bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduced Grey Matter Volume in Adolescents with Conduct Disorder: A Region-of-Interest Analysis Using Multivariate Generalized Linear Modeling
Authors: Zhang Ru , Blair R. James R. , Blair Karina S. , Dobbertin Matthew , Elowsky Jaimie , Bashford-Largo Johannah , Dominguez Ahria J. , Hatch Melissa , Bajaj Sahil
Published: November 2023

Background: Conduct disorder (CD) involves a group of behavioral and emotional problems that usually begins during childhood or adolescence. Structural brain alterations have been observed in CD, including the amygdala, insula, ventrolateral and medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and fusiform gyrus. The current study developed a multivariate generalized linear model (GLM) to differentiate adolescents with CD from typically developing (TD) adolescents in terms of grey matter volume (GMV).
Methods: The whole‐brain structural MRI data were collected from 96 adolescents with CD (mean age = years; mean IQ = ; 63 males) and 90 TD individuals (mean age = years; mean IQ = ; 59 males) matched on age, IQ, and sex. Region-wise GMV was extracted following whole-brain parcellation into 68 cortical and 14 subcortical regions for each participant. A multivariate GLM was developed to predict the GMV of the pre-hypothesized regions-of-interest (ROIs) based on CD diagnosis, with intracranial volume, age, sex, and IQ serving as the covariate.
Results: A diagnosis of CD was a significant predictor for GMV in the right pars orbitalis, right insula, right superior temporal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, and left amygdala (F(1, 180) = 5.460 - 10.317, p < 0.05, partial eta squared = 0.029 - 0.054). The CD participants had smaller GMV in these regions than the TD participants (MCD - MTD = [-614.898] mm3 - [-53.461] mm3).
Conclusions: Altered GMV within specific regions may serve as a biomarker for the development of CD in adolescents. Clinical work can potentially target these biomarkers to treat adolescents with CD.
Modulation of western U.S. compound precipitation and temperature extremes by compounding MJO and ENSO interaction
Authors: Wang Jiabao , DeFlorio Michael , Gershunov Alexander , Guirguis Kristen , Monache Luca Delle , Ralph F. Martin
Published: November 2023

Extreme weather and climate events can have substantial impacts on society and the environment. Compound extremes (two or more extreme events occurring simultaneously or successively) may exert even larger impacts than individual events. This study examines physical drivers behind variability in hydrometeorological (precipitation and temperature) compound extremes on subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) timescales (2 weeks – 6 months). Observational evidence presented here indicates significant modulation of western U.S. compound extreme frequency by the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO), a unique type of organized tropical convection varying primarily on S2S timescales. For example, when the MJO is active over the western Pacific, a robust increase in wet-cold extreme frequency is found in Southern California. When the MJO is over the Maritime Continent, an overall increase in dry-hot extremes is observed across the western U.S.. The MJO influence on compound extremes is largely modulated by El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which can be seen through different magnitudes or changes in sign of the canonical MJO-extreme relationship conditioned on ENSO state. Similarly, the MJO can interrupt the canonical ENSO-compound extreme relationship. Our results suggest a potential route to improve western U.S. S2S prediction of compound hydrometeorological extremes by considering the combined effect of both MJO and ENSO.
Distribution and associated factors of choroidal thickness in highly myopic eyes.
Authors: Wei Wenbin , Shao Lei , Zhao Hanqing , Zhang Ruiheng , Zhou Wen Da
Published: November 2023

PURPOSE: To measure the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in highly myopic eyes at different locations using Enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI SD-OCT). To identify the ocular and systemic risk factors associated with choroidal thinning in high myopia.
METHODS: Based on the Beijing Eye Study, a detailed ophthalmic examination was performed including EDI SD-OCT for the measurement of SFCT. OCT images were obtained from 103 highly myopic eyes (≥-6.00 diopters) and 227 normal eyes randomly selected from the baseline population, matched for age and sex.
RESULTS: The mean SFCT was 110.6±85.2 μm in highly myopic eyes (range, 3 to 395 μm). Mean regional choroidal thickness was lowest on the nasal and inferior sides of the macula, and slightly higher on the temporal and superior sides than at the fovea. On multivariate analysis, SFCT was associated with staphyloma (F=22.63; P<0.001), age (F=19.14; P<0.001), axial length (F=17.37; P<0.001) and sex (F=17.31; P<0.001). In highly myopic eyes, SFCT decreased by 5.1 μm per year of age, by 9.2 µm per D of myopia and by 22.6 µm per millimetre of axial length.
CONCLUSION: The SFCT decreases with age and increased axial length in highly myopic eyes. The formation of a posterior staphyloma has been identified as a major contributor to choroidal thinning and is therefore a reliable indicator for risk management. The involvement of choroidal abnormalities may be a significant factor in the development of myopic degeneration.
Optimizing Stability Design of Support System for the parallel Tunnels
Authors: suliman lojain , Xinrong liu , xiaohan zhou , Xinyang luo ,   Ahmad abd elmageed4
Published: November 2023

The continued development of the cities leads to construct parallel tunnel. Thus, the majority of tunneling projects include creating two parallel tunnels, which known as twin tunnels. Because of this, it is crucial to look at the stability between twin tunnels that are situated in a slope. In this paper an optimized study has been proposed in order to obtain the best design for distributing the support system through a huge fill slope. Two main methodologies have been proposed in order to get the optimized design for distributing the support system. The first one is through the making a physical model. While, the second one is through the numerical simulation by using Plaxis3D software package. However, the results reveal that the settlement has decreased when the distribution of the support system has been done according to the model test as an optimal design. As a result, the suggested model test support system is an optimal design. And this due to many reasons such as the position of the support system in the model test which is located in the inclined part of the slope. While, the support system in the site has been distributed in the horizontal part of the slope.
Immunoglobin and T cell receptor repertoire changes induced by a prototype vaccine against Chagas disease in naïve rhesus macaques
Authors: Dumonteil Eric , Tu Weihong , Desale Hans , Goff Kelly , Marx Preston , Ortega-Lopez Jaime , Herrera Claudia
Published: November 2023

A vaccine against Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, would be an excellent additional tool for disease control. A recombinant vaccine based on Tc24 and TSA1 parasite antigens was found to be safe and immunogenic in naïve macaques. Here we performed a transcriptomic analysis of PBMC responses to vaccination, to shed light on the immunogenicity of this vaccine and guide the optimization of doses and formulation. RNA-sequencing analysis indicated a clear transcriptomic response of PBMCs from macaques after three vaccine doses, with the up-regulation of several immune cell activation pathways and a broad non-polarized immune profile. Analysis of the IgG repertoire showed that it had a rapid turnover with novel IgGs produced following each vaccine dose, while the TCR repertoire presented several persisting clones that were expanded after each vaccine dose. These data suggest that three vaccine doses may be needed for optimum immunogenecity and support the further evaluation of the protective efficacy of this vaccine.
Sleep Hygiene Education Program during Pregnancy A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Turkmen Nurdane , Tosun Sebnem Alanya , Ayraler Arzu , Akan Hulya
Published: November 2023

Purpose: Pregnancy related psychophysiological changes are associated with the sleep alterations as the gestational week’s progress. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of sleep hygiene education programs during pregnancy.
Methods: This prospective randomized controlled study based on pre-posttest after intervention consists of 30 studies and 30 control groups. Pregnant descriptive form, Beck Depression Index (BDI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) questionnaires were used. Pregnant women with a score of 15 and above according to BDI were excluded from the study due to depression. Sleep hygiene education program was given twice with an interval of 15 days to the intervention group, and as a post-test, PSQI and SHI questionnaires were conducted at the end of 1 month.
Results: 90% of all pregnant women had poor sleep quality in the pre-test, and 93.3% in the post-test. In the intervention group, the pre-test PSQI score was 8.10±1.80, the post-test PSQI score was 8.37±2.05 (p<0.001). In the control group, the pre-test PSQI score was 8.23±2.54 and the post-test PSQI score was 9.77±2.54, and the worsening of sleep quality became more evident (p<0.05). While the SHI in intervention group was 16.57±5.64 in the pre-test, it was 10.30±3.78 in the post-test after sleep hygiene training (p<0.001). In the control group, the pretest SHI scores increased from 14.50±3.78 to the posttest scores of 16.60±4.36, resulting in a decline in sleep hygiene and sleep quality (p<0.05).
Conclusion: As the gestational week progressed, the deterioration in sleep quality increased. The poor sleep quality improved significantly after sleep hygiene education counselling. It is recommended to add sleep-related screenings to routine pregnancy follow-ups and to provide sleep hygiene education.
Semantic Segmentation on Panoramic X-ray Images with U-net Architectures
Authors: Zannah Rafiatul , Bashar Mubtasim , Mushfiq Rahil Bin , Chakrabarty Amitabha , Hossain Shahriar , Jung Yong Ju
Published: November 2023

The field of medical image analysis is in a constant state of evolution, particularly in the challenging tasks of segmenting organs, diseases, and abnormalities. Therefore, in the realm of dental disease diagnosis, image segmentation plays a crucial role in addressing the difficulties faced by dentists worldwide when diagnosing dental diseases with the naked eye. One prominent deep neural network architecture, known as U-net, originally designed for biomedical image segmentation, has seen multiple variations and advancements aimed at improving its performance. However, the lack of comparative studies has made it challenging to assess the effectiveness of these U-net variants in segmenting dental X-ray images. The primary objective of this research is to conduct a comprehensive performance comparison among various U-net architectures for dental image segmentation. Specifically, we examine six U-net architecture variants: Vanilla U-net, Dense U-net, Attention U-net, SE U-net, Residual U-net, and R2 U-net. These variants employ configurations with two and three convolutional layers in both the encoder and decoder blocks. Our evaluation metrics include Accuracy, Dice coefficient, F1 score, and IoU (Intersection over Union). Among these U-net variants, Vanilla U-net, with two convolutional layers, demonstrated the highest level of performance, achieving an Accuracy of 95.56% and an IoU score of 88% on the validation set. Notably, this model also exhibited a shorter processing time compared to the other architectures. Conversely, when employing three convolutional layers, the Dense U-net variant emerged as the top performer, achieving an Accuracy of 95.94% and an IoU score of 89.07% on the validation set. Furthermore, the segmentation process successfully isolates the teeth from the surrounding structures, which holds promise for improving disease detection through the development of automated disease diagnosis models.
Examining Environmental conditions during periods of high and low suspected meningitis cases in the Sahel (1995-2016)
Authors: M. Gueye , K. Coker
Published: November 2023

Variability in the weekly Suspected Meningitis Cases (SMC) and the simulated daily mean of PM10 using WRF model with GOCART in West Africa is examined. We focus on the Eastern and Central Sahelian countries where dominant patterns of observed annual Meningitis cases are found in the periods of 1995-1997 (P0), 2000-2002 (P1) and 2007-2009 (P2) occurring in Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. In general, the model shows positive mean differences of the seasonal mean (JFM) of the PM10 concentrations between the periods of high SMC years and the period of low SMC years 2011, 2013, 2014 (P3) across the Sahelian region. This result is associated with positive mean differences in the 925 hPa wind speed generally in the Saharan region and in the temperature at 2 meters (T2m) except in the Central and Eastern Sahara during the period P1. There is no significant change in the relative humidity at 2 meters (Q2m). By considering the daily time scale, we have found a strong signal in the environment associated with positive daily mean PM10 concentration differences between the periods of high SMC years and the period of low SMC years across the Sahelian countries, Niger, Northern Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
Numerical Study of Horizontal Axis Tidal Current Turbine (Hatct) Blade
Authors: Uddin Md Mezbah , Rahaman Kazi Rafi , Islam MD. Thanvir , Hoque Tasmia , Mahmud S M Ikhtiar
Published: November 2023

Power generation from tidal current is gaining popularity over the time as tidal current is predictable and the process offers zero CO2 emission which is one of the major contributors of the greenhouse effect. A tidal turbine is a device designed to harness energy from sea currents, operating in a way analogous to a wind turbine. Tidal turbine basically is classified based on their blade orientation. Some of them are called horizontal axis, vertical axis, helical horizontal axis, and helical vertical axis tidal turbine. This paper presents the developed numerical study for horizontal tidal current turbine (HATCT) blade based on various angles of attack and number of blades along with blade element momentum theory (BEM) as well as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is mainly considered. Tidal turbine blade models are parameterized and designed by using solid modeling design software SOLIDWORKS and have been analyzed tidal turbines through CFD with high performance computational fluid dynamics software tool ANSYS CFX. A certain analysis is carried out where fluid flow is passed through turbines blade upon which the torque is acted and calculated the improved power from various turbines design.
Hydrochemical characteristics and processes for groundwater in salt lake area: a case of Bieletan in the Qaidam Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Gu Xiaofan , Shi Jiansheng , Duan Rui , Chang Liang , You Xiangzhi , Li Xiaodeng
Published: November 2023

The Bieletan area is located in the middle of the Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and its potash resources are abundant, accounting for more than half of the entire Qarhan Salt Lake. To explore the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in the Bieletan area and to understand the hydrogeochemical processes that happened during groundwater migration. The hydrogeochemical impacts of Senie Lake water and groundwater in the Bieletan area are determined using correlation analysis, the ion proportionality coefficient, and hydrogeochemical modeling in this research. Through the qualitative and quantitative investigation of the hydrochemical properties and the hydrogeochemical process, the results demonstrate that the groundwater is of Cl-Mg and Cl-Na types, whereas the surface water is of Cl-Na type. The findings of hydrogeochemical simulations suggest that the key hydrogeochemical processes are evaporation, water-rock interaction, and cation exchange.
Is There Any Association Between the Triglyceride and Glucose (TYG) Index and Severity of Ed?
Authors: EFESOY OZAN , Efesoy Ozan , SAYLAM BARIŞ , Çayan Selahittin
Published: November 2023

The triglyceride and glucose index (TyG index) is a practical index for determining insulin resistance. We aimed to reveal the relationship between the TyG index and the severity of ED. Medical records of 974 patients admitted to our clinics due to complaining of ED between January 2021 and June 2023 were scanned retrospectively. According to the scores obtained from the simplified 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire, patients were classified into four groups. The fasting serum glucose, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) levels, and TyG indices of the patients in the groups were compared with each other. A statistically significant difference was found in fasting serum glucose, TG, and TC levels among the groups (p < 0.001). Significant negative correlations were found between the IIEF-5 score and fasting serum glucose, TG, TC, and TyG index (all p values < 0.001). The TyG index level was related to the risk of severe ED. ROC curve analysis showed that the cut-off values of 5.05 for the TyG index by Formula 1 and 9.43 for the TyG index by Formula 2 in predicting severe ED (p < 0.001). TyG index might be associated with not only ED but also the severity of ED.
Effects of parathyroid hormone on the microarchitecture and bone remodeling of alveolar bone under physiologic mastication forces: An in vivo study in dogs
Authors: Kyoung Do-Kyoung , Kim Jiyeon , Kim Jin-Woo , Kim Min-Ji
Published: November 2023

Background
This study investigates the anabolic effects of intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) administration on alveolar bone under physiological mastication force.
Methods
Three mongrel dogs were each injected once weekly for 20 weeks with vehicle (CON), 1.6 µg/kg PTH (PTH1.6), or 3.2 µg/kg PTH (PTH3.2). Bone density and maxillary alveolar trabecular bone remodeling were evaluated through bone microarchitectural and histomorphometric analyses using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), fluorescence labeling, and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining.
Results
Micro-CT showed that bone mass and density increased with increasing occlusal force in all subjects. Trabecular bone volume and bone mineral density increased significantly in the PTH1.6 subject but decreased in the PTH3.2 subject when compared to the control subject. Fluorescence labeling showed that new bone formation was the greatest in the PTH1.6 subject, followed by the PTH3.2 and CON subjects. In all subjects, new bone formation increased with increasing occlusal forces. H&E staining revealed no significant differences in the number of osteoclasts and osteoblasts according to PTH dose or occlusal force.
Conclusions
Our results showed that moderate doses of PTH had greater anabolic effects than high doses. Furthermore, bone density and formation were enhanced with stronger occlusal forces.
Immunohistochemistry and Next-Generation Sequencing for NTRK Fusion detection in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer of Children, Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Telles Ana Clara Tosta , von Ammon Juliana Lima , Matta Rafael Reis Campos , Beltrão Fabyan Esberard de Lima , Paz Alexandre Rolim , Hecht Fábio , Lopes Guilherme Castro , Machado Gabriel Jeferson , Cerqueira Taíse Lima de Oliveira , Lisboa Bruno da Silva , Rios Leonardo Freitas Boaventura , Ramos Helton Estrela
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Pan-Trk immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining can assess the protein expression from NTRK gene fusions a- Little is known about its utility in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) samples from children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYA) patients.
Objective: Investigate Pan-Trk IHC sensitivity and specificity in DTC samples from CAYA patients.
Methods:Tumor samples obtained from 79 CAYA patients (age <21years) diagnosed with DTC between January 2010 and January 2021 were retrospectively recruited from four health centers from state of Bahia e Paraíba, Brazil. NTRK gene fusion testing of all archival FFPE tumor samples: Pan-TRK IHC staining for TRKA, TRKB and TRKC protein expression were performed and then analyzed with RNA-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay in order to confirm IHC pan-TRK result and elucidate fusion partner.
Results:Pan-Trk IHC: 3 of 79 cases had positive pan-Trk expression: NGS sequencing: 04- were identified with NTRK gene fusion, Pan-Trk IHC was negative in all 4 NTRK NGS-positive cases. 25 of 79 NTRK NGS-negative control cases had concordant negative pan-TRK IHC results. Therefore, our rate of false positive pan-Trk IHC results was 3/25 (12%). The overall results for pan-Trk IHC in our cohort of NGS-negative cases was: (i) sensitivity (0%), (ii) specificity (96%), (iii) positive predictive value (94.7%), (iv) negative predictive value (91%).
Conclusions: Pan-Trk IHC was not a tissue-efficient screen for NTRK fusions in DTC from CAYA patients. This is the largest cohort of CAYA DTC cases stained with pan-Trk IHC, and it is the first to detail the sensitivity and specificity of pan-Trk IHC regarding the data obtained by targeted RNA-based NGS panel in DTC.
Monitoring, early warning and prevention measures for high-steep slopes in high-voltage tower areas
Authors: Xianlin Liu , Xilin Lu , Chuan Chen , Liu Guangbin , Yishan Li , Yu Shao , Mingzhi Li , Xinyu Wu , Chen Youdong
Published: November 2023

In high-voltage tower areas, high-steep slopes with siltstone as the main lithology have poor engineering characteristics, which can increase the risk of engineering failures and disasters, such as landslides, collapses, and cracking the supporting structure of buildings. Thus, it is necessary to protect the high-voltage towers in the prevention process, which also brings great challenges to monitor, early warn and respond to emergency disposal of engineering failures and disasters. In this paper, intelligent monitoring, early warning and forecasting were carried out on the high-steep slopes in the high-voltage tower areas along the expressway under construction in Guangxi, China. The emergency rescue measures for protecting the 500KV high-voltage towers on the top of slope were initiated. At the same time, automatic monitoring data, emergency rescue scheme and rescue effects were analysed. It was found that the information about early warning for disasters could be timely identified to support the cause analysis and assessment of disposal schemes effectively. Also, the early warning criterion of tangential angle could be used for early warning and forecasting the failures of high-steep slopes in high-voltage tower areas. From the analysis of the position of sliding slope surface, emergency disposal measures of timely layered counter-pressure method and micro-piles, we can effectively control the activities of landslides and prevent the further acceleration of landslide failures. The study can be an important reference for monitoring, early warning, forecasting and emergency rescue of high-steep slopes in high-voltage tower areas.
Management of paediatric epidiymoorchitis - is there a need for antibiotics and follow-up imaging?
Authors: Edwards Michael , Islam Saidul , Upadhyaya Manasvi , Bhandarkar Kailas
Published: November 2023

Background
Epididymo-orchitis, in children and adolescents, presents with acute testicular pain. Diagnosis is usually made during emergency scrotal exploration for acute testicular pain. We conducted this study to assess the need of antibiotics and for follow-up renal imaging in this cohort.
Methods
A single institutional retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary paediatric surgical center from 2016–2020. All children and adolescents under 16 years of age who had a scrotal exploration for acute testicular pain and diagnosed with epididymoorchitis were included in this study. Electronic patient records and discharge summaries were used to gather information regarding admission, operation reports, antibiotic prescription, investigations and follow-up of these patients.
Results
A total of 353 boys had scrotal exploration in this period. Of these, 53 had an intraoperative diagnosis of epididymo-orchitis. Median age was 12 years (range 1 year to 15 years). Proportion of epididymo-orchitis among scrotal explorations each year remained fairly constant (15%). Only 1 boy with recurrent episodes of epididymo-orchitis had a positive urine culture which grew Escherichia Coli. Overall, 35% of children and adolescents were prescribed antibiotics. All patients had follow-up imaging requested to look for urological anomalies of which only a third attended the follow up appointment. Only 1 was diagnosed with urological anomaly which was attributable as a cause of recurrent epididymo-orchitis.
Conclusion
This study confirms a low incidence of bacterial aetiology and lack of evidence base for routine use of antibiotics and imaging after a single episode of paediatric epididymo-orchitis. Associated urological anomaly is rare after a single episode of epididymo-orchitis and most can be safely managed without the need for antibiotics or follow up renal imaging.
Re-resection of brain metastases – Outcomes of an institutional cohort study and literature review
Authors: Wasilewski David , Shaked Zoe , Fuchs Annalena , Roohani Siyer , Xu Ran , Schlaak Max , Frost Nikolaj , Misch Martin , Capper David , Kaul David , Onken Julia , Vajkoczy Peter , Ehret Felix
Published: November 2023

Background: Surgically accessible brain metastases are treated with microsurgical removal followed by radiation therapy, resulting in improved progression-free and overall survival. Some patients experience recurrence, prompting the need for effective management strategies. Despite the prevalence of recurrence, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the outcomes of patients that experience intracranial disease recurrence necessitating re-resection of a brain metastasis.
Objectives: This study aims to comprehensively characterize clinical, radiological, histopathological, and treatment-related aspects, along with outcomes, for patients undergoing re-resection of locally and distantly recurrent brain metastases.
Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study, focusing on patients who underwent a second brain metastasis resection following prior removal and irradiation.
Results: Among the 60 patients undergoing re-resection, local recurrence was observed in 41 patients (68.3%), while 19 (31.7%) showed distant recurrence. Median intracranial progression-free survival was 7.7 months (6.5-11.2; IQR), with a median time-to-recurrence resection of 11.6 months (9.07-15.3; IQR), and a median overall survival of 30.8 months (20.4 – 51.6; IQR). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represented the most common tumor entity. Following initial brain metastasis resection, treatment comprised radiation therapy alone for 18 patients (31.7%), radiation and chemotherapy for 15 patients (25.0%), radiation with targeted therapy for 9 patients (15.0%), and radiation with immunotherapy for 17 patients (28.3%). While 46 patients (76.7%) received irradiation to the resection cavity, 14 patients underwent whole brain radiation (24.3%). Independent risk factors for shorter overall survival included the presence of NSCLC or small cell lung cancer. Adjuvant radiation therapy together with checkpoint inhibition was associated with improved intracranial progression-free survival.
Conclusion: Brain metastases resection of local and distant recurrences is feasible and is a valuable option for selected patients. Further research to improve patient selection and treatment algorithms is warranted.
Patterns of Echocardiographic abnormalities in thyrotoxic patients on follow up at Jimma Medical Center, Ethiopia, A Hospital based observational study
Authors: Asefa Elsah Tegene , Nasir Mohammed Ahmed , Abafogi Mohammed Mecha , Tukeni Kedir Negesso
Published: November 2023

Background: Thyrotoxicosis is a common endocrine disorder that can lead to clinically significant cardiovascular disease. Early recognition and control of hyperthyroidism can reduce serious cardiac complications with significant morbidity and mortality. Echocardiographic abnormalities were evident and informative regarding subsequent complications. The main aim of this study was to determine the patterns of Echocardiographic abnormalities in patients with thyrotoxicosis during treatment and follow-up at Jimma Medical Center, Ethiopia.
Methodology: A hospital-based prospective semi-observational study was conducted on all patients diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis and followed up at the Jimma Medical Center, Ethiopia, during the study period. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The collected data were checked and entered into Epidata version 4.6.0.5 and exported to SPSS version 23.0. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the predictors of echocardiographic changes and associated factors.
Results: A total of 114 patients with thyrotoxicosis were included in this study, with the mean age of 45.32 years. Females accounted for 71.1% of the patients. The mean duration of the symptoms before presentation was 36 months. The frequent causes of thyrotoxicosis were toxic multi-nodular goiter, 91(79.8%), Graves’ disease, 16 (14.0%), toxic adenoma, 3(2.6%), thyroiditis 2(1.8%), and thyroid cancer 2(1.8%). Pulmonary hypertension (47%), mitral regurgitation (41%), and left ventricular hypertrophy (40%) were found to be the frequent echocardiographic abnormalities associated with thyrotoxicosis.
Conclusion: Toxic multi-nodular goiter was the leading cause of thyrotoxicosis. Pulmonary hypertension, mitral regurgitation, and left ventricular hypertrophy are the most common echocardiographic findings associated with thyrotoxicosis in the study participants. Comorbid conditions are significant among patients with thyrotoxicosis leading to the unclarity of echocardiographic findings solely due to thyrotoxicosis.
A highly photothermal stability Au@Cu 2-x Se nanoprobe for photoacoustic- imaging guided dual enhanced NIR- II photothermal/chemodynamic therapy
Authors: Li Bei , Luo Bin , Liu Geng , Gou Maling , Luo Yuting , Zhang Wenli , Ye Xiwen , Xu Jianrong , Fan Yaotian , Feng Lei , You Zhen
Published: November 2023

The occurrence of tumors in deeper tissues and the hypoxic microenvironment of tumor tissue has always been a barrier to achieving the expected therapeutic effect of laser-mediated therapy. Herein, we reported a new nanoprobe by increasing the aspect ratio of the gold nanorods so that the localized surface plasmon
Resonance (LSPR) appears in the NIR-II region, and then growing Cu2-xSe with strong plasmon resonance at one end of the surface by deposition method. The nanoprobe demonstrated CDT and PTT therapeutic properties with a single wavelength of NIR-II laser excitation, and the NIR-II laser has deeper biological tissue penetration and is independent of the oxygen content within the tumor tissue. Therefore, in vivo and in vitro experiments, the nanoprobe effectively killed tumor cells by generating a large amount of heat under 1064 nm laser irradiation, combined with hydroxyl free radicals generated by the stimulated plasma hole effect and photothermal enhanced CDT. This work provides a new approach and strategy for the effective treatment of deep hypoxic tumor tissue under a single NIR-II laser excitation.
Incidence, patterns and factors associated with ileostomy complications in two selected hospitals in Western Uganda
Authors: Ali Juma Salum , Mauricio William , Kyomukama Lauben , Molen Selamo Fabrice , Olasinde Anthony Ayotunde , Okiria Paul , Muhumuza Joshua
Published: November 2023

Introduction:
In resource limited settings, the burden of stomas is high due to inadequate elective surgical service. This results in a big number of patients living with stomas for a long time with substandard stoma care, hence, ileostomy complications. This study aimed to determine the incidence, patterns and factors associated with ileostomy complications in two selected hospitals in western Uganda.
Methods
This was a prospective observational study conducted in the surgical departments of two regional referral hospitals in western Uganda. Patients were enrolled at the time of ileostomy creation and followed up for 6 weeks to assess for occurrence of complications, the time they occurred and the management. Analysis was done using SPSS version 26 with Poisson regression done to determine the factors associated with occurrence of complications.
Results
Among the 74 patients enrolled, the mean age was 30.2 years (SD = 18.5). Majority of the stomas were cared for by non-medical personnel 54(73.0%), with only 10(13.5%) using stoma bags routinely. The incidence of stoma complications was 68.9% (95%CI = 58.1%-79.7%). The commonest complication was skin excoriation accounting for 43.1% of the complications, followed by prolapse (15.7%), high output stoma (15.7%), and stoma retraction (15.7%). Majority of the complications occurred in the first week (39.2%). Most of the complications were managed non-operatively 30(58.8%). Not using a stoma bag was independently associated with occurrence of complications (aRR = 4.692, CI = 1.131–19.459, P = 0.033).
Conclusion
More efforts are still needed in reducing ileostomy complications and immediate efforts should be focused on providing standard stoma bags that are affordable to the patients.
Exploring Potential Biomarkers and Molecular Mechanisms of Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma Based on Bioinformatics
Authors: Qi Jiayue , Guo Qingqing , Bai Jia , Liang Xiaoqiang , Zhu Wenwei , Li Chengxin , Xie Fang
Published: November 2023

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) ranks as the second most common malignancy in clinical practice and poses a significant threat to public health due to its high malignancy. In this study, we aimed to explore potential biomarkers and molecular mechanisms of cSCC. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from GSE66359 and GSE117247 datasets were identified using R software. We conducted enrichment analyses and screened hub genes through protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). To assess the diagnostic performance of these genes, we generated ROC curves using both internal and external datasets (GSE45164) and validated the expression levels of these genes in cSCC tissues through immunohistochemistry. Subsequently, we predicted the target miRNAs and lncRNAs for hub genes using online databases and constructed competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks. In total, we identified 505 upregulated DEGs and 522 downregulated DEGs. Through PPI and WGCNA analyses, we identified four hub genes exhibiting robust diagnostic performance in internal and external datasets (AUC > 0.9) and selected three previously unreported genes for further analysis. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated significantly elevated CCNA2, CCNB2, and UBE2C expression in cSCC tissues compared to normal skin tissues. Finally, we constructed three ceRNA networks, namely NEAT1/H19-hsa-miR-148a-3p-CCNA2 and NEAT1-hsa-miR-140-3p-UBE2C. In conclusion, we have identified CCNA2, CCNB2, and UBE2C as novel biomarkers for cSCC, and the NEAT1/H19-hsa-miR-148a-3p-CCNA2 and NEAT1-hsa-miR-140-3p-UBE2C ceRNA networks may represent molecular mechanisms under-lying cSCC progression. The findings of this study offer new diagnostic and therapeutic options for cSCC patients.
Can we improve the management of inoperable malignant bowel obstruction? Results of a feasibility study of Elemental Diet as an alternative to parenteral nutrition in patients with advanced gynaecological cancer
Authors: Allan Lindsey , Skene Simon , Eastley Kate Bennett , Herbertson Rebecca , Smith Eleanor , Michael Agnieszka
Published: November 2023

Purpose. Nutrition support in inoperable bowel obstruction (IBO) remains challenging. Parenteral nutrition (PN) is recommended if prognosis is > 2 months. An elemental diet (ED) is licensed for strictures in Crohn’s disease but has not been used in malignant bowel obstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ED in patients with IBO and provide a ‘Proof of Concept’ of ED as an acceptable feeding option.
Methods. This was a mixed-methods single arm feasibility study. Endpoints included taste acceptability, incidences of vomiting and pain, the proportion of women who tolerated ED, number of cartons drunk, quality of life (QOL) and number of women treated with chemotherapy. Patients (>18 years) with CT-confirmed IBO and able to tolerate 500ml of liquid in 24 hours, remained on the trial for 2 weeks.
Results. 29 patients were recruited; of those 19 contributed to the analysis. 13 participants (68.4%) tolerated the ED. Mean number of cartons drunk was 1.72 per day. At the start of the study 72% of patients experienced vomiting, reducing to 23.5% by the end of Day 15. 96% of patients reported pain at consent, reducing to 76% by Day 15. QOL scores improved from 36.23 at baseline to 53.13 at the end of Day 15. 13 (68%) participants commenced chemotherapy within the first week of starting ED.
Conclusion. ED is well tolerated by patients with IBO caused by gynaecological malignancies and may have a positive effect on symptom burden and QOL.
Characteristics and management of municipal solid waste in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Authors: Bassey Uduak , Tom Abasi-ofon , Okono Udemeobong , John Mbetobong , Sinn Maja , Bassey Ayoge , Luke Uduak , Narra Satyanarayana
Published: November 2023

Increased urbanization and population lead to increased consumption of manufactured goods. This ultimately results in increased production of waste. Identifying its composition is crucial for planning an effective solid waste management strategy. This study assesses the characteristics and composition of the waste generated in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria, to aid in developing a scientifically supported waste management pilot system for the state. Direct waste sorting and characterization was conducted on the municipal solid waste arriving at the landfill during the study period. Over 50% of the generated waste are recyclables and composed of plastics, metals and paper, while the fraction of organic waste is over 30%. Similarly, the waste generation forecast over the next ten years presents an estimated increase of approximately 50%. Additionally, over 9,000 surveys were completed by residents to establish a problem statement about the existing waste collection and disposal system, and possible solutions. Importantly, a majority of survey respondents were willing to source-separate their wastes and supported paying a fee for adequate waste collection. This strongly indicates that an integrated waste management system could be established to generate value from the collected waste. Supplementary revenue can be generated through composting, recycling, and land reclamation.
Label-Free Functional Analysis of Root-Associated Microbes with Dynamic Quantitative Oblique Back-illumination Microscopy
Authors: Serafini Caroline Elizabeth , Green Madison , Diering Abigail , Cicerone Marcus T. , Cheung Lily S. , Kostka Joel E. , Robles Francisco E.
Published: November 2023

The increasing global demand for food, coupled with concerns about the environmental impact of synthetic fertilizers, underscores the urgency of developing sustainable agricultural practices. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, known as diazotrophs, offer a potential solution by converting atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, reducing the reliance on synthetic fertilizers. However, a deeper understanding of their interactions with plants and other microbes is needed. In this study, we introduce a recently developed label-free 3D quantitative phase imaging technology called dynamic quantitative oblique back-illumination microscopy (DqOBM) to assess the dynamic activity of diazotrophs in vitro and in situ. Our experiments involved three different diazotrophs (Sinorhizobium meliloti, Azotobacter vinelandii, and Rahnella aquatilis) cultured on media with amendments of carbon and nitrogen sources. Over five days, we observed increased dynamic activity in nutrient-amended media. These results suggest that the observed bacterial dynamics correlate with their metabolic activity. Furthermore, we applied qOBM to visualize bacterial activity within the root cap and elongation zone of Arabidopsis thaliana primary roots. This allowed us to identify distinct areas of microbial infiltration in plant roots without the need for fluorescent markers. Our findings demonstrate that DqOBM can effectively characterize microbial activity and provide insights into plant-microbe interactions in situ, offering a valuable tool for advancing our understanding of sustainable agriculture.
Macrozoobenthos of small urban lakes with polluted sediments, the Republic of Karelia, Russia
Authors: Savosin Evgeny , Slukovskii Zakhar
Published: November 2023

Assessing the benthic communities in water bodies under increasing anthropogenic pressure seems to be an urgent task of scientific research aimed at short-term and long-term monitoring of water bodies. The article focuses on the current state of zoobenthic communities of small lakes in the Republic of Karelia (Kitaiskoe and Plotichie) influenced by anthropogenic factors. The qualitative and quantitative parameters analysed for the benthic communities in the littoral and profundal zones included the species diversity, the structure of dominant species, and their percentage in the samples. According to the level of zoobenthos development, both reservoirs were classified as mesotrophic ones, and according to the values of the chironomid index “K” as moderately polluted. The Pantle-Buck method (saprobic index) showed that the lakes can be classified as polluted (water quality class 4). Macrozoobenthos groups most tolerant to environmental conditions, for example Chironomidae larvae, prevailed in the studied urban lakes. The economic development of the lakes leads to ecosystem transformation and long-term eutrophication over time affecting the biotic indicators of surface water quality. The results obtained can serve as a basis for complex environmental monitoring of the urbanized territories in the taiga zone.
Characterizing Differences in Outpatient Dermatologic Care Utilization among Disaggregated Asian American Subgroups
Authors: Kamal Kanika , Manjaly Priya , Ly Sophia , Zhou Guohai , Theodosakis Nicholas , Mostaghimi Arash
Published: November 2023

Despite having significantly higher rates of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and pigmentary disorders compared to White patients, studies suggest that Asian Americans are underrepresented in outpatient dermatology clinics. In this study, we utilize the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and prioritize disaggregated analyses to evaluate differences between the most populous Asian American subgroups (Chinese, Filipino, Indian, and “Other”) in utilization of outpatient dermatologic care. We utilized multivariable logistic regression to compare outpatient dermatologic care use between each Asian American subgroup and Non-Hispanic Whites. Out of 96,559 adults, our study included 5,264 self-identified Asian American and 91,295 non-Hispanic White adults. Most Asian participants were female, had health insurance, and had incomes > 2 times above the federal poverty line. We found that, compared to 21.4% for NH whites, lifetime prevalence of total body skin exam was highest among Filipino Americans (12.3%) and lowest among Indian Americans (7.0%). Additionally, all Asian American subgroups had a significantly lower odd than NH Whites of ever having a total body skin exam, with Indian Americans having the lowest odds. While the benefit of TBSEs in Indian Americans is unclear, it is possible that differing cultural perceptions about dermatologic needs, barriers to care, or immigration status may be contributing to the observed difference. Furthermore, the Indian diaspora encapsulates a range of skin tones, risk factors, and behaviors that may differentially influence dermatologic disease risk, similar to trends identified among Hispanic patients.5 Additional research utilizing the seven national databases that have been identified as providing disaggregated Asian racial information6 may be useful to further illuminate avenues for intervention.
Organic Molecules are Deterministically Assembled in River Sediments
Authors: Stegen James , Garayburu-Caruso Vanessa , Danczak Robert , Chu Rosalie , Goldman Amy , McKever Sophia , Renteria Lupita , Toyoda Jason , Consortium WHONDRS
Published: November 2023

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is central to ecosystem function. A challenge is understanding processes driving variation in DOM chemistry. We examine these processes through a community ecology lens by quantifying the degree to which DOM chemistry is organized via stochastic versus deterministic forces. These forces have been studied using null models applied to aquatic and saturated subsurface DOM. We extend this work into variably inundated riverbed sediments, which are ubiquitous. Among 38 sites across biomes, we found that within-site variation in DOM chemistry is often strongly deterministic, though some sites were dominated by stochasticity. We hypothesized that the strength of determinism would be linked to sediment moisture, and found partial support for this, but in the form of a constraint space. The strength of determinism in many sites fell below the upper constraint boundary. We integrated our results with previous studies to develop a post-hoc conceptual model in which DOM assemblages are hypothesized to be increasingly deterministic moving from the river water column to saturated sediment pore spaces to unsaturated and dry soils/sediments. This conceptual model can guide follow-on work aimed at developing generalizable knowledge of how DOM chemistry is influenced by a combination of stochastic and deterministic processes.
The Relationship Between Echocardiographic Parameters and Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index in Patients With Pulmonary Arteri̇Al Hypertension
Authors: Omur Sefa Erdi , Tapar Gulsen Genc , Yilmaz Mustafa , Bektas Abdullah Emre , Demir Osman
Published: November 2023

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic disease with high morbidity and mortality.Diagnosis of PAH is mainly made based on echocardiographic parameters and natriuretic peptide levels. However, given the low incidence of PAH worldwide, the diagnosis of PAH can be challenging.
Objectives: Examining the relationship between Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and PAH.
Methods: The sample of this retrospective, cross-sectional study consisted of 110 patients, of whom 43 were PAH patients and 67 were control subjects. SII was evaluated comparatively between the PAH and control groups.
Results: The findings of this study indicated that SII was significantly higher in the PAH group than in the control group(1054.15±439.99 vs. 506.7±180.55, p<0.001). The correlation analysis between SII and echocardiographic parameters revealed that SII was moderately correlated with right ventricular fractional area change (RV FAC) (r:-0.567,p<0.001), systolic pulmonary artery pressure(sPAP)(r:0.593, p<0.001), and tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV)(r:0.662,p<0.001). Additionally, it was determined that SII was strongly correlated with right atrial (RA) area(r:0.822,p<0.001),pulmonary artery (PA)diameter (r:0.819, p<0.001), left atrium (LA) diameter(r:0.937,p<0.001), inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter (r:0.869,p<0.001), TAPSE (r:-0.902,p<0.001), TAPSE/sPAP (r:-0.831,p<0.001).
Conclusion: In conclusion, we determined that SII, as a simple, inexpensive, noninvasive and easily accessible biochemical parameter, may be useful in the diagnosis and follow-up of PAH, especially in pulmonary hypertansion centers. In addition, the finding of correlations between SII and the parameters used in the follow-up of PAH patients, e.g., N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), World Health Organization functional capacity (WHO-FC), indicates that SII can be an important biomarker.