bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simplified Guide to MR Elastography in Early Detection of Hepatic Fibrosis with Case Reports
Authors: Kharat Amit , Vanpully Nikhith Soman , Jeeson Jacob Cheeran
Published: October 2021

The current unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyle have led to increase in the prevalence of diabetes and metabolic syndrome globally. Fatty liver is a common occurrence in metabolic syndrome. The liver health is often ignored due to delayed warning signs. Fatty changes of the liver is one of the common findings in ultrasonography. Ultrasound does not detect fibrosis except when cirrhosis is developed. Early stages of fibrosis are asymptomatic with no significant laboratory or preliminary imaging findings. With fibrosis, the elasticity of the liver is reduced and becomes stiffer. Over the years, many techniques have developed to assess the stiffness of the liver, starting from palpation, ultrasonography, and recently developed magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). In this article, we have tried to simplify the concepts of MRE to detect fibrosis and present few case reports. The basic steps involved in generating elastograms and interpretation with some insight on how to incorporate it into the clinical workflow are discussed. MRE is superior to various other available techniques and even offers certain advantages over biopsy. MRE is FDA approved for liver fibrosis since 2009, yet it is hardly used in the Indian setting. MRE is a safe and noninvasive technique to evaluate a large volume of the liver and can be a new norm for the evaluation of fatty liver. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based elastography techniques hold an exciting future in providing mechanical properties of tissues in various organs like spleen, brain, kidney, and heart.
Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Erdheim–Chester Disease in the Era of Multimodality Imaging
Authors: Jois Bhargavi , Ananthasivan Rupa , Rawat Parameswaran R. V. Sudarshan , Rakshit Susmita
Published: October 2021

Erdheim–Chester disease is a rare disease with systemic non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, the diagnosis of which with conventional imaging modalities is challenging. We describe a case of a 73-year-old woman who was referred with a progressive history of bilateral proptosis. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) orbit demonstrated bilateral orbital masses with optic nerve encasement. A subsequent 18F-FDG PET/CT scan showed multi-organ disease with involvement of the orbits, pericardium, aorta, pararenal fascia, and appendicular bones. Metabolically active, easily accessible areas were selected for CT-guided biopsy. The biopsy showed sheets of foamy histiocytes with the expression of CD 68 and CD 163 consistent with a diagnosis of Erdheim–Chester disease. The FDG PET/CT played a pivotal role in establishing the diagnosis with the assessment of disease extent and further guided in the targeted biopsy.
Magnetic field-induced non-trivial electronic topology in Fe3−xGeTe2
Authors: Macy Juan , Ratkovski Danilo , Balakrishnan Purnima P. , Strungaru Mara , Chiu Yu-Che , Flessa Savvidou Aikaterini , Moon Alex , Zheng Wenkai , Weiland Ashley , McCandless Gregory T. , Chan Julia Y. , Kumar Govind S. , Shatruk Michael , Grutter Alexander J. , Borchers Julie A. , Ratcliff William D. , Choi Eun Sang , Santos Elton J. G. , Balicas Luis
Published: October 2021

The anomalous Hall, Nernst, and thermal Hall coefficients of the itinerant ferromagnet Fe3−xGeTe2 display anomalies upon cooling that are consistent with a topological transition that could induce deviations with respect to the Wiedemann–Franz (WF) law. This law has not yet been validated for the anomalous transport variables, with recent experimental studies yielding material-dependent results. Nevertheless, the anomalous Hall and thermal Hall coefficients of Fe3−xGeTe2 are found, within our experimental accuracy, to satisfy the WF law for magnetic fields μ0H applied along its c axis. Remarkably, large anomalous transport is also observed for μ0H||a axis with the field aligned along the gradient of the chemical potential generated by thermal gradients or electrical currents, a configuration that should not lead to their observation. These anomalous planar quantities are found to not scale with the component of the planar magnetization (M||), showing instead a sharp decrease beyond μ0H||= 4 T or the field required to align the magnetic moments along μ0H||. We argue that chiral spin structures associated with Bloch domain walls lead to a field-dependent spin chirality that produces a novel type of topological transport in the absence of interaction between the magnetic field and electrical or thermal currents. Locally chiral spin structures are captured by our Monte Carlo simulations incorporating small Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya and biquadratic exchange interactions. These observations reveal not only a new way to detect and expose topological excitations, but also a new configuration for heat conversion that expands the current technological horizon for thermoelectric energy applications.
Toward the commercialization of chemical vapor deposition graphene films
Authors: Jia Kaicheng , Zhang Jincan , Zhu Yeshu , Sun Luzhao , Lin Li , Liu Zhongfan
Published: October 2021

Since its first successful isolation over a decade ago, academic and industrial interest has triggered the steady progress of the commercialization of graphene, as evidenced by a wealth of graphene-related patents, products, institutes, and startups. Among currently available graphene materials, graphene films derived from chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques, with fine controllability and uniformity, have been proven to be a promising candidate for various applications, with exciting demonstrations in electronics, optoelectronics, sensors, and filtering membrane. In this review, recent progress toward the commercialization of CVD films is summarized, covering the state-of-the-art methods for controllable synthesis, up-scale technologies for mass production, and demonstrations in potential commercial applications, which will propel the successful commercialization of graphene films by transforming the laboratory-scale advances. Moreover, a brief summary of the current market of CVD graphene films is provided with regarding to the commercial graphene products and production equipment. Finally, a perspective on the critical challenges and future direction of CVD graphene films will be presented.
Experimental investigation of induced velocity by dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator in different configurations
Authors: Mohammadpour Pegah , Mani Mahmoud , Saeedi Mohammad
Published: October 2021

This paper aims to study the effect of different geometrical and electrical parameters, including the voltage, frequency, dielectric thickness, gap width between electrodes, length of electrodes, number of electrodes, and shapes of electrodes, on the induced velocity by the Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma actuators in quiescent air. In addition, the effect of the course of induced velocity evolution in the downstream of actuators has been investigated for different geometries. The streamwise velocity was obtained through the total and static pressure measurement using silicon tubes. The model is a flat plate equipped with a DBD plasma actuator. These experiments were performed for the peak-to-peak voltage range between 8 and 15 kV, and two values of frequency are equivalent to 5 and 10 kHz. The results showed that the multilinear DBD plasma actuator has a maximal induced velocity in the same voltage and frequency as of a single DBD plasma actuator. Evaluation of the induced velocity along the streamwise direction for multilinear, serpentine, and horseshoe actuators showed that these actuators had more than one induced velocity peak.
Multiscale modeling of plasma–surface interaction—General picture and a case study of Si and SiO2 etching by fluorocarbon-based plasmas
Authors: Vanraes Patrick , Parayil Venugopalan Syam , Bogaerts Annemie
Published: October 2021

The physics and chemistry of plasma–surface interaction is a broad domain relevant to various applications and several natural processes, including plasma etching for microelectronics fabrication, plasma deposition, surface functionalization, nanomaterial synthesis, fusion reactors, and some astrophysical and meteorological phenomena. Due to their complex nature, each of these processes is generally investigated in separate subdomains, which are considered to have their own theoretical, modeling, and experimental challenges. In this review, however, we want to emphasize the overarching nature of plasma–surface interaction physics and chemistry, by focusing on the general strategy for its computational simulation. In the first half of the review, we provide a menu card with standard and less standardized computational methods to be used for the multiscale modeling of the underlying processes. In the second half, we illustrate the benefits and potential of the multiscale modeling strategy with a case study of Si and SiO2 etching by fluorocarbon plasmas and identify the gaps in knowledge still present on this intensely investigated plasma–material combination, both on a qualitative and quantitative level. Remarkably, the dominant etching mechanisms remain the least understood. The resulting new insights are of general relevance, for all plasmas and materials, including their various applications. We therefore hope to motivate computational and experimental scientists and engineers to collaborate more intensely on filling the existing gaps in knowledge. In this way, we expect that research will overcome a bottleneck stage in the development and optimization of multiscale models, and thus the fundamental understanding of plasma–surface interaction.
Crop yields in no-tillage are severely limited by low availability of P and high acidity of the soil in depth
Authors: Bellinaso Roque Junior Sartori , Tiecher Tales , Vargas Jocelina Paranhos Rosa de , Rheinheimer Danilo Santos
Published: October 2021

The combination of high aluminium (Al) saturation and severe phosphorus (P) deficiency in sub-surface soil in no-tillage (NT) systems is an obstacle hampering crop yields in Brazil. The introduction of NT without proper soil chemical correction affects crop yields in several parts of the country. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in soil chemical properties and response of crops to different application methods of lime and phosphate fertiliser in an Ultisol under NT. The field experiment consisted of combining surface and incorporated liming and P application (without P, surface P and P in the sowing line), plus a treatment with incorporated lime and P. The correction of soil acidity and availability of P at depth was effective with the incorporation of lime and phosphate fertiliser. Five months after lime incorporation, it was possible to increase soybean productivity by more than 40% (from 3.9 to 5.6 Mg ha−1). The surface application of P and limestone restricts the correction of soil fertility only in the uppermost soil layer evaluated (up to 5 cm). The relationship between soybean yield and soil chemical properties in different layers clearly demonstrates that neither the 0–10 cm soil layer nor the 0–20 cm soil layer is suitable for diagnosing soil fertility and the crop productive potential in NT system with chemical restrictions in subsurface. Further studies are need to establish critical levels of available P and Al saturation for subsurface soil layers in different soil types under no-tillage.
RETRACTED: Refined Design of Prefabricated Buildings under the Background of Big Data
Authors: Luo Jinlian
Published: October 2021

In the rapid development of the information age, BDT (big data technology) has been a very big development and a very wide range of applications, how to use BDT to collect information, and process and analyze the information, so as to quickly obtain the information content we want, this is the problem that many industries and fields have to face and solve. Since China’s construction industry entered the new century, its development speed has been greatly accelerated, and the whole construction industry has achieved rapid development, which also promotes the development of derivative industries, such as prefabricated construction industry. In order to explore how the prefabricated construction industry will develop and change under the background of BDT, we take two factories a and B of the prefabricated construction industry as the experimental research objects. Factory a applies BDT in its prefabricated construction, while factory B still operates according to the original method. Then, the experimental data show that the total net profit of a factory is 7.334 million yuan, the highest efficiency is 97%; while the total net profit of B factory is 5.686 million yuan, the highest efficiency is 82%.
Climatological analysis of tropical cyclone impacts on hydrological extremes in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States
Authors: Sun Ning , Wigmosta Mark S , Judi David , Yang Zhaoqing , Xiao Ziyu , Wang Taiping
Published: October 2021

Research efforts related to landfalling tropical cyclones (TCs) and their hydrological impacts have focused mostly on the continental or regional scales, whereas many coastal management and infrastructure decisions are made at much finer spatial scales. In this context, this study aims to provide local-scale understandings of the climatological characteristics and hydrological impacts of TCs (from 1950 to 2019) over the Mid-Atlantic region defined as the Delaware River Basin (DRB) and Susquehanna River Basin (SRB). The climatological analysis is based on analyzing long-term, spatially distributed observational datasets of hurricane tracks, precipitation, and streamflows. Results suggest that, despite limited contribution of TCs to regional precipitation (<9%), TC is the dominant driver for extreme floods in the southern part of DRB (e.g. tributaries of the Christina River and lower Schuylkill River) and the southwestern portions of SRB (e.g. tributaries of the Lower Susquehanna and Junita River), where TC’s effect on drought alleviation is also comparatively higher. At the basin level, SRB is more susceptible to flooding associated with TCs and prone to drought relative to DRB; however, strong spatial variability of TC’s impact on hydrological extremes is observed within and across the basins. While the TC effect on flood/drought is negligible for the high-elevation, northern part of the region, TC increases the magnitude of the 100 year flood by up to 19.6% in DRB and 53.0% in SRB; the duration of short-term extreme hydrological drought is reduced by TC by up to 25.0% in SRB and 24.7% in DRB, respectively.
Utilizing optical spectroscopy and 2′,7′-difluorofluorescein to characterize the early stages of cement hydration
Authors: Pauli J , Ramírez A , Crasselt C , Schmidt W , Resch-Genger U
Published: October 2021

The increasingly sophisticated nature of modern, more environmentally friendly cementitious binders requires a better understanding and control particularly of the complex, dynamic processes involved in the early phase of cement hydration. In-situ monitoring of properties of a constantly changing system over a defined period of time calls for simple, sensitive, fast, and preferably also non-invasive methods like optical spectroscopy. Here, we exploit the time-dependent changes in the absorbance and fluorescence features of the negatively charged optical probe 2′,7′-difluorofluorescein (DFFL) for the study of the hydration processes in pastes of white cement (WC), cubic tricalcium aluminate (C3A), and tricalcium silicate (C3S), the main phases of cement, and in pastes of quartz (Q) over 24 h after addition of the dye solution. For comparison, also conventional techniques like isothermal heat flow calorimetry were applied. Based upon the time-dependent changes in the spectroscopic properties of DFFL, that seem to originate mainly from dye aggregation and dye-surface interactions and considerably vary between the different pastes, molecular pictures of the hydration processes in the cement pastes are derived. Our results clearly demonstrate the potential of optical spectroscopy, i.e., diffuse reflectance, steady state and time-resolved fluorometry in conjunction with suitable optical reporters, to probe specific hydration processes and to contribute to a better understanding of the early hydration processes of cement at the molecular scale.
Universal quantum computation and quantum error correction with ultracold atomic mixtures
Authors: Kasper Valentin , González-Cuadra Daniel , Hegde Apoorva , Xia Andy , Dauphin Alexandre , Huber Felix , Tiemann Eberhard , Lewenstein Maciej , Jendrzejewski Fred , Hauke Philipp
Published: October 2021

Quantum information platforms made great progress in the control of many-body entanglement and the implementation of quantum error correction, but it remains a challenge to realize both in the same setup. Here, we propose a mixture of two ultracold atomic species as a platform for universal quantum computation with long-range entangling gates, while providing a natural candidate for quantum error-correction. In this proposed setup, one atomic species realizes localized collective spins of tunable length, which form the fundamental unit of information. The second atomic species yields phononic excitations, which are used to entangle collective spins. Finally, we discuss a finite-dimensional version of the Gottesman–Kitaev–Preskill code to protect quantum information encoded in the collective spins, opening up the possibility to universal fault-tolerant quantum computation in ultracold atom systems.
Magic squares of squares over a finite field
Authors: Hengeveld Stewart , Labruna Giancarlo , Li Aihua
Published: October 2021

A magic square

M
M

over an integral domain

D
D

is a

3
×
3

3\times 3

matrix with entries from

D
D

such that the elements from each row, column, and diagonal add to the same sum. If all the entries in

M
M

are perfect squares in

D
D

, we call

M
M

a magic square of squares over

D
D

. In 1984, Martin LaBar raised an open question: “Is there a magic square of squares over the ring

Z

\mathbb {Z}

of the integers which has all the nine entries distinct?” We approach to answering a similar question when

D
D

is a finite field. We claim that for any odd prime

p
p

, a magic square over

Z

p

\mathbb Z_p

can only hold an odd number of distinct entries. Corresponding to LaBar’s question, we show that there are infinitely many prime numbers

p
p

such that, over

Z

p

\mathbb Z_p

, magic squares of squares with nine distinct elements exist. In addition, if

p
≡
1

(
mod

120
)

p\equiv 1\pmod {120}

, there exist magic squares of squares over

Z

p

\mathbb Z_p

that have exactly 3, 5, 7, or 9 distinct entries respectively. We construct magic squares of squares using triples of consecutive quadratic residues derived from twin primes.
Generalized Hilbert-Kunz function of the Rees algebra of the face ring of a simplicial complex
Authors: Banerjee Arindam , Goel Kriti , Verma J.
Published: October 2021

Let

R
R

be the face ring of a simplicial complex of dimension

d
−
1

d-1

and

R

(

n

)

{\mathcal R}({\mathfrak {n}})

be the Rees algebra of the maximal homogeneous ideal

n

{\mathfrak {n}}

of

R
.

R.

We show that the generalized Hilbert-Kunz function
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper H upper K left-parenthesis s right-parenthesis equals script l left-parenthesis script upper R left-parenthesis German n right-parenthesis slash left-parenthesis German n comma German n t right-parenthesis Superscript left-bracket s right-bracket Baseline right-parenthesis">

H
K
(
s
)
=
ℓ
(

R

(

n

)

/

(

n

,

n

t

)

[
s
]

)

HK(s)=\ell ({\mathcal {R}}({\mathfrak {n}})/({\mathfrak {n}}, {\mathfrak {n}} t)^{[s]})

is given by a polynomial for all large

s
.

s.

We calculate it in many examples and also provide a Macaulay2 code for computing

H
K
(
s
)
.

HK(s).
Unipotent representations attached to the principal nilpotent orbit
Authors: Mason-Brown Lucas
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we construct and classify the special unipotent representations of a real reductive group attached to the principal nilpotent orbit. We give formulas for theK\mathbf {K}-types, associated varieties, and Langlands parameters of all such representations.
Exposure Group Development in Support of the NIEHS GuLF Study
Authors: Stenzel Mark R , Groth Caroline P , Huynh Tran B , Ramachandran Gurumurthy , Banerjee Sudipto , Kwok Richard K , Engel Lawrence S , Blair Aaron , Sandler Dale P , Stewart Patricia A
Published: October 2021

In the GuLF Study, a study investigating possible adverse health effects associated with work on the oil spill response and clean-up (OSRC) following the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, we used a job-exposure matrix (JEM) approach to estimate exposures. The JEM linked interview responses of study participants to measurement data through exposure groups (EGs). Here we describe a systematic process used to develop transparent and precise EGs that allowed characterization of exposure levels among the large number of OSRC activities performed across the Gulf of Mexico over time and space. EGs were identified by exposure determinants available to us in our measurement database, from a substantial body of other spill-related information, and from responses provided by study participants in a detailed interview. These determinants included: job/activity/task, vessel and type of vessel, weathering of the released oil, area of the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf coast state, and time period. Over 3000 EGs were developed for inhalation exposure and applied to each of 6 JEMs of oil-related substances (total hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, total xylene, and n-hexane). Subsets of those EGs were used for characterization of exposures to dispersants, particulate matter, and oil mist. The EGs allowed assignment to study participants of exposure estimates developed from measurement data or from estimation models through linkage in the JEM for the investigation of exposure-response relationships.
Clustering spatial transcriptomics data
Authors: Teng Haotian , Yuan Ye , Bar-Joseph Ziv
Published: October 2021

Motivation

Recent advancements in fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques enable them to concurrently obtain information on the location and gene expression of single cells. A key question in the initial analysis of such spatial transcriptomics data is the assignment of cell types. To date, most studies used methods that only rely on the expression levels of the genes in each cell for such assignments. To fully utilize the data and to improve the ability to identify novel sub-types, we developed a new method, FICT, which combines both expression and neighborhood information when assigning cell types.

Results

FICT optimizes a probabilistic function that we formalize and for which we provide learning and inference algorithms. We used FICT to analyze both simulated and several real spatial transcriptomics data. As we show, FICT can accurately identify cell types and sub-types, improving on expression only methods and other methods proposed for clustering spatial transcriptomics data. Some of the spatial sub-types identified by FICT provide novel hypotheses about the new functions for excitatory and inhibitory neurons.

Availability and implementation

FICT is available at: https://github.com/haotianteng/FICT.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Effect of community-based lifestyle education intervention to reduce cardiovascular diseases risk factors among vulnerable population in Dodoma city, Tanzania: a cluster randomized controlled trial study protocol
Authors: Gibore Nyasiro S , Munyogwa Mariam J , Ng’weshemi Secilia K , Gesase Ainory P
Published: October 2021

Tanzania is experiencing the rise of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and associated risk factors including hypertension, obesity and diabetes mellitus. Health education and healthy lifestyle promotion is an effective approach toward primary prevention of the risk factors and can be achieved through community-based intervention. The objective of this protocol is to test the effectiveness of community-based lifestyle education intervention in reducing CVDs risk factors among vulnerable population in Dodoma City. This protocol is designed as a cluster-randomized controlled trial with a quantitative approach in which participants aged from 31 years will be assigned randomly to a control or intervention group. A total of 800 participants will be recruited in the study. The study will consist of six stages (baseline, first to fourth follow-up, and end-line surveys) in 6 months for both the intervention and the control group. The intervention will be implemented twice-monthly for the first 3 months, then monthly for the last 3 months. In each stage, participants from all groups will be measured for biological and behavioral CVDs risk factors. Health education and a healthy lifestyle promotion for prevention of CVDs risk factors will be provided to the intervention group only during each stage. The main outcome measures will be changes in body weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, dietary habits, and physical exercise in the intervention compared with the control group. Independent and paired t-tests will be employed to make comparisons between and within groups. P-values of less than 0.05 will be considered statistically significant.
Impact of routine nasogastric decompression versus no nasogastric decompression after pancreaticoduodenectomy on perioperative outcomes: meta-analysis
Authors: Ammar Khaled , Varghese Chris , K Thejasvin , Prabakaran Viswakumar , Robinson Stuart , Pathak Samir , Dasari Bobby V M , Pandanaboyana Sanjay
Published: October 2021

Background

Consensus on the use of nasogastric decompression (NGD) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is lacking. This meta-analysis reviewed current evidence on the impact of routine NGD versus no NGD after PD on perioperative outcomes.

Methods

PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched for studies reporting on the role of NGD after PD on perioperative outcomes. Data up to January 2021were retrieved and analysed.

Results

Eight studies were included, with a total of 1301 patients enrolled, of whom 668 had routine NGD. Routine NGD was associated with a higher incidence of overall delayed gastric emptying (DGE) (odds ratio (OR) 2.51, 95 per cent c.i. 1.12 to 5.63, I2 = 83 per cent; P = 0.03) and clinically relevant DGE (OR 3.64, 95 per cent c.i. 1.83 to 7.25, I2 = 54 per cent; P < 0.01), a higher rate of Clavien–Dindo grade II or higher complications (OR 3.12, 95 per cent c.i. 1.05 to 9.28, I2 = 88 per cent; P = 0.04) and increased length of hospital stay (mean difference 2.67, 95 per cent c.i. 0.60 to 4.75, I2 = 97 per cent; P = 0.02). There were no significant differences in overall complications (OR 1.07, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 1.46, I2 = 0 per cent; P = 0.66) or postoperative pancreatic fistula (OR 1.21, 95 per cent c.i. 0.86 to 1.72, I2 = 0 per cent; P = 0.28) between patients with or those without routine NGD.

Conclusion

Routine NGD was associated with increased rates of DGE, major complications and longer length of stay after PD.
The Perilously Racist Carceral System in America and Its Perpetuation of Police Brutality against Black People
Authors: Iheme Williams C
Published: October 2021

This article discusses various issues of race and law enforcement in the USA through the lenses of critical race theory and Black radical tradition, precisely to convey the fact that racism is still alive and well in the USA and reverberates through the criminal justice system against Black people. American legal scholars are divided on which legal methodology is most appropriate in addressing racial cum legal issues. However, this article argues that tackling the systemic racism and the perilous proclivity of the police in brutalizing Black people in the USA cannot be adequately achieved through the current (mainstream) frameworks of rule of law and democracy because, arguably, these institutions were erected on the foundations of slavery and racism to principally serve the interests of White Americans. Using legal storytelling, the article narrates specific cases of police brutality and amplifies the voices of critical race theorists that racism in the USA cannot truly be dismantled solely via democratic dialogues and legal formalism as the mainstream view tends to always suggest. It posits that the hefty intellectual effort required to positively bend the mainstream towards realizing the constitutional rights of Black people in the USA can only be shouldered on Black radicalism and ‘racial realism’, as Derrick Bell, Cedric Robinson, and other scholars have opined.
Quantum hub and authority centrality measures for directed networks based on continuous-time quantum walks
Authors: Boito Paola , Grena Roberto
Published: October 2021

In this article, we introduce, test and discuss three quantum methods for computing hub and authority centrality scores in directed networks. The methods are based on unitary, continuous-time quantum walks; the construction of a suitable Hermitian Hamiltonian is achieved by performing a quantum walk on the associated bipartite graph. Two methods, called CQAu and CQAw, use the same evolution operator, inspired by the classical Hyperlink-Induced Topic Search (HITS) algorithm, but with different initial states; the computation of hub and authority scores is performed simultaneously. The third method, called CQG and inspired by classical PageRank, requires instead two separate runs with different evolution operators, one for hub and one for authority scores. The methods are tested on several directed graphs with different sizes and properties; a comparison with other well-established ranking algorithms is provided. CQAw emerges as the most reliable of the three methods and yields rankings that are largely compatible with results from HITS, although CQAu and CQG also present interesting features and potential for applications.
Graph-based feature extraction and classification of wet and dry cough signals: a machine learning approach
Authors: Renjini A , Swapna M S , Raj Vimal , Sankararaman S
Published: October 2021

This article proposes a unique approach to bring out the potential of graph-based features to reveal the hidden signatures of wet (WE) and dry (DE) cough signals, which are the suggestive symptoms of various respiratory ailments like COVID 19. The spectral and complex network analyses of 115 cough signals are employed for perceiving the airflow dynamics through the infected respiratory tract while coughing. The different phases of WE and DE are observed from their time-domain signals, indicating the operation of the glottis. The wavelet analysis of WE shows a frequency spread due to the turbulence in the respiratory tract. The complex network features namely degree centrality, eigenvector centrality, transitivity, graph density and graph entropy not only distinguish WE and DE but also reveal the associated airflow dynamics. A better distinguishability between WE and DE is obtained through the supervised machine learning techniques (MLTs)—quadratic support vector machine and neural net pattern recognition (NN), when compared to the unsupervised MLT, principal component analysis. The 93.90% classification accuracy with a precision of 97.00% suggests NN as a better classifier using complex network features. The study opens up the possibility of complex network analysis in remote auscultation.
Temperature and land use influence tree swallow individual health
Authors: Corra Joseph , Sullivan S Mažeika P
Published: October 2021

Aerial insectivorous bird populations have declined precipitously in both North America and Europe. We assessed the effects of insect prey availability, climate and shifts in water quality associated with urbanization on haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration and heterophil–lymphocyte (H/L) ratios among ~13-day-old tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings in the Columbus, Ohio area. Higher mean temperature and increased frequency of extreme heat days during the early breeding period (May–June) were linked to reduced nestling physiological condition as evidenced by lower concentrations of haemoglobin and haematocrit, potentially due to increased heat stress, shifts in insect prey availability or altered parental provisioning efforts. Urbanization and the size and density of emergent aquatic insects were associated with elevated physiological stress, whereas higher mean temperatures and terrestrial insect size were related to lower stress as measured by H/L ratios. Overall, these findings highlight the complex environmental conditions driving nestling health, which may be indicative of post-fledging survival and, consequently, population growth. Our results underscore the need for conservation approaches that adequately address the interrelated effects of changes in climate, land use and food resources on aerial insectivorous birds.
Preclinical Markers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. A Nested Case–Control Study
Authors: Lundgren David , Widbom Lovisa , Hultdin Johan , Karling Pontus
Published: October 2021

Background

Our objective was to determine if patients who later develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) show signs of increased inflammatory activity in plasma measured with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), calprotectin, and albumin before the clinical onset of IBD.

Methods

We identified 96 subjects who later developed IBD (70 ulcerative colitis [UC] and 26 Crohn’s disease [CD]). High sensitivity CRP, calprotectin, and albumin were analyzed in frozen plasma, donated from cases and sex–age matched controls 1–15 years before diagnosis.

Results

We found that subjects who later developed UC had lower albumin levels, and subjects who later developed CD had higher CRP levels than controls. Multivariable conditional logistic regression with albumin, calprotectin, and CRP showed a lower risk for developing IBD and UC with higher albumin levels (odds ratio [OR] 0.79, confidence interval [CI] 0.69–0.90; respective OR 0.77, CI 0.66–0.91). Higher CRP levels were associated with an increased risk of developing CD (OR 1.314, CI 1.060–1.630). When adjusting for body mass index or smoking in the logistic regression model, similar results were found. Plasma calprotectin levels in the preclinical period among patients with IBD did not differ from controls.

Conclusions

In this nested case–control study, subjects who later developed IBD had signs of low-grade systemic inflammation, indicated by significantly higher CRP plasma levels in CD and lower albumin plasma levels in UC, before the onset of clinical disease.
Eosinophilic perimyocarditis associated with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report
Authors: Blumetti Ludovica , De Perna Maria Luisa , Reinehr Michael , Pedrazzini Giovanni
Published: October 2021

Background

Eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) is a rare and potentially life-threatening form of myocarditis, frequently (but not always) associated with eosinophilia, and presents with acute chest pain, or signs and symptoms of acute or chronic heart failure. Eosinophilic myocarditis has various aetiologies, including eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA).

Case summary

A 52-year-old female with a long-standing history of asthma, acral paraesthesia, subcutaneous nodules, and recurrent chest pain treated with anti-inflammatory drugs was admitted to our hospital with chest pain, repolarization disturbances, eosinophilia, and increased troponin levels. After an initial evaluation by coronary angiography, echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance, a definitive diagnosis of EM was made with the help of an endomyocardial biopsy. The aetiological diagnosis of EM as a manifestation of tissue involvement in EGPA was concluded after ruling out other possible causes of eosinophilia and with the help of other diagnostic criteria for EGPA (asthma, eosinophilia, and neuropathy). Therefore, we started with a high dosage of glucocorticoids, and attained relief of symptoms and normalization of eosinophilic count after a few days.

Discussion

In cases of myocarditis (particularly if associated with eosinophilia), EM is a manifestation of EGPA and should be considered for a prompt differential diagnosis. Endomyocardial biopsy represents the gold standard for the diagnosis of EM. The mainstay of therapy for EM is immunosuppressive drugs to help prevent its evolution to a fulminant form and chronic progression towards restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Inappropriate shocks from a transvenous implantable defibrillator caused by atrial fibrillation and a missed atrial septal defect in a patient with a modified Bentall procedure
Authors: Kostopoulou Anna , Fountas Epameinontas , Karapanagiotou Olga , Kyrzopoulos Stamatis
Published: October 2021

Background 

Inappropriate shocks have been reported in ∼1/3 of patients with implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs). We report an unusual case of inappropriate ICD shocks due to atrial fibrillation (AF) caused by a missed atrial septal defect (ASD) in a patient with a modified Bentall procedure.

Case summary 

A 67-year-old Caucasian male, with an ICD and a history of a modified Bentall procedure 24 years ago, reported to our outpatient clinic with recurrent inappropriate ICD shocks due to episodes of fast AF. The transthoracic echocardiographic exam revealed two large aneurysms at the ostia of the coronary arteries. We performed further evaluation with transoesophageal echocardiogram and computed tomography (CT) angiography. The aneurysms measured on CT were 3.14 cm × 2.29 cm on the right ostium and 1.9 cm × 0.99 cm on the left. A large secundum type ASD of 1.5 cm, missed in all previous echocardiographic studies, was revealed. The therapeutic options of surgical closure of the ASD and repair of the aneurysms or a more conservative approach with percutaneous closure of the ASD and closer follow-up were discussed with the patient. The patient declined the surgical option due to high complication risk, and closure of the ASD with an Amplatzer device was performed 3 months later. A 3-year follow-up was uneventful.

Conclusion 

It is of major importance to comprehensively and thoroughly assess patients before and after a surgical intervention to not miss other treatable conditions preoperatively and complications in the postoperative period.
3-Dimensional computed tomographic assessment predicts conduction block and paravalvular leakage after rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement
Authors: Park Sung Jun , Rhee Younju , Lee Chee-Hoon , Kim Ho Jin , Kim Joon Bum , Choo Suk Jung , Lee Jae Won
Published: October 2021

OBJECTIVES

Complications like complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) and paravalvular leakage (PVL) following rapid deployment aortic valve (AV) replacement (RDAVR) remain unresolved. Selecting an optimal size of the valve might be important to minimize the incidence of these complications. We sought to determine the impact of prosthesis size relative to the anatomic profile of the AV on the occurrence of CAVB or PVL after RDAVR.

METHODS

Preoperative computed tomographic (CT) images were evaluated in patients receiving RDAVR (INTUITY ELITE) between February 2016 and December 2019. The occurrence of CAVB requiring permanent pacemaker implantation and PVL (≥ mild) was evaluated. The relative size of implants against the cross-sectional dimensions of recipients’ AV annulus and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) were calculated.

RESULTS

Among 187 eligible patients, CAVB and PVL (≥ mild) occurred in 12 (6.4%) and 11 patients (5.9%), respectively. CAVB was associated with oversized RDAVR (RDAVR frame width minus average diameter of LVOT calculated from the cross-sectional area [ΔLVOTarea]: odds ratio, 2.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.28–3.30): this was with an area under the curve of 0.78 (P = 0.005). The projected probability of CAVB was <3% when the ΔLVOTarea was <1.3. In contrast, PVL was associated with under-sized RDAVR (RDAVR size divided by the longest diameter of AV annulus [index Annlong]: odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.51–0.79): This was with an area under curve of 0.94 (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

CT parameters of the AV annulus and LVOT are highly reliable in the prediction of CAVB or PVL after RDAVR. Our data might justify CT-based sizing of prosthesis for RDAVR.
Statin therapy and lipoprotein(a) levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: de Boer Lotte M , Oorthuys Anna O J , Wiegman Albert , Langendam Miranda W , Kroon Jeffrey , Spijker René , Zwinderman Aeilko H , Hutten Barbara A
Published: October 2021

Aims 

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a causal and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). People with elevated Lp(a) are often prescribed statins as they also often show elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. While statins are well-established in lowering LDL-C, their effect on Lp(a) remains unclear. We evaluated the effect of statins compared to placebo on Lp(a) and the effects of different types and intensities of statin therapy on Lp(a).

Methods and results 

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials with a statin and placebo arm. Medline and EMBASE were searched until August 2019. Quality assessment of studies was done using Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2). Mean difference of absolute and percentage changes of Lp(a) in the statin vs. the placebo arms were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. We compared effects of different types and intensities of statin therapy using subgroup- and network meta-analyses. Certainty of the evidence was determined using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation). Overall, 39 studies (24 448 participants) were included. Mean differences (95% confidence interval) of absolute and percentage changes in the statin vs. the placebo arms were 1.1 mg/dL (0.5–1.6, P < 0.0001) and 0.1% (−3.6% to 4.0%, P = 0.95), respectively (moderate-certainty evidence). None of the types of statins changed Lp(a) significantly compared to placebo (very low- to high-certainty evidence), as well as intensities of statin therapy (low- to moderate-certainty evidence).

Conclusion 

Statin therapy does not lead to clinically important differences in Lp(a) compared to placebo in patients at risk for CVD. Our findings suggest that in these patients, statin therapy will not change Lp(a)-associated CVD risk.
Effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors on cardiac remodelling: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Nan , Wang Yueying , Tse Gary , Korantzopoulos Panagiotis , Letsas Konstantinos P , Zhang Qingpeng , Li Guangping , Lip Gregory Y H , Liu Tong
Published: October 2021

Aims

To examine the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on cardiac remodelling in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and/or heart failure (HF), and to explore the subsets of patients who may have greater benefit from SGLT2i therapy.

Methods and results

Four electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of SGLT2i on parameters reflecting cardiac remodelling in patients with T2DM and/or HF. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) or mean differences (MDs) were pooled. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the baseline HF and T2DM, HF type, SGLT2i agent, follow-up duration, and imaging modality. A total of 13 RCTs involving 1251 patients were analysed. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors treatment significantly improved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction [SMD, 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.04, 0.65); P = 0.03], LV mass [SMD, −0.48; 95% CI (−0.79, −0.18); P = 0.002], LV mass index [SMD, −0.27; 95% CI (−0.49, −0.05); P = 0.02], LV end-systolic volume [SMD, −0.37; 95% CI (−0.71; −0.04); P = 0.03], LV end-systolic volume index [MD, −0.35 mL/m2; 95% CI (−0.64, −0.05); P = 0.02], and E-wave deceleration time [SMD, −0.37; 95% CI (−0.70, −0.05); P = 0.02] in the overall population. Subgroup analyses showed that the favourable effects of SGLT2i on LV remodelling were only significant in HF patients, especially HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), regardless of glycaemic status. Among the four included SGLT2i, empagliflozin was associated with a greater improvement of LV mass, LV mass index, LV end-systolic volume, LV end-systolic volume index, LV end-diastolic volume, and LV end-diastolic volume index (all P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors treatment significantly reversed cardiac remodelling, improving LV systolic and diastolic function, LV mass and volume, especially in patients with HFrEF and amongst those taking empagliflozin compared with other SGLT2i. Reversed remodelling may be a mechanism responsible for the favourable clinical effects of SGLT2i on HF.
Environment-driven reprogramming of gamete DNA methylation occurs during maturation and is transmitted intergenerationally in Atlantic Salmon
Authors: Wellband Kyle , Roth David , Linnansaari Tommi , Curry R Allen , Bernatchez Louis
Published: October 2021

An epigenetic basis for transgenerational plasticity in animals is widely theorized, but convincing empirical support is limited by taxa-specific differences in the presence and role of epigenetic mechanisms. In teleost fishes, DNA methylation generally does not undergo extensive reprogramming and has been linked with environmentally induced intergenerational effects, but solely in the context of early life environmental differences. Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, we demonstrate that differential methylation of sperm occurs in response to captivity during the maturation of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), a species of major economic and conservation significance. We show that adult captive exposure further induces differential methylation in an F1 generation that is associated with fitness-related phenotypic differences. Some genes targeted with differential methylation were consistent with genes differential methylated in other salmonid fishes experiencing early-life hatchery rearing, as well as genes under selection in domesticated species. Our results support a mechanism of transgenerational plasticity mediated by intergenerational inheritance of DNA methylation acquired late in life for salmon. To our knowledge, this is the first-time environmental variation experienced later in life has been directly demonstrated to influence gamete DNA methylation in fish.
Clustering of Sex-Biased Genes and Transposable Elements in the Genome of the Medaka FishOryzias latipes
Authors: Dechaud Corentin , Miyake Sho , Martinez-Bengochea Anabel , Schartl Manfred , Volff Jean-Nicolas , Naville Magali
Published: October 2021

Although genes with similar expression patterns are sometimes found in the same genomic regions, almost nothing is known about the relative organization in genomes of genes and transposable elements (TEs), which might influence each other at the regulatory level. In this study, we used transcriptomic data from male and female gonads of the Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes to define sexually biased genes and TEs and analyze their relative genomic localization. We identified 20,588 genes expressed in the adult gonads of O. latipes. Around 39% of these genes are differentially expressed between male and female gonads. We further analyzed the expression of TEs using the program SQuIRE and showed that more TE copies are overexpressed in testis than in ovaries (36% vs. 10%, respectively). We then developed a method to detect genomic regions enriched in testis- or ovary-biased genes. This revealed that sex-biased genes and TEs are not randomly distributed in the genome and a part of them form clusters with the same expression bias. We also found a correlation of expression between TE copies and their closest genes, which increases with decreasing intervening distance. Such a genomic organization suggests either that TEs hijack the regulatory sequences of neighboring sexual genes, allowing their expression in germ line cells and consequently new insertions to be transmitted to the next generation, or that TEs are involved in the regulation of sexual genes, and might therefore through their mobility participate in the rewiring of sex regulatory networks.