bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OpenSAFELY: Measuring BMI in 22 million patients in England
Authors: Park Robin Y. , Andrews Colm , Curtis Helen J. , Massey Jon , Hulme Will J. , Mehrkar Amir , Bacon Seb , Hickman George , Smith Rebecca , Evans David , Ward Tom , Davy Simon , Inglesby Peter , Dillingham Iain , Maude Steven , O'Dwyer Thomas , Butler-Cole Ben , Bridges Lucy , Morton Caroline , Hopcroft Lisa E.M. , Bates Chris , Parry John , Hester Frank , Harper Sam , Cockburn Jonathan , Stables Catherine , Croker Richard , Goldacre Ben , MacKenna Brian , Walker Alex J. ,   OpenSAFELY Collaborative
Published: February 2024

Background Body mass index (BMI) has been identified as a risk factor for clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Studies identifying this risk have used electronic health record (EHR) platforms in which clinical conditions must be properly identified. We set out to define and evaluate various methods of deriving BMI measurements in OpenSAFELY-TPP, an EHR platform that has been used in many studies relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods With the approval of NHS England, we use routine clinical data from >22 million patients in England to define four derivations of BMI. We compare the number of patients with each type of BMI measurement and the number of measurements themselves. We also examine the plausibility of each derivation by looking at the distribution of measurements and counting values out of the expected range. To evaluate how frequently the BMI derivations are recorded, we track the number of new measurements recorded over time and the average time between updates in patients with multiple measurements. Results Primary constraints in creating the optimal BMI derivation is coverage, accuracy, and computational complexity. BMI derivations calculated from height and weight contain a few extreme outliers that affect aggregated statistics. SNOMED-recorded BMI records are more accurate on average and offer better coverage across the population. The canonical OpenSAFELY definition – which uses calculated BMI as a first instance and SNOMED-recorded BMI if missing – offers the best coverage, but contains the same extreme outliers found in calculated BMI and is the most computationally expensive of all methods. Conclusions Across all derivations, some cleaning should be performed to drop implausible outliers. Using calculated BMI on its own does not offer the best coverage or accuracy. In choosing between SNOMED-recorded BMI and the current OpenSAFELY implementation, users should decide whether they would like to maximise computational efficiency or coverage.
The genome sequence of the Shaded Pug, Eupithecia subumbrata (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Authors: Boyes Douglas , Wawman Denise C. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: February 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Eupithecia subumbrata (the Shaded Pug; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Geometridae). The genome sequence is 496.2 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 24 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.17 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 17,426 protein coding genes.
Investigating the causal effect of previously reported therapeutic agents for colorectal cancer prevention: protocol for a Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Fryer Ella , Martin Richard M. , Haycock Philip , Yarmolinsky James
Published: February 2024

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide, with 1.9 million new cases in 2020 and a predicted rise to 3.2 million in 2040. Screening programmes are already in place to aid early detection and secondary prevention of CRC, but the rising prevalence means additional approaches are required in both primary and secondary prevention settings. Preventive therapy, whereby natural or synthetic agents are used to prevent, reverse or delay disease development, could be an effective strategy to further reduce cancer risk and potential agents have already been identified in conventional observational studies. However, as such studies are vulnerable to confounding and reverse causation, we aim to evaluate these observed relationships using Mendelian randomization (MR), an alternative causal inference approach which should be less susceptible to these biases. Methods and analysis We will use two-sample MR, which uses two independent samples for the exposure and outcome data, to investigate previously reported observational associations of multiple potential preventive agents with CRC risk. We define preventive agents as any synthetic (e.g. approved medication) or natural (e.g. micronutrient, endogenous hormone) molecule used to reduce the risk of cancer. We will first extract potential preventive agents that have been previously linked to CRC risk in observational studies from reviews of the literature. We will then evaluate whether we can develop a genetic instrument for each preventive agent from previously published genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of direct measures of molecular traits (e.g. circulating levels of protein drug targets, blood-based biomarkers of dietary vitamins). The summary statistics from these GWASs, and a large GWAS of CRC, will be used in two-sample MR analyses to investigate the causal effect of putative preventive therapy agents on CRC risk. Sensitivity analyses will be conducted to evaluate the robustness of findings to potential violations of MR assumptions.
Rola polskich arystokratek w projektowaniu i zakładaniu ogrodów krajobrazowych w II połowie XVIII i I połowie XIX wieku
Authors: Knapik Aleksandra
Published: February 2024

THE ROLE OF POLISH ARISTOCRATS IN DESIGNING AND ESTABLISHING LANDSCAPE GARDENS IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY AND FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY The aim of the research undertaken in this study was to develop the issue of the role of women originating from some Polish aristocratic families in the designing and founding landscape gardens in the second half of the 18th century and first half of the 19th century. The subject presented in the title was narrowed down to the activities of five representatives of aristocratic houses: Izabela Czartoryska née Flemming (1745-1835), Izabela Lubomirska née Czartoryska (1736-1816), Helena Radziwiłłowa née Przeździecka (1753-1821), and Aleksandra Ogińska née Czartoryska (1730-1798) and Magdalena Morska née Dzieduszycka (1762-1847). They were characterized by a similar mentality, conditioned by tradition, customs, upbringing, family ties and mutual social contacts. This procedure served to present, in the most thorough way, attitudes and patterns inspired by Polish "fashionable ladies" which were adopted by other social circles. The critical state of the research concerning the foundation activity of the aristocrats in question has been presented in the introductory part. The next chapter of the work is an attempt to show the beginnings of the English landscape garden on Polish territory in terms of composition and functional changes. The problem of the genesis of free assumptions was included in the framework of the cultural, social and political changes of the Commonwealth of Poland. Further chapters have been dedicated to the activities of five noblewomen in the field of garden art. The characteristics of the creative personalities of the noblewomen in question as patrons and garden designers, amateurs of gardening, collectors and authors of gardening treatises served to determine their contribution to the development of landscape gardens on Polish soil.
Dinámicas de la aglomeración de empresas de manufactura y de empresas de servicios intensivos en conocimiento (KIBS) en las zonas metropolitanas de Toluca y Querétaro, 2010-2020
Authors: Cabrera Pereyra José Antonio , Álvarez Lobato José Antonio , Garrocho Carlos
Published: February 2024

Este artículo analiza la integración entre las empresas de servicios intensivos en conocimiento (KIBS) y la manufactura, partiendo de que esta genera alto crecimiento económico local y competitividad. Se utilizan técnicas espaciales de análisis de patrones de puntos. Se estudian dos zonas metropolitanas del centro de México, Toluca y Querétaro, ambas próximas a Ciudad de México, cuyo desarrollo industrial ha sido distinto. A pesar de sus diferencias, los resultados sugieren que los kibs se enlazan a la industria del transporte, motor de las exportaciones mexicanas y clave en la consolidación en lascadenas globales de valor.
Pulmonary artery aneurysm associated with sarcoidosis in a 75-year-old with heart failure: the challenges of diagnosis and management
Authors: Cruz Isabel , Lopes Rafaela , Bragança Bruno , Campos Inês , Oliveira Inês , Gonçalves Inês , Santos Rui P. , Andrade Aurora
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA) is a rare abnormality of pulmonary vasculature. It can be idiopathic or secondary to various pathologies, frequently with multiple factors leading to its formation. We report the case of a man with concomitant sarcoidosis and PAA. Case description: A 75-year-old male with a diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis was referred to the Cardiology department due to heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The transthoracic echocardiogram revealed mildly reduced LVEF, aortic root and pulmonary artery (PA) dilatation, and no signs of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed, revealing mild left ventricular dilation, LVEF of 40%, main PA dilation (43 mm) and a pattern of late gadolinium enhancement suggestive of cardiac sarcoidosis. At follow-up, a thoracic computed tomography (CT) angiography scan revealed ascending aorta ectasia and giant main PA aneurysm (60 mm). A right heart catheterisation was performed, and a mean PA pressure of 34 mmHg was obtained. Given the clinical context, the patient was considered to have PH due to lung disease and left heart disease, and PAA was possible due to vascular granulomatous involvement by sarcoidosis. Conclusion: PAA is a rare finding and mostly occurs in the setting of PH. Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease that mostly affects the lungs, but the sarcoid involvement of great vessels has been described. In this clinical case, the probable cause for the PA fragility leading to aneurysm formation remains sarcoid vascular infiltration, regarding the discrepancy between the PA dimensions and mildly elevated PA pressure.
Umblikal Hernili Hastaların Değerlendirilmesi: 6 Yıllık Deneyim
Authors: ERTEN Elif Emel , ERDOĞAN Derya
Published: February 2024

Objective: Umbilical hernia is a common anterior abdominal wall defect in childhood. Although the defect is present at birth, unlike other hernias of childhood, it may close spontaneously over time without the need for surgery. However, when these hernias do not close spontaneously, complications can develop that require emergency surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of spontaneous closure in patients diagnosed with umbilical hernia and the factors that influence this incidence, the complications that may develop during follow-up, the indications for surgery and the issues to consider when planning the follow-up of patients.
Material and Methods: Between January 2006 and December 2011, 1928 patients diagnosed with umbilical hernia and followed up and treated in our clinic were included in the study. In this retrospective cohort study the current size of umbilical hernia, comorbidities and demographic characteristics of the patients were analysed. Operative data, complications and postoperative follow-up of the operated patients were evaluated.
Results: The spontaneous closure rate of umbilical hernia was found to be 60%. The rate of spontaneous closure of umbilical hernia was higher in boys and the rate of operation was higher in girls. The risk of incarceration was higher in girls than in boys. The rate of spontaneous closure decreased with increasing defect size. It was found that comorbidities did not affect spontaneous closure of umbilical hernias. The rate of emergency surgery for incarceration was low (2%). Strangulation was noted in 1% of patients. All patients with incarceration were in Lassaletta group 2 (defect diameter 0.5-1.5 cm).
Conclusion: Conservative management is still the most accepted and safest method in the treatment of umbilical hernia. Incarceration and strangulation are very rare in umbilical hernias. Even if the umbilical hernia is complicated, surgical treatment is possible and peri- and post-operative complication rates are very low. Long-term morbidity and mortality due to incarceration have not been reported in the literature.
Has AI finally become a serious threat?
Authors: Mansfield-Devine Steve
Published: February 2024

Artificial intelligence struggled to be taken seriously for decades. Now, with the advent of large language models (LLMs) and machine learning (ML), AI's time has come. But like so many new technologies, it is a double-edged sword, capable of being misused for malicious purposes. Could the next 12 months be the year of the AI threat?
Measuring maturity: getting better at assessing cyber readiness
Authors: Robinson Phil
Published: February 2024

Judging whether your organisation is prepared to withstand a cyber attack or a breach is not easy. Does your level of readiness match the threats you face? Neither one is easy to measure, but that's something you have to do if you want to be confident about your cyber maturity.
Patient-directed follow-up for the clinical scaphoid fracture
Authors: Chaturvedi Abhishek , Russell Heather , Farrugia Matthew , Roger Mark , Putti Amit , Jenkins Paul J. , Feltbower Stephen
Published: February 2024

Aims

Occult (clinical) injuries represent 15% of all scaphoid fractures, posing significant challenges to the clinician. MRI has been suggested as the gold standard for diagnosis, but remains expensive, time-consuming, and is in high demand. Conventional management with immobilization and serial radiography typically results in multiple follow-up attendances to clinic, radiation exposure, and delays return to work. Suboptimal management can result in significant disability and, frequently, litigation.

Methods

We present a service evaluation report following the introduction of a quality-improvement themed, streamlined, clinical scaphoid pathway. Patients are offered a removable wrist splint with verbal and written instructions to remove it two weeks following injury, for self-assessment. The persistence of pain is the patient’s guide to ‘opt-in’ and to self-refer for a follow-up appointment with a senior emergency physician. On confirmation of ongoing signs of clinical scaphoid injury, an urgent outpatient ‘fast’-wrist protocol MRI scan is ordered, with instructions to maintain wrist immobilization. Patients with positive scan results are referred for specialist orthopaedic assessment via a virtual fracture clinic.

Results

From February 2018 to January 2019, there were 442 patients diagnosed as clinical scaphoid fractures. 122 patients (28%) self-referred back to the emergency department at two weeks. Following clinical review, 53 patients were discharged; MRI was booked for 69 patients (16%). Overall, six patients (< 2% of total; 10% of those scanned) had positive scans for a scaphoid fracture. There were no known missed fractures, long-term non-unions or malunions resulting from this pathway. Costs were saved by avoiding face-to-face clinical review and MRI scanning.

Conclusion

A patient-focused opt-in approach is safe and effective to managing the suspected occult (clinical) scaphoid fracture.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(2):117–122.
Phenomenologies of loneliness: alone without you, alone without an us
Authors: Pawlett Jackson Sarah
Published: February 2024

Loneliness is not simply characterised by a lack of other people in one’s environment or lifeworld, but by a lack of specific forms of relationship, connection or belonging. In this paper I connect the conversation about different types of loneliness with debates happening in the philosophy of intersubjectivity, specifically the phenomenology of intersubjectivity. Philosophers of intersubjectivity tend to characterise experiences of direct encounter as having a second-personal ‘I-thou’ quality. By contrast, experiences of belonging tend to be characterised by first-person plural ‘we’ structures.

In this paper I will compare and contrast some of the different phenomenological qualities that come with the absence or poverty of these two types of intersubjective structure respectively. These different types of loneliness are characterised by different phenomenological properties, but also by (the absence of) specific interpersonal and social structures. I argue that the absence of these different interpersonal structures respectively gives rise to loneliness as the experience of being unseen and loneliness as the experience of not-being-at-home. This is significant for loneliness studies, as understanding and combating loneliness is consequently likely to take variegated rather than homogeneous forms. This is particularly significant for a psychosocial approach to loneliness which seeks to understand, hold together and integrate both the structural features of loneliness (in this case the relevant interpersonal and social structures) and the lived experience of individuals and groups (in this case the phenomenology of loneliness).
Feeling Solitary in the Seductive Republic: Narrative Deviance in Elizabeth "Harriot" Wilson and William "Amos" Wilson
Authors: Bascom Ben
Published: February 2024

Abstract: This essay examines two prominent literary narratives and tropes at the turn of the nineteenth century that constellate around the seduction plot and the hermit narrative. These two ostensibly discrete narrative forms have a curious history as they play out in the printed iterations of the Elizabeth Wilson and William Wilson stories, two siblings whose lives were marked by differing forms of tragedy. By bringing together a tale of seduction, execution, and hermitic living, I show how the account of Elizabeth Wilson's execution for infanticide shifted from being a seduction plot to a frame tale for a hermit narrative about her brother. This narrative turn moves from an account that focuses on the policing of female sexuality to instead emphasize the curious life of a man who refuses social intercourse. But that shift actually signals something more complicated about how the early Republic sought to instill ways of feeling about gender and deviance.
Approach to fiber-based optical polarimetry for tissue assessment: system calibration and application
Authors: Sharma Mahima , Shaji Chitra , Narayanan Unni Sujatha
Published: February 2024

The potential of optical polarimetry is increasingly explored to unravel the tissue structure through several optical instrument configurations. Fiber-based solutions offer portability and are accommodative in an endoscopic examination environment. Here, we address the challenges in realizing a fiber-based optical polarimetry system through an approach involving an all-fiber polarization controller. The methods of device calibration and application in bulk tissues are discussed, and results are presented.
Distortion measurement of a lithography projection lens based on multichannel grating lateral shearing interferometry
Authors: Cao Yisha , Lu Yunjun , Feng Peng , Qiao Xiaoyue , Ordones Sotero , Su Rong , Wang Xiangzhao
Published: February 2024

The optical distortion of the lithographic projection lens can reduce imaging quality and cause overlay errors in lithography, thus preventing the miniaturization of printed patterns. In this paper, we propose a technique to measure the optical distortion of a lithographic projection lens by sensing the wavefront aberrations of the lens. A multichannel dual-grating lateral shearing interferometer is used to measure the wavefront aberrations at several field points in the pupil plane simultaneously. Then, the distortion at these field points is derived according to the proportional relationship between the Z2 and Z3 Zernike terms (the tilt terms) and the image position shifts. Without the need for additional devices, our approach can simultaneously retrieve both the wavefront aberrations and the image distortion information. Consequently, it improves not only measurement speed and accuracy but also enables accounting for displacement stage positioning error. Experiments were conducted on a lithographic projection lens with a numerical aperture of 0.57 to verify the feasibility of the proposed method.
Rational design of an integrated directional coupler for wideband operation
Authors: Passarelli Nicolás , Palomba Stefano , Kabakova Irina , de Sterke C. Martijn
Published: February 2024

We consider a design procedure for directional couplers for which the coupling length is approximately wavelength-independent over a wide bandwidth. We show analytically that two coupled planar waveguides exhibit a maximum in the coupling strength, which ensures both wideband transmission and minimal device footprint. This acts as a starting point for mapping out the relevant part of phase space. This analysis is then generalized to the fully three-dimensional geometry of rib waveguides using an effective medium approximation. This forms an excellent starting point for fully numerical calculations and leads to designs with unprecedented bandwidths and compactness.
Implicit neural representations in light microscopy
Authors: Hauser Sophie Louise , Brosig Johanna , Murthy Bhargavi , Attardo Alessio , Kist Andreas M.
Published: February 2024

Three-dimensional stacks acquired with confocal or two-photon microscopy are crucial for studying neuroanatomy. However, high-resolution image stacks acquired at multiple depths are time-consuming and susceptible to photobleaching. In vivo microscopy is further prone to motion artifacts. In this work, we suggest that deep neural networks with sine activation functions encoding implicit neural representations (SIRENs) are suitable for predicting intermediate planes and correcting motion artifacts, addressing the aforementioned shortcomings. We show that we can accurately estimate intermediate planes across multiple micrometers and fully automatically and unsupervised estimate a motion-corrected denoised picture. We show that noise statistics can be affected by SIRENs, however, rescued by a downstream denoising neural network, shown exemplarily with the recovery of dendritic spines. We believe that the application of these technologies will facilitate more efficient acquisition and superior post-processing in the future.
Learning what matters: Synaptic plasticity with invariance to second-order input correlations
Authors: Brito Carlos Stein Naves de , Gerstner Wulfram
Published: February 2024

Cortical populations of neurons develop sparse representations adapted to the statistics of the environment. To learn efficient population codes, synaptic plasticity mechanisms must differentiate relevant latent features from spurious input correlations, which are omnipresent in cortical networks. Here, we develop a theory for sparse coding and synaptic plasticity that is invariant to second-order correlations in the input. Going beyond classical Hebbian learning, our learning objective explains the functional form of observed excitatory plasticity mechanisms, showing how Hebbian long-term depression (LTD) cancels the sensitivity to second-order correlations so that receptive fields become aligned with features hidden in higher-order statistics. Invariance to second-order correlations enhances the versatility of biologically realistic learning models, supporting optimal decoding from noisy inputs and sparse population coding from spatially correlated stimuli. In a spiking model with triplet spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), we show that individual neurons can learn localized oriented receptive fields, circumventing the need for input preprocessing, such as whitening, or population-level lateral inhibition. The theory advances our understanding of local unsupervised learning in cortical circuits, offers new interpretations of the Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro and triplet STDP models, and assigns a specific functional role to synaptic LTD mechanisms in pyramidal neurons.
Lessons on food security from the COVID-19 pandemic in Bermuda
Authors: Pineda Elisa , Li Junhui , Li Danying , Brown Todd , Bhatia Tazeem , Walker Ian F. , Olney Jack , Sassi Franco
Published: February 2024

Compared with other OECD countries, Bermuda ranks third globally in terms of income inequality globally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, anecdotal evidence suggested, significant fluctuations in the food demand and supply. We aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity, with a focus on the availability and affordability of various foods in Bermuda. We utilized a cross-sectional study design to investigate potential drivers of food insecurity within the local population. To gauge the level of household food insecurity we relied on the Bermuda Omnibus survey (N = 400) undertaken by Total Research Associates Ltd via telephone. To assess changes in food availability and affordability we conducted semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders who played pivotal roles in shaping food accessibility availability and affordability of food in Bermuda. These interviews were systematically analysed using the framework method. We performed analyses of food retail and import data to evaluate fluctuations in food prices and their impact on food availability and affordability. We found statistically significant associations between changes in food consumption, household income, and government aid. Food aid beneficiaries ate fewer fruits and vegetables by 50% [95% CI:17%-83%] and less fresh meat and fish by 39% [95 CI:3%-75%] compared with residents who did not receive any aid during the COVID-19 period from March 2020 to March 2021. Although we did not identify statistically significant food price increases feeding programmes played a pivotal role in preventing food insecurity during the pandemic in Bermuda. However, a lack of monitoring regarding the nutritional quality within the programmes, allowed a wide availability of foods high in sugar, salts, and fats, disproportionately affected low-income populations. In conclusion, food availability in Bermuda remained largely unaffected during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the surge in demand for feeding programs underscores underlying food security challenges in Bermuda and warrants further attention.
Early detection of new pandemic waves. Control chart and a new surveillance index
Authors: Cildoz Marta , Gaston Martin , Frias Laura , Garcia-Vicuña Daniel , Azcarate Cristina , Mallor Fermin
Published: February 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the pressing need for constant surveillance, updating of the response plan in post-peak periods and readiness for the possibility of new waves of the pandemic. A short initial period of steady rise in the number of new cases is sometimes followed by one of exponential growth. Systematic public health surveillance of the pandemic should signal an alert in the event of change in epidemic activity within the community to inform public health policy makers of the need to control a potential outbreak. The goal of this study is to improve infectious disease surveillance by complementing standardized metrics with a new surveillance metric to overcome some of their difficulties in capturing the changing dynamics of the pandemic. At statistically-founded threshold values, the new measure will trigger alert signals giving early warning of the onset of a new pandemic wave. We define a new index, the weighted cumulative incidence index, based on the daily new-case count. We model the infection spread rate at two levels, inside and outside homes, which explains the overdispersion observed in the data. The seasonal component of real data, due to the public surveillance system, is incorporated into the statistical analysis. Probabilistic analysis enables the construction of a Control Chart for monitoring index variability and setting automatic alert thresholds for new pandemic waves. Both the new index and the control chart have been implemented with the aid of a computational tool developed in R, and used daily by the Navarre Government (Spain) for virus propagation surveillance during post-peak periods. Automated monitoring generates daily reports showing the areas whose control charts issue an alert. The new index reacts sooner to data trend changes preluding new pandemic waves, than the standard surveillance index based on the 14-day notification rate of reported COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population.
Development and characterization of DIA 12.3, a fully human intact anti-CEACAM1 monoclonal antibody
Authors: Centonze Michela , Fiori Valentina , Kujawski Maciej , Li Lin , Wong Patty , Williams Lindsay , Di Mambro Tomas , Dominici Sabrina , Sparti Angelo , Shively John E. , Magnani Mauro
Published: February 2024

Carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule-1 (CEACAM1), a homotypic cell adhesion molecule glycoprotein with apical expression on normal epithelial cells and activated lymphocytes, is overexpressed on many tumors and acts as an inhibitory receptor on NK cells, preventing their killing of CEACAM1 positive tumors. Production of humanized anti-CEACAM1 antibodies to block the inhibitory activity of CEACAM1 for immunotherapy and immunoimaging. Starting from a scFv, a fully human intact anti-CEACAM1 (DIA 12.3) that recognizes the N-terminal domain of CEACAM1 was developed and shown to bind CEACAM1 positive tumor cells and enhanced NK cell killing of CEACAM1 positive targets. DIA 12.3 bound to human neutrophils without activation, indicating they would be safe for human use. DIA 12.3 exhibited some cross-reactivity to CEACAM5, a tumor marker with high sequence homology to the N-terminal domain of CEACAM1. CEACAM1 PET imaging with 64Cu-COTA-DIA 12.3 showed excellent imaging of CEACAM1 positive tumors with reduced binding to CEACAM5 tumors. Based on its immunoinhibitory an immunoimaging activities, DIA 12.3 shows promise for therapeutic studies in man.
Determination of elevated eosinophil to lymphocyte ratio, eosinophil to neutrophil ratio, eosinophil to monocyte ratio and its association with severe vitiligo: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Weissmann Sarah , Burrack Nitzan , Golan-Tripto Inbal , Horev Amir
Published: February 2024

Background

Hematological markers such as eosinophil-to-lymphocyte (ELR), eosinophil-to-neutrophil (ENR), and eosinophil-to-monocyte (EMR) ratios may be used in the assessment of skin diseases. However, the relationship with vitiligo remains unclear.

Objectives

We investigated ELR, ENR, and EMR in vitiligo patients and the association with severe vitiligo.

Methods

This study included patients of all ages diagnosed with vitiligo between 2005–2020. ELR, EMR, and ENR were calculated from complete blood counts within 30 days of the first recorded vitiligo diagnosis and 12–18 months before the vitiligo diagnosis. We evaluated the associations between ELR, ENR, and EMR and vitiligo.

Results

9,826 vitiligo patients (8,398 adults and 1,428 children) and 8,951 age and sex-matched controls were included in this study. We found that ELR, EMR, and ENR were higher in children than in adults. Patients with vitiligo had higher ENR and EMR than their matched controls. Patients with severe vitiligo had higher ELR, ENR, and EMR compared to patients with mild vitiligo. Patients with increased ENR and EMR 12–18 months before the vitiligo diagnosis had a higher chance of having severe vitiligo (ENR: OR = 7.40, p<0.001, EMR: OR = 3.17, p<0.001).

Conclusion

ELR, ENR, and EMR may be used in the assessment and prognosis of vitiligo, especially in severe cases.
Infiltration of CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in association with inflammation and survival in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Tushoski-Alemán Gerik W. , Herremans Kelly M. , Underwood Patrick W. , Akki Ashwin , Riner Andrea N. , Trevino Jose G. , Han Song , Hughes Steven J.
Published: February 2024

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) have heterogeneous tumor microenvironments relatively devoid of infiltrating immune cells. We aimed to quantitatively assess infiltrating CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in a treatment-naïve patient cohort and assess associations with overall survival and microenvironment inflammatory proteins.

Methods

Tissue microarrays were immunohistochemically stained for CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes and quantitatively assessed using QuPath. Levels of inflammation-associated proteins were quantified by multiplexed, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay panels on matching tumor and tissue samples.

Results

Our findings revealed a significant increase in both CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes populations in PDAC compared with non-PDAC tissue, except when comparing CD8+ percentages in PDAC versus intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) (p = 0.5012). Patients with quantitatively assessed CD3+ low tumors (lower 50%) had shorter survival (median 273 days) compared to CD3+ high tumors (upper 50%) with a median overall survival of 642.5 days (p = 0.2184). Patients with quantitatively assessed CD8+ low tumors had significantly shorter survival (median 240 days) compared to CD8+ high tumors with a median overall survival of 1059 days (p = 0.0003). Of 41 proteins assessed in the inflammation assay, higher levels of IL-1B and IL-2 were significantly associated with decreased CD3+ infiltration (r = -0.3704, p = 0.0187, and r = -0.4275, p = 0.0074, respectively). Higher levels of IL-1B were also significantly associated with decreased CD8+ infiltration (r = -0.4299, p = 0.0045), but not IL-2 (r = -0.0078, p = 0.9616). Principal component analysis of the inflammatory analytes showed diverse inflammatory responses in PDAC.

Conclusion

In this work, we found a marked heterogeneity in infiltrating CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes and individual inflammatory responses in PDAC. Future mechanistic studies should explore personalized therapeutic strategies to target the immune and inflammatory components of the tumor microenvironment.
How previous experience shapes future affective subjective ratings: A follow-up study investigating implicit learning and cue ambiguity
Authors: Del Popolo Cristaldi Fiorella , Buodo Giulia , Gambarota Filippo , Oosterwijk Suzanne , Mento Giovanni
Published: February 2024

People use their previous experience to predict future affective events. Since we live in ever-changing environments, affective predictions must generalize from past contexts (from which they may be implicitly learned) to new, potentially ambiguous contexts. This study investigated how past (un)certain relationships influence subjective experience following new ambiguous cues, and whether past relationships can be learned implicitly. Two S1-S2 paradigms were employed as learning and test phases in two experiments. S1s were colored circles, S2s negative or neutral affective pictures. Participants (Experiment 1 N = 121, Experiment 2 N = 116) were assigned to the certain (CG) or uncertain group (UG), and they were presented with 100% (CG) or 50% (UG) S1-S2 congruency during an uninstructed (Experiment 1) or implicit (Experiment 2) learning phase. During the test phase both groups were presented with a new 75% S1-S2 paradigm, and ambiguous (Experiment 1) or unambiguous (Experiment 2) S1s. Participants were asked to rate the expected valence of upcoming S2s (expectancy ratings), or their experienced valence and arousal (valence and arousal ratings). In Experiment 1 ambiguous cues elicited less negative expectancy ratings, and less unpleasant valence ratings, independently of prior experience. In Experiment 2, both groups showed similar expectancies, predicting upcoming pictures’ valence according to the 75% contingencies of the test phase. Overall, we found that in the presence of ambiguous cues subjective affective experience is dampened, and that implicit previous experience does not emerge at the subjective level by significantly shaping reported affective experience.
Unraveling implicit human behavioral effects on dynamic characteristics of Covid-19 daily infection rates in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Ting-Li , Chou Elizabeth P. , Chen Min-Yi , Hsieh Fushing
Published: February 2024

We investigate the dynamic characteristics of Covid-19 daily infection rates in Taiwan during its initial surge period, focusing on 79 districts within the seven largest cities. By employing computational techniques, we extract 18 features from each district-specific curve, transforming unstructured data into structured data. Our analysis reveals distinct patterns of asymmetric growth and decline among the curves. Utilizing theoretical information measurements such as conditional entropy and mutual information, we identify major factors of order-1 and order-2 that influence the peak value and curvature at the peak of the curves, crucial features characterizing the infection rates. Additionally, we examine the impact of geographic and socioeconomic factors on the curves by encoding each of the 79 districts with two binary characteristics: North-vs-South and Urban-vs-Suburban. Furthermore, leveraging this data-driven understanding at the district level, we explore the fine-scale behavioral effects on disease spread by examining the similarity among 96 age-group-specific curves within urban districts of Taipei and suburban districts of New Taipei City, which collectively represent a substantial portion of the nation’s population. Our findings highlight the implicit influence of human behaviors related to living, traveling, and working on the dynamics of Covid-19 transmission in Taiwan.
Factors affecting the efficiency of equine embryo transfer (EET) in polo mares under subtropical conditions of Pakistan
Authors: Mahmood Khalid , Ali Channa Aijaz , Ghafoor Aamir , Riaz Amjad
Published: February 2024

Equine embryo transfer (EET) is a prominent technology in the equine breeding industry, and its efficacy is affected by a number of factors. The current study aimed to determine the effects of the breed of donor/recipient mares, estrus/ovulation induction treatment, cooled transportation of embryos, and synchrony between donor and recipient mares on the efficiency of the EET under subtropical conditions of Pakistan. A total of eighty-four (n = 84) Polo-playing donor mares (Argentino-polo = 41 and Anglo-Arab = 43) and seventy (n = 70) recipient mares (light breed = 26 and heavy breed = 44) were used for EET. The donor mares exhibiting natural estrus (n = 28) were detected by teaser a stallion, and corpus luteum (CL) having mares (n = 56) were treated with prostaglandin (150 μg of Cloprostenol) for estrus induction. The mares’ follicular growth was monitored through ultrasonography until the dominant follicle’s size reached 35 mm or more with a moderate to obvious uterine edema score. Afterward, the mares were treated either with GnRH, i.e., 50 μg of Lecirelin acetate (n = 41) or Ovusyn, i.e., 1500 IU hCG (n = 43). Insemination with chilled semen was performed 24 hours later. The embryos were collected non-surgically, 7 or 8 days after ovulation, from the donor mares. The collected embryos were transferred into the well-synchronized recipient mares as fresh (n = 44) or chilled (n = 26) embryos. The pregnancy after ET was checked through ultrasonography. Statistical analysis revealed that the embryo recovery rate (ERR) remained significantly higher (P<0.05) for the Prostaglandin (PG) treated group of donors as compared to the natural heat group of donors. The breed of donor mares, type of ovulatory treatment given, and day of embryo collection did not significantly (P>0.05) affect the ERR. There was no significant effect of the type (fresh vs chilled), classification, and stage of development of embryo on pregnancy outcomes (P>0.05). ET pregnancy rate was significantly affected by the breed of recipient mares and ovulation synchrony between donor and recipient mares (P<0.05). In conclusion, under the subtropical conditions of Pakistan, PG-based estrus induction of donor mares, breed of recipient mares, and ovulation synchrony between the donor and recipient mares had a substantial effect on the efficiency of EET.
Chance Encounters in Plot and in Life. On Plutarch’s De genio Socratis
Authors: Stock Wiebke-Marie
Published: February 2024

Plutarch’s De genio Socratis has been described as one of Plutarch’s best and most sophisticated works. This article examines the qualities of that sophistication and the demands these place on a reader. The unity is not as obvious and smooth as in Plato’s Phaedo, and it is, I claim, productively problematic. It is not the unity of a single theme, I argue, but the unity of a network of ideas. Yet, there is one topic that holds the whole dialogue together and gives it a complex unity. The De genio is a reflection on what a story is and what role chance has to play within a story (in life and in literature).
¿Cómo estudiar las políticas de memoria?
Authors: Balé Cinthia
Published: February 2024

Este artículo reflexiona sobre los desafíos epistemológicos y metodológicos que entraña el estudio de las políticas de memoria impulsadas por los estados nacionales. A partir del caso argentino centramos nuestra atención sobre tres ejes: ¿cómo comprender los procesos de institucionalización de las demandas referidas al pasado? ¿De qué modo conceptualizar a quienes desde el interior del Estado producen las políticas de memoria en el día a día? ¿Cómo comprender el efecto de «oficialidad» que caracteriza a las memorias construidas desde las agencias estatales?
Vértigo posicional paroxístico benigno primario y secundario a neuritis vestibular. Estudio de casos y controles
Authors: García-Soria Ignacio , Coronel-Touma Guillermo , Monopoli-Roca Chiara , Gómez De La Torre-Morales Diana , Sánchez-García David , Batuecas-Caletrío Ángel
Published: February 2024

Introducción y objetivo:
El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue demostrar las diferencias clínicas entre el vértigo posicional paroxístico benigno (VPPB) idiopático y secundario a síndrome vestibular agudo periférico (SVA).

Método:
Estudio de casos y controles, retrospectivo. La recolección de datos fue tomada de historias clínicas de nuestro hospital. Datos demográficos y clínicos de pacientes con diagnóstico de VPPB idiopático y secundario a SVA, fueron recogidos para el análisis. Además, en el grupo de los casos, se realizó una correlación entre el déficit vestibular periférico, medido a través del video head impulse test (vHIT), y el número de maniobras y tiempo hasta la resolución del VPPB.

Resultados:
Se incluyeron 72 pacientes, 64% mujeres. En el grupo control se incluyeron 50 pacientes con VPPB idiopático y 22 con VPPB secundario a SVA en el grupo de los casos. En el VPPB secundario, el canal semicircular posterior estuvo afectado en el 100% (OR: 1.2; IC 95% [1,088 - 1,436]). Ambos grupos mostraron una resolución del vértigo del 90% y 89%, respectivamente. El grupo de VPPB secundario tuvo 4 veces más riesgo de recurrencia (OR: 4.18; IC 95% [1.410 - 12.406]); necesitaron más maniobras (3.32 ± 2.2 vs. 1.7 ± 1.3, p = 0.004) y tiempo (61.9 días ± 73.1 vs. 12.9 días ± 9.6, p = 0.007) para la resolución del VPPB. Se encontraron correlaciones significativas entre la diferencia de ganancia media del reflejo vestíbulo-ocular (RVO) y el número de maniobras (r = 0.462, p = 0.030) y el tiempo hasta la resolución (r = 0.577, p = 0.008).

Discusión:
Existen diferencias clínicas entre el VPPB idiopático y secundario a SVA, principalmente en términos de canal semicircular afecto, mayor número de maniobras y tiempo en días hasta la resolución del VPPB. Además, de determinar que a mayor déficit vestibular en un paciente con VPPB secundario a SVA, necesitará un mayor número de maniobras y un tiempo prolongado hasta la resolución del VPPB.

Conclusiones:
El VPPB secundario a SVA presenta un mayor riesgo de recurrencia, precisa de un mayor número de maniobras y tiempo hasta la resolución del VPPB en comparación con el VPPB idiopático.
Museum memes
Authors: Moshenska Gabriel
Published: February 2024

Internet memes are a culturally significant aspect of digital media and communication. Many memes draw on themes and sources from museums, including specific objects and images. This has significance for museums’ digital communications and audience development, presenting not only opportunities for engagement but also reputational risks. This article presents a brief overview of relevant scholarship in memetic media to introduce some key definitions and dynamics of internet memes. Following this, it explores three brief case studies of ‘museum memes’ to illustrate some of these concepts. Finally, it considers how museums and heritage institutions might respond to popular memes and how heritage scholars might begin to approach memes as research subjects.
Numerical and experimental study of the impact on aerodynamic characteristics of the NACA0012 airfoil
Authors: Molaa Ayat Abdulhussien , Abdulwahid Mohammed Abdulwhaab
Published: February 2024

Using computational models and low-speed wind tunnel tests, the aerodynamic characteristics of the NACA 0012 airfoil with low Re numbers of (8 ×

10

4

{10}^{4}

, 2 ×

10

5

{10}^{5}

, 3 ×

10

5

{10}^{5}

, and 4 ×

10

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)

{10}^{5})

and angle of attack (AOA) ranging from 0° to 18° by two steps are examined. Using the same 3-D wind tunnel dimensions, numerical simulations were run. The software program ANSYS FLUENT was used to solve the mathematical model using the continuity equation, the Navier‒Stokes equations, and the k–ω shear‒stress transport turbulence model. Findings demonstrate that at all AOAs, there is a direct relationship between Reynolds numbers (Re), lift and drag coefficients, kinetic energy, and stall angle. The lift coefficient rises linearly as the AOA increases, peaking at 14°, the stall angle at higher Reynolds number. The lift coefficient was found to decline when the AOA was increased further, reaching its minimal value at an AOA of 18°. With a greater AOA, the airfoil’s drag coefficient rises, creating turbulent flow. The eddies produced by the turbulence cause the flow to start separating from the airfoil surface as turbulence increases. As a result, the airfoil lift coefficient drops, and its drag coefficient rises at the same time, leading to poor performance. The validation of the numerical results through wind tunnel experiments provided confidence in the findings of the study.
Forecasting empirical formula for suspended sediment load prediction at upstream of Al-Kufa barrage, Kufa City, Iraq
Authors: Omran Zainab Ali , Al-mansori Nassrin Jassim Hussien
Published: February 2024

The objective of this study was to predict the suspended sediment load at upstream of the Al Kufa barrage. Ten cross-sections in the upstream region have been identified to collect field measurements. As part of the inquiry, the fluid and hydraulic parameters were measured in the field and sediment samples were collected in sections to develop an empirical formula. These variables included the gravitational constant (g), hydraulic radius (R
h), mean velocity (V), median particle size (d
50), river top breadth (B), kinematic viscosity (v), and (ρ) water density. The formula was created using both statistical analysis and dimensional analysis techniques. The results showed that the newly developed formula agreed well between the calculated and observed suspended sediment discharges based on the determination coefficient R
2 of 0.979. There was a very high acceptance between the average sediment discharge from the new formula, equal to 7.365 kg/s, and the average sediment discharge from field measurements (7.142 kg/s).