bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of a potential Chlamydia vaccine in the USA: mathematical modelling analyses
Authors: Makhoul Monia , Ayoub Houssein H , Awad Susanne F , Chemaitelly Hiam , Abu-Raddad Laith J
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Chlamydia trachomatis(CT) infection is a global health challenge. New approaches are needed to control CT disease burden.

Methods

An age-structured deterministic mathematical model calibrated to nationally representative population-based data was developed to investigate the impact of CT vaccination on the population of the USA if a vaccine becomes available. The model’s parameters were chosen based on current knowledge from the literature on CT’s natural history and epidemiology. The model’s calibration used age-specific CT prevalence data sourced from the biannual rounds of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. The reported data are based on the outcomes generated by the model’s simulations.

Results

Over a 10-year period, vaccinating 80% of individuals aged 15–49 with a vaccine that reduces by 50% susceptibility to infection (VES=50%), infectiousness (VEI=50%) or duration of infection (VEP=50%) resulted, respectively, in 36.3%, 26.5% and 42.1% reduction in CT prevalence, and 38.8%, 28.6% and 24.1% reduction in CT incidence rate. Number of averted infections was 11 346 000, 7 583 000 and 6 012 000, respectively. When efficacies acted together (VES=VEI=VEP=50%), CT prevalence and incidence rate were reduced by 66.3% and 61.0%, respectively. Number of vaccinations needed to avert one infection was 17.7 forVES=50%, 26.5 forVEI=50%, 33.4 forVEP=50%and 12.0 forVES=VEI=VEP=50%. Vaccinating individuals aged 15–19 and at highest risk of infection was most effective, requiring only 7.7 and 1.8 vaccinations to prevent one infection, respectively. Vaccination benefits were larger beyond 10 years.

Conclusion

A moderately efficacious CT vaccine can significantly reduce CT disease burden. Targeting specific populations can maximise cost-effectiveness. Additional potential ‘breakthrough’ effects of the vaccine on infectiousness and duration of infection could greatly increase its impact. CT vaccine development and implementation should be a public health priority.
Sulforaphane activates CD8+T cells antitumor response through IL-12RB2/MMP3/FasL-induced MDSCs apoptosis’
Authors: Liu Jinyan , Chen Huanan , Guo Caijuan , Li Jieyao , Li Miaomiao , Zhao Ming , Fu Ziyi , Zhang Zhen , Li Feng , Zhao Xuan , Yang Li , Wang Liping , Lv Quanjun , Zhang Yi
Published: January 2024

Background

Extensive attention has been given to the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in driving tumor progression and treatment failure. Preclinical studies have identified multiple agents that eliminate MDSCs. However, none have been authorized in the cliniccal ues due to the safety reasons. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy and mechanism of sulforaphane (SFN) to eliminate MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Methods

We monitored SFN effect on tumor growth and the percents or apoptosis of immune cell subsets in mice models bearing LLC or B16 cells. Flow cytometry, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, immunofluorescence, imaging flow cytometry and western blot were performed to validate the role of SFN on MDSCs function in vivo and in vitro. RNA sequencing was then used to interrogate the mechanisms of how SFN regulated MDSCs function. Tumor xenograft models were established to evaluate the involvement of IL-12RB2/MMP3/FasL induced MDSCs apoptosis in vivo. We verified the effect of SFN on MDSCs and CD8+T cells in the blood samples from a phase I clinical trial (KY-2021–0350).

Results

In this study, we elucidated that SFN liberated CD8+T-cell antitumor ability by reducing MDSCs abundance, leading to repressed tumor growth. SFN treatment suppressed MDSCs accumulation in the peripheral blood and tumor sites of mice, but had no effect on the bone marrow. Mechanistically, SFN activates IL-12RB2, which stimulates the MMP3/FasL signaling cascade to trigger caspase 3 cleavage and induce apoptosis in MDSCs. Clinically, SFN treatment eliminates peripheral MDSCs and increases the percentage and activation of CD8+T cells.

Conclusions

Collectively, we uncovered the role of SFN in eliminating MDSCs to emancipate CD8+T cells through IL-12RB2/MMP3/FasL induced apoptosis, thus providing a strategy for targeting MDSCs to control tumors and improve clinical efficacy.
Harmonising green informed consent with autonomous clinical decision-making: a reply to Resnik and Pugh
Authors: Cohen Eva Sayone , Kringos Dionne Sofia , Hehenkamp Wouter Johan Karel , Richie Cristina
Published: January 2024

Resnik and Pugh recently explored the ethical implications of routinely integrating environmental concerns into clinical decision-making. While we share their concern for the holistic well-being of patients, our response offers a different clinical and bioethical stance on green informed consent and patient autonomy. Contrary to the authors’ lack of data to support their concerns about provider and patient willingness to engage in climate-related conversations, we provide evidence supporting their sustainability engagement and stress the importance of a proactive, anticipatory approach in healthcare to align with evolving societal values. If climate change is perceived as a politicised issue, though it is not inherently so, healthcare providers are professionally trained to address sensitive subjects and have a duty to inform patients about potential health risks. Recognising the environmental crisis as a health crisis underscores the direct connection between environmental hazards and patients’ well-being. Our perspective advocates for integrating individual considerations, societal responsibilities and systemic changes to promote environmentally sustainable healthcare.
ZNF142mutation causes sex-dependent neurologic disorder
Authors: Proskorovski-Ohayon Regina , Eskin-Schwartz Marina , Shorer Zamir , Kadir Rotem , Halperin Daniel , Drabkin Max , Yogev Yuval , Aharoni Sarit , Hadar Noam , Cohen Hagit , Eremenko Ekaterina , Perez Yonatan , Birk Ohad S
Published: January 2024

Background

Sex-specific predilection in neurological diseases caused by mutations in autosomal genes is a phenomenon whose molecular basis is poorly understood. We studied females of consanguineous Bedouin kindred presenting with severe global developmental delay and epilepsy.

Methods

Linkage analysis, whole exome sequencing, generation of CRISPR/cas9 knock-in mice, mouse behaviour and molecular studies

Results

Linkage analysis and whole exome sequencing studies of the affected kindred delineated a ~5 Mbp disease-associated chromosome 2q35 locus, containing a novel homozygous frameshift truncating mutation inZNF142, in line with recent studies depicting similarZNF142putative loss-of-function human phenotypes with female preponderance. We generated knock-in mice with a truncating mutation adjacent to the human mutation in the mouse ortholog. Behaviour studies of homozygousZfp142R1508*mice showed significant phenotype only in mutant females, with learning and memory deficits, hyperactivity and aberrant loss of fear of open spaces. Bone marrow and spleen of homozygousZfp142R1508*mice showed depletion of lymphoid and haematopoietic cells, mostly in females. RT-PCR showed lower expression ofZpf142in brain compartments of female versus male wild-type mice. RNA-seq studies of hippocampus, hypothalamus, cortex and cerebellum of female wild-type versus homozygousZfp142R1508*mice demonstrated differentially expressed genes. Notably, expression ofTaok1in the cortex and ofMllt6in the hippocampus was downregulated in homozygousZfp142R1508*mice.Taok1mutations have been associated with aberrant neurodevelopment and behaviour.Mllt6expression is regulated by sex hormones andMllt6null-mutant mice present with haematopoietic, immune system and female-specific behaviour phenotypes.

Conclusion

ZNF142mutation downregulatesMllt6andTaok1,causing a neurodevelopmental phenotype in humans and mice with female preponderance.
Gut Microbiome and Stroke: a Bidirectional Mendelian Randomisation Study in East Asian and European Populations
Authors: Cheng Shiyao , Zheng Hao , Wei Yuandan , Lin Xingchen , Gu Yuqin , Guo Xinxin , Fan Zhe , Li Hao , Cheng Si , Liu Siyang
Published: January 2024

Background and aims

Observational studies have implicated the involvement of gut microbiome in stroke development. Conversely, stroke may disrupt the gut microbiome balance, potentially causing systemic infections exacerbated brain infarction. However, the causal relationship remains controversial or unknown. To investigate bidirectional causality and potential ethnic differences, we conducted a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) study in both East Asian (EAS) and European (EU) populations.

Methods

Leveraging the hitherto largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data from the MiBioGen Consortium (n=18 340, EU) and BGI (n=2524, EAS) for the gut microbiome, stroke GWAS data from the GIGASTROKE Consortium(264 655 EAS and 1 308 460 EU), we conducted bidirectional MR and sensitivity analyses separately for the EAS and EU population.

Results

We identified nominally significant associations between 85 gut microbiomes taxa in EAS and 64 gut microbiomes taxa in EU with stroke or its subtypes. Following multiple testing, we observed that genetically determined 1 SD increase in the relative abundance of speciesBacteroides pectinophilusdecreased the risk of cardioembolic stroke onset by 28% (OR 0.72 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.84); p=4.22e−5), and that genetically determined 1 SD increase in classNegativicutesresulted in a 0.76% risk increase in small vessel stroke in EAS. No significant causal association was identified in the EU population and the reverse MR analysis.

Conclusion

Our study revealed subtype-specific and population-specific causal associations between gut microbiome and stroke risk among EAS and EU populations. The identified causality holds promise for developing a new stroke prevention strategy, warrants further mechanistic validation and necessitates clinical trial studies.
Thrombolysis for ischaemic stroke despite direct oral anticoagulation
Authors: Purrucker Jan C. , Meinel Thomas R. , Wilson Duncan , Xian Ying , Wu Teddy Y. , Seiffge David J.
Published: January 2024

Intravenous thrombolysis is not recommended in anticoagulated patients receiving direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and a recent intake within the last 48 hours in US and European guidelines. However, three observational studies now suggest safety of thrombolysis in patients with recent intake of DOACs, and thus support previous experimental data. In this perspective, the current evidence and practical consequences are discussed.
Intravenous tenecteplase compared with alteplase for minor ischaemic stroke: a secondary analysis of the AcT randomised clinical trial
Authors: Nair Radhika , Singh Nishita , Kate Mahesh , Asdaghi Negar , Sarmiento Robert , Bala Fouzi , Coutts Shelagh B , Horn MacKenzie , Poppe Alexandre Y , Williams Heather , Ademola Ayoola , Alhabli Ibrahim , Benali Faysal , Khosravani Houman , Hunter Gary , Tkach Aleksander , Manosalva Alzate Herbert Alejandro , Pikula Aleksandra , Field Thalia , Trivedi Anurag , Dowlatshahi Dar , Catanese Luciana , Shuaib Ashfaq , Demchuk Andrew , Sajobi Tolulope , Almekhlafi Mohammed A , Swartz Richard H , Menon Bijoy , Buck Brian H
Published: January 2024

Background

In ischaemic stroke, minor deficits (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) ≤5) at presentation are common but often progress, leaving patients with significant disability. We compared the efficacy and safety of intravenous thrombolysis with tenecteplase versus alteplase in patients who had a minor stroke enrolled in the Alteplase Compared to Tenecteplase in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke (AcT) trial.

Methods

The AcT trial included individuals with ischaemic stroke, aged >18 years, who were eligible for standard-of-care intravenous thrombolysis. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to intravenous tenecteplase (0.25 mg/kg) or alteplase (0.9 mg/kg). Patients with minor deficits pre-thrombolysis were included in this post-hoc exploratory analysis. The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of patients with a modified Rankin Score (mRS) of 0–1 at 90–120 days. Safety outcomes included mortality and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH).

Results

Of the 378 patients enrolled in AcT with an NIHSS of ≤5, the median age was 71 years, 39.7% were women; 194 (51.3%) received tenecteplase and 184 (48.7%) alteplase. The primary outcome (mRS score 0–1) occurred in 100 participants (51.8%) in the tenecteplase group and 86 (47.5 %) in the alteplase group (adjusted risk ratio (RR) 1.14 (95% CI 0.92 to 1.40)). There were no significant differences in the rates of sICH (2.9% in tenecteplase vs 3.3% in alteplase group, unadjusted RR 0.79 (0.24 to 2.54)) and death within 90 days (5.5% in tenecteplase vs 11% in alteplase group, adjusted HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.02)).

Conclusion

In this post-hoc analysis of patients with minor stroke enrolled in the AcT trial, safety and efficacy outcomes with tenecteplase 0.25 mg/kg were not different from alteplase 0.9 mg/kg.
Trendelenburg position for acute anterior circulation ischaemic stroke with large artery atherosclerosis aetiology (HOPES 3): rationale and design
Authors: Li Xiaoqiu , Guo Zhenni , Wang Lu , Wang Yue , Nguyen Thanh , Yang Yi , Chen Hui-Sheng
Published: January 2024

Rationale

The effect of the head position as a non-pharmacological therapy on acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) remains inconclusive. Our recent Head dOwn-Position for acutE moderate ischaemic Stroke with large artery atherosclerosis (HOPES 2) suggested the safety, feasibility and potential benefit of the head-down position (HDP) in AIS.

Aim

To investigate the benefit of HDP in acute moderate ischaemic stroke patients with large artery atherosclerosis (LAA).

Sample size estimates

Based on a two-sided 0.05 level of significance, 600 patients are expected to yield the superiority hypothesis with 80% power, stratified by age, sex, history of diabetes, baseline systolic blood pressure, location of index vessel, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score at randomisation, onset to randomisation time, progression to moderate neurological deficit due to early neurological deterioration and degree of responsible vessel stenosis.

Design

Head dOwn-Position for acutE moderate ischaemic Stroke with large artery atherosclerosis(HOPES 3) is a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint and multicentre study. Eligible patients who had an ischaemic stroke will be randomly assigned (1:1) into the HDP group receiving −20° Trendelenburg plus standard medical care in compliance with national guidelines, or control group only receiving standard medical care in compliance with national guidelines.

Outcome

The primary outcome is favourable functional outcome, defined as modified Rankin Scale 0–2 at 90 days. Safety outcomes are HDP-related adverse events. All outcomes will have blinded assessment and will be analysed on the intention-to-treat basis.

Conclusions

The results of HOPES 3 will provide evidence for the effect of HDP in acute moderate ischaemic stroke patients with LAA within 24 hours of onset or in patients with progression from mild neurological deficit within 24 hours.

Trial registration number

NCT06010641
.
Identifying the systemic importance and systemic vulnerability of financial institutions based on portfolio similarity correlation network
Authors: Shao Manjin , Fan Hong
Published: January 2024

The indirect correlation among financial institutions, stemming from similarities in their portfolios, is a primary driver of systemic risk. However, most existing research overlooks the influence of portfolio similarity among various types of financial institutions on this risk. Therefore, we construct the network of portfolio similarity correlations among different types of financial institutions, based on measurements of portfolio similarity. Utilizing the expanded fire sale contagion model, we offer a comprehensive assessment of systemic risk for Chinese financial institutions. Initially, we introduce indicators for systemic risk, systemic importance, and systemic vulnerability. Subsequently, we examine the cross-sectional and time-series characteristics of these institutions’ systemic importance and vulnerability within the context of the portfolio similarity correlation network. Our empirical findings reveal a high degree of portfolio similarity between banks and insurance companies, contrasted with lower similarity between banks and securities firms. Moreover, when considering the portfolio similarity correlation network, both the systemic importance and vulnerability of Chinese banks and insurance companies surpass those of securities firms in both cross-sectional and temporal dimensions. Notably, our analysis further illustrates that a financial institution’s systemic importance and vulnerability are strongly and positively associated with the magnitude of portfolio similarity between that institution and others.
Account credibility inference based on news-sharing networks
Authors: Truong Bao Tran , Allen Oliver Melbourne , Menczer Filippo
Published: January 2024

The spread of misinformation poses a threat to the social media ecosystem. Effective countermeasures to mitigate this threat require that social media platforms be able to accurately detect low-credibility accounts even before the content they share can be classified as misinformation. Here we present methods to infer account credibility from information diffusion patterns, in particular leveraging two networks: the reshare network, capturing an account’s trust in other accounts, and the bipartite account-source network, capturing an account’s trust in media sources. We extend network centrality measures and graph embedding techniques, systematically comparing these algorithms on data from diverse contexts and social media platforms. We demonstrate that both kinds of trust networks provide useful signals for estimating account credibility. Some of the proposed methods yield high accuracy, providing promising solutions to promote the dissemination of reliable information in online communities. Two kinds of homophily emerge from our results: accounts tend to have similar credibility if they reshare each other’s content or share content from similar sources. Our methodology invites further investigation into the relationship between accounts and news sources to better characterize misinformation spreaders.
An alternative numerical solution for the Orr–Sommerfeld problem
Authors: Barletta Antonio , Brandão Pedro Vayssière , Celli Michele
Published: January 2024

A simple tutorial for the numerical solution of the Orr–Sommerfeld problem is presented. The aim is the determination of the neutral stability threshold to the linear instability for the Poiseuille flow within a plane parallel channel. Such an instability is hydrodynamic in nature as it is driven by the advection term in the local momentum balance equation. The numerical solution is achieved by a spectral method. The basis functions are chosen as Chebyshev polynomials multiplied by a suitable overall factor meant to allow the fulfilment of the boundary conditions. The details of the numerical code implemented via the Mathematica software environment are also provided. A comparison with other numerical solutions of the same problem implemented via the tau-method is presented.
Research on Effective Wind Speed Estimation and Prediction Method Based on Wind Turbine Driven Pumping Unit
Authors: Niu Haixia , Zhang Chunyou , Gao Xiaolong , Lu Xinfeng , Rui Xue
Published: January 2024

This paper takes the wind turbine of the new energy pumping unit as the study subject, which mainly analyzes realistic wind speed estimation on the windward side of the wind turbine and then proposes a wind turbine speed control method based on wind speed estimation. The support vector regression (SVR) model is built first in this study, and the parameters of the SVR model are optimized by the particle swarm algorithm. The SVR II wind speed prediction model is constructed and the working characteristic curve of the wind turbine is generated by gathering wind speed and output power data from the wind turbine at the assigned test location. The prediction model can compensate for the disturbance of system inertia and make the output wind speed more accurate. The effective wind speed acting on the turbine surface can be obtained by substituting the predicted wind speed into the optimal blade tip velocity ratio equation. Suppose the wind turbine is in maximum power tracking control. In that case, the optimal speed can be given directly by the model SCR III, and the speed can be tracked in real-time by the controller to accomplish the largest wind power capture. The optimal speed tracking control uses the calculated effective wind speed if the wind turbine is under constant power output control. In this paper, 14,000 sets of characteristic samples were extracted within the range of wind speed variation of 4–20[Formula: see text]m/s, and model verification was carried out for models SVR-I, SVR-II and SVR-III. Finally, the predicted effective wind speed value and the actual value are within ±0.3[Formula: see text]m/s of each other. In practical engineering applications, the forecasted effective wind speed value can entirely substitute the actual value. This work put forward a maximum power tracking control approach that can satisfy new energy pumping units’ energy conservation needs.
Pedestrian models with congestion effects
Authors: Aceves-Sánchez Pedro , Bailo Rafael , Degond Pierre , Mercier Zoé
Published: January 2024

We study the validity of the dissipative Aw–Rascle system as a macroscopic model for pedestrian dynamics. The model uses a congestion term (a singular diffusion term) to enforce capacity constraints in the crowd density while inducing a steering behavior. Furthermore, we introduce a semi-implicit, structure-preserving, and asymptotic-preserving numerical scheme which can handle the numerical solution of the model efficiently. We perform the first numerical simulations of the dissipative Aw–Rascle system in one and two dimensions. We demonstrate the efficiency of the scheme in solving an array of numerical experiments, and we validate the model, ultimately showing that it correctly captures the fundamental diagram of pedestrian flow.
PHYSICS-INFORMED DEEP AI SIMULATION FOR FRACTAL INTEGRO-DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION
Authors: LI XUEJUAN , ZHAO RUI
Published: January 2024

Fractal integro-differential equations (IDEs) can describe the effect of local microstructure on a complex physical problem, however, the traditional numerical methods are not suitable for solving the new-born models with the fractal integral and fractal derivative. Here we show that deep learning can be used to solve the bottleneck. By the two-scale transformation, the fractal IDE is first approximately converted to its traditional integro-differential partner, which is further converted to a differential equation system by introducing an auxiliary variable to remove the integral operation. Moreover, a flexible adaptive technology is adopted to deal with the loss weights of a deep learning neural network. A fractal Volterra IDE is used to show the effectiveness and simplicity of this new physics-informed deep AI simulation model. All results indicate the AI simulation model has good robustness and convergence, and the fractal Volterra IDE might explore the different properties of viscoelasticity for a porous medium.
A Novel Straight Beam Element for Lateral-Distortional Deformation Analysis of Frames and Curved Beams Made of Monosymmetric I-Sections
Authors: Liu Y. Z. , Yang Y. B. , Liu X. H. , Guo D. Z. , Xu H.
Published: January 2024

Conventional beam elements ignoring distortion may overestimate the lateral resistance of frames and curved beams made of monosymmetric I-sections. This paper introduces two new distortional modes represented by mechanical couples relative to twisting and shearing of the two flanges that are opposite in directions but unequal in magnitudes. A straight beam element with nine degrees of freedom (DOFs) per node, including the conventional three translations, three rotations, warping and the new two distortions, is newly derived. This allows all the DOFs of the connected elements at a common joint to be easily transformed to the global coordinates for stiffness assembly. As a result, the warping–distortion compatibility problem that occurs in frames and curved beams is resolved. In the numerical examples, the results produced by the present beam element is demonstrated to agree excellently with the shell-element solutions for the lateral-distortional deformation of the angled frame and curved beam. It is observed that the cross-sectional distortion effect becomes extremely significant for angled frames of short unbraced length and for curved beams of high curvature.
Cyberbullying Detection Model for Arabic Text Using Deep Learning
Authors: Albayari Reem , Abdallah Sherief , Shaalan Khaled
Published: January 2024

In the new era of digital communications, cyberbullying is a significant concern for society. Cyberbullying can negatively impact stakeholders and can vary from psychological to pathological, such as self-isolation, depression and anxiety potentially leading to suicide. Hence, detecting any act of cyberbullying in an automated manner will be helpful for stakeholders to prevent any unfortunate results from the victim’s perspective. Data-driven approaches, such as machine learning (ML), particularly deep learning (DL), have shown promising results. However, the meta-analysis shows that ML approaches, particularly DL, have not been extensively studied for the Arabic text classification of cyberbullying. Therefore, in this study, we conduct a performance evaluation and comparison for various DL algorithms (LSTM, GRU, LSTM-ATT, CNN-BLSTM, CNN-LSTM and LSTM-TCN) on different datasets of Arabic cyberbullying to obtain more precise and dependable findings. As a result of the models’ evaluation, a hybrid DL model is proposed that combines the best characteristics of the baseline models CNN, BLSTM and GRU for identifying cyberbullying. The proposed hybrid model improves the accuracy of all the studied datasets and can be integrated into different social media sites to automatically detect cyberbullying from Arabic social datasets. It has the potential to significantly reduce cyberbullying. The application of DL to cyberbullying detection problems within Arabic text classification can be considered a novel approach due to the complexity of the problem and the tedious process involved, besides the scarcity of relevant research studies.
Anytime-valid off-policy Inference for Contextual Bandits
Authors: Waudby-Smith Ian , Wu Lili , Ramdas Aaditya , Karampatziakis Nikos , Mineiro Paul
Published: January 2024

Contextual bandit algorithms are ubiquitous tools for active sequential experimentation in healthcare and the tech industry. They involve online learning algorithms that adaptively learn policies over time to map observed contexts

X
t

to actions

A
t

in an attempt to maximize stochastic rewards

R
t

. This adaptivity raises interesting but hard statistical inference questions, especially counterfactual ones: for example, it is often of interest to estimate the properties of a hypothetical policy that is different from the logging policy that was used to collect the data—a problem known as “off-policy evaluation” (OPE). Using modern martingale techniques, we present a comprehensive framework for OPE inference that relaxes unnecessary conditions made in some past works (such as performing inference at prespecified sample sizes, uniformly bounded importance weights, constant logging policies, and constant policy values, among others), significantly improving on them both theoretically and empirically. Importantly, our methods can be employed while the original experiment is still running (that is, not necessarily post hoc), when the logging policy may be itself changing (due to learning), and even if the context distributions are a highly dependent time series (such as if they are drifting over time). More concretely, we derive confidence sequences for various functionals of interest in OPE. These include doubly robust ones for time-varying off-policy mean reward values, but also confidence bands for the entire cumulative distribution function of the off-policy reward distribution. All of our methods (a) are valid at arbitrary stopping times; (b) only make nonparametric assumptions; (c) do not require importance weights to be uniformly bounded, and if they are, we do not need to know these bounds; and (d) adapt to the empirical variance of our estimators. In summary, our methods enable anytime-valid off-policy inference using adaptively collected contextual bandit data.
Perception and Action Augmentation for Teleoperation Assistance in Freeform Telemanipulation
Authors: Lin Tsung-Chi , Krishnan Achyuthan Unni , Li Zhi
Published: January 2024

Teleoperation enables controlling complex robot systems remotely, providing the ability to impart human expertise from a distance. However, these interfaces can be complicated to use as it is difficult to contextualize information about robot motion in the workspace from the limited camera feedback. Thus, it is required to study the best manner in which assistance can be provided to the operator that reduces interface complexity and effort required for teleoperation. Some techniques that provide assistance to the operator while freeform teleoperating include: (1) perception augmentation, like augmented reality visual cues and additional camera angles, increasing the information available to the operator; (2) action augmentation, like assistive autonomy and control augmentation, optimized to reduce the effort required by the operator while teleoperating. In this article, we investigate: (1) which aspects of dexterous telemanipulation require assistance; (2) the impact of perception and action augmentation in improving teleoperation performance; and (3) what factors impact the usage of assistance and how to tailor these interfaces based on the operators’ needs and characteristics. The findings from this user study and resulting post-study surveys will help identify task-based and user-preferred perception and augmentation features for teleoperation assistance.
Three – Dimensionally Ordered Macroporous Amorphous C/TiO2 Composite Electrodes for Lithium-ion Batteries
Authors: Carroll Aoife , Grant Alex , Zhang Yan , Gulzar Umair , Ahad Syed Abdul , Geaney Hugh , O’Dwyer Colm
Published: January 2024

A facile method utilizing colloidal templating and sucrose as a carbon precursor is used to synthesize highly ordered, porous inverse opal structures as C/TiO2 nanocomposites. Material characterization shows amorphous TiO2 and a large pore size of ∼400 nm allowing for enhanced electrolyte penetration. C/TiO2 inverse opals materials as electrodes in Li-ion battery half cells demonstrate discharge and charge capacities of ∼870 mAh g−1 and 470 mAh g−1, respectively, at a current density of 150 mA g−1. The enhanced capacities, which surpass theoretical limits for TiO2 and carbon based on intercalation reactions, are analyzed under voltammetric conditions to assess relative contributions to capacity from diffusion-limited intercalation and capacitive charge compensation reactions. The porous structure contributes to excellent capacity retention, rate performance and improved Coulombic efficiency (99.6% after 250 cycles), compared to individual carbon and TiO2 inverse opals.
Weighted Subspace Fuzzy Clustering with Adaptive Projection
Authors: Zhou Jie , Huang Chucheng , Gao Can , Wang Yangbo , Shen Xinrui , Wu Xu
Published: January 2024

Available subspace clustering methods often contain two stages, finding low-dimensional subspaces of data and then conducting clustering in the subspaces. Therefore, how to find the subspaces that better represent the original data becomes a research challenge. However, most of the reported methods are based on the premise that the contributions of different features are equal, which may not be ideal for real scenarios, i.e., the contributions of the important features may be overwhelmed by a large amount of redundant features. In this study, a weighted subspace fuzzy clustering (WSFC) model with a locality preservation mechanism is presented, which can adaptively capture the importance of different features, achieve an optimal lower-dimensional subspace, and perform fuzzy clustering simultaneously. Since each feature can be well quantified in terms of its importance, the proposed model exhibits the sparsity and robustness of fuzzy clustering. The intrinsic geometrical structures of data can also be preserved while enhancing the interpretability of clustering tasks. Extensive experimental results show that WSFC can allocate appropriate weights to different features according to data distributions and clustering tasks and achieve superior performance compared to other clustering models on real-world datasets.
Figure S4 from A Revised Molecular Model of Ovarian Cancer Biomarker CA125 (MUC16) Enabled by Long-read Sequencing
Authors: Wang Chien-Wei , Weaver Simon D. , Boonpattrawong Nicha , Schuster-Little Naviya , Patankar Manish , Whelan Rebecca J.
Published: January 2024

Proteomic analysis of immunoaffinity-free enriched MUC16. Identified MUC16 peptides from ascites-derived MUC16 from three patients (A) Patient 1, (B) Patient 2, (C) Patient 3. The repeat domains are each represented by a horizontal line, and the amino acid position within the repeat is on the x-axis. Repeats shown in green (8-12) are the five repeats not included in the NM_024690.2 sequence (MUC16 isoform 4). Rectangles represent peptides, where the pink peptides are unique to repeats 8-12 (map to nowhere else in MUC16) and blue peptides are not unique to repeats 8-12. All peptides shown are unique to MUC16 (map to nowhere else in the proteome).
Figure S2 from A Revised Molecular Model of Ovarian Cancer Biomarker CA125 (MUC16) Enabled by Long-read Sequencing
Authors: Wang Chien-Wei , Weaver Simon D. , Boonpattrawong Nicha , Schuster-Little Naviya , Patankar Manish , Whelan Rebecca J.
Published: January 2024

Gel image of cDNA products from RT-PCR from patient tumors. (A) Lanes 1-3: NEB 1 kb Extend DNA Ladder, RT-PCR product of OV2 and OV3. Asterisk indicates the location of the approximate 10 kbp cDNA product. (B) Lane 1: NEB 1 kb DNA Ladder. Lane 2: RT-PCR product of OV1. Asterisk indicates the location of the approximate 10 kbp cDNA product.
A first case of acute flaccid myelitis related to enterovirus D-68 in Belgium
Authors: Rodesch Marine , Sculier Claudine , Lolli Valentina , Remiche Gauthier , Delpire Iris , Fricx Christophe , Vermeulen Françoise , Christiaens Florence
Published: January 2024

Introduction
We describe the first case of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) related to enterovirus D-68 (EV-D68) infection in Belgium. The clinical and radiological presentation of AFM associated with EV-D68 although well described currently remains a challenging diagnosis.
Through this interesting clinical case, we aimed to review the differential diagnosis of acute flaccid palsy in a child and discuss the specific point of interest related to AFM.
Case presentation
We present the case of a 4-year-old girl with a torticollis associated with an acute palsy of the right upper limb. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an increased T2 signal intensity of the entire central gray matter of the cervical cord with involvement of the posterior brainstem.
A polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) conducted on a naso-pharyngeal swab was found positive for EV-D68.
The definition of AFM proposed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an acute-onset flaccid weakness of one or more limbs in the absence of a clear alternative diagnosis and the radiological evidence of gray matter involvement on an MRI-picture, and our case fits these two criteria.
A prompt and detailed work-up is required to distinguish this emergent disease from other forms of acute flaccid palsy.
The functional prognosis of AFM is poor, and there are no evidence-based treatment guidelines so far.
Conclusion
AFM is an emerging pathology that requires the attention of pediatricians to quickly rule out differential diagnoses and adequately manage the patient. Further research is needed to optimize treatments, improve outcomes, and provide scientifically based guidelines.
Migraine symptoms induced by an auricular piercing in a 27 year old female: a case report
Authors: Uddin Sophia , Terry Jordan
Published: January 2024

Introduction. Migraines are common, debilitating, and have high direct and indirect costs. They can be difficult to treat, and many patients make use of alternative medicine techniques. One of these is acupuncture applied to locations on the auricle thought to modulate migraine symptoms. Some patients obtain piercings in these locations in hopes of relieving their symptoms, however, the literature does not address the possibility of migraine symptoms being worsened or even induced by such piercings.
Case presentation. We present a case of a 27 year old female with a history of transient hemiplegia without headaches who developed headaches, visual disturbances, and nausea after a piercing of the inferior crus of her left antihelix (known as a rook piercing). No abnormalities were found on workup, and symptoms were treated with supportive care. After removing the piercing nine months later, the patient’s symptoms resolved.
Conclusion. The mechanism linking the piercing with the migraine symptoms is unclear, but may involve modulation of trigeminal or vagal pain pathways, as both of these cranial nerves innervate this area of the auricle. Regardless, in patients presenting with migraine symptoms, history and physical exam should not overlook piercings as potential contributory factors.
Preservation of Peritoneal Dialysis in Liver Surgery with Robotic Technique: A Case Report
Authors: Ria Paolo , Garritano Stefano , Martella Vilma , De Pascalis Antonio , Zito Anna , Napoli Marcello , Spampinato Marcello , D'Ugo Stefano
Published: January 2024

Introduction: During the last year, the features of peritoneal dialysis patients have changed, and the cases in which there is a need to perform abdominal surgery are growing. Reports of abdominal surgery in patients who are able to continue peritoneal dialysis are increasing. The minimally invasive techniques represent the preferred and safest approach. Such techniques are associated with reduced hospitalization time, less invasiveness, peritoneal integrity preservation, and reduced intra-abdominal inflammation due to regenerative processes. Case Presentation: In this case report, we present a case of major abdominal surgery, in the form of hepatic metastasectomy, performed with the robotic-assisted technique, which allowed catheter and intracorporeal dialysis preservation. The patient showed a strong determination to continue with peritoneal dialysis as long as possible. During the switch to hemodialysis, he performed prophylactic antibiotic therapy to preserve the peritoneal catheter, and the patient was instructed to have a reduced water intake, avoiding excessive ultrafiltration potentially deteriorating the residual renal function. Special care was also taken to avoid any nephrotoxic drug. The peritoneal treatment was restarted after 3 weeks with low volume exchange for the first 10 days, and the pre-surgery dialysis volumes were then re-established. After surgery, the patient showed adequate clearance of solutes and ultrafiltration similar to the preoperative period. The patient did not encounter any wound complications. Conclusion: Robotic surgery represents a further aid in peritoneal dialysis preservation after abdominal surgery. A detailed communication with the patient before performing this kind of procedure and a strong will to preserve the peritoneal method are essential.
A Retrospective Study of Diameter and Breslow Thickness in Invasive Melanomas
Authors: Dessinioti Clio , Plaka Mihaella , Befon Angelliki , Polidorou Dorothea , Stefanaki Irene , Kypreou Katerina , Theology Varvara , Stratigos Alexander J.
Published: January 2024

Introduction: A diameter larger than 6 mm is included in the criteria used in public health messages to detect a cutaneous melanoma. We aimed to investigate the independent association of Breslow thickness with the melanoma diameter. Methods: A retrospective study was performed in patients with invasive melanomas of the nodular melanoma (NM) or superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) subtype. The quartiles of the diameter (lower, median, upper) were studied in non-parametric quantile regression model. Results: In total, 537 cases of invasive melanomas were included and 60% had Breslow thickness ≤1.0 mm. There were 429 SSM (79.9%) and 108 NM (20.1%). Although NMs were significantly thicker (median Breslow thickness: 2.7 mm vs. 0.7 mm, respectively, p < 0.0001), they were not associated with larger diameter compared to SSMs (p = 0.71). After adjustment for age and sex, melanoma location and subtype, having Breslow thickness ≤1.0 mm was not significantly associated with the lower quartile, median and upper quartile of the diameter (p values: 0.063, 0.083, and 0.791, respectively). Conclusion: In our study including melanomas of the NM or SSM subtype, Breslow thickness was not associated with the diameter, adding evidence to support the limitations of using diameter larger than 6 mm for the detection of invasive melanomas and indicating the potential of smaller melanomas to be thicker tumors.
Congenital Central Hypothyroidism Caused by Novel Variants in IGSF1 Gene: Case Series of 3 Patients
Authors: MacGloin Helen , Schoenmakers Nadia , Moorwood Catherine , Buchanan Charles R. , Arya Ved Bhushan
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Congenital central hypothyroidism occurs either in isolation or in conjunction with other pituitary hormone deficits. Loss of function mutations in the immunoglobulin superfamily member 1 (IGSF1) gene cause X-linked central hypothyroidism and represent the most common genetic cause of central hypothyroidism. In addition to central hypothyroidism, some patients with IGSF1 deficiency have hypoprolactinemia, transient and partial growth hormone deficiency, early/normal timing of testicular enlargement but delayed testosterone rise in puberty, and adult macro-orchidism. Here, we describe a case series of 3 patients with central hypothyroidism caused by two novel IGSF1 mutations. Case Presentation: Three males (including two siblings) were diagnosed with central hypothyroidism between 0.06 and 1.5 years of age. Additional features included hypoprolactinemia, normal cortisol and growth hormone – insulin like growth factor 1 axis, high body mass index, birth weight greater than 0 SDS, and isolated speech delay. Genetic testing identified two novel IGSF1 mutations [(c.1829G>A, p.W610* and c.3692G>A, p.(Cys123Tyr)]. Both variants have not been reported in the gnoMAD database (∼90,000 individuals) and are predicted to be deleterious. Conclusions: Loss-of-function mutations in IGSF1 represent the most common genetic cause of central hypothyroidism. Detailed phenotyping of IGSF1 deficiency from extensive case series has led to the formulation of recommendations for clinical management of these patients. We have highlighted the potential adverse consequences of delayed treatment of CCH (speech delay).
Impact of Frailty on Short-Term Outcomes of Hepatic Lobectomy in Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Evidence from the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2005–2018
Authors: Xu Li , Shao Zhuo , Huang Hanchun , Li Duo , Wang Tianxiao , Atyah Manar , Zhou Wenying , Yang Zhiying
Published: January 2024

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate associations between frailty and outcomes in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) undergoing hepatic lobectomy using a large, nationally representative sample. Methods: This population-based, retrospective observational study extracted the data of adults ≥20 years old with ICC undergoing hepatic lobectomy from the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample database between 2005 and 2018. Frailty was assessed by the validated Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS). Associations between frailty and surgical outcomes were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. Results: After exclusions, 777 patients were enrolled, including 427 frail and 350 non-frail. Patients’ mean age was 64.5 (±0.4) years and the majority were males (51.1%) and whites (76.5%). Frailty was significantly associated with increased odds of in-hospital mortality (aOR: 18.51, 95% CI: 6.70, 51.18), non-home discharge (aOR: 3.58, 95% CI: 2.26, 5.66), prolonged LOS (aOR: 5.56, 95% CI: 3.87, 7.99), perioperative cardiac arrest/stroke (aOR: 5.44, 95% CI: 1.62, 18.24), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)/respiratory failure (aOR: 3.88, 95% CI: 2.40, 6.28), tracheostomy/ventilation (aOR: 3.83, 95% CI: 2.23, 6.58), bleeding/transfusion (aOR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.24, 2.26), acute kidney injury (AKI) (aOR: 14.37, 95% CI: 7.13, 28.99), postoperative shock (aOR: 4.44, 95% CI: 2.54, 7.74), and sepsis (aOR: 11.94, 95% CI: 6.90, 20.67). Discussion/Conclusion: Among patients with ICC undergoing hepatic lobectomy, HFRS-defined frailty is a strong predictor of worse in-patient outcomes, including in-hospital death, prolonged LOS, unfavorable discharge, and complications (perioperative cardiac arrest/stroke, ARDS/respiratory failure, tracheostomy/ventilation, bleeding/transfusion, AKI, postoperative shock, and sepsis). Study results may help stratify risk in frail patients undergoing hepatic resection for ICC.
The Non-Speech Oral Movement Assessment for Children
Authors: van Haaften Leenke , Lagarde Marloes , van Gerven Marjo , de Groot Sandra , Harding Celia , van den Engel-Hoek Lenie , van Hulst Karen
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Examination of oral movements is often part of an assessment undertaken by a speech and language therapist (SLT). Until now, there have been no specific instruments or tests with reference values for typically developing children in Dutch that exclusively evaluate non-speech oral movements in young children. Therefore, a non-speech oral motor observation list was designed to attempt to bridge this gap: the Non-Speech Oral Movement Assessment for Children (NOMAC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the NOMAC in terms of inter-rater reliability and its’ construct validity. In addition, we aimed to collect reference values for non-speech oral movements in children. Methods: Data from typically developing Dutch children aged 2–8 years were collected. Inter-rater reliability was studied by estimating the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Construct validity was investigated by assessing the effect of age group and gender on the mean execution score per item (general linear model). To present normative data, the percentage of the children performing a normal oral motor execution was calculated. Results: The study includes a total of 318 children, divided into 9 age groups. The inter-rater reliability shows a moderate to excellent ICC for most items. A significant effect of the factor age group on almost all items was seen, confirming robust construct validity. Normative data are presented with the percentage of the children performing a normal oral movement execution. Conclusion: Non-speech oral movements can be assessed with the NOMAC in children between 2 and 8 years old and can be compared with values obtained from a normative group. It should be used as part of a clinical feeding and speech assessment. Despite the fact that current insights indicate that oral motor training has no value for improving mastication, swallowing, and speech, it is important to know the status of non-speech oral motor capabilities. With this assessment, a complete profile of the child’s oral motor abilities can be achieved, supportive of clinical decision making in SLT.