bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of age-dependent gene-expression in human tissues for studying diabetes comorbidities.
Authors: guzzi Pietro Hiram , Cortese Francesca , Mannino Gaia Chiara , Pedace Elisabetta , Succurro Elena , Andreozzi Francesco , Veltri Pierangelo
Published: January 2023

The study of the relations of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disease with other pathologies (comorbidities) together with patient age variation poses a challenge for medical research. There is evidence that patients affected by T2DM are more likely to develop comorbidities as they grow older. Variation of gene expression can be related to changes in T2DM comorbidities insurgence and progression. Understanding gene expression changes requires the analysis of large heterogeneous data at different scale as well as the integration of different data sources into network medicine models. Hence, we designed a framework to shed light on uncertainties related to age effects and comorbidity by integrating existing data sources with novel algorithms. The framework is based on the integration and analysis of existing data sources under the hypothesis that changes in the basal expression of genes may be responsible of the higher prevalence of comorbidities in older patients. Using the proposed framework, we selected genes related to comorbidities from existing databases, then analysed their expression with age at the tissues level. We found a set of genes that changes significantly in certain specific tissues over time. We also reconstructed the associated protein interaction networks and the related pathways for each tissue. Using this mechanistic framework we detected interesting pathways related to T2DM whose genes change their expression with age. We also found many pathways related to insulin regulation and brain activities, which can be used to develop specific therapies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that analyses such genes at the tissue level together with age variations.
Study on the influence of rock vertical heterogeneity on the vertical extension law of hydraulic fracture
Authors: Wang Mingwei , Wu Wen , Liang Honggang , Luo Bo , Li Song , Zhang Heng , Zhou Wen
Published: January 2023

The vertical extension of fractures in the hydraulic fracturing process of low-permeability bottom-water oil and gas reservoirs are an essential issue to consider, which affects the stimulation effect of oil and gas reservoirs to a certain extent. During hydraulic fracturing, the hydraulic fracture extends in all three directions of length, height, and width simultaneously, and the fracture height gradually decreases as the construction time and fracture length increase. In the absence of a barrier layer, fractures may extend freely up and down; even if there is a barrier layer, if there is not sufficient strength and thickness, the fracture may jump up and down, penetrate into or even penetrate the barrier layer, forming an "indomitable" fracture, which will hurt the success of fracturing operations and reconstruction results. In this paper, we develop a set of nonlinear equations for the mathematical model of the vertical extension of a hydraulic fracture and calculate the stress intensity factors at the upper and lower tip of the fracture. Based on the fast descent method and the Newton iteration method, we solve the numerical model of fracture height extension and systematically analyze the effect of vertical heterogeneity of the reservoir rock on the vertical fracture extension law and sensitivity analysis. A reasonable choice of fracturing design parameters improves the fracturing success rate and stimulation effectiveness considerably.
An English pronunciation and intonation evaluation method based on the DTW algorithm
Authors: Duan Jing , He Zhu
Published: January 2023

In order to solve the problems of single feature dimension and low accuracy in traditional oral English evaluation, this study has used the support vector regression algorithm to achieve the effective integration of different dimension evaluation features. The study comprehensively evaluate the overall reading and pronunciation quality of students. This paper designs an evaluation model of spoken English pronunciation quality based on a dynamic time warping algorithm and introduces the evaluation algorithms of pronunciation standard, fluency, and intonation, respectively. A support vector regression algorithm is used to realize the effective fusion of different dimension evaluation features. In addition, the correlation between machine rating and manual rating was used as an evaluation index to evaluate students' oral pronunciation quality from different dimensions. The model shows superior performance in the pronunciation of both monosyllabic and polysyllabic words, which is beneficial to improving students' oral English learning effect.
Miniaturized Vis-NIR handheld spectrometer for non-invasive plant pigment quantification
Authors: S Dinish U. , Teo Mark Ju Teng , Teo Valerie Xinhui , Dev Kapil , Tan Javier Jingheng , Koh Sally Shuxian , Urano Daisuke , Olivo Malini
Published: January 2023

Advanced precision agriculture requires the objective measurement of the structural and functional properties of plants. Biochemical profiles in leaves can differ depending on plant growing conditions. By quantitatively detecting these changes, farm production processes can be optimized to achieve high-yield, high-quality, and nutrient dense agricultural products. To enable the rapid and non-destructive detection on site, this study demonstrates the development of a new custom-designed portable handheld Vis-NIR spectrometer that collects leaf reflectance spectra, wirelessly transfers the spectral data through Bluetooth, and provides both raw spectral data and processed information. The spectrometer has two preprogramed methods: anthocyanin and chlorophyll quantification. Anthocyanin content of red and green lettuce estimated with the new spectrometer showed an excellent correlation coefficient of 84% with those determined by a destructive gold standard biochemical method. The differences in chlorophyll content were measured using leaf senescence as a case study. Chlorophyll Index calculated with the handheld spectrometer gradually decreased with leaf age as chlorophyll degrades during the process of senescence. The estimated chlorophyll values were highly correlated with those obtained from a commercial fluorescence-based chlorophyll meter with a correlation coefficient of 77%. The developed portable handheld Vis-NIR spectrometer could be a simple, cost-effective, and easy to operate tool that can be used to non-invasively monitor plant pigment and nutrient content efficiently.
On the effect of Al on alumino-borosilicate glass chemical durability
Authors: Gin Stephane , Damodaran Kamalesh , Delaye Jean-Marc
Published: January 2023

The chemical durability of borosilicate glass used to confine nuclear wastes non-linearly depends on a slight variation of their composition. Here, we focus on Al, a major oxide of these materials. Both matrix dissolution and long term-rates are investigated through experiments conducted at 90°C and pH 9. We demonstrate that low Al content glasses dissolve initially faster than glasses with higher Al content, but they form a gel that reorganized faster and eventually becomes more passivating. These results can be tied to recent findings at the molecular level showing that Al impacts the activation energy of Si‒O bond breaking. The implications for the geological disposal of high-level waste glass of these findings are discussed.
Identification and prevalence of fluke infection in yak and Tibetan sheep around Qinghai Lake, China
Authors: Fu Yong , Zhang Xueyong , Li Zhi , Meng Ru , Duo Hong , Shen Xiuying , Ma Yijuan , Guo Zhihong
Published: January 2023

The liver flukes (Fasciola spp.) and rumen flukes (Paramphistomum spp.) are significant parasites in livestock worldwide, meanwhile, Fasciola spp. is considered as an important zoonotic parasite. To our knowledge, there are no reported of the fluke species identification and epidemiological prevalence in yak and Tibetan sheep around Qinghai Lake, China. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the major fluke species and determine the prevalence of fluke infection among yak and Tibetan sheep in this area. A total of 307 fecal samples were collected and identified by morphology of fluke eggs together with molecular approach. Our study first found the predominant fluke species were F. hepatica and P. leydeni in yak and Tibetan sheep around Qinghai Lake. The overall prevalence of fluke infection in yak and Tibetan sheep was 57.65% (177/307). Specifically, the prevalence of F. hepatica and P. leydeni was 14.98% (46/307) and 31.60% (97/307), respectively, and the co-infection of both species was 11.07% (34/307). There was a significant difference in the prevalence of overall fluke infection among yak and Tibetan sheep (p < 0.05). However, the prevalence of F. hepatica was significantly different in yak and Tibetan sheep (p < 0.05), but not P. leydeni. These findings of the present study provide useful information about the current status of natural fluke invasion in yak and Tibetan sheep around Qinghai Lake, which could be important for monitoring and control of these parasites in the region.
Computational study on Phosphorylation of Nucleosides and Nucleotides by Austin Model-1 method
Authors: Bojja Rajeshwar Rao
Published: January 2023

Phosphorylation of Nucleosides and Nucleotides play essential function for the enzymatic synthesis of DNA and RNA to participate in energy transfer processes, intracellular signalling, and the regulation of proteins’ biological activity. The changing of the base sequence is to cause chromosomal mutations which are sometimes useful and occasionally harmful. Phosphorylation of Nucleosides and Nucleotides have been optimized and evaluated by semi-empirical molecular orbital AM1 method. In this connection, the heats of formation (∆Hfo), dipole moment (µ), energies of frontier molecular orbitals (EHOMO and ELUMO) and quantum chemical descriptors have been performed. It is observed that stability of nucleosides in DNA (deoxythymidin > deoxycytidine > deoxyguanosine > deoxyadenosine) as per heats of formation (∆Hfo) data. The dipole moment (µ) of nucleosides are investigated in DNA (deoxythymidin > deoxycytidine > deoxyadenosine > deoxyguanosine). Furthermore, the dipole-dipole interactions take part a critical role during the sequencing and replication of DNA has been discussed.
Bacillus subtilis A4，a potential algicidal bacterium against Spirogyra
Authors: Gu Ying , Wang Huicong , Sun Miaomiao , Ye Renzhi , Chen Baiyao , Cao Haipeng , An Jian
Published: January 2023

Spirogyra species are economically important harmful algae in aquaculture environments that have resulted in ecosystem damage and significant economic losses to fisheries. However, little information is available on Bacillus species against harmful Spirogyra. In this study, an algicidal isolate (A4) against Spirogyra was obtained from the sediment of an aquaculture pond and was identified molecularly and phenotypically as B. subtilis. It showed a wide algicidal spectrum against Spirogyra, and exhibited significant algicidal effects with algicidal ratios above 50% under the conditions of 3.0 × 106 to 3.0 × 109 CFUžmL− 1, 15°C to 35°C, and photoperiods of 14h:10h, 24h:0h and 0h:24h (light/dark). In addition, isolate A4 showed an algicidal mode of indirect attack, and was safe with an LC50 above 3.0 × 109 CFUžmL− 1 to zebrafish. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to characterize B. subtilis as a promising biocontrol agent against Spirogyra.
Future Climate Projections using the LARS-WG6 downscaling model over Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan
Authors: Khan Summera Fahmi , NAEEM USMAN ALI
Published: January 2023

This study investigates the projections of precipitation and temperature at local-scale in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) in Pakistan using six Regional Climate Models (RCMs) from CORDEX, under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). For twenty-four stations spread across the study area, the daily data from the six different RCMs for maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin) and precipitation(pr) at a spatial resolution of 0.44o was downscaled using Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator, version six (LARS-WG6). Investigations were made to predict changes in mean annual values of Tmax, Tmin and precipitation during two future periods, i.e., the mid-century (2041–2070) and end-century (2071–2100). Model results from statistical and graphical comparison validated that the LARS-WG6 is capable of simulating both the temperature and the precipitation in the UIB. Each of the six RCMs and their ensemble revealed a continuous increased temperature projections in the basin; nevertheless, there is variation in projected magnitude across RCMs and between RCPs. In general, the rise in average Tmax and Tmin was found to be greater under RCP 8.5 than RCP 4.5 possibly due to unmitigated greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The precipitation projections follow nonuniform trend. i.e., not all RCMs agree whether the precipitation will increase or decrease in the basin and no orderly variations were detected during any of the future time periods under any RCP. However. an overall increase in precipitation is projected by the ensemble of RCMS.
Biotechnological enhancement of lactic acid conversion from palm kernel cake by immobilized Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z
Authors: Rahim Nuraishah Abd , Luthfi Abdullah Amru Indera , Bukhari Nurul Adela , Tan Jian Ping , Abdul Peer Mohamed , Manaf Shareena Fairuz Abdul
Published: January 2023

The aim of this study was to establish an improved pretreatment and fermentation method i.e. immobilized cells for high recovery of fermentable sugars from PKC and its effects on fermentability performance by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z in the conversion of lactic acid. The effects of oxalic acid concentrations (1–6% w/v) and residence times (1–5 h) on the sugar recovery were initially investigated and it was found that the highest mannose concentration was 25.1 g/L at the optimum hydrolysis conditions of 4 h and 3% (w/v) oxalic acid. The subsequent enzymatic saccharification of the pretreated PKC afforded the highest enzymatic digestibility with the recovered sugars amounting to 25.18 g/L and 9.14 g/L of mannose and glucose, respectively. Subsequently, the fermentability performance of PKC hydrolysate was evaluated and compared in terms of cultivation phases (i.e. mono and dual-phases), carbonate loadings (i.e. magnesium and sodium carbonates), and types of sugars (i.e. glucose and mannose). The highest titer of 19.4 g/L lactic acid was obtained from the fermentation involving A. succinogenes 130Z in dual-phase cultivation supplemented with 30 g/L of magnesium carbonate. Lactic acid production was further enhanced by using immobilized cells with coconut shell-activated carbon (CSAC) of different sizes (A, B, C, and D) in the repeated batch cultivation of dual-phase fermentation producing 31.64 g/L of lactic acid. This work sheds light on the possibilities to enhance the utilization of PKC for lactic acid production via immobilized A. succinogenes 130Z.
Alleviation of acute stress response by black pepper (Piper nigrum) aroma administration
Authors: Dilrukshi E. A. Chayani , Nishiyama Yuta , Ito Kanetoshi , Nomura Shusaku
Published: January 2023

Black pepper is a popular spice globally. Black pepper essential oil could be beneficial in aromatherapy under stressful conditions. This study examined the effect of black pepper aroma on cardiac and peripheral autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity under stressful conditions using an olfactometer to administer aroma in a precise and controlled manner to ensure reproducibility. A within-participant design experiment was conducted with 20 male students who performed a 30 min calculation task as a short-term stressor under three aroma conditions: black pepper, ginger, and dipropylene glycol (DPG). Electrocardiograms and skin conductance level (SCL) were measured for evaluating the physiological acute stress response on ANS. Subjective evaluations and impressions on the types of aroma were assessed. The physiological acute stress response induced by the short-term stressor, which is characterized by the enhancement of the heart rate (HR) and SCL and decreases in the heart rate variability (HRV), was significantly suppressed with black pepper than with DPG(p =0.048, HR and p = 0.002, HRV) and ginger (p = 0.005, SCL); however, there was no significant difference in subjective scores among the conditions. Although black pepper is a stimulative agent, the findings showed that it alleviated the physiological acute stress response.
4D homogeneous pseudo-Riemannian Walker spaces
Authors: AryaNejad Yadollah
Published: January 2023

‎In‎ 2001, ‎Komrakov obtained the complete local classification of four-dimensional homogeneous pseudo-Riemannian (4Dhp-R) with non-trivial isotropy [12, 13]. ‎Based on this‎, ‎the classification of homogeneous Ricci solitons among four dimensional manifolds M = G/H was obtained in [3]‎. ‎In this context‎, ‎by studying (4Dhp-R) spaces‎, ‎we have obtained invariant Walker structures on the spaces under consideration‎. ‎Indeed‎, ‎we give a complete classification of (4Dhp-R) Walker manifolds with non-trivial isotropy‎.
Experts’ perspectives on the impact of visual impairment and comorbid mental disorders on functioning in essential life domains
Authors: Onnink Marjolein LA , Teunissen Lisanne BA , Verstraten Peter FJ , Nispen Ruth MA , Aa Hilde PA
Published: January 2023

Background
Visual impairment (VI) with comorbid mental disorders (MDs) are expected to have a major impact on people’s daily functioning, for which tailored support is needed. However, this has been barely investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) determine the impact of VI and comorbid MDs on functioning in essential life domains, (2) gain insight into best-practices to support this target group, and (3) determine strategies to optimize care.
Methods
A four-step qualitative Delphi method was used to obtain input from 31 Dutch professionals who work with this target group (84% female, mean age 46 years, on average 11 years of experience in working with the target group). The Self-Sufficiency Matrices were used to determine the impact on various aspects of daily living, for people with VI and 1) autism spectrum disorder, 2) psychotic disorders, 3) obsessive-compulsive disorder, 4) antisocial personality disorder, 5) borderline personality disorder, 6) dependent personality disorder.
Results
Experts describe a frail and vulnerable population, in which the VI and MD often have a cumulative negative impact on people’s physical and mental health. People frequently experience anxiety, depression, fatigue and sleep disturbances. Also, many tend to neglect self-care and substance abuse is common. They often experience difficulty in trusting others while at the same time being dependent on them. Social interaction and relationships are complicated because of communication restrictions (e.g. no facial recognition) and social incompetence or withdrawal. Experts advise taking transdiagnostic factors into account, using evidence-based psychological treatment options based on an intermittent approach, and offering multidisciplinary care. They stress the importance of building trust, showing patience and empathy, stimulating empowerment, involving the informal network and building on positive experiences.
Conclusion
VI and comorbid MD have a major impact on people’s daily functioning on a mental, physical, social and environmental level. This study provides insight into best-practices to support this target group. Due to experts, more research is needed which could be aimed at investigating tailored diagnostic approaches and treatment options and include clients’ perspectives.
Using Haddon matrix to identify prevention opportunities for nonfatal commercial fishing injuries in the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Doza Solaiman , Bovbjerg Viktor , Case Samantha , Vaughan Amelia , Kincl Laurel
Published: January 2023

Background
Commercial fishing is a precarious industry with high fatal and nonfatal injury rates. The Risk Information System of Commercial [RISC] Fishing project at Oregon State University has been tracking both fatal and nonfatal injuries among Pacific Northwest commercial fishermen. We conducted a hazard analysis to identify injury-associated factors to highlight prevention opportunities.
Method
We identified 245 nonfatal commercial fishing injuries in the Pacific Northwest (2000-2018) and assessed the top three injury events (contact with objects or equipment, transportation incidents, and slips-trips-falls). We generated a Haddon matrix for each event type and populated the matrices with injury-associated factors following our a-priori matrix.
Results
We observed 108 nonfatal injuries due to contact with objects. Fishing gear (40%) was the dominant injury source. The top work process was hauling the fishing gear (22%). Handling heavy loads (32%) and contact with unsecured objects (27%) often resulted in contact injuries. Of the 58 transportation injuries most occurred in the catcher-vessels (93%) and smaller vessels (< 5 crew) (74%). Vessel casualties (91%) were common as several vessels struck rocks/bottom (29%) or experienced fire and explosion (19%). The crew was abandoned to water (38%) due to no raft or raft malfunctions. Slip, trip, and fall injuries (n = 43) typically happened during onboard traffic (49%). Such events were largely experienced by the catcher-processors (44%) including large vessels with >100 crew (28%).
Conclusion
The Haddon matrix demonstrated the injury-event timeline and helped to identify potential injury-associated factors. Our injury-specific risk matrices will let commercial fishing stakeholders determine priorities and work with the experts on prevention efforts.
The comparison of Serum and Follicular Fluid Levels of Soluble Receptor for Advanced Glycation End- Product (sRAGE) between Women with/without PCOS referred for IVF
Authors: Emami Neda , Alizadeh AliReza , Maleki-Hajiagha Arezoo , Dizavi Alireza , vesali Samira , Moini Ashraf
Published: January 2023

Background:
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are known to associate with the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases via interaction with their corresponding receptor (RAGE). The soluble form of this receptor (sRAGE) with anti-inflammatory effects plays a crucial role in the women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
Objective:
This study aimed to compare sRAGE levels in the follicular fluid (FF) and serum of Iranian women with or without PCOS who underwent controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). We also analysed the correlation between FF and serum sRAGE with age, body mass index (BMI), and AGEs consumption.
Method and Material:
Forty-five reproductive aged-women were entered the study: 26 non-PCOS cases with infertile husbands were assigned to control group and 19 patients with PCOS were considered as case group. Both groups underwent Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation (COH) followed by oocyte retrieval for IVF. The samples of fluid from the first large aspirated follicle and whole human peripheral blood were collected before IVF procedure. Serum and FF sRAGEs were measured using a commercially available ELISA kits.
RESULT:
No statistically significant differences were found in concentrations of FF and serum sRAGE between the two groups. Correlation analysis showed a significant and positive relationship between serum levels of sRAGE and FF sRAGE in PCOS group (r=0.639; p=0.004), in control participants (r=0.481; p=0.017), and in total participants (r=0.552; p=0.000). Data also revealed a statistically significant difference in sRAGE FF concentration among all participants by BMI categories (p=0.01) and in controls (p=0.022). Significant differences were found for all the nutrients details and AGEs content according to FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire) in both groups (p=0.0001).Also, a significant reverse relationship was found between FF levels of sRAGE and AGE in PCOS group (r=-0.513; p=0.025).
COCLUSION:
The concentration of sRAGE in serum and FF is the same in PCOS and control groups. It has been suggested that among all other role players, the most important determinant and most independent predictive of sRAGE levels in adolescents is BMI. Our result shows that the AGEs contents and BMI factor are more vital than foods quantity for dramatic changes in sRAGE in women with and without PCOS which warrants further studies.
Innovative design of an art teaching quality evaluation system based on big data and an association rule algorithm from the perspective of sustainable development
Authors: Zhou Gang , Zhan Rui
Published: January 2023

Online art courses still suffer from poor course production, limited sustainable use and development, and a significant degree of course similarity today. It is really important to figure out how to create an efficient system for evaluating art instruction. The current institutions of higher art education are how to apply data mining approaches to the teaching quality evaluation system is studied in this article. Data mining effectively dig out the indicators of the institutions of higher art education teaching quality evaluation system using association rule algorithm to solve the current teaching quality evaluation of rationality and subjectivity, and a teaching quality evaluation algorithm based on association were some of the solutions used. The widely used development tools, SQL Server and ASP.NET were used to build and implement the teaching quality assessment system through a variety of indications of teaching quality evaluation in a school. The administrators of higher art education institutions will receive analytical materials for making decisions from this study that are based on science and objectivity.
A new measure of node centrality on schedule-based space-time networks for the designation of spread potential
Authors: Pitoski Dino , Babić Karlo , Meštrović Ana
Published: January 2023

Node centrality is one of the most frequently revisited network theoretical concepts, which got many calculation method alternatives, each of them being conceived on different empirical or theoretical network abstractions. The vast majority of centrality measures produced up to date were conceived on static network abstractions (the so-called "snapshot" networks), which arguably are less realistic than dynamic (temporal) network abstractions. The new, temporal node centrality measure that we offer with this article, is based on an uncommon abstraction, of a space-time network derived from service schedules (timetables). The proposed measure was designed to rank nodes of a space-time network based on their spread or transmission potential, and was subsequently implemented on the network of sea ferry transportation derived from the aggregated schedules for sea ferry liner shipping services in Europe, as they occurred in the month of August, 2015. The main feature of our measure, named "the Spread Potential", is the evaluation of the potential of a node in the network for transmitting disease, information (e.g. rumours or false news), as well as other phenomena, whichever support a space-time network abstraction from regular and scheduled services with some known carrying capacities. Such abstractions are, for instance, of the transportation networks (e.g. of airline or maritime shipping or the wider logistics (delivery) networks), networks of medical (hospital) services, educational (teaching) services, and virtually, of any other scheduled networked phenomenon. The article also offers the perspectives of the measure's applicability on the non-scheduled space-time network abstractions.
Association between a single nucleotide polymorphism of the IL23R gene and severe tuberculosis: a case‒control study
Authors: Zhang Juan , Wang Ming-Gui , Xiang Xi , He Jian-Qing
Published: January 2023

Background. Severe tuberculosis has a high mortality rate and poses a great threat to human safety. Host gene single nucleotide polymorphisms can influence the severity of tuberculosis.
Methods. A case‒control study was conducted in 1137 patients with tuberculosis and 581 healthy controls with ages ranging from fifteen to forty-five years old.
Among the tuberculosis patients, there were 558 severe and 579 mild cases.Whole blood DNA was extracted from all patients. Three tag polymorphisms (rs18844444, rs7518660, rs7539625) of the IL23R gene were selected and genotyped.
Results. No significant association was found between rs18844444, rs7518660, and rs7539625 of the IL23R gene and tuberculosis infection. Even through the comparison of the tuberculosis group and healthy control group, mild tuberculosis group and healthy control group, and severe tuberculosis and healthy control group, we found that the P values were > 0.05 . However, in the comparison between severe tuberculosis and mild tuberculosis, rs18844444 G alleles showed a significantly increased risk of severe tuberculosis infection after adjusting for age and sex (ORa: 1.199, 95% CI: 1.009-1.424; Pa=0.039, respectively). In the subgroup analysis, rs18844444 of the IL23R gene showed a significant association with the risk of severe tuberculosis infection in the comparison between severe pulmonary tuberculosis and mild tuberculosis after adjusting for age and sex (ORa: 1.301, 95% CI: 1.030-1.643; Pa=0.027, respectively). The rs18844444 G allele also showed a significantly increased risk of severe tuberculosis infection after adjusting for age and sex in a comparison between tuberculous meningitis and mild tuberculosis (ORa: 1.646, 95% CI: 1.100-2.461; Pa=0.015, respectively).
Conclusions. IL23R gene polymorphism is not associated with tuberculosis susceptibility in the Chinese Han population but may be associated with an increased risk of severe tuberculosis infection.
Nutrition and growth of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed diets supplemented with a synbiotic preparation
Authors: Zahra Zeinalpour , Aberoumand Ali , Ziaei-nejad Saeed
Published: January 2023

This study was carried out in order to assess the effect of inulin and Bacillus on nutrition and growth indices of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). For this purpose, 525 of fish rainbow trout with an average weight of 56.84g ± 4.32 were purchased from fish breeding farm and transferred to the aquaculture department of Shiraz University. After initial adaptation and one week of quarantine, 25 fish were stored in each 500 L polyethylene tank. The duration of the experiment was 60 days. Triplicates were used for each treatment experimental groups included a control (C) without any supplement, treatment (A) with a level of 0.5% inulin, treatment (B) with a level of 1.5% inulin, treatment (D) with a concentration of 103 CFU/g Bacillus, treatment (E) with 106 CFU/g Bacillus, treatment (F) with 103 CFU/g Bacillus and 0.5% inulin and treatment (H) with 106 CFU/g Bacillus and 1.5% inulin. The ratio of feed conversion on 15th, 30th and 60th days in F treatment showed a significant increase compared to other treatments, but on 45th day, the highest rate of this index was observed in treatment H. At the end of the experimental period, treatment D had the highest percentage of specific growth rate with a significant difference compared with other treatments. The highest level of protein efficiency coefficient was observed on 15th, 30th and 60th day of the experiments for the group F and on 45th day in the group containing 103 CFU/g Bacillus. The highest level of fat efficiency ratio was observed in the mentioned days in F treatment. On 45th and 60th day of the experiment, the fat efficiency ratio in treatment D was higher than other treatments. It can be concluded that the simultaneous use of Bacillus and inulin can have the highest positive effects in rainbow trout growth.
A Highly Penetrant ACTA2 Mutation Variant of Thoracic Aortic Disease
Authors: Bobba Christopher M. , Azarrafiy Ryan , Spratt John R. , Hendrickson Jill , Martin Tomas D. , Arnaoutakis George J. , Jeng Eric I. , Beaver Thomas M.
Published: January 2023

Background: ACTA2 mutation for Familial Aortic Disease has been increasingly recognized. We describe a highly penetrant variant (R118Q) in a family with aortic disease.
Case Report: A patient presented to us for elective repair of an ascending aneurysm with a family history of his mother expiring after aortic dissection. Genetic testing revealed he was a heterozygous carrier of the ACTA2 missense mutation R118Q. Subsequently, all living family members were tested for this variant and a full medical history was obtained to compile a family tree for the variant and penetrance of an aortic event (defined as lifetime occurrence of aortic surgery / dissection). In total 9 family members were identified and underwent genetic testing with 7/9 showing presence of the ACTA2 R118Q mutation or an aortic event. All patients over the age of 50 (n=4) had an aortic event. Those events occurred at ages 54, 55, 60, and 62 (mean event at 57.8±3.9 years). 3 family members with the variant under the age of 40 have not had an aortic event and most are undergoing regular aortic surveillance via CT scan.
Conclusions: Existing studies of known ACTA2 mutations describe a 76% aortic event rate by 85 years old. The R118Q missense mutation is a less common ACTA2 variant, estimated to comprise about 5% of known mutations. Prior studies have predicted the R118Q mutation to have a slightly decreased risk of aortic events compared to other ACTA2 mutations. In this family, however, we demonstrate 100% penetrance of aortic disease above age 50. In today’s era of excellent outcomes in elective aortic surgery, our team aggressively offers elective repair. We advocate for strict aortic surveillance for patients with this variant and would consider elective aortic replacement at 4.5cm, or at an even smaller diameter in patients with a strong family history of dissection who are identified with this mutation.
Investigation of the Impact of Power Consumption, Surface Roughness, and Part Complexity in Stereolithography and Fused Filament Fabrication
Authors: Ali Mohammad Alshaikh , Fidan Ismail
Published: January 2023

Today, Additive Manufacturing (AM) is being utilized in a plethora of fields and applications. This study investigates two of the most commonly used AM technologies, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and Stereolithography (SLA) under the different part complexities and their effects to finished part quality. The process parameters investigated are infill density (ID), infill pattern (IP), and layer height (LH). The output variables observed are power consumption (PC), surface roughness (SR), and mass. Statistical analysis of experimental data indicates that LH is the most influential parameter for all output variables except mass. A validation study is later performed using three specimens with more diversely complex geometries. The model complexity is then evaluated and analyzed using three different ratios. Normalizing PC with respect to volume indicates a lower PC per unit volume for FFF. Experimental data also indicates SLA has a better surface finish and uses less power. This paper reports the state-of-the-art FFF and SLA process knowledge blocks created through this research study.
Sparse accelerated limited memory BFGS algorithm for feature selection and classification
Authors: Chen Zhirui , Zhang Zhiwang , Li Shuqing , Cao Jie
Published: January 2023

Training accurate and explainable models in limited time has been a longstanding challenge for classification problems. One of the most popular techniques to cope with this challenge is support vector machine (SVM). Compared with SVM, least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) is smooth and more robust. However, LSSVM suffers from poor predictive performance and high time complexity when training large-scale and high-dimensional datasets. In this paper, we introduce a sparse accelerated limited memory Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (SAL-BFGS) algorithm which tackles this problem in two aspects: (1) We reformulate the LSSVM as a new classifier model with objective function with respect to $\ell_{0}$-norm function. (2) We propose a Nesterov's accelerated limited memory BFGS to train the classifier. Both improvements can remarkably enhance predictive accuracy and reduce computational cost of the classifier. Compared with L2SAAG, L1VRSGD, SL-BFGS, SAL-BFGS improves meidian values of TCA by an average of 6.32\%, 5.63\%, 5.44\% on twelve real-world datasets. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm.
Secure Clock Synchronization Protocol in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Kara Mostefa , Laouid Abdelkader , Bounceur Ahcene , Hammoudeh Mohammad
Published: January 2023

Cryptography helps solve many computer and communication problems, including clock synchronization, where a group of nodes wants to agree on a theoretically unique clock in the system with the presence of malicious nodes trying to prevent the process of convergence; so we will need a set of mechanisms, including encryption. Many synchronization techniques suffer from high power consumption or vulnerability to attack or difficulty of implementation. In this article, we propose a synchronization protocol that contains two parts. The first part uses a lightweight linear scheme to encrypt clock messages to fend off certain types of attacks such as message manipulation. This scheme is suitable for Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with negligible encryption and decryption time. The second part is the process of calculating the clock based on a very simple consensus algorithm. The study of the proposed protocol has shown very satisfactory results.
Ecological risk analysis of future land use/cover: A case study of Xinjiang
Authors: Zhang Yue
Published: January 2023

Taking Xinjiang as the research area, this paper constructed an ecological risk model based on data of Land use/cover Quality Index (LQI), Climate Quality Index (CQI), and Soil Quality Index (SQI) to simulate the ecological risk of Xinjiang and predict it under different scenarios (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways SSPs) at 2100. There are five conclusions drawn: (1) In 2100, after reviewing different scenarios in Xinjiang, it can be seen that the LULCC risk level is dominated by the medium-quality risk level. The areas with medium-quality risk level account for about 70% of the total area of Xinjiang. The low-quality risk areas are mainly distributed in the Ili Valley in northern Xinjiang, the Keketuohai in the Altay region, and the northern Junggar Basin. Relatively high- and high-quality risk areas are mainly concentrated in residential areas on the northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang. (2) In 2100, the high-quality climatic and ecological risk areas of different SSPs in Xinjiang are mainly distributed in mountains, Gobi, desert, and other regions. The medium-quality climatic and ecological risk areas are mainly distributed in the central and eastern regions of Xinjiang. (3) Under different scenarios in 2100, the spatial distribution of soil quality in Xinjiang is roughly the same, which is mainly low-quality. (4) Under different scenarios in 2100, the spatial distribution of ecological risk levels in Xinjiang is mainly dominated by areas with low and medium ecological risk levels, accounting for nearly 70% of the total area. (5) From 2020 to 2100, the ecological risk levels of different scenarios show a decreasing trend in sequence. Typically, from 2020 to SSP370 (2100), most areas change from being at a previous medium ecological risk level to being at a relatively high/high ecological risk level. Under the SSP585 scenario, a large area of areas has changed from the original low ecological risk level to the current high ecological risk level. Only a small area of areas is showing an opposite area change.
Discordance of HER2-low between primary tumors and matched distant metastases in breast cancer
Authors: Almstedt Katrin , Krauthauser Lisa , Kappenberg Franziska , Wagner Daniel-Christoph , Heimes Anne-Sophie , Battista Marco J , Anic Katharina , Krajnak Slavomir , Lebrecht Antje , Schwab Roxana , Brenner Walburgis , Weikel Wolfgang , Rahnenführer Jörg , Hengstler Jan G , Roth Wilfried , Hasenburg Annette , Stewen Kathrin , Schmidt Marcus
Published: January 2023

Background: Novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) show activity in HER2-low advanced breast cancer. We examined differences in HER2 expression between primary tumors and distant metastases, particularly within the HER2-negative cohort (HER2-low and HER2-zero).
Patients and Methods: The retrospective study included 191 consecutive paired samples of primary breast cancer (BC) and distant metastases diagnosed between 1995 and 2019. HER2-negative samples were divided into HER2-zero (immunohistochemistry [IHC] score 0) and HER2-low (IHC score 1+ or 2+/in situ hybridization [ISH]-negative). The main objective was to analyze the discordance rate between matched primary and metastatic samples, focusing on the site of distant metastasis, molecular subtype, and de novo metastatic BC. The relationship was determined by cross-tabulation and calculation of Cohen's kappa coefficient.
Results: The final study cohort included 148 paired samples. The largest proportion in the HER2-negative cohort was HER2-low [primary tumor 61.4% (n=78), metastatic samples 73.5% (n=86)]. The discordance rate between HER2 status of primary tumors and corresponding distant metastases was 49.6% (n=63) (kappa -0.003, 95%CI -0.15 - 0.15). Development of a HER2-low phenotype occurred most frequently (n=52, 40.9%), mostly with a switch from HER2-zero to HER2-low (n=34, 26.8%). Relevant HER2 discordance rates were observed between different metastatic sites (with the exception of lung/pleural metastases) and molecular subtypes. Primary metastatic breast cancer had a significantly lower HER2 discordance rate than secondary metastatic breast cancer [30.2% (kappa 0.48, 95%CI 0.27 - 0.69) versus 50.5% (kappa 0.14, 95% CI -0.03 - 0.32)].
Conclusion: In HER2-negative BC, there is a significant discrepancy between primary tumor and distant metastases. In particular, for the HER2-low cohort, biopsy of metastases opens new therapeutic opportunities with novel ADCs such as trastuzumab-deruxtecan.
Amiodarone and lidocaine infusion for treatment of ventricular tachycardia storm in an emergency setting: Case report
Authors: Awad Antony , Baird James F
Published: January 2023

This report describes a case of ventricular tachycardia (VT) storm managed in the emergency department prior to transfer for automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) placement. VT storm is associated with significant in-hospital and 6-month mortality, necessitating emergent stabilization and definitive secondary prevention. While ACLS and antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) are the mainstays of emergency management early referral is indicated for AICD placement, catheter ablation, and/or sympathetic cardiac denervation. In the setting of sustained or recurrent VT (including VT storm), amiodarone and/or lidocaine can be administered not only as boluses but also as infusions. This strategy can stabilize the patient for transfer (if needed) and avoid escalation to intubation and sedation for central sympathetic blockade, which would necessitate admission to intensive care.
Experimental investigation on the solubility of 3,3,3-trifluoropropene in [hmim][TfO] and [omim][TfO] ILs from 303.15 K to 343.15 K
Authors: Jia Xiucan , Ma Long , Wang Xiaopo
Published: January 2023

The working pairs composed of hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and ionic liquids (ILs) have exhibited promising potential in the absorption refrigeration systems (ARS). In order to exploit the possibility of 3, 3, 3-trifluoropropene/ILs as the pairs used in the ARS, the experimental determination on the solubility of 3,3,3-trifluoropropene in 1-hexyl-3-methyl-imidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([hmim][TfO]) and 1-octyl-3-methyl-imidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([omim][TfO]) ILs was conducted. The present measurements were carried out based on the isochoric saturation method at the temperature range from 303.15 K to 343.15 K. The experimental solubility data were correlated through the non-random two liquid (NRTL) model and Krichevsky-Kasarnovsky (K-K) model, respectively. In addition, the influence of the alkyl chain length for different ILs on the solubility of R1243zf and the dissolving capacities of different HFOs in [hmim][TfO] were compared. Furthermore, the Henry’s constants and mixing thermodynamic properties (enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs Energy) of R1243zf in [hmim][TfO] and [omim][TfO] were calculated and discussed.
Effects of Different Ratios of BMP2 and VEGFA on the Osteogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Li Juan , Huang Jiameng , Shang Yufeng , Yang Zhenze , Lin Jun , Wang Huiming
Published: January 2023

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have been shown to synergistically promote bone formation via cell-based gene therapy. However, the optimal ratio of BMP2 to VEGFA required to enhance the beneficial effect on bone formation remains unclear. In the present study, bone narrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were adenovirally transduced to express BMP2 and VEGFA. Cell proliferation and the expressions of transduced genes BMP2 and VEGF were examined.The different proportion of BMP2 and VEGF (BMP-2:VEGFA = 1:3, 1:1, 3:1; BMP2 only; VEGFA only; control) in BMSCs were applied. After 2–3 weeks, Osteocalcin (OC) and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), ALP activity, and ARS staining were detected. Our results showed that the high ratio of BMP2 to VEGFA enhanced bone formation and the low ratio lost the beneficial effect on the bone formation. The present study revealed that the synergistic effect of BMP2 and VEGFA on bone healing depends critically on the ratio of these two genes, providing important evidence for cell-based gene therapy and tissue engineering for bone healing.
Short-term Changes in Tear Osmolarity after Instillation of Different Osmolarity Eye Drops in Patients with Dry Eye
Authors: Kim Woojin , Woo In Ho , Eom Youngsub , Song Jong Suk
Published: January 2023

This study comprised 80 patients with dry eye whose tear osmolarity measurement using the TearLab® os molarity system was 300 mOsm/L or greater. Patients who had external ocular disease, glaucoma, or other concomitant ocular pathology were excluded. After being randomly divided into four groups, the participants received different kinds of SH eye drops as follows: Groups 1–3 were given one of three concentrations (0.1%, 0.15%, and 0.3%) of isotonic drops, while Group 4 received 0.18% hypotonic SH eye drops. The tear osmolarity concentrations were evaluated at baseline and again at 1-, 5-, and 10-minutes after instillation of each eye drop.
Tear osmolarity showed a significant decrease after instillation of four types of SH eye drops after up to 10 minutes compared to baseline. Patients who received hypotonic SH eye drops showed an enhanced decrease in tear osmolarity compared with the isotonic SH eye drops after 1 minute (p < 0.001) and 5 minutes (p = 0.006), but the difference was not significant at 10 minutes (p = 0.836).
The enhanced immediate effect of hypotonic SH eye drops at lowering tear osmolarity in patients with dry eye seems to be limited unless these drops were used frequently.