bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparing Chemical Transfection, Electroporation, and Lentiviral Vector Transduction to Achieve Optimal Transfection Conditions in the Vero Cell Line
Authors: Jamour Parisa , Jamali Abbas , Langeroudi Arash Ghalyanchi , sharafabad Behrouz Ebadi , Abdoli Asghar
Published: February 2024

Background: Transfection is an important analytical method for studying gene expression in the cellular environment. There are some barriers to efficient DNA transfection in host cells, including circumventing the plasma membrane, escaping endosomal compartmentalization, autophagy, immune sensing pathways, and translocating the nuclear envelope. Therefore, it would be very useful to introduce an optimum transfection approach to achieve high transfection efficiency in the Vero cell line.The aim of this study was to compare various transfection techniques and introduce a highly efficient method for gene delivery in the Vero cell line.
Methods: In the current study, three transfection methods were performed, including chemical transfection, electroporation, and lentiviral vector transduction, to obtain the optimum transfection conditions in the Vero cell line. Vero cells were cultured and transfected with chemical transfection reagents, electroporation, and HIV-1-based lentivectors under different experimental conditions. Transfection efficiency was assessed using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy to detect GFP-positive cells.
Results: Among the tested methods, TurboFect™ chemical transfection exhibited the highest efficiency. Optimal transfection conditions were achieved using 1 μg DNA and 4 µL TurboFect™ on 6×104 Vero cells.
Conclusion: TurboFect™, a cationic polymer transfection reagent, demonstrated superior transfection efficiency in Vero cells compared with electroporation and lentivirus particles and is the optimal choice for chemical transfection in the Vero cell line.
Structural Characteristics and Evolution Mechanism of Paleogene Faults in the Central Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin
Authors: Zhang Ruixiang , Bai Qinglin , Wang Bing , Wang Jie , Li Yanan , Guo Mengju
Published: February 2024

This study used the growth index, fault activity rate and fault distance burial depth curve methods to analyze the characteristics of fault activity in the central area of Dongying depression. Using typical fault evolution and dynamic analysis to study the stages of fault evolution in the area, and using physical simulation experiments to study the mechanism and evolution process of fault formation. According to the results, the faults in the study area can be classified into four types. The Shicun fault and the pre-existing faults in the basin developed in the Paleogene Kongdian to Es4 period. Es3x and Es3z stages were characterized by strong extensional fault activities. The effect of strike-slip transformation from the Es3s to Es1 period was strengthened. The extensional fault continued to be active in Dongying period, and the strike-slip fault was basically stopped. The study area has been in the depression stage since Neogene. The physical simulation experiments show that the northern He 125 fault system is a fault combination composed of a main fault and broom-shaped branches formed by normal fault activities in the early stages and dextral strike slip processes in the late periods. The central en echelon fault system is a fault combination composed of three R fractures inherited the NE-SW basement fault and regulated by the later dextral strike-slip activities. The southern Wangjiagang fault system is a complex fault combination composed of Wangjiagang structure (P fracture) and Bamianhe structure (R fracture) developed from the Tanlu concealed branch strike-slip fault. This paper provided important reference for further research on the tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon accumulation in Dongying depression.
Robust Fully Explicit Method for Solving the Navier-Stokes Equations
Authors: Oguni Kenji , Hirobe Sayako
Published: February 2024

The motion of viscous fluids is described by the Navier-Stokes equations. Theinherent nonlinearity in the Navier-Stokes equations preventsus from the analyticsolutions. This paper introduces a robust fully explicit method for numericallysolving the discretized Navier-Stokes equations, applicable to various flow typeswithout tuning parameters or artificial models. The numerical analysis resultsdemonstrating the stability and the robustness of the proposedfully explicitmethod imply the discovery of the rigorous spatial integration of the Navier-Stokes equations over the subdomain uniquely defined for the discrete samplingpoints in the analysis domain. We anticipate that our findings could serve as amilestone to the comprehensive resolution of the millennium problem regardingthe Navier-Stokes equations.
Regulated pricing decisions and diagnostic test choices in personalized medicine: Navigating the implications within legal frameworks
Authors: Cui Zibin , Liu Xiangdong , Feng Zehua , Huang Zhengzong
Published: February 2024

Background: This study investigates the interplay between the government’s regulated pricing decisions and drug manufacturers’ diagnostic test choices in personalized medicine. The focus is on understanding the impact of government intervention on pharmaceutical companies’ strategic decisions, particularly in choosing partnerships with diagnostic firms at different levels.
Methods: A stylized analytical model was developed, employing game-theoretic principles. This approach provided a nuanced understanding of the market forces and the economic implications of these strategic decisions.
Results: The study reveals that in the absence of government-regulated pricing , drug manufacturers benefit from partnering with high-level diagnostic firms, enhancing consumer surplus and social welfare. However, when the government regulates pricing, the choice of partnering with a high-level diagnostic firm depends on specific conditions, such as low patient sensitivity to treatment failure and a low unit cost coefficient of diagnostic effort. The government’s decision to regulate prices is influenced by three key parameters: patients’ sensitivity to treatment failure, the unit cost coefficient of the diagnostic test effort, and the proportion of the price of specialized drugs in the regulated pricing.
Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of legal frameworks in the personalized medicine industry. The absence of the government’s regulated pricing incentivizes collaborations with high-level diagnostic firms, enhancing consumer surplus and social welfare. However, government intervention in pricing makes such decisions contingent on specific conditions, requiring nuanced regulatory policies that balance the interests of patients, manufacturers, and diagnostic firms.
Learning to hear again with alternating cochlear frequency allocations
Authors: Hoof Marc van , Lambriks Lars , Heijden Kiki van der , Devocht Elke , George Erwin
Published: February 2024

Traditionally, the place-pitch ‘tonotopically’ organized auditory neural pathway was considered to be hard-wired. Cochlear implants restore hearing by arbitrarily mapping frequency-amplitude information. This study shows that recipients, after a long period of sound deprivation, preserve a level of auditory plasticity, enabling them to swiftly and concurrently learn speech understanding with two alternating, distinct frequency maps. During rehabilitation, subjects switched maps randomly on a daily basis, serving as their own control. After stating their preference, on average, subjects maintained their hearing performance with the legacy map over time. In contrast, subjects continued to learn and improve with their map of preference. Surprisingly, the two maps did not seem to compete for scarce neural resources. This shows a new level of flexibility in learning and long-term adaptation of the auditory system. Practically, the required novel study design halves the sample size while mitigating order effects associated with neural plasticity, benefitting sensory-oriented trials.
ARVMex: A web application for obtaining acoustic reference values for forensic studies in Spanish
Authors: López-Escobedo Fernanda , Huerta-Pacheco N. Sofía
Published: February 2024

Forensic speech experts using the auditory-acoustic-phonetic approach face different challenges when dealing with recordings collected under different technical conditions. We developed ARVMex tool to provide acoustic reference values to describe variation due to technical conditions in recordings. The tool employs a corpus of Spanish speakers, generating descriptive statistics based on different attributes, including speaker characteristics, different sounds, and on two technical conditions: face-to-face interviews and telephone conditions. The results indicate that, for the fundamental frequency, the mean values of the interview attribute accurately depict the behavior of each vowel by gender, whereas the mean values of the telephone attribute exhibit deviation from the general average. In relation to vowel formants, reference values per vowel, gender, and technical conditions must be established considering variations among vowels and the overall mean. The tool presented here aims to assist experts by providing insights into the variations in the measurements of acoustic properties due to technical conditions.
Elevated CA19-9 within the normal range suggest poorer prognosis in stage II colorectal cancer: a retrospective analysis of a large sample in a single center
Authors: Zhang Ruoxin , Chen Fan , Weng Junyong , Ye Zilan , Li Xinxiang
Published: February 2024

Objective
Carbohydrate antigen 19 − 9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) serve as pivotal tumor markers in colorectal cancer (CRC). Yet, uncertainty persists regarding the prognostic significance of the two tumor markers when falling within the normal range. We attempt to compare the prognostic differences of tumor markers at different levels within the reference range.
Methods
This retrospective study scrutinized 2,167 cases of stage II CRC verified by pathology after surgery at the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Using R software to calculate the optimal critical value to compare the clinical and pathological characteristics and prognosis of different levels of tumor markers.
Results
Utilizing R software, the optimal critical value of CA19-9 was determined as 12.12 U/mL and that of CEA as 1.89 U/mL. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis unveiled that, within the normal range, relatively higher levels of CEA were linked to poorer OS [HR = 1.829 (1.280,2.989), p = 0.0033] and DFS [HR = 1.472 (1.114,1.944), p = 0.0444]. Similarly, heightened levels of CA19-9 also indicated inferior OS [HR = 1.750 (1.203,2.455), p = 0.0076] and DFS [HR = 1.361 (1.098,1.686), p = 0.0049]. Furthermore, multivariate analysis identified CA19-9 as an independent risk factor for OS (HR = 1.49,95% CI: 1.086–2.045, p = 0.014) and DFS (HR = 1.327,95% CI: 1.070–1.647, p = 0.01), while the impact of CEA on OS and DFS was not statistically significant.
Conclusion
Even within the normal range, elevated CA19-9 was associated with inferior prognosis. This work will contribute to standardizing the diagnosis and treatment of stage II CRC and provide clinicians with essential insights for chemotherapy decisions.
A Framework to Define Optimal Fallowing Programs: a Case Study of California Water System
Authors: Mirzaei Shokoufeh , Garcia Anna Maria
Published: February 2024

The Western region of the United States has been facing a 23-year drought, which has had a detrimental impact on California's water resources, reaching unprecedented levels. In August 2021, the United States Bureau of Reclamation announced the first-ever shortage on the Colorado River, leading to water cuts for many users. As the levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell continued to decline in 2022, the water cuts were expanded. Industrial farming in Southern California depends on this water source for irrigation, and fallowing cropland can lead to significant water savings in a short period. By keeping cultivated land out of production during a typical growing season, farmers can reduce water usage quickly. This study proposes an optimization model to determine the optimal fallowing plan based on estimated crop water consumption, commodity prices, and other land, water, and budget constraints. To illustrate the application of the proposed optimization model, publicly available crop and weather data were used to estimate the water usage of crops in water agencies across California and to estimate optimum fallowing plans for Colorado River System and California State Water Project. The optimized fallow plans assist interested organizations in determining the best groups of crops to fallow and the payment per acre farmers may receive to achieve specific water conservation goals. The result of the optimization is compared with the current fallow rates proposed to famers.
Effects of hand catalepsy on subjective trance perception and relative parasympathetic tone in healthy volunteers during pleasant hypnotic session: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Boselli Emmanuel , Radoykov Stéphane , Paqueron Xavier , Virot Claude
Published: February 2024

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the effects on hand catalepsy on parasympathetic tone assessed using Analgesia/Nociception Index (ANI) and on subjective rating of absorption, dissociation, and time perception among healthy volunteers.
Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial including participants to a medical hypnosis congress in France. Ninety volunteers were randomized in two arms, all receiving a fifteen-minute positive hypnotic trance, with or without hand catalepsy. The relative parasympathetic tone assessed by ANI (Analgesia/Nociception Index), heart rate and respiratory rate were recorded at different times of the study protocol. The actual duration of the hypnotic session, calculated from eye closing to eye opening, was also recorded. At the end of the hypnotic trance, participants subjectively rated their level of absorption and dissociation on a 0-10 scale. They were also asked to estimate the duration of the hypnotic session from eye closing to eye opening.
Results: In total, ninety subjects were included in the study. One subject was excluded because of deviation in the protocol standard, leaving eighty-nine subjects for analysis. Subject characteristics were similar between groups.
There was a statistically different increase in ANI and decrease in both heart rate and respiratory rate over time with no difference with or without hand catalepsy. There was no statistically significant difference in absorption and dissociation subjective scales between groups. The median [Q1-Q3] actual duration of hypnotic sessions was similar between the catalepsy and the control groups (9 [8-10] min vs. 8 [7-10] min, respectively). However, subjects in the catalepsy group estimated a longer duration of the hypnotic session (12 [10-15] min) than in the control group (10 [5-10] min) with a mean ± SD overestimation of 3 ± 4 min (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Parasympathetic comfort increased during the hypnotic trance with no difference between groups. However, adding a hand catalepsy to a pleasant hypnotic trance did not appear to increase feelings of absorption or dissociation but created time distortion on the longer side that could be useful in some clinical settings. Nevertheless, further study is still needed to determine more precisely the physiological and psychological effects on hand catalepsy during the hypnotic trance.
Temporal variations of shorebird (Charadriiformes) community and its diversity at Muttukadu backwaters - a wintering site in the southeast coast of India
Authors: N Ramya Shree , E Malathi
Published: February 2024

Shorebirds are group of migratory aquatic birds that spend time in coastal habitats such as tidal mudflats, sand bars, intertidal zones, and beaches. This groundbreaking study was conducted to assess the shorebird population and its diversity during September 2021 to September 2023 using total and block count method on the southeast coastline of India with a study site located at Muttukadu backwaters (12.8006oN latitude and 80.2363o E longitude), Chengalpet district of Tamil Nadu. The present study recorded 41 shorebird species from Muttukadu backwaters within the order of Charadriiformes with five families (Burhinidae, Recurvirostridae, Charadriidae, Scolopacidae, Laridae). The highest mean diversity of shorebirds was observed in the monsoon season. The mean abundance of shorebirds was higher in the post monsoon and followed by monsoon period due to the increased abundance of migratory species. The data from rarefaction curve shows that post monsoon and monsoon possess highest species richness than premonsoon and summer. This long-term survey of wintering shorebirds in the study area can be used for proposing the habitat management strategies.
Characterization and transcriptome analysis of candidate genes involved in hybrid incompatibility of Rhododendron
Authors: Xie Wei-Jia , Peng Lv-Chun , Huang Hui , Song Jie , Wang Ji-hua , Zhang Lu , Li Shi-Feng
Published: February 2024

One of the great unsolved mysteries of evolutionary biology concerns the genetic mechanisms underlying the reproductive isolation among diverging lineages. Hybrid incompatibility can result in reproductive isolation and speciation, showing a reduced fitness in hybrids in comparison with their parents. Therefore, identifying the candidate genes contributing to hybrid incompatibility will provide important information for uncovering the regulation mechanism of reproductive isolation. Although the genetics of hybrid incompatibility has been examined in model organisms, it has been described in relatively few instances in non-model plant. In this study, RNA-Seq was performed on the gene expression profiles of unpollinated ovary (CK) of Rhododendron delavayi as female parent, normal (T1) and aborted (T2) zygotic embryo of R. cyanocarpum and R. sinofaconeri as male parents, respectively, at 40 days after cross-pollination when the development of the two zygotic embryos were differentiated obviously. A total of 5,177 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by pairwise comparison. Venn analysis found 146 uniquely DEGs in T2-vs-T1, many of which were involved in immune responses, including one natriuretic peptide receptor 1 (NPR1), three accelerated cell death 6 (ACD6) genes and 11 disease resistance proteins. Furthermore, KEGG enrichment analysis showed that only the plant-pathogen interaction pathway were simultaneously enriched in DEGs of CK-vs-T1, CK-vs-T2, and T1-vs-T2, suggesting their important role in hybrid incompatibility. Further analysis found that 12 disease resistance protein, three nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat protein (NLR), two endoplasmin homolog and one mitogen-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPK2) were included in the plant-pathogen interaction pathway. Of them, 13 genes were upregulated in aborted zygotic embryo compared with normal zygotic embryo. We inferred that NPR1, ACD6, disease resistance protein and NLR can activate autoimmune response, in turn, result in hybrid incompatibility in Rhododendron. The study provides a basis for revealing the regulation mechanism of hybrid incompatibility and could benefit genetic breeding of Rhododendron.
A machine learning model for early candidemia prediction in the intensive care unit: Clinical application
Authors: Meng Qiang , Chen Bowang , Xu Yingyuan , Zhang Qiang , Ding Ranran , Gao Qiufang , Du Kaiyue , Ma Zhen , Jin Zhi , Gao Shuhong , Qu Feng
Published: February 2024

Candidemia often poses a diagnostic challenge due to the lack of specific clinical features, and delayed antifungal therapy can significantly increase mortality rates, particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU). This study aims to develop a machine learning predictive model for early candidemia diagnosis in ICU patients, leveraging their clinical information and findings. We conducted this study with a cohort of 334 patients admitted to the ICU unit at Ji Ning NO.1 people’s hospital in China from Jan. 2015 to Dec. 2022. To ensure the model’s reliability, we validated this model with an external group consisting of 77 patients from other sources. The candidemia to bacteremia ratio is 1:1. We collected relevant clinical procedures and eighteen key examinations or tests features to support the recursive feature elimination (RFE) algorithm. These features included total bilirubin, age, platelet count, hemoglobin, CVC, lymphocyte, Duration of stay in ICU, neutrophils, monocyte, antibiotic therapy, PCT, CRP, WBC, immunosuppressive drugs, TPN, abdominal surgery, chemotherapy and solid cancer. To construct the candidemia diagnosis model, we employed random forest (RF) algorithm alongside other machine learning methods and conducted internal and external validation with training and testing sets allocated in a 7:3 ratio. The RF model demonstrated the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) with values of 0.87 and 0.83 for internal and external validation, respectively. To evaluate the importance of features in predicting candidemia, Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) values were calculated and results revealed that total bilirubin and age were the most important factors in the prediction model. This advancement in candidemia prediction holds significant promise for early intervention and improved patient outcomes in the ICU setting, where timely diagnosis is of paramount crucial.
Tumor microenvironment and immune function analysis and chemotherapy prediction of SDHB in PPGL (pheochromocytoma/ paraganglioma)
Authors: Chen Danlei , He Yi , Yang Junfeng
Published: February 2024

Background
SDHB mutations are risk factors for PPGL metastasis and poor prognosis. This study aimed to identify the SDHB gene signature and mechanisms in PPGL, and investigate its association with immunotherapy response.
Method
PPGL transcriptome, clinical, and single nucleotide mutation data were obtained from TCGA database. Univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analysis was applied to construct the prognostic signature. Survival analysis, ROC curve, Cox regression analysis, and nomoplot were utilized to evaluate accuracy of the model. GO and KEGG enrichment of differentially expressed genes between risk groups were used to explore potential action mechanisms. Prognostic lncRNA co-expressed with risk signature genes were also identified. The CIBERSORT, ssGSEA, GSVA, and ESTIMATE algorithms were employed to assess the association between risk score and variations of tumor microenvironment, immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, and immune responses. The maftools and pRRophetic packages were enrolled to predict tumor mutation burden and drug sensitivity.
Result
A signature of SDHB genes were identified immune checkpoint and alternative splicing, which showed great value of mechanisms for PPGL. Functional enrichment implied the variation of immune pathways and metallopeptidase activity between expression groups. High- expression group exhibited higher immune score, but lower tumor purity. Finally, we screened sensitive drugs for different risk groups.
Conclusion
The novel prognostic signature of cuproptosis genes could help risk stratification, immunotherapy response prediction, and individualized treatment strategy-making for glioma patients.
Dynamical reliability of the stochastic power systems with discrete random variability
Authors: Hu Rongchun , Zeng Zheng , Lu Kang , Lu Xiang , Wang Xuefeng
Published: February 2024

In this paper a novel method is presented to analyze the dynamical reliability of the stochastic power systems with discrete random variability. It is inevitable for the power systems to suffer from external stochastic disturbance. At the same time, the components failure will bring abrupt changes in its substructures, which can be considered as the internal stochastic disturbance. It is demonstrated that the components failure performs random jumpy factors switching between a finite number of modes. This salient feature allows us to identify this type of dynamic behaviors as response of the hybrid power systems undergoing Markovian jumps. Utilizing a two-step approximate technique, the considered multi-DOF hybrid system can be reduced to one-dimensional averaged Itô equation of the form of system’s total energy. The approximate analytical solution of the associated back Kolmogorov (BK) equation of system’s energy is derived to predict the dynamical reliability of the original hybrid systems.
Racial differences in familiarity, interest, and use of integrative medicine among patients with breast cancer
Authors: Freeman Jincong Q. , Sheade Jori B. , Zhao Fangyuan , Olopade Olufunmilayo I. , Huo Dezheng , Nanda Rita
Published: February 2024

Purpose
Integrative medicine (IM) has received ASCO endorsement for managing cancer treatment-related side effects. Little is known about racial differences in familiarity, interest, and use of IM among breast cancer patients.
Methods
Breast cancer patients enrolled in the Chicago Multiethnic Epidemiologic Breast Cancer Cohort were surveyed regarding familiarity, interest, and use of IM: acupuncture, massage, meditation, music therapy, and yoga. Familiarity and interest, measured by a 5-point Likert scale, was modeled using proportional odds. Use was self-reported, modeled using binary logistic regression.
Results
Of 1,300 respondents (71.4% White and 21.9% Black), Black patients were less likely than White patients to be familiar with acupuncture (aOR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.41-0.87). While there was no differences in interest in acupuncture between Black and White patients (aOR 1.12, 95% CI: 0.76-1.65), Black patients were more interested in massage (aOR 1.86, 95% CI: 1.25-2.77), meditation (aOR 2.03, 95% CI: 1.37-3.00), music therapy (aOR 2.68, 95% CI: 1.80-3.99) and yoga (aOR 2.10, 95% CI: 1.41-3.12). Black patients were less likely than White to have used acupuncture (aOR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.29-0.84); but there were no racial differences in use of massage (aOR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.53-1.30), meditation (aOR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.47-1.43), music therapy (aOR 1.65, 95% CI: 0.82-3.32) and yoga (aOR 0.67, 95% CI: 0.37-1.20).
Conclusion
Black patients expressed more interest in IM than their White counterparts; there were no racial differences in IM use, except lower acupuncture use among Black patients. A breast program focused on equity should provide access to these services for breast cancer patients.
Target-Mediated Drug Disposition Model for Drugs with N>2 Binding Sites That Bind to a Target with One Binding Site
Authors: Gibiansky Leonid , Ng Chee M , Gibiansky Ekaterina
Published: February 2024

The paper extended the TMDD model to drugs with more than two (N > 2) identical binding sites (N-to-one TMDD). The quasi-steady-state (N-to- one QSS), quasi-equilibrium (N-to- one QE), irreversible binding (N-to- one IB), and Michaelis-Menten (N-to-one MM) approximations of the model were derived. To illustrate properties of new equations and approximations, N = 4 case was investigated numerically. Using simulations, the N-to-one QSS approximation was compared with the full N-to-one TMDD model. As expected, and similarly to the standard TMDD for monoclonal antibodies (mAb), N-to-one QSS predictions were nearly identical to N-to-one TMDD predictions, except for times of fast changes following initiation of dosing, when equilibrium has not yet been reached. Predictions for mAbs with soluble targets (slow elimination of the complex) were simulated from the full 4-to-one TMDD model and were fitted to the 4-to-one TMDD model and to its QSS approximation. It was demonstrated that the 4-to-one QSS model provided nearly identical description of not only the observed (simulated) total drug and total target concentrations, but also unobserved concentrations of the free drug, free target, and drug-target complexes. For mAb with a membrane-bound target, the 4-to-one MM approximation adequately described the data. The 4-to-one QSS approximation converged 8 times faster than the full 4-to-one TMDD.
Free Control Based on Chaotic Systems Without Equilibrium
Authors: Zhao Boyu , Ye Xiaolin
Published: February 2024

Chaotic system without equilibrium is a hot topic in recent years, and its unique dynamic characteristics have caused extensive research. In this paper, different chaotic systems without equilibrium are obtained by modifying the Sprott-A system equations. The test results show the first new system is conservative. After investigating the hidden dynamical behavior of the first system, the rotation attractor phenomenon was observed by the rotation factor. Next, we make a second transformation of the Sprott-A system. By introducing trigonometric function, we can get a new system that can generate infinite coexisting grid attractors. After calculation, we find that the new system still belongs to the chaotic system without equilibrium point. It is different from chaotic system with equilibrium point, which depends on the movement of equilibrium point to produce attractor coexistence. The new system proposed in this paper has no equilibrium points, and the coexistence attractor phenomenon can be observed only by changing initial values. The chaotic system without equilibrium point which can realize the coexistence of attractors provides potential application value for some related fields, it is worthy of further study.
Association of Socio-demographic Characteristics, Clinical Profile, and Intestinal Parasite Carriage with Disease Severity among COVID-19 Cases at St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Getahun Abdulhamid , Gize Addisu , Mamo Hassen
Published: February 2024

This study aimed to investigate the association between disease severity and demographic characteristics, clinical features, and prevalence of intestinal parasite carriage among patients with COVID-19 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, involving 337 COVID-19 patients. Patient data were collected during hospitalization to assess clinical outcomes, including demographic information, clinical features, and associated factors. Blood and stool samples were collected and analyzed for hematological and biochemical tests, as well as the presence of intestinal parasites. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences v. 26, employing descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Among the 337 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection through PCR testing, 96(28.5%) were found to have co-infections with one or more intestinal parasites. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients aged ≥ 60 years [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 3.943 (95% CI: 1.792–8.673), p < 0.001], elevated creatinine levels [AOR 2.254 (95% CI: 1.041–4.881), p = 0.039], increased glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase levels [AOR 2.219 (95% CI: 1.234–3.991), p = 0.008], decreased hematocrit levels [AOR 8.839 (95% CI: 4.914–15.900), p < 0.001], and co-infection with intestinal parasites [AOR 2.419 (95% CI: 1.278–4.579), p = 0.007] were significantly associated with increased disease severity in COVID-19 patients. These findings suggest a potential link between co-infection with intestinal parasites and a more severe form of COVID-19, indicating that parasite-induced immunomodulatory responses may hinder the essential immune response against SARS-CoV-2.
Metformin-induced changes of the gut microbiota in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Results from a prospective cohort study
Authors: Gao Yuting , zhao Tianyi , Lv Na , Liu Shixuan , Yuan Tao , Fu Yong , Zhao Weigang , Zhu Baoli
Published: February 2024

Background
The microbiota's impact on hypoglycemic agents is increasingly evident. However, the influence of metformin, a primary anti-diabetes drug, on gut microbiota remains unclear.
Research design and methods
This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the longitudinal effects of metformin on the gut microbiota in 25 newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve diabetes patients receiving 1500 mg daily doses. Microbiota compositions were analyzed at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months using 16S rRNA gene se-quencing.
Results
Metformin showed clinical improvements, but no significant dissimilarity in microbiome composition structure (Adonis: P = 0.077). Species richness and intestinal flora diversity declined, and α diversity significantly decreased after 3 months. The Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio (ANOVA: P = 0.037) markedly decreased. Metformin treatment consistently increased Escherichia-Shigella and decreased Romboutsia, while Pseudomonas decreased at 3 months. Fuzzy c-means clustering identified three longitudinal trajectory clusters for microbial fluctuations: (i) genera temporarily changing, (ii) genera continuing to decrease (Bacteroides), and (iii) genera continuing to increase(Lachnospiraceae ND3007 group, [Eubacterium] xylanophilum group, Romboutsia, Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcaceae UCG-014). The correlation matrix revealed associations between specific fecal taxa and metformin-related clinical parameters hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), Uric Acid (UA), high-density lipoproteincholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), C-reactive protein(CRP), triglyceride(TG) (p < 0.05). Metacyc database showed that metformin significantly altered 17 functional pathways. Amino acid metabolism pathways such as isoleucine biosynthesis predominated in the post-treatment group.
Conclusions
Metformin's role in glucose metabolism regulation may primarily involve specific alterations in certain gut microbial species rather than an overall increase in microbial species diversity. This may suggest gut microbiota targets in future studies on metabolic abnormalities caused by metformin.
MELAS with mtDNA 3243A>G mutation presenting as bilateral symmetric occipital and temporal cortices lesions: a case report and literature review
Authors: Liu Qing , Wang Zhaoxia , Shi Jing , Wang Wenxia , Wen Chao , Zhu Yanping , Chen Xuan , Xing Xiaolian , Su Yangli
Published: February 2024

Background and Purpose: Mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) is one of the most common maternally inherited mitochondrial diseases. Stroke-like episode affecting the cortical cortex is the hallmark of MELAS, however, it rarely presents as simultaneously bilateral symmetric cortices lesions.
Methods: We reported a case of MELAS in a 46-year-old female patient with bilateral symmetric occipital and internal temporal cortices involvements on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A literature review of MELAS patients and a retrospective analysis were performed.
Results: We reported a case of MELAS in a 46-year-old female patient with cortical blindness and cognitive decline as well as status epilepticus. She had a family history of diabetes. Although she denied a history of diabetes, elevated blood glucose was noted after admission and diabetes was diagnosed. Laboratory examination revealed elevated lactate acid and creatine kinase levels in blood. Cranial computed tomography (CT) image demonstrated basal ganglia calcification, as well as subtle decreased attenuation in bilateral symmetric occipital and internal temporal cortices. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated symmetric gyriform hyperintensity in bilateral occipital lobes and internal temporal lobes in both grey and white matter on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images with restricted diffusion on diffusion weighted images (DWI). A genetic test revealed a point mutation in the mtDNA(3243A > G) by blood examination. Literature review showed there were 231 eligible patients with MELAS were identified from 212 published papers. Symmetric cortical involvements were seen in 15(6.5%) patients on brain MRI.
Conclusions: MELAS should be considered as a potential diagnosis in the patients with bilateral symmetric stroke-like cortices lesions.
Cardiac Safety of Ribociclib Evaluated with 24-hour- Rhythm Holter Electrocardiogram
Authors: Yasin Ayse Irem , Uluganyan Mahmut , Isleyen¹ Zehra Sucuoglu , Topcu¹ Atakan , Shbair Abdallah Tm , Simsek Melih , Besiroglu Mehmet , ERSOY YELİZ EMİNE , Turk Hacı Mehmet , ŞEKER MESUT
Published: February 2024

Objective
We aimed to evaluate cardiac safety profile of ribociclib with 24-hour-rhythm holter ECG.
Material-Method:
42 female metastatic breast cancer patients were included in the study. Rhythm holter ECG was performed before starting treatment with ribociclib and after 3 months of the treatment initiation.
Results
The mean age of the patients was 56.36 ± 12.73. 52.4%(n = 22) of the patients were using ribociclib in combination with fulvestrant and 47.6% (n = 20) with aromatase inhibitors.None of the patients developed cardiotoxicity. When the rhythm holter results before and in third month of the treatment were compared, there was no statistically significant difference.
Conclusion
This is the first study evaluating effects of ribociclib treatment on cardiac rhythm with holter ECG. The study highlighted cardiac safety profile of ribociclib.
Enhancing Spatial-Temporal Traffic Predictor with Dynamic Road Network Adaptation
Authors: Li Minghui , Wang Wenbo , Zhang Yajing , Shen Zhou
Published: February 2024

This paper presents a pioneering methodology for enhancing spatial-temporal traffic prediction through the incorporation of a dynamic road network adaptation mechanism. The escalating complexity of urban traffic patterns necessitates more adaptive and accurate predictive models. Our approach addresses the limitations of static models by continuously updating the road network topology based on real-time data streams from diverse sources. Experimental evaluations, comparing our methodology with traditional machine learning, deep learning, and real-time data integration models, showcase its superior performance in terms of Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and R-squared (R2). The dynamic road network adaptation mechanism, a key innovation in our approach, allows the model to dynamically adjust to changing road conditions, thereby offering a more holistic solution to spatial-temporal traffic prediction. This research contributes significantly to the field of intelligent transportation systems, providing a foundation for creating adaptive models that can accurately predict and respond to the dynamic nature of urban traffic.
G-TERCOA: Uma década de formação e debate sobre a Educação Básica no Brasil
Authors: Costa dos Santos Maria José
Published: February 2024

Resumo
O Grupo de estudo e pesquisa Tecendo Redes Cognitivas de Aprendizagem (G-TERCOA/CNPq), foi idealizado em 2014, pela professora Maria José Costa dos Santos, na Faculdade de Educação da Universidade Federal do Ceará (FACED/UFC). Objetiva-se apresentar esse grupo e suas discussões sobre as temáticas da educação, em especial as sobre currículo, avaliação, metodologias, teorias, tecnologias digitais, políticas públicas, formação docente, à luz da pesquisa, ensino e extensão. Neste relato de natureza qualitativa, analisa-se à luz da análise de conteúdo, os depoimentos via formulário eletrônico, de alguns de seus membros. Os depoimentos revelam que há redução na distância entre ensino, pesquisa e extensão por meio do intercâmbio escola e academia. Considera-se que as influências das atividades desenvolvidas no grupo colaboram exponencialmente para melhorias nas práticas pedagógicas, bem como para o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores das redes públicas municipais e estadual do Ceará. Assim, informa-se que semestralmente lança-se edital para seleção de novos membros que devem ter disponibilidade para participação nos encontros semanais de estudos. 
Palavras-chave: G-Tercoa; Formação de professores; ensino; pesquisa; extensão.
WITHDRAWN
Authors: Bora Deepjyoti
Published: February 2024

This article has been withdrawn due to the reported author's misconduct. The Ethical Committee of Cotton University, Guwahati investigated the misconduct and found that the manuscript was originally submitted by Ms. Parimita Saikia & Professor Bijoy Singh Mipun to a conference (44th Annual Meet and International Conference of the Institute of Indian Geographers) organized by Cotton University, Guwahati, India. Mr. Deepjyoti Bora was a master's degree student at the same university and a volunteer at the conference, as a result, he got access to the conference submissions and misused it by posting this manuscript under his own authorship. The detailed investigation reports are available in the PDF file.
Taṭwīr al-Wasā’il al-Taʿlīmīyah “Al-Podcast al-ʿArabī” li-Taḥsīn Mahārat al-Istimāʿ al-ʿArabīyah li-Ṭalabat al-Madrasah al-Mutawassiṭah al-Islāmīyah
Authors: Ikraama Niswa , Maslamah Maslamah
Published: February 2024

This research focuses on developing "Arabic Cast," an audio learning media presented as an Android application, aimed at enhancing listening skills in Arabic for 10th grade students at Muhammadiyyah Al-Kautsar Senior High School's Special Program in Kartasura. The ADDIE research and development model guided the study through Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation stages. The study involved all 10th graders of the program. Data collection included validation questionnaires from media experts, student response questionnaires, and pre- and post-test results in oral and written exams. Quantitative analysis and t-tests were used for data interpretation. Key findings include the successful design of "Arabic Cast" as a user-friendly Android application and its effectiveness in improving students' listening skills. Validation by media experts indicated a 90% approval rate, while student response rate was 81%. Significant improvements in listening skills were evidenced by pretest and posttest results, showing a statistical significance of 0.000 0.05. The study concludes that "Arabic Cast" is an effective and appealing tool for enhancing Arabic listening skills among high school students.
Medieval Perevoloka and the Construction of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal under Peter the Great
Authors:   Volgograd Institute of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Tyumentsev Igor O. , Tupikova Nataliya A. ,   Volgograd State University
Published: February 2024

The ancient Cossack portages through the Volga upland — perevoloka — were the main transport communications between the Volga and the Don in the 16th–17th centuries in the area of their maximum convergence. Repeated attempts to construct the Volga-Don shipping canal along one of these portages were made in the Middle Ages but were crowned with success only in Soviet times. This issue has not been sufficiently studied in the scholarhsip. Researchers have written about three old Cossack portages: Kamyshinskii, Dubovskii, and Tsaritsynskii. Practically nothing is known about the Sarpin portage. As a result of the conducted research, the authors of the article come to the conclusion that originally the are between the Volga and the Don was called perevoloka, which was limited to the mouths of the Don rivers — Tsaritsa and Panshinka — and the Volga rivers — Mechetka and Sarpa. It was here that Turkish soldiers in the 16th century tried to build a canal. At the beginning of the 17th century, after the construction of the Tsaritsyn fortress at the mouth of the Tsaritsa river, the Don Cossacks mastered the Kamyshinskii-Ilovlinskii portage, making it the main one and thereby expanding the territory of the portage. Through this portage, Peter the Great made a second attempt to establish the Volga-Don canal between the rivers Kamyshinka and Ilovlia, for which, in order to protect the future waterway between the Volga and the Don, he built the Tsaritsyn line on the perevoloka.
Military Crimes in Classical Athens according to the Speeches of Attic Orators
Authors:   Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Vostrikov Igor V. , Rung Eduard V. ,   Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University
Published: February 2024

The article addresses the problem of military crimes in classical Athens based on the analysis of the speeches of Attic orators. First of all, the attention is drawn to the classification of crimes mentioned in speeches. In particular, the starting point for this study is the fragment from Andocides listing various types of military crimes: service evasion, desertion, cowardice, abandoning of shield, and non-participation in a naval battle. The article also examines cases related to violations of military discipline, which, apparently, stood apart from other types of crimes, which may be due to their lesser severity and punishment. In general, the issues under study in the article are considered from two perspectives: firstly, the reasons for the orators’ appeal to the topic of military crimes, and, secondly, the analysis of the cases of crimes themselves and their interpretation by the orators. The authors come to the conclusion that the orators did not specifically address the topic of military crimes, with the exception of Lysias, whose two speeches are devoted to accusing Alcibiades the Younger of evading service and of desertion. The facts of military crimes, as a rule, were used to create a negative characterization of a person or were part of an accusation of another crime. In addition, a very free interpretation of these facts could take place, when orators made an attempt to accuse a person of several crimes at once, as, for example, with regard to Alcibiades the Younger and Leocrates. The case of Demosthenes, is, in fact, unfounded accusation of desertion by his political opponent Aeschines. However, according to the sources, the allegations of abandoning of arms could be regarded as slander, for which punishment was provided. There are no cases associated with non-participation in a naval battle referred to by orators, which may be due to the difficulty in identifying these facts and a small number of naval campaigns compared to those on land.
Debate on the True Nobility and Social Classifications of the Nobility in the Early Modern Antiquarian Corpora
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Fyodorov Sergey E.
Published: February 2024

The present article examines the impact of the 15th-century Renaissance debate on the true nobility on social beliefs of the English antiquarians of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is based on textual corpora of J. Ferne, T. Milles, J. Selden, M. Carter, and other well-known early modern intellectuals. The author of the article believes that a persistent tendency towards a coherent description and classification of nobility and more broadly — of any social group within the early modern British society — is inseparably connected with the antiquarian tradition of the 16th and 17th centuries. It was within this tradition that so called epistemological turn emerged that led to discursive fragmentation of the entire social order as well as social groups which formed its entirety and complexity. The antiquarian framing of all complexities of social order was based not only on the rejection of an idea of institutional entity — crucial for the medieval corporate theory. In contrast to corporate-functional homogeneity and consistency, it introduced particular group-wide characteristics. These features opened up opportunities for remodeling of the ancient regime with consideration of diversity inherent in social indicia. Nobilitas in the antiquarian texts acquired at least two interconnected meanings. The term was used as a reference to an assemblage of an entire nobility and in this way was very close to a group-wide identity. At the same time, it denoted a total gentility and, in this context, reflected the very complex of Aristotelian and Stoic understanding of the true nobility.