bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A lower extremity rehabilitation system for ground training at 16 weeks after total hip arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yuan Bo , Long Tao , Wang Zheng-Hao , Feng Yu-Ning , Li Bo , Jia Zi-Shan , li kainan
Published: August 2022

Objective To observe the effect of the lower limb rehabilitation system on the function of the lower limbs of patients after total hip replacement, and to explore the advantages and clinical application value of the lower limb rehabilitation system. Methods Sixty patients admitted to the orthopaedic ward of the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University from January 2021 to June 2021 who underwent total hip arthroplasty for different etiologies were analyzed.The patients were divided into a conventional rehabilitation group (Group A) and a lower limb rehabilitation system rehabilitation group (Group B) using a random number table, with 30 cases in each group.Fugl-Meyer scores were collected at the follow-up visits after 8, 12 and 16 weeks of rehabilitation treatment respectively. Holden Functional Ambulation Classification (FAC) data were collected at the follow-up visits after 16 weeks of rehabilitation treatment for evaluation and analysis. Peak moment values, single foot support time, step frequency and 10m maximum walking speed were collected at week 16 using the lower limb rehabilitation system. Results There was no statistical difference between the general data of the two groups and they were comparable. After 16 weeks of training, the Fugl-Meyer scores of limb function increased in both groups as the training time increased; the Fugl-Meyer scores of limb function were higher in Group B than in Group A for the same training time (P < 0.05); there was a statistical difference in the comparison of unipedal support time, peak hip torque, stride frequency and maximum walking speed between the two groups (P < 0.05). Lower limb function was better in Group B than in Group A. However, there was no statistical difference between the two groups in Holden's Functional Ambulation Classification (FAC) (p > 0.05). Conclusion The Lower Limb Rehabilitation System combined with conventional rehabilitation training can significantly improve the lower limb motor function, balance function and walking ability of patients after total hip arthroplasty in the early postoperative period, enabling patients to recover better and faster, and has greater clinical application value.
NJUST-CCTD: An Image Database for Milling Tool Wear Classification with Deep Learning
Authors: Pan Yi , Xu Guoda , Xiong Zhe , Li Fengjiao , Hu Bowen , Sun Yuxin , Pan Chunhong , Wang Yulin
Published: August 2022

Deep learning has gained popularity in the task of tool wear identification recently. As an important application of deep learning, however, there exist few public datasets and benchmarks for the research of visual identification of tool wear. To address this issue, we present a classification-based image dataset for carbide milling tool wear (NJUST-CCTD) and make it publicly available on the Github website. This dataset includes two categories: wear tools and no-wear tools. The two categories contain 5000 and 3000 photos, respectively. Based on this dataset, eight baselines are evaluated as references against this benchmark. To further improve the classification performance, we propose a novel cemented carbide milling tool wear intelligent classification framework (CMCNet). The framework consists of two modules: a deep learning based classification network and a multi-scale feature fusion denoising network called DSSNet. DSSNet is constructured with deeper network structure, connections across layers, and multi-scale sequence fusion module. It is capable of explicitly modeling the semantic and spatial correlation. Apart from DSSNet, the denoising module further improves the performance by adaptively altering the level of denoising based on the performance of the network. The two modules could be optimized with the backward gradient, yielding an end-to-end learning framework. On the basis of the dataset, CMCNet performed exceptionally well when categorizing photos intelligently. After 50 training epochs, the model outperformed the original classification network by 3.250%, achieving the top-1 accuracy of 95.375% on the test set. The NJUST-CCTD can be downloaded at https://github.com/paddy112233/PADDY
Gabapentin for treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome in patients with or without perinatal gabapentin exposure
Authors: O'Mara Keliana , Edwards Laura
Published: August 2022

Objective
To determine the effect of gabapentin on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)-related neurologic and/or feeding symptoms.
Study Design:
Retrospective case series involving thirteen infants who received gabapentin for NAS
Result
Gabapentin 5 mg/kg every 8 to 12 hours was initiated, and three (23%) patients required dose escalation. Median time from initiation to discharge was 8 days (range: 2–15) and length of stay was 19 days (range: 13–45 days). Eight patients required gavage feeds, and showed oral feeding improvement. All patients were discharged home with gabapentin and weaned off in the outpatient setting.
Conclusion
Although there is limited experience with gabapentin for NAS, it may be beneficial for managing symptoms not controlled by other treatment modalities, regardless of prenatal exposure. No side effects were noted and oral feeding was improved. Prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of gabapentin in the treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Genomic diversity of β-lactamase producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Iran; the impact of global high-risk clones
Authors: Ahmadi Nazila , Salimizand Himen , Zomorodi Abolfazl Rafati , Abbas Jalileh Ebn , Ramazanzadeh Rashid , Haghi Fakhri , Hassanzadeh Sepideh , Jahantigh Mojdeh , Shahin Mojtaba
Published: August 2022

Background and aims: Hospital-acquired infections caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa incline hospital stay and costs of treatment that resulted in an increased mortality rate. The frequency of P. aeruginosa high-risk clones producing carbapenemases was investigated in our clinical samples. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 155 non-repetitive P. aeruginosa isolates were included from different medical centers of Iran. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was determined, and the presence of β-lactamases were sought by phenotypic and genotypic methods. The clonal relationship of all isolates was investigated, and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) was used for finding the sequence types of carbapenemas-producers.Results: The most susceptibility rate was recorded for colistin (94.9%). MOX and FOX were found both as low as 1.95% (3/155). The most frequent ESBL was SHV with 7.7% (12/155) followed by PER, OXA-1, and TEM with the frequency of 7.1% (11/155), 3.2% (5/155), and 1.3% (2/155), respectively. Carbapenemases were detected in 28 isolates (18%). The most frequent carbapenemas was IMP with 9% (14/155) followed by NDM, 8.4% (13/155). OXA-48 and VIM were also detected both per one isolate (0.65%). MLST of carbapenem resistant P. aeruginosa isolates revealed that ST244, ST664, ST235, and ST357 were spread in subjected clinical settings. REP-PCR uncovered high genomic diversity in our clinical setting. Conclusion: Clonal proliferation of ST235 strain plays a key role in the propagation of MDR pattern in P. aeruginosa. Our data showed that high-risk clones has distributed in Iran, and programs are required to limit spreading of these clones.
Comparison of Two Analyzer Measurements Focusing on Material Stiffness Among Normal, Treatment-naïve, and Treated Glaucoma Eyes
Authors: Aoki Shuichiro , Asaoka Ryo , Fujino Yuri , Nakakura Shunsuke , Murata Hiroshi , Kiuchi Yoshiaki
Published: August 2022

Purpose: To investigate differences in biomechanical properties focusing on stiffness parameters between normal, treatment-naïve primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and treated POAG eyes.Design: Retrospective case-control studyMethods: This study included 46 treatment-naïve POAG eyes, 46 POAG eyes treated with prostaglandin analogues, and 49 normal eyes used as controls; matched in terms of age and axial length. Corneal hysteresis (CH) and corneal resistance factor (CRF) were measured using an ocular response analyzer (ORA). Fifteen biomechanical parameters were obtained with the Corneal Visualization Scheimpflug Technology (Corvis ST), including biomechanical glaucoma factor (BGF) and two stiffness parameters of ‘SP A1’ and ‘stress-strain index (SSI)’, which were compared among the three groups. Additionally, the area under the curve (AUC) values of the receiver-operating curve, to discriminate control and treatment-naïve POAG eyes were calculated and compared between CH and BGF.Results: Treatment-naïve POAG eyes had higher ‘SSI’ than normal eyes even after controlling for IOP (p<0.05, Tukey-Cramer test). Treated POAG eyes had significantly lower CRF, and higher BGF than treatment-naïve POAG eyes. There were insignificant differences in CH or SP A1 among the three groups. BGF and CH had no significantly different AUC values to discriminate between control and treatment-naïve POAG eyes (0.61 and 0.59).Conclusions: Treatment-naïve POAG eyes had stiffer corneas compared to normal eyes, which seemed to result from the material of the cornea rather than higher intraocular pressure. Antiglaucoma topical medication alters biomechanical properties measured with Corvis ST. These results are important for understanding the pathogenesis and improving the management of POAG.
Single-port laparoscopic hepatectomy: Slovenian single center experience
Authors: Jerica Novak , Blaž Trotovšek , Mihajlo Đokić
Published: August 2022

Background: Single-port laparoscopic hepatectomy is a minimally invasive modality for the treatment of the benign and malignant liver lesions. Due to the methods technical challenges it is suitable for experienced hepatobilliary surgeons in selected group of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of a single Slovenian centre performing single-port laparoscopic hepatectomy with literature overview.Methods: A single centre retrospective consecutive case series of the thirteen patients with liver disease operated with the single-port technique form January 2018 to April 2022 at the Department of the Abdominal Surgery in the University Medical Centre Ljubljana was performed. Lesions were located in the easy to treat segments. The operative time, conversion rate, length of the hospital stay and surgical complications were recorded and evaluated.Results: We performed thirteen single-port liver hepatectomies (median age 60, range 31 to 79 years). Mean operative time was 98 ± 37 min. None of the cases was converted to multi-port laparoscopic or open surgery. Safe resection margins were obtained in case of malignant disease. The mean hospital stay was 4 days. Post-operative complication involving intervention was 7% (1/13). No life-threatening surgical complication or morbidity were noted.Conclusions: The single-port laparoscopic hepatectomy is a safe and feasible technique for the operation of benign and malignant liver lesions in hands of skilled and well trained surgeons.
Application of viscoelastic agent or triamcinolone acetonide to prevent recurrent vitreous hemorrhage after vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy with unabsorbed vitreous hemorrhage. A pilot study
Authors: Qiu Chang-yu , Shi Yuan-Yuan , Zhao Hong-Wei , Gong Yu-Bo , Nie Chuang , Wang Meng-Ge , Jia Rui , Zhao Jun , Wang Xin , Luo Ling
Published: August 2022

Background: To evaluate the possibilty of preventing recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (RVH) after vitrectomy in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients with unabsorbed vitreous hemorrhage (VH) by intravitreal injection of viscoelastic agent (VA) at the end of the surgery and compared its effect with triamcinolone acetonide (TA).Methods: This was a pilot prospective, observational study. PDR patients with VH who underwent vitrectomy were assigned to 3 groups according to the tamponade applicated at the end of the surgery, including VA group (intravitreal injected 1ml VA if the retina was prone to bleed during the operation), TA group (intravitreal injected 2mg TA when there was much exudates), or balanced salt solution (BSS) group (no tamponade). Then posteroperative follow-up was performed routinely until 6 months after surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of RVH, secondary outcome were the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and introcular pressure (IOP). Cataract formation and other complication were also assessed.Results: A total of 68 eyes, from 68 patients, were included. 18,18,32 eyes were enrolled in the VA group, TA group and BSS group, respectively. The integral incidence of RVH after PPV was 5.6%, 5.6% and 12.5% respectively (P= 0.602). There was no early RVH in VA or TA group, wheras 3 early RVHs was identified in BSS group, however there was no significant difference (P= 0.171). Every group had one late RVH case. In all groups, final BCVA showed significant improvement compared to baseline. BCVA at any postoperative visit showed no significant differences among 3 groups. Mean IOP was higher 1 week after surgey in VA group compared with the other groups; however, in other times the differences were not significant. No cataract formation and other complication was noted in 3 groups. Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of VA or TA at the end of vitrectomy for PDR patients with unabsorbed VH tend to reduce the incidence of early RVH after vitrectomy similarly. As VA was preferred to applicate in the eyes that were prone to bleed, intravitreal injection of VA at the end of vitrectomy might be a promising method for preventing RVH in PDR patients.
Coinfection of Monkeypox, COVID-19 and Syphilis in a PrEP using MSM: A case report from Barcelona.
Authors: Vives Alvaro , Vantman Doron , Rocco Maurizio , Muñoz Carlos A. , Alonso-Tarres Carles , Castañe Eduard Ruiz , Cosentino Marco
Published: August 2022

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a zoonotic disease, with endemic circulation and it’s not considered a sexually transmitted infection. Recently, it has been reported a particularly high incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM). We report the first case of a male HIV-negative patient with HIV Pre-Exposition Prophylaxis (PrEP), and a simultaneous coinfection of Monkeypox Virus, Covid19 and Syphilis.
Novel role of AMPK in cocaine reinforcement via regulating CRTC1
Authors: Han Ying , Liu Xiaoxing , Liu Fanglin , Li Xin , Lu Tangsheng , Luo Yixiao , Jian Min , Yuan Kai , Meng Shi-Qiu , Bao Yanping , Shi Jie , Lu Lin
Published: August 2022

Repeated cocaine exposure causes compensatory neuroadaptations in neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a region that mediates reinforcing effects of drugs. Previous studies suggested a role for adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a cellular energy sensor, in modulating neuronal morphology and membrane excitability. However, the potential involvement of AMPK in cocaine addiction is still unclear. The present study employed a cocaine self-administration model in rats to investigate the effect of AMPK and its target cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein-regulated transcriptional co-activator 1 (CRTC1) on cocaine reinforcement and the motivation for cocaine. We found that intravenous cocaine self-administration significantly decreased AMPK activity in the NAc shell (NAcsh), which persisted for at least 7 days of withdrawal. Cocaine reinforcement, reflected by self-administration behavior, was significantly prevented or enhanced by augmenting or suppressing AMPK activity pharmacologically and genetically, respectively. Cocaine-induced increases in dendritic spine density in the NAcsh were attenuated by AMPK inhibition. No difference in sucrose self-administration behavior was found after the same manipulations. The inhibition of AMPK activity in the NAcsh also increased the motivation for cocaine in progressive-ratio schedules of reinforcement, whereas the activation of AMPK had no effect. The knockdown of CRTC1 in the NAcsh significantly impaired cocaine reinforcement, which was rescued by pharmacologically increasing AMPK activity. Altogether, these results indicate that AMPK is critical for morphological plasticity in the NAcsh and cocaine reinforcement, possibly via the regulation of CRTC1 signaling. These findings may help reveal potential therapeutic targets and have important implications for the treatment of cocaine addiction and relapse.
The effects of hard turning and deep rolling on surface integrity and fatigue life of deep groove ball bearings
Authors: Sağır Gökhan , Çiçek Adem , Müştak Ozan
Published: August 2022

This experimental study consists of two main steps. In the first step, the effects of cutting conditions and tool geometry on cutting forces, roundness error and surface integrity (surface roughness, residual stresses, and subsurface phase transformations) were studied on 6208-type deep groove ball bearings. In the second step, performances of grinding (GR), hard turning (HT) and hard turning + deep rolling (DR) applied to the inner ring raceways are compared to each other in terms of surface roughness, roundness error, residual stresses, noise level and fatigue life. Experimental results in the first step showed that lower surface roughness, roundness error and higher compressive stresses are achieved by V-35 cutting insert. A remarkable result in the second step is that although DR process produces higher compressive stresses in deeper layers of work surface, the bearings possess lower fatigue life than HT and GR bearings due to their higher roundness error values.
Bioenergy recovery from food waste through dark fermentation direction
Authors: Akhbari Azam , Ibrahim Shaliza
Published: August 2022

The increase in food waste generation has encouraged the scientific community to convert it into value-added resources. Hydrogen energy provides a sustainable option to fossil fuels due to its purity, high energy content, and reduction of global warming. This study investigates the batch fermentative biohydrogen production from food waste, which takes into account the effects on the process stability and energy recovery. Experiments were carried out at different ranges of pH (5.5, 6.0, and 6.5), FW concentration (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 g-VS/L) at mesophilic (37˚C) and thermophilic (55˚C) temperature through 24h incubation of batch dark fermentation process. The FW concentration of 15–20 g-VS.L− 1 was found to be the proper concentration for biohydrogen production at 55˚C fermentation with the highest yield of 80.41 ml-H2/g-VS.L− 1, hydrogen content of 76.53%, at pH 6.0. Under mesophilic temperature, a lower hydrogen yield of 49.36 ml-H2/g-VS.L− 1and hydrogen content of 60.53% was produced in the same substrate concentration and pH. The COD removal efficiencies at 37 ˚C and 55 ˚C increased from 16.66–21.87%, and 20.83–29.09% at pH 6.0 with an increase in FW concentration from 1 to 20 g-VS.L− 1. Further increase in FW concentration showed less yield of hydrogen production. From pyrosequencing analysis, hydrogen fermentation at both temperatures was attributed to Lactobacillus and Clostridium sensu stricto 1, which confirms the potential of the microbial community for biohydrogen production.
Effects of core stability and feedback music on upper body mediolateral movements during cycling
Authors: Jeong Siwoo , Kim Si-Hyun , Park Kyue-Nam
Published: August 2022

Asymmetry in involuntary trunk motion may be related to core stability. If core stability properly controls postural stability during distal segment movements, trunk motion should be symmetric. Based on the assumption that head motion partially represents trunk motion, we developed a system that measures head angle and provides feedback music on head motion. If the head angle exceeds a predefined threshold, the music is muted in the earbud on the side of the head tilt. To investigate the relationship between core stability and asymmetric trunk motion, we measured mediolateral head angles during cycling using a self-developed system and compared them between individuals with good and poor core stability, and we investigated the effects of feedback music on mediolateral head motion during cycling. The poor-core-stability group showed significantly greater amplitude of, and less symmetry in, mediolateral head motion than the good-core-stability group. Furthermore, feedback music significantly reduced the amplitude of mediolateral head motion in the good- and poor-core-stability groups and improved symmetry in mediolateral head motion in the poor-core-stability group. Our findings imply that core stability is important for maintaining symmetry in head motion during cycling. Feedback music could be useful for establishing symmetry in head motion during cycling.
Evaluating the First University-Based Online Graduate Course on Telemental Health in the Middle East: Lessons Learned from Lebanon
Authors: Naal Hady , Whaibeh Emile , Mrad Myriam
Published: August 2022

Background: Despite the increasing interest in mental health and shift of many clinicians to using telemental health (TMH) services following the COVID-19 pandemic, university-based educational opportunities covering TMH remain scarce in multiple regions of the world including Lebanon. Through a mixed-methods design, we evaluated the first implementation of a university-based online graduate course on TMH in Lebanon. Data was collected from students of different disciplines during class time and were triangulated and synthesized.Results: Despite this being an online course, high engagement and low absenteeissm was observed with students who remained interested in the topic. In-class interactive activities, limited theoretical pedagogical approaches, participation of international guest speakers, and contextualized material were all listed as key factors to the success of the course. Additionally, students demonstrated much critical thinking when asked about potential applicability of TMH in Lebanon during and after the course.Conclusions: Our experience demonstrates that online learning for TMH in Lebanon can be highly engaging for students depending on certain key factors that should be considered in the design and implementation of the course. This course may have potential to be replicated in other settings across the Middle East in this format to improve knowledge and confidence in TMH in other settings. Recommendations for future studies and similar implementations are discussed in the manuscript.
Changes in Cytokine and Cytokine Receptor Levels During Postnatal Development of the Human Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Sager Rachel E.H. , Walker Adam K. , Middleton Frank , Robinson Kate , Webster Maree J. , Gentile Karen , Wong Ma-Li , Weickert Cynthia Shannon
Published: August 2022

In addition to their traditional roles in immune cell communication, cytokines regulate brain development. Cytokines are known to influence neural cell generation, differentiation, maturation, and survival. However, most work on the role of cytokines in brain development investigates rodents or focuses on prenatal events. Here, we investigate how mRNA and protein levels of key cytokines and cytokine receptors change during postnatal development in the human prefrontal cortex. We find that most cytokine transcripts investigated (IL1B, IL18, IL6, TNF, IL13) are lowest at birth and increase between 2–5 years old. After 5 years old, transcriptional patterns proceeded in one of two directions: decreased expression in teens and young adults (IL1B, p = 0.002; and IL18, p = 0.004) or increased mean expression with maturation, particularly in teenagers (IL6, p = 0.004; TNF, p = 0.002; IL13, p < 0.001). In contrast, cytokine proteins tended to remain elevated after peaking significantly at age 5 (IL1B, p = 0.012; IL18, p = 0.026; IL6, p = 0.039; TNF, p < 0.001), with TNF protein being highest in young adults. Early developmental increases in cytokines were paralleled by increases in their receptor binding subunits, such as IL1R1 (p = 0.033) and IL6R (p < 0.001) transcripts. In contrast, cytokine receptor-associated signaling subunits, IL1RAP and IL6ST, did not change significantly between age groups. Of the two TNF receptors, the ‘pro-death’ TNFRSF1A and ‘pro-survival’ TNFRSF1B, only TNFRSF1B was significantly changed (p = 0.028), increasing first in toddlers and again in young adults. Finally, the cytokine inhibitor, IL13, was elevated first in toddlers (p < 0.001) and again in teenagers (p < 0.001). While the mean expression of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) was highest in toddlers, this increase was not statistically significant. The fluctuations in cytokine expression reported here support a role for increases in specific cytokines at two different stages of human cortical development. The first is during the toddler/preschool period (IL1B and IL18) and the other at adolescence/young adult maturation (IL6 and TNF).
Cetuximab as first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): A model-based economic evaluation
Authors: Putri Septiara , Saldi Siti Rizny F. , Khoe Levina Chandra , Setiawan Ery , Megraini Amila , Santatiwongchai Benjarin , Nugraha Ryan R. , Permanasari Vetty Y. , Nadjib Mardiati , Sastroasmoro Sudigdo , Armansyah Armansyah
Published: August 2022

Objectives
To assess the cost-effectiveness of cetuximab in combination with chemotherapy fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and leucovorin (FOLFOX) or fluorouracil, irinotecan and leucovorin (FOLFIRI) compared to standard chemotherapy alone as a first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with positive KRAS wild type patients in Indonesia.
Methods
A cost-utility analysis applying Markov model was constructed, with a societal perspective. Clinical evidence was derived from published clinical trials. Direct medical costs were gathered from hospital billings. Meanwhile, direct non-medical costs, indirect costs, and utility data were collected by directly interviewing patients. We applied 3% discount rate for both costs and outcomes. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to explore the model's uncertainty. Additionally, using payer perspective, budget impact analysis was estimated to project the financial impact of treatment coverage.
Results
There was no significant difference in life years gained (LYG) between cetuximab plus FOLFOX/FOLFIRI and chemotherapy alone. The incremental QALY was only one month, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was almost approximately IDR 3 billion/QALY for cetuximab plus chemotherapy. Using 1–3 GDP per capita (IDR 140 million) as the current threshold, the cetuximab plus chemotherapy was not cost-effective. The budget impact analysis resulted that if cetuximab plus chemotherapy remain included in the benefits package under the Indonesian national health insurance (NHI) system, the payer would need more than IDR 1 trillion for five years.
Conclusions
The combination of cetuximab and chemotherapy for mCRC is unlikely cost-effective and has a substantial financial impact on the system.
Health-related quality of life and associations on socio-demographic and clinical factors in schizophrenia based on the QLICD-SC scale: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Rao Shuying , Liu Yuxi , Xian Junding , Lin Zhixiong , Wang Dandan , Xue Benli , Wan Chonghua
Published: August 2022

Background: Schizophrenia is a long course mental disease which poses heavy burdens to patients and quality of life can reflect treatment effect. But a small number of specificity scales have been developed. By using the scale Quality of Life Instruments for Chronic Diseases-Schizophrenia (V2.0)(QLICD-SC))(V2.0) which is modular and sensitivity integrating Chinese culture, this paper aims at providing evidence for developing countermeasures to improve patients’ quality of life. Methods: 163 people who met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia of the International Classification of Diseases(10th Revision)(ICD-10) and were hospitalized at the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University from May 2014 to December, 2015 were selected. Paper-based questionnaires were administered to the patients to collect their basic information. Patients' clinical objective indexes, including blood routine, urine routine, blood biochemical examination, blood gas analysis etc. were collected by reviewing the medical records. Statistical description was applied to analyse the distribution of basic characteristics of depressed patients. Simple correlation analysis was used to explore the correlations between domains scores of the QLICD-SC(V2.0) and clinical objective indexes and multiple linear regression was used to further screen for correlates.Results: There were 163 participants, ranging in age from 16 to 69, with a 30.67±11.44 average age. The majority of them were men(57.1%), had a high school diploma(77.9%), and were married (65.6%). Physical function, psychological function, social function, specific module and total scale each had QOL ratings of 61.09, 48.02, 63.21, 33.01 and 49.09, respectively. According to multiple linear regression, the variables included in the model are education, sex, eosinophilic granulocyte, hematocrit, percentage of monocytes, phosphorus (R2=0.065~0.222, P<0.05).Conclusion: Some clinical indicators such as hematocrit and socio-demographic factors may reflect alterations in the quality of life of individuals with schizophrenia.
Manufacturing Wood-Plastic Composites and their Thermal Performance in Building Envelope
Authors: Sarheed Majed Al , Sedaghat Ahmad , Malayer Mahdi Ashtian , Salem Hayder , Oloomi Seyed Amir Abbas , Hussam Wisam K. , Anazi Abeer Abdullah Al , Sharifpur Mohsen
Published: August 2022

Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) are becoming one of the most attractive materials in building envelopes. In addition to WPCs' architectural and design attraction, they can enhance the thermal performance of buildings by acting as insulation materials. The thermal performance of building materials requires new experimental methods that can simulate true indoor/outdoor temperatures. In this study, a simple quasi-steady heating film (QSHF) method is devised to measure the thermal conductivity of WPC samples utilizing blocks of standard materials with known thermal conductivity. QSHF device uses a 10cm×10cm×0.5mm silicon heating film controlled by a temperature regulator and several transparent acrylic square blocks of the same size with 10mm thickness as the standard materials along with various specially designed WPC samples for Kuwait. The WPC samples' top surface is considered the cold side of the system, which is open to indoor temperatures of 22 to 23 oC. The bottom layer is maintained at fixed temperatures ranging from 25 to 55 oC to simulate the outdoor temperatures of a hot subtropical desert environment like Kuwait. The thermal conductivity of several WPCs type namely FB16, FB18W, CD, and TD were obtained as 0.0912, 0.1174, 0.3453, and 0.3078 W/m.K, respectively. Experimental results for DP45-1 were not consistent at different temperatures. hence Multiphysics CFD simulation was conducted for DP45 which shows strong 2D effects. A typical building sample was also modelled in TRNSYS to compare cooling loads with and without WPC. Also, the limitations and advantages of using QSHF method are discussed.
Designing of Nonlinear component of Block Cipher by a Moufang Loop and its Application in Image Encryption
Authors: Hussain Tasawwar , Shah Tariq , Ali Asif , Gul Rizwan , Hussain Muhammad
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we propose an algorithm for constructing a nonlinear component of block cipher by using the non-associative class of Moufang Loops (ML) and with the help of this nonlinear component design a cryptosystem for image encryption. The ML includes excellent features such as the inverse of zero elements, weak associativity, and fewer constraints in comparison with cyclic groups and Galois fields. The construction of a nonlinear component (substitution box, briefly, S-box) consists of bijective loop operations and permutations. There are two permutations, first by using a bijective map and second by using ML. This proposed S-box is used in an image encryption scheme. The encryption scheme consists of five steps. Firstly, the plain image is converted into the matrix and multiplies this matrix with an upper triangular matrix of ones. Then, substitute this output matrix with the values of the S-box and shuffle the pixels by using a logistic map. After this, multiply this output matrix with a self-invertible matrix. The evaluation of the proposed S-box with different algebraic and statistical analyses like nonlinearity test, strict avalanche criterion, bit independence criterion, linear approximation probability, and differential approximation probability indicates the strength of the proposed S-box. The presented procedure of image encryption also delivers excellent security in response to known cryptographic assaults as founded by the many statistical analysis and security assessments.
Automating Rey Complex Figure Test scoring using a deep learning-based approach: A potential large-scale screening tool for congnitive decline
Authors: Park Jun Young , Seo Eun Hyun , Yoon Hyung-Jun , Won Sungho , Lee Kun Ho
Published: August 2022

Background: The Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) has been widely used to evaluate neurocognitive functions in various clinical groups with a broad range of ages. However, despite its usefulness, the scoring method is as complex as the figure. Such a complicated scoring system can lead to the risk of reducing the extent of agreement among raters. Although several attempts have been made to use RCFT in clinical settings in a digitalized format, little attention has been given to develop direct automatic scoring that is comparable to experienced psychologists. Therefore, we aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) scoring system for RCFT using a deep learning (DL) algorithm and confirmed its validity.Methods:A total of 6,680 subjects were enrolled in the Gwangju Alzheimer’s and Related Dementia cohort registry, Korea from January 2015 to June 2021. We obtained 20,040 scanned images using three images per subject (copy, immediate recall, and delayed recall) and scores rated by 32 experienced psychologists. We trained the automated scoring system using the DenseNet architecture. To increase the model performance, we improved the quality of training data by re-examining some images with poor results (mean absolute error (MAE) 5 [points]) and re-trained our model. Finally, we conducted an external validation with 150 images scored by five experienced psychologists.Results: For five-fold cross-validation, our first model obtained MAE = 1.24 [points] and R-squared ( ) = 0.977. However, after evaluating and updating the model, the performance of the final model was improved (MAE = 0.95 [points], = 0.986). Predicted scores among cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia were significantly differed. For the 150 independent test sets, the MAE and between AI and average scores by five human experts was 0.64 [points] and 0.994, respectively.Conclusion: We concluded that there was no fundamental difference between the rating scores of experienced psychologists and those of our AI scoring system. We expect that our AI psychologist will be able to contribute to screen the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in medical checkup centers or large-scale community-based research institutes in a faster and cost-effective way.
Evaluation of asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap using a mouse model of pulmonary disease
Authors: Jo Yong Suk , Rhee Chin Kook , Yoon Hyoung Kyu , Park Chan Kwon , Lim Jeong Uk , An Tai Joon , Hur Jung
Published: August 2022

Background
Features of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can coexist in the same patient, in a condition termed asthma– chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap (ACO). ACO is heterogeneous condition exhibiting various combinations of asthma and COPD features. No clinically acceptable experimental model of ACO has been established. We aimed to establish an animal model of ACO.
Methods
We generated two phenotypes of ACO by administering ovalbumin and porcine pancreatic elastase in combination, and papain. The proinflammatory cytokines and cell types in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were investigated, and lung function parameters were measured using the FlexiVent system.
Results
Greater airway inflammation was observed in the asthma and both ACO models, and emphysema was found in the COPD and both ACO models. The proportion of eosinophils in BALF was elevated in the asthma and ACO-a model. Type 2 inflammatory cytokine levels were highest in the ACO-a model, and the neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin level was elevated in the asthma and ACO-a model. Of lung function parameters, compliance was greater in the COPD and ACO-b model, in which elastance was lower than in the asthma model. Airway resistance increased with the methacholine concentration in the asthma and both ACO models, but not in the control or COPD model.
Conclusion
We established two murine models of ACO that exhibit features of asthma and COPD. We validated the clinical relevance of the ACO models based on changes in cytokine profiles and lung function. These models will be useful in further studies of the pathogenesis of, and therapeutic targets for ACO.
Effectiveness of anti-VEGF treatment in wet Age-related Macular Degeneration; an evaluation of silent reading performance with eye movement analysis
Authors: Ktistakis Emmanouil , Simos Panagiotis , Tsilimbaris Militiadis K , Plainis Sotiris
Published: August 2022

Purpose: To evaluate silent reading performance by means of eye fixation analysis before and after anti-VEGF treatment in wet AMD (wAMD) patients.Methods: Twenty wAMD patients who underwent anti-VEGF treatment, in one eye, served as the AMD group. Twenty adults without ocular pathology, served as the control group. Central Retinal Thickness (CRT) and near visual acuity (VA) were assessed at baseline and after 3-4 months following their first visit. Reading performance was evaluated using short passages of 0.4 logMAR print size at 40 cm distance. Eye movements were recorded using a video eyetracker. Data analysis included computation of reading speed, fixation duration, number of fixations, and percentage of regressions.Results: In the AMD group, silent reading speed in the treated eye correlated well with CRT reduction and improved significantly by an average of 15.9±28.5 wpm (p=0.041). This improvement was accompanied by an average reduction of 0.24±0.38 in fixations per word (p=0.023). The corresponding improvement in monocular VA was not statistically significant, as was the case with other eye fixation parameters. Conclusion: VA tests may underestimate the potential therapeutic effects following anti-VEGF treatment. Evaluating silent reading performance and eye fixation parameters may better characterize the effectiveness of therapeutic approaches in wAMD patients.
Dilatation of the Bridging Cerebral Veins in Multiple Sclerosis Correlates with Fatigue and Suggests an Increase in Pressure
Authors: Bateman Grant Alexander , Bateman Alexander Robert , Lechner-Scott Jeannette
Published: August 2022

There is a physiological similarity between the hydrodynamics of hydrocephalus and multiple sclerosis (MS). Children with hydrocephalus have been found to have a significant enlargement of the cortical veins within the subarachnoid space, suggesting an increase in venous pressure. The purpose of this study is to discover if there is dilatation of the veins within the subarachnoid space in multiple sclerosis and to estimate the pressures required to maintain any enlargement found. 103 patients with MS were compared with a control group of 50 patients. Post contrast 3DT1 images were used. The cross-sectional area of the bridging cortical veins and the vein of Galen were measured. In MS, the superficial territory cortical veins were 29% larger and the veins of Galen were 25% larger than the controls. There is evidence of a significant increase in the bridging vein transmural pressure in MS, estimated to be approximately 6.5 mmHg in the superficial cortical veins. MS patients with significant fatigue have larger cortical veins than those who are not significantly fatigued.
Non-Hermitian chiral degeneracy of gated graphene metasurfaces
Authors: Kim Teun-Teun , Baek Soojeong , Park Sang-Hyun , Oh Donghak , Lee Kanghee , Lee Sang-Ha , Lim Hosub , Ha Taewoo , Park Hyun Sung , Zhang Shuang , Yang Lan , Min Bumki
Published: August 2022

Non-Hermitian degeneracies, also known as exceptional points (EPs), have been the focus of much attention due to their singular eigenvalue surface structure. Nevertheless, as pertaining to a non-Hermitian metasurface platform, the reduction of an eigenspace dimensionality at the EP has been investigated mostly in a passive repetitive manner. Here, we propose an electrical and spectral way of resolving chiral EPs and clarifying the consequences of chiral mode collapsing of a non-Hermitian gated graphene metasurface. More specifically, the measured non-Hermitian Jones matrix in parameter space enables the quantification of nonorthogonality of polarisation eigenstates and half-integer topological charges associated with a chiral EP. Interestingly, the output polarisation state can be made orthogonal to the coalesced polarisation eigenstate of the metasurface, revealing the missing dimension at the chiral EP. In addition, the maximal nonorthogonality at the chiral EP leads to a blocking of one of the cross-polarised transmission pathways and, consequently, the observation of enhanced asymmetric polarisation conversion. We anticipate that electrically controllable non-Hermitian metasurface platforms can serve as an interesting framework for the investigation of rich non-Hermitian polarisation dynamics around chiral EPs.
Disruption of zinc transporter ZnT3 transcriptional activity and synaptic vesicular zinc in the brain of Huntington’s disease transgenic mouse
Authors: Niu Li , Yang Shiming , Wang Weixi , Ye Cui-fang , Li He
Published: August 2022

Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease that involves a complex combination of psychiatric, cognitive and motor impairments. Synaptic dysfunction has been implicated in HD pathogenesis. However, the mechanisms have not been clearly delineated. Synaptic vesicular zinc is closely linked to modulating synaptic transmission and maintaining cognitive ability. It is signifcant to assess zinc homeostasis for further revealing the pathogenesis of synaptic dysfunction and cognitive impairment in HD. Results: Histochemical staining by autometallography indicated that synaptic vesicular zinc was decreased in the hippocampus, cortex and striatum of N171-82Q HD transgenic mice. Analyses by immunohistochemistry, Western blot and RT-PCR found that the expression of zinc transporter 3 (ZnT3) required for transport of zinc into synaptic vesicles was obviously reduced in these three brain regions of the HD mice aged from 14 to 20 weeks and BHK cells expressing mutant huntingtin. Signifcantly, dual-luciferase reporter gene and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that transcription factor Sp1 could activate ZnT3 transcription via its binding to the GC boxes in ZnT3 promoter. Moreover, mutant huntingtin was found to inhibit the binding of Sp1 to the promoter of ZnT3 and down-regulate ZnT3 expression, and the decline in ZnT3 expression could be ameliorated through overexpression of Sp1. Conclusions: This is frst study to reveal a signifcant loss of synaptic vesicular zinc and a decline in ZnT3 transcriptional activity in the HD transgenic mice. Our work sheds a novel mechanistic insight into pathogenesis of HD that mutant huntingtin down-regulates expression of ZnT3 through inhibiting binding of Sp1 to the promoter of ZnT3 gene, causing disruption of synaptic vesicular zinc homeostasis. Disrupted vesicular zinc ultimately leads to early synaptic dysfunction and cognitive defcits in HD. It is also suggested that maintaining normal synaptic vesicular zinc concentration is a potential therapeutic strategy for HD.
Effect of fixation methods and various clones of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (L) properties and antioxidant activity of Indonesian green tea
Authors: PRAWİRA-ATMAJA M Iqbal , ULA Fadhilatul , MAULANA Hilman , HARİANTO Sugeng , SHABRİ S , ARİEF Dede Zainal
Published: August 2022

Fixation is essential in green tea processing to inactivate the polyphenol oxidase enzyme. In Indonesia, green tea is made from the Assam variety and produced using the panning method. Few studies are reported on green tea made from Indonesian clones of the Sinensis variety. This study aims to identify chemical characteristics, antioxidant activity, and sensory evaluation of green tea from local clones of the Sinensis variety (GMBS 2, GMBS 4, and GMBS 5) with different fixation methods (panning and steaming). The results show that the caffeine content of green tea products ranged from 2.51-2.59% and 2.67-2.74% for panning and steaming methods. The panning method produced green tea with higher total polyphenol and flavonoid content than the steaming method. Green tea with the panning method has an IC50 value of 14.45; 14.41; and 17.41 mg/L for GMBS 2, GMBS 4, and GMBS 5, respectively. The panning method resulted in a smaller IC50 value than the steaming method for GMBS 2 and GMBS 4 clones. The steaming method produced green tea with a higher taste, aroma, and total score than those the panning method. However, different fixation methods did not significantly affect the appearance, liquor color, and leaf infusion. In conclusion, different fixation methods on GMBS 2, GMB 4, and GMB 5 produced green tea products that met the Indonesian National Standard 3945:2016. Further research is needed to determine the role of the plucking period/season and the characteristics of volatile compounds of green tea from GMBS clones with different fixation methods.
Chemical composition of the essential oil of Thymus longicaulis C. Presl. subsp. longicaulis
Authors: ELKIRAN Ömer
Published: August 2022

In this study, the chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from the aerial parts of Thymus longicaulis subsp. longicaulis naturally grown in Turkey were analyzed by GC and GC-MS and chemical differences in terms of chemotaxonomy were discussed. The main compounds in the essential oils of T. longicaulis subsp. longicaulis essential oils were 1,8-cineole (30.1%), linalool (18.0%), β-pinene (17.3%) and (E)-β-ocimene (%12.6%) Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed by examining essential oil studies of 34 samples belonging to the genus Thymus, including the Sinop sample. The results of the study were discussed with other taxa belonging to the genus.
Many-gluon tree amplitudes on modern GPUs: A case study for novel event generators
Authors: Bothmann Enrico , Giele Walter , Höche Stefan , Isaacson Joshua , Knobbe Max
Published: August 2022

The compute efficiency of Monte-Carlo event generators for the
Large Hadron Collider is expected to become a major bottleneck for
simulations in the high-luminosity phase. Aiming at the development
of a full-fledged generator for modern GPUs, we study the performance
of various recursive strategies to compute multi-gluon tree-level amplitudes.
We investigate the scaling of the algorithms on both CPU and GPU hardware.
Finally, we provide practical recommendations as well as baseline implementations
for the development of future simulation programs. The GPU implementations can be
found at: https://www.gitlab.com/ebothmann/blockgen-archive.