bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post‐treatment 18F‐fludeoxyglocuse‐positron emission tomography in human papillomavirus‐associated oropharyngeal cancer
Authors: Liu Zhen Yu , Khoo Denver , Hartel Gunter , Punyadeera Chamindie , Vasani Sarju
Published: June 2023

Background

Human papillomavirus association has changed the landscape of treatment for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma; it remains to be seen whether current post‐treatment surveillance schedules are effective.

Objective

Evaluate whether post‐treatment surveillance of oropharyngeal cancer through FDG‐PET imaging is modified by human papillomavirus association.

Methods

A prospective cohort analysis of retrospective data was conducted for patients undergoing treatment of oropharyngeal cancer between 2016 and 2018. This study was conducted at a single large tertiary referral center in Brisbane, Australia.

Results

Two‐hundred and twenty‐four patients were recruited for the purposes of the study, 193 (86%) with HPV‐associated disease. In this cohort FDG‐PET had a sensitivity of 48.3%, specificity of 72.6%, positive predictive value of 23.7%, and negative predictive value of 88.8% in detecting disease recurrence.

Conclusions

FDG‐PET in HPV‐associated oropharyngeal cancer has significantly lower positive predictive value when compared to non‐HPV‐associated oropharyngeal cancer. Caution should be used when interpreting positive post‐treatment FDG‐PET.
The difficulties in emotion regulation scale: Dimensionality, measurement invariance, and physiological correlates in community adolescents
Authors: Sousa Rúben , Linharelhos Mariana , Silva Diana Ribeiro da , Rijo Daniel
Published: June 2023

Objective

Emotion regulation is a central construct for the study of mental health in adolescence. Although the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) has been vastly used, several issues remain unanswered (e.g., factor structure/dimensionality). This study aimed to validate the 36‐items DERS in a sample of 989 Portuguese community adolescent (460 boys; 529 girls; age ranged from 14 to 18).

Method

A bifactor‐ESEM model, comprising a general and six specific factors (nonacceptance; goals; impulses; strategies; clarity; awareness) was explored and considered the best fitting model.

Results

Gender measurement invariance was established. When compared with boys, although differences were small in magnitude, girls presented higher emotion regulation difficulties. Evidence for reliability and construct/temporal validity were found, and significant associations between the DERS and physiological measures of emotion regulation (i.e., Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability) were established.

Conclusion

Findings support the use of the DERS in adolescent samples.
Stand‐alone model for delivery of oral HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis in Kenya: a single‐arm, prospective pilot evaluation
Authors: Ortblad Katrina F. , Mogere Peter , Omollo Victor , Kuo Alexandra P. , Asewe Magdaline , Gakuo Stephen , Roche Stephanie , Mugambi Mary , Mugambi Melissa Latigo , Stergachis Andy , Odoyo Josephine , Bukusi Elizabeth A. , Ngure Kenneth , Baeten Jared M.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

The delivery of daily, oral HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at private pharmacies may overcome barriers to PrEP delivery at public healthcare facilities, including HIV‐associated stigma, long wait times and overcrowding.

Methods

At five private, community‐based pharmacies in Kenya, a care pathway for PrEP delivery (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04558554) was piloted—the first of its kind in Africa. Pharmacy providers screened clients interested in PrEP for HIV risk, then used a prescribing checklist to identify clients without medical conditions that might contraindicate PrEP safety, counsel them on PrEP use and safety, conduct provider‐assisted HIV self‐testing and dispense PrEP. For complex clinical cases, a remote clinician was available for consultation. Clients who did not meet the checklist criteria were referred to public facilities for free services delivered by clinicians. Pharmacy providers dispensed a 1‐month PrEP supply at initiation and a 3‐month supply thereafter at a client fee of 300 KES (∼$3 USD) per visit.

Results

From November 2020 to October 2021, pharmacy providers screened 575 clients, identified 476 who met the prescribing checklist criteria and initiated 287 (60%) on PrEP. Among pharmacy PrEP clients, the median age was 26 years (IQR 22–33) and 57% (163/287) were male. The prevalence of behaviours associated with HIV risk among clients was high; 84% (240/287) reported sexual partners with unknown HIV status and 53% (151/287) reported multiple sexual partners (past 6 months). PrEP continuation among clients was 53% (153/287) at 1 month, 36% (103/287) at 4 months and 21% (51/242) at 7 months. During the pilot observation period, 21% (61/287) of clients stopped and restarted PrEP and overall pill coverage was 40% (IQR 10%–70%). Nearly, all pharmacy PrEP clients (≥96%) agreed or strongly agreed with statements regarding the acceptability and appropriateness of pharmacy‐delivered PrEP services.

Conclusions

Findings from this pilot suggest that populations at HIV risk frequently visit private pharmacies and PrEP initiation and continuation at pharmacies is similar to or exceeds that at public healthcare facilities. Private pharmacy‐based PrEP delivery, conducted entirely by private‐sector pharmacy staff, is a promising new delivery model that has the potential to expand PrEP reach in Kenya and similar settings.
Shifting responses of phytoplankton to atmospheric and oceanic forcing in a prolonged marine heatwave
Authors: Zhan Weikang , Zhang Ying , He Qingyou , Zhan Haigang
Published: June 2023

Marine heatwaves are becoming a severe challenge for marine ecosystems. However, current understanding of their impacts on phytoplankton, especially biomass and community structure, is still deficient or fragmentary. Here, we focus on the response of phytoplankton to a prolonged (372 d) marine heatwave in the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean in 2015–2016. Despite a similar surface warming throughout the marine heatwave, we found two distinctively different changes in chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration, based on which the marine heatwave was divided into two phases of nearly equal duration. During Phase 1, the Chl a concentration and phytoplankton biomass increased slightly, while during Phase 2 they decreased dramatically, with a marked shift in phytoplankton community toward smaller‐size species. This difference mainly resulted from the change in dominant drivers of the marine heatwave, which shifted from atmospheric forcing (enhanced net air–sea heat flux) in Phase 1 to oceanic process (downwelling Kelvin waves) in Phase 2. The intensified near‐surface stratification and upwelling Kelvin waves led to a slight surface nutrient increase in Phase 1, while the downwelling Kelvin waves suppressed the seasonal upwelling in Phase 2, resulting in a substantial decrease in nutrient supply from the subsurface ocean, and hence dramatic decreases in Chl a concentration and biomass. Our results demonstrate the complex responses of phytoplankton to marine heatwaves and highlight the importance of distinguishing the driving mechanisms of marine heatwaves when evaluating their ecological impacts.
Quantitative and qualitative comparison of marine dissolved organic nitrogen recovery using solid phase extraction
Authors: Miranda Carlos , Boiteau Rene M. , McKenna Amy M. , Knapp Angela N.
Published: June 2023

Marine dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC and DON) are major global carbon and nutrient reservoirs, and their characterization relies on extraction methods for preconcentration and salt removal. Existing methods optimize for capturing and describing DOC. Here, we report an optimized analytical strategy to recover marine DON for subsequent molecular characterization. Retention efficiencies between 5% and 95% are reported for seven solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents, with PPL recovering 23% of marine DON compared to 95% recovered with C18. Additional comparisons of the effect of varying sample volumes and elution speed, and the resulting molecular composition of DON extracts, were investigated using C18 and PPL sorbents. Sample volumes > 200 mL decreased DON retention efficiency independent of SPE sorbent, and gravity elution recovered 1.7‐ to 4.2‐fold more DON compared to vacuum elution. Characterization of extracted DON by negative‐ion electrospray ionization Fourier transform‐ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR MS) highlights compositional differences between DON species recovered by each method. DON isolated with optimized methods includes low molecular weight (< 600 Da) peptide‐like compounds with low O:C ratios (0.2 to 0.5) that are not detected by other SPE sorbents (e.g., PPL). The majority of additional DON isolated with this approach was undetectable by direct infusion negative mode FT‐ICR MS analysis.
On singular generalizations of the Singer–Hopf conjecture
Authors: Maxim Laurenţiu
Published: June 2023

The Singer–Hopf conjecture predicts the sign of the topological Euler characteristic of a closed aspherical manifold. In this note, we propose singular generalizations of the Singer–Hopf conjecture, formulated in terms of the Euler–Mather characteristic, intersection homology Euler characteristic and, resp., virtual Euler characteristic of a closed irreducible subvariety of an aspherical complex projective manifold. We prove these new conjectures under the assumption that the cotangent bundle of the ambient variety is numerically effective (nef), or, more generally, when the ambient manifold admits a finite morphism to a complex projective manifold with a nef cotangent bundle. The main ingredients in the proof are the semi‐positivity properties of nef vector bundles together with a topological version of the Riemann–Roch theorem, proved by Kashiwara.
Initiator‐Free Photocuring 3D‐Printable PVA‐Based Hydrogel with Tunable Mechanical Properties and Cell Compatibility
Authors: Li Chao , Lu Guoqiang , Wang Guohua , Liu Bo , Xue Tanlong , Yuan Hengda , Nie Jun , Zhu Xiaoqun
Published: June 2023

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)‐based hydrogels have attracted great attention and been widely used in biological tissue engineering. With the development of modern medicine, precision medicine requires the customization of medical materials. However, lacking of photocurable functional groups or the performance of rapid phase transition makes PVA‐based hydrogels difficult to be customizable molded through photocuring 3D printing technique. In this research, customizable PVA‐based hydrogels with high performance through 3D photocurable printing and freezing‐thawing (F‐T) process are obtained. The ability of 3D‐printable is endowed by the introduction of polyvinyl alcohol–styrylpyridine (PVA‐SBQ), which can be photo‐crosslinked quickly without photoinitiator. Meanwhile, the tunable mechanical properties are achieved by adjusting the mass ratio of PVA‐SBQ to PVA, and PVA can offer the physical crosslinking points through freezing‐thawing (F‐T) process. The hydrogels with high resolution are prepared by digital light procession 3D printing with the mass ratio 1:1 of PVA‐SBQ to PVA solution. Attributed to the absence of initiator, and no small molecule residues inside the hydrogels, the hydrogels have good biocompatibility and have the potential to be applicated in the field of biological tissue engineering.
Sperm capacitation as a predictor of boar fertility
Authors: Keller Alexandra , Kerns Karl
Published: June 2023

Prediction of a boar's fertility level has great economic importance for sow herds. After standard sperm morphology and motility metrics are met, approximately 25% of boars have less than 80% conception rates. Due in part to the many factors involved in the fertilization process, a multifactorial model incorporating multiple relevant sperm physiology factors will likely lead to increased understanding of boar fertility. Here we review the current literature on boar sperm capacitation as a predictor of boar fertility. While limited, several studies have provided correlations between the percentage of sperm in an ejaculate that are capable of undergoing sperm capacitation in a chemically defined media and artificial insemination field fertility as well as proteome and other methods. Work summarized here underscores the need for further understanding of boar fertility.
A local spectrum enhancement‐based method and its application in incipient fault diagnosis of rotating machinery
Authors: Shi Jiancong , Xu Baoming , Wang Xinglong , Zhang Jun
Published: June 2023

Incipient faults of gears and rolling bearings in rotating machineries are very difficult to identify using traditional envelope analysis methods. To address this challenge, this paper proposes an effective local spectrum enhancement‐based diagnostic method that can identify weak fault frequencies in the original complicated raw signals. For this purpose, a traversal frequency band segmentation technique is first proposed for dividing the raw signal into a series of subfrequency bands. Then, the proposed synthetic quantitative index is constructed for selecting the most informative local frequency band (ILFB) containing fault features from the divided subfrequency bands. Furthermore, an improved grasshopper optimization algorithm‐based stochastic resonance (SR) system is developed for enhancing weak fault features contained in the selected most ILFB with less computation cost. Finally, the enhanced weak fault frequencies are extracted from the output of the SR system using a common spectrum analysis. Two experiments on a laboratory planetary gearbox and an open bearing data set are used to verify the effectuality of the proposed method. The diagnostic results demonstrate that the proposed method can identify incipient faults of gears and bearings in an effective and accurate manner. Furthermore, the advantages of the proposed method are highlighted by comparison with other methods.
The impact of xylan on the biosynthesis and structure of extracellular lignin produced by a Norway spruce tissue culture
Authors: Sapouna Ioanna , Kärkönen Anna , McKee Lauren Sara
Published: June 2023

In order to develop more economic uses of lignin, greater knowledge regarding its native structure is required. This can inform the development of optimized extraction methods that preserve desired structural properties. Current extraction methods alter the polymeric structure of lignin, leading to a loss of valuable structural groups or the formation of new non‐native ones. In this study, Norway spruce (Picea abies) tissue‐cultured cells that produce lignin extracellularly in a suspension medium were employed. This system enables the investigation of unaltered native lignin, as no physicochemical extraction steps are required. For the first time, this culture was used to investigate the interactions between lignin and xylan, a secondary cell wall hemicellulose, and to study the importance of lignin–carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) on the polymerization and final structure of extracellular lignin (ECL). This has enabled us to study the impact of xylan on monolignol composition and structure of the final lignin polymer. We find that the addition of xylan to the solid culture medium accelerates cell growth and impacts the ratio of monolignols in the lignin. However, the presence of xylan in the lignin polymerization environment does not significantly alter the structural properties of lignin as analyzed by two‐dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Nevertheless, our data indicate that xylan can act as a nucleation point, leading to more rapid lignin polymerization, an important insight into biopolymer interactions during cell wall synthesis in wood. Lignin structure and interactions with a secondary cell wall hemicellulose were investigated in a model cell culture: we found that the polymerization and final structure of lignin are altered when the hemicellulose is present during cell growth and monolignol production. The physicochemical interactions between lignin and xylan partly define the extractability and utility of native lignin in high value applications, so this work has implications for lignin extraction as well as fundamental plant biology.
On energetics of proton and electron transfer of selected phenol derivatives: Theoretical investigation of radical and oxonium cations
Authors: Kováčová Andrea , Michalík Martin , Lukeš Vladimír
Published: June 2023

In this paper, the systematic theoretical study of phenol and 36 compounds representing various ortho, meta and para‐substituted (R‐PhOH) phenols is presented. The hydroxyl group acidity is a characteristic feature of phenol which can be modified using substitution of phenyl ring. The proton‐coupled electron transfer was investigated for parent neutral phenols, R‐PhOH, their cation radicals, R‐PhOH+•, and oxonium cations, R‐PhOH2+. Density functional theory calculations were combined with solvent continuum model for water and dimethyl sulfoxide environment. For aqueous solution, the Pourbaix diagrams (electrochemical potential vs. pH) were constructed from the theoretically predicted acidity constants and electrochemical standard potentials. From the thermodynamic point of view, the obtained theoretical results allow the estimation of the thermodynamically preferred process and alternative reaction pathways of phenolic derivatives in very acidic media.
Host genetic determinants of COVID‐19 susceptibility and severity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Eshetie Setegn , Jullian Pastor , Benyamin Beben , Lee S. Hong
Published: June 2023

Genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with susceptibility and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). However, identified SNPs are inconsistent across studies, and there is no compelling consensus that COVID‐19 status is determined by genetic factors. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to determine the effect of genetic factors on COVID‐19. A random‐effect meta‐analysis was performed to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) of SNP effects, and SNP‐based heritability (SNP‐h2) of COVID‐19. The analyses were performed using meta‐R package, and Stata version 17. The meta‐analysis included a total of 96,817 COVID‐19 cases and 6,414,916 negative controls. The meta‐analysis showed that a cluster of highly correlated 9 SNPs (R2 > 0.9) at 3p21.31 gene locus covering LZTFL1 and SLC6A20 genes was significantly associated with COVID‐19 severity, with a pooled OR of 1.8 [1.5–2.0]. Meanwhile, another 3 SNPs (rs2531743‐G, rs2271616‐T, and rs73062389‐A) within the locus was associated with COVID‐19 susceptibility, with pooled estimates of 0.95 [0.93–0.96], 1.23 [1.19–1.27] and 1.15 [1.13–1.17], respectively. Interestingly, SNPs associated with susceptibility and SNPs associated with severity in this locus are in linkage equilibrium (R2 < 0.026). The SNP‐h2 on the liability scale for severity and susceptibility was estimated at 7.6% (Se = 3.2%) and 4.6% (Se = 1.5%), respectively. Genetic factors contribute to COVID‐19 susceptibility and severity. In the 3p21.31 locus, SNPs that are associated with susceptibility are not in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with SNPs that are associated with severity, indicating within‐locus heterogeneity.
Instrumental variable model average with applications in Mendelian randomization
Authors: Seng Loraine Liping , Liu Ching‐Ti , Wang Jingli , Li Jialiang
Published: June 2023

Mendelian randomization is a technique used to examine the causal effect of a modifiable exposure on a trait using an observational study by utilizing genetic variants. The use of many instruments can help to improve the estimation precision but may suffer bias when the instruments are weakly associated with the exposure. To overcome the difficulty of high‐dimensionality, we propose a model average estimator which involves using different subsets of instruments (single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) to predict the exposure in the first stage, followed by weighting the submodels' predictions using penalization by common penalty functions such as least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) and minimax concave penalty (MCP). The model averaged predictions are then used as a genetically predicted exposure to obtain the estimation of the causal effect on the response in the second stage. The novelty of our model average estimator also lies in that it allows the number of submodels and the submodels' sizes to grow with the sample size. The practical performance of the estimator is examined in a series of numerical studies. We apply the proposed method on a real genetic dataset investigating the relationship between stature and blood pressure.
Tourism development model ecosystem settings based on support system for Dudhsagar waterfall, Goa, India
Authors: Joglekar Sanjeev , Manjare Sampatrao D. , Sathyaseelan Vignesh , Dongre Sujeet , Girap Mohan
Published: June 2023

Tourism is an important economic sector and an enabler for a country's growth. The Dudhsagar waterfall located within the Mollem National Park, Goa, India is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Goa, India, with 35,000–50,000 domestic and international tourists visiting the waterfall annually. This study attempts to quantify the resource availability to support sustainable tourism of Dudhsagar waterfall for recreational use with consideration for its specific physical/natural, economic, and cultural settings. The study employs various principles, which include Boullon formula, Congestion/overcrowding principle, and ratio of local population to hosts to carry out the carrying capacity analysis. Further, this study presents a modified approach to carrying capacity analysis, where air quality, noise level, and the water quality is also considered to prescribe the optimal number of visitors the area can accommodate while maintaining visitors satisfaction and preventing negative impacts on the natural resources. Additionally, the impact indicators assessment was performed using the view and opinion of the stakeholders. The data used in this study are an outcome of a broad survey conducted among the people associated in both direct and indirect with the tourism sector at Dudhsagar fall.
Multisensory Experiences in Archaeological Landscapes—Sound, Vision, and Movement in GIS and Virtual Reality
Authors: Richards-Rissetto Heather , Primeau Kristy E. , Witt David E. , Goodwin Graham
Published: June 2023

Archaeologists are employing a variety of digital tools to develop new methodological frameworks that combine computational and experiential approaches which is leading to new multisensory research. In this article, we explore vision, sound, and movement at the ancient Maya city of Copan from a multisensory and multiscalar perspective bridging concepts and approaches from different archaeological paradigms. Our methods and interpretations employ theory-inspired variables from proxemics and semiotics to develop a methodological framework that combines computation with sensory perception. Using GIS, 3D, and acoustic tools we create multisensory experiences in VR with spatial sound using an immersive headset (Oculus Rift) and touch controllers (for movement). The case study simulates the late eighth and early ninth-century landscape of the ancient Maya city of Copan to investigate the role of landscape in facilitate movement, send messages, influence social interaction, and structure cultural events. We perform two simulations to begin to study the impact of vegetation on viewsheds and soundsheds of a stela at ancient Copan. Our objectives are twofold: (1) design and test steps towards developing a GIS computational approach to analyse the impact of vegetation within urban agrarian landscapes on viewsheds and soundsheds and (2) explore cultural significance of Stela 12, and more generally the role of synesthetic experience in ancient Maya society using a multisensory approach that incorporates GIS and VR.
Conclusions
Authors: Hirschfeld Katherine , de Beurs Kirsten , Brayfield Brad , Melkonyan-Gottschalk Ani
Published: June 2023

This chapter summarizes the key lessons learned from this work. We conclude that Mary Kaldor’s concept of “New Wars” is useful for understanding the unique environmental and human impacts of contemporary armed conflicts. Combining qualitative historical research with remote sensing data provides insights into these dynamics. Specifically our research leads us to conclude that the Karabakh conflict and the Soviet collapse led to a prolonged period of violence and territorial uncertainty for the Karabakh region. Forced migration left thousands of Armenians and Azeris crowded in makeshift camps and improvised housing at a time when public health prevention measures were largely absent. The war itself generated “ecological insults” to the land creating conditions favorable for mosquito habitat. We conclude by presenting Valery Tishkov’s concept of “demodernization” and argue that New Wars have the potential to rapidly shift mortality from non-infectious to infectious and vector borne diseases in societies that have achieved a “modern” health profile.
Introduction: Power of Articulation
Authors: Kortesoja Matti
Published: June 2023

I begin with a chapter that lays out the main lines of the work by discussing the uses of the concept of articulation and its travels from one realm of academic discussion to another. Previous studies have not considered the concept of articulation for its role as a conceptual metaphor in relation to the discursive turn in the imagery for social structure and social change. However, the concept of articulation holds vast potential for those hoping to make sense of its appropriations and adaptations in connection with relational views of how social structure and social change are portrayed. This chapter also outlines key discussions reflecting upon and applying the idea of articulation via a brief history of the concept that serves as a rough guide for the reader. In addition, it highlights the double meaning of ‘articulation’ and how an anatomicalmetaphor of articulation has given way to reference to an expressive act or a discursive practice, a reference that attests to fundamental divergence from the spatially oriented portrayal of social structure as an articulated whole.
Discussion: Reflections on Reductionism
Authors: Kortesoja Matti
Published: June 2023

In classical sociology, society was portrayed at first by means of the anatomical or biological metaphors of the natural sciences. It was amid more sweeping social changes that the concept of articulation shifted from the ‘limbs of the social system’ metaphor toward a discursive practice that brings forth and organises signifying elements with emphasis on human action. One larger motion showcased by the waning of the idea of an articulated whole, which Marx’s notion of Gliederung described decades ago, is an integral shift from social structure to social and political actors and their networks. More recently, ‘articulation’ has been conceptualised as a discursive practice in line with the discursive turn whereby social scientists have come to view the identity of discrete elements as contingent on individuals’ actions and specific changes wrought by means of articulatory practices in an open discursive field of action. On the one hand, the concept of articulation is a sign of a break that can lead to reductionism wherein society becomes a discussion about society. On the other hand, it expands a discursive field wherein struggles for hegemony hinge on political articulations.
Prefrattini subgroups and crowns
Authors: Lucchini Andrea
Published: June 2023

This survey paper wants to highlight the mathematical impact of the celebrated paper by Gaschütz in which the concepts of prefrattini subgroups and crowns were introduced.
Teaching communication skills in medical education
Authors: Schmalz Claudia , Rogge Annette , Dunst Jürgen , Krug David , Liethmann Katrin
Published: June 2023

Background

Communication with patients is challenging, especially in radiation oncology. Therefore, radiation oncology is particularly suited to sensitize medical students for this topic and to train them competently. We report on experiences with an innovative teaching project for fourth- and fifth-year medical students.

Materials and methods

The course, funded as an innovative teaching project by the medical faculty, was offered as an optional course for medical students in 2019 and again in 2022 after a pandemic-related break. The curriculum and evaluation form were developed through a two-stage Delphi process. The course consisted of, first, participation during counselling of patients prior to radiotherapy, mainly on topics with shared decision-making, and, second, a 1-week interdisciplinary block seminar with practical exercises. The topics covered a broad spectrum of the competence areas defined in the National Competence-Based Learning Objectives Catalog for Medicine (NKLM). The number of participants was limited to approximately 15 students because of the practical components.

Results

So far, 30 students (all at least in the seventh semester or higher) have participated in the teaching project. The most frequent reasons for participation were the desire to acquire competence in breaking bad news and confidence in talking to patients. The overall evaluation of the course was very positive, with a grade of 1.08 + 0.28 (on a scale of 1 = totally agree to 5 = totally disagree) plus German grade 1 (very good) to 6 (very bad). Notably, participants’ expectations regarding specific competencies (e.g., breaking bad news) were also met.

Conclusion

Although the evaluation results cannot be generalized to the entirety of medical students due to the limited number of voluntary participants, the very positive evaluation shows the need for such projects among students and can also be seen as an indication that radiation oncology as a patient-centered discipline is particularly well suited to teach medical communication.
Adaptive intelligent vision-based control of a flexible-link manipulator
Authors: Sahu Umesh Kumar , Patra Dipti , Subudhi Bidyadhar
Published: June 2023

Present space robots such as planetary robots and flexible robots have structural flexibility in their arms and joints that leads to an error in the tip positioning owing to tip deflection. The flexible-link manipulator (FLM) is a non-collocated system that has unstable and inaccurate system performance. Thus, tip-tracking of FLM possesses difficult control challenges. The purpose of this study is to design adaptive intelligent tip-tracking control strategy for FLMs to deal with this control challenges of FLM. A vision sensor is utilized in conjunction with a traditional mechanical sensor to directly measure tip-position in order to address the aforementioned problem. Image-based visual servoing (IBVS), one of several visual servoing control techniques, is more efficient. However, the IBVS scheme faces numerous difficulties that impair the system’s performance in real-time applications, including singularities in the interaction matrix, local minima in trajectory, visibility issues. To address the issues with the IBVS scheme, a novel adaptive intelligent IBVS (AI-IBVS) controller for tip-tracking control of a two-link flexible manipulator (TLFM) is designed in this study. In particular, this paper addresses the IBVS issues along-with retention of visual features in the field-of-view (FOV). First, in order to retain object within the camera FOV, an intelligent controller with off-policy reinforcement learning (RL) is proposed. Second, a composite controller for TLFM is developed to combine RL controller and IBVS controller. The simulation has been conducted to examine the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller. The obtained results show that the AI-IBVS controller developed here possesses the capabilities of self-learning and decision-making for robust tip-tracking control of TLFM. Further, a comparison with other similar approach is presented.
Identification and characterization of an abundant lipoprotein from Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum SolV
Authors: Liu Changqing , Angius Federica , Pol Arjan , Mesman Rob A. , Versantvoort Wouter , Op den Camp Huub J. M.
Published: June 2023

Bacterial lipoproteins are characterized by the presence of a conserved N-terminal lipid-modified cysteine residue that allows the hydrophilic protein to anchor into bacterial cell membranes. These lipoproteins play essential roles in a wide variety of physiological processes. Based on transcriptome analysis of the verrucomicrobial methanotroph Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum SolV, we identified a highly expressed lipoprotein, WP_009060351 (139 amino acids), in its genome. The first 86 amino acids are specific for the methanotrophic genera Methylacidiphilum and Methylacidmicrobium, while the last 53 amino acids are present only in lipoproteins of members from the phylum Verrucomicrobiota (Hedlund). Heterologous expression of WP_009060351 in Escherichia coli revealed a 25-kDa dimeric protein and a 60-kDa tetrameric protein. Immunoblotting showed that WP_009060351 was present in the total membrane protein and peptidoglycan fractions of M. fumariolicum SolV. The results suggest an involvement of lipoprotein WP_009060351 in the linkage between the outer membrane and the peptidoglycan.
Effect of alpha-lipoic acid and caffeine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on obesity and its complications in liver and kidney in rats
Authors: Sawie Hussein G. , Khadrawy Yasser A. , El-Gizawy Mayada M. , Mourad Hagar H. , Omara Enayat A. , Hosny Eman N.
Published: June 2023

The present work investigated the effect of α-lipoic acid (ALA) and caffeine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CAF-CS NPs) on obesity and its hepatic and renal complications in rats. Rats were divided into control, rat model of obesity induced by high fat diet (HFD), and obese rats treated with ALA and/or CAF-CS NPs. At the end of the experiment, the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and the levels of urea, creatinine, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined in the sera of animals. In addition, malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured in hepatic and renal tissues. Renal Na+, K+-ATPase was assessed. The histopathological changes were examined in the hepatic and renal tissues. Obese rats showed a significant increase in AST, ALT, ALP, urea, and creatinine. This was associated with a significant increase in IL-1β, TNF-α, MDA, and NO. A significant decrease in hepatic and renal GSH and renal Na+, K+-ATPase activity was recorded in obese rats. Obese rats also showed histopathological alterations in hepatic and renal tissues. Treatment with ALA and/or CAF-CS NPs reduced the weight of obese rats and ameliorated almost all the hepatic and renal biochemical and histopathological changes induced in obese rats. In conclusion, the present findings indicate that ALA and/or CAF-CS NPs offered an effective therapy against obesity induced by HFD and its hepatic and renal complications. The therapeutic effect of ALA and CAF-CS NPs could be mediated through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Zero-Inflated Time Series Clustering Via Ensemble Thick-Pen Transform
Authors: Kim Minji , Oh Hee-Seok , Lim Yaeji
Published: June 2023

This study develops a new clustering method for high-dimensional zero-inflated time series data. The proposed method is based on thick-pen transform (TPT), in which the basic idea is to draw along the data with a pen of a given thickness. Since TPT is a multi-scale visualization technique, it provides some information on the temporal tendency of neighborhood values. We introduce a modified TPT, termed ‘ensemble TPT (e-TPT)’, to enhance the temporal resolution of zero-inflated time series data that is crucial for clustering them efficiently. Furthermore, this study defines a modified similarity measure for zero-inflated time series data considering e-TPT and proposes an efficient iterative clustering algorithm suitable for the proposed measure. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by simulation experiments and two real datasets: step count data and newly confirmed COVID-19 case data.
Canonical circuit computations for computer vision
Authors: Schmid Daniel , Jarvers Christian , Neumann Heiko
Published: June 2023

Advanced computer vision mechanisms have been inspired by neuroscientific findings. However, with the focus on improving benchmark achievements, technical solutions have been shaped by application and engineering constraints. This includes the training of neural networks which led to the development of feature detectors optimally suited to the application domain. However, the limitations of such approaches motivate the need to identify computational principles, or motifs, in biological vision that can enable further foundational advances in machine vision. We propose to utilize structural and functional principles of neural systems that have been largely overlooked. They potentially provide new inspirations for computer vision mechanisms and models. Recurrent feedforward, lateral, and feedback interactions characterize general principles underlying processing in mammals. We derive a formal specification of core computational motifs that utilize these principles. These are combined to define model mechanisms for visual shape and motion processing. We demonstrate how such a framework can be adopted to run on neuromorphic brain-inspired hardware platforms and can be extended to automatically adapt to environment statistics. We argue that the identified principles and their formalization inspires sophisticated computational mechanisms with improved explanatory scope. These and other elaborated, biologically inspired models can be employed to design computer vision solutions for different tasks and they can be used to advance neural network architectures of learning.
Expression of pyroptosis-related genes are correlated with immune microenvironment and predict prognosis in ESCA
Authors: Shi Youmeng , Yang Qiuxing , Tai Guomei , Chen Xudong
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) are abnormally expressed in a variety of gastrointestinal tumors, this study aimed to investigate the role of pyroptosis genes in assessing the prognosis of esophageal cancer (ESCA).

Methods

Through consensus clustering, we identified two subtypes associated with PRGs. After Lasso regression and multivariate Cox regression analysis, a polygenic signature based on six prognostic PRGS was constructed. Afterwards, we combined the risk score with clinical predictors to construct and validate a PRGs-associated ESCA prognostic model.

Results

Through analysis, we Successfully constructed and validated a PRGs-associated ESCA prognostic model that predicts ESCA survival and correlates with the tumor immune microenvironment.

Conclusion

Based on PRGs features, we established a new ESCA hierarchical model. This model has important clinical implications for ESCA patients, both in terms of assessing prognosis and in terms of targeted and immunotherapy.
Patient Identification Based on Deep Metric Learning for Preventing Human Errors in Follow-up X-Ray Examinations
Authors: Ueda Yasuyuki , Morishita Junji
Published: June 2023

Biological fingerprints extracted from clinical images can be used for patient identity verification to determine misfiled clinical images in picture archiving and communication systems. However, such methods have not been incorporated into clinical use, and their performance can degrade with variability in the clinical images. Deep learning can be used to improve the performance of these methods. A novel method is proposed to automatically identify individuals among examined patients using posteroanterior (PA) and anteroposterior (AP) chest X-ray images. The proposed method uses deep metric learning based on a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) to overcome the extreme classification requirements for patient validation and identification. It was trained on the NIH chest X-ray dataset (ChestX-ray8) in three steps: preprocessing, DCNN feature extraction with an EfficientNetV2-S backbone, and classification with deep metric learning. The proposed method was evaluated using two public datasets and two clinical chest X-ray image datasets containing data from patients undergoing screening and hospital care. A 1280-dimensional feature extractor pretrained for 300 epochs performed the best with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.9894, an equal error rate of 0.0269, and a top-1 accuracy of 0.839 on the PadChest dataset containing both PA and AP view positions. The findings of this study provide considerable insights into the development of automated patient identification to reduce the possibility of medical malpractice due to human errors.
Evaluating retention forestry 10 years after its introduction in temperate forests regarding the provision of tree-related microhabitats and dead wood
Authors: Großmann Josef , Carlson Lena , Kändler Gerald , Pyttel Patrick , Kleinschmit Jörg R. G. , Bauhus Jürgen
Published: June 2023

The individual or grouped retention of habitat trees in managed multiple-use forests has become an approach used to protect biodiversity-related structural attributes typically found in old close-to-nature forests. This study focuses on the effect of one such retention approach in the managed forests of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, ten years after its introduction. Specifically, we asked: (1) How effective are habitat tree groups (HTGs) at providing large living trees (LLTs > 80 cm DBH), tree-related microhabitats (TreMs), and dead wood?, and (2) which tree and stand variables have the greatest influence on the occurrence of TreMs? For this purpose, we inventoried 326 HTGs and 94 reference plots in forests dominated by the most widely occurring native conifer and broadleaf tree species, silver fir (Abies alba) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica). In accordance with our hypotheses, LLTs and TreMs were significantly more abundant in HTGs than in reference plots in both forest types. More importantly, when retaining 5% of the forest area as HTGs (a common retention level), old forest attributes such as woodpecker cavities, rot-holes or exposed heartwood increased significantly at the stand level while the volume of LLTs almost tripled, and volume of snags increased by 25%. However, quantities of these two attributes remain below minimum thresholds recommended in the scientific literature. A conversion of 15–25% of the stand area into HTGs is needed to increase the stand level abundance of TreMs such as concavities, exposed sapwood, or crown dead wood significantly in the short term. At the single-tree level, tree diameter (DBH), tree species, vitality and neighborhood competition had a significant influence on modeled TreM abundance. At the stand level, TreM occurrence increased with stand age and amount of snags, whereas TreM richness declined with stand density. Ten years after introducing the retention approach, forest stands with HTGs comprised significantly more important structural attributes than those without. Selecting HTGs with high stand volume or low tree density that also include snags, a mix of tree species, LLTs, and some low-vitality habitat trees could further improve this practice.
Predicting the spatial distribution of stable isotopes in precipitation using a machine learning approach: a comparative assessment of random forest variants
Authors: Erdélyi Dániel , Kern Zoltán , Nyitrai Tamás , Hatvani István Gábor
Published: June 2023

Stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen are important natural tracers with a wide variety of environmental applications (e.g., the exploration of the water cycle, ecology and food authenticity). The spatially explicit predictions of their variations are obtained through various interpolation techniques. In the present work, a classical random forest (RF) and two of its variants were applied. RF and a random forest version employing buffer distance (RFsp) were applied to each month separately, while a random forest model was trained using all data employing month and year as categorical variables (RFtg). Their performance in predicting the spatial variability of precipitation stable oxygen isotope values for 2008–2017 across Europe was compared. In addition, a comparison was made with a publicly available alternative machine learning model which employs extreme gradient boosting. Input data was retrieved from the Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP; no. of stations: 144) and other national datasets (no. of stations: 127). Comparisons were made on the basis of absolute differences, median, mean absolute error and Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient. All variants were capable of reproducing the overall trends and seasonal patterns over time of precipitation stable isotope variability measured at each chosen validation site across Europe. The most important predictors were latitude in the case of the RF, and meteorological variables (vapor pressure, saturation vapor pressure, and temperature) in the case of the RFsp and RFtg models. Diurnal temperature range had the weakest predictive power in every case. In conclusion, it may be stated that with the merged dataset, combining GNIP and other national datasets, RFsp yielded the smallest mean absolute error 1.345‰) and highest Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (0.987), while with extreme gradient boosting (based on only the GNIP data) the mean absolute error was 1.354‰, and Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient was 0.984, although it produced the lowers overall median value (1.113‰), while RFsp produced 1.124‰. The most striking systematic bias was observed in the summer season in the northern validation stations; this, however, diminished from 2014 onward, the point after which stations beyond 55° N are available in the training set.
Content and dynamics of nutrients in the surface water of shallow Lake Mulehe in Kisoro District, South–western Uganda
Authors: Saturday Alex , Kangume Susan , Bamwerinde Wilson
Published: June 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the content and dynamics of nutrients in the shallow (max. 6 m) Lake Mulehe. We collected 54 water samples from nine sampling stations between the wet season (March–May 2020 and dry season (June–August 2020). Nutrients; ammonia–nitrogen (NH4–N), nitrate–nitrogen (NO3–N), nitrite–nitrogen (NO2–N), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) were investigated in accordance with APHA 2017 standard procedures. Besides, physical parameters: Temperature, pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen were measured in situ. The water quality index (WQI) was used to determine the water quality of Lake Muhele  using drinking water quality standards developed by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and the World Health Organization. Results indicated that nutrients (TN, NO3–N, TP, NH4-N, NO2–N and SRP) did not differ substantially between study stations (p > 0.05) but did reveal significant differences (p < 0.05) across study months. Besides, nutrient levels differed significantly between seasons (p < 0.05) except for SRP and NH4–N. The WQI values varied from 36.0 to 74.5, with a mean of 58.69. The recorded overall WQI value places Lake Mulehe’s water quality into the ‘poor’ category in terms of worthiness for human consumption. The study, therefore, recommends continuous pollution monitoring and enforcement of local regulations to reduce pollution in the lake as a result of anthropogenic activities.