bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Propuesta de un modelo de gestión por procesos (BPM) para el área comercial en una empresa de servicios funerarios, Lima 2022 (Caso Campo Fe)
Authors:   , Trejo Barrientos Norris Scott , Vargas Chavez Bryan Francisco
Published: February 2024

La finalidad del trabajo de investigación fue aportar a la disminución del tiempo necesario para llevar a cabo las actividades relacionadas con la generación de contratos en una empresa de servicios funerarios. Este proceso se compone de 3 subprocesos: 1) subproceso de prospección de clientes, 2) subproceso de emisión de contrato y 3) subproceso de entrega de contrato. Para lograrlo, se empleó la metodología BPM (Gestión de Procesos de Negocio), teniendo en cuenta las siguientes fases: a) Fase de Planificación, b) Fase de análisis de procesos, c) Fase de diseño de procesos, d) Fase de propuesta de mejora. Durante el desarrollo, se analizó la estructura y modelado del estado actual (As-Is) de las actividades correspondientes a los tres subprocesos mencionados, los cuales se realizan de forma manual. Se identificaron los aspectos que causan ineficiencias, como reprocesos y cuellos de botella. Posteriormente, se procedió a diseñar y modelar el estado deseado (To-Be) de esos subprocesos, eliminando así los aspectos ineficientes y recomendando aplicar la automatización para las actividades que se realizan de forma manual. La investigación tiene un enfoque cuantitativo, con alcance explicativo, de tipo aplicado y su diseño es preexperimental de corte longitudinal. La información analizada se obtuvo de una muestra de 105 registros de contratos de venta pertenecientes al área comercial, como herramienta recolectora de datos se empleó la entrevista y observación; y como instrumento, la ficha de observación. La propuesta fue validada mediante la creación de los procesos As-Is y To-Be utilizando como herramienta Bizagi Modeler. Bajo estas condiciones, los resultados que se presentan en esta investigación muestran una mejora en el flujo de las actividades reduciendo los tiempos de respuesta para la ejecución de los subprocesos involucrados.
Eficacia de dos sistemas de activación ultrasónica del irrigante para la eliminación de detritus en conductos radiculares: estudio in vitro
Authors:   , Galvez Saavedra Allison
Published: February 2024

Objetivo: Comparar la eficacia in vitro de dos diferentes sistemas de activación endodóntica en la eliminación de detritus (DT) de conductos radiculares. Materiales y métodos: Los conductos mesiales de quince primeros molares inferiores humanas fueron preparados con limas, irrigados con hipoclorito de sodio 2,5% y EDTA 17%, y divididos en tres grupos de eliminación de DT: Control (cono maestro) y ultrasonido con irrigación ultrasónica (UI) y Ultra X con irrigación ultrasónica pasiva (PIU) (n=5 por grupo). Un total de 135 microfotografías fueron obtenidas con microscopía electrónica de barrido según tercios radiculares (cervical, medio y apical). Tres especialistas en endodoncia cualificaron el grado de eliminación de DT (sin, mínimo, moderado y abundante). Los datos fueron analizados con la prueba de Kuskall-Wallis a un P<0,05. Resultados: El score de remoción de DT de PUI (Me=1[1]) fue estadísticamente menor a UI (Me=2[1], P=0,003) y al control (Me=3[1], P<0,001). No se presentó diferencias en el grupo UI y control (P=0,226). Los grupos PUI y control tuvieron menor score de eliminación de DT en el tercio radicular cervical (Me=1[1] y Me=2[0], respectivamente) en comparación al tercio apical (Me=2[0] y Me=3[0], respectivamente) con diferencias significativas (P=0,007 y P=0,014; respectivamente). Los scores entre los tercios cervical–medio y medio–apical fueron similares en estos grupos (P>0,05). Conclusión: El sistema PUI fue más eficaz, seguido del UI. La eficacia de los sistemas de activación utilizados disminuyó conforme se incrementó la profundidad de trabajo.
Prevalencia de lesiones pulmonares en cerdos en mataderos de Lima Metropolitana y su asociación con el tipo de sistema de producción
Authors:   , Zuñiga Villalobos Jessica
Published: February 2024

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo (1) estimar la prevalencia de lesiones pulmonares en mataderos de Lima Metropolitana; (2) determinar la asociación de lesiones pulmonares con el tipo de sistema de producción: granjas tecnificadas y granjas no tecnificadas; y (3) describir los tipos de lesiones pulmonares encontrados. El estudio se realizó durante los meses de enero y febrero del 2021. Se evaluaron 500 pulmones de gorrinos provenientes de cinco mataderos de Lima Metropolitana, por camal se evaluaron 100 pulmones, de los cuales 50 provenían de un sistema tecnificado y 50 de un sistema no tecnificado. Se describió el tipo de lesión pulmonar y se evaluó la asociación de la prevalencia de lesiones pulmonares según el tipo de sistema de producción (Tecnificado y no tecnificado) con la prueba de chi cuadrado, usando el programa estadístico IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Se determinó que la prevalencia en Lima Metropolitana fue de 61,6% (308/500) (IC95% = 57, 65), de los cuales 56.8% (142/500) (IC95% = 53.2, 60.4) fue la prevalencia para lotes provenientes de granjas tecnificadas y 66.4% (166/500) (IC95% = 62.2, 70.6) para lotes de granjas no tecnificada, por último, el tipo de lesión más comúnmente hallado fue la bronconeumonía cráneo ventral (62,25%) y la menos común fueron los abscesos (0.26%). Así mismo, se encontró asociación estadística entre la prevalencia de lesiones pulmonares con el tipo de sistema de producción (p=0.03), encontrándose más lesiones en las granjas no tecnificadas.
Development and Validation of Parent-Reported Gastrointestinal Health Scale in MECP2 Duplication Syndrome
Authors: Pehlivan Davut , Aras Sukru , Glaze Daniel G. , Ak Muharrem , Suter Bernhard , Motil Kathleen J.
Published: February 2024

Background/Aims:
We aimed to develop a validated patient-reported Gastrointestinal Health Scale (GHS) specific to MECP2 Duplication Syndrome (MDS) to be used in clinical trials.
Methods
MDS parents completed a Gastrointestinal Health Questionnaire (GHQ) to investigate the most relevant and important items associated with gastrointestinal problems in MECP2-related disorders. Item reduction was executed according to EORTC guidelines. We performed reliability and validity studies for the finalized scale.
Results
A total of 106 surveys were eligible for item reduction and validation processes. The initial 55 items were reduced to 38 items based on parent responses, expert opinion, and initial confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The final MDS-specific GHS included 38 items and 7 factors that underwent further reliability and validity assessments. The power of the study was at least 0.982. The Cronbach’s alphas of the instruments were General Health: 0.799, Eating-Chewing-Swallowing: 0.809, Reflux: 0.794, Motility: 0.762, Mood: 0.906, Medication: 0.595, Parenting: 0.942 and all items together: 0.928. The correlation coefficient between total and individual item scores ranged from 0.215 to 0.730. Because of the ordinal nature of the variables, the diagonal weighted least squares estimation (DWLS) method was used to execute the CFA and Structural Equation Modeling. The GHS had excellent model fit with the acceptable range of fit indices values.
Conclusions
We developed a parent-reported, reliable, and valid MDS-specific GHS. This scale can be utilized in clinical settings or as an outcome measure in translational and clinical research.
Evolving drug discovery using AI, automation, and ASMS through an integrated D-preMTA-MTA strategy for target-focused library exploration
Authors: Ma Songling , Hu Chenming , Wang Tong , Shi Fangjun , Zhao Chuanfang , Wang Na , Yang Minghui , Yan Jun , Luo Jie , Yang Mingjun , Zhang Peiyu , Lai Lipeng , Ma Jian
Published: February 2024

In the realm of drug discovery, the Design-Make-Test-Analyses (DMTA) cycle plays a pivotal role, with the “M” phase often emerging as a bottleneck. Numerous endeavors have sought to expedite this phase, employing technologies like robotic arms, flow chemistry, and other devices for automated synthesis. This paper introduces “preMTA” as a game-changer, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)-based molecular generative models, automated synthesis workflows, and the ASMS platform, creating the “D-preMTA-MTA” cycle. During the “preMTA” phase, AI-designed chemical spaces for specific targets are explored. Microgram-scaled target compounds are efficiently prepared through pooling reactions and streamlined work-ups via automated synthesis workflows. These compounds are then screened using ASMS to rank them based on competitive binding affinity. This strategic approach enables the subsequent MTA phase to focus on potent binders. Validation of this approach involved the discovery of novel inhibitors for T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP or PTPN2). In the “D” phase, a target-focused library of 696 compounds was designed, with 140 strong binders swiftly identified in the “preMTA” phase. Subsequently, 51 of these compounds were scale-up synthesized and confirmed with IC50 values ranging from 16 nM to 277 nM, with 17 exhibiting IC50 values below 50 nM. The efficacy and seamless integration of each phase in the “D-preMTA-MTA” cycle can be attributed to a) the use of a synthesis-oriented molecular generative method streamlining automated synthesis, b) the deployment of a versatile and adaptable robotic arm capable of multitasking, and c) the implementation of ASMS screening methods reducing both synthetic and bio-testing complexities.
Essential oil and fenchone extracted from Tetradenia riparia (Hochstetter.) Codd (Lamiaceae) induce oxidative stress in Culex quinquefasciatus larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) without causing lethal effects on non-target animals
Authors: de Oliveira André C. , Simões Rejane C. , Silva Felipe M. A. da , Sá Ingrity S. C. , Costa Maria L. L. da , Nunomura Sergio M. , Nunomura Rita C. S. , Roque Rosemary A.
Published: February 2024

We investigated the larvicidal activity of the essential oil (EO) from Tetradenia riparia and its majority compound fenchone for controlling Culex quinquefasciatus larvae, focusing in reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities, and total thiol content as oxidative stress indicators. Moreover, the lethal effect of EO and fenchone was evaluated against Anisops bouvieri, Diplonychus indicus, Danio rerio, and Paracheirodon axelrodi. The EO and fenchone (5 to 25 µg/mL) showed larvicidal activity (LC50 from 16.05 to 18.94 µg/mL), followed by an overproduction of RONS, and changes in the activity of CAT, GST, AChE and total thiol content. The Kaplan-Meier followed by Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) analyses showed a 100% survival rate for A. bouvieri, D. indicus, D. rerio, and P. axelrodi when exposed to EO and fenchone (262.6 and 302.60 µg/mL), while α-cypermethrin (0.25 µg/mL) was extremely toxic to these non-target animals, causing 100% of death. These findings emphasize that the EO from T. riparia and fenchone serve as suitable larvicides for controlling C. quinquefasciatus larvae, without imposing lethal effects on the non-target animals investigated.
Modelling Efficient Fire Safety Water Networks by Certified Domination
Authors: Raczek Joanna , Miotk Mateusz
Published: February 2024

This paper explores a new way of designing water supply networks for fire safety using ideas from graph theory, focusing on a method called certified domination. Ensuring a good water supply is crucial for fire safety in communities. This study looks at the rules in Poland for how much water and pressure is needed to fight fires in different buildings and areas. We present a way to plan water supply networks for fire protection as a graph, where each point (node) is a place that needs water, and the lines (links) show where water can go between these points. The main idea is to find the best places to put pumping stations and wells in the network to save money and still meet all the fire safety requirements. Our approach assumes that it costs more to build a pumping station than a well. We use some examples to show how this method can find cost-effective solutions for water supply networks, while ensuring that they meet fire safety requirements and are not too expensive to build. This approach is a new and efficient way to improve the design of water supply networks for fire safety. Key challenges that are solved in this paper are a linear lime algorithm finding an optimal solution for networks without cycles and a BLP (Binary Linear Programming) algorithm solving the problem in arbitrary networks.
Early radical lung cancer outcome after prompt recovery from COVID-19 infection: A real-world study
Authors: Ma Ran , Ge Yong , Feng Tianci , Sun Teng , Feng Shoujie , Zhang Hao
Published: February 2024

Background:
There has been an increase in the number of patients with lung cancer who had previously contracted SARS-CoV-2 and currently require surgery. This study was to share the early postoperative outcomes in patients who underwent radical lung cancer surgery after early recovery of COVID-19 infection.
Methods
We retrospectively collected data for 99 patients who had undergone lung cancer surgery in our hospital during January 2022 and January 2023 (including the peak of the COVID-19 crisis）. The patients were divided into two groups according to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. One of these included individuals with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Perioperative and follow-up data at 30-day and 90-day were recorded.
Results
There were no statistical differences between groups (p > 0.05) in terms of their postoperative complications or 30-day and 90-day postoperative readmission rates. However, there were significant differences between groups (p < 0.05) in terms of their tumor sizes, pathological stages, total drainage volumes, drainage diversion times, and hospital stays.
Conclusions
The results of the present trial suggested that it is safe to implement radical curative lung cancer surgery in patients without pulmonary impairment and in the early stages (2–4 weeks) of recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Synergistic effects of bioactive peptide and cytarabine on leukemia cells
Authors: Suyila Qimuge , Sun Jiaxing , Li Xian , Su Xiulan
Published: February 2024

Purpose
Acute leukemia is caused by the malignant cloning of primitive bone marrow naive cells in vivo. This study aimed to explore the effects of anti-cancer bioactive peptides (ACBP) on leukemia cell proliferation, apoptosis, and peripheral blood lymphocytes in leukemia mice and to assess the combined effects of ACBP and the chemotherapy drug cytarabine (Ara-C) on acute leukemia.
Materials and methods
Cell proliferation and viability were measured using CCK-8. Apoptosis and cell cycle were measured by flow cytometry, and Caspase 3/7 protein expression was measured using an IncuCyte Live cell workstation. BALB/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally to establish a P388 acute lymphatic leukemia cell model. Mouse peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (Th, Ts, B, and NK cells) were detected by flow cytometry after ACBP, Ara-C, and ACBP/Ara-C treatment, and the levels of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-r, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) were also assessed.
Results
The results showed that ACBP effectively inhibited the proliferation of human myeloid leukemia mononuclear (THP-1) cells. The combined regimen also significantly induced apoptosis in THP-1 cells, upregulated Caspase3/7 expression, and blocked cell cycle in G2/M phase. Further ACBP/Ara-C activated Th, Ts, and B cells in P388 leukemic mice, upregulated of IFN-r and IL-2, downregulation of TNF- α, and IL-6.
Conclusion
These findings suggest that ACBP inhibits leukemia cell proliferation by activating the Caspase 3/7 pathway, arresting the cell cycle, activating lymphocyte subsets, promoting the secretion of cytokines, and activating immune functions. The synergistic effects of ACBP and Ara-C present new options for the clinical treatment of leukemia.
Expression and Significance of the GDF11 Protein in Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJO)
Authors: Lao Weihua , Shi Tong , Chen Qin , Qiao Bao , Ma Sai , Liu Cuiwei
Published: February 2024

Background
To explore the expression of growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), a member of the TGF-β superfamily, in pediatric ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) patients.
Methods
Five patients diagnosed with severe neonatal hydronephrosis underwent laparoscopic pyeloplasty between January 2021 and November 2022. Tissue samples from the constricted ureteropelvic junction and adjacent normal ureteral segments served as controls. The presence of the GDF11 protein in these tissues was examined using immunohistochemistry and Western blot techniques. Subsequently, a statistical analysis compared the protein expression levels in both groups.
Results
Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the frequency of high GDF11 protein expression in the narrowed ureter (60%) was significantly greater than that in the normal ureter (40%). Western blot analysis indicated that the expression of GDF11 was significantly greater in the narrowed ureter than in the normal ureter.
Conclusions
The increased expression of GDF11 in UPJO is noteworthy and deserves clinical attention.
Comparison of cytokine expression and disease severity between plasma cell-dominant and eosinophil-dominant patients in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps
Authors: Lin Yu-Tsai , Tsai Ming-Hsien , Su Yan-Ye , Huang Shun-Chen
Published: February 2024

Purpose
Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by inflammation of the nasal and sinus mucosa. The inflammatory patterns may differ among patients, leading to different subtypes based on the dominant inflammatory cell type. This study aimed to compare the differences in cytokine expression and disease severity between plasma cell-dominant and eosinophil-dominant subtypes in patients with CRSwNP.
Methods
This study included 53 CRSwNP patients and 19 control subjects who did not have asthma or a history of cigarette smoking. The expression of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-13) and inflammatory cells was assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry, respectively.
Results
Among the cytokines analyzed, only IL-6 was significantly different between the two subtypes. A greater proportion of mast cells and IgE cells was present in plasma cell-dominant CRSwNP patients than in eosinophil-dominant group. For the three disease severity scores (LMK-CT, TPS and SNOT-22), objective scores (LMK-CT and TPS) were greater in the eosinophil-dominant CRSwNP group, while the opposite result was shown for the subjective score (SNOT-22). Additionally, the percentage of plasma cell-dominant cells was significantly positively correlated with disease severity according to the TPS and SNOT-22 scores.
Conclusions
Our data revealed that plasma cell-dominant inflammation, a subtype of type 2 CRS, was significantly correlated with subjective disease severity. The study also highlights the role of IL-6, IgE and mast cells as distinguishing factors between eosinophil-dominant and plasma cell-dominant CRSwNP. This information could be useful for clinical diagnosis and personalized treatment.
Management of patients with Long Covid: A qualitative study exploring the roles of nurses in healthcare pathways
Authors: KAMDEM Linda , GUYOT Jessica , DUPRE Caroline , GOUTTEFARDE Pauline , VERICEL Marie Pierre , FANGET Marie , NKENFOU Céline , HUPIN David , ROCHE Frederic , BOTELHO-NEVERS Elisabeth , BONGUE Bienvenu
Published: February 2024

Aim
Investigate the various roles played by nurses in the care of patients afflicted with Long COVID.
Background
Effectively managing Long Covid requires a multidisciplinary approach - a healthcare pathway that necessitates collaboration among various members of the medical profession to monitor the patient. Among these professions, nursing plays a crucial role. This article compiles information on how nurses are involved in the care of patients afflicted with Long Covid: What roles do they play in enhancing the care of these patients? Are these roles distinct from those they perform in other chronic conditions?
Methods
We conducted a qualitative study among healthcare professionals in France and enrolled eighteen participants in our study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals working across various care sectors in France, including private practice, hospitals, schools, and research. A thematic content analysis was performed, and emerging themes were subsequently discussed until the most significant categories were identified. This study was conducted in accordance with the COREQ checklist.
Results
Nurses play a wide range of roles within their practices, depending on their practice settings. For instance, a nurse practitioner may work in a range of settings such as hospital outpatient clinics, private group practices, inpatient units, or urgent care units. Depending on their work environment, nurses' roles within healthcare pathways may encompass screening and guidance, clinical patient monitoring, providing relational support, patient education, collaborative care and coordination as well as involvement in research.
Conclusion
The predominant role identified in our study involves coordinating the management of the Long Covid syndrome. The next step would be the implementation of a city-hospital Long Covid healthcare pathway.
Implication for the Nursing & Health Policy Perspectives
Nursing work is difficult to specify, as it includes numerous recognised and unrecognised aspects. The results of this study highlight a new essential role which is that of coordinating the health pathways of patients suffering from Long Covid.
In silico characterization of bla OXA -carrying plasmids in Escherichia coli
Authors: Wu Jie , Liu Mengyue , Zhao Jiaxue , Xi Yanyan , Yang Haiyan , Chen Shuaiyin , Long Jinzhao , Duan Guangcai
Published: February 2024

To comprehensively understand the association between plasmids and blaOXA genes in Escherichia coli (E. coli), the variants of blaOXA, antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), host Sequence Types, conjugative transfer regions and geographic distribution of 328 blaOXA-positive plasmids in E. coli were investigated. The 328 plasmids were found to carry 341 blaOXA genes belonging to 12 types of blaOXA variants. blaOXA−1 (n = 190) and blaOXA−10 (n = 37) were the most prevalent blaOXA variants, followed by blaOXA−48 (n = 35) and blaOXA−181 (n = 33). The blaOXA−1 variant was mainly carried by the IncF plasmids, while the majority of blaOXA−10 was located on IncH plasmids in E. coli. The former was widely distributed worldwide, while the latter was mainly concentrated in Asia. In E. coli, the blaOXA−48 gene was mainly carried by IncL replicons, which was mainly isolated in Spain and Switzerland. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis showed that ST2, ST43, and ST471 accounted for the majority of E coli carrying blaOXA-positive plasmids, which deserved long-term attention in monitoring system. ARGs analysis results showed that ARGs was highly diverse in E. coli plasmids carrying blaOXA, suggesting that the E. coli harboring blaOXA has been gradually developing into the super-bacteria. These findings demonstrate the importance of plasmids in OXA β-Lactamases transmission and propose the importance of monitoring these factors to better understand and control the occurrence of antibiotic resistance.
Production study of Fr, Ra and Ac radioactive ion beams at ISOLDE, CERN
Authors: Jajčišinová E. , Dockx K. , Au M. , Bara S. , Cocolios T. E. , Chrysalidis K. , Farooq-Smith G. J. , Fedorov D. V. , Fedosseev V. N. , Flanagan K. T. , Heines M. , Houngbo D. , Johnson J. D. , Kellerbauer A. , Kraemer S. , Marsh B. A. , Popescu L. , Ramos J. P. , Rothe S. , Seliverstov M. D. , Sels S. , Stegemann S. , Stryjczyk M. , Verelst V.
Published: February 2024

The presented paper discusses the production of radioactive ion beams of francium, radium, and actinium from thick uranium carbide (UC x) targets at ISOLDE, CERN. This study focuses on the release curves and extractable yields of francium, radium and actinium isotopes. The ion source temperature was varied in order to study the relative contributions of surface and laser ionization to the production of the actinium ion beams. The experimental results are presented in the form of release parameters. Representative extractable yields per µC are presented for 222−231 Ac, several Ra and Fr isotopes in the mass ranges 214≤A≤233 and 205≤A≤231 respectively. The release efficiency for several isotopes of each of the studied elements was calculated by comparing their yields to the estimated in-target production rates modeled by CERN-FLUKA. The maximal extraction efficiency of actinium was calculated to be 2.1(6)% for a combination of surface ionization using a Ta ion source and resonant laser ionization using the two-step 438.58 nm, and 424.69 nm scheme.
Distinct characteristics and changes in liver function of patients with HCC treated with Ate/Bev for more than 1 year
Authors: Kim Youngun , Kim Jung Sun , Kang Beodeul , Kim Ilhwan , Kim Hyeyoung , Lee Won Suk , Sang Yun Beom , Jung Sanghoon , An Chansik , Kim Chan , Chon Hong Jae
Published: February 2024

Background/Aims:Since 2020, Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Ate/Bev) has been the standard first-line therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but long-term treatment studies are limited. This study evaluated the clinical characteristics and effects of Ate/Bev for over 1 year.
Methods: This study included patients with unresectable HCC treated with first-line Ate/Bev between May 2020 and April 2022. Those receiving Ate/Bev for 1 year or more were classified as the long-term treatment group.
Results:Of 246 patients, 69 (28.0%) were in the long-term treatment group. This group had more proportions of intrahepatic tumor burden <25%, ECOG 0, and a lower proportion of portal vein tumor thrombosis than the short-term treatment group. The long-term treatment group had a higher incidence of atezolizumab-related thyroid dysfunction (31.9% vs. 10.7%, p<0.001; median time to onset [mTTO]: 2.8 months), dermatologic toxicity (29.0% vs. 14.7%, p=0.017; mTTO: 3.3 months), bevacizumab-related hypertension (44.9% vs. 22.0%, p=0.001; mTTO: 4.2 months), and proteinuria (69.6% vs. 38.4%, p<0.001; mTTO: 6.8 months), compared to the short-term treatment group. Regarding liver function in the long-term treatment group, patients initially classified as Child–Pugh class A decreased from 87% to 75.4%, and albumin-bilirubin grade 1 decreased from 68.1% to 50.7% after 1 year of treatment.
Conclusions:The Ate/Bev long-term treatment group had a lower intrahepatic tumor burden, less portal vein tumor thrombosis, and better performance status and liver function at baseline. Atezolizumab-related immunological adverse events emerged relatively early in treatment compared to the bevacizumab-related. Additionally, some patients showed liver function deterioration during long-term Ate/Bev treatment.
Stimulation of Pyramidal Neurons in Deep Layers of Rat Visual Cortex Enhances Visual Information Processing
Authors: Baranauskas Gytis , Rysevaite-Kyguoliene Kristina , Sabeckis Ignas , Tkatch Tatiana , Pauza Dainius H
Published: February 2024

In the primary visual cortex area V1 activation of inhibitory interneurons, which provide negative feedback for excitatory pyramidal neurons, can improve visual response reliability and orientation selectivity. Moreover, optogenetic activation of one class of interneurons, parvalbumin (PV) positive cells, reduces the receptive field (RF) width. These data suggest that in V1 the negative feedback improves visual information processing. However, according to information theory, noise can limit information content in a signal, and to the best of our knowledge, in V1 signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) has never been estimated following either pyramidal or inhibitory neuron activation. Therefore, we optogenetically activated pyramidal or PV neurons in the deep layers of cortical area V1 and measured the SNR and RF area in nearby pyramidal neurons. Activation of pyramidal or PV neurons increased the SNR by 267% and 318%, respectively, and reduced the RF area to 60.1% and 77.5%, respectively, of that of the control. A simple integrate-and-fire neuron model demonstrated that an improved SNR and a reduced RF area can increase the amount of information encoded by neurons. We conclude that in V1 activation of pyramidal neurons improves visual information processing since the location of the visual stimulus can be pinpointed more accurately (via a reduced RF area), and more information is encoded by neurons (due to increased SNR).
Age-Related Changes in Urethral Structure and Responds to Injury: Single-Cell Atlas of a Rat Model of Vaginal Birth Injury induced Stress Urinary Incontinence
Authors: Zhao Liangyu , Xing Emily , Bai Tian , Cao Thomas , Wang Guifang , Banie Lia , Lin Guiting , Tang Yuxin , Lue Tom
Published: February 2024

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) greatly affects the daily life of numerous women and is closely related to a history of vaginal delivery and aging. We used vaginal balloon dilation to simulate vaginal birth injury in young and middle-aged rats to produce a SUI animal model, and found that young rats restored urethral structure and function well, but not the middle-aged rats. To identify the characteristics of cellular and molecular changes in the urethral microenvironment during the repair process of SUI. We profiled 51,690 individual female rat urethra cells from 24 and 48 weeks old, with or without simulated vaginal birth injury. Cell interaction analysis showed that signal networks during repair process changed from resting to active, and aging altered the distribution but not the overall level of cell interaction in the repair process. Similarity analysis showed that muscle, fibroblasts, and immune cells underwent large transcriptional changes during aging and repair. In middle-aged rats, cell senescence occurs mainly in the superficial and middle urothelium due to cellular death and shedding, and the basal urothelium expressed many Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP) genes. In conclusion, we established the aging and vaginal balloon dilation (VBD) model of female urethral cell anatomy and the signal network landscape, which provides an insight into the normal or disordered urethra repair process and the scientific basis for developing novel SUI therapies.
Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Co-Infection with Legionella pneumophila and Anaerobic Bacteria in a Patient with Severe Pneumonia and Lemierre's Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Pan Yunqi , Xing Yi , Lai Yanan , Dong Huixing , Sheng Huiming , Xu Weihong
Published: February 2024

Background: Legionella pneumonia is one of the most severe types of atypical pneumonia, impairing multiple organ systems, posing a threat to life. Diagnosing Legionella pneumonia is challenging due to difficulties in culturing the bacteria and limitations in immunoassay sensitivity and specificity.
Case presentation: This paper reports a rare case of sepsis caused by combined infection with Legionella pneumophilaand Fusobacterium necrophorum, leading to respiratory failure, acute kidney injury, acute liver injury, myocardial damage, and electrolyte disorders. In addition, we systematically reviewed literature on patients with combined Legionella infections, analyzing their clinical features, laboratory results and diagnosis.
Conclusions: For rare pathogens that cannot be identified by routine laboratory tests, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) can be a powerful supplement to pathogen screening and plays a significant role in the auxiliary diagnosis of complex infectious diseases.
The Wideband Substrate Integrated Waveguide Antenna Based on Maintaining Gain-Stabilized Metasurfaces
Authors: WU TING , YAN LEI , WANG MINGJUN , ZHANG KAI
Published: February 2024

In this paper, a Wideband SIW high-gain antenna based on Maintaining Gain-Stabilized Metasurfaces is proposed. Firstly, several new resonant points are introduced based on the traditional H-shape slot to improve the bandwidth. The higher-order resonant modes in the sub-cavity are excited by the ground-based coplanar waveguide feeding network. A wide impedance bandwidth can be achieved by introducing the higher order modes closer. By this means, the final bandwidth of the slot antenna can reach 20.7% (12.1–14.9 GHz). Secondly, the antenna is further improved by loading the miniaturized metasurface to solve the gain degradation in the high-frequency part. The metasurface is composed of four sequentially rotated 3×3 meta units and a metal via is etched on each unit to achieve miniaturization. The gain in the high operating band is increased with a 1.7 dBi average and 2.3 dBi maximum while the size of the metasurface is reduced. The results demonstrate that the proposed antenna achieves an impedance bandwidth of 27.6% in the range from 11.25 to 14.85 GHz with a peak gain of 9.4 dBi at 14.1 GHz.
Exploring in vitro Oryzalin-Induced Polyploidy in Astragalus membranaceus: Implications for Gene Expression
Authors: Šenkyřík Josef Baltazar , Navrátilová Božena , Fišerová Barbora , Kobrlová Lucie , Ondřej Vladan
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the effects of artificial in vitro polyploidisation of Astragalus membranaceus, focusing specifically on gene expression and metabolic pathway associated with the biosynthesis of calycosin and calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside. Using oryzalin as an antimitotic agent, we have systematically investigated different genotypic lines, under both in vitro and ex vitro conditions. Amid cases of reduced gene expression in certain lines, results showed a significant upregulation in specific lines, particularly in genotypes 16, 54, and 74. Genotype 54 showed an exceptional response, manifesting a statistically significant upregulation in all investigated genes studied under in vitro conditions (i.e. AmPAL, AmC4H and AmI3′H). Interestingly, even under ex vitro conditions after two years of greenhouse cultivation, certain lines showed significant variations in gene expression. Despite the loss of tetraploidy, genotype 16 exhibited the highest expression levels among the examined genotypes, with statistically significant upregulation of both the AmPAL and AmC4H genes. In addition, the tetraploid genotype 74 showed a significant upregulation of the AmI3′H gene and a concomitant downregulation of the AmC4H gene. These results highlight the complex regulatory mechanisms affected by the polyploidisation of Astragalus membranaceus and provide promising avenues for manipulating gene expression to enhance the production of pharmacologically significant compounds.
The effect of sports expertise on the performance of orienteering athletes' reality-scene image recognition and visual search characteristics
Authors: Guo limin , Liu Yang , Kan Chao
Published: February 2024

The study found that expert athletes have a high sensitivity to information in the field of expertise and have reasonable search strategies and capabilities. To explore the sports expertise of directional athletes' real scene picture recognition performance and visual search characteristics, this study selected 40 different level directional athletes (panel, novice group) for the subjects, the eye movement experiment paradigm, placed observation points in the real scene, picture recognition task test, examine the directional athletes picture recognition behavior performance and visual search characteristics. The results show that the expert group shows high accuracy and short response time; it has the visual search characteristics of less saccade frequency, low saccade frequency and low fixation frequency, concentrated fixation points, simple and clear fixation path, and higher visual search efficiency. It reveals that long-term special training will form the specialty cognitive structure related to the special knowledge in the long-term memory of the expert athletes, which promotes the formation of the expert advantage.
Red Light-Mediated Photoredox Catalysis Promotes Regioselective Switch in the Difunctionalization of Alkenes
Authors: Das Shoubhik , Zhang Tong
Published: February 2024

Controlling regioselectivity during difunctionalization of alkenes represents significant challenges, particularly when the installation of both functional groups is involved in radical processes. In this aspect, several functionalized trifluoromethylated (-CF3) compounds have been accomplished via difunctionalization reactions due to their wide importance in the pharmaceutical sectors, however, all these existing reports are limited to afford the corresponding β-trifluoromethylated products. The main reason for this limitation arises from the fact that -CF3 group served as an initiator in those reactions and predominantly preferred to be installed at the terminal (β) position of an alkene. In contrary, functionalization of the -CF3 group at the internal (α) position of alkenes provides valuable products but a meticulous approach is necessary to win this regioselectivity switch. Intrigued by this challenge, we have developed an efficient and highly regioselective strategy where -CF3 group is installed at the α-position of an alkene and at the end, molecular complexity is achieved via the simultaneous insertion of a sulfonyl fragment (-SO2R) at the β-position. This strategy provides the simultane-ous installation of two important functional groups such as -CF3 and -SO2R groups and both of these functional groups are the key units to attain or to enhance the bioactivity in organic molecules. A precisely regu-lated sequence of radical generation using red light-mediated photocatalysis facilitates this regioselective switch from the terminal (β) position to the internal (α) position. Furthermore, this approach demonstrates dis-tinctive regioselectivity, broad substrate scope and industrial potential for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals under mild reaction conditions.
Income inequality and the factors affecting inequality of the farmers cultivating leguminous crops in the rainfed area of Jammu region of South Asia
Authors: Bhagat Vipal , Dwivedi Sudhakar , Singla Naresh , Bagal Yudhishther Singh , Verma Devendra Kumar
Published: February 2024

Most of the farmers in India, those practices rainfed farming are poor and the same situation reflects in the Jammu region of South Asia also. For the present study, three leguminous crops i.e., urd, garden pea and chickpea were selected from the rainfed areas of Jammu (urd and garden pea) and Udhampur (chickpea) districts on the basis of purposive sampling technique. This paper has made some efforts in finding out the inequality index, a ubiquitous phenomenon among the farmers cultivating leguminous crops in the region. Ginni coefficient revealed that the inequality index is higher in case of farmers cultivating urd crop (0.0704) in comparison to that of the farmers cultivating garden pea (0.067) and chickpea (0.014), respectively. As some of the variables were compromised on the test of normality, therefore, a robust test of simultaneous quantile regression approach was applied which revealed that seeds (at the lower quantile of gross returns) and machine labour (at the upper quantile of gross returns) were the two important factors that affect the returns of the farmers in the rainfed areas of the Jammu districts of Jammu and Udhampur. Consequently, Kernel density estimation showed the under smoothness of the curve in case of these two variables, respectively.
Climate control on the channel morphodynamics of the Sittaung River, Myanmar
Authors: Bisson Luke Stefan , Choi Kyungsik
Published: February 2024

The spatio-temporal development of a meandering river is controlled by its channel morphodynamics. In regions of rapid channel evolution, understanding the driving factors of meander migration is crucial in forecasting the rate and extent of morphological change. Sediment supply and fluvial discharge are the primary influences on migration rate, however climate oscillations are also integral in regulating migration rate through their control of regional precipitation, as well as the monsoon season of sub-tropical Asia. Despite this, an in-depth investigation into the impact of climate oscillations on meander bend migration remains undocumented. This study presents a satellite-based analysis of multi-decadal climatic forcing on the migration rate of the Sittaung River in Myanmar, through interpretation of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The mode of ENSO exerts significant climatic control on the migration rate of the meandering channels of the Sittaung River, with low-to-average migration rates recorded during dry El Niño events and peak migration rates observed during wet La Niña events. However, this climatic signal may have been obscured by certain local environmental conditions. In cases where meanders faced geological basement, the basement rock inhibited their migration through extension, forcing more rapid migration by way of seaward translation. Consequently, these translating meanders developed to be more elongate, with lower curvatures. Meanders downstream of the approximate tidal limit were less downstream skewed, indicative of tidal modulation, potentially obscuring the impact of fluvially driven climate forcing. Additionally, downstream of a major confluence, the input of sediment and fluvial discharge may have been regulated by upstream anthropogenic activities such as mining and dam construction, leading to greater variability in migration rate downstream of this confluence and further obfuscation of the climate signal.
MAD-CNN: High-Sensitivity and Robust Collision Detection for Robots with Variable Stiffness Actuation
Authors: Niu Zhenwei , Saoud Lyes Saad , Hussain Irfan
Published: February 2024

Safe and efficient human-robot collaboration (HRC) relies on proactive collision avoidance and robust detection of unexpected contacts. Although existing learning-based approaches excel in specific areas, they often encounter challenges with robots equipped with variable stiffness actuators—a crucial aspect for ensuring safe and adaptable HRC. To address this, we present MAD-CNN, a novel Modularized Attention-Dilated Convolutional Neural Network designed for highly sensitive and robust collision detection in these adaptable robots. MAD-CNN leverages a dual inductive bias mechanism, combining modularization and dilated convolution, to significantly reduce data requirements. This capability facilitates efficient training even with limited collision datasets, offering a substantial advantage for real-world implementation. Additionally, an attention module prioritizes relevant features, enhancing the network's robustness against variations in stiffness levels—a core challenge in variable stiffness robots.This powerful combination unlocks exceptional performance for MAD-CNN. In extensive evaluations, it achieved zero missed collisions across 516 events, with a minimal detection delay averaging just 12.05 milliseconds and 20\% fewer false positives compared to baseline methods. Remarkably, this outstanding performance was attained even when trained on a four-minute dataset focused on the highest stiffness setting, underscoring MAD-CNN's data efficiency and adaptability across diverse stiffness configurations. By enabling accurate and sensitive collision detection across the spectrum of variable stiffness conditions, MAD-CNN paves the way for safer and more reliable HRC in various fields, including manufacturing, healthcare, and assistive robotics.
Bifurcation structures of a two-dimensional piecewise linear discontinuous map: analysis of a cobweb model with regime-switching expectations
Authors: Gardini Laura , Radi Davide , Schmitt Noemi , Iryna Sushko , Westerhoff Frank
Published: February 2024

We consider the bifurcations occurring in a two-dimensional piecewise-linear discontinuous map that describes the dynamics of a cobweb model in which firms rely on a regime-switching expectation rule. In three different partitions of the phase plane, separated by two discontinuity lines, the map is defined by linear functions with the same Jacobian matrix, having two real eigenvalues, one of which is negative and one equal to 0. This leads to asymptotic dynamics that can belong to two or three critical lines. We show that when the basic fixed point is attracting, it may coexist with at most three attracting cycles. We have determined their existence regions, in the two-dimensional parameter plane, bounded by border collision bifurcation curves. At parameter values for which the basic fixed point is repelling, chaotic attractors may exist - either one that is symmetric with respect to the basic fixed point, or, if not symmetric, the symmetric one also exists. The homoclinic bifurcations of repelling cycles leading to the merging of chaotic attractors are commented by using the first return map on a suitable line. Moreover, four different kinds of homoclinic bifurcations of a saddle 2-cycle, leading to divergence of the generic trajectory, are determined.
JEL classification C62 · E32 · Q11
CT state carrier storage-triggered TADP in an organic scintillator
Authors: Zang Shuang-Quan , Peng Qiu-Chen , Si Yubing , Yang Qi , Yuan Jia-Wang , Gao Zi-Ying , Li Kai , Zhao Yi , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: February 2024

Organic scintillators are among the most promising scintillators due to their inherent merits in terms of heavy metal-free constituents, synthesis designability, affordability of raw materials, and low usage costs1-6. However, the limited X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) property of organic scintillators affects their application. To date, the main approaches for improving the XEL property of organic scintillators have focused on introducing heavy atoms to increase the absorbance of X-ray and establishing new luminescence pathways, such as thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), to increase the exciton utilization efficiency7-10. Even so, the XEL property of organic scintillators is not ideal compared with that of commercial inorganic scintillators. In this work, a highly stable charge transfer (CT) state trap was introduced into the design of an organic scintillator. Combined with a unique thermally activated delayed phosphorescence (TADP) process, highly efficient capture and conversion of high-energy carriers are realized. As a result, the exciton generation efficiency dramatically increases, with an ultrahigh light yield (LY), and X-ray afterglow imaging at room temperature is achieved for the first time. This work provides a brand-new strategy for the design of high-performance organic scintillators.
Prevalence of Lymphopenia in the American Population: Insights from Demographic, BMI, and Lifestyle Factors
Authors: Xie Wenchi , Li Qian , Ji Landie , Kang Landan , Mei Jie
Published: February 2024

Objective
Understanding the prevalence of lymphopenia in the American population according to different variables.
Methods
A total of 33,365 participants were included in the 2009–2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES). All analyses used weighted samples and considered the layering and clustering of the design.
Results
The prevalence of lymphopenia in Mexican-American participants was significantly lower than that of white participants (P = 0.018). The prevalence of lymphopenia increases with age, reaching a peak of 6.84% among elderly participants aged 75 and above. In terms of the gender difference, the prevalence of lymphopenia in men is significantly higher than that in women (P < 0.001). The prevalence of lymphopenia in participants with sleep disorders is significantly higher than those without sleep disorders (P = 0.014).
Conclusion
We propose a novel perspective that the diagnosis and treatment of lymphopenia should be tailored to the lymphocyte levels of specific subpopulations, rather than applying a generalized approach.