bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Analysis of Redundant Space Robot System Deals with Various Floats for Trajectory Control
Authors: Ahmad Sarfaraj , Dalla Vijay Kumar , Prasad Naresh , Rayankula Vitalram
Published: February 2024

The trajectory of a space robot is challenging to calculate due to its floaty base, irregular surfaces and unexpected circumstances. The combination of redundant space robots with a control system provides a very effective and efficient solution. The purpose of this study is to present a trajectory method for commanding two Redundant Space Robots (RSR) that handle distinct floats. Controllers are employed in this work to regulate the direction and location of robot tips in space robotic systems. The controller continually analyses the difference between the expected and actual setpoints and calculates the control output of various floating object manipulation by a group of two cooperative redundant space robots. The bond graph method of Symbol's Shakti programme is used in the modelling and animation of two redundant space robots. The proposed method has the benefit of great accuracy, according to the simulation findings.
When Synchronous Mucinous Metaplasia and Neoplasia of the Female Genital Tract and Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome Meet: A Case Report and Literature Reviews
Authors: Zhou Yue , Wang Xinyi , Li Yang , Zhang Weiru , Xu Xiaoxuan , Pang Yingxin , Liu peishu
Published: February 2024

Background: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is characterized by hamartomatous polyps in the gastrointestinal tract and mucocutaneous pigmentation on the lips, oral mucosa, nose, fingers, and toes. Synchronous Mucinous Metaplasia and Neoplasia of the Female Genital Tract (SMMN-FGT) refers to the occurrence of multifocal mucinous lesions in at least 2 sites of the female genital tract, including the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. SMMN-FGT and PJS are both rare diseases with very low incidence especially occur at the same time.
Case presentation: We report a case in which a woman with a huge mass on the left ovary received a gynecological surgery and diagnosed with cervical gastric-type adenocarcinoma and mucinous lesions in endometrium, bilateral fallopian tubes, and ovary, i.e., SMMN-FGT by postoperative paraffin pathology. The female seek doctors for help because of abdominal distension and enlargement, gynecological ultrasound revealed a multi-room cystic mass in the pelvis while serum tumor markers are normal with CA 199、CA125 elevated mildly, and cervical thin-prep cytology test was negative. The female had a PJS family history and was diagnosed with PJS since the age of 8 with black spots on her skin and mucous membranes, her gene testing shows STK11 germline mutation heterozygous type. She underwent left adnexectomy and hysterectomy surgery etc. and received adjuvant chemotherapy for a total of 6 courses, there were no signs of recurrence during the 15-month follow-up period after treatment.
Conclusions: Gynecologists should pay attention to vaginal discharge symptoms although the TCT result is negative. Gynecologists, gastroenterologists, dermatologists, and even urologists need to be vigilant when patient had black spots on her skin and mucous membranes. The patient's PJS symptoms can provide evidence for clinical doctors to be alert to the occurrence of malignant tumors, which can lead to early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of malignant tumors. Gynecologists, gastroenterologists, dermatologists, and even urologists need to be vigilant in clinical practice. In addition, patient education is particularly important, including genetic counseling, regular follow-up, and early screening and predictive diagnosis for their direct relatives.
Exploring the Link between Metformin Use and Adhesive Capsulitis of the Shoulder: a retrospective cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Bing-Sian , Chien Wu-Chien , Lu Chieh-Hua , Chung Chi-Hsiang , Tsao Chang-Huei , Weng Zi-Xeng
Published: February 2024

Objective The risk of adhesive capsulitis of shoulder in diabetic patients taking metformin has not been evaluated. We aimed for evaluating the relative risk of adhesive capsulitis of shoulder in diabetic patients taking metformin at the level of the whole country population. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a national health insurance database in Taiwan from 2000 to 2013. We used International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, to categorise the medical condition for study group and comparison group. We used Cox proportional hazard regression analyses to determined adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of adhesive capsulitis of shoulder between study and comparison group after adjusting for sex, age and comorbidities. Results Among 13863 diabetic patients using metformin, 1294 patients were diagnosis with adhesive capsulitis of shoulder during follow up. Of the 55452 patients without the use of metformin, 5227 patients developed adhesive capsulitis of shoulder. Adhesive capsulitis of shoulder risk was elevated in patients taking metformin than in non-metformin group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.064, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.000 to 1.321; p = 0.048). Conclusions Risk of adhesive capsulitis of shoulder among the diabetic patients taking metformin was higher than those did not taking metformin. It indicated that metformin may cause fibrosis in joint capsule.
Deep Learning Models for Predicting the Survival of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database Analysis
Authors: Wang Shoucheng , Shao Mingyi , Fu Yu , Zhao Ruixia , Xing Yunfei , Zhang Liujie , Xu Yang
Published: February 2024

Background
This study aims to develop and validate a predictive model for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) patients using deep learning algorithms and to explore its clinical applicability.
Methods
HCC patients pathologically diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2015 in the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database of the National Cancer Institute of the United States were selected as study subjects. We utilized two deep learning-based algorithms (DeepSurv and Neural Multi-Task Logistic Regression [NMTLR]) and a machine learning-based algorithm (Random Survival Forest [RSF]) for model training. A multivariable Cox Proportional Hazards (CoxPH) model was also constructed for comparison. The dataset was randomly divided into a training set and a test set in a 7:3 ratio. The training dataset underwent hyperparameter tuning through 1000 iterations of random search and 5-fold cross-validation. Model performance was assessed using the concordance index (C-index), Brier score, and Integrated Brier Score (IBS). The accuracy of predicting 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration plots, and Area Under the Curve (AUC). The primary outcomes were the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates. Models were developed using DeepSurv, NMTLR, RSF, and Cox Proportional Hazards regression. Model differentiation was evaluated using the C-index, calibration with concordance plots, and risk stratification capability with the log-rank test.
Results
The study included 2,197 HCC patients, randomly divided into a training cohort (70%, n = 1,537) and a testing cohort (30%, n = 660). Clinical characteristics between the two cohorts showed no significant statistical difference (p > 0.05). The deep learning models outperformed both RSF and CoxPH models, with C-indices of 0.735 (NMTLR) and 0.731 (DeepSurv) in the test dataset. The NMTLR model provided more accurate and better-calibrated survival estimates for predicting 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates (AUC: 0.803–0.824). We deployed the NMTLR model as a web application for clinical practice.
Conclusion
The predictive model developed using the deep learning algorithm NMTLR demonstrated excellent performance in prognostication for Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Cloud Elasticity: VM vs container: A Survey
Authors: Fourati Mohamed Hedi , Marzouk Soumaya , Jmaiel Mohamed
Published: February 2024

Microservices is an architectural style of development consisting of a collection of small independent and loosely coupled components. Microservices-based applications are deployed in form of many containers deployed in a pool of virtual machines (VMs). When there is a rise on the workload, microservice resources are overloaded and then it should have additional resources. One of the most important issues in cloud environment is to minimize computing resources so as to reduce the deployment cost of the application. We can resolve this issue and optimize computing resources using autoscaling techniques. An autoscaler automatically provisions essential resources at real time. Existing autoscalers have many issues which reduce their efficiency. The first issue is that existing autoscalers suppose that threshold exceeding is always caused by the rise of the workload. However, exceeding thresholds may not be caused by the increase in the workload, but may be caused by other problems such as specific requests, VM or container issues. The second issue is that in resource provisioning, many autoscalers do not select the appropriate microservices for scaling resources. The third issue is that existing autoscalers do not calculate needed resources to be allocated for each microservice
Study on the mechanism of Euscaphic acid in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma based on network pharmacology and molecular docking
Authors: li guangru , Liang Chunyuan , Liu Yan , Pan Yueyuan , Li Zhiyuan , Wu Guocai , wen Ruiting , Yang Zhigang
Published: February 2024

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a highly heterogenous disease. 5-year survival duration after diagnosis is poor among patients with aggressive/relapsing form of NHL. Our previous research found for the first time that Euscaphic acid (EA) has anti-tumor effects in NHL. However, the underlying mechanism by which EA plays a role in NHL remains unclear. In this study, we used network pharmacology and molecular docking to investigate the target and mechanism of the pharmacological action of EA on NHL. The EA-related targets and NHL-related targets were collected from the public database and overlapped to obtain the potential targets of EA-related anti-NHL. Target interaction was analyzed using STRING database, and 10 core target genes (TNF, PPARG, MMP9, HSP90AA1, PTGS2, IGF1R, AR, ESR2, NR3C1, MMP2) was screened by Cytoscape software. In the GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis, TNF, PTGS2, PPARG and MMP9 are mainly enriched in the IL-17 signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway. The molecular docking results show there was strong interaction between the top 10 core targets and the EA. In addition, we found that EA inhibited the proliferation of RAJI NHL cells and induced cell apoptosis. These results suggested that EA may act on TNF, PTGS2, PPARG, and MMP9 through the IL-17 and PPAR signaling pathways, thereby exerting anti-NHL effects.
MC1R regulates T regulatory cells differentiation through metabolic reprogramming to promote colon cancer
Authors: Zhu Shaoliang , Zou Mengjie , Li Chunxing , Tang Yuntian , Dong Xiaofeng , Luo Honglin
Published: February 2024

Background
By 2021, colon cancer was a leading global cancer, with early detection improving outcomes but advanced cases still having poor prognosis. Therefore, understanding its molecular mechanisms is crucial for developing new preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Methods
In our study, we leveraged the TCGA database to assess MC1R expression in colon cancer and its link with patient prognosis. Further, employing mouse models and diverse experimental techniques, we investigated MC1R's impact on colon cancer progression and elucidated its underlying mechanism.
Results
In a follow-up study of clinical patients, MC1R was identified as having an important role in the development of colon cancer. First, it was found that MC1R was more highly expressed in colon tumor tissues than in adjacent tissues. In addition, we found that MC1R was associated with the prognosis of colon cancer, and higher expression of MC1R tended to predict a worse prognosis. To verify the reliability of this conclusion, we obtained MC1R−/− mice, which showed a greater ability to resist tumor growth than wild-type mice, as expected. To further explore the mechanism, we conducted a series of experiments. Further investigation revealed that the portion of Tregs in MC1R−/− mice changed significantly, while the portion of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells remained unchanged. The in vitro experiments also found that the MC1R−/− T cells had a weaker ability to differentiate into Tregs. Previous studies have found that the functional integrity of Tregs is interwoven with cellular metabolism. Therefore, we deduced that MC1R regulated the differentiation of Tregs by reprogramming metabolism. As expected, MC1R−/− T cells showed weaker mitochondrial function and a lower aerobic oxidation capacity. At the same time, the MC1R−/− T cells obtained stronger limiting effects on colon cancer cells. According to these experimental results, the inhibitor of MC1R came to our sight as a potential therapeutic agent to suppress colon cancer. The results showed that when we suppressed MC1R, the tumors in the mice developed more slowly, and the mice survived longer, which may provide a novel strategy for treating clinical colon cancer in the future.
Conclusion
By regulating the differentiation of Tregs, MC1R overexpression in colon cancer correlates with poor prognosis, and MC1R inhibition shows potential as a therapeutic strategy to slow tumor growth and enhance survival.
Testing and diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile infection in special scenarios: A systematic review
Authors: Singh Karan Bir , Khouri Anas , Singh Deepak , Prieto Jose , Dutta Priyata , Nnadozie Maduka , Clanton Clista , Morrison Esther , Sonnier William
Published: February 2024

Aim
To evaluate Clostridioides difficile testing and diagnosis in specific patient populations.
Background
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a biochemical and clinical diagnosis. Certain patient populations are at higher risk and testing must be interpreted correctly to avoid overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Consequently, we need to understand the limitations of the tests used to avoid increase morbidity and mortality due to false negative test results. Diagnostic assays should be ordered in a step wise approach in specific patient populations to confirm CDI.
Methods
Manuscripts were extracted from three different databases based on keywords. Data were extracted based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Each manuscript was analyzed using appropriate critical appraisal tools.
Results
A total of 70 reports were evaluated. 18 review articles, 4 retrospective cohorts, 3 guidelines, 1 experimental, and 1 cross sectional study were eligible for inclusion. A total of 27 reports were included.
Discussion
CDI should be considered in all patients with traditional risk factors. Increased clinical suspicion of CDI is required in special populations such as hypogammaglobulinemia, transplant recipients, surgery, and inflammatory bowel disease. Testing should be limited to patients with the clinical manifestations of CDI to ensure a high pre-test probability for test interpretation. Diagnostic assays should follow a sequential, stepwise approach to accurately categorize the toxin expression status of the bacteria.
Effectiveness of Silver Ion Controlled Release Antimicrobial Compound in Reducing Multi-Drug Resistant Microorganism Contamination in an Intensive Care Unit: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Ramirez Paula , Forteza Maria , Benamu Esther , Frasquet Juan , Fernandez Sergio , Sanchez Trinidad , Arrando Hugo , Gonzalez Eva , Castellanos Alvaro
Published: February 2024

Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a silver ion controlled release antimicrobial compound (AgG-CRC) applied to surfaces in preventing surface colonization by multi-drug resistant microorganisms (MDRM) and reducing MDRM colonization and infection rates among patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU).
Methods
We conducted a five-month prospective study in a 24-bed mixed ICU divided into two identical subunits (12 bed-boxes each). AgG-CRC was applied in one subunit (Intervention Unit: IU), while the other followed standard disinfection protocols were maintained (Control Unit: CU). We compared the rates of MDRM surface contamination, MDRM patient colonization, and MDRM nosocomial infections between the two subunits.
Results
A total of 519 surface samples were collected during 22-point prevalent day samplings; with 236 from the IU and 283 from the CU. MDRM were detected in 22 (4.23%) surface samples: 5 from IU (2.1%) and 17 from CU (6%); p = 0.028. Patient MDRM colonization rates in the IU and CU were 4.1% and 9.9%, respectively; p = 0.048. The incidence of nosocomial infections was similar in both subunits. Two outbreaks occurred in the CU during the study (MDR Acinetobacter baumannii (3 patients) and an MDR Candida auris (4 patients), while no outbreaks were detected in the IU.
Conclusions
Application of AgG-CRC on ICU surfaces led to a significant reduction in MDRM surface colonization and accompanied a decrease in MDRM transmission to patients, indicating its utility in MDRM control.
Lower Bounds on Mutual Information of QPSK and BPSK in General Memoryless channels
Authors: Ezri Sagi , Bergel Itsik
Published: February 2024

We derive novel lower bounds on the mutual information in general memoryless channels with quadrature-phase-shift-keying (QPSK) or binary-phase-shift-keying (BPSK) modulation. These novel bounds are very easy to evaluate and result in closed-form expressions. The bounds' derivation is based on the mean squared error (MSE) of the channel input given the channel output. To emphasize the usefulness of these bounds, we evaluate the bounds for two cases of interest. We consider a general additive white noise channel, and derive simple bounds on the mutual information that depend solely on the noise variance (and not on its distribution). In addition, we derive a closed-form lower bound for QPSK modulation over a Rician fading channel with 1-bit analog to digital converter (ADC) at the receiver. The bound characterizes the achievable performance as function of the SNR and the ADC phase offset. The bound is shown to be tight in the absence of phase offset, and at most 25% from the actual mutual information at any phase offset.
Analysis of Subtypes of Urinary Incontinence in a Geriatric Outpatient Assessment of Older Women With Hip Fracture
Authors: Hellman-Bronstein Aino Tuulikki , Luukkaala Tiina H. , Ala-Nissilä Seija S. , Nuotio Maria S.
Published: February 2024

Purpose
Urinary incontinence (UI) is known to be prevalent among older female hip fracture patients. Little is known about different subgroups of UI (stress, SUI; urgency, UUI; mixed, MUI) among these patients. Our aim was to identify factors associated with subtypes of UI.
Methods
1,675 female patients aged ≥ 65 and treated for their first hip fracture in Seinäjoki Central Hospital, Finland, during 2007–2019, were included in a prospective cohort study. Of these women, 1,106 underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), including questions on continence, at our geriatric outpatient clinic six-months post-fracture. A multivariable-adjusted multinomial logistic regression model was used.
Results
Of the 779 patients included in the present study, 360 (46%) were continent and 419 (54%) had UI six-months post-fracture. Of the women with UI, 117 (28%) had SUI, 183 (44%) had UUI, and 119 (28%) had MUI, respectively. Mean age of the patients was 82 ± 6,91. In multivariable analysis, depressive mood and poor mobility and functional ability were independently associated with SUI. Fecal incontinence (FI) and Body Mass Index (BMI) over 28 were independently associated with UUI. MUI shared the aforementioned factors with SUI and UUI and was independently associated with constipation.
Conclusion
MUI was associated with most factors, of which depressive mood and impaired mobility and poor functional ability were shared with SUI, and FI and higher BMI with UUI. MUI represents the most severe UI type in this patient population. CGA is key in managing and preventing UI in these vulnerable patients, regardless of UI subtype.
Health-Related Quality of Life and its Determinants in Patients with Malignant Brain Tumors: A prospective longitudinal study
Authors: Xiao Zhiyuan , Yang Tianrui , Chen Wenlin , Guo Xiaopeng , Cao Yaning , Xia Yu , Li Junlin , Wu Jiaming , Zhang Xin , Wang Yaning , Zhang Yi , Wang Yu , Ma Wenbin
Published: February 2024

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of malignant brain tumor (MBT) patients before surgery and to determine the change in HRQoL after surgery. Also, the prediction of independent factors associated with HRQoL after surgery was conducted.
Methods: Patients diagnosed with BMT and admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital for surgery from May 2018 to August 2020 were included. Self-reported HRQoL questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BN20) were obtained before surgery and at seven days, one month, and three months after surgery. The Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) was assessed at the same time period. An online database was used to collect sociodemographic, oncologic history, and surgical information.
Results: 140 patients were enrolled, while 98 patients were diagnosed with glioma and 42 patients were diagnosed with brain metastases (BM). 91.4% of patients (n=128) completed the 7-day postoperative assessment, 47.1% (n=66) completed the 1-month assessment, and 32.9% (n=46) completed the 3-month assessment. At the 7-day postoperative assessment, quality of life (QoL) had worsened significantly (P < 0.05) in terms of global health status, physical function, role function, fatigue, pain, and leg weakness, but remained stable at 1 month in patients with glioma. Seizure status improved significantly after surgery and was statistically significantly improved at 1 month compared to baseline (P < 0.05). Constipation and bladder control worsened after surgery. Skin pruritus worsened at 3 months postoperatively compared to preoperatively (P < 0.05). QoL of patients with BM was worse than baseline at 7 days after surgery for physical, role, and social function (P < 0.05). Fatigue, diarrhea, and leg weakness were worse than baseline at 7 days after surgery and recovered at 1 month (P < 0.05). One month after surgery, there were significant improvements in cognitive function, future uncertainty, and headache (P <0.05). The results of the multivariable linear regression showed that available sociodemographic, oncologic history, and surgical factors were important prognostic factors for different domains of QoL at different time periods.
Conclusions: Patients with BMT who undergo surgery experience fluctuations in various dimensions of QoL in the early postoperative period, and one month after surgery is a key time point that can generally improve gradually. The tumor is located on the left side of the brain and the communication deficit is worse than on the right side. HRQoL can be identified through assessment, identification of QoL determinants, and consideration of interventions to improve patient QoL.
CircXPO6 promotes the progress of breast cancer through competitively inhibiting the ubiquitination degradation of c-Myc
Authors: Xu Aiqi , Li Xi , Zhang Jinhui , Yang Ciqiu , Yang Mei , Gao Hongfei , Cheng Minyi , Chen Xianzhe , Ji Fei , Tang Hailin , Wang Kun
Published: February 2024

Purpose
The number of breast cancer patients is increasing year by year, which poses a serious threat to human life and health. c-Myc is a transcription factor, studies have shown it is a very critical factor in tumor progression, but how it being regulated in breast cancer is still poorly understood.
Methods
The RIP chip sequence assay was performed to confirm CircXPO6. The function of CircXPO6 was verified by overexpression or knockdown of CircXPO6 in MDA-MB-231 and BT-549. RNA immunoprecipitation and co-immunoprecipitation were used to verify CircXPO6’s regulation of c-Myc and also used to verify the competitive binding relationship between CircXPO6 and SPOP. The influence of CircXPO6 on energy metabolism was evaluated by ATP, lactate detection, qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunohistochemistry. The relationship between CircXPO6 and clinical data, disease free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) were also analyzed.
Results
We found CircXPO6 had a high affinity with c-Myc through RIP chip and was highly expressed in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues and cells. CircXPO6 overexpression promoted tumor proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Further, CircXPO6 significantly promoted the expression of glucose metabolism related genes such as GLUT1, HK2 and MCT4 in TNBC cells in vitro and in vivo. Finally, CircXPO6 high expression was closely related to malignant pathological factors such as tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM staging, and histopathological grading of TNBC. Mechanistically, CircXPO6 interacted with c-Myc to prevent speckle-type POZ-mediated c-Myc ubiquitination and degradation, thus promote TNBC progression.
Conclusion
Through c-Myc mediated signal transduction, CircXPO6 plays an important role in the progression of breast cancer. This discovery can provide new ideas for TNBC molecular targeted therapy.
Yield-trait and SSR-based genetic diversity and population structure analysis in Northeastern Himalayan germplasm collection of Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L.)
Authors: Kumar Amit , Das SP , Pandey Avinash , Singh Shiv Poojan , Kaur Simardeep , Jaiswal Sandeep , W.S. Philanim , Touthang Letngam , Verma V.K. , Singh Binay K. , Mishra V.K.
Published: February 2024

The study characterized 34 Job's tears accessions from the Northeastern Himalayan region using yield-related traits and SSR markers. Genotyping with 17 SSR markers revealed an average of 3.18 alleles per locus, varying from 2 to 4. PIC values ranged from 0.27 to 0.52, averaging 0.41. Clustering and PCoA based on SSR markers grouped the accessions into three major groups. The first three principal coordinates in the PCoA cumulatively explained 41.96% of the variability present in the accessions, with the first and second principal coordinates explaining 22.51% and 10.39% of the molecular variability, respectively. The model-based genetic structure analysis detected the maximal ΔK (80.87) at K = 2, grouping the entire accessions into two subgroups. AMOVA indicated higher genetic variation within individuals (52.86%) than among individuals (47.14%). The high FST value (0.2) suggested significant differentiation between populations. Yield-trait-based analysis resulted in four clusters. Cluster I included six accessions with short height, Cluster II consisted of 12 accessions with high test weight, Cluster III comprised six accessions with high yield, and Cluster IV had nine accessions with early flowering, respectively. PCA extracted three components explaining 67.4% of total variation, with PC1 emphasizing yield and growth-related traits and PC2 highlighting days to flowering and panicle length. Most traits showed positive correlations with yield per plant, especially test weight (0.65, P ≤ 0.01). Path coefficient analysis revealed a strong positive direct effect of test weight and the number of internodes per plant on yield per plant. Cluster analysis and GT biplot analysis showed similar patterns among accessions. However, the Mantel test indicated no significant correlation between genetic and morphological distances (r2 = 0.010, P = 0.41). AMMI analysis and MTSI for yield-related traits identified three promising accessions (IC600638, IC540181, and IC540256) suitable for selection at 10% intensity in future breeding programs.
Scalability and Performance Evaluation of Federated Learning Frameworks: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Soudan Bassel , Abbas Sohail , Kubba Ahmed , Talib Manar Abu Wasif , Nasir Qassim
Published: February 2024

This paper presents a systematic examination and experimental comparison of the prominent Federated Learning (FL) frameworks FedML, Flower, Substra, and OpenFL. The frameworks are evaluated experimentally by implementing federated learning over a varying number of clients, emphasizing a thorough analysis of scalability and key performance metrics. The study assesses the impact of increasing client counts on total training time, loss and accuracy values, and CPU and RAM usage. Results indicate distinct performance characteristics among the frameworks, with Flower displaying an unusually high loss, FedML achieving a notably low accuracy range of 66–79%, and Substra demonstrating good resource efficiency, albeit with an exponential growth in total training time. Notably, OpenFL emerges as the most scalable platform, demonstrating consistent accuracy, loss, and training time across different client counts. OpenFL’s stable CPU and RAM underscore its reliability in real-world scenarios. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the relative performance of FL frameworks, offering good understanding of their capabilities and providing guidance for their effective deployment across diverse user bases.
Evaluating the Impact of a Web-Based Gamified Approach on Pharmacology Education in Medical Students
Authors: Rendón-Valencia Laura M. , Pérez Hector J. , Rodriguez Carlos A. , Montoya-Giraldo Maria A. , Zuluaga Andres F.
Published: February 2024

Background
The safe use of drugs is global health concern, and good prescribing depends on the adequate undergraduate training of medical students. However, the extensive theoretical content of each drug, limited motivating didactic strategies and time constrains hamper proper training to minimize medication errors.
Methods
This study aimed to assess the usability of a web-based game designed for the non-traditional teaching of pharmacology, intending to stimulate guided competence among medical students. Additionally, the research aimed to compare the improvement in knowledge acquisition after the game's use. The usability of the web game was initially evaluated by 11 medical students from the University of Antioquia using the Mobile App Rating Scale. Subsequently, the academic performance of 21 students from the same university was assessed before and after using the digital tool.
Results
The usability test, involving 4 women and 7 men with an average age of 20 years, revealed an overall usability score of 4.09. Impressively, 92% of respondents recommended the application, and 50% expressed a willingness to pay for access. Evaluation of academic performance demonstrated a significant improvement in the percentage of correct answers obtained in an academic test using the web game compared to scores obtained prior to its use (median 90% vs 70%, P value = 0.023).
Conclusion
The use of a web game designed to stimulate guided competence holds promise for enhancing the learning experience in pharmacology.
Lung Ultrasound Score for Prediction of Surfactant Administration in Preterm Infants with Respiratory Failure
Authors: Kelner Jacob , Moote Douglas , Shah Rahul , Anuar Amirul , Golioto Annmarie
Published: February 2024

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the predictive value of a lung ultrasound score (LUS) for surfactant administration in a United States Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
STUDY DESIGN: 30 infants born at <37 weeks gestational age with respiratory distress syndrome associated respiratory failure requiring continuous positive airway pressure were included. A LUS was obtained within six hours of life. Surfactant administration in the first five days of life was tracked. Receiver operating characteristic analysis for LUS and surfactant administration was performed.
RESULTS: Median completed gestational age was 32 weeks (31-34w) and median birth weight was 2.0 kg (1.5-2.3kg). LUS for predicting an initial surfactant dose had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.97. A score of >9 provided 100% sensitivity and 91% specificity for predicting administration of an initial surfactant dose.
CONCLUSION: A LUS >9 provided excellent sensitivity and specificity for predicting which infants received surfactant.
Associations of Sex Steroid Hormones with C-Reactive Protein Levels in American Children and Adolescents: Evidence from NHANES 2015-2016
Authors: Zhu Zhisheng , Lin Xingong , Wang Chaoyang , Zhu Shize , Zhou Xianying
Published: February 2024

Background: The relationship between sex steroid hormones and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) levels in American children and adolescents is understudied. This research will examine this association.
Methods: The study conducted a data analysis from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016, adjusting multiple linear regression models with R 4.2.2 and EmpowerStats. A total of 1,768 children and adolescents were surveyed.Data collection involved measurements of serum levels of testosterone, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and hs-CRP.
Results:With the increase in testosterone, a brief rise (β=0.082, P=0.047) followed by an overall decline (β=-0.028, P=0.023) in hs-CRP was observed in the Male Prepubertal population, while a continuous decline (β=-0.002, P<0.05) was seen in the Male Pubertal group. A positive correlation (β=0.047, P<0.05) was found between testosterone and hs-CRP in the Female Prepubertal population, whereas no significant association (β=0.002, P>0.05) was detected in the Female Pubertal group. A significant inverse correlation was observed between estradiol and hs-CRP solely in the Female Pubertal group (β=-0.002, P<0.05), while no association was found in other populations. An inverse relationship between SHBG and hs-CRP was consistently noted across all groups: Male Prepubertal, Male Pubertal, Female Prepubertal, and Female Pubertal.
Conclusions:This study highlighted sex steroid hormones as a vital indicator affecting high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in children and adolescents.
Single Document Text Summarization Based on the Modified Cat Swarm Optimization (Mcso) Algorithm
Authors: Rautaray Jyotirmayee , Panigrahi Sangram , Nayak Ajit Kumar
Published: February 2024

In today's digital age, the World Wide Web has provided us with an immense volume of online information. Consequently, the challenge of extracting relevant insights from this vast data has emerged. Recently, text summarization has gained recognition as a solution for distilling valuable orderas of extensive credentials. Depending on the number of credentialsmeasured in favor of summarization is partitioned as single-document and multi-document summarization, which is a complex challenge for researchers in achieving accurate summaries. This research methodology, considered single document summarization by using the following steps they are text-pre-processing, Feature extraction, vectorization, and Modified Cat Swarm Optimization (MCSO) algorithm. Initially, the input documents are pre-processed for cleaning the data and they contain sentence segmentation, word tokenization, stop word removal, and lemmatization. In feature extraction, a score of the sentence is computed using Time Frequency-Inverse Domain Frequency (TF-IDF) also then words are formed toward a vector. After that, the generated vectors are post-processed, and Finally, the Modified Cat Swarm Optimization (MCSO) algorithm is utilized toprovideasummary of the single document with its fitness function. The performance of the model was compared with existing approaches such as Spherical, Rastrigin, and Griewank. To assess their effectiveness, we use benchmark datasets of the Document Understanding Conference (DUC) and evaluate algorithms using diverse metrics such as ROUGE score, F score, and summary accuracy, as well as best-case, worst-case, and average-case analyses. The experimental analysis demonstrates that Rosenbork surpasses other summarization methods included in the study.
Synthesis, Electrical, Dielectric Characterization of PVC/PVA Blended Polymer Films at Various Ratios (0-50%) and Their Utilization in Antibacterial Applications
Authors: Landolssi Salma. , Hdidar Mahdi. , Mariem Chaari. , MAKRAM MEGDICHE , Mourad Arous
Published: February 2024

In this work, the solution casting process is used to create blends out of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In the mix formulation, several PVA ratios (from 0–50%) were used. The resulting blends were thoroughly characterized using a variety of analytical methods, such as Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Impedance Spectroscopy. The polymer blend with 25% PVA exhibited the most favorable electrical and dielectric characteristics at room temperature, with electrical conductivity (σ'ac) measuring 4.44 x 10⁻⁷ S/cm and dielectric constant (ε') reaching 1.8 x 10⁶ SΙ. The doped blends were systematically assessed for their antibacterial effectiveness against a variety of pathogens. Results from the agar-well diffusion method indicated a significant improvement in the antibacterial activity of the pure polymers upon ZnOnps nanoparticle doping, with an inhibition zone measuring 18 mm against E. coli (Escherichia.Coli) and 19 mm against S. aureus (Staphylococus.aureus) for the nanocomposite (75 − 25%) PVC-PVA/10% ZnO. Overall, this research demonstrates the promising potential of PVA-PVC blends for antibacterial applications, with ZnONP doping showing to be an efficient technique for increasing their antibacterial activity. The thorough details of this work lay a solid platform for future research and development of these blended materials, which can be used in a variety of biotechnological and industrial domains.
Relaxin combined with transarterial chemoembolization achieved synergistic effect and inhibited metastases of liver cancer in rabbit VX2 model
Authors: Wang Fuquan , Zhu Licheng , Xiong Fu , Chai Bin , Wang Jihua , Zhou Guofeng , Cao Yanyan , Zheng Chuansheng
Published: February 2024

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of relaxin (RLX) in the growth and metastasis of liver cancer after combination treatment with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).
Materials and methods HCCLM3 cells and Huh-7 cells were adopted to evaluate the effect of tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion after RLX administration in vitro. The rabbit VX2 model was used to evaluate the biosafety, doxorubicin penetration, local tumor response, synergistic effect and survival benefit of RLX combined with TACE treatment. The effect of RLX combined with TACE on tumor metastasis was also evaluated.
Results RLX had not alternated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCCLM3 cells and Huh-7 cells, and the expression of E-cadherin and HIF-1α also remained unchanged but only upregulated the MMP-9 protein in vitro. In the rabbit VX2 model, compared to the received normal saline group (NS) and received TACE mono-therapy group (TACE), the group that received TACE combined with RLX (TACE+RLX) showed improved local tumor response and survival benefit. Furthermore, TACE combined with RLX was found to reduce tumor metastasis. This combination therapy reduced the fibrotic extracellular matrix in the tumor microenvironment, allowing for better penetration of doxorubicin and improved infiltration of CD8+ T cells. Additionally, RLX combined with TACE was able to decrease the expression of HIF-1α. The biosafety of TACE combined with RLX was also confirmed.
Conclusion RLX synergized with TACE by mitigating fibrotic extracellular matrix and tumor hypoxic microenvironment, improving therapeutic effect and inhibiting metastases for the treatment of liver cancer.
Large contribution of the sea-ice zone to Southern Ocean carbon export revealed by BGC-Argo floats
Authors: Liniger Guillaume , Moreau Sébastien , Lannuzel Delphine , Strutton Peter
Published: February 2024

The Southern Ocean (south of 30°S) contributes significantly to global ocean carbon uptake through the solubility pump and phytoplankton productivity. Many studies have estimated carbon export to the deep ocean, but very few have attempted a basin-scale perspective. In this study, we use an extensive array of BGC-Argo floats to improve previous estimates of carbon export across basins and frontal zones, with a focus on the seasonal ice zone (SIZ). We find that the SIZ contributes 33% of the total circumpolar carbon export of 5.08 PgC y− 1. We also show that subsurface carbon respiration, not flux out of the surface ocean, contributes most strongly to the temporal and spatial variability of subsurface particulate organic carbon. Our work highlights the importance of closely monitoring the SIZ, because it is an area prone to extreme events and strong interannual variability, but also for more accurately quantifying the total Southern Ocean carbon sink. Tightening these estimates and their drivers ultimately impacts our understanding of climate variability at the global ocean scale.
Minimum dietary level and mix ratio of krill meal and fish meal to elicit feed intake and growth performance in juvenile Penaeus vannamei
Authors: Nunes Alberto J.P. , Leite Jordana Sampaio , Gomes Caio Gabriel Dantas , Burri Lena
Published: February 2024

This study determined the minimum dietary level of fish meal (FML) and krill meal (KRM) and their mix ratio to elicit feed intake and growth performance in Penaeus vannamei. Ten diets were formulated with graded FML (90, 60, 30 g kg− 1) in combination with 15, 30, and 45 g kg− 1 KRM, and a control diet with 120 g kg− 1 FML. Shrimp (1.28 ± 0.08 g body weight, BW) were stocked in seventy 1-m3 tanks (135 animals m− 2) and after 88 days their growth performance was determined. Feed preference was assessed through two-by-two comparisons in twenty 0.5-m3 tanks over four weeks. No significant differences in survival (93.9 ± 4.5%), gained yield (1,235 ± 92 g m− 2), and feed conversion ratio (1.47 ± 0.09) were observed. Diets with 60 g kg− 1 FML led to faster growth and higher feed intake than 30, 90 and 120 g kg− 1 FML. Shrimp on 30 g kg− 1 FML diets had the lowest BW, especially with 30 − 15 (FML-KRM) and 30–30 diets. Diets with 90 g kg− 1 FML outperformed 30 g kg− 1 FML. The control diet had higher body weight than diets 30 − 15 and 30–30, showing similar results to other diets except 60 − 15. Feed preference was influenced by KRM inclusion, with 15 g kg− 1 KRM resulting in higher apparent feed intake than 30 and 45 g kg− 1. The findings indicate that higher levels of KRM and FML in combination do not contribute to greater feeding stimuli or enhanced growth performance. These results enable the reduction of their utilization, from 120 to 60 g kg− 1 FML and from 45 to 15 g kg− 1 KRM, while still stimulating feed intake and growth performance in whiteleg shrimp.
Factors affecting quality of life in cancer patients with medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw- A cross sectional study- Part 1.
Authors: Gurav Sandeep , Dholam Kanchan , Singh Gurkaran Preet , Sharma Madhura , Rane Pallavi , Jagtiani Kiran
Published: February 2024

Purpose. In recent years, the occurrence of medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in cancer patients has garnered increasing attention. In the Indian subcontinent, a scarcity of literature exists on MRONJ-related Quality of Life (QoL). Addressing this critical knowledge gap, our objective was to evaluate the influence of various patient socio-demographic, disease and MRONJ related factors on patient’s QoL.
Methods. Following Institutional Ethic Committee approval and informed consent, a cross-sectional study was conducted enrolling thirty adult cancer patients with MRONJ. The comprehensive evaluation encompassed data collection on socio-demographic, medical history, dental history and MRONJ-related characteristics. To assess various dimensions of QoL, we employed EORTC QLQ-C30 and H&N35 questionnaires to assess the patient's overall and site-specific QoL respectively. Correlational analysis was performed to assess the association of various variables and QoL.
Results. Age, sex, education, tobacco chewing, smoking habits, trismus exhibited no significant correlation with QoL scores. Our findings indicated significant decline in global health status with advancing MRONJ stages and intravenous drug administration. Maxillary MRONJ exhibited significantly better emotional well-being compared to mandibular involvement. Significant association were observed between presence of comorbidities, bone metastasis, extraoral swelling, dental extraction, and adverse scores in various domains of EORTC QLQ-H&N35.
Conclusion. Our results highlight the distinctive challenges encountered by MRONJ patients, emphasizing the potential influence of MRONJ site, stage, and various systemic and local factors on the quality of life in cancer patients. Further exploration in larger, prospective studies are essential, offering valuable insights for long-term follow-up of these patient subgroups.
A novel method for classification of 3D point clouds based on the improved PointNet++
Authors: 刘 子铭 , Li Guoguang , Wang Beibei , Yan Bin , Gao Ruizhen
Published: February 2024

In the field of deep learning, point clouds are used as the basic input format for 3D data, which can provide detailed geometric information about objects in the original 3D space. PointNet + + is a deep learning network that uses point cloud data as an input format, which avoids the losses associated with the previous conversion of point cloud into 3D voxelization as well as a collection of 2D images. Although PointNet + + can directly process point cloud data in various ways, due to the disordered, irregular and unevenly distributed nature of point cloud data, the effect of extracting point cloud features is not ideal, and due to the large amount of point cloud data, it also leads to the training model falling into the local optimal solution, which affects the training results. To address these problems, some effective methods and strategies have emerged in recent years. In this thesis, three methods are proposed on the basis of PointNet + + network: feature similarity-based attention pooling, adaptive regularization term and fixed random seed method to improve the performance of PointNet + + network. Experiments show that the improvement methods proposed in this paper effectively improve the feature extraction accuracy, which in turn improves the accuracy of PointNet + + network for classification on Modelnet40 dataset, with an overall improvement of 0.68% compared with PointNet++.
Hybrid Optogenetic and Electrical Stimulation of Retinal Ganglion Cells for Artificial Vision
Authors: Kwan William , Brunton Emma , Begeng James , Kameneva Tatiana , Stoddart Paul , Ibbotson Michael , Richardson Rachael , Tong Wei
Published: February 2024

Millions of adults worldwide experience severe visual impairment due to photoreceptor loss from retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. Retinal prostheses that provide artificial vision by stimulating the surviving retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) have emerged as a promising therapy. However, all clinically approved retinal prostheses that use electrical stimulation face the issue of electrical spread. As such, no device has been able to provide vision restoration beyond the threshold of legal blindness. Optogenetic approaches provide greater spatial precision, however, they have poor temporal fidelity compared to electrical stimulation. Questions remain over the safety of the high intensity light required. Here, we developed an opto-electrical hybrid approach that reduced optogenetic activation thresholds and increased the high frequency sensitivity of opsin expressing RGCs. Our findings suggest that incorporating hybrid stimulation in future retinal prostheses could dramatically improve high resolution vision.