bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frailty status and its prediction of long-term mortality in patients with Chronic Constipation and Diarrhea
Authors: Ren Yue , Sun Zhesi , Zhou Yuwei , Xu Lingling , Cheng Weixin , Gao Jianguo , Bi Jun
Published: September 2024

Frailty is an emerging health burden but its effect on bowel disorders is unclear. We obtained comprehensive data from the 2009–2010 NHANES and linked mortality data from National Death Index 2019. Frailty was defined by the frailty index composed of routine laboratory data (FI-LAB).Logistic regression was used to explore the association between frailty and bowel disorders. Risk factors for death were identified by Cox proportional hazard regression and used for nomogram formation. The prevalence of frailty was higher in CC (58.3%) and CD (47.7%) than in control (30.6%). CC and CD correlated with increased frailty (ORs 2.6 and 2.2) while frail individuals had higher CD (10.1%, P < 0.001) and CC (11.4%, P < 0.001). CC and CD patients with frailty were older and had higher diabetes, depression, anemia, blood transfusion, and higher mortality (16.5% vs. 2.5%, P = 0.01) than non-frail patients. During a median follow-up of 119 months, frailty was independently associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 21.2). We developed a nomogram: Y = 3.814× frailty index + 0.073 × age, showing an AUC of 0.868/0.816 and high consistencies between the predicted and observed survival probability in the training/validation cohorts.
Impact of Amalgam Fillings and Stainless-Steel Crowns on Gingival Crevicular Fluid IL-1β and TNF-α Levels in Children: A Repeated Measures Observational Study
Authors: Doostmohammad Fateme , Bagherianlemraski Mobina , Asgarian-Omran Hossein , Hosseinnataj Abolfazl , Mirkalaei Fatemeh Mousavi , Soleimani Banafsheh , Nahvi Azam
Published: September 2024

Background
In chronic inflammation caused by dental amalgam fillings and stainless-steel crowns (SSC), host cells produce cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1). In line with these findings, the present study evaluated the effects of dental amalgam fillings and SSC on the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α cytokines in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of children.
Methods
This repeated measures observational study targeted 34 children aged 6 to 9 who were candidates for two-surface amalgam filling or SSC for primary mandibular molars. Participants were divided into two groups: amalgam filling and SSC. Healthy contralateral teeth with no caries served as controls. GCF samples were collected at baseline (before treatment), 7 days post-treatment, and 21 days post-treatment using paper points. The levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the GCF samples were measured using commercially available ELISA kits.
Results
TNF-α levels significantly decreased after one week in the SSC group compared to the dental amalgam group (p = 0.017). The level of IL-1β increased in both the amalgam filling (p = 0.029) and SSC (p = 0.046) groups during the same period. The levels of IL-1β (p = 0.006) and TNF-α (p = 0.029) were significantly different between the two groups over time.
Conclusions
IL-1β and TNF-α cytokines can serve as biomarkers for inflammation induced by dental amalgam fillings and SSCs in children. Significant differences were observed between the two groups, particularly in the short-term, but the effects converged over three weeks.
Investigation the effects of concentration and voltage on the physicochemical properties of Nylon 6 nanofiber membrane
Authors: Fayemi Omolola E. , Letsholo Petu B. , Shoyiga Hassan O. , Ahia Chinedu C. , Meyer Edson L.
Published: September 2024

The nanofibers of Nylon 6 at different concentrations 14 wt.%, 16% wt.%, and 18 wt.% were fabricated using electrospinning method. The effect of concentration and voltage on the morphology of the nanofibers were assessed through the utilisation of FTIR, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy AFM, scanning electron microscopy SEM, and EDS techniques. A study on the Nylon 6 molecule using DFT (Density Functional Theory) was conducted. Nylon 6 optimized molecular structure, featuring an amine group and nitrogen atom for electrophilic reactions, exhibits high kinetic stability with a measured band gap energy of 6.60 eV and electronic chemical potential of -3.83. The diameter of the fibres increased from 76.91 to 81.98 nm when the concentration and voltage were further increased, with the respective weight percentages of 14 wt.% and 18 wt.%. This work reveals the influence of concentration and voltage on the physical and chemical characteristics of nylon-6 NFM and its quantum electronic properties.
The First Observations of Auroras with Dynamic Vision Sensors
Authors: Stokholm Andreas , Gulbrandsen Njål , Pedersen Nicolas , Kucik Andrzej , Olesen Daniel , Willer Anna , Chanrion Olivier , Hvidegaard Sine
Published: September 2024

Auroras are faint light phenomena caused by interactions between the solar wind, Earth’s magnetic field, and Earth's atmosphere. Scientific aurora images are often captured with camera exposure times of 1-2 seconds for sufficient light input. However, long exposure times also intensify other light emissions, e.g. urban- and moonlight, thus, dark night conditions are preferred. Studies have carried out high-speed imaging with up to 160Hz, but higher has been elusive. Here, we propose to use the emerging Dynamic Vision Sensors (DVS) technology as an alternative or complementary imaging approach for auroras with high dynamic range (110 - 120 dB) and sampling rate (5KHz - 1MHz). We present the first observations of auroras at 5KHz using DVS, highlighting the potential use within this application. Approaches to reconstructing the brightness intensity image are introduced, giving the photon flux for each pixel and the whole sensor, mimicking a photometer. We show that DVS can observe auroras in challenging urban- and moonlight conditions in high-temporal resolution, enabling a paradigm shift within the scientific field. Finally, we discuss the use of DVS more broadly within geoscience.
Genome-wide Marker-based dissection of genetic variability for yield and yield components, and multi-trait selection in Kersting’s groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpum)
Authors: Kafoutchoni Konoutan M. , Agoyi Eric E. , Galli Giovanni , Sodédji Frejus A. K. , Agbahoungba Symphorien , Sossou Hospice S. , Agbangla Clément , Assogbadjo Achille E.
Published: September 2024

Understanding genetic parameters and trait relationships is essential for effective breeding programs. This study evaluated fifteen yield components in 81 kersting’s groundnut accessions from Benin and Burkina Faso using additive and dominant marker-based relationship matrices and mixed effect models. Structural equation modeling was used to assess trait association patterns, while genotype by yield-trait biplot and multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index identified superior genotypes. Significant accession and environmental effects were observed for most traits. Broad-sense heritability was moderate for yield (H2 = 0.39) and high (H2 > 0.60) for other traits. Seed width, length, thickness, 100-seed weight, emergence rate, and days to 50% flowering exhibited moderate narrow-sense heritability (h2 = 0.33–0.58), indicating additive gene action amenable to selection. High genetic gains were observed for emergence rate (84.09%), yield/plant (48.00%), and grain yield (44.19%), while low gains were found for number of pods/plant (0.32%), grain filling duration (2.60%) and pod width (3.72%). Grain yield exhibited significant positive associations with yield/plant, number of pods/plant, seeds/pod, 100-seed weight, pod harvest efficiency, and number of branches. These traits can guide indirect selection strategies for enhancing grain yield. Seventeen superior accessions with distinct strengths and weaknesses were identified as candidate parents for kersting’s groundnut breeding programs.
Modelling the rise of invasive lionfish in the Mediterranean
Authors: Mitchell Emma , Almela Victoria Dominguez
Published: September 2024

The spread of the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois miles into the Atlantic Ocean represents a well-known example of a successful invasion. Lionfish have successfully invaded the Atlantic, aided by biological traits such as high thermal tolerance, adaptability to various salinities, high fecundity, conspicuous defenses, and generalist feeding habits. The Mediterranean Sea is now experiencing an early-stage lionfish invasion, spreading westward from the eastern Mediterranean, likely through the Suez Canal. Using ecological niche modelling under various climate scenarios, we predict the potential spread of lionfish, identifying regions from low to high habitat suitability. Predictions indicate significant expansion, especially in the eastern and central Mediterranean, under greater warming scenarios. This expansion could lead to substantial declines in native species, decimation of commercially important fish stocks, and trophic cascades, severely impacting local economies and marine biodiversity. Urgent understanding and management of lionfish impacts in the Mediterranean are essential, given their established presence in the western Atlantic and documented ecological consequences.
The Hidden Costs of Supervisor Ostracism: Pathways to Self-Handicapping Behavior
Authors: Sarwar Uzma , Rehman Nadia , Sanhong Tong
Published: September 2024

This research investigates the pathways and temporal effects of supervisor ostracism in promoting self-handicapping behavior. Using the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we hypothesize that supervisor ostracism increases self-handicapping behavior through the fear of negative evaluation (FNE). Additionally, we propose that power distance amplifies the positive effect of supervisor ostracism on FNE. Drawing on time-separated, multisource, and multilevel sampling data from service sector employees in China, our findings confirm that FNE mediates the relationship between supervisor ostracism and self-handicapping behavior. Furthermore, power distance acts as a boundary condition, directly influencing the relationship between supervisor ostracism and FNE and strengthening the mediated relationship between supervisor ostracism and self-handicapping behavior. We discuss the implications of these results for research and practice in the service industry.
Invitro antifungal and probiotic synergy of Lactiplantibacillus derived from tropical fruits: Efficacy against phytopathogen Fusarium oxysporum
Authors: R Vasundaradevi , M Sarvajith , S Divyashree , N Deepa , Achar Premila N , MY Sreenivasa
Published: September 2024

Fifty-five putative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from seven distinct tropical fruits. The highest prevalence of LABs was identified in the Solanum nigrum fruit, with Couroupita guianenis and Musa fruits displaying the lowest counts. Remarkably, two strains, isolated from Ficus racemosa, exhibited notable antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum. Sequencing 16S rDNA confirmed the strain as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MYSVCF3 and Lpb. argentoratensis MYSVCF5. The isolates demonstrated adaptability to wide temperatures (10–45°C), pH (pH 2–7), salt (up to 7%), and invitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Thus, the strains exhibited characteristic features typical of probiotics. Lpb. argentoratensis MYSVCF5 effectively inhibited the growth of F. oxysporum and ESKAPE pathogens. 10% cell-free supernatant (CFS) could reduce the biomass yield by 94% and completely inhibit germination of conidia. CFS retained its activity even after long cold storage conditions. LC-MS/MS analysis identified organic acids in CFS, with citric acid as the most abundant component followed by lactic and malic acid. This study showed promising antifungal properties against phytopathogen, making them potential candidates for various applications, including probiotics and antifungal agents in food and agriculture.
Classification and influencing factors of family resilience and post-traumatic growth in spinal tumor patients：a latent profile analysis
Authors: Chen Li , Yao Lifeng , Zhang Li , Jia Shoumei , Lu Zhenqi , Zhang Xiaoju
Published: September 2024

Purpose
To investigate the possible classifications and determinants of family resilience and post-traumatic growth among individuals with spinal tumors.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 219 inpatients diagnosed with spinal tumors between July 2021 and July 2022. Participants completed the General Demographic Information questionnaire, Chinese-Family Resilience Assessment Scale, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Family Crisis-Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales, and Social Support Rating Scale. Latent profile analysis was used to identify the potential profiles of family resilience and post-traumatic growth. Ordinal and multinomial logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with family resilience and post-traumatic growth.
Results
Among the 219 patients, 28.3% had primary spinal tumors, and 71.7% had secondary spinal tumors. Latent profile analysis categorized respondents into three groups: Family dilemma-resistant (17.4%), general resilience-struggle (45.2%), and family adaptation-growth (37.4%). Significant differences were observed among these groups in occupational status, housework commitment, family atmosphere, and scores on the FCOPES and SSRS scales. Regression analyses indicated that retirement [OR = 2.928, 95% CI (1.098–7.808)], family coping [OR = 1.113, 95% CI (1.063–1.165)], and social support [OR = 1.226, 95% CI (1.103–1.362)] were significantly associated with family resilience and post-traumatic growth (P < 0.05).
Conclusion
Individuals with spinal tumors display unique features in family resilience and post-traumatic growth. Consequently, targeted interventions should be developed for different patient categories.
Relationship of nutritional intake and inflammatory factors with sarcopenia in community-dwelling elderly individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: xu jiaqian , Jia shuangshuang , Xie Ruining , Yan Xin , Chen Lingzhi , Cheng Xiaoyu , Bai Li , Li Yaqing , Wang Yujing , Qiao Yi
Published: September 2024

Purpose
Sarcopenia is an age-related disease that is related to nutritional intake and chronic low-grade inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dietary intake, inflammatory markers and sarcopenia among the community-dwelling elderly individuals.
Methods
A total of 1001 elderly individuals aged 60 and above were recruited. According to the criteria established by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019, assessing the presence of sarcopenia and using a Food Frequency Questionnaire to evaluate daily dietary intake. Serum levels of inflammatory markers were measured using the ELISA method.
Results
The prevalence of sarcopenia among the 1001 participants was 19.60%. Multivariate analysis revealed that leucine, methionine, threonine, histidine, aspartic acid, calcium, zinc, and vitamin C were protective factors against the occurrence of sarcopenia. Higher dietary inflammatory index scores were associated with higher risk of sarcopenia (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.12–2.47). Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.02–1.07) was a risk factor for sarcopenia and was associated with lower skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical function. Conversely, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.74–0.94) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.61–0.91) served as protective factors against sarcopenia.
Conclusions
This cross-sectional study revealed alterations in amino acid and micronutrient intake among elderly individuals with sarcopenia. The levels of TWEAK were associated with increased risk of sarcopenia, whereas IGF-1 and GST were associated with reduced risk of sarcopenia.
The effects of self-perceived aging and emotion regulation strategies on psychological abuse of elderly people in rural China: a structural equation modeling approach
Authors: Zhao Dongqing , Pei Li , Li Shuang , Zhang Lanrui , Wu Xiaomeng , Dou Haoying
Published: September 2024

Objectives
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-perceived aging and psychological abuse among rural Chinese older adults, while considering the parallel mediating role of emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive inhibition).
Design:
A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed.
Methods
A total of 449 rural older adults were recruited from a county in Dezhou City, Shandong Province, from July to November 2023 to assess self-perceived aging, emotion regulation, and psychological maltreatment. A hypothesized model based on sociopsychological selectivity theory pathways was proposed to examine the relationships between self-perceived aging, emotion regulation, and psychological abuse. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediated fit model.
Results
Higher self-perceived aging and expressive inhibition were positively associated with the propensity to be psychological abuse, and cognitive reappraisal was negatively associated with psychological abuse. Structural equation modelling revealed that the cognitive reappraisal strategy mediated the relationship between self-perceived ageing and psychological abuse, whereas the expressive inhibition strategy did not.
Conclusions
This study reveals that self-perceived aging mindfulness is associated with the occurrence of psychological abuse in older adults as they enter the aging stage. It further suggests that part of this effect can be explained by cognitive reappraisal or expressive inhibition. Thus, the use of emotion regulation strategies may help to reduce the incidence of psychological abuse after self-perceived ageing.
Implications:
Given the rising incidence and hidden nature of elder psychological abuse in rural China, addressing the psychological harm of abuse from the perspective of older individuals is crucial. By focusing on positive aging attitudes and utilizing cognitive reappraisal as an emotion regulation strategy, psychological maltreatment can be reduced, particularly in cases of severe negative aging attitudes and inappropriate emotion regulation strategies among older adults in rural areas of Shandong Province.
A 15-Year Analysis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Africa Using Google Trends
Authors: Jess Tine , Moran Hunter Ross , Elmahdi Rahma , De Freitas Maiara Brusco , Munk Anders Kristian
Published: September 2024

Background
There is little to no evidence on the status of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Africa. Due to a lack of epidemiological data for the disease on the continent, alternative methods are necessary to gather information data on IBD. Google Trends has been used to study specific diseases and symptoms through an epidemiological lens, and knowledge of its capabilities continues to expand in the healthcare field.
Objective
The aim of this study was to analyze 15-years of the IBD Search Interest throughout Africa to characterize the rapidly increasing interest in IBD across the continent with the least amount of recorded epidemiological data worldwide.
Methods
Using the Google Trends platform, we investigated search data for three topics, “Inflammatory bowel disease (Condition),” “Crohn’s Disease (CD; Disease),” and “Ulcerative colitis (UC; Disease),” as well as the 2023 associated Top Topics and Rising Topics in all African countries with available data between the years 2009 and 2023.
Results
We found a marked increase in search interest for IBD within every African country where data were available over the last 15 years. The interest was related to both UC and CD, with some differences between countries. Up to 75% of the most frequent Top Topics searched for with IBD were categorized as symptom- or diagnosis-related. The Top Topics varied across the continent and were of rising frequency in the latest year (2022 to 2023). Central African countries had the most limited searches on topics related to IBD.
Conclusion
There is a lack of high-quality prevalence and incidence data for IBD in Africa. However, using Google Trends we identify a growing interest in IBD and its disease subtypes across the continent over the last 15 years. Additional observational studies are required to assess how closely these data reflect real-world disease patterns.
Incorporating Dictionaries into a Neural NetworkArchitecture to Extract COVID-19 MedicalConcepts From Social Media
Authors: Hasan Abul , Weston David , Levene Mark
Published: September 2024

We investigate the potential benefit of incorporating dictionary information into a neural network architecture for natural language processing. In particular, we make use ofthis architecture to extract several concepts related to COVID-19 from an on-line medicalforum. We use a sample from the forum to manually curate one dictionary for each concept. In addition, we use MetaMap, which is a tool for extracting biomedical concepts, toidentify a small number of semantic concepts. For a supervised concept extraction task onthe forum data, our best model achieved a macro F1 score of 90%. A major difficulty inmedical concept extraction is obtaining labelled data from which to build supervised models. We investigate the utility of our models to transfer to data derived from a differentsource in two ways. First for producing labels via weak learning and second to performconcept extraction. The dataset we use in this case comprises COVID-19 related tweets andwe achieve an F1 score 81% for symptom concept extraction trained on weakly labelleddata. The utility of our dictionaries is compared with a COVID-19 symptom dictionarythat was constructed directly from Twitter. Further experiments that incorporate BERT anda COVID-19 version of BERTweet demonstrate that the dictionaries provide a commensurate result. Our results show that incorporating small domain dictionaries to deep learningmodels can improve concept extraction tasks. Moreover, models built using dictionariesgeneralize well and are transferable to different datasets on a similar task.
Molecular Characterization of Circulating Infectious Bursal Disease viruses in chickens from Different Egyptian Governorates during 2023
Authors: El-Fatah Amr H. Abd , Ayman Dalia , Samir Mahmoud , Eid Soad , Elgamal Mahmoud , El-sanousi A. A. , Ibrahim Mahmoud , AlKhazindar M , Ali M. M. , Afify Amira
Published: September 2024

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) induces severe immunosuppression in chickens, leading to significant economic losses in the global poultry industry. This study investigated 52 chicken flocks, including commercial broilers, layers, and baladi, from various Egyptian governorates for 2023. These flocks exhibited symptoms of depression, along with kidney and bursa lesions, indicative of IBDV infection. Pooled Bursal homogenates were tested using RT-PCR with VP2-specific primers, revealing that 20 flocks tested positive for IBDV. Six representative samples were selected from 20 positive flocks for isolation of embryonated chicken eggs. The embryonic lesions observed included hemorrhage, skull swelling, and liver necrosis with a pale-yellow appearance. Additionally, the harvested chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) showed signs of congestion and thickening. Partial amplification of the VP2 gene from the harvested embryo suspensions of the six IBDV isolates was performed for sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences revealed that five IBDV isolates (VV4, VV5, VV6, VV10, and VV16) belonged to the very virulent strain group A3 cluster, whereas one isolate (VV2) clustered with Chinese Variant strains in the A2d group. Sequence analysis of the hypervariable region (HVR) of VP2 compared to that of Egypt-USC-IBD-1-2019 and vvIBDV/Beh21/Egypt/18 highly virulent IBDV strains revealed several amino acid mutations. The VP2 HVR of all isolates maintained the serine-rich heptapeptide sequence SWSASGS, which is adjacent to the major hydrophilic peak B and serves as a virulence marker. Histopathological examination revealed that bursae from chickens infected with very virulent IBDV exhibited marked interlobular edema and lymphoid depletion. In contrast, bursae from chickens infected with Variant IBDV showed massive lymphoid depletion, with hyperplasia of the bursal capsule. These findings highlight the circulation of both virulent and Variant IBDV strains in Egyptian chicken flocks, complicating disease control. Consequently, there is a need to update vaccination programs and vaccine strains for IBDV in Egypt.
Knowledge and Awareness of Blood Borne Infections Among Healthcare Workers in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria
Authors: Momodu Amina , Shuaib Bukhari Isah , Ohenhen Johnsolomon Eghosa
Published: September 2024

Introduction
Blood-borne infections (BBIs) is a dangerous occupational hazard of healthcare workers in Nigeria. BBIs considered in this study includes: Syphilis, Hepatitis B, and HIV infections. Ignorance of BBIs among healthcare worker can jeopardize the life of healthcare workers in South-South Nigeria. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the level of awareness and knowledge of BBIs among healthcare workers in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State of Southern Nigeria.
Materials and Methods
330 health workers such as Clinicians, Laboratory Scientist and nurses selected from 47 health facilities within Etsako west Local Government Area participated in the study. Quantitative method of data collection was carried out using a pretested structured questionnaire that includes open ended and close ended response format. Questionnaires were sorted, and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21.0 software. Univariate and Bivariate analysis was done to determine variables and association between variables using 11 questions to assess knowledge under four domains viz; Definition, mode of transmission, prevention and types of BBI. For each domain, a score of ‘1’ was awarded for correct answer and ‘0’ for a wrong answer.
Results: 212 (75.4%) of health workers had a good knowledge of BBIs while 69 (24.6%) had poor knowledge of BBIs in Etsako west LGA in Edo state of Southern Nigeria.
Conclusion
Level of awareness among categories of health workers was in this order: Clinicians, Laboratory Scientist, Nurses. Level of awareness of BBIs was directly proportional to educational qualifications in Etsako West Local Government Area.
Effect of kayak ergometer training on trunk control, independence and the cardiovascular condition in individuals with a spinal cord injury
Authors: Quinzaños-Fresnedo Jimena , Rodríguez-Barragán Marlene , Palomino-Ramos Fabiola , Torres-Serrano Wendy , Barrera-Ortiz Aída , Bueyes-Roiz Virginia , Quiñones-Urióstegui Ivett , Pablo Alberto Perez-San , Velasco-Acosta Paris , García-Robledo Gabriela , Calderon-Campos Cynthia
Published: September 2024

Study Design. One of the main objectives in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation programs is the improvement of trunk control to achieve independence, to prevent complications and, in specific cases, to walk.
Objective. To determine the effect of kayak ergometer training in trunk control, cardiovascular condition and independence in individuals with a spinal cord injury.
Setting. National Institute of Rehabilitation in Mexico City.
Methods. Randomized clinical trial double blinded study. Individuals with SCI of any etiology, with a neurologic level of C8 and below, with three months to one year since injury were included. The subjects were randomized to a control group with neuro proprioceptive facilitation exercises focused in trunk control and to an experimental group with kayak ergometer training. Both groups received 5 weekly sessions for 6 weeks.
Results. 18 individuals for each training group concluded the 6-week sessions, with an age of 29.33 ± 7.78 SD. 72.2% were men with complete injuries (77.8%), and the majority had lower thoracic injuries (58.4%). At the final measurements, the kayak ergometer group showed significant improvement in trunk control (p=0.032), maximum oxygen uptake ((p<0.001) and in metabolic equivalents (p=0.002) compared to the conventional therapy group.
Conclusions. Kayak ergometer training is superior to conventional exercise (to improve trunk control and cardiovascular function in individuals with SCI.
A method for analysing data from 1- and 2-dimensional NMR experiments by determination of their expectation values and standard deviations
Authors: Sørland Geir Humborstad , Anthonsen Henrik Walbye , Simon Sebastien
Published: September 2024

A method for analysing ill posed multi exponentially decaying data from 1- and 2-dimensional experiments by determination of the expectation values and their standard deviation has been developed. It combines a repeated use of the discrete Anahess approach for analysing the dynamic data where a regrouping of the noise in the data is performed for each repetition.. These resulting expectation values are used as initial and restricting values to produce a distribution using the Inverse Laplace Transform, where the position and volume of the distribution can then be reported with expectation value and standard deviation. The method is verified on synthetic data and tested on real data in both one and two dimensions.
Untargeted UHPLC-HRMS Based Metabolomics for Authentication of Chicken Meat Supplied by Different Slaughter Methods of Halal, Non-Halal and Shubha
Authors: Maritha Vevi , Kartini Puri Ratna , Ihda Nur , Rivera Alice , Rezaldi Firman , Heryanto Rudi , Kurniawan Avip , Yuwono Mohammad
Published: September 2024

To protect consumers from non-halal and shubha-halal foods, it is essential to authenticate chicken meat based on its slaughtering process. The objective of the present study is to authenticate the halalness of chicken meat based on the slaughter process. Untargeted metabolomics, utilizing UHPLC-HRMS combined with chemometrics, offers a selective and accurate method for verifying the halal status of chicken meat based on the slaughter process. This approach identified 29 metabolite profiles, with creatine, carnosine, and 3-methylhistidine being the most prominent metabolites. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) clearly distinguished the metabolic profiles of chicken meat slaughtered using different methods. Additionally, cluster analysis effectively grouped chicken meat based on similarities in metabolite profiles. The correlation network revealed that 21 types of metabolites are interrelated in the halal authentication process. Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) accurately identified 13 potential biomarkers for halal authentication, including creatine, betaine, 2-amino-1,3,4-octadecanetriol, L-isoleucine, L-phenylalanine, L-histidine, L-glutamic acid, L-glutathione, DL-glutamine, taurine, carnosine, and acetyl-L-carnitine. Overall, untargeted metabolomics combined with UHPLC-HRMS and chemometrics represents a promising method for authenticating the halal status of chicken meat, distinguishing between halal, non-halal, shubha-halal, and mixtures of halal with non-halal or shubha-halal meat.
Towards Malaria Elimination: A Case-Control Study to Assess Associated Factors to Malaria Relapses in the Extra-Amazon Region of Brazil From 2008 to 2019
Authors: Garcia Klauss Kleydmann Sabino , Henriques Karina Medeiros Deus , Balieiro Antonio Alcirley Silva , Pina-Costa Anielle , Siqueira André M
Published: September 2024

Background
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the Plasmodium species and is a global burden. When not treated correctly, it can reemerge as a relapse or recrudescence. Malaria relapse cases can contribute to maintaining active transmission chains and can influence the patient to develop severe malaria, potentially leading to hospitalization or death. The objective of this study is to estimate the number of malaria relapse cases in the extra-Amazon region of Brazil and to investigate the associated factors.
Methods
This is a case-control study that analyzes malaria infections caused by Plasmodium vivax, as reported in Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan) for the Brazilian extra-Amazon region (an area not endemic for the disease) from 2008 to 2019. For the identification of relapse cases, deduplication record linkage processes in R software were used. Malaria relapses were defined as the case group, and new malaria infections were defined as the control group. Logistic regression models were used to assess associated factors.
Results
Of the 711 relapse episodes, 589 (82.8%) were first relapses. Most relapses (71.6%) in the time series occurred between 30 and 120 days after the previous infection. Malaria relapse cases are spread throughout the extra-Amazon region, with a higher concentration near big cities. Driver occupation was found to be a common risk factor compared to other occupations, along with individuals without symptoms, individuals infected in the Brazilian Amazon region, individuals tested for malaria relapses, and individuals with previous infections with parasitemia higher than 10,000 parasites per mm³.
Conclusions
This work provides evidence that allows malaria health surveillance services to direct their efforts to monitor cases of malaria in the highest risk segments identified in this study, particularly in the period between 30 and 120 days after infection. This is an essential step to prevent new transmission chains, possible reintroductions of cases, and the progression of the disease into severe forms, thereby reducing hospitalizations and deaths. Consequently, this contributes to achieving the goals of eliminating malaria in the country.
Comprehensive Proteomic and Metabolomic Profiling of Soleus Muscle of Rats Exposed to Hindlimb Unloading Reveals Changes Related to Muscle Atrophy
Authors: Wang Yuan , Li Xi , Li Na , Du Jiawei , Qin Xiaodong , Sun Xiqing , Wang Yongchun , Li Chengfei
Published: September 2024

Background
Skeletal muscle atrophy, which is induced by factors such as disuse, spaceflight, certain medications, neurological disorders and malnutrition, is a global health issue with clinical manifestations mainly being a reduction in muscle mass and muscle weakness. Currently there is a lack of effective treatment for muscle atrophy. Hindlimb unloading is currently a commonly used model for muscle atrophy. However, the underlying mechanism of muscle atrophy induced by hindlimb unloading remains unclear, particular from the perspective of myocyte proteome and metabolism.
Methods
We first conducted proteomic sequencing based on mass spectrometry to explore the protein abundance changes of soleus muscles from rats exposed to hindlimb unloading. Then untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed, followed by the combined analysis of proteomic and metabolomic profiles.
Results
In our study, 1052 differentially expressed proteins and 377 differentially abundant metabolites were revealed in HU group compared to CON group. These differentially expressed proteins included some proteins which are mainly expressed in the fast-twitch muscle such as ACTN3, MYH4, MYBPC2 and MYOZ1. Some metabolism-related proteins such as GLUL, GSTM4 and NDUFS4 were screened out. Some differentially abundant metabolites including arachidylcarnitine and 7,8-dihydrobiopterin, along with pathways such as histidine metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism might be related to muscle atrophy. Protein and metabolism joint analysis revealed that some pathways such as glutathione metabolism, ferroptosis and lysosome pathways were likely to be involved in soleus atrophy.
Conclusion
In this study, we have applied integrated deep proteomic and metabolomic analysis. The upregulation of proteins which are expressed in fast-twitch fibers indicated the conversion of slow-twitch fibers to fast-twitch fibers under HU. Some metabolism-related proteins have been screened out. Besides, some differentially abundant metabolites and pathways revealed the important role of metabolism in the muscle atrophy of soleus. Our study provides insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of muscle atrophy that results from unloading by integrating the proteomics and metabolomics of soleus muscles.
Quantum AI in Speech Emotion Recognition
Authors: Norval Michael , Wang Zenghui
Published: September 2024

This study explores Quantum AI’s potential in enhancing Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) systems. Our primary objective is to evaluate the performance of quantum-inspired algorithms compared to classical machine-learning approaches in accurately identifying and classifying emotions from speech signals. We hypothesise that quantum computing techniques can improve the efficiency and accuracy of emotion recognition, particularly in handling complex, highdimensional acoustic data. We developed a hybrid quantum-classical model that combines quantum-inspired neural networks with traditional feature extraction techniques. Our approach utilises quantum circuits for data encoding and quantum variational algorithms for classification. We implemented quantum versions of support vector machines (QSVM) and quantum approximate optimisation algorithms (QAOA) for emotion classification tasks. These quantum methods were compared against a hybrid Convolutional Neural Network and Long Short Term (LSTM). The hybrid network is called a Convolutional Long Short Term network(CLSTM). The study employed a custom dataset for speech emotion recognition. We prepossessed the audio data to extract relevant acoustic features, including mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs), pitch, and energy. In contrast, our implemented quantum-inspired model for this corpus showed lower performance, with the highest training accuracy of 30%, struggling with most emotions but performing best with ’Trust’. These varied results across different implementations suggest that while Quantum AI techniques show promise in advancing speech emotion recognition, their effectiveness may depend on the specific dataset, language, and model architecture used. Finally, the speed of a simulated quantum network is shown to outperform current methods in terms of matrix multiplication by leaps and bounds.
Comprehensive analysis of mRNA Transcriptome Profiles in HepG2 Cells Expressing Genotype IV Swine Hepatitis E Virus ORF3
Authors: Jiao Hanwei , Meng Chi , Jiao Fengyuan , Zhou Gengxu , Zhao Yu , Wang Lingjie , Wu Shengping , Fan Cailiang , Li Jixiang , Cao Liting , Luo Yichen
Published: September 2024

Background Porcine hepatitis E is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by swine hepatitis E virus (HEV), open reading frames 3 is an important virulence protein of porcine HEV, which plays an important role in the release of viral particles and host innate immune response, regulation of autophagy and apoptosis, etc., but its main function and pathogenic mechanism are not perfect in current research. Results In our study, adenoviruses ADV4-ORF3 and ADV4-GFP were successfully constructed and mediated the overexpression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-ORF3 and EGFP in HepG2 cells. A total of 217 differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were screened by high-throughput sequencing, and 27 statistically significant differentially expressed genes were screened for further quantitative real-time reverse transcription (qRT-PCR) verification by functional enrichment (Gene Ontology [GO] and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes [KEGG]). They are mainly involved in 6 pathways: cellular response to unfolded protein, Inflammatory response, cytokine activity, TNF signaling pathway, Influenza A, and Pathways in cancer. Conclusions The differential genes were successfully verified, which laid a genetic foundation for the physiological function and mechanism of HEV ORF3
Computer Simulations of Four-Array Element Antenna Using Polyethelene (PE) Substrate and Parameter Analysis for Compact, Flexible Wireless Applications
Authors: Ramyea R. , Kandasamy Senthil Kumar , Kasthuri N.
Published: September 2024

Wireless communications such as radar systems and television transmission systems can be implemented through directional antennas. Advantages of C band antennas include less hampering by persistent rain diminishing between ground stations and satellites. In this paper, polymer substrate-based array antenna is designed. Conventional FR-4 substrate has certain operational constraints when it comes to high power, temperature, voltage and moisture. In order to reduce this, polyethylene substrate-based antenna is designed with four-array element. The designed antenna is simulated, the results are analysed and compared for both the substrates. The gain and directivity increased to 6.14 and 6.36 dB, respectively. Return loss has decreased to 19.71 dB and VSWR is about 5.92. The radiation efficiency for the designed four-array element antenna with polyethylene substrate is 96%. Thus, the resultant gain and efficiency of the proposed polymer substrate antenna has improved compared to the conventional substrate based antenna.
ViT-FLSFO: A method for Cervical Image Classification
Authors: Fang Qingbin , Zou Renling , Xu Jing , Guan Rui , Gu Xuelian , Hu Xiufang , Yin Xuezhi , Liu Kunyang
Published: September 2024

Cervical cancer ranks as the fourth most prevalent cancer among women worldwide. Early diagnosis facilitates timely intervention and treatment. Traditional colposcopy is a widely employed technique for evaluating cervical lesions. Recently, deep learning has been increasingly applied to the diagnosis of cervical diseases. However, conventional Vision Transformer (ViT) models face limitations in effectively extracting localized information, posing challenges in image recognition. This study introduces a novel model for classifying cervical images into normal, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and cancerous categories. The model incorporates a Feature-token Labeling Selection Module, Feature Fusion Module，and Overlapping Sampling Module to improve the ViT model (ViT-FLSFO). This module can realize the extraction of local feature areas and short-range interaction in the image, and enhance the edge capturing ability of the model and the proficiency of solving complex problems, thereby elevating prediction accuracy. Empirical results demonstrate that the ViT-FLSFO model achieves a detection accuracy of 91.88% in the cervical image dataset, a precision of 92.91%, a recall of 91.92% and an F1-Score of 91.99%, surpassing other advanced models. Consequently, this model holds significant potential for rapid auxiliary diagnosis in cervical imaging, contributing to the early detection and treatment of cervical cancer.
Cardiac extracellular vesicles aggravate cardiomyocyte ferroptosis in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via miR-155-5p-Nfe2l2 signaling
Authors: Ge Xinyu , Liu Jing , Meng Qingshu , Wang Enhao , Liu Xuan , Shi Shanshan , Gong Xin , Liu Zhongmin , Han Wei , Zhou Xiaohui
Published: September 2024

Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury represents a major cause of cell death post myocardial infarction. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of regulated cell death (RCD) dependent on iron and reactive oxygen species (ROS). We recently confirmed that cardiac IR triggers the increased release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) which aggravates cardiac dysfunction. Whether and how these EVs contribute to cardiac ferroptosis during myocardial IR injury remain elusive. Murine myocardial IR models were established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 45 minutes and then reperfusion. Then EVs from the heart subjected to IR (IR-EVs) were isolated. Adoptive transfer of IR-EVs and EVs inhibition experiments confirmed that IR-EVs act as a vital factor that contributes to the cardiomyocyte ferroptosis during cardiac IR, with increased Ptgs2 expression and malondialdehyde (MDA) production, as well as decreased NADPH level. Moreover, miR-155-5p enriched in IR-EVs can be delivered into cardiomyocytes and promoted the ferroptosis of cardiomyocytes in the peroxidation injury. Nfe2l2 was further confirmed as the target gene of miR-155-5p by luciferase reporter assay. Consistently, molecules targeting Nfe2l2 modulated the H2O2 or oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) induced ferroptosis, involving the downstream antioxidant response elements (AREs) of the Nfe2l2 pathway including Nqo1, HO1, Fth1, and Slc7a11. In conclusion, the present results provide a novel EV-based ferroptosis regulation mechanism in cardiac IR injury. Strategies targeting the IR-EVs-miR-155-5p-Nfe2l2 axis may be of therapeutic potential to prevent cardiac ferroptosis and dysfunction after myocardial IR.
The Relationship between Social Media Marketing and Customer Engagement in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: The Mediating Role of Content Quality and Relevance
Authors: Karawya Hassan
Published: September 2024

The main aim of the current study was to identify the relationship between social media marketing and customer engagement in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It also sought to identify the role that content quality and relevance can play in mediating this relationship. The researcher adopted a descriptive-analytical approach as the research methodology. The questionnaire was developed to identify the viewpoints of the study sample regarding this relationship. Data were analyzed using SPSS. The findings of the study showed that social media marketing had a significant effect on customer engagement. In addition, content quality and relevance had a significant impact on customer engagement. Furthermore, content quality and relevance mediate the relationship between social media marketing and customer engagement. The researcher recommended that brands must consider using social media "influencers" in Saudi Arabia to help generate and promote content that resonates with their followers and creates more customer engagement.
SENSING SWEET SPOTS: A comprehensive study of SARS-CoV-2-binding lectins
Authors: Ramya T.N.C. , LNU Neetu , Ahlawat Shimona , Delipan Rathina , Ringe Rajesh , Rao Alka
Published: September 2024

The Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 enables receptor binding, membrane fusion, and viral entry, and is the major target for vaccines and therapeutics. Spike is heavily glycosylated, and N-glycosylation is critical for the open conformation required for ACE2 binding. ACE2 binding and subsequent viral fusion are blocked by inhibitors of N-glycan biosynthesis and by a few lectins. Here, we performed a comprehensive study of lectins that bind to recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein (expressed and purified from HEK293F cells) and to SARS-CoV-2 virus (cultured from Vero E6 cells) by employing an array of 95 lectins with different carbohydrate specificities, 68 of which we characterized using publically available glycan array data and the MotifFinder software. Spike glycoprotein was bound by N-glycan core binding lectins, AMA, ASA, BANLEC, BC2LA, CA, ConA, GNA, GS-II, HHA, LcHA, MNA-M, NPA, ORYSATA, PHA-L, and TL, and O-glycan binding lectins, ACL, SBA, ABL, LSN-L, and RCA-60. Spike glycoprotein was also bound by L-fucose-specific lectins, PSA, RS-Fuc, and AAL (in an L-fucose-dependent manner). A subset of the N-glycan core binding lectins and other lectins that bound to recombinant Spike - AMA, ASA, ConA, GNA, NPA, BANLEC, and TL, and AAL, RCA-120, SBA, and PHA-P, respectively, also bound well to cultured SARS-CoV-2 virus. The lectins, CPA, MAA, PA-IIL, and STL bound with greater intensity to the cultured SARS-CoV-2 virus than the recombinant Spike glycoprotein, suggestive of more accessible complex glycans on the cultured virus. The SARS-CoV-2-specific lectins identified in our study may be assessed for their antiviral potential in future studies.