bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modification of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers, fabrics, and films by amination reactions—A review
Authors: Rabiei Navid , Haghighat Kish Mohammad
Published: February 2024

Currently, many of our living facilities are dependent on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). It is utilized in the production of textiles, beverage bottles, food packaging, implants, and so forth. Although PET has desirable properties, it has to be amended for certain applications that have been modified by different methods. For modifications, aminolysis is used by several investigators, and this report reviews critically the related literature. Amines can be applied to impart the desired properties and produce active sites to be used for further alterations by successive reactions. Amine treatments alone enhance wettability, increase dyeability, and most applicable, produce functionality on the surface. By further reactions with several other chemicals, a spectrum of properties was endowed to PET products, such as flame retarding, anti‐fouling property, highest hygroscopicity, silk‐like character, biocompatibility, and so forth. There are a large number of works, mainly to change the surface properties, but the literature on the in vivo or common everyday evaluation of the amended products is scarce. Most of the modifications of PET products by amines are accompanied by a decrease in some other properties. Then the process of aminolysis and modifications have to be optimized with respect to several production parameters.
A rapid and precise approach to predicting the cure‐induced warping of T‐shaped composite parts with inconsistent layup
Authors: Sun Lishuai , Liu Chuang , Zhao Zhiyong , Wang Junbiao
Published: February 2024

This work involved the precise prediction and in‐depth analysis of cure‐induced warping of T‐shaped parts with inconsistent layup. First, the warping mechanism of this kind of part was studied. Then, a finite element analysis (FEA) that considered the parts' structural characteristics and inconsistent layup using the curing mechanical constitutive model was developed to predict the warping. Following verification of the model's accuracy, the effects of material and structural characteristics on warping were investigated. When designing T‐shaped parts, selecting materials with lower thermal expansion coefficients can help minimize warping. Additionally, increasing the radius of the chamfer at the rib and flange connections is also effective. By taking into account the effects of structural parameters and inconsistent layup by using both classical laminated plate theory and artificial neural networks (ANN), a rapid and accurate surrogate model for warping prediction was finally developed. It was discovered that the two‐layer ANN model performed better than the other two models and could predict warping with accuracy and speed. For the parts analyzed in this work, this model is able to identify the fluctuations of warping captured by FEA. Moreover, by defining deviation as the difference between the predicted values of the surrogate model and the FEA, it can be observed that the majority of deviations for the validation set are within ±1.5 mm. This demonstrates that the two‐layer ANN possesses strong generalization ability and high accuracy in predicting warping.

Highlights

The inconsistent layup could significantly affect the T‐shaped part's warping.

Cutting off a part's rib may significantly reduce its warping.

A rapid and accurate model for warping prediction was developed.

The layup and structure's influence could be identified by the two‐layer ANN.
Induction of ferroptosis by natural phenols: A promising strategy for cancer therapy
Authors: Zhang Yiping , Xie Jun
Published: February 2024

In recent years, heightened interest surrounds the exploration of natural phenols as potential agents for cancer therapy, specifically by inducing ferroptosis, a unique form of regulated cell death characterized by iron‐dependent lipid peroxidation. This review delves into the roles of key natural phenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, curcumin, and stilbenes, in modulating ferroptosis and their underlying mechanisms. Emphasizing the significance of amino acid, lipid, and iron metabolism, the study elucidates the diverse pathways through which these phenols regulate ferroptosis. Notably, curcumin, a well‐known polyphenol, exhibits multifaceted interactions with cellular components involved in ferroptosis regulation, providing a distinctive therapeutic avenue. Stilbenes, another phenolic class, demonstrate promising potential in influencing lipid metabolism and iron‐dependent processes, contributing to ferroptotic cell death. Understanding the intricate interplay between these natural phenols and ferroptosis not only illuminates complex cellular regulatory networks but also unveils potential avenues for novel cancer therapies. Exploring these compounds as inducers of ferroptosis presents a promising strategy for targeted cancer treatment, capitalizing on the delicate balance between cellular metabolism and regulated cell death mechanisms. This article synthesizes current knowledge, aiming to stimulate further research into the therapeutic potential of natural phenols in the context of ferroptosis‐mediated cancer therapy.
Thorium and uranium rapid quantification in soil with portable X‐ray fluorescence
Authors: Melquiades Fábio L. , Bastos Rodrigo O. , Rampim Leandro , Sandrino Israel Isaías , Rodriguez Duvan Gil , Parreira Paulo S.
Published: February 2024

This study aims to evaluate the thorium (Th) and uranium (U) quantification in soil employing a commercial routine in a portable X‐ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer. Certified reference materials (CRMs), as well as a soil sample set, were measured by pXRF and gamma‐ray spectrometry. The pXRF results showed that the thorium average detection and quantification limits (in mg kg−1) were 3.3 ± 0.5 and 11.0 ± 1.7, respectively. The uranium values were 3.0 ± 0.4 and 9.9 ± 1.3. Quantitative pXRF results for Th were in accordance with the reference reported for most CRMs analyzed, and the same accordance was obtained in the comparison with gamma‐ray spectrometry results for the soil sample set. However, U results were overestimated by pXRF when compared both with the CRM‐reported values and the gamma‐ray spectrometry results. In conclusion, the tested pXRF commercial routine may be a viable technique to identify variations in natural Th levels in soil but needs to be used with caution to identify and quantify U.
Doubly adaptive biased coin design to improve Bayesian clinical trials with time‐to‐event endpoints
Authors: Cao Wenhao , Zhu Hongjian , Wang Li , Zhang Lixin , Yu Jun
Published: February 2024

Clinical trialists often face the challenge of balancing scientific questions with other design features, such as improving efficiency, minimizing exposure to inferior treatments, and simultaneously comparing multiple treatments. While Bayesian response adaptive randomization (RAR) is a popular and effective method for achieving these objectives, it is known to have large variability and a lack of explicit theoretical results, making its use in clinical trials a subject of concern. It is desirable to propose a design that targets the same allocation proportion as Bayesian RAR and achieves the above objectives but addresses the concerns over Bayesian RAR. We propose the frequentist doubly adaptive biased coin designs (DBCD) targeting ethical allocation proportions from the Bayesian framework to satisfy different objectives in clinical trials with time‐to‐event endpoints. We derive the theoretical properties of the proposed adaptive randomization design and show through comprehensive numerical simulations that it can achieve ethical objectives without sacrificing efficiency. Our combined theoretical and numerical results offer a strong foundation for the practical use of RAR in real clinical trials.
Recent Synthesis of Mono‐ & Bis‐Pyranopyrazole Derivatives
Authors: Farooq Saba , Ngaini Zainab
Published: February 2024

Pyranopyrazole is an important structural unit in heterocyclic chemistry and is useful in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. The pyranopyrazole‐based compounds are known in the agricultural industry as herbicides, fungicides, and insecticide agents and in medicinal fields as antimicrobial, anticancer, and antiHIV agents. Despite its wide range of applications, the synthesis of pyranopyrazole has several limitations such as the cost of reagents, potential environmental risks, harsh reaction conditions, longer reaction times, laborious workup procedures, and unsatisfactory yields. However, many studies have been recently reported on the synthesis of pyranopyrazoles using mild, green, and environmentally friendly methods that also give higher yields. Different catalysts and conditions have been reported for the synthesis of pyranopyrazole using four, three, and two components. Among these, four‐component synthesis is commonly reported by using benzaldehyde, hydrazine derivatives, ethyl acetoacetate and malononitrile due to the commercial availability and stability of the reagents. This review summarized the recent synthesis of pyranopyrazole i. e., mono‐ and bis‐pyranopyrazole derivatives via four‐, three‐ and two‐component‐based reactions. Mono‐ and bis‐pyranopyrazole derivatives varied due to the number of pyranopyrazole units that contributed to play an important role in increasing the binding interaction and biological activities beneficial for pharmaceutical industries.
Pioneering healthcare with soft robotic devices: A review
Authors: Wang Yuzhe , Xie Zhen , Huang Huishi , Liang Xinquan
Published: February 2024

Recent advancements in soft robotics have been emerging as an exciting paradigm in engineering due to their inherent compliance, safe human interaction, and ease of adaptation with wearable electronics. Soft robotic devices have the potential to provide innovative solutions and expand the horizons of possibilities for biomedical applications by bringing robots closer to natural creatures. In this review, we survey several promising soft robot technologies, including flexible fluidic actuators, shape memory alloys, cable‐driven mechanisms, magnetically driven mechanisms, and soft sensors. Selected applications of soft robotic devices as medical devices are discussed, such as surgical intervention, soft implants, rehabilitation and assistive devices, soft robotic exosuits, and prosthetics. We focus on how soft robotics can improve the effectiveness, safety and patient experience for each use case, and highlight current research and clinical challenges, such as biocompatibility, long‐term stability, and durability. Finally, we discuss potential directions and approaches to address these challenges for soft robotic devices to move toward real clinical translations in the future.
Data privacy protection model based on blockchain in mobile edge computing
Authors: Wu Junhua , Bu Xiangmei , Li Guangshun , Tian Guangwei
Published: February 2024

Mobile edge computing (MEC) technology is widely used for real‐time and bandwidth‐intensive services, but its underlying heterogeneous architecture may lead to a variety of security and privacy issues. Blockchain provides novel solutions for data security and privacy protection in MEC. However, the scalability of traditional blockchain is difficult to meet the requirements of real‐time data processing, and the consensus mechanism is not suitable for resource‐constrained devices. Moreover, the access control of MEC data needs to be further improved. Given the above problems, a data privacy protection model based on sharding blockchain and access control is designed in this paper. First, a privacy‐preserving platform based on a sharding blockchain is designed. Reputation calculation and improved Proof‐of‐Work (PoW) consensus mechanism are proposed to accommodate resource‐constrained edge devices. The incentive mechanism with rewards and punishments is designed to constrain node behavior. A reward allocation algorithm is proposed to encourage nodes to actively contribute to obtaining more rewards. Second, an access control strategy using ciphertext policy attribute‐based encryption (CP‐ABE) and RSA is designed. A smart contract is deployed to implement the automatic access control function. The InterPlanetary File System is introduced to alleviate the blockchain storage burden. Finally, we analyze the security of the proposed privacy protection model and statistics of the GAS consumed by the access control policy. The experimental results show that the proposed data privacy protection model achieves fine‐grained control of access rights, and has higher throughput and security than traditional blockchain.
Development and validation of a simple ultra‐high‐performance‐tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of five bioactive components in rat plasma of Hedysari Radix
Authors: Luo Xudong , Li Chengyi , Qi Peng , Liang Tingting , Feng Xiaoli , Wang Mingwei , Liu Shubin , Qiang Zhengze , Jia Miaoting , Wei Xiaocheng , Li Xu , He Jungang , Wang Yan
Published: February 2024

Hedysari Radix is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine that improves immunity; formononetin, ononin, calycosin, medicarpin, and vanillic acid play an important role in achieving this effect. Herein, a precise and sensitive ultra‐high‐performance‐tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of five bioactive components that were extracted from plasma using a protein precipitation method. A Waters CORTES C18 (4.6 × 50 mm, 2.7 µm) and a mobile phase composed of methanol and water (containing 0.2% formic acid) were used for the separation. The method was linear within the concentration range of 19.53–625.00 ng/mL for formononetin; 0.01–3.13 ng/mL for ononin; 0.01–3.13 ng/mL for calycosin; 0.16–5.00 ng/mL for medicarpin; and 19.53–625.00 ng/mL for vanillic acid. This method has a lower limit of quantification, is simple, and has a short analysis time and a high degree of separation. The intra‐day precisions and inter‐day precisions of quality control samples were traced to be below 8.58% and 12.64%, respectively. Fidelity intervened from −8.61% to 10%. Finally, the developed method was used to determine the concentrations of the five bioactive components in rat plasma after the administration of rubbing‐ and non‐rubbing processed Hedysari Radix.
Progress and Perspectives on Lithium Metal Powder for Rechargeable Batteries
Authors: Dzakpasu Cyril Bubu , Kang Dongyoon , Kim Dongyoung , Song Myunggeun , Jin Dahee , Ryou Sun‐Yul , Lee Yong Min
Published: February 2024

The increasing demand for batteries with high‐energy densities for applications such as electric vehicles necessitates a paradigm shift from the use of conventional graphite as anodes. Li metal is spotlighted as a replacement for graphite due to its ultrahigh theoretical capacity (3860 mAh g−1). However, Li metal foil is plagued with limited cycle life and safety concerns due to poor Coulombic efficiency and uncontrollable growth of Li dendrites. To overcome these challenges, utilizing Li metal in powder form instead of the conventional foil proves to be advantageous. The anode consisting of spherical‐shaped Li metal powders (LMPs) has a larger surface area than Li metal foil, resulting in a lower effective current density. Furthermore, using the powder‐based slurry process facilitates the fabrication of large‐area and thin‐film (≤20 μm) Li anodes. In this review, the various fabrication methods and surface stabilization techniques of LMPs are summarized with their associated patents. Also, research trends with regard to LMP‐based anodes toward high‐performance Li metal batteries (LMBs) are carefully presented. Additionally, the application of LMPs as prelithiation agents in electrode active materials for batteries and capacitors is outlined. Finally, perspectives are suggested regarding the future of LMPs to accelerate the commercialization of advanced LMBs.
In Situ Redox of TiSe2 Nanoplates to Excite Chemodynamic‐Enhanced Cancer Sono‐Immunotherapy
Authors: He Xialing , Cai Jinming , Hu Jinyan , Zhang Zhenlin , Bai Xue , Zhang Shan , Pan Dengyu , Liu Jinliang , Geng Bijiang
Published: February 2024

Different from the direct delivery of chemodynamic agents into tumor tissue for chemodynamic therapy (CDT), this work reports the fabrication of heterojunction sonosensitizers (CD/TiSe2) for the in situ generation of chemodynamic agents by responding to tumor microenvironment (TME), realizing the in situ CDT‐enhanced sono‐immunotherapy. The in situ redox of TiSe2 in acidic TME leads to the formation of TiOxSe2−x containing Se (0), selenate, and Ti3+/Ti4+ redox couple, which can facilitate in situ CDT through a Ti3+‐mediated Fenton‐like reaction and consume overexpressed glutathione (GSH) via a Ti4+‐mediated GSH depletion. Moreover, Se ions generated through the in situ redox process promote the maturation of dendritic cells, consequently activating the adaptive immune responses. In another aspect, the construction of heterojunctions within carbon dots and TiSe2 improves the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation efficiency of TiSe2 in a cascaded manner, which enhances the sonodynamic activity and amplifies the chemodynamic performance. More importantly, the ROS produced by in situ CDT and sonodynamic therapy efficiently triggers immunogenic cell death through a synergistic therapy based on the elicitation of antitumor immunity with the aid of an immune checkpoint blockade. This work thus provides a distinct paradigm of transition metal selenide‐originated in situ Fenton‐like agent generation for in situ CDT‐enhanced sono‐immunotherapy.
Orthopedic surgery in Palau—Current capacity, needs, and future directions
Authors: Snyder Eli M. , Withy Kelley , Dever Greg , Decherong Catherine , Adelbai‐Fraser Myra , Mekoll Ngirachisau , Uherbelau Gaafar , Kamal Robin N. , Shapiro Lauren M.
Published: February 2024

Background

Palau, an island nation in Micronesia, is a medically underserved area with a shortage of specialty care services. Orthopedic diagnoses in Palau remain among the three most common reasons for costly off‐island medical referral. The purpose of this study was to assess Palau's current orthopedic surgery capacity and needs to inform interventions to build capacity to improve care access and quality.

Methods

Orthopedic needs and capacity assessment tools developed by global surgical outreach experts were utilized to gather information and prompt discussions with a broad range of Palau's most knowledgeable stakeholders (n = 6). Results were reported descriptively.

Results

Finance, community impact, governance, and professional development were the lowest‐scored domains from the Capacity Assessment Tool for orthopedic surgery (CAT‐os), indicating substantial opportunity to build within these domains. According to administrators (n = 3), governance and finance were the greatest capacity‐building priorities, followed by professional development and partnership. Belau National Hospital (BNH) had adequate surgical infrastructure. Skin grafting, soft tissue excision/resection, infection management, and amputation were the most commonly selected procedures by stakeholders reporting orthopedic needs.

Conclusions

This study utilizes a framework for orthopedic capacity‐building in Palau which may inform partnership between Palau's healthcare system and orthopedic global outreach organizations with the goal of improving the quality, safety, and value of the care delivered. This demonstration of benchmarking, implementation planning, and subsequent re‐evaluation lays the foundation for the understanding of capacity‐building and may be applied to other medically underserved areas globally to improve access to high‐quality orthopedic care.
Gold(I) {2}‐Metallacoronates derived from a Catechol‐scaffolding Aroylbis(N,N‐diethylthiourea): Syntheses and Structures
Authors: Pham Chien Thang , Pham Thuy Thuy , Abram Ulrich , Nguyen Hung Huy
Published: February 2024

One‐pot reactions of catechol‐scaffolding aroylbis(N,N‐diethylthiourea) H2Lcat and mixtures of lanthanide nitrates Ln(NO3)3 (Ln3+=La3+, Nd3+ or Yb3+) or indium(III) chloride InCl3 and [Au(tht)Cl] in methanol in the presence of the supporting base Et3N result in gold(I) {2}‐metallacoronates. Depending on radii of the trivalent metal ions, the corresponding complexes are separated either in the neutral form with the composition {(NO3‐κ2‐O,O’)Ln⊂[Au2(Lcat)2]} in the cases of La3+ and Nd3+ or as the ‘ion‐pair’ {Yb⊂[Au2(Lcat)2]}+(NO3)− for the Yb(III) compound. The cationic complexes can be isolated in higher yields as the PF6− salts {M⊂[Au2(Lcat)2]}+(PF6)− (M3+=Yb3+ or In3+) by treatment of reaction mixtures with (n‐Bu4N)(PF6).
Historiography of Earth Sciences in Latin America
Authors: Figueirôa Silvia Fernanda de Mendonça , Lopes Maria Margaret
Published: February 2024

The geoscientific knowledge of the territories of the Americas was at the core of colonizing projects and international disputes over these territories. The historical studies of various aspects of Earth sciences bring countless references. They have been present since the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in the writings of the Portuguese Jesuits or chroniclers. Latin America continues to participate in the historiographical production of Earth sciences at the international level, in tune with mainstream trends, but with varying intensity depending on each country’s specific contexts and intellectual traditions. New perspectives suggest counterpoints to the unidirectional views of the old diffusionist proposals in the History of Sciences. They emphasize that governments’ individual, professional, institutional, political, economic, scientific, and theoretical interests are not dissociated and are linked to rocks, fossils, soils, mineral and energy resources, and landscapes. There is much to be explored along with the perspective of circulation of ideas, practices, and objects, and scientific cooperation in the continental context, without losing the dimension that the phenomena associated with Earth sciences, due to their spatial and temporal dimensions, are not subordinated to geopolitical frontiers that, in Latin America and various regions of the world, as a result of colonizing processes, wars, and territorial disputes, have changed over time.
Hamiltonian birefringence and Born-Infeld limits
Authors: Mezincescu Luca , Russo Jorge G. , Townsend Paul K.
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Using Hamiltonian methods, we find six relativistic theories of nonlinear electrodynamics for which plane wave perturbations about a constant uniform background are not birefringent. All have the same conformal strong-field limit to Bialynicki-Birula (BB) electrodynamics, but only four avoid superluminal propagation: Born-Infeld (BI), its non-conformal “extreme” limits (electric and magnetic) and the conformal BB limit. The quadratic dispersion relation of BI is shown to degenerate in the extreme limits to a pair of linear relations, which become identical in the BB limit.
Permawound Unipotent Groups
Authors: Rosengarten Zev
Published: February 2024

We introduce the class of permawound unipotent groups, and show that they simultaneously satisfy certain “ubiquity” and “rigidity” properties that in combination render them very useful in the study of general wound unipotent groups. As an illustration of their utility, we present two applications: We prove that nonsplit smooth unipotent groups over (infinite) fields finitely generated over $$\textbf{F}_p$$

F
p

have infinite first cohomology; and we show that every commutative p-torsion wound unipotent group over a field of degree of imperfection 1 is the maximal unipotent quotient of a commutative pseudo-reductive group, thus partially answering a question of Totaro.
Interaktive elektronische Visualisierungsformate in der studentischen Ausbildung
Authors: van Bonn Sara M. , Grajek Jan S. , Rettschlag Stefanie , Schraven Sebastian P. , Mlynski Robert
Published: February 2024

Hintergrund

Im Rahmen von Kontaktbeschränkungen wird die herkömmliche Lehre derzeit optimierungs- und ausbaufähig. Das Angebot an digitalen Lehrformaten in der studentischen Ausbildung ist sehr heterogen und die Effektivität ungewiss. Diese Studie zielt darauf ab zu untersuchen, inwieweit eine elektronische Visite als Alternative zum herkömmlichen HNO-Anwesenheitspraktikum genutzt werden kann und ob der Einsatz von elektronischen Lehrformaten einen Einfluss auf die Qualität der Lehre ausübt.

Material und Methoden

Anstelle regulärer Anwesenheitspraktika erfolgte einmal wöchentlich der Unterricht am Krankenbett in Echtzeit als Videostream via Tablet. In die prospektive Studie wurden 43 Studierende des 7. Semesters (WS 2020/2021) einbezogen. Mithilfe von Evaluationsbögen wurde der subjektive didaktische Wert verschiedener Visualisierungsformate für die Studierenden untersucht. Vergleichend hinzugezogen wurden die Klausurergebnisse der Vorjahre.

Ergebnisse

Die Mehrheit der Studierenden gaben an, einen Wissenszugewinn durch die elektronische Visite zu haben (93,02 %) und dass diese eine gute Alternative zum herkömmlichen Anwesenheitspraktikum darstellte (69,77 %). Die Qualität der Video- und Audioübertragung sowie Verständlichkeit der gezeigten Fallbeispiele wurde durchgehend als gut bis sehr gut bewertet. Die Klausurergebnisse der Studierenden waren im Testsemester tendenziell leicht schlechter als in den Kontrollsemestern.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die Integration innovativer interaktiver Visualisierungsmöglichkeiten in die Lehre zeigt vielversprechende Perspektiven als Ergänzung zum herkömmlichen Präsenzunterricht. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie können dazu beitragen, die digitale Lehre weiter auszubauen. Eine Skalierung dieses Modells könnte insbesondere in Ländern mit begrenzter Verfügbarkeit von Präsenzlehrplätzen in Betracht gezogen werden.
Prämenstruelles Syndrom und prämenstruelle dysphorische Störung – Übersicht zu Pathophysiologie, Diagnostik und Therapie
Authors: Haußmann Jana , Goeckenjan M. , Haußmann R. , Wimberger P.
Published: February 2024

Beim prämenstruellen Syndrom und der prämenstruellen dysphorischen Störung handelt es sich um episodisch in der 2. Zyklushälfte auftretende psychische und physische Symptome mit relevanter sozialer und beruflicher Beeinträchtigung im Alltag. Assoziierte depressive Symptome umfassen Stimmungsschwankungen, Depressivität und Gereiztheit, weshalb affektive Störungen eine relevante Differenzialdiagnose darstellen. Etwa 3–8 % aller Frauen im gebärfähigen Alter leiden an einem prämenstruellen Syndrom, während etwa 2 % von einer prämenstruellen dysphorischen Störung betroffen sind. Es werden genetische und soziobiografische Risikofaktoren diskutiert. Darüber hinaus werden genetische Polymorphismen spezifischer Hormonrezeptoren als ursächlich angenommen. Pathophysiologisch zentral scheint eine komplexe Interaktion von zyklischen hormonellen Veränderungen und dem zentralen Neurotransmitterhaushalt zu sein. Ein Ungleichgewicht der Wirkungen von Östrogen und Progesteron in der Lutealphase wird als endokrine Ursache der Symptomatik angenommen. Aus diesem Grunde wird häufig ein initialer Therapieversuch mittels Progesteronsubstitution in der zweiten Zyklushälfte durchgeführt, wobei die Evidenz diesbezüglich begrenzt ist. Auch die Gabe oraler kombinierter Kontrazeptiva stellt eine Option dar. Insbesondere für die Behandlung mit selektiven Serotoninwiederaufnahmehemmer (SSRI) existieren zahlreiche Wirkbelege. In schweren Fällen kann die Gabe von GnRH(Gonadotropin-Releasing-Hormon)-Analoga mit Add-back-Therapie erwogen werden. Insbesondere im Bereich affektiver Störungen stellen prämenstruelle Syndrome klinisch relevante Differenzialdiagnosen und Komorbiditäten dar, die Behandler vor besondere klinische Herausforderungen stellen. Diese Übersichtsarbeit soll der Leserschaft daher eine klinische Orientierung im Umgang mit diesem Störungsbild geben.
A $p$-adic arithmetic inner product formula
Authors: Disegni Daniel , Liu Yifeng
Published: February 2024

Fix a prime number $p$
p
and let $E/F$
E
/
F
be a CM extension of number fields in which $p$
p
splits relatively. Let $\pi $
π
be an automorphic representation of a quasi-split unitary group of even rank with respect to $E/F$
E
/
F
such that $\pi $
π
is ordinary above $p$
p
with respect to the Siegel parabolic subgroup. We construct the cyclotomic $p$
p
-adic $L$
L
-function of $\pi $
π
, and a certain generating series of Selmer classes of special cycles on Shimura varieties. We show, under some conditions, that if the vanishing order of the $p$
p
-adic $L$
L
-function is 1, then our generating series is modular and yields explicit nonzero classes (called Selmer theta lifts) in the Selmer group of the Galois representation of $E$
E
associated with $\pi $
π
; in particular, the rank of this Selmer group is at least 1. In fact, we prove a precise formula relating the $p$
p
-adic heights of Selmer theta lifts to the derivative of the $p$
p
-adic $L$
L
-function. In parallel to Perrin-Riou’s $p$
p
-adic analogue of the Gross–Zagier formula, our formula is the $p$
p
-adic analogue of the arithmetic inner product formula recently established by Chao Li and the second author.
Artificial intelligence support in MR imaging of incidental renal masses: an early health technology assessment
Authors: Marka Alexander W. , Luitjens Johanna , Gassert Florian T. , Steinhelfer Lisa , Burian Egon , Rübenthaler Johannes , Schwarze Vincent , Froelich Matthias F. , Makowski Marcus R. , Gassert Felix G.
Published: February 2024

Objective

This study analyzes the potential cost-effectiveness of integrating an artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted system into the differentiation of incidental renal lesions as benign or malignant on MR images during follow-up.

Materials and methods

For estimation of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and lifetime costs, a decision model was created, including the MRI strategy and MRI + AI strategy. Model input parameters were derived from recent literature. Willingness to pay (WTP) was set to $100,000/QALY. Costs of $0 for the AI were assumed in the base-case scenario. Model uncertainty and costs of the AI system were assessed using deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis.

Results

Average total costs were at $8054 for the MRI strategy and $7939 for additional use of an AI-based algorithm. The model yielded a cumulative effectiveness of 8.76 QALYs for the MRI strategy and of 8.77 for the MRI + AI strategy. The economically dominant strategy was MRI + AI. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed high robustness of the model with the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), which represents the incremental cost associated with one additional QALY gained, remaining below the WTP for variation of the input parameters. If increasing costs for the algorithm, the ICER of $0/QALY was exceeded at $115, and the defined WTP was exceeded at $667 for the use of the AI.

Conclusions

This analysis, rooted in assumptions, suggests that the additional use of an AI-based algorithm may be a potentially cost-effective alternative in the differentiation of incidental renal lesions using MRI and needs to be confirmed in the future.

Clinical relevance statement

These results hint at AI’s the potential impact on diagnosing renal masses. While the current study urges careful interpretation, ongoing research is essential to confirm and seamlessly integrate AI into clinical practice, ensuring its efficacy in routine diagnostics.

Key Points

• This is a model-based study using data from literature where AI has been applied in the diagnostic workup of incidental renal lesions.

• MRI + AI has the potential to be a cost-effective alternative in the differentiation of incidental renal lesions.

• The additional use of AI can reduce costs in the diagnostic workup of incidental renal lesions.
Patient acceptance of teleneurology across neurologic conditions
Authors: Seigel Courtney R. , Martin Holly , Bastin Grace , Myers Laura J. , Taylor Stan , Pike Francis , Wilkinson Jayne , Williams Linda S.
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Patient acceptability with outpatient teleneurology has been reported within specific conditions, but less is known about acceptability across neurologic conditions. The study objective was to compare the acceptability of teleneurology between patients with various neurological conditions and determine what other factors influence acceptability.

Methods

This was a prospective study of Veterans who completed new outpatient teleneurology visits with the Department of Veterans Affairs National Teleneurology Program. Visits were conducted via video to home or video to the outpatient clinic. Patient acceptability was assessed via telephone interview two weeks post-visit. Acceptability was a summed score (3–21) of three 7-point Likert questions (higher = more acceptable). Clinical diagnosis categories were based on the neurologists’ ICD10 diagnosis code. Acceptability score was modeled using a censored Tobit model controlling for demographics, type of tele-visit, medical comorbidity, and ICD10 category.

Results

In FY 2021, 277 of 637 (43.5%) patients completed an interview with analyzable acceptability data. Of these 277, 70 (25.3%) had codes indicating headache, 46 (16.6%) movement disorder, 45 (16.2%) general symptoms, and 116 (41.9%) for all other categories. Mean patient acceptability was 18.3 (SD 3.2). There was no significant difference in scores between these groups. The only factor independently related to acceptability was medical comorbidity, with higher comorbidity associated with higher acceptability scores.

Discussion

Patients find their outpatient teleneurology experience highly acceptable independent of neurologic condition. Those with more comorbidity report higher acceptability. Use of teleneurology may be useful and acceptable across many outpatient neurologic conditions including for more medically complex patients.
Machine learning predicts the risk of osteoporosis in patients with breast cancer and healthy women
Authors: Zhao Fang , Li Chaofan , Wang Weiwei , Zhang Yu , Yao Peizhuo , Wei Xinyu , Jia Yiwei , Dang Shaonong , Zhang Shuqun
Published: February 2024

Objective

In this study, we investigated the effects of endocrine therapy and related drugs on the body composition and bone metabolism of patients with breast cancer. Additionally, using body composition-related indicators in machine learning algorithms, the risks of osteoporosis in patients with breast cancer and healthy women were predicted.

Methods

We enrolled postmenopausal patients with breast cancer who were hospitalized in a tertiary hospital and postmenopausal women undergoing health checkups in our hospital between 2019 and 2021. The basic information, body composition, bone density-related indicators, and bone metabolism-related indicators of all the study subjects were recorded. Machine learning models were constructed using cross-validation.

Results

Compared with a healthy population, the body composition of patients with breast cancer was low in bone mass, protein, body fat percentage, muscle, and basal metabolism, whereas total water, intracellular fluid, extracellular fluid, and waist-to-hip ratio were high. In patients with breast cancer, the bone mineral density (BMD), Z value, and T value were low and the proportion of bone loss and osteoporosis was high. BMD in patients with breast cancer was negatively correlated with age, endocrine therapy status, duration of medication, and duration of menopause, and it was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) and basal metabolism. The parameters including body composition, age, hormone receptor status, and medication type were used for developing the machine learning model to predict osteoporosis risk in patients with breast cancer and healthy populations. The model showed a high accuracy in predicting osteoporosis, reflecting the predictive value of the model.

Conclusions

Patients with breast cancer may have changed body composition and BMD. Compared with the healthy population, the main indicators of osteoporosis in patients with breast cancer were reduced nonadipose tissue, increased risk of edema, altered fat distribution, and reduced BMD. In addition to age, duration of treatment, and duration of menopause, body composition-related indicators such as BMI and basal metabolism may be considerably associated with BMD of patients with breast cancer, suggesting that BMD status can be monitored in clinical practice by focusing on changes in the aforementioned indexes, which may provide a way to prevent preclinical osteoporosis.
Physiotherapeutische Differenzialdiagnose von Rückenschmerzen im Zusammenhang mit Endometriose
Authors: Oberegger Elisabeth , Taxer Bernhard
Published: February 2024

Hintergrund

Endometriose (EM) ist eines der häufigsten gynäkologischen Krankheitsbilder in unserer Gesellschaft. Die Diagnose des Krankheitsbilds dauert im Durchschnitt 7 bis 10 Jahre. Um diesen Zeitraum zu verkürzen, muss dieses Syndrom mehr Aufmerksamkeit bekommen. Das Ziel des vorliegenden Artikels ist es, Überschneidungen der beiden Krankheitsbilder EM und Low Back Pain (LBP) zu untersuchen und deren Relevanz für das physiotherapeutische Screening zu beschreiben.

Fragestellung

Welche klinischen Zeichen haben die Syndrome EM und LBP gemein und inwieweit kann das physiotherapeutische Screening gynäkologische Aspekte berücksichtigen und dementsprechend angepasst werden?

Ergebnisse

Um diese Fragestellung zu beantworten, wurden Entstehung sowie Symptome der beiden Syndrome recherchiert und auf Überschneidungen gescreent. Diese wurden dann in Bezug auf die bereits vorhandene Literatur und Fallstudien gesetzt. Die aktuelle Forschungslage zeigt Überschneidungen der beiden Krankheitsbilder hinsichtlich der Ätiologie, des Schmerzmechanismus sowie eines nicht zu unterschätzenden psychosozialen Aspekts. Die Studienlage zeigt, dass mehr Frauen als Männer von LBP und anderen chronischen Schmerzsyndromen betroffen sind. Die EM kommt fast ausschließlich bei Frauen vor und zählt wie der LBP zu den chronischen Schmerzsyndromen. So wird in der Literatur ein gemeinsamer Schmerzmechanismus der beiden Syndrome diskutiert. Die häufigste Überschneidung der beiden Krankheitsbilder zeigt sich durch das Auftreten des LBP als häufiges Symptom der EM, wobei dieser Zusammenhang durch strukturelle Ursachen sowie durch eine reflektorische Schmerzpräsentation begründet werden kann.

Schlussfolgerung

In der Physiotherapie können Hinweise auf EM in der Anamnese und physischen Untersuchung beobachtet werden. Das Berücksichtigen dieser Faktoren kann dabei helfen, die Diagnosezeit der EM zu verkürzen, indem man bei einem Verdacht auf eine gynäkologische Beteiligung bei LBP auf eine weitere Abklärung verweist. Eine umfassende Anamnese ist wichtig und sollte urologische, gynäkologische sowie sexualanamnestische Aspekte abdecken.
Changes in health-related quality of life and sleep habits after a 6-month non-randomised cluster-controlled trial among children with overweight or obesity
Authors: Kleppang Annette Løvheim , Abildsnes Eirik , Haraldstad Kristin , Stea Tonje Holte
Published: February 2024

Being overweight or obese can have severe negative psychological impacts and reduce health-related functioning. To improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and sleep habits for children with overweight or obesity, it is important to design and implement effective interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 6-month family-based lifestyle intervention on HRQoL and sleep habits in Norwegian children with overweight or obesity in a primary-care setting. This 6-month, non-randomised, cluster-controlled trial included Norwegian children aged 5–13 years with overweight or obesity and their parents. A questionnaire was filled out by the parents. A total of 33 and 52 children in the control group and 41 and 78 children in the intervention group answered the HRQoL and sleep habits questions, respectively, and were included. The intervention group received individual family counselling and participated in physical activity groups and nutrition courses. The Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and Kidscreen-10 index were used to assess sleep habits and HRQoL. At baseline, the mean average scores for HRQoL were 50.0 [standard deviation (SD) 8.1] for the intervention group and 49.0 (SD 10.1) for the control group. For sleep habits at baseline, the mean average scores were 45.2 (SD 11.8) for the intervention group and 46.0 (SD 11.9) for the control group. No significant changes in HRQoL and sleep habits after the intervention were revealed. Overall, the family-based lifestyle intervention targeting overweight and obese children in a primary-care setting showed no significant effect on HRQoL or sleep quality.
How to track and segment fish without human annotations: a self-supervised deep learning approach
Authors: Saleh Alzayat , Sheaves Marcus , Jerry Dean , Rahimi Azghadi Mostafa
Published: February 2024

Tracking fish movements and sizes of fish is crucial to understanding their ecology and behaviour. Knowing where fish migrate, how they interact with their environment, and how their size affects their behaviour can help ecologists develop more effective conservation and management strategies to protect fish populations and their habitats. Deep learning is a promising tool to analyse fish ecology from underwater videos. However, training deep neural networks (DNNs) for fish tracking and segmentation requires high-quality labels, which are expensive to obtain. We propose an alternative unsupervised approach that relies on spatial and temporal variations in video data to generate noisy pseudo-ground-truth labels. We train a multi-task DNN using these pseudo-labels. Our framework consists of three stages: (1) an optical flow model generates the pseudo-labels using spatial and temporal consistency between frames, (2) a self-supervised model refines the pseudo-labels incrementally, and (3) a segmentation network uses the refined labels for training. Consequently, we perform extensive experiments to validate our method on three public underwater video datasets and demonstrate its effectiveness for video annotation and segmentation. We also evaluate its robustness to different imaging conditions and discuss its limitations.
Understanding upper-limb movements via neurocomputational models of the sensorimotor system and neurorobotics: where we stand
Authors: Parziale Antonio , Marcelli Angelo
Published: February 2024

Roboticists and neuroscientists are interested in understanding and reproducing the neural and cognitive mechanisms behind the human ability to interact with unknown and changing environments as well as to learn and execute fine movements. In this paper, we review the system-level neurocomputational models of the human motor system, and we focus on biomimetic models simulating the functional activity of the cerebellum, the basal ganglia, the motor cortex, and the spinal cord, which are the main central nervous system areas involved in the learning, execution, and control of movements. We review the models that have been proposed from the early of 1970s, when the first cerebellar model was realized, up to nowadays, when the embodiment of these models into robots acting in the real world and into software agents acting in a virtual environment has become of paramount importance to close the perception-cognition-action cycle. This review shows that neurocomputational models have contributed to the comprehension and reproduction of neural mechanisms underlying reaching movements, but much remains to be done because a whole model of the central nervous system controlling musculoskeletal robots is still missing.
High-resolution prediction models for Rhipicephalus microplus and Amblyomma cajennense s.l. ticks affecting cattle and their spatial distribution in continental Ecuador using bioclimatic factors
Authors: Pérez-Otáñez Ximena , Rodríguez-Hidalgo Richar , Enríquez Sandra , Celi-Erazo Maritza , Benítez Washington , Saegerman Claude , Vaca-Moyano Franklin , Ron-Garrido Lenin , Vanwambeke Sophie O.
Published: February 2024

In Ecuador, the main tick species affecting cattle are Rhipicephalus microplus and Amblyomma cajennense sensu lato. Understanding their spatial distribution is crucial. To assess their distribution, data from 2895 farms visited between 2012 and 2017 were utilized. Ticks were collected during animal inspections, with each farm’s location georeferenced. Bioclimatic variables and vapor pressure deficit data were obtained from Climatologies at High resolution for the Earth´s Land Surface Areas (CHELSA) dataset. They were overlaid to develop predictive maps for each species using Random Forest (RF) models. The cross-validation results for RF prediction models showed high accuracy for both R. microplus and A. cajennense s.l. presence with values of accuracy = 0.97 and 0.98, sensitivity = 0.96 and 0.99, and specificity = 0.96 and 0.93, respectively. A carefully selected subset of bioclimatic variables was used to describe the presence of each tick species. Higher levels of precipitation had positive effect on the presence of R. microplus but a negative effect on A. cajennense s.l. In contrast, isothermality (BIO3) was more important for the presence of A. cajennense s.l. compared to R. microplus. As a result, R. microplus had a broader distribution across the country, while A. cajennense s.l. was mainly found in coastal areas with evident seasonality. The coexistence of both species in some regions could be attributed to transitional zones, whereas high altitudes limited tick presence. This information can aid in developing appropriate tick management plans, particularly considering A. cajennense s.l.’s broad host range species and R. microplus’s specificity for cattle. Moreover, the predictive models can identify areas at risk of associated challenging hemoparasite, requiring special attention and mitigation measures.

Graphic abstract
Effect of temporal resolution on calcium scoring: insights from photon-counting detector CT
Authors: Sartoretti Thomas , Mergen Victor , Dzaferi Amina , Allmendinger Thomas , Manka Robert , Alkadhi Hatem , Eberhard Matthias
Published: February 2024

To intra-individually investigate the variation of coronary artery calcium (CAC), aortic valve calcium (AVC), and mitral annular calcium (MAC) scores and the presence of blur artifacts as a function of temporal resolution in patients undergoing non-contrast cardiac CT on a dual-source photon counting detector (PCD) CT. This retrospective, IRB-approved study included 70 patients (30 women, 40 men, mean age 78 ± 9 years) who underwent ECG-gated cardiac non-contrast CT with PCD-CT (gantry rotation time 0.25 s) prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Each scan was reconstructed at a temporal resolution of 66 ms using the dual-source information and at 125 ms using the single-source information. Average heart rate and heart rate variability were calculated from the recorded ECG. CAC, AVC, and MAC were quantified according to the Agatston method on images with both temporal resolutions. Two readers assessed blur artifacts using a 4-point visual grading scale. The influence of average heart rate and heart rate variability on calcium quantification and blur artifacts of the respective structures were analyzed by linear regression analysis. Mean heart rate and heart rate variability during data acquisition were 76 ± 17 beats per minute (bpm) and 4 ± 6 bpm, respectively. CAC scores were smaller on 66 ms (median, 511; interquartile range, 220–978) than on 125 ms reconstructions (538; 203–1050, p < 0.001). Median AVC scores [2809 (2009–3952) versus 3177 (2158–4273)] and median MAC scores [226 (0-1284) versus 251 (0-1574)] were also significantly smaller on 66ms than on 125ms reconstructions (p < 0.001). Reclassification of CAC and AVC risk categories occurred in 4% and 11% of cases, respectively, whereby the risk category was always overestimated on 125ms reconstructions. Image blur artifacts were significantly less on 66ms as opposed to 125 ms reconstructions (p < 0.001). Intra-individual analyses indicate that temporal resolution significantly impacts on calcium scoring with cardiac CT, with CAC, MAC, and AVC being overestimated at lower temporal resolution because of increased motion artifacts eventually leading to an overestimation of patient risk.