bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a gene expression-based nomogram to predict the prognosis of patients with cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Wang Wei , Wu Chen , Xu Lijun , Li Peilin , Wang Kai , Li Guangbing , Zhao Shanshan , Li Yongsheng , Fan Xiaoyu , Wang Weifeng , Hu Meizhen , Wu Jing , Xu Shifeng
Published: May 2023

Aim

To establish and validate a prognostic nomogram of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) using independent clinicopathological and genetic mutation factors.

Methods

213 patients with CCA (training cohort n = 151, validation cohort n = 62) diagnosed from 2012 to 2018 were included from multi-centers. Deep sequencing targeting 450 cancer genes was performed. Independent prognostic factors were selected by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. The clinicopathological factors combined with (A)/without (B) the gene risk were used to establish nomograms for predicting overall survival (OS). The discriminative ability and calibration of the nomograms were assessed using C-index values, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), decision curve analysis (DCA), and calibration plots.

Results

The clinical baseline information and gene mutations in the training and validation cohorts were similar. SMAD4, BRCA2, KRAS, NF1, and TERT were found to be related with CCA prognosis. Patients were divided into low-, median-, and high-risk groups according to the gene mutation, the OS of which was 42.7 ± 2.7 ms (95% CI 37.5–48.0), 27.5 ± 2.1 ms (95% CI 23.3–31.7), and 19.8 ± 4.0 ms (95% CI 11.8–27.8) (p < 0.001), respectively. The systemic chemotherapy improved the OS in high and median risk groups, but not in the low-risk group. The C-indexes of the nomogram A and B were 0.779 (95% CI 0.693–0.865) and 0.725 (95% CI 0.619–0.831), p < 0.01, respectively. The IDI was 0.079. The DCA showed a good performance and the prognostic accuracy was validated in the external cohort.

Conclusion

Gene risk has the potential to guide treatment decision for patients at different risks. The nomogram combined with gene risk showed a better accuracy in predicting OS of CCA than not.
Awake craniotomy does not lead to increased psychological complaints
Authors: Wajer I. M. C. Huenges , Kal J. , Robe P. A. , van Zandvoort M. J. E. , Ruis C.
Published: May 2023

Background

Patients with brain tumours are increasingly treated by using the awake craniotomy technique. Some patients may experience anxiety when subjected to brain surgery while being fully conscious. However, there has been only limited research into the extent to which such surgeries actually result in anxiety or other psychological complaints. Previous research suggests that undergoing awake craniotomy surgery does not lead to psychological complaints, and that post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) are uncommon following this type of surgery. It must be noted, however, that many of these studies used small random samples.

Method

In the current study, 62 adult patients completed questionnaires to identify the degree to which they experienced anxiety, depressive and post-traumatic stress complaints following awake craniotomy using an awake-awake-awake procedure. All patients were cognitively monitored and received coaching by a clinical neuropsychologist during the surgery.

Results

In our sample, 21% of the patients reported pre-operative anxiety. Four weeks after surgery, 19% of the patients reported such complaints, and 24% of the patients reported anxiety complaints after 3 months. Depressive complaints were present in 17% (pre-operative), 15% (4 weeks post-operative) and 24% (3 months post-operative) of the patients. Although there were some intra-individual changes (improvement or deterioration) in the psychological complaints over time, on group-level postoperative levels of psychological complaints were not increased relative to the preoperative level of complaints. The severity of post-operative PTSD-related complaints were rarely suggestive of a PTSD. Moreover, these complaints were seldom attributed to the surgery itself, but appeared to be more related to the discovery of the tumour and the postoperative neuropathological diagnosis.

Conclusions

The results of the present study do not indicate that undergoing awake craniotomy is associated with increased psychological complaints. Nevertheless, psychological complaints may well exist as a result of other factors. Consequently, monitoring the patient’s mental wellbeing and offering psychological support where necessary remain important.
Changes in knee joint destruction patterns among patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing total knee arthroplasty in recent decades
Authors: Takeda Ryutaro , Matsumoto Takumi , Omata Yasunori , Inui Hiroshi , Taketomi Shuji , Nagase Yuichi , Nishikawa Takuji , Oka Hiroyuki , Tanaka Sakae
Published: May 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the trend of joint destruction patterns on knee radiographs of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) over the past 16 years.

Method

Medial joint space, lateral joint space, medial spur area, lateral spur area (L-spur), and femoro-tibial angle were obtained from 831 preoperative knee radiographs of patients with RA who underwent TKA between 2006 and 2021 using software capable of automatic measurements. Non-hierarchical clustering was performed based on these five parameters. Trends in the five individual radiographic parameters and the ratio of each cluster were investigated during the target period. Moreover, clinical data from 244 cases were compared among clusters to identify factors associated with this trend.

Results

All parameters, except for L-spur, showed significant increasing trends from 2006 to 2021. The radiographs were clustered into groups according to the characteristic pattern of radiographic findings: cluster 1 (conventional RA type), with bicompartmental joint space narrowing (JSN), less spur formation, and valgus alignment; cluster 2 (osteoarthritis type), with medial JSN, medial osteophytes, and varus alignment; and cluster 3 (less destructive type), with mild bicompartmental JSN, less spur formation, and valgus alignment. The ratio of cluster 1 showed a significantly decreasing trend contrary to the significantly increasing trend in clusters 2 and 3. The DAS28-CRP of cluster 3 was higher than those of clusters 1 and 2.

Conclusions

Radiographs of TKA recipients with RA are increasingly presenting osteoarthritic features in recent decades.

Key Points• Using automated measurement software, morphological parameters were measured from radiographs of 831 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who had undergone TKA in the past 16 years.• Cluster analysis based on the radiographic parameters revealed that the radiographs of patients with end-stage knee arthritis requiring total knee arthroplasty were classified into three groups.• In patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have undergone total knee arthroplasty in the past 16 years, the proportion of clusters with features of osteoarthritis and difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis has increased, while the proportion of conventional rheumatoid arthritis has decreased.
Cohomology of the discrete de Rham complex on domains of general topology
Authors: Di Pietro Daniele A. , Droniou Jérôme , Pitassi Silvano
Published: May 2023

In this work we prove that, for a general polyhedral domain of $$\mathbb {R}^3$$

R

3

, the cohomology spaces of the discrete de Rham complex of Di Pietro and Droniou (Found Comput Math 23:85–164, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10208-021-09542-8) are isomorphic to those of the continuous de Rham complex. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first result of this kind for a fully computable arbitrary-order complex built from a general polyhedral mesh.
Amoral Management and the Normalisation of Deviance: The Case of Stafford Hospital
Authors: Entwistle Tom , Doering Heike
Published: May 2023

Inquiries into organisational scandals repeatedly attribute wrongdoing to the normalisation of deviance. From this perspective, the cause of harm lies not in the actions of any individual but rather in the institutionalised practices of organisations or sectors. Although an important corrective to dramatic tales of bad apples, the normalisation thesis underplays the role of management in the emergence of deviance. Drawing on literatures exploring ideas of amoral (Carroll in Bus Horiz 30(2):7–15, 1987) or ethically neutral leadership (Treviño et al. in Calif Manag Rev 42(4):128–142, 2000) we seek to bring management back into the explanation of organisational wrongdoing. Amoral theorists point to management’s ethical silence, but they also describe the way in which that silence is sustained by a series of organisational characteristics. We build on this work in arguing that it is management’s deliberate focus on bottom line performance, the diffusion of responsibility and high levels of organisational identification that explain the emergence of wrongdoing. We apply these ideas to the case of the UK’s Stafford hospital which hit the headlines in 2009 when it was reported that poor standards of care had led to a mortality rate markedly above that expected for a hospital of its type. We conclude with a discussion of the circumstances which translate amoral management into unethical outcomes.
The Enemy Hates Best? Toxicity in League of Legends and Its Content Moderation Implications
Authors: Aguerri Jesús C. , Santisteban Mario , Miró-Llinares Fernando
Published: May 2023

In recent decades, many sectors of our society have been digitized, and much of our life has moved to cyberspace, especially in terms of entertainment. Users meet, relate, and cooperate in the new public space that is the internet and form digital communities. Video games play a leading role in the formation of such communities. However, these communities also present antisocial behaviors, ranging from disruptive actions to harassment and hate speech. Such behaviors, encompassed under the umbrella term toxicity, are a major concern for both users and those in charge of moderating these spaces. This article focuses on toxicity in today’s leading online video game League of Legends. Three hundred twenty-eight matches were reviewed using a system of two judges to study the prevalence of these problematic behaviors. We find that 70% of matches were affected by disruptive behavior. Nevertheless, only 10.9% of the analyzed matches were exclusively affected by downright harmful behavior. In our view, the results have relevant implications for content moderation policy that are also addressed in this paper.
Exploring Latent Characteristics of Fake Reviews and Their Intermediary Role in Persuading Buying Decisions
Authors: Kumar Rahul , Mukherjee Shubhadeep , Rana Nripendra P.
Published: May 2023

Online reviews play a significant role in shaping consumer purchase decisions. Accordingly, emergence of fake reviews has proliferated as an instrument to manipulate customers’ buying preferences. Such manifestation, however, lacks theoretical grounding and remains under researched due to two notable challenges: first, absence of conceptual underpinnings between consumers’ writing style and recommendation behavior. Second, little knowledge about the role of product characteristics underlying fake reviews and their influence on nudging product preferences. Through the lens of environmental psychology, this study uses an empirical investigation utilizing natural language processing (NLP) to uncover latent product-specific features underlying customer reviews and their impact on persuading buying preferences. As a major finding, we observe that characteristics underlying fake reviews, as opposed to genuine ones, fail to influence product recommendation or discouragement. Accordingly, we suggest firms permitting fake reviews on their portals to be aware of the limited economic advantages of such practices.
Entrepreneurship through acquisition: a scoping review
Authors: Hoffmann Alexander , Kanbach Dominik K. , Stubner Stephan
Published: May 2023

Entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) is gaining momentum as a viable alternative to starting a company on one’s own. However, despite its growing practical relevance, scholarly work about ETA is scarce and has not been comprehensively reviewed. To address this gap, we conduct a systematic review of entrepreneurship literature by identifying studies that examine ETA and its outcomes. Our review methodology was developed based on established guidelines for systematic reviews and protocols, which informed our scoping review process and analytical approach. Searches were conducted on three electronic databases, and inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied. For inclusion, studies must examine an entrepreneurial perspective in buying into a company. Quantitative and qualitative data were extracted for thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. ETA is an entrepreneurship model with growing appeal and relevance in practice but limited academic evidence. While there is extensive research on leveraged buyouts and family-external succession, evidence specifically on ETA is still lacking. In particular, knowledge about the entrepreneurial intent that makes ETA unique is absent from the evidence base. As ETA gains momentum, entrepreneurs need to understand the unique properties, the various approaches, and the upsides and eventual downsides of acquiring a business instead of starting one from scratch. The present work may serve as a starting point for future research as we scope existing evidence on the archetype of ETA and identify a definition, available models, and a process archetype.
Spatial Inequities in Life Expectancy in Small Areas of Buenos Aires, Argentina 2015–2017
Authors: Trotta Andrés , Bilal Usama , Acharya Binod , Quick Harrison , Moore Kari , Perner Serena Mónica , Alazraqui Marcio , Diez Roux Ana
Published: May 2023

Studies of life expectancy (LE) in small areas of cities are relatively common in high-income countries but rare in Latin American countries. Small-area estimation methods can help to describe and quantify inequities in LE between neighborhoods and their predictors. Our objective was to analyze the distribution and spatial patterning of LE across small areas of Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), Argentina, and its association with socioeconomic characteristics. As part of the SALURBAL project, we used georeferenced death certificates in 2015–2017 for CABA, Argentina. We used a spatial Bayesian Poisson model using the TOPALS method to estimate age- and sex-specific mortality rates. We used life tables to estimate LE at birth. We obtained data on neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics from the 2010 census and analyzed their associations. LE at birth was higher for women (median of across neighborhoods = 81.1 years) compared to men (76.7 years). We found a gap in LE of 9.3 (women) and 14.9 years (men) between areas with the highest and the lowest LE. Better socioeconomic characteristics were associated with higher LE. For example, mean differences in LE at birth in areas with highest versus lowest values of composite SES index were 2.79 years (95% CI: 2.30 to 3.28) in women and 5.61 years (95% CI: 4.98 to 6.24) in men. We found large spatial inequities in LE across neighborhoods of a large city in Latin America, highlighting the importance of place-based policies to address this gap.
Minimal Realizations of Atomic Density Functions
Authors: Emmel Christian
Published: May 2023

In this article, it is shown that Koebe inner functions and squares of singular Nevanlinna functions, so called atomic density functions, have minimal realizations in reproducing kernel Krein spaces.
Bridging the gap between consciousness and matter: recurrent out-of-body projection of visual awareness revealed by the law of non-identity
Authors: Meng Jinsong
Published: May 2023

Consciousness is the most precious function of brain; however, there is an explanatory gap between consciousness and matter, which is deemed to affect the scientific research on consciousness. We believe that a methodological trap commonly present in scientific research and the incompleteness of logic are the true reasons that affect the research on consciousness. Here, a novel logic tool, the non-identity law, was extracted from physics and applied into the analysis of the visual dynamics related to naturalistic observation of night-shot still life, whose methodological approach is consistent with Descartes’ matter-body-mind approach, breaking free from the methodological trap of current research. We show that visual system, the representative sensory system, has a postponed, recurrent out-of-body projection pathway from brain to observed object, besides the well-known feedforward signaling pathway available in existing literature, suggesting that human possesses an instinct of not only subjectively imaging (brain-generated imagery) but also projecting the image back onto the original or a particular place according to the clue of the manipulated afferent messenger light pathway. This finding adds a key piece of puzzle to the visual system. The out-of-body projection, coupled with neural correlates of consciousness (NCC), bridges the gap between consciousness and matter. This study in a self-contained and systematic manner provides a foundation for understanding the subjectivity and intentionality of human consciousness from the angle of visual awareness as well as the isomorphic relationships between unknowable original, private experience, and shareable expression (recording, calculus and deduction), showing that consciousness is obedient to certain rules rather than being unruly. The result paves the way for scientific research on consciousness and facilitates the integration of humanities and natural science.
Treatment of strong alkaline wastewater from neutral leaching of EAF dust by precipitation and ion exchange
Authors: Remeteiová Dagmar , Ružičková Silvia , Mičková Vladislava , Heželová Mária , Pikna Ľubomír
Published: May 2023

Neutral leaching or water washing is used for Cl− and partially Ca2+ ion removal in order to save the leaching reagents for the next steps in hydrometallurgical treatment of electric arc furnace dust. This pre-treatment of the material leads to the generation of strong alkaline (pH = 11.9–12.7) leachate (wastewater), which underlies precipitation of Ca and other accompanying metals. This work presents results from the study of various economically differing (cost and time) techniques for elimination of these disadvantageous phenomena. The aim of the experimental study was to obtain water suitable for reuse in the leaching or for discharge into a recipient in accordance with valid legislation. The experiments were focused on the removal of precipitates, or metals which create the precipitates, and pH decreasing. Our results indicate that five-minute agitation of 4 g solid NaHCO3 and 1 L of neutral leachate and subsequent ion exchange in the sequence of strong-acid cation and strong-base anion exchange treatment led to the acquisition of water without creation of precipitates, with pH below 8.5 and conductivity approx. 0.03 mS. The removal of Cl− ions was not complete.
Ignoring environmental change? On fishing quotas and collapsing coastlines in Bykovskiy, Northern Sakha (Yakutiya)
Authors: Povoroznyuk Olga , Schweitzer Peter
Published: May 2023

The Indigenous village of Bykovskiy is located 40 km from Tiksi, the administrative center of Bulunskiy District (Ulus), in the northern part of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutiya), Russia. Founded as a Soviet fishing cooperative, it became home to Indigenous Sakha, Evenkis, Evens, as well as to Russian settlers and political prisoners from the Baltic states. Post-Soviet transformations, coupled with escalating environmental change processes, has been altering the local economy and subsistence activities since the 1990s. Although our interlocutors directly observed and experienced such changes, they seemed to ignore the visible problem of severe coastal erosion that was destroying a local cemetery. This article is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the study region in 2019, and combines approaches from the anthropology of climate change with reception and communication studies. It examines “ignorance” as a strategy of adaptation to multiple stressors under historically reproduced colonial structures of governance.
Wetscapes: Restoring and maintaining peatland landscapes for sustainable futures
Authors: Temmink Ralph J. M. , Robroek Bjorn J. M. , van Dijk Gijs , Koks Adam H. W. , Käärmelahti Sannimari A. , Barthelmes Alexandra , Wassen Martin J. , Ziegler Rafael , Steele Magdalena N. , Giesen Wim , Joosten Hans , Fritz Christian , Lamers Leon P. M. , Smolders Alfons J. P.
Published: May 2023

Peatlands are among the world’s most carbon-dense ecosystems and hotspots of carbon storage. Although peatland drainage causes strong carbon emissions, land subsidence, fires and biodiversity loss, drainage-based agriculture and forestry on peatland is still expanding on a global scale. To maintain and restore their vital carbon sequestration and storage function and to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement, rewetting and restoration of all drained and degraded peatlands is urgently required. However, socio-economic conditions and hydrological constraints hitherto prevent rewetting and restoration on large scale, which calls for rethinking landscape use. We here argue that creating integrated wetscapes (wet peatland landscapes), including nature preserve cores, buffer zones and paludiculture areas (for wet productive land use), will enable sustainable and complementary land-use functions on the landscape level. As such, transforming landscapes into wetscapes presents an inevitable, novel, ecologically and socio-economically sound alternative for drainage-based peatland use.
Fake news detection based on a hybrid BERT and LightGBM models
Authors: Essa Ehab , Omar Karima , Alqahtani Ali
Published: May 2023

With the rapid growth of social networks and technology, knowing what news to believe and what not to believe become a challenge in this digital era. Fake news is defined as provably erroneous information transmitted intending to defraud. This kind of misinformation poses a serious threat to social cohesion and well-being, since it fosters political polarisation and can destabilize trust in the government or the service provided. As a result, fake news detection has emerged as an important field of study, with the goal of identifying whether a certain piece of content is real or fake. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid fake news detection system that combines a BERT-based (bidirectional encoder representations from transformers) with a light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) model. We compare the performance of the proposed method to four different classification approaches using different word embedding techniques on three real-world fake news datasets to validate the performance of the proposed method compared to other methods. The proposed method is evaluated to detect fake news based on the headline-only or full text of the news content. The results show the superiority of the proposed method for fake news detection compared to many state-of-the-art methods.
Scooping Technique to Acquire Cancellous Bone for Grafting in the Masquelet Procedure: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Wang Hui , Zhang Zhihong , Wang Wanming , Sun Xiaotang
Published: May 2023

Background

The Masquelet procedure is effective in overcoming large bone defects; however, the limited number of cancellous bone and donor site complications remains a challenge. We developed a scooping technique to harvest sufficient cancellous bone from iliac crests for grafting during the Masquelet procedure. We hypothesized that this method would be efficient and safe.

Methods

This retrospective study included 13 patients who underwent the Masquelet procedure with cancellous bone grafting using the scooping technique. The following parameters were observed: (1) duration and total volume of cancellous bone extraction; (2) amount of bleeding and drainage fluid, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score of pain at the donor site during different periods; and (3) complications and bone regeneration at the ilium at the final follow-up.

Results

The median follow-up duration was 17 months. There were 3 unilateral and 10 bilateral extraction sites. The mean total amount extracted, extraction duration, bleeding, and drainage were 39 mL, 23 min, 49 mL, and 44 mL, respectively. Only three patients felt pain (VAS score: 1 point) at the final follow-up. Postoperatively, one case each of hematoma and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury supervened, and no infections or other complications occurred. The last computed tomography examination showed varying degrees of bone regeneration in the ilium.

Conclusion

The scooping technique for the iliac crest produced a substantial amount of autogenous cancellous bone using a small incision. It retained the appearance and morphology of the ilium with few complications. We believe it is a successful and safe option for treating bone defects.
Reverse mortgages and financial literacy
Authors: Choinière-Crèvecoeur Ismael , Michaud Pierre-Carl
Published: May 2023

Few retirees use reverse mortgages. In this paper, we investigate how financial literacy and prior knowledge of the product influence take-up by conducting a stated-preference experiment. We exogenously manipulate characteristics of reverse mortgages to tease out how consumers value them and investigate differences by financial literacy and prior knowledge of reverse mortgages. We find that those with higher financial knowledge are more likely to know about reverse mortgages, not more likely to purchase them at any cost but are more sensitive to the interest rate and the insurance value of these products in terms of the non-negative equity guarantee.
Atmospheric and Ionospheric Responses to Hunga‐Tonga Volcano Eruption Simulated by WACCM‐X
Authors: Liu H.‐L. , Wang W. , Huba J. D. , Lauritzen P. H. , Vitt F.
Published: May 2023

High‐resolution Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere/ionosphere extension is used to simulate the responses to the Hunga‐Tonga volcano eruption on 15 January 2022. Global propagation of the Lamb wave L’0 and L’1 pseudomodes are reproduced in the simulation, with the exponential growth of wave amplitudes with altitudes. The wavefront is vertical up to the lower thermosphere, and tilts outward above. These features are consistent with theoretical results. With simulated surface pressure perturbation agreeing with observations (∼100–250 Pa), thermospheric wind perturbations over 100 ms−1 are comparable with reported satellite and ground‐based observations. Traveling ionospheric disturbances in the total electron contents from the simulation show good agreement with observations, including magnitude and propagating speed and evidence of conjugacy in the first 1–2 hr after eruption. Conjugacy in E × B drift, on the other hand, is more persistent.
A Strong Pulsing Nature of Negative Intracloud Dart Leaders Accompanied by Regular Trains of Microsecond‐Scale Pulses
Authors: Kolmašová I. , Scholten O. , Santolík O. , Hare B. M. , Zacharov P. , Lán R. , Liu N. , Dwyer J. R.
Published: May 2023

We report the first observations of negative intracloud (IC) dart‐stepped leaders accompanied by regular trains of microsecond‐scale pulses, simultaneously detected by shielded broadband magnetic loop antennas and the radio telescope Low Frequency Array (LOFAR). Four investigated pulse trains occurred during complicated IC flashes on 18 June 2021, when heavy thunderstorms hit the Netherlands. The pulses within the trains are unipolar, a few microseconds wide, and with an average inter‐pulse interval of 5–7 μs. The broadband pulses perfectly match energetic, regularly distributed, and relatively isolated bursts of very high frequency sources localized by LOFAR. All trains were generated by negative dart‐stepped leaders propagating at a lower speed than usual dart leaders. They followed channels of previous leaders occurring within the same flash several tens of milliseconds before the reported observations. The physical mechanism remains unclear as to why we observe dart‐stepped leaders, which show mostly regular stepping, emitting energetic microsecond‐scale pulses.
Forecasting Equatorial Ionospheric Convective Instability With ICON Satellite Measurements
Authors: Hysell D. L. , Kirchman A. , Harding B. J. , Heelis R. A. , England S. L.
Published: May 2023

Measurements from the Ionospheric Connections Explorer satellite (ICON) form the basis of direct numerical forecast simulations of plasma convective instability in the postsunset equatorial F region ionosphere. ICON data are selected and used to initialize and force the simulations and then to test the results one orbit later when the satellite revisits the same longitude. Data from the IVM plasma density and drifts instrument and the MIGHTI red‐line thermospheric winds instrument are used to force the simulation. Data from IVM are also used to test for irregularities (electrically polarized plasma depletions). Fourteen datasets from late March 2022, were examined. The simulations correctly predicted the occurrence or non‐occurrence of irregularities 12 times while producing one false positive and one false negative. This demonstrates that the important telltales of instability are present in the ICON state variables and that the important mechanisms for irregularity formation are captured by the simulation code. Possible refinements to the forecast strategy are discussed.
The causal involvement of the BDNF-TrkB pathway in dentate gyrus in early-life stress-induced cognitive deficits in male mice
Authors: Sun Ya-Xin , Su Yun-Ai , Wang Qi , Zheng Jia-Ya , Zhang Chen-Chen , Wang Ting , Liu Xiao , Ma Yu-Nu , Li Xue-Xin , Zhang Xian-Qiang , Xie Xiao-Meng , Wang Xiao-Dong , Li Ji-Tao , Si Tian-Mei
Published: May 2023

Cognitive dysfunction is a significant, untreated clinical need in patients with psychiatric disorders, for which preclinical studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and to identify potential therapeutic targets. Early-life stress (ELS) leads to long-lasting deficits of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory in adult mice, which may be associated with the hypofunction of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high-affinity receptor, tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB). In this study, we carried out eight experiments using male mice to examine the causal involvement of the BDNF-TrkB pathway in dentate gyrus (DG) and the therapeutic effects of the TrkB agonist (7,8-DHF) in ELS-induced cognitive deficits. Adopting the limited nesting and bedding material paradigm, we first demonstrated that ELS impaired spatial memory, suppressed BDNF expression and neurogenesis in the DG in adult mice. Downregulating BDNF expression (conditional BDNF knockdown) or inhibition of the TrkB receptor (using its antagonist ANA-12) in the DG mimicked the cognitive deficits of ELS. Acute upregulation of BDNF (exogenous human recombinant BDNF microinjection) levels or activation of TrkB receptor (using its agonist, 7,8-DHF) in the DG restored ELS-induced spatial memory loss. Finally, acute and subchronic systemic administration of 7,8-DHF successfully restored spatial memory loss in stressed mice. Subchronic 7,8-DHF treatment also reversed ELS-induced neurogenesis reduction. Our findings highlight BDNF-TrkB system as the molecular target of ELS-induced spatial memory deficits and provide translational evidence for the intervention at this system in the treatment of cognitive deficits in stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder.
The use of oral benzodiazepines for the management of dental anxiety: a web-based survey of UK dentists
Authors: Finn Kathryn , Moore Deborah , Dailey Yvonne , Thompson Wendy
Published: May 2023

Abstract

Background Oral benzodiazepines (OBZs) can facilitate treatment of dentally anxious patients and are widely used in countries such as Australia and the United States. Dentists in the UK prescribe them much less often.

Aims To examine OBZ prescribing by dentists in the UK, including patterns of practice, barriers to use, and alternative anxiety management strategies.

Methods An online mixed-methods survey was conducted utilising Qualtrics. Participants were recruited via the private Facebook group 'For Dentists, By Dentists' during April to June 2021. Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive statistics and qualitative data with thematic analysis.

Results In total, 235 dentists participated, with 91% being general dentists. Half had previously prescribed OBZs, with 36% doing so in the last year. Only 18% were confident in their use. Diazepam was the anxiolytic preferred by respondents. Two-thirds of dentists who had never prescribed anxiolytics were interested in doing so in the future. Concerns about managing anxious patients with OBZs included: inadequate training; confusion about guidelines; medico-legal risk; and issues of general practitioners prescribing anxiolytics to dental patients unbeknown to their dentist.

Conclusions A lack of confidence prescribing OBZs for anxiolysis exists among UK dentists. Guidelines should be clarified, and training provided.
A ZFYVE21-Rubicon-RNF34 signaling complex promotes endosome-associated inflammasome activity in endothelial cells
Authors: Li Xue , Jiang Quan , Song Guiyu , Barkestani Mahsa Nouri , Wang Qianxun , Wang Shaoxun , Fan Matthew , Fang Caodi , Jiang Bo , Johnson Justin , Geirsson Arnar , Tellides George , Pober Jordan S. , Jane-wit Dan
Published: May 2023

Internalization of complement membrane attack complexes (MACs) assembles NLRP3 inflammasomes in endothelial cells (EC) and promotes IL-β-mediated tissue inflammation. Informed by proteomics analyses of FACS-sorted inflammasomes, we identify a protein complex modulating inflammasome activity on endosomes. ZFVYE21, a Rab5 effector, partners with Rubicon and RNF34, forming a “ZRR” complex that is stabilized in a Rab5- and ZFYVE21-dependent manner on early endosomes. There, Rubicon competitively disrupts inhibitory associations between caspase-1 and its pseudosubstrate, Flightless I (FliI), while RNF34 ubiquitinylates and degradatively removes FliI from the signaling endosome. The concerted actions of the ZRR complex increase pools of endosome-associated caspase-1 available for activation. The ZRR complex is assembled in human tissues, its associated signaling responses occur in three mouse models in vivo, and the ZRR complex promotes inflammation in a skin model of chronic rejection. The ZRR signaling complex reflects a potential therapeutic target for attenuating inflammasome-mediated tissue injury.
Gut microbiome signatures of extreme environment adaption in Tibetan pig
Authors: Zhao Fangfang , Yang Lili , Zhang Tao , Zhuang Daohua , Wu Qunfu , Yu Jiangkun , Tian Chen , Zhang Zhigang
Published: May 2023

Tibetan pigs (TPs) can adapt to the extreme environments in the Tibetan plateau implicated by their self-genome signals, but little is known about roles of the gut microbiota in the host adaption. Here, we reconstructed 8210 metagenome-assembled genomes from TPs (n = 65) living in high-altitude and low-altitude captive pigs (87 from China—CPs and 200 from Europe—EPs) that were clustered into 1050 species-level genome bins (SGBs) at the threshold of 95% average nucleotide identity. 73.47% of SGBs represented new species. The gut microbial community structure analysis based on 1,048 SGBs showed that TPs was significantly different from low-altitude captive pigs. TP-associated SGBs enabled to digest multiple complex polysaccharides, including cellulose, hemicellulose, chitin and pectin. Especially, we found TPs showed the most common enrichment of phyla Fibrobacterota and Elusimicrobia, which were involved in the productions of short- and medium-chain fatty acids (acetic acid, butanoate and propanoate; octanomic, decanoic and dodecanoic acids), as well as in the biosynthesis of lactate, 20 essential amino acids, multiple B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B7 and B9) and cofactors. Unexpectedly, Fibrobacterota solely showed powerful metabolic capacity, including the synthesis of acetic acid, alanine, histidine, arginine, tryptophan, serine, threonine, valine, B2, B5, B9, heme and tetrahydrofolate. These metabolites might contribute to host adaptation to high-altitude, such as energy harvesting and resistance against hypoxia and ultraviolet radiation. This study provides insights into understanding the role of gut microbiome played in mammalian high-altitude adaptation and discovers some potential microbes as probiotics for improving animal health.
Density-wave ordering in a unitary Fermi gas with photon-mediated interactions
Authors: Helson Victor , Zwettler Timo , Mivehvar Farokh , Colella Elvia , Roux Kevin , Konishi Hideki , Ritsch Helmut , Brantut Jean-Philippe
Published: May 2023

A density wave (DW) is a fundamental type of long-range order in quantum matter tied to self-organization into a crystalline structure. The interplay of DW order with superfluidity can lead to complex scenarios that pose a great challenge to theoretical analysis. In the past decades, tunable quantum Fermi gases have served as model systems for exploring the physics of strongly interacting fermions, including most notably magnetic ordering1, pairing and superfluidity2, and the crossover from a Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer superfluid to a Bose–Einstein condensate3. Here, we realize a Fermi gas featuring both strong, tunable contact interactions and photon-mediated, spatially structured long-range interactions in a transversely driven high-finesse optical cavity. Above a critical long-range interaction strength, DW order is stabilized in the system, which we identify via its superradiant light-scattering properties. We quantitatively measure the variation of the onset of DW order as the contact interaction is varied across the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer superfluid and Bose–Einstein condensate crossover, in qualitative agreement with a mean-field theory. The atomic DW susceptibility varies over an order of magnitude upon tuning the strength and the sign of the long-range interactions below the self-ordering threshold, demonstrating independent and simultaneous control over the contact and long-range interactions. Therefore, our experimental setup provides a fully tunable and microscopically controllable platform for the experimental study of the interplay of superfluidity and DW order.
AraDiv: a dataset of functional traits and leaf hyperspectral reflectance of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Przybylska Maria Stefania , Violle Cyrille , Vile Denis , Scheepens J. F. , Lacombe Benoit , Le Roux Xavier , Perrier Lisa , Sales-Mabily Lou , Laumond Mariette , Vinyeta Mariona , Moulin Pierre , Beurier Gregory , Rouan Lauriane , Cornet Denis , Vasseur François
Published: May 2023

Data from functional trait databases have been increasingly used to address questions related to plant diversity and trait-environment relationships. However, such databases provide intraspecific data that combine individual records obtained from distinct populations at different sites and, hence, environmental conditions. This prevents distinguishing sources of variation (e.g., genetic-based variationvs. phenotypic plasticity), a necessary condition to test for adaptive processes and other determinants of plant phenotypic diversity. Consequently, individual traits measured under common growing conditions and encompassing within-species variation across the occupied geographic range have the potential to leverage trait databases with valuable data for functional and evolutionary ecology. Here, we recorded 16 functional traits and leaf hyperspectral reflectance (NIRS) data for 721 widely distributedArabidopsis thaliananatural accessions grown in a common garden experiment. These data records, together with meteorological variables obtained during the experiment, were assembled to create the AraDiv dataset. AraDiv is a comprehensive dataset ofA. thaliana’s intraspecific variability that can be explored to address questions at the interface of genetics and ecology.
Overall survival prediction models for gynecological endometrioid adenocarcinoma with squamous differentiation (GE-ASqD) using machine-learning algorithms
Authors: Liu Xiangmei , Jin Shuai , Zi Dan
Published: May 2023

The actual 5-year survival rates for Gynecological Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma with Squamous Differentiation (GE-ASqD) are rarely reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how histological subtypes affected long-term survivors of GE-ASqD (> 5 years). We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed GE-ASqD from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2004–2015). In order to conduct the studies, we employed the chi-square test, univariate cox regression, and multivariate cox proportional hazards model. A total of 1131 patients with GE-ASqD were included in the survival study from 2004 to 2015 after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria and the sample randomly split into a training set and a test set at a ratio of 7:3. Five machine learning algorithms were trained based on nine clinical variables to predict the 5-year overall survival. The AUC of the training group for the LR, Decision Tree, forest, Gbdt, and gbm algorithms were 0.809, 0.336, 0.841, 0.823, and 0.856 respectively. The AUC of the testing group was 0.779, 0.738, 0.753, 0.767 and 0.734, respectively. The calibration curves confirmed good performance of the five machine learning algorithms. Finally, five algorithms were combined to create a machine learning model that forecasts the 5-year overall survival rate of patients with GE-ASqD.
Ambra1 modulates the sensitivity of mantle cell lymphoma to palbociclib by regulating cyclin D1
Authors: Jiang Zhiping , Zhang Ao , Wei Wenjia , Li Shujun
Published: May 2023

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare B-cell malignancy with a predominantly aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. Abnormal expression of Ambra1 is closely related to the occurrence and development of various tumors. However, the role of Ambra1 in MCL remains unknown. Here, we performed both in vitro and in vivo experiments to investigate how Ambra1 regulates MCL progression and whether Ambra1 modulates the sensitivity of MCL cells to the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib. We discovered that MCL cells had decreased levels of Ambra1 expression relative to normal B cells. Overexpression of Ambra1 in MCL cells inhibited autophagy, reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and decreased cyclin D1 level. While knockdown of Ambra1 reduced MCL cell sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib. Furthermore, overexpression of cyclin D1 lowered the sensitivity of MCL cells to palbociclib, enhanced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and autophagy, and inhibited cell apoptosis. When Ambra1 expression was inhibited, the in vivo antitumor effects of palbociclib on MCL were reversed. Ambra1 expression was downregulated but cyclin D1 expression was upregulated in MCL samples, demonstrating a negative correlation between Ambra1 and cyclin D1. Our findings suggest a unique tumor suppressor function for Ambra1 in the development of MCL.
Management of decontamination in chemical accidents: a laboratory model
Authors: Hundhammer Tobias , Lindner Regina , Caccia Leopold , Langbehn Hannes , Petermichl Walter , Dittmar Michael , Gruber Michael
Published: May 2023

Rapid and efficient decontamination of the skin is a major task for emergency rescue services in the event of a chemical accident involving humans. While rinsing the skin with water (and soap) has been the standard procedure, some skepticism has developed in recent years regarding the situational suitability of this method. The efficacy of three different decontamination materials/techniques (Easyderm® cleaning cloth, water-soaked all-purpose sponge, rinsing with water) in removing Capsaicin, Bromadiolone, Paraquat and 2,2′-dichlorodiethylether (DCEE) from porcine skin was compared. Different cleaning motions (wiping, twisting, pressing) with the Easyderm® were evaluated for their effectiveness in removing Capsaicin from porcine skin. Finally, the impact of different exposure times of the skin to Capsaicin on the decontamination process were investigated. Contaminant recovery rates (CRRs) were analysed in the skin and in each decontamination material using high-performance-liquid-chromatography (HPLC; used for Capsaicin, Bromadiolone, Paraquat) or gas chromatography (GC; used for DCEE). Wiping the skin with the amphiphilic Easyderm® was most effective for decontamination of Capsaicin and DCEE, while the water rinsing method gave the best results for removing Paraquat and Bromadiolone. Both wiping with the Easyderm® and rotating the Easyderm® were significantly more effective in cleaning Capsaicin-contaminated skin than pressing the Easyderm® on the contamination area alone. Prolonged exposure times of the porcine skin to Capsaicin were associated with a decrease in efficacy of the following decontamination. Emergency rescue services should have materials available that can remove both hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances from skin. Since not all of our results for comparing different decontamination materials were as distinct as we expected, there are likely several other factors determining the efficacy of skin decontamination in some cases. Time is key; therefore, first responders should try to begin the decontamination process as soon as possible after arriving at the scene.
The role of double-skin facade configurations in optimizing building energy performance in Erbil city
Authors: Naddaf Mohammed Siyamand , Baper Salahaddin Yasin
Published: May 2023

Carefully designing a building facade is the most crucial way to save energy, and a double-skin facade is an effective strategy for achieving energy efficiency. The improvement that can be made depends on how the double-skin facade is set up and what the weather conditions are like. This study was designed to investigate the best-case scenario with an appropriate double-skin facade configuration for optimizing building energy performance. A methodology for optimizing the building's initial condition was introduced using EnergyPlus and ClimateStudio according to a 1-year period of the city of Erbil. Analysis of double-skin parameters was performed by utilizing a multi-objective analysis approach. Four naturally ventilated geometric configurations were assessed: building-height, storey-height, shaft-box, and box-window. The results provide annual and seasonal consumption curves for each orientation. The massive airflow between adjacent thermal zones of a shaft-box facade significantly reduces the amount of cooling energy needed. Hence, due to the intricate internal partitioning that allows for airflow within the cavity and shaft, this design indicates multiple advantages over others. The annual cooling demand drops significantly, by 9% to 14%. Energy savings of up to 116,574 kWh per year are possible when using a double-skin facade compared to the building’s initial condition, which is a great asset in the temperate environment of Erbil.