bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Apigenin inhibits angiogenesis of retinal microvascular endothelial cells by regulating miR-140-5p/HDAC3- mediated PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway
Authors: Fu Chaojun , Peng Jun , Ling Yanjun , Zhao Hongqing , Zhao Yongwang , Zhang Xiuli , Ai Min , Qinghua Peng , Yuhui Qin
Published: February 2023

Background
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the main reason of visual impairment. Apigenin has anti-angiogenic effects in a variety of diseases. Our aim was to explore the role of apigenin in DR and the mechanism involved.
Methods
High glucose (HG) induced HRMEC to establish DR model. HRMECs were treated with apigenin. Then we knocked down or overexpressed miR-140-5p and HDAC3, and added PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002. miR-140-5p, HDAC3 and PTEN were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot measured HDAC3, PTEN and PI3K/AKT pathway related proteins expressions. Cell proliferation and migration were monitored by MTT, wound-healing assay and Transwell assay. Angiogenesis was detected by Tube formation assay.
Results
After HG treatment, miR-140-5p expression was repressed and miR-140-5p overexpression suppressed HG-induced HRMECs proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. Apigenin treatment significantly reversed the reduction in miR-140-5p level caused by HG treatment and repressed HG-induced HRMECs proliferation, migration and angiogenesis by elevating miR-140-5p. miR-140-5p targeted HDAC3, and overexpression of miR-140-5p could reverse the up-regulation of HDAC3 expression induced by HG treatment. HDAC3 could bind to the promoter region of PTEN and inhibit its expression, and then knocking down HDAC3 suppressed PI3K/AKT pathway via elevating PTEN level. In addition, apigenin inhibited angiogenesis in DR cell models by regulating miR-140-5p/HDAC3-mediated PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway.
Conclusions
Apigenin inhibited angiogenesis of HG induced HRMECs by regulating miR-140-5p/HDAC3-mediated PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway. Our study might provide new drugs and new targets for treating DR.
Interventions targeting the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people: Systematic review and evidence map
Authors: Evans Rhiannon , Madonald Sarah , Trubey Rob , Noyes Jane , Robling Michael , Willis Simone , Boffey Maria , Wooders Charlotte , Vinnicombe Soo , Melendez-Torres G.J.
Published: February 2023

Background: The mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people (i.e. foster care, kinship care, residential care) is poorer than non-care-experienced populations. The Care-experienced cHildren and young people’s Interventions to improve Mental health and wEll-being outcomes Sytematic review (CHIMES) systematic review aimed to synthesise the international evidence-base for interventions targeting subjective wellbeing, mental health and suicide amongst care-experienced young people aged ≤ 25 years.
Methods: For the first stage of the review we constructed an evidence map identifying key clusters and gaps in interventions and evaluations. Studies were identified through 16 electronic databases and 22 websites, in addition to expert recommendations, citation tracking and screening of relevant systematic reviews. We charted interventions and evaluations with a summary narrative, tables and infographics.
Results: In total, 64 interventions with 124 associated study reports were eligible. The majority of study reports were from the USA (n=77). Interventions primarily target children and young people’s skills and competencies (n=9 interventions), the parental functioning and practices of carers (n=26), or a combination of the two (n=15). While theoretically under-specified, interventions are largely informed by theories of Attachment, Positive Youth Development, and Social Learning Theory. Current evaluations prioritise outcome (n=86) and process (n=50), with a paucity of study reports including theoretical descriptions (n=24) or economic evaluations (n=1). Interventions most frequently target outcomes related to mental health, neurodevelopment and behavioural outcomes, notably total social, emotional and behavioural problems (n=48 interventions) and externalizing problem behaviours (n=26). There are a limited number of interventions targeting subjective wellbeing or suicide-related outcomes.
Conclusions: Future intervention development might focus on structural-level intervention theories and components, and target outcomes related to subjective wellbeing and suicide. In accordance with current methodological guidance for intervention development and evaluation, research needs to integrate theoretical, outcome, process and economic evaluation in order to strengthen the evidence-base.
PROSPERO Registration: CRD42020177478
A multiplexed, paired-pooled droplet digital PCR assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva
Authors: Wagner Kaitlyn , Fox Phil , Gordon Elizabeth , Hahn Westen , Olsen Kenzie , Markham Alex , Buglewicz Dylan , Selemenkis Platon , Lessard Avery , Goldstein Daniella , Threatt Alissa , Davis Luke , Miller-Dawson Jake , Stockett Halie , Rugh Kristin , Turner Houston , Remias Michelle , Williams Maggie , Chavez Jorge , Galindo Gabriel , Cialek Charlotte , Koch Amanda , Fout Alex , Fosdick Bailey , Broeckling Bettina , Zabel Mark
Published: February 2023

In response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we developed a multiplexed, paired-pool droplet digital PCR (MP4) screening assay. Key features of our assay are the use of minimally processed saliva, 8-sample paired pools, and reverse-transcription droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) targeting the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid gene. The limit of detection was determined to be 2 and 12 copies per µl for individual and pooled samples, respectively. Using the MP4 assay, we routinely processed over 1,000 samples a day with a 24-hour turnaround time and over the course of 17 months, screened over 250,000 saliva samples. Modeling studies showed that the efficiency of 8-sample pools was reduced with increased viral prevalence and that this could be mitigated by using 4-sample pools. We also present a strategy for, and modeling data supporting, the creation of a third paired pool as an additional strategy to employ under high viral prevalence.
Squalene monooxygenase（SQLE) protects ovarian cancer cells from ferroptosis
Authors: Zhang Rong , Zhang Ling mei , Fan Si zhe , Wang Liang liang , Wang Bei bei , He Ze lai , Wang Li hua
Published: February 2023

Background: Ovarian cancer is one of the three major gynecological cancers, which is closely related to squalene monooxygenase (SQLE). We aim to clarify the role of SQLE in ovarian cancer.
Methods: The expression of SQLE was detected by qRT-PCR, Western Bolt and immunohistochemistry. The association between SQLE and ferroptosis was demonstrated by TCGA, GTEx database, TMT protein sequencing, qRT-PCR, Western Bolt, immunofluorescence, ROS detection, and lipid peroxide detection. Animal experiments verified the relationship between SQLE and ferroptosis in ovarian cancer.
Results: The expression of SQLE increased in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. The decreased expression of SQLE caused ferroptosis of ovarian cancer cells, and enhanced the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to ferroptosis inducers.
Conclusion: Our study shows that SQLE is highly expressed in ovarian cancer tissues and cells, and the high expression of SQLE in ovarian cancer may promote the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer by protecting ovarian cancer cells from ferroptosis, thus enlightening new treatment methods for ovarian cancer.
Correlation between choriocapillary blood flow area and microstructural repair of macular as well as visual recovery in idiopathic macular hole
Authors: Li Jing , Li Huilin , Wang Wenjuan , Sun Bin , Cui Tong , Zhang Xiaodan , Gao Yan , zhou guohong
Published: February 2023

Purpose: To evaluate the changes of choroidal blood flow area (CBFA) and the absence diameter of Ellipsoid zone with idiopathic macular hole (IMH) before and after surgery and its correlation with visual function.
Patients and methods: This prospective study was conducted in Shanxi Eye Hospital from August 2019 to December 2021. Twenty-five eyes of 25 patients with unilateral IMH were investigated. The choroidal blood flow area, the choroidal thickness and the diameter of Ellipsoid zone in the macular area were measured before and after surgery in the IMH eye. Meanwhile, we further explored their relationship.
Results: After surgery, all the macular holes were anatomically recovered. Compared with baseline, the BCVA of the eyes of IMH patients was significantly improved, the logMAR BCVA of IMH patients was 0.82±0.33 before surgery and 1.65±1.19 six months after surgery, respectively. The choroidal blood flow area was 0.463±0.046 mm2 before surgery and 0.527±0.130 mm2 six months after surgery. The diameter of the ellipsoidal Zone defect was 1811.47±488.979 before surgery and 560.00±341.858 μm at 6 months after surgery, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that logMAR BCVA was positively correlated with the diameter of the absence range of the ellipsoidal Zone (r=0.69, 0.75, P<0.05) before surgery, and the choroidal blood flow area before surgery was negatively correlated with the diameter of the ellipsoidal Zone defect (r=-0.493, P<0.05).
Conclusions: PPV plus ILM peeling treatment with IMH can effectively promote the closure of macular hole and recesses. The choroidal blood flow area is smaller before IMH srugery、the larger of the diameter of ellipsoidal zone and the worse of the visual function; Along with and the smaller of the diameter of ellipsoidal zone after IMH and the gradual recovery of the retinal microstructure, the logMAR BCVA of the patient is also gradually improved, and the visual function is gradually restored. The integrity of the postoperative microstructure has been determined as a predictor of the visual function recovery after IMH.
Study on Emotion Recognition Bias in Different Regional Groups
Authors: lukac Martin , Zhambulova Gulnaz , Abdiyeva Kamila , Lewis Michael
Published: February 2023

Human-machine communication can be substantially enhanced by the inclusion of high-quality real-time recognition of spontaneous emotional expressions. However, successful recognition of such expressions can be negatively impacted by factors such as sudden variations of lighting, or intentional obfuscation. In addition, the presentation and meaning of emotional expressions can vary significantly, depending on external factors such as the environment within which the emotions are expressed, and the culture of the expressor. As an example, an emotion recognition model trained on a regionally-specific database, collected from North America, might fail to recognize standard emotional expressions from another region, such as East Asia. To address the problem of regional and cultural bias in emotion recognition from facial expressions, we propose a meta-model that fuses multiple emotional cues and features. The proposed approach integrates macro-expression, micro-expression, action level features and image features into a multi-cues emotion model (MCAM). The results show that the proposed meta-classifier (MCAM) reduces the bias factors and achieves successful emotion recognition in most of the evaluated scenarios. Additionally, we also identified certain cues and features of the data-sets that preclude the design of the perfect unbiased classifier.
Identification of a putative novel cholivirus in the transcriptome of Gymnema sylvestre R. Br
Authors: Sidharthan V. Kavi , Vanamala Gayatri , Rajeswari V , Baranwal V. K.
Published: February 2023

Gymnema sylvestre is a tropical climber species that is widely used in traditional medicine since ages. In the present study, the transcriptome datasets of G. sylvestre available in public domain were screened for the presence of novel plant viral sequences and a putative novel virus tentatively named as Gymnema sylvestre virus 1 (GysV1) was identified. Coding-complete genome segments of GysV1 that are 6.35 kb (RNA1) and 3.98 kb (RNA2) long possessed a single large open reading frame coding for a polyprotein. BLASTp, sequence identity and phylogenetic analyses revealed the relatedness of GysV1 to the members of the subgenus Cholivirus (genus Sadwavirus; family Secoviridae; order Picornavirales). Based on the species demarcation criteria of the family Secoviridae, GysV1 can be regarded as a new cholivirus member.
The Effect of Educational Intervention based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model on Calcium Consumption among Pregnant Women
Authors: Amiri Masoumeh , Heidari Neda , Rajati Mojgan , Mahaki Behzad , Rajati Fatemeh
Published: February 2023

Background and objective: The consumption of calcium-rich foods among pregnant women has always been one of the challenging issues of the health care system. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of educational intervention based on Pender’s HPM on the calcium intake of pregnant women.
Materials and method: The pregnant women at three to five months were recruited using convenient sampling method and randomly assigned either to the control (n=37) or intervention (n=36) groups referred to the health centers in Kermanshah, Iran in 2019, 2020. Interventions were implemented based on the structures of Pender’s HPM with three assessments at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and after a one-month follow-up. The food frequency questionnaire was completed before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed in SPSS software version 25.
Results: There is no significant difference between the intervention and control groups at baseline (P<0.05). According to the independent sample t-test, all constructs of the Pender’s HPM except for interpersonal influences were significantly improved in the intervention rather than control groups (P>0.05).
The repeated measure ANOVA demonstrated a significant difference in the effect of the intervention on the constructs of the knowledge (F=9.40; P-value=0.001), perceived benefits (F=17.24 ; P-value=0.001), perceived barriers (F=40.80 ; P-value=0.001), perceived self-efficacy (F=10.90; P-value=0.001), activity-related affect (F= 14.85; P-value=0.001), interpersonal influences (F=21.51 ; P-value=0.001), commitment to a plan of action (F=20.20 ; P-value=0.001), and immediate competing demands and preferences (F=9.4; P-value=0.001) between the intervention and control groups. However, a significant difference was not observed in the construct of situational influences (F=1.20; P-value=0.296). The ANOVA demonstrated that the calcium consumption significantly increased in the intervention group (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Educational intervention based on the HPMchanged the nutritional behavior of calcium-rich food consumption among pregnant women. The use of Pender's HPM is recommended to improve nutritional behaviors. A theory-based educational intervention in the health care system can fill the gap in the successful implementation of nutrition education programs.
Unravelling the effect of winter holiday celebrations on SARS-CoV-2 transmission
Authors: Geenen Caspar , Thibaut Jonathan , Laenen Lies , Raymenants Joren , Cuypers Lize , Maes Piet , Dellicour Simon , André Emmanuel
Published: February 2023

Public holidays have been associated with SARS-CoV-2 incidence surges, although a firm causal link remains to be established. This association is sometimes attributed to events where transmissions occur at a disproportionately high rate, known as superspreading events. Here, we describe a sudden surge in new cases with the Omicron BA.1 strain amongst higher education students in Belgium. Contact tracers classed most of these cases as likely or possibly infected on New Year's Eve, indicating a direct trigger by New Year celebrations. Using a combination of contact tracing and phylogenetic data, we show the limited role of superspreading events in this surge. Finally, the numerous simultaneous transmissions allowed a unique opportunity to determine the distribution of incubation periods of the Omicron strain. Overall, our results indicate that, even under social restrictions, a surge in transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 can occur when holiday celebrations result in small social gatherings attended simultaneously and communitywide.
Clinical value of using heart rate variability biofeedback before elective CT coronary angiography to reduce heart rate and the need for beta-blockers
Authors: Patrick Langguth , Carmen Wolf , Sam Sedaghat , Johanne Frank , Marcus Both , Olav Jansen , Mona Salehi Ravesh , Annett Lebenatus
Published: February 2023

Objectives: The value of biofeedback before elective coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) to reduce patients’ heart rates (HR) was investigated in the current work.
Methods: 60 patients who received CCTA to exclude coronary artery disease were included in our study and separated into two groups: with biofeedback (W-BF) and without biofeedback (WO-BF). The W-BF group used a biofeedback device for 15 min before CCTA. HR was determined in each patient at five measurement time points (MTP): during the pre-examination interview (MTP1), positioning on the CT patient table (MTP2), immediately before CCTA (MTP3), CCTA image acquisition (MTP4), and after completing CCTA (MTP5). If necessary, beta-blockers were administered in both groups after MTP3 until a HR of less than 65 bpm was achieved. Two board-certified radiologists subsequently assessed the image quality and analyzed the findings.
Results: Overall, the need for beta-blockers was significantly lower in patients in W-BF group than in WO-BF group (p=0.032). In patients with a HR of 81-90, beta-blockers were not required in 4 of 6 cases in the W-BF group, whereas in the WO-BF group all patients needed beta-blockers (p=0.03). We found a significant decrease in HR between MTP1 and MTP2 in W-BF as compared to WO-BF. There was no significant difference between the W-BF and WO-BF groups regarding image quality (p=0.179).
Conclusion: By using biofeedback prior to elective CCTA beta-blocker use can be significantly decreased due to effective reduction of HR, especially in patients with a HR above 80 bpm, without compromising CT image quality and analysis.
Experimental evidence of climate change extinction risk in tropical plants.
Authors: Hollenbeck Emily , Sax Dov
Published: February 2023

Climate change is conjectured to endanger tropical species, particularly in biodiverse montane regions, but accurate estimates of extinction risk are limited by a lack of empirical data describing tropical species’ sensitivity to climate. To fill this gap, studies must match high-quality distribution data with multi-year, transplant experiments. Here, we conducted field surveys of epiphyte distributions on three mountains in Central America and performed reciprocal transplant experiments on one mountain across sites that varied in elevation, temperature and aridity. We find that most species are unable to survive outside of their narrow elevational distributions. Additionally, our findings suggest starkly different outcomes by 2100 under different emission and temperature change scenarios. Under low-emission scenarios, most tropical montane species will survive, but under mid or high-emission scenarios a minimum of 5–36% of our study species may go extinct and 10–50% of populations may be lost. This result demonstrates that current actions towards climate mitigation and emissions reduction may significantly impact the number of tropical extinctions that will occur due to climate change. Unique in its precise test of tropical species’ climate tolerances in a large field experiment, our work corroborates earlier conjecture about wide-spread extinctions from climate change in tropical montane ecosystems.
Can the double-slit experiment distinguish between quantum interpretations?
Authors: Rafsanjani Ali Ayatollah , Kazemi MohammadJavad , Bahrampour Alireza , Golshani Mehdi
Published: February 2023

Despite the astonishing successes of quantum mechanics, due to some fundamental problems such as the measurement problem and quantum arrival time problem, the predictions of the theory are in some cases not quite clear and unique. Especially, there are various predictions for the joint spatiotemporal distribution of particle detection events on a screen, which are derived from different formulations and interpretations of the quantum theory.
Although the differences are typically small, our studies show that these predictions can be experimentally distinguished by an unconventional double-slit configuration, which is realizable using present-day single-atom interferometry.
Not so different after all: Increased arrests and convictions (but not sentence length) deter terrorism
Authors: Wolfowicz Michael , Campedelli Gian Maria , Seaward Amber , Gill Paul
Published: February 2023

While countries differ significantly in how they handle terrorism, in the west, criminal justice systems tend to treat terrorism similar to other crime, with police, prosecutors, judges and courts, and penal systems carrying out similar functions of investigations, apprehension, charging, convicting, and overseeing punishments respectively. While there is a robust literature on deterrent effects for crime, there is a dearth of research when it comes to terrorism. This despite evidence of significant overlaps between crime and terrorism. We address this gap in the literature with a unique dataset covering terrorism offending, arrests, charges, convictions, and sentencing over 16 years in 28 EU-member states. Applying a dynamic panel data model, we find that the probability of apprehension and punishment has an inverse relationship with terrorism offending. Conversely, the rate of charged individuals is associated with a small increase in the terrorism offending rate. The results for sentence length are less clear, with either negligible, or small iatrogenic effects. The results demonstrate that the overlap between crime and terrorism may extend to general deterrence. These findings should be informative for both the research agenda and policy discussion.
Detecting anomalies in security cameras with 3DCNN and ConvLSTM
Authors: Mahareek Esraa A. , El-Sayed Eman K. , El-Desouky Nahed M. , El-Dahshan Kamal A.
Published: February 2023

This research introduces a novel deep learning-based approach for anomaly identification in surveillance films. The suggested approach is built on a deep network that has been taught to recognise objects and human activity in films. The technique was evaluated on five large-scale datasets from the real world, including UCF-Crime, XD-Violence, UBI-Fights, and CCTV-Fights, UCF-101, as well as on artificial datasets with various object sizes, appearances, and activity types. We extract features from video frames using a 3D-convolutional neural network (3D-CNN), followed by convolutional short-term memory (ConvLSTM), and then conduct classification and recognition based on these characteristics. The results demonstrate that, when compared to state-of-the-art approaches described in the comparison, the suggested method achieves high accuracy and AUC in both indoor and outdoor scenarios..
A cross-comparison between PMOD and HeartSee for absolute quantification of myocardial blood flow in PET imaging
Authors: Zhang Chuxin , Wang Ruonan , Hu Yingqi , Jia Yanni , Zhang Jun , Li Yuanyuan , Wang Yanhui , Diao Xin , Zhou Haitao , Wu Ping , Li Li , Wang Yuetao , Yang Minfu , Wu Zhifang , Li Sijin
Published: February 2023

Background: PMOD and the HeartSee software are commonly used to quantify myocardial perfusion. PMOD typically uses a one-tissue compartment model, whereas, HeartSee uses a simple retention model that is considered a special case of the one-tissue compartment model. We explored agreement in the absolute quantification of myocardial perfusion and the diagnostic performance of coronary microvascular dysfunction by comparison of PMOD and HeartSee in non-obstructive patients.
Results: The rest myocardial blood flow of PMOD was higher than that of HeartSee (1.02±0.22 vs. 0.92±0.23, p<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference between the stress myocardial blood flow. However, the myocardial flow reserve of HeartSee was higher than that of PMOD (2.96±0.73 vs.2.64±0.51, p<0.05). The myocardial blood flow and myocardial flow reserve of the two softwares correlated (r: 0.35-0.49, both p<0.05). The receiver-operating characteristic curve revealed a cutoff value for the HeartSee myocardial flow reserve at 2.885 to predict abnormal PMOD myocardial flow reserve, yielding an accuracy of 72%.
Conclusions: The absolute quantification values obtained by PMOD and HeartSee were different. However, the diagnostic accuracy of HeartSee for abnormal myocardial flow reserve with a PET myocardial flow reserve less than two was 72%.
Resource Allocation Strategy for Blockchain-Enabled NOMA-Based MEC Networks
Authors: Ding JianJie , Han LiNa , Li Jie , Zhang Dajun
Published: February 2023

Blockchain technology is getting more and more attention due to its decentralization, independence and security features. However, in wireless networks it faces a computational challenge: the proof-of-work problem. Mobile edge computing (MEC) leads to a vaild scheme by providing cloud computing capabilities to mobile devices. Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) exploits the diversity properties in the power domain to further increase system throughput and spectral efficiency. In this paper, we suggest a new NOMA-based MEC wireless blockchain network to minimize system energy consumption through task offloading decision optimization, user clustering, computing resource and transmit power allocation. In order to effectively figure out this non-convex problem, we first propose a offloading decision and user clustering algorithm, and then propose a computing resource allocation algorithm based on user Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. Finally, the transmission power is simply solved. The numerical simulation results verify that the proposed joint optimization algorithm can effectively decrease the system energy consumption.
Endemic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Nesteruk Igor
Published: February 2023

The fourth year of the COVID-19 pandemic without decreasing trends in the global numbers of new daily cases, high numbers of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and re-infections together with pessimistic predictions for the Omicron wave duration force studies about the endemic stage of the disease. The global trends were illustrated with the use the accumulated numbers of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, the percentages of fully vaccinated people and boosters and the results of calculation of the effective reproduction number provided by Johns Hopkins University. The modified SIR model showed the presence of unsteady equilibrium. The global numbers of new daily cases will range between 300 thousand and one million, daily deaths – between one and 3.3 thousand.
Predictors of Improvement of R-EBUS Findings From “Adjacent To” to “Within” in EBUS-GS: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yamamoto Shigenori , Matsui Hiroki , Fujioka Haruka , Honma Yuya , Kubota Norihiko , Otsuki Ayumu , Ito Hiroyuki , Sagara Hironori , Nakashima Kei
Published: February 2023

Background: In flexible bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasonography using a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) has varying diagnostic yields depending on the findings of radial-endobronchialultrasonography (R-EBUS). The diagnosis rate is lower when R-EBUS lesions are “adjacent to,” than when they are “within.” However, these findings are inconsistent and may change from “adjacent to” to “within” as the examination progresses (referred to as A to W). In this study, we analyzed the predictive factors for this change, which remain unexplored.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent flexible bronchoscopic biopsy with EBUS-GS at Kameda Medical Center between April 2014, and March 2019. Patients without “adjacent to” lesions were excluded. Based on multivariate regression results by drawing a receiver operating characteristic curve, we evaluated the discrimination properties of factors strongly correlated with “A to W”.
Results:In total, 261 patients were included in this study. In 84 cases, R-EBUS findings were “adjacent to” to “within,” while in 177 cases, they were not. The mean lesion diameter was significantly larger (p = 0.021) in the group with “A to W” than in the group without it. The odds ratio (OR) for lesion diameter was significant in the multivariable regression model (OR: 1.024 [1.003-1.046]). The sensitivity and specificity were 0.346 and 0.853, respectively, at the optimal threshold (29.25 mm) set using the Youden index.
Conclusion: In this study, we found that lesion diameter was a significant factor in predicting “A to W,” indicating a cutoff value of 29.25 mm with high specificity (0.853).
Trial registration: The participants were registered retrospectively.
The Relationship Between Oral Health and Cognitive Function Among Community‐Dwelling Japanese Older Adults: A Cross-sectional Study Using Toon Health Study Data
Authors: Fujimura Kazumi , Maruyama Koutatsu , Miyoshi Noriko , Nishioka Shinji , Saito Isao , Tomooka Kiyohide , Tanigawa Takeshi , Eguchi Eri , Shiba Tamami , Yoshida Miyuki , Tatsukawa Madoka , fujii Akiko , Kooka Akiko , Kawamura Ryoichi , Takata Yasunori , Osawa Haruhiko , Suyama Keiko
Published: February 2023

Background
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between tooth loss and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly.
Methods
A total of 438 men and 715 women aged 60–84 years who participated in the Toon Study—an epidemiological study conducted among local residents of Toon City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan from 2014 to 2018—were included. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess oral health status (number and bite of teeth). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was assessed using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, with scores < 26 considered as MCI. The odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of MCI were compared with having 25 + teeth and good masticatory status, after adjusting for age, sex, and other potential confounding factors using a logistic regression model.
Results
The multivariate adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of MCI for having < 15 teeth compared with ≥ 25 was 1.34 (0.97–1.84). Additionally, that of poor masticatory performance compared with good masticatory status was 1.41 (1.06–1.88). Associations were evident in those aged < 75, with ORs (95% CIs) for number of teeth and masticatory status of 1.58 (1.10–2.27) and 1.50 (1.09–2.08), respectively. This was in contrast to those aged ≥ 75 years.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that, to maintain cognitive function, maintaining both the number of teeth and the complex oral function of bite in individuals aged < 75 years is vital.
The effectiveness and satefy of auricular acupoint therapy for patients with chronic insomnia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhang Xifen , Zhang Juncha , Wang Xuesong , Gao Yuanbo , Li Xuxin , Shi Xuliang , She Yanfen
Published: February 2023

Background:Chronic insomnia (CI) is the most common subtype of insomnia. Auricular acupoint therapy (auricular acupoint bloodletting plus auricular acupressure) is a common treatment for CI, but its efficacy is uncertain due to the poor quality of previous studies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of auricular acupoints in the treatment of CI by comparing with sham auricular acupoint therapy.Methods:This is a multicenter, randomized, two-arm interventional clinical trial. Participants will participate in the study for a total of 18 weeks, consisting of three phases: 2 weeks of screening, 4 weeks of treatment, and 12 weeks of follow-up. Based on the response rate of the primary outcome in our previous study, 156 randomly allocated participants are planned. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to the auricular acupoint therapy group and sham auricular acupoint therapy group according to a ratio of 1:1. A total of 8 sessions in 4-week treatment period will be carried out. The primary outcome is a response rate at week 4, and the responder is defined as the percentage of those having at least 3 points reduction in insomnia symptoms from baseline as measured via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Furthermore, response rates at other weeks, PSQI, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Abbreviated Form (WHOQOL-BREF), as well as sleep efficiency (SE), sleep arousal frequency (SA) and total sleep time (TST) recorded by actigraphy are chosen as secondary outcomes.Trial registration:www.chictr.org.cnIdentifer: ChiCTR2200065187, Registered 31 Oct 2022.
Perspective of Adults in Saudi Arabia Toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Khalifa Ghaidaa F. , Alzubaidi Bakriah Y. , Bamarouf Dina A. , Alsaedi Yazeed B. , Alayafi Omar H. , Ramadan Majed M.
Published: February 2023

Background
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a high-prevalence neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by communicational, social, and behavioral challenges. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a group of practices and products that fall outside the realm of conventional medicine practiced worldwide. Traditional CAM is a health practice that comes from a particular culture, such as the use of Zamzam water and black seeds in Saudi Arabia. CAM comprises widely utilized practices in Saudi Arabia for children of various ages and adults. In many cases, CAM is used to treat ASD. The aim of this study is to investigate the perspectives of adults in Saudi Arabia toward CAM for treating ASD.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted by distributing an online questionnaire to adults in different regions of Saudi Arabia.
Results
A total of 4,311 adults participated in this study; 66.8% were females and 33.2% were male. Half of the participants reported that they knew about ASD (54.7%). More than half of the participants indicated that CAM—including art therapy (69.0%), physical exercise (67.0%), and limiting the use of electronic (55.4%)—could help in ASD management. Around half of the respondents indicated a belief that traditional treatment cannot help in treating ASD (53.9%). Only 20.0% of the respondents thought that ASD could be entirely treated using CAM therapies. The most common source of knowledge about CAM was social media and the internet (58.6%).
Conclusions
The majority of participants in this study did not believe that ASD could be treated entirely using CAM. In addition, fewer than half of the participants believed that CAM therapies could improve different aspects of ASD, such as behavioral issues. The study highlighted the need for awareness among residents of Saudi Arabia regarding specific treatments for ASD.
Identification of Fangjihuangqi Decoction as a late-stage autophagy inhibitor with an adjuvant anti-tumor effect against non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Chen Qiugu , Wang Kun , Song Yue , Jiang Junbo , Zhang Zhen , Li Anqi , Zheng Mengyi , Chen Xiaoyi , Zhao Tingxiu , Gu Jiangyong , Tan Yuhui , Liu Xiaoyi , Jiang Yanjun , Yi Hua , Xiao Jianyong , Hu Shan
Published: February 2023

Background
Clinically, although chemotherapy is one of the most commonly used methods of treating tumors, chemotherapeutic drugs can induce autophagic flux and increase tumor cell resistance, leading to drug tolerance. Therefore,theoretically, inhibiting autophagy may improve the efficacy of chemotherapy. The discovery of autophagy regulators and their potential application as adjuvant anti-cancer drugs is of substantial importance. In this study, we clarified that Fangjihuangqi Decoction (FJHQ, traditional Chinese medicine) is an autophagy inhibitor, which can synergistically enhance the effect of cisplatin and paclitaxel.
Methods
We observed the changes of autophagy level in lung cancer cells under the effect of FJHQ, and verified the level of the autophagy marker protein and cathepsin. Apoptosis was detected after the combination of FJHQ with cisplatin or paclitaxel, and NAC (ROS scavenger) was further used to verify the activation of ROS-MAPK pathway by FJHQ.
Results
We observed that FJHQ induced autophagosomes in lung cancer cells and increased the levels of P62 and LC3-II protein expression in a concentration- and time-gradient-dependent manner, indicating that autophagic flux was inhibited. Co-localization experiments further showed that while FJHQ did not inhibit autophagosome and lysosome fusion, it affected the maturation of cathepsin and thus inhibited the autophagic pathway. Finally, we found that the combination of FJHQ with cisplatin or paclitaxel increased the apoptosis rate of lung cancer cells, due to increased ROS accumulation and further activation of the ROS-MAPK pathway. This synergistic effect could be reversed by NAC.
Conclusion
Collectively, these results demonstrate that FJHQ is a novel late-stage autophagy inhibitor that can amplify the anti-tumor effect of cisplatin and paclitaxel against non-small cell lung cancer.
Vision Transformer Framework Approach For Melanoma Skin Disease Identification
Authors: Roy Vikas Kumar , Thakur Vasu , Goyal Nupur
Published: February 2023

In the past few decades, skin diseases have been a hazardous issue because of more sophisticated and high-cost treatments. Identifying skin disease is still a challenging task for dermatologists. In reference to severe diseases like Melanoma, therapy in the initial stages is very important and effective to avoid skin cancer. This paper proposes an effective approach by using Vision Transformers (ViT) to detect Melanoma, which gives the accuracy of 99% on the test images. Authors considered the dataset, which is publicly available on Kaggle that comprises 1000 images and did the comprehensive study to get better results using ViT. The obtained results are compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms (VGG-19 and Inception-V3) to analyze the distinction between the proposed approach and other Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) Models.
Analysis of synoptic weather patterns of heatwave events at regional and urban scales
Authors: Ventura Sergi , Miró Josep Ramon , Peña Juan Carlos , Villalba Gara
Published: February 2023

Heatwaves (HWs) are expected to increase both in duration and intensity in the next decades, but little is known about their synoptic and mesoscalar behavior, which is especially important in mid-latitude regions. Most climate research has focused on temperature analysis to characterize HWs. We propose that a combination of temperature and synoptic patterns is a better way to define and understand HWs because including atmospheric circulation patterns provides information about different HW structures that can irregularly affect the territory, and illustrate this approach at the regional and urban scales using the Iberian peninsula and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona as case studies. We first select HW events from 1950–2020 and apply a multivariate analysis to identify synoptic patterns based on mean sea level pressure, geopotential height at 500 hPa, and maximum daily 2 m temperature. The results indicate that four synoptic patterns reproduce at least 50% of the variance in HWs, namely, “stationary and stable”, “dynamic and advective”, “stationary and advective”, and “dynamic, advective and undulated”. Next, we apply the analysis to the Representative Concentration Pathway future scenarios (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 from the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) to determine how these synoptic trends can change in the future. The analysis shows that the four synoptic patterns continue to explain 55 to 60% of the variance in HWs. Future HW events will be characterized by an increase in geopotential height at 500 hPa due to the northward shift of the anticyclonic ridge. This is especially true for RCP8.5, which simulates business as usual incrementing fossil fuel use and additionally shows an increase in atmospheric dynamism in north advections from all directions in comparison with RCP4.5. These findings point to the importance of considering the geopotential height in HW prediction, as well as the direction of advections.
Sex differences in linear bone measurements occur following puberty but do not influence femoral or tibial torsion
Authors: Carman Laura , Besier Thor , Stott N Susan , Choisne Julie
Published: February 2023

Torsional, angular, and linear measurements in a paediatric population are clinically important but not well defined and understood. Different methods of measurement and discrepancies between assessors leads to a lack of understanding of what should be defined as typical or atypical for the growing skeleton. From a large dataset of 333 paediatric CT scans, we extracted three-dimensional torsional, angular, and linear measurements from the pelvis, femur, and tibia/fibula. Sex differences in linear measurements were observed in bones of children aged 13+ (around puberty), but femoral and tibial torsion were similar between males and females. The rotational profile (femoral anteversion minus tibial torsion) tended to increase with growth. Epicondylar, condylar, and malleolar widths were smaller in females than males for the same bone length after the age of 13 years, which could explain why females may be more at risk for sport injuries during adolescence. This rich dataset can be used as an atlas for researchers and clinicians to understand typical development of critical rotational profiles and linear bone measurements in children.
Development of Acute Hydrops in Eye with Infectious Keratitis: A case report
Authors: Kashima Yuzen , Kato Kumiko , Takeuchi Maki , Yonekawa Yuka , Takashima Yuko , Hirano Koji , Kondo Mineo
Published: February 2023

Background: There have been relatively many reports of cases of acute hydrops followed by infectious keratitis, there has not been a report of cases of infectious keratitis complicated by acute hydrops.
Case presentation: A 35-year-old man had undergone cataract surgery 7 years earlier and was being treated for atopic dermatitis by a neighborhood dermatologist. However, the dermatitis was poorly controlled. He came to our hospital with a complaint of pain and blurred vision in his left eye. The decimal best-correctly visual acuity (BCVA) of the left eye was 0.01. Slit-lamp microscopy showed conjunctival injection and a corneal opacity. The patient was diagnosed with infectious keratitis and treated with topical and systemic antibiotics. During his hospitalization, we noted that he frequently rubbed his eyes vigorously. Five days after the first visit, the cornea was noted to protrude markedly and the stroma surrounding an ulcerated area was edematous. These findings led to the diagnosis of acute hydrops and he underwent keratoplasty for the impending corneal perforation. Histopathological study of the excised cornea showed stromal edema, leucocyte infiltration, and a tear of Descemet membrane. Unfortunately, he developed endophthalmitis on the day after the surgery. We irrigated the anterior chamber with antibiotics and injected antibiotics into the vitreous. The endophthalmitis gradually subsided, and at two years after the surgery, his decimal BCVA had improved to 0.6.
Conclusions: Eye rubbing in cases of infectious keratitis can induce acute hydrops and timely surgical intervention is recommended.
ProvitaminA, lysine and tryptophan enrichment in shrunken2-based sweet corn genotypes through genomics-assisted breeding for crtRB1 and opaque2 genes
Authors: Singh Bhavna , Zunjare Rajkumar U. , Srivast Smriti , Chand Gulab , Gain Nisrita , Bhatt Vinay , Muthusamy Vignesh , Hossain Firoz
Published: February 2023

Background Malnutrition affects large section of population worldwide. Vitamin-A and protein deficiencies have emerged as the major global health-issue. Traditional shrunken2 (sh2)-based sweet corn is deficient in provitaminA (proA), lysine and tryptophan. Natural variant of β-carotene hydroxylase1 (crtRB1) and opaque2 (o2) enhances proA, lysine and tryptophan in maize. So far, no sweet corn hybrid rich in these nutrients has been released elsewhere. Development of biofortified sweet corn hybrids would help in providing the balanced nutrition.
Methods and Results We targeted three sh2-based sweet corn inbreds (SWT-19, SWT-20 and SWT-21) for introgression of mutant crtRB1 and o2 genes using molecular breeding. The gene-based 3′TE-InDel and SSR (umc1066) markers specific to crtRB1 and o2, respectively were utilized in foreground selection in BC1F1, BC2F1 and BC2F2. Segregation distortion was observed for crtRB1 and o2 genes in majority of populations. Background selection using 91-100 SSRs revealed recovery of recurrent parent genome (RPG) up to 96%. The introgressed progenies possessed significantly higher proA (13.56 µg/g), lysine (0.336%) and tryptophan (0.082%) over original versions (proA: 2.70 µg/g; lysine: 0.154% and tryptophan: 0.038%). Kernel sweetness among introgressed progenies (17.3%) was comparable to original sweet corn (17.4%). The introgressed inbreds exhibited higher resemblance with their recurrent parents for yield and morphological characters.
Conclusion These newly developed biofortified sweet corn genotypes hold immense promise to alleviate malnutrition.
Exploration on Ability of Printable modified papers for the application in heat sublimation transfer printing of polyester fabric
Authors: Adel Abeer , Ahmed Nivin , Diab Mohamed , El-Shall Fatma , El-Shinnawy Nabila
Published: February 2023

Heat transfer papers in this work were loaded with a new core-shell pigment based on precipitating thin shell of titanium dioxide on a core of rice husk silica ash TiO2/RHSA to be applied in dye sublimation printing of textile fabrics. Besides, 0.1%(w/w) cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) and 1%(w/w) bentonite (Bt) were also added sequentially to improve drainage and filler retention of the paper hand-sheets made from bleached kraft bagasse pulps. The effect of the new core-shell pigment on the mechanical and barrier properties, thermal stability and surface morphology of modified paper sheets were investigated. In addition, the study of transfer printability and ease of dye release from paper to fabric in this heat transfer printing of polyester fabrics using silkscreen printing under different transfer parameters were studied. In addition, fastness measurements including washing, light and perspiration of printing polyester fabric were also estimated.
Blow up solutions for 2-dimensional semilinear elliptic of liouville type with nonlinear gradient term
Authors: Baraket Sami , Ghorbal Anis Ben , Mtiri Foued
Published: February 2023

The existence of singular limit solutions are investigated by establishing a new Liouville type theorem for nonlinear elliptic system by using the nonlinear domain decomposition method.
Removal of calciprotein particles from the blood using an adsorption column improves prognosis of hemodialysis miniature pigs
Authors: Miura Marina , Miura Yutaka , Iwazu Yoshitaka , Mukai Hideyuki , Sugiura Takahiro , Suzuki Yuji , Kato Masami , Kano Mayumi , Nagata Daisuke , Shiizaki Kazuhiro , Kurosu Hiroshi , Kuro-o Makoto
Published: February 2023

Hyperphosphatemia is a major risk for poor prognosis in patients with end-stage renal disease1. However, the molecular mechanism behind this link remains elusive. We and others have demonstrated that serum phosphorus levels correlate positively with circulating levels of calciprotein particles (CPPs)2,3. CPPs are colloidal mineral-protein complexes containing insoluble calcium-phosphate precipitates and have been reported to induce calcification in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells and inflammatory responses in cultured macrophages4,5. Hence, we hypothesize that CPPs may be responsible for disorders associated with hyperphosphatemia. Using hyperphosphatemic miniature pigs receiving hemodialysis, here we show that removal of CPPs from the blood with a newly developed CPP adsorption column improves survival and alleviates complications including coronary artery calcification, vascular endothelial dysfunction, metastatic pulmonary calcification, left ventricular hypertrophy, and chronic inflammation. The present study identifies CPPs as an effective therapeutic target and justifies clinical trials to determine whether the CPP adsorption column may be useful as a medical device for improving clinical outcomes of hemodialysis patients.