bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep learning system for automated detection of posterior ligamentous complex injury in patients with thoracolumbar fracture on MRI
Authors: Jo Sang Won , Khil Eun Kyung , Lee Kyoung Yeon , Choi Il , Yoon Yu Sung , Cha Jang Gyu , Lee Jae Hyeok , Kim Hyunggi , Lee Sun Yeop
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to develop a deep learning (DL) algorithm for automated detection and localization of posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) injury in patients with acute thoracolumbar (TL) fracture on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evaluate its diagnostic performance. In this retrospective and multicenter study, using midline sagittal T2-weighted image with fracture (± PLC injury), a training dataset and internal and external validation sets of 300, 100, and 100 patients, were constructed with equal numbers of injured and normal PLCs. The DL algorithm was developed through two steps (Attention U-net and Inception-ResNet-V2). We evaluate the diagnostic performance for PLC injury between the DL algorithm and radiologists with different levels of experience. The area under the curve generated by the DL algorithm were 0.928, 0.916 for internal and external validations, and by two radiologists for observer performance test were 0.930, 0.830 respectively. There was no significant difference in diagnosing PLC injury by the DL algorithm and the radiologists. However, there was significant difference between the DL algorithm and the radiology trainee, showing significant improvement with the DL algorithm assistance. Therefore, DL algorithm detected PLC injury in patients with acute TL fracture with high diagnostic performance.
Construction of a xylose metabolic pathway in Trichosporonoides oedocephalis ATCC 16958 for the production of erythritol and xylitol
Authors: Deng Zhou , Mu Yinghu , Chen Zhi , Ju Xin , Yan Lishi , Li Liangzhi
Published: April 2023

Purpose
Erythritol is a valuable compound as sweetener and chemical material however cannot be fermented from the abundant substrate xylose.
Methods
The strain Trichosporonoides oedocephalis ATCC 16958 was employed to produce polyols including xylitol and erythritol by metabolic engineering approaches.
Results
The introduction of a substrate selective ribose-5-phosphate isomerase endowed T. oedocephalis with xylose-assimilation activity to produce xylitol, and eliminated glycerol production simultaneously. A more value-added product, erythritol was produced by further introducing a homologous xylulose kinase. The carbon flux was redirected from xylitol to erythritol by adding high osmotic pressure. The production of erythritol was improved to 46.5 g/L in flasks by fermentation optimization, and the process was scaled up in a 5-L fermentor, with 40 g/L erythritol production after 120 h, and a time-space yield of 0.56 g/L/h.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated the potential of T. oedocephalis in the synthesis of multiple useful products from xylose.
Study on the use of 3D printed guides in the individualized reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament
Authors: Wang Xin , Wang Dening , Zhang Kefan , Du Changling , Shi Hui
Published: April 2023

Objective

Evaluation of the accuracy and effectiveness of 3D printed guides to assist femoral tunnel preparation in individualised reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Design

Randomised controlled studies.

Patients/participants

Sixty patients who attended the Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College for autologous hamstring single bundle reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament from October 2018 to October 2020 were selected and randomly divided into two groups, including 31 cases in the 3D printing group (14 males and 17 females, mean age 41.94 ± 10.15 years) and 29 cases in the control group (13 males and 16 females, mean age 37.76 ± 10.34 years).

Main outcome measures

Patients in both groups were assessed for intraoperative femoral tunnel accuracy, the number of intraoperative positioning and the time taken to prepare the femoral tunnel, the length of the anteromedial approach incision, the pre-planned bone tunnel length and intraoperative bone tunnel length in the 3D printed group, IKDC score and Lysholm score preoperatively and at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively, the Lachman、pivot-shift test preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively, gait analysis to assess internal and external rotation in flexion of the knee at 12 months postoperatively and postoperative complications in both groups.

Results

There was no statistical difference in functional knee scores and anteromedial approach incision length between the 3D printed and control groups (p > 0.05), while there was a statistical difference in the accuracy of tunnel positioning, the time taken to prepare the femoral bone tunnel and the degree of external rotation of the knee in flexion between the two groups (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between the preoperative planning of the bone tunnel length and the intraoperative bone tunnel length (p > 0.05). Complications: One case in the 3D printing group developed intermuscular vein thrombosis in the affected lower limb after surgery, which disappeared after treatment, while three cases in the control group developed intermuscular vein thrombosis in the affected lower limb. No complications such as bone tunnel rupture, deep vein thrombosis in the lower limb and infection occurred in either group.

Conclusions

3D printed guides assisted with individualized ACL reconstruction can improve the accuracy of femoral tunnel positioning, which is safe and effective, while reducing the operative time and the number of intraoperative positioning, without increasing the length of incision, and can obtain higher functional scores and rotational stability of the knee joint, which is in line with the concept of individualized ACL reconstruction.

Level of Evidence

Therapeutic Level Ⅰ.
Photocatalytic dilapidation of organic pollutant SRB in water by mesoporous In 2 S 3
Authors: Chandran Nisha , Abraham Rani , Jayakrishnan R.
Published: April 2023

Sulforhodamine B (C27H30N2O7S2) (SRB) is an amino-xanthene class, fluorescent dye, commonly used for in-vitro cytotoxicity monitoring and for the detection of drug-target interaction especially in the case of anti-cancer drugs. It does not degrade under normal conditions and remains in water as such. In accordance with the principles of green chemistry we have synthesized nano-structured Indium sulphide which demonstrates efficacy in photocatalytic degradation of this organic pollutant. The reusability of the photo catalyst was tested and it was found to degrade exponentially with recycling. The optimum SRB dye load on the photo catalyst was identified to be 0.28 M/gm for which a decay rate constant of ~ 4.58 x 10− 3 min− 1 was obtained. Beyond a critical SRB dye load, the photo catalysis involved direct rupture of the chromophore without an initial N-demethylation step.
Protocol for The Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) Intervention: a multi-site randomized controlled trial for adolescents and young adults with advanced cancer
Authors: O'Daffer Alison , Comiskey Liam , Scott Samantha R. , Zhou Chuan , Bradford Miranda C. , Yi-Frazier Joyce P. , Rosenberg Abby R.
Published: April 2023

Background
Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer are at high risk of poor psychosocial outcomes, and evidence-based interventions designed to meet their psychosocial and communication needs are lacking. The main objective of this project is to test the efficacy of a new adaptation of the Promoting Resilience in Stress Management intervention for AYAs with Advanced Cancer (PRISM-AC).
Methods/design:
The PRISM-AC trial is a 2-arm, parallel, non-blinded, multisite, randomized controlled trial. 144 participants with advanced cancer will be enrolled and randomized to either usual, non-directive, supportive care without PRISM-AC (“control” arm) or with PRISM-AC (“experimental” arm). PRISM is a manualized, skills-based training program comprised of four 30–60 minute, one-on-one sessions targeting AYA-endorsed resilience resources (stress-management, goal-setting, cognitive-reframing, and meaning-making). It also includes a facilitated family meeting and a fully equipped smartphone app. The current adaptation includes an embedded advance care planning module. English- or Spanish-speaking individuals 12–24 years old with advanced cancer (defined as progressive, recurrent, or refractory disease, or any diagnosis associated with < 50% survival) receiving care at 4 academic medical centers are eligible. Patients’ caregivers are also eligible to participate in this study if they are able to speak and read English or Spanish, and are cognitively and physically able to participate. Participants in all groups complete surveys querying patient-reported outcomes at the time of enrollment and 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months post-enrollment. The primary outcome of interest is patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and secondary outcomes of interest include patient anxiety, depression, resilience, hope and symptom burden, parent/caregiver anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life, and family palliative care activation. We will conduct intention-to-treat analysis to compare the group means of primary and secondary outcomes between PRISM-AC arm and control arm with regression models.
Discussion
This study will provide methodologically rigorous data and evidence regarding a novel intervention to promote resilience and reduce distress among AYAs with advanced cancer. This research has the potential to offer a practical, skills-based curriculum designed to improve outcomes for this high-risk group.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03668223, September 12, 2018.
Machine Learning for Pneumothorax in Trauma victims: cross-sectional validation study (PneumoDetect)
Authors: Abbasi Ayesha , Kadir Masood , Khan Nadeemullah , Zhang Yiye , Afzal Shaista , Azam Iqbal , Razzak Junaid
Published: April 2023

Background: Pneumothorax is a potentially fatal condition that requires early diagnosis and prompt management upon arrival at the Emergency Department(ED). The purpose of this study is to validate a Pneumothorax Machine learning (PneumoDetect) model designed on both an online and in-hospital dataset, and to compare its accuracy to that of radiologist and emergency physician
Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online available open access tool. We obtained a hospital dataset from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2020, and extracted 4,788 DICOM X-ray images. A machine learning team manually labelled the images from hospital records. We performed internal validation using a supervised learning machine learning model with a Convolutional Neural Network architecture implemented in Python and Medcalc. We calculated Kappa statistics were calculated using STATA v14.2 to assess the model’s performance. Additionally, we generated AUROC curves using sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy metrics.
Results: The initial training of the PneumoDetect model showed a validation accuracy of 96.4%, followed by pre-trained model with 98% accuracy & a fine-tuned model having 97.9% accuracy. The sensitivity was found to be 93.99%, specificity was 91.34, PPV was 92.88, NPV was 92.67, and the overall accuracy was 92.79%. PneumoDetect was highly accurate while there was only moderate agreement between the radiologist and emergency physician in presence of Pneumothorax.
Conclusion: Our diagnostic investigation discovered that developing neural networks and advanced ML models may be used to diagnose pneumothorax using machine learning models. Integrating such AI systems into physician workflows for preliminary interpretations has the potential to provide physicians with early diagnostics and profound alerts that can help to better diagnose occult pneumothorax and reduce human errors, particularly in resource-constrained settings. This can improve overall accuracy and lower healthcare cost.
Funding Source: Fogarty International Centre of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number D43TW007292
Postoperative remission of diabetes mellitus after gastrectomy in patients with diabetes mellitus and gastric cancer
Authors: Mizukami Akihito , Kawaguchi Yoshihiko , Shoda Kastutoshi , Akaike Hidenori , Saito Ryo , Maruyama Suguru , Shiraishi Kensuke , Furuya Shinji , Amemiya Hidetake , Kawaida Hiromichi , Sudo Makoto , Kono Hiroshi , Ichikawa Daisuke
Published: April 2023

Background/aim: We investigated the postoperative treatment status for diabetes mellitus and perioperative HbA1c levels in patients with diabetes mellitus and examined the effects of clinical factors on the remission of diabetes mellitus.
Patients and methods: In this study, 126 patients with gastric cancer were considered to have diabetes mellitus preoperatively, of whom 79 were treated with oral antidiabetic drugs and/or insulin treatment. We compared diabetic treatment status and HbA1c values between the preoperative and postoperative periods in patients who underwent gastrectomy and examined the effects of clinical factors on improving diabetes mellitus.
Results: Of the 79 patients treated preoperatively for diabetes mellitus, 34(43%) discontinued all medications for diabetes mellitus and 37 (47%) reduced the therapeutic dose or switched from insulin to oral antidiabetic drugs. Total gastrectomy was an independent factor for the remission of antidiabetic treatments after gastrectomy. Concerning the HbA1c level, only the absence of preoperative insulin use was an independent factor for the improvement. However, reconstruction was not a significant correlated factor for the improvement of postoperative HbA1c levels and the remission of antidiabetic medications after distal gastrectomy.
Conclusions: Almost all patients discontinued or reduced the dose of antidiabetic medications after gastrectomy in clinical practice, and special attention should be paid in the management methods for diabetes mellitus in patients who underwent total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS): psychometric properties and results of the Dutch version in a community sample and a sample of women with eating disorders
Authors: Rekkers Marlies E. , Nieuwenhuijse Aurélie M. , Scheffers Mia , Busschbach Jooske T. van , Elburg Annemarie A. van
Published: April 2023

Background Body satisfaction in people with eating disorders (EDs) is negatively affected by their critical evaluation of aesthetic aspects. A focus on body functionality could create a more positive perspective. This study examines psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS) and differences in scores between women with and without EDs. Method Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used to investigate the factor structure in data from a community sample of 669 women and an ED sample of 150 women. Reliability, test-retest scores and correlations with Body Cathexis Scale (BCS) and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) were investigated. T-tests were used to evaluate differences between samples. Results EFA identified a one-dimensional factor structure, which was confirmed by CFA. Reliability was adequate and convergent and discriminant validity were supported through correlations with BCS and EDE-Q (subscale) scores. FAS-scores were significantly lower for women with EDs compared to women from a community sample. Conclusions Psychometric results of the Dutch version of the FAS are promising and validate its use for clinical and research purposes. The significant difference between FAS scores in the female ED sample and the female community sample indicates that female ED patients obviously have a lower body satisfaction concerning body functionality compared with healthy women. Further research with male ED participants as well as exploration of sensitivity to change are recommended.
A semi-empirical model of the influence of the size of micrometer particles on the elastic properties of polymer-matrix composites
Authors: Fedotov Aleksandr
Published: April 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Study on the index system of water-based drilling fluid recycling for shale gas
Authors: Chang Shu , Xiaobin Chen , Jian He , Wenqiang Zeng
Published: April 2023

The development of shale gas, an unconventional energy source, will help improve China's energy structure. The National Energy Administration of China has included it in the national strategic emerging industry, which is also one of the five high-end novel growth industry plans in Sichuan Province. Drilling engineering is the key technology of shale gas exploration, while drilling waste fluid is one of the most representative wastes in the drilling process. The drilling waste fluid has the characteristics of a large amount of production, a complex composition, and a high treatment cost. The treatment of drilling waste fluid is critical for the long-term development of the surrounding environment of drilling operations sites. The effect of anions and cations on the performance of drilling fluid is studied by taking the apparent viscosity, plastic viscosity, dynamic shear force, and medium pressure filtration loss of the drilling fluid as the main indicators. Combined with the numerical simulation of the Box-Behnken module in the software of Design Expert, the requirements for the preparation of drilling fluid by recycling water-based drilling fluid are determined as follows: (1) polymer drilling fluid:hardness ≤ 1.00 g/L，Al3+ ≤ 4.80 g/L，Fe3+ ≤ 0.20 g/L，pH=7~10; (2) polysulfo nate dril-ling fluid: hardness ≤ 3.35 g/L，Al3+ ≤ 10.00 g/L，Fe3+ ≤ 2.80 g/L，SO4 2- ≤ 20.00 g/L pH=7~10; (3) Potassium polysulfonate drilling fluid: hardness ≤ 96.00 g/L，Al3+ ≤ 1.85 g/L，Fe3+ ≤1.65 g/L，SO4 2- ≤50.00 g/L, pH=7~10.
In Vitro Characterization of the Bacteria-derived Hypoxia- Selective Cytotoxin Be-43547
Authors: Busk Morten , Eggertsen Peter P , Overgaard Jens , Horsman Michael R , Tørring Thomas , Jacobsen Kristian M , Poulsen Thomas B
Published: April 2023

Hypoxia-activated pro-drugs like TH-302 have failed clinically, possible due to variable activity of drug-activating reductases. Here we compared TH-302 and the natural product BE-43547, that targets hypoxic cells independently of reductases. Tumor cells in monolayers were treated with BE-43547 for 4 or 24h while exposed to different oxygenation regimes, and hypoxia-cytotoxicity-ratios (HCR) were quantified from dose-response curves. For comparison, selected experiments were repeated for TH-302. Finally, both drugs were tested in spheroids exposed to 20%/0% O2 for 24h. BE-43547 displayed strongly enhanced, cell line-independent, cytotoxicity under anoxia with HCR’s of ~ 100 following 24h treatment. HCR dropped to ~ 20 at 0.5% O2. HCR remained above 40 even when treatment time was reduced to 4h. Hypoxia selectivity was excellent regardless of whether drug was added prior to or during the hypoxic challenge. In comparison, HCR’s for TH-302 were lower with considerable variability across cell lines. BE-43547 and TH-302 were both unable to fully sterilize anoxic incubated spheroids. BE-43547 is highly hypoxia-selective, and, unlike TH-302, displayed minimal variability between cell lines, suggesting that BE-43547 targets a fundamental feature/target that is only present, or of survival importance, during hypoxia. Spheroid experiments suggests inadequate tissue penetrability, which may be overcome by designing novel drug analogues.
Associations between Highly Visual Social Media Use and Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating– A Changing Landscape
Authors: Sharma Ashley , Vidal Carol
Published: April 2023

Background: Although the etiology of eating disorders (ED) and disorder eating (DE) is multifactorial, exposure to highly visual social media (HVSM) may be an important contributor to the onset or worsening of DE and ED symptoms. We aim to understand HVSM use, ED, and DE with a particular focus on gender differences, as well as details of engagement on “selfies” in adolescents and young adults (AYA).Methods:We conducted aliterature search in Psycho ED, PubMed, MEDLINE of articles, including participants with DE/ED and users of HVSM, focused on AYA. Studies in which the study population was not well-defined and the methodology to assess ED/HVSM use was not robust were excluded.Results:We found a strong association between HVSM and ED and DE with existing gender differences. The literature also shows specific mechanisms of use of these platforms involving “selfie” preparation and posting. The literature is limited in that the research is mostly cross-sectional with no uniform methodology and not well-defined participant populations.Conclusions:The use of unregulated and profit-driven SM platforms can increase risk for ED. To use these HVSM platforms for positive influence, there is a need to have more transparency, and involvement of clinicians, researchers, and educators.Public Significance: Due to HVSM’s popularity among the adolescent and young adult population, it is important to identify its effects on the prevalence of disordered eating and eating disorders, as well as recognize any gender differences in this relationship. Clinicians, parents and other adults working with youth should be aware of HVSM’s impact of DE/ED, as described by this review.
Projection Exploration for Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Tang Hainan , Liu Juntao , Wang Zhenjie , Gao Ziwen
Published: April 2023

In multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL), complete exploration is difficult to achieve because of the curse of dimensionality and sparse rewards. Existing methods improve the exploration to some extent, such as noise-based exploration methods and count-based exploration methods. But they don’t evaluate the state exploration value, suffering low data efficiency. In this paper, a projection exploration algorithm (PERL) is designed for MARL. In this method, states with high exploration value are identified in the projected state-action space with maximum distribution entropy through the count-based method. Then the agents are trained to reach these states in a coordinated manner. Meanwhile, comparison experiments are conducted in multi-agent environments of Multi-Particle environments (Pass, Secret-Room) and StarCraftII (3m,2s3z and 3s_vs_5z). Comparison results suggest that PERL consistently outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines in environments with high-dimensional state-action space and sparse rewards.
Multi-Trip Multi-Compartment Vehicle Routing Problem with Backhauls
Authors: Ramanand Sukhpal , KUMAR KAUSHAL
Published: April 2023

The Multi-Trip Multi-Compartment Vehicle Routing Problem with Backhauls (MTMCVRPB) is a complex optimization problem that involves finding the most efficient routes for a heterogeneous fleet of multi-compartment vehicles to transport heterogeneous commodities simultaneously. The problem involves making deliveries and pickups while taking into account capacity constraints on compartments and other specific requirements such as limitation on route length. The MTMCVRPB aims to minimize the total cost of the routes, including the cost of vehicles, fuel and other expenses, while maximizing efficiency of vehicles and fulfilling the demand of customers. In order to solve the MTMCVRPB, this article recommends a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation. The proposed model takes into consideration the demands of both linehaul and backhaul customers, ensuring that on each route linehaul deliveries are made before visiting any backhaul customer. The model was tested on benchmark instances from literature and randomly generated data sets and numerical experiments were performed to demonstrate its effectiveness. The proposed model can be beneficial for the industries such as grocery and food delivery, fuel distribution and garbage collection as these are main applications of this model. We have also provided a saving based heuristic by making certain modifications to find the quick and efficient solution to the proposed model.
An artificial intelligence method using 18F-FDG PET maximum intensity projections to predict 2-year time-to-progression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients
Authors: Ferrández Maria C. , Golla Sandeep S. V. , Eertink Jakoba J. , de Vries Bart M. , Lugtenburg Pieternella. J. , Wiegers Sanne E. , Zwezerijnen Gerben J. C. , Pieplenbosch Simone , Kurch Lars , Hüttmann Andreas , Hanoun Christine , Dührsen Ulrich , de Vet Henrica C.W. , Zijlstra Josée M. , Boellaard Ronald
Published: April 2023

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) may improve response prediction in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a CNN using maximum intensity projection (MIP) images from 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) baseline scans to predict the probability of time-to-progression (TTP) within 2 years and compare it with the International Prognostic Index (IPI), i.e. a clinically used score. 296 DLBCL 18F-FDG PET/CT baseline scans collected from a prospective clinical trial (HOVON-84) were analysed. Cross-validation was performed using coronal and sagittal MIPs. An external dataset (340 DLBCL patients) was used to validate the model. Association between the probabilities, metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and Dmaxbulk was assessed. Probabilities for PET scans with synthetically removed tumors were also assessed. The CNN provided a 2-year TTP prediction with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.74, outperforming the IPI-based model (AUC = 0.68). A moderate association of CNN probabilities with MTV (r = 0.57) and Dmaxbulk (r = 0.52) was observed in the external dataset. Furthermore, high probabilities (> 0.6) of the original MIPs were considerably decreased after removing the tumours (< 0.4, generally). These findings suggest that MIP-based CNNs are able to predict treatment outcome in DLBCL.
Hybrid Movement Training During the Pandemic: A Clash Between Physical and Digital Realm
Authors: Serdar Bilge
Published: April 2023

This ethnographic research was conducted in one of the physical training institutions that offer the Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies (LBMS) certification program in Berlin in 2021. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the training was held in a hybrid format in which some participants were in the studio, and others were attending remotely via Zoom. Zoom-mediated movement training for long hours revealed how the intervention of telematic technologies challenged practitioners’ sensorial experience and sense-making process. Moreover, bringing co-located and remote participants’ experiences together in the hybrid setting disclosed different modes of interaction dynamics in the studio and online. Overall, participants described their hybrid experience as a clash. In the article, starting from unfolding those clashes, I discuss ‘How does remote participation through telematics challenge participants’ sensorial experience?’, ‘What can and cannot be transmitted through online mediation?’ and ‘How does remote interaction through a telematic system (Zoom) affect the shared sense-making process in the hybrid format setting?’.
Event-related potentials of social comparisons in depression and social anxiety
Authors: Paz Valentina , Nicolaisen-Sobesky Eliana , Fernández-Theoduloz Gabriela , Pérez Alfonso , Cervantes-Constantino Francisco , Martinez-Montes Eduardo , Kessel Dominique , Cabana Alvaro , Gradin Victoria Beatriz
Published: April 2023

Social comparison is central in human life and can be especially challenging in depression and social anxiety. We assessed event-related potentials and emotions when receiving feedback on both their own and a co-player’s performance, in participants with depression and/or social anxiety (n=63) and healthy controls (n=72). Participants reported more negative emotions for downward (being better than someone else) and upward (being worse) comparisons vs. even outcomes, with these effects being stronger in depression and social anxiety. At the Medial Frontal Negativity, both controls and depressed participants showed enhanced negativity for upward (participant wrong, co-player correct) comparison vs. both the participant and co-player performing wrong. Socially anxious subjects showed the opposite effect, possibly due to greater expectations about being worse than others. The P300 decreased for downward and upward comparisons compared to even outcomes, which may relate to the higher levels of conflict of social inequality. Depressed and socially anxious subjects showed a blunted P300 increase over time in response to the task outcomes, suggesting deficits in allocating resources for the attention of incoming social information. This may relate to difficulties in these disorders in learning how to deal with the cognitive/emotional demands of social comparison.
Effect of Neighborhood Deprivation Index on Breast Cancer Survival in the United States
Authors: Roy Arya Mariam , George Anthony , Attwood Kristopher , Alaklabi Sabah , Patel Archit , Omilian Angela R , Yao Song , Gandhi Shipra
Published: April 2023

Purpose
To analyze the association between the Neighborhood Deprivation Index (NDI) and clinical outcomes of early-stage breast cancer (BC).
Methods
Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database is queried to evaluate overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) of early- stage BC patients diagnosed between 2010–2016. Cox multivariate regression was performed to measure the association between NDI (Quintiles corresponding to most deprivation (Q1), above average deprivation (Q2), average deprivation (Q3), below average deprivation (Q4), least deprivation (Q5)) and OS/DSS.
Results
Of the 88,572 early-stage BC patients, 27.4% (n = 24,307) were in the Q1 quintile, 26.5% (n = 23,447) were in the Q3 quintile, 17% (n = 15,035) were in the Q2 quintile, 13.5% (n = 11,945) were in the Q4 quintile, and 15.6% (n = 13,838) were in the Q5 quintile. There was a predominance of racial minorities in the Q1 and Q2 quintiles with Black women being 13–15% and Hispanic women being 15% compared to only 8% Black women and 6% Hispanic women in the Q5 quintile (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, in the overall cohort, those who live in Q2 and Q1 quintile have inferior OS and DSS compared to those who live in Q5 quintile (OS:- Q2: Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.28, Q1: HR 1.2; DSS:- Q2: HR 1.33, Q1: HR 1.25, all p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Early-stage BC patients from areas with worse NDI have poor OS and DSS. Investments to improve the socioeconomic status of areas with high deprivation may help to reduce healthcare disparities and improve breast cancer outcomes.
Short-time prediction model for cross-section passenger flow of trains in urban transit using GCN-AM-BiLSTM
Authors: Zuo Jing , Yu Zhao , Liu Guo Yan , He Ming
Published: April 2023

With the proliferation of passenger flow under the condition of network condition, the imbalanced temporal and spatial distribution of passenger flow occurs frequently, which brings enormous challenges to the operation of urban rail systems. Effectively predicting the short-time passenger flow of trains is an important prerequisite to optimize the transportation strategies, respond to the fluctuation of passenger flow and meet the real-time demand. Consequently, the GCN-AM-BiLSTM prediction model is proposed to extract the complex temporal and spatial characteristics of passenger flow. Firstly, the urban rail transit temporal diagram and spatial adjacency matrix are constructed to capture the global spatial characteristics using GCN. Secondly, the attention mechanism is introduced into the BiLSTM to construct the AM-BiLSTM module to extract and assign the importance of temporal characteristics from both the forward and backward dimensions. Finally, the characteristics are integrated based on the fusion network. The performance verification and analysis based on Chengdu Metro in China show that compared with several baseline models, our model achieves the best values in terms of MAE, RMSE and MAPE. The prediction efficiency can fully meet the timeliness requirements of the field, which has good application prospects.
CCL5 and GLUT1 define leader cells in collective invasion of colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Feifei , Zhang Zhaowen , Zeng Zhicheng , Zhu Xiaohui , Mai Liyao , Yin Yao , Zhang Ceng , Kang Wei , Wu Xiangkun , Jiang Honghui , Zeng Sisi , Xiao Jianbiao , Xu Shaowan , Ding Yanqing , Pan Xinghua , Liang Li
Published: April 2023

Background
Many solid tumors rely heavily on the regulation and organization of leader and follower cells during the collective invasion. However, leader cells’ specific biomarkers and mechanisms in colorectal cancer (CRC) collective invasion are unclear. This study aimed to identify the specific biomarkers of leader cells and reveals their molecular mechanisms during CRC collective invasion and metastasis.
Methods
The 3D photoconvertible CRC spheroid model in vitro was constructed to isolate leader cells and follower cells. The RNA-Seq, functional, and animal experiments revealed that GLUT1, PLOD2, and CCL5 in leader cells were required for CRC collective invasion.
Results
CCL5 up-regulated the expression of GLUT1 and PLOD2 through PI3K/Akt signaling in leader cells. Moreover, GLUT1 and CCL5 could be used as specific biomarkers for leader cells in CRC collective invasion, and their co-expression was associated with poor prognosis of CRC patients. Notably, blocking GLUT1 and CCL5-CCR5 effectively inhibited CRC collective invasion.
Conclusions
Our findings illustrate that CCL5 and GLUT1 may define leader cells and are required for CRC collective invasion as a potential key regulator of hypoxia-induced metabolic shifts and collagen deposition.
Single-cell transcriptomics delineates the immune cell landscape in equine lower airways and reveals upregulation of FKBP5 in horses with asthma
Authors: Riihimäki Miia , Fegraeus Kim , Nordlund Jessica , Waern Ida , Wernersson Sara , Akula Srinivas , Hellman Lars , Raine Amanda
Published: April 2023

Equine asthma (EA) is a heterogenous, complex disease, with a significant negative impact on horse welfare and performance. EA and human asthma have fundamental similarities, making EA a useful large animal disease model. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) provides a snapshot sample of the immune cells occupying the alveolar space and is one of the most relevant sample types for studies of chronic inflammation in the lung. In this study, we performed single cell RNA-seq analysis of equine BALF cells in order to study the immune cell landscape of the respiratory tract of horses diagnosed with mild-to-moderate EA (mEA) and healthy controls. We characterized the major immune cell populations in equine BALF, as well as subtypes thereof. Interestingly, the most significantly upregulated gene found in mEA was FKBP5, a chaperone protein involved in regulating the assembly, activity, and sensitivity of the glucocorticoid receptor.
Expression of the Ced-9 (Cell Death abnormal-9) gene in transgenic Chrysanthemum morifolium can enhance drought and salt tolerances
Authors: Ri Tong-Chol , Kim Myong-Son , Kim Yong-Ho , Ri Chol-Jun , Pak Ryong-Ho , Ri Jin-Hyang
Published: April 2023

Salt and drought are important abiotic stresses of Chrysanthemum morifolium(Asteraceae). Limited information is available with regard to molecular management strategies for salt and drought. Ced-9 (Cell Death abnormal-9) is already known to enhance the tolerance of plants to abiotic stresses. Asteraceae plants overexpressing Ced-9 have showed improved tolerance to stresses - they kept freshness for longer time, and were fast to grow, and had higher tolerance to salt. Additional analyses revealed that transgenic plants generally show lower transpiration rate and higher chlorophyll content when subjected to salt and drought stresses. These results suggest that Ced-9 inhibits the activity of a cysteine protease with caspase-like activity and that Ced-9 also enhances salt and drought tolerances by maintaining intracellular ion balance by apparently inhibiting the external efflux of K+ induced by salt stress. Ced-9 has been proved to improve the low temperature tolerance of asteraceae plants by controlling 2,4-D signal and other pathways responding to stresses.
Why Majority Judgement is not yet the solution for political elections, but can help finding it
Authors: Kemm Friedemann
Published: April 2023

Like many other voting systems, Majority Judgement suffers from the weaknesses of the underlying mathematical model: Elections as problem of choice or ranking. We show how the model can be enhanced to take into account the complete process starting from the whole set of persons having passive electoral rights and even the aspect of reelection. By a new view on abstentions from voting and an adaption of Majority Judgement with three grades, we are able to describe a complete process for an election that can be easily put into legislation and sets suitable incentives for politicians who want to be reelected.
JEL Classification: D72 , D71
MSC Classification: 91-10 , 91B12 , 91B14
On-demand quadruple energy dissipative strategy for the nanoengineering of versatile bio- adhesive-based “tissue-alarm” for integrated wound therapy
Authors: Yue Ouyang , Wang Xuechuan , Hou Mengdi , Sun Siwei , Zheng Manhui , Hao Dongyu , Bai Zhongxue , Zou Xiaoliang , Cui Boqiang , Liu Chunlin , Zhang Huijie , Liu Jialing , Guo Junling , Liu Xinhua
Published: April 2023

Wound abnormalities such as secondary wound laceration and inflammation are common postoperative health hazards during clinical procedures. Electroactive hydrogel adhesives with emerging bioelectronics have been showing great promise as next-generation intelligent biomaterials. However, these adhesives partially suffer from insufficient strength, limited application scenarios, monotonous functions, and difficulty in early warning of wound abnormalities. Herein, an on-demand quadruple energy dissipative strategy was proposed for the nanoengineering of a physically and chemically synergistic gelatin-based bio-adhesive (DLGel) as a "tissue-alarm" by combining a multi-network adhesive layer and a versatile electroactive energy dissipative layer based on contrivable interlocking micro-pillar arrays and crosslinked polymer chains. The subtly multiple energy dissipation designs enable DLGel with robust adhesive strength to omnipotently wet and dynamic tissue, providing a basis for reliable wound closure. Interestingly, DLGel could serve as a “tissue-alarm”, providing highly sensitive real-time early warning and suture assessment for postoperative wound abnormalities, such as laceration, inflammation, and necrosis.In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that DLGel could significantly promote wound recovery without the drug for full-thickness dermal defects. Meanwhile, DLGel prosperously exhibited integrated reversible underwater photo- and thermal adhesion, hemostatic properties, antimicrobial activity, and self-healing capability, and further enabling the integration of reliable wound closure, wound healing, and real-time wound abnormalities warning in the era of intelligent medicine.
Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of PVA/ Chitosan/ Clay/ Essential Oil Hydrogel Prepared via Freeze-Thaw
Authors: Bayraktar Seyda , Copur Buse , Gunes Erdogan , Uysal Ahmet , Okudan Ahmet
Published: April 2023

In this study, eco-friendly, low-cost and high-antimicrobial activity Polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)/Chitosan (CHT)/Clay/Oil nanocomposite hydrogels were prepared via freeze-thaw (F-T) method. Montmorillonite (MMT) and nanoclay (NC) were added as clay to PVA/CHT/Clay/Oil hydrogels. MMT and NC decreased the number of F-T cycles in the hydrogel and increased the surface hydrophilicity of the hydrogels. Clove, aloe vera and argan oil were added as oil to PVA/CHT/CLAY mixtures. Hydrogels containing clove oil showed antimicrobial activity against eight microorganisms (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 70603, methicilline resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300 (MRSA), Salmonella enteritidis ATTC 13076, Sarcina lutea ATCC 9341, Bacillus cereus ATTC 11778, Candida albicans NRRL Y-417). Nanocomposite hydrogels containing clove oil , have been found to have high antimicrobial activity, skin adhesion and swelling degree. Contact angle values less than 90° were measured PVA/CHT-4/MMT-4/ Oilclove2, PVA/CHT-4/NC- 4/Oilclove2 hydrogels. According to FT-IR, SEM, XRD, Contact angle, and swelling test results, PVA/CHT/Clay/Oil hydrogel content was determined as 25 µL of clove oil and 72.7% PVA (400 mg), 9.1% CHT (50 mg), 18.2% Clay (100 mg).
Overexpressing Plant Ferredoxin-like Protein Enhances Photosynthetic Efficiency andCarbohydrates Accumulation in Phalaenopsis
Authors: Chang Hsiang , Chen Yen-Ting , Huang Hsiang-En , Ger Mang-Jye
Published: April 2023

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is one of three major models of carbon dioxide assimilation pathway with better water-use efficiency and slower photosynthetic efficiency inphotosynthesis. Previous studies indicated that overexpressing the plant ferredoxin-like protein (PFLP) cloned from sweet pepper can enhance disease resistance to bacterial pathogens and boost photosynthesis rate in C3 and C4 plants, but not for CAM. The protein sequence of PFLP shows high homology to the ferredoxin-1(Fd-1) family that belongs to photosynthetic type Fd and involves in photosystem I. It is speculated that overexpressing pflp in the CAM plant may enhance photosynthetic efficiency through the electron transport chain (ETC). In this report, pflp transgenic Phalaenopsis were generated to reveal the effects of overexpressing PFLP in CAM photosynthetic efficiency with several photosynthetic features. For the electron transport rate (ETR), the transgenic pflp plants exhibited by 1.2-folds than those of wild type (WT).The efficiency of the photosynthetic electron transport chain (PETC) was 1.7-folds due to the quantum efficiency of linear electron flow (LEF) elevated in transgenic pflp plants. Higher CO2 assimilation rates were observed up to 1.6 and 1.5-folds sampled at 4 pm and10 pm respectively. In the Phase III of CAM, the enzyme activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) was increased by 5.9-folds, and in the Phase IV, NAD+-linked malic enzyme (NAD+-ME) activity was increased by 1.4-folds in transgenic pflp plants. For the evaluation of photosynthesis products, the carbohydrate levels were analyzed. Soluble sugars contents such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose were increased significantly by 1.2, 1.8, and 1.3-folds higher in transgenic pflp plants. The starch grains were also accumulated up to 1.4-folds. These results indicated that overexpressing pflp in transgenic CAM plants can increase carbohydrates accumulation by enhancing electron transport flow during photosynthesis. Taken altogether, we suggested that pflp is an potential gene for agriculture application that not only increases disease resistance but also enhances electron transport chain efficiency during photosynthesis.
Linear Programming with Non-Archimedean Right-Hand Sides
Authors: Cococcioni Marco , Fiaschi Lorenzo
Published: April 2023

The goal of this work is to propose a new type of constraint for linear programs: inequalities having a non-Archimedean right-hand side. Here, the word non-Archimedean refers to values that can be infinite, finite, or infinitesimal. Because of the nature of such constraints, the polyhedron describing the feasible region becomes more complex, since its vertices are now represented by non-Archimedean coordinates, and so is the optimum of the problem. The introduction of such a constraint enlarges the class of linear programs, where the Archimedean ones become a special case. To tackle optimization problems over the resulting polyhedra, this work presents a solving routine, which consists in a generalization of the Simplex algorithm. This solver optimizes Archimedean linear programs as corner cases. Finally, the study presents three relevant applications which can benefit from the use of constraints with non-Archimedean right-hand side, making the use of the extended Simplex algorithm essential. For each application, an exemplifying benchmark is solved, showing the effectiveness of the solving routine.
Modelling Pathways to Energy Transition in Pakistan using OSeMOSYS (Open-Source Energy Modelling System)
Authors: Nájera-Aguirre Aura , Rogelj Joeri , Yeganyan Rudolf , Cannone Carla , Tan Naomi , Howells Mark
Published: April 2023

In the past two decades, fast growing population and energy demand has prompted the Government of Pakistan (GoP) to maintain investment in imported fossil fuels. For a developing country under a large circular debt, this has inhibit Pakistan to bridge the energy demand-supply gap. Recent social mobilisations and awareness on the degradation of national environment has forced GoP to consider and promote the deployment of new and renewable energy technologies for power generation. In 2019, the Alternative and Renewable Energy policy represented a turning point in national energy planning. Energy modelling has become an increasingly important tool for country intending to meet their NDC targets. By utilising OSeMOSYS, this study explores most cost-effective pathway towards energy transition and security in the short-, medium-, and long-term. Three scenario are drawn from this study: Least Cost (LC), Fossil Future (FF), and Net-Zero (NZ). Results provides key insights on installed capacity and production, as well as emissions, costs and investment for each modelled scenario. Thus, under a comprehensive overview of Pakistan energy system, variable renewable energies (VRE) are seen to have the highest potential to support energy transition while feeding national demand. It is later discuss ways to implement VRE to further sustainable energy transition in Pakistan. This include the impact of such technologies in energy security, most cost-effective options, and co-benefits, without excluding existing challenges. Recommendations for planning a renewable future in Pakistan focus on further assessment of energy demand and economic growth, improving efficiency, generating investment, and coal- phaseout. Whilst this study was successful under determined framework, some limitations invite further research to be conducted.
The Necessity of Ureteral Access Sheath for Flexible Ureteroscopy in Large Renal Stones Treatment
Authors: Elbakary Mohamed
Published: April 2023

-Introduction: ureteral access sheath (UAS) has been used in flexible ureteroscopy (FURS) without clear guidelines for its usage. UAS allows multiple entries and extractions of the fragments during flexible ureteroscopy. -Objectives: evaluate the need for UAS in FURS and if it is possible to do FURS without UAS with large renal stones. -Methodology: during the last 5 years, 166 patients has done FURS with laser fragmentation of large renal stones > 2cm. These patients had been divided into two groups according to UAS usage or not. Preoperative, operative and postoperative data were collected. Success rate and complications had been collected and analyzed. -Results: In 166 patients, UAS was used in 90(54.2%) cases, and UAS was not used in 76(45.8%) cases. The mean stone's largest diameter was 26.2 ± 3.8 mm in using UAS, while the mean stone's largest diameter was 25.8 ± 4.9 mm in not using UAS (P = 0.647). The mean stone density was 1073.3 ± 237.7 HU in using UAS, while the mean stone density was 922.1 ± 293.3 HU in not using UAS (p = 0.011*). The mean operative time was 106.2 ± 27.9 min in using UAS, while the mean operative time was 89 ± 26.3 min in not using UAS (P = 0.005*). The (SFR) was 87% for using UAS and 89% for not using UAS (P = 0.700). The complications were detected in 12(7.2%) patients using UAS and 22(13.3%) patients not using UAS. -Conclusion: Flexible ureteroscopy without ureteral access sheath is safe and efficient even with larger renal stones with acceptable more complications.