bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient and practical quantum compiler towards multi-qubit systems with deep reinforcement learning
∗
Authors: Chen Qiuhao , Du Yuxuan , Jiao Yuliang , Lu Xiliang , Wu Xingyao , Zhao Qi
Published: April 2024

Efficient quantum compiling is essential for complex quantum algorithms realization. The Solovay–Kitaev (S–K) theorem offers a theoretical lower bound on the required operations for approaching any unitary operator. However, it is still an open question that this lower bound can be actually reached in practice. Here, we present an efficient quantum compiler which, for the first time, approaches the S–K lower bound in practical implementations, both for single-qubit and two-qubit scenarios, marking a significant milestone. Our compiler leverages deep reinforcement learning (RL) techniques to address current limitations in terms of optimality and inference time. Furthermore, we show that our compiler is versatile by demonstrating comparable performance between inverse-free basis sets, which is always the case in real quantum devices, and inverse-closed sets. Our findings also emphasize the often-neglected constant term in scaling laws, bridging the gap between theory and practice in quantum compiling. These results highlight the potential of RL-based quantum compilers, offering efficiency and practicality while contributing novel insights to quantum compiling theory.
On the relevance of weak measurements in dissipative quantum systems
Authors: Ballesteros Ferraz Lorena , Martin John , Caudano Yves
Published: April 2024

We investigate the impact of dissipation, including energy relaxation and decoherence, on weak measurements. While weak measurements have been successful in signal amplification, dissipation can compromise their usefulness. More precisely, we show that in systems with a unique steady state, weak values always converge to an expectation value of the measured observable as dissipation time tends to infinity, in contrast to systems with multiple steady states, where the weak values can remain anomalous, i.e. outside the range of eigenvalues of the observable, even in the limit of an infinite dissipation time. In addition, we propose a method for extracting information about the dissipative dynamics of a system using weak values at short dissipation times. Specifically, we explore the amplification of the dissipation rate in a two-level system and the use of weak values to differentiate between Markovian and non-Markovian dissipative dynamics. We also find that weak measurements operating around a weak atom-cavity coupling can probe the atom dissipation through the weak value of non-Hermitian operators within the rotating-wave approximation of the weak interaction.
A brief investigation of one-port SAW resonator for the application in communication systems
Authors: Turuk Baruna Kumar , Behera Basudeba
Published: April 2024

In recent years, with the rapid growth of communication technology and the necessity for Radiofrequency (RF) front-end devices, the one-port Surface Acoustic Wave Resonator (SAWR) has turned out to be a significant component in the design of a SAW device. Hence, the present study concentrates on and around one-port multi-layer SAW resonators with their applications in communication systems. A comparative and critical analysis of various parameters is explored including temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF), Quality factor (Q-factor), phase velocity, impedance ratio, bandwidth, sensitivity, metallization ratio, etc to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of conventional one-port multi-layer SAW resonator. Through the analysis, future research trends as well as the applications of one port multi-layer SAW resonator are also discussed. The study also explores that the one port multi-layer SAW resonator finds employability in various applications like multimedia and mobile communication, medical field sensing technology, broadband signal processing at high frequencies, etc. Thus, significant, and efficient parameters of the resonator can be easily identified through comparative and critical analysis. The outcome of this study will help the researchers to enhance their work in this specific field in the future.
Automatic loading method for robot guided by 3D vision for scattered and stacked shoe soles
Authors: Zhang Yuewei , Wei Honglei
Published: April 2024

This paper primarily introduces a method for the automated feeding of scattered stacked shoe soles using a 3D visual-guided robot. Initially, addressing issues like slow speed in pose estimation and poor robustness during the robot sorting and feeding process, we introduce an enhanced pose estimation algorithm. This algorithm combines the improved Super 4-Point Congruent Sets (Super 4PCS) with the Truncated Least Squares Semidefinite Relaxation (TEASER) algorithm, significantly boosting the speed and robustness of pose estimation during sole sorting, and achieving precise target pose estimation. Building upon this foundation, we present a sorting strategy for disordered stacked shoe soles. This strategy integrates spatial positional information of each sole, employing multi-objective decision-making and recognition algorithms to determine optimal grasping targets. Finally, an experimental platform for automated sole feeding is designed to validate the proposed method. The experimental results indicate that the pose estimation method proposed in this paper achieves an average distance error of 2.04 mm and an average angular error of 2.72°, with the robot’s average success rate in grasping reaching 97.08%. Moreover, the average processing time of the vision algorithm is only 1.34 s, demonstrating good efficiency, precision, and robustness. This method effectively meets the automated feeding needs of scattered and stacked shoe soles in the actual production processes of shoemaking enterprises.
Towards a machine-learned Poisson solver for low-temperature plasma simulations in complex geometries
Authors: Chaerony Siffa Ihda , Becker Markus M , Weltmann Klaus-Dieter , Trieschmann Jan
Published: April 2024

Poisson’s equation plays an important role in modeling many physical systems. In electrostatic self-consistent low-temperature plasma (LTP) simulations, Poisson’s equation is solved at each simulation time step, which can amount to a significant computational cost for the entire simulation. In this paper, we describe the development of a generic machine-learned Poisson solver specifically designed for the requirements of LTP simulations in complex 2D reactor geometries on structured Cartesian grids. Here, the reactor geometries can consist of inner electrodes and dielectric materials as often found in LTP simulations. The approach leverages a hybrid CNN-transformer network architecture in combination with a weighted multiterm loss function. We train the network using highly randomized synthetic data to ensure the generalizability of the learned solver to unseen reactor geometries. The results demonstrate that the learned solver is able to produce quantitatively and qualitatively accurate solutions. Furthermore, it generalizes well on new reactor geometries such as reference geometries found in the literature. To increase the numerical accuracy of the solutions required in LTP simulations, we employ a conventional iterative solver to refine the raw predictions, especially to recover the high-frequency features not resolved by the initial prediction. With this, the proposed learned Poisson solver provides the required accuracy and is potentially faster than a pure GPU-based conventional iterative solver. This opens up new possibilities for developing a generic and high-performing learned Poisson solver for LTP systems in complex geometries.
Atomic objects on hyper-Kähler manifolds
Authors: Beckmann Thorsten
Published: April 2024

We introduce and study the notion of atomic sheaves and complexes on higher-dimensional hyper-Kähler manifolds and show that they share many of the intriguing properties of simple sheaves on K3 surfaces. For example, we prove formality of the dg algebra of derived endomorphisms for stable atomic bundles. We further demonstrate the characteristics of atomic objects by studying atomic Lagrangian submanifolds. In the appendix, we prove nonexistence results for spherical objects on hyper-Kähler manifolds.
Hyperfiniteness for group actions on trees
Authors: Kunnawalkam Elayavalli Srivatsav , Oyakawa Koichi , Shinko Forte , Spaas Pieter
Published: April 2024

We identify natural conditions for a countable group acting on a countable tree which imply that the orbit equivalence relation of the induced action on the Gromov boundary is Borel hyperfinite. Examples of this condition include acylindrical actions. We also identify a natural weakening of the aforementioned conditions that implies measure hyperfiniteness of the boundary action. We then document examples of group actions on trees whose boundary action is not hyperfinite.
A remark on a paper by F. Chiarenza and M. Frasca
Authors: Krylov N.
Published: April 2024

In 1990 F. Chiarenza and M. Frasca published a paper in which they generalized a result of C. Fefferman on estimates of the integral of

|

b
u

|

p

|bu|^{p}

through the integral of

|

D
u

|

p

|Du|^{p}

for

p
>
1

p>1

. Formally their proof is valid only for

d
≥
3

d\geq 3

. We present here further generalization with a different proof in which

D
D

is replaced with the fractional power of the Laplacian for any dimension

d
≥
2

d\geq 2

.
Can You Trust Anyone on Jihadi Internet Forums?
Authors: Hegghammer Thomas
Published: April 2024

The Internet is fruitful territory for deception and mimicry, partly because online communication involves a narrower range of signal types than in-person interactions. This chapter looks at how this problem affected radical Islamists trying to make use of online discussion forums in the 2000s and early 2010s. Rather than being tools for plotting and recruitment, al-Qaida-affiliated jihadi forums such as al-Falluja exhibited severe internal trust problems and a reluctance to discuss matters of operational significance due to widespread fears of infiltration by intelligence agents. The chapter looks empirically at how the distrust manifested itself, how it varied over time, which types of signs made or broke trust, and which strategies and systems online jihadists developed to counter infiltration attempts and build trust on their platforms.
Where Are the Mimics When Passing Seems Easy?
Authors: Laitin David D
Published: April 2024

This chapter looks at defensive mimicry, or rather the relative absence of it during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Given the high stakes for the victim population and the cultural proximity between the two ethnic groups, one would reasonably expect many Tutsis to seek to avoid harm by pretending to be Hutus, but this does not seem to have been the case. A rich body of survival testimonies suggests that Tutsis sought self-preservation through flight, hiding, bribery, friendship cultivation, and other tactics, but not through mimicry, except in a small number of cases. The chapter explains why this was the case and musters quantitative evidence and theoretical arguments to suggest that this counter-intuitive pattern likely extends to other high-intensity civil war situations outside Rwanda.
Prelude
Authors: Cheeke Stephen
Published: April 2024

This short chapter traces the two vital principles which help us to understand Pater’s idea of personhood: outline and undulancy (or flux). These opposing but interpenetrating figures underpin his writings and frequently recur in the chapters that follow. The ‘Prelude’ traces them throughout his work and across his career, closing with a reading of the ‘Conclusion’ to Studies in the Renaissance (1873) in which they are central, and where ‘art’ is personified in a particularly significant way.
Impersonality
Authors: Cheeke Stephen
Published: April 2024

This chapter is focused upon ‘impersonality’ as a centrally important and widely various phenomenon in Pater’s work, in his sense of the Western philosophical tradition, and more broadly to the nineteenth century and his modernist successors, with a close reading of the Imaginary Portrait ‘Sebastian van Storck’ (1886). Pater was especially preoccupied with the kind of temperament or personality drawn to the extinction of the self, and to the philosophical ideal of an Impersonal Absolute—with what he thinks of as the ‘malady’ of temperament in figures such as Coleridge or Pascal, and indeed with the ‘infectious mania’ of this recurring thread in the history of philosophy itself. Pater is deeply ambivalent both about the ‘malady’ and about the will to impersonality, and ‘Sebastian van Storck’ is the only work in which Pater considers the sickness of personality associated with ascêsis and self-negation outside the sublimation of art, or the transformation into a philosophical body of work.
Personification
Authors: Cheeke Stephen
Published: April 2024

This chapter examines the trope of personification and the poetics of prosopopoeia in Pater’s writings about Greek myth and religion, particularly in the essay ‘A Study of Dionysus: The Spiritual Form of Fire and Dew’ (1876). This is then placed in relation to his thinking about personhood in later works, firstly in the idea of a companionable divine logos in Marius the Epicurean (1885), and later in the theory of Platonic Universals expounded in Plato and Platonism (1893). I consider Pater’s dialogue with the writings of Arnold and Ruskin on personification, and the daring ways in which Pater’s mythopoeism went further than anyone else in the nineteenth century. I explore the significance of ‘caprice’—the undulancy or wavering inherent to all human relations—as a fundamental corollary of Pater’s religious and metaphysical vision of personification and prosopopoeia.
Use of Minimal Amounts of Hyaluronidase in the Ultrasound-Guided Treatment of Acute Vascular Occlusion by Hyaluronic Acid: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Ugo Urso Simone , Paola Molinari , Salvatore Fundarò , Giovanni Mosti
Published: April 2024

Background

Complications from hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are increasingly frequent, given the very high number of treatments performed every day worldwide. They are routinely treated with high doses of hyaluronidase, which can cause significant local and general unwanted effects.

Objectives

The aim of our work is to demonstrate that when the origin of the complication is precisely identified and treated under ultrasound guidance, a few hyaluronidase units are enough to treat it effectively.

Methods

Five young female patients came to our observation for vascular lesions from injection of HA fillers performed in the immediately preceding days, in 4 cases, and a few weeks earlier in the fifth case. All lesions were accurately identified by ultrasound and treated with hyaluronidase.

Results

The 4 promptly treated patients fully recovered with a hyaluronidase dose of 87 ± 44 IU (range, 30-150 IU). The fifth patient, treated later, markedly improved regarding clinical picture and symptoms. No early or late side effects have been reported from this hyaluronidase dosage.

Conclusions

Our data confirm that if the lesion at the origin of the skin damage is precisely localized with ultrasound examination and treated under ultrasound guidance, a few units of hyaluronidase, injected directly into the HA accumulation, effectively resolve the skin damage. At the doses we used, which were much lower than those usually recommended, hyaluronidase proved to be not only effective but also free of any side effects.

Level of Evidence: 5
Thalamic epileptic spikes disrupt sleep spindles in patients with epileptic encephalopathy
Authors: Wodeyar Anirudh , Chinappen Dhinakaran , Mylonas Dimitris , Baxter Bryan , Manoach Dara S , Eden Uri T , Kramer Mark A , Chu Catherine J
Published: April 2024

In severe epileptic encephalopathies, epileptic activity contributes to progressive cognitive dysfunction. Epileptic encephalopathies share the trait of spike-wave activation during non-REM sleep (EE-SWAS), a sleep stage dominated by sleep spindles, which are brain oscillations known to coordinate offline memory consolidation. Epileptic activity has been proposed to hijack the circuits driving these thalamocortical oscillations, thereby contributing to cognitive impairment.

Using a unique dataset of simultaneous human thalamic and cortical recordings in subjects with and without EE-SWAS, we provide evidence for epileptic spike interference of thalamic sleep spindle production in patients with EE-SWAS.

First, we show that epileptic spikes and sleep spindles are both predicted by slow oscillations during stage two sleep (N2), but at different phases of the slow oscillation. Next, we demonstrate that sleep-activated cortical epileptic spikes propagate to the thalamus (thalamic spike rate increases after a cortical spike, P ≈ 0). We then show that epileptic spikes in the thalamus increase the thalamic spindle refractory period (P ≈ 0). Finally, we show that in three patients with EE-SWAS, there is a downregulation of sleep spindles for 30 s after each thalamic spike (P < 0.01).

These direct human thalamocortical observations support a proposed mechanism for epileptiform activity to impact cognitive function, wherein epileptic spikes inhibit thalamic sleep spindles in epileptic encephalopathy with spike and wave activation during sleep.
Multi-scale analysis of acupuncture mechanisms for motor and sensory cortex activity based on SEEG data
Authors: Chang Xiaoyu , Hao Pengliang , Zhang Shuhua , Dang Yuanyuan , Liu Aijun , Zheng Nan , Dong Zhao , Zhao Hulin
Published: April 2024

Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese therapy, is gaining attention for its impact on the brain. While existing electroencephalogram and functional magnetic resonance image research has made significant contributions, this paper utilizes stereo-electroencephalography data for a comprehensive exploration of neurophysiological effects. Employing a multi-scale approach, channel-level analysis reveals notable $\delta $-band activity changes during acupuncture. At the brain region level, acupuncture modulated connectivity between the paracentral lobule and the precentral gyrus. Whole-brain analysis indicates acupuncture’s influence on network organization, and enhancing $E_{glob}$ and increased interaction between the motor and sensory cortex. Brain functional reorganization is an important basis for functional recovery or compensation after central nervous system injury. The use of acupuncture to stimulate peripheral nerve trunks, muscle motor points, acupoints, etc., in clinical practice may contribute to the reorganization of brain function. This multi-scale perspective provides diverse insights into acupuncture’s effects. Remarkably, this paper pioneers the introduction of stereo-electroencephalography data, advancing our understanding of acupuncture’s mechanisms and potential therapeutic benefits in clinical settings.
Phonological properties of logographic words modulate brain activation in bilinguals: a comparative study of Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji
Authors: Lin Zhenglong , Li Xiujun , Qi Geqi , Yang Jiajia , Sun Hongzan , Guo Qiyong , Wu Jinglong , Xu Min
Published: April 2024

The brain networks for the first (L1) and second (L2) languages are dynamically formed in the bilingual brain. This study delves into the neural mechanisms associated with logographic–logographic bilingualism, where both languages employ visually complex and conceptually rich logographic scripts. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we examined the brain activity of Chinese–Japanese bilinguals and Japanese–Chinese bilinguals as they engaged in rhyming tasks with Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji. Results showed that Japanese–Chinese bilinguals processed both languages using common brain areas, demonstrating an assimilation pattern, whereas Chinese–Japanese bilinguals recruited additional neural regions in the left lateral prefrontal cortex for processing Japanese Kanji, reflecting their accommodation to the higher phonological complexity of L2. In addition, Japanese speakers relied more on the phonological processing route, while Chinese speakers favored visual form analysis for both languages, indicating differing neural strategy preferences between the 2 bilingual groups. Moreover, multivariate pattern analysis demonstrated that, despite the considerable neural overlap, each bilingual group formed distinguishable neural representations for each language. These findings highlight the brain’s capacity for neural adaptability and specificity when processing complex logographic languages, enriching our understanding of the neural underpinnings supporting bilingual language processing.
Stability Indicating Method Development and Validation of Glycyrrhizin Using RP-HPLC-DAD: Application to Glycyrrhiza glabra Extract
Authors: Lyngdoh Waibiangki , Jat Sandeep , Kumar Pramod
Published: April 2024

Glycyrrhiza glabra is commonly known as licorice. Licorice is the major source of glycyrrhizin. There is no reported stability indicating method for glycyrrhizin in the literature so far. Therefore, it was proposed to develop a stability indicating method and validate the method for glycyrrhizin and its application in G. glabra root extract. Method validation parameters were performed as per the International Council for Harmonization guidelines. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax Extended C-18 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column. The separation achieved using the mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile in gradient elution. The flow rate was kept at 1 mL/min, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy detection was at 250 nm. The average retention time of glycyrrhizin was found to be 7.30 min. Stress degradation studies were performed and confirmed that only acidic degradation has shown a degradation profile of glycyrrhizin up to 40%. The percentage of glycyrrhizin was found to be 0.40% in the G. glabra extract. This may be further explored for commercial applications.
A Novel Risk-Adjusted Metric to Compare Hospitals on Their Antibiotic Prescribing at Hospital Discharge
Authors: Livorsi Daniel J , Merchant James A , Cho Hyunkeun , Goetz Matthew Bidwell , Alexander Bruce , Beck Brice , Goto Michihiko
Published: April 2024

Background

Antibiotic overuse at hospital discharge is common, but there is no metric to evaluate hospital performance at this transition of care. We built a risk-adjusted metric for comparing hospitals on their overall post-discharge antibiotic use.

Methods

This was a retrospective study across all acute-care admissions within the Veterans Health Administration during 2018–2021. For patients discharged to home, we collected data on antibiotics and relevant covariates. We built a zero-inflated, negative, binomial mixed model with 2 random intercepts for each hospital to predict post-discharge antibiotic exposure and length of therapy (LOT). Data were split into training and testing sets to evaluate model performance using absolute error. Hospital performance was determined by the predicted random intercepts.

Results

1 804 300 patient-admissions across 129 hospitals were included. Antibiotics were prescribed to 41.5% while hospitalized and 19.5% at discharge. Median LOT among those prescribed post-discharge antibiotics was 7 (IQR, 4–10) days. The predictive model detected post-discharge antibiotic use with fidelity, including accurate identification of any exposure (area under the precision-recall curve = 0.97) and reliable prediction of post-discharge LOT (mean absolute error = 1.48). Based on this model, 39 (30.2%) hospitals prescribed antibiotics less often than expected at discharge and used shorter LOT than expected. Twenty-eight (21.7%) hospitals prescribed antibiotics more often at discharge and used longer LOT.

Conclusions

A model using electronically available data was able to predict antibiotic use prescribed at hospital discharge and showed that some hospitals were more successful in reducing antibiotic overuse at this transition of care. This metric may help hospitals identify opportunities for improved antibiotic stewardship at discharge.
Intravenous Versus Subcutaneous Infliximab in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Chetwood John David , Tran Yvonne , Subramanian Sreedhar , Smith Philip J , Iborra Marisa , Buisson Anthony , Paramsothy Sudarshan , Leong Rupert W
Published: April 2024

Background

Subcutaneous [SC] infliximab may provide multiple benefits over intravenous [IV] formulations. However, studies for efficacy and safety in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] have been constrained by small sizes that limit the interpretation of outcomes, particularly for subgroups potentially at high risk of disease relapse.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis up to January 2023, to evaluate the change in clinical remission after transitioning from IV to SC infliximab in patients with IBD in clinical remission. The primary outcome was measured using the relative risk for meta-analysis.

Results

We identified 15 studies of patients established ≥ 3 months on IV infliximab, consisting of 1371 patients and 840 patient-years of follow-up. There was no loss of clinical remission in the IBD cohort overall, Crohn’s disease [CD], or perianal CD [p = 0.55 and p = 0.11 at 9–12 months, and p = 0.50 at 6 months, respectively]. Neither prior IV dose [≤ 10 mg/kg 6-weekly] [p = 0.48] nor IBD disease subtype was associated with an increased clinical relapse rate at 6 months (p = 0.48 and p = 0.45 [UC vs CD], respectively).

Conclusion

Changing patients established on IV infliximab to an SC formulation is associated with a high ongoing clinical remission and a low adverse event rate. Furthermore, there are no signals for adverse outcomes among different IBD disease subtypes, nor in those on escalated IV infliximab dosing schedules up to 10 mg/kg 6-weekly. These data should provide patients and clinicians alike with confidence in SC infliximab use in IBD.
Double-balloon venous ethanol ablation for treatment of repetitive monomorphic ventricular complexes from intramural infero-basal septum: a case report
Authors: Rossi Andrea , Mirizzi Gianluca , Todiere Giancarlo , Gimelli Alessia , Nesti Martina
Published: April 2024

Background

Ablation failures are common in case of intramural location of the arrhythmogenic substrate.

Case summary

We report the case of a patient with cardiomyopathy contributed by frequent monomorphic ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) from intramural basal interventricular septum treated with double-balloon venous ethanol ablation (VEA) after a previous failed endocardial radiofrequency (RF) ablation.

Discussion

Double-balloon VEA represents a safe and effective therapeutic option in case of intramural VAs also in the absence of venous collaterals joining selectively an intramural arrhythmic substrate.
Edoxaban for 12 vs. 3 months in cancer-associated isolated distal deep vein thrombosis according to different doses: insights from the ONCO DVT study
Authors: Chatani Ryuki , Yamashita Yugo , Morimoto Takeshi , Muraoka Nao , Umetsu Michihisa , Nishimoto Yuji , Takada Takuma , Ogihara Yoshito , Nishikawa Tatsuya , Ikeda Nobutaka , Otsui Kazunori , Sueta Daisuke , Tsubata Yukari , Shoji Masaaki , Shikama Ayumi , Hosoi Yutaka , Tanabe Yasuhiro , Tsukahara Kengo , Nakanishi Naohiko , Kim Kitae , Ikeda Satoshi , Mushiake Kazunori , Kadota Kazushige , Ono Koh , Kimura Takeshi
Published: April 2024

Background

The ONCO DVT study revealed the superiority of 12-month relative to 3-month edoxaban treatment for cancer-associated isolated distal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) regarding the thrombotic risk.

Methods and Results

In this pre-specified subgroup analysis of the ONCO DVT study, we stratified the patients into those with a standard edoxaban dose (60 mg/day; N = 151) and those with a reduced edoxaban dose (30 mg/day; N = 450) and evaluated the clinical outcomes for the 12- and 3-month treatments. The cumulative 12-month incidence of symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolism was lower in the 12-month than 3-month group for both the 60 mg (1.3% vs. 11.6%, P = 0.02; odds ratio [OR], 0.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01–0.97) and 30 mg (1.1% vs. 7.6%, P = 0.002; OR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.03–0.60) edoxaban subgroups, which was consistent across the edoxaban doses without a significant interaction (P = 0.90). The 12-month cumulative incidence of major bleeding was higher in the 12-month group than in the 3-month group for the 60 mg edoxaban subgroup (14.3% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.046; OR, 3.61; 95% CI, 0.97–13.52), whereas it did not significantly differ between the two groups for the 30 mg edoxaban subgroup (8.7% vs. 8.6%, P = 0.89; OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.49–1.91), signalling there was a potential interaction (P = 0.07).

Conclusions

A 12-month edoxaban regimen for cancer-associated isolated distal DVT was consistently superior to a 3-month regimen, across the edoxaban doses for the thrombotic risk. However, caution was suggested for the standard dose of edoxaban due to the potential for an increased risk of bleeding with prolonged anticoagulation therapy.

Trial registration number

NCT03895502 (ONCO DVT Trial): https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03895502
Family living and cooperative breeding in birds are associated with the number of avian predators
Authors: Bliard Louis , Dufour Paul , Griesser Michael , Covas Rita
Published: April 2024

Cooperative breeding occurs when individuals contribute parental care to offspring that are not their own. Numerous intra- and interspecific studies have aimed to explain the evolution of this behavior. Recent comparative work suggests that family living (i.e., when offspring remain with their parents beyond independence) is a critical stepping stone in the evolution of cooperative breeding. Thus, it is key to understand the factors that facilitate the evolution of family living. Within-species studies suggest that protection from predators is a critical function of group living, through both passive benefits such as dilution effects and active benefits such as prosocial antipredator behaviors in family groups. However, the association between predation risk and the formation and prevalence of family groups and cooperative breeding remains untested globally. Here, we use phylogenetic comparative analyses including 2,984 bird species to show that family living and cooperative breeding are associated with increased occurrence of avian predators. These cross-species findings lend support to previous suggestions based on intraspecific studies that social benefits of family living, such as protection against predation, could favor the evolution of delayed dispersal and cooperative breeding.
Sustainability and drivers of Populus tremuloides regeneration and recruitment near the southwestern edge of its range
Authors: Crouch Connor D , Wilhelmi Nicholas P , Rogers Paul C , Moore Margaret M , Waring Kristen M
Published: April 2024

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) ecosystems are highly valued in the southwestern United States because of the ecological, economic, and aesthetic benefits they provide. Aspen has experienced extensive mortality in recent decades, and there is evidence that many areas in Arizona, United States lack adequate recruitment to replace dying overstory trees. Maintaining sustainable levels of regeneration and recruitment (i.e. juveniles) is critical for promoting aspen ecosystem resilience and adaptive capacity, but questions remain about which factors currently limit juvenile aspen and which strategies are appropriate for managing aspen in an increasingly uncertain future. To fill these critical knowledge gaps, we sampled aspen populations across Arizona and collected data representing a suite of biotic and abiotic factors that potentially influence juvenile aspen. Specifically, we addressed two questions: (i) Is aspen sustainably regenerating and recruiting in Arizona? and (2) Which biotic and abiotic factors significantly influence aspen regeneration and recruitment? We found that many aspen populations in Arizona lack sustainable levels of juvenile aspen, and the status of recruitment was especially dire, with 40% of study plots lacking a single recruiting stem. Aspen regeneration was less abundant on warmer sites than cooler ones, highlighting the threat that a rapidly warming climate poses to aspen sustainability. Aspen recruitment was significantly more abundant in areas with recent fire than in areas without fire, and recruitment had a strong positive relationship with fire severity. The most important limiting factors for aspen recruitment were ungulate browse, especially by introduced Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni), and the invasive insect, oystershell scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi). We conclude with a discussion of how management can promote sustainability of aspen populations by addressing the array of threats that aspen faces, such as a warming climate, chronic ungulate browse, and outbreaks of oystershell scale.
Osiris gene family defines the cuticle nanopatterns of Drosophila
Authors: Sun Zhengkuan , Inagaki Sachi , Miyoshi Keita , Saito Kuniaki , Hayashi Shigeo
Published: April 2024

Nanostructures of pores and protrusions in the insect cuticle modify molecular permeability and surface wetting and help insects sense various environmental cues. However, the cellular mechanisms that modify cuticle nanostructures are poorly understood. Here, we elucidate how insect-specific Osiris family genes are expressed in various cuticle-secreting cells in the Drosophila head during the early stages of cuticle secretion and cover nearly the entire surface of the head epidermis. Furthermore, we demonstrate how each sense organ cell with various cuticular nanostructures expressed a unique combination of Osiris genes. Osiris gene mutations cause various cuticle defects in the corneal nipples and pores of the chemosensory sensilla. Thus, our study emphasizes on the importance of Osiris genes for elucidating cuticle nanopatterning in insects.
Machine learning emulation of high resolution inundation maps
Authors: Briseid Storrøsten Erlend , Ragu Ramalingam Naveen , Lorito Stefano , Volpe Manuela , Sánchez-Linares Carlos , Løvholt Finn , Gibbons Steven J
Published: April 2024

Estimating coastal tsunami impact for early-warning or long-term hazard analysis requires the calculation of inundation metrics such as flow-depth or momentum flux. Both applications require the simulation of large numbers of scenarios to capture both the aleatory variability and the epistemic tsunami uncertainty. A computationally demanding step in simulating inundation is solving the non-linear shallow water (NLSW) equations on meshes with sufficiently high resolution to represent the local elevation accurately enough to capture the physics governing the flow. This computational expense is particularly challenging in the context of Tsunami Early Warning where strict time constraints apply. A machine learning (ML) model that predicts inundation maps from offshore simulation results with acceptable accuracy, trained on an acceptably small training set of full simulations, could replace the computationally expensive NLSW part of the simulations for vast numbers of scenarios and predict inundation rapidly and with reduced computational demands. We consider the application of an encoder–decoder based neural network to predict high-resolution inundation maps based only on more cheaply calculated simulated time-series at a limited number of offshore locations. The network needs to be trained using input offshore time-series and the corresponding inundation maps from previously calculated full simulations. We develop and evaluate the ML model on a comprehensive set of inundation simulations for the coast of eastern Sicily for tens of thousands of subduction earthquake sources in the Mediterranean Sea. We find good performance for this case study even using relatively small training sets (order of hundreds) provided that appropriate choices are made in the specification of model parameters, the specification of the loss function and the selection of training events. The uncertainty in the prediction for any given location decreases with the number of training events that inundate that location, with a good range of flow depths needed for accurate predictions. This means that care is needed to ensure that rarer high-inundation scenarios are well-represented in the training sets. The importance of applying regularization techniques increases as the size of the training sets decreases. The computational gain of the proposed methodology depends on the number of complete simulations needed to train the neural network, ranging between 164 and 4196 scenarios in this study. The cost of training the network is small in comparison with the cost of the numerical simulations and, for an ensemble of around 28 000 scenarios, this represents a 6- to 170-fold reduction in computing costs.
State paid sick leave mandates associated with increased mental health disorder prescriptions among Medicaid enrollees
Authors: Maclean Johanna Catherine , Golberstein Ezra , Stein Bradley
Published: April 2024

The United States does not have a federal paid sick leave policy. As a result, many workers, in particular lower wage workers, cannot take time off work to attend to health and family responsibilities. Fifteen states have adopted or announced paid sick leave mandates that offer employees approximately 7 days of financially protected work time each year. This time can facilitate health care use, including treatment related to mental health disorders, conditions for which treatment is time-consuming. We studied the effect of state paid sick leave mandates on prescription medications dispensed for mental health disorders using the Medicaid State Drug Utilization Database 2011–2022. We found that medications dispensed for mental health disorders increased 6% per year following adoption of a state paid sick leave mandate.
A novel framework for functional annotation of variants of uncertain significance in ID/ASD risk gene CC2D1A
Authors: Bhattacharya Aniket , Parlanti Paola , Cavallo Luca , Farrow Edward , Spivey Tyler , Renieri Alessandra , Mari Francesca , Manzini M Chiara
Published: April 2024

Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are genetically heterogeneous with hundreds of identified risk genes, most affecting only a few patients. Novel missense variants in these genes are being discovered as clinical exome sequencing is now routinely integrated into diagnosis, yet most of them are annotated as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). VUSs are a major roadblock in using patient genetics to inform clinical action. We developed a framework to characterize VUSs in Coiled-coil and C2 domain containing 1A (CC2D1A), a gene causing autosomal recessive ID with comorbid ASD in 40% of cases. We analyzed seven VUSs (p.Pro319Leu, p.Ser327Leu, p.Gly441Val, p.Val449Met, p.Thr580Ile, p.Arg886His and p.Glu910Lys) from four cases of individuals with ID and ASD. Variants were cloned and overexpressed in HEK293 individually and in their respective heterozygous combination. CC2D1A is a signaling scaffold that positively regulates PKA-CREB signaling by repressing phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) to prevent cAMP degradation. After testing multiple parameters including direct interaction between PDE4D and CC2D1A, cAMP levels and CREB activation, we found that the most sensitive readout was CREB transcriptional activity using a luciferase assay. Compared to WT CC2D1A, five VUSs (p.Pro319Leu, p.Gly441Val, p.Val449Met, p.Thr580Ile, and p.Arg886His) led to significantly blunted response to forskolin induced CREB activation. This luciferase assay approach can be scaled up to annotate ~150 CC2D1A VUSs that are currently listed in ClinVar. Since CREB activation is a common denominator for multiple ASD/ID genes, our paradigm can also be adapted for their VUSs.
Defensins of the Stable Fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) have Developmental-Specific Regulation and Evolve at Different Rates
Authors: Asgari Danial , Nayduch Dana , Meisel Richard P
Published: April 2024

Synopsis

Organisms produce antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) either in response to infection (induced) or continuously (constitutively) to combat microbes encountered during normal trophic activities and/or through pathogenic infections. The expression of AMPs is tightly regulated, often with specificity to particular tissues or developmental stages. As a result, AMPs face varying selective pressures based on the microbes the organism’s tissue or developmental stage encounters. Here, we analyzed the evolution and developmental-specific expression of Defensins, which are ancient AMPs in insects, in the stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans). Stable fly larvae inhibit microbe-rich environments, whereas adult flies, as blood-feeders, experience comparatively fewer encounters with diverse microbial communities. Using existing RNA-seq datasets, we identified six Defensins that were only expressed in larvae (larval Defensins) and five that were not expressed in larvae (non-larval Defensins). Each of the non-larval Defensins was expressed in at least one adult tissue sample. Half of the larval Defensins were induced by mating or feeding in adults, and all three of the induced Defensins were located downstream of canonical binding sites for an Imd transcription factor involved in the highly conserved NF-κB signaling that regulates induction of AMPs. The larval and non-larval Defensins were located in distinct genomic regions, and the amino acid sequences of the larval Defensins formed a monophyletic clade. There were more amino acid substitutions across non-larval Defensins, with multiple genes losing a highly conserved furin cleavage site thought to be required for the removal of the amino terminus from the mature Defensin domain. However, larval Defensins had a higher proportion of radical amino acid substitutions, altering amino acid size and polarity. Our results reveal insights into the developmental stage-specific regulation of AMPs, and they suggest different regulatory regimes impose unique selection pressures on AMPs, possibly as a result of variation in exposure to microbial communities across development.
A pre–post study of pharmacist-led medication reviews within a hospital-based residential aged care support service
Authors: Chan June , Bolitho Richard , Hay Karen , Yong Faith
Published: April 2024

Background

Hospital-based residential aged-care support service teams typically consist of doctors and nurses who provide hospital substitutive care to aged-care residents. There is limited literature evaluating the pharmacist’s role in such aged-care support teams.

Objective

To analyse the effect of residential aged-care support service pharmacist-led medication reviews on polypharmacy, drug burden index, potentially inappropriate medications, and potential prescribing omissions for aged-care residents.

Methods

Residents referred to a residential aged-care support service pharmacist for medication review over a 12-month period were included. The pharmacist communicated medication-related problems and recommendations to the resident’s general practitioner and residential aged-care support service medical practitioner. Residents’ medication histories were obtained at baseline and one-month postintervention. The number of medications and their associated drug burden indices were compared using paired t-tests; potentially inappropriate medications and potential prescribing omissions were compared using Wilcoxon’s signed rank test.

Key findings

Of 175 residents (mean age 84 years) referred for pharmacist-led medication review, 146 had postintervention evaluation after one-month (median 29 days). Mean number of medications reduced from 12.47 at baseline to 11.84 postintervention (mean difference (95% CI): 0.63(0.33–0.93), P < .001). Mean drug burden index score reduced from 1.54 at baseline to 1.37 postintervention (mean difference (95% CI): 0.17(0.10–0.24), P < .001). More residents experienced a decrease in inappropriate medications (median (IQR) pre: 2(1–3), post: 1(0–2), P < .001) and prescribing omissions (median (IQR) pre: 0(0–1), post: 0(0–0), P = .003) compared with those that had an increase.

Conclusions

Medication reviews performed by pharmacists embedded in hospital-based residential aged-care support services may improve medication prescribing. Further research into such preventative health service models is required.
Relative controllability for conformable impulsive delay differential equations
Authors: Luo Danfeng , Huang Jizhao
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we mainly study a class of conformable impulsive delay differential equations (CIDDEs). We first define a conformable impulsive delayed matrix function, and construct an explicit solution for linear CIDDEs by virtue of variation of constants method. Subsequently, based on impulsive delayed Grammian matrix, we study the relative controllability for the addressed linear equations. Moreover, with the help of Krasnoselskii’s fixed point theorem, relative controllability for the considered semilinear equations is proposed. Finally, two examples with numerical simulations are given to illustrate the main results.
Influence of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, and digestive enzyme activity in lambs
Authors: Mia Golam K , Hawley Emma , Yusuf Mustapha , Dorsam Glenn , Swanson Kendall C
Published: April 2024

This study evaluated if vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) influences growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, and digestive enzyme activity. Sixteen wether lambs (69.6 ± 1.9 kg) were housed in individual pens, adapted to a corn grain-based diet, and randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups. Lambs were injected intraperitoneally every other day for 28 d with saline (0.9% NaCl) containing no VIP (n = 8; control) or containing VIP (n = 8; 1.3 nmol/kg body weight [BW]). All lambs were transferred to individual metabolic crates for the final 7 d of the experiment to measure nitrogen balance and nutrient digestibility. At the end of the treatment period, lambs were slaughtered, and pancreatic tissue, small intestinal tissue, and rumen fluid were collected for protein, digestive enzymes, ruminal pH, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) analyses. Lambs treated with VIP had greater final BW, average daily gain, and gain:feed (P = 0.01, 0.05, 0.03, respectively). No differences between treatment groups were observed (P ≥ 0.25) for nutrient intake, digestibility, nitrogen retention, ruminal pH, and VFA concentrations. Moreover, VIP treatment did not influence (P ≥ 0.19) plasma glucose, urea N, and insulin concentrations. Treatment with VIP increased (P = 0.03) relative cecum weight (g/kg BW) and decreased (P = 0.05) relative brain weight. Pancreatic and intestinal digestive enzyme activities, except for duodenal maltase (P = 0.02), were not influenced (P ≥ 0.09) by VIP treatment. These data suggest that the administration of VIP may have potential to improve average daily gain and gain:feed in lambs fed grain-based diets.