bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case Report: Profound newborn leukopenia related to a novel RAC2 variant
Authors: Hall Geoffrey , Donkó Ágnes , Pratt Cristina , Kim-Chang Julie J. , Martin Paul L. , Stallings Amy P. , Sleasman John W. , Holland Steven M. , Hsu Amy P. , Leto Thomas L. , Mousallem Talal
Published: March 2024

We report the case of a 1-week-old male born full-term, who had two inconclusive severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) newborn screens and developed scalp cellulitis and Escherichia coli bacteremia. He did not pass early confirmatory hearing screens. Initial blood counts and lymphocyte flow cytometry revealed profound neutropenia and lymphopenia with a T-/B-/NK- phenotype. Red blood cell adenosine deaminase 1 activity was within normal limits. A presumptive diagnosis of reticular dysgenesis was considered. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was started, but there was no improvement in neutrophil counts. Subsequent lymphocyte flow cytometry at around 4 weeks of age demonstrated an increase in T-, B- and NK-cell numbers, eliminating suspicion for SCID and raising concern for congenital neutropenia and bone marrow failure syndromes. Genetic testing revealed a novel variant in RAC2 [c.181C>A (p.Gln61Lys)] (Q61K). RAC2, a Ras-related GTPase, is the dominant RAC protein expressed in hematopoietic cells and is involved with various downstream immune-mediated responses. Pathogenic RAC2 variants show significant phenotypic heterogeneity (spanning from neutrophil defects to combined immunodeficiency) across dominant, constitutively activating, dominant activating, dominant negative, and autosomal recessive subtypes. Given the identification of a novel variant, functional testing was pursued to evaluate aberrant pathways described in other RAC2 pathogenic variants. In comparison to wild-type RAC2, the Q61K variant supported elevated superoxide production under both basal and PMA-stimulated conditions, increased PAK1 binding, and enhanced plasma membrane ruffling, consistent with other dominant, constitutively active mutations. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge associated with genetic variants identified via next-generation sequencing panels and the importance of functional assays to confirm variant pathogenicity.
End-to-end security enabled intelligent remote IoT monitoring system
Authors: Saleem Kashif , Zinou Mohammed Farouk , Mohammad Farah , Ouni Ridha , Elhendi Ahmed Zohier , Almuhtadi Jalal
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Internet of things (IoT) compose of million of devices connected together over the internet. IoT plays a vital role now a days and especially in future, the most of the monitoring and data collection. The data should be secure while collection and as well in the process of transferring till the destination whether Service Organization Control (SOC) or to cloud for storage. In this paper, a secure IoT based intelligent monitoring system is proposed.

Methods: An intelligent IoT station that interacts via cellular connection to relay data to the cloud is constructed using the Waspmote platform. The algorithm is injected to automatically filter and only keep the new data for transfer to avoid redundancy. The advanced encryption standard (AES) 256-bit method is enabled for onboard data encryption and then the generated cipher text is transmitted. The encrypted data is then stored over the cloud to ensure privacy. Moreover, the mobile application (mApp) is developed to be installed on handheld devices for calling the secure data from the cloud, decrypting it, and displaying it as per user input, whether real-time or historical.

Results and Discussion: The encryption algortihm helps in securing the proposed monitoring system from brute force, man in the middle, phishing, spoofing, and denial of service (DoS) attacks. The results of the real testbed experimentation demonstrate the complexity evaluation and reliability of IoT monitoring systems with end-to-end data security in terms of encryption algorithm delay and data rate, respectively.
Predicting resprouting of Platanus × hispanica following branch pruning by means of machine learning
Authors: Shu Qiguan , Yazdi Hadi , Rötzer Thomas , Ludwig Ferdinand
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Resprouting is a crucial survival strategy following the loss of branches, being it by natural events or artificially by pruning. The resprouting prediction on a physiological basis is a highly complex approach. However, trained gardeners try to predict a tree’s resprouting after pruning purely based on their empirical knowledge. In this study, we explore how far such predictions can also be made by machine learning.

Methods

Table-topped annually pruned Platanus × hispanica trees at a nursery were LiDAR-scanned for two consecutive years. Topological structures for these trees were abstracted by cylinder fitting. Then, new shoots and trimmed branches were labelled on corresponding cylinders. Binary and multiclass classification models were tested for predicting the location and number of new sprouts.

Results

The accuracy for predicting whether having or not new shoots on each cylinder reaches 90.8% with the LGBMClassifier, the balanced accuracy is 80.3%. The accuracy for predicting the exact numbers of new shoots with the GaussianNB model is 82.1%, but its balanced accuracy is reduced to 42.9%.

Discussion

The results were validated with a separate dataset, proving the feasibility of resprouting prediction after pruning using this approach. Different tree species, tree forms, and other variables should be addressed in further research.
Response of bacterial community structure to different phosphorus additions in a tobacco-growing soil
Authors: Zhou Beibei , Cheng Shiqian , Peng Shuang , Li Wenqing , Li Chunying , Wang Qianqian , Wang Yiming , Guo Jinping
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Phosphorus (P), which plays a vital role in plant growth, is continually added to soil to maximize biomass production, leading to excessive P accumulation and water eutrophication.

Results

In this study, a pot experiment using a subtropical tobacco-growing soil fertilized with four P levels—no P, low P, medium P, and high P—was conducted and rhizosphere and bulk soils were analyzed.

Results

P addition significantly increased tobacco biomass production (except under low P input) and total soil P and available P content (P<0.05), whereas total nitrogen content decreased in the rhizosphere soils, although this was only significant with medium P application. P fertilization also significantly altered the bacterial communities of rhizosphere soils (P<0.05), but those of bulk soils were unchanged (P>0.05). Moreover, a significant difference was found between rhizosphere soils with low (LR) and high (HR) P inputs (P<0.05). Additionally, compared with rhizosphere soils with no P (CKR), Shannon diversity showed a declining trend, which was significant with LR and HR (P<0.05), whereas an increasing tendency was observed for Chao1 diversity except in LR (P>0.05). Functional prediction revealed that P application significantly decreased the total P and N metabolism of microorganisms in rhizosphere soils (P<0.05).

Discussion

Collectively, our results indicate that maintaining sustainable agricultural ecosystems under surplus P conditions requires more attention to be directed toward motivating the potential of soil functional microbes in P cycling, rather than just through continual P input.
Capture and corporate cooptation: the role of the Mexican Foundation for Health in public health policy
Authors: Torres Christian , Calvillo Alejandro , Zúñiga Javier
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Corporate capture responds to efforts to strengthen regulation or prohibition of commercial determinants of health [tobacco, alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, ultra-processed products (UPFs), commercial milk formula, and pharmaceuticals], in an attempt to interfere with public health policies that threaten the commercial, economic, and political interests of major industries. This manuscript proposes the characterization of the corporate capture of public health in Mexico, exercised through the Mexican Foundation for Health (FUNSALUD).

Methodology

An analysis of FUNSALUD and its stakeholders was carried out under the framework of commercial determinants of health, using a qualitative methodology, and executed in five stages: document analysis from 1985 to 2021; identification and characterization of stakeholders; semi-structured interviews; classification of corporate strategies; and relationship mapping.

Results

Actors in the pharmaceutical, food, tobacco, alcohol, commercial milk formula, and sugar-sweetened beverage industries were identified as corporate members of FUNSALUD. We identify six corporate strategies used to interfere in public health and food policies, highlighting the role of a revolving door bureaucracy in the case of the Ministry of Health.

Conclusion

The Mexican Foundation for Health has functioned as a front organization created by the private sector to influence public policy decision-making, protect corporate interests, and oppose international recommendations to combat non-communicable diseases.
Parental positive affect and negative affect in same- and different-sex parent families: no associations with parental gender and caregiving role
Authors: Leter Tamara L. M. , Ellis-Davies Kate , Rubio Bérengère , Vecho Olivier , Bos Henny M. W. , Lamb Michael E. , Van Rijn – Van Gelderen Loes
Published: March 2024

Positive and negative parental affect influence developing parent–child attachment relationships, especially during infancy as well as children’s social–emotional, academic, and behavioral functioning later in life. Increasingly, because both mothers and fathers can play central caregiving roles, the parenting qualities of both parents demand consideration. Therefore, this study investigated whether parental gender and caregiving role were associated with mothers’ and fathers’ positive affect and negative affect during interactions with their 4-month-old firstborn infant, while determining whether parenting stress, infant temperament, having a singleton/twin, and living in the Netherlands, France, or the United Kingdom were related to parental positive affect and negative affect. In all, 135 different-sex, same-sex male, and same-sex female couples (113 fathers and 157 mothers, comprising 147 primary, and 123 secondary caregivers) who conceived through artificial reproductive techniques were studied. The couples were videorecorded at home while in feeding, cleaning, and playing contexts to assess the levels of positive and negative parental affect. In addition, the couples completed questionnaires about their caregiving role, parenting stress, and the infants’ temperament. Mixed linear models indicated that the levels of positive and negative parental affect toward the infant in all contexts were not related to parental gender, caregiving role, the interaction between parental gender and caregiving role, parenting stress, infant temperament, or singleton/twin status. However, the target parental behaviors were related to the country of origin, suggesting differences among Dutch, French, and British parents. Overall, we found no evidence that gender or caregiving roles were associated with the levels of positive and negative affect shown by the parents.
Human values, civic participation, and wellbeing: analysis on their relationship among older Europeans
Authors: Vega-Tinoco Andrea , Sánchez-García Julia , Gil-Lacruz Marta , Sierra Berdejo María José , Gil-Lacruz Ana Isabel
Published: March 2024

Introduction

So far, both for the general and older population, research on human values and wellbeing mainly shows correlational associations but does not inquire about the direction of this relationship. This is also true for values and civic participation. Therefore, our objective is to identify the directional association between civic participation and Schwartz values, and between values and wellbeing, among older Europeans.

Methods

A pseudo-panel was created from the cross-sectional data of the European Social Survey (ESS 2002-2018), controlling for gender, age-group, country and level of studies (n = 3926). The data analysis was performed using a cross-lagged model, applying both random-effects and fixed-effects models.

Results

On the one hand, the relationship between participation and values is bidirectional, but the effect of civic participation on values is more significant since participating stimulates the development of certain values. On the other hand, although the relationship between values and wellbeing is also bidirectional, the effect of wellbeing on values is stronger since a given level of wellbeing favors the development of particular values.

Discussion

We conclude that civic participation should be promoted within the older population since it directly increases wellbeing, and moreover reinforces those (Growth-oriented) values that positively influence the health, happiness and life satisfaction of older people.
Social vulnerabilities among immigrants and refugees in emergencies and disasters: a systematic review
Authors: Doust Mohammadi Mohammad Mahdi , Salmani Ibrahim , Farahmandnia Hojjat
Published: March 2024

Background

Due to cultural, economic, and societal factors, immigrants and refugees are pivotal groups in dealing with social vulnerability in disasters. Ignoring or inadequate attention to those groups in preparing for and responding to disasters and health emergencies could decrease the effectiveness of efforts. This article aims to identify the most basic social vulnerabilities among immigrants and refugees and provide effective solutions to alleviate or eliminate these vulnerabilities.

Methods

This systematic review was performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The main keywords include Social Vulnerabilities, Immigrants, Refugees, and Disasters. All articles published up to February 2023 were reviewed regardless of language and location. A total of 575 articles were extracted from SCOPUS, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases, and finally, 14 articles were selected for full-text analysis. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) was used to evaluate the quality of the selected articles.

Results

Fourteen articles including 4 qualitative and 10 quantitative articles were selected and analyzed in this review. The findings showed: 1. According to the consensus of the studies, the most vulnerable people who need urgent care during an epidemic due to their special conditions are immigrants and refugees; 2. In most countries, no database provides reliable, up-to-date, and accurate statistics about these people; 3. Refugees usually hesitate to express their vulnerability and receive services due to the fear of deportation; and 4. The main challenges faced by refugees are socio-economic problems such as language problems, lack of emotional and social support, and living in crowded places.

Conclusion

Considering the prevalence of migration among countries, it is essential to identify the social problems and vulnerabilities of immigrants and provide effective solutions to cope with their challenges, especially during crises and emergencies.

Systematic review registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier CRD42022371345.
Relationship between socio-descriptive characteristics, burnout syndrome, and quality of life of employees
Authors: Rancic Natasa K. , Veljkovic Dejan R. , Mirkovic Momcilo R. , Kulic Ljiljana M. , Jovanovic Verica S. , Stamenkovic Bojana N. , Maksimovic Natasa S. , Ciric Vojislav M. , Marinkov-Zivkovic Emilija M. , Giljaca Sonja D. , Đorđevic Gordana , Đorđevic Ognjen G. , Stojanovic Marko M. , Bojanic Novica Z. , Miljkovic Dusan P. , Otasevic Suzana A.
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Burnout syndrome develops as a consequence of chronic stress among employees. The study objective was to examine what socio-descriptive characteristics of employees might be associated with the appearance of the occupational burnout and to evaluate the relationship between job burnout and the quality of life among security employees of the professional private security sector in Central Serbia.

Methods

A multicenter cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis and ANOVA post choc test was applied.

Results

A total of 353 respondents (330 male and 23 female) participated in the study. Female sex and older age were associated with a higher risk of total burnout and the development of emotional exhaustion while male sex, higher education, and managerial position were associated with higher personal achievement and lower risk of total burnout. Male sex, marital union, two or more children, and direct contact with clients were significantly associated with a lower quality of life of employees. A significant negative correlation was found between total burnout and the Physical Health Composite Score (PHC) score with a correlation coefficient (rs) of −0.265 (95%CI from −0.361 to −0.163); between total burnout and the and Mental Health Composite Score (MHC) score with a rs of −0.391 (95%CI from −0.480 to −0.301); and between total burnout and TQL score with a rs of −0.351 (95%CI from −0.445 to −0.258).

Conclusion

Female sex and older age were associated with a higher risk of total burnout and the development of EE while a managerial position and higher education were protective factors in relation to the development of burnout. Male sex, marital union, two or more children, and direct contact with clients were significantly associated with a lower quality of life of the employees. Shift work significantly reduced the total quality of life, while managerial positions increased the quality of life.
Belief in omens and superstitions among patients with chronic neurological disorders
Authors: Mameniškienė Rūta , Kizlaitienė Rasa , Kaladytė Lokominienė Rūta , Puteikis Kristijonas
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Chronic neurological disorders may affect various cognitive processes, including religiosity or superstitious belief. We investigated whether superstitious beliefs are equally prevalent in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), people with epilepsy (PWE), patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls (HCs).

Methods

From late 2014 to early 2023 we conducted a cross-sectional in-person anonymous paper-based survey at the tertiary clinic of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos among outpatients and HCs by asking them to ascribe meaning or report belief for 27 culturally adapted statements (9 omens and 18 superstitions). The sum of items that a respondent believes in was labeled the superstition index (SI). The SI was compared between groups by means of the Kruskal-Wallis (H) test and negative binomial regression modeling. A two-step cluster analysis was performed to discern different subgroups based on answers to the items of the SI.

Results

There were 553 respondents who completed the questionnaire (183 PWE, 124 patients with PD, 133 with MS and 113 HCs). Complete SI scores were collected for 479 (86.6%) participants and they were lower in patients with PD (n = 96, Md = 1, IQR = 0–5.75) in comparison to those with epilepsy (n = 155, Md = 6, IQR = 1–14), MS (n = 120, Md = 4, IQR = 0–12) or HCs (n = 108, Md = 4.5, IQR = 1–10), H (3) = 26.780, p < 0.001. In a negative binomial regression model (n = 394, likelihood ratio χ2 = 35.178, p < 0.001), adjusted for sex, place of residence, income and education, female sex was the only characteristic associated with the SI (β = 0.423, OR = 1.526, 95% CI = 1.148 to 2.028). Both female sex (β = 0.422, OR = 1.525, 95% CI = 1.148 to 2.026) and Parkinson’s disease (β = −0.428, OR = 0.652, 95% CI = 0.432 to 0.984) were significant predictors of the SI when age was removed from the model. Two-step cluster analysis resulted in individuals with PD being grouped into “extreme non-believer,” “non-believer” and “believer” rather than “non-believer” and “believer” clusters characteristic for PWE, patients with MS and HCs.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that individuals with PD believe in less superstitions than patients with MS, PWE or HCs. The results of this investigation should be independently confirmed after adjusting for PD-specific variables.
Informal health sector and routine immunization: making the case for harnessing the potentials of patent medicine vendors for the big catch-up to reduce zero-dose children in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Adamu Abdu A. , Jalo Rabiu I. , Ndwandwe Duduzile , Wiysonge Charles S.
Published: March 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a surge in the number of unimmunized and under-immunized children in Africa. The majority of unimmunized (or zero-dose) children live in hard-to-reach rural areas, urban slums, and communities affected by conflict where health facilities are usually unavailable or difficult to access. In these settings, people mostly rely on the informal health sector for essential health services. Therefore, to reduce zero-dose children, it is critical to expand immunization services beyond health facilities to the informal health sector to meet the immunization needs of children in underserved places. In this perspective article, we propose a framework for the expansion of immunization services through the informal health sector as one of the pillars for the big catch-up plan to improve coverage and equity. In African countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, patent medicine vendors serve as an important informal health sector provider group, and thus, they can be engaged to provide immunization services. A hub-and-spoke model can be used to integrate patent medicine vendors into the immunization system. A hub-and-spoke model is a framework for organization design where services that are provided by a central facility (hub) are complimented by secondary sites (spokes) to optimize access to care. Systems thinking approach should guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of this model.
Automated surgical step recognition in transurethral bladder tumor resection using artificial intelligence: transfer learning across surgical modalities
Authors: Deol Ekamjit S. , Tollefson Matthew K. , Antolin Alenka , Zohar Maya , Bar Omri , Ben-Ayoun Danielle , Mynderse Lance A. , Lomas Derek J. , Avant Ross A. , Miller Adam R. , Elliott Daniel S. , Boorjian Stephen A. , Wolf Tamir , Asselmann Dotan , Khanna Abhinav
Published: March 2024

Objective

Automated surgical step recognition (SSR) using AI has been a catalyst in the “digitization” of surgery. However, progress has been limited to laparoscopy, with relatively few SSR tools in endoscopic surgery. This study aimed to create a SSR model for transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT), leveraging a novel application of transfer learning to reduce video dataset requirements.

Materials and methods

Retrospective surgical videos of TURBT were manually annotated with the following steps of surgery: primary endoscopic evaluation, resection of bladder tumor, and surface coagulation. Manually annotated videos were then utilized to train a novel AI computer vision algorithm to perform automated video annotation of TURBT surgical video, utilizing a transfer-learning technique to pre-train on laparoscopic procedures. Accuracy of AI SSR was determined by comparison to human annotations as the reference standard.

Results

A total of 300 full-length TURBT videos (median 23.96 min; IQR 14.13–41.31 min) were manually annotated with sequential steps of surgery. One hundred and seventy-nine videos served as a training dataset for algorithm development, 44 for internal validation, and 77 as a separate test cohort for evaluating algorithm accuracy. Overall accuracy of AI video analysis was 89.6%. Model accuracy was highest for the primary endoscopic evaluation step (98.2%) and lowest for the surface coagulation step (82.7%).

Conclusion

We developed a fully automated computer vision algorithm for high-accuracy annotation of TURBT surgical videos. This represents the first application of transfer-learning from laparoscopy-based computer vision models into surgical endoscopy, demonstrating the promise of this approach in adapting to new procedure types.
Population genomic analysis of the greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) in the Mediterranean and the Northeast Atlantic, based on SNPs, microsatellites, and mitochondrial DNA sequences
Authors: Katirtzoglou Aikaterini , Tsaparis Dimitris , Kolios Evangelos , Magoulas Antonios , Mylonas Constantinos C. , Fakriadis Ioannis , Manousaki Tereza , Tsigenopoulos Costas S.
Published: March 2024

The greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) has attracted considerable economic interest since the 1990s because it possesses traits that distinguish it as a promising candidate in aquaculture. However, the challenges of its successful rearing, combined with the need to develop proper management practices, underline the importance of research into the genetic diversity of both wild and farmed stocks. We aimed to decipher the genetic structure of S. dumerili in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Northeast Atlantic using three types of genetic markers (mitochondrial control region sequences, microsatellites, and single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs) to evaluate the population genetic structure of the species. The results were compared to those of previous studies of the species focusing on the Central Mediterranean and confirmed the presence of two divergent mtDNA haplogroups distributed without any detectable geographical structuring within the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. However, population analyses of the genetic structure of the species using either 10 microsatellites or a set of 1,051 SNP markers suggest that the species forms three genetically distinct groups, one in the Mediterranean and two in the Atlantic. The latter has so far not been reported in the Northeast Atlantic, and that this differentiation refers to samples from the Canary Islands is surprising. Fifteen candidate outlier SNP loci were identified in the data set, one located within the tead1a/TEF-1A gene, which has been associated with temperature acclimation of the medaka. This work enriches our knowledge of the genetic diversity of wild populations of the greater amberjack in the Mediterranean and the Northeast Atlantic and attempts to investigate signs of local adaptation toward a better understanding of the species distribution patterns. Future studies should be conducted to investigate the genomic regions associated with temperature acclimation in marine organisms that have to adapt to the ongoing climate change pressures, such as sea temperature rise, in order to survive.
Are there limits to growth of tourism on the Caribbean islands? Case-study Aruba
Authors: Jurgens Sharona S. , Mijts Eric , Van Rompaey Anton
Published: March 2024

Mass tourism is a major driver of economic growth in the Caribbean. One major trade-off of this economic growth model is the loss of natural areas due to tourism activities and increasing urbanization. Aruba is one of the most tourist intense destinations within the region with a total of 1.1 million stay-over tourists in 2019. Moreover, this island has one of the largest population densities in the Caribbean and high-speed urbanization takes place in this formerly rural island state. Therefore, this study aims to assess the islands' carrying capacity in relation to its limited land resources by means of a geospatial methodological analysis coupled with a correlation analysis between socio-economic indicators and statistics. First, the past and present drivers and characteristics of urbanization are analyzed. Second, the correlation between socio-economic indicators and the number of tourists was assessed. Third, two future scenarios were developed to assess the maximum carrying capacity. From 1986 till 2020, Aruba's built environment increased from ~29–60 km2 and translates to one-third of the island. Expansion was characterized by sprawl in the earlier years and changed to infilling in the latter. Furthermore, the results indicate that all socio-economic indicators are strongly positive correlated to tourism. Lastly, the possible maximum physical carrying capacity for yearly visitors and number of inhabitants was calculated to be ~1.7 million and 150.000, respectively. We conclude that the proposed methodological framework is robust and adequate to serve as a low budget decision-making tool for sustainable tourism development on islands.
Advancement of fluorescent aminopeptidase probes for rapid cancer detection–current uses and neurosurgical applications
Authors: Shimizu Takenori , Tanaka Shota , Kitagawa Yosuke , Sakaguchi Yusuke , Kamiya Mako , Takayanagi Shunsaku , Takami Hirokazu , Urano Yasuteru , Saito Nobuhito
Published: March 2024

Surgical resection is considered for most brain tumors to obtain tissue diagnosis and to eradicate or debulk the tumor. Glioma, the most common primary malignant brain tumor, generally has a poor prognosis despite the multidisciplinary treatments with radical resection and chemoradiotherapy. Surgical resection of glioma is often complicated by the obscure border between the tumor and the adjacent brain tissues and by the tumor's infiltration into the eloquent brain. 5-aminolevulinic acid is frequently used for tumor visualization, as it exhibits high fluorescence in high-grade glioma. Here, we provide an overview of the fluorescent probes currently used for brain tumors, as well as those under development for other cancers, including HMRG-based probes, 2MeSiR-based probes, and other aminopeptidase probes. We describe our recently developed HMRG-based probes in brain tumors, such as PR-HMRG, combined with the existing diagnosis approach. These probes are remarkably effective for cancer cell recognition. Thus, they can be potentially integrated into surgical treatment for intraoperative detection of cancers.
A Markov Chain Genetic Algorithm Approach for Non-Parametric Posterior Distribution Sampling of Regression Parameters
Authors: Pendharkar Parag C.
Published: March 2024

This paper proposes a genetic algorithm-based Markov Chain approach that can be used for non-parametric estimation of regression coefficients and their statistical confidence bounds. The proposed approach can generate samples from an unknown probability density function if a formal functional form of its likelihood is known. The approach is tested in the non-parametric estimation of regression coefficients, where the least-square minimizing function is considered the maximum likelihood of a multivariate distribution. This approach has an advantage over traditional Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods because it is proven to converge and generate unbiased samples computationally efficiently.
Exploratory Data Analysis and Searching Cliques in Graphs
Authors: Hubai András , Szabó Sándor , Zaválnij Bogdán
Published: March 2024

The principal component analysis is a well-known and widely used technique to determine the essential dimension of a data set. Broadly speaking, it aims to find a low-dimensional linear manifold that retains a large part of the information contained in the original data set. It may be the case that one cannot approximate the entirety of the original data set using a single low-dimensional linear manifold even though large subsets of it are amenable to such approximations. For these cases we raise the related but different challenge (problem) of locating subsets of a high dimensional data set that are approximately 1-dimensional. Naturally, we are interested in the largest of such subsets. We propose a method for finding these 1-dimensional manifolds by finding cliques in a purpose-built auxiliary graph.
Effect of Fixatives and Fixation Period on Morphology and Immunohistochemistry of Feline Ovarian Tissue
Authors: Alkali Isa Mohammed , Colombo Martina , Rodak Olga , Nizanski Wojciech , Luvoni Gaia Cecilia
Published: March 2024

Fixatives and fixation protocol have a profound effect on both the morphology and epitope sensitivity of ovarian tissue, which hampers accurate ovarian tissue evaluation. We aimed to establish the most suitable fixation protocol for feline (Felis catus) ovarian tissue. Fragments (1.5 mm diameter) were punched from 1 mm-thick feline ovarian tissue, divided into three groups then fixed with three different fixatives (Bouin, neutral buffered formalin [NBF] and form acetic acid [new compound fixative formulation for ovarian tissue composed of 5% acetic acid in NBF]) for five fixation periods. Subsequently, fragments were processed and evaluated for the morphology and intensity of immunohistochemical signals against three antigens (Ki-67, MCM-7 and activated caspase-3). Proportions of grade 1 or morphologically intact follicles were significantly lower in NBF when compared with Bouin and form acetic acid fixatives. However, Bouin fixative had the lowest mean DAB intensity (p < 0.05) in all three antigen targets, while NBF had the highest (p < 0.05) in Ki-67 and caspase-3, but in MCM-7, it was no different from form acetic acid. In conclusion, form acetic acid maintained ovarian tissue architecture with excellent follicular morphology in the same manner as Bouin fixative, and it also maintained reasonable DAB signals similar to NBF, thus providing a better alternative for feline ovarian tissue studies.
Alginate Silver Nanoparticles and Their Effect on Sperm Parameters of the Domestic Rabbit
Authors: Rutkowski Miłosz , Grzesiakowska Anna , Kuchta-Gładysz Marta , Jarnecka Olga , Niedbała Piotr , Sękara Stanisław , Khachatryan Karen , Krzemińska-Fiedorowicz Lidia , Khachatryan Gohar
Published: March 2024

Silver nanoparticles possess valuable physical, chemical, and biological properties, rendering them widely applied as bioactive agents in the industry. Nonetheless, their influence on the natural environment and on living organisms remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of polymer composites containing silver nanoparticles on sperm cells. The nanosilver polymer composites were chemically synthesized, employing sodium alginate as the stabilizer. The reducing agents employed were solutions comprising sodium borohydride and xylose. The concentration of silver nanoparticles obtained after synthesis was 100 parts per million. The examined biological species were rabbit sperm cells. The impact of nanosilver on the sperm was assessed through the elucidation of the toxicity profile, comet test, and analysis of morphological characteristics of the animal cells. The results of the study demonstrate a twofold impact of polymer composites infused with silver nanoparticles on domestic rabbit sperm when obtained through chemical synthesis using two reducing agents (xylose and sodium borohydride) at a 10 ppm concentration. The comet test showed no harmful effect on the DNA integrity of rabbit sperm by the tested compounds. Twenty-four-hour exposure of rabbit spermatozoa to silver nanoparticles, obtained by reducing xylose and borohydride, induced significant secondary changes in the morphological structure of male reproductive cells. These findings indicate the potential reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles.
Impact of Sarcopenia on the Survival of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Sorafenib
Authors: Biselli Maurizio , Reggidori Nicola , Iavarone Massimo , Renzulli Matteo , Lani Lorenzo , Granito Alessandro , Piscaglia Fabio , Lorenzini Stefania , Alimenti Eleonora , Vara Giulio , Caraceni Paolo , Sangiovanni Angelo , Marignani Massimo , Gigante Elia , Brandi Nicolò , Gramenzi Annagiulia , Trevisani Franco
Published: March 2024

Background and aims: Sarcopenia has been associated with poor outcomes in patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. We investigated the impact of sarcopenia on survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with Sorafenib. Methods: A total of 328 patients were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had an abdominal CT scan within 8 weeks prior to the start of treatment. Two cohorts of patients were analyzed: the “Training Group” (215 patients) and the “Validation Group” (113 patients). Sarcopenia was defined by reduced skeletal muscle index, calculated from an L3 section CT image. Results: Sarcopenia was present in 48% of the training group and 50% of the validation group. At multivariate analysis, sarcopenia (HR: 1.47, p = 0.026 in training; HR 1.99, p = 0.033 in validation) and MELD > 9 (HR: 1.37, p = 0.037 in training; HR 1.78, p = 0.035 in validation) emerged as independent prognostic factors in both groups. We assembled a prognostic indicator named “SARCO-MELD” based on the two independent prognostic factors, creating three groups: group 1 (0 prognostic factors), group 2 (1 factor) and group 3 (2 factors), the latter with significantly worse survival and shorter time receiving treatment.
Venetoclax Plus Azacitidine as a Bridge Treatment to Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Unfit Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Chen Tzu-Ting , Lin Ching-Chan , Lo Wen-Jyi , Hsieh Ching-Yun , Lein Ming-Yu , Lin Che-Hung , Lin Chen-Yuan , Bai Li-Yuan , Chiu Chang-Fang , Yeh Su-Peng
Published: March 2024

Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is rarely recommended for unfit patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Patient survival can improve with venetoclax plus azacitidine (VEN plus AZA). However, the long-term outcome of this treatment strategy is still unsatisfactory. The high response and low treatment toxicity rates of patients receiving VEN plus AZA can provide an opportunity for HSCT among unfit patients. Nevertheless, the outcomes and complications of VEN plus AZA, followed by HSCT, remain unclear. Methods: This single-center retrospective study aimed to compare patients with newly diagnosed AML receiving VEN plus AZA as induction therapy (n = 27) to those receiving the conventional I3A7 regimen as induction therapy (n = 34). Result: The 1-year overall survival, relapse, and non-relapse mortality rates in the two groups were similar. The cytogenetic risks and the hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index are the most significant predictive factors of overall survival. Conclusion: In older patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy, a low-intensity regimen with VEN plus AZA is a suitable bridge therapy. Furthermore, allo-HSCT is feasible and can be a curative option.
Impact of Targeted Agents on Survival of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients Fit for Fludarabine, Cyclophosphamide, and Rituximab (FCR) Relative to Age- and Sex-Matched Population
Authors: Molica Stefano , Shanafelt Tait D. , Allsup David , Giannarelli Diana
Published: March 2024

To assess the impact of first-line treatment with targeted agents (TAs) or fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR)-based chemo-immunotherapy (CIT) on overall survival (OS) compared to age- and sex-matched individuals in the general population, we conducted an aggregated analysis of phase 3 clinical trials, including the two FLAIR sub-studies, ECOG1912, and CLL13 trials. The restricted mean survival time (RMST), an alternative measure in outcome analyses capturing OS changes over the entire history of the disease, was used to minimize biases associated with the short follow-up time of trials. Patients treated with TAs demonstrated a higher 5-year RMST (58.1 months; 95% CI: 57.4 to 58.8) compared to those treated with CIT (5-year RMST, 56.9 months; 95% CI: 56.7–58.2). Furthermore, the OS comparison of treatment groups with the AGMGP suggests that TAs may mitigate the impact of CLL on OS during the first five years post-treatment initiation. In summary, the 5-year RMST difference was −0.4 months (95% CI: −0.8 to 0.2; p = 0.10) when comparing CLL patients treated with TAs to the Italian age- and gender-matched general population (AGMGP). A similar trend was observed when CLL patients treated with TAs were compared to the US AGMGP (5-year RMST difference, 0.3 months; 95% CI: −0.1 to 0.9; p = 0.12). In contrast, CLL patients treated with FCR exhibited sustained OS differences when compared to both the Italian cohort (5-year RMST difference: −1.6 months; 95% CI: −2.4 to −0.9; p < 0.0001) and the US AGMGP cohort (5-year RMST difference: −0.9 months; 95% CI: −1.7 to −0.2; p = 0.015). Although these results support TAs as the preferred first-line treatment for younger CLL patients, it is crucial to acknowledge that variations in patient selection criteria and clinical profiles across clinical trials necessitate a cautious interpretation of these findings that should be viewed as directional and hypothesis-generating. A longer follow-up is needed to assess the survival improvement of younger CLL patients treated with TAs relative to the AGMGP.
Clinicopathological and Genomic Identification of Breast Cancers with No Impact on Mortality
Authors: Gámez-Casado Salvador , Rodríguez-Pérez Lourdes , Bandera-López Cristina , Mesas-Ruiz Andrés , Campini-Bermejo Alicia , Bernal-Gómez Marta , Zalabardo-Aguilar Manuel , Calvete-Candenas Julio , Martínez-Bernal Gala , Atienza-Cuevas Lidia , García-Rojo Marcial , Benítez-Rodríguez Encarnación , Pajares-Hachero Bella , Bermejo-Pérez María José , Baena-Cañada José M.
Published: March 2024

Background. Implementing mammogram screening means that clinicians are seeing many breast cancers that will never develop metastases. The purpose of this study was to identify subgroups of breast cancer patients who did not present events related to long-term breast cancer mortality, taking into account diagnosis at breast screening, absence of palpability and axillary involvement, and genomic analysis with PAM50. Patients and Methods. To identify them, a retrospective observational study was carried out selecting patients without any palpable tumor and without axillary involvement, and a genomic analysis was performed with PAM50. Results. The probability of distant metastasis-free interval (DMFI) of 337 patients was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.90–0.93) at 20 years and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.92–1.00) in 95 patients (28%) with available PAM50 tests. In 22 (23.15%) luminal A tumors and in 9 (9.47%) luminal B tumors smaller than 1 cm, and in HER2 and basal type tumors, there were no metastatic events (20-year DMFI of 1.00). Conclusion. Patients with nonpalpable breast cancer found at screening with negative nodes are at very low risk. It is possible to identify subgroups without metastatic events by determining the intrinsic subtype and tumor size less than 1 cm. Therefore, de-escalation of treatment should be considered.
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Glial Cells as Molecular Target for Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Soares Érica Novaes , Costa Ana Carla dos Santos , Ferrolho Gabriel de Jesus , Ureshino Rodrigo Portes , Getachew Bruk , Costa Silvia Lima , da Silva Victor Diogenes Amaral , Tizabi Yousef
Published: March 2024

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability that also includes non-motor symptoms such as mood dysregulation. Dopamine (DA) is the primary neurotransmitter involved in this disease, but cholinergic imbalance has also been implicated. Current intervention in PD is focused on replenishing central DA, which provides remarkable temporary symptomatic relief but does not address neuronal loss and the progression of the disease. It has been well established that neuronal nicotinic cholinergic receptors (nAChRs) can regulate DA release and that nicotine itself may have neuroprotective effects. Recent studies identified nAChRs in nonneuronal cell types, including glial cells, where they may regulate inflammatory responses. Given the crucial role of neuroinflammation in dopaminergic degeneration and the involvement of microglia and astrocytes in this response, glial nAChRs may provide a novel therapeutic target in the prevention and/or treatment of PD. In this review, following a brief discussion of PD, we focus on the role of glial cells and, specifically, their nAChRs in PD pathology and/or treatment.
Deep Learning for 3D Reconstruction, Augmentation, and Registration: A Review Paper
Authors: Vinodkumar Prasoon Kumar , Karabulut Dogus , Avots Egils , Ozcinar Cagri , Anbarjafari Gholamreza
Published: March 2024

The research groups in computer vision, graphics, and machine learning have dedicated a substantial amount of attention to the areas of 3D object reconstruction, augmentation, and registration. Deep learning is the predominant method used in artificial intelligence for addressing computer vision challenges. However, deep learning on three-dimensional data presents distinct obstacles and is now in its nascent phase. There have been significant advancements in deep learning specifically for three-dimensional data, offering a range of ways to address these issues. This study offers a comprehensive examination of the latest advancements in deep learning methodologies. We examine many benchmark models for the tasks of 3D object registration, augmentation, and reconstruction. We thoroughly analyse their architectures, advantages, and constraints. In summary, this report provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in three-dimensional deep learning and highlights unresolved research areas that will need to be addressed in the future.
State of Charge Estimation of Flooded Lead Acid Battery Using Adaptive Unscented Kalman Filter
Authors: Khan Abdul Basit , Akram Abdul Shakoor , Choi Woojin
Published: March 2024

Flooded Lead Acid (FLA) batteries remain a cost-effective choice in various industries. Accurate State of Charge (SOC) estimation is crucial for effective battery management systems. This paper thoroughly examines the behavior of Open-Circuit Voltage (OCV) during hysteresis in FLA batteries, proposing a novel hysteresis modeling approach based on this behavior to enhance the SOC estimation accuracy. Additionally, we introduce an Adaptive Unscented Kalman Filter (AUKF) to further refine the SOC estimation precision. Experimental validation confirms the effectiveness of the proposed hysteresis modeling. A comparative analysis against the traditional Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) under random charge/discharge profiles underscores the superior performance of AUKF, showcasing an improved convergence to the correct SOC value and a significant reduction in the SOC estimation error to approximately 2%, in contrast to the 5% error observed with the traditional UKF.
Improvement of Biogas Production Utilizing a Complex Anaerobic Digestion Model and Gradient-Based Optimization
Authors: Kegl Tina , Kegl Breda , Kegl Marko
Published: March 2024

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technology for renewable energy production from organic waste. In order to maximize the produced biogas quantity and quality, this paper deals with the optimization of the AD process in a CSTR bioreactor of a full-scale biogas plant. For this purpose, a novel approach was adopted coupling, a highly complex BioModel for AD simulation, and a gradient-based optimization method. In order to improve AD performance, the dosages of various types of biological additives, the dosages of inorganic additives, and the temperature in the bioreactor were optimized in three different scenarios. The best biogas quality was obtained using multi-objective optimization, where the objective function involves the following two conflicting objectives: the maximization of biogas production and minimization of the needed heating energy. The obtained results show that, potentially, the content of CH4 can be increased by 11%, while the contents of H2, H2S, and NH3 can be reduced by 30%, 20%, and 81% when comparing the simulation results with the experimental data. The obtained results confirm the usefulness of the proposed approach, which can easily be adapted or upgraded for other bioreactor types.