bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postoperative pancreatic fistulas after pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignancy: A Northeast Indian tertiary cancer center study
Authors: Purkayastha Joydeep , Bannoth Srinivas , Talukdar Abhijit , Borthakur Bibhuti Bhusan , Kalita Deepjyoti , Das Gaurav , Kamalasanan Kiran
Published: August 2021

Background and Aim

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is an important cause of major morbidity and mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy. We intend to estimate the incidence and study the risk factors and outcomes of patients who developed this dreaded complication.

Methods

This is a retrospective observational study. We included all patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at a specialized surgical unit of a single tertiary care cancer center in Northeast India. The period of study was from 23 April 2012 to 27 December 2019. The 2016 update on the definition of POPF by the International Study Group for Pancreatic Fistula was used to define the complication. Chi‐square test and Fischer's exact test were applied to categorical variables. t‐test was used to quantify mean difference among continuous variables. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval.

Results

A total of 59 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy during the study period with almost equal distribution among males and females (29 and 30 patients respectively). The mean age of the patients was 54.0 years (range 20–72). Grade A, B, and C pancreatic fistulas were seen in five (8.5%), three (5.1%), and two (3.4%) patients, respectively. Preoperative hyperbilirubinemia, pancreatic duct size ≤3 mm, hypoalbuminemia, preoperative biliary decompression, and prolonged duration of surgery were identified as risk factors for POPF. POPF also resulted in increased 90‐day mortality (20%).

Conclusion

POPF remains a potentially life‐threatening complication of pancreaticoduodenectomies. The knowledge and management of modifiable risk factors for this condition may help in mitigating this problem.
Easterly waves and precipitation over northern South America and the Caribbean
Authors: Giraldo‐Cardenas Santiago , Arias Paola A. , Vieira Sara C. , Zuluaga Manuel D.
Published: August 2021

The Easterly Waves (EWs) have been highlighted as one of the different spatiotemporal processes that influence hydro‐climatology over northern South America and the Caribbean Sea, particularly during boreal summer. Previous studies recognize the EWs among the most important features of the rainy season in northern South America, suggesting the occurrence of precipitation as the main meteorological response to the passage of these disturbances. However, it is shown in this work that not all the EWs that propagate over northern South America and the Caribbean Sea have such an effect. Almost 50% of the EWs moving over the region during the 1983–2018 period were accompanied by the inhibition of precipitation and clear skies, as depicted by anomalies from the Climate Data Record of Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks precipitation dataset and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration interpolated Outgoing Longwave Radiation dataset. This work intends to address the relationship between these atmospheric perturbations and the occurrence or inhibition of precipitation, as well as a plausible connection with the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO). In particular, horizontal components of wind and relative vorticity, together with low and upper troposphere divergence, were used to identify and characterize the EW activity over northern South America and the Caribbean Sea. Results suggest an influence of the MJO on the effects that the EWs have on convection and precipitation over the region, as well as the direction in which such perturbances continue their westward propagation.
Diagnostic Imaging of A2 Pulley Injuries: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Berrigan William , White William , Cipriano Kevin , Wickstrom Jordan , Smith Jay , Hager Nelson
Published: August 2021

Injury to the A2 pulley is caused by high eccentric forces on the flexor‐tendon–pulley system. Accurate diagnosis is necessary to identify the most appropriate treatment options. This review summarizes the literature with respect to using ultrasound (US) to diagnose A2 pulley injuries, compares ultrasound to magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, and identifies current knowledge gaps. The results suggest that US should be used as the primary imaging modality given high accuracy, relatively low cost, ease of access, and dynamic imaging capabilities. Manual resistance is beneficial to accentuate bowstringing, but further research is needed to determine best positioning for evaluation.
Tribological performance of laser‐textured steel surfaces in unidirectional sliding line‐contact (block‐on‐ring)
Authors: Amoroso Pedro J. , Ramalho Amilcar , Richhariya Vipin , Silva Filipe S. , Cavaleiro Albano
Published: August 2021

The following theoretical and experimental work presents a study on the influence of texture parameters on the tribological performance of dimpled steel surfaces. Different texture parameters were selected through hydrodynamic lubrication modeling based on the two‐dimensional Reynolds equation and literature search. For the experimental work, microscopic spherical cavities (i.e., dimples) were created by laser on 25 mm steel discs. The textured specimens were tested in a unidirectional sliding line‐contact block‐on‐ring set‐up at different rotational speeds. The experiments showed that the area‐density‐ratio, dimple‐depth, and dimple‐diameter can significantly affect the tribological performance of steel surfaces. Specimens containing dimples with lower depth, lower area‐density‐ratio, and smaller diameters, exhibited significant improvements over a smooth steel surface. The most remarkable achievement was a 28.6% friction reduction at 20 RPM and an overall improvement of 13% considering all speeds.
Identification of oral precancerous and cancerous tissue by swept source optical coherence tomography
Authors: Yang Zihan , Shang Jianwei , Liu Chenlu , Zhang Jun , Liang Yanmei
Published: August 2021

Background and Objectives

Distinguishing cancer from precancerous lesions is critical and challenging in oral medicine. As a noninvasive method, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has the advantages of real‐time, in vivo, and large‐depth imaging. Texture information hidden in OCT images can provide an important auxiliary effect for improving diagnostic accuracy. The aim of this study is to explore a reliable and accurate OCT‐based method for the screening and diagnosis of human oral diseases, especially oral cancer.

Materials and Methods

Fresh ex vivo oral tissues including normal mucosa, leukoplakia with epithelial hyperplasia (LEH), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) were imaged intraoperatively by a homemade OCT system, and 58 texture features were extracted to create computational models of these tissues. A principal component analysis algorithm was employed to optimize the combination of texture feature vectors. The identification based on artificial neural network (ANN) was proposed and the sensitivity/specificity was calculated statistically to evaluate the classification performance.

Results

A total of 71 sites of three types of oral tissues were measured, and 5176 OCT images of three types of oral tissues were used in this study. The superior classification result based on ANN was obtained with an average accuracy of 98.17%. The sensitivity and specificity of normal mucosa, LEH, and OSCC are 98.17% / 98.38%, 93.81% / 98.54%, and 98.11% / 99.04%, respectively.

Conclusion

It is demonstrated from the high accuracies, sensitivities, and specificities that texture‐based analysis can be used to identify oral precancerous and cancerous tissue in OCT images, and it has the potential to help surgeons in diseases screening and diagnosis effectively.
Correlations among anti‐Müllerian hormone levels, body mass index and lipid profile in reproductive‐aged women: The Korea Nurses' Health Study
Authors: Lim Sarah , Kim Sue , Kim Oksoo , Kim Bohye , Jung Heeja , Ko Kwang‐Pil , Lee Hyangkyu
Published: August 2021

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the correlations among anti‐Müllerian hormone levels, body mass index and lipid profile in female nurses of reproductive age.

Design

This is a descriptive cross‐sectional study that used data from the Korea Nurses' Health Study, based on Nurses' Health Study 3 in the United States.

Methods

Participants included 448 female nurses of reproductive age. They provided details about their work experience, shift work, body mass index and history of polycystic ovary syndrome. Serum anti‐Müllerian hormone levels and lipid profile were measured using blood samples. Statistical analysis included quantile regression analysis using STATA 13.0. Data were collected between November 2016 and March 2017 from Module 5 of the Korean Nurses' Health Study.

Results

Approximately 12% of the participants were underweight, and roughly one‐tenth were either overweight or obese. Although linear regression showed no relationship between anti‐Müllerian hormone levels and body mass index, quantile regression showed that body mass index, total cholesterol levels and low‐density lipoprotein levels were negatively correlated with anti‐Müllerian hormone levels at the lower tails of the dependent variable. Meanwhile, high‐density lipoprotein levels were positively correlated with anti‐Müllerian hormone at the higher percentiles of anti‐Müllerian hormone levels.

Conclusion

These findings suggest the possibility that changes in the lipid profile may influence anti‐Müllerian hormone levels in women with diminished ovarian function, rather than obesity itself.
Method and experimental characterization of the surface free energy of carbon fibers used in composite systems
Authors: Naveh Naum , Caron Adi , Rahmani Lidar , Kaully Tami
Published: August 2021

Surface treatments are known to affect the interfacial properties in composite systems, including some mechanical properties, as well as the ease of handling. In this study, a simple surface free energy (SFE) characterization technique is proposed to assess the effect of fiber surface treatments on the wetting behavior and SFE of carbon fibers. Several fiber surface treatments were applied. Commercially available T300 carbon fibers from a unidirectional tape were desized and then subjected to nitric acid oxidation as well as air plasma oxidation. Functionalization of the fiber surface was confirmed via X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Oxidation led to enhanced surface roughness as confirmed by measurements of the fibers' surface area using the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller method. However, the wetting behavior of the fibers does not follow either the Wenzel or the Cassie–Baxter equations, possibly due to the dominant effect of the chemical interactions and the chemical heterogeneity of the fiber surface. It is shown that the polar component of the treated fibers' SFE increases while the dispersive component remains unaffected. The increase of the polar component is due to fiber surface functionalization. Both plasma and wet oxidation treatments enhanced the interfacial shear strength of carbon/epoxy specimens. Optimum conditions may result with treatment duration, as shown for a 2‐min air plasma treatment. The suggested technique to measure contact angles may prove beneficial for fast and accurate research work and also for quality control of surface treatments or coating processes.
Access to insulin: a comparison between low‐ and middle‐income countries and the United Kingdom
Authors: Lepeska Molly , Beran David , Ewen Margaret
Published: August 2021

Insulin was discovered 100 years ago but, sadly, across the globe there are significant inequities in access to this life‐saving medicine.

Here, the authors investigate such inequities, the challenges of available and affordable insulin, its delivery systems and blood glucose monitoring. Challenges not only include costs but also the lack of expertise in managing diabetes care.

Now is the time for those in the diabetes community to come together to address the global issue of access to insulin for all.
Psychological resilience of patients with bladder cancer after radical cystectomy and urinary diversion: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Dong Mengyuan , Nie Anliu , Liu Chunxiang , Zheng Jin
Published: August 2021

Objective

The aims of this study were to investigate the current state of psychological resilience and identify its associated factors in bladder cancer (BC) patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC).

Methods

A cross‐sectional study, using convenience sampling was conducted among 248 patients recruited from urology department of a tertiary hospital in Shenyang, China. According to the resilience in illness model, participants were invited to finish a questionnaire included demographic and disease‐related information, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, Social Support Rating Scale, Family adaptation, partnership, growth, affection, and resolve Index and Herth Hope Index. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to explore the predictors of resilience.

Results

The average resilience score of 53.45 ± 6.22 among BC patients undergoing RC. Multiple regression showed that the associated factors of resilience of postoperative BC patients were gender (β = −0.142, p = 0.002), living in town (β = −0.103, p = 0.052), living alone (β = 0.118, p = 0.026), almost need to be taken care of (β = 0.094, p = 0.064), illness uncertainty (β = −0.249, p < 0.001), confrontation (β = 0.091, p = 0.077), acceptance‐resignation (β = −0.205, p < 0.001), social support (β = 0.122, p = 0.029) and hope (β = 0.350, p < 0.001). These predictors accounted for 56.9% of the total variance in resilience (F = 14.964, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Resilience among BC patients undergoing RC needs to be further improved. Hope was the most important variable influencing resilience in BC patients undergoing RC. In the future, we need to pay more attention to the psychological status of patients and encourage them to face the disease with positive emotion and positive coping style to enhance the hope and resilience of patients, so as to improve the quality of life of patients with BC undergoing RC.
Bilobalide: A review of its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and safety
Authors: Lu Jing , Xie Long , Liu Kai , Zhang Xuming , Wang Xian , Dai Xiaolin , Liang Youdan , Cao Yi , Li Xiaofang
Published: August 2021

Bilobalide is a natural sesquiterpene trilactone from Ginkgo biloba leaves. It has good water solubility and is widely used in food and pharmaceutical fields. In the last decade, a plethora of studies on the pharmacological activities of bilobalide has been conducted and demonstrated that bilobalide possessed an extensive range of pharmacological activities such as neuroprotective, antioxidative, antiinflammatory, anti‐ischemic, and cardiovascular protective activities. Pharmacokinetic studies indicated that bilobalide may have the characteristics of rapid absorption, good bioavailability, wide distribution, and slow elimination. This review aims to summarize the advances in pharmacological, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and safety studies of bilobalide in the last decade with an emphasis on its neuroprotective and antiinflammatory activities, to provide researchers with the latest information and point out the limitations of relevant research at the current stage and the aspects that should be strengthened in future research.
Controlling quantum wave packet of electronic motion on field‐dressed Coulomb potential of by carrier‐envelope phase‐dependent strong field laser pulses
Authors: Daud Mohammad Noh
Published: August 2021

Solving numerically a non‐Born‐Oppenheimer time‐dependent Schrödinger equation to study the dynamics of H2 subjected to strong field six‐cycle laser pulses ( W/cm2,  nm) leads to the newly ultrafast electron imaging in the dissociative‐ionization of . This includes the electron distribution in oscillates symmetrically with laser cycle with periodicity where the distribution concentrates between two protons for about 8 fs, being trapped in a Coulomb potential well. Nonetheless, the most important finding reveals that the electron symmetrical distribution begins to break up in the field‐free region after 24 fs when the internuclear distance stretches larger than 9 a.u. It is a result of the distortion of Coulomb potential where the ejected electron preferentially localizes in one of the double‐well potential separated by the inner Coulomb potential barrier, leading to the new images of charge resonance enhanced ionization. Controlling laser carrier‐envelope phase enables one to quantify such phenomena with the highest total asymmetries of 0.75 and −0.75 occur at and , respectively, associated with the electron preferential directionality being ionized to the right and the left paths along the molecular axis.
Early Recognition Method: ‘Opening Doors’ in Risk Management Dialogue Between Mental Health and Prison Services
Authors: Fluttert Frans , Eidhammer Gunnar , Dale Karl Yngvar
Published: August 2021

In secured institutions, which include prison services, violence between clients or towards staff has a major impact, eliciting feelings of stress, anger and fear for those involved. In this chapter we explain how violence can be understood as a complexity of multiple factors, and why a structured risk management strategy is necessary to adequately assess and manage violence. We describe specifically the Early Recognition Method (ERM) as a step-wise forward strategy aiming to identify, formulate and manage early warning signs of violence and allows a risk management dialogue to develop between prison staff and inmates. The ERM-dialogue strategy has successfully been developed and applied in forensic psychiatry and in this chapter we explore how, in a process of innovation, the knowledge and research of the ERM-applied in forensic services, has been transferred to prison services. The ‘multivoicedness’ of the ERM is explored through the theoretical concept of the ‘Self’
Avenues of Opportunity: Journeys of Activities Through Third Sector Organisations
Authors: Turner-Wilson Angela , Dearborn Stuart , Bullen Catherine
Published: August 2021

This chapter discusses a social anthropological research study that considers the place of third sector organisations (TSOs) in society, particularly for those who have been in contact with the criminal justice services. The work is based on insights from journeys through Norway, and to a lesser extent the UK, captured as narratives by a TSO caseworker in partnership with other research team members. The insights were drawn from interactions with those along the journey such as ex-prisoners, volunteers, charity workers, members of religious communities and so forth. What these revealed were the many and sometimes hidden universes that exist in and outside TSOs. This chapter offers deep and sometimes different perspectives, asking the reader to consider the range of opportunities TSOs can offer and sets these against concepts of self and other, place, boundary crossing and organisational learning. The work speaks to those seeking to reintegrate into society after prison, their families, significant others, professional practitioners, students and academics, and although primarily based around Norway, the content resonates internationally.
Reflecting on Researcher/Practice Relationships in Prison Research: A Contact Hypothesis Lens
Authors: Hean Sarah , Skippervik Liv Jorunn , Heslop Richard , Stevens Caroline
Published: August 2021

Interactions between researchers and professionals need to be carefully managed in the criminal justice context. This chapter explores the utility of the theoretical lens of the contact hypothesis as a means to understand and improve these relations. The COLAB consortium is used as a case study of a typical partnership between professionals in practice and researchers in academia to illustrate this. We use the reflections of four of its members from both professional and researcher European institutions to explore how the conditions of contact proposed by the contact hypothesis may have impacted on the experiences of participants. Strategies through which these relations can be optimised in the interest of prison research, but also the care and management of people in contact with the criminal justice system, are proposed.
“Living with” Interagency Collaboration—Three Sustaining Practices
Authors: Murphy Tine , Aakjær Marie , Pallesen Eva , Rosenberg Charlotte
Published: August 2021

Interagency collaboration is increasingly prevalent in welfare contexts due to the current pressure for integrating different professional domains around desired effects on citizens’ life and well-being. In the context of prison service this is equally important, due to the complexity in the constellation of actors that come into contact with a citizen before, during and after imprisonment. Drawing on a combination of neo-institutional theory (DiMaggio & Powell in The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 1991) and sensemaking theory (Weick in Sensemaking in Organizations. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, 1995), we investigate an example of how “the Norwegian import model” enables actors to make sense of their work in a way that enables a practice of “living with” contradictions. Based on empirical data produced as part of the COLAB project, this chapter analyses the interagency collaboration of staff and management in a Norwegian low-security prison where professionals target the inmates’ education, health care, sports & leisure, faith and social services. The chapter identifies some key local practices, which underpin the collaboration across sectors and professions. These three practices are narrative practices, practices related to tools and documents, and shared meetings.
Toward a Science of Augmented Agency
Authors: Bryant Peter T.
Published: August 2021

To supervise and enjoy the benefits of digitalization, humanity must develop the science of augmented agency. This future science will be multidisciplinary, joining the human and computer sciences, as well as neuroscience and related fields of human science and engineering, but also going further. In fact, the novelties of digital augmentation transcend the conceptual architecture of modernity and its problematics. Digitalized humanity is truly exceptional. To describe these phenomena, science needs fresh concepts, categories, and constructs. This chapter offers proposals in this regard. It maps the emerging field of augmented agency, its core categories, mechanisms, and dilemmas, and thereby looks forward to a new science of digitally augmented agency.
Evaluation of Performance
Authors: Bryant Peter T.
Published: August 2021

Agents evaluate their performances to assess progress, learn, and improve. In doing so, they refer to criteria of various kinds. Some criteria are deeply encoded in mental models, organizational procedures, or cultural norms and logics, while other evaluative criteria are adaptive and may upregulate or downregulate, depending on the agent’s goals, expectations, and context. Here, too, digitalization is transformative. Artificial agents bring unprecedented power to the evaluation of performance, including the rapid intra-cyclical evaluation of ongoing processes. These mechanisms support feedforward guidance in real time. Therefore, when human and artificial agents combine in the evaluation of augmented performance, they face additional risks. Artificial evaluative processing could be fast and precise, while at the same time, human evaluation may be relatively sluggish and imprecise. Overall evaluations of performance could be distorted and dysfunctional.
What is Leading Order for LFV in SMEFT?
Authors: Ardu Marco , Davidson Sacha
Published: August 2021

Abstract

Upcoming searches for lepton flavour change (LFV) aim to probe New Physics (NP) scales up to ΛNP ∼ 104 TeV, implying that they will be sensitive to NP at lower scales that is suppressed by loops or small couplings. We suppose that the NP responsable for LFV is beyond the reach of the LHC and can be parametrised in Effective Field Theory, introduce a small power-counting parameter λ (à la Cabibbo-Wolfenstein), and assess whether the existing dimension six operator basis and one-loop RGEs provide a good approximation for LFV. We find that μ ↔ e observables can be sensitive to a few dozen dimension eight operators, and to some effects of two-loop anomalous dimensions, for ΛNP ≲ 20 − 100 TeV. We also explore the effect of some simplifying assumptions in the one-loop RGEs, such as neglecting flavour-changing effects.
Quadratic ellipsoids in Minkowski geometries
Authors: Kurusa Árpád
Published: August 2021

A Minkowski plane is Euclidean if and only if at least one ellipse is a quadric. We discuss the higher dimensional consequences too.
The hardest halfspace
Authors: Sherstov Alexander A.
Published: August 2021

We study the approximation of halfspaces $$h:\{0,1\}^n\to\{0,1\}$$

h
:

{
0
,
1
}

n

→

{
0
,
1
}

in the
infinity norm by polynomials and rational functions of any given degree.
Our main result is an explicit construction of the “hardest” halfspace,
for which we prove polynomial and rational approximation lower bounds
that match the trivial upper bounds achievable for all halfspaces.
This completes a lengthy line of work started by Myhill and Kautz
(1961). As an application, we construct a communication problem that achieves
essentially the largest possible separation, of O(n) versus $$2^{-\Omega(n)}$$

2

-
Ω
(
n
)

,
between the sign-rank and discrepancy. Equivalently, our problem exhibits
a gap of log n versus $$\Omega(n)$$

Ω
(
n
)

between the communication complexity
with unbounded versus weakly unbounded error, improving
quadratically on previous constructions and completing a line of work
started by Babai, Frankl, and Simon (FOCS 1986). Our results further
generalize to the k-party number-on-the-forehead model, where we
obtain an explicit separation of log n versus $$\Omega(n/4^{n})$$

Ω
(
n
/

4
n

)

for communication with unbounded versus weakly unbounded error.
Multidisziplinäre Diagnostik von Entwicklungsstörungen: Grundlage der „personalized precision medicine“
Authors: Wortmann S. B. , Preisel M. , Feichtinger R. G. , Floride E. , Koch J. , Kleber N. , Kranewitter K. , Rauscher C. , Spenger J. , Steinbrücker K. , Sperl W. , Weghuber D. , Mayr J. A.
Published: August 2021

Das Spektrum der Entwicklungsstörungen gehört zum Alltag des Facharztes für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin. Durch den zunehmenden Einsatz von „Next-generation sequencing“-Methoden in den letzten 10 Jahren werden die genetischen Hintergründe besser verstanden. Hiermit eröffnen sich Möglichkeiten in der Routinediagnostik und auch für pathomechanismusbasierte individuelle Therapieansätze („personalized precision medicine“). Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die patientenzentrierte Einbettung einer multidisziplinären Tagesklinik („Murmeltiersprechstunde“) zu zeit- und ressourcensparender Diagnostik und Behandlung von Entwicklungsstörungen. Bei 43 an der Murmeltiersprechstunde teilnehmenden Kindern (Durchschnittsalter 4,9 Jahre) mit einer Entwicklungsstörung konnte in 24 Fällen (56 %) eine pathogene Variante in einem bereits bekannten Krankheitsgen, in 4 weiteren Fällen (12 %) in einem Kandidatengen gefunden werden und somit eine Diagnose gestellt werden. Hierdurch konnte in 6 Fällen (14 %) eine pathomechanismusbasierte Therapie erfolgreich eingeleitet werden. Die durchschnittliche Dauer zwischen der Aufnahme in der Tagesklinik und der Befundmitteilung betrug 6 Monate. Die Murmeltiersprechstunde zeigt, wie „personalized precision medicine“ in den Alltag einer Kinderklinik eingebaut werden kann und direkten Einfluss auf die Behandlung hat.
Nearest $$\varOmega $$-stable matrix via Riemannian optimization
Authors: Noferini Vanni , Poloni Federico
Published: August 2021

We study the problem of finding the nearest $$\varOmega $$
Ω
-stable matrix to a certain matrix A, i.e., the nearest matrix with all its eigenvalues in a prescribed closed set $$\varOmega $$
Ω
. Distances are measured in the Frobenius norm. An important special case is finding the nearest Hurwitz or Schur stable matrix, which has applications in systems theory. We describe a reformulation of the task as an optimization problem on the Riemannian manifold of orthogonal (or unitary) matrices. The problem can then be solved using standard methods from the theory of Riemannian optimization. The resulting algorithm is remarkably fast on small-scale and medium-scale matrices, and returns directly a Schur factorization of the minimizer, sidestepping the numerical difficulties associated with eigenvalues with high multiplicity.
Formation and fragmentation of doubly and triply charged ions in the negative ion spectra of neutral N-glycans from viral and other glycoproteins
Authors: Harvey David J. , Struwe Weston B. , Behrens Anna-Janina , Vasiljevic Snezana , Crispin Max
Published: August 2021

Structural determination ofN-glycans by mass spectrometry is ideally performed by negative ion collision-induced dissociation because the spectra are dominated by cross-ring fragments leading to ions that reveal structural details not available by many other methods. Most glycans form [M – H]-or [M + adduct]-ions but larger ones (above approx.m/z2000) typically form doubly charged ions. Differences have been reported between the fragmentation of singly and doubly charged ions but a detailed comparison does not appear to have been reported. In addition to [M + adduct]-ions (this paper uses phosphate as the adduct) other doubly, triply, and quadruply charged ions of composition [Mn+ (H2PO4)n]n-have been observed in mixtures ofN-glycans released from viral and other glycoproteins. This paper explores the formation and fragmentation of these different types of multiply charged ions with particular reference to the presence of diagnostic fragments in the CID spectra and comments on how these ions can be used to characterize these glycans.

Graphical abstract
Barriers to Evidence‐Based Colorectal Cancer Care in Ukraine
Authors: Lu Pamela W. , Semeniv Solomiia , Shabat Galyna , Welten Vanessa , Pylypchuk Volodymyr I. , Galyuk Volodymyr , Fields Adam C. , Melnitchouk Nelya
Published: August 2021

Background

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in many low‐ to middle‐income countries, including Ukraine. Ukraine reports high mortality rates in CRC patients. To identify potential areas for targeted interventions to improve CRC care in Ukraine, we investigated Ukrainian clinician perspectives on evidence‐based CRC treatment guidelines.

Methods

An explanatory sequential mixed‐methods study design was used. A survey was administered to attendees of a regional surgical conference. Semi‐structured interviews were subsequently performed with practicing clinicians in Ukraine. Interviews were coded to identify prominent themes.

Results

Quantitative: 105 clinicians completed the survey. 76% of respondents reported using guidelines in daily practice. Lack of English proficiency was cited by 28.6% of respondents as a barrier to guideline use. Improved knowledge and additional financial resources were reported as factors that would be helpful in providing evidence‐based care.

Quantitative

15 clinicians were interviewed. Two major themes were identified: limitations in access to the medical literature resources (language barriers and financial barriers), and sense of clinician initiative and willingness to learn despite hardships.

Conclusions

Clinicians in Ukraine have positive perspectives on utilization of evidence‐based CRC treatment guidelines. However, they face major barriers in accessing resources needed to keep up‐to‐date on the current literature. Fortunately, there exists both willingness and initiative on the clinician level to pursue continuing education. Efforts should be made on the international society level to improve open‐access and foreign language translation availability to support physicians in Ukraine and other low‐ to middle‐income countries.
Viable and Heat-Killed Probiotic Strains Improve Oral Immunity by Elevating the IgA Concentration in the Oral Mucosa
Authors: Lin Wen-Yang , Kuo Yi-Wei , Chen Ching-Wei , Huang Yu-Fen , Hsu Chen-Hung , Lin Jia-Hung , Liu Cheng-Ruei , Chen Jui-Fen , Hsia Ko-Chiang , Ho Hsieh-Hsun
Published: August 2021

Oral-nasal mucosal immunity plays a crucial role in protecting the body against bacterial and viral invasion. Safe probiotic products have been used to enhance human immunity and oral health. In this study, we verified the beneficial effects of mixed viable probiotic tablets, consisting ofLactobacillus salivariussubsp.saliciniusAP-32,Bifidobacterium animalissubsp.lactisCP-9, andLactobacillus paracaseiET-66, and heat-killed probiotic tablets, consisting ofL. salivariussubsp.saliciniusAP-32 andL. paracaseiET-66, on oral immunity among 45 healthy participants. Participants were randomly divided into viable probiotic, heat-killed probiotic, and placebo groups. The administration of treatment lasted for 4 weeks. Saliva samples were collected at Weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6, andLactobacillus,BifidobacteriumandStreptococcus mutanspopulations and IgA concentration were measured. IgA concentrations, levels of TGF-beta and IL-10 in PBMCs cells were quantified by ELISA method. Results showed that salivary IgA levels were significantly increased on administration of both the viable (119.30 ± 12.63%, ***P < 0.001) and heat-killed (116.78 ± 12.28%, ***P < 0.001) probiotics for 4 weeks. Among three probiotic strains, AP-32 would effectively increase the levels of TGF-beta and IL-10 in PBMCs. The oral pathogenStreptococcus mutanswas significantly reduced on viable probiotic tablet administration (49.60 ± 31.01%, ***P < 0.001). The in vitro antibacterial test confirmed that viable probiotics effectively limited the survival rate of oral pathogens. Thus, this clinical pilot study demonstrated that oral probiotic tablets both in viable form or heat-killed form could exert beneficial effects on oral immunity via IL-10, TGB-beta mediated IgA secretion. The effective dosage of viable probiotic content in the oral tablet was 109CFUs/g and the heat-killed oral tablet was 1 × 1010cells/g.
Maschinelle Intelligenz – Evolution oder Lebensqualität
Authors: Österle Hubert
Published: August 2021

Die maschinelle Intelligenz durchdringt und verändert alle Lebensbereiche. Die Integration der digitalen Services in Superapps verschiebt die Macht von Individuen, von konventionellen Unternehmen und von Staaten hin zu Internetgiganten, die ihre Ressourcen dafür einsetzen, die digitalen Dienste so weiterzuentwickeln, dass ihr Kapital und ihre Macht weiterwachsen. Auf diese Weise treibt das Kapital die soziotechnische Evolution.

Konsumerismus, psychische Erkrankungen, Wohlstandskrankheiten, politische Polarisierung, Machtverschiebung zu Konzernen u. a., negative Konsequenzen einer rein kapitalgetriebenen Entwicklung verlangen nach Steuerungsmechanismen im Sinne der Lebensqualität. Die riesigen Datensammlungen der digitalen Dienste ermöglichen es, die Treiber der Lebensqualität besser verstehen zu lernen, messbar zu machen und damit die soziotechnische Evolution zum Wohle der Menschen zu lenken. Darin liegen die Chancen einer Disziplin Life Engineering.
Arresting chromosome replication upon energy starvation in Escherichia coli
Authors: Charbon Godefroid , Frimodt-Møller Jakob , Løbner-Olesen Anders
Published: August 2021

Most organisms possess several cell cycle checkpoints to preserve genome stability in periods of stress. Upon starvation, the absence of chromosomal duplication in the bacterium Escherichia coli is ensured by holding off commencement of replication. During normal growth, accumulation of the initiator protein DnaA along with cell cycle changes in its activity, ensure that DNA replication starts only once per cell cycle. Upon nutrient starvation, the prevailing model is that an arrest in DnaA protein synthesis is responsible for the absence of initiation. Recent indications now suggest that DnaA degradation may also play a role. Here we comment on the implications of this potential new layer of regulation.
Sex differences in brain atrophy and cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease patients with and without probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder
Authors: Oltra Javier , Segura Barbara , Uribe Carme , Monté-Rubio Gemma C. , Campabadal Anna , Inguanzo Anna , Pardo Jèssica , Marti Maria J. , Compta Yaroslau , Valldeoriola Francesc , Iranzo Alex , Junque Carme
Published: August 2021

Background

The presence of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) contributes to increase cognitive impairment and brain atrophy in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the impact of sex is unclear. We aimed to investigate sex differences in cognition and brain atrophy in PD patients with and without probable RBD (pRBD).

Methods

Magnetic resonance imaging and cognition data were obtained for 274 participants from the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative database: 79 PD with pRBD (PD-pRBD; male/female, 54/25), 126 PD without pRBD (PD-non pRBD; male/female, 73/53), and 69 healthy controls (male/female, 40/29). FreeSurfer was used to obtain volumetric and cortical thickness data.

Results

Males showed greater global cortical and subcortical gray matter atrophy than females in the PD-pRBD group. Significant group-by-sex interactions were found in the pallidum. Structures showing a within-group sex effect in the deep gray matter differed, with significant volume reductions for males in one structure in in PD-non pRBD (brainstem), and three in PD-pRBD (caudate, pallidum and brainstem). Significant group-by-sex interactions were found in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Symbol Digits Modalities Test (SDMT). Males performed worse than females in MoCA, phonemic fluency and SDMT in the PD-pRBD group.

Conclusion

Male sex is related to increased cognitive impairment and subcortical atrophy in de novo PD-pRBD. Accordingly, we suggest that sex differences are relevant and should be considered in future clinical and translational research.
The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is an independent predictor for severe COVID-19
Authors: Cheng Jiangli , Ma Aijia , Yang Jing , Dong Meiling , Liao Xuelian , Kang Yan
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to determine whether the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can predict severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Patients and methods

A multicenter case-control study was conducted to investigate whether the NLR can help predict the severity of COVID-19. Patients confirmed to have COVID-19 between 16 January 2020 and 15 March 2020 were enrolled. Furthermore, meta-analyses were conducted based on both previous studies and our case-control study.

Results

In the case-control study, 213 patients (severe: 81) were included. The results suggested that the NLR was an independent risk factor (odds ratio [OR], 1.155, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.043–1.279, P = 0.006) and a great predictor (the area under the ROC curve was 0.728, 95% CI: 0.656–0.800) for severe COVID-19. In total, 18 datasets from 16 studies combined with our case-control study (severe: 1211; non-severe: 5838) were included in the meta-analyses and the results showed that the NLR of the severe COVID-19 group was significantly higher than that of the non-severe group (SMD = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.90–1.31, P < 0.001). Based on the 2 × 2 data from 6 studies, the SROC of NLR for predicting severe COVID-19 was 0.802, with a sensitivity of 0.67 (95% CI: 0.61–0.72) and a specificity of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.73–0.78).

Conclusion

Based on a multicenter case-control study and a meta-analysis, we found that the initial NLR was a great predictor of severe COVID-19.
Time-dependent degree of conversion, Martens parameters, and flexural strength of different dual-polymerizing resin composite luting materials
Authors: Kelch Matthias , Stawarczyk Bogna , Mayinger Felicitas
Published: August 2021

Objective

To investigate the degree of conversion (DC), Martens hardness (HM), elastic indentation modulus (EIT), and biaxial flexural strength (BFS) of six dual-polymerizing resin composite luting materials initially and after 2 and 7 days of aging.

Materials and methods

Specimens fabricated from Bifix QM (BIF; VOCO), Calibra Ceram (CAL; Dentsply Sirona), DuoCem (DUO; Coltène/Whaledent), G-CEM LinkForce (GCE; GC Europe), PANAVIA V5 (PAN; Kuraray Europe), and Variolink Esthetic DC (VAR; Ivoclar Vivadent) (n = 12 per material) were light-polymerized through 1 mm thick discs (Celtra Duo, Dentsply Sirona). DC, HM, and EIT were recorded directly after fabrication, and after 2 and 7 days of aging. As a final test, BFS was measured. Univariate ANOVAs, Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney U, Friedman, and Wilcoxon tests, and Weibull modulus were computed (p < 0.05).

Results

While CAL presented low DC, HM, EIT, and BFS values, DUO and BIF showed high results. Highest Weibull moduli were observed for VAR and DUO. DC and Martens parameters increased between the initial measurement and 2 days of aging, while aging for 7 days provided no further improvement.

Conclusions

The choice of dual-polymerizing resin composite luting material plays an important role regarding chemical and mechanical properties, especially with patients sensitive to toxicological issues. DUO may be recommended for bonding fixed dental prostheses, as it demonstrated significantly highest and reliable results regarding DC, HM, and BFS. As DC and HM showed an increase in the first 48 h, it may be assumed that the polymerization reaction is not completed directly after initial polymerization, which is of practical importance to dentists and patients.

Clinical relevance

The chemical and mechanical properties of dual-polymerizing resin composite luting materials influence the overall stability and long-term performance of the restoration.
Fungal Biodiversity Mediates the Effects of Drying on Freshwater Ecosystem Functioning
Authors: Arias-Real Rebeca , Gutiérrez-Cánovas Cayetano , Muñoz Isabel , Pascoal Cláudia , Menéndez Margarita
Published: August 2021

Investigating the influence of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning over environmental gradients is needed to anticipate ecosystem responses to global change. However, our understanding of the functional role of freshwater biodiversity, especially for microbes, is mainly based on manipulative experiments, where biodiversity and environmental variability are minimized. Here, we combined observational and manipulative experiments to analyse how fungal biodiversity responds to and mediates the impacts of drying on two key ecosystem processes: organic matter decomposition and fungal biomass accrual. Our observational data set consists of fungal biodiversity and ecosystem processes from 15 streams spanning a natural gradient of flow intermittence. Our manipulative design evaluates the responses of ecosystem processes to two fungal richness levels crossed with three levels of drying. For the observational experiment, we found that increasing the duration of drying reduced fungal species richness and caused compositional changes. Changes in species composition were driven by species turnover, suggesting resistance mechanisms to cope with drying. We also found that fungal richness had a positive effect on organic matter decomposition and fungal biomass accrual. Positive effects of fungal biodiversity were consistent when controlling for the effects of drying duration on richness by means of structural equation modelling. In addition, our results for the manipulative experiment showed that the positive effects of higher richness on both ecosystem processes were evident even when exposed to short or long simulated drying. Overall, our study suggests that maintaining high levels of biodiversity is crucial for maintaining functional freshwater ecosystems in response to ongoing and future environmental changes.
GrailQuest: hunting for atoms of space and time hidden in the wrinkle of Space-Time
Authors: Burderi L. , Sanna A. , Di Salvo T. , Amati L. , Amelino-Camelia G. , Branchesi M. , Capozziello S. , Coccia E. , Colpi M. , Costa E. , D’Amico N. , De Bernardis P. , De Laurentis M. , Valle M. Della , Falcke H. , Feroci M. , Fiore F. , Frontera F. , Gambino A. F. , Ghisellini G. , Hurley K. C. , Iaria R. , Kataria D. , Labanti C. , Lodato G. , Negri B. , Papitto A. , Piran T. , Riggio A. , Rovelli C. , Santangelo A. , Vidotto F. , Zane S.
Published: August 2021

GrailQuest(Gamma Ray Astronomy International Laboratory for QUantum Exploration of Space-Time) is a mission concept based on a constellation (hundreds/thousands) of nano/micro/small-satellites in low (or near) Earth orbits. Each satellite hosts a non-collimated array of scintillator crystals coupled with Silicon Drift Detectors with broad energy band coverage (keV-MeV range) and excellent temporal resolution (≤ 100 nanoseconds) each with effective area$\sim 100 \text {cm}^{2}$∼100cm2. This simple and robust design allows for mass-production of the satellites of the fleet. This revolutionary approach implies a huge reduction of costs, flexibility in the segmented launching strategy, and an incremental long-term plan to increase the number of detectors and their performance; this will result in a living observatory for next-generation, space-based astronomical facilities.GrailQuestis conceived as an all-sky monitor for fast localisation of high signal-to-noise ratio transients in the X-/gamma-ray band, e.g. the elusive electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events. Robust temporal triangulation techniques will allow unprecedented localisation capabilities, in the keV-MeV band, of a few arcseconds or below, depending on the temporal structure of the transient event. The ambitious ultimate goal of this mission is to perform the first experiment, in quantum gravity, to directly probe space-time structure down to the minuscule Planck scale, by constraining or measuring a first-order dispersion relation for lightin vacuo. This is obtained by detecting delays between photons of different energies in the prompt emission of Gamma-Ray Bursts.