bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Triglyceride-Glucose Index and the Incidence of Stroke: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies
Authors: Liao Canlin , Xu Haixiong , Jin Tao , Xu Ke , Xu Zhennan , Zhu Lingzhen , Liu Mingfa
Published: September 2022

Background
Insulin resistance has been confirmed to be involved in atherosclerosis pathogenesis. As a new indicator, the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has greater operability in the evaluation of insulin resistance. Previous studies have shown inconsistent results in evaluating the association between TyG index and stroke incidence in people without stroke at baseline. Therefore, this study was to systematically assess the association by conducting a meta-analysis.
Methods
Cohort studies on TyG index and stroke were obtained by searching the PubMed, the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) and EMBASE databases. The multivariate-adjusted correlation of end points was studied, including TyG index and stroke (including ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke) or ischemic stroke. Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 16 were adopted for meta-analysis.
Results
Eight cohort studies with 5,719,098 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that participants with the highest TyG index category at baseline, compared to those with the lowest TyG index category, were independently associated with a higher risk of stroke [Hazard ratio (HR): 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22–1.43, I2 = 32%, P < 0.00001]. Subgroups analysis remained that study designs, ethnicity and characteristics of participants had no subgroup effects (for subgroup analysis, all P༞0.05), except outcome report(stroke or ischemic stroke) which suggested that it may had a stronger effect on the association(χ2 = 4.78, P = 0.03).
Conclusions
A higher TyG index may be independently associated with a higher risk of stroke in people without stroke at baseline. Keywords: Triglyceride-glucose index, Insulin resistance, stroke, Meta-analysis
Predictors of knowledge on menopausal symptoms: the case of Debre Berhan town, Amhara region, Ethiopia
Authors: Getahun Tomas , Elefachew Awoke , Abebe Yonas , Habtemichael Mizan
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Menopause is the permanent absence of menstruation. It is a phase in women’s health with multiple symptoms that can affect the overall well-being and quality of life. After pregnancy, women do not have a special place in the health care system and receive less attention. In Ethiopia, we know little about the population’s knowledge of menopausal symptoms. Therefore, this study assessed knowledge of menopausal symptoms and its predictors among middle-aged women in Debre Berhan town.Method: Community based cross-sectional study was done from March 6 to 30, 2020 in Debre Berhan town. Multistage random sampling was used to select the sample size. The Data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 then exported to Statistical Package for Social Science version 25 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were employed and variables at p-value < 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval were identified as significant factors. Results: The level of knowledge of menopausal symptoms was 23.3%. Place of residency, women's educational status, woman's wealth quintile had a statistically significant association with the knowledge level of menopausal symptoms. Conclusion: The level of knowledge of menopausal symptoms was low. Integrating menopausal health within the health promotion and education programs would be crucial.
Review of cardiac safety in onasemnogene abeparvovec gene therapy: translation from preclinical to clinical findings
Authors: Chand Deepa , Sun Rui , Diab Karim , Kenny Damien , Tukov Francis Funyuy
Published: September 2022

Human gene therapies such as onasemnogene abeparvovec (OA) use recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors to treat monogenic disorders. The heart and liver are known target organs of toxicity in animals; with cardiac and hepatic monitoring recommended in humans after OA dosing. This manuscript provides a comprehensive description of cardiac data from preclinical studies and all clinical sources following intravenous OA administration through 23 November 2021. Single dose mouse GLP-Toxicology studies revealed dose-dependent cardiac findings including thrombi, myocardial inflammation and degeneration/regeneration, which were associated with early mortality (4–7 weeks) in the high dose groups. No such findings were documented in non-human primates (NHP) after 6 weeks or 6 months post-dose. No electrocardiogram or echocardiogram abnormalities were noted in NHP or humans. After OA dosing, some patients developed isolated elevations in troponin without associated signs/symptoms; the reported cardiac adverse events in patients were considered of secondary etiology (e.g. respiratory dysfunction or sepsis leading to cardiac events). Clinical data indicate cardiac toxicity observed in mice does not translate to humans. SMA in itself, has been associated with cardiac events. Healthcare professionals should use medical judgement when assessing cardiac events post OA dosing so as to consider all possibilities and manage the patient accordingly.
Paraoxonase 1 status is a major Janus-faced component of mild and moderate acute ischemic stroke and consequent disabilities
Authors: Brinholi Francis F , Michelin Ana Paula , Matsumoto Andressa Keiko , Semeão Laura de O. , Almulla Abbas F. , Supasitthumrong Thitiporn , Tunvirachaisakul Chavit , Barbosa Decio S. , Maes Michael
Published: September 2022

Aims: This study aims to examine the associations between paraoxonase 1 (PON)1 status and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and consequent disabilities.Methods: This study recruited 122 patients with AIS and 40 healthy controls and assessed the Q192R gene variants, arylesterase (AREase) and chloromethyl phenylacetate (CMPAase) activities, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) in baseline conditions. AREase and CMPAase were measured 3 months later. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the modified Rankin score (mRS) were assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months later.Results: Reduced CMPAase and increased AREase activities are significantly associated with AIS and mRS and NIHSS scores (baseline and 3 and 6 months later). The best predictor of AIS/disabilities was a decrease in the z-unit-based composite zCMPAase-zAREase score. Serum high density lipoprotein cholsterol (HDL) was significantly correlated with CMPAase, but not AREase, activity and a lowered zCMPAase+zHDL score was the second best predictor of AIS/disabilities. Regression analysis showed that 34.7% of the variance in baseline NIHSS was explained by zCMPAase-zAREase and zCMPAase+zHDL composites, HDL, and hypertension. Neural network analysis showed that stroke was differentiated from controls with an area under the ROC curve of 0.975 using both new composite scores, PON1 status, hypertension, dyslipidemia, previous stroke as body mass index. The PON1 Q192R genotype has many significant direct and mediated effects on AIS/disabilities, however, its overall effect was not significant.Discussion: PON1 status and the CMPAase-HDL complex play key roles in AIS and its disabilities at baseline and 3 and 6 months later.
Study on metal-rubber contact behavior based on a reconstructed 3D topography of contact surface
Authors: Fu Hailong , Wang Yue , Huang Congcong , Zou Longqing
Published: September 2022

In frictional wear study of shaft seal, a refined description of contact surface topography is needed, but it is difficult to directly obtain the contact characteristics like the actual contact area and the corresponding contact states due to a tiny contact gap of metalrubber contact. Traditionally, a measuring observation apparatus is used to collect the surface information during the dynamic contact, but is limited by the accuracy and more cost. In this paper, a new method is proposed to investigate a refined contact area of rubber surface during the dynamic contact through reconstructing the micro topography. A metal-rubber contact model is established based on the coordinate cloud built by the height distribution function of the asperities. According to the model, the finite element simulation on metal-rubber contact is conducted in ANSYS APDL and the frictional contact behavior under different roughness is discussed. The result shows there is a power exponent relation between the actual contact area and the external pressure, and four contact states, no contact, initial contact, adhesion contact and sliding contact, exist in the process. It gives an effective way to determine the dynamic actual contact area in the frictional wear study of rubber material, and offers an effective modelling method with quantitative scale to study the micro contact properties for rigid-flexible contact situations.
Shift work is associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and elevated RBP4 level: cross sectional analysis from the OHSPIW cohort study
Authors: Wang Li , Ma Qi , Fang BinBin , Su YinXia , Lu Wanxian , Liu Mengdi , Li Xue , Liu Jiwen , He LiJuan
Published: September 2022

Background: Shift work is becoming increasingly common worldwide. Shift work disrupts the body’s normal circadian rhythm, which could lead to an increased risk of many chronic diseases through the dysregulation of normal physiological, behavioral, and psychosocial pathways. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of shift work on type 2 diabetes(T2DM) and Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) level. Methods: This study adopted the method of multi-stage stratified cluster sampling. 1499 oilfield workers in the OHSPIW cohort who participated in the occupational health examination from March 2017 to June 2018 were randomly selected. We evaluated their shift work, sleep quality, T2DM status with questionnaires and plasma RBP4 levels in blood samples. Chi-square tests, t-tests, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: The prevalence rate of T2DM in shift workers (6.56%) was significantly higher than that in day workers (4.21%) (OR=1.599, 95%CI:1.010-2.533), and there was no significant difference in family history of diabetes, hypertension and other chronic heart diseases (P =0.378). The total score of the PSQI was distinctly higher in shift workers (6.89 ± 3.35) than that in day workers (5.99 ± 2.87) (P < 0.001). Adjusting for age, gender, BMI, family income, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and PSQI, shift work remained to be a risk factor for T2DM (OR=1.913, 95%CI: 1.167-3.135). The results of pairwise comparison showed that the levels of RBP4 were statistical difference in shift and non-shift without T2DM and shift and non-shift with T2DM group (P < 0.001). The RBP4 level of the shift group without T2DM was higher than the non-shift group without T2DM (P < 0.05). The levels of RBP4 in shift and non-shift group with T2DM was higher than shift and non-shift group without T2DM (P < 0.05). The multivariate linear mixed model showed that when age, gender, BMI, diabetes, PSQI, family income, smoking and drinking remained unchanged, the RBP4 level of the shift workers increased by an average of 9.51μg/mL compared with that of the day workers.Conclusions: Shift work is associated with an increased risk of T2DM and high levels of RBP4. Follow-up of RBP4 may help early detection of T2DM in shift workers.
Prediction model of lymph node metastasis for early gastric cancer: a better choice than computed tomography
Authors: Wang Peng , Tang Chao-Tao , Li Jun , Jin Rui-Ri , Chen You-xiang , Zeng Chun-yan
Published: September 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish and validate a nomogram for predicting lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer and to compare it with the predictive power of computed tomography (CT). Methods: Patients with early gastric cancer (2016-2021) from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were included in the study. A nomogram was constructed according to stepwise regression analysis and logistic regression analysis. Results: In the validation cohort, the incidence of lymph node metastasis was 15.67%. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that 7 variables are associated with lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer. According to stepwise regression analysis, 5 variables were screened to construct a nomogram, including T stage, total bilirubin (TB), Lauren typing, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), vascular invasion. the AUCs of the ROC for the nomograms in the training cohort and the validation cohort is 0.795 (95% CI: 0.754–0.837) and 0.729 (95% CI: 0.655–0.803), respectively, higher than the AUCs of the CT in the training cohort and the validation cohort. Conclusion: The constructed nomogram has good performance and discrimination, which is better than CT, and successfully visualizes risk factors associated with LN metastasis in early gastric cancer.
Novel inhibition of AKR1C3 and androgen receptor axis by PTUPB synergizes enzalutamide treatment in advanced prostate cancer
Authors: Liu Chengfei , Yang Joy , Xu Pengfei , Ning Shu , Wasielewski Logan , Adomat Hans , Hwang Sung Hee , Morisseau Christophe , Gleave Martin , Corey Eva , Gao Allen C. , Lara Primo , Evans Christopher P , Hammock Bruce
Published: September 2022

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is the main driving force of mortality in prostate cancer patients. Among the parameters contributing to the progression of CRPC and treatment failure, elevation of the steroidogenic enzyme AKR1C3 and androgen receptor variant 7 (AR-V7) are frequently reported. The AKR1C3/AR-V7 complex has been recognized as a major driver for drug resistance in advanced prostate cancer. Herein we report that the level of AKR1C3 is reciprocally regulated by the full-length androgen receptor (AR-FL) through binding to the distal enhancer region of the AKR1C3 gene. A novel function of PTUPB in AKR1C3 inhibition was discovered and PTUPB showed more effectiveness than indomethacin and celecoxib in suppressing AKR1C3 activity and CRPC cell growth. PTUPB synergizes with enzalutamide treatment in tumor suppression and gene signature regulation. Combination treatments with PTUPB and enzalutamide provide benefits by blocking AR/AR-V7 signaling, which inhibits the growth of castration relapsed VCaP xenograft tumors and patient derived xenograft organoids. Targeting of the ARK1C3/AR/AR-V7 axis with PTUPB and enzalutamide may overcome drug resistance to AR signaling inhibitors in advanced prostate cancer.
The pungency impact of 6-gingerol on the methane generation from food waste by anaerobic digestion: batch and two stages performance
Authors: Xue Wenna , Zhou Yunlong , Huang Zhenxing , Zhao Mingxing , Miao Henghfeng , Shi Wansheng , Ruan Wenquan
Published: September 2022

6-gingerol, a spicy active ingredient present in ginger, widely exists in food waste. Herein, the mechanism followed for the anaerobic digestion of 6-gingerol in food waste has been investigated. Experimental results showed that 6-gingerol could enhance methane production from 0.80% to 18.32% under a concentration of 10-30 mg/gVS. However, the cumulative methane yield decreased by 66.28% and 71.86% when the 6-gingerol concentration was 40 and 50 mg/gVS, respectively. The concentrations of volatile fatty acids, soluble chemical oxygen demand, carbohydrates and proteins in 6-gingerol-treated groups were slightly higher than in control, indicating that 6-gingerol might facilitate the release of organics into mixed liquor. Sequencing analysis revealed that the addition of 6-gingerol could inhibit the growth of acetoclastic methanogens and enhance the abundance of hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Studies on different stages showed that the extent of inhibition of methanogens associated with 6-gingerol was higher than that of the acidification stage.
Characterization of the endogenous promoters in Yarrowia lipolytica for the biomanufacturing applications
Authors: Wang Chang , Lu Xueyao , Lin Mingxin , Liu Yingfang , Lu Huizhi , Zhu Jiang , Sun Xiaoman , Gu Yang
Published: September 2022

Background: Yarrowia lipolytica, an oleaginous yeast with the GRAS status, has been developed as a platform for the chemical production. Specifically, promoter engineering is an important approach to regulating gene expression at the transcriptional level, which is of great significance in constructing microbial cell factories. Until now, some work on the promoter study has been carried out in Y. lipolytica. However, compared with other microorganisms, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bacillus subtilis, and etc., obtained achievements still need further replenishment and development for Y. lipolytica. Results: To accurately analyze the promoter strength and avoid background interference, we used the NanoLuc luciferase reporter method. Furthermore, we screened 81 endogenous promoters in Y. lipolytica, mainly involved in carbon metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism. Among them, the strongest promoter is PMnDH2 (YALI0D18964g), 1.60-fold of the strength of the PTEF promoter, and the weakest promoter is PPHO89 (YALI0E23859g), 0.06% of the PTEF promoter. Conclusions: As a result, we obtained 15 strong promoters, 41 medium strength promoters, and 25 weak promoters, with the strength spanning from 0.06% to 1.60-fold of PTEF promoter. In general, our study provides a unique and available endogenous promoter library for Y. lipolytica.
Assessment of Cardiopulmonary Manifestations and its Correlation with Semi-quantitative scoring of High-resolution Computed Tomography in Patients with Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.
Authors: El-Kalashy Mai M. , Elbeltagy Samah A. , Zahran Enas S. , Salman Maha M. , Elrahman Shrief R. Abd , Abdalraouf Mai M. , El-Koa Amal A.
Published: September 2022

Purpose: Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) are groups of diseases that are commonly associated with cardiac and pulmonary manifestations and may affect the morbidity and mortality of the patients. This study aimed to the assessment of cardiopulmonary manifestations and its correlation with the semi-quantitative scoring of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in ARD patients.Methods and patients: The study included 30 patients (mean age 42.2±9.76 years) diagnosed with ARD [10 patients were scleroderma (SSc), 10 patients were rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 10 patients were systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)]. All patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology and underwent spirometry, echocardiography, disease activity or disability scores, and chest HRCT. The HRCT was assessed by a semi-quantitative score for parenchymal abnormalities including ground glass opacity (GGO), fibrosis (F), and honeycombing (HC).Results: The total lung score by HRCT was 14.8±8.78 (mean±SD). There were statistically significant positive correlations between ESR (r =0.528, p=0.003), CRP (r=0.439, p =0.015) and ESPAP (r=0.459,p=0.011) and total lung score and significant negative correlation between PaO2 (r=-0.395, P=0.031), FVC% (r=-0.687, p=0.001), Tricuspid E(r= -0.370, p=0.044), Tricuspid E/è (r= -0.397,p=0.03), TAPSE (r= -0.405, p=0.027), MPI-TDI(r= -0.428, p=0.018) and RV Global strain(r= -0.567, p=0.001) and total lung score. There was no significant correlation between the total lung score and any of the disease scores.Conclusion: The semi-quantitative score is a reliable method that correlated with lung and RV functions.
Near-field ultrafast nanoscopy of carrier dynamics in silicon nanowires
Authors: Li Jingang , Yang Rundi , Rho Yoonsoo , Ci Penghong , Eliceiri Matthew , Park Hee , Wu Junqiao , Grigoropoulos Costas
Published: September 2022

Carrier distribution and dynamics in semiconductor materials often govern their physics properties that are critical to functionalities and performance in industrial applications. The continued miniaturization of electronic and photonic devices calls for new tools to probe carrier behavior in semiconductors simultaneously at the picosecond time and nanometer length scales. Here, we develop pump-probe scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) to characterize the carrier dynamics in semiconductor nanowires. By coupling experiments with the point-dipole model, we resolve the size-dependent photoexcited carrier lifetime in individual silicon nanowires. We further demonstrate local carrier decay time mapping in silicon nanostructures with a sub-50 nm spatial resolution. Our pump-probe s-SNOM enables the nanoimaging of ultrafast carrier kinetics, which is an important step in advancing the future design of a broad range of electronic, photonic, and optoelectronic devices.
A south Mediterranean country's demand on available marine biomass: Assessment of Algerian fisheries sustainability.
Authors: Akrour Sonia , Grimes Samir
Published: September 2022

This study focuses on fishing activity in Algeria, specifically the extraction of marine resources in Algerian costal and offshore zones. This sector is expected to meet several objectives and should contribute to Algeria's food security. Seafood is a significant source of protein and highly favoured by Algeria's coastal communities (Zaimen et al., 2021). However, with limited data available o describing the biomass that could be exploited, the pressure could eventually increase, on a common stock shared by all users and is already regarded as poorly studied (Chikhi, 2018). Therefore, this work includes the estimation of the marine footprint MF, which is the ratio between the demand of each fished species, known as the required primary production PPR (Pauly and Christensen, 1995), and the available biomass in terms of primary production PP of the marine ecosystems in Algerian fishing waters. The latter is derived from the literature, relying on studies covering the considered area (Tellai, 1964; Kessouri et al., 2017). This study’s main goal is to assess the sustainability of Algerian fisheries, aiming at apprehending human demand on marine resources. The main study finding outline a PPR, PP ratio that doesn’t exceed 1% demonstrating a sustainable fishing activity. However, the obtained results, which tend to low MF percentages may imply that the available marine biomass in the Algerian fishing zones are not fully exploited.
Patients' knowledge of anesthetic practice and the role of anesthetists during COVID-19 pandemic.
Authors: D'Agostino Fausto , Fusco Pierfrancesco , Sammartini Davide , Sammartini Emanuele , Sinagoga Angela , Poloni Jessica , Angeletti Silvia , Fabris Silvia , Ferri Claudio , Pelosi Paolo , Agrò Felice Eugenio
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Anesthesiologists play a vital role in perioperative and critical care medicine. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of patients’ knowledge about the in-hospital role of anesthetists, anesthesia techniques and awareness during surgery.Methods: A survey composed of 13 close-ended questions (3 about demographic information and 10 anesthesia related), was submitted to 1400 patients during the pre-anesthesia visit between 10/01/2021 and 31/05/2021.Results: We included in the analysis 1400 questionnaires. The role of anesthesiologists in the perioperative management was known by 1267 (90.5%) patients and the role of surgeons by 1143 (81.7%) patients. Knowledge on the anesthesiologist was obtained from personal or relatives’ previous experiences (56.3%) or their family doctors (26.9%). Patients believed that anesthesiologists put people asleep while monitoring vital functions (44.1%) and authorize surgery (31.4%). Patients had fears of general (42.5%) and spinal/epidural (36.8%) anesthesia, more frequently related to death during anesthesia (34.6%) or to intra-operative pain (25.2%). Conclusion: During COVID-19 pandemic, patients had knowledge about the role of anesthetists and anesthetic practice. However, information should be improved by supplying more educational material before the surgical procedure.
Evaluation of compressed air adsorption dryer with three different heat regeneration modes
Authors: V Suresh kannan , S Vijayan , R Lenin V , M Matheswaran M , M Sowrirajan
Published: September 2022

Compressed air without any traces of moisture is utmost important in several engineering applications. Heat regeneration-based adsorption dryer is mostly preferred to treat compressed air to ultra-low dew point. In this work, the essential characteristics of the different types heat regeneration mode adsorption dryer namely internal heating mode, external heating mode and compressed air heating mode are experimentally studied. The principal calculation schemes of adsorption dryers are based on the previous work and the calculations form the basis of a logical comparison between systems. The system assessment is carried out on common performance range for all modes namely compressed air output of 1000 to 5000 m3/hr, operating pressure of 5 to 10 bar, and feed air temperature of 25 to 45°C. The results revealed that the characteristic specific energy requirement in terms of electrical energy for internal heating regeneration, external heating regeneration and compressor air heating regeneration are 0.176 kW/m3/min,0.342 kW/m3/min, and 0 kW/m3/min respectively. In addition to that the characteristic specific energy requirement in terms of dried regeneration air requirement for internal heating, external heating and compressor air heating are 0.203 kW/m3/min,0 kW/m3/min, and 0 kW/m3/min respectively. It is also concluded that the energy and capital cost referred to 35°C feed air temperature and 8 bar abs. feed air pressure for 3000 m3/hr volume flow rate of product air attracts same amount for all the three modes of heat regeneration. Thus, a system comparison with reproducible dryer data for the varying performance ranges can be developed and utilized for practical purposes.
Improving Clinical Trial Design Using Interpretable Machine Learning Based Approach
Authors: Kavalci Ece , Hartshorn Anthony
Published: September 2022

This study proposes using a machine learning pipeline to optimise clinical trial design. The goal is to use machine learning modelling to predict early termination probability of clinical trials and to understand feature contributions driving this outcome to make further suggestions to the study protocol to reduce the risk of wasted resources. A dataset containing 420,268 clinical trial records and 24 fields was extracted from the ct.gov registry. In addition to study characteristics features, this study uses 12,864 eligibility criteria search features generated using a public annotated eligibility criteria dataset, CHIA. Ensemble models including random forest and extreme gradient boosting classifiers were used for training and evaluating predictive performance. We achieved a Receiver Operator Characteristic Area under the Curve score of 0.78, and balanced accuracy of 0.70 on the test set using xgBoost. We used Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) to interpret our black box machine learning models to make suggestions on trial protocol of any test instance. This pipeline will lead to an optimised clinical trial design and consequently will help potentially life-saving treatments reach patients faster.
Image-Based Analysis and Quantification of Biofouling in Cultures of the Red Alga Asparagopsis taxiformis
Authors: Dishon Gal , Resetarits Hannah M. , Tsai Brandon , Black Kyra , Grossmann Jenny , Smith Jennifer E.
Published: September 2022

Methane is an extremely potent yet short-lived greenhouse gas and is thus recognized as a promising target for rapid climate change mitigation. About 35% of anthropogenic methane emissions are associated with livestock production, and most of these emissions are the outcome of enteric fermentation in ruminant animals. The red seaweed Asparagopsis is currently considered the most efficient feed additive to suppress methane emissions from enteric fermentation but is not currently available on commercial scale. The ongoing effort to successfully commercialize Asparagopsis requires the development of pest control frameworks which rely on the quantitative assessment of biological contamination in cultures. Here we present a low-cost readily available approach for quantifying biofouling in Asparagopsis taxiformis cultures based on microscopic examination and automated image analysis. The proposed methodology is demonstrated to estimate contamination associated with Asparagopsis biomass with error rates lower than 2% over a wide range of contamination levels and contaminating organisms, while significantly cutting down image processing time and allowing for frequent contamination quantification.
Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation combined with direct transaortic transcatheter valve-in-annular stent implantation after rescue mechanical Bentall procedure, A case report.
Authors: Pya Yuriy , Bekbossynova Makhabbat , Novikova Svetlana , Alimbayev Serik , Mussayev Abdurashid , Faizulla Maksat , Andossova Saltanat , Lesbekov Timur , Kuanyshbek Aidyn , Vakhrushev Ivan
Published: September 2022

Background
Ventricular assist devices are an important technological development for patients with decompensated end-stage heart failure as bridging therapy for patients awaiting heart transplantation or as destination therapy. This report illustrates a case of a direct transaortic transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation into a mechanical aortic valve prosthesis during LVAD implantation. The advantage of our procedure in this case report is a significant reduction of ischemia time and the avoidance of such an extensive reoperation period as an aortic root replacement.
Case presentation:
A 34-year-old male suffering from Marfan’s syndrome underwent an emergency aortic root replacement with a 27/30 mm St. Jude Medical Masters conducted by the Bentall-De Bono technique combined implantation veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO): subclavian artery – femoral vein. The patient had been on temporary extracorporeal support for 17 days. There was a progression of renal, respiratory, and heart failure in the postoperative period and echocardiography revealed a left ventricular ejection fraction of about 11%, severe mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation. Taking into account these indicators LVAD implantation was recommended by the council of doctors. The patient resided in the ICU department for 27 days and was discharged at 45 days after LVAD implantation.
Conclusions
Currently, an increasing number of patients with previously implanted mechanical prostheses are in need of mechanical circulatory support. At the same time, taking into consideration the high risk of thrombosis, a mechanical prosthesis should be replaced with a biological one. Complete replacement of the aortic root takes a long time, especially under conditions of reoperation period, which can significantly aggravate right ventricular failure and increase hospital mortality in such category of patients.
Higher socioeconomic status strengthens confidence facing the COVID-19 pandemic for the males rather than females: the predictive role of left hippocampus
Authors: Zhang Rong , Chen Zhiyi , Zhao Weihua , Feng Pan , Zhou Feng , Feng Tingyong
Published: September 2022

Socioeconomic status (SES) has a large impact on the way individuals respond to environmental threats. However, less is known about how SES links to personal confidence in confronting COVID-19 and its underlying neural mechanisms. To this end, we assessed self-confidence in coping with pandemic on 606 participants during its peak in China from 21th, February, 2020 to 28th, February, 2020, who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning before the outbreak from 17th, September, 2019 to 11th, January, 2020. We found that males, rather than females, showed heightened confidence levels as SES increased. Similarly, greater gray matter volumes (GMV) in the left hippocampus, which were identified as SES-related brain correlates using whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) method, predicted higher confidence level for males, whilst such association was not found among females. Moreover, an independent moderation analysis replicated the predictive role of GMV based on the pre-defined anatomical structure (i.e., left hippocampus). These findings suggested that relative to females, a less threat-biased evaluation style shaped by greater hippocampal volumes might account for the males’ adequate psychological resources for coping with the pandemic. Overall, evidence highlighted the importance to focus on specific populations like females, and people from lower SES in the era of pandemic.
Laparoscopic gastric dissociation using two-port approach in minimally invasive esophagectomy
Authors: Pan Huaguang , Zhang Renquan , Li Ao , Fang Hanlin , Zheng Hao , Jiang Menglong , Ge Wei , Zhou Fan , Liu Xiancheng , Yin Chuntong
Published: September 2022

Background
A new approach of laparoscopic gastric dissociation in minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) was attempted. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of two-port laparoscopy in McKeown procedure.
Methods
From August 2019 to August 2021, 206 patients with esophageal cancer underwent laparoscopic modified two-port or traditional five-port McKeown procedure in our institution. Surgical outcomes of the methods were compared.
Results
Of the patients, 106 (51.46%) underwent modified two-port procedure, while 100 (48.54%) underwent traditional five-port procedure. Propensity score matching produced 182 patients for comparison. The laparoscopic operative time was 48.40 ± 13.33 and 45.75 ± 10.65 min, respectively (p = 0.140). There was no significant difference in the median number of dissected celiac lymph nodes in both groups (7.69 ± 3.37 vs. 8.56 ± 6.54, p = 0.262). The number of positive celiac lymph nodes was 0.36 ± 1.01 and 0.64 ± 1.32, respectively (p = 0.116). Blood loss during laparoscopic surgery in the modified two-port group was similar to that in the traditional five-port group (16.87 ± 18.93 mL vs. 15.88 ± 17.62 mL, p = 0.716). The postoperative length of hospital stay was 10.21 ± 4.23 days and 10.22 ± 4.24 days, respectively (p = 0.986). Complication rates in both groups were not significantly different (13.2% vs. 18.7%, p = 0.563). There was no significant difference in postoperative abdominal pain VAS scores between the two groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusions
The modified McKeown procedure with two-port laparoscopy is a viable option for patients with esophageal cancer. Larger studies with longer follow-up duration are warranted.
TET2 and LILRB3 mutations are frequent in EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma especially in elderly patients
Authors: Cho Junhun , Kim Eojin , Yoon Sang Eun , Kim Seok Jin ,   Won Seog 2 Kim
Published: September 2022

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma harboring Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) primarily occurs in patients with underlying immunodeficiency or elderly patients with immune senescence but is also reported in young, immunocompetent patients. We investigated the pathological differences in EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in these three groups of patients. A total of 57 patients with EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were included in the study; of these, 16 were immunodeficiency-associated patients, 10 were young (age <50 years), and 31 were elderly patients (age ≥50 years). Immunostaining for CD8, CD68, PD-L1, and EBNA2 and panel-based next-generation sequencing were performed. The histologic type was monomorphic in 46 patients and polymorphic in seven patients. Immunohistochemistry revealed EBNA2 positivity in 21 of the 49 patients. The degree of CD8 and CD68-positive immune cell infiltration and PD-L1 expression did not significantly differ in each group. The clinical characteristics of the three groups were generally similar; however, extranodal site involvement was more common in young patients (P=0.021). In mutational analysis, the genes with the highest mutation frequency were PCLO (n=14), TET2 (n=10), and LILRB1 (n=10). For TET2 gene, all 10 mutations were found in elderly patients (P=0.007). For LILRB1, 8 out of 10 mutations were found in elderly patients (P=0.184). In comparison with a validation cohort, both TET2 and LILRB1 showed a higher mutation frequency in EBV-positive than EBV-negative cases. EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma occurring in three different age and immune status groups showed similar clinical and pathological characteristics. Notably, high frequency of TET2 and LILRB1 mutations was characteristic to this disease in elderly patients. Further studies are needed to determine the role of TET2 and LILRB1 mutations in the development of EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma along with immune senescence.
Hydrophobic nanocoating impacts on the PV panels' current-voltage and power-voltage curves.
Authors: Elsaadawi Youssef , Tayel Samir Ahmed , El-Maaty Ashour Eid Abu , Mostafa Eman Mohamed
Published: September 2022

Numerous factors, such as dust accumulation and light reflection off PV panel surfaces, adversely affect the performance and efficiency of PV solar panels. On PV panels, dust accumulation increases with time. Irradiation losses caused by dust deposition have a negative impact on PV solar panels. Regular cleaning is necessary for PV panel maintenance, but when carried out manually, it is labor-intensive. The hand-cleaning techniques use a lot of water and energy. The automated cleaning methods initially cost a lot of money and need an electrical source to function. As a result, self-cleaning techniques like hydrophobic coatings are popular since they don't require power and don't leave scratches on panels during cleaning. Since the current-voltage curve, the power-voltage curve, and the fill factor are the most indicative factors of the efficiency and performance of photovoltaic panels, the impact of hydrophobic nanocoating and dust on these factors was investigated in this study. The study showed that the nano coating was hydrophobic and had a self-cleaning effect. After 40 days of exposure to outdoor conditions, the dust density on RP and PNP before water spraying (self-cleaning) was 10 and 4.30 g/m 2 , while the dust density after water spraying(self-cleaning) was 4.80 and 1.12 g/m 2 respectively. The I-V curve for a clean reference panel (RP) and a prepared-nanocoated panel (PNP) showed that the short circuit current Isc was 5.69, 5.7, and 5.82 A, and the open circuit voltage Voc was 20.3 and 20.7 V respectively. The fill factor for PNP (0.7) was higher than RP (0.68). For dusty panels, the short circuit current Isc was 4.80 and 5.65 A, and the open circuit voltage Voc was 20.0 and 20.2 V, respectively. The fill factor for PNP (0.69) was higher than RP's (0.63). The nano coating has a highly positive impact on the I-V curve, P-V curve, and fill factor. That’s because of its anti-reflective and self-cleaning effect.
Effects of Hydrogen-Rich Saline in Neuroinflammation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Rat Model of Sepsis-associated Encephalopathy
Authors: DUMBUYA John Sieh , LI Siqi , LIANG Lili , CHEN Yachen , DU Jiang , ZENG Qiyi
Published: September 2022

Background
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is one of the most common types of sepsis-related organ dysfunction without overt central nervous system (CNS) infection. It is associated with higher mortality, low quality of life, and long-term neurological sequelae in suspected patients. At present there is no specific treatment for SAE rather than supportive therapy and judicious use of antibiotics, which are sometimes associated with adverse effects. Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been reported to play crucial role in regulating inflammatory responses, neuronal injury, apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in adult models of SAE. Here we report the protective effect of hydrogen-rich saline in juvenile SAE rat model and its possible underling mechanism(s).
Materials and methods
Rats were challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a dose of 8ml/kg injected intraperitoneally to induce sepsis and hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) administered 1h following LPS induction at a dose of 5ml/kg. Rats were divided into: sham, LPS and LPS + HRS. At 48h, rats were sacrificed and Nissl staining for neuronal injury, TUNEL assay for apoptotic cells detection, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA protocol for inflammatory cytokines determination, mitochondrial dysfunction parameters, electron microscopy and western blot analysis were studied to examine the effect of HRS in LPS-induced septic rats.
Results
Rats treated with HRS improved neuronal injury, improvement in rats’ survival rate. ELISA analysis showed decreased TNF-α and IL-1β and increased IL-10 expression levels in the HRS-treated group. Apoptotic cells were decreased after HRS administration in septic rats. The numbers of GFAP and IBA-1positive cells were attenuated in the HRS-treated group when compared to the LPS group. Subsequently, GFAP and IBA-1 immunoreactivity were decreased after HRS treatment. Mitochondrial membrane potential detected by JC-1 dye and ATP content were decreased in septic rats, which were improved after HRS treatment, while release of ROS was increased in the LPS group reverted by HRS treatment, ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction. Further analysis by transmission electron microscopy showed decreased number of mitochondria and synapses, and disrupted mitochondrial membrane ultrastructure in the LPS group, while HRS administration increased mitochondria and synapses number.
Conclusion
These data demonstrated that HRS can improve survival rate, attenuate neuroinflammation, astrocyte and microglial activation, neuronal injury and mitochondrial dysfunction in juvenile SAE rat model, making it a potential therapeutic candidate in treating paediatric SAE.
Ten Years Follow-Up of Aphakia Treatment by a Foldable Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lens Implantation into the Anterior Chamber
Authors: Boz Ali Altan Ertan , Atum Mahmut , Çelik Erkan , Alagöz Gürsoy
Published: September 2022

Purpose
To report the 10 years’ results of aphakia treatment by a foldable posterior chamber intraocular lens (PCIOLs) implantation into the anterior chamber.
Methods
Retrospective observational case series. Patients who underwent implantation of foldable PCIOLs in the AC with the haptics passing through two iridectomies to the posterior chamber were studied. Preoperative and postoperative refractive status, postoperative corneal astigmatism, lenticular astigmatism, and complications were recorded. Anterior chamber depth (ACD) was detected by ultrasonic biomicroscopy (UBM).
Results
Fifty-one eyes of 51 patients were included in the study. Of these eyes, 21 eyes were examined at 10 years postoperatively. The mean preoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was 1.06 ± 0.68 logMAR and postoperative was 0.49 ± 0.44 at 1 year (p < 0.01); 0.49 ± 0.44 (p < 0.01) at 2 years; and 0.45 ± 0.39 (p < 0.01) at 10 years. The mean lenticular astigmatism was 0.96 ± 0.78 D. Glaucoma in 11 eyes, retinal detachment in 3 eyes, cystoid macular edema in 6 eyes, corneal decompensation in 11 eyes, and haptic dislocation in 7 eyes were observed. The mean distance between the IOL and the endothelium was 3,03 ± 0.29 mm.
Conclusions
Advantages of our technique are lack of a need for special design lenses and surgical equipment, small learning curve, and faster surgical time. This technique is a practical alternative that leads to favorable visual outcomes and is comparable to the complications of other techniques in the eyes with the absence of capsular support.
Design and Evaluation of Memristor-Based Piccolo-80 Lightweight Encryption Algorithm for Future IoT Applications
Authors: Masoumi Massoud
Published: September 2022

Piccolo is an ultra-lightweight encryption algorithm optimized for very resource-constrained platforms. However, lightweight algorithms are vulnerable to side-channel attacks, specifically Differential Power Analysis (DPA). In this study, we first demonstrate the vulnerability of this algorithm against DPA. Then, a new masking scheme to protect the algorithm against DPA is proposed. In addition, the same implementation in a hybrid CMOS-Nano system is presented and the results are compared in terms of attack tolerance, area, and energy consumption. Power analysis mounted on unmasked Piccolo was successful while the attack on the masked version of both CMOS and CMOS-Nano implementations of the algorithm led to unsuccessful results and no key was recovered. More importantly, while maintaining reliable performance, the hybrid CMOS-Nano circuit was more efficient than the pure CMOS circuit in terms of energy consumption and area. This is a very important issue for future IoT devices and applications where energy consumption and security are the primary concerns.
An integrated indexical approach in assessing water quality for drinking purposes in the Nkalagu area, southeastern, Nigeria
Authors: Onwe Ikechukwu Moses , Chinanu Unigwe O. , Amah Joseph I. , Chima Chizoba J.
Published: September 2022

In this study, water supplies for the two distinct climatic seasons; wet and dry seasons were evaluated. This was carried out to determine the degree of contamination and whether the water supplies were safe for human consumption. In light of this, four water quality indices; the vector modulus of pollution index (PIvector), entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), integrated water quality index (IWQI), and modified water quality index (MWQI) were integrated. Based on the results, the pH of the analyzed water samples varied from 6.02 to 7.92 with a mean value of 7.2 during the wet season and from 5.25 to 8.25 with a mean value of 6.82 during the dry season. A generic quality assessment study revealed that Pb, As, during the wet season and Pb, As, and Mn during the dry season has the greatest effects on the region's water supplies. According to the indices, PIvector classified approximately 71.43% of the water during the wet season as unpolluted and 28.57% as polluted, and 37.14% of the water during the dry season as unpolluted and 62.86% as polluted. Similarly, the EWQI classified 65.71% as safe water and 34.28% as unfit for human consumption during the wet season, whereas, 34.28% and 65.72% as safe and unfit respectively for the dry season. According to IWQI, during the wet season, 25.7% of the water is considered acceptable for drinking, while 74.3% is unsafe, and during the dry season, 14.85% is acceptable and 85.15% is unsafe. The MWQI results indicated that the water samples for the wet season were classed as "fair" water suggesting they are occasionally threatened while, for the dry season as “marginal” water indicating they are frequently threatened. Summarily, the results show that the water resources are safer and less contaminated in the wet season than in the dry season, which is attributed to the impact of rainfall, which reduces the mobility of contaminants, as well as the influence of vegetation cover.
Dye degradation by early colonizing marine bacteria from the Arabian Sea, India
Authors: Kumar Madhav , Kumari Alka , Vaghani Bansari P. , Chaudhary Doongar
Published: September 2022

Malachite green (MG) dye belongs to the triphenylmethane group, a common environmental pollutant that threatens non-target organisms. The potential of the early colonizing marine bacterium Pseudomonas sp. ESPS40 isolated from the Arabian Sea, India, to decolorize malachite green (MG) was assessed in the present study. The bacterium ESPS40 exhibited a higher ability for MG degradation (86-88%) at varying NaCl concentrations (1-3%). The most increased MG degradation (~88%) was observed at 1% NaCl. The strain ESPS40 showed degradation up to 800 mg MG L-1 concentration. Further, enzyme activities such as tyrosinase (63.48-526.52 U L-1) and laccase (3.62-28.20 U L-1) were also analyzed with varying concentrations (100 mg L-1-1000 mg L-1) of MG during the degradation process. The dye degradation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The outcome of the present study demonstrated the potential of Pseudomonas sp. ESPS40 for efficient degradation of MG at higher concentrations. Thus, the bacterial strain (Pseudomonas sp. ESPS40) can be utilized as a potential candidate for the biodegradation of MG in wastewater treatment.