bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corticobasal syndrome and Parkinson’s disease at the beginning: asymmetrical patterns of MRI and Blink Reflex for early diagnosis
Authors: Donzuso Giulia , Sciacca Giorgia , Luca Antonina , Cicero Calogero E. , Mostile Giovanni , Nicoletti Alessandra , Zappia Mario
Published: October 2022

Differential diagnosis between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS) could be challenging at the early stage, due to the asymmetric onset of both diseases. Despite the clinical overlap, the anatomical circuits involved in these disorders are different. We evaluated R2 Blink Reflex Recovery Cycle (R2BRRC) and cortical thickness (CTh) in drug-naïve PD and CBS patients for characterizing pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these conditions. Patients with a clinically probable diagnosis of PD and possible CBS were recruited. R2BRRC was evaluated bilaterally at interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of 100–150–200–300–400–500–750 ms. Asymmetry index (AI) of R2BRRC for each ISI was computed. Patients underwent a structural brain MRI and hemisphere CTh and AI of MRI was calculated. Fourteen drug-naïve PD patients and 10 patients with early CBS diagnosis were enrolled. R2BRRC of PD patients showed an increased brainstem excitability for less affected side (LAS) stimulation at ISIs of 100 and 150 ms (p < 0.001) compared to most affected side (MAS), whereas no differences between LAS and MAS were found in CBS. AI of R2BRRC at ISI-100 ms showed significant difference, being higher in PD. CTh analysis showed significant differences between groups in hemisphere cortical volume contralateral to MAS, and, conversely, AI of MRI was significantly higher in CBS. PD patients exhibited an asymmetric pattern of brainstem excitability, compared to CBS. Conversely, CBS patients showed an asymmetric pattern of cortical atrophy. This opposite pattern of neurophysiological and structural abnormalities involving cortical and subcortical brain structures could highlight the different pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these disorders.
Aligner therapy in adolescents: first-year results on the impact of therapy on oral health-related quality of life and oral hygiene
Authors: Sauer Mareike Kristin , Drechsler Thomas , Peron Priscilla Ferrari , Schmidtmann Irene , Ohlendorf Daniela , Wehrbein Heinrich , Erbe Christina
Published: October 2022

Objectives

The aim of this multicenter clinical study was to examine the oral health-related quality of life and oral hygiene in adolescents before and during aligner therapy.

Materials and methods

Forty subjects (18 ♀, 22 ♂; mean age: 13.6 years) scheduled for aligner therapy (Invisalign® Teen) were given oral health-related quality of life questionnaires, Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-G14) and Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetic Questionnaire (PIDAQ), to complete within their treatment (visit 1: 0 start of therapy; visit 2: 0 + 4 weeks; visit 3: 0 + 10 weeks; visit 4: 0 + 6 months; visit 5: 0 + 1 year). To assess oral hygiene, a questionnaire to take home was used, and plaque level was evaluated with the Quigley-Hein Plaque Index (TMQH) modified by Turesky et al.

Results

The OHIP-G14 mean score before aligner therapy was 3.3 ± 3.2, and 4.9 ± 5.4 after 1 year. The PIDAQ showed a positive psychological change in the well-being, as well as a more effective at-home oral hygiene regime. On average, the TMQH remained at a low level (grade 2 of 0–5). The initial insertion of the aligners caused the most significant changes in all parameters (except TMQH).

Conclusion

Oral health-related quality of life is only slightly affected during the first year of aligner therapy in adolescents. Oral hygiene at home is intensified and there is no increased dental plaque accumulation.

Clinical relevance

Dentofacial esthetics is a subset of the so-called Oral H-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) which should be considered more during orthodontic therapy.
Synthesis of high-quality graphene sheets via decomposition of non-condensable gases from pyrolysis of polypropylene waste using unsupported Fe, Co, and Fe–Co catalysts
Authors: Aboul-Enein Ateyya A. , Azab Mostafa A. , Haggar Ahmed M. , Awadallah Ahmed E.
Published: October 2022

Producing high-quality graphene sheets from plastic waste is regarded as a significant economic and environmental challenge. In the present study, unsupported Fe, Co, and Fe–Co oxide catalysts were prepared by the combustion method and examined for the production of graphene via a dual-stage process using polypropylene (PP) waste as a source of carbon. The prepared catalysts and the as-produced graphene sheets were fully characterized by several techniques, including XRD, H2-TPR, FT-IR, FESEM, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy. XRD, TPR, and FT-IR analyses revealed the formation of high purity and crystallinity of Fe2O3 and Co3O4 nanoparticles as well as cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) species after calcining Fe, Co, and Fe–Co catalysts, respectively. The Fe–Co catalyst was completely changed into Fe–Co alloy after pre-reduction at 800 °C for 1 h. TEM and XRD results revealed the formation of multi-layered graphene sheets on the surface of all catalysts. Raman spectra of the as-deposited carbon showed the appearance of D, G, and 2D bands at 1350, 1580, and 2700 cm−1, respectively, confirming the formation of graphene sheets. Fe, Co, and Fe–Co catalysts produced quasi-identical graphene yields of 2.8, 3.04, and 2.17 gC/gcat, respectively. The graphene yield in terms of mass PP was found to be 9.3, 10.1, and 7.2 gC/100gPP with the same order of catalysts. Monometallic Fe and Co catalysts produced a mix of small and large-area graphene nanosheets, whereas the bimetallic Fe–Co catalyst yielded exclusively large-area graphene sheets with remarkable quality. The higher stability of Fe–Co alloy and its carbide phase during the growth reaction compared to the Fe and Co catalysts was the primary reason for the generation of extra-large graphene sheets with relatively low yield. In contrast, the segregation of some metallic Fe or Co particles through the growth time was responsible for the growth small-area graphene sheets.
Decentralized multi-client functional encryption for set intersection with improved efficiency
Authors: Lee Kwangsu
Published: October 2022

Functional encryption (FE) is a new paradigm of public key encryption that can control the exposed information of plaintexts by supporting computation on encrypted data. In this paper, we propose efficient multi-client FE (MCFE) schemes that compute the set intersection of ciphertexts generated by two clients. First, we propose an MCFE scheme that calculates the set intersection cardinality (MCFE-SIC) and prove its static security under dynamic assumptions. Next, we extend our MCFE-SIC scheme to an MCFE scheme for set intersection (MCFE-SI) and prove its static security under dynamic assumptions. The decryption algorithm of our MCFE-SI scheme is more efficient than the existing MCFE-SI scheme because it requires fewer pairing operations to calculate the intersection of two clients. Finally, we propose a decentralized MCFE scheme for set intersection (DMCFE-SI) that decentralizes the generation of function keys. Our MCFE schemes can be effectively applied to a privacy-preserving contact tracing system to prevent the spread of recent infectious diseases.
Post-spawning defence by male brook charr is linked to perceived paternity
Authors: Blanchfield Paul J. , Ridgway Mark S.
Published: October 2022

Salmonine fishes are generally thought not to exhibit male parental care, although brief post-spawning mate-guarding by males is known for a number of species, often for populations where eggs are subjected to intense predation (egg cannibalism). Here, detailed in situ data on the spawning behaviour of male brook charr, Salvelinus fontinalis, from a naturally reproducing lake population is used to test whether post-spawning mate guarding (i.e. paternal care) is related to perceived paternity. From video records of spawning events (n = 20), we documented a novel behaviour whereby the dominant male curtails spawning ahead of the female (by ~ 3 s) and immediately inspects the nest. Afterwards, the dominant male significantly reduces courtship behaviour (quivers) but aggressively defends the female with the same intensity as prior to spawning. The duration of mate guarding (range: 3–48 min), however, declined with increasing numbers of peripheral males that had rushed into the nest at spawning. Neither the number of active females present on the spawning grounds nor male body size influenced the amount of time dominant males spent mate guarding. Extensive revisitation (80% of visits) by males to spawning sites and to females during focal sampling bouts highlights the importance of a male’s ability to predict female readiness to spawn as a significant component of reproductive success. Thus, dominant males appear to guard females at a cost of acquiring other mating opportunities and adjust the time spent guarding depending upon their perceived paternity.
How does access to water at different life-stages affect male investment in reproduction and survival?
Authors: Zhang Zhuzhi , Head Megan L.
Published: October 2022

Holometabolous insects have four distinct life-stages – eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Active resource acquisition generally occurs during either or both the larval and adult stages. Previous research on the acquisition of food resources in holometabolous insects, has shown that resources acquired during each of these life-stages can differ in how they are allocated to different traits, and how they affect fitness. In addition to food, water is also an essential resource needed for a range of biological processes that enhance fitness. Yet, how water acquired at different life-stages affects key fitness traits is still not clear. Here, we manipulated both developmental and adult water availability of male seed beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus) to explore how water acquired at each life-stage affects a range of fitness related traits, including body mass, ejaculate weight, mating behavior and lifespan. Our results indicate that the juvenile environment had little effect on body weight, ejaculate weight, ejaculate replenishment or lifespan, but did influence male mating behavior in both early and late adult life. This contrasts with the adult environment, which had strong effects on weight loss, ejaculate size and lifespan but little effect on mating behavior. Males with access to water during adulthood transferred larger ejaculates during their first mating, lost less weight as they aged, and lived longer. These results suggest that water acquired during development and adulthood are allocated differently to a variety of fitness traits across life.
Mechanical Wits Used in the America Colonization: Engineering Assessment
Authors: Dorado-Vicente R. , López-García R. , Quero-Nieves J. M. , Medina-Sánchez G.
Published: October 2022

The first European settlements in the new world faced technical issues with the help of the XVI century scientific advances. Besides briefly exposing the scientific and technological situation, this paper explores, with the help of reverse engineering, two singular mechanical wits representative of the technological advances introduced in America to overcome different problems. Firstly, a pump, based on an alternative movement system through crankshafts and pistons used against the continuous flooding suffered in the Ciudad de México valley. Although flooding remained a problem (it was solved in the XX century), hydraulic pumps were essential for continuous soil drainage. Secondly, a port crane for handling cannons, military devices, and construction materials during the Lima fortification in the XVII century. For both cases, reverse engineering, through engineering methods, Computer-Aided Design CAD programs, and additive manufacturing, provides virtual and/or tangible mockups that help to analyze and improve our knowledge about the dimensions, materials, and functions of used (and currently lost) mechanical systems during the American colonization.
Gender in Technology, Engineering and Design: factors which influence low STEM subject uptake among females at third level
Authors: Kiernan Louise , Walsh Marie , White Eoin
Published: October 2022

Based on social cognitive career theory (SCCT) this study explored the barriers to females choosing STEM disciplines at post-primary level. The study firstly explored national data from all secondary schools in Ireland, to compare subject uptake at the leaving certificate cycle and discipline uptake at third level. Secondly, a focus group was conducted with students in first, third and sixth year at one of Ireland’s top ranked post primary all-female schools to gain insights into subject availability, influencing factors and decision making for subject and discipline choices.

The findings show that, some of the factors from the SCCT model have greater influence on the decision making of females to pursue a STEM related discipline at third level. Examining gender disparity under one theme labelled STEM may be skewing the reality of STEM subject uptake among genders. Nationally, females are strongly represented in the science disciplines, out representing males in science and health. Females are significantly underrepresented in technology, engineering, and technology-related design fields. Many aren’t exposed to, encouraged, or informed about these subjects in secondary school. Students’ career choices are mainly influenced by STEM subject availability at second level, career guidance, access to work placements and experience, along with social persuasion from, family, friends, and role models. Some of these sources of persuasion and influence were found to be at risk from bias and perceptions around status. The combination of these barriers in turn contributed to low self-efficacy, negative perceptions, and low interest amongst some females towards some STEM subjects.
To compare the influence of blind insertion and up-down optimized glottic exposure manoeuvre on oropharyngeal leak pressure using SaCoVLM™ video laryngeal mask among patients undergoing general anesthesia
Authors: Yan Chun-ling , Zhang Yi-qi-yuan , Chen Ying , Qv Zong-yang , Zuo Ming-zhang
Published: October 2022

To compare the potential influences of blind insertion and up-down optimized glottic exposure manoeuvre on the oropharyngeal leak pressure (OPLP) in using SaCoVLM™ video laryngeal mask (VLM) among patients undergoing general anesthesia. A randomized self-control study controlled was conducted to investigate the effect of two insertion techniques on OPLP. A total of 60 patients (male or female, 18–78 years, BMI 18.0–30.0 kg m−2 and ASA I–II) receiving selective surgery under general anesthesia were randomly recruited. After induction of anesthesia, the SaCoVLM™ was inserted by blind insertion manoeuvre. The glottic exposure grading(V1) of the SaCoVLM™ visual laryngeal mask and the OPLP(P1) were recorded. And the glottic exposure grading(V2) and OPLP(P2) of SaCoVLM™ were recorded again when the glottic exposure grading was optimal. The glottis exposure grading and OPLP were compared before and after different insertion manoeuver. The glottic exposure grading (V2) obtained by using up-down optimized glottic exposure manoeuvre was better than that obtained by using blind insertion manoeuvre (V1)(P < 0.001). The OPLP was significantly lower in the blind insertion manoeuvre (P1) than in the up-down optimized glottic exposure manoeuvre (P2) (32.4 ± 5.0 cmH2O vs. 36.3 ± 5.2 cmH2O, P < 0.001). In using SaCoVLM™, higher OPLP and better glottic exposure grading were achieved through up-down optimized glottic exposure manoeuvre, protecting the airway while real-time monitoring of conditions around the glottis, which significantly improves airway safety. Our results suggests that up-down optimized glottic exposure manoeuver may be a useful technique for SaCoVLM™ insertion.

Trial registration: ChiCTR, ChiCTR2000028802. Registered 4 January 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/ChiCTR2000028802.
Machine learning models for 180-day mortality prediction of patients with advanced cancer using patient-reported symptom data
Authors: Xu Cai , Subbiah Ishwaria M. , Lu Sheng-Chieh , Pfob André , Sidey-Gibbons Chris
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The objective of the current study was to develop and test the performances of different ML algorithms which were trained using patient-reported symptom severity data to predict mortality within 180 days for patients with advanced cancer.

Methods

We randomly selected 630 of 689 patients with advanced cancer at our institution who completed symptom PRO measures as part of routine care between 2009 and 2020. Using clinical, demographic, and PRO data, we trained and tested four ML algorithms: generalized regression with elastic net regularization (GLM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) trees, support vector machines (SVM), and a single hidden layer neural network (NNET). We assessed the performance of algorithms individually as well as part of an unweighted voting ensemble on the hold-out testing sample. Performance was assessed using area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).

Results

The starting cohort of 630 patients was randomly partitioned into training (n = 504) and testing (n = 126) samples. Of the four ML models, the XGBoost algorithm demonstrated the best performance for 180-day mortality prediction in testing data (AUROC = 0.69, sensitivity = 0.68, specificity = 0.62, PPV = 0.66, NPV = 0.64). Ensemble of all algorithms performed worst (AUROC = 0.65, sensitivity = 0.65, specificity = 0.62, PPV = 0.65, NPV = 0.62). Of individual PRO symptoms, shortness of breath emerged as the variable of highest impact on the XGBoost 180-mortality prediction (1-AUROC = 0.30).

Conclusion

Our findings support ML models driven by patient-reported symptom severity as accurate predictors of short-term mortality in patients with advanced cancer, highlighting the opportunity to integrate these models prospectively into future studies of goal-concordant care.
Religious Hinges: Some Historical Precursors
Authors: Boncompagni Anna
Published: October 2022

Recently, hinge epistemologists have applied Wittgenstein’s metaphor of hinges to religious belief. The most prominent proposal in this context is Pritchard’s “quasi-fideism”. This paper examines some historical precursors of the notion of religious hinges, with the aim of shedding more light on it. After outlining the framework of hinge epistemology and its application to religious belief, I briefly examine the views of Thomas Reid and John Henry Newman as acknowledged forerunners of this framework (or cognate views). Next, I turn to two hitherto unacknowledged forerunners, the pragmatists William James and Charles S. Peirce. I then focus on some insights that the pragmatists offer. On this basis, I conclude that religious beliefs are a special class of hinges. As such, while they can be defended through hinge epistemology, they cannot constitute a model through which we can interpret the nature of hinges in general.
Time dependence of 137Cs contamination in wild Japanese monkeys after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident
Authors: Hayama Shin-ichi , Tanaka Aki , Nakanishi Setsuko , Konno Fumiharu , Kawamoto Yoshi , Ochiai Kazuhiko , Omi Toshinori
Published: October 2022

Over the 10 years immediately after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, we measured the changes in the muscle 137Cs concentration (Bq/kg) of wild Japanese monkeys living in Fukushima City, which is located approximately 70 km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The muscle137Csconcentration, which was observed at a maximum of 13,500 Bq/kg immediately after the accident, had decreased to several hundred Bq/kg 10 years later. The muscle 137Cs concentration was significantly related to the soil contamination levels (10,000–30,000, 30,000–60,000, 60,000–100,000, and 100,000–300,000 Bq/m2), sex, age class (immature, mature), body weight (> 5000 g, 5000–10,000 g, < 10,000 g), and seasons (the cold period from December to April, the warm period from May to November).The value of muscle 137Cs concentration and the aggregated transfer factor (Tag: calculated by dividing muscle 137Cs concentration [Bq/kg] by soil 137Cs deposition density at the capture site [Bq/m2]) apparently decreased with time for several years. However, post hoc pairwise comparisons showed no difference from 2017 to 2020, and the accumulation of 137Cs in muscle may continue for some time.
Generic strategic profiling of entrepreneurial SMEs – environmentalism as hygiene factor
Authors: Dressler Marc
Published: October 2022

Climate change, extreme weather phenomena, droughts, fires etc. are just few examples of man-induced impact, jeopardizing the future of mankind. Businesses are increasingly held responsible for and try to manage their environmental impact. Environmentalism and lately sustainability (manifesting an equal pursuit of environmental, social, and economic goals) guide strategic orientation. Whereas large corporations anchor environmentalism in their mission statements and strategic positioning, the strategic reflection of sustainability and especially environmentalism in the business models of small enterprises is less researched. Their entrepreneurship builds on exploiting environmental opportunities and is deemed characteristic for small enterprises, but a lower penetration of strategic instruments paired with a predominant opportunistic behaviour seem to characterize SME´s strategic environmentalism. In order to examine the entrepreneurial environmentalism and the strategic value for SMEs an empiric study leaned on population ecology. An online survey with 291 small enterprises explored environmentalism, strategic profiling, and performance impact in an agricultural and entrepreneurial industry. Study results manifest a positive performance impact of sustainability-oriented and thereby ecologic environmentalism. Ecologic environmental consciousness has been identified for all generic strategic groupings but it separates into two distinctive clusters, one with a process and one driven by market focus. Foremost, eco-centric strategic measures were identified as core levers to increase product quality – a promising finding that secures further strategic ecological environmentalism.
Dimensional measurements in the shipbuilding industry: on-site comparison of a state-of-the-art laser tracker, total station and laser scanner
Authors: Maisano Domenico A. , Mastrogiacomo Luca , Franceschini Fiorenzo , Capizzi Salvatore , Pischedda Gianandrea , Laurenza Daniele , Gomiero Giorgio , Manca Giuseppe
Published: October 2022

Thanks to recent technological innovations, some large-volume-metrology measuring instruments—that would have been considered out of context one/two decades ago—are now effective for the shipbuilding industry, where dimensional errors of a few millimetres are generally tolerated. This paper considers three state-of-the-art instruments: a laser tracker, a total station, and a laser scanner, all with the latest generation of technology. While the first instrument type has long been widespread for applications in industrial metrology, the last two have traditionally been used in other fields, such as as-built surveying, civil engineering, architecture and topography. Instruments are compared using experimental tests concerning the dimensional verification of cruise-ship modules in the relatively under-explored context of the construction of the hull, which represents the ship’s framework. The comparison is structured based on several qualitative and quantitative criteria, including but not limited to (i) simplicity of use for operator(s), (ii) time of acquisition/analysis of measurement data, (iii) metrological performance, and (iv) cost. The main contribution of this article is the on-site testing of instruments of interest, in the typical (unfavourable) working conditions of shipyards.
“It just Sends the Message that you’re Nothing but your body” a Qualitative Exploration of Adolescent Girls’ Perceptions of Sexualized Images on Social Media
Authors: Papageorgiou Alana , Fisher Colleen , Crossa Donna
Published: October 2022

This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to explore adolescent girls’ perceptions of sexualized images they typically find when using social media. Twenty-four participants aged 14–17 years described sexualized images of females as normalized on social media. The interplay between gendered and social norms that endorsed and rewarded girls for posting sexualized images was seen to influence an expectation for girls to conform with their peers and post such images of themselves. They indicated sexualized images emphasize personal value on appearance and rejected this notion. However, participants also believed girls should be able to post sexualized images of themselves if they wanted to. There were tensions between whether girls’ sharing of sexualized images of themselves on social media would be interpreted as a display of confidence (socially acceptable) or attention seeking (socially unacceptable). Findings provide guidance for the development of health promotion programs to reduce potential harm from social media use by adolescent girls.
Essential news of current guidelines: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Fuereder Thorsten
Published: October 2022

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer and accounts for 890.000 cases 450.000 deaths worldwide annually. HNSCC is a heterogeneous disease affecting mainly elderly patients, who frequently suffer from significant comorbidities. Due to the aggressive tumor biology and high recurrence rates after curative treatment, it is essential to follow the evidence-based treatment recommendations outlined in the international guidelines, although it has to be emphasized that relevant data gaps and controversies exist such as the role of induction chemotherapy, de-intensification strategies or the role of immunotherapy in the locally advanced and recurrent/metastatic setting. These topics will be addressed in this article. Most importantly, interdisciplinary management of HNSCC patients is key for the optimal management at all disease stages.
Exploring Dimensionality Reduction Techniques in Multilingual Transformers
Authors: Huertas-García Álvaro , Martín Alejandro , Huertas-Tato Javier , Camacho David
Published: October 2022

In scientific literature and industry, semantic and context-aware Natural Language Processing-based solutions have been gaining importance in recent years. The possibilities and performance shown by these models when dealing with complex Human Language Understanding tasks are unquestionable, from conversational agents to the fight against disinformation in social networks. In addition, considerable attention is also being paid to developing multilingual models to tackle the language bottleneck. An increase in size has accompanied the growing need to provide more complex models implementing all these features without being conservative in the number of dimensions required. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive account of the impact of a wide variety of dimensional reduction techniques on the performance of different state-of-the-art multilingual siamese transformers, including unsupervised dimensional reduction techniques such as linear and nonlinear feature extraction, feature selection, and manifold techniques. In order to evaluate the effects of these techniques, we considered the multilingual extended version of Semantic Textual Similarity Benchmark (mSTSb) and two different baseline approaches, one using the embeddings from the pre-trained version of five models and another using their fine-tuned STS version. The results evidence that it is possible to achieve an average reduction of $$91.58\% \pm 2.59\%$$

91.58
%
±
2.59
%

in the number of dimensions of embeddings from pre-trained models requiring a fitting time $$96.68\% \pm 0.68\%$$

96.68
%
±
0.68
%

faster than the fine-tuning process. Besides, we achieve $$54.65\% \pm 32.20\%$$

54.65
%
±
32.20
%

dimensionality reduction in embeddings from fine-tuned models. The results of this study will significantly contribute to the understanding of how different tuning approaches affect performance on semantic-aware tasks and how dimensional reduction techniques deal with the high-dimensional embeddings computed for the STS task and their potential for other highly demanding NLP tasks.
UNICADO: multidisciplinary analysis in conceptual aircraft design
Authors: Zimmnau Maurice , Schültke Florian , Stumpf Eike
Published: October 2022

In this paper, different iterative methods, so-called architectures, within the multidisciplinary analysis in conceptual aircraft design of the UNICADO software are elaborated, applied and analyzed. Possible execution sequences in the sequential method (Gauss-Seidel architecture) are derived via a graph-based algorithm in combination with expert knowledge. Sensitivities of the design disciplines are analyzed and a permitted residual for stable convergence characteristic for the aircraft design with UNICADO is derived. Prerequisites for the application of a parallel iterative method, the Jacobi architecture are conducted. Runtime and convergence characteristics of the Gauss-Seidel architecture and the Jacobi architecture are evaluated. A damping method is applied to the Jacobi architecture to enhance the convergence characteristics. The Gauss-Seidel and Jacobi architectures are used to design two different aircraft, the CSR and the CSMR, with an iteration accuracy of 2.5e–3. For these use cases studied, the Gauss-Seidel architecture converges more stably and faster than the Jacobi architecture and is, therefore, the more favorable. The aircraft design with the implemented Jacobi architecture oscillates and does not converge. Only with an implemented damping method, convergence is achieved. If the iteration time of the design loop increases, e.g., when using higher fidelity methods for aircraft design, the choice of architecture must be re-evaluated.
Work performance among healthcare workers with post COVID-19 syndrome and its relation to antibody response
Authors: Fouad Marwa Mohammed , Zawilla Nermin Hamdy , Maged Lobna Ahmed
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Health care workers (HCWs) are frontliners in facing Cornoravirus disease (COVID-19) and hence are amongst the high risk groups of acquiring COVID-19 infection. The impact of COVID-19 infection and post-infection sequelae on work performance has deleterious effects on HCWs and the whole community. The aim of the current study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 infection particularly those with post-COVID-19 syndrome on work performance among HCWs and to determine if a possible relationship with antibody response exists.

Methods

A sample of 69 previously PCR-positive health care workers matched to another group of 69 control PCR-negative health care workers from the same clinical departments were subjected to full medical history, clinical examination, measuring serum specific immunoglobulins against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2), Health work performance questionnaire short form of absenteeism and presenteeism and Functional dysfunction grading questionnaire.

Results

The most frequently encountered symptom by patients with post-acute COVID-19 was fatigue while it was dyspnea for those who were chronic COVID patients. Patients with post-acute COVID-19 had a significantly longer time for PCR negative conversion and had a more severe disease. There was no association between post-acute COVID-19 and immunoglobulin positivity. COVID-19 syndrome had a negative impact on work performance manifested by lower relative presenteeism and lower month/year performance ratio (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). However comparing patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome to patients without the syndrome revealed no significant work performance difference between both groups.

Conclusion

COVID-19 syndrome negatively impacts work performance in HCWs manifested by lower relative presenteeism and lower month/year performance ratio. Although post-COVID-19 results resulted in higher levels of fatigue and functional limitation, it did not have a significant negative impact on work performance. Specific immunoglobulins against SARS CoV-2 were not associated with the post-COVID-19 syndrome.
A probabilistic perspective on nearest neighbor for implicit recommendation
Authors: Kelen Domokos M. , Benczúr Andras A.
Published: October 2022

Over the past years, the recommender systems community invented several novel approaches that reached better and better prediction accuracy. Sequential recommendation, such as music recommendation, has seen large improvements from neural network-based models such as recurrent neural networks or transformers. When no sequential information is available or not relevant, such as for book, movie, or product recommendation, however, the classick-nearest neighbor algorithm appears to remain competitive, even when compared to much more sophisticated methods. In this paper, we attempt to explain the inner workings of the nearest neighbor using probabilistic tools, treating similarity as conditional probability and presenting a novel model for explaining and removing popularity bias. First, we provide a probabilistic formulation of similarity and the classic prediction formula. Second, by modeling user behavior as a combination of personal preference and global influence, we are able to explain the presence of popularity bias in the predictions. Finally, we utilize Bayesian inference to construct a theoretically grounded variant of the widely used inverse frequency scaling, which we use to mitigate the effect of popularity bias in the predictions. By replacing the formerly ad hoc choices of nearest neighbor with probabilistically founded counterparts, we are able to improve prediction accuracy over a variety of data sets and gain an increased understanding of the theory behind the method.
Bullying Interrupted: Victimized Students in Remote Schooling During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Repo Juuso , Herkama Sanna , Salmivalli Christina
Published: October 2022

We investigated how the transition to remote schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic affected the rates of bullying victimization among students in primary and lower secondary education and analyzed how a specific group of students, namely previously victimized students experienced remote schooling. The 2-month school lockdown offered a unique setting to explore the association between increasing Internet use and cyberbullying and reflect on the overlap between traditional bullying and cyberbullying in a new context. The main sample (n = 34 771) consisted of 10–16-year-old Finnish students who responded to an online survey during the remote schooling period in spring 2020. The sample was supplemented with data from two previous surveys conducted in the same schools in 2019 (n = 43,216) and in 2017 (n = 24,727). The prevalence of bullying victimization decreased substantially in all grade levels during the school lockdown. Physical isolation and surge in students’ Internet use did not seem to lead to an increase in cyberbullying. Before-lockdown victimized students evaluated the time in remote schooling more positively than expected: they reported relatively high school liking and more teacher support than other students. The pre-existing gap in school adjustment between victimized and non-victimized students did not increase, but surprisingly, decreased. Our results highlight the notion that the main arena to fight bullying is within in-person interactions in schools.
Building User‐Readiness for Satellite Earth Observing Missions: The Case of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission
Authors: Hossain Faisal , Das Pritam , Srinivasan Margaret , Tsontos Vardis , Oaida Catalina M. , Nickles Cassandra , McNelis Jack , Bonnema Matthew , Picot Nicolas , Peña‐Luque Santiago , Doorn Bradley , Vinogradova‐Shiffer Nadya , Andral Alice , Gaultier Lucile , Jayaluxmi Indu , Zhu John , Fernando Nelun , Ul‐Hasan Faizan , Fatima Bareerah , Ahsan Mufeezah , Dhanya C. T. , Jayasinghe Susantha , Meechaiya Chinaporn , Barajas Miguel , Balakrishnan Vivek , Eldardiry Hisham , Elkholy Mohamed , Abdelrazek Ahmed , Fenoglio Luciana , Durand Mike , Wei Rui , Pavelsky Tamlin
Published: October 2022

The goal in this commentary is to share the development of the NASA Applied Science pre‐launch protocol called the Early Adopter Program (EAP) that is designed to build user‐readiness of planned satellite Earth observing missions proactively and before the launch. Here we focus in particular on the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite mission EAP as an illustration of benefits of such a program of proactive and sustained user community engagement. Such a commentary will be of value to other satellite Earth observation missions that are currently in service, scheduled for launch or prioritized for development in the near future.
Interstitial lung diseases after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: New pattern of lung chronic graft-versus-host disease?
Authors: Archer Gabrielle , Berger Ingrid , Bondeelle Louise , de Margerie-Mellon Constance , Cassonnet Stéphane , de Latour Régis Peffault , Michonneau David , Chevret Sylvie , Bergeron Anne
Published: October 2022

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) after allogeneic HSCT is the only formally recognized manifestation of lung chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Other lung complications were reported, including interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Whether ILDs belong to the spectrum of lung cGVHD remains unknown. We compared characteristics and specific risk factors for both ILD and BOS. Data collected from consecutive patients diagnosed with ILD or BOS from 1981–2019 were analyzed. The strength of the association between patient characteristics and ILD occurrence was measured via odds ratios estimated from univariable logistic models. Multivariable models allowed us to handle potential confounding variables. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. 238 patients were included: 79 with ILD and 159 with BOS. At diagnosis, FEV1 was lower in patients with BOS compared to patients with ILD, while DLCO was lower in ILD. 84% of ILD patients received systemic corticosteroids, leading to improved CT scans and pulmonary function, whereas most BOS patients were treated by inhaled corticosteroids, with lung-function stabilization. In the multivariable analysis, prior thoracic irradiation and absence of prior treatment with prednisone were associated with ILD. OS was similar, even if hematological relapse was more frequent in the ILD group. Both complications occurred mainly in patients with GVHD history.
EGFL7 drives the evolution of resistance to EGFR inhibitors in lung cancer by activating NOTCH signaling
Authors: Wang Yubo , Chen Pu , Zhao Man , Cao Hongxin , Zhao Yuelei , Ji Meiju , Hou Peng , Chen Mingwei
Published: October 2022

Accumulating evidence supports evolutionary trait of drug resistance. Like resilience in other systems, most tumor cells experience drug-tolerant state before full resistance acquired. However, the underlying mechanism is still poorly understood. Here, we identify that EGF like domain multiple 7 (EGFL7) is a responsive gene to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase inhibition during a period when tumors are decimated. Moreover, our data reveal that the adaptive increase of EGFL7 during this process is controlled by the depression of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway. Upregulation of EGFL7 activates NOTCH signaling in lung cancer cells, which slows down the decrease of c-Myc caused by EGFR inhibition, thereby helping the survival of cancer cells. Our data, taken together, demonstrate that EGFL7 is a driver gene for resistance to EGFR kinase inhibition, and suggest that targeting EGFL7/NOTCH signaling may improve the clinical benefits of EGFR inhibitors in patients with EGFR mutant tumors.
A novel BH3 mimetic Bcl-2 inhibitor promotes autophagic cell death and reduces in vivo Glioblastoma tumor growth
Authors: Calis Seyma , Dogan Berna , Durdagi Serdar , Celebi Asuman , Yapicier Ozlem , Kilic Turker , Turanli Eda Tahir , Avsar Timucin
Published: October 2022

Anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family proteins play central roles in the regulation of cell death in glioblastoma (GBM), the most malignant type of brain tumor. Despite the advances in GBM treatment, there is still an urgent need for new therapeutic approaches. Here, we report a novel 4-thiazolidinone derivative BH3 mimetic, BAU-243 that binds to Bcl-2 with a high affinity. BAU-243 effectively reduced overall GBM cell proliferation including a subpopulation of cancer-initiating cells in contrast to the selective Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-199. While ABT-199 successfully induces apoptosis in highBCL2-expressing neuroblastoma SHSY-5Y cells, BAU-243 triggered autophagic cell death rather than apoptosis in GBM A172 cells, indicated by the upregulation ofBECN1, ATG5, andMAP1LC3Bexpression. Lc3b-II, a potent autophagy marker, was significantly upregulated following BAU-243 treatment. Moreover, BAU-243 significantly reduced tumor growth in vivo in orthotopic brain tumor models when compared to the vehicle group, and ABT-199 treated animals. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of action of BAU-243, we performed computational modeling simulations that were consistent with in vitro results. Our results indicate that BAU-243 activates autophagic cell death by disrupting the Beclin 1:Bcl-2 complex and may serve as a potential small molecule for treating GBM.
Microfluidic space coding for multiplexed nucleic acid detection via CRISPR-Cas12a and recombinase polymerase amplification
Authors: Xu Zhichen , Chen Dongjuan , Li Tao , Yan Jiayu , Zhu Jiang , He Ting , Hu Rui , Li Ying , Yang Yunhuang , Liu Maili
Published: October 2022

Fast, inexpensive, and multiplexed detection of multiple nucleic acids is of great importance to human health, yet it still represents a significant challenge. Herein, we propose a nucleic acid testing platform, named MiCaR, which couples a microfluidic device with CRISPR-Cas12a and multiplex recombinase polymerase amplification. With only one fluorescence probe, MiCaR can simultaneously test up to 30 nucleic acid targets through microfluidic space coding. The detection limit achieves 0.26 attomole, and the multiplexed assay takes only 40 min. We demonstrate the utility of MiCaR by efficiently detecting the nine HPV subtypes targeted by the 9-valent HPV vaccine, showing a sensitivity of 97.8% and specificity of 98.1% in the testing of 100 patient samples at risk for HPV infection. Additionally, we also show the generalizability of our approach by successfully testing eight of the most clinically relevant respiratory viruses. We anticipate this effective, undecorated and versatile platform to be widely used in multiplexed nucleic acid detection.
Gi/o protein-coupled receptor inhibition of beta-cell electrical excitability and insulin secretion depends on Na+/K+ ATPase activation
Authors: Dickerson Matthew T. , Dadi Prasanna K. , Zaborska Karolina E. , Nakhe Arya Y. , Schaub Charles M. , Dobson Jordyn R. , Wright Nicole M. , Lynch Joshua C. , Scott Claire F. , Robinson Logan D. , Jacobson David A.
Published: October 2022

Gi/o-coupled somatostatin or α2-adrenergic receptor activation stimulated β-cell NKA activity, resulting in islet Ca2+ fluctuations. Furthermore, intra-islet paracrine activation of β-cell Gi/o-GPCRs and NKAs by δ-cell somatostatin secretion slowed Ca2+ oscillations, which decreased insulin secretion. β-cell membrane potential hyperpolarization resulting from Gi/o-GPCR activation was dependent on NKA phosphorylation by Src tyrosine kinases. Whereas, β-cell NKA function was inhibited by cAMP-dependent PKA activity. These data reveal that NKA-mediated β-cell membrane potential hyperpolarization is the primary and conserved mechanism for Gi/o-GPCR control of electrical excitability, Ca2+ handling, and insulin secretion.
CDK12 is hyperactivated and a synthetic-lethal target in BRAF-mutated melanoma
Authors: Houles Thibault , Lavoie Geneviève , Nourreddine Sami , Cheung Winnie , Vaillancourt-Jean Éric , Guérin Célia M. , Bouttier Mathieu , Grondin Benoit , Lin Sichun , Saba-El-Leil Marc K. , Angers Stephane , Meloche Sylvain , Roux Philippe P.
Published: October 2022

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and considered intrinsically resistant to chemotherapy. Nearly all melanomas harbor mutations that activate the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, which contributes to drug resistance via poorly described mechanisms. Herein we show that the RAS/MAPK pathway regulates the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12), which is a transcriptional CDK required for genomic stability. We find that melanoma cells harbor constitutively high CDK12 activity, and that its inhibition decreases the expression of long genes containing multiple exons, including many genes involved in DNA repair. Conversely, our results show that CDK12 inhibition promotes the expression of short genes with few exons, including many growth-promoting genes regulated by the AP-1 and NF-κB transcription factors. Inhibition of these pathways strongly synergize with CDK12 inhibitors to suppress melanoma growth, suggesting promising drug combinations for more effective melanoma treatment.
Automated identification of sequence-tailored Cas9 proteins using massive metagenomic data
Authors: Ciciani Matteo , Demozzi Michele , Pedrazzoli Eleonora , Visentin Elisabetta , Pezzè Laura , Signorini Lorenzo Federico , Blanco-Miguez Aitor , Zolfo Moreno , Asnicar Francesco , Casini Antonio , Cereseto Anna , Segata Nicola
Published: October 2022

The identification of the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences of Cas9 nucleases is crucial for their exploitation in genome editing. Here we develop a computational pipeline that was used to interrogate a massively expanded dataset of metagenome and virome assemblies for accurate and comprehensive PAM predictions. This procedure allows the identification and isolation of sequence-tailored Cas9 nucleases by using the target sequence as bait. As proof of concept, starting from the disease-causing mutation P23H in the RHO gene, we find, isolate and experimentally validate a Cas9 which uses the mutated sequence as PAM. Our PAM prediction pipeline will be instrumental to generate a Cas9 nuclease repertoire responding to any PAM requirement.
Understanding radiation-thermal aging of polydimethylsiloxane rubber through molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Lou Weitao , Xie Chaoyang , Guan Xuefei
Published: October 2022

The effect of radiation-thermal aging on the structure and properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) rubber at the micro-scale was investigated through molecular dynamics simulation. The aged PDMS models were constructed by incorporating the aging-induced chemical changes (hydroxyl groups, cross-linking, and scission of main chain). The simulation results show that the introduction of hydroxyl groups and cross-linking in molecular chains lower the chain mobility and the diffusion of the chains and oxygen molecules owing to the strong intermolecular interactions and long-chain structure, respectively. The introduction of short chains caused by the scission of main chains can enhance the mobility, diffusion, and flexibility of the chains and the diffusion range of oxygen molecules, resulting in the decrease in the free volume and Tg. In addition, the hardening effect of cross-linking and the softening effect of scission of main chain collectively contribute to the degradation of mechanical properties of the PDMS rubber.