bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher-group symmetries and weak gravity conjecture mixing
Authors: Kaya Sami , Rudelius Tom
Published: July 2022

Abstract

In four-dimensional axion electrodynamics, a Chern-Simons coupling of the form θF ^ F leads to a higher-group global symmetry between background gauge fields. At the same time, such a Chern-Simons coupling leads to a mixing between the Weak Gravity Conjectures for the axion and the gauge field, so that the charged excitations of a Weak Gravity Conjecture-satisfying axion string will also satisfy the Weak Gravity Conjecture for the gauge field. In this paper, we argue that these higher-group symmetries and this phenomenon of Weak Gravity Conjecture mixing are related to one another. We show that this relationship extends to supergravities in 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 dimensions, so higher-dimensional supergravity is endowed with precisely the structure needed to ensure consistency with emergent higher-group symmetries and with the Weak Gravity Conjecture. We further argue that a similar mixing of Weak Gravity Conjectures can occur in two-term Chern-Simons theories or in theories with kinetic mixing, though the connection with higher-group symmetries here is more tenuous, and accordingly the constraints on effective field theory are not as sharp.
Single inclusive jet production in pA collisions at NLO in the small-x regime
Authors: Liu Hao-yu , Xie Kexin , Kang Zhong-Bo , Liu Xiaohui
Published: July 2022

Abstract

We present the first complete next-to-leading-order (NLO) prediction with full jet algorithm implementation for the single inclusive jet production in pA collisions at forward rapidities within the color glass condensate (CGC) effective theory. Our prediction is fully differential over the final state physical kinematics, which allows the implementation of any infra-red safe observable including the jet clustering procedure. The NLO calculation is organized with the aid of the observable originated power counting proposed in [1] which gives rise to the novel soft contributions in the CGC factorization. We achieve the fully-differential calculation by constructing suitable subtraction terms to handle the singularities in the real corrections. The subtraction contributions can be exactly integrated analytically. We present the NLO cross section with the jets constructed using the anti-kT algorithm. The NLO calculation demonstrates explicitly the validity of the CGC factorization in jet production. Furthermore, as a byproduct of the subtraction method, we also derive the fully analytic cross section for the forward jet production in the small-R limit. We show that in the small-R approximation, the forward jet cross section can be factorized into a semi-hard cross section that produces a parton and the semi-inclusive jet functions (siJFs). We argue that this feature holds for generic jet production and jet substructure observables in the CGC framework. Last, we show numerical analyses of the derived formula to validate our calculations. We justify when the small-R approximation is appropriate. Like forward hadron production, the obtained NLO result also exhibits the negativity of the cross section in the large jet transverse regime, which signals the need for the threshold resummation. A sketch of the threshold resummation in the CGC framework is presented based on the multiple emission picture and it is found to agree with the approach using the rapidity renormalization group equation developed in [2].
Thermodynamic ensembles with cosmological horizons
Authors: Banihashemi Batoul , Jacobson Ted
Published: July 2022

Abstract

The entropy of a de Sitter horizon was derived long ago by Gibbons and Hawking via a gravitational partition function. Since there is no boundary at which to define the temperature or energy of the ensemble, the statistical foundation of their approach has remained obscure. To place the statistical ensemble on a firm footing we introduce an artificial “York boundary”, with either canonical or microcanonical boundary conditions, as has been done previously for black hole ensembles. The partition function and the density of states are expressed as integrals over paths in the constrained, spherically reduced phase space of pure 3+1 dimensional gravity with a positive cosmological constant. Issues related to the domain and contour of integration are analyzed, and the adopted choices for those are justified as far as possible. The canonical ensemble includes a patch of spacetime without horizon, as well as configurations containing a black hole or a cosmological horizon. We study thermodynamic phases and (in)stability, and discuss an evolving reservoir model that can stabilize the cosmological horizon in the canonical ensemble. Finally, we explain how the Gibbons-Hawking partition function on the 4-sphere can be derived as a limit of well-defined thermodynamic ensembles and, from this viewpoint, why it computes the dimension of the Hilbert space of states within a cosmological horizon.
Freeze-in, glaciation, and UV sensitivity from light mediators
Authors: Fernandez Nicolas , Kahn Yonatan , Shelton Jessie
Published: July 2022

Abstract

Dark matter (DM) freeze-in through a light mediator is an appealing model with excellent detection prospects at current and future experiments. Light mediator freeze-in is UV-insensitive insofar as most DM is produced at late times, and thus the DM abundance does not depend on the unknown early evolution of our universe. However the final DM yield retains a dependence on the initial DM population, which is usually assumed to be exactly zero. We point out that in models with light mediators, the final DM yield will also depend on the initial conditions assumed for the light mediator population. We describe a class of scenarios we call “glaciation” where DM freezing in from the SM encounters a pre-existing thermal bath of mediators, and study the dependence of the final DM yield on the initial temperature of this dark radiation bath. To compute DM scattering rates in this cosmology, we derive for the first time an exact integral expression for the Boltzmann collision term describing interactions between two species at different temperatures. We quantify the dependence of the DM yield on the initial dark temperature and find that it can be sizeable in regions near the traditional (zero initial abundance) freeze-in curve. We generalize the freeze-in curve to a glaciation band, which can extend as much as an order of magnitude below the traditional freeze-in direct detection target, and point out that the DM phase space distribution as well as the yield can be strongly dependent on initial conditions.
Stabilising all Kähler moduli in perturbative LVS
Authors: Leontaris George K. , Shukla Pramod
Published: July 2022

Abstract

In this work we investigate the moduli stabilisation problem and the requirements for de Sitter vacua within the framework of type IIB string theory. Using perturbative effects arising from the various sources such as α′ corrections, logarithmic as well as KK and winding-type string-loop corrections along with the higher derivative F4-contributions, we present a moduli stabilisation scheme in which the overall volume is realised at exponentially large values such that $$ \left\langle \mathcal{V}\right\rangle \simeq {e}^{a/{g}_s^2} $$

V

≃

e

a
/

g
s
2

in the weak coupling regime, where a is a parameter given as $$ a=\frac{\zeta \left[3\right]}{2\zeta \left[2\right]}\simeq 0.365381 $$
a
=

ζ

3

2
ζ

2

≃
0.365381
. We also present a concrete global construction using a K3-fibred CY threefold with h1,1 = 3 which shares many of its properties with those of the standard toroidal case, and subsequently generates the appropriate corrections needed to fix all the three Kähler moduli at the perturbative level. We further discuss whether de Sitter vacua can be ensured through appropriate contributions of uplifting terms in the effective potential.
NMDA receptor antagonists reduce amyloid-β deposition by modulating calpain-1 signaling and autophagy, rescuing cognitive impairment in 5XFAD mice
Authors: Companys-Alemany Júlia , Turcu Andreea L. , Schneider Marion , Müller Christa E. , Vázquez Santiago , Griñán-Ferré Christian , Pallàs Mercè
Published: July 2022

Overstimulation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) is the leading cause of brain excitotoxicity and often contributes to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), the most common form of dementia. This study aimed to evaluate a new NMDA receptor antagonist (UB-ALT-EV) and memantine in 6-month-old female 5XFAD mice that were exposed orally to a chronic low-dose treatment. Behavioral and cognitive tests confirmed better cognitive performance in both treated groups. Calcium-dependent protein calpain-1 reduction was found after UB-ALT-EV treatment but not after memantine. Changes in spectrin breakdown products (SBDP) and the p25/p35 ratio confirmed diminished calpain-1 activity. Amyloid β (Aβ) production and deposition was evaluated in 5XFAD mice and demonstrated a robust effect of NMDAR antagonists on reducing Aβ deposition and the number and size of Thioflavin-S positive plaques. Furthermore, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) active form and phosphorylated tau (AT8) levels were diminished after UB-ALT-EV treatment, revealing tau pathology improvement. Because calpain-1 is involved in autophagy activation, autophagic proteins were studied. Strikingly, results showed changes in the protein levels of unc-51-like kinase (ULK-1), beclin-1, microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3(LC3B-II)/LC3B-I ratio, and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1) after NMDAR antagonist treatments, suggesting an accumulation of autophagolysosomes in 5XFAD mice, reversed by UB-ALT-EV. Likewise, treatment with UB-ALT-EV recovered a WT mice profile in apoptosis markers Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3. In conclusion, our results revealed the potential neuroprotective effect of UB-ALT-EV by attenuating NMDA-mediated apoptosis and reducing Aβ deposition and deposition jointly with the autophagy rescue to finally reduce cognitive alterations in a mice model of familial AD.
How to assess applicability and methodological quality of comparative studies of operative interventions in orthopedic trauma surgery
Authors: Luijken Kim , van de Wall Bryan J. M. , Hooft Lotty , Leenen Luke P. H. , Houwert R. Marijn , Groenwold Rolf H. H. ,   on behalf of the NEXT Study Group
Published: July 2022

Purpose

It is challenging to generate and subsequently implement high-quality evidence in surgical practice. A first step would be to grade the strengths and weaknesses of surgical evidence and appraise risk of bias and applicability. Here, we described items that are common to different risk-of-bias tools. We explained how these could be used to assess comparative operative intervention studies in orthopedic trauma surgery, and how these relate to applicability of results.

Methods

We extracted information from the Cochrane risk-of-bias-2 (RoB-2) tool, Risk Of Bias In Non-randomised Studies—of Interventions tool (ROBINS-I), and Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria and derived a concisely formulated set of items with signaling questions tailored to operative interventions in orthopedic trauma surgery.

Results

The established set contained nine items: population, intervention, comparator, outcome, confounding, missing data and selection bias, intervention status, outcome assessment, and pre-specification of analysis. Each item can be assessed using signaling questions and was explained using good practice examples of operative intervention studies in orthopedic trauma surgery.

Conclusion

The set of items will be useful to form a first judgment on studies, for example when including them in a systematic review. Existing risk of bias tools can be used for further evaluation of methodological quality. Additionally, the proposed set of items and signaling questions might be a helpful starting point for peer reviewers and clinical readers.
Inequity in psychiatric healthcare use in Australia
Authors: Hashmi Rubayyat , Alam Khorshed , Gow Jeff , Alam Khurshid , March Sonja
Published: July 2022

Background

Despite recent substantial mental healthcare reforms to increase the supply of healthcare, mental health inequality in Australia is rising. Understanding of the level of inequity (unmet need gap) in psychiatric service use in Australia’s mixed public–private health care system is lacking.

Objective

To present a novel method to measure inequity in the delivery of psychiatric care.

Methods

Data came from wave 9 (year 2009, n = 11,563) and wave 17 (year 2017, n = 16,194) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Multiple logistic regression was employed to estimate the psychiatric care utilisation compared to its need and the Gini index was used to estimate the standardised distribution of utilisation to measure the extent of inequity.

Results

The results show the inequity indices (need-standardised Gini) in psychiatric care utilisation were significant and found to be 0.066 and 0.096 in 2009 and 2017, respectively, for all individuals. In 2009, the inequity indices were found to be 0.051 and 0.078 for males and females, respectively, and 0.045 and 0.068 for rural and urban residents, respectively. In 2017, the indices were calculated to be 0.081 and 0.109 for males and females, respectively, and 0.086 and 0.097 for rural and urban residents, respectively.

Conclusions

This study showed a marked increase in unmet needs in psychiatric care utilisation since 2009. There is a greater need to develop policies to improve equity in psychiatric care utilisation in Australia.
International migration and the religious schooling of children in the home country: evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Khandker Wahedur
Published: July 2022

This paper investigates whether international migration increases the religious schooling of children in the home country. I find that migration by a household member from Bangladesh to a Muslim-majority country increases the likelihood that a male child in the household is sent to an Islamic school (madrasa). There is no significant impact on the likelihood of a male child’s madrasa enrollment if the household sends a member to a non-Muslim-majority country. Sending a household member abroad does not affect the likelihood of the household sending children to school at all; it only leads to reallocation toward Islamic schooling. The results are inconsistent with financial remittances underlying the effect of migration on religious schooling. Learning about the potential benefits of madrasa education may explain the results, but there are several weaknesses in the arguments in favor of this mechanism. A third potential mechanism is an increase in religiosity through migrants transferring religious preferences, but I cannot establish a causal relationship between international migration and migrant-sending households’ religiosity.
A few more dissimilarities between second-order arithmetic and set theory
Authors: Fujimoto Kentaro
Published: July 2022

Second-order arithmetic and class theory are second-order theories of mathematical subjects of foundational importance, namely, arithmetic and set theory. Despite the similarity in appearance, there turned out to be significant mathematical dissimilarities between them. The present paper studies various principles in class theory, from such a comparative perspective between second-order arithmetic and class theory, and presents a few new dissimilarities between them.
Positive logics
Authors: Shelah Saharon , Väänänen Jouko
Published: July 2022

Lindström’s Theorem characterizes first order logic as the maximal logic satisfying the Compactness Theorem and the Downward Löwenheim-Skolem Theorem. If we do not assume that logics are closed under negation, there is an obvious extension of first order logic with the two model theoretic properties mentioned, namely existential second order logic. We show that existential second order logic has a whole family of proper extensions satisfying the Compactness Theorem and the Downward Löwenheim-Skolem Theorem. Furthermore, we show that in the context of negation-less logics,positive logics, as we call them, there is no strongest extension of first order logic with the Compactness Theorem and the Downward Löwenheim-Skolem Theorem.
Sports activity and quality of life improve after isolated ACL, isolated PCL, and combined ACL/PCL reconstruction
Authors: Winkler Philipp W. , Zsidai Bálint , Narup Eric , Kaarre Janina , Horvath Alexandra , Sansone Mikael , Svantesson Eleonor , Senorski Eric Hamrin , Musahl Volker , Samuelsson Kristian
Published: July 2022

Purpose

To compare patient-reported outcomes following isolated anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R), isolated posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (PCL-R), and combined ACL-R and PCL-R (ACL/PCL-R), at a minimum follow-up of 2 years.

Methods

This was a prospective observational registry cohort study based on the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry. Patients undergoing isolated ACL-R, isolated PCL-R, and combined ACL/PCL-R between 2005 and 2019 were eligible for inclusion. Demographic characteristics as well as injury- and surgery-related data were queried from the SNKLR. To evaluate functional outcomes, the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) was collected preoperatively and at 1- and 2-year follow-ups and compared between the treatment groups.

Results

In total, 45,169 patients underwent isolated ACL-R, 192 patients isolated PCL-R, and 203 patients combined ACL/PCL-R. Preoperatively, and at the 1- and 2-year follow-ups, KOOS subscales were highest for the isolated ACL-R group, followed by the isolated PCL-R, and lowest for the combined ACL/PCL-R groups. Significant improvements were observed across all treatment groups in the majority of KOOS subscales between the preoperative, and 1- and 2-year follow-ups. All treatment groups showed the greatest improvements between the preoperative and 2-year follow-ups in the knee-related quality of life (mean improvement: isolated ACL-R, + 28 points; isolated PCL-R, + 23 points; combined ACL/PCL-R, + 21 points) and the function in sport and recreation (mean improvement: isolated ACL-R, + 26 points; isolated PCL-R, + 20 points; combined ACL/PCL-R, + 19 points) subscales.

Conclusion

Clinically relevant improvements in knee function can be expected after isolated ACL-R, isolated PCL-R, and combined ACL/PCL-R. Functional improvements were particularly pronounced in the KOOS function in sport and recreation subscale, indicating the importance of knee stability for sports activity. This study facilitates more comprehensive patient education about functional expectations after surgical treatment of isolated and combined ACL and PCL injuries.

Level of evidence

Level 2.
Historical local industry structure, voting patterns and the long-run entrepreneurial character of regions: Swedish examples
Authors: Andersson Martin , Larsson Johan P.
Published: July 2022

Spatial variations in rates of new firm formation are large and spatially persistent over long periods of time. A common explanation of this empirical regularity is so-called local entrepreneurship cultures, which refer to spatially embedded social characteristics that change in slow processes. This paper discusses perspectives on the development of such cultures and focuses on the role of historical industry structures in forming the long-run entrepreneurial character of regions. To illustrate the empirical relevance of arguments and findings in the literature, we use historical data on voting patterns in municipalities in Sweden, as well as indications of their early industrial concentrations, and assess their correlations with present-day entrepreneurial activity. We show that places with a high share of left-wing votes in the period 1917–1948 and early historical presence of heavy industry have lower rates of new firm formation, less positive public attitudes toward entrepreneurship as well as larger average establishment sizes in the twenty-first century. The empirical patterns are consistent with the argument that regions’ historical industry structure is one factor that influences the development of local entrepreneurship cultures.
Pseudo-document simulation for comparing LDA, GSDMM and GPM topic models on short and sparse text using Twitter data
Authors: Weisser Christoph , Gerloff Christoph , Thielmann Anton , Python Andre , Reuter Arik , Kneib Thomas , Säfken Benjamin
Published: July 2022

Topic models are a useful and popular method to find latent topics of documents. However, the short and sparse texts in social media micro-blogs such as Twitter are challenging for the most commonly used Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic model. We compare the performance of the standard LDA topic model with the Gibbs Sampler Dirichlet Multinomial Model (GSDMM) and the Gamma Poisson Mixture Model (GPM), which are specifically designed for sparse data. To compare the performance of the three models, we propose the simulation of pseudo-documents as a novel evaluation method. In a case study with short and sparse text, the models are evaluated on tweets filtered by keywords relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. We find that standard coherence scores that are often used for the evaluation of topic models perform poorly as an evaluation metric. The results of our simulation-based approach suggest that the GSDMM and GPM topic models may generate better topics than the standard LDA model.
Multivariate mixed Poisson Generalized Inverse Gaussian INAR(1) regression
Authors: Chen Zezhun , Dassios Angelos , Tzougas George
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we present a novel family of multivariate mixed Poisson-Generalized Inverse Gaussian INAR(1), MMPGIG-INAR(1), regression models for modelling time series of overdispersed count response variables in a versatile manner. The statistical properties associated with the proposed family of models are discussed and we derive the joint distribution of innovations across all the sequences. Finally, for illustrative purposes different members of the MMPGIG-INAR(1) class are fitted to Local Government Property Insurance Fund data from the state of Wisconsin via maximum likelihood estimation.
A synthetic likelihood approach for intractable markov random fields
Authors: Zhu Wanchuang , Fan Yanan
Published: July 2022

We propose a new scalable method to approximate the intractable likelihood of the Potts model. The method decomposes the original likelihood into products of many low-dimensional conditional terms, and a Monte Carlo method is then proposed to approximate each of the small terms using their corresponding (exact) Multinomial distribution. The resulting tractable synthetic likelihood then serves as an approximation to the true likelihood. The method is scalable with respect to lattice size and can also be used for problems with irregular lattices. We provide theoretical justifications for our approach, and carry out extensive simulation studies, which show that our method performs at least as well as existing methods, whilst providing significant computational savings, up to ten times faster than the current fastest method. Finally, we include three real data applications for illustration.
Bequests or education
Authors: Dávila Julio
Published: July 2022

This paper shows that, when parents can endow their offspring with bequests and human capital, markets cannot deliver (generically under laissez-faire) the planner’s choice, if educational investments affect total factor productivity—as empirical evidence establishes. Moreover, for a human capital production function close enough to affine (around market and planner steady states with similar fertilities), the market steady state wage is higher than the marginal productivity of labor at the planner’s steady state, so that the market steady state human capital is too low. In other words, the market misses the planner’s allocation by leading households to transfer to their offspring more in bequests and less in education than would be optimal. These results obtain in spite of parents perfectly internalising (1) the value for their children of their bequests and educational investment, but not (2) the externality on total factor productivity—nor hence on factor prices. The planner’s allocation can, nonetheless, be decentralised subsidising labor income through a lump-sum tax on saving returns that reduces bequests. An estimate of the subsidy needed—for standard functional forms and parameter values estimated from US data—suggests a sizeable market inefficiency.
Evaluation of the synergistic effect of plant-based components on the stability of curcuminoid emulsion
Authors: Le-Tan Hoang , Fauster Thomas , Haas Klara , Jaeger Henry
Published: July 2022

In this study, the effect of matrix compounds from natural curcuminoid resources on the stability of curcuminoids and emulsions thereof was evaluated. Curcuminoid emulsions were prepared curcuminoid rich sources (curcuminoid extract, an aqueous turmeric concentrate and turmeric powder) with medium-chain triglyceride oil as lipid phase, lecithin, and pectin as emulsifiers. The curcuminoid emulsions were exposed to light in the visible wavelength range (300 nm–800 nm) at the specific energy input of 0.47 kW/m2 for 7 days and to the temperature of 4 °C, 25 °C, 40 °C for 49 days. The total curcuminoid retention (TC), droplet size (DS) change, instability index (InI), and yellowness reduction (YR) was observed during the storage time. The half-life of curcuminoids in emulsions was increased to 21 h, while the half-life of free curcuminoids was 1.3 h in the light exposure test. The co-compounds from the curcuminoid sources contributed to the emulsion stability by increasing the viscosity. In the thermal exposure test, the matrix compound system retained more than 93% curcuminoids after 49 days of storage at 40 °C, whereas the phase separation increased significantly. However, the TC reduction was independent of the InI change and droplet agglomeration. The YR depended on the TC and the amount of co-components in the emulsion.
Cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum after COVID-19 vaccination
Authors: Ohara Hiroya , Shimizu Hironori , Kasamatsu Takehito , Kajita Akihiro , Uno Kenji , Lai Khin Wee , Vellingiri Balachandar , Sugie Kazuma , Kinoshita Masako
Published: July 2022

A 23-year-old previously healthy man (Patient 1) and a 33-year-old woman with a past history of depression (Patient 2) developed neurological symptoms approximately 1 week after receipt of the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccination and deteriorated over the next week. Patient 1 reported nausea, headache, a high fever, and retrograde amnesia. Patient 2 reported visual disturbance, headache, dysarthria, a left forearm tremor, dysesthesia of the mouth and distal limbs, and visual agnosia. PCR test results for SARS-CoV-2 were negative. Complete blood cell count, biochemistry, and antibody test and cerebrospinal fluid test findings were unremarkable. Diffusion-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI of the brain showed a high signal intensity lesion at the midline of the splenium of the corpus callosum compatible with cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum (CLOCCs). High-dose intravenous methylprednisolone improved their symptoms and imaging findings. CLOCCs should be considered in patients with neurological manifestation after COVID-19 vaccination.
Application of artificial intelligence in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging: a review of current status and future perspectives for clinical translation
Authors: Visvikis Dimitris , Lambin Philippe , Beuschau Mauridsen Kim , Hustinx Roland , Lassmann Michael , Rischpler Christoph , Shi Kuangyu , Pruim Jan
Published: July 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) will change the face of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging as it will in everyday life. In this review, we focus on the potential applications of AI in the field, both from a physical (radiomics, underlying statistics, image reconstruction and data analysis) and a clinical (neurology, cardiology, oncology) perspective. Challenges for transferability from research to clinical practice are being discussed as is the concept of explainable AI. Finally, we focus on the fields where challenges should be set out to introduce AI in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging in a reliable manner.
Impact of Frailty on Short‐Term Outcomes After Laparoscopic and Open Hepatectomy
Authors: Osei‐Bordom D. , Hall L. , Hodson J. , Joshi K. , Austen L. , Bartlett D. , Isaac J. , Mirza D. F. , Marudanayagam R. , Roberts K. , Dasari B. V. , Chatzizacharias N. , Sutcliffe R. P.
Published: July 2022

Background

Although laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) is associated with improved short‐term outcomes compared to open hepatectomy (OH), it is unknown whether frail patients also benefit from LH. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of frailty on post‐operative outcomes after LH and OH.

Patients and methods

Consecutive patients who underwent LH and OH between January 2011 and December 2018 were identified from a prospective database. Frailty was assessed using the modified Frailty Index (mFI), with patients scoring mFI ≥ 1 deemed to be frail.

Results

Of 1826 patients, 34.7% (N = 634) were frail and 18.6% (N = 340) were elderly (≥ 75 years). Frail patients had significantly higher 90‐day mortality (6.6% vs. 2.9%, p < 0.001) and post‐operative complications (36.3% vs. 26.1%, p < 0.001) than those who were not frail, effects that were independent of patient age on multivariate analysis. For those undergoing minor resections, the benefits of LH vs. OH were similar for frail and non‐frail patients. Length of hospital stay was 53% longer in OH (vs. LH) in frail patients, compared to 58% longer in the subgroup of non‐frail patients.

Conclusions

Frailty is independently associated with inferior post‐operative outcomes in patients undergoing hepatectomy. However, the benefits of laparoscopic (compared to open) hepatectomy are similar for frail and non‐frail patients. Frailty should not be a contraindication to laparoscopic minor hepatectomy in carefully selected patients.
Fully implicit, stabilised, three-field material point method for dynamic coupled problems
Authors: Zheng Xiangcou , Pisanò Federico , Vardon Philip J. , Hicks Michael A.
Published: July 2022

This study presents the formulation and implementation of a fully implicit stabilised Material Point Method (MPM) for dynamic problems in two-phase porous media. In particular, the proposed method is built on a three-field formulation of the governing conservation laws, which uses solid displacement, pore pressure and fluid displacement as primary variables (u–p–Uformulation). Stress oscillations associated with grid-crossing and pore pressure instabilities near the undrained/incompressible limit are mitigated by implementing enhanced shape functions according to the Generalised Interpolation Material Point (GIMP) method, as well as a patch recovery of pore pressures – from background nodes to material points – based on the same Moving Least Square Approximation (MLSA) approach investigated by Zheng et al. [1]. The accuracy and computational convenience of the proposed method are discussed with reference to several poroelastic verification examples, spanning different regimes of material deformation (small versus large) and dynamic motion (slow versus fast). The computational performance of the proposed method in combination with the PARDISO solver for the discrete linear system is also compared to explicit MPM modelling [1] in terms of accuracy, convergence rate, and computation time.
Stabilization of spherical videos based on feature uncertainty
Authors: Luchetti A. , Zanetti M. , Kalkofen D. , De Cecco M.
Published: July 2022

Nowadays the trend is to acquire and share information in an immersive and natural way with new technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and 360$$^{\circ }$$∘video. However, the use of 360$$^{\circ }$$∘video, even more the use of VR head-mounted display, can generate general discomfort (“cybersickness”) and one factor is the video shaking. In this work, we developed a method to make the viewing of 360$$^{\circ }$$∘video smoother and more comfortable to watch. First, the rotations are obtained with an innovative technique using a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm considering the uncertainty estimation among features. In addition, a modified Chauvenet criterion is used to find and suppress outliers features from the algorithm. Afterward, a time-weighted color filter is applied to each frame in order to handle also videos with small translational jitter, rolling shutter wobble, parallax, and lens deformation. Thanks to our complete offline stabilization process, we achieved good-quality results in terms of video stabilization. Achieving better robustness compared to other works. The method was validated using virtual and real 360$$^{\circ }$$∘video data of a mine environment acquired by a drone. Finally, a user study based on a subjective and standard Simulator Sickness Questionnaire was submitted to quantify simulator sickness before and after the stabilization process. The questionnaire underlined alleviation of cybersickness using stabilized videos with our approach
Snow depth and snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau observed from space in against ERA5: matters of scale
Authors: Lei Yonghui , Pan Jinmei , Xiong Chuan , Jiang Lingmei , Shi Jiancheng
Published: July 2022

There has been a statement that the satellite and reanalyses significantly overestimate snow depths (SDs) as compared with in-situ observations over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The inconsistency may be partly due to representations related to different spatial resolutions. To further clarify matters of scale, this work estimates and compares the fractional snow cover (FSC) from MODIS (500 m), SDs from Sentinel-1 C-band SAR (1 km), ERA5-Land (9 km) and ERA5 (31 km), together with ground observations from GHCN-D and at 6 newly-established stations in the Namco watershed. SD and FSC from MERRA-2 (50 km) are also discussed in comparison with ERA5s. Results indicate that SD from fine resolution reanalysis has better consistency to in-situ observations over the TP. SD of ERA5-Land matches in-situ measurements better than ERA5 and MERRA-2. Overestimates of SDs in reanalyses are likely for shallow snowpack. However, underestimates are found for deep snow particularly late in the snow season. Improvements are displayed in ERA5-Land, while increased SD is attributed by altitude in fine resolution. Overall SDs of ERA5 and ERA5-Land have similar spatial distributions and annual cycle patterns over the TP, consistent with satellite-based datasets. A notable defect of ERA5s is related to delayed ablation of deep snowpack during spring and early summer. It causes cold temperature biases at surface that may impact on the land-atmosphere interaction. Snow analysis that combines the information of FSC into SD has been demonstrated in MERRA-2 data. Snow analysis has the potential to improve SDs of ERA5s over the TP.
Association between dietary inflammatory index score and muscle mass and strength in older adults: a study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002
Authors: Chen Lingzhi , Ming Jingjing , Chen Tianyi , Hébert James R. , Sun Peng , Zhang Li , Wang Hongya , Wu Qingkuo , Zhang Cancan , Shivappa Nitin , Ban Bo
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation affects muscle protein metabolism. The dietary inflammatory index (DII®) is a tool designed to assess the inflammatory potential of the diet. The available data on the association between DII and sarcopenia are limited. We aimed to investigate the association of the DII with components of sarcopenia in individuals over 50 years of age.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002 dataset. Body composition was measured, and isokinetic strength of the knee extensors (peak force) was evaluated. Low muscle mass and strength were defined using sex-specific thresholds. Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII™) scores were calculated using 24-h dietary recall data. Regression models were fit to evaluate the association between E-DII scores and low muscle mass and low muscle strength, alone and combined.

Results

Mean age of study participants was 62.1 ± 9.5 years, and 138 participants (7.4%) belonged to the combination group of low muscle mass and low muscle strength. In multivariable-adjusted regression models, higher E-DII score was associated with lower appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI) (β =  − 0.03, P  < 0.001, P trend <0.001), and lower peak force (β =  −2.15, P  = 0.04, P trend = 0.01) and higher likelihood for these components combined (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.01–1.25, P = 0.03).

Conclusion

Higher E-DII score is associated with lower muscle mass and muscle strength, and increased likelihood for the combination of low muscle mass and low muscle strength in older adults. This has important implications for healthy aging.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: The impact of vitamin A supplementation on thyroid function and insulin sensitivity: implication of deiodinases and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in male Wistar rats
Authors: Saleh Samar R. , Zaki Rania , Hassan Radwa , El-Kersh Mohamed A. , El-Sayed Mohamed M. , Abd Elmoneam Alshimaa A.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient with vital biological functions. The present study investigated the effect of different doses of vitamin A palmitate at different time intervals on thyroid hormones and glycemic markers.

Methods

Male rats were administrated vitamin A palmitate at different doses (0, 0.7, 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 mg/kg, oral) and samples were collected at different time intervals of 2, 4, and 6 weeks. The levels of vitamin A, thyroid hormones (T3, T4, and TSH), deiodinases (Dio1 and Dio3), glycemic markers (blood insulin and fasting glucose levels, HOMA IR and HOMA β), retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and the gluconeogenic enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) were measured.

Results

The findings demonstrated that long-term supplementation with high doses of vitamin A palmitate resulted in hypothyroidism (lower T3 and T4 levels and elevated TSH levels) as well as upregulation of Dio1 and Dio3 expression levels. This effect was associated with elevated glucose and insulin levels, enhanced HOMA IR, and decreased HOMA B index. In addition, prolonged vitamin A supplementation significantly increased RBP4 levels that upregulated the expression of PEPCK.

Conclusion

High doses of vitamin A supplementation increased the risk of hypothyroidism, modulated insulin sensitivity, and over a long period, increased the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus associated with oxidative stress and hepatitis.
Improvement in motor symptoms, physical fatigue, and self-rated change perception in functional motor disorders: a prospective cohort study of a 12-week telemedicine program
Authors: Gandolfi Marialuisa , Sandri Angela , Geroin Christian , Bombieri Federica , Riello Marianna , Menaspà Zoe , Bonetto Chiara , Smania Nicola , Tinazzi Michele
Published: July 2022

Background

Functional motor disorders (FMDs) are highly disabling conditions associated with long-term disability, poor quality of life, and economic burden on health and social care. While multidisciplinary 5-days rehabilitation programs have been shown to reduce motor and non-motor symptoms, long-term management and monitoring in FMDs remain an unmet need.

Aim

To compare a 12-weeks telemedicine program against a 12-weeks self-management program after a 5-days rehabilitation program for improving motor, non-motor symptoms, quality of life, and perception of change in patients with FMDs.

Methods

The study population was 64 consecutive patients with a definite diagnosis of FMDs who underwent a 5-days in-person rehabilitation program followed by either a self-management (the first 32 patients) or a telemedicine program (the latter 32 patients). Validated measures of motor and non-motor symptoms such as fatigue and pain, quality of life, perception of change, gait, and postural control were recorded before (T0), after completion of rehabilitation (T1), and then again at 3 months (T2).

Results

Improvement at 3-month follow-up assessment of motor symptoms (p < 0.001), physical fatigue (p = 0.028), and self-rated change perception (p = 0.043) was greater in the telemedicine group. No different between-groups effect was found on other dimensions of fatigue, pain, physical and mental health, and gait and postural control.

Conclusions

Long-term management and expert monitoring of patients with FMDs via telemedicine may enhance long-term outcomes in motor symptoms and physical fatigue, with a positive long-term impact on self-rated health perception of change.
A technique for preparing undecalcified osteochondral fresh frozen sections for elemental mapping and understanding disease etiology
Authors: Fan Xiwei , Lee Kah Meng , Jones Michael W. M. , Howard Daryl , Crawford Ross , Prasadam Indira
Published: July 2022

The anatomy of the osteochondral junction is complex because several tissue components exist as a unit, including uncalcified cartilage (with superficial, middle, and deep layers), calcified cartilage, and subchondral bone. Furthermore, it is difficult to study because this region is made up of a variety of cell types and extracellular matrix compositions. Using X-ray fluorescence microscopy, we present a protocol for simultaneous elemental detection on fresh frozen samples. We transferred the osteochondral sample using a tape-assisted system and successfully tested it in synchrotron X-ray fluorescence. This protocol elucidates the distinct distribution of elements at the human knee’s osteochondral junction, making it a useful tool for analyzing the co-distribution of various elements in both healthy and diseased states.
Crohn’s disease may promote inflammation in IgA nephropathy: a case–control study of patients undergoing kidney biopsy
Authors: Akiyama Minako , Shimomura Kosuke , Yoshimoto Hiroshi , Sako Minako , Kodama Makoto , Abe Keiko , Gunji Mariko , Kang Dedong , Takaki Takashi , Wada Yukihiro , Iyoda Masayuki , Honda Kazuho
Published: July 2022

Intestinal immunity has been closely associated with the pathogenesis and progression of renal diseases, a relationship known as the “gut–kidney axis.” To determine the association between immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and Crohn’s disease (CD), a clinico-pathological study was performed on patients who had IgAN with CD (CD-IgAN) and without CD (NOS-IgAN). We enrolled 29 patients diagnosed with IgAN via renal biopsy at the Tokyo Yamate Medical Center from 2009 to 2017. The patients were divided into CD-IgAN (n = 18) and NOS-IgAN (n = 11) and evaluated for clinical and pathological findings. IgA subclasses and galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) were examined via immunohistochemistry using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections from renal biopsy. Our results showed no significant difference in the extent of mesangial IgA subclasses or Gd-IgA1 deposition according to the presence or absence of CD. Pathologically, however, those with CD-IgAN had remarkably higher percentage of global glomerulosclerosis and extent of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA) compared to those with NOS-IgAN. Moreover, the extent of macrophage infiltration in the glomerulus and interstitium was significantly higher in CD-IgAN than in NOS-IgAN. Clinically, the CD-IgAN group had significantly worse responsiveness to steroid treatment compared to the NOS-IgAN group. In conclusion, the similar immunological characteristics of deposited IgA molecules in the glomeruli between the CD-IgAN and NOS-IgAN groups might suggest their etiological similarity. However, a renal pathology showing advanced glomerular and tubulointerstitial sclerosis accompanying increased macrophage infiltration and highly resistant clinical features in patients with CD-IgAN suggests that some pathophysiological factors in CD, including abnormal intestinal immunity, may promote and activate the inflammatory process in IgAN via undetermined mechanisms.
A Within-Subject Comparison of Face-to-Face and Telemedicine Screening Using the Timed Water Swallow Test (TWST) and the Test of Mastication and Swallowing of Solids (TOMASS)
Authors: Karlsson Fredrik , Lovric Leo , Matthelié Josephine , Brage Louise , Hägglund Patricia
Published: July 2022

The Timed Water Swallow Test (TWST) and the Test of Mastication of Solids (TOMASS) are dysphagia screening procedures that have been shown to be reliably assessed from video. The reliability of the procedures performed over telemedicine has not previously been assessed. TWST and TOMASS outcomes in two situations (both face-to-face and over telemedicine) were compared for 48 participants (aged 60–90; 27 with clinical conditions and 21 older persons). Both testing situation and test performed order were randomized, and all assessment procedures were performed within 3 h of each other. The results indicated a high level of agreement between face-to-face and telemedicine screening outcomes for TWST and TOMASS, respectively. The assessments indicated an 83% and 76% agreement in classifications of individual participants as within or outside normal limits for the TWST and TOMASS for the two test situations. The TWST showed a balanced distribution in differing classification in telemedicine (0.16–0.19 error rates). The TOMASS procedure classified more participants as outside normal limits over telemedicine compared to face-to-face administration. Agreement in the observed number of swallows was substantially lower than other outcome measures, which is attributed to increased difficulty in observing this property over video. Most participants (60%) reported that they would prefer telemedicine over face-to-face assessments, and 90% viewed the procedure as more accessible than expected. All participants were satisfied with the telemedicine procedures. The results suggest that clinical assessment of dysphagia over telemedicine using the TWST and TOMASS are viable alternatives to face-to-face administration of the procedures.
A coupling strategy for a first 3D-1D model of the cardiovascular system to study the effects of pulse wave propagation on cardiac function
Authors: Caforio Federica , Augustin Christoph M. , Alastruey Jordi , Gsell Matthias A. F. , Plank Gernot
Published: July 2022

A key factor governing the mechanical performance of the heart is the bidirectional coupling with the vascular system, where alterations in vascular properties modulate the pulsatile load imposed on the heart. Current models of cardiac electromechanics (EM) use simplified 0D representations of the vascular system when coupling to anatomically accurate 3D EM models is considered. However, these ignore important effects related to pulse wave transmission. Accounting for these effects requires 1D models, but a 3D-1D coupling remains challenging. In this work, we propose a novel, stable strategy to couple a 3D cardiac EM model to a 1D model of blood flow in the largest systemic arteries. For the first time, a personalised coupled 3D-1D model of left ventricle and arterial system is built and used in numerical benchmarks to demonstrate robustness and accuracy of our scheme over a range of time steps. Validation of the coupled model is performed by investigating the coupled system’s physiological response to variations in the arterial system affecting pulse wave propagation, comprising aortic stiffening, aortic stenosis or bifurcations causing wave reflections. Our first 3D-1D coupled model is shown to be efficient and robust, with negligible additional computational costs compared to 3D-0D models. We further demonstrate that the calibrated 3D-1D model produces simulated data that match with clinical data under baseline conditions, and that known physiological responses to alterations in vascular resistance and stiffness are correctly replicated. Thus, using our coupled 3D-1D model will be beneficial in modelling studies investigating wave propagation phenomena.