bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of the Mechanism of Suicide amongst Minnesota Residents utilizing Data from the Minnesota Violent Death Reporting System (MNVDRS)
Authors: Waller Daniel C , Wolfson Julian , Gingerich Stefan , Ramirez Marizen
Published: November 2023

Background
Suicide is the 8th leading cause of death in Minnesota (USA), with a firearm being selected as the means of suicide in approximately half of all such events. This study sought to predict the occurrence of suicide specifically by firearm, as opposed to any other means of suicide, in order to help inform possible life-saving interventions.
Methods
This study involved the use of data from the Minnesota Violent Death Reporting System (MNVDRS), a database that tracks data across a multitude of sources for individuals who died a violent death in the state. Data categories vary from basic demographic information to more personal characteristics. Prediction models were developed utilizing different sets of variables tracking different categories of personal information in order to understand the improvement in prediction accuracy relative to the effort required to collect information for the prediction model. Models were built with and without data imputation, with logistic regression models constructed for non-imputed data and random forest models constructed for imputed data. Models were evaluated for prediction accuracy utilizing Area Under the Curve (AUC) analysis and for proper calibration.
Results
Results showed that the addition of social determinant and personal history data to predictive models led to an increased level of prediction accuracy in comparison to models constructed with basic demographic information only. No significant differences were observed between imputed and non-imputed models. The model fitted with the 20 variables ranked with highest importance by random forest models resulted in the highest AUC in the study (AUC: 0.732; 95% CI: 0.694 to 0.770).
Conclusions
The study demonstrated that the use of a firearm in a death by suicide, as opposed to any other means of suicide, can be reasonably well predicted when an individual’s social determinants and personal history are considered. These predictive models could help to inform many prevention strategies, such as safe storage practices, background checks for firearm purchases, or red flag laws.
Transcriptomic and genomic characteristics of intrahepatic metastases of primary liver cancer
Authors: Zou Weilong , Fang Zhanjie , Feng Yu , Gong Shangjin , Li Ziqiang , Li Meng , Sun Yong , Ruan Xiuyan , Fang Xiangdong , Qu Hongzhu , Li Haiyang
Published: November 2023

Background
Patients with primary multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a poor prognosis and often experience a high rate of treatment failure. Multifocal HCC is mainly caused by intrahepatic metastasis (IM), and though portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is considered a hallmark of IM, the molecular mechanism by which primary HCC cells invade the portal veins remains unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize the early signs of metastasis of HCC to arrange better treatment for patients.
Results
To determine the differential molecular features between primary HCC with and without phenotype of metastasis, we used the CIBERSORTx software to deconvolute cell types from bulk RNA-Seq based on a single-cell transcriptomic dataset. According to the relative abundance of tumorigenic and metastatic hepatoma cells, VEGFA+ macrophages, effector memory T cells, and natural killer cells, HCC samples were divided into five groups: Pro-T, Mix, Pro-Meta, NKC, and MemT, and the transcriptomic and genomic features of the first three groups were analyzed. We found that the Pro-T group appeared to retain native hepatic metabolic activity, whereas the Pro-Meta group underwent dedifferentiation. Genes highly expressed in the group Pro-Meta often signify a worse outcome.
Conclusions
The HCC cohort can be well-typed and prognosis predicted according to tumor microenvironment components. Primary hepatocellular carcinoma may have obtained corresponding molecular features before metastasis occurred.
Peripheral neuropathy mimicking Guillain-Barre syndrome in a patient with severe refeeding syndrome: a case report
Authors: Liang Tianya , Zhang Meng , Chen Liang , Luo Huan , Yang Xiaolei , Fu Donglin , Yang Jin
Published: November 2023

Background: Refeeding syndrome (RS) is a potentially serious condition and frequently ignored without uniform definition. Severe refeeding syndrome may present with symptoms of thiamine deficiency (TD) with poor outcome. Prevention in high-risk populations and timely treatment of clearly diagnosed patients may improve outcomes.Case presentation: A 58-year-old patient with fulminant myocarditis who received veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) ran into severe RS during the recovery period after ECMO was successfully removed. Considering thiamine deficiency as a result of severe refeeding syndrome, patients were given empiric thiamine 100mg intramuscularly once a day. The peripheral neuropathy mimicing Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), cardiac insufficiency, and hyperlactemia were improved after 5 days following thiamine supplementation.Conclusion: Refeeding syndrome often occurs, and it is very harmful. The clinical manifestations of refeeding syndromes are diverse. Proper management of refeeding syndrome is very important to improve patient outcomes.
The risk factors Of Hemorrhoidal disease： A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Yu Miaozhi , Yuan Shang , Han Lingling , Yu Xi
Published: November 2023

Hemorrhoids are the most common perianal disease, but current observational studies have yielded inconsistent results in investigating the etiology. Our further exploration of the etiology will help prevent the disease. We conducted a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) statistics from multiple consortia. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used for the primary analysis. We applied four complementary methods, including weighted median, weighted mode, MR-Egger regression, and Cochrane's Q value, to detect and correct the effects of horizontal pleiotropy. Genetically determined constipation (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.91–1.03, P = 0.28) and diarrhea (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.99–1.01, P = 0.90) did not have a causal effect on HEM but stool frequency (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.05–1.55, P = 0.01), waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06–1.64, P = 1.59×10− 5), and order Burkholderiales (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.04–1.14, p = 1.63×10− 4) had a causal effect on. Furthermore, we found a significant causal effect of constipation on HEM in the reverse MR analysis (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.13–1.28, P = 3.72×10− 9). The results of MR-Egger regression, Weighted Median, and Weighted Mode methods were consistent with those of the IVW method. Horizontal pleiotropy was unlikely to distort the causal estimates, as indicated by the sensitivity analysis. Our MR analysis reveals a causal association between stool frequency and waist-to-hip ratio with HEM, despite variations in results reported by observational studies. Unexpectedly, we found a relationship between the order Burkholderiales in the gut flora and HEM, although the mechanism is unclear.
Effect of receiving counseling for SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention on the adoption of hygiene, isolation and quarantine measures: Sulcovid-19 survey
Authors: Rocha Juliana Quadros Santos , Caputo Eduardo Lucia , Petry Letícia , Vieira Yohana Pereira , Duro Suele Manjourany Silva , Saes Mirelle Oliveira
Published: November 2023

Background: We aimed to investigate the associations between receiving counseling for protective measures and the actual adoption of hygiene, isolation, and quarantine measures in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Methods: We analyzed baseline data from the Sulcovid-19 study, a longitudinal research project conducted in southern Brazil.Participants were asked if they received counseling from healthcare professionals on protective measures against COVID-19. Participants were also queried about their behavior regarding hygiene, self-isolation, and quarantine measures during their SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants' behavior status was categorized based on their responses into four categories: 1) remained without adopting, 2) began to adopt, 3) stopped adopting, and 4) remained adopting. We conducted adjusted analyses using Poisson regression with robust variance adjustment. All variables with a p-value ≤ 0.20 were included in the model. Associations with 95%CI that did not overlap between categories were considered statistically significant.
Results: Receiving counseling increased the likelihood of "staying in a well-ventilated and individualized room" by 25.0% (PR: 1.25 95%CI 1.17; 1.33), "avoiding sharing space" by 14.0% (PR: 1.14 95%CI 1.06; 1.23), "performing hand hygiene" by 9% (PR: 1.09 95%CI 1.06; 1.12), and "using a facial mask" by 34% (PR: 1.34 95%CI 1.25; 1.43). Receiving counseling increased the likelihood of adopting all behaviors during infection by 4% (PR: 1.04 95%CI 1.02; 1.06). Receiving counseling enhanced the probability of adhering to hygiene, isolation, and quarantine measures both during and after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Conclusions: This underscores the effectiveness of healthcare counseling in influencing behavior in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
How does FinTech impact entrepreneurial behavior among farmers? Evidence from the China Household Finance Survey
Authors: XU FENG , SUN YI , ZHOU YINI , YU DONGYAO
Published: November 2023

FinTech is disrupting the traditional financial models with the power of technology. Will it solve the problems faced by farmers in starting their own businesses and stimulate the vitality of rural entrepreneurship? In this paper, we focus on the impact of FinTech on the entrepreneurial behavior of farmers in China. First, we analyze the current state of FinTech in China and propose corresponding theoretical hypotheses regarding its impact on farmer entrepreneurship. Second, using data from Baidu search index and the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), we employ a Probit model to verify our theoretical hypotheses. Our findings suggest that (1) FinTech development encourages farmer entrepreneurial behavior; (2) It achieves this by alleviating credit constraints, information constraints, and risk aversion effects; (3) The positive effect of FinTech on farmer entrepreneurship is more significant for individuals with lower education or income levels as well as those residing in central or western regions. Overall, our study provides timely insights into boosting farmer entrepreneurship in emerging countries like China by leveraging the potential of FinTech.
Chlorogenic acid content and metabolism-related gene regulation of potato tuber flesh induced by sucrose and phytohormones
Authors: YANG Huiqin , Luo Wei , Gao Dongli
Published: November 2023

Chlorogenic acid (5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, CGA) is the most important phenolic compound in potatoes, which is one of the material foundations for potato insect resistance and disease resistanc. However, excessive chlorogenic acid can affect the taste of potatoes. The application of exogenous phytohormones is an effective technical method to regulate CGA metabolism through gene expression of transcriptional regulatory pathways. Herein, we determined the content of CGA under the application of sucrose and multiple phytohormones, and explored the expression changes of related genes. As a proof-of-concept, the effects of exogenous sucrose and multiple phytohormones on CGA metabolism in potato tuber flesh were investigated. The CGA content was significantly decreased in sucrose-treated potato tuber tissues, as well as in those treated with abscisic acid (ABA) or salicylic acid (SA) or methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Among these treatments, the effect of SA was the most obvious. Meanwhile, the expression changes of six major enzyme genes involved in potato CGA metabolism, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), 4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase (4CL), hydroxycinnamoyl CoA quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HQT), hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT), ρ-coumarate 3’-hydroxilase (C3H), and caffeoyl shikimate esterase (CSE) were analyzed. Under sucrose treatment, HQT was downregulated, whereas three genes (PAL, 4CL, and CSE) were notablely upregulated, and expressions of HCT and C3H did not show significant changes. ABA induced the expression of HCT, but inhibted the expression of PAL, 4CL, HQT, C3H, and CSE. The expression of all six enzyme genes PAL, 4CL, HQT, HCT, C3H, and CSE were downregulated under SA treatment. MeJA induced the expression of HQT, but inhibited the expression of PAL, 4CL, HCT, C3H, and CSE. Collectively, sucrose and phytohormones can regulate CGA accumulation in potato tuber flesh by regulating the expression levels of genes involved in the CGA pathway. These results provided a theoretical basis for further elucidating the transcriptional regulation mechanism of CGA metabolism.
Degeneration of Potato Varieties Due to Virus Incidence in North Gujarat
Authors: PATEL JIGNESHKUMAR Kanaiyalal , Patel Ramjibhai Narsinhbhai , ZAPADIYA DALSUKHBHAI Manjibhai , Vaghela Shravansinh Jamatsinh
Published: November 2023

The physiological causes and viral disease infections are the two main reasons for potato degeneration. The seed potato diseased with viral diseases degenerated in the following successive generation therefore the investigation was carried out to evaluate the most popular potato varieties of Gujarat i.e. K. Badshah and K. Khyati against viruses and their subsequent degenerative effects on yield with comparison to fresh breeder seed. The three different treatments viz., T1: Fresh breeder seed every year, T2: Previous seed produce using seed plot technique, T3: Previous seed produce without seed plot technique were evaluated. The studies were conducted for four consecutive years during rabi 2017–2021. The result revealed significantly higher per cent plant emergence at 40 DAP was recorded in T1 (Fresh breeder seed every year) and T2 (Previous seed produce using seed plot techniques) in all years as compared to T3 (Previous seed produce without seed plot techniques). The per cent incidence of viral diseases at 75 DAP was recorded highest (mild mosaic:16.67%, severe mosaic: 17.67 and PLRV 21.83 in last year) in T3 i.e. Previous seed produce without seed plot techniques. Comparatively lower per cent incidence of viral diseases (mild mosaic:10.67%, severe mosaic: 7.33 and PLRV 13.33 in last year) was recorded in T2 i.e. Previous seed produce using seed plot techniques and the least incidence of viral diseases (Mild mosaic:1.83%, Severe mosaic: 1.67 and PLRV 1.67 in last year) was recorded in T1 i.e. Fresh breeder seed every year.
Sex differences in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity: the role of the gut microbiome
Authors: Stapleton Saluda , Welch Grace , DiBerardo Lindsay , Freeman Linnea Ruth
Published: November 2023

Background:Recent decades have seen an exponential rise in global obesity prevalence, with rates nearly doubling in a span of forty years. A comprehensive knowledge base regarding the systemic effects of obesity is required to create new preventative and therapeutic agents effective at combating the current obesity epidemic. Previous studies of diet-induced obesity utilizing mouse models have demonstrated a difference in bodyweight gain by sex. In such studies, female mice gained significantly less weight than male mice when given the same high fat (HF) diet, indicating a resistance to diet-induced obesity. Research has also shown sex differences in gut microbiome composition between males and females, indicated to be in part a result of sex hormones. Understanding metabolic differences between sexes could assist in the development of new measures for obesity prevention and treatment. This study aimed to characterize sex differences in weight gain, plasma lipid profiles, fecal microbiota composition, and fecal short chain fatty acid levels. We hypothesized a role for the gut microbiome in these sex differences that would be normalized following microbiome depletion.
Methods:A mouse model was used to study these effects. Mice were divided into treatment groups by sex, diet, and presence/absence of an antibiotic cocktail to deplete genera in the gut microbiome. We hypothesized that sex differences would be present both in bodyweight gain and systemic measures of obesity, including hormone and circulating free fatty acid levels.
Results:We determined statistically significant differences for sex and/or treatment for the outcome measures. We confirm previous findings in which male mice gained significantly more weight than female mice fed the same high fat diet. However, sex differences persisted following antibiotic administration for microbiome depletion.
Conclusions:We conclude that sex differences in the gut microbiome may contribute to sex differences in obesity, but they do not explain all of the differences.
Effective Prime Factorization via Quantum Annealing by Modular Locally-structured Embedding
Authors: Ding Jingwen , Spallitta Giuseppe , Sebastiani Roberto
Published: November 2023

This paper investigates novel techniques to solve prime factorizationby quantum annealing (QA).First, we present a very-compact modular encoding of amultiplier circuit into the architecture of current D-Wave QA devices.The key contribution is a compact encoding of a controlled full-adderinto an 8-qubit module in the Pegasus topology, which we synthesizedby means of Optimization Modulo Theories. This allows us to encode upto a 21×12-bit multiplier (and a 22×8-bit one) into the Pegasus5760-qubit topology of current annealers. To the best of ourknowledge, these are the largest factorization problems ever encodedinto a quantum annealer.Second, we investigated the problem of actually solving encodedPF problems by running an extensive experimental evaluation on aD-Wave Advantage 4.1 quantum annealer. In the experiments weintroduced different approaches to initialize the multiplier qubitsand adopted several performance enhancement techniques. Overall,8,219,999=32,749×251 was the highest prime product we were able tofactorize within the limits of our QPU resources. To the best of ourknowledge, this is the largest number which was ever factorized bymeans of a quantum device.
Astaxanthin and DHA supplementation modulates the perinatal undernutrition induced impairment of cognitive behaviour and synaptic plasticity in the adult life -Exploring the molecular mechanism
Authors: Agni Megha Bhat , Hegde Pramukh Subrahmanya , Rai Praveen , Sadananda Monika , M Damodara Gowda K
Published: November 2023

Maternal nutrition has been recognized as a significant component of brain growth and maturation in most mammalian species. Hence, timely intervention with suitable nutraceuticals would provide long-term health benefits. Here, we aimed to unravel the molecular mechanism of perinatal undernutrition-induced impairments in cognition and synaptic plasticity, employing animal model based on dietary nutraceutical supplementation. We treated prenatal, postnatal, and perinatally undernourished dams with Astaxanthin (AsX) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). We evaluated the cognitive function and synaptic plasticity by exposing the pups to behavioural tests during their adult life. In addition, we assessed the expression of genes in the hippocampus related to cognitive function and synaptic plasticity. Our results showed the downregulation of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), cAMP response-element-binding protein (CREB), and Uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) gene expressions in perinatally undernourished animals in their adult life which was significantly modulated by AsX and DHA. Maternal AsX and DHA supplementation ameliorated the undernutrition-induced learning impairment in novel object recognition (NOR) tests and partially baited radial arm maze (RAM) tasks. Furthermore, the expressions of Synapsin-1 and PSD-95 decreased in perinatally undernourished groups compared to control, and AsX-DHA treated groups at CA1, CA2, CA3, and DG, respectively. AsX and DHA supplementation upregulated BDNF, NT-3, and CREB gene expressions in perinatally undernourished rats, which are involved in intracellular signalling cascades like MAPK, PI3K, and PLC. The results of our study provide new insights into triggering neuronal differentiation, survival, and plasticity, indicating that the perinatal period is the critical time for reversing undernutrition-induced cognitive impairment.
A Novel Particle Swarm Optimization Based Clustering and Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Hu Huangshui , Fan Xinji , Wang Chuhang , Liu Ke , Guo Yuxin
Published: November 2023

Extending the network lifetime as long as possible is one of the critical issues for wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which is usually resolved by using clustering and routing protocols. The clustering and routing processes are considered as an NP-hard problem popularly solved by swarm intelligence optimization algorithm. In this paper, a novel particle swarm optimization based clustering and routing protocol called NPSOP is proposed to maximize the network lifetime considering not only energy efficiency but also energy and load balance. In NPSOP, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique is used to select the cluster heads (CHs) and find the routing paths for each CH by encoding them into a single particle simultaneously. Moreover, the components of a particle is constrained by parameters residual energy, centrality, distance to the BS so as to improve the convergence speed. In addition, the fitness function considering network energy consumption and load balancing is derived to evaluate the quality of particles. And an adaptive inertial weight is used to update the status of each particle in order to escape from trapping into local optima. Iteratively, the global optimal solution can be reached in the end. The performance of NPSOP is evaluated by extensive experiments compared with existing approaches in terms of energy consumption, throughput, network lifetime, standard deviation of residual energy and load. The results show that NPSOP outperforms its comparatives.
Self-adjuvant nanovaccine delivering cytokines as a novel platform to empower glioblastoma immunotherapy
Authors: Sousa Flavia , Lee Henry , Almeida Mauro , Bazzoni Amelie , Rother-Rutishauser Barbara , Petri-Fink Alke
Published: November 2023

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and deadly malignant primary brain tumor with a median survival time of less than 15 months upon disease diagnosis. While immunotherapies have shown promising results in solid cancers, brain cancers are still unresponsive to immunotherapy due to immunological dysfunction and the presence of a blood-brain barrier. Interleukin (IL)-12 is one of the most potent cytokines used for anti-tumor immunity due to the stimulation of interferon-gamma production by T and natural killer cells and changing macrophages to a tumoricidal phenotype. However, IL-12 toxicity is well reported when systemically administered to patients in clinical trials. To overcome this major drawback, we have formulated a novel self-adjuvant nanovaccine composed of immunostimulatory nanoparticles (ISN) loaded with IL-12 to decrease IL-12 toxicity and promote the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines by macrophages and GBM cancer cells. Our in vitro results demonstrate that ISN were able to stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in GBM cancer cells and macrophages, suggesting possible modulation of the tumor microenvironment. We also demonstrate that ISN successfully delivered intracellularly IL-12, changing the intracellular levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines at the transcriptional and protein expression levels. These results suggest that self-adjuvant nanovaccine might be a promising platform for modulating the glioblastoma microenvironment, empowering immunotherapy.
Particles Behavior in Electrical Insulation Cavities in PD Condition Using Practical Measurements and FEM Analysis
Authors: Homai M. J. , Setayeshmehr A.
Published: November 2023

In this research, partial discharge phenomena in the air cavities inside an electrical insulation using electrical and plasma physics at the same time are modelled, simulated and in a laboratory condition confirmed. Three different position of cavities, one adjacent to the high voltage electrode, the second adjacent to the ground potential and the third between two electrodes inside the insulation are considered. The electron and ion densities inside the cavity affected by electrical field and ionization phenomena as leakage current are considered. To evaluate the validity of calculated leakage current a practical model was prepared and in laboratory tested. Compering the measured and the calculated leakage currents confirms the simulation results. The simulation results show that the most electrical discharges occurred inside the cavity are as local ionization in one side of the cavity and the discharges occur between two sides of the cavity when the polarity of the ac applied voltage changes. All simulations of this research have been done using COMSOL finite element software.
Guided by the goal of "double carbon", what is the carbon emission reduction effect of the promotion and application of green technology in China?
Authors: Li Chuang , Wang Yunlong , Wang Liping
Published: November 2023

This study analyzes the carbon reduction impact mechanism by constructing a spatial Durbin model based on citations of green technology patents from listed enterprises in 30 Chinese provinces between 2011 and 2020. The specific research findings are as follows: (1) The popularization and application of green technology can restrain carbon emission intensity, and has significant “space spillover” and “dry learning” effect; (2) The mediating effect test examines the role of energy structure and industrial structure in mediating the impact of green technology promotion and application on regional carbon emission reduction; (3) The analysis of linear regulation consists of two parts: Linear analysis and nonlinear analysis; (4) In terms of heterogeneity analysis, the carbon emission reduction effect of green technology popularization and application has significant regional heterogeneity and factor endowment heterogeneity. The research conclusions provide the enlightenment for the coordination of China’s economic transition to green development.
Pyridoxal kinase (PDXK) facilitates CRC progression by releasing beta-catenin from the GSK-3β destruction complex
Authors: fan mengqi , Fan Meng-Qi , Gao Jie , Gao Meng , Xie Xiao-Xiao , Liu Yu-Ying , Qi Lin-Zhi , Zhang Xiao-Dong , Li Shang-Ze , Du Run-Lei
Published: November 2023

Studies have suggested a close association between hyperactivation of the catenin beta 1 gene (CTNNB1) and the occurrence and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we report that Pyridoxal kinase (PDXK) promotes the development of colorectal cancer through Wnt signaling pathway. The expression of PDXK is elevated in CRC patients and is associated with an unfavourable prognosis. Genetic depletion of PDXK significantly inhibited CRC cell viability, viability, and migration both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we observed that overexpression of PDXK enhanced CRC cell viability, invasion, and migration, and these effects were dependent on its kinase activity. GSEA revealed a strong association between PDXK expression and the Wnt signaling pathway, which was validated through luciferase reporter assays and RT-qPCR. Mechanistically, PDXK was found to activate the Wnt signaling pathway by interacting with GSK-3β and releasing beta-catenin from the GSK-3β destruction complex, thereby promoting tumorigenesis. These findings provide direct insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of PDXK in CRC and suggest it as a potential therapeutic target for combating colorectal cancer.
Development and Analysis of High-Yield (HY-QKD) Protocol to Enhance the Key Generation Rate over a Multi-node Network.
Authors: Kaur Hardeer , Singh Jai Sukh Paul
Published: November 2023

Quantum key distribution is considered to be the most secure and reliable way of generating keys for public cryptography. Quantum key distribution allows users to send and receive data with infallible security. In this article,bench-marked protocols, the BB84, B92 and MKP16 protocols are studied and analysed with focus to overcome their limitations. The authors then attempt to address these shortcomings with their own novel QKD protocol i.e High- Yield (HY-QKD) Protocol.All these protocols have been implemented and tested using QISKIT,taking into consideration error rate and key length as parameters. Based on the comparison, it has been analysed that B92 protocol has the lowest key rate, MKP16 protocol has twice the key generation rate as that of BB84 keeping this simulation environment constant. Moreover, an algorithm to enhance key generation rate and error rate has been proposed. It has been inspected that the key generation rate and error rate of the HY-QKD protocol directly depend on the number of available channels and the number of Eve(s) attacking. If there are no Eve(s) in the system the key generation rates for HY-QKD is multiple times higher in comparison to that of BB84 validating the proposed HY-QKD protocol.
Discrimination of mild hypovolemia in spontaneously breathing patients with hemodynamic stability
Authors: Lee Jae Hoon
Published: November 2023

Using stroke volume variation (SVV) derived from passive leg raising (PLR) to assess fluid responsiveness has shown high accuracy in both mechanically ventilated and spontaneously breathing patients. However, challenges and limitations exist, particularly in spontaneously breathing patients maintaining hemodynamic stability. First, the hemodynamic effect of isolated leg elevation is temporary and gradually diminishes [1]. Second, the hemodynamic response from isolated leg raising is notably less pronounced than that from upper body elevation [2]. Third, the accuracy of SV measurements can be compromised in spontaneously breathing patients. Regular and consistent breathing patterns may be crucial when assessing fluid responsiveness in these patients [3]. Fourth, the criteria for pulse pressure variation and SVV in assessing fluid responsiveness exist in a grey zone, ranging between 10-15%. Lastly, while the efficacy of PLR-derived SVV as a diagnostic tool is well-supported in hemodynamically unstable patients, its diagnostic utility in stable patients remains unvalidated [4].
Making More People Benefit from Obesity Interventions: How Can We Achieve This?
Authors: Zhang Zixuan
Published: November 2023

Background
With the rising prevalence of obesity and its associated burden on public health and the economy, effective interventions are crucial to address this epidemic. However, existing interventions often face challenges in reaching the broader population, resulting in only a few individuals benefiting from these efforts.
Methods
This study examines how interventions for obesity can be designed ethically to ensure equitable access and benefits for a larger proportion of the population. A mixed-methods approach combining literature review and qualitative analysis was adopted to explore the issues of public health ethics in obesity interventions.
Results
Findings revealed two key themes: stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with obesity and the significance of incorporating social environmental factors in the intervention design. Addressing these issues requires strategies such as showing respect, understanding, and anti-stigma concepts for individuals with obesity and considering measured flexibility in formulating policies and interventions.
Conclusion
To bridge the gap between policymakers and the target population, the involvement of representatives from affected communities during the intervention design is vital. Education and communication efforts should also play a role in combating obesity stigma and promoting healthier lifestyles. By emphasizing public health ethics and considering the unique challenges faced by different population groups, interventions for obesity could be more inclusive, leading to a healthier and more equitable society where the burden of chronic diseases is diminished, and individuals can lead more fulfilling lives.
Association of dietary and serum selenium with heart failure among the adults: NHANES 2011-2018
Authors: Wu Shufang , Yang Jianjian , Chen Shanjiang
Published: November 2023

Background and Aims: The relationships of dietary and serum selenium level and the risk of heart failure (HF) were controversial. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of dietary and serum selenium level with the risk of HF in a large sample of American adults.
Methods: The relationships of dietary and serum selenium level and the risk of HF were analyzed in a sample of 13323 adults from the 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were applied to analyze the correlation of dietary and serum selenium level with HF. Subgroup analyses based on age and sex were performed.
Results:In multiple regression model, we found that dietary and serum selenium were both inversely associated with HF risk. Compared with subjects in the lowest quartile (Q1), those with dietary selenium intake in Quartile 4 demonstrated OR (95%CI) for HF risk of 0.64 (0.40-0.98), and those with serum selenium concentration in Quartile 3 and Quartile 4 indicated ORs (95%CIs) for HF risk of 0.61 (0.41-0.91) and 0.51 (0.33-0.78) in Model 2. Dietary selenium had correlation with HF in both male and female, and serum selenium was inversely associated with HF in male, but not in female. Then the negative relationship of dietary and serum selenium with HF was particularly pronounced among participants aged ≥60. In the results of dose–response analysis, a linear relationship was found of dietary and serum selenium with the risk of HF respectively.
Conclusion: Our study summarized that dietary and serum selenium were both inversely associated with the risk of HF in American adults, and the correlations were linear.
Role of CENPL, DARS2 and PAICS in determining the prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Xu Rongjian , Zhao Yandong , Wang Yawei , An Ning , Wang Baogang , Zhao Min
Published: November 2023

Purpose
Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of lung cancer cases and is the leading cause of tumor-related death, of which Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most prevalent histological subtype. At present, the prognosis of LUAD remains poor due to local recurrence and distant metastasis. This study aims to explore the key prognostic biomarkers and investigate the underlying mechanism.
Methods
GDC TCGA Lung adenocarcinoma (Data Release 18.0, July 8, 2019) was downloaded from the UCSC Xena browser. The dataset of GSE72094 and GSE13213 and the corresponding clinical information were downloaded from GEO database. By analyzing above datasets through DESeq2 R package and Limma R package, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found. GO and KEGG analysis were used to analyze the possible enrichment pathways of these DEGs. the protein-protein interaction network was constructed to explore the possible relationship among these DEGs using the STRING database. Survival analysis was performed to identify reliable prognostic genes using Kaplan-Meier method. Multi-omics analysis of the prognostic genes was performed using the GSCA. TIMER database was used to analyze the association of the prognostic genes with immune infiltration. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to research the correlation between the prognostic genes and drug sensitivity. The multivariate Cox regression was used to identify the independent prognostic factor of LUAD. Finally, a nomogram was constructed using the rms R package .
Results
Firstly, we screened out 30 DEGs which may be associated with tumor progression. Functional enrichment analysis and PPI network were conducted to reveal the potential enrichment pathways and interactions of these DEGs. Secondly, survival analysis revealed that the expression of CENPL, DARS2 and PAICS was negatively correlated with prognosis of LUAD patients. Multi-omics analysis further disclosed that CENPL, DARS2 and PAICS expressions were significantly higher in LUAD. CENPL, DARS2 and PAICS were all high-expressed in the late groups and M1 stage of LUAD. The correlation analysis indicated that CENPL, DARS2 and PAICS may not be associated with activation or suppression of immune cells. Drug sensitivity analysis for CENPL, DARS2 and PAICS revealed many potentially effective drugs and small molecule compounds. Finally, we successfully constructed a robust and stable nomogram by combining the expression of DARS2 and PAICS with other clinicopathological variables.
Conclusion
CENPL, DARS2 and PAICS expressions were negatively correlated with LUAD prognosis. The prognostic model including DARS2 and PAICS with other clinicopathological variables could effectively predict prognosis.
Circulating MicroRNAs Do Not Provide a Diagnostic Benefit Over Tissue Biopsy in Patients With Brain Metastases
Authors: Ruckova Michaela , Tukmachi Dagmar Al , Vecera Marek , Deissova Tereza , Hermanova Marketa , Hendrych Michal , Kren Leos , Vybihal Vaclav , Fadrus Pavel , Valekova Hana , Jancalek Radim , Kazda Tomas , Smrcka Martin , Slaby Ondrej , Sana Jiri
Published: November 2023

Background: Brain metastases (BMs) are frequent and devastating complications of systemic malignancies, necessitating accurate diagnosis and origin identification for effective treatment strategies. Invasive biopsies are currently required for definitive diagnosis, highlighting the need for less invasive diagnostic approaches and robust biomarkers. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have demonstrated potential as sensitive and specific diagnostic biomarkers in various cancers. Thus, our objective was to identify and compare miRNA profiles in BM tissue, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and plasma, with a specific focus on liquid biopsies for diagnostic purposes.
Methods: Total RNA enriched for miRNAs was isolated from histopathologically confirmed BM tissues (n=30), corresponding plasma samples (n=30), and CSF samples (n=27) obtained from patients with diverse BM types. Small RNA sequencing was employed for miRNA expression profiling.
Results: Significantly differentially expressed miRNAs were observed in BM tissues, enabling the differentiation of primary origins, particularly breast, colorectal, renal cell carcinoma, and melanoma metastases. The heterogeneity observed in lung carcinomas also manifested in the corresponding BMs, posing challenges in accurate discrimination from other BMs. While tissue-specific miRNA signatures exhibited the highest precision, our findings suggest low diagnostic potential of circulating miRNAs in CSF and blood plasma for BM patients.
Conclusions: Our study represents the first analysis of miRNA expression/levels in a unique set of three biological materials (tissue, blood plasma, CSF) obtained from the same BM patients using small RNA sequencing. The presented results underscore the importance of investigating aberrant miRNA expression/levels in BMs and highlight the low diagnostic utility of circulating miRNAs in patients with BMs.
ROAR-A: Re-optimization based Online Adaptive Radiotherapy of Anal cancer, a prospective phase II trial-protocol
Authors: Storm Katrine Smedegaard , Åström Lina Möller , Behrens Claus Preibisch , Sibolt Patrik , Persson Gitte Fredberg , Serup-Hansen Eva
Published: November 2023

Background
Chemo-radiotherapy with curative intent for anal cancer has high complete remission rates, but acute treatment-related gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity is significant. Toxicity occurs due to irradiation of surrounding normal tissue. Current radiotherapy requires the addition of large planning margins to the radiation field to ensure target coverage regardless of the considerable organ motion in the pelvic region. This increases the irradiated volume and radiation dose to the surrounding normal tissue and thereby toxicity. Online adaptive radiotherapy uses artificial intelligence to adjust the treatment to the anatomy of the day. This allows for the reduction of planning margins, minimizing the irradiated volume and thereby radiation to the surrounding normal tissue.
This study examines if cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-guided oART with daily automated treatment re-planning can reduce acute gastrointestinal toxicity in patients with anal cancer.
Methods/Design
The study is a prospective, single-arm, phase II trial conducted at Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev and Gentofte, Denmark. 205 patients with locally advanced anal cancer, referred for chemo-radiotherapy with curative intent, are planned for inclusion. Toxicity and quality of life are reported with Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events and patient-reported outcome questionnaires, before, during, and after treatment. The primary endpoint is a reduction in the incidence of acute treatment-related grade ≥2 diarrhea from 36% to 25% after daily online adaptive radiotherapy compared to historical data for standard radiotherapy. Secondary endpoints include all acute and late toxicity, overall survival, and reduction in treatment interruptions.
Results
Accrual began in January 2022 and is expected to finish in January 2026. Primary endpoint results are expected to be available in April 2026.
Discussion
This is the first study utilizing online adaptive radiotherapy to treat anal cancer. We hope to determine whether there is a clinical benefit for the patients, with significant reductions in acute GI toxicity without compromising treatment efficacy.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05438836
Danish Ethical Committee: H-21028093
The Relationship Between Basal Ganglia Volume and Audiovisual Reaction Time in Turkish Elite Athletes
Authors: Karabekir Selim , Aksu Funda , Gunay Erkan , Karabekir Nuket Gocmen
Published: November 2023

Purpose: In this study involving young adult elite athletes and healthy sedentary individuals, volumetric analyses were performed on basal ganglia (BG) involved in the coordination of motor movements. In a group of athletes with high coordination speed, potential relationship between BG volumes and audiovisual reaction time of acquired-trained hand movements was explored by examining whether these individuals had significant differences in terms of BG volumes.
Methods: Nineteen elite athletes aged between 19 and 25 years (9 male and 10 female) and 20 sedentary subjects (10 male, 10 female) were included. Gender, age, height, weight, and body-mass index (BMI) were recorded. In each group, audiovisual reaction time and stereological basal ganglia volumes were assessed and statistically analyzed.
Results: Elite athletes react more rapidly to auditory stimuli than visual stimuli. As compared to sedentary individuals, elite athletes exhibited significantly shorter visual reaction time and only numerically shorter (statistically insignificant) visual reaction time. Left BG volume was higher in both groups, compared to right side).
Conclusion: Our data may contribute to the construction of a database of normal BG morphology and provide useful information for clinicians and athletes.
Content-Based Image Retrieval of Indian Traditional Textile motifs using deep feature fusion
Authors: Varshney Seema , Singh Sarika , Lakshmi C.Vasantha , Patvardhan C
Published: November 2023

In the fast-paced fashion world, unique designs are like early birds, grabbing attention as online shopping surges. Fabric texture plays an immense role in selecting the perfect design. Indian Traditional textile motifs are pivotal, showing rich cultural origins and attracting worldwide art fanatics. Yet, technology-driven abstract forms are posing a challenge for them. The decline of handmade artistic ability due to computerization is concerning. Crafting new designs associated with the latest trends is time- consuming and requires diligence. In this work an interactive CBIR (Content-Based Image Retrieval) system is presented. It utilizes deep features from InceptionV3 and InceptionResNetV2 models to match query designs with a database of traditional Indian textiles. Its performance is tested with Caltech-101, Corel-1K state-of-the-art datasets, and Indian Textiles datasets and the results are shown to be finer than the existing approaches. The similarity-based fine-grained saliency maps (SBFGSM) approach is employed to visualize the importance of features. Our approach combines deep feature fusion with PCA dimensionality reduction and speeds up search using a clustering approach. Relevance feedback is employed to refine the retrievals. This tool is expected to benefit designers by accelerating the design cycles by bridging the gap between human creativity and A.I. assistance.
Rational Microfluidic Design for Dielectrophoresis-based Multitarget separation of blood cells and CTCs
Authors: Ye Wu , Zhu Huancheng , Zhao Ming , Liu Ming
Published: November 2023

A rapid, sensitive, and low-damage method for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood is urgently required to advance cancer research. For disease detection, it is often necessary to simultaneously isolate multiple cells to effectively monitor and observe the behavior of CTCs and blood cells such as platelets (PLTs), red blood cells (RBCs), and white blood cells (WBCs) affected by cancer. In this study, we evaluated and compared the multitarget separation of cells within microfluidic chip devices based on the principle of dielectrophoresis using finite element modeling. We investigated the effects of electrode shape, dielectric conductivity, fluid flow rate, and other factors on the movement and separation of multiple cells in the microchannels. Our findings indicated that the most effective separation results were achieved when the chip electrode angle was set to 90°, the applied voltage was 1.5 V, and the inlet flow rate ratio was 1:3. The simulation results will also be analyzed to explore ways to optimize the microfluidic chip design, improve separation efficiency, and enhance purity. Therefore, the method used in our study provides researchers with an effective approach to optimize and fabricate DEP-based microfluidic devices for multitarget cell separation.