bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analyzing spatial-temporal variability of ice motion in Northeast Greenland from 1985 to 2018
Authors: Lu Xi , Jiang Liming , Xiao Cunde , Li Daan 
Published: August 2022

The Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS), the largest basin in Greenland, is undergoing rapid and sustained dynamic change. However, the ice-flow behaviours over decadal timescales and the impacts of ice geometry and hydrology remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the spatial and temporal characteristics of ice motions of three branches in NEGIS between 1985 and 2018 in response to bed topographic features and surface meltwater runoff based on 33 years of annual ice velocities derived from the satellite image of Landsat series. Spatial heterogeneities in ice velocity were found in three glaciers and were correlated with subglacial topography. Specifically, the peak velocities of both Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden and Zachariæ Isstrøm glaciers occur near the grounding line zone, where tidewater acts as a crucial force causing ice retreat, subglacial melting, and further acceleration. While for the Storstrømmen glacier, changes in the slope of the ice bed might cause an increase in ice motion in its inland segment. The temporal variability of ice velocity for both Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden and Zachariæ Isstrøm glaciers shows a clear regional speedup, with a mean increase of 14.60% and 9.40% in 2001–2018 compared to 1985–2000, but a widespread slowing of Storstrømmen glacier with a mean of 16.30%, which were related to a 184% surface runoff increase. This hydrodynamic coupling on ice motion over decadal timescales in these three glaciers is in line with previous studies on short-term acceleration in NEGIS induced by surface melt, not in agreement with negative feedback between enhanced surface meltwater production and ice motion previously reported in the southwest Greenland ice stream. Our work highlights crucial roles of subglacial topography and surface runoff on ice motion, which helps to promote understanding of dynamic changes of NEGIS response to changing atmospheric circumstances.
Individualized model for predicting pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer: A multicenter study
Authors: Qian Bei , Yang Jing , Zhou Jun , Hu Longqing , Zhang Shoupeng , Ren Min , Qu Xincai 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundPathological complete response (pCR) is considered a surrogate for favorable survival in breast cancer (BC) patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), which is the goal of NACT. This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting the pCR probability of BC patients after NACT based on the clinicopathological features.MethodsA retrospective analysis of 527 BC patients treated with NACT between January 2018 and December 2021 from two institutions was conducted. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to select the most useful predictors from the training cohort (n = 225), and then a nomogram model was developed. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated with respect to its discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness. Internal validation and external validation were performed in an independent validation cohort of 96 and 205 consecutive BC patients, respectively.ResultsAmong the 18 clinicopathological features, five variables were selected to develop the prediction model, including age, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) T stage, Ki67 index before NACT, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and hormone receptor (HR) status. The model showed good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.825 (95% CI, 0.772 to 0.878) in the training cohort, and 0.755 (95% CI, 0.658 to 0.851) and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.724 to 0.856) in the internal and external validation cohorts, respectively. The calibration curve presented good agreement between prediction by nomogram and actual observation, and decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that the nomogram had good net benefits in clinical scenarios.ConclusionThis study constructed a validated nomogram based on age, AJCC T stage, Ki67 index before NACT, HER2, and HR status, which could be non-invasively applied to personalize the prediction of pCR in BC patients treated with NACT.
Intelligent quantitative assessment on the spray performance of alternative aviation fuel
Authors: Liu Ziyu , Wang Zhichao , Gu Xiaoyu , Liu Haobo , Yang Luhua , Yang Jingying , Yang Xiaoyi 
Published: August 2022

Drop-in alternative aviation fuel (AAF), as a blend of petroleum-derived kerosene with sustainable jet fuel, has the advantage in CO2 reduction and could be used without any modifications to the engine and aircraft. Therefore, drop-in AAF blending could not scarify the performance compared to traditional jet fuel. For assessing the spray performance quantitatively, traditional jet fuel (RP-3) with blending alternative compositions including paraffins, cycloparaffins, and aromatics was designed. Carbon number distribution and classification distribution in jet fuel compositions that would influence spray performance are well investigated. The cone angle and liquid length are recognized by a shadow image, while Sauter mean diameter (SMD) and velocity are investigated by phase-Doppler anemometry (PDA). The liquid length and droplet size of bicyclohexane, phenyl-cyclohexane, heptadecane, and octadecane conduct a significant deviation compared with RP-3, which complies with the large deviations of Lb (f)[σ0.25 μf0.25 ρf0.25], which extracted the fuel property item from the liquid length, and Oh(f) [μfσ−0.5ρf−0.5], which extracted the fuel property item from the Ohnesorge number. The blending fuels of those cannot be certified as drop-in fuel due to obvious deviation to RP-3, which also presents differences in carbon number distribution and classification distribution. The spray empirical models were established quantitatively to assess the characteristics of the liquid sheet and droplet for discovering the blend fuel effects. The empirical equations of the liquid length and SMD calibrated by evaporation constants can agree well with the experimental data except for blends of bicyclohexane, phenyl-cyclohexane, C17, and C18. The integrated spray performance assessment models developed could benefit from certifying drop-in fuel at the spray level quantitatively.
New techniques for old fires: Using deep learning to augment fire maps from the early satellite era
Authors: Boothman Rylan , Cardille Jeffrey A. 
Published: August 2022

Disturbances such as fire play a critical role in forest ecosystems. However, anthropogenic fires can profoundly impact forests to the point of destabilizing ecosystems. In addition, fires have legacy effects on environments which may be observed in forests for decades after the fire is extinguished. Thus, understanding the extent of historic fires in a landscape is vital to understanding current forest structure and ecological processes (e.g., carbon sequestration capacity and provision of habitat) and, therefore, essential for informing land-management decisions. However, little work has been done to map forest fires pre 1980s due to the challenges of interpreting imagery from the 1970s-era Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) platform. MSS imagery is distinguished from recent satellite missions through lower temporal, spatial, and spectral resolutions. Recent advances in image processing have brought the goal of high-quality MSS classifications within reach. In this study, we use deep learning, specifically UNet (a fully convolutional neural network (CNN)), to detect historic forest fires in MSS imagery for the forest-dominated regions of Quebec, Canada. While other studies have applied deep learning to present-day satellite data for land cover classification, hardly any work has specifically applied deep learning to MSS data for fire detection. We trained our UNet model on 206 MSS images that were labelled by applying thresholds to the Burned Area Index inside polygons drawn by the authors around burned areas. We then used the trained model to label burns in 5104 MSS images that were compiled to generate annual burned area maps. Our results identified (with a 95% confidence interval) 3503.95 ± 484.90 km2 of burns not previously reported in any database; this represents a 35.30 ± 3.94% increase in the total known burned area across the forest-dominated regions of Quebec between 1973 and 1982.
Exploration of shared gene signature with development of pre-eclampsia and cervical cancer
Authors: Yin Tingting , Yin Yin , Qu Lin 
Published: August 2022

Background: The relationship between pre-eclampsia (PE) and cervical cancer (CC) has drawn more attention recently, while little is known about the shared pathogenesis of CC and PE. In the present research, we aimed to generate the shared gene network as well as the prognostic model to reveal the development of CC and PE.Methods: The transcription data of CC and PE patients were obtained and enrolled into weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) analysis. Disease-specific modules in CC and PE were determined to discover the shared genes. The expression patterns of genes at protein level were examined by HPA database. Further, LASSO penalty regression and Cox analysis were applied to create a prognostic signature based on the shared genes, with survival curves and ROC plots employed to confirm the predictive capacity. To uncover the function roles and pathways involved in signature, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted. Finally, the immune infiltration status in CC was depicted using CIBERSORT algorithms.Results: WGCNA determined three hub modules between CC and PE. A total of 117 shared genes were obtained for CC and PE and mainly enriched in cell proliferation, regulation of cell development and neuron differentiation. Then, we created a robust prognostic model based on the 10 shared genes by performing stepwise Cox analyses. Our proposed model presented a favorable ability in prognosis forecast and was correlated with the infiltration of immunocytes including B cells, macrophages and T cells. GSEA disclosed that high-risk group was involved in cancer-related pathways.Conclusion: The present project identified the shared genes to uncover the pathogenesis of CC and PE and further proposed and validated a prognostic signature to accurately forecast the clinical outcomes of CC patients.
European Registry on Helicobacter pylori Management (Hp-EuReg): Most relevant results for clinical practice
Authors: Nyssen Olga P. , Moreira Leticia , García-Morales Natalia , Cano-Català Anna , Puig Ignasi , Mégraud Francis , O’Morain Colm , Gisbert Javier P. 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundThe ideal treatment approach for H. pylori infection has not yet been defined; therefore, the most effective management strategies for adult patients need to be identified to ensure clinical practice is aligned with the best standard of care. Our aim was to perform a review of research studies from the European Registry on H. pylori management (Hp-EuReg) by synthesizing the most clinically relevant information from each published manuscript.MethodsAll research studies published between 2013 and 2022, evaluating any information related to H. pylori infection management within the Hp-EuReg, a long-term registry of routine clinical practice by gastroenterologists in Europe, were included in the review.ResultsOverall, 26 studies have been published to date, where 12 evaluated the overall European data and the remaining were performed locally among the 28 participating countries. Eighteen studies evaluated the effectiveness of first- and/or second-line treatment, where one focused on penicillin allergic patients, six focused on specific treatment schemes, one evaluated the role of statins as a concomitant drug when combined with the eradication therapy, one assessed the adverse event profile of treatments, one evaluated the bacterial antibiotic resistance trends, and a last one reported on the common mistakes in routine clinical practice of European gastroenterologists.ConclusionThe Hp-EuReg had a major influence on the routine clinical practice of European gastroenterologists, improving H. pylori eradication treatment success, allowing to make recommendations in line with the current consensus guidelines and potentially serving as a model for other diseases.
Quality of information offered to women by drug sellers providing medical abortion in Nigeria: Evidence from providers and their clients
Authors: Akinyemi Akanni , Owolabi Onikepe Oluwadamilola , Erinfolami Temitope , Stillman Melissa , Bankole Akinrinola 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundEvidence confirmed that the demand for medical abortion (MA) increased significantly during the COVID-19 outbreak in many developing countries including Nigeria. In an abortion-restrictive setting like Nigeria, local pharmacies, and proprietary patent medicine vendors (PPMVs) continue to play a major role in the provision of MA including misoprostol. There is the need to understand these providers' knowledge about the use of misoprostol for abortion and the quality of information they provide to their clients. This analysis is focused on assessing the quality of care provided by both drug seller types, from drug sellers' and women's perspectives.MethodologyThis study utilized primary data collected from drug sellers (pharmacists and PPMVs) and women across 6 Local Government Areas in Lagos State, Nigeria. The core sample included 126 drug sellers who had sold abortion-inducing drugs and 386 women who procured abortion-inducing drugs from the drug sellers during the time of the study. We calculate quality-of-care indices for the care women received from drug sellers, drawing on WHO guidelines for medication abortion provision. The index based on information from the sellers had two domains—technical competency and information provided to clients, while the index from the women's perspectives includes an additional domain, client experience.ResultsResults show that the majority of drug sellers in the sample, 56% (n = 70), were pharmacists. However, far more than half of women 60% (n = 233) had visited PPMVs. Overall, the total quality score amongst all drug sellers (mean 0.48, SD0.15) was higher than the total score calculated based on women's responses (mean 0.39, SD 0.21). Using our quality-of-care index, pharmacies and PPMVs seem to have similar technical competency (mean score of 0.23, SD 0.13 in both groups (range 0–1), whilst PPMV's performed better on the information provided to client domain (mean score of 0.79, SD 0.17 compared with pharmacies 0.69, SD 0.25). Based on women's reports, PPMVs scored better on both quality of care domains (technical competency and information provided to clients) compared with pharmacies.Program/Policy ImplicationIn resource-constrained settings such as Nigeria, particularly in the context of health emergencies like COVID-19, there is the need to continue to strengthen and engage PPMVs' capacity and skills in dispensing and administration of MA drugs as a harm reduction strategy. Also, there is the need to target frontline providers in pharmacies for training and skill upscale in MA provision.
SARS-CoV-2 antibody progression and neutralizing potential in mild symptomatic COVID-19 patients – a comparative long term post-infection study
Authors: Brehm Jessica , Spaeth Alexander , Dreßler Lars , Masetto Thomas , Dannenberg Rainer , Peter Christoph , Grimmler Matthias 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundSince December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has been keeping the world in suspense. Rapid tests, molecular diagnosis of acute infections, and vaccination campaigns with vaccines are building blocks of strategic pandemic control worldwide. For laboratory diagnostics, the quantification of the antibody titer of convalescents and vaccinated patients is thus increasingly coming to the fore.MethodsHere we present an evaluation on the comparability of five serological tests on a cohort of 13 patients with mild COVID-19 disease. Also participants who were vaccinated after recovery were included in this study. All common immune methods (ELISA, CLIA, PETIA) and SARS-CoV-2 specific antigens (N-, S1- and RBD-) were specifically tracked and directly compared for up to 455 days. The titer of recovered participants was also set to the degree of symptoms during infection and the occurrence of Long-COVID. In addition, relative comparability of different serological tests, all standardized to WHO, was set in reference to the neutralizing potential of the corresponding participants.FindingsThe individual immune responses over 455 days after a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection remain stable, in contrast to vaccinated participants. All sero-tests reveal comparable performance and dynamics during the study and compared well to a surrogate neutralization test.ConclusionThe information presented here will help clinicians in the daily laboratory work in the selection and evaluation of different serological tests offered. The data also will support in respect of a sero-test-based neutralization cutoff.
Modulation of dendritic cell metabolism by an MPLA-adjuvanted allergen product for specific immunotherapy
Authors: Zimmermann Jennifer , Goretzki Alexandra , Meier Clara , Wolfheimer Sonja , Lin Yen-Ju , Rainer Hannah , Krause Maren , Wedel Saskia , Spies Gerd , Führer Frank , Vieths Stefan , Scheurer Stephan , Schülke Stefan 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundRecently, bacterial components were shown to enhance immune responses by shifting immune cell metabolism towards glycolysis and lactic acid production, also known as the Warburg Effect. Currently, the effect of allergen products for immunotherapy (AIT) and commercial vaccines on immune cell metabolism is mostly unknown.ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of AIT products (adjuvanted with either MPLA or Alum) on myeloid dendritic cell (mDC) metabolism and activation.MethodsBone marrow-derived mDCs were stimulated with five allergoid-based AIT products (one adjuvanted with MPLA, four adjuvanted with Alum) and two MPLA-adjuvanted vaccines and analyzed for their metabolic activation, expression of cell surface markers, and cytokine secretion by ELISA. mDCs were pre-incubated with either immunological or metabolic inhibitors or cultured in glucose- or glutamine-free culture media and subsequently stimulated with the MPLA-containing AIT product (AIT product 1). mDCs were co-cultured with allergen-specific CD4+ T cells to investigate the contribution of metabolic pathways to the T cell priming capacity of mDCs stimulated with AIT product 1.ResultsBoth the MPLA-containing AIT product 1 and commercial vaccines, but not the Alum-adjuvanted AIT products, activated Warburg metabolism and TNF-α secretion in mDCs. Further experiments focused on AIT product 1. Metabolic analysis showed that AIT product 1 increased glycolytic activity while also inducing the secretion of IL-1β, IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-α. Both rapamycin (mTOR-inhibitor) and SP600125 (SAP/JNK MAPK-inhibitor) dose-dependently suppressed the AIT product 1-induced Warburg Effect, glucose consumption, IL-10-, and TNF-α secretion. Moreover, both glucose- and glutamine deficiency suppressed secretion of all investigated cytokines (IL-1β, IL-10, and TNF-α). Glucose metabolism in mDCs was also critical for the (Th1-biased) T cell priming capacity of AIT product 1-stimulated mDCs, as inhibition of mTOR signaling abrogated their ability to induce Th1-responses.ConclusionThe AIT product and commercial vaccines containing the adjuvant MPLA were shown to modulate the induction of immune responses by changing the metabolic state of mDCs. Better understanding the mechanisms underlying the interactions between cell metabolism and immune responses will allow us to further improve vaccine development and AIT.
Investigating population-level immunosenescence: From bench to bedside
Authors: Cunha Lucas Leite , Valsecchi Victor Alexandre dos Santos , Ward Laura Sterian 
Published: August 2022

The immune response is remodeled with aging in a process called immunosenescence. Some immunologists conceive immunosenescence as an adaptation of immunity to the aged immune-environment rather than a merely collapsed reactivity of immune cells against microbes and tumor cells. Others believe on an uninterrupted activation of the innate immune system with aging, leading to a low grade, sterile and chronic proinflammatory state called inflammaging. For instance, it is possible that chronic infection by cytomegalovirus leads to persistent production of viral load. This phenomenon offers periodic stimuli to the immune system that ultimately contribute to the remodeling of the immune response. If investigating immunosenescence at the cellular level is already a difficult task, considering the population level is much more complex. However, by studying immunosenescence at the population level, we can extract valuable results with viable applications. While studies with animal models allow scientists to deepen their understanding of the mechanisms of immunosenescence, studying large populations can bring practical innovations to medicine and the health system. Many researchers and funders have dedicated themselves to producing methods for the evaluation of immunosenescence on a large scale, aiming to elucidate new mechanisms by which diseases are established in the elderly. The description of how the immune response is remodeled with aging emerges as a new tool to identify the subset of subjects in which unhealthy aging is a matter of time, to help better individualize clinical management and select patients who may benefit. of early interventions. This review focuses on functional assays as valuable methods for measuring the remodeling of the immune response with aging and discuss their clinical impact. We also recall fundamental concepts for understanding the aging process of the immune response. In addition, we highlight future prospects for immunosenescence research.