bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distribution of vitamin D‐binding protein/group‐specific component gene subtypes in Kuwaiti population
Authors: Al‐Shammri Suhail Najim , Mustafa Abu Salim , Bhattacharya Arpita 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundVitamin D‐binding protein or group‐specific component (Gc) is the major plasma carrier protein of Vitamin D. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs7041 (NM_000583.3:c.1296G>T;NP_000574.2:p.Asp432Glu) and rs4588 (c.1307C>A; p.Thr436Lys), in the GC gene result in three major genotypes, that is, GC1F (c.1296T, c.1307C), GC1S (c.1296G, c.1307C), GC2 (c.1296T, c.1307A), and phenotypes such as Gc1F (p.432Asp, p.436Thr), Gc1S (p.432Glu, p.436Thr), and Gc2 (p.432Asp, p.436Lys). Significant variations in the frequencies of GC subtypes (genotypes/phenotypes) are reported in different populations living in different geographical locations, for example, GC1S/Gc1S (c.1296G, c.1307C/p.432Glu, p.436Thr) and GC2/Gc2 (c.1296T, c.1307A/p.432Asp, p.436Lys) are predominant in Caucasians and people living in the northern hemisphere, and GC1F/Gc1F (c.1296T, c.1307C/p.432Asp, p.436Thr) is predominant in Africans. However, frequencies of major GC subtypes are not known in the Kuwaiti population. In this study, we investigated 512 alleles to identify the major GC subtypes in Kuwaiti nationals.MethodsGenomic DNA was isolated from blood samples of 128 healthy subjects. DNA regions covering the targeted mutations were amplified by PCR. Amplified DNAs were sequenced by the Sanger method and analyzed for specific mutations to determine the GC genotypes and phenotypes.ResultsThe results identified the presence of four GC genotypes/phenotypes namely GC1F/Gc1F (c.1296T, c.1307C/p.432Asp, p.436Thr), GC1S/Gc1S (c.1296G, c.1307C/p.432Glu, p.436Thr), GC2/Gc2 (c.1296T, c.1307A/p.432Asp, p.436Lys), and GC3/Gc3 (c.1296G;c.1307A/p.432Glu, p.436Lys). Among the allelic subtypes (n = 512), GC1S (c.1296G; c.1307C) (n = 270, 52.7%) was predominant, followed by GC1F (c.1296T; c.1307C) (n = 138, 27%), GC2 (c.1296T; c.1307A) (n = 72, 14%), and GC3 (c.1296G; c.1307A) (n = 32, 6.3%). Three common subtypes, that is, GC1F (c.1296T; c.1307C), GC1S (c.1296G; c.1307C), and GC2 (c.1296T; c.1307A) are well documented in the literature, but GC3 (c.1296T; c.1307A) is an uncommon variant found in our study subjects.ConclusionWe found that GC subtype distribution was unique in the Kuwaiti population, with some affinity to Caucasians. Several factors including ancestral origin, migration history, and environmental forces such as solar intensity may be responsible for the unique distribution of GC subtypes in this population.
Learning Model Checking and the Kernel Trick for Signal Temporal Logic on Stochastic Processes
Authors: Bortolussi Luca , Gallo Giuseppe Maria , Křetínský Jan , Nenzi Laura 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe introduce a similarity function on formulae of signal temporal logic (STL). It comes in the form of akernel function, well known in machine learning as a conceptually and computationally efficient tool. The correspondingkernel trickallows us to circumvent the complicated process of feature extraction, i.e. the (typically manual) effort to identify the decisive properties of formulae so that learning can be applied. We demonstrate this consequence and its advantages on the task ofpredicting (quantitative) satisfactionof STL formulae on stochastic processes: Using our kernel and the kernel trick, we learn (i) computationally efficiently (ii) a practically precise predictor of satisfaction, (iii) avoiding the difficult task of finding a way to explicitly turn formulae into vectors of numbers in a sensible way. We back the high precision we have achieved in the experiments by a theoretically sound PAC guarantee, ensuring our procedure efficiently delivers a close-to-optimal predictor.
Equivalence Checking for Orthocomplemented Bisemilattices in Log-Linear Time
Authors: Guilloud Simon , Kunčak Viktor 
Published: March 2022

AbstractMotivated by proof checking, we consider the problem of efficiently establishing equivalence of propositional formulas by relaxing the completeness requirements while still providing certain guarantees. We present a quasilinear time algorithm to decide the word problem on a natural algebraic structures we call orthocomplemented bisemilattices, a subtheory of Boolean algebra. The starting point for our procedure is a variation of Aho, Hopcroft, Ullman algorithm for isomorphism of trees, which we generalize to directed acyclic graphs. We combine this algorithm with a term rewriting system we introduce to decide equivalence of terms. We prove that our rewriting system is terminating and confluent, implying the existence of a normal form. We then show that our algorithm computes this normal form in log linear (and thus sub-quadratic) time. We provide pseudocode and a minimal working implementation in Scala.
Dartagnan: SMT-based Violation Witness Validation (Competition Contribution)
Authors: Ponce-de-León Hernán , Haas Thomas , Meyer Roland 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe validation of violation witnesses is an important step during software verification. It hides false alarms raised by verifiers from engineers, which in turn helps them concentrate on critical issues and improves the verification experience. Until the 2021 edition of the Competition on Software Verification (SV-COMP), CPAchecker was the only witness validator for the ConcurrencySafety category. This article describes how we extended the Dartagnan verifier to support the validation of violation witnesses. The results of the 2022 edition of the competition show that, for witnesses generated by different verifiers, Dartagnan succeeds in the validation of witnesses where CPAchecker does not. Our extension thus improves the validation possibilities for the overall competition. We discuss Dartagnan ’s strengths and weaknesses as a validation tool and describe possible ways to improve it in the future.
GWIT: A Witness Validator for Java based on GraalVM (Competition Contribution)
Authors: Howar Falk , Mues Malte 
Published: March 2022

AbstractGWIT is a validator for violation witnesses produced by Java verifiers in the SV-COMP software verification competition. GWIT weaves assumptions documented in a witness into the source code of a program, effectively restricting the part of the program that is explored by a program analysis. It then uses the GDart tool (dynamic symbolic execution) to search for reachable errors in the modified program.
Symbiotic 9: String Analysis and Backward Symbolic Execution with Loop Folding
Authors: Chalupa Marek , Mihalkovič Vincent , Řechtáčková Anna , Zaoral Lukáš , Strejček Jan 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe development of Symbiotic 9 focused mainly on two components. One is the symbolic executor Slowbeast, which newly supports backward symbolic execution including its extension called loop folding. This technique can infer inductive invariants from backward symbolic execution states. Thanks to these invariants, Symbiotic 9 is able to produce non-trivial correctness witnesses, which is a feature that is missing in previous versions of Symbiotic. We have also extended forward symbolic execution in Slowbeast with a basic support for parallel programs. The second component with significant improvements is the instrumentation module. In particular, we have extended the static analysis of accesses to arrays with features designed for programs that manipulate C strings.Symbiotic 9 is the Overall winner of SV-COMP 2022. Moreover, it won also the categories MemSafety and SoftwareSystems, and placed third in FalsificationOverall.
Theta: portfolio of CEGAR-based analyses with dynamic algorithm selection (Competition Contribution)
Authors: Ádám Zsófia , Bajczi Levente , Dobos-Kovács Mihály , Hajdu Ákos , Molnár Vince 
Published: March 2022

AbstractTheta is a model checking framework based on abstraction refinement algorithms. In SV-COMP 2022, we introduce: 1) reasoning at the source-level via a direct translation from C programs; 2) support for concurrent programs with interleaving semantics; 3) mitigation for non-progressing refinement loops; 4) support for SMT-LIB-compliant solvers. We combine all of the aforementioned techniques into a portfolio with dynamic algorithm selection.
Practical Applications of the Alternating Cycle Decomposition
Authors: Casares Antonio , Duret-Lutz Alexandre , Meyer Klara J. , Renkin Florian , Sickert Salomon 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIn 2021, Casares, Colcombet, and Fijalkow introduced the Alternating Cycle Decomposition (ACD) to study properties and transformations of Muller automata. We present the first practical implementation of the ACD in two different tools, Owl and Spot, and adapt it to the framework of Emerson-Lei automata, i.e., $$\omega $$
ω
-automata whose acceptance conditions are defined by Boolean formulas. The ACD provides a transformation of Emerson-Lei automata into parity automata with strong optimality guarantees: the resulting parity automaton is minimal among those automata that can be obtained by duplication of states. Our empirical results show that this transformation is usable in practice. Further, we show how the ACD can generalize many other specialized constructions such as deciding typeness of automata and degeneralization of generalized Büchi automata, providing a framework of practical algorithms for $$\omega $$
ω
-automata.
Electroweak phase transition and gravitational waves in a two-component dark matter model
Authors: Mohamadnejad Ahmad 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
We investigate an extension of the Standard Model (SM) with two candidates for dark matter (DM). One of them is a real scalar field and the other is an Abelian gauge field. Except for these two, there is another beyond SM field which has unit charge under a dark UD(1) gauge symmetry. The model is classically scale invariant and the electroweak symmetry breaks because of the loop effects. Although SM is extended with a new dark symmetry and three fields, because of scale invariance, the parameter space is strictly restricted compared to other two-component DM models. We study both DM phenomenology and electroweak phase transition and show that there are some points in the parameter space of the model consistent with DM relic density and direct detection constraints, while at the same time can lead to first order electroweak phase transition. The gravitational waves produced during the phase transition could be probed by future space-based interferometers such as Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and Big Bang Observer (BBO).
Dual-harm in adolescence and associated clinical and parenting factors
Authors: Spaan Pascalle , Michielsen Philip J. S. , de Neve-Enthoven Nita G. M. , Bouter Diandra C. , Grootendorst-van Mil Nina H. , Hoogendijk Witte J. G. , Roza Sabine J. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Purpose
Both aggression toward others and self peak in adolescence and interpersonal violence and suicide are among the leading causes of death in young people worldwide. Individuals who show both aggression toward others and self, i.e. dual-harm, may experience the worst outcomes. The current study investigates clinical and parenting factors associated with dual-harming in adolescence, to provide new insights for prevention and treatment.

Methods
In a prospective cohort of adolescents, oversampled on emotional and behavioral problems (n = 1022; aged 12–17 years), we investigated co-occurrence in harm toward others and self and presented findings in an area-proportional Euler diagram. Four harm groups (no harm, other-harm, self-harm, and dual-harm) were compared on intelligence scores, general functioning, emotional and behavioral problems, substance use, parental hostility, and harsh parenting with ANCOVAs and logistic regressions.

Results
In adolescents that other-harmed, the risk of self-harm was 1.9 times higher than for those who did not harm others. Dual-harm adolescents reported worse overall functioning, more emotional and behavioral problems, more parental hostility and harshness, and were more likely to use substances than those who did not engage in aggressive behaviors. No evidence of differences in intelligence scores between groups were found.

Conclusion
These findings highlight a vulnerable group of adolescents, at risk of future suicide, violent offending, and the development of severe psychopathology. Dual-harm is a promising marker for early intervention and referral to specialized mental health professionals. Further research is needed to examine underlying pathways and risk factors associated with persistent dual-harm trajectories into adulthood.
How to account for hallucinations in the interpretation of the antidepressant effects of psychedelics: a translational framework
Authors: van den Berg Manon , Magaraggia Igor , Schreiber Rudy , Hillhouse Todd M. , Porter Joseph H. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Rationale
Recent trials with psychedelics in major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression showed remarkable improvements in depressive symptoms that can last for up to several months after even a single administration. The lack of an appropriate placebo control group—as patients are often able to discriminate the subjective effects of the drug—and an incomplete understanding of the role of the hallucinogenic and mystical experience, hampers the interpretation of these therapeutic effects.

Objectives
To control for these factors, we developed a translational framework based on establishing pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationships in rodents and humans for hallucinogenic (i.e., discriminative stimulus effects in rodents and humans; head twitch responses in rodents; questionnaires in humans) and therapeutic effects. For the latter, we selected the pattern separation and attentional set-shifting tasks as measures for cognitive flexibility because of their high translational value. We predict that these PK/PD analyses will lead to a more objective evaluation of improvements in patients compared to relying only on the currently used self-reported questionnaires. We hypothesize that—if the role of the hallucinogenic experience is not central in the antidepressant effects of psychedelics—the ED50’s for the therapeutic effects will be significantly lower than for the hallucinogenic and mystical effects.

Conclusion
Our framework will help to inform future studies that aim at the elucidation of the mechanism(s) of action of psychedelics in depression, and the role of the acute subjective and/or hallucinogenic experience in their effects.
The role of artificial intelligence in paediatric neuroradiology
Authors: Pringle Catherine , Kilday John-Paul , Kamaly-Asl Ian , Stivaros Stavros Michael 
Published: March 2022

AbstractImaging plays a fundamental role in the managing childhood neurologic, neurosurgical and neuro-oncological disease. Employing multi-parametric MRI techniques, such as spectroscopy and diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging, to the radiophenotyping of neuroradiologic conditions is becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly with radiogenomic analyses correlating imaging characteristics with molecular biomarkers of disease. However, integration into routine clinical practice remains elusive. With modern multi-parametric MRI now providing additional data beyond anatomy, informing on histology, biology and physiology, such metric-rich information can present as information overload to the treating radiologist and, as such, information relevant to an individual case can become lost. Artificial intelligence techniques are capable of modelling the vast radiologic, biological and clinical datasets that accompany childhood neurologic disease, such that this information can become incorporated in upfront prognostic modelling systems, with artificial intelligence techniques providing a plausible approach to this solution. This review examines machine learning approaches than can be used to underpin such artificial intelligence applications, with exemplars for each machine learning approach from the world literature. Then, within the specific use case of paediatric neuro-oncology, we examine the potential future contribution for such artificial intelligence machine learning techniques to offer solutions for patient care in the form of decision support systems, potentially enabling personalised medicine within this domain of paediatric radiologic practice.
Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab for systemic therapy-naïve and -experienced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wu Chi-Jung , Lee Pei-Chang , Hung Ya-Wen , Lee Chieh-Ju , Chi Chen-Ta , Lee I-Cheng , Hou Ming-Chih , Huang Yi-Hsiang 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
Lenvatinib combined with pembrolizumab showed a promising result in an early phase study for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The efficacy and safety of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab for patients with unresectable HCC (uHCC) beyond the first-line setting were unclear.

Methods
Seventy-one consecutive patients who received lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab for uHCC were prospectively enrolled. Effect of lenvatinib combinations on Albumin-Bilirubin (ALBI) score and factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed.

Results
Of the 71 cases, 58 (81.7%) were in BCLC C. There were 44 (62%) for the first-line systemic treatment, and 27 (38%) had experienced targeted therapy or nivolumab treatment. The objective response rate and disease control rate (DCR) were 34.1% and 84.1% for the first-line setting, and 18.5% and 70.4% for systemic therapy-experienced cases (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1, RECIST v1.1), respectively. The mean ALBI score was stable during the treatment course. After a median of 9.3 months of follow-up, the median PFS was 9.3 months versus 4.4 months, and the median OS was not estimable yet versus 12 months for Child–Pugh A versus B patients, respectively. Prior nivolumab failure was the only significant factor associated with poorer PFS (HR = 3.253, p = 0.004). Child–Pugh class B (HR = 2.646, p = 0.039) and prior nivolumab failure (HR = 3.340, p = 0.014) were independent factors for poorer OS in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions
A high DCR was observed by lenvatinib/pembrolizumab combination without adverse effect on ALBI score for systemic therapy-naïve and -experienced uHCC. Suboptimal response to prior nivolumab-failed patients requires further exploration.
Anemia After Sleeve Gastrectomy and One‐Anastomosis Gastric Bypass: An Investigation Based on the Tehran Obesity Treatment Study (TOTS)
Authors: Barzin Maryam , Tasdighi Erfan , Ebadinejad Amir , Khalaj Alireza , Mahdavi Maryam , Valizadeh Majid , Hosseinpanah Farhad 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundBariatric surgery has been associated with iron, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies, which can lead to anemia. This study compares the incidence of anemia between sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and one‐anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB).MethodsPatients from a prospectively collected database of patients with morbid obesity undergoing a primary bariatric procedure from April 2013 to September 2018 were included. Statistical analysis was performed using the general estimation equation. Patients were followed for 6, 12, 24, and 36 months post‐surgery.ResultsThe present study included 2618 patients, of whom 72.3% underwent SG and 27.6% underwent OAGB. The majority of the study population were women (75.7%), and the mean age of the participants was 39.5 ± 11.7 years. At the end of the follow‐up, the excess weight loss percentage was 66.15 in the SG group and 75.41 in the OAGB group (P <  0.05). The incidence of anemia at 12‐, 24‐, and 36‐month was 16.2, 19.7, and 24.3% in the SG group and 28.4, 37.6, and 56.5% in the OAGB group, showing significantly higher incidence in the OAGB than the SG group ( < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the SG and OAGB groups regarding the incidence of iron and vitamin B12 deficiency.ConclusionsThe patients undergoing bariatric surgery, especially OAGB, should be closely monitored post‐surgery regarding the incidence of anemia, and supplementation in developing countries could be continued even after the first year.
Surgical Simulation Training for Medical Students: Strategies and Implications in Botswana
Authors: Bedada Alemayehu Ginbo , Hsiao Marvin , Chilisa Unami , Yarranton Brianne , Chinyepi Nkhabe , Azzie Georges 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe role of simulation in teaching technical skills to medical students is not yet well defined. Strategies for its use may be especially relevant where teachers, time, and resources are limited, especially in low‐middle‐income countries.MethodsSixty‐seven third‐year and 67 fifth‐year medical students at the University of Botswana were taught surgical skills by a trained peer medical student, a medical officer with no specialty training or a staff surgeon. Pre‐ and post‐intervention performance of two basic tasks (simple interrupted suture (SIS) and laparoscopic peg transfer (LPT)) and one complex task (laparoscopic intracorporeal suture (LIS)) were assessed. Subjective measures of self‐perceived performance, preparedness for internship, and interest in surgery were also measured.ResultsThe simulation program decreased the time to complete the two basic tasks and improved the objective score for the complex task. Performance of the basic skills improved regardless of the seniority of the instructor while performance of the advanced skill improved more when taught by a staff surgeon. All students had similar improvements in their self‐reported confidence to perform the skills, preparedness to assist in an operation and preparedness for internship, regardless of the seniority of their instructor. Students taught by a staff surgeon felt better prepared to assist in laparoscopic procedures.ConclusionSimulation‐based teaching of defined surgical skills can be effectively conducted by peers and near‐peers. The implications are widespread and may be most relevant where time and resources are limited, and where experienced teachers are scarce.
Housing conditions modify seasonal changes in basal metabolism and body mass of the Siberian hamster, Phodopus sungorus
Authors: Jefimow Małgorzata , Przybylska-Piech Anna S. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractProper housing conditions are important aspects of animal welfare. Animals housed in enriched environments show less stereotypic behaviours than animals kept in barren cages. However, different types of cage enrichment may affect the results of experimental studies and hinder comparative analyses of animal physiology and behaviour. We investigated whether access to a running wheel, availability of nesting material, and pair housing affect basal metabolic rate (BMR) of Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) under various acclimation conditions. We used 70 adult hamsters (35 males and 35 females) divided into five groups housed under different cage conditions. All individuals experienced the same acclimation procedure: first a winter (L8:D16) then a summer (L16:D8) photoperiod, at air temperatures of first 20 °C then 7 °C under both photoperiods. We found that nesting material and pair housing did not affect hamster BMR, while access to a running wheel increased BMR and body mass regardless of photoperiod and ambient temperature. Thus, we suggest that cage enrichment should be applied with caution, especially in studies on energetics or thermoregulation, particularly in seasonal animals.