bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond the Gender Binarism: The Neural Correlates of Trans Men Investigated in a Functional Connectivity–Resting State fMRI Study
Authors: Maniaci Giuseppe , Collura Giorgio , Cascia Caterina La , Piccoli Tommaso , Bongiorno Eleonora , Barresi Ilaria , Marrale Maurizio , Gagliardo Cesare , Giammanco Alessandra , Blandino Valeria , Sartorio Crocettarachele , Radellini Stefano , Toia Francesca , Zabbia Giovanni , Bivona Giulia , Midiri Massimo , Ciaccio Marcello , Cordova Adriana , Barbera Daniele La
Published: September 2022

Several studies investigated the specific neural correlates of trans people, highlighting mixed results. This study aimed to investigate the presence of specific functional connectivity in trans men, compared to a homogeneous group of cisgender men and cisgender women. 42 participants (19 trans men, 11 cisgender men, and 12 cisgender women) underwent a resting state fMRI; a blood sample was collected in order to evaluate the hormonal status of testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone. Screening measures were administered for evaluating the intellectual ability and manual preference. Moreover, all participants underwent a neuropsychological evaluation of executive functions, attention, visual-perceptual ability, and verbal fluency. Trans men showed a weaker functional connectivity in the precentral gyrus, subcallosal cortex, paracingulate gyrus, temporal pole, and cingulate gyrus in contrast to cisgender men. Furthermore, trans men showed a worse performance than cisgender men and similar to that of cis women in verbal and visuospatial working-memory. In trans men, functional connectivity of precentral gyrus was positively correlated with blood testosterone and negatively correlated with estradiol and progesterone; the cluster involving the subcallosal cortex showed a positive correlation with testosterone and negative with estradiol, and the functional connectivity from a cluster involving the paracingulate gyrus showed a positive correlation with testosterone. This study sheds light to the importance of overpassing the binary-model, by highlighting the presence of neural pathways that could represent the peculiarity of the neural profile of people with gender dysphoria.
An innovative immunotherapeutic strategy for rheumatoid arthritis: selectively suppressing angiogenesis and osteoclast differentiation by fully human antibody targeting thymocyte antigen-1
Authors: Hu Xuanxuan , Li Meiqi , Zhang Yu , Sang Kanru , Zhang Yejun , Li Wulan , Liu Bo , Wan Leyu , Du Bang , Qian Jinheng , Meng Fanxi , Fu Yanneng , Dai Meijuan , Gao Guohui , Ye Hui
Published: September 2022

Background: Thymocyte antigen-1 (THY-1) is a potential therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment, and THY-1 positive fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are enriched in the synovium of RA patients and participate in angiogenesis to accelerate rheumatoid arthritis development. In this study, we screened a full human antibody targeting THY-1 and exploring its anti-RA activity and mechanism.
Methods: We screened antibody targeting THY-1 (i.e. THY-1 Ab), an antagonistic antibody from human ScFv phage antibody library, by using THY-1 as a target. After proving its binding ability with surface plasmon resonance (SPR), we explored its effect on RA based on FLS transcriptomic analysis and bioinformatics analysis tips treated with THY-1 Ab. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments have proved its effectiveness in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. What’s up, we clarified the mechanism of action of the scFv antibody.
Results:THY-1 Ab could not only bind to human THY-1 extracellular domains, but also combine to Murine THY-1. In addition, THY-1 Ab restrained the proliferation and secretion of the proinflammatory factors. THY-1 Ab restrained angiogenesis by inhibiting VEGF expression in RA FLS, and the THY-1 Ab and RA FLS combination can effectively inhibit the differentiation of osteoclasts, which down-regulated the expression of JUNB via hsa_circ_0094342—miRNA-155-5P—SPI1 axis, thus regulating AP-1 to suppress angiogenesis and osteoclast differentiation. In Collagen induced arthritis (CIA), disease progression was effectively alleviated by THY-1 Ab.
Conclusions: These findings support that THY-1 Ab is a potential drug for the rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
Cemented vs. uncemented reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for the primary treatment of proximal humerus fractures in the elderly - A retrospective case-control study
Authors: Kramer Manuel , Olach Martin , Zdravkovic Vilijam , Manser Melanie , Jost Bernhard , Spross Christian
Published: September 2022

Background
Uncemented reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) for the primary treatment of proximal humerus fractures (PHF) in elderly patients was introduced at our institution in 2017. Recent reports have raised concerns about increased rates of early bone resorption at the proximal humerus with uncemented fracture stems. The aim of this study was to find out whether there was any difference in functional or radiographic outcomes between cemented and uncemented RTSA for PHF.
Methods
In 2017 and 2018, 17 consecutive patients with uncemented RTSA were included (group nC). We added 34 age and sex matched patients (propensity score matching 1:2) who had undergone cemented RTSA for PHF from 2011–2016 (group C). These two groups were compared in terms of clinical and radiographic outcomes at 2 years after the index surgery.
Results
The mean bone quality was low in both groups: in group nC the deltoid tuberosity index (DTI) was 1.43 (1.22–1.72) and in group C 1.42 (1.22–1.67). At the final 2 year follow-up, the relative CS was 98.3% (71–118) in group nC and 97.9% (36–125) in group C (p = 0.927); the absolute CS was 70.2 (49–89) in group nC and 68.0 (30–94) in group C (p = 0.509). Lucent lines at the humeral site were seen in 8 cases (47%) in group nC and in 13 cases (38%) in group C (p = 0.056). Compared to 3% in group C, all patients in group nC showed at least grade 1 and 65% showed grade 3 bone resorption at the proximal humerus, (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Compared to cemented RTSA bone resorption at the proximal humerus was significantly more frequent in patients with uncemented RTSA for PHF. So far, this is rather a radiographic than a clinical finding, because both groups showed very successful functional outcomes and low revision rates at the 2 year follow-up.
Level of Evidence III:
a retrospective case-control study
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Building Information Modeling Implementation in Construction Projects: Evidence from Iran
Authors: Azizi Mojtaba , Taheripour Sahar , Faghihi Vahid
Published: September 2022

Construction projects account for a large percentage of national resources, but they are typically finished at a cost and time beyond the initial estimates. Building Information Modeling (BIM) help coordinate and integrate design and construction efforts to achieve the ultimate benefit needed to satisfy all the stakeholders. Despite the reported benefits of BIM, the implementation of such a new technology initially entails costs and barriers that sometimes delay the benefits achieved from their use. BIM also cast suspicion on whether they are useful, thereby reducing its adoption rate. This study aims to evaluate the benefits of implementing BIM functions compared to the cost of its implementation. The results include a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) for three construction projects in Iran by conducting semi-structured interviews. Finally, despite all the limitations and shortcomings, the achieved benefits outweigh the incurred costs, and BIM implementation in these three construction projects was beneficial. One of the innovations of this study is the use of cost-benefit analysis in evaluating the benefits of BIM, which is tangible and quantitative.
Insilico and Invitro Analyses Reveal Promising Antimicrobial Peptides from Myxobacteria
Authors: Arakal Benita S , Whitworth David E , James Philip E. , Rowlands Richard , Madhusoodanan Neethu P T , Baijoo Malvika R , Livingstone Paul G
Published: September 2022

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern, and as soon as new antibiotics are introduced, resistance to those agents emerges. Therefore, there is an increased appetite for alternative antimicrobial agents to traditional antibiotics. Here, we used in silico methods to investigate potential antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from predatory myxobacteria. 672 potential AMP sequences were extracted from eight complete myxobacterial genomes. Most putative AMPs were predicted to be active against Klebsiella pneumoniae with least activity being predicted against Staphylococcus aureus. 117 AMPs (defined here as ‘potent putative AMPs’) were predicted to have very good activity against more than two bacterial pathogens and these were characterized further in silico. All potent putative AMPs were predicted to have anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties, but none were predicted to be active against viruses. 26 (22%) of them were predicted to be hemolytic to human erythrocytes, five were predicted to have anticancer properties and 56 (47%) were predicted to be biofilm active. Invitro assays using four synthesized AMPs showed promising antibiofilm activities despite high MIC values. 14 putative AMPs had high sequence similarity to proteins which were functionally associated with proteins of known function. The myxobacterial genomes also possessed a variety of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that can encode antimicrobial secondary metabolites, but their numbers did not correlate with those of the AMPs. We suggest that AMPs from myxobacteria are a promising source of novel antimicrobial agents with a plethora of biological properties.
A New 3d Chaotic Quadratic Dynamical System of the Lorenz Family
Authors: MENASRI Abdellah
Published: September 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Photo-Plasmonic Effect as the Hot Electron Generation Mechanism
Authors: Akbari-Moghanjoughi M.
Published: September 2022

Based on the effective Schrödinger-Poisson model a new physical mechanism for resonant hot-electron generation in half-space metal-vacuum configuration of electron gas with arbitrary degree of degeneracy is proposed. The energy dispersion of undamped plasmons in the coupled Hermitian Schrödinger-Poisson system reveals an exceptional point coinciding the minimum energy of plasmon conduction band. Existence of such exceptional behavior is the well-know character of damped oscillation which in this case refers to resonant wave-particle interactions analogous to the collisionless Landau damping effect. The damped Schrödinger-Poisson system is used to model the collective electron tunneling into the vacuum. The damped plasmons is shown to have full-featured exceptional point energy dispersion phase diagram which can have many interesting technological applications. Depending on the tunneling parameter value, in the damped collective excitation band gap there are resonant energy orbital for which the wave-like growing of collective excitations cancels the damping due the quantum electron tunneling. This important feature is solely due to dual-tone wave-particle oscillation characteristics of the collective excitations in the quantum electron gas which leads to the resonant photo-plasmonic effect, as the plasmonic analog of the well-known photo-electric effect. The few nanometer wavelength high energy collective photo-electrons emanating from the typical metal surfaces lead to a much higher efficiency of plasmonic solar cell devices, as compared to their semiconductor counterparts base on electron-hole excitations at the Fermi energy level. The photo-plasmonic effect may be used to study the quantum electron tunneling and electron spill-out at metallic surfaces.
Effective use of the predatory species, Phytoseiulus persimilis and Stethorus punctillum in controlling the two-spotted mite Tetranychus urticae in croton greenhouse
Authors: Adly D.
Published: September 2022

The croton, Codiaeum variegatum is a beautiful tropical plant. The two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, causes economic damage to the croton. The present study aimed to control T. urticae by releasing two predatory species, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias Henriot and Stethorus punctillum Weise, depending on the suitable temperature and humidity of each predator. The experiments were carried out at commercial plastic greenhouses for two seasons. Once the mite T. urticae infestation was detected, the predators were released. The predator, P. persimilis was released three times, with a rate of 9/m2. It increased when the temperature and humidity ranged from 25.5–29°C and 72.8–86.4% RH, respectively, while it disappeared when the temperature increased above 30°C. There was a negative correlation between P. persimilis and temperature, but a positive correlation with relative humidity. The predator, S. punctillum, was released twice, at a rate of 0.5/m2. It increased when the temperature and humidity ranged from 31.8–35°C and 65–77% RH, respectively. There was a positive correlation between S. punctillum and temperature, but a negative correlation with relative humidity. In the two seasons, the population numbers of the mite T. urticae decreased gradually to nil/cm2/croton leaf in the biological greenhouse. In the control greenhouse, the population of T. urticae increased to 59.47 ± 6.34 and 85.63 ± 10.45/cm2/croton leaf in 2019 and 2020, respectively, at the end of the season. Integration of the two predators, P. persimilis and S. punctillum was able to achieve effective control of T. urticae when used according to the suitable temperature for each predator in croton greenhouses.
MST1 is downregulated and acts as a tumor suppressor in prostate cancer
Authors: Huang Yuhang , Li Yuqing , Yin Shiyuan , Fang Linna , Zhong Kun , Ma Wei , Tong Zhuting , Cai Yongping , Yin Yu
Published: September 2022

Tumor suppressive properties have been identified in the mammalian sterile cell line, 20 like kinase-1 (MST-1) and the role they may have in prostate cancer (PCa) has yet to be elucidated due to the paucity of reports. The goal of this study is to investigate the expression and the potential role of MST1 in the development and progression of PCa.
The expression level of MST1 in PCa was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC), qPCR and western blotting, and the clinicopathological parameters of PCa patients underwent statistical analysis. MST1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), androgen receptor (AR), and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) proteins were analyzed by western blot. A cell counting kit, CCK-8 assay and a transwell migration assay were used to assess the proliferation and migration capacity of C4-2 cells. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells, (HUVECs) were used in a tubule formation assay to evaluate prostate cancer angiogenesis.
The results of this study documents that the expression level of MST1 is downregulated in PCa and the downregulation closely correlates with the metastatic status of patients. (p < 0.05). Overexpression of MST1 significantly inhibits C4-2 cells' proliferation and migration. In addition, overexpression of MST1 significantly inhibits VEGF, AR, NSE expression, and the angiogenesis of PCa. This study suggests that MST1 downregulation may play a role as a tumor suppressor gene in the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancer. MST1 downregulation also inhibits the neuroendocrine differentiation and the angiogenesis of early-stage prostate cancer cells.
Results on certain biopolymers using M-polynomial and NM-polynomial of topological indices
Authors: Yasin Mohammed , M Suresh
Published: September 2022

The topological indices is a numerical descriptors that helps in forecasting the physio-chemical characteristics and biological actions of a chemical molecules. It is often helpful forecast numerous physiochemical attributes and biological actions of molecules in chemometrices, bioinformatics and biomedicines. In the present work establish the M-polynommial and NM-polynomial of some utmost familiar biopolymers (xanthan gum, gellan gum and polyacrylamide). These polynomials are used to extract certain degree-based TI’s. The uses of these biopolymers, which can increasingly take the place of traditional admixtures for the application of soil stability and enhancement.
Mathematics Subject Classification 05C92 . 05C09 . 92E10
Strength Properties, Thermal Stability, and Microstructure of Acetylated Obeche (Triplochiton Scleroxylon K. Schum) Wood
Authors: Adebawo Funke Grace , Yekeen Ogunsanwo Olukayode , Adegoke Olaoluwa Adeniyi , Lucian Lucia
Published: September 2022

Acetylation is a well-established process to improve dimensional properties of wood and resistance to fungi attack. This study was carried out due to limited studies on its effect on mechanical properties, thermal stability, and microstructural aspects of wood. Wood blocks, (each 20×20×60 mm) of Obeche were acetylated with acetic anhydride at 120°C for 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 minutes. The microstructure and thermal stability of acetylated and unmodified wood blocks were assessed using SEM and TGA, respectively. The Maximum compressive strength (MCS//g) and Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) of the wood specimens were also determined. The SEM indicated no visible damage or defect in the microstructure of all the acetylated wood and no significant differences in the strength properties compared to untreated wood. Acetylated wood showed an increased thermal stability compared to unmodified wood.
Do screens make us anxious? Associations between screen-time, physical activity, and anxiety among adolescents
Authors: Forte Chloe , O’Sullivan Darragh , McDowell Cillian P. , Hallgren Mats , Woods Catherine B. , Herring Matthew P.
Published: September 2022

Purpose: The associations of screen-time (ST) and physical activity (PA) with adolescent mental health are largely well-established. However, there is limited and inconsistent evidence for the ST, PA, and anxiety relationship.
Methods: We cross-sectionally examined associations between anxiety symptoms with various ST modes and PA levels. Participants (n=1756, n=995 female) living in the Republic of Ireland completed self-report questionnaires assessing individual ST modes (watching TV, using a computer for fun and using a smartphone), PA levels (low, moderate, and high) and anxiety symptoms were measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Multiple linear regressions investigated associations between ST modes and anxiety symptoms while controlling for covariates. We stratified the sample according to PA level and gender to assess their impact on the ST-anxiety relationship.
Results: Computer (β=0.094 p≤0.001) and phone use (β=0.084, p≤0.002) were associated with higher anxiety symptoms. TV viewing was not associated with anxiety symptoms. PA level appeared to moderate the association between phone use and anxiety symptoms, such that those with higher PA levels had no observable associations between phone use and anxiety symptoms. No moderating effect was observed for computer use in the full sample or for males but was observed in females.
Conclusions: These differential findings highlight the complex nature of these associations among adolescents. Prospective studies of the relationship between screen-time and physical activity with anxiety are needed.
Flow Study on a Transparent Two-Phase Blood Model Fluid Based on Alginate Microspheres
Authors: Froese Vera , Gabel Grischa , Parnell Julia , Prause Albert , Lommel Michael , Kertzscher Ulrich
Published: September 2022

The reduction of blood damage is still a big challenge in blood-carrying medical devices. In-vitro experiments are performed to investigate the damage-causing effects, but due to the opaqueness of blood cells, only near-wall flows can be observed. Thus, several transparent blood models to visualize the rheologic behavior of blood have been proposed and examined. Nevertheless, two-phase blood models with added particles still represent the properties of blood inadequately or are very expensive and complex to produce. In this in-vitro study, the viscosity, the flow behavior and the cell deformation of human red blood cells (RBCs) have been compared to a novel, easy-to-produce, two-phase blood model fluid with deformable alginate microspheres. The comparison has been performed in a cone-plate rheometer, a straight and a hyperbolic converging microchannel. The viscosity of the blood model fluid with a particle fraction of 30 % showed a shear-thinning behavior, comparable to that of blood at room and human body temperature within shear rates from 7 s-1 to 2000 s-1. The alginate microspheres were deformable in an extensional flow and formed a cell free layer (CFL) comparable to that of blood in a straight microchannel. The experiments showed a good optical accessibility of the two-phase flow with traceable movements of individual microspheres in the center of the microchannel. It could be shown that our proposed blood model fluid is a promising tool for the analysis of two-phase flows in complex flow geometries.
Royal jelly maintains epidermal stem cell properties by repressing senescence
Authors: Moriyama Mariko , Miyake Yuko , Degawa Tomomi , Okumura Nobuaki , Moriyama Hiroyuki
Published: September 2022

Royal jelly (RJ), a natural product secreted by honeybees, is used in various topical products for skincare and aids in maintaining cutaneous homeostasis. However, the mechanism underlying the effect of RJ on the skin has not yet been fully explored. Our previous data indicated that the epidermal equivalents become thicker and contain more p63-expressing proliferative cells after the addition of RJ to the medium. Therefore, we examined the effect of RJ on the proliferative ability of human primary epidermal keratinocytes (HPEKs) in a two-dimensional culture here. We observed only a slight increase in the proliferation of cells with the addition of RJ, suggesting that it is not actively involved in the proliferation of HPEKs. However, population doubling was enhanced in the RJ-treated group in the long-term culture experiment, indicating that RJ inhibits senescence. Additionally, RJ suppressed cellular senescence by regulating the expression levels of ΔNp63, p16, and p21. These results were further confirmed by the presence of major fatty acids, such as 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, in RJ. Overall, our data indicate that RJ can maintain epidermal stem cell properties by repressing senescence.
A web-based decision support system for assessing water productivity of major crops in Iran under different climatic conditions
Authors: Majid Vazifedoust , Mokhtari Ali , Barikani Elham , Palouj Mojtaba , Afrooz Ramezanali Zabihi , Keshavarz Mohammadreza
Published: September 2022

Knowledge on Water productivity (WP) of strategic crops, nationwide, will result in optimizing the consumption of agricultural water, proper cropping pattern and more financial benefits. In this study, a national web-based simulation portal was developed to evaluate the maximum achievable WP on a national scale. The National Water Portal (NWP) was consisting of four national databases (climatic, soil, crop and spatial data), a lump water balance model and a graphical user interface (GUI) to support computing the irrigation water requirements and evaluate the WP indicators at farm to national scale on the network. WP indicators defined as yield per crop evapotranspiration (WPETc), yield per net irrigation requirement (WPNIR), and the financial benefit per consumed water (WPEco) was calculated for the dominant strategic crop consist of winter wheat, barley, rice, maize, sugar beet and sugarcane. Net irrigation requirement was estimated using a lamp water balance model based on the dual crop coefficient approach presented by FAO 56. The results indicated that winter wheat and barley with NIR of 258 to 4235 m3 ha− 1 has the highest WPEco among the studied crops and rice with NIR of 4495 to 8907 m3 ha− 1 stands in the next category. WPEco for maize and forage maize (3747 to 7083 m3 ha− 1) was higher than WPEco for sugarcane and sugar beet. Sugar cane with NIR of 18318 m3 ha− 1 had distinguishably lower WPEco value among the studied crops because of its long growing season. The results suggested sugar cane to be replaced by with sugar beet (NIR from 5100 to 11896 m3 ha− 1) with 4 times higher WPEco.
Clinical Comparison of Surgical Treatment and Complications in Pediatric Patients with Neuroblastoma at Stage 4
Authors: Wang Jun , Dong Jun , Ding Jing , Deng Yongji , Zhou Jianfeng , Xi Yanli , Ma Geng , Ge Zheng , Lu Rugang , Wang Lixia , Zhu Haobo , Zhu Xiaojiang , Guo Yunfei , Chen Chenjun
Published: September 2022

OBJECTIVE: To compare the surgical methods and complications in pediatric patients with neuroblastoma (NB) at International neuroblastoma staging system (INSS) stage 4 in the adrenal site.METHODS: Thirty-four patients, 21 males and 13 females, with NB at INSS stage 4 underwent radical surgery (RS) from May 2018 to May 2021, and were retrospectively included. Patients were divided into three groups, namely RS group (group A), tumor biopsy + chemotherapy + RS group (group B), and bone marrow biopsy + chemotherapy + RS group (group C) depending on the particular treatment protocol. The total survival rate, factors related to surgical resection, and surgical complications in each group were analyzed.Results: 5 cases were enrolled in group A, 9 cases in group B, and 20 cases in group C. The number of Encasement of Vessels (EVS) was higher in the (CR+MR) group compared to the IR group (P=0.039). The operative time was shorter when EVS was present (P=0.022). RS complications mainly included bleeding (73.5%), celiac leakage (70.6%) and intestinal obstruction (26.5%). A total of 29 cases (85.3%) were graded by CDC as grade II, 2 cases as grade IIIa, 1 case as grade IIIb, 1 case as grade IVa and 1 case as grade IVb.By comparing patients who developed grade II and grade III complications or higher, it was observed that neuron-specific enolase (NSE) (P<0.0001), primary EVS (P<0.0001), RS preoperative EVS (P<0.0001), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P=0.005), Ki67 (P=0.012), primary tumor maximum diameter (P=0.018), primary IDRFs (P=0.022), and preoperative IDRFs for RS (P=0.043) were statistically different.CONCLUSION: In this study, it is concluded that pre-operative biopsy in patients with NB at INSS stage 4 located in the adrenal glands allows for a clear diagnosis, and that subsequent RS does not increase the risk of surgical complications. Moreover, EVS is proved an important factor for surgical resection and surgical complications.
Cardiac MRI Derived Inferior Vena Cava Cross-Sectional Area Correlates with Measures of Fontan Associated Liver Disease
Authors: Gunsaulus Megan , Wang Li , Haack Lindsey , Christopher Adam , Feingold Brian , Squires James , Horslen Simon , Hoskoppal Arvind , Rose-Felker Kirsten , West Shawn , Trucco Sara , Squires Judy , Olivieri Laura , Kreutzer Jacqueline , Goldstein Bryan , Alsaied Tarek
Published: September 2022

Background
There is currently no clear consensus on screening techniques to evaluate the presence or severity of Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD). Cardiac MRI (CMR) is used routinely for post-Fontan surveillance, but CMR-derived measures that relate to the severity of FALD are not yet defined.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional single-center study of post-Fontan patients who underwent a CMR. CMR exams were re-analyzed by a single pediatric cardiologist. Surrogates of FALD included Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT), Fibrosis-4 laboratory score (FIB-4), and imaging findings. Findings consistent with cirrhosis on liver ultrasound included increased liver echogenicity and/or nodularity. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate potential relationships between CMR parameters and markers of FALD.
Results
Sixty-one patients were included. A larger inferior vena cava cross-sectional area (IVC-CSA) indexed to height was significantly associated with a higher FIB-4 score (Spearman’s ρ = 0.28, P = 0.04), a higher GGT level (Spearman’s ρ = 0.40, p = 0.02), and findings consistent with cirrhosis on liver ultrasound (OR 1.17, 95% CI: (1.01, 1.35), p = 0.04). None of the other CMR parameters were associated with markers of FALD. A larger indexed IVC-CSA was associated with higher systemic ventricle end-diastolic pressure (EDP) on cardiac catheterization (Spearman’s ρ = 0.39, p = 0.018) as well as older age (Spearman’s ρ = 0.46, p = < 0.001).
Conclusions
Indexed IVC-CSA was the only CMR parameter that was associated with markers of FALD. This measure has the potential to serve as an additional non-invasive tool to improve screening strategies for FALD.
Emergency Department Utilization Among Skin Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study of the National Emergency Department Sample 2013-2015
Authors: Russell Emma R. , Kumar Yash , Tripathi Raghav , Carroll Bryan T.
Published: September 2022

Background: Skin cancer-related emergency department (ED) visits are among the most common cancer-related ED visits in the United States. However, ED utilization among skin cancer patients has not been evaluated.
Objective: To assess overall utilization of EDs among skin cancer patients, reasons for skin cancer-related visits, and factors associated with inpatient admission.
Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of adults with skin cancer presenting to EDs using years 2013-2015 of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.
Results: 693,835 of the 223,329,909 weighted ED visits were made by patients with skin cancer. Visits among this population were frequently due to age-related comorbidities and skin cancer treatment-specific adverse events. Melanoma accounted for the minority of skin cancer-related visits (27.58%) but over half of subsequent inpatient admissions (51.18%) and was associated with greater odds of inpatient admission compared to keratinocyte carcinoma (OR 1.278, 95% CI 1.264-1.293).
Limitations: Treatment and staging codes were not available, thus differences in ED utilization among skin cancer stages and treatment approaches could not be assessed.
Conclusion: Ultimately, these findings are important in improving anticipatory outpatient care for patients with skin cancer and in guiding appropriate management of this unique population in the ED.
Enabling direct kinetic simulation of dense plasma plume expansion for laser ablation plasma thrusters
Authors: Chan Wai Hong Ronald , Boyd Iain D.
Published: September 2022

Laser ablation plasma thrusters are an emerging space propulsion concept that provides promise for lightweight payload delivery. Predicting the lifetime and performance of these thrusters hinges on a comprehensive characterization of the expansion dynamics of the ablated plasma plume. While state-of-the-art techniques for simulating plasmas are often particle-based, a grid-based direct kinetic solver confers advantages in such a transient and inhomogeneous problem by eliminating statistical noise. A direct kinetic solver including interparticle collisions is employed on a plume expansion model problem spanning one dimension each in configuration and velocity space. The high degree of thermodynamic nonequilibrium inherent in plume expansion is characterized, justifying the need for a kinetic rather than a hybrid or fluid solver. Thruster-relevant metrics such as the momentum flux are also computed. The plume dynamics are observed to be highly inhomogeneous in space with insufficient time for thermalization in the region preceding the expansion front, and the theoretical possibility of reducing the local grid resolution by up to two orders of magnitude at the far end of the domain is established. These grid-point requirements are verified via the employment of nonuniform grids of various expansion ratios, several of which also employ coarsening in velocity space. Longer domain lengths are explored to characterize thruster-scale phenomena and larger ambient pressures are simulated as a testbed to probe facility effects due to collisions with background particles.
Location-based Sentiment Analysis of 2019 Nigeria Presidential Election Using A Voting Ensemble Approach
Authors: Onyenwe Ikechukwu E. , Nwagbo Samuel N.C. , Orji Rita , Onyedinma Ebele , Ikechukwu-Onyenwe Onyedikachukwu , Nwafor Chidinma A. , Agbata Obinna
Published: September 2022

Sentiment analysis is a natural language processing (NLP) tool that uses automatic methods to capture the opinions of the masses over social media such as Twitter, especially for election monitoring and predictions. However, recent researches have explored mining of public sentiment in tweets neglecting using tweets location features and ensemble learning of NLP. In this paper, we use 2019 Nigeria presidential election tweets to perform sentiment analysis through the application of a voting ensemble approach (VEA) in which the predictions from multiple techniques are combined to find the best polarity of a tweet (sentence). This is to determine public views on the 2019 Nigeria Presidential elections and compare them with actual election results. Our sentiment analysis experiment is focused on location-based viewpoints using Twitter location features. For this experiment, we live-streamed Nigeria 2019 election tweets via Twitter API to create tweets dataset of 583816 size, pre-processed the data, and applied VEA by utilizing three different Sentiment Classifiers to obtain the choicest polarity of a given tweet. Furthermore, we segmented our tweets dataset into Nigerian states and geopolitical zones, then plotted state-wise and geopolitical-wise user sentiments towards the major candidates (Buhari and Atiku) and their political parties. The overall objective of the use of states/geopolitical zones is to evaluate the similarity between the sentiment of location-based tweets compared to actual election results. The results reveal that whereas there are election outcomes that coincide with the sentiment expressed on Twitter social media in most cases as shown by the polarity scores of different locations, there are also some election results where our location analysis similarity test failed.
Comparative Finite Element Analysis of Posterior Short Segment Fixation Constructs with or without Intermediate Screws in the Fractured Vertebrae for the Treatment of Type A Thoracolumbar Fracture
Authors: Xu Cheng , Bai Xuedong , Ruan Dike , Zhang Chao
Published: September 2022

Conventional short-segment stabiliztion for thoracolumbar fractures initially involved inserting pedicle screws in the vertebra one-above and one-below the level of injury, creating a four-screw construct connected by rods spanning. However, the reported early implant failure rate and loss of correction rate are quite high. Therefore, six-screw short-segment posterior fixation, which involves additional augmentation at the fractured vertebrae has been proposed to reduce the rates of kyphosis recurrence and implant failure. Yet, little is known about biomechanical changes to the spine, strongest advantage and the appropriate indications. The objective of this study was to investigate the biomechanical properties that are associated with augmentation of intermediate screws at the fracture vertebrae in relation to the severity of type A thoracolumbar fracture using finite element analysis. Short-segment stabilization models with or without augmentation screws at fractured vertebrae were established based on finite element model of moderate compressive fractures (AO Spine A1 and LSC grade-2 ), severe compressive fractures (AO Spine A1 LSC grade-3), and burst fracture(AO Spine A3 and LSC grade-2 ). The spinal stiffness, stresses at the implanted hardware, and axial displacement/micro-motion of the bony defect were measured and compared under mechanical loading conditions. Our results suggested that more severe fractures might benefit more from rigid fixation with six-screw constructs. Augmentation of intermediate screws at the fracture vertebrae is recommended for patients with higher wedge-shaped or burst fractures to reduce the risk of hardware failure and postoperative re-collapse of injured vertebrae.
Endoscopic Total Mastectomy Followed by Immediate Free Abdominal-based Flap Reconstruction: A Preliminary Experience Describing a Novel Approach to the “Aesthetically Scarless” Mastectomy
Authors: Ngaserin Sabrina , Wong Allen Wei-Jiat , Leong Faith Qi-Hui , Feng Jia Jun , Kok Yee Onn , Tan Benita Kiat-Tee
Published: September 2022

Background: Endoscopic total mastectomy (ETM) is predominantly offered with reconstruction utilizing prostheses, latissimus dorsi flap, omental flap, lipofilling, or a combination of techniques. Common approaches include periareolar, axillary or mid-axillary line incisions, which limits the technical ability to perform flap inset and microvascular anastomoses, as such the ETM with free abdominal-based flap reconstruction as not been robustly explored.
Materials and Methods: We studied all female patients with breast cancer who received ETM and abdominal-based flap reconstruction. Clinical-radiological-pathological characteristics, type of surgery, complications, rate of recurrence, and aesthetic outcomes were reviewed.
Results: 12 patients underwent ETM with pedicled or free abdominal-based flap reconstruction. Mean age was 53.4 years old (range: 36 - 65 years). 92.3% successfully received endoscopic NSM and 7.7% underwent conversion to SSM Mean tumor size was 35.4mm (range: 1 – 67mm). 33.3% of cancers were stage I cancer, 58.4% stage II, and 8.3% stage III. Mean specimen weight was 458.75g (range: 242 - 800g). Mean operative time for ETM was 139 minutes (range: 92 - 198 minutes) and average ischemic time was 37.3 minutes (range: 22-50 minutes). No cases required re-exploration, no cases of flap failure occurred, margins were clear, no skin or nipple-areolar complex ischemia or necrosis developed. In the aesthetic outcome evaluation, 16.7% were excellent, 75% good, 8.3% fair, and 0% unsatisfactory. No recurrence was observed.
Conclusion: ETM through a minimal-access inferior-mammary or mid-axillary line approach, followed by immediate Pedicled TRAM or Free AFR, is a safe means of achieving an “aesthetically scarless” mastectomy and reconstruction.
Accurate and early prediction of the wound healing outcome of burn injuries using the wavelet Shannon entropy of THz time-domain waveforms
Authors: Khani Mahmoud E. , Osman Omar B. , Harris Zachery B. , Chen Andrew , Zhou Juin W. , Singer Adam J. , Arbab M. Hassan
Published: September 2022

Significance: Severe burn injuries cause significant hypermetabolic alterations that are highly dynamic, hard to predict, and require acute and critical care. The clinical assessments of the severity of burn injuries are highly subjective and have been reported to be inaccurate consistently. Therefore, the utilization of other imaging modalities is crucial to reach an objective and accurate burn assessment modality.
Aim: We describe a non-invasive technique using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and the wavelet packet Shannon entropy to automatically estimate the burn depth and predict the wound healing outcome of the thermal burn injuries.
Approach: We created forty burn injuries of different severity grades in two porcine models using scald and contact methods of infliction. We used our THz Portable Handheld Spectral Reflection (PHASR) Scanner to obtain the in vivo THz-TDS images. We used the energy to Shannon entropy ratio of the wavelet packet coefficients of the THz-TDS waveforms on Day 0 to create supervised support vector machine (SVM) classification models. Histological20
assessments of the burn biopsies serve as the ground truth.
Results: We achieved an accuracy rate of 94.7% in predicting the wound healing outcome, as determined by histological measurement of the re-epithelialization rate on Day 28 post-burn induction, using the THz-TDS measurements obtained on Day 0. Furthermore, we report the accuracy rates of 89%, 87.1%, and 87.6% in automatic diagnosis of the superficial partial-thickness, deep partial-thickness, and full-thickness burns, respectively, using a multiclass SVM model.
Conclusions: The THz PHASR Scanner promises a robust, high-speed, and accurate diagnostic modality to improve the clinical triage of burns and their management.
Factors Affecting the Competence of Quantity Surveying Professionals in Zimbabwe
Authors:   Department of Quantity Surveying, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6001, SOUTH AFRICA, Moyo Tirivavi , Chigara Benviolent ,   Department of Construction Management, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6001, SOUTH AFRICA,   Department of Property Studies and Urban Design, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, ZIMBABWE
Published: September 2022

The increased complexity of construction projects necessitates the need for quantity surveying professionals to achieve and maintain the highest levels of competency. However, various factors have inhibited their expected professional practice aptitude. Hence, this study reported on the factors affecting the competency of surveying professionals. A questionnaire-based descriptive survey strategy was undertaken to collect quantitative data from both consultant quantity surveyors and contractor quantity surveyors on the factors that influence their competence. The factor analysis revealed four significant components, including inadequate project and professional practice, inadequate academic and technological advances, inadequate organisational structure and teamwork and unclear individual career development goals. In addition, an assessment of the statistically significant differences based on the ranking by consultant and contractor quantity surveyors was undertaken. Contractor quantity surveyors consider inadequate polytechnic education and training, inconsistent project implementation strategies and unclear organisation development goals as impacting most negatively on the competence of quantity surveying professionals. This finding reveals a need to establish collaboration between higher education institutions and professional bodies for the development and implementation of relevant strategic plans to resolve these inadequacies. Also, organisational development goals and project implementation strategies are relevant and important for contractors as opposed to firm consultants. The withdrawal of primary data from quantity surveying professionals was the only limitation; however, the factors primarily affecting quantity surveyors and their insights are vital.
Production of CD87 Antigen-Specific CAR-T Lymphocytes and Assessment of Their In Vitro Functional Activity
Authors: Neklesova M.V. , Smirnov Sergei Vladimirovich , Shatilova A.A. , Levchuk K.A. , Ershova A.E. , Silonov S.A.
Published: September 2022

Aim. To generate anti-CD87 CAR-T lymphocytes and to assess their in vitro functional activity. Materials & Methods. Т-lymphocytes isolated from healthy donor peripheral blood were transduced with the anti-CD87-CAR, T2A, and FusionRed gene coding lentiviral vector. Transduction efficacy assessed by reporter protein FusionRed signal, subpopulation structure, and functional status of CAR-T lymphocytes were determined by flow cytometry. Interferon-y (IFN-y) expression by CAR-T lymphocytes was analyzed using immunoassay. Cytotoxic activity of CAR-T lymphocytes was evaluated during their co-cultivation with HeLa target cells by means of xCELLigence real-time assay. Results. The efficacy of T-lymphocyte transduction was 8.4 %. The obtained CAR-T cells contained the markers of both CD27 and/or CD28 activation (92.91 % cases) and PD1 exhaustion (20.66 % cases). The population of CAR-T lymphocytes showed 98.51 % central memory T-cell phenotype and CD4/CD8 ratio of 1:7. IFN-y concentration in the medium after co-cultivation of CAR-T lymphocytes with target cells appeared to be significantly higher than in control samples. The study demonstrates that generated CAR-T lymphocytes manifest specific cytotoxicity towards target cells with both unmodified expression and overexpression of CD87 antigen in HeLa cell lines. Cytotoxicity proved to be more pronounced with respect to the cell line with CD87 antigen overexpression. Conclusion. Despite overexpression of PD1 exhaustion marker, CAR-T lymphocytes showed specific IFN-y secretion and pronounced cytotoxic activity in interaction with CD87 antigen on target cell membranes. Therefore, anti-CD87 CAR-T lymphocytes can be applied in the treatment of hematologic as well as solid tumors. Since the observed difference in cytotoxicity does not linearly correlate with CD87 antigen density on the surface of attacked cells, the in vivo administration of a CAR-T cell drug should be designed to prevent cytotoxic risk for CD87-expressing healthy cells.
Determinants of the Housing Investment during Periods of Increasing Housing Price: Focusing on “Gap Speculation”
Authors:   Korea Urban & Real Estate Association, Lee Sungwon
Published: September 2022

The aim of the study is to examine the determinants of housing gap speculation from 2017 to 2020. Housing price have steeply increased last 5 years in Korea. The median apartment sale prices in the Seoul Metropolitan Areas (SMAs) increased by about 60.5% from about 370 million won in 2017 to about 590 million won in 2021. Housing policy makers believe that young people who cannot afford to buy a house with their own income and assets entered the housing market through gap speculation, and thereby housing prices skyrocketed with increasing housing effective demand. Therefore, various demand-side strategies have been applied to curb speculative demand. Extensive financial borrowing restrictions and increase in tax, nevertheless, have not stopped the rise in housing prices. This study focuses on what gap speculation is and what characteristics gap speculators have. Theoretically, it can be conceptualized as buying a house on a cheonsei contract - a kind of rental agreement, but a unique Korean way to rent a house with only a long-term and large deposit - for the purpose of capital gains without a plan to live there. From the empirical study, we can find several things as follows. Contrary to the stereotype about young speculators, gap speculator tends to increase with age. They can be estimated as a group that are low-income groups compared to renters or homeowners but increase savings by reducing current consumption for future consumption. Their net assets are relatively high, but they reduce housing costs by living in small, old, and poor places. It implies that actual gap speculators can be not general speculators, but can be those who really need affordable places to live in someday.
Strategies for Learning English Vocabulary used by Students in Ho Chi Minh City
Authors: Hanh Mai Thi Hong
Published: September 2022

One of the three components of language, vocabulary is the foundational component of language. One of the most fundamental factors that influences vocabulary acquisition is the choice of vocabulary learning strategies. With so many words to learn, it's important to look into vocabulary learning techniques. This study aims to investigate a group of Ho Chi Minh City university students’ employment of learning strategies in their vocabulary learning process. The author conducted a questionnaire survey including 16 questions on vocabulary learning methods along with the degree of efficacy of 135 good and poor language students from many universities in Ho Chi Minh City. The findings from the analysed quantitative data revealed that although Ho Chi Minh City students employ a variety of vocabulary learning techniques, they nevertheless face several challenges. Therefore, the goal of this study is to assist students in learning English vocabulary and to broaden their vocabulary by giving some recommendations.