bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression and Function of Modulator of Apoptosis (MOAP-1) in Blood Cancers
Authors: Law Jennifer , Svystun Orysya , Flood Kayla , Fahlman Richard , Kerek Evan , Narendran Aru , Baksh Shairaz
Published: November 2022

Objective: The function of the Ras association domain family 1 (RASSF1)/modulator of apoptosis
1 (MOAP-1) molecular tumor suppressor pathway is often perturbed in many solid and blood
cancers by epigenetic loss of RASSF1A via promoter specific methylation. However, a detailed
analysis of expression and stability of MOAP-1 as well as effect on cellular proliferation and cell
death in blood cancers has not been explored.
Materials and Methods: Expression of MOAP-1 RASSF1A was performed by immunoblotting
analysis, MOAP-1 effect on biology determined by cell proliferation, cell death and
tumorigenicity assays. Lastly, proteomic analysis in MOAP-1 in form 1 and 2 expressing cells
reveal new interacting partners to MOAP-1.
Results: The expression of MOAP-1 appears to be quite varied and exists as two forms, a p39 and
p46 form in blood cancers. The higher MOAP-1 p46 form was mainly observed in acute myeloid
leukemia (AML) and some acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) patients and cell lines.
Furthermore, MOAP-1 p46 form can be reduced to the p39 form upon calf intestinal or lambda
phosphatase treatment, suggesting post-translational phosphorylation likely produces the slower
migrating form. Blood cancer cell lines containing the p46 form of MOAP-1 appears to be more
resistant to cell death signals and have increased growth. In addition, we document in vivo
protection from tumorigenesis of cells containing MOAP-1 following tail vein injection of cancer
cells. Lastly, proteomic analysis revealed several interesting components of the MOAP-1
interactome in blood cancer cells that we validated.
Conclusions: MOAP-1 is a bona fide tumor suppressor in blood cancers with functions beyond
apoptosis.
High-throughput sequencing reveals that microRNA from exosomes as potential pathogenetic factors and biomarkers of moyamoya disease
Authors: Huang Da , Qi Hui , Yang Hongchun , chen Meng
Published: November 2022

Background: As a progressive cerebrovascular disease, moyamoya disease is a common cause of stroke in children and adults; however, early biomarkers and the pathogenesis of moyamoya disease remain poorly understood.
Objective: We aimed todiagnose moyamoya disease by identifying noninvasive rapid liquid diagnostic biomarkers using plasma exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs).
Methods and Material: For the first time, frozen plasma samples from moyamoya disease patients, next-generation high-throughput sequencing technologies, real-time quantitative PCR, gene ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis analyses of exosomal miRNA-related target gene functions were used to identify plasma exosomal miRNAs as potential biomarkers of moyamoya disease. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of biomarkers for predicting events.
Results: The target genes of the different expression miRNA showed that they were mainly enriched in axon guidance, regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and the MAPK signalling pathway. Ten miRNAs (miR-1306-5p, miR-196b-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-22-3p, miR-320b, miR-34a-5p, miR-485-3p, miR-489-3p, miR-501-3p, and miR-487-3p) were found to be associated with the most sensitive and speciﬁc pathways for predicting moyamoya disease.
Conclusions: Plasma exosomal miRNAs could be used to construct an accurate predictive model for improving moyamoya disease detection.
An increase in peripheral blood CD86-positive plasmacytoid dendritic cells is associated with immune-related adverse events after immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Karayama Masato , Mizoguchi Yukihiro , Inoue Yusuke , Hozumi Hironao , Suzuki Yuzo , Furuhashi Kazuki , Fujisawa Tomoyuki , Enomoto Noriyuki , Nakamura Yutaro , Inui Naoki , Suda Takafumi , Kitano Shigehisa , Aoki Kazunori , Yamada Yasuhide
Published: November 2022

Background: The occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) after immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is unpredictable. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) profiles, representing host immune status, have potential for predicting irAEs.
Methods: PBMC subsets were measured using multicolor flow cytometry before and at weeks 2 and 8 after the initiation of ICIs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
Results: Sixteen evaluable patients were eligible for the analysis. The following irAEs occurred in 6 (37.5%) patients: diarrhea (n = 2), diarrhea and rash (n = 1), pneumonitis (n = 1), pituitary dysfunction (n = 1), and cholangitis (n = 1). Patients with irAEs demonstrated higher levels of CD86+plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) at baseline and weeks 2 and 8 after the ICIs than patients without irAEs (p = 0.005, 0.038, and 0.050, respectively). In patients with irAEs, the levels of CD86+pDCs decreased at weeks 2 and 8 compared with baseline (p =0 .034 and 0.025, respectively) but did not change in patients without irAEs. Other PBMC subsets had no significant associations with irAEs. Higher levels of natural killer (NK) cells were significantly associated with overall objective response (p = 0.024).
Conclusions: Higher levels of CD86+pDCs at baseline and the reduction at 2 and 8 weeks after the ICIs were associated with the occurrence of irAEs. Higher levels of NK cells were associated with therapeutic efficacy. Measurements of PBMCs may be useful for predicting the efficacy and safety of ICIs.
Implementation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in the Vascular Surgery Ward of a university tertiary care hospital in Pavia, Northern Italy
Authors: Vecchia Marco , Colaneri Marta , Sacchi Paolo , Marvulli Lea Nadia , Salvaderi Andrea , Lanza Jessica , Boschini Stefano , Ragni Franco , Marone Piero , Cutti Sara , Muzzi Alba , Marena Carlo , Calvi Monica , Scudeller Luigia , Marone Enrico Maria , Bruno Raffaele
Published: November 2022

Purpose.
The commitment of multidisciplinary teams in antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) is often inadequately considered, especially in surgical wards. We wanted to evaluate clinical, microbiological, and pharmacological outcomes before and after the implementation of an ASP in the Vascular Surgery ward of Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, a tertiary care hospital in Pavia, Italy.
Methods.
This was a quasi-experimental quality-improvement study. The antimicrobial stewardship activity was conducted twice a week for 12 months and consisted of both prospective audit and feedback of all the ongoing antimicrobial prescriptions by the infectious diseases’ consultants and educational meetings for the healthcare workers of the Vascular Surgery ward. For comparison between the study periods, Student t test (Mann-Whitney test for skewed distributions) was used for quantitative variables (ANOVA or Kruskall-Wallis for > 2 groups respectively), and Pearson’s chi-squared test (Fisher exact test where appropriate) for categorical variables. 2-tailed tests were used. P-value significance cut-off was 0.05.
Results.
During the 12-month intervention period, among a total number of 689 patients, 186 prescriptions were revised, mostly leading to de-escalating an ongoing antimicrobial therapy (39, 20.97%). A statistically significant reduction in isolates of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p-value 0.003) and the absence of Clostridioides difficile infections were reported. No statistically significant changes were observed in terms of length of stay and all-cause in-hospital mortality. A significant decrease in the administration of carbapenems (p-value 0.01), daptomycin (p-value < 0.01) and linezolid (p-value 0.43) was registered. A significant reduction in antimicrobial costs was also observed.
Conclusions.
The implementation of a 12-month ASP brought significant clinical and economic results, highlighting the benefits of a multidisciplinary teamwork.
New splice variants of VEGF as relevant targets for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Montemagno Christopher , Durivault Jérôme , Gastaldi Cécile , Dufies Maeva , Vial Valérie , He Xingkang , Ambrosetti Damien , Kamenskaya Anna , Négrier Sylvie , Bernhard Jean Christophe , Borchiellini Delphine , Cao Yihai , Pagès Gilles
Published: November 2022

Background
The efficacy of anti-VEGF/VEGF receptors in the treatment of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) varies from patient to patient. Discovering the reasons for this variability could lead to the identification of relevant therapeutic targets. We have investigated the possibility of splicing events leading to new forms of VEGF that are less efficiently inhibited by anti-VEGF/VEGFR targeting the conventional forms.
Methods
In silico analysis identified the presence of an unknown splice acceptor in the last intron of the VEGF gene resulting in an insertion of 23 bases in VEGF mRNA. Such an insertion can occur in previously described splice variants of VEGF (VEGFXXX) and shift the open reading frame, leading to a change in the c-terminal part of VEGF. We investigated the role of the resulting new major form of VEGF, VEGF222NF, in physiological and pathological angiogenesis. We analyzed the expression of these new alternatively spliced forms in normal tissue and in a series of RCC cells by qPCR and ELISA. We generated experimental RCC in mice by implanting ccRCC cells overexpressing VEGF222NF. The experimental RCC were also treated with polyclonal anti-VEGF/NF antibodies. The relationship between plasmatic VEGF/NF levels and resistance to anti-VEGFR and survival was also investigated in a cohort of patients from the NCT00943839 clinical trial.
Results
VEGF222/NF stimulated endothelial cell proliferation and vascular permeability through activation of VEGFR2. Overexpression of VEGF222/NF stimulated proliferation and metastatic properties of RCC cells, whereas its downregulation resulted in cell death. RCC cells overexpressing VEGF222/NF generated aggressive experimental tumors that developed functional blood and lymphatic vessels. Anti-VEGFXXX/NF antibodies slowed the growth of experimental RCC by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and the development of blood and lymphatic vessels. High plasmatic VEGFXXX/NF levels correlated with shorter survival and lower efficacy of anti-angiogenic drugs.
Conclusions
The existence of new VEGF isoforms has shed new light on the VEGF field.
Universal compilation for quantum state tomography
Authors: Hai Vu Tuan , Binho Le
Published: November 2022

Universal compilation is a training process that compiles a trainable unitary into a target unitary. It has vast potential applications from depth-circuit compressing to device benchmarking and quantum error mitigation. Here we propose a universal compilation algorithm for quantum state tomography in low-depth quantum circuits. We apply the Fubini-Study distance as a trainable cost function and employ various gradient-based optimizations. We evaluate the performance of various trainable unitary topologies and the trainability of different optimizers for getting high efficiency and reveal the crucial role of the circuit depth in robust fidelity. The results are comparable with the shadow tomography method, a similar fashion in the field. Our work expresses the adequate capability of the universal compilation algorithm to maximize the efficiency in the quantum state tomography. Further, it promises applications in quantum metrology and sensing and is applicable in the near-term quantum computers for various quantum computing tasks.
An adaptive adjacent maximum distance crossover operator for multi-objective algorithms
Authors: Gu Qinghua , Gao Song , Li Xuexian , Xiong Neal N. , Liu Rongrong
Published: November 2022

Most genetic operators use random mating selection strategy and fixed rate crossover operator to solve various optimization problems. In order to improve the convergence and diversity of the algorithm, an adaptive adjacent maximum distance crossover operator is proposed in this paper. A new mating selection strategy (distance-based mating selection strategy) and an adaptive mechanism (adaptive crossover strategy based on population convergence) are adopted. Distance based mating selection strategy purposefully selects parents to produce better offspring. Adaptive crossover strategy based on population convergence increases the convergence speed of the algorithm by controlling the crossover probability. The proposed crossover strategy is evaluated on the simulated binary crossover operators of Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) and Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm Based on Decomposition (MOEA/D). The performance of the algorithm is verified on a series of standard test problems. Finally, the optimization results of the improved algorithm using adaptive adjacent maximum distance crossover operator and the standard algorithm are compared and analyzed. The experimental results show that the algorithm using adaptive adjacent maximum distance crossover operator has better optimization results.
Atorvastatin Improves Cisplatin Sensitivity Through Modulation of Cholesteryl Ester Homeostasis in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Santos Diandra Zipinotti dos , Guimaraes Isabella dos Santos , Hakeem-Sanni Mariam F. , Cochran Blake J. , Rye Kerry-Anne , Grewal Thomas , Hoy Andrew J. , Rangel Leticia B.A.
Published: November 2022

Background: Acquired treatment resistance is a major problem in breast cancer management. Alterations in lipid metabolism have been proposed to contribute to tumor progression and the development of drug resistance. The present study aimed to identify the role of cholesteryl ester (CE) metabolism in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line response to cisplatin (CDDP) treatment in the acute setting.
Methods: MCF-7 (luminal A), MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative) and CDDP-resistant MDA-MB-231 (MDACR) cell lines were grown in the presence or absence of CDDP in combination with atorvastatin (ATV), lipid depletion or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) loading and were analyzed by a variety of biochemical and radiometric techniques.
Results: Co-administration of CDDP and ATV strongly reduced cell proliferation and viability to a greater extent than CDDP alone, especially in MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings were associated with reduced CE synthesis and storage in MDA-MB-231 cells. In MDACR cells, acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT-1) was upregulated compared to naïve MDA-MB-231 cells and ATV treatment restored CDDP sensitivity, suggesting that aberrant ACAT-1 expression contributes to CDDP resistance in TNBC cells.
Conclusions: These findings indicate that the elevated susceptibility of MDA-MB-231 cells to co-administration of CDDP and ATV, is associated with an increased reliance on CE availability. Our data from these cell culture-based studies supports the upregulation of cholesterol homeostasis as an adaptive response that contributes to aggressiveness and chemotherapy resistance.
Ozone Decreases CRMP2 Phosphorylation by Inhibiting Sema3A to Ameliorate Chronic REM Sleep Deprivation-Induced Cognitive Deficits in Mice
Authors: Tu JingRu , Williams John P. , Sun LiNa , Yan YiNing , Liu Yu , An JianXiong
Published: November 2022

Sleep is essential for proper cognitive functioning. Ozone can delay both the aging process as well as the associated neurodegeneration. An untested hypothesis is that ozone may play a role in reducing the cognitive impairment associated with sleep deprivation. This study was designed to elucidate the mechanism of ozone’s effect on chronic REM sleep deprivation induced cognitive dysfunction in mice. Ozone ameliorated cognitive dysfunction in chronic REM sleep deprived mice, increased the number of dendritic spines in the hippocampus region and decreased neuronal loss. Administration of ozone may protect against chronic REM sleep deprivation induced cognitive dysfunction by enhancing the expression of Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) and PlexinA1 concentrations as well as P-CRMP2/CRMP2 in the hippocampus. Moreover, ozone was associated with acetylation of α-tubulin, which, in turn, is associated with microtubule network dynamics and modulates ATP synthase activity. In conclusion, ozone may play a neuroprotective role and improve chronic REM sleep deprivation induced spatial recognition and learning memory dysfunction in mice.
Source mechanisms of recent earthquakes in southern Saudi Arabia: New seismic sources to update the Saudi Building Code
Authors: Hosny Ahmed , Mousa Abdullah , Yousef Khaled , Samy Lotfy , Sadallah Hamada
Published: November 2022

Recently in 2020, in southern Saudi Arabia three felt earthquakes occurred in Asir region, in the Khamis Mushait, Ahad Rafidah, and AL-Shuqiq area, of magnitude 3.45, 3.1, and 3.5, respectively, and no large damages were recorded. The most interested event was the earthquake that occurred in Khamis Mushait area, along a lake formed behind the Tadhah Dam (~ 7 km), fearing any damage to the dam's body and the consequent destruction. Moment tensors for each event were computed for determining fault plane solutions, seismic moment, moment magnitude (Mw) and the CLVD ratio, in addition to determining the frequency contents in the waveforms of each event. The obtained focal mechanisms represent different styles of faulting, normal movement with strike slip and strike slip with reverse. These tectonic movements on faults parallel to the Red Sea refer to the tensional forces due to the Red Sea rift system. To identify the reasons behind the occurrence of these events, more than one factor was taken into consideration, which indicated to a natural tectonic movement, with considering the Khamis Mushait event as an induced event due to the lake formed behind the Tandaha Dam. Many previous seismic hazard assessment studies have been conducted in the southern part of the Kingdom, but the locations of these recent seismic sources have not been taken in account in their calculations. Thus, our study provides additional new information related to detecting of new seismic sources in the south of the Kingdom, which contributes to updating studies of seismic risk assessment in this region. In addition, our study pushing us to establishing other additional seismic stations, especially around new seismic sources, which in turn will play a pivotal role in reassessing the seismic hazard in the Kingdom and then updating the Saudi Building Code to mitigate the seismic risk.
Angulation Error Assessment for the Trajectory in the Anteroposterior and Lateral Fluoroscopic Views During Percutaneous Endoscopic Transforaminal Discectomy: Which One is More Reliable?
Authors: Huang Xin , Hou Xiangyu , Li Shuiqing , Zhu Bin , Li Yan , Liu Kaixi , Liu Xiaoguang
Published: November 2022

Background
Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral fluoroscopies are often used to evaluate the intraoperative location and angulation of the trajectory in percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (PETD). Although the location of the trajectory shown in the fluoroscopy is absolutely accurate, the angulation is not always reliable. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the angle shown in the AP and the lateral fluoroscopic view.
Methods
A technical study was performed to assess the angulation errors of PETD trajectories shown in AP and lateral fluoroscopic views. After reconstructing a lumbar CT image, a virtual trajectory was placed into the intervertebral foramen with gradient-changing coronal angulations of the cephalad angle plane (CACAP). For each angulation, virtual AP and lateral fluoroscopies were taken and the cephalad angles (CA) of the trajectory shown in the AP and the lateral fluoroscopic views, which indicated the coronal CA and the sagittal CA respectively, were measured. The angular relations among the real CA, the CACAP, the coronal CA, and the sagittal CA were further demonstrated with formulae.
Results
In PETD, the coronal CA was nearly consistent with the real CA, whereas the sagittal CA decreased dramatically with the increment of the CACAP. The angle differences between CA and sagittal CA were much greater than the angle differences between CA and coronal CA.
Conclusion
The AP view is more reliable than the lateral view in determining the CA of the PETD trajectory.
SELF: A Stacked-based Ensemble Learning Framework for Breast Cancer Classification
Authors: Jakhar Amit Kumar , Gupta Aman , Singh Mrityunjay
Published: November 2022

Nowadays, breast cancer is the most prevalent and jeopardous disease in women after lung cancer. During the past few decades, a substantial amount of cancer cases have been reported throughout the world. Among them, breast cancer has been a widely acknowledged category of cancer disease in women due to the lack of awareness. According to the world cancer survey report 2020, about 2.3 million cases and 685000 deaths have been reported worldwide. As, the patient-doctor ratio (PDR) is very high; consequently, there is an utmost need for a machine-based smart breast cancer diagnosis system that can detect cancer at its early stage and be cured more efficiently. The plan is to assemble scientists in both the restorative and the machine learning fields to progress toward this clinical application. This paper presents SELF, a stacked-based ensemble learning framework, to classify breast cancer at an early stage from the histopathological images of tumor cells with computer-aided diagnosis tools. In this work, we use the BreakHis dataset with 7909 histopathological images obtained on 82 patients and Wisconsin Breast Cancer Database (WBCD) with 569 instances for the performance evaluation. We have trained several distinct classifiers on both datasets and SELF selected the best five common classifiers on the basis of their accuracy measure to create our ensemble model. We use the stacking ensemble technique and consider the Extra tree, Random Forest, Adaboost, Gradient Boosting, and KNN9 classifiers as the base learners, and the logistic regression model as a final estimator. We have evaluated the performance of SELF on the BreakHis dataset and WBCD datasets and achieved the testing accuracy of approximately 95% and 99% respectively. The result of the other performance parameters on the BreakHis dataset also showed that our proposed framework outperforms with F1-Score, ROC, and MCC scores with values of 94.17%, 89.41%, and 80.81% respectively.
Grow Newtonian inertia into parameter repetitiveness memory equivalent bio-inertia over the “super-simultaneousness” of quantum mechanics for lifespan
Authors: Lai Yi Yu
Published: November 2022

Inversion energy is defined as parameter-against-gravity-internal-fluctuation, the non-simultaneousness in correlated internal fluctuations is defined as quantizing time. Newtonian Three Laws are modified as, first: cosx = sinx = ; second: + ; third: Wavelength = L, frequency = n . Bio-systems are topological spaces that can process input objects into inversion energy for entropy-control by repetitiveness memory, the capability of equivalent procured inversion energy with memorized trigonometric repetitiveness by quantizing time is bio-inertia. Evolution is a process of accumulating trigonometric curve folding equivalent capacity of a space. Schrödinger equation has only quantized energy but still hasn’t quantized time thus inducing quantum collapse. We then define in vivo condition to grow over the “super-simultaneousness” of conventional quantum to reverse collapse for lifespan. Originating from the folding of surface tension regions, bio quantum duality grows in vivo cross-folded surface tension region flow at diverse levels for functioning. Biofunctions including consciousness revive from the elastic quantum growth that follows three modified laws.
Ancient lineages of the keratin-associated protein (KRTAP) genes and their co- option in the evolution of the hair follicle
Authors: Litman T. , Stein Wilfred D.
Published: November 2022

BLAST searches against the human genome showed that of the 93 keratin-associated proteins (KRTAPs) of Homo sapiens, 53 can be linked by sequence similarity to an H. sapiens metallothionein and 16 others can be linked similarly to occludin, while the remaining KRTAPs can themselves be linked to one or other of those 69 directly-linked proteins. The metallothionein-linked KRTAPs comprise the high-sulphur and ultrahigh-sulphur KRTAPs and are larger than the occludin-linked set, which includes the tyrosine- and glycine-containing KRTAPs. KRTAPs linked to metallothionein appeared in increasing numbers as evolution advanced from the deuterostomia, where KRTAP-like proteins with strong sequence similarity to their mammalian congeners were found in a sea anemone and a starfish. Those linked to occludins arose only with the later-evolved mollusca, where a KRTAP homologous with its mammalian congener was found in snails. The presence of antecedents of the mammalian KRTAPs in a starfish, a sea anemone, snails, fish, amphibia, reptiles and birds, all of them animals that lack hair, suggests that some KRTAPs may have a physiological role beyond that of determining the characteristics of hair fibres. We suggest that homologues of these KRTAPs found in non-hairy animals were co-opted by placodes, formed by the ectodysplasin pathway, to produce the first hair-producing cells, the trichocytes of the hair follicles.
Effect of post-extubation high-flow nasal cannula combined with respiratory training versus conventional oxygen therapy on postoperative pulmonary complications in patients after major abdominal surgery: Protocol for a single-centre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Yao Mengjing , Jin Biao , Shen Wenjuan , Fu Le , Zheng Xu , Zhan Tiexiang , Luo Liang
Published: November 2022

Background

Nearly 234 million patients undergo surgery each year, and 1.3 million develop complications. The risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) remains high, especially in major upper abdominal surgery. The occurrence of PPCs seriously affects the outcomes of surgical patients, and the risk of death is significantly increased. This could have a serious impact on the prognosis of patients if no effective prevention or timely intervention is carried out. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is increasingly used in postoperative patients and is confirmed to be as effective as noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in preventing postoperative hypoxaemia and respiratory failure. In our clinical study, we observed faster recovery with combined HFNC and respiratory training (using PEP Acapella Choice) in patients with postoperative atelectasis. These two interventions have a theoretical benefit in the prevention of PPCs, but no relevant prospective randomised controlled studies have been conducted. Could HFNC combined with respiratory training reduce the incidence of PPCs compared to conventional oxygen therapy (COT) in postoperative patients? Could these combined interventions reduce mortality or improve the long-term prognosis? The answers to these questions remain unknown. In this randomised controlled trial, we hypothesise that HFNC combined with respiratory training will reduce the incidence of PPCs and mortality and improve the long-term prognosis in this cohort.

Methods

This is a randomised controlled single-centre trial. A total of 328 patients who undergo major abdominal surgeries will be included. Subjects will be randomised to receive HFNC combined with Acapella or COT alone immediately after extubation. Our primary endpoint is the incidence of PPCs within 7 days, and the secondary outcome measures include 28-day mortality, reintubation, length of hospital stay, and all-cause mortality within 1 year.

Discussion

This trial would help provide evidence of the preferred effect of HFNC combined with Acapella on COT in patients after major abdominal surgery. The objective of this study is to determine the optimal choice for improving the prognosis of patients undergoing surgery.
Trial registration: ChiCTR2100047146. Registered on 8 June 2021. Retrospectively registered.
Optimization of A2O Process by Changing Anoxic Tank Volume Based on GPS-X Simulation
Authors: Lei Shuhan , Zhao Jianqiang , Zhao Junkai , Xie Shuting , Zhang Ju , Shi Bingfeng
Published: November 2022

In order to improve the nitrogen removal efficiency of the anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic process (A2O), the effect of anoxic tank volume on the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiency were investigated under different ratios of chemical oxygen demand (COD) to nitrogen (C/N). The results showed that under C/N=7, the HRT of anoxic tank increased from 1.8 h to 3.6 h had little effects on the removal efficiency of COD, but largely improving the removal efficiency of TN and TP which increased from 66.8% and 93.8% to72.0% and 95.2%, respectively. Under C/N=10, increasing the volume of the anoxic tank did not significantly improve the removal efficiency of COD, TN and TP. The optimal HRTs of anoxic tank and the corresponding volume ratios of anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic were 4.0 h, 4.3 h and 1:2.5:6.75, 1:2.69:6.75 simulated by GPS-X software under C/N=7 and C/N=10, respectively. The results proposed that the appropriate elevated the volume of the anoxic tank could help A2O process to meet the TN discharge concentration lower than 15 mg/L. Under low C/N, changing the HRT of anoxic tank to improve the pollutant removal efficiency of A2O reactor was more significantly, so this method was more suitable for the case of insufficient carbon source.
Synergistic combination of information from ground observations, geostationary satellite, and air quality modeling towards improved PM2.5 predictability
Authors: Song Chul H. , yu Jinhyeok , Lee Dogyeong , Lee Sojin , Kim Hyun S. , Han Kyung M. , Jeon Moongu , Park Seohui , Im Jungho , Park Soon-Young , Peuch Vincent-Henri , Saide Pablo , Carmichael Gregory , Kim Jeeho , Kim Jhoon , Song Chang-Keun , Woo Jung-Hun , Ryu Seong-Hyun
Published: November 2022

Concentrations of ambient particulate matter (such as PM2.5 and PM10) have come to represent a serious environmental problem worldwide, causing many deaths and economic losses. Because of the detrimental effects of PM2.5 on human health, many countries and international organizations have developed and operated regional and global short-term PM2.5 prediction systems. The short-term predictability of PM2.5 (and PM10) is determined by two main factors: the performance of the air quality model and the accuracy of the initial states. While specifically focusing on the latter factor, this study attempts to demonstrate how information from ‘classical’ ground observation networks, a ‘state-of-the-art’ geostationary (GEO) satellite sensor, and an advanced air quality modeling system can be synergistically combined to improve short-term PM2.5 predictability over South Korea. Such a synergistic combination of information can effectively overcome the major obstacle of scarcity of information, which frequently occurs in PM2.5 prediction systems using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite-borne observations. This study first presents that the scarcity of information is mainly associated with cloud masking, sun-glint effect, and ill-location of satellite-borne data, and it then demonstrates that an advanced air quality modeling system equipped with synergistically-combined information can achieve substantially improved performances, producing enhancements of approximately 10%, 17%, 49%, and 19% in the predictability of PM2.5 over South Korea in terms of IOA (index of agreement), R (correlation coefficient), MB (mean biases), and HR (hit rate), respectively, compared to PM2.5 prediction systems using only LEO satellite-derived observations.
Machine Learning in General Practice: Scoping Review of Administrative Task Support and Automation
Authors: Sørensen Natasha Lee , Bemman Brian , Jensen Martin Bach , Moeslund Thomas B. , Thomsen Janus Laust
Published: November 2022

Background
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used to support general practice in the early detection of disease and treatment recommendations. However, AI systems aimed at alleviating time-consuming administrative tasks currently appear limited. This scoping review thus aims to summarize the research that has been carried out in methods of machine learning applied to the support and automation of administrative tasks in general practice.
Methods
Databases covering the fields of health care and engineering sciences (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL with full text, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and IEEE Xplore) were searched. Screening for eligible studies was completed using Covidence, and data was extracted along nine research-based attributes concerning general practice, administrative tasks, and machine learning.
Results
1439 records were identified and 1158 were screened for eligibility criteria. A total of 12 studies were included. The extracted attributes indicate that most studies concern various scheduling tasks using supervised machine learning methods with relatively low GP involvement. Importantly, few studies employed the latest available machine learning methods and the data used frequently varied in terms of setting, type, and availability.
Conclusion
The limited field of research developing in the application of machine learning to administrative tasks in general practice indicates that there is a great need and high potential for such methods. However, there is currently a lack of research likely due to the unavailability of open-source data and a prioritization of diagnostic-based tasks. Future research would benefit from open-source data, cutting-edge methods of machine learning, and clearly stated GP involvement, so that improved and replicable scientific research can done.
Near-field sensor array with 65-GHz CMOS oscillators can rapidly and comprehensively evaluate drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium
Authors: Kikuchi Shojiro , Yamashige Yoshihisa , Hosoki Ryosuke , Harata Masahiko , Ogawa Yuichi
Published: November 2022

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major clinical problem. Because Mycobacterium, the causative agent of tuberculosis, are slow-growing bacteria, it takes 6–8 weeks to complete drug susceptibility testing, and this delay contributes to the development of MDR-TB. Real-time drug resistance monitoring technology would be effective for suppressing the development of MDR-TB. In the electromagnetic frequency from GHz to THz regions, the spectrum of the dielectric response of biological samples has a high dielectric constant owing to the relaxation of the orientation of the overwhelmingly contained water molecule network. By measuring the change in dielectric constant in this frequency band in a micro-liquid culture of Mycobacterium, the growth ability can be detected from the quantitative fluctuation of bulk water. The 65-GHz near-field sensor array enables a real-time assessment of the drug susceptibility and growth ability of Mycobacterium bovis (BCG). We propose the application of this technology as a potential new method for MDR-TB testing.
Publication Trends of Leber Congenital Amaurosis Researches: A Bibliometric Study during 2002-2021
Authors: Huang Xiaoxu , Wang Yimin , Xie Minyue , Zhao Xiaohuan , Chen Yuhong , Chen Jieqiong , Han Siyang , Zhou Minwen , Sun Xiaodong
Published: November 2022

Objective Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) is one of earliest and most severe form of inherited retinal dystrophies. In this study, we aimed to analyze the changes in scientific output relating to LCA and forecast the study trends in this field. Methods All of the publications in the field of LCA from 2002 to 2021 were collected from Web of Science (WOS) database. We analyzed the quantity (number of publications), quality (citation and H-index) and development trends (relative research interest, RRI) of published LCA research over the last two decades. Moreover, VOSviewer software was applied to define the co-occurrence network of keywords in this field. Results A total of 2057 publications were ultimately examined. We found that the focus on LCA kept rising and peaked in 2015 and 2018, which is consistent with the development trend of gene therapy. The US has contributed most to this field with 1125 publications, 52970 citations and the highest H-index value, 112. The keywords analysis was divided into five clusters to show the hotspots in the field of LCA, namely mechanism-related, genotype-related, local phenotype-related, system phenotype-related, and therapy-related. We also identified gene therapy and anti-retinal degeneration therapy as a major focus in recent years. Conclusions Our study illustrated historical research process and future development trends in LCA field. This may help to guide the orientation for further clinical diagnosis, treatment and scientific research.
Development of InDel markers and identify candidate flowering time genes in radish (Raphanus sativus L.)
Authors: Li Yadong , Luo Xiaobo , Peng Xiao , Jin Yueyue , Tan Huping , Wu Linjun , Li Jingwei , Pei Yun , Xu Xiuhong , Zhang Wanping
Published: November 2022

Background
The transition from the vegetative to reproductive growth is an important stage in radish life cycle (Raphanus sativus L.). However, the molecular mechanism of radish bolting and flowering is still unclear. To obtain new insight into the genomic variation, population structure, genetic diversity and molecular regulation mechanism of flowering time, genome resequencing and transcriptome sequencing were conducted between two cultivars with extreme differences in flowering time.
Results
In this study, a total of 366,679 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 97,973 insertion-deletion (InDel) markers were identified based on genome sequences between ‘YZH’ and ‘XHT’. In all, 53,343 SNPs and 4,257 InDels were detected in two cultivars by transcriptome. Among the InDel variations, 85 genomic and 15 transcriptomic InDels were newly developed and validated PCR. Population structure and phylogenetic relationship revealed that the radish cultivars from northern China were clustered together and the southwest China cultivars were clustered together. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that 10,983 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the two cultivars, of which 5,020 were upregulated and 5,983 were downregulated. In total, 145 flowering time-related DGEs were detected, most of which were involved in flowering time integrator, circadian clock/photoperiod autonomous, and vernalization pathways. In flowering time-related DGEs region, 150 transcriptomic SNPs and 9 InDels were obtained. RT-qPCR displayed that the expression pattern of ten DEGs were consistent with the results obtained by RNA-Seq analysis.
Conclusions
The large amount of SNPs and InDels identified in this study will provide a valuable marker resource for radish genetic and genomic studies. The detected flowering time-related DGEs could provide fundamental insight into bolting and flowering regulatory networks and accelerate further investigating molecular mechanisms underlying the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth in radish.
A Novel Quantitative Model Based on Gross Tumor Volume Corresponding to Anatomical Distribution Measured with Multidetector Computed Tomography to Determine Resectability of Non-distant Metastatic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Control Study
Authors: Gao Dan , Ou Jing , Tan Bang-guo , Yu Zi-yi , Li Ke-ying , Li Rui , Zhang Xiao-ming , Chen Tian-wu , Zhou Hai-ying
Published: November 2022

Background
It is essential to accurately determine resectability of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) for treatment decision making. Previous studies revealed that CT-derived gross tumour volume (GTV) associates well with T category of ESCC, nodal metastases and N stage, treatment failure rate, and disease survival rate. This study aimed to explore whether anatomical distribution-based GTV of non-distant metastatic thoracic ESCC measured with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) could quantitatively determine the resectability.
Methods
473 consecutive patients with biopsy-confirmed non-distant metastatic thoracic ESCC underwent contrast-enhanced CT were randomized into the training (TC, 376 patients) and validation (VC, 97 patients) cohorts. GTV was retrospectively measured on MDCT. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors of non-distant metastatic ESCC resectability in TC. Subsequently, Mann-Whitney U test was applied to compare GTV based on different anatomic distributions between patients of resectable and unresectable ESCCs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was to clarify if anatomical distribution-based GTV could help quantitatively determinate resectability. Unweighted Cohen’s Kappa tests in VC were to assess the performance of the previous models.
Results
Univariate analysis demonstrated that gender, anatomic distribution, cT stage, cN stage and GTV were related to resectability of non-distant metastatic ESCC (all P-values < 0.05) in TC. Multivariate analysis showed that GTV and anatomic distribution (P < 0.001 and = 0.027; odds ratio = 1.158 and 1.924, respectively) were independent risk factors of resectability. The ROC analysis showed that GTV cutoffs of the upper, middle and lower thoracic portions were 23.57 cm3, 22.89 cm3 and 22.58 cm3 to determine resectability with areas under the ROC curves of more than 0.9, respectively. Unweighted Cohen’s Kappa tests showed an excellent performance of the ROC models in the upper, middle and lower thoracic portions with Cohen k-values of 0.913, 0.879 and 0.871, respectively.
Conclusions
GTV and anatomic distribution of non-distant metastatic thoracic ESCC could be independent risk factors of resectability, and anatomical distribution-based GTV could well quantitatively determine resectability.
Landslide susceptibility mapping using automatically constructed CNN architectures with pre-slide topographic DEM of deep-seated catastrophic landslides caused by Typhoon Talas
Authors: Kikuchi Teruyuki , Sakita Koki , Nishiyama Satoshi , Takahashi Kenichi
Published: November 2022

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for detailed and accurate landslide maps and inventories in disaster-prone areas of subtropical and temperate zones, particularly in Asia. Hence, in this study, models using automatically constructed high-performing convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures for landslide detection were applied and their outcomes were compared for landslide susceptibility mapping at the Kii peninsula, Japan. First, a total of 101 landslide and non-landslide points were identified and divided into 70% and 30% of training and validation datasets, respectively. Eight landslide influence factors were used: slope angle, eigenvalue ratio, curvature, underground openness, overground openness, topographic witness index (TWI), wavelet, and elevation. Experimental results of model evaluation using receiver operating characteristics (ROC), area under the curve (AUC), and accuracy showed that the optimal models (ROC = 96.0%, accuracy = 88.7%) were more accurate than initial models (ROC = 91.1%, accuracy = 80.7%) in predicting landslides spatially. Furthermore, the landslide susceptibility mapping is consistent with the trends in the distribution of gentle slopes and knick lines unique to the study area and can be used as a powerful method for predicting landslides in future.
World Hepatitis Day 2021 – Community Awareness and Screening for Viral Hepatitis in Accra, Ghana
Authors: Kusi Kwadwo Asamoah , Puije William van der , Asandem Diana A. , Baba-Adam Rawdat , Agbevey Hardy , Asare Bright , Segbefia Philip , Bentum-Ennin Lutterodt , Annan Audrey , Osei Frank , Teye-Adjei Doreen , Galevo Elsie Sutaya , Odame Gifty , Ansa Gloria , Amoah Linda , Bonney Joseph Humphrey Kofi
Published: November 2022

Background: In Ghana, Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major public health threat as in many parts of the world. Even with an effective vaccine, there are shortfalls with low vaccine coverage among adults. To create awareness and encourage vaccination, community engagement and public-private partnerships are needed in endemic settings to help fund campaigns and offer vaccinations at no cost to under privileged people.
Methods: Participants from the University of Ghana community and its immediate environs were registered, taken through pre-counselling sessions where they were educated on hepatitis transmission and prevention before consenting. Eligible participants were screened for HBV markers with rapid test kits. All HBsAb-negative participants were recommended for initial vaccination at the event, whilst the subsequent shots were administered. Hepatitis B surface Antigen-positive participants were counselled and referred for appropriate care.
Results: A total of 297 people, comprising of 126 (42%) males and 171 (58%) females aged between 17 and 67 years were screened. Amongst these, 246 (82.8%) showed no detectable protective antibodies against HBV and all of them agreed to and were given the first dose HBV vaccine. Additionally, 19 (6.4%) individuals tested positive for HBsAg and were counselled and referred to specialists for further assessment and management. We found that 59 (19.9%) of our participants had previously initiated HBV vaccination and had taken at least one dose of the vaccine more than 6 months prior to this screening, 3 of whom tested positive for HBsAg. For the three-dose HBV vaccines deployed, a little over 20% (50/246) and a further 17% (33/196) did not return for the second and the third doses respectively, resulting in an overall 66% (163/246) of persons who completed all three vaccinations.
Conclusions: A key lesson from this exercise is the need for partnerships between the health sector and corporate bodies to increase and improve awareness, care, and management of hepatitis. Additionally, home and school vaccination programmes may be adopted to enhance vaccine uptake and adherence to the vaccination schedule. We plan to extend this screening exercise to deprived and/or rural communities where HBV incidence may be higher than in urban communities.
The additional unique ability of TuMV HC-Pro in inhibiting HEN1 activity for enhancing the autophagic AGO1 degradation in RNA silencing suppression
Authors: Wei Wei-Lun , Tran Phuong-Anh , Fang Ru-Ying , Pham Thanh Ha , Bowman John , Hong Syuan-Fei , Pan Zhao-Jun , Shang Qian-Wen , Lin Pin-Chun , Shen Bing-Nan , Wu Fu-Hui , Lin Choun-Sea , Shen Tang-Long , Lin Shih-Shun
Published: November 2022

Genomes of potyviruses, the largest group of plant viruses, encode HC-Pro proteins that mediate RNA silencing suppression. HC-Pros may exhibit only 40% similarity between species, and induce different levels in autophagic ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) degradation. Our data indicated that HC-Pro of turnip mosaic virus (HC-ProTu) could efficiently trigger AGO1 degradation through autophagy compared with HC-Pros of zucchini yellow mosaic virus (HC-ProZy) and tobacco etch virus (HC-ProTe). Furthermore, HC-ProTu, but not in HC-ProZy, forms a suppression body (S-body) to recruit AGO1 and HEN1, preventing those components from translocating into the nucleus. HC-ProTu, but not HC-ProZy and HC-ProTe, specifically inhibits HEN1 activity, resulting in unmethylated microRNAs (miRNAs) accumulating in the cytoplasm without loading into AGO1. Therefore, we hypothesize that HC-ProTu could enhance the autophagic AGO1 degradation due to the unique HEN1 inhibition interfering with RNA-inducing silencing complex (RISC) assembly.