bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stress detection based on physiological sensor and audio signals, and a late fusion framework: An experimental study and public dataset
Authors: Xefteris Vasileios-Rafail , Dominguez Monica , Grivolla Jens , Tsanousa Athina , Zaffanela Francesco , Monego Martina , Symeonidis Spyridon , Diplaris Sotiris , Wanner Leo , Vrochidis Stefanos , Kompatsiaris Ioannis
Published: May 2023

Stress can be considered a mental/physiological reaction in conditions of high discomfort and challenging situations. The levels of stress can be reflected in both the physiological responses and speech signals of a person. In this work, we introduce a novel decision-level fusion framework for multimodal stress level detection based on physiological signals from wearable devices and user speech audio recordings. The physiological signals include Electrocardiograph (ECG), Respiration (RSP), and InertialMeasurement Unit (IMU) sensors equipped in a smart vest. A data collection protocol was introduced to receive data for the training of both the sensor-based and audio-based stress detection modules. Five subjects participated in the data collection, where both their physiological and audio signals were recorded. The analysis of physiological signals includes a massive feature extraction along with various fusion and feature selection methods. The audio analysis comprises a state-of-the-art feature extraction fed to a classifier to predict stress levels. Results from the analysis of audio and physiological signals are fused at a decision level for the final stress level detection, utilizing a machine learning algorithm. The whole framework was also tested in a pilot scenario as part of the XR4DRAMA project. We also made the training dataset publicly available.
Enhancement of Tumorigenicity, Spheroid Niche, and Drug Resistance of Pancreatic Cancer Cells in Three-Dimensional Culture System
Authors: Hung Hao-Chien , Mao Tsui-Lien , Fan Ming-Huei , Huang Guan-Zhi , Liu Chao-Lien
Published: May 2023

Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture techniques have been used comprehensively as a useful platform for medicine development, biochemical signal research, and evaluation of anti-tumor responses due to the excellent recapitulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in vitro cultured cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer (PaC) is one of the hardest malignancies to treat, with a complex TME and refractory treatment response. There is a dire need to develop a 3D culture model to decompose the cellular activity, interaction, and incorporation affecting the TME. In the present study, we constructed a 3D PaC culture system with cancer stem cell (CSC) properties and scalability. To validate our model, we tested individual PaC cells and the combined effects of adding cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) on tumor tumorigenicity and invasiveness, cellular interaction of the CXCR3/CXCL10 axis, and cell responses to anti-cancer treatments.
Soft transfemoral prosthetic socket with EMG sensing and augmenting feedback: a case study
Authors: Paterno Linda , Filosa Mariangela , Anselmino Eugenio , Cecere Alessio , Dell’Agnello Filippo , Gruppioni Emanuele , Mazzoni Alberto , Micera Silvestro , Oddo Calogero , Menciassi Arianna
Published: May 2023

In lower limb prostheses, the physical interface constituted by the socket is a crucial component for the device success. This work proposes a new design based on a rigid frame integrated into a silicone structure which allows for a more comfortable biomechanical coupling with the residual limb and facilitates the integration of smart technologies. In particular, four surface EMG sensors and three vibrotactile units have been integrated to enable a bidirectional interface able to decode the user’s motor intention and provide augmenting feedback, respectively. The new socket was tested on a transfemoral amputee. The sEMG signals were registered during five different locomotion tasks in a circuit training and the classification median accuracy of an intention decoding algorithm was found always higher than 73%. The user’s perception of vibrotactile feedback was assessed through a psychophysical experiment of localization of single, couple or triple of stimuli. It revealed that vibrations from singularly activated units were the best perceived. Questionnaire results confirmed a high satisfaction level. However, tests on temperature and humidity within the socket suggest that more efforts are still required in terms of skin perspiration. The proposed socket paves the way to smart physical interfaces for robotic prostheses.
Chlorin Conjugates in Photodynamic Chemotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Isaac-Lam Meden Fruel
Published: May 2023

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer in women and the number of new cases in the US is still increasing each year. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which comprises 15-20% of all breast cancer, is a heterogeneous disease and is considered the most aggressive type of breast cancer due to lack of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expressions for treatments. Traditional chemotherapy is the standard protocol for treatment of TNBC. Toxicity and multidrug resistance are major drawbacks for chemotherapy. The lack of molecular targets and poor prognosis for TNBC prompted an urgent need to discover novel therapeutic strategies to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for patients. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) or light treatment is a binary anticancer procedure that uses a photosensitizer (PS) which upon light activation produces cytotoxic oxygen species destroying tumor cells. PDT is minimally-invasive and can be repeated few times without accumulating significant toxicity in the surrounding tissues.
The primary goal of this study is to investigate in vitro photodynamic chemotherapy as a ternary combination therapy using our synthesized photosensitizers (chlorin-vitamin conjugates and their corresponding indium complexes) co-treated with known chemotherapeutic agents (taxol, doxorubicin, cisplatin, fluorouracil, or methotrexate) in the presence of light and determine the optimum conditions as pre-clinical study for enhanced tumoricidal effect against TNBC. Our results indicated that the best combination for effective chemophotodynamic effect involves a ternary treatment of the indium complex of chlorin lipoic acid conjugate (InCLA) co-treated with taxol which exhibited strong synergism at the nanomolar concentration when combined together in the presence of visible light irradiation. Other ternary combinations containing taxol with synergistic anti-tumor effect against TNBC include chlorin pantothenic acid (CPA) and chlorin biotin (CBTN) conjugates. Several other ternary combinations containing InCLA, CBTN, and CPA with either cisplatin, fluorouracil, or methotrexate were identified to generate a synergistic or additive effect. Light dosage remained constant but dosage of photosensitizers and chemotherapy drugs were varied to obtain the lowest possible concentration for the desired effect. Synergistic, additive or antagonistic effects of drug combinations were based on the Chou-Talalay method with InCLA-taxol having the lowest Combination Index (CI) of 0.25. Fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images provided evidence of apoptosis as the preferred mode of cell death pathway.
Our study demonstrated the combination of PDT and chemotherapy as a potential treatment option for TNBC patients.
Dendritic cell-specific SMAD3, downstream of JAK2, contributes to inflammation and salt-sensitivity of blood pressure
Authors: Saleem Mohammad , Aden Luul , Mutchler Ashley , Basu Chitra , Ertuglu Lale , Sheng Quanhu , Park Jennifer , Ishimwe Jeanne , Laffer Cheryl , Elijovich Fernando , Wanjalla Celestine , Visitacion Nestor de la , Kastner Paul , Albritton Claude , Ahmad Taseer , Yu Justin , Graber Meghan , Wagner Kay-Uwe , Sayeski Peter , Hatzopoulos Antonis , Gamazon Eric , Kleyman Thomas , Kirabo Annet
Published: May 2023

Salt-sensitivity of blood pressure (SSBP), characterized by acute changes in blood pressure with changes in dietary sodium intake, is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality in people with and without hypertension. We previously found that elevated sodium concentration activates antigen presenting cells (APCs), resulting in high blood pressure, but the mechanisms are not known. Here, we hypothesized that APC-specific JAK2 expression contributes to SSBP. We performed bulk or single-cell transcriptomic analyses following in vitro monocytes exposed to high salt, and in vivo high sodium treatment in humans using a rigorous salt-loading/depletion protocol to phenotype SSBP after a two week anti-hypertensive drug washout period. Here we found that expression of the genes of the JAK2 pathway mirrored changes in blood pressure after salt-loading and depletion in salt-sensitive but not salt-resistant humans. Ablation of JAK2, specifically in CD11C+ APCs, attenuated salt-induced hypertension in mice with SSBP. Mechanistically, we found that SMAD3 acts downstream of JAK2 and STAT3, leading to increased production of highly reactive isolevuglandins and pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in renal APCs, which activate T cells. This results in the production of IL-17A, IL-6, and TNF-⍺. Our findings reveal APC JAK2 signaling as a potential target for the treatment of SSBP.
The comparison of pure uterine serous carcinoma and mixed tumor with serous component：A Single-Institution Review of 91 Cases
Authors: YOU XUEWU , DONG YANGYANG , WANG JIAQI , CHENG YUAN , WANG JIANLIU
Published: May 2023

Background: Pure uterine serous carcinoma (p-USC) and mixed tumors with serous component (m-USC) are aggressive subtypes of endometrial cancer associated with high mortality rates. This retrospective study aimed to compare clinicopathologic features of p-USC and m-USC in a single center and to identify risk factors associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with USC at Peking University People's Hospital between 2008 and 2022. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare clinicopathological characteristics between p-USC and m-USC. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox regression analysis were used to analyze the impact of clinical and pathological variables on OS and PFS.
Results: Among the 91 patients who underwent surgery, 65.9% (n=60) were p-USC, and 34.1% (n=31) were m-USC. Patients with p-USC had earlier menopause (P=0.0217), a lower rate of progesterone receptor(PR) expression (P<0.001), and were more likely to have positive peritoneal cytology (P=0.0464). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that p-USC was more likely to relapse than m-USC (P=0.028), but there was no significant difference in OS. In general, 48.4% (n=44) of all patients diagnosed with USC were in early stage (I+II), the recurrence rate was 18.0%, and the 5-year OS was 84.8%. 36.3% (n=33) were in stage III, the recurrence rate was 53.1%, and the 5-year OS was 52.6%. 15.3% (n=14) were in stage IV, the recurrence rate was 89.7%, and the 5-year OS was 33.3%. Cox regression analysis showed that lymph node metastasis and surgical approach were risk factors for OS, and myoinvasion depth ≥1/2 was an independent risk factor for PFS.
Conclusions: p-USC was more likely to relapse than m-USC, but there was no significant difference in OS between the two subtypes. Lymph node status, surgical approach, and myoinvasion depth were identified as important prognostic factors for all patients diagnosed with USC, regardless of p-USC or m-USC status.
Correlation between Nurses’ Perception of Individualized Care and Xenophobia
Authors: Dusak Ismail , Tosun Nuran , Tosun Betul
Published: May 2023

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between nurses' perception of individualized care and xenophobia.
Methods: The data of this descriptive and cross-sectional study were collected at intensive care unit between December 2019 and March 2020, using the nurse descriptive information form, the nurse version of the individualized care scale, and the xenophobia scale. The sample of the study consisted of 411 nurses working at the specified hospital and agreeing to participate in the study.
Results: The mean age of the nurses was 28.33±5.16 years, and 76.6% of them were in the 18-30 age group. 78.1% of them were at undergraduate education level and their average professional experience was 5.34±4.37 years. 73.0% of the nurses stated that they did not receive training on transcultural care and 77.6% stated that they encounter patients from different cultures every day, and that they had the most difficulty in communication (95.4%) while caring for these patients. The mean score of the scale Individiualized Care Scale A version (ICS-A) was 3.58±0.67, and the mean score of the Individiualized Care Scale B version (ICS-B) was 3.77±0.67. The total mean score of the nurses' xenophobia scale was 47.14±10.04. There was a weak positive correlation between ICS and xenophobia scale mean scores (p<0.05). It was found that the education level of the nurses, receiving transcultural care education, wanting to live in another country, preferring to care for foreign patients, and the time they spent in the care of these patients were factors that significantly affected the xenophobia and ICS score averages.
Conclusion: Nurses' perceptions of supporting the individuality of patients and individualizing care were found to be at a good level, but the risk of xenophobia was high. The high risk of xenophobia in nurses was considered as a hindering factor in the individualization of care. The high number of immigrants in the region where the study was conducted reveals the urgent need to meet the training needs of nurses on transcultural care.
A Quantitative Model that Incorporates Reactive Inhibition but No Micro-Consolidation Explains Motor Sequence Practice Effects
Authors: Gupta Mohan , Rickard Timothy
Published: May 2023

Several recent papers have advanced the hypothesis that motor sequence learning occurs exclusively during short breaks between performance trials, a process known as micro-consolidation. T. Here, we advance an alternative hypothesis in which motor learning happens concurrently with performance and that reactive inhibition – which has a progressive slowing effect on performance during each trial but dissipates during breaks – operates with equivalent magnitude within each training trial, yielding the illusion that learning occurs during breaks across the range of early training trials on which analyses were conducted in the recent studies. We advance a quantitative model of motor sequence practice effects that embodies our assumptions and provides a close fit to data at the grain-size of sequences within trials. Our modeling approach allows for a level of predictive precision and theoretical transparency that in our view should be the standard in future work on this topic.
Development of a molecular marker for the Pi1 gene based on the association of the SNAP protocol with the touch-up gradient amplification method
Authors: Scheuermann Klaus Konrad , Pereira Adriana
Published: May 2023

Background
Rice blast disease, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the major constrains for rice production. Genetic resistance is the most effective and environmentally safe approach to combat the rice blast. However, the use of resistance genes depends on factors such as the availability of molecular markers allowing marker-assisted selection during the breeding process. Pi1 gene, considered a broad-spectrum resistance gene, has great potential to contribute in achieving durable resistance to rice blast, but lacks a friendly marker to be employed.
Methods and results
In the present study, we have explored a nucleotide polymorphism in the Pik locus, associating SNAP protocol with touch-up gradient amplification method to develop a SNAP marker. Through the screening of a germplasm bank and analysis of an F2 population, the Pi1 SNAP marker was validated by pathogenicity tests and compared with previously existing markers.
Conclusions
The Pi1 SNAP marker is effective in distinguishing germplasms carrying the Pi1gene from Pik alleles, employing a cost-effective methodology.
Suppression of lysosome metabolism-meditated GARP/TGF-β1 complexes specifically depletes regulatory T cells to inhibit breast cancer metastasis
Authors: Chen Yutong , Li Tao , Liu Jianing , Zhang Wei , Cao Yi , Hu Bin , Niu Hanjing , Gao Jinhua , Zhang Zhongze , Yue Kexin , Bao Guochen , Wang Jiajia , Wang Chaojie , Wang Peng , xie Song-qiang , Zou Taotao , Ma Jing
Published: May 2023

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) prevent autoimmunity and contribute to cancer progression. They exert contact-dependent inhibition of immune cells through the production of active transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). However, the absence of a specific surface marker makes inhibiting the production of active TGF-β1 to specifically deplete human Tregs but not other cell types a challenge. TGF-β1 in an inactive form binds to Tregs membrane protein GARP and then activates it via an unknown mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that TRAF3IP3 in the Treg lysosome is involved in this activation mechanism. Using a novel naphthalenelactam-platinum-based anticancer drug (NPt), we developed a new synergistic effect by suppressing ABCB9 and TRAF3IP3-mediated divergent lysosomal metabolic programs in tumors and human Tregs to block the production of active GARP/TGF-β1 for remodeling the tumor microenvironment. Mechanistically, NPt is stored in Treg lysosome to inhibit TRAF3IP3-meditated GARP/TGF-β1 complex activation to specifically deplete Tregs. In addition, by promoting the expression of ABCB9 in lysosome membrane, NPt inhibits SARA/p-SMAD2/3 through CHRD-induced TGF-β1 signaling pathway. In addition to expose a previously undefined divergent lysosomal metabolic program-meditated GARP/TGF-β1 complex blockade by exploring the inherent metabolic plasticity, NPt may serve as a therapeutic tool to boost unrecognized Treg-based immune responses to infection or cancer via a mechanism distinct from traditional platinum drugs and currently available immune-modulatory antibodies.
Age, sex and race distribution of accelerometer-derived sleep variability in US school-aged children and adults
Authors: Price Elexis , Li Xinyue , Xu Yanyan , Mansuri Asifhusen , McCall William V. , Su Shaoyong , Wang Xiaoling
Published: May 2023

Background
Sleep variability (e.g. intra-individual variabilities in sleep duration or sleep timing, social jetlag, and catch-up sleep) is an important factor impacting health and mortality. However, limited information is available on the distribution of these sleep parameters across the human life span. We aimed to provide distribution of sleep variability related parameters across lifespan by sex and race in a national representative sample from the U.S. population.
Methods
The study included 9,799 participants 6 years and older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014, who had at least 3 days of valid sleep parameters with at least one day obtained during weekend (Friday or Saturday night). These were calculated from 7-day 24-h accelerometer recordings.
Results
Of the study participants, 43% showed ≥ 60 minutes sleep duration standard deviation (SD), 51% experienced ≥ 60 minutes catch-up sleep, 20% showed ≥ 60 minutes midpoint of sleep SD, and 43% experienced ≥ 60 minutes social jetlag. American youth and young adults averaged greater sleep variability compared to other age groups. Non-Hispanic Blacks showed greater sleep variability in all parameters compared to other racial groups. There was a main effect of sex on sleep midpoint SD and social jetlag with males averaging slightly more than females.
Conclusion
Our study provides important observations on sleep irregularity parameters of residents of the United States by using objectively measured sleep patterns and will provide unique insights for personalized advice on sleep hygiene.
Machine learning applied to fMRI patterns of brain activation in response to mutilation pictures predicts PTSD symptoms
Authors: Portugal Liana Catarina Lima , Ramos Taiane Coelho , Fernandes Orlando , Bastos Aline Furtado , Campos Bruna , Mendlowicz Mauro Vitor , Luz Mariana , Portella Carla , Berger William , Volchan Eliane , David Isabel Antunes , Erthal Fátima , Pereira Mirtes Garcia , Oliveira Leticia
Published: May 2023

Background
The present study aimed to apply multivariate pattern recognition methods to predict PTSD symptoms from whole-brain activation patterns during two contexts where the aversiveness of unpleasant pictures was manipulated by the presence or absence of safety cues.
Methods
Trauma-exposed participants were presented with neutral and mutilation pictures during fMRI collection. Before the presentation of pictures, a text informed the subjects that the pictures were fictitious (“safe context”) or real-life scenes (“real context”). We trained machine learning regression models (Gaussian process regression (GPR)) to predict PTSD symptoms in real and safe contexts.
Results
The GPR model could predict PTSD symptoms from brain responses to mutilation pictures in a real context but not a safe one. The brain regions with the highest contribution to the model were the occipito-parietal regions, including the superior parietal gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus, and supramarginal gyrus. Additional analysis showed that GPR regression models accurately predicted clusters of PTSD symptoms, nominally intrusion, avoidance, and alteration in cognition. As expected, we obtained very similar results as those obtained in a model predicting total PTSD symptoms.
Conclusion
These results are innovative by showing that machine learning applied to fMRI can predict not only PTSD total symptoms but also clusters of PTSD symptoms in a more aversive context. Furthermore, this approach was able to identify potential biomarkers for PTSD, especially in occipito-parietal regions.
Static aeroelasticity analysis of rotor blade using a Gauss-Seidel fluid-structure interaction method
Authors: Li Jiaxing , Luo Jiaqi , Liu Yaolong
Published: May 2023

The present study introduces a Gauss-Seidel fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method including the flow solver, structural statics solver and a fast data transfer technique, for the research of structural deformation and flow field variation of rotor blades under the combined influence of steady aerodynamic and centrifugal forces. The FSI method is illustrated and validated by the static aeroelastic analysis of a transonic compressor rotor blade, NASA Rotor 37. An improved local interpolation with data reduction (LIWDR) algorithm is introduced for fast data transfer on the fluid-structure interface of blade. The results of FSI calculation of NASA Rotor 37 show that when comparing with the radial basis function (RBF) based interpolation algorithm, LIWDR meets the interpolation accuracy requirements, while the calculation cost can be greatly improved. The data transmission time is only about 1% of that of RBF. Moreover, iteration step of steady flow computation within one single FSI has little impact on the converged aerodynamic and structural results. The aerodynamic force-caused deformation accounts for nearly 50% of the total. The effects of blade deformation to the variations of aerodynamic performance are given, demonstrating that when static aeroelasticity is taken into account, the choke mass flow rate increases and the peak adiabatic efficiency slightly decreases. The impact mechanisms on performance variations are presented in detail.
Development and validation of potential molecular subtypes and signatures of thyroid carcinoma based on aging-related gene analysis
Authors: Li Zhi , Jia Li , Zhang Lu , Zhang Meng , Zhou Huang-Ren , Bai Yu-ke , Lv Juan , Deng Zhi-Yong , Liu Chao
Published: May 2023

Background. Thyroid carcinoma (THCA) is a cancer of the endocrine system that most commonly affects women. Aging-associated genes play a critical role in various cancers. Therefore, we aimed to gain insight into the molecular subtypes of thyroid cancer and whether senescence-related genes can predict the overall prognosis of THCA patients.
Methods.Transcriptome-related expression files were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. These profiles were randomly divided into training and validation subsets at a ratio of 1:1. Unsupervised clustering algorithms were used to compare differences between the two subtypes, and prognosis-related senescence genes were used to further construct our prognostic models by univariate Cox and multivariate Cox analyses and construct a nomogram to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival probability of THCA patients. In addition, we performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to examine different aspects of THCA-related pathways in the high- and low-risk groups and to predict the immune microenvironment and somatic mutations between the different risk groups. Finally, real-time PCR was used to verify the expression levels of key model genes.
Results. The 'ConsensusClusterPlus' R package was used to cluster thyroid cancer into two categories (Cluster1 and Cluster2) on the basis of 46 differentially expressed aging-related genes (DE-ARGs); patients in Cluster1 demonstrated a better prognosis than those in Cluster2. Cox analysis was used to screen six prognosis-related DE-ARGs. The risk score and age were identified as independent prognostic factors. GSEA revealed that most genes were implicated in metabolic signaling pathways. In addition, the two risk model groups differed significantly regarding the immune microenvironment and somatic mutations. Finally, our real-time PCR results confirmed our hypothesis.
Conclusion. Differences exist between the two subtypes of thyroid cancer that help guide treatment decisions. The six DE-ARG genes have a high predictive value for risk-stratifying THCA patients, accurately identifying individuals with a potentially poor prognosis, and improving patient prognosis.
Assessment of Spatio-Temporal Evolution Trends and Driving Factors of Green Development in Harbin-Chang urban agglomeration
Authors: Tang Yang , Yuan Yongbo , Tian Boquan
Published: May 2023

As China has entered a new stage of high-quality development, clarifying the mechanism and spatial characteristics of green development for urban agglomerations are critical to sustainable development. Based on the data of 11 major cities in the Harbin-Changchun urban agglomeration (HCUA) from 2010 to 2020, this study constructs an evaluation system of green development index (GDI) is composed of four dimensions, i.e., urban green construction (UGC), industrial green development (IGD), resource and environmental carrying capacity (RECC), and technological innovation support (TIS). Furthermore, using the entropy weight method to obtain the weights of evaluation indicators. And then, the comprehensive index calculation is used to evaluate the GDI. The driving factors of each level of GDI are determined by the Pearson correlation coefficient. The results infer some novel findings as follows: (1) The overall tendency of the GDI of the HCUA has gradually increased from 0.358 in 2010 to 0.379 in 2020 which is at the average level. The dimension of TIS shows the highest rate of contribution while IGD and RECC show a fluctuating trend over the time window. (2) The GDI in the HCUA exhibits a patchy clustering differentiation feature that spreads from the central area to the surrounding areas with a "high in the south and low in the north" pattern. Specifically, Changchun, Harbin, and Daqing form an "inverted triangle" structure in geographical location to drive the green development of neighboring areas. (3) The core cities of the HCUA, Changchun, and Harbin, show a much higher level than the other cities. Jilin and Daqing are at the average level, and besides, the rest of the cities of GDI are at the poor level with significant fluctuations in ranking. (4) There are different driving factors between each level of GDI. For cities with good and average levels should focus on protecting resources and the environment. Meanwhile, cities with poor level of GDI need to improve IGD to optimize the urban green structure. Thus, it is suggested to strengthen the flow of factors and implement differentiated strategies to promote coordinated development and spatial clustering.
Automatic detection of Breast Cancer by using Ensemble Learning
Authors: León Carlos de la Cruz , Agarwal Deevyankar , Torre-Díez Isabel de la , Río-Solá M Lourdes
Published: May 2023

Breast cancer is a significant health problem, with about 2 million new cases annually diagnosed and 600,000 deaths. Early detection and accurate diagnosis are critical to patient prognosis. Machine learning (ML) models show promising results in accurate and efficient diagnosis. In the present work, the performance of different models of ML are studied in the publicly accessible online dataset "Wisconsin Breast Cancer Dataset". Those models are formed by logistic regressions, Random Forest, Naïve Bayes, and Support Vector Machine algorithms, being the last one the best performing. An ensemble model combining the best proposed models is then implemented. An SVM model with standardized dataset is used, a logistic regression model with standardized dataset and 10-component PCA analysis. A Random Forest model with standardized dataset and 60 estimators. All models use a test dataset formed by 30% of the original dataset. The models are combined using a majority weighted voting system. The SVM model has a weight of 0.5 while the regression and Random Forest models have weights of 0.25. The ensemble voting model manages to improve the results of the individual models with an accuracy of 98%, precision of 97%, recall of 99% and F1 score of 98%.
A Case Study of Using Artificial Neural Networks to Predict Heavy Metal Pollution in Lake Iznik
Authors: Mert Berna Kırıl , Kasapoğulları Deniz
Published: May 2023

Since high levels of heavy metals cause serious complications for water resources, plants, animals and human health, determining their presence and concentration is very important for the sustainability of the ecosystem. In recent years, rapid advances in the field of artificial neural networks (ANNs) brought them the forefront in water quality prediction. In this paper, various experiments were conducted with a model for predicting the presence of heavy metals using IBM SPSS statistics 23 software. In order to assess the water quality of Lake Iznik –an important source of water– in terms of heavy metals, water quality parameters of samples taken in the period 2015–2021 from five different water sources flowing into the lake were analyzed. A number of psychochemical were measured in samples taken from Karasu, Kırandere, Olukdere, and Sölöz streams flowing into the lake, and were used as input data for modeling, while fifteen heavy metal concentrations in Karsak stream flowing out of the lake were used as output data of the model. The analyses showed that the R2 coefficients for heavy metals were mostly close to 1. Considering the importance of the independent variable in heavy metal pollution prediction, the most effective parameters for streams stood out to be conductivity, COD, COD, and temperature, respectively. It was seen that ANN model is a good prediction tool method that can be used effectively to determine heavy metal pollution in the lake in terms of ecological sustainability in order to conservation the water quality of Lake Iznik and to eliminate the existing pollution.
The Detection of Keratoconus using a Three-Dimensional Corneal Model Derived from Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Tran Sang , Mohammed Isa S.K. , Tariq Zeshan , Munir Wuqaas M.
Published: May 2023

Purpose:
To differentiate between keratoconus and healthy corneas via three-dimensional (3D) measurements of surface area and volume. Measurements are derived from anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) images.
Methods:
Keratoconus patients were identified along with healthy controls patients between the ages of 20 and 79 years old. The selected patients underwent a nine-line raster scan AS-OCT. ImageJ was used to determine the central 6mm of each image and each corneal image was then divided into six 1mm segments. Free-D software was then used to render the nine different images into a 3D model to calculate corneal surface area and volume.
Results:
33 eyes with keratoconus, along with 33 eyes healthy controls were enrolled. There were statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences between the healthy and keratoconus groups in the metric of anterior corneal surface area (13.927 vs 13.991 mm2, p = 0.046), posterior corneal surface area (14.045 vs 14.173 mm2, p < 0.001), and volume (8.430 vs 7.773 mm3, p < 0.001) within the central 6 mm.
Conclusion:
3D corneal models derived from AS-OCT can be used to measure anterior corneal surface area, posterior corneal surface area, and corneal volume. All three parameters are statistically different between corneas with keratoconus and healthy corneas. Further study and application of these parameters may yield new methodologies for the detection of keratoconus.
Identification of the role of new genetic biomarkers in susceptibility and pathogenesis of spondyloarthropathies in Morocco.
Authors: Canossi Angelica , Oumhani Khadija , Beato Tiziana Del , Sebastiani Pierluigi , Colanardi Alessia , Aureli Anna
Published: May 2023

The spondyloarthropathies (SpA) are inflammatory rheumatologic diseases with common clinical features, whose pathogenesis is attributed to the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Information on SpA biomarkers in Morocco are limited compared with Europe. This study was designed as a case-control analysis to explore the relationship of some genetic polymorphisms of the CTLA-4 CT60 and FCGR3A with SpA, also together with the role of HLA-B locus, in Moroccan population.
The sample consisted of 84 Moroccan SpA patients and 95 healthy individuals. Gene variability was evaluated by sequence-based typing (SBT) in four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in 3’UTR of CTLA-4 gene and FCGR3A-158G/T SNP. The study showed a higher frequency of G/G genotype in rs11571319 in axial SpA (AxSpa) group (p=0.031, OR=4.60) and pleuro-pulmonary patients (p=0.036), and instead a significant reduction of A/G genotype (p=0.013, pcorr.=0.039 OR=0.06), compared to controls. Furthermore, a significant increase of A/A in rs3087243 was shown in males SPA pts with peripheral joints pain (p=0.035 OR=4.455). Data from FCGR3A-158G/T analysis evidenced both a reduction of T/T genotype (p=0.030, OR=0.09) and an increase of G/T genotype (p=0.06 OR=4.93) in AxSpA patients, compared to controls. With regard to HLA-B locus as risk factor, we noticed a significant increase of HLA-B*51,52 alleles (p=0.041 OR=2.714) and a reduction of HLA-B*45:01 (pcorr.=0.033 OR=0.041) correlated with these pathologies. Our data suggest the existence of new biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of SPA in Moroccan population.
Thermo-Mechanical Characterization of Electrospun Polyurethane /Carbon- Nanotubes Nanofibers: A Comparative Study
Authors: Shaker Ahmed , Khedewy Amira , Hassan Mohamed , El-Baky Marwa Abd
Published: May 2023

Creating ultrathin mountable fibers from a wide range of polymeric functional materials have made electrospinning an adequate approach to produce highly flexible and elastic materials. In this paper, electrospinning was utilized to produce thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofibrous membranes for the purpose of studying their thermal and mechanical properties. Towards a study of the effects of fiber orientation and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a filler on both mechanical and thermal characteristics of electrospun TPU mats, an experimental comparison was held between a unidirectional and randomly aligned TPU and TPU/CNT nanofibrous structures. Incorporation of MWCNTs into randomly oriented TPU nanofibers resulted in a significant increase in Young's modulus (E), from 3.66 MPa to 5.68 MPa. Conversely, for unidirectionally spun fibers, Young's modulus decreased from 16.68 MPa to 11.63 MPa upon addition of MWCNTs. However, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed a different behavior. The randomly oriented specimens exhibited a storage modulus with a significant increase from 180 MPa to 614 MPa for TPU and TPU/CNT mats, respectively, and a slight decrease from 157 MPa to 143 MPa for unidirectional TPU and TPU/CNT mats, respectively. Meanwhile, the loss modulus increased with the addition of MWCNTs from 15.7 MPa to 58.9 MPa and from 6.4 MPa to 12 MPa for the random and aligned fibers, respectively. Thermal degradation of the membranes was not significantly affected by the addition of MWCNTs, indicating that the mixing of the two constituents did not change the TPU’s polymer structure, and the TPU/CNT nanocomposite exhibited stable thermal degradation properties.
Interaction between risk SNPs of Developmental Dyslexia and Parental Education on Reading Ability: Evidence for Differential-Susceptibility Theory
Authors: Yang Qing , Cheng Chen , Wang Zhengjun , Belsky Jay , Zhao Jingjing
Published: May 2023

While genetic and environmental factors have been shown as predictors of children’s reading ability, the interaction effects of identified genetic risk susceptibility and specified environmental for reading ability have rarely been investigated. The current study assessed potential gene-environmental (G×E) interactions on reading ability in 1477 school-aged children. The gene-environment interactions on character recognition were investigated by an exploration analysis between the risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which were discovered by previous genome-wide association studies of developmental dyslexia (DD), and parental education (PE). The re-parameterized regression analysis suggested that this G×E interaction conformed to the strong differential-susceptibility model. Results showed that rs281238 exhibits a significant interaction with PE on character recognition. Children with “T” genotype profited from high PE, whereas they performed worse in low PE environment, but “CC” genotype children were not malleable in different PE environments.
Development of Nursing Handoff Competency Scale: a Methodological Study
Authors: DO Jiyoung , SHIN Sujin
Published: May 2023

Background
Nursing handoff is an important nursing task that ensures nursing care continuity, quality and patient safety. Nursing handoff competency refers to the ability of the nurse performing the handoff to select and interpret necessary information for patient care and to relay it efficiently to the nurse accepting the handoff. This study aimed to develop a scale to measure nursing handoff competency and verify its validity and reliability.
Methods
This study adopted a methodological design. A methodological approach was conducted in three phases: (1) scale development through a nursing handoff-related literature review and interviews; (2) construct validity, criterion-related validity, convergent and discrimination validity, and reliability evaluation of the developed scale; (3) standard setting of the scale. Data were collected from 496 clinical nurses currently working in hospital wards, intensive care units, and emergency rooms, and who independently perform a handoff. The validity and reliability of the scale were verified using maximum likelihood exploratory factor analysis with promax factor rotation, confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood estimation, Pearson correlation, Cronbach’s alpha, and Spearman-Brown coefficient. The standard setting of the scale was conducted using the extended Angoff method was used for standard scale setting.
Results
The Nursing Handoff Competency Scale consisted of 25 items of the four factors: “knowledge on handoff methods”, “identification of patient information,” “judgment and transfer of nursing situation,” and “formation of supportive relationships.” The fitness of the scale revealed good results in confirmatory factor analysis. Construct validity, criterion-related validity, convergent validity, and discrimination validities were verified. The reliability test showed that Cronbach’s α of the whole tool was .912 and the split-half reliability was .846. The cut-off score for satisfied/unsatisfied was 72.
Conclusions
The developed scale can evaluate the nurse’s handoff competencies. Additionally, the measurement results can be used to compose the contents of the education program.
Diurnal to Seasonal Meteorological Cycles in an Equatorial Andean Gradient
Authors: Silva Luis , Célleri Rolando , Córdova Mario
Published: May 2023

The climate of the equatorial mountains of the Andes presents a pronounced spatiotemporal variability, which, coupled with limited meteorological monitoring, hampers our understanding of the regional and local atmospheric processes that govern this variability. To deepen our understanding of the climate of this region, we analyzed diurnal to seasonal meteorological patterns of the main meteorological variables: precipitation, air temperature, relative humidity, incident solar radiation, and wind speed and direction; We used a unique 10-year high-resolution dataset from March 2013 to March 2023 along an altitudinal gradient, located in southern Ecuador. Our analyses reveal a trimodal regime of precipitation; the wet seasons are associated to convective processes influenced by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) position over the study area around the equinoxes, and the less humid season is due to the intensification of the Walker circulation that produces subsidence over the study area. The relative humidity shows distinct daily and seasonal variation; reaching minimum values around noon, when air temperature is the highest and an annual minimum on November. Furthermore, incident solar radiation reaches its maximum values around the equinoxes when sunlight is almost perpendicular, which produces greater heating on the surface and hence a more humid atmosphere. The meridional displacement of the ITCZ around the year influences the climate, increasing humidity from March to May and wind speed from April to July. Our research reveals significant differences between diurnal and seasonal meteorological cycles, highlighting the importance of altitude, topography, and wind patterns in the climate dynamics of the equatorial Andes.
Experimental Study of VLE Properties of n-Tetradecane in the Supercritical Binary Solvent (0.367 Propane/0.633 n- Butane)
Authors: Khairutdinov Vener F. , Khabriev Ilnar Sh. , Akhmetzyanov Talgat R. , Yarullin Lenar Yu. , Gabitov Farizan R. , Abdulagatov Ilmutdin M.
Published: May 2023

A high-temperature and high-pressure optical cell VLE apparatus has been applied to measure phase equilibrium properties of n-tetradecane in the supercritical binary solvent (0.367propane + 0.633 n-butane mass fraction) at temperatures of 413.15 K, 433.15 K, and 453.15 K between of pressures (0.9 and 6.6) MPa. The combined expanded uncertainty of the temperature, pressure, and concentration measurements at 0.95 confidence level with a coverage factor of k = 2 is estimated to be 0.15 K, 0.0022, and 0.035, respectively. The critical parameters (TC, PC, ) were determined based on the measured isothermal phase equilibrium data of the ternary system n-tetradecane + propane/n-butane. It is shown that the critical temperature and pressure of the n-tetradecane + propane/n-butane system increases with concentration of n-tetradecane increases.
A novel endoplasmic reticulum stress-related lncRNA signature for prognosis prediction and immune response evaluation in Stomach adenocarcinoma
Authors: Song Zhaoxiang , Su Mengge , Li Xiangyu , Xie Jinlin , Han Fei , Yao Jianning
Published: May 2023

Background:
Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is a significant contributor to cancer-related mortality worldwide. Although previous research has identified endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) as a regulator of various tumor-promoting properties of cancer cells, the impact of ERS-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) on STAD prognosis has not yet been investigated. Therefore, our study aims to develop and validate an ERS-related lncRNA signature that can accurately predict the prognosis of STAD patients.
Methods:
We collected RNA expression profiles and clinical data of STAD patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and identified ERS-related genes from the Molecular Signature Database (MSigDB). Co-expression analysis enabled us to identify ERS-related lncRNAs, and we applied univariate Cox, least absolute shrinkage, and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression analyses to construct a predictive signature comprising of 9 ERS-related lncRNAs. We assessed the prognostic accuracy of our signature using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and performed tumor mutational burden (TMB) and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) analyses. Enrichment analysis was used to investigate the functions and biological processes of the signature, and we identified two distinct STAD patient subgroups through consensus clustering. Finally, we performed drug sensitivity analysis and immunologic efficacy analysis to explore further insights.
Results:
The 9 ERS related-lncRNAs signature demonstrated satisfactory predictive performance as an independent prognostic marker and was significantly associated with STAD clinicopathological characteristics. Furthermore, patients in the high-risk group displayed a worse STAD prognosis than those in the low-risk group. Notably, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed significant enrichment of extracellular matrix pathways in the high-risk group, indicating their involvement in STAD progression. Additionally, the high-risk group exhibited significantly lower TMB expression levels than the low-risk group. Consensus clustering revealed two distinct STAD patient subgroups, with Cluster 1 exhibiting higher immune cell infiltration and more active immune functions. Drug sensitivity analysis suggested that the low-risk group was more responsive to oxaliplatin, epirubicinl, and other drugs.
Conclusion:
Our study highlights the crucial regulatory roles of ERS-related lncRNAs in STAD, with significant clinical implications. The 9-lncRNA signature we have constructed represents a reliable prognostic indicator that has the potential to inform more personalized treatment decisions for STAD patients. These findings shed new light on the pathogenesis of STAD and its underlying molecular mechanisms, offering opportunities for novel therapeutic strategies to be developed for STAD patients.
Research on Nonlinear Invariants of a Power Function over a Binary Field
Authors: Wang Zebin , Jin Chenhui , Cui Ting
Published: May 2023

The nonlinear invariant attack is a new and powerful cryptanalysis for lightweight block ciphers. The core step of such cryptanalysis is to find the nonlinear invariant(s) of its cascade round. Generally, for an n-bit width function, we need time complexity O(23n) to find the nonlinear invariants.
In this paper, we take consider of the power function xm over the finite field GF(2n), which is one of the most important cryptographic functions of last decades. Firstly, we study the nonlinear invariants of xm, we provide mathematical toolboxes named the～m periodical point and the ～m equivalence class. Secondly, we present an algorithm to get all the nonlinear invariants of xm over GF(2n) at the price of time complexity O(2n). Moreover, if the growth of n exceeds our tolerance above, we also provide a method to get parts of nonlinear invariants of xm. Finally, we take consider of the nonlinear invariants of x3 over GF(2129) as application, which is used in the block cipher MiMC and seems impractical by existing methods. Our results allow us to find several (but not all) nontrivial nonlinear invariants of such function for the first time.