bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Digit amputation in small ruminants
Authors: Crilly James Patrick , Reilly Beth , Scott Phil
Published: March 2022

Digit amputation is an appropriate surgical response to septic pedal arthritis and other infectious problems of the deep digital tissues that will not respond to medical therapy. It may be performed under local, regional or general anaesthesia. The preferred approach is transection of distal P1. The recovery period is 3–4 weeks, and animals may be retained in the flock or herd for several years post surgery.
The role of accelerated growth plate fusion in the absence of SOCS2 on osteoarthritis vulnerability
Authors: Samvelyan Hasmik Jasmine , Huesa Carmen , Cui Lin , Farquharson Colin , Staines Katherine Ann
Published: March 2022

Aims

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent systemic musculoskeletal disorder, characterized by articular cartilage degeneration and subchondral bone (SCB) sclerosis. Here, we sought to examine the contribution of accelerated growth to OA development using a murine model of excessive longitudinal growth. Suppressor of cytokine signalling 2 (SOCS2) is a negative regulator of growth hormone (GH) signalling, thus mice deficient in SOCS2 ( Socs2 -/-) display accelerated bone growth.

Methods

We examined vulnerability of Socs2 -/- mice to OA following surgical induction of disease (destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM)), and with ageing, by histology and micro-CT.

Results

We observed a significant increase in mean number (wild-type (WT) DMM: 532 (SD 56); WT sham: 495 (SD 45); knockout (KO) DMM: 169 (SD 49); KO sham: 187 (SD 56); p < 0.001) and density (WT DMM: 2.2 (SD 0.9); WT sham: 1.2 (SD 0.5); KO DMM: 13.0 (SD 0.5); KO sham: 14.4 (SD 0.7)) of growth plate bridges in Socs2 -/- in comparison with WT. Histological examination of WT and Socs2 -/- knees revealed articular cartilage damage with DMM in comparison to sham. Articular cartilage lesion severity scores (mean and maximum) were similar in WT and Socs2 -/- mice with either DMM, or with ageing. Micro-CT analysis revealed significant decreases in SCB thickness, epiphyseal trabecular number, and thickness in the medial compartment of Socs2 -/-, in comparison with WT (p < 0.001). DMM had no effect on the SCB thickness in comparison with sham in either genotype.

Conclusion

Together, these data suggest that enhanced GH signalling through SOCS2 deletion accelerates growth plate fusion, however this has no effect on OA vulnerability in this model. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2022;11(3):162–170.
Time-varying orbital angular momentum in tight focusing of ultrafast pulses
Authors: Zhou Zhangyu , Min Changjun , Ma Haixiang , Zhang Yuquan , Xie Xi , Zhan Hao , Yuan Xiaocong
Published: March 2022

The orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light has important applications in a variety of
fields, including optical communication, quantum information,
super-resolution microscopic imaging, particle trapping, and others.
However, the temporal properties of OAM in ultrafast pulses and in the
evolution process of spin-orbit coupling has yet to be revealed. In
this work, we theoretically studied the spatiotemporal property of
time-varying OAM in the tightly focused field of ultrafast light
pulses. The focusing of an incident light pulse composed of two
time-delayed femtosecond sub-pulses with the same OAM but orthogonal
spin states is investigated, and the ultrafast dynamics of OAM
variation during the focusing process driven by the spin-orbit
coupling is visualized. Temporal properties of three typical examples,
including formation, increase, and transformation of topological
charge are investigated to reveal the non-uniform evolutions of phase
singularities, local topological charges, self-torques, and
time-varying OAM per photon. This work could deepen the understanding
of spin-orbit coupling in time domain and promote many promising
applications such as ultrafast OAM modulation, laser micromachining,
high harmonic generation, and manipulation of molecules and
nanostructures.
Stereo-IA: stereo visual intensity alignment and beyond under radiation variation
Authors: Xu Chenglong , Du Zhenjun , Yan Zheping , Zhang Wei , Zhou Jiajia , Li Juan
Published: March 2022

Stereo vision is a hot research topic at present, but due to the radiation changes, there will be a large intensity difference between stereo pairs, which will lead to serious degradation of stereo vision based matching, pose estimation, image segmentation and other tasks. Previous methods are not robust to radiation changes or have a large amount of calculation. Accordingly, this paper proposes a new stereo intensity alignment and image enhancement method based on the latest SuperPoint features. It combines the triangle based bearings-only metric, scale-ANCC and belief propagation model and has strong robustness to radiation changes. The quantitative and qualitative comparison experiments on Middlebury datasets verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, and it has a better image restoration and matching effect under the radiation changes.
Multifocal wavefronts with prescribed caustics in axially symmetric optical systems
Authors: Barbero Sergio
Published: March 2022

Multifocal and/or extended depth-of-focus designs are widely used in many optical applications. In most of them, the optical configuration has axial symmetry. A usual design strategy consists of exploring the optimal wavefronts that emerging out of the optical system would provide the desired multifocal properties. Those properties are closely related to light concentration on caustic surfaces. We present a systematic analysis of how to obtain those multifocal wavefronts given some prescriptions on the locations of caustics. In particular, we derive several multifocal wavefronts under archetypical prescriptions in the sagittal caustic alone, or combined with the tangential one at certain points, with some emphasis on visual optics applications.
Ghost imaging through scattering medium by utilizing scattered light
Authors: Lin Li-Xing , Cao Jie , Zhou Dong , Cui Huan , Hao Qun
Published: March 2022

One superior characteristic of ghost imaging (GI) compared to conventional imaging is that GI is immune to the scattering medium in the object-to-detector path. However, the imaging quality decreases when a scattering medium exists between the beam splitter and the object. Based on the fact that the light interfered with by the scattering medium also contains information about the object after it is illuminated, in this paper, we demonstrate utilizing scattered light for image reconstruction by placing a scattering medium with certain characteristics in the reference path. Experimental results show that the contrast-to-noise ratio and visibility are obviously improved.
Experimental optical encryption based on random mask encoding and deep learning
Authors: Wang Xiaogang , Wei Haoyu , Jin Minxu , Xu Bijun , Chen Junlang
Published: March 2022

We present an experimental scheme for optical encryption using random mask encoding and deep learning technique. A phase image is encrypted into a speckle pattern by a random amplitude modulation in the optical transmission. Before decryption processing, a neural network model is used to learn the mapping relationship between the pure-phase object and the speckle image rather than characterizing the filter film used in the scheme explicitly or parametrically. The random binary mask is made by a polyethylene terephthalate film and 2500 object-speckle pairs are used for training. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme based on deep learning could be successfully used as a random binary mask encrypted image processor, which can quickly output the primary image with high quality from the cyphertext.
Phase front retrieval and correction of Bessel beams
Authors: Miao B. , Feder L. , Shrock J. E. , Milchberg H. M.
Published: March 2022

Bessel beams generated with non-ideal axicons are affected by aberrations. We introduce a method to retrieve the complex amplitude of a Bessel beam from intensity measurements alone, and then use this information to correct the wavefront and intensity profile using a deformable mirror.
Decomposition-based multiobjective optimization for multipass cell design aided by particle swarm optimization and the K-means algorithm
Authors: Kong Rong , Liu Peng , Zhou Xin
Published: March 2022

We proposed a method to intelligently design two-spherical-mirror-based multipass cells (MPCs) and optimize multiple objectives simultaneously. By integrating the K-means algorithm into the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, an efficient method is developed to optimize MPC configurations possessing characteristics of both long optical path lengths (OPLs) and circle patterns. We built and tested an MPC with four concentric circle patterns, which achieved an OPL of 54.1 m in a volume of 273.1 cm3. We demonstrated the stability and detection precision of the developed gas sensor. Continuous measurement of methane in ambient laboratory air was realized, with a detection precision of 8 ppb and an averaging time of 13 s. The combination of K-means and PSO algorithms is effective in optimizing MPCs with multiple objectives, which makes it suitable for designing versatile MPCs satisfying various requirements of field applications, including pollution and greenhouse gas emission monitoring and high-sensitivity measurements of other trace gases.
Microscopic description and uncertainty of the Stokes shift in semiconductors
Authors: Bhowmick Mithun , Xi Haowen , Ullrich Bruno
Published: March 2022

Using GaAs as a test material, we investigated the redshift between emission and the optical bandgap. The knowledge of the energy difference, referred to as the Stokes shift, is of considerable importance for solid-state light sources because its magnitude defines the centered monochromaticity of the emission. Employing Fan’s theory, we reveal the basic parameters, which determine the Stokes shift, and provide an uncertainty analysis, considering both uncorrelated and correlated variables. We disclose that the considerable scatter of the dielectric constants in the literature causes uncertainties comparable to or even exceeding the mean. The work stresses that the high-frequency and static dielectric constants might be closer than the currently promoted numbers.
Optical dendrites for spatio-temporal computing with few-mode fibers [Invited]
Authors: Ortín Silvia , Soriano Miguel C. , Fischer Ingo , Mirasso Claudio R. , Argyris Apostolos
Published: March 2022

Multimode fibers have been extensively used in short-range communication systems and optical imaging. More recently, they have been considered for optical computing by exploiting the complex spatial and spatio-temporal transformation at the fiber end. Mimicking the dendrites of real neurons, we consider here the spatial modes that propagate with different group velocities along the fiber as different dendritic branches. The multimode fiber plays the role of an optical dendritic unit and the signals obtained from the different dendritic branches are temporally mixed and used for spatio-temporal information processing. We numerically demonstrate the use of a few-mode, step-index fiber as a linear computing element in an ultra-fast spatio-temporal coincidence detector that operates at 40 Gb/s data encoding rate. We evaluate this detector as a linear classifier in header recognition and bit counting tasks.
Optically active Fe2+-doped ZnSe particles in a chalcogenide glass matrix
Authors: Cook Justin , Chazot Matthieu , Kostogiannes Alexandros , Sharma Rashi , Feit Corbin , Sosa Jaynlynn , Banerjee Parag , Richardson Martin , Richardson Kathleen A. , Schepler Kenneth L.
Published: March 2022

High brightness light sources in the mid-infrared are of particular interest for a host of different applications. However, the selection and availability of laser gain media in this spectral region are severely lacking. In this manuscript, we demonstrate broadband optical emission in the 3520-5200 nm region from Fe2+-doped ZnSe microparticles dispersed in a chalcogenide glass matrix which is amenable to fiber drawing. A conformal alumina shell was applied to the Fe:ZnSe particles which prevented ZnSe dissolution and preserved normal Fe2+ optical absorption and emission properties during the composite material manufacturing process. The broadband emission properties of the Fe:ZnSe-doped chalcogenide glass material observed here are promising for the future development of fiber lasers operating at wavelengths > 4 µm.
Recent advances in luminescence and lasing research in ZBYA glass
Authors: Xu Changjun , Zhang Jiquan , Liu Mo , Zhao Haiyan , Ling Fengzi , Jia Shijie , Farrell Gerald , Wang Shunbin , Wang Pengfei
Published: March 2022

In the last few decades, fluoride glasses have attracted a growing
interest due to their unique advantages compared to multi-component
oxide glasses. Among them, the most studied and widely used were
fluorozirconate glasses, represented by
ZrF4–BaF2–LaF3–AlF3–NaF
(ZBLAN) glasses. However, compared with ZBLAN glasses, a kind of
fluorozirconate glass with the components
ZrF4–BaF2–YF3–AlF3
(ZBYA) has higher thermal and chemical stability. In this paper, we
first introduce the advantages of ZBYA glasses compared to ZBLAN
glasses. Then we review and discuss recent advances in research on
luminescence and lasing in ZBYA glass and fiber. These studies suggest
that ZBYA glass has strong potential for use as a gain medium material
in high power mid-infrared fiber lasers.
Automatic wound detection and size estimation using deep learning algorithms
Authors: Carrión Héctor , Jafari Mohammad , Bagood Michelle Dawn , Yang Hsin-ya , Isseroff Roslyn Rivkah , Gomez Marcella
Published: March 2022

Evaluating and tracking wound size is a fundamental metric for the wound assessment process. Good location and size estimates can enable proper diagnosis and effective treatment. Traditionally, laboratory wound healing studies include a collection of images at uniform time intervals exhibiting the wounded area and the healing process in the test animal, often a mouse. These images are then manually observed to determine key metrics —such as wound size progress— relevant to the study. However, this task is a time-consuming and laborious process. In addition, defining the wound edge could be subjective and can vary from one individual to another even among experts. Furthermore, as our understanding of the healing process grows, so does our need to efficiently and accurately track these key factors for high throughput (e.g., over large-scale and long-term experiments). Thus, in this study, we develop a deep learning-based image analysis pipeline that aims to intake non-uniform wound images and extract relevant information such as the location of interest, wound only image crops, and wound periphery size over-time metrics. In particular, our work focuses on images of wounded laboratory mice that are used widely for translationally relevant wound studies and leverages a commonly used ring-shaped splint present in most images to predict wound size. We apply the method to a dataset that was never meant to be quantified and, thus, presents many visual challenges. Additionally, the data set was not meant for training deep learning models and so is relatively small in size with only 256 images. We compare results to that of expert measurements and demonstrate preservation of information relevant to predicting wound closure despite variability from machine-to-expert and even expert-to-expert. The proposed system resulted in high fidelity results on unseen data with minimal human intervention. Furthermore, the pipeline estimates acceptable wound sizes when less than 50% of the images are missing reference objects.
Deep inference of seabird dives from GPS-only records: Performance and generalization properties
Authors: Roy Amédée , Lanco Bertrand Sophie , Fablet Ronan
Published: March 2022

At-sea behaviour of seabirds have received significant attention in ecology over the last decades as it is a key process in the ecology and fate of these populations. It is also, through the position of top predator that these species often occupy, a relevant and integrative indicator of the dynamics of the marine ecosystems they rely on. Seabird trajectories are recorded through the deployment of GPS, and a variety of statistical approaches have been tested to infer probable behaviours from these location data. Recently, deep learning tools have shown promising results for the segmentation and classification of animal behaviour from trajectory data. Yet, these approaches have not been widely used and investigation is still needed to identify optimal network architecture and to demonstrate their generalization properties. From a database of about 300 foraging trajectories derived from GPS data deployed simultaneously with pressure sensors for the identification of dives, this work has benchmarked deep neural network architectures trained in a supervised manner for the prediction of dives from trajectory data. It first confirms that deep learning allows better dive prediction than usual methods such as Hidden Markov Models. It also demonstrates the generalization properties of the trained networks for inferring dives distribution for seabirds from other colonies and ecosystems. In particular, convolutional networks trained on Peruvian boobies from a specific colony show great ability to predict dives of boobies from other colonies and from distinct ecosystems. We further investigate accross-species generalization using a transfer learning strategy known as ‘fine-tuning’. Starting from a convolutional network pre-trained on Guanay cormorant data reduced by two the size of the dataset needed to accurately predict dives in a tropical booby from Brazil. We believe that the networks trained in this study will provide relevant starting point for future fine-tuning works for seabird trajectory segmentation.
National adaptation and implementation of WHO Model List of Essential Medicines: A qualitative evidence synthesis
Authors: Peacocke Elizabeth F. , Myhre Sonja L. , Foss Hakan Safaralilo , Gopinathan Unni
Published: March 2022

Background

The World Health Organization Model List of Essential Medicines (WHO EML) has played a critical role in guiding the country-level selection and financing of medicines for more than 4 decades. It continues to be a relevant evidence-based policy that can support universal health coverage (UHC) and access to essential medicines. The objective of this review was to identify factors affecting adaptation and implementation of WHO EML at the national level.

Methods and findings

We conducted a qualitative evidence synthesis by searching 10 databases (including CINAHL, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science) through October 2021. Primary qualitative studies focused on country-level implementation of WHO EML were included. The qualitative findings were populated in the Supporting the Use of Research Evidence (SURE) framework, and key themes were identified through an iterative process. We appraised the papers using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool and assessed our confidence in the findings using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation working group-Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (GRADE-CERQual). We screened 1,567 unique citations, reviewed 183 full texts, and included 23 studies, from 30 settings. Non-English studies and experiences and perceptions of stakeholders published in gray literature were not collected.

Our findings centered around 3 main ideas pertaining to national adaptation and implementation of WHO EML: (1) the importance of designing institutions, governance, and leadership for national medicines lists (NMLs), particularly the consideration of transparency, coordination capacity, legislative mechanisms, managing regional differences, and clinical guidance; (2) the capacity to manage evidence to inform NML updates, including processes for contextualizing global evidence, utilizing local data and expert knowledge, and assessing budget impact, to which locally relevant cost-effectiveness information plays an important role; and (3) the influence of NML on purchasing and prescribing by altering provider incentives, through linkages to systems for financing and procurement and donor influence.

Conclusions

This qualitative evidence synthesis underscores the complexity and interdependencies inherent to implementation of WHO EML. To maximize the value of NMLs, greater investments should be made in processes and institutions that are needed to support various stages of the implementation pathway from global norms to adjusting prescribed behavior. Moreover, further research on linkages between NMLs, procurement, and the availability of medicines will provide additional insight into optimal NML implementation.

Protocol registry

PROSPEROCRD42018104112
Midlife alcohol consumption and later life cognitive impairment: Light drinking is not protective and APOE genotype does not change this relationship
Authors: Chosy E. Julia , Edland Steven , Launer Lenore , White Lon R.
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Much debate exists about the role of light to moderate alcohol intake and subsequent cognitive function. The apolipoprotein E genotype may modify the relationship.

Methods

Using data from the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study, a longitudinal population-based cohort (n = 2,416), Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to measure midlife alcohol intake (average age = 52 years) and later life cognitive function (average age = 87 years) and to explore the role of apolipoprotein E genotype.

Results

No protective effect of light drinking (>1 drink/month– 1 drink/day) or moderate drinking (>1–2 drinks/day) was observed in the cohort in adjusted models (HR = 1.013, CI:0.88–1.16; HR = 1.104, CI:0.91–1.34, respectively). Heavy drinking (>2–4 drinks/day) and very heavy drinking (>4 drinks/day) increased the risk for incident moderate cognitive impairment (HR = 1.355, CI:1.09–1.68; HR = 1.462, CI:1.04–2.05, respectively). When examining the relationship by apolipoprotein E ε4 carrier status, a similar dose-response pattern was observed in both groups with higher hazard ratios for those carrying at least one copy of the apolipoprotein E ℇ4 allele. As alcohol level increased, the age at incident moderate cognitive impairment decreased, especially among those with at least one apolipoprotein E ℇ4 allele.

Discussion

We did not observe a significant protective effect for light to moderate drinking in midlife and subsequent cognitive impairment in this cohort. Heavy drinking increased the risk for moderate cognitive impairment and decreased the age at incidence, as did carrying at least one allele of the apolipoprotein E ℇ4 gene.
Effects of dietary guanidinoacetic acid on growth performance, guanidinoacetic acid absorption and creatine metabolism of lambs
Authors: Zhang Shiqi , Zang Changjiang , Pan Jun , Ma Chen , Wang Caidie , Li Xiaobin , Cai Wenjie , Yang Kailun
Published: March 2022

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is the only precursor for the creatine synthesis of vertebrates. Creatine (Cr) and phosphocreatine (PCr) are able to provide energy for the rapid growth and development of the muscle tissue. This study evaluated the effects of dietary different levels GAA on growth performance, GAA absorption and creatine metabolism of lambs. Twenty-four 3-month-old healthy Kazakh male lambs (body weight = 27.35± 0.58 kg) were randomly divided into four groups with 6 lambs in each group. The lambs were fed with the basal diets supplemented with 0 (0 mg/kg group), 500 (500 mg/kg group), 1000 (1000 mg/kg group) and 1500 mg (1500 mg/kg group) GAA per kg diet (DM basis), respectively. The results showed that, as the GAA content of the diet increased, there was a quadratic change in DMI, with the lowest in the 500 mg/kg group and the highest in the 0 mg/kg group. The CK enzyme activity and ATP content in quadriceps muscle increased linearly with increasing levels of diary GAA in the diet. PCr levels and ADP levels in the longest dorsal muscle increased linearly with increasing levels of GAA in the diet. The relative expression of SLC6A6 and SLC6A8 mRNA in the jejunum and ileum mucosa showed a quadratic change as the dietary GAA level increased, with the lowest relative expression in both the 1500 mg/kg group. With the increase of dietary GAA level, both Cr concentration in hepatic vein plasma and the portal plasma GAA concentration shows a quadratic change, with the highest concentration in the 500 mg/kg group and the lowest concentration in the 0 mg/kg group. Therefore, dietary supplementation with 500~1000 mg/kg DM GAA is recommended for lambs.
Influence of pregnancy related anthropometric changes on plantar pressure distribution during gait—A follow-up study
Authors: Masłoń Agata , Suder Agnieszka , Curyło Marta , Frączek Barbara , Salamaga Marcin , Ivanenko Yuri , Forczek-Karkosz Wanda
Published: March 2022

Background

As foot constitutes the base of support for the whole body, the pregnancy-related anthropometric changes can result in adaptive plantar pressure alterations. The present study aimed to investigate how pregnancy affects foot loading pattern in gait, and if it is related to body adjustments to growing foetus that occur in the course of pregnancy.

Methods

A prospective longitudinal study included 30 women. Three experimental sessions in accordance with the same procedure were carried out in the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy. First, the anthropometric measures of the body mass and waist circumference were taken. Then walking trials at a self-selected speed along a ~6-m walkway were registered with the FreeMED force platform (Sensor Medica, Italy). Vertical foot pressure was recorded by the force plate located in the middle of the walkway.

Findings

The correlation of individual foot loading parameters across different trimesters was relatively high. Nevertheless, our results revealed a longitudinal foot arch flattening with the strongest effect in late pregnancy (P = 0.01). The anthropometric characteristics also influenced the foot loading pattern depending on the phase of pregnancy. In particular, arch flattening correlated with the body mass in all trimesters (r≥0.44, P≤0.006) while the medial-lateral loading index correlated only in the first (r = 0.45, P = 0.005) and second (r = 0.36, P = 0.03) trimesters. Waist circumference changes significantly influenced dynamic arch flattening but only in the late pregnancy (r≥0.46, P≤0.004). In the third trimester, a small though significant increase in the right foot angle was observed (P = 0.01).

Interpretation

The findings provided the characteristics of the relative foot areas loading throughout pregnancy. Growing abdominal size increases the risk of medial arch flattening, which can result in less stable gait. The observed increase in foot angle in late pregnancy may constitute a strategy to enhance gait stability.
Investigation of liposomal self-adjuvanting peptide epitopes derived from conserved blood-stage Plasmodium antigens
Authors: Islam Md. Tanjir , Ho Mei-Fong , Nahar Ummey J. , Shalash Ahmed O. , Koirala Prashamsa , Hussein Waleed M. , Stanisic Danielle I. , Good Michael F. , Skwarczynski Mariusz , Toth Istvan
Published: March 2022

Malaria is a vector born parasitic disease causing millions of deaths every year. Despite the high mortality rate, an effective vaccine against this mosquito-borne infectious disease is yet to be developed. Up to date, RTS,S/AS01 is the only vaccine available for malaria prevention; however, its efficacy is low. Among a variety of malaria antigens, merozoite surface protein-1(MSP-1) and ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA) have been proposed as promising candidates for malaria vaccine development. We developed peptide-based Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidates that incorporated three previously reported conserved epitopes from MSP-1 and RESA into highly effective liposomal polyleucine delivery system. Indeed, MSP-1 and RESA-derived epitopes conjugated to polyleucine and formulated into liposomes induced higher epitope specific antibody titres. However, immunized mice failed to demonstrate protection in a rodent malaria challenge study with Plasmodium yoelii. In addition, we found that the three reported P. falciparum epitopes did not to share conformational properties and high sequence similarity with P. yoelii MSP-1 and RESA proteins, despite the epitopes were reported to protect mice against P. yoelii challenge.
Fertility preservation in transgender and non-binary adolescents and young adults
Authors: Cooper Holly C. , Long Jin , Aye Tandy
Published: March 2022

Although 37.5–51% of transgender adults state they would’ve considered freezing gametes before gender-affirming therapy if offered and 24–25.8% of transgender adolescents express interest in having biological children, less than 5% of transgender adolescents have opted for fertility preservation. We sought to assess fertility preservation utilization in our multidisciplinary adolescent gender clinic. We also aimed to identify fertility preservation utilization and interest among non-binary adolescents and young adults. A retrospective review was conducted of patients seen in the Stanford Pediatric & Adolescent Gender Clinic from October 2015 through March 2019 who were >10 years of age at initial visit. All individuals with documented discussion of fertility preservation were offered referral for formal fertility preservation consultation but only 24% of patients accepted. Only 6.8% of individuals subsequently underwent fertility preservation (n = 9). Transfeminine adolescents are more likely to pursue fertility preservation than transmasculine adolescents (p = 0.01). The rate of fertility preservation in non-binary adolescents did not significantly differ from those in transfeminine adolescents (p = 1.00) or transmasculine adolescents (p = 0.31). Although only one non-binary individual underwent fertility preservation, several more expressed interest with 36% accepting referral (n = 4) and 27% being seen in consultation (n = 3). Despite offering fertility preservation with designated members of a gender clinic team, utilization remains low in transgender adolescents. Additionally, non-binary adolescents and their families are interested in fertility preservation and referrals should be offered to these individuals. Further studies and advocacy are required to continue to address fertility needs of transgender adolescents.
Genetic variants associated with sepsis
Authors: Engoren Milo , Jewell Elizabeth S. , Douville Nicholas , Moser Stephanie , Maile Michael D. , Bauer Melissa E.
Published: March 2022

Background

The variable presentations and different phenotypes of sepsis suggest that risk of sepsis comes from many genes each having a small effect. The cumulative effect can be used to create individual risk profile. The purpose of this study was to create a polygenic risk score and determine the genetic variants associated with sepsis.

Methods

We sequenced ~14 million single nucleotide polymorphisms with a minimac imputation quality R2>0.3 and minor allele frequency >10−6 in patients with Sepsis-2 or Sepsis-3. Genome-wide association was performed using Firth bias-corrected logistic regression. Semi-parsimonious logistic regression was used to create polygenic risk scores and reduced regression to determine the genetic variants independently associated with sepsis.

Findings

2261 patients had sepsis and 13,068 control patients did not. The polygenic risk scores had good discrimination: c-statistic = 0.752 ± 0.005 for Sepsis-2 and 0.752 ± 0.007 for Sepsis-3. We found 772 genetic variants associated with Sepsis-2 and 442 with Sepsis-3, p<0.01. After multivariate adjustment, 100 variants on 85 genes were associated with Sepsis-2 and 69 variants in 54 genes with Sepsis-3. Twenty-five variants were present in both the Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 groups out of 32 genes that were present in both groups. The other 7 genes had different variants present. Most variants had small effect sizes.

Conclusions

Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 have both separate and shared genetic variants. Most genetic variants have small effects sizes, but cumulatively, the polygenic risk scores have good discrimination.
Integrating quantitative and qualitative methodologies to build a national R&D plan using data envelopment analysis based on R&D stakeholders’ perspectives
Authors: Park Wan , Kim Sang-Gook
Published: March 2022

The yearly increase in government R&D investment and top-down national R&D investment allocation requires a more quantitative decision-making system that maximizes R&D performance and efficient budget allocation. Sound decision-making is necessary at both the selection stage and the pursuit stage in order to maximize limited national R&D resources. We study Korean smart farms as an example to examine national R&D investment from the various R&D actors (academia, industry, and research institutes) perspectives. The objective of our research is to evaluate the theoretical efficiency of R&D investment on specific technologies in smart farms and compare the results with expert opinions where the reality is reflected. To be specific, our study is to provide the quantitative approach in making decision among policymakers by reflecting the field experiences and opinions. We use a data envelopment analysis with an assurance region model, which integrates an analytic hierarchy process and a data envelopment analysis. The weights of output in DEA model by the R&D actors are similar to the overall weight by all actors, implying that investment allocation decisions in the smart farm sector are not significantly affected by the R&D actors. We realized that the relative efficiency of some R&D technologies increases after reflecting qualitative ideas of experts. In reality, it is necessary to invest in these technology groups, but they excluded from top-down decision-making. This also shows that a government’s top-down decision-making can distort its investment allocation. This study proposes a new approach to compensate for the difference between theoretical virtual prices and actual prices in data envelopment analysis. In particular, when comparing the only quantitative results on investment priorities with analysis results by additionally reflecting the opinions of experts in each sector, we found that the Korean government’s investment priorities in the smart farm field are considerably distorted. Therefore, this study is expected to be used as an alternative for policy makers to compensate for the quantitative distortion might be caused by top-down national R&D investment decisions.
Upregulation of PODXL and ITGB1 in pancreatic cancer tissues preoperatively obtained by EUS-FNAB correlates with unfavorable prognosis of postoperative pancreatic cancer patients
Authors: Taniuchi Keisuke , Ueno Makoto , Yokose Tomoyuki , Sakaguchi Masahiko , Yoshioka Reiko , Ogasawara Mitsunari , Kosaki Takuhiro , Naganuma Seiji , Furihata Mutsuo
Published: March 2022

The upregulation of PODXL and ITGB1 in surgically resected pancreatic cancer tissues is correlated with an unfavorable postoperative prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether PODXL and ITGB1 are useful preoperative markers for the prognosis of postoperative pancreatic cancer patients in comparison with the TNM staging system. Immunohistochemistry was performed using anti-PODXL and anti-ITGB1 antibodies on 24 pancreatic cancer tissue samples preoperatively obtained by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to investigate if the UICC TNM stage and upregulation of PODXL and ITGB1 were correlated with postoperative overall survival rates. Univariate analysis revealed that PODXL, TNM stage, lymphatic invasion and the combination of PODXL with ITGB1 are correlated with postoperative survival. Multivariate analysis demonstrated TNM stage and the combination of PODXL with ITGB1 to be correlated with postoperative survival, and the combination of PODXL with ITGB1 most accurately predicted the postoperative outcomes of pancreatic cancer patients before resection. Therefore, upregulation of PODXL and ITGB1 may indicate preoperative neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer patients by accurately predicting the postoperative prognosis.
Use of the Azure Kinect to measure foot clearance during obstacle crossing: A validation study
Authors: Yoshimoto Kohei , Shinya Masahiro
Published: March 2022

Obstacle crossing is typical adaptive locomotion known to be related to the risk of falls. Previous conventional studies have used elaborate and costly optical motion capture systems, which not only represent a considerable expense but also require participants to visit a laboratory. To overcome these shortcomings, we aimed to develop a practical and inexpensive solution for measuring obstacle-crossing behavior by using the Microsoft Azure Kinect, one of the most promising markerless motion capture systems. We validated the Azure Kinect as a tool to measure foot clearance and compared its performance to that of an optical motion capture system (Qualisys). We also determined the effect of the Kinect sensor placement on measurement performance. Sixteen healthy young men crossed obstacles of different heights (50, 150, and 250 mm). Kinect sensors were placed in front of and beside the obstacle as well as diagonally between those positions. As indices of measurement quality, we counted the number of measurement failures and calculated the systematic and random errors between the foot clearance measured by the Kinect and Qualisys. We also calculated the Pearson correlation coefficients between the Kinect and Qualisys measurements. The number of measurement failures and the systematic and random error were minimized when the Kinect was placed diagonally in front of the obstacle on the same side as the trail limb. The high correlation coefficient (r > 0.890) observed between the Kinect and Qualisys measurements suggest that the Azure Kinect has excellent potential for measuring foot clearance during obstacle-crossing tasks.
Transcriptome characterization of Larrea tridentata and identification of genes associated with phenylpropanoid metabolic pathways
Authors: Ali Mohammad Ajmal , Alhemaid Fahad , Farah Mohammad Abul , Elangbam Meena , Gurung Arun Bahadur , Al-Anazi Khalid Mashay , Lee Joongku
Published: March 2022

Larrea tridentata (Sesse and Moc. ex DC.) Coville (family: Zygophyllaceae) is an aromatic evergreen shrub with resin-covered leaves, known to use in traditional medicine for diverse ailments. It also has immense pharmacological significance due to presence of powerful phenylpropanoids antioxidant, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). The RNA sequence/transcriptome analyses connect the genomic information into the discovery of gene function. Hence, the acquaint analysis of L. tridentata is in lieu to characterize the transcriptome, and to identify the candidate genes involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway. To gain molecular insight, the bioinformatics analysis of transcriptome was performed. The total bases covered 48,630 contigs of length greater than 200 bp and above came out to 21,590,549 with an average GC content of 45% and an abundance of mononucleotide, SSR, including C3H, FAR1, and MADS transcription gene families. The best enzyme commission (EC) classification obtained from the assembled sequences represented major abundant enzyme classes e.g., RING-type E3 ubiquitin transferase and non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase. The KEGG pathway analysis mapped into 377 KEGG different metabolic pathways. The enrichment of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways (22 genes i.e., phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, trans-cinnamate 4-monooxygenase, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase, cinnamoyl-CoA reductase, beta-glucosidase, shikimate O-hydroxycinnamoyl transferase, 5-O-(4-coumaroyl)-D-quinate 3’-monooxygenase, cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase, peroxidase, coniferyl-alcohol glucosyltransferase, caffeoyl shikimate esterase, caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase, caffeate O-methyltransferase, coniferyl-aldehyde dehydrogenase, feruloyl-CoA 6-hydroxylase, and ferulate-5-hydroxylase), and expression profile indicated antioxidant, anti-arthritic, and anticancer properties of L. tridentata. The present results could provide an important resource for squeezing biotechnological applications of L. tridentata.
Genome-wide investigation and functional analysis of RNA editing sites in wheat
Authors: Rasool Fatima , Ishtiaq Iqra , Uzair Muhammad , Naz Ali Ahmed , Léon Jens , Khan Muhammad Ramzan
Published: March 2022

Wheat is an important cereal and half of the world population consumed it. Wheat faces environmental stresses and different techniques (CRISPR, gene silencing, GWAS, etc.) were used to enhance its production but RNA editing (RESs) is not fully explored in wheat. RNA editing has a special role in controlling environmental stresses. The genome-wide identification and functional characterization of RESs in different types of wheat genotypes was done. We employed six wheat genotypes by RNA-seq analyses to achieve RESs. The findings revealed that RNA editing events occurred on all chromosomes equally. RNA editing sites were distributed randomly and 10–12 types of RESs were detected in wheat genotypes. Higher number of RESs were detected in drought-tolerant genotypes. A-to-I RNA editing (2952, 2977, 1916, 2576, 3422, and 3459) sites were also identified in six wheat genotypes. Most of the genes were found to be engaged in molecular processes after a Gene Ontology analysis.PPR(pentatricopeptide repeat),OZ1(organelle zinc-finger), andMORF/RIPgene expression levels in wheat were also examined. Normal growth conditions diverge gene expression of these three different gene families, implying that normal growth conditions for various genotypes can modify RNA editing events and have an impact on gene expression levels. While the expression ofPPRgenes was not change. We used Variant Effect Predictor (VEP) to annotate RNA editing sites, and Local White had the highest RESs in the CDS region of the protein. These findings will be useful for prediction of RESs in other crops and will be helpful in drought tolerance development in wheat.
The growth of Escherichia coli cultures under the influence of pheomelanin nanoparticles and a chelant agent in the presence of light
Authors: Fuentes-López Denisse , Ortega-Zambrano Daniel , Fernández-Herrera María Antonieta , Mercado-Uribe Hilda
Published: March 2022

Growing concern of antibiotic resistance has increased research efforts to find nonspecific treatments to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms. In this regard, photodynamic inactivation is a promising method. It is based on the excitation of a photosensitizer molecule (PS) with UV-Vis radiation to produce reactive oxygen species. The high reactivity of such species nearby the PS leads to oxidation of bacterial cell walls, lipid membranes (lipid peroxidation), enzymes, and nucleic acids, eventually producing cell death. In the last decade, many studies have been carried out with different photosensitizers to suppress the growth of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and malignant tumors. Here, our main motivation is to employ pheomelanin nanoparticles as sensitizers for inhibiting the growth of the Gram-negative bacteria E. coli, exposed to blue and UVA radiation. In order to perform our experiments, we synthesized pheomelanin nanoparticles from L-DOPA and L-cysteine through an oxidation process. We carried out experiments at different particle concentrations and different energy fluences. We found that cultures exposed to UVA at 166 μg/mL and 270 J/cm2, in conjunction with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as an enhancer, decreased in the viable count 5 log10. Different reactive oxygen species (singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radicals, and peroxynitrates) were detected using different procedures. Our results suggest that the method reported here is effective against E. coli, which could encourage further investigations in other type of bacteria.
3-D cephalometry of the the orbit regarding endocrine orbitopathy, exophthalmos, and sex
Authors: Hierl Konstantin Volker , Krause Matthias , Kruber Daniel , Sterker Ina
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This study aimed at evaluating the orbital anatomy of patients concerning the relevance of orbital anatomy in the etiology of EO (endocrine orbitopathy) and exophthalmos utilizing a novel approach regarding three-dimensional measurements. Furthermore, sexual dimorphism in orbital anatomy was analyzed.

Methods

Orbital anatomy of 123 Caucasian patients (52 with EO, 71 without EO) was examined using computed tomographic data and FAT software for 3-D cephalometry. Using 56 anatomical landmarks, 20 angles and 155 distances were measured. MEDAS software was used for performing connected and unconnected t-tests and Spearman´s rank correlation test to evaluate interrelations and differences.

Results

Orbital anatomy was highly symmetrical with a mean side difference of 0.3 mm for distances and 0.6° for angles. There was a small albeit statistically significant difference in 13 out of 155 distances in women and 1 in men concerning patients with and without EO. Two out of 12 angles showed a statistically significant difference between female patients with and without EO. Regarding sex, statistically significant differences occurred in 39 distances, orbit volume, orbit surface, and 2 angles. On average, measurements were larger in men. Concerning globe position within the orbit, larger distances to the orbital apex correlated with larger orbital dimensions whereas the sagittal position of the orbital rim defined Hertel values.

Conclusion

In this study, little difference in orbital anatomy between patients with and without EO was found. Concerning sex, orbital anatomy differed significantly with men presenting larger orbital dimensions. Regarding clinically measured exophthalmos, orbital aperture anatomy is an important factor which has to be considered in distinguishing between true exophthalmos with a larger distance between globe and orbital apex and pseudoexophthalmos were only the orbital rim is retruded. Thus, orbital anatomy may influence therapy regarding timing and surgical procedures as it affects exophthalmos.
Detecting pattern transitions in psychological time series – A validation study on the Pattern Transition Detection Algorithm (PTDA)
Authors: Viol Kathrin , Schöller Helmut , Kaiser Andreas , Fartacek Clemens , Aichhorn Wolfgang , Schiepek Günter
Published: March 2022

With the increasing use of real-time monitoring procedures in clinical practice, psychological time series become available to researchers and practitioners. An important interest concerns the identification of pattern transitions which are characteristic features of psychotherapeutic change. Change Point Analysis (CPA) is an established method to identify the point where the mean and/or variance of a time series change, but changes of other and more complex features cannot be detected by this method. In this study, an extension of the CPA, the Pattern Transition Detection Algorithm (PTDA), is optimized and validated for psychological time series with complex pattern transitions. The algorithm uses the convergent information of the CPA and other methods like Recurrence Plots, Time Frequency Distributions, and Dynamic Complexity. These second level approaches capture different aspects of the primary time series. The data set for testing the PTDA (300 time series) is created by an instantaneous control parameter shift of a simulation model of psychotherapeutic change during the simulation runs. By comparing the dispersion of random change points with the real change points, the PTDA determines if the transition point is significant. The PTDA reduces the rate of false negative and false positive results of the CPA below 5% and generalizes its application to different types of pattern transitions. RQA quantifiers also can be used for the identification of nonstationary transitions in time series which was illustrated by using Determinism and Entropy. The PTDA can be easily used with Matlab and is freely available at Matlab File Exchange (https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/80380-pattern-transition-detection-algorithm-ptda).