bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DEPROMP Trial: The additive value of PSMA-PET/CT-guided biopsy for prostate cancer management in biopsy naïve men – study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Krausewitz Philipp , Bundschuh Ralph Alexander , Gaertner Florian C. , Essler Markus , Attenberger Ulrike , Luetkens Julian , Kristiansen Glen , Muders Michael , Ohlmann Carsten-Henning , Hauser Stefan , Ellinger Jörg , Ritter Manuel
Published: November 2022

Background:
Primary objective: To determine the proportion of men with suspected prostate cancer (PCA) in whom the management plans are changed by additive Gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PSMA-PET/CT) guided prostate biopsy (PET-TB) in combination with standard of care (SOC) using systematic (SB) and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging guided biopsy (MR-TB) compared with SOC alone.
Major secondary objectives: To determine the additive value of the combined approach of SB + MR-TB + PET-TB (PET/MR-TB) for detecting clinically significant PCA (csPCA) compared to SOC; to determine sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of imaging techniques, respective imaging classification systems and each biopsy method; to compare preoperatively defined tumor burden and biomarker expression and pathological tumor extent in prostate specimens.
Methods: The DEPROMP study is a prospective, open-label, interventional investigator initiated trial. Risk stratification and management plans after PET/MR-TB are conducted randomized and blinded by different evaluation teams of experienced urologists based on histopathological analysis, imaging information: one including all results of the PET/MR-TB and one excluding the additional information gained by PSMA-PET/CT guided biopsy.
The power calculation was centered on pilot data and we will recruit up to 230 biopsy-naïve men who will undergo PET/MR-TB for suspected PCA. Conduct and reporting of MRI and PSMA-PET/CT will be performed in a blinded fashion.
Discussion: The DEPROMP trial will be the first to evaluate the clinically relevant effects of the use of PSMA-PET/CT in patients with suspected PCA compared to current SOC. The study will provide prospective data to determine the diagnostic yields of additional PET-TB in men with suspected PCA and the impact on treatment plans in terms of intra- and intermodal changes. The results will allow a comparative analysis of risk stratification by each biopsy method, including a performance analysis of the corresponding rating systems. This will reveal potential intermethod and pre- and postoperative discordances of tumor stage and grading, providing the opportunity to critically asses the need for multiple biopsies.
Trail registration:The study was registered in the German Clinical Study Register (DRKS 00024134) on January 26, 2021. www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00024134
The impact of COVID-19 on intention of third-child in China: An empirical analysis based on survey data
Authors: Li Zi , Qian Siwen
Published: November 2022

Background: Against the grim background of an accelerating aging population and a declining intention to have children, the ravages of COVID-19 have pushed China and the world into a more complex social environment. To adapt to the new situation, the Chinese government has implemented the three-child policy in 2021.
Objective：The continuous control of the pandemic will be an inevitable factor for social, economic and population development for a long time in the future. In this context, this paper explores the question that will COVID-19 pandemic affect Chinese people's intention to have a third child? And What are the relevant factors inside?
Method: The data in this paper are from the Survey released by PDPR-CTBU , which including a total of 10,515 samples from mainland of China. This paper uses the logit regression model and KHB model to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors on Chinese residents' intention to have a third child.
RESULTS：The results suggest that COVID-19 pandemic has a significant negative effect on Chinese residents' intention to have a third child. In-depth research on the mediating effect of KHB shows that COVID-19 pandemic will further inhibit residents' intention to have a third child by affecting their childcare arrangements, increasing their childcare costs, and increasing their exposure to occupational hazards.
Conclusions：This paper is more pioneering in focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the intention to have three children in China. The study provides empirical evidence for understanding the impact of COVID-19 epidemic on fertility intentions, albeit in the context of policy support.
High Prevalence of Adverse-drug-effects of Multi-drug-resistant Tuberculosis Treatment in Two Referral Hospitals in Uganda
Authors: Mukama Ategyeka Paul , Muhoozi Michael , Naturinda Racheal , Kageni Peter , Namugenyi Carol , Kasolo Amos , Kisaka Stevens , Kiwanuka Noah
Published: November 2022

Background
Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment involves toxic drugs that cause adverse-drug-effects (ADEs), which are life threatening and may lead to death if not well managed. In Uganda, the prevalence of MDR-TB is increasingly high and about 95% of the patients are on treatment. However, little is known about the prevalence of ADEs among the patients on MDR-TB medicines. We therefore estimated the prevalence of ADEs of MDR-TB drugs and factors associated with ADEs in two health facilities in Uganda.
Methods
Between March and November 2021, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of MDR-TB patients enrolled at Mulago national referral and Mbarara regional referral hospitals in Uganda. We reviewed files of MDR-TB patients enrolled between January 2015 and December 2020. We extracted data on ADEs, defined as irritative reactions to MDR-TB drugs. We conducted descriptive analysis and modified Poisson regression analysis to determine factors associated with ADEs.
Results
A total of 856 files were reviewed. Overall, 369 (43.1%) of 856 patients had ADEs and 145 (17%) of 856 suffered from more than one. The most recorded effects were: joint pain (244/369 (66%)); hearing loss (75/369(20%)); and vomiting (58/369(16%)). Patients started on the 24 months regimen (adjusted prevalence ratio (adj.PR=1.4, 95%; 1.07, 1.76) and individualized regimens (adj.PR=1.5, 95%; 1.11, 1.93) were more likely to suffer from ADEs. Lack of transport for clinical monitoring (adj.PR=1.9, 95%; 1.21, 3.11); alcohol consumption (adj.PR=1.2, 95%; 1.05, 1.43), and receipt of directly-observed-therapy from peripheral health facilities (adj.PR=1.6, 95%; 1.10, 2.41) were significantly associated with experiencing ADEs. However, patients who received food supplies (adj.PR=0.61, 95%; 0.51, 0.71) were less likely to suffer from ADEs.
Conclusion
Adverse-drug-effects were high among MDR-TB patients and joint-pains was the commonest effect. Interventions such as provision of food supplies, transport and consistent counselling on alcohol consumption to patients at initiation treatment facilities may reduce ADEs
Expert supervised machine learning for contemporary art discovery
Authors: Rebei Amine , Fosset Antoine , Mennaoui Mohamed El , Calligaro Paul , Maria Elise Farge Di , Nguyen-Ban Helene , Rea Francesca , Vallade Marie-Charlotte , Vitullo Elisabetta , Zhang Christophe , Charpiat Guillaume , Rosenbaum Mathieu
Published: November 2022

Recommendation systems have been widely used in various domains such as music, films, e-shopping, etc. After mostly avoiding digitization, the art world has recently reached a technological turning point due to the pandemic, making online sales grow significantly as well as providing quantitative online data about artists and artworks. In this work, we present the first content-based recommendation system specifically designed for contemporary art, relying on images of artworks and contextual metadata of artists. We gathered and annotated artworks with advanced and art-specific information to create a completely unique database that was used to train our models. With this information, we built a proximity graph between artworks. Similarly, we used NLP techniques to characterize the practices of the artists and we extracted information from exhibitions and other event history to create a proximity graph between artists. The power of graph analysis enables us to provide an artwork recommendation system based on a combination of visual and contextual information from artworks and artists. After an assessment by a team of art specialists, we get an average final rating of 75% of meaningful recommended artworks according to their professional evaluations.
Ankylosing Spondylitis PET Imaging and Quantifications via P2X7 Receptor-Targeting Radioligand [18F]GSK14260
Authors: Zhang Shiyanjin , Qiu Yifan , Huang Lihua , Bi Lei , Guo Yuanqing , You Ke , Huang Guolong , Wang Yuhan , Lu Hai , Jin Hongjun , Shan Hong
Published: November 2022

Purpose
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial spine that manifests with various clinical signs and symptoms; however, the quantitative detection of inflammation in AS remains a drawback in clinical settings. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of using a specific P2X7R-targeting 18F-labeled tracer [18F]GSK1482160 for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and the quantification of AS.
Methods
The radioligand [18F]GSK1482160 was obtained based on nucleophilic aromatic radiofluorination with [18F]fluoride. Dynamic [18F]GSK1482160 and [18F]FDG micro-PET/CT imaging were performed on AS mouse models and age-matched controls. Tracer kinetics modeling was performed using Logan graphical arterial input function analysis and Patlak models to quantify the in vivo expression of P2X7R and the influx rate of [18F]FDG, respectively. The post-PET tissues were collected for hematoxylin-eosin, immunohistochemical (IHC), and immunofluorescence (IF) staining.
Results
The decay-corrected radiochemical yield (RCY) of [18F]GSK1482160 was 20–30%; radiochemical purity, ≥ 98%; and molar activity, 55–85 GBq/µmol. [18F]GSK1482160 PET/CT imaging revealed that the specific binding in the ankle joint and sacroiliac joint (SIJ) of the AS group (BPNDankle = 13.75 ± 2.20, BPND SIJ = 15.87 ± 3.90) were significantly higher than that of the control group (BPNDankle = 0.14 ± 0.08, BPNDSIJ = 0.75 ± 0.48). In contrast, in [18F]FDG imaging, there was no significant difference in the uptake in the ankle joint and SIJ between the two groups. IHC and IF staining revealed that the overexpression of P2X7R was colocalized with activated macrophages from the ankle synovium and spinal endplate in mice with AS, indicating that quantification of P2X7R may contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammation in human AS.
Conclusion
This study developed a novel P2X7R-targeting PET tracer [18F]GSK1482160 to detect the expression of P2X7R in AS mouse models and provided a powerful non-invasive PET imaging and quantification for AS.
Multi-Responsive Chitosan-Based Hydrogels for Controlled Release of Vincristine: Design, Characterization, and Safety Evaluation
Authors: Far Bahareh Farasati , Omrani Mohsen , Naimi-Jamal Mohammad Reza , Javanshir Shahrzad
Published: November 2022

As medical research has progressed, the derivation and development of biological materials such as hydrogels have steadily gained more interest. The biocompatibility and non-toxicity of chitosan make chitosan hydrogels potential carriers for drug delivery. This work aims to develop two multi-reactive, safe and highly swellable bio-hydrogels consisting of chitosan-graft-glycerol (CS-g-gly) and carboxymethyl chitosan-graft-glycerol (CMCS-g-gly), for sustained and controlled drug release, improved bioavailability along with entrapment in nanocarriers, which reduces side effects of vincristine sulphate. CS-g-gly and CMCS-g-gly were successfully prepared and fully characterized using FT-IR, 1HNMR, FE-SEM, AFM, TGA, DLS, and zeta potential techniques. Under various conditions, the prepared hydrogels exhibited a high swelling ratio. Vincristine loaded CS-g-gly (VCR/CS-g-gly) and CMCS-g-gly (VCR/CMCS-g-gly) showed high encapsulation efficiency between 72.28–89.97%, and 56.97–71.91%, respectively. VCR/CS-g-gly showed a sustained release behavior, and the maximum release of VCR from hydrogels reached 82% after 120 h of incubation. MCF-7 and MCF-10 cells were evaluated for cell viability and apoptosis induction. The in-vitro anti-tumor efficacy was investigated using flow cytometry. MTT analysis of hydrogels showed no evidence of significant cytotoxicity in MCF-7 and MCF-10 cells. According to these findings, these hydrogels could effectively deliver drugs to MCF-7 and other breast cancer cells.
Deep Learning Methods in Web Intrusion Detection: A Systematic Review
Authors: Halim Hassan I. , Kholief Mohamed , Maghraby Fahima
Published: November 2022

Web application and services are essential part of the internet. They automate many people activities such as purchasing goods, communica- tion, socialization, and political voting. Those applications are usually written and developed by programmers who might not be fully aware of cybersecurity aspects which leaves the applications vulnerable to web application attacks. The best way to mitigate such risks is to write secure code any add multi- ple security layers in the application architecture to ensure security in-depth, however, this comes with great cost and write perfectly secured source code is near to impossible. This is why researchers and engineers invented more exter- nal systems to help in protecting web applications and services, e.g., intrusion detection systems, firewalls, anti-fraud systems.
Despite the improvements such systems add to the application security stack, however more challenges came to the surface, ignoring these challenges might risk the entire setup and leave the environment in worse state (e.g., bad implementation of intrusion detection system can cause high false positive rates resulting in blocking users from executing transactions).
As the problem of intrusion detection is related to analysis of previous HTTP log to know discriminate normal traffic from malicious, machine and deep learning are playing profound role in solving many of intrusion detection problems.
In this survey article we provide systematic review of the recent develop- ments of applying deep learning methods in Web Intrusion Detection Systems (WIDS). The article starts by introduction of intrusion detection in both network and web environments and the difference between Anomaly based and signature based methods. Then we highlight the contribution, review meth- ods, and search strategy are discussed in follower sections. Then the reviewing selected papers and comparing their methods are introduced. Finally, the ar- ticle conclude with discussion section highlighting the future trends of WIDS research.
Prevalence and determinants of metabolic syndrome among patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus attending the Diabetes Center of King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alzughbi Najat , Oraibi Omar , Alzuhairi Najood Mohammed
Published: November 2022

Background: Metabolic syndrome is an important precursor of microangiopathic and macroangiopathic complications among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). It is more commonly associated with type 2 DM than with type 1 DM. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of metabolic syndrome in patients with type 1 DM.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 250 patients aged over 18 years with type 1 DM with a duration of more than 6 months treated in 2022 at the Diabetes Center of King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Metabolic syndrome was detected using the modified criteria proposed by the National Cholesterol Education Program–Adult Treatment Panel III.
Results: Approximately 30.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 25.0%–36.0%) of the patients with type 1 DM had metabolic syndrome. The following factors were significantly and independently associated with metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 12.25; 95% CI = 5.9–15.27), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (OR = 9.56; 95% CI = 3.98–18.68), high triglyceride level (OR = 5.74; 95% CI = 2.54–10.89), high blood pressure (OR = 4.49; 95% CI = 2.27–8.76), and poor blood glucose control based on the HbA1c level (OR = 4.38; 95% CI = 2.13–8.88). In addition, there was a direct relationship between metabolic syndrome and microangiopathic complications.
Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome is common in patients with type 1 DM and is associated with microangiopathic complications.
Gallium-68-Labelled Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor PET/CT in the clinical diagnosis and management of breast cancer: Comparison with [18F]FDG PET/CT
Authors: Guo Wei , Xu Weizhi , Fan Chunlei , Fu Hao , Meng Tinghua , Pang Yizhen , Zhao Liang , Fu Li , Sun Long , Mi Yanjun , Huang Jingxiong , Chen Haojun
Published: November 2022

Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical impact of gallium-68-labelled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor ([68Ga]Ga-FAPI) PET/CT in primary and metastatic breast cancer and compare the results with those of standard-of-care imaging (SCI) and [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT. Methods Patients with diagnosed or suspected breast cancer who underwent concomitant [68Ga] Ga-FAPI (FAPI-46) and [18F]FDG PET/CT scans from October 2019 to March 2022 were retrospectively analysed. Breast ultrasound (US) imaging was performed in all treatment-naïve patients as SCI. The maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax), tumour-to-background ratio (TBR), lesion detection rate, and tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) classifications between [68Ga]Ga-FAPI and [18F]FDG PET/CT were evaluated, and compared. Results Twenty-eight women (median age, 52.5 y; range, 28–80 y) were included. Among them, 5 patients underwent evaluation for a definitive diagnosis of suspected breast lesions, 9 underwent initial staging, and 14 were evaluated for the detection of recurrence. The sensitivities of breast US, [18F]FDG, and [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT for detecting primary breast tumours were 80%, 70%, and 100%, respectively. Regarding the diagnosis of recurrent/metastatic lesions, the per-lesion detection rate of [68Ga]Ga- FAPI PET/CT was significantly higher than that of [18F]FDG, which including local and regional recurrence (128 vs. 88), neck lymph node (LN) metastases (33 vs. 15), abdomen LN metastases (28 vs. 3), bone metastases (146 vs. 59), and liver metastases (28 vs. 11). Compared with [18F]FDG, [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT upstaged five patients’ TNM staging/re-staging (7/27, 26%) and changed five patients’ clinical management (5/27, 19%). Compared to SCI, [68Ga]Ga-FAPI upstaged ten patients' TNM staging/re-staging (9/27, 33%) and changed the therapeutic regimen of seven patients (7/27, 26%). There was no significant association between FAPI-derived SUVmax and receptor status/histologic type in both primary and metastatic lesions. Conclusion [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT was superior to [18F]FDG in diagnosing primary and metastatic breast cancer, with higher radiotracer uptake and TBR, especially in the detection of primary/recurrent tumour, abdominal LN metastases, liver, and bone metastases. [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT is superior to [18F]FDG and SCI in TNM staging and may improve tumour staging, recurrence detection, and implementation of necessary treatment modifications.
Natal colony influences age-specific movement patterns of the Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis)
Authors: Souc Charly , Sadoul Nicolas , Blanchon Thomas , Vittecoq Marion , Pin Christophe , Vidal Eric , Mante Alain , Choquet Rémi , McCoy Karen D.
Published: November 2022

Background: As for other life history traits, variation occurs in movement patterns with important impacts on population demography and community interactions. Individuals can show variation in the extent of seasonal movement patterns (or migration) or can change migratory routes among years. Internal factors, such as age or body condition, may strongly influence changes in movement patterns. Indeed, young individuals often tend to move across larger spatial scales compared to adults, but relatively few studies have investigated the proximate and ultimate factors driving such variation. This is particularly the case for seabirds in which the sub-adult period is long and difficult to follow. Here, we examine migration variation and the factors that affect it in a common Mediterranean seabird, the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis).
Methods: The data included the encounter histories of 5158 birds marked as fledglings between 1999 and 2004 at 14 different colonies in southern France and resighted over 10 years. Using a multi-event mark-recapture modeling framework, we used these data to estimate the probability of movement and survival, taking into account recapture heterogeneity and age.
Results: In accordance with previous studies, we found that young individuals had greater mobility than older individuals. However, the spatial extent of juvenile movements depended on natal colony location, with a strong difference in the proportion of sedentary individuals between colonies less than 50 km apart. Colony quality or local population dynamics may explain these differences. Indeed, young birds from colonies with strong juvenile survival probabilities (~0.75) appeared to be more sedentary than those from colonies with low survival probabilities (~0.36).
Conclusions: This study shows the importance of studying individuals of different ages and from different colonies when trying to understand seabird movement strategies. Local breeding success and the availability of food resources may explain part of the among colony differences we observed and require explicit testing. We discuss our results with respect to the feedback loop that may occur between breeding success and mobility, and its potential implications for population demography and the dissemination of avian disease at different spatial scales.
Impact of oral antiviral therapy against HCV on gut microbiota. A prospective study
Authors: Pinchera Biagio , Riccardo Scotto , Emanuela Zappulo , Riccardo Buonomo Antonio , Enrico Maraolo Alberto , Nicola Schiano Moriello , Giulio Viceconte , Letizia Cattaneo , Riccardo Villari , Flavia Gison , Francesca De Filippis , Danilo Ercolini , Ivan Gentile
Published: November 2022

The intestinal microbiota plays a fundamental role in physiological homeostasis as well as in pathologic conditions. Hepatitis C virus is the leading cause of chronic liver diseases wordwide. The treatment of this infection has been revolutioned by the availability of direct-acting antiviral agent which guarantee high rate (about 95%) of viral clearance. Few studies have assessed the change in gut microbiota in patients treated with direct-acting antiviral agents against HCV and many aspects still need to be clarified. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of antiviral therapy on gut microbiota. We enrolled patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease attending the Infectious Diseases Unit of the A.O.U. Federico II of Naples, from January 2017 to March 2018, treated with DAAs. For each patient, a fecal sample was collected and analyzed for the assessment of the microbial diversity before the start of therapy and by SVR12 time. We exluded patients who received antibiotics in the last 6 months. Twelve patients were enrolled (6 male, 8 genotype 1 (1 subtype 1a), 4 genotype 2). Fibrosis score were F0 in 1 patient, F2 in 1 patient, F3 in 4 patients and cirrhosis in the remaining 6 (all in Child-Pugh class A). All were treated with DAAs for 12 weeks (5 with Paritaprevir-Ombitasvir-Ritonavir-Dasabuvir, 3 with Sofosbuvir-Ledipasvir, 1 with Sofosbuvir-Ribavirin, 1 with Sofosbuvir-Daclatasvir, 1 with Sofosbuvir-Velpatasvir) and 100% achieved SVR12. In all patients, we observed a trend in reduction of potentially pathogenic microorganisms (i.e. Enterobacteriaceae). Furthermore, a trend of increase in α-diversity was observed in patients by SVR12 compared to baseline. This trend was markedly more evident in patients without liver cirrhosis than in those with cirrhosis. Our study shows that viral eradication obtained with DAA is associated with a trend in restoring the heterogeneity of α-diversity and in reducing the percentage of potentially pathogenic microbial species, although this benefit is less evident in patients with cirrhosis. Further studies with larger sample size are necessary to confirm these data.
A Green DES for the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass
Authors: Li Pengfei , Dong Cuihua , Pang Zhiqiang
Published: November 2022

In this study, a DES system composed of benzoic acid (BA) and choline chloride (ChCl) was fabricated, and successfully applied to the lignocellulose fractionation. The DES has low toxicity and little pollution. In this system, 67.8% of lignin and 91.2% of hemicellulose were removed, leaving 95.8% of cellulose intact as solid residue. Due to the removal of the amorphous components, crystallinity of CRS substantially increased from 55.6–68.6%, and CRS was used as feedstock for nanocrystalline cellulose preparation with excellent properties. The results showed that the obtained lignin had similar properties to MWL by GPC, FT-IR, 2D-NMR and TGA. A high-purity lignin rich in G units was recovered with a well-preserved structure, which has β-O-4 linkage content up to 53.01%, low molecular weight, low polydispersity (1.99). This study demonstrated that BA is suitable for DES design with excellent properties on lignin extraction, and this promising DES enable efficient pretreatment for economically feasible biomass conversion.
Integrating stratified best-worst method and GIS for landslide susceptibility assessment: A case study in Erzurum province (Turkey)
Authors: KONURHAN ZEKERİYA , Yucesan Melih , Gul Muhammet
Published: November 2022

Landslides are among the most destructive geological disasters that seriously damage human life and infrastructures. Landslides mostly occur in mountainous regions around the world. One of the key processes to reduce these damages is to uncover landslide-exposed areas through different data-driven methods such as Geographical Information System (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM). In the literature, there are many studies developed with these fundamental tools. In this study, unlike the literature, a new landslide susceptibility assessment model is proposed by integrating GIS with the stratified best-worst method (S-BWM). This model has four main dimensions and 16 sub-dimensions under topography, environment-land, location and hydrological factors, which are weighted with the S-BWM. Considering the different states that may arise in the importance weights of these dimensions in the future, a network was created. The transition probabilities of these states were predicted and injected into the classical BWM. Then maps were created for these dimensions and classifications were made for each sub-dimension according to the map characteristics. Finally, the most susceptive landslide locations were determined with GIS-based calculations. To demonstrate the model's applicability, a case study was conducted for the Erzurum region, one of Turkey's landslide-prone regions. In addition, besides the landslide map, an analysis and discussion about the spatial distribution of susceptibility classes was presented, contributing to the study's robustness.
Joint Policy for Virtual Network Embeddingin Distributed SDN-Enabled Cloud
Authors: Bouchair Abderrahim , Yagoubi Belabbas , Makhlouf Sid Amed
Published: November 2022

Virtualization (NV) has been devised as one of the key bases of operativecloud systems. Commonly, Cloud Providers (CPs) seek to design their networkpolicy, especially in a distributed environment. Virtual Network Embedding(VNE) is a functional tool granted by the NV technologies that allow theCPs to manage their physical resources based on the received Virtual Networks(VNs). This paper focuses on the context when a given Virtual NetworkRequest (VNRs) needs to be shared among multiple Data Center Networks(DCNs). The proposed VNE solution executes a two-stage policy where at thefirst stage, the DCNs and VNRs have been managed through a greedy methodto solve the assignment problem. Then, we perform a greedy load-balancingalgorithm to accomplish the VNR mapping stage. The simulation results provedthat the proposed two methods outperformed the compared similar techniques.
A Reevaluation of Selected Mortality Risks in the Updated NCI/NIOSH Acrylonitrile Cohort Study
Authors: Marsh Gary , Kruchten Adam
Published: November 2022

Objectives To determine whether the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) recent suggestion of associations between acrylonitrile (AN) exposure and mortality from lung and bladder cancer and pneumonitis is robust to alternative methods of data analysis. Materials and Methods We used the Richardson method to indirectly adjust RRs in relation to AN exposure for potential confounding by smoking and asbestos. We repeated key analyses omitting workers from Plant 4 to account for possible local, historical shipyard-related asbestos exposures. Results Adjustment of lung cancer RRs for confounding by both smoking and asbestos and omitting Plant 4 workers yielded mostly decreased RRs and much less evidence of a positive association with cumulative AN exposure. Conclusions Overall, our reanalysis provided little evidence to support NCI’s suggestion of associations between AN exposure and mortality from lung and bladder cancer and pneumonitis.
Expert- Independent Initial Weights Assignment Technique for Learning Fuzzy Cognitive Map With Hebbian Learning Algorithms
Authors: Jiya Eli Adama , Bakpo Francis S.
Published: November 2022

Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) are single layer neural network-like Supervised Machine Learning Algorithm which can be used as a tool for modelling dynamic systems in a graphical cause-effect relationships form. Though a powerful tool, FCM do not always converge to a desired state but relies on other learning algorithms to find connection matrix that will lead the system to a stable state. Of the various algorithms for learning FCM connection matrix, Hebbian variants are the earliest and simplest. However, they depend on human experts for initial weight matrix before they can be applied or learning commences. So without human experts, these algorithms are limited and even with availability of human expert, the weights could be a result of experts’ subjective opinion or limited knowledge of the system. This paper present scientific method and algorithm for finding initial weight from node activation values and guide in the choice of map density. This allow application of Hebbian learning algorithms without human experts and a multi-map and multi-density Hebbian Learning solution of FCM which may provide optimal solution than single map expert initial map
Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of LKB1 expression in gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tan Guojiang , Liu Baiying
Published: November 2022

The relationship between Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) expression and clinicopathological parameters of patients with gastric cancer remains controversial. This meta-analysis investigated this relationship and re-evaluated the prognostic significance of LKB1.
On November 22, 2021, relevant studies were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, CNKI, and Wan Fang. STATA 12 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) was used to analyze the data. Eleven studies involving 1,767 patients with gastric cancer were included in the meta-analysis. Baseline data, including sex and age, were not significant. Nonetheless, via pooled data, LKB1 expression was confirmed to be significantly related to tumor size (odds ratio [OR]=0.515; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.316–0.839; P=0.008), degree of differentiation (OR=0.643; 95% CI: 0.521–0.794; P<0.001), depth of invasion (OR=0.397; 95% CI: 0.319–0.494; P<0.001), lymph node metastasis (OR = 0.487; 95% CI: 0.397–0.598; P=0.01),and TNM stage (OR=0.362; 95% CI: 0.293–0.447; P=0.006). High LKB1 expression was correlated with favorable overall survival (OS) [one-year OS (OR=0.247; 95% CI: 0.152–0.404; P<0.001), three-year OS (OR=0.355; 95% CI: 0.228–0.553; P<0.001), five-year OS (OR=0.291; 95% CI: 0.185–0.456; P<0.001)]. LKB1 expression is a potential signature for predicting the survival and prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.
One Size Fits All? The Differential Impact of Federal Regulation on Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity Across US States
Authors: Dove John A.
Published: November 2022

Numerous studies evaluate how a jurisdiction’s institutional and specifically regulatory environment impact firm formation and entrepreneurial activity. This study adds to this by employing a dataset measuring the differential impact that federal regulations have on industries across US states. Specifically, the paper addresses how such differences affect several facets of early-stage entrepreneurial activity, including and index measure of early-stage entrepreneurship, opportunity entrepreneurship, job creation at startup, and new firm survival rates all derived from the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. Overall, the results suggest that early-stage entrepreneurial activity tends to be negatively correlated with a relatively more burdensome federal regulatory environment. While the channels do not indicate an effect through new firm formation and firm survival rates, both opportunity entrepreneurship and job formation are negatively and significantly affected. Implications are discussed.
JEL Codes: D78, H73, K20, L26, L51
New "iPARKO" finger extensor facilitation training device for chronic hemiplegic hand after stroke: Development and verification of its effectiveness in healthy individuals
Authors: Nakamura Ai , Peichen Zhou , Morita Yoshifumi , Tanabe Hirofumi
Published: November 2022

After stroke, hemiplegic individuals have difficulty opening their hands by themselves due to paralysis. A finger extensor facilitation technique was therefore developed to increase the activity of the extensor muscle in hemiplegic individuals who cannot open their paralyzed hands by themselves. In our previous study, we created a training device prototype called the "PARKO", that imitates the finger extensor facilitation technique; however, the activity of the extensor muscle using the device was much smaller than that of the finger extensor facilitation technique.
In this study, we developed a new finger extensor facilitation training device, the "iPARKO", to increase the activity of the extensor muscle during active training. We thus improved the structure of the PARKO device—including a modified method to apply force to the fingertips—and attached force sensors to the device to monitor these forces. To verify the effectiveness of the iPARKO device, we conducted active training using the device in healthy individuals. Comparing the results of the muscle activities between the PARKO and iPARKO devices among three healthy subjects demonstrated that the iPARKO device increased the mean activity of the extensor muscle by 43.8%, and decreased the mean activity of the flexor muscle by 33.7% when compared with the PARKO device. Additionally, when the iPARKO device was used to apply force to the fingertips, the fingertip forces and normalized values for maximum voluntary contraction of the extensor muscle were revealed in two healthy subjects. In conclusion, the iPARKO device improved the accuracy of imitating manual therapy compared with the PARKO device.
Quality assessment of Astragali Radix based on pseudo-targeted metabolomics approach
Authors: Guo Yaxuan , Li Zhenyu , Qin Xuemei
Published: November 2022

Astragali Radix (AR) is widely used because of its dual use in medicine and food, and its quality evaluation is of great importance. In this study, a pseudo-targeted metabolomics approach based on scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (sMRM) was developed, and a total of 114 compounds with good linearity, sensitivity and reproducibility were selected for relative quantification. With the help of multivariate and univariate analysis, 26 differential compounds between wild/semi-wild AR (AR-W) and cultivated AR (AR-C) were determined. Then 5 marker compounds were screened out by lasso regression, and further verified by systematic clustering, random forest, support vector machine, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. In addition, malonyl-substituted flavonoids showed relative higher content in AR-W. Thus, the malonyl-substitution was the characteristic for flavonoids in AR-W. In conclusion, the application of pseudo-targeted metabolomics and various statistical methods could offer multi-dimensional information for the holistic quality evaluation of AR.
Influence of gestational weight gain on placental oxidative stress in women with normal pre-pregnancy body mass index
Authors: Santos-Rosendo Celeste , Mateos Rosa María , Vázquez-Fonseca Luis , Ábalos-Martínez Jessica , Olmedo-Iglesias Hugo , Melero-Jiménez Victoria , Fajardo-Expósito María A. , Bugatto Fernando , Visiedo Francisco
Published: November 2022

Background: Body mass index (BMI) has long been used as a well-known risk factor for assessing the presence of an inappropriate gestational weight gain (GWG) and their potential repercussions on maternal-fetal axis during pregnancy and postpartum, especially for women with overweight and obesity. However, the potential role that the placenta plays on pregnancy outcomes has not been considered so far, particularly in those women that initiate with a normal-range BMI. We aim to examine the impact of GWG on redox state biomarkers in full-term human placentas from uncomplicated pregnant women with normal pregestational BMI.
Methods: 25 full-term pregnancies were chosen among a total of 94 after fulfilling the required study inclusion criteria, including mandatory normal singleton pregnancies and scheduled caesarean sections. The selected pregnant women were subsequently categorized as insufficient (<11 Kg), recommended (11-16 Kg) and excessive (>16 Kg), according to the weight gained during gestation for a normal pregestational BMI (18,5-24,9 Kg/m2), as indicated in the clinical guidelines revised and published by the IOM in 2009. At delivery, fresh placental villi were isolated and subjected to measure universal indicators of oxidative damage (carbonyl groups and NADPH oxidase activity) and antioxidant activity (superoxide dismutase [SOD] and antioxidant capacity parameters) by molecular biology techniques.
Results: We significantly report an elevated presence of oxidized proteins (carbonyl groups), along with a high activity of the NADPH oxidase enzyme in agreement with an increasing rate of GWG, being more accentuated above 11 kg. Conversely, we also show an overall decrease in both SOD and other antioxidant defense activity in relation to increased weight gain in pregnancy.
Conclusions: Our findings reveal the presence of severe oxidative damage, accompanied by a decline in antioxidant function, in those placentas from healthy pregnancies that achieved a GWG within the recommended range associated with pregnancy “good outcomes” for a normal pregestational BMI. Thus, GWG could be a key “unrecognized” maternal factor in the development of a redox impairment in human placenta, and consequently, in the fetal programming of metabolic disease during pregnancy and later in life.
A Big-data Analysis of the Potential Rebound Effect of Electric Vehicles on Vehicle Kilometers Travelled
Authors: Fallah Narjes , farahani Ali , Fitzpatrick Colin
Published: November 2022

Electric vehicles are becoming a significant technology alternative in the development of sustainable transportation. Although this technology is promising for carbon reduction, there are social and behavioural impacts that might rebound on the environmental benefits. One impact of interest is the effect of the reduced marginal cost per kilometre of electric vehicles against internal combustion engines on their distances travelled, and this study aims to investigate this behavioural impact through inspection of the UK-MOT database. Drivers’ behaviours were examined by grouping them based on several attributes, including vehicle segmentation, tax class and year of registration. Results compare the annual vehicle kilometres travelled of traditional and electric vehicle drivers for two different generations and show that VKT increases with range for EV drivers. While no distinct rebound effect was observed, it cannot be ruled out in the future and should continue being monitored as the range, choice and adoption of electric vehicles grow over time.
IRONSperm swimming by Rigid-Body Rotation Versus Transverse Bending Waves
Authors: Magdanz Veronika , Klingner Anke , Abelmann Leon , Khalil Islam S.M.
Published: November 2022

Cell membrane potential affects the electrostatic self-assembly of magnetizable nanoparticles around the flagellum of sperm cells, leading to the formation of biohybrid microrobots (i.e. IRONSperm) with various bending stiffness. Here we explain the influence of bull sperm cell membrane potential on the formation of two types of IRONSperm samples that are produced by electrostatic self-assembly. The first is a proximal-coated soft body with nanoparticles concentrated on the head to maintain high flexibility of the flagellum and create a passively propagating transverse bending wave under the influence of an external rotating magnetic field. The second is a rigid-body with nanoparticles approximately uniformly distributed along the length to provide arbitrary geometry that maintains a constant chiral shape and propel by rotation about its long axis. We present a magneto-elastohydrodynamic model to predict the swimming speed at low Reynolds number for rigid IRONSperm with arbitrary shapes, and show that decreasing the bending stiffness allows the model to capture the behavior of its soft counterpart. While the response of a rigid chiral IRONSperm is distinguished by a greater swimming speed with a smooth decay with frequency, the benefit of a soft flagellum in certain scenarios would present a much smaller range of frequencies for wireless actuation.
Response surface optimization of ultrasonic extraction conditions of nuciferine and its purification
Authors: Wu Mengdie , Ren Xinshui , Liu Simin , Pan Hongzhi
Published: November 2022

Lotus leaf is an agricultural product as well as a kind of Chinese herbal medicine. Nuciferine is an amorphine alkaloids in lotus leaf that has anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering and hypoglycemic effects, so it is greatly significant to extract and purify nuciferine. However, the factors that affect the nuciferine of lotus leaf extraction by dipping-acid-assisted ultrasonic extraction method (DAUEM) are rarely studied. The purpose of this research estimates DAUEM conditions (ethanol concentration, ratio of solution to material, ultrasonic extraction time) on responses by Box–Behnken response surface design. In addition, nuciferine of lotus leaf is purified by D101 macroporous adsorptive resin. A single factor test was conducted using nuciferine yield as an indicator and taking ethanol concentration (V/V), ratio of solution to material (V/M), ultrasonic extraction time as the influencing factor. The extraction process of nuciferine was optimized by response surface method based on the single factor test results. Nuciferine in lotus leaf was separated and purified by D101 macroporous adsorptive resin. The nuciferine yield (0.1035 ± 0.005) % was the largest as using 74% ethanol (V/V), ratio of solution to material 26:1, and the extraction time 82 min. The purity of nuciferine was 67.14% with 70% ethanol as eluent and through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination. This experiment has good precision and accuracy, so can be used for the extraction, separation and purification of nuciferine in lotus leaf. The method provides a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of nuciferine. Dipping-acid-assisted ultrasonic extraction method (DAUEM) can fully extract nuciferine in lotus leaf. Box-Behnken response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the ultrasonic extraction process. D101 macroporous adsorption resin can admirably separate and purify nuciferine in lotus leaf.
Preparation of Reed Straw Hydrochar Adsorbent and Its Environmental Impact Assessment
Authors: Wang Jing , Zang Yufei , Zhang Jiawen , Chen Feiyong , Liu Guanhong , Liu Bing , Matsumoto Toru
Published: November 2022

Hydrothermal carbonization technology has attracted increasingly the amount of attention due to its efficient conversion of biomass resources. Such technology benefits both the economy and the environment. In this study, hydrothermal carbonization of reed was conducted in a hydrothermal reactor under laboratory conditions. The factors that control the hydrochar yield and the efficiency of methylene blue adsorption, such as temperature, residence time, and solid-liquid ratio were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the structure of the reed hydrochar. The experimental results indicated that the order of the factors affecting hydrochar yield was as follows: residence time > maximum temperature > solid-liquid ratio. The order of factors that determine the extent of methylene blue adsorption was: solid-liquid ratio > maximum temperature > residence time. The optimum condition for hydrochar production was with a reaction temperature at 260 ℃, a residence time of 2 h, and a solid-liquid ratio of 1:10. The optimum condition for the highest amount of methylene blue adsorption was with a reaction temperature at 260 ℃, a residence time of 1 h, and a solid-liquid ratio of 1:10. The SEM imaging revealed a pore structure at the surface of the hydrochar comprising carbon microspheres and multilayer structure. Whereas the FTIR analysis indicated that the hydrochar had a high number of oxygen-containing surface functional groups. The environmental impact of the reed hydrochar preparation process was evaluated using the life cycle assessment approach by the SimaPro 9.2.0.2 software. The results revealed that the hydrothermal carbonization process majorly impacted the toxicity to the environment, the land use and the global warming. Future optimization of the hydrothermal carbonization process should focus on: (1) reducing the energy consumption during this process; (2) evaluating the environmental impact of the hydrochar-producing system, including the resource recycling of the by-products during this process.