bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research progress on ceramic nanomaterials reinforced aluminum matrix nanocomposites
Authors: Mondal Subrata , Mondal Priya , Mishra Debi Prasad
Published: April 2023

Aluminum as a matrix phase in the metal matrix nanocomposites has several advantages, such as lightweight, ductile, corrosion resistance, and alloying ability with other elements. However, major disadvantages of aluminum as matrix phase for the nanocomposite are poor mechanical properties, low hardness, and poor wear resistance. Ceramic nanomaterials as continuous fibre, short fibre, particle or whisker can be reinforced in the aluminum in order to produced nanocomposites. An attempt has been made in this review paper to assess and ascertain recent research progress on ceramic nanoparticles reinforced aluminum matrix nanocomposites. The paper presents a review and overview of manufacturing, microstructure, properties and prospective applications of different ceramic nanomaterials incorporated aluminum/alloy matrix based nanocomposites.
Further study of
within a chiral quark model*
Authors: Zhong Hui-Hua , Ni Ru-Hui , Chen Mu-Yang , Zhong Xian-Hui , Xie Ju-Jun
Published: April 2023

In our previous studies, we analyzed the two-body strong decays of the low-lying Ω baryon states within a chiral quark model. The results showed that the mass, total width, and two body decay

could be well reproduced with the spin-parity

state

classified in the quark model. Stimulated by the new observations of the three-body decay process

at Belle, in the present study, we further investigate the three-body strong decay

within the chiral quark model. It is found that the

has a sizeable decay rate into the three-body final states

. When considering

as the

resonance, the predicted ratio

is close to the upper limit

measured by the Belle Collaboration in 2019; however, it is too small to be comparable to the recent measurement

. In addition, the coupled-channel effects on the bare three-quark state

from nearby channels

,

, and

are studied. Our theoretical results show that the coupled-channel effects on

are not very large, and the molecular component is no more than

. To clarify the nature of

resonance, precise measurements on the ratio

are needed, and further investigation on the effects of coupled channels is recommended.
Reply to Comment on ‘The central role of forests in the 2021 European floods’ by Arie Staal and Gerbrand Koren
Authors: Insua-Costa Damián , Senande-Rivera Martín , Llasat María Carmen , Miguez-Macho Gonzalo
Published: April 2023

In their comment, Staal and Koren replicate our experiment using a different methodology, namely a Lagrangian moisture tracking method. Their results largely agree with ours, which is therefore a good indication of the high robustness and accuracy of these findings. Although this comparison is of great value, to a large extent their comment is a criticism of our interpretation of the results, with which we disagree. Their main objection refers to the fact that, since they show that the relative contribution of forests to the precipitation recorded during the event was not anomalous (above average), their ‘central role’ would not be justified. However, a relevant or even a dominant contribution does not necessarily have to be anomalous, so that claim does not hold. In other words, forests played a ‘central role’ because their contribution (adding transpiration and interception loss) was greater than 50%, regardless of what their average contribution to precipitation in the first half of July might be.
A biogeochemical model of mineral-based ocean alkalinity enhancement: impacts on the biological pump and ocean carbon uptake
Authors: Fakhraee Mojtaba , Li Zijian , Planavsky Noah J , Reinhard Christopher T
Published: April 2023

Minimizing anthropogenic climate disruption in the coming century will likely require carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from Earth’s atmosphere in addition to deep and rapid cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. Ocean alkalinity enhancement—the modification of surface ocean chemistry to drive marine uptake of atmospheric CO2—is seen as a potentially significant component of ocean-based CDR portfolios. However, there has been limited mechanistic exploration of the large-scale CDR potential of mineral-based ocean alkalinity enhancement, potential bottlenecks in alkalinity release, and the biophysical impacts of alkaline mineral feedstocks on marine ecology and the marine biological carbon pump. Here we a series of biogeochemical models to evaluate the gross CDR potential and environmental impacts of ocean alkalinity enhancement using solid mineral feedstocks. We find that natural alkalinity sources—basalt and olivine—lead to very low CDR efficiency while strongly perturbing marine food quality and fecal pellet production by marine zooplankton. Artificial alkalinity sources—the synthetic metal oxides MgO and CaO—are potentially capable of significant CDR with reduced environmental impact, but their deployment at scale faces major challenges associated with substrate limitation and process CO2 emissions during feedstock production. Taken together, our results highlight distinct challenges for ocean alkalinity enhancement as a CDR strategy and indicate that mineral-based ocean alkalinity enhancement should be pursued with caution.
Global assessment of spatiotemporal changes of frequency of terrestrial wind speed
Authors: Zhao Yanan , Liang Shijing , Liu Yi , McVicar Tim R , Azorin-Molina Cesar , Zhou Lihong , Dunn Robert J H , Jerez Sonia , Qin Yingzuo , Yang Xinrong , Xu Jiayu , Zeng Zhenzhong
Published: April 2023

Wind energy, an important component of clean energy, is highly dictated by the disposable wind speed within the working regime of wind turbines (typically between 3 and 25 m s−1 at the hub height). Following a continuous reduction (‘stilling’) of global annual mean surface wind speed (SWS) since the 1960s, recently, researchers have reported a ‘reversal’ since 2011. However, little attention has been paid to the evolution of the effective wind speed for wind turbines. Since wind speed at hub height increases with SWS through power law, we focus on the wind speed frequency variations at various ranges of SWS through hourly in-situ observations and quantify their contributions to the average SWS changes over 1981–2021. We found that during the stilling period (here 1981–2010), the strong SWS (⩾ 5.0 m s−1, the 80th of global SWS) with decreasing frequency contributed 220.37% to the continuous weakening of mean SWS. During the reversal period of SWS (here 2011–2021), slight wind (0 m s−1 < SWS < 2.9 m s−1) contributed 64.07% to a strengthening of SWS. The strengthened strong wind (⩾ 5.0 m s−1) contributed 73.38% to the trend change of SWS from decrease to increase in 2010. Based on the synthetic capacity factor series calculated by considering commercial wind turbines (General Electric GE 2.5-120 model with rated power 2.5 MW) at the locations of the meteorological stations, the frequency changes resulted in a reduction of wind power energy (−10.02 TWh yr−1, p < 0.001) from 1981 to 2010 and relatively weak recovery (2.67 TWh yr−1, p < 0.05) during 2011–2021.
Production and optimization of the refractory properties of blended Nigerian clay for high-temperature application; a non-stochastic optimization approach
Authors: Adamu Hassan Abubakar , Samuel Bassey Okon , Joseph Abutu , Okon Samuel Samuel , Kirim Iliyasu Idris
Published: April 2023

High-performance materials, systems, and processes have necessitated the exploration of very high-temperature environments. Materials, particularly ceramics, which can withstand these high temperatures, have been extensively studied, even though enough emphasis has not been given to clays sourced locally in Nigeria, where there is an abundance. Also, stochastic optimization techniques has been employed to improve on system or carry out experimentation with minimal spend of resources and very high accuracy. This work extensively explored the refractory properties of blends developed from locally sourced clays (Mayo Ndaga and kachalla Sembe and Kona). The Taguchi optimization technique was employed to determine the effect of various quantities of the clays on the loss on ignition (LOI), refractoriness (RF), and firing shrinkage (FS) of the blends. It was discovered that the optimum (lowest) LOI, highest RF, and lowest FS were 11%, 1333 °C, and 0.48%, respectively. Analysis of variance also proved the significance of Mayo Ndaga on the RF and FS of the blends, with P-values of 0.038 and 0.000 at a 95% confidence level.
The spatial arrangement of sexes is related to reproductive allocation in mosses: a comparative study of reproductive allocation in three different monoicous sexual systems
Authors: dos Santos Wagner Luiz , Pôrto Kátia Cavalcanti , Bordin Juçara , Pinheiro Fábio , Bisang Irene
Published: April 2023

Background and Aims

We examined the relationship between reproductive allocation and vegetative growth in three monoicous sexual systems of bryophytes. The sexual systems show a gradient of increasing distance between the sexes, from gonioautoicous to cladautoicous to rhizautoicous. Here, we investigated the following two hypotheses: (1) reproductive allocation differs between sexes and sexual systems, and male reproductive allocation increases with increasing distance between male and female gametangia; and (2) reproductive allocation is negatively related to vegetative growth.

Methods

We sampled the three sexual systems, represented by three moss species of the genus Fissidens in the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil. Ramets were washed in the laboratory; the reproductive structures were detached from the vegetative ramets and sorted regarding sex and individual, dried at 70 °C for 72 h, and weighed in an ultramicrobalance. We calculated the mean reproductive and vegetative mass and reproductive allocation and used generalized linear models to test our predictions.

Key Results

Reproductive allocation differed between species and sexes. It was higher in the rhizautoicous than in the cladautoicous and gonioautoicous species. Mean reproductive allocation was greater in males than in females of the rhizautoicous species, greater in females than males of the cladautoicous species, and did not differ between the sexes in the gonioautoicous species. Estimates of reproductive and vegetative mass were positively related in females of the rhizautoicous species. Vegetative mass was not related to reproductive allocation in the gonioautoicous species, but negatively related to reproductive allocation in the male and female branchlets of the cladautoicous species and in the female ramets of the rhizautoicous species.

Conclusions

The reproductive allocation patterns differ between the rhizautoicous species and the ‘truly’ monoicous species, with shorter intersexual distances, which implies that our hypotheses were supported only in part. We suggest that the hypotheses should be reformulated and tested further by comparing ‘truly’ monoicous species with dioicous species and by including other genera.
Mpox Knowledge Graph: a comprehensive representation embedding chemical entities and associated biology of Mpox
Authors: Karki Reagon , Gadiya Yojana , Zaliani Andrea , Gribbon Philip
Published: April 2023

The outbreak of Mpox virus (MPXV) infection in May 2022 is declared a global health emergency by WHO. A total of 84 330 cases have been confirmed as of 5 January 2023 and the numbers are on the rise. The MPXV pathophysiology and its underlying mechanisms are unfortunately not yet understood. Likewise, the knowledge of biochemicals and drugs used against MPXV and their downstream effects is sparse. In this work, using Knowledge Graph (KG) representations we have depicted chemical and biological aspects of MPXV. To achieve this, we have collected and rationally assembled several biological study results, assays, drug candidates and pre-clinical evidence to form a dynamic and comprehensive network. The KG is compliant with FAIR annotations allowing seamless transformation and integration to/with other formats and infrastructures.

Availability and implementation

The programmatic scripts for Mpox KG are publicly available at https://github.com/Fraunhofer-ITMP/mpox-kg. It is hosted publicly at https://doi.org/10.18119/N9SG7D.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
Different approaches to Imaging Mass Cytometry data analysis
Authors: Milosevic Vladan
Published: April 2023

Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) is a novel, high multiplexing imaging platform capable of simultaneously detecting and visualizing up to 40 different protein targets. It is a strong asset available for in-depth study of histology and pathophysiology of the tissues. Bearing in mind the robustness of this technique and the high spatial context of the data it gives, it is especially valuable in studying the biology of cancer and tumor microenvironment. IMC-derived data are not classical micrographic images, and due to the characteristics of the data obtained using IMC, the image analysis approach, in this case, can diverge to a certain degree from the classical image analysis pipelines. As the number of publications based on the IMC is on the rise, this trend is also followed by an increase in the number of available methodologies designated solely to IMC-derived data analysis. This review has for an aim to give a systematic synopsis of all the available classical image analysis tools and pipelines useful to be employed for IMC data analysis and give an overview of tools intentionally developed solely for this purpose, easing the choice to researchers of selecting the most suitable methodologies for a specific type of analysis desired.
PreTP-2L: identification of therapeutic peptides and their types using two-layer ensemble learning framework
Authors: Yan Ke , Guo Yichen , Liu Bin
Published: April 2023

Motivation

Therapeutic peptides play an important role in immune regulation. Recently various therapeutic peptides have been used in the field of medical research, and have great potential in the design of therapeutic schedules. Therefore, it is essential to utilize the computational methods to predict the therapeutic peptides. However, the therapeutic peptides cannot be accurately predicted by the existing predictors. Furthermore, chaotic datasets are also an important obstacle of the development of this important field. Therefore, it is still challenging to develop a multi-classification model for identification of therapeutic peptides and their types.

Results

In this work, we constructed a general therapeutic peptide dataset. An ensemble-learning method named PreTP-2L was developed for predicting various therapeutic peptide types. PreTP-2L consists of two layers. The first layer predicts whether a peptide sequence belongs to therapeutic peptide, and the second layer predicts if a therapeutic peptide belongs to a particular species.

Availability and implementation

A user-friendly webserver PreTP-2L can be accessed at http://bliulab.net/PreTP-2L.
dipwmsearch: a Python package for searching di-PWM motifs
Authors: Mille Marie , Ripoll Julie , Cazaux Bastien , Rivals Eric
Published: April 2023

Motivation

Seeking probabilistic motifs in a sequence is a common task to annotate putative transcription factor binding sites or other RNA/DNA binding sites. Useful motif representations include position weight matrices (PWMs), dinucleotide PWMs (di-PWMs), and hidden Markov models (HMMs). Dinucleotide PWMs not only combine the simplicity of PWMs—a matrix form and a cumulative scoring function—but also incorporate dependency between adjacent positions in the motif (unlike PWMs which disregard any dependency). For instance to represent binding sites, the HOCOMOCO database provides di-PWM motifs derived from experimental data. Currently, two programs, SPRy-SARUS and MOODS, can search for occurrences of di-PWMs in sequences.

Results

We propose a Python package called dipwmsearch, which provides an original and efficient algorithm for this task (it first enumerates matching words for the di-PWM, and then searches these all at once in the sequence, even if the latter contains IUPAC codes). The user benefits from an easy installation via Pypi or conda, a comprehensive documentation, and executable scripts that facilitate the use of di-PWMs.

Availability and implementation

dipwmsearch is available at https://pypi.org/project/dipwmsearch/ and https://gite.lirmm.fr/rivals/dipwmsearch/ under Cecill license.
UCP-LF and other assay methods for schistosome circulating anodic antigen between 1978 and 2022
Authors: Fasogbon Ilemobayo Victor , Aja Patrick Maduabuchi , Ondari Erick Nyakundi , Adebayo Ismail , Ibitoye Olukayode Adebola , Egesa Moses , Tusubira Deusdedit , Sasikumar Swamiappan , Onohuean Hope
Published: April 2023

Detection of circulating anodic antigen (CAA) is known for its high sensitivity in diagnosing schistosomiasis infection, even in low-prevalence settings. The Up-Converting Phosphor-Lateral Flow (UCP-LF) assay developed in 2008 presented greater sensitivity than other assay methods in use for CAA detection. Our study aims to comprehensively review all studies conducted in this area and thus generate informed conclusions on the potential for adopting the UCP-LF assay for diagnosing this important yet neglected tropical disease. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, we generated search criteria to capture all studies in English journals available in the Scopus and PubMed databases on 20 December 2022. A total of 219 articles were identified, and 84 that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved and eventually included in the study. Twelve different assay methods were identified with a noteworthy transition from enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to the UCP-LF assay, a laboratory-based assay that may be applicable as a point-of-care (POC) diagnostic test for schistosomiasis. Reducing the time, cost, and dependence on specialized laboratory skills and equipment, especially relating to the trichloroacetic acid extraction step and centrifugation in the UCP-LF CAA assay may go a long way to aid its potential as a POC tool. We also propose the development of a CAA-specific aptamer (short protein/antigen-binding oligonucleotide) as a possible alternative to monoclonal antibodies in the assay. UCP-LF has great potential for POC application.
Reporting Findings from an Exploratory Study of Social Workers’ Perceptions about autism Training
Authors: Heslop Philip , Bushell Matthew
Published: April 2023

There is considerable literature on autism but a paucity of literature on social work with autistic people. This is surprising when autistic people may be overrepresented in the populations that social workers assess and support. This article reports the findings from a qualitative study exploring social workers’ perceptions of training needs about autism through two focus groups involving social workers. Social workers frequently engage with autistic people, either as practitioners in specialist teams but more frequently through generic adult and/or childcare services; therefore, awareness of autism is important. Autism is complex because it is sometimes hidden, which is exacerbated when autistic people may mask and camouflage their autism and any difficulties they experience. Data from the focus groups were thematically analysed to identify themes that highlight how social workers benefit from training about autism and how to work with autistic people, which includes training from autistic people and others with lived experience. The authors of this article represent different perspectives: the first author is a social work educator with over three decades’ practice and personal autism experience, and the second author is a social work manager and practitioner in a specialist service.
Unlocked doors: the trans glitch in Kitty Horrorshow’s Anatomy
Authors: Prevas Christine
Published: April 2023

This article explores the glitch as a trans mechanic of speculation in Kitty Horrorshow’s (2016) video game Anatomy. Through the glitch, Anatomy rewrites the “walking simulator” in favor of a non-linear form of movement that relies on gaps and breaks in the structure of the game. Drawing on scholarship in trans studies including Eva Hayward’s work on the scar as a site of trans possibility and Lucas Crawford’s examination of the relationship between architecture and trans subjectivity, I read Anatomy as one ludic form of trans worldmaking which unsettles the relationship between the trans body and the space of the house, and the relationship between the player and the act of play, invoking a trans ethos of indeterminacy that rejects coherent narratives of progression and legibility in favor of the refusal and possibility of the glitch.
How incubation temperature affects hatchling performance in reptiles: an integrative insight based on plasticity in metabolic enzyme
Authors: Wu Dan-Yang , Han Xing-Zhi , Li Teng , Sun Bao-Jun , Qin Xiao-Yan
Published: April 2023

Evaluating the effects of temperature variations on animals plays an important role in understanding the threat of climate warming. The effects of developmental temperature on offspring performance are critical in evaluating the effects of warming temperatures on the fitness of oviparous species, but the physiological and biochemical basis of this developmental plasticity is largely unknown. In this study, we incubated eggs of the turtle Pelodiscus sinensis at low (24 °C), medium (28 °C), and high (32 °C) temperatures, and evaluated the effects of developmental temperature on offspring fitness, and metabolic enzymes in the neck and limb muscles of hatchlings. The hatchlings from eggs incubated at the medium temperature showed better fitness-related performance (righting response and swimming capacity) and higher activities of metabolic enzymes (hexokinase, HK; lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) than hatchlings from the eggs incubated at high or low temperatures. In addition, the swimming speed and righting response were significantly correlated with the HK activities in limb (swimming speed) and neck (righting response) muscles, suggesting that the developmental plasticity of energy metabolic pathway might play a role in determining the way incubation temperature affects offspring phenotypes. Integrating the fitness-related performance and the activities of metabolic enzymes, we predict that the P. sinensis from high latitude would not face the detrimental effects of climate warming until the average nest temperatures reach 32 °C.
Prognostic implications of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection
Authors: Díez-Villanueva Pablo , García-Guimarães Marcos , Sanz-Ruiz Ricardo , Sabaté Manel , Macaya Fernando , Roura Gerard , Jimenez-Kockar Marcelo , Flores-Ríos Xacobe , Moreu Jose , Fuertes-Ferre Georgina , Jimenez-Valero Santiago , Tizón Helena , Nogales Juan Manuel , Velázquez Maite , Lozano Íñigo , Avanzas Pablo , Salamanca Jorge , Bastante Teresa , Alfonso Fernando
Published: April 2023

Aims

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a relatively infrequent cause of acute coronary syndrome. Clinical features, angiographic findings, management, and outcomes of SCAD patients who present reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) remain unknown.

Methods and results

The Spanish multicentre prospective SCAD registry (NCT03607981), included 389 consecutive patients with SCAD. In 348 of these patients, LVEF could be assessed by echocardiography during the index admission. Characteristics and outcomes of patients with preserved LVEF (LVEF ≥50%, n = 295, 85%) were compared with those with reduced LVEF (LVEF <50%, n = 53, 15%). Mean age was 54 years and 90% of patients in both groups were women. The most frequent clinical presentation in patients with reduced LVEF was ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (62% vs. 36%, P < 0.001), especially anterior STEMI. Proximal coronary segment and multi-segment involvement were also significantly more frequent in these patients. No differences were found on initial revascularization between groups. Patients with reduced LVEF significantly received more often neurohormonal antagonist therapy, and less frequently aspirin. In-hospital events were more frequent in these patients (13% vs. 5%, P = 0.01), with higher rates of death, cardiogenic shock, ventricular arrhythmia, and stroke. During a median follow-up of 28 months, the occurrence of a combined adverse event did not statistically differ between the two groups (19% vs. 12%, P = 0.13). However, patients with reduced LVEF had higher mortality (9% vs. 0.7%, P < 0.001) and readmission rates for heart failure (HF) (4% vs. 0.3%, P = 0.01).

Conclusion

Patients with SCAD and reduced LVEF show differences in clinical characteristics and angiographic findings compared with SCAD patients with preserved LVEF. Although these patients receive specific medications at discharge, they had higher mortality and readmission rates for HF during follow-up.
At Long Last: Short, All-Oral Regimens for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in the United States
Authors: Sinha Pranay , Jacobson Karen R , Horsburgh C Robert , Acuña-Villaorduña Carlos
Published: April 2023

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has historically required longer treatment regimens that were associated with higher unfavorable outcomes and side effects rates compared with drug susceptible TB (DS-TB). During the last decade, several studies conducted mostly in high-incidence settings have shown that MDR-TB can be successfully treated using all-oral shorter regimens of 6- to 9-month duration. In this article, we review the evolution of MDR-TB treatment from the early long regimens with injectables agents (IAs), followed by the shorter regimens with IA, to the groundbreaking, all-oral, 6- to 9-month regimens. Finally, we propose a framework for implementation of the shorter all-oral regimens in the United States.
Cell-of-origin–specific proteomics of extracellular vesicles
Authors: Kehrloesser Sebastian , Cast Oliver , Elliott Thomas S , Ernst Russell J , Machel Anne C , Chen Jia-Xuan , Chin Jason W , Miller Martin L
Published: April 2023

The ability to assign cellular origin to low-abundance secreted factors in extracellular vesicles (EVs) would greatly facilitate the analysis of paracrine-mediated signaling. Here, we report a method, named selective isolation of extracellular vesicles (SIEVE), which uses cell type-specific proteome labeling via stochastic orthogonal recoding of translation (SORT) to install bioorthogonal reactive groups into the proteins derived from the cells targeted for labeling. We establish the native purification of intact EVs from a target cell, via a bioorthogonal tetrazine ligation, leading to copurification of the largely unlabeled EV proteome from the same cell. SIEVE enables capture of EV proteins at levels comparable with those obtained by antibody-based methods, which capture all EVs regardless of cellular origin, and at levels 20× higher than direct capture of SORT-labeled proteins. Using proteomic analysis, we analyze nonlabeled cargo proteins of EVs and show that the enhanced sensitivity of SIEVE allows for unbiased and comprehensive analysis of EV proteins from subpopulations of cells as well as for cell-specific EV proteomics in complex coculture systems. SIEVE can be applied with high efficiency in a diverse range of existing model systems for cell–cell communication and has direct applications for cell-of-origin EV analysis and for protein biomarker discovery.
After-Action Reviews and the Big Black Hole of Improvement Processes
Authors: Hipple Natalie Kroovand , Hunter Benjamin D
Published: April 2023

University and campus public safety departments deal with a wide range of planned events and incidents from felonious crimes, chemical spills, and other emergent incidents to routine activities that require consistent reviews like commencement ceremonies. After-Action reviews (AARs) are a standard process in several industries including public safety, yet there is little empirical research when it comes to how AARs are applied to campus public safety entities and their outcomes. The Indiana University Public Safety Department (IUPS) reviewed 153 AAR reports, from 2017 through 2020, across seven Indiana University campuses and two academic centres. We highlight the key empirical findings from that review and how they influenced policy and practice at IUPS. We also highlight the role of the researcher–practitioner partnership in the process. We present lessons learned from the project along with suggestions for agencies interested in implementing a robust AAR process.
Parity versus Ignorance
Authors: Schulz Moritz
Published: April 2023

Why are hard decisions hard? According to the incomparabilists, hard choices are hard because the options cannot be compared. Proponents of parity hold that hard choices are hard because the options can be compared but only in terms of a fourth value relation—parity—in addition to the three standard relations: better, worse, and equally good. Others claim that hard choices are hard because it is vague (or indeterminate) how the options relate in terms of the three standard relations. Lastly, there is the epistemicist. For the epistemicist, hard choices are hard because one is irresolvably ignorant about how the options compare. In the debate about hard choices, epistemicism is often mentioned but rarely defended. The present paper is a contribution to closing this gap.
The role of the microbiome in rheumatoid arthritis: a review
Authors: Tsetseri Maria-Nefeli , Silman Alan J , Keene David J , Dakin Stephanie G
Published: April 2023

The close bidirectional relationship between the microbiome and the immune system is well supported, and a role of gut dysbiosis has been implied in many systemic autoimmune diseases. This review aims to provide a critical summary and appraisal of 6 murine studies and 16 clinical studies. The findings of the literature review suggest that gut dysbiosis precedes arthritis and that local intestinal inflammation leads to systemic inflammation in genetically predisposed individuals. However, the exact mechanism by which microorganisms provoke immune responses at distal sites remains to be elucidated. Although a characteristic RA microbiome was not identified, there were some common findings among studies: overabundance of Prevotella copri in early RA patients, and proliferation of the genus Collinsela and some Lactobacillus species. Three mechanisms by which microbiota might contribute to RA pathogenesis were proposed: inflammatory responses (P. copri and Lactobacillus), molecular mimicry (P. copri) and loss of intestinal barrier integrity (Collinsella). Larger longitudinal studies are required in order to shed light on the mechanisms involved and unravel the therapeutic potential of the microbiome, and clinical trials are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the implied therapeutic interventions.
The impact of comorbidities on interleukin-17 inhibitor therapy in psoriatic arthritis: a Danish population-based cohort study
Authors: Petersen Magnus B , Hansen Rebekka L , Egeberg Alexander , Jørgensen Tanja S , Merola Joseph Frank , Coates Laura C , Kristensen Lars Erik
Published: April 2023

Objective

To investigate the influence of comorbidities on treatment response, disease activity and persistence with first-line IL-17 inhibitor (IL-17i) treatment in patients with PsA.

Methods

Patients were divided into three groups depending on the presence and/or severity of comorbidities using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Groups were CCI 0: no comorbidities, CCI 1: one comorbidity and CCI ≥2: two or more comorbidities or one or more severe comorbidities. Outcomes in the groups were compared for treatment persistence, treatment response and disease activity.

Results

A higher CCI score was associated to an elevation in baseline CRP, swollen joint count and frequency of depression and/or anxiety. The median drug persistence in the groups were CCI 0: 1.8 years, CCI 1: 1.9 years and CCI ≥2: 1.5 years, but was not statistically significant to the CCI score. There were no significant differences in clinical response rates between the groups.

Conclusion

The presence of comorbidities was associated with increased baseline disease activity and frequency of depression and/or anxiety, but was not associated with shorter treatment persistence or lower clinical response rates in a cohort of 155 Danish patients with PsA treated with first-line IL-17i.
Are Carbon Emissions Associated with Stock Returns?
Authors: Aswani Jitendra , Raghunandan Aneesh , Rajgopal Shiva
Published: April 2023

An influential emerging literature documents strong correlations between carbon emissions and stock returns. We re-examine those data and conclude that these associations are driven by two factors. First, stock returns are correlated only with unscaled emissions estimated by the data vendor, but not with unscaled emissions actually disclosed by firms. Vendor-estimated emissions systematically differ from firm-disclosed emissions and are highly correlated with financial fundamentals, suggesting that prior findings primarily capture the association between such fundamentals and returns. Second, unscaled emissions, the variable typically used in academic literature, is correlated with stock returns but emissions intensity (emissions scaled by firm size), an equally important measure used in practice, is not. While unscaled emissions represent an important metric for society, we argue that, for individual firms, emissions intensity is an appropriate measurement choice to assess carbon performance. The associations between emissions and returns disappear after accounting for either of the issues above.
Brain Structure Measurements Predict Individualized Treatment Outcome of 12-Week Antipsychotic Monotherapies in First-episode Schizophrenia
Authors: Chen Ying , Cao Hengyi , Liu Shanming , Zhang Bo , Zhao Gaofeng , Zhang Zhuoqiu , Li Shuiying , Li Haiming , Yu Xin , Deng Hong
Published: April 2023

Background and Hypothesis

Early prediction of treatment response to antipsychotics in schizophrenia remains a challenge in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate if brain morphometries including gray matter volume and cortical thickness could serve as potential predictive biomarkers in first-episode schizophrenia.

Study Design

Sixty-eight drug-naïve first-episode patients underwent baseline structural MRI scans and were subsequently randomized to receive a single antipsychotic throughout the first 12 weeks. Assessments for symptoms and social functioning were conducted by eight “core symptoms” selected from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-8) and the Personal and Social performance scale (PSP) multiple times during follow-ups. Treatment outcome was evaluated as subject-specific slope coefficients for PANSS-8 and PSP scores using linear mixed model. LASSO regression model were conducted to examine the performance of baseline gray matter volume and cortical thickness in prediction of individualized treatment outcome.

Study Results

The study showed that individual brain morphometries at baseline, especially the orbitofrontal, temporal and parietal cortex, pallidum and amygdala, significantly predicted 12-week treatment outcome of PANSS-8 (r[predicted vs observed] = 0.49, P = .001) and PSP (r[predicted vs observed] = 0.40, P = .003) in first-episode schizophrenia. Moreover, the gray matter volume performed better than cortical thickness in the prediction the symptom changes (P = .034), while cortical thickness outperformed gray matter volume in the prediction of outcome of social functioning (P = .029).

Conclusions

These findings provide initial evidence that brain morphometry have potential to be used as prognostic predictors for antipsychotic response in patients, encouraging the future investigation of the translational value of these measures in precision psychiatry.
A Genome Resource for 192 Verticillium dahliae Isolates Infecting Potatoes Across Canada
Authors: Arseneault Tanya , Lafond-Lapalme Joël , Gonzalez Chary Esteban Quinche , Jordan Katerina S. , Yevtushenko Dmytro , Barrett Ryan , Van der Heyden Hervé , Chen Dahu , Tenuta Mario , Mimee Benjamin
Published: April 2023

Verticillium dahliae is an important soilborne pathogen causing Verticillium wilt. It is also the primary causal agent of potato early dying, a disease complex involving the root-lesion nematode. Here, we report the whole-genome sequencing of 192 isolates of V. dahliae originating from the major potato production areas across Canada. Our results yielded a resource of 277,010 genetic variations that will be useful for genetic analyses and revealed the presence of two major lineages, both present in all provinces but exhibiting differences in regional prevalence.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Association of an Emergency Critical Care Program With Survival and Early Downgrade Among Critically Ill Medical Patients in the Emergency Department*
Authors: Mitarai Tsuyoshi , Gordon Alexandra June , Nudelman Matthew J. R. , Urdaneta Alfredo E. , Nesbitt Jason Lawrence , Niknam Kian , Graber-Naidich Anna , Wilson Jennifer G. , Kohn Michael A.
Published: April 2023

OBJECTIVES:

To determine whether implementation of an Emergency Critical Care Program (ECCP) is associated with improved survival and early downgrade of critically ill medical patients in the emergency department (ED).

DESIGN:

Single-center, retrospective cohort study using ED-visit data between 2015 and 2019.

SETTING:

Tertiary academic medical center.

PATIENTS:

Adult medical patients presenting to the ED with a critical care admission order within 12 hours of arrival.

INTERVENTIONS:

Dedicated bedside critical care for medical ICU patients by an ED-based intensivist following initial resuscitation by the ED team.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

Primary outcomes were inhospital mortality and the proportion of patients downgraded to non-ICU status while in the ED within 6 hours of the critical care admission order (ED downgrade <6 hr). A difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis compared the change in outcomes for patients arriving during ECCP hours (2 pm to midnight, weekdays) between the preintervention period (2015–2017) and the intervention period (2017–2019) to the change in outcomes for patients arriving during non-ECCP hours (all other hours). Adjustment for severity of illness was performed using the emergency critical care Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (eccSOFA) score. The primary cohort included 2,250 patients. The DiDs for the eccSOFA-adjusted inhospital mortality decreased by 6.0% (95% CI, –11.9 to –0.1) with largest difference in the intermediate illness severity group (DiD, –12.2%; 95% CI, –23.1 to –1.3). The increase in ED downgrade less than 6 hours was not statistically significant (DiD, 4.8%; 95% CI, –0.7 to 10.3%) except in the intermediate group (DiD, 8.8%; 95% CI, 0.2–17.4).

CONCLUSIONS:

The implementation of a novel ECCP was associated with a significant decrease in inhospital mortality among critically ill medical ED patients, with the greatest decrease observed in patients with intermediate severity of illness. Early ED downgrades also increased, but the difference was statistically significant only in the intermediate illness severity group.
Bismuth, esomeprazole, metronidazole, and minocycline or tetracycline as a first-line regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Suo Baojun , Tian Xueli , Zhang Hua , Lu Haoping , Li Cailing , Zhang Yuxin , Ren Xinlu , Yao Xingyu , Zhou Liya , Song Zhiqiang
Published: April 2023

Background:

Given the general unavailability, common adverse effects and complicated administration of tetracycline, the clinical application of classic bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) is greatly limited. Whether minocycline can replace tetracycline for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication is unknown. We aimed to compare the eradication rate, safety, and compliance between minocycline- and tetracycline-containing BQT as first-line regimens.

Methods:

This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 434 naïve patients with H. pylori infection. The participants were randomly assigned to 14-day minocycline-containing BQT group (bismuth potassium citrate 110 mg q.i.d., esomeprazole 20 mg b.i.d., metronidazole 400 mg q.i.d., and minocycline 100 mg b.i.d.) and tetracycline-containing BQT group (bismuth potassium citrate/esomeprazole/metronidazole with doses same as above and tetracycline 500 mg q.i.d.). Safety and compliance were assessed within 3 days after eradication. Urea breath test was performed at 4–8 weeks after eradication to evaluate outcome. We used a noninferiority test to compare the eradication rates of the two groups. The intergroup differences were evaluated using Pearson chi-squared or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Student's t-test for continuous variables.

Results:

As for the eradication rates of minocycline- and tetracycline-containing BQT, the results of both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses showed that the difference rate of lower limit of 95% confidence interval (CI) was >-10.0% (ITT analysis: 181/217 [83.4%] vs. 180/217 [82.9%], with a rate difference of 0.5% [-6.9% to 7.9%]; PP analysis: 177/193 [91.7%] vs. 176/191 [92.1%], with a rate difference of -0.4% [-5.6% to 6.4%]). Except for dizziness more common (35/215 [16.3%] vs. 13/214 [6.1%], P = 0.001) in minocycline-containing therapy groups, the incidence of adverse events (75/215 [34.9%] vs. 88/214 [41.1%]) and compliance (195/215 [90.7%] vs. 192/214 [89.7%]) were similar between the two groups.

Conclusion:

The eradication efficacy of minocycline-containing BQT was noninferior to tetracycline-containing BQT as first-line regimen for H. pylori eradication with similar safety and compliance.

Trial registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov, ChiCTR 1900023646.
Efficacy and Safety of 5-Fluorouracil Tattooing to Repigment Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis: A Split-Body Randomized Trial
Authors: Arbache Samir , Hirata Sergio Henrique
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUD

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH) is a common skin disorder with no standard treatment.

OBJECTIVE

Assess the efficacy and safety of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) compared with saline, delivered using a tattoo machine, to repigment IGH lesions.

METHODS

This split-body randomized single-blinded trial recruited adults with symmetrical IGH lesions. A tattoo machine was used to deliver 5FU in IGH lesions of 1 limb and saline in the contralateral limb. Outcomes were the number of achromic lesions 30 days after treatment compared with baseline, patient satisfaction, and local or systemic adverse events.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine patients (28 women) were included. The median number of achromic lesions decreased significantly in 5FU-treated limbs (baseline: 32, interquartile range (IQR) 23–37 × post-treatment: 12, IQR 6–18, p = .000003) and saline-treated limbs (baseline: 31, IQR 24–43 × post-treatment: 21, IQR 16–31, p = .000006), but reduction was significantly more pronounced in 5FU-treated limbs (p = .00003). All participants were satisfied or very satisfied with results on 5FU-treated limbs. There were no adverse events.

CONCLUSION

5-fluorouracil delivery using a tattoo machine was more effective than saline to repigment IGH lesions, with high patient satisfaction and no adverse events.

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02904564.
Empowered But Isolated
Authors: Xu Mengqi , Ruan Tiantian , Luo Zhenlan , Sun Linfang , Zhu Lingyan , Hu Sanlian
Published: April 2023

Background

Family caregivers play crucial roles in the self-management of patients with heart failure (HF). However, little is known about caregiving experiences of Chinese family caregivers during acute HF.

Objective

The aim of this study was to describe Chinese family caregivers' experiences in symptom management and care-seeking during acute HF.

Methods

This is an exploratory, qualitative study using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed with thematic analysis.

Findings

A total of 21 family caregivers of patients with acute HF were enrolled in this study. “Empowered but isolated” was identified as the overarching theme during data analysis, including 3 themes and 6 subthemes: (1) “Responsible symptom managers: leading the home-based symptom management,” including 2 subthemes, “Proxy in symptom management” and “Only knowing the surface, instead of the truth”; (2) “Powerless anchors: care-seeking is a torturous journey,” including 2 subthemes, “Facing discrepancies in care-seeking” and “Seeing a doctor is the last choice”; (3) “Carrying the weight forward: responsibility combing with emotional burnout,” including 2 subthemes, “Living on tenterhooks” and “Submitting to fate.”

Conclusions

In this study, we described Chinese family caregivers' experiences in symptom management and care-seeking during acute HF. Although empowered as proxy, they were also isolated bearing a great burden, receiving insufficient support from patients, family, and the medical system.
Objective measurement of retention of laparoscopic skills: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Rahimi A. Masie , Hardon Sem F. , Scholten Samuel R. , Bonjer H. Jaap , Daams Freek
Published: April 2023

Introduction:

There has been an overall growth of 462% in laparoscopic procedures performed by surgical residents between 2000 and 2018. Therefore, training courses in laparoscopic surgery are advocated in many postgraduate programs. While the immediate effect is determined in some cases, the retention of acquired skills is rarely investigated. The objective of this study was to objectively measure the retention of laparoscopic technical skills to offer a more personalized training program.

Methods:

First year general surgery residents performed two fundamental laparoscopic skills tasks (Post and Sleeve and the ZigZag loop) on the Lapron box trainer. Assessment was performed before, directly after, and 4 months after completing the basic laparoscopy course. Force, motion, and time were the measured variables.

Results:

A total of 29 participants were included from 12 Dutch training hospitals and 174 trials were analyzed. The 4 months assessment of the Post and Sleeve showed a significant improvement in force (P=0.004), motion (P≤0.001), and time (P≤0.001) compared to the baseline assessment. The same was true for the ZigZag loop: force (P≤0.001), motion (P=0.005), and time (P≤0.001).

Compared to the 4 months assessment, skill deterioration was present for the Post and Sleeve in the mean force (P=0.046), max impulse (P=0.12), and time (P=0.002). For the ZigZag loop, skill decay was observed for force (P=0.021), motion (P=0.015), and time (P≤0.001) parameters.

Conclusion:

Acquired laparoscopic technical skills decreased 4 months after the basic laparoscopy course. Compared to baseline performance, participants showed significant improvement, however deterioration was observed compared to postcourse measurements. To preserve acquired laparoscopic skills, it is recommended to incorporate maintenance training, preferably with objective parameters, in training curricula.