bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A pilot study of an integrated, personalized, respiratory and motor telerehabilitation program for pediatric patients with hereditary neuromuscular disorders
Authors: Yu Michael Kwan Leung , Chiu Alice Yuen Yee , Chau Shuk Kuen , Rosa Duque Jaime S , Wong Wilfred Hing Sang , Chan Sophelia Hoi Shan
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Telerehabilitation provides physical training to patients through telecommunication networks. We examined the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of an integrated, personalized, respiratory and motor telerehabilitation program for pediatric patients with hereditary neuromuscular disorders (NMDs).

Methods

Stable pediatric patients were recruited for a 16‐week home training program with personalized pulmonary, upper and lower limb exercises. Patients reviewed instructional videos at home and attended bi‐weekly follow‐ups through video or audio calls, text messages, or emails. The primary outcomes were respiratory function, Medical Research Council (MRC) grading, hand/pinch strength, 6‐minute walk test, and Pediatric Quality‐of‐Life Inventory 3.0 Neuromuscular Module survey. The secondary outcomes were study compliance and user feedback.

Results

Patients with spinal muscular atrophy (n = 4), congenital myasthenic syndrome (n = 2), and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (n = 2) completed the program. The median weekly exercise time was 101.3 min (range: 30.0–266.9). No extra face‐to‐face physiotherapy sessions were requested by the patients. No adverse events were reported. After the study, patients showed improvements in maximal expiratory pressure (35.0 vs. 47.5 cm H2O, p = .028) and maintained their MRC grade, hand/pinch strength, and walking distance. Patients also reported improvements in the Pediatric Quality‐of‐Life Inventory 3.0 Neuromuscular Module survey score (74.5 vs. 87.0, p = .036). Patients rated the overall program highly (mean: 4.00/5.00) and recommended it as a standard of care (mean: 4.38/5.00).

Discussion

Our telerehabilitation program was feasible, safe, and possibly effective for this pilot cohort of stable pediatric patients with hereditary NMDs. Larger‐scale studies for longer periods are warranted to confirm the results.
Implementing a Screen‐Clean‐Hydrate bundle of care for improving swallow screening, oral health, and hydration in acute stroke: Protocol for a Type 2 hybrid‐effectiveness pre−post study
Authors: Murray Joanne , Gunasekaran Sulekha , Doeltgen Sebastian , George Stacey , Harvey Gillian
Published: October 2023

Stroke clinical guidelines recommend care processes that optimize patient outcomes and minimize hospital‐acquired complications. However, audits and surveys illustrate that recommended care is not always consistently or thoroughly implemented. This paper outlines the methods for implementing and evaluating a new bundle of care. Screen‐Clean‐Hydrate bundles together recommendations from the Australian Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management and supplements these with evidence‐informed best practice from the literature for: swallow screening within 4 h of presentation to hospital (Screen); oral health assessment and delivery of oral care (Clean); and hydration assessment and management (Hydrate). The study is a pre−post Type 2 hybrid effectiveness/implementation design with an embedded process evaluation, which will be conducted in two acute stroke units in a capital city of Australia. The integrated‐Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (iPARIHS) framework will be used to guide study design, conduct, and evaluation. Clinical effectiveness will be measured by rates of hospital‐acquired complications and proxy measures of cost (length of stay, procedure costs) for 60 patient participants pre‐ and postimplementation. Implementation outcomes will focus on acceptability, feasibility, uptake and fidelity, and identification of barriers and enablers to implementation through staff interviews, medical record audits, and researcher field notes. Due to its design as a hybrid effectiveness/implementation study, once completed, the study will provide information on both intervention and implementation effectiveness, including details of successful and unsuccessful multidisciplinary implementation strategies. This will inform a larger multisite effectiveness/implementation trial for future upscale, leading to improved compliance with stroke guidelines and therefore stroke outcomes.
Measuring midwives' perceptions of their practice climate across racial‐ethnic identities: An invariance analysis of the Midwifery Practice Climate Scale
Authors: Thumm E. Brie , Giano Zach , Niles P. Mimi , Smith Denise , Howard Bridget
Published: October 2023

Diversification of the midwifery workforce is key to addressing disparities in maternal health in the United States. Midwives who feel supported in their practice environments report less burnout and turnover; therefore, creating positive practice environments for midwives of color is an essential component of growing and retaining midwives of color in the workforce. The Midwifery Practice Climate Scale (MPCS) is a 10‐item instrument developed through multiphase empirical analysis to measure midwives' practice environments, yet the MPCS had not been independently tested with midwives of color. We conducted invariance analyses to test whether latent means can be compared between midwives of color and non‐Hispanic White samples. A step‐up approach applied a series of increasingly stringent constraints to model estimations with multiple group confirmatory factor analyses with two pooled samples. A configural model was estimated as the basis of multiple group comparisons where all parameters were allowed to freely vary. Metric invariance was estimated by constraining item factor loadings to be equal. Scalar invariance was estimated by constraining intercepts of indicators to be equal. Each model was compared to the baseline model. The findings supported scalar invariance of MPCS across midwives of color and non‐Hispanic White midwives, indicating that the MPCS is measuring the same intended construct across groups, and that differences in scores between these two groups reflect true group differences and are not related to measurement error. Additionally, in this sample, there was no statistically significant difference in perceptions of the practice environments across midwives of color and non‐Hispanic White midwives (p > 0.05).
Educational and occupational outcomes in Swedish children treated for sarcomas: A nationwide registry‐based study
Authors: Grundström Albin , Harila Arja , Lönnerblad Malin
Published: October 2023

Background

Many children treated for cancer experience a negative impact on their academic performance; however, most studies of children treated for sarcomas have not investigated academic performance. Our aim was to explore how Swedish children treated for sarcomas perform academically, as well as how they adjust to life afterwards.

Procedure

We compared 167 pediatric sarcoma survivors with 776 matched, non‐sibling controls without a history of cancer, in a retrospective cohort study using data from nationwide registries. Primary outcomes were grades at the end of compulsory education, high school eligibility, post‐compulsory education (i.e., education after school Year 9), employment, and sickness or activity compensation.

Results

Pediatric sarcoma survivors were more likely to be ineligible for high school (odds ratio [OR] 1.76; p = .045) and more likely to fail Swedish (OR 2.12; p = .046), mathematics (OR 2.27; p = .011), and/or physical education (OR 2.24; p = .004), compared with controls. Survivors were less likely to have been employed (OR 0.58; p = .027) and received sickness or activity compensation more often (OR 2.49; p = .008) compared with controls.

Conclusions

Pediatric sarcoma survivors have poorer academic performance compared to peers without cancer in multiple school subjects. Survivors seem to catch up during post‐compulsory education, but might struggle to find employment.
Work‐related consequences of losing a child with cancer: A nationwide population‐based cohort study
Authors: Hammer Nanna Maria , Olsen Marianne , Larsen Hanne Bækgaard , Wreford Andersen Elisabeth , Oksbjerg Dalton Susanne , Allerslev Horsbøl Trine , Envold Bidstrup Pernille
Published: October 2023

Background

Parents who lose a child are at increased risk of impaired mental health, which may negatively affect their work ability. The aims of this study were to examine the risk for reduced labor market affiliation in parents who lost a child with cancer compared to a matched parent cohort, and factors associated with the bereaved parents’ labor market affiliation.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide population‐based cohort study using Danish registry data. We followed bereaved parents (n = 1609) whose child died with cancer at age less than 30 during 1992–2020, and a matched, population‐based sample of parents (n = 15,188) of children with no history of childhood cancer. Cox proportional hazard models and fractional logit models were performed separately for mothers and fathers.

Results

Cancer‐bereaved mothers had an overall increased risk of long‐term sick leave (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.48–1.77), unemployment (HR = 1.53; CI: 1.37–1.70), and lower odds of working in the first 2 years following the loss (odds ratio [OR] = 0.44; CI: 0.39–0.49), while bereaved fathers had lower odds of working (OR = 0.65; CI: 0.53–0.79), and increased risk of permanently reduced work ability (HR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.01–1.66), compared to the matched cohort of parents of cancer‐free children. Younger parental age, lower education, and being a single parent were identified as the main determinants of the bereaved parents’ reduced labor market affiliation.

Conclusions

Cancer‐bereaved parents are at increased risk of reduced labor market affiliation, compared with a matched, population‐based sample of parents. Certain groups of bereaved parents may be at particularly high risk, and targeted bereavement interventions are warranted.
The predictive power of game addiction and social media addiction on adolescents' lifestyle
Authors: Kudubes Aslı Akdeniz , Efe Yagmur Sezer
Published: October 2023

This study was conducted as a descriptive and cross‐sectional study to examine the effects of game addiction and social media addiction on the lifestyle of Turkish adolescents. The study was conducted between May to June 2022, involved 1116 adolescents in the 13−18 age group receiving education in three high schools situated in the Western region of Turkey. Data were collected online with the Descriptive Information Form, Game Addiction Scale Short Form for Adolescents (GAS), Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents (SMAS), and Adolescent Lifestyle Profile Scale (ALP). Mean, percentage, t test, analysis of variance and linear regression analysis were used for analyzing data. There was a statistically significant difference between the presence of social media accounts and smartphones, duration of having social media account, average time spent daily on social media accounts and virtual games, social media use characteristics for the last 6 months, interests of influencers followed on social media, affection by influencers, and effect of social media on daily life and the mean scores on GAS, SMAS, and ALP. It was determined that game addiction and social media addiction explained 61.8% of the lifestyles of adolescents and significantly affected them. In addition, social media use characteristics, game addiction, and social media addiction explain and significantly predict the lifestyle of adolescents at a rate of 62.8%. The results of the study reveal that game addiction and social media addiction is a significant predictor of Turkish adolescents' lifestyle. It can be recommended to provide trainings that shed light on the importance of efficient use of technology to adolescents and their parents and to evaluate the effectiveness of these trainings.
Conformational dynamics of α‐1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) in cancer: A comparative study of glycosylated and unglycosylated AGP
Authors: Dixit Bhawna , Vranken Wim , Ghysels An
Published: October 2023

α‐1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) is one of the most abundant plasma proteins. It fulfills two important functions: immunomodulation, and binding to various drugs and receptors. These different functions are closely associated and modulated via changes in glycosylation and cancer missense mutations. From a structural point of view, glycans alter the local biophysical properties of the protein leading to a diverse ligand‐binding spectrum. However, glycans can typically not be observed in the resolved X‐ray crystallography structure of AGP due to their high flexibility and microheterogeneity, so limiting our understanding of AGP's conformational dynamics 70 years after its discovery. We here investigate how mutations and glycosylation interfere with AGP's conformational dynamics changing its biophysical behavior, by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and sequence‐based dynamics predictions. The MD trajectories show that glycosylation decreases the local backbone flexibility of AGP and increases the flexibility of distant regions through allosteric effects. We observe that mutations near the glycosylation site affect glycan's conformational preferences. Thus, we conclude that mutations control glycan dynamics which modulates the protein's backbone flexibility directly affecting its accessibility. These findings may assist in the drug design targeting AGP's glycosylation and mutations in cancer.
Introduction to grid‐scale battery energy storage system concepts and fire hazards
Authors: Goldsmith Veronica
Published: October 2023

As the world continues to enact progressive climate change targets, renewable energy solutions are needed to achieve these goals. One such solution is large‐scale lithium‐ion battery (LIB) energy storage systems which are at the forefront in ensuring that solar‐ and wind‐generated power is delivered when the grids need it most. However, the perceived hazards of LIBs due to recent events in the United States and Australia pose a risk to their future success. When a battery energy storage system (BESS) has a multilayered approach to safety, the thermal runaway, fire, and explosion hazards can be mitigated. Successful implementation of this approach requires cooperation, collaboration, and education across all stakeholder groups to break down these preconceived notions. Much can be learned from the recent BESS fire and explosion events to inform safer design and operation. These events and their contributing factors share many commonalities with historic losses in the hydrocarbon industry. Fire and process safety engineers who have traditionally worked in the hydrocarbon industry can be of immense value to the BESS industry.
Consequence analysis, layer of protection analysis, and bow‐tie as strategies to prevent accidents
Authors: Silva Elisio Carvalho
Published: October 2023

This article discusses some accidents and uses consequence analysis as well as layer of protection analysis (LOPA) and bow‐tie to establish the best approach for safely controlling the process to avoid loss of containment due to overfilling. Four accidents and their aftermaths are examined, considering current investigations. Consequence analysis was used with 12 products to demonstrate how to determine the level of protection of the systems to reduce the likelihood of containment loss due to overflow. Finally, LOPA and bow‐tie were used to ensure that the systems have adequate protection at an acceptable level of risk tolerance and will be correctly maintained throughout their life cycle. The analyses indicated that an independent layer of protection with safety integrity level 2 was required to achieve the risk tolerance requirement of <10−4/year, which is a known and widely accepted frequency when an accident has the potential to result in a fatality. Furthermore, a study of degradation factors and controls was performed to enhance the reliability of all the components that interfere with the frequency of the top event. This will improve process safety throughout the system's lifecycle, and the results will also be input for safeguards audits.
Effects of duration of follow‐up and lag in data collection on the performance of adaptive clinical trials
Authors: Granholm Anders , Lange Theis , Harhay Michael O. , Jensen Aksel Karl Georg , Perner Anders , Møller Morten Hylander , Kaas‐Hansen Benjamin Skov
Published: October 2023

Different combined outcome‐data lags (follow‐up durations plus data‐collection lags) may affect the performance of adaptive clinical trial designs. We assessed the influence of different outcome‐data lags (0–105 days) on the performance of various multi‐stage, adaptive trial designs (2/4 arms, with/without a common control, fixed/response‐adaptive randomisation) with undesirable binary outcomes according to different inclusion rates (3.33/6.67/10 patients/day) under scenarios with no, small, and large differences. Simulations were conducted under a Bayesian framework, with constant stopping thresholds for superiority/inferiority calibrated to keep type‐1 error rates at approximately 5%. We assessed multiple performance metrics, including mean sample sizes, event counts/probabilities, probabilities of conclusiveness, root mean squared errors (RMSEs) of the estimated effect in the selected arms, and RMSEs between the analyses at the time of stopping and the final analyses including data from all randomised patients. Performance metrics generally deteriorated when the proportions of randomised patients with available data were smaller due to longer outcome‐data lags or faster inclusion, that is, mean sample sizes, event counts/probabilities, and RMSEs were larger, while the probabilities of conclusiveness were lower. Performance metric impairments with outcome‐data lags ≤45 days were relatively smaller compared to those occurring with ≥60 days of lag. For most metrics, the effects of different outcome‐data lags and lower proportions of randomised patients with available data were larger than those of different design choices, for example, the use of fixed versus response‐adaptive randomisation. Increased outcome‐data lag substantially affected the performance of adaptive trial designs. Trialists should consider the effects of outcome‐data lags when planning adaptive trials.
Neutral and stratified turbulent boundary‐layer flow over low mountains
Authors: Lott Francois , Beljaars Anton , Pauget Lucile , Deremble Bruno
Published: October 2023

A theory for flow over gentle hills using a mixing‐length turbulence closure is developed to describe the transition from turbulent orographic form drag to gravity wave drag. It confirms that the first is associated with downstream sheltering, and the second with upstream blocking and strong downslope winds. It shows that the altitude at which the incident flow needs to be taken to calculate the drag is the inner layer scale at which dissipation equilibrates disturbance advection. It also shows that the parameter that controls the transition, here a Richardson number, compares the mountain length with the altitude of the turning points above which the upward‐propagating gravity waves become evanescent. Our solutions are also used to show that the downslope winds penetrate well into the inner layer and that a good fraction of the drag is deposited in the inner layer: all of it in the neutral case, a large fraction in the intermediate cases when there are trapped lee waves, and even in stable situations without trapping part of the gravity wave drag is eroded in the inner layer. Some discussion on how to combine neutral and stratified effects in the parametrization of subgrid scale orography in large‐scale models is given.
Identifying and characterising trapped lee waves using deep learning techniques
Authors: Coney Jonathan , Denby Leif , Ross Andrew N. , Wang He , Vosper Simon , van Niekerk Annelize , Dunstan Tom , Hindley Neil
Published: October 2023

Trapped lee waves, and resultant turbulent rotors downstream, present a hazard for aviation and land‐based transport. Though high‐resolution numerical weather prediction models can represent such phenomena, there is currently no simple and reliable automated method for detecting the extent and characteristics of these waves in model output. Spectral transform methods have traditionally been used to detect and characterise regions of wave activity in model and observational data; however, these methods can be slow and have their limitations. Machine‐learning (ML) techniques offer a new and potentially fruitful method of tackling this problem. We demonstrate that a deep‐learning model can be trained to accurately recognise and label coherent regions of lee waves from vertical velocity data on a single level from a high‐resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. Using transfer learning, wave characteristics (wavelength, orientation, and amplitude) can be extracted from the trained segmentation model. The use of synthetic wave fields with prescribed wave characteristics makes this transfer learning possible without the need to characterise real complex wave fields. Addition of noise to the synthetic data makes the models more robust when applied to more complex and noisy NWP data. The collection of trained models produced provides a valuable tool to investigate the prevalence and nature of lee wave activity, as well as a new way for forecasters to detect resolved waves. The deep‐learning model was more capable and quicker at detecting and characterising lee waves than a spectral technique was. This work is just one example of how already established ML techniques can be used to detect and characterise complex weather phenomena from NWP model output and observational data, and how the careful use of synthetic data can reduce the requirements for large volumes of hand‐labelled training data for ML models.
Investigating transformer‐based models for spatial downscaling and correcting biases of near‐surface temperature and wind‐speed forecasts
Authors: Zhong Xiaohui , Du Fei , Chen Lei , Wang Zhibin , Li Hao
Published: October 2023

High‐resolution and accurate prediction of near‐surface weather parameters based on numerical weather prediction (NWP) models is essential for many downstream and real‐world applications. Traditional dynamical or statistical downscaling methods are insufficient to derive high‐resolution data from operational NWP forecasts, making it essential to devise new approaches. In recent years, an increasing number of researchers have explored the implementations of deep learning (DL) based models for spatial downscaling, motivated by the similarity between the super‐resolution (SR) problem in computer vision (CV) and downscaling. Furthermore, while transformer‐based models have become state‐of‐the‐art models for many SR tasks, they are rarely applied for downscaling of weather forecasts or climate projections. This study adapted transformer‐based models such as SwinIR and Uformer to downscale the temperature at 2 m () and wind speed at 10 m () over Eastern Inner Mongolia, encompassing the area from 39.6–46°N latitude and 111.6–118°E longitude. We used high‐resolution forecast (HRES) data from the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) with a spatial resolution of 0.1° as the input and gridded observation data from the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS) at a spatial resolution of 0.01° as the target. Given that the models use observation data rather than a coarse‐grained version of forecast data as the target, they accomplish both bias correction and spatial downscaling. The results demonstrate that the performance of SwinIR and Uformer is superior to that of two convolutional neural network (CNN) based models (UNet and RCAN). Additionally, we introduced a novel module to extract features of varying resolution from the high‐resolution topography data and applied a multiscale feature fusion module to merge features of different scales, contributing to further enhancement of Uformer's performance.
On the use of consistent bias corrections to enhance the impact of AeolusLevel‐2B Rayleigh winds on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration global forecast skill
Authors: Liu Hui , Garrett Kevin , Ide Kayo , Hoffman Ross N.
Published: October 2023

The operational Aeolus Level‐2B (L2B) horizontal line‐of‐sight (HLOS) retrieved Rayleigh winds, produced by the European Space Agency (ESA), utilize European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) short‐term forecasts of temperature, pressure, and horizontal winds in the Rayleigh–Brillouin and M1 correction procedures. These model fields or backgrounds can contain ECMWF model‐specific errors, which may propagate to the retrieved Rayleigh winds. This study examines the sensitivity of the retrieved Rayleigh winds to the changes in the model backgrounds, and the potential benefit of using the same system, in this case the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Finite‐Volume Cubed Sphere Global Forecast System (FV3GFS), for both the corrections and the data assimilation and forecast procedures. It is shown that the differences in the model backgrounds (FV3GFS minus ECMWF) can propagate through the Level‐2B horizontal line‐of‐sight Rayleigh wind retrieval process, mainly the M1 correction, resulting in differences in the retrieved Rayleigh winds with mean and standard deviation of magnitude as large as 0.2 m·s−1. The differences reach up to 0.4, 0.6, and 0.7 m·s−1 for the 95th, 99th, and 99.5th percentiles of the sample distribution with maxima of ∼1.4 m·s−1. The numbers of the large differences for the combined lower and upper 5th, 1st, and 0.5th percentile pairs are ∼6,100, 1,220, and 610 between 2.5 and 25 km height globally per day respectively. The ESA‐disseminated Rayleigh wind product (based on the ECMWF corrections) already shows a significant positive impact on the FV3GFS global forecasts. In the observing system experiments performed, compared with the ESA Rayleigh winds, the use of the FV3GFS‐corrected Rayleigh winds lead to ∼0.5% more Rayleigh winds assimilated in the lower troposphere and show enhanced positive impact on FV3GFS forecasts at the day 1–10 range but limited to the Southern Hemisphere.
A novel deep time‐index framework with limited data and feature extraction for battery capacity degradation prediction
Authors: Wu Wei , Chen Zhen , Li Linman , Pan Ershun
Published: October 2023

Accurate capacity estimation and degradation trajectory predictions are crucial part of effectively monitoring the current and future health status of lithium‐ion batteries, which ensures their optimal performance and longevity. However, it is hard to acquire precise predictions under various application conditions when relying on limited historical data. In this paper, we propose a novel deep time‐index framework based on meta‐learning to achieve online capacity estimation and degradation trajectory predictions with only a few monitoring data from early cycles. Highly correlated health feature from lithium‐ion battery degradation data is extracted for online capacity estimation. The deep time‐index framework consists of three parts, Implicit Neural Representations (INRs), Long Short‐Term Memory (LSTM) and Ridge regressor. Cycle numbers are selected as time feature and fed into the INRs to obtain informative representations. A LSTM module is employed to process the temporal representations and capture the long‐term dependencies to Ridge regressor to generate a direct multi‐step predictions. Three distinct lithium‐ion battery degradation datasets are applied to validate the efficacy of the proposed approach. The experimental results validate that within the deep time‐index framework, the short‐term predictions show remarkable performance. This high level of accuracy makes the proposed deep time‐index framework suitable for a wide range of real‐world scenarios, as it demonstrates precise predictions even under varying charging and discharging conditions with limited historical data.
SNG100, a Novel Topical Treatment for Moderate Atopic Dermatitis, in Patients Aged 6 Years or Older: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled Trial
Authors: Samuelov Liat , Shemer Avner , Greenberger Shoshana , Ziv Inbal , Friedman Doron , Yacoby-Zeevi Oron , Dodiuk-Gad Roni , Ramot Yuval , Murad Sari , Sprecher Eli
Published: October 2023

Background

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases. It is associated with significant itch and impaired quality of life. Systemic treatments are efficient but associated with side effects. Novel topical treatments with a favourable safety profile are needed. SNG100 is a novel composition of hydrocortisone 1% in a cream base comprising sulphated polysaccharide (SPS; extracted from in-house cultivated Porphyridium Cruentum unicellular algae), a well-known hydrating, moisturising and a skin barrier repairing agent.

Objectives

To assess the safety, usability and efficacy of SNG100 cream in patients aged ≥6 years with moderate AD.

Methods

In this proof of concept phase I, double-blind, randomised trial, participants received one of three treatments for 14 days: SNG100 twice daily (BID), hydrocortisone 1% BID or mometasone furoate once daily (QD). The primary endpoint was the safety and tolerability of SNG100 cream compared to hydrocortisone 1% and mometasone furoate. The secondary endpoint was the subject's usability of SNG100. Exploratory efficacy endpoints included percent change from baseline in SCOring AD (SCORAD), Eczema Area and Severity Index, Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure, Dermatology Life Quality Index, pruritus Numerical Rating Score (NRS), peak pruritus-NRS and Investigator's Global Assessment. Subjects were also followed up without any treatment for additional 14 days.

Results

Overall, 66 participants were screened, and 60 patients were randomised. SNG100 demonstrated a high safety profile, similar to marketed products hydrocortisone 1% and mometasone furoate 0.1%, with no unanticipated drug safety related events. SNG100 and mometasone furoate 0.1% cream achieved almost similar and statistically significant greater percentage reductions from baseline in SCORAD as compared to hydrocortisone 1% cream. SNG100 demonstrated significant improvement in NRS as compared to hydrocortisone 1% cream. Remarkably, SNG100 led to a lasting effect with only 29.4% of subjects returning to IGA3 during the follow-up period compared to 50% and 38.9% in the hydrocortisone 1% and in mometasone furoate treatment arms, respectively.

Conclusions

Topical SNG100 is an effective, safe, and well-tolerated innovative treatment for moderate AD. Trial registration number: NCT04615962 (Topical Cream SNG100 for Treatment in Moderate AD Subjects).
Finite element simulation and strength evaluation on innovative and traditional composite shear wall systems
Authors: Li Yikang , Li Chenxi , Liu Xiaomin , Zhang Qian , Yu Liu
Published: October 2023

Composite shear wall (CSW) system, which consists of a steel boundary frame and a steel panel with a reinforced concrete (RC) panel attached to one side of it using bolts, is commonly used in mid‐ to high‐rise buildings. In a CSW system, RC panel functions as out‐of‐plane restraint to prevent overall buckling of steel panel, thereby enhancing system behavior. However, for a traditional CSW system, the RC panel is in direct contact with the steel boundary frame. The RC panel tends to crush under seismic loading, thereby leading to a weak constraint to steel panel buckling. The innovative CSW system, where a gap remained between steel boundary frame and RC panel, demonstrated better cyclic behavior than the traditional CSW system. Current studies aimed to investigate cyclic behavior, parameter effects, and determination of RC panel stiffness of CSW systems. In this paper, detailed FE models were developed for simulating cyclic behavior of both innovative and traditional CSW systems and validated by test results. FE models accurately predicted lateral load‐drift response and failure patterns of both innovative and traditional CSW systems. System failure patterns and load‐carrying mechanism of RC panels were discussed. The effects of major parameters, including steel panel thickness, RC panel thickness, ratio of bolt spacing to steel panel thickness, and gap between frame and RC panel, were examined using the validated models. Simulation results indicated that steel panel thickness contributed to increase the lateral strength and initial stiffness of both innovative and traditional CSW systems. Although RC panel thickness, ratio of bolt spacing to steel panel thickness, and gap between frame and RC panel had negligible effects on system strength and stiffness, they should also be carefully designed to ensure local stability of the steel panel and system ductility. Formulations were proposed for predicting the lateral strength of both innovative and traditional CSW systems. The average difference between calculated and test/simulated lateral strength was less than 3%.
Evaluation of breeding distribution and chronology of North American scoters
Authors: Bianchini Kristin , Gilliland Scott G. , Berlin Alicia M. , Bowman Timothy D. , Sean Boyd W. , De La Cruz Susan E. W. , Esler Daniel , Evenson Joseph R. , Flint Paul L. , Lepage Christine , McWilliams Scott R. , Meattey Dustin E. , Osenkowski Jason E. , Perry Matthew C. , Poulin Jean‐François , Reed Eric T. , Roy Christian , Savard Jean‐Pierre L. , Savoy Lucas , Schamber Jason L. , Spiegel Caleb S. , Takekawa John , Ward David H. , Mallory Mark L.
Published: October 2023

North America's scoter species are poorly monitored relative to other waterfowl. BlackMelanitta americana, surfM. perspicillata, and white‐wingedM. deglandiscoter abundance and trend estimates are thus uncertain in many parts of these species' ranges. The most extensive source of waterfowl abundance and distribution data in North America is the Waterfowl breeding population and habitat survey (WBPHS). Although the WBPHS effectively monitors most species, both its timing and geographic coverage may preclude accurate scoter monitoring. Therefore, our goal was to better define when and where scoters breed to help interpret survey results and optimize potential supplemental survey efforts for scoters. We integrated satellite telemetry tracking data from scoters marked at multiple molting, staging, breeding, and wintering areas along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to quantify continent‐wide breeding chronology and distribution. We also examined possible drivers of variation in timing of arrival, length of stay, and departure at nesting locations. We documented a northwest to southeast distribution of estimated breeding sites across Alaska and Canada. On average, scoters arrived at nest sites on 1 June. Surf scoters and Pacific black scoters arrived earliest and departed earliest. Pacific‐wintering black and white‐winged scoters began breeding earlier than Atlantic‐wintering birds. Additionally, birds arrived at nesting locations earlier in years with earlier snowmelt, and later snowmelt reduced lengths of stay for males. Breeding chronology also varied by age group, with adults arriving earlier than subadults. Our study is the first to comprehensively describe spatial variation in timing of breeding of both Atlantic and Pacific populations of all three scoter species across North America. Our results increase our understanding of how current surveys enumerate scoters and will inform possible supplemental efforts to improve continental monitoring of scoter populations.
Interaction of anti‐plane shear waves with two collinear cracks in 1D hexagonal piezoelectric quasicrystals
Authors: Panja Sourav Kumar , Mandal Subhas Chandra
Published: October 2023

The present article presents the interaction of anti‐plane shear waves by two collinear cracks in one dimensional (1D) hexagonal piezoelectric quasicrystals (PQCs). With the aid of Fourier transform, the mixed boundary value problem (MBVP) is transformed into three pairs of dual integral equations, which are solved analytically by Hilbert transform. The explicit expressions for dynamic stress intensity factors (DSIFs) of phonon and phason fields, crack opening displacement (COD) and electric displacement (ED) are derived in closed form and some special cases are studied. Numerical values of DSIFs of phonon and phason fields, COD and ED are plotted to show the effect of crack length and electric boundary condition. Moreover, the DSIFs of phonon field and COD are represented graphically for single crack.
A robust way to justify the derivative NLS approximation
Authors: Heß Max , Schneider Guido
Published: October 2023

The derivative nonlinear Schrödinger (DNLS) equation can be derived as an amplitude equation via multiple scaling perturbation analysis for the description of the slowly varying envelope of an underlying oscillating and traveling wave packet in dispersive wave systems. It appears in the degenerated situation when the cubic coefficient of the similarly derived NLS equation vanishes. It is the purpose of this paper to prove that the DNLS approximation makes correct predictions about the dynamics of the original system under rather weak assumptions on the original dispersive wave system if we assume that the initial conditions of the DNLS equation are analytic in a strip of the complex plane. The method is presented for a Klein–Gordon model with a cubic nonlinearity.
How to think about the social in psychiatric research? On language games and styles of social thought
Authors: Birk Rasmus , Manning Nick
Published: October 2023

Over the last 20 years, the importance of ‘the social’ has again become a crucial theme within psychiatric research, as evidenced for example by the recent focus on the social determinants of mental health. However, what is less clear is what is meant, in this kind of research, by the very idea of the social—and what consequences those ideas have. The key purpose of the article is therefore to discuss what is often meant by the concept of ‘the social’; what different ideas of the socialdo; and what can be at stake in the different, explicit and implicit, understandings of social life that proliferate in contemporary psychiatric research. We propose that there are, roughly, three widespread styles of social thought, wherein (a) the social is seen as structural, (b) the social is seen as individual, and (c) the social is seen as relational/processual. We exemplify these by discussing examples of ‘social defeat’ and ‘therapeutic communities’, focused on what might be at stake in different understandings of social life. Lastly, we draw on the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein to argue that a singular understanding of ‘the social’ is not achievable.
Rifabutin but not rifampicin can partly out-balance P-glycoprotein induction by concurrent P-glycoprotein inhibition through high affinity binding to the inhibitory site
Authors: Phondeth Lottida , Kamaraj Rajamanikkam , Nilles Julie , Weiss Johanna , Haefeli Walter E. , Pávek Petr , Theile Dirk
Published: October 2023

Physiology-based pharmacokinetic modeling suggests that rifabutin can out-balance P-glycoprotein (P-gp) induction by concurrent P-gp inhibition. However, clinical or experimental evidence for this Janus-faced rifabutin effect is missing. Consequently, LS180 cells were exposed to a moderately (2 µM) and strongly (10 µM) P-gp-inducing concentration of rifampicin or rifabutin for 6 days. Cellular accumulation of the fluorescent P-gp substrate rhodamine 123 was evaluated using flow cytometry, either without (induction only) or with adding rifamycin drug to the cells during the rhodamine 123 efflux phase (induction + potential inhibition). Rhodamine 123 accumulation was decreased similarly by both drugs after 6-day exposure (2 µM: 55% residual fluorescence compared to non-induced cells, P < 0.01; 10 µM: 30% residual fluorescence compared to non-induced cells, P < 0.001), indicating P-gp induction. Rhodamine 123 influx transporters mRNA expressions were not affected, excluding off-target effects. Acute re-exposure to rifabutin, however, considerably re-increased rhodamine 123 accumulation (2 µM induction: re-increase by 55%, P < 0.01; 10 µM induction: 49% re-increase, P < 0.001), suggesting P-gp inhibition. In contrast, rifampicin only had weak effects (2 µM induction: no re-increase; 10 µM induction: 16% re-increase; P < 0.05). Molecular docking analysis eventually revealed that rifabutin has a higher binding affinity to the inhibitor binding site of P-gp than rifampicin (ΔG (kcal/mol) = −11.5 vs −5.3). Together, this study demonstrates that rifabutin can at least partly mask P-gp induction by P-gp inhibition, mediated by high affinity binding to the inhibitory site of P-gp.
Population genomics of an Octopus species identify oceanographic barriers and inbreeding patterns
Authors: Bein Bernhard , Lima Françoise D. , Lazzarotto Henrique , Rocha Luiz A. , Leite Tatiana S. , Lima Sergio M. Q. , Pereira Ricardo J.
Published: October 2023

Coastal marine ecosystems are highly productive and important for global fisheries. To mitigate over exploitation and to establish efficient conservation management plans for species of economic interest, it is necessary to identify the oceanographic barriers that condition divergence and gene flow between populations with those species, and that determine their relative amounts of genetic variability. Here, we present the first population genomic study of an Octopus species, Octopus insularis, which was described in 2008 and is distributed in coastal and oceanic island habitats in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Using genomic data, we identify the South Equatorial current as the main barrier to gene flow between southern and northern parts of the range, followed by discontinuities in the habitat associated with depth. We find that genetic diversity of insular populations significantly decreases after colonization from the continental shelf, also reflecting low habitat availability. Using demographic modelling, we find signatures of a stronger population expansion for coastal relative to insular populations, consistent with estimated increases in habitat availability since the Last Glacial Maximum. The direction of gene flow is coincident with unidirectional currents and bidirectional eddies between otherwise isolated populations. Together, our results show that oceanic currents and habitat breaks are determinant in the diversification of coastal marine species where adults have a sedentary behavior but paralarvae are dispersed passively, shaping standing genetic variability within populations. Lower genetic diversity within insular populations implies that these are particularly vulnerable to current human exploitation and selective pressures, calling for the revision of their protection status.
Future distribution patterns of nine cuttlefish species under climate change
Authors: Fernandes Guerreiro Miguel , Oliveira Borges Francisco , Pereira Santos Catarina , Rosa Rui
Published: October 2023

While most coastal communities are expected to, or have been, negatively impacted by climate change, cephalopods have generally thrived with shifting ocean conditions. However, whilst benefitting from the same physiological flexibility that characterizes cephalopods in general, cuttlefish have depth constraints imposed by the presence of a cuttlebone and are limited to specific locations by their particularly low vagility. To evaluate the potential effects of marine climate change on cuttlefish, Species Distribution Models (SDM) were applied to nine species of genus Sepiidae to assess potential changes to their future distribution (2050 and 2100), under four representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios (i.e., RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5; CMIP5). We show that future cuttlefish habitat suitability and distribution will potentially decrease. The species with the most extreme impacts, Doratosepion braggi (Verco, 1907), was observed to decline as much as 30.77% in average habitat suitability (from present 55.26% to 24.48% at RCP 8.5 in 2100), to Sepia officinalis Linnaeus, 1758 with a low maximum decrease of 1.64% in average habitat suitability (from present 59.62% to 57.98% at RCP 8.5 in 2100). Increases in habitat suitability were projected mostly at higher latitudes, while habitat decrease was predicted for the tropical regions and lower latitudinal limits of species’ distributions. As their habitats decrease in terms of habitat suitability, cuttlefish may not benefit from future changes in climate. Additionally, as potential “sea canaries” for coastal ecosystems, we may see many species and habitats from these systems affected by climate change, particularly in tropical regions.
METTL3-mediated m6A modification of circRNF220 modulates miR-330-5p/survivin axis to promote osteosarcoma progression
Authors: Liu Feng , Li Wen , Jin Zhihui , Ye Jia
Published: October 2023

Background

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes. However, the precise regulatory mechanisms of circRNF220s in osteosarcoma (OS) are not well understood.

Methods

The abundances of circRNF220, miR-330-5p, and survivin were determined using qRT-PCR. To assess the m6A accumulation in circRNF220, a methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (Me-RIP) assay was conducted. Cellular multiplication, motility, and invasion were examined using the cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), EdU, colony formation, Transwell, and wound-healing assays. The binding relationships were measured through RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and luciferase reporter assays. In vivo functionality was assessed using xenograft models.

Results

CircRNF220 was identified as being overexpressed in both OS cells and tissues. In vitro experiments demonstrated that silencing circRNF220 impeded the proliferation, invasion, and motility of OS cells. Similarly, in vivo studies confirmed that downregulating circRNF220 inhibited the growth of OS. Further mechanistic investigations unveiled that METTL3-modulated circRNF220 regulated the progression of OS by upregulating survivin expression through acting as a sponge for miR-330-5p.

Conclusion

The modulation of METTL3-regulated circRNF220 has been found to promote the progression of OS by modulating the miR-330-5p/survivin axis. This novel finding suggests a potentially unique approach to managing OS.
Exploring potential anti-inflammatory effects of medicinal cannabis
Authors: Gurgenci Taylan , Kijanka Gregor , Greer Ristan , Huggett Georgie , Good Phillip , Moniruzzaman Md , Hardy Janet
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Inflammation is thought to play a key role in malignant disease and may play a significant part in the expression of cancer-related symptoms. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a bioactive compound in cannabis and is reported to have significant anti-inflammatory properties.

Method

Serial C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured in all participants recruited to a randomised controlled trial of CBD versus placebo in patients with symptoms related to advanced cancer. A panel of inflammatory cytokines was measured over time in a subset of these patients.

Results

There was no difference between the two arms in the trajectory of CRP or cytokine levels from baseline to day 28.

Conclusion

We were unable to demonstrate an anti-inflammatory effect of CBD in cancer patients.

Trial registration

ANZCTR 26180001220257, registered 20/07/2018.