bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LGAAFS-- A Lightweight Group Anonymous mutual Authentication and Forward Security scheme for wireless body area networks
Authors: Peng Shuangrong , Tang Xiaohu , Xiong Ling , Zhu Hui
Published: January 2023

Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) plays an important role in the modern telemedicine environment. In WBAN, intelligent and resource-limited sensors will collect patients' health data and communicate this information to doctors over the Internet to provide services. However, during the communication between WBAN entities, the privacy and security of data and user information should be protected to prevent various security threats. Aiming at these security defects, this paper proposes a privacy-preserving WBAN authentication scheme. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to introduce group anonymous techniques into WBAN. Moreover, we use BAN logic to verify the security properties of our scheme and discuss informal security analysis. Last but more importantly, compared with the schemes using dynamic anonymity technology, our scheme is comparable to the optimal scheme in terms of security and performance.
On-Line surface roughness classification for multiple CNC milling conditions based on transfer learning and neural network
Authors: Deng Congying , Ye Bo , Lu Sheng , He Mingge , Miao jianguo
Published: January 2023

Traditional on-line surface roughness prediction models are mainly established by surrogate models, which can achieve well prediction accuracies with a fixed tool-workpiece combination. However, a poor prediction accuracy comes to an established model when the tool or workpiece are changed. Then, multiple experiments are required to obtain sufficient new data to establish a new prediction model, increasing the time and economy costs. This paper proposes a data-driven method using transfer learning for on-line classifying the surface roughness under multiple milling conditions. First, a source tool is selected to perform the milling experiments to construct the source data. A stack sparse autoencoder (SSAE) is pre-trained to online classify the surface roughness, where the inputs are the machining parameters and the features derived from the force signals in time and frequency domains. Then, a new tool is selected to perform the milling experiments under fewer milling conditions to construct the target data. The pre-trained SSAE are fine-tuned by re-training the network using the limited target data. Finally, a surface roughness classifier of the target tool is established to adapt to the new milling conditions. Furthermore, a detailed experimental validation is carried out on three different tools of a vertical machining center, indicating a significant potential in establishing an accurate surface roughness classifier with limited milling experiments.
Distinct B cell profiles characterise healthy weight and obesity pre- and post-bariatric surgery
Authors: Šlisere Baiba , Arisova Marina , Aizbalte Olga , Salmiņa Marta , Zolovs Maksims , Levenšteins Mārtiņš , Mukāns Maksims , Troickis Igors , Meija Laila , Lejnieks Aivars , Bīlande Guna , Rosser Lizzy , Oleinika Kristine
Published: January 2023

Background/Objectives.
Obesity-associated metabolic dysfunction and inflammation can be ameliorated by bariatric surgery. While obesity is also linked to impaired B cell activation, differentiation, and persistence in response to infection and vaccination little is known about post-operative immune B cell compartment and to what extent dysregulation in B cell pathways can be reversed. To bridge this gap in knowledge, we carried out in-depth evaluation of B cell composition in obese individuals prior to and following bariatric surgery compared to lean controls.
Subjects/Methods.
We recruited individuals with obesity (BMI at least 35 kg/m2) before bariatric surgery (n = 21) and followed them up 6 months post-operatively (n = 17). As controls we recruited age- and sex-matched lean (BMI < 25) individuals (n = 18). We carried out comprehensive immunophenotyping of peripheral blood B cells as well as interrogated their association with inflammatory and metabolic parameters.
Results.
In obesity the balance of antigen-inexperienced and memory B cells in the peripheral blood is altered, with an expansion of naïve and a reduction in total memory B cells. 6 months following bariatric surgery this balance is restored. However, post-operative patients are uniquely characterised by an increase in B cell subsets associated with chronic inflammation – CD11c+CXCR5−IgD−CD27− double negative 2 (DN2) B cells and CD27+CD38++ plasmablasts. Correlations between B cells subsets, inflammatory and metabolic parameters were distinct in lean and obese individuals pre- and post-bariatric surgery.
Conclusions.
Bariatric surgery patients display a unique B cell profile 6 months post-operatively; this bears minimal resemblance to that of pre-operative patients and only partially overlaps with that of lean controls. Post-operative differences in the B cell compartment compared to lean controls are detected despite global amelioration of inflammation and restoration of metabolic health. Collectively, this indicates that bariatric surgery creates a specific immunometabolic state with potential implications for health outcomes.
Knowledge and Attitude about Vegetarianism Saudi Population
Authors: Azhar Wedad , Aljabiri Sanaa , Bushnaq Taqwa , Azzeh Firas S. , Alyamani Reema A. , Alkholy Sarah O. , Alhassani Walaa E. , Abusudah Wafaa F. , Qadhi Alaa , Bukhari Hassan M. , Ghafouri Khloud
Published: January 2023

Background: In recent years, there has been a great interest in the dietary practices of vegetarians in addition to an increasing awareness of the potential benefits of vegetarian diets. However, there is insufficient data on the spread of vegetarianism in Arab countries. The study aims to investigate knowledge and attitude about vegetarianism and associated factors in Saudi population and to understand reasons for its growing prevalence.
Method: Participants in this cross-sectional study were aged 18–65. Participants were recruited primarily through social media. The electronic questionnaire compromised three sections: socio-demographic questions, reasons for following a vegetarian diet, and beliefs and knowledge about vegetarianism. Multivariate binary logistic regression was utilized to determine predictive factors for being a vegetarian.
Results: Responses were 3,035 of which 80.2% were female and 19.8% were male. Vegetarians represented 37.5% (15.7% semi-vegetarians, 8.1% pesco-vegetarians, 64.3% lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and 11.3% vegans) and the rest were non-vegetarians. The majority of the vegetarian participants (92.9%) have a low knowledge level. Health issues, followed by ethical, then environmental concerns were the most common motivators for adopting a vegetarian diet; these reasons were cited by 72.5%, 59.3%, and 47.9% of participants, respectively. Factors associated with increased vegetarianism were having exercises for half an hour to two hours, while factors associated with decreased vegetarianism were male gender, aged 51–64 years, being married, having a higher education, working in the health sector, being a housewife, and having an income between 5,000–10,000 SR/month.
Conclusion: Vegetarianism appears to be growing phenomenon among the Saudi population. Increased awareness of health issues and the desire to live a healthy lifestyle might be the strongest motive. This study offers an opportunity to better understand vegetarianism in Saudi Arabia along with the possibility of expanding vegetarian food choices to the general public.
Longitudinal social contact data analysis: insights from 2 years of data collection in Belgium during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Loedy Neilshan , Coletti Pietro , Wambua James , Hermans Lisa , Willem Lander , Jarvis Christopher I. , Wong Kerry L.M. , Edmunds W. John , Robert Alexis , Leclerc Quentin J. , Gimma Amy , Molenberghs Geert , Beutels Philippe , Faes Christel , Hens Niel
Published: January 2023

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the CoMix study, a longitudinal behavioral survey, was designed to monitor social contacts and public awareness in multiple countries, including Belgium. As a longitudinal survey, it is vulnerable to participants’ “survey fatigue”, which may impact inferences. Methods: A negative binomial generalized additive model for location, scale, and shape (NBI GAMLSS) was adopted to estimate the number of contacts reported between age groups and to deal with under-reporting due to fatigue within the study. The dropout process was analyzed with first-order auto-regressive logistic regression to identify factors that influence dropout. Using the so-called next generation principle, we calculated the effect of under-reporting due to fatigue on estimating the reproduction number.
Results: Fewer contacts were reported as people participated longer in the survey, which suggests under-reporting due to survey fatigue. Participant dropout is significantly affected by household size and age categories, but not significantly affected by the number of contacts reported in any of the two latest waves. This indicates covariate-dependent missing completely at random (MCAR) in the dropout pattern, when missing at random (MAR) is the alternative. However, we cannot rule out more complex mechanisms such as missing not at random (MNAR). Moreover, under-reporting due to fatigue is found to be consistent over time and implies a 15-30% reduction in both the number of contacts and the reproduction number (R0) ratio between correcting and not correcting for under-reporting. Lastly, we found that correcting for fatigue did not change the pattern of relative incidence between age groups also when considering age-specific heterogeneity in susceptibility and infectivity.
Conclusions: CoMix data highlights the variability of contact patterns across age groups and time, revealing the mechanisms governing the spread/transmission of COVID-19/airborne diseases in the population. Although such longitudinal contact surveys are prone to bias, participant fatigue, and drop-out, we showed that these factors can be identified and corrected using NBI GAMLSS. This information can be used to improve the design of similar, future surveys.
Randomized Double-Blind Personalized N-of-1 Clinical Trial to Test the Safety and Potential Efficacy of TJ-68 for Treating Muscle Cramps in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): study protocol for a TJ-68 trial.
Authors: Mitsumoto Hiroshi , Cheung Ken , Oskarsson Bjorn , Andrews Howard A. , Jang Grace E. , Andrews Jinsy A. , Shah Jaimin S. , Fernandes Joseph Americo , McElhiney Martin , Santella Regina M.
Published: January 2023

Introduction/Aims: Muscle cramps are a common and often disabling symptom in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a devastating and incurable neurodegenerative disorder. To date, there are no medications specifically approved for the treatment of muscle cramps. Ameliorating muscle cramps in this patient population may sustain quality of life longer. A traditional Japanese medicine, shakuyakukanzoto (TJ-68) is widely prescribed in Japan for managing muscle cramps in a variety of conditions. The Japanese ALS Management Guideline mentions TJ-68 for difficult muscle cramps in ALS. Therefore, this clinical trial is designed to test the safety and efficacy of TJ-68 in participants with ALS reporting serious muscle cramps using a personalized N-of-1 approach. If successful, we can introduce TJ-68 for muscle cramps in ALS to Western medicine.
Methods: With FDA-IND approval, we are conducting a two-site, double-blind, randomized personalized N-of-1 early clinical trial with TJ-68. At least 22 participants with ALS and daily muscle cramps will receive drug or placebo for 2 weeks (one treatment period) followed by a 1-week washout in a four-period cross-over design. While the primary objective is to evaluate the safety of TJ-68, the study was sized to detect a one-point shift on the Columbia Muscle Cramp Scale (MCS) item #5 with 85% power under a four-period crossover design.The secondary assessment includes the full MCS score, a Cramp Diary, Clinical Global Impression of Changes, Goal Attainment Scale, quality of life scale and ALS functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-R).
Discussion: The study is underway. A personalized N-of-1 trial design is an efficient approach to testing medications that alleviate MCS in rare disorders. If TJ-68 proves safe and efficacious, we will work to introduce this product to Western medicine for treatment of patients with ALS and disabling muscle cramps.
Trial Registration: This clinical trial has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04998305).
Liraglutide 3.0 mg and Mental Health: Can Psychiatric Symptoms Predict Adherence to Therapy? Insights from a clinical audit
Authors: Tempia Valenta Silvia , Stecchi Michele , Perazza Federica , Nuccitelli Chiara , Villanova Nicola , Pironi Loris , Atti Anna Rita , Petroni Maria Letizia
Published: January 2023

Introduction. The glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue liraglutide 3.0 mg is an out-of-pocket medication approved for weight management in obesity. We aimed to investigate the relationship between psychiatric symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, binge eating) and adherence to therapy.
Methods. A clinical audit was carried out on 54 adults with obesity treated with liraglutide 3.0 mg. We retrospectively analyzed the relation between (1) psychiatric symptoms evaluated through the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y1), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Binge Eating Scale (BES); and (2) adherence to therapy by assessing the maximum dosage (MD) and treatment duration (TD).
Results. In the whole cohort, the average weight loss was 4.43% (± SD = 5.5). We found a negative correlation between anxiety symptoms (STAI-Y1 score) and MD (r=-,276), between depression symptoms (BDI score) and TD (r=-,276), and between a high probability of binge eating (BES score > 17) and TD (r=-,275). Linear regression analysis demonstrated that STAI-Y1 score predicted MD [R2 = .076, p = .044], BDI score predicted TD [R2 = .076, p = .044], and significant binge eating predicted TD [R2 = .076, p = .044]. Despite the lower adherence, the presence of psychiatric symptoms did not lead to a reduction in drug effectiveness on weight loss.
Conclusion. Psychiatric symptoms can predict reduced adherence to liraglutide 3.0 mg therapy in real life. However, this does not appear to jeopardize its effect on weight loss. These findings suggest that persons with obesity and impaired mental health can also benefit from treatment.
Level of evidence. Level V, descriptive studies.
Expression characteristics, immune signature, and prognostic value of the SOCS family identified by multiomics integrative analysis in liver cancer
Authors: Dong Zhitao , Dai Binghua , Fang Kunpeng , Duan Kecai , Sui Chengjun , Geng Li , Yang Jiamei
Published: January 2023

Objective
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies in the world, and the death rate is very high. The members of the SOCS family are the key factors in the regulation of various cytokines and growth factors. It is not clear, however, whether the level of the SOCS family will affect the prognosis in patients with HCC.
Methods
Firstly, we studied the expression levels of the SOCS family genes in the HCC and the relationship between the expression level of the SOCS family and different clinicopathological characteristics. Then the public database was used to analyze the changes of expression, potential function, transcription factors and immune invasion of SOCS family members. Finally, we analyzed the prognostic value of the patients with SOC family with HCC and the correlation with SOC family and ferroptosis-related genes.
Results
The expression of SOCS2-7 and CISH was downregulated in HCC. The SOCS4, SOCS5 and SOCS7 genes were all related to the clinicopathological features of HCC patients. SOCS family genes are mainly related to PIK3R3, GHR, TNS4, TNS4 pathway. We found that STAT3, PPAR-gamma 2 and IRF-2 are important transcription factors in regulating SOCS family members. We also confirmed that the expression level of SOCS family members are closely related to the immune infiltration of liver cancer. Then, we clarified that SOCS2 and SOCS4 are risk-related gene in predicting the prognosis of patients with liver cancer. Finally, we found that SOCS2 gene may be involved in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma, but the mechanism needs further experimental verification.
Conclusion
Our study may expand upon the understanding of SOCS gene function in liver cancer and help clinicians select appropriate drugs and predict the prognosis of patients with liver cancer.
miR-122 dysregulation is associated to the type2 diabetes mellitus-induced dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia independently to its variant rs17669
Authors: Behrouj Hamid , Moridi Heresh , Moradi Mohamad Nabi , Ghasemi Hassan
Published: January 2023

Background: miR-122 is a liver specific micro RNA that participates in the regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. rs17669 variant positioned at the flanking region of miR-122 and may be affects its stability and maturation. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigates the association between rs17669 polymorphism with the miR-122 circulating level, risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) development and biochemical parameters in these patients and matched healthy controls.
Methods and Results: Two hundred and ninety-five subjects (controls; n=145 and T2DM; n=150) enrolled in this study. rs17669 variant genotyping was done by ARMS-PCR. Serum biochemical parameters including lipid profile and glucose were measured by colorimetric kits. Insulin and Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were assayed by using capillary electrophoresis and ELISA methods respectively. miR-122 expression was measured by real-time PCR. There was no significant difference in allele and genotype distribution between study groups (P>0.05). rs17669 variant has not any significant association with miR-122 gene expression and biochemical parameters (P>0.05). miR-122 expression level in T2DM patients was considerably higher than that in control subjects (5.7±2.4 vs 1.4±0.78) (P>0.05). Furthermore, there were a positive and significant correlation between miR-122 fold change with LDL-C, sdLDL, FBS and insulin resistance (P>0.05).
Conclusions: It can be concluded that miR-122 rs17669 variant is not associated to the miR-122 expression and T2DM-associated serum parameters. Furthermore, it can be suggesting that miR-122 dysregulation involved in T2DM development through the inducing dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia as well as resistance to insulin.
Salivary Osteopontin was associated with lesion size in patients with oral lichen planus
Authors: Sharifi Sara , Hoseini Elaheh Ghasemzadeh , Rahimi Habibollah , Lotfinia Majid
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Osteopontin (OPN) is recognized as a potent biomarker of Oral lichen planus (OLP) because of vital role in inflammation and repair process. The aim of present study is assessment of OPN in OLP in comparison with healthy controls (HC).
Material and Methods: To explore salivary levels of OPN, a group of 20 subjects with OLP were compared with 20 HC. Salivary OPN levels was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay.
Results: Results indicated elevated OPN levels in lesion size < 1 cm compared with 1 - 3 cm lesion size of OLP (p= 0.02). In contrast, we did not find a significant difference in OPN expression level in saliva from OLP patients and healthy controls (P = 0.96).
Discussion: The above results suggest that maybe OPN may serve as a potential biomarker for the monitoring of repair process in OLP.
Impact of fracture properties on the performance of engineered geothermal systems in the crystalline basement of Kuujjuaq (Canadian Shield)
Authors: Miranda Mafalda M. , Raymond Jasmin , Dezayes Chrystel , Wigston Andrew , Perreault Serge
Published: January 2023

Understanding the natural fracture network is essential for geothermal-related investigations. However, the geometrical attributes depend on the scale of observation. Therefore, a multiscale characterization of the fracture network is essential to ensure that forward heat and flow simulations are based on stochastically generated discrete fracture network models representative of the natural fracture system observed. This was the goal of this work. Fracture data was collected from satellite imagery, outcrops and well cores to evaluate the scale effect and to study the impact of fracture size and density on the performance of engineered geothermal systems by numerical modeling. The numerical simulations highlighted that networks made of small fractures (0.08 to 27 m) tend to decrease the performance of the system compared to a network made of large fractures (22 to 1,437 m). However, thermal short-circuiting is easily reached in the latter scenario. Thus, the simulations suggest that the best-case network is made of fractures ranging between 1.57 to 135 m with fractures spaced by 5 m. This scenario provides the best compromise between heat extraction, water losses, hydraulic impedance and thermal drawdown. Despite the uncertainties, the fracture data used highlights the importance of multiscale fracture analysis for heat-flow simulations of geothermal reservoirs.
Age, sex, primary tumor type and site are associated with mortality after pathological fractures: An observational study of 1,453 patients from the Swedish Fracture Register
Authors: Wänman Johan , Kjartansdóttir Sonja , Wolf Olof , Sundkvist Jonas , Wennergren David , Mukka Sebastian
Published: January 2023

Background
Pathological fractures are challenging in orthopedic surgery and oncology, with implications for the patient’s quality of life, mobility and mortality. The efficacy of oncological treatment on life expectancy for cancer patients has improved, but the metastatic pattern for bone metastases and survival is diverse for different tumor types. This study aimed to evaluate survival in relation to age, sex, primary tumor and site of the pathological fractures.
Methods
All pathological fractures due to cancer between 1 September 2014 and 31 December 2021 were included in this observational study from the Swedish Fracture Register (SFR). Data on age, sex, tumor type, fracture site and mortality were collected.
Results
1,453 patients with pathological fractures were included (48% women, median age 73, range 18-100 years). Unknown primary tumors were the most common primary site (n=308). The lower extremities were the most common site of pathological fractures. Lung cancer had the shortest median survival of 78 days (range 54-102) and multiple myeloma had the longest median survival of 432 days (range 232-629). The site at the lower extremity had the shortest (187 days, range 162-212) and the spine had the longest survival (386 days, range 211-561). Age, sex, primary type and site of the pathological fractures were all associated with mortality.
Interpretation
Age, sex, primary tumor type and site of pathological fractures significantly impact survival. Survival time is short and correlated to primary tumor type, with lung cancer as the strongest negative predictor of survival.
Assessments of tree-ring intra-annual δ18O record for reconstructing hydroclimate with high temporal resolution
Authors: Watanabe Yumiko , Katayama Yoshito , Li Zhen , Nakatsuka Takeshi , Tazuru Suyako
Published: January 2023

Tree-ring cellulose oxygen isotopic ratios have been widely studied as a hydrological proxy in monsoonal Asia. There has been, however, little attempt to perform proxy assessment of the intra-annual isotopic data to reconstruct hydroclimate with higher temporal resolution. We presented new intra-annual cellulose oxygen isotopic record of Japanese cedar trees spanning A.D. 1918 to 2017, and validated it as a hydrological proxy by comparing with meteorological data. There are significant negative correlations between intra-annual isotopic ratios and summer precipitation/relative humidity, as similar to annual-resolution data of earlier studies. Notably on intra-annual scales, the period showing the highest correlation gradually shifted from May to August, in corresponding to the location within the annual ring. Principal component regression analyses show the regression was more accurate over a wider duration than single regression analysis using the annual data, therefore indicating that the subdivision of the annual ring could contribute to reconstruct higher-resolution hydroclimate.
The future of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention: Provider perspectives
Authors: Henderson Mary , Schmidt Heather-Marie A , Chitembo Lastone , Hortencia Peralta , Sabry Ahmed , Johnson Cheryl , Baggaley Rachel , Schaefer Robin
Published: January 2023

Background: Differentiated service delivery and new products, such as long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) and the dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR), could increase uptake and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. We explored PrEP provider perspectives on innovations in service delivery and products to inform World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and programme implementation.
Methods: 150 PrEP providers who participated in a WHO online survey were randomly selected and 67 were invited for interviews based on geographic representation, provider cadre, gender, experience with community-based PrEP service delivery, and familiarity with new PrEP products. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via video calls. Key themes were inductively extracted relating to differentiated service delivery and benefits and concerns regarding new PrEP products.
Results: 30 PrEP providers from 24 countries were interviewed. Across regions, providers were supportive of differentiated service delivery to respond to clients’ needs and preferences, maintain services during COVID-19, and ensure access for hard-to-reach populations. Providers welcomed prospects of offering an CAB-LA to their clients but had concerns about HIV testing, costs, and the need for clinic-based services, including staff who can administer injections. Providers felt the DVR was potentially important for some women, especially young clients and female sex workers, and raised fewer concerns compared to injectable PrEP.
Conclusions: Providers’ views are critical for the development of guidelines and implementing programmes that will best serve PrEP users. Understanding areas where provider capacities and biases may create barriers can define opportunities for training and support to ensure that providers can deliver effective programmes.
Performance assessment of helicon wave heating andcurrent drive in EXL-50 spherical torus plasmas
Authors: Qiao G.J. , Luo D. , Song S.D. , Dong J.Q. , Shi Y.J. , Li J. C. , Du D. , Peng Y. K. Martin
Published: January 2023

Analysis of helicon wave heating and current drive capability in EXL-50spherical torus plasmas has been conducted. It is found that the drivencurrent increases with the launched parallel refractive index n|| and peaksaround n|| = 4.0 when the frequency of the helicon wave is between 300 MHzand 380 MHz. The helicon wave current drive efficiency shows a relativelystable upward trend with increasing plasma temperature. Moreover, thedriven current decreases as the plasma density increases. We also analyzedthe current drive with helicon waves of 150 MHz and 170 MHz and foundthat the driven current at a lower frequency was lower than that at a higherfrequency. A positive proportional relationship exists between the drivencurrent and n||. Besides, as n|| increases, the profile of the driven currentbecomes wider. Finally, the effect of the scrape-off layer (SOL) region on thehelicon wave current drive was also investigated.
Field-measured canopy height may not be as accurate and heritable as believed – Evidence from advanced 3D sensing
Authors: Zang Jingrong , Jin Shichao , Zhang Songyin , Li Qing , Mu Yue , Li Ziyu , Li Shaochen , Wang Xiao , Su Yanjun , Jiang Dong
Published: January 2023

Canopy height (CH) is an important trait for crop breeding and production. The rapid development of 3D sensing technologies shed new light on high-throughput height measurement. However, a systematic comparison of the accuracy and heritability of different 3D sensing technologies is seriously lacking. Moreover, it is questionable whether the field-measured height is as reliable as believed. This study uncovered these issues by comparing traditional height measurement with four advanced 3D sensing technologies, including terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), backpack laser scanning (BLS), gantry laser scanning (GLS), and digital areal photogrammetry (DAP). A total of 1920 plots covering 120 varieties were selected for comparison. Cross-comparisons of different data sources were performed to evaluate their performances in CH estimation concerning different CH, leaf area index (LAI), and growth stage (GS) groups. Results showed that 1) All 3D sensing data sources had high correlations with field measurement (r>0.82), while the correlations between different 3D sensing data sources were even better (r>0.87). 2) The prediction accuracy between different data sources decreased in subgroups of CH, LAI, and GS. 3) Canopy height showed high heritability from all datasets, and 3D sensing datasets had even higher heritability (H2=0.79-0.89) than FM (H2=0.77). Finally, outliers of different datasets are analyzed. The results provide novel insights into different methods for canopy height measurement that may ensure the high-quality application of this important trait.
Design of a Few End-Capped Donor-Acceptor Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Nickel Dithiolene Derivatives for Efficient NLO Response
Authors: Ghosh Prokash , Majumder Manoj , Sutradhar Tanushree , Misra Anirban
Published: January 2023

The NLO property of a few designed inorganic-organic hybrid materials based on Nickel dithiolenes end-capped with donor-acceptor groups has been studied theoretically. All the designed molecules possess high first hyperpolarizability values indicating their potential use in optics, photonics, and as photosensitizers. Among the four designed systems, the BODIPY-containing systems significantly reduce the HOMO-LUMO energy gap resulting in a massive trek in the first hyperpolarizability (β) values. To judge their high NLO response, transition dipole moment (TDM) density has been plotted and it has been found that electron dissipation occurs through the molecular network with a large Δr index value. It is to be noted that high Δr index values are quantitative measurements to understand the type of transitions, and we noticed that a charge transfer transition occurs in all of our designed systems. Hence a nice correlation between the first hyperpolarizability, TDM density, and Δr index value has been observed. The global reactivity parameters are also studied and correlated nicely with polarizability and hole-electron transport ability.
Prevalence of neural tube defects among pregnant women in Addis Ababa: A community-based study using prenatal ultrasound examination
Authors: Tirsit Abenezer , Zewdneh Daniel , Yigeremu Mahlet , Legese Aga , Moen Bente E. , Lie Rolv T. , Lund-Johansen² Morten , Mahesparan Rupavathana
Published: January 2023

Purpose
The primary aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of NTDs at ultrasound examination in communities of Addis Ababa and secondarily to provide a description of the dysmorphology of the NTD cases.
Methods
We enrolled 958 pregnant women from 20 randomly selected health centers in Addis Ababa during the period from October 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019. Of these 958 women, 891 had an ultrasound examination after enrollment, with special focus on NTDs. We estimated the prevalence of NTDs and compared it with previously reported hospital-based birth prevalence estimates from Addis Ababa.
Results
Among 891 women, 13 had twin pregnancies. We identified 15 NTD cases among 904 fetuses, corresponding to an ultrasound-based prevalence of 166 per 10,000 (95% CI: 100–274). There were no NTD-cases among the 26 twins. Eleven had spina bifida (122 per 10,000, 95% CI: 67–219). Among the 11 fetuses with spina bifida, three had a cervical and one had a thoracolumbar defect while the anatomical site for 7 was not registered. Seven of the 11 spina bifida defects had skin covering, while two of the cervical lesions were uncovered.
Conclusion
We report a high prevalence of NTDs among pregnancies in communities of Addis Ababa based on screening by ultrasound. The prevalence was higher than previous hospital-based studies in Addis, and the prevalence of spina bifida was particularly high.
Mixed-methods education of mechanical ventilation for residents in the era of the COVID- 19 pandemic: preliminary interventional study
Authors: Takeda Kenichiro , Kasai Hajime , Tajima Hiroshi , Furukawa Yutaka , Imaeda Taro , Suzuki Takuji , Ito Shoichi
Published: January 2023

Background In the current era of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 epidemic, the need for respiratory care, including mechanical ventilatory (MV) management, has increased. However, there are no well-developed educational strategies for training medical personnel dealing with respiratory care in MV management. Methods A novel mixed-methods hands-on seminar for learning MV management was conducted for the residents at Chiba University Hospital in March 2022. The seminar lasted approximately 2 hours. The learning goal for the residents was to develop skills and knowledge in performing basic respiratory care, including MV, during an outbreak of a respiratory infection. The seminar with a flipped classroom consisted of e-learning, including modules on respiratory physiology and MV management, hands-on training with a low-fidelity simulator (a lung simulator), and hands-on training with a high-fidelity simulator (a human patient simulator). Each training activity was supervised by respiratory physicians, an intensivist, or a clinical engineer. The effectiveness of the seminar was evaluated using closed questions (scored on a five-point Likert scale: 1 [minimum] to 5 [maximum]) and multiple-choice questions (maximum score: 6) at the pre- and post-seminar evaluations. Results Fourteen residents at Chiba University Hospital participated in the program. The questionnaire responses revealed that the participants’ motivation for learning about MV was relatively high in the pre-seminar period (seven participants [50%] selected level 5 [very strong]), and it increased in the post-seminar period (all participants selected level 5) (p = 0.016). However, most participants (n = 12, 86%) felt the psychological burden of providing respiratory care to patients needing MV management, and the level of the psychological burden did not change significantly from the pre- to post-seminar period (p = 0.328). The responses to the multiple-choice questions revealed that the participants did not have enough knowledge to operate a mechanical ventilator, but the total score significantly improved from the pre- to post-seminar period (pre-seminar: 3.3, post-seminar: 4.6,p = 0.003). Conclusions The seminar implemented in this study helped increase the residents’ motivation to learn about respiratory care and improved knowledge of MV management in a short time. In particular, the flipped classroom may promote the efficiency of education on MV management.
AttSec: protein secondary structure prediction by capturing local patterns from attention map
Authors: Kim Youjin , Kwon Junseok
Published: January 2023

Background: Protein secondary structures that link simple 1D sequences to complex 3D structures can be used as good features for describing the local properties of protein, but also can serve as key features for predicting the complex 3D structures of protein. Thus, it is very important to accurately predict the secondary structure of the protein, which contains a local structural property assigned by the pattern of hydrogen bonds formed between amino acids. In this study, we accurately predict protein secondary structure by capturing the local patterns of protein. For this objective, we present a novel prediction model, AttSec, based on transformer architecture. In particular, AttSec extracts self-attention maps corresponding to pairwise features between amino acid embeddings and passes them through 2D convolution blocks to capture local patterns. In addition, instead of using additional evolutionary information, it uses protein embedding as an input, which is generated by a language model.
Results: For the ProteinNet DSSP8 dataset, our model showed 11.8% better performance on the entire evaluation datasets compared with other no-evolutionary-information-based models. For the NetSurfP-2.0 DSSP8 dataset, it showed 0.8% better performance on average. There was an average performance improvement of 9.0% for the ProteinNet DSSP3 dataset and an average of 0.18% for the NetSurfP-2.0 DSSP3 dataset.
Conclusion: We accurately predict protein secondary structure by capturing the local patterns of protein. For this objective, we present a novel prediction model, AttSec, based on transformer architecture.Although there was no dramatic accuracy improvement compared with other models, the improvement on DSSP8 was greater than that on DSSP3. This result implies that using our proposed pairwise feature could have a remarkable effect for several challenging tasks that require finely subdivided classification.
Github package URL is https://github.com/youjin-DDAI/AttSec.
3D plasmonic SERS aptasensor for rapid detection of aflatoxin B1 combined with Au@Ag bimetallic nanostars and Fe3O4 @MoS2 magnetic nanoflowers
Authors: Chen Peifang , Li Chenbiao , Ma Xiaoyuan , Wang Zhouping , Jiang Caiyun
Published: January 2023

As a virulent metabolite, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) presented in various cereal grain is tightly implicated in severe human diseases. In this study, 3D plasmonic nanohybirds of Raman molecule 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA)-embedded and AFB1 aptamer-modified bimetallic nanostars as probes bound to magnetic nanoflowers were fabricated and demonstrated as a high-performance SERS-active aptasensor to quantitatively analyze AFB1. Bimetallic Au@Ag SERS plasmonic nanoprobes with enhanced properties were capable of enhancing discriminative Raman peaks of 4-MBA. Then, the integration of iron tetroxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) and molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS2 NSs) with huge specific surface area constituted stable 3D Fe3O4@MoS2 plasmonic nanoflowers, facilitating the bind of numerous aptamer-based SERS probes via the non-covalent interaction between MoS2 NSs and aptamer, which were ideal candidates for SERS-active substrates. Additionally, Fe3O4 NPs as magenetic core endowed 3D nanocomposites with specific magnetic separation characteristic that caused the collected SERS hotspots to exhibit superior signal response, and further strengthening the sensitivity in a complex food matrix. Aptamer-target AFB1 specific recognition triggered linearly diminished 4-MBA signal intensity (I4 − MBA) on the substrate to achieve a low detection limit of 58.9 pg/mL. Furthermore, the sensor has the potential to be a promising monitoring tool for trace contaminants.
Long non-coding RNA ZFHX4-AS1 Upregulates the Neural Differentiation-related Gene ZFHX4 and thereby Promotes SOX2 Expression to Accelerate Glioma Progression
Authors: Yan Hongshan , Shi Yunpeng , Jin Qianxu , Guo Kai , Zhu Siyu , Zhang Shiyang , Zhao Zongmao
Published: January 2023

Background
ZFHX4-AS1 is a recently discovered long noncoding RNA, and whether it is involved in glioma progression is unclear.
Results
We found that ZFHX4-AS1 and its nearby gene ZFHX4 were highly expressed in gliomas through analysis of online databases combined with experimental validation of collected glioma tissues and cells. In functional experiments, we found that high expression levels of ZFHX4-AS1 or ZFHX4 stimulated the proliferation, invasion and migration of glioma cells. Furthermore, overexpression and silencing of ZFHX4-AS1 resulted in the same changes in ZFHX4 expression levels. Combined with rescue experiments, we concluded that ZFHX4-AS1 can affect glioma progression by regulating ZFHX4. Based on the differentially expressed genes and related gene analysis of ZFHX4, we hypothesized that SOX2 was highly correlated with ZFHX4. Subsequently, we confirmed that SOX2 was highly expressed in glioma tissues and cells and was able to bind to ZFHX4. In functional experiments, we demonstrated that highly expressed SOX2 promotes glioma cells invasion and migration. By analyzing the differentially expressed genes of SOX2, we found that the functional node enriched for this differential gene is roughly the same as that of ZFHX4. It appears that these two genes synergize with one another to promote glioma cells progression.Afterwards, SOX2 activates the JAK1/STAT3 pathway and ZFHX4-AS1 reverses the SOX2-induced changes.
Conclusions
In conclusion, ZFHX4-AS1 upregulates the neighboring gene ZFHX4, which in turn increases the expression of SOX2 and stimulates glioma cells proliferation, invasion and migration.
Self-assessment of Doctor-patient Communication Skills of Chinese Medical Students: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Guo Shi , Peng Hui , Xu Dejun , Xu Penghui , Lu Jingjing
Published: January 2023

Background: Effective communication between doctors and patients can contribute to a positive therapeutic effect, better patient outcomes and satisfaction. Doctor-patient communication skills are essential skills that all medical students should acquire during their clinical training. This study aimed to explore the doctors-patient communication skills of medical students in China and the potential influence factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in WuHu City, China. Our study was a part of the teaching quality evaluation of Wannan Medical College. Medical students who were in their final year of clinical learning and have finished a series of pre-clinical training were invited to participate in the survey. 607 medical students participated in this study. Students' social demographic, work-related characteristics and doctor-patient communication skills were collected. The doctor-patient communication skills were measured using the doctor-patient Communication Behavior Scale. The influencing factors were explored by univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.
Results: Compared with the reference population, medical students reported significantly higher scores in total scores for the doctor-patient Communication Behavior Scale for Medical Students.Medical students without doctor-patient communication experiences (β=-11.87, 95%CI=-17.49,-6.24, p<0.01), or without training (β=-3.72, 95%CI=-6.61,-0.83, p<0.05) reported significantly lower total scores.
Conclusion: To further promote students’ doctor-patient communication skills, medical universities and colleges should offer students with more practice opportunities and corresponding training, and communication education should run throughout the whole process of medical education.
Simultaneous expression of three reporter proteins from a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-based vector
Authors: Mo Qingrong , Wang Hao , He Wei , Lin Siyuan , Xie Xin , Wang Yuxu , Wang Xindong , Ren Tongwei , Ouyang Kang , Chen Ying , Huang Weijian , Wei Zuzhang
Published: January 2023

The mechanism of discontinuous transcription for the synthesis of a series of sub-genomic mRNAs to express the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) structural proteins potentially allows for the simultaneous expression of multiple foreign genes. This can occur by insertion of multiple novel independent transcription units between ORF sequences of the PRRSV genome. Here, an expression cassette consisting of a red fluorescent protein (RFP) gene flanked at its 3′ end by transcription-regulating sequences (TRS) and an expression cassette consisting of an iLOV gene flanked at its 5′ end by TRS was constructed. The resulting expression cassette containing a RFP gene and containing iLOV gene was introduced between ORF1b and 2, and between ORF7 and 3′UTR, respectively, in an infectious PRRSV cDNA clone. Transfection of the resulting clone (pGX-12RFP-73iLOV) into cells resulted in the recovery of a recombinant virus (rGX-12RFP-73iLOV). Simultaneous expression of RFP and iLOV was observed in MARC-145 cells infected with rGX-RFP-iLOV. To test the ability of the PRRSV genome to express three reporter genes simultaneously, an expression cassette containing the Gluc gene and an expression cassette containing iLOV gene were also inserted in between ORF1b and 2, and between ORF7 and 3′UTR, respectively. This was performed in a recently obtained infectious PRRSV cDNA clone carrying a RFP gene in nsp2. Transfection of the construct (pGX-R-Gluc-iLOV) carrying three reporter genes into cells allowed the rescue of the recombinant reporter virus (rGX-R-Gluc-iLOV) which showed similar growth characteristics to the parental virus and yet yielded 100-fold less infectious viruses. Fluorescence microscopy of cells infected with rGX-R-Gluc-iLOV demonstrated the presence of both GFP and iLOV genes. Gluc activities in supernatants harvested at different time points from cells infected with recombinant viruses carrying Gluc showed the levels of Gluc activity increased as the infection progressed, indicating that the expression of Gluc gene and its activity were parameters for monitoring viral propagation. These results indicate that it is possible to introduce at least three foreign proteins simultaneously in a PRRSV-based vector and this will prove invaluable in our future understanding of these viruses.
In-phase and anti-phase bursting dynamics and synchronisation scenario in neural network by varying coupling phase
Authors: Thazhathethil Remi , Abdulraheem Subha Pallimanhiyil
Published: January 2023

We have analysed the phase flip in the membrane potential and the subsequent emergence of patterns in a network of Hindmarsh Rose neurons under the influence of self, mixed and cross coupling of state variables. The interactions are realised using rotation matrix and the toggle among self, mixed and cross coupling modes are carried out by varying the coupling phase. With the increase in number of variables having self coupling, the value of coupling strength at which synchrony is obtained, decreases drastically. The activator self or cross coupling in membrane potential induces in-phase synchrony whereas the inhibitor coupling induces anti-phase bursts. Due to the interplay of non local coupling and rotation symmetry breaking by crosscoupling of state variables, chimera, multi chimera and traveling chimera states are obtained in the N coupled network. We found that self coupling in multiple variables itself could induce symmetry break in the network proving that cross coupling is not a prerequisite for obtaining chimera. The strength of incoherence and discontinuity measure validates the existence of chimera and multichimera states. The inhibitor self coupling in local interaction induces interesting patterns like Mixed Oscillatory State and clusters. This study of the transition mechanism between in-phase and anti-phase oscillations may help in understanding the realistic spatiotemporal communications of brain.
PACS 05.45.-a · 05.45.Xt