bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local government managers are on the frontlines of climate change: Are they ready?
Authors: Deslatte Aaron , Siciliano Michael D. , Krause Rachel M.
Published: August 2023

State and local governments in the United States are the implementation agents for a vast swath of federal policies. As the country embarks on an unprecedented foray into fiscal federalism to combat climate change, we face a stark reality: many local governments are not ready. Drawing from recent data and evidence on local sustainability activities, we argue policy makers and managers at all levels of governance need to apply the lessons learned over the last two decades of subnational climate efforts. For local government managers working in the 21st century, climate change will likely be a defining social dilemma of their lifetimes. After years of inaction, the United States has taken a major step in trying to meet its greenhouse‐gas mitigation pledges. But implementation requires understanding both the opportunities and opportunity costs posed by such generational investments.
Managing my shame: Investigating the effects of organizational identity threat and public service motivation on exemplification
Authors: Molines Mathieu , Perrier Anthony
Published: August 2023

How do public employees respond to organizational identity threats? The present study investigates how public employees make sense of and react to threatening events that may call into question organization's core attributes and status. Using social identity theory and the appraisal theory of emotions, we develop a model in which organizational identity induced by negative media coverage threat provokes shame that results in exemplification. We further explain the role of public service motivation as a moderator of the proposed mediated relationships. Predictions are tested in an experimental study and a field study involving French police officers. Our results show that shame mediated the positive effect of organizational identity threat on police officers' exemplification behaviors. When public service motivation is high, police officers are more likely to engage in exemplification to cope with organizational identity threat than when it is slow. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed.
Contralateral versus ipsilateral protective effect against muscle damage of the elbow flexors and knee extensors induced by maximal eccentric exercise
Authors: Chen Trevor C. , Chen Hsin‐Lian , Tseng Wei‐Chin , Chou Tai‐Ying , Tu Jui‐Hung , Parcell Allen C. , Nosaka Kazunori
Published: August 2023

The present study compared the ipsilateral repeated bout effect (IL‐RBE) and contralateral repeated bout effect (CL‐RBE) of the elbow flexors (EF) and knee flexors (KF) for the same interval between bouts to shed light on their mechanisms. Fifty‐two healthy sedentary young (20–28 years) men were randomly assigned to the IL‐EF, IL‐KF, CL‐EF, and CL‐KF groups (n = 13/group). Thirty maximal eccentric contractions of the EF were performed in IL‐EF and CL‐EF, and 60 maximal eccentric contractions of the KF were performed in IL‐KF and CL‐KF, with a 2‐week interval between bouts. Changes in muscle damage markers such as maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque, muscle soreness, and plasma creatine kinase activity, and proprioception measures before to 5 days post‐exercise were compared between groups. Changes in all variables were greater (p < 0.05) after the first than second bout for all groups, and the changes were greater (p < 0.05) for the EF than KF. The changes in all variables after the second bout were greater (p < 0.05) for the CL than IL condition for both EF and KF. The magnitude of the average protective effect was similar between CL‐EF (33%) and CL‐KF (32%), but slightly greater (p < 0.05) for IL‐EF (67%) than IL‐KF (61%). These demonstrate that the magnitude of CL‐RBE relative to IL‐RBE was similar between the EF and KF (approximately 50%), regardless of the greater muscle damage for the EF than KF. It appears that the CL‐RBE is more associated with neural adaptations at cerebrum, cerebellum, interhemispheric inhibition, and coricospinal tract, but the IL‐RBE is induced by additional adaptations at muscles.
Accuracy of antigen tests for meningococcal meningitis in cerebrospinal fluid: A diagnostic meta‐analysis
Authors: Lin Hsiu‐Ling , Chen Hui‐Mei , Lin Chih‐Yen , Chen Cheng‐Chieh
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Neisseria meningitidis is one of the major pathogens of meningitis in children worldwide and causes invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), which is a critical illness that mainly presents as meningitis and/or septicemia in children. Identification of N. meningitidis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis, but antigen tests have advantages such as timely results, relatively low cost, and convenience. Yet, the diagnostic accuracy of antigen tests remains uncertain. Therefore, the aim of this meta‐analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of antigen tests for N. meningitidis in CSF.

Methods

We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of antigen tests for N. meningitidis in CSF. We included studies that provided sufficient data to construct a 2 × 2 table on a per‐sample basis. To determine the overall sensitivity and specificity of the antigen tests, we used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as the reference standard and employed the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic model.

Results

Nine studies with 4533 CSF samples were included. The meta‐analysis yielded a pooled sensitivity of 91.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 80.0%–100.0%) and a pooled specificity of 93.8% (95% CI: 83.9%–100.0%). A subgroup analysis of 2 studies that reported the outcomes of MeningoSpeed yielded a pooled sensitivity of 93.4% (95% CI: 90.0%–95.8%) and a pooled specificity of 91.9% (95% CI: 88.6%–94.4%). Antigen testing for the N. meningitidis serogroup X had a pooled sensitivity of 92.4% (95% CI: 85.2%–96.2%) and a pooled specificity of 99.2% (95% CI: 78.7%–100.0%).

Conclusions

The studied antigen tests had high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis in CSF specimens. Antigen testing could serve as an accurate diagnostic method for assessing patients who have a suspected N. meningitidis infection.
Platelet extracellular vesicles and their mitochondrial content improve the mitochondrial bioenergetics of cellular immune recipients
Authors: Pelletier Martin , Breton Yann , Allaeys Isabelle , Becker Yann , Benson Tom , Boilard Eric
Published: August 2023

Background

Mitochondria play a critical role in the production of cell energy and the regulation of cell death. Therefore, mitochondria orchestrate numerous cell effector functions, including fine‐tuning the immune system. While mitochondria are mainly found intracellularly, they can escape the confine of the cell during the process of extracellular vesicle release. Platelets patrol blood vessels to ensure vasculature integrity and to support the immune system. In blood, platelets are the primary source of circulating mitochondria. Activated platelets produce extracellular vesicles, including a subset of mitochondria‐containing vesicles.

Study Design and Methods

We characterized mitochondrial functions in platelet‐derived extracellular vesicles, and examined whether they could impact the bioenergetics of cellular immune recipients using an extracellular flux analyzer to measure real‐time bioenergetics.

Results

We validated that extracellular vesicles derived from activated platelets contain the necessary mitochondrial machinery to respirate and generate energy. Moreover, neutrophils and monocytes efficiently captured platelet‐derived extracellular vesicles, enhancing their mitochondrial fitness. This process required functional mitochondria from donor platelets, as it was abolished by the inactivation of extracellular mitochondria using mitochondrial poison.

Discussion

Together, the data suggest that extracellular mitochondria produced by platelets may support other metabolic functions through transcellular bioenergetics.
Load and Coupling Variations Analysis of Capacitive Power Transfer at 6.78MHz Operating Frequency for Biomedical Implantable Device
Authors: Meor Muslimah , Yusop Yusmarnita , Saat Shakir , Husin Huzaimah , Hasan Khairul Kamarudin
Published: August 2023

This paper presents the design and analysis of load and coupling variations for a current Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technique, known as Capacitive Power Transfer (CPT). Due to its strength, CPT becomes an effective and essential alternative to conservative technique, which is Inductive Power Transfer (IPT). It can compete IPT in industrial demand since it has a small number of component usage, uncomplicated topology, increases electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance and robust to surrounding metallic elements. Class E power amplifier with the presence of π1b matching resonant circuit is applied in this work as a high frequency ac power source since it has the ability to perform dc-to-ac inversion efficiently. It supports the CPT system to attain a maximum power transmission. MATLAB software is used to design and simulate the CPT circuit; and the analysis is made up from the results. This proposed system able to generate 1W of output power by maintaining up to 98% efficiency at 6.78MHz operating frequency for Biomedical Implantable Device application. The analysis of load variation is in the range of 50Ω until 1kΩ; meanwhile for coupling variation is between 1mm to 15mm.
Effects of nutritional counseling on physical performance and muscle strength in older adults: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Buckinx Fanny , Brabant Christian , Bruyère Olivier , Durieux Nancy
Published: August 2023

Objective:

The objective of this review is to synthesize the effects of nutritional counseling compared with no intervention (maintaining lifestyle habits) or nutritional counseling in combination with other interventions (eg, nutritional supplementation, physical activity) on physical performance and muscle strength in older adults.

Introduction:

Nutritional counseling, which is considered the first line of nutrition therapy, could play an important role in geriatric care programs by helping older adults understand the importance of nutrition and by promoting healthy, sustainable eating habits. However, the effects of nutritional counseling on physical function and muscle strength among older adults are not clear.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will consider randomized controlled trials and non-randomized controlled trials. Participants aged 65 years or older, who have received nutritional counseling alone or in combination with another intervention (eg, nutritional supplementation, physical exercise) will be considered for inclusion. Comparators will include another intervention or no intervention, but physical performance (ie, gait, endurance, balance) or muscle strength must be measured.

Methods:

This systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. The databases to be searched will include MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, CENTRAL (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), and Scopus. Sources of unpublished studies and gray literature will include Google Scholar and protocol registers. Two independent reviewers will select relevant studies, critically appraise the studies, and extract data. Studies will be pooled in a statistical meta-analysis or presented in narrative format. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach will be used to grade the certainty of the evidence.

Review registration:

PROSPERO CRD42022374527
Enfermedad renal crónica y embarazo: una revisión a la literatura
Authors: Espitia Orejarena Derlly Marcela , Montero Acuña Maria Camila , Nasner Posso Érika Tatiana , Suárez Gómez María Cristina
Published: August 2023

La enfermedad renal crónica en el embarazo es una entidad poco estudiada, debido a los escasos estudios referentes al tema. Esta patología se relaciona con desenlaces tanto fetales como maternos de peor pronóstico. La enfermedad renal en gestantes se puede dividir en tres escenarios: el primero, que abarca la enfermedad renal aguda; el segundo, pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica no diagnosticada, y el último, cuando ya está establecida previamente y del que se trata en este artículo. Las maternas que presentan esta entidad en estadios muy avanzados van a ser más propensas a tener peores resultados tanto perinatales como neonatales, de manera que es de gran importancia conocer el estadio previo a la gestación y hacer una monitorización continua y rigurosa de su función renal, a fin de disminuir o tratar de mitigar los riesgos. El tratamiento va a estar basado en reducir los efectos adversos y en el seguimiento de los parámetros que se realicen en la consulta preconcepcional. El objetivo de esta revisión es adquirir mayor conocimiento y actualizar al lector sobre las pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica y embarazo; al igual que ahondar en sus posibles complicaciones y desenlaces.
Self-Supervised Learning of Spatially Varying Process Parameter Models for Robotic Finishing Tasks
Authors: Jung Yoon Yeo , Narayan Santosh V. , Gupta Satyandra K.
Published: August 2023

This article presents a self-supervised learning approach for a robot to learn spatially varying process parameter models for contact-based finishing tasks. In many finishing tasks, a part has spatially varying stiffness. Some regions of the part enable the robot to efficiently execute the task. On the other hand, some other regions on the part may require the robot to move cautiously in order to prevent damage and ensure safety. Compared to the constant process parameter models, spatially varying process parameter models are more complex and challenging to learn. Our self-supervised learning approach consists of utilizing an initial parameter space exploration method, surrogate modeling, selection of region sequencing policy, and development of process parameter selection policy. We showed that by carefully selecting and optimizing learning components, this approach enables a robot to efficiently learn spatially varying process parameter models for a given contact-based finishing task. We demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach through computational simulations and physical experiments with a robotic sanding case study. Our work shows that the learning approach that has been optimized based on task characteristics significantly outperforms an unoptimized learning approach based on the overall task completion time.
Comparison of Six Accelerometer Metrics for Assessing the Temporal Patterns of Children’s Free-Play Physical Activity
Authors: McKee Katherine L. , Pfeiffer Karin A. , Pearson Amber L. , Clevenger Kimberly A.
Published: August 2023

Accelerometers are frequently used to measure physical activity in children, but lack of uniformity in data processing methods, such as the metric used to summarize accelerometer data, limits comparability between studies. The objective was to compare six accelerometer metrics (raw: mean amplitude deviation, Euclidean norm minus one, activity index, monitor-independent movement summary units; count: vertical axis, vector magnitude) for characterizing the intensity and temporal patterns of first and second graders’ (n = 88; age = 7.8 ± 0.7 years) recess physical activity. At a 5-s epoch level, Pearson’s correlations (r) between metrics ranged from .66 to .98. When each epoch was classified into one of four intensity levels based on quartiles, agreement between metrics as indicated by weighted kappa ranged from .81 to .96. When collapsed to time spent in each intensity level, metrics were strongly correlated (r = .76–.99) and most often statistically equivalent for estimating time spent in Quartile 3 or 4. Children were ranked from least to most active, and agreement between metrics was strong (Spearman’s correlation ≥ .87). Temporal patterns were characterized using five fragmentation indices calculated using each of the six metrics, which were fair-to-strongly correlated (r = .53–.99), with the strongest associations for number of high-intensity activity bouts (r ≥ .89). Most fragmentation indices were not statistically equivalent between metrics. While metrics captured similar trends in activity intensity and temporal patterns, caution is warranted when making comparisons of point estimates derived from different metrics. However, all metrics were able to similarly capture higher intensity activity (i.e., Quartile 3 or 4), the most common outcome of interest in intervention studies.
The E3/E4 ubiquitin ligase UFD-2 suppresses normal and oncogenic signaling mediated by a Raf ortholog in
Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Townley Robert , Deniaud Augustin , Stacy Kennedy S. , Rodriguez Torres Claudia S. , Cheraghi Fatemeh , Wicker Nicole B. , de la Cova Claire C.
Published: August 2023

Signaling by the kinase cascade composed of Raf, MEK, and ERK is critical for animal development and is often inappropriately activated in human malignancies. We sought to identify factors that control signaling mediated by the
Caenorhabditis elegans
Raf ortholog LIN-45. A genetic screen showed that the degradation of LIN-45 required the E3/E4 ubiquitin ligase UFD-2. Both UFD-2 and its partner, the ATP-dependent segregase CDC-48, were required for the developmental regulation of LIN-45 protein abundance. We showed that UFD-2 acted in the same pathway as the E3 ubiquitin ligase SCF
SEL-10
to decrease LIN-45 abundance in cells in which Raf-MEK-ERK signaling was most highly active. UFD-2 also reduced the protein abundance of activated LIN-45 carrying a mutation equivalent to the cancer-associated
BRAF(V600E)
variant. Our structure-function studies showed that the disruption of LIN-45 domains that mediate protein-protein interactions, including the conserved cysteine-rich domain and 14-3-3 binding motifs, were required for UFD-2–independent degradation of LIN-45. We propose a model in which UFD-2 and CDC-48 act downstream of SCF
SEL-10
to remove LIN-45 from its protein interaction partners and facilitate proteasomal targeting and degradation. These findings imply that UFD-2 and CDC-48 may be important for Raf degradation during normal and oncogenic Ras and MAPK signaling in mammalian cells.
IL-33–ST2 signaling promotes stemness in subtypes of myeloid leukemia cells through the Wnt and Notch pathways
Authors: Naef Pascal , Radpour Ramin , Jaeger-Ruckstuhl Carla A. , Bodmer Nils , Baerlocher Gabriela M. , Doehner Hartmut , Doehner Konstanze , Riether Carsten , Ochsenbein Adrian F.
Published: August 2023

Cell stemness is characterized by quiescence, pluripotency, and long-term self-renewal capacity. Therapy-resistant leukemic stem cells (LSCs) are the primary cause of relapse in patients with chronic and acute myeloid leukemia (CML and AML). However, the same signaling pathways frequently support stemness in both LSCs and normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), making LSCs difficult to therapeutically target. In cell lines and patient samples, we found that interleukin-33 (IL-33) signaling promoted stemness only in leukemia cells in a subtype-specific manner. The IL-33 receptor ST2 was abundant on the surfaces of CD34
+
BCR/ABL1
CML and CD34
+
AML cells harboring
AML1/ETO
and
DEK/NUP214
translocations or deletion of chromosome 9q [del(9q)]. The cell surface abundance of ST2, which was lower or absent on other leukemia subtypes and HSCs, correlated with stemness, activated Wnt signaling, and repressed Notch signaling. IL-33–ST2 signaling promoted the maintenance and expansion of AML1/ETO–, DEK/NUP214–, and BCR/ABL1–positive LSCs in culture and in mice by activating Wnt, MAPK, and NF-κB signaling. Wnt signaling and its inhibition of the Notch pathway up-regulated the expression of the gene encoding ST2, thus forming a cell-autonomous loop. IL-33–ST2 signaling promoted the resistance of CML cells to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) nilotinib and of AML cells to standard chemotherapy. Thus, inhibiting IL-33–ST2 signaling may target LSCs to overcome resistance to chemotherapy or TKIs in these subtypes of leukemia.
Transcriptional and translational dynamics underlying heat shock response in the thermophilic crenarchaeon
Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
Authors: Baes Rani , Grünberger Felix , Pyr dit Ruys Sébastien , Couturier Mohea , De Keulenaer Sarah , Skevin Sonja , Van Nieuwerburgh Filip , Vertommen Didier , Grohmann Dina , Ferreira-Cerca Sébastien , Peeters Eveline
Published: August 2023

High-temperature stress is critical for all organisms and induces a profound cellular response. For Crenarchaeota, little information is available on how heat shock affects cellular processes and on how this response is regulated. We set out to study heat shock response in the thermoacidophilic model crenarchaeon
Sulfolobus acidocaldarius,
which thrives in volcanic hot springs and has an optimal growth temperature of 75°C. Pulse-labeling experiments demonstrated that a temperature shift to 86°C induces a drastic reduction of the transcriptional and translational activity, but that RNA and protein neosynthesis still occurs. By combining RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry, an integrated mapping of the transcriptome and proteome was performed. This revealed that heat shock causes an immediate change in the gene expression profile, with RNA levels of half of the genes being affected, followed by a more subtle reprogramming of the protein landscape. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that nearly all cellular processes are affected by heat shock. A limited correlation was observed in the differential expression on the RNA and protein level, suggesting a prevalence of post-transcriptional and post-translational regulation. Furthermore, promoter sequence analysis of heat shock regulon genes demonstrated the conservation of strong transcription initiation elements for highly induced genes, but an absence of a conserved protein-binding motif. It is, therefore, hypothesized that histone-lacking archaea such as Sulfolobales use an evolutionarily ancient regulatory mechanism that relies on temperature-responsive changes in DNA organization and compaction induced by the action of nucleoid-associated proteins, as well as on enhanced recruitment of initiation factors.

IMPORTANCE

Heat shock response is the ability to respond adequately to sudden temperature increases that could be harmful for cellular survival and fitness. It is crucial for microorganisms living in volcanic hot springs that are characterized by high temperatures and large temperature fluctuations. In this study, we investigated how
S. acidocaldarius
, which grows optimally at 75°C, responds to heat shock by altering its gene expression and protein production processes. We shed light on which cellular processes are affected by heat shock and propose a hypothesis on underlying regulatory mechanisms. This work is not only relevant for the organism’s lifestyle, but also with regard to its evolutionary status. Indeed,
S. acidocaldarius
belongs to the archaea, an ancient group of microbes that is more closely related to eukaryotes than to bacteria. Our study thus also contributes to a better understanding of the early evolution of heat shock response.
Mafic intrusions record mantle inputs and crustal thickness in the eastern Sierra Nevada batholith, California, USA
Authors: Lewis Madeline J. , Ryan-Davis Juliet R. , Bucholz Claire E.
Published: August 2023

Contributions of heat and/or mass from mafic magmas are commonly invoked in models of voluminous granodiorite and andesite generation in magmatic and volcanic arcs worldwide. However, mafic intrusions are a volumetrically minor component in most arc batholiths. This is the case in the Sierra Nevada batholith, California, USA, where gabbro and diorite plutons are smaller and less abundant than the granitoid suites that make up the bulk of the batholith. Here, we constrain the timing and geochemistry of mafic intrusions in the Sierra Nevada batholith to assess the role of these compositions in arc batholith construction. Previous detailed studies on a limited number of mafic intrusions demonstrate that they formed penecontemporaneously with the felsic batholith, but there is a need for a broader survey of mafic plutons using modern geochronological techniques. New U-Pb zircon ages for 13 gabbro to diorite plutons and geochemistry from 17 mafic intrusions in the eastern Sierra Nevada batholith document two main episodes of mafic magmatism in the eastern Sierra Nevada batholith, from 168 Ma to 145 Ma and from 100 Ma to 89 Ma. These episodes overlap with the ages of granitoid plutons in the eastern Sierra Nevada batholith, including the Late Jurassic Palisade Crest and Late Cretaceous John Muir intrusive suites, in addition to other felsic plutons dated in the eastern Sierra Nevada batholith. Non-primitive mineral compositions in the mafic bodies indicate that their parental magmas are the evolved products of mantle-derived basalts that first differentiated in the lower crust prior to ascent and crystallization in the upper crust. The presence of rocks with cumulate textures, as well as a wide range of bulk-rock compositions (SiO2 wt% 38−64, Mg# 39−74), show that magmatic differentiation continued within each mafic body after intrusion into the upper crust. Sr/Y ratios in melt-like (i.e., non-cumulate) mafic samples suggest that the crustal thickness of the Sierra Nevada batholith was roughly 30 km in the Early Jurassic and increased to ∼44 km by the Late Cretaceous. Concomitant intrusion of mafic melts along with voluminous granitoid plutons supports mantle melting as a major contributor of heat and magmatic volumes to the crust during construction of the eastern Sierra Nevada batholith.
Supplemental Material: Kilometer-scale recumbent folding, tectonic attenuation, and rotational shear in the western Anaconda Range, southwestern Montana, USA
Authors: Neal Bryce A. , al. et
Published: August 2023

Detailed descriptions of map units presented in Figure 4.  
Patients with polyethylene glycol allergy can experience immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions after exposure to analog substances
Authors: Yoshimoto Yosuke , Tezuka Junichiro
Published: August 2023

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) allergy has been recently observed after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. We present a case of a patient with a history of two hospitalisations for unexplained recurrence of immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions and anaphylaxis who was diagnosed with PEG allergy in early childhood. Subsequently, he was instructed to avoid using PEG-containing daily necessities and drugs. However, in middle childhood, he presented with immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions after taking PEG-free antibiotics. The prick test was positive for the whole drug but negative for its active ingredient. PEG can cross-react with compounds with a C–C–O skeleton as analogue substances; accordingly, the presence of a substance with a similar skeleton in the additive may have been the causative factor. Our findings indicate that patients with PEG allergy may experience immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions to analogue substances.
Patient preferences for stress urinary incontinence treatments: a discrete choice experiment
Authors: Boyers Dwayne , Kilonzo Mary , Davidson Tracey , Cooper David , Wardle Judith , Bhal Kiron , N'Dow James , MacLennan Graeme , Norrie John , Abdel-Fattah Mohamed
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To elicit and value patient preferences for the processes and outcomes of surgical management of stress urinary incontinence in women.

Design

A discrete choice experiment survey to elicit preferences for type of anaesthesia, postoperative recovery time, treatment success, adverse events, impact on daily activities and cost. An experimental design generated 40 choice tasks, and each respondent completed 1 block of 10 and 2 validity tests. Analysis was by multinomial logistical regression.

Setting

N=21 UK hospitals.

Participants

N=325 adult women who were a subsample of those randomised to the single-incision mini-slings clinical trial.

Outcomes

Patient preferences; valuation obtained using willingness to pay.

Results

N=227 of 325 (70%) returned a questionnaire, and 94% of those completed all choice tasks. Respondents preferred general anaesthesia, shorter recovery times, improved stress urinary incontinence symptoms and avoidance of adverse events. Women were willing to pay (mean (95% CI)) £76 (£33 to £119) per day of reduction in recovery time following surgery. They valued increases in Patient Global Impression of Improvement, ranging from £8173 (£5459 to £10 887) for ‘improved’ to £11 706 (£8267 to £15 144) for ‘very much improved’ symptoms, compared with no symptom improvement. This was offset by negative values attached to the avoidance of complications ranging between £−8022 (£−10 661 to £−5383) and £−10 632 (£−14 077 to £−7187) compared to no complications. Women valued treatments that reduced the need to avoid daily activities, with willingness to pay ranging from £−967 (£−2199 to £266) for rarely avoiding activities to £−5338 (£−7258 to £−3417) for frequently avoiding daily activities compared with no avoidance.

Conclusion

This discrete choice experiment demonstrates that patients place considerable value on improvement in stress urinary incontinence symptoms and avoidance of treatment complications. Trade-offs between symptom improvement and adverse event risk should be considered within shared decision-making. The willingness to pay values from this study can be used in future cost–benefit analyses.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN: 93264234; Post-results.
Identification of factors associated with non-adherence to recommended COVID-19 preventive behaviours: a cross-sectional study based on a survey among 1004 French primary care professionals
Authors: Bouton Céline , Meziere Pauline , Gaultier Aurelie , Dupouy Julie , Rat Cédric
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, adherence to preventive behaviours to limit virus spread has been a major issue. The study objective was to identify factors associated with non-adherence to preventive behaviours among general practitioners (GPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic using data from a questionnaire completed during the French National Congress of General Medicine in June 2021.

Design

This descriptive study relied on data collected with a questionnaire during the national congress on general medicine in Bordeaux, France, from 16–18 June 2021.

Setting

The study was conducted in primary care in France.

Participants

Out of a total of 1004 GPs and GP trainees, 755 completed the questionnaire during conferences and 249 were contacted by mail.

Results

The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 related preventive behaviours, beliefs and experiences. Answers to questions that explored the Health Belief Model components were selected and then compared among participants who reported appropriate preventive behaviours (wearing face masks and social distancing) and participants who reported non-adherence. Analysis was based on multivariate logistic regression.

The responders’ mean age was 35.8 years; 61.64% were women, 61.9% were practising GPs and 37.2% were GP trainees. Moreover, 96.6% of participants had completed the COVID-19 vaccination schedule. Non-adherence (reported by 72/1004 participants) was more frequent among smokers (OR=2.57, 95% CI 1.29 to 4.83, p=0.005) and younger participants (OR=0.95, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.98, p=0.005). Complete COVID-19 vaccination or a previous infection was not associated with non-adherence and has been poorly described.

Conclusion

More studies are needed to confirm the factors involved in the adoption of COVID-19 preventive behaviours by healthcare professionals and to explore the beliefs and barriers to the adoption of these behaviours.
CT perfusion to measure venous outflow in acute ischemic stroke in patients with a large vessel occlusion
Authors: Adusumilli Gautam , Christensen Soren , Yuen Nicole , Mlynash Michael , Faizy Tobias D , Albers Gregory W , Lansberg Maarten G , Fiehler Jens , Heit Jeremy J
Published: August 2023

Background

Robust venous outflow (VO) profiles, measured by degree of venous opacification on pre-thrombectomy CT angiography (CTA) studies, are strongly correlated with favorable outcomes in patients with large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke treated by thrombectomy. However, VO measurements are laborious and require neuroimaging expertise.

Objective

To develop a semi-automated method to measure VO using CTA and CT perfusion imaging studies.

Methods

We developed a graphical interface usingThe Visualization Toolkit,allowing for voxel selection at the confluence and bilateral internal cerebral veins on CTA along with arterial input functions (AIFs) from both internal carotid arteries. We extracted concentration–time curves from the CT perfusion study at the corresponding locations associated with AIF and venous output function (VOF). Outcome analyses were primarily conducted by the Mann-Whitney U and Jonckheere-Terpstra tests.

Results

Segmentation at the pre-selected AIF and VOF locations was performed on a sample of 97 patients. 65 patients had favorable VO (VO+) and 32 patients had unfavorable VO (VO−). VO+ patients were found to have a significantly shorter VOF time to peak (8.26; 95% CI 7.07 to 10.34) than VO− patients (9.44; 95% CI 8.61 to 10.91), P=0.007. No significant difference was found in VOF curve width and the difference in time between AIF and VOF peaks.

Conclusions

Time to peak of VOF at the confluence of sinuses was significantly associated with manually scored venous outflow. Further studies should aim to understand better the association between arterial inflow and venous outflow, and capture quantitative metrics of venous outflow at other locations.
Crosstalk between chromatin, chromosomes, and epigenetics
Authors: Ialongo Alyssa , Yeh Ssu-Yu , Rhee Ho Sung
Published: August 2023

The International Asilomar Chromatin, Chromosomes, and Epigenetics Conference was held online from 8 to 10 December 2022. Topics of this year’s conference included chromosome dysregulation, genome integrity, nuclear organization, regulation of chromatin, epigenetics, transcription, and gene regulation in cell differentiation and disease. The meeting featured four keynote speakers, including Yamini Dalal (National Cancer Institute, USA), Meaghan Jones (University of Manitoba, Canada), Pedro Rocha (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, USA), and Vincent Pasque (University of Leuven, Belgium). The meeting brought together scientists at all career stages to present and discuss their work in the fields of chromatin and epigenetics.
Synthesis and antimalarial activity of novel 3-substituted chloroquine derivatives
Authors: Kapuku Benita , Baakdah Fadi , Georges Elias , Bohle D. Scott
Published: August 2023

The synthesis and characterization of a series of new 3-substituted chloroquine (CQ) derivatives are reported along with their antimalarial activity against CQ-sensitive, 3D7, and CQ-resistant, Dd2, strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The new CQ derivatives stem from the aroylation of 3-aminochloroquine, which in turn is prepared in four efficient steps from 4,7-dichloroquinoline. Variation of the aroylation substituents and ring substitution patterns reveal that 4-substitution with electron-withdrawing moieties results in the lowest IC50 values, both in the same order of magnitude as CQ itself for the 3D7 strain. Given its activity against the resistant Dd2 strain, the 4-chlorobenzamido-CQ derivative is chosen as the lead compound for potential use in combination therapy.
An Enhanced Compression Method for Medical Images Using SPIHT Encoder for Fog Computing
Authors: Rai Shabana , Ullah Arif , Kuan Wong Lai , Mustafa Rifat
Published: August 2023

When it comes to filtering and compressing data before sending it to a cloud server, fog computing is a rummage sale. Fog computing enables an alternate method to reduce the complexity of medical image processing and steadily improve its dependability. Medical images are produced by imaging processing modalities using X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and ultrasound (US). These medical images are large and have a huge amount of storage. This problem is being solved by making use of compression. In this area, lots of work is done. However, before adding more techniques to Fog, getting a high compression ratio (CR) in a shorter time is required, therefore consuming less network traffic. Le Gall5/3 integer wavelet transform (IWT) and a set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) encoder were used in this study’s implementation of an image compression technique. MRI is used in the experiments. The suggested technique uses a modified CR and less compression time (CT) to compress the medical image. The proposed approach results in an average CR of 84.8895%. A 40.92% peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) PNSR value is present. Using the Huffman coding, the proposed approach reduces the CT by 36.7434 s compared to the IWT. Regarding CR, the suggested technique outperforms IWTs with Huffman coding by 12%. The current approach has a 72.36% CR. The suggested work’s shortcoming is that the high CR caused a decline in the quality of the medical images. PSNR values can be raised, and more effort can be made to compress colored medical images and 3-dimensional medical images.
McKay Matrices for Pointed Rank One Hopf Algebras of Nilpotent Type
Authors: Cao Liufeng , Xia Xuejun , Li Libin
Published: August 2023

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite-dimensional pointed rank one Hopf algebra of nilpotent type over a finite group [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we investigate the McKay matrix [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] for tensoring with the 2-dimensional indecomposable [Formula: see text]-module [Formula: see text]. It turns out that the characteristic polynomial, eigenvalues and eigenvectors of [Formula: see text] are related to the character table of the finite group [Formula: see text] and a kind of generalized Fibonacci polynomial. Moreover, we construct some eigenvectors of each eigenvalue for [Formula: see text] by using the factorization of the generalized Fibonacci polynomial. As an example, we explicitly compute the characteristic polynomial and eigenvalues of [Formula: see text] and give all eigenvectors of each eigenvalue for [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text] is a dihedral group of order [Formula: see text].
Image Defogging Based on Regional Gradient Constrained Prior
Authors: Guo Qiang , Zhang Zhi , Zhou Mingliang , Yue Hong , Pu Huayan , Luo Jun
Published: August 2023

Foggy days limit the functionality of outdoor surveillance systems. However, it is still a challenge for existing methods to maintain the uniformity of defogging between image regions with a similar depth of field and large differences in appearance. To address above problem, this article proposes a regional gradient constrained prior (RGCP) for defogging that uses the piecewise smoothing characteristic of the scene structure to achieve accurate estimation and reliable constraint of the transmission. RGCP first derives that when adjacent similar pixels in the fog image are aggregated and spatially divided into regions, clusters of region pixels in RGB space conform to a chi-square distribution. The offset of the confidence boundary of the clusters can be regarded as the initial transmission of each region. RGCP further uses a gradient distribution to distinguish different regional appearances and formulate an interregional constraint function to constrain the overestimation of the transmission in the flat region, thereby maintaining the consistency between the estimated transmission map and the depth map. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve natural defogging performance in terms of various foggy conditions.
Person-action Instance Search in Story Videos: An Experimental Study
Authors: Niu Yanrui , Liang Chao , Lu Ankang , Huang Baojin , Wang Zhongyuan , Guo Jiahao
Published: August 2023

Person-Action instance search (P-A INS) aims to retrieve the instances of a specific person doing a specific action, which appears in the 2019–2021 INS tasks of the world-famous TREC Video Retrieval Evaluation (TRECVID). Most of the top-ranking solutions can be summarized with a Division-Fusion-Optimization (DFO) framework, in which person and action recognition scores are obtained separately, then fused, and, optionally, further optimized to generate the final ranking. However, TRECVID only evaluates the final ranking results, ignoring the effects of intermediate steps and their implementation methods. We argue that conducting the fine-grained evaluations of intermediate steps of DFO framework will (1) provide a quantitative analysis of the different methods’ performance in intermediate steps; (2) find out better design choices that contribute to improving retrieval performance; and (3) inspire new ideas for future research from the limitation analysis of current techniques. Particularly, we propose an indirect evaluation method motivated by the leave-one-out strategy, which finds an optimal solution surpassing the champion teams in 2020–2021 INS tasks. Moreover, to validate the generalizability and robustness of the proposed solution under various scenarios, we specifically construct a new large-scale P-A INS dataset and conduct comparative experiments with both the leading NIST TRECVID INS solution and the state-of-the-art P-A INS method. Finally, we discuss the limitations of our evaluation work and suggest future research directions.
Editors’ Choice—Equilibrium Boundaries of VO2 Phase Stability: Determination by Solid Electrolyte EMF Measurements and Effect on Optical Changes during Metal-Insulator Transition
Authors: Sudarikov D. A. , Amelichev V. A. , Kaul A. R.
Published: August 2023

Vanadium dioxide is widely known for its metal-insulator transition (MIT), in which drastic changes in resistivity and IR-transparency occur. This makes VO2 thin films promising materials for high-frequency optoelectronic devices. To get the most MIT sharpness, thin films should not contain impurities of hyper-oxygen or hypo-oxygen phases arising during VO2 synthesis. To ascertain the conditions of single-phase VO2 existence, the equilibrium boundaries of VO2 with neighboring phases were determined using the electromotive force method (EMF) with a solid electrolyte ZrO2(Y2O3). Our data for the high-oxygen boundary of VO2 existence in equilibrium with the V6O13 phase agree with the only data known in the literature. We established that VO2 is, in equilibrium with the V9O17 phase at the low-oxygen boundary, which forms V8O15 under further reduction. The temperature of the peritectoid decomposition of V9O17 is established, and the corresponding corrections to the phase diagram of the vanadium-oxygen system are introduced. The Gibbs energies for V9O17, V8O15, and V6O13 formation reactions are calculated. It is also shown that the IR reflectance of VO2 films brought to equilibrium at the high-oxygen boundary is much greater than that of films equilibrated at the low-oxygen boundary.
Electrical Impedance Response of Liquid Crystals and Anomalous Diffusion: A Fractional Approach
Authors: Rosseto Michely P. , Ribeiro de Almeida R. R. , Zola R. S. , Lenzi E. K. , Evangelista L. R.
Published: August 2023

We analyze the electrical impedance response established in terms of the time-fractional approach formulation of the Poisson-Nernst-Planck model by considering a general boundary condition. The total current across the sample is solenoidal, as the Maxwell equations require, and the boundary conditions can be related to different scenarios. We also study the behavior of the electrical conductivity and its connection with the ionic spreading in the sample to establish the diffusion regime present in the system in the low-frequency limit. Furthermore, we investigate impedance spectroscopy measurements of a nematic liquid crystal cell and observe a good agreement between the experimental data and the model.
DEPDC1B-mediated USP5 deubiquitination of β-catenin promotes breast cancer metastasis by activating the wnt/β-catenin pathway
Authors: Wang Qingqing , Chen Fengxia , Yang Ningning , Xu Lu , Yu Xiaoyan , Wu Meng , Zhou Yunfeng
Published: August 2023

By using bioinformatics analysis and the experimental techniques of cell biology and molecular biology, we found that DEP domain-containing protein 1B (DEPDC1B) can promote the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells and that DEPDC1B mediates the deubiquitination of β-catenin by ubiquitin-specific protease 5 (USP5), thus activating the wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our findings provide new insights into the carcinogenic mechanism of DEPDC1B, suggesting that DEPDC1B can be used as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.
Transglutaminases in fibrosis—overview and recent advances
Authors: Soltani Fatemeh , Kaartinen Mari T.
Published: August 2023

Transglutaminases (TGs) are a family of protein cross-linking enzymes that are capable of stiffening and insolubilizing proteins and creating protein networks, and thereby altering biological functions of proteins. Their role in fibrosis progression has been widely investigated with a focus on kidney, lung, liver, and heart where activity is triggered by various stimuli including hypoxia, inflammation, and hyperglycemia. TG2 has been considered one of the key enzymes in the pathogenesis of fibrosis mainly through transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signaling and matrix cross-linking mechanisms. Although TG2 has been most widely studied in this context, the involvement of other TGs, TG1 and Factor XIII-A (FXIII-A), is beginning to emerge. This mini-review highlights the major steps taken in the TG and fibrosis research and summarizes the most recent advances and contributions of TG2, TG1, and FXIII-A to the progression of fibrosis in various animal models. Also, their mechanisms of action as well as therapeutic prospects are discussed.
Circadian regulation of liver metabolism: experimental approaches in human, rodent, and cellular models
Authors: Daniels Lorna J. , Kay Danielle , Marjot Thomas , Hodson Leanne , Ray David W.
Published: August 2023

Over the past decade, there has been an increased interest in understanding the intricate relationship between circadian rhythm and liver metabolism. In this review, we have systematically searched the literature to analyze the various experimental approaches utilizing human, rodent, and in vitro cellular approaches to dissect the link between liver circadian rhythms and metabolic disease.
Caveolin-1-derived peptide attenuates cigarette smoke-induced airway and alveolar epithelial injury
Authors: Das Durgesh Nandini , Puthusseri Bijesh , Gopu Venkadesaperumal , Krishnan Venugopal , Bhagavath Ashoka Kumar , Bolla Sudhir , Saini Yogesh , Criner Gerald J. , Marchetti Nathaniel , Tang Hua , Konduru Nagarjun V. , Fan Liang , Shetty Sreerama
Published: August 2023

Chronic cigarette smoke (CS) exposure remains a major risk factor for the pathogenesis of COPD, a debilitating disease with no effective treatment. Increased caveolin-1 mediated induction of p53 and downstream plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression contributes to CS-induced airway mucus hypersecretion and alveolar wall damage. This is reversed by caveolin-1 scaffolding domain peptide (CSP7) in preclinical models, suggesting the therapeutic potential of CSP7 for treating CS-induced lung injury (CS-LI) and COPD.