bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-directed versus peer-supported self-management for mental and sexual wellbeing after acquired brain injury: protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial
Authors: Wright Hayley , Walker-Clarke Aimee , Drummond Avril , Kidd Lisa , Yeates Giles , Williams Deborah , McWilliams David , Clyne Wendy , Clark Cain C. T. , Kimani Peter , Turner Andy
Published: July 2023

Background
Acquired brain injury (ABI) can lead to biopsychosocial changes such as depression, low self-esteem, and fatigue can cause, and be caused by, sexual issues affecting relationships and wellbeing. Given the relationship between sexual wellbeing and mental health, it is feasible that supporting sexual wellbeing will benefit psychological wellbeing. However, neurorehabilitation is inconsistent and often inadequate across the UK, and psychological, sexual, and social support is lacking. Research shows that self-management and peer-support programmes can improve quality of life, self-efficacy, and psychological wellbeing after brain injury. This protocol describes a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a digital self-management programme to support mental and sexual wellbeing (known as HOPE4ABI), co-designed with and for people with ABI.
Methods
This mixed-methods feasibility RCT has two parallel trial arms of the 8-week digital HOPE4ABI self-management programme. Eligibility criteria includes: age > 18 years, sustained an ABI > 3 months prior to trial entry, access to internet enabled device, and ability to engage with the intervention. Referrals to the study website will be made via National Health Service (NHS), social media, and partnering organisations. Sixty eligible participants will be randomised at a ratio of 1:1 to peer-supported (n = 30) or self-directed (n = 30) HOPE4ABI programme. Primary feasibility outcomes include recruitment and retention rates, engagement, adherence, and usage. Secondary outcomes relate to standardised measures of quality of life, sexual wellbeing, and mental wellbeing. Participants and peer-facilitators will be interviewed after the course to assess acceptability across both trial arms.
Discussion
This feasibility trial data is not sufficiently powered for inferential statistical analyses but will provide evidence of feasibility of a full RCT. Quantitative trial data will be analysed descriptively, and participant screening data representing age, ethnicity and gender will be presented as proportions at group level. This data may indicate trends in reach to particular demographic groups that may inform future recruitment strategies to widen participation. Progression to a definitive trial will be justified, if predetermined criteria are met, relating to recruitment, retention: engagement, and acceptability.
Trial Registration
ISRCTN46988394 registered on 1st March 2023.
Single low-dose of denosumab as a triggering agent for MRONJ development in a patient with osteoporosis Case report and mini-review
Authors: Szaraz David , Perina Vojtech , Treglerova Jana , Machacek Ctirad , Zendulka Ondrej , Linhartova Petra Borilova
Published: July 2023

Both denosumab (DNO) and bisphosphonates (BP), antiresorptive drugs (ARDs) used for the treatment of osteoporosis and oncological disorders, are known for their potential to cause medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ). Besides ARDs, statins were recently associated with MRONJ development, especially in patients taking higher doses of statins for a longer period of time. Here, we report a case of a woman with osteoporosis who rapidly developed MRONJ stage III after only a single low dose of DNO. The patient was taking statins (rosuvastatin) for 7 years and had also been on BP (alendronate) for 4 years previously but this treatment was discontinued for approximately 1.5 years before MRONJ development. We performed a literature review of cases with MRONJ triggered by a single low dose of DNO and of cases with statin-induced MRONJ in patients not using ARD. Because the MRONJ development after a single low dose of DNO is rare, only eleven cases were previously described. We suggest that (i) in some patients, long-term use of statins and BP may lead to a higher susceptibility of MRONJ development after DNO exposure and (ii) that all predisposing factors to MRONJ development including the necessity of any dental procedures should be considered before DNO therapy is initiated.
Sound Design for Paintings in Virtual Art Exhibitions
Authors: Baratè Adriano , Ludovico Luca Andrea , Presti Giorgio
Published: July 2023

This paper starts with an overview of virtual art exhibitions, discussing their advantages and limitations compared to physical galleries. Then, it introduces the concepts of sound design, specifically sonification and musification, and their applicability in virtual art exhibitions. The potential for enhanced immersion through the integration of sound is explored. The paper presents the implementation of a demo web platform using the Unity game engine, highlighting the technical details and design choices involved. This platform serves as a practical example of incorporating sound design principles into virtual art exhibitions. The paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the role of sound in enhancing the immersive experience of virtual art exhibitions, providing insights for researchers, artists, and developers in the field.
Construction and analysis of ceRNA networks in the liver of black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) following Aeromonas salmonicida infection
Authors: Liu Xiantong , Wang Ningning , Yu Haohui , Zhang Xiaoyan , Li Chao , Cao Min
Published: July 2023

Given the dual roles in immune function and metabolism, liver can be selected as an interesting candidate to bridge host defense and metabolic adjustments during pathogen infections in teleost. In order to dissect the roles of liver in the immune response of Sebastes schlegelii, detection of activities of SOD, CAT and GPX4, systematic analysis of circRNA, miRNA and mRNA expression profiles, as well as circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in the liver of S. schlegelii following Aeromonas salmonicida infection were performed in the present study. The present results demonstrated the content of SOD, CAT and GPX4 increased significantly at early infection stage to protect the liver tissue from excessive damage. Meanwhile, 622 circRNA-miRNAs pairs, 78 miRNA-mRNA pairs and 327 circRNA-miRNA-mRNA pairs were identified in our study. These differently expressed circRNA and mRNA were related with LMNB1, DMBT1, NAMPT, IFIT1, CELSRs, PYGL etc. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that differently expressed genes are related with TLR signal pathway, RIG signal pathway, PPAR signal pathway etc. These results revealed an antibacterial ceRNA network in the liver of S. schlegelii post A. hydrophila infection, which provided new clues and insights into the immune mechanisms of teleost.
Preparation of surface modified montmorillonite and its application for adsorption of phenolic compounds from olive mill wastewater
Authors: Arabmofrad Sara , Jafari Seid Mahdi , Lazzara Giuseppe , Ziaiifar Aman Mohammad , Tabarestani Hoda Shahiri , Bahlakeh Ghasem , Calvino Martina Maria , Sarvi Mehdi Nasiri
Published: July 2023

To recover phenolics from olive mill wastewater (OMW), adsorption was performed and compared among raw montmorillonite (Mt) and three modified-Mt forms. The Mt was modified with tetradecyl trimethylammonium bromide (TTB), cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTB), and didodecyl dimethylammonium bromide (DDB). The effect of adsorption time, pH and adsorbent concentration on the adsorption efficiency (AE) of phenolics from OMW were investigated. Experimental results revealed that the maximum AE% (93.43%) of TTB-Mt-1 was obtained at pH = 4.7, adsorbent concentration of 0.66 g/L. The Mt and TTB-Mt-1 before and after adsorption in optimum situation were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in order to establish the adsorption behavior-properties relationship. The results show there was successful phenolics adsorption on TTB-Mt-1. The equilibrium data of adsorbed phenolics was fitted well to Langmuir models and the kinetic data indicated that the best fit of experimental data was pseudo-second order model.
O3 decomposition to O2 on surfaces of Silicon nanocage and Carbon nanocage as effective catalysts
Authors: Al-dolaimy F. , Al-Khafaji Ali Hussein Demin , Ibrahim Israa Taha , Najm Mazin A.A. , Alawadi Ahmed Hussien , Alsaalamy Ali Hashiem
Published: July 2023

In this study, potential of Sc-C82 and Sc-Si82 as effective catalysts for O3 decomposition are examined through LH and ER mechanisms. The activation barrier energy and Gibbs free energy of reaction steps for O3 decomposition through the of LH and ER mechanisms on Sc-C82 and Sc-Si82 nanocages are calculated. Results shown that the Sc-C82 and Sc-Si82 nanocages have the negative values of ∆Eformation are stable nano-catalysts from thermodynamic viewpoints. The Sc atoms are catalytic positions to adsorb the O3 molecules and other important species of O3 decomposition through LH and ER mechanisms. The Sc-Si82 nanocage for O3 decomposition has lower Eacivation values and more negative ∆Greaction values than Sc-C82 nanocage. The Eacivation value of rate-determining step for O3 decomposition through LH mechanism is lower than ER mechanism. The Sc-Si82 nanocage has higher catalytic activity than Sc-C82 nanocage for O3 decomposition. The Sc-C82 and Sc-Si82 nanocages can catalyze the reaction steps of O3 decomposition through LH and ER mechanisms with high performance at normal temperature.
Novel susceptibility genes and molecular mechanisms identified in relation to mitochondrial dysfunctions in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Li Dunhui , McDowall Simon , McIntosh Craig , Eddy Delenn , Zhang Fengqiu , Wang Tao
Published: July 2023

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the major contributors in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the mechanisms and genes involved in mitochondrial dysfunction in PD have still not been fully uncovered.
Methods: The PD associated datasets were accessed via the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database, and we extracted 1870 mitochondrial dysfunction related genes (MDRGs) via the Genecards database. First, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PD and control samples were screened out by differential expression analysis, and samples (PD and control) were considered as traits for weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to yield the key modules. Then, we took the intersection of DEGs and genes from key modules to acquire a set of intersected genes, which were then intersected with MDRGs to obtain candidate genes. Next, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis was implemented on candidate genes for identifying the hub genes, and they were subjected to single gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Finally, we constructed the drug-gene, transcription factor (TF)-mRNA-miRNA networks, and LASSO-Logistic regression model.
Results: Between the PD and control samples, 945 DEGs were filtered out. Subsequently, MEblue and MEyellow modules all had a strong correlation with traits, therefore they were considered as the key modules. We also yielded 444 intersected genes and 31 candidate genes, respectively. In addition, 7 hub genes: DVL2, DNMT1, ABL1, RAF1, NOTCH1, RELA, and PDGFRB were identified via the protein-protein interaction analysis. These genes were found to be related to ‘Parkinson's disease’, ‘oxidative phosphorylation’ and other functional pathways. Likewise, drugs such as resveratrol and bortezomib were predicted according to the hub genes, and the TF-mRNA-miRNA network consisting of relationship pairs, such as SREBF1-ABL1, and ‘hsa-mir-23b-3p’-NOTCH1, was constructed. Ultimately, we found that the LASSO-Logistic regression model had an excellent ability to distinguish PD samples from control samples.
Conclusion: Through bioinformatic analyses, we identified novel mitochondrial dysfunction related hub genes including DVL2, DNMT1, ABL1, RAF1, NOTCH1, RELA, and PDGFRB in PD, and explored their mechanisms of action in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and neuroactive ligand receptor interaction signaling pathways, providing new insights for studying the pathogenesis of PD.
An Optimization Method of Trochoidal Radius for Trochoidal Milling Hole based on the adaptive feed rate scheduling
Authors: Han Feiyan , Gu Zhi-Cheng , He Long-Long , Gou Tian-Mao , Zhang Chuan-Wei , Yang Man-Zhi , Shi Ren-Gui
Published: July 2023

The machining time is mainly related to the tool path and the corresponding feed speed, while the trochoidal tool path depends on the trochoidal step and trochoidal radius. The material removal rate is periodically distributed along the tool path in trochoidal milling a hole. But more than half of tool paths do not cut material in trochoidal milling a hole, so a constant feed speed in milling a hole will limit the machining efficiency. In this paper, a trochoidal radius optimization approach is presented to improve the efficiency of trochoidal milling a hole, which considering the optimal feed speed. Firstly, the mathematical representation of the trochoidal radius is formulated by analyzing the generation principle of trochoidal path, so the trochoidal radius could be determined under the premise of the hole diameter, maximum uncut radial material and the tool diameter are fixed. Furthermore, the trochoidal radius optimization model，which based on the adjusted feed speed, is established with the goal of minimizing the machining time. Secondly, an adaptive feed speed scheduling strategy for trochoidal milling is proposed, which is constrained by stable material removal rate and adjusted by a cubic polynomial algorithm. Finally, taking a hole machining as an example, simulation and experimental results show that the efficiency of applying the trochoid milling method proposed has increased by 13.8% compared to traditional helix milling method.
Design and thermal characteristic analysis of electricspindle cooling water jacket
Authors: Li ZhaoLong , Wang Baodong , Zhu Wenming , Wang Qinghai
Published: July 2023

High-speed motorized spindle is an important component of machine tool, and the influence of heat and deformation generated in the working process on the machining accuracy cannot be ignored. In order to reduce the temperature of the motorized spindle in the machining process, this paper first explore the influence of the flow rate of the motorized spindle cooling water on the cooling water jacket and the overall temperature change. The results indicate that when the flow rate exceeds a certain range, the overall temperature no longer drops, so there is an optimal flow rate in the choice of flow rate. Secondly, to solve the problem of uneven axial temperature distribution of the traditional spiral water jacket, four kinds of cooling water jackets with different structures were proposed. The simulation results show that the difference of temperature distribution inside the serpentine water jacket is small, the overall temperature was reduced by 1.8℃ and the pressure drop was reduced by 62.54kPa. It shows that the serpentine cooling water jacket has better cooling performance and can effectively reduce the thermal deformation of the motorized spindle shafting, so as to achieve the purpose of improving the machining accuracy.
Research on Investment and Financing Evolution Game of Supply Chain under the Intervention of the Logistics Platform
Authors: Zheng Mingxuan , Jian Ming , Dou Yaqin
Published: July 2023

This paper constructs an evolutionary game model of ‘financing enterprise-investor-platform’ and analyses the stability of the choice of multi-agent income strategy based on the logistics platform application scenario. In this paper, we discuss the effects of multidimensional factors, such as platform commission rate, platform reputation premium, loan interest rate, unit logistics cost and product price on the choice of multi-agent income strategy. Then, we study the stable strategy combination of a multi-agent evolutionary game, and the constraints formed by the combination of agent stability strategies are obtained. Finally, the research conclusions are verified through numerical simulation analysis. The research shows that the commission rate and logistics price of the logistics finance platform should be set within a reasonable range. When the logistics finance platform has a high expectation of reputation premium, it will be conducive to promoting financing enterprises and investors to adopt positive strategies to achieve win-win cooperation. The investor implements the credit strategy according to the principle of maximising its income and dominates the selection of enterprise financing strategy. The higher financing willingness of financing enterprises is conducive to promoting the implementation of credit easing strategy by the investor, ultimately achieving the optimal income of the three agents. However, the stable state of investor-enterprise cooperation depends on the platform to actively promote the establishment of a good trust mechanism.
The Effect of Two Different Types of Music Played to Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy on Anxiety, Nausea, and Satisfaction Levels
Authors: DALLI Öznur ERBAY , DOĞAN Derya AKÇA , PEHLİVAN Seda , YILDIRIM Yasemin , EVRENSEL Türkkan
Published: July 2023

Purpose: To investigate the effect of two different types of music on anxiety, nausea, and satisfaction levels in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy (CT) for the first time.
Methods: The study was conducted as a single-blind, pre-test, post-test, three-group randomized controlled trial in an outpatient CT unit between August 2022 and February 2023. A simple (computer-based) and stratified (age and gender) randomization method was used to assign 75 patients to the relaxing music group (RMG), Turkish classical music group (TCMG), and control group (CG) (n=25 each). The primary outcome was the change in anxiety levels measured by Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory before (T0) and after (T1) CT session. Secondary outcomes were the change in the severity of nausea from T0 to T1 and the level of satisfaction at T1.
Results: The groups were similar in terms of baseline sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. Anxiety levels were lower than the baseline in RMG and TCMG in comparison to CG, and repeated measures analysis showed a significant group × time interaction (p=0.001, F=210.221, η2=0.745). Nausea severity increased from T0 to T1 for CG but decreased for RMG and TCMG with a significant group × time interaction (p=0.001, F=100.785, η2=0.583). The satisfaction level was significantly higher in TCMG than in CG and RMG (8.64±0.95 vs. 7.88±0.72 and 7.00±0.70, respectively).
Conclusion: Music may be an effective non-pharmacologic option to relieve patients' anxiety and nausea during first-time CT, irrespective of music type. Larger, multicenter studies evaluating the long-term effect of music are needed to confirm these findings.
Trial registration number/date: clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05687838) / 2022-13/18
Myofascial Induction Technique changes Plantar pressures variables compared to a Simulated Laser. A randomized single-blind trial
Authors: Martinez-Jiménez Eva María , Losa-Iglesias Marta Elena , Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo Ricardo , Rodriguez-Sanz David , López-López Daniel , Romero-Morales Carlos , Painceira-Villar Roi , Calvo-Lobo Cesar
Published: July 2023

Background: The fascial system is made up of large number of mechanoreceptors and cells that regulate their tension, such as myofibroblasts, in addition to an extracellular matrix. The treatment of myofascial induction has shown in the static imprint in a quasi-experimental study comparing the effect before and after the technique, but there are no studies compared with a control with no real intervention. The objective of this research is to check the effects of the myofascial Induction traction technique, compared with a simulated Laser in plantar footprint variables in asymptomatic subjects.
Methods.Thirty-six healthy participants were recruited to carry out a single-blind clinical study in randomizated two groups. Experimental intervention group performed a bilateral plantar fascia of Myofascial Induction technique. Control intervention group performed a simulated Laser. The time of application of the techniques were 5 minutes for both interventions. The variables recorded were Surface, mean pressure and maximum pressure for each region of the foot, rear foot, midfoot and fore foot.
Results. Both groups were homogeneous prior to the interventions. The significant differences found later were in the forefoot surface variable (p =0.026) where there was an increase in the area in the experimental group.
Conclusions. The myofascial induction technique shows effects on the static plantar footprint by increasing the surface of the forefoot compared to the application of a simulated laser. Registration in ClinicalTrial.gov (ID: NCT04628299) Registered in clinicalTrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04628299
Risk factors associated with ulcerative colitis: A multidimensional case-control study from Tianjin, China
Authors: Song Jiachun , Wang Shuyuan , Yuan Zhen , Wang Wanting , Yan Suying , Liu Xinyu , Yi Ben , Han Qiurong , Yao Yao , Liu Yanfei , Chu Tianhao , Feng Zhiqiang , Xue Jun , Zhang Qinghuai , Zhang Xipeng , Zhang Chunze
Published: July 2023

Background and study aims
Although ulcerative colitis (UC) incidence is increasing in China, there are few reports on risk factors. We conducted a case‒control study in Tianjin, China, to assess potential risk factors for the development, extent and severity of UC.
Methods
361 UC patients and 1444 controls with similar social backgrounds were screened by detailed questionnaires and corresponding endoscopic findings in Tianjin's colorectal cancer screening program from 2012 to 2020. Basic demographic characteristics were compared using the chi-square test, and multivariate analysis was conducted by conditional logistic regression models.
Results
Multivariate analysis showed the risk factors for UC were male sex (OR = 1.83, 95% Cl: 1.27-2.63) and history of mucus and blood in stool (OR = 3.25 95% Cl: 2.24 4.68). For lesion extent and lesion severity, men and patients with history of mucus and blood in stool were more likely to have larger and more severe UC lesions. Advanced age, BMI≥25, current smoking status, regular exercise, a history of first-degree relatives with bowel cancer, and a history of chronic constipation were indicated as protective factors for UC.
Conclusions
Our study demonstrates that different environmental factors influence different clinical pathways in the initiation and progression of UC. Avoidance of environmental variables associated with disease risk leads to better clinical outcomes.
APareto Optimal Strategy Based on Multi-objective Optimization for the Clinching Tools
Authors: xu fan , Gao Ming , Ma Chao , Zhao Huiyan , Zhu Jianxiong , Zhang Zhen
Published: July 2023

The geometric size of the clinching tools determines the geometric size and strength of the clinched joint. This study establishes an orthogonal analysis experimental plan to examine how a group of geometric size of the tool affects the objective functions of a clinched joint, including its bottom thickness, necking thickness and interlocking thickness. Particularly, the study evaluates the effects of die radius, die depth, punch stroke, punch radius and punch fillet on the geometric size of the clinched joint. A multiple quadratic regression model is used to quantitatively analyze the contribution value of the feature parameters of the tool to the objective function. Furthermore, a multi-objective genetic algorithm based on the Pareto solution is used to solve the multiple quadratic regression model, and the optimal combination size of the tool is determined by comparing theoretical and simulation calculations. The optimal die radius is 4.6 mm, the die height is 1.10 mm, the punch stroke is 4.1 mm, the punch is 2.6 mm and the punch filled is 0.5mm. These parameters are used to manufacture a pair of tool for improving the clinched joint quality.
Effect of Atmospheric Cold Plasma (ACP) Treatment on Zein-Thymol Composite Particles: Enhanced Encapsulation Efficiency
Authors: Dong Shuang , Li Xiaoyu , Wang Tian , Wang Yaxiao , Li Ruihong , Jing Chengtong , Tu An , Guo Peng
Published: July 2023

The atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) treatment was applied in this study to assist the preparation of zein-thymol (ZT) composite particles and the effects under different ACP treatment power were studied. The results showed the encapsulation efficiency (EE) of ZT composite particles was significantly increased from 39.61 ± 2.78% (untreated) to the maximum of 80.35 ± 5.91% (ACP-50 W). The plasma-treated ZT composite particles exhibited higher Z-potential, conductivity, and surface hydrophobicity, especially for samples treated under 50 ~ 60 W. Micro-structural analysis showed that plasma induced disruption of α-helix packing order and increased content of β-sheet and β-turn, accompanied by more formation of disulfide bonds. Results suggested that the reinforcement of hydrogen bonding force, hydrophobic interaction and electrostatic interaction between zein and thymol were accounting for the increased EE of ZT particles treated via ACP. This study opens up new opportunities that ACP could be developed as an effective assisting approach in preparation of zein-based nutrient substance delivery systems.
Assessing the role of socio-demographic characteristics, social support and formal disaster assistance in predicting the subjective recovery of flood survivors in Pakistan
Authors: Akbar Muhammad Siddique , Aldrich Daniel P.
Published: July 2023

This study investigates the effects of socio-demographic characteristics of the 2010 flood victims, their flood exposure, and social and formal support on the post-flood subjective recovery. It seeks to illuminate the factors best correlating with life recovery feelings of the respondents. Regression analysis of survey data showed that period of return to home, annual income, family size, material damage and social support had a significant effect on the life recovery of the respondents. More specifically, the period of return to home and material loss had a negative effect on the life recovery feelings of flood victims. Annual income of the respondents, family size and social support had a positive effect on their life recovery feelings. Analysis also revealed that formal disaster support had a very negligible effect on life recovery. Furthermore, the analysis uncovered that social support helped to lessen the negative effects of material damage on the life recovery feelings of the survivors. The effects of annual income on life recovery feelings remained almost constant and significant in all the regression models, showcasing the importance of personal resources to recover from disaster. The study concludes that although both social and formal support are pivotal for post-flood subjective recovery, they are characterized by serious limitations. More nuanced longitudinal studies are required to understand the contours of long term disaster recovery process.
Knowledge, Perceptions, and Beliefs About Urinary Tract Infections in Persons with Neurogenic Bladder and Impacts on Interventions to Promote Person-centered Care
Authors: Fitzpatrick Margaret , Solanki Pooja , Wirth Marissa , Weaver Frances , Suda Katie , Burns Stephen , Safdar Nasia , Collins Eileen , Evans Charlesnika
Published: July 2023

Study Design: Qualitative Study
Objective:
To explore how knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs about urinary tract infections (UTIs) among persons with neurogenic bladder (NB) may impact health behaviors and provider management and enhance person-centeredness of interventions to improve UTI management.
Setting: Three Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers
Methods:
Adults with NB due to spinal cord injury/disorder (SCI/D) or multiple sclerosis (MS) with UTI diagnoses in the prior year participated in focus groups. Transcripts were coded using deductive codes linked to the Health Belief Model and inductive codes informed by grounded theory.
Results:
Twenty-three Veterans (SCI/D, 78%; MS: 18.5%) participated in discussions. Three themes emerged: 1) UTI knowledge; 2) factors affecting the intervention environment; and 3) factors affecting modes of delivery. Knowledge gaps included UTI prevention, specific symptoms most indicative of UTI, and antibiotic side effects. Poor perceptions of providers lacking knowledge about NB and ineffective patient-provider communication were common in the Emergency Department and non-VA facilities, whereas participants had positive perceptions of home-based care. Participants perceived lower severity and frequency of antibiotic risks compared to UTI risks. Participant preferences for education included caregiver involvement, verbal and written materials, and diverse settings like peer groups.
Conclusions:
Identifying patient perspectives enhances person-centeredness and allows for novel interventions improving patient knowledge and behaviors about UTIs. Partnering with trusted providers and home-based caregivers and improving NB knowledge and communication in certain care settings were important. Patient education should address mental risk representations and incorporate preferences for content delivery to optimize self-efficacy and strengthen cues to action.
Assessment of Diagnostic Assays for Visceral Leishmaniasis: A Diagnostic Test Validation Study
Authors: Filho Job Alves de Souza , Mol Marcos Paulo Gomes , Medeiros Fernanda Alvarenga Cardoso
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) requires diagnostic assays to complement clinical suspicion. However, there is no standardization of a diagnostic flow using available assays. This study aims to evaluate the performance of parasitological, molecular, and serological assays for diagnosing VL and propose a diagnostic flow based on performance, practicality, and invasiveness.
Methods: We conducted a diagnostic test validation study of 10-year (2010-2020) routine diagnoses of VL at the Brazilian National Reference Laboratory.
Results: We propose a diagnostic flow where individuals suspected of VL are initially screened using an immunochromatographic test (ICT) with rK39 antigen on the nitrocellulose membrane. This is followed by a blood polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Leishmania sp. kDNA, and direct parasitological exam and/or PCR in bone marrow aspirate. A positive result in any of these assays can define a VL case. If clinical suspicion persists in negative individuals, the diagnostic flow should be repeated.
Conclusions: The proposed flow has the potential to standardize and improve the diagnosis of VL. It reduces the need for invasive tests without compromising diagnostic accuracy.
Improving Association Discovery throughMultiview Analysis of Social Networks
Authors: Shebaro Muhieddine , de Moura Lia Nogueira , Tešić Jelena
Published: July 2023

The rise of social networks has brought about a transformative impact on communication and the dissemination of information. However, this paradigm shift has also introduced many challenges in discerning valuable conversation threads amidst fake news, malicious accounts, background noise, and trolling. In this study, we address these challenges by focusing on propagating fake news labels. We evaluate the efficacy of community-based modeling in effectively addressing these challenges within the context of social network discussions using the state-of-art benchmark. Through a comprehensive analysis of millions of users engaged in discussions on a specific topic, we unveil compelling evidence demonstrating that community-based modeling techniques yield precision, recall, and accuracy levels comparable to those achieved by lexical classifiers. Remarkably, these promising results are achieved even without considering the textual content oftweetsbeyond the information conveyed by hashtags. Moreover, we explore the effectiveness of fusion techniques in tweet classification and underscore the superiority of a combined community and lexical approach, which consistently delivers the most robust outcomes and exhibits the highest performance measures. We illustrate this capability with specific network graphs constructed based on Twitter interactions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing the practicality and relevance of our proposed methodology.
Stromal Myofibroblasts in Correlation With Inflammation and Impacted Tooth in Odontogenic Cysts: An Immunohistochemical Comparative Study
Authors: Martins Karina Helen , Barbeiro Camila de Oliveira , Barbeiro Roberto Henrique , Anbinder Ana Lia , Guardia Rafaella Souza , Silva Evânio Vilela , Reyes Magdalena Raquel Torres , Javaroni Júlia Biliato , Esquiche Jorge , de Rossi Andiara
Published: July 2023

Aim Stromal myofibroblasts may act favoring growth and progression of odontogenic lesions, notably odontogenic keratocyst (OKC). While little explored the associated inflammation, it has been shown that OKC associated with an impacted tooth has a tendency toward rapid growth. Whether this finding is associated with the differential expression of myofibroblast immunomarkers, is unknown. Materials and methods Thirteen cases of each, pericoronal follicle (PF), inflamed dentigerous cyst (iDC), noninflamed DC (nDC), OKC associated with (OKC-A) or not associated (OKC-N) with impacted tooth, were evaluated through vimentin, α-SMA, calponin and h-caldesmon immunomarkers The data obtained were analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk, Kruskal-Wallis and Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner Multiple Comparisons tests, with p < 0.05 being considered statistically significant. Results All cases were vimentin positive, with few cases exhibiting mild expression. All PFs were α-SMA negative. OKCs showed significant higher expression of α-SMA than DCs (p < 0.05). With similar expression between DC groups, the α-SMA expression was higher in OKC-A than OKC-N (p = 0.882). Also, the mean age of OKC-A was significantly lower than OKC-N patients. Only 4 cases (1 iDC, 3 OKC-N) showed mild expression of calponin. All cases were h-caldesmon negative. Conclusions Our results suggest lack of myofibroblastic differentiation in PFs. Inflammation does not seem to influence the myofibroblast population in DCs. Although not significant, a higher expression of α-SMA can explain the clinicopathological features of OKC-A patients. Calponin seems not to be a reliable marker for myofibroblasts in these cases. Clinical relevance Lack of myofibroblastic differentiation seems to be consistent with the nature and function of PF. OKC (still, OKC-A than OKC-N) presents higher α-SMA expression than DC, which can help to explain its distinctive growth potentials.
Evaluation of a smartphone electrocardiograph in healthy foals and comparison to standard base-apex electrocardiography
Authors: Bindi Francesca , Vezzosi Tommaso , Sala Giulia , Freccero Francesca , Marmorini Paola , Bonelli Francesca , Sgorbini Micaela
Published: July 2023

Smartphone-based technology for ECG recording has recently spread as a complementary tool for electrocardiographic screening and monitoring in adult horses and in other animal species. The present study aimed to assess the feasibility and accuracy of a smartphone-based ECG in healthy foals. This was a prospective observational study (authorization n. 45865/2016) including 22 foals aged less than 21 days. A reference standard base-apex ECG (rECG) was acquired, and a smartphone ECG (sECG) was recorded immediately after by using a smartphone-based single lead electrocardiograph. All ECG tracings were evaluated in a blind fashion by a single board-certified cardiologist, who judged whether the tracings were acceptable for interpretation and performed ECG measurements and diagnosis. The Spearman correlation coefficient, the Cohen’s k test and the Bland-Altman test were used to assess the agreement between sECG and rECG. All sECG tracings were acceptable for interpretation. All foals showed sinus rhythm on both rRCG and sECG tracings, with perfect agreement in heart rate classification (κ = 0.87; p < 0.001). No clinically relevant differences were found in the assessment of waves and intervals duration. Concerning P wave and QRS complex polarity, the percentage of agreement between rECG and sECG was 78% and 83%, respectively. About ECG tracing quality, rECG and sECG showed a substantial agreement (κ = 0.624; p < 0.001). In conclusion, the smartphone-based ECG device tested in the present study recorded good quality single-lead ECG tracings in foals, reliable for heart rate and ECG measurements, but different polarity of P waves and QRS complexes was found in some foals in comparison to rECG.
Analysis of protein secretion in Bacillus subtilis by combining a secretion stress biosensor strain with an in vivo split GFP assay
Authors: Lenz Patrick , Bakkes Patrick J. , Müller Carolin , Malek Marzena , Freudl Roland , Oldiges Marco , Drepper Thomas , Jaeger Karl-Erich , Knapp Andreas
Published: July 2023

Background
Bacillus subtilis is one of the workhorses in industrial biotechnology and well known for its secretion potential. Efficient secretion of recombinant proteins still requires extensive optimization campaigns and screening with activity-based methods. However, not every protein can be detected by activity-based screening. We therefore developed a combined online monitoring system, consisting of an in vivo split GFP assay for activity-independent target detection and an mCherry-based secretion stress biosensor. The split GFP assay is based on the fusion of a target protein to the eleventh β-sheet of sfGFP, which can complement a truncated sfGFP that lacks this β-sheet named GFP1-10. The secretion stress biosensor makes use of the CssRS two component quality control system, which upregulates expression of mCherry in the htrA locus thereby allowing a fluorescence readout of secretion stress.
Results
The biosensor strain B. subtilis PAL5 was successfully constructed by exchanging the protease encoding gene htrA with mCherry via CRISPR/Cas9. The Fusarium solani pisi cutinase Cut fused to the GFP11 tag (Cut11) was used as a model enzyme to determine the stress response upon secretion mediated by signal peptides SPPel, SPEpr and SPBsn obtained from naturally secreted proteins of B. subtilis. An in vivo split GFP assay was developed, where purified GFP1-10 is added to the culture broth. By combining both methods, an activity-independent high-throughput method was created, that allowed optimization of Cut11 secretion. Using the split GFP-based detection assay, we demonstrated a good correlation between the amount of secreted cutinase and the enzymatic activity. Additionally, we screened a signal peptide library and identified new signal peptide variants that led to improved secretion while maintaining low stress levels.
Conclusion
Our results demonstrate that the combination of a split GFP-based detection assay for secreted proteins with a secretion stress biosensor strain enables both, online detection of extracellular target proteins and identification of bottlenecks during protein secretion in B. subtilis.
Interrogating Random and Systematic Measurement Error in Morphometric Data
Authors: Collyer Michael L , Adams Dean c
Published: July 2023

Measurement error is present in all quantitative studies, and ensuring proper biological inference requires that the effects of measurement error are fully scrutinized, understood, and to the extent possible, minimized. For morphometric data, measurement error is often evaluated from descriptive statistics that find ratios of subject or within-subject variance to total variance for a set of data comprising repeated measurements on the same research subjects. These descriptive statistics do not typically distinguish between random and systematic components of measurement error, even though the presence of the latter (even in small proportions) can have consequences for downstream biological inferences. Furthermore, merely sampling from subjects that are quite morphologically dissimilar can give the incorrect impression that measurement error (and its negative effects) are unimportant. We argue that a formal hypothesis-testing framework for measurement error in morphometric data is lacking. We propose a suite of new analytical methods and visualization tools that more fully interrogate measurement error, by disentangling its random and systematic components, and evaluating any group-specific systematic effects. Through the analysis of simulated and empirical data sets we demonstrate that our procedures properly parse components of measurement error, and characterize the extent to which they permeate variation in a sample of observations. We further confirm that traditional approaches with repeatability statistics are unable to discern these patterns, improperly assuaging potential concerns. We recommend that the approaches developed here become part of the current analytical paradigm in geometric morphometric studies. The new methods are made available in the RRPP and geomorph R-packages.
A Framework of Regularized Low-Rank Matrix Models for Regression and Classification
Authors: Huang Hsin-Hsiung , Yu Feng , Fan Xing , Zhang Teng
Published: July 2023

While matrix-covariate regression models have been studied in many existing works, classical statistical and computational methods for the analysis of the regression coefficient estimation are highly affected by high dimensional matrix-valued covariates. To address these issues, this paper proposes a framework of matrix-covariate regression models based on a low-rank constraint and an additional regularization term for structured signals, with considerations of models of both continuous and binary responses. We propose an efficient Riemannian-steepest-descent algorithm for regression coefficient estimation. We prove that the consistency of the proposed estimator is in the order of $O(\sqrt{r(q+m)+p}/\sqrt{n})$, where $r$ is the rank, $p\times m$ is the dimension of the coefficient matrix and $p$ is the dimension of the coefficient vector. When the rank $r$ is small, this rate improves over $O(\sqrt{qm+p}/\sqrt{n})$, the consistency of the existing work \citep{li2021double} that does not apply a rank constraint. In addition, we prove that all accumulation points of the iterates have similar estimation errors asymptotically and substantially attaining the minimax rate. We validate the proposed method through a simulated dataset on two-dimensional shape images and two real datasets of brain signals and microscopic leucorrhea images.
Recovery of a wader bird of conservation concern (pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta) after wetland restoration: A 17-years study
Authors: Giovacchini Pietro , Battisti Corrado , Martelli Claudio , Stefanini Paolo , Marsili Letizia
Published: July 2023

Waders (Charadriiformes) are birds sensitive to change in water levels in wetlands. In this paper, we report a multi-year trend in abundance of adults, nesting pairs and chicks of a biogeographically isolated population of pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta L., Aves, Charadriiformes) localized in a salt-water wetland of central Italy where restoration interventions were carried out in 2009. Our hypothesis is that the actions aimed to regulate water levels have allowed the establishment of a stable local population of this rare species. We used a standardized transect methods to obtain values of abundance during the breeding periods (April-July) along the 2006–2022 time range. Comparing data before and after the interventions, we observed an increasing trend in the abundance following the water regulation interventions leading to the establishment of a stable population. The difference in abundance between before and after the restoration was also evident by controlling for rainfalls. When comparing the effects of wetland restoration with rainfall data, we observed as the former was the main predictor (multiple regression) in determining the abundance of pied avocets. The logistic GLM analysis indicates a threshold of 20 individuals comparing before and after the restoration suggesting as the interventions exceed the threshold for the establishment of a stable population. Pied avocet may be an indicator of restoration effort in salt wetlands, since this wader meets many of the typical criteria requested for a biological indicator.
Hardening the IoT Communication Networks using a Machine Learning Approach based on LSTM and Autoencoder
Authors: Porshegefti Iman Farahi
Published: July 2023

Due to the ever-increasing spread of cyber attacks, exploiting the weak points of Internet of Things sensors with the aim of penetrating data in companies has greatly increased. With the increasing number of things that are connected to the IoT network, cyber attacks are also increasing. On the other hand, deep learning has shown its superiority in the fields of big data and cyber security. Recently, approaches based on deep learning are used more due to the ability to extract and learn deep features. This approach makes it possible to identify known attacks and unknown cyber attacks without the need for manual feature engineering. Therefore, in this paper, an approach called DeepLearning-Method is proposed, which has four main phases. In the first phase, normal and abnormal traffic data are collected and pre-processing operations are performed on these data. The second phase uses an autoencoder to extract the important features of the data. In the third phase, recurrent neural network (LSTM) is used and the normal or malicious behavior of IoT things is predicted. Finally, in the fourth phase, the operation of securing communication between things is performed based on the prediction model. The simulation results showed that the DeepLearning-Method approach in terms of PDR (higher than 8 and 12%), PLR (higher than 10 and 13%), DR (less than 8, and 11%) FP (higher than 10, and 13%) and FN (lower than 12, and 14%) outperform two related approaches, namely VCDL, and CNN-LSTM respectively.
Aqueous Phosphate Detection using Eu(acac)3
Authors: Anderson Benjamin , Gese Natalie , Nawani Pranav , Eilers Hergen
Published: July 2023

Currently, the majority of phosphate-sensitive phosphors reported in literature are metal- based complexes that require complicated and expensive synthesis to prepare. In this study we investigate the phosphate detecting capabilities of an inexpensive off-the-shelf phosphor: Eu(acac)3. We characterize its phosphate sensitivity as a function of sensor concentration and find that the quenching coefficient is inversely proportional to sensor concentration. This results in the limit-of-detection scaling linearly with sensor concentration. We determine its concentration-independent sensitivity to be 1.558 ± 0.012, which results in our lowest sensor concentration (44 μM) having a limit-of-detection of 3.39 ± 0.68 μM. We also find that for phosphate concentrations less than the sensor concentration, the fluorescence intensity ratio behaves linearly, but transitions to a non-linear functionality as the phosphate concentration exceeds the sensor concentration.