bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automatic healthy liver segmentation for holmium-166 radioembolization dosimetry
Authors: Stella Martina , van Rooij Rob , Lam Marnix G. E. H. , de Jong Hugo W. A. M. , Braat Arthur J. A. T.
Published: July 2023

Background

For safe and effective holmium-166 (166Ho) liver radioembolization, dosimetry is crucial and requires accurate healthy liver definition. The current clinical standard relies on manual segmentation and registration of a separately acquired contrast enhanced CT (CECT), a prone-to-error and time-consuming task. An alternative is offered by simultaneous imaging of 166Ho and technetium-99m stannous–phytate accumulating in healthy liver cells (166Ho–99mTc dual-isotope protocol). This study compares healthy liver segmentation performed with an automatic method using 99mTc images derived from a 166Ho–99mTc dual-isotope acquisition to the manual segmentation, focusing on healthy liver dosimetry and corresponding hepatotoxicity. Data from the prospective HEPAR PLuS study were used. Automatic healthy liver segmentation was obtained by thresholding the 99mTc image (no registration step required). Manual segmentation was performed on CECT and then manually registered to the SPECT/CT and subsequently to the corresponding 166Ho SPECT to compute absorbed dose in healthy liver.

Results

Thirty-one patients (66 procedures) were assessed. Manual segmentation and registration took a median of 30 min per patient, while automatic segmentation was instantaneous. Mean ± standard deviation of healthy liver absorbed dose was 18 ± 7 Gy and 20 ± 8 Gy for manual and automatic segmentations, respectively. Mean difference ± coefficient of reproducibility between healthy liver absorbed doses using the automatic versus manual segmentation was 2 ± 6 Gy. No correlation was found between mean absorbed dose in the healthy liver and hepatotoxicity.

Conclusions

166Ho–99mTc dual-isotope protocol can automatically segment the healthy liver without hampering the 166Ho dosimetry assessment.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02067988. Registered 20 February 2014. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02067988
Isolation of Zygosaccharomyces siamensis kiy1 as a novel arabitol-producing yeast and its arabitol production
Authors: Iwata Kan , Maeda Mayumi , Kashiwagi Yutaka , Maehashi Kenji , Yoshikawa Jun
Published: July 2023

Arabitol is gaining attention in the food industry as an alternative sweetener owing to its low-caloric and non-cariogenic characteristics. The yeast strain kiy1 was newly isolated from unpasteurized honey for arabitol production. Based on internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis, the isolated strain was identified as Zygosaccharomyces siamensis. In this study, the effects of different substrates and sugar concentrations on arabitol production were investigated. When three types of carbon sources (glycerol, fructose, and glucose) were used, glucose was the most suitable substrate for arabitol production (68.7 g/L). Maximum arabitol production (101.4 g/L) was observed at a glucose concentration of 30%, and the highest arabitol production yield was 0.34 g/g of initial glucose. In the time-course production of sugar alcohols by strain kiy1, glucose was completely consumed for 8 days. The concentration of arabitol exceeded that of glycerol after 3 days, and the final arabitol concentration reached 83.6 g/L after 10 days. The maximum production rate was 16.7 g/L/day. The yeast produced glycerol as an intracellular sugar alcohol in the early stage of culture and switched its metabolism to arabitol production after the middle stage. Z. siamensis kiy1 possessed an NADP+-dependent arabitol dehydrogenase, which indicated that it probably produces arabitol via ribulose from glucose. These results suggest that the novel yeast strain, Z. siamensis kiy1, is promising for arabitol production. The proposed arabitol production approach can contribute toward its production at the industrial scale.

Graphical Abstract
SEFSD: an effective deployment algorithm for fog computing systems
Authors: Chen Huan , Chang Wei-Yan , Chiu Tai-Lin , Chiang Ming-Chao , Tsai Chun-Wei
Published: July 2023

Fog computing aims to mitigate data communication delay by deploying fog nodes to provide servers in the proximity of users and offload resource-hungry tasks that would otherwise be sent to distant cloud servers. In this paper, we propose an effective fog device deployment algorithm based on a new metaheuristic algorithm–search economics–to solve the optimization problem for the deployment of fog computing systems. The term “effective” in this paper refers to that the developed algorithm can achieve better performance in terms of metrics such as lower latency and less resource usage. Compared with conventional metaheuristic algorithms, the proposed algorithm is unique in that it first divides the solution space into a set of regions to increase search diversity of the search and then allocates different computational resources to each region according to its potential. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, we compare it with several classical fog computing deployment algorithms. The simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm provides lower network latency and higher quality of service than the other deployment algorithms evaluated in this study.
Sitting vs. supine ultrasound measurements of the vastus medialis: correlations with MRI measurements and age considerations
Authors: Taniguchi Masashi , Fukumoto Yoshihiro , Yagi Masahide , Hirono Tetsuya , Yamagata Momoko , Nakai Ryusuke , Yamada Yosuke , Kimura Misaka , Ichihashi Noriaki
Published: July 2023

Background

Muscle thickness (MT) and echo intensity (EI) measurements are ultrasound alternatives to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for evaluating muscle quantity and quality. The vastus medialis (VM) is a clinically important muscle, and assessment methods that most accurately reflect its quantity and quality are required. This study aimed to examine the correlation between MT and EI measured in the supine and sitting postures with corresponding MRI-measured muscle quantity and quality indices.

Methods

In total, 134 adults (91 older and 43 young) participated in this study. Ultrasound images of the VM were acquired in the supine and sitting postures, and MT and EI were measured. The cross-sectional area (CSA), muscle volume (MV), and intramuscular adipose tissue (intraMAT) of the VM were evaluated from MRI images using T1-weighted and Dixon methods. Pearson’s coefficients were used to quantify the correlation strength amongst pairs of dependent variables. Meng’s test was used to test for correlation coefficient differences between the two measurement postures (supine and sitting).

Results

The correlation coefficients amongst MT, CSA, and MV were significantly higher in the sitting posture than in the supine posture. EI measured in the supine and sitting postures correlated significantly with intraMAT, and in young individuals, these correlation coefficients were significantly higher in the sitting posture than in the supine posture.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that assessment of VM muscle quantity in the sitting posture is superior for young and older individuals, and assessment of VM muscle quality in the sitting posture is most effective in younger individuals.
Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the multi-ethnic population of the United Arab Emirates on genomic medicine and genetic testing
Authors: Rahma Azhar T. , Ali Bassam R. , Patrinos George P. , Ahmed Luai A. , Elbarazi Iffat , Abdullahi Aminu S. , Elsheik Mahanna , Abbas Maram , Afandi Farah , Alnaqbi Aisha , Al Maskari Fatma
Published: July 2023

Introduction

The adoption and implementation of genomic medicine and pharmacogenomics (PGx) in healthcare systems have been very slow and limited worldwide. Major barriers to knowledge translation into clinical practice lie in the level of literacy of the public of genetics and genomics. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) multi-ethnic communities toward genomic medicine and genetic testing.

Method

A cross-sectional study using validated questionnaires was distributed to the participants. Descriptive statistics were performed, and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with knowledge of genomics.

Results

757 individuals completed the survey. Only 7% of the participants had a good knowledge level in genetics and genomics (95% CI 5.3–9.0%). However, 76.9% of the participants were willing to take a genetic test if their relatives had a genetic disease. In addition, the majority indicated that they would disclose their genetic test results to their spouses (61.5%) and siblings (53.4%).

Conclusions

This study sets the stage for the stakeholders to plan health promotion and educational campaigns to improve the genomic literacy of the community of the UAE as part of their efforts for implementing precision and personalized medicine in the country.
Accelerometer sampling requirements for animal behaviour classification and estimation of energy expenditure
Authors: Yu Hui , Muijres Florian T. , te Lindert Jan Severin , Hedenström Anders , Henningsson Per
Published: July 2023

Background

Biologgers have contributed greatly to studies of animal movement, behaviours and physiology. Accelerometers, among the various on-board sensors of biologgers, have mainly been used for animal behaviour classification and energy expenditure estimation. However, a general principle for the combined sampling duration and frequency for different taxa is lacking. In this study, we evaluated whether Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem applies to accelerometer-based classification of animal behaviour and energy expenditure approximation. To evaluate the influence of accelerometer sampling frequency on behaviour classification, we annotated accelerometer data from seven European pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) freely moving in aviaries. We also used simulated data to systematically evaluate the combined effect of sampling duration and sampling frequency on the performance of estimating signal frequency and amplitude.

Results

We found that a sampling frequency higher than Nyquist frequency at 100 Hz was needed to classify fast, short-burst behavioural movements of pied flycatcher, such as swallowing food with a mean frequency of 28 Hz. In contrast, high frequency movements with longer durations such as flight could be characterized adequately using much lower sampling frequency of 12.5 Hz. To identify rapid transient prey catching manoeuvres within these flight bouts, again a high frequency sampling at 100 Hz was needed. For both the experimental data of the flycatchers and the simulated data, the combination of sampling frequency and sampling duration affected the accuracy of signal frequency and amplitude estimation. For long sampling durations, the sampling frequency equal to the Nyquist frequency was adequate for accurate signal frequency and amplitude estimation. Accuracy declined with decreasing sampling duration, especially for signal amplitude estimation with up to 40% standard deviation of normalized amplitude difference. To accurately estimate signal amplitude at low sampling duration, a sampling frequency of four times the signal frequency was necessary (two times the Nyquist frequency).

Conclusions

The appropriate sampling frequency of accelerometers depends on the objective of the specific study and the characteristics of the behaviour. For studies with no constraints on device battery and storage, a sampling frequency of at least two times the Nyquist frequency will achieve relative optimal representative of signal information (i.e., frequency and amplitude). For classification and energy expenditure estimation of short-burst behaviours, 1.4 times the Nyquist frequency of behaviour is required.
Recruitment strategies to increase racial and ethnic diversity in anorexia nervosa clinical research
Authors: Strauch Julianne , Agnew Alexandra , Meenaghan Erinne , Miller Karen K. , Haines Melanie S.
Published: July 2023

Objective

Inclusion of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in eating disorder (ED) research is a critical unmet need, but evidence-based recruitment strategies are lacking. We sought to determine whether methods we had implemented to increase recruitment of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups were successful in improving racial and ethnic diversity in a clinical trial in women with anorexia nervosa.

Method

We implemented new strategies for recruitment of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in a clinical trial on bone health in women with anorexia nervosa, including leveraging social media, liberalizing language on advertisements to be more inclusive of women who are as yet undiagnosed with the disorder or feel stigmatized by its name, translating advertisements to Spanish, and engaging community health centers. We compared participants’ race and ethnicity in this clinical trial versus two similar prior clinical trials.

Results

The percent of non-White and Hispanic participants who have signed a consent form in our ongoing clinical trial (2021–2023) is higher versus two previous clinical trials on bone health in women with anorexia nervosa (2011–2019) with similar inclusion/exclusion criteria and endpoints [non-White: 11/38 (28.9%) vs. 11/188 (5.9%), Hispanic: 6/38 (15.8%) vs. 5/188 (2.7%), p ≤ 0.006]. There was no change in the percent of Black participants [0/38 (0%) vs. 1/188 (0.5%), p = 1.0].

Discussion

Viewing clinical research recruitment through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens can improve racial and ethnic diversity in ED research. Further research recruitment strategies are needed to be more inclusive of Black populations.
Attachment and parental bond: impact on psychopathology, mental health and quality of life of hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study
Authors: De Pasquale Concetta , Pistorio Maria Luisa , Veroux Massimiliano , Sapienza Gabriella , Florio Alberto , Hichy Zira , Ekser Burcin , Giaquinta Alessia , Veroux Pierfrancesco
Published: July 2023

Background

Attachment theory represents a reference model for understanding better how pre-existing personality factors can influence the coping with some chronic conditions. The onset of a chronic disease can represent a "threat" to the relationships between the subject and parental figures according to the type of bond that already exists. The aim of our study was to explore attachment styles in a sample of hemodialysis patients, hypothesizing that a secure attachment bond can constitute a protective factor for the quality of life and mental health in this type of patients.

Design

We used a cross-sectional design.

Methods

Fifty hemodialysis patients were given the following tests: Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) to assess attachment styles, Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to assess parental bonding, Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) for perceived quality of life and Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ) to detect key psychological symptoms and relevant traits.

Results

The results showed that secure attachment style correlated with good general health (r = 0.339; p < 0.05), good mental health (r = 0.547; p < 0.001) and mental component scale (r = 0.373; p < 0.05) of SF-36. Secure attachment was also significantly associated with mental health (B = 1.104; p = .002) of the SF-36.

Conclusions

The results confirmed the positive role of a secure attachment style for adequate psychological health. Early identification of patients with dysfunctional attachment styles will make it possible to offer them targeted interventions to improve their ability to accept, adapt and manage the disease and to maintain adequate psychological well-being.
Intention-reflected predictive display for operability improvement of time-delayed teleoperation system
Authors: Zhu Yaonan , Fusano Keisuke , Aoyama Tadayoshi , Hasegawa Yasuhisa
Published: July 2023

Robotic teleoperation is highly valued for its ability to remotely execute tasks that demand sophisticated human decision-making or that are intended to be carried out by human operators from a distance. However, when using the internet as a communication framework for teleoperation, high latency, and fluctuations make accurate positioning and time-dependent tasks difficult. To mitigate the negative effects of time delay, this paper proposes a teleoperation system that uses cross reality (XR) as a predictive display of the outcome of operators’ intended actions and develops a time-delay aware shared control to fulfill the intention. The system targets a liquid pouring task, wherein a white ring that indicates the intended height of the liquid surface is overlayed onto the beaker in a delayed camera image to close the visual feedback loop on the leader side. Simultaneously, the shared control automatically completes the pouring action to track the intended liquid height. The performance of the proposed system is validated based on liquid pouring experiments performed by human subjects. When compared with direct control, the absolute error rate decreased significantly for a constant round-trip time delay of 0.8 s and 1.2 s, similarly for a time-varying delay of 0.4 s and 0.8 s. Moreover, when the time-varying delay was 0.8 s, operators achieved significantly higher accuracy while maintaining comparable operation time. These results indicate that our proposed system improves operability even in the presence of time-varying delays in communication networks.
Coffee intake and hypertension in Korean adults: results from KNHANES 2012–2016
Authors: Shah Surabhi , Cho In-Jeong , Lee Whanhee , Pyun Wook Bum , Ha Eunhee
Published: July 2023

Background

Coffee is the most popular and widely consumed drink in the world. Coffee consumption seems to have both benefits and risk with respect to hypertension; results from studies evaluating effect of frequency of coffee consumption on risk of hypertension are mixed and inconsistent. Hence, we investigated the association of coffee consumption and hypertension in Korean adults.

Methods

Data from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2012–2016 was obtained and 12,133 eligible participants were selected. The coffee consumption was attained using a food frequency questionnaire. Subsequently coffee intake was grouped into two categories: ≤2 and > 2 servings per day. Hypertension status was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg, use of antihypertensive drug treatment, or both. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of coffee consumption and hypertension.

Results

Logistic regression analysis showed that consumption of more than two servings of coffee a day was inversely associated with hypertension with odds ratio (OR) 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–0.99). Similar results were seen in the propensity score-matched analysis (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69–0.98). Adults having age more than median value (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.65–0.89) and normal cholesterol (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.70–0.99) had significantly inverse association with hypertension, when coffee consumption was more than two servings daily.

Conclusions

More than two servings of coffee intake per day was inversely associated with hypertension as compared to consumption of ≤ 2 servings coffee per day.
Quantitative measurement of empathy and analysis of its correlation to clinical factors in korean patients with chronic diseases
Authors: Heo Ran , Shin Jinho , Kim Byung Sik , Kim Hyun-Jin , Park Kye-Yeung , Park Hoon-Ki , Kim Yu Mi , Hwang Seon Young , Mercer Stewart W.
Published: July 2023

Background

Empathy is the core of the physician-patient relationship. The Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure is a useful tool for assessing patient-rated empathy. There have been scarce data on empathy in chronic disease patients in Korea. We aim to evaluate empathy using the Korean CARE measure in patients from various clinical environments and the factors influencing the degree of empathy in patients with chronic disease.

Methods

Data were collected from patients with chronic diseases. Patients were from primary, secondary, and tertiary clinics. Characteristics of the patients, physicians, and disease status were collected. The difference in CARE score was studied according to the clinical factors.

Results

A total of 162 patients with chronic diseases were included. About 60% of patients were male. The mean age was 62 years. They had an average number of 2.6 diseases. More than half of patients experienced overt cardiovascular disease. About half of them had a history of hospitalization due to cardiovascular disease. The overall average CARE score was 45.6 ± 7.0. The CARE score was not significantly different according to the characteristics of the patient, physician, or disease status. Regarding marital status, the CARE score was significantly lower for the small number of patients (n = 4, 2.5%) who refused to provide their marital status than for other groups. Except for four patients, there was no significant difference in the CARE score among married, unmarried, or divorced groups. This trend was maintained in hypertensive patients.

Conclusions

The Korean CARE measure could assess patient-rated empathy in various clinical practices. The empathy of patients was high regardless of multiple factors.
Acquired laryngomalacia as a cause of post-extubation stridor and extubation failure following craniotomy: a case report
Authors: Mizunoya Kazuyuki , Onodera Keisyu , Takahashi Yuki , Toki Takayuki , Saito Hitoshi , Morimoto Yuji
Published: July 2023

Background

Laryngomalacia is a dynamic airway condition characterized by flaccid laryngeal tissue and inward collapse of supraglottic structures during inspiration. Although it may cause airway obstruction and requires careful management, there have been few reports regarding laryngomalacia after surgery. We report a case of adult-onset laryngomalacia occurred after craniotomy requiring reintubation.

Case presentation

A 21-year-old man was admitted to the ICU after craniotomy for a cerebellopontine angle tumor. He developed severe stridor immediately after extubation on the postoperative day 2 and required reintubation. On the postoperative day 5, similar episode occurred following re-extubation and fiberoptic laryngoscopy revealed a collapsed epiglottis and left arytenoid into the glottis. A diagnosis of laryngomalacia was made, and he underwent tracheostomy. Laryngomalacia had completely improved; however, bilateral vocal cord paralysis was detected 2 weeks later.

Conclusions

Acquired laryngomalacia should be considered as a possible mechanism of the airway symptoms in a patient with neurological dysfunction.
The ViaHole technique: a novel approach for recanalizing major side branch occluded by Viabahn stent-graft
Authors: Haraguchi Takuya , Tsujimoto Masanaga , Otake Ryo , Kashima Yoshifumi , Sato Katsuhiko , Fujita Tsutomu
Published: July 2023

Introduction

In managing arterial rupture, stent-graft implantation may cause limb ischemia by crossing a major branch for hemostasis. The ViaHole technique could circumvent a major branch occlusion.

Materials and methods

The process involved advancing retrograde devices into an occluded major branch by the stent-graft implantation to reach the outer surface of the stent-graft, puncturing the stent-graft with a 20-gauge needle to touch the retrograde device, manipulating the guidewire through the needle hole and externalizing it, advancing the microcatheter into the proximal lumen, catching the microcatheter using an antegrade 4-Fr catheter, inserting an antegrade guidewire into the retrograde microcatheter to cross the stent-graft hole, dilating the lesion and stent-graft hole using a 3.0-mm balloon, and ensuring hemostasis at the puncture site.

Results

A 72-year-old male with a history of stent-grafted treatment for right popliteal aneurysm presented with acute limb ischemia (ALI). The occlusion spanned distal superficial femoral artery to the below-the-knee arteries. Hemostasis was achieved after an unintentional rupture of the proximal posterior tibial artery during surgical thrombectomy by implanting endoluminal stent-grafts instead of surgical bypass due to no distal anastomosis site. However, recurrent ALI occurred three months later. Surgical bypass was again deemed unfeasible due to no run-off. Unsuccessful recanalization attempts of the bilateral tibial arteries led us to perform the ViaHole technique to recanalize the peroneal artery occlusion. Finally. successful revascularization was achieved, and 1-year patency was confirmed.

Conclusions

The ViaHole technique may be valuable for revascularizing a major side branch occluded by stent-graft implantation.
A computational analysis reveals eight novel high-risk single nucleotide variants of human tumor suppressor LHPP gene
Authors: Feroz Tasmiah , Islam Md. Kobirul
Published: July 2023

Background

LHPP is a tumor suppressor protein associated with various malignancies like liver, oral, pharyngeal, bladder, cervical, and gastric cancers through controlling various pathways. Several single nucleotide variants have been reported to cause cancers. The main objectives of our study were to investigate the impact of the deleterious non-synonymous single nucleotide variants on structure and functions of the LHPP protein.

Results

We used nine computational tools (SNAP2, PROVEAN, POLYPHEN 2, PREDICT SNP, MAPP, PhD-SNP, SIFT, PANTHER, and PMUT) to find out the deleterious SNPs. These nine computational algorithms predicted 34 nsSNPs to be deleterious as a result of their computational analysis. Using ConSurf, I-Mutant, SDM, MUpro, and Mutpred, we emphasized more how those harmful nsSNPs negatively affect the structure and function of the LHPP protein. Furthermore, we predicted the mutant protein structures and assessed the total energy value deviation in comparison with LHPP original structure and also calculated RMSD values and TM scores. By comparing the result from all these computational approaches, we shortlisted a total eight novel nsSNPs (D214G, D219N, Q224P, L231P, G236W, R234C, R234P, and V233G) that impose high risks to the structure and functions of LHPP protein. To analyze the mutant protein’s behavior in physiological condition, we performed 50 ns molecular dynamic simulation using WebGro online tool and found that the mutants values vary from the wild type in terms of RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, and H-bond numbers. Prognostic significance analysis by Kaplan–Meier plotter showed that abnormal regulation of LHPP can also serve as a prognostic marker for the patient with breast, ovarian, and gastric cancers. Additionally, ligand binding sites analysis revealed the presence of D214G and D219N mutants in the binding site one which means these two nsSNPs can disturb the binding capacity of the LHPP protein. Protein–protein interaction analysis revealed LHPP proteins’ interactions with PPA1, ATP12A, ATP4A, ATP4B, ATP5F1, ATP5J, PPA2, ATP6V0A4, ATP6V0A2, and MT-ATP8 with different degree of connectivity.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate a computational understanding of the harmful effect of nsSNPs in LHPP, which may be useful for molecular approaches.
Liver stiffness, hepatorenal index, and microRNA-130b as predictors for chronic kidney disease in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Hassafy Mohamed Yosef El , Elhadidi Abeer Shawky , Tahoon Mona Mostafa , Hemimi Eman El-Dawi , Lashen Sameh Aldesoky
Published: July 2023

Background and aim

Currently, nonalcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) is the most predominant chronic liver disorder. NAFLD has been linked to hepatic and extrahepatic morbidities. We aimed to investigate the role of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), hepatorenal index (HRI), and serum microRNA-130b as non-invasive predictors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in NAFLD patients.

Material and methods

In a case–control design, we included 40 NAFLD patients (20 NAFLD with CKD and 20 NAFLD without CKD) and 20 healthy controls. After clinical evaluation, laboratory assessments including liver test profile, renal function test, and quantification of microRNA-130b were done. Liver steatosis and stiffness were evaluated using HRI and ARFI.

Results

HRI and ARFI readings were significantly higher among NAFLD with CKD patients compared to other groups (P < 0.001). The median values of microRNA-130b were 32.1, 27.01, and 25.36 copies/µl in NAFLD with CKD, NAFLD without CKD, and healthy controls, respectively, with significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). ARFI values and HRI were positively correlated with microRNA-130b (P < 0.05). At a cutoff value > 28.13 copies/µl, microRNA-130b could differentiate between “NAFLD with CKD” and “NAFLD without CKD” patients with a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 70%, respectively (AUC = 71.9%, P = 0.018).

Conclusions

Serum microRNA-130b, HRI, and ARFI are valuable noninvasive markers for the assessment of NAFLD. MicroRNA-130b is suggested as a sensitive biomarker for the prediction of CKD among NAFLD patients with good sensitivity and specificity.
Pattern of dyslipidemia and associated factors in coronary artery disease patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A cross-sectional secondary data analysis
Authors: Hussain Arif , Muhammad Zakria , Ali Iftikhar , Tariq Shafiq Ahmad , Hussain Arshad , Siraj Sami
Published: July 2023

Objectives: To assess the prevalence, pattern, and associated factors of dyslipidemia in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Northwest region of Pakistan.

Method: A cross-sectional secondary data analysis was performed on CAD patients visiting cardiology clinics in selected hospitals from July to December 2019. A total of 362 patients were included via consecutive sampling. Dyslipidemia was operationalized according to the “National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP ATP III) guidelines”.

Results: Mixed dyslipidemia was recorded in 92.26% of the patients, while isolated dyslipidemia was observed in 5.24%. A high prevalence of combined dyslipidemia with increased LDL-C, TG, and low HDL-C was noted. Contrarily, elevated LDL-C was the commonest single lipid disorder (84.25%). Hypercholesterolemia was the least common disorder. Increasing BMI was found to be independently associated with hypercholesterolemia (OR: 1.19). Similarly, age (OR: 0.97) and being a rural resident (OR: 2.61) were independent factors associated with hypertriglyceridemia. Furthermore, being an urban resident (OR: 2.25) and increasing BMI (OR: 1.77) were also significantly associated with high LDL-C.

Conclusion: Mixed dyslipidemias were observed in the majority of the patients. Age, BMI, and residence were noted to be independently associated with abnormal lipids. Early screening and proper management should be encouraged to minimize this significant cardiovascular risk.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7382

How to cite this: Hussain A, Zakria M, Ali I, Tariq SA, Hussain A, Siraj S. Pattern of dyslipidemia and associated factors in coronary artery disease patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A cross-sectional secondary data analysis. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7382

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Prediction model using risk factors associated with anastomotic leakage after minimally invasive esophagectomy
Authors: Su Peng , Huang Chao , Lv Huilai , Zhang Zhen , Tian Ziqiang
Published: July 2023

Objective: To explore the risk factors of anastomotic leakage after minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) and to build a prediction model of the probability of postoperative anastomotic leakage.

Methods: Clinical data of patients undergoing MIE, admitted in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from March 2018 to March 2022, were retrospectively selected, and risk factors of anastomotic leakage after MIE were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. A prediction nomogram model was established based on the independent risk factors, and its prediction effect was evaluated.

Results: A total of 308 patients were included. Thirty patients had postoperative anastomotic leakage, with an incidence of 9.74%. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, postoperative delirium, pleural adhesion, postoperative pulmonary complications, high postoperative white blood cell count and low lymphocyte count were risk factors for postoperative anastomotic leakage. A nomograph prediction model was constructed based on these risk factors. The predicted probability of occurrence of the nomograph model was consistent with the actual probability of occurrence. The calculated C-index value (Bootstrap method) was 0.9609, indicating that the nomograph prediction model had a good discrimination ability. By drawing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, we showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the nomograph prediction model was 0.9609 (95%CI: 0.937-0.985), which indicated a good prediction efficiency of the model.

Conclusions: The nomograph prediction model based on the independent risk factors of anastomotic leakage after MIE can accurately predict the probability of postoperative anastomotic leakage.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.8050

How to cite this: Su P, Huang C, Lv H, Zhang Z, Tian Z. Prediction model using risk factors associated with anastomotic leakage after minimally invasive esophagectomy. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.8050

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
La importancia de las preguntas ambientales en el planeamiento territorial
Authors: Ramírez Rojas Laura M.
Published: July 2023

La Sabana de Bogotá vincula a la capital con una densa red de poblaciones tradicionales co­nurbadas. En esa circunstancia, el transporte masivo es una necesidad apremiante, que debe ser resuelta en el corto plazo con eficiencia y equidad. En ese ambiente surgió la propuesta de recuperar las antiguas líneas abandonadas del tren para implantar un nuevo sistema —fusión del tranvía urbano y del tren regional— nombrado oficialmente como RegioTram. En este artículo se considera la relación entre las condiciones hídrico-ambientales y el planeamiento del territorio. Se priorizó el análisis de la franja de terrenos urbanos y rurales adyacentes a la línea y a los beneficiados y afectados por el funcionamiento de RegioTram de Occidente. La existencia de sistemas hidroambientales es testimonio de los procesos de larga duración de la conformación geológica de la Sabana; en ellos suceden también fenómenos contingentes con los ciclos de inundaciones estacionales y periódicas que desbordan y afectan el balance hídrico de la planicie y la vida de la comunidad asentada en ese sector de la Sabana. A partir del manejo de cartografías, imágenes digitales e información oficial se contrastaron datos e información sobre la afectación del sistema hídrico-ambiental por la reutilización de la antigua vía férrea.
Performance Enhancement of Biobattery from Tropical Almond Paste Using Acetic Acid Addition
Authors: Rumbino Graziani , Maniambo Lili , Soll Melfi , Dirgantari Gemala , Togibasa Octolia
Published: July 2023

Biobattery is an alternative energy device that uses organic waste without hazardous chemicals. It is further reported that tropical almond (Terminalia catappa L.) is rich in glucose content, making it a potential electrolyte for a biobattery device, although the power performance is not optimal. Therefore, this research aims to improve the performance of biobattery from tropical almond paste with the addition of acetic acid. Biobattery cells were constructed using the galvanic cell method, while the tropical almond paste as an electrolyte was stored in a box container with a volume of 600 cm³, then attached with copper and zinc metal plate as cathode and anode. Five typical devices of biobattery were made with various acid concentrations of 0%, 10%, 20%, 40%, and 80% which were added to the electrolyte. The results showed a significant enhancement of power performance, from 0.25 mW without any acid up to 1.62 mW with acid addition. The biobattery from tropical almond paste added with acetic acid of 20% had the best performance. Based on the results, the characterization of this device had an open cell voltage of 0.93, and the power curve showed a peak value of 1.62 mW at a current of 3.29 mA, with a stable current lasting up to 200 hr.
The Modified Glas-Mosel Formula for Numerical Investigation of the Fusion Cross-Sections of (O-16)+(Ge-70,72,73,74,76) - A Preliminary Study
Authors: Yulianto Yacobus , Su'ud Zaki
Published: July 2023

Many intense experimental and theoretical studies have been performed to understand the behavior of fusion reactions, especially related to the barrier height of the interacting nuclei. This preliminary study would discuss a variation of the applicability of the Glas-Mosel formula with a little bit of modification applied to heavy systems. The modified Glas-Mosel formula has been utilized to calculate the fusion cross-sections of (O-16)+(Ge-70,72,73,74,76). To perform the differential and the optimization numerics, the Finite Difference and Nelder-Mead methods were applied to Fortran script-code respectively to assist the computational process. Referring to the obtained results, it can be indicated that the obtained results are in positive agreement with the experimental data. In addition, the modified Glas-Mosel formula proposed in this study has the capability to explain the experimental results or in predicting the fusion cross-section of nuclei. Further investigations are needed to get the crucial data to serve as a basic reference.
Karakteristik Antibakteri Nanoceria-Kitosan yang disintesis menggunakan Metode Presipitasi
Authors: Rizkia Muhammad Danu , Nurhasanah Iis
Published: July 2023

CeO2 nanoparticles (nanoceria) is a material that posseses antibacterial activity. In this study, nanoceria was combined with chitosan to increase its antibacterial property. The formation of nanoceria-chitosan was analyzed using X-ray diffractometer, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. The antibacterial activity of nanoceria-chitosan was tested using the disc diffusion method on Escherichia coli bacteria. X-ray diffraction pattern analysis showed that nanoceria-chitosan has a cubic structure. The incorporation of chitosan in nanoceria was identified at a wave number of 2919 cm-1 from the FTIR spectrum. Nanoceria-chitosan showed a smaller crystallite size, a larger energy band gap and better antibacterial activity than nanoceria.
The Estimation of Fracture Intensity and Pressure Distribution using Analysis of Shear Wave Splitting on “Landak” Geothermal Field
Authors: Al Thariqsyah Muhammad , Ramadhan Irvan , Sudarmaji Sudarmaji
Published: July 2023

Shear wave splitting is a study that utilizes the differences between arrival times of two shear waves (slow and fast) propagating from a source to a receiver to identify the magnitude of the anisotropic medium through which they propagate. Aside from generating a delay time between two shear waves, the anisotropic medium also shifts the polarization of fast shear wave from its initial polarization which is indicated as the main orientation of the related fracture system. The study was conducted on Landak Field, located around Bukit Besar mountain range by analyzing provided data from December 2011 to April 2012. The results of this study show that the polarizations of fast shear waves in several stations are as following; NE-SW orientation at station R09, R17, R25, and R26, N-S orientation at station R08, and NW-SE orientation at station R17. Not only do these orientations of polarization show a good correlation with structural analysis in this area, but also important to be noted that all microseismic stations encounter a wide-spreading polarization phenomenon as an effect of complex anisotropy. The delay time from all stations ranges from  0.03 to 0.07 seconds. The normalization between delay time and length of ray path for all stations results in a fracture intensity parameter ranging from 0.004 to 0.011 seconds/km. This intensity is measured in slowness parameters, which shows increased value towards the Bukit Besar area, which potentially becomes the upflow zone of the geothermal system. The study shows that the distribution of fracture intensity and pressure have correlation and identical trend with temperature distribution.
A Brief Study of Methods to Determine the Electrical Resistivity of Materials
Authors: Khalid Inzamam
Published: July 2023

Present study deals with the study of methods to calculate the resistivity of materials. Different methods are discussed which determine the resistivity of specific materials on the basis of their shapes and sizes.  Their working, structure, advantages and loopholes are discussed in a brief manner. Materials are categorized according to their magnitude of resistivity. The two probe method is helpful in measuring the resistivity of high resistive samples while four probe methods can be used for materials with low resistance. Pulse probe method measures the resistivity of materials having small physical dimensions. The Montgomery method is useful in finding the individual resistivities of anisotropic materials.
Identifikasi Struktur Bawah Permukaan berdasarkan Analisis Data Gayaberat di Daerah Palembang dan sekitarnya sebagai Cekungan Potensi Hidrokarbon
Authors: Mirnanda Eddy , Saputra Alfalah Adam , Arifin Lukman
Published: July 2023

Research has been conducted in the Palembang and surroundings areas using gravity data with the aim of knowing the basin structure that has hydrocarbon potential based on 2D and 3D modeling. The Palembang and surroundings areas is one of the regions that has hydrocarbon potential which is characterized by several Sub-Basins namely the South Jambi Sub-Basin, the North Palembang Sub-Basin, and the West Palembang Sub-Basin. The study area has a Complete Bouguer Anomaly value (CBA) between +21 mGal to +55 mGal. Based on 2D modeling, rocks with a density value of around 2.35 gr/cm3 are identified as reservoir zones located in the Talang Akar Formation with depths of around 4000 meters to 5000 meters below the surface. Rocks with density values between 2.35 gr/cm3 to 2.40 gr/cm3 are identified assealsin the form of shale as cover rocks that are good at trapping hydrocarbons. In 2D modeling there are fault structures in the form of normal faults and reverse faults that are identified based on analysis Second Vertical Derivative (SVD). Based on 3D gravity inversion modeling, the reservoirzone was found to be at a depth of about 4000 meters to 5000 meters below the surface which has a density value between 2.31 gr/cm3 to 2.53 gr/cm3.
FT-IR Spectral Model of Polyester-Cotton Fabrics with Corona Plasma Treatment using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs)
Authors: Irwan Irwan , Utra Valentinus Galih Vidia , Mohamad Juliany Ningsih
Published: July 2023

Corona plasma technology has been studied as a surface modification for the adhesive bonding of polymers. Although corona plasma (C.P.) is becoming more popular in nanotechnology, the influence of corona plasma treatment parameters on the FT-IR spectra is a problem that has yet to be addressed. The purpose of this study is to use an artificial neural network to study the influence of corona plasma (C.P.) treatment parameters on textile polymer and evaluate the ability of this model to predict FT-IR spectral information from FT-IR measurements. In this study, polymers were modified under various corona plasma treatment conditions. We investigated FT-IR spectra information of polymers from FT-IR measurements by varying corona plasma treatment variables. We used three input parameters in this study: wavenumber, voltage, and exposure time—two output parameters: fabric roughness with SEM according to the degree of smoothness and percent transmission with FT-IR. The novel aspect of this study is that we used ANN to model the plasma treatment on polyester-cotton fabrics and the FT-IR spectra accurately enough for the first time. According to this study, the model that used four nodes (neurons) in the hidden layer, three input parameters (x1,x2,x3), and 20 iterations is appropriate for determining fabric surface roughness (S.R.) and percent transmission (T%). Based on this research, the values of R2 for determining fabric surface roughness (S.R.) and percent transmission (T%) were 99.79 percent and 67.18 percent, respectively. The results showed that the developed ANNs could accurately predict the experimental data in detail. This study is significant because it uses artificial intelligence to calculate and simulate the FT-IR spectra and fabric surface roughness of plasma treatment on textile fabrics. This study's scientific application is that it will help experts, researchers, and engineers understand the implications of plasma on the chemical structure of textile materials.
Awakening Ecological Consciousness in Conrad Richter's Ohio Trilogy
Authors: Cotugno Marianne
Published: July 2023

Abstract: The environmental concerns of Richter's fiction are the concerns of the early 20th century and many expressed in Richter's novels echo [Aldo] Leopold's own. Richter dramatizes the effects of deforestation, poor land management, predator control, and overhunting. Although the trilogy begins with a depiction of settlers' minds narrowing, as Leopold asserts, by the end, a transformation has taken place, not merely of the land but of Sayward, the trilogy's protagonist, who embraces a more ecological point of view. Ultimately, the trilogy argues for the need for ecological balance in our relationship with the natural world.
Dystopia in Disguise: Disintegrated Societies in Manjula Padmanabhan's Harvest and Lights Out
Authors: Pak Sunghee
Published: July 2023

Abstract: The two worlds created by Padmanabhan have further significance in that they demonstrate how dystopia is embedded in reality, making it more relevant to the contemporary audience. Harvest sets itself up as a fictional dystopia while keeping enough reality for the contemporaries to recognize; Lights Out , on the contrary, begins as a realistic drawing room drama that initiates itself from a social incident, but reaches out to include dystopian qualities bad enough for the audience to want to deny its practicality. … Although by definition neither utopia nor dystopia can exist, Padmanabhan's depiction of dystopian societies that touch the quotidian life strengthens her commentary and critique on the existing world.
A Few (Hopefully Final) Words on "The New Wave" (Originally published in the 1974 special issue of The CEA Critic)
Authors: Ellison Harlan
Published: July 2023

Abstract: All it was (he said for the thousandth time), was a plateau time for speculative fiction. A new generation of writers needed fresher ways to tell more relevant stories, and without benefit of salon, left bank, coffee house or writers' colony, individual talents of all ages, several sexes, many different backgrounds and disciplines caused a self-fulfilling prophecy. They caused to be created forums in which they could do what they longed to do. That it happened almost at the same time on both sides of the Atlantic, with over a hundred different writers--many of whom had no connection with their sf brothers and sisters--should be proof enough to even the most concretized of sf's observers.