bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of mitophagy‐associated proteins profile as potential plasma biomarkers of idiopathic Parkinson's disease
Authors: Qian Shuangjie , He Haijun , Xiong Xi , Ai Ruixue , Wang Wenwen , Zhu Huimin , Ye Qianqian , Zhou Shuoting , Nilsen Hilde , Xie Chenglong
Published: November 2023

Background

Despite extensive work to identify diagnostic plasma markers for Parkinson's disease (PD), there are still no accepted and validated surrogate biomarkers. Mitophagy‐associated proteins (MAPs), including PTEN‐induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), Parkin, phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5), BCL2 interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), and phosphorylated‐TBK1 (p‐TBK1), are, to our best knowledge, not well studied as a panel of biomarkers of neurodegeneration in PD.

Methods

The study population comprised 116 age‐matched controls (HC), 179 PD patients, alongside and 90 PD syndromes (PDs) divided between two cohorts: (i) the modeling cohort (cohort 1), including 150 PD, 97 HC, and 80 PDs; and (ii) the validated cohort (cohort 2), including 29 PD, 19 HC, and 10 PDs.

Results

MAPs are elevated in the plasma of PD patients. PINK1, Parkin, and PGAM5 displayed the top three measurable increase trends in amplitude compared to BNIP3 and p‐TBK1. Moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) values of PINK1, PGAM5, and Parkin were ranked the top three MAP candidates in diagnosis accuracy for PD from HC, but the MAPs make it hard to differentiate PD from PDs. In addition, there are higher plasma PINK1‐Parkin levels and prominent diagnostic accuracy in A‐synuclein (+) subjects than in A‐synuclein (−) subjects.

Conclusions

These results uncover that plasma MAPs (PINK1, Parkin, and PGAM5) may be potentially useful diagnostic biomarkers for PD diagnosis. Studies on larger cohorts would be required to test whether elevated plasma MAP levels are related to PD risk or prognosis.
RRM1 and PAB domains of translation initiation factor eIF4G (Tif4631p) play a crucial role in the nuclear degradation of export‐defective mRNAs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Saha Upasana , Gaine Rajlaxmi , Paira Sunirmal , Das Satarupa , Das Biswadip
Published: November 2023

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the CBC‐Tif4631p‐dependent exosomal targeting (CTEXT) complex consisting of Cbc1/2p, Tif4631p and Upf3p promotes the exosomal degradation of aberrantly long 3′‐extended, export‐defective transcripts and a small group of normal (termed ‘special’) mRNAs. We carried out a systematic analysis of all previously characterized functional domains of the major CTEXT component Tif4631p by deleting each of them and interrogating their involvement in the nuclear surveillance of abnormally long 3′‐extended and export‐defective messages. Our analyses show that the N‐terminal RNA recognition motif 1 (RRM1) and poly(A)‐binding protein (PAB) domains of Tif4631p, spanning amino acid residues, 1–82 and 188–299 in its primary structure, respectively, play a crucial role in degrading these aberrant messages. Furthermore, the physical association of the nuclear exosome with the altered/variant CTEXT complex harboring any of the mutant Tif4631p proteins lacking either the RRM1 or PAB domain becomes abolished. This finding indicates that the association between CTEXT and the exosome is accomplished via interaction between these Tif4631p domains with the major exosome component, Rrp6p. Abolition of interaction between altered CTEXT (harboring any of the RRM1/PAB‐deleted versions of Tif4631p) and the exosome further leads to the impaired recruitment of the RNA targets to the Rrp6p subunit of the exosome carried out by the RRM1/PAB domains of Tif4631p. When analyzing the Tif4631p‐interacting proteins, we identified a DEAD‐box RNA helicase (Dbp2p), as an interacting partner that turned out to be a previously unknown component of CTEXT. The present study provides a more complete description of the CTEXT complex and offers insight into the functional relationship of this complex with the nuclear exosome.
Working with public contributors in Parkinson's research: What were the changes, benefits and learnings? A critical reflection from the researcher and public contributor perspective
Authors: Lithander Fiona E. , Tenison Emma , Jones David Ashford , Stocker Sue , Hopewell‐Kelly Noreen , Gibson Andy , McGrath Carmel
Published: November 2023

Introduction

This paper provides a critical reflection from both the researcher and public contributor (PC) perspective on the benefits and the learnings taken from involving PCs in research related to Parkinson's.

Approach to Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)

This paper reports on how PCs shaped the design and development of the PRIME‐UK research programme study materials through input into information leaflets, consent forms and other patient‐facing documents used across three studies within the PRIME‐UK research programme. The PRIME‐UK research programme is designed to improve the quality of life of people with Parkinson's and this project included three studies: a cross‐sectional study, a randomised control trial and a qualitative study. We captured these impacts using Public Involvement Impact Logs, which provide a framework allowing researchers and PCs to report on the learnings, immediate outcomes and impacts from PPI. For this project, the impact logs enabled us to provide reflections from PCs and researchers on the process of involving ‘the public’ in Parkinson's research.

Findings

This paper builds on existing evidence of the range of benefits and challenges that emerge from working with patients and the public in Parkinson's research; this includes reflecting on the changes made to the study materials and benefits for the people involved. Four themes emerged from the reflections that were common to the researchers and PCs; these were the importance of providing a supportive environment; recognition of the benefit of the evaluation of the impact of PPI; acknowledgement that engagement of PPI can make a positive difference to the research process and that timely communication and the use of face‐to‐face communication, where available, is key. Furthermore, we demonstrate how impact logs provide a useful and straightforward tool for evaluating public involvement practices and supporting the feedback process.

Conclusion

We offer key recommendations for involving patients and the public in Parkinson's research and suggest approaches that could be implemented to capture the impacts of public involvement.

Public Contribution

Public contributors (PCs) were involved in the design and development of the participant information leaflets, consent forms and other patient‐facing documents used for studies within the PRIME‐UK research programme. In addition, PCs evaluated their involvement using impact logs and co‐authored this paper.
Efficacy of eutectic topical anesthesia in stainless steel crown procedures for primary molars: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Soni Arwa , Winnier J. Jasmin , Haradwala Zaineb , Kodical Sanjana , Joshi Amil , Shetty Ashveeta
Published: November 2023

Background

Prior literature highlights the importance of local anesthesia (LA) for stainless steel crown (SSC) preparation and placement. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of a eutectic mixture of local anesthesia (EMLA), a topical anesthesia, for this purpose remains unexplored.

Aim

The study evaluated the effectiveness of two EMLA application methods during SSC preparation and placement.

Design

Eighty‐four children between 4 and 8 years of age were randomly allocated to three intervention groups. Group A received EMLA applied supragingivally, Group B received a gingival retraction cord impregnated with EMLA (GRC_EMLA), and Group C (control) received LA. Pain was recorded using Wong–Baker Faces Pain Scale (WBFPS) and Children Hospital Eastern Ontario Pain Scale (CHEOPS) at three time intervals.

Results

Control had highest mean pain scores at the first time interval in both maxillary and mandibular arches, followed by Group B and Group A, with statistically significant p‐values (p = .00, p < .05). After preparation and placement, all three groups had low mean pain scores, with no statistically significant differences. Group A had minimal pain scores at all three time intervals, although not statistically significant.

Conclusion

EMLA is a potent topical anesthetic and can be used as an alternative to LA for conventional SSC preparation and placement in primary molars.
Advancements in edible films for aquatic product preservation and packaging
Authors: Gürdal Aydın Aytaç , Çetinkaya Turgay
Published: November 2023

This review focuses on the incorporation of various bioactive compounds into edible films/coatings, improving their properties using novel techniques, and discussing their applications in aquatic food products. Aquatic food products with a high nutritional value play an important role in the market. However, these products are susceptible to microbiological spoilage, chemical oxidation, and physical deterioration. Therefore, the use of functional edible films and coating layers for shelf life extension is a critical issue. In this review, marine‐based biopolymers, peptides, biodegradable polymers, and their conjugates as edible film/coating materials are summarised, and commonly applied methods are explained. Polysaccharide and/or protein films enriched with plant extracts, phenolic compounds, and essential oils (EOs) have also been presented. Recent studies have indicated that nanostructures, such as nanofibers, nanoparticles, and nanoemulsions, have gained interest for the nanoencapsulation of bioactive ingredients or antimicrobial agents in edible films to preserve freshness. Therefore, nanocomposite packaging film materials with improved moisture barriers have a strong impact on oxidation and microbial delay. The combination of various compounds or synergistic treatment of edible films with other nonthermal methods such as ozonation, high hydrostatic pressure, and irradiation, are recommended as alternative edible film modification methods. Finally, the enrichment of edible films with microorganism‐based additives, bacteriophages, and enzymes is discussed. This review reports that the integration of natural antioxidants, phenolic compounds, probiotics, and bacteriocins with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in edible films and their packaging applications has the potential to prolong the shelf life of aquatic products.
Quality of inclusive primary schools in Duhok governorate, Kurdistan region of Iraq: An observation study
Authors: Mohammed Ali Araz Bashar , Vierbuchen Marie‐Christine
Published: November 2023

Inclusive education is a right for all children in every society. However, especially for children with disabilities and other risk factors, internationally the development of effective implementation of this right is not intuitive and there is much potential for design at different levels. Currently, however, little evidence exists on how this right is being implemented for children in primary school in Duhok (Kurdistan Region of Iraq). This study extracts results from classroom observations conducted using the support of a quality scale for inclusive education. From the analysis, important indications can be drawn on the necessary further development at the level of students with individual needs, inclusive teaching, interdisciplinary cooperation within the professional teams in school, school concept and school life and external support and communal networking.
Development of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Predictive Anomaly Detection System to Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Miyake Ryota , Tominaga Shinya , Terakado Yusuke , Takado Naoyuki , Aoki Toshio , Miyamoto Chikashi , Naito Susumu , Taguchi Yasunori , Kato Yuichi , Nakata Kota
Published: November 2023

In a large-scale plant such as a nuclear power plant, thousands of process values are measured for the purpose of monitoring the plant performance and the system health. It is difficult for plant operators to constantly monitor all of the process values. We present a data-driven method to comprehensively monitor a large number of process values and detect early signs of anomalies, including unknown events, with few false positives. In order to learn the complex changing internal state of a nuclear power plant and accurately predict the normal process values, we have developed a two-stage auto-encoder (TSAE), a type of neural network, composed of a time window auto-encoder and a deviation auto-encoder. TSAE realizes to detect anomalous signals during the plant transient conditions by collecting time-series data and learning the nonlinear temporal correlation among them. In the actual plant, some process values which are physically uncorrelated with each other happen to behave similarly (pseudo-correlation). Learning the pseudo-correlation by the algorithm causes false positives because the predicted values of unrelated process values are incorrectly correlated. Therefore, Toshiba has proposed the model classification concept of separating the process values into two groups based on physical correlation and applied a model structure of TSAE. As a result, it becomes possible to learn only with the process values that are physically correlated and enhance the performance of prediction/detection. We assessed the improved TSAE with simulated process values of a nuclear power plant and showed excellent performances with early detection and few false positives.
Experimental Investigation of Energy-Saving Potential of Ground Source Heat Pump During Peak Hour Operations
Authors: Sah Shammy Kumar , Murugesan Krishnan , Rajasekar Elangovan
Published: November 2023

Ground-source heat pump (GSHP) systems have emerged as energy-efficient alternate systems for the conventional Air-Source Air-Conditioning (ASAC) systems for space heating and cooling applications. GSHPs have gained widespread popularity globally and are extensively utilized in residential and commercial buildings. However, in countries like India where both space cooling and heating are required, it becomes essential to evaluate the performance of the GSHP system, especially during peak-hour operation to estimate peak load energy demand. This research paper tries to identify the energy efficiency of the GSHP system during peak-hour operations in comparison to the ASAC system using experimental techniques. Experimental trials were conducted in a laboratory equipped with a single unit of 17.58 kW cooling/heating capacity GSHP system and a 17.57 kW cooling/heating ASAC system (two units of 7.023 kW and 10.548 kW). Experimental trials were conducted in peak summer in the month of June for cooling mode operation and January for heating mode operation for Roorkee weather conditions in the northern part of India. The performance of both systems was compared by defining instantaneous coefficient of performance (COP) and cyclic COP. The instantaneous COP was found to be higher for both the systems during peak-hour cooling and heating mode operations. Energy-saving analysis indicates that the ground-source heat pump system saves 36.85% and 38.65% of electrical energy in cooling and heating modes, respectively, compared to the ASAC system.
Arte, simbolismo, tradición e identidad en el medio rural. Una etnografía de la Romería de Tomelloso en la provincia de Ciudad Real (España).
Authors:   Universidad de Castilla y la Mancha, De Haro Honrubia Alejandro
Published: November 2023

Resumen: Este artículo versa sobre los principales símbolos y tradiciones que podemos encontrar en el contexto de la festividad de la Romería de Tomelloso en la provincia de Ciudad Real (España). Se exponen los resultados de un trabajo de campo realizado entre los años 2009-2016 con diferentes técnicas etnográficas. Los resultados de este trabajo nos conducen a considerar aquellos símbolos y tradiciones como una forma de arte y como forjadores de identidad de esta localidad de la Mancha central ubicada en el medio rural.
Initial Maximum Push-Rim Propulsion and Sprint Performance in Elite Men’s Wheelchair Basketball
Authors: Iturricastillo Aitor , Sanchez-Grau Jordi , Carmona Gerard , García-Fresneda Adrián , Yanci Javier
Published: November 2023

Objectives: This study sought to report the reliability (intrasession) values of initial maximum push-rim propulsion (IMPRP) and sprint performance in elite wheelchair basketball (WB) players and to assess the involvement of strength in sprint capacity. Methods: Fifteen Spanish international WB male players participated in this study. The maximum single wheelchair push from a stationary position (IMPRP) and the sprint performance (ie, 3, 5, and 12 m) of WB players were measured in this study. Results: IMPRP mechanical outputs V, Vmax, P, Rel. P, F, and Rel. F variables presented high reliability values (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] ≥ .92; coefficient of variation [CV] ≤ 8.04 ± 7.37; standard error of measurement [SEM] ≤ 29.92), but the maximum strength variables Pmax, Rel. Pmax, Fmax, and Rel. Fmax (ICC ≥ .63; CV ≤ 13.19 ± 16.63; SEM ≤ 203.76) showed lower ICC values and by contrast higher CV and SEM values. The most substantial correlations were identified between maximum IMPRP values (ie, V, Vmax, P, Rel. P, F, and Rel. F) and sprint performance in 3 m (r ±  confidence limits ≥ −0.74 ± 0.22, very large; R2 ≥ .55), 5 m (r ±  confidence limits ≥ −0.72 ± 0.24, very large; R2 ≥ .51), and 12 m (r ±  confidence limits ≥ −0.67 ± 0.27, large; R2 ≥ .44). Conclusions: The IMPRP test and sprint tests (3, 5, and 12 m) are practical and reliable for measuring strength and speed in WB players. In addition, there were large to very large associations among strength variables (ie, P, Rel. P, F, and Rel. F) and all sprint variables. This could indicate a need to implement specific strength exercises in WB players to improve sprint capacity.
Sedimentary parameters control the sulfur isotope composition of marine pyrite
Authors: Halevy I. , Fike D. A. , Pasquier V. , Bryant R. N. , Wenk C. B. , Turchyn A. V. , Johnston D. T. , Claypool G. E.
Published: November 2023

Reconstructions of coupled carbon, oxygen, and sulfur cycles rely heavily on sedimentary pyrite sulfur isotope compositions (δ
34
S
pyr
). With a model of sediment diagenesis, paired with global datasets of sedimentary parameters, we show that the wide range of δ
34
S
pyr
(~100 per mil) in modern marine sediments arises from geographic patterns in the relative rates of diffusion, burial, and microbial reduction of sulfate. By contrast, the microbial sulfur isotope fractionation remains large and relatively uniform. Over Earth history, the effect of increasing seawater sulfate and oxygen concentrations on sulfate and sulfide transport and reaction may explain the corresponding increase observed in the δ
34
S offset between sulfate and pyrite. More subtle variations may be related to changes in depositional environments associated with sea level fluctuations and supercontinent cycles.
Role-playing climate resilience
Daybreak
Matt Leacock and Matteo Menapace, designers
CMYK, 2023.
Authors: Thompson Valerie
Published: November 2023

An optimistic game proves that solving hard problems can be serious fun
Extremely large telescopes at risk
Authors: Turner Michael S.
Published: November 2023

Images of the cosmos from the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope have awed the public and astronomers alike. Until the Hubble, breakthroughs in astronomy came from big telescopes on mountain-top observatories—discoveries that include the expansion of the Universe and planets orbiting other stars. A new generation of extremely large ground-based telescopes is under development, which, when paired with space-based observatories, will produce even more remarkable discoveries about our Universe.
Rude awakening
Authors: Wadman Meredith
Published: November 2023

The appearance of a “tropical” mosquito-borne illness in southeastern Australia has unsettled researchers
Doubts renewed about anti-inflammation claims
Authors: Sinha Gunjan
Published: November 2023

Did university misconduct probe truly clear work on inflammation-stopping lipids?
Histoplasma associated pericarditis with pericardial tamponade in a child
Authors: Jawahar Aravinth Prasanth , Thattaliyath Bijoy , Badheka Aditya , Chegondi Madhuradhar
Published: November 2023

Histoplasma-mediated pericarditis is rare, and it occurs due to host-mediated inflammatory or immune response to adjacent mediastinal adenitis or pneumonitis. It is usually self-limited and rarely progresses to a disseminated infection in an immunocompetent individual. In rare instances, it can occur without pulmonary manifestations, making the diagnosis challenging given the broad list of differentials that can be considered as in our patient who initially presented with an isolated pericardial effusion with tamponade needing emergent pericardiocentesis.
Extracerebral choroid plexus papilloma in a newborn: a rare presentation
Authors: Singh Santosh Kumar , Patra Saikat , Shirazi Nadia , Gupta Girish
Published: November 2023

Choroid plexus papillomas (CPPs) are extremely rare lesions that originate in the central nervous system. Still rarely, these can occur in heterotopic locations. We report a case of aneonate who presented at fourth week of life with a small swelling in the left side of the oropharynx. There were no other symptoms. MRI scan revealed a cystic lesion with the possibility of lymphatic malformation or teratoma. Swelling which was gradually increasing in size was electively excised. Histopathological examination revealed it to be an extracerebral CPP. Postoperative period was uneventful, and baby had no further complications. CPP is a rare lesion and, almost always, cannot be anticipated before surgery. Imaging only helps in surgical planning. Complete excision is curative.
High-intensity non-invasive ventilation during exercise-training versus without in people with very severe COPD and chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Schneeberger Tessa , Dennis Clancy John , Jarosch Inga , Leitl Daniela , Stegemann Antje , Gloeckl Rainer , Hitzl Wolfgang , Leidinger Maximilian , Schoenheit-Kenn Ursula , Criée Carl-Peter , Koczulla Andreas Rembert , Kenn Klaus
Published: November 2023

Background

People with very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using nocturnal non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure (CHRF) experience reduced exercise capacity and severe dyspnoea during exercise training (ET). The use of NIV during ET can personalise training during pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) but whether high-intensity NIV (HI-NIV) during exercise is accepted and improves outcomes in these extremely physically limited patients is unknown. The aim of this trial was to determine if ET with HI-NIV during PR was more effective than without at improving exercise capacity and reducing dyspnoea during exercise.

Methods

Patients with COPD, CHRF and nocturnal-NIV were randomised to supervised cycle-ET as part of PR with HI-NIV or without (control). Primary outcome was change in cycle endurance time (ΔCETtime), while secondary outcomes were dyspnoea at isotime during the cycle endurance test and during ET-sessions and for the HI-NIV group, post-trial preferred exercising method.

Results

Twenty-six participants (forced expiratory volume in 1 s 22±7%pred, PaCO251±7 mm Hg) completed the trial (HI-NIV: n=13, ET: IPAP 26±3/EPAP 6±1 cm H2O; control n=13). At completion of a 3 week ET-programme, no significant between-group differences in ΔCETtimewere seen (HI-NIV-control: Δ105 s 95% CI (−92 to 302), p=0.608). Within-group ΔCETtimewas significant (HI-NIV: +246 s 95% CI (61 to 432); control: +141 s 95% CI (60 to 222); all p<0.05). The number of responders (Δ>minimal important difference (MID)101 s: n=53.8%) was the same in both groups for absolute ΔCETtimeand 69.2% of control and 76.9% of the HI-NIV group had a %change>MID33%.

Compared with control, the HI-NIV group reported less isotime dyspnoea (Δ−2.0 pts. 95% CI (−3.2 to −0.8), p=0.005) and during ET (Δ−3.2 pts. 95% CI (−4.6 to −1.9), p<0.001). Most of the HI-NIV group (n=12/13) preferred exercising with NIV.

Conclusion

In this small group of patients with very severe COPD requiring nocturnal NIV, participation in an ET-programme during PR significantly improved exercise capacity irrespective of HI-NIV use. Reported dyspnoea was in favour of HI-NIV.

Trial registration number

NCT03803358.
Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in multiple sclerosis treated with fingolimod
Authors: Nasir Moneeb , Galea Ian , Neligan Aidan , Chung Karen
Published: November 2023

A 21-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis (taking regular fingolimod) developed sudden-onset severe headache with nausea and malaise. Neurological examination was normal and she was afebrile. Blood results showed lymphocytes 0.53 x 109/L and C reactive protein 19 mg/L. CT scan of head and venogram were normal. CSF showed an opening pressure of 33 cm H2O and an incidental light growth ofCryptococcus neoformans, confirmed with positive India Ink stain and a positive cryptococcal antigen (1:100). She was treated for cryptococcal meningoencephalitis with amphotericin and flucytosine. Her presenting symptoms had closely mimicked subarachnoid haemorrhage. This atypical presentation of cryptococcal CNS infection highlights the need for vigilance in immunosuppressed patients.
A stretchable hardness sensor for the assessment of skin disease in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Wang Xiuyuan , Liu Mengyang , Ye Tianbao , Huang Junxia , Xu Xinzhi , Li Ming , Zhao Xuefeng , Lu Hongliang , Yang Ji
Published: November 2023

Objective

To determine the validity of a hardness sensor to objectively assess skin induration in patients with systemic sclerosis, and to compare the hardness sensor with the modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) and a durometer.

Methods

The skin induration was measured in two assessments: a Latin square experiment to examine the hardness sensor’s intraobserver and interobserver reliability; and a longitudinal cohort to evaluate the distribution of hardness sensor measurements, the correlation between hardness sensor, durometer and MRSS, and the sensitivity to change in skin hardness. Other outcome data collected included the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) disability index and Keitel function test (KTF) score.

Results

The reliability of the hardness sensor was excellent, with high intraobserver and interobserver intraclass correlation coefficients (0.97; 0.96), which was higher than MRSS (0.86; 0.74). Interobserver reproducibility of hardness sensor was only poor in abdomen (0.38), yet for durometer it was poor in face (0.11) and abdomen (0.33). The hardness sensor score provided a greater dynamic evaluation range than MRSS. Total hardness sensor score correlated well with MRSS (r=0.90, p<0.001), total durometer score (r=0.95, p<0.001), HAQ disability index (r=0.70, p<0.001) and KTF score (r=0.66, p<0.001). Change in hardness sensor score also correlated with change in MRSS (r=0.78, p<0.001), total durometer score (r=0.85, p<0.001), HAQ disability index (r=0.76, p<0.001) and KTF score (r=0.67, p<0.001).

Conclusion

The hardness sensor showed greater reproducibility and accuracy than MRSS, and more application sites than durometer; it can also reflect patients’ self-assessments and function test outcomes.
Performances of machine learning algorithms in discriminating sacroiliitis features on MRI: a systematic review
Authors: Moon Sun Jae , Lee Seulkee , Hwang Jinseub , Lee Jaejoon , Kang Seonyoung , Cha Hoon-Suk
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Summarise the evidence of the performance of the machine learning algorithm in discriminating sacroiliitis features on MRI and compare it with the accuracy of human physicians.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CIHNAL, Web of Science, IEEE, American College of Rheumatology and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology abstract archives were searched for studies published between 2008 and 4 June 2023. Two authors independently screened and extracted the variables, and the results are presented using tables and forest plots.

Results

Ten studies were selected from 2381. Over half of the studies used deep learning models, using Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society sacroiliitis criteria as the ground truth, and manually extracted the regions of interest. All studies reported the area under the curve as a performance index, ranging from 0.76 to 0.99. Sensitivity and specificity were the second-most commonly reported indices, with sensitivity ranging from 0.56 to 1.00 and specificity ranging from 0.67 to 1.00; these results are comparable to a radiologist’s sensitivity of 0.67–1.00 and specificity of 0.78–1.00 in the same cohort. More than half of the studies showed a high risk of bias in the analysis domain of quality appraisal owing to the small sample size or overfitting issues.

Conclusion

The performance of machine learning algorithms in discriminating sacroiliitis features on MRI varied owing to the high heterogeneity between studies and the small sample sizes, overfitting, and under-reporting issues of individual studies. Further well-designed and transparent studies are required.
Microscopic self-healing of multi-walled carbon nanotube-modified asphalt based on the dual diffusion-energy theory
Authors: Xiao Minmin , Guo Xu , Dong Jinyong , Li Chunyan , Ren Jianguo
Published: November 2023

To investigate the self-healing performance of multi-walled carbon nanotube-modified asphalt and its influencing mechanism, the asphalt molecular self-healing models were established by the molecular dynamics method. The results were analyzed based on molecular diffusion theory and surface energy repair theory. Based on the Arrhenius model, two theories were combined, and a new index healing factor was proposed to evaluate the self-healing performance by considering the diffusion characteristics and energy changes of asphalt molecules. The results show that multi-walled carbon nanotubes can accelerate the diffusion behavior of molecules in the temperature of 278--318 K to improve the self-healing properties of asphalt. Based on the proposed surface free energy equation, the self-healing properties are reasonably evaluated; the enthalpy change can be used as an index for judging the self-healing performance. The transformation model of the diffusion coefficient and cohesive work and the new index can reflect the self-healing performance more comprehensively.
Particles and antiparticles
Authors: Horváth Dezső , Trócsányi Zoltán
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we review the concept of charge and chirality for particles and antiparticles. We point out that the commonly accepted equivalence of particles and antiparticles—with difference only in the opposite signs of their charges, which follows from the CPT invariance—is valid only for free non-chiral particles. We point out that the the equivalence of particles and antiparticles is violated if the weak interaction is turned on. We also discuss that within the standard model even free neutrinos are exceptions, as they can be produced only in chiral states. We conclude that in spite of a long history of antiparticles, interesting theoretical and experimental challenges remain in their complete understanding.
A Convolutional Neural Network Based on Soft Attention Mechanism and Multi-Scale Fusion for Skin Cancer Classification
Authors: Bao Qiwei , Han Hua , Huang Li , Muzahid A. A. M.
Published: November 2023

The seven most common skin diseases are melanocytic nevus, melanoma, benign keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, vascular lesions, and dermatofibroma. Among them, melanoma has been identified as one of the deadliest cancers based on medical studies and research. The current trend in disease detection revolves around the use of machine learning and deep learning models. Regardless of the model used, the crucial aspect is achieving accurate classification for these diseases. With the emergence of powerful convolutional neural networks (CNNs), significant progress has been made in classification of skin cancer lesions in recent years. However, various challenges hinder the development of practical and effective solutions. First, due to the specific nature of skin cancer lesion images, the current deep neural network architectures and training strategies have poor adaptability to medical images. They are also prone to gradient vanishing issues during network iteration, which hinders the construction of high-performance deep learning models that leverage distinctive characteristics of skin lesion images. Second, there exists a discordance between skin lesion images and deep learning network structures. To address these issues, this study introduces a soft attention mechanism to enhance adaptability to skin cancer lesion images and improve the extraction of informative features from medical images. Additionally, a novel multi-scale fusion convolutional neural network model is proposed to overcome the mismatch between deep learning CNN architectures and skin lesion images. This model autonomously extracts appearance features from raw dermatological medical images. Comparisons with other popular techniques demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model, which can achieve an accuracy of 93.9% on HAM10000 dataset. There is ongoing research to overcome the remaining challenges and further enhance the performance of skin cancer classification algorithms.
MOID: Many-to-One Patent Graph Embedding Base Infringement Detection Model
Authors: Liu Weidong , Li Fei , Pei Senjun , Cheng Chunming
Published: November 2023

With the increasing number of patent applications over the years, instances of patent infringement cases have become more frequent. However, traditional manual patent infringement detection models are no longer suitable for large-scale infringement detection. Existing automated models mainly focus on detecting one-to-one patent infringements, but neglect the many-to-one scenarios. The many-to-one patent infringement detection model faces some major challenges. First, the diversity of patent domains, complexity of content and ambiguity of features make it difficult to extract and represent patent features. Second, patent infringement detection relies on the correlation between patents and the comparison of contextual information as the key factors, but modeling the process and drawing conclusions present challenges. To address these challenges, we propose a many-to-one patent graph (MPG) embedding base infringement detection model. Our model extracts the relationship between keywords and patents, as well as association relation between keywords from many-to-one patent texts (MPTs), to construct a MPG. We obtain patent infringement features through graph embedding of MPG. By using these embedding features as input, the many-to-one infringement detection (MOID) model outputs the conclusion on whether a patent is infringed or not. The comparative experimental results indicate that our model improves accuracy, precision and F-measure by 3.81%, 11.82% and 5.37%, respectively, when compared to the state-of-the-art method.
Constructing Signal from Imperfect Data without Prior Information and Training Data
Authors: Kittisuwan Pichid , Woradit Kampol
Published: November 2023

In many situations, the signal can be disrupted not only by noise but also by missing data. Many works present deep learning techniques to solve the noise and missing-data problems. These techniques give good efficiency for removing adulterated things. However, many deep learning techniques do not give good efficiency in computational time because these methods require large architecture and training data via prior information. Moreover, prior information may be lacking in some situations. Therefore, we present the algorithm which comprises the least squares estimation to solve the missing-data problem and the penalized least squares regression (PLSR) for solving the noise problem. The proposed algorithm is based on the novel channel model which is not similar to the traditional form of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). Here, the proposed method is not similar to deep learning methods, so this method gives very good efficiency in computational time. Moreover, the proposed shrinkage function which is built by the PLSR is the generalized form of the well-known shrinkage function presented in the past. Finally, we use the speech, electrocardiogram (ECG) and synthetic signals corrupted by adulterated things for testing the proposed algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed method gives good efficiency for creating data.
Representability of relatively free affine algebras over a Noetherian ring
Authors: Kanel-Belov Alexei , Rowen Louis , Vishne Uzi
Published: November 2023

Over the years questions have arisen about T-ideals of (noncommutative) polynomials. But when evaluating a noncentral polynomial in subalgebras of matrices, one often has little control in determining the specific evaluations of the polynomial. One way of overcoming this difficulty in characteristic 0, is to reduce to multilinear polynomials and to utilize the representation theory of the symmetric group. But this technique is unavailable in characteristic [Formula: see text]. An alternative method, which succeeds, is the process of “hiking” a polynomial, in which one specializes its indeterminates in several stages, to obtain a polynomial in which Capelli polynomial is embedded, in order to get control on its evaluations. This method was utilized on homogeneous polynomials in the proof of Specht’s conjecture for affine algebras over fields of positive characteristic. In this paper, we develop hiking further to nonhomogeneous polynomials, to apply to the “representability question.” Kemer proved in 1988 that every affine relatively free PI algebra over an infinite field, is representable. In 2010, the first author of this paper proved more generally that every affine relatively free PI algebra over any commutative Noetherian unital ring is representable [A. Belov, Local finite basis property and local representability of varieties of associative rings, Izv. Russian Acad. Sci. (1) (2010) 3–134. English Translation Izv. Math. 74(1) (2010) 1–126]. We present a different, complete, proof, based on hiking nonhomogeneous polynomials, over finite fields. We then obtain the full result over a Noetherian commutative ring, using Noetherian induction on T-ideals. The bulk of the proof is for the case of a base field of positive characteristic. Here, whereas the usage of hiking is more direct than in proving Specht’s conjecture, one must consider nonhomogeneous polynomials when the base ring is finite, which entails certain difficulties to be overcome. In Appendix A, we show how hiking can be adapted to prove the involutory versions, as well as various graded and nonassociative theorems.
Diagnosis of osteosarcoma based on multimodal microscopic imaging and deep learning
Authors: Wang Zihan , Wu Jinjin , Li Chenbei , Wang Bing , Wu Qingxia , Li Lan , Wang Huijie , Tu Chao , Yin Jianhua
Published: November 2023

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor with high malignancy. It is particularly necessary to achieve rapid and accurate diagnosis in its intraoperative examination and early diagnosis. Accordingly, the multimodal microscopic imaging diagnosis system constructed by bright field, spontaneous fluorescence and polarized light microscopic imaging was used to study the pathological mechanism of osteosarcoma from the tissue microenvironment level and achieve rapid and accurate diagnosis. First, the multimodal microscopic images of normal and osteosarcoma tissue slices were collected to characterize the overall morphology of the tissue microenvironment of the samples, the arrangement structure of collagen fibers and the content and distribution of endogenous fluorescent substances. Second, based on the correlation and complementarity of the feature information contained in the three single-mode images, combined with convolutional neural network (CNN) and image fusion methods, a multimodal intelligent diagnosis model was constructed to effectively improve the information utilization and diagnosis accuracy. The accuracy and true positivity of the multimodal diagnostic model were significantly improved to 0.8495 and 0.9412, respectively, compared to those of the single-modal models. Besides, the difference of tissue microenvironments before and after cancerization can be used as a basis for cancer diagnosis, and the information extraction and intelligent diagnosis of osteosarcoma tissue can be achieved by using multimodal microscopic imaging technology combined with deep learning, which significantly promoted the application of tissue microenvironment in pathological examination. This diagnostic system relies on its advantages of simple operation, high efficiency and accuracy and high cost-effectiveness, and has enormous clinical application potential and research significance.
On the monoid of partial isometries of a wheel graph
Authors: Fernandes Vítor H.
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we consider the monoid [Formula: see text] of all partial isometries of a wheel graph [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] vertices. Our main objective is to determine the rank of [Formula: see text]. In the process, we also compute the ranks of three notable subsemigroups of [Formula: see text]. We also describe Green’s relations of [Formula: see text] and of its three considered subsemigroups.
An iterative algorithm to approximate the solution of a weighted fractional integral equation
Authors: Das Anupam , Rabbani Mohsen , Hazarika Bipan
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we present a new version of Darbo’s theorem to establish the solvability of a weighted fractional integral equation with respect to another function. To justify the validity of our results, a suitable example is provided and we construct an iterative algorithm by Sinc function to approximate the solution of the example.
Effects of elastic anisotropic models on the prediction of horizontal stresses and hydraulic fracture geometry
Authors: Gallardo-Giozza Gabriel , Espinoza D. Nicolás , Torres-Verdín Carlos
Published: November 2023

Stress barriers play a key role in the propagation of hydraulic fractures. They are local maxima in the stress field that constrain vertical fracture propagation. The development of stress barriers is influenced by rock mechanical properties, pore pressure and tectonic stresses. However, stress prediction models are highly sensitive to available geophysical measurements and assumptions made on rock constitutive models. We compare stress estimations performed with elastic isotropic, anisotropic and viscoplastic models using Thomsen's notation (
ɛ
,
δ
,
γ
) to quantify anisotropy and its effects on hydraulic fracture geometry. Using a single depth for principal stress calibration, we compare stress distributions and simulate hydraulic fracture geometries along simple vertical and horizontal well sections. Prediction errors stemming from isotropic models along anisotropic intervals increase when tectonic stresses increase. Errors generated by either over- or underestimation of
δ
increase for tectonically passive environments, while errors generated by either over- or underestimation of
ɛ
increase for tectonically active environments. Additional corrections, but also uncertainties, can be introduced by considering viscoelastic rock behaviour. Because of stress shadowing and fracture interaction, the risk of stress barrier underestimation is higher when estimating hydraulic fracture geometries along the various stages of horizontal wells.
Renal-specific loss of ferroportin disrupts iron homeostasis and attenuates recovery from acute kidney injury
Authors: Soofi Abdul , Li Vivie , Beamish Jeffrey A. , Abdrabh Sham , Hamad Mawieh , Das Nupur K. , Shah Yatrik M. , Dressler Gregory R.
Published: November 2023

Physiological iron homeostasis depends in part on renal resorption and export into the plasma. We show that specific deletion of iron exporters in the proximal tubules sensitizes cells to injury and inhibits recovery. This can promote a chronic kidney disease phenotype. Our paper demonstrates the need for iron balance in the proximal tubules to maintain and promote healthy recovery after acute kidney injury.
Arrhythmias Occurring in Children during HEMS Intervention: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Leszczyński Piotr Konrad , Wejnarski Arkadiusz , Rzońca Patryk , Gajowniczek Angelika , Gałązkowski Robert , Mitura Kryspin , Sholokhova Daryna
Published: November 2023

Background. Arrhythmias in patients during medical transport remain a challenge for medical personnel. Helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) crews, as the only medical rescue teams in Poland to conduct rescue flights, keep detailed documentation of monitoring vital functions over short time intervals during the flight. Aims. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of cardiac arrhythmia in pediatric patients (up to 12 years of age) transported by HEMS operatives, considering life-threatening rhythms and those that occur during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods. The analysis of HEMS medical documentation covered 90345 missions carried out from 2011 to 2020. Among all activations, 820 cases of arrhythmias in pediatric patients up to 12 years of age were extracted. Results. Missions for males accounted for 60% of all activations (n = 492), while flights for females accounted for 40% (n = 328). A statistically significant relationship between the number of HEMS flights and the season was demonstrated (

p
=
0.015

). During the study period, pediatric patients mostly experienced cardiac arrhythmias in the form of supraventricular tachycardia (sVT) (n = 504). Asystole (n = 178) and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) (n = 52) ranked second and third in terms of occurrence, respectively. A statistically significant relationship between the type of heart rhythm disorder and age was demonstrated (

p
<
0.05

). Conclusions. Heart rhythm disorders most often affected children between 0 and 3 years of age. As the patient’s age increased, the incidence of arrhythmias decreased. Among pediatric patients, supraventricular tachycardia proved to be the predominant arrhythmia during the study period.
A Novel Application of Magnetorheological Seat Suspension with an Improved Tuning Control Strategy
Authors: Liang Yuxuan , Dong Xiaomin , Ao Wai Kei , Ni Yi-Qing
Published: November 2023

During the operation of commercial vehicles, drivers are usually exposed to long-term vibrations and acquire several health problems. Moreover, the end-stop impacts caused by large-magnitude vibrations or shocks may affect driving performance and result in injuries. A study of magnetorheological (MR) seat suspension controlled by a novel tuning control strategy is conducted in this research to reduce vibrations and avoid end-stop impacts. First, the MR damper’s characteristics are tested, and a mathematical model of MR seat suspension is established. Then, an improved tuning control strategy is designed based on this model. The proposed strategy has three control stages that can be adjusted according to the suspension stroke to improve seat comfort or avoid end-stop impacts. Each part of the control strategy is designed separately, and the vibration attenuation performance of this seat suspension is evaluated with a simulation for three excitations, i.e., harmonic excitation, bump excitation, and random road excitation. Finally, an experiment is conducted to verify the conclusion of the simulation. The seat suspension with the proposed control shows good performances on vibration attenuation and end-stop impact reduction. Compared with a passive seat, the vibration level is reduced by around 27% and end-stop impact is avoided when semiactive suspension with the proposed strategy is used. It also shows the best overall performance among the three experimental algorithms. Both the simulation and the experiment results indicate that the vibration attenuation performance of the seat suspension can be greatly improved with the improved tuning control strategy.