bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Incentive Program with Almost no Incentive: Overlooked Benefits of Pay for Performance*
Authors: Mu Chunzhou , Maruyama Shiko
Published: July 2024

Australia introduced the Service Incentive Payment (SIP) program for diabetes in 2001, which offers a trivial financial reward to general practitioners (GPs). We estimate the effect of the diabetes SIP on a wide range of healthcare utilisations of diabetes patients, with the aim of evaluating a pay‐for‐performance program more comprehensively than existing research. Using a large survey linked to administrative medical claims data, we compare a wide range of healthcare utilisation outcomes between areas with high SIP penetration and low SIP penetration. To uncover causal effects, we conduct a difference‐in‐differences analysis, which employs GPs who are ineligible for claiming a SIP reward as a control group. We find that concessional diabetes patients (who face low cost‐sharing and hence tend to use more services than the socially optimal level) in high‐SIP‐penetration areas tend to use less healthcare compared to those in low‐SIP‐penetration areas. Conversely, non‐concessional patients in high‐SIP‐penetration areas tend to use more healthcare than their counterparts in low‐SIP‐penetration areas. No compromise on health is observed, implying that despite the minor reward, the SIP program has improved systematic diabetes management and consequently enhanced social efficiency by nudging GPs.
genomeprofile: Unveiling the genomic profile for livestock breeding through comprehensive SNP array‐based genotyping
Authors: Hulsegge Ina , Bouwman Aniek C. , Derks Martijn F. L.
Published: July 2024

In livestock breeding, single nucleotide polymorphism arrays have become a cornerstone of modern livestock breeding. SNP arrays facilitate the identification of genetic markers linked to economically important traits and provide a powerful tool for predicting breeding values. However, conventional breeding programs often overlook additional genomic features contained in the SNP array data that can provide valuable insights into the genetic diversity, copy number variation, inbreeding levels and potential challenges in breeding lines. Here we present genomeprofile, a tool using SNP array‐based genomic data, offering a comprehensive profile of breeding animals including the identification of copy number variants and runs of homozygosity, and screening for aneuploidy. By integrating these features into the breeding landscape, genomeprofile enables a more comprehensive picture of genomic variation, ultimately enhancing precision breeding strategies. To illustrate the practicality and efficacy of genomeprofile, we applied the tool to a dataset of four pig breeding lines. The genomeprofile tool is a user‐friendly tool that processes genotype data in finalreport or plink ped format efficiently into useful output. The output contains copy number variations, runs of homozygosity, selection signatures, aneuploidy and inbreeding per individual and across populations. This allows breeding companies and researchers to identify unique individuals or regions in the genome of interest based on routinely collected data.
Methods for multiancestry genome‐wide association study meta‐analysis
Authors: Yap Chuan Fu , Morris Andrew P.
Published: July 2024

Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have significantly enhanced our understanding of the genetic basis of complex diseases. Despite the technological advancements, gaps in our understanding remain, partly due to small effect sizes and inadequate coverage of genetic variation. Multiancestry GWAS meta‐analysis (MAGMA) addresses these challenges by integrating genetic data from diverse populations, thereby increasing power to detect loci and improving fine‐mapping resolution to identify causal variants across different ancestry groups. This review provides an overview of the protocols, statistical methods, and software of MAGMA, as well as highlighting some challenges associated with this approach.
Organizing employee‐driven innovation (EDI) through game‐based formats: Understanding participation
Authors: Mosleh Wafa Said , Bäckström Izabelle , Manfrini Caterina , Leue‐Bensch Carina
Published: July 2024

The awareness of employee‐driven innovation (EDI) and its strategic relevance to corporate development has recently increased. The implications of EDI are vigorously discussed in terms of inclusive approaches; particularly focussing on how managerial structures can enable employee participation. This paper focusses on game‐based formats to enhance such participation and explores what participation entails, when studied through a perspective of complex responsive processes. A qualitative study was carried out in a large European IT organization. The key finding in this paper is that EDI theory is grounded in a systemic perspective of participation. Game‐based EDI activities are argued to enhance participation, but EDI theory does not clarify how such game mechanics go beyond simply simulating pre‐planned procedures. This research argues that participation is the entanglement of many’ people's interactions and thereby not reducible to the notion of one cause, having one exact effect. By looking at game‐based EDI through a complex responsive process perspective, this paper proposes that EDI emerges in complex processes of social relating. This entails abandoning the idea that game‐based activities can be led by management's formal planning and control and instead moving towards the idea that playful participation is centred around the social nature of human interaction.
Lin28a forms an RNA‐binding complex with Igf2bp3 to regulate m6A‐modified stress response genes in stress granules of muscle stem cells
Authors: Song Dan , Chen Yu , Wang Peng , Cheng Yeqian , Shyh‐Chang Ng
Published: July 2024

In the early embryonic stages, Lin‐28 homologue A (Lin28a) is highly expressed and declines as the embryo matures. As an RNA‐binding protein, Lin28a maintains some adult muscle stem cells (MuSCs) in an embryonic‐like state, but its RNA metabolism regulation mechanism remains unclear. BioGPS analysis revealed that Lin28a expression is significantly higher in muscle tissues than in other tissues. Lin28a‐positive muscle stem cells (Lin28a+ MuSCs) were sorted from Lin28a‐CreERT2; LSL‐tdTomato mouse skeletal muscle tissue, which exhibited a higher proliferation rate than the control group. Lin28a‐bound transcripts are enriched in various biological processes such as DNA repair, cell cycle, mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative stress response. The expression of insulin‐like growth factor 2 mRNA‐binding protein 3 (Igf2bp3) was markedly elevated in the presence of Lin28a. Co‐immunoprecipitation analysis further demonstrated that Lin28a associates with Igf2bp3. Immunofluorescence analyses confirmed that Lin28a, Igf2bp3 and G3bp1 colocalize to form stress granules (SG), and N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification promotes the formation of Lin28a‐SG. Sequencing of the transcriptome and RNAs immunoprecipitated by Lin28a, Igf2bp3 and m6A antibodies in Lin28a+ MuSCs further revealed that Lin28a and Igf2bp3 collaboratively regulate the expression of DNA repair‐related genes, including Fancm and Usp1. Lin28a stabilises Igf2bp3, Usp1, and Fancm mRNAs, enhancing DNA repair against oxidative or proteotoxic stress, thus promoting MuSCs self‐renewal. Understanding the intricate mechanisms through which Lin28a and Igf2bp3 regulate MuSCs provides a deeper understanding of stem cell self‐renewal, with potential implications for regenerative medicine.
Risks of Post‐Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Pancreatitis After Liver Transplantation
Authors: Ghambari Kimia , de Jong David M. , Bruno Marco J. , Polak Wojciech G. , van Driel Lydi M. J. W. , den Hoed Caroline M.
Published: July 2024

Biliary complications are common after liver transplantation (LT). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the preferred method to treat biliary complications. Nevertheless, ERCP is not without complications and may have a greater complication rate in the LT population. Knowledge of the prevalence, severity, and possible risk factors for post‐ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) in LT recipients is limited. Therefore, this study aims to determine the incidence and severity of PEP and identify potential risk factors in LT recipients. This retrospective cohort included patients ≥18 years who underwent ≥1 ERCP procedures after LT between January 2010 and October 2021. Two hundred thirty‐two patients were included, who underwent 260 LTs and 1125 ERCPs. PEP occurred after 23 ERCP procedures (2%) with subsequent mortality in three (13%). Multivariate logistic regression identified wire cannulation of the pancreatic duct as a significant risk factor for PEP (OR, 3.21). The complication rate of PEP after LT in this study was shown to be low and is lower compared to patients without a history of LT. Nevertheless, the mortality rate of this group of patients was notably higher.
Uncertainty and Communication Preferences Among Patients Undergoing Lung Transplant Evaluation: A Mixed‐Methods Study
Authors: Lange Allison V. , Mehta Anuj B. , Ramos Kathleen J. , Campbell Eric G. , Gray Alice L. , Tietbohl Caroline , Garcia‐Hernandez Sandra , Bekelman David B.
Published: July 2024

Objective

Higher uncertainty is associated with poorer quality of life and may be impacted by clinician communication about the future. We determined how patients undergoing lung transplant evaluation experience uncertainty and communication about the future from clinicians.

Methods

We performed a convergent parallel mixed‐methods study using a cross‐sectional survey and semistructured interviews. Patients undergoing lung transplant evaluation at the University of Colorado and the University of Washington answered questions about future communication and completed the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale‐Adult (MUIS‐A; range 33–165, higher scores indicate more uncertainty). Interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Integration of survey and interview results occurred during data interpretation.

Results

A total of 101 patients completed the survey (response rate: 47%). Twelve survey participants completed interviews. In the survey, most patients identified changing family roles as important (76%), which was infrequently discussed with clinicians (31%). Most patients (86%) worried about the quality of their life in the future, and 74% said that not knowing what to expect in the future prevented them from making plans. The mean MUIS‐A score was 85.5 (standard deviation 15.3). Interviews revealed three themes: (1) uncertainty of the future distresses participants; (2) participants want practical information from clinicians; and (3) communication preferences vary among participants.

Conclusion

Participants experienced distressing uncertainty and wanted information about the future. Communication topics that were important to participants were not always addressed by physicians. Clinicians should address how chronic lung disease and lung transplant can directly impact patients’ lives and support patients to cope with uncertainty.
A case of severe and prolonged γ‐hydroxybutyrate (GHB) withdrawal syndrome successfully managed with a slow benzodiazepine and baclofen taper
Authors: Gupta Rachit , Moon Greta , Bonomo Yvonne , Pastor Adam
Published: July 2024

Introduction

γ‐hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a GABA‐B agonist that rapidly produces effects that are likened to both alcohol and MDMA/ecstasy. GHB use can lead to neuroadaptation with a characteristic withdrawal syndrome. There is currently a paucity of data on the progression of GHB withdrawal, however, due to the drug's short half‐life it is generally considered to be typically 5–7 days, although some cases can be severe and complicated by life threatening delirium. Here, we present a case of severe GHB withdrawal, which recurred on multiple occasions over 56 days, despite initial clinical stabilisation on each occasion and toxicological evidence of abstinence from GHB between episodes.

Case Presentation

A male patient in his 30s presented with agitated delirium on a background of severe GHB use disorder with a 15‐year history of daily high dose GHB use. Following 3 hospital admissions over 8 weeks, all requiring intravenous sedation and tracheal intubation, the patient's withdrawal delirium was successfully treated with a slow benzodiazepine and baclofen wean over a period of 6 months. Relapse to GHB use between hospitalisations was excluded toxicologically via blood analysis performed at an institute of forensic pathology.

Discussion and Conclusions

This case highlights that GHB withdrawal can be more prolonged than previously reported in the literature and in some cases may require slow and prolonged tapering of treatment to prevent re‐emergence of delirium. Similar to previous case reports, benzodiazepines and GABA‐B receptor agonists appear to be appropriate drug classes to manage GHB withdrawal.
Training and quality indicators in interventional endoscopic ultrasound
Authors: Miutescu Bogdan , Dhir Vinay
Published: July 2024

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has transformed the landscape of minimally invasive gastrointestinal procedures, necessitating specialized training for proficiency in interventional EUS (iEUS). This study evaluates the effectiveness of iEUS training, focusing on learning curves, success rates, and the associated risks in various procedures, aiming to recommend practices for standardizing training and ensuring competency. Key metrics such as procedure type, learning curve for proficiency, success rates, and risk of adverse events were analyzed to establish benchmarks for training programs. Proficiency in pancreatic fluid collection drainage was achieved after 20–30 procedures, with a 100% success rate and a complication rate ranging from 1.5 to 80%. Gallbladder drainage required 19 cases to reach an 86% success rate, with adverse events reported in 19% of cases. Choledocoduodenostomy mastery was observed after approximately 100 cases, with postintervention pancreatitis affecting 5.3–6.6% of all cases. Hepaticogastrostomy showed a 93% success rate after 33 cases, with a 24.8% adverse event rate. Hepaticoenterostomy reached 100% success beyond the 40th patient, with a 20% rate of postsurgical strictures. Pancreatic duct drainage achieved 89% technical and 87% clinical success after 27 cases, with 12–15% adverse events. Gastro‐enteric anastomosis required 25 cases for proficiency and approximately 40 cases for mastery, with 5.5% immediate and 1% late adverse events. iEUS training outcomes vary significantly across different procedures, highlighting the importance of structured, procedure‐specific training programs to achieve proficiency. These findings provide a foundation for developing universal competency benchmarks in iEUS, facilitating consistent and effective training worldwide.
Encoding colors and tones into working memory concurrently: A developmental investigation
Authors: Cowan Nelson , Guitard Dominic
Published: July 2024

Working memory serves as a means to accumulate information and reorganize it. Researchers have long assumed that the natural organization of information is one stream at a time. This logic leads to the expectation that, when two different series of stimuli are to be remembered, performance should be superior if the series are presented one before the other in succession, rather than concurrently. Moreover, different accounts of attentional limits lead to different expectations for the change in the ability to encode two sets across age groups in childhood. Testing children from first grade (6–7 years) to adulthood, we presented sequences of colored objects and tones in succession or concurrently (with one color accompanying an unrelated tone) and found that performance was equally good no matter which presentation method was used. The results for both presentation methods closely matched the intricate pattern of development observed by Cowan et al. (2018), who used successive presentation only. We found marked developmental improvement in the ability to retain materials in each modality without an increasing cost of attention‐sharing between modalities. Humans at least from the elementary school years through young adulthood thus display an ability to accommodate and organize two concurrent streams of information.

Research Highlights

Memory for stimuli from multiple modalities is relevant to school performance and learning; here we investigate how attention is shared between remembering colors and tones.

Participants received four colors and/or four tones for subsequent recognition on a trial, with dual modalities presented successively (0.5 s per stimulus) or concurrently (0.5 s per pair).

Successive versus concurrent presentation had little effect on recognition, and the marked increase in memory performance with age did not come from dividing attention during encoding or maintenance.

Children as young as first grade thus can encode and organize for later recognition colors and concurrently‐presented, but unrelated, tones.
Biodiversity promotes urban ecosystem functioning
Authors: Weiskopf Sarah R. , Lerman Susannah B. , Isbell Forest , Lyn Morelli Toni
Published: July 2024

The proportion of people living in urban areas is growing globally. Understanding how to manage urban biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services is becoming more important. Biodiversity can increase ecosystem functioning in non‐urban systems. However, few studies have reviewed the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in urban areas, which differ in species compositions, abiotic environments, food webs, and turnover rates. We reviewed evidence of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships in urban environments and assessed factors that influence the relationship direction. Based on 70 studies, relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning were more positive than negative in urban areas, especially for pollination and nutrient cycling and retention. Surprisingly, positive and negative relationships between biodiversity and biomass production and storage were equally not statistically different, perhaps due to extensive plant management in urban areas. The number of studies and geographic coverage of our review was still insufficient to provide a general predictive framework for when biodiversity positively impacts ecosystem functioning. We identify gaps and opportunities to improve urban biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research and discuss how our findings can improve urban green space management.
To stay or not to stay? Temporal shifts in dung beetle occupancy in a cloud forest landscape
Authors: Barretto Julliana , Suárez‐Domínguez Emilio Alfonso , Cultid‐Medina Carlos A. , Escobar Federico
Published: July 2024

Dynamic occupancy model estimates the probabilities of occupancy, detection, extinction and colonization of individuals throughout seasons and is, thus, a useful tool for identifying whether individuals select a site to improve population phenology and fitness.

We used multi‐season dynamics occupancy models to assess how abiotic factors (monthly variation, percentage of forest and edge and temperature) and biotic factors (female abundance) affect the demographic dynamics of coprophagous beetles Deltochilum mexicanum and Dichotomius satanas that differ in their habitat preferences in a human‐modified landscape in a cloud forest in Mexico.

For both species, we captured a total of 1069 individuals with a density of 48.2 individuals per trap in forest areas and 14.8 individuals per trap in non‐forest areas. The species differed in their spatiotemporal occupancy dynamics in the landscape. Specifically, we found that monthly variation, percentage of forest cover and percentage of edge affected the models for both species. Each species showed a specific set of explanatory covariates for the model parameters, indicating that phenological and demographic regulatory mechanisms act as drivers of the spatiotemporal occupancy in a year period.

We highlight the importance of considering abiotic factors (landscape characteristics) as drivers of occupancy, especially in highly heterogeneous landscapes. Such understanding is relevant to establish the effects of the landscape on the distribution and occurrence of dung beetles by determining how forest and generalist species differ in colonization and extinction patterns with respect to their phenology.
EIF4A3‐Induced CircDHTKD1 regulates glycolysis in non‐small cell lung cancer via stabilizing PFKL
Authors: Liu Zhenghua , Li Wenya , Wang Ziyi , Yang Qiwei , Chen Liang , Chen Weiyang , Qu Xiaohan
Published: July 2024

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the malignancies with the highest incidence and mortality in the world, approximately 85% of which is non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) exert multiple roles in NSCLC occurrence and development. The sequencing results in previous literature have illustrated that multiple circRNAs exhibit upregulation in NSCLC. We attempted to figure out which circRNA exerts an oncogenic role in NSLCL progression. RT‐qPCR evaluated circDHTKD1 level in NSCLC tissue specimens and cells. Reverse transcription as well as RNase R digestion assay evaluated circDHTKD1 circular characterization in NSCLC cells. FISH determined circDHTKD1 subcellular distribution in NSCLC cells. Loss‐ and gain‐of‐function assays clarified circDHTKD1 role in NSCLC cell growth, tumour growth and glycolysis. Bioinformatics and RIP and RNA pull‐down assessed association of circDHTKD1 with upstream molecule Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A‐III (EIF4A3) or downstream molecule phosphofructokinase‐1 liver type (PFKL) and insulin‐like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) in NSCLC cells. Rescue assays assessed regulatory function of PFKL in circDHTKD1‐meidated NSCLC cellular phenotypes. CircDHTKD1 exhibited upregulation and stable circular nature in NSCLC cells. EIF4A3 upregulated circDHTKD1 in NSCLC cells. CircDHTKD1 exerted a promoting influence on NSCLC cell malignant phenotypes and tumour growth. CircDHTKD1 exerted a promoting influence on NSCLC glucose metabolism. CircDHTKD1 exerts a promoting influence on NSCLC glucose metabolism through PFKL upregulation. RIP and RNA pull‐down showed that circDHTKD1 could bind to IGF2BP, PFKL could bind to IGF2BP2, and circDHTKD1 promoted the binding of PFKL to IGF2BP2. In addition, RT‐qPCR showed that IGF2BP2 knockdown promoted PFKL mRNA degradation, suggesting that IGF2BP2 stabilized PFKL in NSCLC cells. CircDHTKD1 exhibits upregulation in NSCLC. We innovatively validate that EIF4A3‐triggered circDHTKD1 upregulation facilitates NSCLC glycolysis through recruiting m6A reader IGF2BP2 to stabilize PFKL, which may provide a new direction for seeking targeted therapy plans of NSCLC.
The efficacy of reconstructive therapy in the surgical management of peri‐implantitis: A 3‐year follow‐up of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Renvert Stefan , Giovannoli Jean‐Louis , Rinke Sven
Published: July 2024

Aim

To assess whether guided bone regeneration (GBR) treatment of peri‐implantitis‐related bony defects could improve healing compared to open flap debridement (OFD) at 36 months.

Materials and Methods

In a multi‐centre, randomized clinical trial, 32 individuals received OFD (control group [CG]) and 34 GBR treatment (test group [TG]). Radiographic defect fill (RDF), probing pocket depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BOP) suppuration (SUP), mucosal recession (MREC) and patient‐reported outcomes (PROs) were evaluated at 36 months.

Results

Fifty individuals attended a supportive peri‐implant therapy program and completed the 36‐month follow‐up. GBR treatment resulted in an RDF of 2.13 ± 1.26 mm compared to 1.64 ± 1.54 mm following OFD (p = .18). No difference was found in PPD, BOP, SUP, REC or PROs between the groups. Successful treatment (no additional bone loss, PPD ≤ 5 mm, no BOP and no SUP) was achieved in 46.2% in TG and 20% in CG (p = .053). Treatment results obtained at 12 months were generally maintained up to 36 months. No significant changes were noticed between 12 and 36 months.

Conclusions

At 36 months, treatment results obtained at 1 year were sustained following both GBR and OFD in patients attending supportive peri‐implant therapy. GBR resulted in more RDF and higher composite treatment success rate than OFD (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier [NCT02375750]).
Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis: European expert consensus for diagnosis and management
Authors: Tetart F. , Walsh S. , Milpied B. , Gaspar K. , Vorobyev A. , Tiplica G. S. , Didona B. , Welfringer‐Morin A. , Kucinskiene V. , Bensaid B. , Marvanova E. , Salavastru C. , Brezinova E. , Chua S. L. , Lovgren M. L. , Hammers C. M. , Barbaud A. , Mortz C. G. , Horvath B. , Meyersburg D. , Lebrun‐Vignes B. , Bodemer C. , Brüggen M. C. , French L. E. , Ingen‐Housz‐Oro S.
Published: July 2024

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a rare, usually drug‐induced, acute pustular rash. Despite the lack of strong data supporting the effectiveness of topical or systemic corticosteroids in this drug reaction, they are widely used. More generally, there is no consensus on the diagnostic modalities and the management of patients with AGEP. We aimed to provide European expert recommendations for the diagnosis and management or patients with AGEP. Members of the ToxiTEN group of the European Reference Network (ERN)‐skin, all dermatologists and/or allergologists with expertise in drug reactions, elaborated these recommendations based on their own experience and on a review of the literature. Recommendations were separated into the following categories: professionals involved, assessment of the diagnosis of AGEP, management of the patient and allergological work‐up after the acute phase. Consensus was obtained among experts for the list of professionals involved for the diagnosis and management of AGEP, including the minimum diagnostic work‐up, the setting of management, the treatments, the modalities and the timing of allergological work‐up and follow‐up. European experts in drug allergies propose herein consensus on the diagnosis and management of patients with AGEP. A multidisciplinary approach is warranted, including dermatologists, allergologists and pharmacovigilance services.
Utilizing the 4Ms framework to create a structure and process to support voluntary health assessments in affordable housing
Authors: Perweiler Elyse , DeGennaro Jennifer , Pomerantz Sherry , Mock Marilyn , Avallone Margaret , Truchil Aaron , Singer Stephen
Published: July 2024

Background

A growing number of older adults live in senior affordable housing, many with limited support systems and representing underserved or disadvantaged populations. Staff in these buildings are in a unique position to identify and address the healthcare and biopsychosocial needs of their residents and link them to services and supports.

Methods

Staff in four affordable housing sites received training on the 4Ms approach to caring for older adults and conducting resident health assessments. They learned to collect comprehensive health information using a 4Ms Resident Health Risk Assessment (4Ms‐RHRA) and results are entered into a customized electronic database. Embedded flags identify potential risk factors and initiate a follow‐up process for documenting interventions and tracking referrals to healthcare and supportive services.

Results

Eighty‐one percent of the 221 4Ms‐RHRAs completed with residents (63% female, mean age 71.1 years, 73% live alone) were flagged for at least one concern (Mean = 2.2 flags). Items addressing What Matters were most frequently flagged: resident's “most important health issue” (55%) and Advance Care Planning (ACP: 48%). In response, staff provided Advance Directive forms and Five Wishes pamphlets to interested residents and reminded residents to review ACP documents annually.

Conclusion

Training affordable housing staff, precepting faculty, and students to conduct health assessments based on the 4Ms framework and longitudinally track interventions related to resident‐centered needs and manage long‐term service and supports is a first step in creating an interprofessional workforce capable of addressing the complex needs of older individuals in affordable housing.
Fungal diversity associated with cherry fruit rot in the Shandong province, China
Authors: Liu Ting , Xu Xi , Han Chuang , Wang Yumeng , Zhang Li , Guo Lifeng , Chen Yibing , Song Zhen , Wang Xiangjing , Xiang Wensheng , Zhao Junwei
Published: July 2024

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is commonly affected by fruit rot, leading to reduction in yield and economic loss. In 2022, 144 symptomatic cherry fruit were randomly collected from 11 orchards in Yantai city. A total of 107 fungal strains were isolated and classified into eight species based on morphological and multi‐locus phylogenetic analysis, including Alternaria alternata/tenuissima species complex (79.44%), Fusarium lateritium species complex (FLSC) (9.34%), F. verticillioides (2.80%), F. incarnatum (2.80%), F. proliferatum (1.87%), Diaporthe eres (1.87%), Botryosphaeria dothidea (0.94%), and Nothophoma quercina (0.94%), wherein A. alternata/tenuissima species complex was the most dominant genus. All fungal isolates showed aggressiveness on both wounded and unwounded cherry fruit, wherein D. eres exhibited the strongest virulence, and F. verticillioides had the lowest pathogenicity. This work systematically studied the fungal pathogens related to cherry fruit rot and first reported D. eres, B. dothidea, F. verticillioides, F. incarnatum, and N. quercina as the causal agents associated with cherry fruit rot in China. The results of this study will be helpful to get a better understanding about the causal agents of cherry fruit rot in China and provide a theoretical basis for the field control of this disease.
Variation in responses to conspecific and heterospecific advertisement vocalizations in sympatric grasshopper mice (Onychomys)
Authors: Griffiths Grace C. , Pasch Bret
Published: July 2024

Advertisement vocalizations that function in mate acquisition and resource defense within species may also mediate behavioral interactions among species. While olfactory signals play an important role in mate choice and territoriality in rodents, less is known about the function of acoustic signals in influencing interspecific interactions. In this study, we used playback experiments in the laboratory to assess the function of long-distance vocalizations within and among three sympatric species of grasshopper mice. We found that, within each species, individuals of both sexes varied widely in spontaneous vocal behavior and response to playback. The largest species (Onychomys leucogaster) was most responsive to conspecifics, but smaller O. arenicola and O. torridus exhibited no clear pattern in their vocal behavior and were even responsive to the white noise controls. Our results indicate that grasshopper mice are broadly responsive to a range of sounds that resemble calls and that long-distance vocalizations function primarily as signals that facilitate localization for subsequent close-distance assessment by both sexes in various social contexts. Variation in vocal responses among species may depend on competitive dominance, degree of interaction, acoustic similarity, or behavioral changes resulting from captivity. Replicating playback experiments in the field will help validate whether the observed variation in the laboratory reflects ecologically relevant patterns in nature.
When civilizations collapse
After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations
Eric H. Cline
Princeton University Press, 2024. 352 pp.
Authors: Levy Thomas E.
Published: July 2024

An archaeologist probes ancient insights on how to cope when things fall apart
Effect of annealing temperature on the magnetization behavior of LaFe0.5Cr0.5O3
Authors: Cao Huanhuan , Li Huijing , Mo Jajun , Lu Zeyi , Xia Yanfang , Liu Min
Published: July 2024

LaFe[Formula: see text]Cr[Formula: see text]O3 was synthesized using the sol–gel method and subsequently annealed at [Formula: see text]C and [Formula: see text]C. Magnetization curves and Mössbauer spectra were employed to evaluate the macroscopic magnetism of the samples at 300[Formula: see text]K. The results showed that coercivity increased with higher annealing temperatures. Notably, magnetic measurements of the LFCO-900 sample revealed an unusual trend in the M–T curve between 50[Formula: see text]K and 150[Formula: see text]K, likely due to annealing-induced changes in magnetic entropy. Annealing temperature significantly influences LFCO’s magnetic properties. Monte Carlo simulations modeled magnetization’s temperature dependence in disordered systems under varying magnetic field strengths, aligning with observations in LFCO-750. These insights are crucial for furthering understanding of perovskite materials’ physical properties and for enhancing the magnetic entropy effect in such systems, thereby increasing their practical application potential.
AN INTELLIGENT MODEL FOR BENIGN AND MALIGNANT PULMONARY NODULE ANALYSIS USING U-NET NETWORKS AND MULTILEVEL ATTENTION MECHANISMS
Authors: YANG QING , CHEN JUN
Published: July 2024

A key study area throughout the medical sector for image processing and analysis is medical image segmentation. The diagnosis and treatment strategies of doctors may have a solid foundation owing to accurate and effective medical image segmentation. Conventional approaches in this field rely on manual feature extraction, which makes segmentation complex, costs doctors’ time and energy, and involves a subjective evaluation that is readily susceptible to diagnostic errors. Researchers have applied convolutional neural network-based deep learning techniques to the segmentation of medical images as a result of their impressive advancements and successes in the field of computer vision. The research described here uses the U-Net network’s outstanding feature learning capabilities and end-to-end processing mode for lung CT image segmentation via fully convolutional network (FCN) research. However, focusing on valuable, crucial information aspects in the U-Net network is challenging. This study employed multilevel attention mechanisms on the basis of U-Net networks to enhance the model’s accuracy in lung CT image segmentation. These mechanisms were inspired by attention mechanisms. By improving the segmentation accuracy and optimizing the segmentation effect, the new model embeds a self-attention module in front of each upsampling layer in the U-Net model. This module provides more detailed information by stitching the self-attention module of the original image and then suppresses irrelevant and redundant information by using the effect of feature extraction of the upsampling layer. Several additional comparative experiments were conducted on the 2019nCoVR dataset. The outcomes demonstrate the efficacy of the optimized model described in this paper and its application results in improved segmentation effects in lung CT images. Additionally, the new model has distinct advantages over existing approaches that are typical of medical image segmentation, which represent its higher level of lung CT image segmentation.
EFFECTS OF BALANCE TRAINING WITH STROBOSCOPIC GLASSES ON JOINT POSITION SENSE, POSTURAL STABILITY, AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE TESTING IN CHRONIC ANKLE INSTABILITY NATIONAL ATHLETES: A SINGLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Authors: CHOI HYOUNGJOO , KIM HYUNCHUL , YOU JOSHUA SUNG H.
Published: July 2024

Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI) significantly affects athletic performance and increases the risk of recurrent ankle sprains. Stroboscopic Glasses (SG) may enhance proprioceptive feedback and postural control. We aimed to evaluate the augmented effects of Proprioceptive Feedback Training (PFT) combined with SG in athletes with CAI. We conducted a single-blinded randomized controlled trial with participants assigned to the PFT+SG or PFT alone groups. The interventions were administered over an eight-week period. Improvements in the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure Sport subscale (FAAM-S), Identification of Functional Ankle Instability questionnaire (IdFAI), Joint Position Sense (JPS) error value, postural stability via the Balance Velocity Test (BVT), Functional Performance Tests (FPTs), and giving-way episodes were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Substantial improvements in FAAM-S and IdFAI scores were observed in the PFT+SG group compared to those in the PFT group. JPS and BVT were significantly higher in the PFT+SG group than in the PFT group. FPTs and giving-way episodes were significantly higher in the PFT+SG group than in the PFT group. The inclusion of SG in PFT significantly enhanced rehabilitation outcomes in athletes with CAI. SG combined with PFT may address proprioceptive deficits and improve functional performance in patients with CAI.
THE IMPACT OF ELECTRO-ACUPUNCTURE ON “BAIHUAN SHU” (BL 30) AND “HUIYANG” (BL 35) POINTS ON THE TLR4/NF-κB PATHWAY IN RATS WITH CHRONIC PROSTATITIS
Authors: HU HAIYU , LIANG HAIYA , BAO TINGFENG , ZHANG YI , CHEN LEI , FENG XINXIN
Published: July 2024

The objective of this research is to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying electro-acupuncture intervention in chronic prostatitis (CP). Rats were randomly divided into five groups: a control group, a model group (suffering from CP), an electro-acupuncture group, an inhibitor group, and an activator group. One day post-modeling, electro-acupuncture intervention was conducted on the electro-acupuncture group, inhibitor group, and activator group at the acupoints “Baihuan Shu” (BL 30) and “Huiyang” (BL 35). Relevant indicators were used to evaluate the efficacy. Compared with models, the electro-acupuncture group showed significantly increased horizontal and vertical movement scores and sugar water intake, and significantly decreased prostate wet weight and prostate index. Compared with the electro-acupuncture group, the inhibitor group showed significantly increased horizontal and vertical movement scores and sugar water consumption. In contrast, for the activator group, these scores and consumption levels significantly decreased, while their prostate wet weight and prostate index increased significantly. Compared with models, the expression of TLR4 and p-NF-[Formula: see text]B/NF-[Formula: see text]B proteins in the prostate tissue of electro-acupuncture group was significantly lower. In terms of the inhibitor group, they also showed a decrease in TLR4 and p-NF-[Formula: see text]B/NF-[Formula: see text]B protein expression, whilst the activator group showed an increase. Therefore, electro-acupuncture at “Baihuan Shu” (BL 30) and “Huiyang” (BL 35) can significantly enhance movement scores, vertical movement scores, and sugar water consumption in rats with CP. Moreover, it can decrease the wet weight and index of the prostate, possibly by regulating the TLR4/NF-[Formula: see text]B pathway.
AN INTELLIGENT DEPRESSION DETECTION MODEL BASED ON MULTIMODAL FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Authors: CHENG ZIXUAN , HUANG XISHENG , DING YANG
Published: July 2024

Depression is a prevalent mental condition, and it is essential to diagnose and treat patients as soon as possible to maximize their chances of rehabilitation and recovery. An intelligent detection model based on multimodal fusion technology is proposed based on the findings of this study to address the difficulties associated with depression detection. Text data and electroencephalogram (EEG) data are used in the model as representatives of subjective and objective nature, respectively. These data are processed by the BERT–TextCNN model and the CNN–LSTM model, which are responsible for processing them. While the CNN–LSTM model is able to handle time-series data in an effective manner, the BERT–TextCNN model is able to adequately capture the semantic information that is included in text data. This enables the model to consider the various features that are associated with the various types of data. In this research, a weighted fusion technique is utilized to combine the information contained within the two modal datasets. This strategy involves assigning a weight to the outcomes of each modal data processing in accordance with the degree of contribution that each modal data will make to produce the ultimate depression detection results. In regard to the task of depression identification, the suggested model demonstrates great validity and robustness, as demonstrated by the results of the experimental validation that we carried out on a dataset that we manufactured ourselves. A viable and intelligent solution for the early identification of depression is provided by the proposed model. This solution will likely be widely utilized in clinical practice and will provide new ideas and approaches for the growth of the field of precision medicine.
RESEARCH ON ISCHEMIC STROKE MRI IMAGE CLASSIFICATION BASED ON CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK
Authors: CHEN YIJIE , HUANG CHENXI , QIU SHENG , LI YUNTAO
Published: July 2024

Stroke is a group of diseases that damage brain tissue caused by sudden local cerebral blood circulation disorder. If not diagnosed and treated in time, the patient will lose a large number of neurons and even die. Among the examination methods, using magnetic resonance scans is more accurate than CT images, but it also has other risk factors. In response to these existing problems, this paper attempts to use a stroke classification model based on pre-trained CNN networks, which can help doctors detect MRI images of ischemic stroke and reduce time delays. This paper uses two real datasets. Dataset 1 includes 1112 cases of ischemic stroke and 1202 normal MRI images, while dataset 2 includes 1008 cases of ischemic stroke and 1002 normal MRI images. After data processing and noise reduction, two processed datasets, which contain 4448 cases, 4808 cases and 4032 cases, 4008 cases of ischemic stroke and normal MRI images, respectively, were obtained. Features are obtained by extracting the last pooling layer and the last fully connected layer of the pre-trained CNN network ResNet50 and DenseNet201. After combining the features, the iterative mRMR feature selection method is used to select image features. A support vector machine classifier with 10-fold cross-validation is used to classify the data. Finally, IMV is applied to the prediction vectors to get the voting results, and the best results are selected from the results. The evaluation indicators of the final experimental results in dataset 1 yielded 94.74%, 93.56%, 96.22%, and 94.87% results for accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 score, respectively. The evaluation indicators in dataset 2 yielded 92.24%, 92.21%, 92.26%, and 92.23% results for accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 score, respectively. These results clearly demonstrate that ischemic stroke can be successfully classified based on MRI and confirm the success of the hybrid feature engineering approach.
Strong transitivity of a graph
Authors: Paul Subhabrata , Santra Kamal
Published: July 2024

A vertex partition [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is called a transitive partition of size [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text] dominates [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text]. For two disjoint subsets [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], we say [Formula: see text] strongly dominates [Formula: see text] if for every vertex [Formula: see text], there exists a vertex [Formula: see text], such that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. A vertex partition [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is called a strong transitive partition of size [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text] strongly dominates [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text]. The maximum strong transitivity problem involves finding a strong transitive partition of a given graph with the maximum number of parts. In this paper, we initiate the study of this variation of transitive partition from an algorithmic point of view. We show that the decision version of this problem is NP-complete for chordal graphs. On the positive side, we prove that this problem can be solved in linear time for trees and split graphs.
Hardness results and approximability of cosecure domination in graphs
Authors: Kusum  , Pandey Arti
Published: July 2024

Let [Formula: see text] be a simple graph with no isolated vertices. A dominating set [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is said to be a cosecure dominating set of [Formula: see text], if for every vertex [Formula: see text] there exists a vertex [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is a dominating set of [Formula: see text]. The Minimum Cosecure Domination problem is to find a minimum cardinality cosecure dominating set of [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we show that the decision version of the problem is NP-complete for split graphs, undirected path graphs (subclasses of chordal graphs), and circle graphs. We also present a linear-time algorithm to compute the cosecure domination number of cographs (subclass of circle graphs). In addition, we present a few results on the approximation aspects of the problem.
Naval Engineering Pioneer Raye J. Montague (1935–2018)
Authors: Falls Jaye
Published: July 2024

Raye Jean Montague (1935–2018) was a computer programmer and self-taught engineer who was at the forefront of modernizing naval architecture and naval engineering through the use of computer-aided design. In this biographical review, she is referred to as Montague, the surname she had for much of her professional life. Since she was a working engineer rather than a scholar, she did not create a publication record by which her achievements can be easily tracked, but her name appears in committee memberships, conference and working group proceedings, and other such interstices of computer-aided ship design. This key contributor to computer-aided design and manufacturing and to naval engineering is well worth getting to know.
EBV Positive Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma with Negative Pan‐B Cell Markers, Case Report, and Literature Review
Authors: Shold Janna , Jukic Lea , Farrell Daniel , Cui Wei , Zhang Da
Published: July 2024

Most B cell lymphomas are positive for one or more B cell markers including CD19, CD20, CD79a, or PAX5. However, rare cases of mature B cell lymphoma not expressing any B cell markers have been characterized and recognized as distinct diagnostic entities by current classification guidelines, including plasmablastic lymphoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and ALK‐positive large B cell lymphoma. We present a case of pan‐B cell marker negative, EBV positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma that is positive for OCT2, BOB1, and clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangement that does not meet diagnostic criteria for any B cell lymphoma by current 4th and 5th Ed beta version WHO Hematolymphoid Tumors classification. In challenging cases like the one presented, utilizing OCT2 and BOB1 immunohistochemical stains can assist in determining B cell lineage. The WHO tumor classification system should consider adding OCT2 and BOB1 as alternative B cell lineage markers into their corresponding categories.