bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the main hospital activity indicators in Sikasso Hospital, Mali, 2015-2021
Authors: Sidi Haidara Dadé Ben
Published: January 2023

Introduction: The right information system makes it possible to describe and evaluate hospital activity and the performance of a hospital establishment. The objective of this work was to describe the trends in Sikasso's hospital activity over the past seven years.
Methods: This was a descriptive study using existing data at Sikasso Hospital. Ports of entry staff handled all admissions between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2021.
Results: Analysis of the data showed that Sikasso Hospital has 14 wards, eight of which are inpatient and have a capacity of 163 beds.
The total number of hospitalizations decreased from 6747 (2015) to 5899 (2021). This evolution varied from one department to another with an increase over the years in hospitalizations from consultation at the expense of those from emergencies, especially at the level of pediatrics and gynecology.
The average length of stay increased from three days in 2015 to four days in 2021, while the overall bed occupancy rate varied from year to year and from service to service. It averaged 44.55% with a minimum of 40% in 2020 and a maximum of 49.96% in 2016. During this period, the overall mortality rate was 9.62%, and 9.99% in 2015 to 9.35% in 2021.
Conclusion : The existing information system, with its shortcomings, allowed us to describe the main indicators of activity in our hospital
Effects of pecto-intercostal fascial block combined with rectus sheath block for postoperative pain management after cardiac surgery: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wang Lu , Jiang Luyang , Jiang Bailin , Xin Ling , He Miao , Yang Wei , Zhao Zhou , Feng Yi
Published: January 2023

Background: Pecto-intercostal fascial block (PIFB) provides analgesia for cardiac median sternotomy, while many patients complained of severe drainage pain which can’t be covered by PIFB. Rectus sheath block (RSB) has been attempted to solve this problem, whether PIFB combined with RSB can achieve better analgesia is uncertain.
Methods: This was a single-center randomized controlled trial at Peking University People’s Hospital from September 22, 2022 to December 21, 2022. Patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with a median sternotomy were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to
receive either bilateral PIFB and RSB (PIFB+RSB group) or PIFB (PIFB group). The primary outcome was intravenous opioid consumption within 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included opioid consumption within 48 hours, postoperative pain scores, time to extubation, length of stay in the hospital. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a before and the first 24 hours after surgery were measured.
Results: A total of 54 patients were analyzed (27 in each group). Intravenous opioid consumption within 24 hours after surgery was 2.33±1.77 mg in the PIFB+RSB group vs 3.81±2.24 mg in the PIFB group (p=0.010). Opioid consumption within 48 hours after surgery was also reduced in the PIFB+RSB group (4.71±2.71 mg vs 7.25±3.76 mg, p=0.006). There was no significant difference in pain scores, time to extubation, length of stay in hospital, the level of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-a between two groups.
Conclusions: The combination of PIFB and RSB reduced postoperative intravenous opioid consumption and prolong the duration of single shot in cardiac surgery.
Trial registration: This trial is registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2200062017) on 19/07/2022.
In vitro plant growth regulator-free propagation of Hedeoma multiflora Beth. Comparison of exo-morphological and metabolomic aspects vs. wild populations.
Authors: Diaz-Gabutti María Soledad , Magallanes-Noguera Cynthia Alejandra , Cecati Francisco Miguel , Leporati Jorge , Verdes Patricia , Kurina-Sanz Marcela
Published: January 2023

The aromatic plant Hedeoma multiflora Beth. is endangered by both the overexploitation and the advance of agricultural and urban borders. We report an efficient protocol for its in vitro propagation without using plant growth regulators (PGRs). Two in vitro plant lines, one initiated from seeds and other from binodal segments, remain stable and present high multiplication rates in half strength Murashigue and Skoog medium. Neither the addition of 1-naphthylacetic acid, kinetin or their combinations improved either growing or multiplication rates which reached 26.39 stems per initial explant after 12 weeks. A comparison toward three wild populations, harvested at both early and late summer time, shows that the morpho-anatomical characteristics of the aerial parts are fairly preserved although in vitro plants display more abundant but shorter roots. The profiles of volatile compounds from wild and in vitro specimens are quite similar, although hydrocarbon monoterpenes’ fraction is more important in the latter. Pulegone is by far the main volatile metabolite in all the assessed populations while its proportion drops in the in vitro and in the wild plants from late summer respect to wild plants from December. The concentration of the biomarkers, menthone, isomenthone, pulegone and isopulegone, is about an order of magnitude lower in the in vitro than in the wild plants. Overall, the biomass production in a PGR-free medium ensures constant composition of specialised metabolites and absence of biological and chemical contaminations, representing an alternative for the sustainable use of H. multiflora as edible material.
Macrophages play a leading role in determining the direction of astrocytic migration in spinal cord injury via ADP-P2Y1R axis
Authors: Ono Gentaro , Kobayakawa Kazu , Saiwai Hirokazu , Tamaru Tetsuya , Iura Hirotaka , Haruta Yohei , Kitade Kazuki , Iida Kei-Ichiro , Kawaguchi Ken-Ichi , Matsumoto Yoshihiro , Tsuda Makoto , Tamura Tomohiko , Ozato Keiko , Inoue Kazuhide , Konno Dai-Jiro , Maeda Takeshi , Okada Seiji , Nakashima Yasuharu
Published: January 2023

After spinal cord injury (SCI), inflammatory cells such as macrophages infiltrate the injured area, and astrocytes migrate, forming a glial scar around macrophages. The glial scar inhibits axonal regeneration, resulting in significant permanent disability. However, the mechanism by which glial scar-forming astrocytes migrate to the injury site has not been clarified. Here we show that migrating macrophages attract reactive astrocytes toward the center of the lesion after SCI. Chimeric mice with bone marrow lacking IRF8, which controls macrophage centripetal migration after SCI, showed widely scattered macrophages in injured spinal cord with the formation of a huge glial scar around the macrophages. To determine whether astrocytes or macrophages play a leading role in determining the directions of migration, we generated chimeric mice with reactive astrocyte-specific Socs3−/− mice, which showed enhanced astrocyte migration, and bone marrow from IRF8−/− mice. In this mouse model, macrophages were widely scattered, and a huge glial scar was formed around the macrophages as in wild-type mice that were transplanted with IRF8−/ bone marrow. In addition, we revealed that macrophage-secreted ATP-derived ADP attracts astrocytes via the P2Y1 receptor. Our findings revealed a mechanism in which migrating macrophages attracted astrocytes and affected the pathophysiology and outcome after SCI.
A cost-effective diagnostic approach of urothelial carcinomas in 2 mL full voided urine based on novel panels of dual methylated DNA markers
Authors: Fan Jian , Meng Chang , Wu Yucai , Cai Di , He Shiming , Li Zhihua , Zhang Lianghao , Yang Kunlin , Wang Aixiang , Li Xinfei , Du Yicong , Xiong Shengwei , Li Tingting , Dong Lanlan , Gong Yanqing , Zhou Liqun , Li Xuesong
Published: January 2023

Background:Currently, universal methylated biomarkers for urothelial carcinomas are lacking, and nearly all the diagnostic panels for bladder cancer with accuracy over 90% are multiplex (> 3 markers), and based on large volume urine (> 50 mL), which are not cost-effective for clinical application. The aim of this study was to identify universal marker for urothelial carcinomas based on 2 mL full voided urine.Method:In this study, we discovered the top 25 differential methylation regions with a sliding window method using TCGA cohort, and 8 were validated in 30 healthy blood and 20 normal urine samples by Sanger sequencing, three new regions chr10:101140373-101140735 (hg38),GRASPandAL021918.2with specificities ≥90% were further validated in 103 tissues (47 bladder cancer and 28 paired carcinoma and normal adjacent tissues of renal pelvis (n=14) and ureter (n=14)), then chr10:101140373-101140735 andAL021918.2were tested in 2mL urine from 477 participants (199 bladder cancer, 39 renal pelvis and 26 ureter carcinomas, and 213 negative samples including other urological carcinomas and benign diseases), two widely reported bladder cancer biomarkers,TWIST1andVIM, were also detected in tissue and urine samples for comparison, the technology platform was methylation-specific PCR.Results:The AUC values ofAL021918.2was highest both in tissue and urine samples in classfying urothelial carcinomas and adjacent normal/negative samples. Overally, In urine, the sensitivities and specificities ofAL021918.2for urothelial carcinomas were 87.12% and 93.90%, specifically, the sensitivities for low-grade bladder cancer, Ta stage bladder cancer, low-grade upper urinary tract urothelial carcinomas were 75.56%, 83.33% and 100%, respectively. WhenAL021918.2andVIMwere combined, the sensitivity for urothelial carcinomas could reach 93.94%, and the specificity was 92.02%, the sensitivities of the dual-targets panel for Ta stage and low-grade urothelial carcinomas were both higher than 90%.Conclusions:We found a novel and general urothelial carcinoma biomarkerAL021918.2, outperfoming the existing two bladder cancer markers. The combination ofAL021918.2andVIMhad accuracy over 90%, in addition, only 2mL full voided urine was used, greatly improving the simplicity, which had important clinical implications in future applications.
An unusual route of odontogenic infection from the mandible to the orbit through the facial spaces resulting in blindness: a rare case
Authors: Nashawi Faez Ebrahim , Shasho Hamza Omar , Alkheder Ahmad
Published: January 2023

Orbital infection is a rare complication of odontogenic infections, mostly originating from maxillary teeth. In our case, we present one of the unusual routes by which an odontogenic infection of a lower molar tooth has spread into the orbit. A 67-year-old uncontrolled diabetic patient was referred to the ear, nose, and throat department with a complaint of a swollen right masseteric region and orbital infection following a dental procedure on the right mandibular third molar that had previously failed. Computed tomography scan and Magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple abscesses localized in the masseteric and infratemporal spaces and extending into the orbital cavity through the inferior orbital fissure with no sinus involvement. Improper treatment and poorly controlled diabetes resulted in the extensive spread of the infection. Clinical and radiological re-evaluation has played a major role in the management of our case by elucidating the route of infection and localizing abscess foci accurately, enabling the team to plan the proper surgical intervention.
Implementation of Public Key Cryptosystem Using CBIR Algorithm
Authors: Chigateri Manasa K , Sonoli Savita
Published: January 2023

Content-based image retrieval, also known as query by image content is the application of computer vision techniques to the image retrieval problem, that is, the problem of searching for digital images in large databases. The usage of digital images has been increased enormously from the last decade due to the drastic growth in storage and network technology. These technological changes have led the professional users to use, store and manipulate the remotely stored images. Information Retrieval (IR) deals with location and retrieval of related documents or images on the basis of user inputs such as keywords or example as a query from the repository. Hence, to throw a light into this chosen research topic, we are carrying out an integrated analysis of HSV color histogram characteristics with contour based concepts could be used to improve the retrieval system performance in CBIR.
Nerolidol, bioactive compound suppress growth of HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells through cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis
Authors: Zhao Xiaoqian , Chinnathambi Arunachalam , Alharbi Sulaiman Ali , Natarajan Nandakumar , Raman Muthusamy
Published: January 2023

Background

Colon cancer is the most prevalent cancer and causes the highest cancer-associated mortality in both men and women globally. It has a high incidence and fatality rate, which places a significant burden on the healthcare system.

Objective

The current work was performed to understand the beneficial roles of nerolidol on the viability and cytotoxic mechanisms in the colon cancer HCT-116 cells.
Methodology
The MTT cytotoxicity assay was done to investigate the effect of nerolidol at different doses (5-100 µM) on the HCT-116 cell viability. The impacts of nerolidol on ROS accumulation and apoptosis was investigated using DCFH-DA, DAPI, and dual staining assays, respectively. The flow cytometry analysis was performed to study the influence of nerolidol on the cell cycle arrest in the HCT-116 cells.

Results

The outcomes of the MTT assay demonstrated that nerolidol at different doses (5-100 µM) substantially inhibited the HCT-116 cell viability with an IC50 level of 25 µM. The treatment with nerolidol appreciably boosted the ROS level in the HCT-116 cells. The findings of DAPI and dual staining revealed higher apoptotic incidences in the nerolidol-exposed HCT-116 cells, which supports its ability to stimulate apoptosis. The flow cytometry analysis demonstrated the considerable inhibition in cell cycle at G0/G1 phase in the nerolidol-exposed HCT-116 cells.

Conclusion

Our research showed that nerolidol can inhibit the cell cycle, increase ROS accumulation, and activate apoptosis in HCT-116 cells. In light of this, it may prove to be a potent salutary candidate to treat colon cancer.
Effect of Emergency Rubber Spring of Deflated Air Spring on Dynamic Performance of Railway Vehicles
Authors: Tiwari Vikas , Sharma Satish C. , Harsha Suraj
Published: January 2023

Emergency rubber springs (ERS) are an integral part of an air spring and act in series or parallel with the compressed air provided inside the bellow. Under the air spring’s deflated state, the ERS acts as a bumper/suspension and supports the full operating vertical and shear load. The influence of the amplitude and direction of the shear strain on the emergency spring when subjected to compression load is investigated. It is observed that the emergency spring’s stiffness slightly decreases, whereas the damping of the spring significantly increases when the central core is introduced. The influence of the central rubber core in the emergency spring and the effect of both emergency springs on the dynamic performance of vehicles are also being investigated. The results suggest that the ERS with a rubber core reduces the displacement part of the car body.
Vortex Force Decomposition - Forces Associated with Individual Elements of a Vorticity Field
Authors: Gehlert Pascal , Andreu-Angulo Ignacio , Babinsky Holger
Published: January 2023

The impulse theory used to calculate the force from a vorticity distribution in two-dimensional, incompressible flow, is re-cast with the aim of approximating, to a first order, the forces generated by a specific flow feature, such as a free vortex passing by an object. To achieve this, the force acting on the body is split up into several core contributions. The first component arises from the time variation of the body's boundary layer. The second is generated by the advection of any free vorticity located in the flowfield by the object's boundary layer vorticity. The final force contribution is due to new vorticity being shed. To test the theory, it is applied to two multi-body flowfields consisting of a circular cylinder and a flat plate wing at incidence in close proximity. Force balance measurements and planar particle image velocimetry data are simultaneously obtained at Reynolds numbers of 10 000 and 20 000. The forces acting on the cylinder are successfully recovered from the vorticity data using the derived formulation, verifying its accuracy. Subsequently, the proposed force formulation is used to create force heat maps that demonstrate how the location of a leading edge vortex affects its force contribution around a pitching NACA-0021 wing translating at a Reynolds number of 10 000.
Effects of wavelength on vortex structure and turbulence kinetic energy transfer of flow over undulated cylinders
Authors: Lyons Kathleen , Cal Raúl Bayoán , Franck Jennifer
Published: January 2023

Passive flow control research is commonly utilized to provide desirable drag and oscillating lift reduction across a range of engineering applications. This research explores the spanwise undulated cylinder inspired by seal whiskers, shown to reduce lift and drag forces when compared to smooth cylinders. Although the fluid flow over this unique complex geometry has been documented experimentally and computationally, investigations surrounding geometric modifications to the undulation topography have been limited, and fluid mechanisms by which force reduction is induced have not been fully examined. Five undulation wavelength variations of the undulated cylinder model are simulated at Reynolds number Re=250 and compared with results from a smooth elliptical cylinder. Vortex structures and turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) transfer in the wake are analyzed to explain how undulation wavelength affects force reduction. Modifications to the undulation wavelength generate a variety of flow patterns including alternating vortex rollers and hairpin vortices. Maximum force reduction is observed at wavelengths that are large enough to allow hairpin vortices to develop without intersecting each other and small enough to prevent the generation of additional alternating flow structures. The differences in flow structures modify the magnitude and location of TKE production and dissipation due to changes in mean and fluctuating strain. Decreased TKE production and increased dissipation in the near wake result in overall lower TKE and reduced body forces. Understanding the flow physics linking geometry to force reduction will guide appropriate parameter selection in bio-inspired design applications.
Construction of multiple concentration gradients for single-cell level drug screening
Authors: Shen Shaofei , Zhang Fangjuan , Zhang Yali , Li Yi , Niu Yanbing , Pang Long , Wang Jinyi
Published: January 2023

Isolation and manipulation of single cells play a crucial role in drug screening. However, previously reported single-cell drug screening lacks multiple-dose concentration gradient studies, which will limit the ability to accurately predict drug performance. To solve this problem, we constructed a multi-concentration gradient generator, in which a Tai Chi-spiral mixer can accelerate the mixing of solution in a short time and then produce a linear concentration gradient. Later, a gradient generator combined with a single-cell capture array was adopted to investigate the effects of single or combined doses of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin on HepG2 and MCF-7 cells at the single-cell level. The results showed that both drugs were effective in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, and the combination was more effective for HepG2 cells. In addition, the relationship between biomechanical heterogeneity (e.g., deformability and size) of tumor cells and potential drug resistance at single-cell level was investigated, indicating that small and/or deformable cells were more resistant than large and/or less deformable cells. The device provides a simple and reliable platform for studying the optimal dosage of different drug candidates at the single-cell level and effectively screening single-agent chemotherapy regimens and combination therapies.
Outpatient anti-spike monoclonal antibody administration is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality among patients with cancer and COVID-19
Authors: Arvanitis Panos , Lerner Alexis Hope , Vieira Kendra , Almaghlouth Nouf , Farmakiotis Dimitrios
Published: January 2023

Background: Patients with cancer have many comorbidities that increase their risk of death from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Anti-spike monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reduce the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 in the general population. To our knowledge, no studies have focused on the clinical efficacy of mAbs compared to no outpatient treatment exclusively among patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, who are often excluded from clinical trials.
Methods: We studied patients with cancer who had COVID-19 between 11.9.2020 and 7.21.2022 and received mAbs in an outpatient setting. We compared hospitalization and mortality rates to those of patients with cancer concurrently diagnosed with COVID-19, who were eligible for mAbs, but did not receive any outpatient treatment.
Results: 63 patients received mAbs and 89 no outpatient treatment. Administration of mAbs was associated with lower 90-day hospitalization (20.6% vs. 60.7%, p<0.001), all-cause (6.3% vs. 19.1%, p=0.025) and COVID-19-attributed (3.2% vs. 14.6%, p=0.019) mortality rates, and lower peak O2 requirements (ordinal Odds Ratio [OR]=0.33, 95%Confidence Intervals [CI]=0.20-0.53). Administration of mAbs (aHR 0.21, p<0.001), age (≥ 60 years, adjusted Hazard Ratio [aHR] 1.86, p=0.033), and metastases (aHR 0.41, p=0.007) were independently associated with hospitalization. mAb treatment remained significantly associated with all-cause (aHR 0.27, p=0.019) and COVID-19-attributed (aHR 0.19, p=0.031) mortality, after adjustment for other factors.
Conclusions: mAb administration was associated with improved clinical outcomes among vulnerable patients with cancer and COVID-19. With no mAbs approved currently for treatment against the prevalent circulating variants, the development of new mAbs should be a research priority.
Estimation of Depth, Physical Parameters, and Location using Nonlinear Inverse Modeling of Magnetic Data by Bhattacharya Method in a field of NW Iran
Authors: Hosseini Seyed Aliakbar , Khah Nasser Keshavarz Faraj , Kianoush Pooria , Naderi Asghar , Afzal Peyman , Ebrahimabadi Arash
Published: January 2023

Geophysical studies are utilized as one of the main steps in exploration that must be performed before exploratory drilling due to the high cost of excavation and its related heavy machinery and reduction of the exploration cost. One of the most critical geophysical issues in estimating the physical and geometric parameters is the store carrying out using the residual magnetic anomaly reduction. These parameters include depth, volume, shape factor, and type of storage. The present geophysical study aims to prepare and model magnetic data for proposed drilling sites in the Baba Ali Iron ore deposit in the Hamedan province of Iran. Inverse modeling is one of the most efficient interpretive methods of potential field data. In this study, the Bhattacharya method in MATLAB software is used to minimize the target function and potential field data to create the best fit for magnetic data. In this modeling, the graphs of the residual anomaly and model showed an excellent conformation two-dimensionally. Also, 3D modeling reconstructs the properties of the productive resources of anomalies correctly. After preparation of total magnetic maps, it was found out that the magnetic lens in four anomalies with surface depths of 20, 50, and 50 meters is estimated for this zone. Their specific gravity was 4.77 t / m3, and their initial storage capacity was 95,400 tones at most. Also, exploratory excavation is proposed to complete the preliminary explorations of the specified region by inverse modeling for the three points.
Sentiment analysis on Twitter data towards climate action
Authors: Rosenberg Emelie , Tarazona Carlota , Mallor Fermín , Eivazi Hamidreza , Pastor-Escuredo David , Fuso-Nerini Francesco , Vinuesa Ricardo
Published: January 2023

Understanding the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations (UN) is important, but difficult. In particular, policymakers would need to understand the sentiment within the public regarding challenges associated with climate change. With this in mind and the rise of social media, this work focuses on the task of uncovering the sentiment of Twitter users concerning climate-related issues. This is done by applying modern natural-language-processing (NLP) methods, i.e. VADER, TextBlob, and BERT, to estimate the sentiment of a gathered dataset based on climate-change keywords. A transfer-learning-based model applied to a pre-trained BERT model for embedding and tokenizing with logistic regression for sentiment classification outperformed the rule-based methods VADER and TextBlob; based on our analysis, the proposed approach led to the highest accuracy: 69%. The collected data contained significant noise, especially from the keyword ’energy’. Consequently, using more specific keywords would improve the results. The use of other methods, like BERTweet, would also increase the accuracy of the model. The overall sentiment in the analyzed data was positive. The distribution of the positive, neutral and negative sentiments were very similar in the different SDGs.
Minimizing heating generation in quantum dot LEDs by increasing quasi-Fermi level splitting
Authors: Gao Yan , Li Bo , Liu Jiaonan , Shen Huaibin , Song Yang , Song Jiaojiao , Yan Zhijie , Yan Xiaohan , Chong Yihua , Yao Ruyun , Wang Shujie , Li Lin Song , Fan Fengjia , Du Zuliang
Published: January 2023

Minimizing heat accumulation is essential to prolong quantum dot LEDs' operational lifetime. Reducing heat generation at the source is the ideal solution because quantum dot LEDs are composed of low thermal conductivity materials which limits heat dissipation. Achieving high brightness and high quantum efficiency at low driving voltage are the keys to realizing this goal. In this work, we propose to enhance the brightness of quantum dot LEDs at low driving voltages by using a monolayer of large quantum dots to reduce the packing number in the emitting layer. This strategy allows us to achieve a higher charge population per quantum dot for a given number of total charges without charge leakage, enabling enhanced quasi-Fermi level splitting and brightness at low driving voltage. Thanks to the minimized heat generation, these LEDs show a record high power conversion efficiency of 23% and an unprecedented T95 operation lifetime (the time for the luminance to decrease to 95% of the initial value) of more than 48,000 h at 1,000 cd m-2. The underline mechanism – enhanced quasi-Fermi level splitting enables high brightness at low driving voltage - was confirmed by our latest electrically excited transient absorption spectroscopy.
Causal Associations Between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Zhao Jiaxi , Li Kaixin , Liao Xiaoyang
Published: January 2023

Background
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was reported to be associated with hepatobiliary disease. Previous observational and Mendelian randomization (MR) studies suggested a causal association between IBD and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). However, it is unclear whether IBD has causal association with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC): another autoimmune liver disease.
Methods
We obtained genome-wide association study (GWAS) statistics from published GWASs for PBC, UC and CD. We screened qualified instrumental variables (IVs) based on the three major assumptions of MR. To determine the causal relationship between UC or CD and PBC, two-sample MR analyses were performed using inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median (WM) methods, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the robustness of the results. We also conducted reverse MR analysis to reveal the causal association between PBC and UC or CD.
Results
UC were associated with a higher risk of PBC (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.05–1.73, P = 0.02) in IVW method. And CD was associated with an increased risk of PBC (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.03–1.36, P = 0.02) in IVW method. The weighted median and MR-Egger regression of both diseases showed a consistent direction but not statistically significant. Results of reverse MR analysis did not suggest genetic susceptibility to psoriasis was associated with increased risk of UC (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.95–1.17, P = 0.34) or CD (OR = 1.1, 95% CI: 0.99–1.20, P = 0.06).
Conclusion
The present study revealed that IBD subtypes could increase the incidence of PBC, but in turn PBC did not increase the incidence of IBD subtypes. Understanding that IBD and PBC constitute mutual risk factors can help with clinical management of both diseases.
Whole Genome Analysis and Cold Adaptation Strategy of Pseudomonas fluorescens W-6 Isolated from Napahai Plateau Wetland
Authors: Xiong Lingling , Li Yanmei , Yu Hang , Wei Yunlin , Li Haiyan , Ji Xiuling
Published: January 2023

Genome of Pseudomonas fluorescens W-6, a cold-adapted bacterium isolated from Napahai plateau wetland was sequenced and analyzed. W-6 genome length was 6,109,123 bp with G + C content 59.79%. Gene prediction yielded 5,464 protein coding sequences, 70 tRNAs, 24 gene islands and 2 CRISPR sequences. The isolate was found to contain evidence of horizontal gene transfer events during its evolution. Two prophages were predicted and indicated that W-6 was a lysogen. The cold adaptation of W-6 strain showed psychrophilic rather than psychrotrophic characteristics. Cold-adapted bacterium W-6 had glycogen and trehalose metabolism pathways associated with carbohydrate active enzyme, and it utilized they as sources of energy to adapt and survive in low temperature environment. In addition, the cold-adapted mechanisms of W-6 included membrane fluidity by changing unsaturated fatty acid profile, the two-component regulatory systems, anti-sense transcription, the role played by rpsU genes in the translation process etc. The genome-wide analysis of W-6 provides us with a deeper understanding of the cold-adapted environment. The adaptive mechanism of psychrophilic W-6 strain for survival in cold environment was elucidated, which provides a strong basis for further study on host-phage coevolution.
RPA coupled with cas12a as a simple, accurate and rapid method for diagnosing rickettsia in dogs
Authors: Paenkaew Suphaporn , Jaito Nongluck , Pradit Waranee , Chomdej Siriwadee , Nganvongpanit Korakot , Siengdee Puntita , Buddhachat Kittisak
Published: January 2023

Rickettsial pathogens including Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys are bacteria that cause parasitic infections in dogs such as canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) and canine cyclic thrombocytopenia (CCT), respectively affecting mortality and morbidity worldwide. An accurate, sensitive, and rapid method to diagnose these agents is essential for effective treatment. In this study, a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) coupled with CRISPR-Cas12a methods was established to detect E. canis and A. platys infection in dogs based on the 16S rRNA. The optimal condition for DNA amplification by RPA was 37°C for 20 min, followed by CRISPR-Cas12a digestion at 37°C for one hour. RPA coupled with cas12a detection showed no cross-reaction with other parasites, and offered high sensitivity, with a limit of detection at 102 copy numbers of both E. canis and A. platys 1,000 and 100 times higher than agarose gel electrophoresis detection, respectively. The RPA-assisted cas12a assay provides specific, sensitive, rapid, simple, and appropriate detection of rickettsia in canine blood at the point-of-care for diagnostics, disease prevention, and surveillance.
Mechanisms of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomal lncRNA GAS5 in alleviating EMT of HPMCs via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Huang Yuling , Fan Yi , Yang Lina
Published: January 2023

The aim of this study was to reveal mechanisms of exosomal lncRNA GAS5 derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) under high glucose (HG) conditions. HPMCs were stimulated with 2.5% glucose. The effects on EMT of HPMCs were observed by using an hUC-MSC conditioned medium (hUC-MSC-CM) and extracted exosomes. Four groups were established: ① control group,②HG group (2.5% glucose), ③conditioned medium (CM) group (2.5% glucose and 7.5% MSC-CM), and ④ exosome group (2.5% glucose and exosomes extracted from 7.5% MSC-CM), all treated for 48 h. After hUC-MSCs were transfected with GAS5 siRNA, exosomes were extracted to act on HPMCs. Western blot assay and real-time PCR were used to detect expressions of EMT markers, PTEN and Wnt/β-catenin pathway in HPMCs. Based on the real-time PCR, the changes in levels of expression of lncRNA GAS5 and miR-21 were detected. We found that HG could induce the EMT of HPMCs. Compared with the HG group, the hUC-MSC-CM could alleviate EMT of HPMCs induced by HG through exosomes. Exosomes in the hUC-MSC-CM entered HPMCs, by transferring lncRNA GAS5 to HPMCs, which down-regulates miR-21 and up-regulates PTEN, thus finally alleviating EMT of HPMCs. Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays an essential role in alleviating EMT of HPMCs by exosomes in the hUC-MSC-CM. By transferring lncRNA GAS5 to HPMCs, exosomes derived from hUC-MSCs may competitively bind to miR-21 to regulate suppression on target PTEN genes and alleviate EMT of HPMCs through Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Algorithm Selection Using Edge ML and Case-based Reasoning
Authors: Ali Rahman , Zada Muhammad Sadiq Hassan , Khatak Asad Masood , Hussain Jamil
Published: January 2023

In practical data mining applications area, classification and predictions are the most commonly and frequently used applications which involves intelligent classification methods and algorithms. In machine learning, a large number of classification algorithms are available which take the responsibility of classifying unforeseen data in classification problems and predicts future outcomes. However, the task of selecting a right classification algorithm to produce best results is a challenging issue both for machine learning practitioners and machine learning experts. The reason is the inherit characteristics of classification problems and unpredicted behaviors of the classifiers on these problems. Furthermore, building intelligent ML algorithm recommender over large and complex datasets by extracting their meta-features using conventional computational framework is computationally and timely expensive task. Hence, investigation and mapping of the unseen characteristics of classification problems with the behaviors of classifiers is a key research problem focused in this research work. The characteristics of classification problems and behaviors of classifiers are measured in terms of meta-characteristics and classifiers performance, respectively. Machine learning research community has addressed the issue from time-to-time with various approaches, however the issues of – unavailability of training data, use of uni-metric evaluation criteria for classifiers evaluation, and selection of conflicting classifiers sill persist. Therefore, this research work has proposed a novel methodology based on edge ML and case-based reasoning (CBR) to overcome the aforementioned issues. The key contributions of the research work are enlisted as follows: (a) design of an incremental learning framework using edge ML-based CBR methodology, (b) design of a multi-metrics classifiers evaluation criteria, (c) design of an efficient algorithm conflict resolution criteria (ACR) and (d) implementation of the CBR methodology integrated with ACR to automatically select appropriate algorithm for new classification problems. To evaluate the proposed CBR-based algorithm recommendation method, jCollobri framework has been used and extensive experiments with 152 classification problems, in the form of classification datasets, and 09 decision tree classifiers are carried out. Results of the proposed multi-metrics performance criteria indicates that the proposed CBR-based methodology is an effective one as compared to the baseline classifier recommendation method and can be used in practical applications development classification and prediction problems.
Does corporate tax avoidance change as a result of the bilateral matching between incubators and incubated enterprises?- A mediating impact based on budgetary restrictions
Authors: Wen Lei , Zhang Shuhui , Li Lejiao , Tian Jin , Chen Jiajia , Wu Xueqin
Published: January 2023

Incubators play a significant role in fostering the healthy and long-term growth of entrepreneurial firms since they serve as the "policy umbrella" for business owners. This study examines the effects of "incubator-incubated enterprises" bilateral matching on corporate tax evasion and explores the mediating role of financial restrictions using the companies listed on China's National Equities Exchange and Quotations from 2015 to 2019 as the research sample. The findings indicate that there is less corporate tax evasion the higher the degree of "incubators and incubated enterprises" matching. The "incubator-incubated enterprises" bilateral matching reduces the degree of corporate tax avoidance by alleviating financial constraints. After further testing the moderating effect of R&D investment and the heterogeneous impact of incubator types, we find that the inhibitory effect of "incubator-incubated enterprises" bilateral matching on corporate tax avoidance is more significant in entrepreneurial enterprises with higher R&D investment and in comprehensive incubators. The research conclusions of this paper provide a reference for government departments to promote the construction of incubator industry, improve the overall efficiency of incubation market, and standardize the tax payment behavior of entrepreneurial enterprises.
Benzene Sulfonyl Linked Tetrasubstituted Thiacalix[4]arene for Selective and Sensitive Fluorometric Sensing of Sulfosulfuron Along with Theoretical Studies
Authors: Kashyap Priyanka , Rajpurohit Dushyantsingh , Modi Krunal , Bhasin Hinaly , Fernandes Patrick , Mishra Divya
Published: January 2023

Herein, we designed two fluorescent Tetrasubstituted Benzene sulfonyl appended Thiacalix[4]arene receptors named PK1–2 which sensitively and selectively detect Sulfosulfuron among other herbicides and pesticides. The detection limit (LOD) was found to be 0.21 ppm and 0.35 ppm, and the Enhancement constant (Ks) was determined 7.07 X 104 M− 1 and 5.55 X 104 M− 1 for PK1 and PK2 respectively. Using the Non-linear regression method, the Association constant was obtained as 2.1 X 104 M− 1 and 2.23 X 104 M− 1 whereas the binding ratio was found to be 1:1 for both PK1–2 respectively. Additionally, the interference studies show the selective nature of receptors for Sulfosulfuron among its sulfonylurea family. To further confirm the binding mechanism computational investigation was carried out, which validates the 1:1 binding ratio. The receptors were found to be recyclable in nature with simple Acid-Base treatment. This new approach of using Supramolecules as fluorescent probes for sensitive and selective detection of herbicides are rare in the literature.
Increased level of PD1 and glycolysis in CD4 + T cell promote lymph node metastasis in OSCC patient
Authors: Wu Kun , Han Nannan , Mao Yuanyuan , Li Yan
Published: January 2023

Background
Cervical lymph node metastasis is one of the poorest prognostic factors in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Activated immune cells generally have metabolic abnormality in tumor microenvironment. However, it is unknown whether abnormal glycolysis in T cells could facilitate metastatic lymph nodes in OSCC patients.
Methods
Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining were used to analyze the differences in CD4 + PD1 + T cells between metastatic (LN+) and negative (LN-) lymph nodes. RT-PCR was performed to detail the expression of immune checkpoints and glycolysis-related enzymes in LN + and LN-.
Results
The frequency of CD4+ T cells decreased in LN+ (p = 0.0019). The PD1 expression of LN + increased markedly compared to that of LN- (p = 0.0205). Similarly, the PD1 of CD4+ T cells in LN + increased significantly compared to that of LN-. Moreover, glycolysis-related enzyme levels in CD4 + T cells from LN + were dramatically higher than those in LN-. Moreover, PD1 and Hk2 expressions in CD4 + T cells increased in LN + of OSCC patients with prior surgical treatment compared to those without.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that increased PD1 and glycolysis in CD4+ T cells may serve as pivotal regulators of OSCC metastatic lymph nodes, which are closely associated with elevated glycolysis.
Storm surge and tsunami deposits along the Moroccan coasts: state of the art and future perspectives
Authors: KHALFAOUI Otmane , Dezileau Laurent , Mhammdi Nadia , Medina Fida , Mojtahid Meryem , Raji Otmane , Talibi Hajar El , Mellas Samira , Degeai Jean-Philipe , Khalidi Khaldi El , Snoussi Maria , Bendahhou Zourarah , Aboumaria Khadija
Published: January 2023

The Moroccan coast is occasionally confronted with marine submersion events caused by storm surges and tsunamis. The Moroccan historical archives recorded some of these events, such as the storm surge of 2014 CE and the tsunami of 1755 CE. The latter remains the most destructive event the country has ever faced, with major human and economic losses recorded mainly between the two cities of Tangier and Safi. The privileged way to prevent any hazard related to these events is to study their past occurrences and consequences. However, historical records are often very scarce to determine their return periods and evaluate their intensities. Accordingly, the scientific community increasingly uses sedimentary archives from coastal environments, since they offer a viable alternative to historical archives. Several studies using this approach have been conducted on the Moroccan coast in recent years; however, until now, there has been no review dealing with these studies, which is the main objective of this paper. The present review shows that most of the Moroccan sites containing marine submersion deposits are located along the Atlantic coast. The Mediterranean coast remain poorly studied despite the presence of tsunami and storm surge risks. The review draws attention also to the absence of chronological data for most of the marine submersion deposits recognized up to now along the Moroccan coasts, which is a major issue that prevents the determination of the return period of these events.
Nutrient and crop establishment methods determine carbon efficiency and crop-water productivity in intensive rice-based cropping system in Eastern India
Authors: Behera Stuti D , Garnayak Lalita Mohan , Behera Basudev , Sarangi Sukanta Kumar , Jena Jagadish , Behera Swosti D , Dwibedi Sanat Kumar
Published: January 2023

Achieving sustainable crop-water productivity and carbon efficiency of intensive cropping systems such as rice (Oryza sativa)-toria(Brassica campestrisL. var. toria)-sweet corn (Zea mays con var. saccharata var. rugosa) system in Eastern India, need synergies of nutrient management, rice variety and crop establishment methods. Efficient nutrient management in rice, tillage and establishment oftoriaand sweet corn, were identified in two years (2018-19 and 2019-20) replicated field experiment conducted at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The treatments comprising of three nutrient management [N1: 100% Soil Test Based Nitrogen Recommendation (STBNR), N2: 75% STBNR +in situgreen manuring ofDhaincha(GM) and N3: 50% STBNR + GM in rice, two rice varieties (V1: ‘Manaswini’ of 130 d duration and V2: ‘Hasanta’ of 145 d duration) and three crop establishment methods intoria viz., E1: Zero Till-Flat Bed (ZT-FB), E2: Conventional Till-Flat Bed (CT-FB) and E3: Conventional Till-Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed (CT-FIRB) were tried in split plot design with four replications. Sweet corn was grown aftertoriafollowing the same lay out. Application of 75% STBNR+GM proved to be the best with the maximum system rice equivalent yield (REY) of 21.10 t ha-1, input water productivity (IWP) of 0.44 kg REY ha-mm-1, C output of 14,484 kg ha-1, carbon efficiency (CE) of 8.58 and carbon sustainability index (CSI) of 7.58. ‘Manaswini’ rice-based system registered 4% higher REY as compared to ‘Hasanta’ rice-based system, but both systems were at par for IWP, carbon output, CE and CSI. System involving CT-FIRB recorded the maximum REY, IWP and carbon output, registering marginally higher values than ZT-FB and significantly higher value than CT-FB. Both CT-FIRB and ZT-FB were at par for CE and CSI.
Quest Markup for Developing FAIR Questionnaire Modules for Epidemiologic Studies
Authors: Russ Daniel E. , Gerlanc Nicole M. , Shen Brian , Patel Bhaumik , González Amy Berrington , Freedman Neal D. , Cusack Julie M. , Gaudet Mia M. , García-Closas Montserrat , Almeida Jonas S.
Published: January 2023

Background
Online questionnaires are commonly used to collect information from participants in epidemiological studies. This requires building questionnaires using machine-readable formats that can be delivered to study participants using web-based technologies such as progressive web applications. However, the paucity of open-source markup standards with support for complex logic make collaborative development of web-based questionnaire modules difficult. This often prevents interoperability and reusability of questionnaire modules across epidemiological studies.
Results
We developed an open-source markup language for presentation of questionnaire content and logic, Quest, within a real-time renderer that enables the user to test logic (e.g., skip patterns) and view the structure of data collection. We provide the Quest markup language, an in-browser markup rendering tool, questionnaire development tool and an example web application that embeds the renderer, developed for The Connect for Cancer Prevention Study.
Conclusion
A markup language can specify both the content and logic of a questionnaire as plain text. Questionnaire markup, such as Quest, can become a standard format for storing questionnaires or sharing questionnaires across the web. Quest is a step towards generation of FAIR data in epidemiological studies by facilitating reusability of questionnaires and data interoperability using open-source tools.