bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homeostasis of cytoplasmic crowding by cell wall fluidization and ribosomal counterions
Authors: Basan Markus , Mukherjee Avik , Huang Yanqing , Oh Seungeun , Sanchez Carlos , Chang Yu-Fang , Liu Xili , Bradshaw Gary , Benites Nina , Paulsson Johan , Kirschner Marc , Sung Yongjin , Elgeti Jens
Published: April 2024

In bacteria, algae, fungi, and plant cells, the wall must expand in concert with cytoplasmic biomass production, otherwise cells would experience toxic molecular crowding1,2 or lyse. But how cells achieve expansion of this complex biomaterial in coordination with biosynthesis of macromolecules in the cytoplasm remains unexplained3, although recent works have revealed that these processes are indeed coupled4,5. Here, we report a striking increase of turgor pressure with growth rate in E. coli, suggesting that the speed of cell wall expansion is controlled via turgor. Remarkably, despite this increase in turgor pressure, cellular biomass density remains constant across a wide range of growth rates. By contrast, perturbations of turgor pressure that deviate from this scaling directly alter biomass density. A mathematical model based on cell wall fluidization by cell wall endopeptidases not only explains these apparently confounding observations but makes surprising quantitative predictions that we validated experimentally. The picture that emerges is that turgor pressure is directly controlled via counterions of ribosomal RNA. Elegantly, the coupling between rRNA and turgor pressure simultaneously coordinates cell wall expansion across a wide range of growth rates and exerts homeostatic feedback control on biomass density. This mechanism may regulate cell wall biosynthesis from microbes to plants and has important implications for the mechanism of action of antibiotics6.
Porphyrin photosensitizer molecules as effective medicine candidates for photodynamic therapy: electronic structure information aided design
Authors: Yin Wei-Huang , Li Peng-Yuan , Liu Yang , Huang Hou-Hou , Feng Lu , Liu Shu-Hui , Bai Fu-Quan , Liu Xin
Published: April 2024

Traditional photosensitizers (PS) in photodynamic therapy (PDT) have limited tissue penetrability of light and lacked selectivity for tumor cells, which reduces the efficiency of PDT. Our aim is to effectively screen porphyrin-based PS medication through computational simulations of large-scale design and screening of PDT candidates via a precise description of the state of the light-stimulated PS molecule. Perylene-diimide (PDI) shows an absorption band in the near-infrared region (NIR) and a great photostability. Meanwhile, the insertion of metal can enhance tumor targeting. Therefore, on the basis of the original porphyrin PS segments, a series of metalloporphyrin combined with PDI and additional allosteric Zn-porphyrin-PDI systems were designed and investigated. Geometrical structures, frontier molecular orbitals, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra, adiabatic electron affinities (AEA), especially the triplet excited states and spin-orbit coupling matrix elements (SOCME) of these expanded D-A porphyrin were studied in detail using the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods. PS candidates, conforming type I or II mechanism for PDT, have been researched carefully by molecular docking which targeted Factor-related apoptosis (Fas)/ Fas ligand (Fasl) mediated signaling pathway. It was found that Porphyrin-PDI, Fe2-porphyrin-PDI, Zn-porphyrin-PDI, Mg-porphyrin-PDI, Zn-porphyrin combined with PDI through single bond (Compound 1), and two acetylenic bonds (Compound 2) in this work would be proposed as potential PS candidates for PDT process. This study was expected to provide PS candidates for the development of novel medicine in PDT.
Impact of Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) emitted from Cell Phone on Human Semen Quality
Authors: - Ajeet , Singh Rakhi , Trivedi Shrawan K , Singh Rajeev , Jha Abhimanyu Kumar , Sharma Ravi Datta , Sharma Radhey Shyam
Published: April 2024

A prospective study has been conducted to find out the impact of cell phone on the semen quality and hormonal profile of the men. After fulfilling the exclusion and inclusion criteria 421 healthy male volunteer’s aged 18–45 years were divided in to three groups depending on duration of cell phone use. Group-1 highly exposed group, Group-2 moderately exposed group, Group-3 control group. Subjects were asked to visit clinic every year for semen and blood sample collection up to three years. Semen physical characteristics and blood testosterone, T4 and TSH levels were estimated. Semen volume, rapid forward linear progression motility, moderate linear progression motility, sperm concentration, sperm density, percentage of normal and live sperm decreased in Group-1 in comparison to Groups-2 & 3 and trend continued till 3rd year. Sperm head abnormalities were higher in Group-1 than the Groups − 2 & 3 and trend continued till 3rd year. Slight decrease in levels of testosterone, significant increase in T4 and decrease in TSH were observed in Group-1 and similar trend was noticed till 3rd year. Present data indicate that the increased duration of cell phone use is adversely influencing the semen quality and hormone levels in men which may lead to infertility.
The Effects of Inaudible Binaural Beats on Visuospatial Memory: An fNIRS Study
Authors: Kim Ji-Su , Kim Kyu-Beom , Jeong Yong-Bin , Lee Min-Kyun , Choi Mi-Hyun , Kim Hyung-Sik , Chung Soon-Cheol
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to observe the impact of pure Binaural Beats (BB) stimulation in the inaudible frequency range, excluding the influence of sound, on visuospatial memory. Additionally, we investigated whether the brainwave changes induced by BB stimulation directly affect brain activation. The experiment involved 17 participants (12 males with a mean age of 23.2 ± 1.7 and 5 females with a mean age of 21.0 ± 0.7) in their 20s. Each participant received 10 Hz BB stimulation by presenting frequencies of 18000 Hz and 18010 Hz to the left and right ears, respectively. The experiment consisted of Rest phase (5min), Task phase (5min), and Rest phase (5min). The Task phase included conditions where participants performed the task either without BB stimulation "Task only" or with BB stimulation "Task + BB". Visuospatial memory was evaluated using the 3-back task. To observe brain activation, functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was employed to measure hemodynamic responses in all phases. The cognitive task performance (Accuracy, Reaction time) and oxyhemoglobin (HbO) concentration during the Task phase were compared between conditions with and without BB stimulation using paired t-tests. Results indicated a significantly shorter Reaction time in the Task + BB condition compared to the Task only condition. Moreover, an increase in HbO concentration was observed in the F1-F3, F2-F4, and P2-P4 regions during the Task + BB condition. In conclusion, the observed increase in HbO concentration suggests a positive influence on task performance. This study is meaningful in objectively demonstrating the impact of inaudible BB stimulation on visuospatial memory, utilizing both behavioral data and direct neural activation reflected in hemodynamic responses.
Development and transfer learning of self-attention model for major adverse cardiovascular events prediction across hospitals
Authors: Kim Yunha , Kang Heejun , Seo Hyeram , Choi Heejung , Kim Minkyoung , Han JiYe , Kee Gaeun , Park Seohyun , Ko Soyoung , Jung HyoJe , Kim Byeolhee , Jun Tae Joon , Kim Young-Hak
Published: April 2024

Predicting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) is crucial due to its high readmission rate and severe sequelae. Current risk scoring model of MACE are based on a few features of a patient status at a single time point. We developed a self-attention-based model to predict MACE within 3 years from time series data utilizing numerous features in electronic medical records (EMRs). In addition, we demonstrated transfer learning for hospitals with insufficient data through code mapping and feature selection of top 50 features by the calculated importance. We established operational definitions and categories for diagnoses, medications, and laboratory tests to streamline scattered codes, enhancing clinical interpretability across hospitals. This resulted in reduced feature size and improved data quality for transfer learning. The pre-trained model demonstrated an increase in AUROC after transfer learning, from 0.564 to 0.821. Furthermore, to validate the effectiveness of the predicted scores, we analyzed the data using traditional survival analysis, which confirmed an elevated hazard ratio for a group of patients with high scores.
Host plant odour and sex pheromone are integral to mate finding in codling moth
Authors: Witzgall Peter , Erdei Anna , Sousa Maria , Gonzalez Francisco , Bengtsson Marie
Published: April 2024

The great diversity of specialist plant-feeding insects suggests that host plant shifts may initiate speciation, even without geographic barriers. Pheromones and kairomones mediate sexual communication and host choice, and the response to these behaviour-modifying chemicals is under sexual and natural selection, respectively. The idea that the interaction of mate signals and habitat cues facilitates reproductive isolation and ecological speciation is well-established, while the traits and the underlying sensory mechanisms remain unknown. The larva of codling moth feeds in the apple. We show for the first time that the response of male moths to female sex pheromone relies upon presence of a kairomone released from apple. In a non-host tree, attraction to pheromone alone is very strongly reduced, but is fully rescued by blending pheromone with the apple kairomone. This affords a mechanism how host plant shifts shape new mate-finding signals that can give rise to assortative mating and reproductive isolation.
Cost-Efficient Prompt Engineering for Unsupervised Entity Resolution
Authors: Nananukul Navapat , Sisaengsuwanchai Khanin , Kejriwal Mayank
Published: April 2024

Entity Resolution (ER) is the problem of semi-automatically determining when two entities refer to the same \emph{underlying} entity, with applications ranging from healthcare to e-commerce. Traditional ER solutions required considerable manual expertise, including domain-specific feature engineering, as well as identification and curation of training data. Recently released large language models (LLMs) provide an opportunity to make ER more seamless and domain-independent. However, it is also well known that LLMs can pose risks, and that the quality of their outputs can depend on how prompts are engineered. Unfortunately, a systematic experimental study on the effects of different prompting methods for addressing unsupervised ER, using LLMs like ChatGPT, has been lacking thus far. This paper aims to address this gap by conducting such a study. We consider some relatively simple and cost-efficient ER prompt engineering methods and apply them to ER on two real-world datasets widely used in the community. We use an extensive set of experimental results to show that an LLM like GPT3.5 is viable for high-performing unsupervised ER, and interestingly, that more complicated and detailed (and hence, expensive) prompting methods do not necessarily outperform simpler approaches. We provide brief discussions on qualitative and error analysis, including a study of the inter-consistency of different prompting methods to determine whether they yield stable outputs. Finally, we consider some limitations of LLMs when applied to ER.
Anhedonia and Daily Emotional Experiences Among Mothers of Preschool Children: An Experiential Sampling Study
Authors: Takamatsu Reina
Published: April 2024

Positive emotions induced by child cuteness are critical components of the human parenting system. However, anhedonia, which is characterized by reduced subjective experiences of pleasure, may undermine parenting experiences by reducing responses to child cuteness. Using the experiential sampling method, the current research examined associations among parental anhedonia, responses to child cuteness, and daily parenting experiences. Eighty-two mothers of preschool children participated in the 5-day survey and reported momentary positive and negative emotions and parental experiences. They also completed an end-of-day survey in which they rated the interaction quality with their child and perceived fatigue. The results showed that compared to the control, mothers with high anhedonia reported dampened cuteness in child and elevated negative emotions (anxiety and frustration). In addition, they were more likely to report their child’s mood more negative relative to the control. At the end of day, the high anhedonia group reported lower interaction quality. Self-rated fatigue did not differ among groups. These results suggest that anhedonia undermines parenting experiences by diminishing cuteness-induced positive emotions while amplifying negative emotions.
Title of the manuscript: Relationship between Body Mass Index and Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Li Guohua , Abudushalamu Muyashaer , Muheremu Aikeremujiang
Published: April 2024

Objective: To investigate the relationship between body weight, body mass index (BMI) and bone mineral density (BMD) in natural postmenopausal women.
Methods: A total of 149 natural postmenopausal patients admitted from October 2020 to April 2022 were selected and divided into control group (88 cases with BMI<24.0 kg/m2) and Observation group (61 cases with BMI≥24kg/m2). All patients were scanned using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, standard BMD scans were performed on the lumbar spine (L1, L2, L3, L4, L1-L4) and the hip (whole hip, femoral neck, trochanter, and femoral shaft). Pearson correlation or correlation coefficient test was used to analyze the relationship between BMI, body weight and BMD at different sites and to compare the differences in BMD at different sites between the two groups.
Results: There were no significant differences in age, menopause age and height between the two groups, but the body weight of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). BMD of L1, L2, L3, L4, L1-L4, hip, neck of femur, trochanter and femoral shaft in observation group were significantly higher than those in control group, with statistical significance (P < 0.01). BMI and body weight was positively correlated with L1, L2, L3, L4, L1-L4, femoral neck and total hip BMD, with statistical significance (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Postmenopausal women with higher BMI and weight may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, which can reduce the risk of fragility fracture.
Spatial transcriptome reveals histology-correlated immune signature learnt by deep learning attention mechanism on H&E–stained images for ovarian cancer prognosis
Authors: Ng Chun Wai , Wong Kwong-Kwok , Lawson Berrett C. , Ferri-Borgogno Sammy , Mok Samuel
Published: April 2024

Background: The ability to predict the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer can greatly improve disease management. However, the knowledge on the mechanism of the prediction is limited. We sought to deconvolute the attention feature learnt by a deep learning convolutional neural networks trained with whole-slide images (WSIs) of hematoxylin-and-eosin (H&E)–stained tumor samples using spatial transcriptomic data.
Methods: In this study, 773 WSIs of H&E–stained tumor sections from 335 patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer who were included in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Pan-Cancer study were used to train and validate and to test a ResNet101 CNN model modified with attention mechanism. WSIs from patients in an independent cohort were used to further evaluate the model.
Results: The prognostic value of the predicted H&E–based survival scores from the trained model on patient survival was evaluated. The attention signals learnt by the model were then examined their correlation with immune signatures using spatial transcriptome. After validating the model with the testing datasets, pathway enrichment analysis showed that the H&E—based survival score significantly correlated with certain immune signatures and this was validated spatially using spatial transcriptome data of ovarian cancer FFPE sample by correlating the selected signature and attention signal.
Conclusions: In conclusion, the attention mechanism might be useful to identify regions for their specific immune activities. This could guide future pathological study for the useful immunological features that are important in modulating the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients.
Reference Values for Upper and Lower Limb Nerve Conduction Studies among Filipino Adults using the E-Norms Method
Authors: Pura Maria Angela B. , Garrido-Bagayo Gwen G. , Pabellano-Tiongson Ma. Luisa Gwenn , Reyes Jose Paciano Baltazar T.
Published: April 2024

This paper aims to propose reference values for nerve conduction studies of routinely tested nerves for the adult Filipino population aged 18-60 years old using patient data and its relationship with multiple patient demographic/anthropometric variables through the E-norms method - a relatively novel, adaptable, undemanding, and validated statistical technique; providing a quicker, more practical, reproducible way to identify reference value for different populations and laboratories. The study included all adult Filipinos aged 18-60 who underwent nerve conduction studies at The Medical City in the Philippines over four months (October 2022-January 2023). The study was comprised of clinical assessment and clinical laboratory measurements. A total of 600 patients (1200 limbs) were included in this study. The E-norms results showed slightly faster latencies but relatively comparable amplitudes and conduction velocities compared to our laboratory and AANEM NDTF reference values. This study also showed that as the participants aged, the amplitudes, conduction velocities, and latencies of most nerves tested showed decreased, slowed, and prolongation of the measurements, respectively. This study also observed a positive correlation between the limb length of the upper limbs and the latencies.
Furthermore, a negative correlation existed between height and conduction velocity and BMI and amplitudes. In conclusion, using the E-normsmethod, this study produced a set of reference values generally applicable to the adult Filipino population. Standardizing nerve conduction parameters canpave the way for modifying diagnostic criteria for peripheral nerve disorders inFilipinos.
Bootstrapping Optimization for Fully Homomorphic Encryption Schemes
Authors: Wu Meng , Zhao Xiufeng , Song Weitao
Published: April 2024

With the advent of cloud computing and the era of big data, there is an increasing focus on privacy computing. Consequently, homomorphic encryption, being a primary technique for achieving privacy computing, is held in high regard. Nevertheless, the efficiency of homomorphic encryption schemes is significantly impacted by boostrapping. FINAL scheme (ASIACRYPT 2022) is a fully homomorphic encryption scheme based on number theory research unit (NTRU) and learning with errors (LWE) assumptions proposed by Charlotte Bonte et al. The performance of the FINAL scheme is better than TFHE scheme, with a faster bootstrapping and smaller bootstrapping and key-switching keys. In this paper, we introduce ellipsoidal Gaussian sampling to generate the keys f and g in bootstrapping of FINAL scheme, so that the standard deviations of the keys f and g are different and reduce the bootstrapping noise. As a result, larger decomposition bases is used in bootstrapping to reduce the total number of polynomial multiplications, thus improving the efficiency of FINAL scheme. The optimization scheme outperforms the original FINAL scheme with a 33.3\% faster bootstrapping.
Balancing Act: Exploring the Interplay Between Lifestyle Habits and Nutritional Status Among University Students. A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Ndung’u Joseph , Kobia Joseph , Waudo Judith
Published: April 2024

Background
In the contemporary world, higher education plays a pivotal role in achieving academic success and fostering personal growth. Students often adopt lifelong habits that significantly impact their well-being during this period. Notably, factors such as diet, sleep, physical activity, and substance use have gained prominence due to their association with the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases among young adults. Characterising these habits has become a crucial focus for research, particularly in primary prevention efforts against lifestyle diseases. This study aims to scrutinize the lifestyle habits of undergraduate students at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya.
Methods
This research utilized a cross-sectional analytical study design and took place at the Kenyatta University Main Campus in Nairobi County. The target population comprised undergraduate students. Employing a multistage stratified sampling method, 260 students were selected as the sample for the study. A structured questionnaire, pretested on 10% of the sample, was employed to gather socio-demographic, dietary, and lifestyle data. Statistical analysis involving categorising eating habits and physical activity levels was carried out using SPSS version 24.
Results
The study encompassed a predominantly young demographic, with 85.1% falling within the 18–24 age range, displaying diversity, with 39% being male. Residences varied, with 51% residing off-campus and 25.3% in university hostels. A significant proportion (69.5%) took charge of meal preparation. Regarding eating habits, the majority (79.9%) demonstrated neutral habits, 12% adhered to healthy practices, and 8.0% exhibited unhealthy ones. Physical inactivity prevailed at 75.9%, with 67.1% engaging in walking activities for ≤ 100 minutes daily. Smoking rates were low (2.4% active, 2% former), predominantly observed among males. Optimal sleep duration (7–8 hours) was achieved by 56.6%, and alcohol use was reported by 31.3%, with 26.9% participating in binge drinking.
Conclusions
Tobacco use was minimal, consistent with the global trend of decreasing prevalence. Physical inactivity was widespread, exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle, particularly among females. Excessive alcohol intake was more prevalent among males. On a positive note, more than half of the respondents met the recommended sleep duration, with sleep deprivation being more common among males than females.
The Potential Pathogenic Fungus of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Wilt Disease: Fusarium
Authors: Sui Yuan , Huang Ke , SUn Xiangcheng , Li Yujing , Xu Panpan , Li Na , Wu Xuehong , Pang Ming
Published: April 2024

The wilt disease of ginger, caused by various Fusarium species, imperils the cultivation of this valuable crop. However, the pathogenic mechanisms and epidemiology of ginger wilt remain elusive. Here, we investigate the association between ginger rhizome health and the prevalence of Fusarium conidia, as well as examine fungal community composition in symptomatic and asymptomatic ginger tissues. Our findings show that diseased rhizomes have reduced tissue firmness, correlating negatively with Fusarium conidia counts. Pathogenicity assays confirmed that both Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solnai are capable of inducing wilt symptoms in rhizomes and sterile seedlings. Furthermore, Fungal community profiling revealed Fusarium to be the dominant taxon across all samples, yet its relative abundance was significantly different between symptomatic and asymptomatic tissues. Specifically, there is a higher incidence of Fusarium ASVs in symptomatic above-ground parts. Our results unequivocally implicate F. oxysporum or F. solnai as the etiological agents responsible for ginger wilt and demonstrate that Fusarium is the principal fungal pathogen associated with this disease. These findings provide critical insights for efficacious disease management practices within the ginger industry.
Comparing assisted migration seed sources of two oak species in a Minnesota red pine woodland
Authors: Palik Brian J. , Kastendick Douglas N. , Kragthorpe Josh
Published: April 2024

Forest assisted migration (FAM) is the movement of tree species or genotypes to habitat believed to be characterized by the climate of the source population. FAM can be an integral component of climate adaptation projects. An example of such a project is the Red Pine Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (Red Pine ASCC) experiment in northern Minesota, USA. The experiment includes planting seedlings of northern red oak and bur oak from two different seed sources south of the study area. The primary source for both species was central Minnesota, one seed zone south of the local zone. However, due to the number of seedlings needed, a secondary source was also used that included red oak from southwest lower Michigan and bur oak from eastern Iowa. Known planting locations and densities of the seed sources allowed comparison of survival and growth to assess if the primary seed sources out-performed the secondary sources. For both species, densities after five growing seasons were not significantly different between seed sources, suggesting similar survival. Heights and diameters of bur oak were nearly identical for the two seed sources, suggesting similar growth rates. For northern red oak, seedlings of the Minnesota seed source were significantly taller and larger in diameter than the Michigan seed source, but differences were small. Our results suggest managers can be opportunistic when acquiring seedlings of these species for similar FAM projects.
Anti-OJ antibody-positive anti-synthetase syndrome following SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case report and literature review
Authors: Sia Robin , Massouridis Benjamin , Kee Nicholas Ngan , Yong Bryan , Mclean Catriona , Campbell Sian
Published: April 2024

Background: COVID-19 can induce a systemic inflammatory response with variable clinical manifestations. Similar to various viruses, COVID-19 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. This article highlights the potential for infections including the SARS-CoV-2 virus to induce exacerbations of pre-existing autoimmune diseases or even potentially unmask de novo autoimmune diseases in particular anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD) in predisposed individuals. Although there are other case reports of ASSD following SARS-CoV-2 infection, here we present the first reported case of a gentleman with a newly diagnosed anti-OJ positive anti-synthetase syndrome following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Case presentation: Described is a case of a 70-year-old man presenting to the emergency department with worsening dyspnea in the context of a recent COVID-19 infection. CT-chest revealed changes suggestive of fibrotic lung disease, consistent with usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP) pattern. Despite recovery from his COVID-19 illness, the patient subsequently developed proximal myopathy with cervical flexion weakness on further assessment with persistently elevated creatinine kinase (CK). Myositis autoantibodies found a strongly positive anti-OJ autoantibody with MRI-STIR and muscle biopsy performed to further confirm the diagnosis. The patient received pulse methylprednisolone 1g for 3 days with a long oral prednisolone wean and in view of multiple end-organ manifestations, loading immunoglobulin at 2g/kg administered over two days was given. In addition, he was then commenced and escalated to a full dose of azathioprine given a normal purine metabolism where he remains in clinical remission to this date.
At least 267 cases of rheumatic diseases has been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as COVID-19 vaccination. A literature search on PubMed was made to determine the amount of case reports describing myositis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We found 3 case reports that fit into our inclusion criteria. Further literature searches on diagnostic approach and treatment of ASSD were done.
Conclusion: Although SARS-CoV-2 infection itself can cause a directly mediated viral myositis, this case report highlights the possibility of developing virus-triggered inflammatory myositis through multiple aforementioned proposed mechanisms. Therefore, further studies are required to explore the relationship and pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the incidence of inflammatory myopathies.
Hair Regeneration in Androgenetic Alopecia using Secretome of Adipose-derived Stem Cells (ADSC) and Minoxidil: A Comparative Study of Three Groups
Authors: Legiawati Lili , Sitohang Irma Bernadette S. , Yusharyahya Shannaz Nadia , Sirait Sondang P. , Novianto Endi , Liem Isabella Kurnia , Kurniawati Trie , Putri Ines Soepinarko , Rahmadika Faizal Dzaky , Hakiki Nadhira Permata , Lauren Brigitta Cindy
Published: April 2024

Introduction: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is one of the most common cause of hair loss disorder, characterized by the shortening duration of anagen phase, increased telogen phase, and miniaturization of hair follicles, eventually leading to their regression. This disorder tends to progress into partial or even complete baldness. Several therapeutic options are now available for AGA, including conventional medications such as finasteride, dutasteride, and minoxidil. However, side effects of these medications are also commonly reported. The use of adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) and their secreted bioactive molecules, “secretome” has gained attention which could produce many effects for hair growth promotion and has been proven in clinical trials. However, there is still insufficient evidence regarding the comparison of effectiveness of secretome with treatments like minoxidil.
Objective: This study aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of secretome from ADSCs with minoxidil in AGA cases, to provide future reference in the application of cell-based therapy in AGA cases.
Method: 60 subjects were divided into three treatment groups (minoxidil only, secretome only, and combination of both) and were given intervention on week 0, 4, and 8. All subjects were evaluated by physical examination, photography, trichoscopy, and trichoscan until week 12.
Results: All groups showed a statistically significant improvement (p <0.05) on hair growth parameters from week 4, with the best improvement observed on week 12. There were a significant difference between groups on some of the delta hair growth parameters (p <0.05), observed between secretome and combination groups. The combination group had the best improvement substantially on hair growth parameters. Side effects are minimum and only reported by the subjects in minoxidil group.
Conclusion: All of the interventions give a significant improvement on hair growth with the best improvement observed after 12 weeks. However, the best improvement substantially were observed in combination group.
The severity assessment and nucleic acid turning-negative-time prediction in COVID-19 patients with COPD using a fused deep learning model
Authors: Liu Yanhui , Zhang Wenxiu , Sun Mengzhou , Liang Xiaoyun , Wang Lu , Zhao Jiaqi , Hou Yongquan , Li Haina , Yang Xiaoguang
Published: April 2024

Background
Previous studies have shown that patients with pre-existing chronic pulmonary inflammations of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) were more likely to be infected with COVID-19 and lead to more severe lung lesions. However, few studies have explored the severity and prognosis of COVID-19 patients with different phenotypes of COPD.
Purpose
The aim of this study to investigate the value of the deep learning and radiomics features to evaluated the severity and predict the nucleic acid turning-negative time in COVID-19 patients with COPD including two phenotype of chronic bronchitis predominant patients and emphysema predominant patients.
Methods
A total of 281 patients were retrospectively collected from Hohhot First Hospital between October 2022 and January 2023. They were divided to three groups: COVID-19 group of 95 patients, COVID-19 with emphysema groups of 94 patients, COVID-19 with chronic bronchitis groups of 92 patients. All patients underwent chest scans and recorded clinical data. The U-net network was trained to segment the infection regions on CT images and the severity of pneumonia were evaluated by the percentage of pulmonary involvement volume to lung volume. The 107 radiomics features were extracted by pyradiomics package. The Spearman method was employed to analyze the correlation between the data and visualize it through a heatmap. Then we respectively establish a deep learning model using original CT image and a fusion model combined deep learning with radiomics features to predict the time for nucleic acid turning-negative.
Results
COVID-19 patients with emphysema was lowest in the lymphocyte count compared to COVID-19 patients and COVID-19 companied with chronic bronchitis, and they have the most extensive range of pulmonary inflammation. The lymphocyte count was significantly correlated with pulmonary involvement and the time to nucleic acid turning negative (r=-0.145, P < 0.05). Importantly, our results demonstrated that the fusion model achieved an accuracy of 80.9% in predicting nucleic acid turning-negative time.
Conclusion
The pre-existing emphysema phenotype of COPD severely aggravated the pulmonary involvement. Deep learning and radiomics features may provide more information to accurately predict the nucleic acid turning-negative time, which is expected to play an important role in clinical practice.
Propensity score-matched analysis short- and long-term outcomes of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients with aged 80 and older
Authors: Hu Li , Xie Jianming , Yin Yongfang , Xia Ying , Yu Binjia , Zhu Liegang , Yan Zhilong
Published: April 2024

Background: Recently, totally laparoscopic gastrectomy (TLG) has emerged as a viable treatment approach for gastric cancer (GC). However, the viability and efficacy of TLG in patients aged 80 years and older have remained uncertain.
Methods: We retrospectively collected data of GC patients who underwent TLG and were performed by the same lead surgeon from August 2016 to December 2019 at the first affiliated Hospital of NingBo University in China. Propensity score matching was adopted to minimize selection bias at a ratio of 1:1 to compare the elderly group (≥80 years old, Older group) and youngerly group (＜65 years old, Younger group). Patient characteristics, tumour clinicopathologic, operative findings, short-term and 5 years-term prognosis were investigated and compared between the two groups.
Results: Out of 601 GC patients, 205 met the inclusion criteria (Older group, n = 31; Younger group, n = 174). The mean age in the Older group was 83.3 ± 3.2 years, whereas in the Younger group, it was 56.5 ± 7.5 years. Following propensity score analysis, 31 patients were matched each other for further analysis. The Older group exhibited lower levels of Albumin (35.2 ± 4.2 vs 38.3 ± 5.0; p=.011), Prognostic Nutritional Index (41.4 ± 5.2 vs 51.9 ± 19.4; p=.006), NRS2002 score (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002) (4.8 ± 0.9 vs 3.7 ± 0.6; p<.001), and ASA grade (p=.004) compared to the Younger group. The Older group with a longer postoperative hospital stay (26.3 ± 15.1 vs 17.7 ± 8.6; p=0.009) and higher total medical expenses (71274.1 ± 37712.6yuan vs 54520.1 ± 17003.7yuan; p=0.029) compared with the Younger group. Except for a higher incidence of pleural effusion in the Older group compared to the Younger group (p=0.022), no significant differences in other postoperative complications were observed between the two cohorts. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates between the two groups (p=0.345, p=0.123, p=0.345, respectively).
Conclusion: TLG for GC is considered viable and effective, especially when performed by experienced teams with carefully managed patients, even in patients aged 80 years and older, resulting in satisfactory short- and long-term outcomes and offering more targeted evidence for surgical approach selection in this particular age cohort.
Investigating the Metabolomic Pathways in Female Reproductive Endocrine Disorders: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Lu Fei-fan , Wang Zheng , Yang Qian-qian , Yan Feng-shang , Xu Chang , Wang Ming-tang , Xu Zhu-jing , Cai Sheng-yun , Guan Rui
Published: April 2024

Background
Reproductive endocrine disorders (RED) including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis (EMs), and female infertility (FI), significantly affect women's health globally, with varying prevalence across different regions. These conditions can be addressed through medication, surgical interventions, and lifestyle modifications. However, the limited understanding of RED's etiology and the substantial economic burden of its treatment highlight the importance of investigating its pathogenesis. Metabolites play a critical role in metabolic processes and are potentially linked to the development of RED. Despite existing studies suggesting correlations between metabolites and RED, conclusive evidence remains scarce, primarily due to the observational nature of these studies, which are prone to confounding factors.
Methods
This study utilized Mendelian Randomization (MR) to explore the causal relationship between metabolites and RED, leveraging genetic variants associated with metabolite levels as instrumental variables to minimize confounding and reverse causality. Data were obtained from the Metabolomics GWAS Server and the IEU OpenGWAS project. Instrumental variables were selected based on their association with the human gut microbiota composition, and the GWAS summary statistics for metabolites, PCOS, EMs, and FI were analyzed. The MR-Egger regression and random-effects inverse-variance weighted (IVW) methods were employed to validate the causal relationship. Cochran's Q test was employed to evaluate heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis was performed using leave-one-out analysis, and for pleiotropy analysis, the intercept term of MR-Egger's method was investigated.
Results
The MR analysis revealed significant associations between various metabolites and RED conditions. For instance, a positive association was found between 1-palmitoylglycerophosphocholine and PCOS, while a negative association was noted between phenylacetate and FI. The study identified several metabolites associated with an increased risk and others with protective effects against PCOS, EMs, and FI. These findings highlight the complex interplay between metabolites and RED, suggesting potential pathways through which these conditions could be influenced or treated.
Conclusion
This MR study provides valuable insights into the causal relationship between metabolites and female reproductive endocrine disorders, suggesting that metabolic alterations play a significant role in the pathogenesis of PCOS, EMs, and FI, and offering a foundation for future research and therapeutic development.
Influence of citrine on the self-adhesive properties of silicone pressure-sensitive adhesives
Authors: Antosik Adrian Krzysztof , Mozelewska Karolina , Wilpiszewska Katarzyna
Published: April 2024

The presented article provides a detailed comparison of two silicone adhesives named 288 and 922. Various contents of dichlorobenzoyl peroxide, the cross-linking agent (0-3% by weight), were examined. A series of tests, including adhesion, tack, cohesion at room temperature and elevated temperature, SAFT test, and shrinkage, were conducted. Silicone-based self-adhesive adhesives are known for their excellent self-adhesive properties and find applications in various industrial sectors. However, their thermal resistance is relatively low. Therefore, the best composition was selected and modified with different filler concentrations, namely citrine, ranging from 0.1 to 3.0% by weight.
During the conducted research, an increase in the thermal resistance of the adhesive up to a temperature of 225°C was observed, which constitutes a positive phenomenon in the field of self-adhesive adhesive technology. The purpose of these studies was to significantly improve the properties of silicone adhesives, and the modification using citron proved to be an effective means of achieving this goal. The obtained results indicate potential opportunities for refining and customizing silicone-based pressure-sensitive adhesives, which can significantly enhance their performance and flexibility in industrial applications.
A Person Centred Approach to Developing a Digital Tool (KOKU-Nut) to Improve Dietary Intake in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: French Chloe , Burden Sorrel , Stanmore Emma
Published: April 2024

Background
Digital tools embedded with behaviour change theories can encourage the successful implementation and maintenance of positive lifestyle changes. Keep on Keep up (KOKU) is a wellbeing app offering strength and balance exercises and educational games to raise awareness of fall prevention. We aimed to further develop KOKU using a person-centred approach to support nutritional intake and align with the service users’ needs and priorities to maximise engagement and usability.
Methods
Initially, adults aged 65 and over were recruited from assisted living facilities across Greater Manchester. Five focus groups involving 33 older adults (aged 69–96 years) were conducted between October and December 2022. A topic guide was used flexibly to understand factors that influence the groups eating habits and explore their thoughts around a digital tool to support nutritional intake. Conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Researchers then collaborated with designers to develop a nutrition game based on UK dietary guidelines and findings from the focus groups. The nutrition game was tested with end users in January 2024 before making any necessary changes. Users provided feedback and completed the system usability scale (SUS).
Results
Four themes emerged from the dataset. The main determinants of food intake were personal preference, perceptions of foods and changes as a result of age-related decline. The ability, engagement and willingness to use digital technology varied among participants but the majority had a positive attitude towards the digital service. A matching pair’s card game was chosen and the educational content was produced by the research team. A prototype of the nutrition game (KOKU-Nut) was tested with 10 end users on an iPad provided by the research team. Feedback was generally positive and the median SUS was 87.5 (IQR: 65, 95) out of 100 indicating the nutrition game had excellent usability.
Conclusions
We anticipate this person-centred approach will support the uptake and sustained use of KOKU-Nut to empower and educate users to improve their diet.
Assessing spatially explicit long-term landscape dynamics based on automated production of land category layers from Danish late 19th century topographic maps
Authors: Levin Gregor , Groom Geoff , Svenningsen Stig Roar
Published: April 2024

Historical topographical maps contain valuable, spatially and thematically detailed information about past landscapes. Yet, for analyses of landscape dynamics through geographical information systems, it is necessary to "unlock" this information via map processing. For two study areas in northern and central Jutland, Denmark, we apply object-based image analysis, vector GIS, colour image segmentation and machine learning processes to produce machine readable layers for the land use and land cover categories forest, wetland, heath, dune sand and water bodies from topographic maps from the late 19th century. Obtained overall accuracy was beyond 90%. A comparison with a contemporary map revealed spatially explicit landscape dynamics dominated by transitions from heath and wetland to agriculture and forest and from heath and dune sand to forest. However, dune sand was also characterised by more complex transitions to heath and dry grassland, which can be related to active prevention of sand drift and due to natural succession but that can also be biased by different categorisations of dune sand between the historical and contemporary data. We conclude that automated production of machine-readable layers of land use and land cover categories from historical topographical maps offers a resource efficient alternative to manual vectorisation and is particularly useful for spatially explicit assessments of long-term landscape dynamics. Our results also underline that an understanding of mapped categories in both historical and contemporary maps is critical to the interpretation of landscape dynamics.
Cerebellar volume measures may differentiate multiple sclerosis fallers from non-fallers
Authors: Takla Taylor N. , Feldpausch Jennie , Edwards Erin M. , Han Shuo , Calabresi Peter A. , Prince Jerry , Zackowski Kathleen M. , Fritz Nora E.
Published: April 2024

Introduction: The cerebellum is a common lesion site in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Physiologic and anatomic studies have identified a topographic organization of the cerebellum including functionally distinct motor and cognitive areas. This study implemented a recent parcellation algorithm developed by Han et al., 2020 to a sample of PwMS and healthy controls to examine relationships among specific cerebellar regions, fall status, and common clinical measures of motor and cognitive functions.
Methods: Thirty-one PwMS and 29 age and sex-matched controls underwent an MRI scan and motor and cognitive testing. The parcellation algorithm was applied to all images and divided the cerebellum into 28 regions. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare cerebellar volumes among PwMS and controls, and MS fallers and MS non-fallers. Relationships between cerebellar volumes and motor and cognitive function was evaluated using Spearman correlations.
Results: PwMS performed significantly worse on functional measures compared to controls. We found significant differences in volumetric measures between PwMS and controls in the corpus medullare, lobules I-III, and lobule V. Volumetric differences seen between PwMS and controls were primarily driven by the MS fallers. Finally, functional performance on motor and cognitive tasks was associated with cerebellar volumes.
Conclusions: Using the parcellation tool, our results showed that volumes of motor and cognitive lobules impact both motor and cognitive performance, and that functional performance and cerebellar volumes distinguishes MS fallers from non-fallers. Future studies should explore the potential of cerebellar imaging to predict falls in PwMS.