bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association Between Visceral Adipose Tissue and Glomerular Hyperfiltration in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Yang Yong-Chang , Zhao Jing-Ying , zhao Cheng-Guang
Published: August 2022

Background: Glomerular hyperfiltration is an early indicator of obesity-related glomerular disease. However, in adolescents, there are no quantifiable indicators of obesity and glomerular hyperfiltration. This study investigates the association between visceral adipose tissue and glomerular hyperfiltration in adolescents.Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; 2011–2018), and adolescents aged 12–17.99 were included. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) formed the independent variables while estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) acted as the dependent variable. Their association was assessed using unadjusted and multifactorial multiple linear regression analyses, as well as subgroup and interaction analyses.Results: Multivariate regression analysis revealed that VAT was positively associated with eGFR and glomerular hyperfiltration among adolescents. The incidence of glomerular hyperfiltration increased by 99% in boys and 56% in girls per 100 g of VAT increase. Additionally, VAT and eGFR exhibited a linear relationship in both boys (β = 5.63, p < 0.001) and girls (β = 2.72, p < 0.001).Conclusions: In US adolescents aged 12–17.99, VAT was positively correlated with eGFR and glomerular hyperfiltration.
Endangered elasmobranchs visit specific reef sites in southern Mozambique.
Authors: Murie Calum , Oliver Simon , Mychek-Londer Justin , Lebrato Mario , Dicken Matt , Gavard Livia , Brown James , Lawrence Andrew
Published: August 2022

Delineating the spatial ecology of elasmobranchs is an important precursor to their effective management. Establishing long-term patterns in the habitat use of several threatened species can focus management to yield increased conservation benefits. We completed 738 transects on 16 reef sites off the coast of southern Mozambique to record encounters with elasmobranch species and 12 environmental and spatiotemporal parameters (location, time, day, tide and range, cloud cover, visibility, lunar phase, temperature, current strength, and direction, transect duration). The influence of the measured parameters on the visit frequencies of nine regularly (> 20 / year) encountered elasmobranch species (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, Triaenodon obesus, Stegastoma tigrinum, Neotrygon kuhlii, Himantura jenkinsii, Taeniura meyeni, Mobula kuhlii, Mobula alfredi, Mobula birostris) were estimated using multivariate models. All species, bar H. jenkinsii, frequented specific reef sites. Counts were generally highest in summer. Three species (M. birostris, M. kuhlii, S. tigrinum) counts peaked in winter. T. obesus and M. alfredi tended to frequent reefs during high tides, M. kuhlii during slack tides, N. kuhlii during low tides and C. amblyrhynchos when the tidal range was high. Counts of M. alfredi were highest during full moons and M. kuhlii during full, half, and new moons. Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) indicated that species responses to the measured parameters grouped taxonomically. Environmental influences resulted in daily, monthly, and seasonal patterns of reef use. Our results indicate that specific elasmobranch species routinely congregate on specific reef sites and that management of these sites could promote several threatened populations.
Adaptive Uplink Transmit Power Mechanism for Energy Efficiency in Infrared-Based LiFi IoT Networks
Authors: Asad Muhammad , Qaisar Saad
Published: August 2022

The continuously increasing number of Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) access points have resulted in increased congestion in already congested indoor networks. In recent years, Light Fidelity (LiFi) has presented itself as upcoming access technology to complement WiFi owing to its vast spectrum, high data rates, and secrecy. Infrared (IR) is widely adopted in the uplink of LiFi-based systems. Due to the limited availability of energy in the Internet of Things (IoT) nodes, energy efficiency is vital. This paper presents a client-based adaptive IR uplink transmit power algorithm to enhance energy efficiency while satisfying the data rate requirement of IoT nodes. With hardware-based experimentation with LZ1 IR-LED and Heidi lens, the need for such an adaptive transmit power mechanism is first demonstrated. Simulation-based evaluation is then performed, showing that the proposed algorithm outperforms random and fixed uplink optical powers in terms of energy efficiency and satisfaction of data rate requirements of IoT nodes. The results clearly show the need for hardware design of IR-based IoT nodes with integrated adaptive uplink transmit power algorithms for LiFi IoT networks.
Aerosol Optical Depth over the Middle East and North Africa region in CMIP6 Models: Climatology, Variability, and Trends
Authors: Kunchala Ravi Kumar , Attada Raju , Karumuri Rama Krishna , Seelanki Vivek , Singh Bhupendra Bahadur , Ashok Karumuri , Hoteit Ibrahim
Published: August 2022

This study evaluates the aerosol optical depth (AOD) distribution in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations over the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The CMIP6 outputs are first validated against available moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer and multiangle imaging spectroradiometer satellite observations and Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis over the 2003–2014 period. The climatological annual AOD fields across the 16 CMIP6 models range between 0.2 to 0.8, in agreement with the satellite observations (0.2 to 0.6). The regionally averaged climatological AOD from the satellite observations over the MENA region is 0.35, while it ranges between 0.15 and 0.50 in the CMIP6 models. A multi-model mean (MME) was constructed as the average of the five best CMIP6 models, selected based on the correlations with observations (> 0.8), and other robust statistical metrics. The MME reproduces the AOD seasonal cycle and its interannual variations over the MENA. The observed positive trends (summer and annual) over the AP, and negative trends (winter) over the North African regions, are well captured. Furthermore, the MME generally reproduces the regional meteorological factors responsible for the AOD trends, albeit with a few discrepancies.
Brain tumor segmentation based on improved U-Net
Authors: zheng ping , Zhu Xunfei , Guo Wenbo
Published: August 2022

Background: Automatic segmentation of brain tumors using deep learning algorithms is one of the research hotspots in the field of medical image segmentation at this stage. An improved u-net network is proposed to segment brain tumors in order to improve the segmentation effect of brain tumors.Methods: In order to solve the problems that other brain tumor segmentation models such as U-Net have insufficient ability to segment edge details, poor extraction of location information and the commonly used Binary Cross-Entropy and Dice loss are often ineffective when used as loss functions for brain tumor segmentation models, we propose a serial encoding-decoding structure, which achieves improved segmentation performance by adding Hybrid Dilated Convolution (HDC) modules and the connections between each module of the two serial networks, in addition, we propose a new loss function in order to make the model more focused on samples that are difficult to segment and classify. We compared the results of our proposed model and the commonly used segmentation models under IOU, PA, Dice, Precision, Hausdorf95, and ASD metrics.Results: The performance of the proposed method outperforms other segmentation models in each metric. In addition, the schematic diagram of segmentation results shows that the segmentation results of our algorithm are closer to ground truth, showing more details of brain tumors, while the segmentation results of other algorithms are more smooth.Conclusions: Our algorithm has better semantic segmentation performance, compared with other commonly used segmentation algorithms. The technology we proposed can be used in the diagnosis of brain tumors to provide better protection for patients' later treatment.
Development of an Implantable Collamer Lens Sizing Model: A Retrospective Study Using ANTERION Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography and a Literature Review
Authors: Kim Taein , Kim Su Jeong , Lee Bo Young , Cho Hye Jin , Sa Beom Gi , Ryu Ik Hee , Kim Jin Kuk , Lee In Sik , Han Eoksoo , Yoo Tae Keun
Published: August 2022

Background
Optimal sizing for phakic intraocular lens (EVO ICL with KS-AquaPort) implantation plays an important role in preventing postoperative complications. We aimed to formulate optimal lens sizing using ocular biometric parameters measured by the Heidelberg anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) device.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed 892 eyes of 471 healthy subjects treated with intraocular collamer lens (ICL) and assigned them to development (80%) and validation (20%) sets. We built vault prediction models using the development set via classic linear regression methods, partial least squares, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression techniques. We evaluated prediction abilities based on the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) to select the best prediction model. The performance was measured using Pearson’s correlation coefficients and the mean squared error (MAE) between the achieved and predicted vaults.
Results
Measurements of aqueous depth (AQD), anterior chamber volume, anterior chamber angle (ACA) distance, spur-to-spur distance, crystalline lens thickness (LT), and white-to-white distance from ANTERION were highly associated with the ICL vault. The LASSO model using the AQD, ACA distance, and LT showed the best BIC results for postoperative ICL vault prediction. In the validation dataset, the LASSO model showed the strongest correlation (r = 0.582, P < 0.001) and the lowest MAE (104.5 µm).
Conclusions
This is the first study to develop a postoperative ICL vault prediction and lens sizing model based on ANTERION. As the measurements from ANTERION and other AS-OCT are not interchangeable, ANTERION can be used for optimal ICL sizing using our formula.
Risk Assessment of Human Monkeypox Infections for Vaccine Prioritization
Authors: Zucker Roy , Lavie Gil , Sagy Yael Wolff , Arieh Noa Gur , Markovits Hila , Abu-Ahmad Weissam , Battat Erez , Beckenstein Tanya , Carmeli Guy , Mark-Amir Avner , Wagner-Kolasko Gal , Edri Amos , Duskin-Bitan Hadar , Yaron Shlomit , Peretz Alon , Netzer Doron , Arbel Ronen
Published: August 2022

Background
As the current global resurgence of monkeypox virus infection (MPXVi) continues, the immediate supply of vaccines is lower than the demand. Therefore, prioritization of vaccinations for the highest risk subjects using routine medical records is warranted.
Methods
This population-based cohort study included all Clalit Health Services (CHS) subjects deemed at moderate-to-high risk for MPXVi: males who purchased HIV-PrEP or tested for sexually transmitted infections since January 2021, aged 25–46 who received Human Papilloma Virus vaccine, or HIV-positive. We defined a high-risk group within the cohort and compared the risk for MPXVi to the moderate-risk group from June 6 (the first known CHS case) until Jul 25, 2022.
Results
Out of 4.8 million CHS members, 8,089 met the study eligibility criteria (0.18%). During the study period, 54 CHS members tested positive for MPXVi, 51 (94%) of whom were included in the study cohort. The highest risk group included 2,274 (28%) subjects who met the following criteria in 2022: Used HIV-PrEP or erectile dysfunction therapy or were diagnosed with STIs by rectal PCR. The hazard ratio for MPXV infection in the high-risk group compared to the moderate-risk group is 19.35 (95% CI: 8.26–45.36). The sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV for MPXV infection are 88.2%, 72.3%, 99.9%, and 2.0%, respectively.
Conclusions
Subjects in the highest risk group have a nearly 20-fold risk for MPXV infection compared to the moderate risk group. Our findings may assist in prioritizing new vaccines by promptly identifying high-risk populations without the need for intrusive sexual behavior questioning.
Sustained effect of leukocytapheresis/granulocytapheresis versus anti-human TNF-α monoclonal antibody on ulcerative colitis - a 2-year retrospective study -
Authors: Sakai Masahiro , Hayashi Koichi , Ito Tomoyuki , Otani Haruka , Mori Yuya , Ito Shinsuke , Endo Keita , Matsuda Hiroto , Yoshino Kaede , Kitamura Koichi , Kubota Eiji , Motomura Yasuaki , Suzuki Yasuhiro , Fujitani Shigeki , Suzuki Toshihiko
Published: August 2022

Background: Although anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody (BP) agents are widely used as an established treatment tool for refractory ulcerative colitis (UC), whether leukocytapheresis/granulocytapheresis (L/G-CAP) has similar beneficial impact on the disease activity remains undetermined. Furthermore, the costs defrayed for the treatment with these two modalities have not been compared. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated whether L/G-CAP offered sustained beneficial effects over 2-year period. The patients who had moderately to severely active UC (Rachmilewitz Clinical Activity Index (CAI)≧5) and were treated with a series (10 sessions) of L/G-CAP (n=19) or BP (n=7) as an add-on therapy to conventional medications were followed. Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness pertaining to the treatment with L/G-CAP and BP was assessed over 12 months. Results: At baseline, L/G-CAP and BP groups manifested similar disease activity (CAI, L/G-CAP; 7.0 [6.0-10.0], BP; 10.0 [6.0-10.0], p=0.207). The L/G-CAP and BP treatment suppressed the activity, with CAI 1 or less attained on day 180. When the L/G-CAP group was dichotomized into L/G-CAP-high and L/G-CAP-low group based on CAI values (≥3 or <3) on day 365, CAI was gradually elevated in L/G-CAP-high group but remained suppressed in L/G-CAP-low group without additional apheresis for two years. Anemia was corrected more rapidly and hemoglobin levels were higher in BP group. The cost of the treatment with L/G-CAP over 12 months was curtailed to 76% of that with BP (1.79 [1.73-1.92] vs. 2.35 [2.29-3.19] million yen, p=0.028). Conclusions: L/G-CAP is as effective as BP in a substantial number of patients over two years. The cost for the treatment of UC favors L/G-CAP although the correction of anemia may prefer BP. Thus, L/G-CAP can effectively manage the disease activity with no additional implementation for two years although further therapeutic modalities might be required in a certain population with high CAI observed on day 365. Trial registration: This study is a retrospective analysis evaluating the long-term efficacy of L/G-CAP and anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody agents on the disease activity during a total of two years, and also assessing the costs of the treatment for UC over 12-month period (UMIN trial No. 000036954). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center (Chiba, institutional approval No. 376) and Keiyu Hospital (Yokohama, Kanagawa, institutional approval No. R3-26) with waiver of the requirement for obtaining informed consent, and was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Information from medical records was anonymized and de-identified prior to final analysis.
The level of fascin-1 in circulating tumor cells and in cells of the local tumor site in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Kakurina Gelena , Sereda Elena , Stakheeva Marina , Tashireva Lubov , Velikaya Viktoria , Cheremisina Olga , Kondakova Irina , Choinzonov Evgeny .
Published: August 2022

Purpose: The study of the biology of highly aggressive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and the search for prognostic markers are of great significance. Disease progression is the major cause of death in cancer patients and is associated with remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. Fascin-1 (FSCN1), an actin-binding protein, is involved in cell proliferation, adhesion, and motility of tumor cells. To analyze the contribution of FSCN1 to the progression of HNSCC, we determined its serum level, the relative number of FSCN1-containing circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and peripheral blood leukocytes, tumor cells (TC), and tumor microenvironment cells. We also estimated all parameters as prognostic markers of metastasis and recurrence in HNSCC patients. Methods: Biological samples from 33 HNSCC patients (T1-4N0-2M0) were taken before starting anticancer therapy. Blood serum from 11 healthy volunteers served as a control. The serum level of FSCN1 was determined using ELISA. The number of FSCN1+ leukocytes and CTCs was assessed by flow cytometry. The number of FSCN1- expressing tumor cell components was evaluated using TSA-modified immunofluorescence analysis. For statistical analysis the Statistica 8.0 and IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 software package was used. Results: The serum level of FSCN1 was significantly higher in HNSCC patients than in healthy volunteers (p=0.05). In peripheral blood, the relative number of FSCN1+ CD326+ CTCs was almost 3 times higher than the number of FSCN1+ leukocytes. In the primary tumor tissue, the number of TC_FSCN1+ (6.1[1.1;18.2]%) was higher than that of other tumor components containing this protein. The number of FSCN1+ tissue fibroblasts was the lowest (0.36[0.0;1.8]%). In HNSCC patients with lymph node metastases (T2-4N1-2M0), the serum level of FSCN1 was 10 times higher than that observed in HNSCC patients without lymph node metastases. The FSCN1level of more than 2.7ng\ml in HNSCC patients before treatment was associated with a high risk of progression within 12 months after anticancer treatment. In HNSCC patients with disease progression occurred a year after anticancer treatment, the content of FSCN1+ tumor cells was 6 times higher than that in HNSCC patients without disease progression. The number of FSCN1+CD326+ CTCs strongly correlated with the content of TC_FSCN1+ tissue (r=0.9; p=0.02). Conclusion: We were the first to give a comprehensive assessment of the content of FSCN1 in various biological samples of patients with HNSCC. The relative number of TC_FSCN1+ in tissue samples was shown to correlate with HNSCC progression. The assessment of the serum level of FSCN1 can be promising for determining the risk of progression within 12 months after treatment in patients with HNSCC.
Study of Symptoms, Signs and Surgical Management of Lumbar Disc Herniation in Damascus Hospital.
Authors: Al-koud Mohamad , Mousa Asma , Abdin Jihad , Al-Fawaris Ma'moun
Published: August 2022

Background:In view of the increasing number of cases that regressed with a history of pulpous hernia and based on the importance of morbidity and functional disability caused by such cases, it was necessary to conduct this study to study the symptoms and signs that patients refer to and to know the optimal treatment method for themMethods:A retrospective study was conducted: The hospital's approval was obtained to review patients' data from 2021 to 2022, Samples were collected from patient records in the Neurosurgery Division of the hospital, the questionnaire was created in an automated electronic Google form, the data is archived by Microsoft Excel 2019, The study included 180 patients admitted to the Neurosurgery Division who were diagnosed with pulpal herniation (disc) at Al-Mujtahid Hospital in Damascus. Below we review some characteristics of the sample according to demographic variables and the variables that measure risk factorsResults:63.3% of the patients were female, and the mean age was 47.3 years, 22.7% had a history of arterial hypertension, and 12.3% had a history of diabetes. The percentage Lower back with a radicular spread of 36.1%. While 17.9% had nervous claudication, and 14.9% had numbness and numbness, most of the patients also had acute pain 54.4%. Where the percentage of hernia in the vertebrae (L5-L4) 54.4% was the largest. The Lasik score was positive on one side at 42.2%, and 5.6% positive on both sides. While 89.4% of them were managed surgicallyConclusion:Based on the existing results, it was found that most cases regressed in advanced stages after the development of symptoms, which leads to the need for surgery as the best way to get rid of pain.
Effect of Citric Acid and Benzophenone Tetracarboxyclic Acid Treatments on Stability and Durability of Short Rotation Teak Wood
Authors: Basri Efrida , Hanifah Nisrina , Martha Resa , Rahayu Istie S. , Darmawan Wayan , Gérardin Philippe
Published: August 2022

Short rotation teak has been around 30 cm in diameter at the age of 15 years, however the wood is low quality especially in dimensional stability and durability. The short rotation teak wood was treated by non-biocide chemicals of Citric Acid (CA) and Benzophenone Tetracarboxylic Acid (BPTCA). The objective of this study was to improve dimensional stability and durability of the short rotation teak by modification treatment of CA and BPTCA. Short rotation teak sapwood was impregnated by 20% and 40% of both CA and BPTCA followed by heated in oven at 150 °C (HT150oC) for 2 h. Dimensional stability was characterized by anti-swelling efficiency (ASE), water uptake (WU), and termite durability was determined by weight loss and percentage of damage of the wood samples. The results show that the ASE values increased in the average of 46% and 50% after CA and BPTCA treatments, respectively. The WU values decreased in the average of 34% and 22% after CA and BPTCA treatments, respectively. These phenomena indicated a remarkable improvement in dimensional stability of the treated teak wood. Weight losses of treated teak woods due to termites were in the average of 1.0% and 1.5% after CA and BPTCA treatments, respectively, which categorized their durability to be class 1 (very durable). The results showed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) indicate that chemical reaction of wood lignin with CA and BPTCA chemicals was occurred. The CA and BPTCA treatment can be applied for improving the quality of short rotation teaks for high quality wood product utilization.
Metachronous adenocarcinoma at stoma site 50 years after abdominoperineal resection for carcinoma rectum – A case report and review of literature
Authors: L Harilal S , Konan Bharat , Pottakkat Biju , Raja Kalayarasan , M Priyanka
Published: August 2022

BackgroundStoma site carcinomas are rare tumors, most of which are metachronous cancers of the colon. Due to the rarity of the condition, evidence-based guidelines are yet to be formulated. The patient and the enterostomal therapist must be aware of stomal tumors to facilitate early intervention, as most tumors are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Therefore, here we describe a case of stomal carcinoma post abdominoperineal resection and its successful management. We also review similar cases reported in the literature.Case A 72-year-old male presented with a nodule over the stoma site of two months duration. He had undergone abdominoperineal resection with end descending colostomy in 1970 for rectal cancer. Examination revealed multiple nodular ulceroproliferative lesions from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock position. Colonoscopy and staging with whole-body positron emission tomography combined with a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (PET-CT) ruled out other lesions and lymph nodal or distant metastases. Wide local excision and refashioning of stoma were performed. Histopathological examination revealed stage I metachronous descending colon cancer. His postoperative course was uneventful, and there is no evidence of tumor recurrence at three years of follow-up. ConclusionA primary adenocarcinoma originating from a colostomy site is rare but can occur many years after the end of the recommended postoperative follow-up period. It is essential to train ostomates to monitor the stoma for possible tumors to facilitate early diagnosis and to recognize the impact of such a recurrence on survival and quality of life.
Feature Fusion based Parallel Graph Convolutional Neural Network for Image Annotation
Authors: Wang Mengke , Liu Yan , Liu Weifeng , Liu Baodi
Published: August 2022

Graph neural networks' application in automatic image annotation is becoming more mature. However, there are still several problems. First, the feature data of the original image obtained by the feature extraction algorithm, such as color features and gradient features, all have the problem of slight intra-class variance and significant inter-class variance. Second, merely utilize the graph convolution neural networks to construct samples or labeled graphs, limiting multimodality's fusion and expansion. This paper uses a parallel graph convolution network based on feature fusion (PGCF) for automatic image annotation. By fusing the sample features, the inherent defects of the features extracted by a single model are reduced, and the annotation performance under the condition of semi-supervised learning is improved. Experiments on three benchmark image annotation datasets show that this method is superior to the existing methods.
HIV-1 infection of human tonsils activates CD4+ T cell oxidative phosphorylation and myeloid NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Authors: Swartz Talia , Freeman Tracey , Zhao Connie , Schrode Nadine , Beaumont Kristin , Tweel Benjamin , Fortune Trinisia , Schroff Sanjana
Published: August 2022

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) leads to a chronic, incurable infection that causes immune activation, resulting in chronic inflammation in people with HIV-1 (PWH) despite virologic suppression on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The mechanisms underlying this chronic inflammation are multifactorial, but significant literature supports the role of lymphoid structures as reservoirs for viral latency and centers of immune activation. A systematic analysis of the cell type-specific transcriptomic changes induced by HIV-1 infection in lymphoid tissue has not been conducted. Human tonsil explants from four distinct donors were infected with HIV-1 ex vivo. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA Seq) was performed to evaluate the represented cell types and the impact of infection, including differential gene expression, and associated inflammatory signaling pathways. Most of the cells (80%) are lymphocytes with nearly equivalent representation from T (38%) and B (42%) lymphocytes. We also identify smaller populations of NK, epithelial, and myeloid cells. CD4+ T cells demonstrated the highest levels of HIV-1 transcript expression. Highly infected CD4+ T cells also exhibited increased expression of genes involved in the respiratory electron transport pathway. Cells in the myeloid compartment that expressed low levels of HIV-1 transcript demonstrated increased expression of genes involved in the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, suggesting that these cells may play a “bystander” role in HIV-associated inflammatory pathogenesis. We propose a model in which HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells activate oxidative phosphorylation pathways, resulting in excess ATP efflux. Bystander myeloid cells may sense the resulting extracellular ATP, thereby triggering NLRP3 inflammasome activation, proinflammatory signaling pathways, and pyroptotic cell death. These observations support important mechanistic understanding to drive the development of therapeutic and care strategies to eradicate disease in PWH.
Isorhamnetin exerts antifibrosis effects by attenuating PDGF-BB--induced HSC-T6 cells activation via suppressing PI3K-AKT Signaling Pathway, a new remedy for liver fibrosis
Authors: Rashidi Mojtaba , Matour Emad , Nasab Hasti Beheshti , Cheraghzadeh Maryam , Shakerian Elham
Published: August 2022

Background: Liver inflammation and fibrosis are the results of chronic liver injuries, which activated myofibroblasts in the liver to produce more proteins in the extracellular matrix. The origin of myofibroblasts is quiescent hepatic stellate cells. Isorhamnetin as a natural flavonoid widely distributed in fruits and vegetables has anti-inflammatory activity and avoids cell proliferation and migration.Objectives: We studied the effect of Isorhamnetin as an antifibrotic following stimulation by PDGF- BB in the HSC-T6 cells, as well as related mechanisms in vitro.Methods: First of all, we used PDGF- BB to activate the HSC-T6 cells. After that, we used Isorhamnetin to treat activated cells for 24h. Finally, we compared the mRNA expression amount of collagen1 (COLA1), Alpha Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA), and level of phosphorylated AKT protein with our control group.Results: The obtained data revealed the expression of the COLA1, α-SMA genes, as well as the amount of phosphorylate-AKT protein in the cells treated with PDGF-BB, significantly rose in comparison with our control. In addition, 75 and 100 µM concentrations of Isorhamnetin markedly declined the COLA1, α-SMA expression, and the phosphorylated AKT protein in the HSC-T6 cells.Conclusions: Isorhamnetin significantly decreased HSC-T6 activation by preventing the PI3K-AKT cell signaling and reducing the expression of COLA1, α-SMA within liver fibrosis in vitro, so Isorhamnetin can prohibit liver fibrosis progression. In terms of these data, Isorhamnetin use can be recommended as a helpful therapeutic factor to treat liver fibrosis.
Artificial Intelligence Discriminating Back Pain vs Hip/Knee Osteoarthritis within the Digital Affective Collective Consciousness
Authors: Caldo Davide , Bologna Silvia , De Nunzio Giorgio , Conte Luana , Amin Muhammad , Anselma Luca , Basile Valerio , Hossain Murad , Mazzei Alessandro , Heritier Paolo , Ferracini Riccardo , Kon Elizaveta
Published: August 2022

Background
- Dynamic interplay between the patient collective consciousness and the subliminal affective content of digital information may play a critical role in emergence of chronic pain, within the combined perspective of somatic marker and complex adaptive system theoretical frames
Goal
- Testing Machine Learning (ML) algorithms accuracy to predictively discriminate back pain vs hip/knee osteoarthritis affective fingerprints of web pages
Methods
- Top 2000 internet pages related to the topics of interest were selected by relevance/popularity and submitted to automated sentiment analysis; Machine Learning algorithms classified the output
Results
- ML showed high discrimination accuracy predicting the page topic. The emotion Disgust emerged as the key discriminating factor
Discussion -
The new paradigm labeled “digital affective collective consciousness” (DACC) and the role of disgust in musculoskeletal disease are discussed; DACC may play a regulatory uninvestigated role of the emergence of health/illness conditions affecting subjects and communities
Correlation Between Genetic Resistance Factors and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes in MRSA Isolates of Animals and Humans
Authors: Abdulkadir Aliyu , Kabir Junaidu , Mohammed Bello , Olayinka Busayo
Published: August 2022

Background: Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as an infectious organism of public health significance has evolved to a genetically distinct community-acquired MRSA with extended resistance to other than β-lactams. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 149 participants handling 446 animals (240 horses & 206 companion animals). The isolates were characterised as S. aureus and MRSA based on PCR detection of nuc, mecA or mecC, respectively and pvl gene for differentiation as community associated/livestock associated or hospital associated. Results: Isolation rates of S. aureus from the human handlers’ samples were 26 (17.4%) and 170 (38.1%) from the animal samples. The prevalence of MRSA among the isolates were 7 (4.7%) from the human handlers and 19 (4.3%) from the animals. Dogs and dog handlers had highest isolation rates and were more likely to be colonized by S. aureus and MRSA compared to horses, cats, and their handlers. The highest prevalence of MRSA was from horses (5.0%) and dog handlers (10.6%). Conclusion: This study has demonstrated a high prevalence of community associated MRSA in apparently healthy animals and their human handlers. This has important implication for antibiotic selection and usage as well as infection control measures.
Managing Food Insecurity Through Knowledge-based Supply Chains: Case of the Food Industry in Zimbabwe
Authors: Munuhwa Shakerod , Chikwere David , Dzingai Morris E
Published: August 2022

This paper discusses the influence and relevance of cutting-edge technologies in the development of a knowledge-based supply chain to enhance food security. The application of technologies is based on the background that food supply chains require real-time monitoring and effective information flow from farm to farm with regards to food availability, preservation of quality, health, safety, and accessibility of food from production to the final user. The study used a quantitative approach and drew a sample of 65 employees and suppliers from three food manufacturing organizations (Probrands, Delta Beverages, and National Foods) that are currently using various cutting-edge technologies in Zimbabwe. Further, 80 downstream consumers were drawn from the commonly known food insecure remote areas in Zimbabwe to provide a fair review of the effectiveness of the current food supply chain system (using modern technology). Results show that a number of technologies can be effectively employed when developing a knowledge-based food supply chain. These include artificial intelligence, big data analytics, the internet of things, machine-learning, robotics, additive manufacturing, or virtual reality, among others. These technologies were found to be effective in resolving supply chain management challenges. As a result of reducing supply chain management challenges, food security was found to be improved and customer satisfaction enhanced. However, in the absence of such technologies, it was found that it is difficult to develop effective and sustainable knowledge-based food supply chains in Zimbabwe. It is recommended that all food producers, intermediaries, suppliers, consumers, and other stakeholders make use of knowledge-based food supply chains that are enhanced by different technologies to ensure food security and customer satisfaction.
Experimental Study of the Drying Kinetics of Products With High Water Content - Application on Green Chilli -
Authors: Chouchane Nacer , Houhou Hatem , Fergeni Ahmed , Chouchane Hammam
Published: August 2022

The main objective of this work is to determine the graphs of relative humidity loss, and the speed of drying for green pepper, to identify the characteristic parameters influencing the drying of products with high humidity content, and to establish satisfactory models that characterize the drying kinetics. This experimental study was carried out using an indirect type of a solar dryer, which functions in the mode of natural convection, intended for the thermal treatment to medium duration of the agro-alimentary products. In this work, we are interested in the evolution of the temperature and the mass of the material to be dried, whose manipulations took place in May and July of the year 2009.
Experimental study of the correlation for turbulent burning velocity at subatmospheric pressure
Authors: Vargas Arley Cardona , Tumay Hernando Alexander Yepes , Amell Andrés
Published: August 2022

Turbulent burning velocity is one of the most relevant parameters to characterize the premixed turbulent flames. Different correlation has been proposed to estimate this parameter. However, most of them have been obtained using experimental data at atmospheric pressure or higher. The present study is focused on obtaining a correlation for the turbulent burning velocity using data at sub-atmospheric pressure. The turbulent burning velocity was experimentally calculated using the burner method, where turbulent premix flames are generated in a Bunsen burner. Stoichiometric and lean conditions were evaluated at a pressure of 0.85 atm and 0.98 atm, whereas the turbulence intensity was varied for each condition. Perforated plates and a hot-wire anemometer were used to generate and measure the turbulence intensity. Schlieren images were used to obtain the average angle of the flame and calculate the turbulent burning velocity. Experiments and theory show that the turbulent deflagration rate decrease as pressure decrease. The turbulent deflagration speed decreased by up to 16 % at 0.85 atm concerning atmospheric conditions for the same turbulence intensity, discharge velocity, and ambient temperature, according to the experimental results. The comparison among the experimental results at sub-atmospheric conditions and the correlations reported in the literature exposes prediction issues because most of them are fitted using data at atmospheric conditions. A general correlation is raised between turbulent burning velocity (ST), laminar burning velocity (SL) and turbulence intensity (u’) proposed from the experimental data. This correlation has the form  For sub-atmospheric and atmospheric conditions, the coefficients were determined
Fair value accounting and audit fees: The moderating effect of the global financial crisis in Jordan
Authors:   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Business, Mutah University, Al-Karak Governorate, Jordan, Alharasis Esraa Esam ,   Business School, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, Prokofieva Maria ,   Business School, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, Clark Colin ,   College of Business, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
Published: August 2022

This article introduces new empirical evidence exploring the relationship between the introduction of Fair Value Disclosure (FVD) and audit fees, and the moderating effect of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) on this relationship. This study is primarily motivated by the limited and inconclusive research on the monitoring costs resulting from FVD. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method using a sample of 222 Jordanian firms during 2005–2018 is applied. The analysis finds that a greater level of FVD is the major cause of high audit fees. Results are more pronounced for firms with larger proportions of subjective FVDs (Level 3 assets). A significant negative (positive) impact of the precrisis (post-crisis) period on the association between the proportion of fair-valued assets and audit fees is confirmed. The regression results confirm the negative effect of pre-crisis period on moderating the association between the all-fair value input levels (Levels 1, 2 and 3 assets) and audit fees. The post-crisis period has a significant positive effect only in relation to Level 1 assets. Findings of this study provide policymakers and standards setters with updated evidence originating from a non-Western setting about the post-implementation costs of FVD.
HYPEREOSINOPHILIC SYNDROME WITH INTRACARDIAC THROMBUS PRESENTING WITH EMBOLIC EVENTS
Authors:   Department of Cardiology B, IbnSina Hospital Center, Mohamed V University, Rabat, Morocco., Ezzahraoui Rhita , Samih Amina ,   Department of Cardiology B, IbnSina Hospital Center, Mohamed V University, Rabat, Morocco., Cherti Mohamed ,   Department of Cardiology B, IbnSina Hospital Center, Mohamed V University, Rabat, Morocco.
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a rare disorder characterised by idiopathic eosinophilia with organ system involvement. Its major tissue target is the heart, assuming diverse aspects that affect its different tunics with a varied clinical and echocardiographic expression. Cardiac involvement is frequently associated with ventricular thrombosis, portending a poor prognosis as it can be complicated by acute embolic events, along with the progressive development of restrictive cardiomyopathy, valvular dysfunction, and heart failure. Case Report: We report the case of a 62 years old woman, who presented one month ago a pulmonary embolism, and was admitted for an ischemic stroke related to a ventricular thrombus in the context of a hypereosinophilia syndrome. Conclusion: Embolic manifestations secondary to cardiac involvement may be a mode of revelation of HES. The mortality related to cardiac damage is high, hence the need for appropriate management.
CLINICORADIOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES OF LISFRANC INJURIES MANAGED BY DIFFERENT TREATMENT MODALITIES IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE
Authors:   Post-Graduate Resident Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Jammu., Singh Gagandeep , Basit Abdul ,   Post-Graduate Resident Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Jammu., Gupta Sanjeev ,   Professor and Head, Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Jammu.
Published: August 2022

Background: The lisfranc injuries are and have poor functional outcomes. The aims of this study was to compare the functional and radiological outcomes of lisfranc injuries by different treatment modalities. Methods: A study of 46 patients treated for a Lisfranc injuries, over a period of 6 years at a tertiary care centre was performed. Of these 6 were managed conservatively. 22 by transarticular screws alone , 7 by K wires only and remaining 11 by combination of transarticular screw and K wire The primary outcome measures included the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score, and the secondary outcome was the radiological Wilppula classification of anatomical reduction. Results: Road traffic accidents(RTA) was the most common mode of trauma in the study. The average length of followup after surgery was 29 months and mean AOFAS score achieved was 73.12. The analysis of radiological long-term data according to Wilppula showed 32 patients with good results, 9 with fair results and 5 with poor results. Conclusion: We concluded in our study that better functional outcomes were seen with anatomic reduction, independent of the fixation technique.
Improving customer relations in the banking sector of Ukraine through the development of priority digital banking products and services: Evidence from Poland
Authors: Prokopenko Olha , Zholamanova Makpal , Mazurenko Valerii , Kozlianchenko Olena , Muravskyi Oleksii
Published: August 2022

The emergence of new players – fintech companies, neobanks and non-banking companies – changes the structure of competition in the banking sector, reduces the profitability of traditional banking activities, and therefore forces banks to look for new sources of income. The paper deals with the issue of improving relations with clients in the banking sector of Ukraine, which is proposed to be implemented through the development of priority digital banking products and services. The study used a survey method using a statistical apparatus of a small unique sample, the degree of representativeness of which was assessed using the Student’s test. Slightly higher, closer to the level that characterizes the significant impact on the client’s perception of the whole complex of digital activities in the case of Polish banks (3.81, with a maximum possible score of 5.0) than Ukrainian banks (3.75), which indicates greater involvement and willingness to accept the digitalization of the people of Poland. Generally, banks in both countries are recommended to use a customer-oriented approach in forming product policy using digital products and services, which should be implemented and developed in practice in specific areas identified during customer surveys.
Social and ecological climate change vulnerability assessment in the Indus delta, Pakistan
Authors: Solangi Ghulam Shabir , Siyal Altaf Ali , Siyal Zain-ul-Abdin , Siyal Pirah , Panhwar Sallahuddin , Keerio Hareef Ahmed , Bhatti Nabi Bux
Published: August 2022

Due to seawater intrusion into the Indus delta, Pakistan under changing climate scenarios, the local communities of the delta are under threat of land and livelihood. The present study was initiated to analyze community perceptions about the social and ecological climate change vulnerability in the Indus delta, Pakistan. About 500 permanent residents of the delta were interviewed using a well-structured questionnaire. The IBM SPSS software was used to analyze the data based on the Pearson chi-square, Goodman, Kruskal's analyses, and Foster Greer Thorbeck (FGT) techniques. Analysis of the data revealed that the people in the delta had poor infrastructure and living standards, and limited social activities. Most of the people were illiterate, and the average family size was 11. On average, 4.7 members lived in a single room, and most of the houses were made of wood. Based on FGT techniques, about 88.4% of the population were living below the poverty line. The statistical analysis identified seawater intrusion and climate change as the most significant parameters affecting soil fertility, water quality, vegetation, mangroves, and livelihood. A large portion of the respondents strongly demanded the ensured freshwater flow to save the ecosystem, water resources, and the livelihood of the delta communities.
Spatial water quality analysis of the watercourses in Northwestern New Territories (Hong Kong)
Authors: Huang Ming , Zou Hui , Tan Junyan
Published: August 2022

River water is an important source for drinking water supply in Northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. Thus, there is no denying the fact that monitor the quality of river water is a must for the locals. In this study, a mixed multivariate analysis method was used to lower monitoring costs by optimizing the layout of water quality monitoring stations. To this purpose, the data from a period of five years and over 36,000 observations was evaluated in this article. The cluster analysis approach was also used to categorize monitoring stations into three groups. What's more, three latent factors that predominantly influence the river water quality were assessed using factor analysis: anthropogenic pollution, seawater intrusion and geological processes, and the nitrification process. A spatial pattern using the three latent factor scores was plotted and six redundant monitoring stations were identified by this pattern. Finally, discriminant analysis was used to extract seven significant parameters. The results showed that the surface water-monitoring program of the watercourses in the Northwestern New Territories (Hong Kong) could be adjusted by reducing the monitoring stations to 18 and the measured chemical parameters to seven to ensure the detection of water quality and reduce the cost.
Aplicação do Método de Monte Carlo na Análise Econômica de uma Piscicultura Familiar no Estado do Pará, Amazônia, Brasil
Authors: Costa Jhonatan Willians Pimentel , Silva Gerfeson Almeida da , Costa Max Wendel Milhomem , Matos Suane Cristina do Nascimento , Silva Evaldo Martins da , Brabo Marcos Ferreira
Published: August 2022

O objetivo deste estudo foi aplicar o Método de Monte Carlo (MMC) na análise econômica de uma piscicultura familiar no estado do Pará. Utilizou-se a metodologia do custo operacional e indicadores de eficiência econômica para avaliação de uma criação de tambaqui Colossoma macropomum em viveiros escavados com total de 7.200 m2 de lâmina d’água. Posteriormente, uma análise de risco utilizando o MMC foi efetuada através do software @RISK, a fim de atestar a capacidade de pagamento do empreendedor no caso da obtenção de crédito rural por meio do Programa Nacional de Fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar. O Investimento Total foi estimado em R$ 94.119,00, o Custo Operacional Total por kg em R$ 6,04, o Valor Presente Líquido (VPL) em R$ 97.022,32, a Taxa Interna de Retorno (TIR) em 33%, a Relação Benefício Custo (RBC) em R$ 1,27 e o Período de Retorno do Capital (PRC) em 3,4 anos. Na análise de risco, as probabilidades de obtenção dos valores previstos no projeto para o VPL, a TIR, a RBC e o PRC foram 42%, 51,2%, 52,5% e 74,2%, respectivamente. Concluiu-se que o empreendimento é rentável e a aplicação do MMC na análise econômica pode auxiliar determinantemente nas tomadas de decisão do investidor.