bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exosomes overexpressing CDC73 inhibit malignant progression of Lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Dong Hao , Xie Tian , Li Xingyi , Li Yan , Feng Jingjing , Zheng YiFan , Xu Yiming , Zhong Chongjun , Ding Shengguang
Published: March 2023

Background: Early diagnosis and treatment of LUAD remains the focus of current research. The aim of this research is to assess the influence of CDC73 on the progression of LUAD malignancy and its potential as a biomarker for diagnosing LUAD. Furthermore, CDC73 may have the potential to be utilized in the treatment of LUAD.
Methods: By applying both electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking technology (NTA), we were able to analyze and validate the purity of the exosomes, and screen outthe biomarker for diagnosing LUAD via protein group analysis and Western immunoblotting experiments. In vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of CDC73 on the malignant behavior of LUAD cells. We then conducted co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis experiments to investigate the effect of CDC73 on the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. To further assess the inhibitory effect of CDC73 on LUAD progression, we conducted in vivo experiments (xenograft tumor growth). Lastly, ultracentrifugation was utilized to isolate exosomes from the supernatant of LUAD cells in order to gain more information regarding the mechanism of action of CDC73 in these exosomes.
Results: The expression of CDC73 was markedly lower in exosomes from the plasma of LUAD patients than in healthy human plasma exosomes. In vitro and in vivo research has demonstrated that CDC73 forms a complex with the cancer suppressor protein PTEN via CTNNB1, thereby inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and diminishing malignant behavior in LUAD. Furthermore, LUAD cells transfected with CDC73 were found to reduce the malignant behavior of exosomes secreted by these cells, including their ability to promote growth and metastasis.
Conclusions: CDC73 is a tumor suppressor gene for LUAD and could be used as a diagnostic marker for the disease. Additionally, we observed an increase in CDC73 expression in exosomes secreted by LUAD cells overexpressing CDC73 and a decrease in their ability to promote the malignant phenotype of normal lung cells. Exosomes expressing the gene CDC73 could potentially open the door to a new therapeutic approach for treating LUAD.
Bilateral Interstitial Keratitis Following COVID-19: A Case Report
Authors: Daher Nathalie Dalloul , Tedros Philemon G. , Giangiulio Nicholas V. , Syed Zeba A.
Published: March 2023

Background: Although the primary target of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is the respiratory tract, the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor in other tissues facilitates viral entry in others parts of the body, including ocular structures. Ocular manifestations may occur before, during, or after systemic infection.
Case presentation: We report the case of a 60-year-old male who presented with bilateral interstitial keratitis after the onset of COVID-19, with ocular symptoms starting within 7 days after systemic symptoms. Laboratory investigation did not identify any alternative etiology for his disease. The patient had already developed significant corneal scarring and visual debilitation by the time topical steroids were initiated, and his final corrected visual acuity with rigid gas permeable contact lenses was 20/50 and 20/80 in the right and left eye, respectively.
Conclusions: The involvement of ocular tissue by the virus can lead to permanent sequelae such as severe visual loss, and clinicians should be aware of and recognize ophthalmic manifestations of this disease to prompt early intervention.
Perioperative risk factors related to complications of lumbar spine fusion surgery in patients with an average age of 80 years old
Authors: Liu Chenjun , Guo Chen , Meng Fanqi , Zhu Zhenqi , Xia Weiwei , Liu Haiying
Published: March 2023

Purpose: To analyze the perioperative risk factors related to lumbar spine fusion surgery in geriatric patients.
Methods: 202 geriatric patients who have underwent lumbar spinal fusion surgeries between January 2019 and June 2021 were retrospectively investigated. Information of age, sex, comorbidity, fixation segments, operation time, surgical blood loss and periopera­tive complications in hospital were collected. Risk factors for complications were analyzed. Student’s t-test, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U‑test and multivariate general­ized linear models were used.
Results: In this study, 31 patients presented complications (15.3%) in these geriatric patients with an average age of 79.1 years, including 1 patient with intraoperative complication and 30 patients with postoperative complications; and 2 out of 31 patients (1%) died. The geriatric patients were divided into group A (24 patients) with major postoperative complications and group B (178 patients) without major postoperative complications. Major postoperative complications were significantly associated with age (univariate analysis, t=3.92, P<0.001; multivariate analysis, OR=1.323, 95 %CI 1.126-1.554, P=0.001), but not significantly associated with other factors tested (sex, comorbidity, fixation segments, operation time, surgical blood loss). Then 173 patients (range 77-81 years) were selected and the rate of major postoperative complications of each age from 78 to 81 years was compared with that of 77 years patients, respectively. We found that the ratios of complications at 80 years (OR=10.000, P=0.019) and 81 years (OR=10.000, P=0.009) were higher than the ratio at 77 years.
Conclusions: Although with great progress of medical technology, increasing age was still the independent risk factor for major postoperative complications in geriatric patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery. As for the incidence of major postoperative complications, 80 and 81 years old patients was 10 folds higher than that of 77 years old patients, reminding us to pay more attention to 80 years old and even older patients.
Spatial distribution and migration of lead and zinc and the influence of parent materials in typical paddy soils of Hunan Province, China
Authors: Xiang Yi-fan , Wan Da-juan , Wang Chen-ran , Huang Jun-lin , Cao Xue-ying , Chen Jia-qi , OUYANG NingXiang
Published: March 2023

To establish a clear understanding of the distribution and migration characteristics of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in paddy soil in Hunan Province, a representative sampling design was employed. Specifically, the study selected 63 sampling points from various soil formations with paddy soil development in the province, and 343 soil samples were collected from different soil profiles. These soil samples were analyzed for various parameters, such as total Pb and Zn content, pH, organic matter, soil particle size, cation exchange capacity, and free Fe2O3 content. The objective of the comprehensive study was to examine the spatial distribution of Pb and Zn, their migration patterns, and the impact of soil formation on their concentration levels. The results revealed that the surface layer of paddy soil had Pb and Zn content ranging from 17.62 to 114.07 mg/kg and 44.98 to 146.84 mg/kg, respectively. Notably, Pb was found to be more influenced by human activities than Zn, and the comprehensive quality impact evaluations for both Pb and Zn indicated safety. The horizontal distribution maps demonstrated that high-content sampling points were mainly located downstream of the Xiangjiang River. Moreover, the vertical distribution of samples showed four predominant trends, including surface enrichment, sub-surface enrichment, surface, and bottom layer enrichment, and fluctuation. Interestingly, it was observed that Zn had a stronger migration ability than Pb. Additionally, the soil formation was found to have the greatest impact on Pb and Zn content in the bottom soil layer.
In silico vetting of vinyl quinoline derivatives as potent Anti- Diabetic leads
Authors: Ponnusamy Aruna , Pottail Lalitha , Chithambharan Akhila , Rajalakshmi Ravimoorthy , Philip Reena Susan
Published: March 2023

The increased microbial resistance against developed and existing drug molecules urges us to design targeted drug molecules in short span of time though designing and marketing new drug is tedious and time-consuming as it requires several clinical trials. Thus the current study focuses on computer-aided drug design through in silico studies which hastens the screening of millions of lead compounds quickly. It also facilitates the design of new lead compounds instead of using the wet-lab method. The potential pharmaceutical activity of vinylquinoline compounds made us choose them as a lead for anti-diabetic screening. In this study, we attempted to explore the in silico anti-diabetic activity of randomly chosen 25 vinylquinoline derivatives using Maestro Schrödinger software. The toxicity of the ligands are predicted in silico using the software Toxtree. The preliminary screening of these ligands against potent Dipeptidyl Peptidase (DPP IV) reveals vinyl quinoline derivatives possess docking scores comparable to standard Metformin Hydrochloride. Thus the docking results highly recommends vinyl quinoline derivatives as a potent anti-diabetic drug.
Trend turning of North China summer extreme precipitations around early 2000s and its possible reason
Authors: Diao Yina , Guo Jinhuan , Zhang Yazhou , Hou Zhaolu
Published: March 2023

This study focuses on regional extreme precipitation (REP) in North China. We found a trend turning in summer (July and August) REP frequencies and intensities from a decrease trend in 1961–2002 to an increase trend in 2003–2020, accompanied by a southward shift of the extreme rain belt, and an enhanced connection with the Ural blocking and the Western Pacific Subtropical High Pressure (WPSH) in 2003–2020. Rains in North China are accompanied by a west-east low-high dipole (LHD) at upper troposphere. During the REP, the high of the LHD at Northeast China (the NEH) is strongly amplified from a pre-existing stationary ridge at northeast Asia under the influence of eastward propagating Rossby wave energies along the subpolar/subtropical wave guide over Eurasia. For the REP years, an enhanced stationary ridge over the Ural Mountains in the period 2003–2020 replaces the stationary Ural trough in the period 1961–2002, favouring the development of Ural Blockings (UB) and leading to a change of the Rossby wave propagation path from along the subtropical wave guide in 1961–2002 to along the polar wave guide in 2003–2020. Therefore, a connection between the NEH and the UB forms, which may lead to a higher probability of extreme precipitation in North China since blocking is a major source of strong circulation anomalies. The mean summer WPSH expands more westward-northward in 2003–2020 than in 1961–2002, providing the background conditions for further westward-northward expanding of the daily WPSH under the influence of the NEH before the REP day leading to strong moisture transport from north Pacific and increased intensity and probability of extreme precipitation over southern North China.
CERCAM is a prognostic biomarker associated with immune infiltration of macrophage M2 polarization in head and neck squamous carcinoma
Authors: Yang Ying , Yan Cong , Chen Xiao-Jian
Published: March 2023

Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the relevance of cerebral endothelial cell adhesion molecule (CERCAM) expression to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) prognosis and immune infiltration by macrophage M2 polarization.
Methods
Timer, UALCAN and HPA databases was used to analyze the differences in mRNA and protein levels of CERCAM expression in HNSCC. The Timer database was also applied to analyze the correlation between CERCAM in HNSCC and immune infiltration. TCGA-HNSCC database was applied to analyze the correlation between CERCAM expression levels and clinicopathological features, and its diagnostic and prognostic value in HNSCC was also assessed. The cBioPortal and MethSurv databases were then applied to analyze the genetic variation and methylation status of CERCAM. In vitro cellular assays were performed to provide evidence that CERCAM promotes malignant biological behavior of tumors and promotes macrophage M2 polarization in tumors. Finally, underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of CERCAM involvement in the development of HNSCC were predicted using a bioinformatics approach.
Results
CERCAM is significantly overexpressed in HNSCC and correlates with poor prognostic levels and has good performance in predicting survival status in HNSCC patients. Cox regression analysis indicates that CERCAM expression levels are independent risk factors for predicting OS, DSS, and PFI. CERCAM promotes tumor malignant biological behavior and promotes macrophage M2 polarization immune infiltration in HNSCC. In addition, CERCAM promotes tumor cell adhesion in head and neck squamous carcinoma and promotes tumor progression through several oncogenic signaling pathways.
Conclusion
CERCAM may serve as a new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in HNSCC and is a promising therapeutic target for HNSCC.
Periaqueductal gray matter echogenicity as a marker of migraine chronification: a case control study
Authors: Vilas Dolores , Rubio Sara , Gea Mireia , Rios Jose , Ispierto Lourdes , Hernández-Pérez María , Paré Martí , Millán Mònica , Dorado Laura
Published: March 2023

Background
Migraine is one of the most prevalent and disabling medical diseases in the world. The periaqueductal gray matter and the red nucleus play an important role in its pathogenesis. Our aim was to evaluate the echogenicity of the periaqueductal gray matter and the red nucleus in patients with migraine, by means of transcranial ultrasound.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, a group of patients with migraine (according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders) and a group of control subjects with comparable age-and-sex distribution were prospectively included. We evaluated the area and echogenicity of the periaqueductal gray matter and the red nucleus by means of transcranial ultrasound, both bedside and posteriorly analyzed with the medical image viewer Horos.
Results
We included 115 subjects: 65 patients with migraine (39 of them with chronic migraine and 26 with episodic migraine), and 50 controls. Median disease duration in patients was 29 (IQR: 19; 40) years, with a median of 18 (IQR: 14; 27) days of migraine per month. The area of the periaqueductal gray matter was larger in patients with chronic migraine compared to episodic migraine and controls (0.15[95%CI 0.12;0.22]cm2; 0.11[95%CI 0.10;0.14]cm2 and 0.12[95%CI 0.09;0.15]cm2, respectively; p = 0.043). Chronic migraine patients showed an intensity of the periaqueductal gray matter echogenicity lower than controls (90.57[95%CI 70.87;117.26] vs 109.56[95%CI 83.30;122.64]; p = 0.035). The coefficient of variation of periaqueductal gray matter echogenicity was the highest in chronic migraine patients (p = 0.009). No differences were observed regarding the area or intensity of red nucleus echogenicity among groups.
Conclusion
Patients with chronic migraine showed a larger area of echogenicity of periaqueductal gray matter, a lower intensity of its echogenicity and a higher heterogenicity within this brainstem structure compared to patients with episodic migraine and controls. The echogenicity of the periaqueductal gray matter should be further investigated as a biomarker of migraine chronification.
Usability, safety, efficacy, positioning of the Atlas drug-eluting coronary stent: Evaluation of preliminary perioperative results
Authors: Aliman Okan , Ardic Alper Fatih
Published: March 2023

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. For its revascularization, minimally invasive techniques have been the preferred treatment modality for the past two decades. However, restenosis is a significant issue after these techniques. Drug-eluting stents (DES), primarily sirolimus or paclitaxel- releasing, have started to be widely used to reduce the rate of restenosis.
Material Methods: 30 patients, 51-83 years old, who demonstrated significant coronary artery stenosis were treated with the The ATLAS Drug Eluting Coronary Stent System (AtlasPTCAⓇ; Invamed, Ankara, Turkey) at the Medical Simulation and Training Center, MU Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Accurate positioning of the stent, which contains radiopaque tungsten-tantalum markings at the tips, was traced by angiographical imaging. Measurements of vessel sizes before and after treatment were performed using quantitative coronary assessment (QCA). Quantitative analysis was performed by comparing the diameter of the reference vessel. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS statistical package version 25 program.
Result: After treatment, the final lumen diameter value was 3.45±0.56 mm, similar to the diameter measurement of the reference vessel. Restenosis was not observed in any of the patients. No serious side effects are observed.
Conclusions AtlasPTCAⓇ is feasible and associated with a favorable profile of safety, efficacy, deliverability, and usability. Therefore, its use can provide a valuable aid in the treatment of coronary artery disease. For long-term evaluation, more studies are needed.
Backstepping Projectivesynchronization Scheme Andadaptive Function Projectivesynchronization Scheme Onchaotic Dumbell Satellitemodel : A Comparative Study
Authors: Khan Ayub , Pal Rimpi , Rani Prabha , Kumar Anuj , Gahlout Shivani
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we have carried out Projective Synchronization(PS) using Backstepping Design and Function Projective Synchronization(FPS) by Adaptive Control Scheme between two identical chaotic systems evolving from different initial conditions. The first method is applied when the two systems are certain in nature whereas when the systems contain uncertain time-varying parameters, second method is found to be successful. Further, comparing the two synchronization phenomena, FPS is a more general form of PS. These methods are applied to a model of chaotic dumbell satellite which is under periodic external disturbances and numerical simulations are carried out which confirm our analytical findings.
Effect of maternal heat stress during pregnancy on reproductive functions of offspring in Balb/c mice
Authors: Du Shouyang , Tian Xin , Shang Guozhen , Liu Zihan , Niu Hongxing , Ma Jinyou
Published: March 2023

Background: In mammals, exposure to extreme temperature during pregnancy exert dramatic effects on adult offspring, especially reproductive functions. However, the studies on the long-term effect of maternal heat stress during pregnancy on the reproductive function of offspring remains very scarce. The objective of this study was, therefore, to elucidate the effect of maternal heat stress during pregnancy on reproductive performance, reproductive hormones and morphometric parameters of reproductive organs in offspring. Thirty pregnant female mice were divided into three equal groups: Control group (C), Moderate heat stress group (MS) and Heat stress group (HS), which were respectively exposed for 2 hours at a temperature of 22°C, 30°C and 39°C daily until delivered. The food intake, body weights, pregnancy outcomes of dams, and the relative weight of reproductive organs, reproductive hormones, morphometric parameters of testis and ovaries of offspring were measured.
Results: We found that maternal heat stress did not affect food intake, body weights of dams and pregnancy outcomes, including litter size and birth weight. No differences (p > 0.05) in relative weights of reproductive organs of offspring were found. Then the results in maternal heat stressed males showed lower (p< 0.05) reproductive hormones levels and lower (p < 0.05) number of Leydig cells and sperm count. In maternal heat stressed females, lower (p< 0.05) reproductive hormones levels, as well as a tendency of decreased number of secondary follicles were observed. Aside from these effects, corticosterone levels in maternal heat stressed males and females increased (p < 0.05), which was significantly negativelyassociated with level of reproductive hormones.
Conclusions: Our results highlight the direct effects of maternal heat stress during pregnancy on reproductive hormones and histology of reproductive organs of offspring. These findings have implications for understanding the effects of HS on animal reproductive functions. In the context of continued warming and deteriorating of the global climate, it will provide a foundation for future studies to investigate heat exposure.
Screening and Analysis for Inhibitors of SHMT2 Enzyme Protein
Authors: 陈 泊锦
Published: March 2023

Mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyl transferase isoform 2 (SHMT2) plays a crucial role as a catalytic regulator in the serine/glycine pathway of cancer cells' one-carbon metabolism. Although it has potential as an anti-cancer target, only a limited number of inhibitors have been identified. In this study, we used eight different scoring functions and skeleton clustering to screen the ChemDiv database for 22 compounds, most of which have the same skeleton structure. ASIE was used to identify the key residues in SHMT2 and chemical groups in the inhibitors. Through quantitative determination of the binding energy of each residue, important features of the protein-inhibitor interaction were revealed. The most significant contributing residues were TYR105 and TYR106 in the B chain, as well as LEU166 and ARG425 in the A chain. These results could guide the development of more potent inhibitors and enhance our understanding of the drug-SHMT2 binding mechanisms, and it served as a guide for future drug design.
Dermatoscopic characteristics, lesional capillaroscopic features, and histopathological correlation of small plaque parapsoriasis and mycosis fungoides
Authors: Erdil Dilara İlhan , Cin Merve , Erdil Duygu , Manav Vildan , Dağtaş Buğra Burç , Aksu Ayşe Esra Koku
Published: March 2023

Objective: Dermatoscopy is a frequently used non-invasive diagnostic procedure. Considering that mycosis fungoides (MF) mimics parapsoriasis clinically in it's early stages, we aim to determine the dermatoscopic criteria and the histopathological correlations in patients with MF and small plaque parapsoriasis (SPP).
Materials and Methods: This prospective study involved 28 patients with clinical and histopathological diagnoses of MF and 31 patients with SPP. Videodermoscopy and USB capillaroscope were used to evaluate the patients’ vessels at ×200 magnification. Vascularity was evaluated through microvascular density (MVD) scoring involving CD34 antibody staining.
Results: Fifty-nine patients were included in this study. The scores corresponding to the presence of short linear vessels, linear-curved vessels, branching linear vessels, and non-structured orange-colored areas were significantly higher in the MF patients than in the SPP patients (p<0.05). The highest MVD (p=0.01) scores were also higher in the MF patients than in the SPP patients.
Conclusion:The SPP and early-stage MF patients differed in their MVD scores (p=0.01), and the findings correlated with the dermatoscopy and lesional capillaroscopy findings. Differentiating features between SPP and MF were thus identifed.
Diagnostic challenges for Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection in cats from endemic areas in Italy.
Authors: Vismarra Alice , Schnyder Manuela , Strube Christina , Kramer Laura , Colombo Liliana , Genchi Marco
Published: March 2023

Background
The lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infects wild and domestic feline species worldwide and is considered a primary respiratory parasite of cats. Definitive diagnosis is based on identification of first stage larvae (L1s) released in faeces approximately 5 to 6 weeks after infection. More recently, serology has been shown to be a diagnostic alternative for A. abstrusus infection in cats. The present study was aimed at evaluating the diagnostic performance of serological antibody detection compared to faecal examination for A. abstrusus infection in a population of cats with known infection status from endemic areas in Italy and to identify factors (larval scores, age, co-infections with other helminths) that may influence test sensitivity and specificity.
Methods
All cats resulting positive in the Baermann technique (n=78) were tested with the A. abstrusus ELISA An additional 90 serum samples from cats living in three geographical areas with infection prevalence greater than 10%, but that resulted negative in Baermann, were also tested.
Results
Among 78 cats copromicroscopically positive for L1s of A. abstrusus (Group 1), 29 (37.2%) were seropositive in ELISA. Of the 90 cats from Group 2 (cats living in three geographical areas in Italy with A. abstrusus prevalence greater than 10%, but negative in Baermann examination), 11 (12.2%) were positive in ELISA. The overall seroprevalence was 23.8%. There was no statistical difference either between average optical density (OD) values of cats excreting >100 L1s vs. cats excreting <100 L1s (0.84 vs. 0.66; P value = 0.3247) or comparing the OD values with age of infected cats. Few Baermann-negative cats positive for Toxocara cati or hookworms were seropositive, supporting lack of cross reactivity to these nematodes.
Conclusions
Results from the present study suggest that relying solely on faecal examination may underestimate prevalence of A. abstrusus infection in cats and that field surveys based on antibody detection is useful for establishing true prevalence of infected and/or exposed animals.
Oral infection and survival of Trypanosoma cruzi in sugar cane juice conditioned at different temperatures
Authors: Suzuki Augusto Furukawa , de Souza Ewelyn Regina , Spadella Maria Angélica , Chagas Eduardo Federighi Baisi , Hataka Alessandre , Martins Luciamáre Perinetti Alves
Published: March 2023

The current most important form of transmission for Trypanosoma cruzi is the oral route, being responsible for high mortality during the acute phase in infected individuals. Therefore, the present study has investigated the possibility of infection for this parasite using sugar cane juice in different temperatures employing metacyclic trypomastigotes obtained from xenodiagnosis performed in Swiss mice previously infected with T.cruzi Y strain, and then diluted in 15 mL of sugar cane juice. In addition, 20 mice were infected using 2,5 mL of that mixture for the stomach histopathological analysis, which was euthanized after the second, fourth, tenth, and fifteenth days after infection. Concurrently, six batches of 10 mice were fed using 1,5 mL of the mixture kept for 12 hours at temperatures of -80ºC, -20ºC, + 2ºC, + 28ºC, + 60ºC, and + 80º C, for later infection verification. Inflammatory infiltrate was found after the second day of infection, and amastigotes nests were present after the fourth, tenth, and fifteenth day in the margo plicatus stomach region. Viable trypomastigotes were observed in the microtubes kept at -80ºC, -20,ºC and + 2ºC, but the animal’s infection was observed in -80ºC and + 2ºC groups. In vitro tests demonstrated the decrease of T. cruzi trypomastigote viability, being negative after 120 hours at -20ºC, 144 hours at + 2ºC, in contrast to the maintenance of survival after 168 hours at -80ºC. We also observed the ability of survival and infection of T. cruzi packaged at -80ºC without the use of preservatives and, therefore, less suitable for storing food.
Fuzzy clustering analysis for the loan audit short texts
Authors: Han Lu , Liu Zhidong , Qiang Jipeng , Zhang Zhuangyi
Published: March 2023

In China, post loan management is usually executed in the form of visit survey by credit man. Through quarterly visit survey, a large number of loan audit short texts are collected, which contain valuable information for evaluating the credit status small and micro enterprises. However, there is still lack of methods for analyzing this kind of short texts. This paper proposes a method for processing these loan audit short texts called Fuzzy Clustering Analysis (FCA). This method firstly transforms short texts into a fuzzy matrix through lexical analysis; Then, the similarity between records is calculated based on each fuzzy matrix, and an association graph is constructed with the similarity. Finally, Prim minimum spanning tree is used to extract clusters based on different α cuts. Experiments with actual data from a commercial bank in China have revealed that FCA yields suitable clustering results when handling loan audit briefs. Moreover, it exhibits superior performance compared to BRICH, Kmean, and FCM..
Role of IgG avidity in the eyes with active Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis
Authors: Lakhmavar Pratik , Kelgaonkar Anup , Patel Anamika , Khalsa Ashish , Basu Soumyava
Published: March 2023

Purpose
To study toxoplasma IgG avidity to evaluate the stage of infection and clinical implications in cases of toxoplasma retinochoroiditis in eastern India.
Methods
Retrospective review of toxoplasma retinochoroiditis cases with toxoplasma serology for IgG, IgM, and IgG avidity.
Results
Included in this study were 17 eyes of 17 patients which had active retinitis located in the macula (14), mid-periphery (2), or periphery (1). They were either primary lesions (12) or reactivations (5). All the cases had toxoplasma IgG positive; one case had IgM positivity while all the cases had high IgG avidity values. IgG avidity had a positive correlation with the duration of symptoms.
Conclusions
We observed high IgG avidity values in active retinochoroiditis in both primary ocular toxoplasmosis and reactivation subgroups denoting a late ocular manifestation after initial systemic infection.
Syntheses, optical properties, and bioimaging application of near-infrared aza-BODIPY dyes with electronic push-pull system
Authors: Yao Yibiao , Xiao Xiaodan , Liu Shaojie , Tian Baozhu , Zhang Jinlong
Published: March 2023

It is still a challenging work of developing near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence dyes with excellent optical properties. Herein, we synthesized a series of NIR aza-BODIPY fluorescence dyes with electronic push-pull system and further investigated their photophysical properties, photostability, and application in cellular imaging. It was found that introducing electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs) on the para-position of aza-BODIPY 1,7-phenyls not only leads to the significant redshift of absorption and fluorescence emission bands of aza-BODIPY dyes but also increases their fluorescence quantum yield and photostablility. The DFT calculations and cyclic voltammetry measurements proved that introducing EWGs on para-position of 1,7-phenyls can decrease the energy level difference between HOMO and LUMO, resulting in the redshift of maximum absorption and emission wavelengths. On the basis of the feasible experiment results of cellular imaging and cytotoxicity assay, it is expected that the optimized aza-BODIPY dyes have a bright application prospect for in-vivo cellular or tissue imaging.
High pyrethroid resistance associated to high frequency of 1014F and 1014S kdr mutations in Anopheles arabiensis from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Authors: Somda Zephirin , Zanré Nicolas , Wangrawa Dimitri W. , Toé Hyacinthe K. , Sombié Aboubacar , Saiki Erisha , Fukumoto Shinya , Sakurai Tatsuya , Sanon Antoine , McCall Philip J. , Kanuka Hirotaka , Weetman David , Badolo Athanase
Published: March 2023

Background: Malaria remains a major public health threat in Burkina Faso. In most sub-Saharan African countries, malaria control relies mainly on long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spray (IRS). In Burkina Faso, long-term selection pressure exerted on malaria vectors by insecticide used in agriculture, has been exacerbated by countrywide LLINs distribution campaigns conducted every three years since 2010. The current study investigated insecticide resistance and the mechanisms involved in the malaria vector populations of the Anopheles gambiae complex in urban localities of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Methods: Anopheles gambiae s. l. larvae were collected from three localities of Ouagadougou from July to September 2018, and reared in the laboratory to adults. The susceptibility profile to pyrethroid, carbamate, and organophosphate insecticides was assessed using World Health Organization (WHO) tube assays. PCR was used for mosquito species identification and to detect insecticide target-site mutations involved in insecticide resistance.
Results: More than 95% of the collected An. gambiae s. l. were identified as An. arabiensis. WHO susceptibility assays revealed that, in all localities, An. arabiensis displayed high resistance to permethrin and deltamethrin (mortalities both <30%), but were fully susceptible to bendiocarb, fenitrothion, and malathion. High frequencies of pyrethroid resistance-associated kdr mutations 1014F (0.81) and 1014S (0.18) were recorded, although carbamate and organophosphate-associated Ace-1 119S mutation was not found.
Conclusion: High pyrethroid resistance, underpinned, at least in part by high-frequency knockdown resistance mutations, in the urban malaria vector population suggests the potentially poor performance of pyrethroid-only LLINs in the cities where they are distributed. This result supported the switch to next generation LLINs, which are not solely reliant on pyrethroids to kill host-seeking mosquitoes in the cities of Burkina Faso.
New composite materials-based vanadium and reduced graphene oxide as cathode for battery lithium-ion
Authors: Moulahi Ali , Mjejri Issam , Janene Fatma , Alsherari Sahr A. , Al-Marri Abdulhadi H.
Published: March 2023

Vanadium oxides and their derivatives are known for their performance in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the practical application of these materials in commercial LIBs is still hindered by its intrinsic low ionic diffusion coefficient and moderate electrical conductivity. To improve their conductivity and their structure stability, a robust scenario has been proposed in this study. Herein, we proposed the synthesis of the nanocomposite materials H2V3O8/ reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as novel composite cathode materials for LIBs. The structure, composition, and morphology of the hydrothermal powders are characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, and TEM. To evaluate the electrochemical performance of the H2V3O8/rGO, cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge/discharge and impedance spectroscopy studies were used. The H2V3O8/rGO cathode exhibit improved electrochemical performance in terms of specific capacitance, reversibility and stability compared to single-component H2V3O8. At 0.1 A.g-1, the specific discharge capacity for the pure H2V3O8 and H2V3O8/rGO composite is about 320 mAh g-1 and 390 mAh g-1 respectively. The improvement in the electrochemical capacity of the composite anode is mainly ascribed to a cooperative effect between the reduced graphene with good electrical conductivity and the unique nano-sized H2V3O8.
Breast Cancer Using Deep Learning and Histopathology Images
Authors: Hajiarbabi Mohammadreza
Published: March 2023

Breast cancer is among one of the most common cancers in the world. Early detection in this area can be crucial and help the patients to start the medication. One way to detect the breast cancer is using histopathology images. In recent years deep learning methods are among the methods that have shown high accuracy in detection cancerous tumors in images. In this work different deep learning methods such as Xception, MobileVNet, VGG16 and VGG19 have been used and the results are compared. Two popular datasets in breast cancer have been used. Transfer learning is used for pre-training the structures. In addition, different preprocessing methods is introduced and used to increase the number of images in the dataset.
The association of lipid metabolism and sarcopenia among older patients: a single- center retrospective cohort study
Authors: Jiang Yiwen , Xu Bingqing , Zhang Kaiyu , Zhu Wenyu , Lian Xiaoyi , Xu Yihui , Chen Zhe , Liu Lei , Guo Zhengli
Published: March 2023

Background: Sarcopenia has become a heavy disease burden among the elderly. Lipid metabolism was reported to be involved in many degenerative diseases. This study aims to investigate the association between dysregulated lipid metabolism and sarcopenia in geriatric inpatients.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 303 patients aged ≥ 60, of which 151 were diagnosed with sarcopenia. The level of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), homocysteine (HCY), BMI, and fat percentage, were compared between sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia patients. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to estimate the association between sarcopenia and the level of lipid metabolism. To determine risk factors related to sarcopenia, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out, and a risk prediction logistic model was derived based on significant risk factors in multivariate logistic analysis.
Results: We observed a trend of rising sarcopenia prevalence with increasing age, decreasing BMI, and fat percentage (p < 0.001, Cochran Armitage test). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed sarcopenia’s risk factors, including older age, male sex, lower levels of BMI, TC, and TG, and higher levels of LDL and HCY (p < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression model showed the risk prediction value of sarcopenia, with an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of 0.7466.
Conclusions: Our study provided thorough insight into the risk factors associated with sarcopenia. It demonstrated that an increase of lipid metabolism-related parameters (BMI, TG, TC), within normal reference ranges, may be protective against sarcopenia. The present study can illuminate the direction and significance of lipid metabolism-related factors in preventing sarcopenia.
The Use of Extreme Outliers of a Random Variable for Prediction of Drawn Numbers in Lottery Games
Authors: Gschwandtner Libor
Published: March 2023

This paper discusses the use of outliers of a random variable for the purpose of predicting numbers in lottery games. However, the described method is universal and can be used in other areas as well. Lotteries were chosen in this case because of the possibility of using many game databases or random number generators, which makes the method easy to verify. The paper describes how the choice of an appropriate random variable can be used to move from a uniform distribution to a distribution that allows better statistical analysis of data from draw databases, and which can also be used for prediction purposes. The key role here is played by the outliers of the random variable, which are used to calculate the criteria that allow, with the regular updating of the database and the subsequent calculation of the actual values of the random variable for individual game numbers and their comparison with the selected criterion, to extract from the set of all game numbers those numbers or a set of numbers that have an increased probability of being drawn.
Glocalization of madurese bull racing: a cross-sectional study with equation modeling in ethnophysics
Authors: Suprapto Nadi , Deta Utama Alan , Suliyanah Suliyanah , Sya’roni Imam , Nisa Khoirun
Published: March 2023

Through the scientific research project with the theme "Implementation of the GBR Program: Glocalization of Bull-Racing to preserve Madurese local wisdom", this research was manifested. The research aimed to analyze the hypothetical model that included five variables: ethnoscience, ethnophysics, metaphysics, glocalization, and bull-racing research and find out the fit model of GBR. The research utilized a survey study. After developing the GBR scale and conducting items selection, and experts' validations, the data collection process was targeted to Madurese, who understands bull racing as a pearl of local wisdom. Finally, 241 data were reported in the analysis. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) aided by SPSS and AMOS software were conducted to gain the fit model of the GBR. The findings indicated that the GBR scale developed is valid and reliable. The hypothetical model proposed five latent variables: ethnoscience, ethnophysics, metaphysics, glocalization, and bull-racing research. These variables in-lines with the fit model of GBR. This research has implications for future research, especially in developing and expanding bull racing research in ethnoscience and ethnophysics.
Von Hippel–Lindau syndrome with multiple neuroendocrine neoplasms as the initial manifestation - a case report of an elusive presentation
Authors: Chen Ying , Zhou Ning , He Xin , Su Yuanliang , Tang Hao , Wang Fanrong , Xu Wenfeng , Chen Zhongjiao , Guo Deyu
Published: March 2023

Background Von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) syndrome is a rare genetic tumor characterized by the recurrent development of multiple benign or malignant tumors involving multiple organs throughout a patient’s life. It is easy to precisely diagnose when the patient has characteristic central nervous system hemangioblastomas (CNS-H) as the main manifestation.VHL disease can be classified into type 1,2A,2B, and 2C based on the type of gene mutation and tumor occurrence.
Case presentation This paper presents a case of a 29-year-old female patient who presented with multiple retroperitoneal tumors as the primary manifestation of her condition. Following surgical intervention, pathological examination confirmed the presence of multiple paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma (PCC/PGL) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Subsequent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed the presence of a small, highly vascularized nodule in the cerebellum, which was strongly indicative of a hemangioblastoma based on imaging characteristics. The VHL germline mutation was confirmed through molecular testing, and the final diagnosis was multiple neuroendocrine neoplasms in VHL type 2B.
ConclusionThe patient had VHL syndrome with multiple neuroendocrine tumors as the initial manifestation, which can be easily overlooked during clinical and pathological diagnosis.Therefore, young patients with multiple tumors should essentially be thoroughly examined to determine the relationship between the diseases. Furthermore, pathologists need to be knowledgeable about tumors that arise from different gene mutations and consider the patient’s family history. This strategy will enable early diagnosis, timely treatment, and effective prevention of this disease.
A Synthetic Text Image Generator Based on Instance Weights
Authors: Lu Tongwei , Liu Siyang , Wang Wei , Zhu Rui , Li Xun
Published: March 2023

For scene text recognition (STR), synthetic text image generators have been successfully applied to alleviate the lack of annotated text images from the real world. However, when targeting some challenging text images, their methods have difficulty extracting foreground and background information, and the differences between the synthetic and real samples are large and difficult to adapt. In this paper, we introduce a new end-to-end synthetic text image generator, STIW, by designing a series of synthetic strategies to generate synthetic data that fit realistic text images. In addition, we propose the instantiated weights method, which connects the distributions of different domains by learning and exploiting the instance weights and the Mahalanobis distance metric. This reduces the inter-sample variation in the migration learning process of synthetic text images. Finally, we added an Attention in the LSTM of the recognition algorithm, using a mixed training learning strategy. In our experiments, our method has greater STR boosting performance than the synthetic datasets MJSynth (MJ), SynthText (ST), and SynthTIGER, and the instantiated weight method is able to further improve STR performance. Our ablation study demonstrates the benefits of using individual synthetic strategies, as well as adding to some of the problems of synthetic text image methods.
Ecological Service Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics in China's Karst Mountainous Areas
Authors: xu zijin , zhang xusong
Published: March 2023

Conducting long-term ecosystem service evolution research in mountain Karst areas from both horizontal and vertical scales can not only deepen the understanding of the development and evolution laws of the ecosystem in mountain Karst areas, but also has important significance for regional sustainable development. Based on the InVEST model, this paper explores the temporal changes of ecosystem services in mountain Karst areas from 2000 to 2020 in both horizontal and vertical spaces.Research has found that: (1) Precipitation conditions still determine the water production service level of the research area at the horizontal scale; the trend of soil conservation services for different land use types is consistent, and forest ecosystems are most conducive to soil conservation. The high and low values of the habitat index show similar spatial distribution in the research area, and the spatial heterogeneity is obvious. Regions with intense human activity are the low-value areas of the habitat index. (2) At the vertical scale, the water production service of the research area shows a fluctuating and decreasing trend with the increase of altitude; the soil conservation service shows a fluctuating and decreasing trend with the increase of altitude; while the habitat quality shows an increasing trend with the increase of altitude, which is opposite to the changing characteristics of water production service and soil conservation service. This study attempts to reveal the characteristics of the evolution of ecosystem services in Karst mountainous areas from two perspectives of horizontal and vertical scales.According to research findings, managers should pay more attention to ecological protection measures in low-altitude areas, and implement different ecological protection measures for high-altitude and low-altitude areas when necessary. These findings can provide more practical measures for the ecological sustainability of mountain karst areas and serve as a reference for similar regions around the world.
Calibration of a bond law for sand-coated BFRP
Authors: Hofmann Sebastian , Krieger Larissa , Bujotzek Lukas
Published: March 2023

Within the scope of this paper, the bond behaviour of reinforcement made of basalt fibre reinforced polymers (BFRP) with a helically wrapped and sand coated surface is investigated in an experimental test program to evaluate the bond stress - slip relationship. Due to the strongly varying surface condition and material properties, the bond behaviour is expected to be very different compared to the conventional ribbed steel reinforcement. Therefore, the standard vertical pull-out test specimen will be adjusted according to the described bond length.
Based on the obtained experimental results, a bond law for the non-linear increasing branch of the bond stress - slip relationship will be formulated and calibrated for the investigated reinforcement type. The goal of this research program is to use this precise bond law to adjust the analytical model for the calculation of crack spacing and crack width. This adjustment can be made by merging the bond law with the analytical model of bond and slip to obtain a more reliable crack width design for reinforcement types with varying bond properties.