bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interrater agreement between student and teacher assessments of endotracheal intubation skills in a self-directed simulation learning environment
Authors: Mankute Aida , Juozapaviciene Laima , Stucinskas Justinas , Dambrauskas Zilvinas , Dobozinskas Paulius , Sinz Elizabeth , Rodgers David L. , Pukenyte Evelina , Kumpaitiene Birute , Vaitkaitis Dinas
Published: January 2023

Background: Knowledge assessment is an important part of the learning process to confirm competencies in acquired medical knowledge.
Objective: This study aimed to compare the assessments of endotracheal intubation skills using the HybridLab® methodology between students and teachers in terms of interobserver reliability.
Methods: Reliability analysis was performed with observational data (data are reported according to STROBE guidelines). The study was conducted in two countries, the Lithuanian University of Health Science (LUHS) and Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in the US, between 1 January and 30 June 2020. A total of 92 students (60 from LUHS and 32 from PSU) were trained in endotracheal intubation using an algorithm-driven hybrid learning method. At the end of the training session, the participants had to complete the evaluation scenario, which was assessed by one of the students and evaluated remotely by a single teacher. The student assessment of the endotracheal intubation procedure was compared with the teacher’s assessment using correlation and estimation of the intraclass correlation coefficient.
Results: Overall, the medians of the student and teacher assessments were both 100% (0%). Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the student and teacher assessments was 0.879 (p=0.001). The intraclass correlation coefficient used for interobserver variations between the students and teachers was 0.883 (95% confidence interval from 0.824 to 0.923).
Conclusions: The algorithm-driven hybrid learning method allows students to reliably assess endotracheal intubation skills to a level comparable with that of the teacher’s evaluation.
Synthesis of Silver nanoparticles using bioactive seaweeds against poultry pathogens
Authors: Sivakumar S. R.
Published: January 2023

There is an increasing demand to create nanomaterials that are eco-friendly, non-toxic, and less expensive in relation to human health. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the marine macro algae silver nanoparticles against two specific poultry bacterial infections, methanol extracts of Halimeda macroloba (green), Turbinaria conoides (brown), and Spyridia filamentosa (red) were used. The zone of inhibition against the two bacterial pathogens as well as AgNO3 as a control increases with an increase in the concentration of marine macro algae synthesized nanoparticles. The characterization by UV, FTIR, XRD, SEM and EDAX reveals the formation of silver nanoparticle through seaweeds and the LCMS data reveals the presence of bioactive compounds which exhibit antibacterial activity. Thus the chemical compounds such as phyllophenone and phorbasterone present in the marine macro algae may be responsible for the antibacterial action of poultry pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi according to LC-MS characterizations.
Particle Swarm Optimization Feature Extraction Technique for Intrusion Detection System
Authors: Ganesh Vaishnavi , Sharma Manmohan , Henge Santosh Kumar
Published: January 2023

The task of ensuring cyber-security has grown increasingly challenging as the alarming expansion of computer connectivity and the large number of computer-related applications has expanded recently. It also requires a sufficient protection system against a variety of cyberattacks. Detecting discrepancies and risks in a computer network, as well as creating intrusion detection systems (IDS) to aid in cyber-security. Artificial intelligence (AI), specifically machine learning (ML) approaches, were used to create a practical data-driven intrusion detection system. Two alternative intrusion detection (ID) classification approaches were compared in this study, each with its own set of use cases. Before using the two classifiers for classification, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) approach was used to reduce dimensionality. The classification approaches used to characterise network anomalies were studied in this study. PSO + ANN (Artificial neural network), PSO + Decision Tree (PSO+DT) and PSO + K-Nearest Neighbor (PSO+KNN) are the three classifiers used. The detection approaches' results were confirmed using the KDD-CUP 99 dataset. On the result of the implementation, success indicators like as specificity, recall, f1-score, accuracy, precision, and consistency were used on cyber-security databases for different types of cyber-attacks. The accuracy, detection rate (DR), and false-positive rate of the two classifiers were also compared to see which one outperforms the other (FPR). Finally, the system was compared to the IDS that was already in place. In terms of detecting network anomalies, the results reveal that PSO+ANN outperforms the PSO+KNN and PSO+DT classifier algorithms.
An evaluation method for determining preeclampsia risk levels during pregnancy
Authors: Şahin Rıdvan , Şahin Meltem
Published: January 2023

Preeclampsia (PE), which is one of the most common complications in pregnancy and affects approximately 2% to 8% of all pregnancies, is a hypertensive disorder of gestation diagnosed with hypertension and proteinuria that usually occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy. PE is characterized by new onset of hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) and proteinuria that develops after 20 weeks of gestation and usually resolves within 48h of fetal delivery. It can cause pain for mother and fetus as well as increase their risk of death. According to Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, PE can be identified under three criteria: systolic blood pressure diastolic blood pressure and proteinuria. The main objective of this research is to develop an evaluation method to identify the risk degree of preeclampsia in pregnancy. When considering clinical measures as an interval rather than a single value, it is important not only to evaluate this interval but also to test the reliability of the evaluation. In order to express the uncertainty and reliability of interval data, we propose a neutrosophic interval set (NIS) model in this paper. A NIS presents the evaluation interval with regard to objects and its reliability simultaneously. In addition, in order to determine the PE risk degree, a new risk evaluation method is developed which is based on the similarity measure of NISs and considered decision maker's risk attitude. Finally, the practicability of developed method in this work are illustrated by an example of determining the PE risk degrees of 12 pregnant. The comparative analysis demonstrates that proposed evaluation approach is superior performance to that of the existing PE risk evaluation method.
A Year of Trauma at the Emergency Department of National Referral Hospital in Bhutan: An Observational Study
Authors: Wangdi Sherab , Watts Melanie , LeVine Shankar , Tshering Ugyen
Published: January 2023

Background

Trauma and related injuries are one of the top ten causes of disability in the world. With the lack of proper baseline data, this study was conducted to improve the understanding of types, modes and outcomes related to trauma visiting the emergency department of national referral hospital in Bhutan.

Methods

An observational study of all the trauma cases admitted to the Emergency Department over a one year period detailing the mechanism of injury, types of injuries sustained and patient outcomes was carried out. Case record form was used for data collection and Epidata analysis was done for descriptive analysis.

Results

A total of 820 participants were included during the study period. The sample consisted of 71.6% males and 28.4% females. The median age was 32 years with more than half of the patients (51.4%) belonging to the age range from 26 to 60 years. The top three occupations that experienced trauma were farmers (23.2%), followed by office workers (20.7%) and students (16.9%). Pre-hospital transport was primarily by ambulance (66%) followed by private vehicle (33%). Accidental injury accounted for 91.9% of the injured patients, followed by interpersonal assault (4.8%) and self-harm 3.3%. Fall injuries accounted for 46.2% of the trauma among the study participants, followed by occupational injury (19.1%) and motor vehicle collision injury (19.0%). Extremity injuries were the most common anatomical site comprising of nearly half of all trauma. Majority were admitted to the orthopedic ward 68.2% (n = 391) followed by the surgical ward (n = 91 15.8%). Around sixty five percent (64.9%) were admitted to general ward, 28% of the patients were discharged from ER, 5% were admitted to the ICU and ED mortality was 1.3%.

Conclusion

This study provides a clinical trauma profile at the national referral hospital in Bhutan where injury-related presentations are common. It highlights the importance of emergency department in managing and evaluation of trauma cases. It also shows the need of further studies to better understand the country’s trauma distribution and development of a robust trauma surveillance system to better provide effective prehospital care and standardized timely hospital care.
Development of the production technology of a new highly effective thermal grease
Authors: Shishkin Roman
Published: January 2023

A rapid increase in the power of microelectronic devices, along with a reduction in their size, leads to a rapid growth in the density of dissipated heat flows. As a result, thermal management becomes a crucial factor for maintaining the stable uninterrupted operation of microelectronic devices. Stricter requirements for thermal interface materials (TIMs) make it necessary to optimize their production technology. A solution-based technology for obtaining grease with enhanced thermophysical properties is proposed. It has been shown that heat treatment of a mechanical mixture of aluminum nitride (AlN) and graphite (C) (1:1 by weight) in a vacuum at temperatures of 250–350 ° C makes it possible to clean the surface of the particles from moisture and organic impurities, which leads to an increase in the thermal conductivity of the materials obtained. It was revealed that the best solvent at the processing stage is AlN:C silane is ethanol due to the high chemical similarity with silane surfactant. In contrast, when introducing particles into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the highest thermal conductivity results were achieved with acetone as a solvent. The use of ultrasonic treatment of the filler, when introduced into the polymer matrix, was considered. It was shown that the optimal duration is 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the surfactant. The resulting thermal pastes have sufficient thermal conductivity (up to 2.25 W/ (m·K)) and high thermal stability up to the flash point of PDMS (340°C).
Students Engagement Using Polls in Virtual Sessions of Physiology, Pathology, and Pharmacology at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bawazeer Mona Abubakr , Aamir Saima , Othman Fatmah , Alkahtani Reem
Published: January 2023

Background
Active involvement of students in class using technology is associated with effective learning and understanding. This work intended to analyze the impact of interactive teaching on medical students’ engagement, learning, performance, understanding and attendance in virtual classes of physiology, pathology, and pharmacology during COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at college of medicine at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh during January-April 2022. Third- and fourth-year medical students filled a self-reported questionnaire that assessed students’ engagement, understanding, performance, and attendance during the sessions of three courses within the curriculum. The Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the difference between the survey responses.
Results
A total of 184/234 questionnaires were completed and returned, with an overall response rate of 78.6%. 55% of the participants were involved at least more than 5 times in polls during the class. 86.9% of the students agreed on enjoying participation in polls during the class, and 88.9% recommended the utilization of the polls again. Participation in polls improved understanding of 88%, and performance of 63% of the students. In addition, 38% were neutral regarding attendance improvement and spending more time for the class. 18% of fourth-year students disagree that polls improve the grades compared to third-year students, 4.1% and the agreement is about 50% of each year.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this study showed that there is an impact of using interactive polls in virtual classes in medical students at KSAU-HS. It is recommended to continue using polls in all subjects in on-site sessions. This will be a great preface step toward switching the traditional teaching to the interactive teaching using flipped classroom strategy in the future.
Comparison of the Different Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-D) Mice in the Enteric Nervous System
Authors: Liu Shan , Ke Wei , Yang HuiFei , Lu Qin , Zhang Chi , Li HanHan , Xie XiangYu , Huang SiYu , Guo Wei , Tang Hongmei
Published: January 2023

Background
As “the second brain”, the gastrointestinal tract contains an intrinsic neuronal network: the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). The ENS governs motility, fluid homeostasis, and blood flow, and it also works with other parts of the intestine, playing a vital role in the occurrence and development of IBS-D.
Methods
To assess the effects of different IBS-D rat models (life stress, chemical enema stimulation, and compound stimulation ) on the ENS, we have established three models of BALB/c mice by wrapping restrain stress (WRS), a single administration of trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid with 50ul (TNBS, 2mg/mouse in 50% ethanol), and WRS + TNBS. We have also determined Cytokine levels, the activity of intestinal neurons, intestinal mucosal barrier function, intestinal neurotransmitters, and structural changes of intestinal nerve cells after inducing IBS-D.
Results
This research found that the intervention of TNBS + WRS, WRS, and TNBS would induce a similar course of effects on the ENS. Among the three models, the distance at the open-field test decreased with speed, AWR scores (at 0.6ml), and intestinal permeability all increased. The levels of 5- hydroxytryptamine in colon tissue rapidly increased, whereas serum showed no significant changes. Using TEM to observe monocyte cells infiltrating neuronal cells and the structural changes in neurons. According to Western blot, HTR3A, C-fos level increased, and PGP9.5 decreased in TNBS + WRS and WRS modeling groups. Using the LEGENDplex™ detection kit to assess 13 mouse cytokines for colon tissues, we found that some inflammation factors significantly changed in the TNBS + WRS group.
Conclusion
This study depicts a general description of the major processes through which the tumor itself causes fatigue and renders a standard and reliable animal model for further pharmacological or pharmacodynamic studies.
Breast Mass Detection and Visualization with Complementary Deep Learning Architectures
Authors: Frank Steven J
Published: January 2023

· Purpose: Mammograms are analyzed to identify and localize breast mass lesions as an aid to clinician review.
· Approach: Two complementary forms of deep learning are used to identify the regions of interest (ROIs). An object-detection algorithm, YOLO v5, analyzes the entire mammogram to identify discrete image regions likely to represent masses. Object detections exhibit high precision. A convolutional neural network (CNN) also analyzes the mammogram after it has been decomposed into subregion tiles, and is trained to emphasize sensitivity (recall). The ROIs identified by each form of analysis are highlighted in different colors to facilitate an efficient staged review.
· Results and conclusion: The object-detection stage alone exhibits high precision but insufficient overall accuracy for a clinical application. The CNN stage nearly always detects tumor masses when present, but typically occupies a larger area of the image. By inspecting the high-precision regions followed by the high-sensitivity regions, clinicians can quickly identify likely lesions before completing review of the full mammogram. Even without removing pectoral muscle from the analysis, the ROIs occupy less than 20% of the tissue in the mammograms on average. As a result, the proposed system helps clinicians review mammograms with greater accuracy and efficiency.
Characterization, nitrogen availability and agronomic efficiency of fermented composts in organic vegetable production
Authors: Pian Livia Bischof , Guerra José Guilherme Marinho , Berbara Ricardo Luis Louro , de Jesus Monalisa Santana Coelho , Junior José Barbosa , Araújo Ednaldo da Silva
Published: January 2023

Fermented composts obtained from a mixture of raw materials and a microbial inoculant, known as “bokashi,” are alternatives used by many farmers around the world. We evaluated the chemical composition, fermentation pathways, N availability, and agronomic efficiency of fermented compost obtained from different plant-based raw materials. The standard compost formulation composition was 60% wheat bran and 40% castor bean bran. From this formulation, wheat bran was gradually replaced by coffee husk, brewery residue, and elephant grass bran, and leguminous bran replaced castor bean bran. Incubation tests evaluated nutrient content (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg), pH, electrical conductivity, and fermentation pathways (by the organic acids lactic, acetic, propanoic, butyric, and ethanol). A bioassay in greenhouse conditions accessed N availability. Additionally, a field experiment evaluated the agronomic efficiency of 5 formulations and 4 doses (0 to 400 kg N ha−¹) in successive vegetable production. The formulations with a balanced C/N ratio showed the potential to combine desirable fermentative and nutritional characteristics with good N availability and plant growth. Some formulations drastically changed the compost characteristics, especially the full replacement of wheat bran for coffee husk and elephant grass, which presented undesirable fermentation pathways. Leguminous bran maintained the fermentative quality and increased the soil’s biological activity but decreased the nutrient content, N availability, and vegetable productivity. The brewery residue showed the most prominent fermentation quality, nutrient content, and N availability. The addition of 30% coffee husk resulted in agronomic performance and nutrient accumulation similar to the standard compost.
Intraspecific morphological variations of the extensor tendons of the carpus and digits in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris): a cadaver study
Authors: Kamali Younes , Almasi Reyhane , Fathollahi Saeid
Published: January 2023

The present study aimed to investigate the frequency of variations of the extensor tendons of the carp and digits in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). A total of 68 paired forelimbs of the domestic dog (both sexes) fixed in a 10% formalin solutionwere examined. The extensor carpi radialis (ECR) had triple tendons of which the extra tendon either inserted separately on the fourth metacarpal (one right) or joined the tendon of its counterpart at the distal end (one bilateral). It was noted that one of the ECR tendons split into two or three slips inserting on the first, second, third, or fourth metacarpal in 11 (16.2%) dissections. A long tendon slip from the ECR tendons to digiti II or III was found in 7.4% of the dissections. The most common type of contribution to digit III was a third tendon of the extensor digiti I et II (ED III) joining the extensor digitorum lateralis (EDL III) with a frequency of 17.6%. In other types of variations, the contribution to digit III was incomplete. The rare intraspecific variations of the extensor tendons of the manus reported in this study are clinically and phylogenetically valuable. However, their functional significance needs further investigation.
Solving Nonlinear Parabolic-hyperbolic Composite Type Equations by modified Differential Transform Method
Authors: Teyar Nadir
Published: January 2023

In this paper, I study a nonlinear Parabolic-hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations. I use the modified differential transform method to solve these equations with specified initial conditions. The modified differential transform method is efficient tool for obtaining exact analytic solutions with less computation.
Understanding the relationship between cerebellar structure and social abilities
Authors: Elandaloussi Yannis , Floris Dorothea L , Coupé Pierrick , Duchesnay Edouard , Mihailov Angeline , Grigis Antoine , Bègue Indrit , Victor Julie , Frouin Vincent , Leboyer Marion , Houenou Josselin , Laidi Charles
Published: January 2023

Background. The cerebellum contains more than 50% of all neurons in the brain and is involved in a broad range of cognitive functions, including social communication and social cognition. Inconsistent atypicalities in the cerebellum have been reported in individuals with autism compared to controls suggesting the limits of categorical case control comparisons. Alternatively, investigating how clinical dimensions are related to neuroanatomical features, in line with the Research Domain Criteria approach, might be more relevant. We hypothesized that the volume of the “cognitive” lobules of the cerebellum would be associated with social difficulties.
Methods.We analyzed structural MRI data from a large pediatric and transdiagnostic sample (Healthy Brain Network). We performed cerebellar parcellation with a well-validated automated segmentation pipeline (CERES). We studied how social communication abilities – assessed with the social component of the social responsiveness scale (SRS) – were associated with the cerebellar structure, using linear mixed models and canonical correlation analysis.
Results.In 850 children and teenagers (mean age 10.8 ± 3 years; range 5-18 years) we found no associations between social communication abilities and cerebellar structure in linear mixed models. However, we found a significant association between the cerebellum, IQ and social communication performance in our canonical correlation model.
Conclusion. Our results unravel a complex relationship between cerebellar structure, social performance and IQ and provide support for the involvement of the cerebellum in social and cognitive processes.
What is the appropriate gravel size during ureteroscopy lithotripsy? An in vitro evaluation
Authors: Song Baiyang , Jin Dan , Cheng Yue , Wang Zhengyi , Wang Fengqi , Fang Li
Published: January 2023

Objective
To propose the suitable diameter of calculus debris produced during flexible ureteroscopy lithotripsy (fURL).
Methods
A glass tube was used to simulate the stone excretion process during Furl. Different stone diameters (0.50–1.00 mm, 0.25–0.50 mm, and 0.10–0.25 mm) with three sizes of flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) (Fr7.5, Fr8.7, and Fr9.9) and ureteral access sheath (UAS) (12/14Fr) with or without negative pressure suction were employed in the experiment. The intraoperative calculi excretion (ICE) was recorded according to the stones discharged from the gap between Furs and UAS.
Results
The ICE raised significantly in thinner fURS and UAS due to the smaller ratio of endoscope-sheath diameter (RESD). The gravel size ≤ 0.25 mm was conducive to drainage with traditional UAS, while using fURS with negative-pressure UAS could significantly improve ICE. The gravel size ≤ 0.5 mm was conducive to expulsion.
Conclusion
We clarify that ICE during ureteroscopy relates to RESD and negative pressure suction. The proper size of the stone fragment is critical in ensuring the expulsion during fURL, ≤ 0.25 mm in traditional UAS and ≤ 0.50 mm in negative-pressure UAS, respectively.
Retrospective Study of Normal Variations in Vertebral Artery on CT angiography with special emphasis on relevant embryology
Authors: Phukan Pranjal , Saikia Bishwajeet , Sarma Amitav , Baruah Sudipta Dipak , Das Gautam Chandra , Gayan Partha Sarathi
Published: January 2023

Purpose:The Vertebral arteries (VA) nourishes the posterior circulation supplying the brain. These variant patterns can be correlated to their development and such embryological variants should be well known before diagnosing or planning interventions in the head and neck regions.
Methods: After due ethical clearence, CT angiography of 70 subjects were studied for variations of VA under, V1 – From origin to entrance into the FT (foramen transversarium), V2- Part inside FT, V3- from its exit from FT till it pierces the cranial Dura mater, V4- Intracranial part. Further, VA was observed for its origin, dominance, level of entry in FT, and any associated anomalies.
Results:The VA was found mostly to be codominant. There was an opposite directional relationship between the BA curvature and the dominance of VA. The association of ischemic events with hypoplastic VA was more on the left side (66.67%). Left VA originated from Aorta in 4.3% subjects. 1.4% cases presented with dual origin of VA. The abnormal origin of the LVA from Aorta presented with a higher rate of anomalous entry (C4, C5) into FT (C6) and was found to be statistically significant.
Conclusion:Our study attempts to identify and document anatomical variations present in VA in the population of North-East India by CT angiography and to correlate their relevant development which may further help us understand these patterns for better diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes.
Unearthing the Contextual Influence of National Culture on Entrepreneurship: Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Bate Adisu Fanta
Published: January 2023

The way national culture induces entrepreneurship and business growth remains contestable in the literature. Besides, little has been known about how national culture influences entrepreneurship across countries of different income categories. This paper, thus, aims to address how national cultural dimensions affect entrepreneurship, considering both developing and developed countries' contexts. The systematic literature review methodology is thoroughly pursued, and after identifying keywords and developing search queries, the Web of Science and EBSCO were utilized to trace out target studies. The review reveals individualism, indulgence, long-term orientation, low power distance, and low uncertainty avoidance culture are positively associated with entrepreneurship across countries. We postulate them as a set of pro-entrepreneurship cultural dimensions and argue that it is the bundling of these cultural dimensions that makes a difference in entrepreneurial performance, not an isolated effect of individual dimensions. The review also shows no clear distinction between developing and developed countries pertaining to national culture dimensions and their effect on entrepreneurship. It is wisely commendable to work on identifying and promoting the right set of cultural dimensions that can bolster entrepreneurship to enhance economic growth instead of on a particular dimension. The study claims to have significantly contributed new insights into the discourse on national culture and entrepreneurship.
Blocking microglial proliferation by CSF-1R inhibitor does not alter the neuroprotective effects of adoptive regulatory T cells in 3xTg Alzheimer's disease mice
Authors: Park Seon-Young , Cha Nari , Chae Songah , Lee Won-jun , Jung Hyun Jae , Bae Hyunsu
Published: January 2023

Background
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that causes cognitive impairment. Neuroinflammation induced by activated microglia exacerbates AD. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play roles in limiting neuroinflammation by converting microglial polarization. Therefore, adoptive regulatory T cell therapy is considered an attractive option for neurodegenerative disorders. However, the mechanism underlying Treg therapy via microglial modulation is not fully understood. In this study, we sought to determine whether adoptively transferred Tregs were effective when microglia were depleted by CSF-1R inhibition.
Methods
First, we inhibited microglial proliferation using GW2580, a CSF-1R inhibitor, when Tregs were transferred. Learning and memory were assessed using a passive avoidance test. The accumulation of Aβ and pTAU, a hallmark of AD, was measured using immunofluorescence. Microglial neuroinflammation was assessed using immunofluorescence and RT-PCR. To track adoptively transferred Tregs, Tregs from Thy1.1 mice were transferred to 3xTg-AD Thy1.2 mice and mouse tissues, including brains, were harvested after 3–112 days.
Results
We found that inhibition of microglial proliferation during Treg transfer did not alter the therapeutic effects of Tregs on cognitive deficits and the accumulation of Aβ and pTAU in 3xTg-AD mice. The expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory markers in the hippocampus of 3xTg mice showed that GW2580 did not affect the inhibition of neuroinflammation by Treg transfer. Additionally, adoptively transferred Tregs were commonly detected in the brain on day 7 after transfer and their levels decreased slowly over 100 days.
Conclusions
Together, these data suggest that adoptively transferred Tregs can survive longer than 100 days in the brain, suppressing microglial activation and thus alleviating AD pathology. The present study provides valuable evidence to support the prolonged efficacy of adoptive Treg therapy in AD.
Low temperature phenol-degrading microbial agent: construction and mechanism
Authors: Yang Yu , Zhang Yu , Liu Cong , Su Zhiqiang , Zhao Ruizhi , Zhou Jiti
Published: January 2023

In this study, three cold-tolerant phenol-degrading strains, Pseudomonas veronii Ju-A1 (Ju-A1), Leifsonia naganoensis Ju-A4 (Ju-A4), and Rhodococcus qingshengii Ju-A6 (Ju-A6), were isolated. All three strains can produce cis, cis-muconic acid by ortho-cleavage of catechol at 12 ℃. Response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the proportional composition of low-temperature phenol-degrading microbiota. Degradation of phenol below 160 mg L-1 by low-temperature phenol-degrading microbiota followed first-order degradation kinetics. When the phenol concentration was greater than 200 mg L-1, the overall degradation trend was in accordance with the modified Gompertz model. The experiments showed that the bacterial agent (three strains of low-temperature phenol-degrading bacteria were fermented separately and constructed in the optimal ratio) degraded phenol at the fastest rate. The above construction method is more advantageous in the actual wastewater treatment.
WHEAT LEAF RUST DETECTION BASED ON MULTI-SCALE DWT AND LCS COLOR THRESHOLDING METHODS
Authors: Khan Sajid Ullah , Ullah Imdad , Rehman Alia , Khan Fahim , Lee youngmoon
Published: January 2023

Health, Technology, education, and food production are the four main issues facing developing nations like Pakistan, and it is undeniable that agriculture is the most important factor behind economic growth. In addition, implementing a strategy for food production is crucial for citizens to ensure their survival, and it is assumed that these initiatives will result in sufficient farm productivity. One strategy to make a field productive is to take significant care of its components, which starts with cultivating healthy plants or crops. Wheat leaf rust is a fatal condition that attacks young seedlings. It is a significant fungi disease. Leaf rust has 25% effect on the productivity of wheat. To mitigate this issue, a Multi-Scale Discrete Wavelet Transform (MsclDWT) using hybrid fusion rules method is proposed to obtain the complementary information from multiple input images. In second phase, Lab color space followed by color thresholding method is applied to detect and segment wheat leaf rust disease in wheat crop. The proposed model also computes the rust-affected area of the wheat crop, which assists the farmers in the post-medication (anti rust spray) process. The empirical results show that the proposed model achieved 97% of accuracy in rusted pixels detection and classification and outperformed the existing comparative methods.
High proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 antibody level is associated with poor prognosis in patients with diabetes: A Prospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Yamagata Hiroki , Hayashi Aiko , Yoshida Yoich , Koshizaka Masaya , Onishi Shunichiro , Yohida Tomohiko , Hiwasa Takaki , Takemoto Minoru
Published: January 2023

Background
In addition to pathogenic autoantibodies, polyclonal autoantibodies with unknown physiological roles and pathogenicity are produced in the body. Moreover, serum antibodies against the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) protein, which is deeply involved in cholesterol metabolism, have also been observed. Therefore, we examined the clinical significance of PCSK9 antibody (PCSK9-Ab) levels.
Methods
We measured the blood PCSK9-Ab and PCSK9 protein levels in 109 healthy donors (HD) and 274 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) (type 2 DM: 89.8%) using an amplified luminescence proximity homogeneous assay-linked immunosorbent assay. Subsequently, patients with DM were followed up (mean: 4.93 years, standard deviation: 2.77 years, maximum: 9.58 years, minimum: 0.07 years) to examine associations between antibody titers and mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke onset, and cancer.
Results
Although PCSK 9-Ab levels were significantly higher in the DM group than in the HD group, PCSK9 protein levels were not significantly different. PCSK9-Ab and PCSK9 protein levels showed no correlation in either group. We found that mortality was significantly associated with higher PCSK9-Ab levels, but not related to PCSK9 protein levels. After investigating for potential confounding factors, PCSK9-Ab levels were significantly associated with prognosis in patients with DM.
Conclusions
PCSK9-Ab may be a novel prognostic marker in patients with diabetes. However, further studies are warranted to verify its usefulness as a prognostic marker.
Berberine exhibits antitumor effects by activating autophagy and apoptosis in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells by regulating ROS and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways
Authors: Shi Xiang-Zhe , Zhao Sheng , Wang Yan , Wang Meng-Yao , Xiong Chen , Su Su-Wen , Wu Yan-Zhao
Published: January 2023

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most lethal thyroid carcinoma. Doxorubicin (DOX) is the only drug approved for anaplastic thyroid cancer treatment, but its clinical use is restricted due to irreversible tissue toxicity. Berberine (BER), an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Coptidis Rhizoma, has been proposed to have antitumor activity in many cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms by which BER regulates apoptosis and autophagy in ATC remain unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of BER in CAL-62 and BHT-101 cells as well as the underlying mechanisms. In addition, we assessed the antitumor effects of a combination of BER and DOX in ATC cells. The present results showed that BER significantly inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in ATC cells. BER treatment also significantly upregulated the expression of LC3B-II and increased the number of GFP-LC3 puncta in ATC cells, suggesting that BER induced a high level of autophagy. Inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) suppressed BER-induced autophagic cell death, which confirmed the anticancer role of autophagy induced by BER. Moreover, BER induced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a potential ROS scavenger, substantially suppressed the expression of autophagy-regulated proteins and apoptosis proteins induced by BER. Moreover, BER and DOX cooperated to promote apoptosis and autophagy in ATC cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that BER regulated the autophagy and apoptosis of human ATC cells through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways. Taken together, the present findings indicated that BER induces apoptosis and autophagic cell death by activating ROS and regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
Consolidative breast radiotherapy and prophylactic high-dose methotrexate are important first-line treatments for primary breast diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients treated with R-CHOP-like regimens
Authors: Weng Huawei , Shrestha Prem Raj , Chen Zegeng , Hong Huangming , Huang He , Yu Le , Yao Yuyi , Li Xiaoqian , Pan Fei , Zhang Wei , Chen Yongchang , Li Xudong , Wan Mengdi , Zhang Zhihui , Zou Liqun , Zhu Bo , Zhou Hui , Liu Xianling , Liu Yao , Guo Hongqiang , Fang Xiaojie , Wang Zhao , Lin Tongyu
Published: January 2023

Purpose
Primary breast diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PB-DLBCL) is a rare form of extranodal DLBCL. In this study, we aimed to determine the patterns of relapse and the optimal treatment strategy for PB-DLBCL in the rituximab era.
Methods
We retrospectively collected data from Chinese Southwest Oncology Group-affiliated institutes. Patients diagnosed with PB-DLBCL from 2008 to 2019 and treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone (R-CHOP) or R-CHOP-like regimens were included.
Results
A total of 135 PB-DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP or R-CHOP-like regimens were eligible for this study. With a median follow-up of 43 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 84.7% and 69.6%, respectively. Continuous treatment failure was observed, especially affecting the breast and central nervous system (CNS). Consolidative RT significantly reduced the risk of breast relapse (p = 0.013). Relapse in CNS were detected in 13 (9.6%) patients, of whom 4 had received intrathecal prophylaxis and 9 had not received CNS prophylaxis. None of the patients who received high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) had CNS relapse. CNS relapse risk was reduced by HD-MTX (p = 0.036). Furthermore, we screened the genetic mutation profile of PB-DLBCL and found that MYD88 and/or CD79B mutations were present in all patients with CNS relapse, whereas patients with MYD88 and/or CD79B mutations who received HD-MTX did not experience CNS relapse.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that consolidative RT decreased the risk of breast relapse. Prophylactic HD-MTX reduced the risk of CNS relapse, especially in patients with MYD88/CD79B mutations.
Numerical simulation on melt pool and solidification in the direct energy deposition process of GH3536 powder superalloy
Authors: Liu Miao , Liu Zhongqiu , Li Baokuan , Qi Fengsheng , Peng Weiping
Published: January 2023

In the direct energy deposition (DED) process, the highly energetic laser, rapid melting, and solidification processes lead to complex heat transfer and flow phenomena. A three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) is established to study the effect of process parameters on the melt pool and solidification quality during the DED process. The heat transfer, fluid flow, and solidification in the DED process of the GH3536 superalloy are studied. By investigating the effects of laser power, scanning speed, and feed rate on the morphology of melt pool and interlayer fusion, the appropriate input parameters for GH3536 are obtained. Temperature gradient and solidification rate obtained in transient thermal distribution are applied to predict the quality and morphology of the solidified structure at the cut-off point. Results show that high laser power and low scanning speed or feed rate will enlarge the melt pool. Well-solidified microstructure frequently appears in the middle of the parameter set; focusing on the enlargement of the melt pool is not the best strategy. The correlation between feed rate and laser power is not obvious. The minimum threshold for scanning speed is found at a given feed rate. When the scanning rate is below the threshold, abnormal morphology of the melt pool and irregular solidification structures will occur. The laser power and scanning speed range suitable for the GH3536 superalloy are summarized, and the undesirable and possibly fluctuating parameters are marked. The middle part of the parameter set is recommended for the feed rate.
Medicago truncatula-Sinorhizobium meliloti-Fusarium oxysporum tripartite interaction alters nodulation and nitrogen fixation
Authors: BATNINI Marwa , López-Gómez Miguel , Hidalgo-Castellanos Javier , Palma Francesco , Peña Agustín Javier Marín , Mhadhbi Haythem
Published: January 2023

Plants encounter a myriad of microorganisms at the root-soil interface that can invade with detrimental or beneficial outcomes. Promoting a symbiotic relationship may interfere with the restriction responses to pathogens. In this study, we established a tripartite Medicago truncatula- Sinorhizobium meliloti-Fusarium oxysporum interaction to study the effect of the interplay between symbiosis and defense on the symbiosis establishment and efficiency in a resistant (A17) and susceptible (TN1.11) genotype to F. oxysporum infection. Our results showed that Sm induced the expression of allene oxide cyclase 1 and 2 (MtAoc1) and (MtAoc2) at 6 and 24 hours post infection (hpi) in A17 and at 24 hpi in TN1.11. This up-regulation of MtAoc1 and MtAoc2 was also observed when co-inoculating TN1.11 genotype with Fo and Sm. Moreover, in this later treatment the expression level of the gene of the common signaling pathway doesn’t make infection 3 (DIM3) was reduced compared to Sm-inoculated plants. This reduction of DIM3 transcripts was concomitant to a decrease in nodule number (NN), nodule fresh weight, and nitrogen-fixing rate (NFR), and to an accumulation of spermine in nodules. This defectiveness in symbiosis parameters, in the co-inoculation treatment, was also observed in A17 genotype, along with an accumulation of phytohormones in leaves and polyamines in nodules. Our results suggest that in the tripartite interaction, the high expression of MtAoc and the decrease of DMI3 transcripts along with the accumulation of phytohormones and polyamines in leaves overlapped with symbiosis establishment and functioning and thus, reduced NN and NFR.
Curative resection following conservative treatment for perforated early gastric cancer: A case report
Authors: Yoshizawa Junichi , Sugiyama Satoshi , Kubota Koji , Nakayama Ataru
Published: January 2023

Background: Gastric perforation is a relatively rare complication of gastric cancer. Malignant gastric perforation is often a manifestation of advanced cancer with serosal invasion and lymph node metastasis; thus, gastric cancer rarely perforates at an early stage. Herein, we describe a case of gastric perforation, which was treated conservatively; later, the patient was diagnosed with an extremely rare early-stage gastric cancer and underwent radical surgery in two stages.
Case presentation: An 81-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for breathlessness. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed gastric perforation and perforated peritonitis. She was hospitalized, and conservative treatment was initiated; upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed on the 14th day after admission. Gastric ulcer scars were observed in the anterior wall of the stomach; biopsy from around the ulcer showed group V (moderately-well differentiated adenocarcinoma). She was diagnosed with gastric perforation due to early gastric cancer. Abdominal CT revealed no findings suggestive of liver, lung, or para-aortic lymph node metastasis, and a radical gastrectomy with lymph node dissection was performed 32 days after onset. Microscopic findings revealed that the cancer cells proliferated to the regenerated mucosa of ulcer scars and infiltrated into scar tissue equivalent to submucosal tissue (T1b). The gastric cancer was staged as T1bN0M0, stage IA. The patient has been reported healthy without any evidence of gastric cancer recurrence for the past 48 months.
Conclusions: Treatment of gastric cancer perforation includes first-stage surgery and second-stage surgery after conservative therapy and closure of the omental patch or perforation site. Ensuring a balance between lifesaving and curability, while selecting surgical methods is necessary. Depending on the patient's general condition and degree of peritonitis, curatively resectable perforated gastric cancer, including early-stage gastric cancer, should be treated conservatively as in our case, or minimally invasively with an omental patch or perforation closure as surgery for gastric perforation. After evaluation of the patient's general condition and adequate assessment of the extent and progression of the gastric cancer, a two-stage gastrectomy with lymph node dissection was suitable and achieved an improved general condition, which may lead to a highly curative surgery and improve prognosis.
Detection and Mitigation of Malicious DDoS Floods in Software Defined Networks
Authors: Ahmad Furqan
Published: January 2023

Software-defined networking provides modular network management, allowing the flexible quality of services to remove conventional networks' limitations. It implies the concept of separating the control and data plane attributes for flexible network management. Contrary to network flexibilities, the centralized management is exposed to cyber threats i.e., Distributed Denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks which can compromise of SDN controllers. Meanwhile, entropy-based DDoS attack detection methods are most prominent among other detection methods but relying on entropy itself can neglect detection in several parameters i.e., variations in flow specification. In this research, a DDOS attacks detection and mitigation framework inside the SDN control plane is designed to ensure the secure availability of the network. Our approach comprises an entropy-based detection system integrated flow initiation and specification modules to classify the malicious DDoS flows against regular traffic. This lightweight approach is designed to minimize DDoS attacks by detecting its effects in the early stages a perform mitigation before compromising the controller resources. The simulation is performed on Mininet network simulator, for implementing SDN architecture and the testbed is created on various DDOS attacks, i.e., UDP, TCP-SYN, and ICMP ping flood attacks, to validate on commonly used data centric network environments. Based on the results, the proposed solution assures the SDN-based DDoS attack detection and mitigation under 150 packets maintaining significantly low detection time and high accuracy.