bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Outcomes of Edge‐to‐Edge Mitral Valve Repair Versus Surgical Mitral Valve Repair for Functional Mitral Regurgitation
Authors: Wang Xiqiang , Ma Yanpeng , Liu Zhongwei , Zhu Ling , Wang Junkui , Guan Gongchang , Pan Shuo , Zhang Yong , Hao Yuanyuan 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTAimsPatients affected by functional mitral regurgitation represent an increasingly high‐risk population. Edge‐to‐edge mitral valve repair (TEER) has emerged as a promising treatment option for these patients. However, there is limited research on the comparative outcomes of TEER versus surgical mitral valve repair (SMVr). This study seeks to compare the demographics, complications, and outcomes of TEER and SMVr based on a real‐world analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database.Methods and ResultsIn the NIS database, from the years 2016 to 2018, a total of 6233 and 2524 patients who underwent SMVr and TEER were selected, respectively. The mean ages of the patients were 65.68 years (SMVr) and 78.40 years (TEER) (p < 0.01). The mortality rate of patients who received SMVr was similar to that of patients who were treated with TEER (1.7% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.603). Patients who underwent SMVr more likely suffered from perioperative complications including cardiogenic shock (2.3% vs. 0.4%, p < 0.001), cardiac arrest (1.7% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.025), and cerebrovascular infarction (0.9% vs. 0.4%, p = 0.013). The average length of hospital stay was longer (8.59 vs. 4.13 days, p < 0.001) for SMVr compared to TEER; however, the average cost of treatment was higher ($218 728.25 vs. $215 071.74, p = 0.031) for TEER compared to SMVr. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that SMVr was associated with worse adjusted cardiogenic shock (OR, 7.347 [95% CI, 3.574−15.105]; p < 0.01) and acute kidney injury (OR, 2.793 [95% CI, 2.356−3.311]; p < 0.01).ConclusionPatients who underwent TEER demonstrated a notable decrease in postoperative complications and a shorter hospitalization period when compared to those who underwent SMVr.
Coumarin‐Based Aldo‐Keto Reductase Family 1C (AKR1C) 2 and 3 Inhibitors
Authors: Jonnalagadda Sravan K. , Duan Ling , Dow Louise F. , Boligala Geetha P , Kosmacek Elizabeth , McCoy Kristyn , Oberley‐Deegan Rebecca , Chhonker Yashpal Singh , Murry Darryl J. , Reynolds C. Patrick , Maurer Barry J. , Penning Trevor M. , Trippier Paul C. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractA series of 7‐substituted coumarin derivatives have been characterized as pan‐aldo‐keto reductase family 1C (AKR1C) inhibitors. The AKR1C family of enzymes are overexpressed in numerous cancers where they are involved in drug resistance development. 7‐hydroxy coumarin ethyl esters and their corresponding amides have high potency for AKR1C3 and AKR1C2 inhibition. Coumarin amide 3 a possessed IC50 values of 50 nM and 90 nM for AKR1C3 and AKR1C2, respectively, and exhibits ‘drug‐like’ metabolic stability and half‐life in human and mouse liver microsomes and plasma. Compound 3 a was employed as a chemical tool to determine pan‐AKR1C2/3 inhibition effects both as a radiation sensitizer and as a potentiator of chemotherapy cytotoxicity. In contrast to previously reported pan‐AKR1C inhibitors, 3 a demonstrated no radiation sensitization effect in a radiation‐resistant prostate cancer cell line model. Pan‐AKR1C inhibition also did not potentiate the in vitro cytotoxicity of ABT‐737, daunorubicin or dexamethasone, in two patient‐derived T‐cell ALL and pre‐B‐cell ALL cell lines. In contrast, a highly selective AKR1C3 inhibitor, compound K90, enhanced the cytotoxicity of both ABT‐737 and daunorubicin in the T‐cell ALL cell line model. Thus, the inhibitory profile required to enhance chemotherapeutic cytotoxicity in leukemia may be AKR1C isoform and drug specific.
Novel optimized implementations for the Piccolo cipher based on field‐programmable gate arrays
Authors: Feng Jingya , Wei Yongzhuang , Wei Bohua 
Published: July 2024

AbstractIn the era of the highly pervasive Internet of Things (IoT), the optimized implementation of lightweight cryptographic algorithms for protecting data security has extensively received attention, for instance, the Piccolo cipher. Piccolo is an ultra‐lightweight block cipher designed for extremely resource‐constrained devices. Currently, many optimized implementations of Piccolo have been proposed; however, these implementations are heavily rely on optimizing different architectures. Actually, these implementation schemes have all neglected the optimization of the core components. How to achieve the new optimized implementation of the Piccolo cipher (via both the architectures and the core components) appears to be an interesting problem. In this article, new circuit structures for components (key schedules and round functions) of the Piccolo are first proposed using fewer logic gates. Based on these circuit structures, three architectures (iterative, integrated iterative, and scalar) are proposed to maximize implementation performances. To demonstrate their effectiveness and practicality, these architectures are simulated and synthesized on different field‐programmable gate arrays (FPGA) devices. Compared with the existing architectures of Piccolo, the results indicate that the iterative architectures and the integrated iterative architecture provide a better trade‐off between area and throughput, and the scalar architectures provide the highest throughput. Especially for Piccolo‐128, the area of its iterative architecture is 30 look‐up tables (LUTs) and 22 slices less than the best known implementation; the throughput and efficiency are 68.56% higher and twice higher than the best known implementation, respectively. Compared with other block ciphers, the efficiency and area‐delay product of the Piccolo‐128 iterative architecture outperform PRESENT, GIFT, SIMON, Midori, SIMON, and SIMECK. Compared with the best results, its encryption efficiency has increased by 31.53%, and the area‐delay product has decreased by 44.63%.
Stable gullies provide a suitable habitat for functional insects and reduce the threat of pests on crops in farmland of Northeast China
Authors: Zhang Haijun , Zhang Shaoliang , Zhang Chengbo , Xiao Ziliang , Yan Pengke , Aurangzeib Muhammad 
Published: July 2024

AbstractGullies with lower altitudes compared to the surrounding environment are widely distributed in farmland of the watershed and their numbers are still expanding. However, it is still unclear how these gullies regulate the functional insects in farmland. In this study, land use types combined with the herbaceous plant, herbicide application, soil moisture, topography and climatic factors during crop growth were considered to understand how gullies influence the dynamics of functional insects in farmland from a watershed (240 ha) of Northeast China. The primary findings demonstrate that the richness and abundance of functional insects are generally greatest in gullies, particularly in stable gullies, and decrease in the following order: forest belts, grasslands, and farmlands within the watershed. Notably, the ratios of beneficial insects to pests (BI/Pest) in terms of richness and abundance were lower in gullies before July but reversed after July, in comparison to farmland. Stable gullies exhibited higher BI/Pest abundance and diversity ratios than developing gullies. The richness and abundance of functional insects were higher in the middle sections of gullies compared to their heads and tails. Furthermore, the ratios of BI/Pest were generally lower in farmlands than in any gully position. Functional insect dynamics were mainly determined by season, followed by plant abundance and biomass in the gullies, and rarely by soil moisture in the both watershed and single gullies scales. Generally, the richness and abundance of functional insects in farmland were mainly influenced by gullies, especially influenced by the gully middle position. Insect composition in farmland influenced by stable gullies was stronger than by developing gullies, and stable gullies were more beneficial in reducing the threat of pests to crops in the farmland of the watershed.
Testing for variation in photoperiodic plasticity in a butterfly: Inconsistent effects of circadian genes between geographic scales
Authors: Lindestad Olle , Nylin Sören , Wheat Christopher W. , Gotthard Karl 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe genetic components of the circadian clock have been implicated as involved in photoperiodic regulation of winter diapause across various insect groups, thereby contributing to adaptation to adverse seasonal conditions. So far, the effects of within‐population variation in these genes have not been well explored. Here, we present an experimental test of the effects of within‐population variation at two circadian genes, timeless and period, on photoperiodic responses in the butterfly Pararge aegeria. While nonsynonymous candidate SNPs in both of these genes have previously shown to be associated with diapause induction on a between‐population level, in the present experiment no such effect was found on a within‐population level. In trying to reconcile these results, we examine sequence data, revealing considerable, previously unknown protein‐level variation at both timeless and period across Scandinavian populations, including variants unique to the population studied here. Hence, we hypothesize that these variants may counteract the previously observed diapause‐averting effect of the candidate SNPs, possibly explaining the difference in results between the experiments. Whatever the cause, these results highlight how the effects of candidate SNPs may sometimes vary across genetic backgrounds, which complicates evolutionary interpretations of geographic patterns of genetic variation.
Color aberration in malachite kingfishers: Insights from community science observations in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
Authors: Warner Bethany H. , Weiss Katherine C. B. , Allen Maximilian L. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractColor aberrations in birds corresponds with important ecological functions, including thermoregulation and physiological impacts, camouflage and increased predation, and social interactions with conspecifics. Color aberrations in birds have been reported frequently in the scientific literature, but aberrations in many species remain undocumented or understudied. We investigated records of leucism in malachite kingfishers (Corythornis cristatus) from observations of community scientists on iNaturalist and eBird in Uganda. Leucistic kingfishers were only observed within the Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), Uganda. When considering all observations of malachite kingfishers that included photographs within the QENP, leucistic individuals accounted for 13.0% and 10.4% of total malachite kingfisher observations within the study area from iNaturalist and eBird, respectively. Leucistic observations were recorded from September 2015 through February 2017, making up 60.0% and 68.2% of observations of malachite kingfishers within the study area from iNaturalist and eBird during that time, respectively. The localized and short documentation period suggests observations represent a single individual, while the high observation rate likely corresponds with collection bias due to the novelty of the individual. Our findings help to better understand the ecological importance and potential consequences for color‐aberrant individuals, although color aberration did not appear to inhibit our subject's ability to find a mate. Our work also highlights how participatory science can promote the documentation of color‐aberrant individuals in wild populations, although it poses challenges when trying to estimate abundance.
Crustal uplift rates implied by synchronously investigating Late Quaternary marine terraces in the Milazzo Peninsula, Northeast Sicily, Italy
Authors: Meschis M. , Romano D. , Palano M. , Scicchitano G. , De Santis V. , Scardino G. , Gattuso A. , Caruso C. G. , Sposito F. , Lazzaro G. , Scappuzzo S. S. Sciré , Semprebello A. , Morici S. , Longo M. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractLate Quaternary crustal uplift is well recognized in northeast Sicily, southern Italy, a region also prone to damaging earthquakes such as the 1908 “Messina” earthquake (Mw 7.1), the deadliest seismic event reported within the Italian Earthquake Catalogue. Yet it is still understudied if, within the Milazzo Peninsula, crustal uplift rates are varying spatially and temporally and whether they may be either influenced by (i) local upper‐plate faulting activity or (ii) deep geodynamic processes.To investigate the long‐term crustal vertical movements in northeast Sicily, we have mapped a flight of Middle‐Late Pleistocene marine terraces within the Milazzo Peninsula and in its southern area and refined their chronology, using a synchronous correlation approach driven by published age controls. This has allowed a new calculation of the associated crustal uplift rates, along a north–south oriented coastal‐parallel transect within the investigated area. Our results show a decreasing uplift rate from south to north across the Milazzo Peninsula and beyond, and that the associated rates of uplift have been constant through the Late Quaternary. This spatially varying yet temporally constant vertical deformation helps to constrain the amount of uplift, allowing us to explore which is the driving mechanism(s), proposing a few related scenarios.We discuss our results in terms of tectonic implications and emphasize the importance of using appropriate approaches, as such applying a synchronous correlation method, to refine chronologies of undated palaeoshorelines when used for tectonic investigations.
Probiotic characteristics and whole genome sequence analysis of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZFM518 isolated from infant feces
Authors: Zhang Yingjuan , Zhou Qingqing , Chen Ziqi , Ye Zhongdu , Jin Ying , Li Ping , Gu Qing 
Published: July 2024

AbstractEmerging research has shown that lactic acid bacteria in the intestines of newborns play a beneficial role in the growth, immune function, and metabolism of infants after birth. In this study, four strains of Lactobacillus were isolated from fecal samples of newborns, and a safe Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZFM518 (ZFM518) strain was obtained after the screening, which showed excellent antibacterial activity and adhesion potential. The strain exhibited excellent ability to survive in acidic environments, simulated gastric juice, and simulated intestinal environments, respectively. ZFM518 had a bacteriostatic zone of 31.12 ± 0.33 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, a hydrophobic rate of 76.97% ± 3.35%, and a survival activity of 96.54% ± 0.14% under a simulated intestinal fluid environment. Moreover, ZFM518 can produce up to 161.11 ± 9.67 ng/mL of folate. A genome‐wide investigation of ZFM518 revealed that the majority of its genes were involved in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, adhesion, immunological defense, and antibacterial activity. In addition, only one antibiotic resistance gene of the antimicrobial peptide was annotated. These results indicate that ZFM518 is a new strain with a strong comprehensive ability and probiotic potential. This study can provide practical support for screening potential probiotics from infant feces and provide a theoretical basis for developing probiotic resources.
Infections in patients with mantle cell lymphoma
Authors: Abalo Kossi D. , Ekberg Sara , Andersson Therese M. L. , Pahnke Simon , Albertsson‐Lindblad Alexandra , Smedby Karin E. , Jerkeman Mats , Glimelius Ingrid 
Published: July 2024

AbstractAdvancements in treatments have significantly improved the prognosis for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and there is a growing population of survivors with an increased susceptibility to infections. We assessed the incidence of infections by clinical characteristics and treatment both before and after MCL diagnosis in Sweden. Patients with a diagnosis of MCL ≥ 18 years between 2007 and 2019 were included, along with up to 10 matched comparators. Infectious disease diagnosis and anti‐infective drug dispensation were identified by the National Patient and the Prescribed Drug Registers, respectively. Patients and comparators were followed from the diagnosis/matching date until death, emigration, or June 30, 2020. Overall, 1559 patients and 15,571 comparators were followed for a median duration of 2.9 and 5 years, respectively. The infection rate among patients was twofold higher, RRadj = 2.14 (2.01–2.27), contrasted to the comparator group. There was a notable rise in infection rates already 4 years before MCL diagnosis, which reached a fourfold increase in the first year after diagnosis and persisted significantly increased for an additional 8 years. Among patients, 69% (n = 1080) experienced at least one infection during the first year of follow‐up. Influenza, pneumonia, other bacterial infections, urinary tract infections, and acute upper respiratory infections were the most frequent. Notably, MCL remained to be the primary leading cause of death among patients (57%, n = 467/817). Infections as the main cause of death were rare (2.6%, n = 21). Our study highlights the importance of thoroughly assessing infectious morbidity when appraising new treatments. Further investigations are warranted to explore strategies for reducing infectious disease burden.
CFIFusion: Dual‐Branch Complementary Feature Injection Network for Medical Image Fusion
Authors: Xie Yiyuan , Yu Lei , Ding Cheng 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTThe goal of fusing medical images is to integrate the diverse information that multimodal medical images hold. However, the challenges lie in the limitations of imaging sensors and the issue of incomplete modal information retention, which make it difficult to produce images encompassing both functional and anatomical information. To overcome these obstacles, several medical image fusion techniques based on CNN or transformer architectures have been presented. Nevertheless, CNN technique struggles to establish extensive dependencies between the fused and source images, and transformer architecture often overlooks shallow complementary features. To augment both the feature extraction capacity and the stability of the model, we introduce a framework, called dual‐branch complementary feature injection fusion (CFIFusion) technique, a for multimodal medical image fusion framework that combines unsupervised models of CNN model and transformer techniques. Specifically, in our framework, the entire source image and segmented source image are input into an adaptive backbone network to learn global and local features, respectively. To further retain the source images' complementary information, we design a multi‐scale complementary feature extraction framework as an auxiliary module, focusing on calculating feature differences at each level to capture the shallow complementary information. Then, we design a shallow information preservation module tailored for sliced image characteristics. Experimental results on the Harvard whole brain atlas dataset demonstrate that CFIFusion shows greater benefits than recent state‐of‐the‐art algorithms in terms of both subjective and objective evaluations.
School counselors' burnout, hope, and self‐efficacy: A sequential regression analysis
Authors: Niles Jennifer K. , Dorais Stephanie , Cashwell Craig , Mullen Patrick R. , Jensen Samantha 
Published: July 2024

AbstractSchool counselors serve as frontline mental health professionals in schools. Although school counselors have a meaningful impact on students and the school climate, burnout negatively impacts school counselors’ self‐efficacy. Hope may serve as a protective resource for school counselors’ self‐efficacy. We conducted a sequential regression among 102 school counselors to determine if burnout and hope predicted their self‐efficacy. While burnout predicted school counselors’ self‐efficacy, hope contained the largest single explanative influence on self‐efficacy scores. In this study, we provide evidence to support hope as a statistically significant and substantial protective factor for enhancing school counselor self‐efficacy. We provide implications for school counseling practice, training, and research.
Insight into the variation of soil hydraulic properties under beech and spruce forest—A case study in the forest of Tharandt, NE Germany
Authors: Virano‐Riquelme Victoria , Feger Karl‐Heinz , Julich Stefan 
Published: July 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe increasing vulnerability of forests in the temperate zone due to climate change has led to modification in the forest structure to secure woody raw materials and ecosystem benefits. Such changes will influence hydrological processes both at the stand and catchment scale. Soil hydraulic properties (SHP) play an important role in assessing the water cycle in these ecosystems. Yet, knowledge regarding the effect of forest‐ and site‐specific conditions on SHP in temperate climates is scarce.AimsThis work addresses this research gap by assessing the variation of SHP under two common European forest stands, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies (1) with comparable site conditions, and (2) across differing site conditions.MethodsWe determined the soil water retention curve (WRC) and the hydraulic conductivity curve (HCC) in several plots with the bimodal Kosugi–Mualem's hydraulic model. These functions were determined using combined field and laboratory measurements, including hydraulic conductivity and water content from soil samples.Results(1) We observed distinct variations in SHP between beech and spruce forest stands with comparable site conditions; however, no clear pattern in the variation was discernible. (2) A noticeable effect of the site‐specific characteristics on the SHP was detected. Moreover, SHP in each analysed forest type presented individual variations.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that SHP present a wide range of variations in terms of both forest‐ and site‐specific conditions. Hence, due to its heterogeneity, we emphasise the need for more research to better characterise SHP in temperate zone forests. Moreover, this study underlines the urgent use of a minimum set of parameters in studies when addressing SHP (e.g., tree age, soil texture).
Digital horizontal crosstalk compensation in 8K LCD displays for enhanced image quality
Authors: Lee Yongwoo , Choi Kiwon , Park Hyeryoung , Kim Yong Ju , Choi Kookhyun , Ko Min Jae 
Published: July 2024

AbstractAs ultra‐high‐definition displays have gained popularity, mitigating the horizontal crosstalk effect in 8K LCD panels is crucial. High display resolution requires narrower signal line integration, intensifying the coupling effect. Traditional methods like Vcom feedback and increasing analog voltage drain‐drain (AVDD) load are slower and less accurate, leading to increased power consumption. In response, we propose an advanced digital signal compensation method. In this study, we developed a predictive model and investigated the intricate relationships among AVDD, Vcom, and storage capacity (Cst) ripples on horizontal crosstalk. Optimizing the ripple change (∆G) by varying the compensation coefficient (a) and decay ratio (τ) significantly reduces crosstalk effects. The digital compensation method allows rapid and precise compensation without delays, reducing horizontal crosstalk in 8K LCD panels from 4% to below 0.9%. This surpasses the requirement of minimizing crosstalk to less than 2%, substantially enhancing the image quality of high‐resolution displays.
Association between pemphigus vulgaris and pyoderma gangrenosum
Authors: Cano Ana M. , Burbano Valentina , Rueda Ricardo A. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a neutrophilic dermatosis associated with certain neoplasms, predominantly of haematological origin, and autoimmune diseases. Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a disease in which antibodies target crucial intercellular junction components. A few cases of PG associated with PV have been described. We present a woman with a high phototype presenting this rare association and highlight the diagnostic challenge of diagnosing rare diseases in patients with high phenotypes.