bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CSMD1 mutation is associated with prognosis, tumor mutation burden, and immunophenotype in non-metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Liu Yi , Guo Yue , Yuan Quanliang , Zhang Qingdong , Cao Dongsheng , Wu Yijuan , Cheng Long , Han Ke
Published: May 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Comprehensive clinical management and precise treatment for CRC patients are very important, which can significantly improve the survival rates of patients, especially those who have not developed distant metastases. The study is aimed to explore the relationship of somatic mutations with immune response and prognosis in non-metastatic CRC (non-mCRC) patients. We collected gene expression data, clinical information, and somatic mutation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the International Cancer Genome Consortium databases. We identified 16 mutated genes associated with non-mCRC that were common to both databases and calculated the tumor mutation burden (TMB). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that of the 16 mutant genes, CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1) mutations are related to CRC prognosis, and this was confirmed by univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Finally, we used gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to explore the association of CSMD1 mutations with immune response pathways, and also measured the tumor-infiltrating immune cell fractions and the key immune checkpoints expression. The results indicated that the CSMD1 mutation might activate the non-mCRC immune response. Thus, CSMD1 might be regarded as a promising biomarker to predict immune response in non-mCRC.
Factors affecting the use of dental services among Arab children in Israel: A qualitative study
Authors: Khatib Mohammad , Ashkenazi Yael , Loeff Yoav , Zusman Shlomo Paul , Natapov Lena
Published: May 2023

Background In 2010, Israel reformed its hitherto dominantly privately financed dental services and included preventative and restorative dental care for children in the publicly-funded basket of healthcare services. A survey conducted by Brookdale Institute, found that only 67% of low-income Israeli-Arab children were using the new service (compared to 85% of Jewish children) while the majority of others continue using privately funded services. The aim of this study is to explore and explain Israeli-Arab children's low utilization of publicly-funded preventive and restorative dental care.Methods A qualitative study designed to describe and understand the parents’ motivations and choices. As a preliminary stage, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with directors of HMO dental departments and Israeli-Arab dentists. In the main part of the study, ten one-on-one interviews with parents, and five focus group discussions with 55 parents held February-March 2017. The parents were recruited through community settings. All discussions in the focus groups were conducted in Arabic and each group was moderated by one of the research team accompanied by another person who documented and recorded the discussion. All interviews and focus groups were recorded, transcribed in full and translated into Hebrew. A content analysis was done to explore key themes.Results The prevalent attitude is that one goes to the dentist only when there is a serious problem. The importance of preventive care is not appreciated. A childhood fear of the drill is very remembered and passed onto the children. Social and cultural factors such as kinship with service providers (GPs and dentists) influence the choice and utilization of health services. Economic barriers are still existing since even the small co-payment is daunting to low-income parents of large families. Provision of the public service is inadequate in some Arab villages.Conclusions The extension of Israel's National Health Insurance Law’s basket of services to include dental care for children, while important, is not sufficiently embraced by Israeli Arab children. The remaining barriers include poor living conditions, low educational level that requires very clear sharing of information about the new service, and the resistance of cultural and social traditions.
Recrystallization of triple superphosphate derived from waste mollusk shells to produce mono- and di- calcium phosphates in green and low-cost way
Authors: Seesanong Somkiat , Seangarun Chaowared , Boonchom Banjong , Sron Chuchai , Thompho Somphob , Rungrojchaipon Pesak , Boonmee Wimonmat , Laohavisuti Nongnuch
Published: May 2023

High consumption of mollusk shells generates many waste mollusk shells. To reduce and utilize these wastes, they can be cleaned and milled to produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) powders, which can be further used as raw material for producing valuable products. This research presents a simple, cheap, and environmentally friendly preparation of calcium phosphates by using waste mollusk shells as a renewable source. All synthesized calcium phosphate samples were characterized and confirmed by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal analysis. The addition of phosphoric acid to mollusk-derived CaCO3 generated triple superphosphate (TSP), which consisted of two or more calcium phosphate compounds. After the TSP powder was dissolved in water, non-soluble powders were obtained and found to be dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD, CaHPO4·2H2O). After removing non-soluble compounds and then the self-evaporating process of the solution fraction to dryness, the recrystallized product was investigated and confirmed as monocalcium phosphate monohydrate (MCPM, Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O). This recrystallization process produced highly purified Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O with high solubility and phosphorus content that can be used as an effective fertilizer. The green and low-cost preparation of calcium phosphates proposed in this research will be valuable to reduce waste mollusk shells by reforming them into value-added products. This information points out the viewpoint of a zero-waste operation for obtaining sustainable development, which could be selected as an effective technique for waste management and recycling.
Production, Statistical Evaluation and Characterization of Chitosanase from Fusarium oxysporum D18
Authors: Abedin Rania Mohamed Ahmed , Elwaly Doha R. M. Abd , El-Salam Ayat E. Abd
Published: May 2023

Purpose The present research work focuses on the extraction of chitosanase enzyme from soil fungi. Chitosan hydrolysis by chitosanase is one of the most effective methods to produce chitosan oligosaccharides which are new biomaterials that have many biological activities such as antitumor, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antimicrobial.
Method: A strain producing chitosanase was screened and identified as Fusarium oxysporum D18 with an accession number OL343607. Various physiological parameters (incubation type, carbon source, additive nitrogen source, statistical evaluation, solid state fermentation) were assessed to increase chitosanase production.
Results: Fusarium oxysporum D18 produced a considerable value of chitosanase, (1.220 U/ml). after 7 days of incubation, the best carbon source was lactose, and the best nitrogen source was ammonium chloride. Statistical evaluation was carried out by using Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken designs. The highest chitosanase production, (1.994 U/ml) was induced by the medium composition g/L: KH2PO4 (1.5), MgSO4 (0.269), lactose (18), NH4Cl (1.26), pH (6.68), using a 5-day old inoculum and chitosanase activity was 1.63 folds that of the original medium. The production of chitosanase by Fusarium oxysporum D18 in solid state cultures using different solid substrates was studied and the best solid substrate for higher chitosanase activity (2.246 U/ml) was raw shrimp heads and shells and chitosanase activity was 1.13 folds that of the optimized liquid cultures. An extracellular chitosanase was isolated and partially purified by using 75 % saturation of ammonium sulphate. The highest chitosanase activity (3.667 U/ml) was obtained at enzyme protein concentration, (9.391 mg/ml), substrate concentration, (1.20%), Vmax of the enzyme was approximately (4.04 U/ml), km was (0.26%), at pH, (5.6) and reaction temperature, (50°C). The activity of the purified and characterized chitosanase increased by 3 times than that the original isolate activity. The enzyme was thermostable and retained about 55% of its original activity after heating at 70°C for 15 min. The enzyme preparations were activated by Ca2+ ions and inactivated by Zn+2, Cu+2 ions, and EDTA.
Conclusion: An antitumor activity of chitooligosaccharides produced by the chitosanase was applied to the MCF-7 (breast carcinoma cells) and they had a cytotoxicity inhibitory effect against them about IC50 = (448 μg/ml).
Comparative Study of Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines Cultured in Two- and Three- Dimensional Models: Insights into Cellular Morphologies, Drug Responsiveness and Transcriptomics
Authors: Abbas Zaid Nsaif , Al-Saffar Ali Z. , Jasim Saba Mahdi , Sulaiman Ghassan M.
Published: May 2023

Drug development is a time-consuming and expensive process, given the low success rate of clinical trials. Now, anticancer drug developments have shifted to three-dimensional (3D) models which are more likely to mimic tumor behavior compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) cultures. A comparative study among different aspects was conducted between 2D and 3D cultures using colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines, in addition, Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) block samples of patients with CRC were used for evaluation. Compared to the 2D culture, cells grown in 3D displayed significant (p < 0.01) differences in the pattern of cell proliferation over time, cell death phase profile, expression of tumorgenicity related genes and responsiveness to 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and doxorubicin, compared with 2D cultured cells. Epigenetically, 3D cultures and FFPE shared the same methylation pattern and microRNA expression, while 2D cells showed elevation in methylation rate and altered microRNA expression. Lastly, transcriptomic study depending on RNA sequencing and thorough bioinformatic analyses showed significant (p-adj < 0.05) dissimilarity in gene expression profile between 2D and 3D cultures involving thousands of genes (up/down-regulated) of multiple pathways for each cell line. Taken together, the study provides insights into variation in cellular morphologies between cells cultured in 2D and 3D models.
Effects of Refundable State Earned Income Tax Credit on Access to Health Care and Dental Services of Single Mothers of Two Or More Children: A Quasi-experimental Study
Authors: Qian Haobing , Wehby George
Published: May 2023

Background Low-income women face access constraints to timely medical and dental services particularly not covered by Medicaid. Less is known about how small to moderate income changes from state EITC in low-income households affect health care access and utilization. This study aims to examine the effects of refundable state EITC on access to care among low-income mothers and evaluate how the effects vary across different interview months depending on the length of effective EITC exposure time window.Methods The sample included single low-educated mothers aged 18–44 with at least two children. From 1996–2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). A two-way fixed effects model is employed to estimate the overall effects of state EITC on access to medical and dental care services pooling across the last 12 months. Next we estimate the effects for those interviewed during May to December and June to November, anticipating larger effects due to longer effective EITC exposure time.Results Our findings demonstrate differential treatment effects on access to medical and dental care. Overall, we do no find positive effects of refundable state EITC programs on access to medical and dental services in models pooling across the last 12 months. However, when focusing on those interviewed during May-December, our results show a 10 percentage-point increase in refundable state EITC is associated with 0.2 percentage-point reduction in forgone medical visit (95% CI: -0.007,0.003), 0.3 percentage-point reduction in routine medical checkup (95% CI: -0.007,0.0002), and 1 percentage-point increase in dental visit (95% CI: 0.003,0.02). Effects are larger among those interviewed June-November, suggesting longer effective EITC exposure time window are associated with larger EITC benefits.Conclusion Our findings provide some albeit limited evidence of small economic benefits from refundable state EITC programs on access to medical and dental services within the months immediately following disbursement of refunds. Effects are larger for interviewed months June-November, compared to interview months May-December. Overall, however, effects are small, and estimates can rule out moderate to large effects. And changes in healthcare utilization are likely to be short term.
Healthcare costs attributable to abnormal weight in China: evidence based on a longitudinal study
Authors: Zhao Shiqi , Xu Xinpeng , You Hua , Ge Jinjin , Wu Qifeng
Published: May 2023

BackgroundThe prevalence of abnormal weight is on the rise, presenting serious health risks and socioeconomic problems. Nonetheless, there is a lack of consensus on the medical cost savings that can be attained through the mitigation of abnormal weight. The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of abnormal weight on health care costs in China.MethodsThe study employed a 5-wave panel data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) between 2012 and 2020 (8,847 participants in each wave). Inpatient, non-inpatient and total healthcare costs were outcome variables. Abnormal weight is categorized based on body mass index (BMI).Initially, the two-part model was employed to investigate the impact of overweight/obesity and underweight on healthcare utilisation and costs, respectively. Subsequently, the estimated results were utilised to calculate the overweight/obesity attributable fraction (OAF) and the underweight attributable fraction (UAF).Results In 2020,the total national healthcare cost of the overweight and obese population was estimated to be $189.99 billion and $ 62.54 billion, and the underweight population was $37.32 billion. In comparison to people of normal weight, individuals who were overweight/obese (OR=1.072, p<0.05) and underweight (OR=1.143, p<0.1) were more likely to utilise healthcare services. Overweight/obesity attributable fraction (OAF) was 3.16% of total healthcare costs and 2.80% of non-inpatient costs. Underweight attributable faction (UAF) was 2.10% of total healthcare costs and 1.92% of non-inpatient costs. Both overweight/obese and underweight increased the likelihood of hospitalisation, although neither of them had a statistically significant impact on inpatient costs (p>0.1).ConclusionsAbnormal weight imposes a huge economic burden on individuals, households and the society. Abnormal weight in Chinese adults significantly increased healthcare utilisation and costs, particular in non-inpatient care. It is recommended that government and relevant social agencies provide a better social environment to enhance individual self-perception and promote healthy weight.
Wrinkling control and microstructure of 7075 aluminum alloy hemispherical shell in gradient ultra-low temperature forming
Authors: Fan Xiaobo , Qiao Ke , Chen Xianshuo , Yuan Shijian
Published: May 2023

Gradient ultra-low temperature forming is a novel process for improving the forming limit of aluminum alloy thin-walled components. It is still very critical to prevent the wrinkling defect through blank-holding. The effects of draw bead and blank-holder force on the wrinkling behaviors in gradient ultra-low temperature forming for a 7075 aluminum alloy hemispherical shell were thus experimentally studied. The wrinkling controlling mechanism was revealed through stress and strain analyzing. The required blank-holder force to prevent wrinkling can be reduced significantly through the setting of draw bead. The blank-holder force of 120 kN can be used to form the sound hemispherical specimen with 200 mm in diameter, being 31.5% of that without draw bead. This benefits from the decreasing hoop compressive stress in unsupported region, which reduced to 165 MPa from 516 MPa. The hemispherical shell formed in gradient ultra-low temperature forming was twice higher than that at room temperature. And the thickness deviation is only 7.2%. Moreover, the reason for the enhanced formability was revealed by microstructure observation. The uniform distributed high-density dislocation at the ultra-low temperature significantly improves the strain-hardening ability so that the deformation can be withstood and transferred. This can avoid the splitting of the unsupported region while setting the draw bead to prevent wrinkling. It is very beneficial to greatly reduce the tonnage requirement, especially for the large-sized thin-walled components, which expands the application range of gradient ultra-low temperature forming.
Treatment of children with refractory/relapse high risk Langerhans cell histiocytosis with the combination of cytarabine, vindesine and prednisone
Authors: Wang Wenqian , Ge Jian , Ma Honghao , Lian Hongyun , Cui Lei , Zhao Yunze , Li Zhigang , Wang Tianyou , Zhang Rui
Published: May 2023

Background: The patients with multisystem and risk organ involvement Langerhans cell histiocytosis (MS-RO+ LCH) have poor prognosis. The patients with MS-RO+ LCH who failed front-line therapy have a high mortality rate and the standard salvage treatment has not been established. The combination of cytarabine (Ara-c), vincristine (VCR) and prednisone might be effective in refractory/relapse MS-RO+ LCH, with low toxicity.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed pediatric refractory/relapse MS-RO+ LCH patients treated with the low-dose Ara-c (100mg/m2/d×5days) or high-dose Ara-c (500mg/m2/d×5days) combined with vindesine (VDS) and prednisone in a single center. The efficacy, long term outcomes and adverse events were analyzed.
Results: From January 2013 to December 2016, 13 patients receiving the low-dose Ara-c chemotherapy (LAC) and 7 patients receiving the high-dose Ara-c chemotherapy (HAC) were enrolled in the study. 11 (84.64%) of the 13 patients treated with the LAC regimen and 6 (85.71%) of the 7 patients treated with the HAC regimen had response after four courses of the therapy. All patients in the study were alive during follow-up, and the 5-year event-free survival rate (EFS) was 42.98% and 85.71% in the LAC and HAC groups. The most frequent adverse event was Grade 1/2 myelosuppression, which was observed in 38.46% (5/13) and 42.86% (3/7) of patients who received the LAC and HAC regimen.
Conclusions: A combination of Ara-c, VDS and prednisone might be effective as a salvage treatment in some patients with refractory/relapse MS-RO+ LCH , with low toxicity and 5-year overall survival rate of 100%. The high-dose Ara-c regimen was associated with numerically higher EFS rate.
Theoretical and experimental investigation of the deformation shape in press-braking bending considering surface residual stresses induced by milling operation
Authors: Zhang Min , Li Dongming
Published: May 2023

Press-braking bending is usually performed after face milling to obtain the specified curvature of variety mechanical parts, which is widely applied in the aircraft manufacturing. The surface layer residual stress on workpiece caused by milling has an important influence on subsequent forming. The influences of surface residual stress caused by milling operation on press-braking bending has been investigated analytically and experimentally in this study. The analytical model for springback prediction based on plane strain assumption is proposed using the material model of Mises yield criterion and Swift exponential hardening law, and takes into account of the effects of milling-induced residual stress. Three levels of residual stress are introduced in the test plates through milling operation with different cutting speed. The analytical results are compared with the bending experiments of 7050-T7451 Al-alloy plates. Results show that the accuracy of the contour obtained by the proposed model is improved when surface residual stress is considered. Furthermore, the influence of surface residual stress on springback is discussed. It is revealed that surface tensile residual stress increases springback and surface compressive residual stress contributes positively to the final shape of bent specimens.
The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Meng Shilong , Tong Minghao , Yu Yang , Tang Binbin , Cao Yanguang , Shi Xiaolin , Liu Kang
Published: May 2023

Background
Osteoporotic fracture is a common skeletal disease in the elderly, characterized by high mortality and disability, high medical costs, and social burden. A timely understanding of the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly can provide a corresponding reference basis for prevention and treatment. However, there is no meta-analysis to study the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly (≥ 60 years old) in Chinese. So we plan to systematically evaluate the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the Chinese elderly.
Methods
We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Wan Fang Data, and VIP databases about relevant studies on the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly in China. After screening and evaluating the quality of the literature, relevant data were extracted for statistical analysis. The source of heterogeneity and the comparison of prevalence between different groups were confirmed through subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis.
Results
The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly was 18.9% [95%CI (16.5%, 21.4%)]. Subgroup analysis results: The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures was 14.3% [95%CI (10.1%, 18.5%)] in men and 18.5% [95% CI (14.8%, 22.3%)] in women. The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures was 15.9% [95% CI (12.2%, 19.6%)] in 60–69 years old, 25.0% [95%CI (19.6%, 30.5%)] in 70–79 years old, and 35.6% [95% CI (27.9%, 43.4%) ] in ≥ 80 years old. The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures was 18.9% [95% CI (15.9%, 21.8%)] in the southern region and 20.3% [95% CI (12.2%, 28.3%)] in the northern part. The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in Chinese elderly was 13.2% [95% CI (10.4%, 16.1%)] from 2000 to 2010 and 22.7% [95% CI (18.7%, 26.6%)] from 2012 to 2022. The prevalence of osteoporotic hip fracture in older people was 4.5% [95% CI (3.3%, 5.7%)]. Distal forearm osteoporotic fracture was 3.0% [95% CI (2.2%, 3.7%)]. The prevalence of osteoporotic spinal fractures was 11.6% [95% CI (9.8%, 13.4%)].
Conclusion
The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the Chinese elderly is 18.9%, and timely prevention and treatment are necessary.
Trial registration: The ID number registered on Prospero is CRD42023383566.
Evidence of corallivorous Drupella cornus breeding on the higher latitude reefs of Rottnest Island (32° S), Western Australia.
Authors: Haslam Veera Maria , Bessey Cindy , Chaplin Jennifer A , Keulen Mike van
Published: May 2023

With increasing seawater temperatures, higher latitude temperate and sub-tropical reefs are becoming increasingly tropicalised. Although these cooler areas might offer refuge to tropical species escaping the heat, the reshaping of ecosystems can have devastating effects on the biodiversity in these areas, especially when habitat structure is affected. Recently, feeding aggregations of corallivorous gastropod Drupella cornus, a tropical species capable of large-scale reef degradation, were found at Rottnest Island in Western Australia (32 °S). We provide evidence that D. cornus spawned at Rottnest Island for two consecutive years in 2020–2022. Drupella veligers are also shown to hatch and develop successfully at lower temperatures (17.5–23.2°C) in the laboratory, showing high plasticity in the early life stages of D. cornus. The spawning was possibly triggered by higher than usual La Niña-associated SSTs during the survey period, or the long period of high sea water temperature anomalies recorded around Rottnest Island. A spawning population of D. cornus can greatly affect these higher-latitude reef areas, especially when accompanied by increased heat stress. Monitoring and management should be implemented to further understand what effects a breeding, and potentially self-sustaining population of D. cornus has on Rottnest Island.
Decay-in-time of solutions for the compressible isentropic non-Newtonian fluids
Authors: Wang Jialiang , Jiang Han
Published: May 2023

Motivated by the well-posedness result of non-Newtonian fluids in [Guo-Zhu, J. Differential Equations , 178 (2002), 281-297] and the large behavior result of Navier-Stokes system in [Li-Zhang, Math. Meth. Appl. Sci, 34 (2011), 670-682], we investigate the decay-in-time of solutions for a three-dimensional compressible non-Newtonian fluid. In this paper, we consider the large time behavior of solutions to the Cauchy problem for three-dimensional compressible isentropic non-Newtonian equations.
Biallelic variants of the first Kunitz domain of SPINT2 cause none syndromic form of congenital diarrhea and tufting enteropathy
Authors: Rawahi Yusriya Al , Sunaidi Omar Al , Al-Masqari Mohammed , Jamei Adawiya Al , Rahmatalla Dafalla , Al-Maawali Almundher
Published: May 2023

Biallelic SPINT2 pathogenic variants cause a syndromic form of congenital diarrhea and enteropathy (OMIM 270420). To date, all 34 patients reported presented with additional extra-intestinal syndromic features. We report on a 5-year-old girl who presented early in life with congenital diarrhea and was found to have a novel homozygous variant in SPINT2. She presented with congenital diarrhea, pathological studies confirmed tufting enteropathy, and at the age of 5 years, she did not develop any extra-intestinal syndromic features. The variant (NM_021102.4: c.203A > G (p. [Tyr68Cys]) detected in homozygosity status is the first missense mutation reported in the 1st Kunitz domain (KD1) of SPINT2 in humans. Previously in-vitro functional studies of this variant confirmed the deleterious effect leading to complete loss of inhibitory activity of the intestinal serine proteases. Furthermore, this is the first description of SPINT2-related diarrhea in a patient who lived without the need for long-term total parenteral nutrition. This study expands the clinical and molecular characteristics of SPINT-related conditions.
Glutamic Acid Intake by Formula-Fed Infants: Are Acceptable Daily Intakes Feasible?
Authors: Mennella Julie A. , Smethers Alissa D. , Delahanty Michelle T. , Stallings Virginia A. , Trabulsi Jillian C.
Published: May 2023

Purpose. The 2017 European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommendation of an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 30 mg glutamic acid/kg bw/d did not take into consideration the primary energy sources during infancy, including infant formulas. In the present study, we determined total daily intakes of glutamic acid in a contemporary cohort of healthy infants who were fed either cow milk formula (CMF) or extensive protein hydrolysate formulas (EHF); the formulas differed in glutamic acid content (262.4 mg/100ml, CMF; 436.2 mg/100ml, EHF). Methods. The infants (n = 141) were randomized to be fed either CMF or EHF. Daily intakes were determined from weighed bottle methods and/or prospective diet records, and body weights and lengths were measured on 15 occasions from 0.5 to 12.5 months. The trial was registered on http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ as trial registration number NCT01700205 on 3 October 2012. Results. Glutamic acid intake from formula and other foods was significantly higher in infants fed EHF when compared to CMF. As glutamic acid intake from formula decreased, intake from other nutritional sources steadily increased from 5.5 months. Regardless of formula type, every infant exceeded the ADI of 30 mg/kg bw/d from 0.5 to 12.5 months. Conclusions. Faced with the knowledge that the EFSA health-based guidance value (ADI) was not based on actual intake data and did not account for the primary energy sources during infancy, EFSA may reconsider the scientific literature on growing children’s intakes from human milk, infant formula, and the complementary diet to provide parents and health care providers with revised guidelines.
Factors associated with non-participation in breast cancer screening: Analysis of the 2016 and 2019 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan
Authors: Kawamura Chitose , Iwagami Masao , Sun Yu , Komiyama Jun , Ito Tomoko , Sugiyama Takehiro , Bando Hiroko , Tamiya Nanako
Published: May 2023

Background
The participation rate for breast cancer screening remains to be suboptimal in Japan. Therefore, it is important to identify factors associated with non-participation and to identify people at high risk for non-participation.
Methods
We carried out a cross-sectional study using the data of women aged 40–74 years from the 2016 and 2019 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions. We selected candidate predictor variables from the survey sheets and conducted a multivariable logistic regression for non-participation in breast cancer screening for the past 2 years. In addition, using data from 2016, we created an integer risk score for non-participation and tested its predictive performance in 2019.
Results
The proportion of participants in breast cancer screening in 2016 and 2019 were 46.7% (50,177/107,513) and 48.7% (49,498/101,716), respectively. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, age over 50 years, single/divorced/widowed, lower education level, lower household expenditure, being insured for National Health Insurance, employed to small/middle scale company, non-regularly employed, current smoker, never/quit drinking or middle/high-risk drinking, lower self-rated health status, higher Kessler Psychological Distress Scale score, non-participation in the annual health checkups for diseases other than cancer, not constantly visiting hospitals/clinics showed a positive association with non-participation. The 9-item risk score (age, marital status, education, health insurance plan, employment, smoking, drinking, non-participation in the annual health checkups for diseases other than cancer, and not constantly visiting hospitals/clinics) and 3-item risk score (age, health insurance plan, non-participation in the annual health checkups for diseases other than cancer) showed the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.744 and 0.720, respectively.
Conclusion
We identified factors associated with non-participation in breast cancer screening. The simple risk score would be useful for public health sectors to identify people at risk for non-participation.
A Fine Pore-preserved Deep Neural Network for Porosity Analytics of a High Burnup U-10Zr Metallic Fuel
Authors: Wang Haotian , Xu Fei , Cai Lu , Salvato Daniele , Lemma Fidelma Giulia , Capriotti Luca , Yao Tiankai , Xian Min
Published: May 2023

U-10 wt.% Zr (U-10Zr) metallic fuel is the leading candidate for next-generation sodium-cooled fast reactors. Porosity is one of the most important factors that impacts the performance of U-10Zr metallic fuel. The pores generated by the fission gas accumulation can lead to changes in thermal conductivity, fuel swelling, Fuel-Cladding Chemical Interaction (FCCI) and Fuel-Cladding Mechanical Interaction (FCMI). Therefore, it is crucial to accurately segment and analyze porosity to understand the U-10Zr fuel system to design future fast reactors. To address the above issues, we introduce a data processing workflow to produce multi-source Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image data. Moreover, an encoder-decoder-based, deep fully convolutional network is proposed to segment pores accurately by integrating the residual unit and the densely connected units. Two SEM 250× field of view image datasets with different formats are utilized to evaluate the new proposed model’s performance. Sufficient comparison results demonstrate that our method quantitatively outperforms two popular deep fully convolutional networks. Furthermore, we conducted experiments on the third SEM 2500 × field of view image dataset, and the transfer learning results show the potential capability to transfer the knowledge from low-magnification images to high-magnification images. Finally, we use a pre-trained network to predict SEM images in the whole cross-sectional image and obtain quantitative porosity analysis. Our findings will guide the SEM microscopy data collection efficiently, provide a mechanistic understanding of the U-10Zr fuel system and bridge the gap between advanced characterization to fuel system design.
Tumor-derived KLK8 predicts inferior survival and promotes an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment in lung squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Tian He , Yang Zhenlin , Xiao Chu , Wei Ran , Fan Tao , Che Yun , Liu Tiejun , Zheng Bo , Li Chunxiang , He Jie
Published: May 2023

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is the second most common lung cancer worldwide, leading to millions of deaths annually. Although immunotherapy has expanded the therapeutic choices for LUSC and achieved considerable efficacy in a subset of patients, many patients could not benefit, and resistance was pervasive. Therefore, it is significant to investigate the mechanisms leading to patients’ poor response to immunotherapies and explore novel therapeutic targets. Using multiple public LUSC datasets, we found that Kallikrein-8 (KLK8) expression was higher in tumor samples and was correlated with inferior survival. Using a LUSC cohort (n = 190) from our center, we validated the bioinformatic findings about KLK8 and identified high KLK8 expression as an independent risk factor for LUSC. Function enrichment showed that several immune signaling pathways were upregulated in the KLK8 low-expression group and downregulated in the KLK8 high-expression group. For patients with low KLK8 expression, they were with a more active TME, which was both observed in the TCGA database and immune marker immunohistochemistry, and they had extensive positive relations with immune cells with tumor-eliminating functions. This study identified KLK8 as a risk factor in LUSC and illustrated the associations between KLK8 and cancer immunity, suggesting the potentiality of KLK8 as a novel immune target in LUSC.
A Gist of an Obscure Neoplasm in Ghana: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours
Authors: Yorke Joseph , Brenu² Samuel Gyasi , Awoonor-Williams Ronald , Tabiri Stephen , Seidu Anwar , Yamoah² Francis Akwaw , Akpaloo¹ Joseph , Der Edmund Muonir , Adjei Ernest , Buckman Tonnies Abeku , Okyere¹ Isaac , Ihekanandu Kenneth Kelechi , Bonsu Ernest Bawuah Osei , Kyei¹ Ishmael , Mensah¹ Samuel , Adinku¹ Michael Ofoe , Yorke Dennis Afful , Agyapong Akwasi Opoku , Kwao Francis Somiah , Agyei Martin Kofi , Oppong-Nkrumah Nana Akosua , Annan Kwasi Dadzie , Ellis Theodora-Ann Fremponma , Danso Patrick , Acheampong Emmanuel
Published: May 2023

Background
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour is a rare but potentially curable tumour of the gastrointestinal tract accounting for up to 1% of all gastrointestinal tumours. The discovery of Imatinib mesylate, a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor has improved the chances even for unresectable, recurrent, or metastatic diseases.
Methods
This study sought to document the clinical and pathological characteristics of GISTs from two tertiary hospitals in Ghana that have undergone immunohistochemistry confirmation between 2014 and 2021.
Results
The median age of the subjects was 50 years with most of them (28.0%) being above 61 years. There were more females than males (64.0% vs 36.0%). Abdominal mass and abdominal pain made up the majority of the clinical presentations. The majority of the subjects had partial gastrectomy (32.0%) which was followed by wedge resection (28.0%). Appendectomy and sleeve gastrectomy were the least performed procedures (8% each). Four of the 25 patients (16.0%) had resections of involved contiguous organs done with splenectomy being the most common procedure. The majority of GISTs were found in the stomach (68.0%) followed by the appendix (12.0%) and small bowel (12.0%). Gastrointestinal bleeding (55.8%) and abdominal pain (38.5%) were the most reported symptoms. Free resection margins were observed in 84.0% of the subjects and only 3/25 (12.0%) experienced tumour recurrence.
Conclusion
GIST is a potentially curable tumour that once was obscure but currently gaining popularity. Surgical resection offers the hope of a cure for localized disease while targeted therapies is a viable option for recurrent, metastatic, or unresectable tumours.
Gold Nanowire Mesh Electrode for Electromechanical Device
Authors: Ikeda Taichi
Published: May 2023

Ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuators were prepared with Nafion film as the ionic polymer and gold nanowire (Au-NW) film as the metal electrodes by hot-pressing, which shorten manufacturing time within one hour. As a reference, IPMC actuator consisting of Nafion film and gold foil (Au-foil) was also prepared. Au-NW film afforded the mesh electrode with thinner and lower surface resistivity than the conventional electrode prepared by electroless plating. Larger contact area of the Au-NW mesh electrode than the Au-foil electrode resulted in better actuation performance. It was confirmed that the transformation behavior of Au-NWs differs depending on the external stimuli condition. Namely Au-NWs transformed to Au nanoparticles in the case of the heat stimulus only. Meanwhile, Au-NWs transformed to plates in the case of the heat and pressure stimuli. While higher temperature improved the adhesion of Au-NW mesh electrode to the Nafion surface, it induced the transformation of nanowire to plates. Therefore, the best preparation temperature was 90 ºC. This research expanded the application field of gold nanowires to the electromechanical devices.
Clinical correlates of diagnostic certainty in children with autism
Authors: Rødgaard Eya-Mist , Rodríguez-Herreros Borja , Zeribi Abderrahim , Jensen Kristian , Courchesne Valérie , Douard Elise , Gagnon David , Huguet Guillaume , Jacquemont Sebastien , Mottron Laurent
Published: May 2023

Background
Clinicians diagnosing autism rely on diagnostic instruments and criteria in combination with an implicit knowledge of the specific signs and presentations associated with the condition, based on clinical expertise. This implicit knowledge influences how diagnostic criteria are interpreted but cannot be directly observed. Instead, insight into clinicians’ understanding of autism can be gained by investigating their diagnostic certainty. Modest correlations between the certainty of an autism diagnosis and symptom load have been previously reported. Here, we investigated the associations of diagnostic certainty with specific items of the ADOS as well as other clinical features including head circumference.
Methods
Phenotypic data from the Simons Simplex Collection was used to investigate clinical correlates of diagnostic certainty in individuals with autism. Participants were stratified by the ADOS module used to evaluate them. We investigated how diagnostic certainty was associated with total ADOS scores, age, and ADOS module. We calculated the odds-ratios of being diagnosed with the highest possible certainty given the presence or absence of different signs during the ADOS evaluation. Associations between diagnostic certainty and other cognitive and clinical variables were also assessed.
Results
Some ADOS items showed a larger association with diagnostic certainty than others. Head circumference was significantly higher for individuals with the highest certainty rating across all three ADOS modules. In turn, head circumference was positively correlated with some of those ADOS items that were associated with diagnostic certainty, particularly in ADOS module 2.
Limitations:
The investigated cohort was heterogeneous, possibly impeding the identification of associations that only exist in a subgroup of the population. The scoring of diagnostic certainty may vary between clinicians.
Conclusion
Some ADOS items may better capture the signs that are most associated with clinicians’ implicit knowledge of autism. If replicated in future studies, new diagnostic instruments with differentiated weighting of signs may be needed to better reflect this, possibly resulting in better specificity in standardized assessments.
Client-Based Web Attacks Detection Using Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Hong Jiwon , Kim Hyeongmin , Oh Suhyeon , Im Yerin , Jeong Hyeonseong , Kim Hyunmin , Kim Kyounggon
Published: May 2023

The prevalence of client-based web attacks, which exploit web vulnerabil- ities, has been increasing with the growth of web sites. Although pattern detection has been widely used to protect against web attacks, it has a high probability of failing to detect new types of attacks. To address this issue, we propose a novel approach for responding to three typical client- based web attacks (JavaScript malware, phishing attacks, and script- based web attacks) using machine learning algorithms. Our approach involves extracting relevant features from source code and URLs, and then training and testing various machine learning models (including Random Forest, Deep Neural Network, and Convolutional Neural Net- work) to determine the final model. Our experimental results indicate that our Random Forest model achieved high accuracy rates, with 99.99% for JavaScript malware, 95.11% for phishing attacks, and 94.77% for script-based web attacks. Furthermore, we developed a Chrome extension that uses the learned models to block client-based web attacks.
Revealing inherent quantum interference and entanglement of a Dirac Fermion
Authors: Ning Wen , Zheng Ri-Hua , Xia Yan , Xu Kai , Li Hekang , Zheng Dongning , Fan Heng , Yang Zhen-Biao , Zheng Shi-Biao , Wu Fan
Published: May 2023

The Dirac equation is critical to understanding the universe, and plays an important role in technological advancements. Compared to the stationary solution, the dynamical evolution under the Dirac Hamiltonian is less understood, exemplified by Zitterbewegung. Although originally predicted in relativistic quantum mechanics, Zitterbewegung can also appear in some classical systems, which leads to the important question of whether Zitterbewegung of Dirac Fermions is underlain by a more fundamental and universal interference behavior without classical analogs. We here reveal such an interference pattern in phase space, which underlies but goes beyond Zitterbewegung, and whose nonclassicality is manifested by the negativity of the phase-space quasiprobability distribution, and the associated pseudospin-momentum entanglement. We confirm this discovery by numerical simulation and an on-chip experiment, where a superconducting qubit and a quantized microwave field respectively emulate the internal and external degrees of freedom of a Dirac particle. The measured quasiprobability negativities well agree with the numerical simulation. Besides being of fundamental importance, the demonstrated nonclassical effects are useful in quantum technology.
Perioperative Characteristics and Postoperative Complications of Pediatric Clitoral Reconstruction
Authors: Levy Lior , Nathaniel Sarah , Oleru Olachi , Seyidova Nargiz , Taub Peter , Horesh Elan
Published: May 2023

Pediatric clitoral reconstruction is performed in cases of hypertrophy to return clitoral form and function. The optimal timing and type of surgical reconstruction procedure in children with Disorders of Sex Development are highly debated. There are no previous nationwide cohort studies of pediatric clitoral reconstruction. We aim to describe the perioperative characteristics and postoperative outcomes of patients that underwent pediatric clitoral reconstruction in the United States. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric (NSQIP-P) database from 2012 to 2020. All patients who underwent clitoral reconstruction using the CPT code 56805 were analyzed. 111 female patients underwent clitoral reconstruction. The median patient age was 2.7 years (IQR 1.0–7.3). The mean (SD) length of total hospital stay was 1.9 days (1.7), and the total operation time was 210.9 minutes (112.3). The most common diagnosis at the time of surgery was congenital adrenal hyperplasia (48.6%). The complication rate was 0.9% and was due to bleeding/transfusions. The readmission rate was 5.6%. Overall, pediatric clitoral reconstruction is a safe procedure with low 30-day post-operative complication rates and an acceptable perioperative course. Further research into postoperative complications is essential to inform decision-making regarding the operative management approach.
Bio-fencing as Promising Solution for Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC): Responses of Elephants and Underlying Leaf Chemistry of Polyalthia longifolia
Authors: Perera A.A.L.C , Abhayapala K.M.R.D , Dharmarathne N. , Nugara R.N. , Kumarasinghe U.
Published: May 2023

Bio-fencing could be used as an effective tool for human-elephant conflict mitigation, yet the plant species currently used need to be more viable.Polyalthia longifoliais reported to be having antifeedant properties against herbivores and is repellent to them. Accordingly, two cases were studied to evaluate the antifeedant and repellency nature of the plant by offeringP. longifolia; (1) to wild elephants in 03 locations in Mahaweli System D, Sri Lanka and (2) to tamed elephants of 03 age groups. The preference of tamed elephants were further evaluated giving leafy materials; coconut, fishtail palm, grass mixture, andP. longifoliasimultaneously. As a necessary consequence, this study was intended to (3) assess the relative levels of moisture, ash, crude fat, crude fiber, crude protein and (4) organic volatile compounds responsible for the odor of offered plant materials using a PEN3 electronic nose, and to (5) determine the relationship between leaf proximate parameters with palatability responses and (6) organic volatile compounds. Results showed that the wild elephants prevent their movement through their routes by placing bunches ofP. longifolialeaf branches. Tamed elephants showed abnormal responses againstP. longifoliaparticularly movements of their body compared to the rest of feeding materials implying that the leaves ofP. longifoliaare antifeedant and repellant to them, suggesting the greater potential as an effective bio-fence against elephants. However, estimated differences in leaf proximate parameters and relative levels of organic volatile compounds did not reveal the witnessed contrasting repellency ofP. longifolia.