bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep Learning Method for Improving Rate of Penetration Prediction in Drilling
Authors: Urdaneta Carlos , Jeong Cheolkyun , Wu Xuqing , Chen Jiefu
Published: April 2024

The urgent global need to reduce CO2 emissions necessitates the development of sustainable power generation sources. Geothermal power emerges as a renewable and dependable energy option, harnessing the Earth’s natural heat sources for electricity generation. Unlike other renewables, geothermal energy offers uninterrupted power, immune to weather conditions. However, its efficiency hinges on technological innovation, particularly in the challenging realm of geothermal drilling. Rate of penetration (ROP) is a crucial drilling performance metric, and this study explores how deep learning models, particularly transformers, can optimize ROP prediction. Leveraging data from Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE), we analyze the relationship between drilling parameters and ROP. Traditional drilling optimization methods face limitations, as drilling dysfunctions can disrupt the linear relationship between ROP and weight on bit (WOB). We propose a dynamic approach that allows adapting drilling parameters in real time to optimize ROP. Our experiments investigate optimal sampling intervals and forecast horizons for ROP prediction. We find that a 60-second sampling interval maximizes the transformer model’s forecasting accuracy. Additionally, we explore retraining to fine-tune models for specific wells, improving forecasting performance. Our transformer-based ROP forecaster outperforms deep learning models, achieving a low overall 5.22% symmetrical mean average percentage error (SMAPE) over a forecast horizon of 10 minutes. This model offers opportunities for cost-effective drilling optimization, with real-time accuracy, speed, and scalability. Future work will focus on larger data sets and integration with drilling automation systems to further enhance the model’s practicality and effectiveness in the field.
The effectiveness of vitrectomy co-adjuvant intravitreal dexamethasone implant on visual outcome in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy: study protocol for a prospective randomized controlled trail
Authors: 赵 萌 , Chandra Aman , Xu Jun , Liu Lin , Li Jipeng
Published: April 2024

Background: Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) often leads to tractional retinal detachment and vitreous hemorrhage, requiring vitrectomy. Poor visual outcomes are commonly caused by macular edema and proliferative vitreous retinopathy after vitrectomy. Intravitreal dexamethasone implant has shown promise in improving visual function after vitrectomy for diabetic macular edema, but its role in vitrectomy in PDR treatment remains unexplored. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of vitrectomy combined with intravitreal dexamethasone implant for PDR patients.
Methods: We designed a single-blind, randomized controlled trial with 100 participants diagnosed with PDR requiring vitrectomy. Participants were randomly assigned to either the dexamethasone implant group or the control group. The dexamethasone implant group underwent vitrectomy combined with intravitreal dexamethasone implant, while the control group underwent vitrectomy alone. The single surgeon performed all the vitrectomy surgeries, the choice of intravitreal dexamethasone implant treatment was disclosed before the closure of scleral wounds. Primary and secondary outcomes were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks post-vitrectomy. Primary outcome measures included corrected visual acuity (Snellen visual chart) and central retinal thickness (optical coherence tomography OCT). Secondary outcomes included elevated intraocular pressure, post-vitrectomy hemorrhage, retinal detachment, and systemic complications requiring hospitalization.
Discussion: This protocol seeks to enhance our understanding of the effects of combined intravitreal dexamethasone implant with vitrectomy on visual outcomes and macular morphology changes in treating late complications of PDR.
The trail was registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry at May 11th 2022 with registration number ChiCTR2200059760.
Successful rechallenge twice with different EGFR-TKIs in a patient with lung adenocarcinoma after EGFR- TKI-induced grade 3 stomatitis and interstitial lung disease: a case report
Authors: Liu Xueni , Zhu Kejun , Xie Yanru , Huang Jianhui
Published: April 2024

Background:
Rechallenge with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can be successful as a result of different TKI adverse event profiles. Grade 3 stomatitis seriously affects a patient’s life and leads to drug discontinuation, which can affect survival. Serious adverse effects caused by EGFR-TKIs, such as interstitial lung disease (ILD), can be fatal. This study provides new treatment options for patients who develop grade 3 stomatitis or ILD following EGFR-TKI therapy.
Case Description:
We present the case of a 67-year-old female patient with stage IV adenocarcinoma involving an EGFR exon 19 deletion mutation who received gefitinib for three months and then discontinued treatment due to grade 3 stomatitis. Icotinib was readministered without any adverse events (AEs). After stable control for 14 months, new liver metastases appeared, and three cycles of pemetrexed and carboplatin plus bevacizumab were administered. Subsequent next-generation sequencing of plasma indicated an EGFR T790M mutation, and the patient subsequently received osimertinib for three months. However, as the patient developed osimertinib-induced grade 3 ILD, the TKIs were discontinued, and high-dose methylprednisolone was administered. After symptomatic remission, half-dose aumolertinib and steroid protection were administered. As there was no ILD recurrence, aumolertinib was increased to the standard dose in 1 month, and the tumor achieved a partial response (PR) .The progression-free survival (PFS) with aumolertinib was more than 17 months without obvious AEs.
Conclusions:
We report a case of successful rechallenge with two different EGFR-TKIs. Faced with serious adverse effects such as ILD, the rechallenge can be attempted after a thorough assessment of clinical benefits and potential risks.
Prediction of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of copper death in osteoarthritis
Authors: Jurat Jessore , Liu Xiao , Liang Pengfei , Cheng Long , Xia Jing , Wang Jialu , Qian Ping , Zhang Dongfang , Li Wenxuan
Published: April 2024

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease characterized by articular cartilage destruction and synovial damage. The immune system has an impact on the development of OA. The infiltration of immune cells will cause the autoimmune reaction of osteoarthritis and disrupt the immune equilibrium in bone tissue. Recent studies have demonstrated that copper is crucial in regulating the immune system. Copper can also mediate cell death through a new cell death program by targeting the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) circulating protein. However, no research has been conducted on the copper death gene regulation of OA immune response.The gene expression profiles—GSE55235, GSE82107, and GSE206848—were obtained from the GEO database. A total of 24 healthy and 27 OA joint synovial samples were screened for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in combination with copper death-related genes and immune-related genes to conduct subsequent analyses.We have selected seven genes—NAMPT, EGFR, ADM, APOD, CD28, CXCL12, and MMP9—as potentially essential marker genes to regulate copper death. These marker genes are enriched in autophagy, lysosome, apoptosis, immune response, polysaccharide synthesis and metabolism, and signaling pathways of related diseases. The proportion of NKT cells in OA samples was significantly higher than that in the control group, whereas neutrophil expression was significantly lower than that in the healthy group. Finally, RT-PCR confirmed that the expressions of NAMPT and EGFR in the disease group were lower than those in the control group.We developed and validated the immune copper death DEGs model, which can accurately diagnose and characterize the biological changes of OA. Seven marker genes may also be potential targets of immunomodulatory therapy, including NAMPT and EGFR, which play an essential role in bone and joint, thereby providing prediction and theoretical support for the regulatory mechanism of copper death in osteoarthritis.
Multimodality and Attention Increase Alignment in Natural
Language Prediction Between Humans and Computational
Models
Authors: kewenig viktor , Lampinen Andrew , Nastase Samuel , Edwards Christopher , D'Elascombe Quitterie , Rechardt Akilles , Skipper Jeremy , Vigliocco Gabriella
Published: April 2024

The potential of multimodal generative artificial intelligence (mAI) to replicate human grounded language understanding, including the pragmatic, context-rich aspects of communication, remains to be clarified. Humans are known to use salient multimodal features, such as visual cues, to facilitate the processing of upcoming words. Correspondingly, multimodal computational models can integrate visual and linguistic data using a visual attention mechanism to assign next-word probabilities. To test whether these processes align, we tasked both human participants (N = 200) as well as several state-of-the-art computational models with evaluating the predictability of forthcoming words after viewing short audio-only or audio-visual clips with speech. During the task, the model’s attention weights were recorded and human attention was indexed via eye tracking. Results show that predictability estimates from humans aligned more closely with scores generated from multimodal models vs. their unimodal counterparts. Furthermore, including an attention mechanism doubled alignment with human judgments when visual and linguistic context facilitated predictions. In these cases, the model’s attention patches and human eye tracking significantly overlapped. Our results indicate that improved modeling of naturalistic language processing in mAI does not merely depend on training diet but can be driven by multimodality in combination with attention-based architectures. Humans and computational models alike can leverage the predictive constraints of multimodal information by attending to relevant features in the input.
Study on the volatility spillover effect and nonlinear dynamic evolution mechanism of economic policy uncertainty and asset prices--an analysis of futures prices of oil and grease agricultural products based on the VAR-BEKK-GARCH-VS model
Authors: Xiulian Zhou , Qiankun Jiang
Published: April 2024

In recent years, the uncertainty of the domestic and foreign economic environment on China's futures and financial markets is increasingly significant, this paper to economic policy uncertainty, securities markets, futures markets, producer costs of the role of the path, the construction of the VAR-BEKK-GARCH-VS model to explore the volatility spillover effect of economic policy uncertainty and asset prices, nonlinear dynamic evolution, empirical analysis results show that Oil and grease futures prices and financial markets have significant risk spillover effects and asymmetry, and usually oil and grease agricultural commodity futures prices are the risk transmitter of the volatility spillover; from the static spillover effect, oil and grease agricultural commodity futures price fluctuations have the strongest degree of influence on China's agricultural commodity market; in terms of the dynamic spillover effect, the oil and grease agricultural commodity futures prices under the impact of extreme events have significant time-varying characteristics and asymmetry, and the impact on China's futures prices is not significant, and the impact on China's futures prices is not significant. In terms of dynamic spillover effect, the futures price of oil and grease agricultural products under the impact of extreme events has significant time-varying characteristics and non-symmetry, and is more dependent on the fluctuation of China's futures price. Based on this, policy makers should adopt policy guidance and market subsidies to improve the reserve and insurance system of oil and grease agricultural products futures; economic and financial management authorities should establish a risk monitoring and early warning mechanism in China's oil and grease agricultural products futures market to effectively prevent systemic risks.
Exploring the Phytoremediation Capacity of Portulace oleracea Naphthalene Aromatic Hydrocarbon Contaminants:A Physiological and Biochemical Study
Authors: Janbazi Zahra , Zarinkamar Fatemeh , Mohsenzadeh Sasan
Published: April 2024

Aromatic hydrocarbons have detrimental effects on the animals and plants in affected habitats. Oxidative stress induced by aromatic hydrocarbons leads to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, resulting in peroxidation of membrane lipids, DNA/RNA damage, tissue damage, and metabolic disorders. Naphthalene is one of the 16 priority hydrocarbons and falls under this category. Plant remediation is an effective method for removing naphthalene from polluted environments. Phytoremediation, a green technology, utilizes plants to enhance the degradation or removal of organic and inorganic pollutants. This study aimed to assess the impact of naphthalene on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of purslane, as well as its potential to absorb naphthalene. Four concentrations of naphthalene (0,15, 30, and 60 mg/l) were selected for the experiments. In addition a control treatment without plant containing 60mg/L of naphthalene was applied. Each treatment had four replications which were conducted using 20 hydroponic containers. The findings revealed that naphthalene reduced stem and root weights, soluble protein, and the content of photosynthetic pigments, while increasing malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide. However, the purslane plant demonstrated the ability to withstand naphthalene-induced stress by increasing the activities of enzymes, such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase, as well as proline amino acid. The data obtained from Raman spectroscopy indicated that purslane could effectively absorb naphthalene. In conclusion, purslane exhibited significant potential for naphthalene phytoremediation.
Establishing C-C electro-coupling mechanism via big data analyses of reaction networks
Authors: Qiao Shizhang , Li Haobo , Li Xinyu , wang pengtang , zhang zhen , Davey Kenneth , Shi Javen
Published: April 2024

C-C coupling is important in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction for production of green chemicals. However, understanding of the underlying coupling mechanism(s) is poor because of the complexity of the reaction network. Here, we report a method to establish the structure-activity relationship in C-C coupling reactions via statistical analyses on a big dataset. The dataset contains a total of 45,738 adsorption data, which are generated through a combination of quantum chemical computations and machine-learning and encompasses 378 active site structures formed by 27 transition metals together with 6 potential coupling precursors. Analyses of these data establishes that, 1) asymmetric coupling mechanisms exhibit potential for greater efficiency compared with symmetric coupling, agreeing well with reported experiment, and 2) C-C coupling selectivity of Cu-based catalysts can be boosted through bimetallic doping. The three-component combination of CuAgNb exhibited superior coupling selectivity compared with both Cu and CuAg catalysts. Importantly, we experimentally substantiate the CuAgNb catalyst selected based on data screening, to demonstrate actual boosted performance in C-C coupling. We conclude that this finding evidences practicality of our theoretical model, and that combining big data with complex catalytic reaction mechanisms will become a basis or a new paradigm for accelerating optimal catalyst design for multi-carbon chemicals production.
Isolated Ptosis in Acute Sinusitis: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Summerbell Alex Michael , Nicholson-Stubbs Tammy
Published: April 2024

Introduction:
Acute sinusitis is usually a straightforward diagnosis characterised by nasal blockage or discharge, with facial pain, pressure or headache and/or reduced smell. However, some features may be present suggesting neurological or ophthalmic disease, and thus delay the diagnosis and management. In particular, isolated ptosis is a rare complication with only six cases in the literature.
Case Presentation: A fit and well 33-year-old male presented with an acute right-sided drooping upper eyelid. It was associated with a one-week history of frontal headache worse on bending forward and sneezing, and right eye pain and pressure. The physical examination confirmed a right-sided ptosis with preserved eye movements and pupillary responses. CT head showed pansinusitis primarily affecting the right maxillary and ethmoid sinuses, and excluded an intracranial and orbital cause for the ptosis. He was discharged the same day with a one-week course of oral doxycycline, advice about steam inhalation and follow-up in the outpatient ENT clinic in one week, and subsequently fully recovered.
Conclusions
Isolated ptosis in acute sinusitis remains an unusual complication of a common condition which is poorly recognised by clinicians. By identifying the common themes from each case and ours, we provided clinicians with a better understanding of this presentation while raising its awareness.
Healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals: a point prevalence survey in Lombardy, Italy, in 2022
Authors: Antonelli Antonio , Ales Maria Elena , Chiecca Greta , Valle Zeno Dalla , De Ponti Emanuele , Cereda Danilo , Crottogini Lucia , Renzi Cristina , Signorelli Carlo , Moro Matteo
Published: April 2024

Background: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are a global public health issue, representing a significant burden of disease that leads to prolonged hospital stays, inappropriate use of antimicrobial drugs, intricately linked to the development of resistant microorganisms, and higher costs for healthcare systems. The study aimed to measure the prevalence of HAIs, the use of antimicrobials, and assess healthcare- and patient-related risk factors, to help identify key intervention points for effectively reducing the burden of HAIs.Methods: A total of 28 acute care hospitals in the Lombardy region, Northern Italy, participated in the third European Point Prevalence Survey (PPS-3) coordinated by ECDC for the surveillance of HAIs in acute care hospitals (Protocol 6.0).Results: HAIs were detected in 1,259 (10.1%, 95% CI 9.6–10.7%) out of 12,412 enrolled patients. 1,385 HAIs were reported (1.1 HAIs per patient on average). The most common types of HAIs were bloodstream infections (262 cases, 18.9%), urinary tract infections (237, 17.1%), SARS-CoV-2 infections (236, 17.0%), pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections (231, 16.7%), and surgical site infections (152, 11.0%). Excluding SARS-CoV-2 infections, the overall prevalence of HAIs was 8.4% (95% CI 7.9–8.9%).
Magnetic Field Fluctuations Coinciding With Substorm Events
Authors: Shah Trunali , Veendhari B , Omura Yoshiharu , Ojha Biswajit , Singh Satyavir , Bhanu Remya , Ebihara Yusuke
Published: April 2024

Using the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite (EMFISIS) onboard the Van Allen Probes spacecraft, the present study investigates the magnetic field fluctuations corresponding to substorms associated with magnetic field dipolarization. We examine thirteen substorm occurrences with L < 6.6 and a range of MLT spanning dawn, midnight, and dusk during the year 2018. Utilizing the 64Hz magnetic field data, our investigation reveals significant magnetic field fluctuations exhibiting power from gyrofrequency of O+ extending up to gyrofrequency of H+. Notably, in all the events studied, there is the absence of a helium stop band which is unique. Through the wave polarization analysis, we speculate that the observed magnetic field fluctuations represent Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves. The proton pitch angle distribution is analyzed to detect particle anisotropy, and resonance energy corresponding to the fluctuations is computed using the cold plasma approximation and is consistent with observations. The plasma and magnetic pressure are computed to understand the role of resonant protons associated with the magnetic field fluctuations in maintaining the pressure balance. The inverse correlation between these two pressures may be the result of the injected hot protons. Our findings suggest that the disappearance of stop bands may be attributed to a combination of heavy ion density, temperature, and the presence of hot proton anisotropy. Additionally, the observed self-sustaining magnetic fluctuations hint at the potential influence of nonlinear theory in this phenomenon.
The first complete T2T Assemblies of Cattle and Sheep Y-Chromosomes uncover remarkable divergence in structure and gene content
Authors: Smith Timothy , Olagunju Temitayo , Rosen Benjamin , Neibergs Holly , Becker Gabrielle , Davenport Kimberly , Elsik Christine , Hadfield Tracy , Koren Sergey , Kuhn Kristen , Rhie Arang , Shira Katie , Skibiel Amy , Stegemiller Morgan , Thorne Jacob , Villamediana Patricia , Cockett Noelle , Murdoch Brenda
Published: April 2024

Reference genomes of cattle and sheep have lacked contiguous assemblies of the sex-determining Y chromosome. We assembled complete and gapless telomere to telomere (T2T) Y chromosomes for these species. The pseudo-autosomal regions were similar in length, but the total chromosome size was substantially different, with the cattle Y more than twice the length of the sheep Y. The length disparity was accounted for by expanded ampliconic region in cattle. The genic amplification in cattle contrasts with pseudogenization in sheep suggesting opposite evolutionary mechanisms since their divergence 18MYA. The centromeres also differed dramatically despite the close relationship between these species at the overall genome sequence level. These Y chromosome have been added to the current reference assemblies in GenBank opening new opportunities for the study of evolution and variation while supporting efforts to improve sustainability in these important livestock species that generally use sire-driven genetic improvement strategies.
Prognostic value of SOFA combined with chest CT severity score in patients with critical COVID-19 pneumonia: a retrospective study
Authors: Fang Honglong , Yu Yang , Zhao Junjie , Cao Lanxin , Chen Weiting , Yu Jiafei , Zhang Kai , Wang Caimu , Cui Wei , Luo Jian , Zhang Weiwen , Zhang Gensheng
Published: April 2024

Background: Either sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score or chest CT severity score (CT-SS) is often used alone to evaluate the prognosis of patients with critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but each of them has intrinsic deficiency. Herein, we attempted to investigate the predictive value of the combination of SOFA and CT-SS for the prognosis of COVID-19.
Materials and Methods: A single-center retrospective study was performed in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from December 2022 to January 2023. Patients with critical COVID-19 pneumonia were divided into two groups of survival or non-survival of hospitalization. The data including clinical characteristics, CT-SS, SOFA score, laboratory results on admission day were collected and analyzed. In addition, the predictive value of SOFAscore, chest CT-SS, or their combination for in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 pneumonia were compared by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
Results: A total of 424 patients with a mean age of 75.46 years and a major proportion of male (69.10%) were finally enrolled, and the total in-hospital mortality was 43.40% (184/424). In comparison with survival group, significant higher proportions of older age (>75 years), comorbidities including obesity, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease, more needs of mechanical ventilation and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) were observed in the non-survival group (all P﹤0.05). In addition, non-survival patients had a higher value of creatinine, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 , SOFA score , CT-SS (all P﹤0.05) on admission day. Multivariate logistic regression analysis further showed that older age, obesity, diabetes, SOFA score, CT-SS, mechanical ventilation, and lymphocytopenia (all P﹤0.05) were independently related with in-hospital mortality. Moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) of combination of SOFA score and chest CT-SS became significant higher than their respective alone (P＜0.01).
Conclusion: A simple combination of SOFA scorewith chest CT-SS on admission elicits a better predictive value for in-hospital mortality of critical COVID-19 patients, which could also serve as a promising indicator for prognosis prediction of other severe lung diseases like severe pneumonia and acute lung injury.
Seasonal variation characteristics of microplastics in water environment of lakes with different functions
Authors: Zheng Ran , Shu Qingsong , Liang Haiyan , Jiang Hongxin , Xie Shaolin , Zou Jixing , Tang Huijuan , Zhou Aiguo
Published: April 2024

Human activities and urbanization may have accelerated the enrichment and dissemination of microplastics in lakes. In this study, three typical functional lakes (HRR: the lake with a hospital and restaurant region; PER: the lake with a play and entertainment region; SMY: the lake in a primitive arboretum) were selected to compare the occurrence characteristics and seasonal changes of microplastics, which were sampled on January 23, April 23, July 23, and October 23, 2021. The results showed that the abundance of microplastics in the HRR was (5.73±0.81)-(13.57±7.95) items/L, in the PER was (8.2±1.06)- (19.73±3.73) items/L, and in the SMY lake was (2.93±1.3)-(11.4±1.8) items/L. Additionally, the microplastics were mainly fibers, some were fragments and films, and a small amount were pellets; the color was mainly blue, and the particle size was mainly 0-1mm. The average abundance of microplastics exhibits significant seasonal specificity in three functional lakes, the HRR reached its peak value in July, the PER reached its peak value in January, and the SMY was in April. Meanwhile, the abundance and color richness of microplastics in the HRR and the PER were significantly higher than those of microplastics in the SMY. This indicated that the enrichment of microplastics is highly correlated with human activities.
HDAC2 promotes autophagy-associated HCC malignant progression by transcriptionally activating LAPTM4B
Authors: Huang Aimin , Wang Meifeng , Liao Jianping , Wang Jie , Xu Meifang , Cheng Ye , Wei Lixin
Published: April 2024

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant global health challenge. The activation of autophagy plays an essential role in promoting the proliferation and survival of cancer cells. However, the upstream regulatory network of autophagy and its mechanism of regulation in HCC remains unclear. This study demonstrated that histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) is a target for regulating autophagy in HCC, its expression is elevated in HCC tissues, and high HDAC2 expression is strongly related to dismal prognosis in individuals with HCC. Integrated in vitro and in vivo investigations verified that HDAC2 promotes autophagy and autophagy-related malignant progression in HCC. Mechanistically, HDAC2 specifically binds to the lysosome-associated protein transmembrane 4-β (LAPTM4B) promoter through four specific binding sites, enhancing its transcriptional activation and driving autophagy-related malignant progression in HCC. These findings confirm LAPTM4B as a new HDAC2 straight target gene. Additionally, the study found that HDAC2 expression is an independent predictor of HCC patients, according to multivariate Cox regression analysis of 105 human HCC samples. This study highlights the crucial role of the HDAC2-LAPTM4B axis in regulating autophagy in the malignant evolution of HCC and emphasizes the promise of HDAC2 as an avenue for preventing and arresting the malignant progression of HCC.
The GC% landscape of the Nucleocytoviricota
Authors: Witt Amanda Stéphanie Arantes , Carvalho João Victor Rodrigues Pessoa , Serafim Mateus Sá Magalhães , Arias Nidia Esther Colquehuanca , Rodrigues Rodrigo Araújo Lima , Abrahão Jônatas Santos
Published: April 2024

Genomic studies on sequence composition count with many different approaches, such as calculating the proportion of guanine and cytosine within a given sequence (GC% content), which can be associated with a variety of aspects of the organism’s biology. In this context, GC% can reveal clues on virus-host relationship and evolution. Here we present a comprehensive analysis, gene-by-gene, of 61 representatives belonging to the phylum Nucleocytoviricota, viruses with the largest genomes of the known virosphere. Parameters were evaluated considering not only the average CG% of a given viral species compared to the whole phylum, but also to the gene position and phylogenetic history. Our results revealed that although some families present similar GC% among their representatives (e.g., Marseilleviridae), others as Poxviridae, Phycodnaviridae and Mimiviridae have members with discrepant GC%, likely related to the adaptation with their specific biological cycles and specific hosts. Interestingly, some genes at terminal regions or at some genomic clusters present GC% values distinct to the average, suggesting recent acquisition or distinct evolutive pressures. Horizontal gene transfer and the occurrence of potential paralogs were also evaluated considering the genes with most discrepant GC% values, suggesting multiple evolutionary histories. Taken together, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that presents a global and gene-by-gene analysis of the distribution and profile of the GC% content within genomes of members of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota, illustrating part of their diversity and identifying potential new targets for future studies.
IMPORTANCE
Viruses of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota are greatly distinguishable from other viruses in general because of the giant viral particles and their notably larger genomes, among other remarkable characteristics. One of the approaches used for studying organisms is unveiling information from their genomes, as they carry a plethora of information about biological aspects. Genomic studies use a great range of approaches, one of which is the evaluation of the percentage of nucleotides that make the DNA or RNA molecule of an organism’s genome. Herein, we demonstrate how genomes of nucleocytoviruses vary according to nucleotide composition metrics – more specifically, the percentage of guanine and cytosine, known as GC% content. Our results provide evidence of gene groups possibly acquired by horizontal gene transfer or duplication events, thus having multiple evolutionary histories within the same viral taxa. Therefore, we believe that these analyses raise insightful discussions about the evolution of large and giant viruses.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in PSCA Associated with Bladder Cancer Susceptibility in an Indian Subpopulation
Authors: Bidi Saziya , Rangrez Shadab , Nerli Rajendra
Published: April 2024

Background
Urothelial bladder cancer(UBC) is the most common neoplasm of the urinary system. Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have reported that single nucleotide polymorphisms in the PSCA gene are associated with BC risk. Prostate stem cell antigen genes play a role in cell proliferation inhibition and cell death induction. The expression of PSCA is altered in BC. It may be a useful marker for diagnosis and disease progression of UBC.
Materials and methods
In this hospital-based study, we evaluated the risk factors for bladder cancer and their associations with single nucleotide polymorphisms in the PSCA gene. rs2294008C/T genotyping was performed by real-time Taqman® probes in histologically confirmed BC patients (107) and healthy controls (105) from a tertiary care hospital. Statistical analysis of association studies was performed with SPSS ver 22.0.
Results
The odds ratio for heterozygosity for CT and variant allele T of rs2294008 were 1.71 and 1.82 respectively. Thus there is an increased risk of BC due to polymorphisms. When the PSCA rs2294008C/T heterozygous CT genotype for high-grade tumors was combined with the tumor-grade, a substantial BC risk was found (p = 0.001;OR = 1.984). For individuals with the PSCA rs2294008C/T gene polymorphism heterozygous for the CT genotype (p = 0.0001), smoking significantly reduced the incidence of BC.
Conclusions
Our research revealed that a complicated intervention involving PSCA rs2294008C/T confers a greater risk of BC risk in the North Karnataka population
Exploration of the shared pathways and common biomarker LY96 in Endometriosis and Systemic lupus erythematosus using integrated bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Huang Jin , Ruan Xuelian , Chen Yongling , Zhong Ziqing , Nie Jiaqi , Zeng Moqiyi , Tao Xiang , Qin Xue , Chen Hua Ping
Published: April 2024

Endometriosis (EMS) is a chronic gynecological disorder that affects 5–10% of women of reproductive age, and Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of the most prevalent systemic autoimmune diseases. Despite clinical evidence suggesting potential associations between EMS and SLE, the underlying pathogenesis is yet unclear. This article aimed to explore the shared gene signatures and potential molecular mechanisms in EMS and SLE. Microarray data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and used to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the SLE datasets. A weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify the co-expression modules of EMS. cytoscape software and three machine learning algorithms were used to determine critical biomarkers, and a diagnostic model was built using the XG-Boost machine learning algorithms. Immune cell infiltration analysis was used to investigate the correlation between immune cell infiltration and common biomarkers of EMS and SLE. Results revealed that shared genes enriched in immune-related pathways and inflammatory responses. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve and the Precision-Recall (PR) curves showed satisfactory performance of the model. immune cell infiltration analysis showed that the expression of hub genes was closely associated with immune cells. RT-qPCR results indicated that LY96 might be the best biomarker for EMS and SLE.
Investigating the relationship between electronic learning and emotional and cultural intelligence of 2021-2022 incoming nursing students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Authors: Shokrpour Nasrin , Soleymani Zenab , Farahmandi Amir Yusef
Published: April 2024

Background: The present research aimed to investigate the relationship between electronic learning and emotional and cultural intelligence in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences nursing students who entered the university in the years 2021 and 2022.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional and correlational study conducted in the School of Nursing in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. 172 nursing students who were studying in the academic year 2021-2022 participated in this study. 90 nursing students in 2021 and 82 in 2022 entered the university. Using Morgan's sampling table, we selected 118 nursing students as the statistical sample. Due to the emergence of the Covid-19, available sampling was used. To collect the data, we used three emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, and e-learning questionnaires. Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression test were employed to analyze the data.
Results: It was shown that there was a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and e-learning with students' cultural intelligence. In addition, there was a significant relationship between electronic learning and emotional intelligence dimensions. Also, there was a positive and significant relationship between e-learning and the dimensions of cultural intelligence. The optimism, strategic, and motivational components could predict electronic learning in students.
Discussion and conclusion: According to the findings of the research, e-learning is a new teaching method that was used in Iran following the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world, which provides many educational opportunities for the educational system of the country. It exists and it prompted experts and curriculum specialists to examine e-learning and its influencing factors seriously and comprehensively. When students are at a favorable level in terms of emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence, they can accept electronic learning and improve and develop it.
Exploring System Contexts Contributing to Emerging Collaborative REDD+ Governance: Lessons from Ghana
Authors: Osei Misharch Kwadwo
Published: April 2024

Since its emergence in 2007, the global mechanism for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in developing countries (REDD+) has raised hopes of providing cost-effective solutions to tackle climate change. However, despite its potential, the design and implementation of REDD+ projects in many developing countries, including Ghana, have faced complex governance challenges. In recent years, collaborative governance approaches have been increasingly recommended for designing and implementing effective and equitable REDD+ projects, but the impacts of diverse potentially important contextual factors on such projects are unclear. Through the lens of the Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance (IFCG) and a qualitative case study of a collaborative REDD+ governance arrangement in Ghana’s High Forest Zone, this study aimed to analyze official participants perceptions of the effects of the system context variables on the conditions for successful collaboration on REDD+ implementation. Based on 10 in-depth semi-structured interviews and project documentation analysis, the results indicate that Ghana’s dynamic system context facilitates the initiation of collaboration in REDD+ projects when stakeholders feel uncertain about the provision of forest resources and recognize their interdependence in responding to such issues. In this context, collaborative governance aligns with stakeholders’ interests in addressing context-related problems affecting sustainable REDD+ forest management. The findings highlight the need for stakeholders to develop a shared knowledge of issues in collective governance, collective action, and encouragement of cross-sector leadership.They also highlight the IFCG framework’s applicability and utility for studying the impact of contextual factors on the success of REDD+ collaborations.
Serum cytokine levels in children with community-acquired pneumonia caused by different respiratory pathogens
Authors: Yuan-Hui DUAN , Yue-Xu OU , GAN Xiao-Ming , LI Jie-Ling , Jie CAO
Published: April 2024

Objective
To investigate the serum levels of cytokines in children with community-acquired pneumonia caused by different respiratory pathogens. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of children who were hospitalized with CAP in the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from February 2021 to October 2022. According to different pathogens, they were divided into Mycoplasma pneumoniae group, Adenovirus group, respiratory syncytial virus group, Haemophilus influenzae group, and Streptococcus pneumoniae group, and the levels of cytokines among groups were analyzed. Results: The level of IL-2 in Mycoplasma pneumoniae was higher than that RSV and Streptococcus pneumoniae. On IL-4, Mycoplasma pneumoniae was higher than RSV. In terms of IL-6, RSV was lower than that of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, adenovirus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The level of IL-10 in Mycoplasma pneumoniae was lower than that adenovirus and RSV. Haemophilus influenzae was lower than RSV. In terms of IL-17A, Mycoplasma pneumoniae was higher than RSV, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. In terms of INF-γ, Mycoplasma pneumoniae was higher than that of RSV, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Adenovirus and RSV were higher than Haemophilus influenzae, and the above differences were statistically significant. In Mycoplasma Pneumonia and Haemophilus influenzae, the severe pneumonia in IL − 6 and IL − 10, IFN - gamma are significantly higher than common pneumonia(P < 0.05).Conclusions: The expression levels of cytokines in community-acquired pneumonia caused by different respiratory pathogens are different. IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-γ have certain reference significance in predicting severe pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae.
Bacteriological and physicochemical analysis of water from different sources in a rural community of Jos South Local Government Area (LGA), Plateau State. Nigeria
Authors: Zang Pam Martin , Lubis Sati , Ndayishimiye Jean Claude , Josephine Meseko , Adamu Samson Kumzhira , Ahmad Saidu Idris , Ruth Adamu Rottemwa , Yakubu Vwot Ezekiel
Published: April 2024

Background
Clean water is essential for the health and survival of all life forms. Surface and underground water polluted by microbes and chemicals exacerbates issues of water scarcity. This continues to negatively affect the well-being of most people in developing countries like Nigeria and K-Vom, in Plateau State. Thus, this study aimed to determine the bacteriological and physicochemical parameters of water samples from borehole, tap, well, and rain water in K-Vom community of Jos South Local Government area.
Methods
Water samples from five locations underwent detailed analysis. Coliform presence was assessed using Eosin methylene blue agar and various equipment were used to assess physicochemical parameters like pH, temperature, turbidity, Phosphates, Sulphates, Nitrates, total hardness, total suspended solids, COD, and BOD following standard guidelines as specified by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency.
Results
Escherichia coli dominated as the most prominent organisms, indicating bacterial contamination. Tap water (e.g., NVRI compound) recorded the least Total Heterotrophic Bacterial (THB) count of 1.2x102 and 2MPN/100ml for Total Coliform Count (TCC), while Well water sources, particularly those from Angwan Madugu, had the highest contamination, with a THB count of 8.5x104 and 800-1500MPN/100ml for Coliforms. Physicochemical parameters generally complied with WHO limits, except for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Nitrates (Means: 0.14mg/L, 74.9mg/L). Their t-Test values were 2.69 and 2.91, with non-significant p-values (0.075 and 0.062) respectively. BOD also recorded a low t-score (2.94) with a non-significant p-value (0.060).
Conclusions
Though most Physicochemical conditions met WHO standards, local water sources are generally unfit due to bacterial contamination. Hence, simple water treatment practices are recommended. The study suggests further tests and comprehensive evaluations, extending beyond the locality, for a more thorough understanding of water quality parameters in future investigations.
Unfolding insights about resilience and its coping strategies among medical academics and healthcare professionals: A thematic qualitative analysis
Authors: Guraya Salman Yousuf , Dias Jacqueline Maria , Eladl Mohamed Ahmed , Rustom Ayah Mohammad Rajai , Alalawi Fatima Audi Saleem , Alhammadi Majid Hassan Saleh , Ahmed Yusra Ahmed Mohammed , Shamsi Amna Ali Omran Taryam Al , Bilalaga Sarah Juman , Nicholson Alfred , Malik Hani , Salman Shaista
Published: April 2024

Background
Health care professionals (HCPs) and medical and health academics (MHAs) strive to maintain and promote population health through evidence-based medical education and practice. At their workplaces, due to the demanding nature of work, HCPs and MHAs face substantial degree of physiological, psychological, and physical stress including burnout. Resilience has therefore become a fundamental necessity in the medical field. Our research aimed to acquire an in-depth comprehension of how HCPs and MHAs understand, cultivate, and sustain resilience when confronted with challenges and stressors at their workplaces.
Methods
We reviewed the existing corpus of literature on resilience, stressors, and coping strategies and followed an iterative process of deliberations for the development of a questionnaire. It was validated by content experts and was piloted on a small group of MHAs of the University of Sharjah (UoS) and HCPs from different hospitals of the United Arab Emirates to test its relevance, clarity of items, internal consistency, and inter-observer validity. The validated questionnaire was then used for in-depth interviews on HCPs and MHAs. Lastly, we adopted the Braun and Clarke 6-stage thematic model for qualitative data analysis.
Results
Our study recorded insights of 170 participants; 69 MHAs and 101 HCPs. Through an inductive thematic analysis of responses, three overarching themes with sub-themes emerged; cognitive mastery (cognitive appraisal and problem-solving abilities), affective well-being (gratification from professional efficacy and social support), and conative efficiency (proactive approaches and introspection and reflection). Other main findings highlighted stress-related factors, realistic expectations, personal well-being and work-life balance. MHAs were concerned about academic output and research, while HCPs were stressed about patient care, delivery of services, and workload. These constructs showcase an intricate interplay between cognitive mastery, affective well-being, and conative efficiency.
Conclusion
The findings of our study bestow valuable insights into the dynamic nature of resilience in the medical profession. The synergies and dissimilarities in work-life balance, personal productivity, and job-specific stressors among HCPs and MHAs demand a well-structured resilience program. The themes of cognitive mastery, affective well-being, and conative efficiency are interconnected and can help foster work-life balance and personal well-being of HCPs and MHAs to improve their resilience.
Social Isolation, Social Interaction, and Neuroticism: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Guo Jinjin , Liu Keqin , Zhu Yaqi , Yang Jixin , Su Yanwei
Published: April 2024

Objective
Neuroticism, as a fundamental personality trait marked by emotional instability, anxiety, and a propensity for negative emotions, presents difficulties in elucidating its developmental underpinnings, especially in the context of its association with social factors. Concurrently, observational studies in this domain encounter various hurdles, such as confounding variables and the issue of reverse causality. This study employed Two-sample Mendelian Randomization (TSMR) to explore the genetic basis of the causal relationship between social isolation, social interaction, and neuroticism.
Methods
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with social isolation and social interaction were extracted from an aggregated Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) dataset. Instrumental variables conforming to predetermined criteria were selected. The primary TSMR analysis was conducted using the Inverse Variance-Weighted (IVW) method, complemented by robustness checks through the Weighted Median, Weighted Mode, and MR Egger methods. Heterogeneity and pleiotropy tests were performed, along with sensitivity analyses, to enhance the precision and robustness of the results.
Results
Among five social engagement types analyzed, loneliness (IVW Odds Ratio per Standard Deviation change: 4.230; 95% Confidence Interval: 2.081–8.599; p<0.001) and loneliness (MTAG) (IVW Odds Ratio per Standard Deviation change: 1.670; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.314–2.122; p<0.001) demonstrated a statistically significant association with increased neuroticism risk. The remaining three social engagement types showed no significant association with neuroticism risk.
Conclusion
The findings suggest a causal relationship between loneliness and loneliness (MTAG) and a heightened risk of neuroticism, warranting further research to understand the underlying mechanisms.