bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical outcome, quality of life, and mental health in long-gap esophageal atresia: comparison of gastric sleeve pull-up and delayed primary anastomosis
Authors: Boettcher Michael , Hauck Marie , Fuerboeter Mareike , Elrod Julia , Vincent Deirdre , Boettcher Johannes , Reinshagen Konrad
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Pediatric surgeons have yet to reach a consensus whether a gastric sleeve pull-up or delayed primary anastomosis for the treatment of esophageal atresia (EA), especially of the long-gap type (LGEA) should be performed. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcome, quality of life (QoL), and mental health of patients with EA and their parents.

Methods

Clinical outcomes of all children treated with EA from 2007 to 2021 were collected and parents of affected children were asked to participate in questionnaires regarding their Quality of Life (QoL) and their child’s Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), as well as mental health.

Results

A total of 98 EA patients were included in the study. For analysis, the cohort was divided into two groups: (1) primary versus (2) secondary anastomosis, while the secondary anastomosis group was subdivided into (a) delayed primary anastomosis and (b) gastric sleeve pull-up and compared with each other. When comparing the secondary anastomosis group, significant differences were found between the delayed primary anastomosis and gastric sleeve pull-up group; the duration of anesthesia during anastomosis surgery (478.54 vs 328.82 min, p < 0.001), endoscopic dilatation rate (100% vs 69%, p = 0.03), cumulative time spent in intensive care (42.31 vs 94.75 days, p = 0.03) and the mortality rate (0% vs 31%, p = 0.03). HRQoL and mental health did not differ between any of the groups.

Conclusion

Delayed primary anastomosis or gastric sleeve pull-up appear to be similar in patients with long-gap esophageal atresia in many key aspects like leakage rate, strictures, re-fistula, tracheomalacia, recurrent infections, thrive or reflux. Moreover, HrQoL was comparable in patients with (a) gastric sleeve pull-up and (b) delayed primary anastomosis. Future studies should focus on the long-term results of either preservation or replacement of the esophagus in children.
From laboratory to field: laboratory-measured pesticide resistance reflects outcomes of field-based control in the redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor
Authors: Umina Paul A. , McGrane Leo , Thia Joshua A. , Chirgwin Evatt , Hoffmann Ary A.
Published: April 2023

Resistance to pesticides is typically identified via laboratory bioassays after field control failures are observed, but the results of such assays are rarely validated through experiments under field conditions. Such validation is particularly important when only a low-to-moderate level of resistance is detected in the laboratory. Here we undertake such a validation for organophosphate resistance in the agricultural pest mite Halotydeus destructor, in which low-to-moderate levels of resistance to organophosphorus pesticides have evolved in Australia. Using data from laboratory bioassays, we show that resistance to the organophosphate chlorpyrifos is higher (around 100-fold) than resistance to another organophosphate, omethoate (around 7-fold). In field trials, both these chemicals were found to effectively control pesticide-susceptible populations of H. destructor. However, when applied to a resistant mite population in the field, the effectiveness of chlorpyrifos was substantially decreased. In contrast, omethoate remained effective when tested alone or as a mixture with chlorpyrifos. We also show that two novel (non-pesticide) treatments, molasses and wood vinegar, are ineffective in controlling H. destructor when sprayed to pasture fields at rates of 4 L/ha. These findings suggest a close link between levels of resistance quantified through laboratory bioassays and the field effectiveness of pesticides; however, in the case of H. destructor, this does not necessarily mean all field populations possessing organophosphate resistance will respond similarly given the potentially complex nature of the underlying resistance mechanism(s).
Fulvestrant plus palbociclib in advanced or metastatic hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer after fulvestrant monotherapy: Japan Breast Cancer Research Group-M07 (FUTURE trial)
Authors: Watanabe Kenichi , Niikura Naoki , Kikawa Yuichiro , Oba Mari , Kobayashi Kokoro , Tada Hiroshi , Ozaki Shinji , Toh Uhi , Yamamoto Yutaka , Tsuneizumi Michiko , Okuno Toshitaka , Iwakuma Nobutaka , Takeshita Takashi , Iwamoto Takayuki , Ishiguro Hiroshi , Masuda Norikazu , Saji Shigehira
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The combination of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors and endocrine therapy is a standard treatment for hormone receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC); however, their toxicities and financial burden are major issues, especially for prolonged treatment. We investigated fulvestrant plus palbociclib in patients with HR-positive MBC resistant to fulvestrant monotherapy.

Methods

Patients who initially received fulvestrant as their first- or second-line endocrine therapy were assigned to group A. Patients with disease progression during fulvestrant monotherapy who subsequently received fulvestrant plus palbociclib were assigned to group B. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS1) in group B. We set the threshold median PFS of 5 months (null hypothesis).

Results

Between January 2018 and February 2020 we enrolled 167 patients in group A (January 2018–February 2020) from 55 institutions, of whom 72 subsequently received fulvestrant plus palbociclib and were enrolled in group B. The median follow-up was 23.8 and 8.9 months in groups A and B, respectively. The median PFS in group B (combination therapy) was 9.4 (90% confidence interval [CI]: 6.9–11.2) months (p < 0.001). This was 25.7 (90% CI: 21.2–30.3) months in group A (fulvestrant monotherapy). The TTF in group B was 7.2 (90% CI: 5.5–10.4) months. In the post-hoc analysis, the median PFS1 in group B among patients with longer-duration fulvestrant monotherapy (> 1 year) was longer than that of patients with shorter-duration monotherapy (≤ 1 year) (11.3 vs. 7.6 months). No new toxicities were observed.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that palbociclib plus fulvestrant after disease progression despite fulvestrant monotherapy is potentially safe and effective in patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative advanced MBC.
Impact of diabetes on surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer
Authors: Lawrenson Ross , Lao Chunhuan , Stanley James , Campbell Ian , Krebs Jeremy , Meredith Ineke , Koea Jonathan , Teng Andrea , Sika-Paotonu Dianne , Stairmand Jeannine , Gurney Jason
Published: April 2023

Purposes

This study aims to examine whether diabetes has an impact on the use of surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy in treating women with localised breast cancer.

Methods

Women diagnosed with stage I–III breast cancer between 2005 and 2020 were identified from Te Rēhita Mate Ūtaetae—Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand National Register, with diabetes status determined using New Zealand’s Virtual Diabetes Register. The cancer treatments examined included breast conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy, breast reconstruction after mastectomy, and adjuvant radiotherapy after BCS. Logistic regression modelling was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of having cancer treatment and treatment delay (> 31 days) for patients with diabetes at the time of cancer diagnosis compared to patients without diabetes.

Results

We identified 25,557 women diagnosed with stage I–III breast cancer in 2005–2020, including 2906 (11.4%) with diabetes. After adjustment for other factors, there was no significant difference overall in risk of women with diabetes having no surgery (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.94–1.33), although for patients with stage I disease not having surgery was more likely (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.05–2.00) in the diabetes group. Patients with diabetes were more likely to have their surgery delayed (adjusted OR of 1.16, 95% CI 1.05–1.27) and less likely to have reconstruction after mastectomy compared to the non-diabetes group—adjusted OR 0.54 (95% CI 0.35–0.84) for stage I cancer, 0.50 (95% CI 0.34–0.75) for stage II and 0.48 (95% CI 0.24–1.00) for stage III cancer.

Conclusions

Diabetes is associated with a lower likelihood of receiving surgery and a greater delay to surgery. Women with diabetes are also less likely to have breast reconstruction after mastectomy. These differences need to be taken in to account when considering factors that may impact on the outcomes of women with diabetes especially for Māori, Pacific and Asian women.
Morphokinetic parameters of mouse oocyte meiotic maturation and cumulus expansion are not affected by reproductive age or ploidy status
Authors: Suebthawinkul Chanakarn , Babayev Elnur , Lee Hoi Chang , Duncan Francesca E.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Morphokinetic analysis using a closed time-lapse monitoring system (EmbryoScope + ™) provides quantitative metrics of meiotic progression and cumulus expansion. The goal of this study was to use a physiologic aging mouse model, in which egg aneuploidy levels increase, to determine whether there are age-dependent differences in morphokinetic parameters of oocyte maturation.

Methods

Denuded oocytes and intact cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were isolated from reproductively young and old mice and in vitro matured in the EmbryoScope + ™. Morphokinetic parameters of meiotic progression and cumulus expansion were evaluated, compared between reproductively young and old mice, and correlated with egg ploidy status.

Results

Oocytes from reproductively old mice were smaller than young counterparts in terms of GV area (446.42 ± 4.15 vs. 416.79 ± 5.24 µm2, p < 0.0001) and oocyte area (4195.71 ± 33.10 vs. 4081.62 ± 41.04 µm2, p < 0.05). In addition, the aneuploidy incidence was higher in eggs with advanced reproductive age (24–27% vs. 8–9%, p < 0.05). There were no differences in the morphokinetic parameters of oocyte maturation between oocytes from reproductively young and old mice with respect to time to germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) (1.03 ± 0.03 vs. 1.01 ± 0.04 h), polar body extrusion (PBE) (8.56 ± 0.11 vs. 8.52 ± 0.15 h), duration of meiosis I (7.58 ± 0.10 vs. 7.48 ± 0.11 h), and kinetics of cumulus expansion (0.093 ± 0.002 vs. 0.089 ± 0.003 µm/min). All morphokinetic parameters of oocyte maturation were similar between euploid and aneuploid eggs irrespective of age.

Conclusion

There is no association between age or ploidy and the morphokinetics of mouse oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM). Future studies are needed to evaluate whether there is an association between morphokinetic dynamics of mouse IVM and embryo developmental competence.
The association between neighborhood conditions and weight loss among older adults living in a large urban city
Authors: Kim Sage J. , Blesoff Jamine R. , Tussing-Humphrys Lisa , Fitzgibbon Marian L. , Peterson Caryn E.
Published: April 2023

To elucidate the role of neighborhood walkability and crime on weight loss, we examined data from older adults residing in Chicago who participated in a randomized controlled trial lifestyle intervention. Controlling for individual demographic characteristics and the intervention assignment, the neighborhood homicide rate was significantly associated with weight change. Participants who resided in neighborhoods above the 50th percentile of homicide rate actually gained weight between pre- and post-intervention. On the other hand, there was no significant relationship between the level of walkability and weight loss. Our findings suggest that the social environment related to neighborhood crime may play a more important role in weight loss than the built environment, such as walkability. Urban characteristics related to walkability, such as sidewalks, may increase physical activity, however, interventions aiming to increase physical activity to promote weight loss will benefit by addressing the neighborhood social environment that determines how people navigate space.
“I was Treated by the Program, the Therapist, and Myself”: Feasibility of an Internet-Based Treatment Program for Gambling Disorder
Authors: Stenbro Anna Westh , Moldt Stine , Eriksen Jakob Winther , Frostholm Lisbeth
Published: April 2023

The majority of people with problematic gambling behavior never seek or receive professional help. Internet-based treatment approaches have been shown to help patients overcome practical and psychological barriers associated with face-to-face therapy. In this uncontrolled pilot study, we explored the feasibility of the eight-module therapist-guided internet-based treatment program SpilleFri (“Free from Gambling”) for patients with gambling disorder (GD). We included 24 patients seeking treatment at a Danish hospital-based treatment clinic. The focus of the feasibility study was evaluation of recruitment and retention rates, data completion rates, treatment response, satisfaction, and program utility. In addition, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore patient-perceived acceptability and potential barriers to treatment completion and positive outcome. Treatment acceptability among therapists was examined in a focus group interview. Sixteen of the included patients completed the program, yielding an acceptable treatment dropout rate (29.17%), and 82.35% of treatment completers provided full data at all assessment points. Overall, patients were satisfied with the treatment received, and patient interviews highlighted multiple psychological as well as practical benefits associated with the treatment form and content. Patients with more severe gambling symptoms at baseline might be more likely to drop out before treatment completion than patients with less severe symptoms. The results suggest that SpilleFri may be a feasible alternative to face-to-face treatment for GD. However, the uncontrolled design and small sample size of the study limit the robustness of the findings. In the future, the effect of SpilleFri treatment should be examined in a randomized controlled trial.

Clinical trial registrations: The study protocol was prospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov (TRN: NCT05051085; registration date: September 21, 2021).
Learning semantic ambiguities for zero-shot learning
Authors: Hanouti Celina , Le Borgne Hervé
Published: April 2023

Zero-shot learning (ZSL) aims at recognizing classes for which no visual sample is available at training time. To address this issue, one can rely on a semantic description of each class. A typical ZSL model learns a mapping between the visual samples of seen classes and the corresponding semantic descriptions, in order to do the same on unseen classes at test time. State of the art approaches rely on generative models that synthesize visual features from the prototype of a class, such that a classifier can then be learned in a supervised manner. However, these approaches are usually biased towards seen classes whose visual instances are the only one that can be matched to a given class prototype. We propose a regularization method that can be applied to any conditional generative-based ZSL method, by leveraging only the semantic class prototypes. It learns to synthesize discriminative features for possible semantic description that are not available at training time, that is the unseen ones. The approach is evaluated for ZSL and GZSL on four datasets commonly used in the literature, either in inductive or transductive settings, with results on-par or above state of the art approaches. The code is available athttps://github.com/hanouticelina/lsa-zsl.
Intertextual Potential and the Reader in the Bevis Tradition: Boeve de Haumtone, Bevis of Hampton and Beuve de Hantonne
Authors: Bateman Mary
Published: April 2023

This article investigates the role that reader-oriented, unlimited intertextuality – that is, intertextual references only as perceived or even mis-perceived by readers – might have had to play in the transmission, adaptation, and development of the Bevis of Hampton narratives across English and Francophone traditions. In recent years, a number of studies have demonstrated the importance of the multi-text manuscript as a medium for texts to be integrated into new reading communities, and I therefore use multi-text Bevis manuscripts as a starting point for my enquiry. In particular, this article focuses on an Anglo-NormanBoeve de Haumtonemanuscript (Leuven, Universiteitsbibliotheek, MS G. 170 or the ‘Firmin-Didot manuscript’, now lost), an EnglishBevis of Hamptonmanuscript (British Library, Egerton MS 2862) and a copy of the so-called “first version” of the continental FrenchBeuve de Haumtone(Bibliothèque nationale de France MS Fr. 25516). Beginning with the “intratexts” that occur within the confines of the Firmin-Didot codex, this article moves forward to consider, in more hypothetical terms, the different textual encyclopedias that may have been available to the historic readers of Bevis manuscripts, and the ways in which readerly understandings (and misunderstandings) of a text’s intertextuality could prompt new narrative branches to sprout forth, and eventually lead to the emergence of new traditions.
An algebraically stabilized method for convection–diffusion–reaction problems with optimal experimental convergence rates on general meshes
Authors: Knobloch Petr
Published: April 2023

Algebraically stabilized finite element discretizations of scalar steady-state convection–diffusion–reaction equations often provide accurate approximate solutions satisfying the discrete maximum principle (DMP). However, it was observed that a deterioration of the accuracy and convergence rates may occur for some problems if meshes without local symmetries are used. The paper investigates these phenomena both numerically and analytically and the findings are used to design a new algebraic stabilization called Symmetrized Monotone Upwind-type Algebraically Stabilized (SMUAS) method. It is proved that the SMUAS method is linearity preserving and satisfies the DMP on arbitrary simplicial meshes. Moreover, numerical results indicate that the SMUAS method leads to optimal convergence rates on general simplicial meshes.
Drawing an Angry Perpetrator and a Sad Target: Children’s Understanding of Emotions of School Bullying Perpetrators and Targets
Authors: Bonoti Fotini , Andreou Eleni , Mantzari Sofia , Tsoungou Varvara
Published: April 2023

The present study aimed to investigate school-aged children’s understanding of emotions of perpetrators and targets of school bullying and whether these vary as a function of children’s participant role in a bullying episode. One hundred seventy-six boys and girls, with a mean age of 11 years and 3 months, participated in the study. They were asked to match emotions felt by the perpetrator and target in an emotional scenario and in a drawing task, while their own participant role in a bullying episode was assessed through a series of short individual scales. Results showed that overall children associated anger and happiness with the perpetrator, while sadness and fear with the target. Moreover, children’s understanding of emotions of school bullying perpetrators and targets was found to be related with their scores in Bullying, Victimization, Defender, and Assistant scales. Results are discussed in relation to their possible contribution in comprehending the dynamics of bullying, by highlighting how understanding of specific emotions of perpetrators and targets is related to involvement in bullying.
Ethical Culture in Organizations: A Review and Agenda for Future Research
Authors: Roy Achinto , Newman Alexander , Round Heather , Bhattacharya Sukanto
Published: April 2023

We review and synthesize over two decades of research on ethical culture in organizations, examining eighty-nine relevant scholarly works. Our article discusses the conceptualization of ethical culture in a cross-disciplinary space and its critical role in ethical decision-making. With a view to advancing future research, we analyze the antecedents, outcomes, and mediator and moderator roles of ethical culture. To do so, we identify measures and theories used in past studies and make recommendations. We propose, inter alia, the use of validated measures, application of a wider range of theories, adoption of longitudinal studies, and study of group-level data in organizations. We explore research possibilities in new and emergent forms of organizations, ways of organizing work, and technology in ethical decision-making, such as the role of artificial intelligence. We also recommend the study of a broad range of leadership styles and their influence in shaping ethical cultures in organizations.
Predictors of response to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a systematic review
Authors: McDonald Sarah , Melkonian Maral , Karin Eyal , Dear Blake F. , Titov Nickolai , Wootton Bethany M.
Published: April 2023

Background:

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is considered the first-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, some individuals with OCD remain symptomatic following CBT, and therefore understanding predictors of outcome is important for informing treatment recommendations.

Aims:

The current study aimed to provide the first synthesis of predictors of outcome following CBT for OCD in adults with a primary diagnosis of OCD, as classified by DSM-5.

Method:

Eight studies (n=359; mean age range=29.2–37.7 years; 55.4% female) were included in the systematic review.

Results:

Congruent with past reviews, there was great heterogeneity of predictors measured across the included studies. Therefore, a narrative synthesis of findings was conducted. Findings from this systematic review indicated that some OCD-related pre-treatment variables (i.e. pre-treatment severity, past CBT treatment, and levels of avoidance) and during treatment variables (i.e. poor working alliance and low treatment adherence) may be important to consider when making treatment recommendations. However, the results also indicate that demographic variables and psychological co-morbidities may not be specific predictors of treatment response.

Conclusions:

These findings add to the growing body of literature on predictors of CBT treatment outcomes for individuals with OCD.
Improving poxvirus-mediated antitumor immune responses by deleting viral cGAMP-specific nuclease
Authors: Riederer Stephanie , del Canizo Ana , Navas Javier , Peter Marlowe G. , Link Ellen K. , Sutter Gerd , Rojas Juan J.
Published: April 2023

cGAMP-specific nucleases (poxins) are a recently described family of proteins dedicated to obstructing cyclic GMP-AMP synthase signaling (cGAS), an important sensor triggered by cytoplasmic viral replication that activates type I interferon (IFN) production. The B2R gene of vaccinia viruses (VACV) codes for one of these nucleases. Here, we evaluated the effects of inactivating the VACV B2 nuclease in the context of an oncolytic VACV. VACV are widely used as anti-cancer vectors due to their capacity to activate immune responses directed against tumor antigens. We aimed to elicit robust antitumor immunity by preventing viral inactivation of the cGAS/STING/IRF3 pathway after infection of cancer cells. Activation of such a pathway is associated with a dominant T helper 1 (Th1) cell differentiation of the response, which benefits antitumor outcomes. Deletion of the B2R gene resulted in enhanced IRF3 phosphorylation and type I IFN expression after infection of tumor cells, while effective VACV replication remained unimpaired, both in vitro and in vivo. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, the absence of the VACV cGAMP-specific nuclease translated into improved antitumor activity, which was associated with antitumor immunity directed against tumor epitopes.
Clinical and genetic analysis further delineates the phenotypic spectrum of ALDH1A3-related anophthalmia and microphthalmia
Authors: Kesim Yesim , Ceroni Fabiola , Damián Alejandra , Blanco-Kelly Fiona , Ayuso Carmen , Williamson Kathy , Paquis-Flucklinger Véronique , Bax Dorine A , Plaisancié Julie , Rieubland Claudine , Chamlal Mostafa , Cortón Marta , Chassaing Nicolas , Calvas Patrick , Ragge Nicola K
Published: April 2023

Biallelic pathogenic variants in ALDH1A3 are responsible for approximately 11% of recessively inherited cases of severe developmental eye anomalies. Some individuals can display variable neurodevelopmental features, but the relationship to the ALDH1A3 variants remains unclear. Here, we describe seven unrelated families with biallelic pathogenic ALDH1A3 variants: four compound heterozygous and three homozygous. All affected individuals had bilateral anophthalmia/microphthalmia (A/M), three with additional intellectual or developmental delay, one with autism and seizures and three with facial dysmorphic features. This study confirms that individuals with biallelic pathogenic ALDH1A3 variants consistently manifest A/M, but additionally display neurodevelopmental features with significant intra- and interfamilial variability. Furthermore, we describe the first case with cataract and highlight the importance of screening ALDH1A3 variants in nonconsanguineous families with A/M.
Heat transfer of generalized second grade fluid with MHD, radiation and exponential heating using Caputo–Fabrizio fractional derivatives approach
Authors: Sehra Sehra , Noor Afshan , Haq Sami Ul , Jan Saeed Ullah , Khan Ilyas , Mohamed Abdullah
Published: April 2023

The aim of the present work is to apply the Caputo–Fabrizio fractional derivative to the heat transformation of unsteady incompressible second grade fluid. The effects of magneto hydro dynamic and radiation are analyzed. In governing equation of heat transfer nonlinear radiative heat is examined. Exponential heating phenomena is considered at boundary. Firstly, the dimensional governing equations with the initial & boundary conditions are converted into non-dimensional form. Exact analytical solutions are obtained for dimensionless fractional governing equations which consist of momentum and energy equations by using Laplace transform method. Special cases are investigated of the obtained solutions and it is noticed that some well-known results are achieved published in literature from these special cases. At the end, for graphical illustration the influences of different physical parameters like radiation, Prandtl, fractional parameter, Grashof numbers and Magneto hydro dynamic are checked graphically.
Machine learning algorithm to predict mortality in critically ill patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury
Authors: Li Xunliang , Wu Ruijuan , Zhao Wenman , Shi Rui , Zhu Yuyu , Wang Zhijuan , Pan Haifeng , Wang Deguang
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to establish and validate a machine learning (ML) model for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). This study collected data on SA-AKI patients from 2008 to 2019 using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV. After employing Lasso regression for feature selection, six ML approaches were used to build the model. The optimal model was chosen based on precision and area under curve (AUC). In addition, the best model was interpreted using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values and Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME) algorithms. There were 8129 sepsis patients eligible for participation; the median age was 68.7 (interquartile range: 57.2–79.6) years, and 57.9% (4708/8129) were male. After selection, 24 of the 44 clinical characteristics gathered after intensive care unit admission remained linked with prognosis and were utilized developing ML models. Among the six models developed, the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model had the highest AUC, at 0.794. According to the SHAP values, the sequential organ failure assessment score, respiration, simplified acute physiology score II, and age were the four most influential variables in the XGBoost model. Individualized forecasts were clarified using the LIME algorithm. We built and verified ML models that excel in early mortality risk prediction in SA-AKI and the XGBoost model performed best.
Transverse and longitudinal right ventricular fractional parameters derived from four-chamber cine MRI are associated with right ventricular dysfunction etiology
Authors: Sato Makito , Kato Tomoko , Ito Miyuki , Watanabe Yoko , Ito Junko , Takamura Chisato , Terashima Masahiro
Published: April 2023

Studies of the usefulness of transverse right ventricular (RV) shortening are limited. We retrospectively analyzed the CMR images of 67 patients (age: 50.8 ± 19.0 years; men: 53.7%; Control: n = 20, Overloaded RV (atrial septal defect): n = 15, Constricted RV (pericarditis): n = 17, Degenerated RV (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy): n = 15) (all enrolled consecutively for each disease) in a single center. We defined RV longitudinal (fractional longitudinal change: FLC) and transverse (fractional transverse change: FTC) contraction parameters. We assessed the FTC/FLC (T/L) ratio on four-chamber cine CMR views and compared the four groups regarding the fractional parameters. FTC had a stronger correlation (R2 = 0.650; p < 0.001) with RV ejection fraction than that with FLC (R2 = 0.211; p < 0.001) in the linear regression analysis. Both FLC and FTC were significantly lower in the Degenerated RV and Constricted RV groups compared with those in the Control and Overloaded RV groups. The T/L ratio was significantly lower in the Degenerated RV group (p = 0.008), while the Overloaded RV (p = 0.986) and Constricted RV (p = 0.582) groups had preserved T/L ratios, compared with the Control group. Transverse shortening contributes to RV function more significantly compared with longitudinal contraction. Impaired T/L ratios may reflect RV myocardial degeneration. RV fractional parameters may help precisely understand RV dysfunction.
A graph neural network-based bearing fault detection method
Authors: Xiao Lu , Yang Xiaoxin , Yang Xiaodong
Published: April 2023

Bearings are very important components in mechanical equipment, and detecting bearing failures helps ensure healthy operation of mechanical equipment and can prevent catastrophic accidents. Most of the well-established detection methods do not take into account the correlation between signals and are difficult to accurately identify those fault samples that have a low degree of failure. To address this problem, we propose a graph neural network-based bearing fault detection (GNNBFD) method. The method first constructs a graph using the similarity between samples; secondly the constructed graph is fed into a graph neural network (GNN) for feature mapping, and the samples outputted by the GNN network fuse the feature information of their neighbors, which is beneficial to the downstream detection task; then the samples mapped by the GNN network are fed into base detector for fault detection; finally, the results determined by the integrated base detector algorithm are determined, and the topnsamples with the highest outlier scores are the faulty samples. The experimental results with five state-of-the-art algorithms on publicly available datasets show that the GNNBFD algorithm improves the AUC by 6.4% compared to the next best algorithm, proving that the GNNBFD algorithm is effective and feasible.
Elasto-plastic analysis and optimal design of composite integral abutment bridge extended with limited residual plastic deformation
Authors: Rad Majid M. , Papp Ferenc , Ibrahim Sarah K. , Szép János , Gosztola Dániel , Harrach Dániel
Published: April 2023

Due to the growing significance of structural theories concerning the composite structure analysed and designed plastically, this paper introduces a new optimisation method for controlling the plastic behaviour of a full-scale composite integral abutment bridge by employing complementary strain energy of residual forces that existed within the reinforcing rebars. Composite bridges are structures made of components such as steel and concrete, which are frequent and cost-effective building methods. Thus, various objective functions were used in this work when applying optimum elasto-plastic analysing and designing the composite integrated bridge structure that was tested experimentally in the laboratory. In contrast, the plastic deformations were constrained by restricting the complementary strain energy of the residual internal forces aiming to find the maximum applied load and the minimum number of steel bars used to reinforce the concrete column part of the structure. The numerical model employed in this paper was validated and calibrated using experimental results, which were considered inside ABAQUS to produce the validated numerical model, using concrete damage plasticity (CDP) constitutive model and concrete data from laboratory testing to solve the nonlinear programming code provided by the authors. This paper presents a novel optimization method using complementary strain energy to control the plastic behaviour of a full-scale composite integral abutment bridge, with the original contribution being the incorporation of residual forces within reinforcing rebars to limit plastic deformations. Following that, a parametric investigation of the various optimisation problems revealed how models performed variously under different complementary strain energy values, which influenced the general behaviour of the structure as it transitioned from elastic to elasto-plastic to plastic; also results showed how the complementary strain energy value is connected with the amount of damaged accrued in both concrete and steel.
Materials engineering strategies for cancer vaccine adjuvant development
Authors: Zhang Xuanbo , Yang Bowei , Ni Qianqian , Chen Xiaoyuan
Published: April 2023

In this Review, we have summarized advances in the development of cancer vaccine adjuvants, including chemically engineered molecular agonists, versatile self-adjuvanting materials, and genetically engineered bio-derived materials.
Simultaneously controlling conformational and operational stability of single-chain polymeric nanoparticles in complex media
Authors: Wijker Stefan , Monnink Rico , Rijnders Luc , Deng Linlin , Palmans Anja R.A.
Published: April 2023

Controlling the connectivity of pyrazoline adducts in single-chain polymeric nanoparticles modulates their conformational and operational stability in HeLa cells and aids in the design of stable and traceable SCPNs for bio-orthogonal applications in complex media.
Insights into the reaction network and kinetics of xylose conversion over combined Lewis/Brønsted acid catalysts in a flow microreactor
Authors: Guo Wenze , Bruining Herman Carolus , Heeres Hero Jan , Yue Jun
Published: April 2023

This work provides deep insights into the reaction network and kinetics of xylose conversion over AlCl3/HCl as combined Lewis/Brønsted acid catalysts in a flow microreactor.
Keggin heteropolyacid in auto-tandem catalysis: confinement effects over ordered mesoporous silica in the synthesis of 2-pyridones
Authors: Galván Adriana , Damian-Ascencio Edgar , Martínez Merced , Domínguez-Esquivel José Manuel , Vázquez Miguel A.
Published: April 2023

The inherent duality of active sites in Keggin acid (H3PW12O40) is explored under its confinement over ordered mesoporous silicas such as SBA-15 and MCF in the multicatalytic synthesis of 2-pyridones through auto-tandem catalysis.
The muscarinic M4 acetylcholine receptor exacerbates symptoms of movement disorders
Authors: Chambers Nicole E. , Millett Michael , Moehle Mark S.
Published: April 2023

Barbeau's seesaw hypothesis of dopamine-acetylcholine balance has predominated movement disorders literature for years. Both the simplicity of the explanation and the matching efficacy of anticholinergic treatment in movement disorders seem to support this hypothesis. However, evidence from translational and clinical studies in movement disorders indicates that many features of this simple balance are lost, broken, or absent from movement disorders models or in imaging studies of patients with these disorders. This review reappraises the dopamine-acetylcholine balance hypothesis in light of recent evidence and describes how the Gαi/o coupled muscarinic M4 receptor acts in opposition to dopamine signaling in the basal ganglia. We highlight how M4 signaling can ameliorate or exacerbate movement disorders symptoms and physiological correlates of these symptoms in specific disease states. Furthermore, we propose future directions for investigation of this mechanisms to fully understand the potential efficacy of M4 targeting therapeutics in movement disorders. Overall, initial evidence suggest that M4 is a promising pharmaceutical target to ameliorate motor symptoms of hypo- and hyper-dopaminergic disorders.
Epitranscriptomics: new players in an old game
Authors: Coego Alba , Covelo-Molares Helena , Guallar Diana
Published: April 2023

Ageing is a conserved and unavoidable biological process characterized by progressive decline of physiological functions with time. Despite constituting the greatest risk factor for most human diseases, little is known about the molecular mechanisms driving the ageing process. More than 170 chemical RNA modifications, also known as the epitranscriptome, decorate eukaryotic coding and non-coding RNAs and have emerged as novel regulators of RNA metabolism, modulating RNA stability, translation, splicing or non-coding RNA processing. Studies on short-lived organisms such as yeast or worms connect mutations on RNA modifying enzymes with lifespan changes, and dysregulation of the epitranscriptome has been linked to age-related diseases and ageing hallmarks themselves in mammals. Moreover, transcriptome-wide analyses are starting to reveal changes in messenger RNA modifications in neurodegenerative diseases and in the expression of some RNA modifiers with age. These studies are starting to put the focus on the epitranscriptome as a potential novel regulator of ageing and lifespan, and open new avenues for the identification of targets to treat age-related diseases. In this review, we discuss the connection between RNA modifications and the enzymatic machinery regulating their deposition in coding and non-coding RNAs, and ageing and hypothesize about the potential role of RNA modifications in the regulation of other ncRNAs playing a key role in ageing, such as transposable elements and tRNA fragments. Finally, we reanalyze available datasets of mouse tissues during ageing and report a wide transcriptional dysregulation of proteins involved in the deposition, removal or decoding of several of the best-known RNA modifications.
Recurrent Cushing’s Disease in Adults: Predictors and
Long-Term Follow-Up
Authors: Ünal Mustafa , Selek Alev , Sözen Mehmet , Gezer Emre , Köksalan Damla , Canturk Zeynep , Cetinarslan Berrin , Çabuk Burak , Anık Ihsan , Ceylan Savaş
Published: April 2023

Cushing’s disease (CD) is characterized by endogenous hypercortisolism
that is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Due to high
recurrence rates in CD, the determination of high-risk patients is of paramount
importance. In this study, we aimed to determine recurrence rates and clinical,
laboratory, and histological predictors of recurrence in a high volume
single-center. This retrospective study included 273 CD patients operated in a
single pituitary center between 1997 and 2020. The patients with early
postoperative remission were further grouped according to recurrence status
(recurrent and sustained remission groups). Demographic, radiologic, laboratory,
pathologic, and follow-up clinical data of the patients were analyzed and
compared between groups. The recurrence rate was 9.6% in the first 5
years; however, the overall recurrence rate was 14.2% in this study.
Higher preoperative basal ACTH levels were significantly correlated with CD
recurrence even with ACTH levels adjusted for tumor size, Ki-67 levels, and
tumoral invasion. Recurrence rates were significantly higher in patients with
ACTH levels higher than 55 pg/ml, tumor
diameter>9.5 mm, and if adrenal axis recovery was before 6
months. The severity of hypercortisolism, morbidities, and demographic factors
except age were not predictive factors of recurrence. Based on our study data,
younger age at diagnosis, a diagnosis of osteoporosis, higher preoperative ACTH
levels, larger tumor size, invasive behavior, higher Ki 67 index, and early
recovery of the adrenal axis during the postoperative period attracted attention
as potential predictors of recurrent disease.
Association Between Prehospital Blood Glucose Levels and Outcomes in
Patients With COVID-19 Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Fehlmann Christophe A. , Suppan Laurent , Gaudet-Blavignac Christophe , Elia Nadia , Gariani Karim
Published: April 2023

Background Hyperglycaemia is associated with worse outcomes in many
settings. However, the association between dysglycaemia and adverse outcomes
remains debated in COVID-19 patients. This study determined the association of
prehospital blood glucose levels with acute medical unit (intensive care unit or
high dependency unit) admission and mortality among COVID-19-infected
patients.

Methods This was a single-centre, retrospective cohort study based on
patients cared for by the prehospital medical mobile unit from a Swiss
university hospital between March 2020 and April 2021. All adult patients with
confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection during the study period were included.
Data were obtained from the prehospital medical files. The main exposure was
prehospital blood glucose level. A 7.8 mmol/L cut-off was used
to define high blood glucose level. Restricted cubic splines were also used to
analyse the exposure as a continuous variable. The primary endpoint was acute
medical unit admission; secondary endpoints were 7-day and 30-day mortality.
Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to compute odds ratios.

Results A total of 276 patients were included. The mean prehospital blood
glucose level was 8.8 mmol/l, and 123 patients presented high
blood glucose levels. The overall acute medical unit admission rate was
31.2%, with no statistically significant difference according to
prehospital blood glucose levels. The mortality rate was 13.8% at 7 days
and 25% at 30 days. The 30-day mortality rate was higher in patients
with high prehospital blood glucose levels, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.5
(1.3–4.8).

Conclusions In patients with acute COVID-19 infection, prehospital blood
glucose levels do not seem to be associated with acute medical unit admission.
However, there was an increased risk of 30-day mortality in COVID-19 patients
who presented high prehospital blood glucose levels.
Individualized Homeopathic Medicines in the Management of Symptomatic Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy in Children: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Ponnam Hima Bindu , Varanasi Roja , Shil Ratan Chandra , R. Vinitha E. , Goel Meetu , Ramteke Sunil , Karthikeyan D. , Arya D. D. , Swain Trupti Laxmi , Bagdi Navita , Srivastava Priyanka , Manchanda R. K. , Oberai Praveen
Published: April 2023

Background Globally, adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) is one of the most prevalent upper respiratory tract disorders of children, with associated troublesome symptoms such as sleep apnea and cognitive disturbances. In this study, we evaluated the potential role of individualized homeopathic medicines in the management of symptomatic ATH in children.

Methods A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted at five institutes under the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, India. Primary and secondary outcomes (symptom score for adenoids, other symptoms of ATH, Mallampati score, tonsillar size, Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder of the Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire [SRBD-PSQ]) were assessed through standardized questionnaires at baseline and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Radiological investigations for assessing the adenoid/nasopharyngeal (A/N) ratio were carried out at baseline, 6 and 12 months. All analyses were carried out using an intention-to-treat approach.

Results A total of 340 children were screened and 202 children suffering from ATH were enrolled and followed up monthly for 12 months. Each patient received individualized homeopathic treatment based on the totality of symptoms. Statistically significant reductions in adenoid symptom score, Mallampati score (including tonsillar size), SRBD-PSQ sleep quality assessment and A/N ratio were found over time up to 12 months (p < 0.001). Homeopathic medicines frequently indicated were Calcarea carbonicum, Phosphorus, Silicea, Sulphur, Calcarea phosphoricum, Pulsatilla, Lycopodium and Tuberculinum. No serious adverse events were recorded during the study period.

Conclusion This study suggests that homeopathic medicines may play a beneficial role in the management of symptomatic ATH in children. Well-designed comparative trials are warranted.
Replicating cilia movement and mucus interactions through detailed modeling
Authors: Thompson Avery
Published: April 2023

Computational framework can measure behavior and efficiency of cilia movement in healthy and diseased tissue.
Proton-irradiation-induced degradation in GaN-based UV LEDs: Role of unintentionally doped carbon
Authors: Wang Yingzhe , Zheng Xuefeng , Zhu Tian , Yue Shaozhong , Pan Ailing , Xu Shengrui , Li Peixian , Ma Xiaohua , Zhang Jincheng , Guo Lixin , Hao Yue
Published: April 2023

Degradation and defect evolution in GaN-based UV LEDs under 3 MeV proton irradiation were throughly investigated in this work. Combined with the yellow luminescence band at ∼2.2 eV in photoluminescence spectra with the energy level of Ev + 0.16 eV extracted by deep-level transient spectroscopy measurement, an intrinsic CN-related defect with an abnormally decreased concentration after irradiation was identified. Based on energy levels, the spatial configuration of defects, and their correlations, several possible origins and evolution processes of the defects are systematically discussed. A defect evolution model under proton irradiation was established: C atoms departed from the CN-related defect aligned along the dislocation in the active region stimulated by the displacement damage effect, leaving behind a nitrogen vacancy (VN) aligned along the dislocation, accompanied by the generation of a non-interacting carbon interstitial (Ci). Both the increased VN and Ci were found to contribute jointly to the decrease in optical power and the increase in leakage current. This indicates that carbon—a common unintentional dopant in GaN-based optical devices—can be an important factor in the degradation of GaN-based UV LEDs under proton irradiation, and should be further noted in radiation resistance applications.
Experimental and Monte-Carlo study of double-hump electron emission yield curves of SiO2 thin films
Authors: Gibaru Q. , Inguimbert C. , Belhaj M. , Dadouch S. , Raine M. , Lambert D. , Payan D.
Published: April 2023

In this work, we have made experimental measurements of multiple-hump total electron emission yield (TEEY) curves on SiO2 thin films. A Monte-Carlo electron transport model, published in Gibaru et al., J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 261, 147265 (2022), has been developed to analyze the physical reasons of such atypical behavior. It is shown that the multiple-hump TEEY curves of thin dielectric layers are due to internal recombination effects. However, such kind of phenomenon is demonstrated to be strongly correlated to the incident current density. This analysis reveals that the double-hump TEEY curves observed commonly on insulators are also most probably a measurement artifact, tied to the operating parameters of the electron gun. A careful choice of experimental parameters can eliminate this artifact, by using a constant current density that is also low enough to limit recombination effects.