bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Considerations Around the Inclusion of Children and Young People’s Time in Economic Evaluation: Findings from an International Delphi Study
Authors: Morgan Cameron , Donaldson Cam , Lancsar Emily , Petrou Stavros , Andronis Lazaros
Published: August 2024

Background

People’s time is a finite resource and a valuable input that ought to be considered in economic evaluations taking a broad, societal perspective. Yet, evaluations of interventions focusing on children and young people (CYP) rarely account for the opportunity cost of time in this population. As a key reason for this, health economists have pointed to uncertainty around when it is appropriate to include CYP time-related costs in an economic evaluation and highlighted the lack of clear guidance on the topic.

Methods

With this in mind, we carried out a Delphi study to establish a list of relevant considerations for researchers to utilise whilst making decisions about whether and when to include CYP time in their economic evaluations. Delphi panellists were asked to propose and rate a set of possible considerations and provide additional thoughts on their ratings. Ratings were summarised using descriptive statistics, and text comments were interrogated through thematic analysis.

Findings

A total of 73 panellists across 16 countries completed both rounds of a two-round Delphi study. Panellists’ ratings showed that, when thinking about whether to include displaced CYP time in an economic evaluation, it is very important to consider whether: (1) inclusion would be in line with specified perspective(s) (median score: 9), (2) CYP’s time may already be accounted for in other parts of the evaluation (median score: 8), (3) the amount of forgone time is substantial, either in absolute or relative terms (median score: 7) and (4) inclusion of CYP’s time costs would be of interest to decision-makers (median score: 7). Respondents thought that considerations such as (1) whether inclusion would be of interest to the research community (median score: 6), (2) whether CYP’s time displaced by receiving treatment is ‘school’ or ‘play’ time (median score: 5), and (3) whether CYP’s are old enough for their time to be considered valuable (median score: 5) are moderately important. A range of views was offered to support beliefs and ratings, many of which were underpinned by compelling normative questions.
Simulation of the compression of pellets out of filamentous microorganisms using DEM
Authors: Schrader Marcel , Hoffmann Nils , Schmideder Stefan , Deffur Charlotte , Schilde Carsten , Briesen Heiko , Kwade Arno
Published: August 2024

Filamentous microorganisms enable the production of a wide range of industrially relevant substances, such as enzymes or active pharmaceutical ingredients, from renewable side products and waste materials. The microorganisms' growth is characterized by the formation of complex, porous networks (mycelium) of tubular, multi-branched cells (hyphae). The mycelium is increasingly used in textiles, packaging, food and construction materials, in addition to the production of chemical substances. Overall, the mycelium's mechanical behavior is essential to many applications. In submerged cultures, spherical hyphal networks (pellets) are formed. The pellets are subjected to mechanical stress during cultivation, which can lead to structural changes affecting product titer and process conditions. To numerically investigate the mechanical behavior of pellets under normal stresses, the discrete element method (DEM) was used for the first time to simulate pellet compression. Initially, pellet structures were generated using a biological growth model and represented by a flexible fiber model. Force–displacement curves were recorded during compression to investigate the influencing factors. The effects of pellet size, fiber segment length, biological growth and DEM model parameters were studied. A strong influence of the growth parameters on the radial hyphal fraction and thus on the compression force was shown. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the fiber joints significantly determined the pellet mechanics in the considered compression range. Overall, the simulation approach provides a novel tool for the digital investigation of stress on different mycelia, which may be used in the future to enhance mycelial structures through genetic and process engineering methods.
Viscosity solutions of obstacle equations by inhomogeneous convex envelopes
Authors: Treviño-Aguilar Erick
Published: August 2024

We characterize the convex envelope of a continuous function as a viscosity solution of a second order differential equation of obstacle style. The notion of convexity that we investigate is an inhomogeneous generalization of the classical concept of convexity motivated by problems of singular control in finance.
Central similarity consistency hashing for asymmetric image retrieval
Authors: Xuan Zhaofeng , Wu Dayan , Zhang Wanqian , Su Qinghang , Li Bo , Wang Weiping
Published: August 2024

Asymmetric image retrieval methods have drawn much attention due to their effectiveness in resource-constrained scenarios. They try to learn two models in an asymmetric paradigm, i.e., a small model for the query side and a large model for the gallery. However, we empirically find that the mutual training scheme (learning with each other) will inevitably degrade the performance of the large gallery model, due to the negative effects exerted by the small query one. In this paper, we propose Central Similarity Consistency Hashing (CSCH), which simultaneously learns a small query model and a large gallery model in a mutually promoted manner, ensuring both high retrieval accuracy and efficiency on the query side. To achieve this, we first introduce heuristically generated hash centers as the common learning target for both two models. Instead of randomly assigning each hash center to its corresponding category, we introduce the Hungarian algorithm to optimally match each of them by aligning the Hamming similarity of hash centers to the semantic similarity of their classes. Furthermore, we introduce the instance-level consistency loss, which enables the explicit knowledge transfer from the gallery model to the query one, without the sacrifice of gallery performance. Guided by the unified learning of hash centers and the distilled knowledge from gallery model, the query model can be gradually aligned to the Hamming space of the gallery model in a decoupled manner. Extensive experiments demonstrate the superiority of our CSCH method compared with current state-of-the-art deep hashing methods. The open-source code is available at https://github.com/dubanx/CSCH.
Fast and affordable detection of PKU disease using iron (III) chloride-based solutions and porous PCL biosensors at higher prediction rates
Authors: Gattu Dileep Kumar Reddy , Kaybal Halil Burak , Asmatulu Ramazan
Published: August 2024

Phenylketonuria (PKU), a prevalent genetic metabolic disorder, poses substantial diagnostic and treatment challenges globally. Current treatments primarily revolve around strict dietary management, necessitating lifelong commitment and frequent monitoring of phenylalanine (Phe) levels in the body. This study introduces an innovative diagnostic approach utilizing iron (III) chloride solution and highly porous polycaprolactone (PCL)-based solid biosensors for cost-effective, user-friendly detection of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) in urine, which reflects systemic Phe levels. These biosensors operate through colorimetric changes, quantified using red, green, and blue (RGB), hue, saturation, and lightness (HSL), and cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) color models, to determine the concentrations of Phe in urine when incorporated with iron (III) chloride. Laboratory tests confirmed that the proposed iron chloride-based liquid and solid sensors are fast, sensitive, specific, and reliable depending on the Phe concentrations. This method promises to simplify home-based monitoring, providing a real-time, low-cost alternative to traditional blood tests, thereby potentially improving patient compliance and outcomes in managing PKU disease. The findings emphasize the potential use of the liquid and PCL-based biosensors in bridging gaps in access to essential diagnostic services for PKU patients.
Thermal influence on performance characteristics of double gate MOSFET biosensors with gate stack configuration
Authors: Das Satish K. , Biswal Sudhansu M. , Giri Lalat Indu , Swain Dibyanshu
Published: August 2024

This study observes the MOSFET's performance concerning several biomolecules for use as a biosensor device. The double gate MOSFET with gate stack configuration has been chosen as the suggested device to surpass the limitations of short-channel effects (SCEs). The cavity was created to restrict the passage of charged and uncharged biological molecules so that they could be detected. These molecules fill the cavity, changing the device's electrical properties. The Double Gate MOSFET (DG-MOSFET) biosensor is subject to limitations such as Short Channel Effects (SCEs) and issues with the power supply. The suggested device decreased SCEs and it also demonstrates the potential benefits of having DG-MOSFETs with gate stacking for biosensor applications. Comparison of transconductance, the generating factor for transconductance, and sensitivity parameters such as Id and Vth sensitivity and Ion/Ioff sensitivity has been carried out in this study.
Applications of artificial intelligence for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: mapping the evidence
Authors: Goldman Samuel N. , Hui Aaron T. , Choi Sharlene , Mbamalu Emmanuel K. , Tirabady Parsa , Eleswarapu Ananth S. , Gomez Jaime A. , Alvandi Leila M. , Fornari Eric D.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common spinal deformity with varying progression, complicating treatment decisions. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are increasingly prominent in orthopedic care, aiding in diagnosis, risk-stratification, and treatment guidance. This scoping review outlines AI applications in AIS.

Methods

This study followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines and included articles that reported the development, use, or validation of AI models for treating, diagnosing, or predicting clinical outcomes in AIS.

Results

40 full-text articles were included, with most studies published in the last 5 years (77.5%). Common ML techniques were convolutional neural networks (55%), decision trees and random forests (15%), and artificial neural networks (15%). Most AI applications in AIS were for imaging analysis (25/40; 62.5%), focusing on automatic measurement of Cobb angle, and axial vertebral rotation (13/25; 52%) and curve classification/severity (13/25; 52%). Prediction was the second most common application (15/40; 37.5%), with studies predicting curve progression (9/15; 60%), and Cobb angles (9/15; 60%). Only 15 studies (37.5%) reported clinical implementation guidelines for AI in AIS management. 52.5% of studies reported model accuracy, with an average of 85.4%.

Conclusion

This review highlights the applications of AI in AIS care, notably including automatic radiographic analysis, curve type classification, prediction of curve progression, and AIS diagnosis. However, the current lack of clear clinical implementation guidelines, model transparency, and external validation of studied models limits clinician trust and the generalizability and applicability of AI in AIS management.
Inversion of Gravity Data Constrained by a Magnetotelluric Resistivity Model: Application to the Asal Rift, Djibouti
Authors: Ragueh Rachid Robleh , Tarits Pascal , Hautot Sophie , Jalludin Mohamed
Published: August 2024

Before exploiting a geothermal resource in a volcanic setting such as the Asal rift, it is necessary to acquire a better knowledge of the subsoil, with the objective of locating the geothermal reservoir and evaluating the resource characteristic (permeability, temperature, etc.). For this type of resource, geophysical exploration methods are essential (such as gravimetry, magnetotellurics, etc.). However, a particular data type does not necessarily have the resolution and sensitivity. Furthermore, individual inversions of these geophysical data face the ambiguity of the non‐uniqueness of the inverse solution. In this paper, we present a new linear approach of gravity data using the constraint of a MT resistivity model. We coupled the resistivity and density using inversion cross‐gradients and the linear correlations. The approach was tested and validated on synthetic data and applied to gravity and MT data in the Asal Rift. Multiple inversions with different levels of coupling provided a series of density models. We applied the principal component analysis (PCA) technique to assess these models. We were able to define two dominant processes acting differently on the density and resistivity distribution at depth, namely the geothermal activity of the rift and the structural control of active tectonics.
Estimating Post‐Fire Flood Infrastructure Clogging and Overtopping Hazards
Authors: Jong‐Levinger Ariane , Houston Douglas , Sanders Brett F.
Published: August 2024

Cycles of wildfire and rainfall produce sediment‐laden floods that pose a hazard to development and may clog or overtop protective infrastructure, including debris basins and flood channels. The compound, post‐fire flood hazards associated with infrastructure overtopping and clogging are challenging to estimate due to the need to account for interactions between sequences of wildfire and storm events and their impact on flood control infrastructure over time. Here we present data sources and calibration methods to estimate infrastructure clogging and channel overtopping hazards on a catchment‐by‐catchment basis using the Post‐Fire Flood Hazard Model (PF2HazMo), a stochastic modeling approach that utilizes continuous simulation to resolve the effects of antecedent conditions and system memory. Publicly available data sources provide parameter ranges needed for stochastic modeling, and several performance measures are considered for model calibration. With application to three catchments in southern California, we show that PF2HazMo predicts the median of the simulated distribution of peak bulked flows within the 95% confidence interval of observed flows, with an order of magnitude range in bulked flow estimates depending on the performance measure used for calibration. Using infrastructure overtopping data from a post‐fire wet season, we show that PF2HazMo accurately predicts the number of flood channel exceedances. Model applications to individual watersheds reveal where infrastructure is undersized to contain present‐day and future overtopping hazards based on current design standards. Model limitations and sources of uncertainty are also discussed.
Zircon Constraints on the Eruptive Sequence and Magma Evolution of Rhyolites at South Sister Volcano, Oregon
Authors: Dechert Annika E. , Andersen Nathan L. , Dufek Josef , Jilly Christine E.
Published: August 2024

We present 230Th‐238U crystallization ages and trace element compositions for zircons spanning the late Pleistocene to Holocene rhyolite eruptive record at South Sister volcano in the central Oregon Cascade Range. Most zircon ages are between 100 and 20 ka, with very few in secular equilibrium (>350 ka). The weighted mean of zircon ages for the two oldest South Sister rhyolites, 31.5 ± 2.1 and 39.1 ± 2.4 ka, are significantly younger than the associated 40Ar/39Ar ages, 47.4 ± 9.7 and 51.4 ± 9.7 ka. We propose that these 40Ar/39Ar dates, performed on plagioclase separates, are compromised by a subtle amount of excess Ar and therefore the younger weighted mean zircon ages yield more reliable eruption ages. These results imply that the interval of rhyolite eruption at South Sister during the late Pleistocene was both shorter and more productive than previously thought and that eruption at South Sister initiated after Middle Sister. Compositionally, zircons from the Pleistocene rhyolites are broadly similar and show down‐temperature zircon and plagioclase crystallization trends. However, we argue that destabilized amphibole and titanite in a common mush also exert leverage on the Pleistocene zircon trace element compositions. Divergence in the Eu/Eu* ratio between the Pleistocene and Holocene lavas implies chemically distinct magma reservoirs originating from the Pleistocene rhyolite eruptive sequence and the Holocene eruptive sequence. This work suggests a higher flux of rhyolite volcanism than previously thought and characterizes magmatic storage distinctions between the Pleistocene and Holocene rhyolites, aiding in the assessment of future eruptive hazards at South Sister volcano.
Pairwise‐Interaction Model Unifies Different Asymptotic Shapes of UHI Intensity
Authors: Li Yunfei , Ribeiro Fabiano L. , Zhou Bin , Rybski Diego
Published: August 2024

City size is a primary determinant of the urban heat island (UHI) intensity, with its effects further nuanced by the urban form. But how to factor in the urban form into the UHI assessment remains unresolved. We propose an every‐pair‐interaction model that meaningfully incorporates urban size and fractal dimension to characterize the UHI intensity. Regression on the summertime surface UHI intensity of 5,000 European cities shows that the model outperforms the simple linear combination of logarithmic size and fractal dimension. Subject to the interplay between the range of the every‐pair interaction and the urban fractal shape, the model also represents a generalization as it includes power‐law, logarithmic, and saturating size dependence of UHI—all three possibilities have been reported empirically in the literature. Our theoretical framework indicates that the surface UHI intensity saturates with urban size, opening up new research perspectives around UHI intensity.
Excitation of Low‐ and High‐Frequency Magnetosonic Whistler Waves Associated With SLAMS in the Terrestrial Foreshock
Authors: Yao Yuhang , Zhao Jinsong , Fu Huishan , Lin Yu , Zhang Wenzhe , Wang Tieyan , Dong Xiangcheng , Dunlop Malcolm W. , Wu Dejin , Guo Xudong
Published: August 2024

Based on observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, this study presents an analysis of a short large‐amplitude magnetic structures (SLAMS) event with simultaneous occurrence of low‐ and high‐frequency magnetosonic whistler waves. It was found that low‐frequency magnetosonic whistler waves around the lower‐hybrid frequency emerge in the presence of solar wind ions and local low‐energy ions in the trailing region of SLAMS. Additionally, counter‐propagating whistler waves (the high‐frequency branch of the magnetosonic whistler wave) are observed within SLAMS, coinciding with a perpendicular temperature anisotropy in the electron population. Instability analyses demonstrate that these low‐frequency waves are induced by the two‐stream instability associated with the cross‐field relative velocity between low‐energy ions and electrons, while whistler waves are locally generated by the whistler anisotropy instability. Our results shed light on the impact of SLAMS on particle and wave dynamics in the terrestrial foreshock.
A Detailed Understanding of Slow Self‐Arresting Rupture
Authors: Wei Xueting , Liu Yuxiang , Xu Jiankuan , Liu Wei , Chen Xiaofei
Published: August 2024

Recent numerical simulation studies suggest the existence of a seismic type that is distinct from regular earthquakes—the slow self‐arresting rupture (SSAR). Unlike regular earthquakes that propagate dynamically following the initiation, The SSARs automatically arrest within the nucleation zone without interference. Additionally, numerical simulations indicate that SSARs exhibit a significantly lower energy release compared to regular earthquakes, while also exhibiting a relatively long source duration. Given these distinctive properties, comprehending the source processes of SSARs assumes great strategic importance. However, our current understanding of SSARs, particularly regarding their response to different frictional conditions and their correlation with natural phenomena, remains limited in scope. To further explore the intricacies of SSARs, we employ a three‐dimensional fully dynamic source model to simulate SSARs under various slip‐weakening frictional conditions. The findings indicate that SSARs occur in frictional environments characterized by large normalized critical slip distances, with the seismic source process being primarily influenced by this parameter. Apart from displaying significantly smaller average slip and stress drop, which are two to three orders of magnitude lower than those of regular earthquakes of comparable magnitude, SSARs also showcase a decrease in duration, seismic moment, slip rate, and stress drop as the normalized critical slip distance increases. The moment‐duration scaling law of SSARs exhibits a linear pattern. Moreover, the observation of slow earthquakes offers further implications for the presence of SSARs, indicating their potential association with a wider range of intricate seismic phenomena.
Elaborating the Atmospheric Transformation of Combined and Free Amino Acids From the Perspective of Observational Studies
Authors: Xu Yu , Lin Xi , Sun Qi‐Bin , Xiao Hong‐Wei , Xiao Hao , Xiao Hua‐Yun
Published: August 2024

Proteinaceous matter (PrM) is a substantial component of bioaerosols. Although numerous studies have examined the characteristics and sources of PrM in the atmosphere, its interactions with atmospheric oxidants remain uncertain. A 1‐year observation of PrM characteristics in PM2.5 was performed in both urban Nanchang (eastern China) and suburban Guiyang (southwestern China), respectively. Glycine was the dominant free amino acid (FAA) species in urban Nanchang. In contrast, proline dominated both total free amino acids (FAAs) and total combined amino acids (CAAs) in suburban Guiyang. We found that oxidative degradation can significantly promote the release of FAAs, especially glycine, from CAAs in Nanchang. The controlled experiment on protein oxidation by hydroxyl radical suggested that the contribution of free glycine to the total FAA fraction tended to increase during the oxidative degradation of CAAs, supporting the predominance of glycine in FAAs in Nanchang and most previous observations. The composition of FAAs was mainly influenced by primary sources in suburban Guiyang with weak atmospheric degradation of PrM. These results suggest that the degradation of aerosol PrM by atmospheric oxidants can be responsible for the difference in FAA composition between the biosphere and the atmosphere, and also imply that the oxidative degradation of aerosol PrM may be a potential source of secondary organic nitrogen compounds in aerosols. Thus, this study can improve the current understanding of the composition characteristics of PrM in the biosphere and the atmosphere, as well as the liquid phase reactions of proteinaceous compounds with atmospheric oxidants.
Accounting for Black Carbon Mixing State, Nonsphericity, and Heterogeneity Effects in Its Optical Property Parameterization in a Climate Model
Authors: Chen Ganzhen , Liu Chao , Wang Jiandong , Yin Yan , Wang Yuan
Published: August 2024

Modeling atmospheric black carbon (BC) aerosol optical properties remains largely uncertain due to their complex mixing states, nonsphericity, and heterogeneity of coating distribution. Although there exist numerical models with realistic BC morphologies, these models are mostly limited to particle‐scale studies and have not been coupled to large‐scale atmospheric or climate models. In this study, a multidimensional parameterization scheme is developed by an accurate numerical algorithm for BC optical property calculation in global climate models, by incorporating their mixing state and nonspherical structure as well as heterogeneous coating distribution. The scheme was coupled and tested with the Community Atmosphere Model version 6 (CAM6) by a weighted averaging algorithm for individual particles and integration for particle ensembles. The simulation results indicate that BC morphology has a limited influence on the aerosol absorption cross section (Cabs), and the differences in Cabs between irregularly coated fractal aggregates and ideal core‐shell spherical (CS) counterparts are ∼3% on average. However, the relative positions between the BC core and coating parts may introduce Cabs variations of up to 69% as compared with the CS results. The BC mixing state introduce ∼20% relative variations in the global average aerosol absorption optical depth, which is comparable to that of heterogeneity of coating distribution and three times greater than that of particle nonsphericity. Furthermore, the normalized mean biases of modeled single scattering coalbedo (1−SSA, i.e., the ratio of absorption to extinction) compared to those observed in BC‐rich regions are reduced by 20%∼80% when applying our new parameterization in CAM6.
Where Dust Comes From: Global Assessment of Dust Source Attributions With AeroCom Models
Authors: Kim Dongchul , Chin Mian , Schuster Greg , Yu Hongbin , Takemura Toshihiko , Tuccella Paolo , Ginoux Paul , Liu Xiaohong , Shi Yang , Matsui Hitoshi , Tsigaridis Kostas , Bauer Susanne E. , Kok Jasper F. , Schulz Michael
Published: August 2024

The source of dust in the global atmosphere is an important factor to better understand the role of dust aerosols in the climate system. However, it is a difficult task to attribute the airborne dust over the remote land and ocean regions to their origins since dust from various sources are mixed during long‐range transport. Recently, a multi‐model experiment, namely the AeroCom‐III Dust Source Attribution (DUSA), has been conducted to estimate the relative contribution of dust in various locations from different sources with tagged simulations from seven participating global models. The BASE run and a series of runs with nine tagged regions were made to estimate the contribution of dust emitted in East‐ and West‐Africa, Middle East, Central‐ and East‐Asia, North America, the Southern Hemisphere, and the prominent dust hot spots of the Bodélé and Taklimakan Deserts. The models generally agree in large scale mean dust distributions, however models show large diversity in dust source attribution. The inter‐model differences are significant with the global model dust diversity in 30%–50%, but the differences in regional and seasonal scales are even larger. The multi‐model analysis estimates that North Africa contributes 60% of global atmospheric dust loading, followed by Middle East and Central Asia sources (24%). Southern hemispheric sources account for 10% of global dust loading, however it contributes more than 70% of dust over the Southern Hemisphere. The study provides quantitative estimates of the impact of dust emitted from different source regions on the globe and various receptor regions including remote land, ocean, and the polar regions synthesized from the seven models.
Miniaturized, Broadband, Circular Polarized Horn Antenna With Groove Gap Waveguide Technology
Authors: Haghparast Amir Hossein , Rezaei Pejman
Published: August 2024

In this study, a wideband circularly polarized (CP) H‐plane horn antenna based on Gap Waveguide (GW) technology in K‐band is presented. The proposed antenna consists of two unconnected metal planes. To produce broadband CP radiation, two main methods are utilized. First, two antipodal tapered plates (ATPs) are added in front of the horn. The ATPs are carefully designed for dissimilar polarization orientations. By this technique, the orthogonal electric fields can be prepared. Then, by embedding three metal square pins near the center of the aperture in both inner plates, the impedance bandwidth (BW) and BW of CP radiation of the proposed horn is entirely improved. Its BW for target |S11| < −10 dB is 18–28 GHz. Also, the peak gain fluctuates between 11.5 and 13 dB. This antenna can provide a 3 dB polarization axial‐ratio BW of about 28.5% (20–26 GHz). Total radiation efficiency is higher than 94%. To verify the design, the proposed structure is manufactured and tested. The proposed horn antenna result has an appropriate agreement between measurement and simulation. Its miniaturized dimensions, easy and cheap fabrication, and broadband CP capability make it a proper volunteer for broadband communication systems.
Atrial fibrillation burden and clinical outcomes following BTK inhibitor initiation
Authors: Gambril John Alan , Ghazi Sanam M. , Sansoterra Stephen , Ferdousi Mussammat , Kola-Kehinde Onaopepo , Ruz Patrick , Kittai Adam S. , Rogers Kerry , Grever Michael , Bhat Seema , Wiczer Tracy , Byrd John C. , Woyach Jennifer , Addison Daniel
Published: August 2024

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) have dramatic efficacy against B-cell malignancies, but link with cardiotoxicity, including atrial fibrillation (AF). Burden, severity, and implications of BTKi-related AF are unknown. Leveraging a large-cohort of consecutive B-cell malignancy patients initiated on BTKi from 2009–2020, we identified patients with extended ambulatory rhythm monitoring. The primary outcome was AF burden after BTKi-initiation. Secondary outcomes included ventricular arrhythmia burden and other arrhythmias. Observed incident-AF rates and burden with next-generation BTKi’s were compared to ibrutinib. Multivariable regression defined association between rhythm measures and major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and mortality. There were 98 BTKi-treated patients [38.8% next-generation BTKi’s, 14.3% prior-AF], with 28,224 h of monitoring. Median duration BTKi-use was 34 months. Over mean duration 12 days monitoring, 72.4% developed arrhythmias (16.3% incident-AF, 31.6% other SVTs, 14.3% ventricular tachycardia). 14.3% had high AF-burden. AF-burden was similar between ibrutinib and next-generation BTKi’s. No single antiarrhythmic-therapy prevented BTKi-related AF. However, antiarrhythmic initiation associated with reduction in arrhythmic burden (P = 0.009). In a multivariable model accounting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, prior-AF associated with increased post-BTKi AF-burden. In follow-up, high AF burden associated with MACE (HR 3.12, P = 0.005) and mortality (HR 2.97, P = 0.007). Among BTKi-treated patients, high AF burden prognosticates future MACE and mortality risk.
Standardizing feeding strategies for preterm infants born greater than 1500 grams
Authors: Fu Ting Ting , Arhin Maame , Schulz Ashley T. , Gardiner Abigail , Chapman Stacie , Adamchak Abigail , Ward Laura P. , Kim Jae H.
Published: August 2024

Background

Use of standardized feeding protocols and donor breast milk (DBM) have been studied primarily in infants born <1500 g and not examined exclusively in infants born >1500 g.

Methods

In this retrospective pre-post-implementation cohort study, we evaluated a protocol for preterm infants born >1500 g that was implemented clinically to standardize feeding advancements at 30 mL/kg/day, with infants born <33 weeks eligible to receive DBM. We compared placement of peripherally inserted central catheters for parenteral nutrition, feeding tolerance, growth, and maternal milk provision in the 18 months before/after implementation. The association between DBM intake and growth was evaluated using multivariable linear regression.

Results

We identified 133 and 148 eligible infants pre/post-implementation. Frequency of peripherally inserted central catheters and rate of maternal milk provision was not statistically different. While there was no difference in median days to full enteral volume, there was a narrower distribution post-implementation (p < 0.001). Growth was similar between eras, but each 10% increase in DBM was associated with 1.0 g/d decrease in weight velocity (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

A feeding protocol for preterm infants >1500 g is associated with more consistent time to full enteral volume. Further investigation is needed to clarify DBM’s impact on growth in this population.

Impact:

Despite practice creep, no study has examined the use of standardized feeding protocols or pasteurized donor breast milk exclusively in infants >1500 g.

A feeding protocol in this population may achieve full enteral feedings more consistently.

With appropriate fortification, donor breast milk can support adequate growth in infants born >1500 g but warrants further study.
The feedback loop between MTA1 and MTA3/TRIM21 modulates stemness of breast cancer in response to estrogen
Authors: Zhang Jingyao , Wang Yinuo , Zhang Jingjing , Wang Xin , Liu Jiaxiang , Huo Miaomiao , Hu Ting , Ma Tianyu , Zhang Die , Li Yu , Guo Chang , Yang Yunkai , Zhang Min , Yuan Baowen , Qin Hao , Teng Xu , Gao Tianyang , Hao Xinhui , Yu Hefen , Huang Wei , Xu Binghe , Wang Yan
Published: August 2024

The metastasis-associated protein (MTA) family plays a crucial role in the development of breast cancer, a common malignancy with a high incidence rate among women. However, the mechanism by which each member of the MTA family contributes to breast cancer progression is poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the roles of MTA1, MTA3, and tripartite motif-containing 21 (TRIM21) in the proliferation, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and stem cell-like properties of breast cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. The molecular mechanisms of the feedback loop between MTA1 and MTA3/TRIM21 regulated by estrogen were explored using Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), luciferase reporter, immunoprecipitation (IP), and ubiquitination assays. These findings demonstrated that MTA1 acts as a driver to promote the progression of breast cancer by repressing the transcription of tumor suppressor genes, including TRIM21 and MTA3. Conversely, MTA3 inhibited MTA1 transcription and TRIM21 regulated MTA1 protein stability in breast cancer. Estrogen disrupted the balance between MTA1 and MTA3, as well as between MTA1 and TRIM21, thereby affecting stemness and the EMT processes in breast cancer. These findings suggest that MTA1 plays a vital role in stem cell fate and the hierarchical regulatory network of EMT through negative feedback loops with MTA3 or TRIM21 in response to estrogen, supporting MTA1, MTA3, and TRIM21 as potential prognostic biomarkers and MTA1 as a treatment target for future breast cancer therapies.
Dental implants significantly increase adjacent tooth loss risk due to root fracture
Authors: Afrashtehfar Kelvin I. , Kazma Jad Moriss , Yahia Islam , Jaber Aesa A.
Published: August 2024

Design

This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the risk and variables of tooth loss for teeth adjacent to dental implants compared to teeth nonadjacent to implants. The study followed the STROBE guidelines and was approved by the Institutional Review Board.

Cohort selection

The study included patients treated with dental implants at UCSF School of Dentistry between 2000 and 2020. The inclusion criteria for teeth adjacent to implants required the implant to support a fixed prosthesis and a follow-up period of at least 12 months. Nonadjacent teeth also required a follow-up period of at least 12 months. Teeth were excluded if they had a hopeless prognosis or were planned for extraction before the completion of restorative treatment.

Data analysis

Data were extracted from electronic health records, including patient demographics, dental histories, and outcomes for teeth adjacent and nonadjacent to implants. Statistical analyses, including Kaplan-Meier survival plots, log-rank tests, and multivariate logistic regression, were used to compare tooth survival and identify aetiologies of tooth loss.

Results

The study included 787 patients, with 2048 teeth adjacent and 15,637 teeth nonadjacent to implants. The 10-year cumulative survival rate was 89.2% for teeth adjacent to implants and 99.3% for nonadjacent teeth. Teeth adjacent to implants had a significantly higher risk of tooth loss (Odds Ratio [OR] 13.15). The primary etiology of tooth loss adjacent to implants was root fracture (45.2%), followed by caries (28.9%), periodontitis (24.1%), and endodontic failure (1.8%). For nonadjacent teeth, periodontitis was the leading cause of tooth loss (51.9%).

Conclusions

The study found that teeth adjacent to dental implants had a significantly higher risk of tooth loss, primarily due to root fractures. The findings suggest that dental implants may act as an iatrogenic factor, increasing the risk of complications for adjacent teeth. Conservative management of natural dentition should be prioritized, with emphasis on stringent periodontal surveillance and effective home care. Future research should focus on prospective studies to further explore these associations and improve clinical outcomes.
α-Synuclein oligomers form by secondary nucleation
Authors: Xu Catherine K. , Meisl Georg , Andrzejewska Ewa A. , Krainer Georg , Dear Alexander J. , Castellana-Cruz Marta , Turi Soma , Edu Irina A. , Vivacqua Giorgio , Jacquat Raphaël P. B. , Arter William E. , Spillantini Maria Grazia , Vendruscolo Michele , Linse Sara , Knowles Tuomas P. J.
Published: August 2024

Oligomeric species arising during the aggregation of α-synuclein are implicated as a major source of toxicity in Parkinson’s disease, and thus a major potential drug target. However, both their mechanism of formation and role in aggregation are largely unresolved. Here we show that, at physiological pH and in the absence of lipid membranes, α-synuclein aggregates form by secondary nucleation, rather than simple primary nucleation, and that this process is enhanced by agitation. Moreover, using a combination of single molecule and bulk level techniques, we identify secondary nucleation on the surfaces of existing fibrils, rather than formation directly from monomers, as the dominant source of oligomers. Our results highlight secondary nucleation as not only the key source of oligomers, but also the main mechanism of aggregate formation, and show that these processes take place under conditions which recapitulate the neutral pH and ionic strength of the cytosol.
Temporal regularities shape perceptual decisions and striatal dopamine signals
Authors: Fritsche Matthias , Majumdar Antara , Strickland Lauren , Liebana Garcia Samuel , Bogacz Rafal , Lak Armin
Published: August 2024

Perceptual decisions should depend on sensory evidence. However, such decisions are also influenced by past choices and outcomes. These choice history biases may reflect advantageous strategies to exploit temporal regularities of natural environments. However, it is unclear whether and how observers can adapt their choice history biases to different temporal regularities, to exploit the multitude of temporal correlations that exist in nature. Here, we show that male mice adapt their perceptual choice history biases to different temporal regularities of visual stimuli. This adaptation was slow, evolving over hundreds of trials across several days. It occurred alongside a fast non-adaptive choice history bias, limited to a few trials. Both fast and slow trial history effects are well captured by a normative reinforcement learning algorithm with multi-trial belief states, comprising both current trial sensory and previous trial memory states. We demonstrate that dorsal striatal dopamine tracks predictions of the model and behavior, suggesting that striatal dopamine reports reward predictions associated with adaptive choice history biases. Our results reveal the adaptive nature of perceptual choice history biases and shed light on their underlying computational principles and neural correlates.
Aging insights from heterochronic parabiosis models
Authors: Lagunas-Rangel Francisco Alejandro
Published: August 2024

Heterochronic parabiosis consists of surgically connecting the circulatory systems of a young and an old animal. This technique serves as a model to study circulating factors that accelerate aging in young organisms exposed to old blood or induce rejuvenation in old organisms exposed to young blood. Despite the promising results, the exact cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear, so this study aims to explore and elucidate them in more detail.
A systematic exploration of unexploited genes for oxidative stress in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Suzuki Takayuki , Bono Hidemasa
Published: August 2024

Human disease-associated gene data are accessible through databases, including the Open Targets Platform, DisGeNET, miRTex, RNADisease, and PubChem. However, missing data entries in such databases are anticipated because of curational errors, biases, and text-mining failures. Additionally, the extensive research on human diseases has led to challenges in registering comprehensive data. The lack of essential data in databases hinders knowledge sharing and should be addressed. Therefore, we propose an analysis pipeline to explore missing entries of unexploited genes in the human disease-associated gene databases. Using this pipeline for genes in Parkinson’s disease with oxidative stress revealed two unexploited genes: nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) and ubiquitin-like with PHD and ring finger domains 2 (UHRF2). This methodology enhances the identification of underrepresented disease-associated genes, facilitating easier access to potential human disease-related functional genes. This study aims to identify unexploited genes for further research and does not include independent experimental validation.
Intradermal vaccination with a phytoglycogen nanoparticle and STING agonist induces cytotoxic T lymphocyte-mediated antitumor immunity
Authors: Hernandez-Franco Juan F. , Jan Imran M. , Elzey Bennett D. , HogenEsch Harm
Published: August 2024

A critical aspect of cancer vaccine development is the formulation with effective adjuvants. This study evaluated whether combining a cationic plant-derived nanoparticle adjuvant (Nano-11) with the clinically tested STING agonist ADU-S100 (MIW815) could stimulate anticancer immunity by intradermal vaccination. Nano-11 combined with ADU-S100 (NanoST) synergistically activated antigen-presenting cells, facilitating protein antigen cross-presentation in vitro and in vivo. Intradermal vaccination using ovalbumin (OVA) as a tumor antigen and combined with Nano-11 or NanoST prevented the development of murine B16-OVA melanoma and E.G7-OVA lymphoma tumors. The antitumor immunity was abolished by CD8+ T cell depletion but not by CD4+ T cell depletion. Therapeutic vaccination with NanoST increased mouse survival by inhibiting B16-OVA tumor growth, and this effect was further enhanced by PD-1 checkpoint blockade. Our study provides a strong rationale for developing NanoST as an adjuvant for intradermal vaccination and next-generation preventative and therapeutic cancer vaccines by STING-targeted activation.
EDARA: An ERA5-based Dataset for Atmospheric River Analysis
Authors: Mo Ruping
Published: August 2024

Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) are long and narrow bands of strong horizontal water vapour transport concentrated in the lower troposphere. ARs play an important role in producing some high-impact weather events such as extreme precipitation and flooding, damaging winds, and temperature anomalies. To facilitate various studies on the short- and long-term variability of ARs and their impacts, I compiled a multi-decade global dataset containing 12 relevant meteorological variables for AR analysis. These variables were derived from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts atmospheric reanalysis version 5 (ERA5). They are available at 6-hour intervals from 1940 to present. Also included in the dataset is an interactive web browser-based graphical tool for visualising the AR evolution on regional (North America) and global scales. This ERA5-based Dataset for Atmospheric River Analysis (EDARA) may serve as a valuable resource for many AR-related research and applications.
CS-PHOC: weekly census counts of Southern Ocean phocids at Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island
Authors: Woodman Samuel M. , Borras-Chavez Renato , Goebel Michael E. , Torres Daniel , Aguayo Anelio , Krause Douglas J.
Published: August 2024

Rapid climatic warming of the Antarctic Peninsula is driving regional population declines and distribution shifts of predators and prey. Affected species include Antarctic ice seals and the southern elephant seal, all of which rely on the peninsula region for critical stages of their life cycle. However, data collection is difficult in this remote region, and therefore long-term time series with which to identify and investigate population trends in these species are rare. We present the Cape Shirreff Phocid Census (CS-PHOC) dataset: weekly counts of phocids (crabeater, leopard, southern elephant, and Weddell seals) hauled out at Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, during most austral summers since 1997. Data from these censuses were cleaned and aggregated, resulting in robust and comparable count data from 284 censuses across 23 field seasons. The CS-PHOC dataset, which is publicly available through the SCAR Biodiversity Portal, will be updated yearly to provide important information about Southern Ocean phocids in the Antarctic Peninsula.
A global coastal permeability dataset (CoPerm 1.0)
Authors: Moosdorf Nils , Tschaikowski Jarrid , Kretschmer Daniel , Reinecke Robert
Published: August 2024

The permeability of aquifers strongly influences groundwater flow characteristics. Worldwide, coastal groundwater is often the primary freshwater source for coastal communities and ecosystems but is also particularly vulnerable to abstraction since saltwater intrusion may threaten its quality. Thus, understanding coastal permeability is crucial to the sustainable use of coastal groundwater. Here, we present the first global dataset of coastal permeability (CoPerm 1.0), which provides data on coasts’ landward, shoreline, and seaward permeability. CoPerm accounts for shoreline characteristics such as cliffs and beaches and contains information on four million segments representing more than two million kilometers of global coastline. Rocky Shores are the most abundant shoreline class, followed by mangroves, beaches, and muddy coasts. Permeability differs between the immediate shoreline (median permeability: 10−12.3 m2), the seaward (median: 10−13.3 m2), and the landward (median: 10−13 m2) sides of the coast. CoPerm provides input data for global coastal groundwater assessments and regional studies of submarine groundwater discharge or saltwater intrusion that can radiate into ecological and economic studies.
Neural encoding of linguistic speech cues is unaffected by cognitive decline, but decreases with increasing hearing impairment
Authors: Bolt Elena , Giroud Nathalie
Published: August 2024

The multivariate temporal response function (mTRF) is an effective tool for investigating the neural encoding of acoustic and complex linguistic features in natural continuous speech. In this study, we investigated how neural representations of speech features derived from natural stimuli are related to early signs of cognitive decline in older adults, taking into account the effects of hearing. Participants without ($$n = 25$$

n
=
25

) and with ($$n = 19$$

n
=
19

) early signs of cognitive decline listened to an audiobook while their electroencephalography responses were recorded. Using the mTRF framework, we modeled the relationship between speech input and neural response via different acoustic, segmented and linguistic encoding models and examined the response functions in terms of encoding accuracy, signal power, peak amplitudes and latencies. Our results showed no significant effect of cognitive decline or hearing ability on the neural encoding of acoustic and linguistic speech features. However, we found a significant interaction between hearing ability and the word-level segmentation model, suggesting that hearing impairment specifically affects encoding accuracy for this model, while other features were not affected by hearing ability. These results suggest that while speech processing markers remain unaffected by cognitive decline and hearing loss per se, neural encoding of word-level segmented speech features in older adults is affected by hearing loss but not by cognitive decline. This study emphasises the effectiveness of mTRF analysis in studying the neural encoding of speech and argues for an extension of research to investigate its clinical impact on hearing loss and cognition.