bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nusinersen Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Retrospective Multicenter Study of Pediatric and Adult Patients in Kuwait
Authors: Tawari Asma , Zakaria Mohammad , Kamel Walaa , Bastaki Laila , Elghazawi Gamal Ahmed Ismail , Ali Mohamed Esmat Anwar , Salota Dalia , Attia Amer , Elanay Ehab Elsayed Ali , Shalaby Osama , Alqallaf Fatema , Mitic Vesna , Shaalan Nayera
Published: April 2024

Spinal muscular atrophy is a neuromuscular genetic condition associated with progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Nusinersen is an antisense oligonucleotide therapy approved for the treatment of 5q spinal muscular atrophy in pediatric and adult patients. The objective of this clinical case series is to describe the efficacy and safety of nusinersen in treating spinal muscular atrophy in 20 pediatric and 18 adult patients across six treatment centers in Kuwait. Functional motor assessments (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders, Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded, and Revised Upper Limb Module) were used to assess changes in motor function following nusinersen treatment. Safety assessment involved clinical monitoring of adverse events. The results demonstrate clinically meaningful or considerable improvement in motor performance for nearly all patients, lasting over 4 years in some cases. 70% of patients in the pediatric cohort and 72% of patients in the adult cohort achieved clinically meaningful improvement in motor function following nusinersen treatment. Additionally, nusinersen was well-tolerated in both cohorts. These findings add to the growing body of evidence relating to the clinical efficacy and safety of nusinersen.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Therapies and Acute Liver Injury
Authors: Catanzaro Roberto , Marotta Francesco , Yazdani Azam , Sciuto Morena
Published: April 2024

Drug-induced liver disease represents one of the main problems in the therapeutic field. As with most pathologies, also in this case various risk factors can be recognised, such as age, sex, but also the gut microbiota. Therefore all drugs on the market can, in fact, cause hepatotoxicity of varying degrees. Drugs used in the treatment of IBD can also cause these adverse effects and even lead to DILI. In this review, the various classes of drugs used in the treatment of IBD were taken into consideration and the various adverse effects on the liver were illustrated. In particular, a major role has emerged regarding hepatotoxicity of immunosuppressants. Biological drugs, however, seem to be responsible for these complications to a much lesser extent.
Factors Associated with Communities’ Satisfaction of Receiving Curative Care Administered by Community Health Workers in the Health Districts of Boussé and Boussouma in Burkina Faso, 2024
Authors: Ouedraogo Hamed Sidwaya , Sawadogo Abdoul-Guaniyi , Kabore Ahmed , Traore Badra Ali , Traore Mamadou , Maiga Massoudou Harouna , Sanon Marcella Valerie Zombre , Drabo Maxime Koine
Published: April 2024

Background: Since 2010, Burkina Faso has developed and initiated community-based management of childhood illnesses. Following the increased presence of community health workers and the adoption of free community health care, this study aims to assess community satisfaction with curative care administered by community health workers. Methodology: It was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study. Data were collected in the health districts of Boussé and Boussouma from 20 February to 30 March 2023 for quantitative data and from 12 to 30 January 2024 for qualitative data using a questionnaire (household survey) and an interview grid (focus groups). Analyses were conducted using SPSS IBM 25 and Nvivo 14. Results: Households benefit from oral curative care when using CHWs, but are not satisfied with the temporal accessibility of these community health workers. Temporal accessibility and awareness during care have a significant influence on household satisfaction. Conclusion: Curative care by community health workers is effective, but its use could be improved by addressing the unavailability of community health workers, inputs and better communication during care.
Study on the Application of Kramers−Kronig Relation for the Polyurethane Mixture
Authors: Zhao Haisheng , Shen Quanjun , Zhang Peiyu , Li Zhen , Cui Shiping , Wang Lin , Zhang Wensheng , Su Chunhua , Ma Shijie
Published: April 2024

The Polyurethane (PU) mixture is a high−performance engineering material with different dynamic properties compared to a hot−mixed asphalt mixture (HMA). This paper analyzed whether the Kramers−Kronig (K−K) relation and thermo−rheological simple properties were applicable to the PU mixture. Based on the result discussion, the PU mixture exhibited thermo−rheological simple properties within the test conditions. The time−temperature superposition principle (TTSP) was applicable for the PU mixture to construct the dynamic modulus master curve using the standard logistic Sigmoidal (SLS) model, the generalized logistic sigmoidal (GLS) model, and the Havriliak−Negami (HN) model. The Hilbert integral transformed SLS and GLS models for the phase angle can accurately fit the measured phase angle data with newly fitted shift factors and predict the phase angle within the viscoelastic range. The Core−Core and black space diagrams both displayed single continuous smooth curves, which can be utilized to characterize the viscoelastic property of the PU mixture. The K−K relation is applicable for the PU mixture to obtain the phase angle master curve model, storage modulus, and loss modulus from the complex modulus test results. The phase angle of the PU mixture cannot be derived from the dynamic modulus data and currently needs to be derived from the laboratory measurement.
Status and Challenges of Medical History-Taking in Developing Countries and an Affordable Digital Solution to Tackle Them
Authors: Hossain Forhad , Bouh Mohamed Mehfoud , Rahman Md Moshiur , Shah Faiz , Mine Tsunenori , Islam Rafiqul , Nakashima Naoki , Ahmed Ashir
Published: April 2024

1) Background: Capturing patients’ medical histories significantly influences clinical decisions. Errors in this process lead to clinical errors, increase costs and dissatisfaction among physicians and patients. Physicians in developing countries are overloaded with patients and cannot always follow the proper history-taking procedure. The challenges are acknowledged; however, a comprehensive understanding of the status and the remedies remained unexplored. 2) Objective: This paper aims to investigate the workload, history-taking challenges, and the willingness of the physicians to accept digital solutions. 3) Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted on 104 physicians across Bangladesh, featuring 22 questions regarding their professional environment, workload, digitization status of health records, challenges in history-taking, and attitudes toward adopting digital solutions for managing patient histories; 4) Results: 92.67% of the physicians face workloads, 88.46% struggle in medical history-taking, and only 4.81% use digital medical records. About 70% struggle to complete the necessary history-taking steps, emphasizing the urgent need for solutions. An AI-based Smart Health Gantt Chart (SHGC) system has been introduced for their instant feedback. 93.27% of physicians expressed their willingness to use such a system. 5) Conclusions: The proposed SHGC has the potential to enhance healthcare efficiency in developing nations, benefit physicians, and improve patient-centered care.
Pengaruh Penambahan Limbah Serbuk Kaca dan Limbah Serbuk Keramik Terhadap Kuat Tekan dan Daya Serap Air Paving Block
Authors: Adani Tsaqifudien , Handayani Dewi , Ilonka Willy Anastasya
Published: April 2024

Berkembangnya populasi di Indonesia juga berpengaruh pada perkembangan sarana transportasi. Perkembangan sarana transportasi memerlukan infrastruktur yang memadai. Paving block merupakan salah satu tipe infrastruktur jalan yang sering digunakan. Hal tersebut berpengaruh terhadap jumlah produksi paving block yang ikut meningkat. Bahan alam merupakan bahan pembuatan paving block yang di eksplorasi secara terus menerus. Saat bersamaan penggunaan material yang dieksplorasi menghasilkan limbah yang di buang dalam jumlah besar. Limbah serbuk kaca dan limbah serbuk keramik berpotensi sebagai subtitusi agregat halus pembuatan paving block. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui kuat tekan dan daya serap optimum yang didapatkan paving block variasi limbah serbuk kaca sebesar 2,5%, 5%, 7,5%, 10%, 12,5% dan limbah serbuk keramik sebesar 30%. Menggunakan metode eksperimen di dapatkan hasil kuat tekan tertinggi 12,5% limbah kaca dan 30% limbah keramik yaitu sebesar 11,17 MPa dan daya serap terendah 12,5% limbah kaca dan 30% limbah keramik yaitu sebesar 6,67%.
Influence of Kappa Number on Enhancing Pulp Brightness through Stage D0 with ClO2 Bleaching Process: Environmental Implications and Considerations
Authors: Susanti Susi
Published: April 2024

Stage D0 in the pulp bleaching process, utilizing Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2), represents a critical phase aimed at improving pulp brightness while simultaneously addressing environmental concerns. This stage enhancement of pulp brightness can made an environmental impact, as excessive usage can lead to harmful emissions and environmental degradation. The amount of ClO2 used at stage D0 is influenced by the kappa number, the greater the kappa number, the greater the ClO2 use will be to produce brightness that corresponds to standar. The calculation of ClO2 usage at stage D0 is carried out after obtaining data related to ClO2 and the amount of pulp production from DCS (Distribute Control System). Based on the results of calculations and analysis, it can be concluded that the kappa number influences the total use of ClO2 in stage D0. The more ClO2 used in the D0 tower will produce pulp with a higher level of brightness.
Medicare’s Post-Acute Care Reimbursement Models as of 2023
Authors: Siddiqi Ahmed , Pasqualini Ignacio , Tidd Joshua , Rullán Pedro J. , Klika Alison K. , Murray Trevor G. , Johnson Joshua K. , Piuzzi Nicolas S.
Published: April 2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is continually working to mitigate unnecessary expenditures, particularly in post-acute care (PAC). Medicare reimburses for orthopaedic surgeon services in varied models, including fee-for-service, bundled payments, and merit-based incentive payment systems. The goal of these models is to improve the quality of care, reduce health-care costs, and encourage providers to adopt innovative and efficient health-care practices.

This article delves into the implications of each payment model for the field of orthopaedic surgery, highlighting their unique features, incentives, and potential impact in the PAC setting. By considering the historical, current, and future Medicare reimbursement models, we hope to provide an understanding of the optimal payment model based on the specific needs of patients and providers in the PAC setting.
CircRNA_0025202 induces cervical cancer tumorigenesis by sponging miR-556-5p to activate HMGA2 expression
Authors: Yang Jiang , Yuan Simeng , Zhou Jinting , Lv Huabing , Zhou Min , Mao Xiaogang , Qin Xiaomin , Li Lin , Xing Hui
Published: April 2024

circRNAs are reported to demonstrate significant function in various cancers. Nevertheless, the detailed effects of circRNAs in cervical cancer development are seldom displayed. In our present research, we observed circ_0025202 was strongly overexpressed in cervical cancer tissues and cells. Meanwhile, circ_0025202 expression in the tissue samples of cervical cancer was positively associated with FIGO stage and lymphnode metastasis. Then, it was proved that knockdown of circ_0025202 obviously restrained cell growth while triggered cell apoptosis. In addition, we demonstrated that circ_0025202 acted as a sponge of miR-556-5p targeting HMGA2 in cervical cancer cells. Moreover, the increase of HMGA2 is a feature of malignant tumor. Increasing reports have suggested HMGA2 expression could be a biomarker in cervical cancer. Then, it was manifested miR-556-5p was decreased in cervical cancer. Up-regulation of miR-556-5p repressed cervical cancer growth significantly. Besides these, it was confirmed that loss of HMGA2 by shRNA-circ_0025202-mediated up-regulation of miR-556-5p enhanced cervical cancer cell growth. To sum up, our data indicated a mechanism that circ_0025202- miR-556-5p-HMGA2 network enhanced cervical cancer development.
The Interplay of Online Attributes and Learning Modes in Shaping Satisfaction and Effectiveness in Online Learning
Authors: Mathew Paul V , Kushwaha Satyendra , Pappachan Joemon
Published: April 2024

The study aimed to identify key variables influencing the performance and happiness of 545 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indian universities. Utilizing structural equation modeling, the researchers found that high-quality instruction, well-designed courses, timely feedback, and high expectations positively influenced students' satisfaction, subsequently enhancing their performance. The study underscores the pivotal role of these elements in education management, especially in the context of the pandemic. It seeks to comprehend how online learning characteristics impact efficacy and enjoyment, highlighting their significance for 545 online learners. The findings emphasize the crucial role of online learning features in shaping successful learning and offer valuable insights for optimizing the online learning environment to enhance overall effectiveness.
Intragenic silencer regulates human retrovirus latency
by recruiting RUNX1
Authors: Satou Yorifumi , Sugata Kenji , Rahman Akhinur , Niimura Koki , Monde Kazuaki , Ueno Takaharu , Rajib Samiul , Takatori Mitsuyoshi , Sakhor Wajihah , Hossain Md Belal , Sithi Sharmin , Jahan M Ishrat , Matsuda Kouki , Ueda Mitsuharu , Yamano Yoshihisa , Ikeda Terumasa , Ueno Takamasa , Tsuchiya Kiyoto , Tanaka Yuetsu , Tokunaga Masahito , Maeda Kenji , Utsunomiya Atae , Okuma Kazu , Ono Masahiro
Published: April 2024

Retroviruses integrate viral genome DNA into the host cellular genome. The integrated proviral DNA serves as a template for the production of progeny viruses. There are many points of similarity between two human retroviruses, human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), such as viral genome size, structure and targeting host cells; however, their natural course in infected individuals is remarkably different. HTLV-1 induces latent infection even in the absence of anti-retroviral drugs but enhances survival of the infected cells, resulting in cancer development. In contrast, HIV-1 infection causes vigorous viral production and keep high viremia in the blood, resulting in acquired immune deficiency syndrome. However, it still remains largely unknown why HTLV-1 prefers such latency phenotype in contrast with HIV-1. Here we identified a previously unidentified open chromatin region (OCR) in the middle of HTLV-1 provirus. We found the region functioned as a transcriptional silencer for the HTLV-1 5’-LTR promoter and thus named the OCR as retrovirus silencer region (RSR). RUNX1, a host transcription factor, and the co-factors localizes to the RSR and plays a pivotal role in the silencer function. The mutant virus containing mutations in the RSR that impaired RUNX1 binding showed higher proviral expression, virus production, persistence, and immunogenicity than wild type virus. Further, insertion of the RSR into recombinant HIV-1 remarkably decreased proviral expression, virus production and cytopathic effect. In conclusion, this study discovered retroviral silencer region that enables a human retrovirus HTLV-1 to co-exist with human for tens of thousands of years by hijacking RUNX1, a key regulator of cell lineage specification in the host cells and by establishing reversible latency in infected individuals. These findings not only open new avenues for treatment but also suggest an evolutionary perspective, indicating how HTLV-1 may have evolved a robust latency mechanism through the RSR, contributing to its unique pathogenesis.
Lable-free optical miRNA detection using charged Au nanoparticles
Authors: Hakimian Fatemeh , Delavari Behdad , Hadian-Ghazvini Samaneh , Rad Mohammad Behnam , Dashtestani Fariba , Sheikhhassani Vahid , Ghourchian Hedayatollah
Published: April 2024

A simple and efficient biosensing system was designed to measure miRNA-155 (miR-155) as a promising biomarker for early diagnosis of breast cancer. In this system, two different charged gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were used: 1- negatively charged citrate-stabilized Au NP (Cit-Au NP) to immobilize the probe, 2- positively charged polyethylenimine-capped Au NP (PEI-Au NP) as an amplifier. The probe DNA covalently binds to the Cit-Au NP via Au–S bond in this system. A double-stranded probe DNA-miRNA is formed when miR-155 is introduced to the system. Then, PEI-Au NPs are added to the biosensing system to amplify surface plasmon resonance (SPR) changes in the absorption band of Au NPs. This amplification resulted in more stabilization of Au NPs in the presence of miR-155. On the contrary, in the absence of miR-155, Au NPs are aggregated due to the electrosteric interactions. This simple method achieves a detection limit of ~ 8 pM and a wide linear range from approximately 80 pM to 2 µM.
Puzzling two-stage size evolution of an ultraluminous gamma-ray burst jet
Authors: An Tao , Geng Jin-Jun , Zhang Yingkang , Gao Hao-Xuan , Xu Fan , Sun Tianrui , Li Bing , Wang Ailing , Xu Zhi-Jun , Liu Yuan-Qi , Yang Jun , Hu Chen-Ran , Liang Li , Wang Yu , Li Ye , Xiao Di , Ren Jia , Wu Xue-Feng , Huang Yong-Feng , Dai Z. G. , Zhang Bing
Published: April 2024

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous stellar explosions in the Universe, in which relativistic jets are involved. GRB 221009A stands out as the brightest GRB ever observed, providing a unique opportunity to probe the properties of an ultrarelativistic jet. Here, we report our very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observation on the extremely bright GRB 221009A from 5 to 26 days after the burst. An intriguing two-stage evolution of the source size of this GRB is revealed by combining this data with later VLBI data. The observed size initially increases slowly as ~ tobs0.15 during the first month, but expands with a much faster rate as ~ tobs2.21 at later times. This unprecedented two-stage size evolution cannot be explained by the existing theoretical models invoking a non-spreading top-hat jet or a conventional structured jet and thus challenges our current understanding of this GRB jet. The transition may suggest the beginning of rapid sideways expansion of a narrow jet as the relativistic jet decelerates enough or the emergence of a new emission component. Our findings unveil the complex jet dynamics of GRB 221009A, highlighting the necessity of direct measurements of the size and geometry of the emission region in studying low-redshift GRBs in the multi-wavelength era.
Satellite-observed land cover change predicts plant genomic erosion over half a century
Authors: Theodoridis Spyros , Hickler Thomas , Nogues-Bravo David , Ploch Sebastian , Mishra Bagdevi , Thines Marco
Published: April 2024

Human induced land-cover change within the past decades has resulted in severe biodiversity loss, adversely affecting ecosystems and their contributions to human societies1,2. Addressing the biodiversity crisis requires the development of monitoring frameworks that can reliably detect biodiversity change and inform conservation actions3,4,5. Satellite observations have revolutionized our ability to monitor species and ecosystem dynamics in response to anthropogenic pressures, yet, a last frontier remains: detecting genetic diversity change from space6. Here, we address this challenge by utilizing remote sensing to predict genomic erosion over half a century of global change. We sequenced historical and modern genomes of a medically important mountain plant, and show that genomic erosion is highly predictable by the velocity of land cover change. Our models reveal that faster vegetation “greening” in mountain ecosystems leads to higher inbreeding accumulation in the affected species. By linking satellite data with genomic erosion, we demonstrate the ability of remote sensing to monitor the impact of environmental change on genetic diversity, with far reaching implications for protecting the basal level of biodiversity.
RETRACTED: Exploring the Role of AI in Essay Evaluation: A Comparative Analysis of ChatGPT and Human Corrections
Authors: Bouziane Karima , Bouziane Abdelmounim
Published: April 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Onlap of Upper Cretaceous synorogenic wedge-top deposits (Eastern Alps): Fragmentites, event beds, and coseismic deformation.
Authors: Sanders Diethard G.
Published: April 2024

In synorogenic wedge-top basins of the Alps, the basal strata are rarely exposed. Herein, a late Turonian to early Coniacian succession above an older rock substrate is described that comprises: (a) proto-/cataclasites, (b) slope breccias, (c) fluvial conglomerates, and (d) low-energy lagoonal limestones with event beds. The proto-/cataclasites are a vestige of a fault damage zone. The distribution of the other facies records a hilly vegetated terrain drained by a stream and that, upon sea-level rise, became encroached by a lagoon. A section of 'lagoonal' limestones contains a thick event bed of angular dolostone pebbles to cobbles derived from the local substrate, and embedded in hybrid arenite. Bioclasts (rudists, corals, red algae) are from open-marine environments. Angular shape and a corrugated surface of lithoclasts suggest that they stem from slope mantles of subaerially exposed areas. The bed records an event of exceptional coastal flooding and is tentatively interpreted as a tsunami deposit. In the slope breccias, the fluvial conglomerates, and in the event beds, many lithoclasts became fractured in situinto crackle, jigsaw, and mosaic subclast fabrics; fractures are filled with the same material (lime mud to arenite) as that comprising the primary matrix. In-situ clast fracture was produced by coseismic shaking, i.e., these fabrics record syndepositional earthquakes. In the Meso-Cenozoic wedge-top succession of the Eastern Alps, features related to seismic activity and coastal inundation expectably are widespread, but to date were overgone or not identified as such.
Exploring the Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Properties of Flacourtia indica Extracts on Lung Cancer Cells: A Comprehensive Analysis Utilizing GC-MS, Molecular Docking, and PASS Analysis.
Authors: Bashera Machi Al , Parvin Mst. Shahnaj , Islam Md. Badrul , Rana G.M. Masud , Rony Satyajit Roy , Islam Md. Ekramul
Published: April 2024

Background
The study aimed to explore the anti-proliferative potential against a lung cancer cell line for the first time, alongside investigating phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and conducting GCMS analysis of Flacourtia indica extracts. This was supplemented by in-silico molecular docking and PASS prediction study for selected compounds. Traditionally decoctions of Flacourtia indica are utilized as anti-helminthic and antibacterial in Bangladesh. Multiple studies have shown its antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-colorectal cancer effects.
Methods
The aerial plant was extracted with n-hexane, chloroform, and methanol in order of polarity and the phytoconstituents were determined by GC-MS spectroscopy techniques. MTT assay was used to measure lung cancer cell line viability to determine extract's anti-proliferative effect. The phenolic, flavonoid, antioxidant content analysis was carried out by spectroscopic method. The antineoplastic (breast cancer) potential of selected phytoconstituents were unveiled using the PASS program. Molecular docking analysis further assessed the binding affinity of these bioactive compounds with proteins including topoisomerase II, calvasculin, porin, and TP53.
Results
GCMS analysis of crude chloroform extract revealed Cyclopropanepentanoic acid, 2-undecyl-, methyl ester (13.072%), phytol (12.667%), benzene,1,2,4-trimethyl, decane, pentadecanoic acid,14-methyl, and 9,12-Octadecanoic acid, methyl ester, and 20 other components. Total phenolics and flavonoids in crude chloroform extract are 2.3882 ± 1.47 mg/gm Gallic acid equivalent and 99.167 ± 32.842 mg/gm quercetin equivalent. The crude chloroform extract (CCE) has antioxidant properties, with IC50 values of 38.691 ± 0.582 µg/mL for DPPH scavenging and 59.81 ± 0.272 µg/mL for iron reducing methods, and 148.75 ± 1.25 mg/gm for catechine antioxidants. The in-silico PASS prediction analysis of the prominent compounds were also carried out against different cell line of lung cancer. The Pa value ranges from 0.502 to 0.639 revealed considerable anti-proliferative activity of the constituents. Compared to tamoxifen as positive control, crude chloroform extract (CCE) inhibited lung-cancer cell proliferation by 22.87%. Molecular docking of discovered chemicals to four proteins supported the anti-carcinogenic theory.
Conclusion
This comprehensive study provides valuable insights into the anti-carcinogenic potential of Flacourtia indica extracts, particularly against lung cancer cell lines. Further research is warranted to explore its therapeutic potential and pave the way for the development of novel anti-cancer agents derived from natural sources
Texture Recognition Using a Biologically Plausible Spiking Phase-Locked Loop Model for Spike Train Frequency Decomposition
Authors: Mastella Michele , Tiemens Tesse , Chicca Elisabetta
Published: April 2024

Neural spikes can encode a rich set of information, ranging from the perceived intensity of light sources to the likelihood associated with decisions made in the cortex. Among these capabilities, previous studies demonstrated that spikes can also encode in their activity multiple frequencies at the same time, such as those generated by skin vibrations during textures scanning. However, the mechanism responsible for decoding spikes containing multiple frequencies is yet to be uncovered. In this paper, we introduce a novel spiking neural network model tailored for frequency decomposition of spike trains. Our model mimics neural microcircuits hypothesized in the somatosensory cortex, making it a biologically plausible candidate for decoding spike trains observed in tactile peripheral nerves. We showcase the ability of simple neurons and synapses to replicate the functionality of a phase-locked loop (PLL) and delve into the emergent properties when multiple spiking phase-locked loops (sPLLs) interact with diverse inputs. Furthermore, we demonstrate how these sPLLs can decode textures by leveraging the spectral features of spike trains generated in peripheral nerves. By harnessing our model's frequency decomposition capabilities, we achieve significant performance enhancements over state-of-the-art approaches on a Multifrequency Spike Train (MST) dataset. Our findings underscore the potential of sPLLs in elucidating the mechanisms behind texture decoding in the brain, while also showcasing their potential to outperform conventional SNNs in handling spike trains with multiple frequencies. We believe this study sheds light into the neuronal mechanisms behind texture decoding, while presenting a practical framework for augmenting the capabilities of artificial neural networks in intricate pattern recognition tasks.
The Teaching Experience of Parents of Children with Special Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: ghiasi shiva , kakabraee keyvan
Published: April 2024

This study assessed the teaching experience of parents of children with special educational needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online questionnaire was completed by 57 parents and the data was analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive and inferential statistical measures were used to assess the relationship between variables. The results revealed a significant relationship between the quality of virtual teaching and the availability of supports and resources for online learning. However, available resources did not contribute to parental satisfaction. Parental satisfaction was not related to the quality of education or the age of the child. Additionally, there was no significant difference in educational performance between children who received virtual training and those who attended school in person. Overall, the virtual training was found to be satisfactory, but improvements to online educational resources could enhance the quality of education.
Testing the efficacy of minocycline treatment in an awake, female rat model of repetitive mild head injury
Authors: Hightower Rosemarie , Brengel Eric , Prom Sophia , Kulkarni Praveen , Ferris Craig
Published: April 2024

Minocycline is being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of stroke. As an antibiotic it reduces microglia activation. Can minocycline be used to treat mild head injury? To that end, minocycline was tested in a novel, closed-head, momentum exchange model of repetitive mild head injury in female rats impacted while fully awake. MRI revealed there was no brain damage or contusion attesting to the mild nature of the head impacts in this model. It was hypothesized that drug treatment would reduce edema and brain neuroinflammation. Female rats maintained on a reverse light-dark cycle were head impacted three times while fully awake with and without drug treatment. The impacts, separated by 24 hrs each, were delivered under red light illumination. Within 1-2 hrs of the last impact, rats were assessed for changes in water diffusion using diffusion weighted imaging. The data were registered to a 3D MRI rat atlas with 173 segmented brain areas providing site specific information on altered brain gray matter microarchitecture. Postmortem histology was performed 18 days post head injury. Head injury without minocycline treatment was characterized by multiple areas of increased fractional anisotropy, evidence of cytotoxic edema. Treatment with minocycline reversed these measures in many of the same areas and several others (e.g., hippocampus, basal ganglia, prefrontal cortex, sensory and motor cortices and thalamus). Histology for gliosis showed no evidence of neuroinflammation in the thalamus, hippocampus and cerebellum for control or experimental groups in this female model of mild head injury. These studies provide clear evidence that treatment with minocycline within hours after mild repetitive head injury significantly reduce measures of cytotoxic edema in a female rat model of mild repetitive head injury.
Evaluation and comparison of infiltration models for estimating infiltration capacity of different textures of irrigated soils: Case of Northern Ethiopia.
Authors: Mesele Halefom , Grum Berhane , Aregay Gebremeskel , Teklay Gebremeskel
Published: April 2024

Determination of infiltration capacity is a very important parameter during the design and evaluation of irrigation systems. Accurate estimation of infiltration rates helps in optimizing irrigation scheduling, preventing soil erosion, and improving water use efficiency. This study was conducted to evaluate and compare selected infiltration models for estimating water infiltration rates of five soil textures in the Shillanat-iv- irrigation scheme in northern Ethiopia. Soil samples were taken from selected sites in the irrigation scheme to determine soil textural classes using the hydrometer texture laboratory analysis and the USDA textural triangle. A soil textural map of the irrigation area was prepared using the inverse distance weight interpolation technique in ArcGIS version 10.4. The double-ring infiltrometer was used to measure the infiltration rates of different soil textures in the irrigation scheme. Six selected infiltration models namely Kostiakov, Modified Kostiakov, Revised Modified Kostiakov, Philip, Horton, and Novel models were used to estimate infiltration rates for five soil textural classes namely, clay loam, loam, sandy clay loam, clay and sandy loam soils. To evaluate the performance of the models, infiltration rate was measured in 38 points of the study area, out of which 70% of the data was calibrating model parameters and 30% of the data was used for model validation. Parameter values of the infiltration models were optimized using the least-squares errors in SPSS statistical software. Five statistical parameters including the Coefficient of determination (R2), Maximum absolute error (MAE), Bias, Root mean square error (RMSE) and Percentage average error (PAE) were used to evaluate the performance of the infiltration models. Results indicated that the Revised Modified Kostiakov’s, Modified Kostiakov’s, and Novel’s infiltration models had better capability in estimating infiltration rates for clay loam, loam and sandy loam soil textures respectively. Similarly, the Hortons’s model had better performances in estimating infiltration rates of both sandy clay loam and clay soil textures compared to other models. In the design of the irrigation system, the best-fitted infiltration models can be used for estimating the infiltration rate of soil textures in the selected irrigation scheme and other sites with similar soil textures.
Remote Sensing and Aeromagnetic Mapping for Iron Ore Mineralization in Parts of Kakanda and Its Environs, Northcentral Nigeria
Authors: Akinlalu Ayokunle Adewale
Published: April 2024

Kogi State, Northcentral Nigeria has been known for its iron ore deposits and Kakanda village is one of those places that possess iron ore deposits. However, little information about the extent and locations of possible iron ore mineralized zone is available due to limited researches in that area. Hence, this study utilized aeromagnetic and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) datasets for the delineation of Iron ore deposits in Kakanda Village and its environs. Enhancement techniques such as residual magnetic amplitude and analytic signal amplitude carried out on the aeromagnetic data revealed the concentration of iron ore deposits especially in the southern, eastern and western parts of the study area. This is consistent with signatures derived from other data enhancement techniques involving the total horizontal derivative, tilt derivative and 3D Euler deconvolution technique which were principally used to map structures guiding mineralization in the study area. Furthermore, analyses of the ASTER dataset using the true and false color composite and combination of band ratios indicate the occurrence of iron oxide and clay alterations relating to iron ore mineralization in the study area. It was observed that the signatures relating to iron ore mineralization of the aeromagnetic data and ASTER dataset are consistent with each other. The overlap of these signatures was used to produce the iron ore prospectivity map of the study area. The study showed that areas of delineated lineaments coincide with areas of iron ore mineralization. In the same vein, areas of dense lineaments coincide with areas of iron ore mineralization especially in the southern and eastern parts of the study area. The study area therefore concluded that mineralization in the study area is structurally controlled. Hence, further exploration activities should be focused on areas where there is an evident overlap of lineament and iron ore mineralization in the study area.
A new efficient medoid based divisive hierarchical clustering method for large-scale data
Authors: Wang Xiaochun
Published: April 2024

Clustering in data mining groups a set of data objects into a collection of different classes which are called clusters. Being one category of the most popular clustering methods, hierarchical clustering has found applications in various disciplines as an effective tool for data analysis. However, a run of hierarchical clustering requires multiple iterations to compute and update the pairwise distances between all intermediate clusters, making the conventional linkage methods of hierarchical clustering algorithms inevitably suffer from the quadratic time and space complexity. Given the fact that the choice of linkage profoundly affects not only the quality but also the efficiency of hierarchical clustering, we propose in this paper a new linkage method, named the medoid linkage, for hierarchical clustering and design an efficient divisive algorithm, referred to as MEDIA, for it to address the scalability issue of hierarchical clustering large-scale data. Experiments performed on both synthetic and real datasets demonstrate that our scheme can not only provide better clustering results but also scale well for large-sized high-dimensional data.
The fate of an antibody labelled with zirconium-89 in cynomolgus macaques
Authors: Sasaki Takanori , Kimura Sadaaki , Noda Akihiro , Murakami Yoshihiro , Miyoshi Sosuke , Akehi Masaru , Ochiai Kazuhiko , Watanabe Masami , Higuchi Takahiro , Matsuura Eiji
Published: April 2024

Background
Preclinical pharmacokinetic studies of therapeutic antibodies in non-human primates are desired because of the difficulty in extrapolating ADME data from animal models to humans. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics of 89Zr-labelled anti-KLH human IgG and its metabolites to confirm their non-specific/physiological accumulation in healthy cynomolgus macaques.
Methods
Selected IgG was conjugated to desferrioxamine (DFO), labelled with 89Zr, and injected into healthy cynomolgus macaques (9–16 MBq of 89Zr-IgG/head). PET/CT images at the whole-body level were acquired at different time points, and standard uptake values (SUV) in regions of interest, such as the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, bone, and muscles, were calculated. The distribution of a shortened antibody variant, 89Zr-Fab, as well as that of [89Zr]Zr-DFO and [89Zr]Zr-oxalate, the expected metabolites of 89Zr-IgG, was also assessed.
Results
After 89Zr-IgG injection, the SUV in the heart, vertebral body, and muscle decreased, in line with the 89Zr concentration decrease in the circulation, whereas radioactivity increased over time in the kidneys and liver. Autoradiography of the renal sections indicated that most of the 89Zr-IgG radioactivity accumulated in the renal cortex. Relatively high accumulation in the kidneys was also observed in 89Zr-Fab-injected macaques, and renal autoradiographs of these animals showed that the renal cortex was the preferred accumulation site. However, [89Zr]Zr-DFO was rapidly excreted into the urine, whereas [89Zr]Zr-oxalate was highly accumulated in the epiphysis of the long bones and vertebral body.
Conclusion
In the non-human primate cynomolgus macaque, 89Zr-IgG accumulated in the kidneys and the liver. However, [89Zr]Zr-DFO and 89Zr did not accumulate in these organs. This preclinical pharmacokinetic study performed with human IgG in a non-human primate model using PET is of great significance as it sheds light on the basic fate and distribution of 89Zr-IgG.
Enhancing Software Reliability through Naive Bayes-based Defect Prediction
Authors: P Dhavakumar , Lakshmikant Kumar
Published: April 2024

Software defects can be costly to fix and can lead to reduced system reliability, decreased user satisfaction, and increased development time. To mitigate these risks, software defect prediction techniques have been proposed to identify potentially problematic areas of code before defects occur. In this paper, we propose an effective method to detect software flaws using the Naive Bayes classifier. We used a publicly available dataset for our study and performed preprocessing steps such as removing duplicate records and missing values. We splitted the data into training and testing and trained a Naive Bayes classifier on training. We evaluated the performance of our approach using precision, recall, and F1 score metrics. Our results demonstrate that the Naive Bayes classifier was effective in detecting software defects, achieving an accuracy of 98.16% on the testing set and area under ROC curve of 0.965. These findings suggest that the Naive Bayes classifier could be a valuable tool for software defect prediction and could help practitioners and researchers improve the quality of software systems.
Vision Transformer for Skin Cancer Identification Based on Contrastive Learning and Adaptive-Scale Fragmentation
Authors: Naeem Muhammad Ahtsam , Yang Shangming , Sharif Abida , Saleem Muhammad Asim , Sharif Muhammad Imran
Published: April 2024

The approach of image processing and deep learning has shown to be a breakthrough in the field of medical image diagnosis such as dermoscopic image analysis for skin cancer recognition and their classification. Skin cancer cases are increasing every year and pose a significant threat for health. In recent studies, convolutional neural network (CNN) has accomplished remarkable success in classifying skin cancer images. CNN is limited to extracting features from minor objects from input dermoscopic image and fails to pinpoint significant regions. Consequently, the researchers of this study have utilized vision transformers (VIT), known for their robust performance in conventional classification assignments. The self-attention mechanism (SAM) aims to enhance the significance of pivotal characteristics while modifying the influence of noise-inducing features. Specifically, an enhanced transformer network architecture has been introduced in this context. To assess its effectiveness, several enhancements have been applied to the model. Initially, a ViT network is implemented to evaluate its efficacy in identifying skin cancer. Subsequently, Adaptive-scale image fragmentation is utilized to sequentially process the image, emphasizing adaptive-scale features through patch embedding. Furthermore, contrastive learning is employed to ensure that similar skin cancer data is encoded differently, aiming for distinct encoding outcomes for different data. Skin cancer dataset namely ISIC 2019 is retrieved in this study, locally accessible at Kaggle’s official website. This dataset consists of dermoscopic images of skin cancer having several types: dermatofibroma, melanoma, actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, nevus, vascular lesion, and pigmented benign keratosis. The ViT model has achieved 99.66% accuracy, 94.85% precision, 93.74% recall, and 94.52% f1-score. Three deep learning models Inception V3, MobileNet, and ResNet-50 were also applied with transfer learning approach as comparison to proposed ViT model for performance evaluation that resulted in 72%, 94.3, and 89% accuracies, respectively. The transformer network has shown remarkable success in natural language processing and in the domain of image analysis. These achievements establish a solid groundwork to classify skin cancer using multimodal data. This paper is confident to captivate the attention of medical researchers, computer engineers, dermatologists, and scholars across various related disciplines. Its insights promise to offer enhanced convenience for patients in their respective fields.
Interaction between Acute Pancreatitis and Gastrointestinal Microbiome: A Bidirectional Two-sample Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Wang Xuefei , Wang Ao , Zhang Yu , An Yu , Tu Zhengwei , Cui Yunfeng
Published: April 2024

Background: Previous studies have shown that the severity of acute pancreatitis correlates with the gastrointestinal microbiome and that the development of acute pancreatitis causes changes in the gastrointestinal microbiome. However, there is no known genetic mechanism of action to explain the relationship between acute pancreatitis and the gastrointestinal microbiome.
Methods: We performed a two-sample MR analysis of publicly available GWAS data on the gastrointestinal microbiome and acute pancreatitis. We applied several MR methods to explore causal associations, including inverse variance weights, weighted medians, MR‒Egger, Wald ratios, and MR-PRESSO. Sensitivity analyses and Cochrane's Q tests were also performed to exclude the effects of pleiotropy and heterogeneity.
Results: IVW showed that enrichment of the Eubacterium rectale group, Holdemania and Terrisporobacter was correlated with the severity of acute pancreatitis. Inverse MR analyses revealed that the acute pancreatitis affected the abundance of Allisonella, Anaerotruncus, Paraprevotella, Erysipelotrichaceae UCG003, Family XIII AD3011 group, Haemophilus, Intestinibacter, Turicibacter and Tyzzerella 3.
Conclusions: This study elucidates the association between acute pancreatitis and gastrointestinal microbiome at the level of genetic variation, but the mechanism of action needs to be further explored.
A novel in situ AuNPs synthesis by electrospinning technique
Authors: Castro Cynthia , Arizmendi-Morquecho Ana , García-Gutiérrez Domingo , ZúñigaMartínez Jorge Alexis , Lucio-Porto Raúl , Gonzalez-Perez Giovanni , Estrada-Villegas Gethzemani Mayeli
Published: April 2024

This study presents a new route for in situ synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and nanofibers using PEO-Gelatin as the supporting polymer via the electrospinning technique. Variation in the size and shape of the AuNPs significantly impacts their properties and applications, emphasizing the importance of precise methods for their synthesis. The proposed approach in this study aims to synthesize AuNPs and nanofibers simultaneously during the electrospinning process without the need for external reducing agents. This methodology offers significant advantages, such as conducting the reaction at room temperature while simultaneously synthesizing nanoparticles and fibers without requiring additional purification processes. The current work describes the synthesis conditions by adding chloroauric acid precursor (HAuCl4▪3H20) to the polymer solution for electrospinning and in situ reduction at a voltage of 14 kV. Additionally, the morphology of the fibers and particles was explored using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), revealing hexagonal particles with an average size of 12 nm. The presence of AuNPs was confirmed via UV-Vis spectroscopy through Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) at λmax 532 nm. Finally, it was found that the precursor reduction is dependent on pH, polymer functional groups, and applied voltage.
Cost and Damage Comparison of RC Frame Buildings Designed by IS Code and Unified Performance-Based Design Method
Authors: Das Tushar Kanti , Choudhury Satyabrata , Das Pallab
Published: April 2024

Seismic design code of India follows the traditional forced-based approach for designing buildings to resist a lateral force representing the earthquake excitations. Owing to various limitations of this approach, there is a growing interest towards Performance-Based Design (PBD) when designing buildings for seismic events. The Unified Performance-Based Design (UPBD) is a new and advanced PBD approach capable of effectively designing buildings for specific performance levels and drift. Despite its potential benefits, the widespread adoption of PBD remains limited especially, in India. To address this gap, a comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of two distinct design methodologies: the conventional force-based Indian Standard (IS) code method and the innovative UPBD approach. The study focused on analysing the cost implications and seismic damage outcomes of each method. Nine reinforced concrete frame buildings were initially designed using the IS code method, followed by detailed nonlinear analyses to assess their performance. Subsequently, the buildings are redesigned using UPBD to achieve equivalent performance levels and drift, setting a standardized benchmark for comparison. Cost is assessed based on the weight of concrete and steel, while a modified Park and Ang Damage Index is used to quantify damage. The research findings unveiled that buildings designed using the UPBD method exhibited lower overall costs and showcased reduced vulnerability to structural damage compared to those designed using the traditional IS code approach. The UPBD-designed buildings demonstrate superior performance metrics and potential cost savings, emphasizing the economic and structural benefits of adopting the UPBD method for seismic design.