bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustainability assessment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite broadband mega-constellations
Authors: Oughton Edward , Osoro Bonface , Wilson Andrew , Rao Akhil
Published: October 2023

The growth of mega-constellations is rapidly increasing the number of rocket launches required to place new satellites in space. While Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband satellites help to connect unconnected communities and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, there are also a range of negative environmental externalities, from the burning of rocket fuels and resulting environmental emissions. We present sustainability analytics for phase 1 of the three main LEO constellations including Amazon Kuiper (3,236 satellites), OneWeb (648 satellites), and SpaceX Starlink (4,425 satellites). In baseline scenarios over five years, we find a per subscriber carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) of 0.70±0.34 tonnes for Kuiper, 1.41±0.71 tonnes for OneWeb and 0.47±0.15 tonnes CO2eq/subscriber Starlink. However, in the worst-case emissions scenario these values increase to 3.02±1.48 tonnes for Kuiper, 1.7±0.71 tonnes for OneWeb and 1.04±0.33 tonnes CO2eq/subscriber for Starlink, more than 31-91 times higher than equivalent terrestrial mobile broadband. Importantly, phase 2 constellations propose to increase the number of satellites by an order-of-magnitude higher, highlighting the pressing need to mitigate negative environmental impacts. Strategic choices in rocket design and fuel options can help to substantially mitigate negative sustainability impacts.
Preventive effects of bioabsorbable anti-adhesion barriers on bowel obstruction after colectomy in colon cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study using an insurance claims database
Authors: Iwata Risa , Shuichi Mochizuki , Hasegawa Tomoaki , Ishii Kensuke , Matsumaru Naoki , Tsukamoto Katsura
Published: October 2023

Purpose
Postoperative adhesions can be prevented by the use of bioabsorbable anti-adhesion barriers. Patient-focused development is a worldwide requirement, but its implementation in medical device development is not sufficient. Although the occurrence of postoperative bowel obstruction is an important concern for patients, at the time of approval of anti-adhesion barriers, its effectiveness in preventing postoperative bowel obstruction had not been evaluated. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of bowel obstruction after colectomy in patients with colon cancer using an insurance claims database.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study analyzed the data of colon cancer patients (between 2005 and 2017 from a national insurance claims database) who underwent colectomy to compare the proportion of individuals with postoperative bowel obstruction between the barrier and no barrier groups.
Results
Of the 587 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 308 and 279 patients were identified as the barrier and no barrier groups, respectively. The incidence of postoperative bowel obstruction was significantly lower in the barrier group (log-rank test, P = 0.0483). The cumulative incidence of postoperative bowel obstruction 37 months after the initial colectomy, was 6.1% and 10.9% in the barrier and no barrier groups, respectively.
Conclusion
In colectomy for patients with colon cancer, the use of anti-adhesion barriers could significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative bowel obstruction. Evaluations using insurance claims databases could provide important information to achieve patient-focused evaluation of medical devices.
A case report of an atypical severe case of skin picking disorder managed by a multidisciplinary team
Authors: LeBlanc Marissa A. , Hudec Mary-Ann , Weise Lutz
Published: October 2023

Background: While skin picking disorder remains relatively common, it often does not present to psychiatry until significant morbidity or comorbidities are reached. It is described as recurrent picking of skin leading to skin lesions, with repeated attempts to decrease or stop skin picking. It is also often associated with significant distress or functional impairment. There has been limited research in this specific disorder and treatment efficacy has often been poor in severe cases. For various reasons, only a small amount of patients with this disorder present to care, and often to a multidisciplinary team prior to psychiatry.
Case Presentation: This is a case presentation of a 44 year old male with a complex past psychiatric history, ultimately untreated for an underlying skin picking disorder. He presented for urgent medical care following a self-inflicted wound through the central frontal bone and dura over the course of 2 years. He was treated with current psychiatric evidence based medicine, including an SSRI, antipsychotic augmentation and NAC, along with habit reversal techniques during the admission. He was concurrently managed with the neurosurgery team, initially with a poor prognosis due to the severity of his presentation. He required debriding of the devitalized bone within the adjacent brain to cover the dural defect, IV antibiotics for 6 weeks, and an initial skin graft on his initial admission.
Conclusions: This case in particular highlighted the importance of urgent treatment via a multidisciplinary approach to avoid mortality. It highlights the importance of increasing awareness about the disorder and that treatment with SSRI’s, along with antipsychotic and NAC adjuncts remains the mainstay of acute treatment.
Anti-CASPR2 encephilitis patients present with depression as the first diagnostic feature
Authors: Qin Xiaohong , He Yunsen , Zhong Xuemei , jiang Fugui , Luo Yuanyuan , Liu Xuemei , Wu Bo , Zhang Mengjun , Guo Lili , Xiao Jun , Li Jieying
Published: October 2023

Background and Purpose Although depression has been reported in patients with anti-contact protein-associated protein-2 (CASPR2) encephalitis, it rarely occurs as the first diagnostic feature in these patients, and it can be easily missed or misdiagnosed as a psychiatric disorder. This study evaluated the clinical features and pathogenesis of depression in patients with anti-CASPR2 encephalitis.Methods This was a prospective study in which patients with anti-CASPR2 encephalitis and co-current depression were recruited. Between 2020 and 2022, demographic data, clinical manifestations, Self-rating Depression scale (SDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS), and antibody levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of 6 patients with depression as the first manifestation were collected and analyzed.Results A total of 23 anti-CASPR2 encephalitis patients with depression and six patients (five females) with anti-CASPR2 encephalitis and depression as the first presentation were recruited in the present study. All patients showed subacute onset and were misdiagnosed with psychiatric disorders, with depression as the first symptom, accompanied by anxiety and cognitive impairment, and autonomic dysfunction. Good response to immunotherapy. After a follow-up for 6 months, all symptoms were significantly alleviated, and the anti-CASPR2 antibodies were negative.Conclusion Depression, as the first manifestation of anti-CASPR2 encephalitis, is more common in middle-aged and older women. The most common subtypes of depression are anxiety-distress, often accompanied by cognitive and autonomic disorders. A single serum antibody may improve the diagnosis of patients. Therefore, immunotherapy is an effective treatment modality. Immune activation is potentially the pathogenesis of depressive disorders in patients with anti-CASPR2 encephalitis.
Preparation of PDA-GO/CS Composite Scaffold and Its Effects on Biological Properties of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells
Authors: li yaoyao , huang xinhui , fu weihao , zhang zonghao , xiao kuancheng , lv hongbing
Published: October 2023

Objective: PDA-GO polymers combining polydopamine (PDA) and graphene oxide(GO)were prepared. Combining different masses of PDA-GO with chitosan (CS) to synthesize PDA-GO/CS composite scaffolds with different mass fractions. The antibacterial and physicochemical properties of PDA-GO/CS composite scaffolds with different mass fractions were detected to screen the optimal mass fraction. Test the biocompatibility of composite scaffolds and their effects on the proliferation, migration, and osteogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs).
Methods: The surface functional groups of the materials were detected using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).The optimal mass fraction for PDA-GO was screened by antibacterial experiment, observation of scaffold surface morphology and physicochemical performance test. The composite scaffolds were cultured with hDPSCs. By analyzing the biological effects on the proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs, the biological properties of the composite scaffolds were further investigated.
Results: FTIR showed that the oxygen-containinggroups of PDA-GO reduced compared with GO, and new groups were produced in PDA-GO/CS compared with GO/CS. The count colony forming units of the 0.3% PDA-GO/CS group decreased, the pore size and porosity met the requirements of bone tissue engineering scaffolds, the swelling ratio increased, and the degradation rate decreased.The migration ability of the 0.3% PDA-GO/CS group was higher than that of the control group, while ALP staining and alizarin red staining were deeper than those of the blank control group. Real time fluorescence quantitative PCR results showed that the 0.3%PDA-GO/CS group showed an increase in osteogenic gene expression compared to the control group.
Conclusions: Successfully prepared PDA-GO/CS composite scaffold.0.3%PDA-GO/CS scaffolds improves the antibacterial activity and hydrophilicity of CS, while reducing the degradation rate. In vitro, 0.3%PDA-GO/CS has superior biocompatibility and promote the early proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs.
Evaluation of pharmacy residency program in West China Hospital with reference to ASHP resident certification standard
Authors: Wang Zhidan , Chen Zhaoyang , Huang Zijia , Wang Shiyan , Li Yuwen , Zhang Ting
Published: October 2023

Background: In hospitals in China, clinical pharmacist is a developing profession. Standardized training is necessary before becoming clinical pharmacists. How to do a good job in the standardized training of clinical pharmacists is a topic that has been discussed. Carrying out strategies that are compatible to the current situation of pharmaceutics in China is expected to promote the residency training program. In this study, we compared the current pharmacy residency model of West China Hospital (WCH) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)residency accreditation standards.
Methods: By reviewing literature and official documents, the model of WCH and the ASHP residency accreditation standards were retrospectively compared, the differences were analyzed, and constructive suggestions were put forward for the training of pharmacists in China.
Results: There are some similarities between the model of WCH and the ASHP residency accreditation, but there are also some differences. Although we have the same two-year training as the United States, due to the diversity of the domestic medical environment, there are certain differences between the two sides in various aspects. It can be seen from the differences in domestic and foreign environment, development process, training standards, training contents and training personnel's academic qualifications.
Conclusions: The training model of clinical pharmacists in our hospital has many positive points, which is worth learning for other hospitals in China. In addition, there are also some shortcomings. In the future, we will continue to refer to the ASHP residency accreditation standards to improve our training model and enhance the training capacity of clinical pharmacists.
Experimental study MMP10 Regulates the lymph node metastasis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Qu Jing , Wu Xiaoting , Lan Ting , Zheng Dali , Lu YouGuang , Gan Ruihuan , Ding Lincan
Published: October 2023

Aberrant MMP expression can be detected in almost all primary and recurrent tumors. The aim of this study was to identify the role of MMP10 in the cell biological function of OSCC. We analyzed the expression and survival data analysis were done using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium(CPTAC) database, then expression of MMP10 in clinical OSCC samples was detected by using qRT-PCR. We reduced the expression of MMP10 to elucidate the effects of MMP10 on proliferation, migration and invasion. Genes associated with MMP10 were validated by qRT-PCR. The MMP10 expression was raised in HNSC and OSCC, and the high MMP10 expression in HNSC with a poor prognosis outcome. The MMP10 expression was upregulated in OSCC tissues when compared with adjacent tissues. Knockdown the expression of MMP10 inhibited the cell migration and invasion in vitro and lymph node metastasis in vivo. And the expression of MMP10 was regulated by WNT3A. The results of present study indicate that MMP10 plays a significant role in the invasion and migration of OSCC. MMP10 may be a possible target gene for the therapy of OSCC by inhibiting metastasis.
Loss of noggin1, a Classic Embryonic Inducer Gene, in Elasmobranchs
Authors: Bayramov Andrey , Ermakova Galina , Meyntser Irina , Zaraisky Andrey
Published: October 2023

Secreted proteins of the Noggin family serve as pivotal regulators of early development and cell differentiation in all multicellular animals, including vertebrates. Noggin1 was identified first among all Noggins. Moreover, it was described as the first known embryonic inducer specifically secreted by the Spemann organizer and capable of inducing a secondary body axis when expressed ectopically. In the classical default model of neural induction, Noggin1 is presented as an antagonist of BMP signalling, playing a role as a neural inducer. Additionally, Noggin1 is involved in the dorsalization of embryonic mesoderm and later controls the differentiation of various tissues, including muscles, bones, and neural crest derivatives. Hitherto, Noggin1 was found in all studied vertebrates. Here, we report the loss of noggin1in elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and skates), which is a unique case among vertebrates. noggin2 and noggin4 retained in this group and studied in the embryos of the grey bamboo shark Chiloscyllium griseum revealed similarities in expression patterns and functional properties with their orthologues described in other vertebrates. The loss of noggin1 in elasmobranchs may be associated with histological features of the formation of their unique internal cartilaginous skeleton, although additional research is required to establish functional connections between these events.
An immune-competent human gut microphysiological system enables inflammation-modulation of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
Authors: Zhang Jianbo , Huang YuJa , Trapecar Martin , Wright Charles , Schneider Kirsten , Kemmit John , Hernandez-Gordillo Victor , Griffith Linda , Alm Eric , Trumper David , Yoon Jun Young , Breault David
Published: October 2023

Crosstalk of microbes with human gut epithelia and immune cells is crucial for gut health. However, there is no existing system for a long-term co-culture of human innate immune cells with epithelium and oxygen-intolerant commensal microbes, hindering the understanding of microbe-immune interactions in a controlled manner. Here, we establish a gut epithelium-microbe-immune microphysiological system to maintain the long-term continuous co-culture of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii/Faecalibacterium duncaniae with colonic epithelium, antigen-presenting cells (APCs, herein dendritic cells and macrophages), with CD4+ naïve T cells circulating underneath the colonic epithelium. Multiplex cytokine assays suggested that APCs contribute to the elevated level of cytokines and chemokines being secreted into both apical and basolateral compartments. In contrast, the absence of APCs does not allow reliable detection of these cytokines. In the presence of APCs, F. prausnitzii increased the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes such as toll-like receptor 1 (TLR1) and interferon alpha 1 (IFNA1) in the colonic epithelium, but no significant change on the secreted cytokines. In contrast, integration of CD4+ naïve T cells reverses this effect by decreasing the transcription of TLR1, IFNA1, and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, and increasing the F. prausnitzii-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-8, MCP-1/CCL2, and IL1A. These results highlight the contribution of individual innate immune cells in the regulation of the immune response triggered by the gut commensal F. prausnitzii. The successful integration of defined populations of immune cells in this gut microphysiological system demonstrated the usefulness of the GuMI physiomimetic platform to study microbe-epithelial-immune interactions in health and disease.
Evaluation of results agreement of integrated visual and auditory continuous performance test in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder children with Conners' parent test after treatment with methylphenidate
Authors: Heydari Azamossadat , Ghasempour Sare , Moharreri Fatemeh , Akhlaghi Saeed , Khoshkbarchi Masoomeh , Honari Sara
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Two methods to diagnose ADHD are to use cognitive tests such as the Integrated Visual and Auditory (IVA) continuous performance (CPT) and the Conners' parent tests. In this study, a new method under IVA-CPT was investigated on ADHD children, and the degree of synchronization with the Connors test of parents was measured. Method: This study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design. Twenty ADHD patients were evaluated to enroll. The patients received methylphenidate® at a dose of 60 mg/day for six weeks. Before and after treatment, subjects were examined with IVA-CPT test. After the sixth week, the rate of response to treatment and improvement of the patients was also evaluated by the Conners' parent test. Results: The mean age was 10.30 ± 2.5 and 55% of patients were boys. none of the Conners' parent and IVA-CPT test scores had a substantial agreement before, during, and after the intervention. Furthermore, there was no significant agreement between the diagnosis based on the Conners' parent scale and the IVACPT test before (p = 0.969) and after (p = 0.917) treatment. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that there is no significant agreement between the diagnosis of ADHD based on the Conners' parent scale and the CPT-IVA test before and after treatment with methylphenidate. Also, no significant relationship was observed between the subscales of these two tests. These results suggest that physicians should expect to find a lack of consistency between the scores provided by these measures and should be conservative of their use in clinical settings.
Application of Deep Learning and Feature Selection Technique on External Root Resorption Identification on CBCT Images
Authors: Reduwan Nor Hidayah , Aziz Azwatee Abdul , Razi Roziana Mohd , Abdullah Erma Rahayu Mohd Faizal , Nezhad Seyed Matin Mazloom , Gohain Meghna , Ibrahim Norliza
Published: October 2023

Background: Artificial intelligence have been proven to improve the identification of various maxillofacial lesions. The aim of the current study is two-fold, to assess the performance of four deep learning models (DLM) in external root resorption (ERR) identification, and to assess the effect of combining feature selection technique (FST) with DLM on their ability in ERR identification.
Methods: External root resorption was simulated on 88 extracted premolar teeth using tungsten bur according to different depths (0.5mm, 1mm and 2mm). All teeth were scanned using a Cone beam CT (Carestream Dental-CHECK). A training (70%), validation (10%), and test (20%) dataset were established. The performance of four DLMs (i. Random Forest (RF)+Visual Geometry Group 16 (VGG), ii. RF+EfficienNetB4 (EFNET), iii. Support Vector Machine (SVM)+VGG and iv. SVM+EFNET) and four hybrid models (DLM+FST: i. FS+RF+VGG, ii. FS+RF+EFNET, iii. FS+SVM+VGG and iv. FS+SVM+EFNET) was compared. Five performance parameters were assessed namely classification accuracy, F1-score, precision, specificity, error rate. FST algorithms (Boruta and Recursive Feature Selection) were combined with the DLMs to assess their performance.
Result: RF+VGG exhibited the highest performance in identifying ERR followed by the other tested models. Similarly, FST combined with RF+VGG outperformed other models with classification accuracy, F1-score, precision, and specificity of 81.9%, weighted accuracy of 83%, and AUC of 96%.
Conclusion: In general, all DLMs have similar performance on ERR identification. However, the performance can be improved by combining FST with DLMs.
Long-term oncologic outcomes of unselected triple-negative breast cancer patients according to BRCA1/2 mutations
Authors: Ryu Jai Min , Chung Soo Yeon , Park Woong Ki , Jung You Jin , Nam Seok Jin , Kim Seok Won , Yu Jonghan , Chae Byung Joo , Lee Jeong Eon , Kim Sung-Won
Published: October 2023

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients are more likely to have BRCA1/2 mutations, with a prevalence rate of about 10–20%. Although several studies have analyzed the oncologic outcomes between BRCA1/2 carriers and non-carriers, the impact on breast cancer patients is still unclear. A retrospective review was performed to determine the differences in long-term outcomes of TNBC patients according to BRCA1/2 mutation status. A total of 953 TNBC patients who underwent primary breast cancer surgery from June 2008 to January 2016 were included. The oncologic outcomes were compared according to BRCA1/2 mutation status. Overall, 122 patients (12.8%) had BRCA1/2 mutations. The median follow-up duration was 80.9 months. There were no significant differences in distant metastasis-free survival and overall survival (P = 0.330 and 0.549, respectively) between BRCA1/2 carriers and non-carriers at 150 months. However, BRCA1/2 carrier cumulative recurrence rate and breast cancer-specific survival rate showed meaningful difference compared to non-carriers at 150 months (36.1% vs. 23.5%, 88.8% vs. 82.4%, P = 0.080 and 0.072, respectively). Cumulative contralateral breast cancer (CBC) incidence for BRCA1/2 carriers at 150 months was significantly higher than non-carriers (25.5% vs. 5.2%, P = 0.018). Among 29 patients with CBC recurrence, 24 patients (82.8%) had recurring TNBC type breast cancer and among the CBC recurrence patients, 19 patients (65.5%) resumed chemotherapy. In unselected TNBC patients with known BRCA1/2 mutations, we found significantly increased CBC recurrence in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers than non-carriers. While survival was not significantly different, more than 80% of CBC recurrence patients were TNBC.
E4BP4 in macrophages induces an anti-inflammatory phenotype that ameliorates the severity of colitis
Authors: Taguchi Akihiko , Kajimura Yasuko , Ohta Yasuharu , Yamamoto Kaoru , Masuda Konosuke , Nagao Yuko , Shibata Kensuke , Asaoka Yoichi , Furutani-Seiki Makoto , Tanizawa Yukio
Published: October 2023

Macrophages are versatile cells of the innate immune system that work by altering their pro- or anti-inflammatory features. Their dysregulation leads to inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. We show that macrophage-specific upregulation of the clock output gene and transcription factor E4BP4 reduces the severity of colitis in mice. RNA-sequencing and single-cell analyses of macrophages revealed that increased expression of E4BP4 leads to an overall increase in expression of anti-inflammatory genes including Il4ra with a concomitant reduction in pro-inflammatory gene expression. In contrast, knockout of E4BP4 in macrophages leads to increased proinflammatory gene expression and decreased expression of anti-inflammatory genes. ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq analyses further identified Il4ra as a target of E4BP4, which drives anti-inflammatory polarization in macrophages. Together, these results reveal a critical role for E4BP4 in regulating macrophage inflammatory phenotypes and resolving inflammatory bowel diseases.
A Capstone Experience for International MDs: Preparing UAE Graduates for UME to GME Transitions post COVID Pandemic
Authors: Dimassi Zakia , Zitoon Mohammed Abu , Ahmad Masood , Lutfi Dana , Mohamed Ahmed , Murray David
Published: October 2023

Background:
Facilitating the transition of graduating medical students who did their clinical clerkships under the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to post-graduate training remains under-explored, particularly in the Middle East region.
Objectives:
A tailored Capstone course was developed to bridge the educational gaps for the first graduating class in the first MD program across the United Arab Emirates, to ready them for residency training. These are international medical graduates who studied exclusively online for years 1 and 2 because of the COVID19 pandemic restrictions, which affected their proper acquisition of clinical skills. They also are the first cohort to graduate from a nascent MD program in the UAE, while all other medical schools in the country have historically adopted the MBBS program.
Methods:
A total of 26 fourth-year medical students participated in the Capstone course between April and May 2023. Pre- and post-course students’ self-confidence levels on the skills learned were analysed using paired t-tests to determine any statistical significance. Means, standard seviations, and p-values for all stations were computed to summarize the overall changes in confidence levels.
Results:
The statistical analysis revealed a highly statistically significant p-value of 8.68757E-06, indicating a substantial improvement in the students' self-confidence levels after completing the capstone course. The findings support the effectiveness of the course in enhancing students' confidence, noting that the overall results are more favorable for the psychomotor skills (p-value = 0.00011), with the exception of the cognitive skills related to “reporting events/participating in root cause analysis”, and “recognize high risk medications for error and how to report such errors”.
Conclusions:
The current study demonstrates the positive impact of a capstone course on the self-confidence levels of graduating medical students. The significant improvements in both psychomotor and cognitive/communication skills highlight the value of targeted training and hands-on experiences in addressing the gaps in clinical education. The results underscore the importance of incorporating in-person training opportunities, especially for developing psychomotor skills, and provide insights for curriculum development and the design of future capstone programs.
Vitrification-Enabled Enhancement of Proton Conductivity in Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks
Authors: Liang Linfeng , Yang Feng-Fan , Wang Xiao-Lu , Tian Jiayue , Yang Yin
Published: October 2023

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are versatile materials with potential applications in proton conduction. Traditional approaches involve incorporating humidity control to address grain boundary challenges for proton conduction. This study finds vitrification as an alternative strategy to eliminate grain boundary effect in HOFs by rapidly melt quenching the kinetically stable to glassy state HOF-SXU-8-g. Notably, a remarkable enhancement in proton conductivity without humidity was achieved after vitrification, from 1.31 × 10-7 S cm-1 to 5.62 × 10-2 S cm-1 at 100°C. Long term stability test showed negligible performance degradation, and even at 30°C, the proton conductivity remained at high level of 1.2 × 10-2 S cm-1. Molecule dynamics (MD) simulations and X-ray total scattering experiments reveal the HOF-SXU-8-g system is consisted of three kinds of clusters, i.e., 1,5-Naphthalenedisulfonic acid (1,5-NSA) anion clusters, N,N-dimethylformamide molecule clusters, and H+-H2O clusters. In which, the H+ plays an important role to bridge these clusters and the high conductivity is mainly related to the H+ on H3O+. 1H magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) revealed that the H+ mobility was increased significantly after the transformation. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing HOFs, enabling efficient proton conduction, and advancing energy conversion and storage devices.
Prevalence and correlates of subclinical hypothyroidism in young first-episode drug-naïve major depression patients with high BMI
Authors: Liu Chengyang , Yu Hui , Sun Xiaghong , Xu Qitao , Wang Xinyue , Huang Yingying , Sun Ping , zhang Xiangyang
Published: October 2023

Both subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and overweight or obesity are prevalent in major depressive disorder (MDD), with inconsistent results due to differences in inclusion criteria in previous studies. Few previous studies have compared the prevalence and influencing factors of SCH in MDD patients accompanied by overweight or obesity between those who are not. The aim of our study was to examine the prevalence of SCH and associated risk factors among young Chinese first-episode drug-naïve (FEND) MDD patients with overweight or obesity and exclude the impact of age and medication. This study recruited a total of 1289 young FEDN MDD outpatients and their demographic data, clinical information, thyroid function and biochemical parameters were collected. They were also assessed on the Hamilton Depression Inventory (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Inventory (HAMA), and Positive and Negative Symptom Scales (PANSS). The incidence of SCH in young FEDN MDD patients with overweight or obesity was 65.78%, which was 1.59 times higher than that in patients without high BMI (28.6%). Patients with SCH had longer duration of illness, higher HAMA, HAMD, and PANSS positive symptom scores, stronger suicide attempts, higher blood pressure (BP), higher fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC) levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels than those without SCH. Additionally, logistic regression showed that the HAMD score, fasting blood glucose, TC levels, HDL-C levels, systolic and diastolic BP were significantly associated with SCH. Furthermore, the combination of TC levels and systolicBP could differentiate patients with SCH from those without SCH. Our results suggested a high incidence of SCH in young MDD patients with high BMI. The severity of depression and several metabolic parameters contribute to the incidence of SCH in young MDD patients with high BMI.
Core-shell Co3O4/CF flexible composites constructed by Co3O4 nanofibers on carbon fibers as the high-performance microwave absorber
Authors: Liu Xiaowei , Tian Konghu , Zhang Chao , Wang Jing , Li Yufei , Xu Lixin
Published: October 2023

This study obtained cobalt nitrate (Co3O4)/carbon fibers (CF) composites with the core-shell structure using in situ Co3O4 growth on lightweight and flexible hydrophilic CF through a hydrothermal synthesis method and a simple heat treatment to improve the attenuation of microwaves and their absorption properties. The urea content was adjusted to tune the needle-like morphology of Co3O4. The results showed that sample S3 had excellent microwave absorption (MA) performance with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -61.55 dB at 4.75 mm thickness. However, the thickness corresponding to the maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL<-10 dB) of 4.72 GHz was only 1.88 mm, covering almost the entire Ku band. CF, as the core of the structure, significantly impacted the microwave reflection. However, the Co3O4 shell coating dominated the dielectric loss of the Co3O4/CF composite, and its MA performance improved with the Co3O4 structure refinement. This study provided a practical solution for preparing lightweight and efficient transition metal oxide and carbon-based MA composites.
Early outcomes of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair for high-risk surgical patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Xin , Zhong Xiaohan , Jinag Wenjian , Zhang Hongjia , Liu Yuyong
Published: October 2023

Background: Data regarding transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) in treating high-risk surgical patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) is scarce. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the early outcomes of TEER for the treatment of DMR, as compared with surgery.
Methods:PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched for eligible studies. The primary outcomes were early (in‐hospital or within 30 days) all-cause mortality and survival at 1-year. The secondary outcomes comprised acute postprocedural residual mitral regurgitation (MR) >2+, recurrent MR > 2+ at 1-year, and SF-36 physical score at 1-year.
Results: A total of 4 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled results showed that there was no significant difference in early all-cause mortality (OR = 1.093, 95% CI [0.393, 3.041], p = 0.864), survival at 1-year (OR= 0.996, 95% CI [0.403, 2.458], p = 0.993), and SF-36 physical score at 1-year (SMD = 0.044, 95% CI [-0.217, 0.305], p = 0.740) between TEER and surgery. However, TEER was associated a higher risk of acute postprocedural residual MR > 2+ (OR = 11.819, 95% CI [6.498, 21.496], p < 0.001) and MR >2+ at 1-year (OR = 4.114, 95% CI [2.188, 7.737], p <0.001) compared with surgery.
Conclusions:TEER achieves similar early survival to surgery in DMR patients with high-risk profiles. Acute postprocedural residual MR >2+ and recurrent MR > 2+ at 1-year, however, occurs more frequently after TEER than surgery.
TITLE: Antibiotic Therapy in Moderate to Late Preterm Infants with Presumed Early Onset Sepsis is Associated with Aberrations to Feeding Tolerance and Hyperbilirubinemia
Authors: Ng Daniel , Fan Wei Qi
Published: October 2023

Presumed early onset sepsis (PEOS) requiring antibiotics is concerning for our cohort of moderate to late preterm infants. Studies on very premature neonates have shown disruption to feeding tolerance achievement. We aimed to assess whether this concern is valid in our cohort and whether a link existed to prolonged jaundice. A single site retrospective study was performed on infants born between 32+ 3 and 36+ 6 weeks (2016 to 2019). PEOS infants on antibiotics (ABX) were strictly matched by gestational age (± 1 day) and birthweight (± 5%) against a reference group of non-PEOS infants (REF). Key outcomes included: enteral feeding commencement and achievement; feeding intolerance (FI); phototherapy commencement and duration; antibiotic therapy duration; maximum bilirubin (MaxBili); length of stay (LEN); net post-birth weight gain. ABX(n = 185):REF(n = 185) univariate and multivariable analysis revealed (respectively): delayed enteral feed commencement (p < 0.001, p < 0.001); no difference in FI; delayed onset of peak jaundice (p = 0.002, p = 0.001); increased duration of phototherapy (p = 0.016, p = 0.001); increased LEN (p < 0.002, p < 0.035). Univariate analysis also showed (ABX:REF): no significant difference in MaxBili; delayed full enteral feed achievement (p = 0.010). Univariant or multivariable analysis found no difference in irradiance level. However, for REF infants having 0 or 1 lights, there was a bias towards increased irradiance for ABX infants (< 0.001, 0.037 respectively). In moderate to late preterm infants, PEOS antibiotic therapy is associated with negative impacts on feeding and jaundice, adding to an infant’s burden of suffering.
Cross-border CO2 Transport Decreases Public Support for Carbon Capture and Storage
Authors: Anders Sven , Meyerhoff Jürgen , Liebe Ulf
Published: October 2023

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) of CO2 has become indispensable to reach net-zero targets. Investments into cross-border CO2 transport infrastructure are considered essential to the cost-efficiency of a CCS strategy. We conduct multifactorial vignette experiments in four European countries and Canada to disentangle the impact of cross-border CO2 transport on individuals’ acceptance and fairness evaluations of CCS. We find its perceived unfairness to clearly hinder public acceptance of CCS.
Basic characteristics of tongue pressure and electromyography generated by articulation of a syllable using the posterior part of the tongue
Authors: Manda Yousuke , Kodama Naoki , Mori Keitaro , Adachi Reimi , Matsugishi Makoto , Minagi Shogo
Published: October 2023

The basic function of the tongue in pronouncing diadochokinesis and other syllables is not fully understood. Our study aimed to clarify the influence of sex, syllables, tongue pressure, and muscle activity associated with the movement of the posterior tongue on sound pressure levels during articulation in 19 healthy adults (mean age: 28.2 years; range: 22–33 years). Tongue pressure and activity of the posterior tongue were measured using electromyography (EMG) when the soft palatal sounds /ka/, /ko/, /ga/, and /go/ were pronounced at 70, 60, 50, and 40 dB. In the multiple regression analysis with sound pressure level as the objective variable and sex, syllable, tongue pressure, EMG as explanatory variables, the adjusted coefficient of determination for the degrees of freedom was 0.24. Tongue pressure and EMG were adopted as explanatory variables, with standard regression coefficients of 3.72 and 3.63, respectively. Tongue pressure and muscle activity were significantly increased at 70 dB compared to other sound pressure levels. Tongue pressure and muscle activity had a significant effect on the sound pressure generated during articulation. Tongue is strongly activated during articulation at sound pressure levels greater than the daily level.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as add-on therapy in persistent postural-perceptual dizziness
Authors: Jia Yao , Wang Hongbin , Li Dan , Wu Xingli , Yang Jiawen , Min Weifei , Ma Ting , Huang He , Li Rui
Published: October 2023

Background
To observe the clinical efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as add-on therapy for patients with PPPD.
Methods
In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial, we assigned patients diagnosed with PPPD in a 1:1 ratio to receive active or sham rTMS treatment as add-on therapy over the existing routine treatments. The primary efficacy end point was the levels of vertigo, anxiety and depression at baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment as indicated by the Dizziness Impairment Inventory (DHI), Hamilton Anxiety Inventory (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Inventory (HAMD), respectively. The primary safety endpoint was the adverse events.
Results
Twenty-two participants were assigned to undergo active rTMS (10 Hz for 20 min in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) once a day, 5 times a week for 20 sessions) and 22 to sham rTMS. The HAMA, HAMD and DHI scores at the end of 2 or 4 weeks significantly decreased in rTMS group as compared with sham rTMS group (P༜0.05). There was a correlation between the decrease in DHI score and the decrease in HAMA and HAMD scores. The incidence of adverse reactions in rTMS group was 9% (2/22), which was not statistically significant as compared with sham rTMS group (P > 0.05).
Conclusions
This pilot study shown that rTMS is beneficial to patients with PPPD as add-on therapy. Further multi-centered, large-scale randomized clinical trials are warranted.
Reporting of the certainty of evidence through GRADE in systematic reviews in dentistry indexed during late 2019 - late 2020
Authors: de Oliveira Julia Meller Dias , Oliveira Luciana Buttini , Pauletto Patricia , Stefani Cristine Miron , Massignan Carla , Martins Carolina Castro , Porfírio Gustavo José Martiniano , Peres Marco Aurélio , Flores-Mir Carlos , Canto Graziela De Luca
Published: October 2023

Objectives: To assess how systematic reviews of interventions in dentistry report the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, Evaluation approach (GRADE).
Methods: A search on MEDLINE/PubMed database from September 2019 to September 2020 was performed. We included systematic reviews of intervention in dentistry using the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of the evidence. Data was narratively synthesized and summarized using relative frequencies.
Results: From 449 retrieved systematic reviews of interventions in dentistry, 23.6% used the GRADE approach and were finally included. Among these, 92.5% used the approach as recommended by the GRADE developers. Regarding the GRADE individual components, 73.6% of studies reported how the risk of bias, 61.3% inconsistency, 16% indirectness, 41.5% imprecision, and 48.1% publication bias domains were assessed. Overall, 41.5% of reviews clearly stated the main outcome assessed and, from these, 6.8% reported high, 38.6% moderate, 25% low, and 29.5% very low certainty of the evidence. For the remaining reviews (50.9%), the main outcome was not possible to be identified, and in 7.5% the judgement about the certainty of evidence found was not adequately reported. Finally, 59.4% of systematic reviews used the certainty of evidence assessment to support their conclusion.
Conclusions: Only around one in four systematic reviewsof interventions in dentistry identified in this study have used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence. In most of those reviews that applied it, GRADE was correctly applied. In more than half, the certainty of the evidence was judged to be low or very low.
Ambroxol-enhanced frequency and amplitude of beating cilia mediated by pHi and [Cl-]i in lung airway epithelial cells of mice
Authors: Nakahari Takashi , Suzuki Chihiro , Kawaguchi Kotoku , Hosogi Shigekuni , Tanaka Saori , Asano Shinji , Inui Toshio , Marunaka Yoshinori
Published: October 2023

Ambroxol (ABX), a frequently prescribed secretolytic agent that stimulates Ca2+ release from acidic stores and Ca2+ entry through CaV1.2, enhanced the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and ciliary bend angle (CBA, an index of amplitude) by 30% in ciliated lung airway epithelial cells (c-LAECs) of mice. An increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) stimulated by ABX triggers two signals in c-LAECs; an increase in pHi (pH pathway) and a decrease in [Cl-]i (Cl- pathway). The pH pathway, which was activated by the HCO3- entry through Na+-HCO3- cotransporter (NBC) and inhibited by 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonic acid (DIDS), enhanced the CBF (by 30%) and CBA (by 15-20%) and the Cl- pathway, which was activated by Cl- secretion through anoctamine 1 (ANO1) and inhibited by Cl- channel blockers (NPPB and T16Ainh), enhanced the CBA (by 10-15%). The enhancement of the CBF and CBA stimulated by ABX was decreased to 50% by a Ca2+-free solution or nifedipine (an inhibitor of L-type Ca2+ channels) and was abolished by BAPTA-AM in c-LAECs, indicating that an increase in [Ca2+]i stimulated by ABX is essential for activating the pH pathway and the Cl- pathway. The enhancement of CBF and CBA enhanced by ABX was mimicked by applying a CO2/HCO3--free Cl--free solution, which increased the pHi and decreased the [Cl-]i. In conclusion, ABX increased the CBF and CBA by 30% via the pH pathway and the Cl- pathway triggered by the [Ca2+]i increase in c-LAECs of mice.
"Not everyone wants to go to Europe": Narrative inquiry into the psychological struggle between movement and settlement among Syrian refugees in Turkey
Authors: Lucic Luka
Published: October 2023

Following the onset of the Syrian Civil War, Turkey came to host the largest refugee population in the world. As of September of 2023, over 3.6 million Syrian nationals were still residing on Turkish territory, the majority of whom are classified under the temporary protection status. Their legal status in Turkey is precarious, and their access to the rights guaranteed by the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention is limited. Yet, without the right to settle permanently in Turkey and despite the legal and economic challenges that complicate their everyday life, most Syrian refugees are reluctant to migrate toward the economically developed countries of Western Europe. Employing the methodology of narrative inquiry, this work explores the narrative-based thought processes among seven refugees of the Syrian Civil War living in Istanbul. Analyses show a complex, dynamic, and culturally situated process of making sense across two cultural contexts. While their thoughts, feelings, and attention are primarily directed towards their everyday life in Turkey, the attempts at making sense of their everyday reality are refracted through the prism of Europe. As a relational context – or as an illusion once held and then lost – Europe is not a teleological end destination of their journey but a symbolic place of refuge.
Possible transport pathways of diazotrophic Trichodesmium with Agulhas rings from the Indian Ocean into the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Martin Bettina , Koppelmann Rolf , Harmer André , Plonus Rene-Marcel
Published: October 2023

Diazotrophic cyanobacteria such as Trichodesmium play a crucial role in the nitrogen budget of the oceans due to their capability to bind atmospheric nitrogen. Little is known about their interoceanic transport pathways and their distribution in upwelling regions. Trichodesmium has been detected using a Video Plankton Recorder (VPR) mounted on a remotely operated towed vehicle (TRIAXUS) in the southern and northern Benguela Upwelling System (BUS) in austral autumn, Feb/Mar 2019. The TRIAXUS, equipped with a CTD as well as fluorescence and nitrogen sensors, was towed at a speed of 8 kn on two onshore–offshore transects undulating between 5 and 200 m over distances of 249 km and 374 km, respectively. Trichodesmium was not detected near the coast in areas of fresh upwelling but was found in higher abundances offshore, mainly in subsurface water layers down to 80 m depth with elevated salinities on both transects. These salinity lenses can be related to northward moving eddies that have been detached from the warm and salty Agulhas Current. We provide the first indications that Trichodesmium can be transported with Agulhas rings from the Indian into the Atlantic Ocean.