bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Postoperative Radiotherapy on Survival in Primary Osteosarcoma: A population-based study
Authors: Gao HongXiang , Dang YaZheng , Liu XiaoChao , Chen JieXin , Zhao HongLiang , Li Jia , Zhang KeJia
Published: June 2024

PURPOSE
To evaluate the impact of postoperative radiotherapy on survival in osteosarcoma patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Total of 3218 participants aged 3–85 years with primary bone and joint osteosarcoma, primary site resection, and/or postoperative radiotherapy were enrolled from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Multiple imputations were utilized to fill in missing data, a directed acyclic graph was constructed to identify causal pathways, and propensity score matching at a ratio of 1:1 was employed to balance covariate characteristics. The Kaplan-Meier method was utilized to estimate survival rates, which were compared the rates using the Log-rank test, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Subsequently, sensitivity analyses were conducted on the conclusions using subgroup analysis, competitive risk analysis, and complete dataset analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 430 patients in the analysis, with 215 in the Radiotherapy and Non-Radiotherapy groups. The 5-year overall survival rates (OS) were 39.1% and 47.1% in the two groups, and the 5-year cancer-specific survival rates (CSS) were 45.5% and 51.8%, respectively. Comparison of the survival rate between the two groups using the Log-rank test yielded non-significant differences (OS, χ2 = 2.029, p = 0.154; CSS, χ2 = 0.826, p = 0.363). Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed no significant differencse in survival associated with radiotherapy. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis findings were consistent with these conclusions.
CONCLUSION
Postoperative radiotherapy for primary bone and joint osteosarcoma has not shown survival benefits, and its value should be reassessed in multidisciplinary management.
Dose Escalation in Radical Radio(chemo)therapy for Cervical and Upper Thoracic Esophageal Cancer with 3DCRT/IMRT (ChC&UES): A Multi-center Real world Study
Authors: Zhao Xiao-Han , Zhang Wen-Cheng , Wang Xin , Chen Jun-Qiang , Xu Yuan-Ji , Zhao Kuai-Le , Huang Wei , Qian Pu-Dong , Liu Ya-Tian , Ge Xiao-Lin , Xia Xiao-Jie , Weng Chen-Gang , Gai Chun-Yue , Wang He-Song , Gao Hong-Mei , Shen Wen-Bin , Zhu Shu-Chai
Published: June 2024

Background Cervical and upper thoracic esophageal cancer (ESCA) presents treatment challenges due to limited clinical evidence. This multi-center study (ChC&UES) explores radical radio(chemo)therapy efficacy and safety, especially focusing on radiation dose.
Method We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 1,422 cases across 8 medical centers. According to the radiation dose for primary gross tumor, patients were divided into standard dose radiotherapy (SD, 50-55 Gy) or high dose (HD, >55 Gy) radiotherapy. HD was further subdivided into conventional- high-dose group (HD-conventional, 55Gy-63Gy) and ultra-high-dose group (HD-ultra, ≥63Gy). Primary outcome was Overall Survival (OS).
Results The median OS was 33.0 months (95% CI: 29.401-36.521) in the whole cohort. Compared with SD, HD shown significant improved survival in cervical ESCA in Kaplan-Meier (P=0.026) and cox multivariate regression analysis (P=0.018) while shown comparable survival in upper thoracic ESCA (P=0.734). No significant difference existed between HD-conventional and HD-ultra in cervical (P=0.976) and upper thoracic (P=0.610) ESCA. Incidences of radiation esophagitis and pneumonia from HD were comparable to SD (P=0.097, 0.240), while myosuppression risk was higher(P=0.039). The Bonferroni method revealed that, for both cervical and upper thoracic ESCA, HD-ultra enhance the objective response rate (ORR) compared to SD (P< 0.05). Combination of chemotherapy was an dependent prognosis factor of OS (P=0.000,0.039), no survival advantage was found with different chemotherapy regimens or prolonged chemotherapy >4 cycles (All P＞0.05).
Conclusion: HD radiotherapy benefits cervical but not upper thoracic ESCA, while increasing bone marrow suppression risk. Further dose escalating (≥ 63Gy) doesn't improve survival but enhances ORR.
Academic burden and emotional problems among adolescents in China: a longitudinal mediation analysis
Authors: Wang Jingyi , Wang Ziyao , Yang Yuting , Wang Tingting , Lin Haijiang , Zhang Wei , Chen Xiaoxiao , Fu Chaowei
Published: June 2024

Background There is a high prevalence of depression and anxiety in adolescents, and emotional problems are more likely to occur for students with high academic burden. The reasons underlying the educational impact are not well understood. This study aimed to explore loneliness, physical activity, and sleep as potential mediating pathways between academic burden and emotional problems in adolescents. Methods A longitudinal cohort study was conducted among middle and high school students in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China with data collected at three time points (T1: April-May 2022, T2: September-October 2022, T3: February-May 2023). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Children’s Depression Inventory and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, respectively. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the direct effect of academic burden (measured by study time and academic stress) on depressive and anxiety symptoms, and the indirect effects of academic burden via three mediators: loneliness, physical activity, and sleep. Results Using data from 2965 adolescents who completed all the three assessments, we found that higher academic stress at T1 was directly associated with more severe depressive symptoms at T3. Sleep (indirect effect 0.08, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.10), loneliness (0.07, 0.06 to 0.08) and physical activity (0.01, 0.002 to 0.01) mediated the association, accounting for 30.8%, 26.7% and 1.9% of the total effect of academic stress respectively. For anxiety symptoms, sleep (0.04, 0.03 to 0.05) and loneliness (0.03, 0.02 to 0.03) mediated the effect of academic stress with longitudinal mediation effect sizes of 34.4% and 20.8%, respectively. Study time was only associated with the outcomes indirectly via academic stress. Conclusions Our findings suggest that sleep, loneliness and physical activity could partly explain why adolescents with higher academic stress had more severe emotional problems, highlighting the importance of behavior and psychosocial differences driven by academic burden in explaining severity of mental health problems. The findings should raise awareness about the related risk factors of academic burden for adolescents, and strengthen calls for comprehensive strategies to improve adolescent mental health.
Anisomycin selectively inhibit the shifts of optimal orientations in the visual cortex of mouse.
Authors: Jain Ekta , Lussiez Rudy , Molotchnikoff Stephane
Published: June 2024

The phenomenon of neuronal orientation selectivity, which refers to the capacity to efficiently react to a preferred orientation, has been widely observed in visual cortex. This selectivity serves as the underlying framework for cortical organization and the development of functional networks. While traditionally considered fixed in the mature brain, recent studies have explored plasticity in adult V1 by modifying orientation selectivity through visual adaptation which is achieved by presenting non-preferred orientation for several minutes. Orientation selectivity arises from the spatial clustering of synapses that have distinct preferences onto a dendritic branch. Our investigation was carried out through electrophysiological recordings which were done on CD-1 female mouse (9-11 weeks). The analysis was done on 85 cells recorded from 6 mice. Our research aims to ascertain whether antibiotics impact orientation selectivity by spine formation. Anisomycin, inhibits protein synthesis by interfering with peptidyl transferase activity in eukaryotic ribosomes. Our data has demonstrated a change in preferred selectivity of orientation following visual adaptation which induces a shift of preferred orientation. The detection of polyribosomes within the spines suggests that protein synthesis takes place directly within the postsynaptic compartment. Dendritic protein synthesis plays a role in stabilizing recently inserted glutamate receptors, thereby contributing to excitatory synaptic transmission in the spines. Application of Anisomycin can therefore impede the morphogenesis of dendritic spines and the associated receptors, consequently blocking neuronal communication. Our results demonstrate that the application of antibiotics prevented a shift in the preferred orientation after adaptation suggesting a hindrance to the formation of new spines. Moreover, the antibiotic also interfered with the association between orientation selectivity and the change in preferred orientation. This suggests that Anisomycin application disrupts the transmission of signals among neurons. Our results show that optimal orientation selectivity depends on spine cluster activity.
Experimental study on dynamic mechanical properties of multidirectional constrained water-bearing coal samples under dynamic-static coupling loading
Authors: xie beijing , zhang ben , zhao shunkun , wei shanyang
Published: June 2024

In order to explore the dynamic mechanical properties of coal and rock under deep water conditions. This article is based on an improved Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) testing system. By conducting five sets of dynamic impact experiments on coal samples under different loading conditions, the changes in dynamic strength, energy dissipation, fractal dimension and other characteristics of coal samples under different water content states were analyzed. The experimental results show that: (1) under certain strain rate conditions, the dynamic strength of saturated coal samples is lower than that of natural coal samples. As the strain rate gradually increases, the bonding force generated by free water and the Stefan effect jointly act, and the peak strength of saturated coal samples under high strain rate loading conditions is higher than that of natural coal samples. (2) Under certain strain rate conditions, the absorption energy of saturated coal samples is about 10% -30% lower than that of natural coal samples, and deformation hysteresis phenomenon occurs in natural coal samples, thereby improving the dynamic strength of natural coal samples relative to saturated coal samples; (3) The fractal dimension of saturated coal samples with a specific strain rate under three-dimensional dynamic static combination loading is higher than that of natural coal samples, and the percentage of small particle coal samples with debris is higher than that of natural coal samples; Finally, based on the HJC model, some coal samples were selected to simulate the coal rock failure characteristics during the triaxial loading process using ANSYS/LS-DYNA, and their stress-strain curves and failure morphology diagrams were obtained. The relative difference between numerical simulation and experiments was less than 10%, further revealing and verifying the coal failure process and dynamic mechanical characteristics
Willingness Centrality: A New Centrality Measure Based on the Number of Edges Participating in Cycles
Authors: Kivi Mahdi Esmailnia , Afshord Saeid Taghavi , Bouyer Asgarali , Majidnezhad Vahid
Published: June 2024

Researchers of complex networks have always sought to discover hidden information in networks. Centrality measures are quantitative data used to display information that cannot be seen at first glance in the network and indicate the importance of a node or edge. Due to the limitation of processing power and the complexity of real-world problems, processes are moving towards localization. This paper proposes a new method to represent edge importance based on the number of edges involved in 3 and 4-cycles. Also, an algorithm with O(n*((m/n)^2)) time complexity is presented to find these cycles. The number assigned to each edge indicates how many times it appears in short cycles. The delta coefficient is defined to increase the effect of 3-cycles. This measure can be calculated for nodes by summing the centrality of edges and dividing by two. Using the willingness centrality measure in issues such as community detection and its acceptable result shows the practicality of the proposed method.
Post traumatic growth, resilience, social support and coping styles in the parents of very low birth weight infants: a multi-center cross sectional study
Authors: Wu Lili , Pan Yuqing , Zheng Qingxiang , Chen Xiaoqian , Jiang Xiumin , Lin Ying , Liu Guihua
Published: June 2024

Background: Post-traumatic growth can guide parents to cherish life more deeply, thereby improving the quality of care they provide to their children. Despite evidence linking a resilience with post traumatic growth, the processes by which aspect of resilience influences post traumatic growth remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of social support and coping styles in the relationship between resilience and post traumatic growth.
Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 344 parents of infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of 9 comprehensive or specialized hospitals at level two or above in Fujian Province were selected by convenience sampling method. Five self-reported questionnaires were completed by participants. The data were analyzed by SAS 9.4 statistical software. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the relationships between the components using AMOS 24.0 software.
Results: Psychological resilience can directly influence post-traumatic growth, or indirectly affect it through the mediating roles of social support and positive coping style (P<0.05). The noteworthy point is that social support can only influence post traumatic growth through positive coping style.
Conclusions: This study provides further insight into the importance of strengthening resilience, providing support and developing positive coping strategies from nurses and healthcare providers for promoting post traumatic growth among very low birth weight infants parents. It is especially important to implement interventions directly targeting the enhancement of resilience of parents of very low birth weight infants.
Tropical coastlines robustizing stratospheric quasi-biennial cycle
Authors: Yamanaka Manabu D. , Ogino Shin-Ya
Published: June 2024

Robust existence of the equatorial-stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO)1,2 affecting the global climate3,4,5,6 has been explained by heating-independent wave-mean flow interaction7,8,9, but requested bidirectional (east/westward propagating) waves generated in the troposphere have never been ascertained. The strongest mode of heating on the equatorial lands with diurnal cycles drives the sea-land breeze circulations (SLBCs) centered at the Indonesian maritime continent (IMC) with the longest coastline10,11,12, which organize convective clouds maintaining global atmospheric energy and water cycles13. Here we show from improved objective re-analysis data (JRA-55)14 that SLBCs are the bidirectional (land/seaward) waves maintaining QBO. Among these “SLBC waves”, slow zonal and all meridional waves are absorbed by interactions with the tropospheric Walker and Hadley circulations, and only suitably fast zonal waves are propagated into the stratosphere. The momentum flux divergence per unit mass ±2 m/s/month corresponds to a zonal wind acceleration ±30 m/s/1.25 year of QBO. These findings reveal that QBO is dependent on insolation, Earth’s rotation (daytime length), and the distribution of coastline as the triple boundary among land, sea and air, which are changed with tectonics and climate. Equatorial SLBC-resolving models make climate change prediction more accurate.
Kinetic heterogeneity is associated with axillary lymph node metastasis in cN0 breast cancer based on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging radiomics nomogram
Authors: Shen Tongxu , Ye Dingli , Yao Ming , Yan Jieqiong , Zhang Han , Sun Shuangyan
Published: June 2024

Background
To investigate whether kinetic heterogeneity, assessed via dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI)-based radiomics nomogram, associated with axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) in cN0 breast cancer.
Methods
373 consecutive women with cN0 breast cancer who underwent preoperative DCE-MRI were retrospectively evaluated from 2016 to 2020. The kinetic heterogeneity (a measure of heterogeneity in the proportions of peak enhancement, peak enhancement ratio, persistent, plateau, and washout) was assessed with DCE-MRI using B.K. software automatically. Radiomics features were extracted from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of the primary breast cancer lesion. The minimum redundancy maximum relevance algorithm was used to select ALNM positively-related features and radiomics score was constructed. Clinical features, MRI features, kinetic heterogeneity, and radiomics score were screened out by multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the nomogram was constructed from these characteristics. Possible associations between DCE-MRI-based kinetic heterogeneity and ALNM were analyzed. The unsupervised clustering K-Mean algorithm was use to risk stratification.
Results
Five independent risk factors were screened out to build the nomogram, including: age, margin, ratio, washout, and radiomics score. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.857 and 0.858 in the training and test cohorts, respectively. The risk stratification system divided all patients into three risk groups. Axillary lymph node dissection was not recommended for the low-risk group and was strongly recommended for the high-risk group.
Conclusions
Radiomic analysis of kinetic heterogeneity based on the DCE-MRI images has the potential to more accurately identify tumor kinetic features and serve as a valuable clinical marker to enhance the prediction of ALNM in cN0 breast cancer.
Role of Uridine Phosphorylase 1 in Cancer: A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis Highlighting Its Prognostic and Therapeutic Potential
Authors: Yu Shuihong , Jiang Tao
Published: June 2024

Uridine phosphorylase 1 (UPP1), implicated as an oncogene, plays a pivotal role in the metabolism of pyrimidine nucleosides, which are crucial for cellular replication and tumor progression. Despite its importance, a systematic pan-cancer analysis of UPP1 has not been previously conducted. This study addresses this gap by evaluating UPP1's gene expression, genetic alterations, DNA methylation, and prognostic significance across 33 different cancer types, utilizing extensive bioinformatics resources, including TIMER, GEPIA, UALCAN, cBioPortal, and Kaplan–Meier Plotter. Our findings indicate that UPP1 is highly expressed in 19 cancer types and significantly down-regulated in four. Importantly, high levels of UPP1 are associated with adverse survival outcomes in eight types of cancer, highlighting its potential as a negative prognostic marker. The study also reveals that gene amplification is the predominant alteration of UPP1 in these cancers. Furthermore, variations in promoter methylation across cancers suggest a regulatory mechanism potentially influencing UPP1 expression. Our analysis also establishes a significant association between UPP1 expression and both tumor mutational burden (TMB) and microsatellite instability (MSI) in several cancers, as well as a correlation with the level of immune cell infiltration. This comprehensive pan-cancer analysis underscores the importance of UPP1 as both a prognostic biomarker and a possible therapeutic target, providing a foundational basis for further investigation into its roles in cancer biology and therapy.
Assessing High-Resolution Precipitation Extremes in Central Asia: Evaluation and Future Projections
Authors: Gummadi Sridhar , Samineni Srinivasan , Lopez-Lavalle Luis Augusto Becerra
Published: June 2024

The impact of anthropogenic climate change on ecosystem sustainability in Central Asia's semi-arid and arid regions relies significantly on changes in extreme precipitation events. Accurate forecasting of these events is crucial for tailored adaptation strategies. This study examines projected changes in mean and extreme precipitation indices in Central Asia from 1985 to 2100. Utilizing ERA5, CPC, and high-resolution NEX-GDDP data from CMIP6 models, four SSP scenarios were assessed over three-time frames. The CMIP6 Multi-Model Ensemble (MME) shows coherence in simulating mean annual precipitation, albeit with weaker performance in mountainous regions. It consistently underestimates PD10MM and SDII while overestimating CDD in high-altitude areas with more precipitation. Projections indicate a potential up to 50% increase in mean annual precipitation across most of Central Asia, notably amplifying from the mid-future onward. Precipitation extremes like SDII, RX1DAY, and days with over 10 mm of precipitation are increasing spatiotemporally. Conversely, CDD may decrease in eastern Central Asia but increase in the west by the century's end. These shifts signify a rising wetness trend in Central Asia under warming conditions, resulting in more frequent heavy precipitation events and fewer dry spells, especially in high-emission scenarios.
Validation of Pre - Treatments for Cost Effective Production of Bioethanol From Floral Wastes
Authors: Rachel Shalini , Raj M. Shailaja , Shajan Maria
Published: June 2024

The present study has focused on validating pre- treatment methods for cost effective production of bioethanol from discarded and otherwise waste flowers which are renewable, abundantly available and eco-friendly. Floral waste was collected from various dumpsites and banquet halls and subjected to physical, chemical and biological pre- treatments. Biological pre- treatment by enzymatic hydrolysis using crude cellulase enzyme (5%) yielded 39.4 ± 0.03 g/L of alcohol which is 24.20% and 31.60% more than the alcohol obtained by physical pre- treatment (thermal hydrolysis) and chemical pre- treatment (1% KOH), therefore simultaneous saccharification and fermentation was optimised. A maximum of 396 ± 6.48 g/L bioethanol was obtained after 96 hrs of fermentation with the isolated yeast, Pichia kudriavzevii CY 902 at pH 5.5 and 37°C. The minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) of bioethanol produced in our study was enumerated to be 30.43 Rs/ L which is 68.31% lesser than the market price of ethanol in India today, making our methodology for production of bioethanol from mixed floral wastes very competitive and cost effective to the existing methodologies.
Maternal loss-of-function of Nlrp2 results in failure of epigenetic reprogramming in mouse oocytes
Authors: Anvar Zahra , Jochum Michael D. , Chakchouk Imen , Sharif Momal , Demond Hannah , To Alvin K. , Kraushaar Daniel C. , Wan Ying-Wooi , Andrews Simon , Kelsey Gavin , Veyver Ignatia B.
Published: June 2024

Background: NLRP2 belongs to the subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) of mammalian oocytes and preimplantation embryos. This multiprotein complex, encoded by maternal-effect genes, plays a pivotal role in the zygote-to-embryo transition, early embryogenesis, and epigenetic (re)programming. The maternal inactivation of genes encoding SCMC proteins has been linked to infertility and subfertility in mice and humans. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms for the diverse functions of the SCMC, particularly how this cytoplasmic structure influences DNA methylation, which is a nuclear process, are not fully understood.
Results: We undertook joint transcriptome and DNA methylome profiling of pre-ovulatory germinal-vesicle oocytes from Nlrp2-null, heterozygous (Het), and wild-type (WT) female mice. We identified numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Het and Nlrp2-null when compared to WT oocytes. The genes for several crucial factors involved in oocyte transcriptome modulation and epigenetic reprogramming, such as DNMT1, UHRF1, KDM1B and ZFP57 were overexpressed in Het and Nlrp2-null oocytes. Absence or reduction of Nlrp2, did not alter the distinctive global DNA methylation landscape of oocytes, including the bimodal pattern of the oocyte methylome. Additionally, although the methylation profile of germline differentially methylated regions (gDMRs) of imprinted genes was preserved in oocytes of Het and Nlrp2-null mice, we found altered methylation in oocytes of both genotypes at a small percentage of the oocyte-characteristic hyper- and hypomethylated domains. Through a tiling approach, we identified specific DNA methylation differences between the genotypes, with approximately 1.3% of examined tiles exhibiting differential methylation in Het and Nlrp2-null compared to WT oocytes.
Conclusions: Surprisingly, considering the well-known correlation between transcription and DNA methylation in developing oocytes, we observed no correlation between gene expression differences and gene-body DNA methylation differences in Nlrp2-null versus WT oocytes or Het versus WT oocytes. We therefore conclude that post-transcriptional changes in the stability of transcripts rather than altered transcription is primarily responsible for transcriptome differences in Nlrp2-null and Het oocytes.
Global and regional burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in endocarditis in 2019: a systematic analysis
Authors: He Xinhui , Zhao Hongmei , Han Jinghong , Chen Yuhan , Liang Huning , Han Kejun
Published: June 2024

Background The burden of endocarditis has sharply increased and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an urgent threat to human health worldwide. There are currently no detailed data about the burden of bacterial AMR in endocarditis. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the AMR burden of endocarditis to date. Methods We obtained data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). We estimated deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs) attributable to and associated with bacterial AMR in endocarditis for 7 GBD super-regions, 21 regions, 16 bacterial pathogens, 14 antibiotic classes, and 68 pathogen-antibiotic combinations in 2019. Five broad components were the backbone of our approach and the estimates were based on two counterfactual scenarios: drug-susceptible infection and no infection. Results Globally, there were 16.37 thousand deaths (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 11.54–23.05) attributed to and 65.59 thousand deaths (95% UI: 47.15–91.12) associated with bacterial AMR in endocarditis in 2019. The all-age death rates were higher in central Europe and high-income regions, and lower in sub-Saharan Africa. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae played the dominant roles in AMR, and high resistance to various multiple antibiotics, including fluoroquinolones, carbapenems, third-generation cephalosporins, and methicillin. There were 2 pathogen-antibiotic combinations that caused more than 1000 resistance-attributable deaths: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Conclusions AMR in endocarditis is a non-ignorable health problem, and it is an urgent priority to identify tailored strategies that can effectively reduce the burden of bacterial AMR in endocarditis based on region-specific pathogen-antibiotic condition and resources.
Sampling the Diversity of Butterflies and Habitat Preferences in the Zunheboto District of Nagaland, India.
Authors: MISHRA JYOTI RANJAN , ACHUMI TOBOLI K , DEB MITRAJIT
Published: June 2024

Recently, butterflies have been frequently utilized as bioindicators for assessing environmental changes. Over the last few decades, urbanization and modernization in northeast India have taken place at an overwhelming and very fast pace. In this study, butterfly diversity and habitat preferences were evaluated in the Zunheboto district of Nagaland, India. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in species composition across different habitats over time. This study recorded 43 species across six families and employed direct observation methods across jhum fields of different ages (15 years and 5 years) and village areas to derive species richness and diversity indices. Our results indicate the significant presence of 24 species in the Nymphalidae family, suggesting high adaptability to various habitats. The more recent jhum fields showed an increase in biodiversity, resulting in vegetation destruction and thus more light penetration; hence, it becomes easier for generalist species to colonize. The study also underlines the ecological significance of village areas as biodiversity hotspots supporting unique species not found in agricultural fields. These findings highlight the need for habitat preservation and emphasize the potential resilience of butterfly populations to environmental changes under sustainable management. This paper sheds light on the changes in butterfly diversity with respect to habitat changes and underlines the necessity of conservation strategies to incorporate habitat protection and sustainable land use practices.
WEAP: An automatic and accelerated pipeline for analysing multi-sample whole exome sequencing data
Authors: Sarma Ranjan Jyoti , Nachimuthu
Published: June 2024

Background
Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) is commonly used for SNP discovery in the coding regions of the human genome and has a wide range of clinical applications. Being an intensive time-consuming task, automation is key to uncomplicating and performing straightforward data analysis.
Method
The WEAP workflow starts with the alignment of FASTQ files to a reference genome, variant calling, and annotation without user intervention. WEAP utilizes the GATK workflow incorporating popular NGS analysis tools such as bwa-mem2, samtools, GATK, bcftools, and anoovar coupled with GNU parallel.
Results
WEAP successfully identified and annotated germline and somatic variants. The major steps aligning to the reference genome, converting files, and removing duplicates in germline variant discovery were made several folds (1.5 to 3.6 folds) faster in parallel mode than in serial mode. In tumor analysis, creating a PoN from 40 samples was about 3 times faster in parallel mode. Tumor-only analysis was 1.4 to 7.7 times faster in different steps. When comparing tumor samples with matched normal tissues, the time taken was significantly reduced, making the process 1.8 to 3.6 times faster.
Conclusions
WEAP accepts Quality Control (QC) checked and trimmed FASTQ reads, and provides annotated variants that enable non-bioinformaticians to perform flawless variant calling from WES data. WEAP uses GNU parallel for multiple sample processing one at a time leveraging native parallel processing of the implemented tools and software to perform the analysis faster. A comparison between the parallel mode and serial mode of WEAP revealed that WEAP can be one of the best alternative tools for end-to-end analysis of WES data integrating gold standard GATK best practices workflow.
RETRACTED: Probabilistic seismic demand model for Continuous Concrete Box-Girder Bridges Considering Hysteretic Energy and Residual Demands
Authors: Malekzadeh Hoodean , Eslamnia Hadi , Moghadam Abdolreza S.
Published: June 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
The Origins of the Term Distance Education and the Roots of Digital Teaching and Learning
Authors: Zawacki-Richter Olaf
Published: June 2024

By no means is the digitalization of learning and teaching a new phenomenon (cf. Inglis, et al., 1999). Since the 1960s and 70s, open and distance teaching universities have spearheaded new and emerging technologies to bridge the distance between students and teachers. Since the turn of the millennium, online learning has spread worldwide, particularly in countries with a long tradition of distance education (e.g., Canada, Australia, India, or South Africa, see Qayyum & Zawacki-Richter, 2018; Zawacki-Richter & Qayyum, 2018). Online study programs have also been increasingly established at campus-based universities. In 1999, Alan Tait observed that the boundaries between distance teaching and conventional campus-based universities were blurring: "The secret garden of open and distance learning has become public, and many institutions are moving from single conventional mode activity to dual mode activity" (Tait, 1999, p. 141).
Conceitos de Mecânica Quântica para o Ensino Médio por meio de um jogo de tabuleiro
Authors: Sampaio Wilton Souza , Frota Diego Araujo
Published: June 2024

O presente artigo traz um relato de experiência da aplicação de um produto educacional desenvolvido no programa de Mestrado Nacional Profissional em Ensino de Física. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a efetividade da utilização, no contexto da Educação Básica, do produto educacional, cujo elemento central é um jogo de tabuleiro. Intitulado Mundo Quântico, ele aborda conceitos introdutórios de Mecânica Quântica. Tanto a construção como a aplicação do produto e posterior análise de resultados foi baseada na Teoria dos Campos Conceituais de Gèrard Vergnaud. A partir da sua aplicação, foi possível constatar que a utilização do jogo nas aulas despertou o interesse dos estudantes em participar das atividades. Observou-se ainda que alguns estudantes mostraram compreender os conceitos quânticos apresentados no jogo, um indício da ocorrência de aprendizagem. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho podem vir a contribuir para o desenvolvimento de futuras pesquisas que consistam na utilização de jogos no ensino de Física.
Palavras-chave: ensino; mecânica quântica; jogo de tabuleiro.
One-shot holography
Authors: Akers Chris , Levine Adam , Penington Geoff , Wildenhain Elizabeth
Published: June 2024

Following the work of [J. High Energy Phys. 04, 062 (2021)], we define a generally covariant max-entanglement wedge of a boundary region B, which we conjecture to be the bulk region reconstructible from B. We similarly define a covariant min-entanglement wedge, which we conjecture to be the bulk region that can influence the state on B. We prove that the min- and max-entanglement wedges obey various properties necessary for this conjecture, such as nesting, inclusion of the causal wedge, and a reduction to the usual quantum extremal surface prescription in the appropriate special cases. These proofs rely on one-shot versions of the (restricted) quantum focusing conjecture (QFC) that we conjecture to hold. We argue that these QFCs imply a one-shot generalized second law (GSL) and quantum Bousso bound. Moreover, in a particular semiclassical limit we prove this one-shot GSL directly using algebraic techniques. Finally, in order to derive our results, we extend both the frameworks of one-shot quantum Shannon theory and state-specific reconstruction to finite-dimensional von Neumann algebras, allowing nontrivial centers.
Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz and generalised hydrodynamics in the sine-Gordon model
Authors: Nagy Botond C. , Takács Gábor , Kormos Márton
Published: June 2024

We set up a hydrodynamic description of the non-equilibrium dynamics of sine-Gordon quantum field theory for generic coupling. It is built upon an explicit form of the Bethe Ansatz description of general thermodynamic states, with the structure of the resulting coupled integral equations encoded in terms of graphical diagrams. The resulting framework is applied to derive results for the Drude weights of charge and energy. Quantities associated with the charge universally have fractal dependence on the coupling, which is notably absent from those associated with energy, a feature explained by the different roles played by reflective scattering in transporting these quantities. We then present far-from-equilibrium results, including explicit time evolution starting from bipartite initial states and dynamical correlation functions. Our framework can be applied to explore numerous other aspects of non-equilibrium dynamics, which opens the way to a wide array of theoretical studies and potential novel experimental predictions.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFICACY OF NANOCRYSTALLINE SILVER WITH COLLAGEN BASE CREAM AND 1% SILVER SULFADIAZINE (SSD) CREAM ON THE HEALING OF BURN WOUND
Authors:   MS,MCh,Plastic Surgery(Superspeciality) Post Graduate Resident, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana, India., Shankar Digala , Nangineedi M.S. Mounika ,   CO-Author, Senior Development Scientist, Haleon., Santosh Kumar G. ,   MS,MCh,Plastic Surgery (Superspeciality)Post Graduate Resident, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana., Kadam Yogesh ,   MS,MCh,Plastic Surgery Post Graduate(Superspeciality) Resident, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana.
Published: June 2024

Background:The aim of burn management is to prevent hypovolemic shock ,infection ,septic shock, to promote early epithelialization as well as healing of wound . The present study aimed to compare the effects of Nano crystalline silver with collagen base cream and 1% silver sulfadiazine cream on the healing of burn wounds. Materials & Methods: A clinical prospective observational studyPatients with burn wounds were divided into two groups , one group was dressed with 1% silver sulfadiazine cream and the other group of patients was dressed with nano crystalline silver with collagen base cream. The wound dressing was changed everyday after washing the wound with normal saline. Wound parameters were assessed regularly , using clinical methods and photographs. The clinical data were statistically analyzed and results produced. Results: In this department study ,using silver sulphadiazine cream &nano crystalline silver with collagen base cream , enhanced epithelisation& granulation tissue following decreased slough was observed and the results were better with nano crystalline silver with collagen base cream because of early and increased appearance of granulation tissue in the wounds & this was also proved by statistical analysis.The mean hospital stay was less in patients who were undergoing dressing with nanocrystalline silver with collagen base cream. Conclusions: The effect of nanocrystalline silver with collagen base cream on the reduction of the healing time and necrotic tissue amount and increasing the granulation, epithelialization, and decreasing the necrotic tissue/slough was greater when compared to application of 1% SSD cream. Considering the above findings nanocrystalline silver with collagen base cream is more recommended to be used for burn wounds.
PERIPHERAL FACIAL PARALYSIS FOLLOWING CHICKENPOX INFECTION IN ADULTS: A RARE COMPLICATION
Authors:   Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hassan II, Fez, Morocco., Zineb Fajri , Soughi Meryem ,   Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hassan II, Fez, Morocco., Douhi Zakia ,   Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hassan II, Fez, Morocco., Elloudi Sara ,   Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hassan II, Fez, Morocco., Baybay Hanane ,   Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hassan II, Fez, Morocco., Zahra Mernissi Fatima ,   Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hassan II, Fez, Morocco.
Published: June 2024

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV/HHV-3), one of the eight human herpesviruses. VZV virus-associated peripheral neuropathies usually occur after shingles in adults and more rarely after chickenpox in children. Although chickenpox has a good prognosis, neurological complications such as encephalitis, acute cerebellar ataxia, myelitis, and meningitis are rarely associated with the disease. Peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) is an extremely rare complication in patients with chickenpox. We report the case of a 19-year-old woman with unilateral PFP, which developed after varicella infection, who was successfully treated with acyclovir, short-term steroids, and physical rehabilitation.
CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF SOIL VULNERABILITY TO WATER EROSION IN THE THIES PLATEAU
Authors:   Laboratoire des Sciences et Technologiesde lEau et de lEnvironnement (LaSTEE) Ecole Polytechnique de Thies BP A 10 Thies Senegal., Mokhtar SOW Mansour , SENE Abdoulaye ,   Laboratoire des Sciences et Technologiesde lEau et de lEnvironnement (LaSTEE) Ecole Polytechnique de Thies BP A 10 Thies Senegal., Masseck FALL Mouhamadou ,   Laboratoire des Sciences et Technologiesde lEau et de lEnvironnement (LaSTEE) Ecole Polytechnique de Thies BP A 10 Thies Senegal., Lamine LO Mamadou ,   Laboratoire des Sciences et Technologiesde lEau et de lEnvironnement (LaSTEE) Ecole Polytechnique de Thies BP A 10 Thies Senegal., Bamba DIAW Elhadji ,   Laboratoire des Sciences et Technologiesde lEau et de lEnvironnement (LaSTEE) Ecole Polytechnique de Thies BP A 10 Thies Senegal., Sissikho Gregoire ,   Laboratory of Semiconductors and Solar Energy, Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University CheikhAnta Diop, Dakar, Senegal.
Published: June 2024

This study was carried out in the watershed located between the municipalities of Tassette and Notto, where soil water erosion is one of the most dangerous threats in the region.This work aims to quantify the degree of soil erodibility in the Thiesplateauand then draw up an erosion risk map using the improved boyoucoss method. Interpretation of the experimental results reveals that the erodibility index varies between 1.62 and 14.10, with an average value of 5.6. This variation in the erodibility index shows areas of high, moderate and very high vulnerability, respectively 59%, 18.2% and 18% of the areas studied. The progressive degradation of soils by water erosion is also amplified by inappropriate human activities, weakening the resilience of ecosystems and communities.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION OF ACUTE BACTERIAL MENINGITIS ANDC.S.F. ANALYSIS OF ATTENDING OPDPATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL KANPUR, INDIA
Authors:   Assistant Professor Department of Microbiology CSJMU Kanpur UP., Rastogi M. , Kumar M. ,   Tutor, Department of Microbiology Government Medical College kannauj UP., Trivedi A. ,   PG Student, Department of Microbiology CSJMU Kanpur UP., Rastogi D. ,   Professor & Head Department of Physiology, GSVM Medical College Kanpur UP.
Published: June 2024

Background:Meningitis is an infection of the Meninges. Generally caused by Viral, Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens. Viral Meningitis is less severe and heals without specific treatment whereas Acute Bacterial Meningitis (ABM) can be relatively severe and affect in internal illness. Acute Bacterial Meningitis (ABM) is a prime reason for loss of life and incapacity worldwide. Aim of this study is play important role in the diagnosis and more accurate treatment of patient. Method:In this study, all age groups were enrolled at one tertiary care hospital between November 2022 and April 2024. A total of 147 CSF clinically suspected Meningitis samples were submitted for analysis. Result:During the study, A total of 147 CSF samples were studied. Of these, 18 were identified as bacterial meningitis on the basis of Grams staining and cultures, with an Incidence of (12.24%). Acute bacterial meningitis was more frequent in paediatric patients than in adults. Gram-positive bacteria were the most common Organism, accounting for (77.77%) of the total.The male and female ratio among all Culture Positive cases was (1.57:1).
PRIMARY OVARIAN MALIGNANT MIXED MULLERIAN TUMOUR: A CASE REPORT
Authors:   Gynecology-Obstetrics Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Oujda., EL Filali M.D Amal , Slama M.D Loubna ,   Gynecology-Obstetrics Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Oujda., Taheri Hafsa ,   Gynecology-Obstetrics Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Oujda., Saadi Hanane ,   Gynecology-Obstetrics Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Oujda., Mimouni Ahmed ,   Gynecology-Obstetrics Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Oujda.
Published: June 2024

Introduction:Malignant Mixed Mullerian Tumour of the Ovary (OMMMT), also known as carcinosarcoma, is a very rare tumor that represents less than 1% of all ovarian cancers. Because of its rarity, its course and treatment remain controversial Importance:It is an aggressive tumor often discovered at an advanced stage, with a double carcinomatous and sarcomatous component that affects the ovary, the main prognostic factor being the stage of the disease Current data in the literature are still limited to small case series and case reports and treatment consists of cytoreduction surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy. Case presentation: We report a case of a 54 years old patient being managed at our center, having been diagnosed by aMalignant Mixed Mullerian Tumour of the Ovary, with no distant metastases. Clinical discussion: This case highlightsthe misfortune of having a delayed diagnosis of an ovarian tumor which opens the door to the following question: is screening for ovarian tumors possible, as the treatment becomes more and more complicated in advanced cases Conclusion:OMMMT is an uncommon condition with limited knowledge of effective therapies.Finding an early cancer diagnosis rather than waiting for the best possible treatment is still a difficulty.
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF TERNARY LIQUID MIXTURE OF TOCOPHEROL ACETATE WITH CHLOROFORM AND DIETHYL ETHER AT 293 K
Authors:   Department of Physics, Dada Ramchand Bakhru, Sindhu Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur, Maharashtra (India)., Dange S.P.
Published: June 2024

The reported study, measured the ultrasonic velocity (u), density (ÃÂ) and viscosity (ÃŽÂ·) of ternary liquid mixtures of ÃŽÂ±-Tocopherol acetate with chloroform and diethyl ether in the concentration range (0 to 0.1 M) at 293K. These experimental parameters can be used to calculate various thermodynamic parameters like free volume (Vf), internal pressure (ÃÂ€in), Vander-Wall Constant (b) and Gibbs free energy (Ã¢ÂˆÂ†G*) etc. to identify the strength of molecular interaction. The results so obtained support the formation of complex structure and molecular aggregation through intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the ternary liquid system of ÃŽÂ± -Tocopherol acetate with chloroform and diethyl ether.
Interação entre universidade e escola e suas contribuições na formação docente
Authors: Pillatt Líbera Raquel Bazzan , Boff Eva Teresinha de Oliveira
Published: June 2024

Apresentamos discussões sobre as possibilidades de interações entre universidade e escola na perspectiva de contribuir na formação inicial e continuada de professores. O objetivo do estudo é analisar criticamente as contribuições, das diferentes possibilidades de interação entre Universidade e Escolas de Educação Básica, para formação docente. O corpus de análise foi artigos científicos selecionados no site de busca de periódicos presentes no portal da CAPES do período de 2017 a 2022. A metodologia utilizada foi a Análise Textual Discursiva (ATD), envolve um movimento fenomenológico e hermenêutico. Os resultados indicam que as interações entre universidade e escolas ocorrem de diversas formas e momentos da formação acadêmica, como: Estágio Curricular supervisionado; Pesquisa como possibilidade de formação docente; PIBID; extensão. Todas estas possibilidades de interação contribuem para uma mudança de perfil profissional, atento ao diálogo problematizador, o qual resulta em novas formas de atuação docente, que leve em conta os saberes disciplinares, experienciais, pedagógicos metodológica e investigativo, de modo a potencializar o processo de ensinar e aprender.
A Case Report of Vallecula Angioleiomyoma
Authors: Lee Ye Hwan , Kang Byung Jae , Kim Min Suk , Kim Hong Jin , Kwon Soon Young , Oh Kyung Ho
Published: June 2024

Angioleiomyoma is benign smooth muscle tumor originating from the vascular wall. While they can occur in various anatomical locations, they are rarely reported in the vallecula region of the oropharynx. We present a case of a 58-year-old female patient with a five-year history of progressive dysphagia and throat discomfort. Laryngoscopy revealed a large, soft, mobile mass located on the right side of the vallecula. Radiological imaging further characterized the lesion as a well-circumscribed, heterogeneous mass. Surgical intervention in the form of Transoral Videolaryngoscopic Surgery (TOVS) was performed, leading to the successful removal of the mass. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of angioleiomyoma.