bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frontal lobe glioma and acute psychosis
Authors: Nobile Giulia , Cognolato Erica , Rossi Andrea , Siri Laura , Prato Giulia , Milanaccio Claudia , Piatelli Gianluca , Consales Alessandro , Nobili Lino , Gaggero Gabriele , Garrè Maria Luisa , Mancardi Maria Margherita
Published: October 2022

A 13-year-old female patient was admitted for acute psychotic symptoms after two months of non-periodic mild fever and progressive behavioral changes. Hallucinations, delirium, disinhibition, coprolalia, and defiant behavior required admission to the Psychiatric Unit. Neurological examination and EEG werenormal. An extensive lesion involving the right frontal lobe was depicted in brain MRI. Psychiatric symptoms completely resolved after surgery. Histological diagnosis was of an Oligodendroglioma grade II, IDH mutant, and 1p/19q co-deleted. Presentation of a brain tumor with isolated psychiatric symptoms is exceptional in pediatric ages. Since acute psychotic symptoms may be misdiagnosed with a purely psychiatric disorder, the possibility of an underlying cerebral lesion must be kept in mind whatever the patient's age.
Relationship between chronic endometritis and tubal patency and its influence on pregnancy outcome after tubal recanalization
Authors: Sun Yu , Li Dongyan , Zhao Shuaihong , Yang Mukun , Cui Guangxia , Bai Wenpei
Published: October 2022

Study Objective: To explore the relationship between chronic endometritis (CE) and tubal patency, and the influence of chronic endometritis on pregnancy outcome after fallopian tubal recanalization(FTR).
Method: We retrospectively analyzed 498 women of childbearing age who underwent laparoscopy and hysteroscopy for infertility. During the operation, all women underwent hysteroscopy and laparoscopy, and the endometrial tissue was taken to detect whether they had CE. According to the patency of fallopian tubes, they were divided into tubal patency group and proximal tubal obstruction (FTO) group. The prevalence of chronic endometritis in two groups of women was compared. All patients with FTO underwent FTR during operation until unilateral or bilateral fallopian tubes were unobstructed. Pregnancy outcome was determined after the procedures for a 12-month period follow-up.Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors that might affect the pregnancy after FTR.
Results: The prevalence of CE in patients with obstructed fallopian tubes is 30.5% higher than that in patients with unobstructed fallopian tubes 10.75%, P<0.001. After FTR, the prevalence of CE in non-pregnant women was 40.18%, which was higher than that in pregnant women (40.18% vs 13.11%), and the difference was significant (P < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that CE was a high risk factor for tubal obstruction (OR, 3.388; 95% CI 1.831-6.269, P < 0.05). CE is a risk factor for low pregnancy rate after FTR (OR, 4.730; 95% CI2.012-11.122).
Conclusions: CE was significantly associated with tubal obstruction. The existence of CE will reduce the pregnancy rate of women after FTR.
Effectiveness of insolubilized polyvinyl alcohol-based electrospun fibers loaded methylprednisolone by enzyme-catalyzed cross-linking in spinal cord regeneration
Authors: Mohajer Maryam , Asefnejad Azadeh , Jameie Seyed Behnamedin , Khanmohammadi Mehdi , hassanzadeh sajad
Published: October 2022

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has been implicated in neural cell loss and consequently motor/sensory impairment. In this study, we propose a new formation for fibrous mat fabrication from derivatives of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and gelatin (Gela) through horseradish peroxidase (HRP) mediated crosslinking, which provide sustained release of methylprednisolone (MP) that can be utilized as a therapeutic approach for SCI repair. The polymeric solution of PVA/Gela conjugated with phenolic moieties (PVAPh and GelaPh, respectively) containing HRP and MP, was fed into electrospinning system, using a syringe pump. The fabricated scaffolds were characterized in vitro and were implanted into the compression SCI rat model. After 28 days, the animals were evaluated in terms of remyelination and apoptosis and underwent behavioral test. The mechanical properties, hydrophobicity, and degradation rate of PVAPh/GelaPh fibrous mat were significantly promoted compared to PVAPh samples and could provide the desired structure for sustained release of MP. The seeded cells could adhere and proliferate on composite fibers, which indicates cytocompatibility of resultant PVAPh/GelaPh fibrous mat. The results showed a significant decrease in apoptotic neurons and a remarkable increase in remyelination in SCI + PVAPh/GelaPh + MP group compared to that in other groups. The behavioral test confirmed locomotor hind limb function amelioration after treatment. MP-loaded PVAPh/GelaPh mat developed through long-term release of MP and biocompatible fabricated mat could inhibit axonal demyelination, attenuated apoptosis, and improved functional outcome, which confirmed the potential of PVAPh/GelaPh + MP nanocomposites as a bioactive scaffold for SCI regeneration.
Werther Effect following the suicide of three Korean celebrities (2017 – 2018): application of the poisson regression model
Authors: Kim Li-Hyen , Lee Gyeong-Min , Lee Woo-Ri , Yoo Ki-Bong
Published: October 2022

Background The suicide rate of Korea in 2013–2016 and 2018–2019 was the highest among OECD countries. In Korea, suicide is ranked fifth among the causes of death, first in the cause of death among individuals in their 10s, 20s and 30s, and second among those in their 40s and 50s. To prevent the Werther effect (increase in copycat suicides following suicides of socially influential celebrities) Suicide Reporting Guidelines were established in 2004. This study aims to examine the Werther effect following the establishment of the Suicide Reporting Guidelines 3.0 and the suicide of idol singers. Methods The Poisson regression was performed using cause-of-death statistics microdata provided by Statistics Korea from 2016 to 2019. The experimental period was 10 weeks after each celebrity suicide, with the other period as the control period. Results After two idol singers’ suicides, the suicide rate increased significantly. However, after politician N's suicide, the risk of copycat suicide increased significantly only in week 7. Women aged < 40 years experienced a greater Werther effect than those in other population groups. Conclusions Most of the suicide-related harmful information is gathered from social networking sites (SNS), and the SNS utilization rate of those under 40 was above 70%. This suggests that the Suicide Reporting Guidelines should be strictly observed in all media to prevent the Werther effect.
Effect of Er Miao San on rheumatoid arthritis via the NF-κB signaling pathway: Based on network pharmacology and experimental validation
Authors: Xuan Zihua , Chen Simeng , Meng Xiangwen , Wang Jin , Cheng Zhiluo , Liu Min , Wang Jiayu , Zhang Min , Jia Xiaoyi
Published: October 2022

Background: This study aims to explore the potential molecular mechanism of Er Miao San (EMS) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on the basis of network pharmacology and molecular docking.
Methods: The active ingredients and targets of EMS, RA and pathways were obtained through multiple databases. Common targets were analyzed by protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with the STRING database. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyses were conducted with the DAVID database to annotate targets of RA and common targets. Hub genes were obtained by the degree algorithm with the cytoHubba plug-in. Based on the determined network pharmacology, experimental validation was performed.
Results: In this study, 45 active ingredients, 3162 potential drug targets and 343 pathway targets were uncovered via databases. The top 3 hub targets were obtained by the degree algorithm for 34 common target genes, including NFKBIA (encodes the IκBα protein), RELA (also named p65) and TNF. Molecular docking demonstrated that the core components fumarine, berberine and wogonin (Degree: 19, 16, 16, respectively) bind well to hub targets. In vivo experiments showed that EMS has better protective effects on adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats. In vitro studies demonstrated that EMS could inhibit the proliferation of TNF-ɑ-induced FLSs and attenuate the production of inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, treatment with EMS significantly decreased the ratio of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and p-IκBα/IκBα in FLSs. Furthermore, as shown in the investigations, treatment of FLSs with 10% EMS remarkably suppressed TNF-ɑ-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 to FLSs. Conclusion: The potential mechanisms and therapeutic effects of EMS on RA may be attributed to the regulation of inflammation, which provides a reference for elucidating the mechanism of action of EMS.
Time-Efficient Constant-Space-Overhead Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computation
Authors: Yamasaki Hayata , Koashi Masato
Published: October 2022

Scalable realization of quantum computing to attain substantial speedups over classical computing requires fault tolerance.
Conventionally, protocols for fault-tolerant quantum computation (FTQC) demand excessive space overhead of physical qubits per logical qubit. A more recent protocol to achieve constant-space-overhead FTQC using quantum low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes thus attracts considerable attention but suffers from another drawback: it incurs polynomially long time overhead. To address these problems, we here introduce an alternative approach using a concatenation of multiple small-size quantum codes for the constant-space-overhead FTQC rather than a single large-size quantum LDPC code. We develop techniques for concatenating different quantum Hamming codes with growing sizes. As a result, we construct a low-overhead protocol to achieve constant space overhead and only quasi-polylogarithmic time overhead simultaneously. Our protocol accomplishes FTQC even if a decoder has non-constant runtime, unlike the existing constant-space-overhead protocol. These results establish a foundation for FTQC realizing a large class of quantum speedups within feasibly bounded space overhead yet negligibly short time overhead. This achievement opens a promising avenue for the low-overhead FTQC based on code concatenation.
Ecological distribution of modern diatom in peatlands in the northern Greater Khingan Mountains and its environmental implications
Authors: Han Dongxue , Sun Yang , Cong Jinxin , Gao Chuanyu , Wang Guoping
Published: October 2022

Relationships between diatoms assemblages and environmental variables in peatlands of the northern Greater Khingan Mountains is helpful for understanding the indicative significance of diatoms to environment changes, and potentially provides a reference for environmental monitoring and paleoenvironment reconstruction in the edge of monsoon region. In this study we analyzed modern diatom distribution and explored the relationships between diatoms assemblages and 11 environment factors in 30 shrubby-herbaceous and herbaceous peatlands based on ordination analysis. Benthic and epiphytic Pennatae diatoms are mainly ecological types, whereas planktonic Centricae diatoms are relatively fewer. The most diverse genera are Navicula, Pinnularia and Eunotia. Eunotia paludosa and Achnanthes minutissima dominated in shrubby-herbaceous peatlands, while Navicula minima and Fragilaria capucina dominated in herbaceous peatlands. The diatom community structures are different in different vegetation types and the diatom species diversity in herbaceous peatlands is higher than in shrubby-herbaceous peatlands. CODMn and pH are the most important environmental factors affecting diatom species composition and diversity. Eunotia bilunaris var. bilunaris, Eunotia mucophila and Eunotia paludosa can be used as indicators of acidic water environments. Caloneis silicula, Fragilaria capucina, Hantzschia amphioxys and Navicula radiosa can be applied to indicate the weak alkaline water conditions. Eunotia bilunaris var. bilunaris and Eunotia paludosa can indicate low conductivity, while Navicula pupula indicates the medium-high conductivity. Fragilaria capucina and Navicula radiosa can indicate water nutrients states.
CNC Deep Hole Drilling with the Quadruple Zone Technique
Authors: Omirou Sotiris L. , Chasos Charalambos A.
Published: October 2022

Generally, in CNC machining operations, drilling of holes is handled by special canned cycles available in all modern CNC controls. These cycles offer to the user, the capability of programming the required data of drilling in the form of parameters. Hole position, depth of hole, setup clearance, plunging depth and cutting feedrate are all expressed as parameters in the structure of the respective canned cycle. The specific canned cycles are intended to accommodate all drilling demands regardless of the hole’s depth. However, to achieve a successful result, when the case comes to deep holes, cutting conditions need to be adapted accordingly and dynamically as the tool advances from the top surface to the deeper levels of the hole. Unfortunately, the existing drilling canned cycles lack of similar flexible capabilities due to their standard programming framework. The present work proposes the quadruple zone technique that bypasses the limits of the existing canned cycles and offers to the operator the capability of defining different cutting conditions at four consecutive depth zones, leading in this way to an effective and smooth deep hole drilling. The technique is implemented in the form of a G-code parametric programming algorithm.
A sensitive high repetition rate arrival time monitor for X-ray Free Electron Lasers
Authors: Diez Michael , Kirchberg Henning , Galler Andreas , Schulz Sebastian , Bömer Christina , Biednov Mykola , Choi Tae-Kyu , Rodriguez-Fernandez Angel , Gawelda Wojciech , Khakhulin Dmitri , Kubicek Katharina , Lima Frederico , Otte Florian , Zalden Peter , Coffee Ryan , Thorwart Michael , Bressler Christian
Published: October 2022

We demonstrate a new scheme to measure the relative arrival time between femtosecond pulses of hard X-radiation from a free electron laser and femtosecond optical pulses from an amplified laser system at the Femtosecond X-ray Experiments Instrument of European XFEL. The method is based on interference between two chirped optical pulses traversing through an X-ray stimulated diamond plate. Applying an effective medium theory we measure subtle refractive index changes of 5.7 × 10-5 due to the density of conduction band electrons generated by the sub-milli-Joule intense X-ray pulse. The setup operates with a Common-Path-Interferometer, detecting the X-ray-induced phase shift of the optical probe pulses transmitting through the diamond sample. Due to the thermal stability of the diamond sample this scheme operates well at the MHz pulse repetition rates of superconducting linac-based XFELs.
Necrocide 1 Mediates a Non-Apoptotic Necrotic Cell Death and Immunogenic Response in Human Cancer Cells
Authors: Zhang Jing , Trojel-Hansen Christina , Wang Jianghuang , ZHANG ZILI , Wang Xing , Qiao Yuhui , Jiao Huike , Michaud Mickaël , Kepp Oliver , Galluzzi Lorenzo , Høyer-Hansen Maria , Jäättelä Marja , Kroemer Guido , Zhong Qing
Published: October 2022

Many anticancer agents induce apoptosis, mitotic catastrophe or senescence. Here, we report the functional characterization of an experimental inducer of TNF-independent necrosis, necrocide-1 (NC1). NC1 (but not its stereoisomer) killed a panel of human cancer cell lines (but not normal cells) at nanomolar concentrations and induced a non-apoptotic, necrotic morphotype, bothin vitroandin vivo, in human cancer cells and xenograft models. NC1-induced killing was not inhibited by caspase inhibitors, Bcl-2 overexpression or TNF neutralization, suggesting that NC1 elicits abona fidenecrotic pathway. However, pharmacological or genetic inhibition of necroptosis, pyroptosis and ferroptosis faild to block NC1-mediated regulated necrosis. Instead, NC1 elicited mitochondria ROS production, either elimination of mitochondrial DNA or chemical inhibition of mitochondrial ROS production blocked NC1-induced necrotic cell death. NC1 induced all hallmarks of immunogenic cell death (calreticulin exposure, ATP release and HMGB1 release)in vitro, and NC1-killed mouse cancer cells were able to induce a protective anticancer immune response when injected into histo-compatible, immunocompetent mice. Altogether, we identify a previously uncharacterized signaling cascade leading to necrotic cell death and provided further support to the notion that the induction of programmed necrosis may constitute a future approach for anticancer therapy.
Testing equations for predicting the impact of urbanisation and stormwater detention on regional catchment runoff
Authors: Ronalds Rodney
Published: October 2022

Equations have recently been published that may be utilised to predict the impact of urbanisation and stormwater detention on regional catchment runoff. The equations only require inputs of a development site’s location and site area, relative to the regional catchment. This technical note describes the application of the equations with examples of their performance in “real world” rainfall conditions. The importance of joint probability analysis is also discussed, with a new modelling module accounting for the spatial distribution of rainfall used to support the accuracy and practicality of the equations for regular use by practitioners.
WITHDRAWN: Integration of Blockchain Technology with Deep Learning Approaches: Vision and Future Opportunities
Authors: Afaq Yasir , Manocha Ankush
Published: October 2022

Recently, Deep Learning and blockchain technology has gained successful attention in recent research due to their high potential for generating accurate decision. The operational transparency, traceability, dependability, security, and trustworthy data provenance characteristics are offered by the vast majority of current deep learning approaches that are developed on centralized servers. Therefore, using centralized data to train Deep Learning models makes them vulnerable to the single point of failure issue. In this article, the benefits of combining Blockchain and Deep Learning algorithms are explored. Moreover, the state-of-the-art literature is reviewed to find out the most possible way to integrate these two technologies for an optimal solution. Based on the literature survey this article is divided by a thematic taxonomy that includes seven different parameters such as Deep Learning techniques, protocols, domains, types of blockchain, use of deep learning and blockchain, and datasets. We have outlined the advantages and disadvantages of the most advanced blockchain-based deep learning frameworks to give insightful discussions. At last, the most important challenges that need further research are also highlighted with future recommendations.
Prognostic impact of RUNX1 mutations and deletions in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia: results from the French ELAM02 study group
Authors: Lew-Derivry Lucille , Marceau Alice , Fenwarth Laurène , Cuccuini Wendy , Ballerini Paola , Ferreboeuf Maxime , Guilmatre Audrey , Petit Arnaud , Gandemer Virginie , Rialland Fanny , schneider pascale , Michel Gérard , bertrand yves , Baruchel André , Preudhomme Claude , Leverger Guy , Lapillonne Hélène
Published: October 2022

Better knowledge of genetic aberrations in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia is essential to adapt treatment intensity. RUNX1 mutations are well described in adult AML and known to be associated with a poor outcome. In children, first studies showed similar results but because of their low frequency, prognosis impact remains unclear. RUNX1 deletions have rarely been described.
Among 386 children enrolled in the French ELAM02 trial, we observed 29 (8%) patients with RUNX1 abnormalities: 24 mutations and 5 deletions. We found no significant association with any clinical presentation. RUNX1 alteration was more likely associated with AML0 cytological subtype; often presented with normal karyotype but no rearrangement classified as good prognosis markers (KMT2A or CBF-AML).
RUNX1 mutated patients had higher number of co-mutations, such as FLT3-ITD, EZH2 and BCOR mutations but were never associated with NPM1 or CEBPA.
Five years EFS was 32.5% for RUNX1 mutated and deleted patients versus 61.4% for RUNX1 wild type (p=0.003), and OS was 33.6% versus 75.7% (p<0.0001), confirming the negative impact already described in literature. The association between RUNX1 abnormalities in pediatric AML with an inferior survival needs more studies to precise its place in risk stratification in order to optimize treatment intensity.
An integrated approach of remote sensing with multi-criteria analysis (AHP and MIF) to assess groundwater potential zones in the Sirwa Massif, southern Morocco
Authors: Tazi Mohammed Jalal , Azzab Driss El , Charroud Mohammed , Zahour Rachid , Amadou Abdourahamane Halidou , Jabrane Oussama
Published: October 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Evaluation of residual yeast from brewery industry for inactive biosorption of selenium from industrial wastewater: a case study
Authors: Gonçalves Aieska Alves , Hackbarth Haira Gabriela , Wisbeck Elisabeth , Souza Ozair
Published: October 2022

Purpose In this study, the second-life application of Saccharomyces cerevisiae obtained from brewery wastewater was evaluated in the biosorption of Se(IV) (Na 2 SeO 3 ) sorbate in residue generated from a fine chemical industry.
Method Biosorption experiments were carried out with different Se(IV) concentrations (A = 7.5 to 30.0 mg L -1 dissolved in deionized water or industrial effluent) and different biosorbent concentration (B = 2.0 to 52.5 g L -1 , dry mass). Inactive microbial biomass was evaluated in a wet and dehydrated state.
Results The highest selenium removal efficiency (biosorption efficiency – R = 97.5%) was achieved with the same concentrations of sorbate in deionized water, using 24.0 g L -1 of wet cells. In contrast, the industrial effluent treatment showed lower biosorption efficiency ( R = 83.3%) due to a large amount of other salts in the medium, mainly sulphur. Overall, the use of smaller amounts of biosorbent had a biosorption capacity of approximately five times greater than when 24.0 g L -1 in industrial effluent treatment were used.
Conclusions However, as reducing the concentration of the contaminant contained in the wastewater is the primary goal of this study, a more significant amount of biosorbent is recommended.
Supercontinuum Generation in Silica-Based Photonic Crystal Fibers for High-Resolution Ophthalmic Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Arunkumar Udayakumar , Pakarzadeh Hassan , Fatemipanah Zahrasadat
Published: October 2022

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a new technology for high-resolution cross-sectional images of biological tissues. In this paper, we design photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) made of silica with proper dispersion characteristics about the center wavelength of 800 nm to simulate supercontinuum generation (SCG) which is desired for high-resolution OCT in ophthalmology. Several types of PCFs with different air-hole diameters are designed where squared hyperbolic secant pulses are input to simulate SCG by solving generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation (GNLSE) via split-step Fourier method. To obtain more accurate SCG, dispersion coefficients up to the 9th order, Raman scattering and self-steepening are taken into account. We examine impacts of air-hole diameter, input pulse width and pulse peak power on the SCG bandwidth as well as the OCT resolution through which suitable parameters for maximum axial resolution in ophthalmology are determined.
Prevalence and factors associated with insomnia among medical students in China during the COVID-19 pandemic: characterization and associated factors
Authors: Zhang Ming , Qin Li , Zhang Dongmei , Tao Mingfen , Han Kangrong , Chi Chenru , Zhang Zhongying , Tao Xiubin , Liu Huan
Published: October 2022

BackgroundInsomnia has become an important issue in recent years. Insomnia is affected by many factors. Previous research has shown that during the COVID-19 epidemic, there would be a long-term negative effect on the mental health of medical college students. The state of medical college students’ insomnia directly determines the results of medical education and the career development prospects of the medical students themselves. Therefore, it is very important to understand the insomnia situation of medical students in the post-epidemic era.MethodsThis study was conducted 2 years after the global COVID-19 pandemic (April 1-April 23, 2022). The study used an online questionnaire, administered through a web-based survey platform. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Fear of COVID‐19 Scale (FCV-19S), GAD-2, PHQ-2, and socio-demographic information were surveyed by the Questionnaire Star platform.ResultsThe prevalence of insomnia was 27.8.0% (636/2289). Chi-squared tests revealed that, loneliness(P<0.001), depression and anxiety co-morbidities(P<0.001), age(P<0.001), and grade(P<0.001) strong associations of insomnia. Fear of COVID-19 was highly correlated with insomnia (P<0.001). adapting to online classes(P<0.001) was a protective factor of smartphone addiction.ConclusionsThe aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of insomnia and identify associated influencing factors among college students in Anhui Province, China. This survey shows that Insomnia was highly prevalent among the Chinese medical college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. These negative insomnia issues could decline learning enthusiasm, productivity, and eventually, affecting the medical college student academic performance. Therefore, the government and schools should formulate targeted programs and strategies to reduce insomnia among medical college students.
Features and spatial patterns of an agricultural landscape along an urban-rural gradient
Authors: Wijesingha Jayan , Astor Thomas , Nautiyal Sunil , Wachendorf Michael
Published: October 2022

Globally, the agricultural landscape is the most exposed landscape due to urbanisation. Therefore, finding spatial and temporal patterns of changes in the agricultural landscape is essential for sustainable development. To address this information gap, this study developed a workflow to determine spatial patterns and characteristics in an agricultural landscape along an urban-rural gradient in Bengaluru, India, using satellite remote sensing data. Pixel-based hierarchical supervised classification was employed to map agricultural land-cover using WorldView 3 imaging. Four major herbaceous crop types (millet, maize, pulses, and cash crops) and woody plantations were mapped as agricultural land-cover. Landscape metrics-based values were utilised to identify spatial patterns of the agricultural land-cover against the degree of urbanisation using a previously suggested survey stratification index. A data-driven, unsupervised clustering method was applied to determine the agricultural landscape types. Herbaceous crop type and woody plantation mapping resulted in 63.5 % and 89.2 % overall accuracy, respectively. Landscape pattern analysis indicated that the share of agricultural land increased from urban to rural areas, and diverse heterogeneous patterns appeared in transition regions. Moreover, field crops were dominant in rural areas, whereas cash crops were the primary crop type in urban regions. Woody plantation was the most significant crop type in both urban and transition regions. Four agricultural landscape types were defined. The findings suggest that urbanisation in Bengaluru has an apparent effect on the agricultural landscape. The developed workflow may be transferred to other distinct areas and could help to understand temporal patterns in urbanisation processes and compare the characteristics of agricultural landscapes.
Clinical characteristics and potential association to Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies in patients with major depressive disorder who received maintenance electroconvulsive therapy: a retrospective chart review study
Authors: Kudo Shun , Uchida Takahito , Nishida Hana , Takamiya Akihiro , Kikuchi Toshiaki , Yamagata Bun , Mimura Masaru , Hirano Jinichi
Published: October 2022

Background: Maintaining remission after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is clinically relevant in patients with depression, and maintenance ECT has been introduced in patients who fail to maintain remission after ECT. However, the clinical characteristics and biological background of patients who receive maintenance ECT are poorly understood. Thus, this study aimed to examine the clinical background of patients who underwent maintenance ECT.
Methods: Patients with major depressive disorder who underwent ECT followed by maintenance ECT (mECT group) and those who did not (acute ECT [aECT] group) were included. Clinical characteristics, including the results of 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy and dopamine transporter imaging single-photon emission computerized tomography (DaT) were compared between the groups.
Results: In total, 13 and 146 patients were included in the mECT and aECT groups, respectively. Compared to the aECT group, the mECT group showed a significantly higher prevalence of melancholic features (92.3% vs. 27.4%, p < 0.001) and catatonic features (46.2% vs. 9.6%, p = 0.002). Overall, 5/13 patients in the mECT group and 16/146 patients in the aECT group showed relevant imaging findings for Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies (PD/DLB) on MIBG scintigraphy or DaT; the positive rate was not significantly different between the two groups.
Limitations: Neurological examinations for PD/DLB were not performed.
Conclusions: Patients who receive acute and maintenance ECT may have underlying neurodegenerative diseases, including PD/DLB. Investigating the neurobiology of patients who receive maintenance ECT is important for developing appropriate treatment for depression.
Refractory chylothorax after esophagectomy caused by injured thoracic duct with a rare collateral branch: A case report
Authors: Wang Jianyu , Chen Xiangyu , Song Liang , Liu Xiang-Yan , He Xiao-Peng
Published: October 2022

Background

Chylothorax is a rare but serious complication of esophagectomy that can be life threatening if not addressed in a timely fashion. Chylous leakage generally occurs in response to thoracic duct injury, and anatomical variations in thoracic duct structure can add to the risk of injury during esophageal surgery. Here, we report a rare occurrence of refractory chylothorax after esophagectomy and discuss the diagnostic strategy and aggressive surgical management for this condition, along with a review of the literature.

Case presentation

We report a 62-year-old man with refractory chylothorax that occurred after esophagectomy caused by a hidden collateral branch of the injured thoracic duct with a rare positional relationship to the injury site. The chylous fluid from the unrevealed right-sided duct drained into the injured left-sided thoracic duct via the collateral branch opposite the injury on the side wall of the thoracic duct and continually leaked out through the injury. After ligation of the hidden branch, the patient was cured and discharged 2 wk later.

Conclusion

This is a rare case of distal partial duplication of the thoracic duct, and anatomical variation of the thoracic duct can still lead to chylothorax even if its main trunk has been ligated prophylactically. Care must be taken to adequately ligate both trunks in cases of distal duplication as there is shared proximal trunk, and hidden collateral branches should be carefully explored at the same time.
68Ga-FAPI-04 PET for surveillance of anastomotic recurrence in postoperative patients with gastrointestinal cancer: a comparative study with 18F-FDG PET
Authors: Li Xiang , Ma Wenhui , Wang Min , Quan Zhiyong , Zhang Mingru , Ye Jiajun , Li Guiyu , Zhou Xiang , Ma Taoqi , Wang Junling , Yang Weidong , Nie Yongzhan , Wang Jing , Kang Fei
Published: October 2022

Purpose: 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET imaging has shown clinical advantages for detecting and staging various solid tumor types, including gastrointestinal cancer. This study aims to compare the diagnostic efficacy of 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET and 18F-FDG PET for detecting anastomotic recurrence in postoperative patients with gastrointestinal cancer and to characterize the pattern of 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake at surgical wounds post-surgery.
Methods: This study involved 63 gastrointestinal cancer patients who underwent 68Ga-FAPI-04 and 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging, or 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT imaging only for postoperative surveillance after curative surgical resection. The SUVmax at surgical wounds (anastomotic sites and abdominal incision sites) and its corresponding ratio compared to background were assessed. Endoscopic pathology confirmed anastomotic recurrence or it was ruled out by imaging and clinical follow-up. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), and accuracy of the two PET imaging in detecting anastomotic recurrence were compared based on the analysis of paired FAPI-FDG PET imaging. Relationships between tracer uptake at surgical wounds and postoperative time were also analyzed.
Results: Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of detecting anastomotic recurrence were 100.0%, 87.3%, 41.7%, 100.0%, and 88.3% for 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET imaging, and 60.0%, 81.8%, 23.1%, 95.7%, and 80.0% for 18F-FDG PET imaging respectively. Compared with non-recurrent patients, the recurrent patients exhibited a significantly higher anastomotic SUVmax and ratio on FAPI-PET imaging (SUVmax : 9.92±4.36 vs. 2.81±1.86, P =0.002; Ratio: 5.11±1.99 vs. 2.23±1.17, P <0.001). 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET displayed a significantly higher SUVmax ratio at surgical wounds than 18F-FDG PET imaging (anastomotic sites: 2.57±1.61 vs. 1.76±0.74, P =0.001; abdominal incision sites: 2.14±1.47 vs. 1.65±1.12, P =0.029). Although 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET signal at surgical wounds showed a slight trend to decrease over time (anastomotic SUVmax : r=-0.2830, P =0.0223; incisional SUVmax : r=-0.4549, P <0.0001), no statistical difference was observed over months post-surgery ( P >0.05).
Conclusion: The surveillance power of 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET is superior to 18F-FDG PET in postoperative anastomotic recurrence of gastrointestinal cancer, but the positive predictive value was limited due to wound healing inference. Therefore, combined surveillance methods were suggested instead of relying on 68Ga-FAPI-04 or 18F-FDG PET only.
Magnitude and Associated Factors of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia among Male Patients Admitted at Surgical Ward of selected Governmental Hospitals in Sidamma region, Ethiopia 2021
Authors: Gebre Bereket Beyene , gebrie Melese , Bedru Mubarek , Bennat Vallen
Published: October 2022

Background
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common cause of bladder outlet obstruction and voiding symptoms in elderly men and it affects more than 50% of men over 60 years of age globally. Ethiopia is one of the top ten countries with the largest number of people affected by BPH in Africa, with a prevalence range of 6.1–33.4%.
Methods
A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among 143 male patients admitted at surgical ward of HUCSH and AGH of Hawassa City from Oct 15 to Nov 15 /2021. Non-randomized purposive sampling method was applied and the data were collected by using a pretested structured, an interviewer-administered questionnaire and patient review checklist. The collected data was checked daily for the completeness, the accuracy and the consistency and it was analyzed by SPSS version 20 and a binary logistic regression model was used to test the association between dependent and independent variables.
Results
This study included 143 male patients, with a mean age of 54.27 and SD ± 16.079 years. In this study the magnitude of BPH was 27(18.9%). Old age > = 75 years (AOR = 0.07; 95% CI: 0.005–1.024), being smokers (AOR = 0.261, 95% CI 0.078–0.871), positive familial history of BPH (AOR = 0.13; 95% CI: 0.038–0.428), patients with renal disease (AOR = 5.724; 95% CI: 1.669–19.631) and patients with history of difficulties on sexual activity (AOR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.034–0.830) were found to be statistically associated with the presence of BPH.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the findings of this study revealed that BPH is a high prevalent disease among men. Factors that potentially increase the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia were; old age, positive family history, smoking, and renal disease and difficulties on sexual activities. Intensifying health education campaign to raise public awareness about, factors that potentially increase the risk of BPH, especially those modifiable once.
GMM-Based GNSS Spoofing Detector Using Double Differential Phase Measurement
Authors: La Vinh , Nguyen Hien , Nguyen Thuan , Hoang Hiep , Pham Hung , Ta Tung
Published: October 2022

GNSS spoofing is a type of intentional interference in which a GNSS receiver tracks counterfeit signals making the outcome positions wrong. This is the most dangerous type of intervention in GNSS technology. In this work, we introduce a novel method to detect spoofing signals using Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) on the double carrier phase difference (DD) created by two independent receivers. The DD is capable of completely eliminating errors caused by the satellite clock, the receiver clock, the atmospheric layers; therefore, the signal Angle of Arrival (AoA) is clearly expressed in the DD measurement. We utilize the GMM to model the probability density function of the DD measurement, which is computed from the phase measurement of the receivers. Theoretically, AoA values of an authentic signal change over time due to the nature of the signal broadcasted from an orbiting satellite. On the other hand, fake signals are often transmitted from a generator causing a central distribution of the corresponding AoA values. Existing work deals with the spoofing detection problem using the above theoretical assumption. However, it is practically to broadcast spoofing signals from several sources, and it is possible to mix up some random noise into the generated phase to make the DD measurement noisy. In such a complicated scenario, the existing approaches are not robust enough to detect non-authentic signals. We have another observation that, since the real satellites are moving on fixed orbits, there should be a correlation among the AoA values of signals coming from such real ones. In contrast, counterfeit signals (with the main purpose of causing wrong position or noisy phase) do not follow the pattern of the real ones. Therefore, instead of using the above hard assumption about the signal AoA, we propose to make use of statistical model GMM to learn the hidden relationship of the AoA values among real signals coming from different real satellites and then those GMM models are used to detect spoofing signals.
Self-Administration of a Salmonella Vaccine by Domestic Pigs
Authors: Robbins Rebecca C. , Archer Courtney , Giménez-Lirola Luis G. , Mora-Díaz Juan Carlos , McGlone John
Published: October 2022

Hand vaccinating is time consuming and inefficient. Oral vaccines delivered by drenching are less likely to be used due to a lack of labor on farms. Current environmental enrichment (EE) technologies do not allow pigs to express natural behaviors such as rooting and getting a reward. We developed a sprayer so that domestic pigs can self-apply any liquid. By adding an attractant (pig maternal pheromone), use of EE devices can be increased. In this study, we used a Salmonellaoral vaccine to evaluate efficacy of three delivery methods: (1) Control, no vaccine, (2) hand drenching as labeled, and (3) self-administration by this EE rooting device. Commercial castrated male and female pigs (PIC genetics) All pigs sprayed themselves within 80 min of exposure to the EE device. While control pigs had little or no Salmonella serum and oral fluid IgG or IgA, hand-drenched and self-vaccinated pigs built similar levels of both serum and oral fluid IgA and IgG. We conclude we were able to significantly reduce human labor needed and achieved 100% efficacy when pigs self-administered a Salmonellavaccine. This technology would benefit commercial pigs and could assist in control of feral swine and improve domestic pig health and food safety concerns while providing an enriched environment.
Knowledge of pregnant women in rural Mozambique on routine practices to prevent and treat common conditions at the antenatal care clinic
Authors: Nhampossa Tacilta , Munguambe Khátia , Chauque Célia , Chivangue Mariza , Mazuze Maura , Mendes Anete , Garcia-Otero Laura , Gonzalez Raquel , Sevene Esperança , Menendez Clara , Torres Neusa
Published: October 2022

Background: Despite an increasing proportion of pregnant women accessing antenatal care (ANC) in low-income countries, preventable maternal morbidity and mortality remains high. Limited women’s knowledge on common diseases during pregnancy and on the indications of routine health interventions delivered at the ANC clinic may reduce the compliance and effectiveness of these interventions. We assessed pregnant women’s knowledge on common diseases in pregnancy and on routine interventions delivered at the ANC clinic as well as their compliance with these interventions.
Methods: From December-2019 to October-2020, we undertook a qualitative study using individual semi-structured and in-depthinterviews in 79 pregnant women attending the ANC clinic of a rural hospital in Mozambique. Participant’s ability to identify the drugs administrated was assessed by showing them the drugs without the label (antiretroviral, ferrous sulfate, cotrimoxazole, isoniazid, mebendazol and antimalarial). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and a combined Content and Thematic analysis technique used. NVivo 12 software was used to store and retrieve the data.
Results: Most of the participants recognized that infectious diseases such as HIV, malaria, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis and COVID-19, could be harmful in pregnancy. Overall, knowledge on the indication of the prescribed drugs was limited, being higher for antiretroviral drugs and ferrous sulfate, and lower for mebendazol and isoniazid. The general perception was that all drugs prescribed at the ANC clinic prevent or treat malaria infection. Knowledge on the indication of the prescribed drugs was generally higher in HIV-infected pregnant women compared to HIV uninfected women. Forgetting daily medication intake, non-compliance with the drug intake schedule and perceived importance given to some drugs instead of others, were practices found regarding compliance to the pharmacological interventions.
Conclusion: Knowledge of Mozambican pregnant women on health interventions delivered at the ANC clinic was generally limited. The latter may reduce compliance and adherence with these interventions and thus their effectiveness and safety. Reinforcing Information and education on ANC health interventions targeting women of childbearing age would improve maternal and infant health.
Molecular structure and environment dependence of shear-driven chemical reactions: Tribopolymerization of methylcyclopentane, cyclohexane and cyclohexene on stainless steel
Authors: Kim Seong H , Li Yu-Sheng , Jang Seokhoon , Bhuiyan Fakhrul Hasan , Martini Ashlie
Published: October 2022

Tribochemistry, which is another name of mechanochemistry driven by shear, deals with complex and dynamic interfacial processes that can lead to facilitation of surface wear or formation of beneficial tribofilms. For better mechanistic understanding, we investigated the reactivity of tribopolymerization of organic molecules with different internal ring strain energy (methylcyclopentane, cyclohexane, and cyclohexene) on a stainless steel (SS) surface in inert (N2), oxidizing (O2), and reducing (H2) environments. On the clean SS surface, precursor molecules were found to physisorb with a broad range of molecular orientations. In inert and reducing environments, the strain-free cyclohexane showed the lowest tribochemical activity among the three tested. Compared to the N2 environment, the tribochemical activity in H2 was suppressed. In the O2 environment, only cyclohexene produced tribofilms and methylcyclopentane and cyclohexane did not. When tribofilms were analyzed with Raman spectroscopy, the spectral features of diamond-like carbon (DLC) or amorphous carbon (a-C) were observed due to photochemical degradation of triboproducts. Based on infrared spectroscopy, tribofilms were found to be organic polymers containing oxygenated groups. Whenever polymeric tribrofilms were produced, wear volume was suppressed by orders of magnitudes but not completely to zero. These results supported the previously suggested mechanisms which involved surface oxygens as a reactant species of the tribopolymerization process.
Scalable Inter-operable and Secure Healthcare Framework For Sharing Patient Medical Report using Blockchain and IPFS Technology
Authors: Kumar Randhir
Published: October 2022

Today the current healthcare system is the next frontier for the digital transformation, as patients demand control over their sensitive medical records, with the anticipation that their record is securely stored and correctly shared with the right parties by leveraging patient-centered interoperability techniques. However, the traditional approach falls into the category of enterprise integration platforms to maintain the interoperability for different healthcare providers, whose responsibility is to build bridges between the different silos to allow data to flow back and forth and to allow services to work with each other. The problem with the traditional approach of interoperability is that the data itself is still locked inside silos systems within each participating organization in the overall ecosystem. This traditional approach of interoperability brings new challenges in the healthcare systems viz., privacy, security, and mutability of the patient's record. To address these issues, we have proposed a blockchain-based scalable and secure healthcare interoperability framework that ensures secure storage of patient's records by preserving privacy and immutability of their data. In the proposed model, we integrate blockchain and interplanetary file systems (IPFS) with smart-contracts that enabled patient-centered interoperability in the healthcare domain. Our system provides patients an immutable log and easy access to their health records across the different healthcare organizations. Furthermore, patients authorize healthcare providers to access their health records through patient-centered interoperability techniques leveraged by smart-contracts operations.