bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study of stressful life events in patients with first episode acute coronary syndrome (ACS) - A hospital based case control study Running Title: Stressful Life Events in First Episode Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Kousar Muntaqueem Ul , Parveen Shaheena , Maqbool Masood , Rather Yasir Hassan , Bhat Fazle Roub , Jan Neelofar , Rasool Ubaid
Published: September 2024

Background There is a considerable evidence in the literature highlighting the impact of psychological factors on the development of coronary heart disease. In India, there's a rising incidence of traumatic life events alongside coronary heart disease, yet the connection between them remains relatively understudied. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the occurrence of stressful life events among patients experiencing their first episode of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to compare this with controls.Results The mean number of stressful life events (SLEs) observed was 5.07 ± 2.04 in cases and 4.35 ± 1.88 in controls, with a p-value of < 0.05. The median number of SLEs in cases was nine, compared to eight in controls. Additionally, cases experienced a higher number of SLEs compared to controls with adjusted Z scores of 2.01 for 9 events, 2.74 for 8 events and 3.46 for five events with p-value < 0.01 for all. Significant differences for various types of SLEs were observed between cases and controls.Conclusion The number for SLEs was significantly higher in cases than in controls. There is a need for further research to ascertain and quantify the role of stressful events and risk of a cardiac event.
Segmentation of MR Images for Brain Tumor Detection Using Autoencoder Neural Network
Authors: Hoseini Farnaz , Shamlou Shohreh , Ahmadi-Gharehtoragh Milad
Published: September 2024

Medical images often require segmenting into different regions in the first analysis stage. Relevant features are selected to differentiate various regions from each other, and the images are segmented into meaningful (anatomically significant) regions based on these features. The purpose of this study is to present a model for segmenting and identifying the local tumor formation in MR images of the human brain. The proposed system operates in an unsupervised manner to minimize the intervention of expert users and to achieve an acceptable speed in the tumor classification process. The proposed method includes several steps of preprocessing for different brain image classify that Perform the normalization task. These preprocessing steps lead to more accurate results in high-resolution images and ultimately improve the accuracy and sensitivity of tumor separation from brain tissue. The output of this stage is applied to a self-encoding neural network for image zoning. By nature of self-encoding networks, leads to reduce the dimensionality of tumor pixels from the surrounding healthy environment, which significantly helps remove regions incorrectly extracted as tumors. Finally, by extracting features from the previous stage's output through Otsu thresholding, the surrounding area and type of tumor are also extracted. The proposed method was trained and tested using the BRATS2020 database and evaluated by various performance metrics. The results based on the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) show an accuracy of 97% for the entire MR image and improved detection accuracy compared to other methods, as well as a reduction in the cost of the diagnostic process.
The importance of CYP1A2 genetic polymorphism in relation to coffee intake and high blood pressure in the Romanian population
Authors: Popa Laura Claudia , Farcas Simona Sorina , Andreescu Nicoleta Ioana
Published: September 2024

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) is known to be the main enzyme directly responsible for caffeine metabolism. The rs762551 (NC_000015.10:g.74749576C > A) is a single nucleotide polymorphism characterized by higher enzyme activity in the presence of an inducer such as heavy coffee consumption and its protective role against developing cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure. In this comprehensive study, we aim to evaluate any association between coffee intake, CYP1A2 polymorphism, the presence of high blood pressure, and their potential role in cardiovascular outcomes. For 355 individuals, a PCR technique was performed using TaqMan SNP genotyping Assay, analyzing rs762551 on LightCycler 480 (Roche) with Gene Scanning software version 1.5.1 (Roche). Using binomial logistic regression, we found that the individuals who consumed more than three cups of coffee per day are less likely to fit in the slow coffee metabolizers category with an odds ratio of 0.386 and p = 0.033. Another important finding would be the fact that the fast coffee metabolizers (AA genotype) consume larger coffee quantities, although they present the lowest tensional values and the highest values for cholesterol and glucose. When approaching the hypertensive subjects, they show lower coffee consumption and lower caffeine levels, compared to the control group. The main conclusion of this study would be that only coffee intake and genotype are statistically related, although no statistically significant associations regarding the high blood pressure have been found.
NOx emissions quantified from space reveal technological differences in Cypriot power plants
Authors: Rey-Pommier Anthony , Chevallier Frédéric , Ciais Philippe , Christoudias Theodoros , Kushta Jonilda , Georgiou Georges , Violaris Angelos , Dubart Florence , Sciare Jean
Published: September 2024

The production of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) is substantial in urban areas and from fossil fuel-fired power plants, causing both local and regional pollution and presenting severe consequences for human health. To estimate their emissions and implement air-quality policies, authorities often rely on reported emission inventories. The island of Cyprus is de facto divided into two different political entities, and as a result, emissions inventories are not systematically available for the whole island. We map NOx emissions in Cyprus for two six-month periods in 2021 and 2022 with a flux-divergence scheme, using spaceborne retrievals of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) columns at high spatial resolution from the TROPOMI instrument, as well as horizontal wind data to derive advection and concentrations of OH, NO and NO2 to derive chemical processes. Emissions are estimated under three different settings using ECMWF data and WRF-Chem simulations. These settings are chosen for their differences in spatial resolution and representation of wind and air composition. Exploiting the low emissions in Cyprus, we show that the flux-divergence method is limited by the resolution of wind and hydroxyl radical, the signal-to-noise ratio of the observed tropospheric column densities, and the NOx:NO2 ratio above the main pollution sources. We also provide an estimation of NOx emissions for the five power plants of the island. The estimated emissions for the three power plants in the south are in the range of reported emissions and global/regional inventories, and present differences in seasonal cycles. For the two power plants in the north, which are not included in all emission inventories, we estimate mean daytime emissions higher than for the power plants in the south combined, despite a much lower production capacity, illustrating the application of different environmental norms and the use of different technologies and fuels in the two parts of Cyprus.
Endocrine Outcomes Following Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery in Erbil, Iraq
Authors: Nasser Ahmed , Ahmed Yousif
Published: September 2024

Objective
The impact of endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (ETSs) on endocrine function is a critical concern of surgical treatment of pituitary tumors. This study evaluated post-ETSs pituitary disease control (DC), development of early and late new hormonal deficiencies, and recovery of pre-existing hormonal deficiency. Additionally, studied the preoperative factors that influence post-ETSs outcome.
Methods
A prospective cohort study conducted in neuroendocrine field in Erbil city from April 2023 to April 2024. The study included 35 patients who were assigned for ETSs after exclusion of those with prior neurosurgical intervention, radiation, or drugs affecting pituitary function. Initial clinical evaluation, endocrine tests and radiological imaging performed pre-ETSs, then at early postoperative period and later follow up scheduled at one-, three-, and six-month interval.
Results
Post-ETSs, DC achieved in 20 (57.1%) of patients. At six-month follow up, about 10/18 (55.5%) patients recovered at least one hormone postoperatively with gonadal axis was the most frequent 5 (14.3%), while new hormonal deficiencies documented in 12 (34.3%) patients, among which prolonged Diabetes insipidus (DI) was the most frequently encountered 11 (31.4%). Early post-ETSs water dysregulation significantly prolonged hospital stay (p-value 0.035). Tumor size, knops classification and surgeon experience were the main variables associated with endocrine outcome.
Conclusion
In Iraq, Erbil city, DC rate was lower than previous studies, and development of new hormonal deficiencies was higher and contributed to prolonged DI. However, a considerable number of patients had recovery of pre-existing hormonal deficiencies compared to prior studies. These findings necessitate revision of our surgical management.
A Novel Heterogeneous Fusion Algorithm Using Total Variation Model for Neutron and X-ray Radiography
Authors: Pal Manas , Basuli Krishnendu , Biswas Biswajit
Published: September 2024

The methodology of image fusion combines correlative information from several images into a single image which facilitates better visual perception and higher accuracy for further processing task than each of the target images. This fusion process is computationally expensive for large scale images. A parallel fusion scheme leads to Neutron radiography (NR) as well as X-ray radiography (XR) incorporating the Newton bucketing method along with depreciation effective on total variation scheme of anisotropic diffusion of 2nd order devised on Multi-core CPU-GPU based CUDA compatible platform, presented here. This scheme is unique and stable in terms of Euler-Lagrange solutions of the second-order anisotropic diffusion. Discretization method based on finite difference is used to establish precise and efficient numerical approximation whereas dependency of parameters also demonstrated in our proposed model. This scheme generates a sharp and enhanced fused image that combined smooth information of the NR and details of XR image simultaneously without noise and blur artifacts of the source images. In order to perform an efficient parallel fusion, all kernel functions have been implemented on GPU in this proposed scheme. This CPU-GPU based model makes a major difference on the basis of performance acceleration related to other sequential schemes devised on CPU. Experimental results exhibit performance acceleration and provide superior fusion outcomes than available approaches with regard to both quantitative and optical perceptivity.
Solid wood utilization of Litchi: Study on physicochemical properties and drying technology
Authors: Liang Dongdong , Lin Xiuyi , Chen Shihuan , Wang Xianju , Zhou Qiaofang , Yun Hong , Tu Dengyun
Published: September 2024

Litchi is an important economic crop with a wide planting area and large yield worldwide. To explore the solid wood utilization value of litchi, this work systematically tested the physical and chemical properties of litchi wood, summarized the drying characteristics using the 100℃-Test Method, and formulated the drying schedule of litchi wood to evaluate the drying quality. The results showed that the drying time of litchi wood from an initial moisture content of 41.38–11.28% was 435 hours, and the drying rate was 0.069%/h. According to GB/T 6491 − 2012 "Sawn Timber Drying Quality Standard," the comprehensive quality grade of litchi wood was grade 2. Dried sawn timber can meet the quality requirements of solid wood furniture and handicrafts. In addition, the porous structure of litchi wood mainly consisted of micro and medium pores, with a porosity of 31.93% and an average pore size of 23.07 nm. The small pore cavities on the cell wall resulted in difficult water transfer, leading to a slow drying speed. However, the porous structure of litchi wood has a positive effect on dimensional stability.In addition, the shrinkage grade of litchi wood was medium, comparable to white oak, ash, and rubber wood under the same environmental conditions. Moreover, the linear and volumetric swelling rates of litchi wood were only higher than rubber wood but lower than white oak. Litchi wood exhibited a larger hygroscopic hysteresis, significantly higher than that of control wood, indicating better dimensional stability. In conclusion, litchi wood is an excellent renewable biological resource and has excellent drying, processing, physical, and mechanical properties, making it a potential candidate for solid wood utilization.
"DisguiseData" A Proposed Method for Creating Synthetic Data Based on The Geometric Structure of The Original
Authors: Dahman Deniz
Published: September 2024

Data holds a crucial role in the standard system of input, processing, and output, particularly representing the input. With high-quality data, there is an assurance of a smooth process and an effective outcome. However, the issue of privacy in data acquisition has become a significant concern in recent years, forming the core of numerous research studies. This paper introduces a novel approach to generating synthetic data that retains the same statistical structure as the original, based on the geometrical representation of each data point. This newly generated synthetic data can act as a substitute for the original, ensuring the integration of privacy into any application utilizing the data. Experimental results on two datasets of varying sizes demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively produce synthetic data with the same statistical structure and a comparable level of accuracy for predictive tasks as the original data.
Simultaneous Removal of Pb, Ni, Mn and Cr Heavy Metals with NA2EDTA: Modelling and Optimisation Using Box-Behnken Design
Authors: Çelik Ertuğrul , Ertunç Suna
Published: September 2024

Phosphogypsum (PG) is considered a by-product, characterized as solid waste that occurs for manufacturing phosphoric acid by reacting of the sulfuric acid with the phosphate rock according to the wet method. Heavy metals in PG cause a series of drawbacks and negative impacts for global environment and create various restrictions in PG applications. In this article, the Box-Behnken Design (BBD) technique was chosen for the simultaneous decrease of lead, nickel, manganese and chromium heavy metals from PG with Na2EDTA which lead to optimizing factors such as Na2EDTA concentration, liquid to solid (L/S) ratio and contact time and creating a mathematical model. The optimal process points were identified using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the surface response plots. Moreover, the physicochemical properties, before and after purification of PG were studied by XRF, XRD and FTIR methods. Regarding the results found by applying the response surface design methodology, the coefficients of correlation (R2) of the experimental data and the second-order regression model for Pb, Ni, Mn and Cr were determined as 89.75%, 95.37%, 98.18% and 94.53%, respectively. Generally, high R-squared values ​​state that the experimental data are compatible that the data predicted by the model Under optimum conditions, Na2EDTA concentration: 0.055 M, liquid/solid ratio: 20:1 ml/g, contact time: 157 minutes and the removal of lead, nickel, manganese and chromium were 46.65%, 42.31%, 67.02% and 77.9% respectively.
A Pareto Optimal Service Selection Approach for Cloud Manufacturing
Authors: Zheng Xiubao , Li Jing , Zhu Ming , Dai Jie
Published: September 2024

The cloud manufacturing model plays a crucial role in the deep integration of information technology and the manufacturing industry, which dynamically adjusts manufacturing processes. If the optimization of collaborative manufacturing resources does not fully consider the intrinsic relationship among tasks, service resources, and dynamic constraints, there will be a significant deviation between the anticipated production process and the reality. To overcome these shortcomings, this paper constructs a Pareto optimal service selection model with multiple production constraints suitable for a cloud manufacturing environment. The Pareto dominance strategy is applied to filter out non-candidate solutions, subsequently, the tournament selection strategy is employed to select services from the Pareto archive set based on their fitness values, which enhances the diversity of solutions and improves multi-target search capabilities. Application examples confirm that the proposed algorithm outperforms other comparison algorithms in performance.
Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies among Children attending the Pediatric Hospital in Bamako, Mali (BamaCoV-Kids Study)
Authors: Maiga Almoustapha Issiaka , Kodio Amadou , Ouedrago Salimata Alou , Baldé Aliou , Dembele Penda , Traore Fatoumata Tata , Dolo Oumar , Togo Josué , Coulibaly Yacouba Aba , Sylla Mariam , Murphy Robert L. , Marcelin Anne-Geneviève , Calvez Vincent , Diakité Abdoul Aziz , Todesco Eve
Published: September 2024

Background: This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among children attending pediatric consultations in Bamako, Mali, using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) on fingertip or venous blood samples.
Methods: A single-center, prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from May to September 2022 at the Pediatric Hospital in Bamako, Mali. Children aged 1 to 15 years underwent phlebotomy or fingertip blood sampling for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing using the Abbott Panbio COVID-19 IgG/IgM Test. Demographic data and potential risk factors were collected. Categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact test, and quantitative variables were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test.
Results: A total of 315 children were included, with a median age of 6 years (range 3-9 years); 45.7% (144/315) were younger than 6 years, and 54% (170/315) were male. The majority lived in urban areas (89.9%) and used public transportation (85.7%). The overall seroprevalence was 63.5%, with a higher seroprevalence observed among children aged 6 years and older compared to those under 6 years. The odds of having a positive serology were approximately twice as high in children aged ≥6 years in both univariate (OR 1.99; 95% CI: 1.25-3.17; P=0.0014) and multivariable analyses (OR 2.05; 95% CI: 1.26-3.32; P=0.0038). No significant differences in seropositivity were found for other demographic or risk factors.
Conclusions: A substantial proportion of children in Bamako showed evidence of past SARS-CoV-2 infection, underscoring the importance of continued surveillance and preventive measures in this population.
Intelligent prediction and biological validation of the high reassortment potential of avian H5N1 and human H3N2 influenza viruses
Authors: Li Jing , Wei Jun-Qing , Li Ya-Dan , Zhang Sen , Jiang Shu-Yang , Chen Yue-Hong , Li Yu-Chang , Feng Ye , Kang Xiao-Ping , Liu Wei , Jiang Tao , Tong Yigang
Published: September 2024

Current highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) viruses in bovine and other mammals have been posing unprecedented risks to public health. It’s vital and urgent to assess the pandemic potential of the HPAI H5N1 virus, and the risk degree posed by the virus infection or the genome reassortment with human influenza A viruses (IAVs). An attentional deep learning framework here was constructed of Human Adaptive Influenza virus Reassortment using Attentional Networks based on Genome Embedding (HAIRANGE), to predict high-risk reassortment between avian and human IAVs. HAIRANGE embedded genomic contextual codons covering both RNA and protein information, biologically interpretable on viral adaptive codon contexts of IAVs, predicted accurately adaptive IAV genes and adaptive reassortment between avian and human IAVs on independent validation data sets of RNA polymerase-related genes. A high adaptive reassortment risk was predicted by HAIRANGE of the current bovine HPAI H5N1 viruses with human H3N2 IAVs, as has been in vitro validated with polymerase reporter assay. In summary, the present study provides an intelligent tool to predict high-risk IAV reassortment based on genome embedding. Current bovine HPAI H5N1 is posing high pandemic potential via possible genomic reassortment with human IAVs.
Endocardial-mesenchymal transition underlies fusion of the conotruncal ridges during normal and bicuspid aortic valve development
Authors: Soto-Navarrete María Teresa , Pozo-Vilumbrales Bárbara , López-Unzu Miguel A. , Martín-Chaves Laura , Durán Ana C. , Fernández Borja
Published: September 2024

Right-left bicuspid aortic valve (R-L BAV) is the most frequent phenotype of the most common congenital heart disease. Its etiology is based on two associated morphogenetic defects during cardiac outflow tract (OFT) septation: abnormal migration of cardiac neural crest (CNC) cells, and excessive fusion of the conotruncal ridges (CRs). The aim of this study is to elucidate the mechanism involved in the fusion of the CRs responsible for normal and abnormal OFT septation and BAV formation. Two mechanisms have been proposed: endocardial apoptosis and endocardial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The involvement of these mechanisms in the fusion event was tested in embryos of the hamster model with BAV. Apoptotic cells were absent in the fusion area of the CRs. However, we detected endocardial cells (CD34+;VE-Cadherin+) showing positive signals for migration markers (α-actin+) in the fusion area of the CRs of embryos developing both normal aortic valve and BAV. These cells showed an intermediate morphological phenotype between endocardial and mesenchymal cells. The findings clearly indicate that EMT, and not apoptosis, is the cellular mechanism underlying the normal and excessive fusion of CRs that give rise to tricuspid aortic valve and BAV, respectively. Furthermore, our results show that the fusion of CRs in embryos developing BAV continues after the OFT septation, suggesting over-induction of EMT by abnormally distributed CNC cells.
How much we express love predicts how much we feel loved in daily life
Authors: Williams Lindy , Kim Sharon H. , Li Yanling , Heshmati Saida , Vandekerckhove Joachim , Roeser Robert W. , Oravecz Zita
Published: September 2024

Feeling and expressing love in daily life are interconnected and perhaps mutually influential experiences. In this study we examined the reciprocal dynamics of feeling and expressing love and its relation to well-being using an ecological momentary assessment design. Over a four-week period, we asked participants (N = 52; 67% Female; 80% White) to report their levels of feeling loved and expressing love six times a day. Using a continuous-time process model, we explored individual differences in inertia (i.e. persistence of a process over time) and cross-influences of felt and expressed love over time. We found that increases in expressing love led to increased feelings of being loved over time; however, increases in felt love did not lead to increases in expressing love. Notably, participants with greater inertia in their felt love levels reported higher levels of overall flourishing. These results suggest new avenues for psychological well-being interventions which target increasing loving feelings through encouraging more expressions of love.
Clinicopathological significance of androgen receptor expression and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in triple-negative breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ushigusa Takeshi , Hirakawa Nami , Kajiura Yuka , Yoshida Atsushi , Yamauchi Hideko , Kanomata Naoki
Published: September 2024

Background
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is aggressive and has limited treatment options. This study explored the clinical significance of androgen receptor (AR) expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in predicting neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) resistance in TNBC, hypothesizing that AR/TIL classification can identify NAC-resistant subgroups and improve the understanding of apocrine differentiation.
Methods
This retrospective study included 96 consecutive patients with TNBC treated with NAC. AR immunostaining was defined as positive if ≥ 1% of the tumor cell nuclei were stained and stromal TIL levels were assessed, with high levels defined as ≥ 50%. Apocrine differentiation was detected using an anti-15-PGDH antibody. Pathological response to NAC was also evaluated.
Results
Overall, 38% (n = 36) of the patients achieved pathological complete response (pCR). AR+/TILlow tumors had a significantly higher non-pCR rate (79%, 23 of 29 patients) and were resistant to NAC. Kaplan-Meier plots showed significant differences in overall survival (OS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) among the four AR/TIL subgroups (OS, P = 0.047; DMFS, P = 0.0053). All seven cases with some degree of apocrine differentiation were AR+/TILlow, 15-PGDH-positive, and showed NAC resistance. AR+/TILlow status as an independent predictor of non-pCR (OR 0.32, P = 0.032). pCR predicted better prognosis (OS, HR 0.14, P = 0.010; DMFS, HR 0.11, P = 0.003), whereas AR+/TILlow status was not significantly associated with OS or DMFS.
Conclusions
AR/TIL classification was used to identify TNBC subgroups with distinct NAC responses and prognoses. AR+/TILlow TNBC, including cases with some degree of apocrine differentiation, are NAC-resistant, suggesting the need for alternative therapies.
Trends in Postpartum Hemorrhage Prevalence and Comorbidity Burden: Insights from the ENACT Network Aggregated Electronic Health Record Data
Authors: Samayamuthu Malarkodi J. , Kravchenko Olga , Lo-Ciganic Wei-Hsuan , Sadhu Eugene M. , Yang Seonkyeong , Visweswaran Shyam , Gopalakrishnan Vanathi
Published: September 2024

The goal of this study was to assess trends in postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), its risk factors, and maternal comorbidity burden in the United States using aggregate data from the Evolve to Next-Gen Accrual to Clinical Trials (ENACT) network. This federated network employs interactive querying of electronic health record data repositories in academic medical centers nationwide. We conducted repeated annual cross-sectional analyses to evaluate PPH occurrence and comorbidities across various ethnoracial and sociodemographic groups, starting with a large cohort of 1,287,675 unique delivery hospitalizations collected from 22 ENACT sites between 2005 and 2022. During this time, there was a statistically significant increasing trend in the prevalence of PPH, rising from 5,634 to 10,504 PPH per 100,000 deliveries (Ptrend <0.001). Our findings revealed a continuous upward trend in PPH rates that remained consistent among women with ≥ 1 comorbid conditions (Ptrend <0.001) and those with ≥ 1 maternal risk factor (Ptrend <0.001). This result aligns with prior studies and extends beyond the time periods previously reported. Overall, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander women had the highest PPH prevalence (~ 13%), followed by Asian (9.8%), American Indian or Alaska Native (8.9%), multirace (8.6%), Black or African American (8.4%) and White (7.4%) women. The top PPH risk factor identified was placenta previa or accreta, while the top comorbidity was antepartum hemorrhage / placental abruption. The most common cause of PPH, namely uterine atony, was prevalent in ENACT data. Our analysis highlights significant ethnoracial disparities and underscores the need for targeted preventative interventions.
Predictors of HIV-1 RNA Viral Suppression in ART Treated PWLH in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Gandla Sindhuri , Nakka Raja , Khan Ruhul , Bose Eliezer , Ghebremichael Musie
Published: September 2024

Background: HIV remains a significant health issue, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. There are 39 million PLWH globally. Treatment with ART improves patient outcomes by suppressing the HIV RNA viral load. However, not all patients treated with ART suppress HIV RNA viral load. This research paper explores the potential predictors of viral suppression in ART-treated PLWH. Viral suppression was defined as having less than 1,000 copies/ml during the study period.
Methods: We used retrospective data from the 4,713 ART-treated PLWH. The participants were enrolled through population-based surveys conducted in Zambia and Malawi. Ensemble machine learning (ML) methods that combine multiple ML algorithms were applied to identify predictors of viral suppression. Ensemble methods are used to reduce bias and variance and improve accuracy, thereby offering superior predictions compared to individual ML algorithms.
Results: The age of the participants ranged from 15 to 64 years, with a majority being females. In Malawi, the bagging, boosting, and stacking models each achieved 94% accuracy. In Zambia, the accuracies were 90% (bagging), 88% (boosting), and 91% (stacking). Feature importance plots were used to identify the important features associated with VL suppression. Our findings indicated that ART status was strongly associated with higher odds of viral suppression: Malawi [OR= 106.69,95% CI: 52.82–215.4, p < 0.001] and Zambia [OR = 35.76,95% CI: 21.25–60.17, p < 0.001]. Moreover, older age: Malawi [OR= 1.03,95% CI: 1.01–1.05, p =0.001] and Zambia [OR= 1.05,95% CI: 1.03-1.07, p < 0.001], higher CD4 T-cell count: Malawi [OR= 1.006,95% CI: 1.005–1.007, p < 0.001] and Zambia [OR= 1.004,95% CI: 1.003–1.005, p < 0.001], and longer duration on ART: Malawi [OR= 1.78,95% CI: 1.527–2.07, p < 0.001] and Zambia [OR= 1.54,95% CI: 1.29–1.83, p < 0.001] were identified as significant predictors of viral suppression. Though it was not statistically significant, ART initiation within 12 months of HIV infection has also been associated with viral suppression: Malawi [OR=1.78, 95% CI = 1.52–2.07, p < 0.01] and Zambia [OR=1.53, 95% CI = 1.29–1.82, p < 0.01].
Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ART status, age, CD4 T-cell count, early initiation of ART, and ART adherence were significant predictors of viral suppression. Besides ART treatment, HIV prevention programs in the region should integrate education on early ART initiation and adherence in PLWH.
Ivermectin Treatment for Nasal Myiasis Complicated by Orbital Cellulitis: A Case Report from Southern Thailand
Authors: Promsopa Chakapan , Janprasert Jiratchaya , Prapaisit Usaporn , Suwanparin Nichana
Published: September 2024

Nasal myiasis, a rare parasitic infestation caused by fly larvae can lead to severe complications such as orbital cellulitis if left untreated. We present a case of a 55-year-old female with nasal myiasis and orbital cellulitis secondary to maggot infestation, successfully managed with a multidisciplinary approach and adjunctive therapy with ivermectin. This case report highlights the efficacy of ivermectin in the treatment of nasal myiasis and provides a comprehensive literature review on its mechanism of action and clinical use in similar cases.
DNA sequential logic circuits for counters and bioinformatics repositories
Authors: Wu Tongbo , Xie Tianci , Li Changjiang , Hu Minghao , Zhong Xing-Yu , Xiao Junbin , Zhang Zhen , Wang Ze
Published: September 2024

The capacity to retain and precisely release historical data at the right moments is typically managed by sequential logic circuits within computer systems. However, this functionality is notably absent in the realm of DNA computing. To bridge this gap, we have engineered a novel series of sequential logic circuits. These circuits, which encompass SR-latches composed of NOR and NAND gates as well as D-latches, are designed with simplicity, autonomy, and reusability. Furthermore, we have successfully constructed addition, subtraction, and reversible counters leveraging these foundational circuits. The principles and functionalities of these latches have been ingeniously extended to applications such as toxin detection and dynamic ATP imaging within cellular environments.
A novel frameshift mutation GLI3c.1826delG in a Greig-cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome patient with nontypical preaxial polydactyly: A case report
Authors: Singh Chandra Bhan , Jain Pradeep , Singh Subodh Kumar , Kumar Ashok , Pathak Vikash Kumar , Ali Akhtar
Published: September 2024

Typical Greig cephalopolysyndactyly (GCPS) is a rare, autosomal dominant congenital limb malformation that is characterized by macrocephaly, ocular hypertelorism, preaxial polydactyly with or without postaxial polydactyly, and cutaneous syndactyly. Hypoplasia or agenesis of the corpus callosum, developmental delay, intellectual disability, or seizures have also been observed in a few patients with GCPS. The frequency of GCPS syndrome is approximately 1–9/1,000,000 worldwide. GCPS is caused by GLI3 mutations that lead to functional haploinsufficiency in patients. In the present study, we enrolled a 7-year-old girl from an Eastern Indian population. The patient had clinical features of macrocephaly, ocular hypertelorism, a broad and flattened nasal bridge, thumb duplication in the left hand, a broad thumb in the right hand and bilateral symmetrical preaxial polydactyly in both feet (hallucal polydactyly). Patients with uncommon or nontypical phenotypes, such as preaxial polydactyly, in which extra toes (or hallux) were located at a right angle (900) from rest toes in both feet and low-set ears, were observed. This patient was diagnosed and confirmed to be a GCPS patient. Resequencing of the GLI3 gene has identified a novel and pathogenic frame-shift mutation, GLI3c.1826delG, in the heterozygous condition in zinc finger domain within one-third of the full-length GLI3 protein, which caused GCPS phenotypes. The frameshift mutation GLI3c.1826delG alters the whole trial and sequence of the protein, followed by the generation of a stop codon within the zinc finger domain and premature truncation of the GLI3 protein. The GLI3c.1826delG mutation leads to haploinsufficiency of the GLI3 full-length protein. The parents were also screened for the GLI3c.1826delG mutation, and a normal genotype was confirmed to be a de novo mutation in the proband (patient). The present study revealed that the frameshift truncation mutation GLI3c.1826delG is a pathogenic genetic variant located in the zinc finger domain within one-third of the full length GLI3 protein, which supports the genotype–phenotype correlation in GCPS patients reported previously.
Effect of Electroencephalography-based Motor Imagery Neurofeedback on Mu Suppression During Motor Attempt in Patients with Stroke
Authors: Cha Seungwoo , Kim Kyoung Tae , Chang Won Kee , Paik Nam-Jong , Choi Ji Soo , Lim Hyunmi , Kim Won-Seok , Ku Jeonghun
Published: September 2024

Objective
The primary aims of this study were to explore the neurophysiological effects of motor imagery neurofeedback using electroencephalography (EEG), specifically focusing on mu suppression during serial motor attempts and assessing its potential benefits in patients with subacute stroke.
Methods
A total of 15 patients with hemiplegia following subacute ischemic stroke were prospectively enrolled in this randomized cross-over study. This study comprised two experiments: neurofeedback and sham. Each experiment included four blocks: three blocks of resting, grasp, resting, and intervention, followed by one block of resting and grasp. During the resting sessions, the participants fixated on a white cross on a black background for 2 minutes without moving their upper extremities. In the grasp sessions, the participants were instructed to grasp and release their paretic hand at a frequency of about 1 Hz for 3 minutes while fixating on the same white cross. During the intervention sessions, neurofeedback involved presenting a punching image with the affected upper limb corresponding to the mu suppression induced by imagined movement, while the sham involved mu suppression of other randomly selected participants 3 minutes. EEG data were recorded during the experiment, and data from C3/C4 and P3/P4 were used for analyses to compare the degree of mu suppression between the neurofeedback and sham conditions.
Results
Significant mu suppression was observed in the bilateral motor and parietal cortices during the neurofeedback intervention compared with the sham condition across serial sessions (p < 0.001). Following neurofeedback, the real grasping sessions showed progressive strengthening of mu suppression in the ipsilesional motor cortex and bilateral parietal cortices compared to those following sham (p < 0.05), an effect not observed in the contralesional motor cortex.
Conclusion
Motor imagery neurofeedback significantly enhances mu suppression in the ipsilesional motor and bilateral parietal cortices during motor attempts in patients with subacute stroke. These findings suggest that motor imagery neurofeedback could serve as a promising adjunctive therapy to enhance motor-related cortical activity and support motor rehabilitation in patients with stroke.
Effectiveness of Social Skills Interventions in young people aged 12 to 25 years with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Velalagan Ramya , Wu Weng Tong , John James Rufus , Lin Ping-I , Eapen Valsamma
Published: September 2024

The aim of this review to examine the available evidence on the efficacy of social skills interventions (SSI) on core autistic traits among youth diagnosed with autism aged 12-25 years. The review included 15 studies (N=1244) where the meta-analysis findings revealed that participants receiving SSIs resulted in improvements in social skills, based on observation (SMD=0.49, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.78), adolescent (social knowledge (SMD=2.03, 95% CI: 1.15; 2.91) and social performance (SMD=0.45, 95% CI: 0.10; 0.81), and parent (SMD=0.42, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.71) reports. However, when SSIs were compared to an active control group, none of the reported measures showed a statistically significant effect of the SSI. Future research should prioritise enhancing study quality, particularly using active control conditions.
Approaching the Theoretical Efficiency of Kesterite Solar Cells: Analysis of Radiative and Non-Radiative Losses in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4
Authors: Wong Lydia , Hadke Shreyash , Su Zhenghua , Meng Qingbo , Xin Hao , Wu Sixin , Liang Guang-Xing , Shao Zhipeng
Published: September 2024

Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 is among the most promising inorganic photoabsorbers for thin film solar cells. Characteristics such as a high absorption coefficient, solution-processability, and earth-abundant constituents highlight its potential for large-scale photovoltaics. However, the photovoltaic performance of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 has so far been hindered by open-circuit voltage losses (ΔVOC) in the radiative (ΔVOCRad) and non-radiative limit (ΔVOCNrad), due to sub-bandgap absorption and deep defect states, respectively. Suppressing these two major loss factors could propel Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 towards commercial relevance. In the past 2 years, record efficiency approaching 15% has been reported, prompting a renewed interest that the performance-limiting factors have been overcome. In this perspective, we quantify the ΔVOC for the recently reported high power conversion efficiency devices, compare the relevant photovoltaic metrics to previous records, and offer directions for future research. We find that ΔVOCRad due to bandgap fluctuations and Urbach tails has been suppressed in the recent record devices, with values approaching those for record efficiency Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 solar cells. However, we also find that the recombination parameter J0, which more closely relates to the ΔVOCNrad, only shows modest improvements compared to previous records, and has values that must be improved by about four to six orders of magnitude to compete with those for Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 solar cells. The impressive performance gains that have been achieved by suppressing ΔVOCRad must now be built upon to suppress ΔVOCNrad. Our analysis points out that the next level of breakthrough in power conversion efficiency will be achieved by reducing the non-radiative recombination due to deep defects in the bulk, and at grain boundaries and interfaces.
Indigenously crafted Polyglycolic Acid (Vicryl) Mesh for making hepatic snood as a savior for badly lacerated left lobe of Liver in a child with Blunt Trauma to Abdomen
Authors: Jain Nitin , Ratan Simmi K
Published: September 2024

Major liver trauma is a potentially fatal injury. Management of liver injuries has considerably changed with an inclination towards non-operative management but in about 5–10% of cases with extensive grades of liver injuries exploration becomes mandatory. Bleeding is recognized as the most common cause of death from liver injuries and surgical measures taken by operating surgeon are mainly focused on control of life-threatening exsanguination. Damage control laparotomy with packing of the abdominal cavity and abdominal organs has become a standard surgical maneuver but peri-hepatic packing has its own associated complications. Mesh wrapping of the liver has the potential to avert the need for reoperation and decrease blood product requirements. Mesh wrapping of the liver is analogous to perihepatic packing. The significant difference is that perihepatic packing applies diffuse pressure within the abdominal cavity that often affects other organs while in mesh wrapping pressure is applied directly to the organ without affecting other abdominal organs. Here we present a case of major liver laceration after blunt abdominal trauma managed with mesh wrapping where the mesh was handwoven from polyglycolic acid (Vicryl) suture material and crafted in to a snood that covered the lacerated portion of liver.
Development and validation of STEM motivation scale for middle school students
Authors: Açıksöz Arif , Dökme İlbilge , Önen Emine
Published: September 2024

Understanding motivational beliefs such as expectancy and value that shape students’ persistence and decision to pursue a STEM career, obtaining valid and reliable measures for these dimensions, and developing strategies using this data are critically important to ensure students’ persistence in the STEM pipeline. Therefore, this study aims to develop a tool to measure middle school students’ STEM motivations within the expectancy and value concepts framework. The trial version of the scale was conducted on 967 middle school students in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The study group was randomly divided into two groups. EFA was conducted on the data obtained from the first sub-group (n=479), and CFA was performed using the data obtained from the second sub-group (n=488). The results of a series of CFA performed to test three different models developed based on the theoretical structure, Model 3, the second-order single-factor structure composed of 5 sub-dimensions was found to be a successful model. This measurement tool would allow determining motivational beliefs within the expectancy-value concept that can be targeted to encourage students’ interest in STEM fields, as well as help design interventions for these structure(s), and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions.
Extracting quantum-critical properties from directly evaluated enhanced perturbative continuous unitary transformations
Authors: Schamriß L. , Walther M. R. , Schmidt Kai Phillip
Published: September 2024

Directly evaluated enhanced perturbative continuous unitary transformations (deepCUTs) are used to calculate non-perturbatively extrapolated numerical data for the ground-state energy and the energy gap. The data coincide with numerical evaluations of the truncated perturbative series and provide robust extrapolations beyond the perturbative regime. We develop a general scheme to extract quantum-critical properties from the deepCUT data based on critical scaling and a strict correspondence between the truncation used for deepCUT and the length scale of correlations at the critical point. We apply our approach to transverse-field Ising models (TFIMs) as paradigmatic systems for quantum phase transitions of various universality classes depending on the lattice geometry and the choice of antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic coupling. In particular, we focus on the quantum phase diagram of the bilayer antiferromagnetic TFIM on the triangular lattice with an Ising-type interlayer coupling. Without a field, the model is known to host a classically disordered ground state, and in the limit of decoupled layers it exhibits the 3d-XY ‘order by disorder’ transition of the corresponding single-layer model. Our starting point for the unknown parts of the phase diagram is a high-order perturbative calculation about the limit of isolated dimers where the model is in a gapped phase.
Revealing the Molecular Signatures of miR-185-5p on Breast Cancer Cells Using Proteomic Analysis
Authors: Torun Vildan , Degerli Elif , Cansaran-Duman Demet
Published: September 2024

Background:

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous type of disease in which genetic and environmental
factors play a crucial role. There are several types of treatment for breast cancer (BC)
patients. However, the biggest problem in the treatment of breast cancer is the resistance that occurs
during the treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. Usnic acid, a secondary metabolite of
lichen, has been identified as a drug candidate molecule in cancer treatment. The determination of
miRNA target proteins is essential for the understanding of molecular mechanisms of miRNA-related
tumorigenesis.

Objectives:

We determined that mir-185-5p has therapeutic potential at the miRNA level by applying
usnic acid to BT-474 breast cancer cells in a previous study. Herein, we aimed to investigate
the molecular mechanisms of miR-185-5p on BT-474 breast cancer cells using a proteomics approach.
We explored the changes in the protein expression level of BT-474 breast cancer cells in
response to the up-regulation of miR-185-5p after applying usnic acid as a novel candidate anti--
cancer drug molecule.

Methods:

We performed quantitative proteome analysis based on an LC-MS/MS assay, which
was validated by western blotting. The differentially expressed proteins were analyzed using the
latest data available in bioinformatics tools. The up-regulated expression of YWHAE, Cathepsin
D, and the down-regulated levels of PAK-1 were demonstrated by western blot assay.

Results:

According to the results, 86 proteins showing >2-fold change were identified as differentially
expressed between breast cancer and normal breast epithelial cells. The apoptosis pathway
was the main clade containing most of the proteins regulated by miR-185-5p. The results indicate
that miR-185-5p modulates apoptosis signaling pathways in BT-474 breast cancer cells. Breast
cancer inhibition due to increased expression of YWHAE, Cathepsin D, and decreased expression
of PAK-1 is likely to be mediated by inducing miR-185-5p mediated apoptosis.

Conclusion:

In this study, the identification of miR-185-5p protein targets demonstrated the potential
for the development of targeted therapy and the development of miRNA-based therapeutics
and presented it as a biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response. In
this regard, proteome analyses provided an understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying
the effect of miR-185-5p on breast cancer.