bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unravelling taboos and cultural beliefs associated with hidden hunger among pregnant and breast-feeding women in Buyende District Eastern Uganda
Authors: Tugume Patience , Mustafa Abubakar Sadik , Walusansa Abdul , Ojelel Samuel , Nyachwo Evelyne B. , Muhumuza Emmanuel , Maria Nampeera , Kabbale Fredrick , Ssenku Jamilu. E.
Published: October 2023

Background: Food taboos and cultural beliefs among pregnant and breastfeeding women influence their food consumption patterns and hence the health of women and unborn children. Cognizant of their neglect in programs aimed to ameliorate hidden hunger among pregnant and breast-feeding women in Buyende and other resource poor communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, we opted for a study to unravel them to inform program design.
Methods: We documented food taboos and beliefs amongst pregnant and breast-feeding women from six sub counties of Buyende district in Eastern Uganda. A mixed-methods approach was used, which was comprised of questionnaire interviews with 489 women, eight focus group discussions with 6-10 participants in each and a total of 15 key informant interviews.
Results: The present study revealed that nearly 40% of the respondents practice food taboos and adhere to cultural beliefs related to their dietary habits during pregnancy and breastfeeding, that are fuelling the prevalence of hidden hunger. The most tabooed foods during pregnancy were Saccharum officinarum (17.9%), fishes (16.0%), Citrus sinensis (5.8%), Ananas comosus (5.6%), eggs (3.6%), chicken (3.3%) and Eleusine coracana(3.0%).Most foods were avoided for reasons associated with pregnancy, labour complications and undesirable effectson the baby. Most women learnt of the taboos and beliefs from elders especially their own mother, grandmother or mother in-law, but there was also knowledge transmission in social groups within the community.
Conclusion: The taboos and cultural beliefs in the study area renders pregnant and breast-feeding women prone to micronutrient deficiency since they are denied consumption of a diversity of nutritious foods. There is a need to educate such women about consumption of nutrient-rich foods like fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables in order to improve their health, that of the unborn and children being breast fed. Additionally, culturally appropriate nutrition education may be a good strategy to eliminate inappropriate food taboos and beliefs with negative impact on the health of pregnant and breast-feeding women.
Molecular Subtypes Based on Disulfidptosis-related Genes and Tumor Microenvironment Infiltration Characterization in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Li Bin , Lin Yuxi , Deng Jing , Hu Liting , Gong Jiao , Chong Yutian , Li Xinhua
Published: October 2023

The novel discovery of programed cellular death pathway in the field of disulfidptosis has shed light on molecular carcinogenesis and the optimization of anti-tumor therapies. However, the characteristics of disulfidptosis-based molecular classifications and distinct tumor microenvironment-relevant features remain to be disentangled in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we comprehensively delineated the molecular landscape of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) and developed DRGs-derived molecular subtypes. Extended investigations of phenotypic linkages between the constructed subtypes and genomic alterations, immune/stromal cell infiltration, immune checkpoints expression, prognostic value and therapeutic agent susceptibility prediction were carried out. Remarkably, our findings demonstrated that DRGs significantly amplified in copy number and upregulated in HCC tumor samples, with enrichment in cancer-promoting processes like MAPK and cAMP signaling pathway. According to DRGs transcriptional profiles, patients with HCC were divided into high- and low-risk groups. To be precise, high-risk group were characterized by higher CTNNB1 mutation frequency and exhausted immune checkpoint expression, together with favorable prognosis. Higher fraction of tumor-associated macrophage and activated memory CD4 + cells were observed in high-risk group, while NK and follicular helper T cells were enriched in low-risk group. Enriched with TP53 mutation and stromal-relevant contents, low-risk group exhibited diminish prognosis, higher immunophenoscore and enhanced sensitivity with 5-fluorouracil, sorafenib and axitinib, indicated that patients in low-risk group probably benefit from combination therapy. In conclusion, our research built up the credible molecular phenotypic linkage between disulfidptosis and hepatic carcinogenesis, unraveling DRGs-based molecular subtypes as trustworthy prognostic indicator and its critical implications in anti-tumor therapy unresponsiveness minimization.
Cardiac herniation post left upper lobectomy and thymectomy: A Case Report
Authors: Jhala Hiral , Thomas Mathew
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND: Cardiac herniation occurs when there is a residual pericardial defect post thoracic surgery and is recognised as a rare but fatal complication. It confers a high mortality and requires immediate surgical correction upon recognition. We present a case of cardiac herniation occurring post thymectomy and left upper lobectomy.
CASE PRESENTATION: Initial presentation: A 48-year-old male, hypertensive smoker presented with progressive breathlessness and was found to have a left upper zone mass with a widened mediastinum on chest radiograph (CXR). PET-CT revealed avidity in a left anterior mediastinal and left upper lobe (LUL) lung mass, with mediastinal lymph nodes, with a right thymic satellite nodule.
Intraoperatively: Left thoracotomy (access) and Sternotomy (retrieval): The LUL tumour involved the left thymic lobe (LTL), left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV), left phrenic nerve and intervening mediastinal fat and pericardium, which were resected en-masse. The satellite nodule in the right thymic lobe (RTL) was adjacent to the junction between the left innominate vein and superior vena cava (SVC), resected separately. The pericardium was resected from the SVC to the left atrial appendage.
Clinical deterioration: Initially the patient was doing well clinically on day 1, however there was sudden bradycardia, hypotension, clamminess, and oligoanuria, with raised central venous pressures and troponins. ECG: no capture in leads V1-2, but positive deflections seen on posterior leads. Echo: no acoustic windows, but good windows seen posteriorly. A CXR showed left mediastinal shift insinuating cardiac herniation.
Redo operation: After initial resuscitation and stabilisation on the intensive care unit, on day 2 a redo-sternotomy revealed cardiac herniation into the left thoracic cavity with the left ventricular apex pointing towards the spine, and inferior caval kinking. After reduction and repair of the pericardial defect with a fenestrated GoreTex patch, the patient recovered well with complete resolution of the ECG and CXR.
CONCLUSION: Cardiac herniation can even occur following sub-pneumonectomy lung resections and should be considered as a different when faced with a sudden clinical deterioration, warranting immediate surgical repair.
HIF-1α protects articular cartilage in osteoarthritis by activating autophagy
Authors: Chen Xiaolei , Feng Gangning , Lin Xue , He xiaoxin , Yang Yong , Zhao Xin , Yan Jiangbo , Ma Long , Zhou Yong , Wang Hui , Lu Zhidong , Xue Di , Jin Qunhua
Published: October 2023

Objective
Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is known to regulate the energy metabolism and autophagy of chondrocytes under inflammatory and hypoxic conditions. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms by which HIF-1α influences cartilage injury through autophagy and oxidative stress pathways following the onset of osteoarthritis (OA).
Methods
Human knee joint samples were categorized into the OA group and the control group (CON) for radiological and pathological assessments, along with proteomic analysis to elucidate the interplay between osteoarthritis, HIF-1α, and autophagy. Chondrocytes were stimulated with IL-1β to establish an OA model, and these cells were subsequently divided into the control group (CON), IL-1β group (OA), IL-1β + LW6 group, IL-1β + DMOG100 group, and IL-1β + DMOG200 group. Immunofluorescence and western blot analyses were employed to measure the expression levels of HIF-1α, ROS, and LC3 to clarify the association between HIF-1α and autophagy. In addition, mice were categorized into the control group (CON), model group (DMM), and treatment group (DMM + DMOG). Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and RT-qPCR were conducted to assess the expression levels of HIF-1α, LC3, MMP-13, COL2, β-catenin, and HIF-2α. Micro-CT was utilized to evaluate subchondral bone morphology to elucidate the relationship between HIF-1α and cartilage injury, as well as its underlying mechanisms.
Results
Osteoarthritic cartilage exhibited elevated levels of HIF-1α, reduced LC3 expression, and increased ROS levels. Inhibition of HIF-1α using LW6 led to further reductions in LC3 levels and increased ROS production. Conversely, the activation of HIF-1α with DMOG significantly elevated HIF-1α levels, increased LC3 expression, reduced ROS levels, decreased MMP-13 levels, enhanced COL2 expression, decreased β-catenin levels, and lowered HIF-2α expression, resulting in a reduced severity of articular cartilage injury.
Conclusion
After the onset of osteoarthritis, low or physiologically elevated levels of HIF-1α may not adequately activate autophagy. Maintaining HIF-1α at elevated levels can protect articular cartilage by inhibiting oxidative stress and enhancing autophagy.
Exploring Rare locations of Hydatid Disease: Beyond the Usual Suspects
Authors: Cherif Mona , Mesbahi Meryam , Khedhiri nizar , Benzarti Yazid , Amara Amal , Zaafouri Haithem , Hadded Dhafer , Maamer Anis Ben
Published: October 2023

INTRODUCTION:
Hydatid disease, endemic in Mediterranean countries, predominantly affects the liver, but its presence can extend throughout the human body. Non-hepatic and non-pulmonary cysts often pose diagnostic complexities. This study delves into this matter, examining patients with hydatid cysts located in atypical areas.
OBSERVATION:
From 2013 to 2020, our center treated 250 patients with echinococcosis. Among them, 11 cases (4.4%) of hydatid disease in uncommon sites were retrospectively reviewed. Among these 11 patients (5 males, 6 females), a distinctive distribution of unusual cyst locations was observed. Of note, 6 patients exhibited exclusively extrahepatic cysts. The most recurrent extrahepatic sites were the peritoneal cavity and spleen: 6 patients displayed splenic hydatid cysts, either in isolation or combined with peritoneal cysts. Moreover, 3 patients presented with pelvic cysts: one between the rectum and urinary bladder, another in the Douglas region, and the third situated in the rectovaginal septum. In addition, 1 patient had a gluteal cyst, and the final patient was affected by a cyst within the spermatic cord.
CONCLUSION:
Diagnosing hydatid cysts in uncommon locations is a formidable challenge. Surgeons should always contemplate the prospect of an unconventional cyst location when encountering patients with cystic masses in endemic regions. Failing to consider this possibility could lead to unfavorable outcomes.
TAP: Temporally-Aggregative Pretraining with Transformers for Temporal Action Detection
Authors: Zeng Fanzhi , Tan Zhenwei , Zhou Yan
Published: October 2023

Given the long duration of untrimmed videos and the difficulties with end-to-end training, contemporary temporal action detection (TAD) methods heavily depend on pre-computed video feature sequences for subsequent analysis. However, video clip features extracted directly from video encoders trained for trimmed action classification commonly lack temporal sensitivity. To overcome this limitation, we propose an innovative framework named temporally-aggregative pretraining (TAP). TAP is rooted in the design principle of extracting TAD features of temporal sensitivity to improve discrimination between them and those from trimmed action classification. The proposed TAP consists of two fundamental modules at its core: a feature encoding module and a temporal aggregation module, which use both local and global features for pretraining. The feature encoding module employs a novel video encoder of a multiscale vision transformer, which ingeniously combines the essential concept of multiscale feature hierarchy with transformers to achieve effective feature extraction from video clips. The temporal aggregation module introduces a temporal pyramid pooling layer that effectively captures temporal-contextual semantic information from video feature sequences, enhancing more discriminative global video representations. Extensive experiments validate the significantly improved discriminative potency of our pretrained features for two commonly used datasets.
Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Bioequivalence Evaluation of Etomidate: A Randomized, Open-Label, 2-Period Crossover Study in Healthy Chinese Subjects
Authors: Ding Ying , Chu Nan-nan , Wang Rui , Qin Wei , Shi Yun-fei , Qian Zhen-zhong , Liu Bo , He Qing
Published: October 2023

Purpose: Etomidate is a sedative and hypnotic drug through intravenous administration that act on the central nervous system through GABA (Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid) receptors, which is widely used in anesthesia induction and maintenance and long-term sedation in severe patients. The study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties and bioequivalence of two etomidate fat emulsions after administration through the intravenous infusion pump in healthy Chinese subjects.
Methods: In this randomized, open-label, 2-period crossover study, 52 healthy subjects received a single dose of the etomidate fat emulsion test or reference formulation. The wash-out period was 7 days. Blood samples and pharmacodynamic index values were collected at the specified time points. The plasma concentrations of etomidate were measured using validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed using a non-compartment model method. Pharmacodynamic parameters were calculated using pharmacodynamic index values. The study also evaluated the safety of the etomidate.
Results: Both the pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacodynamic parameters result of the test and reference formulation were very similar. The 90% confidence intervals (CI) of the geometric least-squares mean (GLSM) ratios of the test to reference formulation were 91.33%-104.96% for the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), 97.21%-102.03% for the area under the plasma concentration time curve from time 0 to the time of the last measurable concentration (AUC0-t), and 97.22%-102.33% for the area under the plasma concentration time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0-∞). Meanwhile, the 90% CI of the GLSM ratios of the test to reference formulation were 102.28%-110.69% for the minimal BIS value (BISmin), 99.23%-101.17% for the area under the BIS time curve from time 0 to 60 minutes after administration (BISAUC0-60min), respectively. The 90% CI of these pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters all fall in the accepted bioequivalence range of 80.00% to 125.00%. No serious adverse events occurred during the study.
Conclusion: The etomidate fat emulsion test and reference formulation had pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic bioequivalence. The two formulations exhibited good safety and well-tolerance.
Clinical trials registration number: http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn/index.html
# CTR20191836.
Date of clinical trials registration: 11 Sep 2019.
Enhancing Trustworthy Deep Learning for Image Classification against Evasion Attacks: A systematic literature review
Authors: Akhtom Duaa M. , Singh Mahinderjit , Ying Chew Xin
Published: October 2023

Deep learning (DL) algorithms have demonstrated remarkable performance in image classification , making them essential for critical applications. However, recent research has highlighted the vulnerability of DL to cyber-attacks, such as data poisoning and evasion attacks, which can significantly degrade its performance. Addressing this issue and developing trustworthy and robust DL models against such attacks remain ongoing research challenges. This study aims to evaluate the state-of-the-art Adversarial Machine Learning techniques (AML) in image classification through a systematic literature review encompassing 49 different studies conducted over the last decade. By conducting this review, potential obstacles in building robust DL models capable of withstanding evasion attacks are identified. The comprehensive analysis of existing literature is crucial to explore the impact of adversarial attacks on the security and resilience of DL models , which aligns with the regulations set forth by the European Commission’s AI High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) to ensure the reliability of artificial intelligence. Furthermore, this review examines the key features of adversarial attacks and proposes a reliable and trustworthy framework based on AML. This framework aims to effectively mitigate previously unknown attacks, resulting in reliable and explainable predictions.
RETRACTED: A novel robust LSTM model on Churn and comparative analysis versus deep learning, machine learning and ensemble learning: Telecommunications Case
Authors: Başarslan Muhammet sinan , ÜNAL Aslıhan , KAYAALP Fatih
Published: October 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Preoperative and follow-up variation of the psoas major muscle as a predictor of S1 screw loosening in patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis
Authors: Zhou Siyu , Xu Fei , Sun Zhuoran , Jiang Shuai , Li Zhuofu , Han Gengyu , Li Weishi
Published: October 2023

Background: It was reported the paraspinal muscle played an important role in spinal stability. The preoperative paraspinal muscle was related to S1 screw loosening. But the relationship between preoperative and postoperative change of psoas major muscle (PS) and S1 pedicle screw loosening in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) patients has not been reported. This study investigated the effects of preoperative and follow-up variations in the psoas major muscle (PS) on the first sacral vertebra (S1) screw loosening in patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS).
Methods:212 patients with DLSS who underwent lumbar surgery were included. The patients were divided into the S1 screw loosening group and the S1 screw non-loosening group. Muscle parameters were measured preoperatively and at last follow-up magnetic resonance imaging. A logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the risk factors for S1 screw loosening.
Results: The S1 screw loosening rate was 36.32% (77/212). The relative total cross-sectional areas and relative functional cross-sectional areas (rfCSAs) of the PS at L2–S1 were significantly higher after surgery. The increased rfCSA values of the PS at L3–S1 in the S1 screw non-loosening group were significantly higher than those in the S1 screw loosening group. The regression analysis showed male, lower CT value of L1 and longer segment fusion were independent risk factors for S1 screw loosening, and postoperative hypertrophy of the PS was a protective factor for S1 screw loosening.
Conclusions:Compared to the preoperative muscle, the PS size increasedand fatty infiltration decreased after surgery from L2–3 to L5–S1 in patients with DLSS presenting with short-segment fusion. Postoperative hypertrophy of the PS should be considered as a protective factor for S1 screw loosening. MRI morphometric parameters and postoperative selected exercise of PS for DLSS patients after PLIF might contribute to improvement of surgical outcome.
The development, evaluation, performance and validation of micro-PCR and extractor for the quantification of HIV-1 &-2 RNA
Authors: Prakash Shyam , Aasarey Ram , Priyatma Priyatma , Sharma Meenakshi , Khan Shahid , Medha Medha
Published: October 2023

HIV infection has been a global public health threat and reported ~ 40 million deaths. AIDS is caused by the retrovirus, HIV-1, which is transmitted via body fluids and secretions during the time AIDS in HIV-2 infection is twice as compared to an HIV-1. Q-PCR is the only available method that requires trained personnel and lab infrastructure. Micro-PCR is a portable Q-PCR developed by Bigtec Bangalore, India, which is simple, accurate, fast, and operationalized in remote places where diagnostic services are not easily accessible in the country. This micro-PCR can determine simultaneously HIV-1 and HIV-2 viral load using a TruePrep™ extractor device for RNA isolation. 5.0 ml blood samples were collected at the blood collection centre at AIIMS, New Delhi, India. Samples were screened for serology and a comparison of HIV-1/-2 RNA was done between QPCR and micro-PCR in the samples. The micro-PCR assay of HIV-RNA has compared well with those from real-time PCR (r = 0.99, p > 0.002). Micro-PCR has good inter and intra-assay reproducibility over a wide dynamic range (1.0x102 to 1.0x108 IU/ml). The linear dynamic range was 102 to 108. The clinical and analytical specificity of the assay was comparable i.e., 100%. Intra-assay and inter-assay coefficient of variation ranged from 1.17–3.15% and from 0.02–0.46% respectively. This micro-PCR is reliable, accurate and reproducible for early HIV-1 and HIV-2 viral load detection. This can easily be used in the field and in remote places where quantification of both HIV-1/-2 is not reachable.
Highly Sensitive Photonic Crystal Fiber Biosensor Based on Surface Plasmon Resonance for Six Distinct Types of Cancer Detection
Authors: Chaity Ananna Chaki
Published: October 2023

An innovative photonic crystal fiber (PCF) biosensor using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to diagnosis six distinct kinds of cancers (Skin cancer, Cervical cancer, Adrenal gland cancer, Blood cancer, Breast cancer type 1 and 2) in cells is demonstrated here, incorporates with two micro channels and a bimetallic configuration. The numerical analysis utilizes the finite element method (FEM) combined with perfectly matched layers (PML). The plasmonic material employed in the biosensor is gold (Au), and a supportive material, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is combined with Au. Through combining together these two materials, the sensor's performance is improved. The numerical calculations indicate that Breast Cancer Type 2 has the highest wavelength sensitivity 24285.71 nm/RIU, amplitude sensitivity 3959 RIU-1. Rest of the cancer cells wavelength sensitivities are 11000.00 nm/RIU (Skin Cancer), 13333.33 nm/RIU (Cervical Cancer), 15000.00 nm/RIU (Blood Cancer), 17142.85 nm/RIU (Adrenal-gland Cancer) and 21428.57 nm/RIU (Breast Cancer Type 1). This advanced biosensor has several uses in biological sensing and medical technology, and it has the potential to revolutionize cancer identification and medical diagnosis.
The impact of stress on work engagement and workplace creativity of hospital administrators: the mediating role of somatic symptoms and sleep disturbance
Authors: Hou Min , Chen Yanjun , Yao Na , Xiao Yinghong , Ju Yumeng , Liu Bangshan , Liao Mei , Liu Jin , Zhang Yan
Published: October 2023

Background
Occupational stress affects the mental and physical health of hospital employees. Yet, few studies depict the role of physical health issues in the relationship between stress and work engagement/workplace creativity in hospital administrators. Hospital administrators play a critical role in ensuring the smooth operation of hospitals, handling emergencies, and delivering healthcare services. The study investigates the mediating role of somatic symptoms and sleep disturbance on the relationship between stress and work engagement/workplace creativity in hospital administrators.
Methods
A survey examined the stress, somatic symptoms, sleep conditions, work engagement, and workplace creativity of hospital administrative and logistic personnel of Chinese Grade-A tertiary. A total of 481 valid responses were included. Data analyses used significance analysis, correlation analyses, mediation analyses, and chain mediation analyses.
Results
Stress is related to work engagement and creativity, and this relationship can be mediated by sleep disturbance and somatic symptoms, respectively. Further, there was a chain mediation model of stress → somatic symptoms →sleep disturbance→ work engagement, but not on workplace creativity. Women, the older population, those affiliated with the clinical departments, and those with senior positions experienced greater stress, sleep disturbance, and somatic symptoms.
Conclusion
The mechanism underlying the impact of stress on work engagement/workplace creativity of hospital administrators can be stress-induced somatic symptoms and sleep disturbance and thus should not be overlooked. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of targeted interventions for the mental and physical health, as well as the occupational welfare, of hospital administrators during both emergencies and daily situations. A combination of psychological support and physiological intervention was encouraged.
A Proposed Cancelable Biometrical Recognition System (CBRS) Based on Developed Hénon Chaotic-Map
Authors: El-aziem Ayman H. Abd , Abdelhafeez Ahmed , soliman Tamer H. M.
Published: October 2023

Currently, authentication systems rely heavily on human biometrics. Cancellable biometric patterns are generated from the original templates to enhance the security level of biometric features in response to violent attacks. In this paper, a proposed method for a cancelable biometrical recognition system (CBRS) is introduced, which is based on the developed Hénon chaotic-map concept. The proposed CBRS design guarantees that the original biometric features are modified and encrypted before being stored in the database, ensuring their protection against malicious cyber-attacks. The suggested technique was tested using different facial biometrics datasets The correlation scores and the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve were calculated to evaluate the system's performance. The analysis results show that the suggested technique is highly effective robust and reliable, as evidenced by its excellent performance across various face databases.
The gut microbiome of healthy and moribund orange-spotted groupers reveals specialised metabolite profiles and potential beneficial species: A case study in Malaysian fish farm
Authors: Lau Cher Chien , Nor Siti Azizah Mohd , Noor Mohd Ezhar Mohd , Afiqah-Aleng Nor , Tan Min Pau , Ng Su Khi , Sung Yeong Yik , Wong Li Lian , Munir Mohammad Bodrul , Danish-Daniel Muhd
Published: October 2023

The gut microbiome of carnivorous fish evolves in tandem with the host to adaptively increase the host fitness in a dynamically-changing environment. In order to identify the beneficial strains in supporting the survival of orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides in a culture environment, the foregut, midgut and hindgut were analysed in three healthy and two moribund individuals. This study was conducted in the Merbok River, northwest Peninsular Malaysia which is exposed to some degree of pollution. The 16S amplicon sequencing targeting the V3-V4 highly variable region revealed similar community richness among samples but compositional and functional differences between the healthy and moribund fishes in the three gut regions. The findings showed a higher abundance of beneficial microflora, including Halomonas, Curvibacter and Bacillus residing in healthy foreguts, coupled with elevated activities of aromatic compound degradation. In the midguts, more than 70% of microbiota comprised of Photobacterium and Vibrio in most specimens. The higher abundance of Vibrio and Photobacterim in moribund fish hindguts may be correlated with increased chitinolytic activity and altered metabolic pathways. The outcomes of the study provide a fundamental understanding of the gut microbiota structure and suggest the potential use of Halomonas, Curvibacter and Bacillus in the orange-spotted grouper survival in a polluted environment.
Abnormal expression of B2M inhibits immune evasion of head and neck cancers through the PDL1 axis
Authors: Guan Xiaoya , Guo Huina , Han Qi , Li Zhongxun , Zhang Chunming
Published: October 2023

PURPOSE
Head and neck cancers exhibit immune dysregulation closely linked to immune escape, which may occur in response to immunosuppressive cells, immune checkpoints, antigen loss, and immune escape ligands. However, the specific mechanism of immune escape is not known yet. This study aimed to investigate the immune escape mechanism through molecular and genetic verification experiments.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
The head and neck cancer data were downloaded from the TCGA database. Similarly, head and neck tumor samples were collected from 40 patients and subjected to qPCR and immunohistochemical analysis to verify the roles of B2M, PDL1, CD8, and PRF1 in head and neck tumors.
RESULTS
The analysis of TCGA data revealed a correlation between B2M and HLA (R = 0.722, P < 0.5), whereas the correlation between B2M and CD8A, PDL1, and PRF1 was found to be R = 0.525, P < 0.5, R = 0.534, P < 0.5, and R = 577, P < 0.5, respectively. Similarly, the qPCR analysis revealed that B2M, CD8A, PDL1, and PRF1 expression levels were significantly higher in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) tumors than in adjacent tissues. B2M was variably expressed in different clinical stages of LSCC, where an increased positive expression of B2M was observed at higher stages, while the CD8A, PDL1, and PRF1 expressions were relatively low. Analysis of survival curves of different LSCC clinical stages showed that the higher clinical stage was associated with shorter survival, which was associated with higher B2M expression. These results are suggestive of B2M affecting head and neck cancers.
CONCLUSION
Immune evasion of head and neck tumors may result from imbalanced MHCI complexes, which interact with CD8+ T cells and secrete PRF1, resulting in immune cell infiltration and tumor growth.
Identification of hvKP based on biomarkers and Galleria mellonella infection model
Authors: Mai Dongmei , Wu Anqi , Li Ran , Cai Donghao , Tan Junqing
Published: October 2023

Background The technique of clinical identification of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) was improved by in vivo and in vitro experiments. To provide clinical diagnostic tools for timely treatment of infections caused by hvKP. 588 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae clinically isolated from a Grade-III Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2022 to February 2023 were collected, and the initially screened strains of hvKP was obtained according to the clinical data characteristics of patients. Two biomarker analysis experiments, polymerase chain reaction analysis of virulence gene and siderophores detection, were used to identify the initially screened strains of hvKP, and through the galleria mellonella infection model, the high virulence characteristics of hvKP were detected. Among them, the analysis of the susceptibility results of hvKP showed that two strains of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKP). and carbapenem-sensitive hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CS-hvKP) were found, and their molecular characteristics were analyzed and compared.
Results According to the characteristics of clinical data, a total of 108 strains of hvKP were initially screened, and 94 strains of hvKP were identified from the 108 strains initially screened, and the highly virulent characteristics of hvKP were further verified by using the infection model of galleria mellonella. The drug susceptibility results showed that 58 strains of CR-hvKP and 36 strains of CS-hvKP were found, and the molecular characteristics of CR-hvKP were obtained by comparing the molecular diagnostic indexes.
Conclusion Through clinical data combined with molecular diagnostic index analysis, it can effectively identify hvKP, especially CR-hvKP, and provide scientific basis for accurate clinical identification and timely treatment of hvKP.
The Political Economy of Clientelism: When Inequality Favors the Elites
Authors: Izzulhaq Syahid , Kurnia Akhmad Syakir
Published: October 2023

This paper provides a novel foundation of inequality and political clientelism. First, we conduct an extensive-form game analysis to illustrate the nexus. Our paper demonstrates that with a high concentration of wealth, implying a lower income of people experiencing poverty, the elites can conduct political clientelism since it is enforceable and effective to capture sufficient de facto and collective-action power. We then conduct empirical investigations using two-stage least-squared estimations based on 104 democratic countries from 2002 to 2017 to test our theoretical conjecture. The empirical results suggest a strong correlation between clientelism and income inequality, confirming our anticipated pattern.
JEL Classification: P16, H23, D63.
A Lightweight Attention based MobileNetv2 Model for Brain Tumor Segmentation and Severity of Tumor Classification using Support Vector Machine
Authors: Pavithra D. , Nidhya R. , Vinothini C. , Murugaiyan Maranco
Published: October 2023

Brain tumors are lumps of aberrant tissue that can develop into cancer and have a significant negative influence on a person's health. MRI scans of the brain can reveal them. Segmentation and classification are two elements in these approaches that are extremely crucial. As opposed to anatomical organ segmentation, tumor segmentation is much more difficult due to the variety in size, location, and shape of tumors. For this reason, it is imperative to build reliable, precise, and effective deep learning-based methods. Recent deep learning techniques for classifying and segmenting brain tumors produced encouraging results. These approaches, however, have heavy-weight architectures by nature, necessitating more storage and costly training procedures because of the enormous number of training parameters they must be fed. It is crucial to investigate transportable deep learning models without compromising classification precision. In this research, we provide compact deep neural network models using the pre-trained Attentiveness MobileNetV2 models along with the attention module. The four phases of the proposed system are preliminary processing, division, extracting and categorizing features, and severity classification. Anisotropic diffusion processing as well as data enhancement methods are used initially. The tumor region is then segmented using the proposed modified dimensional U-Net (3D-M-U-Net). Finally, the extraction and classification of features are implemented using the Compact MobileNetV2 framework. Here, the high-level tumor-based information is initially recovered from the convolution features. The important semantic information is then captured using an attention module. Once high-level tumor-based data as well as fascinating semantic information have been combined in the convolutional and focused modules, fully linked layers as well as the layer of softmax are utilized to categorize tumours into either benign or dangerous. Finally, Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used to categorize tumors into moderate, severe, and mild phases. The suggested approach was tested on the high-quality brain cancer images available in the Brats-2020 as well as Brats-2019 datasets. In regards to precision, recall, accuracy, F-Score, Dice Similarities Coefficient (DSC), as well as Structural Similarity Indicator Matrix (SSIM), the suggested model outperforms existing traditional and hybrid models. It was also the most effective and productive method tested. The suggested model has a 99.9% accuracy, a 99.9% precision, and a 99.8% recall across both datasets.
WITHDRAWN: Advancing Environmental Monitoring: Unveiling Heavy Metal Contamination with Calibration-Free Picosecond Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-PS-LIBS)
Authors: Fayek Noura , Tawfik Walid , KhalafAllah Ahmed , Fikry Mohamed
Published: October 2023

Elevated concentrations of heavy metals in environmental matrices are linked to substantial toxicity hazards, impacting human health and ecosystem wellbeing. In this research, Calibration-Free Picosecond Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-PS-LIBS) is introduced for determining concentrations of Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Cr in the roots and shoots of clover plants collected from villages in the Banha and Giza governorates of Egypt. CF-PS-LIBS spectra, generated by a 1064 nm Q-switched Nd: YAG laser with a pulse width of 170 ps and energy of 100 ± 5% J/cm², are analyzed to assess heavy metal content. The study leverages emission intensity and broadening associated with the Ca I characteristic lines at specified wavelengths to provide insights into plasma evolution. Linear variations in electron temperature (Te) and electron density (Ne) are observed in samples with heavy metal concentrations ranging from 0.11 to 0.17 mg/kg for Cr and 429.03 to 2259.51 mg/kg for Fe. Plasma Te escalates from approximately 6696.062 to 8957.761 K, while Ne increases from 0.914 × 10¹⁷ to 2.63 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³. These Te and Ne fluctuations are distinctive markers for plasma characterization relative to specific heavy metal concentrations in clover samples. The application of CF-PS-LIBS is highlighted as a novel advancement in environmental monitoring, offering enhanced accuracy in spectrochemical analyses and contributing to developing effective remediation strategies for areas affected by heavy metal contamination.
Efficacy of Neoseiulus longispinosus (Evans) in Controlling Spider mite on Cucumber: Laboratory and Field Studies
Authors: K. ARUNSAIKUMAR , C. CHINNAMADE GOWDA , N. SRINIVASA , MULIMANI VIDYA
Published: October 2023

The cultivation of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is of great economic importance in India and is widely used in various culinary applications. However, its production is threatened by the increasing incidence of spider mite infestation. In this context, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of the predatory mite, Neoseiulus longispinosus (Evans) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), as a biological control agent against the emerging cucumber pest spider mite, Tetranychus macfarlanei Baker & Pritchard (Acari: Tetranychidae). The study involved laboratory and outdoor trials with varied predator-prey ratios of 1:25, 1:50, 1:100, and 1:200. Laboratory trials revealed that complete elimination of prey mites was achieved at 10 and 12 days after predator release at ratios of 1:25 and 1:50, respectively. Recommending ratios of 1:25 and 1:200 to the farmer was deemed uneconomical due to the negative impact on the cost of management. Field trials were conducted with the two most effective predator-prey ratios, 1:50 and 1:100, and both ratios resulted in a more than 99% reduction in the prey mite population 20 days after predator release. The study concludes that N. longispinosus is an effective and sustainable biocontrol agent for spider mites on cucumber plants. Recommending predator-prey ratios of 1:50 or 1:100 to farmers can lead to significant reductions in pest populations without incurring excessively high management costs.
A systematic review of blunt abdominal aortic injury and analysis of predictors for death
Authors: Li Mingxuan , Wang Chaonan , Tu Haixia , Zhu Haitao , Guo Zhen , Guo Lianrui
Published: October 2023

At present, there are few studies on blunt abdominal aortic injury (BAAI), and most of them are case reports. Little is known about this disease. So, a systematic review was conducted through extensive search of major databases. All literature that provided individual (non-identifiable) data for BAAI patients could be included without being limited by study design. Additionally, regression analyses of predictors for death after BAAI were conducted. The search resulted in 2,099 hits, and 102 case reports and 1 conference abstract included in the review then. After assessment using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist, no low-quality studies were found. A total of 133 patients were included, with a median age of 34 and 73.7% being males. Their most common clinical manifestation was pain (65.6%). The most common severity of aortic lesion was grade A (intimal tear or intramural hematoma, 46.9%), and the most common location of aortic lesion was zone III (infrarenal aorta, 88.3%). The overall mortality after BAAI was 15.3%. The following are the predictors for death after BAAI identified through multivariate regression analyses: lower limb ischemia [relative risk (RR), 7.137; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.154–44.161], cardiopulmonary arrest (RR, 10.250; 95% CI, 1.452–72.344), and injuries to other parts (other than abdomen and lumbar spine) of body (RR, 2.593; 95% CI, 1.189–5.655). In conclusion, this study provides a detailed quantitative summary of the characteristics of the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of BAAI, a deadly traumatic disease, and indicates that the three variables above are risk factors for death.
Impact of simulation and reference catalogues on the evaluation of taxonomic profiling pipelines
Authors: Puller Vadim , Oñate Florian Plaza , Prifti Edi , de Lahondès Raynald
Published: October 2023

Microbiome profiling tools rely on reference catalogues, which significantly affect their performance. Comparing them is however challenging, mainly due to differences in their native catalogues. In this study, we present a novel standardized benchmarking framework that makes such comparisons more accurate. Specifically, we conducted three realistic simulations of gut microbiome samples, each based on a specific taxonomic profiler, and used two taxonomic references to project their results: the Genome Taxonomy Database and the Integrated Gene Catalogue. To demonstrate the importance of using such framework, we evaluated four established profilers along with a novel one, BiomScope. We evaluated the impact of these simulations and that of the common taxonomic references on the perceived performance of these profilers and provide guidelines.
Knowledge and Perceptions about Diagnosis, Clinical Management, and Prevention of Dengue Fever among Physicians during the 2023 outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study in Peru
Authors: Araoz-Salinas Julieta M. , Ortiz-Saavedra Brando , Soriano Anderson N. , Reategui-Garcia Martín E. , Quispe-Vicuña Carlos , Murrieta-Ruiz Valentina , De-Los-Rios-Pinto Abraham , Benito-Vargas Raysa M. , Sangster-Carrasco Lucero , Morocho-Alburqueque Noelia , Ponce-Rosas Linda , Alave Jorge , Gonzales-Zamora Jose A.
Published: October 2023

Objective
To evaluate the knowledge level and perception of dengue fever regarding the diagnosis, management, and prevention of this disease among Peruvian physicians and to determine the factors associated with higher knowledge.
Methodology:
We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study based on an online survey from June 21, 2023, to July 20, 2023. Licensed physicians who live and practice Medicine in Peru were included. To evaluate the factors associated with a high level of knowledge (≥ 70% of correct answer), we used crude (cPR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) using a Poisson regression model.
Results
Overall, 359 participants (median age, 33 years; male, 56.5%) were included. 78.8% of participants achieved ≥ 70% of correct answers in the questionnaire. In the multivariable analysis, factors associated with high level of knowledge (≥ 70%) included having read the Peruvian clinical practice guidelines for dengue management (aPR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.49), having experience in treating patients with dengue (aPR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.68), and having treated cases of dengue frequently (aPR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.46). Finally, physicians who held a clear opinion about whether the Peruvian Ministry of Health adequately trained healthcare personnel, whether in agreement (aPR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.44) or disagreement (aPR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.38), demonstrated higher knowledge about dengue compared to those who had a neutral opinion (neither agreed nor disagreed).
Conclusions
There was a high level of knowledge about dengue fever among Peruvian physicians; however, given the lower knowledge in the Eastern macroregion, educational campaigns would be necessary in this area to improve the identification and treatment of cases. Our study also showed that having clinical experience in the management of dengue is associated with higher knowledge.
Characteristics of coastal sands in Vietnam
Authors: Yakovleva A. A. , Konstantinova M. V. , Guseva E. A.
Published: October 2023

The purpose of the presented work is a thorough determination of the characteristics of the coastal sands in Vietnam for the subsequent study of their sorption capacity. The objects of the study are sand samples collected on the banks of the Hong River (near the capital Hanoi), ThuBon (Quang Nam Province), Thachhan (Quangchi Province) and on the sea coast near the city of Hatin. Various industrial and agricultural enterprises are located in these places, in addition, the travel industry is actively developing here. The subject of the study is the granulometric characteristics of sand and its mineralogical composition. To study the mineralogical composition of sand samples the method of X-ray phase analysis is used, which allows to determine the mineralogical composition of the studied samples on the basis of the X-ray images obtained. It has been found that the mineral α-quartz SiO2 prevails in their composition, and there is also a certain amount of α-corundum Al2O3 as well as other impurities. To study the granulometric characteristics of the sands, the standard method of sieve analysis is used. The proportions of various fractions of sand samples, the average grain size, uniformity coefficient, bulk weight, porosity, as well as the specific surface area have been determined.
Some historical aspects of education and research in Russia and Mongolia
Authors: Rapatskaya L. A.
Published: October 2023

The article describes the history of the origin and development of friendly relation in Russian-Mongolian cooperation in the fields of higher education and science on the example of Irkutsk National Research Technical University (former Irkutsk Polytechnic Institute, Irkutsk State Technical University) Irkutsk, Russia and the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (former Mongolian State University, Mongolian Polytechnic Institute) Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The author analyzes basic scientific interests of the teaching staff of these universities of Eastern Siberia and Mongolia, which are geographically the closest neighbors. Based on archival materials and published works, a detailed description of training scientific and pedagogical personnel for Mongolia at the Irkutsk university from 1960 to 2022 is given as well as the thematic scope and the nature of field and research work are described. Moreover, the activity results of the Kerulen International Geological Expedition, which was the result of many years of friendly relations between Russia and Mongolia in the field of education and science are presented. The conducted work clearly demonstrates an example of specific achievements in the fields of geological surveying, research and teaching activities of the academic staff of higher educational institutions of the two countries.
Afterlives: Scandinavian Classics as Comic Art Adaptation
Authors: Storskog Camilla
Published: October 2023

Afterlives is a study of how Scandinavian classics have been reinterpreted as comics. Literary scholar Camilla Storskog investigates how storytellers like H.C. Andersen, Henrik Ibsen, Karen Blixen, and Ingmar Bergman have crossed and recrossed media boundaries in the hands of international comics creators such as Bo Vilson, Guido Crepax, Cinzia Ghigliano, Peter Madsen, and Pierre Duba. Comics have long been neglected in the field of adaptation studies. By focusing on the aesthetic, technical, and narrative qualities of the comics medium, Afterlives presents a theoretical and methodological framework for the analysis of intersemiotic translation. The narrative complexities of comics and the connections between adaptation and adapted text, new times and changing contexts are explored in an inspired account of visual storytelling.