bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate drivers and human impacts shape 35‐year trends of coastal wetland health and composition in an urban region
Authors: Doughty Cheryl L. , Gu Hanfeng , Ambrose Richard F. , Stein Eric D. , Sloane Evyan Borgnis , Martinez Meghan , Cavanaugh Kyle C.
Published: April 2024

The future of coastal wetlands will depend on the combined effects of climate change and human impacts from urbanization and coastal management. Disentangling the effects of these factors is difficult, but satellite imagery archives provide a way to track biological and physical changes in wetlands over recent decades to reveal how coastal wetlands have been changing in response to climate and human drivers. In this study, we used Landsat to monitor the conditions of 32 coastal wetlands in southern California from 1984 to 2019 and identify environmental and human drivers of these trends. Wetland conditions were characterized by vegetation greenness, using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and by habitat composition, derived from areal estimates of wetland and subtidal habitats. Overall, wetlands displayed three types of long‐term response: greening and gaining wetland (10), greening and losing wetland (16), and browning and losing wetland (6). Regional environmental drivers with overall positive effects on wetland NDVI were sea level, wave height, and precipitation, whereas stream discharge, vapor pressure deficit, and air temperature had negative or nonlinear effects. Wetland area change was primarily correlated with sea level, but response was highly contextual among sites. Negative trends in wetland NDVI and area were more common in larger sites with low elevations and in sites with open inlets. Restoration had mixed effects, with only half of the restored sites showing positive changes in NDVI and wetland area post‐restoration. The important work of managing and restoring urban coastal wetlands is complicated by variability and context and requires us to account for the influence of humans and climate as we build a regional understanding of historic, present, and future wetland health.
Canonical and noncanonical functions of complement in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Pickering Matthew C , Botto Marina
Published: April 2024

For many years complement activation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was viewed as a major cause of tissue injury. However, human and murine studies showed that complement plays a protective as well as a proinflammatory role in tissue damage. A hierarchy is apparent with early classical pathway components, particularly C1q, exerting the greatest influence. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the protective function(s) of complement remains an important challenge for the future and has implications for the use of complement therapy in SLE. We review recent advances in the field and give a new perspective on the complement conundrum in SLE.
Combining SARS‐CoV‐2 interferon‐gamma release assay with humoral response assessment to define immune memory profiles
Authors: Mouton William , Oriol Guy , Compagnon Christelle , Saade Carla , Saker Kahina , Franc Priscille , Mokdad Bouchra , Fleurie Aurore , Lacoux Xavier , Daniel Soizic , Berthier Franck , Barnel Cécile , Pozzetto Bruno , Fassier Jean‐Baptiste , Dubois Valérie , Djebali Sophia , Dubois Maxence , Walzer Thierry , Marvel Jacqueline , Brengel‐Pesce Karen , Trouillet‐Assant Sophie ,   Covid ser study group
Published: April 2024

Objectives

In the post‐SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic era, “breakthrough infections” are still documented, due to variants of concerns (VoCs) emergence and waning humoral immunity. Despite widespread utilization, the definition of the anti‐Spike (S) immunoglobulin‐G (IgG) threshold to define protection has unveiled several limitations. Here, we explore the advantages of incorporating T‐cell response assessment to enhance the definition of immune memory profile.

Methods

SARS‐CoV‐2 interferon‐gamma release assay test (IGRA) was performed on samples collected longitudinally from immunocompetent healthcare workers throughout their immunization by infection and/or vaccination, anti‐receptor‐binding domain IgG levels were assessed in parallel. The risk of symptomatic infection according to cellular/humoral immune capacities during Omicron BA.1 wave was then estimated.

Results

Close to 40% of our samples were exclusively IGRA‐positive, largely due to time elapsed since their last immunization. This suggests that individuals have sustained long‐lasting cellular immunity, while they would have been classified as lacking protective immunity based solely on IgG threshold. Moreover, the Cox regression model highlighted that Omicron BA.1 circulation raises the risk of symptomatic infection while increased anti‐receptor‐binding domain IgG and IGRA levels tended to reduce it.

Conclusion

The discrepancy between humoral and cellular responses highlights the significance of assessing the overall adaptive immune response. This integrated approach allows the identification of vulnerable subjects and can be of interest to guide antiviral prophylaxis at an individual level.
Three‐Component Reactions of Alkenes with C−C Bond Formation: Recent Developments
Authors: Wang Zhan‐Yong , Li Jiarong , Li Tingan , Jiang Xiaoying , Li Hang , Zhang Ziyan , Xu Shaohong
Published: April 2024

Alkenes are highly valuable materials in organic synthesis, and their three‐component reactions offer a promising method for C−C bond formation and carbon chain elongation. This approach not only reduces the number of reaction steps but also minimizes waste generation, enabling the preparation of polysubstituted alkanes from simple starting materials. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advancements in this field from 2013 to 2023. We have classified the developments into three main categories: (1) reactions triggered by C‐radicals or heteroatom‐radicals; (2) cascades involving three‐membered ring intermediates; and (3) transformations catalyzed by metals. We will discuss a wide range of reactions that involve diazoium salts, arylhydrazines, acids, aldehydes, 1,3‐dicarbonyls, diazo compounds, amines, malononitriles, diacyl peroxides, ethers, 1,3‐dithiane, arenes, CuSCF3, selectfluor, Et3N ⋅ 3HF, TBHP, CH2Cl2, CHCl3, CO2, CO, KCl, H2O, and other reagents. These reactions lead to alkylation, arylation, or carbonylation products. We believe that this review will be helpful for future research in this area.
Optimizing Cost and Emission Reduction in Photovoltaic–Battery‐Energy‐Storage‐System‐Integrated Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: An Efficient Hybrid Approach
Authors: Kirubadevi S. , Sathesh Kumar T. , S Sivarajan , Venkata Krishna Reddy Chinthalacheruvu
Published: April 2024

In this article, an optimal photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system with hybrid approach design for electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) is proposed. The hybrid approach combines the use of polar transformer networks (PTNs) and the puzzle optimization algorithm (POA); hence it is called as POA–PTN approach. The main objective is to lessen the charging station cost and pollutant emissions. The proposed method is minimizing the pollutant emissions and the annual cost of PV with EVCS, which is done by POA method and predicts the optimal solution is done by PTN approach. The proposed method is executed in the MATLAB platform, and compared with existing methods, including heap‐based optimization, particle swarm optimization, and wild horse optimizer approaches. The proposed technique demonstrates superior performance, achieving the lowest net present cost of €1.45 × 106and emissions of 2.25 × 108 g year−1with a shorter computing time of 13.04 s compared to the other methods.
Contamination severity index: An analysis of Bangladesh groundwater arsenic
Authors: Chaubey Yogendra P. , Zhang Qi
Published: April 2024

This article deals with the measurement of groundwater arsenic () contamination. The focus is on using a proper index for the severity of contamination, rather than just using the proportion of observations above a threshold level. We specifically focus on the contamination severity index (CSI) proposed by Sen (2016. Sankhya B, 78B(2), 341–361.). An alternative estimator in contrast to the one given by Sen (2016. Sankhya B, 78B(2), 341–361.) is used here which is useful for a small number of observations. The data used is that collected by the British Geological Society and the Bangladesh Department of Public Health Engineering during 1997–2001. Their analysis was based on the simple proportion of the observations above a threshold level, whereas the CSI measure adequately takes into account the severity of the observations. It is emphasized in this article that the comparison of areas with average arsenic () levels to determine arsenic severity is not appropriate in general due to a large variation in the sample values due to the depth of wells. However, an alternative to the CSI proposed in Sen (2016. Sankhya B, 78B(2), 341–361.) has been given in this article that takes into account the depth of wells corresponding to the samples. This article also uses the bootstrap methodology in assessing the bias and standard errors of the estimators, and the corresponding bias‐corrected and accelerated confidence intervals.
Hybrid multicriteria decision‐making model for process selection for drinking water treatment
Authors: Ozgur Cihan , Baris Deniz , Kaplan Bekaroglu Sehnaz Sule
Published: April 2024

The overuse of pesticides in agriculture poses significant threats to human health and the environment. This study addresses the issue by proposing a hybrid multi‐criteria decision‐making (MCDM) method, utilizing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), to select the most suitable pesticide removal method for drinking water treatment. Focusing on the priority and selection of treatment options for specific pesticide groups, such as diuron and cypermethrin, based on toxicity and physicochemical properties, the study concludes that nanofiltration is best option for diuron removal, while granular activated carbon adsorption is effective for cypermethrin. The innovative hybrid MCDM (AHP + TOPSIS and AHP + VIKOR) approach, unprecedented in assessing pesticide removal methods for drinking water treatment, proves promising in ranking treatment processes for pesticides. The study emphasizes the serious consequences of excessive pesticide use, highlights treatment solutions like NF and GAC adsorption, and introduces cutting‐edge hybrid MCDM techniques for selection treatment process that meet technical, economical, and environmental requirements. All of these factors combine to provide a novel approach not only used to select the best option from alternatives, but also to prioritize alternative processes in drinking water treatment at pesticide removal practices.
An energy‐aware software fault detection system based on hierarchical rule approach for enhancing quality of service in internet of things‐enabled wireless sensor network
Authors: Balraj Lavina , Prasanth Aruchamy
Published: April 2024

Of late, the Internet of Things (IoT) has progressed in its pervasiveness across the globe for diverse applications. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is one of the prominent technologies employed in IoT environments where multiple tiny sensor nodes are distributed to sense real‐time observations about unforeseeable areas for control and managerial purposes. Owing to the presence of sensors in inaccessible regions and their battery restrictions, different types of software faults occur in IoT‐enabled WSNs (IWSNs). These faults create uncertainty in data reading which causes serious damage to the sensor network. Hence, the IWSN necessitates an effective fault‐detection methodology to continue optimal activity despite the existence of software faults. This work proposes a novel Energy‐Aware Hierarchical Rule‐based Software Fault Detection (HRSFD) model to identify various software faults with minimum energy depletion in the IWSN environment. Primarily, the proposed model extracts antecedent attributes from the characteristics of the sensed data. Its abnormal values can be identified based on the obtained antecedent attributes. Subsequently, the category of the software fault is determined by applying a hierarchical rule strategy. Finally, from the simulation results, it is apparent that the fault detection accuracy rate of the proposed HRSFD model attains 99.12% for dense networks. The lifetime of the network is also prolonged by 18% as compared to the existing state‐of‐the‐art models.
Analyzing the influence of principals' instructional leadership, teachers' attitudes toward change, and schools' collaborative learning cultures on educational reform in learning
Authors: Hu Ying , Duyar Ibrahim
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of principals' instructional leadership, teachers' attitudes toward change, teachers' attitudes toward school museums' instructional mission, and schools' collaborative learning culture on students' level of key competencies (e.g., cognitive, creative, and cooperative competencies). A special emphasis was given to the examination of whether the school contexts in the form of school museums have any significant influence on student learning. A random sample of 22 public schools with museums was selected from four cities in China (Shanghai, Shaoxing, Hangzhou, and Foshan). A total of 111 school teachers and 1171 students were included as participants. Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were employed to analyze multisource survey data. Findings revealed that principals' instructional leadership positively influenced students' key competencies, which was mediated by teachers' attitudes toward school museums' instructional mission and schools' collaborative learning culture. Similarly, teachers' attitudes toward change positively predicted students' key competencies. The findings of the study suggest that school museums can be instrumental in improving student learning and, thus, may contribute to large‐scale learning policy changes that incorporate cognitive learning with noncognitive, social, and emotional aspects of learning.
Zearalenone contamination in maize, its associated producing fungi, control strategies, and legislation in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Hudu Abdul Rashid , Addy Francis , Mahunu Gustav Komla , Abubakari Abdul‐Halim , Opoku Nelson
Published: April 2024

The fungal genus Fusarium contains many important plant pathogens as well as endophytes of wild and crop plants. Globally, Fusarium toxins in food crops are considered one of the greatest food safety concerns. Their occurrence has become more pronounced in Africa in recent times. Among the major Fusarium mycotoxins with food and feed safety concerns, zearalenone is frequently detected in finished feeds and cereals in Africa. However, the impact of indigenous agricultural practices (pre‐ and postharvest factors) and food processing techniques on the prevalence rate of Fusarium species and zearalenone occurrence in food and feed have not been collated and documented systematically. This review studies and analyzes recent reports on zearalenone contamination in maize and other cereal products from Africa, including its fungi producers, agronomic and climate variables impacting their occurrences, preventive measures, removal/decontamination methods, and legislations regulating their limits. Reports from relevant studies demonstrated a high prevalence of F. verticillioides and F. graminearum as Africa's main producers of zearalenone. Elevated CO2 concentration and high precipitation may carry along an increased risk of zearalenone contamination in maize. African indigenous processing methods may contribute to reduced ZEA levels in agricultural products and foods. Most African countries do not know their zearalenone status in the food supply chain and they have limited regulations that control its occurrence.
Developmental priming of early cerebrovascular ageing: Implications across a lifetime
Authors: Stolp Helen B. , Solito Egle
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and stroke represent a substantial health burden to the world's ageing population. Cerebrovascular dysfunction is a key contributor to these conditions, affecting an individual's risk profile, age of onset, and severity of neurological disease. Recent data shows that early‐life events, such as maternal health during pregnancy, birth weight and exposure to environmental toxins can ‘prime’ the vascular system for later changes. With age, blood vessels can become less flexible and more prone to damage. This can lead to reduced blood flow to the brain, which is associated with cognitive decline and an increased risk of stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases. These in turn increase the risk of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Objectives

We aim to explore how early life factors influence cerebrovascular health, ageing and disease.

Methods

We have reviewed recently published literature from epidemiological studies, clinical cases and basic research which explore mechanisms that contribute to cerebrovascular and blood‐brain barrier dysfunction, with a particularly focus on those that assess contribution of early‐life events or vascular priming to subsequent injury.

Results

Perinatal events have been linked to acute cerebrovascular dysfunction and long‐term structural reorganisation. Systemic disease throughout the lifetime that produce inflammatory or oxidative stress may further sensitise the cerebrovasculature to disease and contribute to neurodegeneration.

Conclusions

By identifying these early‐life determinants and understanding their mechanisms, scientists aim to develop strategies for preventing or mitigating cerebrovascular ageing‐related issues.
Adopting strategies with menopausal experiences: A systematic review
Authors: Khandehroo Mansooreh , Peyman Nooshin , Mahdizadeh Mehrossadet , Salary Maryam , Tehrani Hadi
Published: April 2024

Background and Aims

Menopause is one of the most significant stages in women's life. It is accompanied by many complications and a serious challenge. This study aimed to assess the menopause experiences of Iranian women and compatibility strategies.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Web of Science (ISI), Scopus, Ovid, and the Iranian Clinical Trial Registry and Magiran, SID, from January 1990 to January 2021.

Results

Psychological effects, sexual disorders, physical problems, bone pain, insomnia, fatigue, and hot flashes are all menopause experiences. Cultural factors, lifestyle, social factors, education level, employment and economic status, marital status, and the number of pregnancies and births can influence this experience. It is important that menopausal women are aware how menopausal compatibility and prepare for this period. Many factors have affected menopausal adopting strategies. Negative emotions, negative attitudes, worry, and anxiety, and their psychological effects exacerbate the annoying experiences of menopause and decelerate menopausal adoption.

Conclusions

Social support and educational intervention were the practical menopausal adopting strategies. It will guarantee the health of menopausal women in the last third of their lives.
Investigation of heat and mass transport to free stream for Cross fluid flow past an expanding cylinder
Authors: Yadav Smit , Poply Vikas , Yadav Pardeep , Sharma Naresh
Published: April 2024

The investigation is about the effect of heat and mass transportation over a dragging out cylinder for Cross fluid flow in addition to free stream. This research is a notable effort to measure heat and mass transportation of the flow over an expanding cylinder with the imposition of the external flow. The system of complex partial differential equations is converted into highly nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The solution of the nonlinear system of equations is made with the numerical technique Runge‐Kutta fifth order just after the implementation of the shooting technique with suitable conditions. MATLAB solver bvp4c has solved the problem of the flow over stretching cylinder very efficiently and presents the facts in the form of the graphs and numerical values. The results claim that for the values of gamma parameter from 0.1 to 0.5 the rate of heat transfer increases by 14% on the other lambda with values from 0.1 to 0.3 the heat transfer rate declines 11%. For the growing values of Schmidt number from 1.0 to 5.0 the rate of mass transfer decreases by 85%. The rate of heat transfer has fallen by 86% for the improving values of the Prandtl number from 1, 2, and 3.
CG‐Net: A novel CNN framework for gastrointestinal tract diseases classification
Authors: Siddiqui Samra , Akram Tallha , Ashraf Imran , Raza Muddassar , Khan Muhammad Attique , Damaševičius Robertas
Published: April 2024

The classification of medical images has had a significant influence on the diagnostic techniques and therapeutic interventions. Conventional disease diagnosis procedures require a substantial amount of time and effort to accurately diagnose. Based on global statistics, gastrointestinal cancer has been recognized as a major contributor to cancer‐related deaths. The complexities involved in resolving gastrointestinal tract (GIT) ailments arise from the need for elaborate methods to precisely identify the exact location of the problem. Therefore, doctors frequently use wireless capsule endoscopy to diagnose and treat GIT problems. This research aims to develop a robust framework using deep learning techniques to effectively classify GIT diseases for therapeutic purposes. A CNN based framework, in conjunction with the feature selection method, has been proposed to improve the classification rate. The proposed framework has been evaluated using various performance measures, including accuracy, recall, precision, F1 measure, mean absolute error, and mean squared error.
Heterogeneous network intrusion detection via domain adaptation in IoT environment
Authors: Zhang Jun , Li Yao , Zhang Litian
Published: April 2024

Network intrusion detection refers to detect the threaten behaviors in the network to guarantee the network security. Compared with computer network, Internet of Things (IoT) consists of various devices, including computer, smart phone, smart watch, various sensors etc. The data in IoT may be captured from heterogeneous scenes using various devices. The data may follow from different distributions. Most previous works may fail when they are used in heterogeneous scenes of IoT. In order to overcome this issue, this paper designs a heterogeneous network intrusion detection scheme using attention sharing mechanism to implement domain adaptation for the intrusion detection of the data with heterogeneous distributions. The data from heterogeneous IoT devices is projected into the same sharing space via attention sharing to alleviate the bias between the distributions of data from these devices. Thus, the intrusion detection model learnt from the data from a scene can be migrated to another scene. The experiments and simulation demonstrate that the proposed intrusion detection scheme can adapt the changes of IoT scene.
Exploring the impact of side‐reactions on triple‐column reactive‐extractive distillation
Authors: Teh Irvy Ai Xia , Kong Zong Yang , Yang Ao , Aqsha Aqsha , Sunarso Jaka
Published: April 2024

Background

Presently, there are no studies that examine the impact of side‐reactions of ethylene oxide hydration on triple‐column reactive‐extractive distillation (TC‐RED). This study addressed this gap by investigating how these side‐reactions influence the energy consumption, total annual cost (TAC), and CO2 emission of the TC‐RED process. Two case studies, which involve the ternary separation of tetrahydrofuran (THF)/ethanol (ETOH)/water and ethyl acetate (EA)/ETOH/water were conducted here.

Results

Case studies 1 and 2 showed significant increase in energy consumption (39.68% and 16.56%), TAC (65.57% and 47.88%) and CO2 emission (21.15% and 12.89%) resulting from side‐reactions. The increase in energy consumption, TAC, and CO2 emission is primarily a consequence of the high boiling point of higher glycol product derivatives, altered chemical equilibrium behavior and increased reactant flowrates, which necessitate larger equipment sizes and incur higher capital costs. Notwithstanding this, TC‐RED with side‐reactions still outperforms pressure swing distillation (PSD) for separation of THF/ETOH/water and extractive distillation (ED) for separation of EA/ETOH/water. However, it falls short of double‐column reactive‐extractive distillation (DC‐RED) owing to the need for an additional column.

Conclusion

Our study highlights the importance of considering side‐reactions in TC‐RED during process design. Although the decline in performance is a result of the additional complexities brought by side‐reactions, it is important to emphasize that the primary takeaway of this study is that the system model is more realistic. By incorporating side‐reactions into the simulation, we can model the system more comprehensively, providing future researchers with an opportunity to explore and address potential issues resulting from side‐reactions. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
How do students negotiate groupwork? The influence of group norm exercises and group development norms
Authors: Hagvall Svensson Oskar , Johansson Anders , Adawi Tom
Published: April 2024

Background

Group norms in engineering education groupwork are usually negotiated in an implicit and often unequal manner. Although it is regularly suggested that student groups can function better if norm negotiations are, instead, made explicit, the social dynamics of group norm exercises have remained underexplored.

Purpose

We investigate how students negotiate group norms in group norm exercises, including the different understandings of groupwork that they construct and draw from to facilitate their negotiations.

Method

We recorded and analyzed a sequence of three group norm exercises focused on developing a team charter, with seven participating student groups. Drawing on framing theory, we study negotiation sequences in terms of framing practices, and understandings of groupwork in terms of activity frames.

Results

Our findings suggest that group norm exercises can help students to coordinate their expectations and transform previously established norms. However, they may also be approached in such a way that students are discouraged from questioning established group norms, instead resolving disagreement by simply rejecting alternative perspectives. We introduce the term “group development norms” to explain these dynamics, showing that the question of how to develop group norms is in itself a subject for negotiation.

Conclusions

Providing a forum and process is neither enough to ensure reflective and equitable negotiations nor transparent and inclusive group norms. To avoid that group norm exercises simply reaffirm dominant norms, students should be provided with explicit negotiation strategies and, ideally, direct facilitation.
B‐cell maturation antigen‐based therapies post‐talquetamab in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma
Authors: Shrestha Asis , Alzubi Marah , Alrawabdeh Jawad , Schinke Carolina , Thanendrarajan Sharmilan , Zangari Maurizio , van Rhee Frits , Al Hadidi Samer
Published: April 2024

Talquetamab recently received approval for relapsed refractory multiple myeloma. However, there is currently no available data on how patients perform with BCMA based agents after progression on talquetamab. Herein, we present the outcome of 10 patients who received BCMA based therapies following talquetamab. The median follow‐up was 9.5 months (range: 6–24 months). The median progression free survival was 5.5 months (range: 1–10 months). Patients had varying grades of cytokine release syndrome and Immune effector cell‐associated neurotoxicity syndrome. Our results suggest that treatment with talquetamab followed by BCMA based therapies is feasible and can be considered as clinically indicated.
HBV PreC interacts with SUV39H1 to induce viral replication by blocking the proteasomal degradation of viral polymerase
Authors: Hou Lidan , Zhao Jie , Cai Liuxin , Jin Ling , Liu Boqiang , Li Shijie , Yang Jin , Ji Tong , Li Songyi , Shi Liang , Shen Bo , Yu Hong , Wang Yifan , Cai Xiujun
Published: April 2024

Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seropositivity during the natural history of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is known to coincide with significant increases in serum and intrahepatic HBV DNA levels. However, the precise underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that PreC (HBeAg precursor) genetic ablation leads to reduced viral replication both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, PreC impedes the proteasomal degradation of HBV polymerase, promoting viral replication. We discovered that PreC interacts with SUV39H1, a histone methyltransferase, resulting in a reduction in the expression of Cdt2, an adaptor protein of CRL4 E3 ligase targeting HBV polymerase. SUV39H1 induces H3K9 trimethylation of the Cdt2 promoter in a PreC‐induced manner. CRISPR‐mediated knockout of endogenous SUV39H1 or pharmaceutical inhibition of SUV39H1 decreases HBV loads in the mouse liver. Additionally, genetic depletion of Cdt2 in the mouse liver abrogates PreC‐related HBV replication. Interestingly, a negative correlation of intrahepatic Cdt2 with serum HBeAg and HBV DNA load was observed in CHB patient samples. Our study thus sheds light on the mechanistic role of PreC in inducing HBV replication and identifies potential therapeutic targets for HBV treatment.
Remarkable increase in the detection and molecular characterization of adenovirus F41 in children with acute gastroenteritis in Japan, 2017–2023
Authors: Okitsu Shoko , Khamrin Pattara , Hikita Toshiyuki , Onda Yuko , Ngan Pham Thi Kim , Hayakawa Satoshi , Maneekarn Niwat , Ushijima Hiroshi
Published: April 2024

Human adenovirus (HAdV) is one of the causative viruses of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children worldwide. Species F is known to be enteric adenovirus (genotypes 40 and 41) detected in stool samples. In Japan, we conducted an epidemiological study and molecular characterization of HAdV before and after the COVID‐19 pandemic from 2017 to 2023. Among 821 patients, HAdV was detected in 118 AGE cases (14.4%). During a period of 6 years, the HAdV detection rates for each year were relatively low at 3.7% and 0%, in 2017–2018, and 2020–2021, respectively. However, the detection rate increased to remarkably high rates, ranging from 13.3% to 27.3% in the other 4‐year periods. Of these HAdV‐positive strains, 83.1% were F41 genotypes and 16.9% were other genotypes (A31, B3, C1, C2/C6, and C5). Phylogenetic analyses of the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the full‐length hexon gene demonstrated that HAdV‐F41 strains were comprised of three clades, and each clade was distributed across the study period from 2017 to 2023. Analysis of deduced amino acid sequences of the hexon gene of the representative HAdV‐F41 strains from each clade revealed numerous amino acid substitutions across hypervariable regions (HVRs) from HVR‐1 to HVR‐7, two insertions in HVR‐1 and HVR‐7, and two deletions in HVR‐1 and HVR‐2 of the hexon gene compared to those of the prototype strain, particularly, those of clade 3 HAdV‐F41 strains. The findings suggested that the HAdV‐F41 of each clade was stable, conserved, and co‐circulated for over two decades in Japan.
Multi‐conductor electromagnetic coupling model for sensitive wires subject to driven wire in complex electronic systems
Authors: Jiang Fan , Chen Lulu , Xue Bing , Tian Xinxin , Ye Liang Hua , Li Jian‐Feng , Wu Duo‐Long
Published: April 2024

A novel multi‐conductor electromagnetic coupling model for the sensitive‐wire subject to driven wire in a high‐precision machining workbench is proposed in this paper. The general coupling model for an N‐wire system is derived and is used to evaluate the wire coupling effect. Furthermore, 4‐wire and 3‐wire models are demonstrated to verify the accuracy through full‐wave electromagnetic simulation below 10 MHz. The results show that the error between the proposed method and the full‐wave electromagnetic simulation is less than 10%, demonstrating the high efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method. When the parameters of the driven power wire and the most sensitive wire are fixed and the parameters of neighboring wires are swept, the maximum fluctuation of the induced current on the most sensitive wire is 6.1 dB. The efficient calculation method proposed in this work helps reduce the risk of electromagnetic interference in complex electronic systems and improves the design efficiency of wires. It is promising to become a high‐performance method with high efficiency and precision.
Deciphering the core microbiota in open environment solid‐state fermentation of Beijing rice vinegar and its correlation with environmental factors
Authors: Zhang Xin , Gao Hang , Zhang Jian , Liu Li , Fu Lijun , Zhao Yan , Sun Yong
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

Rice vinegar is a popular cereal vinegar worldwide and is typically produced in an open environment, and the ecosystem of solid‐state fermentation is complicated and robust. The present study aimed to reveal the shaping force of the establishment of the ecosystem of Beijing rice vinegar, the core function microbiota and their correlation with critical environmental factors. [Correction added after first online publication on 29 May 2024; the word “worldwide” has been removed from the first sentence under the section Background.]

RESULTS

The experimental findings revealed the changes in environmental factors, major metabolites and microbial patterns during Beijing rice vinegar fermentation were obtained. The major metabolites accumulated at the middle and late acetic acid fermentation (AAF) periods. Principal coordinates and t‐test analyses revealed the specific bacterial and fungal species at corresponding stages. Kosakonia, Methlobacterium, Sphingomonas, unidentified Rhizobiaceae, Pseudozyma and Saccharomycopsis dorminated during saccharification and alcohol fermentation and early AAF, whereas Lactococcus, Acetobacter, Rhodotorula and Kazachstania dominated the later AAF stages. Canonical correspondence analysis of environmental factors with core microbiota. Temperature and total acid were the most significant factors correlated with the SAF bacterial profile (Pediococcus, Weissella, Enterococcus and Kosakonia). Ethanol was the most significant factor between AAF1 and AAF3, and mainly affected Acetobacter and Lactobacillus. Conversely, ethanol was the most significant factor in the SAF, AAF1 and AAF3 fungi communities; typical microorganisms were Saccharomyces and Malassezia. Furthermore, the predicted phenotypes of bacteria and their response to environmental factors were evaluated.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the present study has provided insights into the process regulation of spontaneous fermentation and distinguished the key driving forces in the microbiota of Beijing rice vinegar fermentation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Protective effect of soluble dietary fiber from Rosa roxburghii Tratt residue on dextran sulfate sodium‐induced ulcerative colitis by regulating serum metabolism and NF‐κB pathway in mice
Authors: Li Lilang , Zhang Xiang , Wang Li , Gao Ming , Wang Yu , Zhang Zhengrong , Yang Xiaosheng , Yang Juan
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

Ulcerative colitis (UC) refers to an idiopathic chronic inflammatory bowel disease that starts with inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. Dietary fiber plays a crucial role in maintaining the normal architecture of the intestinal mucosa. In this study, the protective effect and potential mechanism of soluble dietary fiber from Rosa roxburghii Tratt residue (SDFR) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced UC mice were explored.

RESULTS

The results revealed that SDFR could ameliorate body weight loss and pathological injury, improve the structure and crypt destruction in colon in DSS‐induced mice. Moreover, the levels of NO, IL‐1β, TNF‐α, MPO and protein expression of iNOS and COX‐2 were decreased after administration of SDFR. Notably, nontargeted metabolomics analysis indicated that there were significant differences in 51 potential metabolites in serum between the DSS and control groups. SDFR intervention could regulate aberrant alterations of these metabolites and mitigate UC via regulating metabolic pathways, including arachidonic acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism.

CONCLUSION

This study provides novel evidence that SDFR could be used as a potential modulator to relieve UC. Also, the results provide a theoretical basis for the utilization of byproducts in Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruit processing. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Robotic versus laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A Western propensity score matched analysis
Authors: Dias Andre Roncon , Pereira Marina A. , Ramos Marcus F. K. P. , de Oliveira Rodrigo José , Yagi Osmar Kenji , Ribeiro Ulysses
Published: April 2024

Background

Robot‐assisted gastrectomy (RG) has been shown to be safe and feasible in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC). However, it is unclear whether RG is equivalent to laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG), especially in the Western world. Our objective was to compare the outcomes of RG and LG in GC patients.

Methods

We reviewed all gastric adenocarcinoma patients who underwent curative gastrectomy by minimally invasive approach in our institution from 2009 to 2022. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was conducted to reduce selection bias. DaVinci Si platform was used for RG.

Results

A total of 156 patients were eligible for inclusion (48 RG and 108 LG). Total gastrectomy was performed in 21.3% and 25% of cases in LG and RG, respectively. The frequency of stage pTNM II/III was 48.1%, and 54.2% in the LG and RG groups (p = 0.488). After PSM, 48 patients were matched in each group. LG and RG had a similar number of dissected lymph nodes (p = 0.759), operative time (p = 0.421), and hospital stay (p = 0.353). Blood loss was lower in the RG group (p = 0.042). The major postoperative complications rate was 16.7% for LG and 6.2% for RG (p = 0.109). The 30‐day mortality rate was 2.1% and 0% for LG and RG, respectively (p = 1.0). There was no significant difference between the LG and RG groups for disease‐free survival (79.6% vs. 61.2%, respectively; p = 0.155) and overall survival (75.9% vs. 65.7%, respectively; p = 0.422).

Conclusion

RG had similar surgical and long‐term outcomes compared to LG, with less blood loss observed in RG.
Range of international surgical strategies for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: Evaluation of a multi‐center survey
Authors: Wilke Hans‐Joachim , Großkinsky Maresa , Ruf Michael , Schlager Benedikt
Published: April 2024

Background

Surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is very complex and modern instrumentation techniques offer multiple possibilities. Despite numerous publications, there is no clear consensus on the optimal strategy for the correction of scoliotic deformities. The goal of this study was to summarize the current surgical strategies for specific AIS cases within various countries.

Method

Thirty‐two experienced scoliosis surgeons from 15 countries were asked to plan surgeries on 12 representative AIS cases. All AIS cases had an indication for surgery. A questionnaire was provided to document surgical planning. The surgeons were provided with the patients' age and sex, together with radiographs in the lateral and sagittal planes during upright standing and in lateral bending to the left and right, as well as with clinical images. The angles of the main spinal curvatures were specified in the questionnaire. The surgeons were asked to specify their preferred classification system, their surgical approach, the planned fusion length, the type of implants, the rod type, and the resection steps. The data were analyzed with respect to the inter‐rater variability, which was quantified using the Fleiss‐Kappa Method.

Results

There was a good agreement (k = 0.61) between the surgeons in choosing the Lenke curve type, and a moderate agreement for the lumbar (0.41) and sagittal (0.56) modifiers. The most frequently planned resection procedure was complete facetectomy (67%). The posterior approach was the most commonly (91%) selected strategy to treat AIS. Anterior approaches were chosen most for Lenke 5 type with a rate of 20%. The upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) varied most for Lenke 1, 5, and 6 cases, with a vertebral level discrepancy of up to 10 levels at Lenke 6. The lowest instrumented vertebra varied most for Lenke 1 and 4 by up to five levels. Polyaxial screws were chosen most (56%), followed by monoaxial (20%) and uniplanar (19%) screws and hooks (5%).

Conclusions

The results highlight the commonalities and discrepancy in the surgical treatment of AIS in between surgeons. The selected LIV and UIV can vary depending on the curve type and surgeon. Hook constructs appear to be generally replaced by transpedicular screws. The survey indicates open questions in the AIS treatment and in the understanding of scoliosis biomechanics.
Making decisions under demographic, management, and monitoring uncertainty with value of information
Authors: Liberati Marjorie R. , Rittenhouse Chadwick D. , Vokoun Jason C.
Published: April 2024

Learning and resolving uncertainty should be important components of management decisions, but not every type of uncertainty is equally important to resolve. For rare, threatened, and endangered species, information may be limited and there is often great urgency to halt potential population declines. Therefore, the most important uncertainties are those that would lead to different decisions intended to improve outcomes for species of interest. The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is an endemic species to the northeastern United States and is listed as a species of special concern, threatened, or endangered in all states in its current range. States within the historical New England cottontail range have made substantial investments in habitat management, captive breeding, and research, but considerable demographic, management, and monitoring uncertainties remain. Connecticut is the geographic core of the current range of the species and therefore has been the focus of many management efforts, including improving habitat, creating new habitat patches, removing eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus), and releasing captive‐bred New England cottontails. We used a value of information analysis to identify the optimal management decision given current uncertainty and to evaluate how sources of uncertainty might lead to changes in management decisions. Given the current understanding of the New England cottontail in Connecticut, we identified the optimal management decision as improving existing habitat patches without monitoring for the species and managers could expect a 3.4% increase in populations if decision‐making uncertainty could be fully resolved. Multiple sources of uncertainty influenced results, but variation in New England cottontail density and the response of the species to the removal of eastern cottontails were most likely to result in changes to management decisions. At lower New England cottontail densities, releasing captive‐bred individuals competed with improving habitat as the optimal management action. Accounting for the value of information benefits New England cottontail management by guiding research efforts toward information that is most beneficial for decision‐makers and providing insights into parameter thresholds that would lead to changes in management decisions.
Seven percent of primary anterior crucial ligament reconstruction patients have arthroscopic resection of cyclops lesions within 2 years: A cohort study of 2556 patients
Authors: Miller Lene Lindberg , Lind Martin , Mechlenburg Inger , Nielsen Torsten Grønbech
Published: April 2024

Purpose

After anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL‐R), a localised scar tissue called cyclops lesion may develop anterior to the graft causing knee extension deficits, pain, oedema, clicking and reduced knee function. This study determined the incidence of arthroscopic resection of a cyclops lesion within 2 years after ACL‐R and investigated the associations of patient characteristics and surgical techniques with the need for arthroscopic resection of a cyclops lesion.

Methods

This study included patients who underwent primary ACL‐R with adult surgical technique from 2005 to 2019 at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. The cohort was identified in a national registry. To identify patients who had resected a cyclops lesion within the first 2 years after ACL‐R, patients' surgical records were reviewed.

Results

In 2005–2019, 2556 patients underwent primary ACL‐R; 176 developed cyclops lesions that were resected within 2 years, equivalent to an incidence of 6.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.9–7.9). When stratified by the femoral drilling technique used, this incidence was 8.9% (95% CI: 7.7–10.3) with the anteromedial technique and 1.9% (95% CI: 1.0–3.1) with the transtibial technique. The incidence was 8.5% (95% CI: 6.8–10.3) in women and 5.7% (95% CI: 4.6–7.1) in men. Age, graft choice and the presence of cartilage or meniscal lesions did not affect the incidence.

Conclusion

The overall incidence of a cyclops lesion removal within 2 years post‐ACL‐R was 6.9%. This was five times higher with the anteromedial femoral drilling technique than with the transtibial technique. Women had a 47% higher incidence of cyclops lesion removal than men. This is relevant for the surgeon when planning an ACL‐R.

Level of Evidence

Level II
Low implantation volume, comorbidities, male sex and implantation of constrained TKA identified as risk factors for septic revision in knee arthroplasty: A register‐based study from the German Arthroplasty Registry
Authors: Szymski Dominik , Walter Nike , Straub Josina , Wu Yinan , Melsheimer Oliver , Grimberg Alexander , Alt Volker , Steinbrueck Arnd , Rupp Markus
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a major cause of revision surgery after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA). Patient‐ and hospital‐related risk factors need to be assessed to prevent PJI. This study identifies influential factors and differences in infection rates between different implant types.

Methods

Data were obtained from the German Arthroplasty Registry. Septic revisions were calculated using Kaplan–Meier estimates with septic revision surgery as the primary endpoint. Patients with constrained and unconstrained TKA or UKA were analysed using Holm's multiple log‐rank test and Cox's proportional hazards ratio. The 300,998 cases of knee arthroplasty analysed included 254,144 (84.4%) unconstrained TKA, 9993 (3.3%) constrained TKA and 36,861 (12.3%) UKA with a maximum follow‐up of 7 years.

Results

At 1 year, the PJI rate was 0.5% for UKA and 2.8% for TKA, whereas at 7 years, the PJI rate was 4.5% for UKA and 0.9% for TKA (p < 0.0001). The PJI rate significantly increased for constrained TKA compared to unconstrained TKA (p < 0.0001). The PJI rate was 2.0% for constrained TKA and 0.8% for unconstrained TKA at 1 year and 3.1% and 1.4% at 7 years. Implantation of a constrained TKA (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.55), male sex (HR = 1.84), increased Elixhauser score (HR = 1.18–1.56) and implant volume of less than 25 UKA per year (HR = 2.15) were identified as risk factors for revision surgery; an Elixhauser score of 0 (HR = 0.80) was found to be a preventive factor.

Conclusions

Reduced implant volume and constrained knee arthroplasty are associated with a higher risk of PJI. Comorbidities (elevated Elixhauser score), male sex and low UKA implant volume have been identified as risk factors for PJI. Patients who meet these criteria require specific measures to prevent infection. Further research is required on the potential impact of prevention and risk factor modification.

Level of Evidence

Level III.