bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Applications of artificial neural networks for calculation of the Erlang B formula and its inverses
Authors: Marinković Zlatica , Stošić Biljana P. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIn this article, a novel approach to calculate the Erlang B formula and its inverses is proposed. It is based on application of artificial neural networks (ANNs). Namely, ANNs are trained to calculate the Erlang B call blocking probability as well as to solve the inverse problem, i.e. to calculate the required number of channels or the maximum amount of traffic for the given call blocking probability. Comparing to direct calculation of Erlang B formula, computational efficiency is significantly increased, while the accuracy is maintained. As far as the calculation of Erlang B inverse values is considered, as there is a lack of exact mathematical formulas, the proposed approach provides the closed‐form mathematical expressions.
Effects ofPoria cocosextract and protein powder mixture on glucolipid metabolism and rhythm changes in obese mice
Authors: Xie Qiaoling , Jia Xiuzhen , Zhang Wei , Xu Yuhan , Zhu Meizhen , Zhao Zifu , Hao Jingyu , Li Haoqiu , Du Jinrui , Liu Yan , Feng Haotian , Li Hongwei 
Published: March 2023

AbstractHerein, we explored the effects ofPoria cocosextract, protein powder mixture, and their combined intervention on weight loss in high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced obese mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were selected and fed a HFD for 8 weeks; obese mice that were successfully modeled were divided into modeling and five intervention groups, and given the corresponding treatment for 10 weeks. Body weight, fat, and muscle tissue, blood glucose, lipids, inflammatory factors, and other glucose and lipid metabolism‐related indicators were measured to evaluate the effect ofP. cocosand protein powder intervention on weight loss in obese mice. The body weight of the intervention group was reduced compared with the HFD group. Fat content of mice in F3PM group decreased significantly (p < .05). Levels of blood glucose, lipids, adiponectin, leptin, and inflammatory factors, including interleukin‐1 β and tumor necrosis factor‐ α showed improvement. Lipoprotein lipase (lower about 2.97 pg/ml, vs. HFD mice 10.65 mmoL/ml) and sterol regulatory element‐binding transcription factor (lower about 1413.63 pg/ml, vs. HFD mice 3915.33 pg/ml) levels in liver tissue were decreased. The respiratory exchange rate (RER) of mice in the HFD and subject intervention groups had no circadian rhythm and was maintained at approximately 0.80. The protein powder mixture (PM) group had the lowest RER (p < .05), theP. cocosextract (FL) and F1PM groups had similar RER to the HFD group (p < .05), and the F2PM group had a higher RER than the HFD group (p < .05). And food intake and energy metabolism returned to circadian rhythm, with an increase in the dose ofP. cocosextract, the feeding rhythms of F1PM, F2PM, and F3PM were closer to that of the normal diet (ND) group. Feeding intervention withP. cocosand protein powder improved fat distribution, glucolipid metabolism, and energy metabolism, with the combination of F3PM showing more diverse benefits.
Effect on Ziziphus jujuba Mill. fruit powders embedded on physicochemical properties, biological activities, and rheologic quality of cake
Authors: Elaloui Meriem , Ammari Youssef , Ghazghazi Hanen , Gorrab Afwa Ep Ben Othmen , Laamouri Abdelwahed , Driouich Chaouachi Rim 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis study aimed to improve the effects on the physical, textural, and rheological characteristics of cake supplied with Ziziphus jujuba fruit powder at rates of 0%, 3%, 5%, and 10%. The Physicochemical and antioxidant as well as the antibacterial activity and sensory qualities of Z. jujuba fruits were also investigated. The highest levels reached the values of 245.15 mg GAE/g DW (phenol) and 180.23 mg RE/g DW (flavonoids). Pulp extracts were also subjected to HPLC analysis in order to identify and quantify the sugar composition. This technique allowed us to identify Mahdia as the richest provenance especially in glucose (136.51%) and sucrose (113.28%) contents. The antioxidant activities investigated using DPPH assay decreased slightly from 175 μg/mL (Sfax) to 55 μg/mL (Mahdia). Furthermore, the antibacterial activity indicated that the S. aureus was the most inhibited especially by Sfax powder extracts (from 12 to 20 mm). Our results showed that the incorporation of Z. jujuba powder ameliorated the physicochemical and rheological characteristics (humidity, gluten yield, tenacity, falling time, and configuration) of the dough. Sensory analysis showed that consumer scores were increased with the increasing supplementation powder levels. Highest scores attributed to the cake supplied with 3% jujube powder collected from Mahdia provenance and confirmed that Ziziphus fruit could be advised a part of our diet. These results could validate a novel method to conserve Z. jujuba fruits in order to avoid their soilages for a long period.
Community centers for older adults and psychosocial factors: Evidence from the German Ageing Survey
Authors: Hajek André , Kretzler Benedikt , Gyasi Razak M. , König Hans‐Helmut 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIntroductionThere is a dearth of studies examining the association between the use of community centers for older adults and psychosocial factors. Thus, our aim was to examine the association between the use of community centers for older adults and psychosocial factors (in terms of loneliness, perceived social isolation, and life satisfaction; also stratified by sex)—which is important for successful aging.Methods/DesignData were taken from a nationally representative sample—the German Ageing Survey—including older community‐dwelling individuals. The De Jong Gierveld tool was used to measure loneliness, the Bude and Lantermann tool was used to measure perceived social isolation, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale was used to quantify life satisfaction. Multiple linear regressions were used to evaluate the hypothesized associations.ResultsIn the analytical sample, n equaled 3246 individuals (mean age was 75 years, 65–97 years). After adjusting for various socioeconomic, lifestyle‐related, and health‐related covariates, multiple linear regressions showed that the use of community centers was associated with higher life satisfaction among men (β = 0.12, p < 0.01), but not women. The use of community centers was not associated with loneliness or perceived social isolation for either gender.ConclusionsThe use of community centers was positively associated with satisfaction with one's own life among male older adults. Thus, encouraging older men to use such services may be beneficial. This quantitative study provides an initial basis for further research in this neglected area. For example, longitudinal studies are required to confirm our present findings.
Stratification of surgical margin distances by the millimeter on local recurrence in oral cavity cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Young Kurtis , Bulosan Hannah , Kida Carley C. , Bewley Arnaud F. , Abouyared Marianne , Birkeland Andrew C. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThere are limited data supporting the commonly suggested 5 mm margin cutoff as the optimum value in defining clear margins in oral cancer. A database search of Pubmed/Medline, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost was performed from inception to June 2022. A random‐effects model was chosen for this meta‐analysis. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed throughout this study. Seven studies met study criteria (2215 patients). The risk ratio was significantly higher for margins <5 mm when compared to those ≥5 mm (2.09 (95%CI: 1.53–2.86, I2 = 0.47)). Subgroup analysis (I2 = 0.15) of margin distances of 0.0–0.9, 1.0–1.9, 2.0–2.9, 3.0–3.9, and 4.0–4.9 mm calculated risk ratios for local recurrence of 2.96, 2.01, 2.17, 1.8, and 0.98, respectively. Margins between 4.0 and 4.9 mm had similar risk ratios for local recurrence compared to ≥5 mm, while margins <4.0 were significantly higher.
EGFR is a potential therapeutic target for highly glycosylated and aggressive pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms
Authors: Xiao Zhiwen , Xu Huaxiang , Strosberg Jonathan R. , Lu Renquan , Zhu Xinzhe , Deng Shengming , Ding Lei , Ni Quanxing , Warshaw Andrew L. , Yu Xianjun , Luo Guopei 
Published: March 2023

AbstractpNENs are relative indolent tumors with heterogeneous clinical presentation at diagnosis. It is important to establish aggressive subgroups of pNENs and identify potential therapeutic targets. Patients with pNEN (322 cases) were included to examine the association between glycosylation biomarkers and clinical/pathological traits. The molecular and metabolic features stratified by glycosylation status were assessed by RNA‐seq/whole exome sequencing and immunohistochemistry. A considerable proportion of patients had elevated glycosylation biomarkers (carbohydrate antigen [CA] 19‐9, 11.9%; CA125, 7.5%; carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], 12.8%). CA19‐9 (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.26, P = .019), CA125 (HR = 3.79, P = .004) and CEA (HR = 3.16, P = .002) were each independent prognostic variables for overall survival. High glycosylation group, defined as pNENs with elevated level of circulating CA19‐9, CA125 or CEA, accounted for 23.4% of all pNENs. High glycosylation (HR = 3.14, P = .001) was an independent prognostic variable for overall survival and correlated with G3 grade (P < .001), poor differentiation (P = .001), perineural invasion (P = .004) and distant metastasis (P < .001). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was enriched in high glycosylation pNENs using RNA‐seq. EGFR was expressed in 21.2% of pNENs using immunohistochemistry and associated with poor overall survival (P = .020). A clinical trial focusing on EGFR expressed pNENs was initiated (NCT05316480). Thus, pNEN with aberrant glycosylation correlates with a dismal outcome and suggests potential therapeutic target of EGFR.
Inventory overproduction and managerial ability
Authors: He Haihong 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis study examines a sample of manufacturing firms in order to assess the relationship between overproduction levels with different levels of managerial ability. Using the managerial ability measure developed by Demerjian et al. (2012), this paper shows that firms with high levels of managerial ability have smaller size of overproduction. Furthermore, when overproduction occurs in firms with high levels of managerial ability, it is less likely to reverse in the following year and is more likely to be associated with future sales increases. Overall, the results suggest that high managerial ability firms generally avoid overproduction. High‐ability managers having fewer overproduction reversals suggest that they are less likely to use overproduction to manage earnings; instead, they are more likely to overproduce to build up inventory to expect higher future sales.
A review of the signaling pathways of aerobic and anaerobic exercise on atherosclerosis
Authors: Liu Sibo , Liu Yuhe , Liu Zhihan , Hu Yansong , Jiang Meixiu 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAtherosclerosis (AS), a chronic inflammatory vascular disease with lipid metabolism abnormalities, is one of the major pathological bases of coronary heart disease. As people's lifestyles and diets change, the incidence of AS increases yearly. Physical activity and exercise training have recently been identified as effective strategies for lowering cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, the best exercise mode to ameliorate the risk factors related to AS is not clear. The effect of exercise on AS is affected by the type of exercise, intensity, and duration. In particular, aerobic and anaerobic exercise are the two most widely discussed types of exercise. During exercise, the cardiovascular system undergoes physiological changes via various signaling pathways. The review aims to summarize signaling pathways related to AS in two different exercise types and provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of AS in clinical practice.
Ultrasound‐based measures in carpal tunnel syndrome: What to measure?
Authors: Akpan Eyerusalem B. , Nunez Sharon E. , Sibbitt Wilmer L. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractCarpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral entrapment neuropathy and is caused by compression of the median nerve (MN) at the level of transverse carpal ligament of the volar wrist. Radiomics is an advanced semi‐automated image analysis method that is utilized to identify characteristics in the MN that can detect CTS with considerable reproducibility.
Weak degeneracy of graphs
Authors: Bernshteyn Anton , Lee Eugene 
Published: March 2023

AbstractMotivated by the study of greedy algorithms for graph coloring, we introduce a new graph parameter, which we call weak degeneracy. By definition, every ‐degenerate graph is also weakly ‐degenerate. On the other hand, if is weakly ‐degenerate, then (and, moreover, the same bound holds for the list‐chromatic and even the DP‐chromatic number of ). It turns out that several upper bounds in graph coloring theory can be phrased in terms of weak degeneracy. For example, we show that planar graphs are weakly 4‐degenerate, which implies Thomassen's famous theorem that planar graphs are 5‐list‐colorable. We also prove a version of Brooks's theorem for weak degeneracy: a connected graph of maximum degree is weakly ‐degenerate unless . (By contrast, all ‐regular graphs have degeneracy .) We actually prove an even stronger result, namely that for every , there is such that if is a graph of weak degeneracy at least , then either contains a ‐clique or the maximum average degree of is at least . Finally, we show that graphs of maximum degree and either of girth at least 5 or of bounded chromatic number are weakly ‐degenerate, which is best possible up to the value of the implied constant.
MR‐Linac guided adaptive stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for recurrent cardiac sarcoma with mitral valve bioprosthesis – a case report
Authors: Batumalai Vikneswary , Carr Madeline , Jameson Michael , Crawford David , Jelen Urszula , Pagulayan Claire , Twentyman Tania , Hong Angela , de Leon Jeremy 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWe present the first case in the literature of a 78‐year‐old woman with recurrent cardiac sarcoma adjacent to a bioprosthetic mitral valve treated with magnetic resonance linear accelerator (MR‐Linac) guided adaptive stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR). The patient was treated using a 1.5 T Unity MR‐Linac system (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden). The mean gross tumour volume (GTV) size was 17.9 cm3 (range 16.6–18.9 cm3) based on daily contours and the mean dose received by the GTV was 41.4 Gy (range 40.9–41.6 Gy) in five fractions. All fractions were completed as planned and the patient tolerated the treatment well with no acute toxicity reported. Follow‐up appointments at 2 and 5 months after the last treatment showed stable disease and good symptomatic relief. Results of transthoracic echocardiogram after radiotherapy showed that the mitral valve prosthesis was normally seated with regular functionality. This study provides evidence that MR‐Linac guided adaptive SABR is a safe and viable option for the treatment of recurrent cardiac sarcoma with mitral valve bioprosthesis.
SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron XBB subvariants exhibit enhanced fusogenicity and substantial immune evasion in elderly population, but high sensitivity to pan‐coronavirus fusion inhibitors
Authors: Xia Shuai , Jiao Fanke , Wang Lijue , Yu Xueying , Lu Tianyu , Fu Yan , Huang Ziqi , Li Xicheng , Huang Jinghe , Wang Qian , Man Qiuhong , Xiong Lize , Jiang Shibo , Lu Lu 
Published: March 2023

AbstractNumerous emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) Omicron subvariants have shown significant immune evasion capacity and caused a large number of infections, as well as vaccine‐breakthrough infections, especially in elderly populations. Recently emerged Omicron XBB was derived from the BA.2 lineage, but bears a distinct mutant profile in its spike (S) protein. In this study, we found that Omicron XBB S protein drove more efficient membrane‐fusion kinetics on human lung‐derived cells (Calu‐3). Considering the high susceptibility of the elderly to the current Omicron pandemic, we performed a comprehensive neutralization assessment of elderly convalescent or vaccine sera against XBB infection. We found that the sera from elderly convalescent patients who experienced with BA.2 infection or breakthrough infection potently inhibited BA.2 infection, but showed significantly reduced efficacy against XBB. Moreover, recently emerged XBB.1.5 subvariant also showed more significant resistance to the convalescent sera of BA.2‐ or BA.5‐infected elderly. On the other hand, we found that the pan‐CoV fusion inhibitors EK1 and EK1C4 can potently block either XBB‐S‐ or XBB.1.5‐S‐mediated fusion process and viral entry. Moreover, EK1 fusion inhibitor showed potent synergism when combined with convalescent sera of BA.2‐ or BA.5‐infected patients against XBB and XBB.1.5 infection, further indicating that EK1‐based pan‐CoV fusion inhibitors are promising candidates for development as clinical antiviral agents to combat the Omicron XBB subvariants.
Pre‐existing immunity to SARS‐CoV‐2 associates with strong T cell responses induced by inactivated COVID‐19 vaccines
Authors: Yi Xuan , Wang Yuhao , Li Quanrun , Li Xiaoyi , Zhang Panli , Fu Xin , Gu Shuqin , Zhang Daqian , Liu Xiaoyi , Lou Haonan , Wu Yuemei , Tang Libo , Hou Jinlin , Li Yongyin 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIndividuals with a recent common cold coronavirus infection, which leads to pre‐existing immunity against SARS‐CoV‐2, displayed a less severe course of COVID‐19. However, the relationship between pre‐existing immunity against SARS‐CoV‐2 and the inactivated‐vaccine‐induced immune response is still unknown. Here, 31 healthcare workers who received standard two doses of inactivated COVID‐19 vaccines (Weeks 0 and 4, respectively) were enrolled, vaccine‐induced neutralization and T cell responses were detected, and the correlation between the pre‐existing SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific immunity was analyzed. We found the SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific antibodies, pseudovirus neutralization test (pVNT) titers, and spike‐specific interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) production in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were significantly elevated after two doses of inactivated vaccines. Interestingly, the pVNT titers after the second dose of vaccination displayed no significant correlation with the pre‐existing SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific antibodies or B cells, nor the pre‐existing spike‐specific CD4+ T cells. Notably, the spike‐specific T cell response after the second dose of vaccination was positively correlated with the pre‐existing receptor binding domain (RBD)‐specific B cells and CD4+ T cells, which were documented by the frequencies of RBD‐binding B cells, the breadth of RBD‐specific B cell epitopes, and the frequency of IFN‐γ‐expressing RBD‐specific CD4+ T cells. Overall, the inactivated‐vaccine‐induced T cell responses, not the inactivated‐vaccine‐induced neutralization, closely correlated with pre‐existing immunity to SARS‐CoV‐2. Our results provide a better understanding of inactivated‐vaccine‐induced immunity and help predict the immunogenicity induced by inactivated vaccines in individuals.
Smallpox vaccination‐elicited antibodies cross‐neutralize 2022‐Monkeypox virus Clade II
Authors: Criscuolo Elena , Giuliani Benedetta , Ferrarese Roberto , Ferrari Davide , Locatelli Massimo , Clementi Massimo , Mancini Nicasio , Clementi Nicola 
Published: March 2023

AbstractSince early May 2022, some monkeypox virus (MPXV) infections have been reported from countries where the disease is not endemic. Within 2 months, the number of patients has increased extensively, becoming the most considerable MPXV outbreak described. Smallpox vaccines demonstrated high efficacy against MPXVs in the past and are considered a crucial outbreak control measure. However, viruses isolated during the current outbreak carry distinct genetic variations, and the cross‐neutralizing capability of antibodies remains to be assessed. Here we report that serum antibodies elicited by first‐generation smallpox vaccines can neutralize the current MPXV more than 40 years after vaccine administration.
Joint coverage analysis in progressive collapsing foot deformity
Authors: Knutson Kassidy , Peterson Andrew C. , Lisonbee Rich J. , Hintermann Beat , Krähenbühl Nicola , Lenz Amy L. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractProgressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD) is characterized by a progressive subluxation of the peritalar bones and respective joints. Two‐dimensional conventional radiographs are limited in their ability to visualize the peritalar bones and joints with adequate detail to describe the complex three‐dimensional deformity. An improved understanding of the relationship between joint coverage and deformity would allow clinicians to use coverage analysis to distinguish among the stages of PCFD. The aim of this study was to analyze the joint coverage of the six articular relationships within the talocrural, subtalar, and Chopart joints using weightbearing computed tomography (WBCT) scans. Ten individuals with a flexible hindfoot and ten individuals with a rigid hindfoot presentation of PCFD were compared to twenty‐seven asymptomatic control individuals. The three most relevant findings are: (I) the anterior‐medial facet of the subtalar joint contains the greatest reduction in coverage for patients with a rigid deformity, (II) an increase in talonavicular overlap (TNO) moderately correlated with a decreased coverage in the: tibiotalar, anterior‐medial subtalar, talonavicular joints, and (III) the calcaneocuboid joint lacks radiographic values to adequately quantify alignment and coverage. To conclude, there were significant differences in coverage area of various articulating regions throughout the hind‐ and midfoot when comparing PCFD patients to asymptomatic control individuals. Relevant radiographic measures correlating to articular coverage areas of clinical interest were identified, possibly helping to better quantify PCFD in clinical practice.
Screening for Vocal Fold Movement Impairment in Children Undergoing Esophageal and Airway Surgery
Authors: Meisner Jay W. , Izadi Shawn , Kamran Ali , Shieh Hester F. , Smithers C. Jason , Bennett John , Demehri Farokh R. , Mohammed Somala , Lawlor Claire , Choi Sukgi S. , Zendejas Benjamin 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionChildren undergoing cervical and/or thoracic operations are at risk for recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, resulting in vocal fold movement impairment (VFMI). Screening for VFMI is often reserved for symptomatic patients.ObjectiveIdentify the prevalence of VFMI in screened preoperative patients prior to an at‐risk operation to evaluate the value of screening all patients at‐risk for VFMI, regardless of symptoms.MethodsA single center, retrospective review of all patients undergoing a preoperative flexible nasolaryngoscopy between 2017 and 2021, examining the presence of VFMI and associated symptoms.ResultsWe evaluated 297 patients with a median (IQR) age of 18 (7.8, 56.3) months and a weight of 11.3 (7.8, 17.7) kilograms. Most had a history of esophageal atresia (EA, 60%), and a prior at‐risk cervical or thoracic operation (73%). Overall, 72 (24%) patients presented with VFMI (51% left, 26% right, and 22% bilateral). Of patients with VFMI, 47% did not exhibit the classic symptoms (stridor, dysphonia, and aspiration) of VFMI. Dysphonia was the most prevalent classic VFMI symptom, yet only present in 18 (25%) patients. Patients presenting with a history of at‐risk surgery (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.1, 4.8, p = 0.03), presence of a tracheostomy (OR 3.1, 95%CI 1.0, 10.0, p = 0.04), or presence of a surgical feeding tube (OR 3.1, 95%CI 1.6, 6.2, p = 0.001) were more likely to present with VFMI.ConclusionRoutine screening for VFMI should be considered in all at‐risk patients, regardless of symptoms or prior operations, particularly in those with a history of an at‐risk surgery, presence of tracheostomy, or a surgical feeding tube.Level of Evidence3 Laryngoscope, 133:3564–3570, 2023