bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flint Heat Treatment at Late Neanderthal Site Sesselfelsgrotte (Germany)
Authors: Agam Aviad , Hattermann Merlin , Pinkas Iddo , Richter Jürgen , Uthmeier Thorsten
Published: January 2023

We examine lithic artifacts from Late Neanderthal site Sesselfelsgrotte (Bavaria, Germany) to evaluate the possibility of fire-use and the intentional flint heat treatment performed by Late Neanderthals. We analyzed 1,113 flint pieces from the G-Layers-Complex (~ 60 to 45 kya; Micoquian), and 946 from the Lower-Layers-Complex (~ 115 to 70 kya; Mousterian), based on macroscopic traits associated with the exposure of flint to fire, assigning artifacts to one of three groups: burnt, unburnt, and possibly intentionally heated. Our results show that while both complexes demonstrate clear presence of fire, fire is more common in the younger G-Layers-Complex. Moreover, possibly intentionally heated pieces are significantly more frequent in the G-Layers-Complex, especially among the tools, and specifically among side scrapers, proposing a link between heat treatment and the production of these tools, most probably due to their functional and cultural significance. We therefore suggest the intentional heat treatment of flint in the G-Layers-Complex of Sesselfelsgrotte. The proportions of burnt flint artifacts in both sequences suggest an intensification in fire-use at the site over time, while the appearance of possibly intentionally heated artifacts in the G-Layers-Complex suggests the development of this advanced pyro-technology by Neanderthals, sometime between these two timeframes. Our results are supported by sedimentological and faunal data. We view these results as further indication for the advanced cognitive and technological capabilities of Neanderthals, such that did not fall from these of Early Modern Humans.
Photocatalytic Decomposition of O-ethyl S-[2-diisopropylaminoethyl] methylphosphonothioate, VX, Molecule on Titanium Dioxide in Ambient Condition using ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy
Authors: Hirakawa Tsutomu , Kotb Ayman , Nishimoto Chifumi K. , Komano Asuka , Otsuka Mai , Negishi Nobuaki , Miyaguchi Hajime , Seto Yasuo , Takeuchi Koji
Published: January 2023

The adsorption structure and photocatalytic decomposition of nerve agent, O-ethyl S-[2-diisopropylaminoethyl] methylphosphonothionate (VX) on powdery TiO2 film experimentally studied by using in-situ attenuated total reflection - infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) at ambient condition. Characteristic IR frequency of VX molecules adsorbed at the surface of TiO2 was observed. The results showed that VX molecule at the surface of TiO2 was immediately oxidized to ethyl methylphosphonic acid (EMPA) and diisopropylaminoethanthiol (DESH) by the P-S cleavage. C-N cleavage by the photocatalysis was also observed simultaneously with appearance of the characteristic IR frequencies as secondary amin species. The oxidation of an aliphatic function group of VX molecule was then accompanied by the decomposition of the skeletal structure as P-S and C-N of VX. Rarely EA2192 production by the TiO2 photocatalysis has experimentally verified by this ATR-FTIR analysis. The plausible adsorption structure and the photocatalytic reaction mechanism of VX at the surface of the TiO2 photocatalyst are also elucidated.
Effect of Mechanical Alloying on Pack Boronizing
Authors: albayrak muhammet gökhan , evin ertan
Published: January 2023

In this study, the effect of mechanical alloying on the growth kinetics of boride layer of boronized DIN St28 steel surface was investigated. The powders containing B + SiC + KBF4 were mechanically alloyed by planetary ball milling devices to 10 and 20 h, respectively. The samples were also boronized by the powder-(SiO2–Na2O) mixture for 1023–1173 K temperature and 3, 6 and 12 h, respectively. At the end of the mechanical alloying process, it was determined that the powder particle sizes were in the nanometer scale. According to the microstructure analysis, a single-layer Fe2B structure was successfully obtained on the samples surfaces. It has been observed that the depth of the Fe2B boride layer, which has achieved high diffusivity by creating many defects in the form of nanometer-sized crystal particles, increased with repeated fracture and cold welding of the powder particles with increasing mechanical alloying times. By calculating the activation energies of the powders, their relations with the mechanically unalloyed samples were compared and empirical formulas that could be used for similar experimental conditions were produced.
Electrochemical behavior of X70 and X80 pipeline steels in a simulated soil environment with and without the presence of chlorides
Authors: Ghosh Rishav , Chinara Manaswini , Godbole Kirtiratan , Mondal K. , Mukherjee Subrata
Published: January 2023

The present work investigates the effect of microstructure, pH as well as the role of aggressive chloride ions on the corrosion behavior of American Petroleum Institute (API) X70 and X80 steel grades. The corrosion behavior was studied using single-run dynamic and cyclic polarization in different solutions followed by microstructural analysis of the corroded samples to determine the mode and extent of corrosion damage. The solutions consist of a near-neutral aqueous sodium chloride solution, mildly alkaline carbonate-bicarbonate solution (pH-8.8), and highly alkaline carbonate-bicarbonate solution (pH-12) with and without the presence of chlorides. Ferrite phase in both the steel was found to dissolve preferentially in the different solutions leading to pitting as a result of microgalvanic coupling with the cementite and/or bainite phase. Interestingly, the corrosion resistance of the X70 grade was found to be greater than X80 at near-neutral as well as low alkaline carbonate-bicarbonate solutions, whereas the X80 performed better in higher pH solutions. Such contrasting corrosion behavior is attributed to the compactness, thickness, and electronic resistance of the passive oxide/hydroxide films formed during polarization in both the steel.
Recursive computed ABC (cABC) analysis as a precise method for reducing machine learning based feature sets to their minimum informative size
Authors: Lötsch Jörn , Ultsch Alfred
Published: January 2023

Background
Selecting the k best features is a common task in machine-learning. Typically, a few variables have high importance, but many have low importance (right skewed distribution). This report proposes a numerically precise method to address this skewed feature importance distribution to reduce a feature set to the informative minimum of items.
Methods
Computed ABC analysis (cABC) is an item categorization method that aims to identify the most important elements by dividing a set of non-negative numerical elements into subsets "A", "B" and "C" such that subset "A" contains the "few important " items based on specific properties of ABC curves defined by their relationship to Lorenz curves. In its recursive form, the cABC analysis can be applied again to subset "A". A generic image data set and three biomedical datasets (lipidomics and two genomics datasets) with a large number of variables were used to perform the experiments.
Results
Experimental results show that recursive cABC analysis limits dimensions of data projection to a minimum where the relevant information is still preserved and directs feature selection in machine learning to the most important class-relevant information including filtering feature sets for nonsense variables. Feature sets were reduced to 10% or less of the original variables and still provided accurate classification in data unused for feature selection.
Conclusions
cABC analysis, in its recursive variant, provides a computational precise defined means of reducing information to a minimum. The minimum is the result of a computation of the number of k most relevant items rather than of a decision to select the k best items from a list. Furthermore, precise criteria for stopping the reduction process are available. The reduction to the most important features can increase human comprehension of the properties of the data set. The cABC method is implemented in the Python package "cABCanalysis" available at https://pypi.org/project/cABCanalysis/.
Oleoylethanolamide facilitates PPARa and TFEB signaling and attenuates Ab pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Comerota Michele , Gedam Manasee , Xiong Wen , Jin Feng , Deng Lisheng , Wang Meng , Wang Jin , Zheng Hui
Published: January 2023

Emerging evidence implicates impaired microglia function and dysregulation of lipid metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Oleoylethanolamide (OEA), an endogenous lipid and PPARα agonist, has been shown to promote longevity inC. elegansthrough regulation of lysosome-to-nucleus signaling and cellular metabolism. Using a stable OEA analog, KDS-5104, we found that OEA-PPARα signaling promotes TFEB lysosomal activity independent of mTORC1 and upregulates cell-surface receptor CD36, leading to enhanced microglial Aβ uptake and clearance. These are associated with the suppression of LPS-induced lipid droplet accumulation and inflammasome activation. Chronic treatment of the 5xFAD mice with KDS-5104 restored dysregulated profiles, reduced reactive gliosis and Aβ pathology and rescued cognitive impairments. Together, our study provides support that augmenting OEA-mediated lipid signaling may offer therapeutic benefit against aging and AD through modulating lipid metabolism and microglia phagocytosis and clearance.
Phacoemulsification with implantation of a trifocal intraocular lens in eyes with asteroid hyalosis and synchysis scintillans
Authors: Ortega-Usobiaga Julio , Bilbao-Calabuig Rafael , González-López Félix , Beltrán-Sanz Jaime , Wang Yong , Llovet-Osuna Fernando , Figueroa Marta S
Published: January 2023

PURPOSE
To compare the visual outcomes in both eyes of patients who undergo phacoemulsification and trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and have asteroid hyalosis (AH) or synchysis scintillans (SS) in only 1 eye.
METHODS
This retrospective comparative cases series study evaluated uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UIVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA), predictability, safety, efficacy, and satisfaction after implantation of the same model of trifocal IOL in both eyes (PhysIOL FineVision Pod-F and Micro-F and Rayner RayOne Trifocal).
RESULTS
A total of 164 eyes from 82 patients (41 females, 50%) met the inclusion criteria. There were no statistically significant differences in sphere, cylinder, spherical equivalent, UDVA, UIVA, and UNVA between the groups. Postoperative CDVA was slightly better in the control group (logMAR 0.03) than in the AH/SS group (logMAR 0.04) (p: 0.014). There were no statistically significant differences in predictability, safety index, and efficacy index between the groups. Overall subjective satisfaction was good (98.2%).
CONCLUSIONS
Visual outcomes and satisfaction are good after implantation of trifocal IOLs in eyes with AH or SS. Therefore, trifocal IOLs should not be ruled out in these patients when no other vitreoretinal disorder is present.
Influence of waste Phaeophyceae filler on green cutting with water jets in jute fibre reinforced polymer biocomposites
Authors: Karthikeyan R , Madhu S , Nixon George Sahaya , Yuvarajan D
Published: January 2023

As reinforcement in polymer composites, natural fibers have been widely used across multiple industries including transportation, aerospace, and medicine. Conventional machining methods produced delamination in polymeric composites. Abrasive water jet machining (AWJ) is a proven technology to machine polymeric composites with finished shapes. In this work jute fiber-reinforced polymer composites are prepared using a hand layup process. A certain percentage of marine algae species naturally produce toxins, which can be harmful to animals that consume them. When algal blooms take place, they can trigger the increase of toxic algae species. Phaeophyceae (brown algae) filler with 0, 3, and 6 wt. % were used as fillers in epoxy resin. Holes were made on the fabricated samples using AWJ. The effect of parameters such as traverse speed, stand-off distance (SOD), and water jet pressure on material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (Ra) was investigated. The experimental research shows that the addition of Phaeophyceae powder increased the MRR significantly. Jute fiber-reinforced polymer composites filled with 3 wt.% Phaeophyceae filler improved the MRR up to 12. % And reduced surface roughness up to 8% as compared with other composite samples. Also in this investigation, it was observed that pressure (P) and SOD are the influential parameters that affect the material removal rate and surface roughness significantly in brown algae-filled jute fiber biocomposites.
Hybrid pedicle screw and modified cortical bone trajectory technique in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion at L4-L5 segment： finite element analysis
Authors: Kahaer Alafate , Zhang Rui , Wang Yixi , Luan Haopeng , Maimaiti Abulikemu , Liu Dongshan , Shi Wenjie , Zhang Tao , Guo Hailong , Rexiti Paerhati
Published: January 2023

Background:: Investigate the biomechanical properties of the hybrid fixation technique with bilateral pedicle screw (BPS) and bilateral modified cortical bone trajectory screw (BMCS) in L4-L5 transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).
Methods: Three finite element (FE) models of the L1-S1 lumbar spine, including seven ligaments and facet joint cartilage were established according to the four human cadaveric lumbar specimens. BPS-BMCS (BPS at L4 and BMCS at L5), BMCS-BPS (BMCS at L4 and BPS at L5), BPS-BPS (BPS at L4 and L5), and BMCS-BMCS (BMCS at L4 and L5) were implanted into the L4-L5 segment of each FE model. The range of motion (ROM) of the L4-L5 segment, the von Mises stress of the fixation, intervertebral cage, and rod were compared under a 400-N compressive load with 7.5 N/m moments in flexion, extension, bending, and rotation.
Results: BPS-BMCS technique has the lowest ROM in extension and rotation, and BMCS-BMCS has the lowest ROM in flexion and lateral bending. The BMCS-BMCS group showed maximal cage stress in flexion and lateral bending, and the BPS-BPS group in extension and rotation. Compared to the BPS-BPS and BMCS-BMCS group, BPS-BMCS presented a lower risk of screw breakage and BMCS-BPS presented a lower risk of rod breakage.
Conclusion: The results of this study support that the use of the BPS-BMCS and BMCS-BPS techniques in TLIF surgery for offering the superior stability and a lower risk of cage subsidence and instrument-related complication.
Stability of solutions to functional KPP-Fisher equations
Authors: Solar Abraham
Published: January 2023

We study the stability properties of semi-wavefronts of the KPPFisher equation with infinite delay ∂/∂t u(t, x) = ∂/∂x2 u(t, x)+∫0+∞ u(t−s, x)dμ1(s)(1 − ∫0+∞ u(t − s, x)dμ2(s)), t > 0, x ∈ R, where μ1 and μ2 are Borel measures. We make an interesting remark about the non convergence in form when the delay is finite, unlike the classic convergence result to KPP-Fisher equation without delay. We also present a result about the stability of semi-wavefronts to the Neutral KPP-Fisher.
Screening the Promising Wild Emmer Wheat Genotypes Containing the Yr-15 Gene in Türkiye and Syria Through Molecular Markers
Authors: TURGAY Emine Burcu Burcu
Published: January 2023

Background Stripe rust also known as yellow rust is a most devastating fungal disease of wheat caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst). The possibility of the breakdown of important stripe rust resistance genes and the threat of the emergence of aggressive new races remains a concern in all wheat-growing areas around the world. The presence of Yr15 resistant gene in the wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) confers strong broad-spectrum resistance to Pst isolates. The aim of this present study was to investigate at molecular level to confirm the presence or absence of the major resistance gene Yr15in tested samples.
Methods and Results A total of 140 wild emmer wheat genotypes originating from Türkiye and Syria were screened using gene specific molecular markers Y15K1_F2/uhw30_1R. Ten promising wild emmer wheat genotypes Türkiye (Diyarbakır) and Syria (Al Qunayţirah) containing the Yr15 gene were identified.
Conclusion These findings can be beneficial in wheat breeding programs to be conducted for resistance to stripe rust. As well, this study contributes to the evolutionary process studies related to Yr15 gene in wild emmer wheat populations of Fertile Crescent.
An Optimized Neural Network-based Channel Estimation Approach for Noma Using Mimo
Authors: Dev Jenish , D Judson
Published: January 2023

The high demand for wireless communication and limited spectral power causes the conventional orthogonal multiple access approach ineffective for 5G communications. Thus, to specify the spectral inefficiency Multiple-input-multiple-output and non-orthogonal multiple access (MIMO-NOMA) were introduced. Here, MIMO and NOMA are integrated to earn to improve the channel capacity and spectral efficiency. However, the high Bit Error Rate (BER) and computational complexity in NOMA_MIMO due to successive interference cancellation (SIC) reduces the system performance for edge user. Thus, different channel estimation techniques are developed in the past to overcome these issues. But still, they face challenges in complexity and error rate. Hence, a novel hybrid Whale optimization algorithm with a Radial Basis Function Neural Network-based channel estimation method (WOA-RBFNN) was proposed in this article. The developed model estimates the path for data transmission for edge user and tunes the channel parameters till it attains their optimal value. The optimal fitness function in the proposed model offers the finest system performances in terms of Bit Error rate (BER), throughput, etc. Furthermore, the results are estimated and compared with the existing techniques for validation purposes. The comparative analysis proves that the developed model earned better performances than the existing ones especially for edge users.
Relevance of Group discussion method for Chemistry learning
Authors: Shyiramunda Theophile
Published: January 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Land Use Land Cover (LULC) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) Changes and its Relationship with Human Modification in Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan
Authors: Ullah Siddique , Ullah Rafi , Javed Muhammad Faisal , Sajjad Raja Umer , Ullah Ikram , Mohamed Abdullah , Ullah Waheed
Published: January 2023

Anthropogenic activities are changing the current Land use Land Cover (LULC) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) patterns worldwide. The current study uses Landsat satellite images (Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI) during the years 1988, 2002, and 2016 in an alpine environment of Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, to assess the past patterns of LULC variation using Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) method. The LST was derived from thermal bands (6, 10 and 11) of Landsat series data. The Human Modification Index (HMI) relationship with LULC and LST was also assessed using Google Earth Engine (GEE) data. The built-up area expanded by + 9.94%, while agricultural and bare soil dropped by -3.81% and − 3.94%, respectively. The results showed a considerable shift in the LULC and LST with a -1.99% loss in vegetation. The built-up region has the greatest temperature, followed by barren, agricultural, and vegetation classes, according to the LST study for various land cover classes. Similarly, the results of the HMI in different LST classes indicated that high LST classes have high human modification compared to lower LST classes. The statistical analysis between HMI and LST showed a significant association (R-value = 0.61). The results could be used for sustainable urban management and biodiversity conservation.
A Framework for Quantifying the Interacting System of Determinants of Child Malnutrition: A Yemen Case Study
Authors: Hussein Rana A , Gayford Megan , Hailey Peter , Guerrero Saul , Delinger Anne-Celine , Al-Dheeb Najwa , Alajel Senan , Shafique Fouzia , Zaman Muhammad H
Published: January 2023

Background: Several machine learning models, seeking to assess and predict rates of child malnutrition, have been developed in recent years in response to a growing burden of under-five child malnutrition in conflict and crisis settings. These models aim to either identify the strongest predictors of malnutrition among children in a given context, provide a framework for predicting the nutritional status of a given child (classifying them as either malnourished or not) based on individual information about various health-related, socioeconomic, and geographical factors, or do a combination of both. However, these models are often limited in their potential to provide practical or actionable insights due to the often limited interpretability of complex mathematical models, the “black box” nature of some machine learning models, and the complex interactions that exist between various drivers of child malnutrition, which make it difficult to fully conceptualize this system in the form of a model.
Methods: In order to reconcile the complex, highly accurate but hard-to-interpret outputs a machine learning model can provide with conceptual understandings of malnutrition and its interconnected contextual drivers, we sought to understand whether quantitative analysis of the determinants of child malnutrition aligned with conceptual understandings of the causal pathways of child malnutrition. In this study, we take Yemen as a case study for this analysis and using Bayesian analysis, explore the roles of diarrheal disease, food insecurity (quantified through food consumption score) and the interactions between them in driving child malnutrition in Yemen.
Results: Our analysis revealed that, contrary to intuitive reasoning, a progressive increase in food consumption did not necessarily lead to progressive decrease in a child’s risk of malnutrition. We also found that the presence of both diarrhea and poor food consumption together significantly increased the risk of severe malnutrition, as compared to either one on its own. Results of all analyses revealed that exploring the impact of any given factor on child malnutrition risk independently using standard modeling techniques is insufficient for holistically considering the pathways to malnutrition and their complex interactions.
Conclusion: By aiming to quantify the conceptual framework for child malnutrition this way, we can more holistically consider the pathways to malnutrition and their interactions and consider the dependencies and interactions that exist between various health-related interventions in order to maximize their impacts, rather than simply knowing that specific factors may be independently associated with malnutrition risk through quantitative analysis, without fully understanding why this is true or how this can be translated into program-level insights.
GPNMB ameliorates neuroinflammation via the modulation of AMPK/NFκB signaling pathway after SAH in mice
Authors: Li Tao , Zhang Yuansheng , Lu Qixiong , Du Jingshu , Lu Xiaoyang
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND
Glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) got its name from the first discovery in a cell line of non-metastatic melanoma. Later studies found that GPNMB is widely expressed in various tissues and cells of the human body, with the most abundant in neural tissue, epithelial tissue, bone tissue, and monocyte-macrophage system. GPNMB has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in a variety of neurological diseases, however, it has not been reported in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
METHODS
Male CD-1 mice were used and intra-arterial puncture method was applied to establish the SAH model. Exogenous recombinant GPNMB (rGPNMB) was injected intracerebroventricularly 1h after SAH. SAH grading, brain edema and blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity was quantified, and neurobehavioral tests were performed to evaluate the effect of GPNMB on the outcome. Dorsomorphin, the selective inhibitor on AMPK was introduced to study the downstream signaling through which the GPNMB works. Furthermore, western blot, immunofluorescence staining and ELISA were utilized to confirm the signaling.
RESULTS
After SAH, GPNMB expression increased significantly as a result of the inflammatory response. GPNMB was expressed extensively in mouse microglia, astrocytes and neurons. The administration of rGPNMB could alleviate the brain edema, restore BBB integrity and improve the neurological outcome of mice with SAH. GPNMB treatment significantly magnified the expression of p-AMPK while p-NFκB, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were suppressed; in the meantime, the combined administration of GPNMB and AMPK inhibitor could decrease the intensity of p-AMPK and reverse the quantity of p-NFκB and the above inflammatory cytokines.
CONCLUSIONS
GPNMB has the potential of ameliorating the brain edema and neuroinflammation, protecting the BBB and improving the neurological outcome, possibly via the AMPK/NFκB signaling pathway.
Genetic architecture of the HLA/MHC locus in cardiometabolic disease, severe mental illness, and related traits.
Authors: Hayman Madeleine , Nicolson Katy , Anderson Jana J , Cullen Breda , Cavanagh Jonathan , Ferguson Lynn D , Graham Nicholas , Ho Frederick K , Lyall Donald M , Lyall Laura M , Parra-Soto Solange , Pell Jill P , Pellicori Pierpaolo , Siebert Stefan , Welsh Paul , Ward Joey , Strawbridge Rona J
Published: January 2023

Background
The Human Leucocyte Antigen/Major Histocompatibility Complex (HLA/MHC) locus is highly complex, with very many genetic variants, extensive linkage disequilibrium blocks, population-specific linkage disequilibrium patterns and many genes. So, whilst many traits have been associated with the HLA/MHC locus, it has largely been omitted from post-genome-wide association study analyses.
Methods
Here we used the UK Biobank cohort to explore the genetic architecture of the HLA/MHC locus in severe mental illness (SMI), cardiometabolic disease (CMD) and related phenotypes. We conducted genetic association analyses of 53,661 variants in up to 402,096 participants, assuming an additive genetic model and adjusting for age, sex, population structure and genotyping chip. In silico follow-up analyses were also conducted.
Results
We demonstrated that the HLA/MHC locus has multiple signals influencing cardiovascular (SBP, DBP, VTE), metabolic (BMI, WHRadjBMI, T2D) and SMI-related traits (mood instability, anhedonia, neuroticism, risk-taking behaviour and smoking), and provided evidence that HLA-B, HLA-C, C4A, BAG6 and ATF6B might contribute to shared mechanisms underlying CMD and SMI.
Conclusions
Current understanding of these candidate genes is in keeping with neuroinflammatory mechanisms linking SMI and CMD. Future analyses considering haplotypes and/or SNP scores would enable better assessment of an individual’s risk (as each SNP is considered in the context of other SNPs), allow alignment with clinically used HLA typing and therefore potential for clinical translation.
Combined role of inflammatory biomarkers and red blood cell distribution width in predicting in-hospital outcomes of acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing thrombolysis
Authors: Wang Yi , Zhu Yafang , Wang Xiaohong , Zhong Chongke , Qin Yan , Sun Yongrong , Cao Yongjun , Zhang Xia , Chen Dongqin
Published: January 2023

Background
To investigate the combined effect of red blood cell distribution width(RDW) and inflammatory biomarkers on in-hospital outcomes of acute ischemic stroke(AIS) patients with thrombolysis.
Methods and Results
417 AIS patients with thrombolysis were included. The participants were divided into four groups according to the cut-off of white blood cell (WBC) or C reactive protein(CRP) and RDW: LWLR, LWHR, HWLR, and HWHR; or LCLR, LCHR, HCLR, and HCHR(L-low, H-high, W-WBC, C-CRP, R-RDW). Logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of in-hospital pneumonia and functional outcome across the four subgroups. Patients with higher RDW and inflammatory biomarkers levels have the highest risk of in-hospital outcomes. Compared with patients in LWLR group, the ORs (95% CIs) of those in HWHR group were 12.16 (4.21–35.14) and 9.31 (3.19–27.17) for in-hospital pneumonia and functional outcome. The ORs (95% CIs) of those in HCHR group were 6.93 (2.70-17.78) and 3.38(1.10-10.39) for in-hospital pneumonia and functional outcome, compared with patients in LCLR group. Simultaneously adding RDW and WBC or CRP to the basic model with established risk factors significantly improved risk discrimination and reclassification for pneumonia and functional outcome (all P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Combined RDW and inflammatory biomarkers within 4.5 hours had a better predictive power for in-hospital outcomes of AIS patients with thrombolysis.
Development of a Multi-view Multi-level Artificial Intelligence System to Stratify Risk Assessment of Mammography
Authors: Tan Hongna , Wu Qingxia , Wu Yaping , Zheng Bingjie , Wang Bo , Chen Yan , Du Lijuan , Zhou Jing , Fu Fangfang , Guo Huihui , Fu Cong , Ma Lun , Dong Pei , Xue Zhong , Shen Dinggang , Wang Meiyun
Published: January 2023

Background:
Recent artificial intelligence has exhibited great potential in breast imaging, but its value in precise risk stratification of mammography still needs further investigation. This study is to develop an artificial intelligence system (AIS) for accurate malignancy diagnosis and supportive decision-making on mammographic risk stratification.
Methods:
In this retrospective study, 49732 mammograms of 24866 breasts from 12815 women from two Asian clinics between August 2012 and December 2018 were included. We developed an AIS using multi-view mammograms and multi-level convolutional neural network features to diagnosis malignancy and further assess the relative strengths of AIS versus current BI-RADS categorization. We further evaluate AIS by conducting a counterbalance-designed AI-assisted study, where ten radiologists read 1302 cases with/without AIS assistance. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, F1 score were measured.
Results:
The AIS yielded AUC of 0.910 to 0.995 for malignancy diagnosis in the validation and testing sets. Within BI-RADS 3–4 subgroups with pathological results, AIS can downgrade 83.1% of false-positives into benign groups, and upgrade 54.1% of false-negatives into malignant groups. Compared with BI-RADS, AIS performed better sensitivity and specificity in dense and no-calcification subgroups. AIS also can successfully assist radiologists identify 7 out of 43 malignancies initially diagnosed with BI-RADS 0 with specificity of 96.7%. In the counterbalance-designed AI-assisted study, the average AUC across 10 readers was significantly improved with AIS assistance (P = 0.001).
Conclusion:
AIS can identify malignancy on mammography and further serve as a supportive tool for stratifying BI-RADS categorization.
The safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on our resectability criteria for locally advanced perihilar cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Gyoten Kazuyuki , Kuriyama Naohisa , Maeda Koki , Ito Takahiro , Hayasaki Aoi , Fujii Takehiro , Iizawa Yusuke , Tanemura Akihiro , Murata Yasuhiro , Kishiwada Masashi , Mizuno Shugo
Published: January 2023

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is not commonly used for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC). This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of NAC for PHC.
Patients and methods: Ninety-one PHC patients without metastases were treated at our department. They were classified as resectable (R), borderline resectable (BR), or locally advanced unresectable (LA). Upfront surgery (US) was performed for R-PHC without regional lymph node metastases (LNM). The NAC regimen consisted of two courses of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy for advanced PHC: R-PHC with LNM, BR, and LA.
Results: US and NAC were done on 32 and 59 patients, respectively. For US, 31 patients underwent resection (US-R); one with peritoneal-dissemination did not. NAC for locally advanced PHC was done in 56/59 (92%). NAC caused adverse effects in 10/59 (17%), allowed 36/59 (61%) to undergo resection (NAC-R) without impairing liver function, and spared 23/59 (39%) as un-resection (NAC-UR). Overall survival was better in the US-R and NAC-R groups than in NAC-UR (MST: 74 vs. 57 vs. 17 months, p<0.001). In 59 NAC patients, tumour size response occurred in 11/11 (100%) of R, 22/33 (66.7%) of BR, and 9/15 (60.0%) of LA patients. The un-resection rate was higher in the LA group (27% (3/11) in R, 30.3% (10/33) in BR, and 67% (10/15) in LA, p=0.039). Multivariate analyses revealed that LA and age were independent risk factors for un-resection after NAC.
Conclusion: NAC is safe, and contributes to curative resection for advanced PHC. LA remained a risk factor for non-resection through NAC, and required further interventions.
Evaluation of optimal methods and ancestries for calculating polygenic risk scores in East Asian population
Authors: Kim Dong Jun , Kang Joon Ho , Kim Ji-Woong , Cheon Myeong Jae , Kim Sun bin , Lee Young Kee , Lee Byung-Chul
Published: January 2023

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have been studied for predicting human diseases, and various methods for PRS calculation have been developed. Most PRS studies to date have focused on European ancestry, and the performance of PRS has not been sufficiently assessed in East Asia. Herein, we evaluated the best-performing PRSs for East Asian populations using data for seven diseases: asthma, breast cancer, coronary artery disease, glaucoma, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). A total of 42 PRSs were generated for East Asian samples by applying three PRS methods [linkage disequilibrium (LD) pruning and P-value thresholding (P + T), PRSice, and PRS-CS] and genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from two biobank-scale datasets [European (UK Biobank) and East Asian (BioBank Japan)] to seven diseases. In most cases, PRS-CS showed better predictive performance for disease risk than the other methods and classified low- and high-risk groups more clearly. In addition, the East Asian GWAS data outperformed those from Europeans for T2D PRS, but neither of the two GWAS ancestries showed a dominant effect on PRS performance for other diseases. For East Asian populations, PRS-CS using large-sample GWAS data is likely to provide superior performance, and a PRS generated with GWAS from other ancestries may also perform well.
A fast and accurate kernel-based independence test with applications to high-dimensional and functional data
Authors: Zhang Jin-Ting , Zhu Tianming
Published: January 2023

Testing the dependency between two random variables is an important inference problem in statistics since many statistical procedures rely on the assumption that the two samples are independent. To test whether two samples are independent, a so-called HSIC (Hilbert--Schmidt Independence Criterion)-based test has been proposed. Its null distribution is approximated either by permutation or a Gamma approximation. In this paper, a new HSIC-based test is proposed. Its asymptotic null and alternative distributions are established. It is shown that the proposed test is root-n consistent. A three-cumulant matched chi-squared-approximation is adopted to approximate the null distribution of the test statistic. By choosing a proper reproducing kernel, the proposed test can be applied to many different types of data including multivariate, high-dimensional, and functional data. Three simulation studies and two real data applications show that in terms of level accuracy, power, and computational cost, the proposed test outperforms several existing tests for multivariate, high-dimensional, and functional data.
The value of peripheral blood cell ratios in primary membranous nephropathy
Authors: Zhang Ai-hua , Dai Guang-xia , Zhang Qi-dong , Huang Hong-dong , Liu Wen-hu
Published: January 2023

BackgroundPrimary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. Forty percent of the patients still continue to progress and worsen and eventually develop into chronic renal failure. Although phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) is the major antigen of PMN in adults, the clinical features don’t often parallel with the antibody titers. Therefore, it is significant to find relative credible markers to predict the treatment response in patients with PMN.MethodsIn this study, 118 patients with PMN were recruited. The response to treatment was defined as ALB≥30g/L at 6 months and complete remission (CR) or not at the end of the follow-up visit. Renal outcome endpoint was defined as 50% or more Cr increase at the end.ResultsThe patients with poor treatment effects had numerically higher platelet-lymphocytes ratio (PLR). Especially for patients with CR or not, the difference was near to statistic significant (P=0.095). It is noteworthy that when analyzing CR or not, the fitting of the binary logistic regression model including both PLA2R Ab titer and PLR (Hosmer-Lemeshow test: χ2=8.328,P=0.402; OR (PLA2R Ab titer) =1.002 (95% CI 1.000-1.004, P=0.042); OR (PLR) =1.006 (95% CI 0.999-1.013,P=0.098) was markedly better than that with only PLA2R Ab titer (Hosmer-Lemeshow test: χ2=13.885,P=0.016). The patients with renal function deterioration showed significantly higher monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) (0.26 (0.22-0.31)vs0.18 (0.13-0.22),P=0.012).ConclusionPMN patients with poor treatment response tended to have higher PLR at the time of renal biopsy, and a higher MLR was associated with poor renal outcomes. Our findings suggested that PLR and MLR might be used to predict treatment efficacy and prognosis for PMN patients, respectively.
Group based generalized parameters q-rung orthopairfuzzy Aczel- Alsina weighted average operator and anapplication over green industry development
Authors: ÖZLÜ Şerif
Published: January 2023

The generalized concepts matter in terms of providing more general structures. Therefore,in this paper a wider structure is obtained by being used together q- Rung Orthopair fuzzysets (q- ROFs) and Aczel- Alsina average operators. Q- ROFs are superior than several clusters as intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) and the Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs) because of hostvariableness. Aczel- Alsina t- norm (AA-TN) and t- conorm (AA-TCN) structures were putforward by Aczel and Alsina in 1982. These operators have very useful structure due to having changeability parameters. The objective of this paper is to introduce q-rung orthopair fuzzy Aczel- Alsina weighted average operator (q-ROFAAWA) by using Aczel- Alsina Average opera-tors (AAAOs). Then, we give generalized q-rung orthopair fuzzy Aczel- Alsina weighted averageoperator (Gq-ROFAAWA) and introduce Group generalized based Q-rung orthopair fuzzy Aczel-Alsina weighted average operator (GGq-ROFAAWA) with helping to (Gq-ROFAAWA). Generalized parameter is essential to induce error margin while decision makers decide final options about a subject. Moreover, we order an algorithm of presented approach and give an example toindicate flexible construction of GGq-ROFAAWA. Immediately after, we introduce a comparative analysis with different methods which indicate the superiority of proposed concept thanexisting methods.
First documented case of Plasmodium knowlesi infection in Denmark in a traveller returning from Malaysian Borneo
Authors: Aftab Huma , Kemp Michael , Stensvold Christen R , Nielsen Henrik V , Jakobsen Marie M , Porskrog Anders , Dessau Ram B
Published: January 2023

Plasmodium knowlesi has been reported as an emerging infection throughout the Southeast Asian region, especially in the Malaysian state of Sabah, where it accounts for the majority of the malaria cases reported. We present a case of P. knowlesiinfection in a Danish woman returning from a short trip to Malaysian Borneo. The patient spent 14 days in forested areas of Sabah and fell ill after returning to Denmark in November 2022. Microscopy of blood smears revealed 0.8% infected erythrocytes, but due to the atypical morphological presentation, a conclusive species identification was made by molecular methods. The patient was treated successfully with artemisinin-based combination therapy. Plasmodium knowlesi is a potentially fatal infection, and taking the increasing travel activity into consideration after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, P. knowlesishould be a differential diagnosis in patients with travel-associated illness returning from highly endemic Southeast Asian areas.
Single-cell RNA sequencing of intestinal immune cells in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis
Authors: Oshima Kazuo , Hinoki Akinari , Uchida Hiroo , Tanaka Yujiro , Okuno Yusuke , Go Yasuhiro , Shirota Chiyoe , Tainaka Takahisa , Sumida Wataru , Yokota Kazuki , Makita Satoshi , Takimoto Aitaro , Kano Yoko , Sawa Shinichiro
Published: January 2023

Purpose
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) causes fatal intestinal necrosis in neonates, but its etiology is unknown. We analyzed the intestinal immune response to NEC.
Methods
Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we analyzed the gene-expression profiles of intestinal immune cells from four neonates with intestinal perforation (two with NEC and two without NEC). Target mononuclear cells were extracted from the lamina propria of the resected intestines.
Results
In all four cases, the major immune cells, such as T cells (15.1–47.7%), B cells (3.1–19.0%), monocytes (16.5–31.2%), macrophages (1.6–17.4%), dendritic cells (2.4–12.2%), and natural killer cells (7.5–12.8%), were present in similar proportions to those in the neonatal cord blood. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that the MTOR, TNF-α, and MYC signaling pathways were enriched in T cells of the NEC patients, suggesting upregulated immune responses related to inflammation and cell proliferation. In addition, all four cases exhibited a bias toward cell-mediated inflammation, based on the predominance of T helper 1 cells.
Conclusion
Intestinal immunity in NEC subjects exhibited stronger inflammatory responses compared to non-NEC subjects. Further scRNA-seq and cellular analysis may improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of NEC.
Next-generation sequencing analysis of the molecular spectrum of thalassemia in Southern Jiangxi, China
Authors: Yang Tong , Luo Xuemei , Liu Yanqiu , Lin Min , Zhao Qinfei , Zhang Wenqian , Chen Zhigang , Dong Minghua , Wang Junli , Zhang Xiaokang , Zhong Tianyu
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND:Thalassemia is an extremely prevalent monogenic inherited blood disorder found in southern China. It is important to comprehensively understand the molecular spectrum of thalassemia in an area of such high prevalence of thalassemia before taking appropriate actions for the prevention and treatment of this disorder. Herein, we explored the clinical feasibility of using next-generation sequencing (NGS) for large-scale population screening to illustrate the prevalence and spectrum of thalassemia in Southern Jiangxi.METHODS:Blood samples collected from 136,312 residents of reproductive age in Southern Jiangxi were characterized for thalassemia by NGS. A retrospective analysis was then conducted on blood samples determined to be positive for thalassemia.RESULTS:In total, 19,827 (14.545%) subjects were diagnosed as thalassemia carriers, and the thalassemia prevalence rate significantly varied by geographical region (p < 0.001). A total of 40 α-thalassemia genotypes including 21 rare genotypes were identified, with --SEA/αα being the most prevalent genotype. 42 β-thalassemia genotypes including 27 rare genotypes were identified, with the most common mutation IVS-II-654 (C>T) accounting for 35.257% of these β-thalassemia genotypes. Furthermore, 74 genotypes were identified among 608 individuals with combined α- and β-thalassemia. Notably, most individuals with rare thalassemia mutations had mildly abnormal hematologic parameters including microcytic hypochromia.CONCLUSIONS:Our findings demonstrate the great heterogeneity and diverse spectrum of thalassemia in Southern Jiangxi, emphasizing the importance and necessity of persistent prevention and control of thalassemia in this region. Additionally, our findings further suggest that NGS can effectively identify rare mutations and reduce the misdiagnosis rate of thalassemia.
Online Fake Logo Detection System
Authors: Tanniru Vivek , Bhattacharya Tathagata
Published: January 2023

With the increasing prevalence of online fraud and the use of fake logos to deceive consumers, there is a need for effective methods to detect and prevent the use of fake logos on the internet. In this paper, we propose a method for detecting fake logos using machine learning techniques. Our approach involves extracting features from the logos and training a classifier to distinguish between real and fake logos. We evaluate the performance of our method on a dataset of real and fake logos and demonstrate its effectiveness in detecting fake logos with high accuracy. Every day, hundreds of domain names, websites and logos are being cloned by cyber criminals who want to gain your trust so they can steal your data. It is becoming a big issue in the online world and needs to be addressed. This article will discuss the initial project background of our new Online Fake Logo Detection System
Classification of Stable Solutions to a Fractional Elliptic Equations with Robin boundary value
Authors: Zaidi Cherif , Ghabi Khouloud
Published: January 2023

In this article, we study the nonexistence of solution with finite Morse index for the following nonlinear elliptic equation for fractional Laplacian : (−∆) s u + λu = |u| p−1 u in R n + with ∂u/∂ν + cu = 0 on ∂R n +. where n ≥ 2s, 0 < s < 1, λ ≥ 0, c ≥ 0 and p > 1. The main methods used are the integral estimates, the Pohozaev-type identity and the monotonicity formula.
PACS: Primary : 35J55, 35J65 ; Secondary : 35B65.
Probing the plant transcriptomes for novel waikaviral sequences broadens the host range and genetic diversity of waikaviruses
Authors: Sidharthan V Kavi , Rajeswari V , Baranwal V K
Published: January 2023

Waikaviruses (family:Secoviridae) are monopartite, positive sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that cause economically important diseases in plants. Despite their importance, waikaviruses are poorly understood and only ten members are currently recognized. In the present study on Sequence Read Archive (SRA)-based data-driven virus discovery (DDVD), we identified twenty-two putative novel waikaviruses, nearly doubling the number of known waikaviruses, in SRA libraries of diverse plant species, starting from ferns to trees. Besides, a highly divergent secoviral sequence with distinct genome features, yet related to waikaviruses, was identified in a wheat transcriptome. Other significant findings of the study include identification of a novel waikavirus in a library derived from diseased water chestnut sample wherein a novel caulimovirus was reported, prediction of coiled-coils in the hypothetical protein region of waikaviral polyprotein alignment and phylogenetic clustering of tree-infecting waikaviruses in a single sub-group. The findings of the study not only reiterates the importance of DDVD in unveiling the hitherto hidden viral sequences in plant SRA libraries but also deepens our understanding of waikaviral diversity.