bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Agulhas Current System as an Important Driver for Oceanic and Terrestrial Climate
Authors: Biastoch Arne , Rühs Siren , Ivanciu Ioana , Schwarzkopf Franziska U. , Veitch Jennifer , Reason Chris , Zorita Eduardo , Tim Nele , Hünicke Birgit , Vafeidis Athanasios T. , Santamaria-Aguilar Sara , Kupfer Sunna , Soltau Felix
Published: January 2024

The Agulhas Current system around South Africa combines the dynamics of strong ocean currents in the Indian Ocean with eddy–mean flow interactions. The system includes an associated interoceanic transport towards the Atlantic, Agulhas leakage, which varies on both interannual and decadal timescales. Agulhas leakage is subject to a general increase under increasing greenhouse gases, with higher leakage causing a warming and salinification of the upper ocean in the South Atlantic. The far-field consequences include the impact of the Agulhas Current on the Benguela Upwelling system, a major eastern boundary upwelling system that supports a lucrative fishing industry. Through sea surface temperatures and associated air–sea fluxes, the Agulhas Current system also influences regional climate in southern Africa, leading to a heterogeneous pattern of rainfall over southern Africa and to a reduction of precipitation in most areas under global warming conditions. Changes in the Agulhas Current system and the regional climate also cause changes in regional sea-level and wind-induced waves that deviate from global trends. Combining these oceanic changes with extreme precipitation events, global warming can considerably amplify flood impacts along the coast of South Africa if no adaptation measures are implemented.
Physical Drivers of Southwest African Coastal Upwelling and Its Response to Climate Variability and Change
Authors: Brandt Peter , Bordbar Mohammad Hadi , Coelho Paulo , Koungue Rodrigue Anicet Imbol , Körner Mareike , Lamont Tarron , Lübbecke Joke F. , Mohrholz Volker , Prigent Arthur , Roch Marisa , Schmidt Martin , van der Plas Anja K. , Veitch Jennifer
Published: January 2024

The southeastern tropical Atlantic hosts a coastal upwelling system characterized by high biological productivity. Three subregions can be distinguished based on differences in the physical climate: the tropical Angolan and the northern and southern Benguela upwelling systems (tAUS, nBUS, sBUS). The tAUS, which is remotely forced via equatorial and coastal trapped waves, can be characterized as a mixing-driven system, where the wind forcing plays only a secondary role. The nBUS and sBUS are both forced by alongshore winds and offshore cyclonic wind stress curl. While the nBUS is a permanent upwelling system, the sBUS is impacted by the seasonal cycle of alongshore winds. Interannual variability in the region is dominated by Benguela Niños and Niñas that are warm and cold events observed every few years in the tAUS and nBUS. Decadal and multidecadal variations are reported for sea surface temperature and salinity, stratification and subsurface oxygen. Future climate warming is likely associated with a southward shift of the South Atlantic wind system. While the mixing-driven tAUS will most likely be affected by warming and increasing stratification, the nBUS and sBUS will be mostly affected by wind changes with increasing winds in the sBUS and weakening winds in the northern nBUS.
Rise of the Theranostics Empire: A Commentary on Dr. Baum’s Achievements
Authors: Prasad Vikas
Published: January 2024

Bad Berka is a small spa town in Germany, in the state of Thuringia, near the historical cultural city of Weimar with a population of roughly 8000. Natural beauty and spa attracted some prominent personalities of Germany including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Any town associated with Goethe has a special place in history.

Bad Berka also happened to be the place in Germany where Prof. Dr. Richard Paul Baum created the “First Theranostics Empire” on the World Map through the living principle of his life “Rerum cognoscere causas and Carpe diem!”. This chapter tries to elucidate and elaborate how Dr. Baum, through his “philomathy” and firm, to some extent unparalleled, contagious belief in “Aegroti Salus Suprema Lex” successfully conceptualized and pioneered some of the major pathbreaking discoveries in the field of Theranostics. As his “first” research fellow in “Theranostics”, I have had the luxury and honor of closely following Dr. Baum’s efforts in breaking the resistance of acceptance of radiopharmaceuticals for treatment and management of cancer patients. This chapter, written as a commentary, is a tribute to his commitment, motivation, and passion to the field of “Theranostics”.
Radionuclide Therapy in Brain Tumours
Authors: Assadi Majid , Nemati Reza , Shooli Hossein , Ahmadzadehfar Hojjat
Published: January 2024

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common primary brain tumour, is also the most aggressive neoplasm in the brain. It is characterized by a very poor prognosis with a median overall survival time of only 9–15 months. The infiltrating nature of the tumour cells, inter- and intra-tumoral molecular heterogeneity and the tumour’s propensity to hide behind the blood-brain barrier are the key causes of the insufficiency of the optimal available treatments (surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy). Furthermore, the best treatment strategy for patients with recurrent GBM remains uncertain and controversial yet. Despite applying state-of-the-art treatments in the majority of patients, the recurrence of the disease is common and the median survival after recurrence is 8.0–9.8 months. In order to avoid treatment insufficiencies, precision medicine-based therapeutics have emerged. An alternative method of treatment is targeted radionuclide therapy, which targets tumour-specified molecules on the surface of tumour cells. It has been shown that brain tumours overexpress several peptides on their surface, which may or may not be immunologically active, that can be used as a biologic target for the therapy. Radionuclide therapy involves the coupling of a peptide, which targets tumour-specific peptides, with a radionuclide payload to selectively irradiate tumour cells with negligible damage to the adjacent healthy tissue. This chapter discusses the use of radiolabelled conjugates for the treatment of brain tumours.
Modern Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches in Thyroid Diseases: Theranostics and the Changing Role of Radioactive Isotopes
Authors: Grünwald Frank , Sabet Amir , Nguyen Ngoc Christina L. Q. , Kranert W. Tilman , Gröner Daniel C. L.
Published: January 2024

Radioactive iodine was the first isotope engaged in a theranostic approach, initially used to treat thyroid diseases. The first radioiodine treatments were done in the early 1940s. Based on the high effectivity of the sodium iodine transporter, highly specific uptake and striking effects could be achieved with radioiodine therapy. Initially, I-128 was used, it was substituted by I-130 and finally I-131 with respect to superior physical and logistic issues. It took several decades and successes in radiochemistry to produce the observed convincing effects similar to radioiodine treatment in the therapy of other diseases, particularly in malignancies. The classic theranostic feature of I-131 with beta- and gamma-radiation can still be addressed as a blueprint for modern treatment regimens with radioactive isotopes. Nevertheless, the “classic” indications for radioiodine treatments are decreasing, particularly in low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer. Several tracers were developed to visualize iodine-negative tissue for PET as well as for SPECT imaging for therapy planning and response assessment. Substances like dabrafenib proved to be able to reinduce radioiodine uptake in some patients (depending on, e.g., BRAF positivity), and also theranostics established in other oncological settings showed tumoricide effects in thyroid cancer, e.g., Lu-177-DOTATATE. Other theranostic substances “in the pipeline” like FAPI are candidates for the treatment of thyroid cancer as well.
Nuclear Medicine and Surgery on the Way to Personalized Medicine. Ten Years of Clinical and Translational Oncology and Research
Authors: Kaemmerer Daniel
Published: January 2024

Surgery with a complete tumor removal is the only therapeutic option with a curative approach in a neuroendocrine tumor disease. Recurrent abdominal surgery is associated with inflammation, altered anatomy, and scar tissue and can be challenging [1]. Additionally, tumor lesions can be really small, invisible, or not palpable by the surgeon’s fingers. For that reason, an intraoperative diagnostic tool is necessary because the prior imaging (scintigraphy, PET/CT) has a reduced sensitivity with lower tumor size. Sufficient, preoperative, and intraoperative imaging can provide the surgeon with valuable assistance and also significantly simplify the surgical procedure. Depending on the intraoperative findings, the surgical intervention can be expanded or even significantly reduced.
Analyzing the Science Footprint of Richard P. Baum
Authors: Prior John O. , Nicod Lalonde Marie , Schaefer Niklaus , Schottelius Margret
Published: January 2024

Determining the scientific footprint of a given author is not easy, as many bibliometric metrics exist and none can capture the full extent to which someone has fed the field with knowledge and changed the course of science. Using existing databases (Web of Science and iCite from the National Institute of Health), we tried to capture the impact of the work of Richard P. Baum over the last four decades. His works led to over 11,000 citations in the literature with highly cited articles, even when using the latest more valid practice of comparing the relative citation ratio that captures the scientific productivity independent of the field of study.
Sola Dosis Facit Venenum: Dosimetry for Molecular Radiotherapy in Bad Berka
Authors: Schuchardt Christiane
Published: January 2024

The estimation of the absorbed dose is an essential factor for the determination of risks and therapeutic benefit of internal radiation therapies. Optimal dose estimations require time-consuming and sophisticated methods, which are difficult owing to practical purposes mainly related to the patients’ status and physical reasons. Nevertheless, to make patient-specific dosimetry available, we use a special developed dosimetry procedure, which can be used in daily clinical routine.

The so-called Bad Berka Dose Protocol (BBDP) is a hybrid method based on serial planar whole body scans and SPECT/CT acquisitions and represents a compromise between the calculation model and practical conditions. It has ensured dose estimation in daily clinical routine with a reasonable effort and within acceptable time. Our protocol allows each of our patients to undergo dosimetry after therapy using Lu-177-labeled radiopharmaceuticals, especially PRRT or PSMA RLT.

In consequence, dosimetry based on our protocol helps to identify optimal ligands, for PRRT as well as for PSMA RLT. It helps to plan the individual treatment. Additionally, dosimetry is important for the evaluation of the therapy: concerning response, benefit and toxicity. Besides PRRT and PRLT, the BBDP can be used to make dose estimations for all kinds of different tracers. Dosimetry adds a lot of important information to clinical and medical facts in order to find the optimal therapeutic path for each individual patient.
Molecular Imaging Platform and Radiopharmaceutical Translational Research on Peking University Cancer Hospital
Authors: Yang Zhi , Meng Xiangxi , Guo Xiaoyi , Zhu Hua
Published: January 2024

On August 27, 2019, the signing ceremony for the cooperation between Peking University Cancer Hospital (PKUCH) and the International Centers for Precision Oncology (ICPO) was held successfully in the scientific research building of PKUCH-NM. The research interests of the PKUCH-NM include nuclear medicine clinical research, as well as the development of multimodality/multiplexed molecular probes for tumor diagnosis and therapy.
Sustainable Development of Recent High-Rise Timber Buildings
Authors: Bahrami Alireza , Rashid S. M. Priok
Published: January 2024

High-rise timber building construction is becoming increasingly common across the world as construction and woodworking technology advances. The world is moving toward more sustainable development, and products like cross-laminated timber offer economical options for reducing the environmental impact. This chapter contributes to the theory and practice of sustainability assessment and extends the knowledge about high-rise timber buildings. The tallest timber buildings in different countries, such as Mjøstårnet and Treet in Norway and Brock Commons in Canada, are compared across the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social). According to previous research, none of the buildings are at the top in terms of sustainability, but the Brock Commons building in Canada has received the highest rank in all dimensions of sustainability. The issue of fire resistance for timber structures involves a paradox because it is widely recognized that heavy timber construction has outstanding fire resistance in severe fires. Design for burnout may require full or partial encapsulation of timber. Moreover, prefabrication of elements reduces duration and cost of projects. The goal of this chapter is to evaluate and assess the most effective modern high-rise timber buildings from both financial and environmental perspectives.
Development of Sustainable Concrete Using Treated Bamboo Reinforcement
Authors: Nagaraju T. Vamsi , Bahrami Alireza
Published: January 2024

Due to the expanding global population and rising per capita consumption, there has been an increase in the demand for environmentally friendly building materials in recent years. Moreover, the quest for steel and cement alternatives has become more crucial. Any substitute materials must be reasonably priced, fast growing, equivalent in the strength and characteristics, and environmentally friendly. In the current chapter, first, a tensile strength test was conducted on available bamboo strips to determine their ultimate strength and other engineering characteristics. Then, bitumen and epoxy resin were applied to bamboo to investigate the effects of two alternative adhesives on the bond resistance offered with the contact of the bamboo structural specimen. Moreover, experiments were performed on steel and bamboo-reinforced concrete beams to further study the load-carrying capacity, deflection, ductility, stiffness, and energy absorption. In addition, beams were subjected to a two-point stress test to examine how they respond to bending. These experiments indicated that when treated properly, bamboo can replace steel as structural reinforcement in concrete beams.
Gravitational wave signature of generic disappearance of Z2-symmetry breaking domain walls
Authors: Banerjee Piyali , Yajnik Urjit A.
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Breaking of discrete parity at high scale gives rise to Z2-domain walls (DW). The metastability of such walls can make them relatively long lived and contradict standard cosmology. We consider two classes of theories with similar underlying feature, the left right symmetric theories and two Higgs doublet models. Both of them possess some breaking of Z2 discrete symmetries. As a first step, domains form at a high energy scale during parity breaking. In the second step, these domains further decompose into subdomains due to Z2 symmetry breaking in two Higgs doublet models closer to the electroweak scale. We show that after this two step formation of domains and subdomains, a QCD instanton induced energy difference can remove the domain walls as well as the subdomain walls at around the same time successfully. The removal occurs purely as the result of a chance event taking place with probability very close to 0.25, and does not require one to introduce any non-renormalisable Z2-symmetry breaking term to the Lagrangian. We then investigate the gravitational waves arising from the collapse of such domain walls and show that the peak frequency of these waves lies in the 10−7–10−6 Hz band, corresponding to annihilation temperatures of 1–10 GeV. This frequency band is sensitive to pulsar timing array based experiments such as SKA and NANOGrav. The recent NANOGrav results rule out our DW collapse model for higher values of parity breaking scale above 107 GeV. Our DW collapse model with parity breaking scales below 107 GeV remains consistent with the current NANOGrav results and has a good chance of being seriously tested in future pulsar timing based experiments.
de Sitter-eating O-planes in supercritical string theory
Authors: Junghans Daniel
Published: January 2024

Abstract

It has been proposed that flux compactifications of supercritical string theories (i.e., with spacetime dimension D > 10) have dS vacua, with large D acting as a control parameter for corrections to the classical spacetime effective action. In this paper, we provide a detailed analysis of the self-consistency of such models, focussing on α′ and backreaction corrections. We first show that all supercritical AdS, Minkowski and dS vacua in this setting have $$ \gtrsim \mathcal{O}(1) $$
≳
O

1

curvature and/or field strengths in the string frame. This may be in tension with suppressing α′ corrections unless the coefficients of the higher-derivative terms have a sufficiently strong large-D suppression. We then argue that an additional and more severe problem arises in the dS case due to the backreaction of O-planes. In particular, we argue using a combination of geometric bounds and string-theory constraints that the O-plane backreaction is large in supercritical dS models. This implies that a large part of the naive classical geometry is eaten up by singular holes and thus indicates a breakdown of the classical description. Our finding resonates with several other recent results suggesting that string theory does not admit dS vacua in regimes where string and backreaction corrections are under control. As byproducts of our analysis, we derive a number of technical results that are useful beyond the specific applications in this paper. In particular, we compute the leading backreaction corrections to the smeared solution in a general flux compactification from D to d dimensions for an arbitrary distribution of O-planes and D-branes. We further argue for a general estimate for Green’s functions on compact manifolds (and therefore for the backreaction corrections) in terms of their diameter, volume and dimension.
Biological treatment evaluation in thermoradiotherapy: application in cervical cancer patients
Authors: Kok H. P. , Herrera T. D. , Crezee J.
Published: January 2024

Background

Hyperthermia treatment quality is usually evaluated by thermal (dose) parameters, though hyperthermic radiosensitization effects are also influenced by the time interval between the two modalities. This work applies biological modelling for clinical treatment evaluation of cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy plus hyperthermia by calculating the equivalent radiation dose (EQDRT, i.e., the dose needed for the same effect with radiation alone). Subsequent analyses evaluate the impact of logistics.

Methods

Biological treatment evaluation was performed for 58 patients treated with 23–28 fractions of 1.8–2 Gy plus 4–5 weekly hyperthermia sessions. Measured temperatures (T50) and recorded time intervals between the radiotherapy and hyperthermia sessions were used to calculate the EQDRT using an extended linear quadratic (LQ) model with hyperthermic LQ parameters based on extensive experimental data. Next, the impact of a 30-min time interval (optimized logistics) as well as a 4‑h time interval (suboptimal logistics) was evaluated.

Results

Median average measured T50 and recorded time intervals were 41.2 °C (range 39.7–42.5 °C) and 79 min (range 34–125 min), respectively, resulting in a median total dose enhancement (D50) of 5.5 Gy (interquartile range [IQR] 4.0–6.6 Gy). For 30-min time intervals, the enhancement would increase by ~30% to 7.1 Gy (IQR 5.5–8.1 Gy; p < 0.001). In case of 4‑h time intervals, an ~ 40% decrease in dose enhancement could be expected: 3.2 Gy (IQR 2.3–3.8 Gy; p < 0.001). Normal tissue enhancement was negligible (< 0.3 Gy), even for short time intervals.

Conclusion

Biological treatment evaluation is a useful addition to standard thermal (dose) evaluation of hyperthermia treatments. Optimizing logistics to shorten time intervals seems worthwhile to improve treatment efficacy.
Artificial intelligence and modern planned economies: a discussion on methods and institutions
Authors: Samothrakis Spyridon
Published: January 2024

Interest in computerised central economic planning (CCEP) has seen a resurgence, as there is strong demand for an alternative vision to modern free (or not so free) market liberal capitalism. Given the close links of CCEP with what we would now broadly call artificial intelligence (AI)—e.g. optimisation, game theory, function approximation, machine learning, automated reasoning—it is reasonable to draw direct analogues and perform an analysis that would help identify what commodities and institutions we should see for a CCEP programme to become successful. Following this analysis, we conclude that a CCEP economy would need to have a very different outlook from current market practices, with a focus on producing basic “interlinking” commodities (e.g. tools, processed materials, instruction videos) that consumers can use as a form of collective R &D. On an institutional level, CCEP should strive for the release of basic commodities that empower consumers by having as many alternative uses as possible, but also making sure that a baseline of basic necessities is widely available.
Lovers, not fighters: docility influences reproductive fitness, but not survival, in male Cape ground squirrels, Xerus inauris
Authors: Warrington Miyako H. , Beaulieu Sienna , Jellicoe Riley , Vos Sjoerd , Bennett Nigel C. , Waterman Jane M.
Published: January 2024

Over their lifetime, individuals may use different behavioural strategies to maximize their fitness. Some behavioural traits may be consistent among individuals over time (i.e., ‘personality’ traits) resulting in an individual behavioural phenotype with different associated costs and benefits. Understanding how behavioural traits are linked to lifetime fitness requires tracking individuals over their lifetime. Here, we leverage a long-term study on a multi-year living species (maximum lifespan ~ 10 years) to examine how docility (an individual’s reaction to trapping and handling) may contribute to how males are able to maximize their lifetime fitness. Cape ground squirrels are burrowing mammals that live in social groups, and although males lack physical aggression and territoriality, they vary in docility. Males face high predation risk and high reproductive competition and employ either of two reproductive tactics (‘natal’ or ‘band’) which are not associated with different docility personalities. We found that although more docile individuals sired more offspring on an annual basis, docility did not affect an individual’s long-term (lifetime) reproductive output. Survival was not associated with docility or body condition, but annual survival was influenced by rainfall. Our findings suggest that although docility may represent a behavioural strategy to maximize fitness by possibly playing a role in female-male associations or female mate-choice, variations in docility within our study population is likely maintained by other environmental drivers. However, individual variations in behaviours may still contribute as part of the ‘tool kit’ individuals use to maximize their lifetime fitness.
Ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT in evaluating coronary stent patency: a comparison to invasive coronary angiography
Authors: Hagar Muhammad Taha , Soschynski Martin , Saffar Ruben , Molina-Fuentes Moisés Felipe , Weiss Jakob , Rau Alexander , Schuppert Christopher , Ruile Philipp , Faby Sebastian , Schibilsky David , von zur Muehlen Constantin , Schlett Christopher L. , Bamberg Fabian , Krauss Tobias
Published: January 2024

Objectives

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT angiography (UHR PCD-CTA) for evaluating coronary stent patency compared to invasive coronary angiography (ICA).

Methods

Consecutive, clinically referred patients with prior coronary stent implantation were prospectively enrolled between August 2022 and March 2023 and underwent UHR PCD-CTA (collimation, 120 × 0.2 mm). Two radiologists independently analyzed image quality of the in-stent lumen using a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (“excellent”) to 5 (“non-diagnostic”), and assessed all coronary stents for the presence of in-stent stenosis (≥ 50% lumen narrowing). The diagnostic accuracy of UHR PCD-CTA was determined, with ICA serving as the standard of reference.

Results

A total of 44 coronary stents in 18 participants (mean age, 83 years ± 6 [standard deviation]; 12 women) were included in the analysis. In 3/44 stents, both readers described image quality as non-diagnostic, whereas reader 2 noted a fourth stent to have non-diagnostic image quality. In comparison to ICA, UHR PCD-CTA demonstrated a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 100% (95% CI [confidence interval] 47.8, 100), 92.3% (95% CI 79.1, 98.4), and 93.2% (95% CI 81.3, 98.6) for reader 1 and 100% (95% CI 47.8, 100), 87.2% (95% CI 72.6, 95.7), and 88.6% (95% CI 75.4, 96.2) for reader 2, respectively. Both readers observed a 100% negative predictive value (36/36 stents and 34/34 stents). Stent patency inter-reader agreement was 90.1%, corresponding to a substantial Cohen’s kappa value of 0.72.

Conclusions

UHR PCD-CTA enables non-invasive assessment of coronary stent patency with high image quality and diagnostic accuracy.

Clinical relevance statement

Ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT angiography represents a reliable and non-invasive method for assessing coronary stent patency. Its high negative predictive value makes it a promising alternative over invasive coronary angiography for the rule-out of in-stent stenosis.

Key Points

• CT-based evaluation of coronary stent patency is limited by stent-induced artifacts and spatial resolution.

• Ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT accurately evaluates coronary stent patency compared to invasive coronary angiography.

• Photon-counting detector CT represents a promising method for the non-invasive rule-out of in-stent stenosis.
Development and validation of a clinical decision support system based on PSA, microRNAs, and MRI for the detection of prostate cancer
Authors: Mazzetti Simone , Defeudis Arianna , Nicoletti Giulia , Chiorino Giovanna , De Luca Stefano , Faletti Riccardo , Gatti Marco , Gontero Paolo , Manfredi Matteo , Mello-Grand Maurizia , Peraldo-Neia Caterina , Zitella Andrea , Porpiglia Francesco , Regge Daniele , Giannini Valentina
Published: January 2024

Objectives

The aims of this study are to develop and validate a clinical decision support system based on demographics, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), microRNA (miRNA), and MRI for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and clinical significant (cs) PCa, and to assess if this system performs better compared to MRI alone.

Methods

This retrospective, multicenter, observational study included 222 patients (mean age 66, range 46-75 years) who underwent prostate MRI, miRNA (let-7a-5p and miR-103a-3p) assessment, and biopsy. Monoparametric and multiparametric models including age, PSA, miRNA, and MRI outcome were trained on 65% of the data and then validated on the remaining 35% to predict both PCa (any Gleason grade [GG]) and csPCa (GG ≥ 2 vs GG = 1/negative). Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated.

Results

MRI outcome was the best predictor in the monoparametric model for both detection of PCa, with sensitivity of 90% (95%CI 73–98%) and NPV of 93% (95%CI 82–98%), and for csPCa identification, with sensitivity of 91% (95%CI 72–99%) and NPV of 95% (95%CI 84–99%). Sensitivity and NPV of PSA + miRNA for the detection of csPCa were not statistically different from the other models including MRI alone.

Conclusion

MRI stand-alone yielded the best prediction models for both PCa and csPCa detection in biopsy-naïve patients. The use of miRNAs let-7a-5p and miR-103a-3p did not improve classification performances compared to MRI stand-alone results.

Clinical relevance statement

The use of miRNA (let-7a-5p and miR-103a-3p), PSA, and MRI in a clinical decision support system (CDSS) does not improve MRI stand-alone performance in the detection of PCa and csPCa.

Key Points

• Clinical decision support systems including MRI improve the detection of both prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer with respect to PSA test and/or microRNA.

• The use of miRNAs let-7a-5p and miR-103a-3p did not significantly improve MRI stand-alone performance.

• Results of this study were in line with previous works on MRI and microRNA.
Population-based incidence of psoriasis vulgaris in Germany: analysis of national statutory insurance data from 65 million population
Authors: Deike Madeline , Wang Jiancong , Brinks Ralph , Meller Stephan , Ocker Lennart , Bechara Falk G. , Distler Jörg H. W. , Baraliakos Xenofon , Kiefer David , Sewerin Philipp
Published: January 2024

Information on the population-based incidence of psoriasis vulgaris was limited. This study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the age-specific and sex-specific incidence of psoriasis vulgaris in Germany. The data were obtained in the context of a morbidity-based risk adjustment by statutory health insurance companies in Germany, comprising information regarding 65 million population. Psoriasis vulgaris diagnoses were made and coded according to the 10th edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Age-specific and sex-specific incidences were calculated using data from 2009 to 2011. There was a rise in the age- and sex-specific incidences of psoriasis vulgaris through midlife, reaching a peak at the age of 60 and subsequently declining for both genders. The peak incidence for men, at 130 cases per 100,000 person-years, slightly exceeded the peak incidence for women of 117 per 100,000 person-years. An increase in the overall incidence rate can also be observed over the course of the three-year period covered by the data. Considerable variations in the age- and sex-specific incidences of psoriasis vulgaris can be seen across the lifespan. Nevertheless, the overall age-standardized incidence for the German population was low compared to other European countries.
Knowledge-based modeling of simulation behavior for Bayesian optimization
Authors: Huber Felix , Bürkner Paul-Christian , Göddeke Dominik , Schulte Miriam
Published: January 2024

Numerical simulations consist of many components that affect the simulation accuracy and the required computational resources. However, finding an optimal combination of components and their parameters under constraints can be a difficult, time-consuming and often manual process. Classical adaptivity does not fully solve the problem, as it comes with significant implementation cost and is difficult to expand to multi-dimensional parameter spaces. Also, many existing data-based optimization approaches treat the optimization problem as a black-box, thus requiring a large amount of data. We present a constrained, model-based Bayesian optimization approach that avoids black-box models by leveraging existing knowledge about the simulation components and properties of the simulation behavior. The main focus of this paper is on the stochastic modeling ansatz for simulation error and run time as optimization objective and constraint, respectively. To account for data covering multiple orders of magnitude, our approach operates on a logarithmic scale. The models use a priori knowledge of the simulation components such as convergence orders and run time estimates. Together with suitable priors for the model parameters, the model is able to make accurate predictions of the simulation behavior. Reliably modeling the simulation behavior yields a fast optimization procedure because it enables the optimizer to quickly indicate promising parameter values. We test our approach experimentally using the multi-scale muscle simulation framework OpenDiHu and show that we successfully optimize the time step widths in a time splitting approach in terms of minimizing the overall error under run time constraints.
Electrospun cobalt-doped 2D-MoSe2/polypyrrole hybrid-based carbon nanofibers as electrochemical sensing platforms
Authors: Celik Cogal Gamze , Cogal Sadik , Machata Peter , Uygun Oksuz Aysegul , Omastová Maria
Published: January 2024

A novel cobalt-doped two-dimensional molybdenum diselenide/polypyrrole hybrid-based carbon nanofiber (Co/MoSe2/PPy@CNF) was prepared using the hydrothermal method followed by electrospinning technique. The structural and morphological properties of the 2D-TMD@CNF-based hybrids were characterized through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Co-MoSe2/PPy@CNF exhibited large surface area, porous structure, and improved active sites due to the synergistic effect of the components. The electrochemical and electrocatalytic characteristics of the 2D-TMD@CNF-modified electrodes were also investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques. The Co/MoSe2/PPy@CNF electrode was used as an electrochemical sensor for simultaneous detection of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA) and showed enhanced catalytic activity and sensitivity. Using DPV measurements, the Co/MoSe2/PPy@CNF demonstrated wide linear ranges of 30–3212 μM for AA, 1.2–536 μM for DA, and 10–1071 μM for UA with low detection limits of 6.32, 0.45, and 0.81 μM, respectively. The developed sensor with the Co/MoSe2/PPy@CNF-modified electrode was also applied to a human urine sample and gave recoveries ranging from 94.0 to 105.5% (n = 3) for AA, DA, and UA. Furthermore, the Co/MoSe2/PPy@CNF-based sensor exhibited good selectivity and reproducibility for the detection of AA, DA, and UA.

Graphical abstract
Spatially dependent veiling glare degrades image quality in medical extended reality
Authors: Zhao Chumin , Beams Ryan , Dahal Eshan , Badano Aldo
Published: January 2024

Spatially dependent veiling glare in medical extended reality (MXR) degrades image quality and needs to be characterized across technologies. Measurement methods of veiling glare on virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) have not been established in regulatory evaluation of MXR devices or display measurement standards. We describe an experimental bench setup enabling highly flexible translations and rotations of the light measuring device in five degrees of freedom within the eye box. Glare point spread functions (PSFs) of multiple VR and AR headsets are extracted and compared across the display field of view (FOV) in dark environment. At the center, the evaluated VR headsets (HTC VIVE Pro and VIVE Pro 2) demonstrate reduced long-range glare compared to the tested AR HMDs (Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Epson Moverio BT-300). The measured PSFs at multiple locations are spatially invariant for the HoloLens 2. However, veiling glare on the evaluated VR HMDs substantially increases toward the periphery of the FOV primarily due to optical aberration. For VR devices in medical use, increased peripheral glare can lead to image quality degradation and poor visualization of anatomical details.
Direct Numerical Simulation of Vortex Breakdown in Evaporating Dilute Sprays
Authors: Liberatori Jacopo , Battista Francesco , Dalla Barba Federico , Ciottoli Pietro Paolo
Published: January 2024

The effects of different vortex breakdown states on the evaporation process characterizing air-acetone vapor swirling jets laden with liquid acetone droplets in the dilute regime are discussed based on results provided by direct numerical simulations. Adopting the point-droplet approximation, the carrier phase is solved using an Eulerian framework, whereas a Lagrangian tracking of the dispersed phase is used. Three test cases are investigated: one with fully-turbulent pipe inflow conditions and two with a laminar Maxworthy velocity profile at different swirl rates. Consequently, turbulent, bubble-type, and regular conical vortex breakdown states are established. Following phenomenological and statistical analyses of both phases, a significant enhancement of the overall droplet evaporation process due to the onset of the conical vortex breakdown is observed due to the strongest centrifugal forces driving the entire liquid drops towards the low-saturation mixing layer of the jet. The effects of droplet inertia on evaporation are isolated through an additional set of simulations where liquid droplets are treated as Lagrangian tracers. While it is found that inertial effects contribute to enhanced vaporization near the mixing layer under bubble vortex breakdown conditions, droplet inertia plays a secondary role under both turbulent and conical vortex breakdown due to intense turbulent mixing and high centrifugal forces, respectively.
PRUNE1 and NME/NDPK family proteins influence energy metabolism and signaling in cancer metastases
Authors: Ferrucci Veronica , Lomada Santosh , Wieland Thomas , Zollo Massimo
Published: January 2024

We describe here the molecular basis of the complex formation of PRUNE1 with the tumor metastasis suppressors NME1 and NME2, two isoforms appertaining to the nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) enzyme family, and how this complex regulates signaling the immune system and energy metabolism, thereby shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME). Disrupting the interaction between NME1/2 and PRUNE1, as suggested, holds the potential to be an excellent therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer and the inhibition of metastasis dissemination. Furthermore, we postulate an interaction and regulation of the other Class I NME proteins, NME3 and NME4 proteins, with PRUNE1 and discuss potential functions. Class I NME1–4 proteins are NTP/NDP transphosphorylases required for balancing the intracellular pools of nucleotide diphosphates and triphosphates. They regulate different cellular functions by interacting with a large variety of other proteins, and in cancer and metastasis processes, they can exert pro- and anti-oncogenic properties depending on the cellular context. In this review, we therefore additionally discuss general aspects of class1 NME and PRUNE1 molecular structures as well as their posttranslational modifications and subcellular localization. The current knowledge on the contributions of PRUNE1 as well as NME proteins to signaling cascades is summarized with a special regard to cancer and metastasis.
The magnitude and direction of the relationship between risk factor and cognition depends on age: a pooled analysis of 5 community-based studies
Authors: Meirelles Osorio , Arnette Anthony , Guðnason Vilmundur , Launer Lenore J.
Published: January 2024

The mixed evidence of the association between high levels of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and the risk for cognitive impairment may be due to confounding of age across studies. We pooled and harmonized individual-level data (30,967 persons, age range 42–96 years) from five prospective cohorts to investigate by 1 year age increments to investigate whether or not there is change in slope describing the association of CVRF to a cognitive outcome (Digit Symbol Substitution Test; DSST). The CVRF included: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, fasting glucose and body mass index. Linear and quadratic piecewise regression models were fit to the trajectory patterns of these slopes (betas). The pattern of yearly slope changes showed higher CVRF were associated with lower DSST, but associations attenuated toward zero as age increased for all but DBP where 1 year slopes for DBP changed direction from negative to positive from mid- to late-age. Age is not only a driver of cognitive decline—age also modifies the direction and strength of the association of cognitive function to CVRF and cohort age may be one reason why the evidence for CVRF-CD association is mixed.
Designing a computer-vision-based artifact for automated quality control: a case study in the food industry
Authors: Xiong Felix , Kühl Niklas , Stauder Maximilian
Published: January 2024

Reducing waste through automated quality control (AQC) has both positive economical and ecological effects. In order to incorporate AQC in packaging, multiple quality factor types (visual, informational, etc.) of a packaged artifact need to be evaluated. Thus, this work proposes an end-to-end quality control framework evaluating multiple quality control factors of packaged artifacts (visual, informational, etc.) to enable future industrial and scientific use cases. The framework includes an AQC architecture blueprint as well as a computer vision-based model training pipeline. The framework is designed generically, and then implemented based on a real use case from the packaging industry. As an innovate approach to quality control solution development, the data-centric artificial-intelligence (DCAI) paradigm is incorporated in the framework. The implemented use case solution is finally tested on actual data. As a result, it is shown that the framework’s implementation through a real industry use case works seamlessly and achieves superior results. The majority of packaged artifacts are correctly classified with rapid prediction speed. Deep-learning-based and traditional computer vision approaches are both integrated and benchmarked against each other. Through the measurement of a variety of performance metrics, valuable insights and key learnings for future adoptions of the framework are derived.
Facet-dependent magnetic properties of magnetite nanoparticles coated with dodecyl amine and their biological effect in hepatocarcinoma cell line
Authors: Rojas-Aguirre Yareli , Rizo Juan , Martínez-Aguilera Miguelina , Rodríguez-Hernández Adriana , Díaz-Bello Beatriz , Vázquez-Victorio Genaro , Domínguez Héctor , Mendoza-Cruz Rubén , Betancourt Israel , Ortega-Galindo Saret , Guadarrama Patricia
Published: January 2024

Herein was conducted a compelling structural analysis of magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) coated with dodecyl amine (DDA), compared with uncoated magnetite, both previously synthesized by an accelerated one-pot synthesis, starting from a single iron precursor. XRD/TEM results for the obtained nanomaterial Fe3O4@DDA showed the predominance of Fe3+ cations on the most stable atomic plane of magnetite (111). Using Molecular Dynamics calculations, with the observed atomic dispositions as inputs, it was established that NPs' surface and DDA might interact by short-distance coordination, with DDA as a ligand of Fe3+ cations, or by long-distance adsorption via H-bonding. The simulations align with TEM images, revealing an amorphous contour corresponding to the organic coating arranged as a bilayer. The TGA analysis corroborated a dual mass loss profile relating to the DDA bilayer at 116 °C and 350 °C. The Fe3O4@DDA NPs’ magnetic properties (saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity field (Hc)) were preserved. Fe3O4@DDA exhibited a reduction of 3 emu/g in Ms and an increment of 12 Oe in Hc, compared with Fe3O4 NPs, attributable to the coating inhomogeneity and the consequent anisotropy rise. Fe3O4@DDA triggered concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects on the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2. At 50 µg/mL after incubation of 48 h, cell viability was 63% < , whereas at 72 h only 30% of cells were viable. At 300 µg/mL, less than 10% of HepG2 cells remained viable after 24 h of incubation. In the case of Fe3O4 NPs assessed in the same cell line, cell viability remained as high as 80% at 300 µg/mL during 72 h of incubation. Trypan blue assay suggests membrane integrity damage as the primary mechanism of HepG2 cell death. Even though the in vitro results herein presented are preliminary, they represent the first report of the cytotoxic effect of magnetite coated with a nitrogenous surfactant.

Graphical abstract
The potential of collaborative housing to tackle the social deficit of housing: the Chilean case
Authors: Cortés-Urra Valentina , Ersoy Aksel , Czischke Darinka , Gruis Vincent
Published: January 2024

In recent decades, various programs have been developed as part of Chile’s housing policies to respond to the housing deficit. Most policies have so far focused on addressing the quantitative, qualitative, and urban deficits, neglecting the social dimension of housing. At the same time, the concept of collaborative housing has been referred to as a possible alternative to respond to these social challenges by fostering social cohesion, collaboration, and mutual aid. This article explores how collaborative housing can tackle the social deficit of housing. Here, we conceptualise this deficit as ‘the lack of non-physical or intangible social characteristics given among residents of a project, such as trust, social cohesion, and a sense of community, necessary for housing to be considered adequate.’ We examined the relation between these two concepts by developing a theoretical and empirical study. The first consisted of a theoretical framework and a review of literature on collaborative housing’s response to the social deficit of housing. Second, we interviewed stakeholders from two study cases. We found that residents in both collaborative housing cases perceive an improvement in their social interactions, sociability, trust, and sense of community in their current homes compared to previous homes. Therefore, we conclude that collaborative housing presents opportunities to tackle the social deficit of housing.
Bevacizumab and gamma knife radiosurgery for first-recurrence glioblastoma
Authors: Zhang Jeff F. , Okai Bernard , Iovoli Austin , Goulenko Victor , Attwood Kristopher , Lim Jaims , Hess Ryan M. , Abad Ajay P. , Prasad Dheerendra , Fenstermaker Robert A.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common central nervous system malignancy in adults. Despite decades of developments in surgical management, radiation treatment, chemotherapy, and tumor treating field therapy, GBM remains an ultimately fatal disease. There is currently no definitive standard of care for patients with recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) following failure of initial management.

Objective

In this retrospective cohort study, we set out to examine the relative effects of bevacizumab and Gamma Knife radiosurgery on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with GBM at first-recurrence.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of all patients with rGBM who underwent treatment with bevacizumab and/or Gamma Knife radiosurgery at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center between 2012 and 2022. Mean PFS and OS were determined for each of our three treatment groups: Bevacizumab Only, Bevacizumab Plus Gamma Knife, and Gamma Knife Only.

Results

Patients in the combined treatment group demonstrated longer post-recurrence median PFS (7.7 months) and median OS (11.5 months) compared to glioblastoma patients previously reported in the literature, and showed improvements in total PFS (p=0.015), total OS (p=0.0050), post-recurrence PFS (p=0.018), and post-recurrence OS (p=0.0082) compared to patients who received either bevacizumab or Gamma Knife as monotherapy.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that the combined use of bevacizumab with concurrent stereotactic radiosurgery can have improve survival in patients with rGBM.