bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The relationship between the use of metformin and the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hu Jian , Fan Hong-Dan , Gong Jian-Ping , Mao Qing-Song
Published: December 2022

Objective
We aim to evaluate the relationship between the use of metformin and the risk of pancreatic cancer in type 2 diabetes patients.
Method
We systematically searched the observational studies on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, clinicalrials.gov, and CNKI databases, extracted relevant data, combined the OR value and 95% CI using the random effect model, and conducted a sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression to evaluate the size and stability of this relationship.
Result
Twenty-nine studies from twenty-four articles met our inclusion criteria, including more than 2 million subjects. Overall analysis showed that compared with no use of metformin, the use of metformin could reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes (OR = 0.82, 95% CI (0.69, 0.98)). Subgroup analysis showed that compared with the use of hypoglycemic drugs, the use of metformin could reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes (OR = 0.79, 95% CI (0.66, 0.94)). However, compared with no drugs or only diet therapy, metformin users might increase the risk of pancreatic cancer (OR = 2.19, 95% CI (1.08, 4.44)). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the study, and there was no significant publication bias.
Conclusion
Compared with the no-use of metformin, metformin users with diabetes can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer. This relationship seems to be more significant in people with other hypoglycemic drugs. However, more research is needed to prove it works.
Fetal NT-proBNP levels and their course in severe anemia during intrauterine treatment
Authors: Siebers Pauline , Gembruch Ulrich , Merz Waltraut Maria , Recker Florian , Müller Andreas , Strizek Brigitte , Geipel Annegret , Berg Christoph , Weber Eva Christin
Published: December 2022

Purpose
In adults and fetuses, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a marker of cardiac failure and myocardial remodelling. We examined the effect of anemia and intrauterine transfusion (IUT) on NT-proBNP concentrations in fetuses with anemia and established gestational age-dependent reference values of a control group.
Methods
We analyzed NT-proBNP levels in anemic fetuses that underwent serial intrauterine transfusions (IUT), focusing on different causes and severity of anemia and comparing the results to a non-anemic control group.
Results
In the control group, the average NT-proBNP concentration was 1339 ± 639 pg/ml, decreasing significantly with increasing gestational age (R=-74.04, T=-3.65, p=0.001). Subjects had significantly higher NT-proBNP concentrations before initiation of IUT therapy (p<0.001), showing fetuses with parvovirus B19 (PVB19) infection having the highest concentrations. Hydropic fetuses also showed an increased in NT-proBNP concentration compared to non-hydropic fetuses (p<0.001). During the course of therapy, NT-proBNP concentration before subsequent IUT decreased significantly from pathologically high levels, while MoM-Hb and MoM-MCA-PSV remained pathological.
Conclusion
NT-pro BNP levels in healthy fetuses are higher than in postnatal life, decreasing with ongoing pregnancy. Anemia is a hyperdynamic state and its severity correlates with circulating NT-proBNP levels. Highest concentrations occur in fetuses with hydrops and with PVB19 infection, respectively. Treatment by IUT leads to a normalisation of NT-proBNP concentrations, so the measurement of its levels may be useful in therapy monitoring.
Predictors of treatment failure pain among patients with mine-explosive wounds
Authors: Kuchyn¹ Iurii , Horoshko Vasyl'
Published: December 2022

Background
83.3% of patients after mine-explosive injuries received during hostilities in Ukraine have negative results of pain treatment, which leads to its chronicity. Identifying predictors of negative pain outcomes in these patients may improve their treatment outcomes.
Methods
The treatment of 660 patients was analyzed. The results of the treatment were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). Comparison of groups was carried out according to the Mann-Whitney test. The method of constructing univariate and multivariate logistic regression models was used to analyze the relationship between the risks of receiving a negative treatment result and factor characteristics. The quality of the models was assessed by the area under the ROC curve (AUC – Area under the ROC curve). To quantify the degree of influence of the factor characteristic, the odds ratio indicator was calculated.
Results
Predictors of negative results of pain treatment in patients with with mine-explosive wounds are: 1) method of pain treatment (p < 0.001), OR = 0.06 (95% CI 0.04–0.09); 2) high intensity of pain according to the VAS upon admission (p < 0.001), OR = 3.16 (95% CI 2.52–3.98); 3) anesthetic risk according to ASA (p = 0.049) OR = 0.67 (0.45–0.99); 4) set of indicators: method of pain treatment, age of the patient and number of injured anatomical parts of the body AUC = 0.82 (95% CI 0.79–0.85); 5) number of injured anatomical parts of the body (p = 0.015), OR = 1.17 (95% CI 1.03–1.32).
Conclusions
The conducted analysis showed that the method of pain treatment, high intensity of pain upon admission to a medical institution, anesthetic risk according to ASA is associated with a higher risk of receiving negative results of pain treatment in patients with mine-explosive injuries. Favoring the combination of pain management with regional anesthesia, controlling pain during transport to the hospital, and preventing risks related to the severity of the patient's condition can potentially improve outcomes for these patients.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov: Retrospectively registered on July 28, 2022 NCT05478655
Association between lipid levels and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in critically ill patients: cohort study on the eICU database
Authors: Li Shan , Zhang Wei , Liu Hongbin
Published: December 2022

Extremely low lipid levels are considered a sign of debilitation and illness. The association between lipid levels and the risk of mortality in critically ill patients has not been well investigated. This study was designed to evaluate the association between lipid levels and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in critically ill patients using a large collaborative research database known as the eICU database. In total, 27,316 individuals with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) measurements were analyzed. A J-shaped association was observed between LDL-C, HDL-C, and TC levels and all-cause and noncardiovascular mortality, with low concentrations associated with higher risk. LDL-C, HDL-C and TC levels in the first quintile were associated with higher all-cause and noncardiovascular mortality but not with cardiovascular mortality compared to the reference quintile. There was a marked synergistic effect between low LDL-C combined with low HDL-C on the risk of mortality. Individuals with LDL-C≤95 mg/dL and HDL-C≤27 mg/dL had an increased risk of all-cause mortality (OR 1.77, 95% CI: 1.49-2.11), cardiovascular mortality (OR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.08-2.09) and noncardiovascular mortality (OR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.60-2.44). The results of this observational cohort showed that low LDL-C, HDL-C and TC levels were independently associated with higher all-cause and noncardiovascular mortality in critically ill patients.
Sarcopenia is Associated with Aggressive Clinicopathological Outcomes and is a Poor Prognostic Indicator for Surgically Treated Nonmetastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Makino Tomoyuki , Izumi Kouji , Iwamoto Hiroaki , Kadomoto Suguru , Kadono Yoshifumi , Mizokami Atsushi
Published: December 2022

Purpose: We aimed to describe the impact of preoperative sarcopenia on the oncological outcome of nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after surgical treatment.
Methods: Data on 299 Japanese patients with nonmetastatic RCC who underwent radical treatment at Kanazawa University Hospital between October 2007 and December 2018 were extracted. Clinicopathological features and survival prognosis of patients stratified by the presence or absence of sarcopenia as indicated by the psoas muscle mass index were retrospectively analyzed.
Results: Of 299 patients, 114 (38.1%) were classified as sarcopenic. The sarcopenia group showed a larger tumor size, worse pathological tumor stage and histological grade, and more frequent micro-/lymphovascular invasion than the nonsarcopenia group. Furthermore, sarcopenia was associated with a shorter overall survival and metastasis-free survival (p = 0.019 and 0.036, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified sarcopenia as a significant and independent predictor of overall survival (hazard ratio, 2.529; p = 0.034).
Conclusion: Sarcopenia is a significant factor indicating worse pathological outcomes and poor survival prognosis in surgically treated nonmetastatic RCC.
Attracting Adolescents to Become Doctors and Nurses: Differential Importance of Personal and Environmental Factors in 61 Economies
Authors: Guo Luyang , Hau Kit-Tai
Published: December 2022

Background
Doctors and nurses play a fundamental role in maintaining global health systems and achieving universal healthcare coverage. However, significant shortages persist, and little is known about the popularity of these careers among young people in various economies, nor the relative impact of personal inputs and contextual factors.
Methods
Using the large-scale Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, we showed the recent distribution of adolescents’ doctor and nurse career expectations in 61 economies. With multilevel logistic regression and hierarchical linear regression, we examined the relative importance of economic indicators, health work conditions, and personal background factors in shaping adolescents’ health career expectations.
Results
Additional health expenditure (with the impact of gross domestic product [GDP] controlled) and health work environment explained one-third of the variance in adolescents’ doctor and nurse career expectations. In contrast, personal background factors (gender, social status, and academic ability) were less influential. Specifically, work safety was crucial in attracting adolescents to doctor careers in high-GDP economies, while salaries mattered more for nurses in less developed economies.
Conclusions
In government planning, it is critical to increase health expenditure and improve health working conditions to enhance young people’s motivation to pursue doctors and nursing careers. Specifically, high-GDP economies should provide a safer work environment for health workers to attract adolescents to doctor careers, whereas, in less developed economies, offering better salaries is more essential in filling their nursing workforce shortages.
Trial registration
No human participants were involved in this study.
Long COVID prevalence, follow-up and use of resources in Primary Care: a confirmed case series study
Authors: Rogero-Blanco Eloisa , Medina-García Rodrigo , Jerez-Fernández Pablo , Machín-Hamalainen Santiago , Vilà-Torelló Clara , Herranz-López Marta , López-Rodríguez Juan A , group COVID-AP group COVID-AP
Published: December 2022

Background

SARS-CoV-2 infection may produce symptoms for longer than 4 weeks (long COVID). Its duration, causes and consequences are still not well known. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of long COVID, its signs and symptoms and the use of resources in adult patients in Primary Care (PC).

Methods

Observational, descriptive, retrospective case series study performed in PC. Patients older than 18 years who had a positive polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 from February 29th until April 15th, 2020 were included. Variables related to clinical symptoms and use of resources were registered from 4 weeks after the confirmed COVID-19 case notification, up to 39 weeks.

Results

Mean age of the 267 patients analyzed was 57 years old (16.0 SD) and 55.8% were women. In the acute phase, 61.8% of the patients required hospitalization and 43.8% suffered bilateral pneumonia. Long COVID prevalence found was 45.7% (CI 95% 39.6–51.9), and 53.3% of them had symptoms longer than 12 weeks. Most common symptoms were dyspnea (45.1%, CI 95% 36.1–54.3), asthenia (42.6%, CI 95% 33.7–51.9), cough (24.6%, CI 95% 17.2–33.2), and neuropsychiatric disorders (18%, CI 95% 11.7–26). 98.4% of long COVID patients required contact with PC during follow-up, with an average of 6.7 (5.0 SD) contacts. At least 45.1% had a lab test, 34.4% a chest x-ray and 41.8% required work leave. Factors associated with a higher number of contacts with PC included developing ARDS (IRR 1.7, CI 95% 1.2–2.2), long COVID (IRR 2.9, CI 95% 2.5–3.4), requiring a work leave (IRR 2.4, CI 95% 2.1–2.9), and the need of hospitalization (IRR 1.5, CI 95% 1.2–1.9).

Conclusion

Almost half of the patients of this study developed long COVID, similar to preceding works. Most frequent persistent symptoms were dyspnea, asthenia, and cough.
Use of resources such as lab tests, chest x-rays, work leaves, PC appointments and hospital referrals, was two to six times greater among long COVID patients, in contrast with those who did not develop long COVID. Requiring hospitalization and having a severe disease at onset was associated to a higher number of PC contacts.
Rapid Analysis of Estrogens in Meat Samples by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection
Authors: Yu Shuiqiang , You Jinmao , Lu Zhihao , Wang Yu , Shi Xinxin , Zou Xiaocong , Tan Jiangkun , Sun Zhiwei , Li Zan , Ji Zhongyin , Song Cuihua
Published: December 2022

An novel reagent named 4-(N-methyl-1,3-dioxo-benzoisoquinolin-6-yl-oxy)benzene sulfonyl chloride (MBIOBS-CI) for the determination of estrogens in food samples by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection has been developed. Estrogens could be easily labeled by MBIOBS-Cl in the Na2CO3-NaHCO3 buffer system at pH 10.0. The complete labeling for estrogens could be accomplished within five minutes, the corresponding derivatives exhibited strong fluorescence with the maximum excitation and emission wavelengths at 249nm and 443nm, respectively. The derivatization conditions, such as the molar ratio of reagent to estrogens, derivatization time, pH, temperature and buffers were optimized. Derivatives were sufficiently stable to be efficiently analyzed by HPLC with a reversed-phase Agilent ZORBAX 300SB-C18 column with a good baseline resolution. Excellent linear correlations were obtained for all estrogen derivatives with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9998. Ultrasonic-Assisted extraction was used to optimize the extraction of estrogens from meat samples with a recovery higher than 82%. The detection limits (LOD, S/N=3) of the method ranged from 0.95 to 3.3 μg· kg-1. The established method, which is fast, simple, inexpensive, and environment friendly, is successfully applied for the detection of four steroidal estrogens from meat samples with little matrix interference.
Dynamical variations of the COVID-19 with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron of Kazakhstan and Pakistan
Authors: Cui Qianqian , Shi Zhengli , Li Shizhu , Yimamaidi Duman , Hu Ben , Zhang Zhuo , Saqib Muhammad , Zohaib Ali , Gulnara Baikadamova , Yersyn Mukhanbetkaliyev , Hu Zengyun
Published: December 2022

Background The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron virus bring a formidable challenge to control and prevention for all the countries, especially for the low development countries. Hence, taking Kazakhstan and Pakistan as examples, this study aims to explore the COVID-19 transmissions with the omicron virus at different contact rates, quarantined rates and test rates.
Methods A disease dynamical model is applied in which the population is divided into different individuals. Three time stages are divided according to the omicron transmission characteristics: first outbreak period, calm period and the second outbreak period. The population contact, population quarantine and disease test are considered with five different scenarios to analysis their impacts on the disease. Four statistical metrics are employed to quantify the model's performance, including the correlation coefficient (CC), normalized absolute error (NAE), normalized root mean square error (RMSE) and distance between indices of simulation and observation (DISO).
Results Our model has high performance in simulating the COVID-19 transmission in the two countries with high CC bigger than 0.9, and the DISO smaller than 0.5. Compared with the present measures (base line), decreasing (increasing) the contact rates or increasing (decreasing) the quarantined rates can reduce (increase) the peak values of daily new cases and forward (delay) the peak value times. The impacts of the test rates on the disease are weak. When the start times of stage II is brought forward 6 days, the daily new cases are more than 8 and 5 times for Kazakhstan and Pakistan. The impacts of the start times of the stage III on the disease are contradict with the stage II.
Conclusions For the two low development countries: Kazakhstan and Pakistan, stronger intensity of control and prevention measures can be more effective on the COVID-19 control. Therefore, to reduce or cut down the omicron transmission, the strict management of the population movement should be employed. Moreover, the timely application of the strategies also plays a key role in the disease control.
Nature’s glass lace: the nanomechanics of diatom silica frustules
Authors: Cvjetinovic Julijana , Luchkin Sergey , Statnik Eugene , Davidovich Nickolai , Somov Pavel , Salimon Aleksey , Korsunsky Alexander , Gorin Dmitry
Published: December 2022

Diatoms are single cell microalgae enclosed in silica exoskeletons (frustules) that provide inspiration for advanced hybrid nanostructure designs mimicking multi-scale porosity to achieve outstanding mechanical and optical properties. Interrogating the structure and properties of diatoms down to nanometer scale leads to breakthrough advances reported here in the nanomechanical characterization of Coscinodiscus oculus-iridis diatom pure silica frustules, as well as of air-dried and wet cells with organic content. Static and dynamic mode Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and in-SEM nanoindentation revealed the peculiarities of diatom response with separate contributions from material nanoscale behavior and membrane deformation of the entire valve. The deformation response depends strongly on silica hydration and on the support from the internal organic content. Lessons from Nature’s nanostructuring of diatoms open up pathways to new generations of nano- and microdevices for electronic, electromechanical, photonic, liquid, energy storage, and other applications.
Adapting the Diabetes Prevention Program’s Power to Prevent for implementation: a Formative Research in peri-urban setting of Bamako, Mali
Authors: Doumbia Lancina , Findley Sally , Ba Hamidou Oumar , Maiga Bonkana , Ba Aissata , Doumbia Seydou
Published: December 2022

Background: Although type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are on the rise in Africa, there are few African community-level behavior change interventions for reducing diabetes and hypertension risk. We describe the process used to develop a pilot program adapting the evidence-based CDC Diabetes Prevention Program’s Power to Prevent (DPP-P2P) in two low-income urban communities in Bamako, Mali.
Methods: The 12 DPP-P2P group sessions and handouts were converted into culturally appropriate, pictorial presentations including multiple role-plays and demonstrations. Nineteen community health workers and 45 diabetic and hypertensive patients were recruited to give feedback on the sessions delivered in one-month at two community health centers. Changes in activity levels and diet were assessed by pre- and post-tests. Feedback was given after each session, and at the end, by focus groups conducted with both sets of participants. We performed a content analysis of the focus group discussion data and assessed pre and posttest differences in activity and diet using the Chi-square test, using Stata v. 15.1.
Results: Participants were very enthusiastic about the program. They suggested more emphasis on involving the family, verifying the low-cost of healthy eating, and including exercise guides. The level of inactivity (less than 1 weekly) dropped from 35.3% to 12.1% (P=0.026), while engaging in some form of physical activity 3 or more times in the previous week rose from 32.3% to 75.8% (P<0.001). Limitation of fat intake rose from 70.6.3% to 97.0% (P= 0.004).
Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and high acceptability of adapting the DPP-P2P delivered through community health workers in a low-income periurban setting of Africa . The high attendance to different sessions, adhesion to physical activities encourage for further effectiveness studies of DPP-P2P adaptation.
Approximate Big Graph Partitioning
Authors: Zhang Xin , Li Xiaoguang
Published: December 2022

Graph partitioning is a key technique for a wide range of computingtasks over big graph data. A big graph usually needs to be loadedinto clusters and stored as partitions to facilitate graph computa-tion. However, the vertex locality is derived from the global graph instate-of-the-art of partitioning, which suffers from a high time over-head when the graph data exceeds available memory. In this paper,we propose a sample-based approach to partition graphs approximatelyin order to load a big graph into a distributed system efficiently.Firstly, we provide a theoretical bound of error gain of graph parti-tioning and put forward a degree bias sampling method to decreasethe expectation of error gain. Secondly, we propose a two-pass algo-rithm, where a representative graph is sampled and partitioned approx-imately as a partitioning function in memory in the first scan andthe reminder of the graph is allocated streamlessly in the secondscan. In comparisons with a number of previous advanced techniques,our approach can dramatically improve partitioning efficiency with asmall memory and shows better performance of edge-cuts and balance.
Personality traits and the prevalent myocardial infarction – cross-sectional study among population aged 50 years or older in Europe
Authors: Agvall Björn , Jonasson Junmei Miao
Published: December 2022

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a serious condition that increases with age and is caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It is of value to identify the reasons why some are affected, and possibly, why different personality traits can be associated with increased or decreased risk for myocardial infarction.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on data collected in 2017 from the European survey wave 7 of Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Individuals aged >50 years were included in the study. The big five personality traits, i.e., openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism constituted the main exposure variables and were analyzed separately. The value of each personality trait variable was divided into tertile with higher score indicating a higher level. The primary outcome was MI. The association between each personality trait and MI were examined by Logistic regression models which was used to estimate the Odds Ratios (ORs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI).
Results: There were 6336 participants reported having a MI in this study. Neuroticism was significantly associated with the increased OR of 1.16 (95% CI: 1.09 - 1.24) for middle level of neuroticism and 1.39 (95% CI: 1.30 - 1.49) for the high level of neuroticism. Higher level of agreeableness is significantly associated with the decrease odds of MI.
Conclusions: This cross-sectional study is based on a survey of a population aged 50 years and older in Europe. A higher level of neuroticism was associated with the increased odds of MI. A higher level of agreeableness is associated with decreased odds of MI. It has been demonstrated that different personalities are associated with different odds of suffering MI and seems to play a role as a risk factor.
Fruehwald-Koenig, K.1); Heister, L.2): Macro- and Micromechanical Behavior of Oil Palm Wood (Elaeis guineensis JACQ.): Tensile, Compression and Bending Properties
Authors: Fruehwald-Koenig Katja , Heister Lena
Published: December 2022

Being monocotyledons, palms show distinct differences in anatomical structure compared to common wood species. Oil palm wood can be seen as a unidirectional long-fiber-reinforced bio-composite, if vascular bundles are considered reinforcements (fibers) and parenchymatous ground tissue the matrix. The elastomechanical properties in bending (fm, Em), compression parallel (fc,0) and perpendicular (fc,90) and tension parallel (ft,0, Et,0) and perpendicular (ft,90) directions to the vascular bundles of small-size test specimen show a much higher exponential increase in density, following power law relationships, than common wood species and a significant gradient over both trunk height and cross section. The rule-of-mixture cannot be confirmed for ft,0and Et,0, because the concentration of vascular bundles, as well as the share of fibers within the bundles, is greater in the periphery of the stem than in the central tissue. Furthermore, the cell wall properties themselves are not constant; cell wall thickening is more pronounced in the peripheral than in the central tissue and more in the bottom of the trunk than near the top. The “fibers” of the composite material are not homogeneous nor regularly spaced, which leads to exponents > 1 of the power law relationship. Different from common wood species, the compression strength of oil palm wood exceeds the tensile strength: fc,0: fm: ft,0are 2.2 : 3.3…1.7 : 1. The performance indices for minimum weight design by Ashby et al. (1995) are comparable to that for coconut and date palm.
Seasonal variation in δ 13 C of Pinus yunnanensis and Pinus armandi at different stand ages
Authors: Liu Yuanxi , Wu Junwen , Wu Danzi , Li Shiming , Wang Lina
Published: December 2022

Seasonal drought is common in Yunnan province, and water is the dominant factor limiting the growth ofPinus. yunnanensisandPinus. armandi. The water use efficiency (WUE) of the two species is poorly understood. Needles were collected in a plantation (P. yunnanensisandP. armandimixed forest) in four seasons, and the needle δ13C values were measured. The selected species had larger δ13C values and exhibited higher WUE than typical subtropical species.P. armandineedles showed a more conservative water use strategy (high WUE) thanP. yunnanensis. There were significant differences in the δ13C values ofP. armandibetween the two ages, whereas no difference was observed in the δ13C values ofP. yunnanensis. The lowest δ13C value in the youngP. armandiforest was observed in spring, whereas the δ13C value of middle-aged forests did not differ between the seasons. The δ13C value of youngP. yunnanensisforests showed no difference in the four seasons, and the maximum value was observed in summer in middle-aged forests. In general, the δ13C value ofP. armandiwas lowest in spring, whereas that ofP. yunnanensiswas higher in spring and winter. The needle δ13C values were lower in spring and winter, indicating that the season had different effects on the δ13C values of different tree species. Correlation analysis between the needle δ13C values and meteorological data indicated that temperature and precipitation were the dominant factors affecting WUE inP. yunnanensisandP. armandi. However, the tree species were not sensitive to moisture and temperature. Under the same climatic conditions, the effect of temperature on WUE was greater inP. yunnanensismiddle-aged stands, and temperature and moisture affected the tree species during growth. These results suggest that WUE is significantly different inP. yunnanensisandP. armandiin two stand ages, and temperature and precipitation affect the WUE of the two Coniferous species. The identification and selection of subtropical tree species with high WUE are critical to maintaining high levels of forest benefits under limited water conditions.
Tough and biodegradable polyurethane-silica hybrids with rapid sol-gel transition for bone repair
Authors: Chung Justin , Park Su jeong , Im Seung hyuk , Kim Donghak , Park Doyeun , Jung Youngmee , Han Hyung-seop , Kim Soo hyun
Published: December 2022

Inorganic–organic hybrid materials have promising properties for bone repair because of their covalent bonding between the inorganic and organic phases. This fine interaction allows us to overcome the limitations of composite materials, such as inhomogeneous biodegradation rates and non-biointeractive surfaces. In this study, a polycaprolactone (PCL)-based polyurethane (PU) with an organosilane functional group was synthesized for the first time. Thereafter, a biodegradable PU-silica hybrid was produced through a sol-gel process. The PU-silica hybrid was not only tough and flexible but also fully biodegradable. In addition to this, the urethane bonding enabled the silane coupling agent to increase crosslinking between the polymer and silica network, as well as between polymer to polymer. Accordingly, a rapid sol-to-gel gelation time was required to produce the hybrids, which allowed the production of 3D porous hybrid scaffolds through a simple salt-leaching process. A hybrid scaffold with 30 wt. % silica composition was the most ideal material for a bone regenerative scaffold since it was able to withstand thermal deformation with promising mechanical properties. Moreover, the hybrid scaffold induced osteogenic differentiation and angiogenesis, to accelerate bone regeneration.
Study on the tool-chip friction coefficient of bottom edge in high-speed internal cooling spiral milling hole
Authors: Wu Jingyue , YIN Ningxia , Lv Liangliang , Mai Qingqun
Published: December 2022

The main focus of this work is the effect of the third body on the friction coefficient of the bottom edge tool-chip in spiral milling with internal cooling at high speeds. The maximum pressure of the tool-chip contact and the tool-chip friction factor of the bottom edge are estimated by evaluating the helical milling principle and milling experiments, and the Hertz-Mindlin with bonding discrete element model（DEM）is established and corrected. The friction coefficient of the bottom edge tool-chip in the process of high-speed internal cooling milling is discovered to decrease with an increase in the number of third bodies by examining the discrete element model and the morphology of the machined surface and the bottom edge. The third body increases as spindle speed increases but decreases as pitch increases. The research results provide a reference for the study of tool - chip friction coefficient in high-speed internal cooling helical milling.
Blocking of PI3-kinase beta protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by reducing platelet activation and downstream microvascular thrombosis in rats
Authors: Cheng Qiong , Wang Min , jin rong , li guohong
Published: December 2022

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase beta (PI3Kβ) plays an important role in platelet activation and thrombosis, but its role in stroke pathology remains unknown. In this study, we investigated whether inhibition of PI3Kβ protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by preventing circulating platelet activation and downstream microvascular thrombosis. We used a rat intraluminal filament model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) because the rapid restoration of cerebral blood flow to the ischemic area in both tMCAO and endovascular thrombectomy provides clinical relevance for this model. The results showed that TGX221, a selective PI3Kβ inhibitor, treatment immediately before the onset of reperfusion dose-dependently reduced infarct volume and improved neurological function. The protective effects were associated with blocking platelet activation and thrombotic response, thereby reducing downstream microvascular thrombosis, and maintaining reperfusion efficiency. These results suggest that PI3Kβ might be a promising target for treating downstream microvascular thrombosis induced by cerebral I/R injury and offer a novel adjunctive treatment to improve reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke.
Singing more, singing harsher: occurrence of nonlinear phenomena in a primate' song
Authors: Cristiano Walter , Raimondi Teresa , Valente Daria , Chiara De Gregorio , Torti Valeria , Ferrario Valeria , Carugati Filippo , Miaretsoa Longondraza , Mancini Laura , Gamba Marco , Giacoma Cristina
Published: December 2022

Nonlinear phenomena (NLP) in animal vocalizations arise from irregularities in the oscillation of the vocal folds. Various hypotheses have been put forward to explain the occurrence of NLP, from adaptive to physiological ones. Non-human primates often display NLP in their vocalizations, yet the meaning of these features is still unclear. We present here the first study of NLP occurrence in the song of a singing primate: the indri (Indri indri). We found that the more an individual sings, the higher the likelihood of emitting NLP. Our results show that NLP occurrence in indri depends on phonation, i.e., the cumulative duration of all the units emitted by an individual. Furthermore, NLP occurrence depends on the timing of the signal and increases as the singing progresses. Our findings suggest that indris may be subjected to physiological constraints during the singing process which may limit the production of harmonic sounds because of the fatigue needed to perform loud and long calls. However, indris may still benefit from emitting NLP by strengthening the loudness of their signals for better advertising their presence to the neighboring conspecific groups.
Effect of the inclined angle of micro-milling tool on the fabrication of the microfluidic channel
Authors: Geng Yanquan , Zhang Suyu , Wang Jiqiang , Xiao Guijian , Li Chen , Yan Yongda
Published: December 2022

Micro-milling is a common processing method for fabricating microfluidic chips or other micro products with high processing accuracy and low cost, suitable for mass production. The main concern of micro-milling is the surface roughness of the machined surface. However, the general study of the surface roughness of micro-milling can only find that only a small range of surface roughness can be obtained by changing the processing parameters. It is very difficult to obtain a specific roughness. In the process of micro-milling with end mills, due to the structural characteristics of the tool tip, the inclination angle of the tool will have a significant impact on the bottom surface of the machined channels. In this work, the influence of tool inclination on the surface roughness of machining was studied through the machining tests of inclined micro-milling on a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) surface, and it was proposed to realize the control of the machined surface roughness by inclined micro-milling. In addition, a theoretical model considering tool inclination was established to calculate the surface roughness of the machined bottom obtained by inclined micro-milling. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical model results in the lower speed range. Afterwards, the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used to replicate the microchannel machined on the PMMA surface, and the microfluidic chips were prepared to control the fluid flow in the channel by adjusting the roughness of the bottom of the channel. Results show that the smoother channel will flow first under the same flow pressure. The study offers a new idea of surface roughness control, which can be applied to flow control in microfluidic chips.
Genetic Algorithm Based Stabilization of Rotary Inverted Pendulum by State Feedback
Authors: ŞEN Fatma Nur , Beldek Ulaş
Published: December 2022

A Rotary Inverted Pendulum is a standard test-bed in control theory due to its nonlinear and unstable characteristics. Driving the pendulum to an upright position, sustaining it motionless there, and carrying on signal tracking tasks at this position are the main control applications related to this test device. This paper presents a comparative study of four state feedback controller structures performing pole placement that theoretically stabilizes the pendulum at an upright position and in real-time application. The first state feedback controller is established based solely on the pendulum dynamics. In contrast, the other controllers are developed due to a multi-criteria optimization procedure by running a Genetic Algorithm search. The Quanser kit is used to obtain and implement the controllers and to test their performance in real-time.
Evaluation of snow depth from multiple observation-based, reanalysis, and regional climate model datasets over a low-altitude Central European region
Authors: Varga Ákos János , Breuer Hajnalka
Published: December 2022

This study evaluates snow depth (SD) from several data sources: a combined satellite-based and in situ snow water equivalent product from the Copernicus Global Land Service (CGLS), a proxy dataset constructed from temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity using a snow model (CARPATCLIM), two state-of-the-art reanalyses by ECMWF (ERA5 and ERA5-Land), and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) regional climate simulations at grid spacings of 50 and 10 km. SD observations from weather stations are used as a reference for the pointwise comparison. The study area covers the Pannonian Basin region (part of Central and Eastern Europe). Results are presented for the 2006–2010 and 1985–2010 periods. All datasets adequately reproduce the annual cycle of SD but with different error magnitudes. The ERA5 reanalysis and the CGLS product represent SD remarkably well, with correlation coefficients above 0.9 and mean errors close to zero. On the other hand, ERA5-Land and CARPATCLIM overestimate daily mean SD by 2–3 cm for some stations and display lower correlations (0.7–0.9) during the 26-year time span. The WRF simulations significantly overestimate SD in the melting period (February–March). Reduction of the grid spacing from 50 to 10 km does not improve the results. The excessive snow cover might negatively impact land-atmosphere interactions in the model and lead to biases like temperature underestimation found in previous regional climate model evaluation studies. The results indicate that even in regions where snow is not a major climatic factor, SD errors can be substantial and should be considered in model evaluation and adaptation. Over the Carpathian Mountain ranges, SD from the different data sources diverges to the extent that the sign of the monthly mean model bias changes depending on the choice of the reference dataset.
Meteoric-Water Incursion, Crude-Oil Degradation And Calcite Cementation In An Upper Cretaceous Carbonate Reservoir: Bekhme Formnation, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Authors: Mansurbeg Howri , Mohialdeen Ibrahim , Al-Juboury Ali , Salih Namam , Alsuwaidi Mohammad , Shahrokhi Salahadin , Al-Aasm Ihsan , Permanyer Albert
Published: December 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Effect of an external magnetic field on the self-focusing of a cosh-Gaussian laser beam in plasma under the relativistic-ponderomotive effect
Authors: Purohit Gunjan
Published: December 2022

This work presents an analytical and numerical study of the relativistic-ponderomotive effect on self-focusing of an intense cosh-Gaussian laser beam in a collisionless magnetized plasma by considering an external magnetic field in the direction of propagation of the laser beam. The nonlinear differential equation for the beam width parameter/intensity of a cosh-Gaussian laser beam in a magnetized plasma is obtained by Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) and paraxial-ray approximations. The self-focusing of the cosh-Gaussian beam at different values ​​of the magnetic field parameter is investigated. The results have also been compared to relativistic nonlinearity. The results show that the self-focusing effect of cosh- Gaussian beam in magnetized plasma becomes stronger, when relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities acts together. In addition, the self-trapping of cosh-Gaussian beam in magnetized plasma has also been studied. Numerical results are presented for the well-established laser and plasma parameters.
Effect of abutment design on fracture resistance of resin-matrix ceramics crown for dental implant restoration: an in vitro study
Authors: Lin Jie , Cai Pingping , Zhuo Yingying , Lin Ling , Zheng Zhiqiang
Published: December 2022

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance and fracture resistance of different resin-matrix ceramics materials as implant-supported single crowns with respect to the abutment design (crown thickness: 1 mm, 2mm and 3 mm).
Methods: Forty-eight aboutments and crowns were fabricated on implants right lower first molar simulating. Two resin-matrix ceramics materials for dental crowns were selected for study, (1)glass-ceramic in a resin interpenetrating matrix (Vita Enamic, Vita, Germany) and (2) resin-based composite with nanoparticle ceramic filler (Lava Ultimate, 3M ESPE, USA). The abutment is designed into the following three types: 1 mm thickness crown + custom titanium abutment, 2 mm thickness crown + custom titanium abutment and 3 mm crown + prefabricated titanium abutment. The experiment was divided into 6 groups (n=8) according to the crown materials and the abutment designs. After 10,000 thermocycling, fracture resistance was measured using a universal testing machine. The statistical differences in various groups were analyzed with ANOVA test followed by a post hoc Tukey’s honestly significant difference test. The surface of the fractured specimen was examined with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Results: 2-way ANOVA revealed that the factor of the abutment designs (F=28.44，P=1.52x10-8<0.001) and the crown materials (F=4.37，P=0.043<0.05) had a significant effect on the fracture resistance of implant crown restoration. The Lava Ultimate-2 mm group showed the highest fracture resistance of 2222.74±320.36 N, and the Vita Enamic-3 mm group showed the lowest fracture resistance of 1204.96±130.50 N. Most of the 1 mm and 2 mm groups had partial crown fracture that could be repaired directly with resin, while the 3 mm group had longitudinal fracture of the crown, and the crown was detached from the abutment.
Conclusion: Based on the in vitro data of this study, the fracture resistance of the 2 mm thick resin-matrix ceramics crown design is higher than that of the 1 mm and 3 mm groups. The 2 mm thick resin-matrix ceramics crown and personalized abutment are an option to replace zirconia as an implant crown restoration.
Artificial Intelligence-Based Higher Education Students Advising System: The Case of Ethiopia
Authors: Habte Dereje Tsegab
Published: December 2022

Academic advisors assist students in academic matters such as registration, warning, probation and other personal matters. Successful advising systems increase student retention, improve graduation rates and help students meet educational goals. Research in academic advising shows a trend of integrating electronic technologies that advisors must adopt to increase their roles in student education, while resources are limited and the proportion of students increases. The main objective of this work is to design a model of academic advising dialogue system for higher education. In this research work, a Higher Education Students Advising System (HESAS) has developed as an academic advising dialogue system, to allow advising session to be more centered on students and to help advisors and advisees in making better informed-decision and improved services. The design of HESAS is composed of six main components. These are user interface, spelling corrector, natural language understanding, dialogue manager, response generator and advisement service. The students have used the system during the experimental phases. For the second experimental phase, the system performed well, obtaining close to 83%, on the traditional language processing measures of precision, recall and F1 score.
Plant functional types drive spatial and temporal variation in soil microbial community composition and extracellular enzyme activities in a tundra heath
Authors: Koranda Marianne , Rinnan Riikka , Michelsen Anders
Published: December 2022

Aims
In this study we investigated divergent effects of two dominant plant functional types in tundra heath, dwarf shrubs and mosses, on microbial decomposition processes and soil carbon (C) and nutrient cycling.
Methods
We analysed samples of organic soil under three dwarf shrub species of distinct mycorrhizal association and life form (Betula nana, Empetrum hermaphroditum and Arctostaphylos alpinus) and under three moss species (Hylocomium splendens, Aulacomnium turgidum and Tomentypnum nitens) in early and late growing season.
Results
Our results revealed contrasting effects of shrubs and mosses on extracellular enzyme activities and soil C and nutrient pools which were linked with strong differences in soil microbial community structure. Specifically, moss soils were characterized by a bacterial-dominated microbial community associated with high soil nitrogen availability, while shrubs promoted a fungal-dominated microbial community and soil C accrual. The variation in soil microbial community composition under different plant species was explained by mycorrhizal association, root morphology, litter and soil organic matter quality and soil pH-value. Furthermore, we found that the seasonal variation in microbial biomass and enzyme activities, driven by plant belowground C allocation during the growing season, was most pronounced under the tallest shrub B. nana.
Conclusion
Our study demonstrates a close coupling of plant functional types with soil microbial communities, microbial decomposition processes and soil nutrient availability in tundra heath, which suggests potential strong impacts of global change-induced shifts in plant community composition on carbon and nutrient cycling in high-latitude ecosystems.
Endometriosis and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization analysis
Authors: Wang Li , Li Xuri , Wang Yan , Li Guofeng , Dai Shuzhen , Cao Mengying , Ren Songtao
Published: December 2022

Background Endometriosis is a common disease and was considered a chronic, debilitating disease affecting an estimated 1790 million women worldwide. Observational studies have shown a link between endometriosis and ovarian cancer. Therefore, we sought to use Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) using summary statistics from genome-wide association study (GWAS) of endometriosis and epithelia ovarian cancer to infer causal effects with genetic markers as a proxy for epithelial ovarian cancer. Results The analysis indicated a significant association between them. For histotype-specific analyses, there was strong evidence for an association of endometriosis with risk of endometrioid carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma and low malignant potential tumors. Conclusions These findings provide a theoretical basis for further research to increase the potential therapeutic benefit of endometriosis life management to prevent the onset and progression of ovarian cancer.