bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease test: an external validation cohort
Authors: Polyzos Stergios A. , Papaefthymiou Apostolis , Doulberis Michael , Kountouras Jannis
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Non-invasive diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its advanced phenotypes (e.g., nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; NASH) is a hot research topic. The aim of this report was the validation of a novel non-invasive index of NAFLD, the “NAFLD test,” recently introduced for the diagnosis of NAFLD (vs. non-NAFLD controls).

Methods

This was a post-hoc analysis of a previous study. The NAFLD test was calculated in NAFLD patients and non-NAFLD controls; the performance of the test was compared with that of other non-invasive indices of NAFLD (fatty liver index [FLI] and hepatic steatosis index [HSI]), and other indices of NASH (index of NASH [ION] and cytokeratin-18/homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance/aspartate transaminase index [CHAI]).

Results

The NAFLD test was higher in NAFLD patients than in controls (1.89 ± 0.14 vs. 1.30 ± 0.06, respectively; p < 0.001). In NAFLD patients, the NAFLD test was higher in NASH patients than in those with simple nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) (2.21 ± 0.24 vs. 1.57 ± 0.08, respectively; p = 0.007). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the NAFLD test was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.74–0.94; p < 0.001) for differentiation between NAFLD and non-NAFLD controls and its performance was similar to that for FLI and HSI. For differentiation between NASH and NAFL patients, the AUC of the NAFLD test was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.62–0.96; p = 0.007) and its performance was superior to that for ION and CHAI.

Conclusions

The NAFLD test was validated in this external cohort for the non-invasive diagnosis of NAFLD patients vs. non-NAFLD individuals. It was also shown to differentiate between NASH and NAFL patients with acceptable accuracy.
Low-dimensional lead chromate-based hybrid system for capacitance and polarization performances: a flexible device for pressure-induced voltage generator
Authors: Ghosh Sarit K. , Singh Harishchandra , Mallick Kaushik
Published: November 2023

Organic molecule–functionalized lead chromate nanoparticle was synthesized using a complexation strategy route. The structural characterization revealed the single-phase lead chromate system belongs to monazite-type monoclinic structure with the space group of P21/n. The unit cell consists of an alternating chain of polyhedra (PbO9) and tetrahedra (CrO4) units, connected via edge and corner-sharing arrangement. A flexible device of lead chromate was fabricated and investigated dielectric capacitance, electrical impedance, conductivity, and field dependent polarization performances under different frequency and temperature environments. The device displayed a maximum dielectric constant (εʹ) value ~ 2400 at 120°C under 100 Hz frequency condition. High dielectric constant value is originated from the orientation polarization of CrO4 unit and space charge contribution in the system. AC conductivity of the device suggested the polaronic charge carriers control the overall conduction process via localized hopping mechanism. A fatigue-free polarization behavior was observed in the device under the applied field of 4.0 kV/mm, for 103 cycles and retained the polarization value ~ 0.26 μC/cm2 over the switching cycles. Lead chromate–based device also showed pressure-induced voltage generation under different pressure conditions and could have the potential application as a voltage generator.
Endoscopic approach to Meckel’s diverticulum in pediatrics: where has been the focus in the past decade?
Authors: Martou Laura , Saxena Amulya K.
Published: November 2023

Aim

The aim of this review was to assess the use of laparoscopic techniques in the diagnosis and management of Meckel diverticulum (MD) in pediatric patients in the past decade through relevant literature published from 2013 to 2023.

Methods

Using PubMed and Embase, articles were identified and selected for application of endoscopic techniques in relation to MD in pediatrics to understand the nuances for this pathology.

Results

During the past decade a total of 34 studies published were identified and analyzed. The studies highlight the challenges in diagnosing MD and introduce the role of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) as a diagnostic tool. Studies comparing outcomes between laparoscopic and open surgical approaches have explored rates of post-operative complications and mortality, with laparoscopy offering the benefit of shorter hospital stays. Focusing on case reports and series, the demographics, morphological features and the presence of complications have shown to significantly influence the choice of surgical approach.

Conclusions

Endoscopic-related approaches in the past decade have mainly focused on DBE diagnostics and outcomes, whereas few studies have focused on new techniques or endoscopic surgery-related innovative approaches.
Characterization and identification of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Enterococcus durans as probiotic potential isolated from selected dairy products in Egypt
Authors: Nasr Nesreen M. , Abd-Alhalim Laila R.
Published: November 2023

Probiotics are living microbes that promote consumer health when taken in significant quantities with food. The aim of this research was identifying the probiotic properties (in vitro) of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from traditional fermented dairy products from Egypt (Kareish cheese, Rayeb milk, local yoghurt and buttermilk). Only 13 isolates were characterizes as Gram-positive, endospore-negative, non-motile and catalase-negative with small round colonies. All 13 isolates were examined for its probiotic properties (antibacterial activity, antibiotic susceptibility, acidity and bile salt tolerance). All isolates showed antimicrobial effect against bacterial pathogens tested. LAB-6 had a significantly larger inhibition zone followed by LAB-2 and LAB-3. Moreover, LAB-6 was the most resistant to all antibiotics tested. Seven of thirteen isolates were Penicillin-resistant. Only LAB-3 exhibited strong chlorophenicol resistance. The isolates that affect pathogens and resistant to antibiotics were found acid-and-bile salt-tolerant in varying degrees. All bile and acid tolerant isolates revealed variable antibiotic sensitivity. Regarding to previous results, only three selected isolates (LAB-2, LAB-3, and LAB-6) had their 16SrRNA gene sequences compared to Gene-Bank. Isolate LAB-2 was found in the genus Lactobacillus, with 98.7% similarity to L. rhamnosus OP268116 strain GCM20300. LAB-3 was Lactobacillus, with 98.9% similarity to L. rhamnosus OP268117 strain 6481. Comparative genomic research demonstrated very minimal changes between isolate LAB-6 and Enterococcus durans OP268118 strain CAU5334. Thus, these isolates could be used as food biopreservatives, starter cultures in the fermented dairy products and cheese industry, or novel strategies to combat the rising number of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in human infections.
OBGESS: Automating Original Bender Gestalt Test Based on One Stage Deep Learning
Authors: Fathi Ahmadsaraei Maryam , Bastanfard Azam , Amini Amineh
Published: November 2023

Hand sketch psychological data are mysterious and can be used to detect mental disorders early and prevent them from getting worse and with irreversible consequences. The Original Bender Gestalt Test is a psychology test based on hand-sketched patterns. Mental disorders require an automated scoring system. Unfortunately, there is no automatic scoring system for the Original Bender Gestalt test for adults and children with high accuracy. Automating the Original Bender Gestalt test requires 3 phases: Phase 1, collecting a comprehensive Original Bender Gestalt dataset called OBGET. Phase 2, classifying patterns by a proposed method called MYOLO V5; and Phase 3, scoring classified patterns according to associated rules of psychological standard criteria. This research reviews a comprehensive OBGET dataset that includes 817 samples, labeling samples for mental disorders by a psychologist, statistical analysis, the proposed semi-automatic labeling of patterns, patterns classification applied the proposed modified YOLO V5 called MYOLO V5, and automatic scoring of drawing patterns. MYOLO V5 accuracy is 95% and the accuracy of the proposed method called OBGESS as a mental disorder detection is 90%. In this research, a new automatic computer-aided psychological hand sketch drawing test has been proposed.
An Investigation of Dynamical Behavior of a Wing Model
Authors: Cheng Lifang , Liu Ming , Hu Dongpo , Zhang Litao
Published: November 2023

Bifurcations of equilibria of a wing model have been investigated in this paper. It is shown that the quintic nonlinear terms in the pitch and the plunge coordinate have affected the bifurcation structure of nontrivial equilibria in different degree. In contrast with the quintic stiffening parameter in plunge, the quintic parameter in pitch has a relatively significant effect, which will affect the number, position and stability of nontrivial equilibria. Therein two pairs of nontrivial equilibria with opposite stability coexist or disappear by two fold bifurcations. If the freestream velocity has been taken as a continuation parameter, it will affect the bifurcation structure of all the equilibria, including the trivial and the nontrivial. Wherein the equilibria vary from a trivial to two nontrivial ones by a pitchfork bifurcation. Then one of nontrivial equilibria experiences a supercritical Hopf bifurcation and the bifurcated limit cycles form an ellipsoidal structure with the limit cycles bifurcated from the trivial equilibrium.
Topp-Leone Cauchy Family of Distributions with Applications in Industrial Engineering
Authors: Atchadé Mintodê Nicodème , Bogninou Mahoulé Jude , Djibril Aliou Moussa , N’bouké Melchior
Published: November 2023

The goal of this research is to create a new general family of Topp-Leone distributions called the Topp-Leone Cauchy Family (TLC), which is exceedingly versatile and results from a careful merging of the Topp-Leone and Cauchy distribution families. Some of the new family’s theoretical properties are investigated using specific results on stochastic functions, quantile functions and associated measures, generic moments, probability weighted moments, and Shannon entropy. A parametric statistical model is built from a specific member of the family. The maximum likelihood technique is used to estimate the model’s unknown parameters. Furthermore, to emphasize the new family’s practical potential, we applied our model to two real-world data sets and compared it to existing rival models.
Memory and Remembering
Authors: Brigard Felipe De
Published: November 2023

This Element surveys research on three central and interrelated issues about the nature of memory and remembering. The first is about the nature of memory as a cognitive faculty. This part discusses different strategies to distinguish memory from other cognitive faculties as well as different proposed taxonomies to differentiate distinct kinds of memory. The second issue concerns what memory does, which is traditionally thought to have a simple answer: remembering. As it turns out, philosophers not only disagree as to how to characterize remembering but also whether the function of memory is indeed to remember. Finally, the third issue is about the nature of what we remember-a question that may refer to the object of our memories but also to their content, with different views disagreeing on how to characterize the relationship between the two.
Lettres perdues
Authors: Morieux Renaud
Published: November 2023

Cet article porte sur une source exceptionnelle – près de 80 lettres jamais lues, comme en attestent les enveloppes toujours scellées, envoyées à l’équipage d’un seul bateau français capturé pendant la guerre de Sept Ans (1756-1763). Les lettres aux marins, qui aident à entretenir des relations mises en danger par la distance et l’incertitude du retour, offrent des clefs d’analyse pour comprendre la résilience des liens familiaux en temps de guerre. Contre une approche qui verrait dans ces documents une trace de l’émergence de la famille nucléaire ou de l’intimité moderne, c’est bien comme vecteur d’une histoire sociale qu’ils sont ici saisis. Ces correspondances jouent un rôle essentiel dans la circulation de l’information et la survie de l’unité familiale. Il ne s’agit pas d’envisager celles-ci en tant que marqueur d’échanges personnels, privés et intimes. Au contraire, ces lettres doivent être appréhendées comme le tissu de relations sociales multiples et complexes, à la fois familiales et de voisinage. Leur écriture comme leur lecture engagent de multiples individus, bien au-delà des simples signataire et destinataire. Il s’agit, fondamentalement, de traquer les dynamiques sociales, dans leur matérialité même, qui formalisent l’expression des émotions.
Stabilized automorphism group of odometers and of Toeplitz subshifts
Authors: JONES-BARO JENNIFER N.
Published: November 2023

We characterize the stabilized automorphism group for odometers and Toeplitz subshifts, and then prove an invariance property of the stabilized automorphism group of these dynamical systems. Namely, we prove the isomorphism invariance of the primes for which the p-adic valuation of the period structure tends to infinity. A particular case of interest is that for torsion-free odometers, the stabilized automorphism group is a full isomorphism invariant.
Saljuq Architecture in Iran: The Friday Mosque of Urmiya
Authors: Anisi Alireza
Published: November 2023

This study details the Masjid-i Jami‘ of Urmiya, the earliest surviving mosque in the West Azerbaijan province in Iran. The building suggests the expansion of constructing Saljuq-domed mosques outside central Iran in the mid-sixth/twelfth century, embellished with a stunning Ilkhanid mihrāb (prayer niche) in the seventh/thirteenth century. This study provides as much information as possible for recognizing the structure's main features. While the mosque is comprised of various parts, this paper mainly focuses on its dome chamber as the earliest surviving structure. Several new inscriptions and drawings in the mosque's decoration are published for the first time in this article.
Phytosterol and phytostanol-mediated epigenetic changes in cancer and other non-communicable diseases: a systematic review
Authors: Jefrei Emtenan , Xu Mengfan , Moore J. Bernadette , Thorne James L.
Published: November 2023

Phytosterols/phytostanols are bioactive compounds found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds and added to a range of commercial food products. Consumption of phytosterols/phytostanols reduces levels of circulating LDL-cholesterol, a causative biomarker of CVD, and is linked to a reduced risk of some cancers. Individuals who consume phytosterols/phytostanols in their diet may do so for many years as part of a non-pharmacological route to lower cholesterol or as part of a healthy diet. However, the impact of long term or high intakes of dietary phytosterols/phytostanols has not been on whole-body epigenetic changes before. The aim of this systematic review was to identify all publications that have evaluated changes to epigenetic mechanisms (post-translation modification of histones, DNA methylation and miRNA expression) in response to phytosterols/phytostanols. A systematic search was performed that returned 226 records, of which eleven were eligible for full-text analysis. Multiple phytosterols were found to inhibit expression of histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes and were also predicted to directly bind and impair HDAC activity. Phytosterols were found to inhibit the expression and activity of DNA methyl transferase enzyme 1 and reverse cancer-associated gene silencing. Finally, phytosterols have been shown to regulate over 200 miRNA, although only five of these were reported in multiple publications. Five tissue types (breast, prostate, macrophage, aortic epithelia and lung) were represented across the studies, and although phytosterols/phytostanols alter the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance in these mammalian cells, studies exploring meiotic or transgenerational inheritance were not found.
Canopy development, leaf traits and yield in high-altitude Andean maize under contrasting plant densities in Argentina
Authors: Salve D. A. , Maydup M. L. , Salazar G. A. , Tambussi E. A. , Antonietta M.
Published: November 2023

In highlands, the increase in altitude results in a drastic decrease in temperature (T) that delays phenological development of maize, decreasing light interception during the cycle. This could be partially overcome by increasing plant density, but information is scarce for designing specific management options. The objective of this work was to describe changes in canopy development, photosynthetic performance, biomass and yield of maize grown at contrasting plant densities (5.7 plants m−2, locally used, and 8.7 plants m−2, 50% higher). Three experiments were carried out in two high-altitude environments within the Argentinean Andean region, Hornillos (HOR, 2380 masl, 2019–20 and 2020–21) and El Rosal (ERO, 3350 masl, 2019–20), and complementary data were obtained from samplings in 8 farmer’s fields (from 2400 to 3400 masl, 2022–23). In the experiments, mean T during the first 150 days of the cycle was 33% lower at ERO, which implied 39 extra days but 25% shorter thermal time to achieve silking. The higher plant density significantly increased leaf area index and light interception at ERO, whereas at HOR, this was only evident during the second season. At the leaf level, plants grown at ERO had thicker leaves with higher chlorophyll (+36%) and nitrogen (40%) content. Photosynthetic electron transport rate at full irradiance was +20% higher at ERO but significantly varied throughout the day with lowest values in the morning, which was not observed at HOR and was not related to light intensity or stomatal conductance. At HOR, the increase in plant density did not improve light interception, nor yield in 2019–20 (with average yields of 6356 kg ha−1) but it did improve both in 2020–21 when generally lower yields were attained (4821 kg ha−1). Across farmer’s fields, increasing densities consistently reduced yield per plant (r2 = 0.57***) but improved yield per area basis, which was maximised at 10 pl m−2 as a result of a steady increase in kernel number m−2 (up to 15 pl m−2). Thus, in these high-altitude environments, increasing plant density beyond recommended (6 pl m−2) is a promising approach for improving yield, with major penalties of supra-optimum densities being related to kernel weight. Further work is needed to explore the effect of different factors limiting kernel growth, over plant density responses.
Menopause as a window of opportunity: the benefits of designing more effective theory-driven behaviour change interventions to promote healthier lifestyle choices at midlife
Authors: Simpson Ellen Elizabeth Anne , Doherty Julie , Timlin Deirdre
Published: November 2023

Menopause is a natural developmental phase that all women go through from their early forties to mid-fifties, marking the transition from the reproductive to the non-reproductive years. This is characterised as the permanent cessation of menses due to progressive ovarian failure. Each woman's experience of the menopause is unique. Biopsychosocial changes occur during this time with some symptoms affecting up to 80 % of women and lasting for 4–5 years from the peri- to post-menopause. Reduced oestrogen may predispose some women to health issues following menopause, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cognitive decline. It is vital to understand how to promote health and well-being to reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions in later life. Increased symptoms and concerns about health during the menopausal transition can be cues to action for some women to actively maintain their health. Menopause represents a window of opportunity to promote health, and to support women to make healthier lifestyle choices, part of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines for menopause management. Identifying appropriate strategies to change behaviour is less clear. Theories of behaviour change can provide frameworks to gain more insight into the facilitators and barriers to behaviour and can inform the researcher on what needs to change. This information can be used to inform the design, content, implementation and evaluation of a lifestyle intervention. This review paper will explore the impact of menopause on health and well-being generally, and the benefits of designing more effective theory-driven behaviour change interventions for menopause.
Morphological and molecular characterization ofStomachicola muraenesocisYamaguti, 1934 (Digenea: Hemiuridae) from the daggertooth pike congerMuraenesox cinereus(Forsskål)
Authors: Ghanei-Motlagh Reza , Hernández-Orts Jesús S. , Fast Mark D. , Whyte Shona K. , El-Matbouli Mansour , Saleh Mona
Published: November 2023

Hemiurid digeneans conspecific withStomachicola muraenesocisYamaguti, 1934 (the type species of the genusStomachicolaYamaguti, 1934) were collected from the stomach of the daggertooth pike congerMuraenesox cinereus(Forsskål) off the Persian Gulf of Iran. This study aimed to provide a detailed characterization ofStom. muraenesocis, including measurements, illustrations and scanning electron microscopy (s.e.m.) representations. Comparisons with the original and previous descriptions revealed morphological and metrical variations in several features (i.e. body size and shape, arrangement of reproductive organs, soma to ecsoma length ratio, position of genital opening, number of vitelline tubules and extension of uterine coils) betweenStom. muraenesocisfrom different hosts and localities. This study presents the first molecular sequence data associated with the small (18S) and large (28S) subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) forStom. muraenesocis. Phylogenetic analyses of the 18S dataset placedStom. muraenesocisas sister lineage to a clade formed of a group of species ofLecithasterLühe, 1901 (Lecithasteridae Odhner, 1905). In contrast, phylogenetic analyses based on the 28S consistently recovered a sister relationship betweenStom. muraenesocisand representatives of the Hemiuridae Looss, 1899. Further comprehensive phylogenetically based classification in light of morphology and taxonomic history of the Hemiuridae and Lecithasteridae is required to infer phylogenetic affinities and historical biogeography ofStomachicola. A comprehensive list of previously reported species ofStomachicolatogether with their associated hosts, localities and morphometric data is provided.
The Ethiopian wolf can act as a flagship and umbrella species to protect the Afroalpine ecosystem and foster sustainable development
Authors: Mekonnen Addisu , Fashing Peter J , Chapman Colin A , Worku Ejigu Alemayehu , Fetene Belste , Fekadu Mekbib , Guadie Awoke , Stenseth Nils Chr , Venkataraman Vivek V
Published: November 2023

Habitat alteration and climate change are important threats to terrestrial biodiversity in the tropics. Endorsing flagship or umbrella species can help conserve sympatric biodiversity, restore degraded ecosystems and achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) is a rare and endemic Ethiopian canid. It is Africa’s most endangered canid species and is restricted to several isolated patches of Afroalpine habitats. While its behavioural ecology and conservation biology have been well studied, studies of the Ethiopian wolf’s significance for the conservation of its habitat and sympatric species are lacking. Here we use geographical range overlap and geospatial modelling to evaluate the importance of the Ethiopian wolf as a flagship and/or umbrella species. We assess whether conservation interventions targeting the Ethiopian wolf could help to restore and protect Afroalpine habitat and conserve sympatric species whilst simultaneously providing a wide range of socioeconomic and environmental benefits. We found that Ethiopian wolves share their range with 73 endemic and/or threatened vertebrate species, 68 of which are Afroalpine ecosystem species, and at least 121 endemic and/or threatened plant species. Ethiopian wolves are taxonomically distinctive and charismatic species classified as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Thus, they meet both the flagship and umbrella species criteria to restore Afroalpine habitats and conserve threatened sympatric species. A conservation strategy protecting and restoring Afroalpine habitat has the potential to contribute to achieving at least five of the 17 UN SDGs. The protection of flagship and umbrella species should be integrated into broader regional biodiversity and habitat conservation.
Evaluation of phase-adjusted interventions for COVID-19 using an improved SEIR model
Authors: Jiang Honglin , Gu Zhouhong , Liu Haitong , Huang Junhui , Wang Zhengzhong , Xiong Ying , Tong Yixin , Yin Jiangfan , Jiang Feng , Chen Yue , Jiang Qingwu , Zhou Yibiao
Published: November 2023

A local COVID-19 outbreak with two community clusters occurred in a large industrial city, Shaoxing, China, in December 2021 after serial interventions were imposed. We aimed to understand the reason by analysing the characteristics of the outbreak and evaluating the effects of phase-adjusted interventions. Publicly available data from 7 December 2021 to 25 January 2022 were collected to analyse the epidemiological characteristics of this outbreak. The incubation period was estimated using Hamiltonian Monte Carlo method. A well-fitted extended susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered model was used to simulate the impact of different interventions under various combination of scenarios. There were 387 SARS-CoV-2-infected cases identified, and 8.3% of them were initially diagnosed as asymptomatic cases. The estimated incubation period was 5.4 (95% CI 5.2–5.7) days for all patients. Strengthened measures of comprehensive quarantine based on tracing led to less infections and a shorter duration of epidemic. With a same period of incubation, comprehensive quarantine was more effective in containing the transmission than other interventions. Our findings reveal an important role of tracing and comprehensive quarantine in blocking community spread when a cluster occurred. Regions with tense resources can adopt home quarantine as a relatively affordable and low-impact intervention measure compared with centralized quarantine.
Approximate discrete entropy monotonicity for log-concave sums
Authors: Gavalakis Lampros
Published: November 2023

It is proven that a conjecture of Tao (2010) holds true for log-concave random variables on the integers: For every
$n \geq 1$
, if
$X_1,\ldots,X_n$
are i.i.d. integer-valued, log-concave random variables, then
\begin{equation*} H(X_1+\cdots +X_{n+1}) \geq H(X_1+\cdots +X_{n}) + \frac {1}{2}\log {\Bigl (\frac {n+1}{n}\Bigr )} - o(1) \end{equation*}
as
$H(X_1) \to \infty$
, where
$H(X_1)$
denotes the (discrete) Shannon entropy. The problem is reduced to the continuous setting by showing that if
$U_1,\ldots,U_n$
are independent continuous uniforms on
$(0,1)$
, then
\begin{equation*} h(X_1+\cdots +X_n + U_1+\cdots +U_n) = H(X_1+\cdots +X_n) + o(1), \end{equation*}
as
$H(X_1) \to \infty$
, where
$h$
stands for the differential entropy. Explicit bounds for the
$o(1)$
-terms are provided.
Poor sleep is associated with energy drinks consumption among Korean adolescents
Authors: Kim Do Hee , Kim Bomgyeol , Lee Sang Gyu , Kim Tae Hyun
Published: November 2023

Objective:

A growing number of Korean adolescents consume energy drinks, which may increase the risk of obesity, anxiety and insomnia. We examined whether poor sleep was associated with energy drink consumption among study participants.

Design:

We used a cross-sectional design.

Setting:

The Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey data from 2019.

Participants:

To determine the association between sleep and energy drink consumption, we compared the independent variables for 50,455 adolescents in Korea (aged 14–19 years) using multivariate logistic regression and sensitivity analyses.

Results:

In Korea, 69·5 % adolescents consumed energy drinks, 17·1 % slept for less than 5 h, 22·4 % slept for 5–6 h, 23·8 % slept for 6–7 h, 19·9 % slept for 7–8 h and 16·7 % slept for 8 h or more. Regarding sleep satisfaction, 21·0 % reported sufficient, 32·6 % reported just enough and 46·5 % reported insufficient. Regarding sleep duration, it was found that less than 5 h (OR, 2·36; 95 % CI (2·14, 2·60)) and lower sleep satisfaction (OR, 1·12; 95 % CI (1·03, 1·21)) were highly associated with energy drink consumption, with statistical significance at P < 0·05. Adolescents with lower sleep duration (adjusted OR (aOR), 6·37; 95 % CI (4·72, 8·61)) and a lack of sleep satisfaction (aOR, 1·44; 95 % CI (1·16, 1·78)) reported drinking a high amount of energy drinks, that is, at least once a day.

Conclusion:

In addition to efforts to decrease the amount of energy drinks consumed, sleep hygiene education needs to be strengthened.
The effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine on Drosophila brain at single-cell resolution and potential drug repurposing for ADHD treatment
Authors: Qu Susu , Zhou Xiangyu , Wang Zhicheng , Wei Yi , Zhou Han , Zhang Xinshuang , Zhu Qingjie , Wang Yanmin , Yang Quanjun , Jiang Likun , Ma Yuan , Gao Yuan , Kong Lei , Zhang Li
Published: November 2023

The stimulant methylphenidate (MPH) and the non-stimulant atomoxetine (ATX) are frequently used for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, the function of these drugs in different types of brain cells and their effects on related genes remain largely unknown. To address these questions, we built a pipeline for the simultaneous examination of the activity behavior and transcriptional responses of Drosophila melanogaster at single-cell resolution following drug treatment. We selected the Drosophila with significantly increased locomotor activities (hyperactivity-like behavior) following the administration of each drug in comparison with the control (same food as the drug-treated groups with 5% sucrose, yeast, and blue food dye solution) using EasyFlyTracker. Subsequently, single cell RNA sequencing (scRNASEQ) was used to capture the transcriptome of 82,917 cells, unsupervised clustering analysis of which yielded 28 primary cell clusters representing the major cell types in adult Drosophila brain. Indeed, both neuronal and glial cells responded to MPH and ATX. Further analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed distinct transcriptional changes associated with these two drugs, such as two well-studied dopamine receptor genes (Dop2R and DopEcR) were responsive to MPH but not to ATX at their optimal doses, in addition to genes involved in dopamine metabolism pathways such as Syt1, Sytalpha, Syt7, and Ih in different cell types. More importantly, MPH also suppressed the expression of genes encoding other neurotransmitter receptors and synaptic signaling molecules in many cell types, especially those for Glu and GABA, while the responsive effects of ATX were much weaker. In addition to monoaminergic neuronal transmitters, other neurotransmitters have also shown a similar pattern with respect to a stronger effect associated with MPH than with ATX. Moreover, we identified four distinct glial cell subtypes responsive to the two drugs and detected a greater number of differentially expressed genes associated with ensheathing and astrocyte-like glia. Furthermore, our study provides a rich resource of candidate target genes, supported by drug set enrichment analysis (P = 2.10E-4; hypergeometric test), for the further exploration of drug repurposing. The whole list of candidates can be found at ADHDrug (http://adhdrug.cibr.ac.cn/). In conclusion, we propose a fast and cost-efficient pipeline to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of ADHD drug treatment in Drosophila brain at single-cell resolution, which may further facilitate drug repurposing applications.
Substantial and increasing global losses of timber-producing forest due to wildfires
Authors: Bousfield Christopher G. , Lindenmayer David. B. , Edwards David P.
Published: November 2023

One-third of global forest is harvested for timber, generating ~US$1.5 trillion annually. High-severity wildfires threaten this timber production. Here we combine global maps of logging activity and stand-replacing wildfires to assess how much timber-producing forest has been lost to wildfire this century, and quantify spatio-temporal changes in annual area lost. Between 2001 and 2021, 18.5–24.7 million hectares of timber-producing forest—an area the size of Great Britain—experienced stand-replacing wildfires, with extensive burning in the western USA and Canada, Siberian Russia, Brazil and Australia. Annual burned area increased significantly throughout the twenty-first century, pointing to substantial wildfire-driven timber losses under increasingly severe climate change. To meet future timber demand, producers must adopt new management strategies and emerging technologies to combat the increasing threat of wildfires.
Dynamics and durability of HIV-1 neutralization are determined by viral replication
Authors: Schommers Philipp , Kim Dae Sung , Schlotz Maike , Kreer Christoph , Eggeling Ralf , Hake Anna , Stecher Melanie , Park Juyeon , Radford Caelan E. , Dingens Adam S. , Ercanoglu Meryem S. , Gruell Henning , Odidika Stanley , Dahlhaus Marten , Gieselmann Lutz , Ahmadov Elvin , Lawong Rene Y. , Heger Eva , Knops Elena , Wyen Christoph , Kümmerle Tim , Römer Katja , Scholten Stefan , Wolf Timo , Stephan Christoph , Suárez Isabelle , Raju Nagarajan , Adhikari Anurag , Esser Stefan , Streeck Hendrik , Duerr Ralf , Nanfack Aubin J. , Zolla-Pazner Susan , Geldmacher Christof , Geisenberger Otto , Kroidl Arne , William Wiston , Maganga Lucas , Ntinginya Nyanda Elias , Georgiev Ivelin S. , Vehreschild Jörg J. , Hoelscher Michael , Fätkenheuer Gerd , Lavinder Jason J. , Bloom Jesse D. , Seaman Michael S. , Lehmann Clara , Pfeifer Nico , Georgiou George , Klein Florian
Published: November 2023

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) that prevent infection are the main goal of HIV vaccine discovery. But as no nAb-eliciting vaccines are yet available, only data from HIV-1 neutralizers—persons with HIV-1 who naturally develop broad and potent nAbs—can inform about the dynamics and durability of nAb responses in humans, knowledge which is crucial for the design of future HIV-1 vaccine regimens. To address this, we assessed HIV-1-neutralizing immunoglobulin G (IgG) from 2,354 persons with HIV-1 on or off antiretroviral therapy (ART). Infection with non-clade B viruses, CD4+ T cell counts <200 µl−1, being off ART and a longer time off ART were independent predictors of a more potent and broad neutralization. In longitudinal analyses, we found nAb half-lives of 9.3 and 16.9 years in individuals with no- or low-level viremia, respectively, and 4.0 years in persons who newly initiated ART. Finally, in a potent HIV-1 neutralizer, we identified lower fractions of serum nAbs and of nAb-encoding memory B cells after ART initiation, suggesting that a decreasing neutralizing serum activity after antigen withdrawal is due to lower levels of nAbs. These results collectively show that HIV-1-neutralizing responses can persist for several years, even at low antigen levels, suggesting that an HIV-1 vaccine may elicit a durable nAb response.
Viral and host mediators of non-suppressible HIV-1 viremia
Authors: Mohammadi Abbas , Etemad Behzad , Zhang Xin , Li Yijia , Bedwell Gregory J. , Sharaf Radwa , Kittilson Autumn , Melberg Meghan , Crain Charles R. , Traunbauer Anna K. , Wong Colline , Fajnzylber Jesse , Worrall Daniel P. , Rosenthal Alex , Jordan Hannah , Jilg Nikolaus , Kaseke Clarety , Giguel Francoise , Lian Xiaodong , Deo Rinki , Gillespie Elisabeth , Chishti Rida , Abrha Sara , Adams Taylor , Siagian Abigail , Dorazio Dominic , Anderson Peter L. , Deeks Steven G. , Lederman Michael M. , Yawetz Sigal , Kuritzkes Daniel R. , Lichterfeld Mathias D. , Sieg Scott , Tsibris Athe , Carrington Mary , Brumme Zabrina L. , Castillo-Mancilla Jose R. , Engelman Alan N. , Gaiha Gaurav D. , Li Jonathan Z.
Published: November 2023

Non-suppressible HIV-1 viremia (NSV) is defined as persistent low-level viremia on antiretroviral therapy (ART) without evidence of ART non-adherence or significant drug resistance. Unraveling the mechanisms behind NSV would broaden our understanding of HIV-1 persistence. Here we analyzed plasma virus sequences in eight ART-treated individuals with NSV (88% male) and show that they are composed of large clones without evidence of viral evolution over time in those with longitudinal samples. We defined proviruses that match plasma HIV-1 RNA sequences as ‘producer proviruses’, and those that did not as ‘non-producer proviruses’. Non-suppressible viremia arose from expanded clones of producer proviruses that were significantly larger than the genome-intact proviral reservoir of ART-suppressed individuals. Integration sites of producer proviruses were enriched in proximity to the activating H3K36me3 epigenetic mark. CD4+ T cells from participants with NSV demonstrated upregulation of anti-apoptotic genes and downregulation of pro-apoptotic and type I/II interferon-related pathways. Furthermore, participants with NSV showed significantly lower HIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses compared with untreated viremic controllers with similar viral loads. We identified potential critical host and viral mediators of NSV that may represent targets to disrupt HIV-1 persistence.
Long-term exposure to high altitude reduces alpha and beta bands event-related desynchronization in a Go/NoGo task
Authors: Hou Jianmin , Wang Cheng , Jia Lei , Ma Hailin
Published: November 2023

More than 80 million people worldwide permanently live at high altitudes, and living in such a hypoxic environment can impair cognitive functions. However, it is largely unknown how long-term exposure to high altitude affects neural oscillations underlying these cognitive functions. The present study employed a Go/NoGo task to investigate the effects of long-term exposure to high altitude on neural oscillations during cognitive control. We compared event-related spectral perturbations between the low-altitude and high-altitude groups, and the results revealed increased theta event-related synchronization (ERS) and decreased alpha and beta event-related desynchronizations (ERDs) during the NoGo condition compared to the Go condition. Importantly, the high-altitude group showed reduced alpha and beta ERDs compared to the low-altitude group, while the theta ERS was not affected by altitude. We suggest that long-term exposure to high altitude has an impact on top-down inhibitory control and movement preparation and execution in the Go/NoGo task.
Experimental study on the influence of longitudinal slope on airflow-dust migration behavior after tunnel blasting
Authors: Hu Hui , Tao Yuchun , Zhang Heng , Zhao Yiqi , Lan Youdi , Ge Zhenghui
Published: November 2023

In this paper, a 1:21 model experiment was conducted to discuss the dust diffusion efficiency and liner trolley obstruction effect inside the tunnel at − 9% to 9%, the effect of different initial dust concentrations on dust diffusion and liner trolley obstruction effect at 6% slope, and the effect of different return air velocity on dust diffusion at 6% slope, the reliability of the results is verified by computational fluid dynamics simulations. The results show that as the slope of the tunnel changes from 0 to − 9%, the average dust diffusion time decreases by 3.7% at the working face and the dust concentration difference between the front and rear of the trolley is improved by 2.7%. When the slope of the tunnel changes from 0 to − 9%, the average dust diffusion time increases by 7.2% at the working face and the dust concentration difference between the front and rear of the trolley is improved by 17.9%. With each 100 mg/m3 increase in the initial dust concentration, the dust diffusion time at the working face and the tunnel exit increases by 9.15% and 8.17% on average, and the lining trolley obstruction time increases by 23.33 s on average. The dust diffusion times take an average reduction rate of 15.7%, with the increase of return air velocity. The recommended return air velocity is greater than 1 m/s for large slope tunnels. When the slope changes from 0° to 9°, the hindrance rate of slope on dust diffusion is 2.88462%, 8.65385%, and 16.34615% respectively. Dust diffusion efficiency will be reduced as the tunnel slope changes from 0° to 9°, The growth rate of slope on dust diffusion is − 0.96154%, − 2.88462%, and − 6.73077% respectively.
Resveratrol improves the prognosis of rats after spinal cord injury by inhibiting mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway
Authors: Kan Shunli , Liu Chengjiang , Zhao Xinyan , Feng Sa , Zhu Haoqiang , Ma Boyuan , Zhou Mengmeng , Fu Xuanhao , Hu Wei , Zhu Rusen
Published: November 2023

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious condition that results in irreparable nerve damage and severe loss of motor or sensory function. Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trihy- droxystilbene) is a naturally occurring plant-based polyphenol that has demonstrated powerful antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic pharmaceutical properties in previous studies. In the central nervous system, it promotes neuronal recovery and protects residual function. However, the role of resveratrol in SCI recovery remains elusive. In this study, the potential mechanisms by which resveratrol affect SCI in rats were assessed by constructing a contusion model of SCI. Resveratrol was intraperitoneally administered to rats. Behavioral scores and electrophysiological examinations were performed to assess functional recovery. After magnetic resonance imaging and staining with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Luxor Fast Blue (LFB), tissue recovery was analyzed. Immunofluorescence with NeuN and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was employed to evaluate neuronal survival and glial changes. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to examine apoptotic rates. Moreover, network pharmacology was performed to identify relevant pathways of resveratrol for the treatment of SCI. Lastly, ELISA was performed to detect the expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-6. Our findings revealed that resveratrol dramatically improved the hindlimb locomotor function and their electrophysiological outcomes. Notably, lesion size was significantly reduced on magnetic resonance imaging. HE and LFB staining exposed increased sparseness of tissue and myelin. GFAP and NeuN immunofluorescence assays at the lesion site determined that resveratrol boosted neuronal survival and attenuated glial cell overgrowth. In addition, resveratrol reduced the density and number of TUNEL-positive cells in rats after injury. Additionally, gene ontology analysis revealed that the enriched differentially expressed protein was associated with the JNK/p38MAPK (c-jun N-terminal kinase/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway. Following resveratrol treatment, the expression levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 were decreased. In summary, the administration of resveratrol protects motor function and neuronal survival in rats after SCI. Furthermore, resveratrol exerts an anti-inflammatory effect by blocking the JNK/p38MAPK signaling pathway.
Development of predictive models for lymphedema by using blood tests and therapy data
Authors: Trinh Xuan-Tung , Chien Pham Ngoc , Long Nguyen-Van , Van Anh Le Thi , Giang Nguyen Ngan , Nam Sun-Young , Myung Yujin
Published: November 2023

Lymphedema is a disease that refers to tissue swelling caused by an accumulation of protein-rich fluid that is usually drained through the lymphatic system. Detection of lymphedema is often based on expensive diagnoses such as bioimpedance spectroscopy, shear wave elastography, computed tomography, etc. In current machine learning models for lymphedema prediction, reliance on observable symptoms reported by patients introduces the possibility of errors in patient-input data. Moreover, these symptoms are often absent during the initial stages of lymphedema, creating challenges in its early detection. Identifying lymphedema before these observable symptoms manifest would greatly benefit patients by potentially minimizing the discomfort caused by these symptoms. In this study, we propose to use new data, such as complete blood count, serum, and therapy data, to develop predictive models for lymphedema. This approach aims to compensate for the limitations of using only observable symptoms data. We collected data from 2137 patients, including 356 patients with lymphedema and 1781 patients without lymphedema, with the lymphedema status of each patient confirmed by clinicians. The data for each patient included: (1) a complete blood count (CBC) test, (2) a serum test, and (3) therapy information. We used various machine learning algorithms (i.e. random forest, gradient boosting, decision tree, logistic regression, and artificial neural network) to develop predictive models on the training dataset (i.e. 80% of the data) and evaluated the models on the external validation dataset (i.e. 20% of the data). After selecting the best predictive models, we created a web application to aid medical doctors and clinicians in the rapid screening of lymphedema patients. A dataset of 2137 patients was assembled from Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. Predictive models based on the random forest algorithm exhibited satisfactory performance (balanced accuracy = 87.0 ± 0.7%, sensitivity = 84.3 ± 0.6%, specificity = 89.1 ± 1.5%, precision = 97.4 ± 0.7%, F1 score = 90.4 ± 0.4%, and AUC = 0.931 ± 0.007). We developed a web application to facilitate the swift screening of lymphedema among medical practitioners: https://snubhtxt.shinyapps.io/SNUBH_Lymphedema. Our study introduces a novel tool for the early detection of lymphedema and establishes the foundation for future investigations into predicting different stages of the condition.
A hybrid STAMP-fuzzy DEMATEL-ISM approach for analyzing the factors influencing building collapse accidents in China
Authors: Chen Xue , Qiao Wanguan
Published: November 2023

To explore the factors influencing recent construction collapse accidents, this study utilizes a sample of 355 reports on building collapse accidents from 2012 to 2022. The investigation employs the systems-theoretic accident modeling and processes (STAMP) model to retrieve 22 key causal factors of accidents from the physical, operational, managerial, and supervisory layers. Subsequently, an improved decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL)-interpretive structural modeling (ISM) method is used to analyze the relationships and strengths of these influencing factors, providing a comprehensive understanding of the logical connections between the causes of building collapse accidents. The results indicate that the deep-rooted causes of building collapse accidents are primarily lax safety management at the enterprise level and the exchange of interests at the government regulatory level, which in turn affect workers at the operational level and the physical aspects of accidents on-site. Furthermore, integrating the STAMP model and the triangular fuzzy DEMATEL-ISM model overcomes the limitations of the traditional STAMP model, allowing for a more focused identification of key factors.