bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular evolution of dengue virus: Bayesian approach considering 1,581 whole genome sequences from January 1944 to July 2022
Authors: Wolf Jonas , de Souza Ana Paula , de Schardosim Raine Fogliati , Pille Arthur , Maccari Juçara , Mutlaq Mohamed , Nasi Luiz Antonio
Published: May 2023

Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes that has spread rapidly across all continents in recent years. There are four distinct but closely related serotypes of the virus that causes dengue (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4). The present study evaluated dengue virus (DENV) serotypes' temporal spreading and molecular evolution worldwide. Bayesian coalescent analyses with was performed to study viral evolution. The results demonstrated that the tMRCA of DENV-1 was 1884-11-15 in Southeast Asia, DENV-2 was 1723-01-29 in Europe, DENV-3 was 1921-04-12 in Southeast Asia, and DENV-4 was 1876-03-28 in Southeast Asia. The origin of the DENV was in Spain in 1682, later it was disseminated in Asia and Oceania in 1847. After this period, the virus presented dissemination in North America in 1890. In South America, it was first disseminated to Ecuador in 1897 and then to Brazil in 1910. The dengue disease has had a significant impact on global health worldwide and the present study provides an overview of the molecular evolution of DENV serotypes.
A Garter Snake Optimization Algorithm for Constrained Optimization
Authors: Naghdiani Maryam , Jahanshahi Mohsen , Matin Reza Kazemi
Published: May 2023

The utilization of meta-heuristics has been widespread in resolving optimization problems, with constant development of new and effective algorithms. Thisresearch presents the Garter Snake Optimization Algorithm (GSO), which ismotivated by the mating behavior of garter snakes and leverages various techniques such as screening, grafting, and annual growth to conduct a productive andthorough search of the exploration space. The algorithm incorporates both socialand personal behaviors to accomplish a balance between exploration and exploitation of the best solutions. To assess the performance of the proposed algorithm,it is tested on four restricted benchmark problems and a frequently utilized realengineering problem, and the optimization results are compared with other algorithms. In many respects, the GSO outperforms other algorithms, demonstratingits superiority and potential in addressing constrained optimization problems.
S-doped C@MoSe2(1-x)S2x@MWCNT heterostructure as high-rate and long-cycle stability anodes for Na+ batteries
Authors: Yang Yincai , Wang Feng , Chen Youwen , Zhang Shiguo , Zhang Ming , Yu Zhen-Qiang , Au Chak-Tong , Yin Shuang-Feng , Qiu Renhua
Published: May 2023

Herein, we successfully synthesized C@MoSe2(1-x)S2x@MWCNT nanocomposite with heterojunctions as long-term stability anodes for sodium ion batteries (SIB). According to DFT calculations, the barrier of Na+ migration between MoSe2(1-x)S2x interlayers and that between GR@MoSe2(1-x)S2x@SWWCNT interlayers is 0.48 eV and 0.45 eV, respectively, significantly lower than that between MoSe2 interlayers (0.91 eV). Therefore, the introduction of S can enhance Na+ transport. The Se element can provide a larger interlayer spacing of MoSe2(1−x)S2x than MoS2, and MWCNT with high conductivity and thermal stability can be used as effective carriers for charge transfer. As an electrode material, PEG-200-2-C@MoSe2(1-x)S2x@MWCNT showed good performance for SIB: 300 mA h g-1 (500 cycles), 256 mA h g-1 (1000 cycles), 165 mA h g-1 (3000 cycles) and 126 mA h g-1 (6000 cycles) under the current density of 10 A g-1.
Comprehensive Analysis of Cuproptosis-related Genes in Prognosis and Tumor Microenvironment Infiltration in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Chen Weiyi , Hu Ke , Liu Yu , Li Xiaocheng , Peng Jing , Chen Lijun , Duan Shaoyi , Yang Qizhang
Published: May 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy, with high incidence and mortality rates. Cuproptosis, a novel form of copper-induced programmed cell death, contributes to tumor progression. Whether cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) play a role in CRC remains unclear. Here, we systematically assessed CRG mutations in CRC. Seven of the 10 CRGs exhibited significant differential expression between CRC and normal tissues. CDKN2A and DLAT were identified as independent risk factors for predicting overall survival (OS) in CRC using univariate and multivariate Cox analyses, and a risk score model was constructed based on CDKN2A and DLAT. Patients with CRC were categorized into high- and low-risk groups based on their median risk scores. Patients with CRC in the low-risk group had longer OS than those in the high-risk group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the risk score model had good predictive accuracy for OS. Spearman’s analysis showed that CDKN2A and DLAT expressions were significantly associated with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints in CRC. Our research revealed CRGs’ prognostic value, particularly CDKN2A and DLAT, in CRC and demonstrated the relationship between CDKN2A/DLAT and immune infiltration in CRC, thereby contributing to the outcome evaluation of patients with CRC and identifying novel targets for CRC immunotherapy.
Prognosis by aetiologies in extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for out-of- hospital cardiac arrest: a retrospective multicentre cohort study
Authors: Takiguchi Toru , Tominaga Naoki , Hamaguchi Takuro , Seki Tomohisa , Nakata Jun , Yamamoto Takeshi , Tagami Takashi , Inoue Akihiko , Hifumi Toru , Sakamoto Tetsuya , Kuroda Yasuhiro , Yokobori Shoji
Published: May 2023

Background The relative contributions of various factors to patient outcomes are essential for optimal patient selection for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, evidence of these aetiologies is limited. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the prognosis of the aetiologies of ECPR for OHCA.Methods This retrospective multicentre registry study involved 36 institutions in Japan and included adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who underwent ECPR between January 2013 and December 2018. We assessed neurological outcomes at discharge based on aetiology using the cerebral performance category (CPC) score. The primary outcome was a favourable neurological outcome (CPC 1–2) at hospital discharge. We performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine favourable neurological outcomes according to the aetiology of cardiac arrest.Results We identified 2,140 eligible patients, of whom 1,988 (92.9%) had cardiac arrest due to medical causes, and 152 (7.1%) had cardiac arrest due to non-medical causes. Most patients (1,663) were presumed to have cardiac causes. The proportion of patients with favourable neurological outcomes at hospital discharge was significantly higher in the non-medical-cause group than in the medical-cause group (26.3% vs. 14.0%, p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that accidental hypothermia (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 6.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.01–11.85, p < 0.001) and pulmonary embolism (adjusted OR = 2.35; 95% CI = 1.14–4.85, p = 0.020) were associated with a significantly higher rate of favourable outcome than the presumed cardiac causes.Conclusions In this retrospective multicentre cohort study, accidental hypothermia and pulmonary embolism were associated with more favourable neurologic outcomes than the presumed cardiac causes. Prospective studies should be conducted to validate the findings of the present study.
Simulation and Experimental Study of Electrochemical Machining Process for Micro-pit Arrays Using a Rolling Device with a Linear Cathode and a Soft Mask
Authors: Qin Ge , Li Meng , Han Lei , Ming Pingmei , Niu Shen , Yan Liang , Zheng Xingshuai , Zhang Xinmin , Li Shiwei
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a novel electrochemical machining process for machining microstructure arrays on curved surfaces of parts. A set of electrolytic systems with the rolling device was constructed to machine micro-pit arrays on various metal part surfaces. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the electric field distribution characteristics and their spatial evolution over time, as well as the geometric profile evolution of the forming microstructures. Experimental tests were carried out on the surface of a 304 stainless steel workpiece using a 10% NaNO3 electrolyte and a 0.1 mm electrode gap. The effects of voltage, the rotating speed of the roller and the linear cathode size on the morphology of micro-pit arrays were explored. The results showed that micro-pit arrays could be successfully machined on the plane, outside and inside surface of the workpiece. Under the 10.5 V applied voltage and 0.2 r/min rotating speed of the workpiece, the diameter of the micro-pit was 421.55 ± 18.75 µm, the depth was 70.2 ± 4 µm, the average etch factor(EF) was 1.16, and the roughness of the micro-pit was 0.625 ± 0.205 µm. This work provides a promising strategy for high-precision batch machining micro-pit arrays on the plane and curved surfaces of the workpiece.
Dry Eye Disease Associated with Demodex Mite Infection: Focus on Ocular Surface Characteristics by Non-invasive Testing
Authors: Yang Yatong , Li Siyu , Chen Jiabao , Lan Qinyan , Zhang Xiangrong
Published: May 2023

Purpose: The study is to evaluate the effect of demodex mite infection on the ocular surface characteristics changes of patients with dry eye disease (DED) using non-invasive instruments.
Methods: 127 patients with DED and 52 normal control subjects were enrolled in this study. All DED patients were divided into demodex negative group and demodex positive group based on the result of the demodex mite infection under microscope. Non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH), ocular redness, meibomian gland secretions (MGS), morphology of palpebral margin, meibomian gland loss score (MGLS), and cornea fluorescence staining (CFS) were evaluated under oculus corneal topography and slit-lamp.
Results: The demodex positive group showed longer NIBUT (P=0.003), lower TMH(P=0.021), worse morphology of palpebral margin (P＜0.001) and worse MGS (P=0.007) than demodex negative group. The score of ocular redness in patients with DED were higher than in the control group (P＜0.05). In demodex positive group, age had a positive correlation with the degree of palpebral margin morphological damage (rs=0.332 P＜0.05) and a negative correlation with the severity of meibomian gland loss (rs=-0.345 P＜0.05).
Conclusion: A significant association between demodex mite infection and abnormal morphology of the palpebral margin, a lower meibomian gland quality, and lacrimal gland hyposecretion in patients with DED. Prompt recognition of the possible co-occurrence of demodex mite infection in patients with DED is crucial for optimal management and improved patient comfort and prognosis.
Simultaneous DHA and Organic Selenium Production by Schizochytrium sp. – a theoretical basis
Authors: Zhang Yunqiang , Liu Zikui , Xiao Gang , Shi Jiawei , Liu Baili , Xiao Ning , Sun Zhiliang
Published: May 2023

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and selenium (Se) are nutrients that confer many health benefits to both humans and animals. Widespread use of DHA in milk powder and health products requires large-scale mass production via Schizochytriumsp., while Se intended for human consumption is produced as organic Se via yeast. However, producing these nutrients on an industrial scale is constrained by various factors. We found that supplementing Schizochytrium sp., with Na₂SeO₃ (0.5 mg/L) improves its biomass and DHA production and also provides organic Se. De novo assembled transcriptomeand biochemical indicators showed that Na₂SeO₃ promotes the formation of A-COA and L-cysteine via the GK and cysK pathways, resulting in the promotion of DHA synthesis through the PKS pathway. However, high doses of Na₂SeO₃ (5 mg/L) limited the biomass of Schizochytrium sp. and inhibited the DHA content. This study provided a theoretical basis for the simultaneous production of organic Se and DHA via Schizochytriumsp.
pH-responsive Targeted nanoparticles release ERK-inhibitor in the hypoxic zone Sensitizes Gemcitabine in Mutant K-Ras-addicted Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Dutta Debasmita , De Archana , Ghosh Arnab , Hazra Raj Shankar , Ghosh Pratyusha , Banerjee Snigdha , Diaz Francisco J. , Upadhyay Sunil P. , Quadir Mohiuddin , Banerjee Sushanta K
Published: May 2023

Therapeutic options for managing Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the deadliest types of aggressive malignancies, are limited and disappointing. Therefore, despite suboptimal clinical effects, Gemcitabine (GEM) remains the first-line chemotherapeutic drug in the clinic for PDAC treatment. The therapeutic limitations of GEM are primarily due to poor bioavailability and the development of chemoresistance resulting from the addiction of mutant-K-RAS/AKT/ERK signaling-mediated desmoplastic barriers with a hypoxic microenvironment. Several new therapeutic approaches, including nanoparticle-assisted drug delivery, are being investigated. In this study, we designed pH-responsive nanoparticles composed of PEG-b-poly (carbonate) block copolymer encapsulated ERK inhibitor (SCH772984). Nanoparticles surface functionalized with tumor-penetrating peptide, iRGD, to target PDAC tumor tissue specifically. We used these nanoparticles to perform a combination drug treatment of GEM and ERKi. We found that the pH-responsive targeted nanocarrier efficiently released ERKi in hypoxic and low-pH environments. We also found that the free GEM, combined with nanoencapsulated ERKi, demonstrated significant synergistic outcomes in vitro and in vivo and impaired desmoplastic regulatory factors production in PDAC cells. In particular, the combination approaches significantly enhanced the GEM effect in PDAC growth inhibition and prolonged survival of the animals in the KPC mouse model.
Evaluation of the pooled sample method in Infinium Methylation EPIC Bead Chip array by comparison with individual samples
Authors: Nishitani Shota , Fujisawa Takashi X , Yao Akiko , Takiguchi Shinichiro , Tomoda Akemi
Published: May 2023

Background: The pooled sample method is used in epigenomic research and expression analysis and is a cost-effective screening approach. Evaluation of the pooled sample method in epigenomic studies is performed using the Illumina Infinium Methylation 450 K BeadChip array; however, subsequent reports on the updated 850 K array are lacking. A previous study demonstrated that the methylation levels obtained from individual samples were accurately replicated using pooled samples but did not address epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) statistics. The DNA quantification method, which is important for the homogeneous mixing of DNA in the pooled sample method, has since become fluorescence-based, and additional factors need to be considered including the resolution of batch effects of microarray chips and the heterogeneity of the cellular proportions from which the DNA samples are derived. In this study, four pooled samples were created from 44 individual samples, and EWAS statistics for differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and regions (DMRs) were conducted for individual samples and compared with the statistics obtained from the pooled samples.
Results: The methylation levels could be reproduced fairly well in the pooled samples. This was the case for the entire dataset and when limited to the top 100 CpG sites, consistent with a previous study using the 450 K BeadChip array. However, considering a dataset of 1,000 randomly extracted CpG sites, the statistical results of the EWAS for the DMP by individual samples were not replicated in pooled samples. Qualitative analyses highlighting methylation within an arbitrary candidate gene were replicable. Focusing on chr 20, the statistical results of EWAS for DMR from individual samples showed replicability in the pooled samples as long as they were limited to regions with a sufficient effect size.
Conclusions: The pooled sample method replicated the methylation values well and can be used for EWAS in DMR. This method is cost-effective and can be utilized for screening by carefully understanding the features for its effective points and disadvantages of the pooled sample method and combining it with candidate gene analyses.
NIR diagnostic imaging of triple-negative breast cancer and its lymph node metastasis for high-efficiency hypoxia-activated multimodal therapy
Authors: Pan Yi , Liu Longcai , He Yichen , Ye Luyi , Zhao Xin , Hu Zhiming , Mou Xiaozhou , Cai Yu
Published: May 2023

Background
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) possesses special biological behavior and clinicopathological characteristics, which is highly invasive and propensity to metastasize to lymph nodes, leading to a worse prognosis than other types of breast cancer. Thus, the development of an eﬀective therapeutic method is signiﬁcant to improve the survival rate of TNBC patients.
Results
In this work, a liposome-based theranostic nanosystem (ILA@Lip) was successfully prepared by simultaneously encapsulating IR 780 as the photosensitizer and lenvatinib as an anti-angiogenic agent, together with banoxantrone (AQ4N) molecule as the hypoxia-activated prodrug. The ILA@Lip can be applied for the near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence diagnostic imaging of TNBC and its lymph node metastasis for multimodal therapy. Lenvatinib in ILA@Lip can inhibit angiogenesis by cutting oxygen supply, thereby leading to enhanced hypoxia levels. Meanwhile, large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were produced while IR 780 was irradiated by an 808 nm laser, which also rapidly exhausted oxygen in tumor cells to worsen tumor hypoxia. Through creating an extremely hypoxic in TNBC, the conversion of non-toxic AQ4N to toxic AQ4 was much more efficiency for hypoxia-activated chemotherapy. Cytotoxicity assay of ILA@Lip indicated excellent biocompatibility with normal cells and tissues, but showed high toxicity in hypoxic breast cancer cells. Also, the in vivo tumors treated by the ILA@Lip with laser irradiation were admirably suppressed in both subcutaneous tumor model and orthotopic tumor models.
Conclusion
Utilizing ILA@Lip is a profound strategy to create an extremely hypoxic tumor microenvironment for higher therapeutic efficacy of hypoxia-activated chemotherapy, which realized collective suppression of tumor growth and has promising potential for clinical translation.
The 2011 Lorca Earthquake. Study of the seismic effects recorded on the Meristemum net GPS stations
Authors: Urtiaga Ángel Cibeira , Berrocoso Manuel , Rosado Belén , Pazos Antonio
Published: May 2023

The area of the Betic Cordillera, located in Southern Spain, is an active earthquake region. On May 11 2011, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake occurred with epicenter near the town of Lorca. This seismic event was generated on the Al-hama de Murcia fault. In this paper we present the results of processing the GPS data corresponding to the time at which the event occurs, using the PPP processing strategy. We detected the event in one of the stations of the Meristemum network used in the study, despite being a low magnitude event. From the results we were able to obtain a direct value of the displacement generated by the strong ground motion, as well as an approximate value of the acceleration at the site. For a better detection of the precise instant in which the station records the arrival of the surface wave, a Wavelet filtering is applied on the obtained time series.
Minohealth.ai: A Clinical Evaluation of Deep Learning Systems for the Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion and Cardiomegaly in Ghana, Vietnam and the United States of America
Authors: Akogo Darlington , Sarkodie Benjamin Dabo , Samori Issah Abubakari , Jimah Bashiru Babatunde , Anim Dorothea Akosua , Mensah Yaw Boateng
Published: May 2023

A rapid and accurate diagnosis of medical conditions like cardiomegaly and pleural effusion is of the utmost importance to reduce mortality and medical costs. Artificial Intelligence has shown promise in diagnosing medical conditions. With this study, we seek to evaluate how well Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, developed my minoHealth AI Labs, will perform at diagnosing cardiomegaly and pleural effusion, using chest x-rays from Ghana, Vietnam and the USA, and how well AI systems will perform when compared with radiologists working in Ghana. The evaluation dataset used in this study contained 100 images randomly selected from three datasets. The Deep Learning models were further tested on a larger Ghanaian dataset containing five hundred and sixty one (561) samples. Two AI systems were then evaluated on the evaluation dataset, whilst we also gave the same chest x-ray images within the evaluation dataset to 4 radiologists, with 5–20 years experience, to diagnose independently. For cardiomegaly, minoHealth.ai systems scored Area under the Receiver operating characteristic Curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.9 and 0.97 while the AUC-ROC of individual radiologists ranged from 0.77 to 0.87. For pleural effusion, the minoHealth.ai systems scored 0.97 and 0.91 whereas individual radiologists scored between 0.75 and 0.86. On both conditions, the best performing AI model outperforms the best performing radiologist by about 10%. We also evaluate the specificity, sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) between the minoHealth.ai systems and radiologists.
Ramification of Covid-19 pandemic : Occurrence and Impact of Fungal Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Kaur Ravinder , Rawat Deepti , William Ashish , Singh Pradeep Kumar , Kandir Neelam S.S. , Sharma Akanksha
Published: May 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has been prevailing for more than a year associated with increased number of opportunistic invasive fungal infections in patients who have been critically ill or immunocompromised. In this retrospective study, details of various clinical specimens received from suspected patients of fungal infections were processed according to standard protocol were studied. The fungal infections were present in 64% (51/79) COVID-19 positive patients and 43% (163/381) COVID-19 negative patients) during the year 2021 during the second wave of COVID-19. Among Covid infected patients, the fungal infection mostly observed was Candidiasis (63%) followed by Aspergillosis (15% ) and Mucormycosis (6%). The maximum samples positive in Covid patients were urine samples followed by Serum (for Aspergillus Galactomannan). Among the urine and respiratory samples (BAL, Tracheal aspirate, Sputum) in Covid-19 positive patients, maximum positivity of Candida species was seen. Mucormycosis in Covid-19 positive patients was isolated in Nasal samples followed by tissue sample with Rhizopus arrhizus and Rhizopus homothallicus.There has been an increase in fungal co-infections during the COVID-19 pandemic which is a matter of great concern. Early diagnosis is essential for effective management of these patients.
Does the evolution of micromorphology accompany chromosomal changes on dysploid and polyploid levels in the Barnardia japonica complex (Hyacinthaceae)?
Authors: Kim Hyeonjin , Choi Bokyung , Lee Changyoung , Paik Jin-Hyub , Jang Chang-Gee , Weiss-Schneeweiss Hanna , Jang Tae-Soo
Published: May 2023

Chromosome number and genome size changes via dysploidy and polyploidy accompany plant diversification and speciation. Such changes often impact also morphological characters. An excellent system to address the questions of how extensive and structured chromosomal changes within one species complex affect the phenotype is the monocot species complex of Barnardia japonica. This taxon contains two well established and distinct diploid cytotypes differing in base chromosome numbers (AA: x = 8, BB: x = 9) and their allopolyploid derivatives on several ploidy levels (from 3x to 6x). This extensive and structured genomic variation, however, is not mirrored by gross morphological differentiation. The current study aims to analyze the correlations between the changes of chromosome numbers and genome sizes with palynological and leaf micromorphological characters in diploids and selected allopolyploids of the B. japonica complex.
The chromosome numbers varied from 2n= 16 and 18 (2n = 25 withthe presence of supernumerary B chromosomes), and from 2n = 26 to 51 in polyploids on four different ploidy levels (3x, 4x, 5x, and 6x). Despite additive chromosomes numbers compared to diploid parental cytotypes, all polyploid cytotypes have experienced genome downsizing. Analyses of leaf micromorphological characters did not reveal any diagnostic traits that could be specifically assigned to individual cytotypes. The variation of pollen grain sizes correlated positively with ploidy levels. This study clearly demonstrates that karyotype and genome size differentiation does not have to be correlated with morphological structured differentiation of cytotypes.
The effect of aperiodic components in distinguishing Alzheimer's disease from frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Wang Zhuyong , Liu Anyang , Yu Jianshen , Wang Pengfei , Bi Yuewei , Xue Sha , Zhang Jiajun , Guo Hongbo , Zhang Wangming
Published: May 2023

Background: Distinguishing Alzheimer's disease (AD) from frontotemporal dementia (FTD) poses a clinical challenge, and to address this, inexpensive and accessible techniques, such as electroencephalography (EEG), are increasingly being employed. However, current studies on electrophysiology have not adequately separated aperiodic activity from spectral analysis and have instead evaluated the combination of periodic oscillatory components and aperiodic components. As the understanding of aperiodic activity has evolved, its potential physiological significance in these disorders has become an area of growing interest. The objective of our study is to determine the differences in aperiodic activity between these two dementia-related diseases and to evaluate their effect in distinguishing between them.
Methods: A total of 88 participants, including 36 patients with AD, 23 patients with FTD, and 29 healthy controls (CN), were enrolled for cognitive assessment and scalp EEG acquisition. The spectrum was decomposed using a method of parameterizing neuronal power spectra, comparing group differences in different components, and a support vector machine was used to determine the effect of aperiodic parameters in the differential diagnosis.
Results: The AD and FTD groups showed varying degrees of EEG rhythm slowing compared to CN group. Theta periodic power and aperiodic parameters were higher in the AD group compared to the FTD group at the channel level. The inclusion of the aperiodic parameters led to better performance for differential diagnosis.
Conclusions: Our study indicates that aperiodic activity shows differences in patients with AD and FTD, and has the potential to distinguish between these disorders. These results underscore the physiological significance of aperiodic components in dementia-related diseases.
Reconsidering the Role of Intraoperative Frozen Section in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Mastectomy Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A 5-years retrospective review from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.
Authors: Vongsaisuwon Mawin , Vacharathit Voranaddha , Lerttiendamrong Bhoowit , Manasnayakorn Sopark , Tantiphlachiva Kasaya , Vongwattanakit Phuphat , Treeratanapun Nattanan
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims: The trend of sending sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) specimens for permanent section (PS) without intraoperative frozen sections (iFS) is increasing globally. This pilot study conducted in Thailand aimed to evaluate the role of intraoperative frozen section (iFS) in early-stage breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy with SLNB.
Methods: A 5-year retrospective study of 1773 patients from December 2017 through 2022 was conducted in a tertiary care center in Thailand. The inclusion criteria were early-stage breast cancer patients with either radiologically negative nodes, or radiographically borderline nodes found to be negative on FNA in line with the AMAROS criteriawho underwent mastectomy and SLNB. Re-operations were indicated when 3 or more nodal metastases were detected on the pathological analysis. The re-operation rate prevented by iFS and the re-operation rate needed for those with PS alone were reported.
Results: Among 265 patients, 202 patients underwent concomitant iFS while the remaining 63 patients underwent PS alone. Six patients (3.0%) from the iFS group and 1 patient (1.6%) from the PS group were found with more than 2 nodal metastases. Despite using intraoperative frozen sections, only one patient from each group required reoperation. There was no significant difference in the number of patients requiring reoperation between the iFS group and the PS group.
Conclusions: Our study provides strong evidence to all surgeons in Thailand and low-to-middle income countries (LMIC) that in early breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy, SLNB with PS analysis alone may not lower the standard of care compared to using additional iFS analysis. Adopting this practice may lead to decreased operation costs, operative time, and anesthetic side effects.
Mesenchymal-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Enhance Microglia-mediated Synapse Remodeling after Cortical Injury in Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: Zhou Yuxin , Bhatt Hrishti , Mojica Chromewell A. , Xin Hongqi , Pessina Monica , Rosene Douglas L. , Moore Tara L. , Medalla Maria
Published: May 2023

Understanding the microglial neuro-immune interactions in the primate brain is vital to developing therapeutics for cortical injury, such as stroke. Our previous work showed that mesenchymal-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) enhanced motor recovery in aged rhesus monkeys post-injury of primary motor cortex (M1), by promoting homeostatic ramified microglia, reducing injury-related neuronal hyperexcitability, and enhancing synaptic plasticity in perilesional cortices. The current study addresses how these injury- and recovery-associated changes relate to structural and molecular interactions between microglia and neuronal synapses. Using multi-labeling immunohistochemistry, high resolution microscopy, and gene expression analysis, we quantified co-expression of synaptic markers (VGLUTs, GLURs, VGAT, GABARs), microglia markers (Iba-1, P2RY12), and C1q, a complement pathway protein for microglia-mediated synapse phagocytosis, in perilesional M1 and premotor cortices (PMC) of monkeys with intravenous infusions of either vehicle (veh) or EVs post-injury. We compared this lesion cohort to aged-matched non-lesion controls. Our findings revealed a lesion-related loss of excitatory synapses in perilesional areas, which was ameliorated by EV treatment. Further, we found region-dependent effects of EV on microglia and C1q expression. In perilesional M1, EV treatment and enhanced functional recovery were associated with increased expression of C1q + hypertrophic microglia, which are thought to have a role in debris-clearance and anti-inflammatory functions. In PMC, EV treatment was associated with decreased C1q + synaptic tagging and microglial-spine contacts. Our results provided evidence that EV treatment facilitated synaptic plasticity by enhancing clearance of acute damage in perilesional M1, and thereby preventing chronic inflammation and excessive synaptic loss in PMC. These mechanisms may act to preserve synaptic cortical motor networks and a balanced normative M1/PMC synaptic connectivity to support functional recovery after injury.
Modeling hospital surgical capacity in mass casualty incidents: a national metric of the MassCare index
Authors: Aubrion Antoine , NADIN Lawrence , HARDEL Lauriane , LEFEVRE-SCELLES Antoine , Macrez Richard , Morello Remy , GUITTET Lydia
Published: May 2023

Background The a priori assessment of medical response capacity for disasters in each hospital is crucial to establish the maximum receivable number of patients and the best allocation strategy. The objective of this study was to calculate the maximal surgical capacity of each French hospital for adult victims of mass casualty incidents (MCI) during working hours (Tmax-MassCare-A1-B1-C1).Methods Data were taken from the 2019 national SAE survey, which records the activity and resources of French hospitals. The Tmax-MassCare-A1-B1-C1 indicator was calculated using resources for each hospital with sufficient data, as the minimum of its number of operating rooms, surgeons, and anaesthetists or anaesthesia nurses declared. Linear regression models were used to predict this Tmax-MassCare indicator using the hospital activity measured in the PMSI database, an exhaustive database used for payment purposes. Estimates of MCI surgical capacity per million inhabitants (p.m.h.) were further calculated by French region.Results Of the 875 hospitals included, 15.8% had missing data on resource variables precluding calculation of the Tmax-MassCare indicator without imputation. The capacity calculated for the remaining hospitals would be better predicted with the assumption that one patient in the MCI situation could be admitted for every 1441 annual procedures (R2 = 0,87, univariate linear regression model). Using this approximation, the MCI surgical capacity was 81.5 patients p.m.h. in metropolitan France and 47.6 in overseas France.Conclusion The maximal MCI surgical capacity in adults can be estimated using the annual number of procedures as a proxy. Further studies are needed to provide estimators outside of working hours and for paediatric victims.
Recovery from post-COVID-19 vaccination biliary ductopenia and multiorgan inflammation: A case with insight from angiotensin II type 1 receptor antibody- mediated injury
Authors: Chang Alan , Jeng Yung-Ming , Ho Cheng-Maw , Lee Po-Huang
Published: May 2023

Background
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant morbidity and mortality. Spike messenger RNA (mRNA)–based vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may contribute to immune-mediated injuries. Here we present a case of marked cholangiopathy with multiorgan injury and investigate the potential mechanisms associated with mRNA-based vaccines.
Case summary and investigation
A previously healthy 47-year-old man developed progressive jaundice 2 weeks after receiving his 3rd COVID-19 vaccination (1st mRNA-based vaccine). Apart from elevated serum total bilirubin levels (peaked at >70 mg/dL), deteriorating renal (blood urea nitrogen: peak, 108.5 mg/dL; creatinine: peak, 6 mg/dL) and exocrine pancreas (amylase: peak, 1717 U/L; lipase: peak, 5784 U/L) profiles were also seen. Vanishing bile duct syndrome characterized by ductopenia and cholangiocyte vacuolation, positive C4d deposition, and high titer of anti-angiotensin II type 1 receptor antibody consistently explain the overall antibody-mediated pathogenesis resembling antibody-mediated “rejection” in the solid organ transplant setting. Corticosteroids and plasmapheresis were administered, leading to gradual resolution of the symptoms, and the jaundice completely resolved 2 months later.
Conclusion
Here we reported a case of antibody-mediated multiorgan injury after an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine characterized by severe cholangiopathy. The patient recovered with corticosteroids and plasmapheresis, and long-term follow-up is needed.
The Growing Threat of Global Urban Heat Island Effects in Lower-Middle- and Low-Income Countries
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Dong Xu , Li Chengwei , Geng Xiaolei , Zhou Yushan , Fan Zhengqiu , Liao Chuan , WANG Xiangrong
Published: May 2023

Urbanization has undergone significant growth in recent decades, but we still lack information regarding the disparity caused by the urban heat island (UHI) effect associated with urban development. Upon analyzing 4,832,660 urban grids worldwide from 2003 to 2018, we found that there is an uneven distribution in the growth of surface urban heat island intensity (SUHII) across countries in four distinct economic levels. The SUHII gradually decreased after 2006 and 2004 in high and upper-middle income groups, respectively. However, increasing trend was observed in the low and lower-middle income groups. Specifically, during the daytime, 27% of low-income regions exhibit a largest-scale net increasing trend, while the lower-middle-income group has the largest area (19.10%) with a net increasing trend during the nighttime. The growth rate of SUHII in high- and upper-middle-income country urban areas is close to the average urbanization level of these countries, but the growth rate of SUHII in lower-middle- and low-income country cities is much faster. Our findings highlight that urban areas in lower-middle- and low-income countries face more urgent UHI issues and require targeted interventions for mitigation. High- and upper-middle-income countries need shoulder greater responsibility in mitigating the UHI effects by offering technical expertise and guidance to economically disadvantaged nations.
Role of Phenolic Acid Metabolism in Enhancing Bioactivity of Mentha Extract Fermented with Plant- Derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T
Authors: Shakya Shrijana , Danshiitsoodol Narandalai , Noda Masafumi , Sugiyama Masanori
Published: May 2023

Plant-derived lactic acid bacteria are major fermentation organisms that can grow in medicinal herb extracts enriched with phytochemicals like glycosides, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins. Fermentation with strain-specific Lactobacilli harboring metabolic enzymes can increase the bioactivity and bioavailability of medicinal herbs. Lactobacillus (Lact.) plantarum SN13T and Pediococcus (Ped.) pentosaceus LP28 are plant-derived probiotic strains with clinically reported health effects. In the present study, the bioactivity of the extract of the herb, Mentha, against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells were increased when fermented with Lact. plantarum SN13T as compared to the unfermented extract or extract fermented with Ped. pentosaceus LP28. This higher bioactivity was associated with the metabolism of rosmarinic acid (RA) and caffeic acid (CA), the major bioactive phenolic acids reported in Mentha, along with the production of the metabolite dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA). DHCA was found to be a more potent LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) inhibitor than its precursor phenolic acids. The metabolism of RA to DHCA via CA could be mediated by the enzymes cinnamoyl ester hydrolase and hydroxycinnamate reductases, encoded by the ceh gene and the hcrRABC gene operon, respectively, which were identified in the complete genome sequence of Lact. plantarum strain SN13T but were absent in Ped. pentosaceus LP28. The genes hcrA, hcrB, and hcrC were significantly and time-dependently overexpressed in Lact. plantarum SN13T when grown in the Mentha extract, suggesting the role of phenolic acid metabolism in enhancing its bioactivity.
Agile THz-range spectral multiplication of frequency combs using a multi-wavelength laser
Authors: Abdollahi Mohammadshahab , Ladouce Mathieu , Marin-Palomo Pablo , Virte Martin
Published: May 2023

On-chip frequency comb sources have emerged as a revolutionary technology that enables broadband frequency combs with unprecedented compactness, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This technology has found widespread applications ranging from spectroscopy and lidar to telecommunications. However, on-chip comb sources face a fundamental trade-off between controllability and bandwidth: Broadband combs, generated in microresonators, lack free-spectral range or spectral envelope control, while combs generated with electro-optic modulators can be carefully tailored but are limited in bandwidth. Here, we present a novel approach to overcome this trade-off by enabling agile spectral multiplication of a narrowband comb. We demonstrate that by exploiting the nonlinear dynamics of a multi-wavelength semiconductor laser under modulated optical injection, we can achieve spectral multiplication of an injected narrowband comb at frequency offsets of 26 GHz, 54 GHz, and up to 1.3 THz. Our approach incorporates on-chip optical feedback control that allows for high suppression ratio and nanosecond-scale tuning of the offset frequency. We show that this approach is scalable and can cover a range of several THz with a suitable laser design, compatible with generic foundry platforms. Our system, when combined with THz photomixers, would enable low-cost, compact, and power-efficient sources for agile THz comb generation, paving the way towards a new generation of THz applications.
Variation in temperature of peak trait
performance will constrain adaptation of arthropod populations to climatic warming
Authors: Pawar Samraat , Smallwood Thomas , Nisbet Miles , Chan Alex , Shocket Marta , Johnson Leah , Kontopoulos Dimitrios-Georgios , Cator Lauren , Huxley Paul
Published: May 2023

The capacity of arthropod populations to adapt to long-term climatic warming is uncertain. Here, we combine theory and extensive data on diverse arthropod taxa to show that their rate of thermal adaptation to climatic warming will be constrained in two fundamental ways. First, the rate of thermal adaptation is predicted to be limited by the rate of shift in the temperature of peak performance of four life-history traits in a specific order: juvenile development, adult fecundity, juvenile mortality, and adult mortality. Second, thermal adaptation will be constrained due to differences in the temperature of peak performance among these four traits, which are expected to persist because of trade-offs. By compiling a new global dataset of 61 diverse arthropod species, we find strong evidence that contemporary populations have indeed evolved under these constraints. Our results provide a basis for using relatively feasible trait measurements to predict the adaptive capacity of diverse arthropod populations to climatic warming.
El amor como sujeto perenne. Una interpretación sobre las concepciones del amor de pareja en el último quinquenio
Authors: Casas Balladales Paula Andrea , García Jaramillo María Paula , Vásquez López Valentina , Vásquez Tabares María Fernanda , López Arboleda Gloria María
Published: May 2023

El amor es un tema que transversaliza y atraviesa al ser humano en todas sus experiencias vitales; es por ello por lo que constantemente está expuesto a contextos colmados de significados, los cuales, de una u otra manera, forjan una idea sobre él, misma que influye directamente en las relaciones de pareja. El presente artículo reflexiona sobre las concepciones del amor de pareja en el último quinquenio del siglo XXI y su relación con las formas de amar, lo cual permitió esclarecer, a nivel documental inicialmente, los modos y maneras de relacionamiento en la actualidad. La reflexión transita desde la idea del amor como problema que interesa, pasando por el camino que conduce al sí mismo del amor, entendiendo que este es el problema perenne; finaliza el artículo con la idea de que absolutizar el amor es negarlo.
Pharmacological assessment of Co3O4, CuO, NiO and ZnO nanoparticles via antibacterial, anti-biofilm and anti-quorum sensing activities
Authors: Junejo Bindia , Eryilmaz Mujde , Rizvanoglu Suna Sibel , Palabiyik Ismail Murat , Ghumro Tania , Mallah Arfana , Solangi Amber R. , Hyder Syed Iqleem , Maleh Hassan Karimi , Dragoi Elena Niculina
Published: May 2023

Infectious diseases have risen dramatically as a result of the resistance of many common antibiotics. Nanotechnology provides a new avenue of investigation for the development of antimicrobial agents that effectively combat infection. The combined effects of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) are known to have intense antibacterial activities. However, a comprehensive analysis of some NPs regarding these activities is still unavailable. This study uses the aqueous chemical growth method to synthesize Co3O4, CuO, NiO and ZnO NPs. The prepared materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The antibacterial activities of NPs were tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using the microdilution method, such as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. The best MIC value among all the metal oxide NPs was 0.63 against Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC12228 through ZnO NPs. The other metal oxide NPs also showed satisfactory MIC values against different test bacteria. In addition, the biofilm inhibition and antiquorum sensing activities of NPs were also examined. The present study presents a novel approach for the relative analysis of metal-based NPs in antimicrobial studies, demonstrating their potential for bacteria removal from water and wastewater.
The effect of nebulized magnesium sulfate on asthma attacks in the children
Authors: ASLAN Mehmet , KARABAĞ ÇITLAK Hilal , TOPAL Erdem , GÖZÜKARA BAĞ Harika , KAPLAN Fatih
Published: May 2023

Aim: This study aimed to determine the effect of adding nebulized magnesium sulfate to standard treatment in children with moderate to severe acute asthma attacks.

Methods: Pediatric patients admitted to the emergency department with moderate to severe asthma attacks were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups. Group S received standard treatment, while Group M received nebulized magnesium sulfate in addition to standard therapy.

Results: A total of 129 patients were included in the study, 86 (66.7%) were male, and the median (minimum-maximum) age was 4 (2-8) years. When groups were compared, oxygen saturation at hour 1 was higher (p=0.024), and the PRAM (preschool respiratory assessment measure) scores at the 4th hour were lower (p=0.008) in the group that received magnesium sulfate. The groups had no differences regarding any of the other parameters at the 1st and 4th hours (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Adding nebulized magnesium sulfate to standard treatment in children with asthma attacks improves oxygen saturation faster and positively affects PRAM score at hour 4.
The Development of Non-natural Type Nucleoside to Stabilize Triplex
DNA Formation against CG and TA Inversion Site
Authors: Wang Lei , Ling Yong , Tian Yan , Wang Xiao , Sasaki Shigeki , Taniguchi Yosuke
Published: May 2023

Based on the sequence-specific recognition of target duplex DNA by triplexforming
oligonucleotides (TFOs) at the major groove side, the antigene strategy has been
exploited as a gene-targeting tool with considerable attention. Triplex DNA is formed via
the specific base triplets by the Hoogsteen or reverse Hoogsteen hydrogen bond interaction
between TFOs and the homo-purine strand from the target duplex DNA, leading to
the established sequence-specificity. However, the presence of inversion sites, which are
known as non-natural nucleosides that can form satisfactory interactions with 2′-
deoxythymidine (dT) and 2′-deoxycytidine (dC) in TA and CG base pairs in the target
homo-purine DNA sequences, drastically restricts the formation of classically stable base
triplets and even the triplex DNA. Therefore, the design of non-natural type nucleosides,
which can effectively recognize CG or/and TA inversion sites with satisfactory selectivity,
should be of great significance to expanding the triplex-forming sequence. Here, this review
mainly provides a comprehensive review of the current development of novel nonnatural
nucleosides to recognize CG or/and TA inversion sites in triplex DNA formation
against double-strand DNA (dsDNA).