bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A proposed framework of reverse logistics based on blockchain for auditing and traceability for e-equipment
Authors: t ramadas
Published: August 2022

Electronic garbage (also known as e-waste) is produced unprecedentedly by humans. E-waste is generated by laptops, mobile phones, and other interconnected gadgets, which contribute significantly to the development of e-waste. Reverse logistics (RL) operations are critical in managing electronic equipment after the end of its useful lives. This is because re-manufacturing e-equipment might be very difficult both from an operational point of view and a privacy point of view because of rules like the electronic user's general data protection regulation guidelines. This research suggests a secure and reliable framework for e- equipment reverse logistic operations built on a blockchain architecture. We consider the refurbishing/re-manufacturing recovery solution for laptops. We also design an effective and autonomous back-end database exchanging architecture centered on blockchain technology to monitor all the refurbishing/re-manufacturing procedures.
SLC6A2 /MAOA inhibitors improve the glycolipid metabolism by regulating norepinephrine in sympathetic neuron–associated macrophages
Authors: Sun Minxian , Zheng Shasha , Wang Pei , Wang Juanjuan , Yi Lan , Zhang Hongmei
Published: August 2022

Background: The infiltration of macrophages in white adipose tissue (WAT) is associated with the development of obesity. A recent study reported that sympathetic neuron–associated macrophages (SAMs) had a pro-inflammatory effect by regulating the metabolism of norepinephrine (NE) in obesity. SAMs transport and degrade NE via solute carrier family 6 member 2（SLC6A2）and monoamine oxidase A（MAOA）respectively. NE has a well-established role in promoting lipolysis in adipocytes. Furthermore, SAMs are recruited and activated in obesity, but the exact molecular mechanism is still unclear. The aim of this study is to explore whether the restraint of SLC6A2 or MAOA by SLC6A2 inhibitor (SLC6A2i) or MAOA inhibitor (MAOAi) would rescured metabolic disorders by modulating NE level in high fat diet (HFD) induced obesity mice model. We thus unveiled the effect of NE on glycolipid metabolism, focusing on the contribution of SAMs .Methods: 24 male C57BL/6J mice (5 weeks old) were randomly fed with normal chow diet (NCD, n=6) or HFD (n=18) respectively for 16 weeks. 18 mice fed with HFD were randomly categorized into 3 groups as follows: HFD+NaCl (n=6), HFD+SLC6A2i (n=6) and HFD+MAOAi (n=6). The body weight, length and serum analysis (glucose, lipidprofile, and insulin) were obtained before and after 3 weeks of NE intervention. Then, superior cervical ganglia(SCG), visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT) and subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT) were extracted for further analysis. Results: After 3 weeks NE intervention, Lee’s index, FBG, P2hBG, TG, TC, LDL-C, and insulin showed lower in HFD+SLC6A2i and HFD+MAOAi group, and HDL-C showed higher than those in HFD+NaCl group (p<0.05)，although the weight and length had no significant change. The adiposytes in the HFD+NaCl group were obivously bigger and more inconsistent in size, while HFD+SLC6A2i group and HFD+MAOAi group showed intact morphology similar with NCD group. Compared with HFD+NaCl group, SAMs proportion, expression of SLC6A2, MAOA, TLR4, MYD88, NF-κB, TNF-α and IL-1α were significantly lower in HFD+SLC6A2i and HFD+MAOAi group (p<0.05), while the concentration of NE and expression of IL-10 were significantly higher in HFD+SLC6A2i and HFD+MAOAi group (p<0.05).Conclusion: Our results indicated restraint the function of SLC6A2 or MAOA would rescued metabolic disorders and obesity by modulating NE level. Recruited SAMs in obesity might be derived from the chronic low grade inflammation via TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. These findings provide new target for therapeutic potential of glycolipid metabolism and obesity.
Difference in carcinogenicities of two different vapor grown carbon fibers with different physicochemical characteristics induced by intratracheal instillation in rats
Authors: Sato Kei , Fukui Hiroko , Hagiwara Yuji , Ogawa Ryoji , Nishioka Ayako , Numano Takamasa , Sugiyama Taiki , Kawabe Mayumi , Mera Yukinori , Yoneda Tadashi
Published: August 2022

Background
Carbon fibers are high aspect ratio structures with diameters on the submicron scale. Vapor grown carbon fibers are contained within multi-walled carbon tubes, with VGCF™-H commonly applied as a conductive additive in lithium-ion batteries. However, several multi-walled carbon fibers, including MWNT-7, have been reported to induce lung carcinogenicity in rats. This study investigated the carcinogenic potential of VGCF™-H fibers in F344 rats of both sexes with the vapor grown carbon fibers VGCF™-H and MWNT-7 over 2 years. The carbon fibers were administered to rats by intratracheal instillation at doses of 0, 0.016, 0.08, and 0.4 mg/kg (total doses of 0, 0.128, 0.64, and 3.2 mg/kg) once per week for eight weeks and the rats were observed for up to 2 years after the first instillation.
Results
Histopathological examination showed the induction of malignant mesothelioma on the pleural cavity with dose-dependent increases observed at 0, 0.128, 0.64, and 3.2 mg/kg in rats of both sexes that were exposed to MWNT-7. On the other hand, only two cases of pleural malignant mesothelioma were observed in the VGCF™-H groups; both in male rats that received 3.2 mg/kg. The animals in the MWNT-7 groups either died or became moribund earlier than those in the VGCF™-H groups, which is thought related to the development of malignant mesothelioma. The survival rates were higher in the VGCF™-H group, and more carbon fibers were observed in the pleural lavage fluid (PLF) of the MWNT-7 groups. These results suggest that malignant mesothelioma is related to the transfer of carbon fibers into the pleural cavity.
Conclusions
The intratracheal instillation of MWNT-7 clearly led to carcinogenicity in both male and female rats at all doses. The equivocal evidence for carcinogenic potential that was observed in male rats exposed to VGCF™-H was not seen in the females. The differences in the carcinogenicities of the two types of carbon fibers are thought due to differences in the number of carbon fibers reaching the pleural cavity. The results indicate that the carcinogenic activity of VGCF™-H is lower than that of MWNT-7.
Evaluation of therapeutic PD-1 antibodies by an advanced single-molecule imaging system for human PD-1 microclusters
Authors: Nishi Wataru , Wakamatsu Ei , Machiyama Hiroaki , Matsushima Ryohei , Saito Kensho , Yoshida Yosuke , Nishikawa Tetsushi , Takehara Tomohiro , Toyota Hiroko , Furuhata Masae , Nishijima Hitoshi , Takeuchi Arata , Azuma Miyuki , Suzuki Makoto , Yokosuka Tadashi
Published: August 2022

With recent advances in immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), cancer immunotherapy has become the standard treatment for various malignant tumors. Their indications and dosages have been determined on the basis of several clinical trials conducted separately. In this study, we have established an advanced imaging system to visualize “human PD-1 microclusters,” in which PD-1 actually dephosphorylates both the TCR/CD3 complex and its downstream signaling molecules via the recruitment of a phosphatase, SHP2. Furthermore, each antibody required its own concentration and gained much greater effects in combination with other antibodies against different targets. We propose that our imaging system could digitally evaluate the PD-1-mediated T cell suppression and practical effects of each ICI. Currently, numerous new ICIs are tested, and more suitable combinations of them with other ICIs or conventional cancer treatments are being explored. Our study will have a wide range of applications to clinical practice in the future.
Numerical study on the distribution of nitric oxide concentration in the nasal cavity of healthy people during breathing
Authors: Yu Shen , Wang Danqing , Guo Yan , Shen Shuang , Wang Jizhe
Published: August 2022

In the nasal cavity, nitric oxide (NO) is involved in many physiological functions, including antibacterial and antiviral activity, promotion of nasal mucociliary clearance, and regulation of blood vessel expansion in the nasal mucosa. We investigated the distribution of NO concentration in the nasal cavity of healthy individuals during breathing. A three-dimensional numerical model of the nasal airway, including the bilateral maxillary sinuses, was created to simulate NO distribution in the nasal cavity during normal breathing. The effect of different nasal airflow velocities on NO distribution in the nasal cavity was evaluated. The distribution of NO concentration in the nasal cavity of healthy people during breathing was obtained from numerical simulation results. Lower the airflow rate, higher was the NO concentration and greater was the diffusion range in the nasal cavity. The NO concentration in the nasal cavity increased with an increase in its concentration in the maxillary sinus, indicating a linear relationship. The NO entered the nasal cavity mainly by diffusion and followed the convection flow of the respiratory air in the nasal cavity. NO concentration in the nasal cavity was related to the respiratory airflow velocity and NO concentration in the maxillary sinus. During inspiration, NO was present only in the nasal airway posterior to the maxillary sinus ostium, whereas during exhalation, the exhaled NO diffusely distributed throughout the nasal cavity.
Use of bedside ultrasound to confirm the positioning of the enteral catheter in critically ill patients
Authors: de Souza Ronan , Ravetti Cecilia Gómez , Castro Rafael Silva e , Frossard Elio Furbino , Anjos Isabella Santanna dos , Gomes Angélica Gomides dos Reis , Vassallo Paula Frizera , Nobre Vandack
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Enteral catheter (EC) nutrition is the most commonly used alternative in critically ill patients who require nutritional therapy. The incorrect positioning of the EC can result in severe complications. The plain X-ray, the gold standard method to confirm EC positioning has some disadvantages, such as radiation emission, loss of invasive devices, and adverse events. Few studies have investigated the role of bedside ultrasound (BUS) in the context. Aim: To evaluate the agreement between the BUS in a single epigastric window and the plain X-ray to confirm the positioning of the EC in critically ill patients. Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study conducted in two Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of a university hospital, from July 2020 to March 2021. Included in this study were adult patients (age > or = 18 years) with a recommendation for enteral nutrition. The ultrasound exams were carried out immediately after the introduction of the EC, using only the epigastric window, with an injection of 5 ml of air associated with 5 ml of saline solution. In all cases, the plain radiography was taken to confirm the positioning of the EC and to define the beginning of nutritional therapy. Results: This study included 83 patients, with a median age of 60 (50-70) years, 51.8% of whom were female. The median body mass index (BMI) was 26.4 (23.8-30.1) kg/m2 and the median SOFA score was 8 (5-10) points. The mortality rate in the ICU was 50.6%. The positioning of the EC was confirmed by plain radiography in all cases and by ultrasound in 81 (97.6%) patients. The non-identification of the EC by ultrasound in two patients occurred due to abdominal distension caused by gas interference. The median duration of the ultrasound exam was 2 (2-3) minutes, while the time spent between the request for the X-ray and the release of the exam for a doctor’s appointment was 225 (120-330) minutes. Neither BUS nor X-ray was associated with the occurrence of adverse events. Conclusion: BUS proved to be an effective, quick, and safe method to confirm the position of the EC in critically ill patients. Clinical trials comparing outcomes related to the use of EC when confirmed by ultrasound or X-ray are warranted.
Flow field analysis and experimental study of a novel hydraulic rotary spool directional flow control valve
Authors: chang xuesen , wu haiming , yao yao , wu haiyan
Published: August 2022

Theoretical and experimental studies were conducted on the flow field of a novel type of rotary spool, directional control and throttle hydraulic valve. The rotary spool of hydraulic valve is 8mm in diameter. The Complete hydraulic valve is composed of two 3/2-way valves and two rotary spools. Two rotary motors were used to drive the spools’ rotation in order to control flow direction and flow. The valve was designed and manufactured about 2019(Wu et al. 2018). The internal flow field of the valve was analyzed using Ansys in order to obtain the flow field characteristics and other relevant parameters on paper. The valve parameters were tested to obtain the experimental values. The theoretically and experimentally obtained values were generally consistent for relevant parameters. The flow field analysis demonstrated that the novel rotary spool hydraulic valve is capable of control flow direction at the same time while adjusting hydraulic system flow (Mohammad, Khajepour, and Huang 2017).
Lightweight Image Super-Resolution with ConvNeXt Residual Network
Authors: Zhang Yong , Bai Haomou , Bing Yaxing , Liang Xiao
Published: August 2022

Single image super-resolution (SISR) based on convolutional neural networks has been very successful in recent years. However, as the computational cost is too high, making it difficult to apply to resource-constrained devices, a big challenge for existing approaches is to find a balance between the complexity of the CNN model and the quality of the resulting SR. To solve this problem, various lightweight SR networks have been proposed. In this paper, we propose lightweight and efficient residual networks (IRN), which differ from previous lightweight SR networks that aggregate more powerful features by improving feature utilization through complex layer-connection strategies. The main idea is to simplify feature aggregation by using simple and efficient residual modules for feature learning, thus achieving a good trade-off between the computational cost of the model and the quality of the resulting SR. In addition, we revisit the impact of the activation function in the model and observe that different activation functions have an impact on the performance of the model. The experiment results show that IRN outperforms previous state-of-the-art methods in benchmark tests while maintaining a relatively low computational cost. The code will be available at https://github.com/kptx666/IRN.
Study of the Chemical Composition of Carica Papaya L. Seed Oils of Various Geographic Origin
Authors: Goriainov S. V. , Orlova S. V. , Nikitina E. A. , Vandishev V. V. , Ivlev V. A. , Esparza C. A. , Vasil’ev V. G. , Platonov E. A. , Sheremeta A. V. , Kalabin G. A.
Published: August 2022

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical compounds present in the Carica papaya L. seed oil of different geographic origin in comparative aspect. The oils were extracted from the seeds of Carica papaya L. fruits collected in Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Angola, Ghana, Brazil, as well as from seeds of fruit plants grown in close environment (Russian Federation, Saratov). The seeds yielded 18.3–27.0% of oil. Parameters such as oil yield, refractive index, peroxide value, iodine value, saponification value and acid value of the extracted Carica papaya L. seed oils were determined. The qualitative and quantitative chemical composition of seed oils were determined by a combination of mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The profiles and the content of fatty acids, sterols, triterpenic alcohols and benzyl isothiocyanate were established. The saponifiable fraction of the oils is represented predominantly by triglycerides (98.7–99.4%), and di- (0.4–1.1%) and monoglycerides (0.1–0.3%) are also present in minor amounts. They contain mainly oleic (68.7–74.9%), palmitic (14.2–16.9%), stearic (4.8–5.9%) and linoleic (3.4–6.8%) acids. The content of sterols and triterpene alcohols was (537.5–918.2) mg/100 g of oil (0.54–0.92%), up to 75% of the fraction was represented by β-sitosterol (55.9–66.7%) and its saturated analogue – sitostanol (11.0-15.7%). The content of benzyl isothiocyanate in lipid complexes ranged from 0.03–0.06%. The chemical composition of seed oils of Carica papaya L. fruits, cultivated in different geographic regions, is very similar. Carica papaya L. is considered to be a promising source of valuable seed oil.
WITHDRAWN: Parallel simulation of high-speed trains controlled by radio block centers using Spark cloud
Authors: Tao Xin , Zhou Yonghua , Mei Yiduo , Fujita Hamido
Published: August 2022

Train movement prediction simulation is an effective method of enhancing operation safety and efficiency of railway transportation. In reality, train movement data generated by the trains running in a railway network are huge, and on the other hand, the data quantity generated from data processing is also explosively increased for the analysis and decision such as conflict recognition and scheduling optimization, which greatly increases the time cost of prediction simulation. This paper attempts to propose a train movement model driven by the movement authorities (MAs) issued from radio block centers (RBCs) and its parallel simulation algorithm realized on Spark cloud. This paper provides a solution of iterative computing of dynamic process simulation based on cloud. Different from the general big data processing of independent datasets, the resilient distributed datasets are expandable along iterative computing processes. The Dataframe of SparkSQL modules on Apache Spark is employed to handle the problems of usage interdependency of datasets. Each worker node independently and synchronously deals with the data belonging to a part of trains, and at the same time, requires the data from other worker nodes belonging to other parts of trains. The parallel simulation is realized by Scala language that is used to build the Spark platform. The simulation results on a high-speed railway network demonstrates that the proposed train movement model and parallel algorithm can achieve theoretical rationality and decrease the time cost to satisfy real-time performance.
Localized solutions of higher topological type for semiclassical generalized quasilinear Schrödinger equations
Authors: Fang Xiang-Dong , Liu Mei-Qi
Published: August 2022

Please see manuscript PDF for full abstract with equations.We consider the following semiclassical generalized quasilinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation\begin{equation*}-\varepsilon^2\text{div} (g^2(v)\nabla v)+\varepsilon^2g(v)g'(v)|\nabla v|^2+V(x)v=f(v), \quad x\in \mathbb{R}^{N},\end{equation*} where $V\in C^1(\mathbb{R}^N)$ is bounded and $f$ is odd in $v$ and satisfies a monotonicity condition. We establish the existence of multiple localized solutions concentrating at the set of critical points of $V$.
Generating Modified-Half-Normal Random Variates by a Relaxed Transformed Density Rejection Method
Authors: Gao Fengxin , Wang Hai-Bin
Published: August 2022

The modified-half-normal distribution often occurs as one of the posterior conditionals in many Bayesian statistical models. In order to developa uniformly efficient random variate generator for the entire parameter range of such distribution, we propose a relaxed transformed density rejection method such that it is available in case the optimal contact points in the original transformed density rejection method have no closed-form. Simulation results verify that the resultant generator is fast and robust for various distribution parameters. The proposed generator is particularly suitable for the varying parameter case such as in Gibbs sampler.
Prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling of a paternally inherited microduplication 18q11.1 to 18q11.2 in a Chinese family
Authors: Chen Juan , Zhang Ying , Zhang Mingxi
Published: August 2022

Background: Copy number variants (CNVs) are an important source of normal and pathogenic genome variations. Chromosomal imbalances of several megabasepair in size are normally deleterious for the carrier. Still, rarely reported are so-called “unbalanced chromosome abnormalities” (UBCAs), which are either gains or losses or equally large genomic regions, but the affected person is not or only minimally clinically affected. The knowledge of such UBCAs is imperative also in chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) or noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT).Case presentation: A paternally inherited dup(18)(q11.1q11.2) was identified in a over two generations in a Chinese family. The affected region encompasses 25 genes, among which GATA6 is expressed in fetal endothelial cells and mesodermal cells. GATA6 duplications and /or mutations have been seen in cases with congenital heart disease but also non-affected individuals, suggesting incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. Conclusions: Duplications in the region of chromosome 18q11 have been rare reported previously in clinically healthy persons. Here a further family with an UBCA in 18q11 is added to the literature, suggesting a careful genetic counselling in comparable, especially prenatal cases.
A machine learning model for prediction of successful extubation in patients admitted to the intensive care unit
Authors: Huang Kuo-Yang , Xu Jia-Lang , Chen Huang-Chi , Horng Ming-Hwarng , Chung Che-Liang , Hsu Ying-Lin , Lin Ching-Hsiung
Published: August 2022

Background and objective:
Successful weaning from mechanical ventilation is important for patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs); however, models for predicting real-time weaning outcomes remain inadequate. Therefore, this study was designed to develop a machine learning model using time series ventilator-derived parameters with good accuracy for predicting successful extubation.
Methods
Patients with mechanical ventilation between August 2015 and November 2020 admitted Yuanlin Christian Hospital in Taiwan were retrospectively included. The ventilator-derived parameter time series dataset was collected before extubation. Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) was applied to choose the most important features. Machine learning models of logistic regression, random forest (RF), and support vector machine were adopted for predicting extubation outcomes. In addition, the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) was employed to address the data imbalance problem. Area under receiver operating characteristic (AUC), F1 score, and accuracy along with 10-fold cross-validation were used to evaluate prediction performance.
Results
In this study, 233 patients were included, of whom 28 (12.0%) failed extubation. Moreover, the six ventilatory variables per 180-s dataset had the optimal feature importance. The RF exhibited better performance than others with an AUC of 0.976 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.975–0.976), an accuracy of 94.0% (95% CI, 93.8–94.3%), and an F1 score of 95.8% (95% CI, 95.7–96.0%). The difference in performance between the RF with original and SMOTE dataset was small.
Conclusion
The RF model demonstrated good performance for predicting successful extubation of mechanically ventilated patients. This algorithm makes a precise real-time extubation outcome prediction for a patient at different time points.
ACY1-mediated deacetylation of GSTP1 at lysine 30 suppresses cisplatin resistance in epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Zheng Min , Zheng Xiaojing , Hou Zhenlin , Zhou Yun , Huang Shuting , Zhang Lan , Liu Pingping , Jiang Yinan , Pan Baoyue , Xiang Huiling , Ju Mingxiu , Luo Rong-Zhen , Jia Wei-Hua
Published: August 2022

Resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy is the major limitation to the improvement of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) prognosis. Aminoacylase-1 (ACY1) hydrolyzes acylated l-amino acids andN-acetylated proteins; however, the roles of ACY1 in EOC and platinum resistance remain unknown. Accordingly, this study explored the biological functions and clinical significance of ACY1 in the resistance of EOC to cisplatin therapy. We found that lower levels of ACY1 were associated with worse prognosis and platinum-based chemoresistance in EOC. Moreover, ACY1 significantly sensitized EOC cells to cisplatinin vitroandin vivo. Mechanistically, ACY1 deacetylated glutathioneS-transferase P1 (GSTP1) at lysine 30, which triggered its degradation and thereby reduced GSTP1 stability. Thus, ACY1 attenuated the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination and DNA damage repair. Finally, histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) downregulatedACY1transcription by suppressing histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation on theACY1promoter, and inhibiting HDAC4 reversed cisplatin resistance in EOC cells. Collectively, these results revealed an HDAC4–ACY1–GSTP1 axis as vital signaling for cisplatin resistance in EOC. This suggested that ACY1 might be a novel mediator in EOC chemoresistance and HDAC4 inhibitors could be used to overcome platinum resistance in patients with low expression of ACY1.
Early maternal risk factor profiles and their relationship to toxic stress response in infants across the first year of life
Authors: Gateau Kameelah , Schlueter Lisa , Pierce Lara , Thompson Barbara , Gharib Alma , Durazo-Arvizu Ramon , Nelson Charles , Levitt Pat
Published: August 2022

Objective: To generate a cumulative early risk score for the perinatal maternal environment and examine the association of the maternal cumulative risk score with infant development and maternal and infant oxidative stress.Study Design: This was a two-center longitudinal study of mother-infant dyads born >36 weeks’ gestation. Maternal demographic information and mental health assessments were utilized to generate cumulative risk scores. Infants’ development was assessed at 6 and 12 months. Mothers and infants were assayed for F2-isoprostanes, a biomarker of oxidative stress.Results: Cumulative risk scores predicted higher maternal (p=0.01) and infant (p=0.05) oxidative stress levels at 6 months. Early infant oxidative stress at 2 months predicted developmental scores 12 months (p=0.04). Conclusions: Perinatal risk predicted both mother and infant outcomes at six months possibly informing a sensitive period in which prospective, reliable measures reveal the physiological impact of early environmental risk.
Assessment of iodine status of lactating women and infants in Shanghai, China
Authors: Yan Wenqing , Bao Chunling , Tian Wenxia , Wang Xin-Yun , Sun Wenguang
Published: August 2022

There is a risk of iodine deficiency in pregnant women in China. However, currently, little research is available on the iodine status of lactating women and infants. This study aimed to evaluate the iodine status of lactating women and their infants and explore the relationship between breast milk iodine concentration (BMIC) and urinary iodine concentration (UIC). 257 lactating women and their infants were recruited from the Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital East campus between May 2018 and May 2019. BMIC and UIC were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). One-day 24-hour dietary recall was used to determine the dietary intake of iodine. The mean dietary intake of iodine of the lactating women was 145.1 µg/day. The dietary iodine intake of 97.83% (n=225) of lactating women was lower than 240 µg/day. The median BMIC and UIC of the lactating women and UIC of the infants were 150.7 µg/L (Interquartile Range, IQR 102.9, 205.5), 110.0 µg/L (IQR 65.8, 171.4) and 212.7 µg/L (IQR 142.1, 320.6), respectively. The BMIC of lactating women who ate iodized salt was significantly higher than that without iodized salt (p = 0.015). The infants’ UIC values were significantly correlated with the BMIC values (r = 0.597**, p < 0.001). The iodine nutritional status of lactating women and infants in Shanghai was generally sufficient according to the WHO's iodine nutritional status. The use of iodized salt was related to increasing dietary iodine intake and BMIC. The improvement of BMIC has a positive effect on the iodine nutrition level of infants. Compared with the level of urinary iodine of mothers, BMIC was a more sensitive and stable index to evaluate the iodine nutritional status of infants.
Establishing Veranoside-A2 as a Potential Antiretroviral Agent for the Treatment of HIV-AIDS: A Computational Analysis
Authors: Agrawal Ayan , Rani Isha , Shah Kamal , Mujwar Somdutt
Published: August 2022

Immunocompromised human ailment commonly acknowledged as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is instigated on by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV infection spreads through the exchange of bodily fluids including blood, sperm, vaginal fluid, and breast milk because these fluids include both free virus particles and virus that has already infected immune cells. It has been one of the most widely communicable human diseases by sexual transmission. HIV directly affects the human immune system resulting in the gradual loss of immunity in response to the pathogenic invasion responsible for life-threatening infections and malignancies to proliferate. HIV infect vital immune cells like CD4 T-cells and macrophages in the human body in a number of ways, including by pyroptosizing infected T-cells, which causes a slow decline in their population. Herbal plants are used for the therapy of HIV infection since the traditional time. Some of the commonly used herbs for the treatment of HIV infection are Vernonia amygdalina, Rheum officinale, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Rheum palmatum, Cinnamomum tamala, Cassia abbreviata, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Sutherlandia frutescens, Artemisia annua, Calendula officinalis, etc. These plants are supposed to be investigated further for isolation of anti-viral agents against HIV.
Machine Learning Based-Models for the Qualitative Classification of Potassium Ferrocyanide using Electrochemical Methods
Authors: Kayali Devrim , Shama Nemah Abu , Aşır Süleyman , Dimililer Kamil
Published: August 2022

Iron is one of the trace elements that plays a vital role in the human immune system, especially against variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Electrochemical methods are convenient for the detection due to the simplicity of instrumentation available for different analysis. The square wave voltammetry (SQWV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), are useful electrochemical voltametric techniques for diverse types of compounds such as heavy metals. The basic reason is the increased sensitivity by lowering the capacitive current. In this study, machine learning models were improved to classify concentrations of an analyte depending on the voltammograms obtained alone. SQWV and DPV were used to quantify the concentrations of ferrous ions (Fe+2) in potassium ferrocyanide (K4Fe(CN)6), validated by machine learning models for the data classifications. The greatest classifier algorithms models Back-propagation Neural Networks, Gaussian Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors Algorithm, K-Means clustering, and Random Forest were used as data classifiers, based on the data sets obtained from the measured chemical. Once competed to other algorithms models, used previously for the data classification, ours depend on the neural networks get greater specificity and sensitivity, maximum accuracy of 100% was obtained for each analyte in 25 seconds for the datasets.
Barriers in Cancer Risk Reduction in Community in Indonesia: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Tiranda Yulius , Nuntaboot Khanitta
Published: August 2022

Background: Posbindu Penyakit Tidak Menular/PTM (Integrated Development Post of Non-Communicable Diseases) is one of the strategies implemented by the MOH of Indonesia for prevention, screening, and early detection through community empowerment and community involvement in reducing the number of NCDs, including cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers in reducing the risk of cancer. Methods: Twelve participants were involved in this study using in-depth interviews and participant observations. All the interviews and discussions were recorded using an audio tape recorder and also using field notes, and then a transcript was transcribed verbatim. Results: Five themes emerged namely providing funding for the program, obtaining appropriate support from the government based on the community’s needs and a health workforce shortage, sharing and discussing the health information, and cultural practices of the community as barriers to reducing the risk of cancer in the community. Conclusions: The study results can be used as evidence to develop and to sustain effective strategies to address the barriers to reducing the risk of cancer in communities in Indonesia.
Comparative Performance Analysis Under Dynamic Enviornment in Semantic Communication Systems
Authors: Nair Anamica. S. , Joseph George M , M Libish T
Published: August 2022

Natural language processing, which is guided by deep learning, has made amazing strides in the analysis and comprehension of a vast array of linguistic documents. To deal for channel noise and semantic distortion, DeepSC employs a hybrid semantic-channel coding. Implementing DeepSC, a deep learning system for semantic correspondence in text transmission. Semantic encoders, channel encoders, channel decoders, and semantic decoders make up the DeepSC transceiver, Cross-entropy and mutual-information are the two loss functions that are used to optimize the receiver in order to comprehend the semantic meaning and increase system capacity simultaneously. Additionally, a new statistic is put forth to truly reflect how well the DeepSC performs there at semantic level. According to the Transformer, the DeepSC goals increase the framework limit and reduce semantic errors by regaining the significance of phrases rather than identifying or correcting typos in conventional correspondences. Transfer learning is used to expedite the model training process and ensure that the DeepSC is relevant to diverse correspondence settings. Another measurement called sentence similarity is provided in order to justify the accurate portrayal of semantic correspondences. The system’s robustness is next evaluated by analyzing the findings with certain conventional communication systems (combinations of various source and channel codes). These channels include AWGN, Rayleigh, and Nagakami.
On the basis of sex: male vs female rat adenosine A1/A2A receptor affinity
Authors: Rensburg Helena D. Janse van , Terre’Blanche Gisella , Walt Mietha M. Van der
Published: August 2022

Objective: To ensure reproducibility in biomedical research, the biological variable sex must be reported; yet a reason for using male (instead of female) rodents is seldom given. In our search for novel adenosine receptor ligands, our research group routinely determines a test compound’s binding affinities at male rat (r) adenosine A1 and A2A receptors. This pilot study compared the binding affinities of four adenosine receptor ligands (frequently used as reference standards) at male and female adenosine rA1 and rA2A receptors. Results: The inhibition constant (Ki) values determined using female rats correspond well to the values obtained using male rats and no markable difference could be observed in affinity and selectivity of reference standards. For example, DPCPX the selective adenosine A1 receptor antagonist: male rA1Ki: 0.5 ± 0.1 nM versus female rA1Ki: 0.5 ± 0.03 nM; male rA2AKi: 149 ± 23 nM versus female rA2AKi: 135 ± 29 nM. From the limited data at hand, we conclude that even when using female rats for in vitro studies without regard for the oestrous cycle, the obtained data did not vary much from their male counterparts.
Using Automatic Speckle Tracking Imaging to Measure Diaphragm Excursion and Predict the Outcome of Mechanical Ventilation Weaning
Authors: Huang Daozheng , Song Feier , Luo Bangjun , Wang Shouhong , Qin Tiehe , Lin Zhuandi , Hou Tieying , Ma Huan
Published: August 2022

IntroductionThe speckle tracking ultrasound is an innovative technology enabling distinct assessment of diaphragmatic movement yet the relative data are scarce. In this pilot study, we sought to evaluate the predictive value for the weaning outcome of automatic speckle tracking in assessing diaphragm movement.MethodsThis prospective, multi-center, observational study. A total of 160 critically ill subjects underwent speckle tracking ultrasonography of the right/left hemidiaphragm before the spontaneous breathing trial. Meanwhile, the diaphragm excursion and velocity values were measured manually by M-mode ultrasound. Patients were divided into weaning-failure and weaning-success groups. The correlation was assessed between automatic and manual measurement and the diagnostic efficacy of automatic measured excursion and velocity for predicting weaning outcome was analyzed.Results88 patients completed the follow-up of the weaning outcome. The overall incidence of weaning failure was 43.18%. There was a strong association between automatic measurement of mean excursion and velocity assessed by speckle tracking imaging and manual measurement (R2 0.81 and 0.99, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the mean excursion and diaphragmatic velocity exhibited high diagnostic values for prolonged weaning (area under the ROC curve(AUROC) 0.824 and 0.786, respectively). The diaphragmatic excursion showed moderate diagnostic value for predicting both weaning failure and in-hospital death/withdrawing treatment ((AUROC 0.659 and 0.653, respectively). ConclusionAutomatic speckle tracking analysis of the diaphragm showed high consistency with conventional manual ultrasound measures. Diaphragmatic excursion and its excursion velocity helped predict mechanical ventilation weaning failure, prolonged weaning, as well as in-hospital adverse outcomes, which served as a reliable tool in guiding clinical weaning strategy.
TOP2A is a potential biomarker and promotes platinum drug resistance in ovarian cancer: a bioinformatics and experimental analysis
Authors: Zheng Xingyu , Liu Wenlu , Zhang Kaiwen , Chen Lingli , Zhao Shuangshuang , Yan Ye , Tian Wenyan , Xue Fengxia , Wang Yingmei
Published: August 2022

Background Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumour of the female genital system with a high lethality rate. Among which, serous ovarian cancer is the most prevalent type of ovarian cancer diagnosed. Many patients benefit from standard treatment, but some relapse due to chemotherapy resistance, resulting in increased mortality. TOP2A (topoisomerase DNA II alpha) as an oncogene has been reported to promote tumorigenesis in many publications. However, the role of TOP2A in tumorigenesis and chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer remains unclear. Results In our study, we demonstrated that TOP2A expression was increased in ovarian cancer. High TOP2A expression was linked to poor prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. We also constructed a potential lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-TOP2A regulatory network. Additionally, we found that alterations in TOP2A were associated with ovarian cancer prognosis and affected some genetic alterations, mRNA expressions and phosphorylation site level expressions of related proteins. KEGG and GO analyses revealed that TOP2A-related genes were mainly enriched in DNA repair and platinum resistance. We also explored the relationship between TOP2A expression and immunity in ovarian cancer. Additionally, we demonstrated that the proliferation, migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells were markedly diminished after TOP2A knockdown. TOP2A knockdown can increase the expression of p-H2AX and limit the Akt/mTOR and ERK/P38/JNK signalling pathways. We also demonstrated that TOP2A knockdown increase the sensitivity of ovarian cancer to platinum. Conclusions Collectively, TOP2A might be a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target in ovarian cancer. Inhibitors of TOP2A combined with platinum drugs might be a good strategy for the treatment of ovarian cancer
Metaphase Cells Enrichment for Efficient Use in the Dicentric Chromosome Assay
Authors: Platkov Max , Hadad Uzi , Burg Ariela , Levitsky Inna , Zagatzki Michael , Damri Omer , Weiss Aryeh , Lauber Yair , Amar Shirly , Carmel Lior , Gonen Raphael
Published: August 2022

The dicentric chromosome assay (DCA), is considered the ‘gold standard’ for radiation biodosimetry. Yet, DCA, as currently implemented, may be impractical for emergency response applications, especially when time is of the essence, owing to its labor-intensive and time-consuming nature. The growth of a primary lymphocyte culture for 48h in-vitro is required for DCA, and manual scoring of dicentric chromosomes (DCs) requires an additional 24–48h, resulting in an overall processing time of 72–96h for dose estimation. In order to improve this timing. we introduce a protocol that will detect the metaphase cells in a population of cells, and then will harvest only those metaphase cells. Our metaphase enrichment approach is based on fixed human lymphocytes incubated with monoclonal, anti-phosphorylated H3 histone (ser 10). Antibodies against this histone have been shown to be specific for mitotic cells. Colcemid is used to arrest the mitotic cells in metaphase. Following that, a flow-cytometric sorting apparatus isolates the mitotic fraction from a large population of cells, in a few minutes. These mitotic cells are then spread onto a slide and treated with our C-Banding procedure [Gonen et al. 2022], to visualize the centromeres with DAPI. This reduces the chemical processing time to approximately 2 hours. This reduces the time required for the DCA and makes it practical for a much wider set of applications, such as emergency response following exposure of a large population to ionizing radiation.
Effıcıency And Clınıcal Results Of Bleomısın Injectıon In The Treatment Of Lymphatıc Malformatıons
Authors: Sıkı Fatma Özcan , SARIKAYA Mehmet , Gündüz Metin , Sekmenli Tamer , Koksal Yavuz , Çiftci İlhan
Published: August 2022

INTRODUCTION: Lymphatic malformations (LM) are rare congenital anomalies. The traditional treatment is surgical excision, but intralesional sclerosing agent injection is now preferred because of frequent recurrences after surgery, poor cosmetic results, and a high complication rate. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of sclerosing agent injection used in the treatment of LMs in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the age, gender, admission symptoms, physical examination findings, radiological imaging results, treatment methods, complications, length of hospital stay, and outcomes of children treated for LM between January 2011 and January 2022. The lesion sizes of the patients who underwent sclerosant (Bleomycin) injection under general anesthesia were recorded before and after the treatment, and the difference between them was evaluated statistically. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were retrospectively analyzed. The mean age was 45.2+- 14.1 months (min:3- median:17- max:210). Of these, 10 (66.6%) were male and 5 (33.3%) were female (F/M=1/2). The mean age of male patients was 55 +- 20.1 months (min :3- max:210 months); The mean age of the female patients was 25.8 + - 11.2 (min 3- max: 66 months). Seven patients had a single dose, two had twice and six had three and more. Three patients had LM in different localisations simultaneously. After the sclerosant injection, surgery was performed on 2 patients, and the tissue that became a mass was removed. The average lesion size before the treatment was 55.2+-28.4 mm; after treatment: 23.8+-18.2mm. With the statistical analysis, it was seen that there was a statistically significant difference between the dimensions before and after the treatment (p<0.05) and the sclerosant injection had a great effect on the treatment (R:0.89). CONCLUSION: Intralesional injection of bleomycin is less effective for microcystic or mixed type LMs, but provides effective reduction for a safe surgical procedure. It is an effective treatment for macrocystic lesions.
Citizen reflection reduces support for default vaccination appointments. Evidence from G7 countries
Authors: Banerjee Sanchayan , Hunter Andrew , John Peter , Koenig Richard , Lee-Whiting Blake , Loewen Peter , McAndrews John , Nyhan Brendan , Savani Manu
Published: August 2022

Democratic governments vary in the extent to which they encourage citizens to reflect on the policies that they enact. This trade-off is particularly acute for behavioral nudges like setting default choices, which are often not made explicit to citizens. Using data from an online survey experiment administered to 24,303 respondents in the G7, this paper tests the effects of encouraging citizens to reflect on a hypothetical default nudge policy (automatic enrolment for COVID-19 booster appointments) on both vaccination intentions and policy support. Contrary to expectations, individuals report that they would be less likely to get the booster in the default nudge condition compared to a control condition in which citizens would initiate their own booster appointments. At the same time, individuals were more supportive of the default nudge policy than the control condition policy. However, encouraging people to reflect on the nudge eliminates the increase in policy approval it otherwise generates while strengthening the negative effect it has on vaccination intentions. These results suggest that reflection may increase backlash but can better align expressed policy approval with the behavioral effects the nudge generates.
Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret
Authors: Wekesa Michael Makali
Published: August 2022

Purpose
To determine the quality of life and the relationship between sociodemographic, psychopathological, and socio-environmental factors and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain.
Methods
The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design. Data was collected using sociodemographic and WHOQOL-BREF Questionnaires. Three hundred and eighteen patients were consecutively sampled and data analyzed using computer software. Categorical demographic data were analyzed using frequency and percentages, significant findings were further analyzed by multivariate linear regression.Statistical significance was set at a p-value of < 0.05.
Results
Seventy percent of participants were females while thirty percent were males. The mean Quality of life score for the 4 domains was 50.56(SD = 9.55). On a scale of 1–5, the mean score of the Overall Quality of life facet was 2.42 (SD = 0.80) while that of the general health facet was 2.31 (SD = 0.69). The psychological domain had the highest number of patients with poor scores at n = 69. Older age (46–65) was significantly associated with lower mean QOL at 49.4(SD = 9.2) p < 0.001 compared to younger age groups. This age bracket also reported low physical and psychological health domain scores (mean 36.97 and 54.62, p < 0.0016 respectively). Patients with a higher income level reported a higher psychological domain score (mean 56.75, p < 0.0076). A higher level of education was significantly associated with a high mean QOL (p < 0.022).
Conclusion
Patients with chronic low back pain have a reduced quality of life. Older age, low level of income, and low level of education were significantly associated with low quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain. There is a subset of patients with psychological impairment. A multidisciplinary,biopsychosocial approach to the treatment of this condition is recommended.