bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal phenotypic variation of spinach root traits and its relation to shoot performance
Authors: Liu Ji , Shui Jiapeng , Xu Chenxi , Cai Xiaofeng , Wang Quanhua , Wang Xiaoli
Published: August 2023

The root system is important for the growth and development of spinach. To reveal the temporal variability of the spinach root system, root traits of 40 spinach accessions were measured at three continuous stages in this study using a non-destructive and non-invasive root analysis system. Results showed that root traits had higher variations than shoot traits among spinach accessions, and the trait of relative growth rate of total root length had the largest coefficients of variation across the three imaging times. Most of the root traits were correlated between the different stages, but the correlations decreased with increasing sampling intervals. At the early stage, only tap root length was weakly correlated with shoot traits (plant height, leaf width, and object area), whereas at the later stage, root fresh weight, total root length, and root area were strongly correlated with shoot biomass-related traits. Plants with halberd-shaped leaves tended to have stronger root systems than those with nearly orbicular-shaped leaves. The 40 spinach accessions were classified into five subgroups with different growth dynamics of the primary and lateral roots. Our results demonstrated the potential of in-situ phenotyping to assess dynamic root growth in spinach and provide new perspectives for biomass breeding based on root system ideotypes.
Clinicopathological Features and Prognostic Role of HER2 Low in Early Breast Cancer: A Real World Study
Authors: Kong Ziqing , Wang Xixi , Wang Yutong , Liu Chuanling , Li Jingjie , Huang Deqin , Liu Liqun , Zhang Zheng , Zhang Yadi , Shao Jiakang , Zhu Yimin , Chen Yimeng , Liu Mei , Zhao Weihong
Published: August 2023

Purpose: A definition of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-low was recently proposed with the development of novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Current studies on HER2-low are associated with metastatic breast cancer (BC), and less is known about early stage BC. Hence, a retrospective study was conducted based on HER2-low early BC to comprehensively analyze its clinicopathological features and prognostic roles compared with HER2 immunohistology(IHC) 0.
Method: Patients with HER2-negative early BC (N = 999) diagnosed at our institution from January 2010 to December 2015 were enrolled in this study. We compared clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes, including disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), between the HER2 IHC0 and HER2-low groups.
Result: HER2-low BC accounts for 83.6% of the entire cohort, with a higher proportion of estrogen receptor (ER) levels (> 10 %) and progesterone receptor (PgR) positivity compared with HER2 IHC0. Survival analysis revealed a significantly longer OS in HER2-low BC than that of HER2 IHC0. Patients with HER2-low in the hormone receptor (HR)-positive group had longer OS than that of HER2 IHC0. A longer OS of HER2-low was also observed in HR-negative group. No significant differences were observed in the DFS.
Conclusion: HER2-low BC may not be regarded as a unique BC group in this real-world population because of similar clinicopathological features and prognostic roles, especially in HR-positive cases. Whether HER2-low is a distinct subgroup remains to be supported and validated by additional data, both at the clinical and molecular levels.
Corrosion behaviour and wear characteristics of Friction stir processed AA7075-SiC-Gr surface composites in 3.5 % NaCl solution
Authors: Periasamy K. , Jayaraman M. , Saravanan S. , Karthikeyan B. , Palanisamy R.
Published: August 2023

The research work is aimed using aluminum matrix surface composite reinforced 5 wt. % Gr (graphite) with 5, 10, 15 wt. % SiC (Silicon Carbide) particles to improve the wear and corrosion characteristics of surface composites by friction stir processing. AA7075-SiC-Gr surface composites dry sliding wear and corrosion characteristics were examined by using pin-on-disc and potentiodynamic polarization techniques respectively. L16 Taguchi design is chosen for making effective experimental analysis and tested specimens wear rate was determined by weight loss techniques and the coefficient of friction (COF) were observed by data acquisition system. The worn surface of the wear tested specimens was analyzed by the scanning electron microscope. The corrosion rate was calculated from the corrosion potential and current density values. The optimized output responses of the surface composites such as lower wear rate, COF are observed as 9.8x10− 5mm3/m and 0.29 respectively. The most significant wear parameters on wear rate and COF of the surface composites are reinforcement percentage and load. The corrosion result indicates that reinforcing 10% SiC and 5% Gr surface composite has high corrosion resistant in base materials.
Examining the Safety and Feasibility of Using Virtual Reality to Assess Suicide Risk
Authors: Caulfield Nicole M. , Bauer Brian W. , Fergerson Ava , Karnick Aleksandr T. , Capron Daniel W.
Published: August 2023

Objective
Our ability to understand suicidal causes is hindered given that laboratory manipulation is unethical or unfeasible. Virtual Reality (VR) technologies may offer a practical translational approach to studying suicide causes. However, ethical considerations need to be considered when utilizing VR for suicide research, particularly examining the possibility of increasing suicidal ideation. The following study examined differences in self-reported suicide scores before and after engaging in a VR game that created a virtual suicide choice paradigm.
Method
Participants (n = 145, 79.9% female, 59.9% white, 81.3% heterosexual) were college students exposed to a VR experience called Richie's Plank Experience, where they engaged in a virtual suicide choice paradigm by choosing whether to jump off a plank. Participants completed a measure of suicide ideation before and after engaging in this VR scenario.
Results
Frequencies indicated that 40.1% of the sample endorsed having suicidal ideation, 22.1% had a past suicide attempt, and 15.2% (n = 22) chose to jump off the plank and engage in the virtual suicide choice paradigm. Results showed a reduction in acute suicidal ideation immediately after completing a virtual suicide choice paradigm., t(140) = 4.85, p < .001.
Conclusions
Results suggested that acute suicidal ideation decreased immediately after completing a virtual suicide choice paradigm. Additionally, VR may be a safe, ethical, and feasible laboratory-based method to assess suicide behaviors and underlying mechanisms of suicide risk in a controlled manner. Importantly, VR may allow researchers to explore novel ways to assess suicide and develop suicide-focused treatments that could decrease suicide risk. Important limitations to consider include that long-term effects of suicidal ideation were not assessed and sample generalizability.
Dietary assessments of Shanghai elite athletes using the Dietary Balance Index (DBI-16)
Authors: Xu Qian , Qiu Jun , Zhang Qiu-Ping , Chu Yu-Dan , Tian Hua-Jun
Published: August 2023

Background: Professional athletes' dietary assessments lack tools which are easy and effective to operate. This study's objectives were to evaluate the diet of elite athletes in Shanghai and improve the evaluation process and scoring criteria for the Dietary Balance Index (DBI) used to evaluate athletes’ diet.
Methods: A validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to examine the food intake of 101 athletes over the course of a year. The effectiveness of the DBI-16 used to analyze the athletes' dietary structure was determined by the efficacy of their actual dietary issues.
Results: The results demonstrate that the subjects' diet intake was typically insufficient. The diet quality distance (DQD) was “low imbalance”, high bound score（HBS）was “suitable” and the low bound score (LBS) was “low inadequate intake”. Red and products, poultry and game were overconsumed, whereas the subjects consumed insufficient amounts of vegetables, fruits, and soybeans. Gender differences were seen in both the HBS and DQD scores (p =0.034 and p =0.001, respectively). Male subjects were more likely than female subjects to score "at or near the recommended intake" and "above the appropriate range" for added sugars (p = 0.011). Egg and added sugar consumption differences by age were also found (p =0.01, p =0.003).
Conclusions: The DBI evaluation standards as they currently exist may reflect some of the issues with the subjects' food patterns. However, the evaluation of cereals and foods with added sugar may not be comprehensive, therefore additional study is needed to complement and modify it appropriately.
Effect of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide on the color and surface of the resin bracket
Authors: Park Su-Bin , Lee Seul , Kim Geun-Hye , Kim Seong-Eun , Ryu Ji-Min , Yang Song-Yi
Published: August 2023

Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the whitening effect, shear bond strength (SBS) with the enamel surface, microhardness, and microstructure of discolored resin brackets following whitening treatment with various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (HP).
Materials and methods. Resin brackets were bonded to the enamel surface and discolored with a curry solution. Control (distilled water) and experimental solutions of 8.7, 17.5, and 35% HP were applied to the discolored resin brackets for 15 min. Resin brackets were then stored in distilled water for a week by repeating this whitening process thrice. The whitening efficacy was evaluated according to ISO 28399:2011. The SBS was measured using a universal testing machine. The microhardness and microstructure of the resin brackets were observed using a microhardness tester and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). All the results were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance analysis and Tukey’s post-hoc test (p=0.05).
Results. All the experimental groups demonstrated a significant whitening effect on the discolored resin brackets compared to the control group (p<0.05). In particular, 35% HP showed faster color changes than the other groups (p<0.05). The microhardness of the resin bracket was lower in 35% HP than in the control group (p<0.05). FE-SEM analysis revealed no significant difference between groups.
Conclusions. HP application at > 8.7% and < 17.5% concentrations whitens discolored resin brackets while not deteriorating the SBS, surface hardness, and microstructure.
Clinical relevance. Dental clinicians can safely use HP within the recommended range to achieve effective aesthetic outcomes without compromising bracket performance and durability.
Prevalence, clinical characteristics, and independent predictors of uveitic macular edema in an Asian population: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Tungsattayathitthan Usanee , Jenjanya Sukanda , Choopong Pitipol , Sanphan Wilawan , Tesavibul Nattaporn , Boonsopon Sutasinee
Published: August 2023

Background: To determine the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and independent predictors of uveitic macular edema (UME) in patients with nonanterior uveitis.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis who underwent macular assessment using optical coherence tomography between January 2015 and February 2020. The prevalence of UME and clinical characteristics of the patients were described. Predictors of UME were identified using multivariate regression analysis.
Results: A total of 349 patients were included. The mean age was 41 years, female:male ratio was 1.3:1. The prevalence of UME was 51.9%. UME was found in 33.9%, 56.9%, and 54.1% of the intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis cases, respectively. Among patients with UME, infectious uveitis was the most common cause (47%), followed by idiopathic uveitis (32.6%) and immune-mediated uveitis (20.4%). Diffuse macular edema was the most frequently observed pattern (36.5%). Multivariate analysis showed that factors independently associated with UME included age at uveitis onset (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.03, P = 0.036), PU and panuveitis compared with intermediate uveitis (aOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.14-3.86, P = 0.018), and infectious uveitis compared with noninfectious uveitis (aOR 2.13, 95% CI 1.34-3.37, P = 0.001).
Conclusions: Increasing age at uveitis onset, posterior/panuveitis, and infectious etiology are predictive factors for UME in patients with nonanterior uveitis.
RETRACTED: Crestal Bone Loss around Dental Implants, A comparative study with three-years follow-up
Authors: Saravi Mohammad Ebrahimi , Darvari Mohammad Hassan , sameie ayda , pakravan amir huseein
Published: August 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Rarefied gas flow in functionalized microchannels
Authors: Kunze Simon , Perrier Pierre , Groll Rodion , Besser Benjamin , Varoutis Stylianos , Lüttge Andreas , Graur Irina , Thöming Jorg
Published: August 2023

The interaction of rarefied gases with functionalized surfaces is of great importance in technical applications such as gas separation membranes and catalysis. To investigate the influence of functionalization and rarefaction on gas flow rate in a defined geometry, pressure-driven gas flow experiments with helium and carbon dioxide through plain and alkyl-functionalized microchannels are performed. The experiments cover Knudsen numbers from 0.01 to 200 and therefore the slip flow regime up to free molecular flow. To minimize the experimental uncertainty which is prevalent in micro flow experiments, a methodology is developed to make optimal use of the measurement data. The results are compared to an analytical model predicting rarefied gas flow in straight channels and to numerical solutions of the linearized S-model and BGK kinetic equations. The experimental data shows that if there is a difference between plain and functionalized channels, it is likely obscured by experimental uncertainty. This stands in contrast to previous measurements in smaller geometries and demonstrates that the surface-to-volume ratio of 0.4 \(\mu\)m\(^{-1}\) seems to be too small for the functionalization to have a strong influence and highlights the importance of geometric scale for surface effects. These results also shed light on the molecular reflection characteristics described by the TMAC.
DNA damage repair-related gene signature can influence immune status and predict prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lu Yongpan , Wang Sen , Chi Tingting , Zhao Yuli , Guo Huimin , Wang Haizheng , Feng Li
Published: August 2023

Background
The heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a challenge for accurate prognosis prediction. DNA damage repair genes (DDRGs) have an impact on a wide range of malignancies. However, the relevance of these genes in HCC prognosis has received little attention. In this study, we want to develop a prognostic signature that will open up novel therapy options for HCC.
Methods
We acquired mRNA expression profiles and clinical data of HCC patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A polygenic prognostic model for HCC was constructed using selection operator Cox analysis and least absolute shrinkage. The model was validated using the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database. Overall survival (OS) between high-risk and low-risk groups was compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Independent predictors of OS were identified through both univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. To determine immune cell infiltration scores and activity in immune-related pathways, a single-sample gene set enrichment analysis was performed. Protein expression levels of prognostic genes were compared using immunohistochemistry between HCC tissue and normal liver tissue.
Results
A DDRGs signature model was developed using LASSO Cox regression analysis. Patients in the high-risk group had worse overall survival compared to the low-risk group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis confirmed the prognostic gene’s predictive ability. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that the risk score is an independent predictor of OS. Functional analysis revealed a strong association with cell cycle and antigen binding pathways, and the risk score was highly correlated with tumor grade, tumor stage, and types of immune infiltrate. High expression levels of prognostic genes were significantly correlated with increased sensitivity of cancer cells to anti-tumor drugs. Immunohistochemistry staining indicated that, except for NEIL3, the other 9 genes were highly expressed in HCC and expressed in normal liver tissue, consistent with our bioinformatic analysis.
Conclusion
Ten DDRGs were utilized to create a new signature that might influence the immunological state in HCC and be used for prognostic prediction. In addition, blocking these genes could be an alternate treatment.
Predicting and Analysing Adult Learners Dropout Indicators From Literacy Programmes Using Data Mining Approaches
Authors: Tomori Rasheed Adekola , Tomori Abdulfatai Adeyinka
Published: August 2023

Data mining provides effective techniques for discovering useful knowledge and patterns from students’ data. The discovered patterns can be used to understand many problems in the educational field. One of the challenges facing academic institutions is dropout student issues. It is important to recognize which students are at risk of dropping out of school and what the underlying factors are. This study aims to predict adult learners’ dropout and analyses the causative factors that lead to the dropout of such learners using data mining techniques. The dataset used for this research was collected from 97 adult learners who registered with the Adult Literacy Program offered by the Kwara State Agency for Mass Education in four selected centers in Offa for the academic years 2019, 2021, and 2022. Three decision tree algorithms, C4.5, ID3, and CART classification methods, applied to the student’s socioeconomic and demographic data using the WEKA Data Mining tool to produce the best prediction model for learners dropping out of the ALP. Researchers conduct experiments to identify the best model among the techniques used, and then calculate the accuracy of the models. The findings from the study suggest that ID3 was the best algorithm with an accuracy of 80%, compared to C4.5 with an accuracy of 79.5% and CART with 78.5%. The experiment result also shows that some of the top indicators for learners’ dropout were age, relevance of the program, and number of working hours. This study suggested that future research should integrate study-related information with socioeconomic and demographic indicators for predicting learners' dropout rates.
A comprehensive analysis of SLC25A1 expression and its oncogenic role in pan-cancer
Authors: You Xin , Huang Lingling , Huang Ouxiang , Deng Yujie , Shi Xi
Published: August 2023

Objective: The solute carrier family 25 member 1 (SLC25A1) is currently the only known human transporter for citrate in the mitochondrial membrane. However, its role in cancer development remains to be elucidated. We aim to analyze the expression profile, prognostic value, potential immunological significance, and effect on tumor growth of SLC25A1 at a pan-cancer level.
Methods: Herein, the role of SLC25A1 in tumorigenesis and progression was investigated based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), GeneMANIA, STRING and Cancer Dependency Map Project (DepMap) database via online websites or the R software. The SLC25A1 protein expression levels were further validated in a tissue microarray.
Results: The expression of SLC25A1 increased in most cancers, and the upregulation of SLC25A1 in colon adenocarcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, SLC25A1 was linked to clinical outcomes across multiple tumor types, particularly in lung adenocarcinoma, where its high expression predicted poor prognosis. Moreover, SLC25A1 was positively associated with MSI, TMB, and CD276 in cancers. In addition, the correlation between tumor-infiltrating immune cells and SLC25A1 varies across different cancer types. Furthermore, the knockoutof SLC25A1 demonstrated inhibitory effects in the majority of cell lines for all cancer types.
Conclusions: Our findingssuggest the potential of SLC25A1 as a prognostic biomarker for cancers and a therapeutic target for precise antitumor strategy and cancer immunotherapy.
Construction and validation of neutrophil-related gene based risk models for assessing colon cancer prognosis and guiding immunotherapy
Authors: Wang Shasha , Wang Lili , Qiu Mingxiu , Lin Zhongkun , Qi Weiwei , Lv Jing , Wang Yan , Lu Yangyang , Li Xiaoxuan , Chen Wenzhi , Qiu Wensheng
Published: August 2023

Purpose
Colon cancer is one of the most common digestive tract malignancies. Studies have shown that neutrophils can interact with immune cells and immune factors to affect the prognosis of patients.
Methods
We first determined the infiltration level of neutrophils in tumors using CIBERSORT and identified key genes in the final risk model by Spearman correlation analysis and subsequent Cox analysis. The risk score of each patient was obtained by multiplying the Cox regression coefficient by the gene expression level, and patients were divided into two groups according to the median. Differences in OS and PFS were assessed by KM survival analysis, and model accuracy was validated in another independent dataset. Finally, the differences in immune infiltration and immunotherapy were evaluated by immunoassay.
Results
We established and validated a risk scoring model based on neutrophil-related genes in two independent datasets; the patients in the high-risk group had a poorer prognosis than those in the low-risk group. A new nomogram was constructed and validated by combining clinical characteristics and the risk score model to better predict patient OS and PFS. Immune analysis showed that patients in the high-risk group had immune cell infiltration level, immune checkpoint levels, and tumor mutational burden and were more likely to benefit from immunotherapy.
Conclusion
The low-risk group had relatively better OS and PFS than the high-risk group in the neutrophil-related gene-based risk model. Patients in the high-risk group presented higher immune infiltration levels and tumor mutational burden and thus may be more responsive to immunotherapy.
Brain Cell Atlas: An Integrative Ensemble of Cell Transcriptomes Across Human Brain Regions
Authors: Miao Zhichao , Chen Xinyue , Huang Yin , Huang Ziliang , Xu Lahong , Huang Liangfeng , Ye Mingli , You Renke , Zhang Xuegong
Published: August 2023

Single-cell technologies greatly accelerated our understanding of the human brain cell types and their functions. But most studies focused on only a single or a couple of brain regions in a limited number of donors. Integration of atlas-level single-cell data can offer opportunities in revealing the cell type difference among brain regions, thus rendering explanations to the functional divergence. Here we present the Brain Cell Atlas (BCA), a comprehensive reference atlas of human brain cells, by assembling single-cell data from 70 studies of the human brain throughout major developmental stages across brain regions, covering over 11.3 million cells/nuclei from both healthy and disease. Using machine-learning based algorithms, BCA provides a consensus cell type annotation, while it showcases the discovery of a rare cell population of PCDH9high microglia cells. We demonstrate the gene regulatory difference of this cell type between hippocampus and prefrontal cortex as well as the cell-cell communications related to cell functions. In short, the BCA presents an atlas-level integrative resource for comparing brain cells in different environments and conditions within the Human Cell Atlas.
Immune challenge reduces the production of queen-specific compounds and fertility signals in honey bee queens.
Authors: Orlova Margarita , harwood Gyan , Freitak Dalial , Amdam Gro
Published: August 2023

In social insect species, the majority of individuals in each colony – the workers forego reproduction – or produce but a few descendants, while a small minority of individuals, the queens (or a single queen) produce large numbers of offspring – a phenomenon known as reproductive skew. In this situation the workers’ inclusive fitness depends to a large extent on the reproductive capacity of the queen. To maximize their indirect fitness, the workers need to accurately assess the queen’s physiological quality and reproductive capacity. Communication between queens and workers in social insects relies heavily on chemical signals produced by several exocrine glands. Honesty of these signals remains a subject of scientific debate, and the physiological mechanisms maintaining their honesty are not yet well understood. Our study explores how immune challenge affects the chemical profile of honey bee queens. Here, we focus on the mandibular and Dufour’s glands that are critical to production of honey bee queens’ chemical profile. We find that queens subjected to an immune challenge display lower proportions of the esters signaling fertility in their Dufour’s gland as well as lower proportions of queen-like substances in their mandibular glands, suggesting that these chemical signals are honest. Furthermore, we observe that queens subjected to immune challenge switch to production of worker-like compounds, which apparently serve as anti-microbial agents. Our findings suggest that production of queen-specific signaling compounds requires a tradeoff with production of defensive chemicals, suggesting that honey bee queen signals are physiologically costly to produce. Signals that advertise an individual’s physiological quality through the cost of their production, referred to as handicaps, have been documented in sexual communication but not queen-worker communication, which provides the basis of reproductive regulation in insect societies. Our findings may provide the first indication of a handicap signal in insect queen-worker communication.
Clinical Results of the Use of a Combined Solution of Carboxymethylcellulose 0,5%, Glycerin 0,9% and Trehalose 3% for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease
Authors: Navarro-Naranjo Pedro-Ivan , Chacon-Aponto Alberto , Artunduaga-Rodriguez Gerardo , Duran-Moreno Daniela
Published: August 2023

Objective: To describe the clinical effects of a novel combined ocular lubricant for treating patients with dry eye disease.
Methods: A retrospective cohort of 67 eyes (67 patients) with a confirmed diagnosis of dry eye disease using the ocular surface disease index (>12), tear osmolarity and ocular surface parameters (non-invasive break-up time, meniscus height and meibography) evaluated using the Cornea550 were included. All patients were treated with a combination of 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose, glycerin 0.9% and trehalose 3% with a dosing regimen of one drop four times a day for one month with a final evaluation of the same parameters.
Results: We included 67 eyes (80.6% females) with a mean age of 48.3+/-16.2 years (SD). 37% of the subjects had comorbidities such as hypothyroidism (9%), ocular rosacea (4%), Sjogren’s syndrome (4%) and arterial hypertension (4%). Of these, 34% were taking systemic medications and 56.7% had previous ocular surgery. The mean OSDI score before treatment was 57.6 +/- 17.2 (SD) and 22.2 +/-12.9 points (SD) after treatment (p<0.05). Other parameters such as NIBUT, meniscus height and meibography improved without a statistically significant difference.
Conclusion: CTP is a novel, combined and multipurpose treatment for dry eye disease.
Of Rarity and Symbolism: Understanding the Human Perceptions of Charismatic Color Morphs
Authors: Williams Tyus , Kreling Samantha , Stanton Lauren , Wilkinson Christine , Estien Cesar , Schell Christopher , Carlen Elizabeth
Published: August 2023

Coloration in wildlife serves numerous biological purposes, including sexual selection signaling, thermoregulation, and camouflage. However, the physical appearance of wildlife also influences the ways in which humans interact with them. Wildlife conservation has largely revolved around humans' propensity to favor charismatic megafauna, but human perceptions of wildlife species extend beyond conservation measures into our everyday interactions with individual wildlife. Our aesthetic appreciation for different species interplays with culture, lore, and the economic interest they carry. As such, one characteristic that may underpin and interact with social drivers of perception is the coloration of a particular individual. In this article we provide case studies illustrating the dynamism in interactions people have with conspicuously colored wildlife – i.e., individuals that vary from their species-typical coloration. We focus on melanism, leucism, and albinism across four species commonly thought of as pests in the United States: coyotes (Canis latrans), eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and black-tailed deer (O. hemionus).
Breastfeeding – A survey of fathers’ support needs and preferred sources of information
Authors: Gebremariam Kidane Tadesse , Wynter Karen , Zheng Miaobing , Rawstorn Jonathan Charles , Denney-Wilson Elizabeth , Laws Rachel
Published: August 2023

Background
Fathers can be a critical source of breastfeeding support for their partner, but little is known about what fathers would like to learn about breastfeeding. The aims of this study were to explore what fathers regard as important to learn around breastfeeding, and their current and preferred sources of information.
Methods
A structured online survey was conducted with fathers containing three sections: 1) sociodemographic variables; 2) perceived importance of 26 breastfeeding topics; and 3) sources of breastfeeding information. A convenience sample of expectant and current fathers aged 18 years or older, living in Australia, and able to complete survey in English was recruited.
Results
Most study participants (75%) were aged 30–39 years, current dads (74%), and university educated (69%). The breastfeeding topics that fathers perceived as the most important/ important to learn about were how to work with their partner to overcome breastfeeding challenges, how fathers can be involved with their breastfed baby, the types of support fathers can provide to breastfeeding mothers, what to expect in the first week and the benefits of breastfeeding. The most preferred health professional sources of breastfeeding information were midwives, child and family nurses and doctors. Among non-health professional sources of support, mobile app, friends and family were most popular.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding information to enhance fathers’ knowledge and awareness of common breastfeeding challenges, and fathers’ role in supporting their breastfeeding partner, appear to be most important/ important for fathers. Mobile app appears to be among the most preferred non-health professional ways to provide breastfeeding information to fathers.
p97 inhibited integrative stress response-induced neuronal apoptosis by enhancing proteasome function after subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Cheng Wenping , Wei Boyang , Liu Wenchao , Jin Lei , Guo Shenquan , Ding Mingxiang , Liu Yanchao , Fan Haiyan , Li Ran , Zhang Xin , He Xuying , Li Xifeng , Duan Chuanzhi
Published: August 2023

Neuronal apoptosis is a common pathological change in early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and is closely associated with neurological deficits. Some research has shown that p97 exhibits a significant anti-cardiomyocyte apoptosis effect. p97 is a key molecule in the growth and development of the nervous system. However, it remains unknown whether p97 can exert an anti-neuronal apoptosis role in SAH disease. We found that p97 was significantly down-regulated in the cerebral cortex of the affected side in mice after SAH. The site of reduced p97 expression was accompanied by a large number of neuronal apoptosis. Adeno-associated virus-mediated over-expression of VCP significantly reduced the number of neuronal apoptosis, improved the early and long-term neurological function, and repaired the neuronal damage in the long term. These neuroprotective effects were accompanied by enhanced proteasome function and inhibition of the integrated stress response (ISR) apoptotic pathway involving eIF2α/CHOP. Administration of the p97 inhibitor NMS-873 resulted in the contrary effect. Subsequently, we observed that inhibiting the function of the proteasome with PS-341 blocked the anti-neuronal apoptosis effect of p97 and enhanced the activation of the ISR apoptotic pathway. However, the detrimental effects of NMS-873 and PS-341 in mice with SAH were counteracted by the administration of the ISR inhibitor ISRIB. These results suggest that p97 can promote neuronal survival and improve neurological function in mice after SAH. The anti-neuronal apoptosis effect of p97 is achieved by promoting the function of the proteasome and further inhibiting the overactivation of the ISR apoptotic pathway.
Transformer-based Information Extraction from Twitter Text on Complaint Monitoring System
Authors: Purwitasari Diana , Fatichah Chastine , Ariyanto Amelia Devi Putri , Anggraeni Sherly Rosa , Aryani Aulia Eka Putri
Published: August 2023

Customer complaints receive more attention from a company because bad handling of complaints will cause the loss of existing customers. Current customers tend to use social media to report complaints by including information on the location of the complaint so that the location also needs to be extracted because it can be authentic geographic evidence in the complaint monitoring system. The number of complaint reports via social media is increasing occasionally, making the manual complaint monitoring system very inefficient because it takes a long time. This study proposes an automatic complaint monitoring system on Indonesian text from Twitter by extracting transformer-based information. The automatic complaint monitoring system uses a combination of the Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformer (BERT) model to extract location information on complaint tweets and the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model to classify the complaint type, which gets the highest F1 score of 0.90471. The complaint monitoring system is also visualized in the complaint locations to make it easier for companies to find the location of complaint reports, and action can be taken to deal with public complaints immediately.
Evaluation of the effects of Cinobufagin on G361 Melanoma Cell Cultures and a comparison with paclitaxel.
Authors: Gurel Gulhan , Karadağ Müjgan Ercan , Celik Sefa , Cinar Rumeysa , Sen Serkan
Published: August 2023

The melanoma pathophysiology is considerably complex. Wnt signaling via the β-catenin/transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF4)/Lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) complex, the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2), tyrosinase (Tyr) and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) are reported to activate the transcriptional gene expression associated with pigmentation and the differentiation and proliferation of melanocytes and malignant melanoma cells. Cinobufagin is a leading active ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and has been approved in China as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of liver and prostate cancer. The primary aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of cinobufagin and paclitaxel on melanoma cells, both individually and in combination, in the G361 melanoma cell line. Within the scope of the study, IC50 doses were determined based on an MTT analysis, Caspase-3 measurements were analyzed using the ELISA method and mRNA expression levels were analyzed using the RT PCR method. Cinobufagin used in combination with paclitaxel was found to increase Caspase-3 levels more than when cinobufagin was used alone, and it was further determined that cinobufagin treatment decreased the expression levels of the β-catenin, C-myc and Cyclin D1 genes, while paclitaxel and cinobufagin used in combination were found to increase all mRNA expression levels (Bax, Caspase-3, Bcl2, β-catenin, C-myc, Wnt and Cyclin D1). Cinobufagin can be considered a promising natural pharmaceutical agent for the targeted treatment of cancers with high levels of LEF1.
Trainee versus supervisor viewpoints of entrustment: using artificial intelligence language models to detect thematic differences and potential biases
Authors: Gin Brian C. , Cate Olle ten , O'Sullivan Patricia S. , Boscardin Christy K.
Published: August 2023

The entrustment framework redirects assessment from considering only trainees’ competence to decision-making about their readiness to perform clinical tasks independently. Since trainees’ and supervisors’ viewpoints both contribute to entrustment decisions, we examined how they may differentially prioritize factors that determine trust, and how biases may influence this process. Under a social constructivist paradigm, we developed large language model (LLM) based approach to examine feedback dialogs (N = 24187, each with an associated entrustment rating) between student trainees and their precepting supervisors. Using LLM-assisted factor analysis, we compared how trainees and supervisors documented similar types of clinical tasks by identifying factors correlated with entrustment ratings. Supervisors’ factors were dominated by skills related to patient presentations, while trainees’ factors captured a wider range of themes, including both clinical performance and personal qualities. To examine bias, we developed a gender-neutral LLM to measure sentiment in feedback narratives. On average, trainees used more negative language (5.3% lower probability of positive sentiment, p < 0.05) compared to supervisors, while assigning themselves a higher entrustment rating (+ 0.08 on a 1–4 scale, p < 0.05). Trainees’ documentation reflected more positive sentiment in the case of male trainees (+ 1.3%, p < 0.05) and of trainees underrepresented in medicine (+ 1.3%, p < 0.05). Importantly, entrustment ratings themselves did not appear to reflect these biases, neither when documented by the trainee nor supervisor. As such, bias appeared to affect trainee self-perceptions more than the degree of entrustment they experienced. Mitigating these biases is nonetheless important because they may affect trainees’ assimilation into their roles and formation of trusting relationships.
Method for Multi-Task Learning Fusion Network Traffic Classification to Address Small Sample Labels
Authors: LIU LAN , YU YONGJIE , WU YAFENG , HUI ZHANFA , LIN JUN , HU JUNHAN
Published: August 2023

With the diversified development of network business types and the rapid growth of network resource deployment scale, Traffic classification technology plays a crucial role in efficiently allocating network resources and effectively safeguarding network security. Traffic classification methods based on deep learning often demand a substantial labeled dataset to showcase exceptional performance. Nevertheless, Acquiring and annotating a large dataset involves significant investments in terms of time and human resources. Additionally, the constant innovation of internet technology accelerates the change of the network environment, making the painstakingly collected samples face the risk of becoming outdated. To tackle the aforementioned challenges, This research presents an approach called MTEFU, a deep learning model-based multi-task learning algorithm, to reduce the dependency on a substantial number of labeled training samples. In this algorithm, Multiple classification tasks were established, including duration length, bandwidth size, and business traffic category. The first two serve as source tasks, which do not require manually labeled sample training. The latter acts as a target task, requiring only a small label set. This strategy shares some parameters directly between tasks. The first few layers, which contain general information, are shared among multiple task networks, and different final layers are learned to handle different outputs. We use CNN, SAE, GRU, LSTM as multi-task learning classification models to conduct training verification and testing experiments on the QUIC dataset.We compared single-task learning methods and ensemble learning methods with our multi-task learning, and the results show that in the task of predicting network traffic types, the accuracy of the multi-task learning strategy with only 150 labeled samples can rival the 94.67\% accuracy of single-task learning using a complete labeled dataset of 6139 samples.
TNF-α-Activated Adipose–Derived Stem Cells Producing IL-8 Through the TNF-α/NF-κB Signaling Pathway to Improve the Quality of Full-Thickness Skin Grafts
Authors: Gao Hong , Wu Dan , Luo Wenrong , Jie Xiang , Hu Zheyuan , Xiong Jiachao , Wu Minjuan , Zhu Xiaohai , Zhu Lie
Published: August 2023

Skin grafting has the disadvantages of high contracture rate and poor texture. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) therapy is a promising “therapeutic angiogenesis” approach; however, safety and low treatment efficiency of direct injection into defects have limited its use. Herein, we first used TNF-α to activate ADSCs, and then used TNF-α-activated ADSCs (t-ADSCs) to promote angiogenesis in donor skin. Finally, the use of pretreated donor skin for grafting can reduce the contracture rate and improve skin texture. In vitro, cell proliferation, migration, and pro-angiogenic abilities were tested to measure the cell function of t-ADSCs. The signaling pathway and paracrine cytokine related to the pro-angiogenic effect of t-ADSCs were screened out and validated. In vivo, t-ADSCs were first injected intradermally into the donor skin of full-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs). Next, the level of angiogenesis in donor skin was evaluated. Finally, the pretreated donor skin was used for grafting. We found that TNF-α may activate ADSCs through the TNF-α/NF-κB pathway and enhance the paracrine ability of the angiogenic factor interleukin-8 (IL-8), ultimately promoting the angiogenesis of the donor skin. The use of vasculature-rich donor skin for grafting could accelerate skin graft anastomosis; shorten the nutrient deprivation time of the epidermis, dermis and hair follicles; and thereby improve the quality of FTSGs. This study demonstrated a possible mechanism through which TNF-α acts on ADSCs to improve their angiogenic capacity and provide a novel approach for the repair of skin and soft tissue wounds.
Species Composition & Diversity Assessment of Mangroves over Indian Sundarbans
Authors: Chatterjee Sweta , Bhandari Gupinath
Published: August 2023

The study on species composition and diversity measurement has been conducted at the Kaikhali Village under Kultali District, Indian Sundarbans using random sampling technique to get the proper zones for suitable quadrat survey. Field survey has been run during monsoon season and primary data on species composition and diversity components has been incorporated. The primary objective of this study is to comprehend the species composition of true mangroves over Indian Sundarbans and secondary objective is to assess the species diversity profile of the study area. 11 types of true mangroves and 3 types of mangrove associates have been found and taxonomically enumerated during the field survey. For this study, Species Diversity Indices and Diversity Profiles are also measured to get the valid viewpoint regarding the species diversity as well as species richness. Species Distribution within the study area has also been studied through quadrat individual analysis. The results shows up that in spite of micro region under Indian Sundarbans, several mangrove species and their abundance are there and diversity of this region is quite high. However, monotypic species especially Bain (Peyara Bain, Jat Bain & Kalo Bain) species are quite rich and diversified in this region.
Tracing Global Progress: Two Decades of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Research
Authors: Yuan Liyun , Li Liangpin , Hua Xia , Yuan Xiaoyong
Published: August 2023

Objectives. To explore age-related macular degeneration (AMD)-related research hotspots and trends from 2002 to 2022 using bibliometric analysis.
Methodology. Articles on AMD published between 2002 and 2022 were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Bibliometric analysis was used to describe basic article information. Annual publication volume was analyzed using Excel 2019 software. VOSviewer 1.6.18, CiteSpace 6.1.R3, and BiblioShiny were used to extract information on countries, institutions, authors, and keywords. The information was then mapped to analyze the distribution of key research forces and collaborative relationships in the field, providing insight into the evolution of AMD research in the last two decades and its current frontiers.
Results. Altogether, there were 15,452 articles on AMD research published from 2002 to 2022. The number of publications increased every year. The United States and China were the main drivers of AMD research, accounting for over 48% of all publications in the field. The University of Melbourne had the highest number of publications and the highest degree of collaboration with other institutions. Tien Y Wong was the author with the most published articles, and Frank G Holz had the highest impact. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences was the most productive and highly cited journal. The keyword co-citation cluster analysis identified four main research areas: pathogenesis, therapy, epidemiology, and diagnosis. The keywords aflibercept, neovascular age-related macular degeneration, coherence tomography angiography, and deep learning have seen recent strong citation bursts and may become research hotspots in the future.
Conclusions. Twenty years of AMD research were analyzed in this study, revealing four main areas of focus: pathogenesis, therapy, epidemiology, and diagnosis. Potential future research hotspots include aflibercept, neovascular age-related macular degeneration, coherence tomography angiography, and deep learning.
Improved outcome and reduced toxicities of postmastectomy radiotherapy with integral cervicothoracic thermoplastic mask
Authors: Zhang Hongyan , Wu Qiuji , Li Li , Wang Linwei , Zhong Yahua
Published: August 2023

Background
Appropriate immobilization setup for postmastectomy radiotherapy is critical to improve tumor control and to reduce radiation-related toxicities. This study aims at retrospectively evaluate the outcome and toxicities of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) with a novel integral cervicothoracic thermoplastic mask strategy.
Materials and methods
Breast cancer patients were treated with modified radical mastectomy and PMRT. Patient immobilization setup was performed with the placement of a 1-cm thickened wax film on the ipsilateral chest wall and an integral cervicothoracic thermoplastic mask. PMRT was delivered according to the institutional protocol. Dose distribution, disease control, patient survival and radiation-induced toxicities were evaluated.
Results
420 eligible patients with complete follow-up information were included in the final analysis. The median follow-up was 40.2 (95%CI: 38.9–41.6) months. Two (0.5%) patients had local recurrence and 48 (11.4%) patients had distant metastasis. There were 23 (5.3%) deaths from all causes, of which 19 were caused by breast cancer. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 94.8%. ER status, PR status, triple negative status, and T stages significantly impacted on patient survival (p < 0.05). HER2 expression, N stage did not significantly affect patient survival. Most common radiation-induced toxicities included grade I (87.6%) and grade II (10.2%) dermatitis, and grade I pneumonitis (28.8%) found by chest X-ray or CT scans. No clinical detectable cardiovascular event related to radiotherapy was identified.
Conclusion
Postmastectomy radiotherapy with integral cervicothoracic thermoplastic mask resulted in improved outcome and reduced toxicities and might be of clinical significance in breast cancer patient.