bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empowerment des étudiants par l’éducation au développement durable : le rôle de tâches pédagogiques spécifiques en licence CPES à l’université de Bordeaux
Authors: Roussel Stéphanie , Maveyraud Samuel , Cuya Gavilano Alvaro , de Daruvar Antoine , Jubault-Bregler Marc
Published: February 2024

Le cycle pluridisciplinaire d’études supérieures (CPES) de Bordeaux est une licence axée sur les enjeux sociaux liés aux transitions environnementales. L’un de ses objectifs principaux est de renforcer l’empowerment des étudiants, en consolidant leurs connaissances dans le domaine du développement durable, en favorisant l’apprentissage autodirigé et en renforçant leur sentiment d’auto-efficacité. L’étude prend pour objet deux unités d’enseignement de première année et examine, d’une part, si d’après les étudiants, ces deux unités d’enseignement contribuent au développement de compétences liées à l’empowerment et d’autre part si des tâches spécifiques telles que la rédaction individuelle ou collective d’essais et de rapports, l’évaluation entre pairs et les présentations orales de groupe ont un effet sur l’acquisition de ces mêmes compétences. Les résultats des analyses (une analyse de discours et une analyse statistique des réponses au questionnaire) fournissent un éclairage pédagogique pour le développement de l’empowerment des étudiants.
Bir Özge Temâşâ: Gelibolulu Âlî’nin “Der-Beyān-ı Seyr ü Sülūk-i Rūḥānı̇̄” Kasidesinde Varlık ve İdrak
Authors: YİĞİT Hilal
Published: February 2024

Bu çalışmada Gelibolulu Âli’nin seyr-i süluk hakkında söylediği kasidesi hâl, varlık ve idrak bakımından incelenmiş, şairin kaside boyunca yaptığı yolculuk tetkik edilmiştir. Gelibolulu Âli, varlığı tabir edilmesi gereken bir rüya olarak görür ve uyanıkken gördüğü bir başka rüyada yolculuğa başlar. Sevgilinin gül bahçesinden devşirdiği himmetle yola koyulan şair bu ruhanî yolculukta özge âlemlerde dolaşır. Sekr hâli ile akıl ve kevn ü fesad kaydından kurtulur, hayli huzur bulur. Mücellâ ayinede, kendisini ve halkı görmez Hakk’ı görür, sonra yalnızca halkı görür sonra yine Hakk’ı görür ve sonra kendisini ve Hakk’ı görür en son yine kendisini görür. Fena hâlinin tesiriyle zaman zaman şathiyeye de düşen şair, sâkinken seyr hâlindedir. Bu yolculukta Hak, varlık ve insan arasındaki nispetleri farkedip idrak etmek isteyen şair, fikr-i muammayı çözmek gayretindedir. Hakk’ın kuşatıcılığı ve ihata edilemezliği karşısında sayısız nispetler içinde a’yanın varlığını, eşyanın ve Âdem’in Hakk’ın varlığı karşısındaki konumunu idrak eder. Fakat bu eşya çokluğuna itibar etmez. O sevgilinin, musahibi ve yüce arşında tahtının misafiridir. Şairin bu yolculukta çokça şahidi vardır ve aradığı ancak kendisidir. O kendisini idrak ederek Hakk’ı idrak etmek gayesindedir. Onun bu hâli aynı zamanda sırrını ve mertebesini ifşa etmek demektir. Sevgilinin dudaklarını zikrederek ihya olan şair kasidenin sonunda temyizi bularak sahv hâline döner.
Knowledge and Assessment of Calcium Intake among Medical Students at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Agadir
Authors: N. Bahi , L. Lahlou , S. Kada , I. Ghozlani , M. Erraoui
Published: February 2024

Despite being aware of the significance of maintaining a well-balanced diet abundant in calcium, medical students frequently struggle with discipline and exhibit subpar adherence to this dietary practice, leading to inadequate nutrition. The study sought to evaluate the medical students’ knowledge and identify its impact on their daily calcium consumption. The study was carried out at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Agadir (FMPA) over a period of one year using a cross-sectional design. A self-administered online questionnaire consisting of three sections, namely socio-demographic information, knowledge assessment, and calculation of students' daily calcium intake, was employed. A total of 254 students participated in the survey, with an average age of 20.2 +/- 1.96 years. Out of these, 164 (64.6%) were female and 90 (35.4%) were male. The majority of participants (94.9%) were single, and 186 (73.2%) lived with their families. Regarding the study population, 199 students (78.3%) demonstrated a good level of knowledge regarding calcium. However, the median daily calcium intake was 559 +/-143 and only seven students (2.8%) met the recommended intake of > 1000mg/day according to GRIO guidelines. The results of the study indicated that, despite the heightened awareness among medical students regarding their dietary and lifestyle choices and their good knowledge about calcium intake, there is a disparity between awareness and actual daily calcium consumption. To bridge this gap, it is crucial to enhance awareness further and implement a comprehensive program during their academic years that focuses on promoting increased consumption of calcium-rich foods.
Hypoglossal and Glossopharyngeal Nerve Palsy After Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion
Authors: Simon Chad Z. , Du Jerry Y. , Parel Philip , Adida Samuel , Miller Payton M. , Qureshi Sheeraz
Published: February 2024

Case:

A 69-year-old man underwent a C3-4 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and developed postoperative hypoglossal and glossopharyngeal palsies that resolved with symptomatic treatment.

Conclusion:

Cranial nerve palsy is a rare and possibly under-reported injury after higher-level cervical spine surgery. Conscientious positioning and awareness of these nerves during surgical exposure are crucial to minimizing cranial nerve palsies. Proper workup to identify these palsies and differentiate them from other complications is necessary to guide proper treatment.
WITHDRAWN: HHO-UNet-IAA: Harris Hawks Optimization based Novel UNet-Inception Attention Architecture for Glaucoma Segmentation
Authors: khan yusera , Banerjee Tathagat , Narula Gagandeep Singh , Wason Ritika
Published: February 2024

An accurate diagnosis is significant in preventing blindness because ophthalmology is one of the most prevalent causes of blindness worldwide. Glaucoma is diagnosed with a scanning-laser-tomography examination of the optic nerve head. The surface topography of the optic nerve head is captured and analyzed by this technique. The manual delineation of the optic nerve head by a skilled ophthalmologist is required for the analysis that results in a diagnosis of the illness. Transfer learning based computerized glaucoma classification has achieved effective outcomes. This study presents and validates a novel heuristic-based UNet-Inception attention framework for glaucoma optic nerve segmentation and classification. The suggested technique is based on the concept of merging the benefits of two distinct networks, such as the UNet and Inception framework for automatic segmentation of Glaucoma, along with the blend of the Harris Hawks approach for selecting impact features and a hybrid loss function. Using a database of fundus images, the proposed design was evaluated and compared to several state-of-the-art methods. The integration of the UNet-Inception architecture with the Haris Hawk Optimisation technique in the field of ophthalmology image segmentation has shown potential for substantial enhancements in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and adaptability based on the performance evaluation of this study. Using their combined abilities, these components proposed an efficient, automated ophthalmic classification framework. The fitness evaluation based on Intersection over Union (IoU) indicates that the model's performance is in accordance with the segmentation task. With a median DSC of 0.9892 for the optical nerve head (ONH) segments and 0.98718 for delineating the optic nerve head layer (RNFL), the findings show that the suggested technique performs better than the other techniques in terms of segmented images.
Generation of robotized assembly order using Liaison and Matrix methods: A comparative study
Authors: Dash Parameswar , Sahu Basant Kumar , Dash Manaswini
Published: February 2024

A robotic assembly process must be properly developed to achieve the highest throughput, viability, and efficiency. A great variety of ways to order creation have been documented in various literatures, each with its own methodology. However, the majority of literature employs soft computing strategies to generate assembly orders. This paper compares two order generating approaches, the liaison method and the matrix method. The matrix method offers a wide variety of possible applications. This technique may be implemented into the robot motion control software and is also simpler to add into automation operations. This technique has a high degree of convergence and uniqueness. However, the building of matrices must be done properly in order to obtain the correct result. The liaison method employs a logical approach via a series of inquiries that result in the desired precedence connection among the components. Assembly orders are generated using precedence relationships. The success of this strategy is dependent on the responses to a set of questions sent to each liaison. This method's appropriateness is related to items that have fewer components. The two approaches that have been chosen are deliberated about and applied to arbitrarily chosen items, which serve as the basis for the creation of a fundamental and correct approach for the production of robotic assembly orders. The study demonstrates that robotic assembly cells may use the matrix technique. The goal of the ongoing effort is to increase the robotic assembly system's capacity and adaptability.
A New Nadarajah-Haghighi Distribution with Applications
Authors: Kumar Vijay , Chakraborty Abhishek , Arshad Mohd , Tiwari Anshika
Published: February 2024

We propose a new Nadarajah-Haghighi (NH) distribution by applying the record transmutation function to the NH distribution for enhanced flexibility in data modeling. We discuss the shape of the probability density function and hazard function. Furthermore, we obtain quantile function, moments and moment generating function of the distribution. Moreover, we study various estimators for the parameters, such as maximum likelihood estimators, ordinary least squares and weighted least squares estimators, Anderson-Darling estimators, and Cram´er-von Mises estimators. The biases and mean squared errors of these estimators are thoroughly examined through Monte Carlo simulation studies. To demonstrate the practical application of the proposed distribution, two real data analysis are considered. The results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed distribution in modeling real-life data, with the model exhibiting superior fitting performance compared to other competing models.
Efficient dye removal by Streptomyces cyaneus lacasse heterologously expressed within S. cerevisiae cell walls immobilized within tyramine-modified alginate beads using visible light photopolymerization
Authors: Stanić Dragana Josić , Kokar Nikolina Popović , Stošić Anja , Popović Milica Crnoglavac , Prodanović Olivera , Vladisavljević Goran , Prodanović Radivoje
Published: February 2024

Environmental pollution by synthetic dyes presents serious global problem, since they are not biodegradable in conventional anaerobic wastewater treatment. Many studies using enzymatic degradation of synthetic dyes, especially laccases were reported. For the lacasse immobilization, hydrogels obtained through UV photopolymerization have been commonly used. However, cross-linking with visible light presents a less harmful and invasive method with possible applications in tissue engineering. In this study, laccase from Streptomyces cyaneus was expressed on the surface of yeast cell walls, followed by cell lysis and immobilization within modified alginate beads. The resulting laccase biocatalysts were additionally crosslinked using visible light in the presence of riboflavin as a photoinitiator. Photopolymerization was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The obtained biocatalysts with improved pH and temperature stability were obtained. At 60 ℃, cell wall-immobilized laccase entrapped in photopolymerized tyramine-alginate hydrogel showed 30% higher enzymatic activity compared to the non-photopolymerized tyramine-alginate biocatalyst, and 250% higher activity compared to the biocatalyst immobilized in native alginate beads. Photopolymerized biocatalysts were tested for the decolorization of different classes of synthetic dyes. The relative decolorization of Evans Blue and Remazol Brilliant Blue by photopolymerized biocatalysts reached 75% and 77%, respectively, without the addition of redox mediators.
Evaluation of short versus long course chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting in ovarian cancer
Authors: Alghandour Reham , Refky Basel , Elsalman Hasan , Saker Doaa , Zohdy Mohamed , Elbaz Sara , Hany Islam
Published: February 2024

Background:
There is a debate about the optimum number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) cycles for ovarian cancer and its impact on survival.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the optimum number (NACT) cycles that influence the surgical and pathological outcome and its impact on survival.
Methods:
retrospective cohort study, all patients included were newly diagnosed ovarian cancer who received NACT then underwent interval debulking surgery (IDA), presented to tertiary cancer center from July 2011 to December 2021.patients were classified into two groups according to number of NACT cycles. Group 1; Patients who received ≤ 4 cycles Group 2; Patients who received ≤ 5 cycles.
Results:
207 patients were included (130 patients in group 1, 70 patients in group 2). 63.1% of group I were stage III while 51.9% of group II were stage IV. There was no difference between two groups in pathological response to NACT (P = 0.9), or those who underwent optimal cytoreduction (P = 0.8). group 2 received a higher total dose of perioperative chemotherapy (median 8 VS 6 cycles) (P-value < .001). There were no significant differences between both groups regards overall (OS) or relapse free survivals (RFS) (P = 0.5. 0.1 respectively).
Conclusion
Receiving more than 4 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by cytoreductive surgery had no impact on achievement of optimal cytoreduction surgery or surgical morbidity and mortality and did not affect relapse free or overall survivals.
Bioaccumulation of cadmium in muscle and liver tissues of juvenile Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) from the Indian Ocean.
Authors: Jayaweera Dhanushka Dilini , Gunawickrama K.B. Suneetha , Evenset Anita , Kuganathan Sivashanthini
Published: February 2024

The present study evaluated the cadmium (Cd) levels and temporal variation of Cd in dark muscle, white muscle, and liver of juvenile Thunnus albacares. 72 individuals (Standard length: 50 -67cm; weight: 0.8 kg - 2.5 kg) were collected from the selected landing sites in Sri Lanka during the period between April 2021 to May 2022. Total Cd levels were analyzed using an inductivity-coupled Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrophotometer. The mean Cd levels (mean ± SD mg/kg dry weight) in different tissues varied with significantly higher levels in the liver (13.62 ± 0.98, p < 0.05), compared to dark muscle (0.52 ± 0.05), and white muscle (0.42 ± 0.04). Cd levels in liver tissues were positively correlated (p < 0.05) with the fish weight. The highest Cd levels in liver tissue and dark muscle were reported in October 2021 (26.35 ± 3.46, 0.93 ± 0.10 mg/kg d.w. respectively) while in white muscle, the highest Cd level was found in November (0.60 ± 0.07 mg/kg d.w.). The Cd levels reported in dark muscles, white muscles, and liver tissues were significantly higher (p < 0.05) during 2nd inter-monsoon than in the other monsoonal regimes. The measured Cd levels (mg/kg wet weight) in white and dark muscles, were well below the maximum permissible level (0.2 mg/kg wet weight) set by WHO/FAO, but in the liver tissues of all samples were above the level. Accordingly, the edible flesh (white and dark muscles) of T. albacares from the Indian Ocean can be considered safe for human consumption whereas the liver tissues are unsafe. A human with a body weight of 60 kg can consume white muscles up to 4.667 kg per week without exceeding the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake defined by WHO/FAO.
Understanding tumour growth variability in patient-derived breast cancer xenograft models identifies early responders and biomarkers of resistance to PARP inhibition
Authors: O'Connor Mark , Voulgarelis Dimitrios , Forment Josep , Herencia-Ropero Andrea , Polychronopoulos Dimitris , Bender Andreas , Serra Violeta , Yates James , Bulusu Krishna
Published: February 2024

Understanding mechanisms of resistance to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) represents a clinically relevant goal that is addressed in this study using a novel methodology. A framework has been developed formulating a mathematical model accounting for intrinsic resistance to the PARPi olaparib, identified by fitting the model to tumour growth metrics from breast cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) data. Pre-treatment transcriptomic profiles were used together with the calculated resistance in order to extract baseline biomarkers of resistance to olaparib, as well as potential combination targets. Predicted biomarkers were then assessed for validity and novelty through differential survival analysis, modelling of combination data and pathway enrichment analysis. The model provided both a classification of responses, as well as a continuous description of resistance, allowing for more robust biomarker associations and capturing the variability observed. 36 resistance gene markers were identified, including multiple Homologous Recombination Repair (HRR) pathway genes that are a key part of olaparib’s mechanism-of-action. High levels of WEE1 expression were also linked to resistance, highlighting an opportunity for combining a PARPi with the WEE1 inhibitor. This framework facilitates a fully automated way of capturing response to treatment, including intrinsic resistance, and accounts for the biological and pharmacological response variability captured within PDX studies and hence provides a precision medicine approach.
Comparison of the clinical performance of self-adhering flowable composite and resin-based pit and fissure sealant: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: gisour Elham Farokh , Jahanimoghadam Fatemeh , Aftabi Reyhaneh
Published: February 2024

Background: Self-adhering flowable composites are an innovative step in reducing the chair time of pit and fissure sealant treatment. This study aimed to compare the clinical performance of self-adhering flowable composite (SELF-ADH) and resin-based pit and fissure sealant (RBs).
Methods: This is a double-blinded, randomized, split-mouth clinical trial conducted on 80 fully erupted permanent mandibular first molars from 40 children aged 6 to 12 years. For each participant, two permanent molars were randomly treated with SELF-ADH or RB. All sealants were assessed at 3, 6, and 12-month follow-ups considering retention, marginal integrity, marginal discolouration, colour matching, surface texture, and caries recurrence. To analyse the data, logistic regression and Fisher's exact tests were used (significance level P < 0.05).
Results: At the 12-month follow-up, the number of fully retained sealants in the SELF-ADH group was 5.37 times greater than that in the RB group (P < 0.001). The success rate of marginal integrity in the SELF-ADH group was also 2.31 times greater than that in the RB group (P = 0.013), while the marginal discolouration was 2.23 times greater in the RB group (P < 0.001). The incidence of recurrent caries in teeth with partial loss of sealant in both groups (P = 0.004, P < 0.001) increased significantly over time.
Conclusion: The retention and marginal integrity of the self-adhering flowable composite were significantly greater than those of the resin-based sealant. Therefore, due to the small number of work steps, flowable self-adhering composites can be used as alternatives to resin-based pit and fissure sealants.
Trial registration: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Kerman University of Medical Sciences with the code IR.KMU.REC.1399.556 and Iraninan Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) code IRCT20180521039763N4, as well as full compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki
Condyloma acuminatum recurrence can be reduced by lesional autotransplantation
Authors: Epipode Ntawuyamara , Bashir Zeeshan , Liang Yuan , Liang Yanhua
Published: February 2024

Background
Condyloma acuminatum (CA), also known as a genital wart (GW), is a sexually transmitted disease caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV lesions, recurrence tendency, and risk of malignant formation are primarily dependent on the person’s immunity level. GW recurrence is a major challenge in CA treatment.The aim of this study was to explore how lesional autotransplantation (LT) can be used to treat coronary anemia and decrease its recurrence.
Methods
We treated CA through the preparation and implantation of tissue from nine CA patients in our dermatology clinic. Transplantation of small pieces of HPV lesions to the subcutaneous fat of the inguinal region was carried out with the help of a simple surgical method under local anesthesia. Patients were followed up for six to eight months. We searched PubMed and the Web of Science for treatment options for CA to compare our treatment method recurrence rate with existing treatment options.
Results
During three months of follow-up, seven patients experienced no recurrence of condyloma lesions, while two patients experienced recurrence of small lesions of condyloma acuminatum. The recurrence rate of CA once treated by autotransplantation was relatively low compared to that of other CA treatment options.
Conclusions
Transplantation of HPV lesions to the inguinal area reduces the recurrence rate in sexually active individuals. The 2/9 recurrence after implantation could be due to poor hygiene, sexual relationships or immune factors.
Phenological and morphological variations of Oryza rufipogon and O. nivara in Sri Lanka and their evolutionary implications
Authors: Ge Song , Sandamal Salinda , Tennakoon Asanka , Wijerathna Parakkrama , Zhang Hong-Xiang , Yu Wen-Hao , Qiang Cheng-Gen , Han Jing-Dan , Zhang Fu-Min , Ratnasekera Disna
Published: February 2024

Phenological and morphological variation are widely viewed as a pivotal driver of ecological adaptation and speciation. Oryza rufipogon and O. nivara, the wild progenitors of cultivated rice, are most closely related and provide a unique system for investigating ecological adaption and speciation. Here, we investigate variation patterns of flowering phenology and morphological traits within and between O. rufipogon and O. nivara populations in Sri Lanka by incorporating the in situ observation in natural habitats and manipulative experiments in common gardens. First, we observed varying degrees of phenological variation under different temporal and environmental conditions, suggesting that flowering phenology of two Oryza species is highly plastic and vary depending on both environment and management practices. Particularly, the Sri Lankan O. nivara exhibits high plasticity in flowering phenology with water availability being a primary determinant, implying that O. nivara might not be an annual in the strict sense. Second, we unexpectedly found that flowering time of the two species in Sri Lanka overlapped to a large extent, which suggests that the primary factor to maintain the species divergence in Sri Lanka may not be flowering time but rather environments. Third, we uncovered two distinct morphological groups, corresponding to O. rufipogon and O. nivara and show that habitat difference rather than spatial isolation is the main explanation for the phenotypic divergence between species. Moreover, our results indicate a substantial link between morphological variation and several major climatic factors including altitude, temperature and rainfall. Finally, our selection analysis suggests that interspecific divergence in the traits related to reproduction and habitat preference is most likely driven by natural selection. Together, our case study on the Sri Lankan O. rufipogon and O. nivara enhances the understanding of the roles of phenotypic plasticity and environmental factors in the processes of adaptation and speciation.
Enhancing the efficiency of protein language models with minimal wet-lab data through few-shot learning
Authors: Tan Pan , Zhou Ziyi , Zhang Liang , Yu Yuanxi , Li Mingchen , Hong Liang
Published: February 2024

Accurately modeling the protein fitness landscapes holds great importance for protein engineering. Recently, due to their capacity and representation ability, pre-trained protein language models have achieved state-of-the-art performance in predicting protein fitness without experimental data. However, their predictions are limited in accuracy as well as interpretability. Furthermore, such deep learning models require abundant labeled training examples for performance improvements, posing a practical barrier. In this work, we introduce FSFP, a training strategy that can effectively optimize protein language models under extreme data scarcity. By combining the techniques of meta-transfer learning, learning to rank, and parameter-efficient fine-tuning, FSFP can significantly boost the performance of various protein language models using merely tens of labeled single-site mutants from the target protein. The experiments across 87 deep mutational scanning datasets underscore its superiority over both unsupervised and supervised approaches, revealing its potential in facilitating AI-guided protein design.
An integration test based only on the maximum and minimum Z-scores for meta analysis
Authors: Zhang Yuxin , Li Zhengbang
Published: February 2024

Purpose:
In modern medical field, one may encounter many summary values such as Z-scores and p-values. There have existed many integration methods for p-values, and there also existed some integration methods for Z-scores. Although there is a test which can integrate the maximum and minimum values from a large number of related Z-score values, but the distribution function of this test method is very complex and it is difficult to compute its p value.
Methods:
In this paper, we propose a new test to integrate the maximum and minimum Z-scores for meta analysis. We derive the asymptotic distribution of our proposed test under some regular conditions and null hypothesis. We investigate theoretical powers of our proposed test for some settings under alternative hypothesis.
Results:
We compare powers of our proposed test to existing tests theoretically. Both extensive simulation results and real data analysis results show that our proposed test can control empirical type-1 error rates well and gain desirable powers.
Conclusion:
Our proposed method can be adopted easily and conveniently.
The value of quantitative shear wave elastography combined with conventional ultrasound in evaluating and guiding fine needle aspiration biopsy of axillary lymph node for early breast cancer: implication for axillary surgical stage
Authors: Liu Xuan , Huang Yi-ni , Wu Ying-lan , Zhu Xiao-yao , Xie Ze-ming , Li Jian
Published: February 2024

Objectives
To investigate the value of conventional ultrasonography (US) combined with quantitative shear wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating and identifying target axillary lymph node (TALN) for fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of early breast cancer patients.
Materials and methods
A total of 222 patients with 223 ALNs were prospectively recruited from January 2018 to December 2021. All TALNs were evaluated by US, SWE and subsequently underwent FNAB. The diagnostic performances of US, SWE, two combination methods of US and SWE (“US or SWE” and “US and SWE”), and FNAB guided by the above four methods for evaluating ALN status were assessed using receiver operator characteristic curve analyses. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses used to determine the independent predictors of axillary burden.
Results
The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the ability of conventional US and SWE in diagnosing ALNs were 0.70 and 0.66, with a sensitivity of 78.00% and 65.00%, a specificity of 60.98% and 66.67%. Using the SWE to combined with US, the “US or SWE” achieved significantly improved sensitivity of 86.00%. The AUC of the “US or SWE”-guided FNAB [0.85 (95% CI, 0.80–0.90)] was significantly higher than that of US-guided FNAB [0.83 (95% CI, 0.78–0.88), p = 0.042], SWE-guided FNAB [0.79 (95% CI, 0.73–0.84), p = 0.001], and US and SWE-guided FNAB [0.77 (95% CI, 0.71–0.82), p < 0.001]. Multivariate logistic regression showed that FNAB and number of suspicious ALNs were found independent predictors of axillary burden in early breast cancer patients.
Conclusion
The "US or SWE" had superior sensitivity compared to US or SWE alone in ALN diagnosis. The "US or SWE"-guided FNAB achieved a lower false-negative rate compared to FNAB guided solely by US or SWE, which may be a promising tool for the preoperative diagnosis of ALNs in early breast cancer, and had the potential implication for the selection of axillary surgical modality.
Group-Based Trajectory Modeling to Identify Adherence Patterns for Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Medicare Beneficiaries with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Mohan Anjana , Chen Hua , Deshmukh Ashish A. , Wanat Matthew , Essien Ekere James , Paranjpe Rutugandha , Fatima Bilqees , Abughosh Susan
Published: February 2024

Background Suboptimal adherence to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) among Atrial Fibrillation (AF) patients remains currently a major concern due to the increased risk of cardiac and thromboembolic events.
Aim The aim is to identify longitudinal distinct trajectories of DOAC adherence, and the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with the trajectories.
Method Patients with AF who were prescribed a DOAC from July 2016 - December 2017 were identified among patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plan. Patients were followed up for a year after the index date to calculate the monthly Proportion of days covered (PDC). The monthly PDC was incorporated into the logistic GBTM to characterize the distinct patterns of adherence. A multinomial regression model was carried out to assess various predictors associated with each trajectory. Sub-group analysis was conducted among incident DOAC users.
Results A total of 1,969 patients with AF were included. Four distinct trajectories of adherence were selected: adherent (36.8%), gaps in adherence (9.3%), gradual decline in adherence (29.7%), and rapid decline in adherence (24.2%). Significant predictors associated with suboptimal adherence trajectories were age, gender, health plan, prevalent users, and the presence of comorbidities like hypertension, renal disease, and NSAID use. Among the 933 incident users, three adherence trajectories were identified: adherent trajectory (31.8%), rapid decline in adherence (32.5%), and gradual decline in adherence (35.6%). The significant factors identified among incident users were gender, health plan, HAS-BLED score, and coronary artery disease.
Conclusion Adherence to DOACs was suboptimal among the total population and the incident users.
Imported Malaria in a non-endemic country: sixteen years of cases in a Hospital in the South of Madrid, Spain.
Authors: Antón-Berenguer Víctor , Cabrera-Rodrigo Irene , Valle-Borrego Beatriz , Ligero-López Jorge , Merino-Fernández Francisco J. , Gómez-de-Frutos Sara , Rubio Jose Miguel
Published: February 2024

PURPOSE: Malaria keeps on being a serious global health threat, especially in many tropical countries, where it is endemic. Also in non-endemic countries, like Spain, malaria is an issue that requires attention due to the presence of imported cases.
METHODS: This is a retrospective study, including all patients diagnosed with malaria at Severo Ochoa University Hospital from 2006 to 2022, being classified according to: (I) their type of stay in an endemic area as visiting friends and relatives (VFR), migrants of recent arrival (MRA), or tourism and business (T&B), and (II) the mode of presentation as microscopic (MM) or submicroscopic (SMM) malaria.
RESULTS: In this study, 132 patients (23.7% of all suspected) were diagnosed with malaria. The PCR was the most sensitive technique (99.2%), followed by antigen detection (78.8%) and microscopy (75%), with Plasmodium falciparum being the predominant species (94.7%). VFR was the largest group infected with malaria (69.7%), mostly symptomatic (98.2%) and presenting MM (90.2%). Instead, MRA patients (25%) presented milder (47.4%) or no symptoms (31.6%) and higher cases of SMM (42.4%).
Coinfection with another imported pathogen was present in 19 patients (14.4%), being MRA more frequently coinfected (30.3%).
CONCLUSION: This study shows the need for establishing systems for VFRs to attend pre-travel consultations to reduce malaria imported risk. In the case of MRA, screening for imported diseases should be conducted upon their arrival. Finally, we highlight two cases of co-infection with imported viruses, showing that presence of symptoms resembling malaria from another imported pathogen does not exclude malaria.
Pulsed electric field treatment of oat and barley flour: Influence on enzymes, non-starch polysaccharides, dough rheological properties and application in flat bread
Authors: Grgić Tomislava , Bleha Roman , Smrčková Petra , Stulić Višnja , Pavičić Tomislava Vukušić , Synytsya Andriy , Iveković Damir , Novotni Dubravka
Published: February 2024

This study examined the effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on enzymes, non-starch polysaccharides, and bread making potential of oat and barley flour. Enzymes activity, microstructure, β-glucans extractability, molecular weight (Mw) and structure of non-starch polysaccharides, dough rheology and flat bread properties were determined. An exponential decay model explained better the residual activity of oat β-glucanase across electric field intensity than barley β-glucanase. PEF treatment of flour at 12 kV/cm for 162 ms significantly reduced β-glucanase activity (40.2–76.5%) while increased the concentration of total β-glucans (33.5%) and water-extractable arabinoxylans (36–41%). Mw of linear β-d-glucans decreased (9%) while Mw of branched arabinoxylans increased (6–33%). Scanning electron microscopy showed changes in microstructure of barley proteins. Blending wheat flour (70%) with oat or barley flour (30% weight) after PEF treatment enhanced gluten aggregation energy (29–19%) and breakdown viscosity (18–43%) of dough, as well as increased β-glucans content (21–32%) but reduced specific volume (11–24%). The findings of this study provide a comprehensive insight into the PEF's potential for retarding enzymatic reactions and preserving integrity of cereal non-starch polysaccharides.
Response mechanism of heat-sensitive neurons under combined noise stimulation
Authors: Wang Yuhai , Huang Guodong , Zhu Rui , Zhou Shu , Chai Yuan
Published: February 2024

Patients born with congenital analgesia have no ability to sense temperature, who generally have bleak chances of survival. However, the relevant pathological mechanism remains unclear. To explore how the body's heat-sensitive neurons change in response to external stimuli, based on a heat-sensitive neuron model developed from the piezoelectric neural circuit, we designed two different stimuli combined Gaussian white noise to each stimulus, triggering different firing modes (r1, r2, r3). The Hamilton energy corresponding to each emission mode is calculated to identify the contribution of the external stimulus, and further, a correlation function is defined to identify the influence of external stimuli on the firing mode selection of neurons. Simulation results revealed that the neuronal response to the external stimulus that induces the spike discharge is preferentially compared to the external stimulus that induces the r-clonic pattern. The changes in the contour of the periodic attractor confirmed that external stimuli inducing spike-and-wave and r-clonic patterns could be sensitively perceived. For external stimuli, the chaotic emission pattern caused by the Chua circuit stimulus, the contribution of spikes, r-clonic and even periodic stimuli can be detected because the contour of the chaotic attractor also changes greatly. Moreover, the neurons are more sensitive to external stimuli, which can cause a greater release of Hamilton energy and a higher level of regularity in neural activity. This study revealed the potential response mechanism of thermosensitive neurons under combined noise stimulation.
Composting and fermentation: mitigating hop latent viroid infection risk in hop residues
Authors: Hagemann Michael Helmut , Treiber Charlotte , Sprich Elke , Born Ute , Lutz Kathrin , Stampfl Johannes , Radišek Sebastjan
Published: February 2024

Hop cultivation, integral to the brewing industry, faces challenges from viroids, especially the citrus bark cracking viroid (CBCVd) but also the hop latent viroid (HLVd) influences hop cone quality. We focused on the degradation kinetics of HLVd thereby covering compost, silage, and digestate made from hop residues. In this study, HLVd serves as a model for understanding CBCVd, which causes significant stunting and yield losses in European hop crops. Composting experiments revealed that although composting significantly lowers HLVd levels, complete degradation within 7 weeks is not guaranteed, with loose compost showing a more rapid reduction than compacted variants. Infectivity experiments conducted using inocula obtained from HLVd-infected hop plant residues exposed to composting, ensiling, and biogas digestate did not result in the transmission of HLVd to viroid-free plants. Also extracting and analyzing the soil-root mixture of plants inoculated with HLVd-infected hop residues did not show evidence for viroid persistence. Degradation experiments further differentiated between the physiochemical and biological influences on viroid and viroid-like random RNA stability, showing that higher temperatures of 50°C enhance degradation over 40°C, and pH levels of 5 or 7 are slowing degradation. In contrast deionized water or a pH of 4 or 9 enhances viroid degradation. Adding extracts from digestate accelerated the process indicating a role of biological activity. Interestingly, a viroid-like random RNA with similar physiochemical properties, showed to degrade faster compared to HLVd, suggesting high robustness of the actual viroid secondary structure. These findings offer valuable insights into managing HLVd in hops and potentially other crops, highlighting effective strategies to mitigate viroid spread, and contributing to broader understanding of RNA degradation in agriculture.
Public Attitudes Toward ChatGPT on Twitter: Sentiments, Topics, and Occupations
Authors: Koonchanok Ratanond , Pan Yanling , Jang Hyeju
Published: February 2024

ChatGPT sets a new record with the fastest-growing user base, as a chatbot powered by a large language model (LLM). While it demonstrates state-of-the-art capabilities in a variety of language-generation tasks, it also raises widespread public concerns regarding its societal impact. In this paper, we investigated public attitudes towards ChatGPT by applying natural language processing techniques such as sentiment analysis and topic modeling to Twitter data from December 5, 2022 to June 10, 2023. Our sentiment analysis result indicates that the overall sentiment was largely neutral to positive, and negative sentiments were decreasing over time. Our topic model reveals that the most popular topics discussed were education, Bard, Search Engines, OpenAI, Marketing, and Cybersecurity, but the ranking varies by month. We also analyzed the occupations of Twitter users and found that those with occupations in arts and entertainment tweeted aboutChatGPT most frequently. Additionally, people tended to tweet about topics relevant to their occupation. For instance, Cybersecurity is the most discussed topic among those with occupations related to computer and math, and Education is the most discussed topic among those in academic and research. Overall, our exploratory study provides insights into the public perception of ChatGPT, which could be valuable to both the general public and developers of this technology.
Missing Data Recovery for Transmission Networks Using Graph Convolutional Networks with Location Mask
Authors: Li Lijuan , Zhang Qingsong , Liu Hongliang , Xing Baixue , Liu Hai , Chen Qi , Wang Jie
Published: February 2024

As the integration of power systems and information systems has advanced, the significance of power data has progressively increased. However, data loss stemming from information attacks and other transmission failures diminishes the value of power data. Research on missing data recovery in transmission network nodes overlooks the stochastic characteristics of missing positions and random missing scales in missing information completion. Therefore, this paper proposes a graph convolution method with a location mask. This model introduces an input‒output matrix containing all node feature information to address random missing positions. The designed location mask and the class residual network structure formed by the graph convolution layers enhance the model's information mining and generalization capabilities, effectively addressing random missing positions and random missing scales. Subsequently, through comparison with other models and through testing across 61 scenarios involving various missing patterns and scales, the model's effectiveness and superiority are validated. Finally, a series of experiments are conducted to explore the role of the location mask during the data recovery task.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Utilization of Traditional Medicine among THE COMMUNITY of South West Omo Zone, Jemu Town, South west Ethiopia Peoples regional state, Ethiopia
Authors: DEREJE MEKURIAW
Published: February 2024

Background
Traditional medicine is used by about 80% of the Ethiopian people to meet their healthcare needs. Studies on the current knowledge and practices of communities in the era of modern health care expansion are inadequate.
Objective
To assess the knowledge, attitude and Utilization of traditional medicine (TM) among the community in West Omo Zone, Jemu Town, South West Regional State of Ethiopia.
Methodology
Descriptive cross-sectional study was used to conduct the study. A systematic random sampling was used to select households. Data was collected through house to house interview. The data was analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21.0.
Results
The results of this study revealed that overall knowledge of traditional medicine in the community is 63.8%. From total of 390 study participants 251(64.4%) have good attitude on TM and 139(36.6%) have poor attitude on TM. Three hundred forty eight (89.2%) they reported that they used complementary and alternative medicine in the past two years. According to this study mostly complementary and alternative medicine was given for adults 185(47.4%), elders 122(31.3%), 55(14.1%) for children and 28(7.2%) for pregnant women.
Conclusion
The majority population has good knowledge of the TM. Cultural acceptability and prevalence of traditional medicine in community Jemu Town is 63.8% and this is due to the cultural acceptability, easy accessibility, and affordability of TM. Also majority of population in the community has good attitude of TM which is 64.4%) and the finding also shows TM are highly utilized by the community about 89.2% in the Town. Herbal medications were used by the community to treat malaria, fever, infection, constipation and others.
Comunicación educativa y COVID-19. Desafíos de la pospandemia
Authors: Percastre-Mendizábal Salvador
Published: February 2024

Internet, sus plataformas o medios sociales, sus redes digitales y los diversos dispositivos asociados a la navegación ciberespacial cobraron una formidable relevancia durante la pandemia del COVID-19 en tanto que representaron el papel crucial en la comunicación educativa de estudiantes de todos los niveles, en todos los centros educativos al rededor del mundo. Este rol educativo digital, de diversas maneras inédito por su amplitud y cobertura, se constituyó en el único recurso para conectar a las y los alumnos con las escuelas y sus profesores, desplazando los intrincados procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje al ámbito digital, en lo que se popularizó como educación virtual o educación en línea.
Dimensionless numerical sensitivity analysis of narrow cracks by means of infrared lock-in thermography
Authors: Sagarduy-Marcos D , Mendioroz A , Rodríguez-Aseguinolaza J
Published: February 2024

Lock-in infrared thermography has been identi?ed as a highly suitable technique for a quantitative defect charac-terization. In this work, first, a complete dimensionless reformulation of the thermographic investigation is provided. As a consequence, the constraints of particular experimental setups or material properties can be overcome preserving the full physical information of the experiment. The resulting model has been numerically solved and successfully validated by using experimental thermographic data. Second, the developed dimensionless model has been used as input for a global sensitivity analysis. Overall, the obtained results provide an experimental guideline for an optimized thermographic defect characterization.
Comparative Assessment of the Size-of-Source Effect in Middle- and Long-Wavelength Infrared Camera
Authors: Mendez M , Ebert J , Sommerlade L , Schmoll R , Kroll A
Published: February 2024

Current radiometric calibration procedures for thermal imaging cameras are usually performed for a single calibration geometry. The uncertainty estimated from such a procedure only represents the calibration scenario and does not account for variation of the emitting source’s size; this is known as the size-of-source effect (SSE). In this work, the measurements of the SSE for four thermal imaging cameras (two in the long-wavelength and two in the middle-wavelength infrared range) are presented. The investigation shows that the SSE rises as the temperature increase, as the size of the object deviates from the calibration geometry, and that is smaller for the middle-wavelength cameras
Activation of Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING): Promising Strategy to Overcome Immune Resistance in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Alnukhali Mohammed , Altabbakh Omar , Farooqi Ammad Ahmad , Pollack Alan , Daunert Sylvia , Deo Sapna , Tao Wensi
Published: February 2024

:

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequent and second-lethal cancer among
men. Despite considerable efforts to explore treatments like autologous cellular immunotherapy
and immune checkpoint inhibitors, their success remains limited. The intricate
tumor microenvironment (TME) and its interaction with the immune system pose
significant challenges in PCa treatment. Consequently, researchers have directed their focus
on augmenting the immune system's anti-tumor response by targeting the STimulator
of the Interferon Genes (STING) pathway. The STING pathway is activated when
foreign DNA is detected in the cytoplasm of innate immune cells, resulting in the activation
of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) STING. This, in turn, triggers an augmentation of
signaling, leading to the production of type I interferon (IFN) and other pro-inflammatory
cytokines. Numerous studies have demonstrated that activation of the STING pathway
induces immune system rejection and targeted elimination of PCa cells. Researchers
have been exploring various methods to activate the STING pathway, including the
use of bacterial vectors to deliver STING agonists and the combination of radiation therapy
with STING agonists. Achieving effective radiation therapy with minimal side effects
and optimal anti-tumor immune responses necessitates precise adjustments to radiation
dosing and fractionation schedules. This comprehensive review discusses promising
findings from studies focusing on activating the STING pathway to combat PCa. The
STING pathway exhibits the potential to serve as an effective treatment modality for
PCa, offering new hope for improving the lives of those affected by this devastating disease.