bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein biomarkers of disease progression in patients with systemic sclerosis associated interstitial lung disease
Authors: Cerro-Chiang Giuliana , Ayres Matthew , Rivas Alejandro , Romero Tahmineh , Parker Sarah J. , Mastali Mitra , Elashoff David , Chen Peter , Van Eyk Jennifer E. , Wolters Paul J. , Boin Francesco , Zaman Tanzira
Published: May 2023

Systemic sclerosis is a rare connective tissue disease; and interstitial lung disease (SSc–ILD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There are no clinical, radiologic features, nor biomarkers that identify the specific time when patients are at risk for progression at which the benefits from treatment outweigh the risks. Our study aimed to identify blood protein biomarkers associated with progression of interstitial lung disease in patients with SSc–ILD using an unbiased, high-throughput approach. We classified SSc–ILD as progressive or stable based on change in forced vital capacity over 12 months or less. We profiled serum proteins by quantitative mass spectrometry and analyzed the association between protein levels and progression of SSc–ILD via logistic regression. The proteins associated with at a p value of < 0.1 were queried in the ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software to identify interaction networks, signaling, and metabolic pathways. Through principal component analysis, the relationship between the top 10 principal components and progression was evaluated. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering with heatmapping was done to define unique groups. The cohort consisted of 72 patients, 32 with progressive SSc–ILD and 40 with stable disease with similar baseline characteristics. Of a total of 794 proteins, 29 were associated with disease progression. After adjusting for multiple testing, these associations did not remain significant. IPA identified five upstream regulators that targeted proteins associated with progression, as well as a canonical pathway with a higher signal in the progression group. Principal component analysis showed that the ten components with the highest Eigenvalues represented 41% of the variability of the sample. Unsupervised clustering analysis revealed no significant heterogeneity between the subjects. We identified 29 proteins associated with progressive SSc–ILD. While these associations did not remain significant after accounting for multiple testing, some of these proteins are part of pathways relevant to autoimmunity and fibrogenesis. Limitations included a small sample size and a proportion of immunosuppressant use in the cohort, which could have altered the expression of inflammatory and immunologic proteins. Future directions include a targeted evaluation of these proteins in another SSc–ILD cohort or application of this study design to a treatment naïve population.
Effects of customized insoles with medial wedges on lower extremity kinematics and ultrasonographic findings in plantar fasciitis persons
Authors: Thong-On Suthasinee , Harutaichun Pavinee
Published: May 2023

The customized insole is widely recommended as an effective intervention for pain reduction and foot function improvement in plantar fasciitis persons. However, it is unclear whether the additional correction of medial wedges could change the kinematics from the only insole. The objectives of this study were thus to compare customized insoles with and without medial wedges on lower extremity kinematics during gait and to determine the short-term effects of the customized insole with medial wedges on pain intensity, foot function, and ultrasonographic findings in plantar fasciitis persons. A within-subject, randomized, crossover design within motion analysis research laboratory was conducted among 35 persons with plantar fasciitis. Main outcome measures included joint motions of the lower extremity and multi-segment foot, pain intensity, foot function, and ultrasonographic findings. The customized insole with medial wedges produced less knee motion in the transverse plane and hallux motion in all planes during the propulsive phase than that without medial wedges (all p < 0.05). After the 3-month follow-up, the insoles with medial wedges decreased pain intensity and increased foot function. Abnormal ultrasonographic findings also decreased significantly after the 3-month treatment of insoles with medial wedges. Customized insoles with medial wedges seem superior to those without medial wedges on both multi-segment foot motion and knee motion during propulsion. Positive outcomes from this study supported the use of customized insoles with medial wedges as an effective conservative treatment in patients with plantar fasciitis.

Trial registration: TCTR20210928006 (28/09/2021).
Metabolomic analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis reveals metabolic profiles for identification of drug-resistant tuberculosis
Authors: Chaiyachat Pratchakan , Kaewseekhao Benjawan , Chaiprasert Angkana , Kamolwat Phalin , Nonghanphithak Ditthawat , Phetcharaburanin Jutarop , Sirichoat Auttawit , Ong Rick Twee-Hee , Faksri Kiatichai
Published: May 2023

The detection of pre-extensively (pre-XDR) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is challenging. Drug-susceptibility tests for some anti-TB drugs, especially ethambutol (ETH) and ethionamide (ETO), are problematic due to overlapping thresholds to differentiate between susceptible and resistant phenotypes. We aimed to identify possible metabolomic markers to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strains causing pre-XDR and XDR-TB. The metabolic patterns of ETH- and ETO-resistant Mtb isolates were also investigated. Metabolomics of 150 Mtb isolates (54 pre-XDR, 63 XDR-TB and 33 pan-susceptible; pan-S) were investigated. Metabolomics of ETH and ETO phenotypically resistant subgroups were analyzed using UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. Orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis revealed distinct separation in all pairwise comparisons among groups. Two metabolites (meso-hydroxyheme and itaconic anhydride) were able to differentiate the pre-XDR and XDR-TB groups from the pan-S group with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. In comparisons of the ETH and ETO phenotypically resistant subsets, sets of increased (ETH = 15, ETO = 7) and decreased (ETH = 1, ETO = 6) metabolites specific for the resistance phenotype of each drug were found. We demonstrated the potential for metabolomics of Mtb to differentiate among types of DR-TB as well as between isolates that were phenotypically resistant to ETO and ETH. Thus, metabolomics might be further applied for DR-TB diagnosis and patient management.
Improving upconversion luminescence intensity of BiTa7O19:Er3+/Yb3+ by polyvalent Sb co-doping
Authors: Li Lei , Cao Yongze , Cui Hongqiang , Li Guojian , Li Ying , Zhang Yuhang , Zhang Jinsu , Chen Baojiu
Published: May 2023

a) Powder XRD results. (b) Enlarged diffraction patterns. (c) BiTa7O19:0.1Er3+/0.4Yb3+/Sb structural representation. (d) The correlation of the green UCL integral intensity with various 980 nm laser power densities.
Preparation of chitosan/cellulose composite copper catalyst for green synthesis in the construction of C–Si bonds in aqueous phase
Authors: Zhang Yaoyao , Han Biao , Zhang Zelang , Zhao Xue , Li Weishuang , Li Bojie , Zhu Lei
Published: May 2023

Green and recyclable chitosan/cellulose composite copper gelatinous microbeads were successfully developed for the silylation of α,β-unsaturated acceptors in aqueous phase with a broad substrate scope.
Precise measurement of 40K isotopic anomalies in small samples using a TIMS with a 1013 ohm amplifier
Authors: Zhang Yingnan , Wang Siwei , Liu Jia , Yang Bing , Qin Liping
Published: May 2023

Here we present a novel method of measuring K isotopic anomalies under a small ion current. Additionally we have developed a new method to calibrate gain and baseline factors of the 1013 Ω amplifier, effectively addressing its time and temperature drifts.
Rare-earth doped hexagonal NaYbF4 nanoprobes with size-controlled and NIR-II emission for multifunctional applications
Authors: Min Yu , Ding Xin , Yu Bing , Cong Hailin , Shen Youqing
Published: May 2023

Hexagonal NaYbF4-based fluorescent nanoparticles are widely used in near-infrared bioimaging, especially in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window region, which has obvious advantages in imaging depth and contrast.
An object detection approach with residual feature fusion and second‐order term attention mechanism
Authors: Li Cuijin , Qu Zhong , Wang Shengye
Published: May 2023

Automatically detecting and locating remote occlusion small objects from the images of complex traffic environments is a valuable and challenging research. Since the boundary box location is not sufficiently accurate and it is difficult to distinguish overlapping and occluded objects, the authors propose a network model with a second‐order term attention mechanism and occlusion loss. First, the backbone network is built on CSPDarkNet53. Then a method is designed for the feature extraction network based on an item‐wise attention mechanism, which uses the filtered weighted feature vector to replace the original residual fusion and adds a second‐order term to reduce the information loss in the process of fusion and accelerate the convergence of the model. Finally, an objected occlusion regression loss function is studied to reduce the problems of missed detections caused by dense objects. Sufficient experimental results demonstrate that the authors’ method achieved state‐of‐the‐art performance without reducing the detection speed. The mAP@.5 of the method is 85.8% on the Foggy_cityscapes dataset and the mAP@.5 of the method is 97.8% on the KITTI dataset.
SNENet: An adaptive stego noise extraction network using parallel dilated convolution for JPEG image steganalysis
Authors: Fan Wentong , Li Zhenyu , Li Hao , Zhang Yi , Luo Xiangyang
Published: May 2023

The steganalysis for JPEG image is an important research topic, as the enormous popularity of JPEG image on Internet. However, the stego noise feature extraction process of the existing deep learning‐based steganalytic methods are not adaptive enough to the content of the image, which may lead to suboptimal steganalysis performance. In order to solve this issue, an adaptive stego noise extraction network, named SNENet, for JPEG image steganalysis is proposed. The stego noise extraction module of the network is specifically designed for steganalysis, which consists of parallel dilated convolutional layer and inverted bottleneck layer. This specific design expands the receptive field of the network, which makes the extraction of the stego noise more global and adaptive to the content of the image. The experimental results indicate that proposed network outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art steganalytic method by as much as 6.25% for UED‐JC and 3.35% for J‐UNIWARD. The design of the network is also justified in the extensive ablation experiments.
Detection of Internet‐wide traffic redirection attacks using machine learning techniques
Authors: Subtil Ana , Oliveira M. Rosário , Valadas Rui , Salvador Paulo , Pacheco António
Published: May 2023

Internet‐wide traffic redirection attacks have been reported for long, and are mainly caused by Border Gateway Protocol route hijacking. Such attacks can be quite harmful, impairing access to popular Internet sites for long periods. This work addresses the use of machine learning techniques (both unsupervised and supervised) leveraging from a distributed monitoring infrastructure of probes that measure the round trip time to Internet sites under surveillance. The detection process is separated into two stages: per‐probe classification and a combination of individual probe decisions. Our results show that the best strategy is to classify using an unsupervised technique based on Tukey's method and to combine using Hidden Markov Models, due to its performance and adaptability to different attack types.
Parameter identification of DC–DC converter based on dendrite net under fluctuating input voltages
Authors: Jiang Yueming , Liu Yanlong , Yang Zhiming
Published: May 2023

The traditional identification methods of direct current‐to‐direct current (DC–DC) converters usually consider the common situation where the training and testing sets have the same input voltage. In real‐world applications, the actual input voltage may fluctuate beyond its original value, thus negatively affecting the parameter identification accuracy. Therefore, this paper presents a parameter identification method under fluctuating input voltages. Firstly, to increase the identification accuracy, the paper proposes the coefficient of variation method to extract key features from all time‐ and frequency‐domain features as training data. Then, for fluctuating input voltages, the paper adds the input voltages into the training data to build the parameter identification network based on Dendrite Net. When using the established network to identify component parameters in practical applications, the actual input voltage may change to an unknown value because of irregular fluctuation. Hence, the actual input voltage needs to be identified before identifying the component parameters of a DC–DC converter. Finally, the paper builds the input voltage identification network. By combining the identification results of the actual input voltage, the parameter identification under fluctuating input voltages can be completed. The simulation and hardware experiments results validate the practicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Quantification of storage required for preserving frequency security in wind‐integrated systems
Authors: Bera Atri , Nguyen Nga , Chalamala Babu , Mitra Joydeep
Published: May 2023

The penetration of wind power generation into the power grid has been accelerated in recent times due to the aggressive emission targets set by governments and other regulatory authorities. Although wind power has the advantage of being environment‐friendly, wind as a resource is intermittent in nature. In addition, wind power contributes little inertia to the system as most wind turbines are connected to the grid via power electronic converters. These negative aspects of wind power pose serious challenges to the frequency security of power systems as penetration increases. In this work, an approach is proposed where an energy storage system (ESS) is used to mitigate frequency security issues of wind‐integrated systems. ESSs are well equipped to supply virtual inertia to the grid due to their fast‐acting nature, thus replenishing some of the energy storage capability of displaced inertial generation. In this work, a probabilistic approach is proposed to estimate the amount of inertia required by a system to ensure frequency security. Reduction in total system inertia due to the displacement of conventional synchronous generation by wind power generation is considered in this approach, while also taking into account the loss of inertia due to forced outages of conventional units. Monte Carlo simulation is employed for implementing the probabilistic estimation of system inertia. An ESS is then sized appropriately, using the system swing equation, to compensate for the lost inertia. The uncertainty associated with wind energy is modeled into the framework using an autoregressive moving average technique. Effects of increasing the system peak load and changing the wind profile on the expected system inertia are studied to illustrate various factors that might affect system frequency security. The proposed method is validated using the IEEE 39‐bus test system.
Featureless transmission spectra of 12 giant exoplanets observed by GTC/OSIRIS
Authors: Jiang C. , Chen G. , Pallé E. , Murgas F. , Parviainen H. , Ma Y.
Published: May 2023

Context. Exoplanet atmospheres are the key to understanding the nature of exoplanets. To this end, transit spectrophotometry provides us opportunities to investigate the physical properties and chemical compositions of exoplanet atmospheres.

Aims. We aim to detect potential atmospheric signatures in 12 gaseous giant exoplanets using transit spectrophotometry and we try to constrain their atmospheric properties.

Methods. The targets of interest were observed using transit spectrophotometry with the GTC OSIRIS instrument. We estimated the transit parameters and obtained the optical transmission spectra of the target planets using a Bayesian framework. We analyzed the spectral features in the transmission spectra based on atmospheric retrievals.

Results. Most of the observed transmission spectra were found to be featureless, with only the spectrum of CoRoT-1b showing strong evidence for atmospheric features. However, in combination with the previously published near-infrared transmission spectrum, we found multiple interpretations for the atmosphere of CoRoT-1b due to the lack of decisive evidence for alkali metals or optical absorbers.

Conclusions. Featureless spectra are not necessarily indicative of cloudy atmospheres if they poorly constrain the altitudes of cloud decks. Precise constraints on the models of hazes and clouds strongly depend on the significance of the observed spectral features. Further investigations on these exoplanets, especially CoRoT-1b, are required to confirm the properties of their atmospheres.
Postoperative adjuvant therapy for 120 patients with melanoma, including acral and mucosal subtypes: a multicentre, observational study of 2-year follow-up results
Authors: Muto Yusuke , Kambayashi Yumi , Kato Hiroshi , Fukushima Satoshi , Ito Takamichi , Maekawa Takeo , Shoichiro Ishizuki , Uchi Hiroshi , Matsushita Shigeto , Yamamoto Yuki  , Yoshino Koji , Fujisawa Yasuhiro  , Amagai Ryo , Ohuchi Kentaro  , Hashimoto Akira , Asano Yoshihide  , Fujimura Taku
Published: May 2023

We retrospectively analysed 120 cases of melanoma in Japanese patients in the adjuvant setting as an observational study. Nonacral cutaneous-type melanoma (low-CSD and high-CSD types) had significantly better RFS than acral-type melanoma. On multivariate analyses, the acral subtype and agents used in adjuvant therapy were identified as important prognostic factors.
The importance of general medical training in dermatology: joining the spots to connect the dots
Authors: Bala Laksha , Patel Neil P , Hussain Khawar 
Published: May 2023

The UK is one of the few countries worldwide where core training in general medicine is mandatory prior to specialist training in dermatology. Developing a solid grounding in medicine is crucial for safe use of systemic and biologic medications, recognizing systemic diseases and collaborating with other medical specialities. It is imperative that as dermatologists we remember to think beyond the skin and assess our patients as a whole.
Methodological and Reporting Quality of Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Antiretroviral Therapies: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lo Carson K L , Komorowski Adam S , Hall Clayton W , Sandstrom Teslin S , Alamer Amnah A M , Mourad Omar , Li Xena X , Al Ohaly Rand , Benoit Marie-Ève , Duncan D Brody , Fuller Charlotte A , Shaw Shazeema , Suresh Mallika , Smaill Fiona , Kapoor Andrew K , Smieja Marek , Mertz Dominik , Bai Anthony D ,   for the McMaster Infectious Diseases Fellow Research Group
Published: May 2023

Background

It is unclear whether the reporting quality of antiretroviral (ARV) noninferiority (NI) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has improved since the CONSORT guideline release in 2006. The primary objective of this systematic review was assessing the methodological and reporting quality of ARV NI-RCTs. We also assessed reporting quality by funding source and publication year.

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central from inception to 14 November 2022. We included NI-RCTs comparing ≥2 ARV regimens used for human immunodeficiency virus treatment or prophylaxis. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool to assess risk of bias. Screening and data extraction were performed blinded and in duplicate. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data; statistical tests were 2 sided, with significance defined as P < .05. The systematic review was prospectively registered (PROSPERO CRD42022328586), and not funded.

Results

We included 160 articles reporting 171 trials. Of these articles, 101 (63.1%) did not justify the NI margin used, and 28 (17.5%) did not provide sufficient information for sample size calculation. Eighty-nine of 160 (55.6%) reported both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses, while 118 (73.8%) described missing data handling. Ten of 171 trials (5.9%) reported potentially misleading results. Pharmaceutical industry–funded trials were more likely to be double-blinded (28.1% vs 10.3%; P = .03) and to describe missing data handling (78.5% vs 59.0%; P = .02). The overall risk of bias was low in 96 of 160 studies (60.0%).

Conclusions

ARV NI-RCTs should improve NI margin justification, reporting of intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses, and missing data handling to increase CONSORT adherence.
Aristotelian themes in critical ethical naturalism
Authors: Ragkousis Antonis
Published: May 2023

Key features of critical ethical naturalism (CEN) can be more fully appreciated by considering them in relation to themes in Aristotle’s ethics and politics. Drawing on Aristotle’s writings, four central features of CEN are explored. The first aspect of CEN considered concerns its recognition that we are community beings that are mutually constituted and subject to co-development, Aristotle’s discussion of character friendship and our essentially political nature supports a fuller appreciation of what this involves and implies. A second aspect of CEN examined relates to the use of the term ‘eudaimonia’ to refer to a life of a human fulfilled (a life of flourishing)—Aristotle’s own use of the term is considered and shown to be valuable in clarifying its deployment in CEN. The third feature of CEN discussed concerns the extent to which all humans are critical ethical naturalists due to their inherent dispositions to care. Aristotle is seen as supporting the view that we have an inbuilt tendency to care but is shown to also maintain that humans, when rational, choose to endorse their caring (rather than other) tendencies not simply because they are natural but because they are good. These insights enable a better appreciation of CEN’s claims by clarifying the connections between our rational faculties and our innate tendencies to care for others. Finally, the recognition in CEN of the vulnerabilities of humans stemming from their communal nature and the analysis of ways in which certain configurations of social relations weaken our tendencies to care and form obstacles in the path to a good society are shown to echo important reservations Aristotle had about certain forms of association. Aristotle’s notion of organicity in the development of social arrangements is shown to provide useful clarifications regarding the notion of authenticity (and its connections with human flourishing) as the latter is deployed in CEN.
A machine-learning procedure to detect network attacks
Authors: Coppes Davide , Cermelli Paolo
Published: May 2023

The goal of this note is to assess whether simple machine-learning algorithms can be used to determine whether and how a given network has been attacked. The procedure is based on the k-Nearest Neighbour and the Random Forest classification schemes, using both intact and attacked Erdős–Rényi, Barabasi–Albert and Watts–Strogatz networks to train the algorithm. The types of attacks we consider here are random failures and maximum-degree or maximum-betweenness node deletion. Each network is characterized by a list of four metrics, namely the normalized reciprocal maximum degree, the global clustering coefficient, the normalized average path length and the degree assortativity: a statistical analysis shows that this list of graph metrics is indeed significantly different in intact or damaged networks. We test the procedure by choosing both artificial and real networks, performing the attacks and applying the classification algorithms to the resulting graphs: the procedure discussed here turns out to be able to distinguish between intact networks and those attacked by the maximum-degree of maximum-betweenness deletions, but cannot detect random failures. Our results suggest that this approach may provide a basis for the analysis and detection of network attacks.
Treatment burden and cost-effectiveness analysis of the neoadjuvant CROSS regimen in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Gao Xing , Yang Zhi-Hao , Cheng Yi-Hsuan , Chi Chun-Ling , Yang Tzu-Yi , Chuang Kai-Hao , Wu Chiao-En , van Lanschot Joseph Jan-Baptist , Wen Yu-Wen , Chao Yin-Kai
Published: May 2023

High-quality evidence indicated that both neoadjuvant carboplatin/paclitaxel (CROSS) and cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (PF) regimens in combination with radiotherapy improve survival outcomes compared to surgery alone in patients with esophageal cancer. It is not yet known whether they may differ in terms of treatment burden and healthcare costs. A total of 232 Taiwanese patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who had undergone neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) with either the CROSS (n = 153) or the PF (n = 79) regimens were included. Hospital encounters and adverse events were assessed for determining treatment burden. Cost-effectiveness analysis was undertaken using the total costs incurred over 3 years in relation to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Compared with PF, the CROSS regimen was associated with a lower treatment burden: shorter inpatient days on average (4.65 ± 10.05 vs. 15.14 ± 17.63 days; P < 0.001) and fewer admission requirements (70% of the patients were never admitted vs. 20% in the PF group; P < 0.001). Patients in the CROSS group experienced significantly less nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. While the benefits observed in the CROSS group were associated with additional nCRT-related expenditures (1388 United States dollars [USD] of added cost per patient), this regimen remained cost-effective. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of 50,000 USD per life-year, the probability of the CROSS regimen to be more cost-effective than PF was 94.1% for PFS but decreased to 68.9% for OS. The use of the CROSS regimen for nCRT in patients with ESCC was associated with a lower treatment burden and was more cost-effective than PF.
Humans can detect axillary odor cues of an acute respiratory infection in others
Authors: Tognetti Arnaud , Williams Megan N , Lybert Nathalie , Lekander Mats , Axelsson John , Olsson Mats J
Published: May 2023

Background and objectives

Body odor conveys information about health status to conspecifics and influences approach-avoidance behaviors in animals. Experiments that induce sickness in otherwise healthy individuals suggest that humans too can detect sensory cues to infection in others. Here, we investigated whether individuals could detect through smell a naturally occurring acute respiratory infection in others and whether sickness severity, measured via body temperature and sickness symptoms, was associated with the accuracy of detection.

Methodology

Body odor samples were collected from 20 donors, once while healthy and once while sick with an acute respiratory infection. Using a double-blind, two-alternative forced-choice method, 80 raters were instructed to identify the sick body odor from paired sick and healthy samples (i.e. 20 pairs).

Results

Sickness detection was significantly above chance, although the magnitude of the effect was low (56.7%). Raters’ sex and disgust sensitivity were not associated with the accuracy of sickness detection. However, we find some indication that greater change in donor body temperature, but not sickness symptoms, between sick and healthy conditions improved sickness detection accuracy.

Conclusion and implications

Our findings suggest that humans can detect individuals with an acute respiratory infection through smell, albeit only slightly better than chance. Humans, similar to other animals, are likely able to use sickness odor cues to guide adaptive behaviors that decrease the risk of contagion, such as social avoidance. Further studies should determine how well humans can detect specific infections through body odor, such as Covid-19, and how multisensory cues to infection are used simultaneously.
Impact of healthy lifestyles on risk of hypertension in the Chinese population: finding from SHUN-CVD study
Authors: Zhen Juanying , Liu Shuyun , Zhao Guoru , Peng Hao , Xu Aimin , Li Chao , Wu Jun , Cheung Bernard Man Yung
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Lifestyle factors are known to play a role in the development of hypertension. We aimed to study the relationship between lifestyle and hypertension in a Chinese population.

Methods

This study involved 3,329 participants (1,463 men and 1,866 women) aged 18–96 years in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong United Network on Cardiovascular Disease. A healthy lifestyle score was derived from 5 factors: no smoking, no alcohol consumption, active physical activity, normal body mass index, and a healthy diet. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between lifestyle score and hypertension. The influence of each lifestyle component on hypertension was also assessed.

Results

In the overall population, 950 (28.5%) participants had hypertension. The risk of hypertension decreased with increasing healthy lifestyle scores. Compared with participants with the lowest score (score: 0), the multivariable odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals for participants with scores 3, 4, and 5 were 0.65 (0.41–1.01), 0.62 (0.40–0.97), and 0.37 (0.22–0.61), respectively (P for trend <0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, and diabetes, the score was associated with hypertension risk (P for trend = 0.005). Compared with a lifestyle score of 0, the adjusted OR for hypertension for participants with a score of 5 was 0.46 (0.26–0.80).

Conclusions

The risk of hypertension is inversely related to the healthy lifestyle score. This reinforces the need to address lifestyle to reduce the risk of hypertension.
A Stress Protein–Based Suicide Prediction Score and Relationship to Reported Early-Life Adversity and Recent Life Stress
Authors: Underwood Mark D , Galfalvy Hanga , Hsiung Shu-chi , Liu Yan , Simpson Norman R , Bakalian Mihran J , Rosoklija Gorazd B , Dwork Andrew J , Arango Victoria , Mann J John
Published: May 2023

Background

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a major stress response system, and excessive HPA responses can impact major depressive disorder and suicide. We examined relationships between reported early-life adversity (ELA), recent-life stress (RLS), suicide, and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), CRH binding protein, FK506-binding protein (FKBP5), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in postmortem human prefrontal cortex (BA9), and anterior cingulate cortex (BA24).

Methods

Thirteen quadruplets, matched for sex, age, and postmortem interval and consisting of suicide decedents and healthy controls, were divided equally into those with and without ELA. ELA, RLS, and psychiatric diagnoses were determined by psychological autopsy. Protein levels were determined by western blots.

Results

There were no suicide- or ELA-related differences in CRH, CRH binding protein, GR, or FKBP5 in BA9 or BA24 and no interaction between suicide and ELA (P > .05). For BDNF, there was an interaction between suicide and ELA in BA24; suicides without ELA had less BDNF than controls without ELA, and controls with ELA had less BDNF than controls without ELA. CRH in BA9 and FKBP5 in anterior cingulate cortex correlated negatively with RLS. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator logistic regression with cross-validation found combining BDNF, GR, and FKBP5 BA24 levels predicted suicide, but ELA did not contribute. A calculated “suicide risk score” using these measures had 71% sensitivity and 71% specificity.

Conclusion

A dysregulated HPA axis is related to suicide but not with ELA. RLS was related to select HPA axis proteins in specific brain regions. BDNF appears to be dysregulated in a region-specific way with ELA and suicide.
A Novel, Highly Sensitive Nucleic Acid Amplification Test Assay for the Diagnosis of Loiasis and its Use for Detection of Circulating Cell-Free DNA
Authors: Bennuru Sasisekhar , Kodua Frimpong , Drame Papa Makhtar , Dahlstrom Eric , Nutman Thomas B
Published: May 2023

Mass drug administration programs targeting filarial infections depend on diagnostic tools that are sensitive and specific. The coendemicity of Loa loa with other filarial species often hampers the control programs. LL2634 was identified as the most promising target among several highly repeated targets, with sensitivity between 500 ag and 1 fg of genomic DNA. Using DNA from infected individuals, LL2643 quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was positive in all individuals. LL2643 was detected in plasma-derived circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) from 48 of 53 microfilariae-positive patients. Detection of ccfDNA in urine was possible, but it occurred rarely among those tested. Importantly, LL2643 ccfDNA became undetectable within 1 month following diethylcarbamazine (DEC) treatment and remained negative for at least a year. LL2643 offers a more sensitive and specific target for detection of L. loa infection and would be easily configurable to a point-of-contact assay.

Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00001230 and NCT00090662.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency care of acute myocardial infarction: findings from the Taiwan Clinical Performance Indicator
Authors: Hsu Chia-Ling , Hung Sheng-Hui , Munkhtogoo Dulmaa , Wang Pa-Chun
Published: May 2023

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treatment requires timely diagnosis and treatment for optimal health outcomes. The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused changes in health-care delivery and utilization; therefore, the present study explored the changes in emergency care quality indicators for patients with AMI before and during different periods of government response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan. The Taiwan Clinical Performance Indicators database was used to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on acute care quality indicators for patients with AMI during four periods: before the COVID-19 outbreak (Period I–1 January to 31 December 2019) and during three periods in which the central government imposed different levels of epidemic prevention and response alerts (Period II–1 January 2020 to 30 April 2021; Period III–1 May to 31 July 2021; and Period IV–1 August to 31 December 2021). A 15.9% decrease in monthly emergency department admission for patients with AMI occurred during Period III. The hospital ‘door-to-electrocardiogram time being <10 min’ indicator attainment was significantly lower during Periods III and IV. The attainment of ‘dual antiplatelet therapy received within 6 hr of emergency department arrival’ indicator improved in Period IV, whereas ‘the primary percutaneous coronary intervention being received within 90 min of hospital arrival’ indicator significantly decreased during Periods III and IV. The indicator ‘in-hospital mortality’ was unchanged within the study duration. Overall, the quality of care for patients with AMI was mildly influenced during the assessed pandemic periods, especially in terms of door-to-electrocardiogram time of <10 min and primary percutaneous coronary intervention received within 90 min of hospital arrival (Period III). Using our study results, hospitals can develop strategies regarding care delivery for patients with AMI during a COVID-19 outbreak on the basis of central government alert levels, even during the height of the pandemic.
Recruitment Policies, Job-Filling Rates, and Matching Efficiency
Authors: Carrillo-Tudela Carlos , Gartner Hermann , Kaas Leo
Published: May 2023

Recruitment intensity is important for the matching process in the labor market. Using unique linked survey–administrative data, we investigate the relationships between hiring and recruitment policies at the establishment level. Faster hiring goes along with higher search effort, lower hiring standards, and more generous wages. We develop a directed search model that links these patterns to the employment adjustments of heterogeneous firms. The model provides a novel structural decomposition of the matching function that we use to evaluate the relative importance of these recruitment policies at the aggregate level. The calibrated model shows that hiring standards play an important role in explaining differences in matching efficiency across labor markets defined as region/skill cross-products and for the impact of labor market policy, whereas search effort and wage policies play only a minor role.
The prognostic impact of limited-staging surgery in patients with stage IA epithelial ovarian cancer: a multi-center study with a propensity score-adjusted analysis
Authors: Miyamoto Emiri , Suzuki Hironori , Yoshihara Masato , Mogi Kazumasa , Iyoshi Shohei , Uno Kaname , Fujimoto Hiroki , Kitami Kazuhisa , Tano Sho , Emoto Ryo , Matsui Shigeyuki , Kajiyama Hiroaki
Published: May 2023

Objective

Complete-staging surgery is recommended for stage IA ovarian cancer, but may be omitted for various reasons, including the preservation of fertility and an advanced age. We herein investigated the prognostic impact of limited-staging surgery in patients with stage IA epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods

We retrospectively collected data on 4730 patients with malignant ovarian tumors from the databases of multiple institutions and ultimately included 293 with stage IA epithelial ovarian cancer. Limited-staging surgery was defined as one that did not involve hysterectomy, systematic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy or the collection of ascites cytology. We used an inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis with propensity scores and estimated the hazard ratios of recurrence and death with limited-staging surgery.

Results

In total, 176 out of 293 patients (39.9%) were assigned to the limited-staging surgery group. After propensity score adjustments, no significant differences were observed in recurrence-free survival or overall survival between the limited- and complete-staging surgery groups. Even in the subgroup analysis with age stratification, recurrence-free survival and overall survival were similar in the limited- and complete-staging surgery groups.

Conclusions

The present results indicate the limited prognostic impact of limited-staging surgery for stage IA epithelial ovarian cancer.
Niche conservatism versus niche differentiation in sympatric chipmunks in the northern Sierra Nevada
Authors: Kelt Douglas A , Coppeto Stephanie A , Van Vuren Dirk H , Sullivan Jack , Wilson James A , Reid Noah
Published: May 2023

Closely related species are predicted to have similar fundamental niches, and therefore to compete locally and possibly be constrained to occur allopatrically. Over time, niche differentiation should lead to divergent use of niche axes, such as food or habitat. Most studies of niche divergence or of niche conservatism have focused on multiple species at large spatial scales. We studied two species of closely related chipmunks at two spatial scales in the northern Sierra Nevada. The Long-eared Chipmunk (Tamias quadrimaculatus) and the Shadow Chipmunk (T. senex) are subcryptic species that exhibit extensive geographic overlap in the northern and central Sierra Nevada. Habitat use at the macrohabitat scale was similar, with both species reaching their highest mean abundance in Red Fir (Abies magnifica) forests, but exhibiting divergent secondary affinities. Additionally, macrohabitat associations of T. senex appear to differ from those reported 50 years ago within the same forest, suggesting flexibility in the face of structural habitat changes resulting from forest management actions, climate change, or other factors. At a finer spatial scale, habitat affinities of these chipmunks differed modestly, suggesting that local distribution emphasizes slightly different microhabitat characteristics. We conclude that these species exhibit niche conservatism overall, but whether microhabitat differences reflect competition or niche divergence requires further study. Because T. quadrimaculatus has the smallest geographic range of any Sierra Nevada sciurid, it may be at risk of local extirpation or substantial range restriction in the face of climate change, large-scale high-severity wildfires, and other stochastic threats; the present research sheds light on the ecology of these species, but has important relevance for regional resource managers as well.
Prediction of breast cancer risk for sisters of women attending screening
Authors: Mao Xinhe , He Wei , Eriksson Mikael , Lindström Linda S , Holowko Natalie , Bajalica-Lagercrantz Svetlana , Hammarström Mattias , Grassmann Felix , Humphreys Keith , Easton Douglas , Hall Per , Czene Kamila
Published: May 2023

Background

Risk assessment is important for breast cancer prevention and early detection. We aimed to examine whether common risk factors, mammographic features, and breast cancer risk prediction scores of a woman were associated with breast cancer risk for her sisters.

Methods

We included 53 051 women from the Karolinska Mammography Project for Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer (KARMA) study. Established risk factors were derived using self-reported questionnaires, mammograms, and single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping. Using the Swedish Multi-Generation Register, we identified 32 198 sisters of the KARMA women (including 5352 KARMA participants and 26 846 nonparticipants). Cox models were used to estimate the hazard ratios of breast cancer for both women and their sisters, respectively.

Results

A higher breast cancer polygenic risk score, a history of benign breast disease, and higher breast density in women were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer for both women and their sisters. No statistically significant association was observed between breast microcalcifications and masses in women and breast cancer risk for their sisters. Furthermore, higher breast cancer risk scores in women were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer for their sisters. Specifically, the hazard ratios for breast cancer per 1 standard deviation increase in age-adjusted KARMA, Breast and Ovarian Analysis of Disease Incidence and Carrier Estimation Algorithm (BOADICEA), and Tyrer-Cuzick risk scores were 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07 to 1.27), 1.23 (95% CI = 1.12 to 1.35), and 1.21 (95% CI = 1.11 to 1.32), respectively.

Conclusion

A woman’s breast cancer risk factors are associated with her sister’s breast cancer risk. However, the clinical utility of these findings requires further investigation.
The learnability and emergence of dependency structures in an artificial language
Authors: Davis Emily , Smith Kenny
Published: May 2023

In a pair of artificial language experiments, we investigated the learnability and emergence of different dependency structures: branching, center-embedding, and crossed. In natural languages, branching is the most common dependency structure; center-embedding occurs but is often disfavored, and crossed dependencies are very rare. Experiment 1 addressed learnability, testing comprehension, and production on small artificial languages exemplifying each dependency type in noun phrases. As expected, branching dependency grammars were the easiest to learn, but crossed grammars were not different from center-embedding. Experiment 2 employed iterated learning to examine the emergence and stabilization of consistent grammar using the same type of stimuli as Experiment 1. The initial participant in each chain of transmission was trained on phrases generated by a random grammar, with the language produced by that participant passed to the next participant through an iterated learning process. Branching dependency grammar appeared in most chains within a few generations and remained stable once it appeared, although one chain stabilized on output consistent with a crossed grammar; no chains converged on center-embedding grammars. These findings, along with some previous results, call into question the assumption that crossed dependencies are more cognitively complex than center-embedding, while confirming the role of learnability in the typology of dependency structures.
Improved prime editing allows for routine predictable gene editing in Physcomitrium patens
Authors: Perroud Pierre-François , Guyon-Debast Anouchka , Casacuberta Josep M , Paul Wyatt , Pichon Jean-Philippe , Comeau David , Nogué Fabien
Published: May 2023

Efficient and precise gene editing is the gold standard of any reverse genetic study. The recently developed prime editing approach, a modified CRISPR/Cas9 [clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein] editing method, has reached the precision goal but its editing rate can be improved. We present an improved methodology that allows for routine prime editing in the model plant Physcomitrium patens, whilst exploring potential new prime editing improvements. Using a standardized protoplast transfection procedure, multiple prime editing guide RNA (pegRNA) structural and prime editor variants were evaluated targeting the APT reporter gene through direct plant selection. Together, enhancements of expression of the prime editor, modifications of the 3ʹ extension of the pegRNA, and the addition of synonymous mutation in the reverse transcriptase template sequence of the pegRNA dramatically improve the editing rate without affecting the quality of the edits. Furthermore, we show that prime editing is amenable to edit a gene of interest through indirect selection, as demonstrated by the generation of a Ppdek10 mutant. Additionally, we determine that a plant retrotransposon reverse transcriptase enables prime editing. Finally, we show for the first time the possibility of performing prime editing with two independently coded peptides.
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): The group H i mass as a function of halo mass
Authors: Dev Ajay , Driver Simon P , Meyer Martin , Roychowdhury Sambit , Rhee Jonghwan , Stevens Adam R H , Lagos Claudia del P , Bland-Hawthorn Joss , Catinella Barbara , Hopkins A M , Loveday Jonathan , Obreschkow Danail , Phillipps Steven , Robotham Aaron S G
Published: May 2023

We determine the atomic hydrogen (H i) to halo mass relation (HIHM) using Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey H i data at the location of optically selected groups from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. We make direct H i detections for 37 GAMA groups. Using H i group spectral stacking of 345 groups, we study the group H i content as a function of halo mass across a halo mass range of 1011–1014.7 M⊙. We also correct our results for Eddington bias. We find that the group H i mass generally rises as a function of halo mass from 1.3% of the halo mass at $10^{11.6} \, \text{M}_\odot$ to 0.4% at $10^{13.7} \, \text{M}_\odot$ with some indication of flattening towards the high-mass end. Despite the differences in optical survey limits, group catalogues, and halo mass estimation methods, our results are consistent with previous group H i-stacking studies. Our results are also consistent with mock observations from shark and IllustrisTNG.
The orbital period versus absolute magnitude relationship of intermediate polars: implications for low states and outbursts
Authors: Mukai Koji , Pretorius Magaretha L
Published: May 2023

Recent advances in time-domain astronomy have led to fresh observational insights into intermediate polars, a subtype of magnetic cataclysmic variables generally accreting via a partial accretion disc. These new discoveries include detections of superhumps, low states, and outbursts. However, these studies have largely relied on relative photometry. Here, we tabulate the absolute G magnitudes of confirmed intermediate polars, plot them against their orbital periods, and compare the results to similar studies of dwarf novae during quiescence and in outburst. This exercise suggests the presence of two distinct luminosity classes of intermediate polars, with practical and physical implications for the studies of low states and outbursts. In particular, we point out that two of the optically luminous systems showing short outbursts are also seen to exhibit superhumps, suggesting that they may be caused by the same underlying mechanism.