bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Repetitive endoscopic drainage as initial intervention is safe and effective for early treatment of pancreatic necrotic collections
Authors: Ma Yi , Ong Felicia , Hew Simon , Swan Michael , Devonshire David , Croagh Daniel
Published: January 2024

Background

While endoscopic step‐up approach with delayed drainage (more than 28 days from diagnosis) was shown to produce the best outcomes in the treatment of pancreatic walled‐off necrosis (WON), we assessed our single centre experience of early versus delayed endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrotic collections.

Methods

Patients who underwent endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrotic collections between 2011 and 2022 under Monash Health were identified. They were excluded if below 18 years old or their follow up data were missing. The included patients' medical records, pathology results, and imaging findings were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

A total of 60 patients were included. 31.58% required percutaneous drainage and 15% received either endoscopic or surgical necrosectomy. The disease related mortality was 8.47% and the average length of stay (LOS) was 70.92 days. No significant difference was shown in disease‐related mortality (10.5% vs. 7.5%, P = 0.697) or LOS (75.35 vs. 68.7, P = 0.644) between early and delayed drainage cohorts, but patients who received early drainage have higher qSOFA score on the day of drainage (2 vs. 0, P = 0.004).

Discussion

Repetitive endoscopic drainage with selective percutaneous drainage is effective in the management of pancreatic necrotic collections. Early drainage should be considered in patients who developed severe sepsis.
Unveiling the resistance of native weed communities: insights for managing invasive weed species in disturbed environments
Authors: Khattak Wajid Ali , Sun Jianfan , Hameed Rashida , Zaman Fawad , Abbas Adeel , Khan Khalid Ali , Elboughdiri Noureddine , Akbar Rasheed , He Feng , Ullah Muhammad Wajid , Al‐Andal Abeer , Du Daolin
Published: January 2024

Weed communities influence the dynamics of ecosystems, particularly in disturbed environments where anthropogenic activities often result in higher pollution. Understanding the dynamics existing between native weed communities and invasive species in disturbed environments is crucial for effective management and normal ecosystem functioning. Recognising the potential resistance of native weed communities to invasion in disturbed environments can help identify suitable native plants for restoration operations. This review aims to investigate the adaptations exhibited by native and non‐native weeds that may affect invasions within disturbed environments. Factors such as ecological characteristics, altered soil conditions, and adaptations of native weed communities that potentially confer a competitive advantage relative to non‐native or invasive weeds in disturbed environments are analysed. Moreover, the roles of biotic interactions such as competition, mutualistic relationships, and allelopathy in shaping the invasion resistance of native weed communities are described. Emphasis is given to the consideration of the resistance of native weeds as a key factor in invasion dynamics that provides insights for conservation and restoration efforts in disturbed environments. Additionally, this review underscores the need for further research to unravel the underlying mechanisms and to devise targeted management strategies. These strategies aim to promote the resistance of native weed communities and mitigate the negative effects of invasive weed species in disturbed environments. By delving deeper into these insights, we can gain an understanding of the ecological dynamics within disturbed ecosystems and develop valuable insights for the management of invasive species, and to restore long‐term ecosystem sustainability.
Antipredator defences in motion: animals reduce predation risks by concealing or misleading motion signals
Authors: Tan Min , Zhang Shichang , Stevens Martin , Li Daiqin , Tan Eunice J.
Published: January 2024

Motion is a crucial part of the natural world, yet our understanding of how animals avoid predation whilst moving remains rather limited. Although several theories have been proposed for how antipredator defence may be facilitated during motion, there is often a lack of supporting empirical evidence, or conflicting findings. Furthermore, many studies have shown that motion often ‘breaks’ camouflage, as sudden movement can be detected even before an individual is recognised. Whilst some static camouflage strategies may conceal moving animals to a certain extent, more emphasis should be given to other modes of camouflage and related defences in the context of motion (e.g. flicker fusion camouflage, active motion camouflage, motion dazzle, and protean motion). Furthermore, when motion is involved, defence strategies are not necessarily limited to concealment. An animal can also rely on motion to mislead predators with regards to its trajectory, location, size, colour pattern, or even identity. In this review, we discuss the various underlying antipredator strategies and the mechanisms through which they may be linked to motion, conceptualising existing empirical and theoretical studies from two perspectives – concealing and misleading effects. We also highlight gaps in our understanding of these antipredator strategies, and suggest possible methodologies for experimental designs/test subjects (i.e. prey and/or predators) and future research directions.
IRS1 promotes thyroid cancer metastasis through EMT and PI3K/AKT pathways
Authors: Yu Fang , Huang Dongdong , Kuang Yeye , Dong Jian , Han Qingmei , Zhou Jie , Teng Xiaodong
Published: January 2024

Objective

Insulin receptor substract 1 (IRS1) protein is an important signal transduction adapter for extracellular signal transduction from insulin‐like growth factor‐1 receptor and its family members to IRS1 downstream proteins. IRS1 has been reported to be involved in tumourigenesis and metastasis in some of solid tumors. Investigating the role of IRS1 in thyroid cancer can help to screen high risk patients at the initial diagnosis.

Design, Patients and Measurements

Immunohistochemical assay was used to detect the expression levels of IRS1 in 131 metastatic thyroid cancer tissues. Wound healing, cell invasion and colony formation assays were used to study the functions of IRS1 in vitro. RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) and Western blot analysis analyses were performed to examine the underlying regulation mechanisms of IRS1 in thyroid cancer cells.

Results

IRS1 was highly expressed in thyroid cancers and its expression was positively associated with distant metastasis and advanced clinical stages. In vitro studies demonstrated that IRS1 is an important mediator of migration, invasion and colony formation of thyroid cancer cells. RNA‐seq showed that IRS1 promoted the metastasis of thyroid cancer by regulating epithelial‐mesenchymal transition and phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway.

Conclusions

IRS1 overexpression contributes to the aggressiveness of thyroid cancer and is expected to be a stratified marker and a potential therapeutic target for thyroid cancer.
Visualization of Escher‐like Kaleidoscopic Spherical Patterns of Regular Polyhedron Symmetry
Authors: Gdawiec Krzysztof , Chung Kwok Wai , Nicolas Alain , Bailey David , Ouyang Peichang
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we present a method for creating Escher‐like spherical patterns with regular polyhedron symmetries. Using the generators of the symmetry groups associated with regular polyhedra, we first provide fast algorithms to construct spherical tilings. Then, to obtain Escher‐like patterns, we specify texturing techniques to decorate the resulting tilings. Moreover, we present a strategy to create a novel dynamic effect of Escher‐like kaleidoscopes in which the motifs have a complete body. The method has the advantages of simple implementation, fast calculation, good graphics, and artistic effects, which can be used to create rich elegant spherical patterns.
Rebels in their own job: How digging into a municipal mystery turned invited youth participation in an urban planning process into uninvited activism
Authors: Hagen Aina Landsverk , Engerbakk Bjørk Brøndmo , Lorenzen Sara Berge , Tolstad Ingrid M.
Published: January 2024

Youth participation has become an important mechanism in many aspects of society, research and democratic institutions and in urban planning specifically. Yet, the ideal of participation often collides with the realities of planning as practice. In this article, we outline the halting process of transforming an old villa owned by the municipality into a youth house, and how youth trained as co‐researchers transitioned from being invited participants to becoming uninvited activists wanting to hold decision‐makers accountable for the delay. The empirical findings from Oslo, Norway highlight the complex processes of ‘thick’ participation practices to strengthen local democracy building.
Effect of implant shape and length on the accuracy of robot‐assisted immediate implant surgery: An in vitro study
Authors: Wang Yunxiao , Yu Shimin , Wang Yulan , Feng Yi , Yan Qi , Zhang Yufeng
Published: January 2024

Objectives

To compare the accuracy of immediate implant placement of cylindrical implants (CI) and tapered implants (TI) of different lengths using a robotic dental implant system.

Materials and Methods

CI and TI of three lengths (8, 10, and 12 mm) each were digitally planned and placed in a three‐dimensional printed extraction socket model under robotic guidance. There were six groups with three samples in each group, resulting in a total of 18 samples. Implant angular deviation, platform point deviation (total, lateral, depth), and implant apical point deviation (total, lateral, depth) were recorded and compared between the different groups.

Results

The angular deviations for CI 8 mm, CI 10 mm, CI 12 mm, TI 8 mm, TI 10 mm, and TI 12 mm were 1.32° ± 0.19°, 1.03° ± 0.56°, 1.31° ± 0.38°, 1.27° ± 0.64°, 1.10° ± 0.43° and 1.05° ± 0.45°, respectively. The total deviations of platform and apical points for CI 8 mm, CI 10 mm, CI 12 mm, TI 8 mm, TI 10 mm, and TI 12 mm were 0.79 ± 0.18 mm, 0.77 ± 0.33 mm; 0.64 ± 0.21 mm, 0.55 ± 0.17 mm; 0.64 ± 0.37 mm, 0.65 ± 0.34 mm; 0.68 ± 0.26 mm, 0.71 ± 0.20 mm; 0.70 ± 0.12 mm, 0.66 ± 0.23 mm; and 0.71 ± 0.15 mm, 0.77 ± 0.29 mm, respectively, and had no significant differences.

Conclusions

Within the limitation of this study, acceptable accuracy can be achieved for both TI and CI using robotic systems. Our study demonstrated that the implant shape and length did not affect the accuracy of immediate implant placement under robotic guidance in vitro. However, further trials are required to confirm their efficacy in clinical practice.
‘Low’ faecal immunochemical test (FIT) colorectal cancer: a 4‐year comparison of the Nottingham ‘4F’ protocol with FIT10 in symptomatic patients
Authors: Bailey J. A. , Morton A. J. , Jones J. , Chapman C. J. , Oliver S. , Morling J. R. , Patel H. , Humes D. J. , Banerjea A.
Published: January 2024

Aim

The aim of this work was to evaluate colorectal cancer (CRC) outcomes after ‘low’ (sub‐threshold) faecal immunochemical test (FIT) results in symptomatic patients tested in primary care.

Method

This work comprised a retrospective audit of 35 289 patients with FIT results who had consulted their general practitioner with lower gastrointestinal symptoms and had subsequent CRC diagnoses.

The Rapid Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis pathway was introduced in November 2017 to allow incorporation of FIT into clinical practice. The local ‘4F’ protocol combined FIT results with blood tests and digital rectal examination (DRE): FIT, full blood count, ferritin and finger [DRE]. The outcome used was detection rates of CRC, missed CRC and time to diagnosis in local 4F protocols for patients with a subthreshold faecal haemoglobin (fHb) result compared with thresholds of 10 and 20 μg Hb/g faeces.

Results

A single threshold of 10 μg Hb/g faeces identifies a population in whom the risk of CRC is 0.2%, but this would have missed 63 (10.5%) of 599 CRCs in this population. The Nottingham 4F protocol would have missed fewer CRCs [42 of 599 (7%)] despite using a threshold of 20 μg Hb/g faeces for patients with normal blood tests. Subthreshold FIT results in patients subsequently diagnosed with a palpable rectal tumour yielded the longest delays in diagnosis.

Conclusion

A combination of FIT with blood results and DRE (the 4F protocol) reduced the risk of missed or delayed diagnosis. Further studies on the impact of such protocols on the diagnostic accuracy of FIT are expected. The value of adding blood tests to FIT may be restricted to specific parts of the fHb results spectrum.
A mechanism for network resource allocation and task offloading in mobile edge computing and network engineering
Authors: Shu Zhixu , Zhang Kewang
Published: January 2024

At present, most of the resource allocation methods in mobile edge computing allocate computing resources according to the time order in which task requests are calculated and unloaded, without considering the priority of tasks in practical applications. According to the computing requirements in such cases, a priority task‐oriented resource allocation method is proposed. According to the average processing time of the task execution, the corresponding priority for task is given. The tasks with different priorities are weighted to allocate computing resources, which not only ensures that the high‐priority tasks obtain sufficient computing resources, but also reduces the total time and energy consumption to complete the calculation of all tasks, thus improving the quality of service. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve better performance.
FIB‐4 liver fibrosis index correlates with aortic valve sclerosis in non‐alcoholic population
Authors: Durak Hüseyin , Çetin Mustafa , Emlek Nadir , Ergül Elif , Özyıldız Ali Gökhan , Öztürk Muhammet , Duman Hakan , Yılmaz Ahmet Seyda , Şatıroğlu Ömer
Published: January 2024

Aim

Hepatic fibrosis, a progressive scarring of liver tissue, is commonly caused by non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The Fibrosis‐4 (FIB‐4) index is a non‐invasive tool used to assess liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Aortic valve sclerosis (AVS), a degenerative disorder characterized by thickening and calcification of valve leaflets, is prevalent in the elderly and associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have suggested that AVS may also be linked to other systemic diseases such as liver fibrosis. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the FIB‐4 index and AVS in a non‐alcoholic population, with the hypothesis that the FIB‐4 index could serve as a potential marker for AVS.

Method

A total of 92 patients were included in this study. AVS was detected using transthoracic echocardiography, and patients were divided into groups according to the presence of AVS. The FIB‐4 index was calculated for all patients and compared between the groups.

Results

A total of 17 (18.4%) patients were diagnosed AVS. Patients with AVS had higher rates of diabetes mellitus, older age, hypertension, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor use, higher systolic blood pressure (BP) and diastolic BP in the office, coronary artery disease prevalence, left atrial volume index (LAVI), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and late diastolic peak flow velocity (A) compared to those without AVS. Moreover, AVS patients had significantly higher creatinine levels and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate. Remarkably, the FIB‐4 index was significantly higher in patients with AVS. In univariate and multivariate analyses, higher systolic BP in the office (OR, 1.044; 95% CI 1.002–1.080, p = .024) and higher FIB‐4 index (1.46 ± .6 vs. .91 ± .46, p < .001) were independently associated with AVS.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the FIB‐4 index is associated with AVS in non‐alcoholic individuals. Our results highlight the potential utility of the FIB‐4 index as a non‐invasive tool for identifying individuals at an increased risk of developing AVS.
Simultaneous onset of acute myocardial infarction, bicuspid aortic stenosis, and cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis—A clinically complex confluence
Authors: Moscoso Josh , Rojas Paol , Baltodano Roberto , Cachicatari Angela , Quiroz Jose , Velarde Kevin , Levano Gerald , Pimentel Carolina
Published: January 2024

The coexistence of bicuspid aortic valve disease and coronary artery disease is well‐established, but the identification of cardiac amyloidosis in this population has surged with advancing imaging techniques, introducing complexities in patient management. This case report emphasizes the pivotal role of multimodality imaging in accurately diagnosing three concurrent pathologies.
Gender microaggression praxis: A study of implicit prejudice faced by Afghan male students in universities in Delhi
Authors: Dochania Akanksha
Published: January 2024

Implicit prejudice can be simply understood as any negative feelings or beliefs people hold towards a particular outgroup without being aware of it. One such form is microaggression, which can be defined as everyday verbal or nonverbal subtle, unconscious putdowns, slights, or negative remarks towards members of an outgroup. One of the most common and harmful forms is gender‐based microaggression. Gender microaggression is defined as subtle, unconscious, everyday putdowns, slights, remarks, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, directed at a particular gender, notably women. Despite a plethora of literature and research on gender microaggression, the focus has predominantly been on understanding microaggressions faced by women in various domains, largely neglecting the experiences of men as victims of microaggression. One such overlooked experience is that of Afghan male students studying in universities in Delhi. Each year, thousands of students from Afghanistan travel to Delhi to pursue higher education, often unaware of the prejudices they may encounter due to associations with terms like ‘terrorism’ or ‘terrorist.’ Therefore, this paper aims to understand and study the microaggression faced by Afghan male students by employing the Gender Implicit Association Test on a sample of 103 Indian students studying in universities in Delhi, selected using a snowball sampling technique. This study adapts and modifies the Weapon‐based Implicit Association Test. The goal is to uncover the implicit biases of Indian students towards Afghan male students by examining the association (reaction time) between images of weapons and harmless objects, in conjunction with adjectives related to Afghan males and Afghan females. In other words, words or images that are congruent in our minds should result in shorter reaction times and fewer errors compared to words and images that are incongruent. The results indicate that Indian students were quicker in associating weapon images with Afghan male adjectives (D = −0.64) compared to Afghan female adjectives (D = 0.89).
Sedation with dexmedetomidine‐butorphanol or xylazine‐butorphanol continuous intravenous infusions during unilateral ovariectomy in standing donkeys
Authors: Dzikiti Tarisai B. , Maney Jill K. , Thorogood Jemma , Segabinazzi Lorenzo , Peterson Erik , Dzikiti Loveness N. , Escobar André
Published: January 2024

Background

Intravenous infusions of alpha‐2 adrenoceptor sedatives and opioids can potentially facilitate surgery in donkeys while standing. Literature on this subject matter is scant.

Objectives

Evaluation of efficacy of sedation from α2‐adrenoceptors (dexmedetomidine or xylazine) and butorphanol during ovariectomy in standing donkeys.

Study design

Randomised, masked in vivo experiment.

Methods

Thirteen female donkeys were sedated with butorphanol (0.05 mg/kg bwt followed by 0.05 mg/kg bwt/h) IV. Concomitantly, 6 of the 13 jennies were sedated with dexmedetomidine 2.5 mcg/kg bwt followed by 2.5 mcg/kg bwt/h (Dex‐B group), while seven jennies were sedated with xylazine 0.5 mg/kg bwt followed by 0.5 mg/kg bwt/h (Xyl‐B group). A line block of the left flank and an infiltration block around uterine ligament were performed with lidocaine. While the jennies underwent ovariectomies standing, sedation scores and head height above ground were assessed at 2 and 10 min after sedative boluses and every 10 min thereafter. If sedation was too light or too deep, the dose of dexmedetomidine or xylazine was increased or decreased by 25% of the original infusion rate, while butorphanol infusion rate was constant. Physiological parameters were measured. Normally distributed data were compared using the two‐samplettest while repeatedly measured data were tested for differences between and within groups using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) by ranks followed by a Wilcoxon test with Tukey Honest Significant Difference for multiple testing. Statistical significance was set atp < 0.05.

Results

Both Dex‐B and Xyl‐B caused moderate to marked sedation adequate for ovariectomy in donkeys. Evident sedation was absent by 60 min of termination of infusions. No adverse physiological effects were observed.

Main limitations

Study on ovariectomy cases only, no pharmacokinetic profiling.

Conclusions

Dexmedetomidine or xylazine and butorphanol sedation is feasible for ovariectomy in standing donkeys.
How many species will Earth lose to climate change?
Authors: Wiens John J. , Zelinka Joseph
Published: January 2024

Climate change may be an important threat to global biodiversity, potentially leading to the extinction of numerous species. But how many? There have been various attempts to answer this question, sometimes yielding strikingly different estimates. Here, we review these estimates, assess their disagreements and methodology, and explore how we might reach better estimates. Large‐scale studies have estimated the extinction of ~1% of sampled species up to ~70%, even when using the same approach (species distribution models; SDMs). Nevertheless, worst‐case estimates often converge near 20%–30% species loss, and many differences shrink when using similar assumptions. We perform a new review of recent SDM studies, which show ~17% loss of species to climate change under worst‐case scenarios. However, this review shows that many SDM studies are biased by excluding the most vulnerable species (those known from few localities), which may lead to underestimating global species loss. Conversely, our analyses of recent climate change responses show that a fundamental assumption of SDM studies, that species' climatic niches do not change over time, may be frequently violated. For example, we find mean rates of positive thermal niche change across species of ~0.02°C/year. Yet, these rates may still be slower than projected climate change by ~3–4 fold. Finally, we explore how global extinction levels can be estimated by combining group‐specific estimates of species loss with recent group‐specific projections of global species richness (including cryptic insect species). These preliminary estimates tentatively forecast climate‐related extinction of 14%–32% of macroscopic species in the next ~50 years, potentially including 3–6 million (or more) animal and plant species, even under intermediate climate change scenarios.
The politics of migration policy implementation in Ghana
Authors: Talleraas Cathrine
Published: January 2024

This article dives into the complex web of actors and processes of migration policy implementation in Ghana, revealing political tensions as they play out in this field. The analysis is based on semi‐structured interviews with bureaucrats and practitioners involved in migration governance initiatives in Ghana. The study reveals how institutional power hierarchies and funding structures affect execution processes on the ground. Mapping out observations concerning implementation as it is experienced across the vertical scale of involved actors, the study reveals that politics are engrained in Ghanaian migration policy implementation through experiences of (1) incoherent narratives on policy and migration; (2) local‐level exclusion from policy design; and (3) mismatch between policy targets and local realities. The article concludes by contemplating theoretical needs and proposing avenues for future research.
Citizen science data confirm that expanding non‐breeding distributions of goose and swan species correlate with their increasing abundance
Authors: Heldbjerg Henning , Nyegaard Timme , Clausen Preben , Nielsen Rasmus Due , Fox Anthony D.
Published: January 2024

We combined data from two independent Danish citizen science time‐series to describe changes in (1) abundance and (2) distribution of 12 wintering populations of geese and swans and tested the hypothesis that increases in national abundance since 2003 correlated with an expansion into formerly unoccupied winter farmland habitat. Five populations showed significant increases in national abundance, two declined and the remainder showed no significant trend over the same period; nine populations (including the five nationally increasing and two nationally declining) showed significantly positive correlations between annual abundance and distribution range size, including one stable population and one showing only local expansion. These results support our prediction that the five key increasing goose and swan populations benefiting from farmland exploitation are showing the greatest correlation between changes in abundance and wintering range in Denmark. This implies that continued growth in abundance in these populations will lead to continued expansion in their ranges, which will not only increase the potential for agricultural conflict with increasing abundance, but importantly also the geographical extent of such conflicts.
Structural design and corrosion resistance of hibonite–cordierite saggar composite layer
Authors: Zheng Chongyang , Zhang Han , Zhao Huizhong , Yu Jun , Zhang Yi , Liu Hongbo
Published: January 2024

The saggar plays a crucial role as a carrier during the solid‐state sintering process of Li‐ion battery cathode materials. In order to enhance its resistance against alkali erosion, the study utilized hibonite, cordierite, α‐Al2O3, and zirconia as primary raw materials, along with Ca(OH)2 as an additive, to fabricate a composite‐layered hibonite–cordierite saggar. Our investigation delves into the sintering bond formation between the composite layer and the saggar matrix and, more crucially, scrutinizes the saggar's erosion resistance against Li‐ion battery cathode materials. The outcome underscores the groundbreaking impact of a 3% Ca(OH)2 infusion on in situ anorthite formation within the composite layer, ushering in a robust integration between the composite layer and the saggar matrix. Moreover, this unique anorthite formation establishes a dense isolating shield along the periphery of hibonite particles, effectively impeding the corrosive reaction between the cathode material and the saggar, thus enhancing the saggar's resistance to corrosion.
Enhancing semi‐insulating refractory performance with polymeric microspheres and distinct calcium aluminate cements
Authors: Farias Thiago Wisley Barbosa , da Luz Ana Paula
Published: January 2024

Energy‐related expenses represent a significant concern for industries engaged in high‐temperature processes. In this context, macroporous refractories have garnered notable attention for their potential use as thermal insulators, offering the prospect of energy‐savings and decreased production costs across various industrial sectors. This study investigated the physico–thermo–mechanical performance of semi‐insulating refractory compositions containing pre‐expanded polymeric microspheres as pore‐forming additives and different types of calcium aluminate cements (CACs) as binders. Various experimental tests were employed to characterize the prepared samples, including flowability, modulus of rupture, apparent porosity and density, thermal shock resistance, and thermal conductivity measurements, among others. The incorporation of .6 wt.% of polymeric microspheres into the silica‐based refractory resulted in specimens with relatively moderate porosity values (34.70%), decreased density (1.51 g/cm3) and limited modulus of rupture (3.04 MPa) after firing at 815°C. The alumina‐rich CAC (Secar 71) emerged as the most advantageous binder choice, as the resultant specimens presented mechanical strengths of 9.21 and 4.3 MPa after drying (110°C) and firing (815°C), respectively, enhanced thermal shock resistance and reduced thermal conductivity (.66 W/m K at 800°C). Hence, the designed formulations resulted in semi‐insulating ceramic samples with a porous microstructure and favorable attributes for the fabrication of pre‐molded components.
Submodularity and supermodularity in contest games
Authors: Karagözoğlu Emin , Keskin Kerim , Sağlam Çağrı
Published: January 2024

This paper presents various examples of two‐player submodular or supermodular contest games. Emphasizing the three main elements of a contest model, our examples revolve around situations where (i) contest success function allows for a draw, (ii) winning prize is not exogenously given but rather jointly produced, or (iii) individual effort cost also depends on the rival's effort. We then illustrate how submodularity and supermodularity can be used to study the existence of equilibrium, the order structure of the equilibrium set, and monotone comparative statics in such contest game examples.
Less attention to emotional faces is associated with low empathy and prosociality in 12‐to 20‐month old infants
Authors: Donohue Meghan Rose , Camacho M. Catalina , Drake Jordan E. , Schwarzlose Rebecca F. , Brady Rebecca G. , Hoyniak Caroline P. , Hennefield Laura , Wakschlag Lauren S. , Rogers Cynthia E. , Barch Deanna M. , Luby Joan
Published: January 2024

The development of empathy and prosocial behavior begins in infancy and is likely supported by emotion processing skills. The current study explored whether early emerging deficits in emotion processing are associated with disruptions in the development of empathy and prosociality. We investigated this question in a large, diverse sample of 147, 11‐ to 20‐month‐old infants (42% female; 61% Black; 67% low socioeconomic status). Infants completed two observational tasks assessing prosocial helping and one task assessing empathy and prosocial comforting behavior. Infants also completed an eye‐tracking task assessing engagement and disengagement with negative emotional faces. Infants who attended less to angry, sad, and fearful faces (i.e., by being slower to look at and/or quicker to look away from negative compared to neutral faces) engaged in fewer helping behaviors, and effect sizes were larger when examining infants' attention toward the eye regions of faces. Additionally, infants who were quicker to look away from the eye regions of angry faces, but not the whole face, displayed less empathy and comforting behaviors. Results suggest that as early as 12 months of age, infants' decreased attention toward negative emotional faces, particularly the eye regions, is associated with less empathy and prosociality during a developmental period in which these abilities are rapidly maturing.
Synthesis of (WZrNbTaM)C (M = Cr, Ni, Ti) ceramic powders and the electromagnetic wave absorption in 2–18 GHz
Authors: Zhang Jiatai , Zhan Yuxiang , Ren Zhikun , Wang Weili , Zhang Zhixuan , Zhang Qiang , Han Guifang , Zhang Weibin
Published: January 2024

With the advent of the 5G era, while enjoying the convenience of information in our daily lives, we also face the challenge of dealing with increased and more complex electromagnetic (EM) radiation issues. Therefore, finding EM wave absorbing materials for the operating frequency range (2–18 GHz) of most electronic products has become an important aspect of ensuring human health and environmental safety. In this study, a variety of elements were incorporated into (WZrNbTaM)C powders by calculation and design, where M is Ni, Cr, or Ti. Phase and microstructural analysis demonstrated the successful preparation of a single‐phase solid solution with uniform elements distribution. The magnetic properties of the powders containing Ni and Cr elements exhibited significant improvement. Further analysis revealed that both the impedance matching and EM wave attenuation capabilities of (WZrNbTaCr)C and (WZrNbTaNi)C were enhanced, thereby improving their absorption performance. Compared to (WZrNbTaTi)C, (WZrNbTaCr)C and (WZrNbTaNi)C exhibit a significant improvement in minimum reflection loss (RL), with an increase of 27.1% and 37.2%, reaching −45.21 and −48.79 dB, respectively. The maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) has also increased by 22.9% and 48.6%, reaching 3.44 and 4.16 GHz, respectively. It is noteworthy that (WZrNbTaCr)C and (WZrNbTaNi)C achieved these excellent absorption properties while maintaining a matching thickness of 1.07 and 1.17 mm. This lightweight and thin performance meets the requirements for use in special scenarios while ensuring the outstanding absorption performance.
Morphea‐like discoid lupus erythematosus in a patient with a history of polyacrylamide gel injection: A case report
Authors: Hasanzadeh Saba , Babaie Mahsa , Rakhshan Azadeh , Dadkhahfar Sahar
Published: January 2024

Background

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is an autoimmune disease with multifactor etiology which develops in genetically susceptible patients. Rarely, DLE lesions can mimic other connective tissue disorders such as morphea. The growing application of soft tissue fillers is associated with increasing complications. Some substances used for soft tissue augmentation such as silicon implants may trigger lupus erythematosus diseases.

Case report

Here we report a case of morphea‐like discoid lupus erythematosus developed several years after polyacrylamide dermal filler (PAAG) injection for facial rejuvenation.

Conclusion

As noninvasive procedures like dermal filler injections are increasing worldwide, physicians may consider the long‐term probable side effects of these compounds.
Annuity selection in the presence of insurer default risk and government guarantees
Authors: Searle Pamela , Ayton Peter , Clacher Iain
Published: January 2024

We investigate whether individuals correctly assess the risk of default of annuity providers and incorporate this information into their decision‐making when purchasing an annuity. To do so, we analyze actual retirement product choices from a large administrative data set from Chile and exploit an exogenous change that decreased the coverage of government guarantees against annuity provider default. If individuals are rational and properly incorporate default risk into their decision process then, before this change, individuals should choose riskier providers that give higher annuity payments. However, we find that individuals' decisions are not influenced by changes in their protection against the risk of provider default. It seems that individuals have been unnecessarily reducing their annuity payments by not incorporating crucial information about their actual risk exposure to default when selecting annuities at retirement.
Sweet resistance against botrytis grey mould in chickpea
Authors: Maurya S. , Arora A. , Chauhan A. , Yadav L. B. , Verma S. K. , Panwar R. K.
Published: January 2024

Despite significant nutritional value and vast expanse under chickpea cultivation, fungi‐borne diseases are the main limiting factors to increasing its yield. Botrytis grey mould (BGM) is a major foliar disease knocking chickpeas sideways. Thus, to compensate for economic yield loss, BGM‐resistant lines must be fished through an effective screening technique. In the present study, carbohydrates, mainly callose, were observed as vital actors in conferring varietal resistance. The study was done on disease reaction of BGM through microscopy for callose quantification in nine varieties and a susceptible check. The detection of noticeable callose deposits induced in leaf samples collected from artificially inoculated BGM sick plots was studied under a fluorescent microscope. Quantification of callose deposition was done using 1–5 rating scale where grades show intensity of callose accumulated. It was first report in chickpea to uncover the presence of callose in cellular regions by observing the blue fluorescence produced by aniline dye. Further characterization revealed varietal differences for callose deposits. Variations in endogenous sugar contents in the leaves during infection revealed the presence of complex dynamics of callose as a function of defence and resistance against infection. Based on this, PG 186, PG 5 and PG 6 showed significant amount of callose against the cell wall while H 208 scored minimum, thus in agreement with the use of this variety as a susceptible check.
Antiviral discovery in toxic cyanobacteria: Low hanging fruit in the age of pandemics
Authors: Zheng Sally , Lee Victoria , Meza‐Padilla Isaac , Nissimov Jozef I.
Published: January 2024

The power of novel vaccination technologies and their rapid development were elucidated clearly during the COVID‐19 pandemic. At the same time, it also became clear that there is an urgent need to discover and manufacture new antivirals that target emerging viral threats. Toxic species of cyanobacteria produce a range of bioactive compounds that makes them good candidates for drug discovery. Nevertheless, few studies demonstrate the antiviral potential of cyanobacteria. This is partly due to the lack of specific and simple protocols designed for the rapid detection of antiviral activity in cyanobacteria and partly because specialized facilities for work with pathogenic viruses are few and far between. We therefore developed an easy method for the screening of cyanobacterial cultures for antiviral activity and used our private culture collection of non‐pathogenic virus isolates to show that antiviral activity is a prominent feature in the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. In this proof‐of‐concept study, we show that M. aeruginosa extracts from three different cyanobacterial strains delay infection of diatom‐infecting single‐stranded DNA and single‐stranded RNA viruses by up to 2 days. Our work shows the ease with which cyanobacteria from culture collections can be screened for antiviral activity and highlights the potential of cyanobacteria as an excellent source for the discovery of novel antiviral compounds, warranting further investigation.
Complexity theory for complexity reduction? Revisiting the ontological and epistemological basis of complexity science with Critical Realism
Authors: Yang Yi
Published: January 2024

Complexity theory (CT) identifies our social system as a contingent and emergent product of non‐linear interactions between existing patterns and events. However, CT scholars carrying out various empirical applications have often adopted constructivist positions that disallow the separate existence of social systems and agency, thereby preventing effective analysis of their interactions. Instead, with the help of Critical Realism (CR), we offer a realist complexity approach that sees complexity in terms of the distinction between the domains of the Real, the Actual, and the Empirical, when existing studies of CT still work with a flat ontology that collapses the three domains into one (the Empirical domain). Our non‐conflationary CR‐CT approach thus argues that a satisfactory explanation of social complexity cannot be at the level of agential experience (the Empirical domain) or at the level of human and systematic events (the Actual domain) but needs to identify causal mechanisms (in the Real domain) of such events. It then combines this depth ontology (that distinguishes the three reality domains) with epistemological relativism (that underscores the contingent character of knowledge claims) to argue that though our knowledge and complexity reduction techniques are socially constructed, it hardly follows that the ontological dimension of reality (spreading across the three domains) is always affected by our complexity reduction efforts at the epistemological dimension in the Empirical domain.
Effect of physiological and pharmacological stress on heart rate, blood pressure, and echocardiographic measurements in healthy Warmblood horses
Authors: Dufourni Alexander , Buschmann Eva , Vernemmen Ingrid , Van Steenkiste Glenn , van Loon Gunther , Decloedt Annelies
Published: January 2024

Background

Echocardiographic measurements are important prognostic indicators but might be influenced by heart rate and blood pressure. This is particularly important when comparing repeated examinations.

Hypothesis

To determine the effect of physiological stress at mildly increased heart rates and pharmacological challenge using IV administration of N‐butylscopolammonium bromide and metamizol sodium on heart rate, blood pressure, and echocardiographic measurements.

Animals

Twenty healthy Warmblood horses.

Methods

Randomized crossover study. Horses were examined echocardiographically by 2‐dimensional, M‐mode, pulsed wave (PW) Doppler, and PW tissue Doppler imaging with simultaneous ECG recording and noninvasive blood pressure measurements during rest, physiological stress, and pharmacological challenge. Cardiac dimensions and functions were measured by a blinded observer. Data were analyzed using repeated‐measures analysis of variance.

Results

Mean heart rate and arterial blood pressure were significantly higher during physiological stress (46 ± 2 bpm, 93 ± 16 mm Hg) and pharmacological challenge (62 ± 13 bpm, 107 ± 17 mm Hg) compared with rest (34 ± 3 bpm, 86 ± 12 mm Hg; P < .05). Compared with rest, physiological stress resulted in increased left atrial fractional area change (34.3 ± 7.5 vs 27.3 ± 5.1%; P = .01) and left ventricular late diastolic radial wall motion velocity (13 ± 3 vs 10 ± 2 cm/s; P = .01) but had no significant effect on most other echocardiographic variables. Compared with rest, pharmacological challenge led to significantly decreased left atrial and diastolic ventricular dimensions (left ventricular internal diameter: 10.3 ± 0.9 vs 10.7 ± 0.8 cm; P = .01), increased aortic and pulmonary diameters, and ventricular wall thickness.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Physiological stress at mildly increased heart rates significantly enhanced atrial pump function. Larger heart rate and blood pressure increases during pharmacological challenge resulted in altered cardiac dimensions. This should be taken into account when evaluating echocardiographic measurements at increased heart rates.
Costs and benefits of solitary living in mammals
Authors: Makuya L. , Schradin C.
Published: January 2024

While for decades behavioural ecologists have studied the costs and benefits of group living, solitary living has received little attention. Instead, it was assumed to be the default stage from which sociality evolved. Mammals underwent around 200 million years of social evolution, with a few species evolving communal or cooperative breeding in harsh environments. Other mammal species are successful with solitary living in exactly the same and many other environments, indicating that solitary living is beneficial under many environmental conditions. Comparative studies on mammals indicate that solitary living might not be the ancestral but a derived state. Solitary living in mammals is less common than previously believed, occurring in 22% of the studied species. Here, we review costs and benefits of solitary living in mammals. We found very few studies that considered solitary living and show important future avenues of research based on the factors that are important for the evolution of group living. We also emphasize that a solitary form of social organization does not imply an unsocial lifestyle: solitary mammals typically have non‐random but individualized social interactions with their neighbours, indicating important social structure.
Supervised training models with or without manual lesion delineation outperform clinicians in distinguishing pulmonary cryptococcosis from lung adenocarcinoma on chest CT
Authors: Li Yun , Chen Deyan , Liu Shuyi , Lin Junfeng , Wang Wei , Huang Jinhai , Tan Lunfang , Liang Lina , Wang Zhufeng , Peng Kang , Li Qiasheng , Jian Wenhua , Zhang Youwen , Peng Chengbao , Chen Huai , Zhang Xia , Zheng Jinping
Published: January 2024

Background

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the discrimination between pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LA) warrants further research.

Objectives

To compare the performances of AI models with clinicians in distinguishing PC from LA on chest CT.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with confirmed PC or LA were retrospectively recruited from three tertiary hospitals in Guangzhou. A deep learning framework was employed to develop two models: an undelineated supervised training (UST) model utilising original CT images, and a delineated supervised training (DST) model utilising CT images with manual lesion annotations provided by physicians. A subset of 20 cases was randomly selected from the entire dataset and reviewed by clinicians through a network questionnaire. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the models and the clinicians were calculated.

Results

A total of 395 PC cases and 249 LA cases were included in the final analysis. The internal validation results for the UST model showed a sensitivity of 85.3%, specificity of 81.0%, accuracy of 83.6% and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.93. Similarly, the DST model exhibited a sensitivity of 88.2%, specificity of 88.1%, accuracy of 88.2% and an AUC of 0.94. The external validation of the two models yielded AUC values of 0.74 and 0.77, respectively. The average sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 102 clinicians were determined to be 63.1%, 53.7% and 59.3%, respectively.

Conclusions

Both models outperformed the clinicians in distinguishing between PC and LA on chest CT, with the UST model exhibiting comparable performance to the DST model.
COG3 confers the chilling tolerance to mediate OsFtsH2‐D1 module in rice
Authors: Liu Dongfeng , Luo Shengtao , Li Zhitao , Liang Guohua , Guo Yalong , Xu Yunyuan , Chong Kang
Published: January 2024

The chilling stress induced by the global climate change harms rice production, especially at seedling and booting stage, which feed half the population of the world. Although there are key quantitative trait locus genes identified in the individual stage, few genes have been reported and functioned at both stages.

Utilizing chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) and a combination of map‐based cloning and phenotypes of the mutants and overexpression lines, we identified the major gene Chilling‐tolerance in Geng/japonica rice 3 (COG3) of q chilling‐tolerance at the booting and seedling stage 11 (qCTBS11) conferred chilling tolerance at both seedling and booting stages.

COG3 was significantly upregulated in Nipponbare under chilling treatment compared with its expression in 93‐11. The loss‐of‐function mutants cog3 showed a reduced chilling tolerance. On the contrary, overexpression enhanced chilling tolerance. Genome evolution and genetic analysis suggested that COG3 may have undergone strong selection in temperate japonica during domestication. COG3, a putative calmodulin‐binding protein, physically interacted with OsFtsH2 at chloroplast. In cog3‐1, OsFtsH2‐mediated D1 degradation was impaired under chilling treatment compared with wild‐type.

Our results suggest that COG3 is necessary for maintaining OsFtsH2 protease activity to regulate chilling tolerance at the booting and seedling stage.