bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lung cancer screening using low-dose CT and FDG-PET in liver transplant recipients
Authors: Caballeros Lam Meylin , Pujols Paula , Ezponda Casajús Ana , Guillén Valderrama Fernando , García Velloso María José , Wyss Alejandra , García del Barrio Loreto , Larrache Latasa Javier , Pueyo Villoslada Jesús , Lozano Escario María Dolores , de-Torres Juan P. , Alcaide Ocaña Ana Belén , Campo Ezquibela Aránzazu , Seijo Maceiras Luis , Montuenga Badía Luis , Zulueta Javier , Iñarrairaegui Bastarrica Mercedes , Herrero Santos Ignacio , Bastarrika Alemañ Gorka
Published: March 2023

To address the feasibility of implementing a lung cancer screening program in liver transplant recipients (LTR) targeted to detect early-stage lung cancer one hundred twenty-four LTR (89% male, 59.8+/−8.8 y old), who entered the lung cancer screening program at our hospital were reviewed. The results of the diagnostic algorithm using low-dose CT and F-18-fluorodeoxyglycose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) were analyzed. Lung cancer was detected in 12 LTR (9.7%), most of which corresponded to the non-small cell subtype. Two of the 12 lung cancers were detected in the baseline study (prevalence of 1.6%), whereas 10 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer in the follow-up (incidence of 8.1%). Considering all cancers, 10 of 12 (83.3%) were diagnosed at stage I, one cancer was diagnosed at stage IIIA, and another one at stage IV. The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of F-18-fluorodeoxyglycose positron emission tomography to detect malignancy in our cohort were 81.8%,100%, 99.3%, 100%, and 99.3%, respectively. A carefully followed multidisciplinary lung cancer screening algorithm in LTR that includes F-18-fluorodeoxyglycose positron emission tomography and low-dose CT allows lung cancer to be diagnosed at an early stage while reducing unnecessary invasive procedures.
The association of preexisting severe asthma with COVID-19 outcomes
Authors: Terry Paul D. , Heidel R. Eric , Dhand Rajiv
Published: March 2023

Purpose of review

Three years after the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many studies have examined the association between asthma and COVID-related morbidity and mortality, with most showing that asthma does not increase risk. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) currently suggests that patients with severe asthma may, nonetheless, be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19-related morbidity.

Recent findings

With respect to poor COVID-19 outcomes, our search yielded nine studies that quantified associations with severe asthma, seven that considered use of monoclonal antibodies (mAB), and 14 that considered inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) use. mAb and ICS use have been used as measures of severe asthma in several studies. Severe asthma was significantly associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes. The results for mAb and ICS were mixed.

An increased risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes in patients with severe asthma is possible. However, these studies remain sparse and suffer from several methodological limitations that hinder their interpretation. Additional evidence is needed to provide clear, cogent guidance for health agencies seeking to inform patients with asthma about potential risks due to COVID-19.
Effectiveness of dexmedetomidine on postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients with fracture: A systematic review
Authors: Zeng Ting , Lv Jie , Cui Yang , Li Xue-Feng , Zhang Qi
Published: March 2023

Background:

Previous studies have explored the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine on postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in elderly patients with fracture. However, no systematic review has addressed this issue. Thus, this systematic review investigated the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine on POCD in elderly patients with fracture.

Methods:

In this study, we searched electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wang Fang and China Science and Technology Journal Database from their initiation to July 1, 2022. We considered randomized controlled trials of dexmedetomidine on POCD in elderly patients with fracture in this study. Primary outcome was measured by mini-mental state examination. Secondary outcomes were measured by total occurrence rate of postoperative cognitive dysfunction, occurrence rate of delirium, visual analogue scale and occurrence rate of adverse events.

Results:

A total of 10 studies involving 969 elderly patients with fracture are included in this study. Meta-analysis results showed that there were significant differences on mini-mental state examination at 1-day post-surgery [mean difference (MD) = 2.17; random 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06, 3.28; P < .001; I²=98%], 3-day post-surgery (MD = 2.70; random 95% CI, 1.51, 3.89; P < .001; I²=98%), and 7-day post-surgery (MD = 1.21; random 95% CI, 0.50, 1.93; P < .001; I²=86%), total occurrence rate of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (odds ratio [OR] = 0.26; fixed 95% CI, 0.11, 0.60; P = .002; I²= 0%), occurrence rate of delirium (OR = 0.29; fixed 95% CI, 0.11, 0.78; P = .01; I²= 0%), visual analogue scale (MD = −1.23; random 95% CI, −1.74, −0.72; P < .001; I²=95%), and occurrence rate of adverse events (OR = 0.32; fixed 95% CI, 0.20, 0.50; P < .001; I²= 0%) between the 2 groups.

Conclusion:

The results of this study showed that dexmedetomidine could effectively manage POCD in elderly patients with fracture. However, the overall quality of included trials is not too high. Thus, the present findings should be cautiously referred.
Obstetric involvement in mitochondrial disorders: A review
Authors: Finsterer Josef
Published: March 2023

This is the first review about obstetric involvement in mitochondrial disorders (MIDs). The purpose of the review was to discuss recent advances and knowledge about the type and frequency of obstetric complications in MIDs. A narrative review for preferred reporting items was performed in MEDLINE, Current Contents, EMBASE, Web of Science, Web of Knowledge, LILACS, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar. The author searched for studies examining obstetric complications in patients with a definite MID. Obstetric complications described in MIDs include eclampsia, preeclampsia, intra uterine growth retardation, polyhydramnion, oligoamnion, decreased fetal movements, premature delivery, stillbirth, blow weakness, dystocia, breech presentation, retained placenta, postnatal hemorrhage, low birth weight, and early postnatal death. The most common of these complications are polyhydramnion, stillbirth, premature delivery, and low birth weight. The data show that some obstetric complications are more common in MIDs than in healthy females. MIDs can be associated with various obstetric complications. Some of these complications are more common in pregnant females with MID compared with healthy pregnant females. Obstetricians should be aware of MIDs and should know that pregnant females with a MID have an increased risk of developing complications during pregnancy or delivery.
Lasers for stone lithotripsy: advantages/disadvantages of each laser source
Authors: Emiliani Esteban , Kanashiro Andres , Angerri Oriol
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this article was to make a narrative review of the literature in search of all articles regarding thulium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet (YAG), thulium laser fiber (TFL) and holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) for lithotripsy from 2020 to 2023. A selection of articles of special interest and best evidence was made in order to give a better perspective on their advantages and disadvantages.

Recent findings

New Ho:YAG technologies of as high power, high frequency and pulsed modulations have shown promising results for lithotripsy by reducing retropulsion with good ablation efficiency. High peak power makes it particularly good for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. High intrarenal temperatures and correct setting are still concerning points.

TFL has arrived to be one of the main players in flexible ureteroscopy. Being highly efficient and quick, and by producing micro-dusting the laser is quickly heading to become a gold standard. The new pulsed Thulium YAG is the newest laser. For now, only in-vitro studies show promising results with efficient lithotripsy. As the peak power lies between Ho:YAG and TFL it may be able to adequately perform when needing and low power lithotripsy.

Several new technologies have been developed in the last years for stone lithotripsy. All being efficient and safe if well used. Different advantages and disadvantages of each laser must be taken into consideration to give each laser the proper indication.
HIV medical care interruption among people living with HIV in Spain, 2004–2020
Authors: Izquierdo Rebeca , Rava Marta , Moreno-García Estela , Blanco José Ramón , Asensi Víctor , Cervero Miguel , Curran Adrian , Rubio Rafael , Iribarren José Antonio , Jarrín Inmaculada
Published: March 2023

Objective:

We estimated the incidence rate of HIV medical care interruption (MCI) and its evolution over a 16-year-period, and identified associated risk factors among HIV-positive individuals from the Cohort of the Spanish AIDS Research Network in 2004–2020.

Design:

We included antiretroviral-naive individuals aged at least 18 years at enrolment, recruited between January 1, 2004, and August 30, 2019, and followed-up until November 30, 2020.

Methods:

Individuals with any time interval of at least 15 months between two visits were defined as having a MCI. We calculated the incidence rate (IR) of having at least one MCI and used multivariable Poisson regression models to identify associated risk factors.

Results:

Of 15 274 individuals, 5481 (35.9%) had at least one MCI. Of those, 2536 (46.3%) returned to HIV care after MCI and 3753 (68.5%) were lost to follow-up at the end of the study period. The incidence rate (IR) of MCI was 7.2/100 person-years (py) [95% confidence interval (CI): 7.0–7.4]. The annual IR gradually decreased from 20.5/100 py (95% CI: 16.4–25.6) in 2004 to 4.9/100 py (95% CI: 4.4–5.5) in 2014, a slight increase was observed between 2015 and 2018, reaching 9.3/100 py (95% CI: 8.6–10.2) in 2019. Risk factors for MCI included younger age, lower educational level, having contracted HIV infection through injecting drug use or heterosexual intercourse, having been born outside of Spain, and CD4+ cell count >200 cell/μl, viral load <100 000 and co-infection with hepatitis C virus at enrolment.

Conclusions:

Around a third of individuals had at least one MCI during the follow-up. Identified predictors of MCI can help health workers to target and support most vulnerable individuals.
Facial Asymmetry Phenotypes in Adult Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate and Skeletal Class III Malocclusion Using Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis
Authors: Hong Mihee , Kim Haeddeuri , Yang Il-Hyung , Choi Jin-Young , Lee Jong-Ho , Kim Myung-Jin , Chung Jee Hyeok , Kim Sukwha , Baek Seung-Hak
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study was to classify and characterize facial asymmetry (FA) phenotypes in adult patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and skeletal class III malocclusion. The samples comprised 52 adult UCLP patients (36 men and 16 women; mean age, 22.43 y) who had undergone orthognathic surgery for correction of class III malocclusion. After measurement of 22 cephalometric parameters in posteroanterior cephalograms taken 1 month before orthognathic surgery, principal component analysis was performed to obtain 5 representative parameters [deviation (mm) of ANS (ANS-dev), maxillary central incisor contact point (Mx1-dev), and menton (Me-dev); cant (degree) of the maxillary anterior occlusal plane (MxAntOP-cant) and mandibular border (MnBorder-cant)]. K-means cluster analysis was conducted using these representative parameters. The differences in cephalometric parameters among the clusters were statistically analyzed. The FA phenotypes were classified into 4 types: No-cant-and-No-deviation type (cluster-4, n=16, 30.8%); MxMn-cant-MxMn-dev to the cleft-side type (cluster-3, n=4, 7.7%); Mx-cant-Mn-shift to the cleft-side type (cluster-2, n=15, 28.8%); and Mn-cant-Mn-dev to the noncleft-side type (cluster-1, n=17, 32.7%). Asymmetry in the maxilla and/or mandible were observed in 70% of patients. One third of patients (cluster-2 and cluster-3; sum, 36.5%) exhibited significant cant of MxAntOP induced by cleft and cant or shift of the mandible to the cleft side. Another one third of patients (cluster-1, 32.7%) demonstrated significant deviation and cant of the mandible to the noncleft-side despite cleft in the maxilla. This FA phenotype classification might be a basic guideline for diagnosis and treatment planning for UCLP patients.
Can Condylectomy Alone Achieve Facial Symmetry in Patients With Hemimandibular Hyperplasia (Condylar Hyperplasia Type 2)?
Authors: Abboud Waseem A. , Romano Rafi , Ledermann Shlomi , Shashua Dafna , Naddaf Raja , Tulchinsky Michael , Kadry Rana , Shamir Dror
Published: March 2023

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the 3-dimensional orofacial changes occurring after proportional condylectomy in patients with unilateral condylar hyperplasia type 2 (hemimandibular hyperplasia). Eight patients underwent proportional condylectomy that was not followed by orthognathic surgery or orthodontic treatment for at least 1 year. The precondylectomy and postcondylectomy photographs and radiographs were analyzed cephalometrically and compared. The average length of the condylar segment removed was 13 mm and this resulted in almost equal heights of the ramus-condyle units of both sides. Evaluations in the vertical plane improved after surgery; however, when the preoperative asymmetry was significant, the residual asymmetry continued to be notable after condylectomy. Transverse plane evaluations improved after condylectomy, and chin position was satisfactorily centralized in all patients. In the horizontal plane, mandibular setback occurred, and this was considered favorable when the preoperative skeletal profile was class III, whereas the opposite was when the patient was class I before surgery. The occlusion improved gradually over the postoperative months by the intrusion on the affected side and extrusion on the unaffected side into a bilaterally balanced posterior contacts with residual anterior open bite. In conclusion, condylar hyperplasia type 2 patients with mild asymmetry and low esthetic demands can benefit from proportional condylectomy as the sole treatment to both stop the hyperplastic condylar growth and improve the asymmetry to some extent. Surgeons should be able to predict the change that is expected to occur after proportional condylectomy and discuss this with the patient before surgery.
Anterior Cingulate Epilepsy: A Review
Authors: Pana Raluca M. , Nguyen Dang K.
Published: March 2023

In this review, the semiology, and characteristics of noninvasive investigations suggestive of anterior cingulate and anterior midcingulate epilepsy are detailed by the authors. The clinical presentation is representative of a recently recognized rostrocaudal gradient of functional connectivity with seizures of the anterior cingulate cortex manifesting emotional and interoceptive aura followed by a hyperkinetic or complex motor seizures. The few reports of anterior midcingulate epilepsy show a trend toward a higher proportion of sensory auras and premotor semiology. Ictal pouting, vocalizations, and, in particular, laughter are strong indicators of epilepsy arising or spreading to this region. Although scalp EEG was traditionally thought to provide little information, the data provided in this review demonstrate that most patients will have abnormalities over the frontal or frontotemporal regions. Frontotemporal abnormalities at least interictally provide valuable information regarding lateralization. The etiology of epilepsy arising from the anterior cingulate region seems to be most frequently secondary to focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), followed by neoplasms and vascular lesions, particularly cavernomas, although one cannot rule out a publication bias. Findings of nuclear medicine imaging is seldomly reported but both positron emission tomography and ictal single-photon computed tomography can identify the generator or the network often showing abnormalities extending to the frontal regions. The few available magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies reveal mixed results, sometimes providing false lateralization of the focus. Anterior cingulate epilepsy is difficult to recognize, but the features summarized in this review should prompt suspicion in clinical practice.
Solitalea lacus sp. nov., isolated from pond sediment
Authors: Jung Ji Young , Lee Mi Hwa , Nam Young Ho , Kang Hye-Kyeong , Jeon Yu Jeong , Park Sanghwa , Han Ji-Hye , Kim Hyangmi
Published: March 2023

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, oxidase-positive, catalase-negative, motile by gliding, creamy white-pigmented bacterium, designated strain S2-8T, isolated from a sediment sample from a Wiyang pond in the Republic of Korea, was subjected to polyphasic taxonomic analysis. Growth was observed at 10–40 °C (optimum: 30 °C), pH 7–8 and 0–0.5% NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain S2-8T belonged to the family

Sphingobacteriaceae

in the phylum Bacteroidota and was closely related to

Solitalea longa

HR-AVT,

Solitalea canadensis

DSM 3403T and

Solitalea koreensis

R2A36-4T with 97.2, 96.7 and 93.7 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values for these type strains were 72.0–75.2% and 21.2–21.9 %, respectively. The major respiratory quinone is menaquinone-7. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1
 ω7c and/or C16 : 1
 ω6c). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified amino acids and four unidentified lipids. The G+C content of genomic DNA was 37.9 mol%. Based on polyphasic taxonomic analysis, it was observed that strain S2-8T is a novel species belonging to the genus

Solitalea

, for which the name Solitalea lacus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S2-8T (= KACC 22266T= JCM 34533T).
A test of the gleaner-opportunist trade-off among photosynthetic traits in Cryptophyte algae
Authors: Swanson Jake A. , Greenwold Matthew J. , Richardson Tammi L. , Dudycha Jeffry L.
Published: March 2023

As photosynthetic producers, phytoplankton form the foundation of aquatic food webs. Understanding the relationships among photosynthetic traits in phytoplankton is essential to revealing how diversification of these traits allow phytoplankton to harvest energy from different light environments. We investigated whether the diversification of 15 species of cryptophytes, a phylum of phytoplankton with diverse light-capturing pigments, showed evidence of trade-offs among photosynthetic performance traits as predicted by the gleaner-opportunist resource exploitation framework. We constructed photosynthesis vs. irradiance (P-E) curves and rapid light curves (RLCs) to estimate parameters characterizing photosynthetic performance and electron transport rate. We inferred the evolutionary relationships among the 15 species with ultraconserved genomic elements and used a phylogenetically controlled approach to test for trade-offs. Contrary to our prediction, we observed a positive correlation between maximum photosynthetic rate,Pmax, andP-E α, an indicator of a species’ sensitivity to increases in light intensity when light is a scarce resource. This result could not be explained by electron transfer traits, which were uncorrelated with photosynthetic rate. Together, our results suggest that ecological diversification of light exploitation in cryptophytes has escaped the constraints of a gleaner-opportunist tradeoff. Photosynthetic trade-offs may be context or scale dependent, thereby only emerging when investigated in situations different from the one used here.
Microglia cannibalism and efferocytosis leads to shorter lifespans of developmental microglia
Authors: Gordon Hannah , Schafer Zachary , Smith Cody J.
Published: March 2023

The overproduction of cells and subsequent production of debris is a universal principle of neurodevelopment. Here we show an additional feature of the developing nervous system that causes neural debris – promoted by the sacrificial nature of embryonic microglia that irreversibly become phagocytic after clearing other neural debris. Described as long-lived, microglia colonize the embryonic brain and persist into adulthood. Using transgenic zebrafish to investigate the microglia debris during brain construction, we identified that unlike other neural cell-types that die in developmental stages after they have expanded, necroptosis-dependent microglial debris is prevalent when microglia are expanding in the zebrafish brain. Time-lapse imaging of microglia demonstrates that this debris is cannibalized by other microglia. To investigate features that promote microglia death and cannibalism, we used time-lapse imaging and fate-mapping strategies to track the lifespan of individual developmental microglia. These approaches revealed that instead of embryonic microglia being long-lived cells that completely digest their phagocytic debris, once most developmental microglia in zebrafish become phagocytic they eventually die, including ones that are cannibalistic. These results establish a paradox -- which we tested by increasing neural debris and manipulating phagocytosis -- that once most microglia in the embryo become phagocytic, they die, create debris and then are cannibalized by other microglia, resulting in more phagocytic microglia that are destined to die.
Molecular basis of polyspecific drug binding and transport by OCT1 and OCT2
Authors: Suo Yang , Wright Nicholas J. , Guterres Hugo , Fedor Justin G. , Butay Kevin John , Borgnia Mario J. , Im Wonpil , Lee Seok-Yong
Published: March 2023

A wide range of endogenous and xenobiotic organic ions require facilitated transport systems to cross the plasma membrane for their disposition1, 2. In mammals, organic cation transporter subtypes 1 and 2 (OCT1 and OCT2, also known as SLC22A1 and SLC22A2, respectively) are polyspecific transporters responsible for the uptake and clearance of structurally diverse cationic compounds in the liver and kidneys, respectively3, 4. Notably, it is well established that human OCT1 and OCT2 play central roles in the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and drug-drug interactions (DDI) of many prescription medications, including metformin5, 6. Despite their importance, the basis of polyspecific cationic drug recognition and the alternating access mechanism for OCTs have remained a mystery. Here, we present four cryo-EM structures of apo, substrate-bound, and drug-bound OCT1 and OCT2 in outward-facing and outward-occluded states. Together with functional experiments,in silicodocking, and molecular dynamics simulations, these structures uncover general principles of organic cation recognition by OCTs and illuminate unexpected features of the OCT alternating access mechanism. Our findings set the stage for a comprehensive structure-based understanding of OCT-mediated DDI, which will prove critical in the preclinical evaluation of emerging therapeutics.
An Ensemble Penalized Regression Method for Multi-ancestry Polygenic Risk Prediction
Authors: Zhang Jingning , Zhan Jianan , Jin Jin , Ma Cheng , Zhao Ruzhang , O'Connell Jared , Jiang Yunxuan ,   23andMe Research Team, Koelsch Bertram L , Zhang Haoyu , Chatterjee Nilanjan
Published: March 2023

Great efforts are being made to develop advanced polygenic risk scores (PRS) to improve the prediction of complex traits and diseases. However, most existing PRS are primarily trained on European ancestry populations, limiting their transferability to non-European populations. In this article, we propose a novel method for generating multi-ancestry Polygenic Risk scOres based on enSemble of PEnalized Regression models (PROSPER). PROSPER integrates genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary statistics from diverse populations to develop ancestry-specific PRS with improved predictive power for minority populations. The method uses a combination of L1(lasso) and L2(ridge) penalty functions, a parsimonious specification of the penalty parameters across populations, and an ensemble step to combine PRS generated across different penalty parameters. We evaluate the performance of PROSPER and other existing methods on large-scale simulated and real datasets, including those from 23andMe Inc., the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium, and All of Us. Results show that PROSPER can substantially improve multi-ancestry polygenic prediction compared to alternative methods across a wide variety of genetic architectures. In real data analyses, for example, PROSPER increased out-of-sample prediction R2for continuous traits by an average of 70% compared to a state-of-the-art Bayesian method (PRS-CSx) in the African ancestry population. Further, PROSPER is computationally highly scalable for the analysis of large SNP contents and many diverse populations.
Auxin coreceptor IAA17/AXR3 controls cell elongation inArabidopsis thalianaroot by modulation of auxin and gibberellin perception
Authors: Kubalová Monika , Müller Karel , Dobrev Petre Ivanov , Rizza Annalisa , Jones Alexander M. , Fendrych Matyáš
Published: March 2023

The nuclear TIR1/AFB - Aux/IAA auxin pathway plays a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development. Specifically, the IAA17/AXR3 protein participates in root development, and the accumulation of its mutant variant, AXR3-1, which cannot bind auxin, leads to severe root growth phenotype and agravitropism. However, the mechanism by which AXR3 regulates cell elongation is not fully understood. Here we show that the inducible expression of AXR3-1 in theArabidopsis thalianaroot triggers excessive cell elongation that is followed by growth arrest of the root. We exploited this effect to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism of AXR3 action. We show that AXR3-1 acts exclusively in the nucleus where it interferes with the nuclear auxin transcriptional pathway, while the rapid cytoplasmic auxin root growth response is not affected. The analysis of the transcriptome of the induced AXR3-1 roots revealed changes in phytohormone perception and homeostasis. We show that the accumulation of AXR3-1 disturbs auxin homeostasis which leads to excessive auxin accumulation. At the same time, the reaction of the AXR3-1 roots to gibberellin is altered. These results show that the IAA17/AXR3 maintains an optimal cell elongation rate by controlling the auxin response, auxin homeostasis and the interplay with gibberellin signaling.
Engineering Particle-based Materials for Vasculogenesis
Authors: Claxton Natasha L. , Luse Melissa A. , Isakson Brant E. , Highley Christopher B.
Published: March 2023

Vascular networks are critical to the survival of cells within materials designed for regenerative medicine. Developing approaches to vascularize three-dimensional (3D)in vitromodels that recreate tissue physiology and 3D tissue constructs for regenerative medicine remain an important focus of tissue engineering. Granular hydrogels are emerging as a promising class of materials for the regeneration of damaged tissues and fabricating tissue constructs. While granular hydrogels have supported vasculature formed by angiogenesis and fabrication processes that establish channels, parameters for designing these materials to support formation of vasculature by vasculogenesis from cells contained within these materials are not fully understood and remain largely unexplored. In this study, vasculogenesis within 3D granular hydrogels formed from polyethylene glycol (PEG) microgels are studied for its potential to establish a microvascular network within this class of materials. Self-organization of endothelial cells into networks within hours is observed in the presence of fibroblasts, and the effects of cell adhesive ligands (RGD) and porosity are measured. Increasing porosity is observed to enhance vasculogenesis while the addition of RGD impairs microvessel network formation. This work establishes parameters that support robust microvasculature formation within granular hydrogels that might be broadly applicable to this class of materials, with implications for other morphogenetic processes in 3D systems.
Validation of marker-less pose estimation for 3D kinematics during upper limb reaching
Authors: Avni Inbar , Landau Lior , Shaked Galya , Rabani Anat Shkedy , Riemer Raziel , Arac Ahmet , Shmuelof Lior
Published: March 2023

Kinematic analysis of movement following brain damage is key for diagnosing motor impairments and for recovery assessment. Advances in computer vision offer novel marker-less tracking tools that could be implemented in the clinic due to their simple operation and affordability. An important question that arises is whether marker-less technologies are sufficiently accurate compared to well established marker-based technologies. This study aims to perform validation of kinematic assessment using two high-speed cameras and a 3D pose estimation model. Four participants performed reaching movements with the upper limb between fixed targets, in different velocities. Movement kinematics were simultaneously measured using the DeepBehavior model and marker-based optical motion capture (QTM), as a gold standard. The differences in corresponding joint angles, estimated from the two different methods throughout the analysis, are presented as a mean absolute error (MAE) of the elbow angle. Quantitatively, the MAE of all movements was relatively small across velocity and joints (~2°). In a condition where the movements were made towards the DeepBehavior cameras, and the view of the elbow was occluded in one of the cameras, the errors were higher. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that marker-less motion capture is a valid alternative to marker-based motion capture. Inaccuracies of the DeepBehavior system could be explained by occlusions of key-points and are not associated with failure of the pose estimation algorithm.
Standardizing and applying a mating-based whole-genome simulation approach reveals caution in using chromosome-level PCA and kinship estimates
Authors: Cui Zuxi , Schumacher Fredrick R.
Published: March 2023

This paper presents a new and efficient method for simulating pseudo-genotype data using the standardized protocol of SLiM, which offers a flexible alternative to traditional methods that rely on large genetic datasets. These datasets can be time-consuming to obtain, especially when institutional review board (IRB) review is involved, making simulation an attractive alternative. While HapGen v2 is the most popular genotype simulator, we found that SLiM has the potential for more customizable simulation to meet multiple needs.

To validate our new method, we compared its performance among parallel simulations varying multiple parameters. Our results showed that SLiM is capable of simulating samples up to 333 times the input size, with a low rate of simulated samples that are 2nd or closer relatives (REV), making it a promising alternative to HapGen. We also applied our whole-genome simulation approach to sensitivity analyses of chromosome-level principal component analysis (PCA) and kinship estimation. Our findings revealed important insights into the sensitivity of PCA and kinship estimation, highlighting the unequal distribution of population structure across chromosomes and ancestries. Furthermore, our study provides experimental support for avoiding chromosome-level quality control statistics.

Overall, our standardized protocol of SLiM offers a flexible new way to produce pseudo-genotype data, and our findings provide valuable insights that can advance research in the field. By demonstrating the potential of SLiM for more customizable simulations and highlighting the importance of considering the distribution of population structure across chromosomes and ancestries, our research has significant implications for the study of genetics and genomics.

Author Summary

In this publication, we introduce a novel approach to genotype simulation using a mating-based strategy in SLiM. Our approach mimics mitosis computationally and stands out as the only one available as of December 2022 that can maintain cross-chromosome associations during whole-genome level simulation, with no competitors in sight. Additionally, our approach is applicable to regional or chromosomal genotype simulation. When compared to the current gold-standard chromosome-level simulator, HapGen, our approach exhibits superior performance when generating large sample sizes (>13,000). We provide an application example that uses whole-genome simulation to underscore the importance of whole-genome quality control (QC) statistics, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and kinship estimates, compared to the chromosome-level ones. Results of the application indicate instability and bias in the chromosome-level QC statistics. Overall, our approach represents a valuable tool for genetics research that can assist in the evaluation and validation of genetic analyses, and people should avoid chromosome-level QC statistics.
S-allyl cysteine and Taurine attenuate diabetic nephropathy in rats via the inhibition of oxidative stress and recovering histopathological changes
Authors: Rais Nadeem , Ved Akash , Ahmad Rizwan , Parveen Kehkashan , Shadab Mohd.
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Renal failure is an end-stage consequence after persistent hyperglycemia during diabetic nephropathy (DN), and the etiology of DN has been linked to oxidative stress. The purpose of this research was to determine the beneficial synergistic effects of S-Allyl Cysteine (SAC) and Taurine (TAU) on oxidative damage in the kidneys of type 2 diabetic rats induced by hyperglycemia.

Design/methodology/approach

Experimental diabetes was developed by administering intraperitoneal single dose of streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/kg) with nicotinamide (NA; 230 mg/kg) in adult rats. Diabetic and control rats were treated with SAC (150 mg/kg), TAU (200 mg/kg) or SAC and TAU combination (75 + 100 mg/kg) for four weeks. The estimation of body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), oxidative stress markers along with kidney histopathology was done to investigate the antidiabetic potential of SAC/TAU in the NA/STZ diabetic group.

Findings

The following results were obtained for the therapeutic efficacy of SAC/TAU: decrease in blood glucose level, decreased level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and increased levels of GSH, glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT). SAC/TAU significantly modulated diabetes-induced histological changes in the kidney of rats.

Originality/value

SAC/TAU combination therapy modulated the oxidative stress markers in the kidney in diabetic rat model and also prevented oxidative damage as observed through histopathological findings.
Financial distress and tax avoidance: the moderating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Ariff Akmalia , Wan Ismail Wan Adibah , Kamarudin Khairul Anuar , Mohd Suffian Mohd Taufik
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This paper examines whether financial distress is associated with tax avoidance and whether the COVID-19 pandemic moderates such association.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample covers 38,958 firm-year observations from 32 countries during the period 2015–2020. Financial distress is measured using the ZSCORE by Altman (1968), while tax avoidance is based on the book-tax difference.

Findings

Financially distressed firms exhibit low tax avoidance pre- and during the pandemic periods. The authors find higher tax avoidance during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, but the pandemic enhances the negative relationship between financial distress and tax avoidance.

Research limitations/implications

The study offers evidence on how financial distress drives firms to engage in more tax avoidance when firms globally encountered various levels of financial difficulty sparked by the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Practical implications

The findings provide insights to policymakers on the need to monitor and incentivise financially distressed firms, especially during economic challenges due to pandemic.

Originality/value

This study adds to the limited, albeit important, evidence on the joint effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and financial distress on tax avoidance.
Study on the hydrodynamic performance of two typical groove liquid film seals considering cavitation
Authors: Li Xiao-Ying , Li Zhen-Tao , Hao Mu-Ming , Wang Qing-Yang , Wang Zeng-Li
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the hydrodynamic performance of liquid film seals with oblique grooves (OGs) and spiral grooves (SGs), considering cavitation, compare and analyze the differences between them.

Design/methodology/approach

Considering cavitation effect, the incompressible steady-state Reynolds equation was solved to obtain the sealing performance parameters of the liquid film seal with oblique groove and spiral groove.

Findings

The hydrodynamic performance of oblique groove seal (OGS) and spiral groove seal (SGS) shows a similar trend with the change of operating parameters. When the groove angle is less than 20°, the load-carrying capacity of SGS is better than that of OGS, while when the groove angle continues to increase, the hydrodynamic performance of OGS is slightly better than that of SGS, and more suitable for use under small differential pressure and high speed.

Originality/value

The hydrodynamic characteristics of liquid film seals with oblique grooves and spiral grooves considering cavitation effect were studied, which provides a theoretical reference for the application of oblique groove seal.
Value relevance of accounting information in an emerging market: the case of IFRS adoption by non-financial listed firms in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Chehade Sarah , Procházka David
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The paper aims to provide empirical evidence of the impact of IFRS adoption on the value relevance of accounting information in the emerging market of Saudi Arabia.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consists of 98 non-financial listed firms operating in Saudi Arabia from 2014 to 2019, representing the years before and after IFRS adoption. The authors apply basic and extended price models to examine the value relevance of select accounting figures.

Findings

The authors findings provide evidence that accounting information is, generally, value relevant to the Saudi Arabian capital market. However, mixed results exist for particular accounting variables. Both earnings and cash flows are value-relevant in the period before and after IFRS adoption; equity is only relevant in the post-adoption period. Furthermore, IFRS adoption also increases the explanatory power of earnings. An increase in the value relevance of earnings and equity hurts the value relevance of cash flows. The effects are moderated by leverage and dividend policy.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to the ongoing discussion of the economic effects of IFRS adoption in emerging markets. The empirical findings show that initial concerns about IFRS adoption, as reflected by the negative coefficient within the regression analysis, are mitigated once the usefulness of the individual accounting variables published in financial statements is investigated.
Strategic planning: how it helped to resolve conflict in a new international joint venture
Authors: Wood Jr. Thomaz , Pasturino Marco , Caldas Miguel P.
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to show how strategic planning can play multiple roles in the context of conflict between two controlling shareholders in a new joint venture.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted a five-year qualitative case study of a large financial services joint venture co-owned by a Latin American state bank and a European financial company.

Findings

The authors found that over time, budgeting and strategic planning had intertwining use to guide strategic decisions, but unexpectedly, strategic planning eventually developed three distinct roles beyond the merely functional, as it also contributed to complex symbolic and political functions.

Originality/value

This study provides guidance on considering different roles taken by strategic planning, as a utilitarian practice, as a symbolic narrative and as a conflict-mediating routine.
Strategies to drive interactivity and digital engagement: a practitioners' perspective
Authors: Tong Suk Chong , Chan Fanny Fong Yee
Published: March 2023

Purpose

With the growing popularity of digital engagement, this study explores the interrelationships among digital engagement, interactivity and engagement strategies from the perspective of practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 practitioners who have been involved in marketing communication activities in Hong Kong.

Findings

It was found that practitioners interpreted digital engagement mainly from the cognitive and behavioral dimensions and organizations engaged with their target audiences with either transactional or transitional communications. Functional interactivity and medium interactivity were perceived as the basis of digital engagement.

Originality/value

This qualitative analysis enriches the extant literature in marketing and public relations by delineating the relationships between interactivity and the use of different levels of digital engagement strategies, as well as guiding practitioners in setting effective digital engagement strategies.
A reactive scheduling approach for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem with dynamic resource disruption
Authors: Xu Jiaojiao , Bai Sijun
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to develop an algorithm to study the impact of dynamic resource disruption on project makespan and provide a suitable resource disruption ratio for various complex industrial and emergency projects.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper addresses the RCPSP in dynamic environments, which assumes resources will be disrupted randomly, that is, the information about resource disruption is not known in advance. To this end, a reactive scheduling model is proposed for the case of random dynamic disruptions of resources. To solve the reactive scheduling model, a hybrid genetic algorithm with a variable neighborhood search is proposed.

Findings

The results obtained on the PSLIB instances prove the performance advantage of the algorithm; through sensitivity analysis, it can be obtained, the project makespan increases exponentially as the number of disruptions increase. Furthermore, if more than 50% of the project's resources are randomly disrupted, the project makespan will be significantly impacted.

Originality/value

The paper focuses on the impact of dynamic resource disruptions on project makespan. Few studies have considered stochastic, dynamic resource uncertainty. In addition, this research proposes a reasonable scheduling algorithm for the research problem, and the conclusions drawn from the research provide decision support for project managers.
Eco-friendly tiles: fabrication and testing of composite tile made from industrial gypsum wastes
Authors: Shafik Emad S. , Rozik Nehad N. , Youssef Nadia F. , Abd-El-Messieh Salwa L.
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to utilize two types of gypsum mold wastes from two different factories as novel and economical reinforcing fillers for composites that may be useful for building materials and floors. Two types of gypsum mold wastes from two different factories as raw materials were incorporated into linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) aiming to get rid of that waste in one hand and obtaining useful economical composites suitable for building materials and floors.

Design/methodology/approach

Composites were prepared from two types of gypsum mold wastes substituted with different ratios from raw gypsum and LLDPE throughout the melt blending technique. The physico-mechanical and electrical investigations in addition to the morphology of the composites were included.

Findings

The mechanical results illustrate that substituting commercial gypsum with gypsum mold waste positively affects tensile strength, flexural strength and hardness shore D for the LLDPE composites. The tensile strength increased from 5 MPa for LLDPE filled with commercial gypsum as blank samples to 11.2 and 13.2 MPa for LLDPE filled with D and S waste. Also, electrical properties which include both permittivity ɛ′ and dielectric loss ɛ″ increased with increasing the waste content in the LLDPE matrix. In addition to the electrical conductivity values, σ lies in the order of insulation materials. Consequently, it is possible to produce materials with a gypsum matrix by adding industrial waste, improving the behavior of the traditional gypsum and enabling those composites to be applied in various construction applications as eco-friendly tiles.

Originality/value

This study aims to prepare eco-friendly composites based on LLDPE and waste gypsum mold to preserve resources for the coming generations, other than lowering the environmental footprint and saving the costs of getting rid of it.
Four‐year drug survival of apremilast in patients with psoriasis
Authors: Kishimoto Megumi , Komine Mayumi , Kamiya Koji , Sugai Junichi , Kuwahara Aya , Ohtsuki Mamitaro
Published: March 2023

This real‐world study at a single academic center retrospectively examined the drug survival of apremilast for patients with psoriasis. Retrospective information was extracted from the medical records of patients with psoriasis treated with apremilast at the Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University Hospital, between March 1, 2017, and June 31, 2021. In total, 281 patients were included in this study. Of these patients, 22% had psoriatic arthritis and 57% had a history of prior systemic treatment, including biologics, before the initiation of apremilast. The 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, and 4‐year drug survival rates were 54%, 41%, 32%, and 30%, respectively. Cox regression analysis revealed that sex, duration of plaque psoriasis (<10 years vs ≥10 years), presence of psoriatic arthritis, involvement of scalp lesions, involvement of palmoplantar lesion, involvement of nail lesions, having cardiometabolic comorbidities, and a history of prior systemic treatment did not have any significant impact on drug survival. The most common reason for apremilast discontinuation was inadequate efficacy (27%), followed by adverse events (12%). Approximately 49% of the patients experienced one or more adverse events. Diarrhea was the most common adverse event (24%), followed by nausea (19%) and headache (11%).
Symptomatic dermographism induced by oral minocycline: A report of four cases
Authors: Yang Xianjie , Kong Minmin , Wang Huan , Song Zhiqiang , Chen Qiquan
Published: March 2023

Symptomatic dermographism (SD) is the most common form of chronic inducible urticarias. The etiology of this disease has rarely been reported in the literature. Minocycline is widely used in the treatment of acne, rosacea, and other inflammatory skin diseases. Herein we report four cases of SD onset during minocycline administration. These were young women in their 20s to 30s who were taking minocycline orally for acne vulgaris or rosacea. They all experienced the onset of SD 2–3 weeks after taking the drug, and then the complete disappearance of SD 1 month after stopping the drug. Minocycline was thought to be the culprit drug in these cases as other drugs were ruled out on clinical grounds. Our small series suggests that oral minocycline may induce SD, thus raising the awareness of this association in clinical practice. More research is needed to further confirm this association and reveal the underlying mechanism(s).