julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) profile and clinical outcomes in first-line (1L) advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC): A modelling analysis based on CheckMate 9ER (CM9ER) trial.
2024-01-29

384 Background: Cabozantinib plus nivolumab (CN) is a 1L therapy for aRCC. In the CM9ER trial CN had superior efficacy to sunitinib (SUN) and showed HRQoL benefit. We investigated the relationship between clinical outcomes, treatment and early deterioration in HRQoL dimensions in the CM9ER population. Methods: Using the CM9ER intention-to-treat (ITT) population (median follow-up 32.9 months) we: (a) explored time-to-event outcomes for CN vs SUN (b) identified determinants of HRQoL benefit by performing ordinal regression using the 19-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Kidney Symptom Index (FKSI-19) item scores at week 13 (c) investigated relationships between early (week 13) deterioration in FKSI-19 items and clinical outcomes using a cox proportional modeling framework. First, univariate Cox proportional hazard modeling assessed the predictiveness of early FKSI-19 item deterioration (sig. threshold p ≤ 0.20). Items with significant univariate associations with the outcome were included in multivariate regression modeling (sig. threshold p ≤ 0.10). Treatment and baseline stratification factors (geographic region, baseline IMDC score, PD-L1 status) remained in all models. Results: All CM9ER ITT patients (N = 651; CN, 323; SUN, 328) were included. Compared with SUN, CN patients had a longer median duration of treatment (94.6 wks vs 36.5 wks), time to disease progression (83.1 wks vs 42.1 wks) and time to first grade 3/4 adverse event (16.3 wks vs 12.0 wks). FKSI-19 items with early deterioration favoring CN vs SUN ( p ≤ 0.05) were: lack of energy; pain; fatigue; bone pain; weak all over; nausea; bothered by treatment side effects; able to work. The table reports variables significantly associated with clinical outcomes ( p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Early deterioration in bone pain and sleep were associated with increased risk of mortality, and early deterioration in pain with reduced risk of toxicity-related discontinuation. We found no association between early FKSI-19 item deterioration and risk of progression or tumor shrinkage. Controlling for other variables, CN (vs SUN) treatment was positively and significantly associated with increased chance of tumor shrinkage, survival and progression-free survival, independent of early HRQoL deterioration. Clinical trial information: NCT03141177 . [Table: see text]
Many weak and few strong links: The importance of interaction strength distributions for stabilising patterns in competition networks
2024-01-29

1 Abstract Ecological networks tend to contain many weak and only few strong interactions. Furthermore, interaction strengths are often arranged or patterned in ways that enhance stability. However, little attention has been given to the relation between the “many weak and few strong links” distribution and the stabilising effect of patterning. Here, we focus on the stabilising effect of hierarchy in bryozoan competition networks, and demonstrate that it critically depends on a skewed distribution of interaction strengths. To this end, we first show that, in line with many other ecological networks, the empirically derived interaction strengths in competition networks were characterised by a high level of skewness, with many weak and few strong links. Then, we analysed the relationship between the interaction strength distributions, hierarchy and stability by comparing theoretical competition matrices with different distributions of interaction strengths. We found that the full stabilising effect of hierarchy only appeared when we used skewed interaction strengths produced by a gamma distribution, but not in matrices built with uniform or half-normal distributions. This has important methodological implications, since theoretical studies often assume normal or uniform distributions to study ecological stability, and therefore might overlook stabilising mechanisms. We conclude that since skewed interaction strengths are a common feature of ecological networks, they can be expected to play an important role in the relation between structure and stability in living systems.
Ground States for Infrared Renormalized Translation-Invariant Non-Relativistic QED
2024-01-29

Abstract We consider a translation-invariant Pauli–Fierz model describing a non-relativistic charged quantum mechanical particle interacting with the quantized electromagnetic field. The charged particle may be spinless or have spin one half. We decompose the Hamiltonian with respect to the total momentum into a direct integral of so-called fiber Hamiltonians. We perform an infrared renormalization, in the sense of norm resolvent convergence, for each fiber Hamiltonian, which has the physical interpretation of removing an infinite photon cloud. We show that the renormalized fiber Hamiltonians have a ground state for almost all values for the total momentum with modulus less than one.
Continuous Sensing and Parameter Estimation with the Boundary Time Crystal
2024-01-30

A boundary time crystal is a quantum many-body system whose dynamics is governed by the competition between coherent driving and collective dissipation. It is composed of N two-level systems and features a transition between a stationary phase and an oscillatory one. The fact that the system is open allows one to continuously monitor its quantum trajectories and to analyze their dependence on parameter changes. This enables the realization of a sensing device whose performance we investigate as a function of the monitoring time T and of the system size N. We find that the best achievable sensitivity is proportional to sqrt[T]N, i.e., it follows the standard quantum limit in time and Heisenberg scaling in the particle number. This theoretical scaling can be achieved in the oscillatory time-crystal phase and it is rooted in emergent quantum correlations. The main challenge is, however, to tap this capability in a measurement protocol that is experimentally feasible. We demonstrate that the standard quantum limit can be surpassed by cascading two time crystals, where the quantum trajectories of one time crystal are used as input for the other one.
Quantifying Individual Personality Change More Accurately by Regression-Based Change Scores
2024-01-30

We investigated three different approaches for quantifying individual change and reporting it back to persons: (a) the common change score, which is obtained by first computing scale scores from two consecutive measurements and then subtract these scores from one another, (b) the ad-hoc approach, which is similar to the former approach but uses regression scores instead of scale scores, and (c) Kelley's approach, which computes the change score directly from a regression. Specifically, we compared these approaches with one another with regard to the mean squared error (MSE), a measure of the accuracy of an estimator. Our findings indicated that the ad-hoc approach and Kelley's approach provide change scores that can be more accurate in terms of the MSE than the common change score and that Kelley's approach can be more accurate than the ad-hoc approach under certain conditions. Moreover, we present an example and provide a step by step guide to implement the approaches.
How [18F]FDG-PET/CT Affects the Management of Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma in Clinical Routines
2024-01-30

Purpose: To investigate the impact of [18F]FDG-PET/CT on the management of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in routine clinical settings. Material and methods: In total, 98 patients (55 females, age 56 ± 18 years) with histologically confirmed thyroid cancer, including all types of DTC and poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC, n = 7), underwent [18F]FDG-PET/CT for staging or recurrence diagnostics performed using a state-of-the art clinical scanner (Biograph mCT, Siemens Healthineers) with a standardized examination protocol. The impact of PET/CT on clinical decision making was prospectively evaluated using standardized questionnaires completed by the referring physicians before and after PET/CT. Patient outcome was analyzed for OS drawn from patient records. Results: Referring physicians were unable to establish a treatment plan for 81% of patients with thyroid cancer in the absence of PET/CT. The use of PET/CT had a notable influence on patient management, leading to the development of a well-defined treatment plan for 92% of patients. Moreover, after PET/CT a change in pre-PET/CT-intended treatments occurred in 32% of cases, and further invasive diagnostic could be waived in 7% of cases. [18F]FDG-PET/CT revealed a tumor detection rate of 68% (local tumor: 19%, lymph node metastases: 40%, distant metastases: 42%). HTg levels, when stimulated via TSH, were considerably higher in patients with metastases detected on PET/CT, compared to those without metastatic findings (p = 0.02). OS was significantly worse in patients with PDTC (p = 0.002) compared to follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) and PTC or even in patients with distant metastases at first diagnosis (p = 0.03). Conclusions: This prospective registry study confirms that [18F]FDG-PET/CT used in a routine clinical setting has a very important impact on the management of patients with thyroid cancer by initiating treatments and reducing the uses of additional imaging and invasive tests.
Ancient biomolecules suggest learned foraging strategy in extinct cave bears
2024-01-30

Learning plays an important role in the ecology and evolution of species. Although learning has been extensively studied in extant populations, studying learning in long extinct species represents a much greater challenge because individuals and thei behaviour cannot be directly observed, and their individual relatedness is more challenging to study using molecular methods. However, an interdisciplinary approach combining dietary behaviour revealed by isotope analysis and relatedness estimated using ancient DNA might offer new insights into the learning behavior of extinct species and populations. In this study, we examine dietary variation in Late Pleistocene cave bears from the Romanian Carpathians using stable isotopes. We find that dietary variation among these cave bears is not associated with genetic relatedness inferred using mitochondrial DNA, nor is it associated with Late Pleistocene large scale-climatic oscillations, since different dietary niches existed contemporaneously. Individual cave bears within the same population therefore appear to have had different dietary preferences. This implies that dietary preference was not determined at birth, and instead developed during the early life stages of the animal, most likely facilitated through learning which was not necessarily acquired from close kin. Combining diet inferred from stable isotopes with genetic relationships inferred from ancient mitogenomes thus reveals aspects of the behavioral ecology of an extinct Pleistocene animal with an unprecedented level of detail.
Motivated with joy or anxiety: Does approach-avoidance goal framing elicit differential reward-network activation in the brain?
2024-01-30

Abstract Psychological research on human motivation repeatedly observed that approach goals (i.e., goals to attain success) increase task enjoyment and intrinsic motivation more strongly than avoidance goals (i.e., goals to avoid failure). The present study sought to address how the reward network in the brain—including the striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex—is involved when individuals engage in the same task with a focus on approach or avoidance goals. Participants reported stronger positive emotions when they focused on approach goals, but stronger anxiety and disappointment when they focused on avoidance goals. The fMRI analyses revealed that the reward network in the brain showed similar levels of activity to cues predictive of approach and avoidance goals. In contrast, the two goal states were associated with different patterns of activity in the visual cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum during success and failure outcomes. Representation similarity analysis further revealed shared and different representations within the striatum and vmPFC between the approach and avoidance goal states, suggesting both the similarity and uniqueness of the mechanisms behind the two goal states. In addition, the distinct patterns of activation in the striatum were associated with distinct subjective experiences participants reported between the approach and the avoidance conditions. These results suggest the importance of examining the pattern of striatal activity in understanding the mechanisms behind different motivational states in humans.
Virtual reality (VR) as a testing bench for consumer optical solutions: a machine learning approach (GBR) to visual comfort under simulated progressive addition lenses (PALs) distortions
2024-01-30

Abstract For decades, manufacturers have attempted to reduce or eliminate the optical aberrations that appear on the progressive addition lens’ surfaces during manufacturing. Besides every effort made, some of these distortions are inevitable given how lenses are fabricated, where in fact, astigmatism appears on the surface and cannot be entirely removed, or where non-uniform magnification becomes inherent to the power change across the lens. Some presbyopes may refer to certain discomfort when wearing these lenses for the first time, and a subset of them might never adapt. Developing, prototyping, testing and purveying those lenses into the market come at a cost, which is usually reflected in the retail price. This study aims to test the feasibility of virtual reality (VR) for testing customers’ satisfaction with these lenses, even before getting them onto production. VR offers a controlled environment where different parameters affecting progressive lens comforts, such as distortions, image displacement or optical blurring, can be inspected separately. In this study, the focus was set on the distortions and image displacement, not taking blur into account. Behavioural changes (head and eye movements) were recorded using the built-in eye tracker. We found participants were significantly more displeased in the presence of highly distorted lens simulations. In addition, a gradient boosting regressor was fitted to the data, so predictors of discomfort could be unveiled, and ratings could be predicted without performing additional measurements.
Practical guidance for direct oral anticoagulant use in the treatment of venous thromboembolism in primary and metastatic brain tumor patients
2024-01-30

Abstract Management of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors (BT) is challenging because of the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). There are no prospective clinical trials evaluating safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), specifically in patients with BT, but they are widely used for VTE in this population. A group of neuro‐oncology experts convened to provide practical clinical guidance for the off‐label use of DOACs in treating VTE in patients with BT. We searched PubMed for the following terms: BTs, glioma, glioblastoma (GBM), brain metastasis, VTE, heparin, low‐molecular‐weight heparin (LWMH), DOACs, and ICH. Although prospective clinical trials are needed, the recommendations presented aim to assist clinicians in making informed decisions regarding DOACs for VTE in patients with BT.
Mucosal response of Inactivated and Recombinant COVID-19 vaccines in Congolese individuals
2024-01-30

Background: The efficacy of immunization against an airborne pathogen depends in part on its ability to induce antibodies at the major entry site of the virus, the mucosa. Recent studies have revealed that mucosal immunity is poorly activated after vaccination with mRNA vaccines, thus failing in blocking virus acquisition upon its site of initial exposure. Little information is available about the induction of mucosal immunity by inactivated and recombinant COVID-19 vaccines. This study aims to investigate this topic. Methods: Saliva and plasma samples from 440 healthy Congolese were collected including (1) fully vaccinated two month post vaccination with either an inactivated or a recombinant COVID-19 vaccine and (2) non-vaccinated control group. Total anti-SARS-COV-2 RBD IgG and IgA antibodies were assessed using in-house ELISAs for both specimens. Findings: Altogether, the positivity of IgG was significantly higher in plasma than in saliva samples both in vaccinated and non-vaccinated control groups. Inversely, IgA positivity was slightly higher in saliva than in plasma of vaccinated group. The overall IgG and IgA levels were respectively over 103 and 14 times lower in saliva than in plasma samples. We found a strong positive correlation between IgG in saliva and plasma also between IgA in both specimens (r = 0.70 for IgG and r = 052 for IgA). Interestingly, contrary to IgG, the level of salivary IgA was not different between seropositive control group and seropositive vaccinated group. No significant difference was observed between recombinant and Inactivated COVID-19 vaccines in total IgG and IgA antibody concentration release 2 months post vaccination both in plasma and saliva. Conclusion: Inactivated and recombinant COVID-19 vaccines in use in the Republic of Congo poorly activated mucosal IgA mediated antibody response two months post-vaccination.
Heat Tolerance of Gammarus fossarum (Crustacea, Amphipoda) Is Influenced by the Level of Stress Associated with Reproduction and the Water Quality of Their Habitat
2024-01-30

To elucidate how rising temperatures influence native amphipods, and how the expansion of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with a fourth purification stage can alter temperature-related effects, studies were conducted in anthropogenically influenced rivers in Southwest Germany. Gammarids were sampled up- and downstream of two WWTPs, and exposed to elevated temperatures in the laboratory. Gammarids separated from precopula pairs were more sensitive to exposure-related stress and to a temperature increase than animals that were not in the reproductive phase. Furthermore, females were significantly more sensitive than males. Adult gammarids sampled individually at the WWTP with three purification stages showed a similar tolerance to elevated temperature at the up- and downstream site. In contrast, mortality following heat stress was substantially lower in animals sampled downstream of the WWTP with four treatment stages than in those sampled at the upstream site. We assume that the increased sensitivity of artificially separated precopula pairings reflect the situation under high hydraulic stress after heavy rainfall. Our results further illustrate the importance of WWTP upgrades in the context of climate change: gammarids sampled downstream the upgraded fourth-stage WWTP were likely exposed to lower levels of micropollutants, and thus may have allocated energy from detoxification to heat stress responses.
Revising clustering and small-worldness in brain networks
2024-01-30

As more connectome data become available, the question of how to best analyse the structure of biological neural networks becomes increasingly pertinent. In brain networks, knowing that two areas are connected is often not sufficient, as the directionality and weight of the connection affect the dynamics in crucial ways. Still, the methods commonly used to estimate network properties, such as clustering and small-worldness, usually disregard features encoded in the directionality and strength of network connections. To address this issue, we propose using fully-weighted and directed clustering measures that provide higher sensitivity to non-random structural features. Using artificial networks, we demonstrate the problems with methods routinely used in the field and how fully-weighted and directed methods can alleviate them. Specifically, we highlight their robustness to noise and their ability to address thresholding issues, particularly in inferred networks. We further apply our method to the connectomes of different species and uncover regularities and correlations between neuronal structures and functions that cannot be detected with traditional clustering metrics. Finally, we extend the notion of small-worldness in brain networks to account for weights and directionality and show that some connectomes can no longer be considered ``small-world''. Overall, our study makes a case for a combined use of fully-weighted and directed measures to deal with the variability of brain networks and suggests the presence of complex patterns in neural connectivity that can only be revealed using such methods.
Stability of Inference Generation in Older Adults: The Pictorial Advantage and Resilience to Cognitive Decline
2024-01-30

Narrative comprehension, which depends on a range of cognitive abilities, is key to being part of society. Despite extensive research on how aging impacts cognition, the effects of aging on narrative comprehension remain not fully understood. With depression and chronic pain becoming more prevalent in older populations, it's essential to identify factors influencing narrative comprehension in aging societies. This preregistered study investigates the impact of age, education, and presentation format (i.e., the narration’s codality – pictures vs. texts) on narrative comprehension in older individuals (N = 143, 62 - 86 years) using a bridging inference generation test. Participants were presented with pictorial and textual stories consisting of three panels, with the second panel replaced with a blank panel. Their task was to comprehend the stories and to identify (in)correct inferences for the missing event. Results indicate that despite age-related declines in memory and cognitive skills, narrative comprehension is independent of age and education. Further, pictorial stories yielded better comprehension than textual stories, independent of age and education. Physical and mental activity along with stable social contacts were tested as preventive factors. Depression, anxiety, chronic pain, poor sleep, and stress were tested as risk factors. We found more evidence supporting the stability of narrative comprehension, as the studied preventive and risk factors had no impact on it. Exploratory, we discovered that narrative comprehension relates to memory performance but not to other tested cognitive skills. We discuss these findings in light of current findings and theories in the field of event cognition.