bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Localized pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Sun Hui , Jian Sha , Dai Jing , Li Jingwei , Hou Jian , Peng Bo
Published: September 2022

Background: To analyze the imaging and clinical data of patients with localized pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage (pseudo-SAH), so as to improve the correct understanding of this sign by radiologists.
Methods: The imaging and clinical data of patients with localized pseudo-SAH on head CT scan without contrast from January 2013 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and the imaging and clinical characteristics were summarized.
Results: The etiology of 9 patients with pseudo-SAH was viral encephalitis (2 cases), acute cerebral infarction (4 cases) and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (3 cases). All patients underwent CT scan without contrast, CT scan with contrast, MRI and lumbar puncture examination. All patients' head CT scan without contrast showed local swelling of brain tissue (less than two lobes), stenosis and occlusion of adjacent subarachnoid space, with its inner strip of high-density shadow. CT scan with contrast found that the high density shadow was significantly enhanced. MRI and lumbar puncture were performed to rule out true SAH and confirm pseudo-SAH. Finally, 8 patients were discharged from hospital after treatment, and 1 patient died of multiple organ failure.
Conclusion: Localized pseudo-SAH often indicates localized brain lesions and has a relatively good prognosis. It has certain characteristics in CT value, enhancement mode and morphology.
Return of results from genomic research: a practical tool
Authors: Vears Danya , Hallowell Nina , Bentzen Heidi Beate , Ellul Bridget , Nøst Therese , Kerasidou Angeliki , Kerr Shona , Mayrhofer Michaela , Mežinska Signe , Ormondroyd Elizabeth , Solberg Berge , Sand Birgitte , Budin-Ljøsne Isabelle
Published: September 2022

An increasing number of European research projects return, or plan to return, individual genomic research results (IRR) to participants. While data access is a data subject’s right under the GDPR, and many legal and ethical guidelines allow or require participants to receive personal data generated in research, the practice of returning results is not straightforward and raises several practical and ethical issues. Existing guidelines focusing on return of IRR are mostly project-specific, only discuss which results to return, or were developed outside Europe. To address this gap, we analysed existing normative documents identified online using inductive content analysis. We used this analysis to develop a checklist of steps to assist European researchers considering whether to return IRR to participants. We then sought feedback on the checklist from an interdisciplinary panel of European experts (clinicians, clinical researchers, population-based researchers, biobank managers, ethicists, lawyers and policy makers) to refine the checklist. The checklist outlines seven major components researchers should consider when determining whether, and how, to return results to adult research participants: 1) Consider which results to return; 2) Develop a plan for return of results; 3) Obtain participant informed consent; 4) Collect and analyse data; 5) Confirm results; 6) Disclose research results; 7) Follow-up and monitor. Our checklist provides a clear outline of the steps European researchers can follow to develop ethical and sustainable result return pathways within their own research projects. Further legal analysis is required to ensure this checklist complies with relevant domestic laws.
What is the impact of nicotine on the Post-COVID-19 syndrome - a severe impairment of acetylcholine-orchestrated neuromodulation: A case series
Authors: Leitzke Marco
Published: September 2022

Following SARS-CoV-2 infection, many individuals suffer from post-COVID-19 syndrome. It makes them unable to proceed with ordinary everyday activities due to weakness, memory lapses, pain, dyspnea, and other unspecific physical complaints. Several investigators have demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2-related spike glycoprotein (SGP) not only attaches to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptors but also shows DNA sections highly affine to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The nAChR is the principal structure of cholinergic neuromodulation and is responsible for coordinated neuronal network interactions. Nonintrinsic viral nAChR attachment substantially compromises integrative interneuronal communication. This explains the cognitive, neuromuscular, and mood impairment and the vegetative symptoms characterizing post-COVID-19 syndrome. The agonist ligand nicotine shows an up to 30-fold higher affinity for nACHRs than acetylcholine (ACh). We hypothesize that this molecule could extrude the virus from nAChR attachment and pave the way for unimpaired cholinergic signal transmission. Treating several individuals suffering from post-COVID-19 syndrome with a nicotine patch application, we observed an immediately substantial improvement of the symptoms up to complete remission after several days.
Service Quality & its Impact on Citizen Service Satisfaction: With Reference to Governance in Karnataka, India
Authors: Padiyar Raghavendra D , R Sugant
Published: September 2022

Good Governance is essential for socio-economic sustainability. Delivery of government/citizen services to citizens is the main functionality of any government. For measuring the success of government and their governance well-structured theory is necessary which could assist governments to improve the quality of their services and identify the factors which could enhance the citizen service satisfaction. This research provides understanding about citizen perception of service quality with regard to Government of Karnataka’s service delivery system under ‘Right to Service Act’. The right to service act ensures in-time delivery of notified government/citizen services to citizens. The right to service is act in Karnataka is named as ‘The Karnataka Sakala Services Act, 2011 and (Amendment) Act, 2014’ popularly known as ‘Sakala’. The word Sakala is derived from state’s official language ‘Kannada’ which means in ‘in-time’ or ‘good time’. It has been over a decade since implementation of this act in the state and as on August 2022 the government of Karnataka has been delivering 1124 services through 99 government institutions under this act at intime disposition rate of 95.06%, highest ever in the country when compared with 24 other states and 5 union territories of India which have already adapted the Right to Service Act. However, the cumulative statistical evidence shows that the service rejection rate in Karnataka has been 6.41% and delayed disposition rate has been 4.94%. Therefore, it becomes necessary to gauge the quality of service delivered by Government of Karnataka under Right to service act. A survey was conducted and 1027 valid responses were received. The study found that factors Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy are the primary determinants of functional quality whereas the factors Valence & Waiting Time are the primary determinants of technical quality. Thus, functional quality and technical quality contributing as dimension of service quality. This research is of high value to scholars who are interested in the area of government service delivery system in India and other developing countries where government delivers its services to citizens through citizen charter, stipulated time line or through right to service act.
Acidic ascites inhibits ovarian cancer cell proliferation and correlates with the metabolomic, lipidomic and inflammatory phenotype of human patients
Authors: Yang Qianlu , Bae Gyuntae , Nadiradze Giorgi , Castagna Arianna , Berezhnoy Georgy , Zizmare Laimdota , Kulkarni Aditi , Singh Yogesh , Weinreich Frank J. , Kommoss Stefan , Reymond Marc A. , Trautwein Christoph
Published: September 2022

Background
The poor prognosis of ovarian cancer patients is strongly related to peritoneal metastasis with the production of malignant ascites. However, it remains largely unclear how ascites in the peritoneal cavity influences tumor metabolism and recurrence. This study is an explorative approach aimed at for a deeper molecular and physical-chemical characterization of malignant ascites and to investigate their effect on in vitro ovarian cancer cell proliferation.
Methods
This study included 10 malignant ascites specimens from patients undergoing ovarian cancer resection. Ascites samples were deeply phenotyped by 1H-NMR based metabolomics, gas flow analysis and a 13-plex cytokine panel. Characteristics of tumor cells were investigated in a 3D spheroid model by metabolic activity, adhesion, anti-apoptosis, migratory ability adhesion assay, flowcytometry and scratch assay. The effect of different pH values was assessed by adding 10% malignant ascites to the test samples.
Results
The overall extracellular (peritoneal) environment was alkaline, with pH of ascites at stage II-III = 7.51 ± 0.16, and stage IV = 7.78 ± 0.16. Ovarian cancer spheroids grew rapidly in a slightly alkaline environment. Decreasing pH of the cell culture medium suppressed tumor features, metabolic activity, adhesion, anti-apoptosis, and migratory ability. However, 10% ascites could prevent tumor cells from being affected by acidic pH. Metabolomics analysis identified stage IV patients had significantly higher concentrations of alanine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and glutamine than stage II-III patients, while stage II-III patients had significantly higher concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate. Various positive and negative correlations were observed between physical-chemical parameters, polar/lipid metabolites, and cytokines.
Conclusion
Malignant ascites facilitated ovarian cancer progression. Additionally, deep ascites phenotyping by metabolomics and cytokine investigations allows for a refined stratification of ovarian cancer patients.
Improvement in erectile dysfunction in patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatment: A prospective, double-blind, double controlled study
Authors: EKER Anıl , Celik Serdar , Ozer Elif , Basmaci Ismail , Sefik Ertugrul , Bozkurt Ibrahim , Gunlusoy Bulent , Degirmenci Tansu
Published: September 2022

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a worldwide health problem. Oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5I) are used in its first-line treatment. This study aimed to compare the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment with PDE5I treatment and determine the patient-dependent factors affecting the efficacy of the HBO treatment and duration of action of HBO treatment.
Methods: Adult male patients who presented to the HBO unit for HBO treatment with non-urological indications and had ED based on the International Erectile Function Index (IIEF-5) constituted the target population of this study. Participants were given HBO treatment (Group 1), no treatment (Group 2), or daily oral tadalafil 5 mg treatment (Group 3). The treatment duration was one month. Patients were assessed by IIEF-5 both initially and after the completion of one month.
Results: 102 male patients were included. Among these patients, 40 received HBO treatment, and 31 received daily oral 5 mg tadalafil treatment. Thirty-one patients were assigned to the control group (Group 2). There were significant increases in the mean IIEF-5 scores of the patients in Group 1 and Group 3 (p<0.001, p<0,001). However, there was no significant improvement in Group 2 (p=0,496). Also, the post-treatment IIEF-5 scores of Group 1 and Group 3 were significantly higher than Group 2 (p<0,001). There was no significant difference between the IIEF-5 scores and ∆IIEF-5 values of Group 1 and Group 3 (p=0,166, p=0,093). Evaluation regarding comorbidities revealed that patients with the peripheric vascular disease did not improve with HBO treatment (p=0,285). Analysis concerning the duration of action of HBO treatment revealed that treatment effects subsided in 90% of the patients six months after completion of treatment.
Conclusion: HBO can improve erectile functions, and it can be a reasonable alternative for patients who cannot use PDE5Is due to comorbidities or treatment side effects.
Clinical evaluation of malignancy diagnosis of rare thyroid carcinomas by an artificial intelligent automatic diagnosis system
Authors: Wang Yuan , Xu Lei , Lu Wenliang , kong Xiangkai , Shi Kaiyuan , Wang Liping , Kong Dexing
Published: September 2022

Purpose: To evaluate the application value of a generally trained artificial intelligence (AI) automatic diagnosis system in the malignancy diagnosis of rare thyroid carcinomas, such as follicular thyroid carcinoma, medullary thyroid carcinoma, primary thyroid lymphoma and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and compare the diagnostic performance with radiologists of different experience levels.
Methods: We retrospectively studied 342 patients with 378 thyroid nodules that included 196 rare malignant nodules by using postoperative pathology as the gold standard, and compared the diagnostic performances of three radiologists (one junior, one mid-level, one senior) and that of AI automatic diagnosis system.
Results: The accuracy of the AI system in malignancy diagnosis was 0.825, which was significantly higher than that of all three radiologists and higher than the best radiologist in this study by a margin of 0.097 with P-value of 2.252×10 -16 . The mid-level radiologist and senior radiologist had higher sensitivity (0.857 and 0.959) than that of the AI system (0.847) at the cost of having much lower specificity (0.533, 0.478 versus 0.802). The junior radiologist showed relatively balanced sensitivity and specificity (0.816 and 0.549) but both were lower than that of the AI system.
Conclusions: The generally trained AI automatic diagnosis system showed high accuracy in the differential diagnosis of begin nodules and rare malignancy nodules. It may assist radiologists for screening of 3 rare malignancy nodules that even senior radiologists are not acquainted with.
A novel magnetic retrieval system for button battery in upper gastrointestinal
Authors: Wang Rongfeng , Lu Yiwen , Shan Liyu , Feng Zhe , Wang Yue , Zhao Meng , Wu Rongqian , Pang Lihui , Lv Yi
Published: September 2022

BACKGROUND: Endoscope can removes the button battery embedded in the esophagus，recommend emergency for symptomatic and asymptomatic children (< 2 hours) , For intragastric button batteries(BB), food debris may make positioning difficult. The smooth disc-shaped button battery allows foreign body forceps to grasp the battery Easy to slip off.Reasons for the delay include limited access to endoscopists, referral to tertiary care institutions, or delayed anesthesia due to gastric tamponade may all cause complications,In view of the extremely short effective treatment time window of the button battery in the upper gastrointestinal tract , this study designed a simple, fast and effective magnetic retrieval system for the button battery of the upper digestive tract.
Method: A set of magnetic retrieval system(MRS) for removing the upper digestive tract button battery was designed, including the magnetic retrieval device and the external guide magnet. We verified its feasibility by finite element analysis (FEA) simulation and removed button batteries with MRS in Beagle model.
Result: The button battery in the esophagus were all retrieved, No operation-related complications occurred. the retrieval time in the magnet group and endoscopic group was 92.91±82.47 s and 327.64±270.63 s respectively,P=0.012. 4 shifts happened in the endoscopic group during operation, 3 button batteries slipped off the forceps in the endoscopic group,resistance when retrieved was 2.1±1.02 N. The button battery in the stomach was all retrieved , the median time for magnetic aggregation using a guide magnet is 87s (70-135s), the median retrieved time was 21s (19-35s), and the resistance during the retrieved was 1.98N (1.67-2.4N).
Conclusion: we designed a novel magnetic retrieval system in this study. The MRS has a short magnetic retrieval time, is safe,cheapness and easy to operate, We suggest that the MRS could be used for the retrieval of BB during children ingestion button batteries.
The status of bone turnover markers in the male patients with osteoporosis
Authors: Zhuang Huafeng , Li Yimin , Li Yizhong , Yu Haiming , Wang Peiwen , Cai Siqing , Wang Benzhou
Published: September 2022

Objective To observe the change of bone turnover markers in the male patients with osteoporosis.
Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records including their original reports of bone mineral density , 25OHD, P1NP and β-CTXin the male patients with osteoporosis treated with bisphosphonates in our hospital between 2013and 2020. Serum 25OHD, P1NP and β-CTX were measured by radioimmunoassay. To study the impact of age on 25OHD, P1NP and β-CTX , the patients were divided into subgroups according to age: <60 yrs、60-69 yrs、70-79 yrs and ≥80 yrs. To study the impact of 25OHDon P1NP and β-CTX, the patients were divided into < 20 ng/ml、20-30 ng/ml and ≥ 30 ng/ml subgroups according to 25OHD level. Comparison of high bone turnover rate was made between the patients with fracture history and patients without fracture history.
Results There were 230 patients. 32 patients were aged <60 yrs, 59 patients were aged 60-69 yrs, 67 patients were aged70-79 yrs and 71 patients were aged ≥80 yrs. Serum 25OHD level was 3-70 ng/ml with average of 29.41±12.48 ng/ml. P1NP level was 11.5-100.8 ng/ml with average of 48.69±20.72 ng/ml. β-CTX level was 0.067-1.91 ng/ml with average of 0.522±0.282 ng/ml. P1NP and /or β-CTX above the upper normal range were present in 47.83% of the patients. The high bone turnover rate was significantly higher in the patients with fracture history than patients without fracture history. There was no impact of age and 25OHD level on the P1NP or β-CTX in our series.
Conclusion High bone turnover was common in male patients with primary osteoporosis.
Three-Dimensional Visualization of Dentine Occlusion Based on FIB-SEM Tomography
Authors: Du Ke , xu shiyou , Chen Xinye , Ryan Kaleigh , Hines Deon , Pan Long
Published: September 2022

The occlusion of dentinal tubules has become a rapid and effective method for treating dentin hypersensitivity. Accurate evaluation of dentin occlusion is critical to illustrate the efficacy of oral care products and to optimize dental therapy in the clinics, which is limited by the conventional two-dimensional (2-D) characterization methods. Here, we demonstrate the visualization of the dentin occlusion via three-dimensional (3-D) characterization using a focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) tomography. Using the “Slice and View” approach, the material used for occluding dentin tubules is imaged with a very high-resolution voxel (10 nm × 10 nm × 20 nm) from 2-D SEM images and then reconstructed into a 3-D volume, which presents the mode of action of toothpaste for treating dentin hypersensitivity. Meanwhile, quantitative analysis of the depth of occlusion is successfully obtained. This work validates the feasibility of FIB-SEM tomography in the analysis of dentin occlusion within the complicated networks of dentine tubules at the nanoscale, and provides a novel approach to facilitate the research and development of oral care products.
Prediction of Transition State Structures of General Chemical Reactions via Machine Learning
Authors: Choi Sunghwan
Published: September 2022

The elucidation of transition state (TS) structures is ssential for understanding the mechanisms of chemical reactions and exploring reaction networks. Despite advances in computational approaches, TS searches remain still a challenging problem due to the difficulty of constructing an initial structure and heavy computational costs. Herein, a novel machine learning (ML) model for predicting TS structures of general organic reactions is proposed. The proposed model derives interatomic distances of a TS structure from atomic pair features reflecting reactant, product, and linearly interpolated structures. The model shows excellent accuracy, particularly for the atomic pairs where bond formation or breakage occurs.
The predicted TS structures result in a high success ratio (93.8%) of quantum chemical saddle-point optimizations, and 88.8% of the optimization results have energy errors of less than 0.1 kcal/mol. Additionally, as a proof-of-concept, exploring multiple reaction paths of an organic reaction is demonstrated with the ML inferences. I envision that the proposed approach will aid the construction of initial geometry for TS optimization and reaction path explorations.
Metabolic profile and transcriptome reveal the mystery of petal blotch formation in rose
Authors: Ji Naizhe , Wang Qianyu , Li Shanshan , Wen Jiaxin , Wang Liangsheng , Ding Xiaohao , Zhao Shiwei , Feng Hui
Published: September 2022

Background
Petal blotch is a unique ornamental trait in angiosperm families, and blotch in petals of rose is rare and has great esthetic value.
Results
In this study, the rose cultivar 'Sunset Babylon Eyes' with rose-red to dark red blotch at the base of petals was selected as the experimental material. The HPLC-DAD and UPLC-TQ-MS analyses showed that only cyanidin 3,5-O-diglucoside (Cy3G5G) contributed to the blotch pigmentation of 'Sunset Babylon Eyes', and the amounts of Cy3G5G varied at different developmental stages. Only flavonols but no flavone were found in blotch and non-blotch parts, thereby kaempferol and its derivatives as well as quercetin and its derivatives may act as background color during flower developmental stages. Despite of the differences in composition, the total contents of carotenoids in blotch and non-blotch parts were similar, and carotenoids may just make the petals show a brighter color. Transcriptomic data and quantitative real-time PCR analyses indicated that RC7G0058400 (F3'H), RC6G0470600 (DFR), and RC7G0212200 (ANS) may be the key enzyme genes for the early formation and color deepening of blotch at later stages, and two transcription factor, RC7G0019000 (MYB) and RC1G0363600 (WRKY) may bind to the promoters of critical enzyme genes, or RC1G0363600 (WRKY) may bind to the promoter of RC7G0019000 (MYB) to activate the anthocyanin accumulation in blotch parts of 'Sunset Babylon Eyes'.
Conclusions
Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the understanding of the chemical and molecular mechanism for the formation of petal blotch in rose.
MLP-ANN’s Weight Optimization using Velocity Symbiotic Organism Search Algorithm for Datamining
Authors: Noureddine Samia , Betka Abir , Toumi Abida , Benharkat Aicha-Nabila
Published: September 2022

Optimization is an essential tool that improves the problem’s results and leads to the best possible solution in different research domains. In data mining, optimization can be used to formulate a suitable design for the learning model, in order to enhance the decision-making step. Data mining is considered as a promising approach that exploits large volume of data and transforms them into helpful information for an appropriate decision. The diverse use of data mining has shown its needs to a training process, neural networks have been used successfully in this context. They have been also combined with metaheuristic techniques to provide superior results. Symbiotic Organisms Search (SOS) is one of the most important and powerful metaheuristics due to its simplicity and robustness. However, it suffers from the premature convergence. To alleviate this shortcoming, we propose an improved version of the SOS called VSOS (Velocity Symbiotic Organism Search), in which a new term, velocity, is introduced. This term is involved to realise a balance between local search (exploit) and global search (explore). The proposed method is firstly benchmarked on 22 test functions. The VSOS method is then combined with Multi-Layer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network (MLP-ANN) for classification in data mining process. Three popular datasets are employed for this experiment, and the results, in term of classification accuracy, are compared with those obtained with other metaheuristics, such as BBO, GA, PBIL, PSO, HWBA, SOS based on clustering process and the conventional SOS. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach can provide classification accuracy up to 99% with some datasets, outperforming the other cited methods, which confirms its high performance and credibility of treatment.
DSTN hypomethylation promotes radiotherapy resistance of rectal cancer by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Wen Rongbo , Zhou Leqi , Jiang Siyuan , Fan Hao , Zheng Kuo , Yu Yue , Gao Xianhua , Hao Liqiang , Lou Zheng , Yu Guanyu , Yang Fu , Zhang Wei
Published: September 2022

Background
Although surgical resection combined with neoadjuvant radiotherapy can reduce the local recurrence rate of rectal cancer, only some patients benefit from neoadjuvant radiotherapy. Therefore, how to screen out rectal cancer patients who are sensitive or resistant to radiotherapy has great clinical significance.
Results
We found that DSTN was highly expressed (P <0.05) and hypomethylated (P <0.01) in neoadjuvant radiotherapy resistant tissues of rectal cancer. Follow-up data confirmed that patients with high expression of DSTNin neoadjuvant radiotherapy resistant tissues of rectal cancer had a shorter disease-free survival (P <0.05). DSTNexpression increased after methyltransferase inhibitor inhibited DNA methylation in DNA promoter region of colorectal cancer cells (P <0.05). In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that knockdown of DSTN could promote the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to radiotherapy, and overexpression of DSTNcould promote the resistance of colorectal cancer cells to radiation (P <0.05). The expression of C-Myc and Cyclin D1, which are downstream of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, were up-regulated in colorectal cancer cells with overexpression of DSTN. The expression of β-catenin was highly expressed in radiotherapy resistant tissues, and there was a linear correlation between the expression of DSTN and β-catenin (P <0.0001). Further studies showed that DSTNcould bind to β-catenin and increase the stability of β-catenin.
Conclusion
The degree of DNA methylation and the expression level of DSTN can be used as a biomarker to predict the sensitivity of neoadjuvant radiotherapy for rectal cancer, and DSTN and β-catenin are also expected to become a reference and a new target for the selection of neoadjuvant radiotherapy for rectal cancer.
Comparative Analysis of Supervised Machine and Deep Learning Algorithms for Kyphosis Disease Detection
Authors: Chauhan Alok Singh , Gupta Amit Kumar , Garg Ruchi Rani
Published: September 2022

The spinal curve that represents an abnormally rounded back is known as kyphosis, and it can be caused by stress, infectious disease, developmental abnormalities, genetic disease, and occasionally iatrogenic disease. Due to the fact that it provides technical explanations and a significant standard, the emergence of machine learning and deep learning has demonstrated that they can better characterize data. Machine Learning and Deep Learning are promising approaches that help in the prediction, diagnosing of sickness. Compared to conventional computing algorithms, deep learning algorithms are far more effective in disease detection and diagnosing. In this study, Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Deep Neural Network (DNN) models are applied to detect the presence of kyphosis in youngsters supported medicine information and compared to point out the rise in the potency of predictions associated with kyphosis. Each classification algorithm that makes use of the hyperparameter tuning and control feature enhances the algorithms' overall prediction performance, which enhances the algorithms' overall performance. The potency of the planned models were enforced and checked over medical dataset utilized from Kaggle. Overall, the DNN model performed best among the wide range of different models and achieved maximum accuracy and other performance metrics scores derived from the stratified K-Fold cross-validation. It is advised that after a patient has completed a clinical procedure, the DNN model be trained to identify and forecast kyphosis disease.
Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Community and Yield of Wheat in Loess Plateau
Authors: Fan Yaqi , Liu Qi , Huo Ruixuan , Wang Yanan , Guo Laichun , Yang Zhenping , Huang Tingmiao , Gao Zhiqiang , Qiao Yuejing
Published: September 2022

The soil microbial community diversity of wheat rhizosphere was affected by the amount of nitrogen fertilizer. In addition to bacterial community, ammonia-oxidizing archaea, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and denitrifying bacteria also play important roles in nitrogen cycle. At present, the microecological mechanism of its response to nitrogen application is still unclear. In this study, the rhizosphere soil microorganisms of winter wheat were used as the research object. The changes of soil bacteria, ammonia-oxidizing archaea, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and denitrifying bacteria communities under five nitrogen rates of 0 (N0), 90 (N6), 180 (N12), 240 (N16) and 300 (N20) kg N · hm-2 were studied by high-throughput sequencing technology. Among them, under N12 treatment, the Alpha diversity index of bacteria, AOA and nifH nitrogen-fixing bacteria and the Shannon and Simpson indexes of nirK denitrifying bacteria were significantly increased. N12 treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, but no significant difference was found at the nifH and nirK bacterial phyla levels. Under the high nitrogen treatment of N16 and N20, the dominant bacteria of nirK-type denitrifying bacteria increased significantly compared with N12 treatment, there was no significant difference in microbial community distribution between N20 and the control group. Therefore, the nitrogen addition under N12 treatment was most conducive to the absorption and utilization of nitrogen fertilizer by soil microorganisms. The effect of nitrogen addition on microbial community was weaker than that of soil properties and wheat yield, and nitrogen addition was significantly correlated with yield, reaching the highest yield at 300 kg·hm-2.
Barriers and facilitators to implementing advance care planning in naïve contexts. Where to look when plowing new terrain?
Authors: Westbye Siri Faerden , Rostoft Siri , Romøren Maria , Thoresen Lisbeth , Wahl Astrid Klopstad , Pedersen Reidar
Published: September 2022

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is a way of complying modern medicine to the principle of patient autonomy and ensuring that patients receive medical care that is consistent with their values, goals and preferences. Robust evidence supports the benefits of ACP, but it remains an underutilized resource in most countries. This paper goes from the naïve point of view and seeks to identify the barriers and facilitators to implementation in unfamiliarized contexts and in a whole system approach involving the clinical, institutional and policy level to improve the implementation of ACP.
Methods:Qualitative interviews were chosen to enable an explorative, flexible design. 19 interviews were conducted with 40 health care professionals and leaders in hospitals and in municipalities. The thematic analysis was done following Braun and Clarke’s strategy for thematic analysis.
Results: The main reported barriers were the lack of time, the lack of a common understanding on what ACP is, lack of training and lack of culture and leadership legitimating ACP. The most important reported facilitators were finding good arenas, creating meeting places and communication systems that allow ACP, as well as anchoring ACP in the leadership in hospitals and in the municipalities.
Conclusions: The most important barriers reported were the lack of a legitimation of ACP, and not adopting facilitators such as implementing efficient communications systems, standardized approaches, and overall starting policy development and professional and public education on ACP.
Open-label placebos: A systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies with non-clinical samples
Authors: Spille Lukas , Fendel Johannes Caspar , Seuling Patrik , Göritz Anja Simone , Schmidt Stefan
Published: September 2022

Background: The use of open-label placebos (OLPs) has been shown to be effective in clinical trials. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether OLPs are effective in experimental studies with non-clinical populations.
Methods: We searched five electronic databases on April 15, 2021. We conducted separate analyses for self-reported and objective outcomes and examined whether the level of suggestiveness of the instructions influenced the effectiveness of OLPs.
Results: Of 3,573 identified records, 20 studies comprising 1,201 participants were included. We found a significant effect of OLPs for self-reported outcomes (SMD=0.43; 95% CI=0.28, 0.58; I2=7.2%) but not for objective outcomes (SMD=-0.02; 95% CI=-0.25, 0.21; I2=43.6%). The level of suggestiveness of the instructions influenced the effectiveness of OLPs for objective outcomes (p=.02), but not for self-reported outcomes.
Discussion: OLPs appear to be effective when examined in experimental studies. However, the small number of studies highlights the need for further research.
Machine learning driven identification of gene-expression signatures correlated with multiple organ dysfunction trajectories and complex sub-endotypes of pediatric septic shock
Authors: Atreya Mihir R. , Banerjee Shayantan , Lautz Andrew J. , Alder Matthew N. , Varisco Brian M. , wong hector , Muszynski Jennifer A. , Hall Mark W. , Sanchez-Pinto L. Nelson , Kamaleswaran Rishikesan
Published: September 2022

Background
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) disproportionately drives sepsis morbidity and mortality among children. The biology of this heterogeneous syndrome is complex, dynamic, and incompletely understood. Gene expression signatures correlated with MODS trajectories may facilitate identification of molecular targets and predictive enrichment.
Methods
Secondary analyses of publicly available datasets. (1) Supervised machine learning (ML) was used to identify genes correlated with persistent MODS relative to those without in the derivation cohort. Model performances were tested across 4 validation cohorts, among children and adults with differing inciting cause for organ dysfunctions, to identify a stable set of genes and fixed classification model to reliably estimate the risk of MODS. Clinical propensity scores, where available, were used to enhance model performance. (2) We identified organ-specific dysfunction signatures by eliminating redundancies between the shared MODS signature and those of individual organ dysfunctions. (3) Finally, novel patient subclasses were identified through unsupervised hierarchical clustering of genes correlated with persistent MODS and compared with previously established pediatric septic shock endotypes.
Results
568 genes were differentially expressed, among which ML identified 109 genes that were consistently correlated with persistent MODS. The AUROC of a model that incorporated the stable features chosen from repeated cross-validation experiments to estimate risk of MODS was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.85–0.88). Model performance using the top 20 genes and an ExtraTree classification model yielded AUROCs ranging 0.77–0.96 among validation cohorts. Genes correlated with day 3 and 7 cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal dysfunctions were identified. Finally, the top 50 genes were used to discover four novel subclasses, of which patients belonging to M1 and M2 had the worst clinical outcomes. Reactome pathway analyses revealed a potential role of transcription factor RUNX1 in distinguishing subclasses. Interaction with receipt of adjuvant steroids suggested that newly derived M1 and M2 endotypes were biologically distinct relative to established endotypes.
Conclusions
Our data suggest the existence of complex sub-endotypes among children with septic shock wherein overlapping biological pathways may be linked to differential response to therapies. Future studies in cohorts enriched for patients with MODS may facilitate discovery and development of disease modifying therapies for subsets of critically ill children with sepsis.
Identification of Hub Genes and Pathways Associated with Oxidative Stress and Cell Senescence of intervertebral disc between Disc Herniation and Degenerative Spondylolisthesis Using Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Lin Run , Xie Tianhang , Wang Xiandi , Li Zhuhai , Huang Shishu , Zeng Jiancheng
Published: September 2022

Background This study aimed to identify the hub genes and pathways of genes related to oxidative stress (OS) and cell senescence (CS) of intervertebral disc between disc herniation (DH) and degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS), and to predict the transcription factors of the hub genes. Methods The GSE146904 dataset was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, including 5 disc herniation samples and 5 degenerative spondylolisthesis samples, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were recognized by TBtools. Genes related to oxidative stress in the Gene Ontology (GO) database and genes related to cell senescence in the CellAge database were obtained. By using DAVID, Metascape, and GSEA, GO and signaling pathways analysis were performed. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database, and the degree algorithm of Cytoscape software was used to screen for the hub genes. The NetworkAnalyst web tool was used to find the hub genes’ transcriptional factors (TFs). Results 428 oxidative stress–related genes were obtained in GSE146904 and GO database, among which 33 genes were significantly differentially expressed. 267 cell senescence–related genes were obtained in GSE146904 and CellAge database, among which 18 genes were significantly differentially expressed. OS-related genes were primarily involved in several signaling pathways, such as Calcium signaling pathway and GnRH signaling pathway. The top 10 hub genes were JUN, FOXO3, CASP3, JAK2, RELA, EZH2, ABL1, PTGS2, FBXW7, MCL1. Besides, TFAP2A, GATA2 and SP1. Besides, NFIC and FOXC1 might be the key regulatory factors of hub genes. Meanwhile, CS-related genes were primarily involved in MAPK signaling pathways. The top 10 hub genes were MAPK12, BLK, CAV1, CDK18, PIM1, CXCL1, NOTCH3, NUAK1, MAP3K6 and MAP4K1. Besides, GATA2, FOXC1 and SREBF1 might be the key regulatory factors of hub genes. Conclusions Some hub genes and signaling pathways associated with oxidative stress and cell senescence between DS and DH were identified through a series of bioinformatics analyses. This may play a potential role in explaining disease progression and treatment.
The association of body mass index and health-related quality of life: Data from two weight-loss interventional studies
Authors: Kral Pavol , Holst-Hansen Thomas , Olivieri Anamaria-Vera , Ivanescu Cristina , Lamotte Mark , Larsen Sara
Published: September 2022

Purpose
The correlation between body mass index (BMI) and utility in patients with overweight or obesity was assessed using health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data collected in two weight-loss interventional studies, SCALE and STEP 1.
Methods
Short-Form Health Survey 36-Item (SF-36) scores from SCALE and STEP 1 were mapped to EuroQoL-5 dimensions-3 levels (EQ-5D-3L) using an established algorithm to derive utilities for the UK. SF-36 scores from STEP 1 were converted into Short-Form six-dimensions (SF-6D) utilities for Portugal, using the tool developed by the University of Sheffield. Correlations between utility scores and BMI at baseline were assessed by multiple linear regression analyses, controlling for demographic and clinical parameters.
Results
Higher baseline BMI was correlated with lower EQ-5D-3L/SF-6D utilities in all analyses, although the correlation was nonsignificant. Assuming linearity between BMI ranges 30–40 kg/m2, a unit increase predicted a utility loss of − 0.0041 and − 0.0031 on EQ-5D-3L for males and females, respectively, in SCALE, − 0.0039 and − 0.0047 in STEP 1, and − 0.0027 and − 0.002 on SF-6D males and females, respectively. Presence of hypertension and older age were significantly negatively correlated with SCALE EQ-5D-3L. Age, presence of coronary artery diseases (CADs) and previous smoking were significantly negatively correlated with STEP 1 EQ-5D-3L. Only presence of CADs was significantly negatively correlated with STEP 1 SF-6D. Males had significantly higher utilities compared with females in the UK analyses.
Conclusion
These findings are useful to inform cost-effectiveness analyses in obesity whereby multiple factors, along with BMI, are used to calculate quality-adjusted life-years.
Cumulative genetic score of KIAA0319 affects reading fluency through parental education levels and rapid automatized naming
Authors: Yang Qing , Cheng Chen , Wang Zhengjun
Published: September 2022

KIAA0319, a well-studied candidate gene, has been shownto be associated with dyslexia and reading ability. In the present study, we investigated whether KIAA0319 interacts with the parental education level and whether rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological awareness and morphological awareness mediate the relationship between the gene and reading ability. A total of 13 SNPs were selected, and the cumulative genetic risk score (CGS) was calculated. The interaction effect suggested that individuals with a low CGS were better at fluent reading in a positive environment than individuals with a high CGS, but not accurate reading. Moreover, the interaction coincided with the differential susceptibility model. The results of the multiple mediator model revealed that digit RAN mediates the impact of the genetic cumulative effect on fluent reading. These findings provide evidence that KIAA0319 is a risk vulnerability gene that interacts with environmental factorsto impact reading ability and demonstratethe reliability of RAN as an endophenotype.
Study on debonding defects detection of CFRP / Al honeycomb structure by Square-wave thermography
Authors: Liu Guozeng , Gao Weicheng , Liu Wei , Zou Xionghui , Zhang Xuekun , Li Rui , Shen Runhong
Published: September 2022

Honeycomb structures are widely used in aerospace and other fields, which are prone to debonding defects during service. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the defects of honeycomb structures in time. In this paper, the square-wave thermography detection principle was studied. The thermal conduction of CFRP / Al honeycomb panel with debonding defects was simulated by the finite element analysis. Pulse phase thermography (PPT), principal component analysis (PCA), thermal signal reconstruction (TSR), and total harmonic distortion (THD) ware studied for the original infrared image sequence. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was calculated and the processing results ware compared. PCA-PC1 had the maximum SNR, which could reduce the background noise interference in square-wave thermography. Square-wave thermography can accurately detect and identify the debonding defects of the honeycomb structure.
A rad50 germline mutation induces the ataxia-telangiectasia phenotype in a transparent medaka model
Authors: Chisada Shinichi , Ohtsuka Kouki , Fujiwara Masachika , Yoshida Masao , Matsushima Satsuki , Watanabe Takashi , Karita Kanae , Ohnishi Hiroaki
Published: September 2022

Mutations in the MRN-ATM pathway-related genes cause MRN-related diseases and ataxia-telangiectasia. However, the effect of RAD50 mutations on these diseases remains unclear. To understand the function of RAD50 in the pathogenesis of ataxia-telangiectasia, we adopted a medaka rad50 mutant model. A two-base deletion in the rad50 gene was introduced into transparent STIII medaka using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Results of rheotaxic analyses, histological studies, and microsatellite instability tests were compared between mutant and wildtype medaka. Horizontal intensities and macroscopic and microscopic observations of thirteen 40-week-old rad50Δ2/+ medaka, microsatellite instability tests of rad50Δ2/+ and rad50Δ2/Δ2 medaka, and 50% survival rates of rad50Δ2/+ medaka revealed that the medaka rad50 germline mutation model concurrently reproduced most of the major ataxia-telangiectasia phenotypes, including ataxia, telangiectasia, tumorigenesis, and genetic instability phenotypes. This fish model may help in further understanding the molecular mechanism and tumorigenesis underlying ataxia-telangiectasia and in developing novel therapeutic strategies against RAD50 molecular disorders.
Simulating solar radio bursts using generative adversarial networks
Authors: Scully Jeremiah , Flynn Ronan , Gallagher Peter , Carley Eoin , Daly Mark
Published: September 2022

Solar flares are one of the most extreme space weather events in our solar system. The impulsive solar radio emission associated with a solar flare is known as a solar radio burst (SRB). They are generally studied in dynamic spectra and are classified into five major spectral classes, ranging from Type I to Type V, based on their form and frequency, and time duration. Due to their intricate characterisation, generating a training set for object detection and classification models of such phenomena is a difficulty in machine learning. Current algorithms implement parametric modelling where the quantity, grouping, intensity, drift rate, heterogeneity, start-end frequency, and start-end time of Type III and Type II radio bursts are all random. However, this model does not factor in the true shape or general features seen in real dynamic spectra observations of the sun, which can be crucial when training classification or object detection algorithms. In this research, we introduce a methodology named Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) for generating realistic SRB simulations. By using real examples of Type III and Type II SRB data, we can train GANs to generate images almost comparable to real observed data. Furthermore, we evaluate the model’s generated results using human perception, then we compare and contrast the results using a metric known as Fréchet Inception Distance.
Are citizens ready to accept the deployment of biogas? A study of the environmental effort in France
Authors: Bourdin Sébastien , Chassy Angélique
Published: September 2022

Despite the potential benefits of anaerobic digestion in the context of climate change and the need to move towards energy transition, there is a lot of resistance to biogas projects. Using a contingent valuation method, we test the extent to which the socio-economic characteristics of populations influence the environmental effort that people are willing to make for the deployment of biogas in a French region. Our results show that young people and people familiar with the biogas process are more inclined to develop biogas. We also highlight that the educational and location aspects should not be neglected in order to increase environmental effort and promote the adoption and development of biogas.