bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of Technological Options for the Use of Various Wastes as Alternative Energy Sources Based on Multicomponent Compositions of Solid Fuels
Authors: Pekhota A. N. , Khrustalev B. M. , Golubev V. P. , Nguyen Thuy Nga , Vu Minh Phap
Published: December 2024

The article considers promising areas for solving problems of energy and resource conservation, as well as issues of rational use of natural and secondary resources generated in industrial and communal activities. The aspects of research and development of technological options for the use of various wastes based on multicomponent compositions of solid fuels as alternative energy sources are presented. Also presented are the main stages of the developed and applied technologies for briquetting and incineration of multicomponent mixtures based on various combustible waste. The developed algorithm for solving the problem under consideration which makes it possible to rationally use substandard combustible industrial municipal waste to obtain multicomponent solid fuel that meets the quality criteria for energy and environmental indicators is reviewed. The results of the applied research directly related to the qualitative assessment of multicomponent briquetted fuels and facilitating achievement of the best production and consumer indicators values of energy quality and environmental friendliness are presented.
Does targeting CPP at CPPopt actually improve cerebrovascular reactivity? A secondary analysis of the COGiTATE randomised controlled trial
Authors: beqiri erta , Tas Jeanette , Czosnyka Marek , Kaam Ruud CR van , Donnelly Joseph , Haeren Roel H , Horst Iwan CC van der , Hutchinson Peter J , Kuijk Sander M.J. van , Liberti Annalisa L , Menon David K , Hoedemaekers Cornelia WE , Depreitere Bart , Meyfroidt Geert , Ercole Ari , Aries Marcel JH , Smielewski Peter
Published: December 2024

Background.
The ‘CPPopt Guided Therapy: Assessment of Target Effectiveness’ (COGiTATE) randomised controlled trial demonstrated the feasibility and safety of targeting an automated cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) tailored to optimise cerebrovascular autoregulation (CPPopt) in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients requiring intracranial pressure management. The average values of the autoregulation index PRx were not different between the intervention and control group of the trial. This secondary analysis was performed to investigate whether there were differences in autoregulatory endpoints between the intervention (CPPtarget=CPPopt) and control (CPPtarget=60-70 mmHg) groups in a more granular way. Specifically, was there a difference in autoregulatory status between the two groups and what were the PRx values in 1-hour averaged periods when CPP was close to the CPPopt based target?
Methods.
We analysed data from the 28 and 32 patients randomised to the control and intervention group of the COGiTATE study, respectively. We compared hourly-averaged deltaPRx (PRx minus PRxopt, where PRxopt is PRx at CPPopt) between the two groups focusing on periods of globally preserved/homogeneous autoregulation (negative PRxopt). For each patient in the intervention group, PRx values in periods when deltaCPP (CPP-CPPopt target) was between -5 and +5 mmHg were compared to values in periods when deltaCPP was outside this range.
Results.
Median deltaPRx was significantly lower in the intervention group for nevative PRxopt (Mann-U test, p<0.001). For each patient in this group, median PRx was lower in periods when CPP was close to the CPPopt-based target (Wilcoxon test, p<0.001).
Conclusion.
Despite no difference in grand mean PRx, our results suggest that targeting CPPopt provides an effective way of improving cerebrovascular reactivity in TBI patients, offering a rational intervention for trials that address this issue. We also bring insight into aspects of the PRx/CPP relationship that should be considered for autoregulation-guided management for future clinical protocols and trials design.
Filling the gaps. Computational approaches to incomplete archaeological networks
Authors: Priß Deborah , Wainwright John , Lawrence Dan , Turnbull Laura , Prell Christina , Karritevlis Christodoulos , Ioannides Andreas A.
Published: December 2024

Networks are increasingly used to describe complex archaeological data in terms of nodes (the entities of the system) and edges (representing relationships like distance or similarity between each pair of nodes). Network analysis can then be applied to express local and global properties of the system, including structure (e.g. modularity) or connectivity. However, the usually high amount of missing data in archaeology and the uncertainty they cause make it difficult to obtain meaningful and robust results from the statistical methods utilised in the field of network analysis. Hence, we present in this paper manual and computational methods to 1) fill gaps in the settlement record and 2) reconstruct an ancient route system to retrieve a network that is as complete as possible. Our study focuses on the sites and routes, so-called hollow ways, in the Khabur Valley, Mesopotamia, during the Bronze and Iron Age as one of the most intensively surveyed areas worldwide. We were able to identify additional sites that were missing from the record as well as develop an innovative hybrid approach to complement the partly preserved hollow way system by integrating a manual and computational procedure. The set of methods we used can be adapted to significantly enhance the description of many other cases, and with appropriate extensions successfully tackle almost any archaeological region.
Link between body fat percentage and the future risk of diabetes in Chinese individuals with prediabetes: A 5-year longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Cao Jun , Cai Shichun , Huang Zhenhua , Su Zhaohai , Jiang Rengui , Yang Jiangyong , Zhang Bilong , Zhu Hengqing , Xie Zheng , Lu Weiling
Published: December 2024

Objective:Given the scarce research on the link between body fat percentage(BF%) and diabetes risk among Chinese adults with prediabetes, our study aimed to investigate the relationship between BF% and the likelihood of developing diabetes in this group.
Methods: This historical cohort study included 26,014 Chinese individuals diagnosed with prediabetes, who underwent health evaluations between 2010 and 2016.We utilized Cox proportional hazards regression models to investigate the relationship between baseline BF% and the risk of diabetes in adults diagnosed with prediabetes. Furthermore, we utilized Cox proportional hazards models in combination with cubic spline functions and smooth curve fitting to assess the nonlinear relationship between initial BF% and the onset of diabetes. To ensure the dependability of our findings, we conducted various sensitivity and subgroup analyses.
Results: After controlling for various covariates, the research indicated a positive correlation between BF% and diabetes risk (HR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.31-1.55, p<0.0001).The likelihood of developing diabetes progressively rose across the BF% quartiles (Q1 to Q4), with Q4 showing a significantly elevated risk relative to Q1 (adjusted HR=1.96, 95% CI=1.63-2.36).Furthermore, a nonlinear association emerged between BF% and diabetes risk in adults with prediabetes, marked by an inflection point at 25.2%.On the left side of this turning point, the HR stood at 3.14 (95% CI 2.08-4.75), whereas on the right side, it was 1.28 (95% CI 1.16-1.42).
Conclusion: Our study indicates a positive, nonlinear relationship between BF% and diabetes risk among Chinese individuals with prediabetes. For this population, reducing BF% can lower the risk of developing diabetes, particularly when BF% is decreased to below 25.2%.
Structural MRI Study of Pareidolia and Visual Hallucinations in Drug-Naïve Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Ozawa Masakazu , Shiraishi Tomotaka , Murakami Hidetomo , Yoshimaru Daisuke , Onda Asako , Matsuno Hiromasa , Komatsu Teppei , Sakuta Kenichi , Sakai Kenichiro , Umehara Tadashi , Mitsumura Hidetaka , Okano Hirotaka James , Iguchi Yasuyuki
Published: December 2024

Visual hallucinations (VH) and pareidolia, a type of minor hallucination, share common underlying mechanisms. However, the similarities and differences in their brain regions remain poorly understood in Parkinson’s disease (PD). A total of 104 drug-naïve PD patients underwent structural MRI and were assessed for pareidolia using the Noise Pareidolia Test (NPT) were enrolled. Subcortical gray matter volume and cortical surface volume were analyzed using the FreeSurfer software. Structural analyses revealed associations between NPT scores and atrophy in the right thalamus, right hippocampus, right temporal cortex, and right orbitofrontal cortex in all PD participants. These results were almost the same after adjusting for right-handed 97 patients with PD. It is considered that hallucinations in patients with PD are related to altered integration of sensory input (bottom-up) and prior knowledge (top-down) within the visual system. Our findings indicate that pareidolia in PD involves both bottom-up (thalamus and temporal cortex) and top-down (orbitofrontal cortex) processing disturbances; in contrast, VH predominantly involves bottom-up but not top-down regions. Understanding these distinctions could aid in the development of targeted interventions for hallucinations in patients with PD.
Comprehensive characterization of solar wind interaction with lunar crustal magnetic fields: Kaguya low-altitude observations
Authors: Ogino Kohei , Harada Yuki , Nishino Masaki N , Saito Yoshifumi , Yokota Shoichiro , Kasahara Yoshiya , Kumamoto Atsushi , Takahashi Futoshi , Shimizu Hisayoshi
Published: December 2024

Although the Moon does not have a global intrinsic magnetic field, lunar crustal magnetic anomalies (LMAs) are nonuniformly distributed over the lunar surface. The interaction between the solar wind and LMAs leads to the formation of mini-magnetospheres. Since the spatial scales of LMAs are very small, below several tens of kilometers, solar wind ions are demagnetized while electrons are still magnetized, forming Hall electric fields typically at low altitudes (~30 km). Since direct observations of these interaction regions are challenging from typical nominal altitudes of lunar orbiters (~100 km), the solar wind-LMA interaction has not been fully understood. In this study, we analyze low-altitude data obtained by Kaguya over various LMAs to comprehensively characterize the plasma environment and electromagnetic fields in the solar wind-LMA interaction region. We observe strong solar wind ion reflection and whistler mode waves at 1–10 Hz under high solar wind dynamic pressure and strong interplanetary magnetic field conditions, respectively. These trends are particularly clear over spatially extended LMAs. Over both spatially isolated and extended LMAs, strong Broadband Electrostatic Noise at 1–10 kHz tends to be observed when the spacecraft is magnetically connected to the lunar surface. In addition, our results suggest that anti-moonward electrostatic fields at low altitudes contribute to the acceleration, deceleration, and reflection of incident solar wind particles, and the resulting modification of particle velocity distribution functions can strongly influence the nature of the solar wind-LMA interaction including plasma wave excitation. Based on Kaguya data, we also develop a predictable indicator of the central interaction region where solar wind ions and electrons are decoupled. We propose that this indicator can be utilized to define regions of interest for future low-altitude or lander missions to LMA.
Latent profile analysis of anticipatory grief in family caregivers of patients with chronic heart failure and its influencing factors
Authors: Chen Ting , Su Li , Yu Jiajie , Zhao Huiming , Xiao Haoran , Wang Yali
Published: December 2024

Background
Anticipatory grief has been shown to be highly prevalent among family caregivers of patients with advanced illness. However, there is less research on the anticipatory grief of family caregivers with chronic heart failure. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the profile of anticipatory grief among family caregivers of patients with chronic heart failure and to analyze the influencing factors of different profiles.
Methods
A convenience sampling method was adopted to select 205 family caregivers of chronic heart failure patients hospitalized in a tertiary general hospital in Sichuan Province as the research subjects. A general information questionnaire, Anticipatory Grief Scale (AGS), and Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF) were used for the survey. Latent profile analysis was conducted on the anticipatory grief of family caregivers of chronic heart failure patients, and univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to explore the influencing factors of anticipatory grief in each subgroup.
Results
The anticipatory grief of family caregivers of chronic heart failure patients could be divided into three latent categories: low anticipatory grief class (16.4%), moderate anticipatory grief class (58.7%), and high anticipatory grief and loss class (24.8%). Gender, education, relationship with the patient, course of disease, and fear of progression were the influencing factors of the latent profile of anticipatory grief among family caregivers of chronic heart failure patients (all P < 0.05).
Conclusion
There are differences in the level of anticipatory grief among different subgroups of family caregivers of chronic heart failure patients. Medical staff can develop personalized intervention measures on the basis of the influencing factors of different categories to alleviate anticipatory grief of family caregivers and promote physical and mental health of caregivers in chronic heart failure patients.
Concordance and Test-Retest Consistency of Sleep Biomarker-Based Neurodegenerative Disorder Profiling
Authors: Levendowski Daniel J , Tsuang Debby , Chahine Lana M. , Walsh Christine M. , Berka Chris , Lee-Iannotti Joyce K. , Salat David , Fischer Corrine , Mazeika Gandis , Boeve Bradley F. , Strambi Luigi Ferini , Lewis Simon J.G. , Neylan Thomas C. , Louis Erik K. St
Published: December 2024

Biomarkers that aid in early detection of neurodegeneration are needed to enable early symptomatic treatment and enable identification of people who may benefit from neuroprotective interventions. Increasing evidence suggests that sleep biomarkers may be useful, given the bi-directional relationship between sleep and neurodegeneration and the prominence of sleep disturbances and altered sleep architectural characteristics in several neurodegenerative disorders. This study aimed to demonstrate that sleep can accurately characterize specific neurodegenerative disorders (NDD). A four-class machine-learning algorithm was trained using age and nine sleep biomarkers from patients with clinically-diagnosed manifest and prodromal NDDs, including Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD = 27), Lewy body dementia (LBD = 18), and isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD = 15), as well as a control group (CG = 58). The algorithm was validated in a total of 381 recordings, which included the training data set plus an additional AD = 10, iRBD = 18, Parkinson disease without dementia (PD = 29), mild cognitive impairment (MCI = 78) and CG = 128. Test-retest consistency was then assessed in LBD = 10, AD = 9, and CG = 46. The agreement between the NDD profiles and their respective clinical diagnoses exceeded 75% for the AD, LBD, and CG, and improved when NDD participants classified Likely Normal with NDD indications consistent with their clinical diagnosis were considered. Profiles for iRBD, PD and MCI participants were consistent with the heterogeneity of disease severities, with the majority of overt disagreements explained by normal sleep characterization in 27% of iRBD, 21% of PD, and 26% of MCI participants. For test-retest assignments, the same or similar NDD profiles were obtained for 88% of LBD, 86% in AD, and 98% of CG participants. The potential utility for NDD subtyping based on sleep biomarkers demonstrates promise and requires further prospective development and validation in larger NDD cohorts.
Trends and epidemiology of children treated in specialized burn centers in the Netherlands between 2009 and 2022
Authors: Kemme Frederique M , Berg Eline L van den , Vries Annebeth Meij-de , Gigengack Rolf K , Cuijpers Maxime D , Baar Margriet E van , Nieuwenhuis Marianne K , Zuijlen Paul PM van , Vlies Cees H van der , Bosma Eelke , Pijpe Anouk , N/A Dutch Burn Repository Group
Published: December 2024

Purpose
Knowledge about trends and epidemiology of pediatric burns is useful to identify patterns, to advance medical research, to design prevention programs and resource allocation. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology and trends of pediatric burns between 2009–2022 in the three Dutch burn centers. A secondary objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pattern of pediatric burns.
Methods
A register-based cohort study was conducted based on data from the Dutch Burn Repository R3. Patients between 0–17 years at the time of the burn injury admitted between 2009 and 2022 to one of the three burn centers, were included. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate the incidence and patient, burn and treatment characteristics. The COVID-19 pandemic years (2020–2021) were compared with the pooled results from pre-COVID years (2017–2019).
Results
A total of 4017 patients were included in this study, of which 3085 (77%) were overnight admissions. The incidence and absolute number of pediatric burn admissions gradually increased over the years, with a small temporary decrease in 2020–2021. Patient- and burn characteristics remained relatively consistent over the years. Three quarters of all patients were between 0 and 3 years old and the majority were boys (59%). A decreasing ratio of length of stay per % total burned surface area and an increase in day admissions was observed since 2016 onwards, which intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusions
There was a slight increase in the number of pediatric admissions to the burn centers between 2009 and 2022. Young children (0–3 years) remain the most frequently affected group. A shorter relative length of stay was observed, as well as an increase in day admissions, which was reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evaluating CMIP6 model performance of wet and dry spells by using novel climate rainfall indices over the Southeast Asia Region
Authors: Soe Thet Mar , Okrah Abraham , Oo Kyaw Than , Kamukama Ebaju Gerverse , Zhang Fangmin
Published: December 2024

Understanding and accurately predicting precipitation events is crucial due to their significant impacts on human lives and economies, especially in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region. This study evaluates the performance of CMIP6 models in simulating precipitation indices, focusing on both spatial patterns and temporal variations from 1981 to 2010. Models were classified into two groups: the 'Good_group,' which demonstrated robust performance, and the 'Bad_group,' which exhibited notable biases. The Good_group comprising ACCESS-CM2, ACCESS-ESM1-5, BCC-CSM2-MR, MIROC6, NorESM2-LM, and NorESM2-MM consistently performed better in simulating total precipitation (PRCPTOT), consecutive dry days (CDD), and daily intensity (SDII). These models showed smaller biases and more accurate representations of spatial patterns and temporal variability in the SEA region. Conversely, the Bad_group including EC-Earth3, EC-Earth3-Veg, GFDL-ESM4, and MPI-ESM1-2-LR exhibited significant biases and poorer performance. Specifically, Good_group models provided a more realistic simulation of PRCPTOT and SDII with reduced biases, whereas Bad_group models showed larger errors, especially in northeastern India and Myanmar. For CDD, Good_group models estimated fewer consecutive dry days than observed, while Bad_group models overestimated them. Despite advancements in CMIP6 models, including higher resolutions and improved parameterizations, challenges persist in accurately simulating wet spells dynamics in the complex SEA region. This study identifies the most skilful models and areas for improvement, offering valuable insights for model selection and enhancing climate projections and adaptation strategies in the SEA region.
36-month Evaluation of Non-carious Cervical Lesion Restorations Using Different Modes of Universal Adhesive
Authors: Tepe Hatice , Çeliksöz Özge , Yaman Batu Can
Published: December 2024

Objective
To evaluate the 36-month clinical performance of Single Bond Universal Adhesive (SBU; 3M ESPE, Germany) in non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) using different modes of adhesion according to the FDI criteria.
Materials and methods
In this study, the SBU Adhesive was applied to 246 NCCLs of 25 patients using different modes of adhesion: Self-etch (SE), selective-enamel-etching (SLE), and etch-and-rinse (ER). All lesions were restored with the same nanohybrid resin composite. The restorations were evaluated at the 1st, the 6th, 12th, 18th, and 36th month using the FDI criteria: marginal staining, fracture of material and retention, marginal adaptation, post-operative sensitivity and tooth vitality, recurrence of caries erosion and abfraction, and tooth integrity criteria. The differences between SE, SLE, and ER groups were tested using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests where a value of p < 0.05 was accepted as a criterion for statistical significance.
Results
After 36-month the recall rate was 96%. The retention loss rates were 29.33% for SE, 16.66% for SLE, and 3.89% for ER modes. Interactions between time periods and adhesive modes were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05) for all FDI criteria. ER mode performed significantly better than SE mode for marginal staining, fracture of material and retention, marginal adaptation and recurrence of caries erosion and abfraction criteria after the 36th month (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between SE and SLE mode (p > 0.05), nor between SLE and ER mode (p > 0.05).
Conclusions
After the 36-month evaluation of all adhesive modes used in the study, restorations performed with the ER adhesion mode were clinically good (2), while those performed with the SE adhesion mode and SLE adhesion mode were clinically satisfactory (3) according to the FDI criteria.
Clinical Relevance:
Restorations performed with the SE adhesion mode of universal adhesives exhibit clinically acceptable behavior after 36 months of evaluation, although with less success than those performed with the ER adhesion mode.
Th17 and effector CD8 T cells relate to disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a case control study
Authors: Itou Tatsuo , Fujita Koji , Okuzono Yuumi , Warude Dnyaneshwar , Miyakawa Shuuichi , Mihara Yoshimi , Matsui Naoko , Morino Hiroyuki , Kikukawa Yusuke , Izumi Yuishin
Published: December 2024

The immune system has garnered attention due to its association with disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the role of peripheral immune cells in this context remains controversial. Here, we conducted single-cell RNA-sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to comprehensively profile immune cells concerning the rate of disease progression in patients with ALS. Our analysis revealed increased frequencies of T helper 17 cells (Th17) relative to regulatory T cells, effector CD8 T cells relative to naïve CD8 T cells, and CD16highCD56low mature natural killer cells relative to CD16lowCD56high naïve natural killer cells in patients with rapidly progressive ALS. Additionally, we employed serum proteomics through a proximity extension assay combined with next-generation sequencing to identify inflammation-related proteins associated with rapid disease progression. Among these proteins, interleukin-17A correlated with the frequency of Th17, while killer cell lectin-like receptor D1 (CD94) correlated with the frequency of effector CD8 T cells. These findings further support the active roles played by these specific immune cell types in the progression of ALS.
Autologous platelet-rich plasma ovarian injection was associated with increased oocyte acquisition in patients with poor ovarian response: a retrospective propensity-matched study
Authors: Li Qian , Li Jing , Liu Jiawen , Chang Yajie , Liu Yingying , Zou Lina , Fang Cong , Liang Xiaoyan
Published: December 2024

Background Women with poor ovarian response (POR) tended to have lower success rates for IVF/ICSI due to fewer oocytes retrieved. Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) had been proposed to improve ovarian response.Method This study aims to evaluate the impact of autologous PRP ovarian injections on oocyte retrieval numbers and other reproductive outcomes in IVF/ICSI cycles among infertile women with POR, as defined by the Bologna criteria. Conducted at the Reproductive Center of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, this retrospective analysis involved a total of 1,833 oocyte retrieval cycles. Among these, 91 cycles involved patients who received autologous PRP injections, while 261 cycles were included in the control group after applying propensity score matching.Results The PRP group showed a significant increase in the number of follicles ≥ 14mm(2.96 ± 1.79 versus 2.26 ± 1.44, P < 0.001), retrieved oocytes(2.86 ± 1.88 versus 2.07 ± 1.78, P < 0.001), and normally fertilized zygotes(1.73 ± 1.42 versus 1.337 ± 1.44, P = 0.044) compared to the control group. Although the number of transferable embryos(1.34 ± 1.21 versus 1.07 ± 1.26, P = 0.079) and high-quality embryos(1.09 ± 1.16 versus 0.83 ± 1.13, P = 0.066) was higher in the PRP group, these differences were not statistically significant. Multivariable logistic regression identified PRP injection(odds ratio [OR] 3.655, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.324–1.079, P < 0.001), AMH levels(OR 4.096, 95% CI 0.949–2.701, P < 0.001), and total gonadotropin dose( OR 2.899, 95% CI < 0.001–0.001, P = 0.004) as independent predictors for oocyte retrieval.Conclusion Autologous PRP ovarian injection was associated with an increased number of oocytes retrieved in patients with poor response. While embryo quality improvement was not significant, PRP shows potential for enhancing reproductive outcomes in this population. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted.
Configurations of Training Transfer Performance in Near and Far Contexts: A Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Values-Driven Leadership Development
Authors: Song Hongfeng , Zhang Yuqing , Hu Anqi , Liu Xuanling
Published: December 2024

Modern enterprises frequently utilize various training activities to enhance employees’ job-related skills, and the success of training programs largely depends on effective training transfer. High training transfer rates are crucial for business development and achieving a favorable return on investment. Therefore, exploring pathways to achieve high training transfer holds substantial theoretical and practical significance. Through integrative theoretical perspectives, this study constructs a model of influencing factors of training transfer. Taking 216 members of the first and second phases of the State Grid Values-Driven Leadership Development Program as research objects, we employed a combination of NCA and fsQCA methods to identify various configurations that affect both near and far training transfer performance. The findings indicate that: (1) Transfer design is necessary for high training transfer performance in both near and far ends and plays an indispensable role in generating high training transfer performance. (2) Three configurations can generate high training transfer performance: organization leads to compensate for individual characteristics, organizational guidance to individuals, and individual-organization-environment co-driving. The latter configuration covers the largest number of participants, indicating the importance of fostering cooperation and mutual support among these three elements to enhance positive interactions and improve training outcomes. (3) The set composition of near and far ends configurations varies, with project identification and team learning atmosphere having a more substantial impact on the near end. At the same time, execution instrumentality and organizational support play a more critical role in the long term. This study offers valuable theoretical and practical insights for optimizing the Values-Driven Leadership Development Program system and achieving high-quality training transformation.
Innovative fast and low-cost method for the detection of living bacteria based on trajectory
Authors: Perronno Paul , Claudinon Julie , Senin Carmen , Elcin-Guinot Serap , Wolter Lena , Makshakova Olga N. , Dumas Norbert , Klockenbring Dimitri , Lam-Weil Joseph , Noblet Vincent , Steltenkamp Siegfried , Römer Winfried , Madec Morgan
Published: December 2024

Detection of pathogens is a major concern in many fields like medicine, pharmaceutics, or agri-food. Most conventional detection methods require skilled staff and specific laboratory equipment for sample collection and analysis or are specific to a given pathogen. Thus, they cannot be easily integrated into a portable device. In addition, the time-to-response, including the sample collection, possible transport to the measurement equipment, and analysis, is often quite long, making real-time impossible. This paper presents a new approach that better fulfills industry needs in terms of integrated real-time wide screening of a large number of samples. It combines optical imaging, object detection and tracking, and machine-learning-based classification. For this study, three of the most common bacteria are considered. For all of them, living bacteria are discriminated from inert and inorganic objects (1µm latex beads), based on their trajectory, with a high degree of confidence. Discrimination between living and dead bacteria of the same species is also achieved. Finally, the method also successfully detects abnormal concentrations of a given bacterium compared to a standard baseline solution. However, there is still room for improvement, these results provide a proof of concept for this technology, which has strong application potential in infection spread prevention.
WITHDRAWN: The value of T2WI-based intratumoral and peritumoral edema radiomics in predicting IDH-1 genotype in gliomas
Authors: Tang Wei , Yang Weixin , Tang Lei , Zhai Zhaohua
Published: December 2024

Objective: To explore the preoperative prediction value of isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH-1) genotype in gliomas using T2WI peritumoral edema radiomics.
Methods: Preoperative T2WI images of 164 patients with glioma (WHO grade 2–4) confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed, including wild-type IDH-1 (n = 106) and mutant IDH-1 (n = 58). All patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts in the ratio of 7:3. Radiomics features were extracted from tumor and peritumoral edema using 3D-slicer software. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) method was used for feature selection and regularization. After obtaining the optimized radiomics features, multiple regression models of clinical model (A), intratumoral-only radiomics model (T), peritumoral edema–only radiomics model (E), intratumoral and peritumoral edema radiomics model (H), and clinical combined radiomics model (C) were established and cross-validated. The predictive performance of the model was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC).
Result: Model E had a better prediction efficiency than model T, and model H had a better prediction performance than the single-region model, although without significant difference among the three groups (P > 0.05). Model C had the best prediction performance, with an AUC of 0.927 (95% CI: 0.88–0.97) and 0.870 (95% CI: 0.77–0.97), the sensitivity of 0.73 and 0.93, the specificity of 0.83 and 0.81, and the accuracy of 0.86 and 0.82 in the training and validation cohort, respectively. The difference between model C and model A was statistically significant (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: Radiomic models based on T2WI intratumoral and peritumoral edema can effectively predict the IDH-1 genotype of gliomas preoperatively.
Assembly of a Conductive Nanoparticle Polymer Nano Composite Thermal Insulation Film
Authors: Xing Baoyan , Ma Honfang , Dong Bingrong , Li Aijun , Zhao Jianguo , Ma Guibin
Published: December 2024

Organic-inorganic nano-composite films have attracted considerable attention due to their extraordinary properties, performance and applications. There have been few reports in the literature of conductive nano-composite organic-inorganic films. Herein an antimony tin oxide (ATO) polyethersulfone (PES) nano-composite conductive film has been assembled. First, the high conductive ATO nanoparticles were synthesized in the solid state and fully characterized using a variety of techniques focusing on its conductive properties. Next, a good dispersion reagent was selected to optimize conditions such as dispersion agent to ATO nanoparticle weight ratio, to generate maximum conductivity of the nanoparticle paste in solution. Oleic acid (OA) is a good dispersion agent, and the minimum resistance (R) is at an OA/ATO weight ratio at 0.5 in an NMP solution. Third, the ATO-PES nano-composite films were assembled by mixing a blended solution applied to the OA capped ATO nanoparticle solution with the polymer PES. Five different ATO composited films (4.5, 9.8, 18.8, 28.7 and 32.2%) were prepared under the same conditions but only the 32.2% weight of ATO film showed electronic conductivity at the OA/ATO weight ratio of 0.5. However, the conductivity is not homogenous, being more conductive at the bottom. The film becomes more homogenous in conductivity when the OA/ATO weight ratio is reduced to 0.19 and with 35.8% ATO. The measured top film resistance (R) is linear correlation to the film length, indicating that the film resistance is homogenous. The topography and current mapping of the film top shows the root mean square roughness (Rq) of the topography image is around 40 ± 2.5nm with agglomerates of densely packed ATO nanoparticles embedded into the polymer matrices in the film. The current map shows that the current is only present where nanoparticles are located. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that all ATO PES films are thermally stable films but only the 32.2% ATO film is conductive. A thermal radiation test showed that the film has excellent thermal insulation properties and the potential application in efficient building insulation and tent materials.
Magnetic resonance imaging signatures of neuroinflammation in major depressive disorder with religious and spiritual problems
Authors: Kaszás Alexandra , Kelemen Oguz , Kéri Szabolcs
Published: December 2024

Religious and spiritual (R/S) struggles, such as questioning of faith, existential and ethical concerns, and interpersonal conflicts, are associated with depressive symptoms. Neuroinflammation is critical in major depressive disorder (MDD) and is linked to stress associated with R/S problems. This study aimed to assess whether the presence of DSM-5 R/S problems contributes to neuroinflammation. We recruited 93 MDD patients and 93 healthy controls with and without R/S problems. MRI-based restricted fraction (RF) values, an index of neuroinflammation, were measured in the hippocampus, amygdala, and neocortex. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales (HAM-D, HAM-A), while R/S problems were quantified using the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSS-14). Results revealed elevated RF values in the amygdala and hippocampus of healthy individuals and MDD patients with R/S problems relative to those without R/S problems, with the highest values in MDD patients with R/S problems. Importantly, R/S problems and depressive symptoms were found to be independent predictors of RF values in the amygdala and hippocampus but not in the cortex. Elevated cortical RF values were associated with MDD. These intriguing findings indicate that R/S struggles are not secondary manifestations of depression but may independently contribute to neurobiological changes, engaging the audience in further research and discussion.
Cardiac systolic and diastolic function in relation to cardiovascular risk factor distribution: a comparison of strain-rate imaging in Russian and Norwegian populations Heart-to-Heart: Norwegian-Russian multilevel educational collaboration in cardiovascular disease epidemiology
Authors: Rösner Assami , Kornev Mikhail , Caglayan Hatice Akay , Malyutina Sofia , Ryabikov Andrew , Schirmer Henrik , Kudryavtsev Alexander V
Published: December 2024

Background: Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality rates are high in Russia and it is likely that this reflects a similar impact on the general cardiac health of the population. The current study seeks to compare standard echocardiography and strain-based measurements between Russian and Norwegian populations, while also exploring their links to hemodynamic and risk factors.
Methods: This study included echocardiographic measurements of 1,192 participants from Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, Russia, and 917 from the Tromsø Study population, Norway. The sample included men and women aged 40–69 years. Normalcy, defined as the absence of hypertension or indicators of CVD, was observed in 840 individuals. We performed conventional echocardiography and analysed two-dimensional speckle-tracking longitudinal strains, including systolic, early-, and late-diastolic SR values. The study population was divided into four groups: normal, controlled hypertension, hypertensive blood pressure, and cardiac disease. Echocardiographic parameters were compared between the Russian and Norwegian populations,adjusted for age, sex, height, body mass index, blood pressure, heart rate (HR), atrial fibrillation (AF), smoking, pulmonary hypertension, and serum values for total, LDL (low density lipoprotein), and HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol; triglycerides; creatinine; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; and HbA1C.
Results: Russians showed a tendency towards lower longitudinal systolic functional parameters, which were most prominent in the normotensive group. However, these differences became insignificant after adjusting for parameters that influence pre- and after-loads. Russians also had a lower stroke volume, higher HR, higher left atrial volume, lower A, and higher E/A ratio, indicating a higher incidence of diastolic dysfunction in the Russian population that persisted after adjustments.
Conclusion: After adjusting for factors that influence cardiac function, there were no differences in systolic functional parameters betweenthe Norwegian and Russian populations. However, differences in diastolic parameters, which persisted after adjusting for conventionally influential factors, indicated unexplained underlying causes of diastolic dysfunction in the Russian population.
The psychological experience of Chinese male master of nursing students: A qualitative study
Authors: Wang Zezhou , Liu Yan , Fang Kui , Dong Xue , Dong Yutong
Published: December 2024

Background: With the progress of graduate education in China, the development of society, and the deepening of medical reforms, professional development has become an important trend in cultivating high-level nursing talents. An increasing number of male graduate students are joining the nursing workforce. Investigating the experiences of male nursing graduate students during their learning process, analyzing the relevant factors affecting their education, and exploring potential solutions can provide references for nursing educators and administrators. This contributes to the further improvement of clinical nursing quality and the advancement and development of the nursing discipline.
Aim and objectives: This study aims to explore the emotional experience of Chinese male nursing postgraduates during their study through semi-structured interviews.
Design: A qualitative interview study.
Methods: Purposeful sampling was utilized to invite 11 male nursing master's students from nine provinces in China, with an average age of 25.36 ± 3.35 years. The participants comprised 64% with a professional master's degree and 36% with an academic master's degree; 45% were in the first year, 36% in the second, and 27% in the third. The COREQ checklist was used.
Results: Five key themes emerged : The improvement of knowledge and ability; the pressure of scientific research; the pressure of time and economy; confusion in career development, and low social recognition.
Conclusion: Male nursing graduate students can improve their abilities through the acquisition of specialized knowledge. However, they must navigate various challenges while seeking respect and recognition. Nursing educators and administrators should prioritize ideological education for male nursing graduate students, foster positive learning experiences, and gradually refine the cultivation methods for nursing master's students to nurture high-quality nursing resources for the development of the medical profession.
Cytokeratin Immunohistochemistry-Supervised Deep Learning for Detecting Breast Cancer Lymph Node Metastases and Evaluation of its Clinical Utility
Authors: Chou Yueh-Hung , Wu Chien-Hui , Chang Min-Hsiang , Tsai Hsin-Hsiu , Peng Yi-Ting
Published: December 2024

Lymph node status is an indispensable examination for breast cancer therapy. To detect small, inconspicuous metastatic carcinomas, pathologists usually require immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for cytokeratin (CK). Here, we proposed an IHC-supervised algorithm to create virtual CK masks in lymph node hematoxyline and eosin (H&E) images and evaluated its clinical utility. We enrolled 194 patients with breast cancer surgery-related axillary lymph nodes containing variously sized metastases. The deep learning network, Unet++ with EfficientNet-B7 as the backbone, was trained with the ground truth extracted from consecutive or re-stained CK. At the pixel level, the model had high accuracy (0.98 on average) and decent recall (0.64 on average) and performed best in macrometastasis, followed by micrometastasis and isolated tumor cells (ITC). At the whole-slide image (WSI) level, all 25 slides with macro-metastases and most micro-metastatic (15/16) were classified correctly. For ITC, 17/19 patients were identified; however, certain benign cells were misrecognized in 18/19 negative patients. In clinical settings, artificial intelligence can help pathologists detect micrometastatic carcinoma and significantly decrease reading time. IHC-supervised deep learning is robust and efficient, providing substantial, high-quality ground truth. The virtual CK masks and augmented WSI system enhanced pathologists’ ability to search for tumors in the lymph nodes.
Automated Characterization of Abdominal MRI Exams Using Deep Learning
Authors: Kim Joonghyun , Chae Allison , Duda Jeffrey , Borthakur Ari , Rader Daniel , Gee James C. , Kahn Charles E. , BioBank Penn Medicine , Witschey Walter R. , Sagreiya Hersh
Published: December 2024

Advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have revolutionized disease detection and treatment planning. However, as the volume and complexity of MRI data grow with increasing heterogeneity between institutions in imaging protocol, scanner technology, and data labeling, there is a need for a standardized methodology to efficiently identify, characterize, and label MRI sequences. Such a methodology is crucial for advancing research efforts that incorporate MRI data from diverse populations to develop robust machine learning models. This research utilizes convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to automatically classify sequence, orientation, and contrast, specifically tailored for abdominal MRI. Three distinct CNN models with similar backbone architectures were trained to classify single image slices into one of 12 sequences, 4 orientations, and 2 contrast classes. Results derived from this method demonstrate high levels of performance for the three specialized CNN models, with model accuracies for sequence, orientation, and contrast of 96.9%, 97.4%, and 97.3%, respectively.
Dysphagia’s Effects on Quality of Life, Functional Disabilities, and Psychological Distress in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: Outcomes of Cancer Rehabilitation from an Observational Single-Centre Study
Authors: Matko Špela , Knauseder Christina , Riedl David , Grote Vincent , Fischer Michael J. , Vorbach Samuel Moritz , Pfaller-Frank Karin , Frank Wilhelm , Licht Thomas
Published: December 2024

Purpose
Many patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) suffer from speech or swallowing disorders. We investigated the effects of dysphagia on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), functioning, and distress in HNC survivors, and the extent to which rehabilitation can alleviate these effects.
Methods
Cancer survivors undergoing inpatient cancer rehabilitation at an Austrian rehabilitation centre were asked to complete electronic patient-reported outcomes before admission (T0) and at discharge (T1). The EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire was assessing HRQoL, symptoms, and functioning, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess psychological distress.
Results
Of 63 HNC patients, 22 had dysphagia, 23 did not need speech therapy (control group C1), and 18 without dysphagia needed speech therapy (control group C2). Before rehabilitation, HRQoL, physical, social, and emotional functioning were significantly lower in dysphagia patients than in controls. Dysphagia patients suffered from more severe general symptoms, including fatigue, pain, sleep disturbances, nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea, and financial worries. In addition, emotional and social functioning of C2 patients who needed speech therapy but did not show dysphagia was significantly worse than of C1 patients. Social, emotional, and role functioning, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, insomnia, and appetite loss significantly improved by T1 in all HNC patients. Improvements in HRQoL were most noticeable in dysphagia patients. Psychooncological counselling reduced depression in dysphagia and in C2 patients to levels seen in the general population.
Conclusion
Dysphagia patients suffer severely from impaired functioning and systemic symptoms, but benefit substantially from cancer rehabilitation.
Development and validation of a multifactorial risk prediction model for frailty in patients with malignant digestive system tumors
Authors: pan Wenting , Wang Jun , Yang Ya , Zhu Li , Wang Haiyan , Li Ying , Li Xiaoyu , Sun Chenglong , Zhang Minglan , Yin Ping , Xu Liang-mei , Ding Xia
Published: December 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate a multifactorial predictive model for frailty risk in patients with digestive malignancies.
Methods: This study enrolled 450 patients from a tertiary hospital in Anhui, analyzing 15 indicators such as nutrition, diet, lab tests, disease factors, and psychosocial status. The data were randomly divided into training (70%) and validation (30%) sets. Frailty was assessed using the Frail scale, and a logistic regression model was built to identify frailty risks. Model accuracy was evaluated using calibration curves, AUC, and DCA.
Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed that nutritional risk, radiotherapy, and anxiety were independent risk factors for frailty in patients with malignant tumours of the digestive system, while a low-fat dietary pattern rich in vegetables and fruits was a protective factor. The AUC values for the training and validation groups were 0.838 (95% CI: 0.771-0.905) and 0.761 (95% CI: 0.641-0.881), respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test yielded P-values of 0.749 and 0.237. The calibration curves demonstrated high consistency between the actual and predicted values, and the ROC and DCA indicated that the model had a satisfactory predictive performance.
Conclusion: The developed predictive model exhibits good predictive ability and can be utilized to assess the risk of frailty in patients with malignant tumours of the digestive system. Patients with a frailty risk score exceeding 0.395 should undergo regular monitoring for frailty and receive personalized interventions.