bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Podocyte specific protein expression in urine exosome acts as a marker for renal injury in Long-COVID
Authors: Nandula Seshagiri Rao , Brichacek Beda , Sen Sabyasachi
Published: March 2024

Introduction: SARS-CoV2 has been associated with cardiometabolic diseases. At a cellular level, the infection may cause cellular inflammation and endothelial cell dysfunction (ECD). ECD is common in cardiometabolic diseases and is often associated with renal podocyte defect and proteinuria which has been recognized as an early manifestation of microvascular complication.
In this study we explored whether presence of hyperglycemia predisposes to increased SARS-CoV2 infection at a cellular level. We also wanted to determine whether SARS-CoV2 infection puts an individual at a higher risk of developing cardio-metabolic complications such as kidney disease (DKD), associated with podocytopathy, in months to come following acute COVID infection. To estimate kidney damage, we evaluated albuminuria and podocyte specific protein in urine derived exosomes in urine obtained from SARS-CoV2 patients at 10 days, 6 months and 12 months post-acute SARS-CoV2 infection.
Methods: Blood and Urine samples from SARS-CoV2 patients’ post-acute phase of infection were procured from George Washington University core facility. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) and urine exosomes were isolated and podocyte protein markers Podocalyxin (PODXL) and Nephrin (NEPH) were identified by western blot analysis.
Results: Podocalyxin levels were significantly high at 10wk (n=18; p=0.001), 6month (n=25; p=0.003) and 12month(n=14; 0.0001) time points and Nephrin levels were noted to be high at 10week (n=18; p=0.001) and 12Months (n=14; p=0.007) time points. Interestingly, there were no significant differences noted on urine albumin: creatinine ratios (UACR) between the two groups at any of the time-points.
Conclusion: A persistent high levels of podocyte specific proteins were noted in urinary exosomes even as far out as 12 months post Covid which may indicate long-standing podocyte inflammation leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD)The study also indicates that urine exosome based protein estimation specific for podocyte inflammation may be more sensitive biomarker for early CKD detection compared to UACR.
Visualization of strain distribution in rubber bulk during friction
Authors: Nishi Toshiaki , Ueno Kyohei , Nomoto Tomohiro , Sugisawa Shinya , Shin Daiki , Yamaguchi Ken , Kuwayama Isao , Yamaguchi Takeshi
Published: March 2024

This study employed a digital image correlation method (DICM) to experimentally quantify horizontal strain distribution in silicone rubber bulk during friction against a stainless-steel sphere with/without glycerol. The strain distribution at different depth levels was measured by capturing the position of white powders in transparent rubber bulk. The experimental results indicated that each point in the rubber bulk moved while describing a horizontal loop during friction depending on the position and lubrication conditions. This caused changes in the horizontal strain during friction. These results suggest that the hysteresis term could be caused by changes in the vertical and horizontal strains.
Health literacy of Brazilian undergraduate students: a cluster analysis
Authors: Lima Paula Rocco Gomes , Emidio Suellen Cristina Dias , Carrasco Viviane , Silva Juliany Lino Gomes , Kumakura Ana Railka Souza Oliveira
Published: March 2024

Background
To assess the Brazilian undergraduate health students' health literacy level and identify sociodemographic factors related to health literacy using cluster analysis.
Methods
A descriptive and cross-sectional study with 352 undergraduate nursing, physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology, and pharmacy students. Sociodemographic, health perception, and health condition data were collected. Cluster analysis was based on the nine Health Literacy Questionnaire scales to identify students with similar health literacy profiles.
Results
The scales 3 - Actively managing my health (2.81) and 9 - Understand health information well enough to know what to do (3.78) had the highest scores, and scales 1 - Feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers (2.74) and 6 - Ability to actively engage with healthcare providers (3.49) had the lowest. The analysis resulted in 8 clusters. Cluster A reported higher scores on all scales, representing 5.1% of the sample. This group consisted mainly of females (83.4%), whites (66.6%), older people (29.59 years), parents with complete or incomplete higher education (50.0%), and nursing students (38.8%). Cluster H consisted of fewer students (1.7%), females (100%), younger (21.1 years), parents with complete or incomplete higher education (66.6%), pharmacy students (50%), with lower mean scores on scales 3 (2.07), 6 (1.47), 7 (1.53), 8 (1.67) and 9 (1.37).
Conclusion
Brazilian undergraduate health students face multiple challenges in achieving an adequate level of health literacy. Women with the highest average age who were studying nursing declared themselves white, had parents with complete or incomplete higher education, and had better health literacy results and aspects that should be considered when designing educational interventions for this population.
Novel Fabrication of Self-healing Chitosan/Alginate porous Hydrogels with Adhesive Dopamine chemistry – based materials for improve Therapeutic Potential in Femoral Fractures
Authors: Ouyang Jianfeng , Li Binquan , Yang Kangsheng , Qin Yi , Ye Yongheng , Bo Bai , Lin Caiqin , Peng Jiewei
Published: March 2024

This study explores the significant impact of Polydopamine nanospheres (PDA NPs) on polymer properties, ascribed to the physical and chemical interactions between the PDA and natural polymers. It also demonstrated the PDA’s ability to modify porous structure and enhance the mechanical characteristics of Chitosan/alginate (Ch/Alg) hydrogel nanocomposites for tissue engineering scaffolds. The porous scaffold with nano surface morphology, hierarchical pore structure, appropriate porosity and superior bio-mechanical strength was successfully
synthesized. The hierarchical pore structure of the synthesized PDA modified Ch/Alg-DA hydrogel based scaffolds is favorable for cell ingrowth and cell adhesion. In loading and release experiments, Ch/Alg-DA/PDA hydrogels/scaffolds were confirmed to have better adsorption ability to Ciprofloxacin (CFLX) and more steady in vitro release behavior than the other hydrogels. Osteoblast cells were cultured on the surfaces of the scaffolds for up to 3 days, and proliferation and cell viability were examined using fluorescence microscopy, Moreover, the PDA loaded Ch/Ag-DA can improve the adhesion and promote the proliferation and spontaneous growth of osteoblast cells. Even though, further research is necessary to understand all the parameters affecting biocompatibility, the as prepared Ch/Ag-DA/ PDA NPs may signified an idealistic tool for the treatment of bone deficiency and regeneration of bone tissue, among other applications.
Development and psychometric properties of the “Patient Assessment of Transitions in Healthcare settings (PATH)” questionnaire
Authors: Walløe Sisse , Lauridsen Henrik Hein , Petersen Esben Nedenskov , Simonÿ Charlotte , Gudex Claire , Möller Sören , Morsø Lars
Published: March 2024

Background The quality of care pathways that include transitions between healthcare settings may be increased by improving patients’ experiences of their care journey. Patients’ experiences can be explored through in-depth interviews, but valid and reliable patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) can be a useful and more cost-effective way of assessing patient-experienced quality. The aim of this study was to develop a valid, generic measure for assessment of PAtient-experience of Transitions in Healthcare settings, PATH. We evaluated the structural validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the PATH questionnaire in a Danish patient population with a range of diagnoses, comorbidities and diversity in age.Methods The PATH questionnaire was developed and tested through an iterative 3-step pilot-test and a comprehensive field-test.Results We found an 18-item version of PATH to be content valid and to have internal consistency and structural validity for a 2-factor solution with a single item scored separately. We found satisfactory test-retest reliability.Conclusions PATH is a generic, content valid, and reliable patient-reported experience measure for the assessment of patient-experienced quality in healthcare transitions. The PATH questionnaire is available for use in quality monitoring and quality improvement research, but we recommend further testing of its measurement properties alongside its practical application.
Taxonomic status of Diplectanum robustitubum Wu & Li, 2003 (Monogenoidea: Diplectanidae) from the purple-spotted bigeye Priacanthus tayenus (Priacanthidae) and the description of Platycephalotrema parile n. sp. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) from the bartail flathead Platycephalus indicus (Platycephalidae), in the Arabian Gulf
Authors: Kritsky D. , Al-Darwesh Ali Adnan , Ali Atheer H.
Published: March 2024

Purple-spotted bigeyes Priacanthus tayenus Richardson (Priacanthidae) and bartail hardheads Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus) were collected from the Arabian Gulf and examined for species of Monogenoidea (Polyonchoinea) from February to December 2020. Diplectanum robustitubum Wu & Li, 2003 and an undescribed species of Platycephalotrema Kritsky & Nitta, 2019 were recovered from the gill lamellae of these hosts, respectively. Diplectanum robustitubum from Iraq was redescribed and transferred to Oliveriplectanum Domingues & Boeger, 2008 (Diplectanidae) as Oliveriplectanum robustitubum (Wu & Li, 2003) n. comb. Platycephalotrema parile n. sp. (Dactylogyridae) from Iraq and Kuwait was described and differentiated from the similar species, Haliotrema indicum Tripathi, 1959, Platycephalotrema ogawai Kritsky & Nitta, 2019, and Platycephalotrema platycephali (Yin & Sproston, 1948) Kritsky & Nitta, 2019, based primarily on the comparative morphologies of the vaginal sclerites. Haliotrema indicum was transferred to Platycephalotrema as Platycephalotrema indicum (Tripathi, 1959) n. comb.; and Haliotrema swatowense Yao, Wang, Xia, & Chen, 1998 was considered a junior subjective synonym of P. indicum. The finding of O. robustitubum in the Arabian Gulf represents a new geographic record for the species. Background The present paper represents the third installment concerning the monogenoids collected during surveys to explore their diversity on the marine and freshwater fishes of Iraq. Previous installments on the monogenoids emanating from the surveys included the dactylogyid and gyrodactylid species parasitizing mugilid fishes. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to further document the diversity of monogenoids infecting the fishes of Iraq. Methods Marine fishes were necropsied for parasites, and standard procedures for collecting, mounting, drawing, and measuring of monogenoids were employed. Results Oliveriplectanum robustitubum n. comb. (Diplectanidae) and Platycephalotrema parile n. sp. (Dactylogyridae) were collected. The occurrence of O. robustitubum in the Arabian Gulf represented a new locality record for the species. Conclusion The recorded presence of O. robustitubum and P. parile n. sp. suggests that the diversity of monogenoids in Iraq is under estimated in the literature.
Long-term quality of life in adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors: A single-center, cross-sectional study
Authors: Zeng Xiaoting , Yang Fuxun , Luo Xiaoxiu , Li Jiajia , Lan Yunping , Zeng Fan , Lei Yu , Pan Chun , Liu Rongan , Huang Xiaobo
Published: March 2024

Background: To understand the present situation of long-term quality of life of adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) survivors, this study aimed to analyze and discuss the influencing factors and provide a reference for standardizing continuous nursing schemes for such patients.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted by objective sampling using the General Information Questionnaire, 36-item short form health survey (SF-36), Barthel Index (BI), post-traumatic self-stress disorder rating scale (PTSD-SS), and Nottingham Health Profile part II (NHP-part II). A total of 106 adult ECMO survivors were included in the study. The quality of life, self-care ability, psychological state, and social adaptability of the patients were evaluated using investigative tools.
A two-sample rank sum test or multi-sample Kruskal–Wallis test, Spearman correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were used for statistical analysis.
Results:
This study’s results showed that the score of long-term quality of life in adult ECMO survivors was (63.72±20.87) and that of their mental health was (72.69±23.67). Physical health was positively correlated with the BI score (r=0.560, P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with the PTSD-SS (r=-0.58, P < 0.01) and NHP-part II score (r=-0.757, P < 0.01). Mental health was positively correlated with the BI score (r=0.589, P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with the post-traumatic stress disorder self-rating score (r=-0.741, P < 0.01) and NHP-part II score (r=-0.647, P < 0.01). Physical health content, caregiver type, on-the-job status, BI evaluation score, PTSD-SS, and NHP-part II score were independent influencing factors of quality of life (P < 0.05), which explained 82.6 % of the variability. The content dimensions of mental health, working status, residence, BI evaluation score, PTSD-SS, and the NHP-part-II score were independent influencing factors (P < 0.05), which explained 73.9 % of the variation.
Conclusion:
Surviving adult patients on ECMO have poor long-term quality of life and varying degrees of physical, psychological, and social dysfunction, with especially social functions that are in urgent need of restoration. Long-term quality of life is affected by many factors, including caregiver type, employment status, BI level, PTSD-SS level, NHP-part II level, and place of residence. A professional medical team is needed to establish ECMO professional clinics to provide more comprehensive and accurate care and improve the overall quality of life.
The PDE4DIP-AKAP9 axis promotes lung cancer growth through modulation of PKA signalling
Authors: Lu Xincheng , Fu Yangyang , Huang Shishun , Pan Rulu , Zhu Fangsheng , Fang Qiwei , Wu Liyue , Dai Juji , Wang Ou-Chen , Lu Liting , Wei Xiduan , Wang Liangxing
Published: March 2024

Phosphodiesterase 4D interacting protein (PDE4DIP) is a Golgi/centrosome-associated protein that plays critical roles in the regulation of microtubule dynamics and maintenance of the Golgi structure. However, its biological role in human cancer remains largely unknown. In this study, we showed that PDE4DIP is overexpressed in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues and that upregulated PDE4DIP expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer. We demonstrated that PDE4DIP knockdown inhibits NSCLC cell proliferation in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. We further demonstrated that PDE4DIP knockdown triggers apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in NSCLC cells by activating the PKA/CREB signalling pathway. PDE4DIP coordinates with AKAP9 to enhance the Golgi localization and stability of PKA RIIα. Depletion of PDE4DIP mislocalizes PKA RIIα from the Golgi and leads to its degradation, thereby compromising its negative regulatory effect on PKA signalling. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into the roles of the PDE4DIP-AKAP9 complex in regulating PKA signalling and NSCLC growth and highlight PDE4DIP as a promising therapeutic target for NSCLC.
Multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled study to test the utility of electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) monitoring in patients with unresectable advanced cancers or metastatic/recurrent solid tumors
Authors: Taira Naruto , Kiyota Naomi , Kikawa Yuichiro , Ichihara Eiki , Kato Kyoko , Kubota Kaoru , Tateishi Ryosuke , Nakata Akinobu , Nakamura Keiichiro , Narita Yukiya , Hotta Katsuyuki , Iwata Hiroji , Gemma Akihiko , Shimozuma Kojiro , Muro Kei , Iwamoto Tetsuya , Takumoto Yuki , Shiroiwa Takeru , Fukuda Takashi , Yamaguchi Takuhiro , Hagiwara Yasuhiro , Minami Hironobu
Published: March 2024

Background: Electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) monitoring for patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy may provide qualified and early detection of adverse events or disease-related symptoms, leading to improved patient care. The aim of this study is to examine whether addition of ePRO monitoring to routine medical care contributes to improved overall survival and quality of life of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Methods: Patients with unresectable advanced cancers or metastatic/recurrent solid tumors receiving systemic chemotherapy will be randomized to an ePRO monitoring group and a usual care group. The ePRO group will conduct weekly symptom monitoring using an electronic device after study enrollment until the end of the study. Monitoring items were extracted for each cancer type from the Patient-Reported Outcome-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Monitoring results will be returned to medical personnel and used as information for patient care. In addition, a threshold for high severity is predefined for each symptom, and any report in excess of the threshold will be sent to the medical personnel as an alert notification. Upon receiving the notification, the personnel will assess the notification and take the appropriate action. The primary endpoints are overall survival and health related quality of life, and the secondary endpoints are quality adjusted life years, time from the last drug therapy to death, number of unscheduled visits, relative dose intensity of drug therapy, number of drug therapy regimens, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and patient-healthcare provider communication. The target sample size is 500 cases.
Discussion: Timely access to information on adverse events that occur at home through ePRO monitoring during therapy may lead to proper management of clinically relevant adverse events and early detection of disease progression. If the usefulness of new communication tools between patients and medical staff using information technology is proved, the quality of cancer treatment will progress greatly.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05931445. First Posted: July 5, 2023. University Hospital Medical Information Network: UMIN ID000042447. First Posted: November 13, 2020.
Study on Dynamic Response and Long-term Settlement of Silty Soil around Shanghai Metro Tunnel
Authors: Sang Biaowei , Yan Chunling , Wang Cheng , Qu Xin
Published: March 2024

The current research on the long-term settlement prediction of tunnels under subway loading is generally based on the maximum passenger loading condition, and the influence of passenger flow changes on tunnel settlement is seldom taken into account, which leads to the discrepancy between the calculation conditions and the actual working conditions. In this regard, firstly, from the perspective of passenger flow pattern, the metro operation is divided into three working conditions, namely "peak period, secondary period and low period" by using data mining method. Afterwards, the dynamic response characteristics of the soil around the tunnel under each working condition are compared by numerical simulation, and it is found that the dynamic response results of each passenger working condition are quite different, and the influence of the passenger flow changes on the tunnel settlement cannot be ignored in the study. Then on this basis, based on the principle of calculus, considering the change rule of metro passenger flow, the explicit integral prediction model of long-term tunnel settlement is established, and relying on the measured data of Shanghai Metro Line 1, the reliability of the model is verified. Finally, the long-term settlement characteristics of tunnels in silty soil areas are analysed by taking Shanghai Metro Line 10 as an example. The results indicate that under the same conditions, the soil displacement and dynamic bias stress around the tunnel increase with the passenger capacity. The improved integral prediction model yields more accurate results compared to the conventional model and can be applied to research related to the prediction of long-term settlement of the metro. The long-term settlement of Shanghai Metro Line 10 develops faster in the early stage of operation, and the settlement after 5 years of operation is about 30.53 mm, which is 82% of the total settlement after 20 years (37.07 mm).
A Risk Prediction Model for Unexplained Early Neurological Deterioration Following Intravenous
Authors: Zhu Bifeng , Wang Dan , Zuo Jing , Huang Yi , Gao Chang , Jiang Haiwei , Yan Dan
Published: March 2024

Background and Objectives:
Early neurological deterioration (END) post-intravenous thrombolysis significantly impacts the long-term prognosis of stroke patients. This study aimed to establish a rapid risk prediction model for unexplained END following intravenous thrombolysis.
Methods
This prospective study consecutively enrolled patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator intravenous thrombolysis at the Department of Neurology, Third People's Hospital of Hubei Province, and Yangluo Hospital District between June 2019 and December 2021. Unexplained END was defined as an increase of ≥ 4 points in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score between admission and 24 hours. A nomogram was developed and assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC). The calibration was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.
Results
A total of 211 patients (130 males and 110 patients aged < 65 years) were included, with 66 experiencing unexplained END. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified large arterial disease, transient ischemic attack, high blood glucose, high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, important perforator disease, and low the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT scores as independent risk factors for END and established the nomogram used above indicators. The nomogram showed an AUC-ROC of 0.809 (95% CI: 0.7429–0.8751), with a specificity of 0.862 and sensitivity of 0.712. The positive predictive value was 0.702, and the negative predictive value was 0.868. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test (χ2 = 1.069, P = 0.169) indicated acceptable model calibration.
Conclusion
This study successfully established a risk prediction model for END following intravenous thrombolysis and the model demonstrates good stability and predictive capacity. Further validation through a prospective, multicenter study is necessary.
Gender-based violence and its health risks on women in Yaoundé, Cameroon
Authors: Nguefack-Tsague Georges , Amani Adidja , Dadjie Valérie Djouna , Koyalta Donato , Nounkeu Carole Debora , Dissak-Delon Fanny Nadia , Lekeumo Fabrice Zobel Cheuyem , Dongmo Gilles Protais Lekelem , Anastasie Christelle Mbe , Mviena Justine Laure Menguene , Kibu Odette , Ngoufack Marie Nicole , Sida Magloire Biwole , Juillard Catherine , Chichom-Mefire Alain
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a major public health problem that disproportionately affects women. In Cameroon, as well as other countries worldwide, GBV has immediate effects on women's health, with one in three women experiencing physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, affecting their physical and reproductive health. The objective of this study was to determine the health risks associated with GBV among women in Yaoundé.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Yaoundé (Cameroon), from August to October 2022. Tests of associations were used to establish relationships between qualitative variables. Associations were further quantified using crude odds ratio (OR) for univariate analysis and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for multivariate analysis with 95% confidence interval (CI). Variables with p-value˂0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: A total of 404 women aged 17 to 67 years were interviewed. Emotional violence was the most commonly reported violence (78.8%), followed by economic violence (56.9%), physical violence (45.8%) and sexual violence (33.7%). The main reasons for violence were jealousy (25.7%), insolence (19.3%) and the refusal to have sexual intercourse (16.3%). The most prevalent adverse health outcome was mental disorders (70,5%), followed by chronic physical trauma (45.8%), acute physical trauma (45.1%), gynaecological trauma (38.4%), and behavioral disorders (29.7%). Most victims reported adverse health outcomes (80.2%). Women who were victims of any kind of violence had a higher likelihood of experiencing health problems: physical violence [OR=34.9, CI(10.8-112.9), p<0.001]; sexual violence [OR=1.5, CI(0.9-2.7), p=0.11]; economic violence [OR=2.4, CI(1.4-3.9), p=0.001]; and emotional violence [OR=2.9, CI(1.7-4.9), p<0.001]. Using multiple binary logistic regression, only physical violence [aOR=15.4, CI(6.7-22.5), p=0.001] remained highly associated with an increased likelihood of having adverse health outcomes.
Conclusion: This study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive interventions to address GBV, including improved reporting and documentation of cases, increased awareness among healthcare providers, the establishment of support networks for victims, primary and secondary prevention of GBV. It is essential that the Government of Cameroon, through the Ministries in charge of Health and Women's Empowerment, minimizes the health effects of GBV through early identification, monitoring, and treatment of GBV survivors by providing them with high-quality health care services.
Project portfolio selection considering the hindrance to risk propagation: a dual-objective optimization approach
Authors: Lv Xiaoyan , Li Xingmei , Shen Zhong , Jia Dongqing
Published: March 2024

The problem of project portfolio selection considering risk propagation is a new research topic, but it overlooks the fact that the risk propagation process can be hindered by resource mobilisation within candidate projects, which is defined as “risk absorption” in this paper. Neglecting this process may lead to the risk propagation process being overestimated. This study aims to investigate the problem of project portfolio selection considering risk absorption, and to work on selecting stable project portfolio. To address this issue, the article first examines the process of risk absorption among projects and calculates the amount of risk absorbed based on the strength of the interactions between the projects selected. Secondly, the total risk intensity of the project is given by calculating the risk propagation intensity and self-incurred risk intensity. Finally, a dual-objective project portfolio selection model considering risk absorption is developed by combining the risk intensity and net present value of the project. The analysis of a case study demonstrates that 1) considering risk absorption can reduce the probability of project risks occurring due to being propagated, 2) considering risk absorption will prioritize projects with higher returns, albeit accompanied by relatively higher risks.
A new strong convective precipitation forecasting method based on attention mechanism and spatio-temporal reasoning
Authors: Zhao Guoyu , Wang Zhangu , Zhao Ziliang , Zhao Jun
Published: March 2024

Radar observation variables reﬂect the precipitation amount of strong convective precipitation processes, which accurate forecast is an important difﬁculty in weather forecasting. Current forecasting methods are mostly based on radar echo extrapolation, which has the insufﬁciency of input information and the ineffectiveness of model architecture. This paper presents a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory forecasting method for strong convective precipitation based on the attention mechanism and residual neural network (ResNet-Attention-BiLSTM). First, this paper uses ResNet to effectively extract the key information of extreme weather and solves the problem of regression to the mean of the prediction model by learning the residuals of the radar observation data. Second, this paper uses the attention mechanism to adaptively weight the fusion of the features to enhance the extraction of the important features of the precipitation image data. On this basis, this paper presents a novel spatio-temporal reasoning method for radar observations and establishes a precipitation forecasting model, which captures the past and future time-order relationship of the sequence data. Finally, this paper conducts experiments based on the real collected data of a strong convective precipitation process and compares its performance with the existing models, the mean absolute percentage error of this model was reduced by 15.94% (1km), 18.72% (3km), and 14.91% (7km), and the prediction accuracy (R2) was increased by 10.89% (1km), 9.61% (3km), and 9.29% (7km), which proves the state of the art and effectiveness of this forecasting model.
Efficacy of oral semaglutide after switching from DPP-4 inhibitors in Japanese type 2 diabetes patients with obesity
Authors: Okamoto Aki , Yokokawa Hirohide , Morimoto Aya , Fukuda Hiroshi , Hisaoka Teruhiko , Naito Toshio
Published: March 2024

Background
Although these findings suggest that oral semaglutide may be a suitable treatment option for obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately responsive to dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitor–based therapy, evidence from actual clinical settings remains limited.
Objective
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of oral semaglutide in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had an inadequate response to DPP-4 inhibitor–based therapy.
Methods
This study was a retrospective, single-center study in which outpatients with type 2 diabetes were (1) aged 20 years or older at the time of oral semaglutide administration, (2) treated with an existing DPP-4 inhibitor for 3 months and/or longer at the time of oral semaglutide administration, and (3) had a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of ≥ 6.5% and/or a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25.0 kg/m2. The primary endpoints were changes in HbA1c and body weight from baseline to 6 months after oral semaglutide treatment switching from DPP-4 inhibitor.
Results
In the 48 patients studied, HbA1c was 7.01 ± 0.54%, and BMI was 26.7 ± 3.6 kg/m2 at baseline. HbA1c significantly decreased by 0.68 ± 0.36%, and body weight significantly decreased by 3.4 ± 2.3 kg (p < 0.001 for each). Improvements in indices of lipid metabolism and liver function were observed. Non-serious nausea and loss of appetite were observed in many patients, but these symptoms resolved in approximately 3 months. Mild constipation was also observed.
Conclusion
Oral semaglutide appears to be a promising alternative to DPP-4 inhibitors as a means of glycemic and weight control in obese type 2 diabetes.
De novo construction of amine-functionalized metal-organic cages as heterogenous catalysts for micro flow catalysis
Authors: Cui Yong , Li Yingguo , He Jialun , Lu Guilong , Yuan Lingfeng , Deng Juan , Yang Fu , Jiang Danfeng , Chen Xiao , Yu Ziyi , Liu Yan , Yu Chao
Published: March 2024

Micro flow catalysis is a cutting-edge approach with the potential to significantly advance chemical synthesis and manufacturing in terms of control, safety, efficiency, and scalability. However, a notable challenge in this field is developing heterogeneous catalysts with high activity and stability for micro-flow catalysis. Here we showcase incorporating amine-containing metal-organic cages into automated microfluidic reactors through strong covalent bonds, enabling highly continuous flow catalysis. This facilitates the design and synthesis of two Fe4L4 tetrahedral cages with different cavity sizes, each containing four uncoordinated amines. Post-synthetic modifications of the amine groups with 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane introduce multiple silane chains into the cage, covalently immobilized on the inner walls of the automated microfluidic system. This streamlines the process of catalyst loading and substrate conversion into a singular, integrated system. The immobilized cages prove highly efficient for the reaction of sequential condensation and cyclization of anthranilamide with aldehydes, showing comparable reactivity and superior recyclability in relative to free cages. This superiority arises from the large cage cavity, facilitating substrate accommodation and conversion, a high mass transfer rate and stable covalent bonds between cage and microreactor. This study represents the first report on the growth of self-assembled cages in the microreactor for continuous flow catalysis. It exemplifies the synergy of cages with microreactor technology, highlighting the benefits of heterogenous cages and potentials for future automated synthesis processes.
Parameterization of nonlinear aeroelastic reduced order models via direct interpolation of Taylor partial derivatives
Authors: Candon Michael , Hale Errol , Balajewicz Maciej , Delgado-Gutierez Arturo , Muscarello Vincenzo , Marzocca Pier
Published: March 2024

The identification of optimally sparse Taylor partial derivatives presents a new opportunity in efficient nonlinear aerodynamic model reduction for complex aeroelastic systems. Unfortunately, for this class of reduced order model (ROM), the robustness that is observed in the linear regime to parameters including; dynamic pressure, control hinge linear stiffness, or even freeplay, is quickly forfeited given the amplitude (or velocity) dependency of the aerodynamic loading on the structure. In this paper, nonlinear sensitivity is addressed by interpolating a library of nonlinear unsteady aerodynamic ROMs across a compact subspace in dynamic pressure and freeplay magnitude. The ROM, based on Lagrange interpolation of sparse higher-order Taylor partial derivatives, demonstrates excellent precision in modelling high amplitude transonic limit cycle oscillations for an all-movable wing with freeplay, capturing the nonlinear instability region (up to 96% of the linear flutter boundary), and for a range of freeplay values.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2020) MSC code1 · MSC code2 · more
Psychological Stress Classification Using EEG and ECG: A CNN Based Multimodal Fusion Model
Authors: Zhou Ben , Wang Lei , Jiang Chenyu
Published: March 2024

Psychological stress cannot be ignored in today's society, and there is an urgent need for an objective and cost-effective method to detect it. However, traditional machine learning methods that require manual feature extraction require a lot of research time and cannot guarantee accuracy. In this paper, we establish a four-category stress multimodal dataset by collecting EEG and ECG signals from 24 subjects performing mental arithmetic tasks with different difficulty levels and propose a multimodal decision fusion model based on Convolution Neural Network to classify the data. The prediction probabilities of EEG and ECG signals for the four stress categories are first extracted by two models each and then fused into the decision model for the final classification, 5-fold cross-validation and Leave-Three-Subjects-Out experiments are performed, which achieve 91.14% and 91.97% accuracy, respectively. In addition, the features of the convolution layer were visualized using the 1D-Grad-CAM method to improve the interpretability of the model.
In dogs (Canis familiaris), social stimulus overshadows nonsocial stimulus, and stronger attachment correlates with responses to the latter
Authors: Shinoda Kumi , Noguchi Nanae , Kondo Nagi , Nagasawa Miho , Kikusui Takefumi
Published: March 2024

The emotional reactivity hypothesis predicts that reduced fear and aggression in domesticated animals improves their social cognitive abilities toward humans. However, no studies in dogs (Canis familiaris) have shown that higher individual temperament is associated with higher social cognitive abilities, such as human pointing. In this study, we first trained dogs to learn correct responses in a two-choice task using a compound stimulus consisting of social (human pointing) and nonsocial stimuli (printed figures on paper) as cues. Social and nonsocial stimuli were presented alone to examine whether the social stimulus overshadowed the nonsocial stimulus. We also examined the correlation between temperament scores based on the Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) and task performance. The results showed that social stimuli overshadowed nonsocial stimuli in most dogs, indicating that dogs used social stimuli from humans more frequently than nonsocial stimuli. Strong positive correlations were observed between attachment scores and correct response rates to nonsocial stimuli, but there was no correlation between aggression/fear and correct response rates to social stimuli. We considered that positive correlations in attachment scores and correct response rates to nonsocial stimuli indicate the degree of individual attentiveness to various environmental stimuli, that responses to human pointing are likely to be reinforced from an early age. In addition, individual fear and aggression and social cognitive abilities can vary separately.
Incidence, risk factors, management strategies and outcomes of antibody-mediated rejection in pediatric kidney transplant recipients – a multicenter analysis of the Cooperative European Paediatric Renal Transplant Initiative (CERTAIN)
Authors: Fichtner Alexander , Gauché Laura , Süsal Caner , Tran Thuong Hien , Waldherr Rüdiger , Krupka Kai , Guzzo Isabella , Carraro Andrea , Oh Jun , Zirngibl Matthias , Weitz Marcus , König Jens , Büscher Anja , Berta Laszlo , Simon Thomas , Awan Atif , Rusai Krisztina , Topaloglu Rezan , Peruzzi Licia , Printza Nikoleta , Kim Jon Jin , Weber Lutz T. , Melk Anette , Pape Lars , Rieger Susanne , Patry Christian , Höcker Britta , Tönshoff Burkhard
Published: March 2024

Background.
This study by the Cooperative European Paediatric Renal Transplant Initiative (CERTAIN) was designed to determine the incidence, risk factors, current management strategies and outcomes of antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) in pediatric kidney transplant recipients (pKTR).
Methods.
We performed an international, multicenter, longitudinal cohort study of data reported to the Cooperative European Paediatric Renal Transplant Initiative (CERTAIN) registry. 337 pKTR from 21 European centers were analyzed. Clinical outcomes, including renal dysfunction, rejection, HLA donor-specific antibodies, BK polyomavirus-associated (BKPyV) nephropathy, and allograft loss, were assessed through 5 years posttransplant.
Results.
The cumulative incidence of de novo donor-specific class I HLA antibodies (HLA-DSA) posttransplant was 4.5% in year 1, 8.3% in year 3 and 13% in year 5; the corresponding data for de novo class II HLA-DSA were 10%, 22.5%, and 30.6%, respectively. During 5 years posttransplant, the cumulative incidence of acute ABMR was 10% and that of chronic active ABMR was 5.9%. HLA-DR mismatch and de novo HLA-DSA, especially double positivity for class I and class II HLA-DSA, were significant risk factors for ABMR, whereas cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG negative recipient and CMV IgG negative donor were associated with a lower risk. BKPyV nephropathy was associated with the highest risk of graft dysfunction, followed by ABMR, T-cell mediated rejection and older donor age.
Conclusions.
This study provides an estimate of the incidence of de novo HLA-DSA and ABMR in pKTR and highlights the importance of BKPyV nephropathy as a strong risk factor for allograft dysfunction.
Urban environmental noise and depression causal pathway: Potential role of chronic conditions as mediator
Authors: Olea Enrique Sanz , Hernández Jesus León , Suarez Joaquin Lozano , Artiñano Begoña , Briz Veronica , Karakitsios Spyros , Sarigiannis Dimosthenis , Santos Saul García Dos , Nuñez-Corcuera Beatriz , Ramis Rebeca
Published: March 2024

Accepting the fact of a growing urban population and associated health risks, such as increased exposure to pollutants, and considering the high prevalence of chronic diseases, this study aims to investigate the relationship between exposure to environmental noise and depression. The primary objective is to determine the potential mediating role of chronic diseases in this relationship. This study is part of the European H2020 URBANOME project, designed to explore the relationship between the environment and health in urban settings. The main goal of the project is to promote urban health, well-being, and liveability by systematically integrating health concerns into urban policies and civic activities. We obtained the data for this study from the Madrid City Health Survey, conducted through computer-assisted telephone interviews. Outcome variables assessed through self-reports included depression, exposure to environmental noise, and the presence of chronic diseases. We used a counterfactual mediation framework, implemented by the R package multimediate, to evaluate the potential mediating role of chronic diseases in the relationship between exposure to environmental noise and depression. The study included 8,445 interviews, with a higher percentage of women (54.67%) than men. 23.29% were over 65, and 17.17% under 30. Notably, 7.82% reported depression, 39.53% had chronic diseases, and 35.43% acknowledged noise exposure. In our regression model, those exposed to environmental noise were 1.24 times more likely to have a chronic disease, and individuals with a chronic disease were 2.93 times more likely to suffer from depression. The relationship between noise exposure and depression showed a 12% mediation by chronic diseases, with a 95% confidence interval from 5% to 22%. Our findings suggest a link between environmental noise exposure and depression, potentially mediated by chronic diseases. This points out the need for public health interventions to reduce urban noise exposure and improve mental health. Furthermore, prospective studies are needed for confirmation, incorporating noise level measurements and temporal data on the onset of chronic diseases and depression.
Effect of over-the-counter teeth whitening products available on an e-market portal: an in-vitro study
Authors: Agarwal Radhika , Vasani Nikki , Mense Urmila Sachin , Prasad Niharika , Thomas Manuel Sebastian , Shetty Aditya , Natarajan Srikant
Published: March 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to compile and evaluate over-the-counter (OTC) toothwhitening products from a prominent e-marketplace, assessing their bleaching effectiveness and impact on enamel.
Methodology: Thirty-eight intact tooth sections were randomly divided into three groups: Group I, the positive control, was treated with a dentist-prescribed bleaching agent (DPA) (Opalescence, Ultradent, USA); Groups II and III were treated with the lowest-rated (LRA) and highest-rated (HRA) e-market bleaching agents, respectively. Ten samples per group were subjected to spectrophotometric analysis for bleaching efficacy, ten for postbleaching microhardness, and two per group for morphological evaluation through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA, post hoc tests, and Student’s t tests, maintaining a significance level of P <0.05.
Results: The e-commerce search revealed 15 e-market products out of which most of them lacked usage instructions and comprehensive composition information. DPA exhibited superior tooth whitening, in contrast with the poorly rated online agent, which showed asignificantly lower degree of color change (P=0.007). Microhardness was significantly lower in the LRA treatment group (14.2%) than in the control and HRA treatment groups (8.84% and 7.26%, respectively) (P >0.05). Furthermore, LRA caused severe topographical alterations to the enamel.
Conclusion: e-portal OTC teeth whitening products lackvital information, while dentist-prescribed products outperform LRA products in terms of efficacy and enamel preservation.
Clinical relevance: Patients’ inclination toward easily accessible online products, particularly from platforms such asAmazon, may result in overuse and consequential deleterious effects on dental tissues.
Successful Management of Chromoblastomycosis Utilizing Conventional Antifungal Agents and Imiquimod Therapy
Authors: Zheng Jinjin , Liu Shougang , Xie Zhengmou , Chen Yangxia , Xi Liyan , Liu Hongfang , Liu Yinghui
Published: March 2024

Chromoblastomycosis (CBM), a chronic fungal infection affecting the skin and subcutaneous tissues, is predominantly caused by dematiaceous fungi in tropical and subtropical areas. Characteristically, CBM presents as plaques and nodules, often leading to scarring post-healing. Alongside conventional diagnostic methods such as fungal microscopy, culture, and histopathology. Dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy can aid in accurate diagnosis. The treatment of CBM is an extended and protracted process. Imiquimod, acting as an immune response modifier, boosts the host's immune response against CBM, and controls scar hyperplasia, thereby reducing the treatment duration. We present a case of CBM in Guangdong with characteristic reflectance confocal microscopy manifestations, effectively managed through a combination of itraconazole, terbinafine, and imiquimod.
Optimizing scan duration and tracer dose in radiomic analysis for 18F-FDG PET/MR brain cancer
Authors: Zhuang Mingzan , Qiu Zhifen , Li Xianru , Xie Tianwu
Published: March 2024

Objectives: This study is to optimize scan duration and tracer dose in radiomic analysis for 18F-FDG PET/MR brain cancer. Methods: Seventeen patients with brain cancer underwent PET/MR scans with injection of 3.70 MBq/kg 18F-FDG. PET images were split into 5 (PETSD5), 10 (PETSD10), 15 (PETSD15), and 25 (PETSD25) min duration groups, and the injected dose for each group with 10% (PETD10%), 20% (PETD20%), 33% (PETD33%) and 50% (PETD50%) dose levels were then simulated. 93 radiomic features were extracted and ICC was calculated for each feature between groups, respectively.
Results: ICC varied with the feature type, scan duration, and tracer dose. ICC for PETSD10, PETSD15, and PETSD25 in relation to PETSD5 showed an obviously decrease with the lengthen of scan duration and the reduction of tracer dose. ICC on PETD10%, PETD20%, PETD33%, and PETD50% in relation to full-dose PET gradually increased with the enlargement of tracer dose and the extending of scan duration. ICC on different combinations with respect to PETSD5 at full-dose presented similar trends in most features for PETSD10 at 50%, PETSD15 at 33%, and PETSD25 at 20%. Besides, 28 features were non-sensitive to different scan durations and/or dose levels. The intertations between features were slightly affected by different scan durations and/or dose levels, in which discrepancies were sensitive to the specific feature type.
Conclusions: PETSD10 at 50% might be the clinically adaptable solution for 18F-FDG PET/MR brain cancer, showing reduced radiation burden, better compatibility and clinical feasibility. Changes in scan duration and/or tracer dose in PET should be approached with caution.