bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tracking changes in weight status in primary school children in Birmingham: an analysis of the National Child Measurement Programme – a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Mohamed Muna , Pallan Miranda J
Published: July 2024

One-in-four 4–5 years and more than one-in-three 10–11 years have excess weight in England.

Aim

To identify characteristics associated with (1) having overweight, obesity and severe obesity at 11 years and (2) rapid weight gain (defined as increasing weight status by one or more body mass index (BMI) categories) between the ages of 4–5 and 10–11 years.

Method

Using National Child Measurement Programme data, BMI at reception (4–5 years) and year 6 (10–11 years) were linked for 15 390 children. Weight categories were identified at both time points using BMI centile classifications.

For each child, the number of BMI categories they crossed between reception and year 6 was identified. Logistic regression models were fitted to explore associations with sociodemographic characteristics of children with excess weight at age 10–11 years and with children experiencing rapid weight gain between reception and year 6.

Results

Overall, 61.9% of children remained in their original weight category; 30% whose weight increased by ≥1 weight categories and 11.7% by ≥2 weight categories. Only 7.8% had decreased ≥1 weight categories and 0.9% had decreased ≥2 weight categories.

Adjusting for other sociodemographic characteristics, girls were less likely than boys to increase ≥2 weight categories between reception and year 6 (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.71; p<0.001). Compared to white children, Asian and mixed-ethnicity children had higher odds of rapid weight gain. Children with the highest deprivation were over 6 times more likely to increase ≥2 weight categories between reception and year 6 compared with children with the lowest deprivation (OR 6.1; 95% CI 1.92 to 19.10; p<0.01).

Conclusion

Male children, children of Asian and mixed ethnicity and children with high deprivation are at higher risk of rapid weight gain and should be targeted for intervention.
Characterisation of HBV and co-infection with HDV and HIV through spatial transcriptomics
Authors: Cross Amy , Harris James M , Arbe-Barnes Edward , Nixon Colin , Dhairyawan Rageshri , Hall Andrew , Quaglia Alberto , Issa Fadi , Kennedy Patrick T F , McKeating Jane A , Gill Upkar S , Peppa Dimitra
Published: July 2024

Background and aims

The intrahepatic processes associated with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), especially in the context of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) and HIV co-infection, require a better understanding. Spatial transcriptomics can provide new insights into the complex intrahepatic biological processes, guiding new personalised treatments. Our aim is to evaluate this method characterising the intrahepatic transcriptional landscape, cellular composition and biological pathways in liver biopsy samples from patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HDV or HIV co-infection.

Method

The NanoString GeoMx digital spatial profiling platform was employed to assess expression of HBV surface antigen and CD45 in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies from three treatment-naïve patients with chronic HBV and HDV or HIV co-infection. The GeoMx Human Whole Transcriptome Atlas assay quantified the expression of genes enriched in specific regions of interest (ROIs). Cell type proportions within ROIs were deconvoluted using a training matrix from the human liver cell atlas. A weighted gene correlation network analysis evaluated transcriptomic signatures across sampled regions.

Results

Spatially discrete transcriptomic signatures and distinct biological pathways were associated with HBV infection/disease status and immune responses. Shared features including ‘cytotoxicity’ and ‘B cell receptor signalling’ were consistent across patients, suggesting common elements alongside individual traits. HDV/HBV co-infection exhibited upregulated genes linked to apoptosis and immune cell recruitment, whereas HIV/HBV co-infection featured genes related to interferon response regulation. Varied cellular characteristics and immune cell populations, with an abundance of γδT cells in the HDV/HBV sample, were observed within analysed regions. Transcriptional differences in hepatocyte function suggest disrupted metabolic processes in HDV/HBV co-infection potentially impacting disease progression.

Conclusion

This proof-of-principle study shows the value of this platform in investigating the complex immune landscape, highlighting relevant host pathways to disease pathogenesis.
Ascertainment and description of pedestrian and bicycling injuries and fatalities in Ontario from administrative health records 2003–2017: contributions of non-collision falls and crashes
Authors: Harris M. Anne , Watson Tristan , Branion-Calles Michael , Rosella Laura
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Pedestrian and bicycling injuries may be less likely to be captured by traffic injury surveillance relying on police reports. Non-collision injuries, including pedestrian falls and single bicycle crashes, may be more likely than motor vehicle collisions to be missed. This study uses healthcare records to expand the ascertainment of active transportation injuries and evaluate their demographic and clinical features.

Methods

We identified pedestrian and bicyclist injuries in records of deaths, hospitalisations and emergency department visits in Ontario, Canada, between 2002 and 2017. We described the most common types of clinical injury codes among these records and assessed overall counts and proportions of injury types captured by each ascertainment definition. We also ascertained relevant fall injuries where the location was indicated as ‘street or highway’.

Results

Pedestrian falls represented over 50% of all pedestrian injuries and affected all age groups, particularly non-fatal falls. Emergency department records indicating in-traffic bicycle injuries not involving a collision with motor vehicles increased from 14% of all bicycling injury records in 2003 to 34% in 2017. The overall number of injuries indicated by these ascertainment methods was substantially higher than official counts derived from police reports.

Conclusion

The use of healthcare system records to ascertain bicyclist and pedestrian injuries, particularly to include non-collision falls, can more fully capture the burden of injury associated with these transportation modes.
Cultivating the next generation of healthcare leaders: reflections from an established healthcare leader
Authors: Kamran Rakhshan , Doria Andrea S
Published: July 2024

Background

Dr Andrea Doria is Professor and Vice-Chair of Radiology (Clinical Practice Improvement) at the University of Toronto, Research Director, Senior Scientist and Imaging Lead of Personalised Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, Canada. Over the past few decades, Dr Doria has established a track record of healthcare leadership. Based on Dr Doria’s extensive leadership experience, she believes it is essential for established healthcare leaders to be involved in cultivating emerging healthcare leaders.

Methods

An interview was conducted with Dr Doria to learn about key lessons she believes are essential for healthcare leaders to help develop the next generation. Dr Doria reflected on her leadership style and experiences, sharing what has worked to improve the effectiveness of her teams.

Results

Key messages were reflected upon, including practical ways for senior leaders to support the next generation; leadership insights gained from the pandemic; the importance of building diversity in teams and nurturing leaders from underrepresented minorities; challenges to be aware of for the future of healthcare leadership; finding inspiration from team members and essential traits for healthcare leaders.

Conclusion

Through cultivating the next generation of healthcare leaders, established leaders can be involved in establishing a brighter future for healthcare. This article describes reflections and practical takeaways that can help established leaders support emerging leaders and build their leadership skills.
Mental health treatments and the influence of culture: portrayals of hypnotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy in Singaporean television dramas
Authors: Matthews Graham , Ho Melissa
Published: July 2024

Stigma is one of the chief reasons for treatment-avoidant behaviour among people with mental health conditions. Stigmatising attitudes are spread through multiple determinants, including but not limited to: (i) individual beliefs; (ii) interpersonal influences; (iii) local cultural values and (iv) shared culture such as depictions in television shows. Our research indicates that popular television shows are currently understudied vectors for narratives that alternately reify or debunk assumptions and stereotypes about people with mental health conditions. Although such shows are fictional, they influence perception by normalising ‘common sense’ assumptions over extended periods of time. Consequently, representations of patients, psychiatrists and treatments influence knowledge and understanding of mental health and treatment-seeking behaviour. While storytelling about sickness can inspire possibilities and bestow meaning on traumatic experiences, fictional narratives written without sufficient care can have the inverse effect of curtailing horizons and limiting expectations. Problematic portrayals of patients, mental health professionals and psychological interventions are often reductive and may increase stigma and prevent treatment-seeking behaviour. This article analyses the representation of hypnotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in Singaporean television dramas that attract a wide, mainstream audience. Our diverse team investigated dramas in all four of the official languages of Singapore: English, Mandarin Chinese, Bahasa Melayu and Tamil. We found that depictions of hypnotherapy tend to produce problematic images of mental health professionals as manipulative, able to read minds, engaging in criminal behaviour, lacking in compassion and self-interested. Meanwhile, representations of ECT typically focus on the fear and distress of the patient, and it is primarily depicted as a disciplinary tool rather than a safe and effective medical procedure for patients whose condition is severe and refractory to pharmacotherapy and behavioural interventions. These depictions have the potential to discourage treatment-seeking behaviour—when early intervention has found to be crucial—among vulnerable populations.
Time to surgical stabilization of rib fractures: does it impact outcomes?
Authors: Forrester Joseph D , Sarani Babak , Forssten Maximilian Peter , Cao Yang , Hildebrand Frank , Mohammad Ismail Ahmad , Ribeiro Marcelo A F , Mohseni Shahin
Published: July 2024

Objectives

Rib fractures are common, morbid, and potentially lethal. Intuitively, if interventions to mitigate downstream effects of rib fractures can be implemented early, likelihood of developing these complications should be reduced. Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) is one therapeutic intervention shown to be useful for mitigating complications of these common fractures. Our aim was to investigate for association between time to SSRF and complications among patients with isolated rib fractures undergoing SSRF.

Methods

The 2016–2019 American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database was queried to identify patient >18 years with isolated thoracic injury undergoing SSRF. Patients were divided into three groups: SSRF ≤2 days, SSRF >2 days but <3 days, and SSRF >3 days. Poisson regression, and adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates, was used to evaluate the association between time to SSRF and the primary endpoint, in-hospital complications. Quantile regression was used to evaluate the effects of time to SSRF on the secondary endpoints, hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS).

Results

Out of 2185 patients, 918 (42%) underwent SSRF <2 days, 432 (20%) underwent SSRF >2 days but <3 days, and 835 (38%) underwent SSRF >3 days. Hemothorax was more common among patients undergoing SSRF >3 days, otherwise all demographic and clinical variables were similar between groups. After adjusting for potential confounding, SSRF >3 days was associated with a threefold risk of composite in-hospital complications (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 3.15, 95% CI 1.76 to 5.62; p<0.001), a 4-day increase in total hospital LOS (change in median LOS: 4.09; 95% CI 3.69 to 4.49, p<0.001), and a nearly 2-day increase in median ICU LOS (change in median LOS: 1.70; 95% CI 1.32 to 2.08, p<0.001), compared with SSRF ≤2 days.

Conclusion

Among patients undergoing SSRF in TQIP, earlier SSRF is associated with less in-hospital complications and shorter hospital stays. Standardization of time to SSRF as a trauma quality metric should be considered.

Level of evidence

Level II, retrospective.
Diagnostic and therapeutic considerations in cases of civilian intravascular ballistic embolism: a review of case reports
Authors: Russell Nicole , Vieira Ethan J , Freeman Lexi R , Eastman Alexander L , Khan Uzer , Schluterman Haley M , Beakes Caroline , Kirkpatrick Sioned , Grant Jennifer L
Published: July 2024

Background

Ballistic embolism (BE) is a rare complication of firearm injuries notoriously associated with a vexing clinical picture in the trauma bay. Unless considered early, the associated confusion can lead to needless delay in the management of the patient with a gunshot wound. Despite this known entity, there is a relative paucity of high-grade evidence regarding complications, management, and follow-up in these patients.

Methods

An electronic database literature search was conducted to identify cases of acute intravascular BE in pediatric and adult civilians occurring during index hospitalization, filtered to publications during the past 10 years. Exclusion criteria included non-vascular embolization, injuries occurring in the military setting, and delayed migration defined as occurring after discharge from the index hospitalization.

Results

A total of 136 cases were analyzed. Nearly all cases of BE occurred within 48 hours of presentation. Compared with venous emboli, arterial emboli were significantly more likely to be symptomatic (71% vs. 7%, p<0.001), and 43% of patients developed symptoms attributable to BE in the trauma bay. In addition, arterial emboli were significantly less likely to be managed non-invasively (19% vs. 49%, p<0.001). Open retrieval was significantly more likely to be successful compared with endovascular attempts (91% vs. 29%, p<0.001). Patients with arterial emboli were more likely to receive follow-up (52% vs. 39%) and any attempt at retrieval during the hospitalization was significantly associated with outpatient follow-up (p=0.034). All but one patient remained stable or had clinically improved symptoms after discharge.

Conclusion

Consideration for BE is reasonable in any patient with new or persistent unexplained signs or symptoms, especially during the first 48 hours after a penetrating firearm injury. Although venous BE can often be safely observed, arterial BE generally necessitates urgent retrieval. Patients who are managed non-invasively may benefit from follow-up in the first year after injury.
Profiling organic pollutants in environmental water by dansylation-based non-targeted liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry analysis
Authors: Chen Bin , An Lirong , Li Feng , Tang Yanan
Published: July 2024

Monitoring organic pollutants in rainwater is important to understand relations between air pollutants and water safety. Non-targeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) is a powerful tool but because of big differences of pollutants in polarity, ionization efficiency, and low concentrations, it is challenging to detect all pollutants in a single analysis. Chemical derivatization is a widely adapted strategy to fractionate complex samples with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. Herein, we propose the usage of dansylation as a chemical derivatization method to improve both LC retention and MS ionization of organic pollutants containing amine, hydroxyl, and carboxyl for non-targeted LC–MS analysis. We first evaluated the labeling coverage of dansylation to organic pollutants in water matrix. Using dansyl chloride (DnsCl) and dansyl hydrazine (DnsHz) to label 100 amine- and hydroxyl-containing compounds and 100 carboxyl compounds, respectively, we found DnsCl and DnsHz had over 60% labeling coverage for 8 categories of compounds. Then dansylation was applied to label the rainwater, source water, disinfected rainwater, and drinking water samples. To facilitate the annotation of dansylated compounds, we also established a web-based tool termed DansylFinder. Using DansylFinder, 3889, 5813, 6077, and 4050 tentative annotations were found in rainwater, source water, disinfected rainwater, and drinking water samples by dansylation-based non-targeted LC-HRMS analysis. Four hundred fifty four were persistently detected in all water samples, suggesting significant organic overlaps of the four water samples. In addition, two degradation pathways reported in drinking water disinfection process were also detected in disinfected rainwater, suggesting rainwater is a potential path for air pollutants to infiltrate drinking water system.
Two different rims functionalized pillar[5]arene stationary phase for capillary gas chromatography
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Ba Mengyi , Li Wen , Song Yanli , Xu Xiang , Liu Haixin , Zhao Wenxuan , Sun Tao , Cai Zhiqiang
Published: July 2024

Herein, we synthesized and used a novel pillar[5]arene with two functionalizable rims (AP5A-C10-OAc) as stationary phase in gas chromatography (GC). The AP5A-C10-OAc column (0.25 mm, i.d.) showed a high column efficiency of 4107 plates/m and medium polarity. The AP5A-C10-OAc stationary phase possesses unique amphiphilic structure, including a π-electron rich cavity and two functionalized arms composed of five nonpolar alkyl chains and five polar ester chains, and showed good separation performance for diverse types of analytes and isomers (apolar/polar, aliphatic/aromatic). Particularly, the AP5A-C10-OAc phase showed high selectivity for the challenging isomers of chloronitrobenzenes, bromonitrobenzenes, benzenediols, and iodoanilines with distinct advantages if compared with the commercial polysiloxane column.
Identifying potential tailgaters using matched case-control logistic regression
Authors: Sahnoon Iyad , de Barros Alexandre G. , Kattan Lina
Published: July 2024

Road collisions arise from interactions involving human factors, the environment, and road layout. Driving simulators, widely applied in rear-end collision studies, provide a secure environment to explore human errors, which are not observable through microsimulation tools. These simulators also facilitate the examination of driving behaviour in the presence of connected vehicles. This study aims to identify driver-related factors contributing to rear-end collisions in a driving simulator and to detect potential tailgaters behind a connected vehicle with connected cruise control. Using case-control logistic regression, participants with the potential to be involved in rear-end collisions are considered potential tailgaters, while non-potential participants serve as controls. The results reveal statistically significant factors, such as headway time and maximum brake mean values, in relation to rear-end collisions. Furthermore, employing regression outputs, log relative risk, and survival function, with predefined thresholds effectively identifies potential tailgaters, achieving accuracy rates of over 90% and 97%, respectively.
Study on the temperature dissipation performance of brake pads with different surface patterns
Authors: Wu Gang , Tian Chen , Liu ZhiPeng
Published: July 2024

Drum brakes may fail due to overheating in the contact area during frequent braking. This research takes the honeycomb structure with excellent heat dissipation and strength as the biomimetic object, and processes different biomimetic patterns on the surface of the brake pad. Using a self-made drum brake test bench, the changes in braking duration and surface temperature of different biomimetic pattern brake pads under emergency braking and repeated braking tests at different braking intervals are studied. The experimental results indicate that the braking duration of patterned brake pad is 7.82%–11.8% shorter than that of normal brake pads. Although the temperature of normal brake pads is lower at the end of braking, as the heat dissipation cycle prolongs, patterned brake pads exhibit faster heat dissipation, with honeycomb patterns having better heat dissipation than circular and square patterns. Using the least squares method, it was calculated that when the braking cycles were greater than 10.3, 12.0, and 14.5 s, the braking heat dissipation effect of honeycomb, circular, and square brake pads was better than that of normal brake pads. These results validate that honeycomb patterned brake pads can alleviate the occurrence of thermal degradation in drum brakes.
Microscopic parametrization of the near threshold oscillations of the nucleon time-like effective electromagnetic form factors
Authors: Rosini Francesco , Pacetti Simone , Shekhovtsova Olga , Tomasi-Gustafsson Egle
Published: July 2024

We present an analysis of the recent near threshold BESIII data for the nucleon time-like effective form factors. The damped oscillation emerging from the subtraction of the dipole formula is treated in non-perturbative-QCD, making use of the light cone distribution amplitudes expansion. Non-perturbative effects are accounted for by considering $$Q^2$$

Q
2

-dependent coefficients in such expansions, whose free parameters are determined by fitting to the proton and neutron data. Possible implications and future analysis have been discussed.
The effect of nonuniform magnetic field on the liquid film motor: Controllable vortex in two-dimensional fluids
Authors: Nasiri M. , Madadi E. , Kochakkhani M.
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we present a numerical investigation into the influence of electric and magnetic fields on the dynamics of a suspended liquid film that carries an electric current. A nonuniform magnetic field is considered utilizing a disk-shaped magnet located above the two-dimensional fluid. Electric and magnetic forces exerted on the fluid induce a new dynamical features. We perform a numerical study of the dynamics of such two-dimensional fluid system commonly named Liquid Film Motor. The presence of the nonuniform external magnetic field causes changes in the fluid’s behavior. Specifically, the previously symmetric vortex becomes asymmetric under the influence of the magnetic field. In this dynamic behavior, as the external magnetic field increases, the center of the vortex shifts in a direction perpendicular to the electric current passing through the fluid film. The unique combination of electric and magnetic field allows to manipulate the motion of the vortex without resorting to traditional mechanical methods. This finding implies that the motion of the vortex can be directed and controlled by adjusting the strength of the external magnetic field, without the need for direct contact with the fluid or mechanical tools.
Formation of PGE- and sulfide-bearing chromitites and associated anorthositic rocks in layered intrusions by the infiltration of reactive, Cl-rich fluid
Authors: Boudreau Alan E.
Published: July 2024

The chromatographic model for chromitite formation previously presented is updated to include sulfide as a possible participating phase. In the model, chromite is precipitated at an upward-moving reaction front as a Cr-bearing (gabbro)norite protolith reacts with a Cl-rich fluid that becomes progressively undersaturated in pyroxene as it rises into hotter parts of the crystal pile, leaving an anorthositic residue. The liberation of Fe during the dissolution of orthopyroxene can drive concurrent sulfide saturation. If the reaction front encounters an orthopyroxenite the model produces a first-order approximation for the Merensky Reef section of anorthosite–chromite–orthopyroxenite. In addition, MELTS modelling shows that the isothermal addition of Cr
2
O
3
alone to a nearly solid (gabbro)norite assemblage increases the amount of both chromite and liquid at the expense of other silicate minerals owing to the liberation of Ca, Na and Si, the latter two acting as fluxing agents. A generalized constitutional zone refining model is presented in which a variety of spinel–silicate layering types (e.g. Bushveld magnetite layers and Skaergaard trough layering) can develop over time.
Near-realtime Facial Animation by Deep 3D Simulation Super-Resolution
Authors: Park Hyojoon , Grama Srinivasan Sangeetha , Cong Matthew , Kim Doyub , Kim Byungsoo , Swartz Jonathan , Museth Ken , Sifakis Eftychios
Published: July 2024

We present a neural network-based simulation super-resolution framework that can efficiently and realistically enhance a facial performance produced by a low-cost, real-time physics-based simulation to a level of detail that closely approximates that of a reference-quality off-line simulator with much higher resolution (27× element count in our examples) and accurate physical modeling. Our approach is rooted in our ability to construct a training set of paired frames, from the low- and high-resolution simulators respectively, that are in semantic correspondence with each other. We use face animation as an exemplar of such a simulation domain, where creating this semantic congruence is achieved by simply dialing in the same muscle actuation controls and skeletal pose in the two simulators. Our proposed neural network super-resolution framework generalizes from this training set to unseen expressions, compensates for modeling discrepancies between the two simulations due to limited resolution or cost-cutting approximations in the real-time variant, and does not require any semantic descriptors or parameters to be provided as input, other than the result of the real-time simulation. We evaluate the efficacy of our pipeline on a variety of expressive performances and provide comparisons and ablation experiments for plausible variations and alternatives to our proposed scheme. Our code is available at https://github.com/hjoonpark/3d-sim-super- res.git.
Extracting Structured Labor Market Information from Job Postings with Generative AI
Authors: Howison Mark , Ensor William O. , Maharjan Suraj , Parikh Rahil , Sengamedu Srinivasan H. , Daniels Paul , Gaither Amber , Yeats Carrie , Reddy Chandan K. , Hastings Justine S.
Published: July 2024

Labor market information is an important input to labor, workforce, education, and macroeconomic policy. However, granular and real-time data on labor market trends are lacking; publicly available data from survey samples are released with significant lags and miss critical information such as skills and benefits. We use generative Artificial Intelligence to automatically extract structured labor market information from unstructured online job postings for the entire U.S. labor market. To demonstrate our methodology, we construct a sample of 6,800 job postings stratified by 68 major occupational groups, extract structured information on educational requirements, remote-work flexibility, full-time availability, and benefits, and show how these job characteristics vary across occupations. As a validation, we compare frequencies of educational requirements by occupation from our sample to survey data and find no statistically significant difference. Finally, we discuss the scalability to collections of millions of job postings. Our results establish the feasibility of measuring labor market trends at scale from online job postings thanks to advances in generative AI techniques. Improved access to such insights at scale and in real-time could transform the ability of policy leaders, including federal and state agencies and education providers, to make data-informed decisions that better support the American workforce.
Artificial Intelligence inspired method for cross-lingual cyberhate detection from low resource languages
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Saini Munish
Published: July 2024

The appearance of inflammatory language on social media by college or university students is quite prevalent, inspiring platforms to engage in community safety mechanisms. Escalating hate speech entails creating sophisticated artificial intelligence-based, machine learning, and deep learning algorithms to detect offensive internet content. With a few noteworthy exceptions, the majority of the studies on automatic hate speech recognition have emphasized high-resource languages, mainly English. We bridge this gap by addressing hate speech detection in Punjabi (Gurmukhi), a low-resource Indo-Aryan language articulated in Indian educational institutions. This research identifies cross-lingual hate speech in the code-switched English-Punjabi language used on social media. It proposes an approach combining the best hate speech detection techniques to cover existing state-of-the-art system gaps and limitations. In this method, the Roman Punjabi is transliterated, and then Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformer (BERT) based models are employed for hate detection. The proposed model has achieved 0.86 precision and 0.83 recall, and various higher educational institutions could employ it to discover the issues/domains where hate prevails the most.
Connecting in Crisis: Investigating Equitable Community Internet Access in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: McDonald Nora , Stamato Lydia , Hamidi Foad
Published: July 2024

Although internet access and affordability are increasingly at the center of policy decisions around issues of the “digital divide” in the US, the complex nature of usage as it relates to structural inequality is not well-understood. We partnered with Project Waves, a community internet provider, to set up connectivity across the urban landscape of a city in the Eastern United States to study factors that impact the rollout of affordable broadband internet connectivity to low-income communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization endeavored to meet structural challenges, provide community support for adoption, and stave off attendant privacy concerns. We present three dimensions of equitable use prioritized by the community internet provider: safety from COVID-19 through social distancing enabled by remote access, trusted connectivity, and private internet access. We use employee interviews and a phone survey of internet recipients to investigate how the provider prioritized these dimensions and who uses their service.
The conversational AI “ChatGPT” outperforms medical students on a physiology university examination
Authors: Soulage Christophe O. , Van Coppenolle Fabien , Guebre-Egziabher Fitsum
Published: July 2024

The release of the conversational artificial intelligence (AI) ChatGPT has become a matter of concern for academia as it can easily be misused by students for cheating purposes. We performed a quantitative evaluation of the performance of ChatGPT on a medical physiology university examination and observed that ChatGPT outperforms medical students obtaining significantly better grades. Scholars should therefore take great care to construct assessments crafted to really evaluate the student reflection skills and prevent AI-assisted cheating.
Numerical Simulation of Contact Explosion on Reinforced Concrete Slabs Based on Different Algorithms
Authors: Song Rong-fang , Li Li-sha , Ma Shi-ju
Published: July 2024

The explosion dynamics process is complex and difficult to carry out accurate analytical analysis. Numerical simulation with controllable boundary conditions and initial conditions can continuously and repeatedly display the explosion development process over time. In this paper, we take a single‐layer reinforced concrete slab contact explosion as an example and use Lagrange method, Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method, and smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method in LS‐DYNA software to simulate the explosion of explosives. The results show that Lagrange method can display a clear material interface, but the explosives elements in the simulation of explosion process could cause serious distortion easily leading to the termination of the calculation; the explosives and air in the ALE method are Eulerian materials, there is no element distortion, but the number of the explosives and air elements that need to be established is relatively large; SPH algorithm can simulate the large deformations caused by explosion, making it more realistic in simulating the splashing of explosive materials. In the comparison of three algorithms, the ALE algorithm matches the experimental results the best.
Determinants of Low Birth Weight Among Newborns Delivered at Public Health Facilities of Bishoftu Town, East Shewa Zone, Ethiopia: Unmatched Case‐Control Study
Authors: Bekele Daniel , Dhaba Balay , Menene Abenet , Hinkosa Leta
Published: July 2024

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is a major global public health issue that can have a number of serious, potentially fatal health consequences. It is the most common cause of neonatal and child death in low‐ and middle‐income countries, which also has a number of negative health effects. However, the determinants of LBWs were not yet completely recognized in Ethiopia. Thus, it is aimed at identifying the determinants of LBW among newborns delivered at public health facilities in Bishoftu town, Ethiopia.

Methods: A facility‐based unmatched case‐control study was conducted at Bishoftu town. Data were collected from mothers having newborns with birth weight < 2500 gm (cases) and 2500 to 4000 gm (controls) using a pretested questionnaire and medical record review. Lastly, Epi Info 7 to enter the obtained data, and SPSS version 21 was used for analysis. Factors in the bivariate analysis with a p value less than 0.25 were added to the multivariable logistic regression, where a p value less than 0.05 was deemed statistically significant.

Results:A total of 285 neonates (95 cases and 190 controls) were included in the study. Being not preeclampsia (AOR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.13–0.88), lack of iron supplementation (AOR = 12.16; 95% CI: 5.40–27.42), preterm delivery (AOR = 7.49, 95% CI: 3.23–17.36), lack of information (AOR = 4.65, 95% CI: 1.37–15.750), and not experienced premature rupture of membranes (PROM) (AOR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.08–0.91) were identified as statistically significant variables in LBW.

Conclusion: LBW was significantly influenced by preeclampsia, PROM, missing iron‐folate supplementation during pregnancy, and ignorance of the warning symptoms of premature delivery during pregnancy. Therefore, reducing LBW requires a lot of work, including developing effective interventions and monitoring policies.
Supplementary Figure 6 from PTP4A2 Promotes Glioblastoma Progression and Macrophage Polarization under Microenvironmental Pressure
Authors: Chouleur Tiffanie , Emanuelli Andrea , Souleyreau Wilfried , Derieppe Marie-Alix , Leboucq Téo , Hardy Serge , Mathivet Thomas , Tremblay Michel L. , Bikfalvi Andreas
Published: July 2024

Modulation of pro-inflammatory markers in P3 xenografts
Supplementary Figure 11 from PTP4A2 Promotes Glioblastoma Progression and Macrophage Polarization under Microenvironmental Pressure
Authors: Chouleur Tiffanie , Emanuelli Andrea , Souleyreau Wilfried , Derieppe Marie-Alix , Leboucq Téo , Hardy Serge , Mathivet Thomas , Tremblay Michel L. , Bikfalvi Andreas
Published: July 2024

Western Blot analysis of cell lysates
Figure 7 from PTP4A2 Promotes Glioblastoma Progression and Macrophage Polarization under Microenvironmental Pressure
Authors: Chouleur Tiffanie , Emanuelli Andrea , Souleyreau Wilfried , Derieppe Marie-Alix , Leboucq Téo , Hardy Serge , Mathivet Thomas , Tremblay Michel L. , Bikfalvi Andreas
Published: July 2024

In vitro phenotype of P3 spheroids. A, Spheroid invasion assay in collagen I of Ctrl and PTP4A2-KO 1 and 2 P3 cells. The invasive area was measured after 24 hours. B, Spheroid invasion assay in collagen I of Ctrl and PTP4A2-OE. C, Proliferation assay of Ctrl and PTP4A2-KO P3 cells based on spheroid growth. Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn tests.
Figure 6 from PTP4A2 Promotes Glioblastoma Progression and Macrophage Polarization under Microenvironmental Pressure
Authors: Chouleur Tiffanie , Emanuelli Andrea , Souleyreau Wilfried , Derieppe Marie-Alix , Leboucq Téo , Hardy Serge , Mathivet Thomas , Tremblay Michel L. , Bikfalvi Andreas
Published: July 2024

Phenotype of PTP4A2-KO and Ctrl tumors in the CT2A syngeneic model. A, Western blot analysis of Ctrl and PTP4A2-KO CT2A cells. B, Tumor volume with representative images of DAPI staining in CT2A tumor sections (left) and quantification (right). Permutation t test. C, Immunostaining of F4/80, MHC-II, and MRC1 with representative images (left) and quantification (right). D, Immunostaining of CD3 and FoxP3 with representative images (left) and quantification (right). Mann–Whitney U test. E, Immunostaining of CD31 and DAPI with representative images (left) and quantification (right). Permutation t test. n = 5–6 mice per group.
Figure 1 from PTP4A2 Promotes Glioblastoma Progression and Macrophage Polarization under Microenvironmental Pressure
Authors: Chouleur Tiffanie , Emanuelli Andrea , Souleyreau Wilfried , Derieppe Marie-Alix , Leboucq Téo , Hardy Serge , Mathivet Thomas , Tremblay Michel L. , Bikfalvi Andreas
Published: July 2024

Inhibition of the three PRLs by JMS-053 in P3 spheroids. A, Representative pictures of spheroid growth over 5 days of P3 cells treated with the PRL inhibitor JMS-053 (pink), the control compound JMS-038 (green), or the vehicle DMSO (grey). B, Quantification of P3 spheroid growth. n = 3. Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn tests. C, P3 spheroid viability after 5 days of treatment with JMS-053 (pink), JMS-038 (green), or DMSO (grey) as shown by ATP level. IC50, around 15 µmol/L. n = 3. Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn tests.
Data from PTP4A2 Promotes Glioblastoma Progression and Macrophage Polarization under Microenvironmental Pressure
Authors: Chouleur Tiffanie , Emanuelli Andrea , Souleyreau Wilfried , Derieppe Marie-Alix , Leboucq Téo , Hardy Serge , Mathivet Thomas , Tremblay Michel L. , Bikfalvi Andreas
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Phosphatase of regenerating liver 2 (also known as PTP4A2) has been linked to cancer progression. Still, its exact role in glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive type of primary brain tumor, remains elusive. In this study, we report that pharmacologic treatment using JMS-053, a pan–phosphatase of regenerating liver inhibitor, inhibits GBM cell viability and spheroid growth. We also show that PTP4A2 is associated with a poor prognosis in gliomas, and its expression correlates with GBM aggressiveness. Using a GBM orthotopic xenograft model, we show that PTP4A2 overexpression promotes tumor growth and reduces mouse survival. Furthermore, PTP4A2 deletion leads to increased apoptosis and proinflammatory signals. Using a syngeneic GBM model, we show that depletion of PTP4A2 reduces tumor growth and induces a shift in the tumor microenvironment (TME) toward an immunosuppressive state. In vitro assays show that cell proliferation is not affected in PTP4A2-deficient or -overexpressing cells, highlighting the importance of the microenvironment in PTP4A2 functions. Collectively, our results indicate that PTP4A2 promotes GBM growth in response to microenvironmental pressure and support the rationale for targeting PTP4A2 as a therapeutic strategy against GBM.
Significance:
High levels of PTP4A2 are associated with poor outcomes in patients with glioma and in mouse models. PTP4A2 depletion increases apoptosis and proinflammatory signals in GBM xenograft models, significantly impacts tumor growth, and rewires the TME in an immunocompetent host. PTP4A2 effects in GBM are dependent on the presence of the TME.
Impact of Diabetes and Glycemia on Cardiac Improvement and Adverse Events Following Mechanical Circulatory Support
Authors: Kyriakopoulos Christos P. , Taleb Iosif , Tseliou Eleni , Sideris Konstantinos , Hamouche Rana , Maneta Eleni , Nelson Marisca , Krauspe Ethan , Selko Sean , Visker Joseph R. , Dranow Elizabeth , Goodwin Matthew L. , Alharethi Rami , Wever‐Pinzon Omar , Fang James C. , Stehlik Josef , Selzman Craig H. , Hanff Thomas C. , Drakos Stavros G.
Published: July 2024

Background

Type 2 diabetes is prevalent in cardiovascular disease and contributes to excess morbidity and mortality. We sought to investigate the effect of glycemia on functional cardiac improvement, morbidity, and mortality in durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) recipients.

Methods and Results

Consecutive patients with an LVAD were prospectively evaluated (n=531). After excluding patients missing pre‐LVAD glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurements or having inadequate post‐LVAD follow‐up, 375 patients were studied. To assess functional cardiac improvement, we used absolute left ventricular ejection fraction change (ΔLVEF: LVEF post‐LVAD−LVEF pre‐LVAD). We quantified the association of pre‐LVAD HbA1c with ΔLVEF as the primary outcome, and all‐cause mortality and LVAD‐related adverse event rates (ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack, intracerebral hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, LVAD‐related infection, device thrombosis) as secondary outcomes. Last, we assessed HbA1c differences pre‐ and post‐LVAD. Patients with type 2 diabetes were older, more likely men suffering ischemic cardiomyopathy, and had longer heart failure duration. Pre‐LVAD HbA1c was inversely associated with ΔLVEF in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy but not in those with ischemic cardiomyopathy, after adjusting for age, sex, heart failure duration, and left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter. Pre‐LVAD HbA1c was not associated with all‐cause mortality, but higher pre‐LVAD HbA1c was shown to increase the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, LVAD‐related infection, and device thrombosis by 3 years on LVAD support (
P
<0.05 for all). HbA1c decreased from 6.68±1.52% pre‐LVAD to 6.11±1.33% post‐LVAD (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions

Type 2 diabetes and pre‐LVAD glycemia modify the potential for functional cardiac improvement and the risk for adverse events on LVAD support. The degree and duration of pre‐LVAD glycemic control optimization to favorably affect these outcomes warrants further investigation.
The Relationship between Event Boundary Strength and Pattern Shifts across the Cortical Hierarchy during Naturalistic Movie-viewing
Authors: Lee Yoonjung , Chen Janice
Published: July 2024

Our continuous experience is spontaneously segmented by the brain into discrete events. However, the beginning of a new event (an event boundary) is not always sharply identifiable: Phenomenologically, event boundaries vary in salience. How are the response profiles of cortical areas at event boundaries modulated by boundary strength during complex, naturalistic movie-viewing? Do cortical responses scale in a graded manner with boundary strength, or do they merely detect boundaries in a binary fashion? We measured “cortical boundary shifts” as transient changes in multivoxel patterns at event boundaries with different strengths (weak, moderate, and strong), determined by across-participant agreement. Cortical regions with different processing timescales were examined. In auditory areas, which have short timescales, cortical boundary shifts exhibited a clearly graded profile in both group-level and individual-level analyses. In cortical areas with long timescales, including the default mode network, boundary strength modulated pattern shift magnitude at the individual participant level. We also observed a positive relationship between boundary strength and the extent of temporal alignment of boundary shifts across different levels of the cortical hierarchy. In addition, hippocampal activity was highest at event boundaries for which cortical boundary shifts were most aligned across hierarchical levels. Overall, we found that event boundary strength modulated cortical pattern shifts strongly in sensory areas and more weakly in higher-level areas and that stronger boundaries were associated with greater alignment of these shifts across the cortical hierarchy.
Word Type and Frequency Effects on Lexical Decisions Are Process-dependent and Start Early
Authors: Krause Joshua , van Rij Jacolien , Borst Jelmer P.
Published: July 2024

When encountering letter strings, we rapidly determine whether they are words. The speed of such lexical decisions (LDs) is affected by word frequency. Apart from influencing late, decision-related, processing stages, frequency has also been shown to affect very early stages, and even the processing of nonwords. We developed a detailed account of the different frequency effects involved in LDs by (1) dividing LDs into processing stages using a combination of hidden semi-Markov models and multivariate pattern analysis applied to EEG data and (2) using generalized additive mixed models to investigate how the effect of continuous word and nonword frequency differs between these stages. We discovered six stages shared between word types, with the fifth stage consisting of two substages for pseudowords only. In the earliest stages, visual processing was completed faster for frequent words, but took longer for word-like nonwords. Later stages involved an orthographic familiarity assessment followed by an elaborate decision process, both affected differently by frequency. We therefore conclude that frequency indeed affects all processes involved in LDs and that the magnitude and direction of these effects differ both by process and word type.
Rhythmic Temporal Cues Coordinate Cross-frequency Phase-amplitude Coupling during Memory Encoding
Authors: Townsend Paige Hickey , Jones Alexander , Patel Aniruddh D. , Race Elizabeth
Published: July 2024

Accumulating evidence suggests that rhythmic temporal cues in the environment influence the encoding of information into long-term memory. Here, we test the hypothesis that these mnemonic effects of rhythm reflect the coupling of high-frequency (gamma) oscillations to entrained lower-frequency oscillations synchronized to the beat of the rhythm. In Study 1, we first test this hypothesis in the context of global effects of rhythm on memory, when memory is superior for visual stimuli presented in rhythmic compared with arrhythmic patterns at encoding [Jones, A., & Ward, E. V. Rhythmic temporal structure at encoding enhances recognition memory, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 31, 1549–1562, 2019]. We found that rhythmic presentation of visual stimuli during encoding was associated with greater phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) between entrained low-frequency (delta) oscillations and higher-frequency (gamma) oscillations. In Study 2, we next investigated cross-frequency PAC in the context of local effects of rhythm on memory encoding, when memory is superior for visual stimuli presented in-synchrony compared with out-of-synchrony with a background auditory beat [Hickey, P., Merseal, H., Patel, A. D., & Race, E. Memory in time: Neural tracking of low-frequency rhythm dynamically modulates memory formation. Neuroimage, 213, 116693, 2020]. We found that the mnemonic effect of rhythm in this context was again associated with increased cross-frequency PAC between entrained low-frequency (delta) oscillations and higher-frequency (gamma) oscillations. Furthermore, the magnitude of gamma power modulations positively scaled with the subsequent memory benefit for in- versus out-of-synchrony stimuli. Together, these results suggest that the influence of rhythm on memory encoding may reflect the temporal coordination of higher-frequency gamma activity by entrained low-frequency oscillations.