bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing satellite‐to‐ground communication using quantum key distribution
Authors: Kasliwal Keshav , P N Jayanthi , Jain Adarsh , Bahl Rajesh Kumar
Published: March 2023

Classical Cryptography has been in use for a long time. It has been the only way of securing people's communication. However, there are some flaws observed during the execution of classical cryptography. One of them being the staunch belief that the number composed of multiplication of two large prime numbers cannot be factorised easily, which is under a threat thanks to the computational power of the quantum computers. The next flaw is the non‐detection of the hacker, both of which can be eliminated by using quantum mechanical principles for encryption purposes, which is known as quantum cryptography. Quantum Key Distribution, which provides an information‐theoretically safe solution to the key exchange problem, is the most well‐known example of quantum cryptography. The benefit of quantum cryptography is that it makes it possible to perform a variety of cryptographic operations that have been demonstrated or are hypothesised to be impractical when using solely traditional (i.e., non‐quantum) communication. Free‐space quantum communication has been successfully demonstrated across 300 m by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in March 2021. With this, ISRO is trying to achieve the same using a satellite‐based communication mechanism, which would revolutionise the mode of modern communication. It is justified that the key generation rate depends on factors like the aperture diameter of the sender and receiver, distance between them, the quantum bit error rate, and many more. The results vary with the parameters in the discussion as explained in the upcoming sections. The avenue of different types of losses that occur while transmitting at large distances, such as Atmospheric Loss, Pointing Loss and Geometric Loss, is explored.
Geolocation tracking for human identification and activity recognition using radar deep transfer learning
Authors: Alkasimi Ahmad , Pham Anh‐Vu , Gardner Christopher , Funsten Brad
Published: March 2023

Human identification and activity recognition (HIAR) is crucial for many applications, such as surveillance, smart homes, and assisted living. As a sensing modality, radar has many unique characteristics including privacy protection, and contactless sensing. Single classification systems have shown to be accurate, but for long‐term solutions both human identification (ID) and human activity recognition (HAR) will need to be integrated in one system where it can be utilised simultaneously. In this article, a novel radar‐based human tracking system is presented where three classifiers are utilised to identify the subject and his/her behaviour. For any kind of motion, the system tracks the subject and detect the type of his/her motion. Based on the detected type of motion, the three classifiers are utilised for identification and activity recognition. The classifiers are built utilising deep transfer learning where three radar datasets are established to train and validate each of the deep networks. To recognise six activities and 10 human subjects, the three classifiers, namely, HAR, Gait ID, and Heart sound ID, achieve superior performance compared to the best reported results in literature with classification accuracies of 97.6%, 100%, and 41.8% respectively. Three successful examples are presented to demonstrate the introduced concept.
Supernova search with active learning in ZTF DR3
Authors: Pruzhinskaya M. V. , Ishida E. E. O. , Novinskaya A. K. , Russeil E. , Volnova A. A. , Malanchev K. L. , Kornilov M. V. , Aleo P. D. , Korolev V. S. , Krushinsky V. V. , Sreejith S. , Gangler E.
Published: March 2023

Context. We provide the first results from the complete SNAD adaptive learning pipeline in the context of a broad scope of data from large-scale astronomical surveys.

Aims. The main goal of this work is to explore the potential of adaptive learning techniques in application to big data sets.

Methods. Our SNAD team used Active Anomaly Discovery (AAD) as a tool to search for new supernova (SN) candidates in the photometric data from the first 9.4 months of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) survey, namely, between March 17 and December 31, 2018 (58 194 ≤ MJD ≤ 58 483). We analysed 70 ZTF fields at a high galactic latitude and visually inspected 2100 outliers.

Results. This resulted in 104 SN-like objects being found, 57 of which were reported to the Transient Name Server for the first time and with 47 having previously been mentioned in other catalogues, either as SNe with known types or as SN candidates. We visually inspected the multi-colour light curves of the non-catalogued transients and performed fittings with different supernova models to assign it to a probable photometric class: Ia, Ib/c, IIP, IIL, or IIn. Moreover, we also identified unreported slow-evolving transients that are good superluminous SN candidates, along with a few other non-catalogued objects, such as red dwarf flares and active galactic nuclei.

Conclusions. Beyond confirming the effectiveness of human-machine integration underlying the AAD strategy, our results shed light on potential leaks in currently available pipelines. These findings can help avoid similar losses in future large-scale astronomical surveys. Furthermore, the algorithm enables direct searches of any type of data and based on any definition of an anomaly set by the expert.
TDCOSMO
Authors: Shajib Anowar J. , Mozumdar Pritom , Chen Geoff C.-F. , Treu Tommaso , Cappellari Michele , Knabel Shawn , Suyu Sherry H. , Bennert Vardha N. , Frieman Joshua A. , Sluse Dominique , Birrer Simon , Courbin Frederic , Fassnacht Christopher D. , Villafaña Lizvette , Williams Peter R.
Published: March 2023

Strong-lensing time delays enable the measurement of the Hubble constant (H0) independently of other traditional methods. The main limitation to the precision of time-delay cosmography is mass-sheet degeneracy (MSD). Some of the previous TDCOSMO analyses broke the MSD by making standard assumptions about the mass density profile of the lens galaxy, reaching 2% precision from seven lenses. However, this approach could potentially bias the H0 measurement or underestimate the errors. For this work, we broke the MSD for the first time using spatially resolved kinematics of the lens galaxy in RXJ1131−1231 obtained from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager spectroscopy, in combination with previously published time delay and lens models derived from Hubble Space Telescope imaging. This approach allowed us to robustly estimate H0, effectively implementing a maximally flexible mass model. Following a blind analysis, we estimated the angular diameter distance to the lens galaxy Dd = 865−81+85 Mpc and the time-delay distance DΔt = 2180−271+472 Mpc, giving H0 = 77.1−7.1+7.3 km s−1 Mpc−1 – for a flat Λ cold dark matter cosmology. The error budget accounts for all uncertainties, including the MSD inherent to the lens mass profile and line-of-sight effects, and those related to the mass–anisotropy degeneracy and projection effects. Our new measurement is in excellent agreement with those obtained in the past using standard simply parametrized mass profiles for this single system (H0 = 78.3−3.3+3.4 km s−1 Mpc−1) and for seven lenses (H0 = 74.2−1.6+1.6 km s−1 Mpc−1), or for seven lenses using single-aperture kinematics and the same maximally flexible models used by us (H0 = 73.3−5.8+5.8 km s−1 Mpc−1). This agreement corroborates the methodology of time-delay cosmography.
Evidence of an age gradient along the line of sight in the nuclear stellar disc of the Milky Way
Authors: Nogueras-Lara F. , Schultheis M. , Najarro F. , Sormani M. C. , Gadotti D. A. , Rich R. M.
Published: March 2023

Context. The nuclear stellar disc (NSD) is a flat dense stellar structure at the heart of the Milky Way. Recent work has shown that analogous structures are common in the nuclei of external spiral galaxies, where there is evidence of an age gradient that indicates that they form inside-out. However, the characterisation of the age of the NSD stellar population along the line of sight is still missing due to its extreme source crowding and the high interstellar extinction towards the Galactic centre.

Aims. We aim to characterise the age of the stellar population at different average Galactocentric NSD radii to investigate for the first time the presence of an age gradient along the line of sight.

Methods. We selected two groups of stars at different NSD radii via their different extinction and proper motion distribution. We analysed their stellar population by fitting their de-reddened Ks luminosity functions with a linear combination of theoretical models.

Results. We find significant differences in the stellar population at different NSD radii, indicating the presence of an age gradient along the line of sight. Our sample from the closest edge of the NSD contains a significant fraction (∼40% of its total stellar mass) of intermediate-age stars (2–7 Gyr) that is not present in the sample from stars deeper inside the NSD, in which ∼90% of the stellar mass is older than 7 Gyr. Our results suggest that the NSD age distribution is similar to the one found in external galaxies and they imply that bar-driven processes observed in external galaxies are similarly at play in the Milky Way.
Qualitative analysis for a diffusive predator-prey model with hunting cooperation and holling type III functional response
Authors: Benamara Ibtissam , El Abdllaoui Abderrahim , Yafia Radouane , Dutta Hemen
Published: March 2023

The Spatio-temporal pattern induced by self-diffusion of a predator-prey model with Boiling type III functional response that incorporates the hunting cooperation between predators has been investigated in this paper. For the local model without structure, the stability of non-negative equilibria with or without collaborative hunting in predators is studied. For the Spatio-temporal model, we analyze the effect of hunting cooperation term on diffusion-driven Turing instability of the homogeneous positive equilibria. To get an idea about patterns formation near the Turing bifurcation, we derive and give a detailed study of the amplitude equation using the multiple-scale analysis. Our result shows that hunting cooperation plays a crucial role in determining the stability and the Turing bifurcation of the model, which is in sharp contrast to the case without cooperation in hunting. Furthermore, some numerical simulations are illustrated to visualize the complex dynamic behavior of the model.
Glycyrrhizin and Mannitol Nasal Therapy: Cytological and Clinical Outcomes in Chronic Rhinitis
Authors: Pagliuca Giulio , Clemenzi Veronica , Martellucci Salvatore , Gazia Francesco , Santarsiero Sara , Farina Luigi , Stolfa Andrea , Gallo Andrea
Published: March 2023

Introduction Chronic rhinitis (CR) represents a widespread inflammation with a high incidence in the general population. Although it is generally considered a benign condition, CR has a relevant impact on quality of life and requires a specific treatment approach.

Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of glycyrrhizin and mannitol intranasal treatment on chronic rhinitis using cytological analysis and subjective evaluation of symptoms.

Methods A total of 55 patients suffering from chronic rhinitis were enrolled in the present study, 34 with allergic rhinitis (AR) and 21 with nonallergic rhinitis (NAR). The severity of four different nasal symptoms was determined by using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Specimens obtained by nasal scraping were collected for cytological analysis. Data were acquired before and after a 30-day treatment with glycyrrhizin and mannitol nasal spray. Statistical analyses were performed.

Results The VAS scores for all four nasal symptoms considered in the present study, as well as for neutrophil cells, reduced significantly after therapy in both allergic and nonallergic patients. The number of eosinophils was not significantly lower in nonallergic patients.

Conclusion A 30-day topical treatment with glycyrrhizin and mannitol may improve nasal symptoms and reduce inflammatory cells in the nasal mucosa in patients with chronic rhinitis without significant contraindications. Further studies could support our results and would better clarify all the aspects of this treatment.
Comparative Study Between Single Layer and Double Layer Graft Technique in Tympanoplasty for Subtotal Tympanic Membrane Perforation
Authors: Aziz Ahmed Abdel Rahman Abdel , Hafez Montaser Abdel Salam , Mahmoud Ashraf Gamal , Hamad AbdelMoneim H.
Published: March 2023

Introduction Tympanoplasty is the main treatment of mucosal type of chronic suppurative otitis media.

Objective The aim of the present study was to compare clinical outcomes in terms of healing and audiological outcomes of two groups. The authors used single layer graft (perichondrium with cartilage island) graft in one group and double layer grafts (perichondrium cartilage island composite plus temporalis fascia) were used in the second group.

Methods Forty patients complained of chronic suppurative otitis media safe type with subtotal perforation subdivided into two groups. The first group author used single-layer perichondrium with cartilage island graft (composite graft) while in the second group authors used double graft in the form of perichondrium/cartilage island (composite graft) plus temporalis fascia.

Results There was no significant difference in the mean Air bone gap (ABG) between pre- and post-operative audiometry in subjects who had single layer tympanoplasty. There was a significant difference in the mean ABG between pre- and postoperative audiometry in subjects who had double layer tympanoplasty. There was a significant difference in in the mean ABG differences between subjects who had single layer tympanoplasty and double layer tympanoplasty. Also, there was a significant difference in the healing of the tympanic membrane between subjects who had single layer tympanoplasty and double layer tympanoplasty.

Conclusion Tympanoplasty by double graft (temporalis fascia and tragal cartilage/perichondrium) achieved a considerable improvement in healing of the tympanic membrane ™ with lower risk for residual perforation or graft rejection.
Effect of A Fluoride Toothpaste Containing Enzymes and Salivary Proteins on Periodontal Pathogens in Subjects with Black Stain: A Pilot Study
Authors: Carelli Maria , Zatochna Iuliia , Sandri Angela , Burlacchini Gloria , Rosa Angelica , Baccini Francesca , Signoretto Caterina
Published: March 2023

Objective Black stain (BS) is an extrinsic dental discoloration particularly difficult to treat. Although its etiology is not fully clear yet, chromogenic bacteria inside the oral cavity seem to be involved. In this pilot study, we evaluated whether a toothpaste containing enzymes and salivary proteins could improve oral health and reduce the presence of periodontal pathogens in subjects predisposed to BS discoloration.

Materials and Methods Twenty-six subjects were enrolled in the study: 10 subjects without BS; 16 subjects with BS, randomly assigned in two groups: test (n = 8) and control (n = 8). The test group used a toothpaste containing sodium fluoride, enzymes, and salivary proteins. The control group used a toothpaste with amine fluoride. At enrollment and after 14 weeks, participants were subjected to professional oral hygiene, evaluation of BS (through Shourie index) and oral health status, collection of saliva and dental plaque samples. The presence of periodontal pathogens in plaque and saliva of all subjects was investigated by molecular analysis (PCR).

Statistical Analysis The prevalence of investigated microbial species in patients with/without BS was performed by Chi-squared test. The variation in the prevalence of the investigated species after treatment in test and control group was analyzed by t-test.

Results Clinical evaluation showed that 86% of participants with BS had a reduction in the Shourie index, independently from the toothpaste used. In particular, a greater reduction in the Shourie index was observed in subjects using an electric toothbrush. We did not observe an effect of the fluoride toothpaste containing enzymes and salivary proteins on the composition of the oral microbiota of the test subjects in comparison with controls. When comparing all subjects with BS (n = 16) and without BS (n = 10), P. gingivalis detection was significantly higher in saliva samples collected from subjects with BS (p = 0.0129).

Conclusion We verified that the use of an enzyme-containing toothpaste alone is not sufficient to prevent the formation of BS dental pigmentation in subjects predisposed to this discoloration. Mechanical cleaning, especially using electrical toothbrushes, seems to be useful to counteract BS formation. Moreover, our results suggest a possible association between BS and the presence of P. gingivalis at the salivary level.
Access, Safety, and Barriers in Adoption of Emergency Laparoscopy Surgery for Trauma Patients in a Low-Resource Setting
Authors: Kumar Rahul , Mishra Arpan , Damde Harikrishna , Yadav Prasant , Yadav Sanjay Kumar
Published: March 2023

Introduction This study analyzes barriers to the adoption of emergency laparoscopy (EL), safety, and accessibility in a low-resource setting of a low- and middle-income country (LMIC).

Methods In this prospective observational study, patients with blunt trauma abdomen (BTA) who required exploration were included and divided into two groups—open exploration (open surgery [OSx]) and laparoscopic exploration (laparoscopic surgery [LSx]). Data were compiled and analyzed.

Results Out of 94 BTA patients, 66 required exploration, and the rest were managed conservatively. Out of 66 patients, 42 were in OSx and 24 were in LSx, reason for not selecting LSx was the surgeon's preference for OSx in 26 patients and the lack of availability of operation theater (OT) slots in 16 patients. LSx even after indication was less likely if patients had preoperative evidence of perforation peritonitis.

Conclusion Lack of resources (OT availability and trained personnel) are barriers to the adoption of emergency LSx in low-resource settings.
Single- and Bicolumn Limited Intercarpal Fusion: A Solution for the SLAC or SNAC Wrist
Authors: Solgård Lars , Gvozdenovic Robert
Published: March 2023

Background Single- or bicolumn limited intercarpal fusion, also called one- or two-column fusion, has been introduced as an alternative to four-corner fusion. The rationale behind this is obtaining less need for bone grafting and consequently improving the chances of the union.

Method From August 2014 to October 2020, 45 consecutive patients (15 women), with a mean age of 58.4 years (range: 35–79), have been treated for scapholunate advanced collapse or scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse wrist. In 33 cases, the surgery was performed as two-column fusion, and in 12 cases as one-column fusion. The union was determined by a computed tomography (CT) scan or X-ray follow-up studies. The pain assessments (visual analog score: 0–100), range of motion (ROM), grip strength, and Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score were prospectively included.

Results Of 45 patients, 43 were available for the follow-up, at a mean of 35 months (range: 12–68). All patients but two achieved union at a mean of 9.5 weeks (range: 5–25 weeks). Pain diminished from 60.3 (mean) preoperatively to 16.7 (mean) postoperatively (p = 0.0001). Grip strength slightly increased from 28.2 KgF (mean) to 29 KgF (mean) (not significantly, p = 0.86). Quick Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score improved from 39.5 (median) before the surgery to 11 (median) after the surgery (p = 0.0004). The postoperative ROM of 62/37 degrees (mean) were recorded for total dorsovolar/radioulnar flexions, respectively. Three patients were converted to total wrist fusion and one to total wrist arthroplasty. One had a rearthrodesis to two-column fusion, which united.

Conclusion One- and two-column fusion showed significant improvement in pain and function, with minimal impairment of the grip strength on the short- to mid-term follow-up. A union rate of 95% and an acceptable complication rate were achieved, without fusing all carpals.

Level of Evidence Prospective, cohort study, level III.
An Unusual Case of Xanthoma of Bilateral Achilles Tendon with Gouty Infiltration: A Rare Case Report
Authors: Khatoon Heena M. , Srirambhatla Annapurna , Sharma Abhimanyu , Sankepally Poojitha , Arora Abhishek J.
Published: March 2023

Achilles tendon xanthoma is a benign and rare disease with a high incidence in patients having familial hypercholesterolemia. Patients present with or without pain and thickened tendons. Gout is seen in patients with hyperuricemia. Coexistence of xanthoma and gout is extremely rare. We searched the PubMed literature with ‘Xanthoma’ and ‘Gout’ as keywords and could find only one case report. Imaging modalities such as radiography and ultrasonography, play a vital role in diagnosing this condition early, hence helping the patient to commence the use of potentially lifesaving lipid-lowering therapeutic agents. Magnetic resonance imaging is helpful in delineating the morphological changes, exact measurements, and eventually in treatment planning. It helps to rule out early involvement of other tendons by the same pathology. We present a case of a 25-year-old male patient who presented to our institute with bilateral large symmetrical swelling in the posterior aspects of ankles for 4 years, with normal serum and blood parameters. Bilaterality, enormous size and normal blood and serum parameters make this case unique.
Fetal Epicardial Fat Thickness: Its Role as Marker for Gestational Diabetic Mellitus
Authors: Singh Amandeep , Josan Amitojveer S. , Gupta Kamlesh , Pahwa Sangeeta
Published: March 2023

Background There are very few studies on the association between fetal epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Aims To evaluate the role of fetal epicardial fat thickness as a marker and use it in pregnancies to screen for GDM.

Settings and Design A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging at Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, after the due clearance from the institutional research and ethics committee.

Materials and Methods The study included pregnant patients at 24 + 0/6 to 28 + 0/6 weeks of gestation scheduled for a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test from December 1, 2020 to March 30, 2022. Antenatal ultrasound was performed on Voluson E8 Expert BT12 (Wipro GE) ultrasound machine. Out of 180 patients, 60 patients were selected, that is, 30 patients with raised 75 g OGTT results (cases of GDM) and 30 patients with normal 75 g OGTT results.

Statistical Analysis The collected data were transformed into variables, coded, and entered into Microsoft Excel. Data were analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk normality test, student's t-test or Mann–Whiney U test, chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test and statistically evaluated using the SPSS-PC-25 version.

Results Fetal EFT was found to be significantly more in the GDM group in comparison to controls without GDM, and the increased fetal EFT was positively associated with 2-hour OGTT serum glucose values.

The mean fetal epicardial fat thickness (EFT) in mothers with GDM was significantly larger, i.e., 0.17 ± 0.02 cm than in mothers without GDM, i.e., 0.12 ± 0.01 cm (p < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve plotted from values calculated from our results shows high sensitivity (i.e., 96.67%) and specificity (i.e., 90%) of fetal EFT as a predictor for GDM with an AUROC value of 0.96 and 95% confidence interval of 0.92 to 1.0.

Conclusions EFT was significantly higher in fetuses of diabetic versus nondiabetic mothers. The mean difference in EFT of GDM cases and controls was relatively small but was statistically significant. The study concluded that measuring the epicardial fat thickness in fetuses can serve as a novel marker in GDM.
Thyroxine Replacement Therapy during Ramadan Fasting: Physicians' and Patients' Perceptions and Practices
Authors: Beshyah Salem A. , Khalil Aly B. , Beshyah Anas S. , Benbarka Mahmoud M. , Sherif Ibrahim H.
Published: March 2023

Objective Thyroxine (T4) therapy is taken on an empty stomach and no food is taken for a short period. During Ramadan fasting (RF), Muslim patients may face difficulties taking levothyroxine as recommended.

Materials and Methods We performed a mixed methods study of an online survey of 218 physicians to explore their perceptions and practices. Also, we interviewed a sample of 172 hypothyroid patients to establish their practices and source of information. Their median age was 46 (17–90) years; they had hypothyroidism for a median of 5 years and took a median thyroxine dose of 100 µg daily. Furthermore, we attempted to explore the effects of RF on available thyroid function tests.

Results Consultants were 58.4%, and the most represented specialty was endocrinology, 46.1%. Regarding the impact of RF on T4 therapy, 52.3% thought the RF was not clinically relevant in most patients on T4 replacement. However, 27.5% thought RF affects T4 replacement therapy in a clinically relevant manner. About 77.1% of respondents reported giving advice routinely to all patients on T4 replacement during RF. One hundred sixty-four respondents were split between recommending taking the medications with Iftar, Suhour, or other times. Most respondents (73.9%) do not repeat measurements of thyroid hormone levels after Ramadan unless needed during their scheduled clinic visit. On the other hand, 50.3% of the patients confirmed that their physician advised them to take their thyroxine during Ramadan, whereas 40.4% could not recall receiving any advice. About 59.9% of the patients took thyroxine with Iftar, 23.8% with Suhour, and 16.3% at different times. In those patients where thyroid function tests were available before and after RF, serum thyroid-stimulating hormone and serum-free T4 did not show a specific pattern in the group as a whole and with subgroups.

Conclusion There is variation in the advice that hypothyroid patients receive on taking thyroxine during Ramadan and in their practices. Further studies are needed to determine the best timing for thyroxine replacement.
Bronchial Artery Embolization in Management of Hemoptysis in a Developing Country: An Initial Experience
Authors: Garg Puneet , Khandelwal Ayush , Bhardwaj Krishna , Ish Pranav , Khurana Rajat , Malik Amita
Published: March 2023

Objectives This article evaluates the immediate success, recurrence rate, complications, and the culprit vessel of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) in patients presenting with hemoptysis.

Materials and Methods All patients who underwent BAE from July 1, 2018 to August 31, 2021 were included. BAE was done for moderate to severe hemoptysis or for mild hemoptysis which was recurrent and not controlled by medical management. Patients referred for surgical intervention and hemoptysis controlled on medical management were excluded.

Results One hundred and thirty patients underwent BAE in the study period. Mean age was 41.5 years and majority (73.1%) was male. Forty-three (33.1%) patients had mild, 46 (35.4%) had moderate, and 41 (31.5%) with the duration of symptoms ranging from 3 days to 25 years. Most common culprit vessel was posterior intercostal artery closely followed by the intercostobronchial artery. Hypervascularity was the most common angiographic abnormality encountered. On an average, 2.75 vessels were embolized per BAE with a wide range of 1 to 8 vessels. Hemoptysis control was seen in 96.1% patients immediately, 90.7 % at 1 month, 82.3 % at 3 months, and 66.9 % at 6 months. Overall recurrence was seen in 43 patients (33.1%). Chest pain was the most common minor side effect occurring in 77.1% cases.

Conclusion BAE is a safe and effective procedure that can be performed routinely in patients presenting with moderate to massive hemoptysis or with mild hemoptysis refractory to medical management.
Expanding the Spectrum of NUBPL-Related Leukodystrophy
Authors: van der Knaap Marjo S. , Fumagalli Francesca , Tonduti Davide , Zambon Alberto A. , Ghezzi Daniele , Lamantea Eleonora , Izzo Rossella , Parazzini Cecilia , Baldoli Cristina
Published: March 2023

Mitochondrial leukodystrophies constitute a group of different conditions presenting with a wide range of clinical presentation but with some shared neuroradiological features. Genetic defects in NUBPL have been recognized as cause of a pediatric onset mitochondrial leukodystrophy characterized by onset at the end of the first year of life with motor delay or regression and cerebellar signs, followed by progressive spasticity. Early magnetic resonance imagings (MRIs) show white matter abnormalities with predominant involvement of frontoparietal regions and corpus callosum. A striking cerebellar involvement is usually observed. Later MRIs show spontaneous improvement of white matter abnormalities but worsening of the cerebellar involvement evolving to global atrophy and progressive involvement of brainstem. After the 7 cases initially described, 11 more subjects were reported. Some of them were similar to patients from the original series while few others broadened the phenotypic spectrum. We performed a literature review and report on a new patient who further expand the spectrum of NUBPL-related leukodystrophy. With our study we confirm that the association of cerebral white matter and cerebellar cortex abnormalities is a feature commonly observed in early stages of the disease but beside the original and so far prevalent presentation, there are also uncommon phenotypes: clinical onset can be earlier and more severe than previously thought and signs of extraneurological involvement can be observed. Brain white matter can be diffusely abnormal without anteroposterior gradient, can progressively worsen, and cystic degeneration can be present. Thalami can be involved. Basal ganglia can also become involved during disease evolution.
A Case of Giant Cutaneous Lopez Type III Meningioma of the Scalp
Authors: Cheng Man Fung , Cheung Ling Kit , Dodoo Ernest Addy , Po Yin Chung
Published: March 2023

Meningiomas are the most common central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Extracranial meningiomas are rare, constituting 2% of all meningiomas. We describe a case of Lopez type III meningioma of the scalp in a 72-year-old gentleman who had a long-standing giant scalp mass and presented with recent mild left-sided limb weakness and numbness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the skull demonstrated a right frontoparietal tumor extending through the skull into the scalp. Tumor excision revealed World Health Organization (WHO) grade 1 meningioma. Clinicians should correlate a cutaneous skull mass and new onset of neurological symptoms. Cutaneous meningioma is an important differential diagnosis.
A Nod for Meckel: A Novel Surgical Position Utilizing Meckel's Cave Anatomy for Percutaneous Glycerol Rhizotomy in Trigeminal Neuralgia
Authors: Piper Keaton Francis , Flores-Milan Gabriel , Cruz Alejandro Matos , Kumar Jay I. , Loveren Harry van
Published: March 2023

Objective We aim to describe a novel positioning technique using a specific surgical table to achieve the optimal angle during percutaneous glycerol rhizotomy (PGR) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN).

Design This is a descriptive and photographic analysis of successful cases for future implementation.

Setting This study was conducted at a single-institution, academic center.

Participants The participants were adult patients with TN who underwent PGR and provided consent for publication.

Main Outcome Measures Primary outcomes of this study were TN symptomatic relief and surgical complications.

Results The use of a beach chair sliding headboard surgical table for PGR is plausible and ensures precise and immobile head flexion for 1 hour postglycerol injection. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. All patients achieved successful reduction of TN symptoms.

Conclusions Utilizing this new method of intraoperative navigation with a unique surgical table in the upright position, surgeons may achieve precise head adjustments post-PGR. Head flexion has been postulated as a means of ensuring glycerol containment in Meckel's cave. This method can help standardize this procedure for future systematic studies on the importance of head positioning post-PGR.
The role of public versus private social safety nets in mitigating the impact of shocks in rural Pakistan
Authors: Naveed Samina , Malik Ayesha Imran , Adil Iftikhar Hussain
Published: March 2023

This study compares the protective effectiveness of Social Safety Nets (SSNs) provided by government and NGOs in rural Pakistan, using quasi-experimental methodology on PRPHS (2011–12) data. The treatment group was the households receiving SSNs assistance. The counterfactual (control group) was determined using propensity score matching. Outcome indicators were shock-coping strategies from which households are theoretically protected from by SSNs: reducing food consumption, switching to cheaper food, and distress asset sales. The impact of both types of SSNs was calculated by average treatment effect on the treatment group. The results showed insignificantly lesser treatment units used shock-coping strategies than the matched control unit, implying that receiving either type of SSN did not protect the household from resorting to coping strategies. However, households with public SSNs tended not to resort to switching to cheaper food as a coping strategy. This suggests that public SSNs have more protective effectiveness than private SSNs. JEL classification H31, H53, H55, H76.
Reformulating computational social science with citizen social science: the case of a community-based mental health care research
Authors: Bonhoure Isabelle , Cigarini Anna , Vicens Julián , Mitats Bàrbara , Perelló Josep
Published: March 2023

Computational social science is being scrutinised and some concerns have been expressed with regards to the lack of transparency and inclusivity in some of the researches. However, how computational social science can be reformulated to adopt participatory and inclusive practices? And, furthermore, which aspects shall be carefully considered to make possible this reformulation? We present a practical case that addresses the challenge of collectively studying social interactions within community-based mental health care. This study is done by revisiting and revising social science methods such as social dilemmas and game theory and by incorporating the use of digital interfaces to run experiments in-the-field. The research can be framed within the emergent citizen social science or social citizen science where shared practices are still lacking. We have identified five key steps of the research process to be considered to introduce participatory and inclusive practices: research framing, research design, experimental spaces, data sources, and actionable knowledge. Social dilemmas and game theory methods and protocols need to be reconsidered as an experiential activity that enables participants to self-reflect. Co-design dynamics and the building of a working group outside the academia are important to initiate socially robust knowledge co-production. Research results should support evidence-based policies and collective actions put forward by the civil society. The inclusion of underserved groups is discussed as a way forward to new avenues of computational social science jointly with intricate ethical aspects. Finally, the paper also provides some reflections to explore the particularities of a further enhancement of social dimensions in citizen science.
Leverage zones in Responsible AI: towards a systems thinking conceptualization
Authors: Nabavi Ehsan , Browne Chris
Published: March 2023

There is a growing debate amongst academics and practitioners on whether interventions made, thus far, towards Responsible AI have been enough to engage with the root causes of AI problems. Failure to effect meaningful changes in this system could see these initiatives not reach their potential and lead to the concept becoming another buzzword for companies to use in their marketing campaigns. Systems thinking is often touted as a methodology to manage and effect change; however, there is little practical advice available for decision-makers to include systems thinking insights to work towards Responsible AI. Using the notion of ‘leverage zones’ adapted from the systems thinking literature, we suggest a novel approach to plan for and experiment with potential initiatives and interventions. This paper presents a conceptual framework called the Five Ps to help practitioners construct and identify holistic interventions that may work towards Responsible AI, from lower-order interventions such as short-term fixes, tweaking algorithms and updating parameters, through to higher-order interventions such as redefining the system’s foundational structures that govern those parameters, or challenging the underlying purpose upon which those structures are built and developed in the first place. Finally, we reflect on the framework as a scaffold for transdisciplinary question-asking to improve outcomes towards Responsible AI.
Do genomic passports leave us more vulnerable or less vulnerable? Perspectives from an online citizen engagement
Authors: Mayeur Chloé , Mertes Heidi , Van Hoof Wannes
Published: March 2023

Since genomics is becoming commonplace in healthcare for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, the prospect of generating a genomic passport for all citizens is gaining traction. While this would have many advantages, it raises ethical issues requiring societal debate alongside academic reflection. Hence, Sciensano—the Belgian scientific Institute of Public Health—organised an online citizen engagement on genomic information usage, including a question on a genomic passport for all. The inductive thematic analysis of participants’ contributions highlighted vulnerability as a fundamental concern, while this has not received sufficient attention so far in genomics. Participants expressed their vulnerability in two ways. First, the genomic passport would inform them about their ontological vulnerability. By revealing their constitutional weaknesses (predisposition to diseases), it reminds them that everyone is unavoidably and perennially at risk of being harmed. Second, the misuse of the genomic passport can add situational vulnerabilities (e.g., discrimination causing psychological and economic harm). Moreover, the fundamental uncertainty in genomics—how will such sensitive information be used, and how will the science evolve?—exacerbates these vulnerabilities. This article ends with recommendations to alleviate these vulnerabilities in genomics now and in the future in which the genomic passport may become a reality.
Roughness effect on hypersonic second mode instability and transition on a cone
Authors: Haley Christopher , Zhong Xiaolin
Published: March 2023

Recent studies by Fong et al. [“Finite roughness effect on modal growth of a hypersonic boundary layer,” AIAA Paper No. 2012-1086, 2012; “Stabilization of hypersonic boundary layer waves using 2-D surface roughness,” AIAA Paper No. 2013-2985, 2013; “Numerical simulation of roughness effect on the stability of a hypersonic boundary layer,” Comput. Fluids 96, 350–367 (2014); and “Second mode suppression in hypersonic boundary layer by roughness: Design and experiments,” AIAA J. 53, 1–6 (2015)] have shown that finite roughness can attenuate Mack's second mode instability when placed at the discrete mode synchronization location for two-dimensional planar flow over a flat plate. However, more practical hypersonic flows are non-planer conical flows, and the roughness effect phenomenon in conical flows has not been extensively investigated. For that reason, this investigation research the ability of finite roughness strips to attenuate the second mode instability on a Mach 8 straight blunt cone with a freestream unit Reynolds number of 9 585 000. Two roughness configurations are studied: a single roughness strip and an array of six sequential strips. N-factor calculations determine the second mode frequency most likely to lead to turbulent transition, and the linear stability theory is used to determine the mode's synchronization location. In the unsteady simulations of the roughness configurations, a blowing-suction actuator introduces an upstream broadband Gaussian pulse. Fourier decomposition of the pulse's history shows that the single roughness strip attenuates frequencies higher than 208 kHz while lower frequencies are amplified. Likewise, the roughness array exhibits similar results, attenuating frequencies higher than 164 kHz and amplifying lower frequencies downstream. The results show that both configurations can delay second mode instability growth on a hypersonic blunt cone and possibly delay turbulent transition. However, investigations of the roughness effect's behavior downstream of the roughness configurations show that disturbance growth resumes and becomes more destabilizing to the boundary layer.
Water impact of deformable spheres with vertical and oblique entries
Authors: Yang Liu , Wei Yingjie , Guo Yunuo
Published: March 2023

At low Froude numbers, vertical and oblique impacts of deformable spheres into water are performed. The dependence levels of the hydrodynamics, cavity formations, and stress responses on the oblique angle are investigated. Based on theoretical and numerical analyses, the differences between the vertical and oblique impacts in sphere deformations and cavity formations are clarified. Elastic forces inside the sphere induce different models of the deformation behaviors during oblique water entry, and the sphere with a smaller oblique angle extends the formation time of the oblate deformation and nested cavity. Over a single deformation period, the vertical hydrodynamic forces do not continuously increase with the oblique angle, and they depend on the deformation behavior. Additionally, the evolution in the high-stress area at the bottom of the sphere caused by the oblique motion is similar to a solar eclipse. Over the first deformation period, the energy change in the sphere with different oblique angles can be predicted from the dimensionless ratio of the material shear modulus to the impact hydrodynamic pressure.
Implementation of an HIV RNA Qualitative PCR Assay in an HIV Diagnostic Algorithm: A Single-Institution Experience
Authors: Medeiros Isabela , Vadlamudi Charitha , Doonan Katie , Nielsen Marisa C , Miller Nancy S
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Boston Medical Center (BMC) is a private, not-for-profit 514-bed academic medical center and legacy safety net hospital serving a diverse global patient population. BMC recently implemented a new HIV-1/HIV-2 Qualitative RNA PCR (HIV RNA QUAL) cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration to (1) replace antibody discrimination follow-up testing after a reactive fourth-generation (4G) serology screen and (2) use as a stand-alone diagnostic for suspected seronegative acute HIV infection.

Methods

This report summarizes the results of a production monitor for the first 3 months postimplementation.

Results

The monitor characterized test utilization, diagnostic turnaround time, impact on send-out testing, results reflexed to HIV RNA discrimination follow-up, and discrepancies between screening and HIV RNA results that necessitated additional investigation. Another element was the novelty of using HIV RNA QUAL while awaiting the existing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HIV testing algorithm update. The 4G screening components and the HIV RNA QUAL were also used to create an algorithm specific to and compliant with current guidelines for screening patients on HIV preexposure prophylaxis.

Conclusions

Based on our findings, this new test algorithm may be reproducible and instructive at other institutions.
Chemical and genetic carotenoid deficiency delays growth in dark-grownEuglena gracilis
Authors: Tamaki Shun , Koshitsuka Yuki , Miyamoto Koji , Ishikawa Takahiro , Shinomura Tomoko
Published: March 2023

Light-independent functions of carotenoids in photosynthetic organisms are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the growth properties of microalga, Euglena gracilis, under altered light and temperature using norflurazon-treated carotenoid-deficient cells and genetically modified strains, including nonphotosynthetic SM-ZK and colorless cl4. Norflurazon treatment decreased carotenoid and chlorophyll contents, causing cell bleaching. SM-ZK strain had lower carotenoid content than wild-type (WT) strain, and it was below the detectable level in the cl4 strain. Norflurazon treatment decreased phytoene synthase EgCrtB levels, although EgcrtB was transcriptionally induced. Carotenoid deficiency in norflurazon-treated cells and the cl4 strain caused similar extents of delayed growth under light and dark conditions at 25 °C, indicating that carotenoids promote growth in darkness. Both WT and SM-ZK strains exhibited similar growth rates. Dark conditions at 20 °C enhanced the growth delay of norflurazon-treated cells and the cl4 strain. These results indicate that carotenoids impart environmental stress tolerance to E. gracilis in light-dependent and light-independent manners.
scGAD: a new task and end-to-end framework for generalized cell type annotation and discovery
Authors: Zhai Yuyao , Chen Liang , Deng Minghua
Published: March 2023

The rapid development of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology allows us to study gene expression heterogeneity at the cellular level. Cell annotation is the basis for subsequent downstream analysis in single-cell data mining. As more and more well-annotated scRNA-seq reference data become available, many automatic annotation methods have sprung up in order to simplify the cell annotation process on unlabeled target data. However, existing methods rarely explore the fine-grained semantic knowledge of novel cell types absent from the reference data, and they are usually susceptible to batch effects on the classification of seen cell types. Taking into consideration the limitations above, this paper proposes a new and practical task called generalized cell type annotation and discovery for scRNA-seq data whereby target cells are labeled with either seen cell types or cluster labels, instead of a unified ‘unassigned’ label. To accomplish this, we carefully design a comprehensive evaluation benchmark and propose a novel end-to-end algorithmic framework called scGAD. Specifically, scGAD first builds the intrinsic correspondences on seen and novel cell types by retrieving geometrically and semantically mutual nearest neighbors as anchor pairs. Together with the similarity affinity score, a soft anchor-based self-supervised learning module is then designed to transfer the known label information from reference data to target data and aggregate the new semantic knowledge within target data in the prediction space. To enhance the inter-type separation and intra-type compactness, we further propose a confidential prototype self-supervised learning paradigm to implicitly capture the global topological structure of cells in the embedding space. Such a bidirectional dual alignment mechanism between embedding space and prediction space can better handle batch effect and cell type shift. Extensive results on massive simulation datasets and real datasets demonstrate the superiority of scGAD over various state-of-the-art clustering and annotation methods. We also implement marker gene identification to validate the effectiveness of scGAD in clustering novel cell types and their biological significance. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to introduce this new and practical task and propose an end-to-end algorithmic framework to solve it. Our method scGAD is implemented in Python using the Pytorch machine-learning library, and it is freely available at https://github.com/aimeeyaoyao/scGAD.