bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fifteen-minute consultation: A guide to paediatric post-resuscitation care following return of spontaneous circulation
Authors: Kanaris Constantinos
Published: August 2024

Paediatric resuscitation is a key skill for anyone in medicine who is involved in the care of children. Basic and advance paediatric life support courses are crucial in teaching those skills nationwide in a way that is memorable, protocolised and standardised. These courses are vital in the dissemination and upkeep of both theoretical and practical knowledge of paediatric resuscitation, with their primary aim being the return of spontaneous circulation. While sustaining life is important, preserving a life with quality, one with good functional and neurological outcomes should be the gold standard of any resuscitative attempt. Good neurological outcomes are dependent, in large part, on how well the postresuscitation stage is managed. This stage does not start in the intensive care unit, it starts at the point at which spontaneous circulation has been reinstated. The aim of this paper is to provide a basic overview of the main strategies that should be followed in order to minimise secondary brain injury after successful resuscitation attempts.
Respiratory problems in rowers: outcomes from a systematic assessment of an elite squad
Authors: Hull James H , Williams Zander J , Jackson Anna R , Wootten Moses , Ranson Craig , Arnold Liz , Redgrave Ann
Published: August 2024

Objectives

To characterise the respiratory health of elite rowers using a systematic screening approach to assess respiratory health (SARAH) and identify the associations between SARAH findings and acute respiratory illness (ARI) and chest wall injury (CWI).

Methods

A systematic screening approach was conducted in a cohort of elite rowers. The assessment employed validated respiratory questionnaires and multiple physiological measures. An analysis of ARI and CWI incidence and burden from the 18 months before the SARAH assessment was conducted.

Results

Full respiratory surveillance was completed in 48 rowers (50% female, aged 27 [25–28] years). The incidence and burden of ARI were similar between male and female rowers. The incidence of CWI was greater in female rowers compared to males (1.6 versus 0.4 per 1000 athlete training days, respectively; incidence rate ratio of 4.3, 95% C.I. 1.5 to 12.2, p=0.005) and more common in younger rowers with greater lung function. SARAH detected at least one respiratory problem in 39 (81%) rowers, and two or more problems in 26 (54%). Sino-nasal problems (44%), allergy-related problems (42%) and breathing pattern disorder (42%) were the most prevalent problems identified. Exercise-associated cough was reported in 34 (71%) rowers, with objective evidence of asthma found in only five (10%).

Conclusions

In elite rowers, respiratory problems, including ARI and CWI, are common and impact health. A systematic screening approach identifies multiple underlying respiratory problems, presenting the opportunity to optimise athlete health and improve training availability.
Metabolic features of neutrophilic differentiation of HL-60 cells in hyperglycemic environments
Authors: Cázares-Preciado Jorge Andrés , López-Arredondo Alejandra , Cruz-Cardenas José Antonio , Luévano-Martínez Luis Alberto , García-Rivas Gerardo , Prado-Garcia Heriberto , Brunck Marion E. G.
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Chronic hyperglycemia affects neutrophil functions, leading to reduced pathogen killing and increased morbidity. This impairment has been directly linked to increased glycemia, however, how this specifically affects neutrophils metabolism and their differentiation in the bone marrow is unclear and difficult to study.

Research design and methods

We used high-resolution respirometry to investigate the metabolism of resting and activated donor neutrophils, and flow cytometry to measure surface CD15 and CD11b expression. We then used HL-60 cells differentiated towards neutrophil-like cells in standard media and investigated the effect of doubling glucose concentration on differentiation metabolism. We measured the oxygen consumption rate (OCR), and the enzymatic activity of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1) and citrate synthase during neutrophil-like differentiation. We compared the surface phenotype, functions, and OCR of neutrophil-like cells differentiated under both glucose concentrations.

Results

Donor neutrophils showed significant instability of CD11b and OCR after phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate stimulation at 3 hours post-enrichment. During HL-60 neutrophil-like cell differentiation, there was a significant increase in surface CD15 and CD11b expression together with the loss of mitochondrial mass. Differentiated neutrophil-like cells also exhibited higher CD11b expression and were significantly more phagocytic. In higher glucose media, we measured a decrease in citrate synthase and CPT1 activities during neutrophil-like differentiation.

Conclusions

HL-60 neutrophil-like differentiation recapitulated known molecular and metabolic features of human neutrophil differentiation. Increased glucose concentrations correlated with features described in hyperglycemic donor neutrophils including increased CD11b and phagocytosis. We used this model to describe metabolic features of neutrophil-like cell differentiation in hyperglycemia and show for the first time the downregulation of CPT1 and citrate synthase activity, independently of mitochondrial mass.
Vitamin B6 status and chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a prospective cohort study among patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy
Authors: Renting Lisanne , Zwart Nienke R K , Ueland Per Magne , McCann Adrian , Ulvik Arve , van Halteren Henk K , Lubberman Floor J E , Winkels Renate M , Kampman Ellen , Kok Dieuwertje E
Published: August 2024

Objective

Chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a long-lasting side-effect of oxaliplatin. Vitamin B6 might play a role in the pathogenesis of CIPN. Therefore, we investigated associations between plasma vitamin B6 markers and the occurrence and severity of chronic CIPN in patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods and analysis

242 patients with CRC receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy were included. Blood samples were collected at diagnosis (ie, before chemotherapy), and 6 and 12 months after diagnosis (ie, during and after chemotherapy, respectively). Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP), pyridoxal (PL) and xanthurenic acid:3-hydroxykynurenine (XA:HK) ratio were measured as vitamin B6 markers using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Chronic CIPN was assessed 12 months after diagnosis using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-CIPN twenty-item scale questionnaire. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and restricted cubic splines (RCSs) were used to assess associations with chronic CIPN occurrence, and linear regressions were used to assess associations with chronic CIPN severity. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes and timing of chemotherapy (neoadjuvant/adjuvant/both).

Results

Chronic CIPN was found in 80% (n=194) of patients. Higher PLP levels and XA:HK ratios during chemotherapy were associated with lower occurrence of chronic CIPN (PRperdoubling0.75, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.91 and PRCS<0.05, respectively) and lower chronic CIPN severity (βperdoubling−4.54, 95% CI −7.12 to −1.96 and βperdoubling−6.30, 95% CI −9.53 to −3.07, respectively). No associations between PL levels and chronic CIPN were observed.

Conclusion

Within this population, merely having PLP levels within the normal range, higher vitamin B6 status during chemotherapy was associated with lower occurrence and severity of chronic CIPN. Future research is warranted to investigate causality and the optimal vitamin B6 status during chemotherapy.
Somebody who understands the culture and their needs that can cater for them in their retirement time: a peer research study exploring the challenges faced by British Muslims with palliative care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Hudson Briony F , Clarke Gemma , Kupeli Nuriye , Rizk Noura , Safdar Mansur , Sherif Jamil , Shafi Shuja
Published: August 2024

Background

Inequities in palliative and end-of-life care access exist, with evidence of lower uptake of these services among people from the British Muslim community. Little research exists exploring the experiences of British Muslims with palliative care needs and their families during the pandemic or before.

Aim

To coproduce peer research exploring the experiences of British Muslims with palliative care needs and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

A collaborative peer research interview study. Peer researchers were recruited and trained to undertake qualitative interviewing. Data were analysed using reflective thematic analysis.

Setting/participants

3 peer researchers conducted 11 telephone interviews (10 in English and 1 in Urdu) between August and September 2021 with 12 participants (5 people with palliative care needs and 7 family carers).

Results

Four themes were identified: (1) issues in accessing healthcare exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) the impact on family carers, (3) variation in support from community groups and (4) social and information exclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing challenges to accessing healthcare services for British Muslims with palliative care needs. Family members experienced the cumulative impact of supporting people with palliative needs while also advocating for and supporting them to access the care they required. Language barriers, digital exclusion and uncertainly about how to access information, in addition to the apparent lack of consideration of important festivals in the Muslim calendar in the implementation of policies around lockdowns, culminated in a sense of exclusion from COVID-19-related policies and messaging for this population.

Conclusions

These findings support the need to involve people from diverse backgrounds in the design and delivery of healthcare services and policies. Learning from this unique time in our histories should be used to shape future delivery of culturally aware and inclusive care.
Protocol for a randomised trial of a self-directed digital pain management intervention (Empowered Relief) tailored to adults with chronic pain and prescription opioid misuse/disorder: the MOBILE Relief study
Authors: Edwards Karlyn A , Palenski Paige , Perez Luzmercy , You Dokyoung Sophia , Ziadni Maisa S , Jung Corinne , Adair Emma , Tian Lu , Mackey Sean C , Darnall Beth D
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Chronic pain increases the risk of prescription opioid misuse or opioid use disorder (OUD). Non-pharmacological treatments are needed to dually address pain and opioid risks. The purpose of the Mobile and Online-Based Interventions to Lessen Pain (MOBILE Relief) study is to compare a one-session, video-based, on-demand digital pain relief skills intervention for chronic pain (‘Empowered Relief’ (ER); tailored to people at risk for opioid misuse or with opioid misuse/OUD) to a one-session digital health education intervention (‘Living Better’; no pain management skills).

Methods and analysis

MOBILE Relief is an international online randomised controlled clinical trial. Study participants are adults with chronic, non-cancer pain (≥6 months) with daily pain intensity ≥3/10, taking ≥10 morphine equivalent daily dose and score ≥6 on the Current Opioid Misuse Measure. Participants are recruited through clinician referrals and clinic advertisements. Study procedures include electronic eligibility screening, informed consent, automated 1:1 randomisation to the treatment group, baseline measures, receipt of assigned digital treatment and six post-treatment surveys spanning 3 months. Study staff will call participants at baseline and 1-month and 3 months post-treatment to verify the opioid prescription. The main statistical analyses will include analysis of covariance and mixed effects model for repeated measurements regression.

Main outcomes

Primary outcomes are self-reported pain catastrophising, pain intensity, pain interference, opioid craving and opioid misuse at 1-month and 3 months post-treatment. We will determine the feasibility of ER (≥50% participant engagement, ≥70% treatment appraisal ratings). We hypothesise the ER group will be superior to the Living Better group in the reduction of multiprimary pain outcomes at 1-month post-treatment and opioid outcomes at 1-month and 3 months post-treatment.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by the Stanford University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board (IRB 61643). We will publish results in peer-reviewed journals; National Institute of Drug Abuse (funder) and MOBILE Relief participants will receive result summaries.

Trial registration number

NCT05152134.
Quality improvement initiative to reduce URI-associated antibiotic prescriptions among adult primary care providers
Authors: Sathe Niharika , Klein Marlena , Rose Lucia , Byrne Dana
Published: August 2024

Importance

Despite evidence that most upper respiratory infections (URIs) are due to viruses, antibiotics are frequently prescribed for this indication in the outpatient setting. Antibiotic stewardship strategies are needed to reduce adverse patient outcomes and staggering healthcare costs due to resistant infections that ensue from inappropriate prescriptions.

Objective

To determine if individual provider scorecards detailing antibiotic prescribing rates paired with educational resources reduce inappropriate antibiotic use for URIs in the outpatient primary care setting.

Design, setting and participants

This quality improvement project investigated the number of URI-coded office visits in the primary care setting over three consecutive influenza seasons, which resulted in an antibiotic prescription in Cooper University Healthcare’s 14 primary care offices. We compared provider’s individual prescribing patterns to their peers’ average and created a scorecard that was shared with each provider over a series of intervention phases. Data were collected from a preintervention period (November 2017–February 2018), and two postintervention phases, phase I (November 2018–February 2019) and phase II (November 2019–February 2020).

Intervention

A personalised, digital scorecard containing antibiotic-prescribing data for URI-coded visits from the prior influenza season was emailed to each primary care provider. Prior to the subsequent influenza season, prescribers received their updated prescribing rates as well as peer-to-peer comparisons. In both phases, the scorecard was attached to an email with antimicrobial stewardship educational materials.

Main outcomes and measures

The primary outcome was a reduction in the number of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions for URI-related diagnoses. The diagnoses were organised into five broad coding categories, including bronchitis, sinusitis, sore throat excluding strep, influenza and tonsillitis excluding strep.
Integrating SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing in maternal, neonatal and child health, HIV, and TB clinics in Kenya and Cameroon: outcomes from the Catalysing COVID-19 Action Project
Authors: Tchounga Boris K , Hoffman Nelia , Masaba Rose , Djikeussi Tatiana , Ndimbii James , Moma Elvis , Pearson Sharee , Sikuku Evallyne , Gitau Virginia , Argaw Shabir , Tchendjou Patrice , Siamba Stephen , Kimani Njoki , Zoung-Kanyi Bissek Anne-Cecile , Fokam Joseph , Tiam Appolinaire , Yemaneberhan Aida , Guay Laura , Bhatt Nilesh Balbhadra , Machekano Rhoderick
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is key to preventing severe disease and poor outcomes in vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and people living with HIV or diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). We assessed outcomes achieved with the integration of SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic testing (Ag-RDT) into maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH); HIV and TB clinics in the Catalysing COVID-19 Action project.

Methods

Screening and testing for SARS-CoV-2 per national guidelines were integrated into MNCH, HIV and TB clinics in 50 health facilities in Cameroon and Kenya. In Cameroon, screening and testing were done by existing facility staff, while in Kenya, additional community workers and laboratory staff were involved. Clients aged >2 years attending MNCH, HIV and TB clinics between May and October 2022 were included in the study. We estimated the proportion of participants screened, tested and tested positive; calculated the SARS-CoV-2 case detection rate per 1000 attendees and determined factors associated with screening, testing and positivity.

Results

Overall, 528 567 attendee visits were reported in Cameroon (282 404) and Kenya (246 163), with screening for SARS-CoV-2 performed in 256 049 (48.4%), showing substantive variations between countries (62.6% in Cameroon and 32.2% in Kenya). Among the 256 049 screened, 19 013 (7.4%) were eligible for testing (9.0% in Cameroon and 3.9% in Kenya), of whom 12 934 (68.0%) were tested for SARS-CoV-2 including 9866/15 934 (61.9%) in Cameroon and 3068/3079 (96.6%) in Kenya. A total of 390 (3.0%) positive tests were identified (329/9866, 3.3%, in Cameroon and 61/3068, 2.0%, in Kenya). Country integration strategy, facility level, setting and clinic were independently associated with screening and testing.

Conclusions

Integration of SARS-CoV-2 Ag-RDT in MNCH, HIV and TB clinics in both countries allowed detection of SARS-CoV-2 cases among vulnerable populations. Integration strategies should consider facility settings and additional human resources in high-volume facilities to improve screening and testing proportions.

Trial registration number

NCT05498727.
Clinical symptoms, comorbidities, treatment patterns and time to diagnosis in patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis in England: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Xu Xiao , Chen Stephanie Y , Maslova Ekaterina , Kielar Danuta , Kwiatek Justin , Stirnadel-Farrant Heide , Katial Rohit , Langham Julia , Langham Sue , Woodland Philip
Published: August 2024

Objective

Describe clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, time to diagnosis and development of strictures in patients diagnosed with eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) between January 2014 and October 2020 in England.

Design/Method

Routinely collected data were sourced from three linked databases in England: Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum; Hospital Episode Statistics (HES); and Office for National Statistics mortality files. Eligible patients in the CPRD, who could be linked to HES data, had ≥1 diagnosis of EoE, recorded using a diagnostic code during the study period, and ≥12 months (baseline period) continuous registration with the practice before diagnosis, during which EoE-related symptoms and comorbidities were evaluated.

Results

Patients with EoE (n=2381) more frequently reported dysphagia (40.0% vs 0.2%), acid reflux/heartburn (21.6% vs 0.9%; including gastro-oesophageal reflux disease), abdominal pain (10.8% vs 2.9%) and food impaction (8.2% vs 0.0%) during baseline than age-matched and sex-matched controls (n=9365). The most common first-line and second-line therapies were proton pump inhibitor (PPI) monotherapy and PPI plus swallowed topical corticosteroids, respectively. Median (IQR) time from first recorded symptom to diagnosis was 4.5 (1.3 to 16.4) months. Patients with prolonged time to diagnosis (≥24 months) more frequently reported EoE-related comorbidities and were younger (<18 years) than those with shorter time to diagnosis (<24 months). Patients who developed strictures ≤3 years after diagnosis were more frequently men and more frequently reported food impaction or dysphagia at baseline.

Conclusion

This study helps characterise patients with EoE who require closer monitoring, highlighting the need for earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Triple digital divide and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese adults: a disparity analysis
Authors: Liu Danxia , Zhang Bo , Guo Jing
Published: August 2024

Background

The triple digital divide refers to the lack of internet access, use and knowledge among specific populations. In China, middle-aged and older adults and those living in rural areas or various regions of the country are more likely to have limited internet access and skills and, thus, have less accessibility to internet services. Few longitudinal studies have explored the association between the digital divide and the progression of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Significantly, none of the existing studies have estimated this long-term relationship from a disparity perspective.

Aims

This study investigates the association between the triple digital divide and depressive symptom trajectories among middle-aged and older adults in China during a 10-year follow-up period from 2011 to 2020.

Methods

The sample for this secondary analysis comprises 3019 urban and 10 427 rural respondents selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study baseline survey in 2011. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Employing longitudinal mixed-effects models, this study explored the association between the triple digital divide and depressive symptom trajectories among middle-aged and older Chinese adults by examining gender, rural–urban and regional disparities in this relationship.

Results

Our findings revealed a significant association between the triple digital divide and increasing trajectories of depressive symptoms, showing significant disparities based on gender, rural–urban dwelling and regional location. Notably, for both male and female participants who resided in urban areas or the central region of the country, their ability to use the internet, coupled with enhanced internet skills and greater access to internet services, was found to have a mitigating effect on the increasing trajectories of depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

To alleviate some of the confounding influences on the trajectory of depression in middle-aged and older adults, policymakers in China should continue to prioritise the development of internet technology, foster easy access to the internet to ensure it is ‘elder-friendly’, provide internet skill training platforms for this population and broaden access to various internet services appropriate for them. Additionally, the implementation of tailored interventions to address depression, especially targeting the more vulnerable cohorts, such as middle-aged and older women, those residing in rural areas and the western regions, is crucial. Such tailored approaches are essential for addressing the disparities and challenges associated with the triple digital divide.
Venous sinus stenting under conscious sedation
Authors: Kalsoum Erwah , Scarcia Luca , Abdalkader Mohamad , Dmytriw Adam A , Farhat Firas , Tuilier Titien , Geismar Maxime , Quesnel Christophe , Tourbah Ayman , Abdellaoui Mohamed , Nguyen Thanh N , Kikano Raghid , El Ojaimi Rami
Published: August 2024

Background

Venous sinus stenting (VSS) is an increasingly performed procedure for the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) refractory to medical treatment. VSS is typically performed under general anesthesia.

Objective

To present our experience of VSS in patients with IIH performed under conscious sedation.

Methods

Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of all patients with IIH who underwent VSS in a single center between September 2019 and January 2024. The sedation protocol consisted of a remifentanil-based target-controlled infusion. Patients’ clinical and radiological data, dosage of anesthesia, procedural characteristics, and outcomes were collected.

Results

Twenty-six patients with IIH underwent venous manometry (VM) and VSS under awake sedation and were included in our study. Patients were predominantly women (24/26) with a median age (IQR) of 33 (13) years. The median (IQR) body mass index was 34 (10) kg/m2. There was no need for general anesthesia conversion. Technical success was achieved in all patients. Median (IQR) follow-up after stenting was 7 (2) months. All patients reported resolution of the pulsatile tinnitus; headaches regressed in 20/24 (83.3%) patients and papilledema improved in 16/20 (80%). Only one non-neurological complication (retroperitoneal hematoma) occurred, without any permanent morbidity or mortality.

Conclusion

Our study confirms that performing VM and VSS under conscious sedation is safe and feasible. Conscious sedation is a viable alternative to general anesthesia for managing IIH in these patients.
Diagnostic accuracy of serum biomarkers to identify giant cell arteritis in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica
Authors: Ramon André , Greigert Hélène , Goueslard Karine , Cladière Claudie , Ciudad Marion , Ornetti Paul , Audia Sylvain , Maillefert Jean Francis , Bonnotte Bernard , Samson Maxime
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) are frequently overlapping conditions. Unlike in GCA, vascular inflammation is absent in PMR. Therefore, serum biomarkers reflecting vascular remodelling could be used to identify GCA in cases of apparently isolated PMR.

Materials and methods

45 patients with isolated PMR and 29 patients with PMR/GCA overlap were included. Blood samples were collected before starting glucocorticoids for all patients. Serum biomarkers reflecting systemic inflammation (interleukin-6 (IL-6), CXCL9), vascular remodelling (MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9) and endothelial function (sCD141, sCD146, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, vWFA2) were measured by Luminex assays.

Results

Patients with GCA had higher serum levels of sCD141 (p=0.002) and CXCL9 (p=0.002) than isolated PMR. By contrast, serum levels of MMP-3 (p=0.01) and IL-6 (p=0.004) were lower in GCA than isolated PMR. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for sCD141, CXCL9, IL-6 and MMP-3. Separately, none of them were >0.7, but combinations revealed higher diagnostic accuracy. The CXCL9/IL-6 ratio was significantly increased in patients with GCA (p=0.0001; cut-off >32.8, AUC 0.76), while the MMP-3/sCD141 ratio was significantly lower in patients with GCA (p<0.0001; cut-off <5.3, AUC 0.79). In patients with subclinical GCA, which is the most difficult to diagnose, sCD141 and MMP-3/sCD141 ratio demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy with AUC of 0.81 and 0.77, respectively.

Conclusion

Combined serum biomarkers such as CXCL9/IL-6 and MMP-3/sCD141 could help identify GCA in patients with isolated PMR. It could allow to select patients with PMR in whom complementary examinations are needed.
Symptom burden among men treated for castration-resistant prostate cancer: a longitudinal study
Authors: Rönningås Ulrika , Fransson Per , Holm Maja , Beckman Lars , Wennman-Larsen Agneta
Published: August 2024

Objectives

Despite rapid expansion of treatments for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and the importance of symptom management for enhancing quality of life, few studies have focused on men’s experiences of symptom burden over time when receiving one or more lines of treatment in a real-world situation in this phase. The aim was to investigate changes in the multidimensional symptom burden during the first year of life-prolonging treatment of mCRPC.

Methods

Longitudinal data from the first year of life-prolonging treatment for 134 men with mCRPC were used. Symptoms were measured with the multidimensional Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. Data are presented with descriptive statistics, and changes in symptom burden (physical, psychological and number of symptoms) were analysed using linear mixed modelling.

Results

On average, the men had approximately 10 (0–31) symptoms at inclusion and 12 (0–33) at the last time point. Lack of energy and sweats were the two most reported symptoms at every time point. Sexual problems had the highest scores in all dimensions (frequency, severity, distress). Regarding pain, the distress score was higher than the scores for frequency and severity at t1–t4. Physical symptom burden and the number of symptoms changed significantly over time, towards a higher symptom burden. Psychological symptom burden did not change significantly over time.

Conclusion

The different dimensions of physical symptoms in men treated for mCRPC need to be more acknowledged. Early integration of a palliative care approach could possibly help in enhancing symptom management and quality of life for these men.
Exploring the dark energy equation of state with JWST
Authors: Wang Pei , Su Bing-Yu , Zu Lei , Yang Yupeng , Feng Lei
Published: August 2024

Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have unveiled several galaxies with stellar masses $$M_*\gtrsim 10^{10} M_\odot$$

M

∗

≳

10
10

M
⊙

at redshifts $$7.4\lesssim z\lesssim 9.1$$

7.4
≲
z
≲
9.1

. These remarkable findings indicate an unexpectedly high stellar mass density, which contradicts the prediction of the $$\Lambda \rm{CDM}$$

Λ
CDM

model. Our study utilizes the Chevallier–Polarski–Linder (CPL) parameterization, one of the dynamic dark energy models, to probe the role of dark energy on shaping galaxy formation. By considering varying star formation efficiencies within this framework, our analysis demonstrates that in a universe with a higher proportion of dark energy, more massive galaxies are formed at high redshifts, given a fixed perturbation amplitude observed today. These intriguing results highlight the promising prospect of revealing the nature of dark energy by analyzing the high-redshift massive galaxies.
Impact of GST implementation: An event study approach based on the Indian stock market
Authors: Maheshwari Taru , Mani Mukta , Singh Ajay
Published: August 2024

GST implementation in India is a macroeconomic event that changed the operating conditions and profitability of businesses. This study attempts to empirically test the market reaction of GST implementation on seventeen sectors of the Indian economy through the event-study methodology. Additionally, we assess the semi-strong efficiency of the Indian stock market during the event. Findings show that the event has heterogeneously affected different sectors as the FMCG sector is positively affected while the Pharmaceutical and Power sectors are adversely affected. IT sector is moderately positively affected whereas, consumer durable, energy, media, metal, oil, and reality are moderately negatively impacted. We also infer that the market doesn’t exhibit thorough efficiency of semi-strong form. The study is unique in its analysis of the sector-wise impact of GST implementation in India. This study is also useful for investors in making investment strategies and for policymakers to observe the policy impact on the stock market.
Characterizing hydrocarbon discoveries and prospects in the Tay Sandstone using relative elastic inversion: Greater Pilot area, Central North Sea
Authors: Went David , Bamford Maurice , Rogers Jon , Brown Stephen , Turner Graham
Published: August 2024

The Pilot oil accumulation and associated discoveries of Blocks 21/27 and 21/28 have been stranded assets for three decades. The principal cause of delay in developing the oil fields is because these are heavy oils with low gas–oil ratio and, in some cases, significant gas caps. The oil in the Tay Sandstone is trapped in structural and stratigraphic closures at a depth of 800–1300 m. Determining pay thickness and delimiting oil-in-place in some existing discoveries and especially in undrilled prospects has been problematic. This difficulty has been addressed by conducting an innovative amplitude versus offset (AVO) inversion of the seismic data which has been successfully blind tested against the wells and prognosed closures. The method, which is a band-limited form of extended elastic impedance (EEI), has proved robust for discriminating gas-, oil- and brine-filled sands from one another. Oil and gas trapped further down-dip in the discoveries Fyne, Crinan and Dandy are developed in Tay reservoirs showing generally lower net-to-gross. The sensitivity of the rEEI attribute to the presence of thicker intervals of oil pay, in this case, is used to indicate where higher net-to-gross is present above the oil–water contact, a characteristic of direct relevance to the planning of optimally located development wells.
Exploring for hydrogen, helium and lithium: is it as easy as 1, 2, 3?
Authors: Gluyas Jon G. , Humphreys Madeleine , Karolytė Rūta , Cheng Anran , Sherwood Lollar Barbara , Ballentine Chris
Published: August 2024

Hydrogen, helium and lithium, elements one two and three of the periodic table, are in demand to enable and enhance low-carbon energy technologies. Anthropogenic hydrogen is manufactured from water via methane reforming or from electrolysis. Both are costly and have environmental impacts. Helium is commonly found in low concentrations in association with petroleum gases. Lithium is mined by brine pumping or from igneous rocks, with consequential serious environmental impacts.

Were it possible to economically find hydrogen in its molecular state, then surely such hydrogen would dominate the market. Similarly, helium generated without associated greenhouse gases would also be a market stimulant for a helium industry. What if hydrogen and helium could be co-produced from a single composite discovery? And what if the water leg to such hydrogen and helium deposits were rich in lithium? It, too, would be produced with costs for all elements shared.

Helium is a natural product of crystalline rocks including granite and its generation can liberate hydrogen from interstitial water. These same rocks can be rich sources of lithium and may also deliver geothermal resources. The energy transition may therefore shift what we consider to be important for energy geoscience. The basement may become as important as the basin.
TPTE: Text-Guided Patch Token Exploitation for Unsupervised Fine-Grained Representation Learning
Authors: Mao Shunan , Chen Hao , Wang Yaowei , Zeng Wei , Zhang Shiliang
Published: August 2024

Recent advances in pre-trained vision-language models have successfully boosted the performance of unsupervised image representation in many vision tasks. Most of existing works focus on learning global visual features with Transformers and neglect detailed local cues, leading to suboptimal performance in fine-grained vision tasks. In this article, we propose a text-guided patch token exploitation framework to enhance the discriminative power of unsupervised representation by exploiting more detailed local features. Our text-guided decoder extracts local features with the guidance of texts or learned prompts describing discriminative object parts. We hence introduce a local-global relation distillation loss to promote the joint optimization of local and global features. The proposed method allows to flexibly extract either global or global-local features as the image representation. It significantly outperforms previous methods in fine-grained image retrieval and base-to-new fine-grained classification tasks. For instance, our Recall@1 metric surpasses the recent unsupervised retrieval method STML by 6.0% on the SOP dataset. The code is publicly available at
https://github.com/maosnhehe/TPTE
.
VITR: Augmenting Vision Transformers with Relation-Focused Learning for Cross-modal Information Retrieval
Authors: Gong Yan , Cosma Georgina , Finke Axel
Published: August 2024

The relations expressed in user queries are vital for cross-modal information retrieval. Relation-focused cross-modal retrieval aims to retrieve information that corresponds to these relations, enabling effective retrieval across different modalities. Pre-trained networks, such as Contrastive Language-Image Pre-training networks, have gained significant attention and acclaim for their exceptional performance in various cross-modal learning tasks. However, the Vision Transformer (ViT) used in these networks is limited in its ability to focus on image region relations. Specifically, ViT is trained to match images with relevant descriptions at the global level, without considering the alignment between image regions and descriptions. This article introduces VITR, a novel network that enhances ViT by extracting and reasoning about image region relations based on a local encoder. VITR is comprised of two key components. Firstly, it extends the capabilities of ViT-based cross-modal networks by enabling them to extract and reason with region relations present in images. Secondly, VITR incorporates a fusion module that combines the reasoned results with global knowledge to predict similarity scores between images and descriptions. The proposed VITR network was evaluated through experiments on the tasks of relation-focused cross-modal information retrieval. The results derived from the analysis of the Flickr30K, MS-COCO, RefCOCOg, and CLEVR datasets demonstrated that the proposed VITR network consistently outperforms state-of-the-art networks in image-to-text and text-to-image retrieval.
Knowledge Guided Transformer Network for Compositional Zero-Shot Learning
Authors: Panda Aditya , Mukherjee Dipti Prasad
Published: August 2024

Compositional Zero-shot Learning (CZSL) attempts to recognise images of new compositions of states and objects when images of only a subset of state-object compositions are available as training data. An example of CZSL is to recognise images of
peeled apple
by a model when it is trained using images of
peeled orange
,
ripe apple
and
ripe orange
. There are two major challenges in solving CZSL. First, the visual features of a state vary depending on the context of a state-object composition. For example state like
ripe
produces distinct visual properties in the compositions
ripe orange
and
ripe banana
. Hence, understanding the context dependency of state features is a necessary requirement to solve CZSL. Second, the extent of association between the features of a state and an object varies significantly in different images of same composition. For example, in different images of
peeled oranges
, the
oranges
may be
peeled
to different extents. As a consequence, the visual features of images of the class
peeled orange
may vary. Hence, there exists a significant amount of intra-class variability among the visual features of different images of a composition. Existing approaches merely look for the existence or absence of features of particular state or object in a composition. Our approach not only looks for the existence of a particular state features or object features but also the extent of association of state features and object features to better tackle the intra-class variability in visual features of compositional images. The proposed architecture is constructed using a novel
Knowledge Guided Transformer
. The transformer-based framework is utilised for processing larger context dependency between the state and object. Extensive experiments on C-GQA, MIT-States and UT-Zappos50k datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed approach in comparison with the state-of-the-art in both open-world and closed-world CZSL settings.
The Prominent Role of the Matrix in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
Authors: Fletcher Robert J. , Smith Thomas A.H. , Troy Savannah , Kortessis Nicholas , Turner Edgar C. , Bruna Emilio M. , Holt Robert D.
Published: August 2024

As the Anthropocene proceeds, the matrix in which remaining habitats are embedded is an increasingly dominant component of altered landscapes. The matrix appears to have diverse and far-reaching effects, yet our understanding of the causes and consequences of these effects remains limited. We first synthesize the broad range of perspectives on the matrix, provide a generalized framing that captures these perspectives, and propose hypotheses for how and why the matrix matters for ecological and evolutionary processes. We then summarize evidence for these hypotheses from experiments in which the matrix was manipulated. Nearly all experiments revealed matrix effects, including changes in local spillover, individual movement and dispersal, and use of resources in the matrix. Finally, we discuss how the matrix has been, and should be, incorporated into conservation and management and suggest future issues to advance research on and applications of the matrix in ecology, evolution, and conservation.
Biological Roles of Local Protein Synthesis in Axons: A Journey of Discovery
Authors: Holt Christine E.
Published: August 2024

The remit of this review is to give an autobiographical account of our discovery of the role of local protein synthesis in axon guidance. The paper reporting our initial findings was published in 2001. Here, I describe some of the work that led to this publication, the skepticism our findings initially received, and the subsequent exciting years of follow-up work that helped gradually to convince the neuroscience community of the existence and functional importance of local protein synthesis in multiple aspects of axon biology—guidance, branching, synaptogenesis, and maintenance. The journey has been an exhilarating one, taking me into a new field of RNA biology, with many unexpected twists and turns. In retelling it here, I have tried to recall the major influences on my thinking at the time rather than give a comprehensive review, and I apologize for any omissions due to my own ignorance during that era.
Early Prognostics of Remaining Useful Life in Lithium Ion Batteries Using Hybrid LSTM-Att-MLP Model with Fusing Aging Information
Authors: Sridharan Supriya , Venkataraman Swaminathan , Raman Manivannan , Raja S. P.
Published: August 2024

Predicting the remaining useful lifetime (RUL) stands as a crucial aspect of lithium-ion battery management systems, acting as a core component of their functioning. Accurately predicting the RUL is essential for ensuring safety, preventing failures, and averting catastrophic incidents, but it is challenging, due to capacity degradation and aging effects. To overcome this, a hybrid model termed LAM: LSTM with an attention mechanism and MLP, for early RUL prediction, leveraging fused aging information is proposed. LSTM adeptly captures the significance embedded within feature sequences, preserving essential long-term features while effectively filtering out less pertinent information. Embedding attention mechanism with LSTM, the model dynamically focuses on different parts of the input sequence by assigning varying importance levels to different aging information, enhancing the prediction performance. For capturing the dynamic and nonlinear degradation trend of batteries and predicting RUL by effectively learning intricate degradation patterns MLP is utilized. The proposed model’s efficacy is evaluated using a NASA dataset through leave-one-out evaluation, utilizing 50% of the training data from three batteries to predict the others, and with varying starting points. The results indicate that under conditions of limited historical samples, the LAM attains higher accuracy and achieves minimum Mean Squared Error of 3.9962 × 10−5.
Asymmetrical TiSSe Monolayers as Catalytic Materials for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: A DFT Study
Authors: Ren Shanling , Tan Xiaocong , Huang Xin , Yang Zhihong , Wang Yunhui
Published: August 2024

Asymmetrical Janus TiSSe monolayers as cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries were studied by first-principles calculations, encompassing adsorption, catalytic, and conductive properties. The polarization effect, arising from the asymmetric arrangement of constituent elements, results in variability in adsorption energy and bonding processes across S/Se surfaces. The moderate adsorption energy of Lithium Polysulfides (LiPSs) on the TiSSe monolayer effectively mitigates the shuttle effect. The bond formation process investigated by charge transfer, physical/chemical adsorption, and projected crystal orbital Hamiltonian population (pCOHP), revealed its emergence in the early lithiation stage. The Gibbs free energies for the reduction reaction of sulfur on the S/Se surface demonstrate a significant enhancement in the transformation kinetics. The low decomposition and diffusion energy barriers for lithium atoms on the S/Se surface of the TiSSe monolayer indicate its catalytic potential in facilitating sulfur redox transformation. The TiSSe monolayer exhibits metallic properties before and after polysulfide absorption, thereby enhancing electron transport capacity in Li-S batteries. Therefore, the Janus TiSSe monolayer presents a new perspective for the selection of battery adsorption materials in lithium-sulfur batteries.
Nb Doping Reduces the Primary Particle Size of the Li-Rich Cathode
Authors: Xiong Jiahui , Huang Zhimin , Chen Shibin , Zhong Shengwen
Published: August 2024

Lithium-rich materials exhibit promising potential as commercial lithium-ion battery cathodes, offering a specific energy of 900 Wh.kg−1, surpassing other commercial cathode materials by more than 20%. However, challenges such as low initial efficiency, poor conductivity, and subpar cycling performance, along with rapid voltage decay, have impeded their commercialization. In this study, we propose a niobium-doping technique for lithium-rich materials. By controlling particle size during high-temperature sintering, niobium facilitates the production of highly crystalline, small-grain lithium-rich materials. This approach achieves both high capacity and long cycle life. Specifically, at 0.5 C, the pouch cell demonstrates a maximum specific capacity of 230.2 mAh.g−1, retaining 85.2% after 500 cycles, with a voltage drop of less than 0.3 mV/cycle. Additionally, we investigated the mechanism of niobium in suppressing particle growth through doping with elements of varying M-O bond strengths, obtaining systematic data.
Decreased ability to manage increases in reactive oxygen species may underlie susceptibility to arrhythmias in mice lacking Scn1b
Authors: Aldridge Jessa L. , Alexander Emily Davis , Franklin Allison A. , Frasier Chad R.
Published: August 2024

Using an oxidative challenge, we demonstrated that isolated cells from Scn1b−/− mice are more susceptible to cell death and surges in reactive oxygen species accumulation. At the whole organ level, they were also more susceptible to the formation of cardiac arrhythmias. This may in part be due to changes to the glutathione antioxidant system.
Two‐Echelon Pickup and Delivery Problem Using Public Transport in City Logistics
Authors: Wang Shuai , Zhu Xiaoning , Shang Pan , Liu Wenqian , Lin Xiao , Tavasszy Lóránt
Published: August 2024

The rapid increase in e‐commerce and the emergence of combined passenger/freight systems in urban areas have raised the question of how best to integrate public transport services into door‐to‐door deliveries. This paper develops a variant of the pickup and delivery problem, called the two‐echelon pickup and delivery problem using public transport (2E‐PDP‐PT). In the 2E‐PDP‐PT, the transportation network is split into two echelons. Different vehicles are utilized across the first and second echelons to ensure distribution efficiency. Parcels are delivered by public transport with free capacity or via trucks between satellites in the first echelon, and logistics vehicles are operated in the second echelon. The satellites are located at the echelon borders to transfer commodities between echelons. The 2E‐PDP‐PT aims to minimize total delivery costs and improve public transport capacity utilization. We formulate a new mathematical model based on a space‐time network and adopt an adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) algorithm for the 2E‐PDP‐PT. The effectiveness of the ALNS algorithm is validated using newly generated small‐scale instances. Furthermore, we investigate large‐scale instances based on the Beijing Yizhuang transportation network. The computations show that an average total delivery cost savings of 4.5% is feasible. In addition, we analyze the impact of demand distributions and compare the ALNS algorithm and the LNS algorithm. Finally, we conclude that dynamically integrating public transport into freight transport services can benefit both logistics companies and public transport operators.