bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential biological active bacteriocin production by Bifidobacterium via eco‐friendly, low‐cost solid state fermentation principle
Authors: Priyanka Srinivasan , Namasivayam S. Karthick Raja , Sudha S. , Lavanya Muthukrishnan , Abiraamavalli Thirumal
Published: March 2024

The present study is undertaken to evaluate the potential biological activities of bacteriocin produced by the Lactic acid bacteria Bifidobacterium sp. adopting solid state fermentation. Bifidobacterium was isolated from cooked fermented rice water. Isolated bacterial strain was identified by morphological, biochemical, and molecular characteristics. Sterilized cooked rice was inoculated with bacterial inoculum followed by extraction of bacteriocin under aseptic condition. Extracted bacteriocin was screened for antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti‐inflammatory activities under invitro condition. Cooked fermentation rice medium used for solid state fermentation (SSF) supported growth and bacteriocin production by Bifidobacterium longum. Potential antibacterial activity of the extracted bacteriocin was confirmed by growth inhibition of Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli strain. Notable free radical scavenging activity at 120 μg/mL concentration of bacteriocin clearly indicated antioxidant activity. Anti‐inflammatory activity of the bacteriocin was determined which showed maximum inhibition at 120 μg/mL concentration. All these finding suggest the possible utilization of bacteriocin extraction from Bifidobacterium as an effective, safe bioactive agent.
Impact of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on offspring cardiovascular function: from fetal life to early childhood
Authors: Dimopoulou S. , Neculcea D. , Papastefanou I. , Galan A. , Androulaki M. , Nicolaides K. H. , Charakida M.
Published: March 2024

Objective

Epidemiological studies suggest that, following in‐utero exposure to hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP), children may be at increased long‐term cardiovascular risk, but data in early childhood are lacking. We aimed to investigate the independent influence of HDP on infant cardiac structure and function, after accounting for differences in childhood risk‐factor profile.

Methods

This was a longitudinal study of 71 children born of a pregnancy complicated by HDP (gestational hypertension or pre‐eclampsia) and 304 children born of a normotensive pregnancy. Detailed cardiovascular assessment was performed at mid gestation and at a median of 2.3 (interquartile range, 2.1–2.4) years postnatally. Linear mixed‐effects modeling was used to determine the independent influence of HDP on infant cardiac function and structure after accounting for differences in childhood risk‐factor profile.

Results

There were no differences in demographic characteristics between children whose mother developed HDP and those born of a normotensive pregnancy, but delivery was earlier and birth weight was lower in the HDP group. In fetal life, there were no significant differences in cardiac function or structure between the HDP and non‐HDP groups. In early childhood, in the HDP group compared with the non‐HDP group, there was greater relative wall thickness (mean ± SD, 0.7 ± 0.3 vs 0.6 ± 0.3; P = 0.047) and increased left ventricular mass (indexed to body surface area) (mean ± SD, 80.9 ± 20.4 g/m2 vs 75.7 ± 16.5 g/m2; P = 0.024); however, these differences did not persist on multivariable analysis. Longitudinal analysis revealed that there was no difference in the change in cardiac functional indices from fetal life to early childhood between the HDP and non‐HDP groups.

Conclusion

There is no evidence that HDP has an adverse effect on offspring cardiovascular health in fetal life or in early childhood. © 2024 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Clinical practice guideline on bladder cancer (Part III)
Authors: Dong Xiying , Song Gang , Guan Kaopeng , Wang Tie , Feng Xiaoli , Liu Yulin , Liu Min , Ji Zhigang , Li Xiao , Li Jiongming , Zhang Yong , Zhou Fangjian , Zhou Aiping , Xu Wanhai , Xu Tao , Gao Xianshu , Zhai Qing , Wei Qiang , Xing Nianzeng
Published: March 2024

Bladder cancer (BC) has become a significantly prevalent disease in China, with an incidence rate of 5.80 per 100 000 in 2015, ranking it as the thirteenth most common type of cancer within the nation. This illness presents a serious public health concern, highlighting the imperative need to unify the standards for diagnosis and treatment to improve patient outcomes. The section of the clinical practice guideline in question is dedicated to addressing muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and metastatic BC. The primary treatment strategies for MIBC are well‐defined: preoperative (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy combined with radical cystectomy stands as the conventional treatment protocol. For patients with locally advanced MIBC, integrating systemic and local therapies is advocated to enhance treatment effectiveness. In cases of metastatic BC, the focus shifts to systemic treatment supplemented by supportive care measures. The guideline also succinctly presents the pros and cons of various urinary diversion surgeries, which are critical considerations following radical cystectomy. It provides an in‐depth exploration of the treatment modalities for metastatic urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Additionally, this part delves into the integrated approach to treatment and the use of radiotherapy in bladder preservation for localized disease. Moreover, it offers a concise overview of the classification, diagnosis, and therapeutic approaches for nonurothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Lastly, this part emphasizes the importance of recommended posttreatment follow‐up for MIBC patients to ensure comprehensive and ongoing care management.
A new method for synthesis of modified cellulose‐graft‐poly(acrylic acid) copolymer using 4‐cyano‐4‐[(phenylcarbothioyl)solfanyl]pentanoic acid to serve as RAFT agent
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Mehdi , Karaj‐Abad Saber Ghasemi , Abbasian Mojtaba , Azar Mehdi Bagharaie
Published: March 2024

In this study, cellulose was first treated with 4‐cyano‐4‐((phenyl carbonothioyl)solfanyl) pentanoic acid to serve as the reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) agent, then the controlled grafting polymerization of acrylic acid was successfully performed. A well‐defined, cellulose‐graft‐acrylic acid copolymer (Cell‐g‐PAA), has been prepared by RAFT polymerization technique using three different approaches: RAFT agent was prepared by substitution of dithiobenzoate magnesium bromide with 4,4'‐azobis(4‐cyanopentanoic acid) in ethyl acetate as a solvent, mediated cellulose (Cell) block as the macromolecular Cell‐RAFT agent and (cellulose‐co‐acrylic acid) copolymer with alternating sequence. The resulting (Cell‐RAFT) for “living” free radical polymerization was then heated in the adjacent acrylic acid monomer for the development of the controlled graft copolymer onto cellulose. The structures of the intermediate, graft copolymer were investigated by FT‐IR, DSC, 1H NMR, scanning electron microscopy, and thermo gravimetric. The results demonstrate that the preparation of graft copolymers was successfully confirmed. This approach would provide an extensive classification of molecular designs to obtain modern types of tailored hybrid materials derived from natural polysaccharides and synthetic polymers. Also, using a macro‐initiator is an excellent method for synthesizing new materials.
Governance quality and trade performance in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Asongu Simplice A. , Odhiambo Nicholas M.
Published: March 2024

In this study, nexuses between governance and trade performance in terms of natural resource rents are assessed in 44 Sub‐Saharan African countries. The empirical evidence is based on Tobit regressions. The findings show that political governance (entailing “voice and accountability” and political stability) and institutional governance (consisting of the rule of law and corruption control) have a negative effect on trade performance. The findings are consistent with the perspective that resource rents are linked to inefficiencies in governance which are further detrimental to trade performance within the remit of natural resource rents on the one hand and, on the other, the premise of the prevailing weak institutions in the region less likely to boost trade performance.
High toxicity of agro‐industrial wastewater on aquatic fauna of a South American stream: Mortality of aquatic turtles and amphibian tadpoles as bioindicators of environmental health
Authors: Cuzziol Boccioni Ana P. , Peltzer Paola M. , Attademo Andrés M. , Leiva Leonardo , Colussi Carlina L. , Repetti María R. , Russell‐White Karen , Di Conza Noelia , Lajmanovich Rafael C.
Published: March 2024

The aim of this study was to characterize an aquatic system of Santa Fe province (Argentina) receiving wastewater from agro‐industrial activities (mainly dairy) by in situ assessment (fauna mortality, physicochemical, microbiological, and pesticide residues measurement), and ecotoxicity bioassays on amphibian tadpoles. Water and sediment samples were obtained from the Los Troncos Stream (LTS), previous to the confluence with the “San Carlos” drainage channel (SCC), and from the SCC. Biological parameters (mortality and sublethal biomarkers) were used to evaluate ecotoxicity during 10‐day exposure of Rhinella arenarum tadpoles to LTS and SCC samples. Nine pesticides were detected in both LTS and SCC. Chemical and biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia, and coliform count recorded in SCC greatly exceeded limits for aquatic life protection. At SCC and LTS after the confluence with SCC, numerous dying and dead aquatic turtles (Phrynops hilarii) were recorded. In the ecotoxicity assessment, no mortality of tadpoles was observed in LTS treatment, whereas total mortality (100%) was observed in SCC treatments in dilution higher than 50% of water and sediment. For SCC, median lethal concentration and the 95% confidence limits was 18.30% (14.71–22.77) at 24 h; lowest‐observed and no‐observed effect concentrations were 12.5% and 6.25%, respectively. Oxidative stress and neurotoxicity were observed in tadpoles exposed to 25% SCC dilution treatment. In addition, there was a large genotoxic effect (micronuclei test) in all sublethal SCC dilution treatments (6.25%, 12.5%, and 25%). These results alert about the high environmental quality deterioration and high ecotoxicity for aquatic fauna of aquatic ecosystems affected by agro‐industrial wastewater.

Practitioner points

Great mortality of turtles was observed in a basin with a high load of agro‐industrial wastewater.

San Carlos Channel (SCC), where effluents are spilled, is environmentally deteriorated.

The water‐sediment matrix of SCC caused 100% lethality in tadpoles.

SCC dilutions caused neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity on tadpoles.
Intraoral microscopic‐assisted sialolithotomy for management of medium‐large submandibular sialolithiasis: A refined technique
Authors: Magdy Emad A. , Seif‐Elnasr Mahmoud , Gamaleldin Omneya , Taha Mohamed K. , Fathalla Mohamed F.
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Sialendoscopy has become the standard treatment for sialolithiasis; however, larger submandibular calculi may require an incisional technique. This study describes and evaluates an intraoral microscopic‐assisted sialolithotomy (IMAS) as a refined submandibular stone extraction technique.

Methods

Retrospective case series of 64 submandibular IMAS procedures operated at a tertiary university center and private hospital from 2015 to 2021 were evaluated. Preoperative radiological assessment included noncontrast computed tomography scan ± magnetic resonance sialography. Stone characteristics (side, number, size, and location), operative findings, complications, and postoperative follow‐up were reviewed. Success was defined as successful intraoral stone extraction with no symptoms or stone recurrence for at least 12 months postoperatively.

Results

The study included 43 males and 19 females, mean age 38 ± 12 years. Two patients had bilateral stones. All but one operated gland had stones extracted (98.4%), however the true success was 93.8% (60/64) as three patients had recurrent/residual stones within a year. Biggest stone longest diameter was 9.8 ± 4.6 mm (range, 5–30 mm). Hilar and intraglandular stone locations were 73.4% and 6.3%, respectively. Median operative time was 55 min. Adjunctive sialendoscopy was performed in 42.2%. Its use is significantly correlated with having ˃3 stones (mean 3.4 vs. 1.2 stones) [P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval: −3.19 to −1.25]. Minor complications included temporary lingual paresthesia (7.8%) and postoperative ranula (1.6%).

Conclusions

Submandibular IMAS is a highly effective safe technique for stones (≥5 mm). The improved microscopic visualization, illumination and magnification allows addressing all stone locations including intraglandular calculi and enables better lingual nerve identification and preservation.
Size fractionated NET‐Seq reveals a conserved architecture of transcription units around yeast genes
Authors: Xi Shidong , Nguyen Tania , Murray Struan , Lorenz Phil , Mellor Jane
Published: March 2024

Genomes from yeast to humans are subject to pervasive transcription. A single round of pervasive transcription is sufficient to alter local chromatin conformation, nucleosome dynamics and gene expression, but is hard to distinguish from background signals. Size fractionated native elongating transcript sequencing (sfNET‐Seq) was developed to precisely map nascent transcripts independent of expression levels. RNAPII‐associated nascent transcripts are fractionation into different size ranges before library construction. When anchored to the transcription start sites (TSS) of annotated genes, the combined pattern of the output metagenes gives the expected reference pattern. Bioinformatic pattern matching to the reference pattern identified 9542 transcription units in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, of which 47% are coding and 53% are noncoding. In total, 3113 (33%) are unannotated noncoding transcription units. Anchoring all transcription units to the TSS or polyadenylation site (PAS) of annotated genes reveals distinctive architectures of linked pairs of divergent transcripts approximately 200nt apart. The Reb1 transcription factor is enriched 30nt downstream of the PAS only when an upstream (TSS −60nt with respect to PAS) noncoding transcription unit co‐occurs with a downstream (TSS +150nt) coding transcription unit and acts to limit levels of upstream antisense transcripts. The potential for extensive transcriptional interference is evident from low abundance unannotated transcription units with variable TSS (median −240nt) initiating within a 500nt window upstream of, and transcribing over, the promoters of protein‐coding genes. This study confirms a highly interleaved yeast genome with different types of transcription units altering the chromatin landscape in distinctive ways, with the potential to exert extensive regulatory control.
Overfitting, Underfitting and General Model Overconfidence and Under-Performance Pitfalls and Best Practices in Machine Learning and AI
Authors: Aliferis Constantin , Simon Gyorgy
Published: March 2024

Avoiding over and under fitted analyses (OF, UF) and models is critical for ensuring as high generalization performance as possible and is of profound importance for the success of ML/AI modeling. In modern ML/AI practice OF/UF are typically interacting with error estimator procedures and model selection, as well as with sampling and reporting biases and thus need be considered together in context. The more general situations of over confidence (OC) about models and/or under-performing (UP) models can occur in many subtle and not so subtle ways especially in the presence of high-dimensional data, modest or small sample sizes, powerful learners and imperfect data designs. Because over/under confidence about models are closely related to model complexity, model selection, error estimation and sampling (as part of data design) we connect these concepts with the material of chapters “An Appraisal and Operating Characteristics of Major ML Methods Applicable in Healthcare and Health Science,” “Data Design,” and “Evaluation”. These concepts are also closely related to statistical significance and scientific reproducibility. We examine several common scenarios where over confidence in model performance and/or model under performance occur as well as detailed practices for preventing, testing and correcting them.
Lessons Learned from Historical Failures, Limitations and Successes of AI/ML in Healthcare and the Health Sciences. Enduring Problems, and the Role of Best Practices
Authors: Aliferis Constantin , Simon Gyorgy
Published: March 2024

This chapter covers a variety of cases studies-based incidents and concepts that are valuable for identifying pitfalls, suggesting best practices and supporting their use. Examples include: the Gartner hype cycle; the infamous “AI winters”; limitations of early-stage knowledge representation and reasoning methods; overfitting; using methods not built for the task; over-estimating the value and potential or early and heuristic technology; developing AI disconnected with real-life needs and application contexts; over-interpreting theoretical shortcomings of one algorithm to all algorithms in the class; misinterpreting computational learning theory; failures/shortcomings of literature including technically erroneous information and persistence of incorrect findings; meta research yielding unreliable results; failures/shortcomings of modeling protocols, data and evaluation designs (e.g., competitions); failures/shortcomings of specific projects and technologies; and also contextual factors that may render guidelines themselves problematic. These case studies were often followed by improved technology that overcame various limitations. The case studies reinforce, and demonstrate the value of science-driven practices for addressing enduring and new challenges.
Characterizing, Diagnosing and Managing the Risk of Error of ML & AI Models in Clinical and Organizational Application
Authors: Aliferis Constantin , Ma Sisi , Wang Jinhua , Simon Gyorgy
Published: March 2024

This chapter covers essential practical methods for examining models, reviewing their face validity, and characterizing and managing risk of errors of such models at development and at deployment stages. This chapter also briefly discusses broader methods and best practices for detecting and correcting issues with ML modeling and the emerging concept of debugging ML models and analyses. A “toolkit” for application safety measures is presented.
Regulatory Aspects and Ethical Legal Societal Implications (ELSI)
Authors: Johnson Steven G. , Simon Gyorgy , Aliferis Constantin
Published: March 2024

This chapter reviews the context of regulating AI/ML models, the risk management principles underlying international regulations of clinical AI/ML, the conditions under which health AI/ML models in the U.S. are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the FDA’s Good Machine Learning Practice (GMLP) principles. The GMLP principles do not offer specific guidance on execution, so we point the Reader to the parts of the book that discuss bringing these principles to practice via concrete best practice recommendations. Intrinsically linked with regulatory aspects are the Ethical, Legal, Social Implications (ELSI) dimensions. The chapter provides an introduction to the nascent field of biomedical AI ethics covering: general AI ELSI studies, AI/ML racial bias, and AI/ML and Health equity principles. Contrary to conventional risks/harms (data security and privacy, adherence to model use as stated in consent), ethical AI/ML involves model effectiveness and harms thatcan exist within the intended scope of consent.On the positive side, in the case of biomedical AI, these risks are in principle measurable and knowable compared to hard-to-quantify risks/harm due to data breaches. The chapter discusses (and gives illustrative examples) of the importance of causality and equivalence classes for practical detection of racial bias in models. The chapter concludes with a series of recommended best practices for promoting health equity and reducing health disparities via the design and use of health AI/ML.
An Appraisal and Operating Characteristics of Major ML Methods Applicable in Healthcare and Health Science
Authors: Simon Gyorgy , Aliferis Constantin
Published: March 2024

This chapter provides an outline of most major biomedical ML methods in a manner suitable for both readers who have not delved into ML before, and readers who may already know about some or all of these methods. The former will find here a useful introduction and review. The latter will find additional insights as we critically revisit the key concepts and add summary guidance on whether and when each technique is applicable (or not) in healthcare and health science problem solving. Toward that end, for each technique, we introduce a “Method Label”, akin to a drug label, which provides distilled information about the techniques at a glance. The method labels present the primary and secondary uses of each technique, provide context of use, describe the principles of operation, and summarize important theoretical and empirical properties.
Foundations of Causal ML
Authors: Kummerfeld Erich , Andrews Bryan , Ma Sisi
Published: March 2024

The present chapter covers the important dimension of causality in ML both in terms of causal structure discovery and causal inference. The vast majority of biomedical ML focuses on predictive modeling and does not address causal methods, their requirements and properties. Yet these are essential for determining and assisting patient-level or healthcare-level interventions toward improving a set of outcomes of interest. Moreover causal ML techniques can be instrumental for health science discovery.
Apurinic/apyrimidinic endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APE1) promotes stress granule formation via YBX1 phosphorylation in ovarian cancer
Authors: Mao Shuyu , Xie Chong , Liu Yufeng , Zhao Ye , Li Mengxia , Gao Han , Xiao Yue , Zou Yongkang , Zheng Zhiguo , Gao Ya , Xie Juan , Tian Bing , Wang Liangyan , Hua Yuejin , Xu Hong
Published: March 2024

APE1 is an essential gene involved in DNA damage repair, the redox regulation of transcriptional factors (TFs) and RNA processing. APE1 overexpression is common in cancers and correlates with poor patient survival. Stress granules (SGs) are phase-separated cytoplasmic assemblies that cells form in response to environmental stresses. Precise regulation of SGs is pivotal to cell survival, whereas their dysregulation is increasingly linked to diseases. Whether APE1 engages in modulating SG dynamics is worthy of investigation. In this study, we demonstrate that APE1 colocalizes with SGs and promotes their formation. Through phosphoproteome profiling, we discover that APE1 significantly alters the phosphorylation landscape of ovarian cancer cells, particularly the phosphoprofile of SG proteins. Notably, APE1 promotes the phosphorylation of Y-Box binding protein 1 (YBX1) at S174 and S176, leading to enhanced SG formation and cell survival. Moreover, expression of the phosphomutant YBX1 S174/176E mimicking hyperphosphorylation in APE1-knockdown cells recovered the impaired SG formation. These findings shed light on the functional importance of APE1 in SG regulation and highlight the importance of YBX1 phosphorylation in SG dynamics.
On the distribution and diversity of tissue-specific somatic mutations in honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones
Authors: Shultz R. R. , Carey A. , Ragheb K. E. , Robinson J. P. , Harpur B. A.
Published: March 2024

Somatic mutations originate from both exogenous (e.g. UV radiation, chemical agents) and endogenous (e.g., DNA replication, defective DNA repair) sources and can have significant impacts on an animal’s reproductive success. This may be especially true for haploid organisms that are susceptible to any deleterious alleles inherited from their parent and any that arise over their lifetime. Unfortunately, little is known about the rate of somatic mutation accumulation across individuals and tissues of haplodiploid animal populations, the functional processes through which they arise, and their distribution across tissues and the genome. Here, we generated short-read whole-genome sequencing data for four tissues of haploid honey bee males. We paired this with estimates of telomere length and tissue-specific DNA content to address three major questions: is there variance in somatic mutational load across haploid individuals and specific tissues therein, does increased DNA content in a tissue contribute to somatic mutational load, and does telomere length correlate with mutational load? Our results suggest that variance in somatic mutational load is better captured across individuals than across tissues, that tissue-specific DNA content is not associated with somatic mutation load, and that variance in telomere length does not correlate with somatic mutation loads across tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first observational study on somatic mutational load in Apoidea and likely Hymenoptera. It serves as a useful advent for additional studies understanding the processes through which haploids tolerate or repair somatic mutations.
Wie viel Digital Public Health steckt in Public-Health-Studiengängen? Eine systematische Modulhandbuchanalyse von Vollzeitstudiengängen an öffentlichen Hochschulen und Universitäten in Deutschland
Authors: Albrecht Joanna , Maaß Laura , Tokgöz Pinar , Hrynyschyn Robert , Wrona Kamil J. , Stark Anna Lea , Dunsche Celina , Fischer Florian , Schmidt Annalena , Schulz Henriette , Hidding Sarah , Dockweiler Christoph
Published: March 2024

Hintergrund

Fachkräfte für den Bereich Digital Public Health (DiPH) sind für eine erfolgreiche digitale Transformation im Sozial- und Gesundheitswesen notwendig. Unklar ist jedoch, inwiefern im Public-Health-(PH-)Studium DiPH-bezogene Inhalte vermittelt werden.

Methode

Mittels systematischer Modulhandbuchanalyse wurden DiPH-bezogene Inhalte von akkreditierten PH-orientierten Studiengängen öffentlicher Hochschulen und Universitäten in Deutschland analysiert. Über die Plattform „Hochschulkompass“ und Mitgliedsstudiengänge der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Public Health (DGPH) wurden 422 Studiengänge identifiziert. Eingeschlossene Modulhandbücher wurden inhaltsanalytisch mittels MAXQDA ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse

Lediglich 10 Bachelor- und 6 Masterstudiengänge weisen einen inhaltlichen DiPH-Bezug auf. Sie sind in ihren Schwerpunkten heterogen und unterschiedlichen PH-Teilbereichen zuzuordnen („Methoden, Definition, Geschichte und Sozialmedizin“ = 5; „Gesundheitsmanagement“ = 5; „Digital Health“ = 3; „Versorgungsforschung“ = 2; „Gesundheitskommunikation“ = 1). Zwischen dem wissenschaftlich gängigen Verständnis von DiPH und den darauf bezogenen Inhalten in den Modulhandbüchern zeigen sich Unterschiede. Die identifizierten Inhalte fokussieren eher technische und geringfügiger sozial- und gesundheitswissenschaftliche Bereiche.

Diskussion

Die heterogenen Studiengänge mit DiPH-Bezug ermöglichen akademischen PH-Fachkräften eine spezifische Profilierung. Um umfassende Kompetenzen im Bereich DiPH zu erlangen, bedarf es eines weiteren Ausbaus entsprechender Module, die für den jeweiligen Studiengang relevant sind. Die Ergebnisse könnten zur (Weiter‑)Entwicklung geeigneter Module sowie eines DiPH-Kerncurriculums dienen.
Modeling trends and periodic components in geodetic time series: a unified approach
Authors: Kermarrec Gaël , Maddanu Federico , Klos Anna , Proietti Tommaso , Bogusz Janusz
Published: March 2024

Geodetic time series are usually modeled with a deterministic approach that includes trend, annual, and semiannual periodic components having constant amplitude and phase-lag. Although simple, this approach neglects the time-variability or stochasticity of trend and seasonal components, and can potentially lead to inadequate interpretations, such as an overestimation of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) station velocity uncertainties, up to masking important geophysical phenomena. In this contribution, we generalize previous methods for determining trends and seasonal components and address the challenge of their time-variability by proposing a novel linear additive model, according to which (i) the trend is allowed to evolve over time, (ii) the seasonality is represented by a fractional sinusoidal waveform process (fSWp), accounting for possible non-stationary cyclical long-memory, and (iii) an additional serially correlated noise captures the short term variability. The model has a state space representation, opening the way for the evaluation of the likelihood and signal extraction with the support of the Kalman filter (KF) and the associated smoothing algorithm. Suitable enhancements of the basic methodology enable handling data gaps, outliers, and offsets. We demonstrate the advantage of our method with respect to the benchmark deterministic approach using both observed and simulated time series and provide a fair comparison with the Hector software. To that end, various geodetic time series are considered which illustrate the ability to capture the time-varying stochastic seasonal signals with the fSWp.
Verhaltenssüchte als neue ICD-11-Diagnosen
Authors: Lindenberg Katajun , Sonnenschein Anke Rebecca
Published: March 2024

Hintergrund

Die Aufnahme von Störungen durch Verhaltenssüchte in die 11. Revision der International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) durch die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) ist ein bedeutender Meilenstein in der psychotherapeutischen Versorgung von Betroffenen.

Methode

Die vorliegende Arbeit enthält eine Übersicht über die aktuelle Evidenzlage der neuen ICD-11-Kategorie.

Ergebnisse

Verhaltenssüchte werden zusammen mit Substanzgebrauchsstörungen in der Kategorie „Störungen durch Substanzgebrauch oder Verhaltenssüchte“ klassifiziert. Die Computerspiel- und die Glücksspielstörung werden als eigenständige Diagnosen aufgeführt und können sich sowohl auf online als auch offline ausgeführtes Verhalten beziehen. Die Soziale-Netzwerke-Nutzungsstörung, die Kauf-Shopping-Störung und die Pornografie-Nutzungsstörung werden als „sonstige Störungen durch Verhaltenssüchte“ vorgeschlagen. Behandlungsrelevante Grundlagen der Störungsentstehung umfassen Faktoren des Suchtmittels (insbesondere intermittierende Verstärkungsmechanismen), Faktoren der Person (prädisponierende Variablen sowie kognitive, affektive und exekutive Reaktionen auf suchtbezogene Reize) und Faktoren der Umwelt (Risikofaktoren in relevanten Lebensbereichen sowie die Verfügbarkeit der Suchtmittel). Unterstützungsangebote für Betroffene sind in die Bereiche Beratung, ambulante und stationäre Behandlung sowie Rehabilitation unterteilbar. Therapeutische Ziele und Strategien beinhalten motivationsorientierte Verfahren, behaviorale und kognitive Interventionen, körperorientierte Interventionen, Fertigkeitentrainings und unterstützende Angebote durch Jugendhilfe, Paarberatung, Schulden- und Sozialberatung.

Schlussfolgerung

Der Einzug der Verhaltenssüchte in die ICD-11 ist eine wichtige Grundlage für eine adäquate Versorgung von Betroffenen und ihren Angehörigen.
Welch’s t test is more sensitive to real world violations of distributional assumptions than student’s t test but logistic regression is more robust than either
Authors: Curtis David
Published: March 2024

It has previously been pointed out that Student’s t test, which assumes that samples are drawn from populations with equal standard deviations, can have an inflated Type I error rate if this assumption is violated. Hence it has been recommended that Welch’s t test should be preferred. In the context of carrying out gene-wise weighted burden tests for detecting association of rare variants with psoriasis we observe that Welch’s test performs unsatisfactorily. We show that if the assumption of normality is violated and observations follow a Poisson distribution, then with unequal sample sizes Welch’s t test has an inflated Type I error rate, is systematically biased and is prone to produce extremely low p values. We argue that such data can arise in a variety of real world situations and believe that researchers should be aware of this issue. Student’s t test performs much better in this scenario but a likelihood ratio test based on logistic regression models performs better still and we suggest that this might generally be a preferable method to test for a difference in distributions between two samples.

This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource.
Non-femoral focused transaxillary access in TAVI: GARY data analysis and future trends
Authors: Meertens Max M. , Adam Matti , Beckmann Andreas , Ensminger Stephan , Frerker Christian , Seiffert Moritz , Sinning Jan-Malte , Bekeredjian Raffi , Walther Thomas , Beyersdorf Friedhelm , Möllmann Helge , Balaban Ümniye , Eghbalzadeh Kaveh , Rudolph Tanja K. , Bleiziffer Sabine
Published: March 2024

Background

In patients not suitable for transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), several access strategies can be chosen.

Aim

To evaluate the use and patient outcomes of transaxillary (TAx), transapical (TA), and transaortic (TAo) as alternative access for TAVI in Germany; to further evaluate surgical cutdown vs. percutaneous TAx access.

Methods

All patients entered the German Aortic Valve Registry (GARY) between 2011 and 2019 who underwent non-transfemoral TAVI were included in this analysis. Patients with TA, TAo, or TAx TAVI were compared using a weighted propensity score model. Furthermore, a subgroup analysis was performed for TAx regarding the percutaneous or surgical cutdown approach.

Results

Overall, 9686 patients received a non-transfemoral access. A total of 8918 patients (92.1%) underwent TA, 398 (4.1%) TAo, and 370 (3.8%) TAx approaches. Within the TAx subgroup, 141 patients (38.1%) received subclavian cutdown, while 200 (54.1%) underwent a percutaneous approach. The TA patients had a significantly lower 30-day survival than TAx patients (TA 90.92% vs. TAx 95.59%, p = 0.006; TAo 92.22% vs. TAx 95.59%, p = 0.102). Comparing percutaneous and cutdown TAx approaches, no significant differences were seen. However, more vascular complications occurred (TA 1.8%, TAo 2.4%, TAx 12.2%; p < .001), and the hospital length of stay was shorter (TA 12.9 days, TAo 14.1 days, TAx 12 days; p < .001) after TAx access.

Conclusion

It may be reasonable to consider TAx access first in patients not suitable for TF-TAVI, because the 30-day survival was higher compared with TA access and the 1-year survival was higher compared with TAo access. It remains important for the heart teams to offer alternative access modalities for patients not amenable to the standard TF-TAVI approaches.

Graphical Abstract
Early life stress, literacy and dyslexia: an evolutionary perspective
Authors: Kershner John R.
Published: March 2024

Stress and learning co-evolved in parallel, with their interdependence critical to the survival of the species. Even today, the regulation of moderate levels of stress by the central autonomic network (CAN), especially during pre- and post-natal periods, facilitates biological adaptability and is an essential precursor for the cognitive requisites of learning to read. Reading is a remarkable evolutionary achievement of the human brain, mysteriously unusual, because it is not pre-wired with a genetic address to facilitate its acquisition. There is no gene for reading. The review suggests that reading co-opts a brain circuit centered in the left hemisphere ventral occipital cortex that evolved as a domain-general visual processor. Its adoption by reading depends on the CAN’s coordination of the learning and emotional requirements of learning to read at the metabolic, cellular, synaptic, and network levels. By stabilizing a child’s self-control and modulating the attention network’s inhibitory controls over the reading circuit, the CAN plays a key role in school readiness and learning to read. In addition, the review revealed two beneficial CAN evolutionary adjustments to early-life stress “overloads” that come with incidental costs of school under-performance and dyslexia. A short-term adaptation involving methylation of the FKBP5 and NR3C1 genes is a liability for academic achievement in primary school. The adaptation leading to dyslexia induces alterations in BDNF trafficking, promoting long-term adaptive fitness by protecting against excessive glucocorticoid toxicity but risks reading difficulties by disruptive signaling from the CAN to the attention networks and the reading circuit.
Functional categorization of gene regulatory variants that cause Mendelian conditions
Authors: Cheng Y. H. Hank , Bohaczuk Stephanie C. , Stergachis Andrew B.
Published: March 2024

Much of our current understanding of rare human diseases is driven by coding genetic variants. However, non-coding genetic variants play a pivotal role in numerous rare human diseases, resulting in diverse functional impacts ranging from altered gene regulation, splicing, and/or transcript stability. With the increasing use of genome sequencing in clinical practice, it is paramount to have a clear framework for understanding how non-coding genetic variants cause disease. To this end, we have synthesized the literature on hundreds of non-coding genetic variants that cause rare Mendelian conditions via the disruption of gene regulatory patterns and propose a functional classification system. Specifically, we have adapted the functional classification framework used for coding variants (i.e., loss-of-function, gain-of-function, and dominant-negative) to account for features unique to non-coding gene regulatory variants. We identify that non-coding gene regulatory variants can be split into three distinct categories by functional impact: (1) non-modular loss-of-expression (LOE) variants; (2) modular loss-of-expression (mLOE) variants; and (3) gain-of-ectopic-expression (GOE) variants. Whereas LOE variants have a direct corollary with coding loss-of-function variants, mLOE and GOE variants represent disease mechanisms that are largely unique to non-coding variants. These functional classifications aim to provide a unified terminology for categorizing the functional impact of non-coding variants that disrupt gene regulatory patterns in Mendelian conditions.
Vulcanian eruptions at Sakurajima Volcano: geophysical data, numerical modelling, and petrological evidence
Authors: Nishimura Takeshi , Kozono Tomofumi , Matsumoto Akiko , Nakagawa Mitsuhiro , Iguchi Masato
Published: March 2024

We investigated the magma conduit system beneath three active craters that have repeatedly generated Vulcanian eruptions at Sakurajima Volcano, Japan, by analysing seismic, infrasound, and tilt data. The hypocentres of the earthquakes associated with the Vulcanian eruptions are distributed separately at shallow depths of approximately 0.5 km beneath the craters. Infrasound indicated that the swelling of the crater floor starts approximately 0.2 s after the occurrence of earthquakes and that the eruption starts about 0.3 to 0.5 s later. During an eruption, tilt vectors at a station approximately 2.7 km far from the active craters indicated a deflationary trend directed toward one of the three active craters. A 1-D conduit flow simulation indicated pressure build-up at a depth of 0.4–1.0 km beneath the crater, consistent with previously reported pressure sources during eruptions detected by geodesy. Volcanic lapilli emitted from the three craters have the same chemical composition; hence, Vulcanian eruptions of all three studied craters originate from a common magma source.
Development of a novel animal model of lumbar vertebral endplate lesion by intervertebral disk injection of monosodium iodoacetate in rats
Authors: Maruyama Toshiaki , Nakamae Toshio , Kamei Naosuke , Morisako Taiki , Nakao Kazuto , Farid Fadlyansyah , Fukui Hiroki , Adachi Nobuo
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Vertebral endplate lesions (EPLs) caused by severe disk degeneration are associated with low back pain. However, its pathophysiology remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to develop a vertebral EPL rat model mimicking severe intervertebral disk (IVD) degeneration by injecting monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) into the IVDs and evaluating it by assessing pain-related behavior, micro-computed tomography (CT) findings, and histological changes.

Methods

MIA was injected into the L4-5 and L5-6 IVDs of Sprague–Dawley rats. Their behavior was examined by measuring the total distance traveled and the total number of rearing in an open square arena. Bone alterations and volume around the vertebral endplate were assessed using micro-CT. Safranin-O staining, immunohistochemistry, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining were performed for histological assessment.

Results

The total distance and number of rearing times in the open field were significantly reduced in a time-dependent manner. Micro-CT revealed intervertebral osteophytes and irregularities in the endplates at 12 weeks. The bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) around the endplates significantly increased from 6 weeks onward. Safranin-O staining revealed severe degeneration of IVDs and endplate disorders in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive nerve fibers significantly increased from 6 weeks onward. However, the number of osteoclasts decreased over time.

Conclusion

Our rat EPL model showed progressive morphological vertebral endplate changes in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, similar to the degenerative changes in human IVDs. This model can be used as an animal model of severe IVD degeneration to better understand the pathophysiology of EPL.
Text readability in augmented reality: a multivocal literature review
Authors: Cauz Maxime , Clarinval Antoine , Dumas Bruno
Published: March 2024

Augmented reality (AR) is making its way into many sectors. Its rapid evolution in recent years has led to the development of prototypes demonstrating its effectiveness. However, to be able to push these prototypes to the scale of fully usable applications, it is important to ensure the readability of the texts they include. To this end, we conducted a multivocal literature review (MLR) to determine the text parameters a designer can tune, as well as the contextual constraints they need to pay attention to, in relation to Optical See-Through (OST) and Video See-Through (VST) displays. We also included guidelines from device manufacturing and game engines sites to compare the current state of research in the academic and industrial worlds. The results show that parameters pertaining more to letter legibility have been extensively studied (e.g., color and size), while those pertaining to the whole text still require further research (e.g., alignment or space between lines). The former group of parameters, and their associated constraints, were assembled in the form of two decision trees to facilitate implementation of AR applications. Finally, we also concluded that there was a lack of alignment between academic and industrial recommendations.
Supporting students’ inquiry through doubly authentic learning designs: four configurations of interests, domain, and identity
Authors: Rahmian Liat , Hod Yotam , Yuan Guangji , Zhang Jianwei
Published: March 2024

In this research, we examine learning within doubly authentic learning designs, which combine the sociocultural perspective that classrooms should be congruent with professional practices, along with a humanistic perspective that suggests students’ identities should be aligned with what they inquire about in class. Our work is situated in a long-term design based research effort where we have come to theorize and develop a set of specific practices around Humanistic Knowledge Building Communities (HKBCs). Based on interviews, classroom observations, learning artifacts, as well as in-class reflective diaries, we examined different ways that students negotiated their own interests and identities within a learning domain in doubly authentic HKBCs. The analysis of our data, instantiated across multiple case studies, resulted in an interest-identity-domain configuration framework that we call ENDURE. This research contributes new knowledge about the ways in which students’ inquiry interests within knowledge building communities can be supported and sustained through designed activities that foster interconnections between different aspects of their lives and what they study in school.
Academic Fraud and Remote Evaluation of Accounting Students: An Application of the Fraud Triangle
Authors: Bierstaker James , Brink William D. , Khatoon Sameera , Thorne Linda
Published: March 2024

The pandemic has altered accounting education with the widespread adoption of remote evaluation platforms. We apply the lens of the fraud triangle to consider how the adoption of remote evaluation influences accounting students’ ethical values by measuring the incidence of cheating behavior as well as capturing their perceptions of their opportunity to cheat and their rationalization of cheating behavior. Consistent with prior research, our results show that cheating is higher in the online environment compared to remote evaluation, although the use of proctoring software in online evaluation appears to mitigate but not eliminate students’ the unethical behavior. However, cheating was not reduced when students attest to an honor code during the beginning of an exam. Nonetheless, we find that the use of both proctoring software and honor codes reduces students’ perceptions of opportunity and rationalization of cheating behavior. It follows that the remote evaluation environment may unintentionally be negatively influencing the ethicality of students and future accounting professionals by promoting cheating behavior and, by so doing, negatively influencing the development of unethical values of accounting students and future accounting professionals. Educators should consider the use of appropriate educational interventions to reduce the incidence and opportunities for unethical behavior and, by so doing, help promote the development of ethical values in future accounting professionals. Further implications for teaching and the accounting profession are discussed.
Design of ultra-low noise amplifier for quantum applications (QLNA)
Authors: Salmanogli Ahmad , Sirat Vahid Sharif
Published: March 2024

The present article primarily focuses on the design of an ultra-low-noise amplifier specifically tailored for quantum applications. The circuit design places a significant emphasis on improving the noise figure, as quantum-associated applications require the circuit's noise temperature to be around 0.4 K. This requirement aims to achieve performance comparable to the Josephson Junction amplifier. Although this task presents considerable challenges, the work concentrates on engineering the circuit to minimize mismatch and reflection coefficients, while simultaneously enhancing circuit transconductance. These efforts aim to improve the noise figure as efficiently as possible. The results of this study indicate the possibility of achieving a noise figure of approximately 0.009 dB for a unique circuit design operating at 10 K. In a departure from traditional approaches, this study employs quantum mechanical theory to analyze the circuit comprehensively. By employing quantum theory, the researchers derive relationships that highlight the crucial quantities upon which the circuit design should focus to optimize the noise figure. For example, the circuit's gain power, which depends on the circuit's photonic modes, is theoretically derived and found to affect the noise figure directly. Ultimately, by merging quantum theory with engineering approaches, this study successfully designs a highly efficient circuit that significantly minimizes the noise figure in a quantum application setting.