bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ramadan fasting and type 1 diabetes: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Tootee Ali , Bandarian Fatemeh , Namazi Nazli , Atlasi Rasha , Larijani Bagher
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Ramadan fasting is globally observed and a great majority of the residents of Islamic countries and elsewhere fast during Ramadan all across the world every year. Many patients with type 1 diabetes fast during Ramadan according to (or against) medical and jurisprudence advice. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of scientific evidence regarding the risks patients with diabetes who fast may be confronted with. The current scoping review protocol aims at systematic analysis and mapping of existing literature in the field and highlighting scientific gaps.

Methods and analyses

This scoping review will be conducted based on the Arksey and O'Malley’s methodological framework with consideration of later modifications and amendments. Three major scientific databases, namely PubMed, Scopus and Embase up to February 2022 will be systematically searched by expert researchers in collaboration with a medical librarian. Considering the fact that Ramadan Fasting is a cultural-dependent subject, which may be studied in the Middle Eastern and Islamic Countries in languages other than English, local Persian and Arabic Databases will also be included. Grey literature will be sought too, and unpublished works such as conference proceedings and academic degree dissertation will be considered. Subsequently, one author will screen and record all abstracts, and two reviewers will independently screen and retrieve eligible full texts. A third reviewer will then be designated to resolve potential discrepancies. Standardised data charts and forms will be used for information extraction and reporting of the outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

No ethical considerations apply to this research. Results will be published and presented in academic journals and scientific events.
Acceptability of a behavioural intervention to mitigate the psychological impacts of COVID-19 restrictions in older people with long-term conditions: a qualitative study
Authors: Shearsmith Leanne , Coventry Peter A , Sloan Claire , Henry Andrew , Newbronner Liz , Littlewood Elizabeth , Bailey Della , Gascoyne Samantha , Burke Lauren , Ryde Eloise , Woodhouse Rebecca , McMillan Dean , Ekers David , Gilbody Simon , Chew-Graham Carolyn
Published: March 2023

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the need to address loneliness, social isolation and associated incidence of depression among older adults. Between June and October 2020, the Behavioural Activation in Social IsoLation (BASIL) pilot study investigated the acceptability and feasibility of a remotely delivered brief psychological intervention (behavioural cctivation) to prevent and reduce loneliness and depression in older people with long-term conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

An embedded qualitative study was conducted. Semi-structured interviews generated data that was analysed inductively using thematic analysis and then deductively using the theoretical framework of acceptability (TFA).

Setting

NHS and third sector organisations in England.

Participants

Sixteen older adults and nine support workers participating in the BASIL pilot study.

Results

Acceptability of the intervention was high across all constructs of the TFA: Older adults and BASIL Support Workers described a positive Affective Attitude towards the intervention linked to altruism, however the activity planning aspect of the intervention was limited due to COVID-19 restrictions. A manageable Burden was involved with delivering and participating in the intervention. For Ethicality, older adults valued social contact and making changes, support workers valued being able to observe those changes. The intervention was understood by older adults and support workers, although less understanding in older adults without low mood (Intervention Coherence). Opportunity Cost was low for support workers and older adults. Behavioural Activation was perceived to be useful in the pandemic and likely to achieve its aims (Perceived Effectiveness), especially if tailored to people with both low mood and long-term conditions. Self-efficacy developed over time and with experience for both support workers and older adults.

Conclusions

Overall, BASIL pilot study processes and the intervention were acceptable. Use of the TFA provided valuable insights into how the intervention was experienced and how the acceptability of study processes and the intervention could be enhanced ahead of the larger definitive trial (BASIL+).
Association of sociodemographic characteristics with self-perceived access to COVID-19 information and adherence to preventive measures among migrant origin and general populations in Finland: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Skogberg Natalia , Prinkey Tyler , Lilja Eero , Koponen Päivikki , Castaneda Anu E
Published: March 2023

Objectives

This study examines how access to COVID-19 information and adherence to preventive measures varies by sociodemographic characteristics, and whether the associations differ among the migrant origin and the general Finnish population. Additionally, the association of perceived access to information with adherence to preventive measures is examined.

Design

Cross-sectional, population-based random sample.

Background

Equity in access to information is crucial for securing individual well-being and successful management of a crisis at population level.

Setting

Persons who have a residence permit in Finland.

Participants

Migrant origin population constituted of persons aged 21–66 years born abroad, who took part in the Impact of the Coronavirus on the Wellbeing of the Foreign Born Population (MigCOVID) Survey conducted from October 2020 to February 2021 (n=3611). Participants in the FinHealth 2017 Follow-up Survey conducted within the same time frame, representing the general Finnish population, constituted the reference group (n=3490).

Outcome measures

Self-perceived access to COVID-19 information, adherence to preventive measures.

Results

Self-perceived access to information and adherence to preventive measures was overall high both among the migrant origin and the general population. Perceived adequate access to information was associated with living in Finland for 12 years or longer (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.05–3.57) and excellent Finnish/Swedish language skills (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.62–4.53) among the migrant origin population and with higher education (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.49–8.55 for tertiary and OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.25–6.59 for secondary) among the general population. The association between examined sociodemographic characteristics with adherence to preventive measures varied by study group.

Conclusions

Findings on the association of perceived access to information with language proficiency in official languages highlight the need for rapid multilingual and simple language crisis communications. Findings also suggest that crisis communications and measures designed to influence health behaviours at population level may not be directly transferable if the aim is to influence health behaviours also among ethnically and culturally diverse populations.
Decoherence and entropy generation in an open quantum scalar-fermion system with Yukawa interaction
Authors: Bhattacharya Sourav , Joshi Nitin , Kaushal Shagun
Published: March 2023

We have studied the decoherence mechanism in a fermion and scalar quantum field theory with the Yukawa interaction in the Minkowski spacetime, using the non-equilibrium effective field theory formalism appropriate for open systems. The scalar field is treated as the system whereas the fermions as the environment. As the simplest realistic scenario, we assume that an observer measures only the Gaussian 2-point correlator for the scalar field. The cause of decoherence and the subsequent entropy generation is the ignorance of information stored in higher-order correlators, Gaussian and non-Gaussian, of the system and the surrounding. Using the 2-loop 2-particle irreducible effective action, we construct the renormalised Kadanoff–Baym equation, i.e., the equation of motion satisfied by the 2-point correlators in the Schwinger–Keldysh formalism. These equations contain the non-local self-energy corrections. We then compute the statistical propagator in terms of the 2-point functions. Using the relationship of the statistical propagator with the phase space area, we next compute the von Neumann entropy, as a measure of the decoherence or effective loss of information for the system. We have obtained the variation of the entropy with respect to various relevant parameters. We also discuss the qualitative similarities and differences of our results with the scenario when both the system and the environment are scalar fields.
QED-based derivation of the general forms of the relativistic Doppler effect and of the relativistic aberration for uniformly rotating frames and for uniformly accelerated frames
Authors: Sfarti A.
Published: March 2023

This paper derives the most general form of the relativistic Doppler effect and of the relativistic aberration starting from base principles available in classical electrodynamics and from the Lorentz transforms of the energy-momentum. We derive the relativistic Doppler and the relativistic aberration formulas for the case of both source and receiver moving in arbitrary directions with respect to an inertial reference frame as viewed from either a uniformly rotating or a uniformly accelerated frame.
Self-induced quantum noise prompting ferron states transition in anti-ferromagnetic cluster: Solid state qubits
Authors: Jipdi M. N. , Fai L. C. , Tchoffo M.
Published: March 2023

The paper models a two-level system due to an impurity in an antiferromagnetic cluster and interacting with the phonon and magnon cloud or their coupling (so-called f-quantum-noise field) forming the so-called blended ferron which is subjected to an applied magnetic field that tailors the dynamics of individual states resulting in qubit formation as well as Landau–Zener-type transitions. The exact transition amplitude is calculated via the dynamic matrix approach (DMA). The transition probability is observed to be tailored by the electron–phonon and electron–magnon coupling constants while the renormalized probability by the f-quantum-noise field effects. The fast-driven-regime provokes system’s complete blockage while the blended ferron survives in the initial states where the transitions are forbidden. The slow-driven-regime provokes LZ-type-transition with the final states resulting in qubit formation.
Probable at First Glance, but Unlikely After Closer Look: The Role of Cognitive Reflection Ability on the Assessment of Probabilistic Expressions
Authors: Cardoso Ricardo Lopes , de Oliveira Leite Rodrigo , de Aquino André Carlos Busanelli
Published: March 2023

Synopsis

Research problem

We investigate whether accountants’ cognitive reflection ability affects how they assess the probabilistic numerical thresholds of the probabilistic expressions probable, remote, virtually certain, and reasonable certainty in the context of international financial reporting standards.

Theoretical reasoning

In the psychology literature, impulsivity is associated with aggressive behavior, and reflective individuals are more prone than impulsive individuals to access slow and effortful (Type 2) reasoning in order to overcome the initial response provided by fast and impulsive (Type 1) reasoning. Considering that accounting conservatism requires a higher degree of verification to recognize events that increase rather than decrease net assets, we argue that impulsivity is associated with aggressive accounting and reflectivity is associated with a conservative interpretation of probabilistic expressions.

Test hypothesis

Reflective accountants are more conservative than their impulsive peers when making numerical assessments of probabilistic expressions associated with accruing or disclosing an event.

Target population

Accounting professionals, including preparers, auditors, and tax analysts.

Adopted methodology

We collected data from 569 accounting professionals using a survey questionnaire, in partnership with the Brazilian Accountants Association (Conselho Federal de Contabilidade, or CFC), a federal agency with the mandate of guiding, regulating, and supervising the accounting profession in Brazil, to assess professionals’ cognitive reflection ability, collect their demographic characteristics, and evaluate their assignment of numerical values to probabilistic expressions.

Analyses

We employed [Formula: see text]-tests, median tests, and standard deviation tests; we also conducted several robustness tests that replicated our main results.

Findings

Our results confirm that reflective accountants are more conservative in their probability assessments than their impulsive peers. Our findings have three main implications. First, standard-setters could avoid the use of or develop guidance about terms with low communication efficiency. Second, analysts and standard-setters should consider that the comparability of accounting information across firms depends on the preparers’ cognitive reflection ability. Third, we present an additional explanation (accountants’ cognitive reflection ability) for accounting conservatism and differences in the interpretation of uncertainty expressions.
A2SC: Adversarial Attacks on Subspace Clustering
Authors: Xu Yikun , Wei Xingxing , Dai Pengwen , Cao Xiaochun
Published: March 2023

Many studies demonstrate that supervised learning techniques are vulnerable to adversarial examples. However, adversarial threats in unsupervised learning have not drawn sufficient scholarly attention. In this article, we formally address the unexplored adversarial attacks in the equally important unsupervised clustering field and propose the concept of the adversarial set and adversarial set attack for clustering. To illustrate the basic idea, we design a novel adversarial space-mapping attack algorithm to confuse subspace clustering, one of the mainstream branches of unsupervised clustering. It maps a sample into one wrong class by moving it towards the closest point on the linear subspace of the target class, that is, along the normal of the closest point. This simple single-step algorithm has the power to craft the adversarial set where the image samples can be wrongly clustered, even into the targeted labels. Empirical results on different image datasets verify the effectiveness and superiority of our algorithm. We further show that deep supervised learning algorithms (such as VGG and ResNet) are also vulnerable to our crafted adversarial set, which illustrates the good cross-task transferability of the adversarial set.
RE-RCNN: A Novel Representation-Enhanced RCNN Model for Early Apple Leaf Disease Detection
Authors: Liu Bin , Ren Huakun , Li Jiaxin , Duan Nannan , Yuan Aihong , Zhang Haixi
Published: March 2023

Apple leaf diseases have significant impacts on apple quality and productivity. So, the implementation of accurate disease detection in the early stages is a powerful guarantee for the rapid and high-quality development of the apple industry. However, early apple leaf disease often represents very small size disease spots, which makes the detection of early apple leaf disease a challenge for existing deep learning-based detection models. In this paper, a novel detection model called Representation-Enhanced RCNN(RE-RCNN) is proposed to perform accurate detection of early apple leaf disease spots. Firstly, an object-enhanced branch is proposed to achieve feature enhancement of small disease spots by introducing small disease spots feature enrichment extractor (SDSFEE). Secondly, a SCMLoss is proposed to balance the inter-class differences of various size disease spots under the same category. Thirdly, an one2one computation strategy is leveraged to sample data reasonably during the training process. From the final experimental results, it can be seen that the proposed model could achieve outstanding performance on the early apple leaf disease detection task.
Novel View Synthesis from a Single Unposed Image via Unsupervised Learning
Authors: Liu Bingzheng , Lei Jianjun , Peng Bo , Yu Chuanbo , Li Wanqing , Ling Nam
Published: March 2023

Novel view synthesis aims to generate novel views from one or more given source views. Although existing methods have achieved promising performance, they usually require paired views with different poses to learn a pixel transformation. This article proposes an unsupervised network to learn such a pixel transformation from a single source image. In particular, the network consists of a token transformation module that facilities the transformation of the features extracted from a source image into an intrinsic representation with respect to a pre-defined reference pose and a view generation module that synthesizes an arbitrary view from the representation. The learned transformation allows us to synthesize a novel view from any single source image of an unknown pose. Experiments on the widely used view synthesis datasets have demonstrated that the proposed network is able to produce comparable results to the state-of-the-art methods despite the fact that learning is unsupervised and only a single source image is required for generating a novel view. The code will be available upon the acceptance of the article.
Single-cell transcriptomic heterogeneity between conduit and resistance mesenteric arteries in rats
Authors: Anderson Jacob R. , Morin Emily E. , Brayer Kathryn J. , Salbato Sophia , Gonzalez Bosc Laura V. , Kanagy Nancy L. , Naik Jay S.
Published: March 2023

The endothelium contains morphologically similar cells throughout the vasculature, but individual cells along the length of a single vascular tree or in different regional circulations function dissimilarly. When observations made in large arteries are extrapolated to explain the function of endothelial cells (ECs) in the resistance vasculature, only a fraction of these observations are consistent between artery sizes. To what extent endothelial (EC) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from different arteriolar segments of the same tissue differ phenotypically at the single-cell level remains unknown. Therefore, single-cell RNA-seq (10x Genomics) was performed using a 10X Genomics Chromium system. Cells were enzymatically digested from large (>300 µm) and small (<150 µm) mesenteric arteries from nine adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, pooled to create six samples (3 rats/sample, 3 samples/group). After normalized integration, the dataset was scaled before unsupervised cell clustering and cluster visualization using UMAP plots. Differential gene expression analysis allowed us to infer the biological identity of different clusters. Our analysis revealed 630 and 641 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between conduit and resistance arteries for ECs and VSMCs, respectively. Gene ontology analysis (GO-Biological Processes, GOBP) of scRNA-seq data discovered 562 and 270 pathways for ECs and VSMCs, respectively, that differed between large and small arteries. We identified eight and seven unique ECs and VSMCs subpopulations, respectively, with DEGs and pathways identified for each cluster. These results and this dataset allow the discovery and support of novel hypotheses needed to identify mechanisms that determine the phenotypic heterogeneity between conduit and resistance arteries.
The Pretension Design of Cable Mesh considering the Large Deformation of Ring Truss
Authors: Jianfeng Hu , Lipeng Wang , Jungang Yang
Published: March 2023

The conventional pretension design of cable mesh usually takes the ring truss as a rigid body or assumes small deformation. This method needs to be more accurate in designing super large aperture antennas. A cable mesh design method considering the large deformation of the ring truss is proposed in this paper based on the flexible multibody dynamics (FMD) and the force density method (FDM). With this method, the significant range deviation of the boundary points’ position of the ring truss under the tension of the external area of the cable mesh after the completion of the pretension design can be predicted with high accuracy. After the ring truss and cable mesh surface are assembled stably, there is only a minimal deviation between the actual mesh surface and the theoretical mesh surface of the antenna, and there is only a minimal deviation between the genuine mesh pretension and the design pretension. The above calculation method is verified by numerical simulation, and the simulation results show that the technique can be applied to the mesh pretension design of a super large aperture ring deployable antenna.
Design and Robustness Analysis of Multiple Extended State Observer Based Controller (MESOBC) for AVR of the Power System
Authors: Gandhi Ravi , Masikana S. B. , Sharma Gulshan , Çelik Emre
Published: March 2023

Automatic voltage regulator (AVR) is installed on the synchronous generators in the power system and plays a very important role in maintaining the generator output voltage besides changes in load demand, parametric uncertainties, and operating temperature. As the load is continuously varying in the system, the AVR needs controllers to track and regulate the voltage of the synchronous generator much faster. This paper shows an initial attempt to design a robust multiple extended state observer (MESO) to estimate the variation in lump disturbances (i.e., load demand and parametric uncertainties) from all the components of the AVR. MESO-based controller (MESOBC) can track such matching and mismatching of both types of irregularities and regulate the terminal voltage of the generator accordingly. MESOBC performance is matched with strong published AVR designs for a standard condition, ±30% load voltage variation and for simultaneous changes in AVR parameters with ±30% load voltage variations. Integrated square error (ISE) is chosen as an objective function to compare the output of MESOBC with other published AVR designs in view of graphical AVR responses and by calculating various numerical values for AVR responses. At last, the robustness of MESOBC is also checked through sensitivity analysis, and it is seen that MESOBC guaranteed robust performance for the AVR of the power system under diverse operating conditions.
Mechanism of SET8 Activates the Nrf2-KEAP1-ARE Signaling Pathway to Promote the Recovery of Motor Function after Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Li Xin , Qian Yan , Shen Wanling , Zhang Shiying , Han Hui , Zhang Yu , Liu Shuangmei , Lv Shaokun , Zhang Xiuying
Published: March 2023

Background. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common injury of the central nervous system (CNS), and astrocytes are relatively abundant glial cells in the CNS that impairs the recovery of motor function after SCI. It was confirmed that the oxidative stress of mitochondria leads to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, which plays a key role in the motor function of astrocytes. However, the mechanism by which oxidative stress affects astrocyte motility after SCI is still unexplained. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of SET8-regulated oxidative stress on astrocyte autophagy levels after SCI in rats and the potential mechanisms of action. Methods. We used real-time quantitative PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining to analyze SET8, Keap1, and Nrf2 expression at the cellular level and in SCI tissues. ChIP to detect H4K20me1 enrichment in the Keap1 promoter region under OE-SET8 (overexpression of SET8) conditions. Western blotting was used to assess the expression of signature proteins of astrocytes, proteins associated with autophagy, proteins associated with glial scar formation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in cells using DHE staining, and astrocyte number, morphological alterations, and induction of glial scar formation processes using immunofluorescence. In addition, the survival rate of neurons after SCI in rats was examined by using NiSSl staining. Results. OE-SET8 upregulates the enrichment of H4K20me1 in Keap1, inhibits Keap1 expression, activates the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway to suppress ROS accumulation, inhibits oxidative stress-induced autophagy and glial scar formation in astrocytes, and leads to reduced neuronal loss, which promoted the recovery and improvement of motor function after SCI in rats. Conclusion. Overexpression of SET8 alleviated oxidative stress by regulating Keap1/Nrf2/ARE, inhibited astrocyte autophagy levels, and reduced glial scar formation as well as neuronal loss, thereby promoting improved recovery of motor function after SCI. Thus, the SET8/H4K20me1 regulatory function may be a promising cellular therapeutic intervention point after SCI.
Determination of Particulate Matter in Dental Clinics: The Effectiveness of Different Air Purifiers and the Central Ventilation System
Authors: Kermenidou M. , Koulaouzidou E. , Chasoglou V. , Anesti O. , Tolidis K. , Karakitsios S. , Sarigiannis D.
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study was to measure the number and concentration of airborne particulates occurring in a dental clinic while performing dental procedures, with and without the simultaneous use of air purifier systems and a central ventilation system. The initial background concentrations of airborne particulates recorded during dental procedures, i.e., grinding of natural teeth and metals, without the use of air purifier systems, and with closed windows, reduced by 68% for ΡΜ10, 77% for ΡΜ2.5, and 81% for ΡΜ1 when the same procedures were carried out with the simultaneous use of air purifying systems. In addition, measurements taken during patient treatment showed that an operating central ventilation system contributes to the reduction of airborne particles by a significant 94% for ΡΜ10, 94% for ΡΜ2.5, and 88% for ΡΜ1 compared to dental procedures performed without the simultaneous use of air purifiers. Air purifying systems were also observed to contribute to the further reduction of airborne particulates when dental procedures were performed in combination with an operating central ventilation system. The majority of particles captured had diameters of 0.25-0.30 μm, 0.5 μm, and 1.0-4.0 μm, while particles with diameters of >5.0 μm were the least commonly observed in all experiments. Finally, a statistically significant difference between concentrations of particulate matter was recorded during dental procedures carried out with and without the simultaneous operation of air purifiers and central ventilation system increasing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 virus contamination in dental clinics due to the aerosols emitted by the use of common dental instruments during standard treatments.
Applications of Recent Metaheuristic Algorithms for Loss Reduction in Distribution Power Systems considering Maximum Penetration of Photovoltaic Units
Authors: Nguyen Le Duy Luan , Nguyen Phuc Khai , Vo Viet Cuong , Vo Ngoc Dieu , Nguyen Thang Trung , Phan Tan Minh
Published: March 2023

Radial distribution power systems (RDPSs) are essential in the power system to supply electricity to loads for developing industries, commerce, and services in countries. However, RDPSs have many distribution lines with high resistance, causing high active power loss. So, the core target of the study is to reduce the total active power loss, considering the highest penetration level of installed PVUs. Photovoltaic units (PVUs) are placed optimally by implementing the Coot optimization algorithm (COOA), the archimedes optimization algorithm (AOA), the transient search optimization algorithm (TSOA), the crystal structure algorithm (CrSA), the war strategy optimization algorithm (WSA), and the average and subtraction-based optimizer (ASBO). Two test RDPSs with 33 and 69 nodes are employed for four different study cases, including (1) the number of PVUs is three and the power factor is 1.0; (2) the number of PVUs is three, and the power factor is optimally determined; (3) the number of PVUs is determined optimally while the power factor is 1.0; and (4) the number of PVUs and the power factor of PVUs are optimally determined. For the first system, COOA can reach smaller power losses than others by 0.14% to 13.059% for Case 1, 0.5% to 77.89% for Case 2, 0.101% to 10.126% for Case 3, and 11.818% to 88.492% for Case 4. For the second system, COOA can reach a lower loss than others by 0.164% to 15.511% for Case 1, 0.774% to 78.6% for Case 2, 0.173% to 15.104% for Case 3, and 46.201% to 95.389% for Case 4. Especially in Case 4, the power loss is approximately equal to zero. The loss reduction is the first significant contribution of the study. In addition, the study also investigated the difference between the four cases for obtaining power loss reduction, the maximum penetration level of active and reactive power of PVUs, and the improvement of load voltage. As a result, Case 4 is superior to the three other cases. Thus, the number, peak power, power factor, and location of added PVUs in RDPSs should be simultaneously optimized, and one of the most effective optimization tools is COOA.
Technical Efficiency of Fishing Activities: A Case Study of Small-Scale Trawling in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Authors: Phuong Dang Thi , Long Nguyen Thanh , Khai Huynh Viet
Published: March 2023

This study estimated the technical efficiency of small-scale trawling in the Mekong Delta using a translog stochastic frontier production function model. Primary data were collected by interviewing the small-scale trawling vessels from January 2020 to May 2021 in the four coastal provinces (Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, and Kien Giang) of the Mekong Delta. The results showed that the average technical efficiency of the surveyed fishermen was approximately 68.8%. Small-scale trawling vessels could increase their production by 31.2% if they operated at full technical efficiency. The captain’s fishing experience, vessel size, the number of nets on a boat, cooperation for inputs, supplies, and problem-solving, fishing registration, operation distance, and the fishing grounds were the main factors influencing the technical efficiency. To improve the technical efficiency of the trawling industry, it is necessary to focus on training the captains in fishing techniques, upgrading and converting large-scale vessels, and linking the market channels for consuming the caught fishery products.
Hypoxia Potentiates the Inflammatory Fibroblast Phenotype Promoted by Pancreatic Cancer Cell–Derived Cytokines
Authors: Schwörer Simon , Cimino Francesco V. , Ros Manon , Tsanov Kaloyan M. , Ng Charles , Lowe Scott W. , Carmona-Fontaine Carlos , Thompson Craig B.
Published: March 2023

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are a major cell type in the stroma of solid tumors and can exert both tumor-promoting and tumor-restraining functions. CAF heterogeneity is frequently observed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a tumor characterized by a dense and hypoxic stroma that features myofibroblastic CAFs (myCAF) and inflammatory CAFs (iCAF) that are thought to have opposing roles in tumor progression. While CAF heterogeneity can be driven in part by tumor cell–produced cytokines, other determinants shaping CAF identity and function are largely unknown. In vivo, we found that iCAFs displayed a hypoxic gene expression and biochemical profile and were enriched in hypoxic regions of PDAC tumors, while myCAFs were excluded from these regions. Hypoxia led fibroblasts to acquire an inflammatory gene expression signature and synergized with cancer cell–derived cytokines to promote an iCAF phenotype in a HIF1α-dependent fashion. Furthermore, HIF1α stabilization was sufficient to induce an iCAF phenotype in stromal cells introduced into PDAC organoid cocultures and to promote PDAC tumor growth. These findings indicate hypoxia-induced HIF1α as a regulator of CAF heterogeneity and promoter of tumor progression in PDAC.

Significance:

Hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer potentiates the cytokine-induced inflammatory CAF phenotype and promotes tumor growth.

See related commentary by Fuentes and Taniguchi, p. 1560
Possible treatments for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a systematic review
Authors: Santos Aline Gabriele Etur dos , Huszcz Gabriel Barbosa , Santos Henrique Garutti dos , Henriques Dyana Alves
Published: March 2023

Prion Diseases are rare and fatal diseases that compromises the Nervous System, in which occurs an abnormal accumulation of a protein known as Prion Scrapie (PrPsc). PrPsc is a mutation of a brain tissue protein called Normal Cellular Prion (PrPc) and the accumulation of PrPsc causes spongiform deficiencies. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is one of the various Prion Diseases and its sporadic form (sCJD) is the most prevalent. Considering the relentless and rapid progression of the disease, the invariably lethal outcome and the scarcity of therapeutic options for Prion Diseases, especially sCJD, effective treatments become necessary. Thus, the objective of this systematic review is to analyze and identify therapeutic options aimed at sCJD. This research was carried out in the Pubmed and Cochrane databases with the Mesh Terms “Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease” and “Treatment”, and the boolean “AND”. Four articles in English were selected, that most aligned ones with the work targets. As the outcome of this research, came to a conclusion that two drugs were well tolerated by the patients, nevertheless they did not deliver a better life quality neither achieved an extended life span. Other drugs are being tested in adult patients, some in clinical trials exhibited good efficacy, minimizing cognitive deficits in CJD patients. However, the studies require a greater number of trials in a wide amount of patients for better conclusion that addresses the treatment of this severe and fatal disease.
Sex and reproductive status affect sheltering and exploratory behaviours with high intra-individual variability in crayfish
Authors: Atkinson Sydney , Bryan Erin , Kruse Jack , Sarachick Nathan , Mathews Lauren
Published: March 2023

The contexts in which individuals demonstrate behavioural consistency or variability have been the subject of research focus. We studied exploratory and sheltering behaviour in the crayfish F. virilis to understand how these behaviours vary by sex and reproductive readiness and to quantify the repeatability of these behaviours. Crayfish were tested in two sets of three rounds, one in the summer non-reproductive season and another in the autumn reproductive season. Reproductive crayfish spent more time outside the shelter and were more likely to accept a food item than non-reproductive crayfish. In the non-reproductive season, females spent more time outside the shelter than males, and over both seasons, females were more likely to seek and accept a food item. Repeatability estimates were low, indicating high intra-individual variability in these behaviours. Sheltering and exploratory behaviours were not correlated. This indicates sex or reproductive readiness have strong effects on both sheltering and exploratory behaviours.
A new species of potamid crab, Isolapotamon seowi (Brachyura, Potamoidea) from Kokol Hill in western Sabah, Malaysia, Borneo
Authors: Ng Peter K. L.
Published: March 2023

A new species of freshwater crab of the genus Isolapotamon Bott, 1968 (Potamidae) is described from western Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. Isolapotamon seowi new species, is the sixth species of Isolapotamon known from Sabah, and differs from its closest congener, I. buntyae Ng, Low & Clark, 2022, from eastern Borneo, in possessing a relatively lower carapace, a more rugose dorsal carapace surface, the postorbital cristae being sharper and subparallel with the frontal margin, relatively shorter fourth ambulatory legs, and the terminal segment of the male first gonopod is gently curved with the subdistal process slightly longer than the distal projection and angled at 90° to the longitudinal axis.
Body length, dry and ash-free dry weights, and developmental changes at each copepodid stage in five sympatric mesopelagic aetideid copepods in the western Arctic Ocean
Authors: Koguchi Yunosuke , Tokuhiro Koki , Ashjian Carin J. , Campbell Robert G. , Yamaguchi Atsushi
Published: March 2023

Aetideid copepods dominate the mesopelagic layer of the Arctic Ocean and play an important role in the vertical material flux and biodiversity. However, little information about the lengths and weights of their copepodids is available. In this study, we collected five sympatric aetideid copepods, Chiridius obtusifrons Sars G.O., 1902, Gaetanus tenuispinus (Sars G.O., 1900), Gaetanus brevispinus (Sars G.O., 1900), Aetideopsis multiserrata (Wolfenden, 1904), and Aetideopsis rostrata Sars G.O., 1903, from the Arctic Ocean and examined their body lengths, dry and ash-free dry weights, and developmental growths at each copepodid stage. Highly significant length-weight relationships were obtained among copepodids for all species. Within genera, individuals of the same length were heavier at shallower depths. This may result from the greater nutritional availability to species within genera inhabiting shallower depths. Common to all species, the organic content (ash-free dry weight per dry weight) was high for the early copepodid stages. This may be due to the residual organic content of lipid-rich eggs retained in the non-feeding nauplii. The largest growth in females occurred at C5/C6, whereas the largest growth in males occurred at C4/C5, as determined by moult increment and proportion of growth in weight. These sex differences in weight growth could be due to the degeneration of the feeding appendage and cessation of feeding in C6 males of aetideid copepods.
Semper Purificanda: Accounting for Ecclesial Deformity with Bernard Lonergan
Authors: Schlesinger Eugene R.
Published: March 2023

The Christian churches often not only fall short of their noble ambitions, but actively perpetuate harm. This reality must be squarely faced, and a cogent theological account of this deformity must be forthcoming, otherwise the ecclesiological enterprise will fail. This essay turns to the thought of Bernard Lonergan in order to develop a theological account of ecclesial deformity, by articulating a framework for relating ecclesiological ideals and the empirical reality of actual churches. Both the ideal and the empirical are required for an adequate ecclesiology, for either, in isolation, fails to truly describe the church as it actually exists. This sets the stage for the churches to undertake the work of beginning to correct their ills.
Sign and Ministry in the Finnish Lutheran – Catholic Document Communion in Growth
Authors: Hurskainen Heta
Published: March 2023

Communion in Growth: Declaration on the Church, Eucharist and Ministry (cg 2017), a report from the Lutheran – Catholic Dialogue Commission for Finland, continued at the national level the ecumenical request to work on the themes. The aim of the article is to determine how Communion in Growth understands the concept ‘sign’ in connection with ministry. In the report, ministry itself, especially episcopal ministry, is understood as a sign, but so is the laying on of hands in the ordination understood as a sign. The two meanings are then seen as representing visible, historical, sacramental and communal signs.
The Charism of Infallibility: Re-Receiving Pastor Aeternus’ Teaching on Papal Infallibility in Light of Iuvenescit Ecclesia’s Teaching on Charismatic Gifts
Authors: Stayne John
Published: March 2023

More than 150 years since Vatican I, the definition of papal infallibility continues to be a major obstacle in the work for Christian unity. In response to ecumenical and historical objections, Roman Catholic scholars have tended to downplay claims of a priori certainty by stressing the epistemological role of ecclesial reception. The present essay argues that this approach can be greatly strengthened through re-examining the decision of Pastor Aeternus to describe infallibility as a charism, particularly in light of the understanding of charisms found in Lumen Gentium and, more recently, Iuvenescit Ecclesia.
On Secondary Long Vowels in Mongolic Loanwords in Kirghiz
Authors: Satylkanova Nuraiym
Published: March 2023

Regardless of the modern settlement of their speakers, the South Siberian Turkic languages evidence the largest number of Mongolic loanwords. At the same time, the layer of the loanwords in these languages varies greatly. Interestingly, the Kirghiz language has quite a few Mongolic borrowings, following the number of borrowings from South Siberian Turkic languages. According to my preliminary compiled materials, more than 300 words are indisputably of Mongolic origin. Most of these Mongolic loanwords were most likely borrowed in the early Yenisei period. As with the South Siberian Turkic languages (Tuvan, Khakas, Yakut, etc.) in Kirghiz, it is difficult to distribute the Mongolic loanwords into earlier and later layers. For example, Kirghiz has an early characteristic feature in the length patterns -aγu-, -aγa-, -oγa-, iγu-, -egü-, -öge-, -uγu-, -igü-, which can be attributed to the middle period of the Kirghiz language. In Kirghiz, strong labial vowel harmony is clearly and consistently implemented, especially in the Northern Kirghiz dialect. This might have influenced the long vowel patterns in Mongolic loanwords. This type of vowel harmony affected the development of the long vowels in the Mongolic loanwords due to the loss of intervocalic guttural consonant g. Long vowels in Mongolic loanwords in Kirghiz are observed only in those cases where the long vowels arose from the patterns -aγu-, -aγa, -oγa-, -iγu-, -egü, -öge-, -uγu, -igü-.
The Effect of an Enhanced Recovery Protocol on Pediatric Colorectal Surgical Patient Outcomes at a Single Institution
Authors: Eakes Ali M. , Purcell Laura N. , Burkbauer Laura , McCauley Christopher M. , Mangat Sabrina , Lupa Concetta , Akinkuotu Adesola C. , McLean Sean E. , Phillips Michael R.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Enhanced recovery protocols (ERP) have been associated with fewer postoperative complications in adult colorectal surgery patients, but there is a paucity of data on pediatric patients. Our aim is to describe the effect of an ERP, compared to conventional care, on pediatric colorectal surgical complications.

Materials and Methods

We performed a single institution, retrospective cohort study (2014-2020) on pediatric (≤18 years old) colorectal surgery patients pre- and post-implementation of an ERP. Bivariate analysis and logistic regression were used to assess the effect of an ERP on return visits to the emergency room, reoperation, and readmission within 30-days.

Results

There were 194 patients included in this study, with 54 in the control cohort and 140 in the ERP cohort. There was no significant difference in the age, BMI, primary diagnosis, or use of laparoscopic technique between the cohorts. The ERP cohort had a significantly shorter foley duration, postoperative stay, and had nerve blocks performed. After controlling for pertinent covariates, the ERP cohort experienced higher odds of reoperation within 30 days (OR 5.83, P = .04). There was no significant difference in the other outcomes analyzed.

Conclusion

In this study, there was no difference in the odds of overall complications, readmission or return to the ER within 30-days of surgery. However, although infrequent, there were higher odds of returns to the OR within 30 days. Future studies are needed to analyze how adherence to individual components may influence patient outcomes to ensure patient safety during ERP implementation.
Compliance Prediction of a Novel Head Protection Device for Elderly Patients With Fall Risk
Authors: Kepros John P. , Haag Susan , Patterson Stacie
Published: March 2023

Brain injury from ground level falls (GLF) is common and has substantial morbidity. We identified a potential head protection device (HPD). This report describes predicted future compliance. 21 elderly patients were provided a HPD and were evaluated on admission and after discharge. Compliance, ease of use, and comfort were evaluated. Differences between categorical variables (gender, race, age group1, 55-77 years; group2, 78+) and compliance were tested using the chi-squared statistic. HPD compliance at baseline was 90% with 85% at follow-up ( P = .33). No difference with HPD interaction ( P = .72), ease of use ( P = .57), and comfort ( P = .77). Weight was a concern on follow-up ( P = .001). Age group1 was more compliant ( P=.05). At two months, patients were compliant with no falls recorded. The identified HPD with modifications has a high predicted compliance in this population. After the device is modified, effectiveness will be assessed.
In-Hospital Mortality after Massive Transfusion and Motorcycle Trauma may Predict Highest Injury Severity in a Rural Level I Trauma System
Authors: Olson Robert , Rhodes Heather X. , Pepe Antonio P.
Published: March 2023

The leading cause of preventable traumatic death is uncontrolled bleeding. This study aimed to better identify those most likely to experience in-hospital mortality with increasing injury severity scoring (ISS). This is a single-center study of Trauma Registry data, from July 3, 2016, to February 24, 2022. The inclusion criteria were based upon age (≥18 years) and in-hospital mortality. 546 patients (mean age 58) were included in the analysis. There were several significant associations with increasing ISS among those who experienced in-hospital mortality, which included a rising shock index ratio, activation of the massive transfusion protocol, and, most notably, motorcycle trauma. This research reiterates the importance of the “Stop the Bleed” campaign as vital for training laypersons in the life-saving technique for hemorrhage control.
Can Pre-Hospital Medical Management Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Trauma?
Authors: Rhodes Heather X. , Locklear Taylor , Pepe Antonio
Published: March 2023

The current literature demonstrates an association between both size and presence of TBI and its effects on mortality; however, it does not readily address the morbidity and associated functional outcomes of those who survive. We hypothesize that the likelihood of discharge to home decreases with advancement of age in the presence of TBI. This is a single-center study of trauma registry data, inclusive years July 1, 2016, to October 31, 2021. The inclusion criteria was based upon age (≥40 years), and ICD10 diagnosis of a TBI. Disposition to home without services was the dependent variable. 2031 patients were included in the analysis. We hypothesized correctly that the likelihood of discharge to home decreases (by 6%) with advancement of age (per year) in the presence of intracranial hemorrhage.
Early and Mid-Term Results of Native and Abdominal Aortic Graft Infection Treatment via Surgeon-Constructed Porcine Pericardial Aortic Tubes
Authors: Znaniecki Łukasz , Brzeziński Jakub , Halman Joanna , Marciniuk Piotr , Michalski Paweł , Wojciechowski Jacek
Published: March 2023

The search for optimal material for aortic infection reconstruction is ongoing. Our study presents the early and mid-term results of surgeon-constructed porcine pericardial tubes in the in-situ reconstruction of abdominal aortic infections, focusing on the safety as well as the durability of surgeon-created tubes. We performed a retrospective analysis of 8 patients treated for native aortic ( n = 3) and aortic graft infections ( n = 5) with surgeon-created tubes made of porcine pericardium patch (8 × 14 cm NO-REACT Ⓡ, BioIntegral Surgical Inc., Mississauga, ON, Canada). There were 7 males and 1 female, aged 68.5 (±4.8 years). Three patients had an aorto-enteric fistula. Technical success was obtained in all patients. Thirty-day mortality was 12.5% ( n = 1). Mid-term follow-up was 12 months (2–63 months). One-year mortality was 37.5% ( n = 3). Reintervention rate was 28.5% ( n = 2). False aneurysm rate in the follow-up was 14.2% ( n = 1). Surgeon-constructed porcine pericardial tubes seem to be a promising alternative as a replacement for native as well as graft-related abdominal aortic infections. The mid-term durability is encouraging, once the infection is controlled in cases with successful fistula repair and in native aortic infections patients. Further observations on larger groups, in longer follow-ups are necessary to confirm these preliminary observations.