bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Respiratory internal kinematics of the tongue base and soft palate
in obese minipigs with obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Liu Zi-Jun , Yang Mandy , Deng Meng-Zhao , Abdelfattah Mohamed Yehia , Baldwin Michael , Weaver Edward
Published: November 2023

It is largely unknown how the tongue base and soft palate deform to alter the configuration of the oropharyngeal airway during respiration. This study is to address this important gap. After live sleep monitoring of 5 Yucatan and 2 Panepinto minipigs to verify obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 8 and 4 ultrasonic crystals were implanted into the tongue base and soft palate to circumscribe a cubic and square region, respectively. The 3D and 2D dimensional changes of the circumscribed regions were measured simultaneously with electromyographic activity (EMG) of the oropharyngeal muscles during spontaneous respiration under sedated sleep. The results indicated that both obese Yucatan and Panepinto minipigs presented spontaneous OSA, but not in 3 non-obese Yucatan minipigs. During inspiration, the tongue base showed elongation in both dorsal and ventral regions but thinning and thickening in the anterior and posterior regions respectively. The widths showed opposite directions, widening in the dorsal but narrowing in the ventral regions. The soft palate expanded in both length and width. Compared to normal controls, obese/OSA ones showed similar directions of dimensional changes, but the magnitude of change was two times larger in the tongue base and soft palate, and obese/OSA Panepinto minipigs presented 10 times larger changes in all dimensions of both the tongue base and the soft palate. The opposite direction of the respiratory spatial relationship between these two structures was seen in obese/OSA as compared to normal minipigs.
Rational Sine-Gordon expansion method to analyze the dynamical behavior of the time-fractional phi-four and (2+1) dimensional CBS equations
Authors: Mamun Abdulla - Al - , Ananna Samsun Nahar
Published: November 2023

This study uses the rational Sine-Gordon expansion (RSGE) method to investigate the dynamical behavior of traveling wave solutions of the water wave phenomena for the time-fractional phi-four equation and the (2+1) dimensional Calogero-Bogoyavlanskil schilf (CBS) equation. The technique uses the sine-Gordon equation as an auxiliary equation to generalize the well-known sine-Gordon expansion. It adopts a more broad strategy, a rational function rather than a polynomial one, of the solutions of the auxiliary equation, in contrast to the traditional sine-Gordon expansion technique. Several explanations for hyperbolic functions may be produced using the previously stated approach. The solutions are graphically shown in three-dimensional (3D) surface and contour plots using MATLAB software. All screens display the absolute wave configurations in the resolutions of the equation with the proper parameters. Furthermore, it can be deduced that the physical properties of the found solutions and their characteristics may help us comprehend how shallow water waves move in nonlinear dynamics.
Influence of occupational stress and coping styles on depressive symptoms in 2,083 manufacturing workers of China
Authors: Li Xiaoyi , Chen Huiqing , Liao Xiqing , Huang Manqi , Liu Xiaoman , Guo Yao , Chen Jiabin , Li Shuang
Published: November 2023

Background
This study aims to investigate the influence of occupational stress and coping styles on depressive symptoms in manufacturing workers of China.
Methods
A total of 2,083 workers from two manufacturing enterprises in Beijing City and four manufacturing enterprises in Guangdong Province were selected as study subjects using judgment sampling method. The occupational stress, coping styles, and depression symptoms were accessed using the Core Occupational Stress Measurement Scale, Trait Coping Style Questionnaire and Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale.
Results
A total of 2,311 questionnaires were distributed, and 2,083 valid questionnaires were collected, with a valid questionnaire recovery rate of 90.1%. The average scores of occupational stress, positive coping style, negative coping style and depressive symptoms among the study subjects were 45.0, 32.0, 23.0 and 6.0, respectively. The detection rates of occupational stress and depressive symptoms were 29.5% (615/2,083) and 15.7% (327/2,083). Depressive symptoms were positively correlated with occupational stress and negative coping style (rS were 0.351 and 0.540, respectively, and both P < 0.001), and negatively correlated with positive coping style (rS was − 0.208, P < 0.001). Occupational stress was positively correlated with negative coping style (rS was 0.296, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with positive coping style (rS was − 0.246, P < 0.001). The four dimensions of occupational stress explained 15.9% of variation in depressive symptoms (P < 0.001). The inclusion of the two dimensions of coping styles on the above basis could explain 19.3% of the variation in depressive symptoms (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the four dimensions of occupational stress had a statistically significant effect on depressive symptoms (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Occupational stress could directly affect the occurrence of depressive symptoms in manufacturing workers of China. Coping styles moderated the effect of occupational stress on depressive symptoms. Positive coping style could help alleviate the adverse effects of occupational stress and reduce the risk of depressive symptoms.
Radiomics- and dosiomics-based prediction of treatment failure after chemoradiotherapy for pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients
Authors: Kamezawa Hidemi , Arimura Hidetaka
Published: November 2023

We investigated an approach to predict treatment failure after chemoradiation using radiomics and dosiomics in patients with pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC). Data of 172 patients were collected from a public database. The cases were divided into the training (n = 140) and testing (n = 32) datasets. A total of 1027 features, including radiomic (R) features (first-order, texture, and wavelet features), local binary pattern-based (L) features, and topological (T) features, were extracted from the computed tomography (CT) image and dose distribution (DD) of the gross tumor volume. The Coxnet algorithm was employed on the training dataset to select significant features. Twenty-One treatment failure prediction models were constructed based on Rad scores. The overall adequacy of the treatment failure prediction models was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index) and statistically significant differences (p-values) between the Kaplan–Meier curves of the two risk groups. The DD-based LT (DD-LT) model and the combined CT with DD-based RLT (CD-RLT) model showed statistically significant differences in the Kaplan–Meier curves. The C-indices were 0.74 for the DD-LT model and 0.64, the CD-RLT model. These models exhibited higher performance than the conventional approach. The proposed radiomics/dosiomics-based model may be more accurate in predicting treatment failure after chemoradiation in patients with PSCC.
Determinants of Health-related Quality of Life in Older People with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Fong Hugo Pak-Yiu , Choi Shirley Yue-Kwan , Leung Maria Kwan-Wa , Lo Hermione Hin-Man , Wang Bo , Wong Samuel Yeung-Shan , Sit Regina Wing-Shan
Published: November 2023

Background
This study aimed to identify the significant physical, psychological, and social determinants associated with EuroQuol-5D (EQ-5D) among Chinese older people with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and to evaluate how these determinants affected the five dimensions of EQ-5D.
Method
This is a cross-sectional study. Data were collected through a cohort study involving 946 community-dwelling older people aged ≥ 60 with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Independent variables were categorized into physical, psychological, and social domains. Physical variables included age, sex, body-mass index (BMI), pain severity score, number of pain regions, the most painful site, and the number of comorbidities. Psychological variables included depression and anxiety level. Social variables included living, marital, and social welfare recipient’s status. The dependent variables comprised the index scores and the five dimensions of the EQ-5D descriptive system. Ordinal least squares (OLS) model and logistic regression model was used for data analysis.
Results
The mean age of the participants was 67.1 (SD = 5.1), with 77.6% being female. Higher pain severity scores (beta (β) coefficient =-0.044, P < 0.001), depression scores (β=-0.007, P < 0.001) and higher anxiety scores (β=-0.01, P < 0.001) were associated with lower EQ-5D index scores. Specifically, knee pain (β=-0.061, P < 0.001) was significantly associated with lower EQ-5D index scores. Participants with higher pain severity and depression scores were more likely to report problems in most EQ-5D dimensions. Participants with anxiety primarily faced challenges related to mood, and those with knee pain were more likely to have problems with mobility and daily activities.
Conclusion
Pain intensity, depression, anxiety, and knee pain were key determinants of reduced HRQoL in older Chinese people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Each of these determinants showed distinct associations with different dimensions of the EQ-5D, potentially informed resource allocation and the development of targeted interventions to improve the overall HRQoL of this specific population.
Dual T Cell Depletion for Graft versus Host Disease Prevention in Peripheral Blood Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Adults with Hematological Malignancies
Authors: Viswabandya Auro , Alfaro-Moya Tommy , Salas Maria , Carreira Abel Santos , Atenafu Eshetu , Law Arjun , Lam Wilson , Pasic Ivan , Kim Dennis , Michelis Fotios , Gerbitz Armin , Lipton Jeffrey , Kumar Rajat , Mattsson Jonas
Published: November 2023

The ideal immunosuppressive agents to complement post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) in PBSC-based haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT)remain debated.
This study looks at our experience with ATG-PTCy-Cyclosporine (CsA) prophylaxis in PB haplo-HCT since 2015, aiming to provide updated insights into GVHD prevention. Between October 2015 and December 2021, 157 adults underwent haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT) using a GVHD prophylaxis regimen comprising rabbit-ATG, PTCy, and CsA. Among these patients, 76.4% received a total ATG dose of 4.5 mg/kg, and 23.5% received 2 mg/kg. T-cell replete peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) grafts were infused on day 0. The study reported a median follow-up of 32 months for survivors.
The cumulative incidence of grade II-IV and grade III-IV acute GVHD at day +100 was 26.3% and 9.5%, respectively. Moderate/severe chronic GVHD at 1 year was 19.9%.
The 2-year overall survival (OS) was 49.4%, with a relapse-free survival (RFS) of 44.6%. In multivariate analysis, older patients, and those with high/very-high disease risk indices (DRI) were at higher risk for worse OS and higher non-relapse mortality (NRM).
The study confirms that using PTCy and ATG (4.5mg/kg), alongside CsA is safe and effective for preventing GVHD in peripheral blood haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT).
Equity in the recovery of elective and oncological surgery volumes after the COVID-19 lockdown: a multicentre cohort study in Italy
Authors: Chiara Di Girolamo , Roberta Onorati , Tania Landriscina , Roberto Gnavi , Giulia Cesaroni , Enrico Calandrini , Lucia Bisceglia , Caterina Fanizza , Spadea Teresa
Published: November 2023

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and still has, a profound impact on national health systems, altering trajectories of care and exacerbating existing disparities in health. Postponement of surgeries and cancellation of elective surgical procedures have been reported worldwide. In Italy, the lock-down measures following the COVID-19 pandemic caused cancellations of surgical procedures and important backlogs; little is known about potential social inequalities in the recovery process that occurred during the post-lockdown period. This study aims at evaluating whether all population social strata benefited equally from the surgical volumes’ recovery in four large Italian regions.
Methods: This multicentre cohort study covers a population of approximately 11 million people. To assess if social inequalities exist in the recovery of eight indicators of elective and oncological surgery, we estimated Risk Ratios (RR) through Poisson models, comparing the incidence proportions of events recorded during COVID-19 (2020-21) with those in pre-pandemic years (2018-19) for each pandemic period and educational level.
Results: Compared to 2018-19, volumes of elective surgery showed a U-shape with the most significant drops during the second wave or the vaccination phase. The recovery was socially unequal. At the end of 2021, incidence proportions among highly educated people generally exceeded the expected ones; RRs were 1.31 (95%CI 1.21-1.42), 1.24 (95%CI 1.17-1.23), 1.17 (95%CI 1.08-1.26) for knee and hip replacement and prostatic surgery, respectively. Among low educated patients, RR remained always <1. Oncological surgery indicators showed a similar social gradient. Whereas volumes were preserved among the highly educated, the low educated were still lagging behind at the end of 2021.
Conclusions: Surgical procedures generally returned to pre-pandemic levels but the low educated experienced the slowest recovery. An equity-oriented appraisal of trends in healthcare provision should be included in pandemic preparedness plans, to ensure that social inequalities are promptly recognised and tackled.
“WISER” intervention to reduce healthcare worker burnout – 1 year follow up
Authors: Profit Jochen , Cui Xin , Tawfik Daniel , Adair Kathryn , Sexton J Bryan
Published: November 2023

Objective
Test sustainability of Web-based Implementation for the Science of Enhancing Resilience (WISER) intervention efficacy in reducing healthcare worker (HCW) emotional exhaustion (EE), a key component of burnout.
Design:
One-year follow-up of WISER RCT using two cohorts (one waitlist) of HCWs of four NICUs each, to improve HCW well-being (primary outcome: EE).
Results
In Cohorts 1 and 2, 194 and 312 WISER initiators were identified by 1-year, and 99 and 80 completed 1-year follow-up, respectively. Combined cohort results showed that relative to baseline, at 1-year WISER decreased EE (-7.07 (95%CI: -10.22, -3.92), p < 0.001), depression (-4.49 (-6.81, -2.16), p = < 0.001), and improved work-life integration (6.08 (4.25, 7.90), p = < 0.001). EE continued to decline between 6-month and 1-year follow-up (p = 0.022). The percentage of HCWs reporting concerning outcomes was significantly decreased for EE (-10.9% (95%CI: -17.9%, -4.9%); p < 0.001), and secondary outcomes depression and work-life integration.
Conclusion
WISER improves HCW well-being for at least 1 year.
Clinical Trials Number: NCT02603133; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02603133
Evaluation of the Effect of Molasses on Performance of Bitumen and Asphalt Concrete Mixture with different nominal aggregate size
Authors: Worku Melese
Published: November 2023

Bitumen was modified in order to increase the performance and decrease the cost of bitumen or for both purposes. This paper presents the effect of molasses on performance of bitumen and asphalt concrete mixtures and determination of optimum molasses content in the asphalt mix with 3 types of nominal aggregate size (NMAS) (19mm, 12.5mm and 9.5mm). Marshal specimens were prepared using virgin 60/70 penetration grade bitumen to obtain optimum binder content (OBC). The remaining marshal specimens were prepared by adding 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% of molasses by volume of OBC in each type of NMAS. The replacement was done by subtracting equal volume of bitumen from OBC. Bitumen quality tests of virgin bitumen and modified bitumen also conducted. The modified bitumen marshal test result and bitumen quality tests were determined and evaluated according to Ethiopian Road Authority (ERA) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) specifications. Based on the result 6% molasses was the optimum molasses content used to modified 60/70 penetration grade bitumen. Other volumetric properties were within the limits of the ERA and AASHTO specifications.
Deep neural network based on polar code for improving the BER performance of the non-Gaussian underwater acoustic communication system
Authors: Ahmed Mustafa Sami , Jawhar Yasir Amer , Hassib Mustafa Dh.
Published: November 2023

The neural network is one of the techniques used to enhance the bit error rate performance in communication systems. The wireless communication system usually follows the standard Gaussian distribution, while the noise in underwater acoustic systems usually follows non-Gaussian distribution and leads the system to a high bit error rate value. In this paper, the deep forward neural network has been adopted to improve the bit error rate of the underwater aquatic system based on t-distribution. Furthermore, the parameters of the deep neural network, number of nodes, number of layers, and activation functions have been evaluated to note the behavior of the bit error rate performance of the system. The results show that the bit error rate value of the system declines when increasing the number of nodes and layers in the neural network, while the tanh activation function is a suitable function that can be used to improve the bit error rate performance of the system. Moreover, the complexity and latency pattern of the system increases by boosting the number of nodes and layers of the neural network.
Fracture-induced Electromagnetic radiation (FEMR) predicting the Syrian-Turkey earthquake (Mw-6.3) on 20.2.2023: An insight on the Dead Sea transform activity
Authors: Das Shreeja , Frid Vladimir , Rabinovitch Avinoam , Bahat Dov , Kushnir Uri
Published: November 2023

Observations of fracture-induced electromagnetic radiation (FEMR) were conducted along the Dead Sea Transform (DST) from Sodom to Jericho, coinciding with a magnitude (Mw) 6.3 aftershock earthquake (EQ) in the Turkey-Syrian region on February 20, 2023. The FEMR parameters ("hits," Benioff strain release, frequency, rise-time, energy) and associated crack dimensions were analyzed, focusing on trends leading up to the EQ. This study investigated the Benioff Strain plot and other parameters in three consecutive earthquake nucleation stages leading to the catastrophe. The first stage showed increased FEMR hits and frequency, decreased rise time (T'), and crack dimensions. In the second stage, FEMR hits and crack width decreased while other parameters continued to rise, accumulating the second-highest energy, likely due to high-stress drop. The third stage exhibited steadily increasing FEMR hits and energy and a notable increase in crack dimensions, suggesting an imminent macro failure event. The cyclic trend in FEMR hits indicates alternating periods of high activity and silence, potentially linked to stress changes during crack propagation. Taken shortly before the earthquake, these measurements offer valuable insights into how FEMR parameters vary before seismic events, bridging the gap between lab-scale studies of rock collapses under stress and large-scale failure phenomena.
Use of Biomass for Removing Wastewater Turbidity: Characterization and Optimization Study
Authors: Tayeb Aghareed M. , Othman Reham H. , Monazie Aliaa M. , Mahmoud Mohamed A.
Published: November 2023

In the present study, a commercially available mushroom is used as a natural flocculent at different dosages to treat a synthetic suspension containing different concentrations of local clay. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to optimize the values of operating parameters based on residual turbidity and percent turbidity reduction. The highest percent reduction in water turbidity was obtained at a pH of 6.7. The lowest value for residual turbidity (11.1 NTU) is achieved by a clay suspension with a concentration of 1000 ppm, and the highest value for residual turbidity (22 NTU) is achieved by a clay suspension with a concentration of 6000 ppm. The optimum values of mushroom dose were 0.2 and 0.1 g for clay concentrations of 4000 and 5000 ppm, respectively, for a time of 120 min. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to optimize the values of the operating parameters and the results of the model fitted well with the experimental results.
A TonB dependent transporter YncD of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi is associated with iron acquisition and possesses vaccine potential
Authors: Xiong Kun , Deng Luxin , Li Zhan , Chen Jie , Wu Xiaoli , Huang Mintao , Rao Xian-Cai , Cong Yan-Guang
Published: November 2023

Background
Multiple TonB dependent transporters (TBDTs) contribute to bacterial virulence because of the importance roles that their substrates play in bacterial growth, and possess vaccine potential. A putative TBDT, YncD, had been identified as one of in vivo induced antigens during human infection of typhoid fever, and is involved in the pathogenicity of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi. The present study was aimed to determine the function and immunogenicity of YncD.
Methods
Homologous recombination method was used to construct an yncD-deletion mutant and cirA-iroN-fepA-deletion mutant from the wild-type S. Typhi Ty2. The growth of mutants and the wild-type strain were assessed in iron-deficient medium, as well as in human macrophage cells. Recombinant YncD protein was expressed and purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and anion exchange. A mouse model was the used to evaluate the immunogenicity and protection efficacy of the recombinant YncD.
Results
Our results showed that YncD is associated with the iron-uptake of S. Typhi. The yncD-deletion mutant displayed impaired growth in the iron-deficient medium, comparable to that the cirA-iroN-fepA-deletion mutant did. The mutation of yncD also markedly decreased bacterial growth within human macrophage cells. Moreover, subcutaneous immunization of mice with the recombinant YncD elicited high levels of specific anti-YncD IgG, which protected the immunized mice against the intraperitoneal challenge of S. Typhi, and decreased bacterial burdens in the livers and spleens of the infected mice.
Conclusion
Our results showed that YncD is involved in the iron-uptake of S. Typhi and possesses immunogenicity.
Machine learning for predicting treatment plans in patients with small non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
Authors: yao peishan , liao xiaomin , wang ya , huang junming , Dang yi , Qin Shanyu , Jiang Haixing
Published: November 2023

Background
This study aimed to investigate the impact of surgical or conservative treatment on the prognosis of small non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PNETs) and to predict appropriate treatment strategies by constructing machine learning (ML) models.
Methods
Using clinical data from patients with small NF-PNETs in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2000 to 2020, the Kaplan-Meier survival curve(KM) was used to assess the impact of different treatment approaches on survival. Cox analysis was performed to validate the prognostic value of treatment approaches. Six ML models (Support Vector Machine, Logistic Regression, Random Forest, AdaBoost, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Multilayer Perceptron) were applied to predict the most appropriate treatment approach for conservative patients. Performance evaluation was performed using metrics such as area under the curve (AUC), F-score, predictive accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity to compare the performance of the models.
Results
A total of 2602 patients with small NF-PNETs were included in this study, of whom 94.2% received surgical treatment. Patients who underwent surgery had more prolonged overall survival, and treatment modality was identified as an essential factor associated with improved survival (HR: 0.092, 95% CI: 0.053–0.158). In a Cox multivariate analysis, surgical treatment was significantly associated with a reduced risk of death (HR: 0.188, 95% CI: 0.126–0.279). Evaluation of the random forest algorithm showed that some patients with conservative treatment require a more aggressive treatment plan and have a relatively good discriminatory ability (AUC, 0.915, 95%CI: 0.872–0.959).
Conclusion
Surgical treatment may be a promising strategy for prolonging survival in patients with small NF-PNETs. Further individualized decision-making is needed to ensure patients have the best possible outcome.
Clinical Practice Guidelines in the Management of Pediatric Foreign Body Aspiration and Ingestion: A Systematic Evaluation Using the AGREE II Instrument
Authors: Rizvi Anza , Rizvi Fatima , Chorath Kevin , Suresh Neeraj , De Ravin Emma , Romeo Dominic , Lakshmipathy Deepak , Barrette Louis-Xavier , Rajasekaran Karthik
Published: November 2023

Purpose
Several clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been produced to optimize diagnosis and management of pediatric foreign body aspiration and ingestion. However, to date there have been no critical evaluations of their methodological rigor or quality. Herein we address this need via the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument.
Methods
A literature search of Embase, MEDLINE via PubMed, and Scopus was performed up until February 25, 2021. Identified CPGs were then assessed by four independent reviewers trained in AGREE II. A scaled domain score of > 60% was indicated as satisfactory quality. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess inter-reviewer agreement.
Results
11 guidelines were assessed with only one being classified as high quality and others being either average (two) or low quality (eight). Domain 4 (clarity of presentation) achieved the highest mean score (66.41% ± 13.33%), while domain 5 (applicability) achieved the lowest score (10.80% ± 10.37%). ICC analysis revealed generally strong agreement between reviewers with a range of 0.60–0.98.
Conclusion
Quality appraisal using the AGREE II instrument suggests that the methodologic rigor and quality of current guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pediatric foreign body aspiration and ingestion need significant improvement.
Security Vulnerabilities in Infrastructure as Code: What, How Many, and Who?
Authors: War Aicha , Habib Andrew , Diallo Alioune , Klein Jacques , Bissyandé Tegawendé F.
Published: November 2023

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a pivotal approach for deploying and managing IT systems and services using scripts, offering flexibility and numerous benefits. However, the presence of security flaws in IaC scripts can have severe consequences, as exemplified by the recurring exploits of Cloud Web Services. Recent studies in the literature have investigated IaC security issues, but they often focus on individual components (IaC tools or scripts), providing only preliminary insights. Our research extends the current knowledge by conducting a comprehensive investigation into various aspects of IaC security, encompassing its core components. We explore vulnerabilities in terms of types, their predominant locations, contributor responsibilities for introducing vulnerabilities, and more. Our methodology relies on widely adopted static security testing tools, which analyze over 1600 repositories to identify IaC vulnerabilities. Our empirical study yields valuable observations, highlighting severe and recurrent vulnerabilities within IaC, while also categorizing their severity and types. We delve deeper into vulnerability patterns, examining source code, dependencies, and manifest files across all IaC components, including tools, scripts, and add-ons (libraries or plugin tools). The study uncovers that IaC components are plagued by exploitable vulnerabilities that span all ten categories of security bugs outlined in OWASP 2021. Furthermore, our investigation reveals that even when maintainers employ security tools to address vulnerabilities, they do not integrate them systematically into their automation routines. Consequently, we propose that IT teams need to foster stronger collaboration across DevOps profiles (developers and IT operators) and break down the boundaries with security operators to enhance Infrastructure as Code's security posture through the adoption of DevSecOps practices.
Epidemiological and Clinical Profiles of Infectious Endophthalmitis: A Comparative Study of Traumatic and Non-Traumatic Aetiologies in a Tertiary Eye Care Center in Rural Tribal Areas of Western India
Authors: Shah Mehul , Shah Shreya , Rajoria Vedant , Chandarana Bhoomi , Vador Raj , Kumar Arun , Shah Riddhi , Tiwari Deepak
Published: November 2023

Introduction:Infectious Endophthalmitis is a rare yet severe ocular condition with potential for vision loss, necessitating urgent intervention. This research aims to analyse and compare the epidemiological and clinical attributes of traumatic and non-traumatic cases of the disease.
Methods: A retrospective examination of electronic medical records from 2008 to 2022 was performed to identify patients diagnosed with endophthalmitis. Treatment involved initial intravitreal injections and/or 23 g pars plana vitrectomy. Patients adhered to a standardized follow-up regimen. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-22, encompassing descriptive and cross-tabulation functions, and no financial conflicts were noted.
Results:Among the 200 patients included, 89 (45.5%) had non-traumatic postoperative (PO) endophthalmitis, while 111 (55.5%) suffered from posttraumatic (PT) endophthalmitis, with males predominating in both groups. The PT group consisted of notably younger patients compared to the non-traumatic PO group. Most patients (94.2%) presented with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of <1/60. Treatment outcomes differed based on etiology, with 46 (23%) eyes showing BCVA improvement to 6/60, and 29 (14.5%) eyes achieving BCVA >6/24. A total of 22 patients (11%) had no light perception, with no significant variation in visual outcome (p=0.278) observed among different causes.
Conclusion:infectious endophthalmitis, though rare, poses a substantial risk of vision impairment. Swift and aggressive treatment is linked to significant vision enhancement. However, this study did not establish a discernible influence of aetiology on treatment outcomes. Early diagnosis and effective management remain pivotal for favourable visual prognosis in cases of infectious endophthalmitis.
Adaptive functional morphology in the high-Arctic Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea): Snowshoes minimise foot sinking depth during locomotion on snow
Authors: Ewart Heather E , Sellers William , Folkow Lars P , Nudds Robert , Codd Jonathan
Published: November 2023

Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) are endemic to the high-Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, where climatic conditions can be extreme and the ground is snow-covered for much of the year. In preparation for Arctic winters, these birds double their body mass through large deposits of body fat that act as an emergency energy reserve. Despite this, Svalbard rock ptarmigan have a lower cost of locomotion in winter relative to their lighter summer mass. Additionally, they regrow thick feathers on the foot prior to winter, to which their genus Lagopus (translating literally to hare-foot) is reference. To investigate whether feathered feet may aid winter locomotion, we tested the effect of foot feathering on foot sink depth in snow across a range of snow stiffnesses. We used a force rig which pressed feathered feet into snow across varying degrees of snow hardness, to assess the relationship between foot sink depth and the stiffness of snow in the winter feet of Svalbard rock ptarmigan and its two southern-more relatives, willow (Lagopus lagopus) and mainland rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta). Comparing foot surface area of feathered and unfeathered (taken via high-definition images), our findings indicate that the greater foot feathering of the Svalbard rock ptarmigan reduced foot sink depth in snow relative to the other ptarmigans. Specifically, the foot load of feathered Svalbard rock ptarmigan feet was significantly lower than that of the other (sub)species, indicating that the rich regrowth of feathers is a primary driver of the reduced foot load in the Svalbard rock ptarmigan. Given foot load is a strong predictor of the metabolic cost of locomotion in snow, the feathered winter feet are suggested to be a biomechanical energy-saving adaptation of the Svalbard ptarmigan, alongside their thermal insulating properties.
Dual-Energy Computed Tomography Iodine Imaging Combined with Laboratory Data for Preoperative Evaluation of Microvascular Invasion in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Two-Center Study
Authors: Li Huan , Zhang Dai , Pei Jingxia , Hu Jingmei , Li Xiaohu , Liu Bin , Wang Longsheng
Published: November 2023

Purpose
Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a recognized biomarker associated with poorer prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) is a highly sensitive technique that can determine the iodine concentration (IC) in tumor and provide an indirect evaluation of internal microcirculatory perfusion. This study aimed to assess whether the combination of DECT with laboratory data can improve preoperative MVI prediction.
Methods
This retrospective study enrolled 119 patients who underwent DECT liver angiography at two medical centers preoperatively. To compare DECT parameters and laboratory findings between MVI-negative and -positive groups, Mann-Whitney U test was employed. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to determine fundamental components. Mann-Whitney U test was applied to determine whether the PC scores varied across MVI groups. Finally, a general linear classifier was used to assess the classification ability of each PC score.
Results
Significant differences were noted (P < 0.05) in AFP level, normalized arterial phase IC, and normalized portal phase IC between the MVI groups in the primary and validation datasets. The PC1–PC4 accounted for 67.9% of the variance in the primary dataset, with loadings of 24.1%, 16%, 15.4%, and 12.4%, respectively. In both primary and validation datasets, PC3 and PC4 were significantly different across MVI groups, with area under the curve values of 0.8410 and 0.8373, respectively.
Conclusion
Both bilirubin parameters and the intratumoral IC in the arterial phase were considered important for MVI analysis, the recombination of DECT iodine concentration and laboratory features based on varying factor loadings can well predict MVI preoperatively.
Bone turnover markers and transcriptomes changes induced by acute sleep deprivation
Authors: Duan xiaoye , Pan Qi , fan jingwen , wang weihao , Fei xiao , Lixin Guo
Published: November 2023

[Absract] Objective: To explore the effect of acute sleep deprivation (SD) on the bone turnover status and the changes of gene expression in rat bone tissues. Methods: Wistar rats, 6 weeks age, were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal controls (NC) group, SD group, SD and recovery (SD+R) group. Acute SD model was established via a modified multi-level bench method. Bone turnover markers (P1NP, β-CTX) were measured. The femur tissues from NC and SD group were subjected to RNA sequencing. Differential expression genes were screened and the KEGG functional annotation analysis and GO enrichment analysis. Results: The serum PINP levels were significantly decreased after 72-hours SD intervention (p <0.05) and serum β-CTX levels were increased (p <0.05). There were 4441 differential genes (q-value value <0.05), of which 1985 genes were up-regulated and 2456 genes were down-regulated. Some genes related to osteogenesis and osteoclast differentiation such as Tnfrsf11a, Ctsk, spp1, and pth1r were significantly upregulated, and various signaling pathways, including bone resorption and bone remodeling signaling pathway were upregulated. KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that oxidative phosphorylation pathway and Alzheimer's disease pathway; while thyroid hormone signaling pathway, parathyroid hormone synthesis, secretion pathway, and insulin signaling pathway were significantly downregulated. Conclusions: This study found that acute SD rapidly breaks the balance of bone turnovers, and increased related mRNA expression. Sleep is essential for maintaining bone turnover status.
RETRACTED: Assessing Influenza Activity Variations in the Asian Region During the Pre- and Post-Pandemic Period (2019-2023)
Authors: Safdar Inayah , Nisar Nadia , Awan Najma Javed , Badar Nazish , Naz Sumera , Daud Bisma , Asghar Muhammad Nadeem
Published: November 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Effects of Adding Compound Inoculants on physicochemical properties and microbial community of Black Soil During Soybean Growth
Authors: HOU Tingting , Yu Deshui , Zhang ye , du jie , Du Rongchun , gao yuhan , wang yingze , Meng Liqiang
Published: November 2023

Applying a large number of chemical fertilizers to the black soil will not only reduce the black soil fertility and crop yield, but also pollution of the soil environment. Through the field experiment of soybean growth, the objective of this study was to investigated the effects of added compound microbial agent on the improvement of black soil and found effective measures for the prevention and control of soil erosion in the black soil region of Northeast China. Through treatment on soybeans, the bacterial community structure in the soil can be influenced, with the most common bacterial phyla being Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria. Soil available phosphorus, available potassium, and ammonium nitrogen show a significant positive correlation with soybean yield, while pH shows a significant negative correlation with soybean yield. This suggests that moderate application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can contribute to an increase in soybean yield, while a decrease in soil pH can have a detrimental effect on soybean yield. Additionally, inoculation with rhizobium can impact the diversity of soil microbial communities, with soil pH and organic carbon having the greatest influence on bacterial community structure. In conclusion, the compound microbial inoculum has a good effect on black soil improvement, which can provide some theoretical and experimental reference for black soil erosion control.
Combining cardiac and renal biomarkers to establish a clinical early prediction model for Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury: a prospective observational study
Authors: Li Jiaxin , Wu Jinlin , Lei Liming , Gu Bowen , Wang Han , Xu Yusheng , Chen Chunbo , Fang Miaoxian
Published: November 2023

Background
Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI) is common and associated with poor outcomes. Early prediction of CS-AKI remains challenging. Currently available biomarkers for AKI are serum cystatin C (sCysC) and urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (uNAG), and common cardiac biomarkers are N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTNI). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of these biomarkers in predicting CS-AKI.
Methods
Adult patients after cardiac surgery were included in this prospective observational study. The clinical prediction model of CS-AKI was established by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and the discriminative ability of the model was evaluated by using the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC), decision curve analysis (DCA), and calibration curves. The risk nomogram was plotted, and the validation cohort was constructed for external validation.
Results
In the modeling cohort of 689 and the validation cohort of 313, the incidence of CS-AKI was 29.2% and 39.6%, respectively. Predictors screened by LASSO included age, history of hypertension, baseline serum creatinine, coronary artery bypass grafting combined with valve surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass duration, preoperative albumin, hemoglobin, postoperative NT-proBNP, cTNI, sCysC, and uNAG. The ROC-AUC of the constructed clinical prediction model in the modeling cohort and validation cohort were 0.830 (0.800–0.860) and 0.840 (0.790–0.880), respectively, and the calibration and DCA showed good fit and clinical benefit.
Conclusions
A clinical early prediction model consisting of the immediately postoperative renal biomarkers sCysC and uNAG and the cardiac biomarkers NT-proBNP and cTNI could improve the predictive accuracy of CS-AKI.
Fabrication of pH Responsive Thin Film Using a One-Step Environmentally Friendly Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Gürsoy Mehmet
Published: November 2023

In recent years, there has been growing interest in pH responsive polymers. Polymers with ionizable tertiary amine groups, which have the potential to be used in many critical application areas due to their pKa values, have an important place in pH responsive polymers. In this study, poly(2-Diisopropyl aminoethyl methacrylate) (PDPAEMA) thin films were coated on various substrates such as glass, fabric and silicon substrate using a one-step environmentally friendly plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The effects of typical PECVD plasma processing parameters such as substrate temperature, plasma power, reactor pressure on the deposition rate were studied. The highest deposition rate was obtained at a substrate temperature of 40 °C, a reactor pressure of 300 mtorr, and a plasma power of 60 W. The apparent activation energy was found to be 17.56 kJ/mol. Based on the results of this study, uniform film thickness and surface roughness were observed at large area. The PDPAEMA thin film was exposed to successive acid/base cycles. The results showed that the pH sensitivity of the thin film produced by the PECVD method is permanent and reversible.
Integrative systems biology framework discovers common gene regulatory signatures in multiple mechanistically distinct inflammatory skin diseases.
Authors: Mukhtar M. Shahid , Mishra Bharat , Athar Mohammad
Published: November 2023

More than 20% of the population across the world is affected by non-communicable inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, rosacea, etc. Many of these chronic diseases are painful and debilitating with limited effective therapeutic interventions. However, recent advances in psoriasis treatment have improved the effectiveness and provide better management of the disease. This study aims to identify common regulatory pathways and master regulators that regulate molecular pathogenesis. We designed an integrative systems biology framework to identify the significant regulators across several inflammatory skin diseases. With conventional transcriptome analysis, we identified 55 shared genes, which are enriched in several immune-associated pathways in eight inflammatory skin diseases. Next, we exploited the gene co-expression-, and protein-protein interaction-based networks to identify shared genes and protein components in different diseases with relevant functional implications. Additionally, the network analytics unravels 55 high-value proteins as significant regulators in molecular pathogenesis. We believe that these significant regulators should be explored with critical experimental approaches to identify the putative drug targets for more effective treatments. As an example, we identified IKZF1 as a shared significant master regulator in three inflammatory skin diseases, which can serve as a putative drug target with known disease-derived molecules for developing efficacious combinatorial treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa, atopic dermatitis, and rosacea. The proposed framework is very modular, which can indicate a significant path of molecular mechanism-based drug development from complex transcriptomics data and other multi-omics data.
CAFs regulate HK2 through SKP2 driving NSCLC glycolysis to affect almonertinib resistance
Authors: Fan Lingyao , Yao Yuhui , Wei Guohao , Zhou Wenzheng , Sun Min , Zhu Chuandong
Published: November 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
A Novel Market Sentiment Measure: Assessing the link between VIX and the Global Consciousness Projects Data
Authors: Holmberg Ulf
Published: November 2023

The Standard & Poor's 500 Volatility Index (VIX), a common measure of market sentiment, is found to be significantly correlated with the Global Consciousness Projects (GCP) data. More specifically, the largest daily composite GCP data value (Max[Z]) is found to significantly covary with changes in VIX. The results indicate that the GCP data can help in understanding market sentiment and that daily market movements can be better comprehended by acknowledging variations in the GCP data. As such, the results suggest that the GCP data can be put to practical use by traders, which is investigated by fitting econometric models that either utilize or ignore the GCP data on daily S&P 500 returns. Highly significant interaction terms are found both with the VIX and with daily returns from markets traded in both Europe and Asia. Additionally, it is found that recognizing such interactions can explain about one percent of the econometric model's variance. To mitigate the possibility of overfitting and P-hacking, the models are put to a practical test in an out-of-sample simulation study lasting for a predefined period of one year. In the out-of-sample simulation, an artificial trader uses S&P 500 tracking instruments and trades in accordance with the econometric model's one day ahead forecasts. The results from the out-of-sample simulations suggest that GCP data can enhance daily forecasts, making it a valuable resource for traders.
Evaluation of Chemical and Radiological Impacts of Radionuclides in Borehole Waters in Igbajo Town, Osun State, Nigeria
Authors: S. Fayemi O. , A. Giwa A. , A. Aderanti A. , I. Adenekan A.
Published: November 2023

Water is a universal solvent on earth and sources such as wells, rivers, springs, boreholes, and other freshwater bodies typically serve as a pathway for contaminants to enter the ecosystem while also supplying water for domestic and drinking purposes. The activity concentrations of radionuclides in borehole water in Igbajo town were assessed using gamma-ray spectroscopy, so as to effectively determine the degree of radiological risk to the environment and its inhabitants, the outcomes were used to calculate all the radiological impact parameters. The activity concentrations obtained for 40K, 238U and 232Th ranged from 7.25 ± 0.60 to 62.15 ± 4.48 Bq.L–1; 3.08 ± 0.45 to 15.24 ± 3.07 Bq.L–1 and 1.08 ± 1.10 to 17.75 ± 1.59 Bq.L–1 and with average values of 23.12 ± 1.59 Bq.L–1, 6.27 ± 2.01 Bq.L–1 and 7.01 ± 0.89 Bq.L–1 respectively. The Annual Effective Dose (AED) for ingested radionuclide in drinking water for an adult was 1.4872 µSv.yr–1. The Radium Equivalent Activity Index, Raeq obtained was 34.9186 Bq.L–1. The estimated hazard indices Hint and Hext were 0.04876 and 0.06574 respectively. The Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk, ELCR (x10–6) was 5205.15. With a lifetime expectancy of 70 years, this high value suggests that there is a high chance of developing cancer. The value of the Annual Gonadal Equivalent Dose, AGED in the water was 55.9175 µSv.yr–1. The estimated Gamma Index, Iγ was 0.1273 mSv.yr–1. There is a significant health hazard to the environment and people living in the area owing to the radioactivity contents and radiological impact parameters.