bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathogenic bacteria in bronchoalveolar lavage cultures and pediatric laryngotracheal reconstruction outcomes
Authors: Teplitzky Taylor B. , Kou Yann‐Fuu , Bozkanat Kubra M. , Johnson Romaine F. , Chorney Stephen R.
Published: February 2023

Objective

The primary objective was to determine if treating pathogenic bacteria in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cultures improves outcomes after pediatric double stage laryngotracheal reconstruction (dsLTR).

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary children's hospital.

Methods

All children (<18 years) obtaining flexible bronchoscopy with BAL cultures before dsLTR between 2016 and 2022 were included. Cultures identified abnormal bacterial growth or normal respiratory flora. Thirty‐day postoperative surgical site or lung infections were captured and tracheostomy decannulation rates were obtained for children with at least 12 months of follow‐up.

Results

Twenty‐seven children obtained presurgical BAL cultures before dsLTR. Median age at reconstruction was 2.9 years (interquartile range: 2.3−3.5) and 89% (24/27) had high grade subglottic stenosis. Positive cultures were obtained in 56% of children (N = 15) with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (40%, 6/15) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (33%, 5/15) the most frequent organisms. All children with positive cultures were treated based on culture and sensitivity data. Postoperative infections developed in 22% (6/27) of children with equal distribution of surgical site and respiratory infections among children with pathogenic bacteria and normal respiratory flora. At 12 months after surgery, the decannulation rate was no different between those treated and not treated for a presurgical positive BAL culture (47% vs. 58%, p = 0.70).

Conclusion

Pathogenic bacteria are common in BAL cultures from tracheostomy‐dependent children before dsLTR. Treatment keeps respiratory infections and decannulation rates similar to children with negative cultures, suggesting continued benefit of flexible bronchoscopy and BAL in preparation for these surgeries.
Proteomic and metabolomic approaches elucidate the molecular mechanism of emodin against neuropathic pain through modulating the gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)‐ergic pathway and PI3K/AKT/NF‐κB pathway
Authors: Chen Peng , Huang Ning‐yu , Pang Bo , Ye Zeng‐jie , Luo Rui‐xi , Liu Chang , Gong Qian , Wang Chen , Wang Long
Published: February 2023

Neuropathic pain (NeP) is a major health concern. Due to the complex pathological mechanisms, management of NeP is challenging. Emodin, a natural anthraquinone derivative, exerts excellent analgesic effects. However, its mechanisms of action are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying pain‐relief effects of emodin in the cerebral cortex using proteomic and metabolomic approaches. After 15 days of emodin administration, the mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) values in the emodin groups were significantly higher than those in the chronic constriction injury (CCI) group (p < .05), suggesting emodin treatment could reverse CCI‐induced hyperalgesia. Emodin treatment evoked the expression alteration of 402 proteins (153 up‐regulated and 249 down‐regulated) in the CCI models, which were primarily involved in PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor signaling, complement and coagulation cascades, cGMP/PKG signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and calcium signaling pathway. In parallel, emodin intervention regulated the abundance alteration of 27 brain metabolites (20 up‐regulated and 7 down‐regulated) in the CCI rats, which were primarily implicated in carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, pentose phosphate pathway, and glucagon signaling pathway. After a comprehensive analysis and western blot validation, we demonstrated that emodin alleviated NeP mainly through regulating GABAergic pathway and PI3K/AKT/NF‐κB pathway.
Garlic supplementation improves intestinal transit time, lipid accumulation product and cardiometabolic indices in subjects with metabolic syndrome: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Sangouni Abbas Ali , Alizadeh Mohammad , Jamalzehi Atena , Hosseinzadeh Mahdieh , Parastouei Karim
Published: February 2023

Subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Altered gut microbiota is involved in the pathogenesis of MetS. It has been hypothesized that garlic can improve intestinal transit time and cardiovascular risks. We investigated the effect of garlic powder supplementation on intestinal transit time, lipid accumulation product (LAP), and cardiometabolic indices in subjects with MetS. A double‐blind randomized controlled trial was conducted for 3 months among subjects with MetS. Ninety subjects were randomly assigned to the treatment group (intake of 1,600 mg/d garlic powder) or control group (placebo) using a computer‐generated random number table. All participants were asked to follow the common healthy dietary recommendations during follow‐up. The primary outcomes included intestinal transit time, LAP, cardiometabolic index (CMI), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), Castelli risk index I (CRI‐I) and Castelli risk index II (CRI‐II). Garlic powder compared to the placebo improved intestinal transit time (p = .001), LAP (−21.5 ± 23.4 vs. 0.7 ± 21.5; p < .001), CMI (−0.85 ± 0.8 vs. 0.13 ± 0.8; p < .001), AIP (−0.14 ± 0.1 vs. 0.01 ± 0.1; p < .001), CRI‐I (−0.69 ± 0.5 vs. 0.16 ± 0.5; p < .001) and CRI‐II (−0.50 ± 0.3 vs. 0.02 ± 0.3; p < .001). Garlic supplementation can improve intestinal transit time, LAP, and cardiometabolic indices.
Dredged sediments contain potentially beneficial microorganisms for agriculture and little harmful cyanobacteria
Authors: Rúa Megan A. , Julian Ashley N. , Stevenson Louise
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Soils worldwide are degrading, raising concerns about our ability to feed the growing global population. Soil amendments that can alleviate degradation are gaining attention. The application of sediments dredged from waterways to agricultural fields has increasing promise as a means for improving degraded soils. However, herbaceous plant species may have difficulty establishing on dredged material because of low nutrient availability, inhibitory levels of toxins, unsuitable moisture conditions and lack of microorganisms capable of ameliorating these characteristics. To counteract these issues, we sought to understand if the use of a cover crop would increase the abundance, diversity and function of beneficial soil microorganisms compared to harmful microorganisms in dredged sediments.

Materials and Methods

We collected soil samples from two 100% dredged sediment plots, one where winter cereal rye (Secale cereal)was grown as a winter cover crop and one left fallow over the winter, followed by traditional corn (Zea mays) planting. We sampled both plots three times during the growing season: before cover crop application, following cover crop application but before corn planting and following final corn harvest. We then used high‐throughput sequencing to identify the bacterial and fungal communities present in the samples.

Results

Our data show that cover crop application did not alter the microbial community in these plots. However, sampling time decreased species diversity and altered the composition of both fungal and bacterial communities recovered from these plots. Across both plots, microorganisms associated with carbon cycling were more abundant than those associated with harmful effects, including microcystin‐producing cyanobacteria, which were an extremely small portion of the overall community.

Conclusion

Our work suggests that dredged sediments have the potential to improve soil function through the addition of microorganisms associated with nutrient cycling, but a cover crop is not necessary to incur these benefits.
K2S2O8‐Glucose‐Mediated Metal‐Free Oxidative Trifluoromethylation of Indoles with Langlois’ Reagent on the C2 Position
Authors: Das Samarpita , K.Indurthi Harish , Saha Pallavi , Sharma Deepak K.
Published: February 2023

An efficient and regioselective trifluoromethylation method of indole at the C2 position with ecologically‐sound Langlois’ reagent (CF3SO2Na) under metal‐free conditions is described. K2S2O8 in presence of glucose at room temperature has been utilized for the generation of CF3 radicals from CF3SO2Na. The desired product can be obtained in good to excellent yields with a wide scope of substrate variability and gram scalability.
Additive‐Enhanced Crystallization of Inorganic Perovskite Single Crystals for High‐Sensitivity X‐Ray Detection
Authors: Xue Zexu , Wei Yingrui , Li Hao , Peng Jiali , Yao Fang , Liu Yong , Wang Sheng , Zhou Qianghui , Lin Qianqian , Wang Zhiping
Published: February 2023

Inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite single crystals are particularly intriguing to ionizing radiation detection by virtue of their material stability and high attenuation coefficients. However, the growth of high‐quality inorganic perovskite single crystals remains challenging, mainly due to the limited solubility. In this work, an additive‐enhanced crystallization method is proposed for cesium lead perovskites. The additive can remarkably increase the solubility of cesium bromide in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) forming a balanced stoichiometric precursor solution, which prevents the formation of impurity phases. In addition, the additives would react with DMSO generating glyoxylic acid (GLA) via nucleophilic substitution and Kornblum oxidation reactions. The GLA can form stable PbBr2‐DMSO‐GLA complexes, which enables better crystallinity, uniformity and much longer carrier lifetimes for the grown single crystals. The X‐ray detectors using the additive‐enhanced crystals exhibit an ultra‐high sensitivity of 3.0 × 104 µC Gyair−1 cm−2 which is more than two orders of magnitude higher than that for the control devices.
Contextualizing contemporary racial justice activism in higher education
Authors: Cooper Ashton R. , Assalone Amanda E. , Biddix J. Patrick
Published: February 2023

Student activists continue to challenge institutions of higher education to address instances of oppression and injustice. In this chapter, we discuss recent examples of racial justice activism within higher education. We then offer recommendations for institutional leaders and administrators to consider when engaging with students focused on racial justice activism.
Alkaline Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction Catalysts: Insight into Catalytic Mechanisms, Classification, Activity Regulation and Challenges
Authors: Mu Xueqin , Liu Suli , Chen Lei , Mu Shichun
Published: February 2023

Hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) is an important semi‐cell reaction in the renewable energy conversion technology such as fuel cells. However, due to the slow reaction rate, the development of highly active catalysts remains a major challenge in alkaline fuel cells. Based on fundamental understanding of the sluggish kinetics toward the reaction mechanism in alkaline electrolytes, noble and non‐noble metal catalysts and their regulation strategies including geometry, composition, atom‐doping, oxyphilic site and substrate engineerings are analyzed and summarized in this review to seek for the possible breakthrough toward HOR catalytic performance enhancement. Eventually, challenges and opportunities faced by alkaline HOR, and potential future research trends are proposed. This review not only deepens the understanding of the hydrogen electrocatalysis mechanism, but also provides guidelines for the rational design of advanced HOR catalysts.
Graduate teaching assistants impact student motivation and engagement in course‐based undergraduate research experiences
Authors: Goodwin Emma Crystal , Cary Jessica R. , Phan Vivian D. , Therrien Hayley , Shortlidge Erin Elizabeth
Published: February 2023

The drive to broaden equitable access to undergraduate research experiences has catalyzed the development and implementation of course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). Biology education has prioritized embedding CUREs in introductory labs, which are frequently taught by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Thus, a CURE GTA is expected not only to teach but also to support novice student researchers. We know little about how GTAs perform as research mentors in a CURE, or how the quality of their mentorship and support impacts undergraduate students. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted a phenomenological study of an introductory biology CURE, interviewing 25 undergraduate students taught by nine different GTAs at a single institution. We used self‐determination theory to guide our exploration of how students' autonomous motivation to engage in a CURE is impacted by perceptions of GTA support. We found that highly motivated students were more likely to experience factors hypothesized to optimize motivation in the CURE, and to perceive that their GTA was highly supportive of these elements. Students with lower motivation were less likely to report engaging in fundamental elements of research offered in a CURE. Our findings suggest that GTAs directly impact students' motivation, which can, in turn, influence whether students perceive receiving the full research experience as intended in a CURE. We contend that practitioners who coordinate CUREs led by GTAs should therefore offer curated training that emphasizes supporting students' autonomous motivation in the course and engagement in the research. Our work suggests that GTAs may differ in their capacity to provide students with the support they need to receive and benefit from certain pedagogical practices. Future work assessing innovative approaches in undergraduate biology laboratory courses should continue to investigate potenital differential outcomes for students taught by GTAs.
Conservative management of adnexal tumors: how to tell good from bad
Authors: Jurkovic D.
Published: February 2023

Linked article: This Editorial comments on Landolfo et al. Click here to view the article.
Introduction: Viewing Plantations at the Intersection of Political Ecologies and Multiple Space-Times
Authors: Peano Irene , Macedo Marta , Le Petitcorps Colette
Published: February 2023

In this chapter, we outline our contribution to the study of plantations, building upon a wide and important body of critical literature that has developed on the subject over more than a century of reflections and struggles. Plantations are analyzed according to three main axes: an eco-material dimension that articulates to racial injustices; the long-term material, affective and symbolic imprints of plantations; and their sovereign dimensions. We explore these topics through a variety of examples and transdisciplinary approaches that cut across chronologies, geographies and political contexts and provide a navigation tool through the edited volume’s contributions. By stressing plantations’ more-than-human relations and their all-too-human (modern, colonial, imperial) dynamics, we want to both call into question any monolithic notion of “the” plantation and pinpoint the common features that accrue to the different plantation experiences and experiments addressed by authors. Contributing to the current discussion on the predicaments of the Plantationocene, we argue that this book’s breadth and vision might help imagine more nuanced ways of narrating plantation regimes and forms of resistance against them—past, present and future.
“New Slavery”, Modern Marronage and the Multiple Afterlives of Plantations in Contemporary Italy
Authors: Peano Irene
Published: February 2023

With reference to the Italian agribusiness sector, this chapter probes the specters of “the plantation” as the (ob)scene of discourses on “modern slavery,” and traces alternative genealogies of the current organization and representation of migrant farm labor. The history of the transatlantic trade and the New-World plantation has a prominent presence in this field of representation. But multiple, geographically and temporally heterogeneous plantation pasts and specters of enslavement haunt contemporary agribusiness districts, the slums and labor camps which punctuate them, and their patterns of labor management, in different and even contradictory ways. “The plantation” and “slavery” as its principle of organization may be evoked in diminishing or oppressive terms that work as a distancing mechanism to occlude subjectivities and struggles. At the same time, redemptive and oppositional conjurings of the New-World plantation emerge from the coinage of the notion of a “Black Mediterranean” as a redemptive parallel to the “Black Atlantic,” and in workers’ myriad references to practices and cultures of marronage first developed in cross-Atlantic exchanges. Yet, other scenes, recursive patterns, localized geographies and buried genealogies are shown to be equally crucial to understand contemporary forms of extraction, containment and racialization, and for truly abolitionist struggles.
Knowledge Infused Representations Through Combination of Expert Knowledge and Original Input
Authors: Biermann Daniel , Goodwin Morten , Granmo Ole-Christoffer
Published: February 2023

Sophisticated applications in natural language processing, such as conversational agents, often need to be able to generalize across a range of different tasks to generate natural-feeling language. In this paper, we introduce a model that aims to improve generalizability with regard to different tasks by combining the original input with the output of a task-specific expert. Through a combination mechanism, we create a new representation that has been enriched with the information given by the expert. These enriched representations then serve as input to a downstream model. We test three different combination mechanisms in two combination paradigms and evaluate the performance of the new enriched representation in a simple encoder-decoder model. We show that even very simple combination mechanisms are able to significantly improve performance of the downstream model. This means that the encoded expert information is transported through the new enriched input representation, leading to a beneficial impact on performance within the task domain. This opens the way for exciting future endeavors such as testing performance on different task domains and the combination of multiple experts.
Pattern Based Software Architecture for Predictive Maintenance
Authors: Torim Ants , Liiv Innar , Ounoughi Chahinez , Yahia Sadok Ben
Published: February 2023

Many industrial sectors are moving toward Industry Revolution (IR) 4.0. In this respect, the Internet of Things and predictive maintenance are considered the key pillars of IR 4.0. Predictive maintenance is one of the hottest trends in manufacturing where maintenance work occurs according to continuous monitoring using a healthiness check for processing equipment or instrumentation. It enables the maintenance team to have an advanced prediction of failures and allows the team to undertake timely corrective actions and decisions ahead of time. The aim of this paper is to present a smart monitoring and diagnostics system as an expert system that can alert an operator before equipment failures to prevent material and environmental damages. The main novelty and contribution of this paper is a flexible architecture of the predictive maintenance system, based on software patterns - flexible solutions to general problems. The presented conceptual model enables the integration of an expert knowledge of anticipated failures and the matrix-profile technique based anomaly detection. The results so far are encouraging.
Automatic Unsupervised Clustering of Videos of the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Procedure
Authors: Storås Andrea M. , Riegler Michael A. , Haugen Trine B. , Thambawita Vajira , Hicks Steven A. , Hammer Hugo L. , Kakulavarapu Radhika , Halvorsen Pål , Stensen Mette H.
Published: February 2023

The in vitro fertilization procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection can be used to help fertilize an egg by injecting a single sperm cell directly into the cytoplasm of the egg. In order to evaluate, refine and improve the method in the fertility clinic, the procedure is usually observed at the clinic. Alternatively, a video of the procedure can be examined and labeled in a time-consuming process. To reduce the time required for the assessment, we propose an unsupervised method that automatically clusters video frames of the intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure. Deep features are extracted from the video frames and form the basis for a clustering method. The method provides meaningful clusters representing different stages of the intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure. The clusters can lead to more efficient examinations and possible new insights that can improve clinical practice. Further on, it may also contribute to improved clinical outcomes due to increased understanding about the technical aspects and better results of the procedure. Despite promising results, the proposed method can be further improved by increasing the amount of data and exploring other types of features.
Prevalence of malocclusions in 8- and 9-year-old children in Germany—Results of the Sixth German Oral Health Study (DMS 6)
Authors: Jordan Andreas Rainer , Kuhr Kathrin , Frenzel Baudisch Nicolas , Kirschneck Christian
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Current population-wide data on the prevalence of malocclusions in 8‑ and 9‑year-old children in Germany are not available. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to collect data on the prevalence of malocclusions in 8‑ and 9‑year-old children in Germany. The secondary objective of this study was to use this information to derive the need for orthodontic care provision.

Methods

This is an oral–epidemiological investigation and social science survey at the national level with a focus on tooth and jaw misalignment. The investigation took place between January and March 2021 at 16 study centers across Germany. All relevant data were available for the 705 study participants and were included in the statistical analysis.

Results

Overbite was the most common finding with 88.9%. Also widespread were crowding, with at least 60.9%, and lack of space, with a share of 30.9%. All other indication groups had a share below 10%. Rare (< 1%) were buccal and lingual occlusions and craniofacial abnormalities. The most severe forms of disease (Orthodontic Indication Group [Kieferorthopädische Indikationsgruppen, KIG] grade 5) were overbite (3.2%), open bite malocclusion (1.0%), undershot (0.6%), and craniofacial abnormalities (0.4%). The proportion of study participants who required orthodontic treatment, in accordance with statutory health insurance provider guidelines, was 40.4%. The proportion of study participants in principle requiring orthodontic treatment for medical reasons was 97.5%. Systemic differences in the need for orthodontic care provision relating to gender, region, or social status were not identified.

Conclusion

In general, the need for care provision identified in the orthodontic indication groups corresponds to that shown in previous studies. This suggests that the need for orthodontic treatment in Germany has remained stable over the years.
Tool remaining useful life prediction using bidirectional recurrent neural networks (BRNN)
Authors: De Barrena Telmo Fernández , Ferrando Juan Luís , García Ander , Badiola Xabier , de Buruaga Mikel Sáez , Vicente Javier
Published: February 2023

Nowadays, new challenges around increasing production quality and productivity, and decreasing energy consumption, are growing in the manufacturing industry. In order to tackle these challenges, it is of vital importance to monitor the health of critical components. In the machine tool sector, one of the main aspects is to monitor the wear of the cutting tools, as it affects directly to the fulfillment of tolerances, production of scrap, energy consumption, etc. Besides, the prediction of the remaining useful life (RUL) of the cutting tools, which is related to their wear level, is gaining more importance in the field of predictive maintenance, being that prediction is a crucial point for an improvement of the quality of the cutting process. Unlike monitoring the current health of the cutting tools in real time, as tool wear diagnosis does, RUL prediction allows to know when the tool will end its useful life. This is a key factor since it allows optimizing the planning of maintenance strategies. Moreover, a substantial number of signals can be captured from machine tools, but not all of them perform as optimum predictors for tool RUL. Thus, this paper focuses on RUL and has two main objectives. First, to evaluate the optimum signals for RUL prediction, a substantial number of them were captured in a turning process and investigated by using recursive feature elimination (RFE). Second, the use of bidirectional recurrent neural networks (BRNN) as regressive models to predict the RUL of cutting tools in machining operations using the investigated optimum signals is investigated. The results are compared to traditional machine learning (ML) models and convolutional neural networks (CNN). The results show that among all the signals captured, the root mean squared (RMS) parameter of the forward force ($${F}_{y}$$

F
y

) is the optimum for RUL prediction. As well, the bidirectional long-short term memory (BiLSTM) and bidirectional gated recurrent units (BiGRU), which are two types of BRNN, along with the RMS of $${F}_{y}$$

F
y

signal, achieved the lowest root mean squared error (RMSE) for tool RUL, being also computationally the most demanding ones.
Wear resistance and friction analysis of Ti6Al4V cylindrical ball-burnished specimens with and without vibration assistance
Authors: Velázquez-Corral Eric , Wagner Vincent , Jerez-Mesa Ramón , Delbé Karl , Llumà Jordi , Travieso-Rodriguez J. Antonio , Dessein Gilles
Published: February 2023

The objective of the research is to analyze the impact of the ultrasonic vibration assistance on the wear resistance due to the topography enhancement caused on Ti6Al4V cylindrical samples after surface modification through a ball burnishing process. The process parameters considered for this study are the burnishing force, the number of passes, and the addition of a 40 kHz ultrasonic assistance, which are thought to enhance the surface topography and increase the hardener effect in terms of depth. A complete screening design of 3 factors was performed, revealing that the number of passes and the vibration assistance are the most important parameters for minimizing the wear volume loss, being 170 N of burnishing force, 3 passes, and the addition of the vibration assistance as the best combination found. However, no significant difference in the friction force was observed. The topography results show that there is a decrease in the average roughness from 1.50 to 0.45 μm with optimal burnishing conditions. It was also analyzed the microstructure originated after the turning, the conventional ball burnishing, and the vibration-assisted ball burnishing, being the last optimal in terms of depth affectation to the microstructure. Therefore, these results confirm an improvement in terms of wear enhancement, friction reduction, and topography results when vibration assistance is added to a conventional ball burnishing process.
Governments’ economic support for households during the COVID-19 pandemic and consumer confidence
Authors: Gholipour Hassan F. , Tajaddini Reza , Farzanegan Mohammad Reza
Published: February 2023

To combat the adverse consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have implemented various economic policies. This study examines how different types of government economic support for households are associated with consumer confidence. Utilizing data from 35 countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development for January 2020–October 2021 and applying panel fixed effect and system generalized methods of moments regressions, we show that higher levels of government economic support lead to higher levels of consumer confidence. The results also suggest that government income support for households has a stronger impact than debt/contract relief on consumer confidence during the pandemic in the full sample. Moreover, we find that debt/contract relief is a more effective policy to boost confidence in emerging economies. Finally, COVID-19 fatalities have a significant negative effect on consumer confidence.
Stationary Structures Near the Kolmogorov and Poiseuille Flows in the 2d Euler Equations
Authors: Coti Zelati Michele , Elgindi Tarek M. , Widmayer Klaus
Published: February 2023

We study the behavior of solutions to the incompressible 2d Euler equations near two canonical shear flows with critical points, the Kolmogorov and Poiseuille flows, with consequences for the associated Navier–Stokes problems. We exhibit a large family of new, non-trivial stationary states that are arbitrarily close to the Kolmogorov flow on the square torus $$\mathbb {T}^2$$

T

2

in analytic regularity. This situation contrasts strongly with the setting of some monotone shear flows, such as the Couette flow: there the linearized problem exhibits an “inviscid damping” mechanism that leads to relaxation of perturbations of the base flows back to nearby shear flows. Our results show that such a simple description of the long-time behavior is not possible for solutions near the Kolmogorov flow on $$\mathbb {T}^2$$

T

2

. Our construction of the new stationary states builds on a degeneracy in the global structure of the Kolmogorov flow on $$\mathbb {T}^2$$

T

2

, and we also show a lack of correspondence between the linearized description of the set of steady states and its true nonlinear structure. Both the Kolmogorov flow on a rectangular torus and the Poiseuille flow in a channel are very different. We show that the only stationary states near them must indeed be shears, even in relatively low regularity. In addition, we show that this behavior is mirrored closely in the related Navier–Stokes settings: the linearized problems near the Poiseuille and Kolmogorov flows both exhibit an enhanced rate of dissipation. Previous work by us and others shows that this effect survives in the full, nonlinear problem near the Poiseuille flow and near the Kolmogorov flow on rectangular tori, provided that the perturbations lie below a certain threshold. However, we show here that the corresponding result cannot hold near the Kolmogorov flow on $${\mathbb T}^2$$

T

2

.
Alexandrov–Fenchel inequalities for convex hypersurfaces in the half-space with capillary boundary
Authors: Wang Guofang , Weng Liangjun , Xia Chao
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we first introduce quermassintegrals for capillary hypersurfaces in the half-space. Then we solve the related isoperimetric type problems for the convex capillary hypersurfaces and obtain the corresponding Alexandrov–Fenchel inequalities. In order to prove these results, we construct a new locally constrained curvature flow and prove that the flow converges globally to a spherical cap.
Contribution of Salvaged Blood Red Blood Cell Transfusion During Living Donor Liver Transplantation
Authors: Kim Doyeon , Heo Gunyoung , Kim Jongman , Choi Gyu‐Seong , Joh Jae Won , Ko Justin Sangwook , Gwak Mi Sook , Kim Gaab Soo
Published: February 2023

Background

Transfusion of allogeneic blood products can have adverse effects and profoundly influence postoperative liver transplantation outcomes, including graft survival. To minimize allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, salvaged blood can be used during liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of salvaged blood to allogeneic RBC transfusion in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) recipients.

Methods

Data of 311 adult‐to‐adult LDLT recipients between January 2015 and April 2019 were analyzed. The primary outcome was a change in requirement for allogeneic RBCs due to the use of salvaged blood. Additionally, predictors of intraoperative allogeneic RBC transfusion were investigated.

Results

One hundred fifty‐three (49.2%) recipients required allogeneic RBC transfusion. If recipients did not receive salvaged blood, 253 (81.4%) recipients would have needed allogeneic RBC transfusion. The total volume of salvaged blood transfused into recipients during surgery was 269,165 mL, which corresponded to 993 units of allogeneic RBCs and accounted for 76.1% of total RBC transfusion volume. Multivariate analysis showed that male recipients, model for end‐stage liver disease score, preoperative hemoglobin level, and volume of salvaged blood used during surgery were independent predictors of the need for intraoperative allogenic RBC transfusion.

Conclusions

Intraoperative use of salvaged blood significantly reduced allogeneic RBC transfusion in LDLT recipients. It can help transplant teams manage transfusion of allogeneic RBCs during liver transplantation.
Temporal evolution of new T1-weighted hypo-intense lesions and central brain atrophy in patients with a first clinical demyelinating event treated with subcutaneous interferon β-1a
Authors: Vrenken H. , Battaglini M. , de Vos M. L. , Nagtegaal G. J. , Teixeira B. C. A. , Seitzinger A. , Jack D. , Sormani M. P. , Uitdehaag B. M. J. , Versteeg A. , Comi G. , Kappos L. , De Stefano N. , Barkhof F.
Published: February 2023

Objective

Evaluate the effect of subcutaneous interferon β-1a (sc IFN β-1a) versus placebo on the evolution of T1-weighted MRI lesions and central brain atrophy in in patients with a first clinical demyelinating event (FCDE).

Methods

Post hoc analysis of baseline-to-24 month MRI data from patients with an FCDE who received sc IFN β-1a 44 μg once- (qw) or three-times-weekly (tiw), or placebo, in REFLEX. Patients were grouped according to treatment regimen or conversion to clinically definite MS (CDMS) status. The intensity of new lesions on unenhanced T1-weighted images was classified as T1 iso- or hypo-intense (black holes) and percentage ventricular volume change (PVVC) was assessed throughout the study.

Results

In patients not converting to CDMS, sc IFN β-1a tiw or qw, versus placebo, reduced the overall number of new lesions (P < 0.001 and P = 0.005) and new T1 iso-intense lesions (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002) after 24 months; only sc IFN β-1a tiw was associated with fewer T1 hypo-intense lesions versus placebo (P < 0.001). PVVC findings in patients treated with sc IFN β-1a suggested pseudo-atrophy that was ~ fivefold greater versus placebo in the first year of treatment (placebo 1.11%; qw 4.28%; tiw 6.76%; P < 001); similar findings were apparent for non-converting patients.

Conclusions

In patients with an FCDE, treatment with sc IFN β-1a tiw for 24 months reduced the number of new lesions evolving into black holes.
Common neural correlates of vestibular stimulation and fear learning: an fMRI meta-analysis
Authors: Neumann Nicola , Fullana Miquel A. , Radua Joaquim , Brandt Thomas , Dieterich Marianne , Lotze Martin
Published: February 2023

Background

A bidirectional functional link between vestibular and fear-related disorders has been previously suggested.

Objective

To test a potential overlap of vestibular and fear systems with regard to their brain imaging representation maps.

Methods

By use of voxel-based mapping permutation of subject images, we conducted a meta-analysis of earlier functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies applying vestibular stimulation and fear conditioning in healthy volunteers.

Results

Common clusters of concordance of vestibular stimulation and fear conditioning were found in the bilateral anterior insula cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the right temporal pole, bilaterally in the adjacent ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, secondary somatosensory cortex, superior temporal and intraparietal lobe, supplementary motor area and premotor cortex, as well as subcortical areas, such as the bilateral thalamus, mesencephalic brainstem including the collicular complex, pons, cerebellar vermis and bilateral cerebellar hemispheres. Peak areas of high concordance for activations during vestibular stimulation but deactivations during fear conditioning were centered on the posterior insula and S2.

Conclusions

The structural overlap of both networks allows the following functional interpretations: first, the amygdala, superior colliculi, and antero-medial thalamus might represent a release of preprogramed sensorimotor patterns of approach or avoidance. Second, the activation (vestibular system) and deactivation (fear system) of the bilateral posterior insula is compatible with the view that downregulation of the fear network by acute vestibular disorders or unfamiliar vestibular stimulation makes unpleasant perceived body accelerations less distressing. This also fits the clinical observation that patients with bilateral vestibular loss suffer from less vertigo-related anxiety.
Precision periodontal care: from omics discoveries to chairside diagnostics
Authors: Bostanci Nagihan , Belibasakis Georgios N.
Published: February 2023

The interface of molecular science and technology is guiding the transformation of personalized to precision healthcare. The application of proteomics, genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics is shaping the suitability of biomarkers for disease. Prior validation of such biomarkers in large and diverse patient cohorts helps verify their clinical usability. Incorporation of molecular discoveries into routine clinical practice relies on the development of customized assays and devices that enable the rapid delivery of analytical data to the clinician, while the patient is still in session. The present perspective review addresses this topic under the prism of precision periodontal care. Selected promising research attempts to innovate technological platforms for oral diagnostics are brought forward. Focus is placed on (a) the suitability of saliva as a conveniently sampled biological specimen for assessing periodontal health, (b) proteomics as a high-throughput approach for periodontal disease biomarker identification, and (c) chairside molecular diagnostic assays as a technological funnel for transitioning from the laboratory benchtop to the clinical point-of-care.
Cross-sectoral impacts of the 2018–2019 Central European drought and climate resilience in the German part of the Elbe River basin
Authors: Conradt Tobias , Engelhardt Henry , Menz Christoph , Vicente-Serrano Sergio M. , Farizo Begoña Alvarez , Peña-Angulo Dhais , Domínguez-Castro Fernando , Eklundh Lars , Jin Hongxiao , Boincean Boris , Murphy Conor , López-Moreno J. Ignacio
Published: February 2023

The 2018–2019 Central European drought was probably the most extreme in Germany since the early sixteenth century. We assess the multiple consequences of the drought for natural systems, the economy and human health in the German part of the Elbe River basin, an area of 97,175 km2 including the cities of Berlin and Hamburg and contributing about 18% to the German GDP. We employ meteorological, hydrological and socio-economic data to build a comprehensive picture of the drought severity, its multiple effects and cross-sectoral consequences in the basin. Time series of different drought indices illustrate the severity of the 2018–2019 drought and how it progressed from meteorological water deficits via soil water depletion towards low groundwater levels and river runoff, and losses in vegetation productivity. The event resulted in severe production losses in agriculture (minus 20–40% for staple crops) and forestry (especially through forced logging of damaged wood: 25.1 million tons in 2018–2020 compared to only 3.4 million tons in 2015–2017), while other economic sectors remained largely unaffected. However, there is no guarantee that this socio-economic stability will be sustained in future drought events; this is discussed in the light of 2022, another dry year holding the potential for a compound crisis. Given the increased probability for more intense and long-lasting droughts in most parts of Europe, this example of actual cross-sectoral drought impacts will be relevant for drought awareness and preparation planning in other regions.
A review of the occurrence, distribution, and impact of bitumen seeps on soil and groundwater in parts of southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Jekayinfa Solomon Mayowa , Oladunjoye Michael Adeyinka , Doro Kennedy O.
Published: February 2023

The impact of bitumen components on soil and groundwater resources is of environmental importance. Contaminants’ influx into the environment from bitumen components through anthropogenic activities such as exploration, mining, transportation, and usage of bitumen in all its forms have been reported globally. However, gaps exist in the geogenic occurrence of bitumen in the shallow subsurface such as in southwest Nigeria, contaminating the soil and groundwater resources. This review presents in situ bitumen seeps as a source of geogenic soil and groundwater contaminants in southwestern Nigeria. We conducted a systematic review of literatures based on defined selection criteria. We derived information on the state of knowledge about bitumen seep occurrences and distribution in southwestern Nigeria. Also, the processes that exacerbate bitumen contaminants’ influx into soil and groundwater were enunciated. At the same time, case examples highlighted areas for possible in situ bitumen contamination studies in Nigeria. The results of this review showed that a multidisciplinary approach has been employed to assess and monitor the contaminants resulting from the various activities involving the exploitation and application of bitumen in Nigeria. These studies emphasize bitumen contaminants as emanating from anthropogenic sources. The results also suggested that bitumen studies have been mainly exploratory to improve the understanding of the economic potential of the hydrocarbon reserve. Also, recent advances in bitumen contaminants studies accounted for the heterogeneous nature of the bitumen. This allows for the optimized categorization of the mechanism and processes undergone by the different bitumen components when released as environmental contaminants. However, a knowledge gap exists in characterizing and understanding the effects of in situ bitumen seeps as a geogenic source of soil and groundwater contamination. This review identifies the possibility of geogenic soil and groundwater contamination by in situ bitumen seeps in the coastal plain sand of the Dahomey basin in southwestern Nigeria. The impact of the bitumen contaminants on the environment was discussed, while methods for accessing the occurrence and distribution of the bitumen contaminants were highlighted.
The Association of Serum Immunoglobulins with Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: the Rotterdam Study
Authors: Khan Samer R. , Dalm Virgil A. S. H. , Ikram M. Kamran , Peeters Robin P. , van Hagen P. Martin , Kavousi Maryam , Chaker Layal
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Inflammation is implicated in cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the association of total serum immunoglobulin (Ig) A, G, and M with CVD across the whole spectrum of atherosclerosis in community-dwelling elderly is unknown.

Methods

This study was embedded in the Rotterdam Study, an ongoing population-based cohort study. We performed Cox regression for the associations of Igs with incident atherosclerotic CVD (ACVD; composite of myocardial infarction, revascularization, and stroke), cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality, and multinomial logistic regression for the association between Igs and coronary artery calcification (CAC) scores. We adjusted for age, sex, lifestyle, and cardiovascular risk factors and presented results per standard deviation increase.

Results

We included 8767 participants (median age 62.2 years, 57% women). Higher IgG was associated with an increased ACVD risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.08; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.01–1.15). Higher IgA and IgG were associated with an increased cardiovascular mortality risk, mainly within Ig reference ranges, and with an increased all-cause mortality risk, although less marked. Higher IgA was associated with severe atherosclerosis, i.e., CAC score > 400 (odds ratio: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.03–1.62), while for higher IgG a trend was seen with severe atherosclerosis.

Conclusion

In middle-aged and older individuals from the general population, higher serum IgA and IgG, but not IgM, are associated with CVD, cardiovascular mortality, and severe atherosclerosis, particularly within Ig reference ranges and independent of serum C-reactive protein. Future studies are needed to elucidate potential causality of the reported associations.
Characterization of Hyaluronan Localization in the Developing Mammary Gland and Mammary Tumors
Authors: Witschen Patrice M. , Elfstrum Alexis K. , Nelson Andrew C. , Schwertfeger Kathryn L.
Published: February 2023

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is biochemically and biomechanically important for the structure and function of the mammary gland, which undergoes vast structural changes throughout pubertal and reproductive development. Although hyaluronan (HA) is a ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan (GAG) of the mammary gland ECM, extensive characterization of HA deposition in the mammary gland is lacking. Understanding physiologic HA metabolism is critical as this tightly controlled system is often hijacked in cancer. In the current studies, we characterize HA regulation throughout mammary gland development to better understand subsequent dysregulation of HA in mammary tumors. Using immunofluorescence (IF) imaging, we demonstrate that organized HA-rich septa exist in the mammary gland stroma throughout puberty, pregnancy, and involution. Furthermore, we find heterogeneous HA deposition within two murine models of breast cancer. Using cell specific isolation techniques, we characterize expression of genes associated with HA binding, synthesis, and degradation within EpCAM + epithelial cells, CD90.2 + fibroblasts, and F4/80 + macrophages isolated from mammary glands and tumors. Most notably, we identify elevated levels of the hyaluronidases Hyal1 and Hyal2 in tumor-association macrophages (TAMs), suggesting a role for TAM-mediated turnover of HA in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Gene expression is supported functionally by in vitro experiments in which macrophages treated with tumor-cell conditioned media exhibit increased hyaluronidase activity. These findings link TAMs to the direct degradation of HA within the TME of mammary tumors, which has negative implications for patient survival.
Machine Learning for Dementia Prediction: A Systematic Review and Future Research Directions
Authors: Javeed Ashir , Dallora Ana Luiza , Berglund Johan Sanmartin , Ali Arif , Ali Liaqat , Anderberg Peter
Published: February 2023

Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have successfully provided automated solutions to numerous real-world problems. Healthcare is one of the most important research areas for ML researchers, with the aim of developing automated disease prediction systems. One of the disease detection problems that AI and ML researchers have focused on is dementia detection using ML methods. Numerous automated diagnostic systems based on ML techniques for early prediction of dementia have been proposed in the literature. Few systematic literature reviews (SLR) have been conducted for dementia prediction based on ML techniques in the past. However, these SLR focused on a single type of data modality for the detection of dementia. Hence, the purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of ML-based automated diagnostic systems considering different types of data modalities such as images, clinical-features, and voice data. We collected the research articles from 2011 to 2022 using the keywords dementia, machine learning, feature selection, data modalities, and automated diagnostic systems. The selected articles were critically analyzed and discussed. It was observed that image data driven ML models yields promising results in terms of dementia prediction compared to other data modalities, i.e., clinical feature-based data and voice data. Furthermore, this SLR highlighted the limitations of the previously proposed automated methods for dementia and presented future directions to overcome these limitations.