bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The importance of high school on the university students’ success in the subject of mathematics
Authors: Lubishtani Feride Qorrolli , Avdylaj Blerina Tafolli
Published: May 2023

This research examines the relationship between high school, namely, high school profiles, and students’ success during an elementary mathematics course at university. For the analysis of this relationship, a mixed methods case study was chosen as the research design. The instruments for collecting the data were a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview that provided answers to the research questions. The sample consisted of 81 students (N = 81) from the University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj, Kosovo, who participated in the questionnaire, and 12 out of the 81 students were also interviewed. The research results indicated that a positive, not strong, correlation exists between high school and university success. Moreover, students expressed that knowledge gained in high school made them feel sufficiently prepared during the lectures on elementary mathematics. The high school profile makes a difference in the students’ success in the elementary mathematics course at the university.
Spectral preprocessing combined with feature selection improve model robustness for plastics samples classification by LIBS
Authors: Xu Xiangjun , Teng Geer , Wang Qianqian , Zhao Zhifang , Wei Kai , Bao Mengyu , Zheng Yongyue , Luo Tianzhong
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Nowadays, the widespread use of plastic products has significantly contributed towards environmental pollution caused by waste plastics. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), an emerging spectroscopic technology, has shown great potential for rapid sorting and recycling of plastics. However, the poor robustness of the classification model severely limits the large-scale application of LIBS technology in plastic sorting and recycling.

Methods: In this research, we used spectral preprocessing combined with feature selection to improve the robustness of the support vector machine (SVM) classification model for four typical plastic samples (ABS, nylon, 3240, and its modified product FR-4). LIBS spectral data were collected under different experimental conditions, then we defined robustness over time (ROT), robustness over time and different focusing lenses (ROT&RFL), and robustness over time and different manufacturers (ROT&RDM) to assess model performance. The feature importance of the preprocessed spectra was evaluated using the Relief-F algorithm, and the maximum accuracy of the validation set was 92.6% when inputting the first 19 most important features. Eventually, the optimal model was used for the prediction of the test set.

Results and discussion: The ROT of the original spectrum, spectrum preprocessing, and spectral preprocessing combined with feature selection were 58.4%, 79.1%, and 98.47%, respectively. Similarly, ROT&RFL for the same methods were 65.54%, 75%, and 95.25%, respectively. ROT&RDM were 65.5%, 67%, and 93.92%, respectively. The results demonstrate that spectral preprocessing combined with feature selection can significantly improve the robustness of the classification model, and the proposed method is feasible for plastic sorting and recycling.
The influence of regional tourism economy development on carbon neutrality for environmental protection using improved recurrent neural network
Authors: Yu Xiao
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The escalation of the global economy has contributed to the emergence of several environmental challenges, such as global warming and the gradual depletion of the natural environment, which has adversely impacted people’s lives. In response, nations across the globe have embraced the carbon neutrality concept as a means to safeguard the environment and foster a green economy.

Methods

This study assesses the environmental impact of the tourism economy concerning carbon neutrality. Firstly, the quantification of carbon emission-related data in the region is executed using a hierarchical analysis method to pre-process the data for model training. Secondly, this paper utilizes the LTC-RNN (liquid time constant-recurrent neural network) model for model training. The model training is based on expert evaluation labels and cross-validation to execute comparison experiments.

Results

The evaluation results of the model with different training features are compared with the expert results, and the optimal model with 10 features is identified, achieving an accuracy of more than 85%. Finally, practical testing is conducted, and the outcomes indicate that the proposed method can accomplish the task efficiently.

Discussion

The proposed method provides technical support for the environmental evaluation of the green tourism economy in the context of carbon neutrality. It also presents novel ideas for accelerating the carbon neutrality agenda and fostering a low-carbon economy.
Exploration of the spatial relationship between Xi’an City and its mausoleums from the perspective of time evolution
Authors: Liu Jiaqi , Zhang Lei , Zhao Jieyu , Liang Yuan , Han Qingxi , Chirwa Sambirani
Published: May 2023

The ancient City of Xi’an has a history of more than 7,000 years of civilization, more than 3,100 years of City development, and 1,100 years of capital construction. With the gradual development of urban areas, the number of imperial tombs in Xi’an has reached 72. These mausoleums are large in scale and valuable, yet they are influenced by the rapid development of present urbanization, cities, and mausoleum spaces. The development contradictions between cities and mausoleum spaces progressively become prominent and need to be handled urgently. This article utilizes spacetime as the base scale, GIS spatio-temporal analysis, field research (including aerial photographs of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the 8 years, 2015–2022), and Pearson analysis to explore the temporal and spatial evolution law between Xi’an’s urban space and the 55 mausoleums dominated by emperors of various dynasties. It was concluded that the nuclear density area distance layout of Xi’an City and the mausoleum is closely related to time and space. Since ancient times, there has always been a relationship between the Spatio-temporal development of Xi’an City and its mausoleums, and the nuclear density area distance layout of the mausoleums is intimately connected to the status and nature of Xi’an City. Currently, mausoleums are part of site protection. However, because of the large space of the mausoleum, the contradiction between the protection and utilization of mausoleum sites and the development of urban space is revealed. This paper hopes to provide urban planners and site protectors with ideas and data support for the Spatio-temporal development of cities and mausoleums and realize the integration of the protection and renewal of mausoleum sites into the path of urban design and planning.
Can lamina fresh mass be used to represent lamina dry mass? Evidence from Photinia serratifolia
Authors: Yan Dan , Jiao Yabing , Shi Peijian
Published: May 2023

Lamina dry mass (LDM) per unit area is an important plant functional trait. However, it is time-consuming to dry leaves in practice. Previous studies have demonstrated that lamina fresh mass (LFM) is approximately proportional to LDM for some broad-leaved plants. However, those studies largely overlooked the influence of leaf age on the proportional relationship, and leaves were sampled without distinguishing age. In the present study, we used eight leaf-age groups of Photinia serratifolia to test whether LDM is proportional to LFM. And we also compared the two linear equations (y = a + bx, and y = a + x, where x = ln LFM, y = ln LDM, a and b are constants to be estimated) to test whether the introduction of parameter b is worthwhile based on the percent error of the goodness-of-fit between the two equations. There were four of eight leaf-age groups whose 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for b included unity, and for the other four leaf-age groups the difference between the lower limit of the 95% CI and unity was smaller than 0.03, supporting the validity of the LDM vs. LFM proportional relationship. Additionally, the percent errors between the two equations for the eight leaf-age groups were all smaller than 5%, which further supports the hypothesis of a proportional relationship at the individual leaf-age group level. However, the LDM/LFM ratio exhibited a non-linear (quadratic) function of time, which indicates that the intercept, a, depends upon leaf age.
Attribution of runoff changes in the Danjiang River Basin in the Qinba Mountains, China
Authors: Zhao Lei , He Yi , Liu Wanqing
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The Danjiang River Basin has experienced significant alterations to its runoff patterns in recent years, primarily as a result of climate change and anthropogenic activities.

Methods

This study aims to investigate these factors’ influence on the basin’s runoff between 1960 and 2016 using the Mann–Kendall (M-K) test and Accumulative Anomaly Curve (AAC) to assess the abrupt change characteristics of runoff. Furthermore, the study evaluates the effects of climate and anthropogenic factors on runoff evolution using eight independent Budyko hypotheses.

Results

The findings indicate that annual precipitation in the basin remained stable (P > 0.1), while annual runoff decreases significantly to −4.08 mm/a (P < 0.05) and the annual potential evapotranspiration slightly decreases to −1.76 mm/a (P < 0.05). The study also reveales that the reduction of runoff is primarily attributable to anthropogenic activities, contributing between 133.66 and 147.50%, while climate change contributes between −33.66 and −47.50%.

Discussion

The increased vegetation cover in the basin is identified as the primary cause of the reduction in runoff production and increase in evapotranspiration. Additionally, the construction of hydraulic engineering facilities in the basin is found to have had some impact on reducing runoff. These findings have significant implications for water resource management and soil and water conservation in the Danjiang River Basin.
A lncRNA-disease association prediction tool development based on bridge heterogeneous information network via graph representation learning for family medicine and primary care
Authors: Zhang Ping , Zhang Weihan , Sun Weicheng , Li Li , Xu Jinsheng , Wang Lei , Wong Leon
Published: May 2023

Identification of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with common diseases is crucial for patient self-diagnosis and monitoring of health conditions using artificial intelligence (AI) technology at home. LncRNAs have gained significant attention due to their crucial roles in the pathogenesis of complex human diseases and identifying their associations with diseases can aid in developing diagnostic biomarkers at the molecular level. Computational methods for predicting lncRNA-disease associations (LDAs) have become necessary due to the time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of wet biological experiments in hospitals, enabling patients to access LDAs through their AI terminal devices at any time. Here, we have developed a predictive tool, LDAGRL, for identifying potential LDAs using a bridge heterogeneous information network (BHnet) constructed via Structural Deep Network Embedding (SDNE). The BHnet consists of three types of molecules as bridge nodes to implicitly link the lncRNA with disease nodes and the SDNE is used to learn high-quality node representations and make LDA predictions in a unified graph space. To assess the feasibility and performance of LDAGRL, extensive experiments, including 5-fold cross-validation, comparison with state-of-the-art methods, comparison on different classifiers and comparison of different node feature combinations, were conducted, and the results showed that LDAGRL achieved satisfactory prediction performance, indicating its potential as an effective LDAs prediction tool for family medicine and primary care.
Pan-cancer analysis identifies the correlations of Thymosin Beta 10 with predicting prognosis and immunotherapy response
Authors: Li Zhanzhan , Li Yanyan , Tian Yifu , Li Na , Shen Liangfang , Zhao Yajie
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The biological function and prognosis roles of thymosin β(TMSB) 10 are still unclear in pan-cancer.

Methods

We retrieved The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-tissue expression datasets to obtain the difference of TMSB10 expression between pan-cancer and normal tissues, and analyzed the biological function and prognosis role of TMSB10 in pan-cancer by using cBioPortal Webtool.

Results

The expression of TMSB10 in tumor tissues was significantly higher than normal tissues, and showed the potential ability to predict the prognosis of patients in Pan-cancer. It was found that TMSB10 was significantly correlated with tumor microenvironment, immune cell infiltration and immune regulatory factor expression. TMSB10 is involved in the regulation of cellular signal transduction pathways in a variety of tumors, thereby mediating the occurrence of tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Finally, TMSB10 can not only effectively predict the anti-PD-L1 treatment response of cancer patients, but also be used as an important indicator to evaluate the sensitivity of chemotherapy. In vitro, low expression of TMSB10 inhibited clonogenic formation ability, invasion, and migration in glioma cells. Furthermore, TMSB10 may involve glioma immune regulation progression by promoting PD-L1 expression levels via activating STAT3 signaling pathway.

Conclusions

Our results show that TMSB10 is abnormally expressed in tumor tissues, which may be related to the infiltration of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Clinically, TMSB10 is not only an effective prognostic factor for predicting the clinical treatment outcome of cancer patients, but also a promising biomarker for predicting the effect of tumor immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chemotherapy in some cancers.
Natural killer cells- from innate cells to the discovery of adaptability
Authors: Basílio-Queirós Débora , Mischak-Weissinger Eva
Published: May 2023

Natural Killer (NK) cells have come a long way since their first description in the 1970’s. The most recent reports of their adaptive-like behavior changed the way the immune system dichotomy is described. Adaptive NK cells present characteristics of both the innate and adaptive immune system. This NK cell subpopulation undergoes a clonal-like expansion in response to an antigen and secondary encounters with the same antigen result in an increased cytotoxic response. These characteristics can be of extreme importance in the clinical setting, especially as adoptive immunotherapies, since NK cells present several advantages compared other cell types. This review will focus on the discovery and the path to the current knowledge of the adaptive NK cell population.
Single cell transcriptomics of bone marrow derived macrophages reveals Ccl5 as a biomarker of direct IFNAR-independent responses to DNA sensing
Authors: McCarty Emily , Yu Justin , Ninh Van K. , Calcagno David M. , Lee Jodi , King Kevin R.
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The type I interferon (IFN) response is an innate immune program that mediates anti-viral, anti-cancer, auto-immune, auto-inflammatory, and sterile injury responses. Bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) are commonly used to model macrophage type I IFN responses, but the use of bulk measurement techniques obscures underlying cellular heterogeneity. This is particularly important for the IFN response to immune stimulatory double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) because it elicits overlapping direct and indirect responses, the latter of which depend on type I IFN cytokines signaling via the IFN alpha receptor (IFNAR) to upregulate expression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs). Single cell transcriptomics has emerged as a powerful tool for revealing functional variability within cell populations.

Methods

Here, we use single cell RNA-Seq to examine BMDM heterogeneity at steady state and after immune-stimulatory DNA stimulation, with or without IFNAR-dependent amplification.

Results

We find that many macrophages express ISGs after DNA stimulation. We also find that a subset of macrophages express ISGs even if IFNAR is inhibited, suggesting that they are direct responders. Analysis of this subset reveals Ccl5 to be an IFNAR-independent marker gene of direct DNA sensing cells.

Discussion

Our studies provide a method for studying direct responders to IFN-inducing stimuli and demonstrate the importance of characterizing BMDM models of innate immune responses with single cell resolution.
An underwater imaging method of enhancement via multi-scale weighted fusion
Authors: Zhang Hao , Gong Longxiang , Li Xiangchun , Liu Fei , Yin Jiawei
Published: May 2023

Blurring and color distortion are significant issues in underwater optical imaging, caused by light absorption and scattering impacts in the water medium. This hinders our ability to accurately perceive underwater imagery. Initially, we merge two images and enhance both the brightness and contrast of the secondary images. We also adjust their weights to ensure minimal effects on the image fusion process, particularly on edges, colors, and contrast. To avoid sharp weighting transitions leading to ghost images of low-frequency components, we then propose and use a multi-scale fusion method when reconstructing the images. This method effectively reduces scattering and blurring impacts of water, fixes color distortion, and improves underwater image contrast. The experimental results demonstrate that the image fusion method proposed in this paper effectively improves the fidelity of underwater images in terms of sharpness and color, outperforming the latest underwater imaging methods by comparison in PSNR, Gradient, Entropy, Chroma, AG, UCIQE and UIQM. Moreover, this method positively impacts our visual perception and enhances the quality of the underwater imagery presented.
Deep-sea benthic megafauna hotspot shows indication of resilience to impact from massive turbidity flow
Authors: Bigham Katharine T. , Rowden Ashley A. , Bowden David A. , Leduc Daniel , Pallentin Arne , Chin Caroline , Mountjoy Joshu J. , Nodder Scott D. , Orpin Alan R.
Published: May 2023

Sediment density flows are large scale disturbances that can have dramatic impacts on seafloor animal communities in the deep sea. Seafloor imagery collected in Kaikōura Canyon (New Zealand), before and after a sediment density flow event that included debris and turbidity flows triggered by a 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura Earthquake, shows the recovery trajectory of the animal community in the canyon head in the weeks, months, and years following the disturbance. The canyon community appears resilient to this event, with models estimating full recovery within a minimum of 4.5–5.1 years and as long as 12 years. The implications of the resilience of this deep-sea community are discussed in the context of the local marine protected area, the surrounding fishery, and global seabed mining.
Infragravity wave height dependency on short wave parameters – observations on the east coast of South Korea
Authors: Oh Jung-Eun , Chang Yeon S. , Ryu Kyong Ho , Jeong Weon Mu
Published: May 2023

Infragravity waves (IGWs) that have lower wave frequencies than short waves (SWs) can cause significant impacts on coastal processes, such as beach erosion, when their amplitude increases toward the shore, specifically under energetic wave conditions. Therefore, it is important to precisely predict IGW shoaling based on SW conditions for scientific and engineering purposes. In this study, shoaling of IGWs was observed at three different sites along the east coast of South Korea based on continuous wave observations at various water depths. The nearshore IGW shoaling was dominant over the SWs, which was likely due to the energy transfer between the SWs and IGWs. Two types of SW parameters were employed to examine their correlations with IGWs, and linear dependences were observed for both types. However, the determination coefficient showed the opposite pattern between the two types, as it increased with decreasing depth with the wave energy flux. The comparison showed that the energy flux could be a preferred parameter type to represent the correlations of the IGW height in these calculations, as one formula could be developed for the depth-dependent proportional coefficients of the linear correlations when the energy flux was used. However, a discrepancy was also observed in the magnitude of the proportional coefficients, indicating that the IGW height over the SW parameters was higher in the sandy beaches than in the rocky seabed. Therefore, it could be assumed that seabed conditions may be an important factor for the process of IGW shoaling, but further evidence is needed.
Evaluation and obstacle factors of marine resources and environment carrying capacity in Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration
Authors: Li Yan , Sun Liang , Wu Zongnan , Liu Hong
Published: May 2023

With the strong support of the Chinese government, the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration has responded positively to the national call to vigorously develop the marine economy. However, a series of marine resource and environmental problems such as over-exploitation of marine resources and excessive discharge of marine pollutants in the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration has also arisen along with the rapid development of the marine economy, limiting the space for the development of the marine economy in the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration. Based on the panel data of seven coastal cities in the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration from 2011-2021, the DPSIR model was used to construct a marine resources environmental carrying capacity evaluation index system including five dimensions of driving force, pressure, state, impact and response, and the TOPSIS model with combined weighting was used to make a comprehensive evaluation of the marine resources carrying capacity of the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration, and then the barrier degree model was used to explore the barriers to the carrying capacity of marine resources and environment in the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration. The empirical results show that, on the whole, the marine resources and environment carrying capacity of the seven coastal cities in the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration show an upward trend. From the situation of each subsystem, the pressure subsystem and response subsystem have greater evaluation values, while the evaluation of the driving force, state, and influence subsystem needs to be improved; from the analysis of obstacle factors, the main single indicator obstacle factors include per capita coastline length, total import and export volume, and port cargo throughput, etc. The status subsystem is the main classification indicator barrier factor affecting the improvement of the marine resource and environmental carrying capacity of the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration. Based on the results of the empirical analysis, corresponding suggestions are put forward.
Surface plasmon resonance effects of silver nanoparticles in graphene-based dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Li Xinxi , Yang Wensheng , Deng Jian , Lin Yuanwei
Published: May 2023

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) has been applied in photovoltaic devices to improve their photoelectric conversion efficiency. In this study, the mechanism of LSPR in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was determined. Specifically, silver nanoparticles were formed by evaporating silver in electro-beam equipment and then annealing it in a tube furnace. The sizes of the nanoparticles varied with the changes in their thicknesses during evaporation and annealing. A DSSC-based graphene was designed to consist of different sizes of metal nanoparticles assembled on a cathode electrode. The photon electric performance of the DSSCs, which depended on Ag nanoparticles, was analyzed in detail, with a particular focus on nanoparticle size. Compared with the DSSC without Ag nanoparticles, the DSSC with LSPR exhibited excellent electric current density and incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) performance due to the LSPR effect. The DSSC assembled with 10 nm-thick Ag film and annealed to form nanoparticles exhibited a high IPCE of 70.03%. The IPCE value of this DSSC was 45.15% higher than that of the pure graphene-based DSSC (31.62%). However, Ag nanoparticles increased to a certain degree and became aggregated and concatenated, thereby decreasing the LSPR effect on DSSCs. Therefore, LSPR plays an important role in the photon-electrical performance of DSSCs.
Epidemiologic, clinical, and serum markers may improve discrimination between bacterial and viral etiologies of childhood pneumonia
Authors: Farida Helmia , Triasih Rina , Lokida Dewi , Mardian Yan , Salim Gustiani , Wulan Wahyu Nawang , Butar-butar Deni P. , Sari Rizki Amalia , Budiman Arif , Hayuningsih Chakrawati , Anam Moh Syarofil , Dipayana Setya , Mujahidah Mujahidah , Setyati Amalia , Aman Abu Tholib , Naysilla Adhella Menur , Lukman Nurhayati , Diana Aly , Karyana Muhammad , Kline Ahnika , Neal Aaron , Lane H. Clifford , Kosasih Herman , Lau Chuen-Yen
Published: May 2023

Background

Discrimination of bacterial and viral etiologies of childhood community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is often challenging. Unnecessary antibiotic administration exposes patients to undue risks and may engender antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to develop a prediction model using epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data to differentiate between bacterial and viral CAP.

Methods

Data from 155 children with confirmed bacterial or mixed bacterial and viral infection (N = 124) and viral infection (N = 31) were derived from a comprehensive assessment of causative pathogens [Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research-Pneumonia in Pediatrics (PEER-PePPeS)] conducted in Indonesia. Epidemiologic, clinical and biomarker profiles (hematology and inflammatory markers) were compared between groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for varying biomarker levels was used to characterize performance and determine cut-off values for discrimination of bacterial and mixed CAP versus viral CAP. Diagnostic predictors of bacterial and mixed CAP were assessed by multivariate logistic regression.

Results

Diarrhea was more frequently reported in bacterial and mixed CAP, while viral infections more frequently occurred during Indonesia’s rainy season. White blood cell counts (WBC), absolute neutrophil counts (ANC), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) were significantly higher in bacterial and mixed cases. After adjusting for covariates, the following were the most important predictors of bacterial or mixed CAP: rainy season (aOR 0.26; 95% CI 0.08–0.90; p = 0.033), CRP ≥5.70 mg/L (aOR 4.71; 95% CI 1.18–18.74; p = 0.028), and presence of fever (aOR 5.26; 95% CI 1.07–25.91; p = 0.041). The model assessed had a low R-squared (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.490) but good calibration (p = 0.610 for Hosmer Lemeshow test). The combination of CRP and fever had moderate predictive value with sensitivity and specificity of 62.28 and 65.52%, respectively.

Conclusion

Combining clinical and laboratory profiles is potentially valuable for discriminating bacterial and mixed from viral pediatric CAP and may guide antibiotic use. Further studies with a larger sample size should be performed to validate this model.
Transvaginal natural orifice endoscopic surgery for ovarian cystectomy: a more suitable surgical approach for the day-care procedure
Authors: Xie Aijie , Li Xin , Huang Juan , Wang Hui , Liu Ying , Wang Lulu , Liao Jianmei , Yu Jie , Yan Ziru , Zhang Jiajia , Huang Liqiong , Liu Tianjiao , Li Yalan , Lin Yonghong , Jia Yujian , Gan Xiaoqin
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Although previous studies have shown that vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) has the advantages of causing less pain, faster recovery, and better concealment of surgical incisions, which aligns with the concept of the day-care procedure, this approach poses a greater risk of damaging adjacent organs (i. e., rectum and bladder) due to its anatomical specificity. Moreover, the day-care procedure may lead to relatively less preoperative evaluation and postoperative care. Hence, it is necessary to explore the safety and effectiveness of vNOTES for ovarian cystectomy in the day-care procedure, to provide a theoretical basis for the wider development of vNOTES surgery.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included 131 patients at our hospital who underwent ovarian cystectomy from September 2021 to October 2022. Based on the surgical approach, patients were classified into transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) and vNOTES groups. The patients' demographic characteristics and follow-up data were collected during the perioperative period and 1-month postoperatively.

Results

Vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery has less postoperative exhaust time, a lower postoperative 6-hour pain score, and a lower incidence of analgesic drug use, with higher surgical conversion incidence. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the surgical conversion, chocolate cyst, bilateral cyst, and pelvic adhesion increased the operation duration by ~43 (95% CI: 10.309, 68.152, p < 0.001), 15 (95% CI: 6.342, 45.961, p = 0.036), 10 (95% CI: 3.07, 40.166, p = 0.019), and 8 (95% CI: 4.555, 26.779, p = 0.035) min, respectively. Interestingly, vNOTES decreased the operation duration by ~8.5 min (95% CI: −18.313, −2.699, p = 0.033).

Conclusion

Vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery was equally safe and effective for ovarian cystectomy compared to LESS. vNOTES aligned with the concept of the day-care procedure due to its reduced postoperative pain, shorter exhaust time, and absence of scarring. However, surgeons should conduct a comprehensive preoperative evaluation and exclude patients suspected to have severe pelvic adhesions.
Case report: Bilateral eye injuries in members of one family due to a cluster munition in Ukraine
Authors: Nowomiejska Katarzyna , Adamczyk Katarzyna , Haszcz Dariusz , Preys Nataliya , Rejdak Robert
Published: May 2023

The aim of the study was to report the effects of surgical treatment of three victims of a cluster munition in Ukraine. A 32-year-old woman and her sons—6-year-old male twins—presented in Poland after 18 days of delay in treatment. All ocular injuries were bilateral. One of the boys presented with total retinal detachment and a post-traumatic cataract as well as corneal sutures in one eye and a post-traumatic cataract in the other eye. The other boy had already developed atrophy in one eye and a vitreous hemorrhage in the other eye. The woman suffered from bilateral post-traumatic cataract with multiple glass intraocular foreign bodies (IOFBs). The surgical treatment included cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation in three eyes, removal of IOFBs in one eye, and enucleation of the atrophic eye with implantation of an ocular prosthesis preventing constriction of face tissues. The eye with retinal detachment underwent pars plana vitrectomy, and the vitreous hemorrhage resolved itself. Postoperatively, visual acuity improved significantly in four of six eyes. Only in the eye with an open-globe injury and persistent retinal detachment, the final visual acuity was still poor. In conclusion, cluster munition may lead to bilateral ocular trauma with IOFBs, open-and close-globe injuries, and severe vision loss if left untreated. Modern ophthalmic surgery leads to vision with IOL improvement and solving the eyes after severe combat injury.
Barriers to overcoming immunotherapy resistance in glioblastoma
Authors: Gillette Julia S. , Wang Elaina J. , Dowd Richard S. , Toms Steven A.
Published: May 2023

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor, known for its poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. Current standard of care includes surgical resection followed by combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Although immunotherapies have yielded promising results in hematological malignancies, their successful application in GBM remains limited due to a host of immunosuppressive factors unique to GBM. As a result of these roadblocks, research efforts have focused on utilizing combinatorial immunotherapies that target networks of immune processes in GBM with promising results in both preclinical and clinical trials, although limitations in overcoming the immunosuppressive factors within GBM remain. In this review, we aim to discuss the intrinsic and adaptive immune resistance unique to GBM and to summarize the current evidence and outcomes of engineered and non-engineered treatments targeted at overcoming GBM resistance to immunotherapy. Additionally, we aim to highlight the most promising strategies of targeted GBM immunotherapy combinatorial treatments and the insights that may directly improve the current patient prognosis and clinical care.
Learning to use music as a resource: the experiences of people with dementia and their family care partners participating in a home-based skill-sharing music intervention: a HOMESIDE sub-study
Authors: McMahon Kate , McFerran Katrina , Clark Imogen N. , Odell-Miller Helen , Stensæth Karette , Tamplin Jeanette , Baker Felicity A.
Published: May 2023

An increasing number of people with dementia receive informal care from family members to help them remain living in the community. Music therapy is particularly beneficial for supporting the wellbeing of people living with dementia. However, little is known about how music therapy might support people with dementia and their family care partners as dyads. This study explored the experiences of six dyads participating in a 12-week home-based skill-sharing music intervention facilitated by a music therapist. We examined their experiences during the intervention period and in the 3–6 months following. This study was conducted within a larger randomised control trial, HOMESIDE. Data was collected through video-recorded music-based interviews, participant diaries, and a semi-structured interview. Data was analysed using an abductive and relational-centred research approach in consideration of the Contextual Connection Model of Health Musicking for People Living with Dementia and Their Family Care Partners. The study found fifteen themes that describe dyads’ supported experiences of sharing music in their homes. These were organised into three global themes: (1) experiences were shaped by complex influences; (2) a connected musical ecosystem; and (3) music was a resource for wellbeing. This study highlighted the important role of personalised facilitation and the therapeutic relationship as dyads learned to use music as a resource through a process of trial and error. The implications for skill-sharing, indirect music therapy and direct music therapy practice are discussed.
Nitrogen metabolism in mycobacteria: the key genes and targeted antimicrobials
Authors: Xu Yufan , Ma Shiwei , Huang Zixin , Wang Longlong , Raza Sayed Haidar Abbas , Wang Zhe
Published: May 2023

Nitrogen metabolism is an important physiological process that affects the survival and virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis’s utilization of nitrogen in the environment and its adaptation to the harsh environment of acid and low oxygen in macrophages are closely related to nitrogen metabolism. In addition, the dormancy state and drug resistance of M. tuberculosis are closely related to nitrogen metabolism. Although nitrogen metabolism is so important, limited research was performed on nitrogen metabolism as compared with carbon metabolism. M. tuberculosis can use a variety of inorganic or organic nitrogen sources, including ammonium salts, nitrate, glutamine, asparagine, etc. In these metabolic pathways, some enzymes encoded by key genes, such as GlnA1, AnsP2, etc, play important regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of TB. Although various small molecule inhibitors and drugs have been developed for different nitrogen metabolism processes, however, long-term validation is needed before their practical application. Most importantly, with the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, eradication, and control of M. tuberculosis will still be very challenging.
Characterizations of blaCTX–M–14 and blaCTX–M–64 in a clinical isolate of Escherichia coli from China
Authors: Yang Mingxing , Liu Dong , Li Xiaoquan , Xiao Chuting , Mao Yingge , He Jiaqi , Feng Jiao , Wang Li
Published: May 2023

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacteria are common in the community and hospitals. To monitor ESBLs mediated by the CTX-M genotype, we collected clinical ESBL pathogenic strains from a hospital in central China and observed a strain of Escherichia coli, namely Ec15103 carrying blaCTX–M–14, blaCTX–M–64 and blaTEM–1, isolated from the blood of a 7-day-old infant in 2015. Strain Ec15103 contains two drug resistance plasmids: pEc15103A, an IncFI-type plasmid that cannot be conjugatively transferred and carries the drug resistance genes blaTEM–1, aacC2, aadA5, sul1, mph(A), sul2, strAB, and tetA(A); and pEc15103B, an IncK2/Z-type plasmid that carries the conjugation transfer gene and blaCTX–M–14. In addition, blaCTX–M–64 is located on the chromosome of Ec15103, and it is the first report of pathogen with blaCTX–M–64 located on its chromosome (the search terms used “blaCTX-M-64” and “chromosome”). blaCTX–M–14 and blaCTX–M–64 are carried by ISEcp1-mediated transposon Tn6503a and Tn6502, respectively. The conjugation transfer ability of pEc15103B was significantly inhibited by zidovudine (AZT) and linoleic acid (LA) and that expression of blaCTX–M–14, blaCTX–M–64 and blaTEM–1 at the mRNA level did not change based on the concentration of cefotaxime or ampicillin. Co-occurrence of blaCTX–M–14 and blaCTX–M–64 in a single isolate will enhance the drug resistance of bacteria, and the presence of blaCTX–M–64 in the chromosome may make the resistance more maintain. This fact will facilitate its dissemination and persistence under different antimicrobial selection pressures. It is essential to prevent these strains from further spreading in a hospital environment.
Association of polymicrobial interactions with dental caries development and prevention
Authors: Zhu Yimei , Wang Ying , Zhang Shuyang , Li Jiaxuan , Li Xin , Ying Yuanyuan , Yuan Jinna , Chen Keda , Deng Shuli , Wang Qingjing
Published: May 2023

Dental caries is a common oral disease. In many cases, disruption of the ecological balance of the oral cavity can result in the occurrence of dental caries. There are many cariogenic microbiota and factors, and their identification allows us to take corresponding prevention and control measures. With the development of microbiology, the caries-causing bacteria have evolved from the traditional single Streptococcus mutans to the discovery of oral symbiotic bacteria. Thus it is necessary to systematically organized the association of polymicrobial interactions with dental caries development. In terms of ecology, caries occurs due to an ecological imbalance of the microbiota, caused by the growth and reproduction of cariogenic microbiota due to external factors or the disruption of homeostasis by one’s own factors. To reduce the occurrence of dental caries effectively, and considering the latest scientific viewpoints, caries may be viewed from the perspective of ecology, and preventive measures can be taken; hence, this article systematically summarizes the prevention and treatment of dental caries from the aspects of ecological perspectives, in particular the ecological biofilm formation, bacterial quorum sensing, the main cariogenic microbiota, and preventive measures.
Effects of different manganese sources on nutrient digestibility, fecal bacterial community, and mineral excretion of weaning dairy calves
Authors: Ji Huimin , Tan Dejin , Chen Yuhua , Cheng Zhiqiang , Zhao Jingwen , Lin Miao
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Mn, which is an essential trace mineral for all animals, has functions in skeletal system development, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of different manganese (Mn) sources in basal diets on nutrient apparent digestibility, fecal microbes, and mineral elements excretion before and after weaning.

Methods

A total of 15 Holstein heifer calves (6-week-old, 82.71 ± 1.35, mean ± standard error) were randomly designed into three groups (five each): no extra Mn supplemented (CON), 20 mg Mn/kg (dry matter basis) in the form of chelates of lysine and glutamic acid in a mixture of 1:1 (LGM), and 20 mg Mn/kg (dry matter basis) in the form of MnSO4. All calves were weaned at 8 weeks of age. The experiment lasted for 28 days (14 days before weaning and 14 days after weaning). Dry matter intake (DMI) was recorded daily. The animals were weighed by electronic walk-over, and body size indices were collected using tape on days −14, −1, and 14 of weaning. The feces of calves was collected to measure the apparent digestibility of nutrients (acid insoluble ash was an internal marker) and bacterial community on days −1, 1, 3, 7, and 14 of weaning. Fecal mineral concentration was determined by inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy on days −1, 1, 7, and 14 of weaning.

Results

The results showed that, compared with the CON group, adding LGM to diets containing 158.82 mg/kg Mn increased the apparent digestibility (P < 0.05). The Chao 1 and Shannon index of fecal bacteria decreased at day 1 in the LGM and MnSO4 groups and increased after weaning. The PCoA results indicated that the LGM group was distinctly separate from the CON and MnSO4 groups during the whole experimental period. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed in the relative abundance of two phyla (Proteobacteria and Spirochaetota) and eight genera (Alloprevotella, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, Clostridia UCG 014, RF39, UCG-010, Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, and Treponema) in three groups. Moreover, the LGM group showed less excretion of Fe, P, and Mn than the MnSO4 group.

Discussion

In summary, 20 mg Mn/kg diet supplementation improved nutrient digestibility, changed the fecal microbial community, and reduced mineral excretion. Organic Mn supplementation in the diet had more advantages over the sulfate forms in weaning calves.
Culturable and unculturable potential heterotrophic microbiological threats to the oldest pyramids of the Memphis necropolis, Egypt
Authors: Rizk Samah Mohamed , Magdy Mahmoud , De Leo Filomena , Werner Olaf , Rashed Mohamed Abdel-Salam , Ros Rosa M. , Urzì Clara
Published: May 2023

A large percentage of the world’s tangible cultural heritage is made from stone; thus, it deteriorates due to physical, chemical, and/or biological factors. The current study explored the microbial community inhabiting two prehistoric sites with high cultural value in the Memphis necropolis of Egypt (Djoser and Lahun Pyramids) using amplicon-based metabarcoding and culture-dependent isolation methods. Samples were examined by epifluorescent microscopy for biological signs before environmental DNA extraction and in vitro cultivation. The metabarcoding analysis identified 644 bacterial species (452 genera) using the 16S rRNA and 204 fungal species (146 genera) using ITS. In comparison with the isolation approach, an additional 28 bacterial species (13 genera) and 34 fungal species (20 genera) were identified. A total of 19 bacterial and 16 fungal species were exclusively culture-dependent, while 92 bacterial and 122 fungal species were culture-independent. The most abundant stone-inhabiting bacteria in the current study were Blastococcus aggregatus, Blastococcus saxobsidens, and Blastococcus sp., among others. The most abundant rock-inhabiting fungi were Knufia karalitana and Pseudotaeniolina globosa, besides abundant unknown Sporormiaceae species. Based on previous reports, microorganisms associated with biodeterioration were detected on color-altered sites at both pyramids. These microorganisms are potentially dangerous as physical and chemical deterioration factors and require proper conservation plans from a microbiological perspective.
SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in bars, restaurants, and nightclubs
Authors: van der Veer Brian M. J. W. , Gorgels Koen M. F. , den Heijer Casper D. J. , Hackert Volker , van Alphen Lieke B. , Savelkoul Paul H. M. , Hoebe Christian J. P. A. , Dingemans Jozef
Published: May 2023

Background

In an attempt to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, many governments decided to close public venues including bars, restaurants, and nightclubs during the pandemic, making it difficult to study how transmission occurs in these environments. In this study, we were able to gain insight into the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in 16 venues in the city of Maastricht using a combination of epidemiological and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data during a period of 2 weeks in 2021, when bars, restaurants, and nightclubs were temporarily reopened in the Netherlands. This led to a subsequent rise of SARS-CoV-2 cases in the community following the reopening.

Methods

WGS was performed on samples from 154/348 of selected cases and combined with epidemiological investigation (e.g., contact tracing and linking cases to specific venues) to identify SARS-CoV-2 transmission clusters. In addition, genomic surveillance data were used to investigate spillover of outbreak-associated genotypes into the community.

Results

Clustering was observed in 129/136 (95%) successfully genotyped samples. We established that most cases were linked to venues with dancing facilities and that specific genotypes of the Delta variant were more frequently spread within and from these venues compared to venues without dancing facilities. In addition, we show indications of spillover of certain genotypes from the bar and restaurant industry into the community, with the number of hospital admissions increasing in the weeks following peak cases in the community.

Conclusion

Lifting restrictions on bar and restaurant industry venues with a corona entree ticket in a largely unvaccinated population led to a surge in COVID-19 cases and promoted the spread of new (sub)variants. Nightclubs were identified as potential super-spreading locations.
Stereotaxic cutting of post-mortem human brains for neuroanatomical studies
Authors: García-Cabezas Miguel Ángel , Pérez-Santos Isabel , Cavada Carmen
Published: May 2023

Stereotaxis is widely used in clinical neurosurgery, neuroradiosurgery, and neuroimaging. Yet, maps of brain structures obtained from post-mortem human brains are not usually presented in known stereotaxic coordinates. Post-mortem brain data given in stereotaxic coordinates would facilitate comparisons with in vivo human neuroimages and would also facilitate intra and inter-experiment comparisons. In this article, we present a crafted instrument for stereotaxic cutting of post-mortem human brain hemispheres. The instrument consists of a transparent methacrylate plate facing a mirror, four legs, and lateral regularly spaced columns permitting the insertion of large knives in-between the columns. This instrument can be built in any laboratory to obtain human brain slabs in the stereotaxic space of Talairach and Tournoux. We explain in detail the procedure for stereotaxic cutting of human brain hemispheres in the coronal plane, as well as the basis for calculating stereotaxic coordinates of histological sections obtained following the stereotaxic cutting protocol.