bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The clinicopathological significance and prognosis of long non-coding RNA SNHG14 expression in human cancers: a meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Zijiao , Jiang Xia
Published: May 2023

Background
Recently, the role of long non-coding RNA small nucleolar host gene14 (SNHG14) in various human cancers has attracted much attention. We will investigate the effects of SNHG14 expression on clinicopathological features and prognosis of different types of human cancer patients by meta-analysis.
Methods
We had speculated the potential association between SNHG14 expression and the prognostic significance and clinical features of cancer patients during some studies were searched electronically using PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library. Cochrane collaboration software (RevMan 5.3) was used to analyze the potential association between SNHG14 expression and prognostic significance and clinical features of cancer patients. Fixed and random-effects were used to measure pooled estimates. Corresponding odds ratios (OR) OR risk ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were compared to evaluate the prognostic value of SNHG14.
Result
Overall, 19 randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 1221 patients. The high expression rate of SNHG14 in the TNM stage I-II group was lower than that in the stage III-IV group (OR = 0.63; 95% CI,0.45 ~ 0.88; P = 0.006). In terms of lymph node metastasis, the high expression rate of SNHG14 in the group without lymph node metastasis was significantly lower than that in the group with lymph node metastasis (OR = 0.47; 95%CI, 0.33 ~ 0.65, P＜0.00001); As for distant metastasis, the high expression rate of SNHG14 in the group without distant metastasis was lower than that in the group with distant metastasis (OR = 0.41; 95%CI, 0.20 ~ 0.83;P = 0.01). In terms of survival outcome, high SNHG14 expression was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 1.56; 95%CI, 1.22 ~ 1.99, P = 0.0004).
Conclusion
High expression of LncRNA SNHG14 is significantly associated with poor prognosis and advanced clinical features, suggesting that LncRNA SNHG14 can be used as a potential biomarker for predicting prognosis and clinical features in patients with various cancers.
Peripheral blood biomarkers in Immune Checkpoint Inhibition therapy in Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: GHELANI GHANSHYAM , Mandava Anupa , BouZerdan Maroun , Mehta Radhika , Sivapiragasam Abirami , Wong Roger
Published: May 2023

Background
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are extensively employed in the management of various solid cancers. Our study aims to assess the potential prognostic and predictive value of peripheral blood biomarkers, as well as their correlation with adverse events.
Methods
In this study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of data retrieved from a cohort of 23 patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma at a single institution between 2015 and 2019. Specifically, we focused on analyzing the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), absolute neutrophil + monocyte-to-absolute lymphocyte + eosinophil ratio (ANMC/ALEC) from complete blood count (CBC), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level from peripheral blood to assess their correlation with progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and immune-related adverse events (irAEs).
Results
Our findings revealed that NLR values less than 0.34 and ANMC/ALEC ratio less than 3.45 were associated with improved PFS and OS, as well as a lower incidence of immune-related adverse events, which supports our initial hypothesis. However, these results were not statistically significant due to the low power of our study. On the other hand, high NLR values were significantly associated with higher pre-treatment LDH levels (P-value = 0.037), which is a well-established adverse prognostic factor in melanoma. Additionally, high ANMC/ALEC ratios were also found to be associated with high LDH levels, although this relationship was not statistically significant (P-value = 0.133).
Conclusion
The results of our study suggest that patients with lower pre-treatment NLR and ANMC/ALEC ratios have better PFS and OS, as well as lower incidence of irAEs. Conversely, those with high NLR and high ANMC/ALEC ratios exhibited lower PFS and OS, as well as higher incidence of irAEs. High NLR and ANMC/ALEC ratios were also found to be associated with higher pre-treatment LDH levels, which have previously been demonstrated to be an adverse prognostic factor in melanoma [6, 8, 11].
Determinants of sickness presenteeism among Ghanaian workers: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Mensah Justice , Amponsah-Tawiah Kwesi , Tamakloe Setornam Abui
Published: May 2023

Objective: The study explored the impact of demographic factors (gender, age, educational qualification, income, employment type, and position) on sickness presenteeism in Ghana.
Results: Using a one-way independent sample analysis of variance (ANOVA) the study found that the gender, age, and educational qualification of Ghanaian workers did not have a significant effect on sickness presenteeism. However, the study found that the income of employees in Ghana had a significant impact on sickness presenteeism. Furthermore, the study revealed that the employment type of employees had a significant impact on significant presenteeism among Ghanaian workers. Lastly, the findings revealed that the level of management employees operate in has a significant impact on sickness presenteeism. Further analysis revealed that the self-employed and employees at the executive level recorded higher sickness presenteeism. The study concludes by admonishing employers to create a culture that prioritizes employee health, as it will consequently enable them to achieve their business goals.
New orbital angular momentum multiplexing strategy: beyond the capacity limit of free-space optical communication
Authors: Yan Wenxiang , Gao Yuan , Long Xian , Yuan Zheng , Ren Zhi-Cheng , Wang Xi-Lin , Wang Hui-Tian , Ding Jianping
Published: May 2023

Free-space optical (FSO) communication can exploit mode-division multiplexing using orthogonal spatial modes of Laguerre-Gaussian beams, such as orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes, wherein OAM multiplexing offers potentially infinite information capacity due to the arbitrary quantization of OAM. Combined with polarization-division multiplexing and wavelength-division multiplexing, OAM multiplexing is a promising solution for future capacity demands. However, the practically addressable number of spatial subchannels is severely limited by the receiver size and the rapid beam expansion with increasing mode order and communication distance. Based on the intrinsic and distinctive property that the divergent degree of the innermost ring of a Laguerre-Gaussian beam is significantly slower than that of the beam cross-section during propagation, here we propose theoretically and demonstrate experimentally a novel communication strategy—innermost-ring-dominated OAM (IRD-OAM) multiplexing—that can overcome these limits and achieve up to 1238% capacity of conventional OAM multiplexing in a canonical FSO link system without any additional hardware modifications. Alternatively, our strategy can also enable longer communication distance (403% of that for conventional OAM multiplexing), or smaller receiver (26.9% in size compared to conventional OAM multiplexing), while maintaining the same capacity as conventional OAM multiplexing. Our work will hasten the development of future FSO communications with ultra-high capacity, ultra-long distance, and highly-integrated devices for deep-space, near-Earth and Earth-surface applications.
Traces of Human Attitudes in Contemporary and Historical Word Embeddings (1800-2000)
Authors: Morehouse Kirsten , Rouduri Vaibhav , Cunningham Wil , Charlesworth Tessa
Published: May 2023

Attitudes are argued to reflect widespread cultural information – information that can be revealed through language from contemporary and historical time. Yet research directly quantifying the relationship between attitudes and language patterns at-scale remains limited. Here, we address the question of whether and how attitudes are related to language by combining data from implicit and explicit attitudes of >200,000 participants towards 55 topics alongside language representations from word embeddings trained on 9 contemporary text corpora and 200 years of historical books. Results show strong relationships between implicit attitudes and language patterns, persisting beyond explicit attitudes, cultural attitudes, and even across two centuries. Explicit attitudes were not related to language in any corpus or time-period. Theoretically, language and implicit attitudes reflect widespread and historically-persistent statistical regularities, while explicit attitudes are filtered through values/goals. And methodologically, results provide validation of emerging research using language to expand the study of implicit social cognition.
A Mechanistic Reinterpretation of Fast Inactivation in Voltage-Gated Na+ Channels
Authors: Liu Yichen , Bassetto Carlos , Pinto Bernardo , Bezanilla Francisco
Published: May 2023

The hinged-lid model is long accepted as the canonical model for fast inactivation in Nav channels. It predicts that the hydrophobic IFM motif acts intracellularly as the gating particle that binds and occludes the pore during fast inactivation. However, the observation in recent high-resolution structures that the bound IFM motif locates far from the pore, contradicts this preconception. Here, we provide a mechanistic reinterpretation of fast inactivation based on structural analysis and ionic/gating current measurements. We demonstrate that in Nav1.4 the final inactivation gate is comprised of two hydrophobic rings at the bottom of S6 helices. These rings function in series and close downstream of IFM binding. Reducing the volume of the sidechain in both rings leads to a partially conductive “leaky” inactivated state and decreases the selectivity for Na+ ion. Altogether, we present an alternative molecular framework to describe fast inactivation.
Implementing a Screen-Clean-Hydrate bundle of care for improving swallow screening, oral health and hydration in acute stroke: Protocol for a Type 2 hybrid-effectiveness pre-post study
Authors: Murray Joanne , Gunasekaran Sulekha , Doeltgen Sebastian , George Stacey , Harvey Gillian
Published: May 2023

Background
Stroke clinical guidelines recommend care processes that optimise patient outcomes and minimise hospital-acquired complications. However, compliance audits and surveys illustrate that recommended care is not always consistently or thoroughly implemented. This paper outlines the methods for a study implementing and evaluating a new bundle of care, named Screen-Clean-Hydrate, aiming to improve compliance with stroke guidelines in the areas of swallow screening, oral healthcare and hydration.
Methods
The study is a pre-post Type 2 Hybrid Effectiveness/Implementation design with an embedded process evaluation. The integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (iPARIHS) framework will be used to guide the study design, conduct and evaluation. The study will be conducted in two acute stroke units in a capital city of Australia. Screen-Clean-Hydrate bundles together recommendations from the Australian Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management and supplements these with evidence-informed best practice from the literature for: swallow screening within four hours of presentation to hospital (Screen); oral health assessment and delivery of routine oral care (Clean); and hydration assessment and management (Hydrate). Clinical effectiveness will be measured by rates of ICD-10AM coded hospital-acquired complications and proxy measures of cost (length of stay, procedure costs) for 60 patient participants pre- and post-implementation. Implementation outcomes will focus on acceptability, feasibility, uptake and fidelity, and identification of barriers and enablers to implementation through staff interviews, medical record audits and researcher field notes.
Discussion
Bundles of health care processes to target hospital-acquired complications have successfully been implemented in other areas of healthcare. Screen-Clean-Hydrate bundles together and makes explicit the recommendations from the Australian clinical stroke guidelines for swallow screening, oral health and hydration and their importance for functional recovery and avoidance of hospital-acquired complications. Due to its design as a hybrid effectiveness/implementation study, once completed, the study will provide information on both intervention and implementation effectiveness, including details of successful and unsuccessful multidisciplinary implementation strategies. This will inform a larger multi-site effectiveness/implementation trial and promote upscale across other settings for improved compliance with stroke guidelines and therefore stroke outcomes.
The benefit of a glass die relative to a metal die in microforming
Authors: Huang Kuo Ming , Chang Chuan-Hsiang , Ramanuel Joseph
Published: May 2023

This study investigated the application of a glass die in the forming of microproducts. Lower surface friction and better material flow are achieved in the microforming process when using a glass die than when using a metal die. In contrast to metal dies, glass dies need not repeatedly polished or coated to maintain their smooth surface. Moreover, lubrication is required in the microforming process in the case of a metal die but not glass die. We performed simulated and experimental double-cup extrusion tests on glass dies and found that glass dies affect the direction of material flow. Overall, this study demonstrates that a larger contact area between the billet and the die, a lower friction force, better material flow at specific locations, and a smaller difference between internal and external flows can be achieved when using a glass die in the microforming process than when using a metal die in this process.
Water use of a super high density olive orchard submitted to regulated deficit irrigation in Mediterranean environment over three contrasted years
Authors: Ferrara Rossana , Bruno Maria Roberta , Campi Pasquale , Camposeo Salvatore , Carolis Gabriele , Gaeta Liliana , Martinelli Nicola , Mastrorilli Marcello , Modugno Anna Francesca , Mongelli Teresa , Piarulli Mariagrazia , Ruggieri Sergio , Rana Gianfranco
Published: May 2023

The measurement of transpiration at the field level is a challenging topic in crop water use research, particularly for orchards. The super high density olive orchard system is in great expansion all over the world, so these investigations are necessary to assess the trees water use under different irrigation techniques. Here, transpiration at plant and stand scales was measured using the sap flow thermal dissipation method, in an olive orchard (cv. “Arbosana”) subjected to full and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) with a withholding irrigation period under Mediterranean climate (southern Italy). The measurement method was used after specific calibration and correction for wound effect, azimuthal and gradient errors. Water use efficiency (WUE) and water productivity (WP) were determined over three complete growth seasons (2019–2022). The seasons were submitted to highly contrasted weathers. Measurements of stem water potential and stomatal conductance showed that the RDI trees were under mild-moderate water stress only during the withholding irrigation period. Results showed that seasonal Tr was not significantly different in the two treatments in all seasons (249 and 267 kgm− 2, 249 and 262 kgm− 2, 231 and 202 kgm-2 for FI and RDI in the three seasons, respectively) and that WUE was greater in RDI treatment without any impact on yield. The main conclusion is that, when the available water in the soil is limited, olive trees decrease transpiration under any atmospheric conditions, but when the water in the soil is amply available, drought conditions lead to a decrease in tree transpiration.
A qualitative investigation on experiences concerning breast cancer-related lymphedema in the coastal area of Fukushima, Japan in the long-term aftermath of the 2011 triple disaster
Authors: Kobayashi Naomi , Ozaki Akihiko , Kotera Yasuhiro , Kaneda Yudai , Bhandari Divya , Takamatsu Katsumori , Kasai Tadashi , Arai Megumi , Takasaki Junko , Saito Hiroaki , Sawano Toyoaki , Kanemoto Yoshiaki , Sato Hiroyuki , Tsubokura Masaharu , Kurokawa Tomohiro , Tachibana Kazunoshin , Wada Masahiro , Tanimoto Tetsuya , Ohtake Tohru , Ejiri Tomozo , Shimmura Hiroaki , Kanzaki Norio
Published: May 2023

Disasters could jeopardize breast cancer care, and the 2011 Japan’s triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident) has been no exception. However, the information is lacking regarding its details, including that concerning breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). We aimed to explore the process of becoming aware of BCRL among the local patients and the problems faced and the support needed by them. We also aimed to clarify any effects of the 2011 disaster on the experiences related to lymphedema among the target population. Patients who developed BCRL following the breast cancer treatment were recruited in Iwaki City, a municipality located in the southern coastal Fukushima (N = 16). In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face, and the obtained data were appraised with thematic analysis. Five themes related to BCRL were identified: 1) process of becoming aware of BCRL, 2) troubles or worries/concerns due to BCRL, 3) information source regarding BRCA management, 4) strategies to cope with BCRL, 5) adverse impacts of the 2011 disaster on BCRL management. This qualitative analysis clarified the five themes related to BCRL. The themes except for the disaster context were in line with the previous studies conducted in the non-disaster context. There were limited but non-neglectable adverse impacts of the 2011 disaster on the long-term local BCRL management.
Development of Pistia spp.- Based Biochar Filter for the Treatment of Industrial Wastewater: A Green Approach
Authors: Jayathilake Pramod Ihara , Manage Pathmalal Marakkala , Idroos Fathima Sumaiya
Published: May 2023

Biochar (BC) has a viable wastewater treatment agent. The invasive aquatic plant Pistia spp. was used to produce BC. Activated and non-activated BC samples were individually incorporated into a filter. Water quality parameters were measured in the experiment before and after treatment. The control filter was developed using only sand and gravel. The effect of particle sizes of BC (65-125mm and 125-250mm) and repeated treating process on treatment efficiency were carried out as optimization studies for activated BC filter. The filter unit containing activated BC showed a higher treatment efficiency. The results of the optimization study revealed that, the BC integrated filter units could be used to treat wastewater for three consecutive cycles. The BC's small particle size (65-125mm) recorded the highest treatment. This particle size showed turbidity reduction by 99.72 %. It was found that reduction of Total Phosphates, Ammoniacal Nitrogen, TSS, COD, Nitrate, BOD5 and TKN by 97.82 %, 91.49 %, 88.38 %, 88.18 %, 87.44 %, 84.38 %, and 84.38 % respectively. BC derived from Pistia spp. is a promising adsorbent for wastewater treatment. Findings of the study showed a long-term green wastewater treatment method that makes effective use of invasive aquatic plants.
Aspirin use increases risk of immune-related adverse events in cancer patients treated with immunotherapy: analysis of the FAERS database
Authors: yang huaju , Liu Zheran , Li Ruidan , Huang Rendong , Peng Xingchen
Published: May 2023

Background The promise of immunotherapy in cancer treatment is tempered by the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Many patients undergoing immunotherapy also take aspirin, but the impact of aspirin on irAEs is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the association between aspirin use and irAEs in patients receiving immunotherapy.Methods This study analyzed adverse reaction data associated with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database, from the approval date of each drug until October 1, 2022. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to assess the effect of aspirin use on irAEs in patients receiving ICIs. .Results The analysis included 123,104 patients who underwent immunotherapy, of whom 5359 also received aspirin. The results showed that aspirin use was associated with an increased risk of irAEs in the pan-cancer analysis, and this association was more pronounced in specific cancer types such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and pancreatic cancer. Additionally, aspirin use was correlated with an elevated risk of certain irAEs such as anaemia, colitis, myocarditis, myositis, pancreatitis, pericarditis and pneumonitis.Conclusions These findings suggest that aspirin exposure is associated with a higher risk of irAEs in patients undergoing cancer immunotherapy. Moreover, different cancer types and the ICI types can also impact irAEs.
Transcriptome analysis of harvested okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) in response to chilling stress
Authors: Zhu Zhi-peng , Yu Jian-xiang , Tang Xin-hui , Zhu De-wei , Xiong Ai-sheng , Sun Miao
Published: May 2023

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) is a novel vegetable with high nutritional and medicinal values. However, as a cold-sensitive crop, okra pods are susceptible to chilling injury (CI) during cold chain packaging and transportation, and the molecular mechanism of postharvest okra pods in response to chilling stress has not been elucidated. In this study, after storage at 4 °C for 15 d, okra pods from ‘Hokkaido’ exhibited progressively worseningCI symptoms, as well as continuously elevated CI index and CI incidence. Transcriptomic analysis showed that during low-temperature storage, many unigenes were activated by chilling stress and were mainly enriched in ‘Signal transduction’, ‘Amino acid metabolism’, and ‘Carbohydrate metabolism’. Further studies showed that the biosynthesis and signaling mechanism of ethylene (ETH) and abscisic acids (ABA) was activated by chilling stress, which induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) over-accumulation and up-regulated genes related to membrane lipid peroxidation. Chilling stress also activated genes involved in chlorophyll degradation and reduced chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll content. In addition, 156 transcription factors (TFs) belonging to 12 families were identified from transcript databases. This study gained insight into the chilling transcriptional response mechanism of postharvest okra pods, which will contribute to cold chain management and molecular breeding of okra.
Impact of Hemodialysis on Efficacies of the Antiplatelet Agents in Coronary Artery Disease Patients Complicated with End‑Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Ye Zekang , Ullah Inam , Wang Qin , Lin Qingxia , Wu Tianyu , Yang Mingwen , Fan Yuansheng , Dong Zhou , Wang Tong , Teng Jianzhen , Hua Rui , Tang Yingdan , Li Yule , Gong Xiaoxuan , Yuan Liang , Li Chunjian
Published: May 2023

Background It is controversial whether hemodialysis affects the efficacy of the antiplatelet agents. We aimed to investigate the impact of hemodialysis on efficacies of the antiplatelet agents in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients complicated with end‑stage renal disease (ESRD).
Methods 86 CAD patients complicated with ESRD requiring hemodialysis were consecutively enrolled. After 5-day treatment with aspirin and clopidogrel or ticagrelor, the platelet aggregations induced by arachidonic acid (PLAA) or adenosine diphosphate (PLADP), and the P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) were measured before and after hemodialysis. The propensity matching score method was adopted to generate a control group with normal renal function from 2439 CAD patients.
Results In patients taking aspirin, the PLAA remained unchanged after hemodialysis. In patients taking clopidogrel, the PLADP (37.26 ± 17.04 vs. 31.77 ± 16.09, p = 0.029) and corresponding clopidogrel resistance (CR) rate (23 [48.9%] vs.14 [29.8%], p = 0.022) significantly decreased after hemodialysis, though PRU remained unchanged. Subgroup analysis indicated that PLADP significantly decreased while using polysulfone membrane (36.8 ± 17.9 vs. 31.1 ± 14.5, p = 0.024). In patients taking ticagrelor, PLADP, and PRU remained unchanged after hemodialysis. ESRD patients had higher incidences of aspirin resistance (AR) and CR compared to those with normal renal function (AR: 16.1% vs. 0%, p = 0.001; CR: 48.4% vs. 24.8%, p = 0.024).
Conclusion Hemodialysis does not have negative effect on the efficacies of aspirin, clopidogrel and ticagrelor in ESRD patients with CAD. On the contrary, clopidogrel response may be improved while using the polysulfone membrane during hemodialysis. ESRD patients have higher incidences of AR and CR compared with those with normal renal function.
Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03330223.
Temporal and small-scale spatial variation in distribution, abundance, and reproduction of Australian hijiki analogues in southwest Victoria
Authors: Vairo Daniel , Bellgrove Alecia , Biancacci Cecilia
Published: May 2023

Exploration of Australian fucoids for aquaculture production has been limited, despite globally high regional diversity and endemism. Sargassum fusiforme (hijiki in Japanese) is amongst the most highly valued seaweeds worldwide for human consumption, but concerns about high arsenic concentrations limit importation into countries with strict safe-food regulations and standards. We investigated the temporal and small-scale spatial variation in distribution, abundance, growth (estimated by changes in length), reproduction (estimated from the number of fertile conceptacles per receptacle and/or percentage of reproductive branches) and biofouling of two Australian sargassaceous fucoids, Cystophora torulosa and Caulocystis uvifera, that show promise as low-arsenic alternatives to hijiki. Temporal variation was assessed by seasonal surveys in a single year, in which small-scale spatial variation was assessed at a single site for each species, comparing high-shore and low-shore for intertidal C. torulosa and distance from the shore for subtidal C. uvifera. For C. torulosa, no significant variation in distribution, abundance or reproduction was observed; however, growth peaked in winter. Moreover, biofouling of C. torulosa was minimal throughout the study. In contrast, significant temporal variation was observed for C. uvifera with peaks in growth and reproduction in spring, and biofouling in summer. In both species, reproductive output increased with thallus length. Whilst both species might be promising Australian hijiki analogues, the temporal and spatial consistency in reproduction and minimal biofouling may render cultivation of C. torulosa more practical for successful commercialisation than for C. uvifera. However, generality of our findings should be assessed at larger spatial and temporal scales.
Pediatric supracondylar humeral fractures： a safe entry zone of medial pinning based on intraoperative fluoroscopy to avoid iatrogenic ulnar nerve injury
Authors: Liu Hongbin , Zhu Yong , Hu Yi , Li Kaihu , Long Haitao , Lin Zhangyuan , Zhao Ruibo , Sun Buhua , Zhao Shushan , Cheng Liang
Published: May 2023

Background
For children with supracondylar humeral fractures (SHFs), iatrogenic ulnar nerve injury resulting from medial pinning remains a challenge for orthopedic surgeons. This study aims to explore a safe medial pinning zone and assess its efficacy.
Methods
First, the radiographic images of a healthy elbow were reconstructed and mapped by E3d software to display the safe medial pinning zone we summarized. Second, all the pediatric SHF cases treated by our team between May 2014 to May 2020 were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the pinning zone. Furthermore, we proposed a hand gesture to fast locate the safe medial pin insertion point.
Results
On the anteroposterior (AP) view, the upper 1/2 part of the slope line segment we defined was safe since the ulnar nerve traversed the ulnar groove at the lower 1/2 part. On the lateral view, the diamond zone we defined was a safe entry zone. In the retrospective study, 134 SHF cases were included and divided into two groups. In group A (74 cases), the medial Kirschner wire (K-wire) was inserted from the safe zone at both AP and lateral views, while in group B (60 cases) the medial pinning point was beyond the safe entry zone. The incidence of iatrogenic ulnar nerve injury in group A was significantly lower than in group B (P < 0.01). Moreover, the exploration and neurolysis of the ulnar nerve were performed in patients involving postoperative ulnar nerve dysfunction. A left-hand gesture by the surgeon during operations could help to fast locate the safe insertion point of medial pins.
Conclusion
Medial pinning from the safe entry zone based on intraoperative fluoroscopy is an easy, reliable, and reproducible technique to avoid iatrogenic ulnar nerve injury in children with SHFs.
Investigation of optical properties and chemical structure of Nd2O3 nanoparticles deposited on NaX zeolite powder using plasma focus device
Authors: Seyedhabashi Mir Mohammad Reza , Hosseinpour Hesham , Noori Ehsanollah
Published: May 2023

In this study, nanoparticles of neodymium oxide were deposited on NaX zeolite powder using a 5.3 kJ Mather‒type plasma focus device. The NaX zeolite samples were exposed to the 10, 15, and 20 shot numbers of the plasma focus device at a distance of 14 cm from the anode tip and 0 angular positions with respect to the anode axis. Parent NaX zeolite and NaX:Nd composites with different Nd2O3 percent weights were characterized using different techniques such as; XRF, XRD, SEM, FT‒IR, and UV‒vis. It was shown that the amount of Nd2O3 in the samples increases with increase of the shot number. It was also found from the results that variations in amount of Nd2O3 can have significant effects on the degree of the crystallinity and optical properties of final products such as refractive index, band gap energy, dielectric constant, and absorption coefficients.
Basketball Action Recognition Based on the Combination of YOLO and a Deep Fuzzy LSTM Network
Authors: Khobdeh Soroush Babaee , Yamaghani Mohammad Reza , Sareshkeh Siavash Khodaparast
Published: May 2023

The ability to identify human actions in uncontrolled surroundings is important for human-computer interaction (HCI), especially in the sports areas to offer athletes, coaches, and analysts valuable knowledge about movement techniques and aid referees in making well-informed decisions regarding sports movements. Noteworthy, recognizing human actions in the context of basketball sports remains a difficult task due to issues like intricate backgrounds, obstructed actions, and inconsistent lighting conditions. Accordingly, a method based on the combination of YOLO and deep fuzzy LSTM network is proposed in this paper. YOLO is utilized for detecting players in the frame and the combination of LSTM and fuzzy logic is used to perform the final classification. The reason behind using LSTM along with fuzzy logic refers to its inability in coping with uncertainty which led to the creation of a more transparent, interpretable, and accurate predictive system. The proposed model was validated on SpaceJam and Basketball-51 datasets. Based on the empirical results, the proposed model outperformed all baseline models on both datasets which obviously confirms the priority of our combinational model for basketball action recognition.
Characteristics and Services Utilization by Users of Home Care Services in Catalonia: A Retrospective Cohort-Based Study of a Social Program for Dependent Individuals
Authors: Contel Joan C. , Vila Anna , Vela Emili , Santaeugènia Sebastià J. , Amblàs-Novellas Jordi , Barbeta Conxita , Hilarión Pilar , Plaza Aina , Piera-Jiménez Jordi
Published: May 2023

Introduction:
Home Care Services (HCS) for care-dependent individuals enable their independent lives at home. We aimed to characterize users and evaluate the impact of social HCS for dependent individuals.
Methods:
Retrospective study including all social HCS recipients for individuals with the official recognition of dependency from Catalonia using 2018–2019 data from the Autonomy and Dependency Care System and the Catalan Health Surveillance System. Variables were social and healthcare services utilization and expenditure. HCS recipients were compared to non-recipients. Changes in services utilization and expenditure before and after HCS were estimated.
Results:
The 48,885 individuals who received HCS in 2019 were mostly >84 years, women, and had moderate dependency. Recipients’ prevalence was higher among low-/very-low-income individuals. HCS users had a higher morbidity burden than non-recipients with increased healthcare service utilization and associated expenditures. After HCS initiation, Telecare, day center, and most healthcare services utilization increased. Social and healthcare service-associated expenditures increased from a mean of 535 to 867 €/individual/month after HCS initiation, mostly due to HCS.
Conclusions:
Social HCS dependency recipients were overall very old, with moderate dependency, low-income, high morbidity, and intensive use of healthcare services. HCS is associated with increased social service-associated expenditures and modestly decreased healthcare-associated expenditures.
Implicit and Explicit Knowledge_Based Deep learning Technique for Indoor Wayfinding Assistance Navigation
Authors: Afif Mouna , Ayachi Riadh , Yahia Said , Atri Mohamed
Published: May 2023

indoor objects and recognition present a very important task in artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision fields. This task is an increasingly important especially for blind and visually impaired (BVI) indoor assistance navigation. An increasing interest is addressed for building new assistance technologies used to improve the daily life technologies used to improve the daily life activities qualities for BVI persons. To fulfill this need we propose in this work a new deep learning based techniques used for indoor wayfinding assistance navigation. we propose to use in this paper a new deep learning-based technique based on You Only Learn One Representation YOLOR network. This network enables a combination between implicit and explicit learning and knowledge just like the human brain can do. By introducing the implicit knowledge, the neural network is able to generate a unified representation that can serve for different tasks. In order to train and test the proposed indoor wayfinding assistance system, we proposed to work with the proposed indoor signage dataset. Based on the conducted experiments, the proposed indoor wayfinding system has demonstrated very interesting results. We applied different optimizations techniques in order to reduce the network size and parameters number to make the proposed model suitable for implementation on embedded devices. As a detection performance, we obtained 95.62% mAP for the original version of YOLOR network and 93.12% mAP for the compressed version and 28 FPS as detection speed.
Mitochondrial Diabetes Mellitus with Mitochondrial DNA 3316G>A Mutation: A Unique Autopsy Case Presenting with Sepsis-Associated Cholestasis
Authors: Mashiba Chikara , Shioya Akihiro , Kumagai Motona , Hoshi Daisuke , Yoshida Mitsuteru , Shimasaki Miyako , Oyama Takeru , Shirakawa Tomohiko , Yamada Sohsuke
Published: May 2023

Background
We describe a unique autopsy case of mitochondrial diabetes mellitus (MDM) with mitochondrial DNA 3316G > A mutation, in which, a characteristic sepsis-associated cholestasis was finally recognized via the pathological examinations, and the clinical diagnosis of the cause of jaundice with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia was very difficult.
Case Presentation: A 74-year-old Japanese female was diagnosed with MDM showing a point mutation at mitochondrial DNA 3316G > A on the age of 38. She had been treated with hemodialysis due to the diabetic nephropathy and end-stage renal failure since the age of 66. She noticed urinary tract infection and diabetic gangrene of foot with Gram-negative Bacteroides fragilis bacteremia, followed by aggressive jaundice with high serum level of direct bilirubin, and died 2 months after the symptom onset. At autopsy, multiple foci of bacteremia-induced hemorrhagic infarction were observed in the congestive bilateral lungs, whereas the cholestatic liver revealed no overt gross cholangiectasis. Microscopic findings characteristically showed many bile thrombi in the biliary canaliculi of hepatic lobules without any evidence of severe shock liver. Finally, we diagnosed exclusively and conclusively as sepsis-associated cholestasis due to the marked elevation of Gram-negative bacteria-derived endotoxins and inflammatory cytokines.
Conclusion
We propose that these unique liver features in our MDM case might be one of new clues to unveil its enigmatic etiology. Further prospective studies are needed to validate the presence and significance of sepsis-associated cholestasis, after collecting and investigating a larger number of MDM cases with mitochondrial DNA 3316 mutation examined.
Protecting the privacy of social network data using graph correction
Authors: Toroghi Amir Dehaki , Hamidzadeh Javad
Published: May 2023

Today, the rapid development of online social networks, as well as low costs, easy communication, and quick access with minimal facilities have made social networks an attractive and very influential phenomenon among people. The users of these networks tend to share their sensitive and private information with friends and acquaintances. This has caused the data of these networks to become a very important source of information about users, their interests, feelings, and activities. Analyzing this information can be very useful in predicting the behavior of users in dealing with various issues. But publishing this data for data mining can violate the privacy of users. As a result, data privacy protection of social networks has become an important and attractive research topic. In this context, various algorithms have been proposed, all of which meet privacy requirements by making changes in the information as well as the graph structure. But due to high processing costs and long execution times, these algorithms are not very appropriate for anonymizing big data. In this research, we improved the speed of data anonymization by using the number factorization technique to select and delete the best edges in the graph correction stage. We also used the Chaotic Krill Herd algorithm to add edges, and considering the effect of all edges together on the structure of the graph, we selected edges and added them to the graph so that it preserved the graph's utility. The evaluation results on the real-world datasets, show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm in Comparison with the state-of-the-art methods to reduce the execution time and maintain the utility of the anonymous graph.
Engineering stringent genetic biocontainment of yeast with a protein stability switch
Authors: Hoffmann Stefan A. , Cai Yizhi
Published: May 2023

Synthetic biology holds immense promise to tackle key problems we are facing, for instance in resource use, environmental health, and human health care. However, comprehensive safety measures are needed to deploy genetically engineered microorganisms in open-environment applications. Intrinsic, genetically encoded biocontainment systems, which control cell survival based on environmental cues, can solve this issue. Here, we describe a genetic biocontainment system based on conditional stability of essential proteins. We used a yeast-adapted destabilizing domain degron, which can be stabilized by estradiol addition (ERdd). Leveraging the yeast GFP collection and lab automation platforms, we ERdd-tagged 775 essential genes and screened for strains with estradiol dependent growth. Three genes, SPC110, DIS3 and RRP46, were found to be particularly suitable targets. Respective strains showed no growth defect in the presence of estradiol and strong growth inhibition in its absence. SPC110-ERdd offered the most stringent containment, with an escape frequency of 7.0×10− 8, and full growth restoration at 100 nM estradiol. By systematically analyzing the containment escapees, we identified the non-essential C-terminal region of SPC110 as target for escape mutations. Its removal decreased the escape frequency with a single ERdd tag further to 4.9×10− 9. Combining SPC110-ERdd with a second ERdd tag on either DIS3 or RRP46 resulted in escape frequencies below the detection limit of the used assay (< 2×10− 10). Being based on conditional protein stability, this approach is mechanistically orthogonal to previously reported intrinsic biocontainment systems. It thus can be readily combined with other systems, for instance ones based on transcriptional or translational control of essential gene expression, to achieve multiplexed, extremely stringent control over the survival of engineered organisms.
WITHDRAWN: 1.6 Tbps hybrid bidirectional symmetric TWDM-OFDM PON using 2D spectral/spatial SWZCC code
Authors: SingSH
Published: May 2023

The hybrid time and wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network (TWDM-PON) with a 1:128 split ratio and 16- quadrature amplitude modulation orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (QAM-OFDM) modulation system using optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) code results in high transmission security, channel capacity and robustness against interference. Thus in this paper, a bidirectional symmetric 1.6 Tbps hybrid TWDM-OFDM PON system using two-dimensional spectral/spatial-single weight zero cross-correlation (2D-S/S SWZCC) code supporting a large number of users for long-reach as well as high-speed applications has been proposed and analysed considering fiber impairments and noise. Numerically calculated receiver sensitivity (RS) and splitter power budget (SPB) are -36dBm and 23dB for downstream as well as RS and SPB for upstream transmission of -33dBm and 10dB respectively showing the supremacy of using 2D-S/S SWZCC code in the system than other OCDMA codes. Also, the simulation results show that the proposed system using 2D-SS SWZCC code provides a faithful 120km transmission distance as well as a high transmission rate of 16×15/20Gbps with a maximum received power of -32.8dBm supporting more than 190 simultaneous users. The designed PON system offers the best performance over other conventional PONs. The number of users can be increased up to 250 with an optical signal-to-noise ratio of 110 dB and -30 dBm received power.
RETRACTED: Flat Ball Topology Based 2.5Tbps/100km MultiTransceivers Gigabit-Ethernet Passive Optical Network Architecture
Authors: SinghSH
Published: May 2023

Research Square has removed this preprint due to concerns regarding authorship and originality of content.
Long-term and extensive population decline drives elevated expression of genetic load in a critically endangered seabird
Authors: Chen Guoling , Zheng Chenqing , Peng Lanhui , Yang Jia , Dong Feng , Lu Yiwei , Wang Siyu , Fan Zhongyong , Song Gang , Chen Shuihua , Liu Yang
Published: May 2023

Endangered species serve as valuable models to understand the genetic legacy of historical demographic bottlenecks. Genomic erosion compromises the efficiency of purifying selection on deleterious mutations, thus reducing species’ adaptive potential. Untangling demographic history and its genetic legacy remains a significant challenge for endangered species. Comparing genomic characteristics between a critically endangered seabird, the Chinese crested tern and its abundant sister species, the Great crested tern, we show that the current small population size (< 150 individuals) of the Chinese crested tern is due to massive reduction of effective population size by 98.8% through the Last Glacial Maximum. We found evidence of inbreeding depression in the Chinese crested tern because of elevated expression of deleterious mutations, and more pathogenic variants of disease-related genes, likely leading to fitness loss. These findings highlight the power of conservation genomics between species with different conservation status to understand genomic erosion and inform future conservation management.
Towards classification of 5d SCFTs: Single gauge node
Authors: Jefferson Patrick , Kim Hee-Cheol , Vafa Cumrun , Zafrir Gabi
Published: May 2023

We propose a number of apparently equivalent criteria necessary for the consistency of a 5d SCFT in its Coulomb phase and use these criteria to classify 5d SCFTs arising from a gauge theory with simple gauge group. These criteria include the convergence of the 5-sphere partition function; the positivity of particle masses and monopole string tensions; and the positive definiteness of the metric in some region in the Coulomb branch. We find that for large rank classical groups simple classes of SCFTs emerge where the bounds on the matter content and the Chern-Simons level grow linearly with rank. For classical groups of rank less than or equal to 8, our classification leads to additional cases which do not fit in the large rank analysis. We also classify the allowed matter content for all exceptional groups.
IT investment and Islamic banking performance in Indonesia: Do Sukuk issuance and Sariah governance matter?
Authors: Effendi Jaenal , Qoyum Abdul , Indra Wardhana Leo , Mohd Thas Thaker Hassanudin
Published: May 2023

IT investment and financial performance are crucial issues for the Islamic banking industry. An Islamic banking (IB) that is established in a technologically advanced setting, employs mostly young and tech-savvy employees, and adheres to Islamic principles in all aspects of its activities, needs to invest in IT. This investment in information technology is essential if they are to remain competitive and achieve solid financial performance. This study aims to investigate the effect of IT investment on Islamic banking performance in Indonesia. The study used data of 14 Islamic banks in Indonesia, from 2012 to 2021. By employing panel regression analysis, the study revealed that IT investment has a significant impact on Islamic banking performance, indicated by ATM and Expenses for Human Resources (BG), which has the coefficient 1.75e-07 (Alpha 0.060) and 4.73e-14 (Alpha 1%), respectively. The study also documented a significant relationship between IT investment and IB performance, caused by Sukuk issuance and the Shariah supervisory board. Sukuk issuance has a negative impact on banking performance in relation to IT investment, while shariah governance (board of directors and shariah supervisory board) has a positive impact. Hence, it is also important for an Islamic banking to minimize the use of Sukuk, which until now was still categorized as debt, and to maximize the role of good governance to back up IT spending.
Assessing spatial variation in water supply of a city using dasymetric mapping
Authors: Wadwekar Mrunmayi , Kapshe Manmohan
Published: May 2023

Wastewater has the potential to act as a supplement when freshwater resources are limited. To utilize this, city administrators need to identify the type and quantity of wastewater generated and its various functional uses. In countries like India, where detailed data about wastewater is not available, any potential reuse proposal is difficult to design and execute. To cover this gap, this research proposes a technique using dasymetric mapping and Voronoi diagrams to estimate the quantity and spatial distribution of wastewater generated in a city, based on population data and water supply information, by mapping and identifying the variation in the supply. The developed research framework is tested in Bhopal city in India. The results suggest that there is higher water consumption in areas of high population density, whereas wastewater generation displays a greater variation based on land use. Among 217 Voronoi polygons created throughout the city, eight have wastewater generation at more than 10 litres/sq. m of area. The total wastewater generated while considering only municipal water supply was 148.32 MLD. On intersecting the Voronoi polygons with ward boundaries, it is found that six wards generate wastewater more than 50 litres/sq. m, whereas seven wards generate less than 1 litre/sq. m of area.