bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Bounded Unit Weibull Model: Applications with Quantile Regression
Authors: Sapkota Laxmi Prasad , Bam Nirajan , Kumar Vijay
Published: June 2024

In practical scenarios, data measurements like ratios and proportions often fall within the 0 to 1 range. Analyzing such bounded data introduces unique modeling challenges, prompting statisticians to explore new distributions that can effectively handle this context. Although beta and Kumaraswamy distributions, along with their related regression models, have gained popularity for examining the relationship between bounded response variables and covariates, several alternative models have shown superior performance compared to these two. However, there is still no agreement on the most effective alternative models. Consequently, this paper introduces a novel bounded probability distribution derived from transforming the Weibull distribution. Our investigation has revealed several interesting properties, including various moments and their generating function, entropies, quantile function, and a linear form of the proposed model. Additionally, we have developed the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) for the proposed model. The maximum likelihood estimation method was employed to estimate the model parameters. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to evaluate the performance of parameter estimation for the model. Finally, we formulated a quantile regression model and applied it to data sets related to risk assessment and educational attainment, demonstrating its superior performance over alternative regression models. These results highlight the importance of our contributions to enhancing the statistical toolkit for analyzing bounded variables across different scientific fields.
Can ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard save lives? Evaluation of correctness and reliability of chatbots in teaching bystanders to help victims
Authors: Aqavil-Jahromi Saeed , Eftekhari Mohammad , Mirfazaelian Hadi , Akbari Hamideh , Aligholi-Zahraie Mehrnoosh
Published: June 2024

Background: Timely recognition and initiation of basic life support (BLS) before emergency medical services (EMS) arrives significantly improves survival rates and neurological outcomes. In an era where health information-seeking behaviors have shifted toward online sources, chatbots powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) are emerging as potential tools for providing immediate health-related guidance. This study investigates the reliability of AI chatbots, specifically GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Bard, and Bing, in responding to BLS scenarios. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using six scenarios adapted from the BLS Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) by United Medical Education. These scenarios encompassed adult, pediatric, and infant emergencies and were presented to each chatbot on two occasions, one week apart. Responses were evaluated by a board-certified emergency medicine professor from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, using a checklist based on BLS-OSCE standards. Correctness was assessed, and reliability was measured using Cohen's kappa coefficient. Results: GPT4 demonstrated the highest correctness in adult scenarios (85% correct responses), while Bard showed 60% correctness. GPT3.5 and Bing performed poorly across all scenarios. Bard had a correctness rate of 52.17% in pediatric scenarios, but all chatbots scored below 44% in infant scenarios. Cohen's kappa indicated substantial reliability for GPT-4 (k=0.649) and GPT3.5 (k=0.645), moderate reliability for Bing (k=0.503), and fair reliability for Bard (k=0.357). Conclusion: GPT4 showed acceptable performance and substantial reliability in adult BLS scenarios. However, the overall limited correctness and reliability of all chatbots across different scenarios indicate that current AI chatbots are unsuitable for providing life-saving instructions in critical medical emergencies.
Endoscopic Screening for Identification of Signet Ring Cell Gastric Cancer Foci in Carriers of Germline Pathogenic Variants in CDH1
Authors: Perez Lady Katherine Mejia , O’Malley Margaret , Chatterjee Arjun , Lyu Ruishen , Yang Qijun , Cruise Michael W. , LaGuardia Lisa , Liska David , Macaron Carole , Walsh R. Matthew , Burke Carol A
Published: June 2024

Objective: To determine the preoperative detection of signet ring cancer cells (SRC) on upper endoscopy (EGD) in patients with CDH1 pathogenic variant (PV) undergoing gastrectomy. To evaluate the development of advanced diffuse gastric cancer (DGC) in patients choosing surveillance.
Summary Background Data: Guidelines recommend prophylactic total gastrectomy (pTG) in CDH1PV carriers with family history of DGC between 18-40 years. Annual EGD with biopsies according to established protocols is recommended in carriers with no SRC and no family history of DGC, with consideration of pTG.
Methods:Retrospective analysis of asymptomatic patients with CDH1 PVs with ≥ 1 surveillance EGD. Outcomes included pre-operative EGD detection of SRC, surgical stage, and progression to advanced DGC in those electing surveillance with EGD.
Results: 48 patients with CDH1 PVs who had ≥ 1 EGD were included. 24/ 48 (50%) underwent gastrectomy, including pTG in 7 patients. SRCC were detected on gastrectomy specimen in 21/24 (87.5%). SRCs were identified by EGD in 17/21 patients who had SRCC on gastrectomy specimens (sensitivity 81%, 17/21). All cancers were stage pT1a. The remaining 17 patients (50% with a family history of gastric cancer) continue in annual EGD surveillance with a median follow-up of 34.6 months. No SRCC or advanced DGC have been diagnosed.
Conclusions: No CDH1PV carriers without SRCC on random biopsies followed in an endoscopic program developed advanced DGC over a median follow up of 3 years. In the short term, EGD surveillance appears a safe alternative to immediate pTG in patients with CDH1PV.
3D-printed aberration-free terahertz metalens for ultra-broadband achromatic super-resolution wide-angle imaging with high numerical aperture
Authors: Huang Shaoxing , Chen Jin , Chan Ka Fai , Wu Geng-Bo , Chan Chi Hou
Published: June 2024

Terahertz lens constitutes a vital component in terahertz systems, enabling high-resolution biosensing, biological imaging, and the detection of concealed details. Metasurfaces have been extensively employed in designing terahertz metalenses to mitigate the constraints of traditional bulky refractive lenses, owing to their adaptability and compact nature. Nevertheless, the high phase dispersion of their constituent units severely limits their applicability due to chromatic/spherical aberration, while the diffraction limit constrains the achievable imaging resolution. Consequently, the realization of achromatic super-resolution terahertz metalenses with a wide field of view (FOV) presents a challenging and urgently needed endeavor. In this study, we propose an innovative method for designing terahertz metalenses. The required phase distribution of the metalens is translated into a refractive index (RI) profile with a specific thickness, achieved through meticulously designed gradient metamaterials. Our designed terahertz metalens can realize achromatic super-resolution focusing with a high numerical aperture (NA) of 0.57 across the 0.2 to 0.9 THz range and is fabricated using 3D printing technology. Submillimeter features separated by approximately 0.2 mm can be resolved with high precision, such as epoxy-resin-impregnated woven glass fabric within FR4 panels and fibrous tissue on leaves, with a corresponding FOV of 900. Our approach offers a feasible and cost-effective means to obtain super-resolution achromatic terahertz metalens with a large FOV, which holds great potential for applications in non-destructive testing, biomedical imaging, and the realization of various terahertz metadevices.
Study on the efficacy and prognostic value of minimal residual disease in locally advanced cervical cancer based on plasma HPV-ctDNA protocol
Authors: Zhang Cui , Jiang Jia , Li Libo , Yang Can , Dai Yunmeng , Chen Yanping , Huang Yisidan , Xie Lu , Zhu Xiong , Xiang Yang , Yuan Jia , Luo Xiaoqing , Zeng Yuting , Liu Yuncong , Zhang Hanqun , Li Yong
Published: June 2024

Background
The recurrence and/or distant metastasis rate of locally advanced cervical cancer is still high after treatment. Current methods commonly used in clinical follow-up surveillance of cervical cancer still have some limitations. Important advances have been made in liquid biopsy-based circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for the assessment of microscopic residual disease (MRD) (ctNDA/MRD), and recent studies have found that human papillomavirus (HPV)-ctDNA-based assessment of MRD status is perhaps even more advantageous (HPV/MRD). However, it remains uncertain whether plasma HPV-ctDNA-based assessment of locally advanced cervical cancer efficacy and monitoring of prognosis is accurate and effective.
Methods
This study was a prospective, observational, single-center study to explore the predictive significance of monitoring HPV/MRD and ctDNA/MRD status on the efficacy and recurrence risk of cervical cancer after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Patients with locally advanced cervical cancer who were treated in Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital were collected for tissue and blood samples for HPV testing and liquid biopsy HPV-ctDNA. The primary study endpoint is to detect the changes in MRD expression level before and after simultaneous radiotherapy for cervical cancer and to evaluate the efficacy and recurrence risk after simultaneous radiotherapy for cervical cancer. The secondary study endpoint is to analyze the role of MRD detection and imaging in predicting tumor recurrence and metastasis. The target sample size was 30 patients.
Discussion
This is a prospective study to explore the role of MRD based on HPV-ctDNA assessment in the efficacy and prognosis monitoring of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer. It aims to provide important theoretical and practical significance for the evaluation of the efficacy and prognosis of locally advanced cervical cancer after concurrent chemoradiotherapy and to provide new methods for intervention in the recurrence of potential cervical cancer after treatment.
Trial registration
This trial is registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05950087) on 18th July 2023, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05950087.
Evaluation of radiological parameters in the soil along the coastline of Arin Lake (Bitlis)
Authors: ÇELİK Şule KARATEPE , BAL Sultan ŞAHİN
Published: June 2024

This investigation involved the assessment of natural (238U, 232Th, and 40K) and artificial (137Cs) radioactivity concentrations in 27 soil samples taken from the Arin Lake (Bitlis) coastline, using the HPGe detector system. For this purpose, dose calculations were performed on the basis of the activity concentration values of soil samples. The mean radioactivity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs were 34.73, 32.43, 529.28, and 8.46 Bq/kg, respectively. The radiological parameters with Ra equivalent (Raeq) value, the annual effective dose and the absorbed dose values were lower than the recommended world mean. Furtermore, Radiological hazard indices, Hin, Hex, and ELCR, were obtained below specified limit values. In addition, the findings were compared to similar research in several other countries.
Psychometric Properties of an Arabic Translation of the Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS) in Adults
Authors: Khadra Tia , Hallit Rabih , Malaeb Diana , Hallit Souheil , Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Obeid Sahar
Published: June 2024

Background: The Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS) is a common tool for assessing individuals’ inclination toward Boredom. The Arabic version of the SBPS has not been validated despite the language being spoken by over 420 million people worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to translate the SBPS into Arabic and prove its psychometric properties on a sample of Arabic-speaking adults.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 410 participants were recruited to participate by completing the translated Arabic version of the SBPS through an online Google Forms survey. The validation of the scale was carried out using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis approach.
Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed a better fit after adding a correlation between residuals of items 2 and 6. The SBPS showed high internal reliability (ω = .81; α = .81). No significant differences were found in SBPS scores between males and females. Concurrent validity indicated that higher levels of anxiety, loneliness, and smartphone addiction were significantly associated with greater boredom proneness.
Conclusion: Our results confirm the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the SBPS, suggesting its suitability for use among Arabic-speaking adults in various settings. This concise and user-friendly tool potentially promotes cross-cultural research on boredom proneness.
A method for the identification and evaluation of Glycyrrhiza germplasm based on DNA barcodes and leaf micromorphology
Authors: Du Zhenzhu , Xu Wenbin , Wang Yuxia , Ma Zhancang , Yan Ping , Huang Gang , Li Hongbin
Published: June 2024

Large-scale artificial cultivation of medicinal Glycyrrhiza plants is imperative due to the short supply and the dramatic decline in wild populations. Xinjiang is the main Glycyrrhiza production area of China, but the quality of cultivated Glycyrrhiza plants is low due to the mixed cultivation of multiple seeds of unknown origins. To explore the identification method and efficient cultivation of elite Glycyrrhiza germplasms in Xinjiang, China, in this study, the differences in leaf micromorphological characteristics and main active ingredients of 6 Glycyrrhiza species and 2 hybrids in Xinjiang were clarified, and then identification on the basis of DNA barcode was conducted. The results showed that: (1) The combination of nuclear gene ITS2, chloroplast nucleic acid sequences trnH-psbA and trnV-ndhC could accurately identify Glycyrrhiza species and hybrids, and the calculation of genetic distance could preliminarily determine the maternal species of hybrids. (2) The upper and lower epidermal cells of the Glycyrrhiza plant leaves were nearly polygonal, and the anticlinal walls were deep or shallowly corrugated. The upper and lower epidermis had stomata, and rectangular or oblong-oval stomata could be classified according to the length-to-width ratio. The quantitative traits such as glandular trichomes’ diameter and density were significantly different between species. The ornamentation of epidermal wax had three types: smooth, coarse-grained, and dense and fine-striped. (3) Cluster analysis of 11 micromorphological traits such as glandular trichomes diameter (GTDi) with absolute weight above 0.7 from the first four components showed that the 6 Glycyrrhiza species and 2 hybrids were clustered into one category, and the hybrids had a close genetic relationship with G. uralensis and G. inflata, which was consistent with the DNA barcode identification results. (4) The comprehensive evaluation of germplasms in Xinjiang found that Glycyrrhiza glabra was superior to other germplasms (Glycyrrhiza glabra > G. glabra var. Glandulosa > G. uralensis > G. inflata > G. aspera > hybrid I > G. prostrata > hybrid II), indicating that the hybridization reduced the medicinal value of Glycyrrhiza species. This study is of great significance for the identification of Glycyrrhiza species, the conservation of elite Glycyrrhiza germplasms, and the healthy development of the medicinal plant market.
KAMC: Knowledge-Aware Meta-Concept Recommendation
Authors: Wu Xianglin , Jiang Haonan , Zhang Jingwei , Wu Zezheng , Cheng Xinghe , Yang Qing , Zhou Ya
Published: June 2024

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are playing a key role in improving educational ways. Abundant learning resources make it difficult for online users to find suitable learning content. The current personalized service in the field of online education relies more on course recommendations. However, coarse-grained recommendations cannot help users discover the defects of their knowledge network effectively. In this paper, we propose a Knowledge-Aware Meta-Concept (KAMC) framework to provide fine-grained recommendation services. We innovatively incorporate Knowledge Graph (KG) into the field of educational recommendation to provide abundant auxiliary information. However, simply combining knowledge graphs with educational recommender systems cannot improve the performance of existing recommendation models, and may even weaken the performance of the models. Because the modeled KG ignores the enhancements on the user side and only considers the enhancements on the item side. We further propose to enrich the semantic representation of users with collaborative information in user-item interactions, and at the same time enrich the semantic representation of items with information in KG. Furthermore, to provide users with more accurate and fine-grained personalized recommendation services, we propose a user-based attention mechanism to capture users' fine-grained semantic information. Our method is experimentally validated on three real-world datasets. Experimental results show that the KAMC method outperforms the current state-of-the-art baseline methods.
Endocrine-exocrine miR-503-322 drives aging-associated pancreatitis via targeting MKNK1 in acinar cells
Authors: Zhu Yunxia , Liu Kerong , Lv Tingting , Tang Wei , Zhang Yan , Xiao Xiao , Li Yating , Chang Xiaoai , Wang Shusen , Pandol Stephen , Li Ling , Han Xiao
Published: June 2024

Aging is the major risk factor for chronic pancreatitis and severity determinant for its acute attack, yet the underlying cause is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that senescent β-cells of endocrine pancreas decide the onset and severity of chronic and acute pancreatitis. During physiological aging, senescent β-cells increase the expression of miR-503-322 which is secreted as nano-vesicles to enter exocrine acinar cells, driving a causal and reversible role on aging-associated pancreatitis. Mechanistically, miR-503-322 represses MKNK1 to inhibit acinar-cell secretion and proliferation, thereby causing autodigestion and repairing damage of exocrine pancreas. In the elderly population, serum miR-503 concentration is negatively correlated with amylase, prone to chronic pancreatitis due to increased miR-503 and decreased MKNK1 in the elderly pancreas. Our findings highlight the miR-503-322–MKNK1 axis mediating the endocrine-exocrine regulatory pathway specifically in aged mice and humans. Modulating this axis may provide potential preventive and therapeutic strategies for aging-associated pancreatitis.
A Comprehensive Prognostic and Immunological Implications of PFKP in Pan-Cancer
Authors: Ling Xiaodong , Zhang Luquan , Fang Chengyuan , Liang Hao , Ma Jianqun
Published: June 2024

Background
As a pivotal rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis, Phosphofructokinase P (PFKP) plays a pivotal role in multiple pathophysiological processes. However, the critical role of PFKP in most tumors remains unexplored. The present research was primarily designed to provide the expression of PFKP in Pan-cancer and its clinical relevance, and study the correlations between PFKP expression and immune infiltration characteristics in tumor microenvironment.
Methods
Raw data in regard to PFKP expression were obtained from TCGA and GEO databases. We examined the expression patterns and prognostic values of PFKP in pan-cancer utilizing multiple databases, and investigated the relationship of PFKP expression with immune infiltration and tumor immune microenvironment. Besides, the biological function of PFKP was explored via in vitro verification.
Results
PFKP is highly expressed and is a prognostic risk factor in most tumors. Increased expression of PFKP was detrimental to the clinical prognoses, especially LUAD. Also, ROC curve analysis demonstrated that PFKP showed high accuracy in distinguishing cancerous tissues from normal ones. There were significant correlations between PFKP expression and TMB, MSI, immune scores, and immune cell infiltrations. In vitro studies demonstrated that the overexpression of PFKP accelerated the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells, whereas PFKP depletion showed the opposite effects on them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, PFKP participates in the carcinogenic progression, and may contribute to the immune infiltration in tumor microenvironment. Our study suggests that PFKP can serve as a potential biomarker for predicting different tumor prognoses and tumor immunogenicity, especially LUAD.
A Sandwich-Type Photoelectrochemical Sensor Based on Anthocyanin-Sensitized ZnO/P5FIn Heterojunction for the Sensitive Detection of CYFRA21-1
Authors: Gong Qinghua , Guo Yanting , Zhang Lu , Wang Jingjing , Liu Dandan , Nie Guangming
Published: June 2024

The accurate and highly sensitive detection of the tumor marker CYFRA21-1 is crucial for screening and diagnosing potential lung cancer patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A sandwich-type photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunosensor based on a ZnO/poly(5-formylindole) (P5FIn)/anthocyanin heterostructure was developed to achieve sensitive background-free detection of CYFRA21-1. ZnO with good photovoltaic properties is combined with narrow bandgap P5FIn to form a p-n type heterojunction. This structure reduces the recombination efficiency of electron-hole pairs, thereby enhancing the photocurrent response of the composite. Anthocyanidins are environmentally friendly natural compounds with excellent antioxidant, redox properties, and remarkable electrochemical activity. After sensitization by anthocyanins, the absorption and utilization of visible light in the composites are enhanced, further improving the PEC luminescence efficiency of the materials. Additionally, boron nitride quantum dots (BN QDs) are combined with Ab2 via polydopamine (PDA) as a secondary antibody marker, enhancing its sensitivity. The sensor exhibited a linear detection range (LDR) of 0.001-100 ng mL− 1 with limit of detection (LOD) of 0.00033 ng mL− 1. Furthermore, this sensor demonstrates excellent selectivity, reproducibility, and stability, as well as successful results in detecting actual human serum samples. This approach provides a feasible method for tumor marker detection.
Psychometric Properties of an Arabic Translation of the Child and Adolescents Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) in adolescents
Authors: Zouki Christian-Joseph El , Malaeb Diana , Sakr Fouad , Dabbous Mariam , Hallit Souheil , Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Obeid Sahar
Published: June 2024

Background
The objective of this study is to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Arabic adaptation of the Child and Adolescents Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) within a sample of Lebanese adolescents.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 793 adolescents were recruited to participate by completing the translated Arabic version of the CAMM through an online Google Forms survey. The validation of the scale was carried out using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis approach.
Results
The Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed a one-factor structure. Both the alpha coefficient (α = .89) and the omega coefficient (ω = .89) demonstrated excellent reliability. Sex invariance was shown at the configural, scalar and metric levels, with no statistically significant difference in CAMM scores was observed between males and females. Moreover, the CAMM total score exhibited a significant association with lower irritability, higher wellbeing, and depression-happiness (r = .43; p < .001).
Conclusion
Our results confirm the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the CAMM, suggesting its suitability for use among Arabic-speaking adolescents in various settings. This concise and user-friendly tool has the potential to promote cross-cultural research on mindfulness and wellbeing.
Where and why mothers discontinue healthcare services: a qualitative study exploring the maternity continuum of care gaps in Somalia
Authors: Mohamed Adam Abdulkadir , Akın Ayşe , Mihciokur Sare , Üner Sarp , Mohamoud Said Aden , Gele Abdi
Published: June 2024

Background
Despite significant progress in expanding and improving maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) globally, gaps remain in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in sub-Saharan African countries, including Somalia. Somalia is among the 15 countries that the WHO marked as very high alert countries for maternal, newborn, and under deaths. The maternity continuum of care (CoC) throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period is essential for the health and survival of mothers and their babies. This study aimed to explore the maternity continuum of care gaps in Somalia.
Methods
This qualitative study included 5 FGDs (44 childbearing mothers) purposively sampled from urban, rural, IDPs, agro, and nomadic pastoralists and 19 in-depth interviews (IDIs) from healthcare providers, policymakers, recently delivered and childbearing mothers, community leaders, and traditional birth attendants in 6 regions of Somalia in January 2024. We used thematic analysis to analyze the data.
Results
Five key themes and twelve subthemes emerged from the analysis: service availability, access to care, decision-making, quality of care, and traditional beliefs. The maternity continuum of care gaps varies across different community categories, such as urban areas, rural areas, IDPs, agro-pastoralists (beeraley-baadiye), and nomadic pastoralists (reer-guuraa), due to diverse reasons, including service availability, access to care (financial, distance, and transportation), socioeconomic disparities, infrastructure, climate-related, and security issues.
Conclusion
The maternity continuum of care gaps varies across different community categories, such as urban, rural, IDPs, agro-pastoralists (beeraley-baadiye), and nomadic pastoralists (reer-guuraa), due to a combination of diverse reasons, such as service availability; access to care, including financial, distance, and transportation; socioeconomic disparities; infrastructure; climate-related issues; and security issues.
Key terms:
Maternal health, continuum of care, cultural beliefs, home delivery, Somalia
Wastewater Management: Sensor Integration with Manual Filtration and Multi-Parameter Monitoring for Testing Water Quality
Authors: Bhat Parvathi D , Sural Neha Madi , Prasad Abhirami Gajendra , G Vijayakumar , B Trilok Chandran
Published: June 2024

Water is vital for survival. Presently, it is getting contaminated due to industrial effluents, domestic wastes, and pollutants. Pollution has wiped out many exotic fish species, coral reefs, plants, zooplankton, and other organisms. Effective wastewater management is essential for safeguarding water resources and minimizing environmental impacts. The present study is an innovative approach that combines sensor integration with manual filtration techniques and multi-parameter monitoring to enhance water quality assessment in wastewater treatment processes. Important water quality parameters like pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen can be continuously recorded by these sensors in real time. It contributes to the advancement of wastewater management practices by integrating state-of-the-art sensor technology with traditional filtration methods. The manual filtering stage serves as a fail-safe mechanism, assuring the effective removal of course particles and potential contaminants. It makes it easy for the operators to identify violations from the specified water quality parameters, allowing for quick actions to be taken. This study is expected to have a significant impact on the field of wastewater management, promoting sustainability, efficiency, and environmental protection.
Prevalence and Risk Factors associated with Elevated Liver Transaminases in Adult Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Almansour Raghad , Alyahya Malak , Aloraini Abdulmajeed , Alanazi Naif
Published: June 2024

Introduction:Diabetes mellitus is a global health challenge associated with numerous complications, including liver function. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with elevated liver transaminases in a cohort of 509 diabetic patients.
Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Diabetic patients meeting inclusion criteria were enrolled and relevant data including demographics, clinical characteristics and laboratory results were extracted from electronic medical records. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Pc+21.0 version, employing descriptive statistics and appropriate tests for univariate analysis.
Results: The majority of the 509 diabetic patients were females (58%) with a mean age of 61.5 ± 12.4. Obesity was prevalent (62.9%) and more than half had complications (55%). Comorbidities, hypertension and dyslipidemia were present in 91% of patients. Notably, 44% were diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Elevated liver transaminases were observed in 9.3% aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and 4.8% alanine transaminase (ALT) of patients. 86% of patients had suboptimal glycemic control. Unexpectedly, non-insulin hypoglycemic medications did not show a significant association with elevated liver transaminases. However, patients not on insulin therapy exhibited higher ALT levels. Statin use, prevalent in over 90% of patients did not show a significant relationship with transaminitis.
Conclusion:This study reveals a complex interplay between diabetes, liver function and associated factors. The prevalence of NAFLD and suboptimal glycemic control highlights the need for comprehensive management strategies to reduce the overall liver-related morbidity and mortality.
Detection of arc faults in transformer windings by transient signal analysis
Authors: alpsalaz feyyaz , Mamiş M. Salih
Published: June 2024

In power and distribution transformers, lightning strikes, switching operations, short-circuits and other reasons can cause deterioration of the winding insulation, resulting in arcing between the windings. The arcing event is very important in transformers and if it is detected late, it can cause a rigid short circuit and burn the transformer and even cause the transformer to explode due to heating and pressure. In this study, the effects of arcing between transformer windings on transformer end current and voltage waves are analysed and arcing is determined. In the study, a 15 MVA power transformer was modelled in three dimensions in the Ansys@Maxwell environment and the arc model created in Matlab@Simulink was adapted to the Ansys magnetic model and the arc in the transformer windings as a result of synchronous operation was analysed. The transient regime effects of arcing at 5 different points in the same high voltage winding of the transformer on the current and voltage waves at the input terminals of the transformer are analysed to obtain data that allow the fault to be detected in a short time without the use of sensors. The data obtained from the transformer input was transformed into the frequency domain using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), and the high-frequency transient regime signals occurring in the transformer under arcing fault conditions were detected from these signals. Using the method proposed in the study, it is possible to detect the occurrence of arcing in the transformer.
Comparison of static and dynamic random forests models for EHR data in the presence of competing risks: predicting central line-associated bloodstream infection
Authors: ALBU Elena , GAO Shan , STIJNEN Pieter , RADEMAKERS Frank , JANSSENS Christel , COSSEY Veerle , DEBAVEYE Yves , WYNANTS Laure , CALSTER Ben VAN
Published: June 2024

Objective: Prognostic outcomes related to hospital admissions typically do not suffer from censoring, and can be modeled either categorically or as time-to-event. Competing events are common but often ignored. We compared the performance of random forest (RF) models to predict the risk of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) using different outcome operationalizations.
Methods: We included data from 27478 admissions to the University Hospitals Leuven, covering 30862 catheter episodes (970 CLABSI, 1466 deaths and 28426 discharges) to build static and dynamic RF models for binary (CLABSI vs no CLABSI), multinomial (CLABSI, discharge, death or no event), survival (time to CLABSI) and competing risks (time to CLABSI, discharge or death) outcomes to predict the 7-day CLABSI risk. We evaluated model performance across 100 train/test splits.
Results: Performance of binary, multinomial and competing risks models was similar: AUROC was 0.74 for baseline predictions, rose to 0.78 for predictions at day 5 in the catheter episode, and decreased thereafter. Survival models overestimated the risk of CLABSI (E:O ratios between 1.2 and 1.6), and had AUROCs about 0.01 lower than other models. Binary and multinomial models had lowest computation times. Models including multiple outcome events (multinomial and competing risks) display a different internal structure compared to binary and survival models.
Discussion and Conclusion: In the absence of censoring, complex modelling choices do not considerably improve the predictive performance compared to a binary model for CLABSI prediction in our studied settings. Survival models censoring the competing events at their time of occurrence should be avoided.
Evaluation of resistance and molecular detection of resistance genes to wheat stripe rust of 82 wheat cultivars in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Zhang Minghao , Zeng Minghao , Tian Baishuo , Liu Qi , Li Guangkuo , Gao Haifeng , Chen Li , Ma Zeyu , Chen Jing
Published: June 2024

Wheat stripe rust is a fungal disease caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici. The outbreak of wheat stripe rust will have a great impact on wheat production in Xinjiang, China. In order to identify the resistant to wheat stripe rust and the distribution of resistance genes in 82 wheat cultivars (41 spring wheat and 41 winter wheat), wheat seedling resistance was evaluated using CYR32, CYR33 and CYR34, and wheat adult plant stage resistance was identified using a combination of 3 races. 6 molecular markers were used to identify Yr29, Yr39, Yr46, Yr69 and YrTr1 in 82 wheat cultivars. The results showed that 3 of 82 wheat cultivars (Xinchun No.14, Xinchun No.22, and Xindong No.22) were immune to stripe rust at the adult plant stage. Xinchun No.29, Xinchun No.32, Xindong No.5 and Xindong No.29 were resistant at all stage. The highest detection rates were for Yr69 and YrTr1, at 78.05% and 76.83%. However, the detection rates for Yr39 and Yr46 were only 0 and 2.44%, respectively. The Xindong 22 were detected with the most resistance genes, which included 4 Yr genes. Furthermore, Xindong 22 were immune to the disease at adult plant stage. The results confirmed the resistance gene distribution of the wheat cultivars in Xinjiang were distributed heterogeneously, and the number of Yr genes was significantly and positively correlated with wheat cultivars resistant to stripe rust.
Research on trajectory tracking control of unmanned vehicle based on PSO_PID
Authors: Zheng Zhuan , Zheng Xiangyu , Ye Zimo
Published: June 2024

To enhance the tracking accuracy and stability of unmanned vehicles in trajectory tracking control, a particle swarm optimized proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control mixed with model predictive control is established. First, the model predictive controller is generated based on the vehicle dynamics model to calculate the lateral error; secondly, the particle swarm optimized PID controller is used to compensate the front wheel angle to reduce the steady-state lateral error; finally, the joint simulation analysis is carried out. The results of the study show that the MPC control incorporating PSO_PID exhibits a significant improvement in the lateral position error compared to the conventional MPC control, reducing the error by 65.51% and effectively improving the tracking accuracy. In addition, the method also successfully reduces the peak yaw angle error by 57.89% and the peak fluctuation amplitude of the vehicle's front wheel angle by 16.33%, thus significantly improving the stability of trajectory tracking.
Infection, choice behavior, and cross infectivity of the sculpted damsel bug, Nabis roseipennis offered tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris infected with entomopathogenic nematodes
Authors: Glover James P. , Spaulding Nathan , Nufer Marissa I. , George Justin , Portilla Maribel , Reddy Gadi V.P.
Published: June 2024

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris Palisot de Beauvois (Hemiptera: Miridae), is an economically important pest of row crops worldwide. Ten isolates of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae) were evaluated against the third instar nymphal stage of tarnished plant bug and its generalist predator, the sculpted damsel bug, Nabis roseipennis Reuter (Hemiptera: Nabidae) one of the most abundant and commonly encountered damsel bugs in cotton and soybean agroecoscapes across the Southeastern United States. The objectives of these experiments were to assess the infectivity of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) by direct topical exposure against the sculpted damsel bug and tarnished plant bug, and whether the predator prey-choice is affected by EPN infection, and if feeding on EPN infected tarnished plant bug (TPB) prey items could result in cross-infection of the predator. Mortality rates at a concentration of 200 infective juveniles (IJs)/ml significantly differed among isolates and insect species, ranging from 30–93% for tarnished plant bugs and sculpted damsels 6–38%, respectively. The third instars of L. lineolaris were more susceptible to the ten nematode isolates than N. roseipennis. Higher pathogenicity on the tarnished plant bug and low mortality potential make strains HbHP88, HbVS, Sc17c + e, and SfSN the most promising candidate for the biological control of L. lineolaris under lab and greenhouse conditions while preserving beneficial predators of the Southeastern United States.
Improved Thermal Stabilization of VSV-Vector with Enhanced Vacuum Drying in Pullulan and Trehalose-Based Films
Authors: Iwashkiw Jeremy A. , Mohamud Abdulhamid O. , Kazhdan Natallia , Ameen Aaisha , Beecher Jody E. , Filipe Carlos D. M. , Lichty Brian D.
Published: June 2024

One major limitation of effective vaccine delivery is its dependency on a robust cold chain infrastructure. While Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has been demonstrated to be an effective viral vaccine vector for diseases including Ebola, its -70oC storage requirement is a significant limitation for accessing disadvantaged locations and populations. Previous work has shown thermal stabilization of viral vaccines with a combination of pullulan and trehalose (PT) dried films. To improve the thermal stability of VSV, we optimized PT formulation concentrations and components, as well as drying methodology with enhanced vacuum drying. When formulated in PT films, VSV can be stored for 32 weeks at 4oC with less than 2 log PFU loss, at 25oC with 2.5 log PFU loss, and at 37oC with 3.1 log PFU loss. These results demonstrate a significant advancement in VSV thermal stabilization, decreasing the cold chain requirements for VSV vectored vaccines.
Effect of tipiracil hydrochloride (5-chloro-6- (2-iminopyrrolidin-1-yl) methyl-2,4 (1H, 3H) - pyrimidinedione hydrochloride), thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor on the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) process of brain tissue in rats
Authors: Trocha Małgorzata , Piasecki Tomasz , Nowotarska Paulina , Sozański Tomasz , Merwid-Ląd Anna , Nowak Beata , Nowak Marcin , Ciaputa Rafał , Mazur Grzegorz , Szeląg Adam , Gajecki Damian , Doroszko Adrian
Published: June 2024

Background Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) plays a significant role in platelet activation and thrombosis. Its expression is increased in neurons under IR conditions.Aim The study aims to evaluate the effect of tipiracil hydrochloride (TPI), a selective TP inhibitor, on the brain tissue subjected to IR in rats.Methods Under anesthesia, common carotid arteries were isolated and occluded (BCCAO) for 30 min in groups of rats, CIR(n = 9), TIR25(n = 10), and TIR50(n = 9). In group C(n = 12) arteries were isolated but not ligated. During ischemia and after 8h of IR, rats received TPI i.p. (25 or 50mg/kg). After 24h of IR brain tissue was isolated for histopathological evaluation and the visualization of TP expression in immunohistochemical reaction (IHC). In serum levels of metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and − 9), and their inhibitor (TIMP-1) were determinedResults TP expression in brain tissue was the highest in CIR and TIR25 compared to the C and TIR50. After 3 h of IR, a significant increase in TP activity in CIR and TIR25 was noticed compared to the C. In the TIR50, the TP value was not significantly different from the C group at both time points of IR. After 24 h there was a significant decrease in MMP-9 level in TIR25 compared to the CIR and TIR50, also MMP-2 values decreased significantly in all groups compared to group C, which correlated with an increase in TIMP-1 activity in the TIR25 and TIR50.Conclusion The inhibition of TP activity in the group receiving TPI suggests its protective effect on brain tissue under IR conditions The decrease in MMPs activities in treated groups suggests a protective effect of TPI on the development of neuroinflammation caused by local brain tissue ischemia
RNA-seq analysis reveals genes associated with Macrophomina phaseolina-induced host senescence in soybean
Authors: Noor Afsana , Little Christopher R.
Published: June 2024

Background: Charcoal rot of soybean is caused by the hemibiotrophic fungus Macrophomina phaseolina, a global crop destroyer and an important pathogen in the midwestern USA. The quantitative nature of host resistance and complexity of the soybean-M. phaseolina interactions at the molecular level have hampered resistance breeding. A previous study showed that L-ascorbic acid (LAA) pre-treatment before M. phaseolina inoculation reduced charcoal rot lesion length in excised soybean stems. This study aimed to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of M. phaseolina-induced senescence and the mitigating effects of ascorbic acid on this physiological process within the same pathosystem.
Results: RNA was sequenced from M. phaseolina-resistant and -susceptible soybean genotypes following M. phaseolina inoculation, LAA, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-an oxidative stress inducer, application followed by inoculation. More genes were down-regulated in the resistant and susceptible genotypes than up-regulated when the M. phaseolina-inoculated treatments were compared to mock-inoculated control treatments. Gene ontology (GO) term and KEGG pathways analysis detected M. phaseolina-induced up-regulation of receptor-like kinase genes. In contrast, many genes related to antioxidants, defense, and hormonal pathways were down-regulated in both genotypes. LAA pre-treatment induced genes related to photosynthesis and reactive oxygen species responses in both genotypes. H2O2 pre-treatment following inoculation up-regulated many stress-response genes, while hormone signal transduction and photosynthesis-related genes were down-regulated in both genotypes.
Conclusions: Results revealed transcriptional variation and genes associated with M. phaseolina-induced senescence in soybean. Ascorbic acid induced many photosynthetic genes, suggesting a complex regulation of defense and immunity in the plant against the hemibiotroph. Soybean plants also exhibited enhanced stress responsiveness when treated with H2O2 followed by inoculation with M. phaseolina. This study will broaden more research avenues related to transcriptional regulation during the M. phaseolina-soybean interaction and the potential role of receptor-like kinases, oxidative stress-responsive genes, ethylene-mediated signaling and enhanced photosynthetic gene expression when mounting host resistance to this important soybean pathogen.
An investigation into Structured Grammatical Evolution Initialisation
Authors: Murphy Aidan , Mahdinejad Mahsa , Ventresque Anthony , Lourenço Nuno
Published: June 2024

A key ingredient in any successful genetic programming is robust initialisation. Many successful initialisation methods used in genetic programming have been adapted to use with grammatical evolution, to varying levels success. This papaer examines the effectiveness of some of the most popular of these initialisation techniques on structured grammatical evolution. Namely, we investigate Sensible Initialisation and Probabilistic Tree Creation 2, as well as the standard initialisation procedure used in structured grammatical evolution, Grow. We also propose a novel procedure called Local Optimised Probabilistic Tree Creation 2, which runs a quick greedy optimisation on the trees created.
We examine their performance, as well as the diversity of solutions they create, on 7 well-known benchmarks. We observe that Local Optimised Probabilistic Tree Creation 2 created the fittest, or joint fittest, initialisation populations on every benchmark considered. This did not necessarily result in overall better runs, however, and SGE runs with below average initialisation performance were seen to overcome their ''bad start". The diversity of solutions, particularly fitness diversity, at the end of the run was lower for Local Optimised Probabilistic Tree Creation 2 and Probabilistic Tree Creation 2 than for both sensible initialisation and grow.
Study on the damage and seepage characteristics of water-saturated coal by microwave cycling
Authors: Xiaohan Qi , Xiaodong Liu , Heng Ma , Zhonghua Liu , Wenkun Xie , Ying Zhang , Xinwei Zhao
Published: June 2024

To investigate the extent of damage and seepage characteristics of water-saturated coal samples after subjecting them to microwave cycling. The microwave equipment was used to process the coal samples by microwave cycling. The non-contact digital image processing technology and acoustic emission system were used to carry out the triaxial loading experimental study of the coal samples to obtain the mechanical parameter characteristics, energy evolution pattern, acoustic emission information and permeability characteristics of coal samples under different microwave cycle times. The results of the study show that: With the increase in the number of microwave cycles, dense grid-loaded cracks gradually appeared on the surface of the coal samples, the triaxial partial stresses of the coal samples decreased, and the strains also decreased, and the modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio also decreased; In the densification stage stage, the dissipated energy is higher than the elastic energy, and as the elastic stage proceeds, the elastic energy gradually reverses to exceed the dissipated energy, and the total energy and elastic energy of the coal samples decrease with the increase in the number of cycles, and the dissipated energy rises; Coal samples produce a large number of fissures due to the increase in the number of microwave cycles, the more frequent the fissure activity during the loading process, the acoustic emission amplitude and ringing count scattering points all become dense with the increase in the number of cycles, and the data increase; Initial permeability, destructive permeability and average permeability were all increased, microwave treatment has a better effect of permeability enhancement, the permeability of the treated coal samples was changed from low permeability to medium permeability, and the permeability enhancement was the largest in 6 cycles, and the permeability was increased by 7.18 times. This article explores the damage condition of water-saturated coal samples under microwave cycling treatment. Then, it explores the effect of microwave cycling on the permeability enhancement of the coal body, which provides a new method for exploring the gas permeability enhancement and extraction of low-permeability coal samples underground.