bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antibiotic prescribing practices for acute respiratory illness in children less than 24 months of age in Kenema, Sierra Leone: Is it time to move beyond algorithm driven decision making?
Authors: Moon Troy D. , Sumah Ibrahim , Amorim Gustavo , Alhasan Foday , Howard Leigh M. , Myers Harriett , Green Ann F. , Grant Donald S. , Schieffelin John S. , Samuels Robert J.
Published: February 2023

Background
Lower respiratory tract infections are the leading cause of mortality in young children globally. In many resource-limited settings clinicians rely on guidelines such as IMCI or ETAT + that promote empiric antibiotic utilization for management of acute respiratory illness (ARI). Numerous evaluations of both guidelines have shown an overall positive response however, several challenges have also been reported, including the potential for over prescribing of unnecessary antibiotics.
Methods
We conducted a prospective study of children < 24 months admitted to the KGH pediatric ward with respiratory symptoms between October 1, 2020 and May 31, 2022. Study nurses collected data on demographic information, medical and medication history, and information on clinical course while hospitalized.
Results
A total of 777 children were enrolled. Prior to arrival at the hospital, 224 children (28.8%) reported taking an antibiotic for this illness without improvement. Only 15 (1.9%) children received a chest radiograph to aid in diagnosis and 100% of patients were placed on antibiotics during their hospital stay.
Conclusions
Despite the lives saved, reliance on clinical decision-support tools such as IMCI and ETAT + for pediatric ARI, is resulting in the likely over-prescribing of antibiotics. Greater uptake of implementation research is needed to develop strategies and tools designed to optimize antibiotic use for ARI in LMIC settings. Additionally, much greater priority needs to be given to ensuring clinicians have the basic tools for clinical diagnosis, as well as greater investments in radiographic diagnostics and laboratory diagnostics for both bacterial and viral respiratory illnesses.
Inter-professional Palliative Care based on Mental Health in Patients with Heart Failure: a quasi-experimental study
Authors: Imane Bagheri , Hojatollah Yousefi , Masoud Bahrami , Davood Shafie
Published: February 2023

Background
The speed of heart failure progression as well as the debilitating mental problems caused by this disease highlights the need for palliative care with a focus on mental health by an inter-professional team. In this regard, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the mental health-based palliative care program on anxiety and depression in patients with heart failure.
Methods
This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 50 patients with heart failure hospitalized at Shahid Chamran Hospital in Isfahan, Iran. First, the case and control groups were selected using the convenience sampling method and according to the inclusion criteria. The patients in the case group received the mental health-based palliative care program, which was performed by an inter-professional team, three times a week for 6 consecutive weeks in a combination of in-person sessions at home/hospital, virtual online via Google Meet and offline via Eitaa. The patients in the control group only received the routine care program of the Hospital. The data were collected using the demographic characteristics questionnaire and the hospital anxiety and depression scale before and after the intervention in both groups, and then analyzed using SPSS 23 and descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results
The results showed that the mean age of the control group and the case group was 60.16±11.24 and 59.52±10.46, respectively. Most patients in both case and control groups were male (76% and 64%). The two groups were homogenous in terms of demographic variables (P<0.05). The two groups showed no significant difference in the average scores of hospital anxiety and depression before the intervention (P>0.05). However, after the intervention, the anxiety and depression scores significantly reduced (P<0.001).
Conclusions
Considering the effectiveness of a "mental health-based palliative care program" on the improvement of anxiety and depression in patients with heart failure, it can be included in the routine programs of these patients, in addition to the care for relieving physical pain, to improve their mental condition and obtain better treatment, care, support, and palliative results.
Trial registration: Not applicable, because this study was not a randomized clinical trial
High Gain Microstrip Quad Array Antenna for Sub-6 GHz 5G Applications
Authors: Ramdedovic Amel , Imeci Şehabeddin Taha
Published: February 2023

This paper depicts a microstrip array antenna suitable for the 5G applications comprised of four rectangular patches organized in a symmetrical structure. The microstrip quad array antenna is designed and simulated utilizing Sonnet Suites software. The proposed design is manufactured with implementing Rogers RO3006 dielectric substrate (ε_r = 6.5) due to the low tangent losses of the substrate. Moreover, the simulated and measured results display the successful fabrication and the design process. The input match (S_11) is slightly higher for the simulated design in comparison to the measured results with approximately − 18.63 and − 13.66 dB respectively. By Implementing the quad structure the gain is increased. The Simulated gain is approximately 13.55 dB whereas the measured gain is around 13.06 dB at the operating frequency of 5.53 GHz. Lastly, the design is inexpensive and the utilized geometry is somewhat simplistic alleviating simulation and manufacturing issues for the proposed design..
Ammonium Tetrathiomolybdate Relieves Oxidative Stress in Cisplatin-induced Acute Kidney Injury via NRF2 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Dai Yingbo , Qi Hao , Shi Haoyu , Yan Minbo , Zhao Liangyu , Yin Yinghao , Tan Xiaolin , Qi Huiyue , Li Hu , Weng Kangqiang , Tang Yuxin
Published: February 2023

Cisplatin is an efficient chemotherapeutic agent for various solid tumors, but its usage is restricted by nephrotoxicity. A single dose of cisplatin can cause acute kidney injury (AKI), which is characterized by rapid reduction in kidney function. However, the efficacy of current therapies, such as hydration, is limited. It is vital to develop novel therapeutic reagents that have anticancer and renoprotective properties. The objective of this study was to determine whether ammonium tetrathiomolybdate (TM), a copper ion chelator used to treat cancer and disorders of copper metabolism, may offer protection against cisplatin-induced AKI. In this study, we demonstrated that TM treatment had antioxidative effects and mitigated cisplatin-induced AKI both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanically, TM inhibited NRF2 ubiquitination, which activated the NRF2 pathway in HK-2 cells and promoted the expression of target genes. It should be noted that the protective effect conferred by TM against cisplatin was compromised by the knockdown of the NRF2 gene. Furthermore, TM selectively activated the NRF2 pathways in the liver and kidney. The current study provided evidence for additional clinical applications of TM by showing that it activates NRF2 and has a favorable therapeutic impact on cisplatin-induced AKI.
Association between time in range 70-180mg/dl in early stage and severity in patients with acute pancreatitis
Authors: Meng Chuchen , Zhang Jie , Wang Ying , Ye Xinhua , Zhuang Shaohua
Published: February 2023

Background: It is not well understood whether glucose control in the early stage of acute pancreatitis(AP) is related to the outcome. This study aimed to investigate the association between blood glucose time in range (TIR) 70–180 mg/dL in the first 72 hours(h) on admission and the progression of AP.Methods:Patients admitted with AP to the gastroenterology department of Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between Jan 2017 and Dec 2021 were included and retrospectively evaluated. The percentage of TIR between 70 and 180 mg/dL in the first 72 h was calculated. According to the progress of AP at discharge, the patients were divided into mild pancreatitis(MAP) and moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) or severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group.We examined the association between TIR or TIR ≥70% and the severity of AP using logistic regression models with stratification by glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of 6.5%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to assess the ability of TIR to predict MSAP or SAP.Results: A total of 298 patients were included and 35 of them developed into MSAP or SAP. Logistic regression analyses indicated that TIR was independently associated with the incidence of more serious AP(OR=0.962 95% CI=0.941-0.983, P=0.001). This association remained significant in patients with HbA1c ≤6.5% (OR=0.928 95%CI=0.888-0.969, P=0.001).TIR≥70% was independently associated with reduced severity only in patients with well-antecedent control (OR=0.238; 95% CI= 0.071-0.802; P =0.020). TIR was not powerful enough to predict the severity of AP in both patients with poor antecedent glucose control (AUC=0.641) or with HbA1c＜6.5% (AUC=0.668).Conclusions ：TIR was independently associated with severity in AP patients, particularly those with good antecedent glucose control.
Genome-Wide analysis of the MdPLATZ gene family and their expression during axillary bud outgrowth in apple (Malus domestica)
Authors: Li Jiuyang , Li Guofang , Zhang Yaohui , Zhao Yongliang , Zhang Yuhang , Hao Longjie , Shao Jianzhu , Tan Ming
Published: February 2023

Background
Plant branching is a plastic character that affects the formation of morphology and structure. It is controlled by a variety of plant hormones through coordination with environmental signals. Plant AT-rich sequence and zinc-binding protein (PLATZ) plays an important role in plant growth and development. However, systematic research on the PLATZ gene family in apple branch has not been conducted.
Result
In this study, a total of 17 PLATZ genes were identified and characterized from the apple genome. The MdPLATZ genes were clustered into three subfamilies: Group I, Group II, and Group III. The phylogenetic evolutions, conserved motifs, gene structures, regulatory cis-acting elements, and MicroRNAs of the MdPLATZ family members were analyzed. Expression analysis of these genes in different tissues was also assessed. MdPLATZ genes exhibit distinct expression patterns in different tissues. The expression patterns of the MdPLATZ genes were systematically investigated in response to treatments that impact apple branching [thidazuron (TDZ) and decapitation]. Results indicated that the expression of MdPLATZ1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, and 16 was effected during axillary bud outgrowth based on RNA-seq data obtained from apple axillary bud treated by TDZ. Additionally, qRT-PCR results showed that MdPLATZ6 was strongly downregulated in response to TDZ and decapitation treatments, however, MdPLATZ15 was significantly upregulated by TDZ, but exhibited little response to decapitation.
Conclusion
This finding that provides valuable information for further functional investigations of these genes in the control of apple axillary bud outgrowth.
Coffee Consumption and Periodontitis: a Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Liao Wan-Zhe , Zhou Zhi-Yi , Lin Zi-Kai , Xie Shuo-Jia , Zheng Ya-Fang , Wang Jun-Tao , Zheng Jun-Huang , Chen Hao-Kai , Chen Wu-Shu , Guo Xu-Guang
Published: February 2023

Background: Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, coffee consumption has been growing in the United States over the past 20 years. Periodontitis is defined by the pathologic loss of the periodontal ligament and destruction of the connective tissue attachment and alveolar bone loss and is related to different systemic diseases and conditions. However, the causality has remained unclarified, thus we regarded discovering the causal relationship between coffee consumption and the infection risk of periodontitis as the objective of the study.
Methods: Coffee consumption was subdivided into binary coffee consumption and continuous coffee consumption to refine the study design. Genetic instruments were stretched from the MRC-IEU (MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit)analysis on the UK Biobank, the Gene-Lifestyle Interactions in Dental Endpoints (GLIDE) project, and the joint meta-analysis of a recent GWAS. The IVW (Inverse Variance Weighted) method, MR-Egger regression, and Weighted Median method were introduced to estimate the causality, a scatter plot revealed the intuitive result, and a Leave-One-Out plot was used to test the stability. Heterogeneity and pleiotropy analyses were also conducted to test outlier SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms).
Results: An effect of continuous coffee consumption on the risk of periodontitis was found (IVW: OR = 1.0104, 95%CI: 1.0016-1.0193, P = 0.0212; MR-Egger: OR = 1.0004, 95%CI: 0.9753-1.0303, P = 0.98; Weighted Median: OR = 1.0077, 95%CI: 0.9963-1.0191, P = 0.19), while the effect of binary coffee consumption on periodontitis did not meet the requirement of indicating a strong causal association, neither were the reverse causality analyses.
Conclusions: The study indicated the causality of continuous coffee consumption to the risk of periodontitis with no strong evidence for an effect of binary coffee-consuming behavior on periodontitis. There was also no intensive evidence suggesting reverse causality.
Safety and Immune protection of a RHΔompdcΔuprt mutant live-attenuated vaccine against Toxoplasmosis
Authors: Shen Yu , Zheng Bin , Sun Hao , Wu Songrui , Fan Jiyuan , Ding Jianzu , Gao Meng , Kong Qingming , Lou Di , Ding Haojie , Zhuo Xunhui , Lu Shaohong
Published: February 2023

Background:Toxoplasma gondiiis an obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite and is responsible for zoonotic toxoplasmosis. It is essential to develop an effective anti-T. gondiivaccine for the control of toxoplasmosis, and this study explored the immunoprotective effects of a live attenuated vaccine in mice and cats.Methods:First, theompdcanduprtgenes ofT. gondiiwere deleted throughtheCRISPR-Cas9 system. Then, the intracellular proliferation and virulence of this mutant strain were evaluated for the verification of its potential use in vaccination. Subsequently, the immune responses induced by this mutant in mice and cats were detected, including antibody titers, cytokine levels, and the subsets of T lymphocytes. Finally, the immunoproctive effects were evaluated by challenging with tachyzoites of different strains in mice or cysts of ME49 strain in cats via monitoring the survival time of mice or determining the number and shedding period of oocysts in feline feces. Furthermore, to discover the effective immune element against toxoplasmosis, passive immunizations were carried out in mice, as serum, CD19+B cells, CD4+T cells, CD8+T cells, and total splenocytes were involved.Results:Theompdcanduprtgenes were deleted by using CRISPR-Cas9 system to develop a uracil auxotrophicT. gondiistrain RHΔompdcΔuprt. The intracellular replication, virulence and immune response of double knockout mutant were evaluated. Compared with the wild-type RH strain, the RHΔompdcΔuprtmutant notably reduced proliferation with limited intracellular escape. In addition, RHΔompdcΔuprtmutant strain exhibited virulence attenuation in both murine (BALB/c and BALB/c-nu) and cat models. It’s worth noting that limited pathological change or tachyzoites were found in tissues from RHΔompdcΔuprt-injected mice. Furthermore, significantly high levels of IgG (IgG1 and IgG2a) antibodies and cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-2 and IL-12) of mice were elicited by RHΔompdcΔuprtmutant, which were proven protective to reinfection with theT. gondiitype I (RH), type II (ME49), and Chinese isolated strains (WH6). Remarkably, all mice vaccinated with RHΔompdcΔuprtsurvived a lethal challenge with RH and ME49, and WH6 strains. The immunized serum and splenocytes, especially CD8+T cells, could significantly extend the survival time of mice challenged with RH strain compared with naïve mice. In addition, cats immunized with the mutant strain also produced high levels of IgG antibodies and notably decreased the shedding numbers of oocysts in feces (95.3%) than non-immunized cats.Conclusions:The avirulent RHΔompdcΔuprtmutant strain can provide strong anti-T. gondiiimmune responses, and is a promising candidate for developing safe and effective live attenuated vaccine.
Effect of food intake on 143 biomarkers measured by Proseek Multiplex Inflammation I and Multiplex Organ Damage panels
Authors: Dencker Magnus , Björgell Ola , Hlebowicz Joanna
Published: February 2023

Objective
This study investigates the effect of food intake on 143 different biomarkers.
Methods
Twenty-two healthy subjects (11 male and 11 female aged 25.9 ± 4.2 years) were investigated. A total of 143 biomarkers were measured before a standardized meal as well as 30 and 120 minutes afterwards with the Proseek Multiplex Inflammation I, and Multiplex Organ Damage panels.
Results
The levels for 23 biomarkers were significantly (p < 0.001) changed due to food intake. A total of 14 biomarkers decreased 30 minutes and 120 minutes after food intake. Four biomarkers were increased only at 120 minutes after food intake. The changes for the biomarkers were between 2% and 105%.
Conclusion
This study shows that food intake has some effect on 143 different biomarkers. The timing of blood sampling in relation to food intake appears not to be a major concern. There are some exceptions. Standardization concerning food intake should be attempted when investigating Interleukin-6, Anterior gradient protein 2 homolog, BH3-interacting domain death agonist, Tyrosine-protein kinase Fes/Fps, Syntaxin-8, Probetacellulin, Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase FKBP1B, Ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase subunit M2 B, and Enteropeptidase which all changed more than 30%.
Comparison of two anaerobic tests in assessment of anaerobic performance in soccer trained and untrained girls U12
Authors: Jastrzębska Agnieszka Danuta
Published: February 2023

The study aimed to investigate the usefulness of the Running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST) in anaerobic performance estimation in trained and untrained girl U12, and the effect of an 8-week training period in female U12 soccer players on anaerobic performance. Fourteen female soccer players (FSP) and twelve untrained girls (UNT) participated in the study. The anaerobic performance was evaluated twice, within 8-weeks period, using the traditional Wingate test (WAnT) and the RAST. FSP in that time were subjected to soccer training, and UNT participated only in school’s physical education classes. A significant increase in the anaerobic performance of the FSP was noted. In both tests peak, average, and relative power were significantly improved (p<0.005). Nevertheless, strong, statistically significant (p<0.05) correlation coefficients (0.50< r <0.70) were found for pre-training measurements between the WAnT and the RAST power parameters in absolute values. In UNT group significant improvement was found in peak, average and min power (p <0.05) in the RAST. The improvement in anaerobic performance after training along with the strong correlation noted between the WAnT and the RAST power parameters prove the usefulness of the RAST in assessing anaerobic capacity in female youth athletes. Its simplicity encourages its use in monitoring anaerobic capacity in both trained and untrained girls.
Efficient Resource Allocation in Cloud Computing Using Hungarian Optimization in Aws
Authors: Murali Juliet A , T Brindha
Published: February 2023

Cloud computing is a recent technology which allows on-demand availability of computing services as well as resources to users without having direct control by the user. The various resources offered by cloud technology needs appropriate task scheduling strategies to provide better Quality of Service (QoS). Moreover, the Cloud Service Provider (CSP) concentrates more on providing various resources to a user based on demand. Thus, resource allocation occupies a crucial task in offering better QoS and profits to CSP. Although several techniques were deployed for various resource allocations in the cloud, the challenges still risk the CSP in accomplishing improvised resource allocation due to over demand and under availability of resources which results in increased makespan as well as Virtual Machine (VM) utilization factor. For this reason, this paper aims to introduce a novel resource allocation model that comprises appropriate resource discovery, task scheduling, and then resource allocation. The proposed methodology uses the EC2 Lambda instance for the resource discovery process. Depending on the EC2 Lambda instance, the recommended process is grouped to the available resources. Resource discovery is done by finding all the resources that meet the user’s needs and guiding them to nearby innovation. Initially, the executed jobs are recognized or analyzed and the available resources are grouped. Simultaneously the resources are allocated with the help of a Hungarian optimization technique. Eventually, the empirical analysis reveals the performance of the proposed resource allocation model in terms of CPU and network utilization.
Skull Base Dural Reflection Models: Tool for Training at Resource Scarce Centres
Authors: Jha Deepak Kumar , Janu Vikas , Bhaskar Suryanarayanan , Ghosal Jaskaran Singh , Ghatak Surajit
Published: February 2023

Background
Skull base dural reflections are complex, and along with various ligaments joining sutures of skull base, are related to most important vessels like internal carotid arteries (ICA), vertebral arteries, jugular veins, cavernous sinus and cranial nerves make surgical approaches difficult and needs thorough knowledge and anatomy for safe dissection and satisfactory patient outcomes. Cadaver dissection is much more important for training of skull base anatomy in comparison to any other subspecialty of neurosurgery, however, such facilities are not available at most of the training institutes more so in low and middle income countries (LMICs).
Methods
A glue gun (100-watt glue gun, Aptech deals, Delhi, India) was used to spread glue over the superior surface of bone of skull base over desired area (anterior, middle or lateral skull base). Once glue was spread over the desired surface uniformly, it was cooled under running tap water and the glue layer was separated from the skull base. Various neurovascular impressions were colored for ease of depiction and teaching.
Result
Inferior surface of dural reflections of the skull base is important for understanding neurovascular orientations of various structures entering or exiting the skull base. It was readily available, reproducible and simple for teaching neuroanatomy to the trainees of neurosurgery.
Conclusion
Skull base dural reflections made up of glue is an inexpensive, reproducible item which may be used for teaching neuroanatomy. It may be useful for trainees and young neurosurgeons especially at resource scarce health-care facilities.
Susceptibility of Adiabatic Shear Band Formation in AZ31B Magnesium Alloy during High Strain Rate Impact
Authors: Tetteh Francis , Duntu Solomon , Boakye-Yiadom Solomon
Published: February 2023

Adiabatic shear bands (ASBs) are known to be the dominant damage mechanisms in structural materials under high strain rate loading such as Magnesium (Mg) alloys. Therefore, to tailor the mechanical performance of Mg alloys for structural applications, there is a need to understand their susceptibility to strain localization and formation of ASBs, including the mechanism of crack initiation and propagation. In this study, as-fabricated (extruded) and heat-treated (annealed at 400oC) AZ31B Mg alloys were subjected to high strain rate loading using the direct impact hopkinson pressure bar (DIHPB) under different strain rates (834–2435 s− 1) at room temperature. The impact specimens failed through the occurrence of strain localization, formation of diffused ASBs and initiation/propagation of micro-cracks along the path of evolved ASBs. Thus, strain localization results in crack initiation and propagation despite the inherent brittle nature of the Mg alloys. Also, the presence of fractured second-phase particles dispersed within voids and along shear band path suggests particle fragmentation and refinement due to the strain localization. This also resulted in void nucleation, growth and coalescence at a later stage during the deformation. In addition, there seems to be a threshold strain rate ( ~ > 2225 s− 1) beyond which the specimen fractures regardless of the initial microstructure of the Mg alloys.
Investigation of the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus via bioinformatic analysis
Authors: xiong zhiyu , Yuan Mengqin , Yao Lichao , Wang Zheng , Liu Pingji , Jiang Yingan , Dai Kai
Published: February 2023

Background
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with liver cirrhosis continues to increase globally. T2DM is identified as an independent risk factor for liver cirrhosis and an important prognostic factor for clinical outcomes in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, this co-occurring mechanism has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying the co‐pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis and T2DM and to provide reference information for future diagnoses and treatment of patients with liver cirrhosis associated with T2DM.
Methods
RNA-seq profile of liver cirrhosis and T2DM was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with liver cirrhosis and T2DM were identified using GEO2R. Thereafter, the co‐differentially expressed genes (co‐DEGs) associated with liver cirrhosis and T2DM were obtained from the intersection of the datasets on the DEGs. Subsequently, 175 overlapping DEGs were identified and further analyzed using a bioinformatic approach, which included Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses, protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, transcription factors (TFs)–gene interaction network analysis, and drug candidate prediction analysis.
Results
The intersection of datasets on DEGs associated with liver cirrhosis and T2DM enabled the selection of 175 co-DEGs for subsequent analyses. Functional enrichment analyses showed that these co‐DEGs are associated with inflammatory cytokine responses and positive regulation of transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1). The KEGG analysis showed that advanced glycation end products–receptor for advanced glycation end products signaling pathway was markedly involved in liver cirrhosis associated with T2DM. Thereafter, a total of eight hub genes: SPARC, COL4A2, THBS1, LUM, TIMP3, COL3A1, IGFBP7, and FSTL1, associated with the diseases were identified using five algorithms from Cytoscape app for network centrality analysis and CytoHubba (a plug‐in in the Cytoscape software). In total, 29 TFs of the hub genes were detected by NetworkAnalyst and Drug SIGnatures DataBase, which predicted that retinoic acid is one of the promising agents that may be used for the treatment of liver cirrhosis associated with T2DM.
Conclusions
This study elucidated the common pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis and T2DM and predicted a potential clinical therapeutic drug. Therefore, these novel findings may contribute to the literature on the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis associated with T2DM.
Impact of continuous professional development training on mathematics and science teachers’ pedagogical beliefs: A one-group pre-posttest quasi-experimental design
Authors: Nkundabakura Pheneas , Nsengimana Theophile , Uwizeyimana Daniel , Mbonyiryivuze Agnes , Ukobizaba Fidele
Published: February 2023

Background
Teachers’ pedagogical beliefs have effects on their teaching practices. This study aimed to assess the impact of continuous professional development training on mathematics and science teachers’ pedagogical beliefs in secondary schools after training they received.
Methods
A one-group pre-posttest quasi-experimental design was adopted to achieve the intended objectives. The sample of 691 teachers was purposively selected in eight Rwandan districts. Data were collected using a valid and reliable Beliefs about Reformed Science Teaching and Learning (BARSTL) questionnaire. The instrument’s internal consistency reliability was calculated, and a Cronbach alpha of α = .856 was obtained. Teachers were assessed before and after training on their pedagogical beliefs. The training was done for eight months. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics.
Results
The item-by-item analysis showed positive shifts on some items in terms of both gender and school groups. The results show that the provided training positively impacted teachers' beliefs on how they consider students’ prior knowledge while teaching Science and Mathematics. Descriptive analysis in percentages showed a slight positive change in female teachers’ beliefs, as shown by their increase in mean scores after treatment.
Conclusions
The results show that the training provided positively impacted teachers' pedagogical belief in considering students’ prior knowledge while teaching science and mathematics.
Oxyresveratrol-β-cyclodextrin mitigates intracerebral STZ-induced Alzheimer’s disease via suppression of hippocampal and cortical cognitive impairment and histone deacetylase activity in rats: In silico and In vivo studies
Authors: Agarwal Tushar , Manandhar Suman , B Harish Kumar , Famurewa Ademola C , Gurram Prasada Chowdari , Suggala Ramya Shri , Mudgal Jayesh , Pai Sreedhara Ranganath
Published: February 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with cognitive deficits and epigenetic deacetylation that can be modulated by natural products. The role of natural oxyresveratrol-betacyclodextrin (ORV) on cognition and histone deacetylase activity in AD is unclear. Herein, in-silico docking, and molecular dynamics simulation analysis determined that oxyresveratrol potentially targets histone deacetylase-2 (HDAC2) inhibition. We therefore evaluated the in vivo ameliorative effect of ORV against cognitive deficit, cerebral and hippocampal expression of HDAC in experimental AD rats. Intracerebroventricular injection of STZ (3 mg/kg) induced experimental AD and the rats were treated with low dose (200 mg/kg), high dose (400 mg/kg) of ORV and donepezil (10 mg/kg) for 21 days. The STZ-induced AD caused cognitive and behavioural deficits demonstrated by considerable increases in acetylcholinesterase activity and escape latency compared to sham control. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and HDAC activity were significantly increased in AD disease group comparison to the sham. Interestingly, the ORV reversed the cognitive-behavioural deficit and prominently reduced the MDA and HDAC levels comparable to the effect of the standard drug, donepezil. The findings suggest role of ORV via antioxidant effect and inhibition of HDAC in the hippocampal and frontal cortical area of rats for AD.
Limit cycles and Integrability of a continuous system with a line of equilibrium points
Authors: Abdulkareem Aram , Amen Azad , Hussein Niazy
Published: February 2023

We focus on a chaotic differential system in 3-dimension, including an absolute term and a line of equilibrium points. Which describes in the following
ẋ = y , ẏ = −ax + yz , ż = by − cxy − x2.
This system has an implementation in electronic components. The first purpose of this paper is to provide sufficient conditions for the existence of a limit cycle bifurcating from the zero-Hopf equilibrium point located at the origin of the coordinates. The second aim is to study the integrability of each differential system, one defined in half–space y ≥ 0 and the other in half–space y < 0. We prove that these two systems have no polynomial, rational, or Darboux first integrals for any value of a, b, and c. Furthermore, we provide a formal series and an analytic first integral of these systems. We also classify Darboux polynomials and exponential factors.
Molecular targets and mechanisms of cortex mori for lung cancer treatment: A network pharmacology study, molecular docking and experimental validation
Authors: Yang Qiuhong , Shao Yingying , He Shufen , Zhang Hanbin , Han Weichao , Xie Baocheng , He Ruirong
Published: February 2023

Purpose The traditional Chinese medicine cortex mori was commonly used to treat pneumonia in clinical settings. The development of cancer is closely related to inflammation. So, it was the objective of this study to determine the molecular targets of cortex mori in the treatment of lung cancer and explore its action and mechanism through network pharmacological analysis combined with biological experiments in vitro.
Methods GeneCards database was searched for the disease targets of lung cancer and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), was used to screen cortex mori for its active components and targets. Protein-protein interactions (PPI) and gene ontologies (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were analyzed for intersection genes. In order to determine whether cortex mori affects lung cancer, MTS, wound healing, and apoptosis assays were performed.
Results 32 active ingredients and 434 targets of Chinese medicine cortex mori were obtained. Totally 2,3107 lung cancer related targets were collected. The results of network pharmacological analysis showed that cortex mori acted on 163 disease targets of lung cancer mainly by cyclomolorusin, ,etc. The core genes involving cortex mori treating lung cancer might consist of JUN, etc. The core targets involved 162 biological processes, including nuclear receptor activity, etc. The core study targeted 160 pathways, including fluid stress, etc. Biologic cytological experiments showed that cyclomolorusin inhibited occurrence and development of lung cancer through AKT-PI3K pathway.
Conclusions Cortex mori acts on AKT and other related disease targets of lung cancer cells through cyclomolorusin, and plays a role in the treatment of lung cancer by inhibiting the signaling pathway associated with lung cancer occurrence and development.
Rainfall time series prediction based on the DWT-SVR- Prophet hybrid model
Authors: Li Dongsheng , Ma Jinfeng , Rao Kaifeng , Wang Xiaoyan , Li Ruonan , Yang Yanzheng , Zheng Hua
Published: February 2023

The discrete wavelet method can be used to decompose rainfall time series into subseries of different frequencies. It would be worthwhile to investigate whether combining forecasting results from different frequency subseries could improve the accuracy of rainfall prediction. A novel DWT-SVR-Prophet (DSP) hybrid model for rainfall prediction is proposed in this paper. First, the rainfall time series is decomposed into high-frequency and low-frequency subseries using discrete wavelet transform (DWT). The SVR and Prophet models are then used to predict high-frequency and low-frequency subsequences, respectively. Finally, the predicted rainfall is determined by summing the predicted values of each subsequence. A case study in China is conducted from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2016. The results show that the DSP model provides excellent prediction, with RMSE, MAE, R2 values of 6.17, 3.3, and 0.75, respectively. The DSP model yields higher prediction accuracy than the three baseline models considered, with the prediction accuracy ranking as follows: DSP > SSP > Prophet > SVR. In addition, the DSP model is quite stable, and can achieve good results when applied to rainfall data from various climate types, with RMSEs ranging from 1.24 to 7.31, MAEs ranging from 0.52 to 6.14 and R2 values ranging from 0.62 to 0.75. The proposed model may provide a noval approach for rainfall forecasting and is readily adaptable to other time series predictions.
Research Trends in Lung Organoids: Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization
Authors: Peng Xiaoyun , Li Fang , Ma Qiong , Tan Shiyan , Jiang Hua , Ye Xin , Dong Jing , You Fengming , Ren Yifeng , Zheng Chuan
Published: February 2023

Background
Lung organoids have emerged as a promising tool for studying lung development, function, and disease pathology. The present study aimed to analyze the current status and development trends of lung organoid research over the past years, present visual representations, and provide references for future research directions using bibliometric analysis.
Methods
Information on articles on lung organoids extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection, such as year of publication, journal, country, institution, author, and keywords, was analyzed. R, VOSviewer, and SCImago Graphica were used to visualize publication trends, co-authorship analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and hotspot evolution.
Results
The number of global publications has increased from 1 in 2011 to 512 in 2022. The cell produced the highest number of citations (2,069 citations). The United States (6,694 citations and 177 publications), University Medical Center Utrecht (2,060 citations and 9 publications), and Clevers H (2,570 citations and 15 publications) were the most influential countries, institutions, and authors, respectively. Co-occurrence cluster analysis of the top 54 keywords formed four clusters: (1) pulmonary fibrosis (PF), (2) lung cancer, (3) cystic fibrosis (CF), (4) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Conclusion
Organoid technology undoubtedly played an important role in the study of COVID-19, but with the passing of the COVID-19 epidemic, the research focus may return to refractory lung diseases such as PF, CF, and lung cancer. Standardized culture, living biobanks, and multimodal model systems for lung disease may be the future research directions in the field of lung organoids.
Linear functionals and Δ- coherent pairs of the second kind
Authors: Dominici Diego , Marcellan Francisco
Published: February 2023

We classify all the Δ-coherent pairs of measures of the second kind on the real line. We obtain 5 cases, corresponding to all the families of discrete semiclassical orthogonal polynomials of class s ≤ 1:
2020 Mathematical Subject Classification: 42C05 (primary), 33C45, 46E39 (secondary).
Anastomotic Stricture Prediction in Patients with Esophageal Atresia with Distal Fistula
Authors: Newland Natalia , Snajdauf Jiri , Kokesova Alena , Styblova Jitka , Hradsky Ondrej , Meusel Isabel , Kucerova Barbora , Kyncl Martin , Simsova Magdalena , Mixa Vladimir , Rygl Michal
Published: February 2023

Purpose
To investigate potential early risk factors for anastomotic stricture formation and assess the predictive role of post-operative esophagrams.
Methods
A retrospective study of patients with esophageal atresia with distal fistula (EA/TEF) operated between 2011 and 2020. Fourteen predictive factors were tested for stricture development. Esophagrams were used to calculate early (SI1) and late (SI2) stricture index (SI = anastomosis diameter/upper pouch diameter).
Results
Of 185 patients operated for EA/TEF in the 10-year period, 169 patients met the inclusion criteria. Primary anastomosis was performed in 130 patients and delayed anastomosis in 39 patients. Stricture formed in 55 patients (33%) within 1 year from anastomosis. Four risk factors showed strong association with stricture formation in unadjusted models: long gap (p = 0.007), delayed anastomosis (p = 0.042), SI1 (p = 0.013) and SI2 (p < 0.001). A multivariate analysis showed SI1 as significantly predictive of stricture formation (p = 0.035). Cut-off values using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were 0.275 for SI1 and 0.390 for SI2. The area under the ROC curve demonstrated increasing predictiveness from SI1 (AUC 0.641) to SI2 (AUC 0.877).
Conclusions
This study identified an association between long gap and delayed anastomosis with stricture formation. Early and late stricture indices were predictive of stricture formation.
A Low-Power Direct-Conversion Receiver with Improved Sensitivity using AC-Coupled Baseband Amplifier in 130 and 180 nm CMOS Technologies
Authors: Oliveira Wisla , Brito-Filho Francisco
Published: February 2023

This paper evaluates the use of an AC-coupled amplifier as a base-band amplifier for a direct conversion receiver. Due to the importance oflow-power consumption circuits for modern applications, a passive-typeenvelope detector was used to perform the downconversion of the radiofrequency signal while the baseband amplifier improves the sensitivity.The circuits were designed and simulated using CMOS SkyWater 130nm and UMC 180 nm technologies. Open-source end-to-end ASIC designflow was used to obtain results to SkyWater technology. For both tech-nologies the results of each stage are presented, as well as a sensitivitycomparison for the envelope detector, and the sensitivity with the use ofthe amplifier. The power-consumption of the AC-coupled amplifier forSkyWater 130 nm was 1.8 μA and for UMC 180 nm was 0.9 μW . At theoperating frequency of 2.45 GHz, the receiver achieves a sensitivity of−58.5 dBm and −61.88 dBm for UMC and SkyWater technologies,respectively. The results are within the expectations and presented in theliterature. The AC coupled amplifier performs well as a baseband ampli-fier for a direct conversion receiver, improving sensitivity, amplifyingthe baseband signal in addition to adding low power consumption.
Different Ratio C/N with Sugar Beet Raffinate and Algae-Limit in Artemia franciscana (Kellogg, 1906) Diets on Growth and Reproductive Performance, Biomass Production, Proximate Compositions and Digestive Enzymes
Authors: Vahdat Saeid
Published: February 2023

The supply of food is one of the most crucial factors in the culture of Artemiabecause the larviculture of fish and shellfish is inextricably dependent on live food. This study focused on adjusting the C/N ratio in Artemia franciscana diets in-vivo by adding raffinate and limiting of algae. The nauplii of Artemia were fed seven feeding treatments, including a control diet and six experimental feeds with varying concentrations of raffinate and algae. The findings demonstrated that Artemia fed a diet containing 10% algae and 1.25% raffinate performed marginally better in terms of survival, but with significantly higher growth, the total number of offspring, alkaline protease, amylase, and lipase activities were detected compared to control. When Artemia was fed 10% algae and 1.25% raffinate did the higher biomass and lower FCR become statistically significant. The body protein showed a significant increase when compared to C/N 3.5 (high diet protein). In conclusion, diets containing algae (from 60–80 percent less than control) and raffinate improved growth, biomass production, and reproductive productivity in C/N 9.5 to 10.5.
Avascular Midline Oropharyngeal Anatomy Allows for Expanded Indications for Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Johnston Douglas , Maurrasse Sarah , Maddalozzo John
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in children is in its infancy and indications have been primarily limited to lingual tonsillar hypertrophy and superficial mucosal lesions. However, the relatively avascular channel of the midline posterior tongue, vallecula, and posterior hyoid space provides a safe plane of dissection for deep lesions of the tongue and access to structures in the anterior neck. As robotic surgeons gain experience, application of this technology will continue to grow.
Methods: Retrospective case series
Results: We present seven patients who had either a primary (n = 3) or recurrent (n = 4) lingual thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC) and underwent TORS excision. Four of the seven patients also underwent transoral resection of the central portion of the hyoid bone, while 3 had central hyoid resection during prior surgery. Two minor complications occurred with no evidence of lesion recurrence after mean follow up of 19.7 mo.
Discussion: The midline avascular channel of the tongue allows for relatively bloodless surgical access to pathologies of the midline base of tongue and anterior neck. Lingual thyroglossal duct cysts can safely be removed via TORS approaches with evidence of limited recurrence.
Conclusion: Robotic technology can provide safe and effective surgical alternatives for children with a variety of pathologies, and we aim to promote the widespread adoption of TORS in pediatric head and neck surgery by sharing our knowledge and clinical experience. Further study and publication are needed to establish safety and efficacy.
Assessing Lexical Skills to Determine Language Development of Urban Bi/multlingual Preschool Children
Authors: Siddiqui Amina Asif , Khalid Maha , Nazir Hina Fatima
Published: February 2023

Purpose This research determines the lexical development of preschool children in bi/multilingual Pakistani society, who are exposed to English (L2/L3) in playschool and their native language (L1) as well as Urdu (L1/L2) at home. The study aims to establish the lexical increment among the three age groups of children through conceptual scoring of their responses, on an indigenously designed tool for the assessment of vocabulary. Method This quantitative cross-sectional research recruited 100 (n) typical bi/multilingual children aged 2;0–4;11 years, by simple random sampling from mainstream playschools where the medium of instruction was English. They were individually screened through aScreener for Lexical Skills of Bi/multilinguals, which measured vocabulary development through 255 culturally appropriate pictures across twenty-one categories for their semantic and morphological skills, subsequently analyzing the data through the SPSS version 20. Results Bi/multilingual children from mainstream playschools named the pictures of theScreener for Lexical Skills of Bi/multilinguals, in English and Urdu predominantly, instead of their own native language. There was an incremental difference seen in the lexicon among the age groups, based on the number of pictures named by the children. The 2;0–2;11-year-olds named 40.7% of the pictures, while 3;0–3;11-year-olds named 49.02%, and 4;0–4;11-year-old children named 62.75% of the total pictures. Conclusion Children easily acquire multiple languages, in early childhood. The bi/multilingual children show an unequal increment in the vocabulary of each language, across the three age groups. Although all the children named some pictures in English, the increment in their Urdu vocabulary was greater than English.
Novel biologically active N-substituted benzimidazole derived Schiff bases: design, synthesis and biological evaluation
Authors: Beč Anja , Cindrić Maja , Persoons Leentje , Banjanac Mihailo , Radovanović Vedrana , Daelemans Dirk , Hranjec Marijana
Published: February 2023

Herein we present the design and synthesis of novel N-substituted benzimidazole derived Schiff bases, and the evaluation of their antiviral, antibacterial and antiproliferative activity. One of the goals was to study the impact on the biological activity of substituents placed at the N atom of benzimidazole nuclei as well as the type of substituents placed at the phenyl ring. The synthesized Schiff bases were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral activity against different viruses, antibiotic activity against a panel of bacterial strains and antiproliferative activity on several human cancer cell lines, thus enabling the study of structure − activity relationships. Some mild antiviral effects were noted, although at higher concentrations as compared to the included reference drugs. Additionally, some derivatives showed moderate antibacterial activity, with precursor 23 proving broadly active against most of the bacterial strains tested. Lastly, Schiff base 40, a 4-N,N-diethylamino-2-hydroxy substituted derivative bearing a phenyl ring at the N atom on benzimidazole nuclei, displayed strong antiproliferative activity against several cancer cell lines (IC50 1.1–4.4 µM). The strongest antitumoral effect was observed towards acute myeloid leukemia (HL-60).