bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of an instrument to evaluate the success of Electronic Health Records adoption in a hospital setting
Authors: RHAYHA RADOUANE , Ismaili Abderrahman Alaoui
Published: October 2023

Background: Evaluating healthcare information systems, such as the Electronic Health Records (EHR), is both challenging and essential, especially in resource-limited countries. This study aims to psychometrically develop and validate an instrument (questionnaire) to assess the factors influencing the successful adoption of the EHR system by healthcare professionals in Moroccan university hospitals.
Methods: The questionnaire validation process occurred in two main stages. Initially, data collected from a pilot sample of 164 participants underwent analysis using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to evaluate the validity and reliability of the retained factor structure. Subsequently, the validity of the overall measurement model was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a sample of 368 healthcare professionals.
Results: The structure of the modified HOT-fit model, comprising seven constructs (system quality, information quality, IT service quality, user satisfaction, organization, environment, and clinical performance), was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. Absolute, incremental, and parsimonious fit indices all indicated an appropriate level of acceptability, affirming the robustness of the measurement model. Additionally, the instrument demonstrated adequate reliability and convergent validity, with composite reliability values ranging from 0.75 to 0.89 and average variance extracted (AVE) values ranging from 0.51 to 0.63. Furthermore, the square roots of AVE values exceeded the correlations between different pairs of constructs, and the heterotrait-monotrait ratio of correlations (HTMT) was below 0.85, confirming suitable discriminant validity.
Conclusions: The resulting instrument, due to its rigorous development and validation process, can serve as a reliable and valid tool for assessing the success of information technologies in similar contexts.
Amino-acid PET for monitoring post Stupp protocol temozolomide therapy in high-grade glioma patients
Authors: Zinsz Adeline , Ahrari Shamimeh , Becker Jason , Mortada Ali , Roch Veronique , Doriat Louis , Santi Matthieu , Blonski Marie , Taillandier Luc , Zaragori Timothée , Verger Antoine
Published: October 2023

Few studies have to date investigated the value of amino-acid PET for monitoring temozolomide (TMZ) therapy in high-grade glioma (HGG). This study aimed to evaluate the performance of amino-acid PET for monitoring HGG patients at the time of TMZ treatment discontinuation, after the Stupp protocol.
Methods: The analysis included consecutive HGG patients with dynamic 18F-FDOPA PET imaging within 3 months of the end of TMZ therapy, post Stupp protocol. Static and dynamic PET parameters, responses to RANO criteria for MRI and clinical and histo-molecular factors were correlated to progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Metabolic tumor volumes (MTVs) were defined semi-automatically with a 1.6 threshold from the healthy brain.
Results: Forty-three patients (60.6 [53.6;68.6] years of age, 16 (37%) women), 38 (88.4%) with IDH-wildtype glioblastoma, having received 6 to 12 TMZ cycles were included. MTV was associated with an 81% of accuracy for the definition of PFS at 6 months (p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, MTV was an independent predictor of PFS in association with the MRI response assessment (HR=1.09 [1.01-1.17], p=0.021). The presence of an MTV was associated with a lower PFS (5.3 vs. 16.0 months) and OS (20.7 vs. not reached).
Conclusion: Amino-acid PET is an efficient tool for monitoring TMZ therapy in HGG patients having undergone a Stupp protocol. In these patients, the absence of MTV after 6 to 12 cycles of temozolomide constitutes a favorable prognostic factor.
Protein restriction during pregnancy alters Cdkn1c silencing, dopamine circuitry and behaviour in offspring without wholescale disruption of neuronal gene expression
Authors: Prodani Chiara , Irvine Elaine E. , Sardini Alessandro , Gleneadie Hannah J. , Dimond Andrew , de Pette Mathew Van , John Rosalind , Howes Oliver , Withers Dominic J. , Ungless Mark A. , Merkenschlager Matthias , Fisher Amanda G.
Published: October 2023

We tracked the consequences of in utero protein restriction in mice throughout their development and life course using a luciferase-based allelic reporter of imprinted Cdkn1c. Exposure to gestational low-protein diet (LPD) results in the inappropriate expression of paternally inherited Cdkn1c in the brains of embryonic and juvenile mice. These animals were characterised by a developmental delay in motor skills, and by behavioural alterations indicative of reduced anxiety. Exposure to LPD in utero resulted in significantly more tyrosine hydroxylase positive (dopaminergic) neurons in the midbrain of adult offspring as compared to age-matched, control-diet equivalents. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging revealed an increase in striatal dopamine synthesis capacity in LPD-exposed offspring, where elevated levels of dopamine correlated with an enhanced sensitivity to cocaine. These data highlight a profound sensitivity of the developing epigenome to gestational protein restriction. Our data also suggest that loss of Cdkn1c imprinting and p57KIP2 upregulation alter the cellular composition of the developing midbrain, compromises dopamine circuitry, and thereby provokes behavioural abnormalities in early postnatal life. Molecular analyses revealed that despite this phenotype, exposure to LPD solely during pregnancy did not cause a gross perturbation in neuronal- or dopamine-associated gene expression that was sustained into adulthood.
Predictive Value of ApoB/ApoA-I for recurrence within 1 year after first incident stroke
Authors: Lin Jie , Si Zhihua , Wang Aihua
Published: October 2023

ApoB/ApoA-I ratio is a reliable indicator of cholesterol balance, particularly in the prediction of ischemic events risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of ApoB/ApoA-I for stroke recurrence within 1 year after the first incident. We retrospectively included patients who were first diagnosed with acute (< 7 days after onset) ischemic stroke. Blood samples were collected on admission, and serum ApoB and ApoA-I concentrations were measured. We analyzed the relationship between ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and ischemic stroke recurrence within 1 year. A total of 722 patients with acute ischemic stroke were included, of whom 102 experienced stroke recurrence within 1 year, with a recurrence rate of 14.1%. Serum ApoB/ApoA-I concentrations on admission were higher in patients with stroke recurrence at 1 year compared with those with a good prognosis (P < 0.001). The Kaplan–Meier survival curve revealed a significant difference in cumulative stroke recurrence rates across ApoB/ApoA-I tertiles (log-rank P value < 0.001). A positive correlation between the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and the risk of stroke recurrence within one year was demonstrated using Cox regression analysis, which remained significant after adjusting for traditional risk factors (hazard ratio [HR] 4.007, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.661–9.666). This relationship was particularly strong in patients with LAA stroke (HR 4.955, 95% CI 1.591–15.434). Subgroup analysis further revealed that a high ApoB/ApoA-I ratio was strongly associated with stroke recurrence regardless of whether patients had high or low LDL-C levels. ApoB/ApoA-I ratio, measured during the acute phase of the first stroke, was positively correlated with the risk of stroke recurrence within one year.
Patient Perceptions of Altering Chemotherapy Treatment Due to Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Hertz Daniel L , Tofthagen Cindy , Rossi Emanuela , Bernasconi Davide Paolo , Lim Jiyoon , Carlson Martha , Sheffield Katharine E. , Nekhlyudov Larissa , Grech Lisa , Von Ah Diane , Mayo Samantha , Ruddy Kathryn J , Chan Alexandre , Alberti Paola , Lustberg Maryam B , Tanay Mary
Published: October 2023

Purpose Clinical practice guidelines recommend altering neurotoxic chemotherapy treatment in patients experiencing intolerable chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The primary objective of this survey was to understand patient’s perspectives on altering neurotoxic chemotherapy treatment, including their perceptions of the benefits of preventing irreversible CIPN and the risks of reducing treatment efficacy.Methods A cross-sectional online survey was distributed via social networks to patients who were currently receiving or had previously received neurotoxic chemotherapy for cancer. Survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis.Results Following data cleaning, 447 participants were included in the analysis. The median age was 57 years, 93% were white, and most were from the United Kingdom (53%) or United States of America (38%). Most participants who were currently or recently treated expected some CIPN symptom resolution (86%), but 45% of those who had completed treatment more than a year ago reported experiencing no symptom resolution. Participants reported that they would discontinue chemotherapy treatment for less severe CIPN if they knew their symptoms would be permanent than if symptoms would disappear after treatment. Most patients stated that the decision to alter chemotherapy or not was usually made collaboratively between the patient and their treating clinician (61%). The most common reason participants were reluctant to talk with their clinician about CIPN was fear that treatment would be altered. Participants noted a need for improved understanding of CIPN symptoms and their permanence, better patient education relating to CIPN prior to and after treatment, and greater clinician understanding and empathy around CIPN.Conclusions This survey highlights the importance of shared decision-making, including a consideration of both the long-term benefits and risks of altering neurotoxic chemotherapy treatment due to CIPN. Additional work is needed to develop decision aids and other communication tools that can be used to improve shared decision making and help patients with cancer achieve their treatment goals.
CD83 expression in Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: correlation with clinical outcome
Authors: Mohamed Haydi Sayed , Hassan Noha Bassiouny , Annaka Layla Mahmoud , Abduallah Nour El Hoda Hussein
Published: October 2023

Background: CD83 is not expressed by peripheral blood cells except mature dendritic cells and some activated lymphocytes. It is expressed with high concentration in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, adult acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and lymphomas.
Aim: to detect the percentage of CD83 on lymphoblast in peripheral blood of adult ALL patients by flowcytometry and to investigate its prognostic role with correlation to clinical outcome as well as response to treatment and survival.
Patients and Methods: We analysed CD83 expression by flowcytometry on peripheral blood lymphoblast in 40 adults newly diagnosed ALL patients and on normal lymphocytes in 20 healthy controls of matched age and sex.
Results: Our patients exhibited a statistically significant increase in CD83 expression on their peripheral blood lymphoblast compared to lymphocytes of the control group [median 19.5 % (IQR 5.4-48.15%) vs 7 % (IQR 6.1-8.5%), respectively, p=0.012]. Patients were divided into two groups: a group with high CD83 (>9.8%) and the other with normal CD83 expression (≤9.8%) compared to the control group using ROC curve. Complete remission was achieved in 18(69.2%) patients with higher CD83 expression vs 7(50%) patients with normally expressed CD83. The median (IQR) of the overall survival and disease-free survival was longer than those normally expressed CD83 versus those with higher expression [180(IQR 60-240) &105(IQR 30-160) vs 80(IQR 60-240) &51(IQR 22-150) days, respectively.
Conclusion: CD83 is a novel prognostic test in ALL patients and acts as a predictor for response to treatment.
Understanding the Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Venezuela
Authors: Chacón-Labrador Fabián R. , Passantino María G. , Moncada-Ortega Augusto , Ávila Atahualpa A. , Moreno Andrea A. , Kuffaty-Akkou Nicolle A. , Pedroza Luisana M. , Camejo-Ávila Natasha A. , Mendoza-Millán Daniela L. , Rodriguez-Saavedra Carlis M. , Marcano-Rojas María V. , Hernández-Medina Fernando , Grillet María E. , Carrión-Nessi Fhabián S. , Forero-Peña David A.
Published: October 2023

Background
Despite nearly a quarter of Venezuelans remaining unvaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy in the country have not been thoroughly investigated.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 15th to 30th, 2022, using a knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
Results
The study analyzed data from 1,930 participants across 24 states in Venezuela. The majority (93.4%) were vaccinated. The mean age was 40 years, predominantly female (67.3%), and held a university degree (70.6%). The mean KAP score was significantly higher among vaccinated individuals compared to unvaccinated ones (7.79 vs. 3.94 points for knowledge, 40 vs. 24 points for attitude, and 16 vs. 10 points for practice, all p < 0.001). Increases in the scores for KAP were associated with increased odds of being vaccinated (84.6%, 25.6%, and 33% respectively for each one-point increase, all p < 0.001). Certain demographic factors such as marital status, occupation, religious beliefs, monthly income, and location influence COVID-19 vaccine knowledge. Higher income and certain occupations decrease the odds of low knowledge, while residing in specific states increases it. Attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine are influenced by age, health status, vaccination status, and location. Higher income and absence of certain health conditions decrease the odds of negative attitudes. Lastly, age, occupation, monthly income, and location affect vaccine practices. Advanced age and higher income decrease the odds of inappropriate practices, while residing in La Guaira state increases them.
Conclusion
Factors such as age, education level, occupation, monthly income, and location were found to be associated with knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine among the surveyed Venezuelans.
The Sensitivity and Resistance Risk Assessment of Coniella vitis to Mefentrifluconazole
Authors: LI Bao-yan , SHI Jie , ZHOU Hua-fei , ZHANG Wei , CHEN Ping , ZHANG Zi-ran , LIU Bao-you
Published: October 2023

Coniella vitis, one important fungal pathogen, causes grape white rot which can significantly reduce yield and quality of grape. Fungicide application is the main control measure of grape white rot. To evaluate the resistance and risk of C. vitis in Shandong province to mefentrifluconazole, in this experiment, the sensitive baseline of C. vitis to mefentrifluconazole was established, and resistance risk of the pathogen was evaluated by analyzing the genetic stability, biological characteristics, and interaction resistance with other fungicides of the mefentrifluconazole resistant strain. The field evaluation suggested that mefentrifluconazole is an excellent fungicide for control of C. vitis on grape. The EC50 of 76 strains of C. vitis to mefentrifluconazole was ranged from 0.0210 to 59.0305 μg/mL. The frequency distribution map of EC50 of 64 strains of C. vitis in the first main peak against mefentrifluconazole compound normal distribution, the average EC50 is 0.7409±0.4346 μg/mL, which can be used as the sensitive baseline for C. vitis in Shandong province to mefentrifluconazole. There had resistant isolates to mefentrifluconazole emerged in the field, sharing for 3.95% of the total tested strains. No difference was observed between the resistant and sensitive strains in terms of temperature sensitivity. The average rate of mycelial growth, spore production and pathogenicity of resistant strains did not decrease compared to sensitive strains, and some resistant strains were even higher than sensitive strains. The correlation coefficent of the logarithms of EC50 values to C. vitis between mefentrifluconazole and other fungicides, including pyraclostrobin, thiram, mancozeb, carbendazol, imazalil, difenoconazole, propiconazole and tebuconazole, were -0.0812, 0.1024, -0.2865, -0.2178, 0.3198, 0.5598, 0.5511 and 0.3977. Indicating that there was no significant cross resistance between mefentrifluconazole and the above 8 fungicides. This study lays a foundation for the resistance risk assessment of C. vitis to mefentrifluoconaole.
Optimization of pacing parameters to entrain slow wave activity in the pig jejunum
Authors: Nagahawatte Nipuni D. , Avci Recep , Paskaranandavadivel Niranchan , Cheng Leo K.
Published: October 2023

Pacing has been proposed as a therapy to restore function in motility disorders associated with electrical dysrhythmias. The spatial response of bioelectrical activity in the small intestine to pacing is poorly understood due to a lack of high-resolution investigations. This study systematically varied pacing parameters to determine the optimal settings for the spatial entrainment of slow-wave activity in the jejunum. An electrode array was developed to allow simultaneous pacing and highresolution mapping of the small intestine. Pacing parameters including pulsewidth (50, 100 ms), pulse-amplitude (2, 4, 8 mA) and pacing electrode orientation (antegrade, retrograde, circumferential) were systematically varied and applied to the jejunum (n = 15 pigs). Pulse-amplitudes of 4 mA (p = 0.012) and 8 mA (p = 0.002) were more effective than 2 mA in achieving spatial entrainment while pulse-widths of 50 ms and 100 ms had comparable effects (p = 0.125). A pulsewidth of 100 ms and a pulseamplitude of 4 mA was determined to be most effective for slow-wave entrainment when paced in the antegrade or circumferential direction with a success rate of greater than 75%. These settings can be applied in chronic studies to evaluate the long-term efficacy of pacing, a critical aspect in determining its therapeutic potential.
Investigating the role of cognitive load on prospective memory performance across event and mixed cues retrievals
Authors: Ojha P , Kashyap N
Published: October 2023

Prospective memory (PM) is remembering to perform a delayed action in the future. A number of reminders can initiate prospective memories (future events and actions). At any given time, people plan to execute several tasks in the future, the success of which depends on the successful retrieval of reminders for actions. Such scenarios justify the use of multiple reminders as this would increase the chance of success in future task completion. The present study explores one such possibility where two reminders in conjugation (mixed) signal future task execution. To know the effectiveness of multiple reminders on future task performance we tested scenarios with simple and complex task paradigms. We hypothesize multiple reminders guarantee higher success rates for future task completion however, this benefit would decrease with increase in complexity of future task. The result of our study suggests that multiple reminder improve chances of success for both simple and complex task future tasks with simple tasks showing higher improvement complex tasks.
A Human Tooth-On-Chip Model Shows Long-Range Osteoinduction from the Dentine Surface
Authors: Macalester William , Moreno Rafael , Shanon Mark , West Nicola , Hill Darryl , Boussahel Asme , Perriman Adam
Published: October 2023

Emerging regenerative cell therapies for alveolar bone loss have begun to explore the use of cell laden hydrogels for minimally invasive surgery to treat small and spatially complex maxilla-oral defects. However, the oral cavity presents a unique and challenging environment for in vivo bone tissue engineering, exhibiting both hard and soft periodontal tissue as well as acting as key biocenosis for many distinct microbial communities that interact with both the external environment and internal body systems, which will impact on cell fate and subsequent treatment efficacy. Herein, we design and bioprint a facile 3D in vitro model of a human dentine interface to probe the effect of the dentine surface on human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) encapsulated in a microporous hydrogel bioink. We demonstrate that the dentine substrate induces osteogenic differentiation of encapsulated hMSCs, and that both dentine and b-tricalcium phosphate substrates stimulate extracellular matrix production and maturation at the gel-media interface, which is distal to the gel-substrate interface. Our findings demonstrate the potential for long-range effects on stem cells by mineralized surfaces during bone tissue engineering and provides a framework for the rapid development of 3D dentine-bone interface models.
A prognostic gene signature based on focal adhesion related genes for gliomas and identification of the role of RAP1B in glioma progression
Authors: Wang Ning , Zhou Haoyu , Wang Tianze , Li Xiaodong , Wang Yichang , Wu Wei , Xiang Jianyang , Chen Xiao , Zhang Beichen , wu pancheng , Zhou Mingjing , Cao Yiyang , Yu Hai , Bao Gang
Published: October 2023

Background
The most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults is the gliomas, characterized by extremely variable overall survival (OS) for patients. Although it has been found that focal adhesion genes are associated with clinical prognosis in glioma patients, this marker is rarely used clinically.
Methods
We systematically characterized mRNA expression of focal adhesion related genes in gliomas and explored their expression signature based on 938 samples from TCGA dataset and CGGA dataset. Glioma samples were clustered using mRNA expression of focal adhesion genes using an unsupervised clustering method. Subsequently, based on prognosis-associated genes, the focal adhesion related gene signature (FARGS) was constructed by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression. Additionally, multiple bioinformatics methods were used to examine the value of FARGS in predicting patient outcomes, clinical features, oncogenic pathways, tumor immune microenvironment and drug response. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to validate the role of RAP1B in U87 glioma cells.
Results
According to LASSO Cox regression analysis, a 9-FARG signature was found to be strongly linked with OS in glioma patients, characterized by a high-risk and a low-risk score pattern. The FARGS was found to be tightly linked with malignant molecular biomarkers, including IDH wild-type, unmethylated MGMTp, and non-codeletion of 1p19q. Furthermore, the high-risk group exhibited an enrichment of multiple oncogenic biological pathways. Interestingly, the results presented that the FARGS has a strong association with therapeutic response and tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment in gliomas, including immune infiltrations of M2-type macrophages, MDSCs and Tregs, and elevated immunosuppressors’ mRNA expression. Lastly, the oncogenic role of RAP1B in U87 glioma cells was also functionally confirmed.
Conclusions
In conclusion, we reported a novel FARGS with promising survival prediction for glioma patients, as well as confirmation of RAP1B's oncogenic role.
Reaction mechanism of sodium with hydrogen fluoride in the formation of sodium fluoride and the adsorption of hydrogen fluoride on sodium fluoride monomer and tetramer
Authors: Yu Qinwei , Yang Jianming , Zhang Hai-Rong , Liang Peng-Yu , Gao Ge , Yuan Yongna , Dou Wei , Zhou Pan-Pan
Published: October 2023

To understand the detailed reaction mechanisms and sodium with hydrogen fluoride, theoretical investigations were carried out. The results suggest that the reaction between Na and HF leads to the formation sodium fluoride salt NaF and hydrogen gas. The detailed reaction mechanism of this process was discussed and illustrated. The resultant NaF can further form larger cluster like (NaF)4 tetramer, and NaF as well as (NaF)4 tetramer can adsorb HF molecule to form strong complex, and the adsorption mechanism was also uncovered.
Morphological and anatomical study of grasses Triticum aestivum L. and Phalaris minor Retz. a quick tool for assessing the impact of road side pollution
Authors: Singh Aditya , Supolia Damini , Akhter Raveena , Akhter Farida , Irshad Mahrukh , Bhat Mudasir Nazir , Kumar Ashok , Bhau Brijmohan Singh , Bhat Mudassir Ahmad
Published: October 2023

Plants grown close by roadside areas are exposed to variety of pollutants. Air pollution has an adverse effect on plants. Most air pollution comes from Automobiles. Automobiles have increased in number in tandem with population growth, as has pollution from automotive emissions. The first targets of these vehicular pollutants are roadside plants and roadway vegetation. Vehicle emissions contain a variety of contaminants that contribute to the worst types of pollution in the environment. Various contaminants from automobiles changed the properties of the vegetation that are exposed. One of the most obvious roadside plant is grass. This experiment shows how automobile emissions affect grasses anatomy and morphology. Experiments were conducted to investigate morphological as well as anatomical changes in leaves and culms of roadside grasses Triticum aestivum L. and Phalaris minor Retz.
To carry out the experiment, samples (Fresh leaves and Culms) were collected from polluted sites and non-polluted site acting as a control. For anatomical study leaves and stems were cut into sections and epidermal peeling was performed in the laboratory and changes were identified under the light microscopy. SEM analysis was also done. Results revealed the major anatomical and morphometric variations observed in both Triticum aestivumL. andPhalaris minor Retz. growing in polluted and non-polluted study sites. Reduction in morphometric parameters for both the specimens growing in polluted study sites indicated a negative effect of pollutants on the growth of these pooideae members. Not only that changes in the anatomy of the polluted site specimens, both in the culm and leaf anatomy was found. SEM images of the abaxial and adaxial surface of the leaves showed micro-morphological changes, with stomatal size and number showing a reduction in case of Triticum aestivumL. for the polluted site specimens while the size of stomata showed an increase in the case of Phalaris minor Retz. growing in polluted study sites. These results highlighted the importance of anatomical and morphological data to determine the responsiveness of roadside grasses to various environmental pollutants.
Study on the Impact of Refractive Anisometropia on Intermittent Exotropia, Stereopsis, and Amblyopia in Children
Authors: Qiao Shanli , Chen Jing , Zhang Jianfei , Sun Changfeng
Published: October 2023

Objective
To preliminarily explore the correlation between different types and degrees of refractive errors and strabismus, amblyopia, and stereopsis.
Methods
Data from 145 children with refractive errors and 30 children with normal vision were collected. Both groups of subjects underwent routine slit lamp and fundus examinations to exclude other organic eye diseases.
Results
① The incidence of strabismus in the refractive error group was higher than that in the normal control group (P < 0.05). ② Far-sightedness and mixed astigmatism were more prone to amblyopia than myopia and regular astigmatism. ③ When the refractive error was ≥ 1.00D, far stereopsis and random dot static 0-order stereopsis decreased, while near stereopsis Titmus showed no statistical difference.
Conclusion
Different types and degrees of refractive errors have different clinical features of strabismus and amblyopia. Among the three stereopsis examination methods, far stereopsis and random dot static 0-order stereopsis are more sensitive than near stereopsis and can better reflect damages to fine stereopsis.
Adjuvant Therapy Improves Survival in T1N1M0 Gastric Cancer Patients with Poorly Differentiated and Undifferentiated Types
Authors: Gu Mingyu , Xie Tianyu , Wen Minghai , Huang Zijie , Zhao Binghe , Li Shuo , Wu Di , Xu Ziyao , Wang Xinxin
Published: October 2023

Background
Whether adjuvant therapy has a survival benefit for all patients with T1N1M0 (Stage IB) gastric cancer (GC) remains controversial. This study attempted to confirm the value of adjuvant therapy in T1N1M0 GC patients with poorly differentiated and undifferentiated type.
Methods
Overall, 461 T1N1M0 GC patients with poorly differentiated and undifferentiated type following gastrectomy from 2004 to 2018 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis was used to reduce bias. Overall survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Cox regression analyses were used to confirm the independent prognostic factors.
Results
Our study analyzed data from 461 patients in the Seer database who underwent postoperative treatment. Among them, 297 patients received adjuvant therapy. After PSM multivariate regression reveal that adjuvant therapy is associate with OS of the cohort (adjusted HR0.55; 95% CI: 0.38 ~ 0.77). The survival analysis presents that the 5-year OS was significantly higher in patients receiving chemotherapy (69.2% vs.51.5%, p < 0.001) and the 5-year CSS was higher in patients receiving chemotherapy (77.0% vs 61.1% p < 0.001).
Conclusion
In the population of patients with poorly differentiated and undifferentiated T1N1M0 gastric cancer, postoperative adjuvant therapy has shown potential survival benefits. However, further validation through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is required to confirm this conclusion.
Unsupervised meta-analysis on chemical elements and atomic energy prediction: case study on periodic table
Authors: Belahcene Brahim
Published: October 2023

This paper presents an artificial classification and atomic energy correlation analysis of the periodic table. The choice of data mining method is due to its robustness, which can explore intrinsic or hidden relationships between chemical elements and their properties. The Mendeleev table is probably the earliest example of the data analysis technique in materials science. However, the classical periodic table represents the arrangement of chemical elements based on specific periodicities that have the problem of continuity of properties for some chemical elements. In this research, we used one of the unsupervised data mining methods (Principal Component Analysis) to investigate the chemical elements based on all the ready properties, some questions were raised before diving into this research. The main objective is to make a pseudo-classification of natural and synthetic chemical elements based on their physicochemical and energy-available properties. The results revealed the effectiveness of the data mining method in appreciating the relationships between the variables and properties that offer a new way of viewing a Mendeleev table. The last step of this work highlights the importance of predictive polynomial that allows the scientific community to make atomic total energy predictions for each natural periodic element, from helium to lawrencium.
Ecological environment quality analysis of Jiyuan City based on improved remote sensing ecological index
Authors: XIANG Zhonglin , ZHANG Shijie , DENG Libo
Published: October 2023

With the high-speed development of Jiyuan City, frequent human activities have caused increasing impacts on the ecological environment, so remote sensing monitoring of the ecological environment is of great significance for assessing the sustainability of regional ecosystems and human living environment. In this study, based on the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI), the Improved Remote Sensing Ecological Index (IRSEI) was created by choosing the Index of Building (IBI) and the Index of Bare Soil (SI) to represent the dryness indicators, respectively, and combined with the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method to evaluate and analyse the quality of the ecological environment in Jiyuan City from 2002 to 2021. Conclusions were drawn: ① From 2002–2021, the five-year improved remote sensing eco-indexes of Jiyuan City were 0.50, 0.57, 0.59, 0.64, 0.62, respectively, with an overall increase in the ecological environment quality; ② During the study years, the area of grassland and water bodies in Jiyuan City increased continuously, with a total increase of 254.131 km2, and the area of bare soil and planted cultivated land decreased gradually, with a total decrease of 211.211 km2; ③ In terms of spatial distribution, the ecological environment quality in the northwestern mountainous area is the best, and the eastern urban area is relatively poor. Overall, the ecological environment management in the study area has achieved some success, but there is still much room for improvement.
Exploring the Therapeutic Mechanism of Jiangtang Sanhao Formula in Alleviating Insulin Resistance in Skeletal Muscle Cells: Involvement of AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway？
Authors: Ye Zimengwei , Zhao Yi , Fang Xin , Xu Bingrui , Shi Hanfen , Li Runqi , Mo Fangfang , Zhang Dongwei , Zhao Dandan , Gao Sihua
Published: October 2023

Insulin resistance (IR) in skeletal muscle is a well-documented pathologic characteristic in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with GLUT4 being a key protein involved in this process. Jiangtang Sanhao formula, (JTSHF), a proven effective prescription for treating T2DM in clinic, has been shown to have a beneficial effect on alleviation of skeletal muscle IR. However, the underlying mechanism still need to be explored. Herein, we investigated the potential benefits and mechanism of JTSHF-containing serum in combating IR induced by palmitate in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. The results demonstrated that JTSHF-containing serum significantly enhanced glucose consumption and uptake in IR-C2C12 cells at noncytotoxic concentration. Moreover, the JTSHF-containing serum reduced the malondialdehyde level and increase superoxide dismutase activity. Further investigations showed the function of JTSHF-containing serum in up-regulating the expression of key factors involved in glucose transport and metabolism, including GLUT4, phosphorylated AMPKα, SIRT1, PGC-1α, PPARα, PPARγ, and UCP3, as well as GLUT4 translocation. Notably, these positive effects were substantially diminished when we used an AMPK inhibitor, named Compound C, suggesting that AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway may be involved in JTSHF’s ability to rescue palmitate-induced reductions in GLUT4 expression and translocation in IR-C2C12 cells. In summary, our study provides evidence that JTSHF may effectively regulate GLUT4 and counteracte IR in skeletal muscle cells, and it highlights the potential involvement of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway in mediating these beneficial effects.
Ranibizumab for the treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration related research hotspot and dynamic
Authors: Xiaodong Li , Xuewei Qin , Dandan Wu , Yi Yang , Zhilin Li
Published: October 2023

Objective:Bibliometric analysis in the research area of Ranibizumab and Age-Related Macular Degeneration(AMD) was conducted to describe the current trends in international research dynamics in the field and to present a visual representation of the research hotspots and difficulties in ophthalmic drugs in the last fifteen years.Method:In this cross-sectional study, bibliometrics analyzed data retrieved and extracted from the Web using the Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database to analyze the evolution and thematic trends in the delivery of studies from January 1, 2008, to September 2, 2023, for Ranibizumab and AMD studies. A total of 2691 articles on the field were assessed for specific characteristics such as year of publication, journal, author, institution, country/region, citation and keywords. Co-authorship analysis, co-occurrence analysis, co-citation analysis, and network visualization were constructed using VOSviewer. Bibliometrics identified a number of important sub-themes for further discussion and review of characterization.Results:From 2008 to 2023, the cumulative number of articles published globally increased from 1 to 2,691, with the highest number of articles published in 2020 (255 papers). RETINA THE JOURNAL OF RETINAL AND VITREOUS DISEASES published the most manuscripts (285 papers) and was cited (6,496 citations), followed by OPHTHALMOLOGY (193 papers) and GRAEFES ARCHIVE FOR CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY (163 papers). OPHTHALMOLOGY was the most cited (20,865 citations), with the United States (786 papers, 38,014 citations), univ sydney (98 papers, 5,245 citations), and kim, jong woo (56 papers, 550 citations) being the most productive and influential institutions, countries, and authors, respectively.Co-occurring clusters: the top 100 keywords analyzed form 5 clusters:Marking the emerging frontiers in the field of ranibizumab and AMD. Further discussion of the 5 clusters of research is to assist the researcher in determining the scope of the research topic and planning the direction of the research.Conclusion:The number of publications and citations of research related to Ranibizumab and AMD has been increasing over the last two decades in many countries, institutions and authors. This study reveals the current trends, global collaboration patterns, basic knowledge, research hotspots and developmental trends in Ranibizumab associated with AMD research. New solutions of Ranibizumab for AMD such as shorter number of injections, prolonged drug efficacy and safety have been the major themes in the last 15 years.
Comparing the Use of Washingtonia Filifera Seed Extract in Various Solvents for ZnO Nanoparticle Synthesis, Characterization, and its Potential Anti- inflammatory and Biological Applications
Authors: Jalil Parwin Jalal , Mhamedsharif Renjbar M. , Shnawa Bushra Hussain , Hamad Samir Mustafa , Mohammed Ahmed Salih , Aspoukeh Peyman K.
Published: October 2023

The present study involves the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles ZnO NPs using three different solvents for plant extract of ethanol (EtOH), methanol (MeOH), and double distilled water (ddH2O) in a method that is rapid, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. The novelty of this study was creating ZnO NPs from Washingtonia filifera plant seed extract. Green fabricated ZnO NPs were characterized via UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). SEM data showed the efficacy of palm seed extract metabolites in fabricating spherical shape of ZnONPs, with an avarage size of 50, 71.6, and 81.6 nm for ddH2O, EtOH, and MeOH Zn ONPs, respectively. FT-IR analysis showed varied absorption peaks related to fuctional group of plant extract and nanoparticle formation. Moreover, data analysis revealed that the antimicrobial activity against pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi was dose-dependent and exhibited variable inhibition zone values. In comparison to the plant extract alone, which provides minimum antimicrobial activity, the ZnO NPs prepared from this plant inhibit bacterial activity more efficiently. MeOH-ZnO NPs formed a maximum clear zones, 23.5 ± 0.3, 26.0 ± 0.3, and 19.8 ± 0.3 mm, at highest concentrations of 500 µg/ml against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, respectively. EtOH-ZnO NPs exhibit 82.2, 82.2, and 67.2% of mycelial inhibition after 6 days of treatment with ZnO NPs for A. niger, A. fumigatus and S. apiospermum, respectively. Also, biosynthesized ZnO NPs showed a potent anti-inflammatory activity of were dose-dependent. The present anti-bacterial activities were increased as the NPs concentration increased. The W. filifera-mediated ZnO NPs showed strong antimicrobial activity against clinical pathogens compared to standard drugs. This suggests that plant-based synthesis of NPs can be an excellent strategy for developing versatile and eco-friendly biomedical products.
Clinical application of middle descending colon-double lumen ostomy with distal stoma narrowing in the treatment of anorectal malformation.
Authors: Huang Guoxian , Li Wenni , Ma Lili , Lei Xin , Lin Xiangde , Chen Yuandong , Xu Bo
Published: October 2023

Background
Anorectal malformations (ARMs) are the most common con- genital anomaly of the digestive tract. And colostomy should be performed as the first-stage procedure in neonates diagnosed with intermediate- or high-type ARMs. However, the most classic Pe˜na’s colostomy still has some disadvantages. We aimed to explore the effectiveness of middle descending colon-double lumen ostomy (MDCDLO) in the treatment of high and intermediate types of anorectal malformations.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients who underwent MDCDLO for high or intermediate types of ARMs between June 2016 and December 2021 in our hospital. The basic characteristics were recorded. All patients were followed up monthly to determine if any complication happen.
Results
There were 17 boys and 6 girls diagnosed with high or intermediate types of ARMs in our hospital between June 2016 and December 2021. All 23 patients were cured without complications such as abdominal incision infection, stoma stenosis, incisional hernia, and urinary tract infection in the postoperative follow-up time of 6 months to 6 years except one case of proximal intestinal prolapse was restored under anesthesia.
Conclusion
MDCDLO offers the advantages of simplicity, efficiency, safety, mild trauma, and small scarring in the treatment of high and intermediate types of anorectal malformations.
Upper bounds on the numbers of binary plateaued and bent functions
Authors: Potapov V. N.
Published: October 2023

We prove that the logarithm of the number of binary n-variable bent functions is asymptotically less than (11/ 32) 2n as n → ∞. We also prove an asymptotic upper bound on the number of s-plateaued functions.
Privacy Preserving Heart Rate Estimation from ECG and PPG Signals for Application in Remote Healthcare
Authors: Islam Tasnim Nishat , Imtiaz Hafiz
Published: October 2023

In this work, we develop a computationally-light and robust neural network model for estimating heart rate for applications in remote healthcare systems. More specifically, we develop a model that can be trained on consumer-grade graphics processing units (GPUs) and can be deployed on edge devices for swift inference. To this end, we propose a hybrid model based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) architectures for estimating heart rate from ECG and PPG signals. Considering the sensitive nature of the ECG signals, we ensure a formal privacy guarantee – differential privacy, for the model training. We perform a tight accounting of the overall privacy budget of our training algorithm using the Rényi Differential Privacy technique. We demonstrate that our model outperforms state-of-the-art networks on a benchmark dataset for both ECG and PPG signals, despite having much smaller number of trainable parameters, and consequently much smaller training and inference times. Additionally, our CNN-BiLSTM architecture can provide excellent heart rate estimation performance even under strict privacy constraints. Last but not the least, we develop a prototype Arduino-based data collection system that is low-cost and efficient, and therefore, useful for providing access to modern healthcare services to the people living in remote areas.
Progression free survival of myeloma patients who become IFE-negative correlates with the detection of residual monoclonal free light chain (FLC) by mass spectrometry
Authors: Giles Hannah , Drayson Mark , Kishore Bhuvan , Pawlyn Charlotte , Kaiser Martin , Cook Gordon , de Tute Ruth , Owen Roger , Cairns David , Menzies Tom , Davies Faith , Morgan Gareth , Pratt Guy , Jackson Graham
Published: October 2023

Deeper responses are associated with improved survival in patients being treated for myeloma. However, the sensitivity of the current blood-based assays is limited. Historical studies suggested that normalisation of the serum free light chain (FLC) ratio in patients who were negative by immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) was associated with improved outcomes. However, recently this has been called into question. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based FLC assessments may offer a superior methodology for the detection of monoclonal FLC due to greater sensitivity. To test this hypothesis, all available samples from patients who were IFE negative after treatment with carfilzomib and lenalidomide-based induction and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in the Myeloma XI trial underwent FLC-MS testing. FLC-MS response assessments from post-induction, day + 100 post-ASCT and six months post-maintenance randomisation were compared to serum FLC assay results. Almost 40% of patients had discordant results and 28.7% of patients with a normal FLC ratio had residual monoclonal FLC detectable by FLC-MS. FLC-MS positivity was associated with reduced progression-free survival (PFS) but an abnormal FLC ratio was not. This study demonstrates that FLC-MS provides a superior methodology for the detection of residual monoclonal FLC with FLC-MS positivity identifying IFE-negative patients who are at higher risk of early progression.
A Process Reference Model for Blockchain dApp Development for the Health Domain
Authors: Baysal Merve Vildan , Özcan-Top Özden , Can Aysu Betin
Published: October 2023

Blockchain technology has gained significant attention across various fields in recent years, including its applications in the health domain. Examples of such applications are medicine supply chain management, health record management, clinical trial management, and remote patient monitoring. Although the health domain is highly regulated, there is currently a lack of comprehensive studies presenting the essential blockchain processes, practices, and guides for development teams for ensuring health regulations. To address this gap, this study proposes the Blockchain Health dApp Process Reference Model (BDRM) specifically for developing blockchain dApps in the health domain. The BDRM was developed through a systematic review of formal and gray literature, considering expert opinions to specify the processes and practices, and integrating IEC 82304, IEC 62304, ISO 14971, and ISO/IEC 12207 standards’ requirements to make the reference model regulatory compliant. The model consists of 15 processes and 68 practices associated with these processes. The study also describes the application of design science research during the model's development. The proposed BDRM can benefit developers, researchers, and decision-makers by providing a useful resource for the development of blockchain applications in the health domain.