bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary pleural liposarcoma: a rare differential for an opaque hemithorax
Authors: Layek Avishek , Rajpoot Akhlesh , Joshi Prashant , Mishra Mayank
Published: February 2022

Primary pleural liposarcoma (PPL) is a rare primary malignant pleural tumour originating from primitive mesenchymal tissue. We report the case of a 25-year-old man with a 6-week history of shortness of breath, cough, chest pain and hoarseness of voice. Chest X-ray showed a left opacified hemithorax, and thoracic CT scan revealed a large, heterogeneous, hypodense mass in the left hemithorax. The patient was taken up for ultrasound-guided core biopsy of the mass lesion, and histopathological examination revealed the diagnosis as a pleomorphic variant of PPL. We highlight the importance of considering PPL as a differential diagnosis in cases of large hemithoracic masses.
Unusual case of acute oesophageal necrosis
Authors: Chawla Gurasees S , Kukova Lidiya , Behin Daniel S
Published: February 2022

Acute oesophageal necrosis is a rare clinical entity that commonly affects the distal oesophagus, giving it a characteristic black appearance. It is associated with a high mortality and predominantly impacts critically ill patients. In this case report, we present a male patient in his 50s with multiple comorbidities admitted for management of ketoacidosis. The patient was overall well appearing and remained haemodynamically stable throughout the entirety of his hospital course. Despite this, necrosis was found in the proximal, middle and distal portions of the patient’s oesophagus. The presence of such extensive oesophageal injury was very atypical considering the lower severity of the patient’s condition.
Urocortin-positive nerve fibres and cells are present in the human choroid
Authors: Kaser-Eichberger Alexandra , Platzl Christian , Wolfmeier Heidi , Trost Andrea , Horn Anja , Barnerssoi Miriam , Strohmaier Clemens , Schroedl Falk
Published: February 2022

Background

Choroidal vascular regulation is mediated by the autonomic nervous system in order to gain proper blood flow control. While the mechanisms behind this control are unknown, neuroregulatory peptides are involved in this process. To better understand choroidal function, we investigate the presence of urocortin-1 (UCN), a neuroregulatory peptide with vascular effects, in the human choroid and its possible intrinsic and extrinsic origin.

Methods

Human choroid and eye-related cranial ganglia (superior cervical ganglion- SCG, ciliary ganglion-CIL, pterygopalatine ganglion-PPG, trigeminal ganglion-TRI) were prepared for immunohistochemistry against UCN, protein–gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5), substance P (SP), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). For documentation, confocal laser scanning microscopy was used.

Results

In choroidal stroma, UCN-immunoreactivity was present in nerve fibres, small cells and intrinsic choroidal neurons (ICN). Some UCN+ nerve fibres colocalised for VAChT, while others were VAChT. A similar situation was found with SP: some UCN+ nerve fibres showed colocalisation for SP, while others lacked SP. Colocalisation for UCN and TH was not observed. In eye-related cranial ganglia, only few cells in the SCG, PPG and TRI were UCN+, while many cells of the CIL displayed weak UCN immunoreactivity.

Conclusion

UCN is part of the choroidal innervation. UCN+/VAChT+ fibres could derive from the few cells of the PPG or cells of the CIL, if these indeed supply the choroid. UCN+/SP+ fibres might originate from ICN, or the few UCN+ cells detected in the TRI. Further studies are necessary to establish UCN function in the choroid and its implication for choroidal autonomic control.
The effects of plasma exchange in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Walsh Michael , Collister David , Zeng Linan , Merkel Peter A , Pusey Charles D , Guyatt Gordon , Au Peh Chen , Szpirt Wladimir , Ito-Hara Toshiko , Jayne David R W
Published: February 2022

Objective

To assess the effects of plasma exchange on important outcomes in anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV).

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Eligibility criteria

Randomised controlled trials investigating effects of plasma exchange in patients with AAV or pauci-immune rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and at least 12 months’ follow-up.

Information sources

Prior systematic reviews, updated by searching Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL to July 2020.

Risk of bias

Reviewers independently identified studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

Synthesis of results

Meta-analyses were conducted using random effects models to calculate risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Quality of evidence was summarised in accordance with GRADE methods. Outcomes were assessed after at least12 months of follow-up and included all-cause mortality, end stage kidney disease (ESKD), serious infections, disease relapse, serious adverse events, and quality of life.

Results

Nine trials including 1060 participants met eligibility criteria. There were no important effects of plasma exchange on all-cause mortality (relative risk 0.90 (95% CI 0.64 to 1.27), moderate certainty). Data from seven trials including 999 participants that reported ESKD demonstrated that plasma exchange reduced the risk of ESKD at 12 months (relative risk 0.62 (0.39 to 0.98), moderate certainty) with no evidence of subgroup effects. Data from four trials including 908 participants showed that plasma exchange increased the risk of serious infections at 12 months (relative risk 1.27 (1.08 to 1.49), moderate certainty). The effects of plasma exchange on other outcomes were uncertain or considered unimportant to patients.

Limitations of evidence

There is a relative sparsity of events, and treatment effect estimates are therefore imprecise. Subgroup effects at the participant level could not be evaluated.

Interpretation

For the treatment of AAV, plasma exchange has no important effect on mortality, reduces the 12 month risk of ESKD, but increases the risk of serious infections.

Funding

No funding was received.

Registration

This is an update of a previously unregistered systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2014.
Comparative efficacy and safety of alternative glucocorticoids regimens in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis: a systematic review
Authors: Xiao Yingqi , Guyatt Gordon , Zeng Linan , RW Jayne David , A Merkel Peter , AC Siemieniuk Reed , Dookie Jared E , A Buchan Tayler , Ahmed Muhammad Muneeb , J Couban Rachel , Mahr Alfred , Walsh Michael
Published: February 2022

Objective

To compare the efficacy and safety of alternative glucocorticoids (GCs) regimens as induction therapy for patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis.

Design

Systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Data sources

Medline, Embase, Clinicaltrials.gov and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to 10 April 2020.

Study selection and review methods

RCTs comparing two (or more) different dose regimens of GC in ANCA-associated vasculitis during induction of remission, regardless of other therapies. Pairs of reviewers independently screened records, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Two reviewers rated certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.

Results

Of 3912 records identified, the full texts of two records met the eligibility criteria. Due to the heterogeneity of population and dose regimen of GCs between the two trials, we descriptively presented the two trials and did not combine the results using meta-analysis. Compared with the standard-dose regimen, the reduced-dose regimen of GC may reduce death risk difference (RD): from −1.7% to −2.1%, low certainty), while not increasing end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) (RD: from −1.5% to 0.4%, moderate certainty). The reduced-dose regimen probably has an important reduction in serious infections at 1 year (RD: from −12.8% to −5.9%, moderate certainty). Reduced-dose regimen of GCs probably has trivial or no effect in disease remission, relapse or health-related quality of life (moderate to high certainty).

Conclusions

The reduced-dose regimen of GC may reduce death at the follow-up of 6 months to longer than 1 year and serious infections while not increasing ESKD.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020179087.
Australian Parkinson’s Genetics Study (APGS): pilot (n=1532)
Authors: Bivol Svetlana , Mellick George D , Gratten Jacob , Parker Richard , Mulcahy Aoibhe , Mosley Philip E , Poortvliet Peter C , Campos Adrian I , Mitchell Brittany L , Garcia-Marin Luis M , Cross Simone , Ferguson Mary , Lind Penelope A , Loesch Danuta Z , Visscher Peter M , Medland Sarah E , Scherzer Clemens R , Martin Nicholas G , Rentería Miguel E
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with progressive disability. While the precise aetiology is unknown, there is evidence of significant genetic and environmental influences on individual risk. The Australian Parkinson’s Genetics Study seeks to study genetic and patient-reported data from a large cohort of individuals with PD in Australia to understand the sociodemographic, genetic and environmental basis of PD susceptibility, symptoms and progression.

Participants

In the pilot phase reported here, 1819 participants were recruited through assisted mailouts facilitated by Services Australia based on having three or more prescriptions for anti-PD medications in their Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme records. The average age at the time of the questionnaire was 64±6 years. We collected patient-reported information and sociodemographic variables via an online (93% of the cohort) or paper-based (7%) questionnaire. One thousand five hundred and thirty-two participants (84.2%) met all inclusion criteria, and 1499 provided a DNA sample via traditional post.

Findings to date

65% of participants were men, and 92% identified as being of European descent. A previous traumatic brain injury was reported by 16% of participants and was correlated with a younger age of symptom onset. At the time of the questionnaire, constipation (36% of participants), depression (34%), anxiety (17%), melanoma (16%) and diabetes (10%) were the most reported comorbid conditions.

Future plans

We plan to recruit sex-matched and age-matched unaffected controls, genotype all participants and collect non-motor symptoms and cognitive function data. Future work will explore the role of genetic and environmental factors in the aetiology of PD susceptibility, onset, symptoms, and progression, including as part of international PD research consortia.
Measuring health service providers’ attitudes towards the provision of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services: a psychometric study to develop and validate a scale in Jordan
Authors: Gausman Jewel , Othman Areej , Al-Qotob Raeda , Shaheen Abeer , Aldiqs Mohannad , Hamad Iqbal Lutfi , Dabobe Maysoon , Langer Ana
Published: February 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study is to develop and validate a scale to measure provider attitudes towards provision of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in a conservative setting in the Middle East.

Design

Cross-sectional, psychometric validation study.

Setting

Public health facilities in Amman, Irbid, Mafraq and Zarqa in Jordan.

Participants

552 healthcare providers were recruited by convenience. Providers were eligible if they were a practising midwife, nurse or physician in one of the selected health facilities.

Methods

An initial pool of 52 items was generated using theory and local expert input. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale using factor analysis. We assessed internal consistency reliability by calculating Cronbach’s alpha and convergent construct validity using linear regression to assess the association between a provider’s score on the scale and whether they had ever received training on SRH issues.

Results

Our final scale consisted of 3 dimensions and 29 items corresponding to the constructs of: (1) Attitudes towards Information and Services Offered to Youth (11 items) (2) norms and personal beliefs (10 items) and (3) attitudes towards the service delivery environment (8 items). Cronbach’s alpha was estimated at 0.72 for the full scale, and between 0.70 and 0.73 for each subscale. The scale demonstrated high construct validity. The results of the linear regression analysis suggest that respondents who had received SRH training had a mean score that was 16% higher (0.64 points; 95% CI 0.2 to 11.2; p<0.01) on the full attitudes scale compared with those who did not.

Conclusions

This paper describes a study to formally develop and validate a scale to measure healthcare provider attitudes in support of youth-friendly SRH services, thus providing an important tool to identify areas for improvement of youth SRH programmes in the Middle East and globally.
Outpatient healthcare use before and during a long-term sickness absence spell: a register-based follow-up study comparing healthcare use by the length of sickness absence and transition to disability pension in Finland
Authors: Perhoniemi Riku , Blomgren Jenni
Published: February 2022

Objectives

The objective of the study was to examine outpatient healthcare use before and during a long-term sickness absence (LTSA), and to compare the development of healthcare use between groups defined through LTSA lengths and disability pension (DP) transition.

Design

Register-based longitudinal study with five 6-month periods before and after the start of the LTSA spell in early 2016.

LTSA groups 1 (N=210) and 2 (N=187) went on to reach the statutory maximum LTSA length, with group 1 transitioning to DP. Group 3 (N=3082) had a shorter LTSA spell. Control group 4 (N=92 921) had no LTSA.

Setting and participants

Non-retired individuals aged 20–59, with no LTSA during 2015 (N=96 400) were included from the total population of the city of Oulu, Finland. Register data were linked on LTSA spells and outpatient healthcare use 2013–2018, DP status in 2018, and various covariates.

Main outcome measures

Negative binomial regression models were used to examine the covariate-adjusted number of healthcare visits, and to examine the association of the LTSA groups with healthcare use before and after the start of LTSA (incidence rate ratios and predicted means).

Results

Individuals eventually reaching the maximum LTSA length (groups 1 and 2) had a higher level of healthcare use before the LTSA and especially after the start of LTSA than others. Individuals transferring to DP after the maximum LTSA (group 1) used healthcare the most after the start of LTSA.

Conclusions

The risk for at least 1 year’s disability may be identified by frequent outpatient healthcare use years before LTSA. However, future disability retirees could not be identified through their pre-LTSA healthcare use. Instead, their high use of healthcare after the start of the LTSA was consistent with their increasing health problems leading to retirement.
Educational status and COVID-19 related outcomes in India: hospital-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Sharma Arvind K , Gupta Rajeev , Baig Vaseem Naheed , Singh Veer Teja , Chakraborty Surabhi , Sunda Jagdish P , Dhakar Prahalad , Sharma Shiv Prakash , Panwar Raja Babu , Katoch Vishwa Mohan
Published: February 2022

Objective

Association of educational status, as marker of socioeconomic status, with COVID-19 outcomes has not been well studied. We performed a hospital-based cross-sectional study to determine its association with outcomes.

Methods

Successive patients of COVID-19 presenting at government hospital were recruited. Demographic and clinical details were obtained at admission, and in-hospital outcomes were assessed. Cohort was classified according to self-reported educational status into group 1: illiterate or ≤primary; group 2: higher secondary; and group 3: some college. To compare intergroup outcomes, we performed logistic regression.

Results

4645 patients (men 3386, women 1259) with confirmed COVID-19 were recruited. Mean age was 46±18 years, most lived in large households and 30.5% had low educational status. Smoking or tobacco use was in 29.5%, comorbidities in 28.6% and low oxygen concentration (SpO2 <95%) at admission in 30%. Average length of hospital stay was 6.8±3.7 days, supplemental oxygen was provided in 18.4%, high flow oxygen or non-invasive ventilation 7.1% and mechanical ventilation 3.6%, 340 patients (7.3%) died. Group 1 patients had more tobacco use, hypoxia at admission, lymphocytopaenia, and liver and kidney dysfunction. In group 1 versus groups 2 and 3, requirement of oxygen (21.6% vs 16.7% and 17.0%), non-invasive ventilation (8.0% vs 5.9% and 7.1%), invasive ventilation (4.6% vs 3.5% and 3.1%) and deaths (10.0% vs 6.8% and 5.5%) were significantly greater (p<0.05). OR for deaths were higher in group 1 (1.91, 95% CI 1.46 to 2.51) and group 2 (1.24, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.66) compared with group 3. Adjustment for demographic and comorbidities led to some attenuation in groups 1 (1.44, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.93) and 2 (1.38, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.85); this persisted with adjustments for clinical parameters and oxygen support in groups 1 (1.38, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.93) and 2 (1.52, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.11).

Conclusion

Low educational status patients with COVID-19 in India have significantly greater adverse in-hospital outcomes and mortality.

Trial registration number

REF/2020/06/034036.
Development of a psychosocial functioning questionnaire for patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Zhang Xiujuan , Yang Hua , Ma Hui , Teng Changjun , Wang Hui , Diao Kaili , Zhang Ning
Published: February 2022

Background

The importance of psychosocial functioning in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) is widely recognised. However, there is a lack of effective scales to assess psychosocial functioning in patients with MDD.

Aims

To develop a professional questionnaire to evaluate the psychosocial functioning of patients with MDD.

Methods

Using a literature review, an open-ended questionnaire survey, and patient interviews, a theoretical model of psychosocial functioning was constructed, and an initial questionnaire was formed which included four dimensions. After two rounds of testing, using items analysis and exploratory factor analysis, a finalized questionnaire was created. There were 460 patients with MDD selected from six psychiatric hospitals for formal testing using a convenience sampling method. Forty patients were randomly selected and retested one week later to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the scale. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Short Form of Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q-SF), Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), and Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS) provided major standards to check the criterion validity of this questionnaire. Correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency reliability testing were used to examine other psychometric characteristics of the finalized questionnaire.

Results

The Psychosocial Functioning Questionnaire (PFQ) for patients with MDD included three dimensions: psychological cognitive functioning, subjective well-being, and social functioning, with a total of 18 items. The overall internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire was 0.957, and the test-retest reliability was 0.840. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fitted well: Goodness of Fit Index (GFI)=0.888; Root Mean SquareError of Approximation (RMSEA)=0.085. The total score of PFQ was significantly correlated with the total score of PHQ-9, DAS, SDS and Q-LES-Q-SF (|r|=0.599–0.870, p<0.001).

Conclusions

The Psychosocial Functioning Questionnaire has good reliability and validity. It can be used to measure the psychosocial functioning of patients with MDD.
Peptidic microarchitecture-trapped tumor vaccine combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor or PI3Kγ inhibitor can enhance immunogenicity and eradicate tumors
Authors: Du Yang , Liu Ye , Wang Di , Bai Hua , Wang Zhijie , He Xiran , Zhang Pei , Tian Jie , Wang Jie
Published: February 2022

Background

With the rapid development of immune checkpoint inhibitors and neoantigen (NeoV)-based personalized tumor vaccines, tumor immunotherapy has shown promising therapeutic results. However, the limited efficacy of available tumor vaccines impedes the development of personalized tumor immunotherapy. In this study, we developed a novel tumor vaccine system and proposed combined therapeutic strategies for improving treatment effects.

Methods

We developed a novel tumor vaccine system comprising a newly synthesized peptidic microarchitecture (PMA) with high assembly efficacy. The PMA-trapped neoantigen vaccine was developed to codeliver tumor neoantigen and the Toll-like receptor 9 agonist CpG (NeoV), abbreviated as PMA-NeoV. A microfluidic chip was used to produce PMA particles in a uniform and precise manner. Vaccine effectiveness was investigated both in vitro and in vivo. The combined immunotherapeutic effect of PMA-NeoV with anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 antibody (aPD-L1) or with the phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase γ (PI3Kγ) inhibitor IPI-549 was further tested in MC38 mouse tumor model.

Results

PMA-NeoV not only promoted codelivery of the tumor vaccine but also potentiated vaccine immunogenicity. Moreover, compared with free NeoV, PMA-NeoV significantly increased the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, promoted the neoantigen-specific systemic immune response, and suppressed murine colon MC38 tumor growth. Furthermore, PMA-NeoV increased the expression of programmed cell death receptor-1 on T lymphocytes, and in combination with aPD-L1 eradicated seven of eight MC38 tumors by rescuing exhausted T lymphocytes. Moreover, we combined the PMA-NeoV with the IPI-549, a molecular switch that controls immune suppression, and found that this combination significantly suppressed tumor growth and eradicated five of eight inoculated tumors, by switching suppressive macrophages to their active state and activating T cells to prime a robust tumor immune microenvironment.

Conclusions

We developed a tumor vaccine delivery system and presented a promising personalized tumor vaccine-based therapeutic regimen in which a tumor vaccine delivery system is combined with an aPD-L1 or PI3Kγ inhibitor to improve tumor immunotherapy outcomes.
Tumor-specific T cells support chemokine-driven spatial organization of intratumoral immune microaggregates needed for long survival
Authors: Abdulrahman Ziena , Santegoets Saskia J , Sturm Gregor , Charoentong Pornpimol , Ijsselsteijn Marieke E , Somarakis Antonios , Höllt Thomas , Finotello Francesca , Trajanoski Zlatko , van Egmond Sylvia L , Mustafa Dana A M , Welters Marij J P , de Miranda Noel F C C , van der Burg Sjoerd H
Published: February 2022

Background

The composition of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) associated with good prognosis generally also predicts the success of immunotherapy, and both entail the presence of pre-existing tumor-specific T cells. Here, the blueprint of the TIME associated with such an ongoing tumor-specific T-cell response was dissected in a unique prospective oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) cohort, in which tumor-specific tumor-infiltrating T cells were detected (immune responsiveness (IR+)) or not (lack of immune responsiveness (IR−)).

Methods

A comprehensive multimodal, high-dimensional strategy was applied to dissect the TIME of treatment-naive IR+and IR−OPSCC tissue, including bulk RNA sequencing (NanoString), imaging mass cytometry (Hyperion) for phenotyping and spatial interaction analyses of immune cells, and combined single-cell gene expression profiling and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing (single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq)) to characterize the transcriptional states of clonally expanded tumor-infiltrating T cells.

Results

IR+patients had an excellent survival during >10 years follow-up. The tumors of IR+patients expressed higher levels of genes strongly related to interferon gamma signaling, T-cell activation, TCR signaling, and mononuclear cell differentiation, as well as genes involved in several immune signaling pathways, than IR−patients. The top differently overexpressed genes includedCXCL12andLTB,involved in ectopic lymphoid structure development. Moreover, scRNAseq not only revealed that CD4+T cells were the main producers ofLTBbut also identified a subset of clonally expanded CD8+T cells, dominantly present in IR+tumors, which secreted the T cell and dendritic cell (DC) attracting chemokine CCL4. Indeed, immune cell infiltration in IR+tumors is stronger, highly coordinated, and has a distinct spatial phenotypical signature characterized by intratumoral microaggregates of CD8+CD103+and CD4+T cells with DCs. In contrast, the IR−TIME comprised spatial interactions between lymphocytes and various immunosuppressive myeloid cell populations. The impact of these chemokines on local immunity and clinical outcome was confirmed in an independent The Cancer Genome Atlas OPSCC cohort.

Conclusion

The production of lymphoid cell attracting and organizing chemokines by tumor-specific T cells in IR+tumors constitutes a positive feedback loop to sustain the formation of the DC–T-cell microaggregates and identifies patients with excellent survival after standard therapy.
Responsive neurostimulation of the thalamus improves seizure control in idiopathic generalised epilepsy: initial case series
Authors: Sisterson Nathaniel D , Kokkinos Vasileios , Urban Alexandra , Li Ningfei , Richardson R Mark
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Up to 40% of patients with idiopathic generalised epilepsy (IGE) are drug resistant and potentially could benefit from intracranial neuromodulation of the seizure circuit. We present outcomes following 2 years of thalamic-responsive neurostimulation for IGE.

Methods

Four patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy underwent RNS System implantation in the bilateral centromedian (CM) nucleus region. Electrophysiological data were extracted from the clinical patient data management system and analysed using a specialised platform (BRAINStim). Postoperative visualisation of electrode locations was performed using Lead-DBS. Seizure outcomes were reported using the Engel scale.

Results

Patients experienced a 75%–99% reduction in seizure frequency with decreased seizure duration and severity (Engel class IB, IC, IIA and IIIA), as well as significant improvements in quality of life. Outcomes were durable through at least 2 years of therapy. Detection accuracy for all patients overall decreased over successive programming epochs from a mean of 96.5% to 88.3%. Most electrodes used to deliver stimulation were located in the CM (7/10) followed by the posterior dorsal ventral lateral (2/2), posterior ventral posterior lateral (3/4) and posterior ventral ventral lateral (2/3). In all patients, stimulation varied from 0.2 to 2.0 mA and amplitude only increased over successive epochs. The raw percentage of intracranial electroencephalography recordings with stimulations delivered to electrographic seizures was 24.8%, 1.2%, 7.6% and 8.8%.

Conclusion

Closed-loop stimulation of the CM region may provide significant improvement in seizure control and quality of life for patients with drug-resistant IGE. Optimal detection and stimulation locations and parameters remain an active area of investigation for accelerating and fine-tuning clinical responses.
Comparative analysis of antimicrobial resistance and genetic characteristics of Escherichia coli from broiler breeder farms in Korea
Authors: Kim Shin-Woo , Kim Koeun , Lee Young Ju
Published: February 2022

Broiler breeder farms could be a reservoir of Escherichia coli, disseminating antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors. We investigated the antimicrobial resistance of E. coli from nine broiler breeder farms and characterised their resistance and virulence genes. A total of 256 E. coli showed a high level of resistance to tetracycline, nalidixic acid, ampicillin, and cephalothin, followed by trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole and chloramphenicol. The resistance to nalidixic acid, ampicillin, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, and chloramphenicol showed significant differences among the farms. Among 202 β-lactam-resistant E. coli, 138 carried β-lactamase genes. The most prevalent β-lactamase gene was blaTEM-1, of which the presence differed significantly across the farms. Out of 197 tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates, tetA and tetB were detected in 164 and 50, with significant differences among the farms. Also, 45 of 196 nalidixic acid-resistant E. coli carried qnrS, whereas 67 of 149 trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole-resistant E. coli carried sul2. Among the five virulence genes tested, ompT was the most prevalent, and all genes except for iutA distributed significantly different among the farms. The phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of E. coli were significantly different among the farms; therefore, management at the breeder level is required to control the vertical transmission of E. coli.
Tree quality and value: results in northern conifer stands after 65 years of silviculture and harvest
Authors: Granstrom Maren , Crandall Mindy S. , Kenefic Laura S. , Weiskittel Aaron R.
Published: February 2022

Despite the importance of financial outcomes to stand-level forest management decision-making, long-term assessments are rare. We compared the quality and value of mixed, northern conifer (Picea–Abies–Tsuga) stands in Maine, USA, treated with a range of silvicultural systems and exploitive cuttings for 65 years. Ten replicated treatments — single-tree selection and uniform shelterwood systems, commercial clearcutting, fixed and guiding diameter-limit cutting, and no cutting — were assessed for quality and value of standing and harvested trees. Selection systems resulted in good tree quality and high stand value, particularly when applied on a short cutting cycle, but small harvest volumes were not always commercially operable. Shelterwood system resulted in good tree quality, but changes in species values over time influenced financial outcomes. In contrast, commercial clearcutting and fixed diameter-limit cutting resulted in poor tree quality and low residual stand value after multiple harvests. Guiding diameter-limit cutting resulted in high stand value and is more appropriately characterized as a silvicultural system than exploitive harvesting when applied with harvest volume limits and seed tree retention. Overall, treatments focused on short-term financial gain led to degraded stand conditions, while those that sought to grow high-quality trees resulted in desirable outcomes over the long term.
Ferric chloride amendment reduces phosphorus losses from flooded soil monoliths to overlying floodwater
Authors: Van Emily , Kumaragamage Darshani , Amarawansha Geethani , Goltz Doug
Published: February 2022

The accumulation of phosphorus (P) in agricultural soils and subsequent losses to waterways contribute to eutrophication in surface water bodies. In agricultural lands prone to prolonged flooding during spring snowmelt, P may be released to overlying floodwater and transported to lakes downstream. Ferric chloride (FeCl3) is a potential soil amendment to mitigate P losses, but its effectiveness for flooded soils with snowmelt is not well documented. Thirty-six intact soil monoliths taken from four agricultural fields in Manitoba's Red River Valley region were surface-amended with FeCl3 at three rates (0, 2.5, and 5 Mg ha–1) to evaluate the effectiveness of FeCl3 in minimizing P losses to porewater and floodwater. Over 8 weeks of simulated snowmelt flooding, porewater, and floodwater samples taken weekly were analyzed for concentrations of dissolved reactive P (DRP), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and pH. Change in the redox potential was also measured weekly. With time of flooding, redox potential decreased in all soil monoliths. At early stages of flooding, the porewater pH values were significantly lower in FeCl3-amended monoliths but increased with flooding time. Porewater and floodwater DRP concentrations increased in all soils when flooded, but the magnitudes varied. Amendment of FeCl3 decreased the DRP concentrations from 17% to 97% in porewater and 26% to 99% in floodwater, with the effectiveness varying depending on the soil, FeCl3 rate, and flooding time. Amendment of FeCl3 increased porewater concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, and Mn. Soil amendment with FeCl3 at both rates shows promise in mitigating redox-induced P losses from flooded soils.
Perturbative QCD analysis of neutral B-meson decays into $$\sigma \sigma , \sigma f_0$$ and $$f_0 f_0$$
Authors: Niu Hua-Dian , Li Guo-Dong , Ren Jia-Le , Liu Xin
Published: February 2022

The decays of $$B_{d,s}^0 \rightarrow \sigma \sigma , \sigma f_0, f_0 f_0$$

B

d
,
s

0

→
σ
σ
,
σ

f
0

,

f
0

f
0

, with $$\sigma $$
σ
and $$f_0$$

f
0

denoting the light scalar mesons $$f_0(500)$$

f
0

(
500
)

and $$f_0(980)$$

f
0

(
980
)

in the two-quark picture, are studied in the perturbative QCD approach based on $$k_T$$

k
T

factorization. With the referenced value of the mixing angle $$|\varphi | \sim 25^\circ $$

|
φ
|

∼

25
∘

for the $$\sigma -f_0$$

σ
-

f
0

mixing in the quark-flavor basis, it is of great interest to obtain that: (a) these neutral B-meson decays into $$\sigma \sigma , \sigma f_0$$

σ
σ
,
σ

f
0

, and $$f_0 f_0$$

f
0

f
0

have large branching ratios in the order of $$10^{-6}{-}10^{-4}$$

10

-
6

-

10

-
4

, which mean the possibly constructive interferences existed in the decays with different flavor states, and then are expected to be tested at the Large Hadron Collider beauty and/or Belle-II experiments in the (near) future; (b) the large direct CP violations could be easily found in the $$B_d^0 \rightarrow \sigma \sigma , f_0 f_0$$

B
d
0

→
σ
σ
,

f
0

f
0

and $$B_{d,s}^0 \rightarrow \sigma f_0$$

B

d
,
s

0

→
σ

f
0

decays, which indicate the considerable interferences between the tree and the penguin decay amplitudes involved in these four modes, and would be confronted with the future measurements; (c) these neutral B-meson decays could be examined through the secondary decay chain $$\sigma /f_0 \rightarrow \pi ^+ \pi ^-$$

σ
/

f
0

→

π
+

π
-

, namely, the four-body decays of $$B_{d,s}^0 \rightarrow (\pi ^+ \pi ^-)_{\sigma (f_0)} (\pi ^+ \pi ^-)_{\sigma (f_0)}$$

B

d
,
s

0

→

(

π
+

π
-

)

σ
(

f
0

)

(

π
+

π
-

)

σ
(

f
0

)

with still large branching ratios. On the other side, it seems that other 4 four-body decays of $$B_d^0 \rightarrow (\pi ^+ \pi ^-)_{\sigma } (K^+ K^-)_{f_0}$$

B
d
0

→

(

π
+

π
-

)

σ

(

K
+

K
-

)

f
0

, $$B_s^0 \rightarrow (\pi ^+ \pi ^-)_{\sigma (f_0)} (K^+ K^-)_{f_0}$$

B
s
0

→

(

π
+

π
-

)

σ
(

f
0

)

(

K
+

K
-

)

f
0

, and $$B_s^0 \rightarrow (K^+ K^-)_{f_0} (K^+ K^-)_{f_0}$$

B
s
0

→

(

K
+

K
-

)

f
0

(

K
+

K
-

)

f
0

could also be detected at the relevant experiments, if the $$f_0 \rightarrow K^+ K^-$$

f
0

→

K
+

K
-

could be identified from the $$\phi \rightarrow K^+ K^-$$

ϕ
→

K
+

K
-

clearly. The (near) future experimental confirmations with good precision would help to further study the perturbative and/or nonperturbative QCD dynamics involved in these considered decay modes, as well as to explore the intrinsic characters of these scalar mesons $$\sigma $$
σ
and/or $$f_0$$

f
0

and to constrain both of the magnitude and the sign of $$\varphi $$
φ
.
Electrically charged quark stars in 4D Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity
Authors: Pretel Juan M. Z. , Banerjee Ayan , Pradhan Anirudh
Published: February 2022

In this work we study the properties of compact spheres made of a charged perfect fluid with a MIT bag model EoS for quark matter. Considering static spherically symmetric spacetime we derive the hydrostatic equilibrium equations in the recently formulated four dimensional Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet (4D EGB) gravity theory. In this setting, the modified TOV equations are solved numerically with the aim to investigate the impact of electric charge on the stellar structure. A nice feature of 4D EGB theory is that the Gauss–Bonnet term has a non-vanishing contribution to the gravitational dynamics in 4D spacetime. We therefore analyse the effects of Gauss–Bonnet coupling constant $$\alpha $$
α
and the charge fraction $$\beta $$
β
on the mass–radius ($$M{-}R$$

M
-
R

) diagram and also the mass–central density $$(M{-}\rho _c)$$

(
M
-

ρ
c

)

relation of quark stars. Finally, we conclude that depending on the choice of coupling constant one could have larger mass and radius compared with GR and can also be relevant for more massive compact objects due to the effect of the repulsive Coulomb force.
Planetary physics research at the Facility for Antiprotons and Ion Research using intense ion beams
Authors: Tahir N. A. , Shutov A. , Neumayer P. , Bagnoud V. , Piriz A. R. , Piriz S. A. , Deutsch C.
Published: February 2022

Intense particle beams offer a new efficient driver to produce extended samples of high energy density (HED) matter with extreme physical conditions that are expected to exist in the planetary interiors. In this paper, we present two-dimensional hydrodynamic implosion simulations of a multi-layered cylindrical target that is driven by an intense uranium beam. The target is comprised of a sample material (which is water in the present case) that is enclosed in a cylindrical tungsten shell. This scheme is named LAPLAS that stands for Laboratory Planetary Science, and it leads to a low entropy compression. This means that the water sample is compressed to super-solid densities, ultra-high pressures, but relatively low temperatures. Such exotic conditions are predicted to exist in the cores of water-rich solar, as well as extrasolar planets. The beam parameters are chosen to match the characteristics of the particle beam that will be delivered by the heavy ion synchrotron, SIS100, at the Facility for Antiprotons and Ion Research (FAIR), at Darmstadt. It is to be noted that the LAPLAS scheme is an important part of the HED physics program at FAIR, which is named HEDP@FAIR. The simulations predict that the LAPLAS experiments will produce a wealth of information on the Equation-of-State properties of the exotic matter that forms the planetary cores. This information can be very helpful in understanding the formation, evolution and the final structure of the planets.
The Sufficient Conditions of (δ(G) − 2)-(|F|-)Fault-Tolerant Maximal Local-(Edge-)Connectivity of Connected Graphs
Authors: Yin Shanshan , Xu Liqiong , Yang Weihua
Published: February 2022

An interconnection network is usually modeled by a connected graph in which vertices represent processors and edges represent links between processors. The connectivity is an important parameter to evaluate the fault tolerance of interconnection networks. A connected graph [Formula: see text] is maximally local-(edge-)connected if each pair vertices [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is connected by min[Formula: see text] pairwise (edge-)disjoint paths between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text]. A graph [Formula: see text] is called [Formula: see text]-fault-tolerant maximally local-(edge-)connected if [Formula: see text] is maximally local-(edge-)connected for any [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) with [Formula: see text]. A graph [Formula: see text] is called [Formula: see text]-fault-tolerant maximally local-(edge-)connected of order [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text] is maximally local-(edge-)connected for any [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a conditional faulty vertex (edge) set of order [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we obtain the sufficient condition of connected graphs to be [Formula: see text]-edge-fault-tolerant maximally local-edge-connected. Moreover, we consider the sufficient condition of connected graphs to be [Formula: see text]-fault-tolerant maximally local-(edge-)connected of order [Formula: see text]. Some previous results in [Theor. Comput. Sci. 731 (2018) 50–67] and [Theor. Comput. Sci. 847 (2020) 39–48] are extended.
Barrow holographic dark energy in Bianchi-I universe with k-essence
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Mishra Ambuj Kumar
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we investigate Barrow holographic dark energy (BHDE) using Hubble horizon as infrared cut-off in the framework of Bianchi-I, anisotropic model by considering hybrid expansion law (HEL). We have examined different cosmological parameters like energy density parameters, EoS parameter of BHDE model, which support the present accelerated expansion of the Universe. We have also reconciled BHDE by reconstructing the evolution of scalar field potential. The K-essence has been taken for the study of this reconstruction, which also exhibits the accelerated expansion at present.
Traversable wormholes in Einsteinian-cubic-gravity with hybrid shape functions
Authors: Hussain Ibrar , Mustafa G.
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we discuss wormhole models in the Einsteinian-cubic-gravity for some specific shape functions of the form [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]. For this purpose, we consider the spherically symmetric static geometry with anisotropic source of matter for which different energy conditions are analyzed. We present the wormhole conditions and the energy conditions graphically. In particular, we notice that the null energy condition is strongly violated, which confirms the presence of exotic matter for the specific shape functions chosen here. Therefore, traversable wormholes exist in the Einsteinian-cubic-gravity for the hybrid-specific shape functions [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text].
We need to get rid of significance in A/B testing, seriously!
Authors: Speicher Maximilian
Published: February 2022

The
Interactions
website (interactions.acm.org) hosts a stable of bloggers who share insights and observations on HCI, often challenging current practices. Each issue we'll publish selected posts from some of the leading and emerging voices in the field.
Slow and Fast Dynamics at the Ionic Liquid/Gold Electrode Interface Separately Probed by Electrochemical Surface Plasmon Resonance Combined with Sequential Potential Pulse Techniques
Authors: Zhang Shiwei , Sakka Tetsuo , Nishi Naoya
Published: February 2022

To investigate the potential dependence of the dynamics of the interface structure of an ionic liquid (IL), electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (ESPR) has been combined with normal pulse and differential pulse techniques at the gold electrode interface of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide. The fast response of SPR angle in 0.1 ∼ 0.2 s, originating from the orientation, distortion, and electronic polarization of ions in the first ionic layer, has been clearly observed, which is opposite to both the direction of the change in potential and of the slow response. This separate detection of the fast and slow responses has been realized based on the fact that the ionic rearrangement, which results in the slow response, does not proceed in a short potential pulse, especially for the positive pulse. The fast response, which reflects the interfacial dielectric constant, exhibits the potential-dependent dielectric saturation, i.e., a bell shape (or camel shape) potential dependence with a maximum around the potential of zero charge (PZC) and steep decrease at the potentials far from PZC. Molecular dynamics simulation explains that the decrease is caused by the strong electric field and ionic crowding in the first ionic layer which hinders the orientation and distortion of ions.
Modification of the Electrochemical Surface Oxide Formation and the Hydrogen Oxidation Activity of Ruthenium by Strong Metal Support Interactions
Authors: Stühmeier Björn M. , Schuster Robin J. , Hartmann Louis , Selve Sören , El-Sayed Hany A. , Gasteiger Hubert A.
Published: February 2022

A major hurdle for the wide spread commercialization of proton exchange membrane based fuel cells (PEMFCs) and water electrolyzers are the durability and high cost of noble metal catalysts. Here, alternative support materials might offer advantages, as they can alter the properties of a catalyst by means of a strong metal support interaction (SMSI) that has been shown to prevent platinum oxidation and suppress the oxygen reduction reaction on titanium oxide supported platinum nanoparticles deposited on a carbon support (Pt/TiOx/C). Herein, we report a novel Ru/TiOx/C catalyst that according to tomographic transmission electron microscopy analysis consists of partially encapsulated Ru particles in a Ru/TiOx-composite matrix supported on a carbon support. It is shown by cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that ruthenium oxidation is mitigated by an SMSI between Ru and TiOx after reductive heat-treatment (Ru/TiOx/C400°C,H2
). As a result, the catalyst is capable of oxidizing hydrogen up to the onset of oxygen evolution reaction, in stark contrast to a Ru/C reference catalyst. PEMFC-based hydrogen pump measurements confirmed the stabilization of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) activity on Ru/TiOx/C400°C,H2
and showed a ≈3-fold higher HOR activity compared to Ru/C, albeit roughly two orders of magnitude less active than Pt/C.