bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Target, Information, and Trade Preferences: Evidence from a Survey Experiment in East Asia
Authors: Kim Sung Eun , Park Jong Hee , Rhee Inbok , Yang Joonseok
Published: March 2023

Protectionist measures often have target countries, and public support for such measures depends on who the targets are. We identify such target effects on protectionist sentiments and examine the effects of information in tempering protectionist sentiments in East Asia. Using an original survey experiment in China, Japan, and South Korea, we test how providing information about the costs of protectionism changes public attitudes toward targeted protectionist measures. We found that providing a target country identity increased public support for protectionism by 8.6%. Providing cost information, on the other hand, reduces support for protectionism by 10%. We also found that information and target effects persist in the presence of the other: Receiving cost information reduces support for both general and targeted protectionism but does not necessarily mute the target effect. Similarly, when reputation and retaliation costs are associated with protectionism, knowing a target country identity still increases public support for protectionism.
The effectiveness of an antimicrobial stewardship program in an Australian rural hospital
Authors: Park Melissa , Deo Devin , Tan Shih Pui Peony , Bahtigur Nazli , Lwin Nilar
Published: March 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the type, indication and duration of restricted antibiotics prescribed to inpatients who had undergone antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) review by the infectious diseases specialist and to assess the effectiveness of the AMS program in a rural hospital.

Design

This was an observational retrospective study.

Setting

The study was conducted at a rural referral hospital in NSW.

Participants

Inpatients from the medical, surgical and intensive care units were included.

Main Outcome Measures

The main outcome measure was the type, indication and average duration of restricted antibiotics that were reviewed in the AMS rounds. The rate of adherence to AMS advice and the rate of step‐down of antibiotics after AMS advice were other outcome measures. Data on participant characteristics were also collected.

Results

The most commonly prescribed restricted antibiotic in medicine and surgery was amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (28%), followed by ceftriaxone (15%) and piperacillin–tazobactam (10%), with the most common indication being intra‐abdominal infection (37%). In intensive care, ceftriaxone (16.7%) and piperacillin–tazobactam (16.7%) were most prescribed, and the most common indication was community‐acquired pneumonia (24.5%). The adherence rate to AMS advice was 86% in medicine and surgery and 83% in intensive care. AMS rounds managed to cease or step down antibiotics 60% of the time.

Conclusion

The AMS program in a rural hospital was effective with an overall AMS advice adherence rate of 84.5% which measures well against tertiary‐level centres. Continued AMS and advocacy of such programs in rural regions are fundamental to optimising patient outcomes in the rural community.
Acute Epstein–Barr virus infection: Diagnostic challenge in young children, risk factors for hospitalisation and cytomegalovirus co‐detection
Authors: Gutiérrez‐Vélez Ana , Castro‐Rodríguez Cristina , Jové‐Blanco Ana , Aguilera‐Alonso David , Rincón‐López Elena María , Hernanz‐Lobo Alicia , Navarro Gómez Marisa , Hernández‐Sampelayo Teresa , Alonso‐Fernández Roberto , Saavedra‐Lozano Jesús
Published: March 2023

Aim

Acute Epstein–Barr virus (aEBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections frequently have similar manifestations. We aim to evaluate the characteristics of aEBV infection, risk factors for hospitalisation and differences according to CMV IgM detection (EBV‐CMV co‐detection) in children.

Methods

Retrospective, single‐centre study including patients <16 years diagnosed with aEBV infection (positive anti‐EBV IgM/Paul‐Bunnell test and acute symptomatology). EBV‐CMV co‐detection was defined as positive CMV IgM. Factors associated with age, hospitalisation and EBV‐CMV co‐detection were analysed in a multivariate analysis.

Results

A total of 149 patients were included (median age 4.6 years). Most frequent manifestations were fever (77%), cervical lymphadenopathy (64%) and elevated liver enzymes (54%). Younger children had lower rate of positive Paul‐Bunnell test (35% vs. 87%; p < 0.01), but higher rate of EBV‐CMV co‐detection (54% vs. 29%; p = 0.03). These children tended to have less typical symptoms of infectious mononucleosis and higher hospitalisation rate. The overall antibiotic prescription was 49%. Hospitalisation (27 children; 18%) was independently associated with prior antibiotic therapy and anaemia. Sixty‐two cases (42%) had EBV‐CMV co‐detection, which was independently associated with elevated liver enzymes and younger age.

Conclusion

In this study, younger children with aEBV infection presented more frequently with atypical clinical symptoms, had higher EBV‐CMV co‐detection rates and were more often hospitalised. Hospitalisation was associated with prior antibiotic prescription.
Trends in cyclicity and amplitudes on amplitude‐integrated electroencephalography during transition in extremely low gestational age infants
Authors: Deshpande Poorva , Dirks Julia , Jain Amish , McNamara Patrick J. , Hahn Cecil , Shah Prakesh S. , Guerguerian Anne‐Marie
Published: March 2023

Aim

The aim of the study was to describe amplitude integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) cyclicity, background pattern, voltage margins and maturation scores in extremely low gestational age neonates (ELGANs) in the first 72 h.

Methods

Fifty infants with gestational age (GA) 23+0–27+6 weeks were prospectively studied. Infants with intraventricular haemorrhage ≦ Grade I and no disorders of transition (persistent pulmonary hypertension, hypotension, pulmonary haemorrhage) belonged to the ‘Uncomplicated’ group and those with intraventricular haemorrhage > Grade I and/or disorders of transition, to the ‘Complicated’ group.

Results

Thirty‐six infants without opioid exposure were included: 23 with GA 25.9 (23.1–27.7) weeks in the ‘Uncomplicated’ group and 13 with GA 24.6 (23.3–27.4) weeks in the ‘Complicated’ group. Cyclicity was more common in the ‘Uncomplicated’ group [20/23 (87%) vs. 7/13 (54%), p = 0.045] with more cycles/hour [0.2 (0–0.78) vs. 0.03 (0–67), p = 0.036]. Age at appearance of cyclicity was similar [20 (7.7–40.7) hours in ‘Uncomplicated’ vs. 23.7 (5.4–60) hours in ‘Complicated’ group, p = 0.8]. In the ‘Uncomplicated’ group, maturation scores (p = 0.02), high (p < 0.0001) and low (p = 0.03) base voltage increased over time.

Conclusion

During the first 72 h, clinically stable ELGANs without neurological injury demonstrate increased cyclicity compared to those with a complicated course. Maturation score, high and low base voltage increase over time.
L‐histidine inhibits the heat‐induced gelation of actomyosin in a low ionic strength solution
Authors: Hayakawa Toru , Kubono Yu , Fujii Shuji , Wakamatsu Jun‐ichi , Kumura Haruto
Published: March 2023

The heat‐induced gelation of actomyosin plays a key role in meat processing. Our previous study showed that L‐histidine could affect the characteristics of a heat‐induced gel of myosin on a low ionic strength. To apply the specific effect of L‐histidine to meat processing, the heat‐induced gel properties of actomyosin in the presence of L‐histidine were investigated. Actomyosin in a low ionic strength solution containing L‐histidine did not form a gel upon heating. The dynamic rheological properties of actomyosin in low ionic strength solutions were distinct depending on the presence or absence of L‐histidine. Electron microscopy showed that, heated at 50°C, actomyosin in a low ionic strength solution containing L‐histidine remained a filamentous structure. The surface hydrophobicity of actomyosin was stable up to 50°C in a low ionic strength solution containing L‐histidine. In conclusion, L‐histidine might suppress the aggregation of actomyosin and inhibit heat‐induced gelation in a low ionic strength solution.
Intraperitoneal transfer of microRNA‐29b‐containing small extracellular vesicles can suppress peritoneal metastases of gastric cancer
Authors: Kimura Yuki , Ohzawa Hideyuki , Miyato Hideyo , Kaneko Yuki , Kuchimaru Takahiro , Takahashi Rei , Yamaguchi Hironori , Kurashina Kentaro , Saito Shin , Hosoya Yoshinori , Lefor Alan Kawarai , Sata Naohiro , Kitayama Joji
Published: March 2023

Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) contain various microRNAs (miRNAs) and play crucial roles in the tumor metastatic process. Although miR‐29b levels in peritoneal exosomes were markedly reduced in patients with peritoneal metastases (PM), their role has not been fully clarified. In this study, we asked whether the replacement of miR‐29b can affect the development of PM in a murine model. UE6E7T‐12, human bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), were transfected with miR‐29b‐integrating recombinant lentiviral vector and sEV were isolated from culture supernatants using ultracentrifugation. The sEV contained markedly increased amounts of miR‐29b compared with negative controls. Treatment with transforming growth factor‐β1 decreased the expression of E‐cadherin and calretinin with increased expression of vimentin and fibronectin on human omental tissue‐derived mesothelial cells (HPMCs). However, the effects were totally abrogated by adding miR‐29b‐rich sEV. The sEV inhibited proliferation and migration of HPMCs by 15% (p < 0.005, n = 6) and 70% (p < 0.005, n = 6), respectively, and inhibited adhesion of NUGC‐4 and MKN45 to HPMCs by 90% (p < 0.0001, n = 5) and 77% (p < 0.0001, n = 5), respectively. MicroRNA‐29b‐rich murine sEV were similarly obtained using mouse BMSCs and examined for in vivo effects with a syngeneic murine model using YTN16P, a highly metastatic clone of gastric cancer cell. Intraperitoneal (IP) transfer of the sEV every 3 days markedly reduced the number of PM from YTN16P in the mesentery (p < 0.05, n = 6) and the omentum (p < 0.05, n = 6). Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell‐derived sEV are a useful carrier for IP administration of miR‐29b, which can suppress the development of PM of gastric cancer.
A Second Order Cone Programming Approach for Simulating Biphasic Materials
Authors: Tang Pengbin , Coros Stelian , Thomaszewski Bernhard
Published: March 2023

Strain limiting is a widely used approach for simulating biphasic materials such as woven textiles and biological tissue that exhibit a soft elastic regime followed by a hard deformation limit. However, existing methods are either based on slowly converging local iterations, or offer no guarantees on convergence. In this work, we propose a new approach to strain limiting based on second order cone programming (SOCP). Our work is based on the key insight that upper bounds on per‐triangle deformations lead to convex quadratic inequality constraints. Though nonlinear, these constraints can be reformulated as inclusion conditions on convex sets, leading to a second order cone programming problem—a convex optimization problem that a) is guaranteed to have a unique solution and b) allows us to leverage efficient conic programming solvers. We first cast strain limiting with anisotropic bounds on stretching as a quadratically constrained quadratic program (QCQP), then show how this QCQP can be mapped to a second order cone programming problem. We further propose a constraint reflection scheme and empirically show that it exhibits superior energy‐preservation properties compared to conventional end‐of‐step projection methods. Finally, we demonstrate our prototype implementation on a set of examples and illustrate how different deformation limits can be used to model a wide range of material behaviors.
A Second‐Order Explicit Pressure Projection Method for Eulerian Fluid Simulation
Authors: Jiang J. , Shen X. , Gong Y. , Fan Z. , Liu Y. , Xing G. , Ren X. , Zhang Y.
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we propose a novel second‐order explicit midpoint method to address the issue of energy loss and vorticity dissipation in Eulerian fluid simulation. The basic idea is to explicitly compute the pressure gradient at the middle time of each time step and apply it to the velocity field after advection. Theoretically, our solver can achieve higher accuracy than the first‐order solvers at similar computational cost. On the other hand, our method is twice and even faster than the implicit second‐order solvers at the cost of a small loss of accuracy. We have carried out a large number of 2D, 3D and numerical experiments to verify the effectiveness and availability of our algorithm.
Sketching Vocabulary for Crowd Motion
Authors: Mathew C.D.T. , Benes B. , Aliaga D.G.
Published: March 2023

This paper proposes and evaluates a sketching language to author crowd motion. It focuses on the path, speed, thickness, and density parameters of crowd motion. A sketch‐based vocabulary is proposed for each parameter and evaluated in a user study against complex crowd scenes. A sketch recognition pipeline converts the sketches into a crowd simulation. The user study results show that 1) participants at various skill levels and can draw accurate crowd motion through sketching, 2) certain sketch styles lead to a more accurate representation of crowd parameters, and 3) sketching allows to produce complex crowd motions in a few seconds. The results show that some styles although accurate actually are less preferred over less accurate ones.
Cognitive Model of Agent Exploration with Vision and Signage Understanding
Authors: Johnson Colin , Haworth Brandon
Published: March 2023

Signage systems play an essential role in ensuring safe, stress‐free, and efficient navigation for the occupants of indoor spaces. Crowd simulations with sufficiently realistic virtual humans provide a convenient and cost‐effective approach to evaluating and optimizing signage systems. In this work, we develop an agent model which makes use of image processing on parametric saliency maps to visually identify signage and distractions in the agent's field of view. Information from identified signs is incorporated into a grid‐based representation of wayfinding familiarity, which is used to guide informed exploration of the agent's environment using a modified A* algorithm. In areas with low wayfinding familiarity, the agent follows a random exploration behaviour based on sampling a grid of previously observed locations for heuristic values based on space syntax isovist measures. The resulting agent design is evaluated in a variety of test environments and found to be able to reliably navigate towards a goal location using a combination of signage and random exploration.
Generating Upper‐Body Motion for Real‐Time Characters Making their Way through Dynamic Environments
Authors: Alvarado Eduardo , Rohmer Damien , Cani Marie‐Paule
Published: March 2023

Real‐time character animation in dynamic environments requires the generation of plausible upper‐body movements regardless of the nature of the environment, including non‐rigid obstacles such as vegetation. We propose a flexible model for upper‐body interactions, based on the anticipation of the character's surroundings, and on antagonistic controllers to adapt the amount of muscular stiffness and response time to better deal with obstacles. Our solution relies on a hybrid method for character animation that couples a keyframe sequence with kinematic constraints and lightweight physics. The dynamic response of the character's upper‐limbs leverages antagonistic controllers, allowing us to tune tension/relaxation in the upper‐body without diverging from the reference keyframe motion. A new sight model, controlled by procedural rules, enables high‐level authoring of the way the character generates interactions by adapting its stiffness and reaction time. As results show, our real‐time method offers precise and explicit control over the character's behavior and style, while seamlessly adapting to new situations. Our model is therefore well suited for gaming applications.
Synthesizing Get‐Up Motions for Physics‐based Characters
Authors: Frezzato A. , Tangri A. , Andrews S.
Published: March 2023

We propose a method for synthesizing get‐up motions for physics‐based humanoid characters. Beginning from a supine or prone state, our objective is not to imitate individual motion clips, but to produce motions that match input curves describing the style of get‐up motion. Our framework uses deep reinforcement learning to learn control policies for the physics‐based character. A latent embedding of natural human poses is computed from a motion capture database, and the embedding is furthermore conditioned on the input features. We demonstrate that our approach can synthesize motions that follow the style of user authored curves, as well as curves extracted from reference motions. In the latter case, motions of the physics‐based character resemble the original motion clips. New motions can be synthesized easily by changing only a small number of controllable parameters. We also demonstrate the success of our controllers on rough and inclined terrain.
MODNet: Multi‐offset Point Cloud Denoising Network Customized for Multi‐scale Patches
Authors: Huang A. , Xie Q. , Wang Z. , Lu D. , Wei M. , Wang J.
Published: March 2023

The intricacy of 3D surfaces often results cutting‐edge point cloud denoising (PCD) models in surface degradation including remnant noise, wrongly‐removed geometric details. Although using multi‐scale patches to encode the geometry of a point has become the common wisdom in PCD, we find that simple aggregation of extracted multi‐scale features can not adaptively utilize the appropriate scale information according to the geometric information around noisy points. It leads to surface degradation, especially for points close to edges and points on complex curved surfaces. We raise an intriguing question – if employing multi‐scale geometric perception information to guide the network to utilize multi‐scale information, can eliminate the severe surface degradation problem? To answer it, we propose a Multi‐offset Denoising Network (MODNet) customized for multi‐scale patches. First, we extract the low‐level feature of three scales patches by patch feature encoders. Second, a multi‐scale perception module is designed to embed multi‐scale geometric information for each scale feature and regress multi‐scale weights to guide a multi‐offset denoising displacement. Third, a multi‐offset decoder regresses three scale offsets, which are guided by the multi‐scale weights to predict the final displacement by weighting them adaptively. Experiments demonstrate that our method achieves new state‐of‐the‐art performance on both synthetic and real‐scanned datasets. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/hay-001/MODNet.
Specular Manifold Bisection Sampling for Caustics Rendering
Authors: Jhang Jia‐Wun , Chang Chun‐Fa
Published: March 2023

We propose Specular Manifold Bisection Sampling (SMBS), an improved version of Specular Manifold Sampling (SMS) [ZGJ20]. SMBS is inspired by the small and large mutations in Metropolis Light Transport (MLT) [VG97]. While the Jacobian Matrix of the original SMS method performs well in local convergence (the small mutation), it might fail to find a valid manifold path when the ray deviates too much from the light or bounces from a complex surface. Our proposed SMBS method adds a large mutation step to avoid such a problematic convergence to the local minimum. The results show SMBS can find valid manifold paths in fewer iterations and also find more valid manifold paths. In scenes with complex reflective or refractive surfaces, our method achieves nearly twice or more improvement when measured in manifold walk success rate (SR) and root mean square error (RMSE).
A Wide Spectral Range Sky Radiance Model
Authors: Vévoda P. , Bashford‐Rogers T. , Kolářová M. , Wilkie A.
Published: March 2023

Pre‐computed models of sky radiance are a tool to rapidly determine incident solar irradiance in applications as diverse as movie VFX, lighting simulation for architecture, experimental biology, and flight simulators. Several such models exist, but most provide data only for the visible range and, in some cases, for the near‐UV. But for accurate simulations of photovoltaic plant yield and the thermal properties of buildings, a pre‐computed reference sky model which covers the entire spectral range of terrestrial solar irradiance is needed: and this range is considerably larger than what extant models provide. We deliver this, and for a ground‐based observer provide the three components of sky dome radiance, atmospheric transmittance, and polarisation. We also discuss the additional aspects that need to be taken into consideration when including the near‐infrared in such a model. Additionally, we provide a simple standalone C++ implementation as well as an implementation with a GUI.
Contrastive Semantic‐Guided Image Smoothing Network
Authors: Wang Jie , Wang Yongzhen , Feng Yidan , Gong Lina , Yan Xuefeng , Xie Haoran , Wang Fu Lee , Wei Mingqiang
Published: March 2023

Image smoothing is a fundamental low‐level vision task that aims to preserve salient structures of an image while removing insignificant details. Deep learning has been explored in image smoothing to deal with the complex entanglement of semantic structures and trivial details. However, current methods neglect two important facts in smoothing: 1) naive pixel‐level regression supervised by the limited number of high‐quality smoothing ground‐truth could lead to domain shift and cause generalization problems towards real‐world images; 2) texture appearance is closely related to object semantics, so that image smoothing requires awareness of semantic difference to apply adaptive smoothing strengths. To address these issues, we propose a novel Contrastive Semantic‐Guided Image Smoothing Network (CSGIS‐Net) that combines both contrastive prior and semantic prior to facilitate robust image smoothing. The supervision signal is augmented by leveraging undesired smoothing effects as negative teachers, and by incorporating segmentation tasks to encourage semantic distinctiveness. To realize the proposed network, we also enrich the original VOC dataset with texture enhancement and smoothing labels, namely VOC‐smooth, which first bridges image smoothing and semantic segmentation. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed CSGIS‐Net outperforms state‐of‐the‐art algorithms by a large margin. Code and dataset are available at https://github.com/wangjie6866/CSGIS-Net.
Shape‐Guided Mixed Metro Map Layout
Authors: Batik T. , Terziadis S. , Wang Y.‐S. , Nöllenburg M. , Wu H.‐Y.
Published: March 2023

Metro or transit maps, are schematic representations of transit networks to facilitate effective route‐finding. These maps are often advertised on a web page or pamphlet highlighting routes from source to destination stations. To visually support such route‐finding, designers often distort the layout by embedding symbolic shapes (e.g., circular routes) in order to guide readers' attention (e.g., Moscow map and Japan railway map). However, manually producing such maps is labor‐intensive and the effect of shapes remains unclear. In this paper, we propose an approach to generalize such mixed metro maps that take user‐defined shapes as an input. In this mixed design, lines that are used to approximate the shapes are arranged symbolically, while the remaining lines follow classical layout convention. A three‐step algorithm, including (1) detecting and selecting routes for shape approximation, (2) shape and layout deformation, and (3) aligning lines on a grid, is integrated to guarantee good visual quality. Our contribution lies in the definition of the mixed metro map problem and the formulation of design criteria so that the problem can be resolved systematically using the optimization paradigm. Finally, we evaluate the performance of our approach and perform a user study to test if the embedded shapes are recognizable or reduce the map quality.
Large‐Scale Worst‐Case Topology Optimization
Authors: Zhang Di , Zhai Xiaoya , Fu Xiao‐Ming , Wang Heming , Liu Ligang
Published: March 2023

We propose a novel topology optimization method to efficiently minimize the maximum compliance for a high‐resolution model bearing uncertain external loads. Central to this approach is a modified power method that can quickly compute the maximum eigenvalue to evaluate the worst‐case compliance, enabling our method to be suitable for large‐scale topology optimization. After obtaining the worst‐case compliance, we use the adjoint variable method to perform the sensitivity analysis for updating the density variables. By iteratively computing the worst‐case compliance, performing the sensitivity analysis, and updating the density variables, our algorithm achieves the optimized models with high efficiency. The capability and feasibility of our approach are demonstrated over various large‐scale models. Typically, for a model of size 512×170×170 and 69934 loading nodes, our method took about 50 minutes on a desktop computer with an NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti graphics card with 11 GB memory.
Eye‐Tracking‐Based Prediction of User Experience in VR Locomotion Using Machine Learning
Authors: Gao Hong , Kasneci Enkelejda
Published: March 2023

VR locomotion is one of the most important design features of VR applications and is widely studied. When evaluating locomotion techniques, user experience is usually the first consideration, as it provides direct insights into the usability of the locomotion technique and users' thoughts about it. In the literature, user experience is typically measured with post‐hoc questionnaires or surveys, while users' behavioral (i.e., eye‐tracking) data during locomotion, which can reveal deeper subconscious thoughts of users, has rarely been considered and thus remains to be explored. To this end, we investigate the feasibility of classifying users experiencing VR locomotion into L‐UE and H‐UE (i.e., low‐ and high‐user‐experience groups) based on eye‐tracking data alone. To collect data, a user study was conducted in which participants navigated a virtual environment using five locomotion techniques and their eye‐tracking data was recorded. A standard questionnaire assessing the usability and participants' perception of the locomotion technique was used to establish the ground truth of the user experience. We trained our machine learning models on the eye‐tracking features extracted from the time‐series data using a sliding window approach. The best random forest model achieved an average accuracy of over 0.7 in 50 runs. Moreover, the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach uncovered the underlying relationships between eye‐tracking features and user experience, and these findings were further supported by the statistical results. Our research provides a viable tool for assessing user experience with VR locomotion, which can further drive the improvement of locomotion techniques. Moreover, our research benefits not only VR locomotion, but also VR systems whose design needs to be improved to provide a good user experience.
Implicit Neural Deformation for Sparse‐View Face Reconstruction
Authors: Li Moran , Huang Haibin , Zheng Yi , Li Mengtian , Sang Nong , Ma Chongyang
Published: March 2023

In this work, we present a new method for 3D face reconstruction from sparse‐view RGB images. Unlike previous methods which are built upon 3D morphable models (3DMMs) with limited details, we leverage an implicit representation to encode rich geometric features. Our overall pipeline consists of two major components, including a geometry network, which learns a deformable neural signed distance function (SDF) as the 3D face representation, and a rendering network, which learns to render on‐surface points of the neural SDF to match the input images via self‐supervised optimization. To handle in‐the‐wild sparse‐view input of the same target with different expressions at test time, we propose residual latent code to effectively expand the shape space of the learned implicit face representation as well as a novel view‐switch loss to enforce consistency among different views. Our experimental results on several benchmark datasets demonstrate that our approach outperforms alternative baselines and achieves superior face reconstruction results compared to state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Evaluation of prior authorizations in transplant recipients at an urban institution
Authors: Muran Cassie S. , Khamo Nehrin , Patel Ruchik , Patel Shree , West‐Thielke Patricia , Fayyaz Nida , Choi David
Published: March 2023

Background

Increasing prior authorization (PA) requirements for immunosuppression remain a burden for solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients and transplant staff. The objective of this study was to evaluate the number of PAs required and the approval rates at an academic, urban transplant center.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of SOT recipients at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System (UI Health) that required PAs between 11/1/2019 and 12/1/2020. Inclusion criteria were SOT recipients greater than 18 years of age and prescribed a medication by the transplant team that required PA. Duplicate PA requests were excluded from the analysis.

Results

A total of 879 PAs were included in the study. Of these PAs, 85% (747/879) were approved. Seventy‐four percent of the denials were overturned by an appeal. Most PAs were in black (45.4%), kidney transplant (62%), Medicare (31.7%), and Medicaid recipients (33.2%). The median approval time was 1 day for PAs and 5 days for appeals. Tacrolimus extended release (XR) (35.4%), tacrolimus immediate release (IR) (9.7%),and mycophenolic acid (7%) required most PAs. Black recipients and immunosuppression were identified as predictors of eventual PA approval, whereas recipients with Medicaid were less likely to obtain approval.

Conclusions

At our transplant center, there was a high approval rate of PAs for immunosuppression, which calls into question the utility of PAs in this patient population, where these medications are standard of care. More black recipients and patients with Medicare and Medicaid had increased PA requirements, highlighting further disparities within the current system.
Biomechanical effects of a hard insert and air space in mouthguards on the shock absorption and protection against fractures of direct resin composite veneers from trauma
Authors: de Bragança Gabriel Felipe , de Souza Isabela Félix , Soares Priscilla Barbosa Ferreira , Soares Carlos José
Published: March 2023

Background/Aim

Mouthguards (MTG) are used to prevent dental trauma. However, their protective effect on esthetic restorations and whether modified MTGs are beneficial is uncertain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hard inserts and air spaces in MTGs in protecting direct resin composite veneers during impact.

Materials and Methods

Twenty resin composite veneers (1.0 mm) were prepared on upper right central incisors on printed maxilla models using polyether. The effect of the MTGs was evaluated in four groups (n = 5): Con‐MTG, conventional custom‐fit MTGs made with two layers of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA); Air‐MTG, MTGs with the insertion of 2.0 mm air space between the two layers of EVA and tooth surface; PETG‐MTG, MTGs with 1.0 mm of polyethylene terephthalate glycol‐modified (PETG) inserted between the EVA layers; and No‐MTG, comprising resin composite veneers without MTG. The printed models were fixed in a pendulum device, and the impact was performed at 30°. The strain (μS) and shock absorption (%) of the MTG were recorded using strain gauges. Failure modes and cracks were evaluated using macro photography and transillumination and analyzed using the chi‐square test. Strain and shock absorption data were analyzed using the one‐way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's test (α = 0.05).

Results

Mouthguards reduced strain and enhanced shock absorption, regardless of the MTG type (p < .001). Con‐MTG, Air‐MTG, and PETG‐MTG had shock absorption rates of 76.1%, 72.3%, and 33.4%, respectively (p < .001). The single No‐MTG model had a root fracture, while all the others had superficial damage. None of the MTG models had cracks or fractures.

Conclusions

Mouthguards protected the resin composite veneers. The Con‐MTG and Air‐MTG groups had lower strain and greater shock absorption than the PETG‐MTG. Resin veneers had no cracks or damage following MTG use. However, 80% of the veneers had surface damage when no MTG was used.
Phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase signaling pathway and inflammatory bowel disease: Current status and future prospects
Authors: Jalil Abduladheem Turki , Hassan Neeran Flaeh , Abdulameer Sada Jasim , Farhan Zainab Mohammed , Suleiman Ahmed AbdulJabbar , Al‐Azzawi Abdul Kareem , Zabibah Rahman , Fadhil Ali
Published: March 2023

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic life‐limiting disease of gastrointestinal tract characterized by widespread enteric inflammation. IBD is a multifactorial disease, and different environmental, microbial, and immune‐related factors give rise to the development of disease. Among several factors, the preponderance of pro‐inflammatory T helper 17 cells over the anti‐inflammatory regulatory T cells augments inflammation in the intestinal mucosa. Prevailing evidence accentuates that PI3K signaling pathway plays a central role in the pathophysiology of the condition by regulating the inflammatory process in the gut mucosa. By recognizing the implications of PI3K in the pathogenesis of IBD, agents that could modulate this pathway have recently been at the focus of research, yielding encouraging results mainly in the experimental IBD models. In this review, we have summarized the recent advances, which may hold the keys to identify novel therapeutic strategies for IBD.
KIAA0317 regulates SOCS1 stability to ameliorate colonic inflammation
Authors: Lockwood Karina C. , Lear Travis B. , Rajbhandari Shristi , McKelvey Alison C. , Dunn Sarah R. , Boudreau Áine N. , Liu Yuan , Chen Bill B.
Published: March 2023

Dysregulated cytokine signalling is a hallmark of inflammatory bowel diseases. Inflammatory responses of the colon are regulated by the suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS) proteins. SOCS1 is a key member of this family, and its function is critical in maintaining an appropriate inflammatory response through the JAK/STAT signalling pathway. Dysregulation of SOCS1 protein has been identified as a causal element in colonic inflammatory diseases. Despite this, it remains unclear how SOCS1 protein is regulated. Here, we identify that SOCS1 protein is targeted for degradation by the ubiquitin proteasome system, mediated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase KIAA0317 during experimental colonic inflammation. We characterize the mechanism of protein–protein interaction and ubiquitin conjugation to SOCS1 and demonstrate that the modulation of SOCS1 protein level leads to stark effects on JAK/STAT inflammatory signalling. Together, these results provide insight into the regulation of colonic inflammation through a new mechanism of ubiquitin‐based control of SOCS1 protein.
Damage to living trees contributes to almost half of the biomass losses in tropical forests
Authors: Zuleta Daniel , Arellano Gabriel , McMahon Sean M. , Aguilar Salomón , Bunyavejchewin Sarayudh , Castaño Nicolas , Chang‐Yang Chia‐Hao , Duque Alvaro , Mitre David , Nasardin Musalmah , Pérez Rolando , Sun I‐Fang , Yao Tze Leong , Valencia Renato , Krishna Moorthy Sruthi M. , Verbeeck Hans , Davies Stuart J.
Published: March 2023

Accurate estimates of forest biomass stocks and fluxes are needed to quantify global carbon budgets and assess the response of forests to climate change. However, most forest inventories consider tree mortality as the only aboveground biomass (AGB) loss without accounting for losses via damage to living trees: branchfall, trunk breakage, and wood decay. Here, we use ~151,000 annual records of tree survival and structural completeness to compare AGB loss via damage to living trees to total AGB loss (mortality + damage) in seven tropical forests widely distributed across environmental conditions. We find that 42% (3.62 Mg ha−1 year−1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.36–5.25) of total AGB loss (8.72 Mg ha−1 year−1; CI 5.57–12.86) is due to damage to living trees. Total AGB loss was highly variable among forests, but these differences were mainly caused by site variability in damage‐related AGB losses rather than by mortality‐related AGB losses. We show that conventional forest inventories overestimate stand‐level AGB stocks by 4% (1%–17% range across forests) because assume structurally complete trees, underestimate total AGB loss by 29% (6%–57% range across forests) due to overlooked damage‐related AGB losses, and overestimate AGB loss via mortality by 22% (7%–80% range across forests) because of the assumption that trees are undamaged before dying. Our results indicate that forest carbon fluxes are higher than previously thought. Damage on living trees is an underappreciated component of the forest carbon cycle that is likely to become even more important as the frequency and severity of forest disturbances increase.
A New Natural Secondary Reference Material for Garnet U‐Pb Dating by TIMS and LA‐ICP‐MS
Authors: Aysal Namık , Guillong Marcel , Bayanova Tamara , Fukuyama Mayuko , Leonard Nicole , Yılmaz İsak , Varol Elif , Tükel Fatma Şişman , Kadıoğlu Yusuf Kaan , Hanilçi Nurullah , Uzun Fulya , Kaygısız Ersin
Published: March 2023

Gem quality andradite‐rich garnet (IUC‐1), obtained from the Miocene trachyte dome near Ankara city (Turkey), has been identified as a potential natural secondary reference material for U‐Pb dating. In this study, U‐Pb dating was performed in five different laboratories using isotope dilution TIMS and laser ablation ICP‐MS to determine the homogeneity of euhedral garnet crystals. The U‐Pb ID‐TIMS data for IUC‐1 yielded 207Pb/235U and 206Pb/238U ages of 20.9 ± 0.4 and 20.6 ± 0.8 Ma respectively, and these values are consistent with U‐Pb LA‐ICP‐MS analyses, in which different garnet crystals yielded ages of 20.8 ± 0.1, 20.7 ± 0.1, 20.7 ± 0.2 and 20.2 ± 0.1 Ma. An andradite (IUC‐2) from the Serçeören wollastonite skarn (Turkey) can be used as a secondary reference material provided detailed imaging of the crystals is undertaken. ID‐TIMS data yielded 207Pb/235U and 206Pb/238U ages of 20.4 ± 0.4 and 20.9 ± 1.0 Ma respectively, and yielded U‐Pb ages on different grains of 20.5 ± 0.1, 20.7 ± 1.0, 20.8 ± 1.7 and 20.9 ± 1.6 Ma. The assigned weighted mean age of IUC‐1 (20.4 ± 0.5 Ma, 2s) is proposed as a 2023 reference value. IUC‐1 garnet is expected to contribute significantly to rapidly developing garnet geochronology in the near future.
Treatment outcome of surgical and non‐surgical endodontic retreatment of teeth with apical periodontitis
Authors: Stueland Håvard , Ørstavik Dag , Handal Trude
Published: March 2023

Aims

To evaluate and compare the treatment outcome of root filled teeth with apical periodontitis treated either non‐surgically or by endodontic microsurgery, and to assess the influence of an intra‐radicular post, clinical and demographic factors.

Methodology

Clinical and radiological data from 1157 patients with apical periodontitis in previously root filled teeth treated by postgraduate students at the Department of Endodontics, University of Oslo, between September 2010 and January 2020 with recall data at least 11 months from completion were studied. Surgical cases were scored using the Rud/Molven criteria and grouped into success, uncertain or failure at control. Non‐surgical cases were scored with the periapical index (PAI) and similarly grouped into success, uncertain or failure at control. Chi‐square analyses were used for comparison of subgroups of teeth treated and logistic regression analyses for assessment of the influence of clinical variables.

Results

Non‐surgical retreatment was performed on 351 teeth and 107 teeth were treated with endodontic microsurgery, with overall success rates of 65.5% and 77.6%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant. Teeth with an intra‐radicular post treated non‐surgically (n = 30) were successful in 73.3% of cases, whereas teeth with intra‐radicular post treated with endodontic microsurgery (n = 30) had a lower, 66.7% success rate. The distribution of tooth groups (anterior, premolar and molar) differed significantly between surgical and non‐surgical cases, with maxillary anterior and premolar teeth more often treated surgically. Non‐surgical retreatment cases were significantly influenced by patients' age (older patients had poorer outcome) and pre‐operative PAI score (negatively correlated with outcome). Surgical cases were not significantly influenced by the factors studied here.

Conclusions

The tooth type differed significantly for teeth treated by surgical versus non‐surgical methods. Microsurgical treatment with apicectomy and retrograde filling showed significantly better treatment results than non‐surgical retreatment of teeth with apical periodontitis, whereas treatment outcome in teeth with posts after non‐surgical treatment tended to be better than after surgical treatment. Outcome of non‐surgical retreatment was negatively influenced by older age and higher pre‐operative PAI score.
Associations of self‐isolation, social support and coping strategies with depression and suicidal ideation in U.S. young adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Narita Zui , Devylder Jordan , Bessaha Melissa , Fedina Lisa
Published: March 2023

There have been concerns about the psychological impact of COVID‐19‐related stressors on young adults. However, there remains limited information regarding how psychosocial factors and coping strategies correlate with suicidal ideation in young adults during the pandemic. We studied a cross‐sectional, observational online survey using a probability‐based, nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults aged 18 to 29 (N = 1077). We performed weighted logistic regression to evaluate how self‐isolation, social support and coping strategies (exposures) were associated with depression and suicidal ideation (outcomes), adjusting for age, gender, race, educational level and sexual orientation. The method of multiple imputations for addressing missing data was executed through chained equations. A total of 296 participants had depression, while 323 had suicidal ideation. Individuals who consistently self‐isolated exhibited nearly threefold higher odds of depression compared to those without self‐isolation. Social support was consistently protective against depression and suicidal ideation. Coping through positive reframing was protective against depression and suicidal ideation, whereas substance use, self‐blame and behavioural disengagement had the opposite impact. Providing social support may help prevent suicidal ideation among young adults during the pandemic. Interventions that focus on developing young adults' coping strategies, such as through positive reframing, are recommended to develop positive and healthy relationships. Healthcare providers should advise against substance use, self‐blame and behavioural disengagement.
Spatio‐temporal model and machine learning method reveal patterns and processes of migration under climate change
Authors: Kanamori Yuki , Yano Toshikazu , Okamura Hiroshi , Yagi Yuta
Published: March 2023

Aim

Despite extensive studies of phenological shifts in migration by climate change and driving factors of migration, a few issues remain unresolved. In particular, little is known about the complex effects of driving factors on migration with interactions and nonlinearity, and partitioning of the effects of factors into spatial, temporal, and spatio‐temporal effects. Here, we aim to elucidate migration pattern as well as its driving factors under climate change.

Location

Western North Pacific.

Taxon

North Pacific spiny dogfish Squalus suckleyi.

Methods

We first examined long‐term changes in the timing and geographic location of migration by applying the Barrier model, a spatio‐temporal model, to c. 5‐decade time series data (1972–2019) for the presence/absence of spiny dogfish in the western North Pacific. We then evaluated the spatial, temporal and spatio‐temporal effects of driving factors (fish productivity, sea surface temperature [SST], depth and magnetic field) on seasonal occurrence patterns using a machine learning model and an interpretable machine learning technique.

Results

The migration area did not change over c. 5‐decades, whereas the migration timing advanced by a month after 2000. The spatial effects of magnetic field and depth were consistently large and the spatial and spatio‐temporal effects of SST increased in the migration season, even though the temporal effect of SST was consistently weak.

Main Conclusions

The migration area of spiny dogfish was stable over time because of the effect of magnetic field and a strong preference for submarine topography, whereas the migration timing advanced as a result of tracking a suitable location based on SST, which increased sharply after 2000. Therefore, temperature and other factors simultaneously influence migration under climate change, highlighting the importance of considering both biotic and abiotic factors and understanding the underlying processes in predicting future impacts of climate change on species distribution.
Only if You Play by the Norms! Insider Norms and Outsider Involvement in Eurogroup and Eurogroup Working Group Interaction During the Sovereign Debt Crisis
Authors: Schilin Alexander
Published: March 2023

Reflections on the sovereign debt crisis often portray the Eurogroup and the Eurogroup Working Group (EWG) as inaccessible for euro area outsiders. Yet, common wisdom suggests that Council representatives can circumvent exclusion due to differentiated integration (DI) by complying with insider norms. This article studies whether and how compliance with procedural norms socialised amongst representatives from euro area member states (EAMS) determined patterns of non‐EAMS involvement in Eurogroup and EWG interaction during the sovereign debt crisis. The argument highlights the role of deliberation and consensus‐building norms, suggesting that they gained particular robustness amongst EAMS representatives. Those non‐EAMS representatives who consistently complied with these insider norms could secure involvement in intergovernmental debates amongst EAMS. Exclusion was mostly relevant to norm violators. This article sheds light on the institutional consequences of DI in Economic and Monetary Union, highlighting its structural effects on governance and decision‐making processes during the sovereign debt crisis.
Understanding singlehood as a complex and multifaceted experience: Insights from relationship science
Authors: Beckmeyer Jonathon J. , Jamison Tyler B.
Published: March 2023

Singlehood is often framed as not being in a relationship and treated as the referent category in research on the impacts of romantic involvement. However, growing research illustrates the multifaceted and complex experience of singlehood. Within our own research on the interconnections between romantic and individual development during young adulthood, the diverse nature of singlehood has emerged despite not being an initial focus of our research. Specifically, we have observed the important roles being single plays in young adulthood and variations in singlehood depending on the individual and their context. In this article, we offer observations about the complexity and diversity of singlehood in the lives of young adults by drawing on our own qualitative and quantitative research on young adult romantic development. Framed by the Life Course Perspective, Developmental Task Theory, and Emerging Adulthood Theory, we describe insights we have gained about singlehood and provide suggestions for future research.