bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of seed persistence in blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds.)
Authors: Holloway Thomas , Pérez Marta , Chandler Jake O. , Venceslai Nahema , Garcia Lucio , Cohn Jonathan , Schilling Kelly , Seville Anne , Leubner‐Metzger Gerhard , Nakabayashi Kazumi
Published: April 2024

Seed dormancy is the key factor determining weed emergence in agricultural fields and there is growing interest in weed seeds as a target for weed management. A foremost limitation to this approach is the lack of molecular insight into the mechanisms regulating dormancy in weed seeds. Alopecurus myosuroides (blackgrass) seeds were collected from a wheat field in the UK. At low temperatures, dormant (D) and after‐ripened (AR) seeds germinate similarly and at warm temperatures dormancy is enforced. RNAseq analysis at both temperatures for D and AR seeds demonstrated distinct mechanisms, involving abscisic acid and gibberellin signalling, are involved in after‐ripening and cold‐induced dormancy release. Exogenous application of selected plant growth regulators provided further insight into the phytohormone processes involved in seed dormancy in blackgrass. An untargeted analysis of the transcriptome revealed dormancy‐related processes beyond the regulation of germination, such as seed defence processes, which may have potential as targets for weed seedbank management. Our findings suggest that dormancy breaking can occur via multiple independent but connected hormone‐mediated mechanisms and provide a case study for the use of next‐generation sequencing to uncover the mechanisms involved in seed dormancy in weed and non‐model species.
Técnicas de cirugía de cadera
Authors: Gaitán-Lee Hernando , Sarmiento-Osorio Diana , Useche Gómez Luis Fernando , Leal García Efraim , Pinzón Rendón Andrés Alberto , Monsalvo Bolívar Daniel José , Manrique Succar Jorge , Manrique González Jorge E. , Sierra Rafael J. , Higuera Rueda Carlos A. , Mella Schmidt Claudio
Published: April 2024

Siempre quise contar durante mi periodo de formación e inicio del ejercicio profesional como cirujano de cadera con una guía específica del procedimiento complejo que me disponía a realizar. Un texto claro, conciso y en un español cercano, como si uno de mis profesores me estuviera hablando, aconsejando y acompañando. He leído muchos libros de cadera fantásticos, en inglés la mayoría; hablan con propiedad de las generalidades de las patologías de la cadera y de los tratamientos, pero me parecen lejanos e imprácticos a la hora de operar y resolver un caso particular. Esta inquietud fue sentida y compartida por dos estudiantes de nuestro prestigioso programa de Ortopedia y Traumatología, por lo que nos dimos a la tarea de seleccionar a expertos en cada procedimiento y solicitarles explícitamente lograr un texto claro, cercano y rico en consejos técnicos para el lector. Se trata de expertos también cercanos y la mayoría de egresados de nuestro programa de Medicina o de Ortopedia que hoy son grandes ortopedistas ejerciendo dentro y fuera de Colombia. ¡Gracias por responder a nuestro llamado y por lograr el objetivo! El Departamento de Ortopedia de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana se enorgullece en presentar a ustedes el resultado de un ejercicio cuidadoso y metódico, fruto del trabajo de muchas personas, en especial de la Dra. Sarmiento y el Dr. Gaitán, que son lo que cualquier programa académico universitario desea, un ejemplo de curiosidad intelectual, exigencia al programa y esperanza de un futuro maravilloso para la ortopedia nacional. Dr. Luis Fernando Useche Gómez
A Spatial Interpolation Approach to Assign Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Derived Material Properties for Finite Element Models of Adeno-Associated Virus Infusion Into a Recurrent Brain Tumor
Authors: Chen Reed , Rey Julian A. , Tuna Ibrahim S. , Tran David D. , Sarntinoranont Malisa
Published: April 2024

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a clinically useful gene delivery vehicle for treating neurological diseases. To deliver AAV to focal targets, direct infusion into brain tissue by convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is often needed due to AAV's limited penetration across the blood-brain-barrier and its low diffusivity in tissue. In this study, computational models that predict the spatial distribution of AAV in brain tissue during CED were developed to guide future placement of infusion catheters in recurrent brain tumors following primary tumor resection. The brain was modeled as a porous medium, and material property fields that account for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived anatomical regions were interpolated and directly assigned to an unstructured finite element mesh. By eliminating the need to mesh complex surfaces between fluid regions and tissue, mesh preparation was expedited, increasing the model's clinical feasibility. The infusion model predicted preferential fluid diversion into open fluid regions such as the ventricles and subarachnoid space (SAS). Additionally, a sensitivity analysis of AAV delivery demonstrated that improved AAV distribution in the tumor was achieved at higher tumor hydraulic conductivity or lower tumor porosity. Depending on the tumor infusion site, the AAV distribution covered 3.67–70.25% of the tumor volume (using a 10% AAV concentration threshold), demonstrating the model's potential to inform the selection of infusion sites for maximal tumor coverage.
Changes in Dynamic Mean Ankle Moment Arm in Unimpaired Walking Across Speeds, Ramps, and Stairs
Authors: Fehr Katherine Heidi , Kent Jenny A. , Major Matthew J. , Adamczyk Peter Gabriel
Published: April 2024

Understanding the natural biomechanics of walking at different speeds and activities is crucial to develop effective assistive devices for persons with lower-limb impairments. While continuous measures such as joint angle and moment are well-suited for biomimetic control of robotic systems, whole-stride summary metrics are useful for describing changes across behaviors and for designing and controlling passive and semi-active devices. Dynamic mean ankle moment arm (DMAMA) is a whole-stride measure representing the moment arm of the ground reaction impulse about the ankle joint—effectively, how “forefoot-dominated” or “hindfoot-dominated” a movement is. DMAMA was developed as a target and performance metric for semi-active devices that adjust once per stride. However, for implementation in this application, DMAMA must be characterized across various activities in unimpaired individuals. In our study, unimpaired participants walked at “slow,” “normal,” and “fast” self-selected speeds on level ground and at a normal self-selected speed while ascending and descending stairs and a 5-degree incline ramp. DMAMA measured from these activities displayed a borderline-significant negative sensitivity to walking speed, a significant positive sensitivity to ground incline, and a significant decrease when ascending stairs compared to descending. The data suggested a nonlinear relationship between DMAMA and walking speed; half of the participants had the highest average DMAMA at their “normal” speed. Our findings suggest that DMAMA varies substantially across activities, and thus, matching DMAMA could be a valuable metric to consider when designing biomimetic assistive lower-limb devices.
Continuous Softening as a State of Hyperelasticity: Examples of Application to the Softening Behavior of the Brain Tissue
Authors: Anssari-Benam Afshin , Saccomandi Giuseppe
Published: April 2024

The continuous softening behavior of the brain tissue, i.e., the softening in the primary loading path with an increase in deformation, is modeled in this work as a state of hyperelasticity up to the onset of failure. That is, the softening behavior is captured via a core hyperelastic model without the addition of damage variables and/or functions. Examples of the application of the model will be provided to extant datasets of uniaxial tension and simple shear deformations, demonstrating the capability of the model to capture the whole-range deformation of the brain tissue specimens, including their softening behavior. Quantitative and qualitative comparisons with other models within the brain biomechanics literature will also be presented, showing the clear advantages of the current approach. The application of the model is then extended to capturing the rate-dependent softening behavior of the tissue by allowing the parameters of the core hyperelastic model to evolve, i.e., vary, with the deformation rate. It is shown that the model captures the rate-dependent and softening behaviors of the specimens favorably and also predicts the behavior at other rates. These results offer a clear set of advantages in favor of the considered modeling approach here for capturing the quasi-static and rate-dependent mechanical properties of the brain tissue, including its softening behavior, over the existing models in the literature, which at best may purport to capture only a reduced set of the foregoing behaviors, and with ill-posed effects.
Using Local Concentration to Model the Progress of Acoustophoretic Assembly of Microspheres in Planar Standing Waves
Authors: Wang Y. J. , Anthony B. W.
Published: April 2024

Acoustophoretic assembly uses a standing acoustic field to move dispersed small particles into a geometric pattern. The technique relies on the acoustic radiation force (ARF), which arises from the interaction between the acoustic field and the particles, and drives the particles toward the pressure nodes or antinodes of the standing wave. Acoustophoretic assembly shows potential for a wide range of applications, including organizing filler materials in composites, creating metamaterials, and fabricating functional biological tissue. However, the method has not yet been incorporated into large-scale manufacturing processes. One barrier is the incomplete understanding of the assembly process. While an ideal final pattern geometry can be calculated from the acoustic field and material properties, there are currently no widespread metrics for measuring the progress of the pattern formation. As a result, it is difficult to know how long the acoustic field should be applied during manufacturing. Our approach uses the local particle concentration to model the acoustophoretic assembly process in bulk acoustic waves. We show that the time-dependent local particle concentration can be derived from the force balance on the particles and a control volume analysis. The analysis is applied to microspheres in a planar standing wave, and an analytical expression is obtained, which yields a time parameter for pattern assembly and suggests a cutoff time. We then use the local concentration to define measurements for the quality of the assembled microsphere pattern. Experiments were carried out using polystyrene microspheres in a glycerol–water mixture to validate the theoretical results.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people experiencing incarceration: a systematic review
Authors: Williams Darius Benedict , Spinks Bethany , Williams Denitza , Lewis Ruth , Bull Francesca , Edwards Adrian
Published: April 2024

Objective

To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on people experiencing incarceration (PEI), focusing particularly on clinical outcomes compared with the general population.

Design

Systematic review with narrative synthesis in accordance with the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination’s good practice guidelines.

Data sources

Medline, Social Policy and Practice, Criminology Connection, ASSIA, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web Of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Cochrane COVID-19 reviews, COVID-19 Evidence Reviews and L*OVE COVID-19 Evidence databases were searched up to 21 October 2022.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

We included studies presenting data specific to adults ≥18 years experiencing incarceration, with exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. All studies with a comparison group, regardless of study design and country were included. Studies with no comparison group data or not measuring clinical outcomes/health inequalities were excluded. Studies focussing on detained migrants, forensic hospitals, prison staff and those not in English were also excluded.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two reviewers extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Data underwent narrative synthesis using a framework analysis based on the objectives, for infection rates, testing, hospitalisation, mortality, vaccine uptake rates and mental health outcomes. There was no scope for meta-analysis, due to the heterogeneity of evidence available.

Results

4516 references were exported from the databases and grey literature searched, of which 55 met the inclusion criteria. Most were from the USA and were retrospective analyses. Compared with the general population, PEI were usually found to have higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and poorer clinical outcomes. Conflicting data were found regarding vaccine uptake and testing rates compared with the general population. The mental health of PEI declined during the pandemic. Certain subgroups were more adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as ethnic minorities and older PEI.

Conclusion

PEI have poorer COVID-19 clinical outcomes than the general public, as shown by largely low-quality heterogenous evidence. Further high-quality research of continuing clinical outcomes and appropriate mitigating interventions is required to assess downstream effects of the pandemic on PEI. However, performing such research in the context of incarceration facilities is highly complex and potentially challenging. Prioritisation of resources for this vulnerable group should be a focus of national policy in the event of future pandemics.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022296968.
Updated cost-effectiveness analysis of adebrelimab plus chemotherapy for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer in China
Authors: Long Yunchun , Wang Hao , Xie Xianhai , Li Junlin , Xu Yuan , Zhou Yujie
Published: April 2024

Objective

The CAPSTONE-1 trial demonstrated that adebrelimab-based immunotherapy yielded a favourable survival benefit compared with chemotherapy for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this immunotherapy in the treatment of ES-SCLC from a healthcare system perspective in China.

Design

The TreeAge Pro software was used to establish a three-state partitioned survival model. Survival data came from the CAPSTONE-1 trial (NCT03711305), and only direct medical costs were included. Utility values were obtained from the published literature. Sensitivity analysis was performed to explore the robustness of the model. The cost-effectiveness of immunotherapy was investigated through scenario and exploratory analyses in various settings.

Outcome measures

Total costs, incremental costs, life years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental QALYs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).

Results

The basic analysis revealed that the adebrelimab group achieved a total of 1.1 QALYs at a cost of US$65 385, while the placebo group attained 0.78 QALYs at a cost of US$12 741. ICER was US$163 893/QALY. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that the model was robust. Results from scenario and exploratory analyses indicated that the combination of adebrelimab and chemotherapy did not demonstrate cost-effectiveness in any scenario.

Conclusions

From the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system, adebrelimab in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of ES-SCLC was not economical compared with chemotherapy.
Comparing nurses attending a specialised mental health programme with and without substance use disorder: a retrospective, observational study in Spain
Authors: Braquehais María Dolores , Mozo Xulián , Llavayol Enric , Gausachs Eva , Santiago Regina , Nieva Gemma , Valero Sergi , Grau-López Lara , Ramos-Quiroga Josep Antoni , Bruguera Eugeni
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To analyse the differences between nurses with and without substance use disorders (SUDs) admitted to a specialised mental health programme.

Design

Retrospective, observational study.

Setting

Specialised mental health treatment programme for nurses in Catalonia, Spain.

Participants

1091 nurses admitted to the programme from 2000 to 2021.

Interventions

None.

Primary and secondary outcomes

Sociodemographic, occupational and clinical variables were analysed. Diagnoses followed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision criteria.

Results

Most nurses admitted to the programme were women (88%, n=960) and came voluntarily (92.1%, n=1005). The mean age at admission was 45 (SD=10.4) years. The most common diagnoses were adjustment disorders (36.6%, n=399), unipolar mood disorders (25.8%, n=282), anxiety disorders (16.4%, n=179) and SUDs (13.8%, n=151). Only 19.2% (n=209) of the sample were hospitalised during their first treatment episode. After multivariate analysis, suffering from a SUD was significantly associated with being a man (OR=4.12; 95% CI 2.49 to 6.82), coming after a directed referral (OR=4.55; 95% CI 2.5 to 7.69), being on sick leave at admission (OR=2.21; 95% CI 1.42 to 3.45) and needing hospitalisation at the beginning of their treatment (OR=12.5; 95% CI 8.3 to 20).

Conclusions

Nurses with SUDs have greater resistance to voluntarily asking for help from specialised mental health treatment programmes and have greater clinical severity compared with those without addictions. SUDs are also more frequent among men. More actions are needed to help prevent and promote earlier help-seeking behaviours among nurses with this type of mental disorder.
Eating and drinking experience in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a qualitative study
Authors: Alamer Amal Ahmad , Ward Christopher , Forrest Ian , Drinnan Michael , Patterson Joanne
Published: April 2024

Objective

To explore eating and drinking experiences of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the impact of any changes associated with their diagnosis and any coping mechanisms developed by patients.

Setting

Pulmonary fibrosis support groups around the UK and the regional Interstitial Lung Diseases Clinic, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Participants

15 patients with IPF (9 men, 6 women), median age 71 years, range (54–92) years, were interviewed. Inclusion criteria included competent adults (over the age of 18 years) with a secure diagnosis of IPF as defined by international consensus guidelines. Patients were required to have sufficient English language competence to consent and participate in an interview. Exclusion criteria were a history of other lung diseases, a history of pre-existing swallowing problem of other causes that may be associated with dysphagia and individuals with significant communication or other memory difficulties that render them unable to participate in an interview.

Design

A qualitative study based on semistructured interviews used purpose sampling conducted between February 2021 and November 2021. Interviews were conducted via video videoconferencing call platform or telephone call, transcribed and data coded and analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Three main themes were identified, along with several subthemes, which were: (1) Eating, as such, is no longer a pleasure. This theme mainly focused on the physical and sensory changes associated with eating and drinking and their effects and the subsequent emotional and social impact of these changes; (2) It is something that happens naturally and just try and get on with it. This theme centred on the self-determined strategies employed to manage changes to eating and drinking; and (3) What is normal. This theme focused on patients seeking information to better understand the changes in their eating and drinking and the patients’ beliefs about what has changed their eating and drinking.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first study to report on IPF patients’ lived experience of eating and drinking changes associated with their diagnosis. Findings demonstrate that some patients have substantial struggles and challenges with eating and drinking, affecting them physically, emotionally and socially. There is a need to provide better patient information for this area and further study.
Qualitative study exploring the design of a patient-reported symptom-based risk stratification system for suspected head and neck cancer referrals: protocol for work packages 1 and 2 within the EVEREST-HN programme
Authors: Albutt Abigail , Hardman John , McVey Lynn , Odo Chinasa , Paleri Vinidh , Patterson Jo , Webb Sarah , Rousseau Nikki , Kellar Ian , Randell Rebecca
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Between 2009/2010 and 2019/2020, England witnessed an increase in suspected head and neck cancer (sHNC) referrals from 140 to 404 patients per 100 000 population. 1 in 10 patients are not seen within the 2-week target, contributing to patient anxiety. We will develop a pathway for sHNC referrals, based on the Head and Neck Cancer Risk Calculator. The evolution of a patient-reported symptom-based risk stratification system to redesign the sHNC referral pathway (EVEREST-HN) Programme comprises six work packages (WPs). This protocol describes WP1 and WP2. WP1 will obtain an understanding of language to optimise the SYmptom iNput Clinical (SYNC) system patient-reported symptom questionnaire for sHNC referrals and outline requirements for the SYNC system. WP2 will codesign key elements of the SYNC system, including the SYNC Questionnaire, and accompanying behaviour change materials.

Methods and analysis

WP1 will be conducted at three acute National Health Service (NHS) trusts with variation in service delivery models and ensuring a broad mixture of social, economic and cultural backgrounds of participants. Up to 150 patients with sHNC (n=50 per site) and 15 clinicians (n=5 per site) will be recruited. WP1 will use qualitative methods including interviews, observation and recordings of consultations. Rapid qualitative analysis and inductive thematic analysis will be used to analyse the data. WP2 will recruit lay patient representatives to participate in online focus groups (n=8 per focus group), think-aloud technique and experience-based codesign and will be analysed using qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Ethics and dissemination

The committee for clinical research at The Royal Marsden, a research ethics committee and the Health Research Authority approved this protocol. All participants will give informed consent. Ethical issues of working with patients on an urgent cancer diagnostic pathway have been considered. Findings will be disseminated via journal publications, conference presentations and public engagement activities.
Literature review and protocol for a prospective multicentre cohort study on multimodal prediction of seizure recurrence after unprovoked first seizure
Authors: Beattie Brooke C , Batista García-Ramó Karla , Biggs Krista , Boissé Lomax Lysa , Brien Donald C , Gallivan Jason P , Ikeda Kristin , Schmidt Matthias , Shukla Garima , Whatley Benjamin , Woodroffe Stephanie , Omisade Antonina , Winston Gavin P
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterised by recurrent seizures. Almost half of patients who have an unprovoked first seizure (UFS) have additional seizures and develop epilepsy. No current predictive models exist to determine who has a higher risk of recurrence to guide treatment. Emerging evidence suggests alterations in cognition, mood and brain connectivity exist in the population with UFS. Baseline evaluations of these factors following a UFS will enable the development of the first multimodal biomarker-based predictive model of seizure recurrence in adults with UFS.

Methods and analysis

200 patients and 75 matched healthy controls (aged 18–65) from the Kingston and Halifax First Seizure Clinics will undergo neuropsychological assessments, structural and functional MRI, and electroencephalography. Seizure recurrence will be assessed prospectively. Regular follow-ups will occur at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months to monitor recurrence. Comparisons will be made between patients with UFS and healthy control groups, as well as between patients with and without seizure recurrence at follow-up. A multimodal machine-learning model will be trained to predict seizure recurrence at 12 months.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the Health Sciences and Affiliated Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board at Queen’s University (DMED-2681-22) and the Nova Scotia Research Ethics Board (1028519). It is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (PJT-183906). Findings will be presented at national and international conferences, published in peer-reviewed journals and presented to the public via patient support organisation newsletters and talks.

Trial registration number

NCT05724719.
DECODING OF THE EXTRAOCULAR MUSCLES ACTIVATIONS BY COMPLEXITY-BASED ANALYSIS OF ELECTROMYOGRAM (EMG) SIGNALS
Authors: SRIRAM SRIDEVI , RAJAGOPAL KARTHIKEYAN , KREJCAR ONDREJ , NAMAZI HAMIDREZA
Published: April 2024

The analysis of extraocular muscles’ activation is crucial for understanding eye movement patterns, providing insights into oculomotor control, and contributing to advancements in fields such as vision research, neurology, and biomedical engineering. Ten subjects went through the experiments, including normal watching, blinking, upward and downward movements of eyes, and eye movements to the left and right while their electromyogram (EMG) signals were recorded. We analyzed the complexity of recorded EMG signals using fractal theory, sample entropy, and approximate entropy (ApEn). The results showed that the techniques are able to decode the changes in the complexity of EMG signals between different eye movements. In other words, we can use these methods to study extraocular muscle activations in different conditions.
A Self-Defense Copyright Protection Scheme for NFT Image Art Based on Information Embedding
Authors: Wang Fan , Fu Zhangjie , Zhang Xiang
Published: April 2024

Non-convertible tokens (NFTs) have become a fundamental part of the metaverse ecosystem due to its uniqueness and immutability. However, existing copyright protection schemes of NFT image art relied on the NFTs itself minted by third-party platforms. A minted NFT image art only tracks and verifies the entire transaction process, but the legitimacy of the source and ownership of its mapped digital image art cannot be determined. The original author or authorized publisher lack an active defense mechanism to prove ownership of the digital image art mapped by the unauthorized NFT. Therefore, we propose a self-defense copyright protection scheme for NFT image art based on information embedding in this article, called SDCP-IE. The original author or authorized publisher can embed the copyright information into the published digital image art without damaging its visual effect in advance. Different from the existing information embedding works, the proposed SDCP-IE can generally enhance the invisibility of copyright information with different embedding capacity. Furthermore, considering the scenario of copyright information being discovered or even destroyed by unauthorized parties, the designed SDCP-IE can efficiently generate enhanced digital image art to improve the security performance of embedded image, thus resisting the detection of multiple known and unknown detection models simultaneously. The experimental results have also shown that the PSNR values of enhanced embedded image are all over 57db on three datasets BOSSBase, BOWS2, and ALASKA#2. Moreover, compared with existing information embedding works, the enhanced embedded images generated by SDCP-IE reaches the best transferability performance on the advanced CNN-based detection models. When the target detector is the pre-trained SRNet at 0.4 bpp, the test error rate of SDCP-IE at 0.4 bpp on the evaluated detection model YeNet reaches 53.38%, which is 4.92%, 28.62%, and 7.05% higher than that of the UTGAN, SPS-ENH, and Xie-Model, respectively.
UISA: User Information Separating Architecture for Commodity Recommendation Policy with Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Xu Aobo , Jian Ling , Yin Yue , Zhang Na
Published: April 2024

Commodity recommendation contributes an important part of individuals’ daily life. In this context, deep reinforcement learning methods have demonstrated substantial efficacy in enhancing recommender systems’ performance. Nevertheless, several recommender systems directly utilize original feature information as a foundational element for decision-making, which seems simplistic and low efficient. Furthermore, the incorporation of sequential decision-making adds complexity to the task of recommendation.

In pursuit of maximizing the long-term sequential returns of recommender systems, our study introduces a novel architecture, named User Information Separating Architecture (UISA). This framework is tailored to align with classic reinforcement learning algorithms and aims to extract the user’s interest value through the discrete processing of both static and dynamic user information. Through integration with deep reinforcement learning, the architecture is oriented towards the maximization of long-term profit and is applicable in sequential recommendation scenarios. We conduct experimental assessments by combining the proposed architecture with proximal policy optimization (PPO) and deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithms. The outcomes illustrate marked improvements in commodity recommendation, showcasing enhancements ranging from approximately 5% to 40% in both reward and click-through rate metrics across a self-constructed JDEnv environment and the Virtual Taobao environment. Through comparison experiments, the UISA models demonstrate comparable performance.
Enhanced Surgical Safety through Protective Penetrating Keratoplasty: A Retrospective Analysis of 22 Cases
Authors: Yang Tian , Castellanos Miguel O. M.
Published: April 2024

Context. Penetrating keratoplasty (PK) is a recognized treatment for corneal damage but possesses inherent risks, mainly due to its open-sky nature, which potentially lead to severe sight-threatening complications. Protective penetrating keratoplasty (PPK) emerges as a novel procedure aimed at mitigating these risks. Aim. To assess the surgical safety, postoperative outcomes, and the impact of PPK on corneal endothelial cell density through a retrospective analysis of 22 cases. Settings and Design. A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was executed at Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital from February 2018 to December 2021, involving 22 patients (22 eyes) who were unresponsive to other medical treatments and had a corrected distance visual acuity of ≤0.1. Methods and Materials. Patients underwent PPK, with surgical procedures and postoperative care documented. Statistical analysis was performed on qualitative and quantitative variables to evaluate the surgical outcomes and the corneal endothelial cell density changes postoperation. Results. All surgeries demonstrated a significant improvement in postoperative visual acuity (p≤0.001) and recorded a 9.2% decrease in the corneal endothelial cell density at 12 months. Noteworthy complications included one case of intraoperatively discovered haptic dislocation and one postoperative bacterial keratitis. Conclusions. PPK could potentially mitigate perioperative complications, ensure graft clarity, and reduce corneal endothelial cell loss, presenting itself as a viable alternative to traditional PK. Although the results are encouraging, larger-scale studies are essential to validate the benefits and applicability of PPK in broader clinical settings.
Ultra‐Rapid Freezing and Rapid Freezing Methods in Clinical ICSI Program: Effects on Sperm Biological Characteristics, DNA Methylation Stability, DNA Methyltransferase Activity, and Embryo Morphokinetics
Authors: Zohrabi Marzieh , Khalili Mohammad Ali , Mangoli Esmat , Zare Fateme , Woodward Bryan , Aflatoonian Behrouz
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in sperm function and embryo morphokinetics following sperm cryopreservation by ultra‐rapid freezing or rapid freezing methods compared to fresh spermatozoa. Thirty samples of normozoospermia were divided equally into fresh, ultra‐rapid freezing, and rapid freezing groups. In the rapid freezing, sperm suspension was placed horizontally on nitrogen vapor. In the ultra‐rapid freezing, sperm suspension with a straw‐in‐straw system was directly immersed in liquid nitrogen. Sperm function was assessed in terms of motility, morphology, viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, sperm DNA fragmentation, and acrosome reaction status. Also, the effects of two cryopreservation methods were assessed on global DNA methylation and DNA methyltransferase activity. Moreover, 730 embryos in three groups were cultured using time‐lapse imaging until day 6 for embryo morphokinetics. Progressive motility (38.80 ± 4.21 vs. 34.86 ± 4.19; p  < 0.001) and viability (64.30 ± 6.24 vs. 58.10 ± 8.69; p < 0.01) in ultra‐rapid freezing were significantly higher than rapid group. DNA fragmentation and acrosome reaction were significantly increased in both cryopreserved groups (p  < 0.001). However, DNA fragmentation (16.30 ± 1.14 vs. 14.33 ± 2.94; p < 0.01) was significantly higher in the rapid than the ultra‐rapid freezing group. No significant differences were noted in global DNA methylation (p > 0.05) and DNA methyltransferases activity (p > 0.05) in fresh compared to cryopreservation groups. The kinetic times, including tPB2, tPNa, tPNf, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, t7, t8, and tM, showed a significant delay in cell divisions in both cryopreservation groups. Furthermore, tPNa, tPNf, and t8 occurred with a significantly higher delay in embryos fertilized by sperm from the rapid freezing compared to the ultra‐rapid freezing group. In addition, blastocysts formation was similar in both cryopreservation groups. Ultra‐rapid freezing preserved the sperm biological integrity and lead to better embryo morphokinetics compared to the rapid freezing method. However, both methods of sperm cryopreservation were epigenetically safe.
Potential Targets and Signaling Mechanisms of Cinnamaldehyde Enhancing Intestinal Function and Nutritional Regulation in Fat Greenling (Hexagrammos otakii)
Authors: Gu Yixin , Zhan Yu , Guo Yafeng , Hua Wenyuan , Qi Xin , Gu Zhizhi , Cao Shengnan , Chen Yan , Xue Zhuang , Wang Wei
Published: April 2024

Cinnamaldehyde is an ideal feed additive with good immune enhancement and anti‐inflammatory regulation effects. However, the anti‐inflammatory regulation mechanism in fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii, H. otakii) remains unclear. The nine targets of cinnamaldehyde were gathered in identified by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and Uniprot database, and 1,320 intestinal inflammation disease (IIF)‐related proteins were screened from DrugBank, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Genecards, and Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base (PHARMGKB) Databases. According to the Gene Ontology enrichment results and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway results, cinnamaldehyde may regulated the responses to bacteria, lipopolysaccharide, an inflammatory cytokine, and external stimuli via the nuclear factor kappa‐B (NFκB) signaling pathway within on inflammatory network. In addition, the protein–protein interaction analysis assisted in obtaining the closely related inflammatory regulatory proteins, including the C5a anaphylatoxin chemotactic receptor 1 (C5aR1), transcription factor p65 (RELA), prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2), and toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4), which were confirmed as the bottleneck nodes of the network to be more deeply verified via the molecular docking. Moreover, a cinnamaldehyde feeding model was established for evaluating the anti‐inflammatory effect of cinnamaldehyde in vivo. According to the current findings implied that cinnamaldehyde may play a protective role against IIF H. otakii by reducing inflammation through the C5 complement (C5)/C5aR1/interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and TLR4/NFκB/PTGS2 pathway. The study focused on investigating the action mechanism of cinnamaldehyde on IIF through combining pharmacology and experimental verification in vivo, which provided a fresh perspective on the promoting effect of cinnamaldehyde on IIF in fish.
Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolates and the Microbiome of Cincalok, Tempoyak, and Mandai: A Traditional Fermented Food from Kalimantan Island, Indonesia
Authors: Murwani Retno , Anggraeni Refa , Setiawan Gregorius Nico Adi , Astari Putri Dyah , Cahyani Ni Kadek Dita , Sibero Mada Triandala , Ambariyanto Ambariyanto
Published: April 2024

Indonesia has abundant traditional fermented food with various lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which can be developed into probiotics for pharmaceutical and functional food and feed products. This research is aimed at (1) obtaining and identifying LAB isolates and (2) studying the microbiome (bacterial diversity and abundance) of spontaneously-fermented traditional foods of Kalimantan Island, Cincalok, Tempoyak, and Mandai. To obtain LAB isolates, food samples were serially diluted and inoculated on MRS agar that contained 1% CaCO3 (MRSA). Isolates forming clear zones were purified and identified by DNA barcoding. The microbiome was studied using genomic-sequencing techniques and analysed for taxonomic composition. Seven pure isolates were obtained from Cincalok, two Tempoyak, and one Mandai. DNA barcoding revealed that the Cincalok seven isolates were Staphylococcus carnosus (strain HSP-S16), Tetragenococcus halophilus (FSB201), Corynebacterium phoceense, Vagococcus vulneris (SS1995), Enterococcus faecalis (S11-6), Pisciglobus halotolerans (C01), and Priestia filamentosa (P3.1); two from Tempoyak, Levilactobacillus brevis (E1D3BL1) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (UMCC-2996); and one from Mandai, Staphylococcus cohnii (XAAS.x13; non-LAB). The T. halophilus, E. faecalis, P. halotolerans, L. brevis, and L. plantarum belong to LAB. The P. halotolerans from Cincalok and non-LAB in these three fermented foods were the first documented report. The microbiome revealed the dominance of Firmicutes phyla in the fermented foods, with 93% in Cincalok, 89.94% in Tempoyak, and 60.32% in Mandai. On the genus level, Cincalok was dominated by Tetragenococcus 40.33%, Anaerococcus 23.29%, Vagococcus 9.27%, and Lactobacillus 6.84%. Meanwhile, Tempoyak was dominated only by Lactobacillus 89.94%. Mandai were dominated by Lactobacillus 31.97%, Proteus 17.14%, Aerococcus 16.85%, Mangrovibacter 15.15%, and Vagococcus 6.2%. However, Mandai’s microbiome LAB was not culturable/isolated on MRSA. The plausibility is that those unculturable LAB require coculturing with other bacteria and additional media components to grow on MRSA. This study is the first report regarding the microbiome of Cincalok, Tempoyak, and Mandai, along with their culturable LAB isolates.
Large Ring Test for Evaluation of Restrained Shrinkage Cracking: Calibration and Experimental Trial
Authors: Xu Zhongyu , Hanžič Lucija , Asche Harry , Karlovšek Jurij
Published: April 2024

The durability of shotcrete tunnel linings is significantly affected by restrained shrinkage cracking. Given the unique characteristics of shotcrete applied in tunnel linings, especially when dealing with accelerated shotcrete containing reinforcement fibres, it is necessary to upscale the ring test commonly used. This paper presents a comprehensive experiment using large ring tests with cast concrete to investigate the impact of upscaling ring test geometry. The two ring specimens demonstrated comparable cracking age (22 days) and strain measured in the steel ring, suggesting that consistent results can be obtained through the proposed instrumentation, calibration, and correction methods. Moreover, the estimated induced tensile stresses of the concrete rings (2.8 and 2.7 MPa) are slightly lower than the predicted tensile strength (3.3 MPa) at the age of cracking, which indicates that some driving forces contributing to restrained shrinkage cracking were not indicated in the strain gauge readings. Furthermore, the study identified multi‐crack formation and additional potential causes for crack initiation, which include self‐restraint due to the moisture gradient in the vertical direction, deflection of the concrete ring caused by its self‐weight, and friction on the contact surface of the support. Therefore, optimising the geometry of the ring specimens and the apparatus is imperative to minimise additional driving forces and unmeasurable restraints for crack initiation, especially when employing the stress rate method to assess cracking potential.
Recognition of Hotspot Words for Disease Symptoms Incorporating Contextual Weight and Co-Occurrence Degree
Authors: Liu Qingxue , Wang Lifang , Chang Yuan , Zhang Jixuan
Published: April 2024

Identifying hotspot words associated with disease symptoms is paramount for disease prevention and diagnosis. In this study, we propose a novel method for hotspot word recognition in disease symptoms, integrating contextual weights and co-occurrence information. First, we establish the MDERank model, which incorporates contextual weights. This model identifies words that align well with comprehensive weights, forming a collection of disease symptom words. Next, we construct a graph network for disease symptom words within each time period. Utilizing the graph attention network model, we incorporate word co-occurrence degree to identify potential hotspot words associated with disease symptoms. We conducted experiments using user-generated posts from the Dingxiangyuan Forum as our data source. The results demonstrate that our proposed method significantly improves the extraction quality of disease symptom words compared to other existing methods. Furthermore, the performance of our constructed recognition model for disease symptom hotspot words surpasses that of alternative models.
Potential Association of Gut Microbial Metabolism and Circulating mRNA Based on Multiomics Sequencing Analysis in Fetal Growth Restriction
Authors: Tang Hui , Li Dan , Peng Jing , Yang Weitao , Zhang Xian , Li Hanmei
Published: April 2024

Objective. Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a significant contributor to negative pregnancy and postnatal developmental outcomes. Currently, the exact pathological mechanism of FGR remains unknown. This study aims to utilize multiomics sequencing technology to investigate potential relationships among mRNA, gut microbiota, and metabolism in order to establish a theoretical foundation for diagnosing and understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying FGR. Methods. In this study, 11 healthy pregnant women and nine pregnant women with FGR were divided into Control group and FGR group based on the health status. Umbilical cord blood, maternal serum, feces, and placental tissue samples were collected during delivery. RNA sequencing, 16S rRNA sequencing, and metabolomics methods were applied to analyze changes in umbilical cord blood circulating mRNA, fecal microbiota, and metabolites. RT-qPCR, ELISA, or western blot were used to detect the expression of top 5 differential circulating mRNA in neonatal cord blood, maternal serum, or placental tissue samples. Correlation between differential circulating mRNA, microbiota, and metabolites was analyzed by the Spearman coefficient. Results. The top 5 mRNA genes in FGR were altered with the downregulation of TRIM34, DEFA3, DEFA1B, DEFA1, and QPC, and the upregulation of CHPT1, SMOX, FAM83A, GDF15, and NAPG in newborn umbilical cord blood, maternal serum, and placental tissue. The abundance of Bacteroides, Akkermansia, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, Phascolarctobacterium, Parasutterella, Odoribacter, Lachnospiraceae_UCG_010, and Dielma were significantly enriched in the FGR group. Metabolites such as aspartic acid, methionine, alanine, L-tryptophan, 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate, and ketoleucine showed notable functional alterations. Spearman correlation analysis indicated that metabolites like methionine and alanine, microbiota (Tyzzerella), and circulating mRNA (TRIM34, SMOX, FAM83A, NAPG) might play a role as mediators in the communication between the gut and circulatory system interaction in FGR. Conclusion. Metabolites (METHIONINE, alanine) as well as microbiota (Tyzzerella) and circulating mRNA (TRIM34, SMOX, FAM83A, NAPG) were possible mediators that communicated the interaction between the gut and circulatory systems in FGR.
Integration of Pan-Cancer Cell Line and Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiles Enables Inference of Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Heterogeneous Tumors
Authors: Zhang Weijie , Maeser Danielle , Lee Adam , Huang Yingbo , Gruener Robert F. , Abdelbar Israa G. , Jena Sampreeti , Patel Anand G. , Huang R. Stephanie
Published: April 2024

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) greatly advanced the understanding of intratumoral heterogeneity by identifying distinct cancer cell subpopulations. However, translating biological differences into treatment strategies is challenging due to a lack of tools to facilitate efficient drug discovery that tackles heterogeneous tumors. Developing such approaches requires accurate prediction of drug response at the single-cell level to offer therapeutic options to specific cell subpopulations. Here, we developed a transparent computational framework (nicknamed scIDUC) to predict therapeutic efficacies on an individual cell basis by integrating single-cell transcriptomic profiles with large, data-rich pan-cancer cell line screening data sets. This method achieved high accuracy in separating cells into their correct cellular drug response statuses. In three distinct prospective tests covering different diseases (rhabdomyosarcoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and castration-resistant prostate cancer), the predicted results using scIDUC were accurate and mirrored biological expectations. In the first two tests, the framework identified drugs for cell subpopulations that were resistant to standard-of-care (SOC) therapies due to intrinsic resistance or tumor microenvironmental effects, and the results showed high consistency with experimental findings from the original studies. In the third test using newly generated SOC therapy-resistant cell lines, scIDUC identified efficacious drugs for the resistant line, and the predictions were validated with in vitro experiments. Together, this study demonstrates the potential of scIDUC to quickly translate scRNA-seq data into drug responses for individual cells, displaying the potential as a tool to improve the treatment of heterogenous tumors.

Significance:

A versatile method that infers cell-level drug response in scRNA-seq data facilitates the development of therapeutic strategies to target heterogeneous subpopulations within a tumor and address issues such as treatment failure and resistance.