bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mediterranean diet and time-restricted eating as a cardiac rehabilitation approach for patients with coronary heart disease and pre-diabetes: the DIABEPIC-1 protocol of a feasibility trial
Authors: Iglesies-Grau Josep , Dionne Valérie , Latour Élise , Gayda Mathieu , Besnier Florent , Gagnon Daniel , Debray Amélie , Gagnon Christine , Pelletier Véronique , Nigam Anil , L’Allier Philippe L , Juneau Martin , Bouabdallaoui Nadia , Bherer Louis
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Despite proven programmes, implementing lifestyle interventions for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes is challenging. Cardiac rehabilitation, provide a valuable opportunity to promote the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, only a limited number of studies have explored the potential for reversing the underlying causes of ASCVD in this setting.

Objectives

The DIABEPIC1 study is an ongoing single-arm lifestyle clinical trial to assess the feasibility of an upgraded 6-month intensive cardiac rehabilitation programme combining an innovative diet assignment with exercise training to reverse newly onset pre-diabetes (glycated haemoglobin 5.7%–6.4%) to normal glucose concentrations in patients with coronary heart disease.

Methods and analysis

36 patients referred from the Montreal Heart Institute for cardiac rehabilitation, aged ≥40 years with a recent diagnosis of pre-diabetes in the last 6 months, will be offered to participate in the upgraded programme. Interventions will include four sessions of nutritional counselling on ultra-processed foods intake reduction and a moderate-carbohydrate (<40%) ad libitum Mediterranean diet coupled with 36 1-hour sessions of supervised exercise training (continuous and interval aerobic training, and resistance training) and educational intervention. Phase 2 will continue the same interventions adding 8:16 hour time-restricting eating (TRE) at least 5 days per week. During this second phase, exercise training will be performed with autonomy.The primary objectiveswill be to evaluate the recruitment rate, the completion rates at 3 and 6 months, and the compliance of participants.The secondary objectiveswill be to assess the proportion of prediabetic participants in remission of pre-diabetes at the programme’s end and to characterise the factors associated with remission.

Ethics and dissemination

The DIABEPIC1 feasibility study is approved by the Research Ethics Board of the Montreal Heart Institute (Project Number ICM 2022-3005). Written informed consent will be obtained from each participant prior to inclusion. Results will be available through research articles and conferences.

Conclusions

The DIABEPIC1 trial will examine the feasibility and effectiveness of an enhanced cardiac rehabilitation programme combining exercise training with an ultra-processed food reduction intervention, a Mediterranean diet, and TRE counselling to remit pre-diabetes to normal glucose concentrations.

Trial registration number

NCT05459987.
Shaping care home COVID-19 testing policy: a protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of asymptomatic testing compared with standard care in care home staff (VIVALDI-CT)
Authors: Adams Natalie , Stirrup Oliver , Blackstone James , Krutikov Maria , Cassell Jackie A , Cadar Dorina , Henderson Catherine , Knapp Martin , Goscé Lara , Leiser Ruth , Regan Martyn , Cullen-Stephenson Iona , Fenner Robert , Verma Arpana , Gordon Adam , Hopkins Susan , Copas Andrew , Freemantle Nick , Flowers Paul , Shallcross Laura
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Care home residents have experienced significant morbidity, mortality and disruption following outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2. Regular SARS-CoV-2 testing of care home staff was introduced to reduce transmission of infection, but it is unclear whether this remains beneficial. This trial aims to investigate whether use of regular asymptomatic staff testing, alongside funding to reimburse sick pay for those who test positive and meet costs of employing agency staff, is a feasible and effective strategy to reduce COVID-19 impact in care homes.

Methods and analysis

The VIVALDI-Clinical Trial is a multicentre, open-label, cluster randomised controlled, phase III/IV superiority trial in up to 280 residential and/or nursing homes in England providing care to adults aged >65 years. All regular and agency staff will be enrolled, excepting those who opt out. Homes will be randomised to the intervention arm (twice weekly asymptomatic staff testing for SARS-CoV-2) or the control arm (current national testing guidance). Staff who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 will self-isolate and receive sick pay. Care providers will be reimbursed for costs associated with employing temporary staff to backfill for absence arising directly from the trial.

The trial will be delivered by a multidisciplinary research team through a series of five work packages.

The primary outcome is the incidence of COVID-19-related hospital admissions in residents. Secondary outcomes include the number and duration of outbreaks and home closures. Health economic and modelling analyses will investigate the cost-effectiveness and cost consequences of the testing intervention. A process evaluation using qualitative interviews will be conducted to understand intervention roll out and identify areas for optimisation to inform future intervention scale-up, should the testing approach prove effective and cost-effective. Stakeholder engagement will be undertaken to enable the sector to plan for results and their implications and to coproduce recommendations on the use of testing for policy-makers.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the London—Bromley Research Ethics Committee (reference number 22/LO/0846) and the Health Research Authority (22/CAG/0165). The results of the trial will be disseminated regardless of the direction of effect. The publication of the results will comply with a trial-specific publication policy and will include submission to open access journals. A lay summary of the results will also be produced to disseminate the results to participants.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN13296529.
Protocol for the challenge non-typhoidalSalmonella(CHANTS) study: a first-in-human, in-patient, double-blind, randomised, safety and dose-escalation controlled human infection model in the UK
Authors: Smith Christopher , Smith Emma , Rydlova Anna , Varro Robert , Hinton Jay C D , Gordon Melita A , Choy Robert K M , Liu Xinxue , Pollard Andrew J , Chiu Christopher , Cooke Graham S , Gibani Malick M
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Invasive non-typhoidalSalmonella(iNTS) serovars are a major cause of community-acquired bloodstream infections in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In this setting,Salmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium accounts for two-thirds of infections and is associated with an estimated case fatality rate of 15%–20%. Several iNTS vaccine candidates are in early-stage assessment which—if found effective—would provide a valuable public health tool to reduce iNTS disease burden. The CHANTS study aims to develop a first-in-humanSalmonellaTyphimurium controlled human infection model, which can act as a platform for future vaccine evaluation, in addition to providing novel insights into iNTS disease pathogenesis.

Methods and analysis

This double-blind, safety and dose-escalation study will randomise 40–80 healthy UK participants aged 18–50 to receive oral challenge with one of two strains ofS. Typhimurium belonging to the ST19 (strain 4/74) or ST313 (strain D23580) lineages. 4/74 is a global strain often associated with diarrhoeal illness predominantly in high-income settings, while D23580 is an archetypal strain representing invasive disease-causing isolates found in SSA. The primary objective is to determine the minimum infectious dose (colony-forming unit) required for 60%–75% of participants to develop clinical or microbiological features of systemic salmonellosis. Secondary endpoints are to describe and compare the clinical, microbiological and immunological responses following challenge. Dose escalation or de-escalation will be undertaken by continual-reassessment methodology and limited within prespecified safety thresholds. Exploratory objectives are to describe mechanisms of iNTS virulence, identify putative immune correlates of protection and describe host–pathogen interactions in response to infection.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been obtained from the NHS Health Research Authority (London—Fulham Research Ethics Committee 21/PR/0051; IRAS Project ID 301659). The study findings will be disseminated in international peer-reviewed journals and presented at national/international stakeholder meetings. Study outcome summaries will be provided to both funders and participants.

Trial registration number

NCT05870150
Genital tract infections, the vaginal microbiome and gestational age at birth among pregnant women in South Africa: a cohort study protocol
Authors: Gigi Ranjana M S , Mdingi Mandisa M , Jung Hyunsul , Claassen-Weitz Shantelle , Bütikofer Lukas , Klausner Jeffrey D , Muzny Christina A , Taylor Christopher M , van de Wijgert Janneke H H M , Peters Remco P H , Low Nicola
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Preterm birth complications are the most common cause of death in children under 5 years. The presence of multiple microorganisms and genital tract inflammation could be the common mechanism driving early onset of labour. South Africa has high levels of preterm birth, genital tract infections and HIV infection among pregnant women. We plan to investigate associations between the presence of multiple lower genital tract microorganisms in pregnancy and gestational age at birth.

Methods and analysis

This cohort study enrols around 600 pregnant women at one public healthcare facility in East London, South Africa. Eligible women are ≥18 years and at <27 weeks of gestation, confirmed by ultrasound. At enrolment and 30–34 weeks of pregnancy, participants receive on-site tests forChlamydia trachomatisandNeisseria gonorrhoeae, with treatment if test results are positive. At these visits, additional vaginal specimens are taken for: PCR detection and quantification ofTrichomonas vaginalis,Candidaspp.,Mycoplasma genitalium, M. hominis,Ureaplasma urealyticumandU. parvum; microscopy and Nugent scoring; and for 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing and quantification. Pregnancy outcomes are collected from a postnatal visit and birth registers. The primary outcome is gestational age at birth. Statistical analyses will explore associations between specific microorganisms and gestational age at birth. To explore the association with the quantity of microorganisms, we will construct an index of microorganism load and use mixed-effects regression models and classification and regression tree analysis to examine which combinations of microorganisms contribute to earlier gestational age at birth.

Ethics and dissemination

This protocol has approvals from the University of Cape Town Research Ethics Committee and the Canton of Bern Ethics Committee. Results from this study will be uploaded to preprint servers, submitted to open access peer-reviewed journals and presented at regional and international conferences.

Trial registration number

NCT06131749; Pre-results.
Protective effect of height on long-term survival of resectable lung cancer: a new feature of the lung cancer paradox
Authors: Daffré Elisa , Porcher Raphaël , Iannelli Antonio , Prieto Mathilde , Brouchet Laurent , Falcoz Pierre Emmanuel , Le Pimpec Barthes Françoise , Pages Pierre Benoit , Thomas Pascal Alexandre , Dahan Marcel , Alifano Marco
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Unlike most malignancies, higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer and improved prognosis after surgery. However, it remains controversial whether height, one of determinants of BMI, is associated with survival independently of BMI and other confounders.

Methods

We extracted data on all consecutive patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer included in Epithor, the French Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery database, over a 16-year period. Height was analysed as a continuous variable, and then categorised into four or three categories, according to sex-specific quantiles. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the association of height with survival, adjusted for age, tobacco consumption, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), WHO performance status (WHO PS), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, extent of resection, histological type, stage of disease and centre as a random effect, as well as BMI in a further analysis.

Results

The study included 61 379 patients. Higher height was significantly associated with better long-term survival after adjustment for other variables (adjusted HR 0.97 per 10 cm higher height, 95% CI 0.95 to 0.99); additional adjustment for BMI resulted in an identical HR. The prognostic impact of height was further confirmed by stratifying by age, ASA class, WHO PS and histological type. When stratifying by BMI class, there was no evidence of a differential association (p=0.93). When stratifying by stage of disease, the prognostic significance of height was maintained for all stages except IIIB-IV.

Conclusions

Our study shows that height is an independent prognostic factor of resectable lung cancer.
CIRCUS: an autonomous control system for antimatter, atomic and quantum physics experiments
Authors: Volponi M. , Huck S. , Caravita R. , Zielinski J. , Kornakov G. , Kasprowicz G. , Nowicka D. , Rauschendorfer T. , Rienäcker B. , Prelz F. , Auzins M. , Bergmann B. , Burian P. , Brusa R. S. , Camper A. , Castelli F. , Ciuryło R. , Consolati G. , Doser M. , Glöggler L. T. , Graczykowski Ł. , Grosbart M. , Guatieri F. , Gusakova N. , Gustafsson F. , Haider S. , Janik M. , Khatri G. , Kłosowski Ł. , Krumins V. , Lappo L. , Linek A. , Malamant J. , Mariazzi S. , Penasa L. , Petracek V. , Piwiński M. , Pospisil S. , Povolo L. , Rangwala S. , Rawat B. S. , Rodin V. , Røhne O. M. , Sandaker H. , Smolyanskiy P. , Sowiński T. , Tefelski D. , Vafeiadis T. , Welsch C. P. , Wolz T. , Zawada M. , Zurlo N.
Published: February 2024

A powerful and robust control system is a crucial, often neglected, pillar of any modern, complex physics experiment that requires the management of a multitude of different devices and their precise time synchronisation. The AEḡIS collaboration presents CIRCUS, a novel, autonomous control system optimised for time-critical experiments such as those at CERN’s Antiproton Decelerator and, more broadly, in atomic and quantum physics research. Its setup is based on Sinara/ARTIQ and TALOS, integrating the ALPACA analysis pipeline, the last two developed entirely in AEḡIS. It is suitable for strict synchronicity requirements and repeatable, automated operation of experiments, culminating in autonomous parameter optimisation via feedback from real-time data analysis. CIRCUS has been successfully deployed and tested in AEḡIS; being experiment-agnostic and released open-source, other experiments can leverage its capabilities.
Sufficient Conditions for Central Limit Theorems and Confidence Intervals for Randomized Quasi-Monte Carlo Methods
Authors: Nakayama Marvin K. , Tuffin Bruno
Published: February 2024

Randomized quasi-Monte Carlo methods have been introduced with the main purpose of yielding a computable measure of error for quasi-Monte Carlo approximations through the implicit application of a central limit theorem over independent randomizations. But to increase precision for a given computational budget, the number of independent randomizations is usually set to a small value so that a large number of points are used from each randomized low-discrepancy sequence to benefit from the fast convergence rate of quasi-Monte Carlo. While a central limit theorem has been previously established for a specific but computationally expensive type of randomization, it is also known in general that fixing the number of randomizations and increasing the length of the sequence used for quasi-Monte Carlo can lead to a non-Gaussian limiting distribution. This paper presents sufficient conditions on the relative growth rates of the number of randomizations and the quasi-Monte Carlo sequence length to ensure a central limit theorem and also an asymptotically valid confidence interval. We obtain several results based on the Lindeberg condition for triangular arrays and expressed in terms of the regularity of the integrand and the convergence speed of the quasi-Monte Carlo method. We also analyze the resulting estimator’s convergence rate.
On Breaking Truss-based and Core-based Communities
Authors: Chen Huiping , Conte Alessio , Grossi Roberto , Loukides Grigorios , Pissis Solon P. , Sweering Michelle
Published: February 2024

We introduce the general problem of identifying a smallest
edge
subset of a given graph whose deletion makes the graph community-free. We consider this problem under two community notions that have attracted significant attention:
k
-truss and
k
-core. We also introduce a problem variant where the identified subset contains edges incident to a given set of nodes and ensures that these nodes are not contained in any community:
k
-truss or
k
-core, in our case. These problems are directly applicable in social networks: The identified edges can be
hidden
by users or
sanitized
from the output graph; or in communication networks: the identified edges correspond to
vital
network connections. We present a series of theoretical and practical results. On the theoretical side, we show through non-trivial reductions that the problems we introduce are NP-hard and, in fact, hard to approximate. For the
k
-truss-based problems, we also show exact exponential-time algorithms, as well as a non-trivial lower bound on the size of an optimal solution. On the practical side, we develop a series of heuristics that are sped up by efficient data structures that we propose for updating the truss or core decomposition under edge deletions. In addition, we develop an algorithm to compute the lower bound. Extensive experiments on 11 real-world and synthetic graphs show that our heuristics are effective, outperforming natural baselines, and also efficient (up to two orders of magnitude faster than a natural baseline), thanks to our data structures. Furthermore, we present a case study on a co-authorship network and experiments showing that the removal of edges identified by our heuristics does not substantially affect the clustering structure of the input graph.

This work extends a KDD 2021 paper, providing new theoretical results as well as introducing core-based problems and algorithms.
WalkingWizard—A Truly Wearable EEG Headset for Everyday Use
Authors: Goh Teck Lun , Peh Li-Shiuan
Published: February 2024

Electroencephalography (EEG) provides an opportunity to gain insights to electrocortical activity without the need for invasive technology. While increasingly used in various application areas, EEG headsets tend to be suited only to a laboratory environment due to the long preparation time to don the headset and the need for users to remain stationary. We present our design of a dry, dual-electrodes flexible PCB assembly that realizes accurate sensing in the face of practical motion artifacts. Using it, we present WalkingWizard, our prototype dry-electrode EEG baseball cap that can be used under motion in everyday scenarios. We first evaluated its hardware performance by comparing its electrode-scalp impedance and ability to capture alpha rhythm against both wet EEG and commercially available dry EEG headsets. We then tested WalkingWizard using steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) experiments, achieving high classification accuracy of 87% for walking speeds up to 5.0 km/h, beating state-of-the-art. Expanding on WalkingWizard, we integrated all necessary electronic components into a flexible PCB assembly—realizing
WalkingWizard Integrated
, in a truly wearable form-factor. Utilizing WalkingWizard Integrated, we demonstrated several applications as proof-of-concept: classification of SSVEP in VR environment while walking, real-time acquisition of emotional state of users while moving around the neighbourhood, and understanding the effect of guided meditation for relaxation.
Broomrocket: Open Source Text-to-3D Algorithm for 3D Object Placement
Authors: Bonic Sanja , Bonic Janos , Schmid Stefan
Published: February 2024

Story writers and other creative professionals often rely on concept artists to visualize and then further iterate on their work during game development and other visualization processes. This exchange and its various stages are time consuming, and there is no easy remedy for creating a walkable 3D concept art without involving a 3D artist yet. As a first step, we present Broomrocket, an open source text-to-3D algorithm for 3D concept art. Broomrocket’s contribution is an object relation and placement algorithm that transforms user input describing a 3D scene given in plain English language into actual models placed in a 3D scene. It runs locally using an existing downloaded natural language processing model and does not require third-party services unless a connection to an online 3D model distribution platform is desired. In that case, Broomrocket will search for the keywords from the user’s narrative input and desired license, and place them in the 3D scene, adding each model’s individual license to a license file for further usage.
Adversarial Robustness of Neural Networks from the Perspective of Lipschitz Calculus: A Survey
Authors: Zühlke Monty-Maximilian , Kudenko Daniel
Published: February 2024

We survey the adversarial robustness of neural networks from the perspective of Lipschitz calculus in a unifying fashion by expressing models, attacks and safety guarantees—that is, a notion of measurable trustworthiness—in a mathematical language. After an intuitive motivation, we discuss algorithms to estimate a network’s Lipschitz constant, Lipschitz regularisation techniques, robustness guarantees, and the connection between a model’s Lipschitz constant and its generalisation capabilities. Afterwards, we present a new vantage point regarding minimal Lipschitz extensions, corroborate its value empirically and discuss possible research directions. Finally, we add a toolbox containing mathematical prerequisites for navigating the field (Appendix).
Understanding Driving Stress in Urban Bangladesh: An Exploratory Study, Wearable Development and Experiment
Authors: Rony Rahat Jahangir , Ahmed Md. Sabbir , Sarcar Sayan , Ahmed Nova
Published: February 2024

Driving stress significantly impacts driving behavior primarily from roadside factors, where driving is more challenging in developing countries (i.e., Bangladesh) for unique cultural and infrastructural setups. We conduct an exploratory study (Qualitative n = 26, and Subjective Feedback n = 80) and a correlational analysis involving professional and private car drivers in urban Bangladesh. The study reveals drivers' demography and driving stress factors on the road. These findings motivate us to identify driving stress from physiological factors by developing a low-cost wearable,
Stress Wear
. This can detect stress from varying Heart Rates, validated by expensive commercial wearables. Between subject experiments on drivers (total n = 14 in two phases) with wearables, we also found that road factors are responsible for driving stress. Therefore, the developed system is helpful for these drivers to self-sense their stress.
Interactive Abstract Interpretation with Demanded Summarization
Authors: Stein Benno , Chang Bor-Yuh Evan , Sridharan Manu
Published: February 2024

We consider the problem of making expressive, interactive static analyzers
compositional
. Such a technique could help bring the power of server-based static analyses to integrated development environments (IDEs), updating their results live as the code is modified. Compositionality is key for this scenario, as it enables reuse of already-computed analysis results for unmodified code. Previous techniques for interactive static analysis either lack compositionality, cannot express arbitrary abstract domains, or are not from-scratch consistent.

We present demanded summarization, the first algorithm for incremental compositional analysis in arbitrary abstract domains that guarantees from-scratch consistency. Our approach analyzes individual procedures using a recent technique for demanded analysis, computing summaries on demand for procedure calls. A dynamically updated summary dependency graph enables precise result invalidation after program edits, and the algorithm is carefully designed to guarantee from-scratch-consistent results after edits, even in the presence of recursion and in arbitrary abstract domains. We formalize our technique and prove soundness, termination, and from-scratch consistency. An experimental evaluation of a prototype implementation on synthetic and real-world program edits provides evidence for the feasibility of this theoretical framework, showing potential for major performance benefits over non-demanded compositional analyses.
Cleenex: Support for User Involvement during an Iterative Data Cleaning Process
Authors: Pereira João L. M. , Fonseca Manuel J. , Lopes Antónia , Galhardas Helena
Published: February 2024

The existence of large amounts of data increases the probability of occurring data quality problems. A data cleaning process that corrects these problems is usually an iterative process, because it may need to be re-executed and refined to produce high-quality data. Moreover, due to the specificity of some data quality problems and the limitation of data cleaning programs to cover all problems, often a user has to be involved during the program executions by manually repairing data. However, there is no data cleaning framework that appropriately supports this involvement in such an iterative process, a form of human-in-the-loop, to clean structured data. Moreover, data preparation tools that somehow involve the user in data cleaning processes have not been evaluated with real users to assess their effort.

Therefore, we propose Cleenex, a data cleaning framework with support for user involvement during an iterative data cleaning process, and conduct two data cleaning experimental evaluations: an assessment of the Cleenex components that support the user when manually repairing data with a simulated user; and a comparison, in terms of user involvement, of data preparation tools with real users.

Results show that Cleenex components reduce the user effort when manually cleaning data during a data cleaning process, for example, the number of tuples visualized is reduced in 99%. Moreover, when performing data cleaning tasks with Cleenex, real users need less time/effort (e.g., half the clicks) and, based on questionnaires, prefer it to the other tools used for comparison, OpenRefine and Pentaho Data Integration.
TONARI: Reactive Detection of Close Physical Contact Using Unlicensed LPWAN Signals
Authors: Shao Chenglong , Muta Osamu
Published: February 2024

Recognizing if two objects are in close physical contact (CPC) is the basis of various Internet-of-Things services such as vehicle proximity alert and radiation exposure reduction. This is achieved traditionally through tailor-made proximity sensors that proactively transmit wireless signals and analyze the reflection from an object. Despite its feasibility, the past few years have witnessed the prosperity of reactive CPC detection techniques that do not need spontaneous signal transmission and merely exploit received wireless signals from a target. Unlike existing approaches entailing additional effort of multiple antennas, dedicated signal emitters, human intervention, or a back-end server, this article presents TONARI, an effortless CPC detection framework that performs in a reactive manner. TONARI is developed for the first time with LoRa, the representative of unlicensed low-power wide area network (LPWAN) technologies, as the wireless signal for CPC detection. At the heart of TONARI lies a novel feature arbitrator that decides whether two devices are in CPC or not by distinguishing different types of LoRa chirp-based additive sample magnitude sequences. Software-defined radio-based experiments are conducted to show that the achievable CPC detection accuracy via TONARI can reach 100% in most practical cases.
Edward F. Adolph Distinguished Lecture. Age and sex differences in the limits of human performance: fatigability and real-world data
Authors: Hunter Sandra K.
Published: February 2024

High-level athletic performances may be a proxy for the trajectory of optimal function of human biology with advanced aging and the differences between males and females. Males are faster, stronger, and more powerful than females and these physical attributes decline dramatically with advanced aging for both sexes. Experimental mechanistic studies determine the physiological mechanisms for these sex and age differences in human physical performance. The assumption however, that real-world performances solely reflect the biological and physiological differences between the sexes and with advanced aging, even among elite athletes, is not complete. This review presents evidence that an integrated approach encompassing analysis of real-world data and experimental mechanistic studies is necessary to determine the biological and sociocultural factors attributed to the limits of performance with aging and between males and females. First, experimental studies are presented that focus on the sex and age differences in performance fatigability that determine the physiological mechanisms of absolute and relative exercise performance. Second, analysis of current and historical real-world data including world records, and performances of elite, collegiate, and competitive age-group athletes are highlighted. These data illustrate that the upper limits of physical performance that have changed historically, and other factors such as sociocultural influences, explain the widening of the sex and age gaps in human performance observed in real-world data even in present-day performances. These approaches have broader significance when applied to understanding the impact of the historically low representation of females and minority groups in biomedical research on health outcomes.
Implanted Rhombus Ring Partial Inset-Fed Circularly Polarized Microstrip Monopole Antenna for WBAN Applications
Authors: Yende Mohamed Njianga , Singh Ghanshyam , Eyebe Guy Ayissi , Mbinack Clement , Mbida Joseph Mebara
Published: February 2024

In the present article, a design approach to accomplish circular polarization-based rhombus ring microstrip-fed monopole antenna working at 5.8 GHz for wireless body area network (WBAN) applications is proposed. The input impedance calculation using an electromagnetic theory of transmission line in a travelling wave coupled to the parallel-plate inductor model is conducted. Radiated electric field pattern calculation of the conventional square ring microstrip patch antenna (MSPA) using Biot and Savart’s law is reported. The circular polarization of the proposed antenna is accomplished by loading the radiating path with a capacitive element sectioned in the neighbourhood of the feed line. The proposed planar monopole antenna of volume 0.38λ0×0.38λ0×0.029λ0 (λ0 is evaluated at the resonant frequency of 5.8 GHz) achieves a -10 dB impedance bandwidth of 86.20% in the band (3-8 GHz) with a stable real gain of 8.29 dBic in circular polarization at the resonant frequency of 5.8 GHz and axial ration bandwidth of about 32.75% in the (5-6.9 GHz) band. Specific absorption rate (SAR) evaluation of the studied antenna is computed numerically on a part of the human phantom model to justify its use in WBAN applications. It is noted that the maximum amount of radiation absorbed by a part of the human phantom model is limited to a maximum SAR value of 1.45 W/kg and 0.754 W/kg on 1 g and 10 g of tissue mass, respectively. The prospective design has been fabricated and tested, and the experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation outcomes.
Evaluation of the Expression of Infection-Related Long Noncoding RNAs among COVID-19 Patients: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Firoozi Zahra , Mohammadisoleimani Elham , Bagheri Farzaneh , Taheri Atefeh , Pezeshki Babak , Naghizadeh Mohammad Mehdi , Daraei Abdolreza , Karimi Jalal , Gholampour Yousef , Mansoori Yaser , Montaseri Zahra
Published: February 2024

Background and Aims. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a worldwide pandemic, activates signaling cascades and leads to innate immune responses and secretion of multiple chemokines and cytokines. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a crucial role in inflammatory pathways. Through our search on the PubMed database, we discovered that existing research has primarily focused on examining the regulatory impacts of five lncRNAs in the context of viral infections. However, their role in regulating other conditions, including SARS-CoV-2, has not been explored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the expression pattern of lncRNAs in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and their potential roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Potentially significant competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks of these five lncRNAs were found using online in-silico techniques. Methods. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) blood samples of the control group consisted of 45 healthy people, and a total of 53 COVID-19-infected patients in case group, with a written informed consent, was collected. PBMCs were extracted, and then, the RNA extraction and complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis was performed. The expression of five lncRNAs (lnc ISR, lnc ATV, lnc PAAN, lnc SG20, and lnc HEAL) was assessed by real-time PCR. In order to evaluate the biomarker roles of genes, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn. Results. Twenty-four (53.3%) and 29 (54.7%) of healthy and COVID-19-infected participants were male, respectively. The most prevalent symptoms were as follows: cough, general weakness, contusion, headache, and sore throat. The results showed that three lncRNAs, including lnc ISR, lnc ATV, and lnc HEAL, were expressed dramatically higher in the case group compared to healthy controls. According to ROC curve analysis, lnc ATV has a higher AUC and is a better biomarker to differentiate COVID-19 patients from the healthy controls. Then, using bioinformatics methods, the ceRNA network of these lncRNAs enabled the identification of mRNAs and miRNAs with crucial functions in COVID-19. Conclusion. The considerable higher expression of ISR, ATV, and HEAL lncRNAs and the significant area under curve (AUC) in ROC curve demonstrate that these RNAs probably have a potential role in controlling the host innate immune responses and regulate the viral replication of SARS-CoV-2. However, these assumptions need further in vitro and in vivo investigations to be confirmed.
Benefits of On‐X Mitral Valve Replacement in Cases of Infective Endocarditis
Authors: Shiraishi Manabu , Arai Hiroki , Tokunaga Shigeto , Teshima Kengo , Kimura Naoyuki , Yamaguchi Atsushi
Published: February 2024

Purpose. Mitral valve replacement (MVR) is necessary in cases of severe infective endocarditis (IE). Because the On‐X valve is expected to be effective in reducing prosthesis‐associated turbulent blood flow, we investigated the hemodynamic efficacy of the On‐X valve when used for MVR in cases of mitral valve IE. Methods. We compared postoperative outcomes between two groups of patients who underwent MVR for IE: 13 given an On‐X valve and 27 given an SJM valve. Results. There were no in‐hospital deaths. Late death occurred in 6 cases, all in the SJM group (P = 0.1520). The incidence of late postoperative atrial fibrillation was relatively low in the On‐X group (1 case vs. 10 cases, P = 0.068). Univariate analysis showed an association between the effective orifice area and postoperative atrial fibrillation. The effective orifice area and indexed effective orifice area were significantly larger in the On‐X group at 2.8 ± 0.7 cm2 vs. 2.2 ± 0.5 cm2 (P = 0.007) and 1.8 ± 0.5 cm2/m2 vs. 1.4 ± 0.4 cm2 (P = 0.003), respectively. Conclusions. The suggested reduction in left atrial load attributed to the use of the On‐X valve in MVR for IE may reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation.
Managing Ventricular Wall Rupture as a Complication of Late Presentation MI in a Complex Patient with Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: Shaker Waleed , Khan Ahsan A. , Boateng Michael K. O. , Abdelziz Mahmoud , Fan Lampson
Published: February 2024

Ventricular free wall rupture is an infrequent but serious complication of myocardial infarction with high mortality despite surgical intervention. In recent years with the COVID-19 pandemic, observational studies have reported a rise in this complication most likely due to patient hesitation in seeking urgent medical assistance for fear of contracting COVID-19 in a hospital setting. This case report highlights the early recognition and diagnosis of ventricular wall rupture by the heart team with a good surgical outcome in a complex patient with ankylosing spondylitis. Ventricular rupture should be considered in deteriorating patients presenting with suspicion of late presentation myocardial infarction. Clinicians in the post-COVID-19 era should expect to see these complications more frequently.
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Procedural Unfractionated Heparin without Activated Clotting Time Guidance: A Unique Opportunity to Assess Thrombotic and Bleeding Events
Authors: Zgheib Ali Z. , Jdaidani Jennifer , Akl Elie , Khalil Suzan , Chaabo Omar , Piazza Nicolo , Sawaya Fadi J. , Rebeiz Abdallah G.
Published: February 2024

Background. Rates of major bleeding and intraprocedural thrombotic events (IPTE) in the setting of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using weight-adjusted unfractionated heparin (UFH) without activated clotting time (ACT) monitoring are not known. Methods. We reviewed 2,748 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography at our tertiary care university hospital between January 2017 and December 2020. All patients who underwent PCI with weight-adjusted UFH without ACT guidance were considered for further analysis. Major bleeding complications occurring within 48 hours of PCI were collected from patients’ medical records. IPTE were collected independently by two interventional cardiologists after review of coronary angiograms. Results. There were 718 patients included in the analysis (65.4 ± 12.2 years old; 81.3% male). In total, 45 patients (7.8%) experienced a major bleed or IPTE. The most common IPTE were slow/no reflow (1.5%) and coronary artery dissection with decreased flow (1.1%). Other IPTE occurred in <1% of cases. Major bleeding occurred in 11 patients (1.5%), of whom 8 required blood transfusion and 3 required vascular intervention. Bleeding complications were more common with femoral compared with radial access (6.6% vs. 0.2%, P<0.001). Conclusion. Weight-adjusted UFH use during PCI without ACT monitoring was related to low rates of major bleeding or IPTE.
Supplementary Table S3 from FAM3C in Cancer-Associated Adipocytes Promotes Breast Cancer Cell Survival and Metastasis
Authors: Kim Sahee , Oh Jiyoung , Park Chanho , Kim Min , Jo Woobeen , Kim Chu-Sook , Cho Sun Wook , Park Jiyoung
Published: February 2024

Supplementary Table S3
Supplementary Movie SM1 from Deep Learning–Based 3D Single-Cell Imaging Analysis Pipeline Enables Quantification of Cell–Cell Interaction Dynamics in the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Liu Bodong , Zhu Yanting , Yang Zhenye , Yan Helen H.N. , Leung Suet Yi , Shi Jue
Published: February 2024

Representative 3D movie (illustrated as Maximum Intensity Projection in 2D) of IL-2 cultured primary NK cells (denoted in green) interacting with tumor organoid, GX048-TO (denoted in red).
Supplementary Figures from Mesothelin Secretion by Pancreatic Cancer Cells Co-opts Macrophages and Promotes Metastasis
Authors: Luckett Teifion , Abudula Maidinaimu , Ireland Lucy , Glenn Mark , Bellomo Gaia , Stafferton Ruth , Halloran Chris , Ghaneh Paula , Jones Rob , Schmid Michael C. , Mielgo Ainhoa
Published: February 2024

Supplementary Figures
Supplementary Data from Mesothelin Secretion by Pancreatic Cancer Cells Co-opts Macrophages and Promotes Metastasis
Authors: Luckett Teifion , Abudula Maidinaimu , Ireland Lucy , Glenn Mark , Bellomo Gaia , Stafferton Ruth , Halloran Chris , Ghaneh Paula , Jones Rob , Schmid Michael C. , Mielgo Ainhoa
Published: February 2024

Description of supplementary tables
Supplementary Figure S3 from A Large-Scale Meta-Analysis Reveals Positive Feedback between Macrophages and T Cells That Sensitizes Tumors to Immunotherapy
Authors: Yang Jing , Liu Qi , Shyr Yu
Published: February 2024

Associations of the interaction score with overall survival and progression free survival in the discovery and validation cohorts. A and B. The association between the interaction score and overall survival and progression free survival in the discovery datasets. C and D. The association between interaction score and overall survival and progression free survival in the validation datasets.
Table S4 from R-Loop Accumulation in Spliceosome Mutant Leukemias Confers Sensitivity to PARP1 Inhibition by Triggering Transcription–Replication Conflicts
Authors: Liu Zhiyan Silvia , Sinha Sayantani , Bannister Maxwell , Song Axia , Arriaga-Gomez Erica , McKeeken Alexander J. , Bonner Elizabeth A. , Hanson Benjamin K. , Sarchi Martina , Takashima Kouhei , Zong Dawei , Corral Victor M. , Nguyen Evan , Yoo Jennifer , Chiraphapphaiboon Wannasiri , Leibson Cassandra , McMahon Matthew C. , Rai Sumit , Swisher Elizabeth M. , Sachs Zohar , Chatla Srinivas , Stirewalt Derek L. , Deeg H. Joachim , Skorski Tomasz , Papapetrou Eirini P. , Walter Matthew J. , Graubert Timothy A. , Doulatov Sergei , Lee Stanley C. , Nguyen Hai Dang
Published: February 2024

Primary human AML patient sample information
Table S2 from R-Loop Accumulation in Spliceosome Mutant Leukemias Confers Sensitivity to PARP1 Inhibition by Triggering Transcription–Replication Conflicts
Authors: Liu Zhiyan Silvia , Sinha Sayantani , Bannister Maxwell , Song Axia , Arriaga-Gomez Erica , McKeeken Alexander J. , Bonner Elizabeth A. , Hanson Benjamin K. , Sarchi Martina , Takashima Kouhei , Zong Dawei , Corral Victor M. , Nguyen Evan , Yoo Jennifer , Chiraphapphaiboon Wannasiri , Leibson Cassandra , McMahon Matthew C. , Rai Sumit , Swisher Elizabeth M. , Sachs Zohar , Chatla Srinivas , Stirewalt Derek L. , Deeg H. Joachim , Skorski Tomasz , Papapetrou Eirini P. , Walter Matthew J. , Graubert Timothy A. , Doulatov Sergei , Lee Stanley C. , Nguyen Hai Dang
Published: February 2024

List of primers and sequences
Data from A Large-Scale Meta-Analysis Reveals Positive Feedback between Macrophages and T Cells That Sensitizes Tumors to Immunotherapy
Authors: Yang Jing , Liu Qi , Shyr Yu
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Although considerable efforts have been dedicated to identifying predictive signatures for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment response, current biomarkers suffer from poor generalizability and reproducibility across different studies and cancer types. The integration of large-scale multiomics studies holds great promise for discovering robust biomarkers and shedding light on the mechanisms of immune resistance. In this study, we conducted the most extensive meta-analysis involving 3,037 ICI-treated patients with genetic and/or transcriptomics profiles across 14 types of solid tumor. The comprehensive analysis uncovered both known and novel reliable signatures associated with ICI treatment outcomes. The signatures included tumor mutational burden (TMB), IFNG and PDCD1 expression, and notably, interactions between macrophages and T cells driving their activation and recruitment. Independent data from single-cell RNA sequencing and dynamic transcriptomic profiles during the ICI treatment provided further evidence that enhanced cross-talk between macrophages and T cells contributes to ICI response. A multivariable model based on eight nonredundant signatures significantly outperformed existing models in five independent validation datasets representing various cancer types. Collectively, this study discovered biomarkers predicting ICI response that highlight the contribution of immune cell networks to immunotherapy efficacy and could help guide patient treatment.
Significance:
Identification of robust immunogenomic connections, particularly macrophage T-cell interactions, in a large-scale pan-cancer meta-analysis and development of a predictive model for immunotherapy response that outperformed existing models could facilitate clinical decision-making.
Human ASXL1-Mutant Hematopoiesis Is Driven by a Truncated Protein Associated with Aberrant Deubiquitination of H2AK119
Authors: Köhnke Thomas , Nuno Kevin A. , Alder Catherine C. , Gars Eric J. , Phan Paul , Fan Amy C. , Majeti Ravindra
Published: February 2024

Mutations in additional sex combs like 1 (ASXL1) confer poor prognosis both in myeloid malignancies and in premalignant clonal hematopoiesis (CH). However, the mechanisms by which these mutations contribute to disease initiation remain unresolved, and mutation-specific targeting has remained elusive. To address this, we developed a human disease model that recapitulates the disease trajectory from ASXL1-mutant CH to lethal myeloid malignancy. We demonstrate that mutations in ASXL1 lead to the expression of a functional, truncated protein and determine that truncated ASXL1 leads to global redistribution of the repressive chromatin mark H2AK119Ub, increased transposase-accessible chromatin, and activation of both myeloid and stem cell gene-expression programs. Finally, we demonstrate that H2AK119Ub levels are tied to truncated ASXL1 expression levels and leverage this observation to demonstrate that inhibition of the PRC1 complex might be an ASXL1-mutant–specific therapeutic vulnerability in both premalignant CH and myeloid malignancy.

Significance:

Mutant ASXL1 is a common driver of CH and myeloid malignancy. Using primary human HSPCs, we determine that truncated ASXL1 leads to redistribution of H2AK119Ub and may affect therapeutic vulnerability to PRC1 inhibition.
Supplementary Figure 1 from Lingual Denervation Improves the Efficacy of Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas by Downregulating TGFβ Signaling
Authors: Tao Zhuo-Ying , Wang Leilei , Zhu Wang-Yong , Zhang Gao , Su Yu-Xiong
Published: February 2024

Supplementary Figure 1. Coculturing with TG neurons promotes aggressiveness of MOC1 cells and activates TGFbeta signaling.
Entities, Uncertainties, and Behavioral Indicators of Consciousness
Authors: Johnson L. Syd M
Published: February 2024

Two problems related to the identification of consciousness are the distribution problem—or how and among which entities consciousness is distributed in the world—and the moral status problem—or which species, entities, and individuals have moral status. The use of inferences from neurobiological and behavioral evidence, and their confounds, for identifying consciousness in nontypically functioning humans, nonhuman animals, and artificial intelligence is considered in light of significant scientific uncertainty and ethical biases, with implications for both problems. Methodological, epistemic, and ethical consensus are needed for responsible consciousness science under epistemic and ethical uncertainty. Consideration of inductive risk is proposed as a potential tool for managing both epistemic and ethical risks in consciousness science.