bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incorporated cover crop residue suppresses weed seed germination
Authors: McKenzie‐Gopsill Andrew , Farooque Aitazaz
Published: May 2023

Cover crops have been shown to be important integrated weed management tools. In addition to directly competing with weeds, cover crops can provide weed suppressive effects following incorporation through release of allelopathic compounds and/or changes to nutrient availability. Incorporation of a cover crop mixture may provide a synergistic or antagonistic effect on weed suppression by further altering nutrient dynamics. To investigate this phenomenon, we evaluated the suppressive effects following incorporation of annual ryegrass, buckwheat, brown mustard, and phacelia sown with and without field pea on germination and growth of several pernicious weed species. Further, we used the additive partitioning model to determine if pea synergistically improved biomass production and weed suppression of cover crops. Our results demonstrate that following incorporation, cover crop residues suppress weed germination and weed biomass production. According to the additive partitioning model, the addition of pea had an antagonistic effect on buckwheat and brown mustard biomass production and decreased buckwheat weed suppression by 8%. In contrast, the addition of field pea greatly enhanced biomass production of phacelia at a reduced seeding rate suggesting a positive biodiversity effect. Limited evidence was found for changes to nutrient availability following cover crop incorporation, however, a dose‐dependent effect of cover crop residue on weed suppression suggests allelopathy and/or nutrient availability may have a role on weed seed germination success. Together, our results support the use of incorporated cover crop residues as an integrated weed management tool.
Ultrasound features combined with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for prediction of pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer
Authors: Jia Yingying , Zhou Xin , Zhu Yangyang , Song Xuewen , Duan Ying , Chen Kundi , Nie Fang
Published: May 2023

Aim: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) plays an important role in the treatment and prognosis of breast cancer. The early identification of patients who can truly benefit from preoperative NAC is crucial in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to explore whether the ultrasound features and clinical characteristics combined with tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte(TIL) levels can improve the performance of predicting NAC efficacy in breast cancer patients.Material and methods: In this retrospective study, 202 invasive breast cancer patients who underwent NAC followed by surgery were included. The baseline ultrasound features were reviewed by two radiologists. Miller-Payne Grading (MPG) was used to assess pathological response, and MPG 4-5 was defined as major histologic responders (MHR). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate independent predictors for MHR and build the prediction models. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the performance of the models.Results: Of the 202 patients, 104 patients achieved MHR and 98 patients achieved non-MHR. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the US size (p=0.042), molecular subtypes (p=0.001), TIL levels (p<0.001), shape (p=0.030), and posterior features (p=0.018) were independent predictors for MHR. The model combined the US features, clinical characteristics, and TIL levels had a better performance with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.811, a sensitivity of 0.663, and a specificity of 0.847.Conclusion: The model combined US features, clinical characteristics, and TIL levels had a better performance in predicting pathological response to NAC in breast cancer
Natural iron fertilization by shallow hydrothermal sources fuels diazotroph blooms in the ocean
Authors: Bonnet Sophie , Guieu Cécile , Taillandier Vincent , Boulart Cédric , Bouruet-Aubertot Pascale , Gazeau Frédéric , Scalabrin Carla , Bressac Matthieu , Knapp Angela N. , Cuypers Yannis , González-Santana David , Forrer Heather J. , Grisoni Jean-Michel , Grosso Olivier , Habasque Jérémie , Jardin-Camps Mercedes , Leblond Nathalie , Le Moigne Frédéric A. C. , Lebourges-Dhaussy Anne , Lory Caroline , Nunige Sandra , Pulido-Villena Elvira , Rizzo Andrea L. , Sarthou Géraldine , Tilliette Chloé
Published: May 2023

Iron is an essential nutrient that regulates productivity in ~30% of the ocean. Compared with deep (>2000 meter) hydrothermal activity at mid-ocean ridges that provide iron to the ocean’s interior, shallow (<500 meter) hydrothermal fluids are likely to influence the surface’s ecosystem. However, their effect is unknown. In this work, we show that fluids emitted along the Tonga volcanic arc (South Pacific) have a substantial impact on iron concentrations in the photic layer through vertical diffusion. This enrichment stimulates biological activity, resulting in an extensive patch of chlorophyll (360,000 square kilometers). Diazotroph activity is two to eight times higher and carbon export fluxes are two to three times higher in iron-enriched waters than in adjacent unfertilized waters. Such findings reveal a previously undescribed mechanism of natural iron fertilization in the ocean that fuels regional hotspot sinks for atmospheric CO
2
.
Proteasome cap particle regulates synapses
Authors: Türker Fulya , Margolis Seth S.
Published: May 2023

Deubiquitylation by free 19S proteasome cap particle modulates synaptic transmission
Past microbial stress benefits tree resilience
Authors: Afkhami Michelle E.
Published: May 2023

Soil microbiota from stressful environments provide an avenue for climate resilience
In Science Journals
Authors: Vignieri Sacha , Simonti Corinne , Seale Maddy , Hurtley Stella M. , Smith H. Jesse , Stajic Jelena , Malo Courtney S. , Wong Wei , Szuromi Phil , Alderton Gemma , Grocholski Brent , Lopez Bianca , Fogg Christiana N.
Published: May 2023

Highlights from the
Science
family of journals
Comparative Infections of Zika, Dengue, and Yellow Fever Viruses in Human Cytotrophoblast-Derived Cells Suggest a Gating Role for the Cytotrophoblast in Zika Virus Placental Invasion
Authors: Viettri Mercedes , Caraballo Gerson , Sanchez Maria Elena , Espejel-Nuñez Aurora , Betanzos Abigail , Ortiz-Navarrete Vianney , Estrada-Gutierrez Guadalupe , Nava Porfirio , Ludert Juan E.
Published: May 2023

Zika virus acquisition during pregnancy is associated with severe fetal damage. The Zika virus is related to dengue virus and yellow fever virus, yet fetal damage has not been related to dengue or inadvertent vaccination for yellow fever during pregnancy.
Roadside geology and mining history of the Bodie and Aurora districts, Mono County, California, and Mineral County, Nevada
Authors: Wilkerson Gregg , Vredenburgh Larry
Published: May 2023

This field trip explores the geology and mining history of the Bodie Hills with a focus on the Bodie and Aurora mining districts. The field trip starts and ends in Bridgeport, California. Our first geologic stop is at Travertine Hot Springs, which provides an analogy for the style of mineralization observed in the Bodie and Aurora districts. We then proceed south on Highway 395 to the Bodie exit at Highway 270. At this location on Highway 395 is the placer camp of Dogtown with outcrops of till from the Sherwin glaciation. A side trip up Cinnabar Canyon exposes rocks with veinlets of cinnabar and silicic alteration. From here, we travel through several different components of different stratovolcanoes and arrive at the preserved ghost town of Bodie. Bodie Bluff and Standard Hill contain most of the mine workings for the Bodie district. At Bodie we discuss different interpretations of volcanic history and stratigraphy and learn about the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s 1997 economic appraisal of the mineralization there: 69.8 million tons of ore averaging 0.4 oz/ton Au. Leaving Bodie, we pass through a placer field where William Bodie made his discovery of the mine and the district that bears his name. And then we move through the Bodie volcanics to those volcanic rocks associated with Aurora. On the way to Aurora, we will see the stage stop site of Del Monte. At Aurora, we view the active open pit mining operation and compare this district with Bodie and others in the Bodie Hills. Both Bodie and Aurora were classified as principal gold deposits of the United States.
Cane Pretreatment by Deep Eutectic Solvents to Increase its Reactivity During Enzymatic Hydrolysis with Cellulases
Authors: Semenova M. V. , Vasil’eva I. S. , Yaropolov A. I. , Sinitsyn A. P.
Published: May 2023

Cane was pretreated with a number of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on choline chloride (ChCl) as a hydrogen bond acceptor. Among hydrogen bond donors, lactic (LA) and oxalic (OA) acids were the most effective. Substrate pretreatment conditions (ratio of DES-components, temperature and exposure time) were optimized, which resulted in the highest yield of reducing sugars (RS) and glucose during subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase preparation based on Penicillium verruculosum. It was established that in the case of a mixture of ChCl with LA (the molar ratio of components was 1 : 5) pretreatment should be carried out at 80°C for 24 hours, and in the case of a mixture of ChCl with OA (1 : 1), optimal conditions were 80°C and 6 hours. The degree of conversion of the pretreated substrate after 48 hours of hydrolysis in the presence of the enzyme preparation (EP) B537 was 80 and 86% by absolutely dry substances for selected mixtures of ChCl/LA and ChCl/OA, respectively.
Space–Time Structures in the Auroral Oval: Approaches to Modeling
Authors: Kozelov B. V.
Published: May 2023

The interaction of the magnetospheric–ionospheric (MI) system surrounding the Earth with the environment (solar wind) occurs in the form of a series of transient processes at different scales. The largest of them, magnetic storms, are obviously triggered by disturbances in the solar wind (direct driving). The role of the internal dynamics of the MI system, which is caused to a large extent by the nonlinearity and temporal delays of the loading–unloading processes of energy and particle from the solar wind into the magnetosphere, becomes more significant at smaller scales (substorms, pseudobreakups, injections, and activations). A typical dynamic state of the MI system is characterized as self-organized criticality or turbulence, which are characterized by statistical scale invariance (scaling) in the fluctuation distributions of many characteristics. The dynamics of the MI system is projected into the region of the auroral oval, the very existence of which is due to this dynamics. The space–time structure of auroral disturbances largely reflects the structure of processes in the MI plasma. The description of this structure is important both for studying the fundamental study of plasma processes and for many topical applied problems related to the propagation of radio waves in the ionosphere and vital activity at high latitudes. The paper discusses approaches and developments for constructing a model of the space–time structure of the auroral oval, based on fractal and multifractal characteristics.
A pragmatic approach to equitable global health partnerships in academic health sciences
Authors: Amisi James A , Cuba-Fuentes María Sofía , Johnston Esther M , Makwero Martha , Prasad Shailendra , Ras Tasleem , Szkwarko Daria , von Pressentin Klaus
Published: May 2023

Global partnerships offer opportunities for academic departments in the health sciences to achieve mutual benefits. However, they are often challenged by inequities in power, privilege and finances between partners that have plagued the discipline of global health since its founding. In this article, a group of global health practitioners in academic medicine offer a pragmatic framework and practical examples for designing more ethical, equitable and effective collaborative global relationships between academic health science departments, building on the principles laid out by the coalition Advocacy for Global Health Partnerships in the Brocher declaration.
Anticipating artificial intelligence in mammography screening: views of Swedish breast radiologists
Authors: Högberg Charlotte , Larsson Stefan , Lång Kristina
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly tested and integrated into breast cancer screening. Still, there are unresolved issues regarding its possible ethical, social and legal impacts. Furthermore, the perspectives of different actors are lacking. This study investigates the views of breast radiologists on AI-supported mammography screening, with a focus on attitudes, perceived benefits and risks, accountability of AI use, and potential impact on the profession.

Methods

We conducted an online survey of Swedish breast radiologists. As early adopter of breast cancer screening, and digital technologies, Sweden is a particularly interesting case to study. The survey had different themes, including: attitudes and responsibilities pertaining to AI, and AI’s impact on the profession. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation analyses. Free texts and comments were analysed using an inductive approach.

Results

Overall, respondents (47/105, response rate 44.8%) were highly experienced in breast imaging and had a mixed knowledge of AI. A majority (n=38, 80.8%) were positive/somewhat positive towards integrating AI in mammography screening. Still, many considered there to be potential risks to a high/somewhat high degree (n=16, 34.1%) or were uncertain (n=16, 34.0%). Several important uncertainties were identified, such as defining liable actor(s) when AI is integrated into medical decision-making.

Conclusions

Swedish breast radiologists are largely positive towards integrating AI in mammography screening, but there are significant uncertainties that need to be addressed, especially regarding risks and responsibilities. The results stress the importance of understanding actor-specific and context-specific challenges to responsible implementation of AI in healthcare.
Adherence to ‘5-2-1-0’ guidelines and multiple risky behaviours among adolescents in nine sub-Saharan African countries: evidence from Global School-based Student Health Survey 2012–2017
Authors: Hoogstoel Fanny , Samadoulougou Sékou , Diouf Adama , Savoye Isabelle , Donnen Philippe , Van der Heyden Johan , Kirakoya-Samadoulougou Fati
Published: May 2023

Objective

Overweight and obesity constitute a new challenge in low-income and middle-countries. The obesity prevention programme, called ‘5-2-1-0’, promotes healthy eating habits, physical activity and limited screen time among young people.

This study aimed to assess adherence to the ‘5-2-1-0’ recommendations and to study multiple risky behaviours among adolescents in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

Meta-analyses with a random effect were used to calculate overall prevalence. Non-random patterns of the co-occurrence of the four risky behaviours were explored using observed/expected prevalence ratios. Data came from the Global School-based Health Survey and 18 314 adolescents were considered.

Results

Among the participants, 12.7% (95% CI 7.5% to 19.0%) had overweight and 3.2% (95% CI 1.1% to 6.1%) had obesity. In almost all countries studied, girls were more affected by overweight and obesity than boys.

While only 0.2% (95% CI 0.1% to 0.4%) of the adolescents fully complied with the recommendations, 4.8% (95% CI 3.1% to 6.9%), 28.4% (95% CI 22.4% to 34.8%), 43.8% (95% CI 41.9% to 45.8%) and 17.0% (95% CI 11.8% to 23.0%), respectively, combined 1, 2, 3 and 4 risky behaviours among the four ‘5-2-1-0’ criteria. The most observed combination was found for co-occurrence of three risky behaviours: insufficient fruit/vegetables consumption, physical activity and non-zero consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the insufficient adherence to ‘5-2-1-0’ recommendations and the high prevalence of the co-occurrence of risky behaviours underscore the need to strengthen health interventions and programmes to prevent obesity among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.
Retrospective evaluation of factors affecting successful fit testing of respiratory protective equipment during the early phase of COVID-19
Authors: Caggiari Silvia , Bader Dan , Packman Zoe , Robinson Jane , Tranka Sumeshni , Böhning Dankmar , Worsley Peter
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Respiratory protective equipment is critical to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19 infection, which includes filtering facepiece respirators (FFP3). There are reports of fitting issues within healthcare workers, although the factors affecting fitting outcomes are largely unknown. This study aimed to evaluate factors affecting respirator fitting outcomes.

Design

This is a retrospective evaluation study. We conducted a secondary analysis of a national database of fit testing outcomes in England between July and August 2020.

Settings

The study involves National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in England.

Participants

A total of 9592 observations regarding fit test outcomes from 5604 healthcare workers were included in the analysis.

Intervention

Fit testing of FFP3 on a cohort of healthcare workers in England, working in the NHS.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcome measure was the fit testing result, that is, pass or fail with a specific respirator. Key demographics, including age, gender, ethnicity and face measurements of 5604 healthcare workers, were used to compare fitting outcomes.

Results

A total of 9592 observations from 5604 healthcare workers were included in the analysis. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to determine the factors which affected fit testing outcome. Results showed that males experienced a significantly (p<0.05) higher fit test success than females (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.27 to 1.81). Those with non-white ethnicities demonstrated significantly lower odds of successful respirator fitting; black (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.51 to 0.83), Asian (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.74) and mixed (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.79.

Conclusion

During the early phase of COVID-19, females and non-white ethnicities were less likely to have a successful respirator fitting. Further research is needed to design new respirators which provide equal opportunity for comfortable, effective fitting of these devices.
Use of locum doctors in NHS trusts in England: analysis of routinely collected workforce data 2019–2021
Authors: Grigoroglou Christos , Walshe Kieran , Kontopantelis Evangelos , Ferguson Jane , Stringer Gemma , Ashcroft Darren , Allen Thomas
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Temporary doctors, known as locum doctors, play an important role in the delivery of care in the National Health Service (NHS); however, little is known about the extent of locum use in NHS trusts. This study aimed to quantify and describe locum use for all NHS trusts in England in 2019–2021.

Setting

Descriptive analyses of data on locum shifts from all NHS trusts in England in 2019–2021. Weekly data were available for the number of shifts filled by agency and bank staff and the number of shifts requested by each trust. Negative binomial models were used to investigate the association between the proportion of medical staffing provided by locums and NHS trust characteristics.

Results

In 2019, on average 4.4% of total medical staffing was provided by locums, but this varied substantially across trusts (25th–75th centile=2.2%–6.2%). Over time, on average two-thirds of locum shifts were filled by locum agencies and a third by trusts’ staff banks. On average, 11.3% of shifts requested were left unfilled. In 2019–2021, the mean number of weekly shifts per trust increased by 19% (175.2–208.6) and the mean number of weekly unfilled shifts per trust increased by 54% (32.7 to 50.4). Trusts rated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as inadequate or requiring improvement (incidence rate ratio=1.495; 95% CI 1.191 to 1.877), and smaller trusts had a higher use of locums. Large variability was observed across regions for use of locums, proportion of shifts filled by locum agencies and unfilled shifts.

Conclusions

There were large variations in the demand for and use of locum doctors in NHS trusts. Trusts with poor CQC ratings and smaller trusts appear to use locum doctors more intensively compared with other trust types. Unfilled shifts were at a 3-year high at the end of 2021 suggesting increased demand which may result from growing workforce shortages in NHS trusts.
What children’s perspectives on safe and dangerous outdoor play can tell us about their risk-seeking and injury experiences: ‘You don’t feel right doing the thing that got you hurt’
Authors: Bauer Michelle Emma Eileen , Pike Ian
Published: May 2023

Background

Unintentional injuries are a leading cause of children’s hospitalisations and death globally and are thus a pressing public health concern. Fortunately, they are largely preventable, and understanding children’s perspectives on safe and dangerous outdoor play can help educators and researchers identify ways to mitigate the likelihood of their occurrence. Problematically, children’s perspectives are rarely included in injury prevention scholarship. In this study, we acknowledge children’s right to have their voices heard by exploring the perspectives on safe and dangerous play and injury of 13 children in Metro Vancouver, Canada.

Methods

We employed tenets of risk and sociocultural theory and a child-centred community-based participatory research approach to injury prevention. We conducted unstructured interviews with children aged 9–13 years old.

Results

Through our thematic analysis, we identified two themes: (1) ‘little’ and ‘big’ injuries and (2) risk and danger.

Conclusion

Our results suggest children differentiate between ‘little’ and ‘big’ injuries by reflecting on the potential loss of opportunities for play with friends. Further, they suggest children avoid play they perceive as dangerous, but enjoy ‘risk-seeking’ because it is thrilling and provides them with opportunities to push their physical and mental capabilities. Child educators and injury prevention researchers can use our findings to inform their communications with children and make play spaces more accessible to, fun and safe for children.
Dendritic cell therapy augments antitumor immunity triggered by CDK4/6 inhibition and immune checkpoint blockade by unleashing systemic CD4 T-cell responses
Authors: Kumar Amrendra , Ramani Vijay , Bharti Vijaya , de Lima Bellan Daniel , Saleh Nabil , Uzhachenko Roman , Shen Chengli , Arteaga Carlos , Richmond Ann , Reddy Sangeetha M , Vilgelm Anna
Published: May 2023

Background

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) combined with endocrine therapy are a mainstay treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. While their principal mechanism is inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that CDK4/6i can also promote antitumor T-cell responses. However, this pro-immunogenic property is yet to be successfully harnessed in the clinic, as combining CDK4/6i with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has not shown a definitive benefit in patients.

Method

We performed an in-depth analysis of the changes in the tumor immune microenvironment and systemic immune modulation associated with CDK4/6i treatment in muring breast cancer models and in patients with breast cancer using high dimensional flow cytometry and RNA sequencing. Gain and loss of function in vivo experiments employing cell transfer and depletion antibody were performed to uncover immune cell populations critical for CDK4/6i-mediated stimulation of antitumor immunity.

Results

We found that loss of dendritic cells (DCs) within the tumor microenvironment resulting from CDK4/6 inhibition in bone marrow progenitors is a major factor limiting antitumor immunity after CDK4/6i and ICB. Consequently, restoration of DC compartment by adoptively transferring ex vivo differentiated DCs to mice treated with CDK4/6i and ICB therapy enabled robust tumor inhibition. Mechanistically, the addition of DCs promoted the induction of tumor-localized and systemic CD4 T-cell responses in mice receiving CDK4/6i-ICB-DC combination therapy, as characterized by enrichment of programmed cell death protein-1-negative T helper (Th)1 and Th2 cells with an activated phenotype. CD4 T-cell depletion abrogated the antitumor benefit of CDK4/6i-ICB-DC combination, with outgrowing tumors displaying an increased proportion of terminally exhausted CD8 T cells.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that CDK4/6i-mediated DC suppression limits CD4 T-cell responses essential for the sustained activity of CD8 T cells and tumor inhibition. Furthermore, they imply that restoring DC-CD4 T-cell crosstalk via DC transfer enables effective breast cancer immunity in response to CDK4/6i and ICB treatment.
How much of the outcome improvement after successful recanalization is explained by follow-up infarct volume reduction?
Authors: Kniep Helge , Meyer Lukas , Broocks Gabriel , Bechstein Matthias , Austein Friederike , McDonough Rosalie V , Brekenfeld Caspar , Flottmann Fabian , Deb-Chatterji Milani , Alegiani Anna , Hanning Uta , Thomalla Goetz , Fiehler Jens , Gellissen Susanne
Published: May 2023

Background

Follow-up infarct volume (FIV) is used as surrogate for treatment efficiency in mechanical thrombectomy (MT). However, previous works suggest that MT-related FIV reduction has only limited association with outcome comparing MT independently of recanalization success versus medical care. It remains unclear to what extent the relationship between successful recanalization versus persistent occlusion and functional outcome is explained by FIV reduction.

Objective

To determine whether FIV mediates the relationship between successful recanalization and functional outcome.

Methods

All patients from our institution enrolled in the German Stroke Registry (May 2015–December 2019) with anterior circulation stroke; availability of the relevant clinical data, and follow-up-CT were analyzed. The effect of FIV reduction on functional outcome (90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤2) after successful recanalization (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction ≥2b) was quantified using mediation analysis.

Results

429 patients were included, of whom, 309 (72 %) had successful recanalization and 127 (39%) had good functional outcome. Good outcome was associated with age (OR=0.89, P<0.001), pre-stroke mRS score (OR=0.38, P<0.001), FIV (OR=0.98, P<0.001), hypertension (OR=2.08, P<0.05), and successful recanalization (OR=3.57, P<0.01). Using linear regression in the mediator pathway, FIV was associated with Alberta Stroke program Early CT Score (coefficient (Co)=−26.13, P<0.001), admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (Co=3.69, P<0.001), age (Co=−1.18, P<0.05), and successful recanalization (Co=−85.22, P<0.001). Successful recanalization increased the probability of good outcome by 23 percentage points (pp) (95% CI 16pp to 29pp). 56% (95% CI 38% to 78%) of the improvement in good outcome was explained by FIV reduction.

Conclusion

56% (95% CI 38% to 78%) of outcome improvement after successful recanalization was explained by FIV reduction. Results corroborate pathophysiological assumptions and confirm the value of FIV as an imaging endpoint in clinical trials. 44% (95% CI 22% to 62%) of the improvement in outcome was not explained by FIV reduction and reflects the remaining mismatch between radiological and clinical outcome measures.
Educational readiness among health professionals in rheumatology: low awareness of EULAR offerings and unfamiliarity with the course content as major barriers—results of a EULAR-funded European survey
Authors: Ritschl Valentin , Sperl Lisa , Andrews Margaret Renn , Björk Mathilda , Boström Carina , Cappon Jeannette , Davergne Thomas , de la Torre-Aboki Jenny , de Thurah Annette , Domján Andrea , Dragoi Razvan Gabriel , Estévez-López Fernando , Ferreira Ricardo J O , Fragoulis George E , Grygielska Jolanta , Kõrve Katti , Kukkurainen Marja Leena , Madelaine-Bonjour Christel , Marques Andréa , Meesters Jorit , Moe Rikke Helene , Moholt Ellen , Mosor Erika , Naimer-Stach Claudia , Ndosi Mwidimi , Pchelnikova Polina , Primdahl Jette , Putrik Polina , Rausch Osthoff Anne-Kathrin , Smucrova Hana , Testa Marco , van Bodegom-Vos Leti , Peter Wilfred F , Zangi Heidi A , Zimba Olena , Vliet Vlieland Theodora P M , Stamm Tanja A
Published: May 2023

Background

Ongoing education of health professionals in rheumatology (HPR) is critical for high-quality care. An essential factor is education readiness and a high quality of educational offerings. We explored which factors contributed to education readiness and investigated currently offered postgraduate education, including the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) offerings.

Methods and participants

We developed an online questionnaire, translated it into 24 languages and distributed it in 30 European countries. We used natural language processing and the Latent Dirichlet Allocation to analyse the qualitative experiences of the participants as well as descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression to determine factors influencing postgraduate educational readiness. Reporting followed theChecklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveysguideline.

Results

The questionnaire was accessed 3589 times, and 667 complete responses from 34 European countries were recorded. The highest educational needs were ‘professional development’, ‘prevention and lifestyle intervention’. Older age, more working experience in rheumatology and higher education levels were positively associated with higher postgraduate educational readiness. While more than half of the HPR were familiar with EULAR as an association and the respondents reported an increased interest in the content of the educational offerings, the courses and the annual congress were poorly attended due to a lack of awareness, comparatively high costs and language barriers.

Conclusions

To promote the uptake of EULAR educational offerings, attention is needed to increase awareness among national organisations, offer accessible participation costs, and address language barriers.
Coulomb distorted plane wave-Volkov ansatz for strong-field ionization
Authors: Milošević D. B.
Published: May 2023

In the strong-field ionization of atomic and molecular systems, the photoelectron is exposed to the long-range Coulomb force which is neglected in the standard theories based on the strong-field approximation (SFA). We introduce an ansatz which takes into account the Coulomb effects and at the same time is as simple as the standard SFA. Our Coulomb distorted plane wave-Volkov approximation provides analytical expressions for the relevant matrix elements. We also present a generalization of this approximation taking into account first-order term of an expansion in the atomic potential. Similarly as in the standard improved SFA, this generalized approximation describes well the rescattering plateau and the cutoff observed in the photoelectron spectra. Our new approximation is illustrated with numerical examples of strong-field ionization of the hydrogen atom exposed to linearly and circularly polarized laser pulses. The spectra obtained are slightly flatten in comparison with the SFA spectra and this effect is stronger for shorter laser wavelengths.
Dynamics of Delayed Neuroendocrine Systems and Their Reconstructions Using Sparse Identification and Reservoir Computing
Authors: Ge Penghe , Cao Hongjun
Published: May 2023

Neuroendocrine system mainly consists of hypothalamus, anterior pituitary, and target organ. In this paper, a three-state-variable delayed Goodwin model with two Hill functions is considered, where the Hill functions with delays denote the hormonal feedback suppressions from target organ to hypothalamus and to anterior in the reproductive hormonal axis. The existence of Hopf bifurcation shows the circadian rhythms of neuroendocrine system. The direction and stability of Hopf bifurcation are also analyzed using the normal form theory and the center manifold theorem for functional differential equations. Furthermore, based on the sparse identification algorithm, it is verified that the transient time series generated from the delayed Goodwin model cannot be equivalently presented by ordinary differential equations from the viewpoint of data when considering that a library of candidates are at most cubic terms. The reason is because the solution space of delayed differential equations is of infinite dimensions. Finally, we report that reservoir computing can predict the periodic behaviors of the delayed Goodwin model accurately if the size of reservoir and the length of data used for training are large enough. The predicting performances are evaluated by the mean squared errors between the trajectories generated from the numerical simulations and the reservoir computing.
A Reaction–Diffusion–Advection Chemostat Model in a Flowing Habitat: Mathematical Analysis and Numerical Simulations
Authors: Zhang Wang , Nie Hua , Wu Jianhua
Published: May 2023

This paper is concerned with a reaction–diffusion–advection chemostat model with two species growing and competing for a single-limited resource. By taking the growth rates of the two species as variable parameters, we study the effect of growth rates on the dynamics of this system. It is found that there exist several critical curves, which may classify the dynamics of this system into three scenarios: (1) extinction of both species; (2) competitive exclusion; (3) coexistence. Moreover, we take numerical approaches to further understand the potential behaviors of the above critical curves and observe that the bistable phenomenon can occur, besides competitive exclusion and coexistence. To further study the effect of advection and diffusion on the dynamics of this system, we present the bifurcation diagrams of positive equilibrium solutions of the single species model and the two-species model with the advection rates and the diffusion rates increasing, respectively. These numerical results indicate that advection and diffusion play a key role in determining the dynamics of two species competing in a flow reactor.
Digital Cultural Items in Space: The Impact of Contextual Information on Presenting Digital Cultural Items
Authors: Ferraris Christopher , Davis Tom , Gatzidis Christos , Hargood Charlie
Published: May 2023

Cultural heritage practitioners continue to engage with ever-changing technological opportunities, and digital cultural items (DCIs) offer the potential for engaging interactive experiences. As DCIs become more prevalent, we are motivated to seek new presentation opportunities from the medium and understand its affordances with regard to contextual information. In this publication, through a series of Speak Aloud tasks with (n = 15) participants, we explore how contextual information can improve user experiences with DCIs. The aforementioned study’s results demonstrate that the inclusion of contextual information when presenting a DCI can, in fact, improve a visitor’s understanding of a DCI’s size and scale plus also the perceived realism of a DCI. Moreover, we observe that contextual information, and its recommended addition, supports the generation of a narrative by the visitor audience. In conclusion, we advise on how contextual information can improve the relationship between a visitor and a DCI, toward interacting with a DCI in a manner very similar to that of its analog counterpart.
Boosting VLSI Design Flow Parameter Tuning with Random Embedding and Multi-objective Trust-region Bayesian Optimization
Authors: Zheng Su , Geng Hao , Bai Chen , Yu Bei , Wong Martin D. F.
Published: May 2023

Modern very large-scale integration (VLSI) design requires the implementation of integrated circuits using electronic design automation (EDA) tools. Due to the complexity of EDA algorithms, there are numerous tool parameters that have imperative impacts on the chip design quality. Manual selection of parameter values is excessively laborious and constrained by experts’ experience. Due to the high complexity and lack of parallelization, most existing parameter tuning methods cannot make sufficient exploration in a large search space. In this article, we boost the efficiency and performance of parameter tuning with random embedding and multi-objective trust-region Bayesian optimization. Random embedding can effectively cut down the number of variables in the search process and thus reduce the runtime of Bayesian optimization. Multi-objective trust-region Bayesian optimization allows the algorithm to explore diverse solutions with excellent parallelism. Due to the ability to do more exploration in limited runtime, the proposed framework can achieve better performance than existing methods in our experiments.
Offering Two-way Privacy for Evolved Purchase Inquiries
Authors: Pennekamp Jan , Dahlmanns Markus , Fuhrmann Frederik , Heutmann Timo , Kreppein Alexander , Grunert Dennis , Lange Christoph , Schmitt Robert H. , Wehrle Klaus
Published: May 2023

Dynamic and flexible business relationships are expected to become more important in the future to accommodate specialized change requests or small-batch production. Today, buyers and sellers must disclose sensitive information on products upfront before the actual manufacturing. However, without a trust relation, this situation is precarious for the involved companies as they fear for their competitiveness. Related work overlooks this issue so far: existing approaches protect the information of a single party only, hindering dynamic and on-demand business relationships. To account for the corresponding research gap of inadequately privacy-protected information and to deal with companies without an established trust relation, we pursue the direction of innovative privacy-preserving purchase inquiries that seamlessly integrate into today’s established supplier management and procurement processes. Utilizing well-established building blocks from private computing, such as private set intersection and homomorphic encryption, we propose two designs with slightly different privacy and performance implications to securely realize purchase inquiries over the Internet. In particular, we allow buyers to consider more potential sellers without sharing sensitive information and relieve sellers of the burden of repeatedly preparing elaborate yet discarded offers. We demonstrate our approaches’ scalability using two real-world use cases from the domain of production technology. Overall, we present deployable designs that offer two-way privacy for purchase inquiries and, in turn, fill a gap that currently hinders establishing dynamic and flexible business relationships. In the future, we expect significantly increasing research activity in this overlooked area to address the needs of an evolving production landscape.
Renal injury in relation to obesity and the additive effect of hypertension in female and male obese and lean ZSF1 rats
Authors: Nguyen Isabel T. N. , Cramer Maarten J. , Joles Jaap A. , Verhaar Marianne C.
Published: May 2023

Chronic kidney disease coexists with heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which is associated with multiple comorbidities and the female sex. We showed that obese, mildly hypertensive female ZSF1 rats, an animal model for HFpEF, simultaneously develop renal disease with diastolic dysfunction. Exacerbation of their hypertension, a comorbidity highly prevalent in HFpEF, compromised renal function and structure similarly in normoglycemic obese female ZSF1 rats and hyperglycemic obese male ZSF1 rats.
How to incorporate tricuspid regurgitation in right ventricular-pulmonary arterial coupling
Authors: Yoshida Keimei , Axelsen Julie Birkmose , Saku Keita , Andersen Asger , de Man Frances S. , Sunagawa Kenji , Vonk Noordegraaf Anton , Bogaard Harm Jan
Published: May 2023

This study reveals the impact of tricuspid regurgitation on pressure-volume loop analysis in right ventricle pressure overload. By introducing a novel concept of parallel compliances in the pressure-volume loop analysis, a better description is provided for the right ventricular forward afterload in the presence of tricuspid regurgitation.
Transvenous stimulation yields exposure-dependent protection from ventilator-induced diaphragm atrophy
Authors: Fernandez Karl C. , Rohrs Elizabeth C. , Bassi Thiago G. , Ornowska Marlena , Nicholas Michelle , Gani Matt , Reynolds Steven C.
Published: May 2023

This research adds to our current understanding of applying temporary transvenous diaphragmatic neurostimulation (TTDN) synchronously with mechanical ventilation by examining its diaphragm-myofiber effects. We observed that using this therapy for 50 hours with mechanical ventilation not only mitigated ventilator-induced atrophy on all myofiber types with dose effects, it also did not invoke alterations in diaphragm myofiber type proportions. These findings suggest that applying TTDN with mechanical ventilation at different doses represents its broad spectrum use and viability as a diaphragm protective strategy.
PIEZO1 gain-of-function gene variant is associated with elevated tendon stiffness in humans
Authors: Götschi Tobias , Held Victoria , Klucker Gianna , Niederöst Barbara , Aagaard Per , Spörri Jörg , Passini Fabian S. , Snedeker Jess G.
Published: May 2023

The E756del gene variant causes overactivity of the mechanosensitive membrane channel PIEZO1 and is suspected to upregulate tendon collagen cross linking. In human carriers of E756del, we found increased patellar tendon stiffness but similar tendon lengths and cross-sectional areas, directly supporting the premise that PIEZO1 regulates human tendon stiffness at the level of tissue material properties.
Modeling the Motorcycle Crash Severity on Nonintersection Urban Roadways in the Australian State of Victoria Using a Random Parameters Logit Model
Authors: Seyfi Mohammad Ali , Aghabayk Kayvan , Karimi Mamaghan Amir Mohammad , Shiwakoti Nirajan
Published: May 2023

Due to a lack of physical protection and balance, motorcycle riders are one of the most vulnerable road users and are more likely to suffer severe injuries than motorists. Between 2009 and 2020, about 60% of motorcycle crashes occurred on nonintersection urban roadways in Victoria, Australia. While considerable research on intersections and their influence on the severity of motorcycle crashes has been conducted, there are limited studies on motorcycle crashes on nonintersection roadways. Since gathering all information from every motorcycle crash may not be possible, heterogeneity can arise from unobserved factors and cause problems in developing reliable crash severity models. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors contributing to motorcycle crash severity on Victorian nonintersection urban roadways while considering the heterogeneity of factors. A total of 10,897 nonintersection motorcycles crash data from the beginning of 2009 to November 2020 in the State of Victoria, Australia, were analyzed. A random parameters (mixed) logit model (RPL) was used for evaluating motorcycle crashes. The severity of motorcycle crashes was divided into three categories: fatal injury, serious injury, and minor injury. Also, marginal effects were calculated to see how each parameter estimate affects crash severity outcomes. The RPL model results showed that some factors increased the likelihood of fatal injuries. These factors included not wearing a helmet, being in the older rider age group, riding during the early morning or midnight hours, weekend motorcycle use, riding in the early morning or midnight hours (00:00–6:29 A.M), and insufficient lighting (dark and dusk/dawn). Also, the following factors enhanced the probability of serious injuries: having a pillion passenger, having a motorcycle age of more than 7 years, riding at higher speed limits (more than 50 km/h) or during peak hours in the morning (6:30−8:59 A.M), and being in the younger age group (less than 26 years old). The findings from this study are valuable resources for road safety policy managers to develop effective strategies for improving motorcyclists’ safety at nonintersections. This may include improving the light conditions at nonintersection, encouraging the motorcyclist to maintain motorcycles regularly, and educating the motorcyclist to wear a helmet, avoid distractions, and ride responsibly on the weekends.
A Rescheduling Approach for Freight Railway considering Equity and Efficiency by an Integrated Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Bai Zhuotong , Wang Hui , Yang Lin , Li Jiajie , Lu Huapu
Published: May 2023

Since unexpected event occurrences are inevitable, an efficient and effective rescheduling approach is critical in freight railway day-to-day operations. Represented by the minimal-delay objectives, the most commonly used efficiency-oriented approach ignores the role of train priority and poses equity problems in rescheduling. For equity, different train priority also reflects the preference in deciding train orders; i.e., the high-priority train is likely to be favorable. However, a conflict may be laid between reducing delays and emphasizing train priority. Hence, it is critical to decide the criteria in train order for freight railway, especially with heterogeneous priority in a competitive resource. To make a tradeoff between equity and efficiency, this paper makes train priority evolutionary and proposed the dynamic train priority considering delay time and static priority. We formulate an optimization model based on the rescheduling strategies such as retime, reorder, and retrack in a complex railway network containing single-track, double-track, and quadruple-track sections. An integrated two-dimension genetic algorithm (ITGA) approach is developed to reobtain an optimized timetable of sufficient quality while meeting the time requirements for real-time rescheduling. In the experiment, the effectiveness of the ITGA approach was employed in a simple case and a real-world case in the Netherlands freight railway. The result shows that there is a synergy between delay time and train priority, where the threshold to upgrade the evolutionary train priority plays an important role. The proposed approach is compared with the benchmark solution first-in-first-out (FIFO) approach in a real-world case to verify the performance and efficiency. Our work extends the rescheduling approach considering both equity and efficiency and provides auxiliary operation support for the dispatcher’s operation rescheduling.
Investigation on the Cutting Force and Surface Quality in Harmonically Vibrated Broaching (HVB)
Authors: Mohammadian Amirreza , Sadeqi Bajestani Mahdi
Published: May 2023

This paper investigates the broaching process of phosphor-bronze (C54400) under different cutting conditions, and the influential factors on cutting force and surface quality are studied. The simulated cutting force implementing the force model based on the energy components also agrees with the results of experiments. In the first part, different cutting velocities of VC = 5, 10, 15, and 20 m/min are studied. In the second part, harmonic vibrations in the form of a sine wave with precise amplitude (A = 1 m/min) and frequencies (F = 55, 65, 85, and 95 Hz) are added in the direction of the cutting velocity. The results revealed that an increase in the cutting velocity from 5 to 20 m/min results in a 40% enhancement in surface quality and a 20% decrease in the cutting force. Additionally, harmonic vibrations of higher frequencies can also contribute to a 35% higher surface quality and a 20% lower cutting force. This study will ultimately improve productivity in industries where broaching is considered the main manufacturing approach, such as automotive and aerospace, in which precision and accuracy are of paramount importance.