bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Existential issues in the fictional writing of haruki murakami
Authors: Potik David
Published: October 2023

Existential analyses of Murakami's fiction have dealt mostly with identity issues during adolescence and adulthood. This article presents a different existential conceptualization by examining how Yalom's four ultimate life concerns—isolation, meaninglessness, freedom, and death ─ are embodied in the life of some of Haruki Murakami's fictional protagonists. In this work, I will also bring standard diagnostic nomenclature and psychoanalytic conceptualizations into dialog with the existential tradition, by demonstrating how certain mental conditions, which are considered by clinicians as forms of psychopathology, can also be interpreted as modes of existence in an alienated reality, and as non‐conformity.
Use of passive acoustic monitoring to fill knowledge gaps of fish global conservation status
Authors: Bolgan Marta , Parmentier Eric , Picciulin Marta , Hadjioannou Louis , Di Iorio Lucia
Published: October 2023

Knowledge of the ecology, spatial distribution and conservation status of fish populations is achieved by fishery‐dependent techniques, and by more recently developed non‐invasive fishery‐independent techniques. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is a fishery‐independent method that provides remote sensing of soniferous species, populations, communities and ecosystems by recording soundscapes and their components.

A case study is presented to demonstrate how PAM can contribute to a dynamic understanding of fish distribution, ecological preferences and conservation status. This case study refers to the cusk‐eel Ophidion rochei (Ophidiiformes), a nocturnal, behaviourally cryptic, soniferous fish species, described as uncommon and rare in the scientific literature, and listed as Data Deficient in the IUCN Red List.

A systematized literature review was carried out using Ophidion+rochei as the search term, and by grouping records into two main categories: (i) traditional techniques (including all fishery‐dependent techniques and underwater visual census); and (ii) PAM.

This review highlights how PAM has provided new sightings of O. rochei at a rate three times higher than all other monitoring techniques combined. In contrast with the knowledge achieved to date by fishery‐dependent techniques, the reported acoustic mass phenomena indicate that this species can be very abundant. Ophidion rochei was found to inhabit a wide range of depths and ecosystems, at least throughout the Mediterranean basin.

This paper supports the urgency and the importance of relying on the integration of different fishery‐independent techniques for multidisciplinary monitoring, in line with the Goal 14 requirements of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Main morphological characteristics and sexual dimorphism of hominin adult femora from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)
Authors: Carretero José‐Miguel , Rodríguez Laura , García‐González Rebeca , Arsuaga Juan‐Luis
Published: October 2023

The excellent fossil record from Sima de los Huesos (SH) includes three well‐known complete adult femora and several partial specimens that have not yet been published in detail. This fossil record provides an opportunity to analyze the morphology of European pre‐Neandertal adult femur and its variation with different evolution patterns. Currently, there are a minimum of five adult individuals (males or females). In this study, we compiled previously published basic anatomical and biometric characteristics of SH adult femora, emphasizing the most relevant features compared to other recent and fossil hominins. The SH femora exhibited a primitive morphological pattern common to all non‐Homo sapiens femora, as well as most of the Neandertal traits. Therefore, the complete Upper Pleistocene Neandertal pattern was well‐established in Middle Pleistocene ancestors long before the proper Neandertals appeared. Additionally, we highlight that the SH and Neandertal femora share some morphological traits and proportions with modern humans that hold sexual significance in our species, regardless of size. Keeping this in mind, we discussed the sex determination of the complete SH specimens and re‐evaluated sex allocation in two of them.
Braincase and neuroanatomy of the lagerpetid Dromomeron gregorii (Archosauria, Pterosauromorpha) with comments on the early evolution of the braincase and associated soft tissues in Avemetatarsalia
Authors: Bronzati Mario , Langer Max C. , Ezcurra Martín D. , Stocker Michelle R. , Nesbitt Sterling J.
Published: October 2023

The anatomy of the braincase and associated soft tissues of the lagerpetid Dromomeron gregorii (Archosauria: Avemetatarsalia) from the Late Triassic of the United States is here described. This corresponds to the first detailed description of cranial materials of Lagerpetidae, an enigmatic group of Late Triassic (c. 236–200 Million years ago) animals that are the closest known relatives of pterosaurs, the flying reptiles. The braincase of D. gregorii is characterized by the presence of an anteriorly elongated laterosphenoid and a postparietal, features observed in stem‐archosaurs but that were still unknown in early members of the avian lineage of archosaurs. Using micro‐computed tomography (CT‐scan data), we present digital reconstructions of the brain and endosseous labyrinth of D. gregorii. The brain of D. gregorii exhibits a floccular lobe of the cerebellum that projects within the space of the semicircular canals. The semicircular canals are relatively large when compared to other archosauromorphs, with the anterior canal exhibiting a circular shape. These features of the sensory structures of D. gregorii are more similar to those of pterosaurs than to those of other early avemetatarsalians. In sum, the braincase anatomy of D. gregorii shows a combination of plesiomorphic and apomorphic features in the phylogenetic context of Archosauria and suggests that the still poorly understood early evolution of the braincase in avemetatarsalians is complex, with a scenario of independent acquisitions and losses of character states.
How do embarrassing service disruptions impact bystanders' word‐of‐mouth, complaining, and avoidance? The moderating role of self‐construal
Authors: Ziegler Alexander H. , Allen Alexis M. , Peloza John , Norris J. Ian
Published: October 2023

In public settings such as retail, an embarrassed consumer may be witnessed by others. Thus, vicarious embarrassment may be even more ubiquitous than embarrassment itself. However, the impact of observers' individual characteristics on reactions to embarrassing service disruptions is not clear. To close this gap, the current research examines how observers' self‐construal, or their perception of the self in relation to others, systematically alters observers' responses to embarrassing service disruptions. The data for this research was collected from 674 US respondents recruited amongst undergraduate students at a large North American university (study 1, n = 193) and from an online subject panel (study 2, n = 281 and study 3, n = 200). Across all three experiments, the authors demonstrate that vicarious embarrassment is conditional on observers' self‐construal. Specifically, the results demonstrate that observers with a predominantly interdependent self‐construal experience stronger vicarious embarrassment than consumers with a predominantly independent self‐construal. This occurs because they are more likely to take the actor's perspective. These differences manifest whether we operationalize self‐construal as a measured individual difference or use a prime to induce self‐construal situationally. Furthermore, observers with a predominantly interdependent self‐construal alter their word‐of‐mouth, complaining, and avoidance intentions, effects mediated by perspective‐taking and vicarious embarrassment. The current research contributes to theory and practice by introducing self‐construal as a boundary condition to the vicarious embarrassment literature.
Cognitive and psychiatric signs revealing Sneddon syndrome: A case report
Authors: Karoui Mehdi , Baklouti Emna , Ben Mohamed Dina , Riahi Hend , Chelli‐Bouaziz Mouna
Published: October 2023

Key Clinical Message

The diagnosis of Sneddon Syndrome should be considered in adults with young‐onset dementia accompanied by neuropsychiatric signs and livedo racemosa. Magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral angiography are essential. A cutaneous biopsy may help in the diagnosis.

Sneddon syndrome (SS) is a clinical entity corresponding to a noninflammatory thrombotic vasculopathy that typically includes livedo racemosa and cerebrovascular ischemia. Psychiatric symptoms with cognitive impairment often occur but are rarely the inaugural symptoms. We present a case of secondary SS in a 45‐year‐old man in whom dementia and psychosis revealed the disease.
Synthesis and Properties of Boron‐Containing Heteromerous Bistricyclic Aromatic Enes: Structural Effects on Thermodynamic Stability and Photoreactivity
Authors: Yamada Kohei , Adachi Yohei , Ohshita Joji
Published: October 2023

Overcrowded bistricyclic aromatic enes (BAEs) have several conformations such as twisted and anti‐folded conformers, and their stereochemistry and chromism have been studied in earnest. In this study, boron‐containing heteromerous BAEs having various tricyclic structures were synthesized and their photophysical properties investigated. Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis revealed that the introduction of a rigid fluorene unit resulted in a twisted conformer, whereas the introduction of flexible units such as thioxanthene and 9,9‐dimethyl‐9,10‐dihydroanthracene units resulted in an anti‐folded conformer. The absorption spectra of the heteromerous BAEs were dependent on the introduced tricyclic structures, suggesting the immense impact of the tricyclic structures on the electronic structures of BAEs. DFT calculations revealed the large effect of the flexibility of the tricyclic structures on the thermodynamic stability of the conformers. In addition, the boron‐containing heteromerous BAEs underwent photocyclization reactions, indicating their potential application as precursors of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and helical aromatic materials.
Determination of the Handedness of Urea Inclusion Compounds
Authors: Wang Bo , Xu Chaofan , Liang Wenli , Pongkulapa Pasaorn , Lin Yiqing
Published: October 2023

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Bo Wang at Biogen. The image depicts the sectored chiral domains of urea inclusion compounds. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202302217.
Sharp asymptotic estimates for expectations, probabilities, and mean first passage times in stochastic systems with small noise
Authors: Grafke Tobias , Schäfer Tobias , Vanden‐Eijnden Eric
Published: October 2023

Freidlin‐Wentzell theory of large deviations can be used to compute the likelihood of extreme or rare events in stochastic dynamical systems via the solution of an optimization problem. The approach gives exponential estimates that often need to be refined via calculation of a prefactor. Here it is shown how to perform these computations in practice. Specifically, sharp asymptotic estimates are derived for expectations, probabilities, and mean first passage times in a form that is geared towards numerical purposes: they require solving well‐posed matrix Riccati equations involving the minimizer of the Freidlin‐Wentzell action as input, either forward or backward in time with appropriate initial or final conditions tailored to the estimate at hand. The usefulness of our approach is illustrated on several examples. In particular, invariant measure probabilities and mean first passage times are calculated in models involving stochastic partial differential equations of reaction‐advection‐diffusion type.
The Optimal Amount of Lithium Difluorophosphate as an Additive for Si‐Dominant Anodes in an Application‐Oriented Setup
Authors: Stehle Philipp , Rutz Daniel , Bazzoun Ali M. , Vrankovic Dragoljub , Anjass Montaha
Published: October 2023

Fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) and vinylene carbonate (VC) are considered the most effective electrolyte additives for improving the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) of Si‐containing anodes while lithium difluorophosphate (LiDFP) is known to improve the interphases of cathode materials and graphite. Here, we combine VC, FEC, and different amounts of LiDFP in a highly‐concentrated electrolyte to investigate the effect on Si‐dominant anodes in detail. Cycle life tests, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and rate tests with anode potential monitoring were conducted in Si/NCM pouch cells. The results reveal that adding LiDFP to the electrolyte improves all performance criteria of the full cells, with a concentration of 1 wt% being the optimal value for most cases. Post‐mortem analyses using scanning electron microscopy and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that a more beneficial SEI film was formed for higher LiDFP concentrations, which led to less decomposition of electrolyte components and a better‐maintained anode microstructure.
Targeting BMI‐1 to deplete antibody‐secreting cells in autoimmunity
Authors: Polmear Jack , Hailes Lauren , Olshansky Moshe , Rischmueller Maureen , L'Estrange‐Stranieri Elan , Fletcher Anne L , Hibbs Margaret L , Bryant Vanessa L , Good‐Jacobson Kim L
Published: October 2023

Objectives

B cells drive the production of autoreactive antibody‐secreting cells (ASCs) in autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren's syndrome, causing long‐term organ damage. Current treatments for antibody‐mediated autoimmune diseases target B cells or broadly suppress the immune system. However, pre‐existing long‐lived ASCs are often refractory to treatment, leaving a reservoir of autoreactive cells that continue to produce antibodies. Therefore, the development of novel treatment methods targeting ASCs is vital to improve patient outcomes. Our objective was to test whether targeting the epigenetic regulator BMI‐1 could deplete ASCs in autoimmune conditions in vivo and in vitro.

Methods

Use of a BMI‐1 inhibitor in both mouse and human autoimmune settings was investigated. Lyn−/− mice, a model of SLE, were treated with the BMI‐1 small molecule inhibitor PTC‐028, before assessment of ASCs, serum antibody and immune complexes. To examine human ASC survival, a novel human fibroblast‐based assay was established, and the impact of PTC‐028 on ASCs derived from Sjögren's syndrome patients was evaluated.

Results

BMI‐1 inhibition significantly decreased splenic and bone marrow ASCs in Lyn−/− mice. The decline in ASCs was linked to aberrant cell cycle gene expression and led to a significant decrease in serum IgG3, immune complexes and anti‐DNA IgG. PTC‐028 was also efficacious in reducing ex vivo plasma cell survival from both Sjögren's syndrome patients and age‐matched healthy donors.

Conclusion

These data provide evidence that inhibiting BMI‐1 can deplete ASC in a variety of contexts and thus BMI‐1 is a viable therapeutic target for antibody‐mediated autoimmune diseases.
Skill trade‐offs promote persistent individual differences and specialized tactics
Authors: Dubois Frédérique
Published: October 2023

Individuals generally differ in their ability to perform challenging behaviours, but the causes of such variability remain incompletely understood. Because animals can usually use different behavioural tactics to achieve their goals, we might expect individual differences in skill to be maintained when the available tactics require different abilities to perform well. To explore this idea, I used the producer‐scrounger (PS) paradigm, which considers interactions between foragers that may either invest effort in searching for resources (i.e. produce) or exploit others' discoveries (i.e. scrounge). Specifically, I tested whether individual differences in cognitive traits (i.e. the ability to find food) might result from a trade‐off with competitiveness (i.e. the ability to steal food) that would exert disruptive selection pressure and, as such, might explain the coexistence of condition‐dependent foraging tactics. If individuals differ in their competitiveness, with strong contestants being better able to monopolize food resources (and hence to scrounge), the model predicts that strong and weak competitors should rely more on scrounging and producing, respectively, especially when the finder's advantage is low. These findings indicate that the existence of individual differences in competitive abilities may be sufficient to explain short‐term individual foraging tactic specialization. Yet, the degree of behavioural specialization is expected to depend on both the social and ecological context. Furthermore, persistent phenotypic differences, that are necessary for stable individual specialization, require the existence of a trade‐off between competitive abilities that enable greater success as scroungers and cognitive abilities that are associated with better efficiency to detect and/or capture prey and, as such, enable greater success as producers. Therefore, this study further highlights the importance of considering the existence of alternative tactics to measure and predict the evolution of traits, including cognitive traits, within populations.
Bricolage and beyond: Bringing modern entrepreneurship theories to bear on policy entrepreneurship
Authors: Hand Mark C. , Birkhead Colin
Published: October 2023

Who makes policy change happen, and how? Public policy scholars now take more seriously the role of agency in the policy process, and in particular the role of policy entrepreneurship, a contested term built mostly from classical, economic conceptions of entrepreneurship from the mid‐20th century. In this study, we introduce policy scholars to modern theories of entrepreneurship from sociology and management scholarship, including cultural entrepreneurship, effectuation, bricolage, and entrepreneurial assembly. We show that theories connect more easily with major theories of the policy process more easily than classical theories do and argue policy scholars should make room for multiple policy entrepreneurship archetypes. We also give three examples—organizational imprinting, the small firm effect, and survivorship bias—of the readymade research agenda modern entrepreneurship theories offer to policy entrepreneurship scholars. Finally, we show how these theories help policy scholars build bridges to other political science subfields.
Selected food items adulteration, their impacts on public health, and detection methods: A review
Authors: Haji Abdulmajid , Desalegn Kasahun , Hassen Hayat
Published: October 2023

Every living thing requires food to survive. Clean, fresh, and healthy foods are important to human health. Today, food is affected by various counterfeits. Adulteration of food is the intentional deterioration of the quality of food offered for sale by either the addition or substitution of an inferior substance or by the omission of a valuable ingredient. Economically motivated adulteration is the intentional adulteration of food for financial gain, and has enormous public health implications, making it an important issue in food science. Almost every food, including milk and dairy products, fats and oils, fruits and vegetables, grain foods, coffee, tea, honey, etc., is susceptible to adulteration. It is difficult to find food that is free from adulteration. Consumption of adulterated food contributes to numerous diseases in society, ranging from mild to life threatening. Therefore, detection of adulteration in food is essential to ensure the safety of the food we consume. To provide consumers with food that is free of adulterants, various detection methods such as physical, chemical, biochemical, and molecular techniques are used to identify adulterants in food. This review aims to provide up‐to‐date information on food adulteration, its impact on health, and the analytical techniques used to detect adulteration in food.
Weathering the Storm: Planning and Building Smarter
Authors: Khalid Saba
Published: October 2023

The importance and challenge of utility distribution system strategy and planning cannot be overstated in light of climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme storms. Independent power producers, distributed energy resource (DER) providers, and retail energy providers similarly face the same challenges. The United States witnessed a record‐breaking hurricane season in 2020, resulting in staggering damages of approximately $95 billion. The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit global warming to mitigate the disastrous and costly effects of climate change. The report indicated that these events are likely to become the norm and will worsen if mitigation and adaptation measures aren't established. These events are becoming more frequent and severe, making it imperative to establish effective mitigation and adaptation measures.
The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Puzzle: A Singular and Misunderstood Commodity in World Trade
Authors: Makholm Jeff D.
Published: October 2023

The ocean‐going trade in liquefied natural gas (LNG) is more than half a century old. The first US LNG project began commercial operation in 1971. World trade in LNG arose as countries and regions with warm climates, small populations, and no ready application for such a fuel as natural gas, like Algeria, Qatar, and Western Australia, sought to monetize their local natural resources by building large export facilities (usually at state expense) targeting industrial countries with cold winters and without indigenous fossil fuels, like Japan, Korea, parts of Europe, and New England. But great costs, complexities, paradoxes, and business failures have always accompanied the international LNG trade. Age‐old rules of thumb for other commodities in world trade do not apply to LNG.
Expression of “DNA damage response” pathway genes in diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma: The potential for exploiting synthetic lethality
Authors: Mansoor Adnan , Kamran Hamza , Rizwan Hassan , Akhter Ariz , Roshan Tariq Mahmood , Shabani‐Rad Meer‐Taher , Bavi Prashant , Stewart Douglas
Published: October 2023

Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) are two of the most prevalent non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma subtypes. Despite advances, treatment resistance and patient relapse remain challenging issues. Our study aimed to scrutinize gene expression distinctions between DLBCL and FL, employing a cohort of 53 DLBCL and 104 FL samples that underwent rigorous screening for genetic anomalies. The NanoString nCounter assay evaluated 730 cancer‐associated genes, focusing on densely tumorous areas in diagnostic samples. Employing the Lymph2Cx method, we determined the cell‐of‐origin (COO) for DLBCL cases. Our meticulous analysis, facilitated by Qlucore Omics Explorer software, unveiled a substantial 37% of genes with significantly differential expression patterns between DLBCL and FL, pointing to nuanced mechanistic disparities. Investigating the impact of FL disease stage and DLBCL COO on gene expression yielded minimal differences, prompting us to direct our attention to consistently divergent genes in DLBCL. Intriguingly, our Gene Set Enrichment Analysis spotlighted 21% of these divergent genes, converging on the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, vital for cell survival and cancer evolution. Strong positive correlations among most DDR genes were noted, with key genes like BRCA1, FANCA, FEN1, PLOD1, PCNA, and RAD51 distinctly upregulated in DLBCL compared to FL and normal tissue controls. These findings were subsequently validated using RNA seq data on normal controls and DLBCL samples from public databases like The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype‐Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases, enhancing the robustness of our results. Considering the established significance of these DDR genes in solid cancer therapies, our study underscores their potential applicability in DLBCL treatment strategies. In conclusion, our investigation highlights marked gene expression differences between DLBCL and FL, with particular emphasis on the essential DDR pathway. The identification of these DDR genes as potential therapeutic targets encourages further exploration of synthetic lethality‐based approaches for managing DLBCL.
Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection 14‐day concomitant quadruple therapy versus triple therapy: A parallel double‐blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Loghmari Mohamed Hichem , Aissaoui Firas , Guediche Arwa , Bouhlel Wided , Zakhama Mejda , Chaabene Nabil B. , Rehaiem Amel , Ben Abdeljalil Nouha , Njima Manel , Zakhama Abdelfetteh , Kadri Yosr , Mastouri Maha , Safer Leila
Published: October 2023

Background and Aims

Successful Helicobacter pylori (Hp) eradication with the traditional 7‐day course of proton pump inhibitor triple therapy is declining. Prolonging therapy to 14 days is associated with better eradication rates. Most learned societies recommend concomitant quadruple therapy (QC) as a first‐line alternative therapy for this bacterial infection. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of triple therapy (TT) and QC for the eradication of Hp infection.

Methods

A parallel double‐blind randomized controlled trial was conducted. The diagnosis of Hp infection was made by pathological examination of gastric biopsies. Patients were randomly assigned to two treatment groups: either QC (esomeprazole 80 mg, amoxicillin 2000 mg, clarithromycin 1000 mg, and metronidazole 1000 mg daily) or triple therapy (esomeprazole 80 mg, amoxicillin 2000 mg, and clarithromycin 1000 mg daily in divided doses) for 14 days. The efficacy of the treatment is defined by Hp eradication attested by a negative breath test performed 6 weeks after the completion of treatment. Treatment outcomes were compared using the chi‐square test, while binary logistic regression identified predictors of treatment failure.

Results

Ninety‐two patients were included. Forty‐two patients belonged to the QC group and 50 to the TT group. No significant difference was noted between the two groups concerning the rate of Hp eradication either by intention to treat (81% vs. 72% respectively, p = 0.31) or per protocol (81.6% vs. 76.1% respectively, p = 0.54). Likewise, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of tolerance to treatment (59.5% for QC vs. 58% for TT, p = 0.88). No factor has been associated with treatment failure.

Conclusion

There was no significant difference in the rate of HP eradication between the QC and the 14‐day triple therapy. Neither regimen should be used topically because of their low eradication rates.
Incorporating climate projections in the environmental risk assessment of pesticides in aquatic ecosystems
Authors: Oldenkamp Rik , Benestad Rasmus E. , Hader John D. , Mentzel Sophie , Nathan Rory , Madsen Anders L. , Jannicke Moe S.
Published: October 2023

Global climate change will significantly impact the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems, both directly and indirectly via the exacerbation of impacts from other stressors. Pesticides form a prime example of chemical stressors that are expected to synergize with climate change. Aquatic exposures to pesticides might change in magnitude due to increased runoff from agricultural fields, and in composition, as application patterns will change due to changes in pest pressures and crop types. Any prospective chemical risk assessment that aims to capture the influence of climate change should properly and comprehensively account for the variabilities and uncertainties that are inherent to projections of future climate. This is only feasible if they probabilistically propagate extensive ensembles of climate model projections. However, current prospective risk assessments typically make use of process-based models of chemical fate that do not typically allow for such high-throughput applications. Here, we describe a Bayesian network model that does. It incorporates a two-step univariate regression model based on a 30-day antecedent precipitation index, circumventing the need for computationally laborious mechanistic models. We show its feasibility and application potential in a case study with two pesticides in a Norwegian stream: the fungicide trifloxystrobin and herbicide clopyralid. Our analysis showed that variations in pesticide application rates as well as precipitation intensity lead to variations in in-stream exposures. When relating to aquatic risks, the influence of these processes is reduced and distributions of risk are dominated by effect-related parameters. Predicted risks for clopyralid were negligible, but the probability of unacceptable future environmental risks due to exposure to trifloxystrobin (i.e., a risk quotient >1) was 8%–12%. This percentage further increased to 30%–35% when a more conservative precautionary factor of 100 instead of 30 was used. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:384–400. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
Development and validation of an artificial intelligence software for periodontal bone loss in panoramic imaging
Authors: Amasya Hakan , Jaju Prashant Prakash , Ezhov Matvey , Gusarev Maxim , Atakan Cemal , Sanders Alex , Manulius David , Golitskya Maria , Shrivastava Kriti , Singh Ajita , Gupta Anuja , Önder Merve , Orhan Kaan
Published: October 2023

This retrospective study is aimed at developing a web‐based artificial intelligence (AI) software (DiagnoCat) for periodontal bone loss detection on panoramic radiographs and evaluating the model's performance by comparing it with clinicians' results. Separate models are trained for tooth and periodontal bone loss detection. The first model's objective was to detect teeth, segmenting their masks, and to define their numbering and developed with Mask R‐CNN using pretrained ResNet‐101 as a backbone. The second model was based on Cascade R‐CNN architecture and used for bone loss prediction. Around 100 radiographs are evaluated by three clinicians regarding tooth identification and periodontal bone loss, separately. Ground truth is determined by the consensus and model's performance is evaluated with kappa, precision, recall, and F‐score statistics. For tooth conditions, the overall F‐score, accuracy, and Cohen's kappa coefficients were found to be 0.948, 0.977, and 0.933 for the binary, and 0.992, 0.988, and 0.961 for the multiclass results. For bone loss detection, the overall F‐score, accuracy, and Cohen's kappa coefficients were found to be 0.985, 0.980, and 0.956 for the binary, and 0.996, 0.993, and 0.974 for the multiclass results. The results of this study suggest that the use of a web‐based AI software (DiagnoCat) can be beneficial in detecting periodontal bone loss on panoramic radiographs.
Human selection bias drives the linear nature of the more ground truth effect in explainable deep learning optical coherence tomography image segmentation
Authors: Maloca Peter M. , Pfau Maximilian , Janeschitz‐Kriegl Lucas , Reich Michael , Goerdt Lukas , Holz Frank G. , Müller Philipp L. , Valmaggia Philippe , Fasler Katrin , Keane Pearse A. , Zarranz‐Ventura Javier , Zweifel Sandrine , Wiesendanger Jonas , Kaiser Pascal , Enz Tim J. , Rothenbuehler Simon P. , Hasler Pascal W. , Juedes Marlene , Freichel Christian , Egan Catherine , Tufail Adnan , Scholl Hendrik P. N. , Denk Nora
Published: October 2023

Supervised deep learning (DL) algorithms are highly dependent on training data for which human graders are assigned, for example, for optical coherence tomography (OCT) image annotation. Despite the tremendous success of DL, due to human judgment, these ground truth labels can be inaccurate and/or ambiguous and cause a human selection bias. We therefore investigated the impact of the size of the ground truth and variable numbers of graders on the predictive performance of the same DL architecture and repeated each experiment three times. The largest training dataset delivered a prediction performance close to that of human experts. All DL systems utilized were highly consistent. Nevertheless, the DL under‐performers could not achieve any further autonomous improvement even after repeated training. Furthermore, a quantifiable linear relationship between ground truth ambiguity and the beneficial effect of having a larger amount of ground truth data was detected and marked as the more‐ground‐truth effect.
Influence of structural parameters of 3D‐printed triply periodic minimal surface gyroid porous scaffolds on compression performance, cell response, and bone regeneration
Authors: Wang Zhenglun , Liao Bo , Liu Yongsheng , Liao Yunqian , Zhou Yu , Li Wei
Published: October 2023

In this study, multi‐scale triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) porous scaffolds with uniform and radial gradient distribution on pore size were printed based on the selective laser melting technology, and the influences of porosity, pore size and radial pore size distribution on compression mechanical properties, cell behavior, and bone regeneration behavior were analyzed. The results showed that the compression performance of the uniform porous scaffolds with high porosity was similar to that of cancellous bone of pig tibia, and the gradient porous scaffolds have higher elastic modulus and compressive toughness. After 4 days of cell culture, cells were distributed on the surface of scaffolds mostly, and the number of adherent cells was higher on the small pore size porous scaffolds; After 7 days, the area and density of cell proliferation on the scaffolds were improved; After 14 days, the cells on the small pore size scaffolds tended to migrate to adjacent pores. Animal implantation experiments showed that collagen fiber osteoid was intermittent on scaffolds with high porosity and large pore size, which was not conducive to bone formation. The appropriate pore size and porosity of bone regeneration were 792 um and 83%, respectively, and the regenerative ability of gradient pore size was better than that of uniform pore size. Our study explains the rules of TPMS gyroid structure parameters on compression performance, cell response and bone regeneration, and provides a reference value for the design of bone repair scaffolds for clinical orthopedics.
Altered Neurovascular Coupling in Patients With Mitochondrial Myopathy, Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke‐Like Episodes (MELAS): A Combined Resting‐State fMRI and Arterial Spin Labeling Study
Authors: Wang Rong , Liu Xueling , Sun Chong , Hu Bin , Yang Liqin , Liu Yiru , Geng Daoying , Lin Jie , Li Yuxin
Published: October 2023

Background

Coupling between neuronal activity and blood perfusion is termed neurovascular coupling (NVC), and it provides a potentially new mechanistic perspective into understanding numerous brain diseases. Although abnormal brain activity and blood supply have been separately reported in mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke‐like episodes (MELAS), whether anomalous NVC would be present is unclear.

Purpose

To investigate NVC changes and potential neural basis in MELAS by combining resting‐state functional MRI (rs‐fMRI) and arterial spin labeling (ASL).

Study Type

Prospective.

Subjects

Twenty‐four patients with MELAS (age: 29.8 ± 7.3 years) in the acute stage and 24 healthy controls (HCs, age: 26.4 ± 8.1 years). Additionally, 12 patients in the chronic stage were followed up.

Field Strength/Sequence

3.0 T, resting‐state gradient‐recalled echo‐planar imaging and pseudo‐continuous 3D ASL sequences.

Assessment

Amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and functional connectivity strength (FCS) were calculated from rs‐fMRI, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) was computed from ASL. Global NVC was assessed by correlation coefficients of CBF‐ALFF, CBF‐fALFF, CBF‐ReHo, and CBF‐FCS. Regional NVC was also evaluated by voxel‐wise and lesion‐wise ratios of CBF/ALFF, CBF/fALFF, CBF/ReHo, and CBF/FCS.

Statistical Tests

Two‐sample t‐test, paired‐sample t‐test, Gaussian random fields correction. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Compared with HC, MELAS patients in acute stage showed significantly reduced global CBF‐ALFF, CBF‐fALFF, CBF‐ReHo, and CBF‐FCS coupling (P < 0.001). Altered CBF/ALFF, CBF/fALFF, CBF/ReHo, and CBF/FCS ratios were found mainly distributed in the middle cerebral artery territory in MELAS patients. In addition, significantly increased NVC ratios were found in the acute stroke‐like lesions in acute stage (P < 0.001), with a recovery trend in chronic stage.

Data Conclusions

This study showed dynamic alterations in NVC in MELAS patients from acute to chronic stage, which may provide a novel insight for understanding the pathogenesis of MELAS.

Evidence Level

2

Technical Efficacy

Stage 1
Orthopedic mechanism analysis of growing rod distraction for early‐onset scoliosis based on 3D morphological parameters
Authors: Lu Da , Wu Xueqing , Zhao Yafei , Pei Baoqing , Xu Yangyang , Wu Shuqin
Published: October 2023

Traditional growing rod (TGR) provides a corrective moment for deformed segments to straighten the spine, whose clinical efficacy has proven positive and growth‐friendly. However, an insufficient understanding of orthopedic mechanisms can affect the development of clinical strategies. This research attempts to analyze the spine that has undergone four distraction operations: exploring the spinal orthopedic mechanism, including alignment, growth, and morphology. In this study, the spinal morphology curves were illustrated in three human planes to exhibit the changes in spinal alignment. The spinal growth characteristics were measured to discuss the unsynchronized and diminishing growth rate. The spinal deformations were evaluated to indicate asymmetric growth. As a result, the spinal alignment changes indicated the orthopedic process improved, but the re‐unbalance occurred after multiple distractions. Then, unsynchronized growth existed in the superior and inferior segments, and the growth rate over every distraction diminished. Finally, asymmetric growth was indicated as the axial/circumferential growth ratio getting greater and the cuneate level approaching normal. Accordingly, a TGR is growth‐friendly, but combining the osteotomy fusion of lumbar segments for severe early‐onset scoliosis may be an excellent choice to solve the insufficient corrective stimulation. Regarding the distraction process, reshaping before the final fusion can fix the balance loss, and a prolonged distraction frequency fits the law of diminishing return. In conclusion, studying orthopedic mechanisms based on morphological measurement can guide clinical strategy optimization.
Glacier thinning, recession and advance, and the associated evolution of a glacial lake between 1966 and 2021 atAusterdalsbreen, westernNorway
Authors: Seier Gernot , Abermann Jakob , Andreassen Liss M. , Carrivick Jonathan L. , Kielland Pål H. , Löffler Karina , Nesje Atle , Robson Benjamin A. , Røthe Torgeir O. , Scheiber Thomas , Winkler Stefan , Yde Jacob C.
Published: October 2023

The Jostedalsbreen is the largest ice cap in Norway and mainland Europe. Rapid retreat of many of its outlet glaciers since the 2000s has led to the formation of several glacial lakes. Processes causing the formation and expansion of glacial lakes and their interaction with a glacier and terminal moraine have not been widely addressed yet. In this study, we investigate the degradation of the front of the southeast‐facing outlet glacier Austerdalsbreen. Based on a variety of remotely sensed data (UAV‐based and airborne orthophotos and DEMs, satellite images), we analyze the coincident glacial and proglacial changes of Austerdalsbreen and quantify the evolution of this transition zone during the last decades. In particular, we focus on the short‐term evolution of the glacial lake since 2010, we examine the context of a glacier advance in the 1990s, and we report long‐term changes by utilizing 1960s imagery. We discuss the evolution and conditions of Austerdalsbreen compared to other outlet glaciers of Jostedalsbreen. Overall, the glacier terminus has experienced a recession in the last decades. The 1990s terminus advance was more restricted than at other nearby outlet glaciers due to glacier surface debris cover, which is a critical factor for the glacier and lake evolution. However, in the most recent period, since 2012, a distinct expansion of a glacial lake is quantifiable. Since the rates of glacier surface lowering also considerably increased since approximately 2017 and the glacier retreated since the beginning of the 2000s with a clear maximum length decrease in 2015, we interpret the recently formed glacial lake as a contributory factor of glacial changes.
Experimental Demonstration of Quantum Steering Swapping with Gaussian Entangled States
Authors: Wang Na , Wang Meihong , Tian Caixing , Deng Xiaowei , Su Xiaolong
Published: October 2023

As a key element in quantum repeaters, entanglement swapping establishes entanglement between two independent entangled states. Besides entanglement, quantum steering has been identified as an essential quantum resource and has broad applications in quantum communication. Although entanglement swapping has been realized experimentally, quantum steering swapping still remains a challenge since the condition of quantum steering is stronger than that of entanglement. In this article, quantum steering swapping between a three‐mode and a two‐mode Gaussian entangled state in a lossy channel is demonstrated. By choosing the optimum gain in the classical channel that corresponds to the maximum transmission distance, the one‐way and two‐way steerabilities in a new three‐mode Gaussian state located in distant nodes are achieved. The obtained collective steerability from two users to one user has potential application in quantum secret sharing. The results make a crucial step toward applications of quantum steering in asymmetric quantum information processing.
Improving Mixing by Changing Topology Through Intermeshed Perturbation Rings in A Co‐Rotating Non‐Twin Screw Channel
Authors: Xu Baiping , Liang Ruifeng , Xiao Shuping , Feng Yanhong , Yu Huiwen
Published: October 2023

A new kind of perturbation ring element (PRE) is first proposed to introduce a repetitive topology of splitting and recombination across the intermeshing zones of a co‐rotating non‐twin screw elements (NTSE) with a speed ratio of 2. A numerical simulation is performed using finite element method (FEM) along with the mesh superposition technique (MST). Post‐treatment codes are successfully developed where fourth‐order Runge–Kutta scheme is used to achieve particle tracking. For the tracer particle groups released initially from the upper and bottom intermeshing regions, mixing is characterized in terms of the evolution of tracer particles, mixing variance index, and residence time distribution (RTD). The numerical results revealed for a given output, the larger the screw speed, the larger the dividing ratio, and the better distributive mixing is. PRE achieved the best distributive mixing owing to the changing of flow topology. In TSE there are Komogorov‐Arnold‐Moser (KAM) tubes in which the tracer particles are confined to prevent better mixing from occurring.
Rapid changes in age structure, mortality, and escapement accompanied stock recovery of the estuarine Red Drum population of Texas
Authors: Anderson Joel , Fisher Mark , Weixelman Roberta , Beeken Nicolette
Published: October 2023

Objective

We analyzed a fishery-independent catch time series in the context of predicted historical age structure of Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus for the years 1980–2019. This time series roughly coincided with closure of the commercial fishery in Texas (in 1981) and federal waters (in 1987). Changes in size and age were used to estimate changes in mortality and offshore escapement.

Methods

Otoliths collected from Red Drum between 1997 and 2015 in Texas were used to create seasonal length-at-age growth functions, which were then used to estimate ages (based on total length) of all Red Drum encountered in fishery-independent gill-net samples collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department during 1980–2019 (total n = 311,150). Temporal changes in observed body size and overall catch were used to predict annualized changes in mean age, mortality, and offshore escapement of the estuarine population.

Result

The initial 14-year period (1980–1993) was characterized by rapid increases in mean catch per hour and mean total length (mm) in fishery-independent samples, followed by relative stability for the remainder of the time series. There was a 55% increase in estimated mean age of Red Drum when comparing 1980 (mean age = 0.84 year) to 2019 (1.30 years). There were also rapid and significant declines in total mortality (Z; estimated via catch curves) and increases in offshore escapement (estimated indirectly from mortality) in the initial recovery period.

Conclusion

The current estuarine population of Red Drum in Texas is significantly larger and older than it was at the onset of fishery management measures, and offshore escapement is annually well above the current target level of 30% set by the federal fisheries management plan. These findings suggest that regulations put into effect starting in the 1980s have succeeded in recovering the estuarine Red Drum population in Texas.
Low‐loss all‐solid antiresonant fiber for flat‐top beam generation
Authors: Lu Guangwei , Liu Shuang , Chen Mengmeng , Zhang Zuxing
Published: October 2023

We report a novel kind of antiresonant fiber for flat‐top beam generation with all‐solid configuration. The fiber core introduces a square antiresonance structure with low‐high‐low refractive index distribution, achieving homogenization of the beam profile through its light guidance on the optical field. Attributed to the antiresonant structure, the all‐solid antiresonant fiber transmits the flat‐top beam with very low confinement loss and large mode area. And it generates and transmits flat‐top beam with low loss in wavelength range from 1200 nm to 2200 nm. This would open up the application of antiresonance fiber in beam shaping.
An overview of multiomics: a powerful tool applied in cancer molecular subtyping for cancer therapy
Authors: Zou Yazhu , Zhao Zitong , Song Yongmei
Published: October 2023

During the process of carcinogenesis and tumor progression, various molecular alternations occur in different omics levels. In recent years, multiomics approaches including genomics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, single‐cell omics, and spatial omics have been applied in mapping diverse omics profiles of cancers. The development of high‐throughput technologies such as sequencing and mass spectrometry has revealed different omics levels of tumor cells or tissues separately. While focusing on a single omics level results in a lack of accuracy, joining multiple omics approaches together undoubtedly benefits accurate molecular subtyping and precision medicine for cancer patients. With the deepening of tumor research in recent years, taking pathological classification as the only criterion of diagnosis and predicting prognosis and treatment response is found to be not accurate enough. Therefore, identifying precise molecular subtypes by exploring the molecular alternations during tumor occurrence and development is of vital importance. The review provides an overview of the advanced technologies and recent progress in multiomics applied in cancer molecular subtyping and detailedly explains the application of multiomics in identifying cancer driver genes and metastasis‐related genes, exploring tumor microenvironment, and selecting liquid biopsy biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets.