bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Admissions to paediatric medical wards with a primary mental health diagnosis: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Vázquez-Vázquez Adriana , Smith Abigail , Gibson Faith , Roberts Helen , Mathews Gabrielle , Ward Joseph Lloyd , Viner Russell M , Nicholls Dasha , Cornaglia Francesca , Roland Damian , Phillips Kirsty , Hudson Lee D
Published: February 2024

Objective

To systematically review the literature describing children and young people (CYP) admissions to paediatric general wards because of primary mental health (MH) reasons, particularly in MH crisis.

Design

PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched, with no restriction on country or language. We addressed five search questions to inform: trends and/or the number of admissions, the risk factors for adverse care, the experiences of CYP, families/carers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) and the evidence of interventions aimed at improving the care during admissions.

Two reviewers independently assessed the relevance of abstracts identified, extracted data and undertook quality assessment. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022350655).

Results

Thirty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Eighteen addressed trends and/or numbers/proportions of admissions, 12 provided data about the views/experiences of HCPs, two provided data about CYP’s experiences and four explored improving care. We were unable to identify studies examining risk factors for harm during admissions, but studies did report the length of stay in general paediatric/adult settings while waiting for specialised care, which could be considered a risk factor while caring for this group.

Conclusions

MH admissions to children’s wards are a long-standing issue and are increasing. CYP will continue to need to be admitted in crisis, with paediatric wards a common location while waiting for assessment. For services to be delivered effectively and for CYP and their families/carers to feel supported and HCPs to feel confident, we need to facilitate more integrated physical and MH pathways of care.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022350655.
Investigations and management of complex congenital talipes equinovarus
Authors: Novintan Shonnelly , Campioni-Norman Daniel , Hulme Alison
Published: February 2024

Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) is a congenital deformity affecting the feet, commonly idiopathic in nature. We present a previously unreported cause of a non-idiopathic clubfoot and highlight the importance of poor response to initial treatment.

A poor response to Ponseti serial casting for CTEV should alert a clinician to the fact that the foot may not be in the ‘idiopathic’ group and be of a more complex nature. Idiopathic clubfoot should correct with a maximum of eight serial manipulations, cast applications and Achilles tendon tenotomy. If this is not the case, a repeat careful history, full examination, further investigations and review of the treatment method are required.
Post-traumatic lumbar nerve root entrapment into the spinous process of the lumbar spine
Authors: Shankar Diwakar , Kaif Mohammad , Kumar Krishna
Published: February 2024

Thoracolumbar fractures constitute a significant portion of spinal trauma, accounting for 15–20% of the cases. These fractures, caused by high-impact injuries, may involve tears of the posterior ligamentous complex, presenting a high chance of neurological injury ranging from dural tears to spinal root avulsion. This case report discusses a rare occurrence of avulsion of lumbosacral nerve roots posteriorly, becoming entrapped in the fractured spinous process of the L2 lumbar vertebra, leading to cauda equina syndrome following trauma and its implications during surgery.
Complex visceral hyperalgesia in an adolescent with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome
Authors: Reaney Laura , Collins Aedin
Published: February 2024

An early-adolescent boy with a background of Pitt-Hopkins syndrome was transferred to a tertiary paediatric hospital with symptoms of a functional large bowel obstruction. He required extensive surgical intervention including a transverse colectomy, drainage of an abdominal abscess, laparotomy and adhesionolysis, and insertion of a gastrostomy and jejunostomy. He had significant ongoing issues with visceral hyperalgesia that was refractory to a wide range of pharmacological treatments and required admission to the intensive care unit on multiple occasions, and consultations with international experts in Pitt-Hopkins syndrome and pain specialists. An individualised pain plan was created and adjusted over time, with eventual good effect, and he was transferred back to his regional hospital and subsequently discharged home.
Long-term recurrence-free survival following pancreatic surgery with HIPEC treatment for locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zimmermann Valerie , Frauenfeld Leonie , Löffler Markus W. , Mihaljevic André L. , Yurttas Can
Published: February 2024

More than 5 years previous to this report, a female patient in her 60s underwent oncological left-sided pancreatic resection and adrenalectomy including splenectomy for locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), recommended by a multidisciplinary tumour board (MDT). Additionally, she was treated with gemcitabine-containing hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for 60 minutes in the framework of a clinical trial (PanHIPEC), aiming to determine the safety and feasibility (not efficacy) of this approach. Following the postoperative MDT recommendation, she subsequently received adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of six cycles of gemcitabine and cisplatin for a histopathologically confirmed PDAC of the pancreatic tail with infiltration of the left-sided adrenal gland (pT3, pN1 (3/16), cM0, L0, V0, Pn1, R0, G2). Five years and five months after pancreatic surgery and HIPEC, the patient has no signs of tumour recurrence as determined by follow-up examination including CT scan and CA19-9 tumour marker serology.
Visual outcome measures in clinical trials of remyelinating drugs
Authors: Riboni-Verri Gioia , Chen Benson S , McMurran Christopher E , Halliwell Gregory J , Brown J William L , Coles Alasdair J , Cunniffe Nick G
Published: February 2024

One of the most promising approaches to delay, prevent or reverse disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) is to enhance endogenous remyelination and limit axonal degeneration. In clinical trials of remyelinating drugs, there is a need for reliable, sensitive and clinically relevant outcome measures. The visual pathway, which is frequently affected by MS, provides a unique model system to evaluate remyelination of acute and chronic MS lesions in vivo and non-invasively. In this review, we discuss the different measures that have been used and scrutinise visual outcome measure selection in current and future remyelination trials.
Respiratory symptoms, exacerbations and sleep disturbances are more common among participants with asthma and chronic airflow limitation: an epidemiological study in Estonia, Iceland and Sweden
Authors: Mindus Stephanie , Gislason Thorarinn , Benediktsdottir Bryndis , Jogi Rain , Moverare Robert , Malinovschi Andrei , Janson Christer
Published: February 2024

Background

Chronic airflow limitation (CAL) is a hallmark of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but is also present in some patients with asthma. We investigated respiratory symptoms, sleep and health status of participants with and without CAL with particular emphasis on concurrent asthma using data from adult populations in Iceland, Estonia and Sweden investigated within the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study.

Methods

All participants underwent spirometry with measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) before and after bronchodilation. CAL was defined as postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC below the lower limit of normal. IgE-sensitisation and serum concentrations of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (S-EDN) were assessed in a subsample. The participants were divided into four groups: no self-reported doctor’s diagnosed asthma or CAL, asthma without CAL, CAL without asthma and asthma and CAL: χ2test and analysis of variance were used in bivariable analyses and logistic and linear regression when analysing the independent association between respiratory symptoms, exacerbations, sleep-related symptoms and health status towards CAL, adjusting for centre, age, sex, body mass index, smoking history and educational level.

Results

Among the 1918 participants, 190 (9.9%) had asthma without CAL, 127 (6.6%) had CAL without asthma and 50 (2.6%) had CAL with asthma. Having asthma with CAL was associated with symptoms such as wheeze (adjusted OR (aOR) 6.53 (95% CI 3.53 to 12.1), exacerbations (aOR 12.8 (95% CI 6.97 to 23.6), difficulties initiating sleep (aOR 2.82 (95% CI 1.45 to 5.48), nocturnal gastro-oesophageal reflux (aOR 3.98 (95% CI 1.79 to 8.82)) as well as lower physical health status. In these analyses, those with no asthma and no CAL were the reference group. The prevalence of IgE-sensitisation was highest in both asthma groups, which also had higher levels of S-EDN.

Conclusion

Individuals with self-reported asthma with CAL suffer from a higher burden of respiratory and sleep-related symptoms, higher exacerbation rates and lower health status when compared with participants with asthma alone or CAL alone.
Spleen stiffness measurement as a non-invasive assessment in patients with portal hypertension
Authors: Xu Xiaoming , Liu Jiacheng , Zhu Yixuan , Rui Fajuan , Wu Chao , Li Jie
Published: February 2024

For patients with advanced chronic liver disease who are in a compensated state, the development of portal hypertension (PHT) can lead to a heightened risk of hepatic decompensation and mortality. This underscores the importance of timely and appropriate treatment to manage the condition and prevent further complications. The current gold standard procedure for determining PHT is the hepatic venous pressure gradient, but its invasiveness limits its usage in clinical practice and larger trials of novel agents. The current clinical demand for accurate, validated and non-invasive methods to assess the severity of PHT remains unmet. One potential non-invasive option is tissue elastography, which examines the elastic behaviour of tissue after a force has been applied. This method involves quantifying alterations in the biomechanical properties of the liver or spleen in patients with cirrhosis. Available methods are various, including transient elastography, shear wave elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse and magnetic resonance elastography. Importantly, the measurement of spleen stiffness appears to outperform liver stiffness as a direct and dynamic indicator of portal pressure, offering the potential to monitor PHT and evaluate improvements in PHT as a marker for clinical outcomes.
Macroscopy of specimens from the head and neck
Authors: Conn Brendan , Pring Miranda , Jones Adam V
Published: February 2024

Macroscopic examination of surgical resections from the head and neck may be difficult due to the complex anatomy of this area. Recognition of normal anatomical structures is essential for accurate assessment of the extent of a disease process. Communication with the surgical team, correct specimen orientation and sampling are critical for assessment and the importance of radiological and clinical correlation is emphasised. Tumour involvement at each subsite is highlighted with reference to where there are implications on pathological staging and the potential need for adjuvant therapy.
Essentials of macroscopic evaluation of specimens from gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Vyas Monika , Karamchandani Dipti M
Published: February 2024

An astute macroscopic examination, coupled with correlating the gross findings with clinical indication and operative notes along with judicious, yet all pertinent sectioning for pathological examination is crucial for an accurate histopathological diagnosis, eventually leading to optimal patient care. This succinct review highlights the general concepts that lay the foundation of evaluating and grossing specimens from the luminal gastrointestinal (GI) tract. We also discuss the gross evaluation and sectioning of small therapeutic resections, along with a systematic approach and rationale when grossing and submitting histological sections from larger oncological resections from the luminal GI tract. Selected site-specific considerations, for example, grossing treated rectal and oesophageal cancers or taking sections from mucinous tumours of the appendix, among others, are also discussed.
The ethical canary: narrow reflective equilibrium as a source of moral justification in healthcare priority-setting
Authors: Charlton Victoria , DiStefano Michael J
Published: February 2024

Healthcare priority-setting institutions have good reason to want to demonstrate that their decisions are morally justified—and those who contribute to and use the health service have good reason to hope for the same. However, finding a moral basis on which to evaluate healthcare priority-setting is difficult. Substantive approaches are vulnerable to reasonable disagreement about the appropriate grounds for allocating resources, while procedural approaches may be indeterminate and insufficient to ensure a just distribution. In this paper, we set out a complementary, coherence-based approach to the evaluation of healthcare priority-setting. Drawing on Rawls, we argue that an institutional priority-setter’s claim to moral justification can be assessed, in part, based on the extent to which its many normative commitments are mutually supportive and free from dissonance; that is, on the ability to establish narrow reflective equilibrium across the normative content of a priority-setter’s policy and practice. While we do not suggest that the establishment of such equilibrium is sufficient for moral justification, we argue that failure to do so might—like the proverbial canary in the coalmine—act as a generalised warning that something is awry. We offer a theoretical argument in support of this view and briefly outline a practical method for systematically examining coherence across priority-setting policy and practice.
Extending patient-centred communication to non-speaking intellectually disabled persons
Authors: Peabody Smith Ally , Feinsinger Ashley
Published: February 2024

Patient-centred communication is widely regarded as a best practice in contemporary medical care, both in terms of maximising health outcomes and respecting persons. However, not all patients communicate in ways that are easily understood by clinicians and other healthcare professionals. This is especially so for patients with non-speaking intellectual disabilities. We argue that assumptions about intellectual disability—including those in diagnostic criteria, providers’ implicit attitudes and master narratives of disability—negatively affect communicative approaches towards intellectually disabled patients.Non-speakingintellectually disabled patients may also be taken to lack decision-making capacity and resultingly, may be given very little role in determining their care. But, given evidence of the heterogeneous communicative practices available to non-speaking patients, efforts should be made to extend patient-centred communication to them. We offer four suggestions for doing so: (1) treating those with non-speaking intellectual disabilities as potential communicators; (2) lengthening appointment times to develop relationships necessary for communication; (3) disentangling capacity from communication in concept and in practice; and (4) recognising the bidirectional connection between supported decision-making and patient-centred communication.
Continuous rise in oxygen consumption during prolonged military loaded march in the heat with and without fluid replacement: a pilot study
Authors: Wheelock Courtney E. , Stooks J , Schwob J , Hostler D
Published: February 2024

Introduction

V̇O2drift, the rise in oxygen consumption during continuous exercise, has not been adequately reported during prolonged military marches. The purpose of this study was to analyse V̇O2and energy expenditure (EE) during a loaded march with and without rehydration efforts. Second, the study aimed to compare EE throughout the march with predicted values using a validated model.

Methods

Seven healthy men (23±2 years; V̇O2max: 50.8±5.3 mL/kg/min) completed four 60 min loaded marches (20.4 kg at 50% V̇O2max) in a warm environment (30°C and 50% relative humidity). Three were preceded by hypohydration via a 4-hour cold water immersion (18°C). The control (CON) visit was a non-immersed euhydrated march. After water immersion, subjects were rehydrated with 0% (NO), 50% (HALF) or 100% (FULL) of total body mass lost. During exercise, V̇O2and EE were collected and core temperature change was calculated. To determine if EE could be accurately predicted, values were compared with a calculated estimate using the US Army Load Carry Decision Aid (LCDA).

Results

At the start of exercise, there was no difference between conditions in V̇O2(ALL: 24.3±0.3 mL/kg/min; p=0.50) or EE (ALL: 8.6±1.0 W/kg; p=0.68). V̇O2(p=0.02) and EE (p<0.01) increased during exercise and were 12.3±10.0% and 12.8±9.5% greater, respectively, at 60 min across all trials and were not mitigated by rehydration amount. There was an effect of core temperature change on V̇O2for each condition (CON: r=0.62; NO: r=0.47; HALF: r=0.70; FULL: r=0.55). LCDA-predicted values were different from measured EE during exercise.

Conclusion

V̇O2drift occurred during loaded military marches and was associated with increases in EE and core temperature change. Pre-exercise hypohydration with water immersion followed by rehydration did not influence the degree of drift. LCDA prediction of EE may not agree with measured values during prolonged loaded marches where V̇O2drift occurs.
Plantar compartment block for hallux valgus surgery: a proof-of-concept anatomic and clinical study
Authors: Herteleer Matthias , Choquet Olivier , Swisser Fabien , Bernard Nathalie , Gasc Audrey , Canovas François , Dagneaux Louis , Bringuier Sophie , Capdevila Xavier
Published: February 2024

Background

Hallux valgus surgery is associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain. We hypothesized that a plantar compartment block may be a good technique for postoperative analgesia. We describe an anatomic approach to ultrasound-guided plantar compartment block and assess the clinical efficacy of the block for outpatient surgery.

Methods

The anatomic study was aimed to describe the plantar compartment, using both dissection methods and imaging, and to define a volume of local anesthetic. Patients scheduled for hallux valgus surgery with a popliteal sciatic nerve block, and combined plantar compartment and peroneal blocks were included in the clinical study. Data on attaining the criteria for rapid exit from the outpatient center, duration of sensory and analgesic block, visual analog scale (VAS) values for postoperative pain at rest and during movement, and the consumption of morphine as rescue analgesia were recorded.

Results

Plane-by-plane dissections and cross-sections were done in five cadaveric lower limbs. The medial calcaneal nerve divides into medial plantar and lateral plantar nerves in the upper part of the plantar compartment. These nerves were surrounded by 5 mL of colored gelatin, and 10 mL of injectates dye spread to the medial calcaneal branches. Thirty patients (26 women) were included in the clinical study. There were no failures of surgical block. Ninety per cent of patients successfully passed functional testing for ambulatory exit from the center within 5 hours (25th–75th centiles, 3.8–5.5 hours). The median duration of plantar compartment sensory block was 17.3 hours (10.5–21.5 hours), and the first request for rescue analgesic was 11.75 hours (10.5–23 hours) after surgery. The median VAS score for maximum pain reported within the 48-hour period was 2 (1–6). Twelve patients received 2.5 mg (0–5 mg) of morphine on day 1. Patients were highly satisfied and no adverse events were noted.

Conclusions

This anatomic description of the ultrasound-guided plantar compartment block reported the injection area to target the medial and lateral plantar nerves with 5 mL of local anesthetic. Normal walking without assistance is attained rapidly with this regional anesthesia technique, and the time to request postoperative analgesia after hallux valgus surgery is long.

Trial registration number

NCT03815422.
Airway epithelial cell response to RSV is mostly impaired in goblet and multiciliated cells in asthma
Authors: Gay Aurore C A , Banchero Martin , Carpaij Orestes , Kole Tessa M , Apperloo Leonie , van Gosliga Djoke , Fajar Putri Ayu , Koppelman Gerard H , Bont Louis , Hendriks Rudi W , van den Berge Maarten , Nawijn Martijn C
Published: February 2024

Background

In patients with asthma, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections can cause disease exacerbation by infecting the epithelial layer of the airways, inducing subsequent immune response. The type I interferon antiviral response of epithelial cells upon RSV infection is found to be reduced in asthma in most—but not all—studies. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms causing the differences in the asthmatic bronchial epithelium in response to viral infection are poorly understood.

Methods

Here, we investigated the transcriptional response to RSV infection of primary bronchial epithelial cells (pBECs) from patients with asthma (n=8) and healthy donors (n=8). The pBECs obtained from bronchial brushes were differentiated in air-liquid interface conditions and infected with RSV. After 3 days, cells were processed for single-cell RNA sequencing.

Results

A strong antiviral response to RSV was observed for all cell types, for all samples (p<1e-48). Most (1045) differentially regulated genes following RSV infection were found in cells transitioning to secretory cells. Goblet cells from patients with asthma showed lower expression of genes involved in the interferon response (false discovery rate <0.05), includingOASL,ICAM1andTNFAIP3. In multiciliated cells, an impairment of the signalling pathways involved in the response to RSV in asthma was observed.

Conclusion

Our results highlight that the response to RSV infection of the bronchial epithelium in asthma and healthy airways was largely similar. However, in asthma, the response of goblet and multiciliated cells is impaired, highlighting the need for studying airway epithelial cells at high resolution in the context of asthma exacerbation.
Positron scattering from neon and argon
Authors: Machacek J. R. , McEachran R. P.
Published: February 2024

The relativistic optical potential method has been used to calculate a complete set of cross sections for positron scattering from neon and argon in the energy range from zero to 1 keV. Elastic, positronium formation, excitation, direct ionization, and grand total cross sections are presented and compared to the recommended results of Ratnavelu et al. (J Phys Chem Ref Data 48:023102, 2019). Here, positronium formation is modeled as an ionization process by successively lowering the ionization thresholds. This process was carried out for the four lowest energy levels of positronium.

Graphical abstract
Electroformation of giant unilamellar vesicles from large liposomes
Authors: Uzun Huriye D. , Tiris Zeynep , Czarnetzki Maiko , López-Marqués Rosa L. , Günther Pomorski Thomas
Published: February 2024

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are widely used as model systems for biological membranes to study membrane-related processes in a precisely controlled in vitro environment, owing to their biophysical properties. The classical technique for the formation of giant liposomes starts with the dissolution of lipids or lipid mixtures in an organic solvent, which is then deposited as a thin lipid solution film on a support substrate. In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis investigating the effect of different lipid compositions on the generation of GUVs from preformed liposomes under non-ionic and ionic conditions. For all liposome types tested, the electroformation process, whether performed on indium tin oxide-coated glass slides or platinum wires, consistently produced GUVs that typically ranged in size from 5 to 20 μm. However, the yield of GUVs varied depending on the specific non-ionic or ionic conditions and the lipid composition of the preformed liposomes used. In general, the resulting population of giant vesicles was predominantly characterised by the presence of unilamellar and multivesicular vesicles. These findings have the potential to improve the refinement of protocol parameters for the formation of GUVs containing membrane proteins and for the study of the effects of lipid composition on membrane protein activity.
Control of the memory cell magnetization by a combined pulse of local magnetic fields
Authors: Dzhezherya Yu. I. , Polynchuk P. Yu. , Gerasimchuk I. V. , Kruchinin S. P. , Kalita V. M. , Korenivski V.
Published: February 2024

We study the process of controlling the states of a magnetic memory cell by a pulsed magnetic field. The magnetization dynamics of such a system is described by the Landau-Lifshitz equation. We find the optimal parameters of time dependence, amplitude and duration of magnetic field pulses created by currents in the control system, which provide a fast inertialess process of switching the magnetization of the functional element of the cell.
A generalization of the Lindley Distribution
Authors: Ourabah Kamel
Published: February 2024

The Lindley distribution is useful in a wide variety of fields, such as biology and astronomy. Many generalizations of the Lindley distribution have been introduced in the literature, with various motivations. Inspired by the concept of superstatistics in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, we introduce here a novel generalization of the Lindley distribution, by regarding its shape parameter as a stochastic variable. This procedure is particularly well motivated in astronomy applications, since this parameter may fluctuate over a large spatiotemporal scale. By appealing to the central limit theorem, two families of distributions are constructed, associated with additive and multiplicative random processes. We discuss in detail these distributions, we study their asymptotic behavior, and compute their moments. We briefly discuss their possible use in astronomy, biology, and elsewhere.
Hyper L-algebras
Authors: Niazian S. , Aaly Kologani M. , Borzooei R. A.
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we introduced the notion of hyper [Formula: see text]-algebras as a generalization of [Formula: see text]-algebras. We studied basic properties of them and investigated the relationship among hyper [Formula: see text]-algebras and some other hyper logical algebras such as hyper ([Formula: see text],BCI) BCK-algebras and hyper hoops. In the following, we defined the notions of (weak) hyper ideals in hyper [Formula: see text]-algebras and then by considering the congruence relation (relative to a hyper ideal) on the hyper [Formula: see text]-algebra, we constructed the quotient hyper [Formula: see text]-algebras and investigated some properties of them.
Multimodal Visual-Semantic Representations Learning for Scene Text Recognition
Authors: Gao Xinjian , Pang Ye , Liu Yuyu , Han Maokun , Yu Jun , Wang Wei , Chen Yuanxu
Published: February 2024

Scene Text Recognition (STR), the critical step in OCR systems, has attracted much attention in computer vision. Recent research on modeling textual semantics with Language Model (LM) has witnessed remarkable progress. However, LM only optimizes the joint probability of the estimated characters generated from the Vision Model (VM) in a single language modality, ignoring the visual-semantic relations in different modalities. Thus, LM-based methods can hardly generalize well to some challenging conditions, in which the text has weak or multiple semantics, arbitrary shape, and so on. To migrate the above issue, in this paper, we propose Multimodal Visual-Semantic Representations Learning for Text Recognition Network (MVSTRN) to reason and combine the multimodal visual-semantic information for accurate Scene Text Recognition. Specifically, our MVSTRN builds a bridge between vision and language through its unified architecture and has the ability to reason visual semantics by guiding the network to reconstruct the original image from the latent text representation, breaking the structural gap between vision and language. Finally, the tailored multimodal Fusion (MMF) module is motivated to combine the multimodal visual and textual semantics from VM and LM to make the final predictions. Extensive experiments demonstrate our MVSTRN achieves state-of-the-art performance on several benchmarks.
Towards the Legibility of Multi-robot Systems
Authors: Capelli Beatrice , Santos María , Sabattini Lorenzo
Published: February 2024

Communication is crucial for human-robot collaborative tasks. In this context, legibility studies movement as the means of implicit communication between robotic systems and a human observer. This concept has been explored mostly for manipulators and humanoid robots. In contrast, little information is available in the literature about legibility of multi-robot systems or swarms, where simplicity and non-anthropomorphism of robots, along with the complexity of their interactions and aggregated behavior impose different challenges that are not encountered in single-robot scenarios. This article investigates legibility of multi-robot systems. Hence, we extend the definition of legibility, incorporating information about high-level goals in terms of the coordination objective of the group of robots, to previous results that focused solely on the legibility of spatial goals. A set of standard multi-robot algorithms corresponding to different coordination objectives are implemented and their legibility is evaluated in a user study, where participants observe the behavior of the multi-robot system in a virtual reality setup and are asked to identify the system’s spatial goal and coordination objective. The results of the study confirmed that coordination objectives are discernible by the users, hence multi-robot systems can be controlled to be legible, in terms of spatial goal and coordination objective.
Implementing e-Participation in Africa: What Roles Can Public Officials Play?
Authors: Plantinga Paul , Dlamini Nonkululeko , Gordon Tanja
Published: February 2024

A key question in e-participation is what roles public officials can play to harness the benefits of emerging technologies and practices, mitigate potential harms, and, ultimately, ensure more inclusive and effective public involvement in decision making. This article presents results from a desktop analysis of e-participation projects from the African continent to highlight the diversity of public official roles and associated skills and perspectives that would be relevant to e-participation implementation. The identified roles and activities range from legal specialists developing guidelines to comply with personal data protection legislation and stakeholder managers designing models of collaboration with commons-based platforms to communications officials learning how to moderate social media conversations and technology developers exploring new ways of verifying online identity.
Impact of Pt-Loading and Carbon Support of Pt/C Anode Catalysts on Membrane Degradation Rate in Fuel Cells
Authors: Berber Mohamed R. , Imran Muhammad , Nishino Hanako , Uchida Hiroyuki
Published: February 2024

In order to clarify the effect of both the Pt-loading and carbon supports in various commercial Pt/C anode catalysts on the chemical degradation rate of polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) in fuel cells, the membrane lifetime and fluoride emission rate (FER) were examined in a single cell with an accelerated stress test (AST) at 90 °C, while the H2O2 production rates, j(H2O2), at the Pt/C catalysts were measured in a half cell with 0.1 M HClO4 solution at 90 °C. It was demonstrated that the PEM degradation rate decreased with decreasing amount of adsorbed hydrogen atoms (Had) at the Pt/C−PEM interface by lowering the Pt-loading and using a porous carbon support (locating Pt nanoparticles within pores). The use of a graphitized carbon black (GCB) support was found to be very effective to increase the lifetime due to it having the lowest j(H2O2), although this was accompanied by the disadvantage of decreased mass activity for the hydrogen oxidation reaction. We also found good correlations between the j(H2O2) measured in a half cell and FER, as well as lifetime in a single cell, so that the lifetime of the PEM can be estimated in a shorter time.
The role of fibronectin in mediating cell migration
Authors: Longstreth Jessica H. , Wang Karin
Published: February 2024

Fibronectin (FN) is a major extracellular matrix (ECM) protein involved in a wide range of physiological processes, including cell migration. These FN-mediated cell migration events are essential to processes such as wound repair, cancer metastasis, and vertebrate development. This review synthesizes mainly current literature to provide an overview of the mechanoregulatory role of FN-mediated cell migration. Background on FN structure and role in mechanotransduction is provided. Cell migration concepts are introduced, including the general cell migration mechanism and classification of cell migration types. Then, FN-mediated events that directly affect cell migration are explored. Finally, a focus on FN in tissue repair and cancer migration is presented, as these topics represent a large amount of current research.
Modulation of prostaglandin transport activity of SLCO2A1 by annexin A2 and S100A10
Authors: Nakamura Yoshinobu , Ito Masa-aki , Hoshino Yukino , Matsuoka Isao , Okada Toshiaki , Okada Yasunobu , Nakanishi Takeo
Published: February 2024

A previous study indicated that the ANXA2/S100A10 complex represents the regulatory component of SLCO2A1-mediated Maxi-Cl channel activity. The present study showed that apparent PGE2 uptake by C127 cells was osmoinsensitive and uncompetitively inhibited by loss of ANXA2 expression, demonstrating that ANXA2 is a regulatory factor of SLCO2A1-mediated PG transport activity.
Reverse Posterior Interosseous Artery Flap for Human Bite Injury to the Hand
Authors: Hattori Yusuke , Kawaguchi Yohei , Joyo Yuji , Okamoto Hideki , Murakami Hideki , Waguri-Nagaya Yuko
Published: February 2024

Bite injuries frequently occur on human hands. Human bite injuries to the hand may lead to an infection because of limited soft tissue protection and wound contamination. However, no studies have reported severe bite injuries on hands treated by flaps. We report a case of an 80‐year‐old woman diagnosed with a major neurocognitive disorder. The patient accidentally had a self‐bite injury accompanied with an open metacarpal fracture. Debridement and fixation of the first metacarpal fracture were performed. Afterward, skin necrosis occurred gradually on the dorsum of the hand. Therefore, a reverse posterior interosseous artery (PIA) flap was used, and the postoperative course was uneventful. Given the high risk of infection, human bite injuries, particularly hand bites, should be treated immediately. Delayed treatment for such injuries may lead to extensive soft tissue defects requiring reconstruction with flaps.
Anticancer Action of Silver Nanoparticles in SKBR3 Breast Cancer Cells through Promotion of Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis
Authors: Vahabirad Mohammad , Daei Sajedeh , Abbasalipourkabir Roghayeh , Ziamajidi Nasrin
Published: February 2024

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are known as one of the highly utilized NPs owing to their unique characteristics in the field of cancer research. The goal of this research was to explore the oxidative stress, apoptosis, and angiogenesis in SKBR3 breast cancer cells after exposure to AgNPs. The survival rate of SKBR3 cancer cells and MCF-10A normal breast cells was assessed under the effects of different concentrations (0, 32, 64, 128, and 250 μg/ml) by MTT method. The oxidative condition was assessed by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT, GPx, and CAT) using colorimetric-based kits. Flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining were performed to investigate the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, the expression of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and caspase 3 and 7 activity was measured. The cell migration and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) gene expression, protein kinase B (AKT), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) were also studied. The MTT results indicated that AgNPs inhibit the SKBR3 cells’ viability in a concentration-dependent way. Besides, AgNPs markedly induced oxidative stress via increasing TOS content, MDA production, reduction of TAC, and regulation of antioxidant enzyme level. Additionally, AgNPs promoted apoptosis as revealed by an enhancement in Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio. Findings also indicated that AgNPs suppress the expression of genes (VEGF-A, AKT, and PI3K) involved in angiogenesis. Altogether, our data revealed that AgNPs initiate oxidative stress and apoptosis in SKBR3 breast cancer cells, dose dependently.
Progressive Improvement in 5-Year Survival Rates for Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas from 1999 to 2019
Authors: Zastrow Ryley K. , El Sayed Mohyeddine , LiBrizzi Christa L. , Jacobs Andrew J. , Levin Adam S.
Published: February 2024

Background. Extremity soft-tissue sarcoma (ESTS) is a group of rare, heterogeneous malignancies. Previous studies have demonstrated a progressive improvement in 5-year survival rate over time, but recent trends are unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an update on the clinical characteristics and 5-year survival rate of ESTS from 1999 to 2019. Methods. This retrospective cohort study used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Overall, 5,654 patients over the age of 15 years with primary ESTS diagnosed between 1999 and 2019 were included. Data on patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and survival were extracted. Patients were grouped by year of diagnosis: 1999–2005, 2006–2012, and 2013–2019. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed. Results. ESTS occurred primarily in the lower extremity (76.1%) and was frequently grade III (58.3%), >5 cm in size (69.9%), and without metastasis (77.9%) at diagnosis. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the proportion of patients over age 60 (p<0.001) and without metastasis (p<0.001) over the study period. The 5-year survival rate successively improved, from 47% in 1999–2005, to 61% in 2006–2012, to 78% in 2013–2019. Similarly, in multivariate analysis, the mortality rate progressively declined from a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.4 in 1999–2005 to an HR of 2.1 in 2006–2012, with the 2013–2019 group having the best overall survival (p<0.001). Age, tumor size, grade, and metastasis were negative prognostic factors for survival; radiation and surgery were positive prognostic factors. Conclusions. The 5-year overall survival rate for ESTS progressively improved over the 20-year study period, perhaps due to an increasing proportion of older patients diagnosed with local disease. These findings may also be related to earlier detection or more effective treatment over the study period.
Effect of Fishing Season and Size on the Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of Salted Sardines (Sardina pilchardus)
Authors: Aoua Charifa , Yacoubi Bouchra , Zekhnini Abderrahmane
Published: February 2024

Salting is the preferred method used by manufacturers to preserve the quality of fish. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of size and fishing season on the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of sardines. Two batches of sardines, caught, in winter and summer, were sorted according to size, salted, matured, and stored at 18°C. A control batch, consisting of sardines from the summer batch, was also prepared without subcutaneous fat. Various physicochemical and microbiological parameters were monitored during 12 weeks of maturation. The recorded values showed a decrease in pH, moisture content, and water activity (a measure of the water available for biological and chemical processes), while salt concentration increased. When comparing samples, the lowest values for histamine (94.3 and 48.3 mg/kg) and lipids (9.3 and 8.2%) were observed in the large and small sardines of the winter batch, respectively. In the summer batch, higher values were recorded for histamine (847.3 and 127.9 mg/kg) and lipids (14.5 and 8.6%) in the large and small sardines. Furthermore, the removal of fat in control of the summer batch resulted in lower histamine accumulation compared to the batch with fat. The microbiological parameters showed a decrease in the number of nonhalophile bacteria, while the number of halophile bacteria increased. This study showed a strong correlation between three important factors, fishing season, fish size, and histamine content, which can contribute to the successful salting of sardines and ensure the wholesomeness of the final product.
A Modified Form of Inertial Viscosity Projection Methods for Variational Inequality and Fixed Point Problems
Authors: Singh Watanjeet , Chandok Sumit
Published: February 2024

This paper aims to introduce an iterative algorithm based on an inertial technique that uses the minimum number of projections onto a nonempty, closed, and convex set. We show that the algorithm generates a sequence that converges strongly to the common solution of a variational inequality involving inverse strongly monotone mapping and fixed point problems for a countable family of nonexpansive mappings in the setting of real Hilbert space. Numerical experiments are also presented to discuss the advantages of using our algorithm over earlier established algorithms. Moreover, we solve a real-life signal recovery problem via a minimization problem to demonstrate our algorithm’s practicality.
Targeting Dendritic Cell Dysfunction to Circumvent Anti-PD1 Resistance in Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Saito Shin , Kono Michihisa , Nguyen Hoang C.B. , Egloff Ann Marie , Messier Cameron , Lizotte Patrick , Paweletz Cloud , Adkins Douglas , Uppaluri Ravindra
Published: February 2024

Purpose:

Neoadjuvant anti-PD1 (aPD1) therapies are being explored in surgically resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Encouraging responses have been observed, but further insights into the mechanisms underlying resistance and approaches to improve responses are needed.

Experimental Design:

We integrated data from syngeneic mouse oral carcinoma (MOC) models and neoadjuvant pembrolizumab HNSCC patient tumor RNA-sequencing data to explore the mechanism of aPD1 resistance. Tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes (DLN) from MOC models were analyzed for antigen-specific priming. CCL5 expression was enforced in an aPD1-resistant model.

Results:

An aPD1-resistant mouse model showed poor priming in the tumor DLN due to type 1 conventional dendritic cell (cDC1) dysfunction, which correlated with exhausted and poorly responsive antigen-specific T cells. Tumor microenvironment analysis also showed decreased cDC1 in aPD1-resistant tumors compared with sensitive tumors. Following neoadjuvant aPD1 therapy, pathologic responses in patients also positively correlated with baseline transcriptomic cDC1 signatures. In an aPD1-resistant model, intratumoral cDC1 vaccine was sufficient to restore aPD1 response by enhancing T-cell infiltration and increasing antigen-specific responses with improved tumor control. Mechanistically, CCL5 expression significantly correlated with neoadjuvant aPD1 response and enforced expression of CCL5 in an aPD1-resistant model, enhanced cDC1 tumor infiltration, restored antigen-specific responses, and recovered sensitivity to aPD1 treatment.

Conclusions:

These data highlight the contribution of tumor-infiltrating cDC1 in HNSCC aPD1 response and approaches to enhance cDC1 infiltration and function that may circumvent aPD1 resistance in patients with HNSCC.
Supplementary Figure S5 from Exhausted Tumor-infiltrating CD39+CD103+ CD8+ T Cells Unveil Potential for Increased Survival in Human Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Gorchs Laia , Fernández-Moro Carlos , Asplund Ebba , Oosthoek Marlies , Solders Martin , Ghorbani Poya , Sparrelid Ernesto , Rangelova Elena , Löhr Matthias J. , Kaipe Helen
Published: February 2024

Overall survival curves for DP CD8 T cells and SPCD39, DP CD4 T cells.
FIGURE 7 from Anti-Vα24Jα18 TCR Antibody Tunes iNKT Cell Responses to Target and Kill CD1d-negative Tumors in an FcγRII (CD32)-dependent Manner
Authors: Takami Mariko , Aoki Takahiro , Nishimura Katsuhiro , Tanaka Hidekazu , Onodera Atsushi , Motohashi Shinichiro
Published: February 2024

CD32-expressing normal cells barely induce degranulation of 6B11 mAb- bound NKT cells. A, PBMCs isolated from healthy donors were stained with Abs against FC receptors (CD16, CD32, and CD64), a monocyte marker (CD14), B-cell marker (CD19), and neutrophil marker (CD66b). Stained cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Data are representative of three independent experiments. B, iNKT cells sorted using Vα24-FITC Ab/FITC MicroBeads were maintained in the presence of IL2 overnight, washed twice, and then cultured in fresh medium with IL2 for 4 or 5 days. iNKT cells treated with the 6B11 mAb (50 ng/mL) overnight were washed and cocultured with monocytes, B cells, neutrophils, or K562 cells (control) at an E/T ratio of 2:1. A CD107a assay was then performed. HD, healthy donor.
Supplementary Figure S4 from Exhausted Tumor-infiltrating CD39+CD103+ CD8+ T Cells Unveil Potential for Increased Survival in Human Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Gorchs Laia , Fernández-Moro Carlos , Asplund Ebba , Oosthoek Marlies , Solders Martin , Ghorbani Poya , Sparrelid Ernesto , Rangelova Elena , Löhr Matthias J. , Kaipe Helen
Published: February 2024

T regulatory cells out of CD4+ and CD39+ CD4+ T cells.
FIGURE 6 from Exhausted Tumor-infiltrating CD39+CD103+ CD8+ T Cells Unveil Potential for Increased Survival in Human Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Gorchs Laia , Fernández-Moro Carlos , Asplund Ebba , Oosthoek Marlies , Solders Martin , Ghorbani Poya , Sparrelid Ernesto , Rangelova Elena , Löhr Matthias J. , Kaipe Helen
Published: February 2024

Effects of presurgical chemotherapy on the immune landscape. The immune landscape for patients that underwent upfront surgery (gray squares) was compared with the patients that underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery (white squares). A, Kaplan–Meier survival curves comparing the two groups. B, Proportion of CD39+ CD103+ CD8+ T cells. C, Left, Proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells out of CD45+ cells. Right, Ratio of cells in central tissues relative to peripheral and non-tumor tissues for CD4+ and CD8+ T cells out of CD45+ cells. Proportion of CD4+ T cells (D) and CD8+ T cells (E) expressing PD-1, TIM-3, CCR5, CXCR4, CXCR5, and CXCR3. F, Left, Proportion of CD19+ cells out of CD45+ cells. Right, Proportion of CD19 cells in central tissues relative to peripheral and non-tumor tissues. Mann–Whitney U test was used to detect statistically significant differences. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001; ns, not significant.