bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost-Effectiveness of Zanubrutinib versus Bendamustine and Rituximab in Patients with Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia
Authors: Nie Jing , Wu Huina , Zhang Huiyue , Liu Lihui , Wu Qian , Tang Ke , Wu Jiyong
Published: April 2023

Background Zanubrutinib is a powerful specific and irreversible bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor. Whether used alone or in combination with other drugs, it is proved to be effective in untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Here, we compared the cost-effectiveness of zanubrutinib and bendamustine-rituximab (R-bendamustine) to determine its effectiveness as first-line treatment for Chinese patients with untreated CLL.
Methods The cost-effectiveness of zanubrutinib and R-bendamustine treatment for CLL was evaluated by a partitioned survival model. It was constructed using TreeAge Pro 2011 software mainly based on the clinical data derived from SEQUOIA. Transition probabilities were estimated from the reported survival probabilities in trials using parametric survival modeling. In this analysis, the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and lifetime cost were calculated from the Chinese healthcare system perspective. An entire life span horizon and annual 5% discounting were used. One-way analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) were carried to explore the uncertainty of the modeling results. Additionally, several scenarios analysis, including different zanubrutinib price calculation and 20-year time horizon were evaluated.
Results The cost of zanubrutinib and R-bendamustine were $98711.7 and $53095.17. Zanubrutinib had an ICER of $58258.18 per additional QALYs gained compared with R- bendamustine. Research indicated that zanubrutinib achieved at least an 3.70% probability of cost-effectiveness at the threshold of $38223.34/QALY. One-way sensitivity analysis revealed that the results were sensitive to utility of PD. Scenario analysis showed that zanubrutinib was cost-effectiveness when its price reduced more than 20%.
Conclusions At current price, zanubrutinib was less cost-effectiveness for patients with CLL compared with R-bendamustine in China.
EU Membership and Income Inequality: Escaping The Single and Binary Treatment Approach
Authors: Serwach Tomasz
Published: April 2023

Increasing income inequalities have raised concerns about the resilience of globalization to socio-political disturbances, such as those stemming from populism. Despite the vast literature on the openness-inequalities nexus, surprisingly little is known about the role that regionalization plays in shaping income distributions. This paper tackles this issue, focusing on the 2004 enlargement of the European Union (EU), and applying the newly introduced method belonging to the family of difference-in-differences (DID) estimators. It allows for multiple non-binary treatments. Full-fledged membership was preceded by association status, and accession to the EU was accompanied or followed by engagement in other layers of integration (European Monetary Union and Schengen Area). Controlling for these features, I was able to assess whether the pure EU effect contributed to increases in income inequalities.
JEL CLASSIFICATION
F15, F16, F66, E24, E25
Knowledge and Attitude Towards Psoriasis Among Jordanian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Murshidi Rand , Shewaikani Nour , Refaei Assem Al , Al-Shami Raghad , Hwidi Bayan E. , Khateeb Dana Q , Alshamasneh Leen , Nasrallah Maram , Murshidi Raghad , Abdallat Mahmoud
Published: April 2023

Background
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease with a 2–3% prevalence. As with other diseases with cutaneous manifestations, psoriasis patients suffer from psychological issues and social isolation. The general population's misconceptions and prejudicial attitudes toward those patients are highly implicated in ensuing psychological issues. Accordingly, this study is the first to investigate the Jordanian population's knowledge about and attitude toward psoriasis.
Methods
Our cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered online questionnaire that 1306 participants from the Jordanian population completed. The questionnaire constituted of four sections addressing the sociodemographic characteristics, previous exposure to psoriasis, knowledge about psoriasis, and attitudes toward psoriasis. The data analysis was conducted using R and Rstudio packages.
Results
The averages and standard deviations of knowledge and attitude scores of the total sample were 7.54 ± 2.38 and 3.45 ± 9.22, respectively. When further classified into categories, 73.81% laid in the moderate knowledge category. Moreover, 61.49% had a positive total attitude score. Among the common misconceptions identified were thinking that psoriasis is a hereditary disease (30.09%), denying that psoriasis increases the risk of diabetes (51.68%) and heart disease (67.69%), and not knowing that it affects the social life of patients (26.11%). Of the prominent negative attitudes observed were those related to the intimate relationship status and sharing a swimming pool with a psoriasis patient.
Conclusion
Although the Jordanian population's overall knowledge level appeared sufficient, some critical misconceptions were identified. Moreover, this research revealed a high prevalence of negative attitudes toward psoriasis among the Jordanian public. Future research could link every negative behavior to their exact triggering misconception. This may further assist in the institutional effort to combat discriminatory behaviors.
Translation and evaluation of psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Hypertension Self-Care Activity Level Effects (H-SCALE)
Authors: Shabani Mohammadamin , Taheri-Kharameh Zahra , sheikholeslamikabiri Fatemeh , Judy Maede
Published: April 2023

Background & Objectives: High blood pressure is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death worldwide. The importance of self-care in controlling hypertension is obvious, and a valid and reliable tool is needed to assess the self-care status of patients with hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Blood Pressure Self-Care Level Questionnaire.
Methods: Present methodological study was conducted on 218 patients with hypertension visiting the Clinic of Qom educational and medical centers. Subjects were selected with simple sampling. Data were collected using a self-care behaviors questionnaire, Morisky Medication adherence scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The translation was done from the recommended backward-forward method according to the WHO protocol. Then face and content validity، construct validity were performed (using a comparison of known groups and confirmatory factor analysis). To test reliability, Cronbach's alpha was used. Data analysis was performed by SPSS and smart-PLS software.
Results: The correlation between the scores obtained from the self-care behaviors questionnaire and the Morisky Medication adherence scale confirmed the criterion validity. The factor loadings of the self-care behaviors questionnaire were significant in all structures. The factor loadings were higher than 0.5 except for three expressions. The extent of average variance extracted (except feeding structures) was greater than 0.5 which revealed the convergent validity of the named variables. The divergent validity of the questionnaire was confirmed using the Fornell-Larcker criterion and the heterotrait-monotrait ratio (HTMT). Cronbach's alpha coefficient, combined reliability, and index were optimal.
Conclusion: According to research findings, the Persian version of the questionnaire has good validity and reliability that can be used as a tool to measure the level of self-care of blood pressure by health care providers.
Perception and factors associated with patient safety culture in a large tertiary hospital in Palestine
Authors: Zabin Loai M.
Published: April 2023

Background Patient safety culture helps with enhancing care quality, avoiding errors, promoting clinical outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs. Also, it helps minimize unfavorable events, which increases patient safety and raises the quality of medical care provided. This study aims to assess the perception of patient safety culture in a university hospital and assess the relationship between demographic and workplace characteristics of the staff with the perceptions of patient safety culture. Methods Quantitative cross-sectional study design was used. The Arabic version of HSOPSC v2.0 was used to assess the perception of patient safety culture among hospital staff. The SurveyMonkey® online platform was used to send the surveys to all staff emails within two weeks. Descriptive statistics were used to measure the perception. Man-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and logistic regression were used to find the relations between the variables. Results “Staffing and Workplace” (59.5%) and “Response to Error” (51.9%) were found the weakest dimensions. “Teamwork” (82.5%), and the “Organizational Learning—Continuous Improvement” (81.1%) were the highest positive dimensions. The rest of the dimensions were perceived positively. Nursing staff perceived patient safety culture more positively than other professions (Mean Rank = 157.23, p-value < 0.001). The staff working in patient care units perceived patient safety culture positively more than other staff (Mean Rank = 150.86, p-value = 00.007). The staff with direct contact with patients had a more positive perception of patient safety culture (Mean Rank = 141.90, p-value < 0.001). Logistic regression found a statistically significant association between the total score of patient safety culture dimensions and staff position in the hospital (p-value = 0.003, VIF = 1.179). It also found a statistically significant association between those who have direct contact with patients and the total score of patient safety culture dimensions (p-value = 0.003, VIF = 1.208). Conclusions This study presents an assessment of patient safety culture among healthcare staff in a university hospital. The staff perceived overall patient safety culture positively. However, efforts must be done to improve the two weak dimensions. A qualitative approach study could be done to explore deeply the reasons for this weakness in these dimensions. The demographics of the staff were not associated with patient safety culture.
Separating the effects of childhood- and adult-onset asthma on rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Huang Guiwu , Zhong Yonglie , Liao Weiming , Zhao Xiaoyi
Published: April 2023

Background: The causal relationship between asthma and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been well investigated from a perspective of genetics. This study investigated the effects of asthma appearing at different ages on the risk of RA and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using the Mendelian randomization (MR) method.
Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with asthma were used as instrumental variables. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main MR method to estimate causal effects based on the summary-level data for RA and SLE. Cochran’s Q test as the sensitivity analyses validated the robustness of the results and ensured the absence of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy.
Results: Asthma (adult onset) and asthma (childhood onset) were identified to be causally associated with RA based on the IVW method (adult-onset asthma, odds ratio [OR]: 1.360, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.176–1.572, p = 3.30×10-5; childhood-onset asthma, OR: 1.119, 95% CI: 1.030–1.216, p = 7.96×10-3). There were no associations between genetically predicted asthma (both adult and childhood onset) and the risk of SLE. Sensitivity analysis, like Cochran’s Q test, further excluded the influence of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy.
Conclusions: Both adult- and childhood-onset asthma were causally associated with RA but not SLE. The findings are valuable for understanding inflammation related to asthma and RA pathology and can guide the prevention of different diseases.
Mock samples resolve biases in diversity estimates and quantitative interpretation of zooplankton metabarcoding data
Authors: Ershova Elizaveta , Wangensteen Owen S. , Falkenhaug Tone
Published: April 2023

Metabarcoding is a rapidly developing tool in marine zooplankton ecology, although most zooplankton surveys continue to rely on visual identification for monitoring purposes. We attempted to resolve some of the biases associated with metabarcoding by sequencing a 313 b.p. fragment of the COI gene in 34 “mock” samples from the North Sea which were pre-sorted to species level, with biomass and abundance estimates obtained for each species and taxonomic group. The samples were preserved either in 97% ethanol or dried for 24 hours in a drying oven at 65° C (the routine way of preserving samples for dry weight measurements). The visual identification yielded a total of 59 unique holoplanktonic and 16 meroplanktonic species/taxa. Metabarcoding identified 86 holoplanktonic and 124 meroplanktonic species/taxa, which included all but 3 of the species identified visually as well as numerous species of hard-to-identify crustaceans, hydrozoan jellyfish and larvae of benthic animals. On a sample-to-sample basis, typically 90–95% of visually registered species were recovered, but the number of false positives was also high. We demonstrate robust correlations of relative sequence abundances to relative biomass for most taxonomic groups and develop conversion factors for different taxa to account for sequencing biases. We then combine the adjusted sequencing data with a single bulk biomass measurement for the entire sample to produce a quantitative parameter akin to species biomass. When examined with multivariate statistics, this parameter, which we call BWSR (Biomass weighed sequence reads) showed very similar trends to species biomass and comparable patterns to species abundance, highlighting the potential of metabarcoding not only for biodiversity estimation and mapping of presence/absence of species, but also for quantitative assessment of zooplankton communities.
Sequential Labelling and DNABERT For Splice Site Prediction in Homo Sapiens DNA
Authors: Leksono Muhammad Anwari , Purwarianti Ayu
Published: April 2023

Background
Gene prediction on DNA has been conducted using various deep learning architectures to discover splice sites to locate intron and exon regions. However, recent predictions are carried out with models trained with a sequence which has a splice site in the middle. This case eliminates the possibility of multiple splice sites in a single sequence.
Results
This research proposes a sequential labelling model to predict splice sites regardless of their position in a sequence. A sequential labelling model named DNABERT-SL is developed on pre-trained DNABERT-3. DNABERT-SL is benchmarked against the latest sequential labelling model for mutation type and location prediction based on BiLSTM and BiGRU. While achieving F1 scores above 0.8 on validation data, BiLSTM, BiGRU, and DNABERT-SL perform poorly on test data as indicated by their respective low F1 scores (0.498 ± 0.184, 0.6 ± 0.123, 0.532 ± 0.245).
Conclusions
DNABERT-SL model cannot distinguish nucleotides acting as splice sites from normal ones. Principal component analysis on token contextual representation produced by DNABERT-SL shows that the representation is not optimal for distinguishing splice site tokens from non-splice site tokens. Splice site motif observation conducted on test and training sequences shows that an arbitrary sequence with GT-AG motif can be both splice sites in some sequences and normal nucleotides in others.
High-density NV Ensemble with Mutual Interaction of NV Centers Created in Ultra Heavily Nitrogen-doped CVD Diamond
Authors: Hayasaka Kyosuke , Kanehisa Kyotaro , Ueda Mayu , Kimura Kosuke , Tanii Takashi , Onoda Shinobu , Enomoto Shinpei , Kawarada Hiroshi
Published: April 2023

A nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond is a promising platform for the study of quantum sensing and quantum many-body physics. It is essential for such study to realize a system in which NV centers interact with one another. This requires the fabrication of highly concentrated NV centers, as the centers must exist within a few nanometers of one another. Only a few such samples have been fabricated, because the required irradiation of several-MV electron beams over long periods makes such sample preparation difficult. Here, highly concentrated NV ensembles ([NV] = 8.5 × 1018 cm-3) were created by narrowing the electron beam of a transmission electron microscope to generate large amounts of vacancies in highly concentrated nitrogen-doped CVD diamond ([N] = 8 × 1020 cm-3). This result reduces the difficulty of producing high-concentration NV ensembles and is expected to promote the development of many-body quantum physics.
Unusual Flexibility of Transparent Poly(methylsilsesquioxane) Aerogels by Surfactant-Induced Mesoscopic Fiber Assembly
Authors: Ueoka Ryota , Hara Yosuke , Maeno Ayaka , Kaji Hironori , Nakanishi Kazuki , Kanamori Kazuyoshi
Published: April 2023

We report a new synthetic strategy to realize highly transparent aerogels with outstanding bending flexibility. Taking poly(methylsilsesquioxane) (PMSQ) aerogels as an example, surfactant-induced fiber-like mesoscopic assembly of PMSQ and poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-b-PPO-b-PEO, so-called Pluronics) has been demonstrated. The obtained PMSQ aerogels possessed a characteristic branched fibrous structure in the mesoscale. With employing various kinds of PEO-b-PPO-b-PEO as the structure determining agent, optimization of the mesoscale structure of PMSQ gels has realized highly transparent aerogels with outstanding bendability compared to those reported in previous works. This approach provides a novel way to thermally superinsulating flexible devices with glasslike transparency.
Chemotherapy for Cancer Treatment: An L1 Optimal Control Approach
Authors: Rautela Akansha , Neetish  , Bora Riddhi Mohan , Dey Bhabani Shankar , Paul Chayan Kumar
Published: April 2023

Chemotherapy as a cancer treatment has garnered much scientific interest in recent years. Chemotherapy is essential for the elimination of cancer cells to the greatest extent possible. Clinical studies demonstrate a predictable trajectory of tumor volume after chemotherapy. However, the standard dose regimens often utilized in chemotherapy have substantial toxicity and little therapeutic value. Consequently, optimum drug dosage is crucial for effectively reducing the tumor size to a defined level while tracking a predefined course. This work establishes optimum control theory with L1-norm based cost function to discover the inputs that decrease the difference between real tumor growth and goal size to improve treatment efficacy while minimizing the side effects. Because of the bang-off nature of the L1-norm control profile, intermittent drug dosing is possible. This study also compares and contrasts the findings with the cost function based on L2-norm. Simulation findings validate the performance of the proposed control scheme for chemotherapy. Further study is needed to confirm the procedures in clinical situations and optimize the regimens for individual patients.
Comprehensive evaluation of serum nutritional markers in predicting prognosis among cancer patients with cachexia
Authors: Huang Jiaxin , Zhang Xi , Tang Meng , Zhang Qi , Deng Li , Song Chunhua , Li Wei , Shi Hanping , Cong Ming-Hua
Published: April 2023

Purpose
Our objective is to comprehensively assess the prognostic value of three serum nutritional markers including albumin, prealbumin, and transferrin in patients with cancer cachexia.
Methods
Concordance index and receiver operating characteristic curves were applied to compare the prognostic performance of different markers. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), with comprehensive survival analyses were performed. The second outcomes were short-term survival and quality of life.
Results
This multicenter prospective cohort study included 1303 cancer cachexia patients, with 592 death cases during a median follow-up of 20.23 months. Albumin was the most accurate prognostic predictor, followed by transferrin and prealbumin. Multivariate Cox analysis confirmed that low albumin (hazard ratio = 1.55, 95% confidence interval = 1.31–1.84, P < 0.001), prealbumin (HR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.11–1.59, P = 0.002), and transferrin (HR = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.22–1.74, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors associated with survival in cancer cachexia patients. The prognostic value of low albumin was significant in patients with upper gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and pancreatic and colorectal cancers; low prealbumin was significant in colorectal cancer; and low transferrin was significant in patients with upper gastrointestinal and colorectal cancer. All three nutritional markers were valuable in predicting survival for patients in advanced stages. The risks of short-term mortalit and poor quality of life were significantly increased in patients with low serum nutritional markers.
Conclusion
Low albumin, prealbumin, and transferrin levels were all independent prognostic factors for patients with cancer cachexia, especially in advanced stages.
Epidemiology of Polypharmacy, Drug-drug Interaction, and Potentially Inappropriate Medication Among Metabolic Syndrome Patients in Iran: A National, Cross-sectional, Multi-level Study
Authors: Daneshmand Mojdeh , Jamshidi Hamidreza , Malekpour Mohammad-Reza , Ghasemi Erfan , Moghaddam Sahar Saeedi , Mortazavi Seyede Salehe , Shati Mohsen , Farjoo Mohammad Hadi , Farzadfar Farshad
Published: April 2023

Purpose
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is 4.8% in adults worldwide. In the treatment process, Polypharmacy which is defined as concomitant use of ≥ 5 medications in a prescription is common and it may lead to untoward Drug-drug interactions.
Methods
A population-based, cross sectional study was conducted following joining the data from Iranians Health Insurance Service prescriptions in 2015 and 2016 with patients data from STEPwise approach to risk factor Surveillance 2016 survey in Iran. Epidemiology of polypharmacy was evaluated among Metabolic syndrome patients, and association between polypharmacy and individual and sociodemographic factors was assessed with polypharmacy being the dependent variable. Potentially Inappropriate Medication was evaluated among the ≥ 60 year-olds and, as the dependent variable, its association with individual and sociodemographic factors as well as polypharmacy was evaluated. Drug-drug interactions were assessed using LexiComp® software. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the associations.
Results
Out of 2075 patients, 10.3% had polypharmacy. There was significant association between polypharmacy with age and area of living (p < 0.001). Potentially Inappropriate Medication was 13.2% and its association with area of living was significant (p < 0.001). Among patients with polypharmacy, 91.4% in 2015, and 90.1% in 2016 had drug-drug interactions. Prevalence of C, D, and X risk category and prescriptions with 3 kinds of risk categories (C + D + X) was more among patients with polypharmacy.
Impact of the OncotypeDX score and HER2 RNA PCR levels on HER-low IHC levels in primary and metastasized tumors
Authors: Feldman Didi , Sinberger Liat Anabel , Salmon-Divon Mali , Ben-Dror Judith , Shachar Shlomit Strulov , Sonnenblick Amir
Published: April 2023

Purpose One-half of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC) patients have low expressions of HER2 (HER2-low) and may benefit from Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (TDxd). This study aimed to identify parameters associated with HER2 low levels in primary and metastatic tumors. We specifically sought to determine whether OncotypeDX and HER2 mRNA levels could identify patients that would otherwise be considered HER2 negative (HER2-) by immunohistochemistry (IHC).
Methods This retrospective analysis of all consecutive HR+ patients who underwent OncotypeDX from January 2004 to December 2020 was conducted in a single medical center (n=1429). A HER2 positivity cutoff of >10% stained cells was applied. We divided HER2- cases into HER2-low (IHC=1 or 2 and non-amplified fluorescent situ hybridization) and HER2- (IHC=0). HER2-RT-PCR was evaluated from the OncotypeDX results.
Results HER2-low cases reached higher HER2 RT-PCR scores (p=2.1e-9), expressed higher ER levels (p=0.0114) and were larger than the HER2- cases, (>2 cm; 36.6% versus 22.1%, respectively, p<0.00001). Primary tumors >2 cm are more likely to be HER2-low (OR=2.07, 95 % CI: 1.6317 to 2.6475, p< 0.0001). Of the 274 tumors with HER2-RT-PCR scores >10, 74% were classified as HER2-low. Metastatic BCs expressed higher HER2 IHC scores compared with primary BCs (Wilcoxon signed-rank, p=0.046). HER2 IHC scores were higher for low-risk vs. medium-risk OncotypeDX (p=0.0067). No other clinical or pathological parameters were associated with the increase of HER2 levels in the metastatic samples.
Conclusion It might be beneficial using clinical data from the primary tumor, including the HER2-RT-PCR score, to determine a HER2-low status.
Feature Representation in Pretrained Deep Metric Embeddings
Authors: Furlong Ryan , O'Brien Vincent , Garland James , Alonso Daniel Palacios , Mateos Francisco Dominguez
Published: April 2023

In deep metric learning (DML), high-level input data are represented in a lower-level representation (embedding) space, such that samples from the same class are mapped close together, while samples from disparate classes are mapped further apart. In this lower-level representation, only a single inference sample from each known class is required to discriminate between classes accurately. The features a DML model uses to discriminate between classes and the importance of each feature in the training process are unknown. To investigate this, this study takes embeddings trained to discriminate faces (identities) and uses unsupervised clustering to identify the features involved in facial identity discrimination by examining their representation within the embedded space. This study is split into two cases; intra class sub-discrimination, where attributes that differ between a single identity are considered; such as beards and emotions; and extra class sub-discrimination, where attributes which differ between different identities/people, are considered; such as gender, skin tone and age. In the intra class scenario, the inference process distinguishes common attributes between single identities, achieving 90.0\% and 76.0\% accuracy for beards and glasses, respectively. The system can also perform extra class sub-discrimination with a high accuracy rate, notably 99.3\%, 99.3\% and 94.1\% for gender, skin tone, and age, respectively.
AutoZooMS: Integrating robotics into high-throughput ZooMS for the species identification of archaeofaunal remains at Grotte Mandrin, France
Authors: Oldfield Ellie-May , Dunstan Mark , Chowdhury Manasij Pal , Slimak Ludovic , Buckley Michael
Published: April 2023

As the vast majority of excavated archaeofaunal skeletal remains are fragmentary to the extent that they cannot be identified by morphological analysis alone, various molecular methods have been considered to retrieve information from an otherwise underutilised resource. The introduction of collagen fingerprinting, known as Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS), has become one of the most popular approaches to improve taxonomic data yields from fragmentary bone. However, few studies have analysed large numbers of samples. Here we test the incorporation of liquid-handling robots to further develop ZooMS into a more automated technique using samples excavated from Grotte Mandrin, France. By increasing the faunal identifications of the B2 layer (~42-44 Ka) at Grotte Mandrin from 55 to 1037, we identified a wider range of taxa, now including bear and mammoth, as well as further remains of hominin. AutoZooMS has the capacity to investigate larger proportions of archaeofaunal assemblages rapidly and cost effectively whilst requiring little human intervention, aiming to improve our understanding of the human past.
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Outcomes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A 12 -Year Analysis of a National Database
Authors: Deshmukh Ameya , Desai Parth M. , Chrusciel Timothy , Nwankwo Eugene , Tripathi Rohan , Cheesman Antonio R.
Published: April 2023

Background:
Despite inflammatory bowel’s disease’s (IBD) association with hepatobiliary disorders and the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for both diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of these diseases, it remains a poorly studied area within the literature. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of IBD on the occurrence of adverse events (AE) pertaining to ERCP.
Methods:
This project utilized the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, the largest inpatient database in the United States. All patients 18 years or older with and without IBD undergoing ERCP were identified from 2008 to 2019. Post-ERCP AEs were analyzed using multivariate logistic or linear regression controlling for age, race, and existing comorbidities using the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI).
Results:
There was no difference in post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) or mortality. IBD patients were also found to have a lower risk of bleeding and decreased length of stay (LOS) despite adjustment for co-morbidities. Subgroup analysis between ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) did not find any significant differences in outcomes.
Conclusion:
To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date evaluating ERCP outcomes in IBD patients. After adjustment of co-variates, there was no difference in the occurrence of PEP, infections and perforation. IBD patients were less likely to experience post-ERCP bleeding, mortality and LOS.
Experimental investigation on nonlinear flow properties of fluids through rough-walled shale fractures after shear
Authors: Yu Liyuan , Ji Haoqi , Wang Xiaolin , Liu Richeng , Zhu Xinjie
Published: April 2023

For a single fracture, the magnitude of Reynolds number (Re) is proportional to that of hydraulic gradient (J), and J is also a dimensionless parameter representing how fast a pressure drops over a given region. Therefore, J is also a practical parameter for establishing a criterion that quantifies the onset of nonlinear flow in single fractures. This study experimentally analyzed the influences of surface roughness, shear displacement and confining pressure on nonlinear flow behaviors of fluids through 3D rough-walled rock fractures. A total of 10 shale samples with different joint roughness coefficients (JRCs) were prepared after Brazil splitting tests, and the distribution of asperity height distribution for each sample was analyzed using a Gaussian function. The shear displacement (us) that ranges from 1 mm to 10 mm was assigned to generate aperture spaces. Flow tests with flow rate (Q) ranging from 1 ~ 180 ml/min were conducted under confining pressures (σ3) of 1 MPa, 3 MPa, and 5MPa, respectively. The Forchheimer equation fits the Q-J correlations by zero intercept regression well and the fitting correlation coefficients of all cases are greater than 0.99. Normalized transmissivity T/T0 first maintains a value of 1 and then gradually decreases as J increases, indicating that the fluid flow state changes from the linear region to the nonlinear region. Finally, a nonlinear curve fitting formula based on the tests database was proposed to investigate the evolutions of critical hydraulic gradient Jc with varying us and JRC. As us increases, Jc drops sharply. Then, the downward trend gradually slows down, and finally approaches a constant value of approximately 1. Jc increases slightly as JRC increases and shows an exponential growth trend with the increase of σ3.
Genetic association of C-reactive protein with periodontitis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Liu Rong , Jiang Yiqin , Li Yinghua , Liang Dongliang , Luo Rui , Cui Wenjun , Yang Lan
Published: April 2023

Background The association between C-reactive protein (CRP) and periodontitis has been reported in several observational studies. However, those studies are prone to residual confounding , thus limiting our understanding of the causal conclusions. Therefore, we aimed to assess the relationship between CRP and periodontitis by using the two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method.
Methods We analyzed the data from two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of European ancestry, including CRP (204,402 individuals) and periodontitis (17353 cases and 28210 controls). We primarily used inverse variance weighted (IVW) to assess the causal effects. Pleiotropy was determined by using MR-Egger regression. Heterogeneity was examined with Cochran’s Q test. The leave-one-out analysis tested the robustness of the results.
Results We obtained 54 SNPs as instrumental variables (IVs) for CRP, and these IVs had no significant horizontal pleiotropy, heterogeneity, or bias. MR analysis revealed no obvious causal effect between CRP and periodontitis (ORIVW=1.026, 95% CI 0.998–1.055, P=0.066; ORMR-Egge=1.026, 95% CI: 0.983-1.070, p = 0.242; ORweighted median=1.030, 95% CI: 0.991-1.070, p = 0.132).
Conclusions The MR analysis indicated that CRP could not increase the risk of periodontitis in people of European ancestry.
Cooperativity in regulation of membrane protein function: phenomenological analysis of the effects of pH and phospholipids.
Authors: De Palma Gerardo Zerbetto , Angelini Álvaro A Recoulat , Vitali Victoria , Flecha F. Luis González , ALLEVA KARINA
Published: April 2023

Interaction between membrane proteins and ligands is key to control a wide spectrum of cellular processes. These interactions can provide a cooperative-type regulation of protein function. A wide diversity of proteins, including enzymes, channels, transporters, and receptors show cooperative behavior. The variety of possible ligands is also huge and includes specific molecules or ions that bind to an also specific binding site. In this review, we focus on the interaction of membrane proteins with ligands that present many binding sites, such as protons or membrane phospholipids. The study of the interaction that protons or lipids have with membrane proteins does not always allow a clear and classic mechanistic modeling approach. In this regard we show that, like Hill´s pioneering work on hemoglobin regulation, phenomenological modeling constitutes a powerful tool to describe relevant features of these important systems.
Degrees of relations on canonically ordered natural numbers and integers
Authors: Bazhenov Nikolay , Kalociński Dariusz , Wrocławski Michał
Published: April 2023

We investigate the degree spectra of computable relations on canonically ordered natural numbers (ω,<) and integers (ζ,<). As for (ω,<), we provide several criteria that fix the degree spectrum of a computable relation to all c.e. or to all Δ2 degrees; this includes the complete characterization of the degree spectra of so-called computable block functions that have only finitely many types of blocks. Compared to [1], we obtain a more general solution to the problem regarding possible degree spectra on (ω,<), answering the question whether there are infinitely many such spectra. As for (ζ,<), we prove the following dichotomy result: given an arbitrary computable relation R on (ζ,<), its degree spectrum is either trivial or it contains all c.e. degrees. This result, and the proof techniques required to solve it, extend the analogous theorem for (ω,<) obtained in [2], and provide initial insight to Wright's question whether such a dichotomy holds on computable ill-founded linear orders. This article is an extended version of [1].
MSC Classification: 03C57
Antibacterial Evaluation of Saponins Extracted from Fresh Fruit of Luffa acutangula against Multidrug Resistance Staphylococcus aureus and their Mechanism in Ultrastructural Surface
Authors: Huang Miaoen , Wang Tianji , Wang Yinghao , Chen Jinjun , Cai Xiaoxuan , Huang Xixiang , Li Li , Lu Yingnian
Published: April 2023

Background
Bacterial resistance leads to the dilemma in the treatment with synthetic antibiotics. A new alternative strategy is to develop some safe and non-toxic natural antibiotics as alternative therapeutic drugs. The aims of this research were to determine the saponins extracted from fresh fruit of Luffa acutangula, to evaluate their antibacterial property by inhibiting the formation of biofilm, and to reveal the mechanism in ultrastructural surface.
Methods
the saponin components were extracted and isolated from Fresh Fruit of Luffa acutangula by organic solvents extraction; their chemical structures were identified by HPLC-MS/MS. The growth inhibition curves and the 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the extract. Then, crystal violet staining method was accepted to investigate the capacity of the saponins to inhibit biofilm formation. Anti-biofilm activity was assessed with minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC). The interaction of the chemical compounds with saponins and biofilm were observed by SEM in ultrastructural surface.
Results
the extract by n-butanol was mainly saponins and the total content of saponins in the extract was 322.58 mg/g. nine saponin compounds were identified in n-butanol extract and the saponin compounds were mainly triterpene aglycone and triterpene glucosides. The extracted saponins have great bacteriostasis with IC50 value 3mg/ml, and the saponins can also inhibite the biofilm formation with MBIC value 16mg/ml.
Conclusions
the saponins extracted from fresh fruit of Luffa acutangula could inhibit multidrug resistance Staphylococcus aureus and substantially eradicate biofilm, it may be a potential to be developed as antibacterial agent.
Spatio- temporal change in river course Yamuna and its enabling factors: A study of Trans-Yamuna Region, Delhi, India.
Authors: Yadav Mukesh , Kapoor Anika
Published: April 2023

This paper investigates the spatio-temporal changes in the course of the River Yamuna in Trans- Yamuna region, National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. The study elaborates the major factors affecting course of the river Yamuna. Urbanisation is the most important factor that affects the flow of rivers in urban areas along with natural factors such as rainfall, geology, and floods. LANDSAT MSS, ETM, OLI and TIRS satellite imageries from 1977, 1989, 2002 and 2017 respectively were considered to demarcate the chronological land use/ land cover change (LULC) and eventually in the river course. The river alignment change examination and sinuosity index were conducted to understand the river course change, and this implies that river Yamuna is sinuous in nature. It was found that with the time there are two identified pockets where river has experienced major change in its course. The Trans-Yamuna region has undergone significant changes during the study period. Substantial upsurge in built- land use category has its own impact on the land use dynamics and urban development. Therefore, the study necessitates the study of the river morphology dynamics and thereby urging policymakers to integrate factors impacting the river course change to achieve sustainable urban development.
Electroanalytical studies on polymer gel electrolytes containing heat resistant polymethyl methacrylate, succinonitrile solvent and Lithium perchlorate salt
Authors: Aadesh Aadesh Prajapati , Maitri Maitri Patel , Yogesh Yogesh Kumar , Pramod Pramod Kumar Yadawa , Sunil Sunil. H. Chaki , Deepak Deepak Kumar
Published: April 2023

In this work, Lithium-ion conducting polymer gel electrolytes (PGE) based on heat resistant polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), succinonitrile (SN) solvent and Lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) salt in different molarities have been prepared using solution casting technique. The effect of varying LiClO4 salt within the heat resistant PMMA matrix containing SN solvent is investigated. The PGE with PMMA/SN matrix and 1.5 M LiClO4 salt demonstrated a maximum ionic conductivity of 4.9 × 10-5 S cm-1 at room temperature. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss values for each PGEs is found to be more towards high frequency side due to prevalent polarising effects. The ion-dynamics using electroanalytical studies reveals that PGE with PMMA/SN/1.5 M LiClO4 salt not only possesses good ionic conductivity but also have good diffusivity (D), mobility (μ) and Nµ values as compared to the other electrolyte specimens of this report. The thermogravimetric studies and electrochemical stability window measurement reveal that this optimized electrolyte also offers a relatively lower weight loss of < 7 % on varying the temperature from room temperature to 100° C while the working voltage range offered by each PGEs is found to be > 4 V.
Episodic transient deformation in the Noto Peninsula, central Japan, revealed by the analysis of multiple GNSS networks
Authors: Nishimura Takuya , Hiramatsu Yoshihiro , Ohta Yusaku
Published: April 2023

Since November 30, 2020, an intense seismic swarm and transient deformation have been continuously observed in the Noto Peninsula, central Japan, which is a non-volcanic/geothermal area far from major plate boundaries. We modeled transient deformation based on a combined analysis of multiple Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observation networks, including one operated by a private sector company (SoftBank Corp.), relocated earthquake hypocenters, and tectonic settings. Our analysis showed a total displacement pattern over two years shows horizontal inflation and uplift of up to ~70 mm around the source of the earthquake swarm. In the first three months, the opening of the sub-horizontal tensile crack had an estimated volumetric increase of ~1.4 x 107m3at a depth of ~16 km. Over the next 15 months, the observed deformation was well reproduced by shear-tensile sources, which represent an aseismic reverse-type slip and the opening of a southeast-dipping fault zone at a depth of 14–16 km. We suggest that the upwelling fluid spread subhorizontally at a depth of ~16 km through an existing permeable fault zone and then diffused into the fault zone, triggering a long-lasting sub-meter aseismic slip below the seismogenic depth. The aseismic slip further triggered intense earthquake swarms at the updip.
Comparative Analysis of Glycated Haemoglobin, Fasting Blood Glucose and Haematological Parameters of Type-2 Diabetes Patients
Authors: Antwi-Baffour Samuel , Mensah Benjamin Tetteh , Armah Dorinda Naa Okailey , Ali-Mustapha Samira , Annison Lawrence
Published: April 2023

Objective: Diabetes remains a major health problem, and Glycated hemoglobin (HBA1c) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels play important roles in its management. Also, chronic hyperglycemia coupled with high HBA1c levels impact inflammation and may alter haematological parameters in diabetes. Hence, the need to assess and correlate HBA1c and FBG levels with selected haematological parameters in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus as the main objective of this study. The study was cross-sectional involving 384 participants. Five milliliters of blood was collected from each participant and analyzed for HBA1c, FBG levels and full blood count which were correlated statistically.
Results. From the data obtained and analyzed, there were statistically significant correlations between HBA1c and neutrophil count (p<0.013), plateletcrit (p<0.036), mean platelet volume (p<0.019) and platelet distribution width (p<0.002). There were also significant differences in FBG (p<0.014), neutrophil count (p<0.029), red cell distribution width (p<0.046), mean platelet volume (p<0.032) and platelet distribution width (p<0.013) between diabetes patients with HBA1c less than 7.0% and HBA1c more than or equal to 7.0%. The outcome of the study indicates significant correlation of HBA1c with selected haematological parameters. This could make routine haematological parameters a cost-effective means of predicting poor glucose control in diabetes mellitus patients.
Proline Maintains the Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Decreasing Intracellular Oxidative Stress and Reducing Autophagy During Acute Nutrient Stress
Authors: Liu Ziming , Li Xinyu , Ge Qichao , Yang Fan , Sun Siyu , Ge Nan
Published: April 2023

PurposeMalignant tumour cell proliferation has high nutritional requirements and leads to nutrient depletion in local tumour tissues. Metabolic reprogramming under nutritional stress is essential for malignant tumour cell proliferation. Proline metabolism contributes to cancer cell proliferation and invasion, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms whereby proline maintains hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell proliferation.MethodsThe Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to compare expression of proteins related to proline metabolism between HCC and para-carcinoma tissues. Lipid droplet analysis in HCC cell lines was conducted to examine the effects of proline supplementation on lipid accumulation, and autophagic flux and protein expression were assessed to evaluate proline-mediated regulation of autophagy. Flow cytometry was used to determine intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species following proline addition.ResultsThe expression of proline-metabolism-related proteins was significantly higher in HCC tissues than in para-carcinoma tissues. Proline supplementation eliminated the inhibition of HCC cell growth caused by nutrient deficiencies. Proline significantly reduced lipid droplet accumulation and inhibited autophagy under conditions of acute nutrient stress by maintaining the redox balance.ConclusionProline plays an important role in regulating HCC cell survival under conditions of nutrient deficiency and represents a potential target for adjunctive cancer therapy.
Experimental research and mathematical modeling of isothermal separation of polydisperse emulsion system using quasi-monodisperse approach
Authors: Musin A.A. , Valiullina V. I. , Iulmukhametova R.R. , Kovaleva L. A.
Published: April 2023

An experimental study and mathematical modeling of the polydisperse water-in-oil emulsion gravitational separation in a rectangular cell have been carried out. An approach based on the analysis of the emulsion sample images obtained at different magnifications of an optical microscope was used to construct a histogram of the initial emulsion drops size distribution. The distribution curves of the droplets concentration along the height are constructed based on the results of digital processing of emulsions photographic images obtained in the course of an experiment on the gravitational separation of the emulsion. A technique for numerical simulation of the polydisperse emulsion system separation is proposed, based on considering a polydisperse system as a set of quasi-monodisperse systems and on jointly solving the equations for the different sizes droplets settling in the one-liquid approximation.