bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of a Ferroptosis-Related Gene Signature for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Authors: Fang Jianguo , Wang Duojun , Liu Cai , Lin Zaijun
Published: October 2022

Background As a natural process of aging, intervertebral disc degeneration is more prone to degeneration, with limited repair ability, which is closely related to ageing and excessive manual labor. The main manifestations include the formation of fissures in the annulus fibrosus, the reduction of water in the intervertebral disc, and the decrease of elasticity. However, the molecular mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration is still unclear. Methods In this study, key biomarkers in intervertebral disc degeneration were identified through bioinformatics. GSE70362 and GSE56081 were downloaded from the GEO database, and then the two datasets were differentially analyzed and validated for their expression, immune infiltration analysis, functional enrichment analysis, and potential drug prediction through the Connectivity Map (CMap) database. Results A total of 352 and 9815 differential genes were identified by GSE70362, GSE56081, respectively. The up-regulated and down-regulated genes of the two datasets were intersected with ferroptosis genes to obtain five key genes that were significantly correlated with immune cell content, namely AKR1C3, CKB, KRT19, MT1G and MUC1. The ROC results showed that the five core genes could well predict the occurrence and development of the disease. In addition, the results of CMap suggested that four drugs, including 1-Phenylbiguanide, LY-2183240, Flubendazole and Penciclovir, have the potential to reverse intervertebral disc degeneration. Conclusion Exploring the expression levels of five key genes in intervertebral disc degeneration is conductive to providing new ideas for the prevention and treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration. Moreover, Flubendazole and Penciclovir have the potential to provide options for clinical treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.
Does maternal oxygen administration during non-reassuring fetal status affect the umbilical artery gas measures and neonatal outcomes?
Authors: goda mayuko , Arakaki Tatsuya , Takita Hiroko , Tokunaka Mayumi , Hamada Shoko , Matsuoka Ryu , Sekizawa Akihiko
Published: October 2022

Purpose:
To clarify whether maternal oxygen administration during vaginal delivery improves umbilical artery (UA) gas measurements and neonatal outcomes.
Methods:
Singleton pregnancies requiring operative vaginal delivery or emergency cesarean section (CS) due to non-reassuring fetal status (NRFS) during vaginal delivery at our hospital from 2018 to 2021 were retrospectively investigated.
Intrapartum fetal wellbeing was evaluated based on the 5-tier fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern which is a delivery management method widely used in Japan. Operative vaginal deliveries or emergency CS were performed under integrated judgment in NRFS. Patients were divided into the oxygen group in which oxygen (10 L/min) was supplied by a facemask and the room air group. The umbilical artery (UA) gas measurements and neonatal outcomes were compared retrospectively. The oxygen administration was classified by conditions before and after the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. As a secondary evaluation, stratification of FHR pattern levels was also examined.
Results:
A total of 250 patients required obstetric surgical delivery due to NRFS, including 140 (56%) and 110 (44%) in the oxygen and room air groups, respectively. No differences in maternal background factors were found between the oxygen and room air groups, except for maternal age. UA gas measurements and neonatal outcomes also showed no significant differences.
Conclusions:
Transmaternal oxygen administration for intrapartum NRFS did not affect neonatal cord blood gases and neonatal outcomes. Thus, routine oxygen administration for intrapartum NRFS may not always be necessary.
The Time and Grade of Hepatitis During and After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Use in 193 Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the Survival Impact
Authors: Chi-Han Lin , Kuo Yung-Chia , Kuo Hsuan-Chih , Wang Ching-Ting , Lin Shi-Ming , Lee Chao-Wei Alan , Yu Ming-Chin , Lee Wei-Chen , Chen Chiao-Erh Cherry , Hsieh Jason Chia-Hsun
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Hepatitis often occurs after the initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. The time and grade of hepatitis after ICI initiates and the prognostic role of immune-related hepatitis in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) remains unclear.
Methods: In this real-world analysis, we enrolled aHCC patients receiving ICIs, documented the highest level of liver enzymes during/after ICIs, and analyzed the survival impact of different hepatitis patterns.
Results: One hundred and ninety-three aHCC patients receiving ICIs were recruited. During ICIs, 88.6% of all patients experienced aspartate transaminase (AST) elevations (Grade III/IV: 7.8%). For alanine transaminase (ALT), 81.3% had elevated levels (Grade III/IV: 3.6%), and 41.5% of patients had elevated bilirubin levels (Grade 3/4: 6.7%). The median AST, ALT, and total bilirubin values significantly increased after ICI treatment initiated (all p < 0.001) and similarly, after excluding progressive disease ( p = 0.014, p = 0.002, p < 0.001). The median time of hepatitis occurrence is from the 4.0 th –15.9 th weeks. Multivariate analysis showed that patterns of liver enzyme change of AST and total bilirubin in patients receiving ICIs significantly correlate to overall survival (OS, p = 0.009 and 0.001, respectively). After ICI termination, patients with late elevated bilirubin ( p = 0.003) and AST ( p = 0.005) would indicate poor survival.
Discussion/ Conclusion: Hepatitis patterns in patients with aHCC under ICI therapy can predict OS. Close monitoring of hepatitis could help to promptly predict the outcomes of patients receiving ICIs.
Robust, practical and comprehensive analysis of soft compression image coding algorithms for big data
Authors: Xin Gangtao , Fan Pingyi
Published: October 2022

With the advancement of intelligent vision algorithms and devices, image reprocessing and secondary propagation are becoming increasingly prevalent. A large number of similar images are being produced rapidly and widely, resulting in the homogeneity and similarity of images. Moreover, it brings new challenges to compression systems, which need to exploit the potential of deep features and side information of images. However, traditional methods are incompetent for this issue. Soft compression is a novel data-driven image coding algorithm with superior performance. Compared with existing paradigms, it has distinctive characteristics: from hard to soft, from pixels to shapes, and from fixed to random. Soft compression may hold promise for human-centric/data-centric intelligent systems, making them efficient and reliable and finding potential in metaverse and digital twins, etc. In this paper, we present a comprehensive and practical analysis of soft compression, revealing the functional role of each component in the system.
PTSD Specific Deficits in Default Mode Network Strength: At Baseline and Following Experimental Stress
Authors: Averill Christopher L. , Averill Lynnette A. , Akiki Teddy J. , Fouda Samar , Krystal John H. , Abdallah Chadi G.
Published: October 2022

Reductions in default mode (DMN) connectivity strength have been reported in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the specificity of DMN connectivity deficits in PTSD compared to major depressive disorder (MDD), and the sensitivity of these alterations to acute stressors are not yet known. 52 participants with primary diagnosis of PTSD (n = 28) or MDD (n = 24) completed resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging immediately before and after a mild affective stressor. A 2x2 design was conducted to determine the effects of group, stress, and group*stress on DMN connectivity strength. Exploratory analyses were completed to identify the brain region(s) underlying the DMN alterations. We found 13% reduction in DMN strength in PTSD compared to MDD (p = 0.04). There was significant group*stress interaction (p = 0.03), reflecting stress-induced reduction in DMN strength in PTSD (p = 0.02), but not MDD (p = 0.50). Nodal exploration of connectivity strength in the DMN identified regions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus contributing to DMN connectivity deficits. The findings indicate distinct, disease-specific, patterns of connectivity strength reduction in the DMN in PTSD, especially following an experimental stressor. The identified stress-induced dynamic shift in functional connectivity underscores the potential utility of the DMN connectivity and raises the question whether these disruptions are inversely affected by antidepressants known to treat both MDD and PTSD psychopathology.
SPATS2 is correlated with cell cycle progression and immune cells infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yan Jia , Lin Jing , Deng Xiu ling , Wang Changshan , Wang Hai sheng
Published: October 2022

The spermatogenesis associated serine rich 2 (SPATS2) is a member of RNA-binding protein in which the abnormal expression is linked with carcinogenesis in serval types of cancer. However, there is no systematic study on the differential expression, prognostic significance, epigenetic regulation, immune infiltration of SPATS2 in HCC. In the present study, we investigated the expression, prognosis, epigenetic regulation, and immune cell infiltration of SPATS2 in HCC. We found that the elevated expression of SPATS2 was unfavorably associated with the clinical pathological stage and prognosis. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that SPATS2 associated with cell cycle, apoptosis and cancer cell metastasis processes in HCC. Our results confirmed that knockdown of SPATS2 will affect cell cycle, apoptosis and invasion of HCC cell lines. Moreover, the expression of SPATS2 is upregulated by epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation, m6A and histone modification in HCC. In addition, SPATS2 expression was positively correlated with immune cell or gene markers of immune infiltration in HCC. Taken together, our data demonstrated that SPATS2 was associated with progression and immune infiltration, and could serve as a prognostic biomarker for HCC. In conclusion, these results highlight the potential of SPATS2 to be used as a therapeutic target for HCC.
Isolation of Enterococcus faecium and determination of its mechanism for promoting the growth and development of Drosophila
Authors: Li Yujuan , Pan Lei , Gao Yongheng , Gao Fuguo , Wang Lei , Chen Jian , Li Pengcheng , Li Zhichao , Gong Yumei , Jin Faguang
Published: October 2022

Intestinal symbiotic microorganisms have a strong capacity to regulate the physiological functions of their host, and Drosophila serves as a useful model. Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) is a member of the normal intestinal flora of animals. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as E. faecium can promote the growth and development of Drosophila, but the mechanism of regulation of Drosophila is poorly understood. In this study, we found that E. faecium used a carbon source to produce probiotic acids. E. faecium is a symbiotic bacterium for Drosophila, and adult flies passed on parental flora to offspring. E. faecium promoted the growth and development of Drosophila, especially under poor nutritional conditions. E. faecium shortened the developmental process for Drosophila and accelerated the transformation from larva to pupa. Finally, E. faecium promoted the growth and development of Drosophila through TOR and insulin signalling pathways.
Neuron-derived exosomes trigger a PD-L1-mediated broad suppression of T cells in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Chen Zhichun , Xu Chongchong , Li Guanglu , Wen Zhexing , Liu Jun , Mao Zixu
Published: October 2022

Background
Adaptive immunity plays an important role in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Multiple lines of evidence indicate a significant decrease in peripheral T cells in PD patients. Although this suppression impacts both overall immune and neuroimmune response in Parkinson’s disease, there is currently no mechanistic explanation for this important phenomenon reported by many clinical studies.
Methods
The exosomes were isolated from culture media of cell lines overexpressing α-synuclein A53T mutant (A53T-syn), plasma of transgenic mouse expressing A53T-syn, and dopaminergic neuron-specific organoid derived from induced pluripotent stem cells of familial PD patients carrying A53T-syn mutation (termed neuron-derived exosomes or NDEs). Western blot was used to measure the expressions of exosome markers and transmission electron microscopy was used to confirm the morphology of purified exosomes. The CD4 + and CD8 + T cells were purified from mouse spleen using a negative selection method and the effects of NDEs on the cytokines production, activation, and proliferation of purified CD4 + and CD8 + T cells were assessed by flow cytometry. Purified naïve CD4 + T cells were used to examine the effects of NDEs on CD4 + T cell differentiation.
Results
Exosomes derived from all three sources suppressed IL-4 and INF-γ production by both purified CD4 + and CD8 + T cells and inhibited T cell activation and proliferation. The suppressed phenotype of T cells induced by NDEs was accompanied by a reduction of Th1-promoting transcription factor T-bet and Th2-promoting transcription factor GATA-3 in T cells. Consistently, NDEs isolated from plasma of A53T-syn mice and dopaminergic neuron-specific organoid carrying A53T-syn mutation also suppressed Th1 and Th2 differentiation of naïve CD4 + T cells. Mechanistically, the suppressed phenotype induced by NDEs isolated from PD models was associated with altered programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) level in T cells. Blocking PD-L1 with an anti-PD-L1 antibody or a small molecule inhibitor BMS-1166 reversed T cell suppression induced by A53T-syn exosomes.
Conclusions
Our study reveals the key role of neuron-derived exosomes in mediating the broad suppression of T cells observed in PD and provides the basis for exploring peripheral T cells in PD pathogenesis and as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for the disease.
Rapid Prototyping of High-resolution Large Format Microfluidic Device Through Maskless Image Guided In-situ Photopolymerization
Authors: Paul Ratul , Zhao Yuwen , Coster Declan , Qin Xiaochen , Islam Md Khayrul , Wu Yue , Liu Yaling
Published: October 2022

Microfluidic devices have been widely used in mechanical, biomedical, chemical, and materials research. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important to have a cheap, fast, and reliable method for rapid microfabrication. However, prototyping of microfluidic devices typically suffers from the high initial cost, low resolution, rough surface finish, and long turn-around time. Here we present a strategic approach to closed-loop control of deterministic fabrication process based on in-situ image analysis called image-guided in-situ maskless lithography (IGIs-ML). Using the closed-loop control along with flush-flow functionality and leveraging the swelling behavior of the photocurable polymer, we demonstrate the fabrication of sub-micron high aspect ratio channels (800 nm width and >10 µm height) close to the light diffraction limit. This outperforms any reported rapid prototyping platforms which can typically reach tens of µm in channel width. Such dimensional capability is even comparable to some of the most advanced fabrication methods currently available. Dynamic image analysis simultaneously provides superior repeatability of densely packed patterns across a large area and multiple devices. A general and robust approach is established to fabricate a wide variety of microfluidic devices. This resolves the critical over-curing issues and size limitations in rapid prototyping of microfluidic devices, enabling affordable and reliable exploration of design space beyond the resolution of traditional photolithography.
Spatial analysis of factors associated with subnational HIV prevalence among female adults aged 15-49 years in Cameroon, 2004-2018
Authors: Sui Zhining , Liu Xiaoyun
Published: October 2022

Background
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the world’s most serious health and development burdens and it is one of the most common causes of death in Cameroon. Women appear to be more vulnerable to HIV infection than men. Given that the women specific HIV/AIDS research literature is lacking in Cameroon, this study applied spatial random effects based on subnational regions to provide more accurate estimates on female HIV prevalence and related risk factors in Cameroon.
Methods
This study estimates trends in female HIV prevalence for 12 subnational regions in Cameroon using DHS surveys from 2004, 2011, and 2018. Direct weighted estimates of the female HIV prevalence from each survey are calculated for each region across 7-year periods. The region-specific estimates are smoothed using a Bayesian model to produce estimates that are more precise than the direct estimates for small areas. The data is fitted to both a non-spatial multivariate logistic model and a spatial random effect intrinsic conditional autoregressive (ICAR) model.
Results
After spatially smoothing, the subnational HIV prevalence among women have decreased consistently from 2004 to 2018, except for unexpected increments in North, South, and Douala in 2011. Also, the variations in the female HIV prevalence across regions decreased from 2004 to 2018. The non-spatial logistic analysis revealed that age, marital status, education attainment, and wealth quintile were significantly associated with the risk of being infected by HIV. According to the spatial analysis, the associations between HIV infection risk and both marital status and education attainment were generally consistent with the results from the non-spatial analysis. There was no generalizable pattern of the effects of age group, wealth quintile, employment, sexual activity, number of sexual partners, the presence of a STI or its symptoms in the past 12 month, and knowledge of HIV prevention methods over time.
Conclusions
The small-area estimates of female HIV prevalence can be used to identify regions where HIV prevention methods are required and prioritized. The change in effects of some risk factors over time are evaluated to decide the targeted population that requires reinforced interventions. Finally, more work can be done to improve the quality of dataset as well as the models proposed.
A case of an adolescent with antiphospholipid syndrome and persistently high PF4 levels with recurrent late thrombotic complications after mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
Authors: Haga Yoichi , Ohara Akira , Yakuwa Tsuneyoshi , Yamashita Akari , Udo Midori , Matsuoka Masaki , Yasumoto Atsushi , Takahashi Hiroyuki
Published: October 2022

Background: Anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease causing arteriovenous thrombosis in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. Pediatric APS develops at less than 18 years of age. Various factors exacerbate pediatric APS. Herein, we report a case of a patient with pediatric APS who developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) 6 months after second vaccination due to persistent platelet activation caused by exacerbation of APS after administration of the BNT162b2 vaccine.
Case presentation: A 17-year-old female developed DVT at the age of 6 years. She had no family history of thrombophilia. The thrombus was found in the right common iliac vein to the inferior vena cava, with concomitant left pulmonary infarction. After treatment with warfarin, the pulmonary infarction resolved, but the thrombus from the right common iliac vein to the inferior vena cava became organized and remained until now. The patient was treated with anticoagulants for 6 years after the onset of DVT and then without treatment for 5 years without recurrence of thrombosis. The first dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine was administered 1 week before a routine outpatient visit. However, PF4 levels were elevated after vaccination and even after 5 months, but without thrombotic symptoms. A second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine was administered; 6 months later, the patient developed recurrent deep vein thromboembolism in the right common iliac vein and was treated with direct oral anticoagulants.
Conclusions: The persistence of high PF4 levels after vaccination in a patient with DVT may indicate an association between the vaccine and DVT due to the exacerbation of APS by the BNT162b2 vaccine. After vaccination of patients with a predisposition to thrombosis, the state of coagulation, including platelet activation markers, should be monitored to prevent the development of DVT.
Fc receptor-like 1 (FCRL1) is a novel biomarker for prognosis and a possible therapeutic target in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Yousefi Zahra , Sharifzadeh Sedigheh , Zare Farahnaz , Eskandari Nahid
Published: October 2022

Background
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), which can involve various types of mature B-cells. The incidence of DLBCL has been increased, additional research is required to identify novel and effective prognostic and therapeutic molecules. Fc receptor-like 1 (FCRL1) act as an activation co-receptor of human B-cells. Aberrant expression of this molecule has been reported in a number of B-cell-related disorders. Moreover, the clinical significance and prognosis value of FCRL1 in DLBCL not completely identified.
Methods
In this study, the expression levels of FCRL1 was determined in thirty patients with DLBCL and 15 healthy controls (HCs). In addition, the correlation between FCRL1 expressions with clinicopathological variables of DLBCL patients were examined. Then, the potential roles of FCRL1 in proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle distribution of B-cells from DLBCL patients were determined using flow cytometry analysis, after knockdown of this marker using retroviral short hairpin RNA interference. Quantitative real time-PCR, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were also used to identify the possible effects of FCRL1 knockdown on expression levels of BCL-2, BID, BAX, intracellular signaling pathway PI3K/p-Akt, and p65 nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in B-cells of DLBCL.
Results
Statistical analysis revealed higher levels of FCRL1 expression in B-cells of DLBCL patients compared to HCs at both protein and mRNA levels. A positive correlation observed between the expression of FCRL1 with some clinicopathological parameters of DLBCL patients. In addition, FCRL1 knockdown significantly decreased cell proliferation and stimulated apoptosis as well as G1 cell cycle arrest in B-cells of DLBCL patients. The levels of p65 NF-κB and PI3K/p-Akt expression markedly reduced after knockdown of FCRL1 expression.
Conclusions
These results suggested FCRL1 as a potential novel biomarker for prognosis and/or a possible effective therapeutic target for treatment of patients with DLBCL.
Towards Understanding Accountability for Physicians Practice in India
Authors: Mathew Mary , Klabbers Gonnie ,   3.	Guido de Wert,   4.	Anja Krumeich
Published: October 2022

The lack of accountability is considered to be a major cause of the crisis in health care in India. Physicians as key stakeholders in the health care delivery system have traditionally been accountable for health concerns at the doctor-patient interface. Following social and organizational dynamics, the interpretations of accountability have broadened and shifted in recent literature, expanding accountability to the community, national and global levels and to social domains. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive framework of accountability in medical practice that can be used as a vehicle for further contextualized research and policy input. Through literature review, this paper is presented in two parts. First, a description of accountability of a physician inclusive of the social domains is extracted by posing three pertinent questions: who is accountable? accountability to whom? and accountability for what? which addresses the roles, relationships with other stakeholders and domains of accountability. Second, a framework of accountability of a physician is designed and presented to illustrate the professional and social domains. This study revealed a shift from individual physician’s accountability to collective accountability involving multiple stakeholders through complex reciprocal and multi-layered mechanisms inclusive of the social dimensions. We propose a comprehensive framework of accountability of the physician to include the social domains that is multidimensional and integrative of all stakeholders. We discuss the utility of the framework in the Indian health care system and how this can facilitate further research in understanding the social dimensions of all stakeholders.
Molecular study of Rotavirus A infection in children with diarrhea, before and after vaccine introduction in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo
Authors: Lenguiya Hossana Léadisaelle , NIAMA Roch Fabien , MAYENGUE PEMBE ISSAMOU , Leblanc GAMPOUO GANDZA , Igor LOUZOLO , MBONGOLO Nadia Claricelle LOUKABOU , FILA-FILA Grâce Petula Urielle , LOKO Sagesse Raïssa Ginelle , Cynthia NKOUA BADZI , DOSSOU-YOVO Louis Régis , Félix KOUKOUIKILA-KOSSOUNDA
Published: October 2022

Background: Acute gastroenteritis due to Rotavirus A infection is common in both developing and developed countries and is responsible for approximately 215,000 annual deaths especially in developing countries. In 2014, the Republic of Congo joined the immunization program recommended by WHO and introduced Rotarix (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Belgium) into its national immunization schedule. However, information on the genetic diversity of Rotavirus strains in Congo is derived from a single pre-vaccination study conducted in the southern Brazzaville area.
To determine RVA prevalence and genotype distribution in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire before and after the Rotarix vaccine introduction.
Methods: From February to September 2013 and from August 2017 to February 2018, stool samples were collected from children under 5 years of age suffering from gastroenteritis in Congolese hospitals before and after vaccine introduction. RVA was detected using the ELISA and the VP7 and VP4 genes were genotyped by multiplex RT-PCR. All data analyses were performed using the R software, version 3.4.
Results: Of 154 stool samples analyzed, 45.4% were positive from 108 samples before vaccination introduction and the genotypes G1P [8] (77.5%), G9P [8] (2%), G1G2P [6] P [8] 6%) and G1G9P [8] (2%) were detected. In the post-vaccination period, cases of Rotavirus gastroenteritis were 16% and 4.7% in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, respectively representing 52.17% of 46 samples. The genotypes G1P [8] (40%), G1P [4] P [6] (20%), G8P [8] (20%) and G12P [8] (20%) were detected.
Conclusions: RVA is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in children under five years of age. In the Republic of Congo, we found a considerable genetic diversity of Rotavirus strains and a decrease in cases of gastroenteritis five years after vaccine introduction. Some cases of vaccinated patients who have developed Rotavirus diarrhea have been reported. As a result, it is still important to continue monitoring Rotavirus strains and evaluate the impact of Rotavirus vaccine in Congo.
Detection of COVID-19 using wavelet transform
Authors: Bida Falah A. , Naser Hayder A.
Published: October 2022

Covid-19 is a disease that affects the respiratory system of the human body, and detecting this disease is a complex and one of the main challenges. This work proposed a technique for detection of COVID-19 by integrating multifocal images based on wavelet transduction. In order to improve the detection of COVID-19, Magnet resonant imagery (MRI) and computation tomography (CT) have been used. The multifocal image is included in order to support the diagnosis made by the clinicians. The seven-wave based algorithm bior2.2, coif2, db2, dmey, rbio2.2, sym4 and haar, respectively, was used to achieve a range of results. This approach effectively combines the data obtained from CT and MRI scans to produce a merged image that improves disease diagnosis efficiency by using MATLAB to determine the efficiency of the algorithm. The signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and the entropy factor are used to measure the image fusion efficiency. The statistical analysis of the final images demonstrated the superiority of the image attributes over both the CT image and the MRI.
Potential synergistic effect of Alhagi graecorum ethanolic extract with two conventional food preservatives against some foodborne pathogens
Authors: Shaker Abdulrhman S. , Marrez Diaa A. , Ali Mohamed A. , Fathy Hayam M.
Published: October 2022

The present study aim to screen the antibacterial activity and synergistic interaction of A. graecorum Boiss. ethanolic extract with two food preservatives against five strains of foodborne bacteria. Disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration were used for antibacterial assay, checkerboard assay and time-kill curve were used for the combination studies. HPLC analysis and molecular docking study were performed to corroborate the in vitro results. The ethanolic extract showed antibacterial activity against all tested bacterial strains with inhibition zones from 7.5 to 9.3 mm and MIC values ranged between 1.2 and 1.8 mg ml− 1. The combination of the ethanolic extract with Na-benzoate or Na-propionate resulted in synergistic and additive interactions against the tested bacteria with fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) ranges 0.31–0.63 and no antagonism was shown. Time-kill curve assay showed that the synergistic and additive combinations have inhibitory effects on the tested strains. The ethanolic extract combination with Na-benzoate or Na-propionate can be used for development new sources of food preservatives. Testing new different natural plant extracts with food preservatives will help develop new antibacterial agents.
Do DLC-like features in Raman spectra of tribofilms really mean they are DLC formed by friction?
Authors: Li Yu-Sheng , Jang Seokhoon , Khan Arman , Martin Tobias , Wang Q. Jane , Martini Ashlie , Chung Yip-Wah , Kim Seong H
Published: October 2022

Many previous studies of tribofilms have interpreted D- and G-bands in Raman spectra as evidence that diamond-like carbon (DLC) was formed during sliding. DLC and other amorphous-carbon films are produced by high-energy processes or high-temperature pyrolysis. Since neither of these conditions commonly occurs in a sliding interface, it seems unlikely that such materials could be produced during simple frictional sliding. To understand this apparent contradiction, we systematically analyzed tribofilms produced from vapor and liquid lubrication experiments using Raman spectroscopy with varied laser power and wavelength. The results provide evidence that DLC-like features in Raman spectra of tribofilms formed from organic molecules originate, not by tribochemical synthesis in situ during the tribo-testing as suggested previously, but rather from post-synthesis photochemical degradation of carbonaceous organic matter during the Raman analysis.
Biochemical and transcriptome analysis reveals pigment biosynthesis influenced chlorina leaf formation in Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl
Authors: Ye Xiu-Xian , Chen Yi-Quan , Wu Jian-She , Zhong Huai-Qin , Lin Bing , Huang Min-Ling , Fan Rong-Hui
Published: October 2022

Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl is a perennial herb of the Orchidaceae family; a yellow-green mutant and a yellow mutant were obtained from the wild type, thereby providing good material for the study of leaf color variation. Pigment content analysis revealed that chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanin were lower in the yellow-green and yellow mutants than in the wild type. Transcriptome analysis of the yellow mutant and wild type revealed that 78,712 unigenes were obtained, and 599 differentially expressed genes (120 upregulated and 479 downregulated) were identified. Using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, candidate genes involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway (five unigenes) and the chlorophyll metabolic pathway (two unigenes) were identified. Meanwhile, the low expression of the chlorophyll and anthocyanin biosynthetic genes resulted in the absence of chlorophylls and anthocyanins in the yellow mutant. This study provides a basis for similar research in other closely related species.
An Improved Pathfinder Algorithm (ASDR-PFA) based on Adaptation of Search Dimensional Ratio for solving constrained optimization problems and optimal Feature Selection
Authors: Mahapatra Ajit Kumar , Panda Nibedan , Pattanayak Binod Kumar
Published: October 2022

The pathfinder algorithm (PFA) is a recently introduced meta-heuristic approach that is mathematically modelled by the cooperative behaviour of animal groups during a search for the best food zone. The PFA procedure comprises two phases: the pathfinder phase and the follower phase. In the former phase, the pathfinder explores new regions in the search space with its versatile explorative power. And during the later phase, followers change position following the leader and their perception, as a result, it makes it easy for the algorithm to fall in local optima leading to slow convergence. To alleviate such issues, this article introduces an improved approach to PFA named ASDR-PFA with the incorporation of a parameter termed search dimensional ratio (SDR) to generate new candidate solutions using the previous best one. The power of ASDR-PFA lies in its technique of updating the SDR parameter dynamically that attunes the balance between exploration and mining ability leading to a faster convergence towards the optimum. The proficiency of the ASDR-PFA has been examined and established using a set of 16 IEEE basic benchmark functions, applied to solve six constrained optimization complications and optimal feature selection (OFS) problems as well. Furthermore, a comparative analysis is performed on the experimental results attained by the proposed approach with five contemporary meta-heuristic methods to demonstrate its superiority.
Implementation of a New Non-Isolated High Step-up DC-DC Converter
Authors: Sabouri Hamid , Sedaghati Reza , Shahir Farzad Mohammadzadeh
Published: October 2022

A new non-isolated dc-dc boost converter topology is proposed in this study based on the voltage-lift technique. The proposed converter has higher voltage gain during higher duty cycles compared to other recent dc-dc boost converters. This converter provides a common ground between load and source, so it can be used to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI). The analyses conducted in CCM indicate a reduction in losses and switching stress besides simpler switching controllability, lower costs, and smaller size of the circuits. The experimental results confirm the reliability and validity of the theoretical basis of the study.
Unconventional surgery for thoracic esophageal rupture with empyema and mediastinitis: A case report and literature review
Authors: Deng Yong-jun , Liu Huan-peng , Zou Jian-bin
Published: October 2022

Background: Treatment of esophageal perforation or rupture is complicated and controversial, especially in advanced cases. In fact, it is generally accepted that thisdisease must be treated individually according to the location, causes and clinical features of rupture or perforation (such as the length timebetween onset and treatment, the degree of mediastinitis or chest infection, the extent of esophageal injury, concurrent medical conditions and hemodynamic stability).
Case presentation: A very rare case was admitted to our department, who was injured 5 days ago by high-pressure gas of a running air compressor and resulted in a long-term longitudinal rupture of the thoracic esophagus. Although the patient suffered from empyema and mediastinitis at the same time, and his condition was very serious, the debridement and desquamation of empyema were still implemented, followed by left thoracic esophagectomy and left neck approach esophagogastrostomy in the same period successfully. The patient got a good result finally.
Discussion and Conclusions：Esophageal rupture caused by high- pressure gas is rare, and surgery is an effective treatment option for such disease. It was safe and technically feasible for our treatment strategy to undertake an esophagectomy with an immediate reconstruction with left neck approach esophagogastrostomy for the patient with an extensive thoracic esophageal rupture and concomitant empyema and mediastinitis.
Different selectivity and biodegradation path of white and brown rot fungi between softwood and hardwood
Authors: Qi Jiyun , Li Fangfang , Zhang Xiaoyuan , Luo Bei , Zhou Yonghui , Fan Mizi , Xia yan
Published: October 2022

The biodegradation path and mechanism of wood vary depending on diverse fungi and tree species, and fungi possess selectivity in degradation of versatile wood components. In order to clarify the actual and precise selectivity of white rot and brown rot fungi and the biodegradation path in different tree species, softwood (Pinusand C. lanceolata) and hardwood (Populus and H. brasHiensis) were subjected to decay test by white rot fungi T. versicolor, and brown rot fungi G. trabeum and R. placenta with various decay periods.The results showed that the white rot fungi caused selective rot in softwood, which preferentially degraded wood hemicellulose and lignin, but cellulose was retained selectively. Conversely, the white rot fungi caused simultaneous rot in hardwood, which resulted in a rather uniform depletion of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Both brown rot fungi preferentially degraded carbohydrates, but R. placenta had a selectivity for the degradation of cellulose. In addition, microstructure observation showed that both white rot and brown rot infected wood parenchyma cells via pits, and the vessels were the primary paths for spread of mycelium. The research outcomes serve as fundamental knowhows for effective bio-engineering of bioresources, and utilization and protection of bio-products.
The flexibility of the T-X-T hinges between the coordination tetrahedra in various zeolitic frameworks. An empirical structural study.
Authors: Baur Werner H. , Fischer Reinhard X.
Published: October 2022

In recent years a large number of precisely determined crystal structure determinations of zeolites, that is compounds based on open frameworks of coordination tetrahedra, has accumulated. This gives us the opportunity to evaluate them in terms of the flexibility of their bond angles T-X-T which serve as hinges between the coordination tetrahedra in zeolites containing various SiO4, AlO4, PO4 and similarly sized ions. Out of about 7,000 known crystal structure descriptions of zeolites we have selected 1187 which are based on single crystal diffraction studies and have estimated standard deviations of their TO bond length of 0.01 Å or less. The mean Si-O-Si angle in zeolitic frameworks with T-sites fully occupied by one type of T-atoms is 152.9° and these angles range from 127.0° to 180°, the mean for Al-O-Si is 141.9°, ranging from 124.8° to 179.3°. Straight angles Si-O-Si do occur in some zeolites.
Mental health of people without access to health services: a retrospective study of patients attending a humanitarian clinic network in Germany in 2021
Authors: Mugambwa Kashung Annie , Lutchmun Wandini , Gach Janina , Bader Carolin , Froeschl Guenter
Published: October 2022

Background:
Germany has a statutory health insurance system. However, a substantial part of the population still suffers from limited access to regular health services. While humanitarian organizations are partially filling this gap, people without regular access show a high prevalence of mental health conditions (MHCs). This study investigates the prevalence and social determinants of MHCs in patients attending the clinics of a humanitarian health network in three major cities in Germany, as well as potential barriers to healthcare access in this population.
Methods:
We performed a descriptive, retrospective study of adults attending the outpatient clinics of the humanitarian organization Ärzte der Welt, in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, in 2021. Medico-administrative data was collected using a digital questionnaire at first presentation to the clinics. We report the prevalence of both subjective and diagnosed MHCs and the perceived barriers to healthcare access in this population. We performed a logistic regression analysis to identify the socio-demographic factors associated with high risk of MHCs.
Results:
Our study population consisted of 1,071 first presenters to the clinics in 2021. The median age at presentation was 32 years and 57.2% of the population were male. 81.8% experienced a form of homelessness, 40% originated from non-EU countries and only 12.4% had regular statutory health insurance. 101 (9.4%) patients had a mental health diagnosis. In addition, 128 (11.9%) patients reported feeling depressed, 99 (9.2%) reported a lack of interest in daily activities, and 134 (12.5%) lacked emotional support in situations of need on most days. The most reported barrier to accessing health services was high health expenses, reported by 61.3% of patients. In the bivariate analysis we found significant associations for MHCs with age, insurance status and region of origin.
Conclusions:
People without access to regular health services have a high need for mental health services. As a chronic condition, this is even more difficult to manage outside of regular services, where humanitarian clinics are only filling the gap in serving basic health needs.
Using latent class growth analysis to detect group developmental trajectories in preclinical medical education
Authors: Song Xiaomei , Jia Yuane
Published: October 2022

Medical educators and programs are deeply interested in understanding and projecting the longitudinal developmental trajectories of medical students after these students are matriculated into medical schools so appropriate resources and interventions can be provided to support students’ learning and progression during the process. As students have different characteristics and they do not learn and progress at the same pace, it is important to identify student subgroups and address their academic needs to create more equitable learning opportunities. Using latent class growth analysis, this study explored students’ developmental trajectories and detected group differences based on their coursework performance in Anatomy within the two years of preclinical education in one medical school. Four subgroups were identified with various intercepts and slopes. There were significant group differences between these groups and their standardized scores in MCAT and UCMLE Step 1. The study provides evidence about the heterogeneity of the student population and points out future research directions.
Effects of genomic homozygosity on total fitness in an invertebrate: lethal equivalent estimates for Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Frankham Richard
Published: October 2022

Estimates of susceptibility to inbreeding depression for total fitness are needed for predicting the cost of inbreeding and for use in population viability analyses, but no such valid estimates are available for any wild invertebrate population. I estimated the number of lethals equivalents for total fitness in recently wild-caught populations of Drosophila melanogaster using published data on the total fitness of homozygosity versus heterozygosity for each of the major chromosomes (the X, second, and third) under competitive conditions. As there are no data for the fitness effects of homozygosity for the small fourth chromosome which represents 1.0% of the euchromatic genome, this was accounted for by attributing the homozygosity for the three large chromosome to an inbreeding coefficient of 0.99 when computing lethal equivalents for total fitness. Total genomic homozygosity is predicted to be essentially lethal in D. melanogaster. The corresponding haploid lethal equivalents estimate for total fitness was 5.4. The lethal equivalent value lies within the range for vertebrates but tends to be higher than for most outbreeding plants which are often purged as they exhibit up to 20% selfing (by definition). As D. melanogaster has its genome sequenced and annotated and has lethal equivalent estimates for total fitness for individual chromosomes as well as its total genome, it provides an excellent opportunity for evaluating genomic estimates of mutation load.
Low-frequency resonance in strong heterogeneity
Authors: Liu Yinbin
Published: October 2022

Multiple scattering of wave in strong heterogeneity can cause resonance-like wave anomaly where the signal exhibits low-frequency, high intensity, and slowly propagating wave packet velocity. For example, long period event in volcanic seismology and plasma oscillations in wave-particle interactions. Collective behaviour in a many-body system is thought to be the source for generating the anomaly, however the detailed mechanism is not fully understood. Here I show that the physical mechanism is associated with low- frequency resonance (LFR) in strong small-scale heterogeneity through seismic wave field modeling for bubble cloud heterogeneity and 1D heterogeneity. LFR is a kind of wave coherent scattering enhancement or emergence phenomenon. Its resonance frequency decreases with increasing heterogeneous scale, impedance contrast, or random heterogeneous scale and velocity fluctuations; its intensity diminishes with decreasing impedance contrast or increasing random heterogeneous scale and velocity fluctuations. LRF exhibits the characteristics of localized wave in space and the shape of ocean wave in time and is a ubiquitous wave phenomenon in wave physics. The concept of LFR can open up new opportunities in many aspects of science and engineering.
Online Time-series Anomaly Detection: A Survey of Modern Model-based Approaches
Authors: Correia Lucas , Goos Jan-Christoph , Kononova Anna V. , Bäck Thomas , Klein Philipp
Published: October 2022

This survey provides an extensive overview of the state-of-the-art model-based online semi-supervised and unsupervised anomaly detection algorithms used on multivariate time series. It also outlines the most popular benchmark datasets used in literature, as well as a novel taxonomy where a distinction between online and offline, and training and inference is made. To achieve this, almost 50 peer-reviewed publications are surveyed and categorised into different model families to paint a clear picture of the anomaly detection landscape for the reader. Then, where possible, a comparison of the anomaly detection performance of the surveyed approaches is provided and the key research gaps are highlighted. It is concluded that few approaches propose any enhancements that involve the user feedback. In addition to that, transformer-based models seem to have found little application in anomaly detection so far, though this is most likely due to the novelty of the model type, not necessarily due to the lack of potential. Moreover, there is no standard benchmark procedure to assess anomaly detection performance. A variety of different datasets and evaluation metrics used for evaluation are used hence it is difficult to draw conclusions from comparisons between papers. Lastly, the rarity of approaches trained and inferred in an online manner is also pointed out, possibly explained by the lower performance compared to offline trained approaches.