bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decomposition Mechanism of Prior Austenite in Low‐Temperature Zone and Its Relationship to Fracture Behavior of High‐Strength Medium‐Mn Steel
Authors: Dong Ying , Li Yanan , Zhu Chengjun , Du Yu , Xiong Yi , Zhu Lei , Du Linxiu
Published: August 2023

Herein, the isothermal and continuous cooling transformation mechanisms of prior austenite and its relationship to fracture behavior of high‐strength medium‐Mn steel are studied. Furthermore, the precipitation behavior of cementite is also analyzed. The results indicate that the short rod‐like cementite forms in the martensite matrix during the air‐cooling process, the solubility difference of supersaturated elements provides a driving force for the element diffusion. Accordingly, it is proved that no isothermal transformation of prior austenite occurs during the 360 °C × 7 days isothermal treatment. The lath‐like microstructure is the martensite, which is produced during the subsequent continuous cooling process. The prior austenite is “divided” by the preferential martensite (transformed via heterogeneous nucleation), and the interfaces between preferential martensite and untransformed austenite provide nucleation sites for the subsequent martensite. The introduction of initial martensite before the isothermal treatment leads to the reversible brittleness of medium‐Mn steel. The fracture strength decreases with the increase of the initial martensitic fraction and isothermal time. The grain boundary binding force of prior austenite grains (PAGs) increases in the experimental steels subjected to annealing, and the plastic deformation of the martensite matrix is prior to grain boundary cracking, which inhibits the intergranular brittle fracture.
Effect of Al–Ti Concentration on Alumina Inclusions Aggregation Floating Behavior in Molten IF Steel
Authors: Long Qian , Wang Wanlin , Gao Xu , Zhao Ru , Sohn Il
Published: August 2023

Understanding the aggregation‐floating behavior of alumina inclusions, which is influenced by the interface properties between inclusions and molten steel, is crucial to control the purity of interstitial‐free (IF) steel in the refining process. In this work, it is attempted to investigate the effect of aluminum and titanium concentrations on the aggregation‐floating behavior of alumina inclusions in the interior of IF molten steel based on the interface properties between molten steel and alumina inclusions. The interface properties between the molten steel and alumina inclusions are measured using an improved sessile drop method. And, the aggregation‐floating behavior of inclusions in the interior of molten steel is quantitatively discussed by an aggregation model based on the attractive force between alumina inclusions, which was combined with the interface properties. In the results, it is shown that the attractive forces between alumina inclusions, ranging from 6.96 × 10−6 to 5.41 × 10−5 N, increase and decrease, respectively, with increasing aluminum and titanium concentrations. Furthermore, the terminal floating speeds of alumina inclusions, ranging from 0.0510 to 0.0873 m s−1, increase and decrease, respectively, with increasing aluminum and titanium concentrations.
Advances of hyphenated technique in impurity profiling of active pharmaceutical ingredients and pharmaceutical products
Authors: Khandale Nikhil , Rajge Rahul R. , Singh Sachin Kumar , Singh Gurdeep
Published: August 2023

Impurities found in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical products are of ever‐increasing interest. According to several regulatory agencies, purity and impurity profiles are essential. An impurity is defined as any additional inorganic or organic material, residual solvents other than the medicinal components, or undesired compounds that remain with APIs. Impurities and degradation products in bulk drug materials and pharmaceutical formulations are identified, their structures are clarified, and their quantitative determination is part of impurity profiling. Unrecognized, poisonous impurities are dangerous to health and should be identified by selective procedures to increase the safety of drug therapy, and impurity profiling has become more significant in pharmaceutical analysis. This review briefly introduces process and product‐related impurities and emphasizes the creation of cutting‐edge analytical techniques for identifying them. It discusses the use of analytical methods, particularly high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography, liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (MS), ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography–MS, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the identification of contaminants and degradation products. It has discussed the importance of the quality, efficacy, and safety of drug substances and products, including the origin, types, and quality control of impurities, the need for the development of impurity profiling methods, impurity identification, and regulatory aspects.
A comprehensive review on recent trends in amino acids detection through analytical techniques
Authors: Kaur Jashanpreet , Rangra Naresh Kumar , Chawla Pooja A.
Published: August 2023

The process of growth, development, and reproduction cannot take place in a live body without the presence of amino acids (AAs) since they are necessary for appropriate functioning. Detection of AAs in pharmaceutical and food samples is required to ensure quality, quantity, and efficacy. The AAs generally do not contain chromophores; hence their chromatographic analysis requires derivatization. The research papers published in the last few years were used to compile this manuscript. This manuscript covers various analytical, bioanalytical, and electrochemical approaches used in the identification of AAs. The analytical techniques like high‐performance liquid chromatography, ultra‐performance liquid chromatography, etc., and the hyphenated analytical techniques like liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry, ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, and hydrophilic interaction ultra‐performance liquid chromatography are also discussed. This manuscript also briefly outlines the electrochemical analytical techniques including sensors and biosensors. This review article will be useful to the researcher working in the area of the development of analytical techniques for the detection of AAs.
Interpenetrating Self‐Supporting Networks from Anisotropic Semiconductor Nanoparticles and Noble Metal Nanowires
Authors: Rosebrock Marina , Schlenkrich Jakob , Christmann Hannah , Graf Rebecca , Bessel Patrick , Dorfs Dirk , Zámbó Dániel , Bigall Nadja C.
Published: August 2023

In this work, a new type of multicomponent nanostructures is introduced by forming interpenetrating networks of two different nanomaterials. In detail, gel networks from semiconductor nanorods are interpenetrated by Au nanowires. Two different types of gelling agents, namely S2− and Yb3+, are employed to trigger the network formation. The structural and electrochemical properties of the resulting materials are discussed. (Photo)electrochemical measurements are performed on the structures to compare the materials in terms of their conductivity as well as their efficiency in converting photonic energy to electrical energy. The new type of CdSe/CdS:Au nanostructure gelled with S2− shows one order of magnitude higher photocurrent than the system gelled with Yb3+. Moreover, the introduction of Au nanowires exhibit a photocurrent which is two orders of magnitudes higher than in samples without Au nanowires.
Recent Advances on Nitrogen‐Doped Porous Carbons Towards Electrochemical Supercapacitor Applications
Authors: Komal Zafar Hafiza , Zainab Sara , Masood Maria , Sohail Manzar , Shoaib Ahmad Shah Syed , Karim Mohammad R. , O'Mullane Anthony , Ostrikov Kostya (Ken) , Will Geoffrey , Wahab Md A.
Published: August 2023

Due to ever‐increasing global energy demands and dwindling resources, there is a growing need to develop materials that can fulfil the World's pressing energy requirements. Electrochemical energy storage devices have gained significant interest due to their exceptional storage properties, where the electrode material is a crucial determinant of device performance. Hence, it is essential to develop 3‐D hierarchical materials at low cost with precisely controlled porosity and composition to achieve high energy storage capabilities. After presenting the brief updates on porous carbons (PCs), then this review will focus on the nitrogen (N) doped porous carbon materials (NPC) for electrochemical supercapacitors as the NPCs play a vital role in supercapacitor applications in the field of energy storage. Therefore, this review highlights recent advances in NPCs, including developments in the synthesis of NPCs that have created new methods for controlling their morphology, composition, and pore structure, which can significantly enhance their electrochemical performance. The investigated N‐doped materials a wide range of specific surface areas, ranging from 181.5 to 3709 m2 g−1, signifies a substantial increase in the available electrochemically active surface area, which is crucial for efficient energy storage. Moreover, these materials display notable specific capacitance values, ranging from 58.7 to 754.4 F g−1, highlighting their remarkable capability to effectively store electrical energy. The outstanding electrochemical performance of these materials is attributed to the synergy between heteroatoms, particularly N, and the carbon framework in N‐doped porous carbons. This synergy brings about several beneficial effects including, enhanced pseudo‐capacitance, improved electrical conductivity, and increased electrochemically active surface area. As a result, these materials emerge as promising candidates for high‐performance supercapacitor electrodes. The challenges and outlook in NPCs for supercapacitor applications are also presented. Overall, this review will provide valuable insights for researchers in electrochemical energy storage and offers a basis for fabricating highly effective and feasible supercapacitor electrodes.
Silencing of peroxiredoxin III inhibits formaldehyde‐induced oxidative damage of bone marrow cells in BALB/c mice
Authors: Yu Guangyan , Song Xiangfu , Chen Qiang , Zhou Yutong
Published: August 2023

Background

Formaldehyde (FA) is associated with the occurrence of leukemia, and oxidative stress is considered to be a major reason. As an endogenous biomarker of oxidative stress, few studies focus on the relationship between peroxiredoxin III (PrxIII) and FA toxicity. Our previous research observed high expression of PrxIII occurred in the process of apoptosis of bone marrow cells (BMCs) induced by FA, however the exact mechanism is unclear. Therefore, this paper aimed to explore the possible association between FA toxicity and PrxIII gene.

Methods

We first, used a Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8) to detect the viability of BMCs after they were exposed to different doses of FA (50, 100, 200 μmol/L) for different exposure time (12, 24, 48 h), then chose 24 h as an exposure time to detect the expression of PrxIII for exposing different doses of FA by Quantitative reverse transcription‐PCR (qRT‐PCR) and Western blot analysis. Based on our preliminary experimental results, we chose 100 μmol/L FA as an exposure dose to expose for 24 h, and used a small interfering RNA (siRNA) to silenced PrxIII to examine the cell viability by CCK‐8, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level by DCFH‐DA, apoptosis by Annexin V/PI double staining and cell cycle by flow cytometry (FCM) so as to explore the possible regulatory effect of PrxIII silencing on FA‐induced bone marrow toxicity.

Results

High expression of PrxIII occurred in the process of FA‐induced oxidative stress. Silencing of PrxIII prevented FA from inducing oxidative stress, thus increasing cell viability, decreasing ROS level, rescuing G0–G1 and G2–M arrest, and reducing cell apoptosis.

Conclusion

PrxIII silencing might be a potential target for alleviating FA‐induced oxidative damage.
Learn when a school official's personal observations are considered education records
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: August 2023

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act generally prohibits a college or university from disclosing personally identifiable information in a student's education record to a third party without consent. However, in an April 2023 guidance document, the Student Privacy Policy Office explained that “information that a school official obtains through personal knowledge or observation . . . is generally not protected by FERPA's limitations on the disclosure of education records, even if that information is also contained in an education record.” (
Student Privacy Policy Office, Guidance for School Officials on Student Health Records (April 12, 2023).
The First Quaternary Phase of the NbRuB Structure Type: Experimental and Computational Investigations of TiFe1.3Os3.9B2.8
Authors: Gibson Kate A. , Küpers Michael , Fokwa Boniface P. T.
Published: August 2023

The novel composition – TiFe1.3Os3.9B2.8 – is the first quaternary phase of the NbRuB structure type. The layer‐like structure consists of boron (mixed with 8 % Fe) dumbbells in the same layer as osmium atoms, some sites with mixed occupancies. The second layer has isolated boron, osmium/titanium (51 % Os) and iron atoms. The presence of iron enables the study of magnetism as Fe‐chains are present, with intra‐ and interchain distances of 3.02 Å and 5.76 Å, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) predicts magnetic ordering to be likely with the antiferromagnetic ground state only 13 meV more favorable than the ferromagnetic state. This discovery opens the possibilities of studying various quaternary compositions in the superconducting NbRuB structure type.
An Extensive Methodology and Framework for Quality Assessment of DCAT-AP Datasets
Authors: Wentzel Bianca , Kirstein Fabian , Jastrow Torben , Sturm Raphael , Peters Michael , Schimmler Sonja
Published: August 2023

The DCAT Application Profile for Data Portals is a crucial cornerstone for publishing and reusing Open Data in Europe. It supports the harmonization and interoperability of Open Data by providing an expressive set of properties, guidelines, and reusable vocabularies. However, a qualitative and accurate implementation by Open Data providers remains challenging. To improve the informative value and the compliance with RDF-based specifications, we propose a methodology to measure and assess the quality of DCAT-AP datasets. Our approach is based on the FAIR and the 5-star principles for Linked Open Data. We define a set of metrics, where each one covers a specific quality aspect. For example, if a certain property has a compliant value, if mandatory vocabularies are applied or if the actual data is available. The values for the metrics are stored as a custom data model based on the Data Quality Vocabulary and is used to calculate an overall quality score for each dataset. We implemented our approach as a scalable and reusable Open Source solution to demonstrate its feasibility. It is applied in a large-scale production environment (data.europa.eu) and constantly checks more than 1.6 million DCAT-AP datasets and delivers quality reports.
A spectral metric for collider geometry
Authors: Larkoski Andrew J. , Thaler Jesse
Published: August 2023

Abstract

By quantifying the distance between two collider events, one can triangulate a metric space and reframe collider data analysis as computational geometry. One popular geometric approach is to first represent events as an energy flow on an idealized celestial sphere and then define the metric in terms of optimal transport in two dimensions. In this paper, we advocate for representing events in terms of a spectral function that encodes pairwise particle angles and products of particle energies, which enables a metric distance defined in terms of one-dimensional optimal transport. This approach has the advantage of automatically incorporating obvious isometries of the data, like rotations about the colliding beam axis. It also facilitates first-principles calculations, since there are simple closed-form expressions for optimal transport in one dimension. Up to isometries and event sets of measure zero, the spectral representation is unique, so the metric on the space of spectral functions is a metric on the space of events. At lowest order in perturbation theory in electron-positron collisions, our metric is simply the summed squared invariant masses of the two event hemispheres. Going to higher orders, we present predictions for the distribution of metric distances between jets in fixed-order and resummed perturbation theory as well as in parton-shower generators. Finally, we speculate on whether the spectral approach could furnish a useful metric on the space of quantum field theories.
Ferroptosis and EMT: key targets for combating cancer progression and therapy resistance
Authors: Ren Yuqing , Mao Xiangrong , Xu Hui , Dang Qin , Weng Siyuan , Zhang Yuyuan , Chen Shuang , Liu Shutong , Ba Yuhao , Zhou Zhaokai , Han Xinwei , Liu Zaoqu , Zhang Guojun
Published: August 2023

Iron-dependent lipid peroxidation causes ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death. Crucial steps in the formation of ferroptosis include the accumulation of ferrous ions (Fe2+) and lipid peroxidation, of which are controlled by glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Its crucial role in stopping the spread of cancer has been shown by numerous studies undertaken in the last ten years. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the process by which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal characteristics. EMT is connected to carcinogenesis, invasiveness, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance in cancer. It is controlled by a range of internal and external signals and changes the phenotype from epithelial to mesenchymal like. Studies have shown that mesenchymal cancer cells tend to be more ferroptotic than their epithelial counterparts. Drug-resistant cancer cells are more easily killed by inducers of ferroptosis when they undergo EMT. Therefore, understanding the interaction between ferroptosis and EMT will help identify novel cancer treatment targets. In-depth discussion is given to the regulation of ferroptosis, the potential application of EMT in the treatment of cancer, and the relationships between ferroptosis, EMT, and signaling pathways associated with tumors. Invasion, metastasis, and inflammation in cancer all include ferroptosis and EMT. The goal of this review is to provide suggestions for future research and practical guidance for applying ferroptosis and EMT in clinical practice.
Classification of Rank-One Submanifolds
Authors: Raffaelli Matteo
Published: August 2023

We study ruled submanifolds of Euclidean space. First, to each (parametrized) ruled submanifold $$\sigma $$
σ
, we associate an integer-valued function, called degree, measuring the extent to which $$\sigma $$
σ
fails to be cylindrical. In particular, we show that if the degree is constant and equal to d, then the singularities of $$\sigma $$
σ
can only occur along an $$(m-d)$$

(
m
-
d
)

-dimensional “striction” submanifold. This result allows us to extend the standard classification of developable surfaces in $${\mathbb {R}}^{3}$$

R

3

to the whole family of flat and ruled submanifolds without planar points, also known as rank-one: an open and dense subset of every rank-one submanifold is the union of cylindrical, conical, and tangent regions.
Topological Properties of Weighted Composition Operators in Sequence Spaces
Authors: Albanese Angela A. , Mele Claudio
Published: August 2023

For fixed sequences$$u = (u_i)_{i\in {{\mathbb {N}}}}, \varphi =(\varphi _i)_{i\in {{\mathbb {N}}}}$$u=(ui)i∈N,φ=(φi)i∈N, we consider the weighted composition operator$$W_{u,\varphi }$$Wu,φwith symbols$$u, \varphi $$u,φdefined by$$x=(x_i)_{i\in {{\mathbb {N}}}}\mapsto u(x\circ \varphi )= (u_ix_{\varphi _i})_{i\in {{\mathbb {N}}}}$$x=(xi)i∈N↦u(x∘φ)=(uixφi)i∈N. We characterize the continuity and the compactness of the operator$$W_{u,\varphi }$$Wu,φwhen it acts on the weighted Banach spaces$$l^p(v)$$lp(v),$$1\le p\le \infty $$1≤p≤∞, and$$c_0(v)$$c0(v), with$$v=(v_i)_{i\in {{\mathbb {N}}}}$$v=(vi)i∈Na weight sequence on$${{\mathbb {N}}}$$N. We extend these results to the case in which the operator$$W_{u,\varphi }$$Wu,φacts on sequence (LF)-spaces of type$$l_p(\mathcal {V})$$lp(V)and on sequence (PLB)-spaces of type$$a_p(\mathcal {V})$$ap(V), with$$p\in [1,\infty ] \cup \{0\}$$p∈[1,∞]∪{0}and$$\mathcal {V}$$Va system of weights on$${{\mathbb {N}}}$$N. We also characterize other topological properties of$$W_{u,\varphi }$$Wu,φacting on$$l_p(\mathcal {V})$$lp(V)and on$$a_p(\mathcal {V})$$ap(V), such as boundedness, reflexivity and to being Montel.
The privacy dependency thesis and self-defense
Authors: Munch Lauritz Aastrup , Mainz Jakob Thrane
Published: August 2023

If I decide to disclose information about myself, this act may undermine other people’s ability to conceal information about them. Such dependencies are called privacy dependencies in the literature. Some say that privacy dependencies generate moral duties to avoid sharing information about oneself. If true, we argue, then it is sometimes justified for others to impose harm on the person sharing information to prevent them from doing so. In this paper, we first show how such conclusions arise. Next, we show that the existence of such a dependency between the moral significance you are inclined to attribute to privacy dependencies and judgments about permissible self-defense puts pressure on at least some ways of spelling out the idea that privacy dependencies ought to constrain our data-sharing conduct.
Higher fibular head is a risk for lateral hinge fracture in medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy
Authors: Yoshida Keiichi , Kubota Mitsuaki , Kaneko Haruka , Kim Youngji , Kobayashi Keiji , Hada Shinnosuke , Saita Yoshitomo , Ishijima Muneaki
Published: August 2023

Purpose

To examine the association between the hinge position, fibular head position, and type III lateral hinge fracture (LHF) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who underwent medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO).

Methods

This retrospective study examined patients who underwent MOWHTO. Radiographically, the Kellgren–Lawrence (K/L) classification, distance between the articular surface and the tip of the fibular head (fibular head position), hinge point (hinge position), type of LHF, and safe zone (within the proximal tibiofibular joint) outlier were evaluated. To determine the cut‐off value of the hinge position and fibular head position associated with type III LHF, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. The odds ratio (OR) was calculated from the obtained cut‐off values using logistic regression, which was adjusted by age, gender, body mass index, and opening distance.

Results

Among 132 knees in 120 patients, the radiographic severity of knee OA was 19 (14%), 73 (55%), and 40 (30%) of K/L grades 2, 3, and 4, respectively. LHF was observed in 40 knees (30%), including types I, II, and III fractures in 21 (16%), 5 (4%), and 14 (11%) knees, respectively. Hinge and fibular head positions were 16 and 10 mm, respectively, with significant correlation. Safe zone outlier was observed in 38 knees (29%). The hinge and fibular head positions with type III LHF were significantly higher (more cranial) than those with no fracture or other LHF subtypes. The ROC curve revealed that the cut‐off value for the hinge and fibular head positions was 13.3 and 8.6 mm, respectively. The OR of the hinge and fibular head positions was 22.42 and 13.86, respectively.

Conclusions

A higher hinge position was a risk factor for type III LHF and was associated with a higher fibular head in patients with knee OA who underwent MOWHTO. The hinge position should be placed at a certain distance from the articular surface to avoid type III LHF, especially in participants with higher fibular head position, even if the hinge position is located in the safe zone.

Level of evidence

Retrospective cohort study, Level III.
Novel cross wedge rolling method for producing railcar axles
Authors: Pater Zbigniew , Tomczak Janusz , Bulzak Tomasz
Published: August 2023

Railcar axles are large-size parts manufactured in large batches using forging methods. More efficient methods of manufacturing railcar axles are currently being sought. A promising line of research in this respect is connected with the use of cross wedge rolling (CWR). Nonetheless, there exist no rolling mills that would make it possible to manufacture such large-size parts as railcar axles. A solution to this problem was inspired by the symmetric shape of a railcar axle, which makes it possible to roll this part in two passes using the same tools. Taking advantage of the potential offered by numerical modelling, simulations were made of two rolling processes for producing a railcar axle type BA302, i.e. one process was conducted with the use of two rolls and the other with two flat tools moving in the opposite directions. Numerical results demonstrated that railcar axles produced by the proposed rolling process had neither external nor internal (cracks) defects. The effectiveness of the developed CWR method was ultimately confirmed by the high quality of railcar axles that were produced (in a scale of 1:5) under industrial conditions at the Lublin University of Technology.
A Study of Sponge Symbionts from Different Light Habitats
Authors: Cleary D. F. R. , de Voogd N. J. , Stuij T. M. , Swierts T. , Oliveira V. , Polónia A. R. M. , Louvado A. , Gomes N. C. M. , Coelho F. J. R. C.
Published: August 2023

The amount of available light plays a key role in the growth and development of microbial communities. In the present study, we tested to what extent sponge-associated prokaryotic communities differed between specimens of the sponge species Cinachyrella kuekenthali and Xestospongia muta collected in dimly lit (caves and at greater depths) versus illuminated (shallow water) habitats. In addition to this, we also collected samples of water, sediment, and another species of Cinachyrella, C. alloclada. Overall, the biotope (sponge host species, sediment, and seawater) proved the major driver of variation in prokaryotic community composition. The light habitat, however, also proved a predictor of compositional variation in prokaryotic communities of both C. kuekenthali and X. muta. We used an exploratory technique based on machine learning to identify features (classes, orders, and OTUs), which distinguished X. muta specimens sampled in dimly lit versus illuminated habitat. We found that the classes Alphaproteobacteria and Rhodothermia and orders Puniceispirillales, Rhodospirillales, Rhodobacterales, and Thalassobaculales were associated with specimens from illuminated, i.e., shallow water habitat, while the classes Dehalococcoidia, Spirochaetia, Entotheonellia, Nitrospiria, Schekmanbacteria, and Poribacteria, and orders Sneathiellales and Actinomarinales were associated with specimens sampled from dimly lit habitat. There was, however, considerable variation within the different light habitats highlighting the importance of other factors in structuring sponge-associated bacterial communities.
Multi-task deep learning-based radiomic nomogram for prognostic prediction in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Gu Bingxin , Meng Mingyuan , Xu Mingzhen , Feng David Dagan , Bi Lei , Kim Jinman , Song Shaoli
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Prognostic prediction is crucial to guide individual treatment for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) patients. Recently, multi-task deep learning was explored for joint prognostic prediction and tumor segmentation in various cancers, resulting in promising performance. This study aims to evaluate the clinical value of multi-task deep learning for prognostic prediction in LA-NPC patients.

Methods

A total of 886 LA-NPC patients acquired from two medical centers were enrolled including clinical data, [18F]FDG PET/CT images, and follow-up of progression-free survival (PFS). We adopted a deep multi-task survival model (DeepMTS) to jointly perform prognostic prediction (DeepMTS-Score) and tumor segmentation from FDG-PET/CT images. The DeepMTS-derived segmentation masks were leveraged to extract handcrafted radiomics features, which were also used for prognostic prediction (AutoRadio-Score). Finally, we developed a multi-task deep learning-based radiomic (MTDLR) nomogram by integrating DeepMTS-Score, AutoRadio-Score, and clinical data. Harrell's concordance indices (C-index) and time-independent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were used to evaluate the discriminative ability of the proposed MTDLR nomogram. For patient stratification, the PFS rates of high- and low-risk patients were calculated using Kaplan–Meier method and compared with the observed PFS probability.

Results

Our MTDLR nomogram achieved C-index of 0.818 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.785–0.851), 0.752 (95% CI: 0.638–0.865), and 0.717 (95% CI: 0.641–0.793) and area under curve (AUC) of 0.859 (95% CI: 0.822–0.895), 0.769 (95% CI: 0.642–0.896), and 0.730 (95% CI: 0.634–0.826) in the training, internal validation, and external validation cohorts, which showed a statistically significant improvement over conventional radiomic nomograms. Our nomogram also divided patients into significantly different high- and low-risk groups.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that MTDLR nomogram can perform reliable and accurate prognostic prediction in LA-NPC patients, and also enabled better patient stratification, which could facilitate personalized treatment planning.
HLA-B*44 and the Bw4-80T motif are associated with poor outcome of relapse-preventive immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Komic Hana , Hallner Alexander , Hussein Brwa Ali , Badami Chiara , Wöhr Anne , Hellstrand Kristoffer , Bernson Elin , Thorén Fredrik B.
Published: August 2023

HLA-B alleles are associated with outcomes in various pathologies, including autoimmune diseases and malignancies. The encoded HLA-B proteins are pivotal in antigen presentation to cytotoxic T cells, and some variants containing a Bw4 motif also serve as ligands to the killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) 3DL1/S1 of NK cells. We investigated the potential impact of HLA-B genotypes on the efficacy of immunotherapy for relapse prevention in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Seventy-eight non-transplanted AML patients receiving HDC/IL-2 in the post-consolidation phase were genotyped for HLA-B and KIR genes. HLA-B*44 heralded impaired LFS (leukemia-free survival) and overall survival (OS), but the negative association with outcome was not shared across alleles of the HLA-B44 supertype. Notably, HLA-B*44 is one of few HLA-B44 supertype alleles containing a Bw4 motif with a threonine at position 80, which typically results in weak binding to the inhibitory NK receptor, KIR3DL1. Accordingly, a strong interaction between KIR3DL1 and Bw4 was associated with superior LFS and OS (p = 0.014 and p = 0.027, respectively). KIR3DL1+ NK cells from 80 T-Bw4 donors showed significantly lower degranulation responses and cytokine responses than NK cells from 80I-Bw4 donors, suggesting impaired KIR3DL1-mediated education in 80 T-Bw4 subjects. We propose that presence of a strong KIR3DL1+–Bw4 interaction improves NK cell education and thus is advantageous in AML patients receiving HDC/IL-2 immunotherapy for relapse prevention.
A population-based projection of psoriatic arthritis in Germany until 2050: analysis of national statutory health insurance data of 65 million German population
Authors: Wang Jiancong , Tulka Sabrina , Knippschild Stephanie , Schneider Matthias , Distler Jörg H. W. , Baraliakos Xenofon , Brinks Ralph , Sewerin Philipp
Published: August 2023

The population-based prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is still unclear and not well described globally. The aim of this study was to conduct a population-based prevalence projection and provide long-term future estimations of PsA patients in Germany until 2050, using the illness–death model and based on historical data. We analyzed the national statutory health insurance data of 65 million population in the German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information between January 2009 and December 2012. We constructed an estimation of the PsA burden among the German population using the relevant epidemiological parameters to project the numbers of patients with PsA in Germany until 2050 under five possible scenarios by varying the incidence and mortality. The overall conservatively estimated prevalence of PsA in Germany in 2019 was 0.31% (95% CI 0.28–0.36%). Women contribute a higher prevalence than men in all five scenarios. In the assumed scenarios with increased incidence, the prevalence of PsA at 60 years of age could rise from 1% in 2019 to more than 3% in 2050 for both genders, with the increase particularly pronounced for women, reaching around 3.5%. However, in the assumed scenarios with decreasing incidence, the prevalence curve may flatten and begin a decreasing trend from 2035 to 2050 for both genders, achieving a prevalence of less than 1% in 2050. Our research is to generate assumed population-based data on PsA in Germany that can serve as a reference for public health stakeholders to prepare an optional intervention. We would expect worryingly high numbers in the coming decades if preventive strategies are not implemented. In the long term, it will be necessary to implement preventive strategies to identify predictors and treat psoriasis symptoms early in order to delay or even prevent the transition of psoriasis to PsA.
Indirect signs of infravesical obstruction on voiding cystourethrography improve post-neonatal posterior urethral valves detection rate
Authors: Marzuillo Pierluigi , Belfiore Maria Paola , Di Sessa Anna , Torino Giovanni , Roberti Agnese , Balzano Marialuisa , Reginelli Alfonso , Cappabianca Salvatore , Miraglia del Giudice Emanuele , La Manna Angela , Guarino Stefano , Di Iorio Giovanni
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To identify the diagnostic performance of clinical and radiological signs (on voiding cystourethrography [VCUG]) to detect posterior urethral valves (PUV) in the post-neonatal period.

Materials and methods

One hundred eighteen males (median age = 0.8 years, range = 1 month–14 years, 48 toilet-trained) undergoing VCUG in a 2-year period were prospectively enrolled. Direct (dilated posterior urethra) and indirect (hypertrophied bladder neck, musculus interuretericus hypertrophy, and trabeculated appearance of the bladder wall) PUV signs on VCUG were assessed. Uroflowmetry was defined pathological by patterns suggesting infravesical obstruction.

Results

Twenty-two patients with direct, 28 with indirect PUV signs on VCUG, and one with normal VCUG but persisting micturition symptoms with pathological uroflowmetry underwent urethrocystoscopy and in 43/51 a PUV diagnosis was made (n = 22, 51.2%, with direct PUV signs). In 8/28 patients with indirect signs, PUV were not confirmed. Among non-toilet-trained patients, none of the clinical signs/symptoms was associated with PUV while among toilet-trained patients only pathological uroflowmetry (odds ratio, OR = 4.0 [95% confidence interval:1.2–13.2; p = 0.02]) and pathological uroflowmetry with history of urinary tract infection (OR = infinity) were significantly associated with PUV. Significant associations with PUV of direct and indirect signs on VCUG were found both in toilet-trained and non-toilet trained patients. Direct PUV sign had 100% specificity and sensitivity while indirect PUV signs showed sensitivity = 58.1% and specificity = 89.3%. The absence of any radiological sign had a negative predictive value = 98.5%.

Conclusion

Only half of patients with endoscopy-confirmed PUV presents with direct sign of PUV on VCUG. Accounting for indirect PUV signs on VCUG and pathological uroflowmetry (in toilet-trained children) could improve the PUV detection rate.

Clinical relevance statement

Indirect radiological PUV signs should be valorized when interpreting VCUG to improve the PUV detection rate. The absence of any radiological PUV (direct and indirect) sign on VCUG excludes PUV with a very high negative predictive value.

Key Points

• Worldwide agreement is that a non-dilated urethra on voiding cystourethrography excludes obstruction.

• Half of patients with posterior urethral valves have non-dilated urethra on voiding cystourethrography.

• Accounting for indirect signs of posterior urethral valves on voiding cystourethrography improves the diagnostic performance.
Predicting complicated appendicitis is possible without the use of sectional imaging—presenting the NoCtApp score
Authors: Strohäker Jens , Brüschke Martin , Feng You-Shan , Beltzer Christian , Königsrainer Alfred , Ladurner Ruth
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Appendicitis is among the most common acute conditions treated by general surgery. While uncomplicated appendicitis (UA) can be treated delayed or even non-operatively, complicated appendicitis (CA) is a serious condition with possible long-term morbidity that should be managed with urgent appendectomy. Distinguishing both conditions is usually done with computed tomography. The goal of this study was to develop a model to reliably predict CA with widespread available clinical and laboratory parameters and without the use of sectional imaging.

Methods

Data from 1132 consecutive patients treated for appendicitis between 2014 and 2021 at a tertiary care hospital were used for analyses. Based on year of treatment, the data was divided into training (n = 696) and validation (n = 436) samples. Using the development sample, candidate predictors for CA—patient age, gender, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) score, duration of symptoms, white blood count (WBC), total bilirubin and C-reactive protein (CRP) on admission and free fluid on ultrasound—were first investigated using univariate logistic regression models and then included in a multivariate model. The final development model was tested on the validation sample.

Results

In the univariate analysis age, BMI, ASA score, symptom duration, WBC, bilirubin, CRP, and free fluid each were statistically significant predictors of CA (each p < 0.001) while gender was not (p = 0.199). In the multivariate analysis BMI and bilirubin were not predictive and therefore not included in the final development model which was built from 696 patients. The final development model was significant (x2 = 304.075, p < 0.001) with a sensitivity of 61.7% and a specificity of 92.1%. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 80.4% with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 82.0%. The receiver operator characteristic of the final model had an area under the curve of 0.861 (95% confidence interval 0.830–0.891, p < 0.001. We simplified this model to create the NoCtApp score. Patients with a point value of ≤ 2 had a NPV 95.8% for correctly ruling out CA.

Conclusions

Correctly identifying CA is helpful for optimizing patient treatment when they are diagnosed with appendicitis. Our logistic regression model can aid in correctly distinguishing UA and CA even without utilizing computed tomography.
Solid–Liquid Phase Transitions of Triglycerides in Griebenschmalz, Smalec, and Fedt Studied Using 13C Solid-State NMR with Dynamics-Based Spectral Filtering
Authors: Bernin Diana , Leventaki Emmanouela , Topgaard Daniel
Published: August 2023

The consumer satisfaction of lard-based bread spreads depends on a delicate balance between a liquid fat phase, allowing the spread to flow, and solid fat crystals, providing the product with substance sometimes further enhanced by crispy pork cracklings. Here we apply 13C solid-state NMR with dynamics-based spectral filtering to characterize and follow the temperature dependence of the co-existing solid and liquid triglyceride phases in commercial German Griebenschmalz and Polish smalec, both containing cracklings, as well as home-made Danish fedt and, as a chemically more pure reference, German Schweineschmalz intended for baking. The NMR method allows detection of carbon atoms representative of saturated, unsaturated, and polyunsaturated acyl chains in both solid and liquid states. The results show that the solid comprises multiple crystal forms with different melting temperatures, while the liquid is at low temperature enriched in triglycerides with shorter acyl chains and higher degree of unsaturation, which become diluted with long-chain saturated triglycerides as the solids are melting. The obtained deeper understanding of the concomitant aspects of the phase transitions may pave the way for future efforts of rational optimization of fat blend composition to extend the temperature range over which the product contains sufficient amounts of both solids and liquids to give texture properties appealing to consumers.
Influence of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) on the interdental papilla height of maxillary central incisors
Authors: Chen Hao , Kapetanović Aldin , Piao Zhengguo , Xi Tong , Schols Jan G. J. H.
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the influence of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) on the interdental papilla height of maxillary central incisors.

Materials and methods

Patients who completed MARPE treatment at the Radboud University Medical Center between 2018 and 2021 were included in this retrospective study. The papilla height between the maxillary central incisors was evaluated on frontal intraoral photographs taken before expansion (T0) and 1.5 years after MARPE treatment (T1) using the Jemt classification. The difference in Jemt score at T0 and T1 was the primary outcome variable. In addition, gender, age, Angle classification, MARPE duration, midpalatal suture maturation stage, maximal central diastema (MCD) immediately after expansion, crown width to length ratio (W/L), pretreatment overlap of maxillary central incisors, and the distance between the approximal contact point of the central incisors and the bone crest (CP-B) were also record.

Results

Twenty-two patients were included (2 men, 20 women, mean age 27.3 ± 8.8 years) and 4 patients (18%) showed a significant reduction in the Jemt score following MARPE (p = 0.04), indicating papilla recession. Interdental papilla recession was significantly associated with the increase of CP-B (p = 0.02), smaller W/L (p < 0.01), overlapping of maxillary central incisors (p < 0.01), and smaller MCD immediately after expansion (p = 0.02).

Conclusions

One and a half years after MARPE, 18% of patients exhibited mild recession of papilla height of the maxillary central incisors. Overlapping and smaller W/L of maxillary central incisors were prognostic factors for interdental papilla recession.

Clinical relevance

Clinicians have to be aware of and inform the patients about the occurrence of papilla recession following MARPE.
Evaluating the effectiveness of virtual reality for safety-relevant training: a systematic review
Authors: Stefan Hans , Mortimer Michael , Horan Ben
Published: August 2023

The commercial release of affordable, low-cost, and consumer-ready virtual reality (VR) devices has increased the accessibility for researchers to investigate the benefits of VR technology including those aimed at education and training. VR technology provides several opportunities that may provide benefits over traditional training methods, this is particularly relevant for safety training due to its ability to safely simulate dangerous scenarios that would otherwise be difficult to access. When implementing a new technology, it is important to evaluate and validate its effectiveness. This paper presents a systematic review of VR safety-relevant training studies that perform an evaluation of their effectiveness. This comprehensive review includes 136 studies published between 2016 and August 2021. Results presented in this paper include application domains, study objectives, study designs, and evaluation measures. Results show that the majority of studies were applicable to health services with the majority focusing on effectiveness evaluation using true- or quasi-experimental design. This study then categorizes each reported evaluation measure into one of the four levels in Kirkpatrick’s model for training evaluation, results showed that the majority of studies evaluated learning (72.06%) and reaction (66.18%) levels with very few studies evaluating behavior and results levels. This study concludes by providing insights and recommendations to help future researchers make informed decisions when designing an effectiveness evaluation study for VR safety-relevant training applications.
Neural activity and network analysis for understanding reasoning using the matrix reasoning task
Authors: Caudle M. M. , Spadoni A. D. , Schiehser D. M. , Simmons A. N. , Bomyea J.
Published: August 2023

Reasoning requires the ability to manipulate mental representations and understand relationships between objects. There is a paucity of research regarding the functional connections between multiple brain areas that may interact during commonly used reasoning tasks. The present study aimed to examine functional activation and connectivity of frontoparietal regions during a Matrix Decision Making Task, completed by twenty-one right-handed healthy participants while undergoing fMRI. Voxel-wise whole brain analysis of neural response to the task revealed activation spanning dorsal and lateral prefrontal, occipital, and parietal regions. Utilizing Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation, a data-driven approach that estimates the presence and direction of connectivity between specific ROIs, connectivity between prefrontal and sensory processing regions were revealed. Moreover, the magnitude of connectivity strength between the left precentral gyrus and left dorsal cingulate (dACC) was positively correlated with MR behavioral performance. Taken together, results are consistent with earlier work demonstrating involvement of regions comprising the central executive network in relational reasoning. These data expand existing knowledge regarding communication of key brain regions during the task and demonstrate that understanding how key brain regions are interconnected can effectively predict the quality of behavioral output.
Exploring the born global firms from the Asia Pacific
Authors: Anand Amitabh , Singh Sanjay Kumar , Selivanovskikh Louisa , Ren Shuang
Published: August 2023

This study aims to synthesize the extant research on the Born Global Firms (BGF) phenomenon, mainly focusing on the Asia Pacific region (APAC). We adopt the systematic literature review methodology to identify the main context-specific drivers (‘success factors’) and outcomes of BGFs’ accelerated internationalization and the challenges they face before, during, and after global expansion. The analysis and evaluation of relevant studies reveal several critical variables that need to be extensively investigated (separately and in tandem) by scholars in order to advance existing theories and, at the same time, explain the out-of-pattern behaviors of BGFs outside the typical ‘Western economy’ context. Among the core variables are international entrepreneurial orientation and culture adoption, organizational learning and networking strategies, global strategic human capital and network resources (as predictors of BGFs’ international performance) and resource constraints, institutional and cultural distances, and liabilities of newness, smallness, foreignness, outsidership, and emergingness (as constraints to BGFs’ success). By identifying the research gaps and proposing a comprehensive framework with promising avenues for future research into the phenomenon of BGFs from the APAC region, this study helps enhance our understanding of the global strategy formation and execution processes of international new ventures from ‘the East’ and stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue between international business, strategy, and entrepreneurship scholars.