bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variability and drivers of CO2, CH4, and N2O concentrations in streams across the United States
Authors: DelVecchia Amanda G. , Rhea Spencer , Aho Kelly S. , Stanley Emily H. , Hotchkiss Erin R. , Carter Alice , Bernhardt Emily S.
Published: December 2022

Streams and rivers are major sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere, as carbon and nitrogen are converted and outgassed during transport. Although our understanding of drivers of individual GHG fluxes has improved with numerous site‐specific studies and global‐scale compilations, our ability to parse out interrelated physical and biogeochemical drivers of gas concentrations is limited by a lack of consistently collected, temporally continuous samples of GHGs and their associated drivers. We present a first analysis of such a dataset collected by the National Ecological Observatory Network across 27 streams and rivers across ecoclimatic domains of the United States. Average concentrations of CO2 ranged from 36.9 ± 0.88 to 404 ± 33 μmol L−1, CH4 from 0.003 ± 0.0003 to 4.99 ± 0.72 μmol L−1, and N2O from 0.015 to 0.04 μmol L−1 and spanned ranges of previous global compilations. Both CO2 and CH4 were strongly affected by physical drivers including mean air temperature and stream slope, as well as by dissolved oxygen and total nitrogen concentrations. N2O was exclusively correlated with total nitrogen concentrations. Results suggested that potential for gas exchange dominated patterns in gas concentrations at the site level, but contributions of in‐stream aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, and groundwater also likely varied across sites. The highest gas concentrations as well as highest variability occurred in low‐gradient, warmer, and nonperennial systems. These results are a first step in providing unprecedented, continuous estimates of GHG flux constrained by temporally variable physical and biogeochemical drivers of GHG production.
Compact Mid‐Infrared Chalcogenide Glass Photonic Devices Based on Robust‐Inverse Design
Authors: Lin Xiaobin , Wei Maoliang , Lei Kunhao , Yang Songtao , Ma Hui , Zhong Chuyu , Luo Ye , Li Da , Li Junying , Lin Changgui , Zhang Wei , Dai Shixun , Hu Xiaoyong , Li Lan , Li Erping , Lin Hongtao
Published: December 2022

Mid‐infrared (mid‐IR) on‐chip photonic devices have attracted increasing attention because of their potential applications in chemical and biological sensing and optical communications. In particular, chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) have long been regarded as promising materials for mid‐IR integrated photonics, owing to their broad infrared transparency, high nonlinearity, and excellent processing capabilities. Here, an inverse design approach is introduced to ChG photonic device design with a new robust inverse design method. A high‐performance mid‐IR inverse design polarization beam splitter, waveguide polarizer, mode converter, and wavelength demultiplexer are demonstrated for the first time. They all have a footprint of only several micrometers. The robust inverse design method could improve the robustness of device performance against fabrication variations and would be a general approach for designing and optimizing miniaturized chalcogenide photonic devices.
Large‐Area and Flexible Plasmonic Metasurface for Laser–Infrared Compatible Camouflage
Authors: Huang Jingkai , Wang Yuetang , Yuan Liming , Huang Cheng , Liao Jianming , Ji Chen , Luo Xiangang
Published: December 2022

Due to interminable surveillance and reconnaissance through various sophisticated multispectral detectors, the need for multispectral compatible camouflage is now more than ever. Here, a flexible plasmonic metasurface is proposed to simultaneously realize low reflection at representative lasers (i.e., 1.06, 1.55, and 10.6 µm) and low emission in the atmosphere windows of both 3–5 and 8–14 µm. High absorption for both 1.06 and 1.55 µm lasers is realized by the destructive‐interference design of the multilayer Au/Ge/Ti/Ge films, while low reflection for the 10.6 µm laser results from the coding metasurface design, and low emission is attributed to ultrahigh reflection of the continuous Au/Ge/Ti/Ge films in the atmosphere windows. As a proof of concept, a flexible metasurface sample (10 cm × 10 cm) is prepared by the soft‐lithography technology. The measured specular reflectivities are 0.017, 0.13, and 0.17 at wavelengths 1.06, 1.55, and 10.6 µm, respectively. Meanwhile, the average emissivities are 0.19 and 0.11 in 3–5 and 8–14 µm, respectively. Additionally, the flexible metasurface also exhibits integrated advantages including easy mass fabrication, good mechanical flexibility and robustness, super‐hydrophobic characteristic, unambiguously demonstrating the success of the design strategy for promoting multispectral compatible camouflage.
The expanding Asgard archaea invoke novel insights into Tree of Life and eukaryogenesis
Authors: Zhou Zhichao , Liu Yang , Anantharaman Karthik , Li Meng
Published: December 2022

The division of organisms on the Tree of Life into either a three‐domain (3D) tree or a two‐domain (2D) tree has been disputed for a long time. Ever since the discovery of Archaea by Carl Woese in 1977 using 16S ribosomal RNA sequence as the evolutionary marker, there has been a great advance in our knowledge of not only the growing diversity of Archaea but also the evolutionary relationships between different lineages of living organisms. Here, we present this perspective to summarize the progress of archaeal diversity and changing notion of the Tree of Life. Meanwhile, we provide the latest progress in genomics/physiology‐based discovery of Asgard archaeal lineages as the closest relative of Eukaryotes. Furthermore, we propose three major directions for future research on exploring the “next one” closest Eukaryote relative, deciphering the function of archaeal eukaryotic signature proteins and eukaryogenesis from both genomic and physiological aspects, and understanding the roles of horizontal gene transfer, viruses, and mobile elements in eukaryogenesis.
Technical note: In silico benchmarking of the linear energy transfer‐based functionalities for carbon ion beams in a commercial treatment planning system
Authors: Schafasand Mansure , Resch Andreas Franz , Traneus Erik , Glimelius Lars , Fossati Piero , Stock Markus , Gora Joanna , Georg Dietmar , Carlino Antonio
Published: December 2022

Background

The increasing number of studies dealing with linear energy transfer (LET)‐based evaluation and optimization in the field of carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) indicates the rising demand for LET implementation in commercial treatment planning systems (TPS). Benchmarking studies could play a key role in detecting (and thus preventing) computation errors prior implementing such functionalities in a TPS.

Purpose

This in silico study was conducted to benchmark the following two LET‐related functionalities in a commercial TPS against Monte Carlo simulations: (1) dose averaged LET (LETd) scoring and (2) physical dose filtration based on LET for future LET‐based treatment plan evaluation and optimization studies.

Methods

The LETd scoring and LET‐based dose filtering (in which the deposited dose can be separated into the dose below and above the user specified LET threshold) functionalities for carbon ions in the research version RayStation (RS) 9A‐IonPG TPS (RaySearch Laboratories, Sweden) were benchmarked against GATE/Geant4 simulations. Pristine Bragg peaks (BPs) and cuboid targets, positioned at different depths in a homogeneous water phantom and a setup with heterogeneity were used for this study.

Results

For all setups (homogeneous and heterogeneous), the mean absolute (and relative) LETd difference was less than 1 keV/m (3.5%) in the plateau and target and less than 2 keV/m (8.3%) in the fragmentation tail. The maximum local differences were 4 and 6 keV/m, respectively. The mean absolute (and relative) physical dose differences for both low‐ and high‐LET doses were less than 1 cGy (1.5%) in the plateau, target and tail with a maximum absolute difference of 2 cGy.

Conclusions

No computation error was found in the tested functionalities except for LETd in lateral direction outside the target, showing the limitation of the implemented monochrome model in the tested TPS version.
Rate of manifesting carriers and other unexpected findings on carrier screening
Authors: Clevenger Sydney K. , Brandt Justin S. , Khan Shama P. , Shingala Pranali , Carrick Jillian , Aluwalia Ruchi , Heiman Gary A. , Ashkinadze Elena
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To ascertain the rate of unexpected findings on carrier screening (CS) and assess whether implications are disclosed to patients.

Methods

We performed a retrospective observational study of subjects who had CS after pre‐test counseling from a licensed genetic counselor at a large tertiary care center. We quantified the rate of unexpected finding on CS, defined as manifesting carriers (MCs), genotypes predicting phenotype, and chromosome abnormalities. We determined how often patients were informed of implications. We performed subgroup analyses by type of unexpected finding and calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for carrier testing methodology (genotype) and number of genes tested.

Results

A total of 4685 patients had CS over the selected time frame. Of those patients, 412 patients (8.8%) had one unexpected finding and 29 patients (0.6%) had two or more findings. In total, 466 unexpected findings were identified, including 437 MC conditions, 23 genotypes predicting phenotype, and 6 chromosome abnormalities. Patients were informed of the implications for MCs, genotypes predicting phenotype, and chromosome abnormalities in 27.6%, 91.3%, and 100% of cases, respectively. More unexpected findings were detected with sequencing compared to genotyping (OR 2.21 and 95% CI 1.76–2.76) and with ≥200 gene panels compared to <200 gene panels (OR 1.79 and 95% CI 1.47–2.17).

Conclusion

This study highlights that nondisclosure of unexpected findings on CS is common and underscores the need for further research to improve post‐test counseling and follow‐up.
Registration of ‘S16‐11644C’: A maturity group IV soybean cultivar with high‐yielding performance and broad disease resistance
Authors: Chen Pengyin , Shannon J. Grover , Lee Dongho , do Granja Matheus Ogando , Ali Md Liakat , Vieira Caio Canella , Lee Yi‐Chen , do Nascimento Emanuel Ferrari , Scaboo Andrew , Crisel Melissa , Smothers Scotty , Clubb Michael , Selves Stewart , Nguyen Henry T. , Li Zenglu , Mitchum Melissa Goellner , Averitt Ben , Bond Jason P. , Meinhardt Clinton G. , Usovsky Mariola , Li Shuxian , Smith James R. , Gillen Anne M. , Mengistu Alemu , Zhang Bo , Mozzoni Leandro Angel , Robbins Robert T. , Moseley David
Published: December 2022

‘S16‐11644C’ (Reg. no. CV‐556, PI 700010) is a semi‐determinate maturity group IV non–genetically modified (GM) soybean cultivar developed and released by the University of Missouri–Fisher Delta Research, Extension, and Education Center to fulfill the growing market demands and consumers’ preference for non‐GM soybean cultivars. S16‐11644C was tested in a total of 82 environments across 11 southern states from 2017 to 2020. It demonstrated high yield potential and broad adaptability compared with commercial and public check cultivars. S16‐11644C is resistant to soybean cyst nematode races 2 (HG Type 1.2.5.7), 3 (HG Type 5.7), and 5 (HG Type 2.5.7); southern root‐knot nematode; peanut root‐knot nematode; and charcoal rot and is a salt excluder. Seed of S16‐11644C average 410 and 224 g kg−1 of seed protein and oil content on a dry weight basis, respectively, and 48.2% of meal protein content at 13% moisture level. Due to its high‐yielding genetic background with a desired early maturity, broad adaptability, disease resistance, and absence of GM events, S16‐11644C offers a unique package for soybean growers across the U.S. mid‐southern states to maximize profits through premium prices of non‐GM soybean cultivars in the niche markets and the flexibility of harvest and saving seeds for the next crop seasons.
Microenvironment Modulation of Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for Coordination Olefin Oligomerization and (co)Polymerization
Authors: Zhang Chuan‐Lei , Zhou Tao , Li Yong‐Qing , Lu Xin , Guan Ye‐Bin , Cao Yu‐Cai , Cao Gui‐Ping
Published: December 2022

The majority of commercial polyolefins are produced by coordination polymerization using early or late transition metal catalysts. Molecular catalysts containing these transition metals (Ti, Zr, Cr, Ni, and Fe, etc.) are loaded on supports for controlled polymerization behavior and polymer morphology in slurry or gas phase processes. Within the last few years, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of unique porous crystalline materials constructed from metal ions/clusters and organic ligands, have been designed and utilized as excellent supports for heterogeneous polymerization catalysis whose high density and uniform distribution of active sites would benefit the modulations of molecular weight distributions of high‐performance olefin oligomers and (co)polymers. Impressive efforts have been made to modulate the microenvironment surrounding the active centers at the atomic level for improved activities of MOFs‐based catalysts and controlled selectivity of olefin insertion. This review aims to draw a comprehensive picture of MOFs for coordination olefin oligomerization and (co)polymerization in the past decades with respect to different transition metal active centers, various incorporation sites, and finally microenvironment modulation. In consideration of more efforts are needed to overcome challenges for further industrial and commercial application, a brief outlook is provided.
Photoliquefiable Azobenzene Surfactants toward Solar Thermal Fuels that Upgrade Photon Energy Storage via Molecular Design
Authors: Zhang Lei , Liu Han , Du Qianyao , Zhang Guoqiang , Zhu Shanhui , Wu Zhongtao , Luo Xiliang
Published: December 2022

Photoresponsive phase change materials (PPCMs) are capable of storing photon and heat energy simultaneously and releasing the stored energy as heat in a controllable way. While, the azobenzene‐based PPCMs exhibit a contradiction between gravimetric energy storage density and photoinduced phase change. Here, a type of azobenzene surfactants with balance between molecular free volume and intermolecular interaction is designed in molecular level, which can address the coharvest of photon energy and low‐grade heat energy at room temperature. Such PPCMs gain the total gravimetric energy density up to 131.18 J g−1 by charging solid sample and 160.50 J g−1 by charging solution. Notably, the molar isomerization enthalpy upgrades by a factor of up to 2.4 compared to azobenzene. The working mechanism is explained by the computational studies. All the stored energy can release out as heat under Vis light, causing a fast surface temperature rise. This study demonstrates a new molecular designing strategy for developing azobenzene‐based PPCMs with high gravimetric energy density by improving the photon energy storage.
Air‐Stable Protective Layers for Lithium Anode Achieving Safe Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Li Runjing , Fan Yining , Zhao Chuan , Hu Anjun , Zhou Bo , He Miao , Chen Jiahao , Yan Zhongfu , Pan Yu , Long Jianping
Published: December 2022

With markedly expansive demand in energy storage devices, rechargeable batteries will concentrate on achieving the high energy density and adequate security, especially under harsh operating conditions. Considering the high capacity (3860 mA h g−1) and low electrochemical potential (−3.04 V vs the standard hydrogen electrode), lithium metal is identified as one of the most promising anode materials, which has sparked a research boom. However, the intrinsically high reactivity triggers a repeating fracture/reconstruction process of the solid electrolyte interphase, side reactions with electrolyte and lithium dendrites, detrimental to the electrochemical performance of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Even worse, when exposed to air, lithium metal will suffer severe atmospheric corrosion, especially the reaction with moisture, leading to grievous safety hazards. To settle these troubles, constructing air‐stable protective layers (ASPLs) is an effective solution. In this review, besides the necessity of ASPLs is highlighted, the modified design criteria, focusing on enhancing chemical/mechanical stability and controlling ion flux, are proposed. Correspondingly, current research progress is comprehensively summarized and discussed. Finally, the perspectives of developing applicable lithium metal anodes (LMAs) are put forward. This review guides the direction for the practical use of LMAs, further pushing the evolution of safe and stable LMBs.
AP1/Fra1 confers resistance to MAPK cascade inhibition in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Schneeweis Christian , Diersch Sandra , Hassan Zonera , Krauß Lukas , Schneider Carolin , Lucarelli Daniele , Falcomatà Chiara , Steiger Katja , Öllinger Rupert , Krämer Oliver H. , Arlt Alexander , Grade Marian , Schmidt-Supprian Marc , Hessmann Elisabeth , Wirth Matthias , Rad Roland , Reichert Maximilian , Saur Dieter , Schneider Günter
Published: December 2022

Targeting KRAS downstream signaling remains an important therapeutic approach in pancreatic cancer. We used primary pancreatic ductal epithelial cells and mouse models allowing the conditional expression of oncogenic KrasG12D, to investigate KRAS signaling integrators. We observed that the AP1 family member FRA1 is tightly linked to the KRAS signal and expressed in pre-malignant lesions and the basal-like subtype of pancreatic cancer. However, genetic-loss-of-function experiments revealed that FRA1 is dispensable for KrasG12D-induced pancreatic cancer development in mice. Using FRA1 gain- and loss-of-function models in an unbiased drug screen, we observed that FRA1 is a modulator of the responsiveness of pancreatic cancer to inhibitors of the RAF–MEK–ERK cascade. Mechanistically, context-dependent FRA1-associated adaptive rewiring of oncogenic ERK signaling was observed and correlated with sensitivity to inhibitors of canonical KRAS signaling. Furthermore, pharmacological-induced degradation of FRA1 synergizes with MEK inhibitors. Our studies establish FRA1 as a part of the molecular machinery controlling sensitivity to MAPK cascade inhibition allowing the development of mechanism-based therapies.
Anyonic Chains – $$\alpha $$-Induction – CFT – Defects – Subfactors
Authors: Hollands Stefan
Published: December 2022

Given a unitary fusion category, one can define the Hilbert space of a so-called “anyonic spin-chain” and nearest neighbor Hamiltonians providing a real-time evolution. There is considerable evidence that suitable scaling limits of such systems can lead to$$1+1$$1+1-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs), and in fact, can be used potentially to construct novel classes of CFTs. Besides the Hamiltonians and their densities, the spin chain is known to carry an algebra of symmetry operators commuting with the Hamiltonian, and these operators have an interesting representation as matrix-product-operators (MPOs). On the other hand, fusion categories are well-known to arise from a von Neumann algebra-subfactor pair. In this work, we investigate some interesting consequences of such structures for the corresponding anyonic spin-chain model. One of our main results is the construction of a novel algebra of MPOs acting on a bipartite anyonic chain. We show that this algebra is precisely isomorphic to the defect algebra of$$1+1$$1+1CFTs as constructed by Fröhlich et al. and Bischoff et al., even though the model is defined on a finite lattice. We thus conjecture that its central projections are associated with the irreducible vertical (transparent) defects in the scaling limit of the model. Our results partly rely on the observation that MPOs are closely related to the so-called “double triangle algebra” arising in subfactor theory. In our subsequent constructions, we use insights into the structure of the double triangle algebra by Böckenhauer et al. based on the braided structure of the categories and on$$\alpha $$α-induction. The introductory section of this paper to subfactors and fusion categories has the character of a review.
Midgut Bacterial Microbiota of 12 Fish Species from a Marine Protected Area in the Aegean Sea (Greece)
Authors: Kormas Konstantinos , Nikouli Eleni , Kousteni Vasiliki , Damalas Dimitrios
Published: December 2022

Fish microbiome science is progressing fast, but it is biased toward farmed or laboratory fish species against natural fish populations, which remain considerably underinvestigated. We analyzed the midgut bacterial microbiota of 45 specimens of 12 fish species collected from the Gyaros Island marine protected area (Aegean Sea, Greece). The species belong to seven taxonomic families and are either herbivores or omnivores. Mucosa midgut bacterial diversity was assessed by amplicon metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA V3–V4 gene region. A total of 854 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified. In each fish species, between 2 and 18 OTUs dominated with cumulative relative abundance ≥ 70%. Most of the dominating bacterial taxa have been reported to occur both in wild and farmed fish populations. The midgut bacterial communities were different among the 12 fish species, except for Pagrus pagrus and Pagellus erythrinus, which belong to the Sparidae family. No differentiation of the midgut bacterial microbiota was found based on feeding habits, i.e., omnivorous vs. carnivorous. Comparing wild and farmed P. pagrus midgut bacterial microbiota revealed considerable variation between them. Our results expand the gut microbiota of wild fish and support the host species effect as the more likely factor shaping intestinal bacterial microbiota.
Efficacy and Safety of AbobotulinumtoxinA for the Treatment of Glabellar Lines in Chinese Patients: A Pivotal, Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind and Open-Label Phase Study
Authors: Wu Yan , Fang Fang , Lai Wei , Li Chengxin , Li Li , Liu Quanzhong , Lu Jianyun , Pang Xiaowen , Sun Jiaming , Shi Xiaofeng , Picaut Philippe , Prygova Inna , Andriopoulos Bill , Sun Qiuning
Published: December 2022

Background

Various botulinumtoxinA formulations are approved for glabellar lines treatment worldwide, including abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport®).

Objectives

Assess abobotulinumtoxinA superiority versus placebo and non-inferiority versus active comparator (onabotulinumtoxinA; Botox®), for the treatment of Chinese patients with moderate/severe glabellar lines.

Methods

Phase 3, randomized study (NCT02450526) comprising a double-blind (cycle 1) phase and an open-label (cycles 2−5) phase. Patients received abobotulinumtoxinA 50 units or matching placebo (5:1), active comparator (onabotulinumtoxinA 20 units) or matching placebo (5:1). In cycles 2–5, eligible patients were retreated with abobotulinumtoxinA only. Responders had glabellar lines of none/mild severity. Primary endpoint: responder rates at cycle 1, day 29 at maximum frown with abobotulinumtoxinA versus placebo (for superiority; by investigator’s live assessment [ILA] and subject’s self-assessment [SSA]), and versus active comparator (for non-inferiority; by ILA). Treatment-emergent adverse events were recorded.

Results

Overall, 520 patients were randomized. Superiority and non-inferiority, respectively, were demonstrated for abobotulinumtoxinA versus placebo (ILA, SSA; both p < 0.0001) and abobotulinumtoxinA versus active comparator. AbobotulinumtoxinA efficacy was maintained over open-label cycles; median time to onset of efficacy was 2.0 days. After 6 months, 17% of patients treated with abobotulinumtoxinA remained responders. AbobotulinumtoxinA was well-tolerated. Safety results were in line with the known profile of abobotulinumtoxinA; adverse events rate decreased with repeated treatment.

Conclusions

After a single injection, abobotulinumtoxinA demonstrated superiority versus placebo and non-inferiority versus onabotulinumtoxinA for the treatment of moderate-to-severe glabellar lines in Chinese patients. Multiple injections of abobotulinumtoxinA demonstrated efficacy and safety in the treatment of glabellar lines in Chinese patients.

Level of Evidence I

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Nasopharyngeal Carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes Among Healthy Children in Northern India
Authors: Gupta P. , Awasthi S. , Gupta U. , Verma N. , Rastogi T. , Pandey AK. , Naziat H. , Rahman H. , Islam M. , Saha S.
Published: December 2022

Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) infections cause morbidity and mortality among children worldwide. Hence India introduced 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-13) in 2017 in a phased manner. The primary objective of this study was to assess the proportion of healthy children having nasopharyngeal colonization (NP) with SP. Secondary objective was to determine prevalent serotype of SP among the PCV13 vaccinated and non-vaccinated children. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 4 hospitals of Lucknow District, Northern India. Three hundred healthy children (2–59 months) were recruited between July and August 2019 from vaccination-clinics of hospitals. NP specimen was cultured using 5% sheep blood agar plate containing gentamicin. Pneumococcal isolates were identified by optochin sensitivity and bile-solubility tests. Serotyping was done using Quellung Method. Of the 300 healthy children, 56.7% (170/300) were males and 59.3% (181/300) had received at least one dose of PCV13 vaccine. The NP carriage rate of SP among healthy children was 37.7% (113/300). Vaccine serotypes were found in 33.3% (22/66) in PCV vaccinated children and 48.9% (23/47) in non-vaccinated children (p 0.09). Common vaccine serotypes that isolated were: 18C, 19A, 19F, 23F, 3, 4, 6A, 6B, 9 V. Thus more than one-third of healthy children had NP colonization with SP. Adjusting for age, there was a trend for significant reduction in vaccine serotypes in the NP with one doses versus two or more doses (ptrend = 0.04).
Risk and predictors of adverse pathology after radical prostatectomy in patients diagnosed with IUSP 1–2 prostate cancer at MRI-targeted biopsy: a multicenter analysis
Authors: Kesch Claudia , Pantea Vlad , Soeterik Timo , Marquis Alessandro , la Bombarda Giulia , Morlacco Allesandro , Barletta Francesco , Radtke Jan Philipp , Darr Christopher , Preisser Felix , Zattoni Fabio , Marra Giancarlo , van den Bergh Roderik C. N. , Hadaschik Boris , Gandaglia Giorgio ,   On Behalf of the EAU-YAU Prostate Cancer Working Party
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Although active surveillance (AS) is recommended for low- to favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa), risk of upgrading at radical prostatectomy (RP) is not negligible. Available studies based on systematic transrectal ultrasound biopsy might not be applicable to contemporary cohorts diagnosed with MRI-targeted biopsy (TB). The aim of the present study is to explore rates and risk factors for adverse outcomes (AO) at RP in patients with ISUP ≤ 2 PCa detected at TB with concomitant systematic biopsy (SB).

Methods

Multicenter, retrospective analysis of 475 consecutive patients with ISUP ≤ 2 PCa at MRI-TB + SB is treated with RP. AO were defined as ISUP upgrading, adverse pathology (upgrading to ISUP ≥ 3 and/or ≥ pT3 at RP, and/or pN1) (AP) or biochemical recurrence (BCR) in men with follow-up (n = 327).

Results

The rate of ISUP upgrading, upgrading ≥ 3, and AP were 39%, 21%, and 43%. Compared to ISUP2, men with ISUP1 PCa had a higher rate of overall upgrading (27 vs. 67%, p < 0.001), but less upgrading to ≥ 3 (27 vs. 10%, p < 0.001). AP was more common when ISUP2 was detected with a combined MRI-TB + SB approach compared to considering TB (p = 0.02) or SB (p = 0.01) alone. PSA, PSA density, PI-RADS, ISUP at TB, overall biopsy ISUP and EAU classification were predictors of upgrading to ISUP ≥ 3 and AP. The 1 year BCR-free survival was 94% with no differences in BCR rates between subgroups.

Conclusion

Upgrading in ISUP ≤ 2 PCa remains prevalent even in men diagnosed in the MRI era. The use of MRI-TB with concomitant SB allows for the accurate identification of ISUP2 PCa and predicts the risk of AO at RP.
Effect of robotic tilt table verticalization on recovery in patients with disorders of consciousness: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Rosenfelder M. J. , Helmschrott V. C. , Willacker L. , Einhäupl B. , Raiser T. M. , Bender A.
Published: December 2022

Verticalization is a common therapeutic intervention during rehabilitation of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). The Erigo®Pro is a robotic tilt-table (RTT) with built-in stepping unit for the lower extremities to prevent orthostatic hypotension during verticalization. In addition, the system also provides functional electrical stimulation (FES) of muscles of the lower extremities. In this randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT), 47 patients with subacute DoC received a 4-week verticalization regime (16 verticalization sessions) and were allocated to one of three experimental groups: (1) verticalization by means of RTT with FES, (2) by means of RTT without FES, or (3) by conventional physiotherapy (CPT). Level of consciousness (LoC), spasticity, functional independence in daily activities, and functional brain connectivity measured by means of high-density quantitative EEG were assessed at baseline, directly after the verticalization program and after 6 months. There was a similar clinical improvement in all three experimental groups. RTT was not associated with an effect on any of the clinical outcomes. Verticalization or mobilization time during the study period was significantly positively correlated with recovery of consciousness (rho = 0.494, p < 0.001) in the short term and showed a statistical trend at the 6 months follow-up (rho = 0.244, p = 0.078). In conclusion, RTT treatment is not more effective in promoting recovery of consciousness than CPT in subacute DoC patients. Yet, our data suggest, that verticalization may be an important and feasible rehabilitation intervention in this group of patients. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT Number NCT02639481, registered on December 24, 2015.
Antibiotic prophylaxis in penetrating traumatic brain injury: analysis of a single-center series and systematic review of the literature
Authors: Ganga Arjun , Leary Owen P. , Sastry Rahul A. , Asaad Wael F. , Svokos Konstantina A. , Oyelese Adetokunbo A. , Mermel Leonard A.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Penetrating traumatic brain injury (pTBI) is an acute medical emergency with a high rate of mortality. Patients with survivable injuries face a risk of infection stemming from foreign body transgression into the central nervous system (CNS). There is controversy regarding the utility of antimicrobial prophylaxis in managing such patients, and if so, which antimicrobial agent(s) to use.

Methods

We reviewed patients with pTBI at our institution and performed a PRISMA systematic review to assess the impact of prophylactic antibiotics on reducing risk of CNS infection.

Results

We identified 21 local patients and 327 cases in the literature. In our local series, 17 local patients received prophylactic antibiotics; four did not. Overall, five of these patients (24%) developed a CNS infection (four and one case of intraparenchymal brain abscess and meningitis, respectively). All four patients who did not receive prophylactic antibiotics developed an infection (three with CNS infections; one superficial wound infection) compared to two of 17 (12%) patients who did receive prophylactic antibiotics. Of the 327 pTBI cases reported in the literature, 216 (66%) received prophylactic antibiotics. Thirty-eight (17%) patients who received antibiotics developed a CNS infection compared to 21 (19%) who did not receive antibiotics (p = 0.76).

Conclusions

Although our review of the literature did not reveal any benefit, our institutional series suggested that patients with pTBI may benefit from prophylactic antibiotics. We propose a short antibiotic course with a regimen specific to cases with and without the presence of organic debris.
Cutoff stability under distributional constraints with an application to summer internship matching
Authors: Aziz Haris , Baychkov Anton , Biró Péter
Published: December 2022

We introduce a new two-sided stable matching problem that describes the summer internship matching practice of an Australian university. The model is a case between two models of Kamada and Kojima on matchings with distributional constraints. We study three solution concepts, the strong and weak stability concepts proposed by Kamada and Kojima, and a new one in between the two, called cutoff stability. Kamada and Kojima showed that a strongly stable matching may not exist in their most restricted model with disjoint regional quotas. Our first result is that checking its existence is NP-hard. We then show that a cutoff stable matching exists not just for the summer internship problem but also for the general matching model with arbitrary heredity constraints. We present an algorithm to compute a cutoff stable matching and show that it runs in polynomial time in our special case of summer internship model. However, we also show that finding a maximum size cutoff stable matching is NP-hard, but we provide a Mixed Integer Linear Program formulation for this optimisation problem.
Augmented and virtual reality usage in awake craniotomy: a systematic review
Authors: Mofatteh Mohammad , Mashayekhi Mohammad Sadegh , Arfaie Saman , Chen Yimin , Mirza Asfand Baig , Fares Jawad , Bandyopadhyay Soham , Henich Edy , Liao Xuxing , Bernstein Mark
Published: December 2022

Augmented and virtual reality (AR, VR) are becoming promising tools in neurosurgery. AR and VR can reduce challenges associated with conventional approaches via the simulation and mimicry of specific environments of choice for surgeons. Awake craniotomy (AC) enables the resection of lesions from eloquent brain areas while monitoring higher cortical and subcortical functions. Evidence suggests that both surgeons and patients benefit from the various applications of AR and VR in AC. This paper investigates the application of AR and VR in AC and assesses its prospective utility in neurosurgery. A systematic review of the literature was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Our search results yielded 220 articles. A total of six articles consisting of 118 patients have been included in this review. VR was used in four papers, and the other two used AR. Tumour was the most common pathology in 108 patients, followed by vascular lesions in eight patients. VR was used for intraoperative mapping of language, vision, and social cognition, while AR was incorporated in preoperative training of white matter dissection and intraoperative visualisation and navigation. Overall, patients and surgeons were satisfied with the applications of AR and VR in their cases. AR and VR can be safely incorporated during AC to supplement, augment, or even replace conventional approaches in neurosurgery. Future investigations are required to assess the feasibility of AR and VR in various phases of AC.
Perceived Support from Best Friends and Depressive Symptoms During Adolescence: Disentangling Personal from Dyadic Level Effects
Authors: van der Mey-Baijens Steffie , Buil J. Marieke , Vuijk Patricia , Bul Kim C. M. , Branje Susan , Meeus Wim , van Lier Pol A. C.
Published: December 2022

Support from best friends is an important interpersonal factor in adolescent depression development but is often studied from an individual perspective in which dyadic effects are overlooked. This study aims to a) test whether differences in support vary at the individual level and are related to individual differences in the development of depressive symptoms, whether these differences vary at the dyadic level and are related to dyadic depression symptom development, or both, b) explore whether these associations are moderated by initial levels of depressive symptoms on the individual and/or dyadic level. Data from 452 adolescents (Mage = 13.03), nested in 226 same-gender friendship dyads (60.6% boy-dyads) who participated in the RADAR-Y project were included. Best friends self-reported annually (2006–2008; 3 waves) on their own depressive symptoms and perceived support from their friend. Multilevel models showed no direct association between support and depression development on the individual or dyadic level. However, the initial level of dyads’ depressive symptoms moderated the association between dyadic support and dyads’ subsequent depression symptom development. When dyads experienced relatively more initial depressive symptoms, higher levels of dyadic support were associated with relative increasing dyadic depressive symptoms. When dyads experienced relatively few initial depressive symptoms, higher levels of dyadic support were associated with relative decreasing dyadic depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that support from best friends can either protect against or exacerbate the development of depressive symptoms for friends, depending on the initial level of depressive symptoms of the dyad.
Barriers to Services at the Intersection of Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence: A multi-Perspective Analysis of Parents with Lived Experience and Professionals
Authors: Banda Linda Chimwemwe , Carlson Juliana , Diaz April , Akin Becci A. , Davis Lonna , Rose Jennifer , Yellowhammer Terri
Published: December 2022

Purpose

 Firm evidence exists on the co-existence of child maltreatment and domestic violence (DV). This study examines the barriers to service delivery for families experiencing DV who are child welfare (CW) system involved from the perspectives of two key groups: parents with lived experience of DV and CW and multi-sector professionals.

Methods

 A thematic content analysis was conducted of data from 16 in-person and remote listening sessions of 140 participants including families and DV/CW professionals across the U.S.

Results

 Findings suggest that for parent participants communication, inadequate services, lack of trust, and providers not serving families well were some of the challenges that impact accessing and receiving services and resources. Professional participants described the limited availability of services, systemic challenges, and collaboration as barriers impacting the access to and provision of resources to families experiencing DV and involved within the CW system.

Conclusions

 Discussion points reflect on the synergies and divergencies in the participant groups’ identified barriers. Study implications emphasize the need to address the challenges encountered by CW and DV systems at the individual, systemic and educational levels.
Improving Diagnosis of Intestinal Parasites Towards a Migrant-Friendly Health System
Authors: Maurelli M. P. , Pepe P. , Gualdieri L. , Bosco A. , Cringoli G. , Rinaldi L.
Published: December 2022

Purpose of Review

This study describes the results obtained by the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centre (CC) for the diagnosis of intestinal helminths and protozoa (WHO CC ITA-116) during the first 2 years of its activity on (i) the prevalence of intestinal parasites in migrants in southern Italy and (ii) the development and application of new diagnostic tools for intestinal helminths (e.g. FLOTAC, Mini-FLOTAC Kit 200 tests, Kubic FLOTAC microscope (KFM)).

Recent Findings

Almost 23.3% of migrants examined were positive for at least one intestinal parasite. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between the duration of stay in Italy and positivity for intestinal parasites. The results of the comparison between diagnostic techniques showed a perfect agreement between FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC Kit 200 tests whereas no statistically significant differences were found between the count of helminth eggs obtained by Mini-FLOTAC with optical microscope and KFM.

The results obtained by WHO CC ITA-116 during the first 2 years of its activity provide important information on innovations in parasitological diagnosis and add data to the parasitological scenario of migrants arriving in southern Italy, highlighting the importance of regular parasitological monitoring.
Demokratie in der Zeitenwende
Authors: Vorländer Hans
Published: December 2022

Die Zeitenwende, die der deutsche Kanzler ausrief, bedeutet weit mehr als einen abrupten Politikwechsel: Zum einen haben eingespielte Wahrnehmungs- und Bewältigungsroutinen politischer Konfliktlagen ihre Wirksamkeit verloren. Zum anderen wird demokratische Führungsfähigkeit, ein gleichermaßen entschiedenes wie legitimierbares Krisenhandeln unter den Bedingungen von Ungewissheit, in dramatischer Zuspitzung herausgefordert. Das setzt Demokratien unter Druck, die Gleichzeitigkeit von Krieg und Krisenbewältigung bringt sie an die Grenzen ihrer Belastung. Auch befindet sich die Demokratie seit geraumer Zeit in einem fundamentalen Transformationsprozess. Autokratische Umbrüche und (rechts‑)populistische Regierungen auf der einen, Volatilität demokratischer Öffentlichkeit und Integrationsverlust intermediärer Assoziationen auf der anderen Seite lassen die Frage aufkommen, ob die liberal-repräsentative Demokratie, wie sie sich nach 1945 herausgebildet und konsolidiert hat, zu ihrem Ende gekommen ist. So ist nicht nur die Zeitenwende eine Herausforderung für die Demokratie, auch die Demokratie befindet sich in der Zeitenwende.
Dash Kasan; an imperial architecture in the Mongol capital of Sultaniyya
Authors: Moradi Amin
Published: December 2022

The village of Varāy (Viyar) is located at the foot of Āq Dāgh Mountain in the southeast of Sultaniyya, Iran, and is known for its impressive rock-cut architecture called Dash Kasan. The history of Sultaniyya, which later became the Ilkhanid (Mongol rulers) capital, began with the issue of an order by Arghūn Khan (1258–1291 CE), to build a huge city enclosed by stone walls and fortifications. According to many in the field, Dash Kasan occupied a prominent place in the development of Arghūn’s architectural project; first as a stone quarry, and then as a Buddhist monastery. This building is unique in its architectural design and decoration. The site’s two large-scale dragon snakes carved out of cliffs, and the development of a vast open space by cutting the solid rock are the only examples of their kind in Iranian art and architecture. Although most of the debates on the identity of this site to date are centered on its religious function during the Mongol period, there is little architectural evidence to support this idea. Hence, the nature and the scope of earlier studies are not sufficient to substantiate the architectural discourse surrounding this monument. The aim of this paper is to study this enigmatic rock-cut complex to provide a more detailed description of the current remains. According to the results, the architectural layout of this building suggests it was originally designed as pre-Ilkhanid Mongolian ceremonial halls and reflects a Chinese, East Asian architectural influence that was evident and pervasive throughout the Mongol territories.
Understanding electrohydrodynamic (EHD) performance of corona discharge via particle image velocimetry (PIV)
Authors: Abdul Halim Bilal , Dehghanghadikolaei Amir , Amili Omid , Sojoudi Hossein
Published: December 2022

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumping through corona discharge has found many interesting applications, as it does not require any mechanical moving parts. However, understanding the EHD performance of the corona discharge is crucial for a controllable manipulation of the fluids. This study investigates the pumping performance of an in-house built corona discharge setup for inducing circular motions in the fluids. Silicone oils of different kinematic viscosities are used as the EHD fluid. The EHD performance/fluid characteristics are studied experimentally using particle image velocimetry (PIV) under different DC corona voltages and their results are verified using the continuity equation. Additionally, an analytical model is derived using the Navier–Stokes equations. A clear scaling effect of the corona voltage is seen for the EHD fluid. The EHD fluid exhibits higher velocities at high corona voltages with low perturbation frequency ($$< 3$$

<
3

Hz) which is attributed to a sloshing motion in the fluid. This naturally occurring sloshing (out-of-plane) motion can be utilized when mixing is desired in the fluid. The results of this study can be used for contact-less and controllable manipulation of dielectric fluids (i.e., silicone oils) for potential applications in emulsion formation and separation.

Graphical abstract
Spatial-temporal differences of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S.
Authors: Huang Qian , Cutter Susan L.
Published: December 2022

Although the disparities in COVID-19 outcomes have been proved, they have not been explicitly associated with COVID-19 full vaccinations. This paper examines the spatial and temporal patterns of the county-level COVID-19 case rates, fatality rates, and full vaccination rates in the United States from December 24, 2020 through September 30, 2021. Statistical and geospatial analyses show clear temporal and spatial patterns of the progression of COVID-19 outcomes and vaccinations. In the relationship between two time series, the fatality rates series was positively related to past lags of the case rates series. At the same time, case rates series and fatality rates series were negatively related to past lags of the full vaccination rates series. The lag level varies across urban and rural areas. The results of partial correlation, ordinary least squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) also confirmed that the existing COVID-19 infections and different sets of socioeconomic, healthcare access, health conditions, and environmental characteristics were independently associated with COVID-19 vaccinations over time and space. These results empirically identify the geographic health disparities with COVID-19 vaccinations and outcomes and provide the evidentiary basis for targeting pandemic recovery and public health mitigation actions.
A tale of three cities: uncovering human-urban interactions with geographic-context aware social media data
Authors: Yin Junjun , Chi Guangqing
Published: December 2022

Seeking spatiotemporal patterns about how citizens interact with the urban space is critical for understanding how cities function. Such interactions were studied in various forms focusing on patterns of people’s presence, action, and transition in the urban environment, which are defined as human-urban interactions in this paper. Using human activity datasets that utilize mobile positioning technology for tracking the locations and movements of individuals, researchers developed stochastic models to uncover preferential return behaviors and recurrent transitional activity structures in human-urban interactions. Ad-hoc heuristics and spatial clustering methods were applied to derive meaningful activity places in those studies. However, the lack of semantic meaning in the recorded locations makes it difficult to examine the details about how people interact with different activity places. In this study, we utilized geographic context-aware Twitter data to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of people’s interactions with their activity places in different urban settings. To test consistency of our findings, we used geo-located tweets to derive the activity places in Twitter users’ location histories over three major U.S. metropolitan areas: Greater Boston Area, Chicago, and San Diego, where the geographic context of each location was inferred from its closest land use parcel. The results showed striking spatial and temporal similarities in Twitter users’ interactions with their activity places among the three cities. By using entropy-based predictability measures, this study not only confirmed the preferential return behaviors as people tend to revisit a few highly frequented places but also revealed detailed characteristics of those activity places.