bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Telomerase-based circulating tumor cell detection for treatment response prediction in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Sumiyoshi Issei , Togo Shinsaku , Okabe Takahiro , Abe Kanae , Watanabe Junko , Ochi Yusuke , Hoshi Kazuaki , Saiwaki Shoko , Nojiri Shuko , Fujimoto Yuichi , Namba Yukiko , Tabe Yoko , Urata Yasuo , Takahashi Kazuhisa
Published: April 2024

Background: Monitoring circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using a non-invasive liquid biopsy might provide valuable information for predicting ongoing therapeutic responses.
Methods: We developed and adapted a highly sensitive/specific CTC detection system using TelomeScan® (OBP-401). We evaluated CTC subtypes with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), an immune checkpoint molecule, and vimentin, an epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker, using a multi-fluorescent color microscope reader. We evaluated the prognostic value of CTCs and predicted the therapeutic response by dynamically monitoring CTC counts in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Results: In this cohort study, a highly sensitive/specific CTC detection system using TelomeScan® (OBP-401) was developed, and CTC subtypes with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and vimentin expression were evaluated as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. CTC counts of 99 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were dynamically monitored to evaluate the prognostic value and predict the therapeutic response.
The sensitivity and specificity of TelomeScan®-guided total CTC (≥3 cells) and PD-L1(+) CTC (≥1 cell) measurements were 63.0%/75.0% and 75.0%/100%, respectively, indicating high diagnostic value. Baseline CTC counts (≥3 cells) were independent poor prognostic factors. PD-L1(+) CTCs and EMT(+) CTCs were detected in 75% and 12% of patients, respectively. Declined and inclined PD-L1(+) CTC counts after two cycles were significantly associated with a partial response (p = 0.032) and progressive disease (p = 0.023), respectively.
Conclusions: TelomeScan®-guided CTC measurements are recommended as an early and sensitive predictor of poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC. PD-L1(+) CTC detection could help predict the response or resistance to frontline treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC, helping optimize the choice of precision medicines.
The clinical effects and mechanism of action of ranibizumab in treating myopic choroidal neovascularization
Authors: Gu Wenting , Wang Zhen , Peng Duo , Liu Qinghuai , Gu Yonghui
Published: April 2024

Objective
To investigate the clinical effects and factors influencing repeated intravitreal injections of ranibizumab among patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to pathologic myopia.
Methods
There were 39 patients with myopic CNV and a control group of 10 cataract patients. Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution units (logMAR) was adopted to evaluate best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), while the measurement of central macular thickness was made via optical coherence tomography. Luminex xMAP suspension array was adopted to collect and analyze plasma and aqueous humor samples to compare cytokine concentrations between the two groups and assess changes after intravitreal ranibizumab injections. Additionally, BCVA values and CMT were monitored.
Results
A great diversity in the BCVA values and CMT was found after intravitreal ranibizumab injections (p<0.05 for both). The study group showed greatly higher plasma concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor-A than the cataractgroup (p<0.05). The research group (p<0.05 for both) showed greatly lower epidermal growth factor (EGF) and angiopoietin-2 concentrations. In the aqueous humor, the study group showed greatly higher concentration of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 than the cataract group (p<0.05), and the research group (p<0.05 for both) displayed greatly lower concentrations of EGF and VEGF-A. The decrease in average VEGF-A contents was significant by comparing with baseline at both 1 month (p<0.05) and 2 months (p<0.05), and the reduction in mean VEGF-D and endoglin contents compared to baseline at 2 months were significant (p<0.05 for both), and were significant when compared at 1 month to 2 months (p<0.05 for both). The average EGF contents were significantly higher at 2 months than at baseline (p<0.05).
Conclusion
Ranibizumab had obvious effects on myopic CNV. For different individuals, different treatment projects should be chosen.
Breastfeeding Promotion to Prevent Breast Cancer: an Economic Evaluation
Authors: HUI Lai Ling , LIAO Emily , LIAO Jin Xiao , SO Ching , WU Ting Ting , WONG Carlos . K.H. , LOGANATHAN Tharani , NELSON Edmund Anthony S.
Published: April 2024

Objectives
Our study aimed to estimate the healthcare cost-savings resulting from a reduction in breast cancer attributed to an increase in the breastfeeding rate in Hong Kong.
Methods
This is an economic evaluation. We simulated a cohort of 33500 Hong Kong women aged 20 years in 2018 using the Monte Carlo Model, to estimate with probabilistic sensitivity analysis the healthcare cost-savings, the number of deaths averted and the increase in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to prevention of breast cancer attributed to a higher breastfeeding rate, assuming a discount rate of 3%.
Results
Increasing the proportion of parous women breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months from 22% (current rate) to 90% averted 266 (95% CI259, 273) or ~10% of all-stage breast cancer cases, 18 deaths (95% CI 17, 19) and 399 DALYs (95% CI 381, 416), over the lifetime of each annual cohort of women in Hong Kong. The lifetime medical costs that could be saved would be ~USD3 million. However cost-saving was 5-time less if the cumulative any breastfeeding (i.e. partially or exclusively) for 12 months in parous women is increased to 90%.
Conclusions
Promoting and protecting breastfeeding leads to cost-savings for treating breast cancer in Hong Kong. Our analysis can inform healthcare budget resources that could be allocated to promote exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months.
Enhanced virulence through genetic engineering of Beauveria bassiana blastospores by overexpression of a cuticle-degrading endochitinase
Authors: Mascarin Gabriel Moura , Shrestha Somraj , Dunlap Christopher A. , Ramirez Jose Luis , Coleman Jeffrey J.
Published: April 2024

Background
Genetic engineering of entomopathogenic fungi offers an innovative approach to improve their virulence against a broad spectrum of arthropod hosts and increase their resilience to stressful environmental factors. In this research, transformation of Beauveria bassiana protoplasts with a constitutively expressed endogenous gene encoding a chitinase (BbChit1) was achieved with the aim to improve fungal virulence. The relative gene expression and the number of gene copies in the chitinase-overexpressing mutants (OEBbChit1) were assessed, followed by phenotypic characterization of blastospores in terms of virulence, insect cellular immune response, colony morphology, growth, and tolerance to multiple chemical cell stressors.
Results
Blastospores of OEBbChit1 mutants conferred faster mortality rates and lower lethal doses when compared to the parental wild-type (WT) after being topically inoculated to larvae of the model insect host Galleria mellonella. Moreover, infections by the OEBbChit1 mutant triggered an increased production of total hemocytes relative to the WT and mock control, indicating induction of the insect cellular immune response. Genomic analysis of the OEBbChit1 mutants revealed that the number of gene copies encoding the chitinase was 4 and 2 for mutants OEBbChit1-3 and OEBbChit1-5, respectively. Furthermore, the chitinase-encoding gene was significantly upregulated by ~ 3 to 5 fold relative to the WT, confirming the overexpression of this enzyme in the mutants.
Conclusions
Collectively, these findings provide compelling evidence of genetic improvement of B. bassiana by overexpression of chitinase-encoding gene (BbChit1) with 2–4 copies integrated into its genome leading to enhanced virulence without detrimental pleiotropic effects in fungal development.
Multiple genes deletion based on Cre-loxP marker-less gene deletion system for the strains from the genus of Pectobacterium
Authors: Che Shu , Zhuo Yuanxu , Yang Liping , Wang Huan , Cui Zhongli , Fan Jiaqin
Published: April 2024

Strains from the genus of Pectobacterium are significant bacterial phytopathogens causing substantial economic losses globally. To understanding molecular pathogenic mechanism of Pectobacterium, genetic manipulation is often the initial work as in many other pathogens. We previously obtained many single gene deletion mutants carrying some different special antibiotic markers using homologous recombination for Pectobacterium. However, many biological processes involve multiple functionally genes, so multiple-gene deletion mutants are needed, but the limitation in types of antibiotic markers have controlled us to do so, even though the antibiotic markers might result in some unexpected effects on our understanding about the pathogenicity. In this study, we firstly introduced Cre-loxP system to construct marker-less multiple-gene deletion mutants in Pectobacterium strains.
Single-nuclei transcriptome of brain-dead donor heart with long QT syndrome revealed neuronal modulation of cardiac immunity
Authors: Wen Zhi , Shuai Shao , Feng Yu , Wang Zheng , Wu Jianqiang , Wu Changxue , Tian Mingwu
Published: April 2024

Background: Brain dead (BD) donor hearts with long QT syndrome (LQTS) showed accelerated cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). We determine the differences between non-arrhythmic and LQTS myocardium through single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) analysis.
Methods: 16 non-arrhythmic and 4 LQTS BD donors myocardial snRNAseq were retrieved. Propensity score matching of baseline characteristics were performed before downstream analyses. Multi-omics integration of differential plasma proteomes between BD and healthy individuals were performed. Myocardium of experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) was analyzed using flow cytometry and western blot. Pathway enrichment score and immune cell compositions correlation analysis were performed on 166 BD myocardium gene expression microarrays.
Results: LQTS showed significant increased T and Mast cell while B lymphocytes had most differentially expression genes (DEG). Cellchat revealed increased neuronal signaling modulating immunity in LQTS. Integrated network of plasma differential proteome with neuronal DEG revealed activated integrin cell surface interaction. Following TBI, total immune cell counts increased at 6 and 24 hours compared with sham, but were not statistically significant. CD3+ T cells significantly increased at 6h and further infiltrated at 24h, B220+ B cells increased only at 24h. Western blot results showed expression of Itgb1 and CD44 significantly up-regulated 6h after TBI. Integrin pathway activation significantly correlates with CD4 T cell composition.
Conclusions: Increased CD3+ T lymphocyte infiltrates were implicated in LQTS heart through neuronal regulation of immunity and activated integrin cell surface interaction. This suggested host B cell priming through inverted recognition of donor T lymphocytes causing accelerated CAV through antibody-mediated rejection.
The association between peripheral sensitivity of thyroid hormones and contrast-induced acute kidney injury: a retrospective study on euthyroid patients underwent coronary angiography
Authors: Fang Yuan , Chen Hao , Wang Zijie , Lv Jingyi , Zhao Zhenni , Wang Danan , Li Duanbin , Fu Guosheng , Zhang Wenbin
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Peripheral sensitivity of thyroid hormones (PSTH) plays a vital role in many renal diseases, but the relationship between PSTH and contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is still not clear. Our study aimed to identify the association between PSTH and CI-AKI in euthyroid patients with stable coronary heart disease (SCAD) underwent coronary angiography (CAG).
Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study which enrolled 2482 euthyroid patients with SCAD underwent CAG. CI-AKI was defined by serum creatinine (Scr) elevation. The indicator of PSTH was serum free triiodothyronine / free thyroxine (FT3/FT4) ratio. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed with confounders being adjusted, while receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed with area under ROC curve (AUC) being calculated. Besides, subgroup analysis was also conducted.
Results: Overall, 297 (12.0%) patients were diagnosed with CI-AKI. Patients with CI-AKI had lower FT3/FT4 (2.34±0.46 vs. 2.54±0.48, P<0.001). Higher FT3/FT4 was proven to be negatively associated with the incidence of CI-AKI (adjusted OR [95%CI] = 0.573 [0.421 to 0.779], P < 0.001). A similar negative association was also observed for FT3 (adjusted OR [95%CI] = 0.524 [0.367 to 0.748], P < 0.001), but not for FT4. Furthermore, we found FT3/FT4 performed well in predicting the incidence of CI-AKI (AUC: 0.613). These findings between FT3/FT4 and CI-AKI were consistent across subgroups.
Conclusion: PSTH was negatively associated with the incidence of CI-AKI in euthyroid patients with SCAD who underwent CAG.
Mesothelin- and nucleolin-specific T cells from combined short peptides effectively kill triple-negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Thongchot Suyanee , Aksonnam Krittaya , Prasopsiri Jaturawitt , Sa-nguanraksa Doonyapat , O-Charoenrat Pornchai , Thuwajit Peti , Yenchitsomanus Pa-thai , Thuwajit Chanitra
Published: April 2024

Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), known for its aggressiveness and limited treatment options, presents a significant challenge. Adoptive cell transfer, involving the ex vivo generation of antigen-specific T cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), emerges as a promising approach. The overexpression of mesothelin (MSLN) and nucleolin (NCL) in TNBC samples underscores their potential as targets for T-cell therapy. This study explored the efficacy of multi-peptide pulsing of PBMCs to generate MSLN/NCL-specific T cells targeting MSLN+/NCL+ TNBC cells.
Methods TNBC patient samples were confirmed for both MSLN and NCL expression via immunohistochemistry. Synthesized MSLN and NCL peptides were combined and administered to activate PBMCs from healthy donors. The cancer-killing ability of the resultant T cells was assessed using crystal violet staining, and their subtypes and cytotoxic cytokines were characterized through flow cytometry and cytokine bead array.
Results Findings showed that 85.3% (127/149) of TNBC cases were positive for either MSLN or NCL, or both; with single positivity rates for MSLN and NCL of 14.1% and 28.9%, respectively. MSLN and NCL peptides, with high binding affinity for HLA-A*02, were combined and introduced to activated PBMCs from healthy donors. The co-pulsed PBMCs significantly induced TEM and TEMRA CD3+/CD8+ T cells and IFN-γ production, compared to single-peptide pulsed or unpulsed conditions. Notably, MSLN/NCL-specific T cells successfully induced cell death in MSLN+/NCL+ MDA-MB-231 cells, releasing key cytotoxic factors such as perforin, granzymes A and B, Fas ligand, IFN-γ, and granulysin.
Conclusions These findings serve as a proof-of-concept for using multiple immunogenic peptides as a novel therapeutic approach in TNBC patients.
The Psychological Consequences of 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes
Authors: Kiymis Ibrahim , Fakioglu Merve
Published: April 2024

The Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes (2023) are the largest and most destructive earthquakes witnessed in the era of the Republic of Turkey. Earthquakes lead to serious mental health problems such as PTSD in individuals. Earthquakes that cause significant death and injury on a large scale, such as the Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes, can result in various mental health problems. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the effects of variables such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), event impact, psychological resilience, depression, and anxiety levels on adult earthquake survivors affected by the Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes, using a quantitative research approach with survey techniques. A total of 662 earthquake survivors were reached. The effect of variables on each other was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). According to the findings of the study, event impact had a significant and positive effect on PTSD (β = 0.780, p = 0.000). Unexpectedly, resilience did not have a significant effect on PTSD (β=-0.04, p > 0.05). PTSD had a significant and positive effect on anxiety (β = 0.936, p = 0.000) and depression (β = 0.643, p = 0.000). Consequently, event impact's severity increased PTSD, which in turn led to anxiety and depression. Surprisingly, psychological resilience did not serve as a protective factor against PTSD. For future research, it is recommended to examine psychological resilience with different event types, on different sample groups, and using more comprehensive and varied methods.
Genetic analysis of QTLs for lysine content in four maize DH populations
Authors: Zhang Xiaolei , Wen Hongtao , Wang Jing , Zhao Lin , Chen Lei , Li Jialei , Guan Haitao , Cui Zhenhai , Liu Baohai
Published: April 2024

Background
Low level of lysine in maize endosperm is considered to be a major problem for determining the nutritional quality of food and feed. Improving the lysine content is favorable to improve maize quality by optimizing feeding requirement. Understanding the genetic basis of lysine content benefits greatly improving maize yield and optimizing end-use quality.
Results
Four double haploid (DH) populations were generated and used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with lysine content. The broad-sense heritability indicated the majority of lysine content variations were largely controlled by genetic factors. A total of 12 QTLs were identified in a range of 4.42–12.66% in term of phenotypic variation explained (PVE) which suggested that a large number of minor-effect QTLs mainly contributed to the genetic component of lysine content. Five well-known genes encoding key enzymes in maize lysine biosynthesis pathways locate within QTLs identified in this study.
Conclusions
The information presented will pave a path to explore candidate genes regulating lysine biosynthesis pathways and be useful for marker-assisted selection and gene pyramiding in high-lysine maize breeding programs.
Rifampin-resistant periprosthetic joint infections are associated with worse functional outcome in both acute and chronic infection types
Authors: Baumgärtner Tobias , Bdeir Mohamad , Dally Franz-Joseph , Gravius Sascha , Hai Asseel Abd El , Assaf Elio , Hetjens Svetlana , Miethke Thomas , Darwich Ali
Published: April 2024

Periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) pose a significant challenge in orthopaedic surgery, often requiring extensive surgical debridement and prolonged antibiotic treatment to eliminate the causative pathogens. Rifampin, known for its potent activity against biofilms, has been crucial in managing PJI by penetrating and disrupting these formations, thereby improving treatment efficacy. In this sense, antibiotic protocols lacking rifampin have shown increased failure rates. Consequently, the development of rifampin resistance could severely influence the prognosis of PJI. The aim of this clinical study was to assess how rifampin resistance affects the functional outcome in patients with PJI. In this single-centre comparative cohort study, we systematically documented all patients who presented with a PJI during the period spanning from 2018 to 2020. Two distinct groups were established for the study: Group 1 comprised 35 patients with a PJI caused by rifampin-susceptible pathogens and group 2 consisted of 28 patients with PJI caused by rifampin-resistant pathogens. A total of 63 patients (34 females) with a mean age of 68 years and a mean follow up of 37 months were included. The examination of patient-specific parameters did not reveal any identified risk factors as influential. Patients with a rifampin-resistant pathogen underwent a greater number of surgical revisions (6.9 ± 5.1 compared to 3.59 ± 3.39, p = 0.0011) and had extended durations of antibiotic treatment (p = 0.0052). The results of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score revealed significant differences in clinical outcome between both groups in every domain, even when stratified by acute and chronic entities. In total the WOMAC increased significantly from 21.57 ± 14.9 points in group 1 to 71.47 ± 62.7 points in group 2 (p < 0.001). The higher failure rates observed in group 2 were not statistically significant (p = 0.44). The current study demonstrates that PJI caused by rifampin-resistant bacteria are associated with a significantly worse functional outcome in both acute and chronic infection types without significantly affecting total failure rates.
Evaluation of geographic variations in appendicectomy outcomes within Western Australia assessing the impact of surgical wait times and rate of negative appendicectomies in both urban and rural locations statewide
Authors: Scaddan Beau , Asedy Balsam Al , Lee Samantha , Lari Parsa Rastegar
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Surgery wait times after diagnosis of appendicitis are an important factor influencing the success of a patient’s treatment. The proposed study will be a quantitative multicentre retrospective cohort design with the primary aim of assessing the difference between appendicectomy wait times between rural and urban hospitals in Western Australia and the effect of this on operative outcomes. Selected outcome measures will be examined by time from initial presentation at an Emergency Department to the patient being diagnosed and then time of diagnosis to surgery being performed. The secondary aim is to compare rates of negative appendicectomies between hospitals.
Methods: Appendicectomy patients will be identified from Operating Room register by medical student data collectors, then each respective hospital’s Emergency Room data collection will subsequently be accessed to complete case report forms based on demographics and Clinical Findings, Pre-operative investigations and Management and follow up. Case report forms with >95% completeness will be accepted for pooled analysis. The expected duration of retrospective data collection will be 8 months. This includes the four two-week data collection periods and the subsequent one month follow up per collection period for possible postoperative complications. This study RGS6483 has received HREC approval by the Royal Perth Hospital HREC Ethics Committee, with a waiver of consent obtained.
Dissemination of results: Data will be collected and stored online through a secure server running the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) web application. No patient-identifiable data will be entered into the system. Results will subsequently be shared via scientific journal publication and presentation at relevant meetings.
Isolated Congenital Tracheal Stenosis in a 2-Year-Old Female: A Case Report
Authors: Musabyemungu Jean Aime , Kebedi Jemima , Shah Mitali , Kirigha Edmond , Odoro Juma , Hussein Khalif , Hussein Fadhil , Kadernani Yakub , Mokaya Pravin , Ndiritu Simon , Oburu Gilbert , Omulo Tom
Published: April 2024

Background: Congenital tracheal stenosis (CTS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening pediatric condition characterized by narrowing of the trachea. This narrowing leads to significant breathing difficulties, often accompanied by recurrent respiratory infections. CTS frequently coexists with other congenital malformations, particularly those affecting the heart and pulmonary artery. However, isolated cases where CTS occurs without accompanying anomalies are exceptionally rare and pose unique diagnostic and treatment challenges. This report describes the case of a 2-year-old female who was initially misdiagnosed and treated for laryngomalacia and asthma. However, her symptoms were not alleviated due tounderlying, undiagnosed isolated CTS.
Case Presentation: This case involved a 2-year-old female with a history of breathing difficulties, productive cough, and recurrent pneumonia who was treated for laryngomalacia and asthma and who presented with persistent respiratory distress and dysmorphic features. Imaging, including laryngoscopy and chest CT scans, revealed distal tracheal narrowing. The diagnosis was tracheobronchitis secondary to distal congenital tracheal stenosis with no other associated cardiac or respiratory congenital malformations. Surgical intervention entailed resection of the stenotic segment and anastomosis, followed by intensive postoperative care in the ICU and a structured plan for bronchoscopy dilation procedures. Patient recovery requires successful surgical correction and emphasizes the critical role of multidisciplinary care.
Conclusion: This report underscores the crucial significance of promptly identifying and accurately managing isolated congenital stenosis in children. This highlights the risk of misdiagnosis due to nonspecific respiratory symptoms and showcases the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary treatment approach, resulting in a successful outcome.
Characterization of constant resistance large deformation cable forces in loess slopes
Authors: Yu Xin , Long Jian-hui , Tao Zhi-gang
Published: April 2024

The use of prestressing anchor cables is already mature in the monitoring and treatment of slopes, but constant resistance large deformation (NPR) cables’ theory and application technology for soil slope reinforcement is still under investigation. In order to explore the anchoring performance of NPR (Negative Poisson Ratio) cables in loess slope, the stress characteristics of NPR cables in loess medium were simulated and analysed by ABAQUS finite element software. First, STATIC and GENERAL quasi-static analysis methods are used to simulate the NPR cable under static tensile conditions. The consistency of its constant resistance deformation characteristics with experimental results found in the literature is verified. Second, the interaction model between the NPR cable coupled with the loess medium is established, and its constant resistance is calculated, about 24.08% larger than the original, while its plastic deformation is reduced by about 37.14%. The compressive stress on the contact surface between NPR cable and loess is concentrated near the free end of the sleeve, and the shear stress on the X-Y plane shows a conjugate symmetry trend. It is proven that the loess is prone to serious damage at the free end. The research results reveal the typical shear failure mechanism of NPR cable in loess medium, which provides an important theoretical basis for prevention of landslides and monitoring of loess slopes.
Deep multi-view graph clustering with incomplete views
Authors: Chang Kerou , Zhu Changming , Miao Duoqian
Published: April 2024

Deep multi-view graph clustering has made good progress in solving large-scale problems. However, existing deep multi-view graph clustering methods suffer from the following issues: (1) How to combine data processing with multi-view clustering in deep learning, (2) How to learn the local and global information of the graph in deep learning. To this end, a novel method, called deep multi-view graph clustering with the incomplete view (DMVGC-IV), is proposed in this paper, which successfully solves the above two difficulties. Specifically, deep metric learning networks are employed on multiple views to obtain the graph structure. It approximately maintains the semantic distance of data points in the subspace. Then, DMVGC-IV combines global and local structures with a graph-fusion layer. By integrating autoencoder’s reconstruction and multi-view graph learning into a unified framework, our model can jointly optimize the cluster label assignments and embeddings suitable for graph clustering. Experiments use five commonly used multi-view data sets and compare them with five advanced multi-view clustering methods to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Using Mendelian randomization to unveil the truth: does COVID-19 impact QT interval prolongation?
Authors: Zheng Zequn , Song Yongfei , Tan Xuerui
Published: April 2024

Background
QT interval, a vital marker of ventricular electrical activity during depolarization and repolarization, garnered significant attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it remains unclear whether COVID-19 directly affects QT interval prolongation. This study leverages Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the genetic causation between COVID-19 and QT interval alterations.
Methods
In over 1000,000 individuals of European ancestry, genetic proxies representing three COVID-19 phenotypes (COVID-19, hospitalized COVID-19, and severe COVID-19), were identified under the primary MR assumption, and serve as instrumental variables (IVs). Genetic causal effects of COVID-19 on QT intervals from 84,630 UK Biobank participants were inferred using univariate two-sample MR (TSMR) and multi-exposure-adjusted multivariate MR (MVMR). MR-RAPS method and radial MR frame were used to provide robustness and outlier variant detection for effect assessment, and sensitivity analysis was further applied to detect the presence of horizontal pleiotropy.
Results
Independent 15, 33, and 29 IVs were used in COVID-19, hospitalized COVID-19, and severe COVID-19, respectively. Univariate TSMR analyses showed non-significant causal effect estimates between COVID-19 and the QT interval across all COVID-19 phenotypes. MR-RAPS and outlier-corrected radial MR analyses further supported this null causal estimation. In confounder-adjusted MVMR analysis, this nonsignificant causality was independent of BMI, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Sensitivity analyses failed to reveal any evidence of bias arising from horizontal pleiotropy, abnormal data distribution, or weak instruments.
Conclusions
Genetically, COVID-19 is not causally associated with QT interval prolongation. Inconsistent findings in observational research may be attributed to residual confounding.
A Rapid Realist Review on Leadership and Career Advancement Interventions for Women in Healthcare
Authors: Mucheru Doreen , Gilmore Brynne , Kesale Anosisye , McAuliffe Eilish
Published: April 2024

Women represent 70% of the global health workforce but only occupy 25% of health and social care leadership positions. Gender-based stereotypes, discrimination, family responsibilities, and self-perceived deficiencies in efficacy and confidence inhibit the seniority and leadership of women. The leadership inequality is often compounded by the intersection of race and socio-economic identities. Resolving gender inequalities in healthcare leadership brings women's expertise to healthcare decision making, which can lead to equity of healthcare access and improve healthcare services. With the aim of enhancing women’s advancement to leadership positions, a rapid realist review (RRR) was conducted to identify the leadership and career advancement interventions that work for women in healthcare, why these interventions are effective, for whom they are effective, and within which contexts these interventions work. A RRR ultimately articulates this knowledge through a theory describing an intervention's generative causation. The Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) for conducting a realist synthesis guided the methodology. Preliminary theories on leadership and career advancement interventions for women in healthcare were constructed based on an appraisal of key reviews and consultation with an expert panel, which guided the systematic searching and initial theory refinement. Following the literature search, 22 studies met inclusion criteria and underwent data extraction. The review process and consultation with the expert panel yielded nine final programme theories. Theories on programmes which enhanced leadership outcomes among women in health services or professional associations centred on organisational and management involvement; mentorship of women; delivering leadership education; and development of key leadership skills. The success of these strategies was facilitated by accommodating programme environments, adequacy and relevance of support provided and programme accessibility. The relationship between underlying intervention entities, stakeholder responses, contexts and leadership outcomes, provides a basis for underpinning the design for leadership and career advancement interventions for women in healthcare.
MRI-based Differentiation of Parkinson's Disease by Cerebellar Gray Matter Volume
Authors: Zhao Dacong , Tian Chao , Guo Jiang , Lu Guanghua , Jiang Rui , Liang Xu
Published: April 2024

Background
The underlying mechanism of Parkinson's disease is associated with the neurodegeneration of the basal ganglia, the cerebellum plays a significant role together with the basal ganglia in non-motor and motor functions. Morphological changes in the cerebellum can have a great impact on patients' clinical symptoms, especially on their motor control symptoms, and may also help distinguish patients from healthy subjects. This study aimed to explore the potential of cerebellar gray matter volume, related to motor control function, as a neuroimaging biomarker to classify patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy controls (HC) by using voxel-based morphometric (VBM) measurements and support vector machine (SVM) methods based on independent component analysis (ICA).
Methods
Cerebellar gray matter volume was measured by using VBM in patients with PD (n = 27) and HC (n = 16) from the Neurocon dataset. ICA analysis was performed on the gray matter volume of all subregions, resulting in 7 independent components. These independent components were then utilized for correlation analysis with clinical scales and trained as input features for the SVM model. PD patients (n = 20) and HC (n = 20) from the TaoWu dataset were used as test data to validate our SVM model.
Results
Among patients with PD, 3 out of the 7 independent components showed significant correlation with clinical scales. The SVM model achieved an accuracy of 86% in classifying PD patients and HC, with a sensitivity of 72.2%, specificity of 88%, and F1 Score of 76.5%. The accuracy of the SVM model verification analysis used the TaoWu dataset is 70%, the sensitivity 62.5%, the specificity 100%, and the F1 Score 76.9%.
Conclusions
The results suggest that abnormal cerebellar gray matter volume, which is highly correlated with motor control function in Parkinson's patients, may serve as a valuable neuroimaging biomarker which is capable of distinguishing Parkinson's patients from healthy individuals. We observed that the combination of the ICA method and SVM method produced an improved classification model. This model may function as an early warning tool which enables the clinicians to conduct preliminary identification and intervention for patients with PD.
Prediction the risk of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma using machine learning based on SEER database
Authors: Han Aiping , Cai Lingxian , Liu Yanqiu
Published: April 2024

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to construct and select an optimal risk prediction model for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), so as to judge whether surgery is needed according to the actual situation and reduce the risk of excessive medical treatment.
Methods
This study included 17,768 patients with PTMC collected from SEER database were enrolled in this study. All participants were randomly assigned in a 6:2:2, training set (n = 10,660), test set (n = 3,554), and verification set (n = 3,554). Five ML models (random forest (RF), XGBoost, Lightgbm, Logistic regression (LR), and KNN) were constructed by Python 3.8.0, and the optimal model parameters were obtained through 10-fold cross validation and grid optimization tuning. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, accuracy, precision, specificity, and Brier score were used to compare the predictive ability of five models.
Results
Of these patients, most of the patients are < 55 years (70.2%). XGBoost model is the optimal among the five models, which has average AUC of 0.7883, followed by the LR model with AUC is 0.7880. Interestingly, the XGBoost model also achieves the highest score of sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and specificity were 0.7991, 0.8796, 0.8036, and 0.8036 separately.
Conclusion
XGBoost can be used as optimal model to identify the risk of PTMC. This finding will provide special insights into the risk assessment of patients with PTMC and avoid overtreatment.
Quantitation of Pesticides in 89 Rice Samples by Liquid Chromatography– Mass Spectrometry: Analysis of Delhi NCR
Authors: Temak Deepak Ashok , Kapahi Meena , Rani Roopa , Lather Amit , Hooda Tanuj
Published: April 2024

Aim: To study the quantification of pesticides in 89 rice samples using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Introduction: Monitoring pesticide residue in food matrices at very low concentrations is challenging work for an analyst and requires a valuable analytical technique.
Material and Methods: In the current study, the dispersive solid– liquid extraction method was employed for quantification of different pesticides by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) electrospray ionization (ESI) (with a minimum run time of 10 minutes).
Results: Twenty-two molecules were identified in the eighty-nine samples collected from different locations in the Delhi NCR region. Of these, eight samples were found to be contaminated with pesticide residues such as clothianidin (avg.conc. of 0.063 mg/kg), imidacloprid (avg. conc. of 0.064 mg/kg), thiamethoxam (avg. conc. 0.051 mg/kg), and tricyclazole (avg. conc. 0.044 mg/kg). Clothianidin and imidacloprid were found to be below the maximum residual limit (MRL) value, whereas thiamethoxam and tricyclazole were found to be above the MRL values as per the EU Guidelines.
Conclusion: The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.0025 and 0.005 mg/kg, respectively. The mean recovery was found to be within the range of 70-120% as per the SANTE 11312 guideline.
Classical Processing of Primary Delusional Experiences in a Family with Shared Delusion and Trance Possession Attacks – A Case Report
Authors: KUMAR AMIT
Published: April 2024

Possession trance involves single or episodic alterations in the state of consciousness, characterized by the exchange of the person’s customary identity with a new identity usually attributed to a spirit, divine power, deity, or another person. In this possessed state, the individual exhibits stereotypical and culturally determined behaviors or experiences being controlled by the possessing entity. There must be partial or full amnesia for the event. It must cause significant distress or impairment in one or several domains and must not occur due a psychotic illness or be the result of substance abuse3. Trance Possession attacks can easily be misdiagnosed as psychotic illnesses including Schizophrenia. I am reporting a case of a trance possession attack in a 24 year girl, whose whole family developed and shared delusional beliefs and multiple family members got possession attacks over a period of time.
Temporal trends in spinal imaging in Ontario, 2002-2019 and Manitoba, 2001-2011, Canada
Authors: Al-Ghetaa Rayeh Kashef , Alabousi Mostafa , You John J. , Emary Peter C. , Riva John J. , Dufton John , Kagoma Yoan K. , Rampersaud Y. Raja , Goytan Michael J. , Feasby Thomas E. , Reed Martin , Busse Jason W.
Published: April 2024

Background: Several studies have reported overuse of spinal imaging, which, in Canada, led to several provincial pathways aimed at optimizing use of imaging. We assessed temporal trends in spine imaging in two Canadian provinces.
Methods: We explored use of x-ray, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine regions among adults in Ontario (April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2019) and in Manitoba, Canada (April 1, 2001 to March 31, 2011) using linked Ontario Health Insurance Plan administrative databases and data from Manitoba Health. We calculated the age- and sex-adjusted rates of spinal x-ray, CT and MRI examinations by dividing the number of imaging studies by the population of each province for each year and estimated use of each imaging modality per 100,000 persons.
Results: The total cost of spine imaging in Ontario increased from $45.8 million in 2002/03 to $70.3 million in 2018/19 (a 54% increase), and in Manitoba from $2.2 million in 2001/02 to $5 million in 2010/11 (a 127% increase). In Ontario, rates of spine x-rays decreased by 12% and spine CT scans decreased by 28% over this time period, while in Manitoba rates of spine x-rays and CT scans remained constant. Age- and sex-adjusted utilization of spinal MRI scans per 100,000 persons markedly increased over time in both Ontario (277%) and Manitoba (350%).
Conclusion: Despite efforts to reduce use of inappropriate spinal imaging, both Ontario and Manitoba have greatly increased utilization of spine MRI in the past two decades.
The dominant role of upper tropospheric-lower stratospheric process in increasing summer heatwave intensity over East Asia and Northwestern Pacific
Authors: Zhao Ping , Ye Jia
Published: April 2024

The unprecedented strong heatwave event in East Asia and the Northwestern Pacific during the summer of 2022 has been attributed to global oceans under global warming1–5. However, their contributions are limited and do not exert a dominant effect on the increase of heatwave intensity, especially in East Asia6,7. Clearly, the reasons for the increasing strong heatwave events remain mysterious. Here we report that the intensified upper troposphere-lower stratosphere (UT-LS) temperature dipole structure plays the dominant role in the escalating trend of heatwave intensity in East Asia and the Northwestern Pacific during the recent decades, while oceans play a minor role. Through observational diagnosis and numerical simulation, we establish that the depleting trend of the lower-stratospheric ozone, along with a thinner ozone layer in the lower-stratosphere, is the primary driver behind the intensified UT-LS dipole structure and the tropospheric warming over extratropical Asia. The warming troposphere increases heatwave intensity in East Asia and the Northwestern Pacific through cloud, radiation, and temperature advection. With further ozone depletion under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 2-4.5 scenario, the projected heatwave events in these areas will likely become stronger. Consequently, the coastal areas of East Asia and Northeast Asia will encounter an increasing risk of strong heatwave events.
Study on Different Sources of Wastewater in the Korotoa River: Focus on Medical Wastewater Sheikh Hayath Mahmud
Authors: Mahmud Sheikh Hayath
Published: April 2024

Wastewater originating from various sources has been gradually polluting the Korotoa River. Notably, medical wastewater contains hazardous chemicals, including harmful substances that may be used in treatment. In this study, it identifies the composition of waste present in medical wastewater, which is indiscriminately disposed of into the Korotoa River. Unfortunately, people who bathe or fish in the Korotoa River face serious health risks due to exposure to this contaminated water. Skin diseases are prevalent among those who come into contact with it. Additionally, several hospitals situated near the Korotoa River discharge chemical-laden wastewater directly into the river on a daily basis. To address this issue, it assesses the water quality of the Korotoa River and compare it against the standard values provided by the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Rules (BECR 1997). Different parameters such as PH, BOD, COD, DO, Turbidity, color, TS, TSS, TDS and Alkalinity are tested for the water sample collected from different hospitals effluent. All parameters exceed the standard value which is very much alarming. Furthermore, it proposes potential measures to mitigate pollution in the Korotoa River, which are detailed in this paper.
Mutational Landscape of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Investigated Through the Developmental Dynamics of Oral Squamous Epithelium
Authors: Shafi Ovais , Aakash  , Haseeb Madiha , Shah Syeda Urooba , Madhwani Manwar , Raveena  , Kataria Disha Kumari , Yaqub Muhammad Danial
Published: April 2024

Background:
Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) poses a global health challenge, demanding an in-depth understanding of its mutational landscape. The complex mutational profile underscores the need for targeted therapies. OSCC's impact on crucial functions necessitates precise interventions for improved patient outcomes. This investigation into OSCC's mutational landscape through developmental biology aims to fill critical knowledge gaps, contributing possibly towards future personalized therapies and advancing our approach to this challenging malignancy.
Methods:
Databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and open access/subscription-based journals were searched for published articles without any date restrictions, to investigate the mutational landscape of OSCC through the lens of developmental dynamics. Based on the criteria mentioned in the methods section, studies were systematically reviewed to investigate OSCC oncogenesis. This study adheres to relevant PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses).
Results:
This study into Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) reveals a complex genetic landscape marked by mutations in key regulators including TP53, CASP8, CDKN2A, FAT1, PIK3CA, and RYR2. TP53 emerges as a central player, with mutations disrupting its tumor-suppressive functions and influencing developmental processes in OSCC. Dysregulated Notch1 signaling contributes to aberrant cell differentiation and tissue morphogenesis. JAK/STAT and SHH signaling, essential for normal oral epithelial development, exhibit dual dynamics in OSCC, influencing both normal developmental processes and tumorigenesis. Implications for precision medicine arise from the identified genetic alterations, offering potential targets for future therapeutic interventions. Notch1 and TP53 signaling pathways emerge as promising targets, while modulating JAK/STAT and SHH signaling presents challenges and opportunities for new therapeutic strategies.
Conclusion:
This study reveals genetic complexities and regulatory networks disrupted in OSCC carcinogenesis and also playing key roles in developmental dynamics of oral squamous epithelium. Key genes like TP53 and Notch1, integral to oral epithelial development, undergo dysregulation, influencing OSCC initiation. JAK/STAT and SHH signaling, crucial in normal development, exhibit dual roles, contributing to OSCC progression. This study also points to targeted therapeutic strategies that may emerge in future by investigating OSCC through developmental dynamics. Further research may provide deeper insights into the complex developmental biology, paving the way for enhanced interventions in OSCC.
Elisabeth Göhlsdorf, 1890–1956
Authors: Kristmannsson Gauti
Published: April 2024

Elisabeth Göhlsdorf wurde 1890 geboren, so erfährt man es von der Ausländerbehörde in Reykjavík, allerdings ohne Angabe des Geburtsortes. Sie war wohl eine Übersetzerin, zumindest sind Anfang der 1930er und 1950er Jahre Übersetzungen unter ihrem Namen erschienen. Es wurde allerdings bezweifelt, ob die Übersetzungen wirklich immer von ihr stammten. In Deutschland blieb sie unbekannt. In Island jedoch erweckte sie Aufmerksamkeit.
Curt Sigmar Gutkind : Bibliographie
Authors: Kelletat Andreas F.
Published: April 2024

In der Bibliographie sind alle bisher ermittelten Publikationen von und über Curt SigmarGutkind verzeichnet. Belegexemplare der von ihm verfassten Aufsätze und Zeitungsbeiträge(Rezensionen, Theaterkritiken usw.) befinden sich in seinem im Mannheimer Stadtarchivaufbewahrten Nachlass. Alle Einträge wurden autoptisch geprüft.