bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A case of fatal acute bacterial meningoencephalitis with extremely high cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count
Authors: AlHodaif Hend , AlOtaibi Sultan , BinSailh Salih , Almuntashri Makki , AlOtaibi Naser , Khatri Ismail A.
Published: April 2023

Acute bacterial meningoencephalitis is still prevalent despite the widespread vaccination and still fatal despite the advances in antimicrobial therapy. Identifying patients at risk, lowering the threshold of clinical diagnosis and early treatment of such a curable disease will save patients' lives.
Ultrasound‐guided interventional approach to intraperitoneal nail gun injury: A case report with literature review
Authors: Jalili Javad , Ghane Milad Babazadeh , Azari Morteza , Jafarizadeh Ali , Azari Mojtaba , Falahatian Masih , Alihosseini Samin
Published: April 2023

Literature review suggests that surgery is the only option for dealing with intraperitoneal foreign bodies (laparoscopy and laparotomy). We showed that an interventional method using ultrasound guidance could be considered alongside surgical options.
Insight into the Mechanism of Cd2+ Removal by MgAl Layered Double Hydroxides with Different Host‐Guest Interactions
Authors: Li Qian , Wu Zhaohui , Bai Sha , Liu Yingjie , Li Jiaxin , Song Yu‐Fei
Published: April 2023

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have shown great potential as adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals. Nevertheless, how the host‐guest interactions of LDHs affect the removal mechanism remains to be less explored. Herein, CO32−/NO3−/SO42−/Cl− intercalated MgAl‐LDHs with different host‐guest interactions were fabricated and their removal mechanism for Cd2+ was investigated. The removal capacity increased in the order of MgAl−CO3 (127.3 mg/g)<MgAl−SO4 (173.3 mg/g)<MgAl−NO3 (305.0 mg/g)≈MgAl−Cl (312.5 mg/g). The quasi‐in‐situ XRD and XAS demonstrated that Cd2+ was removed as CdCO3 for MgAl−CO3, while for MgAl−Cl/NO3/SO4, Cd2+ was removed as CdAl‐LDHs by an isomorphic substitution mechanism. DFT calculations revealed that compared to the CdAl‐LDHs formation the Gibbs free energy of the CdCO3 formation was lower, which made it easier to remove Cd2+ as CdCO3 on MgAl−CO3. Conversely, isomorphic substitution of MgAl−NO3 to obtain CdAl‐LDHs was a free energy reduction process.
Single‐photon emission computed tomography‐defined active bone marrow‐sparing volumetric‐modulated arc therapy reduces the incidence of acute hematologic toxicity in locally advanced cervical cancer patients who receive chemoradiotherapy: A single‐center prospective randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wang ShanBing , Liu Jiapei , Lei Kaijian , Jia Yuming , Wang Chunxiu , Zhang Xia , Li Ting
Published: April 2023

Background

This study aims to test the efficacy of single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)‐defined active bone marrow‐sparing (ABMS) volumetric‐modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in reducing grade 3+ acute hematologic toxicity (HT) in locally advanced cervical cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Methods

This was a prospective, single‐center, open label, randomized clinical trial that enrolled locally advanced cervical cancer patients. Participants were randomized to the 99mTc sulfur colloid SPECT‐defined ABMS VMAT (ABMS group) or control group, who received weekly cisplatin concurrently with VMAT followed by high–dose‐rate intracavitary brachytherapy. The ABMS group additionally received SPECT‐defined ABM dose constraints. The primary end point was the incidence of grade 3+ acute HT.

Results

A total of 192 Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics stage IB‐IIIB patients were randomly treated (96 each in the ABMS control groups). The median follow‐up was 24.0 months. The incidence of grade 3+ acute HT in the ABMS group was significantly lower than that in the control group (32.3% vs. 53.1%, p < .01). The number of patients completing five cycles of cisplatin was 88.5% in the ABMS group and 75% in the control group, and the difference was significant (p = .02). There were no differences in planning target value coverage, organs at risk dosimetric parameters, 2‐year progression‐free survival, or 2‐year overall survival between the two groups. Patients in the control group had nonsignificantly worse 2‐year distant metastasis than patients in the ABMS group (17.8% vs. 11.1%, p = .19).

Conclusions

ABMS VMAT significantly reduced grade 3+ acute HT and improved chemotherapy delivery compared with the control treatment. We found weak evidence of the effect of ABMS VMAT on distant metastasis.
Antibacterial and Antifouling Properties of Ag‐ and Cu‐Decorated Thin Film Composite Polyamide Reverse Osmosis Membranes
Authors: Anh Ngo Thu Hong , Huy Do Hoang , Thanh Pham Hien , Dinh Do Khai , Dao Duc Sy , Nghia Pham Ngo
Published: April 2023

In this work, silver and copper particles of different nanoparticle precursor concentrations were decorated on the surface of thin film composite polyamide (TFC‐PA) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes by in situ method. The modified membranes were characterized by different techniques including Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), and attenuated total reflection – Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), water contact angle (WCA), and antibacterial capacity. After that, the membrane performance was compared through normalized flux and the possibility of the removal of bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein; the anti‐fouling and anti‐biofouling properties were also compared through the maintained flux ratios (%) after 5‐hour filtration. The used organic foulants were BSA protein and humic acid (HA) solutions. The results showed that, compared to the flux of the base, the flux of AgNPs‐decorated membrane can improve the separation ability up to 24% while that of CuNPs‐decorated membrane was 14%. The anti‐fouling property of decorated membranes was significantly increased compared to that of the base (from 64% for the base to over 77% for decorated membranes). Especially, the anti‐biofouling property of nanoparticles decorated membranes was also increased because of the higher maintained flux ratios (from 50% for the base to over 75% for decorated membranes). It indicates that this method can be applied to produce reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for reclamation wastewater with a high content of organic matter.
Bleaching‐resistant, Near‐continuous Single‐molecule Fluorescence and FRET Based on Fluorogenic and Transient DNA Binding
Authors: Kümmerlin Mirjam , Mazumder Abhishek , Kapanidis Achillefs N.
Published: April 2023

Photobleaching of fluorescent probes limits the observation span of typical single‐molecule fluorescence measurements and hinders observation of dynamics at long timescales. Here, we present a general strategy to circumvent photobleaching by replenishing fluorescent probes via transient binding of fluorogenic DNAs to complementary DNA strands attached to a target molecule. Our strategy allows observation of near‐continuous single‐molecule fluorescence for more than an hour, a timescale two orders of magnitude longer than the typical photobleaching time of single fluorophores under our conditions. Using two orthogonal sequences, we show that our method is adaptable to Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) and that can be used to study the conformational dynamics of dynamic structures, such as DNA Holliday junctions, for extended periods. By adjusting the temporal resolution and observation span, our approach enables capturing the conformational dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids over a wide range of timescales.
Fractional mayfly optimization algorithm‐based Infrastructure‐to‐Vehicle and Vehicle‐to‐Vehicle scheduling for service message transmission in IoV‐fog
Authors: Lohat Savita , Jain Sheilza , Kumar Rajender
Published: April 2023

For the rising number of vehicles, and the advancement of communication and computation technologies, the perception of Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is introduced. It is utilized to capture vehicle‐based information that includes road description, road congestion, vehicle speed, and location. However, this information is important, and it showed more benefits in different ways, like route selection and message dissemination. IoV is the self‐structured network composed with vehicles lies in the road and the road side units (RSUs). It offers Infrastructure‐to‐Vehicle (I2V), as well as Vehicle‐to‐Vehicle (V2V) data transmission mechanism for transmitting service messages. To reliably broadcast the service information to the intended recipient in the IoV network still faced issues. Hence, an efficient service message transmission protocol is developed using the proposed fractional mayfly optimization algorithm (FMA) for selecting the relay vehicle and cooperative vehicle for transmitting service messages to the destination vehicle from RSU through the process of I2V and V2V scheduling. The RSU selects the relay vehicle for every service message using the proposed algorithm and allocates the cooperative vehicle by RSU for scheduling V2V transmission. The simulation results showed that the proposed scheduling method obtains the best channel quality indicator (CQI), delay, distance, packet delivery ratio (PDR), and throughput value of 0.92 for 150 vehicles and 0.005891, 6.060731, 83.45%, and 171.50 Mbps for 100 vehicles.
Unraveling the significance of TSHR mutations in indeterminate thyroid cytology specimens
Authors: Andrianus Stefen , Gubbiotti Maria A. , Mandel Susan J. , Nikiforov Yuri E. , Baloch Zubair
Published: April 2023

Objectives

We investigated the clinical significance of thyroid‐stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) mutations detected in thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA) specimens.

Methods

The pathology archives at our institution were reviewed between 2018 and 2021 for indeterminate (Bethesda category III and IV) specimens with Thyroseq® analysis showing TSHR mutations.

Results

A total of 2184 cases diagnosed as atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS), and 2625 diagnosed as follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN) were identified. A total of 1735 AUS/FLUS and 2339 SFN/FN underwent Thyroseq® analysis; 69 showed TSHR mutations (1.6%, 59 female, 10 male, average age: 55 years). Ten cases showed oncocytic features. Twelve patients underwent radionuclide scans within 1 year of FNA:11 were hyperfunctioning. Nodule size and TSH levels were weakly correlated. Twenty‐two different TSHR mutations were identified (most common: M453T). A second mutation was found in five cases (EZH1 n = 2, and EIF1AX n = 3). The expression of sodium‐iodide transporter (NIS) mRNA was in the range of 0.01%–62.43% out of all sequencing reads, and was elevated in 49 (71%) cases. Surgical pathology follow‐up was available in five cases (all benign except one). On follow‐up available for 38 cases (mean: 24 months; range: 7–47 months), 34 (89.5%) nodules remained stable and 3 (8%) increased in size.

Conclusions

TSHR mutations in thyroid FNA samples classified as indeterminate are rare, generally benign, and commonly associated with autonomy on scan if performed.
Fast changes in default and control network activity underlying intraindividual response time variability in childhood: Does age and sex matter?
Authors: Privodnova Evgeniya Yu. , Slobodskaya Helena R. , Savostyanov Alexander N. , Bocharov Andrey V. , Saprigyn Alexander E. , Knyazev Gennady G.
Published: April 2023

Intraindividual response time variability (RTV) is considered as a general marker of neurological health. In adults, the central executive and salience networks (task‐positive networks, TPN) and the default mode network (DMN) are critical for RTV. Given that RTV decreases with growing up, and that boys are likely somewhat behind girls with respect to the network development, we aimed to clarify age and sex effects. Electroencephalogram was recorded during Stroop‐like test performance in 124 typically developing children aged 5–12 years. Network fluctuations were calculated as changes of current source density (CSD) in regions of interest (ROIs) from pretest to 1‐s test interval. In boys, TPN activation (CSD increase in ROIs included in the TPN) was associated with lower RTV, suggesting a greater engagement of attentional control. In children younger than 9.5 years, higher response stability was associated with the predominance of TPN activation over DMN activation (CSD increase in ROIs included in the TPN > that in the DMN); this predominance increased with age, suggesting that variability among younger children may be due to network immaturity. These findings suggest that the TPN and DMN may play different roles within the network mechanisms of RTV in boys and girls and at different developmental stages.
Is economic hardship associated with young children's cortisol levels?
Authors: Santaularia N. Jeanie , Kunin‐Batson Alicia , Sherwood Nancy E. , Gunnar Megan R. , French Simone A. , Mason Susan M.
Published: April 2023

Economic hardship during childhood has been linked to poor physical and mental health. This study examines cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations of a summed economic hardship score of poverty, food insecurity, and financial hardship with hair cortisol in young children. Data from 24‐month (Time 1, mean age 5 years) and 36‐month (Time 2, mean age 6 years) follow‐up from the NET‐Works obesity prevention trial (NET‐Works, NCT0166891) were used. Hair cortisol measures obtained at each time point were log‐transformed and regressed on economic hardship at Time 1 and a cumulative economic hardship from Time 1 to Time 2, using generalized linear regressions. All models were adjusted for child age, sex, race/ethnicity, and intervention (prevention vs. control) arm. The final analytic sample sizes ranged from 248 to 287. Longitudinal analyses indicated that for every 1‐unit higher economic hardship score at Time 1, hair cortisol at Time 2 follow‐up was on average 0.07 log‐picograms per milligram (pg/mg) higher (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01, 0.13). For every 1‐unit increase in the cumulative economic hardship score between Time 1 and 2, there was a 0.04 log‐pg/mg (95% CI: 0.00, 0.07) average higher level of hair cortisol at Time 2 follow‐up. Results show suggestive but limited evidence for an association between economic hardship and cortisol in young children.
Children victims of drug abuser parents: Hair testing as a forensic tool to assess exposure—A cohort of 37 cases from Spain
Authors: García‐Caballero Carlos , Martínez‐González María Antonia
Published: April 2023

Hair testing is a useful tool to investigate suspected pediatric exposure to drugs of abuse. Newborns and young children are at high risk of exposure to drugs of abuse from parents or caregivers who consumed these substances, a fact prosecuted by Spanish authorities as child abuse. A retrospective study based on a cohort of 37 cases classified using several parameters, which involve children under 12 years old, were analyzed at the Drugs Laboratory of the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (Madrid, Spain) between 2009 and 2021. Hair samples were tested for the presence of opiates, cocaine, ketamine, amphetamines, methadone, and cannabis using a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method. A 59% of the studied children had ages in the range of 1–3 years old, and in 81% of cases, victims required hospitalization. In 81% of cases (n = 30), hair was submitted only or in combination with other samples, and these were classified in four categories according to analyzed samples: A (only hair), B (hair and blood), C (hair and urine), and D (hair, blood, and urine). The 93.3% of these cases (n = 28) showed a positive result of cannabinoids (THC and CBN in hair and THC‐COOH in urine; 71.4% n = 20), cocaine and metabolites (benzoylecgonine and cocaethylene; 46.4% n = 13), opiates (morphine and 6‐acetylmorphine), and amphetamines (MDMA and MDMA; 3.10% n = 1). Hair analysis matched positive results in cases where urine screening test was carried out previously (n = 24) and in those cases where blood and/or urine were also submitted (35.6% n = 11). As a conclusion, hair analysis was confirmed as a useful tool to detect previous exposure to acute poisoning events in children.
Microglial tissue surveillance: The never‐resting gardener in the developing and adult CNS
Authors: Petry Philippe , Oschwald Alexander , Kierdorf Katrin
Published: April 2023

Immunosurveillance by microglia is a dynamic process in the central nervous system (CNS) with versatile functions to maintain tissue homeostasis and provide immune defense. A tightly controlled microglia network throughout the CNS parenchyma facilitates efficient immunosurveillance, where each cell guards a certain tissue territory. Each cell is constantly surveilling its environment and the surrounding cells, screening for pathogens but also removing cell debris and metabolites, grooming neighboring cells and facilitating cellular crosstalk. In the absence of inflammation, this “tissue surveillance” by microglia presents an essential process for CNS homeostasis and development. In this review, we provide a summary on different tissue surveillance functions mediated by microglia, the underlying molecular machineries, and how defects, such as genetic mutations, can alter these surveillance mechanisms and cause disease onset.
Access to Bis(σ‐B−H) Complexes of Ruthenium Bearing Monoaryl Borate and Borane Ligands
Authors: Tian Minghui , Wei Yongliang , Han Feifei , Sui Site , Wang Tongdao
Published: April 2023

A series of ruthenium bis(σ‐B−H) borate complexes 1–4 have been prepared by a salt‐elimination protocol using lithium monoaryl trihydroborates Li[ArBH3] (R=Ph, 3,5‐(CF3)2C6H3, o‐tol or Mes) and the corresponding metal halide Cp*Ru(PCy3)Cl. All of these bis(σ‐B−H) borate complexes are stable at room temperature and isolated in good yields (70–92 %). Additionally, treatment of 4 with the hydride abstracting agent B(C6F5)3 generated rare cationic bis(σ‐B−H) borane complex 5. Crystallographic characterization data are provided for 3 and 5. All these new complexes were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis.
Studying molecular interactions via capillary electrophoresis and microscale thermophoresis: A review
Authors: Asmari Mufarreh , Michalcová Lenka , Ibrahim Adel Ehab , Glatz Zdeněk , Wätzig Hermann , El Deeb Sami
Published: April 2023

The process of choosing the most proper technique for studying the molecular interactions is based on critical factors such as instrumentation complexity, automation, experimental procedures, analysis time, consumables, and cost‐value. This review has tracked the use of affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) and microscale thermophoresis (MST) techniques in the evaluation of molecular binding among different molecules during the 5 years 2016–2021. ACE has proved to be an attractive technique for biomolecular characterization with high resolution efficiency where small variations in several controlling factors can much improve such efficiency compared to other analytical techniques. Meanwhile, MST has proved its higher sensitivity for smaller amounts of complex non‐purified biosamples without affecting its robustness while providing high through output. However, the main motivation to review both techniques in the proposed review was their capability to carry out all experiments without the need for immobilizing one interacting partner, besides a great flexibility in the use of buffering systems. The proposed review demonstrates the importance of both techniques in different areas of life sciences. Moreover, the recent advances in exploiting ACE and MST in other research interests have been discussed.
A computational convection analysis of SiO2/water and MoS2‐SiO2/water based fluidic system in inverted cone
Authors: Hussain Syed Ibrar , Ahmad Iftikhar , Raja Muhammad Asif Zahoor , Umer Ch Muhammad Zulfiqar
Published: April 2023

A complete shape factor investigation of water‐based mixture type hybrid nanofluid in a permeable boundary with the impact of magnetic field, thick dissemination, and warm radiation is presented in this article. A computational convection analysis of an inverted semi vertical cone with a porous surface in the form of /water nanofluid and /water hybrid nanofluid transport is developed. The system of differential equations is presented and solved numerically by the Lobatto IIIA method. The temperature distributions and fluid velocity are studied along with the coefficient of skin friction and the Nusselt number, taking into account the form of distinct nano‐particles. The flow problem's results are approximated by using several embedding variables. Tables and graphs are constructed for a variety of scenarios including maximum residual error, mesh points, and Nusselt numbers. We conclude that boundary film thickness reduces and the fluid flow is resisted by magnetic field presence. Fluid flow slows down as increases, and this reduction is more evident in nanofluids than in hybrid nanofluids. With an increment in , velocity drops. A detailed analysis of the proposed ordinary differential equations, boundary conditions, and numerical data of skin friction is given both in tabular and graphical forms. Additionally, it is observed that the fluid flow slows down more for the hybrid nanofluid than for the /water nanofluid. Moreover, it is clear that the temperature increase for the /water nanofluid is substantially greater. The authors deduce that the existence of a magnetic field resists fluid flow for hybrid nanofluid forms and decreases the thickness of the viscous boundary layer.
Experimental investigation of engine characteristics of CI engine fueled with fatty acid Millettia Pinnata oil with non‐fatty acid Pinus oil blended fuel
Authors: Gurusamy Manikandaraja , Vijayaragavan Mathanraj , Subramaniyan Malarmannan
Published: April 2023

This article studied the effect of blending low‐viscous Pinus oil with high‐viscous Millettia Pinnata oil on CI engine characteristics. The three blends of a combination of Pinus oil and Millettia Pinnata oil (P70K30, P50K50, and P30K70) were tested in a single‐cylinder water‐cooled computerized diesel engine coupled with an eddy current dynamometer by varying the load from 0% to 100%. The performance result establishes a positive correlation between BTE and the amount of Pinus oil in the blended fuel. Among the tested biofuel samples, P70K30 has the highest brake thermal efficiency of 29.73% but is 4.8% lower than diesel. At full load, the BSFC and BSEC of P70K30 show a 7.4% and 8.6% drop compared to diesel fuel but are higher than P50K50 and P30K70. Among the tested biofuel samples, a maximum in‐cylinder pressure of 70.96 bar was observed for P70K30, which is higher than P50K50 and P30K70 but lower than diesel. The net heat release rate and rate of pressure rise were found to be 48.26 J/oCA and 5.57 bar/oCA for P70K30, the highest among all tested conditions. Cycle‐to‐cycle variations were studied by calculating the standard deviation, range, and coefficient of variation for the in‐cylinder peak pressure of 100 cycles. The P70K30 has a coefficient of variation of 1.24%, which is higher than the P50K50 and P30K70 but lower than diesel. The P‐v diagram concludes that the three tested biofuels have strong thermodynamic properties since they have a good expansion rate and a pattern similar to diesel fuel. The emissions results show that increasing the amount of Pinus oil in blended fuel increases the NOx to 1410 ppm emissions and decreases the CO to 0.18%, HC to 44 ppm, and smoke to 76.6%.
Molecular simulation of the effects of activated carbon structure on the adsorption performance for volatile organic compounds in fumes from gasoline
Authors: Chen Zihan , He Ren
Published: April 2023

Improving the adsorption performance of activated carbon can effectively reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this paper, the influences of pore size, functional groups, and water molecular content on the adsorption for four gasoline evaporation VOCs (n‐butane, n‐hexane, p‐xylene, and ethanol) were investigated in terms of equilibrium adsorption capacity and threshold pressure by molecular simulation. The simulation results show that capillary condensation can increase the equilibrium adsorption capacity of gas, while functional groups and water molecules will reduce the effective adsorption volume of activated carbon. On the other hand, the threshold pressure depends primarily on the interaction energy and the number of adsorption sites. The superposition effect of the adsorption force field makes the lowest threshold pressure of four VOCs. The threshold pressure of n‐butane, n‐hexane, and p‐xylene is increased by the presence of functional groups and water molecules, while functional group modification and a certain amount of water molecules can improve the adsorption capacity of ethanol at low pressure. The results of the study can provide a reference for the selection of activated carbon in vehicle carbon canisters and the development of high‐performance activated carbon.
Epilepsy in Niger: An overview of the current situation
Authors: Toudou‐Daouda Moussa
Published: April 2023

A major public health concern in the world, particularly in sub‐Saharan African countries, epilepsy is poorly studied in Niger, and its prevalence in the general population is unknown. Only two hospital‐based studies have been published in Niger, reporting an estimated mean hospital prevalence of epilepsy of 24.2% (95% CI: 23.2–25.2), mainly affecting patients younger than 18 years (54.6%, 95% CI: 52.2–57.0), and males (59.8%, 95% CI: 57.4–62.2). To date in Niger, people living with epilepsy (PWE) are usually cared for by non‐physician healthcare workers (mainly nurse technicians in mental health), general medical doctors (non‐specialist physician), and non‐neurologist physicians. In routine practice, these health workers make the diagnosis of epilepsy essentially based on the clinic, i.e., the repetition of epileptic seizures over time (mainly generalized tonic–clonic seizures) because most of them practiced in health centers or district hospitals or regional hospital centers in which electroencephalogram and neuroradiological explorations are of limited access or unavailable as well as a referral neurologist. Only 10 neurologists are currently practicing in Niger for a total population estimated at 21466800 inhabitants by the World Health Organization in 2018. In 41.8% (95% CI: 39.4–43.2) of the cases, the etiology was unknown with neuroradiological explorations and laboratory tests not performed in most cases. Genetic etiologies are the most frequent etiologies (40.8; 95% CI: 38.4–43.2), followed by Structural etiologies (11.7; 95% CI: 10.1–13.3) particularly hypoxic–ischemic brain injury, and infectious etiologies (6.8%; 95% CI: 5.6–8.0), especially cerebral malaria. PWEs are the target of social stigma and discrimination due to erroneous cultural and religious beliefs about epilepsy of the people from Niger. The present review is an update on the different aspects of epilepsy in Niger.
SEEG‐based reevaluation of epileptogenic networks and the predictive role for reoperation in MTLE patients with surgical failure
Authors: Xu Ke , Yang Xue , Zhou Jian , Guan Yuguang , Zhao Meng , Wang Mengyang , Wang Jing , Li Tianfu , Wang Xiongfei , Luan Guoming
Published: April 2023

Objective

Approximately 20%–30% of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) patients got unfavorable seizure control after surgery, and there was a discrepancy about the reasons for the surgical failure. The functional connectivity (FC) patterns obtained from stereo‐electroencephalography (SEEG) reveal information about the dynamics of the epileptic brain and the added value of extracting information that was not identifiable in the SEEG data using FC analysis. This study aims to find out the patterns of the potential epileptogenic network of failure patients and the electrophysiological predictors of reoperation.

Methods

From January 2012 to December 2019, the MTLE patients with surgical failure were reviewed, and all patients underwent SEEG‐guided reoperation. The epileptogenic network was quantified by calculating FC indicators, including phase slope index (PSI), mutual information (MI) strength, imaginary coherence (icoh), and Granger causality.

Results

Ten patients with 13 seizures were included in the analysis, and 7 of them achieved a favorable outcome after the SEEG‐guided reoperation. The surgical zone (SZ) with a favorable prognosis showed greater outward information flow than the non‐SZ, whereas the SZ with an unfavorable prognosis showed greater inward information flow. The recurrent patients with favorable prognosis had strong connectivity between the posterior hippocampus, temporal neocortex, and insula, whereas the patients with unfavorable prognosis showed strong functional connectivity between the insula and temporal–parietal‐occipital junction. The power spectrum of patients with favorable prognosis was significantly lower than that of patients with unfavorable prognosis, especially showing a more oscillation power of low frequency.

Significance

The SEEG‐guided reoperation could achieve favorable seizure control outcomes for recurrent patients. The FCs were a potential indicator to help construct the temporal epileptic network and predictor for the reoperative prognosis in the recurrent patients.
Bio‐inspired optical structures for enhancing luminescence
Authors: Zhang Zemin , Vogelbacher Florian , Song Yanlin , Tian Yang , Li Mingzhu
Published: April 2023

Luminescence is an essential signal for many plants, insects, and marine organisms to attract the opposite sex, avoid predators, and so on. Most luminescent living organisms have ingenious optical structures which can help them get high luminescent performances. These remarkable and efficient structures have been formed by natural selection from long‐time evolution. Researchers keenly observed the enhanced luminescence phenomena and studied how these phenomena happen in order to learn the characteristics of bio‐photonics. In this review, we summarize the optical structures for enhancing luminescence and their applications. The structures are classified according to their different functions. We focus on how researchers use these biological inspirations to enhance different luminescence processes, such as chemiluminescence (CL), photoluminescence (PL), and electroluminescence (EL). It lays a foundation for further research on the applications of luminescence enhancement. Furthermore, we give examples of luminescence enhancement by bio‐inspired structures in information encryption, biochemical detection, and light sources. These examples show that it is possible to use bio‐inspired optical structures to solve complex problems in optical applications. Our work will provide guidance for research on biomimetic optics, micro‐ and nano‐optical structures, and enhanced luminescence.
Exploring phenotypic variation of diverse bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L) origin and development of mini‐core collection for future breeding
Authors: Uba Charles U. , Oselebe Happiness O. , Tesfaye Abush A. , Mekonen Getachew S. , Abtew Wosene G.
Published: April 2023

Understanding the phenotypic variation and designing a mini‐core collection is an efficient method to accelerate the genetic gain of bambara groundnut. A collection of 300 bambara groundnut landraces from 25 different countries of origin sourced from gene banks were used to analyze phenotypic variability among the landraces and develop a mini‐core collection for future breeding. The landraces were evaluated in alpha lattice design with two replications for 2 years (2019 and 2020). The results showed highly significant differences (p < 0.001) among the bambara groundnut landraces for all the studied traits implying the selection of landraces with better agronomic traits could be achieved from the crop genetic pool. In addition, landrace x year interactions were significant for studied traits, except for shelling percentage and number of seeds per pod. The genotypic coefficient of variation values were high for most yield component traits, with the highest (65.39%) value obtained on seed dry weight. Furthermore, high heritability in conjunction with high genetic advance obtained in seed dry weight, pod dry weight, petiole length and plant height implies that these traits are majorly controlled by additive genetic action and could be improved through selection. Highly significant and positive correlations of yield were found with seed dry weight, pod dry weight, number of pod per plant, number of leaves, petiole length and plant height. A mini‐core collection of 60 landraces (20%) was developed that represents the entire collection using Core Hunter algorithm. In general, the study provides insight into bambara groundnut germplasm that would enhance cultivar development and sustains the utilization of the crop. In addition, the mini‐core collection established in the present study could be exploited for future bambara groundnut improvement efforts.
Maternal Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy and lactation induced damaged intestinal structure and intestinal flora homeostasis in offspring mice
Authors: Zhou Junming , Sun Bo , Li Minli , Xu Haoyu , Feng Ying , Wu Xiaowei , Guo Meixia , Wang Xiaomin
Published: April 2023

The small intestine serves as the first channel of dietary Vitamin A (VA) and the unique organ of VA absorption and metabolism. However, there have not been extensive investigations on the exact mechanisms within VA‐related changes in intestinal metabolic disorders. This research is designed to analyze whether and how VA affects intestinal metabolic phenotypes. Male C57BL/6 mice after weaning were randomly fed a VA control diet (VAC) or a VA‐deficient diet (VAD) during the entire pregnancy and lactation process. After a total of 11 weeks, cohorts of VA deprived were next fed to a VA control diet (VAD‐C) for another 8 weeks. The concentration of retinol was measured by a high‐performance liquid chromatography system. The 16S gene sequencing was used to evaluate the intestinal microbiota changes. Through the use of histological staining, western blots, quantitative PCR, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays, the intestinal morphology, inflammatory factors, and intestinal permeability were all evaluated. Following the decrease of the tissue VA levels, VAD mice show a decrease in tissue VA levels, community differences, and the richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota. VAD diet‐driven changes occur in intestinal microbiota, accompanied by a higher mRNA expression of intestinal inflammatory cytokines and an increase in intestinal permeability. As dietary VA is reintroduced into VAD diet‐fed mice, the tissue VA levels, inflammatory response, and intestinal homeostasis profiles are all restored, which are similar to those found after the occurrence of VA‐controlled changes within intestinal microbiota. VA deficiency caused the imbalance of intestinal metabolic phenotypes through a mechanism involving changes in intestinal microbiota. It is thought that intestinal microbiota metabolic influences represent a new salient and additional mechanism, which can be used as a new method to achieve the onset and treatment of the effect of VAD on intestinal homeostasis impairment.
Meat and dairy products intake is associated with gastric cancer: Case–control study findings
Authors: Tayyem Reema F. , Nawaiseh Hala , Al‐Awwad Narmeen , Al‐Jaberi Tareq , Hushki Ahmad , Allehdan Sabika
Published: April 2023

Countries experiencing a significant shift toward Western lifestyle are facing an increased risk of gastric cancer (GC). While many studies have explored the link between diet and GC, the role of meat and dairy consumption remains uncertain. To delve deeper into this association, we conducted a case–control study in Jordan involving 173 GC cases and 314 controls, matched by age and marital status. Using a validated food frequency questionnaire, we assessed the intake of different dairy and meat products. The adjusted odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals indicated a strong correlation between high intake of red meat, milk, and buttermilk and GC. Our multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that daily consumption of red meat (≥1 serving/day; OR, 3.34 [95% CI 1.85–6.03, p value of trend <.001], ≥1 serving/day) and weekly intake of milk (2–3 servings/week; OR, 2.04 [95% CI 1.14–3.64, p value of trend = .041]) and buttermilk (2–3 servings/week; OR, 2.07 [95% CI 1.12–3.83, p value of trend = .018], per 2–3 servings/week) were significantly associated with an increased risk of GC. Furthermore, consuming cooked eggs daily (OR = 2.44, 95% CI 1.24–4.79, p trend <.001) or weekly (OR, 3.34, 95% CI 1.58–7.10, p value of trend <.001) was also associated with an increased risk of GC. These findings highlight the potential health risks associated with excessive meat and some dairy products consumption and suggest that a balanced intake of these products, along with eggs, may help prevent GC.
RoPE: A robust profile likelihood method for differential gene expression analysis
Authors: Zhong Lehang , Strug Lisa J.
Published: April 2023

Variation in RNA‐Seq data creates modeling challenges for differential gene expression (DE) analysis. Statistical approaches address conventional small sample sizes and implement empirical Bayes or non‐parametric tests, but frequently produce different conclusions. Increasing sample sizes enable proposal of alternative DE paradigms. Here we develop RoPE, which uses a data‐driven adjustment for variation and a robust profile likelihood ratio DE test. Simulation studies show RoPE can have improved performance over existing tools as sample size increases and has the most reliable control of error rates. Application of RoPE demonstrates that an activePseudomonas aeruginosainfection downregulates theSLC9A3Cystic Fibrosis modifier gene.
Recent outbreak of dengue in Bangladesh: A threat to public health
Authors: Bhowmik Khokon Kanti , Ferdous Jannatul , Baral Prodip Kumar , Islam Mohammad Safiqul
Published: April 2023

Background and Aims

The dengue virus is widespread throughout Bangladesh and significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality. One effective method for preventing further dengue epidemics is to reduce mosquito breeding at the most opportune period each year. This study aims to determine dengue prevalence in 2022 by comparing previous years' data and estimating the period of this disease's most significant incidence.

Methods

From the beginning of 2008–December 15, 2022, we looked at the monthly reports of cases made to the Bangladesh Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control, and Research.

Results

According to our findings, there were 61089 confirmed dengue cases in 2022, with 269 fatalities ‐ the highest annual death toll for this disease since 2000. Almost one‐third (32.14%) of all dengue deaths in Bangladesh occurred in 2022 (1 January–15 December), highlighting the severity of the threat posed by this disease in the coming year. Furthermore, we observe that the months in the second half of any year in Bangladesh are the most at risk for dengue transmission. In 2022, Dhaka city and Chittagong are hit the hardest (incidence: 63.07% vs. 14.42%; morality: 63.34% vs. 24.16%), showing the relevance of population density in spreading this fatal disease.

Conclusion

Statistics show an increase in dengue cases every day, and the year 2022 will be marked as the peak of the disease's death prevalence. Both the individuals and the government of Bangladesh need to take action to reduce the dissemination of this epidemic. If not, the country will soon be in great peril.
Experimental study of thermal performance improvement in a cross‐flow heat exchanger by using copper foam
Authors: Hassan Ahmed M. , Alwan Adil Abbas , Hamzah Hameed K.
Published: April 2023

In this study, copper foam was used as a porous medium in place of traditional aluminum fins. A comparison between the two heat exchangers—one with fins and the other with copper foam—was conducted under various conditions. The air inlet velocity ranged from 0.9 to 9.3 m/s, and the water inlet temperature ranged from 10°C to 18°C. Different water flow rates were tested. A comparison was made between the performance of copper foam and aluminum fins by calculating several parameters, including thermal resistance, heat exchanger effectiveness, Colburn factor, Nusselt number, friction factor, and area goodness factor (AG). The experimental results showed that at low air velocities, the heat transfer coefficient for both types of heat exchangers was almost equal. However, at high air velocities, the copper foam exhibited a higher heat transfer coefficient. The Colburn factor was higher for the heat exchanger with copper foam than in the conventional fins, where it was equal to 0.1959 for the copper foam and 0.1186 for the fins. On the other hand, the AG was higher in the case of fins than in the heat exchanger with copper foam.
Intra‐event concentration–discharge relationships affected by hydrological connectivity in a karst catchment
Authors: Hao Liu , Zhang Zhicai , Chen Xi , Cheng Qinbo , Li Siliang , Yue Fujun , Peng Tao , Zhang Lin
Published: April 2023

Concentration‐discharge (C‐Q) relationship in streamflow provides insights into hydrological transport at the catchment scale. Changes in hydrological connectivity during runoff events often dominate flood and solute export in the karst catchment. However, only few studies have explored intra‐event C‐Q relationships and how they are affected by hydrological connectivity in karst catchment. In this study, we explored the intra‐event C‐Q relationships in underground channel flows by integrating solute concentration, discharge and modelled flow age in a 1.25 km2 karst catchment in southwest China. We apply piecewise functions to characterize the C‐Q relationships on rising and falling limbs of hydrograph. Geogenic solutes exhibited dilution C‐Q patterns during the runoff event, which could be fitted by two power‐law models with different coefficients on rising and falling limbs. Affected by the strong hydrological connectivity between surface and subsurface, hillslope and depression, a steeper C‐Q slope on the rising limb indicated an exhaustible, proximal source, that is, groundwater. In contrast, the C‐Q patterns of the soil enriched solutes changed from enrichment to dilution during the runoff event. The enrichment pattern occurring at the early of rising limb was caused by strong hydrological connectivity between the surface and subsurface, which indicated a distal and plentiful sources of soil water. Whilst the strong hydrological connectivity between hillslope and depression caused a dilution pattern at the latter of rising limb. On the falling limb of hydrograph, a dilution pattern implied that the small fractures could be another source zone of soil‐enriched solutes in addition to soil layer in the depression. The C‐Q behaviours of soil‐enriched solutes can be fitted by a combination of a parabola model and a power law model for rising and falling limbs, respectively. The current study highlights the variations in intra‐event C‐Q relationships of different solutes affected by hydrological connectivity in the karst catchment. Which is crucial for assession of hydrochemical processes and fertilization management in this area.
Field observation and mathematical representation of the hydrogeological function of alpine landforms in the Canadian Rockies
Authors: He Jesse , Hayashi Masaki
Published: April 2023

Groundwater discharge sustains the baseflow of alpine headwater streams, which is critical for water supply and aquatic environments in mountainous regions. Periglacial landforms typical of alpine headwaters (e.g., talus, moraine, rock glacier, alpine meadows) are important aquifers in alpine watersheds. This study examines the hydrological function of an alpine aquifer complex in a small headwater basin in the Canadian Rockies. The aquifer complex consisting of talus, alpine meadow underlain by a bedrock depression, and recessional moraine provided essentially all baseflow of a 6.5 km2 watershed, even though the upper sub‐watershed containing the aquifer complex occupies only 14% of the watershed. Chemical and isotopic signatures indicated that the recessional moraine serves as a gatekeeper of the upper sub‐watershed, whereby it integrates groundwater components from multiple aquifers and controls the discharge from the outlet springs. Field observation of discharge and the water table in the moraine aquifer showed a nonlinear groundwater storage‐discharge relationship. Numerical groundwater flow models of the upper sub‐watershed showed that the transmissivity feedback resulting from a decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth was essential for determining the nonlinear storage‐discharge relationship. A simple exponential function was proposed to represent the observed groundwater storage‐discharge relationship, which can be implemented within large‐scale hydrological models to simulate baseflow coming out of alpine headwater regions.
Long noncoding RNA antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus inhibition alleviates airway remodeling in asthma through the regulation of the microRNA‐7‐5p/early growth response factor 3 axis
Authors: Wang Liyan , Liu Xueru
Published: April 2023

Asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, clinically manifests as airway remodeling. The purpose of this study was to probe the potential role of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus (lncRNA ANRIL) in the proliferation and migration of airway smooth muscle cell (ASMC) and to explore its potential mechanisms in asthma. Serum samples were obtained from 30 healthy volunteers and 30 patients with asthma. Additionally, platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB (PDGF‐BB) was used to induce airway remodeling in ASMCs. The level of lncRNA ANRIL and microRNA (miR)‐7‐5p in serum samples were measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). TargetScan predicted the binding site of miR‐7‐5p to early growth response factor 3 (EGR3) and validated the results using a dual‐luciferase reporter assay. 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Transwell assays were used to detect cellular proliferation and migration, respectively. Subsequently, changes in proliferation‐ and migration‐related genes were verified using western blot analysis and qRT‐PCR. These results indicate that lncRNA ANRIL was upregulated in the serum and PDGF‐BB‐induced ASMCs of patients with asthma, whereas miR‐7‐5p expression was reduced. EGR3 was a direct target of miR‐7‐5p. LncRNA ANRIL silencing inhibited the proliferation or migration of ASMCs induced by PDGF‐BB through miR‐7‐5p upregulation. Mechanistic studies indicated that miR‐7‐5p inhibits the proliferation or migration of PDGF‐BB‐induced ASMCs by decreasing EGR3 expression. EGR3 upregulation reverses the role of miR‐7‐5p in airway remodeling. Thus, downregulation of lncRNA ANRIL inhibits airway remodeling through inhibiting the proliferation and migration of PDGF‐BB‐induced ASMCs by regulating miR‐7‐5p/EGR3 signaling.