bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maternal seafood consumption and fetal growth: A birth cohort study in urban China
Authors: Wei Zhang , Li Wang , Lei Cao , Caixia An , Chuan Zhang , Jianqin Wang
Published: December 2022

Background: Seafood is a good source of the essential fatty acids which has presumably beneficial effect on developing embryos and fetuses, although it is also a source of contaminants. In this context, pregnant women are face with conflicting reports on risk and benefits of seafood consumption. This study aims to assess whether the consumption of seafood during pregnancy were associated with fetal growth.
Methods: This study covered 10,179 women who delivered a singleton live birth, conducted in Lanzhou, China. The clinical data including birth outcomes and maternal complications information is extracted from medical records of the participants. We also collected information from them on intake of seafood using food frequency questionnaire. Associations between seafood consumption and birth weight, birth length, and head circumference were analyzed using multiple linear regression.
Results: There was a positive association between total seafood consumption and birth weight (β 7.420, P<0.001) but no association concerning birth length or head circumference. Seafood consumption was associated with decreased risk of low birth weight (OR = 0.575, 95 % CI 0.480, 0.689). The frequency of seafood consumption during pregnancy showed a trend toward a positive association with low birth weight. Significantly reduce rates of low birthweight were found in women who consumed more than 75g seafood/week during pregnancy as compared to women with no or very low intakes(P for trend 0.021).
Conclusions: Maternal seafood consumption was associated with decreased risk of low birth weight and increased birth weight. This association was mainly driven by freshwater fish and shellfish. These results further corroborate the present dietary recommendation to the Chinese Nutrition Society for pregnant women. In addition, our work emphasis the value of public health advice to change dietary habits for women in inland city in China.
Lactate metabolism subtypes analysis reveals CCDC80 as a novel prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer
Authors: Li Xiang , Du Yaqi
Published: December 2022

Background
Lactate metabolism plays a vital role in tumor progression. Currently, gastric cancer (GC) has a poor prognosis. Therefore, our research aimed to investigate novel biomarkers related to lactate metabolism in patients.
Methods
Patient data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were divided into subtypes based on the expression of lactate metabolism-related genes (LMRGs). Based on the subtypes, we identified coiled-coil domain containing 80 (CCDC80) for further investigation. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were constructed to determine the prognostic value of CCDC80 in GC. We further explored the mechanism by which CCDC80 affects GC prognosis using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Immune infiltration and drug sensitivity analyses were also performed. Finally, immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate CCDC80 expression in normal and tumor tissues.
Results
We observed that CCDC80 was overexpressed in GC samples and was significantly associated with T and pathological stages. Multivariate Cox analysis identified high CCDC80 expression as an independent prognostic marker. GSEA indicated that the oxidative phosphorylation pathway was highly enriched in the low CCDC80 expression group. Moreover, CCDC80 was associated with immune cell infiltration, especially that of M2 macrophages. Patients with higher CCDC80 expression exhibited lower sensitivity to paclitaxel.
Conclusion
our findings demonstrate that CCDC80 is an oncogene in GC and is associated with lactate metabolism, and it could be used as a novel biomarker for prognostic and chemotherapy treatment purposes.
Phantom and clinical evaluation of Block Sequential Regularized Expectation Maximization (BSREM) Reconstruction Algorithm in 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT Studies
Authors: Sadeghi Fatemeh , Sheikhzadeh Peyman , Kasraie Nima , Farzanehfar Saeed , Abbasi Mehrshad , Salehi Yalda , Ay Mohammad Reza
Published: December 2022

Purpose

we aimed to investigate the effect of various β-value in BSREM algorithm under different lesion sizes, in order to determine an optimal penalty factor for clinical use.

Methods

The NEMA IQ phantom and 15 patients with prostate cancer were injected with 68Ga-PSMA and scanned by GE Discovery IQ PET/CT scanner. Images were reconstructed using OSEM and BSREM with different β-values and then background variability (BV), contrast recovery (CR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and lung residual error (LE) from phantom data, and Signal-to-Background Ratio (SBR), contrast from clinical data were measured.

Results

The increment of BV using β-value of 100 was 120% and the decrement of BV using β-value 1000 were 40.5% compared to OSEM. As the β decreased from 1000 to 100, the SUVmax increased by 59% and 26.4% for sphere with diameter of 10 mm and 37 mm, respectively.Δ SNR(100-1000) % increased by 140.5 and 29.0 in the smallest and the largest sphere, respectively. The Δ LE OSEM-100 and Δ LE OSEM-1000 was − 41.1% and − 36.7% respectively. In the clinical study, the lowest SBR and contrast was related to the OSEM. The SBR and contrast, respectively increased by 69.7% and 71.8% in small lesions and 35.6% and 33% in large lesions, respectively, when β-value was decreased from 500 to 100.

Conclusions

As the lesion size decreased, the optimum β-value decreased. In both studies, a β value of 400 would be optimal for reconstruction of small lesions, whereas for large lesions in phantom and clinical studies respectively, β-value of 600 and 500 is recommended.
Manufacturing problem solving methodology analytic. A case study of leakage current in a production company
Authors: Mahmood Khalid
Published: December 2022

Product end-user and customer satisfaction are critical for the success of organisations. This paper presents a case study of a design company and manufacturing supplier that faces customer complaints due to defective temperature sensors integrated into fridge freezers. This research aims to find the root cause of the issues and implement a solution to the problem and to ensure that prevent its recurrence by implementing the lean eight disciplines methodology as an analytics step: (1) 5 Whys analysis based on cross-functional team finding, (2) problem descriptions confirmation, (3) containment actions, (4) root cause analysis of occurrence, (5) permanent corrective actions, (6) implementation of permanent corrective action, (7) actions to prevent a recurrence, and (8) closure with eight disciplines report and congratulate cross-functional teams from the design, engineering, and suppliers production sites.
High-quality product design, development, production processes and manufacturing require a problem-solving framework for the life cycle assessment. This study develops the Eight Disciplines (8D) investigation tool for cross-functional teams, internal and external work together to solve issues to improve the product life cycle in the field. Shows how to conduct root cause investigation analysis of issues with five whys of the problems for crucial processes. If necessary, integrate the 8D, and Six Sigma approaches to identify answers. It enables corrective and preventive actions and customer reports with executed fixes and measures timelines to prevent similar issues from recurring in businesses. This study deals with product managers and practitioners of manufacturing and product design companies using the 8D analytics tool and framework to solve problems for quality improvements throughout the life cycle of products.
For manufacturing problem-solving, use 8D tool analytical challenges (e.g., high warranty cost, high production failures, the unreliability of products, resources, and different scopes) and opportunities (e.g., to solve product issues, improve production processes, and reduce warranty cost). In this case study, a circuit is susceptible to leakage current, cleaning all components following solder assembly. Specific solvents are needed to effectively clean boards because "no-clean" solder flux is used, which does not require cleaning. Therefore, different flux chemistry is necessary for this situation, which can be cleaned using a water-based solvent as a long-term fix, as revealed by the 8D analytics template.
Practice of Defensive Medicine Among Surgeons in Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Assefa Eskinder Amare , Teferi Yonas Ademe , Alemu Birhanu Nega , Tiruneh Abraham Genetu
Published: December 2022

Background
Defensive medicine is physicians’ deviation from standard medical care which is primarily intended either to reduce or avoid medico legal litigation. Although the Federal Ethics Committee review in Ethiopia has shown that applications for medical/surgical error investigation claims are increasing at an alarming rate, there is no study to date done to estimate the degree of defensive practice done by the physicians with an intention of avoiding this increasing legal claim. This study assessed the practice of defensive medicine among highly litigious disciplines (surgery) and described factors associated with its practice.
Methods
Cross sectional quantitative study using online survey questionnaires was conducted to assess the degree of defensive practice and six factors (age, years of experience, specialty, monthly income, place of practice and previous medico legal history) associated with its practice were assessed among surgeons working in Ethiopia.
Results
A total of 430 surgeons directly received an online survey questionnaire and 236 of them successfully completed the questionnaire making the response rate 51.2%. Nearly half of the study participants (51.7%) were aware of the concept of defensive medicine and 174 (74%) reported performing one form of defensive practice. Twenty-nine (12.3%) of the participants have legal dispute history, though only 1.3% of them ended up in penalty. Avoiding high risk procedures was the commonest defensive act performed by 60% of the participants, followed by ordering tests unnecessarily (52.1%). Multinomial logistic regression model showed that there was no association between age of the participant, place of practice, year of experience and defensive practice. This model also showed that cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons perform less defensively than surgeons with other specialty with P value of 0.02.
Conclusion
The practice of defensive medicine is widespread among surveyed Ethiopian surgeons and further studies are required to objectively estimate the effect of defensive practice on the health care system of the country. Policy makers need to develop strategy towards decreasing this high rate of defensive practice.
Application of coal price prediction method based on ISSA-LSSVR method in state optimization design of inclined seam open-pit mine
Authors: Cao Bo , Wang Shuai , Zhao Bo , Li Qingyi , Lv Mingjia , Liu Guangwei
Published: December 2022

As an important link in the complex system engineering project of open-pit mining, the quality of boundary determine the performance of the project to a large extent. However, the traditional design method cannot effectively measure the impact of uncertainties on the realm optimisation process. In this article, a coal price time series forecasting model that considers the amount of redundancy is proposed, which combines an improved sparrow search algorithm (ISSA) and a least squares support vector regression machine regression algorithm (LSSVR). The optimal values of the penalty factor and kernel function parameter of the LSSVR model are selected by ISSA, which improves the prediction accuracy and generalisation performance of the forecasting model. A multi-step decision optimisation method under fluctuating coal price conditions is proposed, and the model prediction results are applied to the boundary optimisation design process. Using the widely applied block model as the basis, a set of optimal production nested pits is obtained and only obtained, allowing the realm design results to fit the coal price fluctuation trend and further enhance the enterprise efficiency. The applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method is verified using an ideal two-dimensional inclined coal seamopencast mine model as an example.
COMMD3 loss drives invasive breast cancer growth by modulating copper homeostasis
Authors: Hancock Janelle L , Kalimutho Murugan , Straube Jasmin , Lim Malcolm , Gresshoff Irma , Saunus Jodi M , Lee Jason , Lakhani Sunil , Simpson Kaylene J , Bush Ashley I , Anderson Robin , Khanna Kum Kum
Published: December 2022

Background
Despite overall improvement in breast cancer patient outcomes from earlier diagnosis and personalised treatment approaches, some patients continue to experience recurrence and incurable metastases. It is therefore imperative to understand the molecular changes that allow transition from a non-aggressive state to a more aggressive phenotype. This transition is governed by a number of factors.
Methods
As crosstalk with extracellular matrix (ECM) is critical for tumour cell growth and survival, we applied high throughput shRNA screening on a validated ‘3D on-top cellular assay’ to identify novel growth suppressive mechanisms.
Results
A number of novel candidate genes were identified. We focused on COMMD3, a previously uncharacterised gene that suppressed invasive growth of ER + breast cancer cells in the cellular assay. Analysis of published expression data suggested that COMMD3 is normally expressed in the mammary ducts and lobules, that expression is lost in some tumours and that loss is associated with lower survival probabilities. We performed immunohistochemical analysis of an independent tumour cohort to investigate relationships between COMMD3 protein expression, phenotypic markers and disease-specific survival. This revealed an association between COMMD3 loss and shorter survival in hormone-dependent breast cancers and particularly luminal-A-like tumours (ER+/Ki67-low; 10-year survival probability 0.83 vs 0.73 for COMMD3-positive and -negative cases, respectively). Expression of COMMD3 in luminal-A-like tumours was directly associated with markers of luminal differentiation: c-KIT, ELF5, androgen receptor and tubule formation (the extent of normal glandular architecture; p < 0.05). Consistent with this, knockdown of COMMD3 induced invasive spheroid growth in ER + breast cancer cell lines in vitro, while Commd3 knockdown in the relatively indolent 4T07 TNBC mouse cell line promoted tumour expansion in syngeneic Balb/c hosts. Notably, RNA sequencing revealed a role for COMMD3 in copper signalling, via regulation of the Na+/K+-ATPase subunit, ATP1B1. Treatment of COMMD3-knockdown cells with the copper chelator, tetrathiomolybdate, significantly reduced invasive spheroid growth via induction of apoptosis.
Conclusion
Overall, we found that COMMD3 loss promoted-aggressive behaviour in breast cancer cells.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are associated with sarcopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Sano Akitoshi , Inoue Jun , Kakazu Eiji , Ninomiya Masashi , Iwata Tomoaki , Tsuruoka Mio , Sato Kosuke , Onuki Masazumi , Sawahashi Satoko , Masamune Atsushi
Published: December 2022

Sarcopenia is associated with the prognosis of patients with hepatic cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to clarify the composition of blood fatty acids and the association between fatty acids and sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this single center-retrospective study, 414 patients were enrolled. The skeletal muscle index was measured by a transverse computed tomography scan image at the third lumbar vertebra. The cutoff value for sarcopenia followed the criteria for sarcopenia of the Japan Society of Hepatology. The concentrations of fatty acids were measured by gas-chromatography. Of each fatty acid fraction, only omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids showed a significant correlation with skeletal muscle index (R = 0.15, p = 0.0026). In the multivariate analysis, the level of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was an independent variable associated with sarcopenia (odds ratio (95% CI): 0.9946 (0.9915–0.9977), p = 0.0004). N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were lower in patients with sarcopenia when the patient backgrounds were aligned using propensity score matching. These results showed an association between sarcopenia and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. We believe this study will contribute to the research of nutritional therapy or fatty acid-supplementation therapy for sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation for Rectal Cancer Achieves Satisfactory Tumour Regression and Local Recurrence – Result of a Dedicated Multi-Disciplinary Approach from a South Asian Centre
Authors: Deen Raeed , Ediriweera Dileepa S , Thillakaratne Suchintha , Hewavissenthi Janaki , Kumarage Sumudu K , Chandrasinghe Pramodh C.
Published: December 2022

BackgroundPre-operative long-course chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for rectal cancer has resulted in improvement in rates of restorative rectal resection and local recurrence by inducing tumour downstaging and down-sizing. Total mesorectal excision (TME) is a standardised surgical technique of low anterior resection aimed at prevention of local tumour recurrence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate tumour response following CRT in a standardised group of patients with rectal cancer.MethodsOne hundred and thirty-one patients (79 male; 52 female, median age 57; interquartile range 47 – 62 years) with rectal cancer underwent pre-operative long-course CRT followed by standardised open low anterior resection at a median of 10weeks post-CRT. Median follow up at the time of analysis was 15 months (interquartile range 6 – 45 months). Pathology reports were analysed based on AJCC-UICC classification using the TNM system. Data recorded were overall/sub-grades of tumour regression; good, moderate or poor, lymph node harvest, local recurrence, disease-free and overall survival using standard statistical methods.ResultsSeventy eight percent showed tumour regression post CRT; 43% displayed good tumour regression/response while 22% had poor tumour regression/response. All patients had a pre-operative T-stage of either T3 or T4. Post-operation, those classified as good responders had a median T stage of T2 vs. T3 in poor responders (P=0.0002). Overall, median lymph node harvest was less than 12. There was no difference in the number of nodes harvested in good responders vs. poor responders (Good/moderate-6 nodes vs. Poor- 8; P=0.31). Good responders tended to have a lesser number of malignant nodes vs. poor responders (P=0.31). Overall, local recurrence was 6.8% and there was no significant difference in predicted 5-year disease-free or overall survival between good and poor responders.ConclusionThe use of pre-operative long-course CRT results in satisfactory tumour regression and enables consideration for safe, sphincter resection in rectal cancer. A dedicated multi-disciplinary team approach achieved a global benchmark for local recurrence. Further research will be aimed at methods to improve overall lymph node harvest in irradiated patients with rectal cancer having low anterior resection.
A Systematic Review of the Psychosocial Factors Associated with Pain in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: Brandelli Yvonne N , Chambers Christine T , Mackinnon Sean P , Wildeboer Emily M , Parker Jennifer A , Huber Adam M , Stinson Jennifer N , Wilson Jennifer P , Piccolo Olivia
Published: December 2022

Background: Pain is one of the most frequently reported experiences amongst children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA); however, the management of JIA pain continues to be a challenge. As pain is a multidimensional experience that is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors, the key to effective pain management lies in understanding these complex relationships. The objective of this study is to systematically review the literature on psychosocial factors 1) associated with and 2) predictive of later JIA pain intensity, frequency, and sensitivity in children 0-17 years of age.
Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for etiology and risk and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement guided the conduct and reporting of this review. Terms related to pain and JIA were searched in English without date restrictions across various databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) in September 2021. Two independent reviewers identified, extracted data from, and critically appraised the included studies. Conflicts were resolved via consensus.
Results: Of the 9,929 unique studies identified, 61 were included in this review and reported on 516 associations. Results were heterogeneous, likely due to methodological differences and moderate study quality. Results identified significant associations between pain and child and parent internalizing symptoms, child and parent cognitions (e.g., more pain beliefs, lower self-efficacy), worse social functioning, and lower well-being and health-related quality of life. Prognostically, studies had 1-to-60-month follow-up periods. Internalizing symptoms and lower well-being were predictive of later pain reports, however bidirectional relationships were also identified. Cognitions (i.e., fewer beliefs of harm, disability, and lack of control) were associated with reduced pain over time.
Conclusions: Despite the heterogeneous results, this review highlights important associations between psychosocial factors and JIA pain. Clinically, this information supports an interdisciplinary approach to pain management. More specifically, it informs the role of psychosocial supports and provides information to better optimize JIA pain assessments and interventions. It also identifies a need for high quality studies with larger sample sizes and more complex and longitudinal analyses to understand factors that impact the pain experience in children with JIA.
Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021266716
The impact of specific pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy on cardiac fluorodeoxyglucose distribution in PET/MRI hybrid imaging – follow up study
Authors: Kazimierczyk Remigiusz , Szumowski Piotr , Nekolla Stephan G. , Malek Lukasz A. , Blaszczak Piotr , Hladunski Marcin , Sobkowicz Bozena , Mysliwiec Janusz , Kaminski Karol A.
Published: December 2022

Background
PET/MRI hybrid imaging in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) provides important prognostic information identifying patients who might benefit from early therapy escalation, as right ventricle (RV) metabolic alterations are linked with hemodynamics and might precede clinical deterioration. Now, we hypothesize that adequate PAH therapy escalation may result in reversal of unfavourable increased glucose uptake of RV, which is associated with improved prognosis.
Methods
Out of twenty-six initially clinically stable PAH patients who had baseline PET/MRI scans, twenty (49.9±14.9 years) had second PET/MRI after 24 months. SUVRV/SUVLV ratio was used to estimate and compare cardiac glucose uptake. Occurrences of clinical endpoints (CEP), defined as death or clinical deterioration were assessed during 48-month follow-up from baseline.
Results
In first 24 months of observation sixteen patients had CEP and needed PAH therapy escalation. At follow-up visits we observed significant improvement of RV ejection fraction (45.1±9.6% to 52.4±12.9%, p=0.01), mean pulmonary artery pressure (50.5±18.3 to 42.8±18.6 mmHg, p=0.03), and SUVRV/SUVLV, which tended to decrease (mean change -0.20±0.74). Patients with baseline SUVRV/SUVLV value higher than 0.54 had worse prognosis in 48 months observation (log-rank test, p=0.0007); follow up SUVRV/SUVLV >1 predicted CEP in the following 24 months, regardless of previously escalated treatment.
Conclusions
PAH therapy escalation may influence RV glucose metabolism, what seems to be related with patients’ prognosis. PET/MRI assessment may predict clinical deterioration regardless of previous clinical course, however its clinical significance in PAH requires further studies. Importantly, even mild alterations of RV glucose metabolism predict clinical deterioration in long follow-up.
Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03688698, 05/01/2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT03688698?term=NCT03688698&draw=2&rank=1
BMP4 reprograms glucose metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by upregulating glycogen synthesis through the SMAD/SLC2A1 (GLUT1) signaling axis
Authors: Zhong Jiamin , Tian Luyao , Gou Yannian , Zhao Piao , Dong Xiangyu , Guo Meichun , Zhao Guozhi , Li Aohua , Hao Ailing , He Tong-Chuan , Fan Jiaming
Published: December 2022

Background
Excessive hepatic glycogen accumulation benefits tumorigenesis and cancer cell survival. We previously reported that BMP4 was elevated in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and augmented HCC cell survival under hypoxia and hypoglycemia conditions by promoting the glycolysis pathway. However, the mechanism underlying BMP4’s effect on glucose metabolism remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the effect of BMP4 on hepatic glycose metabolism through glucose transporter SLC2A1 (GLUT1) in HCC cells.
Methods
The expression of BMP4 and SLC2A1 were acquired by analyzing the TCGA-LIHC dataset, as well as by immunohistochemical analysis of the 40 pairs of human HCC samples and para-tumor tissues. Gene expressions were detected by qPCR, immunoflurorescence staining, and Western blotting. Overexpression and silencing of BMP4 were accomplished through adenoviruses Ad-B4 and Ad-siB4 infection. Hepatic glycogen was detected by PAS staining. SLC2A1(GLUT1) function was blocked by the inhibitor BAY-876. ChIP assay was used to determine the binding of SMADs to the promoter region of SLC2A1 in HCC cells. Lastly, the in vivo effect of BMP4-regulated SLC2A1 on HCC tumor growth was assessed in a xenograft model of HCC.
Results
The elevated expression of BMP4 in HCC tumor tissues was highly correlated with hepatic glycogen accumulation in clinical samples. SLC2A1 was highly expressed in HCC tumor tissue and correlated with clinical stage and prognosis. Exogenous BMP4 augmented glycogen accumulation and up regulated the expression of glycogen synthesis-related genes in Huh7 and HepG2 cells, both of which were effectively blunted by SLC2A1inhibitor BAY-876. In mechanism, BMP4 activated SMAD5 to regulate the promoter of SLC2A1to enhance its expression. The in vivo xenograft experiments revealed that BMP4 promoted glycogen accumulation and tumor growth, which were effectively diminished by BAY-876.
Conclusion
These results demonstrate that BMP4 can reprogram hepatic glycogen metabolism and promote tumor growth of HCC cells through SMAD/SLC2A1 axis, which may be exploited as novel therapeutic targets for HCC treatment.
Development and validation of a prediction model for iron status: evidence from a large U.S. cohort of women
Authors: Von Holle Ann , O'Brien Katie M. , Janicek Robert , Weinberg Clarice R.
Published: December 2022

Serum iron levels can be important contributors to health outcomes, but it is not often feasible to rely on blood-based measures for a large epidemiologic study. Predictive models that use questionnaire-based factors such as diet, supplement use, recency of blood donation, and medical conditions could potentially provide a noninvasive alternative for studying health effects associated with iron status. We hypothesized that a model based on questionnaire data could predict blood-based measures of iron status biomarkers. Using iron (mg/dL), ferritin (mg/dL), and transferrin saturation (%) based on blood collected at study entry, in a subsample from the U.S.-wide Sister Study (n = 3,171), we developed and validated a prediction model for iron with multivariable linear regression models. Model performance was weak, with R2less than 0.10 for serum iron and transferrin saturation, but better for ferritin, with an R2of 0.13 in premenopausal women and 0.19 in postmenopausal women. When menopause was included in the predictive model for the sample, the R2was 0.31 for ferritin. Internal validation of the estimates indicated some optimism present in the observed prediction model, implying there would be worse performance when applied to new samples from the same population. Serum iron status is hard to assess based only on questionnaire data. Reducing measurement error in both the exposure and outcome may improve the prediction model performance, but environmental heterogeneity, temporal variation, and genetic heterogeneity in absorption and storage may contribute substantially to iron status.
Title: Dust and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Ghanaian Homes: developing home cleaning intervention through community engagement to reduce infections and AMR.
Authors: Tsekleves Emmanuel , De Souza Dziedzom , Pickup Roger , Ahorlu Collins , Darby Andy
Published: December 2022

Background
Globally Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) constitutes a health crisis, particularly in developing countries, where infectious disease commonly leads to fatalities. Personal and environmental hygiene form the best ways of reducing home infections thus decreasing the need for antibiotics and consequently diminishing AMR. Despite this being an obvious step, our understanding of cleaning in the home and possible interventions on home cleaning are limited.
Methods
We combined design and microbiology methods in an innovative mixed-method approach. A traditional survey design (n = 240), a design ethnography (n = 12), a co-design workshop and a pre-intervention microbiological dust sample analysis was undertaken to provide insights for codesign workshops in which new cleaning practices might be developed to minimise any AMR bacteria present in the home environments located in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
Results
Microbiological analysis of household dust showed that 36.6% of bacterial isolates detected were found to carry at least one resistance to the panel of antibiotics tested. Four scenarios were generated from an economic segmentation of the survey data. 50 ethnographic insights were ‘presented’ and descriptions of 12 bacteria species that showed resistance to one or more antibiotics (representing 176 bacterial isolates that showed resistance to one or more antibiotics found in the dust samples) were presented to the participants in a codesign workshop. An intervention, a new regime of cleaning practices agreed through the co-design workshop and practiced for thirty days, was made in (n = 7) households.
Conclusion
The high prevalence of multidrug resistance observed in this study indicate the need for antibiotics surveillance program, not only in hospital settings but also in the home environment. There is, thus, an urgent need for targeting of interventions at the household level. Activating knowledge through community engagement in the research helps in increasing public perception and breaking down the scientist-public barrier.
A multi-site study of a new cement composite brick with partial cement substitutes and waste materials
Authors: Jackowski Mateusz , Malek Marcin
Published: December 2022

The building industry is a major contributor to climate change since it emits massive amounts of greenhouse gases. As a result of this research, a cement composite brick with partial cement substitutes and waste material was developed. This novel building material holds a lot of promise for partly solving this problem. The fresh formula mixture and hardened concrete were tested for physical, mechanical, and thermal properties to ensure that the assumptions were true. In this study, 20 recipes that led to the composition of mentioned brick were presented as well as its final recipe. The results of the fresh mixture were assessed in terms of initial and final setting time, pH, and air content. The compressive strength of the brick developed with the modified formula increased by 22% compared to the reference sample. Also, higher mechanical values were obtained for the splitting strength and flexural strength, which increased by 14% and 32%, respectively, compared to plain concrete. The results of the SEM images showed an even distribution of the fibers in the composite matrix and a crack-free structure. Moreover, the results of the image analysis confirmed the failure character consistent with traditional concretes in the case of compression and the lack of split into two independent samples in the case of bending. Therefore, the new composite brick has great potential to be used as a primary replacement for traditional concrete masonry in civil engineering projects.
Prevalence, modifiable and risk factors of depression, anxiety and stress (DASS) among elders in the northwest of Iran
Authors: Raeisvandi Abouzar , Amerzadeh Mohammad , Hajiabadi Fatemeh , Hosseinkhani Zahra
Published: December 2022

Background
Depression, anxiety, and stress are among the most common mental health disorders of the elderly that affect the health of individuals and society. Considering the growing trend of the elderly population in Iran, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of these disorders and to identify the factors affecting them in the elderly.
Methods
We conducted this cross-sectional study on 301 elderly people referred to Qazvin health centers. Data was collected using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire and analyzed through univariate and multivariate linear regression tests with the interaction between variables in STATA Version 14 software. A P-value of less than 0.05 was significant.
Results
The prevalence of depression was 45.5%, anxiety 35.5%, and stress 40.2%. 22.9%, 7.9%, and 14.3% of people had severe and very severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The variables of age, comorbidity, life status and job status had a significant relationship with the DASS score (p < 0.05). There was an interaction between the variables of comorbidity and income status influencing the DASS score (β = 0.68, 95% CI 0.15, 1.22).
Conclusion
The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress in the elderly was high, indicating the inappropriate status of their mental health. Because of the interaction between comorbidity and the income status of the elderly, significant changes in lifestyle, and weakening the support structure of families for the elderly, it is necessary to plan and pay more attention to the needs and problems of these people.
Multivariate time series prediction of Covid-19 daily new cases in Indonesia based on Deep Learning: Unlocking the role of effective reproduction number (Rt)
Authors: Mauritsius Tuga , Jayadi Riyanto , Arifin Samsul
Published: December 2022

To date, COVID-19 and its variants have been among the greatest hindrances for humanity. This disease is spreading rapidly and almost all parts of the world are currently exposed to it. The ability to understand and simultaneously predict the dynamics of daily confirmed cases of this disease is essential to prevent and mitigate the impact of the pandemic. This study investigates the use of Deep Learning (DL), including Deep Feedforward Neural Networks (DFNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (CONV1D), and Gated Recurrent Units (GRU), to predict daily confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Indonesia by taking into account as many as 25 variables (predictors) as inputs. Variable filtering was also performed to identify the predictors with the best weight. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) regression is used for this purpose. Some statistical analyses were also carried out to increase our understanding of the data before modelling. The performance of the algorithm was assessed using several metrics, including Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Scaled Error (MASE). MASE is a measure of MAE relative to the baseline model. The results showed that DL using two predictors, the number of daily confirmed cases and the Rt (effective reproduction number) value, had the highest performance and was able to predict the number of daily confirmed cases 13 days ahead. Adding more variables deteriorates DL performance.
High-Performance Surface Plasmon Resonance Fiber Sensor Based on Cylindrical Vector Modes
Authors: Sharif Vahid , Pakarzadeh Hassan
Published: December 2022

Cylindrical vector modes with azimuthal polarization and low transmission loss are proposed for the first time to be utilized in a novel design of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on a circular photonic crystal fiber (C-PCF). A C-PCF with a ring of air holes in the cladding is designed where a gold layer with thickness of 44nm is coated on the outer cladding surface. The optimal geometric parameters are determined using the finite-element method (FEM) for a high-quality TE01 mode and high sensitivity of the sensor. The proposed SPR sensor shows high sensitivity for analyte refractive index (RI) ranging from na=1.29 to 1.34 over the wavelength range of 1400–2000 nm. It is expected that the proposed sensor can sense low concentrations of hemoglobin, lymphocytes and monocytes of red and white blood cells which are effective in diagnosing the progress of cancer tumors. The maximum sensitivity of 13800 nm/RIU is obtained for the analyte RI of na=1.33. The sensor resolution is of the order of 10− 6 and the amplitude sensitivity reaches its maximum of 2380 RIU− 1 at na=1.30 which is the highest value ever reported. Our proposed sensor shows high sensitivity and simultaneously simple design with high performance.
A hybrid approach to predict COVID-19 cases using neural networks and inverse problem
Authors: Paul Subhendu , Lorin Emmanuel
Published: December 2022

We derive a novel hybrid approach, a combination of neural networks and inverse problem, in order to forecast COVID-19 cases, and more generally any infectious disease. For this purpose, we extract a second order nonlinear differential equation for the total confirmed cases from a SIR-like model. The latter is the cornerstone of the present study which allows to rigorously simplify the construction of the time-dependent epidemiological parameters without solving a system of differential equations. The neural network and inverse problems are used to compute the trial functions for total cases and the model parameters, respectively. The number of suspected and infected individuals can be found using the trial function of total confirmed cases. We divide the time domain into two parts, training interval (first 365/395 days) and test interval (first 366 to 395/ 396 to 450 days), and train the neural networks on the preassigned training zones. To examine the efficiency and effectiveness, we apply the proposed method to Canada, and use the Canadian publicly available database to estimate the parameters of the trial function involved with total cases. The trial functions of model parameters show that the basic reproduction number was closed to unity over a wide range, the first 100 to 365 days of the current pandemic in Canada. The proposed prediction models, based on the influence of previous COVID-19 cases and social economic policy, show excellent agreement with the data. The test results reveal that the single path prediction can forecast a period of 30 days, and the prediction using previous social and economical situation can forecast a range of 55 days.
Prognostic Value of LINC01600 and CASC15 as Competitive Endogenous RNAs in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhou Fangbin
Published: December 2022

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can directly or indirectly regulate gene expression through interacting with microRNAs (miRNAs). Competitive Endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) render the roles of lncRNAs more complicated in the process of tumor occurrence and progression. However, the prognostic value of lncRNAs as potential biomarkers and their functional roles as ceRNAs have not been clearly described for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC). In the present study, the aberrant expression profiles of lncRNAs and miRNAs were analyzed at cBioPortal by interrogating LUAD dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database with 517 tissue samples. A total of 92 lncRNAs and 125 miRNAs with highly genetic alterations were identified. Further bioinformatics analysis was performed to construct a LUAD-related lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network, which included 24 highly altered lncRNAs, 21 miRNAs and 142 mRNAs. Some key lncRNAs in this network were subsequently identified as LUAD prognosis-related, and of those, LINC01600 and CASC15 both performed the potential prognostic characteristics with LUAD regarding OS and recurrence. Comprehensive analysis indicated that the expression of LINC01600 was significantly associated with KRAS mutation and lymph node metastasis, and CASC15 and LINC01600 were significantly tended towards co-occurrence, which may be due to the similarity of genes co-expressed by these two lncRNAs. Our findings provided novel insight into better understanding of ceRNA regulatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of LUAD and facilitated the identification of potential biomarkers for prognosis.
Investigating the antimicrobial properties of Staphylococci-derived compounds against ESKAPE bacteria
Authors: Modimola Margaret Selina , Njobeh Patrick Berka , Senabe Jeremiah , Fouche Gerda , McGaw Lyndy , Makhubu Fikile Nelly , Mathiba Kgama , Mthobeni Julian , Green Ezekiel
Published: December 2022

Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecium, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, and Enterobacter aerogenes (ESKAPE) bacterial group is well noted for drug resistance. These strains cause various diseases and in doing so, utilize various ways to resist a broad range of antibiotics. Susceptibility to antibiotics amongst ESKAPE bacteria is rapidly declining, and therefore, there is a need to explore alternative ways to deal with ESKAPE-related conditions by utilizing bacterial compounds. The compounds used in this study were derived from secondary metabolites of Staphylococci stains (S saprophyticus [ATCC 35552], S. aureus [isolated from milk of mastitic cows], and S. epidermidis [ATCC 51625]. These compounds were screened, identified and evaluated for cytotoxicity beforehand. Such compounds included Veratramine, 1,2,6-Hexanetriol, Succinic acid, 4-Methyl-pentyl-amine; from S. saprophyticus, Fluoranthene, 3-Methyl-2-phenyl-1H-pyrrole, and Cyclo (L-Leu-L-Propyl) and from S. epidermidis, Oleamide and Methyl palmitate. However, Fluoranthene is excluded in this study as it previously exhibited cytotoxicity against Vero cells, therefore, is considered unsuitable as a prospective antimicrobial agent. Prior to exploring the antimicrobial properties of Staphylococci-derived compounds, the susceptibility of ESKAPE bacteria was tested against the antibiotic regimens as per South African guidelines. The investigations on antibiotics susceptibility were carried out to compare the susceptibility of ESKAPE bacteria to known antibiotics against Staphylococci-derived compounds. The antimicrobial properties of the compounds were evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively by TLC bioautography and a broth microdilution method, respectively. In this study, we found that all the compounds did not exhibit any antimicrobial properties against the ESKAPE bacteria except for Succinic acid, which exhibited its efficacy against A. baumannii with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 62.5 µg/mL.
CD47 antisense oligonucleotide treatment attenuates obesity and its-associated metabolic dysfunction
Authors: Gwag Taesik , Li Dong , Ma Eric , Guo Zhenheng , Liang Ying , Wang Shuxia
Published: December 2022

Background: CD47 is a ubiquitously expressed cell membrane receptor implicated in self-recognition and immune function. Previous study from our lab has revealed a new role of CD47 in regulating adipose tissue function and energy homeostasis. Genetic deletion of CD47 has been shown to protect mice from diet-induced obesity and its-associated metabolic complications. In this study, the therapeutic potential of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting to CD47 in obesity and metabolic disease was determined.
Methods: Two obese mouse models (diet induced obese mice and leptin deficient ob/ob mice) were utilized. For diet induced obesity, male C57BL6 mice were fed with high fat (HF) diet for 6 weeks to induce obesity and glucose intolerance. Then these mice were treated with CD47ASO or control ASO for 8 weeks with continuous HF diet feeding. For genetic obese mouse model, male six-week old ob/ob mice were treated with ASOs for 9 weeks. Body weight was monitored weekly. By the end of study, glucose tolerance test, indirect calorimetry, body composition and cold exposure experiments were performed.
Results: We found that CD47ASO treatment reduced HF diet-induced weight gain, decreased fat mass, prevented dyslipidemia, and improved glucose tolerance. These changes were accompanied by reduced inflammation in white adipose tissue, reduced hepatic lipogenic gene expression and decreased hepatic steatosis. This protection was also seen in CD47ASO treated ob/ob mice. CD47ASO treated mice displayed increased energy expenditure. Interestingly, these mice displayed increased voluntary wheel running distance in metabolic cage, which was associated with increased lean mass and expression of uncoupling proteins (UCP2 and UCP3) in skeletal muscle. Food intake or cold tolerance was comparable between control ASO and CD47 ASO treated mice.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that CD47ASO might serve as a new treatment option for obesity and its-associated metabolic complications.