bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding return to work after a cancer-related sickness absence. Perceptions of barriers and facilitators among all relevant stakeholders
Authors: Ayala-García Amaya , Serra Laura , Rodriguez-Arjona Dolors , Benavides Fernando G. , Utzet Mireia
Published: August 2023

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the factors acting as barriers or facilitators, from diagnosis and sickness absence (SA) to RTW and work retention, after a cancer-related SA from the perspectives of all stakeholders in the Spanish setting.
Methods: Descriptive qualitative approach with a socio-constructivist perspective. Theoretical sampling was carried out until saturation. Six discussion groups (4-8 people/group) were conducted: three groups of people with a cancer-related SA in Catalonia (Spain), one with oncology care professionals, and two with company representatives. An additional individual interview was conducted with a primary care physician. The sessions were held virtually and were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis and mixed coding.
Results: Barriers to RTW and work retention detected by stakeholders included insufficient information and guidance on the impact of cancer on work and SA management, lack of general knowledge and recognition of side effects, lack of consideration of job tasks by medical tribunals, and working in precarious employment. Facilitators included workplace support, psycho-oncologists, patient associations, and working for a public company.
Conclusions: Both work interruption due to an SA and RTW, are key moments for determining cancer survivors’ work retention. We found a general perception of lack of involvement of the social security system, companies, and health professionals in Spain in the impact of cancer on work.
Implications for Cancer Survivors: Integrating the work sphere in cancer care from the beginning of cancer treatment, and by all stakeholders, could facilitate successful future RTW.
A High-Performance Polymer Composite Column for Coronavirus Nucleic Acid Purification
Authors: Zarouri Akli , Barnes Aaron M. T. , Aboubakr Hamada , Novi Vinni Thekkudan , Dong Qiuchen , Nelson Andrew , Goyal Sagar , Abbas Abdennour
Published: August 2023

Here, we report the development of a novel polymer composite (PC) purification column and kit. The performance of the PC columns was compared to conventional silica gel (SG) columns for the purification of nucleic acids from coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, in 82 clinical samples. The results shows that PC-based purification outperforms silica gel (SG)-based purification by enabling a higher sensitivity (94%), accuracy (97%), and by eliminating false positives (100% selectivity). The high selectivity is critical for efficient patient triage and resource management during pandemics. Furthermore, PC-based purification exhibits three times higher analytical precision than a commonly used SG-based nucleic acid purification thereby enabling a more accurate quantification of viral loads and higher reproducibility.
An Innovative Service for Monitoring Vehicles Emissions
Authors: Topal Abdullah Ugur , Aydinoglu Arif Cagdas , Demirel Hande
Published: August 2023

The measurement and monitoring emissions that could be attributed to transportation are highly on demand, since transportation is generally considered as the main source of greenhouse gases. However, several barriers are apparent such as data challenges, national/regional/local emission calculations and lacking efficient tools to measure the performance and progress of counter measures. Furthermore, available open data sources, tools and software are not adequately incorporated. Within this study, in order to facilitate decision-makers on such challenges a web-based geospatial dashboard service is designed to calculate and monitor real-time vehicle emissions. The concepts and the framework is validated in five districts of Istanbul, where Istanbul is prominent with its urban transport challenges. The model, geospatial dashboard, proposed user-friendly and fit-for-purpose, is open-sourced and complies with the national spatial standards. Via utilizing the dashboard, it is possible to monitor emissions from vehicles and uncover spatial patterns with the help of interactive map and graphics. The service provided could help decision makers to perform the technically difficult monitoring process seamlessly, where policymakers could focus on combatting climate change and greenhouse gases. Additionally, the proposed service is easily adaptable to Istanbul and other cities.
Mechanism of Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration
Authors: Shin Young Ho , Choi Soon Jin , Kim Jae Kwang
Published: August 2023

Warton’s jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSCs) play key roles to improving nerve regeneration in acellular nerve grafts (ANGs), however the mechanism of WJ-MSCs releted nerve regeneration remain unclear. This study investigated how WJ-MSCs contribute to peripheral nerve regeneration by examining immunomodulatory and paracrine effects, and differentiation potential. WJ-MSCs were isolated from umbilical cords. ANGs (control) or WJ-MSC-loaded ANGs (WJ-MSCs group) were transplanted in injury animal model. Functional recovery was evaluated by ankle angle and tetanic force measurements up to 16 weeks post-surgery. Tissue biopsies at 3, 7, and 14 days post-transplantation were used to analyze macrophage markers and interleukin (IL) levels, paracrine effects, and MSC differentiation potential by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunofluorescence staining. The WJ-MSCs group showed significantly higher ankle angle at 4 weeks and higher isometric tetanic force at 16 weeks, and increased expression of CD206 and IL10 at 7 or 14 days than the control group. Increased levels of neurotrophic and vascular growth factors were observed at 14 days. The WJ-MSCs group showed higher expression levels of S100β; however, the co-staining of human nuclei was faint. This study demonstrates that WJ-MSCs' immunomodulation and paracrine actions contribute to peripheral nerve regeneration more than their differentiation potential.
The Effect of Botulinum Toxin (Masport) Injection following Internal Urethrotomy of Bulbar Urethral Stricture: A Pilot Study
Authors: Salimi Hojat , Hosseini Jalil , Sharifian Rayka , Karkan Morteza Fallah , Namiranian Nasim , Injinari Nastaran , Basiri Elham Ahmadi , Abouei Saeid , mirjalili Alimohammad , samadaeegelehkolaee kehvar
Published: August 2023

Background
The application of Botulinum toxin (Masport) in urology has a long history. We aimed to assess the effect of local Masport on improvement in patients with urethral stricture by reducing the recurrence of urethral stricture.
Methods
This pilot study conducted was a double-blind randomized clinical trial on patients suffering from urethral stricture. Finally, 28 patients were allocated to intervention and control groups. Twelve patients received intralesional injection with Masport in addition to internal urethrotomy, while sixteen patients only underwent internal urethrotomy. The Cox regression hazard model was used to evaluate the effect of treatment status on recurrence time adjusted for the age, length, and location of the stenosis, cause of the stenosis, and history of previous operations.
Results
The effect of treatment type was significant, at the 0.05 level. The past medical history and cause of urethral stricture had a significant impact on relapse-free survival. Also, the improvement in the mean scores of the EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and Q-max in the group with Masport was significantly different from the group without Masport.
Conclusion
The internal urethrotomy as well as intralesional injection of Masport has a better survival prognosis than the only underwent internal urethrotomy group. The use of Masport injection during internal urethrotomy shows improvement in the quality of life of patients and reduces the recurrence of stenosis. Therefore, it is suggested as a treatment adjunctive option for urethral stricture.
Antemortem detection of Mycobacterium bovis in nasal swabs from African rhinoceros
Authors: Dwyer Rebecca , Witte Carmel , Buss Peter , Warren Robin , Miller Michele , Goosen Wynand
Published: August 2023

Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) infection has been identified in black (Diceros bicornis) and white (Ceratotherium simum) rhinoceros populations in Kruger National Park, South Africa. However, it is unknown whether M. bovis infected rhinoceros, like humans and cattle, can shed mycobacteria in respiratory secretions. Limited studies have suggested that rhinoceros with subclinical M. bovis infection may present minimal risk for transmission. However, recent advances that have improved detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) members in paucibacillary samples warranted further investigation of rhinoceros secretions. In this pilot study, nasal swab samples from 75 rhinoceros with defined infection status based on M. bovis antigen-specific interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) results were analysed by GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra, BACTEC™ MGIT™ and TiKa – MGIT culture. Following culture, speciation was done using targeted PCRs followed by Sanger sequencing for mycobacterial species identification, and a region of difference (RD) 4 PCR. Using these techniques, MTBC was detected in secretions from 14/64 IGRA positive rhinoceros, with viable M. bovis having been isolated in 11 cases, but in any IGRA negative rhinoceros (n = 11). This finding suggests the possibility that MTBC/M. bovis-infected rhinoceros may be a source of infection for other susceptible animals sharing the environment.
An AI-Based Long-Term Care Service System Rating Methodology Integrating Multiple Data Sources
Authors: Hsu Wen-Shin
Published: August 2023

This study aims to develop an AI-based intelligent assessment system for assistive devices and accessibility services within the context of long-term care. Utilizing supervised learning algorithms from machine learning, the system analyzes care plan content recorded by case managers and care managers to provide decision-making assistance for the selection of appropriate assistive devices and accessibility services. The system optimizes the existing one-way flow process by proactively suggesting necessary assistive support items based on care plan analysis. Artificial intelligence technology is employed to analyze the contents of care plans recorded by case managers and photo specialists, enabling the system to provide auxiliary decision-making capabilities for assistive aids and barrier-free services. Through machine learning, the activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in the care management evaluation scale are trained, generating a dataset for predicting the Long-Term Care Case-Mix System (CMS). This predictive capability can be utilized by medical staff, individual managers in unit A, or discharge preparation managers for evaluation and planning purposes. The system's integration of AI technology assists care managers in providing more efficient and personalized care services for their clients, simultaneously reducing their burden and enhancing the overall quality of long-term care services. This research contributes to the field of long-term care by introducing an AI intelligent assessment system that improves decision-making in selecting assistive devices and accessibility services. Leveraging machine learning algorithms and analyzing care plan content, the system enhances the efficiency and personalization of care services, benefiting both care managers and clients.
Prodromal Parkinson disease signs are predicted by a whole-blood inflammatory transcriptional signature in young Pink1-/- rats
Authors: Lechner Sarah A. , Barnett David G.S. , Gammie Stephen C. , Kelm-Nelson Cynthia A.
Published: August 2023

Background
Parkinson disease (PD) is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease. The molecular pathology of PD in the prodromal phase is poorly understood; as such, there are no specific prognostic or diagnostic tests. A validated Pink1 genetic knockout rat was used to model early-onset and progressive PD. Male Pink1-/- rats exhibit progressive declines in ultrasonic vocalizations as well as hindlimb and forelimb motor deficits by mid-to-late adulthood. Previous RNA-sequencing work identified upregulation of genes involved in disease pathways and inflammation within the brainstem and vocal fold muscle. The purpose of this study was to identify gene pathways within the whole blood of young Pink1-/- rats (3 months of age) and to link gene expression to early acoustical changes. To accomplish this, limb motor testing (open field and cylinder tests) and ultrasonic vocalization data were collected, immediately followed by the collection of whole blood and RNA extraction. Illumina® Total RNA-Seq TruSeq platform was used to profile differential expression of genes. Statistically significant genes were identified and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis was used to construct co-expression networks and modules from the whole blood gene expression dataset as well as the open field, cylinder, and USV acoustical dataset. ENRICHR was used to identify the top up-regulated biological pathways.
Results
The data suggest that inflammation and interferon signaling upregulation in the whole blood is present during early PD. We also identified genes involved in the dysregulation of ribosomal protein and RNA processing gene expression as well as prion protein gene expression.
Conclusions
These data identified several potential blood biomarkers and pathways that may be linked to anxiety and vocalization acoustic parameters and are key candidates for future drug-repurposing work and comparison to human datasets.
Fasciola hepatica soluble antigens (FhAg) induce ovine PMN innate immune reactions and NET formation in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Caro Tamara Muñoz , Gómez-Ceruti Marcela , Silva Liliana , Gutiérrez-Expósito Daniel , Wagner Henrik , Taubert Anja , Hermosilla Carlos
Published: August 2023

Fasciola hepatica causes liver fluke disease, a worldwide neglected and re-emerging zoonotic disease, leading to hepatitis in humans and livestock. In the pathogenesis, flukes actively migrate through liver parenchyma provoking tissue damage. Here, parasites must confront leukocytes of the innate immune system in vivo. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are the most abundant granulocytes and first ones arriving at infection sites. PMN may display neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), consisting of nuclear DNA, decorated with histones, enzymes, and antimicrobial peptides. We investigated for the first time whether F. hepatica soluble antigens (FhAg) can also trigger NETosis and innate immune reactions in exposed ovine PMN. Thus, isolated PMN were co-cultured with FhAg and NET formation was visualized by immunofluorescence and scanning electron microscopy analyses resulting in various phenotypes with spread NETs being the most detected in vitro. In line, NETs quantification via Picogreen®-fluorometric measurements revealed induction of anchored- and cell free NETs phenotypes. Live cell 3D-holotomographic microscopy revealed degranulation of stimulated PMN at 30 min exposure to FhAg and intracellular ROS production significantly increased throughout time. Contrary, metabolic activities profiles of FhAg-exposed PMN did not significantly increase. Functional PMN chemotaxis assays showed a significant increase of PMN migration. Accordingly, in vivo histopathological analysis on F. hepatica-parasitized liver tissue sections of sheep showed multifocal infiltration of inflammatory cells within liver parenchyma, and further fluorescence microscopy analyses confirmed NETs formation in vivo. Overall, we hypothesized that NET-formation is a relevant host defence mechanism that might have a role in the pathogenesis of fasciolosis in vivo.
Autistic Adults Show Transient Cardiac Slowing in Response to Both Social and Non-Social Negative Feedback
Authors: Gurbuz Emine , Riby Deborah M , South Mikle , Hanley Mary
Published: August 2023

Autistic people frequently experience negative judgements from non-autistic people, often fuelled by misconceptions that autistic people lack empathy. Understanding responses to negative social judgement among autistic people is crucial because of the potential negative impact on wellbeing and future interactions. We investigated behavioural and psychophysiological indices of social rejection in 20 autistic (AUT; 11 males) and 40 non-autistic (N-AUT; 21 males) university students. Participants completed the Social Judgement Task (SJT) where they predicted whether they were liked by another person, then received feedback on whether those evaluations were correct. Participants also completed an Age Judgement Task (AJT) where they estimated the age of the pictured person. The AUT group had lower positive expectation scores, meaning less tendency to predict being liked. The N-AUT group showed a transient cardiac slowing to unexpected social rejection, supporting the role of parasympathetic nervous system in regulating social rejection. In contrast, the AUT group did not differentiate between unexpected social rejection in the SJT and general negative feedback in the AJT. In both groups, higher social anxiety predicted greater tendency to anticipate rejection from others. These findings support Milton’s double empathy theory by showing the role of non-autistic community in the experiences of autistic people.
Experiments on Phase Transition of Faraday Waves with Xantham Gum Solutions
Authors: Li Peizhao , Yu Tiancheng , Tu Xuechang , Yan Han , Wang Wei , Zhou Luqun
Published: August 2023

Through experimentation and neural network analysis, we investigate the behavior of Faraday waves in Xantham Gum Solutions (shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluid), and Newtonian fluids for comparison, which exhibit two abrupt transitions in spatiotemporal order: onset and instability. These two transitions are characterized by power-law relationships involving driving amplitudes and frequencies, and we prove that the different power-law exponents for onset result from the contrasting contributions of surface tension and viscosity in the surface wave dispersion relation. Furthermore, we propose a phenomenological theoretical model that combines the Navier–Stokes equations with soliton theory to explain the distinct behaviors of power-law exponents for instability in both Newtonian fluids and Xantham Gum Solutions.
A novel action of insulin sensitizing drug as a potential promotor of preovulatory follicles, ovulation rate and prolificacy in sheep: the first exploratory study
Authors: Kumawat Babu Lal , Kumar Pramod , Mahla Ajit Singh , Kumar Ashok , Kumar Amit , Singh Raghvendar , Kumar Arun
Published: August 2023

Impact of insulin-sensitizing drug metformin on preovulatory follicle (POF) turnover, ovulation rate, and prolificacy was investigated in forty-six cyclic Malpura ewes. Following estrus synchronization, the ewes were equally divided into two groups (n = 23). Treatment group (MET) received a daily oral dose of metformin at the rate of 500 mg/animal for around 12 wk, spanning five estrous cycles, as against untreated control (CON). All the ewes were bred with proven sires at the end of treatment. Ultrasonographic ovarian scans were carried out on every estrus and D 9 of each cycle to evaluate the number and diameter of POFs and corpora lutea (CL), respectively. A comprehensive assessment was conducted on circulating hormones including, estradiol, progesterone, androstenedione, and insulin as well as metabolic indicators like glucose, and lipid profile parameters. By the end of medication, the treatment showed a stimulatory effect on follicular turnover with a 53.2% (P < 0.001) rise in the number of POFs. It further elevated the ovulation rate by 67.4% (P < 0.01), with a higher proportion (χ2df1 = 10.7, P < 0.001) of ewes in MET group having multiple ovulations compared to the CON (82.6 vs. 30.4%, respectively). The proportion of ewes delivering multiple lambs was 2.9-fold higher in MET group than the CON. The plasma estradiol, insulin, glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were lower (P < 0.05) in the MET ewes than in the CON. The findings of the present study indicate that metformin can augment POF numbers, ovulation rate, and prolificacy in ewe concurrent with reduced plasma estradiol, insulin, glucose and cholesterols in MET ewes.
Beneficial effects of oral nutrition supplements on the nutritional status and physical performance of older nursing home residents at risk of malnutrition
Authors: Chen Yi-Hsiu , Che-Yu Lee , Chen Jiun-Rong , Ding Min-Yu , Liang Feng-Qi , Yang Suh Ching
Published: August 2023

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of nutritional supplement drinks (NSDs) and nutritional education (NE) on the nutritional status and physical performance in older nursing home residents who were at risk of malnutrition.
DESIGN: This study was a clustered, randomized, parallel, multi-center clinical trial.
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: In total, 107 participants at risk of malnutrition were recruited from several nursing homes in this study. Participants aged more than 65 years were divided into two groups: an NE group (n=50) and an NSD group (n=57). Participants in the NE group were given NE by a dietitian, whereas in addition to NE, the NSD group was provided with two packs of NSD (Mei Balance, Meiji Holdings, Tokyo, Japan) per day as a snack between meals and before bed.
MEASUREMENTS: Anthropometric data, blood pressure, nutritional status, blood biochemical biomarkers and physical activity were measured before and after 12-week interventions.
Results: After 12 weeks of the NSD intervention, body weight, body-mass index, the mini nutritional assessment-short form (MNA-SF) score, walking speed, and SF-36 questionnaire score had improved. Moreover, the NSD intervention wasmore effective than the NE intervention alone in improving the body composition, walking speed, MNA-SF score, study of osteoporotic fractures, and SF-36 questionnaire scores in older nursing home residents at risk of malnutrition.
CONCLUSIONS: The oral nutritional supplementwas more effective than NE intervention on improving the nutritional status and physical activity in older nursing home residents who were at risk of malnutrition.
InterDILI: interpretable prediction of drug-induced liver injury through permutation feature importance and attention mechanism
Authors: Lee Soyeon , Yoo Sunyong
Published: August 2023

Safety is one of the important factors constraining the distribution of clinical drugs on the market. Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the leading cause of safety problems produced by drug side effects. Therefore, the DILI risk of approved drugs and potential drug candidates should be assessed. Currently, in vivo and in vitro methods are used to test DILI risk, but both methods are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and expensive. To overcome these problems, many in silico methods for DILI prediction have been suggested. Previous studies have shown that DILI prediction models can be utilized as prescreening tools, and they achieved a good performance. However, there are still limitations in interpreting the prediction results. Therefore, this study focused on interpreting the model prediction to analyze which features could potentially cause DILI. For this, five publicly available datasets were collected to train and test the model. Then, various machine learning methods were applied using structure and physicochemical features as inputs and the DILI label as the output. The interpretation of feature importance was analyzed by recognizing the following general-to-specific patterns: i) identifying general important features of the overall DILI predictions, and ii) highlighting specific molecular substructures which were highly related to the DILI prediction for each compound. The results indicated that the model not only captured the structure and physicochemical features previously known to be related to DILI but also proposed a new DILI potential molecular substructure. The models for the DILI prediction achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of 0.88 to 0.97 and an area under the Precision-Recall curve (AUPRC) of 0.81 to 0.95. From this, we hope the proposed models can help identify the potential DILI risk of drug candidates at an early stage and offer valuable insights for drug development.
Morpho-Molecular Characterization and Virulence Confirmation of Fungal Pathogens Associated with Citrus Fruit in Pakistan
Authors: Zaheer Iram , Iram Shazia , Hyder Sajjad , Gondal Amjad Shahzad , Iqbal Rashid , Alwahibi Mona S , Elshikh Mohamed S , Arslan Muhammad
Published: August 2023

Background: In all of Pakistan's citrus-growing regions, losses related to fungi that cause infections of citrus fruits were investigated. However, the Khanpur city of the Haripur district, a significant citrus-growing area in Pakistan, has not addressed this issue. Citrus fruit quality and quantity deteriorate as a result of various fungi impairing their quiet standards, resulting in economic losses.
Results: The current investigation involves three steps that are morphological, pathological, and molecular identification of the fungal pathogens linked to citrus fruit diseases. Firstly the pathogens from infected fruit samples were isolated by culturing them on potato dextrose agar (PDA) for morphological characterization. Secondly, the 5.8S rDNA molecular sequencing was used to identify the crucial species at the molecular level. The results showed that they belonged to the seven important genera of Colletotrichum, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botryosphaeria, Lasiodiplodia, Penicillium, and Fusarium. And thirdly the three different citrus cultivars were subjected to pathogenicity assays to identify the most resistant variety to fungal diseases.
Conclusions: Current work associated with the comprehension of disease development points towards effective managerial practices in the form of a cost-effective spray program. Furthermore, the findings are indicative of the need for biological and physical pre-harvest management interventions to increase storage and marketability.
Exploratory analysis of key factors in the habitat use of a Neotropical primate in an urban environment: The White-footed tamarin (Saguinus leucopus, Callitrichidae)
Authors: Soto-Calderón Iván Darío , Pérez-Estrada Ana María , Acosta-Madrigal Tatiana , Jurado-Gutiérrez Ana María , Delgado-Villegas Vanessa , Mesa-Alarcón Vanesa , Hidalgo-García Cristian Camilo
Published: August 2023

High levels of species diversity and endemism in developing countries contrast with high rates of human population expansion and urban development. This poses a challenge for wildlife and their ability to adapt to transformed and fragmented habitats. In the Neotropics, tamarins and marmosets (Primates: Callitrichidae) have established populations in urbanized areas, including the White-footed tamarin in north-western Colombia, where it is prone to metabolic syndrome presumably due to nutritional issues and reduced physical activity. We explored the habitat use and activity budget of a social group of the White-footed tamarin established in an isolated forest patch in Medellín, Colombia over a 12-month period. We applied multiple linear regressions to assess 1) the seasonal variation of diet and 2) the role of landscape features on the use of the available habitat. Resting was the most dominant behavior. The diet comprised a range of animal and plant items as well as a smaller proportion of anthropogenic food. The diet diversity showed an inverse relationship with the within-month humidity variation, indicating an adaptation to seasonal changes. The use of available area was associated with tree density and abundance of key plant species that are either consumed or used as part of corridors. Our results show that flexible and generalist diet habits are critical in adaptation to cities. However, food oversupply in isolated forest patches in cities may lead to sedentarism and compromise the health of urban fauna. Strategic planting of key tree species that provide food sources and facilitate dispersal is recommended.
How Positive Childhood Experiences Fostering College Students Adjustment: The Role of Siblings Number and Self-Esteem
Authors: Li Juan , Wang Wenzhuang
Published: August 2023

In recent years, there has been growing concern about the mental health and well-being of college students, as they face numerous challenges and transitions during their higher education journey. This research aims to investigate the influence of Positive childhood experiences on the adaptability of college students and the underlying mechanisms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 5,787 college students from Chinese universities. Participants completed an online questionnaire measuring positive childhood experiences, self-esteem, the number of siblings, and China College Students' Adjustment. The results showed that positive childhood experiences positively predicted China College Students' Adjustment, and self-esteem played a mediating role in the positive effect of positive childhood experiences on China College Students' Adjustment. Moreover, sibling played an antagonistic moderating role in the positive effect of Positive childhood experiences on China College Students' Adjustment. Therefore, it is recommended to enrich positive childhood experiences, improve self-esteem, and provide more care and support to students from multi-sibling families to enhance China College Students' Adjustment.
Predictive Analytics and Risk Management of Property Insurance
Authors: Amirhosseini Morteza , Vanani Iman Raeesi , Taghavifard Mohammad Taghi , Sohrabi Babak
Published: August 2023

Claim prediction plays a leading role in risk management for insurance companies. This research proposes a risk management model by evaluating property policy's risk and classifying risk levels to reduce uncertainty for decision-makers. The approach consists of three phases. Phase I is claims prediction; It integrates three claim predictions: occurrence probability, claim severity, and time of loss; we use machine learning for each prediction. Algorithms have been implemented on about 2 million records of a large insurance company between 2011 and 2022. Results showed that the best algorithm is a deep neural network. In Phase II, risk metric results are calculated to determine the risk level score; we present the prediction results into a quadrant risk-grouped associated measure. Phase III is risk management. The risk level score is linked to the decision-makers action list to keep, reject or transfer the risk of each insurance policy. The final model is a risk management tool combining risk prediction metrics and the risk matrix. To assess the efficacy of this new model, 500 sample records were provided to the risk management system, and its output was compared with that of expert opinion. 72% correct matching indicates the accuracy of the model.
Health-Related Quality of Life and Recovery Capital Among Recovery Residents Taking Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in Texas
Authors: Obekpa Elizabeth O , Mccurdy Sheryl A. , Schick Vanessa , Markham Christine , Wilkerson J. Michael
Published: August 2023

Background
Recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) includes improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and is supported by recovery capital (RC). Little is known about RC and HRQoL among recovery residents taking medication for OUD (MOUD).
Methods
Cross-sectional analyses of data collected from 355 residents in 14 recovery homes were conducted. We described HRQOL (EQ-5D-5L health dimensions- mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression) and RC (the Assessment of Recovery Capital scores) and examined their associations using T-, Chi-squared, and Fisher's exact tests.
Results
Most participants were 35 + years (50.7%), male (58.9%), non-Hispanic White (68.4%), heterosexual (82.8%), and unemployed (66.0%). The majority reported anxiety/depression (78.4%) and pain/discomfort (55.7%) problems. Most participants had high social (65.4%), personal (69.0%), and total (65.6%) RC. Age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, and comorbid diagnoses were associated with HRQOL. Low personal RC was associated with mobility problems (aOR = 0.43, CI = 0.24–0.76). Low personal (aOR = 0.13, CI = 0.04–0.41) and total (aOR = 0.20, CI = 0.07–0.60) RC were associated with problems conducting self-care. Low personal (aOR = 0.25, CI = 0.11–0.57) and total (aOR = 0.43, CI = 0.22–0.83) RC were associated with problems conducting usual activities. Low personal (aOR = 0.37, CI = 0.20–0.68) and total (aOR = 0.55, CI = 0.34–0.90) RC were associated with pain/discomfort problems. Low personal (aOR = 0.33, CI = 0.15–0.73) and total (aOR = 0.20, CI = 0.10–0.41) RC were associated with anxiety/depression problems. Social RC was not associated with HRQOL.
Conclusions
Personal and total RC predict HRQOL. Our findings underscore the importance of ensuring residents are not only linked to MOUD but their RC should be routinely assessed and enhanced to support their recovery and improve HRQOL.
Preoperative scoring system for prediction of extended resection during emergency surgery for acute appendicitis
Authors: Kobayashi Toshimichi , Hidaka Eiji , Ando Akitoshi , Koganezawa Itsuki , Nakagawa Masashi , Yokozuka Kei , Ochiai Shigeto , Gunji Takahiro , Sano Toru , Tomita Koichi , Tabuchi Satoshi , Chiba Naokazu , Kawachi Shigeyuki
Published: August 2023

Purpose: Appendectomy is the primary treatment for acute appendicitis. However, extended resection (ER) may be required in difficult cases. Preoperative prediction of ER may identify challenging cases but remains difficult. We aimed to establish a preoperative scoring system for ER prediction during emergency surgery for acute appendicitis.
Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients who underwent emergency surgery for acute appendicitis between January 2014 and December 2022 and were divided into ER and appendectomy groups. Independent variables associated with ER were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis. A new scoring system was established based on these independent variables. The discrimination of the new scoring system was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The risk categorization of the scoring system was also analyzed.
Results: Of the 179 patients included in this study, 12 (6.7%) underwent ER. A time intervalfrom symptom onset to surgery ≥4 days, retrocecal or retrocolic appendix, and the presence of an abscess were identified as independent preoperative predictive factors for ER. A new scoring system was established based on these three variables, and scores ranged from 0 to 6. The AUC of the scoring system was 0.877, and the rates of ER among patients in the low- (score, 0–2), medium- (score, 4), and high- (score, 6) risk groups were estimated to be 2.5%, 28.6%, and 80%, respectively.
Conclusions: Our scoring system may help surgeons identify patients with acute appendicitis requiring ER and facilitate treatment decision-making.
Salvianolic acid B exerts a protective effect against ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis in macrophages infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis through its inhibition of the TNF- α/TNFR1 signaling pathway
Authors: Shen Jingjing , Fu Yan , Liu Fanglin , Wu Jianchao , Zhang Hemin , Sun Jinxia , Miao Zhulei , Jiang Xin
Published: August 2023

Tuberculosis (TB) is a deadly infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The increasing rates of drug resistance in Mtb have made controlling TB more challenging, creating an urgent need for new treatment strategies. The interplay between macrophages and Mtb governs host susceptibility and immune evasion by manipulating programmed cell death (PCD) pathways and inflammatory responses. During Mtb infection, excessive programmed cell death can harm the host, as it aids in clearing the pathogen and promotes Mtb growth. If the infection is not cleared in a timely manner, excessive inflammation can further damage the host's tissues. A recent discovery called PANoptosis refers to a type of regulated inflammatory cell death that involves pyroptosis, necroptosis, and apoptosis, and it may occur after Mtb infection. Here, we report that Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), a water-soluble extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza, may act as a potential host-directed therapy (HDT) agent to inhibit Mtb-induced PANoptosis and suppress the intense inflammatory response. Mechanistically, Sal B could inhibit the TNF-α/TNFR1 signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting the innate immune sensor ZBP1 and achieving a regulatory effect on macrophage PANoptosis. We also observed that Sal B inhibited a large multi-protein signaling complex formed by ZBP1, ASC, caspase-8, RIPK1 and RIPK3, ultimately inhibiting inflammatory cell death. Overall, this study provides a deeper understanding of the roles these biomolecules play in innate immunity and inflammatory cell death during Mtb infection. The findings highlight Sal B as a potential HDT agent capable of inhibiting PANoptosis in macrophages and mitigating the excessive inflammatory response induced by Mtb infection. Notably, further research is needed to explore the therapeutic potential of Sal B in combatting Mtb and its implications as a potential future treatment option.
Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter (MCU) Involves in Ischemic Postconditioning Effect Against Ischemic Reperfusion Brain Injury in Mouse
Authors: Sasaki Hiromitsu , Nakagawa Ichiro , Furuta Takanori , Yokoyama Shohei , Morisaki Yudai , Saito Yasuhiko , Nakase Hiroyuki
Published: August 2023

Ischemic postconditioning (PostC) phenomenon is known as the neuroprotection against ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury. One of the key processes in PostC is opening of mitochondrial ATP dependent potassium (mito-KATP) channel and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, which triggers the release of calcium ion from mitochondria through the low conductance opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is known as the highly sensitive transporter for uptake of Ca2+ inwardly existed on the inner mitochondrial membrane. Furthermore, it has attracted attention as a new target of treatments in disease such as neurodegenerative disease, cancer and ischemic stroke. Thus, we considered that MCU may involve in PostC and trigger its mechanism. In this research, we used the whole-cell patch clamp technique to hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells from C57BL mice and measured changes in spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic currents (sEPSCs), intracellular Ca2+ concentration, mitochondrial membrane potential and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) currents under the inhibition of MCU by Ruthenium red 265 (Ru265) in PostC. Inhibition of MCU increased sEPSCs occurrence (p = 0.008), NMDAR currents (p < 0.001), intracellular Ca2+ concentration (p < 0.001) and dead cells (p < 0.001) significantly after reperfusion, indicating the removal of the neuroprotective effects in PostC. Moreover, the mitochondrial depolarization in PostC with Ru265 was weakened, compared to it in PostC (p = 0.03). These results suggest that MCU affects the mitochondrial depolarization in the PostC mechanism to suppress NMDAR over-activation and prevent the elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration against I/R injury.
Is it possible to delay stereotactic radiotherapy of brain metastasis of lung cancer?
Authors: Musset Xavier , Guillerm Sophie , Gounant Valérie , Quero Laurent , Dumont Clément , Terrisse Safae , Bollet Marc , Zalcman Gerard , Hennequin Christophe
Published: August 2023

Purpose
Because modern medical treatments of lung cancer had a potential efficacy on brain metastases, the optimal timing of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRT) could be discussed. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the outcomes according to the timing of SRT during the course of the disease.
Materials and Methods
all patients receiving SRT for BM of a lung cancer were included in the study, except those receiving whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). We defined three groups of patients, according to the timing of SRT: L1 for those receiving SRT during the first line of medical treatment, L2 during the second line and L3 for others line. We analyzed local control of the treated metastases (LC), occurrence of new BM and overall survival (OS). For the two last variables, we calculated the probability of event from the date of SRT and from the first day of medical treatment (D1L1).
Results
109 patients were included in the study and 102 evaluable for all parameters. LC did not differ if SRT was performed during L1, L2 or L3. Occurrence of new BM is delayed when SRT is performed in L1 and the initial point the time of SRT, but this difference disappeared when the probability of new BM is calculated from D1L1. No difference in OS was observed according to the timing of SRT.
Conclusion
this study underlines the important role of medical treatment to prevent new BM. In view of our results, SRT could be delayed if the medical treatment has a good probability of controlling BM progression.
RETRACTED: Earthquake Time/Energy Estimation, Using the Energy of the Detected Particles, Radiated from Piezoelectric Rocks with the Help of MCNPX Simulation
Authors: Bahari Abouzar , Mohammadi Saeed
Published: August 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Feature Engineering Impact on Position Falsification Attacks Detection in Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network
Authors: Abdelkreem Eslam , Hussein Sherief , Tammam Ashraf
Published: August 2023

The vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) is a technology that enables vehicles to interact with each other and with the surrounding infrastructure. This technology aims to enhance road safety and alleviate traffic congestion. However, it is susceptible to various security attacks and concerns. Among these concerns, the position falsification attack is regarded as one of the most serious, in which, the malicious nodes tamper with their transmitted location. Thus, the development of effective misbehavior detection schemes capable of identifying such attacks is crucial. Many of these schemes employ machine learning techniques to classify vehicles based on the features of the exchanged information. Despite the relation between the performance of these systems and the features used to train them, the current understanding of this relation remains limited. In this paper, a comprehensive literature review is combined with a set of experiments to study the impact of feature engineering on the performance of position falsification attack detection in VANETs. The review is used to identify the key features and algorithms used in the literature. Then, various experiments were conducted using the VeReMi dataset, which is publicly available, and different machine learning algorithms to compare two feature sets: one comprising selected and derived features, and the other including all available features. The results of this study show a substantial improvement in the performance of the detectors achieved by employing feature engineering techniques, where the average accuracy of the experimented models is increased by 6.31% to 47.03% depending on the algorithm used.
Dynamical analysis and numerical simulation of a stochastic influenza transmission model with human mobility and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process
Authors: Zhang Xinhong , Su Tan , Jiang Daqing
Published: August 2023

With the inevitable environmental perturbations and complex population movements, the analysis of troublesome influenza is harder to proceed. Studies about the epidemic mathematical models can not only forecast the development trend of influenza, but also have a beneficial influence on the protection of health and the economy. Motivated by this, a stochastic influenza model incorporating human mobility and the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process is established in this paper. Based on the existence of the unique global positive solution, we obtain sufficient conditions for influenza extinction and persistence, which are related to the basic reproduction number in the corresponding deterministic model. Notably, the analytical expression of the probability density function of stationary distribution near the quasi-endemic equilibrium is obtained by solving the challenging Fokker–Planck equation. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to support the theoretical conclusions, and the effect of main parameters and environmental perturbations on influenza transmission are also investigated.
Integrated Solid Waste Management for Closed Community: An Experiment on Jahangirnagar University Campus
Authors: Hossain Md. Jakir , Mahmud Md. Munir , Moinuddin Golam
Published: August 2023

This study examines community participation in integrated solid waste management (ISWM) at Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh. The university faces significant challenges in waste management, with negative social, environmental and economic consequences. The goal is to identify barriers to community involvement in ISWM and provide recommendations for enhancing engagement. The research uses a mixed-methods approach, surveying 397 respondents using cluster random sampling from the university's population of 20,000. Data collection methods include interviews, observations, focus groups, and document analysis. The findings highlight obstacles to community participation, such as limited community empowerment, mobilization, organization, and resource coordination. Household waste segregation is practiced by only 30% of respondents. However, 74% of participants express willingness to oversee door-to-door waste collection and dispose of waste at designated points, influenced by socioeconomic factors. Non-compliance with ISWM regulations is observed in 26% of respondents, and 12% lack sufficient knowledge about ISWM, indicating a need for improved organization and coordination. Additionally, some university authorities rely on outdated methods, resulting in weak enforcement of environmental regulations. Ineffective policies exacerbate the situation, failing to align with the market economy. The study recommends fostering cooperation between university authorities and the community, revising and enforcing regulations, and emphasizing waste generators' responsibility for proper disposal. Addressing these challenges can significantly improve solid waste management and environmental outcomes at Jahangirnagar University.
Integrating Optimized Item Selection with Active Learning for Continuous Exploration in Recommender Systems
Authors: Kadioglu Serdar , Kleynhans Bernard , Wang Xin
Published: August 2023

Recommender Systems have become the backbone of personalized services that provide tailored experiences to individual users, yet designing new recommendation applications with limited or no available training data remains a challenge. To address this issue, we focus on selecting the universe of items for experimentation in recommender systems by leveraging a recently introduced combinatorial problem. On the one hand, selecting a large set of items is desirable to increase the diversity of items. On the other hand, a smaller set of items enables rapid experimentation and minimizes the time and the amount of data required to train machine learning models. We first present how to optimize for such conflicting criteria using a multi-level optimization framework. Then, we shift our focus to the operational setting of a recommender system. In practice, to work effectively in a dynamic environment where new items are introduced to the system, we need to explore users' behaviors and interests continuously. To that end, we show how to integrate the item selection approach with active learning to guide randomized exploration in an ongoing fashion. Our hybrid approach combines techniques from discrete optimization, unsupervised clustering, and latent text embeddings. Experimental results on well-known movie and book recommendation benchmarks demonstrate the benefits of optimized item selection and efficient exploration.