bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Educational programs: an effective mechanism for preventing and treating obesity
Authors:   Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety, Moscow, Russian Federation, Pogozheva A.V. , Tarmaeva I.Yu. ,   Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety, Moscow, Russian Federation
Published: August 2023

The prevalence of obesity and the burden of associated diseases are constantly increasing in populations around the world. The treatment and prevention of obesity today include changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns to reduce body weight, as well as the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The development and implementation of educational programs are important means of preventing and treating obesity, aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and optimizing nutrition. The Federal State Budgetary Institution “Federal Research Centre of Nutrition and Biotechnology” has developed many educational programs in the field of healthy nutrition, including the prevention and treatment of obesity, both for specialists and for the public. Comprehensive educational programs that involve dietary and psychological aspects have demonstrated particularly high efficiency in correcting nutritional status and eating behavior in obese people. Key words: obesity, body mass index, nutrition, eating behavior, educational program
Legitimizing Corporate Social Responsibility Through "Huyula" Culture
Authors: Ibrahim Melinda , Gaffar Abdul , Gaffar Muhammad Ichsan , Sukma Nirwana Nihlatul Qudus
Published: August 2023

The study aims to capture the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from the perspectives of Lyotard and Huyula culture. CSR practices serve as a grand narrative used to obtain legitimacy for corporate practices and to mitigate negative impacts. This research adopts a qualitative approach within the framework of Postmodernism. The HUYULA culture is employed to dissect the reality of CSR. The findings of the study reveal that (1) the grand narrative in CSR practices is evident in CSR disclosures that primarily focus on fulfilling CSR item requirements according to GRI guidelines, without considering the actual facts and practices within the company. Moral values are disregarded when cases of environmental exploitation and human exploitation occur. CSR disclosures can serve as a tool for legitimizing the actions of corporate elites in serving their own interests. (2) CSR disclosures that accommodate Indonesian culture and noble values can liberate CSR disclosures from the grand narrative. The values of the Huyula culture can be integrated into CSR practices, making CSR implementation and disclosure tangible expressions of corporate care for stakeholders through a culture of mutual assistance. These values can foster the company's love for its stakeholders. Thus, CSR activities and disclosures go beyond being mere grand narratives. They become acts of corporate compassion towards fellow human beings through local wisdom values. This research provides broad insights and implies that cultural values can serve as the foundation for implementing CSR practices
A newly identified gene Ahed plays essential roles in haematopoiesis through RNA splicing
Authors: Yokota Takafumi , Nakai Ritsuko , Tokunaga Masahiro , Takaishi Mikiro , Sudo Takao , Shi Henyun , Yasumizu Yoshiaki , Okuzaki Daisuke , Kokubu Chikara , Tanaka Sachiyo , Takaoka Katsuyoshi , Yamanishi Ayako , Yoshida Junko , Watanabe Hitomi , Kondoh Gen , Horie Kyoji , Hosen Naoki , Sano Shigetoshi , Takeda Junji
Published: August 2023

The development of haematopoiesis is regulated by coordinated actions of multiple genes. Mutations in some genes are intimately involved in the occurrence of haematological cancers. Here, we report a previously undefined functional gene in haematopoiesis, which we isolated by screening mutant embryonic stem cells. The gene, named “attenuated haematopoietic development” (Ahed), encoded an uncharacterized nuclear protein. We found that Ahed conditional knock out (cKO) foetuses became anaemic after E14.5 and died before birth. Transplantation experiments revealed that Ahed-deficient lineage-Sca-1+c-KitHi cells were unable to reconstitute haematopoiesis in vivo, suggesting that Ahed is indispensable for functional haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Multiple RNA sequencing analyses of Ahed-cKO cells revealed that this protein governs various critical pathways by regulating alternative splicing of RNAs. Published databases of cancer-related mutations present blood cancer patients with somatic mutations in the Ahed gene. Thus, Ahed plays a fundamental role in haematopoiesis through RNA splicing, whose mutations relates to malignancies.
Shaping active matter: from crystalline solids to active turbulence
Authors: Zhu Lailai , Yang Qianhong , Jiang Maoqiang , Picano Francesco
Published: August 2023

Active matter drives its constituent agents to move autonomously by harnessing free energy, leading to diverse emergent states with relevance to both biological processes and inanimate functionalities. Achieving maximum reconfigurability of active materials with minimal control remains a desirable yet challenging goal. Here, we employ large-scale, agent-resolved simulations to demonstrate that modulating the activity of a wet phoretic medium alone can govern its solid-liquid-gas phase transitions and, subsequently, laminar-turbulent transitions in fluid phases, thereby shaping its emergent pattern. These two progressively emerging transitions, hitherto unreported, bring us closer to understanding the parallels between active matter and traditional matter. Our work reproduces and reconciles seemingly conflicting experimental observations on chemically active systems, presenting a unified landscape of phoretic collective dynamics. These findings enhance the understanding of long-range, many-body interactions among phoretic agents, offer new insights into their non-equilibrium collective behaviors, and provide potential guidelines for designing reconfigurable materials.
ChartLine: Curve Extraction from Scientific Line Charts with Spatial-Sequence Feature Pyramid Network
Authors: yang wenjin , Zhang Xiaotong , He Jie
Published: August 2023

Line charts are very abundant in scientific literature and commercial data visualization. Automatic curve detection from line charts is a critical early step in many upstream tasks, such as data recovery, chart quality assessment, chart plagiarism detection, visual question and answer, etc. Unlike other curve detection tasks, line charts have complex and diverse backgrounds and a variety of curve styles (e.g., solid lines, dashed lines, dotted lines, etc.), which cause existing curve detection algorithms to perform poorly on this task. This paper proposes a novel chart curve detection network (ChartLine) that includes a Spatial-Sequential Attention Feature Pyramid Network (SSA-FPN) in the encoder and decoder to learn rich curve hierarchical representations and boundary features. This model contains a Spatial Sequential Fusion Module (SSF) and a Channel Multi-Attention Module (CMA), which enhance intra-class responsiveness and inter-class discriminative ability. To demonstrate the superiority and generality of the proposed method, we evaluate it on four curve datasets and compare it with state-of-the-art curve detection, edge detection, and semantic segmentation methods. Extensive experiments show that the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art algorithms and achieves an F-measure of 94% on the synthetic dataset.
DIS3 ribonuclease prevents the cytoplasmic accumulation of lncRNAs carrying non-canonical ORFs.
Authors: Foretek Dominika , Gabriel Marc , Hatin Isabelle , Jarroux Julien , Pinskaya Marina , Pepermans Elise , Boonen Kurt , Topno Rachel , Slaninova Vera , Serna Marina , Llorca Oscar , Baggerman Geert , Bertrand Edouard , West Steven , Namy Olivier , Morillon Antonin
Published: August 2023

Some of the long noncoding (lnc)RNAs harbor potential to produce functional micro peptides. Despite their increasing significance, the regulatory dynamics of cytoplasmic lncRNA expression, decay, and translation remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of ribonucleases in controlling cytoplasmic levels of lncRNAs. We observed large accumulation of a previously assumed nuclear-localized DIS3-sensitive transcripts (DISTs), contrary to low number of lncRNAs sensitive to the cytoplasmic XRN1. Approximately 14.5% of DIS3-sensitive transcripts (DISTs) contain actively translated open reading frames (ORFs), including some with typical protein-coding genes features: polyA enrichment and conservation across primates. Importantly, transcriptomic analysis of patients cases with DIS3 mutations in the multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer, showed shared subgroup of overexpressed translatable DISTs. Our immunopeptidomic proves the association of DISTs-derived peptides with the major histocompatibility class I complex. Furthermore, the low expression of DISTs in healthy tissues highlights the potential of DIST-ORFs as sources of tumor-specific antigens.
Genetic Analysis by NGS and MLPA in Chinese Aniridia Patients
Authors: Wang Li , Xu Qingdan , Wang Wentao , Sun Xinghuai , Chen Yuhong
Published: August 2023

Purpose: To report clinical features and elucidate genetic etiology of patients with congenital aniridia and to reveal the mutational spectrum in the Chinese population.
Methods: Sixty patients with congenital aniridia from 51 families were recruited in this study. Candidate genes of developmental eye diseases were captured and analyzed by panel-based next-generation sequencing (NGS), and the mutations were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Sanger sequencing. Multiplex ligation probe amplification (MLPA)of PAX6 and FOXC1 was performed to detect copy number variations (CNVs) for patients without intragenic mutations.
Results: Clinical examinations revealed that 58 patients had complete iris loss, two patients showed partial iris loss. Two patients were diagnosed WAGR syndrome with nephroblastoma. Combining panel-based NGS and MLPA, 43 intragenic mutations or deletions of PAX6, FOXC1, and BCOR genes were identified in 59 patients, including 33 point-mutations (76.7%) in 43 patients and 10 deletions (23.3%) in 16 patients; the total detection rate was 98.3%. Phenotypic variations were observed between families and intra-families.
Conclusion: The results confirmed that variations in PAX6 and adjacent regions were the predominant cause of aniridia in China. Besides intragenic point mutations in PAX6, the deletion comprising PAX6 gene or the adjacent genes is also a common cause of congenital aniridia. In addition, FOXC1 gene is another important gene causing congenital aniridia. Panel-based NGS combined with MLPA increase significantly the detection rate of gene mutations for patients with congenital aniridia.
Magnitude and Predictors of self-care Practices among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in Central Ethiopia: the health belief model perspective
Authors: Adem Muhammedawel , G/tsadik Daniel , Gere Sisay
Published: August 2023

Background: Diabetes self-care practice is essential to control illness. One's ability to manage diabetic self-care is influenced by a variety of circumstances. The Health Belief Model is critical for comprehending and designing context-specific strategies for this purpose. Therefore, this study aimed to assess self-care practice of patients with diabetes mellitus using the health belief model.
Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from March to May, 2021 at Adama Hospital Medical College and Asella Teaching and Referral Hospitals. A total of 420 diabetic patients were consecutively included in the study. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 20. Binary and multiple logistic regression models were fitted to identify the factors associated with self-care practices. Adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and p-value of 0.05 or less was used to indicate statistical significance.
Results: Among the respondents nearly half, 48.1% (43.6, 53.1), were reported practicing good diabetes self-care. Respondents above high school (AOR=2.19, 95% CI= 1.09, 4.36), retired respondents (AOR=0.24, 95% CI=0.11, 0.50), those with no history of forgetting to take their medication (AOR=1.61, 95% CI=1.04, 2.66), those with good knowledge (AOR=1.81, 95% CI= 1.09, 3.01), respondents with moderate perceived susceptibility (AOR=0.42, 95% CI= 0.18, 0.98), high perceived severity (AOR= 0.33, 95% CI=0.19, 0.57), and a higher perceived barrier (AOR= 0.44, 95% CI= 0.24, 0.81) showed a significant association with diabetes self-care practices.
Conclusions: Almost half of the participants practiced good self-care. Educational status, occupation, those with a history of forgetting to take their treatment, having good knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and barrier were significantly associated. Therefore, healthcare professionals and hospital administrators need to increase patients' perceived susceptibility and the serious complication of diabetes. Also, perceived barriers to self-care should be evaluated, and patients should actively be involved in tailoring required modifications to their routines.
Impact of accouting for a thermally-balanced soil state on subseasonal predictability
Authors: Ardilouze Constantin , Boone Aaron Anthony
Published: August 2023

Accurate soil moisture initial conditions in dynamical subseasonal forecast systems are known to improve the temperature forecast skill regionally, through more realistic water and energy fluxes at the land-atmosphere interface. Recently, results from a multi-model coordinated experiment have provided evidence of the primal contribution of the initial surface and subsurface soil temperature over the Tibetan Plateau for capturing a hemispheric scale atmopsheric teleconnection leading to improved subseasonal forecasts. Yet, both the soil temperature and water content are key components of the soil enthalpy and we hypothesize that properly initializing one of them without modifying the other in a consistent manner can alter the soil thermal equilibrium, thereby potentially reducing the benefit of land initial conditions on subsequent atmospheric forecasts. This study builds on the protocol of the above-mentioned multi-model experiment, by testing three different land initialization strategies in an Earth system model. Results of this pilot study suggest that a better mass and energy balance in land initial conditions of the Tibetan Plateau triggers a wave train which propagates through the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes, resulting in an improved large scale circulation and temperature anomalies over multiple regions of the globe. While this study is based on a single case, it strongly advocates for enhanced attention towards preserving the soil energy equilibrium at initialization to make the most of land as a driver of atmospheric extended-range predictability.
Real-time and video-recorded cattle pain assessment: clinical application and reliability
Authors: Tomacheuski Rubia Mitalli , Oliveira Alice Rodrigues , Trindade Pedro Henrique Esteves , Lopez-Soriano Magdiel , Merenda Victoria Rocha , Luna Stelio Loureiro , Pairis-Garcia Monique D
Published: August 2023

Bovine pain assessment relies on validated behavioral scales related to normal and pain-related behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the reliability and applicability of real-time and video-recorded cattle pain assessment, and to compare its agreement. Ten Nelore and Nine Angus bulls underwent general anesthesia and surgical castration. Three-minute real-time observations and simultaneous videos were recorded at -48 h (M0), preoperative (M1), after surgery (M2), after rescue analgesia and at 24 h (M4). Animals received morphine, dipyrone and flunixin meglumine after surgical castration. Two trained evaluators assessed real-time (n = 95) and video-recorded time-points (n = 95) using the Unesp-Botucatu Cattle Pain Scale (UCAPS). Both assessment methods inferred ‘very good’ reliability (≥ 0.81) with minimal bias, however, video-recorded assessment (4.33 ± 2.84) demonstrated slightly higher scores compared to real-time (3.08 ± 2.84). The results from this study suggest the UCAPS can be used in both real-time and video-recorded to assess pain and guide analgesic therapy in cattle.
Artificial intelligence-Enhanced Quantitative Ultrasound for Breast Cancer: Pilot Study on Quantitative Parameters and Biopsy Outcomes
Authors: Kwon Hyuksool , Oh SeokHwan , Kim Myeong-Gee , Kim Youngmin , Jung Guil , Lee Hyeon-Jik , Kim Sang-Yun , Bae Hyeon-Min
Published: August 2023

Traditional B-mode ultrasound has difficulties distinguishing benign from malignant breast lesions. It appears the Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) may offer advantages. We examined the QUS imaging system's potential, utilizing parameters like Attenuation Coefficient (AC), Speed of Sound (SoS), Effective Scatterer Diameter (ESD), and Effective Scatterer Concentration (ESC), to enhance diagnostic accuracy. B-mode images and RF signals were gathered from breast lesions. These parameters were processed and analyzed by a QUS system trained on a simulated acoustic dataset and equipped with an encoder-decoder structure. Fifty-seven patients were enrolled over six months. Biopsies served as the diagnostic ground truth. AC, SoS, and ESD showed significant differences between benign and malignant lesions (p < .05), but ESC did not. A logistic regression model was developed, demonstrating an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.96) for distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions. In conclusion, the QUS system shows promise in enhancing diagnostic accuracy by leveraging AC, SoS, and ESD. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and optimize the system for clinical use.
Testing GWP* to quantify non-CO2 contributions in the carbon budget framework: the case under overshoot scenarios
Authors: Mastropierro Matteo , Tanaka Katsumasa , Melnikova Irina , Ciais Philippe
Published: August 2023

The Global Warming Potential-star (GWP*) approach is a way to account for the contributions of non-CO2 emissions in the carbon budget framework. It is an active research question to what extent the carbon budget approach holds under overshoot scenarios. Here we evaluate the performance of GWP* in the carbon budget framework under long-term overshoot scenarios by converting CH4 emissions to CO2-equivalent emissions via GWP* and calculating the temperature through simple climate models. We show that the use of GWP* can lead to an overestimation or underestimation of temperatures over multiple centuries, depending on the rate of CH4 emission decline. Furthermore, our model simulations indicated that the use of GWP* further contributes to an overestimation of the transient climate response to cumulative CO2 emissions (TCRE) under decreasing CO2-equivalent emissions, converted from CH4. The applicability of GWP* needs to be assessed in overshoot scenarios further by exploring the uncertainties in the representation of Earth System feedbacks.
Preparation of chitosan-iron oxide modified sludge-based biochar for effective removal of tetracycline from water: performance and mechanism
Authors: Yang Yangyang , Li Shihao , Zhu Zhenting , Wan Lei , Wang Xun , Hou Jun , Liu Songqi , Fan Xiulei
Published: August 2023

The release of antibiotics has attracted wide attention due to their abuse and discharge. How to remove these emerging contaminants is an urgent need to be solved. In the present study, sludge-based biochar combining chitosan and iron oxide was prepared via municipal sewage sludge. The novel biochar modified with chitosan and iron oxide exhibited satisfying performance in eliminating antibiotics from water. The application of modified biochar combined with activated persulfate (PS) showed a remarkable removal efficiency of 96.98% for tetracycline (TC). Analysis of the surface characteristics of the modified biochar showed the presence of structural defects, dispersed iron oxides, numerous functional groups, a porous structure, and a relatively stable crystal structure. These characteristics contributed significant importance to facilitating the removal/degradation of TC. The investigation indicated that the removal efficiency was maintained at feasible conditions with the treatment process under a low TC concentration (30 mg/L), with a temperature at T = 308.15K, solution pH = 4. Three degradation pathways and seven intermediate products of TC were proposed. Therefore, our study provides a promising approach for developing effective removal of antibiotics pollutants.
Structural basis for the substrate binding and catalytic mechanism of Se-glycosyltransferase SenB in the biosynthesis of selenoneine
Authors: Long Feng , Huang Wei , Song Jun , Sun Tianxue , He Yue , Deng Zixin
Published: August 2023

Selenium is a multi-functional trace element essential for diverse organisms. SenB is aSe-glycosyltransferase that incorporates selenium into small molecules in the selenoneine biosynthesis pathway and is also the only knownSe-glycosyltransferase in nature. Although the biochemical function of SenB has been investigated, its substrate specificity, structure, and catalytic mechanism remain unclear. Here, we revealed that SenB exhibits sugar donor specificity and promiscuity and can utilize six UDP-sugars to generate selenosugars. The crystal structures of SenB complexed with four different UDP-sugars were solved. The residues N20, T23, and E231 were proven as the key elements that determine the sugar donor promiscuity of SenB. Structure-guided mutagenesis further revealed a novel catalytic triad H58/D86/K158 in SenB, which accounts for the C-Se glycosidic bond formation and Se-P bond cleavage during theSe-glycosylation process. Furthermore, we mined, functionally and structurally characterized two other novelSe-glycosyltransferase,CbSenB andRsSenB, which also exhibit sugar donor promiscuity.
Isotopic Tracing of Nutrient Sources and Inputs to North-Central Florida Bay
Authors: Linenfelser Joshua , James William Ryan , Rezek Ryan J , Santos Rolando O. , Frankovich Tom A , Madden Christopher J , Nelson James A , Rehage Jennifer
Published: August 2023

Coastal nutrient loading is a primary driver of changes to habitat structure, species diversity, and increases in hypoxia and harmful algal blooms in estuaries worldwide. The difficulty of identifying non-point source inputs of nutrients often hinders the management and mitigation of these nutrient loads. Using stable isotopes, this study aimed to determine the primary sources of nutrients influencing the coastal Everglades, specifically lake systems in the rim of north-central Florida Bay. Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotope values of algae grown in situ were used as a natural tracer of nutrient sources across hydrologic seasons (wet and dry seasons of 2021-2022), and across a north to south estuarine gradient in these coastal lake systems. Mean δ15N values (+2 to +3‰), consistent across both space and time, provided evidence that allochthonous N may primarily influence this region. Mixing models identified a mixture of upstream marsh and downstream bay derived nutrients primarily influencing the nutrient regime of the systems. Nutrient inputs varied with season and location. We observed higher marsh derived nutrient inputs in the upper portion of the system during the wet season, and greater nutrient inputs from Florida bay during the dry season, primarily in the lower portion of the estuary. This study highlights how managed restoration in marsh waterflow may increase N inputs, however, ecosystem-wide shifts must be better understood to predict ecological changes.
Genetic Diversity Analysis of Thymus daenensis and Thymus eriocalyx Ecotypes Using ISSR Molecular Marker
Authors: Alamholo Mostafa , Tarinejad Alireza , Soltani Jalal
Published: August 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Heterogeneous Effects of Multidimensional Housing Insecurity on Mental Health by Gender and Region
Authors: Kim Jooyoung , Kang Seungbeom
Published: August 2023

Housing insecurity is a prevalent housing and urban problem worldwide, attracting considerable attention from scholars investigating its impact on mental health. However, little evidence exists that housing insecurity, in its multidimensional nature, affects depressive symptoms heterogeneously by gender and region. To fill research gaps, by analyzing the Korea Welfare Panel Study between 2007 and 2020, we examine three research questions: (1) how do the effects of multiple aspects of housing insecurity, indicated by a series of housing-related indicators, on mental health vary by gender? (2) how do the effects of the different aspects of housing insecurity on mental health vary by region? (3) do significant interaction effects between multiple aspects of housing insecurity on mental health exist? Our research demonstrates that regardless of gender or region, housing affordability stress (HAS) and housing quality negatively affect mental health. HAS has a greater impact on men’s mental health than on women, whereas housing quality has a more substantial impact on women. When men simultaneously experience a positive transition in housing tenure, the effect size of HAS is diminished. For women, the effect of HAS varies based on other facets of housing insecurity, such as overcrowding and housing quality. Additionally, we provide evidence that various aspects of housing insecurity affect mental health differentially based on residence location. These findings emphasize the significance of considering the role of housing insecurity in shaping mental health from multiple perspectives and the need for devising gender- and region-specific strategies to combat housing-related stress.
A Novel Prediction Tool for Mortality in Patients with Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Large Multicenter Long-Term Cohort Study
Authors: Tominaga Naoyuki , Sadashima Eiji , Aoki Tomonori , Fujita Minoru , Kobayashi Katsumasa , Yamauchi Atsushi , Yamada Atsuo , Omori Jun , Ikeya Takashi , Aoyama Taiki , Sato Yoshinori , Kishino Takaaki , Ishii Naoki , Sawada Tsunaki , Murata Masaki , Takao Akinari , Mizukami Kazuhiro , Kinjo Ken , Fujimori Shunji , Uotani Takahiro , Sato Hiroki , Suzuki Sho , Narasaka Toshiaki , Hayasaka Junnosuke , Funabiki Tomohiro , Kinjo Yuzuru , Mizuki Akira , Kiyotoki Shu , Mikami Tatsuya , Gushima Ryosuke , Fujii Hiroyuki , Fuyuno Yuta , Gunji Naohiko , Toya Yosuke , Narimatsu Kazuyuki , Manabe Noriaki , Nagaike Koji , Kinjo Tetsu , Sumida Yorinobu , Funakoshi Sadahiro , Kobayashi Kiyonori , Matsuhashi Tamotsu , Komaki Yuga , Miki Kuniko , Watanabe Kazuhiro , Kaise Mitsuru , Nagata Naoyoshi
Published: August 2023

Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with poor long-term prognoses requires careful follow-up. This study aimed to identify predictors of long-term mortality in patients with acute hematochezia and construct a prognostic tool using a large dataset.The analysis included 8,254 patients with hematochezia requiring emergency hospitalization (from the CODE BLUE J-study). Data on vital signs, symptoms, initial laboratory findings, medications, comorbidities, diagnoses, and in-hospital procedures were comprehensively analyzed to develop a scoring model for 30-day and 1-year mortality outcomes.The 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were 0.9% and 3.0%, respectively. A highly accurate (C-index, 0.88) long-term prognostic scoring system known as the CACHEXIA score was constructed. The 1-year mortality rates for patients with low-, medium-, and high-risk CACHEXIA scores were 1.1%, 16.4%, and 63.4%, respectively. The predictors of 30-day mortality were included in the predictors of 1-year mortality, and the ROC-AUC for the short-term prognostic score was 0.93.Indicators of long-term prognosis in hematochezia cases were identified using extensive multicenter data. Even after being discharged, patients identified as high-risk using our unique prediction score need follow-up.
The Pseudo Jahn-Teller effect and NBO analysis for untangling the symmetry breaking in the planar configurations of M 2 X 4 + (M=Si, Ge and X=Cl, Br, I): effect on electronic structure and chemical properties
Authors: Kouchakzadeh Ghazaleh , Mahmoudzadeh Golrokh
Published: August 2023

The Pseudo Jahn- Teller effect is a significant tool for evaluating molecular distortion and symmetry breaking. The PJT effect associated with NBO analysis can be a powerful method for studying the structural properties variations arising from D2h → C2h distortions. Ab initio calculations have shown that C2h non- planar structures are more stable than planar structures with D2h symmetry. The \(({B}_{3u}+{B}_{1u})⨂{b}_{2g}\) PJTE problem of M2X4+ compounds is a result of the coupling between the ground B3u state and the exited B1u state in the Qb2g direction causes. Also, the difference in M and X atoms can affect the PJT instability of compounds. The findings of this work showed that the energy gap between the ground and excited states that have D2h symmetry decreases from M2Cl4+ to M2I4+ and increases from Si2X4+ to Ge2X4+. In fact, there is a significant relationship between instability of high-symmetry configurations, geometric parameters, electron delocalization, chemical hardness, electronegativity, and PJT stabilization energies. These results may serve to evaluate the distortion of similar systems.
Changes of histidine-rich glycoprotein levels in critically ill septic patients
Authors: Pradana Ayu Nabila Kusuma , Akahoshi Tomohiko , Guo Jie , Mizuta Yukie , Matsunaga Shuntaro , Narahara Sayuko , Murata Masaharu , Yamaura Ken
Published: August 2023

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) has been reported as a prognostic factor in patients with sepsis. However, the relevance of HRG to the pathogenesis of septic-induced shock, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is unknown. In 53 critically ill patients, we examined the association between HRG concentrations and the pathogenesis of these conditions. Serum HRG concentrations were significantly lower on days 3, 5, and 7 than on day 1 in patients with septic shock and in those with DIC, but not in those with ARDS. Although HRG concentrations on day 1 were not associated with survival, HRG concentrations were decreased in non-survivors, with a significant decline on days 3, 5, and 7 after admission to the intensive care unit. Whereas, HRG concentrations did not change in survivors. Decreased HRG concentrations may independently play a role in the pathogenesis of DIC in patients with sepsis and may relate to DIC-related mortality. A progressive decrease in HRG concentrations, especially on days 5 and 7, may affect the mortality rate. Therefore, supplemental HRG treatment may become a new strategy for critically ill patients with sepsis.
Immersive Virtual Reality Exposures for the Treatment of Childhood Anxiety
Authors: Ramsey Kesley A. , Essoe Joey Ka-Yee , Boyle Nathan , Patrick Ainsley K. , McGuire Joseph F.
Published: August 2023

Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has demonstrated efficacy and is recommended as a front-line treatment for childhood anxiety. Unfortunately, challenges exist that impact the effective implementation of exposure-based CBT in clinical practice. One of the primary challenges is the accessibility and availability of exposure stimuli (e.g., spiders, storms, heights) in CBT sessions. Immersive virtual reality (VR) has shown promise as a scalable and sustainable solution to address this clinical need, but remains largely untested in youth with anxiety disorders. Here, we examine the use of VR exposures in the treatment of youth with an anxiety disorder (i.e., specific phobias). We aimed to investigate: (1) the feasibility and initial efficacy of VR exposures; (2) whether VR exposures elicit changes in physiological arousal and/or subjective distress; and (3) whether habituation serves as a mechanism across physiological and subjective outcomes for VR exposures. Three youth and their parents completed a clinical evaluation, which was followed by a one session treatment (OST) with VR exposures. Afterward, youth and parents completed clinical assessments one-week and one-month after treatment. Immersive VR exposures were found to be feasible and demonstrated initial efficacy for reducing anxiety severity. Additionally, VR exposures elicited changes in both physiological and subjective outcomes. Finally, physiological habituation to VR exposures was observed among participants who exhibited treatment response at follow-up. Collectively, these findings demonstrate preliminary evidence that VR exposures are feasible, tolerable, and effective for treating youth with anxiety.
Mapping Waste Piles in an Urban Environment Using Ground Surveys, Manual Digitization of Drone Imagery, and Object Based Image Classification Approach
Authors: Kalonde Patrick Ken , Mwapasa Taonga , Mthawanji Rosheen , Chidziwitsano Kondwani , Morse Tracy , Torguson Jeffrey S. , Jones Christopher M. , Quilliam Richard S. , Feasey Nick , Henrion Marc , Stanton Michelle C , Blinnikov Mikhail S.
Published: August 2023

There is wide recognition of the threats posed by open dumping of waste in the environment, however, tools to surveil interventions for reducing this practice are poorly developed. This study explores the use of drone imagery for environment surveillance. Drone images of waste piles were captured in a densely populated residential neighborhood in Malawi. Images were processed using the Structure for Motion Technique and partitioned into segments using Orfeo Toolbox. A total of 509 segments were manually labelled to generate data for training and testing a series of classification models. Four supervised classification algorithms (Random Forest, Artificial Neural Network, Naïve Bayes and Support Vector Machine) were trained, and their performances were assessed in terms of precision, recall and F-1 score. Ground surveys were also conducted to map waste piles using a GPS receiver and determine physical composition of materials on the waste pile surface. Differences were observed between the field survey done by transect walk and drone mapping. Drone mapping identified more waste piles than field surveys and for each waste pile, the spatial extent of waste piles was computed. Predictions from the binary random forest model were the highest performing (Precision: 0.98, Recall: 0.98, and F-score: 0.98). Drone mapping enabled identification of waste piles in areas that cannot be accessed during ground surveys, and further allows the quantification of total land surface area covered by waste piles. Drone imagery-based surveillance of waste piles thus has the potential to guide environmental waste policy and evaluate waste reduction interventions.
WITHDRAWN: Impact of stroma remodeling on forces experienced by cancer cells and stromal cells within pancreatic tumor tissue
Authors: Dabagh Mahsa , Connaughton Morgan , Alonso Andrea
Published: August 2023

Remodeling (re-engineering) of a tumor’s stroma can improve the efficacy of antitumor therapies, without destroying the stroma. However, it still remains elusive how the remodeling of stromal components is associated with the penetration of nanoparticles. A major lack of knowledge is felt for discerning which stromal components hinder the reach of nanoparticles deep into cancer cells. In this study, our first objective is to determine how stromal remodeling alters the stress experienced by cancer cells and the stromal cells within pancreatic tumor tissue. Physical stresses exerted on cancer cells by their microenvironment have been shown to drive cells toward invasive phenotype by altering cells’ motility, proliferation, and apoptosis. Our second objective is to identify the remodeling of which stromal component has highest impact on stresses experienced by cancer cells. Our assumption is that the medication applied for stromal remodeling change stiffness of fibroblasts and extracellular matrix (ECM). We have developed a three-dimensional model of tumor tissue consisting of cancer cells, stromal cells, and ECM. We have applied this model to investigate the impact of different remodeling degrees on cancer cells and stromal cells by quantifying stresses experienced by these components. Our results how that remodeling induced softening of ECM will significantly increase the magnitude of stresses within tumor tissue. Furthermore, our results reveal that the remodeling induced softening of ECM has higher impact on smaller tumors while softening of stromal cells show its significant influence on larger tumors. Our study provides unique knowledge on the characteristic factors for remodeling of tumor microenvironment’s components with an ultimate goal of leveraging this knowledge to overcome a tumor’s resistance against the penetration of nanoparticles on a per-patient basis. Without the distinct identification of the tumor microenvironment’ role in the resistance of tumor stroma to nanoparticles’ penetration, all attempts to improve drug therapies’ success will remain out of reach.
Numerical Simulation of Tunnel Ventilation Considering Air Leakage Mechanism of Air Duct
Authors: Chang Xiaoke , Chai Junrui , Ren Jianxi , Yang Rong
Published: August 2023

Ventilation problems are critical in tunnel engineering, and the loss of air volume in ventilation ducts is generally estimated using empirical methods. The air volume calculation is difficult to meet the accuracy requirements, resulting in resource waste or insufficient air supply. In this study, the forced ventilation system of the tunnel under construction was investigated based on the computational fluid dynamics method. The mechanism of air leakage on air flow distribution and pollutant transport in the tunnel is determined. Air leakage reduces the distribution peak of pollutants and effectively accelerates the emission of harmful gases. However, this effect decreases with distance from the air duct inlet. Through the calculation results of nearly one hundred models, it is found that the air leakage of duct can be fitted by logarithmic function and verified by empirical equation. The matching degree between the fitting function of the model and the empirical equation depends on the length of the tunnel. On the basis, the calculation formula of effective air volume near the working face is derived. This study can be applied to the ventilation engineering of the tunnel under construction, and provide a theoretical basis for the calculation of the effective air supply.
Neighboring macrophage-induced alteration in the phenotype of colorectal cancer cells in the tumor budding area
Authors: Kawamura Ichiro , Ohe Rintaro , Suzuki Kazushi , Kabasawa Takanobu , Kitaoka Takumi , Takahara Daiichiro , Kono Michihisa , Uchiyama Naoya , Musha Hiroaki , Futakuchi Mitsuru , Motoi Fuyuhiko
Published: August 2023

Background
A higher number of tumor buds in the invasive front of colorectal cancer (CRC) specimens has been shown to contribute to a poor prognosis in CRC patients. Because macrophages (Mφs) have been demonstrated to alter the phenotype of cancer cells, we hypothesized that the phenotype of CRC cells in the tumor budding (TB) area might be changed by the interaction between CRC cells and Mφs.
Methods
We assessed the expression of topoisomerase 1 in CRC cells to estimate the acquisition of chemoresistance in CRC. To demonstrate the tumor-stromal interaction between CRC cells and Mφs, we assessed two histological findings, the number of Mφs per single CRC cell and the proximity between CRC cells and Mφs by histological spatial analysis using HALO software.
Results
The expression levels of topoisomerase 1 in CRC cells were decreased in deeper areas, especially in the TB area, compared to the surface area. Our histological spatial analysis revealed that approximately 2.6 Mφs located within 50 µm of a single CRC cell were required to alter the phenotype of the CRC cell. Double-immunofluorescence staining revealed that many CD68+ Mφs were positive for interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the TB area and that AE1/AE3-positive CRC cells in the TB area were positive for phospho-STAT3 (pSTAT3); thus, the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R)/STAT3 signaling pathway in CRC cells was upregulated by IL-6 derived from neighboring Mφs.
Conclusions
The phenotype of CRC cells in the TB area is altered by neighboring Mφs via the IL-6R/STAT3 signaling pathway.
A model for estimating peak skin dose in CT
Authors: Williams Chris , Biffin Leah , Franich Rick
Published: August 2023

A model to estimate the peak skin dose (PSD) delivered to a patient by a computed tomography (CT) scanner has been developed to assist in determining the likelihood of acute radiation injury from a CT examination. This model relates the PSD to the device-reported CT Dose Index (CTDIvol) by accounting for a variety of radiographic technique, scanner, and patient factors. It includes a novel method for estimating dose contributions as a function of patient or phantom size, scanner geometry and physical measurement of lateral and depth-based beam profiles. Physical measurements of PSD using radiochromic film on several phantoms have been used to determine needed model parameters. The resulting fitted model was found to agree with measured data to a standard deviation of 5.1% for the data used to fit the model, and 6.8% for measurements that were not used for fitting the model. Two methods for adapting the model for specific scanners are provided, one based on local PSD measurements with radiochromic film with another using CTDIvol measurements. The model, suitably adapted, may be applied to individual patients for accurate assessment of their PSD which is an accepted indicator of acute radiation injury.
Experimental Study on Dynamic Response Characteristics of Sandstone Specimens with Precast Joint Angles
Authors: Wu Quanlin , Wang Xu , Ma Fuwu , Zhu Jingchuang , Li Yang , Wu Hao , Li Hao , An Yanpei , Wu Quansen
Published: August 2023

Using split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB), impact tests were carried out on sandstone specimens with precast joints at different angles, and the dynamic response of specimens at different joint angles was analyzed. The results show that the peak strength of the specimen increases gradually when the precast joint angle increases from 15°to 75°with the central diameter of the specimen as the horizontal axis, and the specimen with 15° joint is more likely to fail than the specimens with other joint angles. With the increase of joint angle, the ratio of reflected energy to incident energy has been decreasing, the ratio of absorbed energy to incident energy has been increasing first and then decreasing, and the ratio of transmitted energy to incident energy has generally been increasing. When the joint angle is 45 °, the specimen has the highest energy density and the specimen has the best absorption of incident energy. With the increase of the joint angle of the specimen, the average fragmentation value of the specimen shows a trend of first increasing, then decreasing, and then increasing. When the angle is 45 °, the fragmentation degree of the specimen after failure is the largest. When the joint angle is 45 °, the sandstone will release more energy when it is destroyed, and it is easier to generate dynamic response.
Syntheses, Spectroscopic Characterization, and Electrical Properties of Important Semiconducting Organic Compound
Authors: Benhaoua Chahrazed , hinane.baleh  , Benbelkacem Fatima Zohra , Maatala Dahbia , ouldhamadouche Nadir , Bassaid Salah , Dehbi Abdelkader
Published: August 2023

This work proposes the synthesis of new azomethine by the reaction of enaminone with an appropriate aldehyde. The new compound was identified by NMR NMR (1H and13C), and others techniques such as: UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The optical data shows the synthesized azomethine exhibit low band gaps. (Eg=2.87 eV). Electrical conductivity study indicates that conductivity of product is in the range of ~ 10− 6S/cm. The results obtained in this study are discussed comparatively with those cited in the literature.
Using Socratic seminars in ESL writing classes
Authors: Tillayeva Nilufar
Published: August 2023

This article explores the integration of Socratic seminars in ESL writing classes to enhance students' writing skills. ESL students often struggle with developing clear ideas, logical organization, accuracy, and vocabulary usage. The study investigates the effectiveness of Socratic seminars in fostering critical thinking and collaborative discourse to address these challenges and improve writing abilities. The literature review reveals that Socratic seminars promote critical thinking, engagement, and language acquisition. While concerns about cultural sensitivity and varied language proficiency levels exist, Socratic seminars offer a promising pedagogical approach. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, involving 25 university freshman students with intermediate English proficiency. Interviews identify common writing challenges, and essays are evaluated using rubrics. The findings demonstrate that Socratic seminars positively impact students' ability to integrate details, coherence, and cohesion into their writing. Peer review further enhances accuracy and support, though challenges such as time constraints and class size should be considered. Overall, Socratic seminars contribute to fostering critical thinking, collaborative discourse, and effective communication skills, emphasizing the need for their incorporation in ESL writing classes to empower students in their academic journey.
Distinct transcriptomic signatures define febrile malaria depending on initial infective states, asymptomatic or uninfected
Authors: Kimenyi Kelvin M. , Akinyi Mercy Y. , Mwikali Kioko , Mwangi Shaban , Gichuki Bonface , Omer Elisha , Wambua Juliana , Njunge James , Obiero George , Bejon Philip , Langhorne Jean , Abdi Abdirahman , Ochola-Oyier Lynette Isabella
Published: August 2023

Cumulative malaria parasite exposure in endemic regions often results in the acquisition of partial immunity and asymptomatic infections. There is limited information on how host-parasite interactions mediate maintenance of chronic symptomless infections that sustain malaria transmission. Here, we have determined the gene expression profiles of the parasite population and the corresponding host peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 21 children (< 15 years). We compared children who were defined as uninfected, asymptomatic and those with febrile malaria. Children with asymptomatic infections had a parasite transcriptional profile characterized by a bias toward trophozoite stage (~ 12 hours-post invasion) parasites and low parasite levels, while earlier ring stage parasites were characteristic of febrile malaria. The host response of asymptomatic children was characterized by downregulated transcription of genes associated with inflammatory responses, compared with children with febrile malaria, which may lead to less cytoadherence of more mature parasite stages. Interestingly, the host responses during febrile infections that followed an asymptomatic infection featured stronger inflammatory responses, whereas the febrile host responses from previously uninfected children featured increased humoral immune responses. The priming effect of prior asymptomatic infection may explain the blunted acquisition of antibody responses seen to malaria antigens following natural exposure or vaccination in malaria endemic areas.