bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised segmentation and clustering time series approach to Southern Africa rainfall regime changes
Authors: Chipindu Lovemore , Mupangwa Walter , Nyagumbo Isaiah , Zaman‐Allah Mainassara
Published: October 2023

Analysis of hydro‐climatological time series and spatiotemporal dynamics of meteorological variables has become critical in the context of climate change, especially in Southern African countries where rain‐fed agriculture is predominant. In this work, we compared modern unsupervised time series and segmentation approaches and commonly used time series models to analyse rainfall regime changes in the coastal, sub‐humid and semi‐arid regions of Southern Africa. Rainfall regimes change modelling and prediction inform farming strategies especially when choosing measures for mixed crop–livestock farming systems, as farmers can decide to do rainwater harvesting and moisture conservation or supplementary irrigation if water resources are available. The main goal of this study was to predict/identify rainfall cluster trends over time using regression with hidden logistic process (RHLP) or hidden Markov model regression (HMMR) supplemented by autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and Facebook Prophet models. Historical time series rainfall data was sourced from meteorological services departments for selected site over an average period of 55 years. Commonly used approaches forecasted an upward rainfall trend in the coastal and sub‐humid regions and a declining trend in semi‐arid areas with high variability between and within seasons. For all sites, Ljung‐Box Test Statistics suggested the existence of autocorrelation in rainfall time series data. Prediction capabilities were investigated using the root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) which indicated not much difference between ARIMA and Facebook Prophet models. RHLP and HMMR offered a unique clustering and segmentation approach examining between and within‐season rainfall variability. A maximum of 20 unique rainfall clusters with similar trend characteristics were determined as going beyond this brought non‐significant difference to regime changes. A clear trend was exhibited from 1980 going backwards as compared to recent years signifying how unpredictable is rainfall in Southern Africa. The unsupervised approaches predicted a clear cluster trend in coastal than in sub‐humid and semi‐arid and the performance was assessed using Akaike information criteria and log‐likelihood which showed improvement in prediction power as the number of segmentation clusters approaches 20.
Optimizing Phosphate Couplings for Dolichyl Diphosphochitobiose to Enable Protein N‐Glycosylation Studies
Authors: Meirelles Matheus A. , Reymond Jean‐Louis
Published: October 2023

Herein we report an optimized synthesis for dolichyl diphosphochitobiose (GlcNAc2‐PP‐Dol25), a probe useful for biochemical and structural studies of protein N‐glycosylation in eukaryotic cells. We improved three phosphate coupling steps in terms of yields and reaction times, namely chitobiose phosphorylation, dolichol phosphorylation, and phosphate‐phosphate coupling, by adjusting reagents and conditions. We also developed an efficient preparative reverse‐phase HPLC purification protocol followed by ion exchange step to obtain the pure product as a stable sodium salt. These optimized procedures ensure a reliable supply of GlcNAc2‐PP‐Dol25 for enzymatic studies.
Prevalence and risk factors of elder abuse in survivors of stroke: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Zhang Guifen , Chen Minyuan , Xiao Peiyi , Peng Zhibo
Published: October 2023

Background and Aims

The understanding of the prevalence and risk factors associated with elder abuse in stroke survivors is currently lacking. Therefore, the objective of this study is to ascertain the prevalence and potential risk factors of elder abuse in stroke survivors, while also examining its correlation with insomnia.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, a total of 485 stroke survivors aged 65 years and older, who received treatment at the Emergency department of Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, were subjected to face‐to‐face interviews using the questionnaire on elder abuse from the Third Survey on Chinese Women's Social Status. A logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the association between risk factors and elder abuse among stroke survivors.

Results

62.27% of the participants reported experiencing elder abuse, with 14.85% of them indicating suffering from more than two subtypes of abuse. Factors such as residing in nursing homes, lower income, and smoking were found to increase the likelihood of experiencing elder abuse and all four subtypes of abuse. Additionally, advancing age was associated with a higher risk of experiencing all four subtypes of abuse, although it did not affect the occurrence of overall abuse. It is worth noting that the self‐reported prevalence of the four types of abuse by the elderly themselves was higher compared to the reports provided by caregivers.

Conclusion

Elder abuse is prevalent among stroke survivors, especially those who are residing in nursing homes, with lower income, and smokers. Elder abuse significantly increased the prevalence of insomnia in stroke survivors. Further research is needed to better explore effective measures to reduce the prevalence of elder abuse of stroke survivors.
The CD2–CD58 axis: A novel marker predicting poor prognosis in patients with low‐grade gliomas and potential therapeutic approaches
Authors: Wu Mingwei , Chen Yiyuan , Hua Gao , Chunhui Liu
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Low‐grade gliomas (LGGs) are currently considered a premalignant condition for high‐grade gliomas (HGGs) and are characterized by a relatively intact immune system. Immunotherapeutic modalities may offer a safe and effective treatment option for these patients. However, the CD2–CD58 axis, an important component of the immunological synapse, remains unknown in LGG.

Methods

RNA‐seq data from TCGA databases were analyzed. Immune cell infiltration was determined using a single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) based on integrated immune gene sets from published studies. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, univariate and multivariate logistic analysis, and the ESTIMATE algorithm were employed to evaluate the impact of the CD2–CD58 axis on adult LGG patients.

Results

The expression of the CD2–CD58 axis was found to be elevated with increasing of WHO grade (p < .05). Uni‐ and multi‐variable logistic analysis demonstrated that age, WHO grade, and CD58 levels were associated with poor prognosis in LGG patients with (p < .01). MetaSape pathways analysis revealed the involvement of CD58 in regulating T cell activation, leukocyte‐mediated immunity, and the positive regulation of cell activation in WHO grade II and III. CD58 expression correlated with infiltrations of CD4+ lymphocytes, NK cells, and macrophages cells. The ESTIMATE algorithm indicated that patients with high CD58 expression had significantly higher immune scores compared with low CD58 expression in WHO grade II/III, but no statistical difference was observed in WHO grade IV (p < .05). Furthermore, correlation analysis demonstrated the significant association between CD58 and CD274 (r = 0.581, p < .001), HAVCR2 (r = 0.58i7, p < .001), and LGALS9 (r = 0.566, p < .001). Immunohistochemical staining further confirmed the relationship of CD58, HAVCR2, WHO grade, and prognosis in grade II and III patients.

Conclusion

Overall, our findings highlight the significant association between the CD2–CD58 axis and poor survival in LGG patients. High CD58 expression is implicated in T cell‐mediated immune responses as an immunosuppressive factor and affect inhibitory immune checkpoint genes.
Association of genetic variations in FoxP3 gene with Graves' disease in a Southwest Chinese Han population
Authors: Tan Guiqin , Zheng Guangbing , Li Jiang , Zhu Yingping , Liang Zhongzhi , Li Hua , Yu Hongsong , Wang Xin
Published: October 2023

Background

Graves' disease (GD) is a T cell‐mediated organ‐specific autoimmune disease. Forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) is an excellent marker for the induction and development of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Recent studies showed that single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FoxP3 gene were associated with the increased susceptibility to several autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we investigated the association of FoxP3 gene polymorphisms with GD in a Southwest Chinese Han population.

Methods

A two‐stage case‐control study was performed in 890 healthy controls (male, 282; female, 608) and 503 patients with GD (male, 138; female, 365). Four SNPs (rs3761548, rs3761549, rs3761547, and rs2280883) were genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. The χ2 test was used to compare the genotype distributions and allele frequencies between GD patients and healthy controls.

Results

In the first stage, the significantly increased frequencies of the A allele (p = .031, odds ratio [OR] = 1.635) and AA genotype (p = .023, OR = 3.257), together with a significantly decreased frequency of the C allele (p = .031, OR = 0.611) of FoxP3/rs3761548 were found in female patients with GD. None of the other FoxP3 SNPs was associated with GD susceptibility. Subsequent validation and combination of data confirmed the association between FoxP3/rs3761548 and the female patients with GD (A allele: p < .001, OR = 1.672; AA genotype: p = .005, OR = 2.488; CC genotype: p = .001, OR = 0.622; C allele: p < .001, OR = 0.615, respectively).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that FoxP3/rs3761548 is significantly associated with female GD patients in a Southwest Chinese Han population.
Real‐world treatment patterns for palbociclib plus an aromatase inhibitor, or an aromatase inhibitor alone, for patients with metastatic breast cancer in the Flatiron Database
Authors: Rugo Hope S. , Liu Xianchen , Li Benjamin , McRoy Lynn , Chen Connie , Layman Rachel M. , Brufsky Adam
Published: October 2023

There are limited real‐world comparative effectiveness data for palbociclib plus an aromatase inhibitor (AI) as a first‐line (1L) treatment examining endpoints that require long term follow‐up and post 1L progression. The Flatiron Health Analytic Database was used to characterize treatment and dosing patterns in patients with hormone receptor‐positive/human epidermal growth factor 2‐negative (HR+/HER2−) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) receiving palbociclib plus an AI vs an AI alone in routine US clinical practice. In addition, time to chemotherapy (TTC) and real‐world progression‐free survival (rwPFS) when combining 1L and second‐line of therapy (rwPFS2) were assessed. Of 1324 patients who received palbociclib plus an AI between February 3, 2015 and March 31, 2020, 1110 (83.8%) started palbociclib at the recommended 125 mg/day dose. After stabilized inverse probability treatment‐weighting (sIPTW), median TTC in patients treated with palbociclib plus an AI and AI alone was 37.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 33.7‐40.7) and 29.2 months (95% CI, 26.8‐33.5), respectively (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.77 [95% CI, 0.69‐0.86], P < .0001); median rwPFS2 was 32.6 months (95% CI, 29.4‐35.2) and 20.7 months (95% CI, 18.9‐22.6), respectively (HR = 0.62 [95% CI, 0.54‐0.70], P < .0001). Sensitivity analyses with propensity score matching showed similar results to sIPTW analyses. Results from this large real‐world study examining additional effectiveness outcomes beyond 1L rwPFS and overall survival support the use of palbociclib plus an AI as a 1L treatment for patients with HR+/HER2− mBC.
Influence of pelvic floor disorders on sexuality in women
Authors: Martínez‐Galiano Juan Miguel , Peinado‐Molina Rocío Adriana , Martínez‐Vazquez Sergio , Hita‐Contreras Fidel , Delgado‐Rodríguez Miguel , Hernández‐Martínez Antonio
Published: October 2023

Objective

To determine the association between different pelvic floor disorders and the presence of sexual dysfunction in women.

Method

An observational study of non‐pregnant women was carried out in Spain in 2021 and 2022. To assess the presence of pelvic floor problems, the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI‐20) was used, consisting of the subscales Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory‐6 (POPDI‐6; prolapse symptoms), Colorectal‐Anal Distress Inventory (CRADI‐8; colorectal symptoms), and Urinary Distress Inventory‐6 (UDI‐6; urinary symptoms). The validated tool, Female Sexual Function (FSF), was used to evaluate female sexual function.

Results

In total, 1008 women participated. Of these, 288 (28.6%) had some type of sexual dysfunction. Regarding symptoms, 52 (5.2%) stated that they do not reach orgasm and 172 (17.1%) said they had never or occasionally felt sexual desire in the last month. Women with sexual dysfunctions had higher mean scores on the POPDI‐6, CRADI‐8, and UDI‐6 subscales than those who did not have sexual dysfunction (P ≤ 0.005). Risk factors identified included being postmenopausal, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 2.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12–4.18), and a greater impact of the symptoms of pelvic floor problems as assessed by the PFDI‐20 scale, in such a way that for each point increase the probability of sexual dysfunction increases with an aOR of 1.008 (95% CI 1.005–1.011).

Conclusion

Women with pelvic floor disorders and postmenopausal women present sexual dysfunction more frequently.
Survival and In Vitro Fertility of Boar Spermatozoa Frozen in the Presence of Superoxide Dismutase and/or Catalase
Authors: Roca Jordi , Rodríguez Maria J. , Gil Maria A. , Carvajal Gema , Garcia Eva M. , Cuello Cristina , Vazquez Juan M. , Martinez Emilio A.
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT:In the present study the potential benefit of reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐scavenging enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) when cryopreserving boar spermatozoa was evaluated. Pooled ejaculate sperm‐rich fractions collected from 3 fertile boars were frozen in a split design, after being extended in a conventional freezing extender (control) or the same extender supplemented with SOD (150 or 300 IU/mL, experiment 1), CAT (200 or 400 IU/mL, experiment 2), or SOD + CAT in combination (150 + 200 or 300 + 400 IU/mL, experiment 3). Irrespective of the concentration used, SOD and CAT, alone or in combination, significantly improved postthaw sperm survival, in terms of total sperm motility (assessed with CASA) and viability (assessed with a triple stain; propidium iodide/R123/fluorescein isothiocyanate‐labeled peanut agglutinin). Moreover, CAT alone, at a concentration of 400 IU/mL, or in combination with SOD, at concentrations of 200 and 400 UI/mL, improved the ability of frozen‐thawed spermatozoa to produce embryos in vitro (zygote cleavage and blastocyst formation as end points). Additional data of ROS generation (luminol‐ and lucigenin‐dependent chemiluminescence) and membrane lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA] production) indicated that SOD and CAT reduced postthaw ROS generation by boar spermatozoa, without any influence on MDA production.
Connexin 33: A Rodent‐Specific Member of the Gap Junction Protein Family?
Authors: Fischer Petra , Brehm Ralph , Konrad Lutz , Hartmann Sonja , Kliesch Sabine , Bohle Rainer M. , Bergmann Martin
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT: Gap junctional intercellular communication between Sertoli cells and between Sertoli cells and spermatogonia is considered to play a key role in the regulation of both proliferation and differentiation of germ cells. A member of the gap junction protein family, Connexin 33 (cx33), probably has an inhibitory effect on the formation of gap junctions and so far it is the only cx that has been exclusively found in rat and mouse testes. Thus, this connexin seems to be a special member of the cx family. Using immunohistochemistry, Western blot analysis, polymerase chain reaction, and reverse transcription (RT)‐PCR (tissue homogenate and microdissected cells), we studied the possible occurrence of cx33 at the protein, the DNA, and the RNA level in human testis. Whereas immunohistochemistry using the only commercially available anti‐cx33 antibody showed similar labeling to the rat within the seminiferous epithelium, we could not find any further evidence for the existence of cx33 using Western blot analysis, PCR, and RT‐PCR in human testis. Based on the demonstration of the staining pattern of mitochondria in human germ cells and on preabsorption studies, we could demonstrate anti‐cx33 antibody cross‐reacting with mitochondrial ferritin, a protein localized in the mitochondria of human testicular spermatids. Therefore, we were not able to abide by the suspicion that cx33 is present in human testis. Additionally, it was not possible to demonstrate cx33 via PCR and immunohistochemistry in the testis of different mammals (dog, cattle, pig, horse, and marmoset monkey) with normal spermatogenesis. These data indicate that cx33 seems to be the first rodent‐specific testicular cx.
Restoration of Erectile Capacity in Normotensive Aged Rats by Modulation of Angiotensin Receptor Type 1
Authors: Park Kwanjin , Shin Jae Wook , Oh Jin Kyu , Ryu Kyong Shin , Kim Soo Woong , Paick Jae‐Seung
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT: We investigated the effects of systemic modulation of angiotensin 2 on the erectile dysfunction of aged rats. Young and aged (18 months old) male Sprague‐Dawley rats were either treated with daily administration of losartan (angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist, 30 mg/kg/d PO) or the drug vehicle (control) for 4 weeks (n = 6 in each group). We monitored the intracavernosal pressure (ICP) after administration of apomorphine (100 μg/kg), and we measured the degree of lipid peroxidation of corpus cavernosum and the cavernosal protein expression by an immunoblot technique. Compared to the control young rats, the control aged rats showed significant impairment of erectile function; however, losartan treatment effectively restored the erectile function of aged rat to a level similar to that of young rats. Despite the systemic pressure‐lowering effect of the drug, the peak ICP was not significantly reduced; rather, the ICP/systemic arterial pressure (SAP) was increased by the losartan treatment. Measurement of lipid peroxidation revealed the fact that the drug was effective in diminishing oxidative stress. While the losartan treatment significantly enhanced the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), it had no effect on the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1. The results obtained indicated that alteration of the renin‐angiotensin system might be implicated in the erectile dysfunction of elderly males, and modulation of this system may be of great therapeutic value.
Gold–graphitic carbon nitride composite electrode for pimobendan detection
Authors: Luk Hsiang‐Ning , Chang Xu‐Jia , Wu Ren‐Jang , Yuan Shuo‐Huang
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Heart failure can lead to death and hospitalization, especially among older adults, and pimobendan is used with human patients. We investigated the electrochemical behavior of Au/g‐C3N4 electrochemical sensors to detect the concentration of pimobendan.

Experimental

Characterization of the materials was conducted using XRD, TEM, SEM, EDS and FTIR. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to measure the concentration and redox properties of pimobendan.

Result and Discussions

At a voltage of 0.05 V, a reduction peak appeared, indicating an association between pimobendan concentration (ranging from 0 to 55 μM) and reductive current. At low concentrations of pimobendan concentration from 0.0 to 1.3 μM, the linearity R2 = 0.9149 with a detection limit of 0.29 μM. Dopamine, epinephrine, and uric acid did not interfere with the detection of pimobendan.

Conclusions

A composite sensing electrode consisting of 3% Au/g‐C3N4 was fabricated for the detection of pimobendan. A potential pimobendan sensing mechanism on 3% Au/g‐C3N4 was proposed on the basis of these findings.
Prognostic Impact of Early Administration of β‐Blockers in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zhang Chong , Wang Fei , Hao Cuijun , Liang Weiru , Hou Tianhua , Xin Jiayan , Su Bin , Ning Meng , Liu Yingwu
Published: October 2023

In critically ill patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the relationship between the early administration of β‐blockers and the risks of in‐hospital and long‐term mortality remains controversial. Furthermore, there are conflicting evidences for the efficacy of the early administration of intravenous followed by oral β‐blockers in AMI. We conducted a retrospective analysis of critically ill patients with AMI who received the early administration of β‐blockers within 24 hours of admission. The data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database. We enrolled 2467 critically ill patients with AMI in the study, with 1355 patients who received the early administration of β‐blockers and 1112 patients who were non‐users. Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models showed that the early administration of β‐blockers was associated with a lower risk of in‐hospital mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.52; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0.42‐0.64), 1‐year mortality (aHR 0.54, 95%CI 0.47‐0.63), and 5‐year mortality (aHR 0.60, 95%CI 0.52‐0.69). Furthermore, the early administration of both oral β‐blockers and intravenous β‐blockers followed by oral β‐blockers may reduce the mortality risk, compared with non‐users. The risks of in‐hospital and long‐term mortality were significantly decreased in patients who underwent revascularization with the early administration of β‐blockers. We found that the early administration of β‐blockers could lower the risks of in‐hospital and long‐term mortality. Furthermore, the early administration of both oral β‐blockers and intravenous β‐blockers followed by oral β‐blockers may reduce the mortality risk, compared with non‐users. Notably, patients who underwent revascularization with the early administration of β‐blockers showed the lowest risks of in‐hospital and long‐term mortality.
Modelling selenite and chemical oxygen demand removal in an inverse fluidized bed bioreactor using genetic algorithm optimized artificial neural network
Authors: Sinharoy Arindam , Mahanty Biswanath , Behera Shishir Kumar , Mehta Manan , Mantri Shalini , Das Raja , Saikia Sudeshna , Rene Eldon R. , Pakshirajan Kanan
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND

A genetic algorithm (GA) optimized artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to simulate selenite removal efficiency (SRe) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency (CRe) in a single‐stage inverse fluidized bed reactor (IFBR) operated under different hydraulic retention time (HRT) (12–48 h), and inlet selenite concentration (12.7–635 mg L−1). Multi‐objective optimization for SRe and CRe with the ANN model was adopted to estimate the pareto optimal solutions in the bioreactor system.

RESULTS

GA optimized ANN topology suggested five neurons in the hidden layer, and the optimal data partitioning between training, test, and validation subsets (in 70:15:15 ratio) using cross‐validation. The average fitness for SRe and CRe of the resulting ANN model over training (R2 = 0.885), test (R2 = 0.967) and validation (R2 = 0.972) subsets were reasonably good. Sensitivity analysis suggested an increase in SRe and CRe with HRT, while an increase in inlet selenite concentration had a negative effect on SRe. Local interpretable model‐agnostic explanations and SHapley Additive exPlanations for the developed model suggested a positive coefficient of the predictors on CRe. Pareto optimal solution for SRe (92.87%–95.26%), and CRe (91.33%–99.35%) were suggested for HRT and inlet selenite concentration varying between 35.67 h and 36 h, and 0.1 g L−1 and 0.884 g L−1, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The GA optimized ANN model could be exploited for the prediction of contaminant removal efficiencies in the bioreactor system with a fair degree of complexity (i.e., IFBR). Multiple objective pareto optimal solutions can identify the best operating conditions relevant for wastewater treatment. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Crosstalk between tumour and stroma modifies CLIC4 cargo in extracellular vesicles
Authors: Sanchez Vanesa C. , Craig‐Lucas Alayna , Cataisson Christophe , Carofino Brandi L. , Yuspa Stuart H.
Published: October 2023

Mouse models of breast cancer have revealed that tumour‐bearing hosts must express the oxidoreductase CLIC4 to develop lung metastases. In the absence of host CLIC4, primary tumours grow but the lung premetastatic niche is defective for metastatic seeding. Primary breast cancer cells release EVs that incorporate CLIC4 as cargo and circulate in plasma of wildtype tumour‐bearing hosts. CLIC4‐deficient breast cancer cells also form tumours in wildtype hosts and release EVs in plasma, but these EVs lack CLIC4, suggesting that the tumour is the source of the plasma‐derived EVs that carry CLIC4 as cargo. Paradoxically, circulating EVs are also devoid of CLIC4 when CLIC4‐expressing primary tumours are grown in CLIC4 knockout hosts. Thus, the incorporation of CLIC4 (and perhaps other factors) as EV cargo released from tumours involve specific signals from the surrounding stroma determined by its genetic composition. Since CLIC4 is also detected in circulating EVs from human breast cancer patients, future studies will address its association with disease.
A decade of hibernating bat communities along the periphery of a region of white‐nose syndrome
Authors: Perea Santiago , Ferrall Emily A. , Morris Katrina M. , Pattavina Pete E. , Sharp Nicholas , Castleberry Steven B.
Published: October 2023

Long‐term monitoring programs are necessary to assess populations for conservation planning and management decisions. Hibernating bats in North America have declined because of numerous natural and human‐induced disturbances. White‐nose syndrome (WNS) has become the most serious threat to North American cave‐dwelling bats, leading to significant population declines in several species. We examined trends in hibernating bat populations at 11 hibernacula in northern Georgia and Alabama, USA, from 2013–2022, beginning when WNS was first detected in the region. Although we observed interannual variation in numbers of the federally endangered gray bat (Myotis grisescens), mean counts remained stable over time. In contrast, the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) and the federally endangered northern long‐eared bat (M. septentrionalis) declined by >90% in the first 5 years after WNS detection in the region. Although no northern long‐eared bats have been reported since 2019, tricolored bat counts stabilized following initial declines. Understanding changes in bat populations as WNS continues to spread, and determining the extent of population declines, is necessary for making appropriate management decisions. Our findings elucidate the status of cave‐dwelling bat species along the periphery of the white‐nose syndrome endemic region and highlight the importance of monitoring bat communities on a regional scale to develop effective conservation strategies.
Understanding implications of detection heterogeneity in wildlife abundance estimation
Authors: Laake Jeffrey L. , Collier Bret A.
Published: October 2023

Negative bias in mark‐recapture abundance estimators due to heterogeneity in detection (capture) probability is a well‐known problem, but we believe most biologists do not understand why heterogeneity causes bias and how bias can be reduced. We demonstrate how heterogeneity creates dependence and bias in mark‐recapture approaches to abundance estimation. In comparison, heterogeneity, and hence estimator bias, is not as problematic for distance sampling and mark‐resight methods because both techniques estimate detection probabilities based on a known quantity. We show how the introduction of a known number of individuals planted into a study population prior to a mark‐recapture survey can reduce bias from heterogeneity in detection probability. We provide examples with simulation and an analysis of motion‐sensitive camera data from a study population of introduced eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) of known size with a subset of telemetered birds. In choosing a method for abundance estimation, careful consideration should be given to assumptions and how heterogeneity in detection probability can be accommodated for each application.
Changes in the biological “regulators” of organic carbon mineralization in silted soils of check dams as a result of wet‐dry cycles
Authors: Liu Xiaojun , Zhang Yi , Li Peng , Xiao Lie
Published: October 2023

Climate change is increasing the frequency of prolonged droughts and extreme rainfall events, with implications for ecosystem carbon (C) cycling and efforts to mitigate climate change. Exploring how wet and dry cycling events affect microbially mediated soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization processes is critical for achieving global C neutrality targets. This study examines how drought, water stress, and wet‐dry cycles influence microorganisms and the SOC mineralization process. We found that wet‐dry cycles initially excited mineralization of SOC, but that soil mineralization gradually decreased as wet‐dry cycling continued. At the same time, the utilization of C sources by different microbial communities tended to change, from primarily carbohydrate, amines and acids to a single acid, esters, or alcohols. The limiting factors for SOC mineralization also varied when soils were exposed to drought, water stress, and wet‐dry cycles, and we quantified the direct and interactive contributions of each factor to SOC mineralization. The direct effects of the factors under drought and water stress were 0.70 and 0.74, while the interaction of the elements was only 0.29 and 0.24. The direct effects of the factors were only 0.30 under wet‐dry cycling conditions. Based on the results of this study, we propose a pathway for soil biological regulation of SOC mineralization during drought, water stress and wet‐dry cycles, in order to further clarify the microbial regulation mechanism related to SOC mineralization.
Spanish‐speaking 988 staff remove language barriers to care
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: October 2023

Prioritizing efforts to remove language barriers in a behavioral health emergency, a national health care services organization announced this month its operation of the largest Spanish‐language 988 call center for text and chat response. The move is helping to reduce the stigma that pushes the Hispanic community away from seeking care, officials stated.
New polyconvolution product for Fourier‐cosine and Laplace integral operators and their applications
Authors: Tuan Trinh
Published: October 2023

The goal of this paper is to introduce the notion of polyconvolution for Fourier‐cosine, Laplace integral operators, and its applications. The structure of this polyconvolution operator and associated integral transforms are investigated in detail. The Watson‐type theorem is given, to establish necessary and sufficient conditions for this operator to be isometric isomorphism (unitary) on
, and to get its inverse represented in the conjugate symmetric form. The correlation between the existence of polyconvolution with some weighted spaces is shown, and Young's type theorem, as well as the norm‐inequalities in weighted space, is also obtained. As applications, we investigate the solvability of a class of Toeplitz plus Hankel type integral equations and linear Barbashin's equations with the help of factorization identities of such polyconvolution. Several examples are provided to illustrate the obtained results to ensure their validity and applicability.
Out‐of‐distribution detection with in‐distribution voting using the medical example of chest x‐ray classification
Authors: Wollek Alessandro , Willem Theresa , Ingrisch Michael , Sabel Bastian , Lasser Tobias
Published: October 2023

Background

Deep learning models are being applied to more and more use cases with astonishing success stories, but how do they perform in the real world? Models are typically tested on specific cleaned data sets, but when deployed in the real world, the model will encounter unexpected, out‐of‐distribution (OOD) data.

Purpose

To investigate the impact of OOD radiographs on existing chest x‐ray classification models and to increase their robustness against OOD data.

Methods

The study employed the commonly used chest x‐ray classification model, CheXnet, trained on the chest x‐ray 14 data set, and tested its robustness against OOD data using three public radiography data sets: IRMA, Bone Age, and MURA, and the ImageNet data set. To detect OOD data for multi‐label classification, we proposed in‐distribution voting (IDV). The OOD detection performance is measured across data sets using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analysis and compared with Mahalanobis‐based OOD detection, MaxLogit, MaxEnergy, self‐supervised OOD detection (SS OOD), and CutMix.

Results

Without additional OOD detection, the chest x‐ray classifier failed to discard any OOD images, with an AUC of 0.5. The proposed IDV approach trained on ID (chest x‐ray 14) and OOD data (IRMA and ImageNet) achieved, on average, 0.999 OOD AUC across the three data sets, surpassing all other OOD detection methods. Mahalanobis‐based OOD detection achieved an average OOD detection AUC of 0.982. IDV trained solely with a few thousand ImageNet images had an AUC 0.913, which was considerably higher than MaxLogit (0.726), MaxEnergy (0.724), SS OOD (0.476), and CutMix (0.376).

Conclusions

The performance of all tested OOD detection methods did not translate well to radiography data sets, except Mahalanobis‐based OOD detection and the proposed IDV method. Consequently, training solely on ID data led to incorrect classification of OOD images as ID, resulting in increased false positive rates. IDV substantially improved the model's ID classification performance, even when trained with data that will not occur in the intended use case or test set (ImageNet), without additional inference overhead or performance decrease in the target classification. The corresponding code is available at https://gitlab.lrz.de/IP/a‐knee‐cannot‐have‐lung‐disease.
Comparison of distortion correction preprocessing pipelines for DTI in the upper limb
Authors: Wade Ryckie G. , Tam Winnie , Perumal Antonia , Pepple Sophanit , Griffiths Timothy T. , Flather Robert , Haroon Hamied A. , Shelley David , Plein Sven , Bourke Grainne , Teh Irvin
Published: October 2023

Purpose

DTI characterizes tissue microstructure and provides proxy measures of nerve health. Echo‐planar imaging is a popular method of acquiring DTI but is susceptible to various artifacts (e.g., susceptibility, motion, and eddy currents), which may be ameliorated via preprocessing. There are many pipelines available but limited data comparing their performance, which provides the rationale for this study.

Methods

DTI was acquired from the upper limb of heathy volunteers at 3T in blip‐up and blip‐down directions. Data were independently corrected using (i) FSL's TOPUP & eddy, (ii) FSL's TOPUP, (iii) DSI Studio, and (iv) TORTOISE. DTI metrics were extracted from the median, radial, and ulnar nerves and compared (between pipelines) using mixed‐effects linear regression. The geometric similarity of corrected b = 0 images and the slice matched T1‐weighted (T1w) images were computed using the Sörenson‐Dice coefficient.

Results

Without preprocessing, the similarity coefficient of the blip‐up and blip‐down datasets to the T1w was 0·80 and 0·79, respectively. Preprocessing improved the geometric similarity by 1% with no difference between pipelines. Compared to TOPUP & eddy, DSI Studio and TORTOISE generated 2% and 6% lower estimates of fractional anisotropy, and 6% and 13% higher estimates of radial diffusivity, respectively. Estimates of anisotropy from TOPUP & eddy versus TOPUP were not different but TOPUP reduced radial diffusivity by 3%. The agreement of DTI metrics between pipelines was poor.

Conclusions

Preprocessing DTI from the upper limb improves geometric similarity but the choice of the pipeline introduces clinically important variability in diffusion parameter estimates from peripheral nerves.
Do patients experience decisional regret after sacral neuromodulation for refractory overactive bladder?
Authors: Kessler Leia , Illinsky Daniel , Laudano Melissa , Abraham Nitya E.
Published: October 2023

Objective

Success following urological procedures is traditionally defined through objective endpoints. This approach may not capture the impact on patient satisfaction. There is a paucity of literature evaluating patient‐centered metrics such as satisfaction and decisional regret in the field of urology. This study investigates long‐term satisfaction and decisional regret amongst patients who underwent sacral neuromodulation (SNM) for the treatment of refractory overactive bladder (OAB).

Materials and Methods

This study retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent SNM for refractory OAB from 2015 to 2022 at a single institution serving an ethnically diverse and underrepresented community. Demographic data were collected through chart review and surveys conducted via telephone calls. Patient satisfaction and decisional regret was measured with the validated modified SDS‐DRS scale (satisfaction with decision scale‐decision regret scale). Descriptive statistics, Wilcoxan rank sum, and median regression analyses were performed using STATA 15.0 with p < 0.05 as significant.

Results

Out of 191 patients who underwent SNM, 63 were unreachable (wrong number in chart, number not in service, patient did not answer, deceased). Eighty‐nine out of 128 patients reached agreed to participate (70% response rate). The mean time since surgery was 37.3 ±25.2 months. The median satisfaction with decision score was 4.0 (IQR: 3.7−4.7) with a score of 1 correlating with low satisfaction and a score of 5 correlating with high satisfaction. The median decisional regret score was 2.0 (IQR: 1.2−2.9) with a score of 1 correlating with low decisional regret and a score of 5 correlating with strong decisional regret. Ten patients reported complications after surgery, which was significantly associated with lower SDS and higher DRS scores (p < 0.01), and persisted after adjusting for age, body mass index, sex, and comorbidities (SDS β coef: −0.84, 95% CI: −1.5 to 0.15, p = 0.02; DRS β coef: 1.48, 95% CI: 0.55−2.41, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Patients who underwent SNM for refractory OAB overall had low regret and high satisfaction with their decision at an average 3 years of follow‐up. As expected, those who developed postoperative complications had worse scores. The inclusion of patient‐centric outcomes is imperative when determining the success of a surgical procedure and is useful for shared decision‐making when advancing to third‐line therapy for OAB. Longer‐term follow‐up is necessary to assess durability of high satisfaction and low regret over time.
The impact of COVID‐19 on Australian clinicians' decision making in line with the principles of Choosing Wisely
Authors: Giles Megan , Terblanche Morne , Wang Liang , Hirani Shashivadan P. , Wu Chiung‐Jung (Jo)
Published: October 2023

Aim

To explore the perspectives of clinicians' decision‐making processes and considerations in line with the Choosing Wisely principles during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Design

An exploratory qualitative approach was used.

Methods

Data were collected via semi‐structured interviews to encourage participants to discuss their own experience in making clinical decisions during the COVID‐19 pandemic. A total of 12 clinicians from across disciplines were interviewed to reach data saturation. Interview data were analysed considering the Choosing Wisely principles.

Results

Five main themes as they relate to clinician decision‐making emerged and included; prioritizing care and treatment, uncertainty regarding best practice as a result of rapidly changing guidelines, organizational challenges to clinical decision‐making, the use of telehealth and enabling consumer engagement with health services.

Conclusion

Despite the disruption caused by COVID‐19, clinicians were mindful of necessary care and worked to ensure that core care was not compromised during the first wave of the pandemic. The need for clinicians to protect both their own safety and that of their colleagues arose as an additional factor that influenced clinicians' decision‐making process during the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Quality of interaction between the nursing personnel and the informal caregivers of people with memory disorders: A systematic review and metasummary of qualitative studies
Authors: Rannikko Johanna , Paananen Jenny , Stolt Minna , Suhonen Riitta
Published: October 2023

Aim

To explore the factors that affect the quality of interactions between nursing personnel and the informal caregivers of people with memory disorders.

Design

Systematic review and metasummary of qualitative empirical research.

Methods

The literature search targeted studies concerning the professional care interactions between nursing personnel and the informal caregivers of people with progressive memory disorders. The search in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus covered records from the earliest possible date up to December 2020. The data were summarised using a qualitative metasummary method. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was used to validate the reporting process.

Results

Ten articles were included. As presented in 33 statements, the factors affecting the quality of interactions were related to (1) expectations, (2) memory disorders, (3) interaction strategies, (4) time and place of interactions and (5) organisational aspects. Meeting the individual interactional needs of informal caregivers is recommended. The results provide guidance for improving the quality of interactions between nursing personnel and informal caregivers.
Peridynamic framework to model additive manufacturing processes
Authors: Hesse Jan‐Timo , Willberg Christian , Hein Robert , Winkelmann Felix
Published: October 2023

This paper introduces a novel framework for analyzing additive manufacturing processes. By employing a peridynamic mesh‐free implementation, it overcomes certain limitations encountered with finite element‐based approaches in regard to defects and fractures. The framework includes the implementation of thermodynamical material behavior and a novel boundary detection algorithm, as the outer surface area will undergo changes during the manufacturing process. The proposed methods are thoroughly validated, and a comprehensive example is provided as a demonstration.
Biodegradable nanocomposites prepared from poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) and silver nanoparticles for applications as disposable medical equipments
Authors: Zhao Xinshuang , Kang Le , Zhang Baogang , Liu Li , Sun Haozhi , Shen Xin , Su Feng , Li Suming
Published: October 2023

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as reducing and stabilizing agent. AgNPs were then embedded in a biodegradable poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) (PBAT) matrix by solution casting. The resulted PBAT/AgNPs nanocomposite films were characterized using various analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), colorimeter, Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), mechanical tests and water vapor permeability measurements. The composite films appeared smooth on surface with some agglomeration of AgNPs. The addition of AgNPs led to color changes, and strongly improved the thermal stability, UV barrier performance, mechanical properties and water vapor barrier performance of composite films. Importantly, PBAT/AgNPs films present outstanding antibacterial activity against gram‐positive bacteria (Escherichia coli) and gram‐negative bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). Moreover, composite films exhibit good stability under accelerated aging conditions and during high‐pressure sterilization. Therefore, biodegradable PBAT/AgNPs nanocomposite materials could present great potential for applications as disposable medical equipments.
Vibrational behavior of a 3D printed biomimetic dual‐core composite sandwich beam: An experimental and numerical study
Authors: Thanikasalam Narayanan , Ramamoorthy Manoharan
Published: October 2023

Composite sandwich structures have been used in various applications like aerospace, automotive, and maritime sectors. The process of identifying the core design and the selection of a prominent core is crucially important in sandwich structures. In this study, biomimetic core development and vibration responses of composite sandwich beams with a dual biomimetic honeycomb core are investigated. The composite face layers are fabricated by the hand lay‐up method, and the fused deposition modeling is used to 3D print the PLA honeycomb cores. Based on ASTM‐E1876 and the alternative dynamic approach, the face layer elastic properties and rigidity modulus of the cores are evaluated, respectively. The numerical simulation is used to predict the sandwich panels' natural frequencies and mode shapes and verified with experimental results. There was an excellent agreement between the calculated and experimental natural frequencies. Due to the presence of the core and enhanced rigidity modulus, the dual lamellar honeycomb core sandwich beam produces the highest natural frequencies among all‐composite sandwich beams, followed by the dual regular honeycomb, single lamellar honeycomb, and single regular honeycomb cores. The geometric parametric studies, including core thickness, length‐to‐breadth ratio, lamination schemes, support conditions, and transverse vibration responses were also analyzed for different sandwich patterns. As a result of this work, thick composite sandwich panels in aeronautical and marine structures can be replaced with dual biomimetic core structures. The study highlights the fact that the dual‐core sandwich beam provided greater modal frequency than the single‐core beam with the same weight proportions.

Highlights

Pistachio nut shell‐based biomimetic honeycomb core has been developed.

Alternative dynamic approach is used to find sandwich‐core shear properties.

Lamellar‐infused biomimetic model yields higher shear modulus and stiffness.

Dual‐core beam having high flexural stiffness enhances the natural frequency.

Various parametric studies were analyzed for different sandwich patterns.