bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of ambient air quality on acute asthma hospital admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Oxford City, UK: a time-series study
Authors: Singh Ajit , Morley Gabriella L , Coignet Cécile , Leach Felix , Pope Francis D , Neil Thomas Graham , Stacey Brian , Bush Tony , Cole Stuart , Economides George , Anderson Ruth , Abreu Pedro , Bartington Suzanne E
Published: January 2024

Objectives

The study aims to investigate the short-term associations between exposure to ambient air pollution (nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter pollution—particles with diameter<2.5 µm (PM2.5) and PM10) and incidence of asthma hospital admissions among adults, in Oxford, UK.

Design

Retrospective time-series study.

Setting

Oxford City (postcode areas OX1–OX4), UK.

Participants

Adult population living within the postcode areas OX1–OX4 in Oxford, UK from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2021.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Hourly NO2, PM2.5and PM10concentrations and meteorological data for the period 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020 were analysed and used as exposures. We used Poisson linear regression analysis to identify independent associations between air pollutant concentrations and asthma admissions rate among the adult study population, using both single (NO2, PM2.5, PM10) and multipollutant (NO2and PM2.5, NO2and PM10) models, where they adjustment for temperature and relative humidity.

Results

The overall 5-year average asthma admissions rate was 78 per 100 000 population during the study period. The annual average rate decreased to 46 per 100 000 population during 2020 (incidence rate ratio 0.58, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.81, p<0.001) compared to the prepandemic years (2015–2019). In single-pollutant analysis, we observed a significantly increased risk of asthma admission associated with each 1 μg/m3increase in monthly concentrations of NO24% (95% CI 1.009% to 1.072%), PM2.53% (95% CI 1.006% to 1.052%) and PM101.8% (95% CI 0.999% to 1.038%). However, in the multipollutant regression model, the effect of each individual pollutant was attenuated.

Conclusions

Ambient NO2and PM2.5air pollution exposure increased the risk of asthma admissions in this urban setting. Improvements in air quality during COVID-19 lockdown periods may have contributed to a substantially reduced acute asthma disease burden. Large-scale measures to improve air quality have potential to protect vulnerable people living with chronic asthma in urban areas.
Moving towards establishing centres of excellence in cardiac amyloidosis: an International Cardio-Oncology Society statement
Authors: Cheng Richard , Kittleson Michelle M , Wechalekar Ashutosh D , Alvarez-Cardona Jose , Mitchell Joshua D , Scarlatelli Macedo Ariane Vieira , Dutra Joao Pedro Passos , Campbell Courtney M , Liu Jennifer E , Landau Heather J , Davis Margot K , Morrissey Siobhain , Casselli Stephen , Lousada Isabelle , Seabra-Garcez Juliane Dantas , Szor Roberta Shcolnik , Ganatra Sarju , Trachtenberg Barry , Maurer Mathew S , Stockerl-Goldstein Keith , Lenihan Daniel
Published: January 2024

The prevalence of amyloidosis has been increasing, driven by a combination of improved awareness, evolution of diagnostic pathways, and effective treatment options for both transthyretin and light chain amyloidosis. Due to the complexity of amyloidosis, centralised expert providers with experience in delineating the nuances of confirmatory diagnosis and management may be beneficial. There are many potential benefits of a centre of excellence designation for the treatment of amyloidosis including recognition of institutions that have been leading the way for the optimal treatment of this condition, establishing the expectations for any centre who is engaging in the treatment of amyloidosis and developing cooperative groups to allow more effective research in this disease space. Standardising the expectations and criteria for these centres is essential for ensuring the highest quality of clinical care and community education. In order to define what components are necessary for an effective centre of excellence for the treatment of amyloidosis, we prepared a survey in cooperation with a multidisciplinary panel of amyloidosis experts representing an international consortium. The purpose of this position statement is to identify the essential elements necessary for highly effective clinical care and to develop a general standard with which practices or institutions could be recognised as a centre of excellence.
Digital odyssey: lessons learnt from a reverse transition from a digital to a manual pathology workflow
Authors: Caputo Alessandro , Angeloni Miriam , Merolla Francesco , Vatrano Simona , Ferrazzi Fulvia , Fraggetta Filippo
Published: January 2024

In the fully digital Caltagirone pathology laboratory, a reverse shift from a digital to a manual workflow occurred due to a server outage in September 2023. Here, insights gained from this unplanned transition are explored. Surveying the affected pathologists and technicians revealed unanimous preferences for the time-saving and error-reducing capabilities of the digital methodology. Conversely, the return to manual methods highlighted increased dissatisfaction and reduced efficiency, emphasising the superiority of digital workflows. This case study underscores that transition challenges are not inherent to digital workflows but to transitioning itself, advocating for the adoption of digital technologies in all pathology practices.
Personal legacy and treatment choices for serious illness: a scoping review
Authors: Figueroa Gray Marlaine , Randall Sarah , Banegas Mateo , Ryan Gery W , Henrikson Nora B
Published: January 2024

Background

Legacy—how one hopes to be remembered after death—is an unexplored and important dimension of decision-making for people facing serious illness.

Objectives

We conducted a scoping review to answer the following research questions: (1) How do people making treatment choices conceive of legacy? and (2) What treatment choices do people make with legacy in mind?

Eligibility criteria

Participants included people facing serious illness who discussed how they wanted to be remembered after their own death, or how they hoped to impact others, as they made treatment choices. Studies in English published between 1990 and 2022 were included.

Sources of evidence

We conducted searches in electronic databases including Medline/PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, SocialWork, AnthropologyPlus, Web of Science, ProQuest and EMBASE databases.

Data synthesis

We used an electronic screening tool to screen abstracts and review full-text articles suitable for inclusion. We analysed included articles using Atlas.ti. We constructed tables and narratively synthesised the findings.

Results

We identified three major intersecting legacy goals that influence choices people facing serious illness make about their treatment and health behaviours, and the types of choices people make with legacy in mind. The three legacy goals are: remembrance of the individual self, remembrance of the social self and impact on others’ well-being.

Conclusions

We identify the importance of legacy to patient treatment choices. Understanding for whom this construct is important, what types of legacy goals people hold and how those goals impact treatment choices is necessary to provide patient-centred whole-person care to people facing serious illness.
Thermodynamics of quark matter with multiquark clusters in an effective Beth-Uhlenbeck type approach
Authors: Blaschke D. , Cierniak M. , Ivanytskyi O. , Röpke G.
Published: January 2024

We describe multiquark clusters in quark matter within a Beth-Uhlenbeck approach in a background gluon field coupled to the underlying chiral quark dynamics using the Polyakov gauge. An effective potential for the traced Polyakov loop is used to establish the center symmetry of the SU(3) color which suppresses colored states and its dynamical breaking as an aspect of the confinement/deconfinement transition. Quark confinement is modeled by a large quark mass in vacuum which is motivated by a confining density functional approach. A multiquark cluster containingnquarks and antiquarks is described as a binary composite of smaller subclusters$$n_1$$n1and$$n_2$$n2($$n_1+n_2=n$$n1+n2=n). It has a spectrum consisting of a bound state and a scattering state continuum. For the corresponding cluster-cluster phase shifts we use simple ansätze that capture the Mott dissociation of clusters as a function of temperature and chemical potential. We go beyond the simple “step-up-step-down” model that ignores continuum correlations and introduce an improved model that includes them in a generic form. In order to explain the model, we restrict ourselves here to the cases where the cluster size is$$1 \le n \le 6$$1≤n≤6. A striking result is the suppression of the abundance of colored multiquark clusters at low temperatures by the coupling to the Polyakov loop and their importance for a quantitative description of lattice QCD thermodynamics at non-vanishing baryochemical potentials. An important ingredient are Polyakov-loop generalized distribution functions ofn-quark clusters which are derived here for the first time. Within our approach we calculate thermodynamic properties such as baryon density and entropy. We demonstrate that the limits of a hadron resonance gas at low temperatures and$$\mathcal {O}(g^2)$$O(g2)perturbative QCD at high temperatures are correctly reproduced. A comparison with lattice calculations shows that our model is able to give a unified, systematic approach to describe properties of the quark-gluon-hadron system.
A study of dipolar signal in distant Quasars with various observables
Authors: Kothari Rahul , Panwar Mohit , Singh Gurmeet , Tiwari Prabhakar , Jain Pankaj
Published: January 2024

We study the signal of anisotropy in AGNs/quasars of CatWISE2020 catalogue using different observables. It has been reported earlier that this data shows a strong signal of dipole anisotropy in the source number counts. We test this claim using two independent data analysis procedures and find our number count dipole consistent with the earlier results. In addition to number counts, we test for the anisotropy signal in two other observables – mean spectral index $$\bar{\alpha }$$

α

¯

and mean flux density $$\bar{S}$$

S

¯

. We find a strong dipole signal both in the mean spectral index and the mean flux density. The dipole in mean flux density points towards the galactic center and becomes very weak after imposing a flux cut to remove sources with flux greater than 1 mJy. This can be attributed to the presence of some ($$\sim $$
∼
26,600) bright sources. The signal in the mean spectral index, however, is relatively stable as a function of both flux and galactic cuts. The dipole in this observable points roughly opposite to the galactic center and hence most likely arises due to galactic bias. We consider a simple model of galactic extinction which nicely explains the dipole both in mean spectral index and mean flux density for a wide range of flux and galactic cuts. Hence, the signal in both these parameters does not appear to be of cosmological origin.
Explicit near-symplectic integrators for post-Newtonian Hamiltonian systems
Authors: Mei Lijie , Huang Li
Published: January 2024

Explicit symplectic integrators are powerful and widely used for Hamiltonian systems. However, once the post-Newtonian (PN) effect is considered to provide more precise modeling for the N-body problem, explicit symplectic methods cannot be constructed due to the nonseparability of the Hamiltonian. Thus, the available symplectic method is either fully implicit or semi-implicit, which decreases the efficiency because of the implicit iteration used during the evolution. In this paper, we aim to explore efficient explicit methods whose performance is mostly like symplectic methods for PN Hamiltonian systems. Taking the small parameter $$\varepsilon $$
ε
appearing in PN terms into consideration, we replace the implicit symplectic solver with explicit solvers in the mixed symplectic method to solve the PN term and then derive three explicit methods. It is theoretically shown that the proposed methods are respectively second-order, fourth-order, and pseudo-fourth-order, and that their closeness to the corresponding symplectic methods are $${\mathscr {O}}(\varepsilon ^{3}h^{3}),$$

O
(

ε
3

h
3

)
,

$${\mathscr {O}}(\varepsilon ^{5}h^{5}),$$

O
(

ε
5

h
5

)
,

and $${\mathscr {O}}(\varepsilon ^{3}h^{3}).$$

O
(

ε
3

h
3

)
.

That is, they are explicit near-symplectic methods with the presence of the small parameter $$\varepsilon .$$

ε
.

Numerical experiments with the Hamiltonian problem of spinning compact binaries show that the energy errors and orbital errors of the proposed explicit near-symplectic methods are indistinguishable from the corresponding mixed semi-implicit symplectic methods. The very small magnitude of the difference between the proposed explicit near-symplectic methods and the mixed symplectic methods confirms our theoretical analysis of their closeness to symplecticity. Finally, the much less CPU time consumed by the proposed methods highlights their most important advantage of high efficiency over the mixed symplectic methods.
Data-Driven Detection of Video Forgery for Secured Microcontrollers: Dataset and Method
Authors: Li Ran , Dai Juan
Published: January 2024

The microcontrollers in a camera often capture videos at a low frame rate due to limited processing capability. To satisfy the requirement of high quality of service, low-frame-rate videos are often forged as the high-frame-rate ones by the Frame Rate Up-Conversion (FRUC) operation. Therefore, detecting the existence of FRUC has become a necessary job for secured microcontrollers. In this paper, we propose a data-driven detection to identify whether a video is forged by FRUC. The core of detection is the creation of a large-scale video dataset VifFRUC (Videos forged by FRUC). Various types of forged videos can continue to be added into VifFRUC, making the detection more universal and robust. To match with VifFRUC, we have also designed a neural network, which trains a number of Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) units in parallel to learn the data-driven detection. The parallel LSTM structure of network can continually adapt to the newly added FRUC methods in VifFRUC. Extensive experiments on VifFRUC demonstrate the effectiveness of data-driven detection for FRUC, resulting in the security improvement of microcontrollers.
Design of Low Power Analog/RF Signal Processing Circuits Using 22 nm Silicon-on-Insulator Schottky Barrier Nano-Wire MOSFET
Authors: Kumar Jitender , Mahajan Aparna N. , Deswal S. S. , Saxena Amit , Gupta R. S.
Published: January 2024

The gate-all-around (GAA) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) Schottky barrier (SB) nano-wire (NW) MOSFET was recently proposed for low-power and high-frequency analog and radio frequency (RF) circuits. But their use in low-power and high-frequency analog/RF circuits is still under investigation. In this work, basic analog signal processing circuits using gate-all-around SOI-SB-NW MOSFETs are designed for low-power and high-frequency applications. These basic and necessary analog processing circuits are designed for ± 0.3 V and ± 0.25 V power supplies to work on frequencies up to 10 GHz. The analog/RF characteristics of the GAA SOI-SB MOSFET are compared with those of the GAA SB NW MOSFET. The SOI-SB NW MOSFET shows improvements in early voltage, output resistance, and transconductance generation factor. The Silvaco TCAD simulator is used to obtain the results and perform numerical simulations. Simulation results show good analog/RF performance of the analog processing circuits.
Detrital zircons and heavy minerals from the Palu Formation, Sulawesi, Indonesia: constraints on exhumation of the Palu Metamorphic Complex and drainage evolution
Authors: Nugraha Abang Mansyursyah Surya , Hennig-Breitfeld Juliane , Puspita Riska , Switzer Adam D. , Hall Robert
Published: January 2024

The Palu Formation, previously known as the Celebes Molasse in the Palu area, is understudied and was previously considered to be associated with the Pliocene collision between an Australian-derived microcontinent (Banggai Sula) and the eastern margin of Sundaland (West Sulawesi). Here, we present sedimentological, heavy mineral and zircon geochronological data to provide insights into sediment provenance and to elucidate Neogene tectonic activity in Sulawesi. These analyses suggest that the Pleistocene Palu Formation comprises synorogenic alluvial fan to braided river deposits that record the rapid uplift of metamorphic and granitoid rocks in the Neck and west Central Sulawesi. The Palu Formation is characterized by predominant granitoid and metamorphic clasts and heavy mineral assemblages dominated by pyroxene, amphibole and garnet. Detrital zircons record youngest grain ages of
c.
2.5 and 3.0 Ma with a significant Pliocene age population and subsidiary Eocene, Cretaceous, Jurassic and Late Triassic age peaks. Rapid uplift and erosion associated with mountain building shaped the topography and influenced the evolution of Palu River networks.

Supplementary material
: Complete location, heavy mineral and detrital zircon geochronology datasets are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7033388

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonics, landscape and climate change collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/mesozoic-and-cenozoic-tectonics-landscape-and-climate-change
The magma plumbing system of the Northern Carnarvon Basin, offshore Australia: multiscale controls on basin-wide magma emplacement, and implications for petroleum exploration
Authors: Curtis Michael S. , Holford Simon P. , Bunch Mark A. , Schofield Nick J. , Karvelas Alex
Published: January 2024

The Northern Carnarvon Basin (NCB) located on Australia's North West Shelf hosts an extensive (∼40 000 km
2
) intrusive igneous complex related to Mesozoic rifting and break-up. Using an extensive suite of modern 3D seismic reflection surveys, we have mapped this intrusive system across the NCB. We identify three predominant intrusion morphologies: stacked sheets of large interconnected sill intrusions (up to ∼170 km long) and smaller (8–30 km long) isolated, strata concordant intrusions, which often interact with normal faults emplaced into deltaic sedimentary rocks, and variably sized (10–40 km long) saucer-shaped intrusions emplaced into marine shales, spread across seven zones (geographically constrained groups of intrusions of a specific morphology). We consider the zones’ margin-parallel orientation, suggesting control by subcrustal extensional processes during rifting, and the variation in intrusion morphology between these zones, suggesting a dominant control by host rock mechanical properties. We integrate previous work with our observations, constraining emplacement to between the Kimmeridgian and Valanginian, coinciding with key phases of margin evolution. Finally, we assess the impact of this intrusive complex on local petroleum systems. There is likely little to no adverse impact on source rock maturation or reservoir contamination by CO
2
, but there is a spatial dissociation between the location of groups of intrusions and the gas fields, particularly in the Exmouth Plateau. This suggests that migrating hydrocarbons may be blocked, baffled and/or redirected by emplaced igneous rocks.
Octopus: Scaling Value-Flow Analysis via Parallel Collection of Realizable Path Conditions
Authors: Tang Wensheng , Dong Dejun , Li Shijie , Wang Chengpeng , Yao Peisen , Zhou Jinguo , Zhang Charles
Published: January 2024

Value-flow analysis is a fundamental technique in program analysis, benefiting various clients, such as memory corruption detection and taint analysis. However, existing efforts suffer from the low potential speedup that leads to a deficiency in scalability. In this work, we present a parallel algorithmOctopusto collect path conditions for realizable paths efficiently.Octopusbuilds on the realizability decomposition to collect the intraprocedural path conditions of different functions simultaneously on-demand and obtain realizable path conditions by concatenation, which achieves a high potential speedup in parallelization. We implementOctopusas a tool and evaluate it over 15 real-world programs. The experiment shows thatOctopussignificantly outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms. Particularly, it detects NULL-pointer-dereference bugs for the projectllvmwith 6.3 MLoC within 6.9 minutes under the 40-thread setting. We also state and prove several theorems to demonstrate the soundness, completeness, and high potential speedup ofOctopus. Our empirical and theoretical results demonstrate the great potential ofOctopusin supporting various program analysis clients. The implementation has officially deployed at Ant Group, scaling the nightly code scan for massive FinTech applications.
Pediatric Cholestatic Diseases: Common and Unique Pathogenic Mechanisms
Authors: Sutton Harry , Karpen Saul J. , Kamath Binita M.
Published: January 2024

Cholestasis is the predominate feature of many pediatric hepatobiliary diseases. The physiologic flow of bile requires multiple complex processes working in concert. Bile acid (BA) synthesis and excretion, the formation and flow of bile, and the enterohepatic reuptake of BAs all function to maintain the circulation of BAs, a key molecule in lipid digestion, metabolic and cellular signaling, and, as discussed in the review, a crucial mediator in the pathogenesis of cholestasis. Disruption of one or several of these steps can result in the accumulation of toxic BAs in bile ducts and hepatocytes leading to inflammation, fibrosis, and, over time, biliary and hepatic cirrhosis. Biliary atresia, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and Alagille syndrome are four of the most common pediatric cholestatic conditions. Through understanding the commonalities and differences in these diseases, the important cellular mechanistic underpinnings of cholestasis can be greater appreciated.
Chance and Opportunity: A Personal Story
Authors: Abbas Abul K.
Published: January 2024

This article summarizes my personal life story, from early education in India to research, teaching, and other activities in Boston and San Francisco. I have tried to illustrate how unplanned events shape one's path, and why the willingness to go with the flow is among one's most valuable attributes.
Somatic ion channels and action potentials in olfactory receptor cells and vomeronasal receptor cells
Authors: Kawai Fusao
Published: January 2024

Olfactory receptor cells are primary sensory neurons that catch odor molecules in the olfactory system, and vomeronasal receptor cells catch pheromones in the vomeronasal system. When odor or pheromone molecules bind to receptor proteins expressed on the membrane of the olfactory cilia or vomeronasal microvilli, receptor potentials are generated in their receptor cells. This initial excitation is transmitted to the soma via dendrites, and action potentials are generated in the soma and/or axon and transmitted to the central nervous system. Thus, olfactory and vomeronasal receptor cells play an important role in converting chemical signals into electrical signals. In this review, the electrophysiological characteristics of ion channels in the somatic membrane of olfactory receptor cells and vomeronasal receptor cells in various species are described and the differences between the action potential dynamics of olfactory receptor cells and vomeronasal receptor cells are compared.
Alterations in network robustness upon simultaneous temperature and pH perturbations
Authors: Hampton David , Kedia Sonal , Marder Eve
Published: January 2024

Resilience to environmental fluctuations is important for all animals. It is common that animals encounter multiple stressful events at the same time, the cumulative impacts of which are largely unknown. This study examines the effects of temperature and pH on the nervous system of crabs that live in the fluctuating environments of the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The ranges of tolerance to one perturbation, temperature, are reduced under the influence of a second, pH.
A Comparison Study of Edge Line Estimation Algorithms for Dimensional Quality Assessment of Precast Concrete Slabs
Authors: Yi Chang-Yong , Li Fangxin , Thedja Julian Pratama Putra , Sim Sung-Han , Choi Yoon-Ki , Kim Geon Hwee , Kim Min-Koo
Published: January 2024

Point cloud data‐based edge line extraction is an important task for accurate geometrical inspection of precast concrete (PC) elements in the construction industry. Although a few edge extraction algorithms have been developed so far based on point cloud data, little attention has been paid on which edge extraction algorithm performs the best in terms of edge estimation accuracy. To tackle the research gap, this study aims to evaluate currently available edge extraction algorithms in order to determine optimal algorithm for precise geometrical inspection of PC elements. To do this, simulated scan points are first generated and used for algorithm performance analysis using a geometrical model and a measurement noise modeling that determine the coordinates of simulated scan points. For validation of the simulation approach, comparison tests with experimental data are performed and the results show that the simulation approach has a high similarity of more than 90% compared to experimental data in terms of the number of scan points, scan pattern, and scan density, proving the effectiveness of the simulation‐based evaluation method. In addition, it shows that a least square regression (LSR) algorithm provides the best performance with an edge extraction accuracy of 1.56 and 2.71 mm for simulated and experimental scan points, respectively. The contributions of this study are (1) development of the geometrical model and noise modeling based on actual scan data and (2) validation of simulated‐based evaluation method on the lab‐scale PC slabs.
Comparative Study on the Effects of Four Plant Protein Sources on the Liver and Intestinal Health of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides
Authors: Yao Shibin , Li Wenjian , Cai Chunfang , Wang Chengrui , Kang Jia , Hu Honglin , Wu Ping , Cao Xiamin , Ye Yuantu
Published: January 2024

The effects of plant protein sources (PPSs) on the health of the liver and intestine of the largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, were compared to verify the potential damaging effects of dietary fiber (DF). A diet containing 55% fish meal (FM) was used as the control. The test diets contained 25% soybean meal (SBM), rapeseed meal (RSM), cottonseed meal, or peanut meal, and the FM content was decreased to 30%. The protein and lipid contents of these five diets were balanced by casein and oil. Fish were raised for 8 weeks. The fish fed the diet containing PPS showed a trend of decreasing growth and apparent digestibility coefficients. The contents of total bile acid, lipid, and collagen in the liver were increased, and the mRNA expression levels of genes encoding inflammatory factors and enzymes involved in de novo fatty acid synthesis and bile acid synthesis were upregulated. Both the lipid and collagen contents in the liver were positively correlated with the DF content in the diet significantly. Morphology and histology showed reduced liver size, hepatic steatosis, and fibrosis in fish fed diets containing PPS. The lowest hepatosomatic index was observed in fish fed the SBM diet, and the most severe damage was observed in fish fed the RSM diet. No obvious histological abnormalities were observed in the hindgut. The bile acid profile in the liver could be used to distinguish the types of PPS very well by Fisher discriminant analysis. These results indicated that 25% of each of the four PPSs in the diet exceeded the tolerance range of largemouth bass and caused liver damage, which might be mediated by bile acid. DF in PPS might be an important agent contributing to liver damage.
A Model for Monitoring Spontaneously Reported Medication Errors Using the Adjuvanted Recombinant Zoster Vaccine as an Example
Authors: Dessart Christophe , Tavares-Da-Silva Fernanda , Van Holle Lionel , Mahaux Olivia , Stegmann Jens-Ulrich
Published: January 2024

A European legislation was put in place for the reporting of medication errors, and guidelines were drafted to help stakeholders in the reporting, evaluation, and, ultimately, minimization of these errors. As part of pharmacovigilance reporting, a proper classification of medication errors is needed. However, this process can be tedious, time-consuming, and resource-intensive. To fulfill this obligation regarding medication errors, we developed an algorithm that classifies the reported errors in an automated way into four categories: potential medication errors, intercepted medication errors, medication errors without harm (i.e., not associated with adverse reaction(s)), and medication errors with harm (i.e., associated with adverse reaction(s)). A fifth category (“conflicting category”) was created for reported cases that could not be unambiguously classified as either potential or intercepted medication errors. Our algorithm defines medication error categories based on internationally accepted terminology using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA®) preferred terms. We present the algorithm and the strengths of this automated way of reporting medication errors. We also give examples of visualizations using spontaneously reported vaccination error data associated with the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine. For this purpose, we used a customized web-based platform that uses visualizations to support safety signal detection. The use of the algorithm facilitates and ensures a consistent way of categorizing medication errors with MedDRA® terms, thereby saving time and resources and avoiding the risk of potential mistakes versus manual classification. This allows further assessment and potential prevention of medication errors. In addition, the algorithm is easy to implement and can be used to categorize medication errors from different databases.
Development of an On-Column Trace Enrichment Method for the Determination of Sub-μg/L Bisphenol A in Bottled Water by RP-HPLC with Fluorescent Detection
Authors: Honeychurch Kevin C.
Published: January 2024

A simple extraction-free, on-column trace enrichment liquid chromatographic method for the determination of trace levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in bottled water samples has been developed. It was found possible to determine ng/L (ppt) levels of BPA by the direct introduction of 6 mL of sample water to the HPLC column utilising fluorescence detection (Exλ = 274 nm, Emλ = 314 nm). Following the loading of the sample and the chromatographic focusing of the BPA on the analytical column, a simple switch from the aqueous sample to the isocratic chromatographic elution step of 50% acetonitrile/deionised water was undertaken. Using a BPA concentration of 0.596 μg/L the effect of sample volume was investigated over the range 1.0 to 12 mL. A linear relationship with the sample volume introduced to the HPLC column and the resulting peak height for BPA was found over the entire range investigated R2=0.999. Using a sample volume of 6.0 mL, a well-defined chromatographic peak was recorded for BPA over the concentration range of 0.1 μg/L to 6.25 μg/L R2=0.9998. A limit of detection of 0.058 μg/L for BPA was calculated based on 3 δ. A mean recovery of 100% with an associated %CV of 7.6% (n = 5) was obtained for a bottled spring water sample fortified with 1.25 μg/L BPA. Samples can be processed in under 12 minutes, much faster than that commonly reported for conventional offline extraction and chromatographic-based methods. The results show that the optimised method holds promise for the determination of BPA in such samples.
FDG PET/CT Imaging 1 Week after a Single Dose of Pembrolizumab Predicts Treatment Response in Patients with Advanced Melanoma
Authors: Anderson Thomas M. , Chang Bryan H. , Huang Alexander C. , Xu Xiaowei , Yoon Daniel , Shang Catherine G. , Mick Rosemarie , Schubert Erin , McGettigan Suzanne , Kreider Kristin , Xu Wei , Wherry E. John , Schuchter Lynn M. , Amaravadi Ravi K. , Mitchell Tara C. , Farwell Michael D.
Published: January 2024

Purpose:

Immunologic response to anti–programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy can occur rapidly with T-cell responses detectable in as little as one week. Given that activated immune cells are FDG avid, we hypothesized that an early FDG PET/CT obtained approximately 1 week after starting pembrolizumab could be used to visualize a metabolic flare (MF), with increased tumor FDG activity due to infiltration by activated immune cells, or a metabolic response (MR), due to tumor cell death, that would predict response.

Patients and Methods:

Nineteen patients with advanced melanoma scheduled to receive pembrolizumab were prospectively enrolled. FDG PET/CT imaging was performed at baseline and approximately 1 week after starting treatment. FDG PET/CT scans were evaluated for changes in maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and thresholds were identified by ROC analysis; MF was defined as >70% increase in tumor SUVmax, and MR as >30% decrease in tumor SUVmax.

Results:

An MF or MR was identified in 6 of 11 (55%) responders and 0 of 8 (0%) nonresponders, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 100% in the MF-MR group and an ORR of 38% in the stable metabolism (SM) group. An MF or MR was associated with T-cell reinvigoration in the peripheral blood and immune infiltration in the tumor. Overall survival at 3 years was 83% in the MF-MR group and 62% in the SM group. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was >38 months (median not reached) in the MF-MR group and 2.8 months (95% confidence interval, 0.3–5.2) in the SM group (P = 0.017).

Conclusions:

Early FDG PET/CT can identify metabolic changes in melanoma metastases that are potentially predictive of response to pembrolizumab and significantly correlated with PFS.
Data from Mutational Landscape of the Essential Autophagy Gene BECN1 in Human Cancers
Authors: Laddha Saurabh V. , Ganesan Shridar , Chan Chang S. , White Eileen
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Evidence suggests that the catabolic process of macroautophagy (autophagy hereafter) can either suppress or promote cancer. The essential autophagy gene ATG6/BECN1 encoding the Beclin1 protein has been implicated as a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor in breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. The proximity of BECN1 to the known breast and ovarian tumor suppressor breast cancer 1, early onset, BRCA1, on chromosome 17q21, has made this determination equivocal. Here, the mutational status of BECN1 was assessed in human tumor sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and other databases. Large deletions encompassing both BRCA1 and BECN1, and deletions of only BRCA1 but not BECN1, were found in breast and ovarian cancers, consistent with BRCA1 loss being a primary driver mutation in these cancers. Furthermore, there was no evidence for BECN1 mutation or loss in any other cancer, casting doubt on whether BECN1 is a tumor suppressor in most human cancers.

Implications: Contrary to previous reports, BECN1 is not significantly mutated in human cancer and not a tumor-suppressor gene, as originally thought.

Visual Overview: http://mcr.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2014/04/01/1541-7786.MCR-13-0614/F1.large.jpg. Mol Cancer Res; 12(4); 485–90. ©2014 AACR.
Supplementary Figure 13 from Treatment Response, Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Clinical Outcomes in Inflammatory Breast Cancer–Treated with Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy
Authors: De Schepper Maxim , Nguyen Ha-Linh , Richard François , Rosias Louise , Lerebours Florence , Vion Roman , Clatot Florian , Berghian Anca , Maetens Marion , Leduc Sophia , Isnaldi Edoardo , Molinelli Chiara , Lambertini Matteo , Grillo Federica , Zoppoli Gabriele , Dirix Luc , Punie Kevin , Wildiers Hans , Smeets Ann , Nevelsteen Ines , Neven Patrick , Vincent-Salomon Anne , Larsimont Denis , Duhem Caroline , Viens Patrice , Bertucci François , Biganzoli Elia , Vermeulen Peter , Floris Giuseppe , Desmedt Christine
Published: January 2024

Supplementary Figure 13 shows analyses of the association of sTIL with DFS and OS.
FIGURE 1 from Treatment Response, Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Clinical Outcomes in Inflammatory Breast Cancer–Treated with Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy
Authors: De Schepper Maxim , Nguyen Ha-Linh , Richard François , Rosias Louise , Lerebours Florence , Vion Roman , Clatot Florian , Berghian Anca , Maetens Marion , Leduc Sophia , Isnaldi Edoardo , Molinelli Chiara , Lambertini Matteo , Grillo Federica , Zoppoli Gabriele , Dirix Luc , Punie Kevin , Wildiers Hans , Smeets Ann , Nevelsteen Ines , Neven Patrick , Vincent-Salomon Anne , Larsimont Denis , Duhem Caroline , Viens Patrice , Bertucci François , Biganzoli Elia , Vermeulen Peter , Floris Giuseppe , Desmedt Christine
Published: January 2024

sTIL scoring and its association with clinicopathological features in all patients. A, Distribution of sTIL (continuous) in the entire cohort and in subtypes. B, Distribution of sTIL (category) in the entire cohort and in subtypes. C, Forest plots showing the association of sTIL (continuous) and sTIL (categorical) with standard clinicopathologic variables evaluated by regression analyses in all patients.
In vitro evaluation of the calcification inhibitory properties of Policosanol, Genistein and Vitamin D (Reduplaxin®) either alone or in combination
Authors: Iacobini Carla , Fassino Valeria , Mazzaferro Sandro , Tartaglione Lida
Published: January 2024

Introduction: The process of vascular calcification has severe clinical consequences in a number of diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and end-stage renal disease. In the present study, we investigated the effect of Policosanol, Genistein and Vitamin D separately and in association to evaluate the possible synergistic action on inorganic phosphate (Pi)-induced calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs)
Methods: Primary Human VSMCs were cultured with either Growth Medium or Growth medium Supplemented with Calcium and Phosphorus (Calcification Medium) in combination with Policosanol, Genistein and Vitamin D. Alizarin red staining, Mineralization and the protein expression of RUNX2 and Superoxide Dismutase-2 (SOD-2) were investigated.
Results: All three substances tested were effective at reducing osteogenic differentiation of VSMCs in a dose-dependent manner. Poli+Gen, Poli+VitD, Gen+VitD treatment induced a greater inhibition of calcification and RUNX2 expression compared to single compounds treatments. Moreover the association of Poli+Gen+VitD (Reduplaxin®) was more effective at inhibiting VSMCs mineralization and preventing the increase in RUNX-2 expression induced by Calcification Medium but not modified SOD-2 expression.
Conclusions: The association of Pol, Gen and Vit D (Reduplaxin®) has an additive inhibitory effect on the calcification process of VSMCs induced in vitro by a pro-calcifying medium.
Unraveling Complexities in Genetically Elusive Long QT Syndrome
Authors: Asatryan Babken , Murray Brittney , Gasperetti Alessio , McClellan Rebecca , Barth Andreas S.
Published: January 2024

Genetic testing has become standard of care for patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS), providing diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic information for both probands and their family members. However, up to a quarter of patients with LQTS do not have identifiable Mendelian pathogenic variants in the currently known LQTS-associated genes. This absence of genetic confirmation, intriguingly, does not lessen the severity of LQTS, with the prognosis in these gene-elusive patients with unequivocal LQTS mirroring genotype-positive patients in the limited data available. Such a conundrum instigates an exploration into the causes of corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation in these cases, unveiling a broad spectrum of potential scenarios and mechanisms. These include multiple environmental influences on QTc prolongation, exercise-induced repolarization abnormalities, and the profound implications of the constantly evolving nature of genetic testing and variant interpretation. In addition, the rapid advances in genetics have the potential to uncover new causal genes, and polygenic risk factors may aid in the diagnosis of high-risk patients. Navigating this multifaceted landscape requires a systematic approach and expert knowledge, integrating the dynamic nature of genetics and patient-specific influences for accurate diagnosis, management, and counseling of patients. The role of a subspecialized expert cardiogenetic clinic is paramount in evaluation to navigate this complexity. Amid these intricate aspects, this review outlines potential causes of gene-elusive LQTS. It also provides an outline for the evaluation of patients with negative and inconclusive genetic test results and underscores the need for ongoing adaptation and reassessment in our understanding of LQTS, as the complexities of gene-elusive LQTS are increasingly deciphered.
Staring Back: Hacking Intersectional Oppression through Eco-Crip: Cybotanical Futures
Authors: Virdee Aminder
Published: January 2024

The author discusses their transmedia art installation, Eco-Crip: Cybotanical Futures (2021), as a site that critically explores and re-worlds the intersectional oppressions faced by disabled BIPOC individuals—centering on their own identity and complex lived experiences. Through a re-worlding lens, the artwork harnesses autoethnography, disability justice, and critical theory to confront and reclaim lifelong systemic oppression and medical surveillance, integrating computational art and digital painting to reconstruct medically quantified bioimaging and South Asian botanical archives into alternative “Cybotanical” futures. The author traces this work back to their earlier piece, Keep This Leaflet. You May Need to Read It Again (2014), a seminal creation in their criptech journey. Eco-Crip: Cybotanical Futures embraces a DIY ethos to hack and decolonize archives and technologies, navigating multifaceted meaning-making where beauty and pain converge—mapping new frontiers of crip technoscience art that challenges various systems of power and their associated gazes.
A new neopasiphaeine bee associated with flowers of Loasaceae (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Actenosigynes)
Authors: SIRIANI-OLIVEIRA SAMUEL , JÚNIOR JOSÉ EUSTÁQUIO DOS SANTOS , SCHLINDWEIN CLEMENS , ALMEIDA EDUARDO A. B.
Published: January 2024

The genus Actenosigynes includes two species, A. fulvoniger (Michener, 1989) and A. mantiqueirensis Silveira, 2009, both oligolectic on flowers of Blumenbachia (Loasaceae) in southern Brazil. We describe a third species, Actenosigynes silveirai Siriani-Oliveira, sp. n., and provide additional evidence to the suspected narrow host-plant specificity between bees of this genus and Loasaceae. This new species was only recorded to collect resources on flowers of Aosa, a genus closely related to Blumenbachia in the subfamily Loasoideae. We illustrate female and male specimens of the three species to offer a complete summary of the morphological variation within this modestly sized genus of Neopasiphaeinae, including photographs of male genitalia and associated metasomal sterna. Moreover, we provide an identification key for the three species of Actenosigynes and the first phylogenetic and dating estimate for these taxa. The genus diversified in southern South America during the Miocene-Pliocene, following a more ancient divergence associated with the orogenic events that separated its sister-genus, Torocolletes, west of the Andes. We dedicate this newly described species to Fernando A. Silveira for his contributions to research on Brazilian bee taxonomy and biology.
Sarcopenia is a Poor Predictor of Outcomes in Elective Colectomy for Diverticulitis
Authors: Krebs Jonathan R. , Mazirka Pavel , Fazzone Brian , Ault Taylor , Read Thomas E. , Terracina Krista P.
Published: January 2024

Background

Sarcopenia is associated with adverse perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing operations for malignancy, but its influence on patients undergoing elective colectomy for diverticulitis is unknown. We hypothesized that sarcopenia is associated with adverse perioperative events in patients undergoing elective colectomy for diverticulitis.

Methods

Comorbidities, operative characteristics, and postoperative complications were extrapolated from our institutional EMR in patients undergoing elective colectomy for diverticulitis from 2016 to 2020. Sarcopenia was calculated using perioperative imaging and defined by standard skeletal muscle index (SMI) and psoas muscle index (PMI) thresholds. Univariate analysis was used to compare sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients.

Results

148 patients met inclusion criteria. Using SMI thresholds, 95 patients (64%) were sarcopenic. With SMI criteria, sarcopenic patients were older (67 vs 52 years old; P < .01) and had lower BMIs (26.2 vs 34.0, respectively; P < .001) than non-sarcopenic patients. There were no differences in baseline characteristics, postoperative complications, and non-home discharge between groups ( P > .05 for all). Postoperative length of stay was greater in sarcopenic patients (3 IQR 2-5 vs 2 IQR 2-3 days; P < .01). Using PMI thresholds, 68 (46%) met criteria for sarcopenia. Using PMI thresholds, sarcopenic patients were older (68 vs 57.5 years old; P < .01) and had lower BMIs (25.8 vs 32.8; P < .01). There were no differences in comorbidities or measured operative outcomes between groups ( P > .05 for all), other than postoperative length of stay which was longer in the sarcopenic group (3.5 IQR 3-5 vs 2 IQR 2-3; P < .01).

Conclusions

Incidence of sarcopenia was high in patients undergoing elective colectomy for diverticulitis in our practice, but sarcopenia was not associated with adverse perioperative outcomes. In select patients, elective colectomy for diverticulitis can be safely performed in the presence of sarcopenia.
Global adoption of facial recognition technology with special reference to India—Present status and future recommendations
Authors: Guleria Ankita , Krishan Kewal , Sharma Vishal , Kanchan Tanuj
Published: January 2024

The face is the most essential part of the human body, and because of its distinctive traits, it is crucial for recognizing people. Facial recognition technology (FRT) is one of the most successful and fascinating technologies of the modern times. The world is moving towards contactless FRT after the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to its contactless biometric characteristics, FRT is becoming quite popular worldwide. Businesses are replacing conventional fingerprint scanners with artificial intelligence—based FRT, opening up enormous commercial prospects. Security and surveillance, authentication/access control systems, digital healthcare, photo retrieval, etc., are some sectors where its use has become essential. In the present communication, we presented the global adoption of FRT, its rising trend in the market, utilization of the technology in various sectors, its challenges and rising concerns with special reference to India and worldwide.