bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study protocol for the Data Health Study - A Data-driven and Systems Approach to Health Promotion among Vocational Students in Denmark
Authors: Heinze Clara , Hartmeyer Rikke Dalgaard , Sidenius Anne , Ringgaard Lene Winther , Bjerregaard Anne-Louise , Krølner Rikke Fredenslund , Allender Steven , Bauman Adrian , Klinker Charlotte Demant
Published: June 2023

Background: Vocational school students exhibit significant risk behaviours in terms of poor diet, frequent use of nicotine products, inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, low levels of physical activity and poor mental health. This makes vocational students a vulnerable group for the development of noncommunicable diseases. Effective health promotion programmes targeting vocational students are needed.
The Danish study ‘Data-driven and Systems Approach to Health Promotion among Vocational Students’ (Data Health) aims to develop, implement and evaluate a systems approach to support vocational schools, municipalities and local communities in implementing locally relevant health promotion actions among and for vocational students. This paper describes the Data Health programme and how implementation and preliminary effectiveness will be evaluated.
Methods: The Data Health programme offers an iterative five-step process to develop changes in the systems that shapes health behaviour and wellbeing among vocational students. The programme will be implemented and evaluated at eight Danish vocational schools in four municipalities. The implementation of the process and actions will be explored using a system-based evaluation design that assesses contextual differences and the mechanisms through which the programme leads to changes in the systems. Preliminary effectiveness at individual level (students’ self-reported health behaviour and wellbeing) and organisational level (school organisational readiness reported by school staff) will be assessed using a quasi-experimental design and cross-sectional data will be collected at all eight schools simultaneously four times during the two-year study period.
Discussion: We expect that the Data Health study will make significant contributions to complex intervention research by contributing to the paucity of research studies that have used systems approaches in school settings. The study will also provide evidence of successful elements for systems change and effectiveness to determine whether national scale-up can be recommended.
Trial registration: Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05308459, retrospectively registered on 4th April 2022.
Disease Dynamics in a Changing Climate: Impact of Urbanization and Temperature Variability on Infectious Diseases in Coimbatore
Authors: Suresh Sudha , Meraj Gowhar , Kumar Pankaj , Singh Deepak , Khan Inam Danish , Gupta Ankita , Yadav Tarun , Kouser Asma , Avtar Ram
Published: June 2023

Climate change, which encompasses variations in rainfall and temperature patterns, coupled with changes in land use/land cover (LULC), significantly impacts both the environment and society. These two factors, climate change and LULC shifts, have markedly affected human health, both directly and indirectly. Monitoring regional climate patterns, LULC changes, and disease outbreaks is crucial to ensure healthy living standards through a sustainable environment. This study investigates the correlation between climate change, LULC change, and the prevalence of infectious diseases transmitted by vectors and waterborne pathogens in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India, from 1985 to 2015. The study used Landsat-4, Landsat-5 and Landsat-8 data to generate LULC maps of the study area. The maximum likelihood algorithm facilitated the creation of these maps and detected changes for the years 1985, 2000, 2009, and 2015. Rainfall and temperature data for the study area were sourced from APHRODITE's Water Resources, and statistical analysis was applied to analyse these time series data. Infectious disease data was obtained from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), and the National Health System Resource Centre. These data were examined to identify trends in the occurrence of infectious diseases. The key findings of the study include (1) an overall increase in temperature and minor variations in rainfall in the study area during the study period; (2) an evident increase in built-up areas, as depicted by the LULC maps, attributable to industrialisation and population growth; (3) an emergence of dengue during the study period. The increasing patterns of vector-borne and water-borne diseases could be associated with changes in LULC and climate change. Given that the relationship between infectious diseases and their links to climate change and LULC changes has not been extensively researched in the Indian context, this study intends to contribute to a deeper understanding and delineation of future strategies in Coimbatore, India.
Tertiary structure and conformational dynamics of the anti-amyloidogenic chaperone DNAJB6b at atomistic resolution
Authors: Adupa Vasista , Ustyantseva Elizaveta , Kampinga Harm , Onck Patrick
Published: June 2023

DNAJB6b is a molecular chaperone of the heat shock protein network, shown to play a crucial role in preventing aggregation of several disease-related intrinsically disordered proteins. Despite its importance in maintaining cellular homeostasis, the structure-functional relationship of DNAJB6b is not yet known. Using homology modeling and microsecond-long all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we show that monomeric DNAJB6b is a transiently interconverting protein cycling between three states: a closed state, an open state (both abundant), and a novel, less abundant extended state. Interestingly, the reported regulatory autoinhibitory anchor between helix V in the G/F1 region and helices II/III of the J-domain, which obstructs the access of Hsp70 to the J-domain remains present in all three states. This possibly suggests a mechanistically intriguing regulation in which DNAJB6b only becomes exposed when loaded with substrates that require Hsp70 processing. Our MD results of DNAJB6b carrying mutations in the G/F1 region that are linked to limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type D1 (LGMDD1) show that this G/F1 region becomes highly dynamic, pointing towards a spontaneous release of the autoinhibitory helix V from helices II/III. This would increase the probability of non-functional Hsp70 interactions to DNAJB6b without substrates. Our cellular data indeed confirm that non-substrate loaded LGMDD1 mutants have aberrant interactions with Hsp70.
RNF149 confers cisplatin resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via destabilization of PHLPP2 and activating PI3K/AKT signalling
Authors: Zhu Jinrong , Tang Jiuren , Wu Yongqi , Qiu Xiangyu , Jin Xin , Zhang Rongxin
Published: June 2023

Chemo-resistance has been identified as a crucial factor contributing to tumor recurrence and a leading cause of worse prognosis in patients with ESCC. Therefore, unravel the critical regulators and effective strategies to overcome drug resistance will have a significant clinical impact on the disease. In our study we found that RNF149 was upregulated in ESCC and high RNF149 expression was associated with poor prognosis with ESCC patients. Functionally, we have demonstrated that overexpression of RNF149 confers CDDP resistance to ESCC; however, inhibition of RNF149 reversed this phenomenon both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that RNF149 interacts with PH domain and leucine rich repeat protein phosphatase 2 (PHLPP2) and induces E3 ligase-dependent protein degradation of PHLPP2, substantially activating the PI3K/AKT signalling in ESCC. Additionally, we found that inhibition of PI3K/AKT signalling by AKT siRNA or small molecule inhibitor significantly suppressed RNF149-induced CDDP resistance. Importantly, RNF149 locus was also found to be amplified not only in ESCC but also in various human cancer types. Our data suggest that RNF149 might function as an oncogenic gene. Targeting the RNF149/PHLPP2/PI3K/Akt axis may be a promising prognostic factor and valuable therapeutic target for malignant tumours.
Cost-effective clonal selection and AIS-based load balancing in cloud computing environment
Authors: Mosayebi Melika , Azmi Reza
Published: June 2023

One of the challenges in cloud computing is increasing efficiency, which calls for the application of task scheduling and load balancing. Numerous load-balancing methods that have been suggested for the cloud environment can increase efficiency. The Throttled policy is one of them that aids in evenly distributing user requests among virtual machines. In the first part of this article, we examined the cost of the Clonal selection algorithm with Throttled load balancing Policy and the Clonal selection algorithm with Distributed Service Broker Policy and contrasted them to the clonal selection and other immune systems mechanisms. Additionally, we suggest two additional mechanisms based on the artificial immune system. In the two proposed mechanisms, algorithms are introduced so that by benefiting from load balancing policies when receiving requests from users, in the shortest possible time and the fastest processing of data and with the lowest cost, they respond to users. In the second part, we introduce two other new algorithms that were created as a result of combining an evolutionary algorithm with the artificial immune system mechanisms. Algorithms have been evaluated and compared with other algorithms using the Cloud Analyst simulator in terms of average response time, average data center processing time, total data transfer cost, and total cost. The results attained show how much better the suggested algorithms are.
The central role of cancer driver genes in pathway networks according to persistence homology
Authors: Ramos Rodrigo Henrique , Bardelotte Yago Augusto , Ferreira Cynthia de Oliveira Lage , Simao Adenilso
Published: June 2023

Cancer is a complex disease caused by mutations accumulated over a lifetime. Albeit cancer cells harbor many mutations, only a small fraction, called driver mutations, are responsible for the emergence and maintenance of the disease. Pathway networks are subsets from the whole cell interactome and represent meaningful biological functions. In this study, we explore the topological complexity of pathway sub-networks using the persistence homology theory, observing driver genes' role. Results show drivers are associated with higher-order structures, and their removal is more impactful than non-drivers in the network complexity. These findings increase our understanding of drivers and can be used to discover new driver genes.
Mathematical analysis of stability of a two-species density-dependent model with inhibition
Authors: Ali Nabil Ben , Abdellatif Nahla
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we study mathematically and numerically a density-dependent model of the anaerobic digestion process with two species and two substrates involving inhibition. This model describes the interactions of a synthetic microbial community in bioprocesses developed for engineering objectives. By a mathematical analysis, involving a large class of growth functions, we prove the existence of a stable steady state, for any initial conditions. The stability study allows us to construct the operating diagrams by determining and plotting the curves that separate the various regions of stability of the different steady states.
Mathematics Subject Classification. 34A34, 34D20, 92B05, 92D25
Comprehensive cell surface protein profiling of human mesenchymal stromal cells from peritoneal dialysis effluent and comparison with those from human bone marrow and adipose tissue
Authors: Shi Ganggang , Yang Chong , Zhou Lan , Zong Ming , Guan Qiunong , Roza Gerald da , Wang Hao , Qi Hualin , Du Caigan
Published: June 2023

Peritoneal mesenchymal stromal cells (pMSCs) are isolated from peritoneal dialysis (PD) effluent, and treatment with the pMSCs reduces peritoneal membrane injury in rat model of PD. This study was designed to verify the identity of the pMSCs. pMSCs were grown in plastic dishes for 4 to 7 passages, and their cell surface phenotype was examined by staining with a panel of 242 antibodies. The positive stain of each target protein was determined by an increase in fluorescence intensity as compared with isotype controls in flow cytometrical analysis. Here, we showed that pMSCs predominantly expressed CD9, CD26, CD29, CD42a, CD44, CD46, CD47, CD49b, CD49c, CD49e, CD54, CD55, CD57, CD59, CD63, CD71, CD73, CD81, CD90, CD98, CD147, CD151, CD200, CD201, β2-micoglobulin, epithelial growth factor receptor, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class 1, and, to a lesser extent, CD31, CD45RO, CD49a, CD49f, CD50, CD58, CD61, CD105, CD164, and CD166. These cells lacked expression of most hematopoietic markers such as CD11b, CD14, CD19, CD34, CD40, CD80, CD79, CD86, and HLA-DR. There was 38.55% difference in the expression of 83 surface proteins between bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs and pMSCs, and 14.1% in the expression of 242 proteins between adipose tissue (AT)-derived MSCs and pMSCs. The BM-MSCs but not both AT-MSCs and pMSCs express cytokine receptors (IFNγR, TNFI/IIR, IL-1R, IL-4R, IL-6R, and IL-7R). In conclusion, pMSCs exhibited a typical cell surface phenotype of MSCs, which was not the same as on BM-MSCs or AT-MSCs, suggesting that the pMSCs may represent a different MSC lineage from peritoneal cavity.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment for domestic violence injuries: evidence from medical claims
Authors: Gilbert Lauren , Parker Susan , Schechter Lauren
Published: June 2023

Previous studies have observed heterogeneous changes in domestic violence-related 911 calls, police incident reports, and arrests at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we use a large-scale medical claims database with coverage of over 100 million patients to examine the impact on domestic violence victims’ use of emergency department care for their injuries in the early weeks of the pandemic compared to the corresponding weeks in previous years. We find a 35% decrease in utilization of emergency medical services by domestic violence victims between March and June of 2020. Based on this finding, it is essential to use caution when using medical claims to measure domestic violence in future research covering this time period. Decreases in care utilization also have important implications for the detection, screening, and treatment of domestic violence injuries during future public health crises.
Digital motor biomarkers of cerebellar ataxia using an RGB-depth camera-based motion analysis system
Authors: Suzuki Masahide , Hirano Shigeki , Otte Karen , Schmitz-Hübsch Tanja , Izumi Michiko , Tamura Mitsuyoshi , Kuroiwa Ryota , Sugiyama Atsuhiko , Mori Masahiro , Röhling Hanna M. , Brandt Alexander U. , Murata Atsushi , Paul Friedemann , Kuwabara Satoshi
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to identify quantitative biomarkers of motor function for cerebellar ataxia by evaluating gait and postural control using an RGB-depth camera-based motion analysis system. In 28 patients with degenerative cerebellar ataxia and 33 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, motor tasks (short-distance walk, closed feet stance, and stepping in place) were selected from a previously reported protocol, and scanned using Kinect V2 and customized software. The Clinical Assessment Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) was also evaluated. Compared with the normal control group, the cerebellar ataxia group had slower gait speed and shorter step lengths, increased step width and mediolateral trunk sway in the walk test (all P < 0.001). Lateral sway increased in the stance test in the ataxia group (P < 0.001). When stepping in place, the ataxia group showed higher arrhythmicity of stepping and increased stance time (P < 0.001). In the correlation analyses, the ataxia group showed a positive correlation between the total SARA score and arrhythmicity of stepping in place (r = 0.587, P = 0.001). SARA total score (r = 0.561, P = 0.002) and gait subscore (ρ = 0.556, P = 0.002) correlated with mediolateral truncal sway during walking. These results suggest that the RGB-depth camera-based motion analyses on mediolateral truncal sway during walking and arrhythmicity of stepping in place are useful digital motor biomarkers for the assessment of cerebellar ataxia, and could be utilized in future clinical trials.
Digital Healing: Public Sentiments towards Electronic Health Services in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Md Robiul , Islam M. Rezaul , Rahman Abdur
Published: June 2023

The study aimed to assess the public perception about the prevalence, satisfaction, and challenges of electronic health (e-health) services in Bangladesh. An online survey with a self-administered structured interview was conducted with 150 respondents to collect general perceptions from both rural and urban people. The study revealed that the prevalence of e-health services was moderate in Bangladesh. During the Covid-19 pandemic, people accessed online vaccine registration (58%), telemedicine (23%), and downloaded Covid test reports (17%). The study did not find association between e-health services and the participants' age, gender, living condition, and marital status based on the results of the Chi-square test and the Mann-Whitney U test (p > 0.05). The Spearman correlation analysis confirmed that individuals were moderately satisfied with their access to e-health services (r = .536), the availability of updated Covid-related information on websites (r = .585), and government advertisements (r = .547). Participants reported major challenges in the form of high internet costs, lack of awareness, insufficient internet speed, and an information gap regarding e-health services in Bangladesh. Findings would be an important guideline to the mass people, health experts and practitioners, policymakers, and government health authorities.
The normalized inelastic displacement spectra for seismic response estimation of a SDOF system with a generalized flag-shaped hysteretic model
Authors: Wu Yifeng , Wang Zijian , Li Aiqun , Zhang Guodong , Fu Jiangdi , Wang Hao
Published: June 2023

In order to develop the inelastic displacement spectra suitable for self-centering structures with flag-shaped hysteretic behavior when subjected to near-fault pulse-like (NFPL) ground motions, the nonlinear time history analysis for a single degree of freedom (SDOF) system with a generalized flag-shaped (FS) hysteresis model is first realized by using Matlab software, a total of 85 NFPL records are selected as the seismic input, the variation ranges of all considered parameters, including the ductility, the vibration period, the energy dissipation coefficient and the post-yield stiffness ratio of the hysteresis model are specified, then the constant-ductility inelastic displacement spectra for different seismic records and different parameters are calculated and statistically processed. It is found the normalization of the natural period and the displacement by the pulse period, namely T/Tp and xm/Tp2, can significantly reduce the variation of displacement spectra. The influence of the post-yield stiffness ratio ranging from 0 to 0.20 on the normalized spectra is slight and can be neglected. Besides, as T/Tp increases, the normalized displacement first increases and then slowly decreases, the normalized period corresponding to the peak displacement is approximately 1. When T/Tp is about less than 0.7, the displacement spectra are positively correlated with the ductility, µ, followed by a negative correlation between them as T/Tp grows larger. Moreover, increasing the energy dissipation coefficient will reduce the displacement response, but when the coefficient is greater than 1, its impact on the displacement is rather small. Finally, the equation of the normalized displacement spectra as a function of T/Tp and µ is proposed, and an adjustment factor is added to account for the influence of the energy dissipation coefficient on the displacement spectra.
Recurrent Neonatal Acute Kidney Injury: Incidence, Predictors, and
Outcomes in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Vincent Katherine , Rutledge Austin , Laney Zegilor , Newman Jill , Selewski David , Steflik Heidi
Published: June 2023

Objective: Determine recurrent neonatal acute kidney injury (rAKI) incidence, risk factors, and associated outcomes.
Study Design: Single-center retrospective cohort of neonates admitted to the NICU 1/1/20-6/30/21. Comparisons were made between those with no AKI, single episode AKI (sAKI), and rAKI. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to assess associations between rAKI and length of mechanical ventilation (LMV), length of hospitalization stay (LOS), mortality, and hypertension (HTN) at discharge.
Results: The incidence of AKI in the cohort of 869 infants was 19%: 705 (81%) no AKI, 100 (12%) sAKI, 64 (7%) rAKI. Both sAKI and rAKI were independently associated with longer LMV and LOS. sAKI was independently associated with almost 4x higher odds of mortality than rAKI.
Conclusion: In this single center cohort of neonates, sAKI independently predicts mortality, however rAKI is independently associated with increased LMV and LOS suggesting rAKI is clinically important and warrants further study.
Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Destruction Promotes PDGF-Primed Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantation for Myocardial Protection in Acute Myocardial Infarction of rats
Authors: Sun Zhenxing , Cai Yu , Chen Yihan , Jin Qiaofeng , Zhang Ziming , Zhang Li , Li Yuman , Huang Lei , Wang Jing , Yang Yali , Lv Qing , Han Zhengyang , Xie Mingxing , Zhu Xiangming
Published: June 2023

Background
Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) has emerged as a promising strategy for the targeted delivery of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to the ischemic myocardium. However, the limited migration capacity and poor survival of MSCs remains a major therapeutic barrier. The present study was performed to investigate the synergistic effect of UTMD with PDGF-BB on the homing of MSCs for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Methods
MSCs from male donor rats were treated by PDGF-BB, and a novel microbubble formulation were prepared by a thin-film hydration method. In vivo, MSCs with or without PDGF-BB pretreatment were transplanted by UTMD after inducing AMI in experimental rats. The therapeutic efficacy of PDGF-BB-Primed MSCs on myocardial apoptosis, angiogenesis, cardiac function and scar repair was estimated. In vitro, the effect and molecular mechanism of PDGF-BB on MSCs migration and survival were explored.
Results
The results showed that the biological effects of UTMD increased local levels of SDF-1, which promoted the migration of transplanted MSCs to the ischemic region. Compared with UTMD alone, UTMD combined with PDGF-BB pretreatment significantly increased the cardiac homing of MSCs, which subsequently reduced myocardial apoptosis, promoted neovascularization and tissue repair, and increased cardiac function 30 days after MI. In vitro results showed that PDGF-BB enhanced MSC migration, and protected these cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis. Mechanistically, PDGF-BB pretreatment promoted MSCs migration and inhibited H2O2-induced MSC apoptosis via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Further, crosstalk between PDGF-BB and SDF-1/CXCR4 is involved in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Conclusion
The present study demonstrated that UTMD combined with PDGF-BB treatment could enhance the homing ability of MSCs, thus alleviating AMI in rats. Therefore, UTMD combined with PDGF-BB pretreatment may offer exciting therapeutic opportunities for strengthening MSC therapy in ischemic diseases.
Awareness of the Public Charge, confidence in knowledge, and the use of public healthcare programs among Mexican-origin Oregon Latino/as
Authors: Lopez Edlyn , Boniface Emily , Díaz-Anaya Sara , Cornejo-Torres Yareli , Darney Blair G
Published: June 2023

Objective.
We describe awareness about the modified “public charge” rule among Oregon’s Mexican-origin Latino/a population and whether concerns about the rule influenced disenrollment from state-funded programs, which do not fall under the public charge.
Methods.
We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adults (ages 18–59) recruited at the Mexican consulate and living in the state of Oregon. Our outcomes were awareness (of the public charge, source of knowledge, and confidence in knowledge of the public charge) and disenrolling self or family members from state-funded public healthcare programs due to concerns about the rule. We describe outcomes and used logistic regression and calculated adjusted probabilities to identify factors associated with awareness of the public charge.
Results.
Of 498 Latino/a respondents, 48% reported awareness of the public charge. Among those who knew about the public charge, 14.6% had disenrolled themselves or family members from public healthcare programs and 12.1% were hesitant to seek care due to concerns about the public charge. Younger respondents had a lower adjusted probability of awareness of the public charge (18–24 years: 15.6% (95% CI 3.1–28.2); 30–39 years 54.9% (95% CI 47.7–62.0). Higher education was associated with a higher adjusted probability of awareness of the public charge; ability to speak English was not associated with awareness of the public charge.
Conclusion.
Our study reveals limited awareness about the public charge among Mexican-origin Oregon Latino/as. Outreach and advocacy are essential to ensure Latino/as know their rights to access available state-funded healthcare programs.
Fertility concerns and outcomes in females with anorectal malformations
Authors: Wehrli Lea A. , Reppucci Marina L. , Woodfield Kelly , Ketzer Jill , Rieck Jared M. , Cooper Emily H. , Torre Luis De La , Peña Alberto , Bischoff Andrea , Alaniz Veronica I.
Published: June 2023

Purpose
To assess fertility concerns and to describe pregnancy outcomes in patients with anorectal malformations (ARM).
Methods
This is an IRB approved, cross-sectional study of patients in the Adult Colorectal Research Registry who completed reproductive health surveys between November 2021 and August 2022. Patients assigned female at birth with age 18 or older and ARM were included.
Results
Sixty-four patients with ARM, age 18 or older, were included. Fertility concerns were reported in 26 (40.6%) patients, 11 of which had seen a fertility specialist, including four who had not yet tried to conceive. Fertility concerns were highest amongst cloaca patients who had not yet tried to conceive (37.5%). 26 (40.6%) patients had tried to conceive, of which 16 (25%) reported fertility problems, most frequently uterine abnormalities and damaged or blocked fallopian tubes. 22 (34.4%) participants were able to conceive and 18 (28.1%) had at least one live birth. Patients with ARM who had concerns of fertility, had better FertiQoL when compared to published reference scores for patients experiencing fertility issues.
Conclusion
Providers should be aware of fertility concerns in patients with ARM. Proactive counseling with referrals to a fertility specialist should be considered in patients who desire future fertility.
Genome-wide transcriptome analysis unravels genetic variants associated with root and biomass-related traits under low phosphorus conditions in Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Ahmad Nazir , Ibrahim Sani , Kuang Lieqiong , Ze Tian , Wang Xinfa , Wang Hanzhong , Dun Xiaoling
Published: June 2023

Background
Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is a crucial source of edible oil and livestock feeding, and is a promising biofuel crop. The increasing demand for oilseed rape requires strategies to increase yield while retaining quality. Breeding crops with an ideal root system architecture (RSA) for high phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) is an effective way to reduce the use of phosphate fertilizers. However, the genetic mechanisms that underpin PUE in rapeseed remain elusive. To address that, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 327 rapeseed accessions to unravel the genetic variations in 13 root and biomass traits under low phosphorus (LP; 0.01mM P+).
Results
All measured traits exhibited significant variations with heritabilities ranging from 0.47 to 0.72, and most traits revealed substantial correlations. GWAS identified 39 significant and 31 suggestive trait-SNP associations that integrated into 11 valid quantitative trait loci (QTL) clusters and explained 4.24–24.43% of the phenotypic variance. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing among high and low PUE lines evaluated the expression levels of candidate genes in root at two-time points. In total, 692, 1076, 648, and 934 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) specific to HP1/LP1, HP1CK/LP1CK, HP2/LP2, and HP2CK/LP2CK, respectively, while 761 and 860 DEGs were found common for HP1/LP1/HP1CK/LP1CK and HP2/LP2/HP2CK/LP2CK, respectively. Twelve genes have been identified as associated with root growth and development under LP stress using an integrated approach of GWAS, weighted co-expression network, and differential expression analysis. In previous studies, six genes (BnaA04g23490D, BnaA09g08440D, BnaA09g04320D, BnaA09g04350D, BnaA09g04930D, BnaA09g09290D) that showed differential expression were identified as promising candidate genes for the target traits.
Conclusion
11 QTL clusters and 12 candidate genes associated with root and development under LP stress were identified in this study. Our study's phenotypic and genetic information may be exploited for genetic improvement of root traits to increase PUE in rapeseed.
An Ensemble Learning Interpretation of Geometric Semantic Genetic Programming
Authors: Dick Grant
Published: June 2023

Geometric semantic genetic programming (GSGP) is a variant of genetic programming (GP) that directly searches the semantic space of programs to produce candidate solutions. GSGP has shown considerable success in improving the performance of GP in terms of program correctness, however this comes at the expense of exponential program growth. Subsequent attempts to address this growth have not fully-exploited the fact that GSGP searches by producing linear combinations of existing solutions. This paper examines this property of GSGP and frames the method as an ensemble learning defining mutation and crossover as examples of boosting and stacking, respectively. The ensemble interpretation allows for simple integration of regularisation techniques that significantly reduce the size of the resultant programs. Additionally, this paper examines the quality of parse tree base learners within this ensemble interpretation of GSGP and suggests that future research could substantially improve the quality of GSGP by examining more effective initialisation techniques. The resulting ensemble learning interpretation leads to variants of GSGP that substantially improve upon the performance of traditional GSGP in regression contexts, and produce a method that frequently outperforms gradient boosting.
Nullomer peptide increases immune cell infiltration and reduces tumor metabolism in triple negative breast cancer mouse model
Authors: Ali Nilufar , Wolf Cody , Kanchan Swarna , Veerabhadraiah Shivakumar R. , Bond Laura , Turner Matthew W. , Jorcyk Cheryl L. , Hampikian Greg
Published: June 2023

Background
Nullomers are the shortest strings of absent amino acid (aa) sequences in a species or group of species. Primes are those nullomers that have not been detected in the genome of any species. 9S1R is a 5-aa peptide derived from a prime sequence that is tagged with 5 arginine aa, used to treat triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in an in vivo TNBC mouse model. 9S1R is administered in trehalose (9S1R-NulloPT), which enhances solubility and exhibits some independent effects against tumor growth and is thus an important component in the drug preparation.
Method
We examined the effect of 9S1R-NulloPT on tumor growth, metabolism, metastatic burden, necrosis, tumor immune microenvironment, and the transcriptome of aggressive mouse TNBC tumors.
Results
The peptide-treated mice had smaller tumors in the initial phase of the treatment, as compared to the untreated control, and reduced in vivo bioluminescence at later stages, which is indicative of metabolically inactive tumors. A decrease in ex vivo bioluminescence was also observed in the excised tumors of treated mice, but not in the secondary metastasis in the lungs. The treatment also caused changes in tumor immune microenvironment with increased infiltration of immune cells and margin inflammation. The treatment upregulated 365 genes and downregulated 710 genes in tumors compared to the untreated group. Consistent with in vitro findings in breast cancer cell lines, downregulated genes in the treated TNBC tumors include Cellular Metabolic Process Related genes (179), specifically mitochondrial genes associated with TCA cycle/oxidative phosphorylation (44), and translation machinery/ribosome biogenesis genes (45). Among upregulated genes, the Developmental Pathway (13), ECM Organization (12) and Focal Adhesion Related Pathways (7) were noteworthy. We also present data from a pilot study using a bilateral BC mouse model, which supports our findings.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although 9S1R-NulloPT was moderate at reducing the tumor volume, it altered the tumor immune microenvironment as well as the tumor transcriptome, rendering tumors metabolically less active by downregulating the mitochondrial function and ribosome biogenesis. This corroborates previously published in vitro findings.
Efficient Solution of Portfolio Optimization Problems via Dimension Reduction and Sparsification
Authors: Buhler Cassidy K. , Benson Hande Y.
Published: June 2023

The Markowitz mean-variance portfolio optimization model aims to balance expected return and risk when investing. However, there is a significant limitation when solving large portfolio optimization problems efficiently: the large and dense covariance matrix. Since portfolio performance can be potentially improved by considering a wider range of investments, it is imperative to be able to solve large portfolio optimization problems efficiently, typically in microseconds. We propose dimension reduction and increased sparsity as remedies for the covariance matrix. The size reduction is based on predictions from machine learning techniques and the solution to a linear programming problem. We find that using the efficient frontier from the linear formulation is much better at predicting the assets on the Markowitz efficient frontier, compared to the predictions from neural networks. Reducing the covariance matrix based on these predictions decreases both runtime and total iterations. We also present a technique to sparsify the covariance matrix such that it preserves positive semi-definiteness, which improves runtime per iteration. The methods we discuss all achieved similar portfolio expected risk and return as we would obtain from a full dense covariance matrix but with improved optimizer performance.
Malignant Brenner tumor of ovary: A case report and review of literature
Authors: Alex Neetu Mariam , Ananthakrishnan Ramya , J Kumanan , Thirumalairaj Raja
Published: June 2023

Background: Brenner tumours of ovary are rare representing 1-5% of epithelial ovarian tumours. They are further categorized as benign, proliferative (borderline), or malignant. Diagnosis of Malignant Brenner requires surgical excision and histopathological examination as tumor does not possess pathognomonic imaging features. Further, histological diagnosis of malignant Brenner tumor is challenging due to overlapping morphologic and histopathological features with benign and proliferative Brenner tumours, and transitional cell carcinoma.
Case details: A 49 years old female presented with history of vague abdominal pain for 2 months. A computerized tomography scan revealed a mixed cystic and solid anterior mass with thickened septations and peripheral nodularity. She underwent Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salphingo-oophorectomy. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry was suggestive of malignant Brenner tumor of ovary. 2 years later she presented with nodal recurrence of disease for which she was started on Gemcitabine and Cisplatin combination chemotherapy.
Conclusion: Malignant Brenner tumor has poor prognosis. The treatment approach is not well established in view of its rarity, while surgical excision of the tumour remains the constant. The real benefit of the adjuvant chemotherapy remains unclear. Treatment options for disease recurrence included gemcitabine, tamoxifen, doxorubicin, and eribulin, though disease recurred after all of these regimens
Developing a risk prediction tool for Lung Cancer in Kent and Medway, England: Cohort Study using linked Data
Authors: Howell David , Buttery Ross , Badrinath Padmanabhan , George Abraham , Hariprasad Rithvik , Vousden Ian , George Tina , Finnis Cathy
Published: June 2023

Background
Lung cancer has the poorest survival due to late diagnosis and there is no universal screening. Hence early detection is crucial. Our objective was to develop a lung cancer risk prediction tool at a population level.
Methods
We used a large place based linked data set from a local health system in southeast England which contained extensive information on each individual covering demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, health, and care service utilization. We exploited the power of Machine Learning to derive risk scores using linear regression modelling. Tens of thousands of model runs were undertaken to identify attributes which predicted the risk of lung cancer.
Results
Initially sixteen attributes were identified. A final combination of seven attributes were chosen based on the number of cancers detected which formed the Kent & Medway lung cancer risk prediction tool. This was then compared with the criteria used in the wider Targeted Lung Health Checks programme. The prediction tool outperformed by detecting 822 cases compared to 581 by the lung check programme currently in operation.
Conclusion
We have demonstrated the exceptional application and utility of Machine Learning in developing a risk score for lung cancer and discuss its clinical applicability.
Improved Search and Rescue Methodology for Locating a Missing ROV near the Titanic Site
Authors: Tifrit Abdelkrim
Published: June 2023

In underwater search and rescue operations, the timely and accurate location of a missing remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is crucial for successful rescue efforts. This article presents an improved methodology for enhancing the detection and recovery of a recently missing ROV near the Titanic site. The proposed approach involves the deployment of a sonar-based bomb to analyze the acoustic signals and their interactions with the ROV's echoes and the Titanic wreckage. By employing advanced signal processing techniques and collaborating with the Deep-Sea Exploration Laboratory, the aim is to expedite the search and rescue process. In this article, we present a calculation methodology to estimate the remaining oxygen supply for a submerged Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) after 4 days. Considering an initial oxygen supply of 1000 liters and an oxygen consumption rate of 10 liters per hour per person, we analyze the available oxygen and determine the feasibility of the ROV rescue operation. The calculations are based on the assumption of 5 individuals onboard the ROV. The results highlight the importance of timely oxygen replenishment or immediate rescue measures in such situations.
Copper sulfate and cupric citrate supplementation improves growth performance, nutrient utilization, antioxidant capacity and intestinal microbiota of broilers Cupric citrate addition on performance in broilers
Authors: Wu Xuezhuang , Zhou Yahao , Lu Zhentao , Zhang Yunting , Wen Aiyou , Zhu Mingxia , Jiang Qingkui
Published: June 2023

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of copper sulfate and cupric citrate on growth performance, nutrient utilization, antioxidant capacity and intestinal microbiota of broilers. A total of 360 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into 5 groups with 6 replicates in each group and 15 broilers per replicate. Broilers in the control group were fed a basal diet, and animals in other four groups were fed basal diets supplemented with 2 sources (copper sulfate and cupric citrate) and 2 levels (50 and 100 mg/kg dry matter). The experiment lasted for 42 days. The results showed that dietary cupric citrate supplementation increased the average daily gain (P = 0.0313). The average daily feed intake and feed gain ratio, however, were not affected by dietary copper sulfate or cupric citrate (P > 0.10). Additionally, dietary copper sulfate or cupric citrate supplementation increased the digestibility of crude protein (P = 0.0554) and energy (P = 0.0191). For intestinal microflora, dietary cupric citrate supplementation decreased the concentration of Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli (P < 0.05) in the ileal digesta or cecal digesta. In addition, dietary Cu supplementation increased the pH in duodenum (P = 0.0008) and jejunum (P = 0.0589). The activities of serum Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (P = 0.0899), and ceruloplasmin (P = 0.0269) were increased by Cu addition. The present study demonstrated cupric citrate fed to broilers has a positive effect on growth and nutrient utilization. Our results also show that moderately high Cu in the diet increases the pH in duodenum and jejunum, and reduced the concentration of Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli in the ileal digesta or cecal digesta.
Abnormal Frame Extraction and Object Tracking Hybrid Machine Learning
Authors: Archana Mrs Kande , Prasad V Kamakshi
Published: June 2023

The detection of events using the video data is getting popular due to the detailed information made available from the video data for multiple instances. This popularity is increasing the use of number of devices and amount of data generated from various sources, which makes the manual detection of abnormal events highly complex, and the recent research demands highly timely and highly accurate automation process. Thus, this work proposes a three-phase solution to address this problem as using a hybrid segmentation process for object detection with 97% accuracy, detection of the objects by using a pre-trained machine learning model with 98% accuracy and detection of the motion using predictive regression model with mean time of 58 ns. This proposed work has demonstrated benchmarking outcomes and showcases highly accurate detection process for making video-based surveillance safer and better choice.
Effect of Acupuncture for Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: Study Protocol for a Double-dummy Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Yin Shuai , Chang Yiniu , Yan Xiuli , Zhang Zhenhua , Yan Xiao , Zhang Zhaoyang , Zhang Taojun , Xi Jianming , Feng Xiaodong , Wu Nan
Published: June 2023

Background Acupuncture has been used to relieve chronic pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), but the evidence is contradictory. Therefore, we carefully designed a double-dummy randomized controlled trial (RCT) to explore the therapeutic effect of acupuncture for KOA.Methods/design: Total of 138 eligible participants with KOA who consent to participate will be randomly divided into groups A, B and C in a ratio of 1:1:1. Participants in group A will receive verum acupuncture and placebo gel, while those in groups B and C will be treated with Diclofenac Diethylammon gel and sham acupuncture, sham acupuncture and placebo gel respectively. The patients will receive 4 weeks of treatment, 5 times a week, including acupuncture treatment once a day for 30 minutes and gel treatment three times a day. The primary outcome will be the change of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) at week 4th. The secondary outcomes will include Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Arthritis Quality of Life Measurement Scale Simplified Scale (AIMS2-SF), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire. The evaluation will be performed at baseline, week 4th, 8th and 12th after randomization.Discussion This double-dummy RCT used Diclofenac Diethylammon gel as a positive control, and the completion of this trial will provide detailed and accurate evidence of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for KOA.Trial registration: China Clinical Trials Registry No.ChiCTR2100043947. Registered on September 24, 2020.https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=122536
Tailoring the intrinsic magneto-electronic, mechanical, thermo- physical and thermoelectric response of Cobalt-based Heusler material: an ab-initio insight
Authors: Gurunani Bharti , Gupta Dinesh C.
Published: June 2023

We have calculated the fundamental properties of CoHfSi and CoHfGe half-Heusler alloys within the density functional theory simulation scheme as embedded in Wien2k. First and foremost, the structural optimization signifies that both the alloys suitably crystallize in cubic C1b structure with Y1 as a dominant ferromagnetic phase. The electronic properties have been computed within the applied approximation schemes like Generalized Gradient Approximation and modified Becke-Johnson potential. The electronic properties of these half-Heusler exhibit a half-metallic character, which is additionally substantiated by the presence of an integer value of the magnetic moment. Further, the investigation of different thermodynamic parameters by utilization of the quasi-harmonic Debye model to examine the thermodynamic stability of alloys at various temperatures and pressure (0K to 900K and 0 GPa to 20 GPa). The Seebeck coefficients, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and power factor are scrutinized to comprehend the thermoelectric properties. The collected results indicate that these alloys are applicable for spintronic and thermoelectric.
Spatio-temporal Changes and Attribution of Vegetation in the Jungar Banner of Inner Mongolia During 2010 to 2022
Authors: Wang Xiaowen , Ji Jinzhu , Xue Xinlei , Li Huaibin
Published: June 2023

Fractional vegetation cover (FVC) is an important feature of the ecosystem, which reflects the ecological degeneration and restoration in the semi-arid areas. In this study, the spatio-temporal FVC changes were quantitatively evaluated from 2010 to 2022 in Jungar Banner of Inner Mongolia, China. Theil-Sen slope estimator and Mann-Kendall algorithm were used to monitor the spatio-temporal change trend of the FVC. Then, Hurst exponent and Theil-Sen Slope were integrated to evaluate the consistency of FVC change and predict its spatiotemporal evolution trend. Finally, we used correlation analysis to determine the association between FVC and other factors, such as terrain, temperature and precipitation. These results demonstrated that the condition of FVC in the Jungar Banner is good which was predominated by medium-low and medium FVC. The area with increasing FVC was little smaller than that with decreased FVC, but the decreased area was mainly dominated by no significant decrease. However, the Kubuqi Dessert, Yellow River, Loess plateau and mining areas accounted for the majority of the degraded areas. At present, the 42.7% of Jungar Banner appeared improved in the FVC, while the 57.3% appeared the degradation in the FVC, but the area of degradation was mainly slightly degraded in the future. In addition, the terrain and mining activity in Jungar Banner had a significant impact on the spatio-temporal distribution of FVC. This work will provide basic data and information for the future ecological development of Jungar Banner.