bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Production-Maintenance Strategy considering energy consumption and recycling constraints in dry machining
Authors: Guendouli El Mehdi , Mifdal Lahcen , Dellagi Sofiene , Kibbou El Mehdi , Moufki Abdelhadi
Published: March 2024

The current challenge for industrial companies, involved in improving CNC - Computer Numerical Control - mechanical manufacturing machines, consists in integrating production decision aid adapted to the constraints associated with dry machining processes. This tool provides the best choice of appropriate production parameters for dry machining, which has a direct impact on productivity, system degradation and the quality of the final product. The proposed study develops an integrated production-maintenance policy which considers simultaneously several parameters related to production process and manufacturing system environment. In fact, our goal consists in determining an economical integrated production maintenance strategy that minimize the total cost including raw materials, production, recycling and maintenance. Considering two types of raw materials (steel and aluminum) and requesting to a random demand over a finite horizon dissociated to subperiods, the economical integrated maintenance-production, which is obtained by minimizing the total cost, is illustrated by the processing time of each type of raw materials for each subperiod and the optimal preventive maintenance time. The impact of the type of raw material with regard to some parameters like cutting speed, recycle cost, and the degradation system is taken into account in the determination of the economic plan. An analytical model expressing the objective function, the total cost, according to the variable decisions is developed. A numerical solving procedure, a numerical example and a sensitivity study are proposed in order to prove the developed analytical model.
Black or white, color aberrations on Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis
Authors: Cadena-Ortiz Héctor , Greenfield Paul , Salagaje Luis , Piñán Diego , Narváez Rafael , Grouw Hein van
Published: March 2024

A review of the color aberrations in Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) is presented, adding 62 individuals with aberrations. A full white individual and a family of four melanistic individuals were monitored in Ecuador, the first relevant for living for a considerable time with his condition and the second case for the evidence of reproduction, and the inheritance of his condition. In addition, we found 29 individuals that are documented in previous papers and another 28 from online citizen science databases (eBird and iNaturalist), covering the species’ broad distribution. We re-identified and identified the aberrations, and found individuals’ representative of seven kinds of commonest aberrations (Leucism, Progressive Greying, Albinism, Brown, Ino, Dilution, and Melanism), Progressive Greying was the most common condition encountered, with 39 individuals. Ecuador was the country with the most records, with 25 individuals. This paper aims to contribute to properly identifying color aberrations using as an example this common species and to motivate the continued formal publication of these records that have relevant implications as we discuss.
Laparoscopic hepatectomy using clamp-crush technique with non- coagulation: a retrospective study
Authors: Kitagawa Akihiro , Nakahira Shin , Maeda Sakae , Ogawa Hisataka , Kishimoto Tomoya , Ushimaru Yuki , Ohara Nobuyoshi , Miyake Yuichiro , Kawabata Ryohei , Nishikawa Kazuhiro , Noura Shingo , Irei Toshimitsu , Inoue Masashi , Miyamoto Atsushi , Hatanaka Nobutaka , Ohzato Hiroki
Published: March 2024

Background and aims
There is no current consensus regarding the best practices for techniques and devices in laparoscopic hepatic parenchymal transection. To compare the safety, efficacy, and outcomes between coagulation and non-coagulation while using the clamp-crush technique in modern parenchymal transections.
Methods
The clinical outcomes of patients who underwent laparoscopic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastasis by coagulation with a Biclamp (n=74) and non-coagulation with a Harmonic ACE (n=92), using the clamp-crush technique, were evaluated. Additionally, we checked the fluid collection at the cut surface by obtaining a CT scan 1 month post-hepatectomy.
Results
There were no statistically significant differences in patient characteristics between the groups, except a history of liver resection, and the operative duration and frequency of the Pringle maneuver being shorter and more in the non-coagulated group. The non-coagulation group had significantly lower postoperative serum AST, ALT, and total bilirubin levels, except for serum ALT on the first postoperative day, regardless of the significantly higher preoperative serum AST and ALT levels (P<0.05). There were three cases of bile leakage in the coagulated group, but no such cases in the non-coagulated group (not statistically significant). Fluid collections of > 3 cm in diameter was significantly less in the non-coagulated group.
Conclusions
The clamp-crush technique with non-coagulation may improve the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic hepatectomy, including postoperative fluid collection at the cut liver surface.
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome in a patient with COVID-19 and the possible role of SARS-CoV-2 in its manifestation. Case report and overview of published cases
Authors: SKRONT Tomas , SAGAN Jiri , HYZA Martin
Published: March 2024

Background: The manifestationof severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is more complex than that of pulmonary infection, and neuropsychiatric symptoms play a role in this complexity. In this paper, we present the case of a 29-year-old schizophrenic patient who suffered from neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) that developed during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, with an emphasis on the possible connection between these two conditions. Additionally, we provide an overview of published NMS cases in patients with COVID-19 or after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.
Case presentation: A 29-year-old patient treated for schizophrenia was admitted to the hospital for agitation and aggressivity; shortly after arrival at the hospital, laryngospasm and hypoxia occurred. The patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and later, he developed pneumonia. After continuing restlessness, haloperidol was administered, and a few days later, neuroleptic malignant syndrome occurred. He was treated with bromocriptine and recovered.
Conclusions: As SARS-CoV-2 is known to interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and DOPA-decarboxylase is known to be coexpressed with this receptor, we hypothesized that COVID-19 infection might playa substantial role in the development of NMS.
Urban-rural Difference of the Impact of the Accessibility of Community Elderly Care Services on the Quality of Life of the Elderly from the Perspective of Social Support
Authors: Di Xiaodong , wang li jian
Published: March 2024

Background: In China, the population aging is becoming more and more serious. The differences in economic development level, public facilities supply, and community elderly care culture make the urban-rural differences in community elderly care services particularly prominent, which seriously limits the quality of life of the elderly.
Method: Based on the survey data of Shaanxi province and the ordinal logistic regression method, the article analyzes the index system and measurement results of the accessibility of community elderly care services, and explores the urban-rural differences of impact of accessibility on the quality of life of the elderly from the perspective of social support.
Result: The accommodation of community elderly care service has a significant positive impact on the social relationship of the urban elderly, while the five dimensions of the accessibility of elderly care services have no significant impact on the social relationship of the rural elderly.
Conclusion: The urban-rural differences of the impact are mainly reflected in the two aspects of accommodation and affordability. Government support and social organization support are the main reasons for the heterogeneity of the impact of the accessibility of elderly care services on the quality of life of the elderly between urban and rural areas.
Multi-Step Intelligent P-phase Picking Model for Risk Assessment in Deep Underground Mines
Authors: Zhang Yongshu , Li Lianchong , Mu Wenqiang , Dang Baoquan , Wei Tingshuang , Guofeng Yu
Published: March 2024

Accurate P-phase first arrival time is a premise for improving accuracy of seismic source localizations and achieving hazard warning. Traditional algorithms failed to meet the requirements of high precision and accuracy for microseismic (MS) monitoring in deep geological engineering. In this study, a multi-step model: convolutional neural network combined with K-means and AIC (CNN-KA) for picking arrival of P-phases is proposed. Firstly, convolutional neural network (CNN) technique is used to recognize waveforms of MS fractures. Secondly, maximum overlapping discrete wavelet transform and multi-resolution analysis are combined to denoise signals. Subsequently, a new picker was developed by introducing k-mean clustering to AIC. Finally, performance of the hybrid model was evaluated with open-source and field data. The results show that mean absolute error of CNN-KA is 0.0915s at 200Hz frequency, which is 86.65% lower than STA/LTA. In addition, a strategy is proposed to evaluate real-time mining risk by improving MS source location. An application in Pan Er Mine, Anhui Province, China showed that automatic location error of MS events was reduced from 37.33 m to 10.89 m. CNN-KA successfully warned of two potential geological hazards, which was verified by real-time mining pressure data. The proposed model greatly improves accuracy of p-phase arrivals and MS parameters. This study is of great value for early warning of geological hazards in underground geotechnical engineering.
Network-based integration of omics, physiological and environmental data in real-world Elbe estuarine Zander
Authors: Koll Raphael , Theilen Jesse , Hauten Elena , Woodhouse Jason , Thiel Ralf , Möllmann Christian , Fabrizius Andrej
Published: March 2024

Coastal and estuarine environments are under endogenic and exogenic pressures jeopardizing survival and diversity of inhabiting biota. Information of possible synergistic effects of multiple (a)biotic stressors and holobiont interaction are largely missing in the Elbe estuary but are of importance to estimate unforeseen effects on animals’ physiology. Here, we seek to leverage host-transcriptional RNA-seq and gill mucus microbial 16S rRNA metabarcoding data coupled with physiological and abiotic measurements in a network analysis approach to deconvolute the impact of multiple stressors on the health of juvenile Sander lucioperca along one of the largest European estuaries. We find mesohaline areas characterized by gill tissue specific transcriptional responses matching osmosensing and tissue remodeling. Liver transcriptomes instead emphasized that zander from highly turbid areas were undergoing starvation which was supported by compromised body condition. Potential pathogenic bacteria, including Shewanella, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas and Chryseobacterium, dominated the gill microbiome along the freshwater transition and oxygen minimum zone. Their occurrence coincided with a strong adaptive and innate transcriptional immune response in host gill and enhanced energy demand in liver tissue supporting their potential pathogenicity. Overall, we demonstrate the information gain from integration of omics data into biomonitoring of fish and point out bacterial species with disease potential.
An IFNγ-dependent immune-endocrine circuit lowers blood glucose to potentiate the innate anti-viral immune response
Authors: Polic Bojan , Šestan Marko , Benić Ante , Mikašinović Sanja , Dimitropoulos Christoforos , Krapić Mia , Hiršl Lea , Cekinović Đurđica , Wensveen Tamara Turk , Babić Marina , Wüest Stephan , Konrad Daniel , Wensveen Felix , Mladenić Karlo , Glantzspiegel Yossef , Rasteiro Ana , Aliseychik Maria , Gat-Viks Irit , Veiga-Fernandes Henrique
Published: March 2024

Viral infection makes us feel sick. The extent of these changes to our metabolism are relative to the severity of disease. Whether blood glucose levels are subject to infection-induced modulation is largely unknown. Here we show that strong, non-lethal infection restricts systemic glucose availability which promotes the antiviral IFN-I response. Following systemic viral infection of mice, we find that IFNγ produced by γδ T cells directly stimulates pancreatic β-cells to increase glucose-induced insulin release. Subsequently, hyperinsulinemia lessens endogenous glucose output by the liver. Glucose restriction enhances type-I interferon production by curtailing lactate-mediated inhibition of IRF3 and NF-κB signaling. Induced hyperglycemia constrained IFN-I production and increased mortality upon infection. Our findings identify glucose restriction as a physiological mechanism to bring the body into a heightened state of responsiveness to viral pathogens. This immune-endocrine circuit is disrupted in hyperglycemia, which explains why people with metabolic disease are more susceptible to viral infection.
Body temperature regulates glucose metabolism and torpid behavior
Authors: Lee Ming-Liang , Chang Ching-Pu , Toda Chitoku , Nemoto Tomomi , Enoki Ryosuke
Published: March 2024

Glucose is a significant energy resource for maintaining physiological activities, including body temperature homeostasis, and glucose homeostasis is tightly regulated in mammals. Although ambient temperature tunes glucose metabolism to maintain euthermia, the significance of body temperature in metabolic regulation remains unclear owing to strict thermoregulation. Activation of Qrfp neurons in the preoptic area induced a harmless hypothermic state known as Q-neuron-induced hypothermia and hypometabolism (QIH), which is suitable for studying glucose metabolism under hypothermia. In this study, we first observed that QIH mice had hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. This glucose hypometabolic state was abolished by increasing the body temperature to euthermia. Moreover, QIH-mediated inappetence and locomotor inactivity were recovered in euthermia QIH mice. These results indicate that body temperature is considerably more powerful than ambient temperature in regulating glucose metabolism and behavior, and hypometabolism in QIH is secondary to hypothermia rather than modulated by Qrfp neurons.
Fluctuations of conserved charges with finite size PNJL model
Authors: Deb Paramita , Varma Raghava
Published: March 2024

Baryon, charge and strangeness fluctuations have been investigated in finite size Polyakov loop enhanced Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model. Multiple reflection expansion method has been incorporated to include the surface and curvature energy alongwith the system volume. The results of different fluctuations are then compared with the available experimental data from the heavy ion collision. Results show both qualitative and quantitative similarities with the experimental data after using the subensemble acceptance method. Phase diagram for the infinite and finite size PNJL model has been studied to estimate the critical end point.
PACS numbers: 12.38.AW, 12.38.Mh, 12.39.-x
Comparative Effects of 17% Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid and 9% Etidronic Acid Applied with Different Irrigant Activation Techniques on the Release of Growth Factors from Dentin: In Vitro Study
Authors: Mumcu Arzu Kaya , Kurnaz Safa , Kiraz Gülsen , Gündüz Meliha Koldemir
Published: March 2024

Background Growth factors embedded in the extracellular matrix of the dentin play an important role in the migration, proliferation, and differentiation of dental pulp stem cells in regenerative endodontics. In regenerative endodontic treatments, the type of irrigation solution used is crucial for the release of growth factors (GFs) from the dentin matrix. This study evaluated the effectiveness of different irrigant activation techniques (IAT) using two different chelating agents, 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and 9% etidronic acid (HEDP), in terms of their GF release.Methods Seventy-two mandibular premolar teeth were prepared to simulate an open apex. The root fragments were irrigated with 20 ml of 1.5% sodium hypochlorite and 20 ml of saline solution. Eight root fragments were randomly separated for the control group, and the remaining 64 fragments were randomly separated into eight groups based on two different chelating agents (17% EDTA and 9% HEDP) and four different IAT (conventional needle irrigation (CNI), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), sonic activation with EDDY, and XP-endo Finisher (XPF)). TGF-β1, VEGF-A, BMP-7 and IGF-1 release levels were determined using an ELISA, and statistical analysis was performed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, ANOVA, and the Tukey test (p < .05).Results Compared to the control group, the experimental groups showed significantly higher GF release when using EDTA or HEDP. Among the activation groups, the EDDY group triggered the highest GF release, and the CNI group triggered the lowest.Conclusions IAT with EDTA and HEDP can increase GF release, with EDDY being the most effective IAT method. Using chelating agents with IAT may be beneficial in regenerative endodontic treatments.
Real-world evidence on treatment pattern, effectiveness, and safety of blinatumomab in Chinese patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Zhou Huifen , Wu Xiaoxia , Yang Zhen , Lu Shenqi , Zhang Xinhui , Yang Xiaofei , Chen Suning , Wu Depei , Miao Miao
Published: March 2024

Background
Blinatumomab is efficacious in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), yet limited real-world data exists in this context. This retrospective study provided real-world data on the treatment pattern, effectiveness, and safety of blinatumomab in Chinese patients with newly diagnosed (ND) and relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-ALL.
Methods
Patients with B-ALL who received at least one dose of blinatumomab in frontline or R/R settings between August 2021 and June 2023 were included. The primary outcome was the treatment pattern of blinatumomab. Key secondary outcomes included complete remission (CR)/CR with incomplete blood cell recovery (CRi) rate, minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity, median event-free survival (EFS), and safety.
Results
The study included 96 patients with B-ALL; 53 (55.2%) patients were in the ND group and 43 (44.8%) patients were in the R/R group. The median treatment duration was one cycle (range: 1–5). Most patients underwent chemotherapies, allo-HSCT, or experimental CAR-T following blinatumomab. The ND patients using blinatumomab induction therapy achieved 100% CR/CRi rate; 87.2% achieved MRD negativity within two cycles of blinatumomab. In R/R re-induction patients, the CR/CRi rate was 50%; MRD negativity rate was 64.2%. In R/R patients using blinatumomab for consolidation, MRD negativity rate was 90.9%. The median EFS was not reached in both ND and R/R patients; 1-year EFS rate was 90.8% (95% CI: 67%, 97%) and 55.1% (95% CI: 30%, 74%), respectively. Grade ≥ 3 adverse events were observed in 12.5% patients.
Conclusion
Blinatumomab was found to be effective with a tolerable safety profile in real world setting.
RETRACTED: A preliminary report to discern the association of SNPs rs1505287 and rs4858608 of THRB gene and their haplotype analysis with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism among Indian population: a case- control study
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Tyagi Shama , Yadav Anita , Gupta Ranjan
Published: March 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Planning-level optimisation of headway regularity
Authors: Pitka Pavle , Simeunović Milan , Miličić Milica , Kovačević Tatjana , Simeunović Milja
Published: March 2024

Headway variability has a negative impact on the public transport passengers' perception of service quality. However, most of the existing methods aimed at improving the headway regularity operate in real time and require precise vehicle location data, making it difficult to implement them in practice. On the other hand, planning-level methods can be used to increase the resilience of public passenger transport (PPT) to the accumulation of headway disturbances. As this is typically done from the operator's perspective, the passengers' perspective tends to be overlooked, motivating the current work. In this article, an optimisation procedure for evaluating the viability of diametrical line splitting in terms of passenger travel time and headway regularity is proposed. The aim is to increase the robustness/resistance of the PPT system to the propagation of headway disturbances without reducing the service quality. The developed optimisation procedure was validated by applying it to real data pertaining to an urban PPT line. The results show that there is a positive correlation between the transport demand and the effects of the optimisation procedure, whereby an increase in the primary headway disturbance increases the sensitivity of the optimisation procedure to the transport demand.
WO3 /CoWO4 /rGO high porosity anode electrode materials based on ZIF-67 framework
Authors: Wang Can , Yu Yongbo , Wang Qing , Dai Jianfeng
Published: March 2024

In this work, the high porosity of ZIF-67 frame was used to increase the infiltration degree of electrolyte, improve the diffusion rate of ions and inhibit the volume expansion of WO3/CoWO4 during the cycling process. The high conductivity of rGO was used to make up for the lack of conductivity of composite materials. At the current density of 100 mA g− 1, 507.8 mAh g− 1 specific capacity was retained after 100 cycles and 248.3 mAh g− 1 specific capacity was retained after 300 cycles at the current density of 800 mA g− 1.
Multi-Layer Perceptron and Radial Basis Function for Thyroid Disease Diagnosis
Authors: Samani Maryam Asad , Khazaee Fatemeh , Ebadollahi Saeed
Published: March 2024

Thyroid disease is a common health disorder that affect millions of people worldwide. Achieving an accurate diagnosis often involves conducting multiple laboratory tests. However, recent advancements in machine learning have demonstrated promising outcomes in extracting meaningful information from these tests and medical images. By leveraging machine learning techniques, healthcare professionals can enhance their ability to analyze and interpret the data obtained from these tests, leading to more accurate and efficient diagnoses of thyroid dis- eases. This paper proposes a method to enhance thyroid disease diagnosis by combining Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural networks. The proposed method utilizes thyroid-related features to categorize a patient’s status into hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, or normal. UCI Machine Learning Repository is used as the training dataset for this study. To ensure high accuracy, data is randomly fitted to both the MLP and RBF networks. Additionally, an adaptive learning rate is applied in the backpropagation training for MLP. This helps avoid local minimums and reduces loss fluctuations and divergence. On the other hand, RBF is trained using the K-means algorithm together with the RLS algorithm. Based on the results, MLP outperforms RBF when the patient’s status is A or B. However, RBF shows better detection when the patient’s status is C. Therefore, the highest accuracy is achieved when the network switches from MLP to RBF based on the patient’s status. Overall, this paper suggests that combining MLP and RBF neural networks can improve the accuracy of thyroid disease diagnosis, especially when considering different patient statuses.
I’m in! So why don’t I fit in? A cross-sectional exploration of imposterism within medical school cohorts
Authors: Clark Chantel , Clithero-Eridon Amy , Crandall Cameron , Ballejos Marlene P.
Published: March 2024

Background
Transitioning within medical school to new responsibilities and challenges represents a significant change in responsibility in the life of a physician. Many individuals in healthcare experience the imposter phenomenon, including medical students, fearing exposure as a fraud. Identifying when imposterism may peak during training, historical social determinants, and personal history that can lead to the overall imposter syndrome are critical, as during medical school, student wellness and professional identity typically decrease. This study aims to characterize the imposter phenomenon in medical students at a single institution as they transition from one academic year to the next.
Methods
This study is a cross-sectional observational design. We constructed a 30-item survey using the Clance Imposterism Scale survey and selected demographic characteristics. Indicators of interest include environment of upbringing, education, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. We analyzed the data using Pearson’s Chi-Square and Fisher Exact tests and a two-tailed Type I error of less than 5% to assess statistical significance.
Results
Out of 387 students, we received 89 responses for a response rate of 23%. 4th-year medical students reported more feelings of imposterism at the frequent or intense level compared to the first three years. Females had frequent/intense levels of imposterism more than males or non-conforming individuals. More than three-fourths of individuals raised in rural areas experienced frequent to intense imposterism compared to those raised in a suburban or urban environment. Completing an undergraduate degree with dedicated mentoring from physicians did not ameliorate feelings of not belonging.
Conclusion
We characterized medical students by cohort to identify points of intervention. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing the imposter phenomenon, especially in environments like medical school, where the expectations to excel may be intense. Recognizing that certain groups, such as females, underrepresented minorities, and first-generation college students, may be more susceptible to these feelings is an important step toward providing support and resources tailored to their needs.
Experimental bifurcation analysis of a clamped beam with designed mechanical nonlinearity
Authors: Hayashi Seigan , Gutschmidt Stefanie , Murray Rua , Krauskopf Bernd
Published: March 2024

We use control-based continuation (CBC) to perform an experimental bifurcation study of a periodically forced dual-beam. The nonlinearity is of geometric nature, provided by a thin, clamped beam. The overall system exhibits hysteresis and bistability in its openloop frequency response due to a hardening, Duffinglike nonlinear stiffness, which can be designed or adjusted by choosing the properties of the thin beam. We employ local stabilising feedback control to implement CBC and track stable periodic solutions past the fold points. Thus obtained continuous solution branches are used to generate the solution surface over the plane of excitation amplitude and frequency. This surface features two curves of fold bifurcations that meet at a cusp point, and they delimit the experimentally observed bistability range of this nonlinear beam.
In steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome that meets the strict definition, monogenic variants less common than previously reported
Authors: Ichikawa Yuta , Sakakibara Nana , Nagano China , Inoki Yuta , Tanaka Yu , Ueda Chika , Kitakado Hideaki , Kondo Atsushi , Ishimori Shingo , Horinouchi Tomoko , Iijima Kazumoto , Nozu Kandai
Published: March 2024

Background
In patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), the presence of monogenic variants influences therapeutic strategies. Large cohort studies reported the detection of monogenic variants in approximately 30% of patients with SRNS. However, these cohorts included many patients such as asymptomatic proteinuria who did not meet the strict diagnostic criteria for pediatric nephrotic syndrome (NS). Therefore, we investigated the proportion of causative monogenic variants detected in patients who strictly met the diagnostic criteria of SRNS and explored their clinical characteristics.
Methods
We examined pediatric SRNS cases with genetic analysis conducted in our hospital. Cases satisfying all of the following criteria were included: 1. age at onset 1–18 years, 2. serum albumin at onset ≤ 2.5 g/dl, and 3. no complete remission after 4 weeks of steroid monotherapy.
Results
The proportion of detected monogenic variants was 12% (22/185) among all patients. The proportion was only 7% (9/129) in patients with edema at disease onset compared with 38% (9/24) in those without (p < 0.0001). Monogenic variants were rare in patients with acute kidney injury associated with NS (1% [1/11]) or a history of complete remission (4% [2/51]).
Conclusions
Our study revealed a monogenic cause in 12% of individuals with strictly defined SRNS, a much smaller proportion than previously reported. The presence or absence of edema at the onset was an important factor to distinguish SRNS with monogenic cause from SRNS without. Our results provide further evidence of the SRNS types attributable to monogenic causes.
Intestinal Microbiome Associated with Efficacy of Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Inukai Yosuke , Yamamoto Kenta , Honda Takashi , Yokoyama Shinya , Ito Takanori , Imai Norihiro , Ishizu Yoji , Nakamura Masanao , Ishigami Masatoshi , Kawashima Hiroki
Published: March 2024

Backgrounds:
The combination of Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab has become the first-line treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no studies have reported on specific intestinal microbiota associated with the efficacy of Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab. In this study, we analyzed fecal samples collected before treatment to investigate the relationship between the intestinal microbiome and the efficacy of Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab.
Methods:
A total of 37 patients with advanced HCC who were treated with Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab were enrolled. Fecal samples were collected from the patients, and they were divided into responder (n = 28) and non-responder (n = 9) groups. We compared the intestinal microbiota of the two groups and analyzed the intestinal bacteria associated with prognosis using QIIME2.
Results:
The alpha and beta diversities were not significantly different between both groups, and the proportion of microbiota was similar. The relative abundance of Bacteroides stercoris and Parabacteroides merdae was higher in the responder group than in the non-responder group. When the prognosis was analyzed by the presence or absence of those bacteria, patients without both had a significantly poorer prognosis.
Conclusion:
Differences in intestinal microbiome are involved in the therapeutic effect of Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab.
Theoretical and Experimental Studies on Mechanical Impact Dynamics in Multibody Systems
Authors: DUMITRU Sorin , GEONEA Ionut , DUMITRU Nicolae , CONSTANTIN Andra , COPILUSI Cristian
Published: March 2024

The dynamics of mechanical impact is studied for a planar kinematic chain consisting of a freely moving bar and a fixed plate. Through mathematical modelling and virtual prototyping, the dynamic components of the impact function are identified. The structure of the impact function thus determined is used to study the dynamic response of an articulated quadrilateral mechanism. This mechanism is part of the structure of an experimental stand used for fatigue testing of a torsion spring-bar. It was considered that due to errors in execution and assembly or due to wear, radial clearance occurs in the rotational joint between the rod pivot and the rocker arm bearing. This clearance will lead to the generation of a mechanical impact with considerable effects for fast moving mechanisms, thus the effect of the impact force on the kinematic and dynamic parameters of the mechanism will be studied. The evolution of the kinematic and dynamic parameters before and after the impact is studied under the assumption that the contacting bodies are deformable.
Clinical Outcomes and Risk Stratification in Unresectable Biliary Tract Cancers Undergoing Radiation Therapy
Authors: Amit Uri , Shagun Misra , Plastaras John P , Metz James M , Karasic Thomas B , Lubas Maryanne J , Ben-Josef Edgar
Published: March 2024

Background
Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are rare and aggressive malignancies originating from intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts and the gallbladder. Surgery is the only curative option, but due to late-stage diagnosis, is frequently not feasible, leaving chemotherapy as the primary treatment. Radiotherapy (RT) can be an effective alternative for patients with unresectable, non-metastatic BTC despite the generally poor prognosis and significant variability. To help manage patients with unresectable BTC who receive RT, we aimed to identify prognostic markers that could aid in predicting overall survival (OS).
Methods
A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, involving seventy-eight patients with unresectable BTC treated with definitive intent RT. Comprehensive demographic, clinical, and treatment-related data were extracted from the electronic medical records. Univariate and multivariate Cox regressions were employed to identify predictors of OS. A biomarker model was developed for refined survival prediction.
Results
The cohort primarily comprised patients with good performance status without significant hepatic dysfunction at presentation. The predominant treatment approach involved hypofractionated RT or concurrent 5FU-based chemoRT. Median OS was 12.3 months, and 20 patients (15.6%) experienced local progression with a median time of 30.1 months. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified CA19-9 (above median) and higher albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grades at presentation as significant predictors of poor OS. Median OS was 24 months for patients with no risk factors and 6.3 months for those with both.
Conclusions
Our study demonstrates generally poor but significantly heterogeneous OS in patients with unresectable BTC treated with RT. We have developed a biomarker model based on CA19-9 and ALBI grade at presentation that can distinguish sub-populations with markedly diverse prognoses. This model can aid the clinical management of this challenging disease.
Instantons for the process of ice nucleation in fresh and sea water
Authors: Kutschan Bernd , Thoms Silke , Thom Andrea , Pathak Raghav , Ricken Tim
Published: March 2024

Ice crystals and snowflakes are out-of-equilibrium growth shapes which are a result of a nonlinear growth dynamics as a consequence of the extremal property of the associated thermodynamical potential. A special role during the pattern formation play kink solutions that represent the different state of order at the phase boundaries. The mechanisms of the kink formation give an insight into the dynamics of phase transitions in particular the formation and growth of ice nuclei. In this paper is derived a relationship between the classical nucleation theory and Kobayashi's phase field theory for ice crystal growth. The critical radius of the nuclei is derived from the linear stability analysis for the phase field model and is found to be in agreement with the classical nucleation theory. We modify original Kobayashi’s phase field model by including freezing point depression due to salt in order to describe the phase boundary of the fine network and cavities filled with brine which are formed during the freezing process in sea ice.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). 35Q56, 70K05, 70K20.
Early Onset and Increasing Disparities in Neurocognitive Delays From Birth to Age 6 in Children from Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds
Authors: Han Tae Hwan , Chae Kyu Young , Han Bo Eun , Kim Ju Hee , Ha Eun Kyo , Rhie Seonkyeong , Han Man Yong
Published: March 2024

Importance:
The relevance of socioeconomic conditions to neurocognitive function in children is increasingly emphasized in the current discourse; however, a comprehensive body of knowledge on this is lacking.
Objective
To analyze the complex interplay between socioeconomic backgrounds and neurocognitive developmental achievements by investigating the temporal dynamics of these associations from birth to 6 years of age.
Design:
A retrospective cohort study over a 6-year period.
Setting:
Population-based data from the National Health Insurance Service, and integrated data from the National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children.
Participants:
Children born between 2009 and 2011 in Korea without neurocognitive delays with potential developmental implications.
Exposures:
Economic status at birth, categorized into three levels based on the amount of insurance copayment: <25th percentile as low, 25-75th percentile as intermediate, and > 75th percentile as high status.
Main Outcomes and Measures:
Overall judgement and six domains of neurocognitive development at 66–71 months of age, analyzed using the Korean Developmental Screening Test, to assess gross and fine motor function, cognition, language, sociality, and self-care. The secondary outcome was to determine when neurocognitive outcomes began after birth and how these differences evolved over time.
Results
Among 276 167 individuals (49.2% males), 66 325 had low status, 138 980 intermediate, and 60 862 high. Overall, neurocognitive developmental delays observed across all developmental domains were more prevalent in the low-status group than in the high-status group (adjusted odds ratio, 1.328; 95% confidence interval, 1.105–1.597). Interestingly, disparities in neurocognitive development according to these statuses became apparent as early as 2 years of age, with the gap tending to widen over time (interaction, P < 0.001). Notably, the cognition and language domains exhibited the most substantial disparities between the socioeconomic levels. These disparities persisted in the subgroup analyses of sex, birth weight, head circumference, birth data, and breastfeeding variables.
Conclusions and Relevance:
Low SES was significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse neurocognitive developmental outcomes in preschool children, particularly those affecting the cognitive and language domains. These differences manifested in early childhood and tended to widen over time. Therefore, proactive interventions at a young age are essential to mitigate these disparities.
Genetic Lag in a Demographically Recovering Carnivore: The Case of the British Pine Marten (Martes martes)
Authors: O’Reilly Catherine , Sheehy Emma , MacPherson Jenny , Birks Johnny , Martin John , Croose Elizabeth , Fletcher Kathy , Lambin Xavier , Curran Thomas , Synnott Rebecca , O’Meara Denise
Published: March 2024

We investigated the genetic diversity of the contemporary Scottish pine marten population using neutral microsatellite markers, sampling 206 individuals across an area of almost 32,000 km2. Our results revealed that the genetic diversity in the Scottish population is modest with the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranging from the Highlands (Ho 0.52, He 0.55) to the Cairngorms (Ho 0.44, He 0.42), and the number of alleles ranged from 3.3 in the Highlands and Central to 2.3 in Dumfries and Galloway, but there were high levels of genetic admixture across the country, some of which may be attributed to natural demographic recovery from previously isolated refuges, and unofficial translocations have also influenced the genetic mixing evident in the population today. Genetic sub structuring, resulting in the Wahlund effect, complicated evaluations of diversity, effective population size, and bottlenecks, and commonly used linkage disequilibrium methods for estimating effective population size yielded improbably low figures. A less commonly used method relying on sibship proved more resilient to the effects of genetic sub structuring, but still yielded estimates under 200, below the viability threshold for long-term population survival. Despite demographic expansion, genetic recovery lagged, suggesting the need for increased gene flow through wildlife corridors.
Whole-Genome Analysis of Stress Resistance-Related Genes in Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Dou Xin , Liu Yangtai , Panagou Efstathios Z. , Zhu Huajian , Li Zhuosi , Dong Qingli
Published: March 2024

Listeria monocytogenes is a crucial foodborne pathogen with significant public health implications. This study analyzed whole-genome sequences (WGS) of L. monocytogenes strains from public databases, examining associations between resistance genes, lineage, strain type, isolation source, and geography. Results revealed that after eliminating duplicates and strains with incomplete WGS, a total of 316 strains were deemed suitable for subsequent analyses. Within these strains, lineages I and II were extensively distributed, predominantly isolated from clinical and food sources. 56.65% of these strains fell into seven major Clonal Complexes (CC), identified by Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST), correlating significantly with isolation information. Analysis of 46 resistance-related genes showed a high consistency of resistance genes in the same type of strains, hinting at a potential causal chain of ‘habits-foods-environments evolutions’. Moreover, the standard strains exhibit similar gene carriage rates as the sample strains, with multiple variations observed in acid-resistance genes. In conclusion, through a comprehensive analysis of the L. monocytogenes genome sequences, this study deepens our understanding of the differences and associations between its lineage, strain typing, isolation sources, geographical distribution, and resistance genes. It has also explored the potential impact of environmental noise on the expression of these genes, offering a scientific foundation for devising more effective prevention and control strategies against L. monocytogenes. Future endeavors should further dissect the functions of stress resistance genes and the variations in their expression, with the aim of gaining a deeper insight into the risks posed by L. monocytogenes to public health safety.
Treatment-free remission after discontinuation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the chronic phase: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zheng Zhenxiang , Tang Hao , Zhang Xinxia , Zheng Liling , Yin Zhao , Zhu Yangmin
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND: Treatment-free remission (TFR) is a new long-term goal for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but the appropriate group in which TFR can be attempted and the factors influencing it have not yet been identified. This meta-analysis aimed to explore TFR in chronic myeloid leukemia chronic phase (CML-CP) patients who achieved a deep molecular response (DMR) before Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) discontinuation and to explore possible factors influencing TFR and the safety of discontinuation.
METHODS: We performed a systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis with a systematic search of published literature up to September 2023 in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases. The assessment was performed using the MINORS scale. Random-effects models were used to calculate outcome metrics, including overall mean TFR rates at 12 and 24 months and subgroup differences. Data synthesis and analysis were done by Revman5.4 software.
RESULTS: A total of 19 single-arm trials involving 2336 patients were included in this meta-analysis, with an overall mean TFR rate of 60% [95CI:0.56-0.63] at 12 months and 55% [95CI:0.52-0.59] at 24 months, and a cumulative total of 2 CML-related deteriorations or deaths reported during the TFR period. Our subgroup analysis showed that better TFR was associated with prior interferon therapy (12months: P<0.001,24months: P=0.006), and molecular response depth MR5.0 (12months:P=0.005,24months: P=0.02).
CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that prior interferon therapy and attainment of a molecular response depth of MR5.0 or greater were associated with higher TFR rates, with patients who attained MR5.0 or greater achieving a TFR rate of up to 61% in the second year after TKI discontinuation. Considering the high heterogeneity of the included trials, the above influences still require further validation and more detailed subgroup analysis in future discontinuation trials.
Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ (Registration No. CRD42023471334)
On the effectiveness of Bayesian discrete feedback for quantum information reclaiming
Authors: Rexiti Milajiguli , Oskouei Samad Khabbazi , Mancini Stefano
Published: March 2024

We consider discrete time feedback aimed at reclaiming quantum information after a channel action.
We compare Bayesian and Markovian strategies. We show that the former does not offer any advantage for qubit channels, while its superior performance can appear in higher dimensional channels. This is witnessed by cases study for qutrit channels.
Silicon-based Ultra-broadband Mid-IR and LWIR Near-perfect Metamaterial Absorber
Authors: Abouelez Ahmed Elsayed , Eldiwany Essam A. , Swillam Mohamed A.
Published: March 2024

Ultra-broadband metamaterial absorbers (UBMA) that are compatible with CMOS technology for use in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) regions are crucial for a variety of applications, including radiative cooling, thermal photovoltaic, and thermal imaging. In this regard, we propose, in this work, a design of a UBMA based on the heavily doped silicon (D-Si) and silicon carbide (SiC). The 3D finite-difference time-domain method is used to numerically calculate the optical characteristics of the proposed UBMA. The absorber, which is made up of a periodic array of symmetrical multilayered square rings of D-Si and SiC, achieves high absorption with an average absorption of 95% over a wavelength range of 2.5 µm to 22 µm. This broad range of wavelength absorption is attained, encompassing the mid-, long-wave, and partial far-infrared regions. In addition to the materials' inherent absorption, the stimulation of magnetic polaritons, surface plasmon polaritons, localized surface plasmon resonance, and cavity resonance are responsible for the nearly perfect broadband absorption. The proposed UBMA is polarization-independent due to the symmetrical design of the absorber. Furthermore, the impact of the incidence angle on the absorption of transverse electric-polarized and transverse magnetic waves is examined.
Design and Simulation of a Hybrid Inkjet Printhead for Ejecting High Viscous Inks
Authors: Shah Muhammad Ali , Kim Youngsoo , Haider Turab , Lee Youngjin , Lee Duck-Gyu , Hur Shin
Published: March 2024

Printing high-viscosity inks continues to remain a challenge in inkjet technology, and thus far, extensive numerical simulations have been performed to resolve this issue. In this paper, we present a novel hybrid inkjet printhead that combines piezoelectric and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) forces. The hybrid inkjet printhead is designed using multi-physics numerical simulation technology and by investigating jetting high-viscous ink. The proposed method enables precise control of the droplet volume and velocity. We also investigated the performance of our hybrid inkjet printhead and optimized the piezoelectric and EHD waveforms with rising, dwell, and falling times. Further, we designed an EHD driving device to generate the EHD jetting force. We used a hybrid inkjet printing simulation to jet a high-viscous ink of up to 100 cp, which confirms that the jetting performance of the hybrid inkjet printing method is superior to that of the existing piezoelectric inkjet printing methods. The proposed high-viscosity hybrid inkjet head technology can be applied to various industrial fields, including display manufacturing processes, semiconductor packaging processes, 3D printing, and manufacturing processes for biomedical artificial structures.