bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and coronary artery disease and heart failure: findings from The Philippine CORONA Study
Authors: Espiritu Adrian , Pilapil John Christopher , Aherrera Jaime Alfonso , Sy Marie Charmaine , Anlacan Veeda Michelle , Jamora Roland Dominic
Published: October 2023

Background
Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who likewise have coronary artery disease (CAD) or heart failure (HF) are more likely to have poor functional and overall outcomes. Experience and emerging data across various centers and countries has shown that CAD/HF is associated with increased risk for severe or critical disease, mortality, cardiovascular death, respiratory failure, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and prolonged hospitalization. This study aimed to determine the characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with CAD/HF across various institutions in the Philippines.
Methods
We performed a subgroup analysis comparing the clinicodemographic characteristics and outcomes of admitted COVID-19 patients with CAD/HF (n = 512) versus those without CAD/HF (n = 10,369). The data was based on the Philippine CORONA study – a nationwide, comparative, retrospective, cohort study among adult, hospitalized COVID-19 patients involving 37 hospital sites across the Philippines. Distribution differences between two independent samples was determined using the Student’s t test for normally distributed data and Mann-Whitney U test for non-normally distributed data. The associations between CAD/HF and COVID severity, all-cause, cardiac, and non-cardiac mortality, respiratory failure, neurologic outcomes, and length of ICU and hospital stay were determined by binary logistic regression. Multivariate regression analysis was done to adjust for particular confounders. Odds ratios (OR) and Kaplan-Meier curves were generated.
Results
We included a total of 10,881 patients with COVID-19 infection, 512 of whom had diagnosed CAD/HF and 10,369 were without CAD/HF. The CAD/HF cohort had an older median age of 61 year and was predominantly male. Estimated association of the presence of CAD/HF with relevant outcomes revealed that CAD/HF was significantly associated with COVID severity (OR 2.89, 95% CI 2.41–347, p < 0.001), all-cause mortality (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.99–2.95, p < 0.001), death from cardiac causes (OR 2.61, 95% CI 1.79–3.81, p < 0.001), respiratory failure (OR 3.06, 95% CI 2.52–3.71, p < 0.001), and prolonged hospitalization (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.19–1.7, p < 0.001). Even after adjusting for other confounders (age, sex, smoking history, comorbidities, and therapeutics received), the presence of CAD/HF was still associated with death from a cardiac cause (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.49–3.3, p < 0.01).
Conclusions
Among COVID-19 patients, the presence of CAD or HF was significantly associated with severity of COVID disease, all-cause mortality, death from cardiac causes, respiratory failure, and prolonged hospitalization.
Habitat complexity mediates the impacts of human land-use on stream biodiversity
Authors: Moi Dieison , Kaufmann Philip , Riato Luisa , Romero Gustavo , Kratina Pavel , de Mello Franco Teixeira , Hughes Robert
Published: October 2023

Urban and cropland intensifications are persistent drivers of declines in biodiversity globally. Yet, it is poorly understood how habitat complexity can mitigate the negative impacts of such human pressures. Using a comprehensive dataset of 4093 streams across the conterminous USA, we demonstrate that high-habitat complexity sites harbor higher insect richness and density, but lower fish richness and density, than low-habitat complexity sites. Higher habitat complexity sites support 17% and 18% more fish and insect uniqueness, respectively. Urban and cropland intensifications lead to reductions in fish and insect richness and density in more complex habitats. Regardless of habitat complexity, urban and cropland intensifications have reduced insect uniqueness. These findings illustrate that despite promoting greater insect diversity and greater fish and insect uniqueness, high-habitat complexity cannot effectively buffer biodiversity against human land-use intensification. Our findings underscore that preserving freshwater biodiversity requires maintaining habitat complexity and more sustainable urban and agricultural activities.
Prevalence and influencing factors of sleep insufficiency among preschool children in Urumqi city: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Gao Yongwei , Aizetiguli Maiming , Shan Surong , Zhu Zhaoxuan , Zhang Jing , xu peiru
Published: October 2023

Background: Healthy sleep requires adequate sufficiency, Sleep insufciency has become an increasingly prevalent and under-recognized public health problem. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of sleep insufficiency and its risk factors among preschool children in Urumqi city.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with stratified random cluster sampling. Children aged 3–6 years old in one kindergarten randomly selected from each of the 8 districts of Urumqi from March to July 2022, and their parents were surveyed with a sleep time questionnaire.
Results: The prevalence of sleep insufficiency among preschool children in Urumqi was 23.5% (314/1336), and was significantly different among different ethnicities and age groups, was higher in older age groups and was the highest in Uyghur ethnic chlidren, followed by Hui, Han, Kazakh, and the other ethnic children. Outdoor activity less than one hour per day (OR=3.628;95%CI 2.338-5.63), a noisy living room (OR=2.325;95%CI 1.469-3.681), a low total annual household income(OR=1.776;95%CI 1.074-2.937), a high body mass index(OR=1.064;95%CI 1.021-1.108), and the use of electronic products over one hour per day(OR=0.593;95%CI 0.373-0.942) were assocaited with a higher risk of sleep insufficiency.
Conclusion: The prevalence of sleep insufficiency among preschool children in Urumqi was 23.5%, was higher than the national and global averages, and was more prevalent among older children, differs among different ethnic groups. Many factors associated with the prevalence of sleep insufficiency in preschool children, and an increase in time spent outdoors, reduced time spent on electronic devices, and controlling body weight are likely to reduce the risk of sleep insufficiency. The findings indicate that sleep insufficiency is an important public health problem in Urumqi.
A novel enrofloxacin-degrading fungus, Humicola sp. KC0924g, isolated from the rhizosphere sediment of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis L.
Authors: Chen Xueting , Zhang Yuping , Liu Jinghua
Published: October 2023

Herein, a novel enrofloxacin-degrading fungus was isolated from a rhizosphere sediment of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis L.. The isolate, designated KC0924g, was identified as a member of the genus Humicola based on morphological characteristics and tandem conserved sequences analysis. The optimal temperature and pH for enrofloxacin degradation by strain KC0924g was 28°C and 9.0, respectively. Under such condition, 98.2% of enrofloxacin with initial concentration being 1 mg L-1 was degraded after 72 h of incubation, with nine possible degradation products identified. Accordingly, four different metabolic pathways were proposed, which were initiated by cleavage of the piperazine moiety, hydroxylation of the aromatic ring, oxidative decarboxylation, or defluorination. In addition to enrofloxacin, strain KC0924g also degraded other fluoroquinolone antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin), malachite green (an illegal addition in aquaculture) and leucomalachite green. Pretreatment of cells of strain KC0924g with Cu2+ accelerated ENR degradation. Moreover, it was speculated that one flavin-dependent monooxygenase and/or one laccase involved in ENR degradation based on the increased transcriptional levels of these two genes after Cu2+ induction. This work enriches strain resources for enrofloxacin remediation and, more importantly, would facilitate studies on the molecular mechanism of ENR degradation with degradation-related transcriptome available.
A bacterial formulation based on two exopolysaccharide-producing rhizobacteria from Dongxiang wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) confers drought tolerance in cultivated rice Dongdao-4 (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: López Janice Álvarez , Expósito César Danilo Valle , Jia Fang , Yao Zongmu , Jin Xiaoxue , Gómez Yunior Miguel Morán , Zhang Jianfeng
Published: October 2023

Objectives.
The present study aims to isolate exopolysaccharide-producing bacterial strains from the rhizosphere of Dongxiang wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.); elaborate a bacterial formulation, and quantify its effect on the defense against stress in cultivated rice seedlings under drought.
Methods.
Dongxiang wild rice rhizospheric soil was used to isolate exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria; and bacteria isolates were identified, at the taxonomic level of genus, following polyphasic methods. A bacterial formulation was made; and the enzymatic activity and the malondialdehyde content were quantified; in addition to measuring morphological indicators of growth in cultivated rice Dongdao-4 (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings under drought stress.
Results.
The inoculation of cultivated rice with the bacterial formulation made from two selected isolates had positive impacts on growth parameters and the antioxidant defense under drought, significantly surpassing the effect of the commercial products PB (Biofertilizer P) and EM (Efficient Microorganisms). Even the shoot length of the inoculated plants under drought does not differ significantly from control plants under normal water conditions; while the root dry weight was significantly higher. The enzymatic activity of the inoculated plants significantly exceeds the other treatments in drought; and the malondialdehyde content was the lowest of the treatments. The exopolysaccharides-producing bacterial strains mitigate the adverse effects of drought stress; and the bacterial formulation improve relevant parameters of the plants under drought, and can be used as a potential inoculant in arid zones.
Conclusions.
This study demonstrates the efficacy of exopolysaccharide-producing Dongxiang wild rice rhizobacteria in improving drought tolerance and consequently enhancing plant growth.
Antioxidant-Rich Diets Associated with Reduced Mortality Risks： Findings from NHANES Cohort
Authors: Li Yuguang , Chen Xinqiao , Li Qiguang , Wang Yao , Zhao Yixin , Zhang Rong , Shi Hanping , Liu Xiangliang , Cui Jiuwei , Li Wei
Published: October 2023

Background The composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) reflects an individual's dietary intake of antioxidants. This study aimed to investigate the association between CDAI and mortality outcomes. Methods Data from 18,046 adults aged 18–80 years were analyzed from the US NHANES 2011–2018. CDAI was calculated from dietary vitamins A, C, E and minerals selenium, magnesium and zinc. All-cause and cancer mortality were ascertained through 2019. Cox models evaluated CDAI-mortality associations. Results Increasing CDAI quartiles were associated with decreasing all-cause mortality risk (high vs low Q4 vs Q1 HR 0.699, 95% CI 0.579–0.844, p < 0.001). A similar trend was observed for cancer mortality (Q4 vs Q1 HR 0.727, 95% CI 0.507–1.044, p = 0.084). Stronger associations were found in males. Conclusions Higher CDAI, reflecting greater dietary antioxidant intake, was associated with lower all-cause and cancer mortality. CDAI may be a useful tool for assessing antioxidant status and health outcomes. Further research is warranted on potential gender differences.
Magnetic topology corrugation induced by turbulence-driven fine structure current and its profound effect on heat transport in tokamak plasmas
Authors: Chen Xiang , Lu Zhixin , Cai Huishan , Chen Yang , Zou Xiaolan , Li Ding
Published: October 2023

Plasma current control and energy confinement improvement are critical issues in the magnetic fusion research. In this work, the threshold of the fine structure generation and the direction reversal in the drift instability-driven current are identified in tokamak plasmas for the first time based on gyrokinetic simulations. The fine structure current is driven by the ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode, the collisionless trapped electron mode (CTEM), and the electron temperature gradient (ETG) mode. The fundamental properties related to the magnitude and the direction of the fine-scale current are revealed. The fine structure current changes the magnetic topology, modifies the characteristic of turbulence, and reduces the electron heat transport (by 23%) significantly. It is beneficial to the formation of transport barriers near the rational surface. The in-depth knowledge of the turbulence-driven fine structure current provides guidelines in experiments for the control of the current structures and instabilities.
Evaluation of the association between patent ductus arteriosus approach and neurodevelopment in extremely preterm infants
Authors: Altit Gabriel , Soledad Belén , Saeed Sahar , Gorgos Andreea , Beltempo Marc , Basso Olga , Luu Thuy Mai , Lapointe Anie , Tremblay Sophie
Published: October 2023

Objective
Assess if unit-level PDA management correlates with neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at 18–24 months corrected gestational age (cGA) in extremely preterm infants.
Study design:
Retrospective analysis of infants born at < 29 weeks (2014–2017) across two units having distinct PDA strategies. Site 1 utilized an echocardiography-based treatment strategy aiming accelerated closure (control). Site 2 followed a conservative approach. Primary endpoint: NDI, characterized by cerebral palsy, any Bayley-III composite score < 85, sensorineural/mixed hearing loss, or at least unilateral visual impairment.
Results
377 infants were evaluated. PDA treatment rates remained unchanged in Site 1 but eventually reached 0% in Site 2. Comparable rates of any/significant NDI were seen across both sites (any NDI: 38% vs 36%; significant NDI: 13% vs 10% for Site 1 and 2, respectively). After adjustments, NDI rates remained similar.
Conclusion
PDA management strategies in extremely preterm newborns showed no significant impact on neurodevelopment outcomes at 18–24 months cGA.
WITHDRAWN: The influence of Social Capital on Psychosexual Health of adolescents in China - the mediating role of Psychological Capital and Self-efficacy
Authors: Luo Ji , Muhamad Haslina , Tang Dandan , Zeng Ni , Tao Rui , Li Jin Qiu
Published: October 2023

Background
Adolescents experience rapid physical and bodily development during adolescence, which also brings about psychological development, especially the development of secondary sexual characteristics, which brings about psychosexual development and many psychological conflicts.The study integrates research on the individual level (positive capital and self-efficacy) and the environmental level (social capital) influences on adolescent psychosexual health, and investigated the mediating role of psychological capital and self-efficacy as a mediator in the relationships between Social Capital and Psychosexual Health in China.
Methods
In the context of a cross-sectional descriptive study, our research undertook an examination of the educational context in China, specifically focusing on middle and high school programs. The study involved the participation of 7910 students, ranging in age from 12 to 19 years. Of this cohort, 3947 individuals were identified as female, representing 49.9% of the total sample, while the remaining 3963 were male, accounting for the remaining 50.1%.This research used a social capital questionnaire, a psychological capital scale, a self-efficacy scale and a psychosexual health questionnaire. Subsequently, we conducted an analysis of the collected data utilizing SPSS and AMOS, employing a range of analytical techniques including descriptive tests, Pearson correlation, and structural equation modeling.
Results
It was found that social capital, psychological capital, and self-efficacy have a positive influence on adolescents' psychosexual health; psychological capital, and self-efficacy have a mediating role in the development of social capital and adolescents' psychosexual health.
Conclusion
The study underscored the significant positive impact of social capital, psychological capital, and self-efficacy on the psychosexual health of adolescents. This comprehensive exploration enhances our understanding of the multifaceted dynamics shaping adolescent psychosexual development, shedding light on the importance of both individual and environmental factors in promoting their well-being during this critical phase of life.
Personal exposure to polyaromatic hydrocarbon and inhalation risk assessment among asphalt hot mixed plant and road paving workers
Authors: Ravichandran B , Sen Somnath , Dhananjayan V , Narayana J
Published: October 2023

Workers exposed to heated asphalt at paving and hot mixed plant jobs may experience fumes and vapours containing hazardous chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs), causing respiratory irritation, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk. The study estimated inhalation exposure to PAHs among asphalt workers in hot mixing plants and road paving areas using XAD-2 sorbent tubes and PTFE filter paper. A total ninety-one personal air samples (paving 37 and plant 54) were collected from the worker’s breathing zone. Results were analysed using HPLC, following the NIOSH-5506 method. It was found that the total PAHs (TPAHs) concentration range (composed vapour and particulate phases) was between 0.02-184.71 µg/m3 (mean 21.07 ± 37.36 µg/m3) and the concentration of TPAHs among road paving workers was significantly higher (p 0.05) than the hot mix asphalt plant workers. Among the individual PAHs compound, the mean concentration of Benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP) was 7.15 ± 17.05 µg/m3 and it was the highest observation value, followed by Benzo[α]Pyrene (BaP) with a mean concentration 3.28 ± 8.46µg/m3, and the exposure level of BghiP and BaP among the paving workers was significantly (p 0.05) higher compared with the plant workers. Health risk assessment suggested increased chances of developing cancer (3.44 x10− 09 to 3.47 x10− 04) in the study area, whereas non-cancer hazard quotients and indexes had values of BaP was 8.095x1002, which implied that these contaminants have adverse effects on health. The results of our study demonstrate that the asphalt workers are exposed to PAHs and their derivatives constantly at their work sites, and since PAHs are considered non-threshold carcinogens, our observed levels may still be harmful.
Self-Sovereign Identity: An Examination of the Pragmatics Behind Idealistic Digital Identity Management
Authors: Naicker Denver , Moodley Mackaylan
Published: October 2023

Amidst the evolution of the digital identity landscape, this research investigates the necessity and distinctiveness of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) as compared to preceding identity models. Propelled by escalating privacy concerns pose a contentious challenge of reconciling unique identification with information concealment, the paper underscores the urgency to decentralise user data from monopolistic social media enterprises. This decentralisation is aimed at maintaining an online presence without jeopardising real-world identities, thereby offering the advantages of previous systems without intrusive tracking. Drawing parallels with the adage, "data is the new oil," the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for reformed access management, particularly in South Africa. Existing measures, such as pre-entry forms, while essential for health and safety, infringe upon personal data privacy. The exploration into developing an SSI solution, while promising, illuminated its infancy. Interoperability challenges abound, requiring universal acceptance of standardised credential templates. Despite the touted benefits of SSI, the present business model's reliance on personal data for operations and advertising hinders its widespread adoption. The research suggests that rather than merely integrating enhanced security adapters, a fundamental shift in the business model is recommended. Engaging with tools to instantiate SSI solutions revealed gaps in documentation and support, compounded by ambiguous architectural protocols. While the move towards open-source models is commendable, the ease-of-use of higher-level abstracted, reusable technical components by third-party tools and libraries provide an easier work around for some of these challenging steps for setup and implementation. In summation, the research provides context to the journey of utilising SSI tools, advocating for simpler and clearer technical documentation, aligning directly to the principles and philosophies of SSI ensuring trust, and transparency in the digital identity sphere.
Immature central tumor tertiary lymphoid structures are associated with better prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Xiaoxu Deng , Min Xu , Chengcheng Cao
Published: October 2023

Background & aims: Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs[1]) are predictive biomarkers of favorable clinical outcomes and immunotherapy response in several solid malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the relationship between TLSs and NSCLC prognosis has not been eludicated from the aspects of location, density, and maturity. This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of TLSs in NSCLC.
Methods: A collection of 151resected pulmonary nodules in patients with NSCLC was retrospectively analyzed. Two experienced pathologists reviewed hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) slides and assessed TLS scores at different anatomic subregions. Then, we analyzed their correlation with clinicopathologic parameters and CD8 staining intensity and assessed multiple clinicopathological factors affecting patient prognosis.
Results: CD8 expression was correlated with total (TLS-CT) (P = 0.000), aggregates (Agg) (TLS-CT) (P = 0.001), follicles (FOL)-I (TLS-CT) (P= 0.025), and TLS(overall) (P = 0.013). TLS scores in the central tumor (CT) and invasion margin (IM) areas were negatively correlated with distant metastasis and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage in NSCLC patients, while TLS score in the CT area was positively correlated with CD8 expression. TLS (overall), Agg (TLS-CT), and FOL-I (TLS-CT) were positively correlated with distant metastasis, UICC stage, and CD8 expression in NSCLC patients. Agg (TLS-IM) was positively correlated with distant metastasis and UICC stage. FOL-I (TLS-IM) was positively correlated with UICC stage. FOL-II (TLS-IM) was positively correlated with distant metastasis (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that unfavorable independent prognostic factors were associated with metastasis status and UICC stage. Independent prognostic factors with protective effects included Agg (TLS-CT), FOL-I (TLS-CT), total (TLS-CT), and overall TLS (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Histological score assessment of H&E sections of Agg (TLS-CT), FOL-I (TLS-CT), total (TLS-CT), and overall TLS levels in NSCLC has prognostic value.
[1]Abbreviations: Agg, aggregates; CI, confidence interval; CT, central tumor; FOL, follicles; H&E, hematoxylin–eosin; HR, hazard ratio; IM, invasive margin; IM, invasion margin; LSCC, lung squamous cell carcinoma; LUAD, lung adenocarcinoma; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival; SCLC, small cell lung cancer; TLS, tertiary lymphoid structure; TLT, tertiary lymphoid tissue; UICC, Union for International Cancer Control
Class-oriented document vectorization as a new vectorization paradigm: application to job recommender systems
Authors: Tatchum Ghislain Wabo , Nzeko'o Armel Jacques Nzekon , Makembe Fritz Sosso , Djam Xaveria Youh
Published: October 2023

Nowadays, job recommender systems are more useful in the fight against unemployment due to their strong presence in e-recruitment platforms that are becoming very popular. Most of the job recommender systems based on machine learning models use a vector representation of job offers based on keywords. However, these keywords are results of vectorization which is applied on a collection of documents where each one is a job offer. In this case, each keyword discriminates one job offer from another, whereas it can be preferable that each keyword discriminates one class from another. Our aims is to improve job recommendation to user profiles, by applying vectorization on a class-oriented collection of documents in order to obtain more useful keywords for job offer representation. In this context, each class-oriented document corresponds to a user profile. Experiments are done on three datasets (Monster, Nigam and Minajobs), using TF-IDF and Doc2Vec as vectorization techniques, Naive Bayes, Decision Trees, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Tranformers erchitecture (TFM) as machine learning models for top-N recommendation, and Precision, MAP and F1-score as evaluation metrics. Results show that, compared to classic job recommender systems, improvement rates can go up to 19\%, 22\% and 20\% for systems based on Naive Bayes, go up to 34\%, 37\% and 34\% for those based on Decision tree, go up to 33\%, 34\%, 34\% for those based on SVM, and go up to 29\%, 40\% and 33\% for those based on transformers architecture, respectively in the Monster, Nigam and Minajobs datasets.
FABP7-mediated lipid-laden macrophages drive liver metastasis through metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells and CD8+ T cells
Authors: Liang Li , Xu Shaowan , Peng Xin , Wang Zhenfang , Le Chenchen , Wu Xiangkun , Zeng Zhicheng , Zeng Sisi , Zhang Ceng , Qiu Mingxing , Zou Xin , Zhang Hongxia , wang feifei , Kang Wei , Ding Yanqing
Published: October 2023

Abnormal metabolic process is involved in sequential steps of the pre-metastatic cascade and overt metastasis at the distant organ. However, the mechanisms underlying lipid metabolic reprogramming in macrophages regulates the formation of pre-metastic niche (PMN) during liver metastasis remain unknown. Here, we found that fatty acid binding protein 7 (FABP7) was up-regulated in the liver macrophages leading to lipid droplet accumulation in PMN of colorectal cancer (CRC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This was partially mediated by hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α)-induced FABP7 expression that subsequently facilitated diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) activity in liver macrophages. FABP7-mediated lipid droplet induced protumoral M2-type macrophages in liver PMN, creating a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Knockout or pharmacologic inhibition of FABP7 reduced liver metastasis of CRC and PDAC, respectively. Mechanistically, lipid-laden macrophages induced by FABP7 transported their lipids to tumor cells and CD8+ T cells via exosomes, leading to heightened tumor cell proliferation and CD8+ T cell dysfunction through different metabolic reprogramming. Besides, FABP7 induced macrophages secreting pleiotrophin (PTN) to promote the proliferation of metastatic tumor cells by activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Collectively, our findings uncover a novel mechanism of FABP7-mediated lipid droplets in macrophage in liver PMN formation and metastasis, and suggest a prognostic and therapeutic potential of targeting FABP7 for liver metastasis.
The prevalence and features of the Delphian lymph nodes' involvement in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Saad Hassan A. , Baz Azza , Riad Mohamed , Eraky Mohamed E , El-Taher Ahmed K , Farid Mohamed I , Sharaf Khaled , Said Huda E. M.
Published: October 2023

There is ongoing debate on the extent of dissection in patients with papillary thyroid cancer. Evaluating Delphian lymph nodes (DLNs) at the time of the procedure could be helpful in determining the extent of dissection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency and features of DLN in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included patients who underwent PTC surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma. The patients were classified according to whether their DLNs were involved. Age, sex, mass location, lymphatic involvement, tumor size, tumor features, pathology report, and parts of the surgical note were compared between the two groups. The final pathology slides of the patients were evaluated for DLN features.
Results
Among the 61 patients (mean age:38.2 ± 12.0), 45 (73.8%) were female. Of the 13 patients (21.3%), one patient's interaction with DLNs was documented. Other lymph nodes on the same side (P = 0.001), opposite side (P = 0.041), and central lymph nodes (P = 0.001) were significantly associated with DLN involvement. Furthermore, vascular invasion was significantly higher in patients with DLN involvement (P = 0.012).
Conclusion
As DLN involvement is strongly linked to significant nodal involvement, it is suggested that DLNs be evaluated during surgery to determine the correct level of dissection.
Indirect Defense in Sorghum: Attraction of Natural Enemies to Aphid-Infested Plants Varies among Cultivars
Authors: Russavage Emily M. , Hewlett Jeremy A. , Grunseich John M. , Szczepaniec Adrianna , Rooney William L. , Helms Anjel M. , Eubanks Micky D.
Published: October 2023

Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are an indirect defense used by plants to attract natural enemies and reduce herbivory by insect pests. In many crops including sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), little is known about genotypic variation in HIPV production or how this may affect natural enemy attraction. In this study, we identified and quantified HIPVs produced by 10 sorghum cultivars infested with a prominent aphid pest, the sorghum aphid (Melanaphis sorghi Theobald). Volatiles were collected using dynamic headspace sampling techniques and identified and quantified using GC-MS. The total amounts of volatiles induced by the aphids did not differ among the 10 cultivars, but overall blends of volatiles differed in composition. Most notably, aphid herbivory induced higher levels of methyl salicylate (MeSA) in two cultivars. In addition, four cultivars did not change in the volatile emissions after herbivory. Dual-choice olfactometer assays were used to determine preference of the aphid parasitoid, Aphelinus nigritus, and predator, Chrysoperla rufilabris, between plants of the same cultivar that were un-infested or infested with aphids. Two aphid-infested cultivars were preferred by natural enemies, while four other cultivars were more attractive to natural enemies when they were free of aphids. The remaining four cultivars elicited no response from parasitoids. Our work suggests that genetic variation in HIPV emissions greatly affects parasitoid and predator attraction to aphid-infested sorghum and that screening crop cultivars for indirect defenses has the potential to improve the efficacy of biological control.
SiamMCA: Infrared Target Tracking Algorithm with Mixed Channel Attention
Authors: Li Yonghong , Diao Cheng , Fang Yuhao , Li Laquan , Zhao Zhiqiang , Li Chao
Published: October 2023

Due to the imaging specificity of infrared images, compared with the RGB images, there are drawbacks such as blurring, low contrast, unclear texture details and large background noise. So the tracking is more difficult and challenging. There are two main methods for infrared target tracking. One is to use Handcrafted features, but it is time-consuming and costly. The other is infrared target tracking algorithm which is the current mainstream algorithm and is to apply the tracking model used for RGB tracking to infrared target tracking. Compared with the RGB images, the image features extracted from infrared images often have low quality and poor tracking performance. Therefore, to address these problems, based on the idea of Siamese network, an efficient infrared target tracking model SiamMCA is designed in this paper. SiamMCA is mainly composed of a feature extraction network module, a mixed channel feature enhancement module, a multi-scale feature fusion module and a regional regression network module (RPN) for object classification and bounding box regression. Firstly, the feature extraction network module based on the deep residual network Resnet50 extracts richer and more comprehensive feature information by introducing multi-head self-attention. Then the mixed channel feature enhancement module assigns different weights to the features of different channels, which makes the model more focus on the regions of interest. Finally, response maps with multi-scale features are obtained by a multi-scale feature fusion module and are fed into the regional regression network module to classify the target and predict and regress the bounding box. The experimental results show that SiamMCA achieves nice performance on infrared data benchmarks LSOTB-TIR and PTB-TIR, and can effectively cope with various infrared target tracking tasks.
Influence of Non-Fourier Heat Flux on the Hybrid Nanofluid Flow over a Permeable Sphere when Lorentz force, Soret and Dufour effects are Significant: An Artificial Neural Network Model
Authors: Suneetha S. , Venkateswarlu A. , Srinivasa K. S. , Babu M. Jayachandra
Published: October 2023

Heat transmission in systems or thermal devices relies on the thermal conductivity of nanofluids. Thermal conductivity (32%) of the hybrid nanofluid (i.e. ethelene glycol conveying zinc and titania nanoparticles) is higher than that (13%) of the ordinary nanofluid (i.e. ethelene glycol conveying zinc nanoparticles), according to experimental data. When Lorentz force, thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, heat flux causes to concentration gradient as well as mass flux causes to thermal gradient are significant, nothing is known on the flow of chemically reactive Ethelene glycol conveying zinc and titania nanoparticles due to heat flux due to thermal inertia through porous medium on sphere. Keller box scheme with the combination of finite difference procedure is opted to solve the governing equations by transforming them into a nonlinear and non-dimensional system of partial differential equations. Outcomes (such as the variation in the temperature profile due to Dufour number) are presented in the form of bar plots and plots in two cases i.e., 2 EG+ ZnO+TiO and EG+ ZnO. An in-built function, ‘nntool’ (ANN) in MATLAB is used to validate the data of the engineering parameters including shear stress. An important observation is that, with respect to magnetic field, the shear stress drops to -0.146 (HNF-Hybrid Nano Fluid) and -0.08887 (NF-Nano Fluid), whereas the skin friction factor increases by 2.764055 (HNF), 2.028481 (NF) with an increment in volume fraction of nanoparticle. The reported decreases in heat transfer rate for Dufour number are - 0.15607 (HNF) and - 0.15815 (NF). Also it was revealed that when a growth in Soret number causes to lessen the mass transfer rate and that the decrement amounts for HNF and NF in relation to the Soret number are - 0.03187 and - 0.03904. And also, it is noticed that the greater the thermal relaxation parameter, the lower the temperature of the fluid.
Forkhead box E1, frequently methylated in colorectal cancer, inhibits cancer cell growth and metastasis by changing the cellular actin skeleton
Authors: Shi Qinlan , Huang Zhongting , Kuang Yeye , Wang Chan , Fang Xiao , Hu Xiaotong
Published: October 2023

Forkhead box E1 (FOXE1), also known as thyroid transcription factor 2 (TTF-2), belongs to a large family of forkhead transcription factors. It plays important roles in embryogenesis, cell growth, and differentiation. Cancer-specific FOXE1 hypermethylation events have been identified in several cancers. However, the expression and function of FOXE1 in the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer remain still unknown. In this study, we examined FOXE1 expression and methylation in normal colon mucosa, CRC cell lines, and primary tumors by immunohistochemistry, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, methylation-specific PCR, and bisulfite genomic sequencing. We found that FOXE1 was frequently methylated and silenced in CRC cell lines and was downregulated in CRC tissues compared with paired adjacent non-tumor tissues. Meanwhile, low FOXE1 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and advanced TNM stages, indicating its potential as a tumor marker. Subsequently, we established colon cancer cell lines with stable FOXE1 expression to observe the biological effect on colorectal cancer, including cell growth, migration, actin cytoskeleton, and growth of human colorectal xenografts, in nude mice. Ectopic expression of FOXE1 could suppress tumor cell growth and migration and affect the organization of the actin cytoskeleton together with suppressing tumorigenicity in vivo. FOXE1 methylation was frequently seen in association with a complete absence of or downregulated gene expression, and FOXE1 plays a suppressive role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer.
Selinexor targets expression of metabolic genes in Merkel cell carcinoma cells
Authors: Moore Stephen A. , Landes Jennifer R. , Simonette Rebecca A. , He Qin , Doan Hung Q. , Rady Peter L. , Tyring Stephen K.
Published: October 2023

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a deadly skin cancer that primarily affects the elderly and immunocompromised, with mortality rates ranging from 50% to 80%. Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is associated with 80% of cases of MCC. The primary treatment for MCC is immune checkpoint inhibitors; however, many patients are unresponsive to or do not meet criteria for treatment. The Warburg effect has linked cancer cell survival to increased glycolytic metabolism to maintain increased cellular energy demands. While initial hypotheses suggested that increased glycolysis itself was directly upregulated and important in cancer cell proliferation, more recent ideas suggest a “moonlighting” role for glycolysis genes. In general, these “moonlighting” proteins’ non-metabolic functions are equally as important if not more important than their catalytic functions.
Previous research on MCPyV-positive MCC demonstrated that selinexor targeted and decreased the expression of viral T antigens, inhibited the DNA damage response, and downregulated lipogenesis proteins. More recently, these metabolic genes have been found to regulate many oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Selinexor, an approved treatment for multiple myeloma, acts as a selective inhibitor of nuclear export by blocking exportin 1 and blocking translation of key proto-oncogenes.
Objectives: Here, we report the effects of selinexor on expression of glycolytic and metabolic genes, specifically discussing the catalytic effects on metabolic function and their indirect non-catalytic effects.
Methods: Immunoblotting quantified through densitometric analysis determined the protein expression in MS-1 cell lines. T-tests were used to determine statistical significance.
Results: Analysis revealed highly statistically significant (p<0.001) or statistically significant (p<0.01) downregulations of protein expression of GLUD1, GLUT3, Hexokinase 1, PFKFB2, amphiregulin, LDHA, PDHK1, and MCT1.
Conclusion: In the MCC cell line MS-1, selinexor significantly downregulated expression of many genes in cellular energy metabolism and cellular proliferation in a statistically significant relevant manner. These results suggest that selinexor may be a novel viable option for the treatment of MCC, but further studies in vivo and clinical trials are required to validate these findings.
Impact of Soil Moisture and Rainfall variability on Soybean Crop Yield during El Niño Episodes in Maharashtra, India
Authors: Soni Anil Kumar , Tripathi Jayant Nath , Tripathi Akshar , Sateesh M.
Published: October 2023

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the influence of ENSO events on soil moisture, rainfall, and soybean crop yields, alongside an evaluation of trends and their correlations with soybean crop yield. Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, contributing 39% of India's soybean production, were found to be highly susceptible to El Niño events especially western and central parts of this region. El Niño negatively affected crop yield, with reductions ranging from − 12% to -70%, including − 7% to -40% rainfall decreases and − 2% to -6% lower soil moisture. During a very strong El Niño year, Marathwada experienced a 40% rainfall deficit and a 70% crop yield decline, while Vidarbha had a 7% rainfall deficit and a 57% crop yield reduction. Soil moisture trends indicated declining levels in Vidarbha during critical soybean growth months (June and August), whereas Marathwada showed no significant trend. Rainfall trends revealed an increase in September in Marathwada, affecting crop maturity, while Vidarbha had a beneficial rainfall trend in July, promoting crop growth and soil moisture. Correlations between soil moisture, rainfall, and soybean yield varied, with Marathwada exhibiting correlations of 0.58 for soil moisture and 0.56 for rainfall, and Vidarbha displaying a correlation of 0.29 for soil moisture and 0.53 for rainfall.
Discharge communication for mental health visits to the pediatric emergency department: A mixed-methods study
Authors: Ali Amber Z , Wright Bruce , Curran Janet A , Fawcett-Arsenault Joelle , Newton Amanda S
Published: October 2023

Background Discharge communication is essential to convey information regarding the care provided and follow-up plans after a visit to a hospital emergency department (ED), but it can be lacking for visits for pediatric mental health crises. Our objective was to improve pediatric mental health discharge communication by co-designing and testing the usability of new discharge communication interventions. Methods The study was conducted in two phases using experience-based co-design (EBCD). In phase 1 (Sep 2021 to Jan 2022), five meetings were conducted with a team of six parents and two clinicians to co-design new ED discharge communication interventions for pediatric mental health care. The team used the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior (COM-B) model to identify strategies to support the delivery of the new interventions. After meeting five, team members completed the Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool (PPEET) to evaluate the co-design experience. In phase 2 (Apr to Jul 2022), intervention usability and satisfaction were evaluated by a new group of parents, youth aged 16–24 years, ED physicians, and nurses (n = 2 of each). Evaluation results were used by the co-design team to finalize the interventions and delivery strategies. Results Two discharge communication interventions were created: a brochure for families and clinicians to use during the ED visit, and a text-messaging system for families after the visit. There was high engagement satisfaction in phase 1 (overall mean PPEET score, 4.5/5). In phase 2, user satisfaction was high (mean clinician score, 4.4/5; mean caregiver/youth score, 4.1/5) with both interventions. Usability feedback included in final intervention versions included instructions on intervention use and ensuring the text-messaging system activates within 12–24 hours of discharge. Conclusions The interventions produced by this co-design initiative have the potential to address gaps in current discharge practices. Future testing is required to evaluate the impact on patients, caregivers, and health care system use after the ED visit.
The characteristics of diarrhea-related bacteria in suckling calves and their dynamic succession with ages
Authors: Tang Guangfu , Wang Xi , Cui Minghui , Ren Gehan , Yan Fang , Wang Shunshan , Yao Junhu , Xu Xiurong
Published: October 2023

Background
Calf diarrhea is one of the major health problems in calf rearing on dairy farms worldwide. The gut microbes have great influence on prevention and treatment of calf diarrhea, but their role in diarrhea is still lacking. The objective of this study was to identify the diarrhea-related bacteria in two different days of age, and to investigate whether these bacteria were affected by calf ages.
Results
Forty-eight new-born female calves were selected for recording the fecal score daily and collecting the rectal content at 15 and 35 days of age, respectively. The diarrhea status and health score of calves in two different ages were evaluated according to the fecal score. The rectal microbial fermentation and microbial community structure were different between high-health-status calves and low-health-status calves. Compared to calves with high health status, the low-health-status calves had decreased butyrate molar proportion in rectal feces at both 15 days of age and 35 days of age (P < 0.05). The LEfSe analysis showed that the relative abundance of Butyricicoccaceae (Butyricicoccus) and Clostridiaceae (such as Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Clostridium perfringens) were higher in low-health-status calves at both 15 days of age and 35 days of age. However, the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, and Peptostreptococcus were lower in low-health-status calves at 15 days of age. At 35 days of age, we found that some member in Prevotellaceae (such as Prevotellaceae bacterium and Prevotella) were especially decreased in low-health-status calves. Using random forest regression analysis, most of these genera mentioned above were identified as diarrhea-related bacteria. Furthermore, we have further revealed that some bacteria, like Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-003 and Mogibacterium, were additional diarrhea-related bacteria at 15 days of age. While other bacteria, including Megasphaera, Prevotella 9, Romboutsia, and Citrobacter were additional diarrhea-related bacteria at 35 days of age. The microbial co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the interaction patterns of calf microbiome changed with diarrhea status and ages. Particularly, the potential pathogens, like Escherichia Shigella, had increased participation in co-occurrence networks of diarrheic calves. Among these diarrhea-related bacteria, the genera that positively correlated with health score had apparent co-exclusion with the genera that negatively correlated with health score, but they correlated with rectal short chain fatty acids positively.
Conclusions
Overall, our study revealed that the diarrhea-related bacteria of calves will vary at different ages, which may contribute to the treatment and prevention of diarrhea in the calf industry by targeted microbial intervention.
Comprehensive analyses identify IRF8 in microglia as a possible regulatory target for Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Yao Hongkai , Liu Chenming , Jin Lingjing , Song Yunping
Published: October 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a widespread degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The gradual degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region is one of the primary pathological features of PD. Glial cells in SN are also linked to the pathological PD alterations. To discern the role of neurons and glial cells as well as their corresponding genetic modifications in PD, we utilized diverse bioinformatics techniques and performed biological experiments on cell and animal models. Several transcriptome datasets of the substantia nigra region were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus dataset. Cibersort was used to deconvolute the data into proportions of brain cell types. WGCNA was used to analyze the association between modules and traits. Machine learning was used to select the hub genes from WGCNA results. Based on the results of transcriptome analysis, microglia were the most related cell type and IRF8 was identified as the hub gene associated with PD and microglia. Furthermore, an increased ratio of Irf8+ microglia was observed in PD mice, along with an elevated expression of Irf8 in primary microglia cultures treated with a-synuclein preformed fibril (PFFs). In conclusion, our research indicated IRF8 may be involved in the functional regulation of microglia in PD.