bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nucleic acid testing for monkeypox in United States blood donor specimens
Authors: Groves Jamel A. , Tonnetti Laura , Self Deanna , Yadav Manisha C. , Livezey Kristin , Linnen Jeffery M. , Stramer Susan L.
Published: August 2023

Background

The 2022 multi‐country outbreak of monkeypox (mpox) resulted in blood collection and public health agencies closely monitoring for changes in transmission dynamics that could pose a threat to the blood supply. While mpox virus (MPXV) is not known to be transfusion transmissible, there have been several studies demonstrating the detection of MPXV in blood. We evaluated the performance characteristics of a research use only (RUO) nucleic acid amplification test for MPXV. The assay was developed to detect MPXV DNA in plasma and serum specimens from human blood donors.

Methods and Materials

The sensitivity of the RUO MPXV Assay was determined using a synthetic DNA sequence, purified full‐length genomic DNA, and a chemically inactivated virus. Specificity was determined using fresh plasma samples collected from blood donors during the outbreak. Plasma samples collected from donors considered at increased risk for exposure to mpox were also tested.

Results

For sensitivity, the 95% limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.26 copies/mL (inactivated virus) to 31.65 copies/mL (synthetic DNA) to 166.61 copies/mL (for full‐length DNA). All donor samples tested with the RUO MPXV Assay were nonreactive, resulting in a specificity of 100% (95% CI, 99.93%–100.00%).

Discussion

The RUO MPXV Assay was developed as a potential blood donation screening assay in response to the outbreak. While not directly comparable, the 95% LOD fiducial limits obtained from partial‐ and full‐length DNA analysis were similar to other manufacturers' MPXV assays. Additionally, this assay demonstrated high specificity for screening blood donors.
Differential impact of missed initial wound clinic visit on 6‐month wound healing by race/ethnicity among patients with chronic limb‐threatening ischemia
Authors: Browder Sydney E. , Yohann Avital , Filipowicz Teresa R. , Freeman Nikki L. B. , Marston William A. , Heisler Stephen , Farber Mark A. , Patel Shrunjay R. , Wood Jacob C. , McGinigle Katharine L.
Published: August 2023

Chronic limb‐threatening ischemia (CLTI) is associated with significant morbidity, including major limb amputation, and mortality. Healing ischemic wounds is necessary to optimise vascular outcomes and can be facilitated by dedicated appointments at a wound clinic. This study aimed to estimate the association between successful wound care initiation and 6‐month wound healing, with specific attention to differences by race/ethnicity. This retrospective study included 398 patients with CLTI and at least one ischaemic wound who scheduled an appointment at our wound clinic between January 2015 and July 2020. The exposure was the completion status of patients' first scheduled wound care appointment (complete/not complete) and the primary outcome was 6‐month wound healing (healed/not healed). The analysis focused on how this association was modified by race/ethnicity. We used Aalen–Johansen estimators to produce cumulative incidence curves and calculated risk ratios within strata of race/ethnicity. The final adjustment set included age, revascularization, and initial wound size. Patients had a mean age of 67 ± 14 years, were 41% female, 46% non‐White and had 517 total wounds. In the overall cohort, 70% of patients completed their first visit and 34% of wounds healed within 6‐months. There was no significant difference in 6‐month healing based on first visit completion status for White/non‐Hispanic individuals (RR [95% CI] = 1.18 [0.91, 1.45]; p‐value = 0.130), while non‐White individuals were roughly 3 times more likely to heal their wounds if they completed their first appointment (RR [95% CI] = 2.89 [2.66, 3.11]; p‐value < 0.001). In conclusion, non‐White patients were approximately three times more likely to heal their wound in 6 months if they completed their first scheduled wound care appointment while White/non‐Hispanic individuals' risk of healing was similar regardless of first visit completion status. Future efforts should focus on providing additional resources to ensure minority groups with wounds have the support they need to access and successfully initiate wound care.
Dynamical properties of convex cocompact actions in projective space
Authors: Weisman Theodore
Published: August 2023

We give a dynamical characterization of convex cocompact group actions on properly convex domains in projective space in the sense of Danciger–Guéritaud–Kassel: we show that convex cocompactness in is equivalent to an expansion property of the group about its limit set, occurring in different Grassmannians. As an application, we give a sufficient and necessary condition for convex cocompactness for groups that are hyperbolic relative to a collection of convex cocompact subgroups. We show that convex cocompactness in this situation is equivalent to the existence of an equivariant homeomorphism from the Bowditch boundary to the quotient of the limit set of the group by the limit sets of its peripheral subgroups.
Thermo-Physical Characterization of Waste-Glass-Induced Packed Bed Material as Thermal Energy Storage Device for Compressed Air Energy Storage System
Authors: Assegie Mebratu Adamu , Siram Ojing , Sahoo Niranjan , Kalita Pankaj
Published: August 2023

The article presents the preparation and testing of packed bed (PB) material to be used as a thermal energy storage (TES) device. The proposed TES device will be used to store the high thermal energy attained during air compression in a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system. The article examines the utilization of mortar-based admixture by incorporating waste glass powder (WGP), graphite powder (GP), and waste glass sand (WGS). The selection of these constituents as a primary ingredient for the PB material has been made based on their availability, cost, and sustainability. The thermo-physical assessment of samples with different proportions of aggregates outlined two categories of PB: the first category of PB with low volumetric heat capacity (CP) for short/quick TES and the second category of PB with high CP for large/longer TES. The study also showcases the importance of GP in enhancing the CP of mortar-based TES devices as a result of high porosity.
Validity of the German Version of Daily Activity Behaviours Questionnaire Among Older Adults
Authors: Kastelic Kaja , Löfler Stefan , Matko Špela , Šarabon Nejc
Published: August 2023

Time spent in physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep collectively impact health of older adults. There is a need for valid self-reported methods for the assessment of movement behaviors across the entire 24-hr day. The aim of this study was to explore the validity of the German version of Daily Activity Behaviours Questionnaire (DABQ), the “Schlaf- und Aktivitätsfragebogen (SAF),” among older adults. Participants were asked to wear activity monitor (activPAL) for a period of 8 days and to complete the German version of DABQ. Seventy-seven participants (45 females; 68 ± 5 years of age) completed the protocol. Spearman’s correlation coefficients between DABQ and activPAL estimates for time spent in sleep, sedentary behavior, light physical activity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity were .69, .35, .24, and .52, respectively. The German version of the DABQ showed satisfactory validity to be used in epidemiological research and population surveillance among older adults.
Photosensitized O
2
enables intermolecular alkene cyclopropanation by active methylene compounds
Authors: Poudel Dhruba P. , Pokhrel Amrit , Tak Raj Kumar , Shankar Majji , Giri Ramesh
Published: August 2023

Cyclopropanes are key features in many preclinical, clinical, and commercial drugs, as well as natural products. The most prolific technique for their synthesis is the metal-catalyzed reaction of an alkene with a diazoalkane, a highly energetic reagent requiring stringent safety precautions. Discovery of alternative innocuous reagents remains an ongoing challenge. Herein, we report a simple photoredox-catalyzed intermolecular cyclopropanation of unactivated alkenes with active methylene compounds. The reaction proceeds in neutral solvent under air or dioxygen (O
2
) with a photoredox catalyst excited by blue light-emitting diode light and an iodine co-catalyst that is either added as molecular iodine or generated in situ from alkyl iodides. Mechanistic investigations indicate that photosensitized O
2
plays a vital role in the generation of carbon-centered radicals for both the addition of active methylene compounds to alkenes and the ring closure.
Comment on “Food wanting is mediated by transient activation of dopaminergic signaling in the honey bee brain”
Authors: Barron Andrew , Fahrbach Susan E. , Mercer Alison R. , Mesce Karen A. , Schulz David J. , Smith Brian H. , Søvik Eirik
Published: August 2023

Huang
et al
. (

1

) make an exciting claim about a human-like dopamine-regulated neuromodulatory mechanism underlying food-seeking behavior in honey bees. Their claim is based on experiments designed to measure brain biogenic amine levels and manipulate receptor activity. We have concerns that need to be addressed before broad acceptance of their results and the interpretation provided.
Pervasive within-species spatial repulsion among adult tropical trees
Authors: Kalyuzhny Michael , Lake Jeffrey K. , Wright S. Joseph , Ostling Annette M.
Published: August 2023

For species to coexist, performance must decline as the density of conspecific individuals increases. Although evidence for such conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) exists in forests, the within-species spatial repulsion it should produce has rarely been demonstrated in adults. In this study, we show that in comparison to a null model of stochastic birth, death, and limited dispersal, the adults of dozens of tropical forest tree species show strong spatial repulsion, some to surprising distances of approximately 100 meters. We used simulations to show that such strong repulsion can only occur if CNDD considerably exceeds heterospecific negative density dependence—an even stronger condition required for coexistence—and that large-scale repulsion can indeed result from small-scale CNDD. These results demonstrate substantial niche differences between species that may stabilize species diversity.
In Science Journals
Authors: Lopez Bianca , Yeston Jake , Grocholski Brent , Scanlon Seth Thomas , Neuhofer Daniela , Kelly Priscilla N. , Ash Caroline , Hurtley Stella M. , Simonti Corinne , Alderton Gemma , Fogg Christiana N. , Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: August 2023

Highlights from the
Science
family of journals
Plasmodium
microtubule-binding protein EB1 is critical for partitioning of nuclei in male gametogenesis
Authors: Mauer Sydney , Camargo Nelly , Abatiyow Biley A. , Gargaro Olivia R. , Kappe Stefan H. I. , Kumar Sudhir
Published: August 2023

Sexual reproduction of the malaria parasites is critical for their transmission to a mosquito vector. Several signaling molecules, such as kinases and phosphatases, are known to regulate this process. We previously demonstrated that
Plasmodium falciparum
(
Pf
) Ca
2+
-dependent protein kinase 4 (CDPK4) and serine/arginine-rich protein kinase 1 (SRPK1) are critical for axoneme formation during male gametogenesis, with genetic deletion of either gene causing a complete block in parasite transmission to the mosquito. A comparative phospho-proteome analysis of

Pfcdpk4
−

and RNA-seq analysis of

Pfsrpk1
−

gametocytes showed that these kinases regulate similar biological processes linked to both microtubule (MT) dynamics and cell motility. One of these proteins was a nuclear MT-associated
E
nd
B
inding protein 1 (EB1), which was hypophosphorylated in
Pfcdpk4
−
gametocytes. To study the functional relevance of EB1, we created gene deletion parasites for
EB1
. We further demonstrate that
Pfeb1
−
parasites like WT NF54 parasites proliferate normally as asexuals and undergo gametocytogenesis and gametogenesis. Strikingly, these parasites suffer a severe defect in nuclear segregation and partitioning of nuclei into emerging microgametes. Further genetic crosses utilizing male- and female-sterile parasites revealed that

Pfeb1
−

parasites only suffer a male fertility defect. Overall, our study reveals an essential function for
Pf
EB1 in male gamete nuclear segregation and suggests a potential therapeutic avenue in the design of transmission-blocking drugs to prevent malaria transmission from humans to mosquito.

IMPORTANCE

Gametogenesis and subsequent gamete fusion are central to successful transmission of the malaria parasites to a female
Anopheles
mosquito vector and completion of the sexual phase of the parasite life cycle. Male gametogenesis involves the formation of axonemes inside male gametes from male gametocytes via active cytoskeleton remodeling. The tubulin and tubulin-binding proteins are, thus, attractive anti-malarial drug targets. In the present study, we demonstrate that a microtubule-binding protein
Pf
EB1 is essential for male gamete fertility, specifically for the inheritance of nuclei from activated male gametocytes. Targeting
Pf
EB1 function may provide new avenues into designing interventions to prevent malaria transmission and disease spread.
Contemporary enterovirus-D68 isolates infect human spinal cord organoids
Authors: Aguglia Gabrielle , Coyne Carolyn B. , Dermody Terence S. , Williams John V. , Freeman Megan Culler
Published: August 2023

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a nonpolio enterovirus associated with severe respiratory illness and acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a polio-like illness causing paralysis in children. AFM outbreaks have been associated with increased circulation and genetic diversity of EV-D68 since 2014, although the virus was discovered in the 1960s. The mechanisms by which EV-D68 targets the central nervous system are unknown. Since enteroviruses are human pathogens that do not routinely infect other animal species, establishment of a human model of the central nervous system is essential for understanding pathogenesis. Here, we describe two human spinal cord organoid (hSCO)-based models for EV-D68 infection derived from induced, pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines. One hSCO model consists primarily of spinal motor neurons, while the another model comprises multiple neuronal cell lineages, including motor neurons, interneurons, and glial cells. These hSCOs can be productively infected with contemporary strains, but not a historic strain, of EV-D68 and produce extracellular virus for at least 2 weeks without appreciable cytopathic effect. By comparison, infection with hSCO with another enterovirus, echovirus 11, causes significant structural destruction and apoptosis. Together, these findings suggest that EV-D68 infection is not the sole mediator of neuronal cell death in the spinal cord in those with AFM and that secondary injury from the immune response likely contributes to pathogenesis.

IMPORTANCE

AFM is a rare condition that causes significant morbidity in affected children, often contributing to life-long sequelae. It is unknown how EV-D68 causes paralysis in children, and effective therapeutic and preventative strategies are not available. Mice are not native hosts for EV-D68, and thus, existing mouse models use immunosuppressed or neonatal mice, mouse-adapted viruses, or intracranial inoculations. To complement existing models, we report two hSCO models for EV-D68 infection. These three-dimensional, multicellular models comprised human cells and include multiple neural lineages, including motor neurons, interneurons, and glial cells. These new hSCO models for EV-D68 infection will contribute to understanding how EV-D68 damages the human spinal cord, which could lead to new therapeutic and prophylactic strategies for this virus.
Psychological impacts of COVID-19 on Vietnamese health workers over the prolonged restricted COVID-19 responses: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Tran Bach , Nguyen Minh Trong , Auquier Pascal , Boyer Laurent , Fond Guillaume , Vu Giang Thu , Hoang Thao Phuong , Ho Phuong Thu , Nguyen Tu Huu , Latkin Carl A , Ho Cyrus SH , Ho Roger C M , Zhang Melvyn W B
Published: August 2023

Objective

We assessed the psychological impact posed by COVID-19 and its associated factors on the healthcare workforce nationwide during the peak of Vietnam’s fourth outbreak.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

Our study was conducted in 61 provinces of Vietnam.

Methods

A total of 2814 healthcare professionals in 61/63 provinces of Vietnam. An online questionnaire using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales was distributed randomly to a subgroup of 503 respondents.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

To determine the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological of health workers, we conducted analyses to test a primary hypothesis related to participants based on three main scales including PHQ-9, PSS-4 and GAD-7 scales.

Results

Nearly half (49.7%) of healthcare workers experienced mild depression symptoms, 34.0% underwent moderate anxiety symptoms and 49.3% reported high-stress levels. Respondents who had a monthly income below 5 million VND (~US$212) and had more than 3 days of duty per week had a higher score on the anxiety scales. Compared with medical doctors, nurses/midwives had lower PHQ-9 (Coef=−2.53; 95% CI=−3.71 to −1.36) and GAD-7 scores (Coef=−2.36; 95% CI=−3.56 L to −1.16). Increased workload and work time was the harmful factor that increase the PHQ-9, GAD-7 or PSS-4 scores. More than half (53.9%) of respondents stated no demand for mental healthcare services.

Conclusions

Health workers who gained less financial rewards are reported to have higher levels of mental distress than others, implying the need for a raise in basic salary as well as compensation and encouragement schemes. To tackle hesitancy in seeking mental help, integrating online mental health therapy with e-health consultations via social media can be strategically implemented to augment service delivery, and simultaneously enhance the standard of mental health services.
Use of geofencing interventions in population health research: a scoping review
Authors: Tobin Karin , Heidari Omeid , Volpi Connor , Sodder Shereen , Duncan Dustin
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Technological advancements that use global positioning system (GPS), such as geofencing, provide the opportunity to examine place-based context in population health research. This review aimed to systematically identify, assess and synthesise the existing evidence on geofencing intervention design, acceptability, feasibility and/or impact.

Design

Scoping review, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidance for reporting.

Data sources

PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane and PsycINFO for articles in English published up to 31 December 2021.

Eligibility criteria

Articles were included if geofencing was used as a mechanism for intervention delivery. Exclusion criteria: (1) a component or combination of GPS, geographical information system or ecological momentary assessment was used without delivery of an intervention; (2) did not include a health or health-related outcome from the geofencing intervention; or (3) was not a peer-reviewed study.

Data extraction and synthesis

Several researchers independently reviewed all abstracts and full-text articles for final inclusion.

Results

A total of 2171 articles were found; after exclusions, nine studies were included in the review. The majority were published in 5 years preceding the search (89%). Geofences in most studies (n=5) were fixed and programmed in the mobile application carried by participants without their input. Mechanisms of geofencing interventions were classified as direct or indirect, with five studies (56%) using direct interventions. There were several different health outcomes (from smoking to problematic alcohol use) across the five studies that used a direct geofencing intervention.

Conclusions

This scoping review found geofencing to be an emerging technology that is an acceptable and feasible intervention applied to several different populations and health outcomes. Future studies should specify the rationale for the locations that are geofenced and user input. Moreover, attention to mechanisms of actions will enable scientists to understand not only whether geofencing is an appropriate and effective intervention but why it works to achieve the outcomes observed.
Exploring doctors’ trade-offs between management, research and clinical training in the medical curriculum: a protocol for a discrete choice experiment in Southern Africa
Authors: Turner Astrid , Wolvaardt Jacqueline , Ryan Mandy
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Medical curricula should prepare doctors for roles that extend beyond that of a clinician. But the formal inclusion of both management and research training still appear to be neglected. It is important to understand what the profession would be willing to give up in terms of clinical training time for management and research content teaching prior to making any changes in a medical curriculum.

Methods and analysis

A discrete choice experiment will elicit the preferences and trade-offs that medical doctors in Southern Africa are prepared to make about the management, research and clinical training. Attention will also be given to the teaching method and placement of the content. DCE data will be collected using an online survey with an estimated sample size of 368 medical doctors. Data regarding participants’ preference for a traditional or revised curriculum will be assessed using the Resistance to Change-Beliefs (RC-B) scale and demographic information will also be collected to assess preference heterogeneity.

Analysis of the DCE data will be based on the Random Utility Maximisation framework using variants of the multinomial logit model. Data quality will be assessed. Value will be estimated in terms of clinical time, that is, how much clinical training time medical doctors are willing to give up to have research and management training within a curriculum that has a maximum of 40 hours per week. Observed preference heterogeneity will be assessed using the RC-B scale data and characteristics of respondents. Latent class models will be used to test for unobserved heterogeneity.

Ethics and dissemination

The research ethics and institutional committees of the sites have approved the study. The survey includes an informed consent section. Study findings will be reported to the medical schools and papers will be submitted to peer-reviewed, accredited journals and higher education and health economic conferences.
Perspectives of cardiac rehabilitation in patients who had a stroke: a protocol for a qualitative study review
Authors: Jiang Hu , Mei Yongxia , Lin Beilei , Wang Wenna , Wang Xiaoxuan , Zhao Zhixin , Zhang Zhen-xiang
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Stroke has a high incidence and disability rate, and its recurrence and readmission rates are rising, making it the second-leading cause of mortality in the globe. Cardiac rehabilitation is a well-known, evidence-based strategy that might serve as an additional preventative programme. Prior quantitative research has proven the positive results and high practicability of cardiac rehabilitation for patients who had a stroke, however, cardiac rehabilitation is not yet a routine component of stroke rehabilitation worldwide. It might be useful to conduct meta-integration of previous qualitative studies to understand if existing cardiac rehabilitation programme meets the needs of patients who had a stroke. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to combine systematically the perspectives on benefits, barriers and facilitating factors of cardiac rehabilitation in patients who had a stroke.

Methods and analysis

There will be a search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases. In addition, grey literature from Google Scholar, OpenGrey, PyARXiv, bioRxiv and medRxiv will also be searched. Included studies will be qualitative studies or findings from mixed-method research involving patients who engage in CR after a stroke. Regardless of the publishing date and context, English-language articles will be reviewed. Two impartial reviewers will screen studies and extract data from the included studies. According to the Joanna Briggs Institute Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care Quality Evaluation Criteria for qualitative research, the methodology of the included literature will be examined. For data synthesis, the pooling meta-integration approach and Noblit and Hare’s seven steps of meta-ethnography will be used.

Ethics and dissemination

Because there will be no collection of primary data, this systematic review is exempt from the need that gets ethical approval. The findings of the review will be made public by publishing them in scholarly journals and presenting them at scientific conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023387534
Multicohort cross-sectional study of cognitive and behavioural digital biomarkers in neurodegeneration: the Living Lab Study protocol
Authors: Crook-Rumsey Mark , Daniels Sarah J C , Abulikemu Subati , Lai Helen , Rapeaux Adrien , Hadjipanayi Charalambos , Soreq Eyal , Li Lucia M , Bashford James , Jeyasingh-Jacob Julian , Gruia Dragos C , Lambert Damion , Weil Rimona , Hampshire Adam , Sharp David J , Haar Shlomi
Published: August 2023

Introduction and aims

Digital biomarkers can provide a cost-effective, objective and robust measure for neurological disease progression, changes in care needs and the effect of interventions. Motor function, physiology and behaviour can provide informative measures of neurological conditions and neurodegenerative decline. New digital technologies present an opportunity to provide remote, high-frequency monitoring of patients from within their homes. The purpose of the living lab study is to develop novel digital biomarkers of functional impairment in those living with neurodegenerative disease (NDD) and neurological conditions.

Methods and analysis

The Living Lab study is a cross-sectional observational study of cognition and behaviour in people living with NDDs and other, non-degenerative neurological conditions. Patients (n≥25 for each patient group) with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, mild cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury and stroke along with controls (n≥60) will be pragmatically recruited. Patients will carry out activities of daily living and functional assessments within the Living Lab. The Living Lab is an apartment-laboratory containing a functional kitchen, bathroom, bed and living area to provide a controlled environment to develop novel digital biomarkers. The Living Lab provides an important intermediary stage between the conventional laboratory and the home. Multiple passive environmental sensors, internet-enabled medical devices, wearables and electroencephalography (EEG) will be used to characterise functional impairments of NDDs and non-NDD conditions. We will also relate these digital technology measures to clinical and cognitive outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approvals have been granted by the Imperial College Research Ethics Committee (reference number: 21IC6992). Results from the study will be disseminated at conferences and within peer-reviewed journals.
Association between high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and fall-related hospitalisation in women aged over 70 years
Authors: Gebre Abadi Kahsu , Sim Marc , Dalla Via Jack , Smith Cassandra , Rodriguez Alexander J , Hodgson Jonathan M , Bondonno Catherine P , Lim Wai , Byrnes Elizabeth , Thompson Peter R , Prince Richard L , Lewis Joshua R
Published: August 2023

Objective

To examine the association between high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), a biomarker of myocardial injury, muscle function decline and 14.5-year fall-related hospitalisation risk in women aged over 70 years.

Methods

1179 ambulatory community-dwelling women aged over 70 years with subclinical levels of hs-cTnI (ie, <15.6 ng/L), who were followed up for 14.5 years, were included. Samples for hs-cTnI were obtained in 1998. Fall-related hospitalisations were retrieved from linked health records. Muscle function measures, including handgrip strength and the Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) test, were assessed in 1998 and 2003.

Results

Mean±SD age was 75.2±2.7 years. Over 14.5 years of follow-up, 40.4% (476 of 1179) experienced fall-related hospitalisation. Participants were categorised into four approximate hs-cTnI quartiles: quartile 1 (<3.6 ng/L), quartile 2 (3.6–4.4 ng/L), quartile 3 (4.5–5.8 ng/L) and quartile 4 (≥5.9 ng/L). Compared with those in Q1, women in Q4 were likely to experience fall-related hospitalisation (36.0% vs 42.8%). In a multivariable-adjusted model that accounted for CVD and fall risk factors, compared with women in Q1, those in Q4 had a 46% higher risk of fall-related hospitalisation (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.98). Additionally, women in Q4 had slower TUG performance compared with those in Q1 (10.3 s vs 9.5 s, p=0.032).

Conclusion

Elevated level of hs-cTnI was associated with slower TUG performance and increased fall-related hospitalisation risk. This indicates subclinical level of hs-cTnI can identify clinically relevant falls, emphasising the need to consider cardiac health during fall assessment in women aged over 70 years.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12617000640303.
Prevalence and clinical implications of germline pathogenic variants in cancer predisposing genes in young patients across sarcoma subtypes
Authors: Carvalho Nathalia de Angelis de , Santiago Karina Miranda , Maia Joyce Maria Lisboa , Costa Felipe D’Almeida , Formiga Maria Nirvana , Soares Diogo Cordeiro de Queiroz , Paixão Daniele , Mello Celso Abdon Lopes de , Costa Cecilia Maria Lima da , Rocha José Claudio Casali da , Rivera Barbara , Carraro Dirce Maria , Torrezan Giovana Tardin
Published: August 2023

Background

Sarcomas are a rare and diverse group of cancers occurring mainly in young individuals for which an underlying germline genetic cause remains unclear in most cases.

Methods

Germline DNA from 177 children, adolescents and young adults with soft tissue or bone sarcomas was tested using multigene panels with 113 or 126 cancer predisposing genes (CPGs) to describe the prevalence of germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (GPVs). Subsequent testing of a subset of tumours for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) evaluation was performed to investigate the clinical and molecular significance of these variants.

Results

GPVs were detected in 21.5% (38/177) of the patients (15.8% in children and 21.6% in adolescents and young adults), with dominant CPGs being altered in 15.2% overall. These variants were found in genes previously associated with the risk of developing sarcomas (TP53,RB1,NF1,EXT1/2) but also in genes where that risk is still emerging/limited (ERCC2,TSC2andBRCA2) or unknown (PALB2,RAD50,FANCMand others). The detection rates of GPVs varied from 0% to 33% across sarcoma subtypes and GPV carriers were more likely to present more than one primary tumour than non-carriers (21.1%×6.5%; p=0.012). Loss of the wild-type allele was detected in 48% of tumours from GPV carriers, mostly in genes definitively associated with sarcoma risk.

Conclusion

Our findings reveal that a high proportion of young patients with sarcomas presented a GPV in a CPG, underscoring the urgency of establishing appropriate genetic screening strategies for these individuals and their families.
End-of-life interventions in patients with cancer
Authors: Webber Colleen , Hafid Shuaib , Gayowsky Anastasia , Howard Michelle , Tanuseputro Peter , Jones Aaron , Scott Mary M , Hsu Amy T , Downar James , Manuel Doug , Conen Katrin , Isenberg Sarina Roslyn
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To describe variations in the receipt of potentially inappropriate interventions in the last 100 days of life of patients with cancer according to patient characteristics and cancer site.

Methods

We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of cancer decedents in Ontario, Canada who died between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2018. Potentially inappropriate interventions, including chemotherapy, major surgery, intensive care unit admission, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, dialysis, percutaneous coronary intervention, mechanical ventilation, feeding tube placement, blood transfusion and bronchoscopy, were captured via hospital discharge records. We used Poisson regression to examine associations between interventions and decedent age, sex, rurality, income and cancer site.

Results

Among 151 618 decedents, 81.3% received at least one intervention, and 21.4% received 3+ different interventions. Older patients (age 95–105 years vs 19–44 years, rate ratio (RR) 0.36, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.38) and women (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.93 to 0.94) had lower intervention rates. Rural patients (RR 1.09, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.10), individuals in the highest area-level income quintile (vs lowest income quintile RR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.04), and patients with pancreatic cancer (vs colorectal cancer RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.12) had higher intervention rates.

Conclusions

Potentially inappropriate interventions were common in the last 100 days of life of cancer decedents. Variations in interventions may reflect differences in prognostic awareness, healthcare access, and care preferences and quality. Earlier identification of patients’ palliative care needs and involvement of palliative care specialists may help reduce the use of these interventions at the end of life.
Analysis of the geotechnical behavior of a piled raft in tropical lateritic soil based on long-term monitoring of columns, piles, and raft–soil interface
Authors: Bernardes Heitor Cardoso , da Cunha Renato Pinto , Junior Aleones José da Cruz , Sales Maurício Martines , Rebolledo Juan Félix Rodríguez
Published: August 2023

This paper aims to analyze and describe the geotechnical behavior of a piled raft foundation of a tall building (53 floors, 172.4 m high) through the monitoring of strains in the building’s columns and piles, the stresses at the raft–soil interface, and the foundation settlements. Field and laboratory tests were performed, and associated with axisymmetric and three-dimensional finite element analysis to the assessment of the measured data. The monitoring of the pile strains suggests the occurrence of soil expansion, caused by the raft excavation process, up to approximately 6 months after the excavation was completed. The presence of different soil profiles under the raft, with different mechanical properties, affected the distribution of the foundation settlements and the pile loads. Initially, the average pile loads were concentrated in the perimeter elements, but, as the construction of the building evolved, they tended to become more uniform. The effect of the superstructure stiffness caused successive load redistributions in the columns, which contributed to the maintenance of the maximum angular distortion of the building within the allowable values and reduced the load difference between the piles positioned in opposite soil profiles.
Running overnight and struggling to find sea ice: long-distance movement by an Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) from Russia
Authors: Sokolova N. , Shklyar K. , Fufachev I. , Filippova V. , Sokolov A.
Published: August 2023

Given the scale, speed, and complexity of recent changes in the Arctic, our understanding of their multiple implications for Arctic biota is still limited. We detail for the first time in the vast Russian Arctic the long-distance movement of an Arctic fox ( Vulpes lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758)) tracked with a GPS/iridium collar providing considerably high precision (several meters) and frequency of locations (every 4 h). Revealed diurnal activity patterns of the Arctic fox indicate that it ran greater distances in night hours and shortest in day hours during the most intense movement period. The movement records suggested several attempts to leave the land, as it seemed to encounter open water four times on different parts of Yamal peninsula. The Arctic fox crossed the Ob Bay towards the Gydan peninsula and satellite imagery of discontinuous ice during crossing suggested that it might have stayed on pieces of floating ice. Our observation may support evidence that a reduction in the duration and extent of sea ice could affect the ability of Arctic foxes to cover long distances and thus, in the long term, the connectivity between populations. Similar studies are needed aiming to understand movement ecology of the Arctic foxes in the changing Arctic.
TALYS calculations of prompt fission observables and independent fission product yields for the neutron-induced fission of $$^{235}$$U
Authors: Fujio Kazuki , Al-Adili Ali , Nordström Fredrik , Lemaître Jean-François , Okumura Shin , Chiba Satoshi , Koning Arjan
Published: August 2023

The TALYS nuclear reaction code’s Hauser-Feshbach statistical decay model has been adapted in order to calculate prompt fission neutron and$$\gamma $$γ-ray observables by iterating over deexciting fission fragments. Several fission fragment generators such as GEF, HF$$^{3}$$3D, and SPY were employed to provide TALYS with databases. These databases contain standardized tables with fission fragment yields, mean excitation energies and their widths, and average total kinetic energy, as a function of charge and mass number of primary fission fragments. The resulting calculations, including prompt particle multiplicities, spectra, average energies, and independent fission product yields, were compared with experimental and evaluated data. This work first outlines the new methodology implemented in TALYS and examines the effects of three important parameters on the final evaporation data. Furthermore, the neutron-induced fission of$$^{235}$$235U is investigated in detail as a function of incident energy. The results from TALYS, with input from GEF and HF$$^{3}$$3D, were compared with available experimental data and the results of the stand-alone GEF code. The proposed methodology contributes to an improved capability to model the fission process.
No-signaling-in-time as a condition for macrorealism: the case of neutrino oscillations
Authors: Blasone Massimo , Illuminati Fabrizio , Petruzziello Luciano , Simonov Kyrylo , Smaldone Luca
Published: August 2023

We consider two necessary and sufficient conditions for macrorealism recently appeared in the literature, known as no-signaling-in-time and arrow-of-time conditions, respectively, and study them in the context of neutrino flavor transitions, within both the plane wave description and the wave packet approach. We then compare the outcome of the above investigation with the implication of various formulations of Leggett–Garg inequalities. In particular, we show that the fulfillment of the addressed conditions for macrorealism in neutrino oscillations implies the fulfillment of the Leggett–Garg inequalities, whereas the converse is not true. Finally, in the framework of wave packet approach, we also prove that, for distances longer than the coherence length, the no-signaling-in-time condition is always violated whilst the Leggett–Garg inequalities are not.
Super-swelling behavior of stacked lipid bilayer systems
Authors: Rueben Jacob , Steer Dylan , Leal Cecília
Published: August 2023

Bilayer systems comprising lipid mixtures are the most well-studied model of biological membranes. While the plasma membrane of the cell is a single bilayer, many intra- and extra-cellular biomembranes comprise stacks of bilayers. Most bilayer stacks in nature are periodic, maintaining a precise water layer separation between bilayers. That equilibrium water separation is governed by multiple inter-bilayer forces and is highly responsive. Biomembranes re-configure inter-bilayer spacing in response to temperature, composition, or mass transport cues. In synthetic bilayer systems for applications in cosmetics or topical treatments, control of the hydration level is a critical design handle. Herein we investigate a binary lipid system that leverages key inter-bilayer forces leading to unprecedented levels of aqueous swelling while maintaining a coherent multilamellar form. We found that combining cationic lipids with bicontinuous cubic phase-forming lipids (lipids with positive Gaussian modulus), results in the stabilization of multilamellar phases against repulsive steric forces that typically lead to bilayer delamination at high degrees of swelling. Using ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering alongside confocal laser scanning microscopy, we characterized various super-swelled states of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) and glycerol monooleate (GMO) lipids, as well as other analogous systems, at varied concentration and molar ratios. Through these experiments we established swelling profiles of various binary lipid systems that were near-linear with decreasing lipid volume fraction, showing maximum swelling with periodicity well above 200 nanometers.

Graphical abstract

Confocal fluorescence micrograph of super-swelled multilamellar structures in 90GMOD sample at 25 mM concentration. Inset plot shows intensity profile of orange line, with pink triangles indicating maxima.
Rare earth-doped glass whispering gallery mode micro-lasers
Authors: Frigenti Gabriele , Berneschi Simone , Farnesi Daniele , Pelli Stefano , Righini Giancarlo C. , Soria Silvia , Dumeige Yannick , Féron Patrice , Ristić Davor , Prudenzano Francesco , Ferrari Maurizio , Nunzi Conti Gualtiero
Published: August 2023

We review the works performed on whispering gallery mode (WGM) micro-optical resonators made in rare-earth (RE) doped glasses for implementing low threshold and narrow line coherent sources. These types of micro-lasers, because of their small size and ease of fabrication can be a useful tool for the characterization of laser glasses and have several applications, especially as sensors.
EM wave propagation within plasma-filled rectangular waveguide using fractional space and LFD
Authors: Refaie Ali A. , Eldabe N. T. M. , El Naby A. E. H. Abd , Ibrahim M. , Abo-Seida O. M.
Published: August 2023

This paper aims to investigate the propagation of the electromagnetic (EM) within the rectangular waveguide that is filled with plasma. A rapid Cherenkov free electron laser ( C-FEL) beam was injected into the plasma to excite its natural oscillations and, therefore, an EM wave was generated. We focused on TM-mode propagation through this waveguide. Exact solutions of the EM wave equation have been found using both the Laplacian operator in the fractional D-dimensional space and the local fractional derivative (LFD). The fractional solutions have been converted into classical results to simulate the usual behavior of the waves. It has been found that the well-known Bessel, Neumann, and Mittage–Leffler functions are observed and their propagation is directly proportional to fractional parameters.
Synchronized Planarity with Applications to Constrained Planarity Problems
Authors: Bläsius Thomas , Fink Simon D. , Rutter Ignaz
Published: August 2023

We introduce the problem S
ynchronized
P
lanarity
. Roughly speaking, its input is a loop-free multi-graph together with synchronization constraints that, e.g., match pairs of vertices of equal degree by providing a bijection between their edges. S
ynchronized
P
lanarity
then asks whether the graph admits a crossing-free embedding into the plane such that the orders of edges around synchronized vertices are consistent. We show, on the one hand, that S
ynchronized
P
lanarity
can be solved in quadratic time, and, on the other hand, that it serves as a powerful modeling language that lets us easily formulate several constrained planarity problems as instances of S
ynchronized
P
lanarity
. In particular, this lets us solve C
lustered
P
lanarity
in quadratic time, where the most efficient previously known algorithm has an upper bound of
O
(
n
8
).
A High-performance Masking Design Approach for Saber against High-order Side-channel Attack
Authors: Chang Yajing , Yan Yingjian , Zhu Chunsheng , Liu Yanjiang
Published: August 2023

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) has become the most promising cryptographic scheme against the threat of quantum computing to conventional public-key cryptographic schemes. Saber, as the finalist in the third round of the PQC standardization procedure, presents an appealing option for embedded systems due to its high encryption efficiency and accessibility. However, side-channel attack (SCA) can easily reveal confidential information by analyzing the physical manifestations, and several works demonstrate that Saber is vulnerable to SCAs. In this work, a ciphertext comparison method for masking design based on the bitslicing technique and zerotest is proposed, which balances the tradeoff between the performance and security of comparing two arrays. The mathematical description of the proposed ciphertext comparison method is provided, and its correctness and security metrics are analyzed under the concept of PINI. Moreover, a high-order masking approach based on the state of the art, including the hash functions, centered binomial sampling, masking conversions, and proposed ciphertext comparison, is presented, using the bitslicing technique to improve throughput. As a proof of concept, the proposed implementation of Saber is on the ARM Cortex-M4. The performance results show that the runtime overhead factor of 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-order masking is 3.01×, 5.58×, and 8.68×, and the dynamic memory used for 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-order masking is 17.4kB, 24.0kB, and 30.2kB, respectively. The SCA-resilience evaluation results illustrate that the 1st-order Test Vectors Leakage Assessment (TVLA) result fails to reveal the secret key with 100,000 traces.
Double High-Order Correlation Preserved Robust Multi-View Ensemble Clustering
Authors: Zhao Xiaojia , Xu Tingting , Shen Qiangqiang , Liu Youfa , Chen Yongyong , Su Jingyong
Published: August 2023

Ensemble clustering (EC), utilizing multiple basic partitions (BPs) to yield a robust consensus clustering, has shown promising clustering performance. Nevertheless, most current algorithms suffer from two challenging hurdles: (1) a surge of EC-based methods only focus on pair-wise sample correlation while fully ignoring the high-order correlations of diverse views. (2) they deal directly with the co-association (CA) matrices generated from BPs, which are inevitably corrupted by noise and thus degrade the clustering performance. To address these issues, we propose a novel Double High-Order Correlation Preserved Robust Multi-View Ensemble Clustering (DC-RMEC) method, which preserves the high-order inter-view correlation and the high-order correlation of original data simultaneously. Specifically, DC-RMEC constructs a hypergraph from BPs to fuse high-level complementary information from different algorithms and incorporates multiple CA-based representations into a low-rank tensor to discover the high-order relevance underlying CA matrices, such that double high-order correlation of multi-view features could be dexterously uncovered. Moreover, a marginalized denoiser is invoked to gain robust view-specific CA matrices. Furthermore, we develop a unified framework to jointly optimize the representation tensor and the result matrix. An effective iterative optimization algorithm is designed to optimize our DC-RMEC model by resorting to the alternating direction method of multipliers. Extensive experiments on seven real-world multi-view datasets have demonstrated the superiority of DC-RMEC compared with several state-of-the-art multi-view ensemble clustering methods.