bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feature Selection and mRNA-miRNA bipartite Network Analysis for Biomarker Development and Drug Repurposing in Colon Cancer
Authors: Zavarzadeh Parisima Ghaffarian , Abedi Zahra , Abbasi Amirreza , MotieGhader Habib , Masoudi-Nejad Ali
Published: February 2024

Background: Colon cancer (CC) is the second cause of mortality among other non-skin cancers. Despite the progression in screening and diagnostic strategies, further information is still demanding for diagnosing, managing, and treating CC. In order to achieve this goal, computational analysis, including data mining algorithms are essential tools and the most widely used approach for achieving important features of gene expression data combined with clinical assessments which paves the way for diagnosis and treatment at the right time.
Methods: This study aimed to identify the most critical genes and candidate drugs that may be helpful for CC treatment and develop novel microRNA biomarkers for CC. The gene expression data from CC tissues, including 98 CC and 98 normal samples, were used to reconstruct gene co-expression networks. Deferentially expressed genes (DEGs) were extracted after preprocessing and normalization. Then, DEGs were used to construct the weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA), and low-preserved modules were obtained. The experimentally validated mRNA-miRNA interaction information was used to construct three bipartite mRNA-miRNA networks. From each bipartite network, ten hub miRNAs were extracted for further analysis. Finally, a drug-gene interaction network was constructed.
Results: The most significant genes were ADH1B, AQP8, CA1, CLCA4, GUCA2B, MMP7, MS4A12, and TMIGD1 obtained from feature selection. The data included novel miRNAs (e.g., hsa-miR-665, hsa-miR-30c-3p, hsa-let-7b-5p, hsa-miR-3689d, hsa-miR-1233-5p, hsa-miR-1910-3p, and finally hsa-miR-6788-5p which was thoroughly novel without any investigation in other cancers) and might be potentially associated with CC. Also, the most important genes were targets for these miRNAs. Eventually, drugs such as Cytarabine, Levodopa, Methyldopa, Tretinoin, Hydralazine, Daunorubicin Hydrochloride, Olanzapine, and Idarubicin were proposed as potential novel drugs for CC treatment.
Conclusion: The present study was performed to determine the most significant genes, develop biomarkers, and find novel potential drugs for colon cancer. All potential biomarkers and drugs obtained from this study could be practical after extensive experimental studies for using them in clinical experiments.
Waterless production of cellulose nanofibrils adopting DBD oxygen plasma
Authors: Dimic-Misic katarina , Obradovic Bratislav , Kuraica Milorad , Kostic Mirjana , Le Huy Quang , Korica Matea , Imani Monireh , Gane Patrick
Published: February 2024

Cellulose is a strong contender to become a raw material which can enable the development of new sustainably resourced biodegradable materials composites supporting circular economy. Almost limitless possibilities exist for functionalising the cellulose molecule via the highly reactive hydroxyl groups enabling easy modification of the material surface, leading to the generation of tailored compatibility with a wide variety of industrial applications. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are one of the most promising such lignocellulose derivatives. Currently, their production capacity and economy are hindered by high chemical and energy consumption, the latter primarily during mechanical fibrillation of native fibre in aqueous suspension, and the negative limitation of very low solids content associated with the gel-like properties of the resulting final product. Eliminating the need for liquid water during process treatment could, therefore, be transformative in respect to production feasibility, end-product transportation and application. The work reported here illustrates the application of oxygen gas barrier discharge plasma on dry cellulose fibre. The example fibre comes from paper pulp manufacture, but in principle is not limited to wood source. The action of the oxygen plasma is to etch the microcellulose fibre structure, simultaneously oxidising the glue-functioning hemicellulose, rendering it potentially soluble, so that the nanopolymer crystalline-based cellulose fibrils can subsequently be readily delaminated from the initial microfiber, either under mild mechanical shearing forces or at the point of application using ultrasonication in aqueous medium, to form the commonly used nanocellulose gel-suspension, but newly at desired higher solids content. The absence of liquid water during this pretreatment process for CNF production can deliver significant reduction in cost and environmental load. In addition, transport of plasma treated dry product to the point of its transformation to nanocellulose gel can decrease fuel consumption drastically and so bring yet further environmental benefits.
Determination of optimal parameters for GPS/GNSS cycle slip detection algorithm
Authors: Ogaja Clement , Bilich Andria , Bennett Richard A.
Published: February 2024

Accurate detection of cycle slips is vital for geodetic GNSS-based positioning with carrier phase data, and for quality control of GNSS data processing for various applications. Typically, cycle slip detection algorithms use certain parameters, such as a scale factor of the root-mean-square (RMS) of residuals of linear combinations and an ionospheric threshold value, to flag potential cycle slips. The performance of an algorithm will depend on the values assigned for such parameters. It is important that the parameter values are optimized such that the algorithm minimizes the rates of both missed slips and false detections. We evaluate two parameters (a scale factor, k, of Hatch-Melbourne-Wübbena and ionosphere-free residual RMS and an ionospheric residual threshold, h) to determine their optimal value for cycle slip detection. We show that in the worst-case scenario involving only small slips of magnitudes ranging from 1 to 3 cycles, there is an optimal range of values which resulted in 93 to 97% success rate without any false detections. For the data quality considered in this study, we recommend an RMS scale factor of k= 6 and an ionospheric residual threshold of h = 0.3 as the optimal values for the cycle slip detection with at least 97% success rate. In the absence of formal confidence limits, we note that combinations of values in the range of 6 ≤ k ≤ 8 and 0.3 ≤ h ≤ 1.0 resulted in at least 90% success rate with zero false detections, which gives some indication of the sensitivity of the algorithm’s performance to the specific choice of the parameter values.
Assessment of longitudinal changes in immune responses in critically ill adults with COVID-19
Authors: Rynne Jennifer , Fish Matthew , Jennings Aislinn , Smith Peter , Mosavie Mia , Lam Carolyn , Kelly Sarah , Sanderson Barnaby , Arbane Gill , Lucchese Gianluca , Bosco Paolo , Camporota Luigi , Ostermann Marlies , Shankar-Hari Manu
Published: February 2024

Clinically, COVID-19 is often a mild or asymptomatic illness. However, in a subset of patients, a more severe illness with one or more organ dysfunction requiring intensive care (ICU) admission occurs (stated as critical COVID-19). Most studies assessing the immune responses in COVID-19 focus on patients with non-critical COVID-19, often assessing single biological domain (such as cytokines, leukocytes, proteomics, or transcriptomics) at single time point in patient’s illness. In this context, our cohort study of patients with critical COVID-19 with demographically similar pre-pandemic controls, characterised the longitudinal changes in multiple biological domains (28 plasma cytokines, 30 immune cell subsets identified using mass cytometry and pan-leukocyte transcriptome) at four clinically relevant timepoints between ICU admission and discharge. When compared with controls, on ICU admission day, patients with critical COVID-19, had altered cytokine/chemokine profile (high interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, IL-13, CXCL10, with low CCL17, and CXCL5)), raised histones (H3.1, H3R8), robust plasmablast response despite lymphopenia, with enrichment of immunoglobulin production and interferon pathways in the transcriptome. Analyses of longitudinal transcriptome data highlights three immunologically distinct clusters that were discordant to clinical time points, indicating that the clinical time points do capture immune response trajectory. Complete integration of this multi-domain longitudinal data indicated that ~ 70% of immunological heterogeneity is explained by the transcriptome.
Larger Contribution of Anthropogenic Climate Change to the Increasing Frequency of Compound Droughts and Heatwaves in Poor Countries Compared to Wealthy Ones
Authors: Wang Shuo , Zhang Boen , Slater Louise
Published: February 2024

Compound drought-heatwave events (CDHWs) have attracted widespread attention due to their devastating effects on human societies and ecosystems, but little research has investigated inequalities in exposure to CDHWs under climate change. Here, we reveal a significant connection between CDHWs and poverty on a global scale using observations, global climate models, and climate change attribution. We find that low-income regions, located mainly in central Africa, experienced an increase of 377% [351%~403%] in the frequency of CDHWs from 1981 to 2020, twice as fast as high-income regions in other parts of the globe (184% [153%~204%]). In the absence of climate change, the frequency of CDHWs would not have increased in low-income regions but would still have increased in high-income regions. Climate change has doubled the frequency of CDHWs over 31% [14%~50%] of low-income regions, yet only over 4.7% [0.9%~8.3%] of high-income regions. We also show that anthropogenic climate change has made a greater contribution to increases in the frequency of CDHWs in poorer countries than in wealthier countries. These findings highlight the need to prioritize climate policies to mitigate social inequalities exacerbated by anthropogenic influences and to achieve sustainable development goals.
Targeting CCNE1 amplified ovarian and endometrial cancers by combined inhibition of PKMYT1 and ATR
Authors: Simpkins Fiona , Xu Haineng , Geroge Erin , Gallo David , Medvedev Sergey , Wang Xiaolei , Kryczka Rosie , Hyer Marc , Fourtounis Jimmy , Stocco Rino , Aguado-Fraile Elia , Petrone Adam , Yin Shou Yun , Shiwram Ariya , Anderson Matthew , Kim Hyoung , Liu Fang , Marshall Gary
Published: February 2024

Ovarian cancers (OVCAs) and endometrial cancers (EMCAs) with CCNE1-amplification are often resistant to standard of care treatment and represent an unmet clinical need. Previously, synthetic-lethal screening identified loss of the CDK1 regulator, PKMYT1, as synthetically lethal with CCNE1-amplification. We hypothesized that CCNE1-amplification associated replication stress will be more effectively targeted by combining the PKMYT1 inhibitor, lunresertib (RP-6306), with the ATR inhibitor, camonsertib (RP-3500/RG6526). Low dose combination RP-6306 with RP-3500 synergistically increased cytotoxicity more in CCNE1 amplified compared to non-amplified cells. Combination treatment produced durable antitumor activity and increased survival in CCNE1 amplified patient-derived and cell line-derived xenografts. Mechanistically, low doses of RP-6306 with RP-3500 increase CDK1 activation more so than monotherapy, triggering rapid and robust induction of premature mitosis, DNA damage and apoptosis in a CCNE1-dependent manner. These findings suggest that targeting CDK1 activity by combining RP-6306 with RP-3500 is a novel therapeutic approach to treat CCNE1-amplifed OVCAs and EMCAs.
Low-cost pyrolysis of biomass-derived nitrogen-doped porous carbon: chlorella vulgaris replaces melamine as a nitrogen source
Authors: LU Changxing , Yang Jing , Yu Zhaosheng , Zhang Xikui , Ma xiaoqian
Published: February 2024

Porous carbon generated from biomass has a rich pore structure, is inexpensive, and has a lot of promise for use as a carbon material for energy storage devices. In this work, nitrogen-doped porous carbon was prepared by co-pyrolysis using bagasse as the precursor and chlorella as the nitrogen source. The thermal weight loss experiments showed that the pyrolysis temperatures of bagasse and chlorella overlap, which created the possibility for the synthesis of nitrogen-rich biochar. The optimum sample (ZBC@C-5) possessed a surface area of 1508 m2g-1 with abundant nitrogen-containing functional groups. ZBC@C-5 in the three-electrode system exhibited 244.1F/g at 0.5A/g, which was extremely close to ZBC@M made with melamine as the nitrogen source. This provides new opportunities for the use of low-cost nitrogen sources. Furthermore, the devices exhibit better voltage retention (39%) and capacitance retention (96.3%). The goal of this research is to find a low cost, and effective method for creating nitrogen-doped porous carbon materials with better electrochemical performance for highly valuable applications using bagasse and chlorella.
Ex Vivo Noninvasive Electrophysiologic Imaging Based on Cardiac Electrophysiology Simulation and Clinical Data
Authors: Chang Yi , Dong Ming , Fan Lihong , Sun Weikai , Li Xiaofeng , Yang Zhang , Kang Bochao , Ren Ming
Published: February 2024

Background: The risk stratification and prognosis of cardiac arrhythmia depend on the individual condition of patients, while invasive diagnostic methods may be risky to patient health, and current non-invasive diagnostic methods are applicable to few disease types without sensitivity and specificity. Cardiac electrophysiologic imaging technology reflects cardiac activities accurately and non-invasively, which is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac diseases.
Methods: A complete three-dimensional bidomain cardiac electrophysiologic activity model was constructed, and simulated electrocardiogram data were obtained as training samples. Particle swarm optimization-back propagation neural network, convolutional neural network, and long short-term memory network were used respectively to reconstruct the cardiac surface potential.
Results: The conduction sequence of simulation model is basically consistent with that of human heart. The P waves, PR intervals, QRS complex, and T waves in the simulated waveforms were within the normal clinical range, and the distribution trend of the simulated body surface potential mapping was consistent with the clinical data. The coefficient of determination R2 between the reconstruction results of all the algorithms and the true value is above 0.73, and the mean absolute error is below 14 mV, among which the R2 of long short-term memory network is about 0.97 and the mean absolute error about 1.2 mV.
Conclusions: The electrophysiologic model constructed in this study can reflect the cardiac electrical activity, and basically contains the mapping relationship between the cardiac potential and the body surface potential. In cardiac potential reconstruction, long short-term memory network has significant advantages over other algorithms.
High-Intensity Interval Training improves bone remodeling, lipid profile, and physical function in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Amato Alessandra , Proia Patrizia , Alioto Anna , Rossi Carlo , Pagliaro Andrea , Ragonese Paolo , Schirò Giuseppe , Salemi Giuseppe , Caldarella Rosalia , Vasto Sonya , Nowak Robert , Kostrzewa-Nowak Dorota , Baldassano Sara
Published: February 2024

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease due to an autoimmune chronic inflammatory response and the etiology is currently not completely understood. Is already known that physical activity plays an essential role in improving quality of life, especially in neuropathological conditions. The study aimed to investigate the possible benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in bone and lipid metabolism markers, and neuromotor abilities in MS patients. 130 participants were recruited; 16 subjects with MS met the inclusion criteria and were included in the data analysis. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group (CG) (34,88 ± 4,45 yrs) that didn’t perform any physical activity and the Exercise group (EG) (36,20 ± 7,80 yrs) that performed HIIT protocol. The training program was conducted remotely by clinical kinesiology. It was performed three times a week for 8 weeks. At the beginning (T0) and the end of the study (T1) were performed Bioimpedance analysis, coordination skills tests, and bone and lipid markers analysis. After 8 weeks of training the wall squat (s) (T0= 27.18±4.21; T1= 41.68±5.38, p ≤0.01) and Time Up and Go test (s) (T0= 7.65±0.43; T1= 6.34±0.38 p ≤0.01) performances improved; lipid markers analysis showed a decrease in Total (mg/dl) (T0= 187.22±15.73; T1= 173.44±13.03, p≤0.05) and LDL (mg/dl) (T0=108±21.08; T1= 95.02±17.99, p<0.05) cholesterol levels. Additionally, the levels of osteocalcin (µg/L), a marker of bone formation increased (T0= 20.88±4.22; T1=23.66±6.24, p<0.05) 25-OH Vitamin D (µg/L) improved after 8 weeks (T0=21.11±7.11; T1=27.66±7.59, p<0.05). High-intensity interval training had an effect on lower limb strength and gait control, improved bone formation, and lipid management, in multiple sclerosis patients.
WITHDRAWN: Coronavirus Disease 2019 and its Impact on the Cognition of Older Adults: Unraveling the Role of Inflammation
Authors: Mortazavi Shahrzad , Rashedi Vahid , Cheraghian Bahman , Pourshams Fatemeh , Saeidimehr Saeid , Dehghan Bahram , Pourshams Maryam
Published: February 2024

The full text of this preprint has been withdrawn by the authors in order to comply with an institutional policy on preprints. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference.
Barriers and perceptions regarding research among Ophthalmology residents in Thailand
Authors: Mukdar Yanee , Sermsripong Wasawat , Sanpan Wilawan , Sawangkul Supattra , Choopong Pitipol
Published: February 2024

To assess barriers and perceptions of research among ophthalmology residents, discerning differences based on prior research experience before commencing ophthalmology training. Data were collected through an online survey using Google Forms, with participants utilizing a 5-point Likert scale for agreement. The survey achieved a 51.3% response rate from 122 ophthalmology residents, with 54.1% reporting prior research experience before residency. The top three obstacles identified were “lack of statistical knowledge” (mean 3.80, standard deviation 1.18), “lack of knowledge and experience in manuscript writing” (mean 3.79, SD 1.21), and “lack of time due to routine workload” (mean 3.75, SD 1.15). Residents without research experience demonstrated greater difficulties in research skills, manuscript preparation, and motivation for research submission. While research attitudes were positive (mean 3.20, SD 1.18), residents with prior experience displayed more favorable attitudes in various aspects of research, including preferences, perceived educational and career advantages, potential for income generation, and enhancement of communication skills. Conversely, the non-experienced residents primarily viewed research as a graduation requirement. In summary, ophthalmology residents encounter challenges in research due to limited statistical knowledge and inadequate manuscript writing competency. Implementing targeted support measures can foster positive attitudes and sustain engagement among residents.
6G ultra-high frequency propagation characteristics and radio channel modeling in dense urban environments
Authors: Avdiu Agnesë , Humar Iztok , Volk Mojca
Published: February 2024

The aim of Sixth Generation (6G) is to jointly satisfy the requirements of ultrahigh reliability, capacity, efficiency, and low latency, and deliver both customizable and sector-specific communications. To achieve such improved capabilities, 6G explores a plethora of new approaches, one of which is the possibility of extending the range of radio channel resources by exploiting ultra-high frequency bands in the millimeter wave range that have not been used thus far. This, however, represents a considerable challenge. The development of efficient high-frequency radio technologies requires accurate channel modeling preceded by a meticulous comparative scientific analysis of path loss characteristics of the millimeter wave frequency bands. This paper investigates propagation characteristics based on simulations of the 100 GHz ultra-high frequency band in a dense urban 6G environment. A radio channel performance evaluation for the selected frequency band was completed in a simulated environment using NYUSIM toolset. A range of propagation parameters were characterized for a selection of line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight scenarios, including path loss, received power, and path loss exponent. The results show that utilization of the selected operating frequency in 6G is feasible but future research work is challenged with urban macro-cell deployments in indoor environments.
Thermal tolerance and cellular plasticity in marine phytoplankton diatoms modulated by epigenetic mechanisms for environmental adaptation
Authors: Li Dawei , Li Hong-Ye , Huang Dan , Cheng Cai-Qin , Yun Zhang , Huang Yun , Huang Xue-Ling , Pei Lulu , Li Siying , Huang Yitong , Luo Zhaohe , Zou Ligong , Yang Wei-Dong , Zheng Xiaofei
Published: February 2024

Diatoms are a crucial component of marine ecosystems, known for their broad environmental adaptability and wide temperature tolerance. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their adaptability to diverse temperatures are unknown. In this study, we discovered that heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are potentially important for thermal tolerance in diatoms. Our study focused on PtHSF2, which was annotated as HSF2 in Phaeodactylum tricornutum’s genome and was ubiquitous in diatoms. Overexpression of PtHSF2 markedly enhanced diatom's thermal tolerance and influenced cell size; caused significant differential expression of many genes such as cell division cycle protein 45 like (Cdc45-like, named PtCdc45-like), light harvesting complex protein 2 (Lhcx2), and fatty acid desaturase (FAD). Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation (CUT&Tag) and CUT&Tag-qPCR analyses demonstrated that PtHSF2 targeted and up-regulated Cdc45-like and Lhcx2, down-regulated ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. Functional validation analysis of PtCdc45-like showed that its overexpression induced a larger cell size, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and therefore improved cell survival rate at high temperatures. Collectively, our results elucidated the molecular mechanism of PtHSF2 mediating high-temperature tolerance of diatoms and validated the functions of its target gene PtCdc45-like. These findings emphasize the importance of heat shock transcription factors in the temperature adaptation of diatoms and provide new insights for temperature acclimation studies in microalgae.
Pedestrian trajectory prediction based on improved avoidance force algorithm
Authors: Miao Jiazhe , Kang Yalong , Peng Tao , Liu Tongyu
Published: February 2024

The complexity of interactions between pedestrians poses a challenge to pedestrian trajectory prediction, and existing trajectory prediction methods based on data-driven models lack interpretation for modeling interactions between pedestrians. To address this problem, an improved avoidance force algorithm is proposed to model the interaction of pedestrian forces explicitly. Multiple socially acceptable pedestrian trajectory information is generated by using the prior knowledge of observed trajectory and the avoidance force algorithm.The avoidance force trajectories are evaluated by an attention network to generate confidence scores; the avoidance force trajectories are selected based on the confidence scores; The final accurate trajectories are refined using Teacher-forcing. In comparison with recent approaches, our experimental results on the ETH and UCY datasets demonstrate a significant improvement in both Average Displacement Error (ADE) and Final Displacement Error (FDE) achieved by the proposed method.
Computational Linguistic Analysis for the Isolation of Propitious miRNA Bio- indicators in Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Nian Hui , Zhu Qiaoliang , Xu Songtao
Published: February 2024

Introduction MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve as diminutive, non-coding RNA molecules that are instrumental in the ontogenesis of Esophageal Cancer. While isolated investigations elucidate invaluable facets of miRNA mechanisms in this malignancy, their circumscribed scope hampers a holistic comprehension of miRNAs' contributions to the pathophysiology and therapeutic strategy of Esophageal Cancer. Methods To mitigate the idiosyncratic biases inherent in isolated studies, we harnessed a text mining-based analytics to discern the roles of miRNAs in esophageal cancer and their viability as bio-indicators. Abstracts from scholarly articles were tokenized, and salient biomedical lexemes were extracted for thematic modeling. Five machine learning paradigms—Logistic Regression(LR), Naïve Bayes,DCA ,Random Forests, and Support Vector Machines (SVM)—were deployed for the categorization of Esophageal Cancer. Feature saliency was evaluated to architect miRNA-Esophageal Cancer interaction networks. Results Our scrutiny unearthed 5 topics within miRNA studies pertinent to Esophageal Cancer, revealing a topic-specific proclivity among miRNAs.Logistic Regression manifested an auspicious prognostic capability for Esophageal Cancer, boasting an accuracy metric exceeding 57%. Remarkably, miR-21 surfaced as a pivotal bio-indicator for Esophageal Cancer prognosis, targeting an array of genes and signaling cascades implicated in esophageal Cancer Conclusion This integrative methodology furnishes overarching insights into the miRNA-Esophageal Cancer nexus and substantiates the prospective utility of miRNAs as bio-indicators for this malignancy.
Uncommon Syndactyly Linked with Dandy-Walker Syndrome in a Newborn: A Case Report
Authors: Faraji Navid , Goli Rasoul , Atharifar Reza , Shahmirza Noushin
Published: February 2024

Dandy-Walker syndrome (DWS) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by structural abnormalities in the cerebellum and fluid-filled spaces within the brain. A 38-year-old Kurdish mother presented for routine prenatal ultrasound at 17 weeks and 4 days gestation, where an anomaly in the fetus' foot and ankle was observed. Subsequent evaluations revealed unilateral clubfoot deformity, syndactyly of the toes as a new finding, hydrocephalus, cerebral atrophy, and cardiac abnormalities. The infant experienced apnea and seizure attacks after birth. Diagnostic imaging modalities, including three-dimensional ultrasound and neurogram scan, confirmed cerebellar vermis agenesis and ventricular enlargement. This case report contributes to the understanding of DWS, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive clinical evaluations and imaging studies in diagnosing and managing the condition. Further research and accumulation of similar cases are warranted to enhance knowledge and improve care for individuals with DWS.
APSEA: An Awareness and Prevention Expert System against Social Engineering Attacks in Public Organizations
Authors: Cardoso Waldson Rodrigues , Ribeiro Admilson de Ribamar Lima , Silva João Marco Cardoso
Published: February 2024

The growing concern for information security arises from the risks associated with the dissemination of personal data on the internet and the increasing incidents of social engineering attacks, which exploit psychological vulnerabilities. These attacks pose a substantial threat to individuals and organizations, potentially resulting in significant financial losses. This article highlights the development of the APSEA tool - Awareness and Prevention Expert System against Engineering Attacks, an expert system designed to raise awareness and prevent social engineering attacks in public organizations. The tool aims to make employees vigilant against such threats, empowering them to identify and avoid psychological manipulation techniques used by attackers. Despite existing protective measures such as awareness training and security policies, APSEA seeks to contribute to strengthening the human factor in information security. The article covers key concepts in information security, presenting interactive modules and artificial intelligence features to identify vulnerabilities. A qualitative and performance evaluation of the tool is conducted, and the results indicate that the adopted approach is effective in achieving its objectives.
Novel Approach in Posterior Cervical Laminoplasty: Integrating Spinous Process Sutures with Intermittent Titanium Miniplates
Authors: Zhao Shuai , Sun Ying-Jin , Wen Geng-Ao , Qiu Shang , Li Cheng , Feng Shuo , Yuan Feng
Published: February 2024

Objective
This study aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness of using intermittent titanium miniplates at C4 and C6 in conjunction with adjacent spinous process sutures for lifting and fixation during posterior cervical unilateral open-door laminoplasty.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 24 patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament who underwent this surgery. We assessed the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, visual analog scale (VAS) score, and the incidence of axial symptoms preoperatively. Additionally, we measured cervical curvature angle (CCA), range of motion (ROM), effective sagittal diameter (ESD), and the effective narrowest area (ENA) of the spinal canal both before and after surgery. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 1 year.
Results
At the final follow-up, significant improvements were observed in JOA scores and VAS scores compared to preoperative values. There was a significant improvement in postoperative ENA and ESD. There were no statistically significant differences in CCA and ROM at the final follow-up compared to preoperative values. Axial symptoms developed in 7 cases (29.2%, 7/24) postoperatively.
Conclusions
Integrating spinous process sutures with intermittent titanium miniplates not only reduces patient costs but also improves clinical outcomes in posterior unilateral open-door decompression of cervical laminae.
Genomic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing liver transplantation predict recurrence and prognosis
Authors: Li Xinqiang , Wang Chengyu , Qi Yingxue , Yu Ting , Zhang Qin , Liu Huan , Luo Ningning , Cai Hailun , Chen Jinhui , Cheng Shuang , Cai Jinzhen , Wu Bin
Published: February 2024

Liver transplantation (LT) stands as a pivotal treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), outperforming comprehensive treatments in long-term efficacy. However, the 5-year post-LT survival rate hovers between 60% and 70%, largely due to recurrent HCC, spotlighting the critical need for biomarkers that can predict recurrence and prognosis following LT. Our study embarked on this challenge by retrospectively analyzing data from 37 HCC patients who underwent LT from January 2019 to January 2021. Employing whole exome sequencing on tissue and control blood samples, we segregated these patients into recurrence (n = 14) and non-recurrence groups (n = 23), based on a one-year postoperative threshold. Our analysis unveiled a distinctive genomic mutation spectrum in these patients, highlighting five predominantly mutated genes: BCLAF1, MUC4, TP53, FMN2, and TTC7A. Notably, clinical features between the two groups showed no significant divergence. However, the recurrence group demonstrated markedly inferior overall survival (OS) compared to their counterparts (p < 0.0001). Multivariate regression pinpointed 304 genes as independent predictors for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and 482 genes for OS (p < 0.05). Additionally, our research led to the development of a novel 13-gene model, which markedly influences both RFS and OS. Patients classified within the high-risk category of this model experienced significantly poorer outcomes. This study is a trailblazer in linking genomic alterations with the recurrence and survival rates of HCC patients post-LT, introducing a 13-gene model that offers substantial predictive and prognostic utility.
Characterization of Heavy Metal Contamination in Groundwater of Typical Mining Area in Hunan Province
Authors: Hao Wenjie , Liu Huan , Hao Shuli , Mao Kuanzhen
Published: February 2024

This paper mainly carries out the research work by analysing and testing the groundwater quality in typical mining areas, based on the hydrogeochemical investigation data of groundwater monitoring points, and analyses the statistical characteristics of different index factors in antimony mining areas by using Spss and Surfer software. Firstly, using the standard deviation feature analysis, it is found that mining is more sensitive to the impact of As and Sb, and the degree of its pollution is the most serious, and the exceeding rate reaches 100%; later, the results of the analysis through the principal component analysis method show that the first principal component a1 has a higher correlation with Sb and Se in the original variables, the second principal component a2 has a stronger positive correlation with Ba in the original variables, and a stronger negative correlation with Mo, and the third principal component a3 has a stronger positive correlation with Mn in the original variables, and the negative correlation between Co and the third principal component is stronger. Finally, the correlation between each heavy metal indicator factor and the other six indicator factors was calculated by Spss software analysis to find out the pattern of the order of strength of the correlation of the indicator factors, and it was concluded that the concentration of Se and Mo had a stronger correlation with the other heavy metals in the study area, whereas the correlation of Mn and Co with the other influencing factors was lower. This paper summarises and refines the statistical characteristics of groundwater hydrogeochemistry in the mining area to provide reference for the diagnosis, prevention and control of groundwater pollution risk in this and similar mining areas.
Phosphoproteomic investigation of targets of protein phosphatases in EGFR signaling
Authors: Eguchi Akihiro , Olsen Jesper V.
Published: February 2024

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) initiate cellular signaling pathways, which are regulated through a delicate balance of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events. While many studies of RTKs have focused on downstream-activated kinases catalyzing the site-specific phosphorylation, few studies have focused on the phosphatases carrying out the dephosphorylation. In this study, we analyzed six protein phosphatase networks using chemical inhibitors in context of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling by mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics. Specifically, we focused on protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C), involved in attenuating p38-dependent signaling pathways in various cellular responses, and confirmed its effect in regulating p38 activity in EGFR signaling. Furthermore, utilizing a p38 inhibitor, we classified phosphosites whose phosphorylation status depends on PP2C inhibition into p38-dependent and p38-independent sites. This study provides a large-scale dataset of phosphatase-regulation of EGF-responsive phosphorylation sites, which serves as a useful resource to deepen our understanding of EGFR signaling.
Magnesium Sulfide Nanoparticles of Hordeum vulgare: Green Synthesis and their nano- nutrient impact on seed priming effect, germination, root and shoot length of Brassica nigra and Trigonella foenum-graecum
Authors: Elizabeth M. Kezia , Devi Randhi Uma , Makam Parameshwar , Ratnamala A
Published: February 2024

This work describes the green synthetic process for magnesium sulfide nanoparticles (MgS NPs) using an extract from Hordeum vulgare leaves. An examination of the MgS NPs was performed utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The MgS NPs generated were spherical and had a high level of purity. They had a band gap of 2.0 eV, a uniform distribution, and an average crystal size of 14 nm. The MgS nanoparticles synthesized exhibited several geometrical morphologies, including spherical, rod-shaped, and bean-shaped structures. The nanoparticles exhibited an average size of 5 nm, with a band gap of precisely 4.85 eV. The efficacy of MgS NPs on Brassica nigra and Trigonella foenum-graecum for seed priming, germination rate and time, root length, and shoot length has been assessed using different doses. Optimal germination occurs at concentrations of 15mg/100ml and 20mg/100ml, while germination is impeded when the concentration surpasses 30mg/100ml. MgS NPs exhibit a diminutive size and elevated reactivity, which allows them to augment the water absorption and nutrient control capacities of seeds. Consequently, this promotes the germination process and plant growth by decreasing the average duration of germination. Seeds of Brassica nigra and Trigonella foenum-graecum that had been subjected to treatment with MgS NPs had enhanced average root and shoot lengths, as well as accelerated germination. The results of this study suggest various promising opportunities for investigating the application of environmentally friendly nanotechnology to improve agricultural practices.
Focus on Physiotherapy for Infants in Norway, a Cross-sectional Study on Referral Practice, and planned Interventions.
Authors: Handeland Hege , Robinson Hilde Stendal
Published: February 2024

Background The Norwegian health care system has a mandatory program for close and systematically follow-up on all children, through the Maternity Care Units in the communities. This starts early in infancy and continue through childhood and the youth period. Additionally, some infants are referred to physiotherapists and manual therapists for several reasons. Little is known about who is referring them and the cause for the referral. In Norway, physiotherapists working with infants can be employed in Maternity Care Units or work in outpatient clinics both are within the community health care system.
The main purpose of the present study was to explore the referral practice of infants to physiotherapy and compare those treated by physiotherapists and manual therapists in primary health care in Norway. Furthermore, to describe the planned interventions.
Methods Cross-sectional study including 444 infants (age under 12 months) consulting either physiotherapists at maternity care units or manual therapists working in primary health care in Norway.
Results Median age (range) of the infants was 14 (1, 52) and 344 were born at due date. Most infants examined by a physiotherapist were referred from other health personnel at the same MCU. More of the referrals to manual therapists were due to parental concern. Age at examination was between week 1-12 for 42% of the participants. Infants with motor development problems were equally distributed, but all premature babies in the present study were referred to the physiotherapists. Concerning interventions, both physiotherapists and manual therapists planned to use advice, handling and stimulation. More of the physiotherapists reported to focus on advice related to motor development and the use of prone play.
Conclusion The infants in Norway are referred to physiotherapists/manual therapists for numerous reasons, and the distribution of diagnoses between the therapists seem reasonable. Infants are mostly referred by other health personnel but also because of parents’ own concern. Based on recommendations, some infants should be examined earlier.
The Relationship between the South China Sea Summer Monsoon Onset and Pacific Meridional SST anomalies
Authors: Zhao Yuxuan , Liu Ruoyu , Yao ChenWei , Li Shuai , Wu Zhiwei , Gong Zhiqiang , Feng Guolin
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the connection between key sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the North Pacific during boreal spring (February-April, FMA) and the subsequent South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon (SCSSM) onset. The SST anomalies, similar to the Pacific meridional mode (PMM), referred to as the PMM + mode, is defined to study the new impact factor on the SCSSM onset. It is found that the (February-March-April, FMA) PMM + has a significant positive correlation with the subsequent May SCSSM onset date, which is weakly affected by the ENSO in previous winter. A strong positive PMM + in boreal spring can be maintained until May via atmosphere-ocean interaction. The cooling area over WNP would reduce in situ precipitation heating, thereby generating descending Rossby waves that reinforce the formation of the anomalous anticyclone over the SCS. As a result, the easterly winds and suppressed convection dominate the SCS, making the SCSSM tend to break out later than normal. In addition, the increase in anticyclonic vorticity anomalies also make the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) stronger and more western than the normal years, thereby blocking active convection west of the SCS. Given the weakened relationship between El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the SCSSM onset in recent years, the PMM + could be considered as a promising preceding signal for the SCSSM onset, which will be of great importance for the SCSSM prediction.
Pathogen elicitor peptide (Pep), Systemin, and their receptors in tomato: sequence analysis resolves standing disagreements about biotic stress signaling components
Authors: Zelman Alice Kira , Ma Yi , Berkowitz Gerald Alan
Published: February 2024

Peps are endogenous damage-associated polypeptides that evoke defense responses in plants. Like other damage-associated molecular patterns, Pep signals are transduced by receptors. PEPRs are the receptors that transduce Pep danger signals. This paper identifies new putative Peps in the Solanaceae (including Solanum spp., Nicotiana spp., and Petunia spp.) and Coffea and explores their properties. Using these newly identified Peps we derive sequence logos that present a refinement of the current understanding of the importance of specific residues in the Pep signaling molecules in Solanaceae, including several arginines, prolines that restrict peptide’s conformations, and C-terminal asparagine. We examine the degree of disorder in Pep, which is likely important to the mechanism of Pep perception. This work also calls into question some of the evolutionary relationships between Peps in Solanaceae and specific Arabidopsis Peps published in previous literature, culminating in a conclusion that SlPep should not be named SlPep6 due to the lack of conservation of protein sequences in AtPROPEP6 and SlPROPEP, and that SlPep probably does not have two receptors in tomato, based on phylogenetic analysis. Our analyses advance understanding of the Pep signaling system in Solanaceae.
Optimize Multiscale Feature Hybrid-Net Deep Learning Approach Used for Automatic Pancreas Image Segmentation
Authors: Paithane Pradip
Published: February 2024

The accurate and clean pancreatic segmentation problem is a significant and difficult challenge in the research ofmedical imaging. The proposed approach is helpful in Bottom-Up techniques for quickly and accurately identifyingpancreatic cancer-affected areas in the kidney and pancreas. The proposed approach is employed for multiple organdetection with fine outliers from Computed Tomography scan images with sharp precision. In the proposed approach,19 layers are used with 4 convolution layers. The optimized multiscale feature hybrid block is utilized. The convolutionlayer incorporates the small feature block with a similar or different size of kernel block. The dense convolution isdivided into sub-convolution layers with their own ”Batch normalization” layer. The convolution operation is performedon sub-convolution layers with the ”Swish activation” function. The aggregates function only uses features that arenecessary, causing unused data to be dropped at the convolution layer. The Validation Accuracy(98.82% ), precisionvalue (84.14±19.03) Training global accuracy (95.486%) values are improvised as compared to State-of-Art. Theproposed approach achieved a dice similarity index score upto 90.29±84.34%. During testing, the segmentation ofmedical images by the proposed approach, takes 1 to 2 seconds. In deep learning approaches, many convolution layersare added to the model to achieve high accuracy but training as well as unnecessary computational time also increases.The proposed approach overcomes this drawback with an optimized convolution layer number. The proposed approachis considering the only hybrid sub-convolution layer with required multiscale feature blocks only
A Comparative Study of MAFLD as a Predictor for Metabolic Disease Therapies Against NAFLD in Repeated Health Check-Ups: A Novel Perspective on Fatty Liver
Authors: Imai Jin , Takashimizu Shinji , Suzuki Nana , Ohshinden Kana , Sawamoto Kana , Mishima Yusuke , Tsuruya Kota , Arase Yoshitaka , Yamano Mitsuhiko , Kishimoto Noriaki , Yamada Chizumi , Inoue Nagamu , Moriyama Kengo , Baba Akiyasu , Suzuki Hidekazu , Kagawa Tatehiro , Nishizaki Yasuhiro
Published: February 2024

Background
A novel concept of Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) was proposed, incorporating metabolic abnormalities such as obesity and diabetes, which are risk factors that affect the prognosis. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), entails fat accumulation in the liver without alcohol consumption and is often linked to obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. However, the broad nature of the disease concept has hindered prognosis accuracy. In this study, we assess the contribution of the impact of diagnostic criteria for MAFLD on metabolic disease progression compared to conventional diagnostic criteria for NAFLD.
Methods
A total of 7,159 patient who were presented to the health screening center in Tokai University Hospital both in 2015 and 2020 were included in the study. Fatty liver was diagnosed using abdominal ultrasonography. The diagnostic criteria for NAFLD were consistent with the global guidelines based on alcohol consumption. The diagnostic criteria for MAFLD were based on the International Consensus Panel. Medications (anti-hypertensive, diabetic, and dyslipidemia medications) were evaluated by self-administration in the submitted medical questionnaire.
Result
A total of 2,500 (34.9%) participants were diagnosed with fatty liver (FL+), 1,811 (72.4%) fit both NAFLD and MAFLD diagnostic criteria (overlap), 230 (9.2%) fit only the NAFLD diagnostic criteria (NAFLD group) and 404 (16.1%) fit the MAFLD diagnostic criteria (MAFLD group) at 2015. Over the next 5 years, medication rates increased in the NAFLD group for anti-hypertensive, + 17 (7.4%); diabetes, + 3 (1.3%); and dyslipidemia, + 32 (13.9%). In contrast, the only-MAFLD group showed a more significant increase with + 49(12.1%), + 21(5.2%), and + 49(12.1%), for the respective medications, indicating a substantial rise in patients starting new medications.
Conclusion
Our analysis of repeated health check-ups on participants revealed that the diagnostic criteria for MAFLD are more predictive of future treatment for metabolic disease than conventional diagnostic criteria for NAFLD.