bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kurum Bakımında ve Ailesiyle Yaşayan Ergenlerin Bağlanma, Sorumluluk ve Kaygı Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişki
Authors: Taşkaya Ruveyda , Özyürek Arzu
Published: July 2023

Bireyin gelişiminde, birincil çevresini oluşturan ve en önemli desteği sağlayan aile kurumudur. Aile desteğinden yoksun olarak kurum bakımında kalmak, bireyi farklı düzeylerde etkileyebilir. Bu çalışmada, kurum bakımında ve ailesiyle birlikte yaşayan ergenlerin bağlanma stili, sorumluluk duygu ve davranışları ile kaygı durumlarının belirlenmesi; bağlanma, sorumluluk ve kaygıları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmanın örneklemini 380 ergen oluşturmuştur. Verilerin toplanmasında Üç Boyutlu Bağlanma Stilleri Ölçeği, Sorumluluk Duygusu ve Davranışı Ölçeği ile Çocuklar İçin Kaygı Ölçeği-R (2) kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde parametrik olmayan testler kullanılmıştır. Sonuç olarak, kurum bakımında kalan ergenlerin aile yanında kalan ergenlere göre bağlanma, sorumluluk duygu ve davranışlarının düşük olduğu, kaygı düzeylerinin ise yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Genel olarak ergenlerde güvenli bağlanma arttıkça sorumluluk duygu ve davranışının arttığı, kaygılı-kararsız bağlanma ve kaçınan bağlanma arttıkça sorumluluk duygu ve davranışının azaldığı saptanmıştır.
A Study on Antibiotics Selection for Patients With Chronic Otitis Media With Postoperative Infection
Authors: Park Keon-Woo , Lee Dong-Eun , Kim Hong Chan , Cho Hyong-Ho
Published: July 2023

Background and Objectives Few studies have been reported on the strains that cause postoperative infection after chronic otitis media (COM) surgery. This study examined the direction of empirical antibiotics selection for patients with postoperative infection.Subjects and Method This was a retrospective study of 33 patients who were admitted for antibiotics therapy after suffering intractable post-operative infection of COM surgery at Chonnam National University Hospital from 2011 to 2021. Demographic data and microbial culture results of pre-operation and post-operative infection, as well as selected antibiotics for different time periods were evaluated.Results Most common pathologic organisms responsible for post-operative infection were Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (45.5%) and Ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) (12.1%). Interestingly, there were only three cases where pre- and post-operative culture tests were the same, testing positive for two MRSA and one CRPA. The antibiotics selected as empirical antibiotics for postoperative infection were ceftazidime (48.5%) and vancomycin (27.3%). The rate of the cases where the selected empirical antibiotic was sensitive to the strain was 63.6%, and the rate of changing the antibiotics according to the microbial culture test result was 39.4%.Conclusion The strains cultured from the otorrhea of post-operatively infected patients had a very high ratio of drug-resistant strains and were different from the strains cultured from the otorrhea before surgery. Therefore, a microbial culture test is essential when an infection occurs after surgery, and regardless of the preoperative culture test results, patients with intractable postoperative infections should be treated with empirical vancomycin.
ISLAMIC VALUES IN LOCAL CULTURE OF TENGGER TRIBE KANDANGSARI HAMLET MOROREJO VILLAGE PASURUAN REGENCY
Authors: Kirom Askhabul
Published: July 2023

Islamic values are the main basis for shaping the development of society. Islamic values that are emphasized are universal values that are accepted and in accordance with the people of Kandangsari Hamlet, Mororejo Village, Pasuruan Regency. Islamic values aim to form a society that is proud, has a strong identity and is respected by other societies; fostering a happy society; eliminating negative attitudes; and produce quality services. As for the Islamic values that exist in the local culture of the Tengger Tribe, Kandangsari Hamlet, Mororejo Village, Pasuruan Regency, they are harmony, an attitude of shame in a positive sense, sacrifice, mutual cooperation, discipline, tolerance, hope, please help, always grateful, togetherness.
ANALYSIS OF THE UNSIGNALIZED INTERSECTION OF MUHARTO ROAD, KI AGENG GRIBIG ROAD, AND MAYJEND SUNGKONO ROAD
Authors: M. Sa'dillah  , Pamela Dinar Rahma  , Claudius Sebi Tawong
Published: July 2023

Delays that occur at intersections greatly affect the performance of the road network. The more intersections there are, the greater the delay value will be. One of the intersections in Malang City is the three unsignalized intersections of Muharto Road, Ki ageng Gribig Road, and Mayjend Sungkono Road or also called the Kedungkandang intersection which is the research location. The research aims to determine the performance and project problems at the Kedungkandang Intersection. The data used in the study include road geometric data, traffic volume, acceptance gap, population, and vehicle growth. Based on the 1997 MKJI guide, the results of the study show that the Kedungkandang intersection is included in the level of service criteria C (DS 1.52) with an intersection delay value of 23.29 sec /mp. Based on the processing of gap data with the Raff method, the gap value is 15.1 seconds for the morning, 16.3 seconds for the afternoon, and 17.2 seconds for the afternoon, thus indicating that driver behavior must wait for a gap when entering the main road. The projection results with the placement of right-turn prohibition signs and geometric widening of Muharto Road and Ki Ageng Gribig Road obtained a level of service value of B (DS 0.69) with an Intersection Delay Value of 12.40 sec/smp.
Keywords: Gap Acceptance; MKJI 1997; Unsignalized Intersection; Delay.
LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION IN SAMPANG DISTRICT DURING TOBACCO PLANTATION SEASON
Authors: Agus Hendrianto  , Mukti Hazin , Dedy Asmaroni  , Fairus Zabadi
Published: July 2023

Labor productivity is one of the main elements in determining the successful implementation of a construction project, one of the jobs that require a productive workforce is Fc' 25 Mpa Wiremesh Cement Concrete Pavement (M8). This research was conducted to know the level of productivity in Cement Concrete Pavement Fc' 25 Mpa Wiremesh and then compared with AHSP Bina Marga 2022 or Permen PUPR RI No. 1 of 2022 and mentions the solutions provided to the obstacles in the field during the implementation of M8 in the field. The results on the Karang Dalem – Patarongan Road Improvement project in Sampang District was 30.77 m3/OH for the foreman and 30.81 m3/ OH for workers, while the calculation of AHSP Bina Marga 2022 yields 20.75 m3/OH for foremen and 33.43 m3/OH for workers. In the Torjun – Pangarengan Road Improvement project in Torjun District, the calculations obtained results of 31.94 m3/OH for the foreman and 32.10 m3/OH for the workers, while the 2022 AHSP Bina Marga calculation obtained results of 20.75 m3/OH for the foreman and 37, 05 m3/OH for workers. Furthermore, the East Tobai – Poreh Road Improvement project in Sokobanah District was 20.32 m3/OH for foremen and 20.30 m3/OH for workers, while the 2022 AHSP Bina Marga calculations were 20.75 m3/OH for foremen and 32.27 m3/OH for workers. In general, the obstacles encountered in the implementation of the concrete road project in Sampang district during the tobacco growing season were the hot weather, labor motivation, and the distance of the casting supplier from the project work location.
Keywords: Labor Productivity; Cement Concrete Pavement; Fc' 25 Mpa; Wiremesh (M8).
UTILIZATION OF MADURA COARSE AND FINE AGGREGATES IN LOW-TRAFFIC ROAD PAVEMENTS
Authors: Ratih Sekartadji  , Putra Kurnia Hadi , Theresia Maria Candra Agusdini  , Mutiara Firdausi  , Ita Suhermin Ingsih  , Faizal Maulana
Published: July 2023

Aggregates from Sampang are still rarely used in flexible pavement. Therefore, this research is to identify the effects of coarse aggregate and soft aggregate from Sampang – Madura, to recognize their performance in the HRS – WC mixture. It adopted Bina Marga General Standards 2010, Division 6 (Revision 3) for HRS – WC mixture, by testing the physical characteristic of coarse aggregate and soft aggregate from Sampang (in terms of specific gravity and absorption, coarse aggregate wear and tear, and sieve passing Nr. 200) and Marshall Characteristic Testing with asphalt content variables of 6%, 6,5%, 7%, 7,5%, and 8% of the total mixture, each with 3 tested objects. With reference to the physical aggregate characteristic, it was found that the coarse aggregate satisfied the specification standard. On the other hand, the value of the specific gravity of the soft aggregate was still lower than the specification standard, i.e., 2,25 gram/cm2, while the minimum standard was 2,5 gram/cm3. It definitely affected the performance of the HRS – WC mixture. As the volume of the mixture was larger and left a larger cavity in the mixture, it required larger content of asphalt in order to generate a mixture qualifying the Bina Marga General Standards 2010, Division 6 (Revision 3). Based on the results of Marshall Test Characteristic Testing, it was found that the optimum content of asphalt was 8% of the total mixture.
Keywords: Sampang; Coarse aggregate and soft aggregate; HRS WC; Aggregates physical characteristic, Marshall Testing
ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME INHIBITORY, AND CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY SCREENING OF MYRTUS COMMUNIS L.
Authors: KÖNGÜL ŞAFAK Esra , İLGÜN Selen , ÇOBAN Kübra Nur , AKÇAKAYA MUTLU Sena , YILMAZ Halil , ŞEKER KARATOPRAK Gökçe
Published: July 2023

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the biological activities of Myrtus communis L., which has traditional medicinal use for different purposes, from a broad perspective.
Material and Method: The antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, total phenol, and flavonoid amounts) anti-inflammatory (LOX enzyme inhibition), antidiabetic (α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition), and cytotoxic properties (MTT assay) of a 70% methanol extract made from leaves and dichloromethane, butanol, ethyl acetate, and the residual water fractions were investigated.
Result and Discussion: The DPPH radical scavenging effect of the ethyl acetate fraction, with the highest total phenol and flavonoid content, was found to be 1.4 µg/ml, and the ABTS radical scavenging effect was 2.58 mmol/Trolox. The most potent inhibitor of LOX (IC50: 31.17 µg/ml) and α-glucosidase (96% inhibition at 0.5 mg/ml) enzymes was determined as ethyl acetate extract. Dichloromethane fraction was shown to have the most cytotoxic activity in both Hela and Colo cell lines. This research has given us a better understanding of the traditional use of the M. communis plant, which stands out for its therapeutic properties.
Perkinsus olseni in green-lipped mussels Perna canaliculus: diagnostic evaluation, prevalence, and distribution
Authors: Lane HS , Jaramillo D , Sharma M
Published: July 2023

Perkinsus olseni (Perkinsidae) is a molluscan parasite notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health that is reported in several shellfish hosts in New Zealand, including the native green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus. Green-lipped mussels comprise over half of New Zealand’s aquaculture export value and have historically been considered free of serious diseases based on extensive histology-based surveillance. The discovery of P. olseni in green-lipped mussels has raised questions about future disease threats to green-lipped mussels, particularly under changing ocean climatic conditions. Using mussels collected from farmed (n = 358) and wild (n = 236) populations, we aimed to determine the distribution and prevalence of P. olseni in green-lipped mussels around New Zealand, and assess the performance of diagnostic tests, including real-time PCR, conventional PCR, and culture using Ray’s fluid thioglycolate medium (RFTM). Prevalence and diagnostic test performance was evaluated using Bayesian latent class analysis with informative priors. The prevalence of P. olseni was 0-3%, except for 1 wild population from a harbour where prevalence was 22%. Real-time PCR had the highest diagnostic sensitivity (87%) compared to 62 and 21% for conventional PCR and RFTM, respectively. Diagnostic specificity was similar among all methods (96-98%). No mortality was observed during the study. Our results suggest that real-time PCR is the diagnostic test best suited for surveillance of P. olseni in subclinically infected green-lipped mussels under New Zealand conditions.
Comparison of LDA and hot-wire measurements at moderate subsonic mach numbers
Authors: Lang Henning Markus , Jilke Lukas , Reymond Loïc Marc , Jeschke Peter , Wunderer Roland
Published: July 2023

A detailed comparison of Hot-Wire-Anemometry (HWA) and Laser-Doppler-Anemometry (LDA) measurements in the wake of an airfoil is presented. An evaluation of the capabilities of both techniques in measuring three-dimensional turbulence in turbomachinery applications is made and potential application pitfalls are highlighted. It is shown that the HWA tends to underestimate the turbulence intensity due to damping effects, while the LDA tends to overestimate the turbulence intensity due to the optical setup. The wake flow of a single airfoil at inflow Mach numbers of 0.35 and 0.45 and corresponding Reynolds numbers of 480,000 and 630,000 are used as a reference case. Different HWA probe head designs and various wire diameter are considered, as well as different setups for the LDA measurement device. In a comparison of the two techniques, the turbulence intensity measured differs by up to 1.3 percentage points (pp) in the freestream region and 4.0 pp within the wake. This is primarily due to the resolution of high-frequency fluctuations. For both measuring techniques, potential sources of errors are highlighted, especially regarding the application to turbomachinery flows.
The Political Origins of Slum Growth and Segregation in Cities: Evidence from Urban Brazil
Authors: Xu Alice
Published: July 2023

Why are some cities more segregated along class or racial lines than others? In this paper, I explore causes of segregation across cities in Brazil. I first argue that both neoliberal economic reforms (1990s) and the era of social housing (2000s) were federal initiatives that had segregative effects. However, the partisan ideologies of local mayoral coalitions distort how federal policies impact the development of cities. Depending on how the timing of federal policies (i.e., critical junctures) coincided with mayoral coalitions that happen to be in power, cities became more or less segregated. I test the argument using a close-elections RDD and a panel survey of municipal governments. I find that social housing increased segregation overall, and this effect is magnified in cities governed by leftist coalitions. In contrast, during the neoliberal era, the effects of mayoral coalitions flips: Left-wing cities reduced segregation, while centrist and right-wing ones became more segregated.
Vitrimer synthesis from recycled polyurethane gylcolysate
Authors: Lin Yu-Hsuan , Chen-Huang Yun-Lin , Chang Alex C.-C.
Published: July 2023

Polyurethanes and plastics have become ubiquitous in modern society, finding use in a wide variety of applications such as clothing, automobiles, and shoes. While these materials provide numerous benefits to human life, their persistence in the environment has caused ecological imbalances. Therefore, new processes are needed to make these materials more sustainable and re-usable. In 2011, Ludwik Leibler introduced a new class of covalent adaptable network (CAN) polymers called Vitrimers. Vitrimers possess self-repairing properties and are capable of being reprocessed due to dynamic exchange or breaking/recombination of covalent bonds, similar to thermoset materials. This study explores the synthesis of Vitrimers using waste polyurethane or plastics as feedstock. The raw materials were glycolysed to obtain the glycolysate, which was then used as a reagent for the Vitrimers synthesis. The main objective of this study was to achieve the maximum self-repairable rate of the prepared sample. The Taguchi orthogonal analysis was employed to guide the experiments. The optimized experimental conditions for polyurethane glycolysis were determined to be under ethylene glycol and catalyzed by sodium hydroxide at 180°C for 1 h, resulting in the highest hydroxyl concentration in the glycolysate. In the second stage of the experiment, the ratio of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) to solvent was set to 2, HDI trimer to solvent was 2, and PGE/glycolysate was 0.5, with equal amounts of PEG and glycolysate used as the solvent. The reaction was carried out at 80°C for 1 h, achieving a self-repair ability of 47.5% in the prepared sample. The results of this study show that waste polyurethane or plastics can be effectively recycled and transformed into vitrimers with self-repairing properties. The use of glycolysis as a feedstock is a promising method for the sustainable recycling of polyurethane waste. The Taguchi orthogonal analysis is an effective approach for optimizing experimental conditions and improving the reproducibility of the results.
Research progress of nanomaterial drug delivery in tumor targeted therapy
Authors: Zhang Peng , Ye Guihua , Xie Guofeng , Lv Jie , Zeng Xianhai , Jiang Wei
Published: July 2023

Cancer is one of the most lethal diseases in human society, and its incidence is gradually increasing. However, the current tumor treatment often meets the problem of poor efficacy and big side effects. The unique physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials can target the delivery of drugs to tumors, which can improve the therapeutic effect while reducing the damage of drugs to normal cells. This makes nanomaterials become a hot topic in the field of biomedicine. This review summarizes the recent progress of nanomaterials in tumor targeted therapy.
Susceptibility of perivenous macrophages to PRRSV-1 subtype 1 LV and PRRSV-1 subtype 3 Lena using a new vein explant model
Authors: Han Shaojie , Oh Dayoung , Xie Jiexiong , Nauwynck Hans J.
Published: July 2023

Vessel pathology such as increased permeability and blue discoloration is frequently observed with highly pathogenic PRRSV strains. However, data concerning the viral replication in the environment of blood vessels are absent. In the present study, ex vivo models with swine ear and hind leg vein explants were established to study the interaction of PRRSV-1 subtype 1 reference strain LV and highly pathogenic subtype 3 strain Lena with perivenous macrophages. The replication characteristics of these two strains were compared in vein explants by immunofluorescence analysis. The explants maintained a good viability during 48 hours of in vitro culture. We found that CD163-positive macrophages were mainly present around the veins and their number gradually decreased with increasing distance from the veins and longer incubation time. More CD163+Sn- cells than CD163+Sn+ cells (6.6 times more) were observed in the vein explants. The Lena strain demonstrated a higher replication level than the LV strain, with approximately 1.4-fold more infected cells in the surrounding areas of the ear vein and 1.1-fold more infected cells in the leg vein explants at 48 hours post inoculation. In both LV and Lena inoculated vein explants, most infected cells were identified as CD163+Sn+ (> 94%). In this study, an ex vivo vein model was successfully established, and our findings will contribute to a better understanding of the vein pathology during viral infections (e.g., PRRS, classical and African swine fever).
Early outcomes of the “Chimney” commando procedure in the small aortic and mitral annuli
Authors: Yang Mingyuan , Liu Wenhao , Song Laichun , Wu Jingcheng , Xiao Yong , Liu Yuhang , Tao Liang
Published: July 2023

Background

Commando procedure, the surgical replacement of the mitral and aortic valves combined with reconstruction of the fibrosa fibrous body, is a technical challenge in patients with small aortic and mitral annuli. In this study, we evaluated the safety and early outcomes of the “Chimney” modality of the Commando procedure, in patients with small aortic and mitral annuli, after prior valve surgery, using a self-assembled valved conduit.

Methods

From April 2021 to April 2022, 30 consecutive cases of the “Chimney” Commando procedure, with a self-assembled valved conduit and other combined cardiac procedures, were fully performed for re-operative patients with small aortic roots. Data were obtained through a medical record review, at the Asian Heart Hospital in Wuhan, China.

Results

The patient's mean age was 52.7 ± 13.53 years, with 93.3% females. All patients had a previous heart valve surgery, 90% of which had double valve replacement (DVR). Hospital death occurred in 3.3% (n = 1) of the patients, due to malignant arrhythmias and multiorgan failure. Postoperative echocardiogram exams showed that the sizes of the aortic and mitral valve prostheses were 24.23 ± 1.60 mm and 28.33 ± 1.21 mm, respectively. All patients had intact intervalvular fibrosa (IVF) repair and no patient had any aberration in the left heart chamber communication. With the exception of one postoperative sick sinus syndrome and one re-sternotomy for bleeding, there were no significant postoperative complications, such as mortality, renal failure requiring ongoing dialysis, or mediastinitis. Echocardiography exams in the sixth postoperative month showed that the mean gradients of the aortic and mitral valves were 16.26 ± 6.44 mmHg and 11.24 ± 4.90 mmHg, respectively.

Conclusions

In comparison with the standard Commando operation, the early outcomes and safety of the “Chimney” Commando procedure proved to be a feasible therapeutic option for patients with small aortic and mitral annuli, after prior valve operations. This approach enables the enlargement of the aortic and mitral annuli and the implantation of the necessary valve prosthesis.
Inspiratory muscle training to reduce risk of pulmonary complications after coronary artery bypass grafting: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Xiang Yuping , Zhao Qin , Luo Tinahui , Zeng Ling
Published: July 2023

Background

Pulmonary complications occur in a substantial proportion of patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT), a simple, well-tolerated physical therapy, has been proposed to reduce the risk of complications, but its efficacy remains controversial.

Method

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the influence of IMT on the risk of pulmonary complications after coronary artery bypass grafting were identified from PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAL, and Web of Science through March 2023. Data were meta-analyzed for the primary outcomes of pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, pleural effusion, and atelectasis; and in terms of the secondary outcomes of maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure, length of hospitalization, 6 min walk test, and peak expiratory flow and other outcomes. Risk of bias and quality of evidence assessments were carried out using the RoB 2.0 and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) applied to primary outcomes of pulmonary complications.

Results

Data from eight RCTs involving 755 patients were meta-analyzed. IMT was associated with a significantly lower risk of postoperative pneumonia [relative risk (RR) 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25–0.62, P < 0.0001] and atelectasis (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.27–0.67, P = 0.0002), but not pleural effusion (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.62–1.93, P = 0.76). IMT was associated with significantly better maximum inspiratory pressure (preoperative: mean difference (MD) 16.55 cmH2O, 95% CI 13.86–19.24, P < 0.00001; postoperative: mean difference (MD) 8.99 cmH2O, 95% CI 2.39–15.60, P = 0.008) and maximum expiratory pressure (MD 7.15 cmH2O, 95% CI: 1.52–12.79, P = 0.01), and with significantly shorter hospitalization (MD −1.71 days, 95% CI −2.56 to −0.87, P < 0.001). IMT did not significantly affect peak expiratory flow or distance traveled during the 6 min walk test.

Conclusions

The available evidence from medium and high quality trials suggests that IMT can significantly decrease the risk of pneumonia and atelectasis after coronary artery bypass grafting while shortening hospitalization and improving the strength of respiratory muscles.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42023415817.
Endovascular revascularization vs. open surgical revascularization for patients with lower extremity artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shu Hongxin , Xiong Xiaowei , Chen Xiaomei , Sun Xiaolei , Zhang Rong , Wang Ruihua , Huang Qun , Zhu Jun
Published: July 2023

Background

Currently, the main treatment for lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) is revascularization, including endovascular revascularization (EVR) and open surgical revascularization (OSR), but the specific revascularization strategy for LEAD is controversial. This review provided the comprehensive and recent evidence for the treatment of LEAD.

Methods

Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant articles. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies comparing the short-term or long-term outcomes between EVR and OSR of LEAD were identified. Short-term outcomes were 30-day mortality, major amputation, wound complication, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), and length of hospital stay (LOS), while long-term outcomes included overall survival (OS), amputation-free survival (AFS), freedom from re-intervention (FFR), primary patency (PP), and secondary patency (SP).

Results

11 RCTs and 105 cohorts involving 750,134 patients were included in this analysis. For the pooled results of cohort studies, EVR markedly decreased the risk of 30-day mortality, wound complication, MACEs, LOS, but increased the risk of OS, FFR, PP, and SP. For the pooled outcomes of RCTs, EVR was associated with obviously lower 30-day mortality, less wound complication and shorter LOS, but higher risk of PP, and SP. However, both RCTs and cohorts did not show obvious difference in 30-day major amputation and AFS.

Conclusions

Both the pooled results of cohorts and RCTs indicated that EVR was associated with a lower short-term risk for LEAD, while OSR was accompanied by a substantially lower long-term risk. Therefore, the life expectancy of LEAD should be strictly considered when choosing the revascularization modality. As the current findings mainly based on data of retrospective cohort studies, additional high-quality studies are essential to substantiate these results.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails, identifier CRD42022317239.
Parathyroid gland detection using an intraoperative autofluorescence handheld imager – early feasibility study
Authors: Ali Khalid Mohamed , Wolfe Samantha A. , Nagururu Nimesh V. , Seo Stefanie , Han Sung-Min , Kim Yoseph , Oh Eugene , Kim Dong-Yun , Ning Bo , Lee Seung Yup , Cha Richard Jaepyeong , Tufano Ralph P. , Russell Jonathon O.
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Parathyroid glands may be compromised during thyroid surgery which can lead to hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia. Identifying the parathyroid glands relies on the surgeon’s experience and the only way to confirm their presence was through tissue biopsy. Near infrared autofluorescence technology offers an opportunity for real-time, non-invasive identification of the parathyroid glands.

Methods

We used a new research prototype (hANDY-I) developed by Optosurgical, LLC. It offers coaxial excitation light and a dual-Red Green Blue/Near Infrared sensor that guides anatomical landmarks and can aid in identification of parathyroid glands by showing a combined autofluorescence and colored image simultaneously.

Results

We tested the imager during 23 thyroid surgery cases, where initial clinical feasibility data showed that out of 75 parathyroid glands inspected, 71 showed strong autofluorescence signal and were correctly identified (95% accuracy) by the imager.

Conclusions

The hANDY-I prototype demonstrated promising results in this feasibility study by aiding in real-time visualization of the parathyroid glands. However, further testing by conducting randomized clinical trials with a bigger sample size is required to study the effect on levels of hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia.
Challenges in conserving forest ecosystems through coffee certification: a case study from southwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Arai Yuki , Hundera Kitessa , Yoshikura Toshihide
Published: July 2023

Certification schemes, aimed at simultaneously promoting ecologically sustainable agriculture and improving livelihood, are being utilized at a global scale. Among such certification schemes, the Rainforest Alliance is known as one of the most widely used environmental certification programs throughout the world. Previous studies have compared the ecological impacts of certified and non-certified farmlands, or evaluated the economic outcomes of certification. However, few studies have assessed the long-term impacts of the certification scheme. This paper attempts to analyze the long-term outcomes of the Rainforest Alliance certification program through a case study of coffee farming practices in southwestern Ethiopia. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with key informants who were deeply involved in the certification program, together with field observations and secondary data collection. The results of the assessment indicated that some areas of the certified coffee forests have been deforested or ecologically degraded and that the Rainforest Alliance program requirements were not uniformly applied. The possible causes include rapid population increase, government policies promoting intensive coffee production, presence of members who did not participate in the certification program, a lack of conservation incentives, and loopholes in the auditing process. To determine the overall success of the Rainforest Alliance certification program would require: monitoring of population growth rates and providing alternative livelihood opportunities, promoting collaboration between environmental and agricultural government authorities, conducting a more stringent on-site inspection, and to provide direct incentives for environmental conservation to all farmers living in or near the certified areas.
Patterns, drivers, and a predictive model of dam removal cost in the United States
Authors: Duda Jeffrey J. , Jumani Suman , Wieferich Daniel J. , Tullos Desiree , McKay S. Kyle , Randle Timothy J. , Jansen Alvin , Bailey Susan , Jensen Benjamin L. , Johnson Rachelle C. , Wagner Ella , Richards Kyla , Wenger Seth J. , Walther Eric J. , Bountry Jennifer A.
Published: July 2023

Given the burgeoning dam removal movement and the large number of dams approaching obsolescence in the United States, cost estimating data and tools are needed for dam removal prioritization, planning, and execution. We used the list of removed dams compiled by American Rivers to search for publicly available reported costs for dam removal projects. Total cost information could include component costs related to project planning, dam deconstruction, monitoring, and several categories of mitigation activities. We compiled reported costs from 455 unique sources for 668 dams removed in the United States from 1965 to 2020. The dam removals occurred within 571 unique projects involving 1–18 dams. When adjusted for inflation into 2020 USD, cost of these projects totaled $1.522 billion, with per-dam costs ranging from $1 thousand (k) to $268.8 million (M). The median cost for dam removals was $157k, $823k, and $6.2M for dams that were< 5 m, between 5–10 m, and > 10 m in height, respectively. Geographic differences in total costs showed that northern states in general, and the Pacific Northwest in particular, spent the most on dam removal. The Midwest and the Northeast spent proportionally more on removal of dams less than 5 m in height, whereas the Northwest and Southwest spent the most on larger dam removals > 10 m tall. We used stochastic gradient boosting with quantile regression to model dam removal cost against potential predictor variables including dam characteristics (dam height and material), hydrography (average annual discharge and drainage area), project complexity (inferred from construction and sediment management, mitigation, and post-removal cost drivers), and geographic region. Dam height, annual average discharge at the dam site, and project complexity were the predominant drivers of removal cost. The final model had an R2 of 57% and when applied to a test dataset model predictions had a root mean squared error of $5.09M and a mean absolute error of $1.45M, indicating its potential utility to predict estimated costs of dam removal. We developed a R shiny application for estimating dam removal costs using customized model inputs for exploratory analyses and potential dam removal planning.
Do feature selection methods for selecting environmental covariables enhance genomic prediction accuracy?
Authors: Montesinos-López Osval A. , Crespo-Herrera Leonardo , Saint Pierre Carolina , Bentley Alison R. , de la Rosa-Santamaria Roberto , Ascencio-Laguna José Alejandro , Agbona Afolabi , Gerard Guillermo S. , Montesinos-López Abelardo , Crossa José
Published: July 2023

Genomic selection (GS) is transforming plant and animal breeding, but its practical implementation for complex traits and multi-environmental trials remains challenging. To address this issue, this study investigates the integration of environmental information with genotypic information in GS. The study proposes the use of two feature selection methods (Pearson’s correlation and Boruta) for the integration of environmental information. Results indicate that the simple incorporation of environmental covariates may increase or decrease prediction accuracy depending on the case. However, optimal incorporation of environmental covariates using feature selection significantly improves prediction accuracy in four out of six datasets between 14.25% and 218.71% under a leave one environment out cross validation scenario in terms of Normalized Root Mean Squared Error, but not relevant gain was observed in terms of Pearson´s correlation. In two datasets where environmental covariates are unrelated to the response variable, feature selection is unable to enhance prediction accuracy. Therefore, the study provides empirical evidence supporting the use of feature selection to improve the prediction power of GS.
AMP-EBiLSTM: employing novel deep learning strategies for the accurate prediction of antimicrobial peptides
Authors: Wang Yuanda , Wang Liyang , Li Chengquan , Pei Yilin , Liu Xiaoxiao , Tian Yu
Published: July 2023

Antimicrobial peptides are present ubiquitously in intra- and extra-biological environments and display considerable antibacterial and antifungal activities. Clinically, it has shown good antibacterial effect in the treatment of diabetic foot and its complications. However, the discovery and screening of antimicrobial peptides primarily rely on wet lab experiments, which are inefficient. This study endeavors to create a precise and efficient method of predicting antimicrobial peptides by incorporating novel machine learning technologies. We proposed a deep learning strategy named AMP-EBiLSTM to accurately predict them, and compared its performance with ensemble learning and baseline models. We utilized Binary Profile Feature (BPF) and Pseudo Amino Acid Composition (PSEAAC) for effective local sequence capture and amino acid information extraction, respectively, in deep learning and ensemble learning. Each model was cross-validated and externally tested independently. The results demonstrate that the Enhanced Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (EBiLSTM) deep learning model outperformed others with an accuracy of 92.39% and AUC value of 0.9771 on the test set. On the other hand, the ensemble learning models demonstrated cost-effectiveness in terms of training time on a T4 server equipped with 16 GB of GPU memory and 8 vCPUs, with training durations varying from 0 to 30 s. Therefore, the strategy we propose is expected to predict antimicrobial peptides more accurately in the future.
Strategies for overcoming bottlenecks in allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy
Authors: Lv Zixin , Luo Feifei , Chu Yiwei
Published: July 2023

Patient-derived autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a revolutionary breakthrough in immunotherapy and has made impressive progress in both preclinical and clinical studies. However, autologous CAR-T cells still have notable drawbacks in clinical manufacture, such as long production time, variable cell potency and possible manufacturing failures. Allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy is significantly superior to autologous CAR-T cell therapy in these aspects. The use of allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy may provide simplified manufacturing process and allow the creation of ‘off-the-shelf’ products, facilitating the treatments of various types of tumors at less delivery time. Nevertheless, severe graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) or host-mediated allorejection may occur in the allogeneic setting, implying that addressing these two critical issues is urgent for the clinical application of allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy. In this review, we summarize the current approaches to overcome GvHD and host rejection, which empower allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy with a broader future.
Machine-learning algorithm-based prediction of a diagnostic model based on oxidative stress-related genes involved in immune infiltration in diabetic nephropathy patients
Authors: Zhu Heng-Mei , Liu Na , Sun Dong-Xuan , Luo Liang
Published: July 2023

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most prevalent microvascular consequence of diabetes and has recently risen to the position of the world’s second biggest cause of end-stage renal diseases. Growing studies suggest that oxidative stress (OS) responses are connected to the advancement of DN. This study aimed to developed a novel diagnostic model based on OS-related genes. The differentially expressed oxidative stress-related genes (DE-OSRGs) experiments required two human gene expression datasets, which were given by the GEO database (GSE30528 and GSE96804, respectively). The potential diagnostic genes were identified using the SVM-RFE assays and the LASSO regression model. CIBERSORT was used to determine the compositional patterns of the 22 different kinds of immune cell fraction seen in DN. These estimates were based on the combined cohorts. DN serum samples and normal samples were both subjected to RT-PCR in order to investigate the degree to which certain genes were expressed. In this study, we were able to locate 774 DE-OSRGs in DN. The three marker genes (DUSP1, PRDX6 and S100A8) were discovered via machine learning on two different machines. The high diagnostic value was validated by ROC tests, which focused on distinguishing DN samples from normal samples. The results of the CIBERSORT study suggested that DUSP1, PRDX6, and S100A8 may be associated to the alterations that occur in the immunological microenvironment of DN patients. Besides, the results of RT-PCR indicated that the expression of DUSP1, PRDX6, and S100A8 was much lower in DN serum samples compared normal serum samples. The diagnostic value of the proposed model was likewise verified in our cohort, with an area under the curve of 9.946. Overall, DUSP1, PRDX6, and S100A8 were identified to be the three diagnostic characteristic genes of DN. It’s possible that combining these genes will be effective in diagnosing DN and determining the extent of immune cell infiltration.
Inhibition of NK1.1 signaling attenuates pressure overload-induced heart failure, and consequent pulmonary inflammation and remodeling
Authors: He Xiaochen , Xu Rui , Pan Lihong , Bhattarai Umesh , Liu Xiaoguang , Zeng Heng , Chen Jian-Xiong , Hall Michael E. , Chen Yingjie
Published: July 2023

Background

Inflammation contributes to heart failure (HF) development, the progression from left ventricular failure to pulmonary remodeling, and the consequent right ventricular hypertrophy and failure. NK1.1 plays a critical role in Natural killer (NK) and NK T (NKT) cells, but the role of NK1.1 in HF development and progression is unknown.

Methods

We studied the effects of NK1.1 inhibition on transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced cardiopulmonary inflammation, HF development, and HF progression in immunocompetent male mice of C57BL/6J background.

Results

We found that NK1.1+ cell-derived interferon gamma+ (IFN-γ+) was significantly increased in pulmonary tissues after HF. In addition, anti-NK1.1 antibodies simultaneously abolished both NK1.1+ cells, including the NK1.1+NK and NK1.1+NKT cells in peripheral blood, spleen, and lung tissues, but had no effect on cardiopulmonary structure and function under control conditions. However, systemic inhibition of NK1.1 signaling by anti-NK1.1 antibodies significantly rescued mice from TAC-induced left ventricular inflammation, fibrosis, and failure. Inhibition of NK1.1 signaling also significantly attenuated TAC-induced pulmonary leukocyte infiltration, fibrosis, vessel remodeling, and consequent right ventricular hypertrophy. Moreover, inhibition of NK1.1 signaling significantly reduced TAC-induced pulmonary macrophage and dendritic cell infiltration and activation.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that inhibition of NK1.1 signaling is effective in attenuating systolic overload-induced cardiac fibrosis, dysfunction, and consequent pulmonary remodeling in immunocompetent mice through modulating the cardiopulmonary inflammatory response.
Immune-checkpoint proteins, cytokines, and microbiome impact on patients with cervical insufficiency and preterm birth
Authors: Jeong Seri , Cho Won Kyong , Jo Yeonhwa , Choi Soo-Ran , Lee Nuri , Jeon Kibum , Park Min-Jeong , Song Wonkeun , Lee Keun-Young
Published: July 2023

Background

Microenvironmental factors, including microbe-induced inflammation and immune-checkpoint proteins that modulate immune cells have been associated with both cervical insufficiency and preterm delivery. These factors are incompletely understood. This study aimed to explore and compare interactions among microbiome and inflammatory factors, such as cytokines and immune-checkpoint proteins, in patients with cervical insufficiency and preterm birth. In particular, factors related to predicting preterm birth were identified and the performance of the combination of these factors was evaluated.

Methods

A total of 220 swab samples from 110 pregnant women, prospectively recruited at the High-Risk Maternal Neonatal Intensive Care Center, were collected between February 2020 and March 2021. This study included 63 patients with cervical insufficiency receiving cerclage and 47 control participants. Endo- and exocervical swabs and fluids were collected simultaneously. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing for the microbiome and the measurement of 34 immune-checkpoint proteins and inflammatory cytokines were performed.

Results

First, we demonstrated that immune-checkpoint proteins, the key immune-regulatory molecules, could be measured in endocervical and exocervical samples. Secondly, we identified significantly different microenvironments in cervical insufficiency and preterm birth, with precise cervical locations, to provide information about practically useful cervical locations in clinical settings. Finally, the presence of Moraxella osloensis (odds ratio = 14.785; P = 0.037) and chemokine CC motif ligand 2 levels higher than 73 pg/mL (odds ratio = 40.049; P = 0.005) in endocervical samples were associated with preterm birth. Combining M. osloensis and chemokine CC motif ligand 2 yielded excellent performance for predicting preterm birth (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.846, 95% confidence interval = 0.733-0.925).

Conclusion

Multiple relationships between microbiomes, immune-checkpoint proteins, and inflammatory cytokines in the cervical microenvironment were identified. We focus on these factors to aid in the comprehensive understanding and therapeutic modulation of local microbial and immunologic compositions for the management of cervical insufficiency and preterm birth.
Mechanical properties and microscopic characteristics of steel fiber coal gangue concrete
Authors: Li Jiuyang , Chen Li , Luo Jingwei , Zhu Wenzhong , Fan Xinmei , Zhu Yuepeng , Zhang Zicheng
Published: July 2023

Incorporation of coal gangue in the concrete mixes can realize utilization of the solid waste and reduce extraction/use of natural aggregates. To improve the mechanical properties of coal gangue concrete, this paper studies use of steel fibre together with coal gangue coarse aggregate, coal gangue fine aggregate/sand in various concrete mixes. The effect of volume dosages of steel fibre and different levels of replacing nature coarse aggregate and river sand with coal gangue aggregates on concrete compressive strength was first investigated. Then, a design of experiment using orthogonal test was adopted to study concrete mixes with 3 factors, namely, coal gangue coarse aggregate, coal gangue sand and steel fibre, and each at 3 levels. Through multidimensional statistical data analysis of the test results, the primary and secondary factors and the optimal composition of the steel fibre reinforced coal gangue concrete were identified, and a grey prediction model for compressive strength of the concrete mixes established. The microstructural characteristics and failure mechanism of steel fiber reinforced coal gangue concrete was also studied and discussed.
Validation of DSMC mass flow modeling for transsonic gas flows in micro-propulsion systems
Authors: Groll R. , Frieler T.
Published: July 2023

Introduction:In the present work, an inflow model for the DSMC method is presented and validated. The approach is based on inflow mass flow rate and temperature and is particularly suitable for arbitrary nozzle flow cases with higher density, subsonic inflow conditions.

Methods:The validation is performed on a nozzle test case and the results are compared with experimental and numerical results based on DSMC and Navier-Stokes methods. Calculation of inflow and outflow boundary conditions on an analytical and numerical basis is presented.

Results:Results for axial and radial density, temperature, and pressure are in good agreement and reasonable relationships are obtained.

Discussion:Since only the inflow mass flow rate and temperature and the vacuum background pressure need to be known to apply the model, the calculation of the inflow velocity from analytical theory can be omitted, potentially eliminating possible sources of error resulting from theorybased calculations.