bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Respiratory support with nasal high flow without supplemental oxygen in patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography under moderate sedation: a prospective, randomized, single-center clinical trial
Authors: Sawase Hironori , Ozawa Eisuke , Yano Hiroshi , Ichinomiya Taiga , Yano Rintaro , Miyaaki Hisamitsu , Komatsu Naohiro , Ayuse Takao , Kurata Shinji , Sato Shuntaro , Pinkham Maximilian Ichabod , Tatkov Stanislav , Ashizawa Kazuto , Nagata Kazuyoshi , Nakao Kazuhiko
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND:
Nasal high flow (NHF) may reduce hypoxia and hypercapnia during an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedure under sedation. The authors tested a hypothesis that NHF with room air during ERCP may prevent intraoperative hypercapnia and hypoxemia.
METHODS:
In the prospective, open-label, single-center, clinical trial, 75 patients undergoing ERCP performed with moderate sedation were randomized to receive NHF with room air (40 to 60 L/min, n = 37) or low-flow O2 via a nasal cannula (1 to 2 L/min, n = 38) during the procedure. Transcutaneous CO2, peripheral arterial O2 saturation, a dose of administered sedative and analgesics were measured.
RESULTS:
The primary outcome was the mean time-weighted total PtcCO2 of 47.2 mmHg in the NHF group and 48.2 mmHg in the LFO group, with no significant difference (-0.97, 95% CI -3.35 – 1.41, p = 0.421). In secondary outcome analysis, the duration of hypercapnia did not differ markedly between the two groups either [median (range) in the NHF group: 7 (0 – 99); median (range) in the LFO group: 14.5 (0 – 206); p = 0.313] and the occurrence of hypoxemia during an ERCP procedure under sedation was observed in 3 patients (8.1%) in the NHF group and 2 patients (5.3%) in the LFO group, with no significant difference (p = 0.674).
CONCLUSIONS:
Application of NHF with air did not reduce marked hypercapnia during ERCP under sedation relative to LFO. However, there was no significant difference in occurrence of hypoxemia between the two groups that indicates an improvement of gas exchanges by NHF.
Trial registration
jRCTs072190021 (https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs072190021)
The full date of first registration on jRCT: 26/08/2019
Clinical and Radiologic Outcomes of surgically treated Talus Fractures: A Cross-sectional Study of 38 patients in Iran
Authors: Sayyed-Hosseinian Sayyed-Hadi , Bagheri Farshid , Vahdatian Ali , Asadi Mahla , Shirazinia Matin , Ebrahimzadeh Mohammad-Hosien
Published: January 2023

Talus fracture is often associated with debilitating complications, including osteonecrosis, non-union, malunion, and osteoarthritis. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of different types of surgically treated talus fractures and factors affecting outcomes. A total of 38 patients with talus fractures from April 2014 to April 2019 were included. Radiological evaluations, including standard ankle radiographs and ankle CT scans, were performed pre-and post-operatively to assess union, malunion, osteonecrosis, and osteoarthritis of adjacent joints. Functional evaluation was performed using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), visual analogue scale (VAS), and Manchester Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ) questionnaires. Talar fractures included talar neck (52.6%), talar body (28.9%), body fractures extend to neck (15.7%), lateral and posterior process fracture (2.6%). Osteoarthritis was the most common complication (52.6%), followed by osteonecrosis (47.3%). The mean AOFAS, MOXFQ, and VAS scores were 60.3 (SD=+/-18.6), 67.6 (SD=+/-20.7), and 4.9 (SD=+/-2.1), respectively. There was no significant difference in VAS, MOXFQ, and AOFAS scores between different types of talar fractures (p > 0.05). There was no correlation between the time of surgery and the rate of osteonecrosis (p > 0.05). In conclusion, talus fracture was associated with many complications that adversely affected the clinical outcome of the patients. Delay in surgical fixation did not appear to affect the outcome or prevalence of osteonecrosis. Level of Clinical Evidence (LOCE):4
Nondestructive inspection of surface nanostructuring using label-free optical super-resolution imaging
Authors: Aguilar Alberto , Khalil Alain Abou , Aldeiturriaga David Pallares , Sedao Xxx , Mauclair Cyril , Bon Pierre
Published: January 2023

Ultrafast laser processing can induce surface nanostructurating (SNS) in most materials with dimensions close to the irradiation laser wavelength. In-situ SNS characterization could be key for laser parameter’s fine-tuning, essential for the generation of complex and/or hybrid nanostructures. Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) created in the ultra-violet (UV) range generate the most fascinating effects. They are however highly challenging to characterize in a non-destructive manner since their dimensions can be as small as 100 nm. Conventional optical imaging methods are indeed limited by diffraction to a resolution of ≈ 150 nm. Although optical super-resolution techniques can go beyond the diffraction limit, which in theory allows the visualization of LIPSS, most super-resolution methods require the presence of small probes (such as fluorophores) which modifies the sample and is usually incompatible with a direct surface inspection. In this paper, we demonstrate that a modified label-free Confocal Reflectance Microscope (CRM) in a photon reassignment regime (also called re-scan microscopy) can detect sub-diffraction limit LIPSS. SNS generated on a titanium sample irradiated with a λ=257 nm femtosecond UV-laser were characterized with nanostructuring period ranging from 105 nm to 172 nm. Our label-free, non-destructive optical surface inspection was done at 180μm²/s, and the results are compared with commercial SEM showing the metrological efficiency of our approach.
Recent European drying and its link to prevailing large-scale atmospheric patterns
Authors: Bakke Sigrid Jørgensen , Ionita Monica , Tallaksen Lena Merete
Published: January 2023

The extreme 2018 and 2022 droughts pose as recent examples of a series of drought events that have hit Europe over the last decades with wide ranging social, environmental and economic impacts. In this study, we investigated the relation between changes in large-scale atmospheric patterns and meteorological drought, as indicated by the geopotential height at 500mb (Z500) and the Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), respectively. Calculations were done separately for four climate regions (North, West, Central-East and Mediterranean) over the growing season (March-September). Coherent patterns of significant changes towards higher pressure (increasing Z500) and drier conditions (decreasing SPEI) are found over West in spring and Central-East in summer. Z500 and SPEI are strongly linked, reflected by both significant (at 1% level) correlations and high co-occurrences (69–96%) between meteorological drought and high-pressure anomaly occurrences. North shows the most heterogeneous trend patterns and weakest links, but constitutes a hotspot of significant increasing Z500 in September. Finally, we performed an ensemble-based, European wide analysis of future Z500 based on CMIP6 low-end (SSP126) and high-end (SSP585) emission scenarios. Due to the limitations of the model ensemble to represent the spatial heterogeneity in historical Z500 variability and trends, projected changes in large-scale circulation, and associated meteorological droughts, are highly uncertain. According to the projected changes, anomalously high-pressure systems will be the new normal regardless of scenario, and well exceeding the 2018 and 2022 levels in the case of the high-end emission scenario.
TPL-2 regulates inflammation in ulcerative colitis through activating JNK/ERK pathway
Authors: Cui Xiao ting , Dong Ning-Ning , Zhao Cuijuan , Chen Ji
Published: January 2023

Purpose: To investigate the roles of Tumor progression locus 2 (TPL2)on regulating the inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).
Methods: Colonic biopsies, serum samples and demographic features were collected from healthy volunteers and UC patients. Subsequently, HE staining were taken to evaluate the degree of intestinal mucosal damage and inflammation from 10 patients. The expression levels of TPL2, iNOS and COX2 was examined by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Quantitative Real Time PCR was performed to detect the production of IL-6, IL-10 and IL-18. Additionally, the expression of TPL2 was knocked down by siRNA to further explore its role in inflammation regulation in vitro. The expression of p-JNK, JNK, p-ERK and ERK was also detected by western blot to demonstrate the mechanisms of TPL2.
Results: There was no significant difference in gender, and age of disease between the controls and UC groups. Histological damage scores and inflammation scores with statistically difference demonstrated a gradient increase in patients with mild and severe UC compared to control group. Furthermore, Western blot assay and qRT-PCR showed no substantial difference in TPL2 expression between patients with mild UC and controls, while it was significantly upregulated in severe UC patients. Meanwhile, the expression of iNOS and COX2 was not remarkably different from the normal controls, whereas it was significantly upregulated in severe UC patients. We further revealed that the JNK/ERK pathway was activated by up regulation of TPL-2.
Conclusions: TPL2 significantly upregulates the inflammation in UC patients, which has regulatory effects on iNOS and COX2 through the ERK and JNK pathways. These results suggest that TPL2 is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of UC.
A fast water slide layout approach using smooth surfaces, Saint Venant’s stationary water-streamline and passenger sliding interaction - Theory, implementation and validation
Authors: Stepken Alina , Kecskeméthy Andrés , Flores Francisco Geu
Published: January 2023

Water slide manufacturers are constantly searching for innovative designs that maximize the rider’s fun while complying with safety requirements. However, the current state-of-the-art does not offer any simulation tool capable of aiding the design phase before manufacture in an affordable computational time. This paper presents a novel approach using smooth surface models together with Saint Venant’s filament theory to predict the water channel and by this a realistic estimation of passenger - waterslide interaction. The model is applied to circular slide cross sections but can be extended to general surfaces. The paper covers the theory and the experimental validation. It is shown that the predicted water channel follows very well the measurement, and that the Saint Venant’s terms taking into consideration water channel heights and deformation of water cross-section play a marginal role and thus can be neglected, allowing one to use a simple Bernoulli filament model with proper water slide friction parameters. On the other hand, parameter identification of fluid-surface friction shows that three terms must be considered: a static one, a curvature-dependent correction, and a third correction factor for changes from low to large curvature (splashing effect). The results are also compared with fluid simulations using OpenFOAM. It is shown that the results of the simple model are not less accurate than the fluid-dynamics model, while needing only 1/100.000 of the computational time. The paper shows also the passenger/slide interaction by a multibody model including contact and passenger/fluid interactions. It is shown that the interaction between the passenger and the water is significant for correct reproduction of real motion, showing that the water channel is relevant for computer-based water slide layouts. As the water channel parameters can be sufficiently modeled by Bernoulli’s filament theory, the approach is independent of the slide cross section and thus extendable to general cases. Also, as the computations run at 7/10 of real time, they can be used for online optimizations and passenger-specific actions on site.
Valvular cardiomyopathy in aortic valve regurgitation correlates with myocardial fibrosis
Authors: Petersen Johannes , Iqbal Shahria , Gedeon Naomi , Kloth Benjamin , Pecha Simon , Yildirim Yalin , Eschenhagen Thomas , Reichenspurner Hermann , Christ Torsten , Girdauskas Evaldas
Published: January 2023

Objective
At the tissue level, disruption of the extracellular matrix network leads to irreversible cardiac fibrosis, which contributes to myocardial dysfunction. At the myocyte level, downregulation of beta-adrenoceptors (beta-AR) reduces adapation to increased workload. The aim of our study was to analyse the correlation between myocardial fibrosis and beta-AR sensitivity in patients with aortic valve (AV) disease.
Methods
A total of 92 consecutive patients who underwent elective AV surgery between 2017-2019 were included in our study (51 with aortic regurgitation(AR-group);41 with aortic stenosis(AS-group) and left ventricular (LV) biopsies were obtained intraoperatively. In-vitro force contractility testing was performed by measuring beta-AR sensitivity (–log EC50[ISO]). In parallel, quantitative analysis of myocardial fibrosis burden was performed.
Results
Mean age at the time of AV surgery was not statistically different in both groups (AR:53.3±15.3 years vs. AS:58.7±17.0 years;p=0.116). LV end-diastolic diameter was significantly enlarged in AR compared to AS-group (59.4±15.6 vs 39.7±21.2;p<0.001). Analysis of beta-AR sensitivity (AR:-6.769 vs. AS:-6.659;p=0.316) and myocardial fibrosis (AR:8.9% vs AS:11.3%;p=0.284) showed no significant differences between patients with AS and AR. There was no correlation between myocardial fibrosis and beta-AR sensitivity in the whole study cohort (R=0.1987;p=0.100) and in the AS-subgroup (R=0.009;p=0.960). However, significant correlation of fibrosis and beta-AR sensitivity was seen in AR-patients (R=0.363;p=0.023).
Conclusion
More severe myocardial fibrosis was associated with reduced beta-AR sensitivity in patients presenting with AR but not with AS. Therefore, our results suggest that in patients with AR, cellular myocardial dysfunction is present and correlates with the extent of myocardial fibrosis in the myocardium.
Research- vs. government-driven physical activity policy monitoring: a systematic review across different levels of government
Authors: Messing Sven , Tcymbal Antonina , Abu-Omar Karim , Gelius Peter
Published: January 2023

Background: Even though the importance of physical activity policy monitoring has increased in the last decade, there is a lack of understanding what different approaches exist and which methodology they employ. In order to address this research gap, this review attempts to map existing approaches of physical activity policy monitoring and to analyse methodological aspects, especially with regards to the roles of governments and researchers.
Methods: A systematic search was conducted in five scientific databases, using the terms “physical activity”, “policy” and “monitoring” and their variations. In total, 12.963 studies were identified and, after the elimination of duplicates, screened independently by two reviewers. During full text analysis, information on methodological aspects was extracted and studies were categorized based on the level of government involvement.
Results: The search yielded in a total of 112 studies. More than three quarters of these studies followed a research-driven approach (little or no government involvement) while only two studies were based on a government-driven approach (led by governments). The remaining studies were based on a co-production approach (strong collaboration between researchers and governments). All in all, 18 different tools for physical activity policy monitoring were identified; key examples are the Report Cards on Physical Activity for Children and Youth (research-driven approach), the HEPA Monitoring Framework (government-driven approach) and the HEPA Policy Audit Tool (co-production approach).
Conclusions: The level of government involvement in policy monitoring differs significantly, and research-driven, government-driven and co-production approaches can be distinguished. These approaches have different strengths and weaknesses, and can be linked to distinct theories of change and models on research-policy relations. Increasing awareness on the implications of these approaches is key to improve the understanding and further development of physical activity policy monitoring.
WITHDRAWN: Noninterference patterns evolving to interference patterns --- Universal phenomena in wave experiments
Authors: Peng Hui
Published: January 2023

Young’s double slit (and Arago spot) experiments revived the wave theory of light. In this article, we postulate and confirm the precise rule of convex lenses. We propose a new method to study the evolution of the patterns of single slit, double slit, triple slit, cross-double slit, ring, 1D-grating and 2D-grating experiments. The experiments show, for the first time, the novel universal phenomena: (1) Within a certain macroscopic distance from the diaphragm, light behaves as photons and produces a noninterference pattern, while at the far field, the photons produce an interference pattern; (2) The noninterference pattern evolves to the interference pattern gradually in the same experiment. The experiments provide profound phenomena/data for further theoretical development of optics and for understanding the nature of light. We suggest that a complete theory should be able to simultaneously interpret the noninterference pattern, the interference pattern, and the evolution from one pattern to another.
The role of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in growth of cervical cancer cells
Authors: Willson Conner M , Lequio Marco , Zhu Ziwen , Wakefield Mark R. , Bai Qian , Fajardo Emerson , Xiao Huaping , Leung Samuel , Fang Yujiang
Published: January 2023

Background: Recently developed vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 virus utilize endogenous production of the virus’ spike protein (SP), allowing the host to develop an immune response. As a result of the novelty of this virus and its vaccines, little is known overall about the potential effects of the SP on the pathogenesis of neoplasia, either from vaccination or from infection. This study was designed to investigate if SARS-CoV-2 SP has any direct effect on SiHa cervical cancer cells.
Methods: The effects of SARS-CoV-2 SP on cervical cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis were investigated by using clonogenic cell survival assay, quick cell proliferation assay, and caspase-3 activity kits in a widely used cervical cancer cell line, SiHa. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were also performed to determine the potential molecular mechanisms.
Results: The growth and proliferation of SiHa cancer cells were inhibited by SARS-CoV-2 SP. SARS-CoV-2 SP also induced apoptosis in SiHa cancer cells. The anti-proliferative effect of SARS-CoV-2 SP on SiHa cancer cells was associated with the upregulation of the anti-proliferative molecule p53. The pro-apoptotic effect of SARS-CoV-2 SP on SiHa cells was associated with the upregulation of the pro-apoptotic molecule TRAIL.
Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 SP inhibits the growth of cervical cancer via upregulation of p53 and TRAIL. Further studies are needed to elaborate on the potential effects of the SARS-CoV-2 SP on other cancer cell lines and other normal physiological cell lines to compare.
Ligating the varicose vein trunk for colostomy variceal hemorrhage: a case report
Authors: Sun Jialiang , Tan Zhanhai , Chen Jianrong , Zhang Jifa
Published: January 2023

Background: Among the complications related to colostomy, variceal hemorrhage caused by cirrhosis is a rare case. The occurrence of peristome variceal hemorrhage should be rapid and effective treatment, otherwise it will result in hemorrhagic shock, repeated stoma bleeding, systemic organs deterioration and other adverse events.
Case presentation: In this case of liver cirrhosis, Stoma varices and repeated bleeding due to decompensated cirrhosis was performed by local compression and suture therapy but failed with rebleeding. Being combined with abdominal enhanced CT images，Stoma varices are derived from the branch of inferior mesenteric vein, whose above trunk is located and highly ligated and vein balls are stripped. Meanwhile, the Stoma below abdominal wall varicose veins is sutured by intracutaneous way, which could achieve satisfactory hemostasis in intra-operation. Abdominal enhanced CT images prompted that peristome varicose veins are disappeared. The skin around the stoma is flat and the mucosa is ruddy when changing the bag in post-operation.
Conclusion: The report that our team reduced the risk of peristomal variceal bleeding by blocking the main variceal vein through a small incision under local anesthesia may open up another treatment strategy for such patients.
Experimental and theoretical Brownian Dynamics analysis of Ion transport during cellular electroporation of E. coli bacteria
Authors: Gonzalez-Cuevas Juan Alberto , Arguello Ricardo , Florentin Marcos , Andre Franck , MIr Luis
Published: January 2023

The motion of ions through pores formed in the inner and outer plasma membranes of Escherichia coli cells during electroporation is simulated in 3-D space using a Brownian dynamics model, which is mostly deterministic following Newtonian mechanics, but has some stochastic properties to account for elastic ionic scattering in water. The pore’s conductance, diffusion coefficient, mobility and translation time of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+ and Cl− ions are estimated from the numerical model and validated with experiments conducted at the Gustave Roussy. The results from this work provide a better understanding of the electroporation process, aiding in the design of electrical pulses and waveforms for maximizing the throughput of DNA, drugs and gene materials into cells, primarily for application in cancer treatment.
Dementia and the History of Disease in Older Adults in Community
Authors: Wang Yuan , Xu Honglian , Geng Zihan , Geng Guilin , Zhang Feng
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Many studies have revealed the effect of medical history on dementia. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the history of disease and onset of dementia.

Methods

This was a multi-center, cross-sectional study, with 2595 older people enrolled. The onset of dementia was evaluated with Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-R). The diagnosed diseases after the age of 40 of the participants were investigated, including respiratory system diseases, digestive system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, endocrine disorders, genitourinary system diseases, nervous system disease, sensory system diseases, dental/oral diseases, bone/joint diseases and mental illnesses.

Results

Data of 2458 older adults were analyzed. Univariate analysis showed that diabetes, thyroid disease, mental illness, hearing loss, stroke, dental/oral disease, fracture/osteoporosis, and kidney disease were risk factors for dementia. After controlling for demographic sociological variables, diabetes, dental/oral disease, and fracture/osteoporosis were independent risk factors for dementia, with OR of 1.379 (95%CI 1.055–1.803), 1.556 (95%CI 1.131–2.142) and 1.314 (95%CI 1.008–1.714).

Conclusion

Diabetes, dental/oral disease and fracture/osteoporosis were main risk factors for dementia.
New construction of ternary locally repairable codes that are also LCD codes
Authors: Yang Ruipan , Li Ruihu , Fu Qiang
Published: January 2023

Efficient distributed storage systems are favorable for handling big data, and it is deployed across network of plenty of different storage nodes. In order to improving reliability and efficiency, locally repairable codes (LRCs) are especially beneficial. On the other hand, linear complementary dual (LCD) codes are proved useful for preventing malicious attacks, which helps to secure the system. For the purpose of enhancing repair effciency and security, we put LRC and LCD code together for consideration in this paper. A new construction of ternary LRCs that are also LCD codes is given. Many ternary LCD-LRCs are obtained, whose parameters are optimal in terms of the bound of LRC.
The Impact of Introducing a Curriculum in Social Emergency Medicine (SEM) at a Private Tertiary Care Center in Karachi, Pakistan.
Authors: SA Saima Ali , Saleem Syed Ghazanfar , Khatri Adeel , mukhtar sama
Published: January 2023

Introduction:
The ability to identify and address the negative Social Determinants of Health (SDH) through education in Social Emergency Medicine (SEM) can lead to improvement in Emergency Medicine (EMed) process flow, bounce back and acuity of patients. This can have far reaching implications in a resource limited country like Pakistan.
Method:
A SEM based curriculum was administered to the EMed residents at a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan. Pre, Post and Delayed Post-test was conducted for knowledge of EMed residents and analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA (RMANOVA). Bounce back and acuity of patients was compared in the pre-intervention (2020) and post-intervention year (2021) using frequency with percentages.
Result:
A significant improvement was seen in post intervention (p < 0.001) and follow up knowledge (p < 0.001) of residents. Bounce back rate was higher in 2020, pre SEM curriculum (43%) as compared to the post SEM curriculum year 2021 (27.7%). The acuity at bounce back was P1 (more seriously ill) in 826 (47.2%) and P2 in 532 (30.4%) in 2020 out of the 125 (7.1%) patients with Acuity P1 at their Index visit (p < 0.001). In 2021, this reduced to Acuity P4 (less seriously ill) in 65.2% patients with their initial Acuity at Index Visit being P3 in 301 (65.6%) and P2 in 97 (21.1%) (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The study highlights the beneficial impact of an educational intervention in SEM upon the bounce back and acuity of patients in the EMed department of a low resource setup. This can be scaled up to other EMed departments across Pakistan for the improvement of EMed process flow and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The pathogenesis of common Gjb2 mutations associated with human hereditary deafness in mice
Authors: Li Qing , Cui Chong , Liao Rongyu , Yin Xidi , Huang Bowei , Cheng Yanbo , Wang Daqi , Wang Liqin , Yan Meng , Zhou Jinan , Zhao Jingjing , Tang Wei , Wang Yingyi , Wan Xiaohan , Lv Jun , Li Jinsong , Li Huawei , Shu Yilai
Published: January 2023

Mutations in GJB2 (Gap junction protein beta 2) are the most common genetic cause of non-syndromic hereditary deafness in humans, especially the 35delG and 235delC mutations. Owing to the homozygous lethality of Gjb2 mutations in mice, there are currently no perfect mouse models carrying Gjb2 mutations derived from patients for mimicking human hereditary deafness and for unveiling the pathogenesis of the disease. Here, we successfully constructed heterozygous Gjb2+/35delG and Gjb2+/235delC mutant mice through advanced androgenic haploid embryonic stem cell (AG-haESC)-mediated semi-cloning technology, and these mice showed normal hearing at postnatal day (P)28. A homozygous mutant mouse model, Gjb235delG/35delG, was then generated using enhanced tetraploid embryo complementation, demonstrating that GJB2 plays an indispensable role in mouse placenta development. These mice exhibited profound hearing loss similar to human patients at P14, i.e., soon after the onset of hearing. Mechanistic analyses showed that Gjb2 35delG disrupts the formation of intercellular gap junction channels and impairs mechanoelectrical transduction of the cochlea rather than affecting the survival and function of hair cells. Collectively, our study provides ideal mouse models for understanding the pathogenic mechanism of DFNB1A-related hereditary deafness and opens up a new avenue for investigating the treatment of this disease.
Employing carbon quantum dots to combat cytomegalovirus
Authors: Bulat Tanja , Zmejkoski Danica , Marković Zoran , Satzinger Melissa , Kovač Janez , Strobl Birgit , Milivojević Dušan , Marković Biljana Todorović
Published: January 2023

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are well known as a promising therapeutic agent due to their excellent pro-oxidant, antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer properties under visible light irradiation. This material is easy to produce by several bottom-up or top-down methods. In this study, we used citric acid as starting precursor to synthesize aqueous carbon quantum dots dispersion by pyrolysis at 210 oC. Atomic force microscopy and XPS analyses revealed that CQDs synthesized are quasi-spherical with typical diameter of 9 nm and lots of C-O and C = O functional groups distributed over the basal plane and edges of the dots. Here, we investigated the antiviral properties of CQDs against cytomegalovirus (CMV). The pre-treatment with CQDs upregulates interferon-stimulated genes (ISG), resulting in better virus control. Cellular defence against cytomegalovirus of CQDs pre-treated cells is increased in a dose-dependent manner. Our results reveal high biocompatibility and potent in vitro antiviral properties of CQDs.
Risk factors for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in community-acquired urinary tract infections in children and susceptibility to commonly used antibiotic treatments
Authors: Rizik Suha , Kassis Imad , Makhoul Nadeen , Dabaja-Younis Halima
Published: January 2023

Purpose
Enterobacteriaceae producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) are common pathogens of UTI in children and their prevalence is increasing worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for ESBL-positive UTI and susceptibility to antibiotic treatments.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study conducted at Rambam Health Care Campus, a tertiary hospital in northern Israel. The study included patients younger than < 18 years old and ESBL positive UTI between January 2017 and December 2019. Patient demographics, previous antibiotic treatment, previous UTI episode, genitourinary tract abnormalities, identified organisms in urine cultures, and sensitivity to antibiotics were recorded.
Results
A total of 570 children who contributed 639 episodes of community-acquired ESBL UTI with 661 Enterobacteriaceae isolates. The median age was 1.3(IQR:0.69–5.9) years. Female comprised 87.9% of the patients. ESBL isolates were identified in 56 (9.8%) patients. Higher rates of resistance to oral antibiotic treatments were found in the ESBL-positive group compared to the ESBL-negative group; amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (65.2% vs 22.7%, p < 0.001, OR = 6.84), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (59.4% vs 17.6%, p < 0.001, OR = 6.84), ciprofloxacin (34.8% vs 4.5%, p < 0.001, OR = 11.43), and to piperacillin-tazobactam (27.5% vs 6.4%, p < 0.001, OR = 5.54). Neither group was resistant to amikacin or carbapenem. Risk factors for ESBL-positive UTI were antibiotic treatment within the last three months (p = 0.002, OR = 3.68, CI:1.63–8.31) and known ESBL carriage (p < 0.001, OR = 13.18, CI:4.25–40.94).
Conclusions
Known ESBL carriage and recent antibiotic treatment were risk factors for ESBL UTI. High rate of resistance to oral empiric and prophylactic antibiotic treatments was detected. Amikacin as initial treatment in anticipation of culture susceptibility is reasonable.
Conservative rehabilitation therapy for respiratory dysfunction due to phrenic nerve sacrifice during resection of massive mediastinal tumor
Authors: Fang Yu , Wu Jun , Zhang Maolin , Yang Yang , Yao Lijun , Liu Lu , Luo Jun , Li Linjun , Zhang Cheng , Qin Zhiming
Published: January 2023

Background: Cases of respiratory dysfunction due to phrenic nerve sacrifice during resection of massive mediastinal tumor have rarely been studied in detail. Diaphragmatic dysfunction in such cases can lead to potentially fatal respiratory and circulatory disturbances. Therefore, timely diagnosis and intervention are important. Conservative rehabilitation therapy is the first choice for respiratory dysfunction due to diaphragmatic dysfunction.
Case presentation: We present three patients with respiratory dysfunction due to phrenic nerve sacrifice during resection of massive mediastinal tumor. The diagnostic methods and therapeutic procedures for diaphragmatic dysfunction for each patient are described in detail. This study highlights the role of ventilator support combined with physical therapy in the treatment of respiratory dysfunction in such cases. The diagnosis of diaphragmatic dysfunction as well as the risk assessment of phrenic nerve involvement are also discussed. The modalities of ventilator support, including modes and parameters, are listed.
Conclusions: This study provides experiences of diagnosis and treatment of respiratory dysfunction due to phrenic nerve sacrifice during resection of massive mediastinal tumor. Timely diagnosis of diaphragmatic dysfunction primarily relies on clinical manifestations and radiography. Conservative rehabilitation therapy can improve or restore diaphragmatic function in majority of patients, and avert or delay the need for surgical intervention. Preoperative assessment of the risk of phrenic nerve involvement is important in such cases.
Transfer Learning Analysis For Predicting Soil Texture Classes From Soil Images
Authors: Srivast Pallavi , Shukla Aasheesh , Bansal Atul
Published: January 2023

Soil texture is one of the crucial characteristic in determining soil health. Classifying soil texture manually 1 is expensive, time consuming and requires experienced experts who are often limited available. Multiple machine leaning algorithms are proposed in the recent past to hold up a fully automated soil texture classification in 12 or lesser classes using soil images. Among such algorithms research on deep neural networks (DNNs) has been explored less. Wherever these DNNs are applied, they are used in isolation. Limited efforts are made to transfer the knowledge from 5 DNN of some other application and reuse the pre-trained network. In this work, concept of transfer learning is 6 investigated in soil texture prediction. Inceptionv3, ResNet50 and ResNet152 are trained on soil image dataset which 7 consists of images acquired from agricultural fields of multiple crops. It also shows analysis of different image 8 processing based segmentation techniques.
Repurposing celecoxib for ovarian cancer treatment by targeting survivin signaling
Authors: Chuwa Agapiti Hipoliti
Published: January 2023

Background
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of deaths among gynecologic cancers. With a five-year survival rate just slightly above 45% and high rates of chemo-toxicity and chemo-resistance, the search for novel, more effective, and less toxic therapeutic approaches is thus imperative. In the current study, we aimed to explore the potential antitumor effect of a COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, using a panel of ten ovarian cancer cell lines derived from varying histology.
Methods
We analyzed anti-proliferative effect of celecoxib by cell viability assay using WST-8 (water-soluble tetrazolium salt solution). The compound’s effect on cell cycle progression and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. Western blotting was employed to explore its influence on apoptosis-related genes.
Results
Celecoxib significantly and, in a dose-dependent manner, inhibited proliferation of all analyzed ovarian cancer cell lines at IC50 ranging from 17µm ~ 45µm irrespective of their histological characteristics, arrested the cell cycle, and induced apoptosis (p < 0.001, treated vs. DMSO). Further exploration revealed that treatment of the cells with celecoxib caused cleavage of caspase-3 and down-regulation of survivin, the effects that were comparable across all analyzed cell lines and independent to autophagy.
Conclusions
The findings confirm the antitumor effect of celecoxib against a panel of ovarian cancer cells of varying histology by targeting the anti-apoptotic protein, survivin, and suggest that this may serve as a novel targeted therapeutic approach for ovarian cancer. Large-scale clinical trials are therefore warranted to further evaluate its efficacy, and for optimization.
Development of a risk prediction model for subsequent infection after colonization with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Zheng Guanhao , Cai Jiaqi , Deng Han , Yang Haoyu , Xiong Wenling , Bai Hao , He Juan
Published: January 2023

Background
Colonization of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterale (CRE) is considered as one of vital preconditions for infection, with corresponding high morbidity and mortality. It is indispensable to construct a reliable prediction model and develop preventive and therapeutic strategies for those high-risk infected CRE carriers.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study was conducted in two Chinese tertiary hospitals for patients with CRE colonization from 2011 to 2021. Univariate analysis and the Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model were utilized to identify potential risk factors for CRE-colonized infection, while death was the competing event. A nomogram was established to predict 30-day and 60-day risk of CRE-colonized infection.
Results
879 eligible patients were enrolled in our study and divided into training (n = 761) and validation (n = 118) group, respectively. There were 196 (25.8%) patients suffered from subsequent CRE infection within 20 (interquartile range [IQR], 14–32) days after detection of colonization. Multisite colonization, polymicrobial colonization, catheterization and receiving albumin after colonization, concomitant respiratory diseases, receiving carbapenems and antimicrobial combination therapy before CRE colonization within 90 days were reserved in final model. Model discrimination and calibration were acceptable for predicting the probability of 60-day CRE-colonized infection in both training (area under the curve [AUC], 74.7) and validation dataset (AUC, 81.1). Decision-curve analysis revealed a significantly better net benefit in current model. Our prediction model is freely available online at https://ken-zheng.shinyapps.io/PredictingModelofCREcolonizedInfection/.
Conclusions
Our nomogram has a favorable predictive performance, which is deemed as a meaningful clinical tool for early identification of CRE carriers in high-risk status of subsequent infection.
Research on Production Capacity Planning Method: A case study from the Baorixile Open-pit Coal Mine in Northeast China
Authors: LIU Guangwei , GUO Weiqiang , CHAI Senlin , Li Jiaming
Published: January 2023

The production capacity of open-pit coal mines is an important parameter of mine design and development. Production capacity planning is closely related to the economic benefits of mining enterprises. Therefore, it is greatly significant for open-pit coal mines to determine a reasonable production capacity. Determining reasonable production capacity is a complex system engineering problem. Involving the resource conditions of the mining area and various technical and economic factors inside and outside the mining area, it’s of great necessary for open-pit coal mines to combine the shape of the mining boundary to make a reasonable plan for the mining district division and the mining procedure. To rationally plan the production capacity of open-pit coal mines, this study analyzes the relationship among the working face length, the annual advancing speed and the production capacity for the first time, constructs a production capacity function relationship model, and determines the influence of coal seam thickness and working face length on production capacity under the constraints of mining range. The Baorixile open-pit coal mine as an example to illustrate an engineering application in detail. According to the distribution and mining situation of coal seams in the mining area, the remaining unmined parts are divided into four regions. The established function model is used to analyze each region's production capacity, and the four regions' production capacity ranges are determined respectively. On this basis, three mining district division plans for the Baorixile open-pit coal mine are proposed. By analyzing and comparing the stripping ratio, service life of the mining district, fault influence, difficulty of transition connection in the mining districts, the convenience of transportation system layout and other indexes and influencing factors of each plan. Plan 3 is determined to be the technically and economically feasible optimal plan for the mining district division and the mining procedure. According to the capacity relationship of each region, the production capacity planning results of each mining district in Plan 3 is determined as follows: the production capacity of the 3rd mining district is determined to be 30 ~ 35 million t/a, the production capacity of the 4th mining district in Region 1 is 20 ~ 31 million t/a, and the production capacity in Region 2 is 24 ~ 33 million t/a, the production capacity of the 5th mining district is 20 ~ 27 million t/a. The practical performance of the relationship model of production capacity in open-pit coal mines is proved.
Isoprothiolane advances improvement of color through gibberellic acid metabolism in satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.).
Authors: Kondo Satoru , Tomiyama Hiroyuki , Oda Risa , Saito Takanori , Ohkawa Katsuya , Ohara Hitoshi , Aramaki S , Inoue T , Ohtsuka Takashi
Published: January 2023

The functions of isoprothiolane (IPT), which is a fungicide against rice blast, in carotenoid accumulation were examined in satsuma mandarin fruit (Citrus unshiu Marc). Whole trees were treated with IPT at 25 days before harvest. Concentrations of gibberellic acid-1 (GA1) and GA4 in the flavedo of IPT-treated trees were significantly decreased at 5 days after treatment (DAT) compared to the untreated control. The expressions of CitGA20ox1 in IPT-treated flavedo were lower than those in the untreated controls at 5 and 25 DAT. The CitGA3ox expressions in IPT-treated flavedo were lower than those in the untreated control at 5 DAT. ABA concentrations in IPT-treated flavedo were significantly higher than those in the untreated control at 25 DAT. The concentrations of b-cryptoxanthin in IPT-treated flavedo were higher than those in the untreated control at 25 DAT. The chlorophyll concentrations of IPT-treated flavedo were lower than those in the untreated control at 5 and 20 DAT. These results suggest that IPT advances b-cryptoxanthin accumulation through the regulation of endogenous GA1 and GA4 based on the inhibition of CitGA20ox1 and CitGA3ox expressions. It is possible that IPT can be utilized to improve coloration in other citrus fruit.
Dynamic and Context-Dependent Stock Price Prediction Using Attention Modules and News Sentiment
Authors: Königstein Nicole
Published: January 2023

The growth of machine-readable data in finance, such as alternative data, requires new modeling techniques that can handle non-stationary and non-parametric data. Due to the underlying causal dependence and the size and complexity of the data, we propose a new modeling approach for financial time series data, the αt-RIM (recurrent independent mechanism). This architecture makes use of key-value attention to integrate top-down and bottom-up information in a context-dependent and dynamic way. To model the data in such a dynamic manner, the αt-RIM utilizes an exponentially smoothed recurrent neural network, which can model non-stationary times series data, combined with a modular and independent recurrent structure. We apply our approach to the closing prices of three selected stocks of the S\&P 500 universe as well as their news sentiment score. The results suggest that the αt-RIM is capable of reflecting the causal structure between stock prices and news sentiment, as well as the seasonality and trends. Consequently, this modeling approach markedly improves the generalization performance, that is, the prediction of unseen data, and outperforms state-of-the-art networks such as long short-term memory models.
Multiparametric contrast-enhanced ultrasound in early prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and recurrence-free survival in breast cancer
Authors: wan caifeng , Zhou Liheng , Li Hongli , Wang Lin , Li Fenghua , Yin Wenjin , Wang Yaohui , Jiang Lixin , lu jinsong
Published: January 2023

Background
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a promising tool and can facilitate dynamic observation and quantification of tumor perfusion without exposing the patients to any risk of radiation. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the value of CEUS in early predicting pCR and RFS in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).
Methods
In this retrospective interpretation of prospective data study, consecutive women with LABC who underwent CEUS examination pre-NAC and after one or two cycles of NAC from March 2014 to October 2018 were included. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients. CEUS qualitative parameters before NAC and quantitative parameters (peak intensity, PEAK; time to peak, TTP; regional blood volume, RBV; regional blood flow, RBF, and mean transit time, MTT) during NAC and their changes were assessed. The relative changes in CEUS parameters and tumor diameter after one and two cycles of NAC were describe as ΔA1 and ΔA2, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent variables associated with pCR. Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to investigate the independent variables of CEUS and clinical-pathologic factors with RFS.
Results
Among 122 patients (mean age, 51years), 44 (36.1%) underwent PCR. Logistic regression analysis showed that molecular subtype, PEAK1 and △diameter1 were the best predictors of pCR after one cycle of NAC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.81; 95%CI: 0.73, 0.88); Molecular subtype, PEAK2 and △TTP2 were independently associated with pCR after two cycles of NAC (AUC, 0.85, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.91). After 63 months of median follow-up, there were 17 recurrences. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that a higher clinical T (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.75; 95% CI: 1.75, 12.87; P = 0.002) and N stages (HR = 3.39; 95% CI: 1.25, 9.19; P = 0.02), and a longer TTP (HR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01,1.11; P = 0.02) at pre-NAC CEUS were independently associated with poorer RFS.
Conclusions
CEUS can be used as a noninvasively functional technique to early predict pCR as well as RFS in breast cancer patients treated with NAC.
Quantum-coherence-free precision metrology by means of difference-signal amplifification
Authors: Li Jialin , Niu Yazhi , Wang Xinyi , Qin Lupei , Li Xin-Qi
Published: January 2023

The novel weak-value-amplifification (WVA) scheme of precision metrology is deeply rooted in the quantum nature of destructive interference between the pre- and post-selection states. And, an alternative version, termed as joint WVA (JWVA), which employs the difference-signal from the post-selection accepted and rejected results, has been found possible to achieve even better sensitivity (two orders of magnitude higher) under some technical limitations (e.g. misalignment errors). In this work, after erasing the quantum coherence, we analyze the difference-signal amplifification (DSA) technique, which serves as a classical counterpart of the JWVA, and show that similar amplifification effect can be achieved. We obtain a simple expression for the amplifified signal, carry out characterization of precision, and point out the optimal working regime. We also discuss how to implement the post-selection of a classical mixed state. The proposed classical DSA technique holds similar technical advantages of the JWVA and may find interesting applications in practice.