bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the health promotion effect of hepatitis B prevention and treatment in the Zhejiang demonstration area,China
Authors: Qin Hongli , Qiu Yan , Ying Meike , Ren Jingjing
Published: May 2022

Background To investigate the health literacy level and health promotion effect of hepatitis B prevention and treatment in the demonstration area of Zhejiang Province. Methods The National Science and Technology Major Health Education Group took 6 demonstration areas in Zhejiang Province as the whole research site. After the sample size (N=2160 people) was determined, a multistage stratified cluster sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey in 2018 (before health education) and 2019 (after health education). Stata 12 statistical software was used to analyse the status and improvement rate of hepatitis B health literacy of residents in the demonstration area before and after health education and compare the health promotion effects of different health intervention methods. Results Before health education, 2160 questionnaires were distributed, and 2033 were recovered, with a recovery rate of 94.1%. After health education, 2160 questionnaires were distributed, and 2142 were recovered, with a recovery rate of 99.17%. Before and after health education, there was no significant difference in the basic information of the subjects (P>0.05). After the health education intervention, the level of hepatitis B health literacy of residents in the demonstration area increased by 8.43%, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The awareness rate of hepatitis B transmission was low before health education but increased after health education. The form of "Internet +" health education may better improve the residents' health literacy level about hepatitis B prevention and treatment. Conclusion After health education, the level of health literacy of residents in the Zhejiang demonstration area about hepatitis B prevention and control significantly improved, but there is room for further improvement. In the future, targeted health education intervention should be carried out, and the health education mode of "Internet +" can achieve better results to effectively prevent and control hepatitis B.
Diagnostic accuracy of HIV Viral Load as a marker for Cryptococcal Antigenemia screening at a tertiary hospital in Uganda
Authors: Mukiza Nelson , Nakalega Rita , Nakanjako Lydia , Ndikuno Cynthia , Kataike Hajira , Mirembe Damalie , Oceng Ronald , Ssenkusu John M. , Nakku-Joloba Edith
Published: May 2022

Background: Cryptococcal Meningitis (CM), is the second leading cause of HIV-related mortality in Uganda after TB. A CD4 cell count triggered CRAG screening algorithm and pre-emptive therapy is the mainstay of prevention of CM. The recent absolution of routine CD4 monitoring for stable patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has shifted this trigger to suspected virological failure.Objective: To assess the performance of Viral Load (VL) as a marker for CRAG screening among patients on HAART at an HIV clinic in Mulago National Referral HospitalMethods: This was a cross sectional diagnostic study conducted at the Baylor Uganda Centre of Excellence HIV clinic in Mulago National Referral hospital. Records of 798 HIV positive patients aged 10 years and above, on HAART for at least 6month, with at least one viral load and a corresponding serum CRAG done between January 2017 and December 2018 were extracted from the Electronic Medical Records. The test under evaluation was a VL cut-off of greater or equal to 1000cp/ml (suspected treatment failure) and the Gold standard was Serum CRAG Lateral Flow Assay (LFA). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Likelihood ratio positive, likelihood ratio negative and the Area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve were then determined using 2x2 contingency tables and ROC curve analysis. Results: Prevalence of CRAG using the gold standard was 0.6% (95%CI: 0.2-1.5). The sensitivity and specificity of VL≥1000cp/ml as a marker for CRAG were 20% (95%CI: 2.1-74.4) and 99.4% (95%CI: 98.4-99.8) respectively. The Area under the ROC curve was 0.56 (95%CI: 0.29-0.82). The likelihood ratio positive and negative were 1.0. The optimal VL cut-off was VL≥49cp/ml with a sensitivity of 60% and specificity of 53%. Conclusion: In populations with low CRAG prevalence, treatment failure (VL≥1000cp/ml) is not a good marker for CRAG screening. A more conservative cut-off of 49cp/ml may be considered were resources allow.
3D liver model-based patient education improves satisfaction & comprehension in liver surgery - a randomized pilot trial
Authors: Giehl-Brown Esther , Dennler Sandra , Garcia Sebastian , Seppelt Danilo , Oehme Florian , Schweipert Johannes , Weitz Jürgen , Riediger Carina
Published: May 2022

Hepatobiliary surgery is technically challenging due to a complex internal anatomy, further amplified by recent advancements in resection techniques. 3D visualization of the liver has been proven to facilitate comprehension of the spatial relationship between anatomical structures and to assist in clinical decision making. The aim of this study was to evaluate the educational and satisfiable value of individual 3D-printed liver models during surgical education.
In this prospective, monocentric, randomized, controlled trial, n=40 patients, undergoing liver surgery, were enrolled and either randomized to standard (control group) or 3D liver model-enhanced (3D-LiMo) education before surgery. Primary endpoint was patient satisfaction following surgical education. Secondary endpoints included patients’ apprehension and satisfaction in the ongoing process, occurrence of postoperative complications as well as length of hospital stay.
Patients in the 3D-LiMo group were more likely to feel very thoroughly educated and exhibited a higher level of satisfaction following surgical education than the control group (80 vs. 55%, n.s.; 90% vs. 65%, n.s.; respectively). Applying 3D models was also associated with enhanced understanding of the underlying disease with regard to amount (100% vs. 70%, p=0.020) and location of liver masses (95% vs. 65%, p=0.044). 3D-LiMo patients also demonstrated enhanced understanding of the surgical procedure (80% vs. 55%, n.s.), leading to better awareness for the occurrence of postoperative complications (88.9%, vs. 68.4%, p=0.052).
In conclusion, individual 3D printed liver models increase patient satisfaction with surgical education and facilitate patients’ understanding of the surgical procedure as well as awareness of postoperative complications.
MRI-based Delta-Radiomic Features for Prediction of Local Control in Liver Lesions Treated with Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy
Authors: Jin Will H , Simpson Garrett N , Dogan Nesrin , Spieler Benjamin , Portelance Lorraine , Yang Fei , Ford John C
Published: May 2022

Purpose/Objectives: Real-time magnetic resonance image guided stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (MRgSBRT) is used to treat abdominal tumors. Longitudinal data is generated from daily setup images. Our study aimed to identify delta radiomic texture features extracted from these images to predict for local control in patients with liver tumors treated with MRgSBRT. Materials/Methods: Retrospective analysis of an IRB-approved database identified patients treated with MRgSBRT for primary liver and secondary metastasis histologies. Daily low field strength (0.35 T) images were retrieved, and the gross tumor volume was identified on each image. Next, images’ gray levels were equalized, and 39 second-order texture features were extracted. Delta-radiomics were calculated as the difference between feature values on the initial scan and after delivered biological effective doses (BED, α/β = 10) of 20 Gy and 40 Gy. Then, features were ranked by the Gini Index during training of a random forest model. Finally, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was estimated using a bootstrapped logistic regression with the top two features.Results: We identified 22 patients for analysis. The median dose delivered was 50 Gy in 5 fractions. The top two features identified after delivery of BED 20 Gy (1 fraction) were gray level co-occurrence matrix features energy and gray level size zone matrix based large zone emphasis. The model generated an AUC = 0.9011 (0.752–1.0) during bootstrapped logistic regression. The same two features were selected after delivery of a BED 40 Gy, with an AUC = 0.716 (0.600–0.786).Conclusions: Delta-radiomic features after a single fraction of SBRT predicted local control in this exploratory cohort. If confirmed in larger studies, these features may identify patients with radioresistant disease and provide an opportunity for physicians to alter management much sooner than standard restaging after 3 months. Expansion of the patient database is warranted for further analysis of delta-radiomic features.
Inter-annual persistence of canopy fungi driven by abundance despite high spatial turnover
Authors: Cook Kel , Taylor Andrew D. , Sharma Jyotsna , Taylor D. Lee
Published: May 2022

While it is now well established that fungal community composition varies spatially at a variety of scales, temporal turnover of fungi is less well understood. Here we studied inter-annual community compositional changes of fungi in a rainforest tree canopy environment. We tracked fungal community shifts over three years in three substrate types (live bryophytes, dead bryophytes, and host tree bark) and compared these changes to amounts of community turnover seen at small spatial scales in the same system. The effect of substrate type on fungal community composition was stronger than that of sampling year, which was very small but significant. Although levels of temporal turnover varied among substrates, with greater turnover in live bryophytes than other substrates, the amount of turnover from year to year was comparable to what is seen at spatial distances between five and nine centimeters for the same substrate. Community stability was largely driven by a few fungi with high relative abundances. A majority of fungal occurrences were at low relative abundances (< 0.1%). These fungi tended to be short lived and persisted to following years ≤ 50% of the time, depending on substrate. Their presence and persistence is likely impacted by stochastic processes like dispersal limitation and disturbance. Most samples contained only one or a few fungi at high relative abundance (≥ 10%) that persisted half or more of the time. These more abundant and persistent fungi are expected to have sustained functional interactions within the canopy ecosystem.
Machine learning models in Heart Rate Variability based mental fatigue prediction: training on heterogeneous data to obtain robust models
Authors: Matuz András , Linden Dimitri Van der , Darnai Gergely , Csathó Árpád
Published: May 2022

Prolonged period of cognitive performance often leads to mental fatigue, a psychobiological state that increases the risk of injury and accidents. Previous studies trained machine learning algorithms on Heart Rate Variability (HRV) data to detect fatigue in order to prevent its consequences. However, the results of these studies can hardly be generalized due to methodological issues including the use of only one type of cognitive task to induce fatigue that potentially leads to task-specific predictions. In this study, we combined the datasets of three experiments each applying different cognitive tasks for fatigue induction to train algorithms that detect fatigue and predict its severity. We also tested different time window lengths and compared algorithms trained on resting and task-related data. We found that classification performance was best when the support vector classifier was trained on task-related HRV calculated for 5-minutes time window (AUC = .843, accuracy = .761). For the prediction of fatigue severity, elastic net regression showed the best performance when trained on 4-min HRV data and self-reported measures (R2 = .224, RMSE = 17.114). These results indicate that both detection and prediction of fatigue based on HRV are effective when machine learning models are trained on heterogeneous, multi-task datasets.
Ocular Morphologic Traits in the American Cocker Spaniel May Confer Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma Susceptibility
Authors: Park Sangwan , Casanova M. Isabel , Bannasch Danika L. , Daley Nicole L. , Kim Soohyun , Kuchtey John , Gomes Filipe Espinheira , Leonard Brian C. , Good Kathryn L. , Martins Bianca da C. , Murphy Christopher J. , Thomasy Sara M.
Published: May 2022

Acute primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is a potentially blinding ophthalmic emergency requiring prompt treatment to lower the elevated intraocular pressure in humans and dogs. Canine PACG is epidemiologically similar to humans with older and female patients overrepresented with the condition. The American Cocker Spaniel (ACS) is the most common breed observed with PACG development in dogs. This study initially sought to identify genetic risk factors to explain the high prevalence of PACG in ACSs by using a case-control breed-matched genome-wide association study (GWAS). However, the GWAS failed to identify candidate loci associated with PACG in this breed. This study then assessed intrinsic ocular morphologic traits that may confer the PACG susceptibility in the entirety of this breed. Normal ACSs without glaucoma have a crowded anterior ocular segment and narrow iridocorneal angle and ciliary cleft, which is consistent with anatomical risk factors identified in humans. The ACSs showed unique features consisting of posterior bowing of iris and longer iridolenticular contact, which mirrors reverse pupillary block and pigment dispersion syndrome in humans. The ACS could hold potential to serve as an animal model of naturally occurring PACG in humans.
Drug-free in vitro activation combined 3D-bioprinted adipose-derived stem cells restore ovarian function of premature ovarian insufficiency
Authors: Li Qian , Zheng Jiahua , Li Zhongkang , Xiao Yanlai , Zhang Mingle , Shi Wenxin , Gao He , Huang Xianghua , Zhang Jingkun
Published: May 2022

Background
Emerging drug-free in vitro activation (IVA) technique enables patients with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) to restore ovarian function and conceive their own genetic offspring. However, many issues have greatly restricted its clinical application. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could significantly stimulate neovascularization and increase blood perfusion to reduce the loss of primordial follicles, and effectively improve the quality and number of oocytes in aged mice. Here, we designed a 3D-bioprinted engineering ovary composed of drug-free IVA and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), which may prolong the retention of ADSCs and construct an early vascular microenvironment, thus compensating for the disadvantages of drug-free IVA to some extent and ameliorating impaired ovarian function in the POI rats.
Methods
After intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide, the POI model rats were randomized into 5 groups: (1)POI group; (2)ovarian fragments group; (3)3D scaffold combined with ovarian fragments group; (4)ovarian fragments combined with ADSCs group; (5)3D scaffold with ADSCs combined with ovarian fragments as 3D-bioprinted engineering ovary group. Normal rats were identified as the control group. The localization of CM-Dil labeled ADSCs and co-localization with CD31 were observed to examine the distribution and underlying mechanism of differentiation. Histomorphological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to enumerate follicle number and assess granulosa cells (GCs) proliferation and apoptosis. Immunofluorescence staining was used to evaluate angiogenesis. Hormone levels were measured to evaluate the restoration of endocrine axis. Western blot analysis and RT-PCR were conducted to explore the potential mechanism.
Results
CM-Dil-labeled ADSCs were distributed in the interstitium of ovaries and had significantly higher retention in the 3D-bioprinted engineering ovary group. Some regions of the CM-Dil (+) staining co-expressed with CD31 staining were in the area of vascular endothelial cells. Meanwhile, the follicle counts, GCs proliferation and apoptosis, neoangiogenesis and hormone levels were significantly improved in the 3D-bioprinted engineering ovary group, as compared with other groups. Furthermore, the ovarian function was ameliorated and angiogenesis was promoted through regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway.
Conclusion
Our results suggested that 3D-bioprinted engineering ovary had great potential for restoring impaired ovarian function of POI, which could compensate for the disadvantages of drug-free IVA to some extent.
Activating reversible carbonate reactions in Nasicon solid electrolyte-based Na-air battery in ambient air via in-situ formed catholyte
Authors: Park Heetaek , Kang Minseok , Park Jaehyun , Kang Seok Ju , Kang Byoungwoo
Published: May 2022

Out of practicality, ambient air rather than oxygen is preferred as a fuel in electrochemical systems, but CO2 and H2O present in air cause severe irreversible reactions, such as the formation of carbonates and hydroxides, which typically degrades performance. Herein, we report on a Na-air battery enabled by a reversible carbonate Na2CO3·xH2O (x = 0 or 1) reaction in Nasicon solid electrolyte (Na3Zr2Si2PO12) that delivers a much higher discharge potential of 3.4 V than other metal-air batteries leading to high energy density and achieves > 86% energy efficiency at 0.1 mA cm− 2 over 100 cycles. This cell design takes advantage of moisture in ambient air which the deliquescence of NaOH forms an in-situ catholyte that catalyzes the activation of reversible electrochemical reaction of Na2CO3·xH2O. Our result demonstrates that free ambient air can be used reversibly as a fuel when enabled by reversible electrochemical reaction of carbonates with a solid electrolyte.
Investigation on multi-physical field simulations of blade ECM using vertical flow
Authors: Ren Mingzhu , Zhu Dong , Hou Zhenhao , Lei Gaopan
Published: May 2022

Electrochemical machining (ECM), an advanced manufacturing technology, is widely used in aero-engine blade machining. In blade ECM, the electrolyte flows through the inter-electrode gap, generating hydrogen bubbles and heat, which affect the conductance and thus influence the machining quality. This paper focused on the effect of bubble movement on the flow field and the machining quality of ECM. A novel vertical flow mode of electrolyte was proposed according to the bubbles dynamics analysis. Multi-physical field simulations of blade ECM using vertical and horizontal flows were carried out. With an initial gas void fraction and temperature at the inlet of 0 and 302.65 K, respectively, in both flow modes, the vertical flow reduced the gas void fraction and temperature at the outlet by 2.4% and 0.6 K, and increased the conductance by 0.47 S/m. Thus, the vertical flow of the electrolyte was beneficial in reducing the gas void fraction and controlling the temperature rise, while enhancing the conductance. Then, the corresponding experiments using a vertical flow were carried out. The machining deviation was found to range from 3.4 µm to 75.6 µm and surface roughness values of Ra < 0.35µm. The machining quality was high and the variation observed in the experiments was consistent with the simulation results, the validity and correctness of the simulations were verified. Thus, the vertical flow mode proposed in this paper was appropriate, can be used for other complex structures in ECM.
Factors associated with other-cause survival after gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer
Authors: Matsui Ryota , Inaki Noriyuki , Tsuji Toshikatsu
Published: May 2022

Purpose: Death due to other diseases is one factor related to long-term prognosis after gastrectomy; however, few studies have examined the relationship between death due to other diseases and undernutrition. This study aimed to clarify the factors associated with death due to other diseases after gastrectomy for gastric cancer.Methods: This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients who had undergone gastrectomy between April 2008 and June 2018 for primary stage II–III gastric cancer. The primary outcome was other-cause survival (OCS). To identify prognostic factors for OCS for univariate analysis, we used a Cox proportional hazards regression model.Results: A total of 512 patients met the inclusion criteria. The average age was 67.93 years, and the average body mass index was 22.75 kg/m2, with 84 (16.4%) moderately malnourished and 88 (17.2%) severely malnourished, as defined by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. The OCS for the malnourished group was significantly worse than that for the normal group (P < 0.001). The prognosis was worse when the severity of malnutrition was worse (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that severe malnutrition (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.259, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.396–7.609, P = 0.006) and severe postoperative complications (HR: 4.245, 95% CI: 2.207–8.166, P < 0.001) were significant independent prognostic factors for OCS.Conclusions: Undernutrition, as defined by the GLIM criteria, is useful for the preoperative prediction of death due to other diseases after gastrectomy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
The experiences of clinical nurses coping with patient death in the context of rising hospital deaths in China: a qualitative study
Authors: Zhang Jinxin , Yao Nengliang , Cao Yingjuan , Su Mingzhu , Cheng Joyce
Published: May 2022

Background: Chinese clinical nurses are increasingly confronting patient death, as the proportion of hospital deaths is growing. Witnessing patient suffering and death is a stressful encounter, and failure to cope with this challenge may result in decreased well-being of nurses and impede the provision of “good death” care for patients and their families. To our knowledge, few studies have specifically explored clinical nurses’ experiences coping with patient death in mainland China.Objective: We aimed to explore nurses’ experiences coping with patient death in China in order to support front-line clinical nurses effectively and guide the government in improving hospice care policy.Methods: Clinical nurses were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling between June 2020 and August 2020. We gathered experiences of clinical nurses coping with patient death by face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Three thematic categories were generated from data analysis. The first was “negative emotions from contextual challenges.” This category involved grief over deaths of younger persons, pity for deaths without family, and dread related to coping with patient death on night duty. The second category was “awareness of mortality on its own.” Subthemes included: death means that everything stops being and good living is important because we all die and disappear. The third category was “coping style.” This category included focusing on treating dying patients, recording the signs and symptoms, and responding to changes in the patient’s condition. It also involved subthemes such as avoiding talk about death due to the grief associated with dying and death, and seeking help from colleagues. Conclusions: Clinical nurses’ emotional experiences are shaped by intense Chinese filial love, charity, and cultural attitudes towards death. Reasonable nurse scheduling to ensure patient and staff safety is a major priority. "Good death" decisions based on Chinese ethical and moral beliefs must be embedded throughout hospital care.
Reduced total cholesterol levels predict early death in children with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Xiao Li , Xu Ximing , Zhang Zhiling , Dou Ying , Guan Xianmin , Guo Yuxia , Wen Xianhao , Shen Yali , Meng Yan , Liao Meiling , Hu Qinshi , Yu Jie
Published: May 2022

Background
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rapidly progressive and potentially life-threatening disorder. Identifying risk factors and timely adjustment of the given treatment regimens is critical to reducing the early mortality in HLH patients. Hypocholesterolemia has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis in a variety of critical illnesses. However, serum cholesterol is rarely studied in HLH patients, and its prognostic value is unclear.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study at National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders (Chongqing), identifying pediatric HLH patients diagnosed with the HLH-2004 protocol and treated with immunochemotherapy between January 2008 and December 2020. The patients’ blood lipid levels at initial diagnosis of HLH, including triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein- cholesterol (LDL-C), were reviewed based on electronic medical records. Both Cox and logistic regression models were used to estimate the effects of blood lipid indicators on early death (within 30 days after diagnosis).
Results
The observed 30-day mortality rate of the 353 included patients was 19.05% (64/336, 17 were lost to follow-up). The Kaplan-Meier-estimated 3-year survival rate was 61.67% (95% CI, 56.27%-67.59%). Lipid panel was performed in 349 patients: 91.98% (321/349) had TG ≥ 1.80 mmol/L, 92.84% (324/349) had HDL-C ≤ 1.04 mmol/L, 58.74% (205/349) had LDL-C ≤ 1.30 mmol/L and 24.64% (86/349) had TC ≤ 3.11 mmol/L. TC ≤ 3.11 mmol/L and BUN ≥ 7.14 mmol/L were the independent risk factors for 30-day mortality [HR(95%CI): 2.85(1.46, 5.57) and 2.90(1.48, 5.68), respectively]. Compared with the low-risk group (no risk factors present), the patients had a nearly 10-fold increased risk of early death [HR = 9.98, 95%CI: (4.23, 23.56)] in the high-risk group (two risk factors were present) and a 6-fold increased risk of early death [HR = 6.24, 95%CI: (3.18, 12.22)] in the intermediate-risk group (one risk factor was present).
Conclusion
Severe derangement of lipoproteins is common in children with HLH, and decreased TC is an independent risk factor for early death. More attention needs to be paid to hypocholesterolemia during the management of HLH patients.
Classification of located Acoustic Emission Events using Neural Network
Authors: Manthei Gerd , Guckert Michael
Published: May 2022

Location of acoustic emission (AE) events is one of the main evaluation tools in AE analysis. Reliable location of AE sources enables accurate investigation of the mechanisms that led to a crack in the material. It is known that the location errors are influenced by several factors, including the accuracy of the elastic wave arrival time reading, the geometric distribution of the SE sensors, and most importantly, by the physical properties of the propagation medium. The aim of this study is the application of a neural network to classify clustered AE events, which were detected during six hydraulic fracturing tests in massive salt rock. A fully connected feed forward network was used for pattern recognition and was trained to classify the input events according to target classes. For input data the signal arrival time profiles of the longitudinal and transversal elastic waves were used to train, to test, and to validate the neuronal network. In total 765 AE events were classified in various target classes. After testing and evaluation the receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC) was applied for analyzing the result of classification and visualizing their performance. The neural network application showed that always clustered events were correctly assigned, while few spatially scattered events outside the region of a cluster could not be matched to any cluster.
Groundwater Contamination and its effect on health: Survey study of the Farmers in Manesar Industrial area,India.
Authors: Yadav Priyanka , Pandey Deepika
Published: May 2022

The present study evaluated the effect of groundwater pollution on the health of the people specially farmers living near industrial area of Manesar. Several studies have shown the presence of contaminants in groundwater of many districts of Haryana state. Manesar is centre of industries and a busy economic and residential zone. An equal amount of area is covered by agricultural land also and crops are cultivated in the vicinity of industrial area. This makes this region likely to contaminate its groundwater resource. Water samples from 12 villages were collected, followed by online Questionnaire Survey on 306 people living nearby, in the industrial area of Manesar, which are dependent on ground water for drinking and domestic use. The health of the local people and their children was premeditated and correlated with consumption of contaminated groundwater following questionnaire-based methods. The focus of the study was to highlight impact of nitrate (NO3 −) and (F−) on the health of the people. Result of the study shows NO3 − and F − contamination beyond the safe limit prescribed by the WHO. Health of the farmers living nearby the industrial area was found to be affected by groundwater contaminants. This paper is an attempt to urge policy makers to pay special attention to such areas and adopt mitigation measures to safeguard the health of people living in such areas.
THZ1 targeting CDK7 suppresses c-KIT transcriptional activity in gastrointestinal stromal tumours
Authors: Sun Jianyi , Zhang Qiang , Sun Xiangfei , Xue Anwei , Gao Xiaodong , Shen Kuntang
Published: May 2022

Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal tumour of the gastrointestinal tract and is characterized by activating mutations of the KIT or PDGFRa receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Despite the clinical success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), more than half of GIST patients develop resistance due to a second mutation. Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) is the catalytic subunit of CDK-activating kinase (CAK), and it plays an important role in the regulation of cell cycle transitions and gene transcription. THZ1, a CDK7 inhibitor, exhibits a dose-dependent inhibitory effect in various cancers. Here, we demonstrated that CDK7 was relatively overexpressed in high-risk GIST and predicted a poor outcome. A low concentration of THZ1 exhibited a pronounced antineoplastic effect in GIST cells in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, THZ1 exerted synergistic anticancer effects with imatinib. THZ1 treatment resulted in transcriptional modulation by inhibiting the phosphorylation of Ser2, Ser5, and Ser7 within RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). c-KIT, an oncogene driver of GIST, was transcriptionally repressed by THZ1 treatment or CDK7 knockdown. Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that OSR1 acted as a downstream target of CDK7 and was a novel oncogene driven by c-KIT. Taken together, our results highlight elevated CDK7 expression as a predictor of poor outcome in GIST and the combination of CDK7 and RTK inhibitors as a potent therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of GIST treatment.
Low-dose anti-VEGFR2 therapy promotes anti-tumor immunity in lung adenocarcinoma by down-regulating the expression of layilin on tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells
Authors: Yang Biaolong , Deng Biaolong , Jiao Xiao-Dong , Qin Bao-Dong , Lu Yi , Zhang Weiqi , Guo Yixian , Chen Shiqi , Li Dan , Li Bin , Zang Yuan-Sheng
Published: May 2022

Purpose
Our study intended to explore how low-dose anti-angiogenic drugs affected anti-tumor immunity of tumor-infiltrating exhausted CD8+T cells and achieved better clinical response when combined with immunotherapy. We set out to find potential targets or predictive biomarker on CD8+\T cells for immunotherapy.
Methods
We tested different doses of anti-VEGFR2 antibody combined with anti-PD1 antibody to treat LUAD in vivo and analyzed tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells by flow cytometry. CD8+T cells overexpressing LAYN were co-cultured with LA795 cell lines to identify the function of LAYN in CD8+T cells. We also analyzed clinical samples from advanced LUAD patients treated with anti-angiogenesis therapy combined with immunotherapy.
Results
Low-dose anti-VEGFR2 antibody combined with anti-PD1 antibody treatment delayed tumor growth and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. The number of tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells was reduced and the expression of LAYN was down-regulated in tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells in the low-dose anti-VEGFR2 combination group. It was found that LAYN inhibited the killing function of CD8+T cells. In patients with advanced LUAD who received anti-angiogenesis therapy combined with immunotherapy, the LAYN+CD8+T cell subpopulation in good responders was significantly higher than that in poor responders. Furthermore, we demonstrated the expression of LAYN was regulated by upstream transcription factor NR4A1.
Conclusion
Low-dose anti-VEGFR2 antibody combined with anti-PD1 antibody therapy promoted anti-tumor immunity and the downregulation of LAYN in tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells played an important role in this process. These findings had implications for improving the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy and further optimized clinical treatment guidelines in advanced LUAD.
Risk factors of proliferative diabetic retinopathy in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: zhu lili , Wang Jianyong , Fu Xiaojin
Published: May 2022

Background: To investigate the relationship between systemic parameters and proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR) in Type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Based on retinal examination findings, diabetic patients were classified into three groups: non-diabetic retinopathy (non-DR), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and PDR. The comprehensive medical data was used for analysis. Odds ratios(OR) from multinomial logistic regression models were calculated to obtain the risk factors of PDR, and a prediction model was built whose predictive ability was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC).Results: The study comprised 801 patients with non-DR, 330 patients with NPDR, and 99 patients with PDR. The systemic factors associated with PDR were: duration of diabetes(P < 0.000), Haemoglobin A1c (P = 0.015) , fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.001), total cholesterol(P = 0.007), estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.024), and MPV(P = 0.005). The mean platelet volume (MPV) demonstrated an increasing trend with the severity of DR, whose differences were statistically significant among the three groups(P = 0.045). The prediction model which was based on multi-factors showed stronger predictive power for PDR (AUROC=0.790) than these risk factors of PDR. Conclusions: Some systemic factors including MPV are independently associated with PDR in T2DM. The prediction model might be a beneficial prognostic marker of PDR in patients with T2DM.
The Effect of Biopreservatives on the Chemical Properties of Tomato Paste and Predicting Results with Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Mohebbi Maryam
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to develop a tomato paste using biopreservatives as substitutes for chemical preservatives. Fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare Mill) (FSE) and Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. extract (ZCE) were used as biopreservatives. Physico-chemical properties of tomato paste such as pH, titratable acidity and total soluble solid (brix) were measured during five weeks of storage at 4°C. The results showed that the incorporation of different concentrations of FSE and ZCE significantly (p < 0.05) caused to decreasing in pH and increasing in acidity of tomato pastes. Increasing the extracts level in tomato paste samples significantly (p < 0.05) resulted in increased brix during storage. Overall it can be concluded that utilization of 2 or 3% FSE as biopreservative resulted in the desirable physicochemical in tomato paste. Finally, the self-organizing map (SOM) showed that the winner neuron which has the most data is neuron 31. Input data to perceptron artificial neural network are concentration, and during different weeks (time) is considered as output. The values ​​of the correlation coefficient (R2) and the mean of squared errors (MSE) used to evaluate the perceptron artificial neural network with 1 hidden layers and 31 neurons are 0.99301 ,0.99288, 0.000016499, and 0.0085227, respectively, indicating the high accuracy of the network
Prognostic value of neutrophils to lymphocytes and platelets ratio for 28-day mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome：A retrospective study
Authors: Nie Shiyu , Wang Hongjin , Liu Qiuyu , Tang Ze , Tao Wu , Wang Nian
Published: May 2022

Background
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a rapidly progressive and fatal respiratory failure disease that often occurs in critically ill patients. Since ARDS is associated with immune dysregulation and coagulation abnormalities, it is necessary to identify an appropriate predictor that can accurately predict ARDS mortality based on its pathophysiology. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of neutrophils to lymphocytes and platelets ratio (N/LPR) in predicting 28-day mortality in ARDS patients.
Methods
From July 2018 to October 2021, the medical records of ARDS patients were retrospective reviewed. Neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and platelet count were collected, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and N/LPR were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of 28-day mortality in ARDS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with the area under curve (AUC) was used to evaluate optimal cutoff values for 28-day mortality in ARDS. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the 28-day survival probabilities stratified by optimal cutoff values of N/LPR and NLR.
Results
A total of 136 ARDS patients were included in this study and were further divided into survivors (n = 69) and non-survivors (n = 67) groups according to their survival status after 28 days. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, sex, history of smoking and drinking, comorbidities, and reasons of admission (P > 0.05). Non-survivors had significantly higher neutrophil counts, NLR and N/LPR and had significantly lower platelet counts than survivors (P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that N/LPR, NLR and platelet counts were independent predictors for 28-day mortality in ARDS (P < 0.05). The ROC analyses showed that N/LPR with optimal cutoff value of 10.57(sensitivity: 74.6%; specificity:72.5%) is a more reliable predictor for 28-day mortality in ARDS than NLR and platelet count (AUC:0.785 vs. 0.679vs. 0.326). Further subgroup analysis confirmed that ARDS patients with N/LPR < 10.57 had significantly lower 28-day mortality than patients with N/LPR ≥ 10.57(P < 0.001). Kaplan–Meier analysis also confirmed that ARDS patients with N/LPR < 10.57 had significantly longer survival.
Conclusion
N/LPR is an independent risk factor associated with 28-day mortality in ARDS patients and shows better performance in predicting mortality rate than NLR.
Altered Frontal Connectivity as a Mechanism for Executive Function Deficits in Fragile X Syndrome
Authors: Schmitt Lauren Michelle , Li Joy , Liu Rui , Horn Paul , Sweeney John A. , Erickson Craig A , Pedapati Ernest V
Published: May 2022

Background
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the leading inherited monogenetic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. Executive function (EF), necessary for adaptive goal-oriented behavior and dependent on frontal lobe function, is impaired in individuals with FXS. Yet, little is known how alterations in frontal lobe neural activity is related to EF deficits in FXS.
Methods
Sixty-one participants with FXS (54% males) and 71 age- and sex-matched TDC (58% males) completed a five-minute resting state electroencephalography (EEG) protocol and a computerized battery of tests of EF, the Test of Attentional Performance for Children (KiTAP). Following source localization (minimum-norm estimate), we computed debiased-weighted phase lag index (dWPLI), a phase connectivity value, for pairings between 18 nodes in frontal regions for gamma (30–55 Hz) and alpha (10.5–12.5 Hz) bands. Linear models were generated with fixed factors of group, sex, frequency, and connection. Relationships between frontal connectivity and EF variables also were examined.
Results
Individuals with FXS demonstrated increased gamma band and reduced alpha band connectivity across all frontal regions and across hemispheres compared to TDC. After controlling for nonverbal IQ, increased error rates on EF tasks were associated with increased gamma band and reduced alpha band connectivity.
Limitations:
Frontal connectivity findings are limited to intrinsic brain activity during rest and may not generalize to frontal connectivity during EF tasks or everyday function.
Conclusions
We report gamma hyper-connectivity and alpha hypo-connectivity within source-localized frontal brain regions in FXS compared to TDC during resting-state EEG. For the first time, we report significant associations between EF and altered frontal connectivity, with increased error rate relating to increased gamma band connectivity and reduced alpha band connectivity. These findings suggest increased phase connectivity within gamma band may impair EF performance, whereas greater alpha band connectivity may provide compensatory support for EF. Together, these findings provide important insight into neurophysiological mechanisms of EF deficits in FXS, and provide novel targets for treatment development.
Rainfall maps in northeastern Mexico, a space-time interpolation approach through Kriging and Hurst exponent
Authors: Arriaga Jesús , Marin Aldo , Cantú José , Hernández Francisco , Morales Javier , González Omar , Almaguer Francisco
Published: May 2022

Abstract The planning and efficient use of hydrological resources is a fundamental problem in the semidesert regions of Mexico. Of the hydrological regions, the San Juan River basin, located in northeastern Mexico between the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Le´on and Tamaulipas, is of great importance for the region’s productive and agricultural activities. This work analyses 79 rainfall station records for the period between 1998 and 2018. A kriging-Hurst spatial interpolation model, which generates rainfall maps that allow the identification of areas where rainfall can best be utilized, is presented. In the analysis, the rainfall maps obtained from the spatial interpolation using the ordinary kriging technique were compared with maps generated using the kriging technique combined with the Hurst exponent. As a result of the research, evidence of a strong correlation was found between anti-persistent rainfall patterns and large average annual rainfall averages.
Quantitative Estimation of Fe-based Amorphous Coating Thickness Based on Pulsed Eddy Current Technology
Authors: Huang Xiaofei , Liu Zenghua , Gong Yu , Wu Sha , Chen Kewei , He Cunfu
Published: May 2022

Fe-based amorphous coatings prepared by high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying have the advantages of good mechanical properties, high density, low porosity, and high amorphous content. The service life and bonding strength of coating greatly depend on its thickness; however, the characterization of ferromagnetic coating thickness is a very difficult problem. Pulsed eddy current (PEC) is characterized by abundant signals in frequency domains. In this paper, the thickness measurement principle of ferromagnetic coating was explored, and the typical and entropy features from PEC signals were extracted. Seven integrated learning methods were combined to quantitatively characterize the coating thickness, namely Ridge Regression (RR), Lasso Regression (LR), Random Forest Regression (RFR), Extra Trees Regression (ETR), Gradient Boosting Tree Regression (GBTR), Addaptive Boost Regression (ABR) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting Regression (XGBR) algorithms. By comparing typical features with new ones, it was verified that the effective combination of entropy features and typical features could be used as effective feature parameters of eddy current signal. Statistical scores (RMSE and R2) and GridsearchCV features were used to evaluate and optimize the established model. As indicated by the results, the proposed XGBR machine learning model well predicted the coating thickness, and the relative error less than 0.05 mm.
Comparison of wear of interim crowns in accordance with the build angle of digital light processing 3-dimensional printing: A pilot in vivo study
Authors: Lee Hakjun , Son KeunBaDa , Lee Du-Hyeong , Kim So-Yeun , Lee Kyu-Bok
Published: May 2022

Background: There are still insufficient studies of the relationship between the clinical wear and build angle of the interim crowns fabricated with the DLP 3D printing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the wear volume in the interim crown fabricated according to the printing angle of DLP 3D printing.Methods: This study included five patients who needed the single crown in the mandible molar. Interim crowns were fabricated directly in the oral cavity with the conventional method. Using a DLP 3D printer, the crowns were fabricated by setting the angles to 0, 45, and 90 degrees. Four fabricated interim crowns, using the conventional method, were randomly delivered to the patients, and used respectively for one week. The intaglio surface of interim crowns before and after use were scanned with a 3D scanner. In addition, volume changes before and after use were measured, and 3D height changes of the occlusal surface were evaluated by calculating the RMS value. Statistical analysis verified the data normality, and each group’s wear volume was evaluated, using One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD test (α = 0.05).Results: The value was significantly higher at 90 degrees compared to the conventional method and 0 degrees (P < 0.05). There were significantly higher volume change values at 90 degrees compared to the conventional method (P < 0.05). In addition, the interim crowns fabricated with the conventional method showed the lowest changes in the RMS and volume values (P < 0.05).Conclusions: The 90 degrees printing angle is not recommended when interim crowns are fabricated with the DLP 3D printing method.Trial registration: The study protocol was approved by the Kyungpook National University Dental Hospital Institutional Review Board (approval number: KNUDH-2021-11-02-01).