bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fer-1 Alleviates Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Cognitive Impairment By Inhibiting Hippocampal Ferroptosis
Authors: Meng Zi-Jun , Hao Jin-Jing , Chen Yi-Yang , Chu Zheng , Kuai Jin-Xia , Bao Hai-Jun
Published: May 2024

The hippocampus plays a pivotal role in the development of cognitive disorders induced by traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recent studies have elucidated the involvement of ferroptosis in the pathophysiological cascade of TBI. However, the specific role of ferroptosis and the therapeutic potential of ferrostatin-1 in mitigating hippocampal damage post-TBI remain unclear. In this study, we established a TBI model and conducted a series of behavioral and histomorphological experiments in mice to assess outcomes. Our assessments included evaluating ferroptosis levels using Perl's staining, measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation via malondialdehyde assays, assessing neuronal cell death through PI staining, examining mitochondrial shrinkage with transmission electron microscopy, and analyzing the expression levels of key proteins such as glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), transferrin receptor, and SLC40A1 via Western blotting. Our results revealed that TBI led to iron and lipid-ROS accumulation, disrupted iron metabolism, mitochondrial atrophy, neuronal cell death, and downregulation of GPX4 expression in the hippocampus. Importantly, administration of Ferrostatin-1 into the lateral ventricle significantly mitigated iron accumulation and neuronal cell death in the hippocampus, thereby attenuating injury and long-term cognitive impairment following TBI. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of targeting hippocampal ferroptosis as a novel treatment approach for TBI.
Hypoxia-guided treatment planning for lung cancer with dose painting by numbers
Authors: Li Yazhou , Ma Yuanyuan , Wu Jieyan , Zhang Hui , Cai Hongyi , Liu Xinguo , Li Qiang
Published: May 2024

Tumor hypoxia significantly impacts the efficacy of radiotherapy. Recent advances in the methodology of dose painting by numbers (DPBN) promise to obviously improve the tumor control probability (TCP) in conventional radiotherapy for hypoxic cancer. This study firstly integrated the DPBN technique with hypoxia-guided dose distribution optimization to overcome hypoxia for lung cancers, and the DPBN plans’ efficacy and clinical suitability were assessed.
18F-FMISO PET-CT scans from 13 lung cancer patients were retrospectively employed in our study to make hypoxia-guided radiotherapy. To demonstrate clinical feasibility, TCP and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) derived from the DPBN plans in comparison to conventional intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans were evaluated. Furthermore, to explore the enhanced clinical acceptability, the robustness of DPBN plans against potential patient positioning errors and radiation resistance variations throughout the treatment course was assessed.
The DPBN approach, employing voxelized prescription doses, led to an average increase of 24.47% in TCP, alongside a reduction of 1.83% in NTCP, compared to the conventional radiotherapy treatment plans. As for the robustness of the DPBN plans, we found that positional uncertainties confined to within 2mm and the radiosensitivity deviations within 4%. The lung NTCP showed a minimal increase when the isocenter was moved by 3mm in any direction, indicating that the DPBN plan is clinically acceptable.
Thus, our study demonstrated the considerable potential of the DPBN technique as an innovative strategy to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy for lung cancer with hypoxic regions.
The Analysis and Comparison of Various Cryptographic Algorithms to Improve Network Security: Insights from an Institutional laboratory Setup
Authors: Ganesh Narayanan , Saraf Ekta , Chaturvedi Samarth
Published: May 2024

In an era of growing cyber dangers, strong encryption solutions are required to maintain data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. After doing a thorough examination of sixteen different cryptographic algorithms and assessing parameters such as encryption/decryption timeframes and key generation efficiency. Through rigorous comparison, this paper hopes to identify the best method for improving network security in VIT Lab and similar contexts, ultimately contributing to stronger digital defence measures. This research investigates the critical role of cryptographic algorithms in improving network security in laboratory settings at Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai.
Alterations in the functional connectivity of thalamic subregions after basal ganglia stroke
Authors: Cheng Qiansheng , Liu Shoufeng , Wang Junling , Wang Yajing , Han Bihui , Wang Lichen , Jin Song
Published: May 2024

Background
Motor and cognitive impairments are common symptoms of basal ganglia (BG) stroke, although the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. We aim to explore the alterations in functional connections (FCs) between thalamic subregions at post-BG stroke via the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements.
Methods
We examined FC differences between thalamic subregions and whole-brain voxels in 40 patients with BG stroke and 35 healthy controls (HCs). Correlation of FC differences in brain regions with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Fugl–Meyer Assessment (FMA) scores was detected in patients with BG stroke.
Results
Compared to those of HCs, an increased FC was observed in patients with BG stroke between the left thalamic subregion connected with the sensory cortex (SC_thalamus) versus left precuneus and between the right SC_thalamus versus left angular gyrus. Conversely, patients with BG stroke exhibited a decreased FC between the left thalamic subregion connected with the prefrontal cortex (PFC_thalamus) versus right supramarginal gyrus (supra marginal) and left middle cingulate gyrus (cingulate_mid), between the left thalamic subregion connected with the temporal cortex (TC_thalamus) versus left cuneus and right postcentral gyrus, and between the right thalamic subregion connected with the primary motor cortex (M1_thalamus) versus right medial suprafrontal gyrus (frontal_sup_medial). The FC between the right M1_thalamus versus right Frontal_Sup_Medial was positively correlated with the FMA scores (r = 0.443, P = 0.004), and that between the left PFC_thalamus versus right supra marginal presented a positive correlation with the MMSE scores (r = 0.479, P = 0.002).
Conclusions
Alterations in FC exhibit between thalamic subregions and certain brain regions of patients with BG stroke, shedding light on the pathophysiological changes in motor thalamus and cognitive function at the subnuclear realm. Our results herald the advent of novel treatment of BG stroke.
Understanding the Interplay Between Language Teachers’ Efficacy and Constructivist Pedagogy in Ghana’s Evolving Education Landscape: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis
Authors: Nyamekye Ernest , Asare-Danso Seth , Ofori Emmanuel Amo
Published: May 2024

The education system in Ghana is undergoing a transition from a behaviorist instructional philosophy to a constructivist one, aiming to produce learners who can actively contribute to nation-building. Nonetheless, given the weighing demands on teachers regarding this abrupt shift into constructivist teaching, there is a need to examine teachers sense of efficacy related to the enactment of core principles of this novel instructional philosophy—i.e., social, cognitive, and critical constructivism— laid down in the newly introduced standards-based curriculum. An explanatory sequential mixed method was used to obtain data from basic school teachers in the Sunyani-west district of Bono Region, Ghana. Using adapted teacher self-efficacy and constructivist learning environment scales, quantitative data were gathered from 104 teachers. Qualitative data were also gathered from 61 conveniently sampled language teachers to augment the quantitative findings. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling, a significant positive association was discovered between teachers’ efficacy and the practice of social and cognitive constructivism. Nonetheless, teachers’ efficacy did not statistically predict their practice of critical constructivism. The qualitative results showed that sociocultural concerns probably accounted for the insignificant association between efficacy and critical constructivism. It was therefore concluded that sociocultural norms designed for bringing up a child in Ghana tend to inhibit the enactment of critical constructivism. The study recommends that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, in partnership with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, should update teacher professional development programs in universities and colleges of education to incorporate constructivist principles, particularly critical pedagogy, aiming to produce competent teachers capable of fostering learners' autonomy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as outlined in the Standards-Based Curriculum (SBC)..
A comparative analysis of drought indices in evaluating climate change impacts on agriculture in Southern Italy
Authors: Mirauda Domenica , Cirigliano Samanta
Published: May 2024

In this paper, a range of drought indices, including the Standardized Precipitation Index, the Reconnaissance Drought Index, and the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index, are applied to a sample area in Northeast Basilicata, Southern Italy. The goal is to assess the impact of climate change on agriculture, within the context of broader research aimed at developing a decision support model. This model is designed to provide farmers in the area with smart alerts triggered by exceeding specific thresholds relating to agro-environmental indices and extreme weather events in order to optimise water use, preserve agricultural biodiversity, mitigate hydrogeological instability, and facilitate adaptation to climate changes. The core of this approach is based on implementing a rigorous methodology that uses easily acquired data for a comprehensive evaluation of climate change impacts on agriculture. The analysis of data shows an increase in temperatures and variable precipitation patterns showing a trend towards more severe drought conditions, and also reveals a similar behaviour from the comparison of the various indices. This observation highlights that the assessment of agricultural drought can primarily be conducted through precipitation data, indicating a marginal role of temperatures in areas characterised by a Mediterranean climate.
The significance of these results supports the effectiveness of using the SPI index as the main tool for drought assessment in these climatic zones. This methodology not only simplify the approach to drought evaluation but also aligns with the objectives of the decision support model to provide farmers with predictive and management tools based on reliable and easily interpretable data.
Do they really boil their drinking water? : a descriptive study in a rural district of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
Authors: Kawamoto Sae , Nonaka Daisuke , Inthavong Nouhak
Published: May 2024

Background: For safe drinking water, household water treatments (HWT) are important to reduce the risk of diarrhea in low-and-middle countries including Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). However, the measurement of HWT relies chiefly on self-report in most nationwide surveys. Thus, the validity of self-reported measurement is of concern. The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of households with the presence of boiled water among households that report boiling practices in a rural area of the Lao PDR.
Methods: This study was conducted with randomly selected 108 households in the four villages in the catchment area of the two health centers, in Xepon district of the Savannakhet province, between September and October 2023. The inclusion criterion of the households was the households that report boiling as HWT. Surveyors conducted interviews with an adult household member and observations on boiled water through household visits, using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were conducted to summarize the collected information using the frequency with proportion for categorical variables and the median with interquartile range for continuous variables. Bivariate analyses were conducted to assess an association between each of the factors and the presence of boiled water, using Fisher’s exact test.
Results: Among the 108 households that reported boiling practice, 91 households were able to show the surveyor self-reported boiled water. Thus, the proportion of households with the presence of boiled water was 90.1% (95% confidence interval: 82.5% to 95.1%.). The presence of a fixed schedule of boiling (p<0.001) was statistically significant between households with boiled water and households without boiled water. Not all family members do not necessarily drink boiled water: approximately a quarter (25.7%) of the participants reported that some household members drink unboiled water.
Conclusion: This study showed that among households that reported boiling drinking water, 90.1% were able to present a container with self-reported boiled water. It suggests that the self-reported measure of boiling practices can be valid in the study villages. In the future, recommending people to make a schedule for boiling and promoting all family members to drink boiled water will spread the drinking of boiled water.
Identification of Treculia africana L. varieties using Internal Transcribed Spacer Region 1 (ITS 1) and Internal Transcribed Spacer Region 2 (ITS 2) DNA barcodes
Authors: Isuosuo Chinyere Chioma , Akaneme Florence Ifeoma , Urom Uchenna Nnanna
Published: May 2024

Background
Treculia africana L. (African breadfruit), is an underutilized, underexploited, and endangered species of southern Nigeria. It has been identified and classified using anatomical features, but there is insufficient information on its molecular identification and classification. There is a need to complement the morphological identification of the plant with molecular methods.
Results
To identify 86 accessions of Treculia africana var inversa and Treculia africana var africana, Internal Transcribed Spacer Region ITS-2 and Internal Transcribed Spacer Region lTS- 1 DNA barcodes were used. In this study, we observed that to determine the homology between sequences obtained and the Genbank database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) basic alignment search tool (BLAST) did not reveal any match. An alignment of the accessions with KU855474.1 Artocarpus altilis showed similarities via molecular evolutionary genetic analysis (mega 11).
Conclusions
The alignment revealed that the Treculia accessions were related and genetically similar to Artocarpus species, members of the Moraceae family, indicating that the accessions belong to the same family. However, the two varieties of Treculia could not be distinguished with ITS Barcodes. The molecular data of Treculia species need to be populated on the gene bank to support future molecular studies and also a combination of DNA barcodes is recommended for identification purposes.
Human-centered Design of a Health Recommender System for Orthopaedic Shoulder Treatment
Authors: Singh Akanksha , Schooley Benjamin , Mobley Jack , Mobley Patrick , Lindros Sydney , Brooks John M. , Floyd Sarah B.
Published: May 2024

Background
Rich data on diverse patients and their treatments and outcomes within Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems can be used to generate real world evidence. A health recommender system (HRS) framework can be applied to a decision support system application to generate data summaries for similar patients during the clinical encounter to assist physicians and patients in making evidence-based shared treatment decisions.
Objective
A human-centered design (HCD) process was used to develop a HRS for treatment decision support in orthopaedic medicine, the Informatics Consult for Individualized Treatment (I-C-IT). We also evaluate the usability and utility of the system from the physician’s perspective, focusing on elements of utility and shared decision-making in orthopaedic medicine.
Methods
The HCD process for I-C-IT included 6 steps across three phases of analysis, design, and evaluation. A team of informaticians and comparative effectiveness researchers directly engaged with orthopaedic surgeon subject matter experts in a collaborative I-C-IT prototype design process. Ten orthopaedic surgeons participated in a mixed methods evaluation of the I-C-IT prototype that was produced.
Results
The HCD process resulted in a prototype system, I-C-IT, with 14 data visualization elements and a set of design principles crucial for HRS for decision support. The overall standard system usability scale (SUS) score for the I-C-IT Webapp prototype was 88.75 indicating high usability. In addition, utility questions addressing shared decision-making found that 90% of orthopaedic surgeon respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that I-C-IT would help them make data informed decisions with their patients.
Conclusion
The HCD process produced an HRS prototype that is capable of supporting orthopaedic surgeons and patients in their information needs during clinical encounters. Future research should focus on refining I-C-IT by incorporating patient feedback in future iterative cycles of system design and evaluation.
Prescribed fires effects on actual and modeled fuel loads and forest structure in southern coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests
Authors: Katuna Taj A , Collins Brandon M , Stephens Scott L
Published: May 2024

Background: Fire suppression, timber harvesting, and the forced removal of Indigenous burning have fundamentally changed conditions in coast redwood forests. The contemporary approach of forest preservation and fire exclusion has produced high densities of small trees, elevated fuel loads, sparse understories with limited herbaceous plant diversity and cover, and increased vulnerability to wildfire and climate change. Prescribed broadcast burning presents a viable treatment option to meet forest restoration goals, especially where mechanical treatments are not feasible. Forest and fire managers utilizing fire modeling software such as the Fire and Fuels Extension of Forest Vegetation Simulator (FFE) to predict prescribed fire effects in coast redwoods are limited by model accuracy due to a lack of empirical research and model verification across a breadth of site and weather conditions.
Results: We compared the difference between pre- and post-treatment conditions for two fall-season prescribed burns in Sonoma and Santa Cruz counties in California to quantify changes to forest structure, fuel loads, and treatment effectiveness in mitigating future wildfire behavior. This observed data was used to analyze the accuracy of FFE modeled prescribed fire treatment outputs for post-treatment forest and fuels conditions. Observed burn treatments were low intensity and resulted in no significant change to forest structure and composition, but there was a reduction in seedling and sapling densities and an increase in resprout density. There was a reduction in duff and litter fuels, and we found litter and fine woody debris reduction was driven by pre-treatment total fuel loads. The modeled probability of torching was very low pre- and post-treatment. FFE underpredicted scorch height, duff fuel reduction, and redwood regeneration, but slightly overpredicted tree mortality and significantly overpredicted reduction of litter and fine woody debris.
Conclusion: Our results highlight a need for model refinement in regards to species-specific mortality, tree regeneration dynamics, and moisture-dependent fuel consumption. In order to achieve desired forest restoration goals, fire practitioners may need to burn at moderate to higher intensities than those typically implemented in these forests, and potentially pair burning with mechanical thinning. Long-term health of coast redwood forests also relies on the restoration of cultural fire and stewardship partnerships that equally share decision making power between western science and Indigenous knowledge bearers.
Defining the transition from new to normal: a qualitative investigation of the clinical change process
Authors: Silver Santana R. , Jones Kayla Christine , Hook Kimberly , Crable Erika L. , George Emily R. , Serwint Janet R. , Austad Kirsten , Walkey Allan , Drainoni Mari-Lynn
Published: May 2024

Background Understanding how and when a new evidence-based clinical intervention becomes standard practice is crucial to ensure that healthcare is delivered in alignment with the most up-to-date knowledge. However, rigorous methods are needed to determine when a new clinical practice becomes normalized to the standard of care. To address this gap, this study qualitatively explores how, when, and why a clinical practice change becomes normalized within healthcare organizations.Methods We used purposive sampling to recruit clinical leaders who worked in implementation science across diverse health contexts. Enrolled participants completed semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data analysis was guided by a modified version of the Normalization Process Theory (NPT) framework to identify salient themes. Identified normalization strategies were mapped to the Expert Recommendations for Implementation Change (ERIC) project.Results A total of 17 individuals were interviewed. Participants described four key signals for identifying when a novel clinical practice becomes the new normal: 1) integration into existing workflows; 2) scaling across the entire organizational unit; 3) staff buy-in and ownership; and 4) sustainment without ongoing monitoring. Participants identified salient strategies to normalize new clinical interventions: 1) taking a patient approach; 2) gaining staff buy-in and ownership; and 3) conducting ongoing measurement of progress towards normalization.Conclusions The results offer valuable insight into the indicators that signify when a novel clinical practice becomes normalized, and the strategies employed to facilitate this transition. These findings can inform future research to develop instruments that implementation leaders can use to systematically measure the clinical change process.
The effects of decentralized financing and funding levels on the breadth and quality of services provided in primary health facilities in Nigeria
Authors: Hagedorn Brittany , Cooper Jeremy , Loevinsohn Benjamin , Martufi Valentina
Published: May 2024

Background To improve service delivery of Nigeria’s primary health care (PHC) system, the government tested two approaches for facility-level financing: performance-based financing (PBF) and decentralized facility financing (DFF). Facilities also had increased autonomy, supervision, and community oversight. We examine how the approach, funding level, and state context affected breadth of services and structural quality.Methods We use health facility surveys previously collected in 2014 and 2017, covering three years of implementation, in which districts were randomly assigned PBF or DFF and compared to matched districts in control states. We use log-linear regressions and non-parametric statistics to estimate the effect size of the financing approach and level of funding per capita.Results Service availability was highest in PBF facilities, while DFF also outperformed control on most measures. Results showed that structural readiness and service offerings both increased with more funding, especially under DFF. DFF and PBF facilities were better equipped to provide services that they claimed to offer, which was not the case for controls. Overall, PBF outperformed DFF, partially explained by funding levels. The rate of offering complimentary services followed a pattern of easiest-to-hardest to deliver.Conclusion PBF and DFF both improved the breadth and structural quality of services, although DFF performance was more sensitive to funding levels. Improvements were observed at relatively low levels of funding, but larger investments were associated with better performance. Most DFF facilities exceeded the performance of higher-funded controls, implying that funding was more valuable in the context of autonomy, increased supervision, and community oversight.
Application of Luminex-xTAG multiplex SNP detection in genetic quality control of outbred and inbred rats
Authors: li huan , Wang Hong , Zhou Jiaqi , Zhao Lan , Zhu Wanyue , Wei Jie , Yue Bingfei
Published: May 2024

Laboratory rats are widely used in the biological and medical research.The genetic quality of laboratory rats is essential for the reproducibility of experimental results.Traditional genetic monitoring methods of rats require a lot of work and time, and have limitations on the number and quality of genetic markers. To overcome these limitations,we developed a Luminex-Based Multiplex Assay for the simultaneous detection of 38 SNP markers to monitor the genetic quality of inbred strains and outbred rats. 38 SNP loci in 4 samples were detected by Luminex-based multiplexing, and genotype assignment results were consistent with first-generation sequencing, demonstrating good robustness of this methods. Finally,we used Luminex-Based Multiplex Assay to detect 38 SNP genetic markers in 12 inbred rats and 2 outbred groups of rats in China. The results showed that 38 SNPs were abundant in 12 inbred rat strains, and could be used to identify 12 rat strains. 23 SNP loci with good polymorphism were selected to analyse the genetic diversity of Wistar and SD rat populations. The average PIC values of these loci were 0.3 and 0.31, respectively, indicating that the polymorphic information content of these loci was high. The average Fis of the two populations were − 0.072 and − 0.086 respectively, indicating that the two populations were randomly mated and had good genetic diversity. In short, the method based on Luminex detection of SNP markers is a reliable, economical and rapid method for monitoring the genetic quality of rats, which can ensure the genetic quality of rats and support the standardisation of rat quality.
Aligning CEO Compensation with Sustainability Performance: The Role of CEO Duality, Board Size, and Compensation Committees
Authors: Nee Elain Oon Yen , Shabbir Muhammad Farooq , Asif Muhammad
Published: May 2024

This study uses agency theory as a framework to examine how board size, compensation committee, and CEO duality align the relationship between CEO compensation and firm sustainability performance. We examined 100 non-financial Asian companies with highest sustainability scores between 2010 and 2019. The findings support the pay-performance relationship proposed by agency theory by demonstrating a positive association between CEO compensation and firm sustainability performance. Our study claimed that, the compensation committee has a major impact on how closely CEO compensation is correlated with company sustainability performance, but board size has no discernible impact. This alignment is negatively impacted by CEO duality since improved performance offers a more realistic picture of the company. Furthermore, CEO compensation is significantly impacted by firm size which is justified by the complexity and the increased responsibilities associated with managing larger firms. Conclusively this investigation suggest that CEO compensation can be utilized effectively in the presence of effective governance practices. This study advances knowledge of agency theory and the connection between sustainability performance and compensation.
Risk factors associated with Acute Myocardial Infarction (MI) in patients reporting at tertiary care hospitals in Karachi
Authors: Ali Syed Rohan , Buriro Gulzar Ali , Moti Fatima Amin , Guzdar Tanzeel , Farooq Fawad , Khan Sawera , Sikander Faraz , Muhammad Ghulam
Published: May 2024

Background:
Cardiovascular diseases have a multi-factorial etiology, that includes hypertension, diabetes, stress, smoking, dyslipidemia and positive family history. Of them Acute myocardial infarction remains one of the most life threatening condition that can lead to post MI complications or death.
Objective:
To determine the risk factors associated with Acute Myocardial infarction in patients presenting in tertiary care hospitals in Karachi.
Method:
A cross sectional study was conducted on a sample size of 377 Acute Myocardial Infarcted patients .The sample was taken through non probability purposive sampling from Dr. Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi and National institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Karachi.. Data was then analyzed using SPSS version 22 with 95% confidence interval, margin of error was taken 5% and P-value 0.05 was significant.
Results:
A study was conducted to characterize patient demographics and assess the prevalence of various health factors among individuals presenting with Acute Myocardial Infarction (MI) at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. Among the 377 patients analyzed, 40.3% fell within the age range of 56-65 years, totaling 152 individuals. The male representation was higher, constituting 57.8% (218 out of 377), compared to females at 42.2%. A considerable proportion, totaling 77.7%, had hypertension, while approximately 52.5% were smokers. Diabetes was present in only 36.3% of participants, whereas 38.2% reported dyslipidemia. Additionally, 67.4% had a positive family history of MI, and a mere 9.5% engaged in regular exercise. Consumption of whisky was reported by 19.6% of participants, and 60.5% had undergone surgical procedures.
Significantly, male participants exhibited a higher prevalence of smoking (83%) compared to females at 10.69% (p-value = 0.000). Alcohol consumption was also notably higher in males, reported at 30.7%, in contrast to females at 4.40% (p-value = 0.000). Surgical procedures were more prevalent among female participants, with 77.35% having undergone them, compared to 48.16% of males (p-value = 0.000).Furthermore, there was a significant association between age groups and the presence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia (p-values = 0.000, 0.001, and 0.000, respectively), suggesting variations in prevalence across different age brackets.
Conclusion:
The study highlights the prevalence of various health factors among the sampled population, with significant gender disparities observed in smoking, alcohol consumption, and surgical procedures. Understanding these factors is crucial for implementing targeted interventions and public health initiatives to address prevalent health issues within the community. Further research may delve into the underlying factors contributing to these disparities and explore effective strategies for health promotion and disease prevention.
Toxin Data Quality: A Critical Examination of Bacterial Exotoxins and Animal Toxins
Authors: Krüger Tanja , Koludarov Ivan , Littmann Maria , Rost Burkhard , Jimenez-Soto Luisa F.
Published: May 2024

Objective
Existing toxins data sets include a mixture of proteins and toxin peptides. In this study we present two curated data sets of toxic proteins free of associated proteins: bacterial exotoxins and animal toxins. Our stringent selection criteria resulted in two data sets with only toxins that directly target or disrupt vital molecular mechanisms of their target organism. To gain insight in their properties and differences, we compared both sets of toxins to controls, and used simple biophysical features such as protein length, and amino acid composition distinguishing between evolutionary kingdoms (phyla). This approach should reveal if there is a need to consider differences present in toxin sets depending on their origin.
Results
Our analysis revealed biophysical differences between animal and bacterial toxins that should not be ignored. Both toxin groups exhibited preference amino acid usage depending on their origin, together with higher cysteine content compared to their respective controls. The animal toxins set contains, on average, significantly shorter sequences than bacterial toxins, and had their isoelectric point shifted towards acidic pH values. We show that animal toxins and bacterial toxins possess intrinsic differences in general biophysical properties, which reinforce the necessity of segregating these datasets to ensure reliability of bioinformatics models aimed at understanding and predicting toxin characteristics.
Barriers to dermatologic care for geriatric patients who received extensive Mohs surgery - an in-depth qualitative analysis
Authors: Prajapati Stuti , Zaino Mallory , Kontzias Christina , Siddiqui Fahad , Feldman Steven R. , Doerfler Laura B.
Published: May 2024

Two to three million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually in patients over the age of 65. Evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of skin cancer in the geriatric population may be impeded due to various barriers. Diagnostic delay can frequently lead to larger and more complex skin cancers that require treatment with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). Our objective was to identify barriers for skin cancer intervention in patients ³65 years of age who have undergone MMS.
We performed a qualitative analysis using open-ended, semi-structured interview questions with patients ³65 years of age from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist dermatology clinics who underwent non-extensive and extensive MMS. Non-extensive MMS was defined as having two or fewer skin layers removed, while extensive MMS was defined as having three or more skin layers removed.
Twelve patients (ages 68-91, 42% female, 100% White, with one to 13 skin layers removed) described barriers to early skin cancer identification and intervention, including poor skin cancer knowledge, individual and systemic factors, and patient-provider relationships. Early education, direct and consistent communication, and personal provider-patient relationships may be beneficial in preventing the progression of skin cancers in the geriatric patient population and subsequent extensive MMS.
Effects of land use change on runoff depth in the Songnen Plain, China
Authors: Lu Zhong , Zhang Jinliang , Li Chaoqun , Dong Zhiqiang , Lei Guoping , Yu Ziyang
Published: May 2024

Climate change and human activities both have a considerable impact on runoff depth, which are important parts of a changing ecosystem. Nevertheless, the main focus of hydrological response research has been on investigating the impact of climate change on the depth of runoff. In contrast, there has been limited emphasis on comprehending the precise mechanisms through which changes in land use, in relation to human activities, influence runoff depth. This paper utilized the MIKE SHE/MIKE 11 model to simulate the runoff depth process in the study area from 1980 to 2020. It estimated the influence of climate change and land use change on runoff depth using the runoff reduction method. Additionally, it quantified the impact of different land use changes on runoff depth by employing the spatio-temporal geographically weighted regression model. The study demonstrates that the MIKE SHE/MIKE 11 model is capable of accurately reproducing the runoff depth of the Songnen Plain. Both the R and NSE values for both the base and validation periods exceed 0.75. Moreover, from a geographical standpoint, climate change has a greater influence on runoff depth than human activity. Nevertheless, the impact of human activity is more evident in small, specific areas. As human activities intensify, their impact on runoff depth also increases, with the average contribution rising from 20% to over 30%. Changes in various land types within the watershed can be used to observe the influence of human activities on runoff depth. More precisely, a 10% rise in the rate of change of construction land, dry land, and unoccupied land results in an increase in runoff depth of 6.21 mm, 2.45 mm, and 1.14 mm, respectively. Conversely, a 10% rise in the rate of alteration of marsh, paddy, and forest land leads to a reduction in the depth of runoff by 9.49 mm, 6.46 mm, and 3.07 mm, respectively. This research can contribute to improving the efficiency of water and land resource utilization and optimizing land resource governance.
Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus with Oculomotor Nerve Palsy：A Case report and Literature Review
Authors: Hu Xinru , He Jia , Chen Meng , Chen Xing , Du Shuang , Duan Xi
Published: May 2024

Background
Oculomotor nerve palsy in herpes zoster ophthalmicus(HZO) is rare. HZO can manifest with delayed complications such as Oculomotor Nerve Complications (OMCN) or other significant neurological consequences.
Case presentation:
We report a 77-year-old woman with right ptosis while receiving treatment for herpes zoster. Physical examination showed crusted vesicles on the right V1 dermatome, complete right ptosis, and limited right eye movement in all directions. The symptoms of oculomotor nerve palsy have not yet improved although the lesion healing after anti-inflammatory and antiviral treatment.
Conclusions
Prompt initiation of antiviral therapy and steroidal anti-inflammatory treatment are advocated in Herpes Zoster(HZ) to mitigate severe outcomes. Moreover, diligent monitoring and routine follow-ups for HZO patients are imperative. While therapeutic strategies for HZO-induced OMCN remain underdeveloped due to its scarcity, the prognosis for recovery is generally optimistic.This case report details a cases of HZO with oculomotor nerve palsy and summarizes relevant cases.
Novel classification algorithms inspired by firing rate stochastic resonance
Authors: Xu Ziheng , Fu Yuxuan , Mei Ruofeng , Zhai Yajie , Kang Yanmei
Published: May 2024

The aim of this paper is to present a category of novel pattern classification algorithms inspired by the phenomenon of the firing rate based stochastic resonance (SR) in a noisy leaky integrate-and-fire neuron. To this end, the firing rate-based SR phenomenon in the noisy leaky integrate-and-fire neuron model is displayed by means of the approximation of adiabatic elimination. And then, a multi-layer neural network with back-propagation learning is constructed by using the stationary firing rare for activation function. Since the intensity of the involving Gaussian white noise is taken as an independent trainable parameter, the benefit of noise can be maximally utilized. The algorithm and its improvements have been verified with binary classification and handwritten digit recognition. By further simplifying calculation of the firing rate activation, this algorithm is embedded into the network architecture of PreAct-ResNet-18 for more complex tasks. It is shown that the improved version based on the stochastic gradient descent (SGD) optimizer outperforms several typical artificial neural network algorithms and brain-inspired spiking neural network (SNN) algorithms on the CIFAR-10 dataset, and it achieves a good accuracy on CIFAR-100, surpassing the accuracy based on the ReLU activation. Since the trained intensity of Gaussian white noise is nonzero in all the applications, stochastic resonance like effect has been observed. Hence it is disclosed from this study that noise can really be designed as an optimizable factor into the brain-inspired machine learning algorithms.
Estimating the financial risk transmission effect between new energy vehicle enterprises supply chain based on GARCH–time-varying copula–CoVaR model under the dual carbon target
Authors: Cao Yanqiu , Bian Yijie
Published: May 2024

The development of new energy vehicles is an important path to promote the realization of the dual carbon target. However, the complex and changeable external macro environment, large capital investment required in the early stage of new energy vehicle projects, and unstable returns resulting in high financial risks for new energy vehicle enterprises. Furthermore, factors such as information asymmetry, moral hazard and the uncertainty of the external macro environment make the dynamic characteristics of financial risk transmission between enterprises in the new energy vehicle supply chain more prominent. Existing studies on risk transmission have mainly focuses on theoretical exploration and qualitative research, while the quantitative research is lacking. This study empirically analyzed the financial risk transmission effect between the new energy vehicles chain enterprises based on the GARCH–time-varying copula–CoVaR model. It selected 8 upstream enterprises, 2 midstream enterprises and 8 downstream enterprises; constructed 36 financial risk transmission chains, and selected the stock returns of sample companies from 2017 to 2021 as research data. The results indicated that: (1) the financial risk between upstream and downstream enterprises in the supply chain of new energy vehicles had a bidirectional conduction effect, and the conduction effect was heterogeneous; (2) compared with midstream and downstream enterprises, financial risk was more conductive between upstream and midstream enterprises; and (3) the financial risk transmission effect between enterprises had time-varying characteristics, which affected by the external macro environment and the degree of cooperation between enterprises.
Analysis of the conversion of Cadmium carbonate (CdCO3) to Cadmium oxide (CdO) in thin films with photocatalytic application
Authors: Coyotecatl H. Azucena , Garrido M. Vicencio , Portillo M. Chávez , Santiesteban H. Juárez
Published: May 2024

The Cadmium Carbonate (CdCO3) films were successfully synthesized using the chemical bathroom deposition (CBD) technique to vary later the temperature from 30 ° C, 150 ° C, 300 ° C, 400 ° C and 500 ° C with the CdO was obtained. A step-by-step study was carried out of the chemical reaction coordination complex that is the basis for converting CdCO3 to CdO. With SEM it was possible to perform the morphological studio of the films of CdCO3 Showing a pyramidal shape in each of the samples. The vibration bands in the FTIR spectrum, located at range ~ 3600 − 400 cm-1, corresponding to characteristic vibrations of the carbonate ((CO3)−2) ion, carboxylates, and OH ions were identified. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was applied to investigate the structural and microstructural properties of polycrystalline thin films and the phase change from CdCO3 to CdO. The optical properties of all films such as Absorption, Transmittance, and Reflectance were analyzed, getting a GAP of 1.87–2.37 eV. And, nanostructured films were applied to photocatalysis with a low percentage of photocatalytic efficiency of 8 ~ 14% in 90 minutes.
Shock Wave Interference Characteristics in Double-Tube Jets Impacting on Moving Bodies
Authors: Li Zijie , Wang Hao
Published: May 2024

In an effort to investigate the interference characteristics of shock waves and the motion patterns of the moving body when subjected to simultaneous impacts from double-tube muzzle jets, we conducted numerical simulation research on the flow field structure of a 120 mm double-tube muzzle jet using dynamic grid technology. Our research findings offer a clear description of the interaction process between the two jets and reveal the evolution patterns of shock wave morphology, as well as their interactions and mixing. The results demonstrate that when double-tube jets simultaneously impact moving bodies, the two jets strongly interfere with each other, restraining the free expansion of the jet. Consequently, shock-shock collisions occur, impeding jet development and causing the shock wave to alter its motion direction, concentrating more around the center of the jet. Furthermore, the interaction between intense shock waves and weaker vortices leads to the disappearance of vortices that would typically be observed. Additionally, due to shock-shock collisions, multiple pairs of reflected shock waves and numerous triple points emerge. Moreover, the complex flow field structure enhances the thrust experienced by the moving body, resulting in significant alterations to its key motion parameters. This increase in initial disturbances impacts the operational stability of the moving body. The research outcomes presented in this article provide a crucial theoretical foundation for enhancing the understanding of muzzle jet phenomena and for the practical application of double-tube jet technology in engineering contexts.
Risk factors of delayed bleeding after endoscopic mucosal dissection in patients with early esophageal cancer
Authors: Ling Ying , Wang Jun , Xi Chunhui , Liu Juan
Published: May 2024

Objective Investigating the risk factors of delayed bleeding after endoscopic mucosal dissection (ESD) for early oesophagal cancer.
Methods The early oesophagal cancer patients who received ESD treatment were analyzed, these subjects were divided into two categories according to whether they experienced delayed bleeding after surgery. The risk factors of delayed bleeding after ESD surgery in patients with early oesophagal cancer were identified by one-way ANOVA and multivariate Logistic regression analysis. According to whether they experienced delayed bleeding divided into two categories., we explored the risk reasons by analyzing the medical statistics of the patients through ANOVA and Logistic regression analysis.
Results ESD was associated with delayed onset, lower rates of postoperative bleeding, cancer cell depth and tumour diameter greater than 3M. After Logistic regression analysis, we found that patients with early oesophagal cancer over 50 years old, heavy bleeding during surgery and a significant degree of cancer cell invasion (M3) are all independent risk factors (P<0.05 and OR≥1).
Conclusions The primary risk sources of this condition are ≥50 years old, tumour size greater than 3m, blood loss during surgery, and the depth of cancer cell invasion (M3) are risk factors for patients with early oesophagal cancer after ESD surgery.
Reversible immobilization of enzyme on the “deck” for high-efficiency heterogeneous catalysis
Authors: Zhu Xing , Lv Zuoyuan , Ren Longfang , Fan Mingliang , Du Chenxi , Qiang Yuanyuan , He Bin
Published: May 2024

Enzyme immobilization has emerged as one of the pivotal technologies in enzyme engineering, offering substantial cost reductions associated with enzyme isolation and utilization. However, efficient catalysis of solid substrates with solid immobilized enzymes remains a challenge, typically exemplified by the hydrolysis of cellulose using immobilized cellulase. In this study, a novel system of reversible release and recycling of cellulase on the surface of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) "hull" was developed, inspired by the operational dynamics of carrier-based aircraft. The reversible formation and disruption of multiple hydrogen bonds between the grafted gelatin molecular chain on the LDPE surface and the modification arm of cellulase (poly(methacrylic acid-propenoic acid; PAA-PMAA) can be achieved through temperature control, thus enabling the reversible release and recycling of modified cellulase molecules on the LDPE surface. Results demonstrated that the release of modified cellulase (PLANE) from the LDPE surface overcame the mass transfer barrier inherent in traditional immobilized enzyme systems for catalyzing insoluble substrates. This was attributed to the dissolution of PLANE in the developed system, rendering its hydrolysis of the insoluble cellulose substrate comparable to that of the free enzyme. Upon completion of the reaction, the PLANE could be reversibly recycled on the surface of the macroscopic LDPE membrane, facilitated by the regeneration of multiple hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the facile removal of the membrane aided in the convenient recycling of cellulase. Notably, the cellulase molecules in the system retained more than 50% of their biological activity even after 8 batches of reuse, making the process cost-effective. This method addressed the limitations of traditional immobilized enzymes, allowing the catalysis of solid substrates with elevated mass transfer and simultaneous easy recovery, thus standing out as a universal immobilization method.