bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of molecular symmetry on multiple pathways of crystallization
Authors: Lee Geun Woo , Cho Yong chan , Lee Sooheyong , Wang Lei , Lee Yun-Hee , Kim Seongheun , Lee Hyun Hwi , Lee Jonghyun
Published: October 2023

Solute structure and its evolution in supersaturated aqueous solutions are key clues to understand Ostwald’s step rule. Here, we measure the structural evolution of solute molecules in extremely supersaturated solutions (KH2PO4 (KDP) and NH4H2PO4 (ADP)) using a combination of electrostatic levitation and synchrotron X-ray scattering. The measurement reveals the existence of a solution-solution transition in KDP solution, caused by changing molecular symmetries and structural evolution of the solution with supersaturation. Moreover, we find that the molecular symmetry of H2PO4− impacts on phase selection. These findings manifest that molecular symmetry and its structural evolution can govern the crystallization pathways in aqueous solutions, explaining the microscopic origin of Ostwald’s step rule.
Comparative Field Studies of Biochemical and Agro-physiological Parametersin semi-arid zone with rainfall Moroccan climate Of Durum wheat
Authors: IDRISSI IMANE SAGHOURI EL , Rajae KETTANI , Moha FERRAHI , Mohamed EL FECHTALI , Rabea ZIRI , Najiba BRHADDA
Published: October 2023

Durum wheat production is highly unpredictable throughout the year because of uncertain rainfall and frequent dry spells, and it is absolutely necessary to characterize the impact of drought on grain yield. The objective in this research is to carry out a comparative analysis of biochemical and physiological responses and production parameters of durum wheat (Triticum durum) in semi-arid zone with rainfall in Morocco's climates. Thirteen durum wheat genotypes selected at INRA-Morocco and three control varieties were evaluated under Moroccan rainfed conditions for two growing seasons (2019/20 and 2020/21). The INRA-Morocco-Douyet Fez experimental field site was where the trials were conducted (34°2 N, 5°W, 416 m). Different parameters were studied: leaf area, leaf temperature, relative water content, chlorophyll content, proline, yield and yield components. Decreased rainfall significantly increased proline content, leaf temperature and decreased leaf area, seed yield, chlorophyll and relative water content (P < 0.01). Based on these results, field-induced rainfall variations resulted in inconsistencies in the response of the assessed traits to drought-related interactions between both growing seasons (2020–2021) in order to identify stable, high-yielding genotypes in the presence and absence of rainfall, which requires a strong association of drought-related traits.
Prevalence, Causes and Early Outcomes of Shunt Revisions at a Tertiary Hospital in Tanzania
Authors: Machaku Dennis , Rabiel Happiness , Chilonga Kondo
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND The mainstay treatment for patients presenting with hydrocephalus is surgical, with VPS placement being a routine practice, especially in hospitals with limited resources and workforce. Nonetheless, avoidable complications following VPS placements are still evident compounding to significant patient morbidity and mortality.METHODS This study was carried out at a tertiary hospital between March 2020 and March 2023. It includes 263 patients who underwent initial VPS surgeries. Postoperatively, the patients had routine follow-up care for three months, at which time their characteristics in relation to shunt complications were evaluated. The SPSS version 26 was utilized for analyzing the data that had been gathered.RESULTS VPS revisions were performed on 90 of 263 patients, a prevalence of 34.2%. The majority (92.2%) were pediatric patients. Females made up 52.2% of the patients. The most common reason for revisions was shunt infection (50%), followed by malposition (27.8%), blockage (15.6%), and shunt dislocation (6.7%). SSI increased the likelihood of shunt revision by 29.8%. Shunt revision was 31% more likely in operations lasting longer than 45 minutes. Intraoperative involvement of a junior surgical trainee raised the possibility of revision by 25%, and a revised VPS system is 13.2 times more likely to fail, integrating to longer hospital stays.CONCLUSION The emphasis on long surgery durations and a surgeon's skill as risk factors for revisions demonstrates a need for change in surgical practice to enhance surgical outcomes. Given the high likelihood of re-revisions after VPS revisions, it is suggested that the surgical practice from the index operation be enhanced to reduce complications. The findings of this study might serve as an initial guide for developing interventional techniques to enhance good surgical outcomes.
Research on robot sewing method based on process modeling
Authors: Li Fengming , Hou Dang , Fu Tianyu , Song Jiexin , He Wenbin , Song Rui
Published: October 2023

In the actual sewing process, the clothing styles are diverse, and the sewing parts are complex. There are different seam type requirements for different parts. Sewing components such as pockets, chest linings, front and rear sheets are made up of straight lines and curved edges of different shapes. The operation trajectory of the robot is difficult to plan, especially for the sewing of curved edge cutting pieces. Aiming at the problem that it is difficult to carry out complex performance measurement and mechanical modeling for fabric, this paper proposes a robot sewing method based on process modeling. The robot complex sewing task is divided into two parts : straight line and curve. Based on the ductility, the sewing tension is predicted, and the robot linear sewing based on the expected tension is realized. At the same time, the trajectory planning is carried out on the basis of the line identification of the curved edge to realize the curve sewing. Finally, the robot complex stitch sewing under different curvatures is realized on the built physical experiment platform. It is verified that the effectiveness of the robot sewing method based on process modeling.
Circulatory inflammatory proteins as early diagnostic biomarkers for invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematologic malignancies
Authors: Aerts Robina , Ponce Isis Ricano , Bruno Mariolina , Mercier Toine , Rosati Diletta , Maertens Johan , Kumar Vinod , Carvalho Agostinho , Netea Mihai G. , Hoenigl Martin
Published: October 2023

Objectives
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a major cause of mortality in immunocompromised patients and it is difficult to diagnose because of the lack of reliable highly sensitive diagnostics. We aimed to identify circulating immunological markers that could be useful for an early diagnosis of IA.
Methods
We collected longitudinally serum samples from 33 cases with probable/proven IA and two matched control cohorts without IA (one with microbiological and clinical evidence of bacterial or viral non-fungal pneumonia and one without evidence of infection, all matched for neutropenia, primary underlying disease, and receipt of corticosteroids/other immunosuppressants) at a tertiary university hospital. In addition, samples from an independent cohort (n = 20 cases of proven/probable IA and 20 matched controls without infection) were obtained. A panel of 92 circulating proteins involved in inflammation was measured by proximity extension assay. A random forest model was used to predict the development of IA using biomarkers measured before diagnosis.
Results
Concentrations of 30 inflammatory biomarkers were different between cases and non-infected controls, of which nine were independently replicated: PD-L1, MMP-10, Interleukin(IL)-10, IL-15RA, IL-18, IL-18R1, CDCP1, CCL19 and IL-17C. From the differential abundance analysis of serum samples collected more than 10 days before diagnosis and at diagnosis, increased IL-17C concentrations in IA patients were replicated in the independent cohort.
Conclusions
An increased circulating concentration of IL-17C was detected both in the discovery and independent cohort, both at the time of diagnosis and in samples 10 days before the diagnosis of IA, suggesting it could be an (early) biomarker of infection.
Machine Learning-Based Integration Identifies Plasma Cells-Related Gene Signature ST6GAL1 in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Its Pan-Cancer Analysis
Authors: Lin Fanjie , Lin Ken , Li DongLei , Kong Weiguo , Wei Xinguang , He Wei , Xiao Tianchi , Zu Hao , Zhuang Jiayu , Zhang Zili , Lu Wenju
Published: October 2023

Background:Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and fibrotic disease that occurs primarily in older adults, and it is associated with a poor prognosis. Plasma cells are an essential effector cell in IPF development and progression. The aim of this study is to identify biomarkers associated with plasma cells in IPF and initially explore their potential role in the tumor immune microenvironment.Methods:The plasma cells marker genes were extracted via single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis. Then, gene co-expression networks were generated to determine the hub genes most relevant to the IPF state and plasma cells infiltration level. Moreover, the differential expressed genes (DEGs) screening were conducted based on the bulk RNA-seq and microarray data. In addition, a machine learning-based integrative procedure for constructing a concordance plasma cells-related gene signature (PCRGS) were developed. Furthermore, a core gene in the PCRGS was identified and validated through experiments. Finally, the molecular docking procedure and pan-cancer analysis for the core gene were produced.Results:The established PCRGS based on the seven most potent genes was found to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and exhibited superior and robust performance when compared with conventional clinical features and 22 published signatures. Additionally, the PCRGS effectively distinguish IPF patients and normal subjects. Eventually, ST6GAL1 was selected as the core gene and its localization in the plasma cells as well as over-expression in the lungs of bleomycin-injured mice were validated. Three drugs related to ST6GAL1 were predicted, and the results showed that quercetin and ST6GAL1 might have a more stable binding conformation based on the molecular docking procedure. Furthermore, the results of a pan-cancer analysis confirmed a tight association between the ST6GAL1 expression and the prognosis of various tumors.Conclusions:PCRGS is an effective prognostic and predictive biomarker in IPF associated with immune responses, among which ST6GAL1 is a potential therapeutic target in diverse cancers and may act as a pivotal gene connecting IPF and cancer in terms of plasma cells immune effects.
Risk stratification for younger and older patients with acute myeloid leukemia through transcriptomics, clinical data and machine learning
Authors: Silva Raíssa , Riedel Cédric , Reboul Jerome , Guibert Benoit , Ruffle Florence , Gilbert Nicolas , Boureux Anthony , Commes Thérèse
Published: October 2023

Background: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease that can occur at any age, and current AML classifications do not include age as a factor to classify patients. On the other hand, it has been shown that the incidence of AML increases with age, and that different genetic alterations are present in younger versus older patients. We sought to investigate this question using a k-mer based machine learning RNA-seq analysis.
Methods: We analyzed 423 samples with AML initial diagnosis to highlight the differences between younger and older patients in risk stratification. Our methodology used Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) algorithm in transcriptome data considering the difference between patients using clinical information. The SHapley Additive eXplanations (SHAP) values were used to interpret our models and identify the main differences between younger and older patients.
Results: In a test set, our XGB models achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88 in younger patients and 0.89 in older patients in different risk stratification. Furthermore, we identified a list of differently expressed genes for each age group.
Conclusion: This study highlighted important differences between younger and older patients in risk stratification and identified potential age group specific biomarkers to be investigated.
The prevalence of simian malaria in wild long-tailed macaques throughout Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Shahari Shahhaziq , Abdullah Mohd Lutfi bin , Rohimly Anis Adlina binti Isman , Ashrat Norsharina binti , Amir Amirah , Atroosh Wahib Mohammed Mohsen , Fong Mun Yik , Lau Yee Ling
Published: October 2023

The parasite Plasmodium knowlesi has been the sole cause of malaria in Malaysia from 2018–2022. Due to the high burden of P. knowlesi in Malaysia, this has hampered Malaysia from achieving the malaria-free status awarded by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Due to the zoonotic nature of P. knowlesi infections, it is important to study the prevalence of the parasite in the macaque host, the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis). Apart from P. knowlesi, the long-tailed macaque is also able to harbour Plasmodium cynomolgi, Plasmodium inui, Plasmodium caotneyi and Plasmodium fieldi. Here we report the prevalence of the 5 simian malaria parasites in the wild long-tailed macaque population in 12 out of the 13 states in Peninsular Malaysia using a nested PCR approach targeting the 18s ribosomal RNA (18s rRNA) gene. It was found that all five Plasmodium species were widely distributed throughout Peninsular Malaysia except for states with major cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Of note, Pahang reported a malaria prevalence of 100% in the long-tailed macaque population, identifying it as a potential hotspot for zoonotic transmission. Overall, this study shows the distribution of the 5 simian malaria parasite species throughout Peninsular Malaysia, the data of which could be used to guide future malaria control interventions to target zoonotic malaria.
Modeling of CO Oxidation by Diffusion of Oxygen Atoms in Ceria-Zirconia Particulates in a Three-Way Catalyst Particle Membrane Filter
Authors: Koko Phyozin , Hanamura Katsunori
Published: October 2023

In order to design a novel high-porosity microporous membrane filter comprising Three-way Catalyst (TWC) particles with a size distribution of 1 to 2 microns, isothermal CO oxidation experiments and numerical simulations was conducted to investigate the transport of oxygen atoms within primary Ceria-Zirconia (CZ) particulates. These spherical TWC particles were fabricated through the agglomeration of primary CZ and alumina particulates, incorporating Pd and Rh catalysts. By comparing experimental CO2 emissions with simulation results over time, a temperature-dependent diffusion coefficient was determined. The simulation results reveal that within a temperature range of 175 to 225 °C, the effective distance of oxygen atom transport within CZ particulates, heterogeneously distributed in the spherical TWC particle, is limited to approximately 100 nm from the surface of agglomerated spherical TWC particles.
Clay Soil Porosity Estimation Using Seismic P and S-Wave Velocities along Isfahan Metro Line 2
Authors: Chatrayi Hosein , Hajizadeh Farnusch , Taghavi Behnam
Published: October 2023

To study how the soils, respond to an earthquake, seismic waves are frequently utilized. The purpose of this work is to build the porosity graphs based on the geotechnical parameters of the soils and forecast the porosity of shallow clay soils using seismic wave velocities that analyze the dynamic features of the soil. Compressional (P) and shear (S) wave velocities, seismic velocity ratio, Poisson ratio, bulk modulus, and shear modulus are the factors used to calculate porosity. In this work, porosity values are calculated using grain and dry densities of core samples taken from different boreholes within the study region, and bulk modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson ratio are calculated using P- and S-wave velocities obtained by utilizing the seismic-refraction method, as well as porosity values. The research region is in Iran; Isfahan Metro Line 2 and mostly consists of clay, silt, sand, and gravel deposits. Based on the values of the Poisson ratio, seismic P wave velocity, seismic velocity ratio (Vp/Vs), and the stiffness of the clay soils, the data of the clay soils in the region were individually sorted. These characteristics were used to create novel multi-parameter relationships between clay soil porosity, seismic velocities, shear modulus, and the Poisson ratio. Using the error norm approach, the errors in the parameters utilized for each relationship were identified. The error norm technique's findings show that the shear wave velocity and shear module have the lowest error when calculating porosity. Therefore, it is advised to estimate porosity of shallow clay soils using the given correlations. These relationships can be used to assess the porosity of clay soil and to determine if the soil's pores are saturated with liquid.
RETRACTED: Examining Cutting-Edge Machine Learning Strategies with Shrinkage Operator and Seeonce for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis
Authors: Sufian Md Abu , Islam Md Aminul , Varadarajan Jayasree
Published: October 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
A key molecular driver of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in invasive breast cancer on machine learning–based meta-mining research
Authors: Honda Chikako , Kurozumi Sasagu , Ball Graham , Katayama Ayaka , Yokobori Takehiko , Oyama Tetsunari , Horiguchi Jun , Shirabe Ken , Fujii Takaaki
Published: October 2023

Background: The immune system affects all phases of tumor growth, from initiation to progression and dissemination. However, molecular mechanisms of tumor immunity remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify targets significantly associated with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in early-stage breast cancer (BC) using a novel machine learning (ML) approach.
Method: We identified 719 patients with early-stage BC from The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets having the available digital hematoxylin and eosin-stained whole slide images (WSIs) and transcriptomic data from tumor sites. The grades of stromal TILs in WSIs were evaluated using the criteria of the International Working Group for TILs in BC: low, intermediate, and high. Using our own artificial neural network ML methods, key genes were identified based on the differential mRNA expression between stromal-TIL grades.
Results: In this study, the ML system identified 49 genes that demonstrated significantly different expressions between stromal-TIL grades. Clustering analysis with this gene set further divided patients into two molecular subtypes (subtypes 1 and 2), which were significantly associated with tumor aggressiveness. The 10-year overall survival of subtype 1 was significantly poorer than that of subtype 2 (hazard ratio: 2.27, 95% confidence interval: 1.11-4.64, p = 0.025). We also found that these 49 genes are strongly associated with inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS).
Conclusion: our findings suggest that TIL-related gene sets (ICOS-related genes) could interpret the complex molecular gene networks controlling tumor immunity in early-stage BC.
Single-cell RNA sequencing suggests plasmids constrain bacterial heterogeneity and conjugation is subpopulation specific
Authors: Cyriaque Valentine , Ibarra-Chávez Rodrigo , Kuchina Anna , Seelig Georg , Nesme Joseph , Madsen Jonas
Published: October 2023

Transcriptional heterogeneity is common within isogenic bacterial populations. Nonetheless, the interplay between conjugative plasmids and host subpopulation dynamics remains elusive. Here, the efficacy of microbial split-pool ligation transcriptomics in unraveling plasmid-host interactions was demonstrated through the generation of high-quality single-cell transcriptomic data. We found that transcription was impacted by growth state but also by plasmid carriage at the single-cell level, resulting in a reduction in subpopulations. Transcriptional heterogeneity among plasmid-encoded genes was also uncovered. This included core plasmid functions such as replication and maintenance fluctuations, likely associated with the cell cycle. Other key heterogeneously transcribed functions included tra genes revealing a subpopulation not engaging in conjugation and representing a possible plasmid strategy decreasing its burden at the population level. In sum, this study advances the understanding of plasmid-mediated subpopulation dynamics through a comprehensive single-cell transcriptomics approach, providing valuable insights into the intricate interplay between plasmids and bacteria.
Impedance Changes of the Li-ion Cell in the Course of Discharge
Authors: Křivík Petr
Published: October 2023

The paper deals with the measurement of the cell impedance parameters during discharging of the Li-ion NCR18650B cell. Re (Z) and Im (Z) of the battery were measured by PEIS method. Results of the impedance changes during discharging and charging were plot to Nyquist diagrams. Important values Rs, Rsei, Rct, Csei, Qsei, Cdl α and σ were found during discharging of the Li-ion cell with and without using CPE element.
Expression of key unfolded protein response genes predicts patient survival and an immunosuppressive microenvironment in glioblastoma
Authors: Oliveira Fernanda Dittrich , de Campos Rafael Paschoal , Pereira Luiza Cherobini , Meira Lisiane , Lenz Guido
Published: October 2023

Background
Dysregulation of cellular processes related to protein folding and trafficking leads to the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), triggering ER stress. Cells cope with ER stress by activating the unfolded protein response (UPR), a signaling pathway that has been implicated in a variety of diseases, including cancer. However, the role of the UPR in cancer initiation and progression is still unclear.
Methods
Here we used bulk and single cell RNA sequencing data to investigate ER stress-related gene expression in glioblastoma, as well as the impact key UPR genes have on patient survival.
Results
ER stress-related genes are highly expressed in both cancer cells and tumor-associated macrophages, with evidence of high intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity. Elevated levels of the UPR-related genes, namely HSPA5, P4HB, and PDIA4, have been identified as risk factors, while high MAPK8 (JNK1) expression emerges as a protective factor in glioblastoma patients, underscoring the prognostic relevance of UPR genes in this cancer type. Finally, the expression patterns of XBP1 and MAPK8, crucial downstream targets of the ER sentinel IRE1α, show significant correlation with the presence of immune cell subtypes associated with immunosuppression and a worse patient outcome. These findings suggest a link between the expression of these genes, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and the overall survival of individuals with glioblastoma.
Conclusions
We performed a comprehensive transcriptional characterization of the unfolded protein response in glioblastoma patients and identified UPR-related genes associated with glioblastoma patient survival. These findings hold promise for the development of valuable prognostic and predictive biomarkers, offering insights into potential targets for the advancement of therapeutic approaches in glioblastoma treatment.
Molecular detection and analysis of a Enzootic Nasal Tumor Virus 2 in china
Authors: Li Pengfei , Li Lingxia , DU Guoyu , Wu Jinyan , Liu Xiaobo , Mao Shouhui , Shang Youjun , Yuan Ligang
Published: October 2023

Enzootic nasal tumor virus (ENTV) is a Betaretrovirus, which is associated with the neoplastic transformation of epithelial cells of the ethmoid turbinates. It has two types, ENTV-1 in sheep and ENTV-2 in goats, respectively. As we know, the incidence rate of ENTV-2 related diseases in China and even the world has increased in recent years. In this study, an infection of ENTV-2 was detected by RT-PCR in a goat flock in Chongqing City, and a full-length genome of ENTV-2 (named ENTV-2-CQ) with 7469 nucleotides (nt) was sequenced. Comparing with full-length genome sequences revealed that ENTV-2-CQ strain has high identity to the reference complete genomes (86.63–99.41%) at the nucleotide level. ENTV-2-CQ shared the highest nucleotide identity with a ENTV-2FJ isolate (GenBank accession number MK559457.1). Phylogenetic analysis shows that ENTV-2-CQ and ENTV-2 are located in the same major branch, mainly related to isolates from China from 2015 to 2022. Our research will contribute to a deeper understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of this important retrovirus.
Recurrent Paradoxical Embolism and Manganese Deposition in the Basal Ganglia in a Patient with Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasias: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Tang Qiwen , Xia Ping , Hu Xingyue , Shao Yuquan
Published: October 2023

Background
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare autosomal dominant inherited vascular disorder that can involve multiple organs, thus can be associated with so many clinical departments that proper screening and diagnosis of HHT are needed for providing better management of both patients and their family members.
Case presentation:
we present a 58-year-old female patient with recurrent paradoxical brain embolism due to HHT. Though ischemic stroke caused by HHT-induced vascular disorders has been reported, our patient presented with two neurological complications at the same time: recurrent paradoxical brain embolisms and bilateral globus pallidus manganese deposition, which is rarely reported. We also review the literature on the clinical features and management of HHT for prompt diagnosis of this genetic disease behind paradoxical embolism.
Conclusions
When patients with ischemic stroke, especially recurrent ischemic stroke, have combined AVMs in single or multiple organs, or clues for AVMs like manganese deposition in globus pallidus, genetic diseases such as HHT may be the reason for ischemic stroke and shouldn't be missed in the evaluation of embolic sources.
Skimming the Achieved? – Quantifying the Fiscal Incentives of the German Fiscal Equalization Scheme and its Reforms since 1970
Authors: Bury Yannick , Feld Lars P. , Burret Heiko T.
Published: October 2023

Marginal rates of contribution (MRC), i.e., the rates at which additional revenues are skimmed via larger contributions or lower transfer receipts, quantify the incentives of a fiscal equalization scheme. The present paper is the first to calculate the marginal rates of contribution for the Laender (states) in the German fiscal equalization scheme for each of the 51 years since its establishment in 1970 and over five major reforms, taking into account all relevant revenues. Our results show that MRC have been at a consistently high level. Until 2019 the scheme induced an almost full skimming of additional tax revenues of recipient states. With the system’s latest reform in 2020, MRC increased further. Recipient states now face an over-skimming of additional tax revenues and thus, massive fiscal disincentives to maintain their own tax base. While these findings have been widely expected, comprehensive evidence has been missing so far.
JEL Codes: H71, H73, H77, H11
Contouring practices and artefact management within a synthetic CT-based radiotherapy workflow for the central nervous system.
Authors: Rossi Elia , Emin Sevgi , Gubanski Michael , Gagliardi Giovanna , Hedman Mattias , Villegas Fernanda
Published: October 2023

Background: The incorporation of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in radiotherapy (RT) workflows improves contouring precision, yet it introduces geometrical uncertainties when registered with computed tomography (CT) scans. Synthetic CT (sCT) images could minimize these uncertainties and streamline the RT workflow. This study aims to compare the contouring capabilities of sCT images with conventional CT-based/MR-assisted RT workflows, with an emphasis on managing artefacts caused by surgical fixation devices (SFDs).
Methods: The study comprised a commissioning cohort of 100 patients with cranial tumors treated using a conventional CT-based/MR-assisted RT workflow and a validation cohort of 30 patients with grade IV glioblastomas treated using an MR-only workflow. A CE-marked artificial-intelligence-based sCT product was utilized. The delineation accuracy comparison was performed using Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and Average Hausdorff Distance (AHD). Artefacts within the commissioning cohort were visually inspected, classified and an estimation of thickness was derived using Hausdorff Distance (HD). For the validation cohort, boolean operators were used to extract artefact volumes adjacent to the target and contrasted to the planning treatment volume (PTV).
Results: The combination of high DSC (0.94) and low AHD (0.04 mm) indicates equal target delineation capacity between sCT images and conventional CT scans. However, the results for organs at risk delineation were less consistent, likely because of voxel size differences between sCT images and CT scans and absence of standardized delineation routines. Artefacts observed in sCT images appeared as enhancements of cranial bone. When close to the target, they could affect its definition. Therefore, in the validation cohort the clinical target volume (CTV) was expanded towards the bone by 3.5 mm, as estimated by HD analysis. Subsequent analysis on Cone-Beam CT (CBCT) scans showed that the CTV adjustment was enough to provide acceptable target coverage.
Conclusion: The tested sCT product performed on par with conventional CT in terms of contouring capability. Additionally, this study provides both the first comprehensive classification of metal artefacts on a sCT product and a novel method to assess the clinical impact of artefacts caused by SFDs on target delineation. This methodology encourages similar analysis for other sCT products.
Selective digestive tract decontamination in critically ill adults with acute brain injuries: a Post-Hoc analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.
Authors: Young Paul , Devaux Anthony , Li Qiang , Billot Laurent , Davis Joshua , Delaney Anthony , Finfer Simon , Hammond Naomi , Micallef Sharon , Seppelt Ian , Venkatesh Balasubramanian , Myburgh John A
Published: October 2023

Purpose: To determine whether Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract (SDD) reduces in-hospital mortality in mechanically ventilated critically ill adults admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with acute brain injuries or conditions.
Methods: A post-hoc analysis from a crossover, cluster-randomized clinical trial. ICUs were randomly assigned to adopt or not to adopt a SDD strategy for two alternating 12-month periods, separated by a 3-month inter-period gap. Patients in the SDD group (n=2791; 968 admitted to the ICU with an acute brain injury) received a 6-hourly application of an oral paste and administration of a gastric suspension containing colistin, tobramycin, and nystatin for the duration of mechanical ventilation, plus a 4-day course of an intravenous antibiotic with a suitable antimicrobial spectrum. Patients in the control group (n=3191; 1093 admitted to the ICU with an acute brain injury) received standard care. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality within 90 days. There were four secondary clinical outcomes: death in ICU, ventilator-, ICU- and hospital-free days to day 90.
Results Of 2061 patients with acute brain injuries (mean age, 55.8 years; 36.4% women), all completed the trial. In patients with acute brain injuries, there were 313/968 (32.3%) and 415/1093 (38.0%) in-hospital deaths in the SDD and standard care groups (unadjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63 to 0.92; p = 0.004). The use of SDD was associated with statistically significant improvements in the four clinical secondary outcomes compared to standard care. There was no statistical difference in the heterogeneity of treatment effect between patients with and without acute brain injuries (interaction p=0.22).
Conclusions: In this post-hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial in critically ill patients with acute brain injuries receiving mechanical ventilation, the use of SDD significantly reduced in-hospital mortality in patients compared to standard care without SDD. These findings require confirmation.
Trial Registration: Clinical Trials.gov registration number: NCT02389036
Gender differences in the development of conduct problems: trajectories, predictors, and outcomes through childhood
Authors: Álvarez-Voces María , Romero Estrella
Published: October 2023

Gender differences in the trajectories of conduct problems (CP) have received very little attention in the literature. The present four-year longitudinal study explores gender differences in CP trajectories through early childhood, assessing gender-specific predictors and outcomes. Gender-separated CP trajectories were identified in a sample of 2,246 young children (Mage=4.25; 48.53% girls) using latent class growth analyses (LCGA). Five trajectories were found in girls (i.e., low, average, downward, upward, and stable high) and four in boys (i.e., low, average, stable high, and upward). Low socioeconomic status was related to the most problematic trajectories only in boys, whereas the interpersonal psychopathic trait (grandiose-deceitful) was more pronounced in girls with higher CP scores relative to other psychopathic traits. Meanwhile, boys’ trajectories were more varied in terms of negative outcomes (e.g., bullying, victimization) than those of girls. This study contributes to the body of work on heterogeneity in CP by identifying different trajectories according to gender, and shows the relevance of gender in understanding the predictors, development, and outcomes of CP.
Identification and genetic diversity analysis of broomrape in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Zhang Xuekun , Du Juan , Wang Panpan , Wang Peng , Liu Zheng , Yao Zhaoqun , Zhao Sifeng , Xi Hui
Published: October 2023

Background: As a holoparasitic weed, broomrape has seriously threatened the production of economically important crops, such as melon, watermelon, processed tomato, and sunflower, in the Xinjiang Province in recent years. However, the distribution and genetic diversity of broomrape populations in Xinjiang are not clear at present, which hinders their prevention and control process. The purpose of this study is to identify the main species and the genetic differentiation structure of the broomrape population in Xinjiang province.
Methods and Results In the present study, 93 samples from different geographic regions of Xinjiang were collected to identify the species based on ITS and plastid rps2 regions, and the samples were also used to analyze the genetic diversity based on ISSR markers. The results showed that broomrape is not monophyletic in Xinjiang and consists of two major clades (Orobanche cf. aegyptiaca and O. cernua) and three subclades (O. cf. aegyptiaca var. tch, O. cf. aegyptiaca var. klz, O. cernua.var. alt) by phylogenetic analysis based on ITS and rps2. Furthermore, the results of the genetic diversity analysis indicated that the 11 selected primers produced 154 repeatable polymorphic bands, of which 150 were polymorphic. The genetic diversity of the samples was 37.19% within populations and 62.81% among the populations, indicating that the main genetic differentiation occurred among the populations. There was less gene exchange between populations, with a gene flow index (Nm) of 0.2961 (<1). The UPGMA dendrogram indicated that most populations with similar geographical conditions and hosts were clustered first, and then all samples were separated into two major groups and seven subclusters.
Conclusion
The broomrapes are mainly O. cf. aegyptiacaand O. cernua in Xinjiang province, which were separated into two major groups and seven subclusters furtherly based on ISSR markers. This is the first study to clarify genetic diversity and population distribution of broomrape in Xinjiang. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the prevention, control, and breeding of broomrape-resistant varieties.
Kidney volume normative values in Central European children aged 0-19 years – a multicenter study
Authors: Obrycki Łukasz , Sarnecki Jędrzej , Pac Michal , Lichosik Marianna , Sopińska Małgorzata , Placzyńska Małgorzata , Milart Joanna , Stańczyk Małgorzata , Mirecka Julia , Wasilewska Agnieszka , Michalski Maciej , Lewandowska Weronika , Dereziński Tadeusz , Šuláková Terezie , Šupík David , Čekuolis Andrius , Vitkevič Renata , Wierzbicka Aldona , Koziej Jan , Skoczyński Krzysztof , Horubała Jan , Jankauskiene Augustina , Kalicki Bolesław , Jobs Katarzyna , Tkaczyk Marcin , Feber Janusz , Litwin Mieczysław
Published: October 2023

Background and Objecitves: The currently available kidney volume normative values in children are restricted to small populations from single-centre studies not assessing kidney function and including none or only a small number of adolescents. This study aimed to obtain ultrasound-based kidney volume normative values derived from a large European Caucasian paediatric population with normal kidney function.
Methods: After recruitment of 1427 children aged 0–19 years, 1396 individuals with no history of kidney disease and normal estimated glomerular filtration rate were selected for the sonographic evaluation of kidney volume. Kidney volume was correlated with age, height, weight, body surface area and body mass index. Kidney volume curves and tables related to anthropometric parameters were generated using the LMS method. Kidney volume predictors were evaluated using multivariate regression analysis with collinearity checks.
Results: No clinically significant differences in kidney volume in relation to height were found between males and females, between supine and prone position and between left and right kidneys. Males had, however, larger age-related kidney volumes than females in most age categories. For the prediction of kidney volume, the highest coefficient correlation was observed for body surface area (r = 0.94), followed by weight (r = 0.92), height (r = 0.91), age (r = 0.91), and body mass index (r = 0.67; p < 0.001 for all).
Conclusions: This study presents LMS-percentile curves and tables for kidney volume which can be used as reference values for children aged 0–19 years.
Comparative Chloroplast Genome Analysis of Two Deciduous Phalaenopsis species, Phylogenetic Relationships, and Development of Indel markers
Authors: Liu Hailin , Ye Guangying , Wang Zaihua , Li Mingzhi , Li Dongmei
Published: October 2023

Background: Phalaenopsisis a taxonomically controversial genus and the most horticulturally valuable group in the family Orchidaceae. Inconsistencies among morphological characteristics and the lack of genomic resources have greatly impeded studies of the taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of this particular genus. The chloroplast genomes of Phalaenopsis wilsonii f. wilsonii and Phalaenopsis braceanum remains pending.
Results: Here, we successfully obtained the entire chloroplast genome sequences of P. wilsonii f. wilsonii and P. braceanumand subsequently compared them with chloroplast genomes of various other species. Our aim was to enhance our understanding of the taxonomy of Phalaenopsis, as well as aid the utilization of wild orchid resources. The chloroplast genomes of Phalaenopsis wilsonii f. wilsonii and Phalaenopsis braceanum exhibited similar lengths, measuring 145,874 bp and 145,935 bp, respectively. These genomes comprised a total of 128 genes, which consisted of 75 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 7 pseudogenes. The GC content was 36.79%. By conducting a comparative analysis of these two chloroplast genomes, we observed a significant resemblance in their structural properties, amino acids frequencies, and codon usage bias. The biased usage of certain amino acid codons in deciduous orchids might be associated with their resistance to various types of adverse conditions (e.g., drought and nutrient deficiency). Among the four types simple sequence repeats (SSRs) that have been identified, A/T repeats constituted the highest occurrence. Seven protein-coding genes, including petN,psaI, psbH, psbM, rpl33, rpl23, and rps16, were under positive selection.Ten InDel markers greater than 10 bp were developed and used to distinguish between these two species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that P. braceanum was sister to P. stobariana; the combined P. braceanum + P. stobariana clade was sister to P. wilsonii.
Conclusions: Our study provided novel findings concerning the chloroplast genomes of P. wilsonii f. wilsonii and P. braceanum. Our data provide key molecular resources for Phalaenopsisspecies that will aid future studies of the genetic evolution and environmental adaptation of orchids. The divergent hotspots identified could be serve as valuable resources for the creation of molecular markers, enabling the identification of Phalaenopsis species and facilitating phylogenetic investigations between closely related species or individuals with morphological traits similar to those of Phalaenopsis.
Agent-Based versus Data-Streamed Big-Data Parallelization in Computational Geometry
Authors: Fukuda Munehiro , Potturi Anirudh , Helzerman Joshua
Published: October 2023

While some spatial analytics in GIS are well-supported by combinations of data-streaming tools and machine-learning algorithms, (e.g., Spark and KNN on a geographic map), the others are tightly coupled with computational geometry. They handle multi-dimensional or graph structures that should be better maintained in distributed memory for the purpose of dynamic spatial analysis and repetitive geometric queries. We expect that dispatching agents as active data analyzers into datasets would work smoother than disassembling and conveying datasets into passive data-streaming tools. This research compared agent-based and data-streaming big-data parallelization in computational geometry. We parallelized the closest pair of points, the convex hull, the Euclidean shortest path, the point location, and the range search problems, using our MASS (multi-agent spatial simulation) library, MapReduce, and Spark. MASS performed best in three of the programs, which demonstrated agents’ strength in spatial analysis over many data points and repetitive geometric queries with deep tree traverses.
In silico and In vitro Antibacterial Activity of Essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus Labill
Authors: Salaria Deeksha , Rolta Rajan , Prakash Ajay , Fadare Olatomide A. , Jachak Sanjay , Medhi Bikash
Published: October 2023

Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Traditionally used as disinfectant, fumigant, insect repellent, it is also used to cure asthma, bronchitis, arthritis, boils etc. The current research is focused on to study the in vitro and in silico antibacterial activity of Eucalyptus globulus essential oil. Essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus was extracted by hydro-distillation method and characterized by GC-MS. In vitro antibacterial activity was done by using agar well diffusion and broth microdillution method. Further the antibacterial activity was predicted in silico by using Autodock vina. Essential oil extraction yield of Eucalyptus globulus leaves was found to be 2.13 ± 0.115%. Total seventeen mono- and sesqui-terpenoids were identified in essential oil, of which eucalyptol (60.327), D-limonene (6.964), terpinyl-acetate (3.564) and gamma gurjunene (2.505%) were the major constituents. Essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus showed significant antibacterial activity against Clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 0.125, 0.125 and 0.3125% respectively. In molecular docking study, γ-gurjunine showed good binding energy with penicillin binding protein (3VSL) and MD simulation confirmed the stability of protein ligand complex. Essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus has good antibacterial activity against clinical strains of grams positive and grams negative bacteria. Essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus can be used as antibacterial agent with addition of in vitro and in vivo toxicity.
MDFBEAM: Multi-Dimensional Fuzzy-Based Emotion Analysis Framework for Micro-Blog News Sub-Events
Authors: Vijayakumar Angel Petricia , V Mary Anita Rajam
Published: October 2023

Social media has replaced traditional journalism, such as television and newspapers, by a large proportion. Social media data presents an incredible opportunity for governments and organizations to understand the public's response to a news event, which is critical for government organizations to make informed decisions. News events are made up of a series of related sub-events. These sub-events determine the flow and dynamics of the entire news event. Hence, monitoring the public's response to each sub-event is crucial. This work proposes a framework to classify microblogs that discuss news sub-events into eight dimensions of emotion: Happy, Sad, Fear, Anger, Cynical, Neutral, Positive and Negative. This work introduces a cynical emotion that attempts to catch skepticism and sarcastic emotions, which are highly common in news-based events. Not limited to news events and microblogs, this framework can be utilized on any public response monitoring system without much changes. The proposed framework employs a bi-layered composite fuzzy mechanism. The emotions are represented as fuzzy sets. The fuzzy membership score of a microblog towards each fuzzy set is generated by integrating neural-network-based pre-trained word vector similarity, thesaurus-based similarity, and linguistic hedge information for each word. Fuzzy inference is then employed to identify the predominant emotion expressed in a microblog. This work is compared against state-of-the-art BERT models and demonstrates a remarkably high level of precision.
Oral formulation of 5-aminosalicylic acid-Hemoglobin bio-adhesive nanoparticles enhance therapeutic efficiency in Ulcerative Colitis mice: A preclinical evaluation
Authors: Vaezi Zahra , Ghavami Shaghayegh Baradaran , Farmani Maryam , Mahdavian Reza , Aghdaei Hamid Asadzadeh , Naderi-manesh Hossein
Published: October 2023

The oral formulation design for colon-specific drug delivery brings some therapeutic benefits in the ulcerative colitis treatment. We recently reported the specific delivery of hemoglobin nanoparticles-conjugating 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA- HbNPs) to the inflamed site. In the current study, the in vivo evaluation of 5-ASA from its bio-adhesive nanoparticles shows the greatly long residence time of 5-ASA and complete support of the colon as compared with free 5-ASA due to the suitable mucoadhesive property to traverse the mucus layer and accumulate within the mucosa is a vital process. Furthermore, the UC model mice exhibited notably reduced indexes of disease activity; along with decreased ratios of colon weight/length in the group treated with 5-ASA-HbNPs. This group received a one-thousandth of the standard dosage of 5-ASA amount (50 μg/kg). While, a similar result was observed for a considerable quantity of free 5-ASA (50 mg/kg), confirming the therapeutic efficacy of this formulation in vivo. Furthermore, microscopic images of histological sections of the extracted colons demonstrated that the 5-ASA-HbNPs and 5-ASA groups displayed instances of inflammatory damage within the colon. However, in comparison to the control group, the extent of this damage was relatively moderate, suggesting 5-ASA-HbNPs improved therapeutic efficacy with the lower dosage form.