bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal immobilization position for conservative treatment of proximal humerus fractures by fracture type: A biomechanical cadaveric study
Authors: Jin Seokhwan , Lim Joon-Ryul , Yoon Tae-Hwan , Choi Yun-Rak , Chun Yong-Min
Published: November 2023

In conservative treatment for proximal humerus fractures (PHFs), the immobilization position of the affected arm should not be determined uniformly. The aim of this study is to investigate the optimal immobilization position for conservative treatment of different types of PHFs. PHF models involving either the surgical neck (SN) or greater tuberosity (GT) were created using 12 fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders. In the SN model, the deforming forces on the pectoralis major muscle were measured in full adduction by increasing external rotation. In the GT model, the deforming force of the supraspinatus muscle was measured in neutral rotation by decreasing abduction, and the deforming force of the infraspinatus muscle was measured in full adduction by increasing internal rotation, respectively. In the SN model, the deforming force of the pectoralis major muscle increased significantly with external rotation from full internal rotation to neutral rotation (P=0.006), indicating that the arm should be placed in full internal rotation. In the GT model, the deforming force of the supraspinatus muscle increased significantly with adduction from 45° of abduction to full adduction (P=0.006); the deforming force of the infraspinatus muscle increased significantly with internal rotation from neutral rotation to full internal rotation (P=0.006). These findings should be considered when placing the arm in a brace so as to minimize the deforming force by either the supra or infraspinatus muscle. In conservative treatment for PHFs, the affected arm should be placed in a position that minimizes the deforming force on the fracture components involved.
The Machining Characteristics of Drilling Multidirectional CFRP Using Wire Electrical Discharge Machining
Authors: Hasan Ali , Abdallah Ramy
Published: November 2023

This paper examines the feasibility of wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) on drilling multidirectional carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite laminates using high-performance wire electrodes. A full factorial experimental array of 8 (23) tests was employed to evaluate the effect of varying the machining parameters including pulse-on time (0.6 and 0.9 µs), pulse-off time (4 and 6 µs), and wire type (Compeed and Topas Plus D) on the material removal rate (MRR), top and bottom delamination factor (DFT and DFB) and surface integrity. The results revealed that the MRR varied between 1.35 and 2.9 mm3/min and increased by high pulse on time and low pulse off time as a result of the higher discharge energy generated. Despite, none of the parameters having a significant effect on MRR, the pulse-off time was found to have the largest percentage contribution ratio (PCR), with a value of 71.8%. The Topas Plus D wire exhibited a higher MRR (up to 21%) under the same cutting conditions compared to the Compeed wire electrode. Regarding the delamination, the top and bottom factors ranged from 1.06 to 1.20 and 1.08 to 1.25 respectively. The pulse-on time and its interaction with the pulse-off time had the highest PCR on DFT, with values of 26.86% and 38.21%, respectively, according to ANOVA, which showed that none of the parameters had a significant impact on delamination. Optical micrographs of the workpiece revealed the presence of defects in terms of poor hole quality/roundness error, frayed fibres, excessive delamination, and adhered debris (including wire electrode contaminants) on both the top and bottom surfaces. These defects tended to be more noticeable in experiments using the Compeed wire electrode, probably as a result of the higher discharge energies.
Systematic Mendelian randomization using the human plasma proteome to identify therapeutic targets for lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Long , Xiong Yajun , Zhang Jie , Feng Yuying , Xu Aiguo
Published: November 2023

Background
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Identifying novel drug targets for LUAD is essential, with the proteome serving as a major source of therapeutic targets. We performed proteomo-wide Mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization analyses to identify potential targets for LUAD.
Methods
Data summarizing 1394 plasma proteins were extracted from an extensive study on protein quantitative trait loci, including 4907 individuals. Genetic associations with LUAD were sourced from the Transdisciplinary Research in Cancer of the Lung, involving 11245 cases and 54619 controls. MR analysis was conducted to assess the associations between proteins and LUAD risk. Bayesian colocalization anslysis was used to ascertain shared causal variants between the identified proteins and LUAD. Furthermore, we employed a two-step MR to quantify the proportion of the effect of risk factors mediated by proteins on LUAD. Finally, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis was employed to unveil potential links between proteins and current LUAD medications.
Results
Mendelian randomization analysis identified nine plasma proteins. MDGA2 (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.08–1.19), NTM (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.09–1.16) , PMM2 (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.18–1.53), RNASET2 (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.08–1.21), and TFPI (OR, 4.58; 95% CI, 3.02–6.94) increased the risk of LUAD, while ALAD (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.72–0.87), FLT1 (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.28–0.55) , ICAM5 (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.88–0.95), and VWC2 (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79–0.92) decreased the risk. Bayesian colocalization indicated that RNASET2, TFPI, and VWC2 shared the same variant with LUAD. NTM and FLT1 interacted with target proteins of current LUAD medications. Furthermore, two therapeutics are presently under evaluation, three are druggable and four are future breakthrough points.
Conclusions
Our proteome-wide MR analysis revealed nine proteins associated with the risk of LUAD. RNASET2, TFPI, VWC2, NTM, and FLT1 might be promising drug targets for LUAD and deserve further clinical investigation.
Layer reconstruction, collapse and metallization of van der Waals bonded ZrS2 under high pressure
Authors: Hu Qingyang , Yang Linfei , Li Junwei , Zhang Dongzhou , Liu Yuegao
Published: November 2023

In contrast to two-dimensional (2D) monolayer materials, van der Waals layered transition metal dichalcogenides exhibit rich polymorphism, making them promising candidates for novel superconductors, topological insulators, and high-performance electrochemical catalysts. Here, we combine Raman scattering, electrical conductivity, and synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements to reveal a series of phase transitions in van der Waals layered ZrS2, driven by the formation of a distorted metastable structure under pressure. Unlike layered sliding observed in archetypal MoS2, ZrS2 undergoes a dramatic structural reconstruction, rearranging the original ZrS6 octahedra into ZrS8 cuboids at 5.5 GPa, leading to an abrupt 8.8% volume reduction. The unique cuboids coordination of Zr atoms in the single-layer is thermodynamically metastable and collapses to a partially disordered phase at 17.4 GPa, and ultimately metallize above 30.0 GPa. Decompressing metallic ZrS2 restores its semiconductor properties. These complex structural transitions present the highly tunable electronic properties of compressed ZrS2 with possible implications for optoelectronic devices.
Semisupervised adaptive learning models for IDH1 mutation status prediction
Authors: Zhao Yulin , Liang Fengning , Xu Jinhui , Xu Kai , Zhu Hong
Published: November 2023

The mutation status of isocitrate dehydrogenase1 (IDH1) in glioma is critical information for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Accurately determining such information from MRI data has become an important research problem in recent years. Existing techniques for this problem often suffer from various limitations, such as the data waste and instability issues. To address such issues, we present a semisupervised adaptive deep learning model based on radiomics and rough sets for predicting the mutation status of IDH1 from MRI data. Our model first uses a rough set algorithm to remove the redundant medical image features extracted by radiomics, and adds pseudo-labels to those non-label data with the help of statistical T-test. This helps us address the commonly encountered issue of insufficient datasets in medical imaging analysis. Then, it applies a Sand Cat Swarm Optimization (SCSO) algorithm to optimize the weight of pseudo-label data. Finally, our model adopts UNet and CRNN to construct a semisupervised classification model UCNet to classify the IDH1 mutation status. To validate our models, we use a preoperative MRI dataset with 316 glioma patients to evaluate the performance. Our study suggests that the prediction accuracy of glioma IDH1 mutation status reaches 95.63%. Our experimental results suggest that the study can effectively improve the utilization of glioma imaging data and the accuracy of intelligent diagnosis of glioma IDH1 mutation status.
Association of Dietary Diabetes Risk Reduction Score and Macronutrient Quality Index with Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Namkhah Zahra , Irankhah Kiyavash , Sarviha Sina , Sobhani Seyyed Reza
Published: November 2023

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors affecting a quarter of the global population, with diet playing a significant role in its progression. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of Dietary diabetes risk reduction score (DDRRS) and Macronutrient Quality Index (MQI) scoring systems in assessing diet-related metabolic syndrome risk.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data of 7431 individuals aged between 30 and 70 years from the Mashhad Cohort Study were used to evaluate metabolic syndrome risk factors. A valid semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire assessed participants' dietary intake. The MQI was calculated based on carbohydrate, fat, and healthy protein components. The DDRRS was also computed. Anthropometric measurements and blood samples were taken to determine metabolic syndrome. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between MQI and DDRRS with metabolic syndrome and its components.Results: According to the crude model, we found that the odds of MetS were lower in the highest quartile of DDRRS and MQI when compared to the lowest quartile (P-trend < 0.001). The trend persisted in the full adjusted models, with odds ratios of 0.399 (95% CI: 0.319-0.500) and 0.597 (95% CI: 0.476-0.749) for DDRRS and MQI respectively. After controlling for all potential confounders, lower odds of central obesity in the highest quartile of MQI (OR: 0.818, 95%CI: 0.676-0.989, P-trend= 0.027) was observed. Moreover, we found that the odds of high triglyceride levels were lower in the highest quartile of DDRRS compared to the lowest quartile (OR: 0.633, 95% CI: 0.521, 0.770, P-trend< 0.001).Conclusion: In conclusion, our study suggests that higher adherence to both DDRRS and MQI is associated with reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and its components. These findings have important implications for public health and personalized nutrition strategies
Biological characteristics of flowers and examination of pollen viability at different developmental stages of Epimedium sagittatum( Sieb. et Zucc. )Maxim
Authors: He Jianglong , Pei Lixin , Ji Baoyu , Wang Hai-bo , Zhong Hua , Dong Chengming , Chen Suiqing , Li Xiuqing , Li Panpan
Published: November 2023

To gain a deeper understanding of the flowering pattern and reproductive characteristics of Epimedium sagittatum, to enrich the research on the flower development of Epimedium sagittatum and its reproductive regulation, and to screen the methods suitable for the rapid detection of pollen viability of Epimedium sagittatum and to promote its cross-breeding. The characteristics of its flower parts were observed, recorded and measured, and the pollen viability of Epimedium sagittatumwas determined by five methods, including TTC staining, I2-KI staining, red ink staining, peroxidase method and in vitro germination method. The flowering process of Epimedium sagittatum can be divided into five stages: calyx dehiscence, bract spathe, petal outgrowth, pollen dispersal, and pollination and withering. The results of I2-KI staining and peroxidase method were significantly higher than those of other methods; the in vitro germination method was intuitive and accurate, but the operation was complicated and time-consuming; the red ink staining method was easy to operate and had obvious staining effect, and the results were the closest to those of the in vitro germination method; and it was found that the pollen of Epimedium sagittatum was not as effective as the in vitro germination method at the bud stamen stage, the flower stigma and the flower bud. It was also found that the pollen viability and germination rate of Epimedium sagittatum pollen were higher in the three periods of bud spitting, petal adductor and pollen dispersal. Comparing the five methods, the red ink staining method was found to be a better method for the rapid detection of pollen viability; the best pollination periods of Epimedium sagittatum were the bud stamen stage, petal adductor stage, and pollen dispersal stage of flowers at the peak of bloom. This study on the flowering and fruiting pattern of Epimedium sagittatum, and the related mechanism of sexual reproduction, can be used as a reference for the next step of research on the breeding of Epimedium sagittatum.
Experimental study of the dynamics of coating flow on fiber array
Authors: Wang Bin , Liu Rong
Published: November 2023

The present paper investigated the dynamics of coating flow on array of cylindrical fibres. In the experiments, it is observed that there exists three distinct flow regimes when the fiber array is fully coated by liquid film, namely, regime‘a’, ‘b’ and ‘c’. The flow regime ‘a’ is characterized by the formation of a streamwise uniform film; The flow regime ‘b’ and ‘c’ are in the form of traveling waves consisting of asymmetrical wavy structures and symmetrical beads, respectively. We conducted a comprehensive parametric study on the dynamics of the coating flow on fiber array, including the flow rate, fiber spacing and droplet amplitude, all of which serve as reliable indicators of different flow regimes.
High-Protein Supplementation and Neuromuscular Electric Stimulation after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Increases Systemic Amino Acid and Oxidative Metabolism: A Plasma Metabolomics Approach
Authors: Gusdon Aaron M , Savarraj Jude PJ , Feng Dians , Starkman Adam , Li Guoyan , Bodanapally Uttam , Zimmerman William Denny , Ryan Alice S , Choi Huimahn A , Badjatia Neeraj
Published: November 2023

Background
The INSPIRE randomized clinical trial demonstrated that a high protein diet (HPRO) combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) attenuates muscle atrophy and may improve functional outcomes after aSAH. Using an untargeted metabolomics approach, we sought to identify specific metabolites mediating these effects.
Methods
Blood samples were collected from subjects on admission prior to randomization to either standard of care (SOC; N=12) or HPRO+NMES (N=12) and at 7 days as part of the INSPIRE protocol. Untargeted metabolomics were performed for each plasma sample. Paired fold changes were calculated for each metabolite among subjects in the HPRO+NMES group at baseline and 7 days after intervention. Changes in metabolites from baseline to 7 days were compared for the HPRO+NMES and SOC groups. Sparse partial least squared discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) identified metabolites discriminating each group. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between each metabolite and total protein per day, nitrogen balance, and muscle volume Multivariable models were developed to determine associations between each metabolite and muscle volume.
Results
A total of 18 unique metabolites were identified including pre and post treatment and differentiating SOC vs HPRO+NMES. Of these, 9 had significant positive correlations with protein intake: N-acetylserine (ρ=0.61, P=1.56x10-3), N-acetylleucine (ρ=0.58, P=2.97x10-3), β-hydroxyisovaleroylcarnitine (ρ=0.53, P=8.35x10-3), tiglyl carnitine (ρ=0.48, P=0.0168), N-acetylisoleucine (ρ=0.48, P=0.0183), N-acetylthreonine (ρ=0.47, P=0.0218), N-acetylkynurenine (ρ=0.45, P=0.0263), N-acetylvaline (ρ=0.44, P=0.0306), and urea (ρ=0.43, P=0.0381). In multivariable regression models, N-acetylleucine was significantly associated with preserved temporalis [OR 1.08 (95%CI 1.01, 1.16)] and quadricep [OR 1.08 (95%CI 1.02, 1.15)] muscle volume. Quinolinate was also significantly associated with preserved temporalis [OR 1.05 (95%CI 1.01, 1.09)] and quadricep [OR 1.04 (95%CI 1.00, 1.07)] muscle volume. N-acetylserine, N-acetylcitrulline, and b-hydroxyisovaleroylcarnitine were also associated with preserved temporalis or quadricep volume.
Conclusions
Metabolites defining the HPRO+NMES intervention mainly consisted of amino acid derivatives. These metabolites had strong correlations with protein intake and were associated with preserved muscle volume.
Company Management in the Insurance Industry: Valuing Employees and Their Commitment to Work
Authors: Serrasqueiro João , Félix Marta , Veiga Pedro
Published: November 2023

The role of employees within an organizational has become the subject of research, both in academia and in companies themselves. Nowadays, it is important to realize that companies must value the way they manage their relationships with employees, so that they can create value and benefits for both parties. The aim of this research is to analyze which aspects lead to greater commitment on the part of employees and what makes them feel valued in their organizations. To meet this objective, a quantitative methodology was used, through the application of a questionnaire to various employees in the insurance industry. The results show a positive relationship between leadership, the inclusion of employees and their commitment to work, and also that participation in decision-making positively influences their satisfaction, appreciation and loyalty to the company they work for. It can therefore be concluded that investing in employees, as well as increasing their satisfaction and commitment, is crucial for sustainable growth and organizational success.
Phylogenetic study of the Hungarian-speaking Baranja (Croatia) and Zobor region (Slovakia) populations
Authors: Borbély Noémi , Dudás Dániel , Tapasztó Attila , Dudás-Boda Eszter , Csáky Veronika , Szeifert Bea , Mende Balázs Gusztáv , Egyed Balázs , Szécsényi-Nagy Anna , Pamjav Horolma
Published: November 2023

In this study, we delved into the uniparental genetic lineage of Hungarian-speaking minorities residing in rural villages of Baranja and the Zobor region, located in contemporary Croatia and Slovakia, respectively. Our focus was on identifying ancestral patterns by examining genetic markers distributed across the entire mitogenome and on the Y-chromosomes. This allowed us to discern disparities in regional genetic structures within these communities. By integrating our newly acquired genetic data from a total of 168 participants with pre-existing Eurasian and ancient DNA datasets, our goal was to enrich the understanding of the genetic history trajectories of Carpathian Basin populations. Our findings suggest that while population-based analyses may not be sufficiently robust to detect fine-scale uniparental genetic patterns with the sample sizes at hand, phylogenetic analysis of Short Tandem Repeat (STR) data and mitogenome sequences did uncover multiple lineage ties to far-flung regions and eras. While the predominant portions of both paternal and maternal DNA align with the East-Central European spectrum, rarer subhaplogroups and lineages have unveiled ancient ties to both prehistoric and historic populations spanning Europe and Eastern Eurasia. This research augments the expansive field of phylogenetics, offering critical perspectives on the genetic constitution and heritage of the communities of East-Central Europe.
Police-referred psychiatric emergency presentations during the first and second wave of COVID-19 in Berlin, Germany: a retrospective chart review
Authors: Goldschmidt Thomas , Kippe Yann David , Gutwinski Stefan , Deutscher Karl , Schouler-Ocak Meryam , Kroehn-Liedtke Franziska
Published: November 2023

Background
Literature on psychiatric emergency services (PES) presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic showed heterogeneous results regarding patients brought in by police (BIBP). This is the first study primarily focusing on patients BIBP in a PES during the COVID-19-period.
Methods
Case documentation records during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in a PES in Berlin, Germany were analyzed using descriptive data analysis and binomial logistic regression analysis to detect factors that predict presentations BIBP.
Results
5440 PES presentations: 2.4% BIBP during the first wave vs. 16.3% during its control period; second wave: 17.6% BIBP vs. 14.9% during its control period. In both waves, absolute increases in presentations BIBP were seen compared to control (p = .029, p = .028, respectively). COVID-19-period was a predictor for presentations BIBP during the first wave, when associated with inpatient admission or diagnosis of schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. No COVID-19 associated effects were found during the second wave. The following factors predicted presentations BIBP independently of COVID-19: younger age, male gender, inpatient admissions, aggressive behavior, suicide attempt prior to presentation and diagnosis of substance use disorders; depressive disorders were negatively associated.
Conclusions
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in PES presentations BIBP. During the first wave (not the second wave), patients with schizophrenia and psychotic disorders were especially at risk of presentations BIBP. As outpatient facilities were less available during the first wave, which normalized during the second wave, this might be an explaining factor and should be a caveat for future pandemics. Additionally, general factors predicting PES presentations BIBP are reported that replenish the present literature.
The Identification of Hub Genes Associated with Pure Ground Glass Nodules Using Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis
Authors: Cheng Yuan , Song Zuoqing
Published: November 2023

Background
Whether there are invasive components in pure ground glass nodules(pGGNs) in the lungs is still a huge challenge to forecast. The objective of our study is to investigate and identify the potential biomarker genes for pure ground glass nodule(pGGN) based on the method of bioinformatics analysis.
Methods
To investigate differentially expressed genes (DEGs), firstly we used the data obtained from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database.Next Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to investigate the co-expression network of DEGs and seven key modules were found. We chose the black key module as the key one in correlation with pGGN. SangerBox software was used for analyses of Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Then we used STRING to create a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the chosen module genes were analyzed by Cytoscape software. At last the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to evaluate the value of these hub genes in pGGN patients’ tumor tissues compared to controls.
Results
There are a total of 4475 DEGs were screened out from GSE193725, then 225 DEGs were identified in black key module. And these DEGs were found to be enriched for various functions and pathways, such as extracellular exosome, vesicle, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, metabolic pathways, ribosome, and so on. Among these DEGs, 6 overlapped hub genes with high degrees of stress method were selected. These hub genes include RPL4, RPL8, RPLP0, RPS16, RPS2 and CCT3.And relative expression levels of CCT3 and RPL8 mRNA were both regulated in pGGN patients’ tumor tissues compared to controls. To summarize, the determined DEGs, pathways, modules, and overlapped hub genes can throw light on the potential molecular mechanisms of pGGN.
An evolutionary feature selection method based on probability-based initialized particle swarm optimization
Authors: Pan Xiaoying , Lei Mingzhu , Sun Jia , Wang Hao , Ju Tong , Bai Lin
Published: November 2023

Feature selection is a common data preprocessing technique that aims to construct better models by selecting the most predictive features. Existing particle swarm optimization-based feature selection algorithms encounter two challenges when dealing with high-dimensional problems: easy to fall into local optimum and high computational cost. Therefore, this paper proposes an evolutionary dual-task feature selection method based on probability-based initialization particle swarm optimization (PPSO-EDT), which aims to find optimal solutions by transferring knowledge between two related tasks. Firstly, a probability-based initialization strategy is designed to accelerate population convergence by fully utilizing the correlation between labels and features. Secondly, a task generation strategy based on feature correlation was designed, which constructs the main task and auxiliary task by selecting feature subsets with highly correlated values and feature subsets without redundancy, respectively. Finally, an multi-task transfer mechanism is used to transfer knowledge and find optimal solutions. The results on 12 high-dimensional datasets indicate that the proposed method achieves high classification performance with a small feature subset in a relatively short amount of time.
Comprehensive Analysis of Cell-Free DNA Fragmentation Across Cancer Stages
Authors: Guo Xin , Nie Lijuan , Yan Junjun , Ling Tinsheng , Zhang Fei , Chen Yi , Li Mengyu , Zeng Wenqi , Chen Yugen , Chu Wen-Ming , Ge Olivia , Guo Qing , Ge Dongliang , Zhou Xiqiao
Published: November 2023

Background Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the bloodstream exhibits cancer-derived fragmentation patterns, providing a noninvasive diagnostic avenue for cancer patients. However, the alterations of cfDNA fragmentation patterns throughout cancer progression remain largely unexplored.Methods In this study, we investigated the relationship between cfDNA fragmentation profiles and cancer stages by analyzing a comprehensive dataset consisting of 214 whole-genome cfDNA samples across seven cancer types.Results Our analysis revealed that the association between cfDNA fragmentation patterns and cancer stages showcases variations in distinct cancer types. Notably, cfDNA fragmentation patterns in colorectal cancer (CRC) demonstrated a strong correlation with cancer stages. We validated this finding using an independent targeted cfDNA dataset with 29 CRC samples. Furthermore, we introduced "frag2stage", a machine learning model that leverages cfDNA fragmentation data to differentiate cancer stages of CRC. Through evaluation across two independent cfDNA datasets, our model consistently demonstrated its ability to distinguish CRC cancer stages with area under the curve (AUC) values ranging from 0.68 to 0.99.Conclusion Our analysis provides strong evidence that cfDNA fragmentation patterns might carry yet undiscovered genetic and epigenetic signals, highlighting their promising potential for broader diagnostic applications in oncology.
CSEPC: Deep Learning Framework for Small Sample Multimodal Medical Image Data in Alzheimer’s Disease Prediction
Authors: Liu Jingyuan , Yu Xiaojie , Fukuyama Hidenao , Murai Toshiya , Wu Jinglong , Li Qi , Zhang Zhilin
Published: November 2023

Background
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenera­tive disorder that has a significant impact on global healthcare, especially among the elderly population. The prediction of its progression is crucial for slowing down the disease's progression and subsequent intervention management. However, the challenge of small sample sizes remains a significant obstacle in predicting the progression of AD.
Methods
In this study, we propose a novel diagnostic algorithm network architecture named cross-scale equilibrium pyramid coupling (CSEPC). This model adopts the scale equilibrium theory and integrates it with modal coupling properties, taking into account the comprehensive features of multimodal data. This structure not only enhances the feature representation of intermodal and intramodal information from multimodal data but also significantly reduces the number of learning parameters, making it better suited for small-sample characteristics.
Results
Through our experimental tests, our proposed model performs comparably or even superior to those from previous studies in conversion prediction and AD diagnosis. Our model achieves an accuracy (ACC) of 85.67% and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98 in predicting the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD. To further validate its efficacy, we used our method to perform diagnostic tasks for different stages of AD. In these two distinct AD classification tasks, our approach also achieved leading performance.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the performance of our model in various tasks has demonstrated its significant potential in the field of small-sample multimodal medical imaging classification, especially in the application of predicting the progression of Alzheimer's disease. This advancement could significantly assist clinicians in effectively managing and intervening in the disease progression of patients with early-stage Alzheimer's disease.
Effect of extraction conditions on the extraction yield, swelling capacity, emulsion capacity and emulsion stability of psyllium husk seed mucilage extracted from Plantago ovate
Authors: Assi Abdul Ghani , Kalkan Ezgi , Maskan Medeni
Published: November 2023

Response Surface Methodology based on a 4-factored 3-leveled Box Behnken design was used to characterize psyllium mucilage extracted from Plantago ovate and investigate its functional properties. The independent variables were as follows: extraction temperature (50–80°C), extraction time (60–120 min), water-to- psyllium husk seed ratio (50/1-100/1) and water pH (4–10). On the other hand, the dependent variables were decided as extraction yield, swelling capacity, emulsion capacity and emulsion stability. Optimum extraction conditions based on numerical optimization were 79.99°C extraction temperature, 60.02 min extraction time, 99.99:1 water to seed ratio and 7.38 water pH. Within these optimum conditions, 29.54% extraction yield, 25.47 ml/g swelling capacity, 68.39% emulsion capacity, 76.61% emulsion stability were predicted. The results indicate that psyllium mucilage can be used as a promising additive as stabilizing agent in food formulations.
Bacillus subtilis as an effective tool for bioremediation of lead, copper and cadmium in water
Authors: Rocco Debora , Freire Bruna Moreira , Oliveira Thais Jardim , Alves Patricia Lius Melo , Oliveira José Martins , Batista Bruno Lemos , Grotto Denise , Jozala Angela Faustino
Published: November 2023

Bioremediation is a promising technique for the removal and recovery of contaminated areas, which is based on the ability of organisms to convert toxic substances into less harmful or inert compounds. Here, we evaluate the capacity of the Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) bacteria to biodegrade heavy metals such as lead, copper and cadmium in water samples. Water samples were laboratory contaminated with lead at 500 ppm, copper and cadmium at 100 ppm. First, the growth curve of B. subitlis was plotted using Tryptone Soy Broth (TSB) at 100% (TSB100) and 33% (TSB33). Later, B. subitlis was studied in water containing all three metals separately and simultaneously. All solutions were stirred at 150 rpm, 35°C for periods that ranged from 1h to 144h. The heavy metal analyses were performed by X-ray fluorescence and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. The results showed that B. subtilis was resistant to Cu, Cd and Pb in water, with active multiplication and reduction in the concentration of the metals. The highest removal efficiency, in the presence of each heavy metal, reached 100% with Pb, 92.3% with Cd and 89% with Cu. In the solution with the mixture of heavy metals, Cd and Pb levels reduced significantly. However, the mixture of metals negatively affected the removal of Cu. In conclusion, the implement using Bacillus-type bacteria can be efficient in the biodegradation of heavy metals from aqueous solutions and can be employed as a cost-effective treatment for the bioremediation of industrial effluents and contaminated areas.
Analysis of Non-Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital
Authors: De John Byron G , Figaji Anthony A , Enslin Johannes Marthinus Nicolaas
Published: November 2023

Background
At Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (RCCH) it is the preferred practice to use non-ventriculoperitoneal (non-VP) shunts when the peritoneum is ineffective or contra-indicated for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion, and when endoscopy is not an option. The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical course of patients having undergone these procedures.
Method
A single centre retrospective review at RCCH wherein forty-three children with a total of 59 episodes of non-VP shunt placement over a 12-year period were identified for inclusion.
Results
Twenty-five ventriculoatrial (VA) and 32 ventriculopleural (VPL) shunts were analysed with a median age at insertion of 2,9 (0,3–14,9) and 5,3 years (0,5–13,4) respectively. The median number of previous shunt procedures prior to VA or VPL shunt insertion was 6,0 (2–28) versus 4,5 (2–17) respectively. Three VA (12,0%) and three VPL (9,4%) shunt patients were lost to follow up. Of those remaining, 10 VA shunts (45,5%) compared to 19 (65,5%) VPL shunts required revision. One ventriculovesical and one ventriculocholecystic shunt were placed in the same patient after 21 and 25 shunt related procedures respectively, and both were revised within 3-weeks of insertion. Median shunt survival was 8 months longer for the VA compared to the VPL shunts, being 13,5 (0–67) and 5 months (0-118) respectively. Complications for VA shunts were low, with the overall shunt sepsis rate in the VA group at 4% (n = 1) compared to 15,6% (n = 5) in the VPL group.
Conclusion
Our findings support that VA and VPL shunts are acceptable second-line options in an already compromised group of patients where safe treatment options are limited, provided attention is paid to the technical details specific to their placement.
The portable GC-MS and HS/SPME-GC×GC-TOF MS-Based Analysis of the Difference of Citri Grandis Exocarpium from Different Regions
Authors: Huang Luoxu , Zhou zhen , Li Kaixuan , Wu Manman , Xu Jingwei , Luo Sifan , Luo Jianqun , Tan Guobin
Published: November 2023

In this study, the portable GC-MS and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOF MS) combined with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS/SPME) combined with chemometric were firstly used to analyze the volatile components of Citri Grandis Exocarpium that were from Huazhou (CGEH) and Guangxi (CGEG), respectively. The results from portable GC-MS only can identified some differences between samples. Compared with results from HS/SPME-GC×GC-TOF MS we found that portable GC-MS could not analyze the mark of CGEH.From identification of GC×GC-TOF MS we got that total 304 chemicals among which 261 were firstly reported were identified. Among them 52 compounds were only detected in CGEH, 81 were unique in CGEG and 171 were in both CGEH and CGEG. The volatile components in CGEH were classified into 17 and CGEG into 19 types. The contents of alkene aromatics, hydrocarbons and alcohols in both CGEH and CGEG were relatively high. These results fully demonstrated the detection ability of GC×GC-TOF MS. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares (OPLS-DA) were performed. The results indicated that there was basically no difference from different batches of the same origin. However, there were obvious differences between CGEH and CGEG. 10 compounds in CGEH were screened out the values of |p(corr)|>0.9, |p|>0.06 and VIP value > 1.1. These results proved portable GC-MS could not find marks of Citri Grandis Exocarpium and GC×GC-TOF MS could find it.
Barriers and facilitators to shared decision-making around antimicrobial prescribing during the end-of-life period: A qualitative study of Veterans, their support caregivers and their providers
Authors: Goedken Cassie Cunningham , Balkenende Erin , Livorsi Daniel , Giannitrapani Karleen , McCaa Matthew , Clore Gosia , Goto Michihiko , Marra Alexandre R. , Perencevich Eli N.
Published: November 2023

Background: Antimicrobials are frequently used for palliation during end-of-life care, but adverse effects, such as antimicrobial resistance, are a concern. Shared decision-making is beneficial in end-of-life care conversations to help align antimicrobial prescribing with patient preferences. However, there is limited data on barriers and facilitators to incorporating antimicrobial prescribing discussions into shared decision-making conversations. We explored healthcare provider, patient, and support caregiver (e.g., family member or friend) perceptions of barriers and facilitators to discussing antimicrobial prescribing during the end-of-life period.
Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews at one acute-care and one long-term care facility and performed thematic content analysis. Fifteen healthcare provider and 13 palliative care/hospice care patients/support caregivers were interviewed focusing on attitudes/beliefs about antimicrobial prescribing during end-of-life patient care.
Results: Qualitative interviews revealed that providers recognize the potential benefit of leveraging shared decision-making to guide antimicrobial-prescribing decisions. Barriers included limited face-to-face time with the patient and uncertainty of end-of-life prognosis. Patients/support caregivers cited trust, comprehension, and feeling heard as important characteristics which act as facilitators in fostering effective shared decision-making around antimicrobial use. Communication in which providers ensure patients are involved in shared decision-making discussions could be increased to ensure patients and their providers develop a mutually agreeable care plan.
Conclusions: Shared decision-making is a practice that can guide antimicrobial-prescribing decisions during end-of-life care and, in turn, potentially minimize antimicrobial-related adverse effects. Our findings highlight an opportunity for increased shared decision-making around antimicrobial use during end-of-life care. Interventions designed to address the identified barriers to shared decision-making have potential to improve antimicrobial prescribing practices at end-of-life.
Grasping pose detection based on self-attention and convolutional neural networks
Authors: Pu Quan-cheng , Xu Xiang-rong , Zhang Hui
Published: November 2023

To address the challenges commonly encountered in existing robotic arm grasping networks, this study introduces a lightweight grasping pose detection network, SA-Grasp. This network employs a deep convolutional neural network as its backbone structure, utilizes the Coordinate Attention to suppress the interference of irrelevant information, and incorporates a self-attention module to aggregate global image information. Experimental results demonstrate that SA-Grasp achieves impressive grasping detection accuracies of 98.37% and 97.19% on the image-wise and object-wise subsets of the Cornell dataset, respectively, and a grasping detection accuracy of 96.33% on the Jacquard dataset. Furthermore, the network requires a mere 21 ms to detect a single image. When applied to a real-world planar grasping experimental platform for 180 grasping experiments across nine types of objects, SA-Grasp achieves a grasping success rate of 94.44%, thereby verifying its reliability.
Erstellung von problemhaltigen Prüfungsaufgaben – eine Herausforderung für angehende Lehrkräfte in der kaufmännisch-beruflichen Bildung?
Authors:   , Turhan Lütfiye
Published: November 2023

Auszubildende sollen durch die Berufsausbildung u.a. die Kompetenz erlangen, berufliche Probleme zu lösen. Abschlussprüfungen dienen der Kompetenzerfassung, schriftlich-kaufmännische Prüfungsaufgaben bilden allerdings noch unzureichend Problemsituationen ab, deren Lösung Problemlösekompetenz erfordert. An der Erstellung von Prüfungsaufgaben sind auch Lehrkräfte kaufmännisch-beruflicher Schulen beteiligt. In der Arbeit wird untersucht, wie sie in der ersten und zweiten Phase der Lehrer*innenbildung auf das Erstellen problemhaltiger Aufgaben zu summativ-diagnostischen Zwecken vorbereitet werden. Hierfür werden Dokumentenanalysen zu beiden Phasen der Lehrer*innenbildung durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse werden mittels einer Fragebogenstudie mit Studiengangsleiter*innen sowie Interviews mit Fachleiter*innen der Studienseminare gesichert. Um die Wahrnehmung angehender Lehrkräfte zu erfahren, werden Interviews mit Masterstudierenden der Wirtschaftspädagogik sowie Lehrkräfte im Vorbereitungsdienst (LiV) an kaufmännisch-beruflichen Schulen durchgeführt. Durch die Vorstudien gelingt es, Optimierungsbedarfe in der Ausbildung von Lehrkräften kaufmännisch-beruflicher Schulen festzuhalten. Davon ausgehend wird ein Trainingskonzept begründet ausgewählt. Die Evaluation dessen erfolgt mittels einer quasi-experimentellen Studie mit Masterstudierende und LiV. Zur qualitativen Evaluation werden Interviews mit Teilnehmenden der Interventionsgruppe durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Teilnehmenden das Training als Intervention überwiegend positiv wahrnehmen und dieser, zumindest mit Blick auf das Erstellen von problemhaltigen Aufgaben, zu einem Lernzuwachs führt. Durch die bedarfsorientierte Intervention und dessen Evaluationsergebnisse wird ein Konzept vorgeschlagen, welches eine Lösung zur Deckung bestehender Optimierungsbedarfe bietet. Die Ergebnisse der Arbeit haben das Potential, langfristig einen Beitrag zur Verbesserung der Lehrer*innenbildung zu leisten und somit u.a. Assessmentaufgaben valider zu gestalten.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in locally advanced rectosigmoid junction cancer: a case report
Authors: Alekseev I. E. , Lysovolenko N. L. , Gavrilyuk E. V. , Khvostovoi V. V. , Lazareva N. V. , Bykanova А. M. , Grebenkin E. N. , Stanoevich I. V.
Published: November 2023

Background. takotsubo cardiomyopathy (tcm) occurs more frequently in cancer patients than in the general population. The triggers for tcm in cancer patients include not only the inflammatory state of the cancer itself, but also the significant emotional stress of a cancer diagnosis and the physical stress associated with invasive diagnostic and treatment procedures.

Case presentation. We describe the case of a 54-yearold woman with histologically verified rectosigmoid junction cancer (cT4bcN2M0) complicated by acute intestinal obstruction. In the early postoperative period, a sudden drop in blood pressure, t-wave inversion and Qt-interval prolongation on ecg, decrease in the left ventricle contractility and presence of wall motion abnormalities on echocardiography (ecHo), as well as an increase in biomarkers of myocardial damage were initially regarded as acute coronary syndrome, which was subsequently excluded according to the findings of coronary angiography, which did not reveal coronary artery obstruction. taking into account the rapid and complete inverse dynamics of changes, acute myocardial infarction without coronary artery obstruction and acute myocarditis were excluded. Ultimately, the diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy was established.

Conclusion. this case report indicates that cancer can be a trigger for the development of tcm; therefore, the assessment of cardiological status and timely detection of cardiac complications in cancer patients during cancer treatment is extremely important and is aimed at increasing the overall survival in this category of patients.
Robotic surgery in the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer: a case report
Authors: Saprina O. A. , Kropotov M. A. , Zanozina E. A.
Published: November 2023

Background. The incidence of HpV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (oscc) is steadily increasing. given the better prognosis in patients with HpV-positive cancer compared to HpV-negative cancer, attempts were made to reduce the therapeutic effect in patients with early-stage oscc to improve the quality of life of these patients. early-stage oscc can currently been treated with radiation therapy or surgery used alone or in combination. Currently, the concept of transoral surgery includes both transoral laser microsurgery and robot-assisted surgeries (da Vinci, medrobotics Flex system). Case description. We report a case of using the da Vinci robot-assisted system in the combined modality treatment of oropharyngeal cancer. The patient underwent surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy. At a follow-up of 10 months, no evidence of disease progression was found. The patient experienced no any pain on swallowing.

Conclusion. The use of the da Vinci robot-assisted surgical system in the combined modality treatment of oropharyngeal cancer, especially in such a hard-to-reach area as the root of the tongue, makes it possible to better visualize and determine the boundaries of the lesion, followed by en block resection, as well as to improve functional and aesthetic results. However, careful selection of patients for this type of treatment is necessary.
The features of PD-L1 expression in tumor stromal cells, peritumoral microvessels and isolated clusters of tumor cells in breast cancer tissue and their correlation with clinical and morphological characteristics of breast cancer
Authors: Zubareva E. Yu. , Senchukova M. A. , Karmakova T. A. , Zaitsev N. V.
Published: November 2023

Objective: to study the features of PD-L1 expression in tumor stromal cells, peritumoral microvessels, and isolated clusters of tumor cells in breast cancer (Bc) tissue and their correlation with the clinical and morphological characteristics of Bc.

Material and Methods. The study included 158 patients with newly diagnosed invasive BC. PD-L1 expression was studied by immunohistochemistry. statistical analysis was performed using statistica 12.0 software.

Results. PD-L1 expression in peritumoral microvessels occurred in 41.4 and 61.7 % of cases with t1–2 and T3–4 (p=0.020), and in 39.8 and 51.7 % of cases with N0–1 and N2–3 (p=0.008), respectively. In isolated clusters of tumor cells, the marker expression was observed in 28.0 and 52.5 % of cases in nodular and diffuse forms of BC (p=0.005); in 25.9, 39.3 and 66.7 % of cases at stages I–IIb, IIIa–IIIc and IV  (p=0.011); in 30.3, 26.2, 40.0 and 52.5 % of cases in T1, T2, T3 and T4 (p=0.040); and in 28.2 and 45.5 % of cases in N0–1 and N2–3 (p=0.030), respectively. Nuclear expression of PD-L1 was also detected in stromal cells, and was observed in 28.8 and 55.0 % of cases with nodular and diffuse forms of BC (p=0.003), in 17.6, 52.5 and 75.0 % of cases in early, locally advanced and metastatic BC (p<0.001), in 21.2, 28.7, 80.0 and 55.0 % of cases in T1, T2, T3 and T4 (p=0.002), in 21.7, 35.3, 51.4 and 55.0 % of cases with N0, N1, N2 and N3 (p=0.005), in 49.0 and 29.0 % of cases with negative and positive status of PR (p=0.014), in 30.3 and 52.8 % of cases with HER2-negative and HER2-positive BC status (p=0.014), respectively.

Conclusion. The data indicate the relationship between PD-L1 expression and BC progression. The determination of PD-L1 expression in peritumoral microvessels and isolated tumor cell clusters, as well as nuclear expression of the marker, can be used to clarify the prognosis of the disease.