenue of research. However, despite the promising trajectory of LLM technology in medicine, it is crucial to exercise caution and refrain from attributing their expertise to medical ethics. Our thesis follows an examination of the nature of expertise and the epistemic limitations that affect LLM technology. As a result, we propose two more fitting applications of LLMs in medical ethics: first, as tools for mining electronic health records or scientific literature, thereby supplementing evidence for resolving medical ethics cases, and second, as educational platforms to foster ethical reflection and critical thinking skills among students and residents. The integration of LLMs in medical ethics, while promising, requires careful consideration of their epistemic limitations. Consequently, a well-considered definition of their role in ethically sensitive decision-making is crucial.
Connecting the DOTs: a novel imaging sign on flat-panel detector CT indicating distal vessel occlusions after thrombectomy
Authors: Mujanovic Adnan , Windecker Daniel , Serrallach Bettina L , Kurmann Christoph C , Almiri William , Meinel Thomas R , Seiffge David J , Piechowiak Eike I , Dobrocky Tomas , Gralla Jan , Fischer Urs , Dorn Franziska , Chapot René , Pilgram-Pastor Sara , Kaesmacher Johannes
Published: January 2024

Background

Immediate non-contrast post-interventional flat-panel detector CT (FPDCT) has been suggested as an imaging tool to assess complications after endovascular therapy (EVT). We systematically investigated a new imaging finding of focal hyperdensities correlating with remaining distal vessel occlusion after EVT.

Methods

A single-center retrospective analysis was conducted for all acute ischemic stroke patients admitted between July 2020 and December 2022 who underwent EVT and immediate post-interventional FPDCT. A blinded core lab performed reperfusion grading on post-interventional digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images and evaluated focal hyperdensities on FPDCT (here called the distal occlusion tracker (DOT) sign). DOT sign was defined as a tubular or punctiform, vessel confined, hyperdense signal within the initial occlusion target territory. We assessed sensitivity and specificity of the DOT sign when compared with DSA findings.

Results

The median age of the cohort (n=215) was 74 years (IQR 63–82) and 58.6% were male. The DOT sign was positive in half of the cohort (51%, 110/215). The DOT sign had high specificity (85%, 95% CI 72% to 93%), but only moderate sensitivity (63%, 95% CI 55% to 70%) for detection of residual vessel occlusions. In comparison to the core lab, operators overestimated complete reperfusion in a quarter of the entire cohort (25%, 53/215). In more than half of these cases (53%, 28/53) there was a positive DOT sign, which could have mitigated this overestimation.

Conclusion

The DOT sign appears to be a frequent finding on immediate post-interventional FPDCT. It correlates strongly with incomplete reperfusion and indicates residual distal vessel occlusions. In the future, it may be used to complement grading of reperfusion success and may help mitigating overestimation of reperfusion in the acute setting.
Mercury poisoning in a bodybuilder
Authors: Edwards Marc , Powell Rob
Published: January 2024

A 64-year-old man had progressive unsteadiness over several years, with tingling in his feet. He was a longstanding bodybuilding enthusiast. Clinical assessment and neurophysiology confirmed a cerebellar ataxia and axonal peripheral neuropathy. His serum mercury concentration was significantly raised. We diagnosed chronic mercury toxicity secondary to excessive tuna consumption. We advised him to stop eating tuna and prescribed dimercaptosuccinic acid, after which his serum mercury concentrations subsequently fell. This case report highlights the importance of considering dietary and nutritional causes of neurological disease. We also discuss the mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of mercury toxicity.
Crowding-out effect of tobacco consumption in Indonesia
Authors: Swarnata Arya , Kamilah Fariza Zahra , Wisana I Dewa Gede Karma , Meilissa Yurdhina , Kusnadi Gita
Published: January 2024

Background

Tobacco consumption is pervasive in Indonesia, with 6 out of 10 households in the country consuming tobacco. Smoking households, on average, divert a significant share (10.7%) of their monthly budget on tobacco products, which is higher than spending on staples, meat or vegetables. Nevertheless, evidence of the causal link between tobacco expenditure and spending on other commodities in Indonesia is limited.

Objective

This study aims to estimate the crowding-out effects of tobacco spending on the expenditure of other goods and services in Indonesia.

Method

This research estimates the conditional Engel curve with three-stage least square regression, where the instrumental variable technique is applied to address the simultaneity of tobacco and total non-tobacco spending. The study employs a large-scale household budget survey from the Indonesian socioeconomic survey (Susenas) from 2017 to 2019, comprising over 900 000 households.

Finding

Tobacco spending crowds out the share of a household’s budget allocated for food, such as spending on staples, meat, dairy, vegetables and fruits. Moreover, tobacco spending also reduces the share of expenditure spent on non-food commodities, such as clothing, housing, utilities, durable and non-durable goods, education, healthcare and entertainment, although its effect is not as large as the crowding out on food. The analysis shows that the crowding-out effects of tobacco are observed across low-income, middle-income and high-income households. In addition, the simulation suggests that reducing tobacco expenditure will increase household spending on essential needs.
Modeling the morphodynamic response of a large tidal channel system to the large-scale embankment in the Hangzhou Bay, China
Authors: Xie Dongfeng
Published: January 2024

A large tidal channel has developed along the northern shore of the Hangzhou Bay. Its length and width are about 50 and 10 km, respectively. It serves as an important navigation channel and provides port construction locations. This contribution investigates the morphological response of the tidal channel to the large-scale embankment in recent decades and the physical mechanisms, based on an idealized 2D morphodynamic model. The tidal channel was reproduced within a timescale of several years, with spatial scales comparable to the real situation. The results showed that the macroscopic sediment transport pattern in the bay, namely, entering in the north and leaving in the south, was not changed by the embankment. The tidal range and sediment flux increased to a certain extent, because of the decrease of the cross-sectional width. Meanwhile, the longitudinal gradient of the residual sediment transport enlarged slightly. As a result, the tidal channel was eroded significantly, because of the nonlinear interaction among hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and morphological change. Furthermore, there are inherent connections among the main morphological features in the bay. Complementary to other approaches, this model provides a useful tool to predict the morphodynamic behavior for the estuarine planning and regulations.
Efficacy of a novel reproductive tag to index spawn timing
Authors: Gardner Spencer T. , Höök Tomas O.
Published: January 2024

Insight into fish annual reproductive dynamics (including spawn timing) can elucidate key determinants of recruitment. However, few methods, if any, are available to directly index individual spawn timing, hindering study of such processes. To this end, we developed two reproductive tags (RTs; internal and external) and evaluated their performance assessing spawn timing of female yellow perch ( Perca flavescens). Internal RTs performed well, especially in comparison to external RTs, displaying consistent long-term tag retention and clear tag release synchronized with egg mass release during spawning. These results demonstrate the utility of internal RTs to investigate previously unexplored mechanisms of reproductive timing.
Semileptonic and nonleptonic weak decays of $$\psi (1S,2S)$$ and $$\eta _{c}(1S,2S)$$ to $$D_{(s)}$$ in the covariant light-front approach
Authors: Sun Zhi-Jie , Zhang Zhi-Qing , Yang You-Ya , Yang Hao
Published: January 2024

In addition to the strong and electromagnetic decay modes, the $$\psi (1S,2S)$$

ψ
(
1
S
,
2
S
)

and $$\eta _{c}(1S,2S)$$

η
c

(
1
S
,
2
S
)

can also decay via the weak interaction. Such weak decays can be detected by the high-luminosity heavy-flavor experiments. At present, some of the semileptonic and nonleptonic $$J/\Psi $$

J
/
Ψ

weak decays have been measured at BESIII. Researching for these charmonium weak decays to $$D_{(s)}$$

D

(
s
)

meson can provide a platform to check of the standard model (SM) and probe new physics (NP). So we investigate the semileptonic and nonleptonic weak decays of $$\psi (1S,2S)$$

ψ
(
1
S
,
2
S
)

and $$\eta _{c}(1S,2S)$$

η
c

(
1
S
,
2
S
)

to $$D_{(s)}$$

D

(
s
)

within the covariant light-front quark model (CLFQM). With form factors of the transitions $$\psi (1S,2S)\rightarrow D_{(s)}$$

ψ

(
1
S
,
2
S
)

→

D

(
s
)

and $$\eta _{c}(1S,2S)\rightarrow D_{(s)}$$

η
c

(
1
S
,
2
S
)

→

D

(
s
)

calculated under the CLFQM, we predict and discuss some physical observables, such as the branching ratios, the longitudinal polarizations $$f_{L}$$

f
L

and the forward–backward asymmetries $$A_{FB}$$

A

FB

. One can find that the Cabibbo-favored semi-leptonic decay channels $$\psi (1\,S,2\,S)\rightarrow D_{s}^{-}\ell ^{+}\nu _{\ell }$$

ψ

(
1

S
,
2

S
)

→

D

s

-

ℓ
+

ν
ℓ

with $$\ell =e,\mu $$

ℓ
=
e
,
μ

and the nonleptonic decay modes $$\psi (1S,2S)\rightarrow D_{s}^{-}\rho ^{+}$$

ψ

(
1
S
,
2
S
)

→

D

s

-

ρ
+

have relatively large branching ratios of the order $$\mathcal {O}(10^{-9})$$

O
(

10

-
9

)

, which are most likely to be accessible at the future high-luminosity experiments.
On the thermodynamics of gravitational radiation
Authors: Ulhoa S. C. , Carneiro F. L. , Maluf J. W.
Published: January 2024

This paper deals with the thermodynamics of gravitational radiation arising from the Bondi-Sachs space-time. The equation of state found allows us to conclude that the dependence of the energy density on the temperature is a quadratic power of the latter. Such a conclusion is possible once the consequences of the first law of thermodynamics are analyzed. Then, in analogy to electromagnetic radiation, the same approach used by Planck to obtain the quantum of energy of the gravitational radiation is proposed. An energy for the graviton proportional to the cubic frequency is found. The graviton is here understood as the quantum of gravitational energy.
Multi-hop quantum teleportation of a N-qubit quantum state by using cluster state
Authors: Fatahi Negin , Parsamehr Sajad
Published: January 2024

In this study, a new multi-hop quantum teleportation is investigated for transferring a N-qubit quantum state which compared with previous protocols can give a more efficient data teleportation. In proposed scheme, quantum channels among adjacent nodes are built based on ([Formula: see text])-qubit cluster state. The source node and all intermediate nodes perform measurement and announce outcome results to the destination node through the classical channel. Finally, the destination node can recover the desired quantum state by applying the appropriate unitary operators on the state it has. Also, in order to explain the details of this scheme, the multi-hop quantum teleportation of 6-qubit quantum state by using 7-qubit cluster state investigate and calculate its efficiency.
Autocorrect Is Not: People Are Multilingual and Computer Science Should Be Too
Authors: Hoadley Christopher , Vogel Sara
Published: January 2024

Considering the interconnection of computing and human languages.
Teaching Transformed
Authors: Edwards Chris
Published: January 2024

The apparent ability of LLMs to write functioning source code has caused celebration over the potential for massive increases in programmer productivity and consternation among teachers.
Bayesian Optimisation for Constrained Problems
Authors: Ungredda Juan , Branke Juergen
Published: January 2024

Many real-world optimisation problems such as hyperparameter tuning in machine learning or simulation-based optimisation can be formulated as expensive-to-evaluate black-box functions. A popular approach to tackle such problems is Bayesian optimisation, which builds a response surface model based on the data collected so far, and uses the mean and uncertainty predicted by the model to decide what information to collect next. In this article, we propose a generalisation of the well-known Knowledge Gradient acquisition function that allows it to handle constraints. We empirically compare the new algorithm with four other state-of-the-art constrained Bayesian optimisation algorithms and demonstrate its superior performance. We also prove theoretical convergence in the infinite budget limit.
Co-ML: Collaborative Machine Learning Model Building for Developing Dataset Design Practices
Authors: Tseng Tiffany , Davidson Matt J. , Morales-Navarro Luis , Chen Jennifer King , Delaney Victoria , Leibowitz Mark , Beason Jazbo , Shapiro R. Benjamin
Published: January 2024

Machine learning (ML) models are fundamentally shaped by data, and building inclusive ML systems requires significant considerations around how to design representative datasets. Yet, few novice-oriented ML modeling tools are designed to foster hands-on learning of dataset design practices, including how to design for data diversity and inspect for data quality.

To this end, we outline a set of four data design practices (DDPs) for designing inclusive ML models and share how we designed a tablet-based application called Co-ML to foster learning of DDPs through a collaborative ML model building experience. With Co-ML, beginners can build image classifiers through a distributed experience where data is synchronized across multiple devices, enabling multiple users to iteratively refine ML datasets in discussion and coordination with their peers.

We deployed Co-ML in a 2-week-long educational AIML Summer Camp, where youth ages 13–18 worked in groups to build custom ML-powered mobile applications. Our analysis reveals how multi-user model building with Co-ML, in the context of student-driven projects created during the summer camp, supported development of DDPs including incorporating data diversity, evaluating model performance, and inspecting for data quality. Additionally, we found that students’ attempts to improve model performance often prioritized learnability over class balance. Through this work, we highlight how the combination of collaboration, model testing interfaces, and student-driven projects can empower learners to actively engage in exploring the role of data in ML systems.
Tyche: An Efficient and General Prefetcher for Indirect Memory Accesses
Authors: Xue Feng , Han Chenji , Li Xinyu , Wu Junliang , Zhang Tingting , Liu Tianyi , Hao Yifan , Du Zidong , Guo Qi , Zhang Fuxin
Published: January 2024

Indirect memory accesses (IMAs, i.e.,
A
[
f
(
B
[
i
])]) are typical memory access patterns in applications such as graph analysis, machine learning, and database. IMAs are composed of producer-consumer pairs, where the consumers’ memory addresses are derived from the producers’ memory data. Due to the built-in value-dependent feature, IMAs exhibit poor locality, making prefetching ineffective. Hindered by the challenges of recording the potentially complex graphs of instruction dependencies among IMA producers and consumers, current state-of-the-art hardware prefetchers either (a) exhibit inadequate IMA identification abilities or (b) rely on the run-ahead mechanism to prefetch IMAs intermittently and insufficiently.

To solve this problem, we propose Tyche,

1

an efficient and general hardware prefetcher to enhance IMA performance. Tyche adopts a bilateral propagation mechanism to precisely excavate the instruction dependencies in simple chains with moderate length (rather than complex graphs). Based on the exact instruction dependencies, Tyche can accurately identify various IMA patterns, including nonlinear ones, and generate accurate prefetching requests continuously. Evaluated on broad benchmarks, Tyche achieves an average performance speedup of 16.2% over the state-of-the-art spatial prefetcher Berti. More importantly, Tyche outperforms the state-of-the-art IMA prefetchers IMP, Gretch, and Vector Runahead, by 15.9%, 12.8%, and 10.7%, respectively, with a lower storage overhead of only 0.57 KB.
Towards Generative Search and Recommendation: A keynote at RecSys 2023
Authors: Chua Tat-Seng
Published: January 2024

The emergence of large language models (LLM's), especially ChatGPT, has for the first time make AI known to almost everyone and affected every facet of our society. The LLMs have the potential to revolutionize the ways we seek and consume information. This has stemmed the recent trends in both academia and industry to develop LLM-based generative AI systems for various applications with enhanced capabilities. One such systems is the generative search and recommender system, which is capable of performing content retrieval, content repurposing, content creation and their integration to meet users' information needs. However, before such systems can be widely used and accepted, we need to address several challenges. The primary challenge is the trust and safety in the generated content as we expect the LLM's to make mistakes with hallucination. This is because of the quality of data being used for their training is often erroneous and biased. The other challenges in the search and recommendation domain include: how to teach the system to be pro-active in anticipating the needs of users and in directing the conversation towards a fruitful direction; as well as the integration of retrieved and generated content. This keynote presented a generative information seeking paradigm, and discuss key research towards a trustable generative system for search and recommendation.

Date: 21 September 2023.
Implicating the cholecystokinin B receptor in liver stem cell oncogenesis
Authors: Gay Martha D. , Drda Jack C. , Chen Wenqiang , Huang Yimeng , Yassin Amal A. , Duka Tetyana , Fang Hongbin , Shivapurkar Narayan , Smith Jill P.
Published: January 2024

This investigation identified a novel pathway involving the activation of hepatic stem cells and liver oncogenesis. Receptor blockade or genetic disruption of the cholecystokinin-B receptor (CCK-BR) signaling pathway decreased the activation and proliferation of hepatic stem cells after liver injury without eliminating the regenerative capacity of healthy hepatocytes.