bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oceanographic setting influences the prokaryotic community and metabolome in deep-sea sponges
Authors: Steffen Karin , Indraningrat Anak Agung Gede , Erngren Ida , Haglöf Jakob , Becking Leontine E. , Smidt Hauke , Yashayaev Igor , Kenchington Ellen , Pettersson Curt , Cárdenas Paco , Sipkema Detmer
Published: March 2022

Marine sponges (phylum Porifera) are leading organisms for the discovery of bioactive compounds from nature. Their often rich and species-specific microbiota is hypothesised to be producing many of these compounds. Yet, environmental influences on the sponge-associated microbiota and bioactive compound production remain elusive. Here, we investigated the changes of microbiota and metabolomes in sponges along a depth range of 1232 m. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics, we assessed prokaryotic and chemical diversities in three deep-sea sponge species:Geodia barretti,Stryphnus fortis, andWeberella bursa. Both prokaryotic communities and metabolome varied significantly with depth, which we hypothesized to be the effect of different water masses. Up to 35.5% of microbial ASVs (amplicon sequence variants) showed significant changes with depth while phylum-level composition of host microbiome remained unchanged. The metabolome varied with depth, with relative quantities of known bioactive compounds increasing or decreasing strongly. Other metabolites varying with depth were compatible solutes regulating osmolarity of the cells. Correlations between prokaryotic community and the bioactive compounds inG. barrettisuggested members of Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, or an unclassified prokaryote as potential producers.
Targeted histological evaluation shows high incidence of actinomyces infection in medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws
Authors: Brody Andrea , Scheich Bálint , Dobo-Nagy Csaba
Published: March 2022

Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (MRONJ) is a difficult-to-treat complication of the therapy of osteoporosis and some malignancies cured with bisphosphonates and antiresorptive drugs. The pathomechanism is unclear, but there is increasing observation that Actinomyces infection may play a role in its development and progression. The aim of our study was to demonstrate that histological examination using a validated triple staining procedure for Actinomyces bacteria strains can detect a high rate of Actinomyces infection in patient's samples with MRONJ. 112 previously hematoxylin-eosin (HE) stained samples submitted with the clinical diagnosis of MRONJ were re-evaluated histologically using an appropriate triple special staining validated for the identification of Actinomyces infection. During the first evaluation, when pathologists did not specifically look for Actinomyces, only 8.93% of the samples were reported as positive. In contrast, re-evaluation with triple staining provided a yield of 93.7% positive samples, therefore, we suggest the triple special staining to be standard in MRONJ histology evaluation. These results show that if the clinician suspects Actinomyces infection and brings this to the attention of the pathologist, it could significantly increase the number of correct diagnoses. It serves as an aid for clinicians in therapeutic success of MRONJ by selecting a long-term adequate antibiotic medication which is suitable for the elimination of actinomyces infection.
Hypothyroidism and related comorbidities on the risks of developing tinnitus
Authors: Hsu Alan , Tsou Yung-an , Wang Tang-Chuan , Chang Wen-Dien , Lin Cheng-Li , Tyler Richard S.
Published: March 2022

This is a retrospective longitudinal study that uses data from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan of which hypothyroid patients who received a diagnosis between 2000 and 2010 were selected and followed up until 2011. The primary outcome of this study was the occurrence of tinnitus (ICD-9-CM code 388.3). The relevant comorbidities were selected as potential confounders according to the literature, which included vertigo (ICD-9-CM code 386), insomnia (ICD-9-CM code 780), anxiety (ICD-9-CM code 300.00), and hearing loss (ICD-9-CM code 388–389). The overall incidence of tinnitus was significantly higher in the hypothyroidism cohort than in the non-hypothyroidism cohort (9.49 vs. 6.03 per 1000 person-years), with an adjusted HR of 1.35 (95% CI 1.18–1.54) after adjusting potential confounders. The incidences of tinnitus, as stratified by gender, age, comorbidity, and follow-up time, were all significantly higher in the hypothyroidism cohort than those in the non-hypothyroidism cohort. The incidence of tinnitus significantly increased with age (aHR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.01–1.02). In conclusion, we report the relationship between hypothyroidism and the increased risk for tinnitus. We also found that hypothyroidism patients are at increased risk of developing tinnitus when associated with comorbidities including vertigo, hearing loss, and insomnia.
Photothermal conversion of biodegradable fluids and carbon black nanofluids
Authors: Kosinska Anna , Balakin Boris V. , Kosinski Pawel
Published: March 2022

The paper is devoted to the topic of direct absorption solar collectors (DASCs). Various kinds of fluids can be used as heat transfer fluid in DASCs, and the main focus of our paper is on comparing nanofluids (water with carbon black nanoparticles, concentrations between 0.25 and 1.00% weight) and biodegradable coffee colloids. At first, these fluids were tested by exposing them to irradiation caused by artificial light in indoor experiments, and the corresponding temperature increase was recorded. The fluids were placed in a beaker with a relatively large size so that most of the fluid was not directly irradiated. In these experiments, the performance of the two studied fluids was similar: the resulting temperature increase varied between 46 and 50 °C. Our next experiments involved a smaller system subjected to irradiation obtained by using a solar collector. As a result, we detected an intense absorption on the nanoparticle surface so that the temperature rise in the nanofluid was higher than in the coffee colloids. Next, the process was analysed using a theoretical analysis that gave good correspondence with the experiments. Finally, we extended the theoretical analysis to a DASC with a flowing fluid. The model was validated against results from the literature, but it also supported our experimental findings.
ESCCAL-1 promotes cell-cycle progression by interacting with and stabilizing galectin-1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Cui Yuanbo , Yan Ming , Wu Wei , Lv Pengju , Wang Jinwu , Huo Yanping , Lou Yanan , Ma Xiwen , Chang Jing , Guan Fangxia , Cao Wei
Published: March 2022

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play important roles in the development of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Our previous studies have shown that knockdown of LncRNA ESCCAL-1 expression inhibits the growth of ESCC cells, but the mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we show that over-expression of ESCCAL-1 promotes ESCC cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression by blocking ubiquitin-mediated degradation of an oncoprotein galectin-1 (Gal-1). Multiple LncRNA expression datasets as well as our own data together reveal that ESCCAL-1 is evidently up-regulated in ESCC tissues and exhibits promising diagnostic value. Over-expression of ESCCAL-1 augmented ESCC cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression, whereas down-regulation of ESCCAL-1 resulted in the opposite effects. Mechanistically, LncRNA ESCCAL-1 directly binds to Gal-1 and positively regulates its protein level without affecting its mRNA level. Up-regulation of Gal-1 facilitated ESCC cell proliferation and cell-cycle progress. Knockdown of Gal-1 mitigated the effects of ESCCAL-1-mediated high cellular proliferation, NF-κB signaling activation and tumorigenicity of ESCC cells. Thus, our findings provide novel insight into the mechanism by which ESCCAL-1 facilitates ESCC tumorigenesis and cell-cycle progression by interacting with and stabilizing Gal-1 protein, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.
Modulation of the monomer-dimer equilibrium and catalytic activity of SARS-CoV-2 main protease by a transition-state analog inhibitor
Authors: Nashed Nashaat T. , Aniana Annie , Ghirlando Rodolfo , Chiliveri Sai Chaitanya , Louis John M.
Published: March 2022

The role of dimer formation for the onset of catalytic activity of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (MProWT) was assessed using a predominantly monomeric mutant (MProM). Rates of MProWT and MProM catalyzed hydrolyses display substrate saturation kinetics and second-order dependency on the protein concentration. The addition of the prodrug GC376, an inhibitor of MProWT, to MProM leads to an increase in the dimer population and catalytic activity with increasing inhibitor concentration. The activity reaches a maximum corresponding to a dimer population in which one active site is occupied by the inhibitor and the other is available for catalytic activity. This phase is followed by a decrease in catalytic activity due to the inhibitor competing with the substrate. Detailed kinetics and equilibrium analyses are presented and a modified Michaelis-Menten equation accounts for the results. These observations provide conclusive evidence that dimer formation is coupled to catalytic activity represented by two equivalent active sites.
Subcellular localization of hippocampal ryanodine receptor 2 and its role in neuronal excitability and memory
Authors: Hiess Florian , Yao Jinjing , Song Zhenpeng , Sun Bo , Zhang Zizhen , Huang Junting , Chen Lina , Institoris Adam , Estillore John Paul , Wang Ruiwu , ter Keurs Henk E. D. J. , Stys Peter K. , Gordon Grant R. , Zamponi Gerald W. , Ganguly Anutosh , Chen S. R. Wayne
Published: March 2022

Ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) is abundantly expressed in the heart and brain. Mutations in RyR2 are associated with both cardiac arrhythmias and intellectual disability. While the mechanisms of RyR2-linked arrhythmias are well characterized, little is known about the mechanism underlying RyR2-associated intellectual disability. Here, we employed a mouse model expressing a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged RyR2 and a specific GFP probe to determine the subcellular localization of RyR2 in hippocampus. GFP-RyR2 was predominantly detected in the soma and dendrites, but not the dendritic spines of CA1 pyramidal neurons or dentate gyrus granular neurons. GFP-RyR2 was also detected within the mossy fibers in the stratum lucidum of CA3, but not in the presynaptic terminals of CA1 neurons. An arrhythmogenic RyR2-R4496C+/− mutation downregulated the A-type K+ current and increased membrane excitability, but had little effect on the afterhyperpolarization current or presynaptic facilitation of CA1 neurons. The RyR2-R4496C+/− mutation also impaired hippocampal long-term potentiation, learning, and memory. These data reveal the precise subcellular distribution of hippocampal RyR2 and its important role in neuronal excitability, learning, and memory.
H5N1 infection impairs the alveolar epithelial barrier through intercellular junction proteins via Itch-mediated proteasomal degradation
Authors: Ruan Tao , Sun Yuling , Zhang Jingting , Sun Jing , Liu Wei , Prinz Richard A. , Peng Daxin , Liu Xiufan , Xu Xiulong
Published: March 2022

The H5N1 subtype of the avian influenza virus causes sporadic but fatal infections in humans. H5N1 virus infection leads to the disruption of the alveolar epithelial barrier, a pathologic change that often progresses into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pneumonia. The mechanisms underlying this remain poorly understood. Here we report that H5N1 viruses downregulate the expression of intercellular junction proteins (E-cadherin, occludin, claudin-1, and ZO-1) in several cell lines and the lungs of H5N1 virus-infected mice. H5N1 virus infection activates TGF-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), which then activates p38 and ERK to induce E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch expression and to promote occludin ubiquitination and degradation. Inhibition of the TAK1-Itch pathway restores the intercellular junction structure and function in vitro and in the lungs of H5N1 virus-infected mice. Our study suggests that H5N1 virus infection impairs the alveolar epithelial barrier by downregulating the expression of intercellular junction proteins at the posttranslational level.
OTUD6A promotes prostate tumorigenesis via deubiquitinating Brg1 and AR
Authors: Fu Xuhong , Zhao Junjie , Yu Guopeng , Zhang Xiaomin , Sun Jie , Li Lingmeng , Yin Jingyi , Niu Yinan , Ren Shancheng , Zhu Yasheng , Xu Bin , Huang Liyu
Published: March 2022

Ovarian tumor (OTU) subfamily deubiquitinases are involved in various cellular processes, such as inflammation, ferroptosis and tumorigenesis; however, their pathological roles in prostate cancer (PCa) remain largely unexplored. In this study, we observed that several OTU members displayed genomic amplification in PCa, among which ovarian tumor deubiquitinase 6A (OTUD6A) amplified in the top around 15–20%. Further clinical investigation showed that the OTUD6A protein was highly expressed in prostate tumors, and increased OTUD6A expression correlated with a higher biochemical recurrence risk after prostatectomy. Biologically, wild-type but not a catalytically inactive mutant form of OTUD6A was required for PCa cell progression. In vivo experiments demonstrated that OTUD6A oligonucleotides markedly suppressed prostate tumorigenesis in PtenPC−/− mice and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Mechanistically, the SWI/SNF ATPase subunit Brg1 and the nuclear receptor AR (androgen receptor) were identified as essential substrates for OTUD6A in PCa cells by a mass spectrometry (MS) screening approach. Furthermore, OTUD6A stabilized these two proteins by erasing the K27-linked polyubiquitination of Brg1 and K11-linked polyubiquitination of AR. OTUD6A amplification exhibited strong mutual exclusivity with mutations in the tumor suppressors FBXW7 and SPOP. Collectively, our results indicate the therapeutic potential of targeting OTUD6A as a deubiquitinase of Brg1 and AR for PCa treatment.
Nitrile hydrogenation to secondary amines under ambient conditions over palladium–platinum random alloy nanoparticles
Authors: Nishida Yoshihide , Sato Katsutoshi , Chaudhari Chandan , Yamada Hiroshi , Toriyama Takaaki , Yamamoto Tomokazu , Matsumura Syo , Aspera Susan Meñez , Nakanishi Hiroshi , Haneda Masaaki , Nagaoka Katsutoshi
Published: March 2022

Nitrile hydrogenation over PdPt random alloy nanoparticles.
Tebuconazole and terbuthylazine encapsulated in nanocarriers: preparation, characterization and release kinetics
Authors: López-Cabeza Rocío , Kah Melanie , Grillo Renato , Koutný Marek , Salač Jan , Bílková Zuzana , Eghbalinejad Mahleh , Hofman Jakub
Published: March 2022

Release experiments of tebuconazole and terbuthylazine from various nanocarriers were performed by the dialysis method to estimate the durability of nanocarrier-active ingredient complexes.
Prodrugs of pyrophosphates and bisphosphonates: disguising phosphorus oxyanions
Authors: Rudge Emma S. , Chan Alex H. Y. , Leeper Finian J.
Published: March 2022

Pyrophosphates (diphosphates) and bisphosphonates are potentially important drugs but are anionic and too polar to penetrate cells; here we review approaches that have been taken to create cell-permeable prodrugs of these type of compounds.
Computational characterization of charge transport resiliency in molecular solids
Authors: Pokuri Balaji Sesha Sarath , Ryno Sean M. , Noruzi Ramin , Risko Chad , Ganapathysubramanian Baskar
Published: March 2022

Molecular systems are analyzed via the construction of a molecular graph and quantifying the resiliency for charge transport through metrics for graph centrality, in the context of charge pathways between the source and drain electrodes.
Synthesis of a graphitized hierarchical porous carbon material supported with a transition metal for electrochemical conversion
Authors: Chang Fangfang , Ma Yanfu , Su Panpan , Liu Jian
Published: March 2022

A graphitized hierarchical porous carbon material supported with a transition metal was prepared by a one-pot method, and it might show potential application in electrochemical conversion.
Facile synthesis of shape-stable phase-change composites via the adsorption of stearic acid onto cellulose microfibers
Authors: Voronin Denis V. , Mendgaziev Rais I. , Rubtsova Maria I. , Cherednichenko Kirill A. , Demina Polina A. , Abramova Anna M. , Shchukin Dmitry G. , Vinokurov Vladimir
Published: March 2022

A facile way to prevent the leakage of fatty acid PCM via adsorption on cellulose microfibers is described. The prepared phase-change composites exhibit excellent shape stability, thermal reliability, and adjustable latent heat storage performance.
Reviewing a plethora of oxidative-type reactions catalyzed by whole cells ofStreptomycesspecies
Authors: Salama Sara , Habib Mohamed H. , Hatti-Kaul Rajni , Gaber Yasser
Published: March 2022

Types of oxidation reactions catalyzed by whole cells of differentStreptomycesspecies.
A phosphorus-containing imidazole derivative towards the liquid oxygen compatibility and toughness of epoxy resin
Authors: Wang Huihuan , Li Chuan , Hou Zhuang , Li Bolun , Cai Haopeng
Published: March 2022

Thermosets modified with a P-containing imidazole derivative (VAD) exhibited simultaneous liquid oxygen compatibility and excellent mechanical properties.
Photocatalytic hydrogenation of acetophenone on a titanium dioxide cellulose film
Authors: Thiel Tabea A. , Obata Keisuke , Abdi Fatwa F. , van de Krol Roel , Schomäcker Reinhard , Schwarze Michael
Published: March 2022

The photocatalytic hydrogenation of acetophenone to 1-phenylenthanol was investigated with cellulose-immobilized titanium oxide (TiO2) particles.
On the origins of order
Authors: Fredberg Jeffrey J.
Published: March 2022

Kauffman proposed that living systems exist in a solid-like regime poised near the brink of chaos. Here we ask if this abstact notion might be realized in the jammed cellular collective poised near the brink of unjamming.
3D graphene/silver nanowire aerogel encapsulated phase change material with significantly enhanced thermal conductivity and excellent solar-thermal energy conversion capacity
Authors: Lv Linda , Wang Yuqi , Ai Hong , Chen Taorui , Zhang Xuan , Song Shaokun
Published: March 2022

A novel 3D graphene/silver nanowire aerogel encapsulated phase change material with significantly enhanced thermal conductivity and excellent solar-thermal energy conversion capacity was reported.
Polarization-sensitive photodetection in a two-dimensional interlayer-multiple-cation hybrid perovskite bulk single crystal
Authors: Chen Qin , Wang Ziyang , Fan Yipeng , Li Zhou , Zhang Shuhua , Luo Junhua , Ji Chengmin
Published: March 2022

Two-dimensional perovskites of interlayer-multiple-cations (IMCs), which possess an  intrinsic light absorption anisotropy, have the potential to become the candidate in polarization-sensitive photodetection.
Ultrafine platinum nanoparticles supported on N,S-codoped porous carbon nanofibers as efficient multifunctional materials for noticeable oxygen reduction reaction and water splitting performance
Authors: Chen Xiaohong , Niu Kai , Xue Zhiyong , Liu Xundao , Liu Bogu , Zhang Bao , Zeng Hong , Lv Wei , Zhang Yongming , Wu Ying
Published: March 2022

Ultrafine platinum nanoparticles supported on N,S-codoped porous carbon nanofibers (Pt–N,S-pCNFs) hybrids achieve excellent activity and stability for ORR, HER and OER and also show high hydrogen storage capacity.
An environmentally friendly AIE probe for CMC determination
Authors: Zhao Xiaolei , Wang Yuwei , Wang Qi , Li Qiang , Liu Zhenxing , Zhu Wei-Hong
Published: March 2022

We first report an AIE probe EDS for rapid CMC determination of anionic and non-ionic surfactants in an environmentally friendly system.
Fabric phase sorptive extraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as an innovative analytical technique for the determination of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in herbal infusions and tea samples
Authors: Manousi Natalia , Kabir Abuzar , Furton Kenneth G. , Rosenberg Erwin , Zachariadis George A.
Published: March 2022

A fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) protocol for the isolation and preconcentration of four selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from tea samples and herbal infusions is presented, followed by their quantitative analysis by GC-MS.
A novel Mn4+-activated fluoride red phosphor Cs30(Nb2O2F9)9(OH)3·H2O:Mn4+ with good waterproof stability for WLEDs
Authors: Chen Yingyuan , Liu Feilong , Zhang Ziwang , Hong Junyu , Molokeev Maxim S. , Bobrikov Ivan A. , Shi Jianxin , Zhou Jianbang , Wu Mingmei
Published: March 2022

Due to the presence of Nb5+, a Mn4+-doped compound (denoted as CNOFM) shows very good waterproof stability, even without any surface modification. Warm WLEDs with a high color rendering index have been fabricated using the CNOFM red phosphor.
Get in Sync: Active Ingredients and Patient Profiles in Scripted-Sentence Learning in Spanish Speakers With Aphasia
Authors: Quique Yina M. , Evans William S. , Ortega-Llebaría Marta , Zipse Lauryn , Dickey Michael Walsh
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

Script training is a well-established treatment for aphasia, but its evidence comes almost exclusively from monolingual English speakers with aphasia. Furthermore, its active ingredients and profiles of people with aphasia (PWA) that respond to this treatment remain understudied. This study aimed to adapt a scripted-sentence learning protocol to Colombian Spanish speakers with aphasia, investigate speech entrainment (i.e., unison production of sentences) as an active ingredient for scripted-sentence learning, and identify patient profiles associated with better scripted-sentence learning.

Method:

Fourteen monolingual Spanish speakers with aphasia learned a set of 30 sentences. To examine speech entrainment as an active ingredient for scripted-sentence learning, we investigated whether sentences containing externally added rhythmic cues (involving stress-aligned vs. metronomic rhythmic cues) would result in better scripted-sentence learning compared with control sentences. Learning was measured via postsession probes and analyzed using mixed-effects logistic regression models. The relationship between scripted-sentence learning and baseline language and rhythmic processing measures was also examined.

Results:

Significant scripted-sentence learning over time indicated a successful adaptation of a script-training protocol to Spanish. PWA learned significantly more scripted sentences in the rhythmically enhanced conditions compared with the control condition. There were no differences between rhythmically enhanced conditions (stress-aligned vs. metronomic). In terms of patient profiles, it was found that PWA with more severe aphasia demonstrated larger learning gains, but rhythmic processing showed little association with learning estimates.

Conclusions:

To our knowledge, this study provides the first adaptation of a scripted-sentence learning protocol for monolingual Spanish speakers with aphasia, demonstrating cross-linguistic benefits of script training interventions. Highlighting rhythmic features during speech entrainment facilitated scripted-sentence learning in Spanish speakers with aphasia, suggesting that speech entrainment may be an active ingredient for scripted-sentence learning. More severe aphasia was associated with better scripted-sentence learning, suggesting that more severely impaired individuals are likely to benefit most from this treatment.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19241847
Computation of the lateral shift due to atmospheric refraction
Authors: Labriji H. , Herscovici-Schiller O. , Cassaing F.
Published: March 2022

Context.Atmospheric refraction modifies the apparent position of objects in the sky. As a complement to the well-known angular offset, we computed the lateral translation that is to be considered for short-range applications, such as wavefront sensing and meteor trajectories.

Aims.We aim to calculate the lateral shift at each altitude and study its variation according to meteorological conditions and the location of the observation site. We also pay special attention to the chromatism of this lateral shift. Moreover, we assess the relevance of the expressions present in the literature, which have been established neglecting Earth’s curvature.

Methods.We extracted the variation equations of refraction from the geometric tracing of a light ray path. A numerical method and a dry atmosphere model allowed us to numerically integrate the system of coupled equations. In addition to this, based on Taylor expansions, we established three analytic approximations of the lateral shift, one of which is the one already known in the literature. We compared the three approximations to the numerical solution. All these estimators are included in a PYTHON3.2 package, which is available online.

Results.Using the numerical integration estimator, we calculated the lateral shift values for any zenith angle including low elevations. The shift is typically around 3 m at a zenith angle of 45°, 10 m at 65°, and even 300 m at 85°. Next, the study of the variability of the lateral shift as a function of wavelength shows differences of up to 2% between the visible and near infrared. Furthermore, we show that the flat Earth approximation of the lateral shift corresponds to its first-order Taylor expansion. The analysis of the errors of each approximation shows the ranges of validity of the three estimators as a function of the zenith angle. The ‘flat Earth’ estimator achieves a relative error of less than 1% up to 55°, while the new extended second-order estimators improves this result up to 75°.

Conclusions.The flat Earth estimator is sufficient for applications where the zenith angle is below 55° (most high-resolution applications) but a refined estimator is necessary to estimate meteor trajectories at low elevations.
Sufficient conditions for extremum of fractional variational problems
Authors: Pattnaik Ashapurna , Padhan Saroj Kumar , Mohapatra R.N.
Published: March 2022

Sufficient conditions for extremum of fractional variational problems are formulated with the help of Caputo fractional derivatives. The Euler–Lagrange equation is defined in the Caputo sense and Jacobi conditions are derived using this. Again, Wierstrass integral for the considered functional is obtained from the Jacobi conditions and the transversality conditions. Further, using the Taylor’s series expansion with Caputo fractional derivatives in the Wierstrass integral, the Legendre’s sufficient condition for extremum of the fractional variational problem is established. Finally, a suitable counterexample is presented to justify the efficacy of the fresh findings.
Die Forensische Psychiatrie in der DDR. Ein
Überblick
Authors: Widmer Maria , Schmidt-Recla Adrian , Steinberg Holger
Published: March 2022

In der medizingeschichtlichen Auseinandersetzung mit der Psychiatrie in der DDR
wurde dem Teilgebiet der forensischen Psychiatrie bisher wenig Aufmerksamkeit
geschenkt. In der folgenden literaturbasierten Übersicht sollen daher
wesentliche einführende Aspekte zu dieser Thematik dargestellt werden.
Der inhaltliche Diskurs in diesem Fachgebiet rekurrierte insbesondere auf die
forensisch-psychiatrische Begutachtung im Strafrecht, zu dem u. a. der
bekannteste forensische Psychiater der DDR Hans Szewczyk wichtige
Beiträge leistete. Nach Einführung des Strafgesetzbuches 1968
und den damit einhergehenden rechtlichen Veränderungen zur verminderten
bzw. aufgehobenen Zurechnungsfähigkeit von
Straftäter*innen fand bis Anfang der 1980er-Jahre eine
Diskussion über verschiedene Fragen zur Verbesserung der
Qualität der Gutachten und der Weiterentwicklung der
Gutachtertätigkeit statt. Dabei beschäftigte man sich zwar mit
der Begutachtung der Zurechnungsfähigkeit, nicht aber mit der
Begutachtung der Prognose, was wahrscheinlich aus der Abschaffung des
Maßregelvollzuges 1968 resultierte. Auf die Unterbringung und Behandlung
forensisch-psychiatrischer Patient*innen weisen nur wenige Quellen hin.
Psychisch kranke Straftäter*innen wurden kaum in spezifischen
Abteilungen untergebracht, die auch nur in wenigen Kliniken ab Mitte der
1970er-Jahre errichtet wurden. Vermutlich fehlte es auch an eigens entwickelten
strukturellen Behandlungskonzepten speziell für
forensisch-psychiatrische Patient*innen. Insbesondere für
psychisch kranke Rechtsbrecher*innen mit hoher Delinquenz war aufgrund
der neuen Gesetzgebung nach 1968 eine stationäre Unterbringung dem
Anschein nach kaum möglich. Für den zivilrechtlichen Bereich
weisen insgesamt nur wenige Quellen vor allem auf eine Auseinandersetzung mit
den Themen Entmündigung und Pflegschaft hin.
2 Fachleute – 2 Behandlungsmethoden: Die Ventilation verbessern
Authors: Brenke Rainer , von Steinaecker Karoline
Published: March 2022

2 Fachleute – 2 Behandlungsmethoden
Tabakentwöhnung
Authors: Grebe Wolfgang , Grebe Alexander
Published: March 2022

Vermeidbare Krankheiten durch Rauchen sind neben Bewegungsmangel und Metabolischem Syndrom (Übergewicht, Insulinresistenz, Hypertonie, Hyperlipämie) immer noch die häufigste Todesursache in Deutschland. Immer mehr Menschen in Deutschland sind bereit, ihren Tabakkonsum zu reduzieren. Diese Chancen gilt es, in der täglichen Beratung der Patienten zu nutzen.
Reply to the Letter to the Editor from Dr. Seet-Lee and
Colleagues
Authors: Esteves Mário , Monteiro Mariana P. , Duarte José Alberto
Published: March 2022

Dear Editors

The authors would like to thank Dr. Seet-Lee and colleagues for their comments on our
recently-published manuscript in the International Journal of Sports Medicine

1. Dr. Seet-Lee and colleagues
highlighted some inadequacies, specifically when using mean difference or raw mean
difference as effect measure. However, when evaluating blood vessel density by
different reliable and validated histological procedures, would it be wrong to
assume, as we did, that all the obtained measurements from different staining always
vary equally, directly and linearly, with the actual parameter under study? Are Dr.
Seet-Lee and colleagues assuming that the results of histological observations of
blood vessels, marked with different techniques and stains, are neither compatible
nor governed by the same measurement scales? We regret, but we are firmly convinced
that we proceeded properly. Moreover, we should not assume that standardized effect
sizes will make comparisons meaningful 2.
Particularly, as the standardized mean difference indicates the difference before
and after the intervention in terms of standard deviations instead of actual scores,
it assumes that different outcome scales are linear transformation of each other and
the standard deviation (SD) is equal across all studies 3.
Gibt es „Elementarfunktionen“?
Authors: Guss Kurt
Published: March 2022

Gedanken von Kurt Guss nach der Lektüre der zkm 6/2021 zum Themenschwerpunkt „Psychiatrie“
Associations between Electroencephalographic Variables, Early Post-Traumatic Seizure Risk, and Outcomes following Pediatric Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Nickerson Taylor E. , Villo Lauren , Eisner Mariah , Lovett Marlina E. , Chung Melissa G. , O'Brien Nicole F. , Sribnick Eric A. , Ostendorf Adam P.
Published: March 2022

Early post-traumatic seizures (PTS) are associated with worse outcomes in children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Our aim was to identify the association between continuous electroencephalogram (cEEG) characteristics and early PTS risk following pediatric severe TBI. We also evaluated the relationship between cEEG background features and outcomes. A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed on children between 0 and 18 years of age admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit from 2016 to 2019 with severe TBI and cEEG monitoring within 7 days of injury. Raw cEEG tracings were reviewed by an epileptologist in accordance with American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) Critical Care EEG terminology. Univariate comparisons were made between children with and without early PTS, as well as between those with and without varying cEEG background features. Eighteen children (31%) of the 59 included had early PTS. Interictal abnormalities, inclusive of sporadic spikes and sharp waves, rhythmic delta activity, or lateralized periodic discharges (LPDs) were more common among children with seizures (100 vs. 22%; p < 0.01). LPDs were also more common in the seizure group (44 vs. 2%; p < 0.01). Background discontinuity was associated with worse Glasgow Outcome Scale—Extended Pediatric Version (GOS-E Peds) scores at discharge and 3-, 6-, and 12-month post-discharge (p < 0.01). Lack of reactivity was also associated with worse GOS-E Peds scores at 3-, 6-, and 12-month post-discharge (p < 0.01). Interictal abnormalities and LPDs were each associated with early PTS following pediatric severe TBI. Larger studies should evaluate if high-risk patients would benefit from prolonged cEEG monitoring and/or more aggressive anti-seizure prophylaxis. Discontinuity and lack of variability were associated with worse outcomes. Future studies should attempt to clarify their role as potential early markers of prognosis.
Veno-Arterial Partial Pressure of Carbon Dioxide Difference as a Metric of Systemic Oxygen Delivery: Insights from a Correlative Meta-Analysis
Authors: Loomba Rohit S. , Farias Juan S. , Savorgnan Fabio , Acosta Sebastian , Flores Saul , Villarreal Enrique G.
Published: March 2022

The assessment of cardiac output and adequacy of systemic oxygen delivery in children after cardiac surgery require the use of an aggregate of hemodynamic monitors and blood tests. There are previously published data regarding the utility of the veno-arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide difference (AVDco2) to help with this. This study pooled data on the correlation of AVDco2 with other metrics of cardiac output and systemic oxygen delivery such as arteriovenous oxygen saturation difference, venous saturation, and serum lactate. A systematic review of the literature was done to identify studies analyzing the correlation of AVDco2 with other hemodynamic and laboratory values. Data were extracted, and correlation coefficients were pooled for each specific comparison to create a point estimate for the overall correlation. A total of four studies with 350 patients and 809 paired blood gases were pooled. Adequate data were available to assess the correlation of AVDco2 with arteriovenous oxygen saturation difference, venous saturation, and serum lactate. There was a significant, moderate correlation with arteriovenous oxygen saturation difference and venous saturation. A significant, weak correlation with serum lactate was found. The AVDco2 has significant, moderate correlations with other metrics of the adequacy of systemic oxygen delivery such as arteriovenous oxygen saturation difference and venous saturation. There was a significant but only weak correlation with serum lactate. AVDco2 may be complementary to assess the adequacy of cardiac output and systemic oxygen delivery.
Personalmanagement: Der Umgang mit der Knappheit
Authors: Schafmeister Sylvia
Published: March 2022

Angesichts des spürbaren Fachkräftemangels rückt das Thema Personalbindung für viele Abteilungen zunehmend in den Mittelpunkt. Was motiviert Mitarbeitende, ihrer Klinik treu zu bleiben und ihre Leistung einzubringen, und welche Rolle nimmt hier die Führungskraft ein? Diesen Fragen soll im folgenden Beitrag nachgegangen werden.
Schluss mit finanziellen Nachteilen: Skonto-Verlust beenden
Authors: Ehrenburg Marcus
Published: March 2022

In vielen Krankenhäusern wird regelmäßig Geld verschenkt. Die Erfassung von Papierrechnungen ist langsam und fehlerbehaftet, sodass Skonto nicht genutzt werden kann. Mit einer digitalen Rechnungsverarbeitung können Fehler reduziert und Durchlaufzeiten enorm verkürzt werden.
Opportunities for Antibiotic Stewardship Interventions in a Pediatric Hospital
Authors: Grewer-Katona Gabor , Hüebner Johannes , Pecar Alenka , Wolf Gerhard K.
Published: March 2022

Objective This study's objective was to assess an antibiotic stewardship intervention, compare pediatric antibiotic usage in a non-university hospital (Children's Hospital Traunstein [TS]) with a university hospital (Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich [MUC]), and assess adherence to national guidelines.

Methods Antibiotic usage pre- and post-antibiotic stewardship (ABS) intervention was compared, and antibiotic prescriptions over 4 months were prospectively recorded. ABS intervention consisted of weekly teaching sessions, antibiotic pocket cards, and rounds with pediatric infectious disease staff. Medical records were reviewed to describe antibiotic consumption, antibiotic dosages and length of use, and adherence to national guidelines. Pediatric antibiotic usage was compared between hospitals and patient groups.

Results After the ABS intervention, the use of second-generation cephalosporins decreased, while penicillin with β-lactamase inhibitors (BLI) increased. Survey of antibiotic prescriptions over the 4 months study period in the non-university hospital showed a high administration rate of second-generation cephalosporins and extended-spectrum penicillins in the non-intensive care units (ICU) wards (48.53 and 38.93 days of therapy [DoT]/1,000 patient days [PD], respectively) and a high rate of third-generation cephalosporins in the ICU ward (110.33 DoT/1,000PD). A high prescriptions rate was seen in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) wards (DoT/ length of therapy [LoT] ratio of 2.185). Reserve group antibiotics were only given in the ICU. Adherence to national guidelines was highest in the NICU and pediatric ICU wards. Striking was the relatively high rate of incorrect usage of second-generation cephalosporins. Comparing the pediatric wards of the non-university hospital (TS) and the university hospital (MUC), the prescription ratio was 11.1% (TS) versus 30.6% (MUC), and DoT/1,000PD 198.9 (TS) versus 483.6 (MUC), p = 0.02. ABS intervention changed the choice of described antibiotics, but not the overall frequency.

Conclusion Adherence to national guidelines was highest in fields with standardized therapy recommendations, like in the NICU. In MUC, antibiotics, in particular restricted ones, were prescribed more frequently, probably due to higher severity of illness.

These data indicate that the usage of antibiotics and adherence to national guidelines show a wide variety, but ABS interventions were effective in changing prescription behavior.
Small solutions of the Einstein–Boltzmann-scalar field system in a spatially flat FLRW spacetime
Authors: Lee Ho , Lee Jiho
Published: March 2022

The Cauchy problem for the Einstein–Boltzmann-scalar field system is studied. A spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker spacetime is considered with matter contents described by the relativistic Boltzmann equation for Israel particles and a nonlinear scalar field with an exponential potential. The initial data are assumed to be small in a suitable sense, and we obtain the global existence and asymptotic behavior of small solutions.
The Antarctic ozone hole during 2020
Authors: Klekociuk Andrew R. , Tully Matthew B. , Krummel Paul B. , Henderson Stuart I. , Smale Dan , Querel Richard , Nichol Sylvia , Alexander Simon P. , Fraser Paul J. , Nedoluha Gerald
Published: March 2022

The Antarctic ozone hole remains the focus of scientific attention because of its importance to the health of the biosphere and its influence on the climate of the southern hemisphere. Here we examine the general characteristics of the 2020 Antarctic ozone hole using a variety of observational and reanalysis data and compare and contrast its behaviour with earlier years. The main feature of the 2020 ozone hole was its relatively large size, and persistence to the beginning of the 2020/2021 summer, with new maximum records being set for the ozone hole daily area and ozone mass deficit during November and December. This was in strong contrast to 2019 when the ozone hole was one of the smallest observed. We show that a key factor in 2020 was the relative stability and strength of the stratospheric polar vortex, which allowed low temperatures in the Antarctic lower stratosphere to enhance ozone depletion reactions in relative isolation from the rest of the global atmosphere. These conditions were associated with relatively weak Rossby wave activity at high southern latitudes that occurred during the strengthening westerly phase of the Quasi Biennial Oscillation as well as the emerging La Niña phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation. A consequence of the conditions in early summer was the measurement of new maximum values of ultraviolet radiation at Australia’s three Antarctic research stations of Mawson, Davis and Casey. Indications of anomalous chlorine partitioning above Arrival Heights in Antarctica prior to the 2020 winter are provided, which may relate to effects from the 2019/2020 Australian wildfires. We also examine the effect of the downward coupling of the 2020 ozone hole to the climate of the wider southern hemisphere, which showed regional influences on surface temperature and precipitation in common with other strong vortex years.
Influence of shape effect on dynamic surface charge transport mechanism of cellular electret after corona discharge
Authors: ZHANG Jiawei , ZHANG Zelei , MATSUMOTO T , GAO Qingqing , LIU Yuanye , NISHIJIMA K , LIU Yifan
Published: March 2022

Surface charge accumulation and transport on cellular polypropylene play an important role in nanogenerators, which could have a potential impact on energy harvesting and wearable devices for zero carbon energy systems and the internet of things. Different shapes have different charge accumulation and decay characteristics of the polymer. Therefore, we studied the influence of the sample’s shape on the surface charge decay by experiment and modeling. The surface potential of square and circular cellular polypropylene was measured by a two-dimensional surface potential measurement system with electrostatic capacitive probe. The experimental result shows that the surface potential distribution of the square sample dissipates non-uniformly from the bell shape to a one-sided collapsed shape, while that of the circular sample dissipates uniformly from the bell shape to the crater-like shape. Moreover, the simulated results of the initial surface potential distributions of the square and circular cellular polypropylene are consistent with the experimental results. The investigation demonstrates that the charge transport process is correlated with the shape of the sample, which provides significant reference for designing electret material used for highly efficient nanogenerators.
MultiBaC: an R package to remove batch effects in multi-omic experiments
Authors: Ugidos Manuel , Nueda María José , Prats-Montalbán José M , Ferrer Alberto , Conesa Ana , Tarazona Sonia
Published: March 2022

Motivation

Batch effects in omics datasets are usually a source of technical noise that masks the biological signal and hampers data analysis. Batch effect removal has been widely addressed for individual omics technologies. However, multi-omic datasets may combine data obtained in different batches where omics type and batch are often confounded. Moreover, systematic biases may be introduced without notice during data acquisition, which creates a hidden batch effect. Current methods fail to address batch effect correction in these cases.

Results

In this article, we introduce the MultiBaC R package, a tool for batch effect removal in multi-omics and hidden batch effect scenarios. The package includes a diversity of graphical outputs for model validation and assessment of the batch effect correction.

Availability and implementation

MultiBaC package is available on Bioconductor (https://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/MultiBaC.html) and GitHub (https://github.com/ConesaLab/MultiBaC.git). The data underlying this article are available in Gene Expression Omnibus repository (accession numbers GSE11521, GSE1002, GSE56622 and GSE43747).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
fastISM: performantin silicosaturation mutagenesis for convolutional neural networks
Authors: Nair Surag , Shrikumar Avanti , Schreiber Jacob , Kundaje Anshul
Published: March 2022

Motivation

Deep-learning models, such as convolutional neural networks, are able to accurately map biological sequences to associated functional readouts and properties by learning predictive de novo representations. In silico saturation mutagenesis (ISM) is a popular feature attribution technique for inferring contributions of all characters in an input sequence to the model’s predicted output. The main drawback of ISM is its runtime, as it involves multiple forward propagations of all possible mutations of each character in the input sequence through the trained model to predict the effects on the output.

Results

We present fastISM, an algorithm that speeds up ISM by a factor of over 10× for commonly used convolutional neural network architectures. fastISM is based on the observations that the majority of computation in ISM is spent in convolutional layers, and a single mutation only disrupts a limited region of intermediate layers, rendering most computation redundant. fastISM reduces the gap between backpropagation-based feature attribution methods and ISM. It far surpasses the runtime of backpropagation-based methods on multi-output architectures, making it feasible to run ISM on a large number of sequences.

Availability and implementation

An easy-to-use Keras/TensorFlow 2 implementation of fastISM is available at https://github.com/kundajelab/fastISM. fastISM can be installed using pip install fastism. A hands-on tutorial can be found at https://colab.research.google.com/github/kundajelab/fastISM/blob/master/notebooks/colab/DeepSEA.ipynb.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Efficacy of surgeon performed ultrasound scan in localization of parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Habib Ayaaz , Snowden Chris , England James
Published: March 2022

Introduction

The success of minimally invasive parathyroid surgery is largely based on accurate preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas. In the U.K, NICE guidance recommends either ultrasound scanning alone or combined with sestamibi scintigraphy to help guide surgery. In the recent past, surgeon performed ultrasound (SUS) has been adopted in North America and Australia for preoperative localization with a sensitivity of 63–91%. This was equivalent or superior to radiology performed ultrasound (RUS). In comparison, data from the U.K for surgeon performed imaging is sparse. In this study, we investigate the efficacy of surgeon performed ultrasound in localization of parathyroid disease and discuss its cost benefits.

Methods

This is a prospective study with data collected from November 2019 to June 2021. All patients had primary hyperparathyroidism and underwent either MIBI, radiology performed ultrasound or both. A single experienced surgeon performed ultrasound on all patients under general anaesthesia. The intraoperative findings were used to determine the accuracy of all imaging techniques.

Results

A total of 46 patients underwent surgery and were found to have single gland disease. The categories were: Double imaging (n=17), MIBI (n=34), RUS (n=22), SUS(n=46), no imaging (n=9). MIBI, radiology performed ultrasound and surgeon performed ultrasound had sensitivities of 58%, 55% and 81% respectively. 8 patients had ectopic glands and were not included in the sensitivity analysis of ultrasound scans.

Conclusion

Surgeon performed ultrasound by an experienced provider is effective in localizing parathyroid adenomas and guides minimally invasive surgery. It could significantly reduce costs associated with outpatient radiology performed ultrasound scanning