bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors of traditional villages: the Yellow River Basin in Henan Province, China
Authors: Feng Yan , Wei Hong , Huang Yi , Li Jingwen , Mu Zhanqiang , Kong Dezheng
Published: May 2023

Henan Province is the birthplace of Chinese civilization and one of the earliest human settlements, which means that the area has an important national cultural heritage. Traditional villages are an important facet of this cultural heritage, and studying their spatiotemporal characteristics in different periods has important theoretical and practical significance for the sustainable development and protection of cultural heritage in the region. This paper takes the traditional villages of the Yellow River basin in Henan Province that were formed before 1919 as the research object. Information on the ancient river was obtained through a literature search as well as via field research, and the important tributaries of the Yellow River in different periods were mapped using ArcGIS 10.0 software. The nearest neighbor index, kernel density estimation, standard deviation ellipse and other methods were adopted to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of the traditional villages. The factors that influenced the evolution of traditional villages were explored in depth by combining changes in the course of the river and water conservancy projects. The results show that the formation of traditional villages along the Yellow River in Henan Province has experienced a historical track of growth, contraction, growth and prosperity and stability. The traditional villages along the Yellow River in Henan Province generally show a clustered pattern, forming a dense concentration of traditional villages in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. The center of gravity shows a migration trend from southeast to northwest. In terms of influencing factors, the spatiotemporal evolution of the relationship between villages and their distance to water is closely related to climatic fluctuations, changes in channel, water conservancy projects and social and cultural factors. This paper deepens our understanding of the relationship between traditional village evolution and watersheds by improving the consistency between village spatial distribution and historical geography and provides a useful theoretical reference for the sustainable development of China’s traditional villages.
Low-radiation dose XRF excited by MeV protons for cultural heritage samples
Authors: Oguri Yoshiyuki , Fukuda Hitoshi , Hasegawa Jun , Hagura Naoto
Published: May 2023

In this work, we tested a setup of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) excited by proton-induced quasi-monochromatic X-rays (proton-induced XRF (PIXRF)) as a low-radiation dose analytical technique for precious cultural heritage samples. The low-dose performance of the PIXRF is experimentally assessed in comparison with the performance of a conventional XRF. For this assessment, we prepared test samples, which simulated original Japanese paintings with copper-bearing pigments. By introducing a figure-of-merit, the PIXRF is found to potentially give a better performance in terms of the radiation dose to the sample and the limit of detection, albeit the degraded multi-elemental analytical capability. PIXRF can be a cost-effective method to perform low dose measurements of precious samples, if introduced in an existing PIXE facility.
An archaeometric contribution to the interpretation of blue-green glass beads from Iron age Central Italy
Authors: Yatsuk Oleh , Koch Leonie , Gorghinian Astrik , Fiocco Giacomo , Davit Patrizia , Giannossa Lorena Carla , Mangone Annarosa , Francone Serena , Serges Alessandra , Re Alessandro , Lo Giudice Alessandro , Ferretti Marco , Malagodi Marco , Iaia Cristiano , Gulmini Monica
Published: May 2023

Several types of (mostly) blue-green glass beads from Iron-Age archaeological sites in Central Italy were studied using a range of spectroscopic techniques: portable X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry, Fibre Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry, micro-Raman spectroscopy and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Complementary information was gathered from each technique and discussed in the frame of the archaeological typology of the objects. The systematic evaluation of the results allowed us to draw some conclusions on the raw materials employed for primary production and to highlight some provenance indicators in the glass. Some of the beads found in the Iron Age (IA) contexts were preliminarily attributed to the Final Bronze Age (FBA) production based on their typology, and the compositional data obtained in this work confirmed that they were low magnesium high potassium (LMHK) glass, typical of FBA in the Italian peninsula. Other beads were assigned to low magnesium glass (LMG) or high magnesium glass (HMG), thus giving further information on the fluxing agents employed in the Early Iron Age (EIA) and beyond. Colour variations among the beads reflected their chemical composition, with different bead typologies coloured in a specific way. In some instances, it was possible to establish different origins for the colouring raw materials. The provenance of the samples was difficult to place, but the chemical evidence suggested a subdivision within the raw glass used to produce the beads: for one set of samples, a local origin of the glass could be hypothesised, whereas several production sites in the Near East were suggested for most of the beads considered in this study. Some preliminary clues for the local working of imported glass were also highlighted for one typological group.
Duodenojejunostomy for endoscopic management of biliary enteric anastomotic stricture inaccessible via balloon-assisted endoscopy: a case report
Authors: Sakamoto Shinya , Sui Kenta , Tabuchi Motoyasu , Okabayashi Takehiro
Published: May 2023

Background

Stricture formation is a long-term complication of biliary enteric anastomosis (BEA). BEA stricture often causes recurrent cholangitis and lithiasis, can significantly affect quality of life, and promote the development of life-threatening complications. In this report, duodenojejunostomy and subsequent endoscopic management as an alternative surgical technique for strictures of the BEA is described.

Case presentation

Case 1: An 84-year-old man who underwent left hepatic trisectionectomy for hilar cholangiocarcinoma 6 years prior presented with fever and jaundice. Computed tomography (CT) revealed intrahepatic lithiasis. The patient was diagnosed with postoperative cholangitis secondary to intrahepatic lithiasis. Balloon-assisted endoscopy could not reach the anastomotic site, and stent insertion failed. A biliary access route was hence created via duodenojejunostomy. After the jejunal limb and duodenal bulb were identified, duodenojejunostomy was performed using a side-to-side continuous layer-to-layer suture. The patient was discharged without serious complications. Endoscopic management through duodenojejunostomy was successfully performed, and intrahepatic stones were completely removed.

Case 2: A 75-year-old man who underwent bile duct resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma 6 years prior was diagnosed with postoperative cholangitis due to intrahepatic lithiasis. Removal of the intrahepatic stones was attempted using balloon-assisted endoscopy; however, the endoscope could not reach the anastomotic site. The patient underwent duodenojejunostomy and subsequent endoscopic management. The patient was discharged without complications. Two weeks after the operation, the patient underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiography through the duodenojejunostomy and the intrahepatic lithiasis was removed.

Conclusions

Duodenojejunostomy allows easy endoscopic access to a BEA. Duodenojejunostomy and subsequent endoscopic management may be an alternative treatment option in patients with BEA strictures that are inaccessible via balloon-assisted endoscopy.
Exercise and Prediabetes After Renal Transplantation (EXPRED-I): A Prospective Study
Authors: Morales Febles Raúl , Marrero Miranda Domingo , Jiménez Sosa Alejandro , González Rinne Ana , Cruz Perera Coriolano , Rodríguez-Rodríguez Ana Elena , Álvarez González Alejandra , Díaz Martín Laura , Negrín Mena Natalia , Acosta Sørensen Cristian , Pérez Tamajón Lourdes , Rodríguez Hernández Aurelio , González Rinne Federico , Dorta González Aday , Ledesma Pérez Eusebio , González Delgado Alejandra , Domínguez-Rodríguez Alberto , García Baute Maria del Carmen , Torres Ramírez Armando , Porrini Esteban
Published: May 2023

Background

Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) beyond 12 months (late PTDM) is a severe complication after renal transplantation. Late PTDM develops mostly in subjects with prediabetes. Although exercise may have a potential role in preventing late PTDM, there are no previous data on the effect of exercise in patients with prediabetes.

Material and Methods

The design was a 12-month exploratory study to test the capacity of exercise in reverting prediabetes in order to prevent late-PTDM. The outcome was the reversibility of prediabetes, assessed every 3 months with oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). The protocol included an incremental plan of aerobic and/or strength training as well as an active plan for promoting adherence (telephone calls, digital technology, and visits). A priori, a sample size cannot be calculated which makes this an exploratory analysis. Based on previous studies, the spontaneous reversibility of prediabetes was 30% and the reversibility induced by exercise will account for another 30%, a total reversibility of 60% (p value < 0.05, assuming a potency of 85%). Ad interim analysis was performed during follow-up to test the certainty of this sample calculation. Patients beyond 12 months after renal transplantation with prediabetes were included.

Results

The study was interrupted early due to efficacy after the evaluation of the follow-up of 27 patients. At the end of follow-up, 16 (60%) patients reverted to normal glucose levels at fasting (from 102.13 mg/dL ± 11 to 86.75 ± 6.9, p = 0.006) and at 120 min after the OGTTs (154.44 mg/dL ± 30 to 113.0 ± 13.1, p = 0.002) and 11 patients had persistent prediabetes (40%). Also, insulin sensitivity improved with the reversibility of prediabetes, compared to those with persistent prediabetes: 0.09 [0.08–0.11] versus 0.04 [0.01–0.07], p = 0.001 (Stumvoll index). Most needed at least one increment in the prescription of exercise and compliance. Finally, measures aimed at the improvement of compliance were successful in 22 (80%) patients.

Conclusion

Exercise training was effective to improve glucose metabolism in renal transplant patients with prediabetes. Exercise prescription must be conducted considering both the clinical characteristics of the patients and pre-defined strategy to promote adherence. The trial registration number of the study was NCT04489043.
The use of polarized light in the zonal orientation of the sandhopper Talitrus saltator (Montagu)
Authors: Ugolini Alberto , Hariyama Takahiko , Wilcockson David C. , Mercatelli Luca
Published: May 2023

It is well known that the celestial polarization is used as a compass cue by many species of insects and crustaceans. Although it has been shown that the sandhopper Talitrus saltator perceives polarized light and possesses an arrangement of the rhabdomeres that could allow e-vector interpretation and utilization, T. saltator does not use the e-vector of the skylight polarization as a compass cue when making excursions along the sea–land axis of sandy shores. We performed tests in confined conditions to clarify if skylight polarization is somehow involved in the zonal recovery of T. saltator. We observed the directional responses of sandhoppers in a transparent bowl under an artificial sky (an opaline Plexiglas dome). The bowl was covered by a blue gelatin filter with a grey filter (control condition) and a linear polarizing filter (experimental conditions) positioned under the blue one in such a way as to occupy half of the upper surface of the Plexiglas bowl so as to create a linear polarization gradient. Our experiments confirm that T. saltator perceives polarized light and highlight that this visual capability determines the perception, or perhaps the increase, of the radiance and/or spectral gradient and their use as compass cues in the zonal orientation. Moreover, our findings confirm that the radiance gradient is used as a chronometric compass orienting reference in the absence of other celestial orienting cues.
Left bundle branch area pacing with stylet-driven pacing leads: implantation technique
Authors: Yu Ga-In , Kim Tae-Hoon , Yu Hee Tae , Joung Boyoung , Pak Hui-Nam , Lee Moon-Hyoung
Published: May 2023

Background

Traditional right ventricular apical pacing can cause electrical–mechanical dyssynchrony. Therefore, physiological conduction system pacing was considered and became the reason for developing His bundle pacing (HBP). Recently, left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) has been implemented, which overcomes the shortcomings of HBP. Most initial large LBBAP studies reported that LBBAP was achieved through a lumenless pacing lead (LLL) with a fixed helix design; however, it is unavailable in Korea. LBBAP delivery sheaths using a conventional standard stylet-driven pacing lead (SDL) with an extendable helix design are currently available in Korea. In this review, we describe the methods and procedural skills required to perform the LBBAP using conventional SDL.

Main body

LBBAP has emerged as a new physiological CSP modality and has shown a stable and lower capture threshold and achieved a similarly paced QRS duration compared to HBP. It has also demonstrated stable early outcomes for feasibility and safety with a high success rate. Furthermore, the application of LBBAP has recently been extended to a resynchronization strategy. The LBBAP with SDL requires different handling and lead preparation owing to differences in lead and helix designs. Reported procedure-related acute complications of LBBAP include septal perforation during the procedure, pneumothorax, pocket infection, pocket hematoma, and lead dislodgements occurring during follow-up.

Conclusion

LBBAP with conventional SDL has similar implant success rates, procedural safety, and pacing characteristics as LBBAP with LLL. However, LBBAP with SDL requires different handling and lead preparation from that of LLL owing to the differences in the lead and helix designs.
Access to and application of recanalizing therapies for severe acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion
Authors: Bösel Julian , Hubert Gordian J. , Jesser Jessica , Möhlenbruch Markus A. , Ringleb Peter A.
Published: May 2023

Background

Groundbreaking study results since 2014 have dramatically changed the therapeutic options in acute therapy for severe ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion (LVO). The scientifically proven advances in stroke imaging and thrombectomy techniques have allowed to offer the optimal version or combination of best medical and interventional therapy to the selected patient, yielding favorable or even excellent clinical outcomes within time windows unheard of before. The provision of the best possible individual therapy has become a guideline-based gold standard, but remains a great challenge. With geographic, regional, cultural, economic and resource differences worldwide, optimal local solutions have to be strived for.

Aim

This standard operation procedure (SOP) is aimed to give a suggestion of how to give patients access to and apply modern recanalizing therapy for acute ischemic stroke caused by LVO.

Method

The SOP was developed based on current guidelines, the evidence from the most recent trials and the experience of authors who have been involved in the above-named development at different levels.

Results

This SOP is meant to be a comprehensive, yet not too detailed template to allow for freedom in local adaption. It comprises all relevant stages in providing care to the patient with severe ischemic stroke such as suspicion and alarm, prehospital acute measures, recognition and grading, transport, emergency room workup, selective cerebral imaging, differential treatment by recanalizing therapies (intravenous thrombolysis, endovascular stroke treatmet, or combined), complications, stroke unit and neurocritical care.

Conclusions

The challenge of giving patients access to and applying recanalizing therapies in severe ischemic stroke may be facilitated by a systematic, SOP-based approach adapted to local settings.
Translating radiology reports into plain language using ChatGPT and GPT-4 with prompt learning: results, limitations, and potential
Authors: Lyu Qing , Tan Josh , Zapadka Michael E. , Ponnatapura Janardhana , Niu Chuang , Myers Kyle J. , Wang Ge , Whitlow Christopher T.
Published: May 2023

The large language model called ChatGPT has drawn extensively attention because of its human-like expression and reasoning abilities. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of using ChatGPT in experiments on translating radiology reports into plain language for patients and healthcare providers so that they are educated for improved healthcare. Radiology reports from 62 low-dose chest computed tomography lung cancer screening scans and 76 brain magnetic resonance imaging metastases screening scans were collected in the first half of February for this study. According to the evaluation by radiologists, ChatGPT can successfully translate radiology reports into plain language with an average score of 4.27 in the five-point system with 0.08 places of information missing and 0.07 places of misinformation. In terms of the suggestions provided by ChatGPT, they are generally relevant such as keeping following-up with doctors and closely monitoring any symptoms, and for about 37% of 138 cases in total ChatGPT offers specific suggestions based on findings in the report. ChatGPT also presents some randomness in its responses with occasionally over-simplified or neglected information, which can be mitigated using a more detailed prompt. Furthermore, ChatGPT results are compared with a newly released large model GPT-4, showing that GPT-4 can significantly improve the quality of translated reports. Our results show that it is feasible to utilize large language models in clinical education, and further efforts are needed to address limitations and maximize their potential.
M2C-GVIO: motion manifold constraint aided GNSS-visual-inertial odometry for ground vehicles
Authors: Hua Tong , Pei Ling , Li Tao , Yin Jie , Liu Guoqing , Yu Wenxian
Published: May 2023

Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO) has been developed from Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) as a low-cost and versatile sensor fusion approach and attracted increasing attention in ground vehicle positioning. However, VIOs usually have the degraded performance in challenging environments and degenerated motion scenarios. In this paper, we propose a ground vehicle-based VIO algorithm based on the Multi-State Constraint Kalman Filter (MSCKF) framework. Based on a unified motion manifold assumption, we derive the measurement model of manifold constraints, including velocity, rotation, and translation constraints. Then we present a robust filter-based algorithm dedicated to ground vehicles, whose key is the real-time manifold noise estimation and adaptive measurement update. Besides, GNSS position measurements are loosely coupled into our approach, where the transformation between GNSS and VIO frame is optimized online. Finally, we theoretically analyze the system observability matrix and observability measures. Our algorithm is tested on both the simulation test and public datasets including Brno Urban dataset and Kaist Urban dataset. We compare the performance of our algorithm with classical VIO algorithms (MSCKF, VINS-Mono, R-VIO, ORB_SLAM3) and GVIO algorithms (GNSS-MSCKF, VINS-Fusion). The results demonstrate that our algorithm is more robust than other compared algorithms, showing a competitive position accuracy and computational efficiency.
Exploring the financial consequences of biodiversity disclosure: how does biodiversity disclosure affect firms' financial performance?
Authors: Elsayed Raghda Abdellatif Abdelkhalik
Published: May 2023

This study aims to contribute to the existing business strategy and the environment literature by exploring how biodiversity disclosure affects the financial performance of firms. The study employs the content analysis of a sample of 100 Fortune Global companies for 3 years, after developing a comprehensive index to measure the quality of disclosure. Then normality, correlation, and multiple linear regression model and its estimation using ordinary least squares are performed to measure the impact of biodiversity disclosure on the financial performance of companies. In addition, the Hausman test is used to check the robustness of the study. The study results reveal a relationship between biodiversity disclosure and financial performance measured by return on assets and a stock’s price-to-book ratio. Biodiversity disclosure has a positive relationship with return on assets at a significance level below 5%. While biodiversity disclosure has a positive relationship with stock price/ book value per share, they are not statistically significant at a significance level of 5%. The sample represents only a small proportion of a larger population. The study only investigated Global 100 firms with different sectors and countries for 3 years. This study provides an opportunity to learn about the effect of the disclosure of practices associated with managing biodiversity and extinction risks through preparing a quality index of biodiversity and extinction disclosure and examining the relationship between biodiversity disclosure and the financial performance of firms by the prepared index. This study can be considered a contribution to the flow of accounting research about biodiversity and extinction. A few studies examine the effect of biodiversity disclosure. The study is among the first to examine how biodiversity disclosure affects the financial performance of firms. The results of this study inform firms and the academic literature about the economic consequences of biodiversity disclosure where biodiversity disclosure has a positive effect on firms' financial performance. The study evidence appears to be robust there is no endogeneity problem.
A comparison of two hybrid optimization techniques: the Taguchi-BBD-firefly and the Taguchi-regression-firefly methods on the IS 2062-E250 steel plates boring problem
Authors: Fasina Ebun , Sawyerr Babatunde Alade , Abdullahi Yakubu Umar , Oke Sunday Ayoola
Published: May 2023

The expanding proliferation of components for engineering applications requires greater optimisation of parameters, which consequently increases the need for more efficient boring practices. The Taguchi Pareto-Box Behnken design is an effective optimisation procedure for the process parametric optimisation of the IS 2062 E250 steel plates. However, the weakness of the Taguchi method in its inability to distinguish which parameters have greater effects on the boring process needs to be further suppressed. Consequently, this study investigates the coupling of the firefly algorithm to the Taguchi-Pareto-Box Behnken design method for the processing of the IS 2062 E250 steel plates during the boring operation. Linear programmes were developed for the problem formulation with two variants of the objective function definition. In the first variant, the Box Behnken design optimized parameters and the firefly-oriented optimisation procedure was addressed to attain optimal solutions. For the second variant, a regression equation was substituted as the objective function and the firefly procedure was implemented to obtain the optimal solutions. Based on a defined population for the problem, an initial test of convergence was actualized and 50 iterations were found as an effective convergence point for the iterations. Numerical simulation coupled with experimental data analysis was conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of the proposed method. Literature data on IS 2062 E250 steel plate processing on the CNC machine was used in the testing. The results revealed that the proposed method exhibits good performance for boring operations in machine shops. Using the Taguchi-Pareto-Box Behnken-firefly algorithm, the obtained results are promising. The application of this proposal would aid machining to better decisions that improve the quality of products and reduces the cost of production.
Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infection in Patients With Hematologic Malignancy Receiving Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Lazarow Heather , Compher Charlene , Ziegler Matthew J. , Gilmar Cheryl , Kucharczuk Colleen R. , Landsburg Daniel J.
Published: May 2023

PURPOSE

Parenteral nutrition (PN) has been shown to be a safe method of feeding in the intensive care unit with modern infection prevention practices, but similar analysis in the hematology-oncology setting is lacking.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 1,617 patients with hematologic malignancies admitted and discharged from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania during 3,629 encounters from 2017 to 2019 was undertaken to evaluate the association of PN administration with risk of central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). Proportions of mucosal barrier injury (MBI)-CLABSI and non–MBI-CLABSI were also compared between groups.

RESULTS

Risk of CLABSI was associated with cancer type and duration of neutropenia but not with PN administration (odds ratio, 1.015; 95% CI, 0.986 to 1.045; P = .305) in a multivariable analysis. MBI-CLABSI comprised 73% of CLABSI in patients exposed to and 70% in patients not exposed to PN, and there was no significant difference between groups (χ2 = 0.06, P = .800).

CONCLUSION

PN was not associated with increased risk of CLABSI in a sample of patients with hematologic malignancy with central venous catheters when adjusting for cancer type, duration of neutropenia, and catheter days. The high proportion of MBI-CLABSI highlights the effect of gut permeability within this population.
Preconception Management of Hyperthyroidism and Thyroid Status in Subsequent Pregnancy: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Minassian Caroline , Allen Lowri A , Okosieme Onyebuchi , Vaidya Bijay , Taylor Peter
Published: May 2023

Context

Optimal thyroid status in pregnancy is essential in reducing the risk of adverse outcomes. The management of hyperthyroidism in women of reproductive age poses unique challenges and it is unclear how preconception treatment strategies impact on thyroid status in subsequent pregnancy.

Objective

We aimed to determine trends in the management of hyperthyroidism before and during pregnancy and to assess the impact of different preconception treatment strategies on maternal thyroid status.

Methods

We utilized the Clinical Practice Research Datalink database to evaluate all females aged 15-45 years with a clinical diagnosis of hyperthyroidism and a subsequent pregnancy (January 2000 to December 2017). We compared thyroid status in pregnancy according to preconception treatment, namely, (1) antithyroid drugs up to or beyond pregnancy onset, (2) definitive treatment with thyroidectomy or radioiodine before pregnancy, and (3) no treatment at pregnancy onset.

Results

Our study cohort comprised 4712 pregnancies. Thyrotropin (TSH) was measured in only 53.1% of pregnancies, of which 28.1% showed suboptimal thyroid status (TSH >4.0 mU/L or TSH <0.1 mU/L plus FT4 >reference range). Pregnancies with prior definitive treatment were more likely to have suboptimal thyroid status compared with pregnancies starting during antithyroid drug treatment (odds ratio 4.72, 95% CI 3.50-6.36). A steady decline in the use of definitive treatment before pregnancy was observed from 2000 to 2017. One-third (32.6%) of first trimester carbimazole-exposed pregnancies were switched to propylthiouracil while 6.0% of propylthiouracil-exposed pregnancies switched to carbimazole.

Conclusion

The management of women with hyperthyroidism who become pregnant is suboptimal, particularly in those with preconception definitive treatment, and needs urgent improvement. Better thyroid monitoring and prenatal counseling are needed to optimize thyroid status, reduce teratogenic drug exposure, and ultimately reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Exposure to Gestational Diabetes and BMI Trajectories Through Adolescence: The Exploring Perinatal Outcomes Among Children Study
Authors: Hockett Christine W , Harrall Kylie K , Glueck Deborah H , Dabelea Dana M
Published: May 2023

Context

Previous studies have shown that exposure to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased offspring body mass index (BMI) and risk for overweight or obesity.

Objective

This study aimed to explore differences in BMI trajectories among youth exposed or not exposed to maternal GDM and understand whether these associations differ across life stages.

Methods

Data from 403 mother/child dyads (76 exposed; 327 not exposed) participating in the longitudinal Exploring Perinatal Outcomes among Children (EPOCH) study in Colorado were used. Participants who had 2 or more longitudinal height measurements from 27 months to a maximum of 19 years were included in the analysis. Life stages were defined using puberty related timepoints: early childhood (27 months to pre-adolescent dip [PAD, average age 5.5 years]), middle childhood (from PAD to age at peak height velocity [APHV, average age 12.2 years]), and adolescence (from APHV to 19 years). Separate general linear mixed models, stratified by life stage, were used to assess associations between GDM exposure and offspring BMI.

Results

There was not a significant association between exposure to GDM and BMI trajectories during early childhood (P = .27). In middle childhood, participants exposed to GDM had higher BMI trajectories compared to those not exposed (males: P = .005, females: P = .002) and adolescent (P = .02) periods.

Conclusion

Our study indicates that children who are exposed to GDM may experience higher BMI trajectories during middle childhood and adolescence, but not during early childhood. These data suggest that efforts to prevent childhood obesity among those exposed in utero to maternal GDM should start before pubertal onset.
Radial spoke protein 9 is necessary for axoneme assembly in Plasmodium but not in trypanosomatid parasites
Authors: Ramakrishnan Chandra , Fort Cécile , Marques Sara Rute , Ferguson David J. P. , Gransagne Marion , Baum Jake , Chaouch Soraya , Mouray Elisabeth , Kohl Linda , Wheeler Richard J. , Sinden Robert E.
Published: May 2023

Flagella are important for eukaryote cell motility, including in sperm, and are vital for life cycle progression of many unicellular eukaryotic pathogens. The ‘9+2’ axoneme in most motile flagella comprises nine outer doublet and two central-pair singlet microtubules. T-shaped radial spokes protrude from the outer doublets towards the central pair and are necessary for effective beating. We asked whether there were radial spoke adaptations associated with parasite lineage-specific properties in apicomplexans and trypanosomatids. Following an orthologue search for experimentally uncharacterised radial spoke proteins (RSPs), we identified and analysed RSP9. Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania mexicana have an extensive RSP complement, including two divergent RSP9 orthologues, necessary for flagellar beating and swimming. Detailed structural analysis showed that neither orthologue is needed for axoneme assembly in Leishmania. In contrast, Plasmodium has a reduced set of RSPs including a single RSP9 orthologue, deletion of which in Plasmodium berghei leads to failure of axoneme formation, failed male gamete release, greatly reduced fertilisation and inefficient life cycle progression in the mosquito. This indicates contrasting selection pressures on axoneme complexity, likely linked to the different mode of assembly of trypanosomatid versus Plasmodium flagella.
Sound detection and production mechanisms in aquatic decapod and stomatopod crustaceans
Authors: Radford Craig A. , Stanley Jenni A.
Published: May 2023

The sensory systems of crustaceans (aquatic decapods and stomatopods) have adapted to a diverse range of aquatic ecosystems. Sound production in aquatic crustaceans is more widespread than previously thought, and has been shown to play a major role in many of their life-history strategies; however, there are still many gaps in our understanding of their sound reception abilities. Crustaceans have three main sensory receptors for sound – the statocyst, superficial hair cells and chordotonal organs – which are all sensitive to the particle motion component of the sound field, rather than the pressure component. Our current understanding of these receptors is that they are sensitive to low-frequency sounds (<2000 Hz). There are a wide variety of sound-producing mechanisms employed by these animals, ranging from stridulation to implosive cavitation (see Glossary). These signals are used for a range of social behaviours, such as courtship, territorial defence and assessing ‘resource guarding’. Furthermore, there are examples of sound signals that exceed their hearing range, highlighting a mismatch in our understanding of their hearing systems. This mismatch provides weight to the suggestion that another sound transmission channel – substrate-borne vibrations – might be at play, particularly because most crustaceans live on or near the seafloor. Finally, suggestions are made regarding potential future work that is needed to fill the substantial gaps in our understanding of how crustaceans hear and produce sound.
Sex Differences in Marathon Running: Physiology and Participation
Authors: Nesburg Rachel A. , Mason Azara P. , Fitzsimmons Brynn , Hunter Sandra K.
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Males are faster than females in the marathon, largely due to sex differences in physiology, but sociological factors influencing lower participation rates of females than males may also contribute.

Purpose

This study aimed to determine whether the sex difference in marathon performance is predicted by the proportion of male to female runners and how this prediction changes among lower-placed runners across age groups.

Methods

The number of male and female finishers within 5-yr age groups (20–79 yr) and times of the first 10 age-group runners in the Chicago (CHI; 1996–2018) and New York City (NYC; 1980–2019) marathons were analyzed.

Results

The male/female participation ratio declined across years for the CHI (1996–2018: 2.19–1.16, P < 0.001) and NYC (1980–2019: 6.76–1.36, P < 0.001) marathons, but increased with age (P < 0.001) and place (1st–10th place, P < 0.001). Male runners were faster than female runners across all age groups for the CHI (17.2% ± 6.8%, n = 2328) and NYC (18.8% ± 7.4%, n = 4226) marathons. The sex difference in performance was smallest for 1st-place and largest for 10th-place finishers for both marathons. The ratio of the number of male to female runners was associated with the sex difference in velocity for NYC (r
2 = 0.32, P < 0.001) and CHI (r
2 = 0.28, P < 0.001). The strength of the associations increased between 1st and 10th places.

Conclusions

Fewer female relative to male runners in an age group predicted a larger sex difference in performance in two world-class marathons. Low participation rates of female runners mask an accurate understanding of the sex differences in marathon performance due to physiology, with broader implications for women’s health in biomedical research.
Viral interactions with host factors (TIM-1, TAM -receptors, Glut-1) are related to the disruption of glucose and ascorbate transport and homeostasis, causing the haemorrhagic manifestations of viral haemorrhagic fevers.
Authors: Chicano Wust Ivan
Published: May 2023

The haemorrhagic features of viral haemorrhagic fevers may be caused by common patterns of metabolic disturbances of the glucose and ascorbate homeostasis. Haemorrhages and vasculature disfunctions are a clinical feature not only of viral haemorrhagic fevers, but also in scurvy, diabetes and thrombotic microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia. Interestingly, the expression of glucose and ascorbate transporter Glut-1 on the erythrocyte membrane is associated with the inability to synthesize ascorbate and is restricted to that very species that are susceptible to Filoviruses (primates, humans and fruit bats). Glut-1 may play a pivotal role in haemorrhagic fever pathogenesis. TIM-1 and TAM receptors have been recognized to enhance entry of Ebola, Lassa and Dengue viruses and viral interferences with TIM-1 could disturb its function, disturbing the expression of Glut-1.
A pilot clinical skills coaching program to reimagine remediation: a cohort study
Authors: Klig Jean E. , Kettyle William M. , Kosowsky Joshua M. , Phillips, Jr. William R. , Farrell Susan E. , Hundert Edward M. , Dalrymple John L. , Goldhamer Mary Ellen J.
Published: May 2023

Background

New approaches are needed to improve and destigmatize remediation in undergraduate medical education (UME).  The COVID-19 pandemic magnified the need to support struggling learners to ensure competency and readiness for graduate medical education (GME).  Clinical skills (CS) coaching is an underutilized approach that may mitigate the stigma of remedial learning.

Methods

A six-month CS coaching pilot was conducted at Harvard Medical School (HMS) as a destigmatized remedial learning environment for clerkship and post-clerkship students identified as ‘at risk’ based on objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE).  The pilot entailed individual and group coaching with five faculty, direct bedside observation of CS, and standardized patient encounters with video review. Strengths-based coaching principles and appreciative inquiry were emphasized. 

Results

Twenty-three students participated in the pilot: 14 clerkship students (cohort 1) and 9 post-clerkship students (cohort 2).  All clerkship students (cohort 1) demonstrated sustained improvement in CS across three OSCEs compared to baseline: at pilot close, at 6-months post pilot, and at 21-24 months post-pilot all currently graduating students (10/10, 100%) passed the summative OSCE, an HMS graduation requirement. All post-clerkship students (cohort 2) passed the HMS graduation OSCE (9/9,100%). Feedback survey results included clerkship students (9/14; 64%) and post-clerkship students (7/9; 78%); all respondents unanimously agreed that individual coaching was “impactful to my clinical learning and practice”. Faculty and leadership fully supported the pilot as a destigmatized and effective approach to remediation. 

Conclusion

Remediation has an essential and growing role in medical schools.  CS coaching for remedial learning can reduce stigma, foster a growth mindset, and support sustained progress for ‘at risk’ early clerkship through final year students. An “implementation template” with suggested tools and timelines can be locally adapted to guide CS coaching for UME remediation. The CS coaching pilot model is feasible and can be generalized to many UME programs.
The genome sequence of the Large Scabious Mining Bee, Andrena hattorfiana (Fabricius, 1775)
Authors: Falk Steven , Tan Kar-Tong ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: May 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Andrena hattorfiana (the Large Scabious Mining Bee; Arthropoda; Insecta; Hymenoptera; Andrenidae). The genome sequence is 428.5 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into seven chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 22.7 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 11,349 protein coding genes.
Psicología y arte: a propósito de la Galería Latinoamericana de Arte en Portada (2004-2020)
Authors: Gutiérrez-Peláez Miguel , Ramírez Luisa , Pérez-Acosta Andrés M.
Published: May 2023

La Galería Latinoamericana de Arte en Portada es un espacio que abrió la revista Avances en Psicología Latinoamericana en 2004 para conectar la disciplina psicológica (representada en los artículos publicados) con las expresiones de un artista invitado por cada año. Con excepción de los años 2005 y 2006, se han publicado en la portada de la revista obras de catorce artistas individuales y un colectivo (Las Tejedoras de Mampuján) de México, Argentina, Brasil, Alemania, España y Colombia.
Managing Patient Anxiety in the Endoscopy Suite
Authors: Olsen BJ
Published: May 2023

BJ Olsen discusses how to lower the cancellation rate in the endoscopy suite using education and empathy
Suppressing grating lobes of large-aperture optical phased array with circular array design
Authors: Lei Yufang , Zhang Lingxuan , Xue Yulong , Ren Yangming , Zhang Qihao , Zhang Wenfu , Sun Xiaochen
Published: May 2023

An optical phased array (OPA), especially a two-dimensional (2D) OPA,
suffers from the trade-off among steering range, beam width, and the
number of antennas. Aperiodic 2D array designs currently aimed to
reduce the number of antennas and reduce grating lobes within a wide
range fall short when an aperture approaches millimeter size. A
circular OPA design is proposed to address this issue. The circular
design substantially reduces the number of antennas while achieving
the same wide steering range and narrow beam width of optimized
aperiodic 2D OPA designs. Its efficient suppression of grating lobes,
the key to a wide steering range with minimal number of antennas and
large antenna spacing, is theoretically studied and validated by
simulation. The novel, to the best of our knowledge, design allows
less than 100 antennas, orders of magnitude reduction, for millimeter
size aperture OPA designs. It paves the way for commercialization by
significantly reducing control complexity and power consumption.
Perovskite interface defect passivation with poly(ethylene oxide) for improving power conversion efficiency of the inverted solar cells
Authors: Duan Chengyi , Zhang Xiaofei , Du Zheren , Chen Jia , El-Bashar Ramy , Obayya S. S. A. , Hameed Mohamed , Dai Jun
Published: May 2023

Inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) attract researchers’ attention for their potential application due to the low-temperature fabrication, negligible hysteresis and compatibility with multi-junction cells. However, the low-temperature fabricated perovskite films containing excessive undesired defects are not benefit for improving the performance of the inverted PSCs. In this work, we used a simple and effective passivation strategy that Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer as an antisolvent additive to modify the perovskite films. The experiments and simulations have shown that the PEO polymer can effectively passivate the interface defects of the perovskite films. The defect passivation by PEO polymers suppressed non-radiative recombination, resulting in an increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the inverted devices from 16.07% to 19.35%. In addition, the PCE of unencapsulated PSCs after PEO treatment maintains 97% of its original stored in a nitrogen atmosphere for 1000 h.
Particle size distribution measurement based on the angular scattering efficiency factor spectra inversion–simulation and experiment
Authors: Wang Zhihui , Liu Tianyuan , Li Tianlin , Qiu Honglin , Huang Meizhen
Published: May 2023

The quantification of the particle size distribution (PSD) within a particle system is significant to various domains, including atmospheric and environmental sciences, material science, civil engineering, and human health. The scattering spectrum reflects the PSD information of the particle system. Researchers have developed high-precision and high-resolution PSD measurements for monodisperse particle systems through scattering spectroscopy. However, for polydisperse particle systems, current methods based on light scattering spectrum and Fourier transform analysis can only obtain the information of the particle component, but cannot provide the relative content information of each component. In this paper, a PSD inversion method based on the angular scattering efficiency factors (ASEF) spectrum is proposed. By establishing a light energy coefficient distribution matrix, and then measuring the scattering spectrum of the particle system, PSD can be measured in conjunction with inversion algorithms. The simulations and experiments conducted in this paper substantiate the validity of the proposed method. Unlike the forward diffraction approach that measures the spatial distribution of scattered light I(θ) for inversion, our method uses the multi-wavelength distribution information of scattered light β(λ). Moreover, the influences of noise, scattering angle, wavelength, particle size range, and size discretization interval on PSD inversion are studied. The method of condition number analysis is proposed to identify the appropriate scattering angle, particle size measurement range, and size discretization interval, and it can reduce the root mean square error(RMSE) of PSD inversion. Furthermore, the method of wavelength sensitivity analysis is proposed to select the spectral band with higher sensitivity to particle size changes, thereby improving the computational speed and avoiding the problem of diminished accuracy caused by the reduction of the number of wavelengths used.
Empirical study of an underwater optical camera communication system under turbulent conditions
Authors: Majlesein Behnaz , Geldard Callum T. , Guerra Victor , Rufo Julio , Popoola Wasiu O. , Rabadan Jose
Published: May 2023

This paper presents an experimental study of the turbulence impact caused by temperature inhomogeneity and air bubbles on a global shutter-based underwater optical camera communication (UOCC). The effects of these two phenomena on UOCC links are illustrated in terms of the intensity variations and an associated reduction in the average received intensity of the illuminated pixels corresponding to the optical source projection and the dispersion of the projection on the captured images. Additionally, it is shown that the area of illuminated pixels in the temperature-induced turbulence scenario is higher than in the bubbly water case. To analyze the effects of those two phenomena on the optical link performance, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the system is evaluated by considering different points as the regions of interest (ROI) from the light source projection of the captured images. The results indicate that the system performance is improved by averaging over the value of several pixels produced by the point spread function, compared to simply using the central and the maximum pixel value as the ROIs.