bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics Plus Metronidazole in Newborns with Gastric Perforation: Impact on Short-term Outcomes
Authors: Wei Huan , Liu Yu , Liu Wei , Zhu Ting , Tang Shuo , Cui Mengying , Wang Zheng-Li , Shi Yuan
Published: April 2023

Objective
The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate whether the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics plus metronidazole improves short-term outcomes in neonates with gastric perforation.
Methods
Medical records of neonatal gastric perforation were reviewed from January 2016 to December 2021 at Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. A total of 86 neonates were identified, of which 23 were excluded (12 abandoned before surgery, 11 abandoned after surgery within 1 week). Of the remaining 63 neonates, 15 were treated with metronidazole (group M), while 48 were not (group N). Group M was further matched with group N1 (n = 15, without metronidazole) based on birth weight (< 250 g), gestational age (< 1 week), and age at onset (< 1 day). The data from groups M, N, and N1 were compared and analyzed.
Results
There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics, clinical manifestations, treatments, postoperative outcome indicators, hospital stay, comorbidities, and laboratory results between group M and group N (or N1). However, the age at admission was significantly higher in group M than in group N (P = 0.006) and group N1 (P = 0.005). Group M had significantly higher rate of feeding after birth (P = 0.04) and lower rate of prenatal hormone exposure (P = 0.004) compared to group N. Procalcitonin and blood sodium levels were significantly higher in group M than in group N (P = 0.014 and P = 0.004) and group N1 (P = 0.005 and P = 0.036). Elevated C-reactive protein was significantly different in group M and group N1 (P = 0.020). The incidence rate of surgical site infection (SSI) in group M was higher than in group N (P = 0.046), while there was no significant difference in the incidence rate between group M and group N1 (P > 0.05).
Conclusions
Our study suggests that the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics plus metronidazole may not improve short-term outcomes after surgery in newborns with gastric perforation. Future prospective randomized controlled studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to further investigate the optimal antibiotic regimen for the treatment of neonatal gastric perforation.
Potential protective effects of sodium butyrate on glycinin-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory response and growth inhibition in Cyprinus carpio
Authors: Li Deng-Lai , Zhu Rui , Yang Zhi-Yong , Li Liang , Qu Zi-Hui , Quan Ya-Nan , Wei Xiao-Fang , Shang Guo-Jun , Wang Hao-Tong , Wu Li-Fang
Published: April 2023

Investigated mitigating effects of sodium butyrate (SB) on the inflammatory response, oxidative stress and growth inhibition of common carp (2.94 ± 0.2 g) caused by dietary glycinin. The control group (without glycinin and SB), Gly group (contain glycinin), and the remaining 4 groups were added SB (0.75, 1.50, 2.25, 3.00 g/kg,) respectively based on the Gly group. 6 groups of diets were isonitrogenous and isoenergetic, and fish were fed with these 6 diets for eight weeks. The reduction of FBW, FER, SGR, WGR and PER of common carp caused by dietary glycinin could be significantly improved by supplementing 1.50–2.25 g/kg SB in the diet, but FBW, WGR and SGR did not reach the level of the control group. Hepatopancreas and intestinal protease activities and the content of muscle crude protein were significantly decreased by dietary glycinin, but supplement 1.50–2.25 g/kg SB partially reversed this result. Supplementation with 1.50–2.25 g/kg SB not only raised AST and ALT activities in hepatopancreas but also decreased AST and ALT activities in serum. Glycinin significantly reduced immune and antioxidant enzyme activities, in contrast, supplementation of 1.50–2.25 g/kg SB reversed these adverse effects. Furthermore, compared with the Gly group, supplement 1.50–2.25 g/kg SB eminently up-regulated the TGF-β and IL-10 mRNA, and down-regulated the IL-1β, TNF-α, and NF-κB mRNA in hepatopancreas, mid intestine (MI) and distal intestine (DI). Meanwhile, supplement 1.50–2.25 g/kg SB activated the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signalling pathway, and upregulate CAT, SOD and HO-1 mRNA expression in hepatopancreas, MI and DI. Summarily, glycinin significantly decreased the digestive function and induced inflammatory response, and oxidative stress of common carp ultimately inducing growth inhibition. However, SB partially mitigated these adverse effects by activating the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signalling pathway and inhibiting the NF-κB signalling pathway.
Ascorbate oxidation stimulates rice root growth via effects on auxin and abscisic acid levels
Authors: Singh Richard Raj , Demeestere Kristof , Kyndt Tina
Published: April 2023

Ascorbic acid (AA) and AA oxidation play a vital role in plant growth and development. In this research we investigated their role in rice (Oryza sativa) root growth. Monitoring of germinating and early vegetative seedlings of the AA biosynthesis mutant vtc1 and its corresponding wild type (WT, ‘Nipponbare’) showed vtc1 mutant with a defect in radicle and early vegetative root growth. AA measurement displayed significantly lower levels of total AA, and mainly lower dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) in the roots of the vtc1 mutant. Phytohormone analysis show roots of the vtc1 mutant with lower levels of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA). The vtc1 radicle and very early vegetative root phenotype could be complemented by exogenous ABA or auxin (1- naphthalene acetic acid (NAA)) application, but not by AA application. However, at the later vegetative root growth phase only NAA could complement this growth phenotype. Our data revealed that, vtc1 germinating seedling and early vegetative root growth can be complemented by DHA and ascorbate oxidase (AO), the enzyme that oxidizes AA to DHA treatments. Also, these treatments promoted radicle and early vegetative root growth similarly in WT as in the vtc1-mutant, implicating that these hormones act downstream of AA biosynthesis. Our data show significantly higher concentration of IAA and ABA upon AO treatment in WT seedlings, implicating that AO-induced rice root growth is regulated via auxin and ABA levels. Taken together, these results imply that ascorbate oxidation stimulates rice root growth via positive effects on auxin and ABA levels.
First records about oxygen consumption by Chironomus sancticaroli (Diptera: Chironomidae): an analysis using microsensors
Authors: Corbi Juliano , Issa Carina , Lamon Antônio
Published: April 2023

The Chironomidae family is one of the most abundant insect groups in freshwater environments. This group is one of the main organisms of benthic fauna due to sediment and vegetation colonization, with high morphological and physiological adaptations. The importance of chironomid responses to changes in the aquatic environment could allow them to be used to monitor streams, lakes, and ponds. Despite the great ecological importance of this aquatic fauna and the countless number of studies in the literature, little is known about oxygen consumption by larvae in aquatic systems. This fact may be related to the difficulty of measuring these limnological variables in small organisms, such as Chironomidae larvae, and the need for refined equipment. A microsensor is a small electrochemical electrode used in laboratories for chemical species detection. Its small dimension offers advantages, such as the slight sample volume required. In this study, we evaluated for the first time, the dissolved oxygen consumption in the Chironomus sancticaroli (Strixino and Strixino 1981) species larvae using microsensors. The results of the experiments showed that there was a high oxygen consumption by C. sancticarolilarvae, under laboratory conditions. The technology of microsensors applied to the study of the aquatic invertebrates seems to have been important for obtaining detailed information on the biology of these organisms.
The Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum, salivary factors exacerbate the clinical outcome of Heartland virus disease in a small animal model
Authors: Reynolds Erin S. , Wooldridge Jacob T. , Stevenson Heather , Thangamani Saravanan
Published: April 2023

Heartland virus was first isolated in 2009 from two patients in Missouri and is transmitted by the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum. To understand disease transmission and pathogenesis, it is necessary to develop an animal model that utilizes the natural transmission route and manifests in a manner similar to documented human cases. Herein we describe our investigations on identifying A129 mice as the most appropriate small animal model for HRTV pathogenesis that mimics human clinical outcomes. We further investigated the impact of tick saliva in enhancing pathogen transmission and clinical outcomes. Our investigations revealed an increase in viral load in the groups of mice that received both virus and tick salivary gland extract (SGE). Spleens of all infected mice showed extramedullary hematopoiesis (EH), depleted white pulp, and absence of germinal centers. This observation mimics the splenomegaly observed in natural human cases. In the group that received both HRTV and tick SGE, the clinical outcome of HRTV infection was exacerbated compared to HRTV-only infection. EH scores and viral antigens in the spleen were higher in mice that received both HRTV and tick SGE. In conclusion, we have developed a small animal model that mimics natural human infection and also demonstrated the impact to tick salivary factors in exacerbating the HRTV infection.
Intravenous and Oral Whole Body Ketone Dosimetry, Biodistribution, Metabolite Correction and Kinetics Studied by (R)-[1-11C]ß-Hydroxybutyrate ([11C]OHB) PET in Healthy Humans
Authors: Luong Thien Vinh , Nielsen Erik Nguyen , Falborg Lise , Kjærulff Mette Louise Gram , Tolbod Lars Poulsen , Søndergaard Esben , Møller Niels , Munk Ole Lajord , Gormsen Lars Christian
Published: April 2023

Background: Ketones are increasingly recognized as an important and possibly oxygen sparing source of energy in vital organs such as the heart, the brain and the kidneys. Drug treatments, dietary regimens and oral ketone drinks designed to deliver ketones for organ and tissue energy production have therefore gained popularity. However, whether ingested ketones are taken up by various extra-cerebral tissues and to what extent is still largely unexplored. It was therefore the aim of this study to use positron emission tomography (PET) to explore the whole body dosimetry, biodistribution and kinetics of the ketone tracer (R)-[1-11C]b-hydroxybutyrate ([11C]OHB).
Six healthy subjects (3 women and 3 men) underwent dynamic PET studies after both intravenous (90 minutes) and oral (120 minutes) administration of [11C]OHB. Dosimetry estimates of [11C]OHB was calculated using OLINDA/EXM software, biodistribution was assessed visually and [11C]OHB tissue kinetics were obtained using an arterial input function and tissue time-activity curves.
Results: Radiation dosimetry yielded effective doses of 3.28 Sv/MBq (intravenous administration) and 12.51 Sv/MBq (oral administration). Intravenous administration of [11C]OHB resulted in avid radiotracer uptake in the heart, liver, and kidneys, whereas lesser uptake was observed in the salivary glands, pancreas, skeletal muscle and red marrow. Only minimal uptake was noted in the brain. Oral ingestion of the tracer resulted in rapid radiotracer appearance in the blood and radiotracer uptake in the heart, liver and kidneys. In general, [11C]OHB tissue kinetics after intravenous administration were best described by a reversible 2-tissue compartmental model.
Conclusion: The PET radiotracer [11C]OHB is highly suitable for imaging ketone uptake in all physiologically relevant tissues. It is therefore a safe and non-invasive imaging tool to investigate organ and tissue ketone metabolism in both patients and healthy subjects.
Trial registration: Clinical trials, NCT0523812, Registered February 10th 2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05232812?cond=NCT05232812&draw=2&rank=1.
Comparison of the safety and efficiency of flexible ureteroscopy with the different hanged water heights in a kidney model
Authors: Jiang Shuangjian , Bai Baohua , Zhang Junlong , Zeng Qinsong , Mo Chengqiang , Wu Rongpei
Published: April 2023

Objective To develop an in vitro model of the renal pelvis to compare intrarenal pressure(IRP) and irrigation flow at various suspended water heights during flexible ureteroscopy (fURS).Methods A 100 mL saline bag was used to simulate the renal pelvis. The fURS sheath was connected to the bag and the ureteric access sheath (UAS) was positioned at the junction of the ureteropelvic region. Central venous pressure tubing was connected to monitor the pressure in the renal pelvis under different conditions. Two different sheath sizes (12Fr and 14Fr) were tested with fURS sizes of 7.5, 8.5, and 9.5Fr, respectively. The perfusion method was gravity based, and the hanging water heights were set at 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 cm. A separate manual pumping group was also measured.Results In the group using a 12Fr sheath, the use of a 9.5Fr flexible ureteroscope without accessories resulted in a minimum gravity perfusion pressure of 8.4 cmH2O and a maximum pressure of 17.5cmH2O. However, manually administering perfusion in the pelvis produced pressures exceeding 60cmH2O. When the fURS was employed with a 200um laser fiber within the same sheath size, the minimum pressure of gravity perfusion decreased to 6.4cmH2O, and the maximum pressure was 10.5cmH2O. The IRP reached 48cmH2O while hand pumping. In the 14Fr sheath group, while using a 9.5Fr fURS, minimum and maximum gravity perfusion pressures were 2.5cmH2O and 6.0cmH2O, respectively. In contrast, manual perfusion resulted in a pressure of 17cmH2O. For the 12Fr sheath group using a 7.5Fr fURS, the minimum pressure of gravity perfusion was 5.4cmH2O, the maximum was 8.2H2O, and renal pelvic pressure during manual perfusion was 25.5cmH2O.Conclusion It is safe and efficient to hang the water at different heights during the operation of the disposable ureteroscopy to maintain low and safe IRP when using a UAS.
Biocoordination reactions in copper(II) ions and phosphocholine systems including pyrimidine nucleosides and nucleotides
Authors: Gabryel-Skrodzka Malwina , Nowak Martyna , Grajewski Jakub , Jastrząb Renata
Published: April 2023

The complexation reactions of phosphocholine and pyrimidine nucleosides as well as nucleotides with copper(II) ions were studied in the water system. Using potentiometric methods and computer calculations, the stability constants of the species were determined. Using spectroscopic methods such as UV-vis, EPR, 13C NMR, 31P NMR, FT-IR and CD, the coordination mode was established for complexes created in pH range 2.5 - 11.0. These studies will lead to a better understanding the role of copper(II) ions in living organisms and explain the interactions between them and the studied bioligands. The differences and similarities between nucleosides and nucleotides in the studied systems were also described, which testify to the significant influence of phosphate groups on the processes of metal ion complexation and interactions between ligands.
Identification of novel phytochemicals from Hibiscus rosa sinensis flower as a prospective inhibitor targeting the 3CLpro enzyme of SARS-CoV-2 using computational approaches.
Authors: Das Subhadeep , Satapathy Sagarika , Acharya Diptikanta , Sahu Sushil Kumar
Published: April 2023

Hibiscus rosa sinensis has an infinite resource of phytochemicals and has emerged as a solution for different health-related issues such as anti-diabetic, anti-microbial and wound healing activity as proved in past clinical studies. Focusing on the current situation, an incessant increase in daily COVID-19 cases and the struggle to discover effective treatment measures for SARS-CoV-2 had led to a global health catastrophe. Upsurge in COVID-19 cases had revealed a pattern characterised as a first, second, third wave and beyond. This cycle of new SARS-CoV-2 variant transmission needed to be terminated by selecting a favourable effective target, and the 3CL protease enzyme (3CLpro or Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 acts as a possible target. The objective of this study is to investigate the phytochemicals identified in Hibiscus rosa sinensis flowers for their potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties virtually, targeting the 3CLpro or Mpro, which regulates viral pathogenesis. The present research protocol includes molecular docking of 34 phytochemicals identified from the Hibiscus rosa sinensis flower and targeted against the active site of the 3CLpro enzyme. Computational analysis revealed that the top 3 ligands: cyanidin-3-sophoroside-5-glucoside (-10.9 kcal/mol), 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid isodecyl octyl ester (-10.1 kcal/mol) and rutin (-9.3 kcal/mol) had better binding affinity as compared to the control inhibitor remdesivir (-8 kcal/mol). Further investigation in terms of ligand-protein interaction, physiochemical, ADMET and drug-likeness parameters showed that cyanidin-3-sophoroside-5-glucoside possessed promising properties and could act as a potentially effective drug candidate. However, our study needs to be supported by in vitro and in vivo evaluations to determine the precise mechanism of inhibitory action.
“It’s important to foster open discussion about the topic”: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Ethics of Abortion Independent Learning Module for Second Year Medical Students
Authors: McCarty Catherine A , Hutto Sarah L , Shaw Aubie K
Published: April 2023

Purpose
Despite the frequency of abortions, one-third of medical schools in the US and Canada did not include coverage of that topic, according to a survey conducted in 2002–2005. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a module for second year medical students related to the ethics of abortion.
Methods
The module was designed as Independent Learning Time (ILT). The stated purpose was for students to consider some of the recent debate in the ethics literature related to conscientious objection and abortion and how personal views may influence future practice. The ILT included readings and Power Points to view. Students were asked to write a one-page refection on one of three writing prompts.
Results
The most commonly selected writing prompt was on personal values in relation to abortion (56.5%), followed by information about nearest provider of reproductive services to their rural preceptor site (34.7%), followed by conscientious objection (23.3%). We received many positive comments about the ILT, such as: “First, I would like to acknowledge my gratitude for this assignment and its subject. I believe it is very important that future physicians learn the entirety of women’s reproductive health care, including abortion and contraception, but unfortunately this is not always the case in medical training”.
Conclusions
There has been an extremely positive response to the ILT. With the exception of the prompt specific to our regional campus mission that includes rural preceptorships during the preclinical years, this module could be implementable at other medical schools.
Treatment of tuberculosis-associated vertebral compression with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) relieves pain and prevents kyphosis
Authors: Fan Yu , Zhou Xi , Li Wing Fai , Yue Zeyang , Liu Shuzhong , Liu Yong
Published: April 2023

Background Patients with suspected tuberculosis of the spine often present with back pain and/or neurological symptoms due to underlying compression fractures. Needle biopsy is frequently needed for confirmatory diagnosis. An additional surgical procedure may be required to stabilize the spine and prevent complications.Methods T0 retrospectively reviewed medical records of 44 patients with suspected spinal tuberculosis from 2013–2017 who underwent bone biopsy for diagnosis and simultaneous PVP for stabilization of the spine. A follow-up telephone interview was conducted to evaluate the effect of treatment including the degree of post-surgical pain, presence of neurological symptoms, and kyphosis.Results At the time of follow-up, 18 patients achieved complete remission, 6 patients underwent a second surgery and 1 patient had no change in the clinical course. Secondary systemic infection after PVP is not reported and the results suggest PVP is not an absolute contraindication in the patients with suspected spinal tuberculosis. PVP has demonstrated a significant improvement in pain one-day post-op and at the time of follow-up (from NRS 6.64 to NRS 1.33 and 0.64, respectively). Neurological symptoms (from 16–4%) and kyphosis (from 32–8%) also improved with PVP treatment.Conclusion PVP is a feasible and effective technique for treating compression fractures due to spinal tuberculosis. It augments the fractured vertebrae, improves pain relief and prevents kyphosis. It does not help spread the infection and should not be regarded as a contraindication for infectious disease, particularly in the context of tuberculosis.
HIF-1α promotes osteogenic regeneration of titanium implants by coupling angiogenesis and osteogenesis via HIF-1α/VEGF/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway
Authors: Song Shuang , Zhang Guanhua , Chen Xutao , Zheng Jian , Liu Xiangdong , Wang Yiqing , Chen Zijun , Wang Yuxi , Song Yingliang , Zhou Qin
Published: April 2023

Background: Stabilization and increased activity of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF-1α) could directly increase cancellous bone formation and was playing an essential role in bone modeling and remodeling. However, whether an increase of HIF-1α in ADSCs promoted osteogenic differentiation and bone formation was not known.
Results: In this study, ADSCs transfected with small interfering RNA and HIF-1α overexpression cDNA were established to investigate the proliferation, migration, adhesion, and osteogenic capacity in ADSCs, and angiogenic ability in HUVEC. Overexpression of HIF-1α could promote cell proliferation, migration, adhesive and osteogenic capacity of ADSCs and angiogenic ability of HUVEC. Western blotting showed that the protein levels of osteogenesis-related factors were upregulated when overexpression of HIF-1α. Furthermore, the influence of up-regulating HIF-1α in ADSCs sheets on osseointegration had evaluated using the SD rats implant model, in which the bone mass and osteoid mineralization speed were evaluated by radiological and histological analysis. The over-expression of HIF-1α in ADSCs enhanced osteogenic differentiation and osseointegration around implants. Whereas transfecting HIF-1α-silenced ADSCs attenuated the osteogenic and angiogenic capacity. Finally, to explore the mechanism underlying HIF-1α promoted osteogenesis and angiogenesis, Western blotting was measured to analyze the VEGF/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
Conclusions: These data first demonstrated that up-regulation of HIF-1α in ADSCs significantly improved the osteogenic capacity and peri-implant bone formation via VEGF/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Our findings revealed that HIF-1α exerts a critical effect on promoting osseointegration by improving osteogenesis and angiogenesis via VEGF/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and hence offered the considerable therapeutic potential for modifying stem cells to enhance osseointegration.
Sparse Dropout: a dropout layer specialized for attention mechanism
Authors: Liu Peng , Deng Guowei , Zhao Shuai , Shi Yanli , Liu Xiaoli
Published: April 2023

Recently, the Transformer-architecture-based model takes an absolute predominance in natural language processing. Attention is a critical component of the Transformer. Attention allows the model to focus on different parts of the input sequence selectively. Dropout regularization is widely adopted and plays an active role by decoupling the hidden units in the model, preventing dependency on only several hidden units and finally making the model over-fitting. Though powerful and effective, the randomness introduced in attention may cause substantial information loss because of its completely random nature. In this paper, we present a simple but effective method named Sparse Dropout dedicated, which no longer randomly sets some values of attention scores to 0. A manually designated threshold super-parameter called $\alpha$ was introduced in Sparse Dropout. All scores lower than this threshold will be set to 0 to suppress unwanted randomness and help the model to pay more attention to high attention scores parts of sequences. We verify our method on three mainstream tasks, including Chinese Named Entity Recognition, Text Summarization, and Text Classification. We achieve apparent improvements on the condition that we only substitute the Dropout layer during attention scores calculation with our Sparse Dropout. It demonstrates that our Sparse Dropout is effective and universal for all attention mechanisms entailed deep learning models with an elegant form.
Exploring the key genes associated with breast cancer radiotherapy sensitivity based on the stromal-immune score and analysis of the WGCNA and ceRNA network
Authors: Sun Xiaoyue , Wu Chihua , Zhang Shengwei , Zhao Xinchen , Wang Xiaoshan
Published: April 2023

Background: Breast cancer is a highly malignant disease worldwide. Among the numerous treatment options for breast cancer, radiotherapy is one of the commonly used treatments, while there is currently no sufficient molecular biomarkers to predict prognosis and guide its application. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is an important factor affecting tumor biological function, and changes in its composition are equally relevant to tumor progression and prognosis during radiotherapy.
Methods: Here, we performed bioinformatic analyses using data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to screen for molecular biomarkers related to TME that may influence radiotherapy sensitivity. By combining immune scores and stromal scores calculated as well as performing weighted co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified key modules and hub genes to construct competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks. Then, key pathways and genes were identified using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis.
Results: Genes of the PI3K-AKT pathway in the blue module were significantly enriched. Among hub genes in the blue module, we further found that the expression levels of COL1A1, COL1A2, COL6A3, THBS2 and PDGFRB were negatively associated with radiotherapy sensitivity.
Conclusion: These findings may provide new insights into the mechanisms of radiotherapy sensitivity in breast cancer patients, offering hope for the discovery of new therapeutic targets.
A Consensus-based ADMM Approach to Parallelize Large-Scale Minimum-Lap-Time Problems
Authors: Bartali Lorenzo , Grabovic Eugeniu , Gabiccini Marco
Published: April 2023

Minimum-Lap-Time Planning (MLTP) problems, which entail finding optimal trajectories for race cars on racetracks, have received significant attention in the recent literature. They are commonly addressed as optimal control problems (OCP) and are numerically discretized using direct collocation methods. Subsequently, they are solved as nonlinear programs (NLP). The conventional approach to solving MLTP problems is serial, whereby the resulting NLP is solved all at once. However, for problems characterized by a large number of variables, distributed optimization algorithms, such as the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM), may represent a viable option, especially when multi-core CPU architectures are available. This study presents a consensus-based ADMM approach tailored to solving MLTP problems through a distributed optimization algorithm. The algorithm partitions the problem into smaller sub-problems based on different sectors of a track, distributing them among multiple processors. ADMM is then used to ensure consensus among the distributed computational processes. The paper also outlines specific strategies leveraging domain knowledge to improve the convergence of the distributed algorithm.The ADMM approach is validated against the serial approach, and numerical results are presented for both single-lap and multi-lap scenarios. In both cases, the ADMM approach proves superior for problem dimensions of 70k+ variables compared to serial methods. In planning scenarios with complex vehicle models on long track horizons, i.e., for problems with 1M+ variables, the efficiency gain of the ADMM approach is substantial, and it becomes the only viable option to maintain computational times within acceptable limits.
Clonidine stimulates force of contraction via histamine H2 receptors in the human atrium
Authors: Neumann Joachim , Pockes Steffen , Humphrys Laura J. , Mönnich Denise , Forster Lisa , Kirchhefer Uwe , Hofmann Britt , Gergs Ulrich
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Clonidine has various clinical effects mediated by agonism of α1- or α2-adrenoceptors and the blocking of HCN-channels. It is unknown whether clonidine can also stimulate human cardiac histamine H2 receptors (hH2R).
Methods: We used isolated electrically stimulated left and spontaneously beating right atrial preparations from mice overexpressing the h H2R specifically in the heart (H2-TG), and spontaneously beating right atrial preparations of guinea pigs for comparison. Moreover, we studied isolated electrically stimulated muscle strips from the human right atrium.
Results: Clonidine (1, 3, 10 µM) increased force of contraction in isolated left atrial preparations from H2-TG mice. In contrast, clonidine reduced the spontaneous beating rate in right atrial preparations from H2-TG. Clonidine raised the beating rate in guinea pig right atrial preparations. Clonidine failed to increase the force of contraction but reduced beating rate in wild type litter mate mice (WT). In WT, histamine failed to increase the force of contraction in left atrial preparations and beating rate in right atrial preparations. Clonidine (10 µM) increased the force of contraction in isolated human right atrial preparations. These effects in the human atrium were attenuated by cimetidine (10 µM). Clonidine increased the beating rate of the isolated spontaneously beating guinea pig right atrium and acted as a H2R partial agonist. Furthermore, clonidine showed binding to the guinea pig H2R (100 µM) using HEK cells in a recombinant expression system (pKi < 4.5) but not to the human H2R.
Conclusions: These data suggest that clonidine can activate cardiac human histamine H2 receptors.
Eribulin represses effector T cell differentiation and enhances T cell-mediated anti-tumor activity to triple negative breast cancer cells through the facilitation of CD8+ T cell proliferation
Authors: Shimizu Tadafumi , Oba Takaaki , Oshi Masanori , Ito Ken-ichi
Published: April 2023

Purpose Chemotherapeutic agents exert immunomodulatory effects on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and immune cells. Eribulin favorably affects the immunological status of patients with breast cancer. However, the effects of eribulin on the immune cells remain unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of eribulin on immune cells.Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors and mouse splenocytes were stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies. The effects of eribulin and paclitaxel on cell proliferation and differentiation status were analyzed using flow cytometry. RNA sequencing was performed to assess alterations in gene expression in CD8+ T cells following eribulin and paclitaxel treatment. Using TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-231, Hs578T, and MDA-MB-157), the anti-tumor activity of CD3/CD28-stimulated T cells combined with eribulin or paclitaxel was evaluated.Results Eribulin did not affect CD3/CD28-stimulated PBMCs proliferation. However, eribulin significantly decreased the CD4/CD8 ratio in T cells, indicating that eribulin facilitates CD8+ T cell proliferation. Furthermore, eribulin significantly increased the frequency of less differentiated CD45RA+, CCR7+, and TCF1+ subsets of CD8+ T cells. RNA sequencing revealed that eribulin enhanced the expression of gene sets related to cell proliferation and immune responses. Moreover, eribulin augmented the antitumor effects of CD3/CD28-stimulated T cells against TNBC cells. These results were not observed in experiments using paclitaxel.Conclusions Eribulin promoted CD8+ T cell proliferation, repressed effector T cell differentiation, and harnessed T cell-mediated antitumor effects. These mechanisms may be one of the cues that eribulin can improve the immunological status of tumor-bearing hosts.
Statistical Analysis of Traffic Noise Status in Dhanbad Township, Jharkhand, India
Authors: Debnath Abhijit , Singh Prasoon Kumar
Published: April 2023

Environmental noise is an unpleasant by product of urbanisation and industrial development. This undesirable sound causes serious negative effects on individuals, including hypertension, hearing loss, sleep difficulties, and has a detrimental effect on the environment. The current study on traffic noise was conducted from September to November 2016 at 15 locations using a sound level metre at various times of day, including morning (6 a.m. to 9 a.m.), morning (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.), afternoon (2 p.m. to 5 p.m.), evening (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.), and night (8 p.m. to 11 p.m. In addition, a road map was created using GIS to visualise the monitoring locations. The monitoring data showed that the highest and lowest average noise levels (LAeq) were 86.3 dB(A) [Govindpur] in the morning and 64.2 dB(A) [Vinod Vihari Chowk] in the night. A student's t-test was also conducted to see if there was a statistically significant difference between the means of the LAeq levels for the morning, afternoon, evening, and night. To determine the degree of significance, analysis of variance was also calculated for the examined squares in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night. The observed value of F critical was less than the F calculated values and was not significant at 5% levels of significance. In light of this, the noise levels in various squares did not considerably vary at various times. According to the analysis, the measured value surpasses the noise guidelines recommended by the CPCB and BIS, which is caused by excessive traffic, narrow roads, intense construction, and inadequate traffic management in the areas. Some hospitals, nursing homes, and educational institutions are also plagued by a very loud atmosphere.
Analyzing the Gravity Field of the Southern Desert of Iraq with its Possible Geological Implications Using Multi-Bidimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition Technique
Authors: Al-Bahadily Hayder A. , Al-Rahim Ali M.
Published: April 2023

The Southern Desert of Iraq covers a vast region in southwest Iraq. The stratigraphic column comprises relatively thick sedimentary strata, which overlay a Neoproterozoic basement and dip gently towards the northeast. The ground surface is depicted by intensive karst forms of variable dimensions, especially within carbonate rocks of the Dammam Formation (Middle-Upper Eocene). In the present study, we use the Bidimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition technique for analyzing the gravity field into multi-residual fields and one regional. Analyzing and interpreting the resultant fields utilizing the geological data are the aims of this study. A free download MATLAB code is applied to the gravity data of the Southern Desert which is designed to separate the two-dimensional gridded gravity map into three residual maps and a regional one. These maps may reflect depths at different levels; shallow, intermediate, deep, and near the Moho discontinuity, respectively. According to the available information about the geology of the area, the residual maps can be interpreted in terms of shallow-depth geological structures, which have an economic interest in hydrocarbon exploration, intra-basement structures, and variation in the density of the basement terranes. The regional map, however, is interpreted to be related to a deep-seated gravity source most likely near the Moho. Further, the results illustrate an obvious relation between some of the gravity positives, in the first residual map, and the drilled exploration wells. This suggests a delineation of newly prospected structural highs. In addition, the second residual map shows gravity negatives that probably delineate basement basins/sub-basins.
Class Exclusion and Reassembling: A Novel Approach for Improving Classification Accuracy in Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Kale Shashikant Rangnathrao , Holambe Raghunath , Chile Rajan
Published: April 2023

This paper introduces a new approach called Class Exclusion and Reassembling, which outperforms traditional band arithmetic approaches in terms of classification accuracy. The study was conducted in Nanded district and Parbhani district, India, with the goal of improving the accuracy of classification for all classes. Traditional band arithmetic approaches often improve the classification of some classes, but they can reduce the accuracy of other classes and the overall classification accuracy remains insufficient. In the proposed method, classes are classified one by one using band arithmetic approaches. After all classes are classified, the classified pixels are reassembled to obtain the complete classified image. The proposed method was tested on two sites: one with training and testing data, and another with only testing data. The results were compared with the composite image of all 13 bands using the random forest classification tool. The proposed method achieved 100% accuracy for Site 1, which was an improvement from the previous accuracy of 86%, and 95.5% accuracy for Site 2, an improvement from 89.5%. Overall, the Class Exclusion and Reassembling approach is more effective than traditional band arithmetic approaches for classification accuracy.
Approximation of the integral of modified first direct method of pursuit for differential inclusions
Authors: Iskanadjiev Ikromjon , Eliboev Nurali
Published: April 2023

We study a controlled system ż ϵ -F(t, v), where F is a continuous multivalued mapping. Approximate properties of the integral of the third method of pursuit are studied. New simplified formulas for the integral of this method are proposed and new approximate schemes that approximate the integral of this method with a given accuracy are constructed.
Interaction between FokI polymorphism and vitamin D deficiency in the symptoms of mental disorders in adults: COVID-Inconfidentes, a population-based study in Brazil
Authors: Sabião Thaís da Silva , Júnior Luiz Antônio Alves de Menezes , Batista Aline Priscila , de Moura Samara Silva , Meireles Adriana Lúcia , de Menezes Mariana Carvalho , Machado-Coelho George Luiz Lins , Carraro Júlia Cristina Cardoso
Published: April 2023

Purpose Mental disorders are intricate and multifaceted, encompassing social, economic, environmental, and biological factors. This study conducted in Brazil aimed to investigate whether the VDR gene polymorphism Fok I (rs2228570) interferes with the association between vitamin D deficiency and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adults.Methods This is a population-based cross-sectional study with stratified and cluster sampling, evaluating anxiety symptoms (AS) and depression symptoms (DS) in 1637 adults (50.9% women, mean age of 42.9 years) using Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. Vitamin D levels were measured using electrochemiluminescence considered deficient when < 20 ng/mL in a healthy population or < 30 ng/mL for groups at risk. Genotyping was done using Taqman probes by real-time PCR.Results The prevalence of AS, DS and vitamin D deficiency were 23.5%, 15.8% and 30.9%, respectively. Genotypic frequency of the FokI was 9.9% AA, 44.7% AG, and 45.4% GG. No direct association was observed between vitamin D deficiency and AS and DS. However, an interaction analysis revealed a synergism between vitamin D deficiency and the FokI for DS, but not SA. Individuals with vitamin deficiency and one or two copies of the altered allele of the FokI exhibited a higher prevalence of DS than individuals homozygous for the wild-type allele and vitamin D sufficiency (AG: PR = 2.84, CI 95%: 1.04; 7.76; GG: PR = 4.37, CI 95%: 1.62; 11.83).Conclusion Our data suggest that an interaction between vitamin D deficiency and FokI polymorphism may interfere in the prevalence of DS.
Business Ethics Challenges and A Comprehensive Understanding of Tackling Child Labor in Turkey
Authors: Kula Mehmet Emirhan , Yarbasi İkram Yusuf
Published: April 2023

Until a few decades ago, ethical issues were defined in terms of fraudulent behavior and workplace working conditions, but the concept itself has now expanded. Child labor, considered cheap and easily manageable labor in the globalizing world, is one of the chronic problems of many developing and developed countries, including Turkey. Recent studies show that child’s work areas are increasingly diversified, and child labor has become an important factor in the global cheap labor market. For whatever reason, it is a universal ethical issue that children work as young adults in many different sectors, from mining to textiles and agriculture to the automotive industry. In this context, the issue of child labor in Turkey has been discussed in the context of business ethics principles. In the study, three main factors were determined as demographic, educational life, and business life variables as the determinants of the reasons for the involvement of children in work life. The multinomial logit model was used to test the relationships between the variables. The research used data from 1128 children in employment obtained from the Child Labor Force Research Micro Data Set carried out by the Turkish Statistical Institute in 2019. According to the results of the research, it has been determined that the variables related to the education life (educational status of the child, family education status, apprenticeship education status) and the variables related to the business life (working sector, working time, income and family working status) affect the working reasons of children. As a result, in an environment of increasing cooperation and competition between countries with the effect of globalization, each country’s reflection of a common definition of child labor in its own national legislation is one of the most important steps to be taken in preventing child labor. In addition, in underdeveloped and developing countries, eliminating poverty, expanding school attendance conditions, and raising awareness about the existence of children’s rights as individuals will be important steps. It must be admitted that it will not be possible to end child labor in all its aspects without developing a society, and public and private sector management that acts with a sense of ethical responsibility.
Management of International Trade in the Context of Ensuring Innovative Development
Authors: Huseynova Lamiya , Huseynov Adil
Published: April 2023

The activities of companies in the foreign market that offer their products and services face several unique challenges, domestic and international, global competition, and additional requirements at several levels. Therefore, developing best practices and considering the evolution of trading processes, strategies, regulations, and technological innovations are mandatory for continuity and prosperity in the international market. The article carries out a bibliometric analysis of publications by keywords «international trade» and «innovations» in the system of international commodity-monetary relations in the conditions of innovative processes and prospects of international exchange of scientific and technical knowledge and technologies. The article aims to investigate the functional link between international trade and the level of the country’s innovative development and confirm the hypothesis about the significance of this link. The following methodological tools were used in the article: Canonical Correlation Analysis and Multivariate Panel Data Regression Model. Forty-four European and Asian countries are investigated. The period of the investigation is from 2006 to 2021. The array of input variables includes a set of indicators, six of which characterize the innovative development of the studied countries; five indicators represent international trade; and three indicators control and describe the socio-economic development of nations. The revealed correlation-regression dependences generally provide a basis for confirming the hypothesis of a direct relationship between the country’s innovative development level and its positioning in the field of international trade. The obtained results proved the presence of a direct statistically significant relationship between High technology exports, Import and Current account balance; Innovation index and External balance on goods and services. An inverse functional dependence was found between the indicator Patent applications by residents and the Current account balance. In the future, it is necessary to adapt the proposed methodology to develop a functional basis for the analysis of the impact of innovations on the ecosystem of specific enterprises; to consider the national aspects of conducting business, and the state policy implication of supporting the digitization of crucial stages of production.
Identifying the Relationship Between the Use of Mobile Technologies and Time: A Study Based on a Sample of OECD Member Countries
Authors: Olearova Maria , Bacik Radovan , Gavurova Beata , Rigelsky Martin
Published: April 2023

There is no consensus in the academic community on whether modern technology positively impacts people’s lives or, on the contrary, whether its use has more negative consequences. Given the universal nature of cell phones, the limitless possibilities of use, and their wide-ranging functionalities, it is reasonable to believe that these devices have been responsible for changing people’s time management. However, different research approaches make it very difficult to confirm or reject hypotheses that consider associations between cell phone use and time use regarding the different activities in a unified way. This fact suggests that there is still a vast scope in research for further exploring and pursuing how technologies, their development, and their uses are able to permeate the everyday working and social life of the population. Based on this, the present paper aims to assess the relationship between the mobile communication device use and time-use change in a sample of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. This analysis used 3 cell phone use indicators and 12 time-bound indicators by using data for the year 2020. The most significant finding was the confirmation of the assumption arising from the application of regression analysis that the frequency of use of cell phones is not significantly related to the changes in the time structure. However, some significant relationships emerged in the models specified for women. This study also discovered that the most apparent difference was observed in unpaid and paid time throughout the day. The paper provides relevant findings which can be beneficial in many aspects. For example, in the business world, they can help manage business activities, improve performance measurement, or improve managerial decisions related to workflow optimization. The findings provide an understanding not only of the population’s well-being but also of the ICT sector state and, ultimately, of all the characteristics of the sustainable development of the countries. In addition, the contribution of this study is also possible in designing more effective decisions by policymakers. In the article, we discuss the study’s results, outline some practical implications, and suggest potential avenues for further research on this issue.