bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scissors mode and effects of the low-lying E1 excitations on the dipole distributions in 175Lu
Authors: Tabar E , Yakut H , Hoşgör G , Kemah E
Published: May 2022

The low-lying magnetic (M1) and electric (E1) dipole modes in well-deformed odd-proton 175Lu have been investigated in the framework of the Rotational, Translational, and Galilean Invariant-Quasiparticle Phonon Nuclear Model (RTGI-QPNM) for the first time. In this model, the single-particle basis obtained from an axially symmetric Woods-Saxon potential, E1 and M1 excitations are assumed to be generated by isovector dipole-dipole and spin-spin interactions between nucleons, respectively. It also includes the restoration forces for breaking the Rotational, Translational and Galilean symmetries of the nuclear Hamiltonian. The transition probabilities, radiation widths and the structure for both M1 and E1 transitions in 175Lu have been calculated. The theory has satisfactorily reproduced the observed fragmentation in dipole spectra. However, the individual dipole strength of the states is higher than the experimental ones, which may be attributed to the lack of multiphonon configurations in the model used. Besides, the predicted total dipole radiation width and its reduced value are almost twice the experimental data. This difference is a well-known phenomenon for odd-mass deformed nuclei, called ‘missing strength’, arising in the Nuclear Resonance Flouracanse experiment due to the high-level densities.
Quarkonium production in p+p collisions at RHIC and LHC
Authors: Kosarzewski Leszek
Published: May 2022

Quarkonium production mechanism is still an unresolved question. This paper provides an overview of recent quarkonium production studies performed at RHIC and LHC in p + p collisions at a wide range of collision energies. After a brief explanation of representative theoretical models, experimental results of the quarkonium spectra and polarizations are presented with comparison to the model calculations. The spectra are overall rather well described by production model calculations, with a few exceptions, while no significant polarization is observed beyond large uncertainties for J/ψ and ϒ, and thus no constraint on the models is obtained at present. Recently, new observables have been measured such as charged particle multiplicity dependence of quarkonium production, which provides a way to understand the interplay between hard and soft processes, and associated production of quarkonium (J/ψ in jets and double production), which provides more information about production mechanism. A trend of non-linear increase of quarkonium production with increasing the particle multiplicity is observed both at RHIC and LHC, but it is reproduced by most models and further studies and more data are needed in order to differentiate them. Meanwhile, the first measurements of J/ψ in jets show that it is produced with larger activity within a jet than simulated by PYTHIA. A comment on the study of J/ψ-hadron femtoscopic correlations to measure their mutual interaction is also given. In summary, the production mechanism remains a puzzle, but more precise studies will be possible with upcoming RHIC and LHC runs.
Advancement of stannite Cu2CoSnS4 thin films deposited by sol gel dip-coating route
Authors: Ziti Ahmed , Hartiti Bouchaib , Smairi Salma , Labrim Hicham , NOURI Youssef , Belafhaili Amine , Nkuissi Hervé Joël Tchognia , Fadili Salah , Tahri Mounia , Thevenin Philippe
Published: May 2022

In this research effort, we synthesized copper-cobalt-tin-sulphur Cu2CoSnS4 (CCoTS) absorbers by sol–gel process associated with the dip-coating deposition technique on the ordinary glass substrates. We synthesized the impact of annealing temperature without utilization sulfurization on the structural, compositional, morphological, optical and electrical characteristics of layers annealed at 280 °C, 300 °C, 320 °C and 340 °C. CCoTS absorbers have been controlled by different control techniques included x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopic, Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis spectroscopy and four-point probe technique (FPP). XRD patterns exhibited a polycrystalline structure with peaks agreeing to the (112), (204) and (312) directions and matching well with those of the pure stannite phase of CCoTS. The size of crystallites was found in the variety of 8.23–11.27 nm. Raman spectroscopic presented a peak at 332 cm−1 which is the signature of the pure stannite phase of CCoTS. EDS analysis measurements presented a close stoichiometric CCoTS thin films composition. SEM micrographs demonstrated an enhancement in films density and uniformity with annealing temperature rises. It was found that the band gap decreased from 1.72 to 1.5 eV with rising of annealing temperature. The sheet resistance was observed between 27.83 and 56.23 Ω sq−1. These properties are quite interesting and can make the dip-coater CCoTS films as suitable novel absorbers for photovoltaic devices.
WIMP dark matter in the UμνSSM
Authors: Aguilar-Saavedra J.A. , López-Fogliani D.E. , Muñoz C. , Pierre M.
Published: May 2022

The UμνSSM is a U(1)' extension of the μνSSM supersymmetric model,
where baryon-number-violating operators as well as explicit mass terms are forbidden, and the potential domain wall problem is avoided.
The gauge anomaly-cancellation conditions impose the presence of exotic quark superfields in the spectrum of UμνSSM models, and allow the presence of several singlet superfields under the standard model gauge group, in addition to the right-handed neutrino superfields.
The gauge structure implies an additional discrete Z
2 symmetry in the superpotential, ensuring the stability of a singlet which behaves as WIMP dark matter without invoking R-parity.
We analyze this novel possibility in detail, using the fermionic component of the singlet as the dark matter candidate. In particular, we compute its amount of relic density via Z', Higgs-right sneutrino and dark matter mediated annihilations, and its potential signals in dark matter direct detection experiments. The constraints on the parameter space due to Z'; direct searches at the LHC are imposed in the analysis, as well as those from the hadronization inside the detector of the exotic quarks.
Large regions of the parameter space turn out to be in the reach of the upcoming Darwin experiment.
Low-threshold 1.3 μm ring lasers with InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot active region
Authors: Gordeev Nikita Yu , Kulagina Marina M , Guseva Yuliya A , Serin Artem A , Payusov Alexey S , Kornyshov Grigorij O , Zubov Fedor I , Zhukov Alexey E , Maximov Mikhail V
Published: May 2022

An original design of ring semiconductor lasers based on InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots, promising for clock pulse generation, optical sensing, biological and medical applications, and microwave photonics, has been proposed and tested. Lasing was obtained at room temperature with a nominal threshold current density as low as 150 A cm−2. The output power in continuous wave mode was 45 mW.
Semiclassical formulae for Wigner distributions
Authors: Barkhofen Sonja , Schütte Philipp , Weich Tobias
Published: May 2022

In this paper we give an overview over some aspects of the modern mathematical theory of Ruelle resonances for chaotic, i.e. uniformly hyperbolic, dynamical systems and their implications in physics. First we recall recent developments in the mathematical theory of resonances, in particular how invariant Ruelle distributions arise as residues of weighted zeta functions. Then we derive a correspondence between weighted and semiclassical zeta functions in the setting of negatively curved surfaces. Combining this with results of Hilgert, Guillarmou and Weich yields a high frequency interpretation of invariant Ruelle distributions as quantum mechanical matrix coefficients in constant negative curvature. We finish by presenting numerical calculations of phase space distributions in the more physical setting of three-disk scattering systems.
Physiological closed-loop control in critical care: opportunities for innovations
Authors: Hahn Jin-Oh , Inan Omer T
Published: May 2022

Physiological closed-loop control (PCLC) systems are a key enabler for automation and clinician support in medicine, including, but not limited to, patient monitoring, diagnosis, clinical decision making, and therapy delivery. Existing body of work has demonstrated that PCLC systems hold the promise to advance critical care as well as a wide range of other domains in medicine bearing profound implications in quality of life, quality of care, and human wellbeing. However, the state-of-the-art PCLC technology in critical care is associated with long-standing limitations related to its development and assessment, including (a) isolated and loop-by-loop PCLC design without sufficient account for multi-faceted patient physiology, (b) suboptimal choice of therapeutic endpoints, (c) concerns related to collective safety originating from multi-PCLC interferences, and (d) premature PCLC assessment methodology. Such limitations naturally motivate research to generate new knowledge and create innovative methods. In this perspective, we propose several high-reward opportunities that can accelerate the advances in PCLC systems, which may be explored by deep fusion and collaboration among multiple disciplines including physiological systems and signals analysis, control and estimation, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and wearable sensing and embedded computing technologies.
Novel hybrid HGSO optimized supervised machine learning approaches to predict the compressive strength of admixed concrete containing fly ash and micro-silica
Authors: Chen Liangliang , Liu Fenghua , Wu Fufei
Published: May 2022

Using machine learning models to provide a reliable and accurate model to predict the compressive strength of high-performance concrete helps save the time-cost and financial cost of concrete casting. On the other hand, applying admixtures such as fly ash and silica fume in the concrete structure to replace cement helps diminish carbon dioxide emissions. In the present study, a support vector machine-based regression was considered to overcome the difficulties of compressive strength, which is intensified with a modern mix design of high-performance concrete. The reliability and accuracy of the model were enhanced by providing an optimal structure by employing novel Henry’s gas solubility optimization (HGSO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms. The comparative study aimed to prove that the model optimized with Henry’s gas solubility algorithm has a higher potential in predicting compressive strength. The obtained OBJ values for HGSO based model and PSO-based model of 1.4156 and 1.5419, respectively, confirmed the higher accuracy of HGSO based model.
Synaptic 1/f noise injection for overfitting suppression in hardware neural networks
Authors: Du Yan , Shao Wei , Chai Zheng , Zhao Hanzhang , Diao Qihui , Gao Yawei , Yuan Xihui , Wang Qiaoqiao , Li Tao , Zhang Weidong , Zhang Jian Fu , Min Tai
Published: May 2022

Overfitting is a common and critical challenge for neural networks trained with limited dataset. The conventional solution is software-based regularization algorithms such as Gaussian noise injection. Semiconductor noise, such as 1/f noise, in artificial neuron/synapse devices, which is often regarded as undesirable disturbance to the hardware neural networks (HNNs), could also play a useful role in suppressing overfitting, but that is as yet unexplored. In this work, we proposed the idea of using 1/f noise injection to suppress overfitting in different neural networks, and demonstrated that: (i) 1/f noise could suppress the overfitting in multilayer perceptron (MLP) and long short-term memory (LSTM); (ii) 1/f noise and Gaussian noise performs similarly for the MLP but differently for the LSTM; (iii) the superior performance of 1/f noise on LSTM can be attributed to its intrinsic long range dependence. This work reveals that 1/f noise, which is common in semiconductor devices, can be a useful solution to suppress the overfitting in HNNs, and more importantly, further evidents that the imperfectness of semiconductor devices is a rich mine of solutions to boost the development of brain-inspired hardware technologies in the artificial intelligence era.
Building material stock analysis is critical for effective circular economy strategies: a comprehensive review
Authors: Mohammadiziazi Rezvan , Bilec Melissa M
Published: May 2022

Buildings account for the largest share of accumulated materials and waste globally. Tracking the material composition, quantity and location of these materials, known as building material stock analysis (MSA), is a first step in enabling the reuse or repurposing of materials, key strategies of the circular economy. While the number of building MSAs is growing, there is a need to coalesce methods, data and scope. Therefore, in this work, we reviewed and evaluated 62 journal and conference articles on MSA of buildings from different angles including scope, boundaries, archetype classification, material intensity determination, approaches (i.e. bottom-up, top-down, remote sensing) and quantity of materials to identify barriers, gaps and opportunities in this area along with its implications for decision-making, policy and regulations. We cataloged the three major approaches of MSAs and discuss their advantages and shortcomings. We also created a comprehensive directory of building archetypes, references and materials for future researchers. As expected, most of the studies estimated that concrete had the largest mass compared with other materials; however, mass-based distribution of materials showed significant variations in different building stocks across the world. Also, embedded plastics and their types remain under-represented in current studies. A major barrier to MSA is related to a lack of information on physical attributes and geographic information system, design and construction data. Policy makers can play a role in mitigating data barriers through instituting regulations that enforce the reporting of building-related data during the permitting process. Furthermore, outcomes of building MSA can help policy makers when considering incentives for design and construction that utilize these abundant building materials.
Subsynaptic mobility of presynaptic mGluR types is differentially regulated by intra- and extracellular interactions
Authors: Bodzęta Anna , Berger Florian , MacGillavry Harold D.
Published: May 2022

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are essential regulators of synaptic transmission. Here, we demonstrate that distinct mechanisms control the nanoscale distribution and dynamics of two key presynaptic mGluR subtypes, and we provide quantitative insight into how these receptors differentially modulate synaptic transmission.
Effects of Alexander disease–associated mutations on the assembly and organization of GFAP intermediate filaments
Authors: Yang Ai-Wen , Lin Ni-Hsuan , Yeh Ting-Hung , Snider Natasha , Perng Ming-Der
Published: May 2022

The effects of the GFAP rod end mutations are dominant, changing the assembly process in a way that promotes GFAP aggregation and decreases GFAP solubility. Using Alexander disease brain tissues, clinically relevant evidence is provided that links GFAP assembly defects to disease pathology at the tissue level.
Productivity and quality improvement for a symmetric bispecific antibody through the application of intensified perfusion cell culture
Authors: Qin Yongjun , Ma Rongmei , Li Yang , Li Yifeng , Chen Gong , Zhou Weichang
Published: May 2022

Background

Aggregation, fragmentation, and low yield are issues frequently found during the cell culture process of bispecific antibodies (bsAbs), whose inherent complexity likely plays a role in causing these issues.

Methods

In this study, we made a head-to-head comparison between fed-batch cell culture and intensified perfusion cell culture with a symmetric bsAb case.

Results

In comparison with the fed-batch culture, a 6.6-fold improvement in integrated viable cell density and a 10.9-fold improvement in volumetric productivity were achieved with the intensified perfusion mode. In addition, a significant decrease in aggregation and fragmentation was observed with the intensified perfusion cell culture. Furthermore, product homogeneity was improved, which was reflected by the increased percentage of capillary isoelectric focusing main group. The quality improvement with intensified perfusion cell culture can be attributed to the shortened product retention in the bioreactor.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that intensified perfusion cell culture could be a better choice than traditional fed-batch especially for complex molecules like bsAbs. As this is a single case report, future studies on other cases are needed to further confirm the general applicability of this strategy.
Associations of handgrip strength with all-cause and cancer mortality in older adults: a prospective cohort study in 28 countries
Authors: López-Bueno Rubén , Andersen Lars Louis , Calatayud Joaquín , Casaña José , Grabovac Igor , Oberndorfer Moritz , del Pozo Cruz Borja
Published: May 2022

Background

mixed evidence exists on the association between muscle strength and mortality in older adults, in particular for cancer mortality.

Aim

to examine the dose–response association of objectively handgrip strength with all-cause and cancer mortality.

Study Design and Setting

data from consecutive waves from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe comprising 27 European countries and Israel were retrieved. Overall, 54,807 men (45.2%; 128,753 observations) and 66,576 women (54.8%; 159,591 observations) aged 64.0 (SD 9.6) and 63.9 (SD 10.2) years, respectively, were included. Cox regression and Fine-Grey sub-distribution method were conducted.

Results

during the follow-up period (896,836 person-year), the fully adjusted model showed the lowest significant risk estimates for the highest third of handgrip strength when compared with the first third (reference) in men (hazard ratio [HR], 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34–0.50) and women (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.30–0.49) for all-cause mortality. We identified a maximal threshold for reducing the risk of all-cause mortality for men (42 kg) and women (25 kg), as well as a linear dose–response association in participants aged 65 or over. No robust association for cancer mortality was observed.

Conclusion

these results indicate an inverse dose–response association between incremental levels of handgrip and all-cause mortality in older adults up to 42 kg for men and 25 kg for women, and a full linear association for participants aged 65 years or over. These findings warrant preventive strategies for older adults with low levels of handgrip strength.
Identifying Alcohol Use Disorder in Patients With Cirrhosis Reduces 30-Days Readmission Rate
Authors: Singal Ashwani K , DiMartini Andrea , Leggio Lorenzo , Arab Juan P , Kuo Yong-Fang , Shah Vijay H
Published: May 2022

Aims

Readmission is frequent among patients with cirrhosis and is a complex multifactorial process. To examine the association of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and risk of readmission in patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis.

Methods and Results

National Readmission Dataset (2016–2017) was used to extract a retrospective cohort of 53,348 patients with primary or secondary discharge diagnosis code of alcohol-associated cirrhosis with their first admission (26,674 patients with vs. propensity matched 26,674 without a primary or secondary discharge diagnosis code of AUD). Readmission within 30-day was lower (43.9 vs. 48%, P < 0.001) among patients identified to have AUD at the time of discharge. In a conditional logistic regression model, a diagnosis of AUD was associated with 15% reduced odds of 30-day readmission, 0.85 (0.83–0.88). Furthermore, the reason for readmission among patients identified vs. not identified to have AUD was less likely to be liver disease complication. The findings remained similar in a matched cohort of patients where the AUD diagnosis at discharge was listed as one of the secondary diagnoses only.

Conclusion

Although, our study findings suggest that identification of AUD at the time of discharge among patients hospitalized for alcohol-associated cirrhosis reduces the risk of 30-day readmission, unavailable information on patient counseling, referral for mental health specialist and treatment received for AUD limit the causality assessment. Future studies are needed overcoming the inherent limitations of the database to establish the role of identification and treatment of AUD in reducing readmission and liver decompensation in patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis.
Nitrogen fixation and other biogeochemically important features of Atacama Desert giant horsetail plant microbiomes inferred from metagenomic contig analysis
Authors: Satjarak Anchittha , Graham Linda E , Trest Marie T , Zedler Joy , Knack Jennifer J , Arancibia-Avila Patricia
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims

Canyon stream beds in the hyperarid Atacama Desert surprisingly harbour magnificent groves of endemic giant horsetail wetland plants, Equisetum xylochaetum. Our previous metagenomic study of eukaryotes closely associated with this plant indicated that the microbiome included prokaryotes that might likewise influence host success and environment. We explored this possibility by using the metagenomic sequence to characterize prokaryote taxa and functional genes present in the microbiome of E. xylochaetum sampled from remote sites differing in the degree of anthropogenic disturbance. We focused on biogeochemical functions known to be important in wetland ecosystems.

Methods

To ensure that analyses were conducted on microbes most closely associated with plants, we extracted DNA from well-washed plant organs whose microbial biofilms were revealed with scanning electron microscopy. To assess the benefits of longer sequences for taxonomic and gene classifications, results of analyses performed using contigs were compared with those obtained with unassembled reads. We employed methods widely used to estimate genomic coverage of single taxa for genomic analysis to infer relative abundances of taxa and functional genes.

Key Results

Key functional bacterial genera (e.g. Hydrogenophaga, Sulfuritalea and Rhodoferax) inferred from taxonomic and functional gene analysis of contigs – but not unassembled reads – to occur on surfaces of (or within) plants at relatively high abundance (>50× genomic coverage) indicated roles in nitrogen, sulfur and other mineral cycling processes. Comparison between sites revealed impacts on biogeochemical functions, e.g. reduced levels of the nifH gene marker under disturbance. Vanadium nitrogenases were more important than molybdenum nitrogenases, indicated by both functional genes and taxa such as Rhodomicrobium and Phaeospirillum inferred from contigs but not unassembled reads.

Conclusions

Our contig-based metagenomic analyses revealed that microbes performing key wetland biogeochemical functions occur as tightly adherent biofilms on the plant body, not just in water or sediments, and that disturbance reduces such functions, providing arguments for conservation efforts.
Motivations and Psychological Characteristics of Men Seeking Penile Girth Augmentation
Authors: Sharp Gemma , Fernando Anne Nileshni , Kyron Michael , Oates Jayson , McEvoy Peter
Published: May 2022

Background

The popularity of penile augmentation procedures is increasing, but little is known about the motivations and psychological characteristics of men who seek these procedures.

Objectives

Employing valid psychological measures, the authors sought to investigate the motivations and psychological characteristics of men seeking penile girth augmentation.

Methods

Men seeking to undergo a penile girth augmentation (n = 37) completed an online questionnaire containing standardized measures assessing their motivations to undergo augmentation, penile size self-discrepancy, psychological distress, self-esteem, body image–related quality of life, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and cosmetic procedure screening scale-penile focused dysmorphic disorder.

Results

Men’s motivations for seeking penile girth augmentation were characterized as “improve self-confidence,” “change penile size/appearance,” “sexual function/pleasure,” “feelings of insecurity,” and “medical issues,” with self-confidence being the most commonly reported motivation. The men perceived their actual penis size (girth, flaccid length, erect length) as significantly smaller than ideal size, the size they believed their penis should be, and their expected size postaugmentation. Compared with non-clinical norms, the men seeking penile augmentation had higher penile dysmorphic disorder symptoms, lower self-esteem and lower body image–related quality of life, but comparable psychological distress. In addition, 4 of the men met diagnostic criteria for BDD according to self-reported questionnaire (11%, n = 4/37) and clinical interview (14%, n = 4/29).

Conclusions

Men seek penile girth augmentation for a variety of reasons and perceive all their penile dimensions to be smaller than ideal sizes. They differ from non-clinical samples in some psychological characteristics, and a small but sizeable portion experience BDD.
Total Intravenous Anesthesia With Dexmedetomidine for Hemodynamic Stability and Enhanced Recovery in Facial Aesthetic Surgery
Authors: Moore Alec C M , Kachare Swapnil D , Barber Debra A , Barrow Lara , O’Daniel T Gerald
Published: May 2022

Background

Patients undergoing facial rejuvenation surgery are at unique risk of perioperative complications from the anesthetic utilized during the procedure. The ideal anesthetic agent is one that is safe to use in the outpatient population, has analgesic, sedative, and anesthetic properties, yet does not cause respiratory depression or hemodynamic irregularities.

Objectives

A retrospective analysis of a large outpatient facelift cohort was performed to determine if dexmedetomidine, an α 2-adrenergic receptor agonist, meets the criteria of an ideal adjunct for propofol in a total intravenous anesthesia protocol.

Methods

The charts of 791 patients who underwent rhytidectomy with total intravenous anesthesia were reviewed and data of patients’ operative risk factors, perioperative management including medications administered, perioperative vital signs, and postoperative adverse events were recorded. Statistical univariate analyses were performed on the data.

Results

Dexmedetomidine resulted in a significant reduction and maintenance of blood pressure from onset of anesthesia until discharge from the postanesthetic recovery unit. The utilization of opioids and anxiolytics was significantly less than previously reported for other anesthetic types. The postoperative nausea/vomiting rate was 0.8% (6 patients). There were no postoperative admissions for inpatient management. Forty-three (5.3%) patients required a conversion to general endotracheal anesthesia and statistically significant risk factors include increased BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists Class II or higher, preoperative hypertension, and multiple procedures performed.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine in a large cohort of outpatients undergoing facelift. Dexmedetomidine meets the requirements for an ideal adjunct anesthetic within a total intravenous anesthesia protocol.

Level of Evidence: 4
Sub-SMAS Reconstruction of Retaining Ligaments
Authors: Bitik Ozan
Published: May 2022

Background

Retaining ligaments must be fully released for effective soft-tissue mobilization during sub-superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) facelifts. Standard deep temporal fascia and lateral SMAS fixation techniques may fail earlier than anticipated, which may cause a relapse of facial aging signs. Reconstruction of retaining ligaments was previously proposed to enhance facelift fixation.

Objectives

The author sought to assess the effect of their ligament reconstruction technique on early relapse rates and complication rates.

Methods

This study was a comparative analysis of 188 consecutive facelift cases where retaining ligaments were reconstructed employing the described techniques. A total 104 patients with standard fixation were analyzed in the control group. A novel set of criteria was established for the diagnosis of early relapse after facelift surgery based on the validated Merz scale.

Results

Early relapse rate was significantly lower (0.53% vs 5.76%) in the ligament reconstruction group compared with the control group. Ligament reconstruction was associated with an increased rate of temporary nerve paralysis (8.5%).

Conclusions

Sub-SMAS reconstruction of retaining ligaments enhances facelift fixation and reduces the rate of early relapse. Increased risk of temporary neuropraxia is a reasonable trade-off.

Level of Evidence: 4
Creating Lift in the Lower Face With Botulinum Toxin A Treatment: An Anatomical Overview With Videos and Case Studies Illustrating Patient Evaluation and Treatment
Authors: Lorenc Z Paul , Corduff Niamh , van Loghem Jani , Yoelin Steve
Published: May 2022

Background

Relaxation of depressor muscles in the lower face with botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) can create a lifting effect and dramatically improve jawline contour and resting facial expression. Even with the recent increase in interest in lower face rejuvenation, BoNT-A is a relatively under-recognized tool for treatment of this area. When treating the lower face, an understanding of anatomy and the relationship between the facial muscles is especially important, as injection patterns must be customized for consistently positive outcomes.

Objectives

This study was aimed to provide basic knowledge of the activities of the muscles in the lower face and neck and to describe the basis for injecting BoNT-A to create lift in this area. Expert guidance for injection is also provided.

Methods

As part of a continuing medical education course on differentiating botulinum toxin products, a panel of 4 expert physician injectors participated in a live webinar to discuss the implications of increasing toxin use.

Results

The practical guidance in this manuscript is based on the most frequently requested information by audience members and the information considered critical for success by the authors. The authors outline the functional anatomy of the lower face most relevant for BoNT-A treatment and case studies as well as methods for patient evaluation and injection technique are also provided. Videos showing treatment planning and injection technique for the lower face and neck are included.

Conclusions

BoNT-A is an important nonsurgical tool for creating lift in the lower face.

Level of Evidence: 5
Protein complex structure prediction powered by multiple sequence alignments of interologs from multiple taxonomic ranks and AlphaFold2
Authors: Si Yunda , Yan Chengfei
Published: May 2022

AlphaFold2 can predict protein complex structures as long as a multiple sequence alignment (MSA) of the interologs of the target protein–protein interaction (PPI) can be provided. In this study, a simplified phylogeny-based approach was applied to generate the MSA of interologs, which was then used as the input to AlphaFold2 for protein complex structure prediction. In this extensively benchmarked protocol on nonredundant PPI dataset, including 107 bacterial PPIs and 442 eukaryotic PPIs, we show complex structures of 79.5% of the bacterial PPIs and 49.8% of the eukaryotic PPIs can be successfully predicted, which yielded significantly better performance than the application of MSA of interologs prepared by two existing approaches. Considering PPIs may not be conserved in species with long evolutionary distances, we further restricted interologs in the MSA to different taxonomic ranks of the species of the target PPI in protein complex structure prediction. We found that the success rates can be increased to 87.9% for the bacterial PPIs and 56.3% for the eukaryotic PPIs if interologs in the MSA are restricted to a specific taxonomic rank of the species of each target PPI. Finally, we show that the optimal taxonomic ranks for protein complex structure prediction can be selected with the application of the predicted template modeling (TM) scores of the output models.
Increased radiosensitivity and impaired DNA repair in patients with STAT3-LOF and ZNF341 deficiency, potentially contributing to malignant transformations
Authors: Cekic Sukru , Huriyet Huzeyfe , Hortoglu Melika , Kasap Nurhan , Ozen Ahmet , Karakoc-Aydiner Elif , Metin Ayse , Ocakoglu Gokhan , Demiroz Abakay Candan , Temel Sehime G , Ozemri Sag Sebnem , Baris Safa , Cavas Tolga , Sebnem Kilic Sara
Published: May 2022

STAT3 plays an important role in various complex and sometimes contradictory pathways such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, inflammation, and apoptosis. The transcriptional activity of the STAT3 gene is controlled by a transcription factor called ZNF341. There is insufficient data on radiation sensitivity and post-radiation DNA repair in STAT3- loss-of-function (LOF) patients. We aimed to investigate the radiosensitivity in patients with STAT3-LOF and ZNF341 deficiency. Twelve patients with STAT3-LOF and four ZNF341-deficiency patients were recruited from three clinical immunology centers in Turkey and evaluated for radiosensitivity by the Comet assay, comparing to 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The tail length (TL) (μm), percentage of DNA in the tail (TDNA%), and olive tail moment (OTM) (arbitrary units) were evaluated at the same time for baseline (spontaneous), initial (immediately after 2 Gy irradiation), and recovery (2 h after irradiation) periods by using a computerized image-analysis system, estimating DNA damage. Except for a patient with ZNF341 deficiency who developed nasal cell primitive neuroendocrine tumor and papillary thyroid cancer during the follow-up, there was no cancer in both groups. During the recovery period of irradiation, TL, TDNA%, and OTM values of healthy controls decreased rapidly toward the baseline, while these values of patients with STAT3-LOF and ZNF341 deficiency continued to increase, implying impaired DNA repair mechanisms. Increased radiosensitivity and impaired DNA repair were demonstrated in patients diagnosed with STAT3-LOF and ZNF341 deficiency, potentially explaining the susceptibility to malignant transformation.
Discriminative neural pathways for perception-cognition activity of color and face in the human brain
Authors: Zhou Qilin , Du Jialin , Gao Runshi , Hu Shimin , Yu Tao , Wang Yuping , Pan Na Clara
Published: May 2022

Human performance can be examined using a visual lens. The identification of psychophysical colors and emotional faces with perceptual visual pathways may remain invalid for simple detection tasks. In particular, how the visual dorsal and ventral processing streams handle discriminative visual perceptions and subsequent cognition activities are obscure. We explored these issues using stereoelectroencephalography recordings, which were obtained from patients with pharmacologically resistant epilepsy. Delayed match-to-sample paradigms were used for analyzing the processing of simple colors and complex emotional faces in the human brain. We showed that the angular-cuneus gyrus acts as a pioneer in discriminating the 2 features, and dorsal regions, including the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and postcentral gyrus, as well as ventral regions, such as the middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), were involved in processing incongruent colors and faces. Critically, the beta and gamma band activities between the cuneus and MTG and between the cuneus and pSTS would tune a separate pathway of incongruency processing. In addition, posterior insular gyrus, fusiform, and MFG were found for attentional modulation of the 2 features via alpha band activities. These findings suggest the neural basis of the discriminative pathways of perception-cognition activities in the human brain.
Sight restoration in congenitally blind humans does not restore visual brain structure
Authors: Hölig Cordula , Guerreiro Maria J S , Lingareddy Sunitha , Kekunnaya Ramesh , Röder Brigitte
Published: May 2022

It is unknown whether impaired brain structure after congenital blindness is reversible if sight is restored later in life. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging, visual cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in a large group of 21 sight-recovery individuals who had been born blind and who months or years later gained sight through cataract removal surgery. As control groups, we included 27 normally sighted individuals, 10 individuals with permanent congenital blindness, and 11 sight-recovery individuals with a late onset of cataracts. Congenital cataract-reversal individuals had a lower visual cortical surface area and a higher visual cortical thickness than normally sighted controls. These results corresponded to those of congenitally permanently blind individuals suggesting that impaired brain structure did not recover. Crucially, structural brain alterations in congenital-cataract reversal individuals were associated with a lower post-surgery visual acuity. No significant changes in visual cortex structure were observed in sight-recovery individuals with late onset cataracts. The results demonstrate that impaired structural brain development due to visual deprivation from birth is not fully reversible and limits functional recovery. Additionally, they highlight the crucial importance of prevention measures in the context of other types of aberrant childhood environments including low socioeconomic status and adversity.
Ryanodine receptor 2 (RYR2) dysfunction activates the unfolded protein response and perturbs cardiomyocyte maturation
Authors: Guo Yuxuan , Cao Yangpo , Jardin Blake D , Zhang Xiaoran , Zhou Pingzhu , Guatimosim Silvia , Lin Junsen , Chen Zhan , Zhang Yueyang , Mazumdar Neil , Lu Fujian , Ma Qing , Lu Yao-Wei , Zhao Mingming , Wang Da-Zhi , Dong Erdan , Pu William T
Published: May 2022

Aims

Calcium-handling capacity is a major gauge of cardiomyocyte maturity. Ryanodine receptor 2 (RYR2) is the pre-dominant calcium channel that releases calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum/endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER) to activate cardiomyocyte contraction. Although RYR2 was previously implied as a key regulator of cardiomyocyte maturation, the mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study is to solve this problem.

Methods and results

We performed Cas9/AAV9-mediated somatic mutagenesis to knockout RYR2 specifically in cardiomyocytes in mice. We conducted a genetic mosaic analysis to dissect the cell-autonomous function of RYR2 during cardiomyocyte maturation. We found that RYR2 depletion triggered ultrastructural and transcriptomic defects relevant to cardiomyocyte maturation. These phenotypes were associated with the drastic activation of ER stress pathways. The ER stress alleviator tauroursodeoxycholic acid partially rescued the defects in RYR2-depleted cardiomyocytes. Overexpression of ATF4, a key ER stress transcription factor, recapitulated defects in RYR2-depleted cells. Integrative analysis of RNA-Seq and bioChIP-Seq data revealed that protein biosynthesis-related genes are the major direct downstream targets of ATF4.

Conclusion

RYR2-regulated ER homeostasis is essential for cardiomyocyte maturation. Severe ER stress perturbs cardiomyocyte maturation primarily through ATF4 activation. The major downstream effector genes of ATF4 are related to protein biosynthesis.
Features of vascular motor endothelial function in hypertensive patients with chronic heart failure
Authors: Demikhova N , Yurchenko A , Prykhodko E , Demikhov A
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

The main part of the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension (AH) is a remodeling of the vascular system and the state of the vascular endothelium, which functions as a trigger mechanism for the implementation vasoregulating mechanisms. Vascular endothelium is involved in the provision of local processes of hemostasis, proliferation, migration of blood cells in the vessel wall, which is also associated with the regulation of vascular tone and the development of atherosclerosis.

Purpose

To study the vascular motor endothelial function in hypertensive patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods

Vascular mechanisms of pathogenesis have been studied in 172 patients aged (54,2±6,2) years, men 84 and women 88, with uncomplicated hypertension II-III degree. Echographic system Acuson Sequoia 512 was used for ultrasound imaging of the heart. The diameter of the brachial artery (D, mm), flow velocity (V, m/s), the ratio D/V, Δd (%) - an increase in the diameter of the artery decompression, ΔdN (%) - an increase in the diameter of the artery sample with nitroglycerin and the ratio Δd/ΔdN were measured.

Results

Due to the reduction in brachial artery diameter (with AH stage II 55, l% and AH stage III 48.7%, p <0.01) decreased blood flow velocity in the whole group is 36.4%, which is as much depended on the degree of hypertension (p <0.01). Conducting tests for decompression and nitroglycerin showed that reduced growth in brachial artery diameter in the total group on the decompression was compared with the normal 51.1%: in AH II degree - by 48.8% and III level by 52.2% (p<0.01).

The test with nitroglycerin: the larger group of hypertensive patients reduced vasodilation was 21.1%, II degree - 13.8%, and III degree - 30.7% (p<0.01).

Conducting tests for decompression showed that normal type vasodilatory response occurred only in 27.4% of patients, with II degree in 33.8% and AH III in 22% of patients.

Reduced response to decompression was 60% of patients with AH II - in 43.2%, and III degree - at 56.8% and constrictor - in 12.6% of them in AH II degree at - 6.2% and 17 % at AH III.

The test with nitroglycerin: normal vascular reaction occurred in 33.5% of patients, decreased in 59.9% and constrictor in 9.6% of patients. Reduced vasoconstrictor response to nitroglycerin was more common in patients with AH II degree.

Cunclusion

These results define the nature of the preferred choice of antihypertensive drugs such as normalizing pressure and have a positive effect on the endothelium, which is also associated with a reduction of myocardial hypertrophy and vascular wall.
Time trends and urban-rural differences in the use and outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with pulmonary embolism
Authors: Sagoschen I , Hobohm L , Muenzel T , Keller K
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is considered a life-saving treatment option for patients in cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) due to acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

Purpose

We sought to determine time trends and urban-rural differences in the use and outcomes of ECMO in patients with acute PE.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data on patient characteristics, treatments, and in-hospital outcomes for all PE patients (ICD-code I26) and ECMO implantation in Germany between 2005 and 2018.

Results

At total of 1,172,354 patients were hospitalized with PE; of those, 2,197 (0.2%) were treated with ECMO support. Over the 14-year observational study period the use of ECMO in patients with PE increased continuously (β 2.9 [2.7 to 3.1]; p<0.001), while in-hospital mortality decreased (ß -0.7 [-0.7 to -0.8]; p<0.001). VA-ECMO was mainly employed in younger patients (55 vs. 72 years, p<0.001). Male patients were considerably more often treated with ECMO than female patients (61.8% vs 38.2%; P<0.001) although the proportion of female patients and ECMO increased during the observation period. In patients with cardiac arrest the proportion of VA-ECMO use was highest in the second life decade (7.5%) and decreased with increasing age. As expected, the use of VA-ECMO support was strikingly more used in urban (n=1069) and suburban (n=733) areas compared to rural regions (n=219) of Germany (hier auch % angeben). In-hospital mortality was considerably lower in urban (60.6%) and suburban areas (58.8%) compared to rural regions (65.3%) (Figure 1).

Conclusion

The marked increase in the number of PE patients treated with ECMO during a 14-year observational period points to both improved resource availability/allocation as well as an improvement in the invasive management of PE patients at high risk in the ICU. The observation of a lower in-hospital mortality in (sub-)urban areas are in particular interesting in a densely populated country like Germany and may indicate that offering maximal level of care in (sub-)urban areas in patients with PE may lead to a better prognosis.
Vascular conditioning prevents adverse left ventricular remodelling after acute myocardial infarction: a randomised remote conditioning study
Authors: Vlastos D , Ikonomidis I , Andreadou I , Gazouli M , Efentakis P , Varoudi M , Makavos G , Kapelouzou A , Lekakis J , Parissis J , Katsanos S , Tsilivarakis D , Cokkinos D V , Iliodromitis E K
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): EU-CARDIOPROTECTION COST ACTION

(European Cooperation in Science and Technology-Action)

(CA16225)

Background

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) alleviates ischemia-reperfusion injury via several pathways, including micro-RNAs (miRs) expression and oxidative stress modulation.

Purpose

We investigated the effects of RIC on endothelial glycocalyx, arterial stiffness, LV remodelling, and the underlying mediators within the vasculature as a target for protection.

Methods

We block-randomised 270 patients within 48 h of STEMI post-PCI to either one or two cycles of bilateral brachial cuff inflation, and a control group without RIC. We measured: (a) the perfusion boundary region (PBR) of the sublingual arterial microvessels to assess glycocalyx integrity and (b) the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) at baseline (T0), following every RIC cycle (T1, T2), and 40 min after RIC onset (T3); (c) miR-144, -150, -21, -208, nitrate-nitrite (NOx) and malondialdehyde (MDA) plasma levels at baseline (T0) and 40 min after RIC onset (T3); and (d) LV volumes at baseline and after one year.

Results

Compared to baseline, there was a greater PBR and PWV decrease, miR-144 and NOx levels increase (p < 0.05) at T3 following single- than double-cycle inflation (PBR:ΔT0-T3 = 0.249 ± 0.033 vs 0.126 ± 0.034 μm, p = 0.03 and PWV:0.4 ± 0.21 vs -1.02 ± 0.24 m/s, p = 0.03). Increased miR-150,-21,-208 (p < 0.05) and reduced MDA was observed after both protocols. Increased miR-144 was related to PWV reduction (r = 0.763, p < 0.001) after the first-cycle inflation in both protocols. After one year, single-cycle RIC was associated with LV end-systolic volume reduction (LVESV) > 15% (odds-ratio of 3.75, p = 0.029). MiR-144 and PWV changes post-RIC were interrelated and associated with LVESV reduction at follow-up (r = 0.40 and 0.37, p < 0.05), in the single-cycle RIC.

Conclusions

RIC evokes "vascular conditioning" likely by upregulation of cardio-protective microRNAs, NOx production, and oxidative stress reduction, facilitating reverse LV remodelling.