bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Splicing across adipocyte differentiation is highly dynamic and impacted by metabolic phenotype
Authors: Nobrega Marcelo , Farris Kathryn , Andersen Emil , Donkin Ida , Versteyhe Soetkin , Kristiansen Viggo B , Simpson Stephen , Barres Romain
Published: October 2023

Adipose tissue dysfunction underlies many of the metabolic complications associated with obesity. A better understanding of the gene regulation differences present in metabolically unhealthy adipose tissue can provide insights into the mechanisms underlying adipose tissue dysfunction. Here, we used RNA-seq data collected from a differentiation time course of lean, obese, and obese with type 2 diabetes (T2D) individuals to characterize the role of alterative splicing in adipocyte differentiation and function. We found that splicing was highly dynamic across adipocyte differentiation in all three cohorts, and that the dynamics of splicing were significantly impacted by metabolic phenotype. We also found that there was very little overlap between genes that were differentially spliced in adipocyte differentiation and those that were differentially expressed, positioning alternative splicing as a largely independent gene regulatory mechanism whose impact would be missed when looking at gene expression changes alone. To assess the impact of alternative splicing across adipocyte differentiation on genetic risk for metabolic diseases, we integrated the differential splicing results generated here with genome-wide association study results for body mass index and T2D, and found that variants associated with T2D were enriched in regions that were differentially spliced in early differentiation. These findings provide insight into the role of alternative splicing in adipocyte differentiation and can serve as a resource to guide future variant-to-function studies.
Synergistic associations of antenatal care visits and iron-folic acid supplementation with low birth weight: A pooled analysis of national surveys from six South Asian countries
Authors: Khanal Vishnu , MScIH Sangita Bista , Mishra Shiva Raj
Published: October 2023

Background
The prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) has remained high in the South Asian region with a significant impact on newborn survival. While antenatal care (ANC) and iron-folic acid supplementation independently have been considered effective interventions to improve maternal and newborn outcomes, the evidence on the combined effect of these two services with LBW is lacking. This study aimed to examine the synergistic impact of ANC and iron-folic acid supplementation on LBW in the South Asian region using pooled data from six countries.
Methods
Nationally representative surveys from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, and Afghanistan were included in the study. Birth weight and the prevalence of LBW for singleton last-born children were reported using descriptive statistics. The association between LBW and ANC visits and the two-way interaction between iron-folic acid consumption and ANC were examined using multiple logistic regression.
Results
Mean birth weight in the region was 2841.8 grams with a LBW prevalence of 17.1%. Country-specific prevalence ranged from 11.4% in Nepal to 22.4% in Pakistan. Not attending ANC visits (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16, 1.34) and not consuming iron-folic acid (AOR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.21) were significantly and positively associated with a higher likelihood of LBW. Furthermore, jointly, having < 4 ANC visits and < 180 days of iron-folic acid supplementation was associated with a higher likelihood (AOR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.22, 1.36) of having LBW infants compared to those who had had ≥ 4 ANC visits and ≥ 180 days of iron-folic acid after controlling for key confounding factors.
Conclusions
The current study provides important evidence on the synergy between ANC visits and iron-folic acid supplementation during pregnancy to capitalize on the existing national maternal health programs in the South Asian region, including low-and middle-income countries for positive foetal outcomes.
RBP7 functions as a tumor suppressor in HR+ breast cancer by inhibiting the AKT/SREBP1 pathway and reducing fatty acid
Authors: Yu Yue , Xu Zhihua , Huang Xue , Zhang Guangbo , Chen Yan
Published: October 2023

Background
Increasing evidence proves that RBP7 plays a significant role in breast cancer (BC). The present study was aimed to investigate the role of RBP7.
Methods
Western Blotting and qRT-PCR were performed for evaluating the expression levels. CCK8, colony forming, xenograft mouse model, wound healing and transwell assays were conducted to examine cell ability of proliferation, invasion and migration.
Results
RBP7 was significantly decreased in HR + BC tissues and cells. RBP7 suppressed HR + BC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and inhibited migration and invasion. RBP7 reduced fatty acid in HR + BC cells by inhibiting the AKT/SREBP1 pathway.
Conclusions
RBP7 may function as a tumor suppressor in HR + BC by inhibiting the AKT/SREBP1 pathway and reducing fatty acid.
The role of supervision and motivation during exercise on physical and mental health in older adults: A study protocol for a randomized controlled Trial (PRO-Training project)
Authors: Gómez-Redondo Paola , Valenzuela Pedro L. , Martínez-de-Quel Óscar , Sánchez-Martín Coral , Arroyo Mónica Cerezo , Moreno-Manzanaro David , Alegre Luis M. , Grau Amelia Guadalupe , Ara Ignacio , Mañas Asier
Published: October 2023

Background Although supervised exercise is frequently recommended for older adults, its superiority over unsupervised exercise remains uncertain. Furthermore, whether motivational techniques could help to enhance the effectiveness of the latter remains to be elucidated. The present randomized controlled trial aims to determine the role of supervision and motivational strategies on the safety, adherence, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of different exercise programs for improving physical and mental health in older adults. Methods Participants (n = 120, aged 60–75 years) will be randomly allocated into five groups: 1-Control (CON), 2-Supervised exercise without motivational intervention (SUP), 3- Supervised exercise with motivational intervention (SUP+), 4- Unsupervised exercise without motivational intervention (UNSUP) and 5- Unsupervised exercise with motivational intervention (UNSUP+). Over 24 weeks, all exercise groups will participate in a multicomponent exercise program three times/week (performed in group classes at a center for SUP and SUP+, or home without supervision but with the help of a mobile app for UNSUP and UNSUP+), while the CON group will maintain their usual lifestyle. The motivational intervention (for SUP + and UNSUP + groups) will be based on the self-determination theory, including strategies such as phone calls, interactive workshops, motivational messages, informative infographics and videos. Primary outcomes will include safety, adherence, costs, and lower-body muscular function using a leg press machine. Secondary outcomes will include upper-body muscular function, physical and cardiorespiratory function, blood pressure and heart rate, body composition, health-related quality of life, cognitive performance, anxiety, depression, physical activity levels, sleep and sedentarism, biochemical markers, motivators and barriers to exercise. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, mid-intervention (i.e., week 13), at the end of the intervention (i.e., week 25), and 24 weeks later (i.e., week 49). Discussion The findings of this trial might provide valuable insights into the role of supervision and motivational strategies on the effectiveness of exercise programs for older adults. Additionally, the study could contribute to developing cost-effective interventions, supporting the design of future public policies for healthy aging. Trial registration: NCT05619250. Registered 16 November 2022.
Aspergillus fumigatus extracts upregulated mucin 5AC expression in human 16HBE bronchial epithelial cells through activation of the EGFR-MEK-ERK1/2 pathway
Authors: ZHANG Ling-Xuan , LI Meng , SONG Ge , SUN Hui-Min , GAO Fu-Sheng
Published: October 2023

Background
It has been demonstrated that Aspergillus fumigatus exposure leads to upregulation of MUC5AC expression in the airways epithelial cells. However, the signal pathway through which Aspergillus fumigatus induce MUC5AC expression is unknown. In this study the possible signal pathways of Aspergillus fumigatus extract (AFE) to regulate the expression of MUC5AC were investigated in human bronchial epithelial cells.
Methods
The 16HBE cells were divided into 4 groups: normal medium control group, AFE-treated group, AFE + selective inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinase of EGFR (AG1478) treated group, and AFE + inhibitor of MAPK kinase (MEK) (PD98059) treated group. The expression of EGFR, extracellular-signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), phospho-EGFR, phospho-ERK1/2 and MUC5AC were measured by immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and Western blot .
Results
Incubation with 16HBE cells for 24 h, AFE dose-dependently upregulated the expression of EGFR and ERK1/2; Incubation with 16HBE cells for 1 h, 16mg/L of AFE induced phosphorylation of EGFR and ERK1/2; Incubation with 16HBE cells, 10 M/L of AG1478 inhibited the phosphorylation of EGFR and ERK1/2, whereas 30 M/L of PD98059 only inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and had no influence on the phosphorylation of EGFR. 16mg/L of AFE upregulated the expression of MUC5AC in 16HBE cells. The expression of MUC5AC induced by AFE in 16HBE cells could be inhibited after incubation with AG1478 or PD98059.
Conclusion
Activation of EGFR-MEK-ERK1/2 signal pathway is one of the mechanisms by which Aspergillus fumigatus upregulate the expression of MUC5AC in 16HBE cells.
Low expression of GALNT6 gene in gliomas promotes immune infiltration and improves tumor prognosis using bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Jiang Qiaoji , Dong Hongjin , Huang Yue , Wei Min , Yang Yu , Sun Zesheng , Peng Long , Wan Zhengqiang
Published: October 2023

Background
The variation in the expression of GALNT6, an enzyme responsible for adding N-acetylgalactosamine, is linked to the growth of cancer cells and has the potential to serve as a novel indicator for the diagnosis and prognosis of tumors. However, its role and mechanisms in gliomas have not been thoroughly investigated. Our study aimed to examine the GALNT6 expression and its correlation with immune infiltration in gliomas, along with its prognostic significance in gliomas.
Methods
Access to the Cancer Genome Atlas database is available to assess tumor prognostic indicators, we analyzed the survival rate and expected survival time. The Kaplan-Meier method was utilized to create survival curves. Examining the correlation between GALNT6 and longevity through Cox regression and Nomogram forecasting models. Examining the correlation between clinicopathological characteristics and GALNT6 expression through logistic regression analysis. We also examined the mRNA expression of GALNT6 in tumour tissues and paracancerous tissues of glioma patients by RT-qPCR. The effect of interfering with GALNT6 expression in U87 cells was detected using Transwell cell invasion assay and cell scratch assay.
Results
The findings revealed a strong correlation between decreased GALNT6 expression and the status of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), as well as a significantly improved overall survival rate.The prognosis of glioma may be influenced by factors such as the status of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), codeletion of 1p/19q, age, and GALNT6 levels. The analysis of GO and KEGG pathways revealed the involvement of three signaling pathways in the regulation of the interaction between extracellular vesicles and GALNT6. In contrast, the mRNA level expression of GALNT6 in the paracancerous tissues was significantly lower than that in the tumour tissues, and the degree of cell invasion and migration were significantly reduced after interfering with the expression of GALNT6 in U87 cells.
Conclusions
Based on our analysis, it was found that reduced GALNT6 expression could potentially impede tumor advancement and enhance favorable prognosis to a certain degree.
Deep AngioKey: A Novel Approach for Objective Keyframe Extraction in Coronary Angiography Analysis
Authors: Moalla Hounaida , Ghrab Aiman , Bahloul Amine , Hamed Bassem Ben , Abid Leila
Published: October 2023

Coronary angiography represents the GOLD standard for diagnosing and treating obstructive coronary artery disease. Its analysis relies on cardiologist?s visual assessment which is subjective and leads to inter-observer variability and different treatment strategies. Objective methods have been proposed and implemented in catheterization laboratories. However, their input is manually chosen by the cardi-ologist. In this paper, we present a new coronary angiogram keyframe extraction, Deep AngioKey. It is based on feature extraction. The frame with the highest vessel structure was identified as keyframe. Feature extraction was done using a U-Net model trained for binary vessel segmentation. Our solution surpassed existing methods and reached an overall accuracy of 98.1% in keyframe identification with an average main frame distance of 1.63.
Valorization of waste paper sludge as a sustainable source for packaging applications
Authors: Quintana Elisabet , Valls Cristina , Roncero M. Blanca
Published: October 2023

Paper sludge consists mainly of wet short cellulose fibers that are lost during papermaking and of residual chemicals used in the manufacturing process that remain dissolved in the water. Each ton of paper generates about 40–50 kg of dry sludge, of which 70% is primary sludge. Paper production, which exceeded 400 million tons globally in 2020, generates vast volumes of solid waste. Primary sludge is usually fiber-rich and hence suitable to be recycled back into the papermaking process. However, if the sludge is to be disposed of in landfills, sustainable practices must be developed in order to recover the fibers as they are valuable source for manufacturing high value added products.
This study investigates the valorization of paper sludge discarded by a filter paper manufacturer, with the purpose of producing cellulose acetate films for food packaging. The process involves recovering cellulose fibers from the sludge, purifying them and through acetylation reaction produce cellulose acetate films. FTIR spectra confirmed successful acetylation of fibers and also that acetyl groups reduced the hydrophilicity of cellulose —the contact angle was increased to over 80° from 50° in native cellulose. The films exhibited very good water barrier properties at both 50% and 90% RH.
Neural signatures of imaginary motivational states: desire for music, movement and social play
Authors: Vedova Giada Della , Proverbio Alice Mado
Published: October 2023

The literature has demonstrated the potential for detecting accurate electrical signals that correspond to the will or intention to move, as well as decoding the thoughts of individuals who imagine houses, faces or objects. This investigation examines the presence of precise neural markers of imagined motivational states through the combining of electrophysiological and neuroimaging methods. 20 participants were instructed to vividly imagine the desire to move, listen to music or engage in social activities. Their EEG was recorded from 128 scalp sites and analysed using individual standardized Low-Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomographies (LORETAs) in the N400 time window (400–600 ms). The activation of 1056 voxels was examined in relation to the 3 motivational states. The most active dipoles were grouped in eight regions of interest (ROI), including Occipital, Temporal, Fusiform, Premotor, Frontal, OBF/IF, Parietal, and Limbic areas. The statistical analysis revealed that all motivational imaginary states engaged the right hemisphere more than the left hemisphere. Distinct markers were identified for the three motivational states. Specifically, the right temporal area was more relevant for "Social Play", the orbitofrontal/inferior frontal cortex for listening to music, and the left premotor cortex for the "Movement" desire. This outcome is encouraging in terms of the potential use of neural indicators in the realm of brain-computer interface, for interpreting the thoughts and desires of individuals with locked-in syndrome.
Identification of mitophagy-related subgroups and biomarker in AIS osteopenia based on bioinformatics and machine learning approaches
Authors: Liu Jiahao , Wu Hui , Miao Xinxin , Wu Tianlong , Cheng Xigao
Published: October 2023

Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complicated spinal deformity with an unknown origin. The progression of AIS and the severity of spinal curvature are both substantially linked to osteopenia. Mitophagy is critical for the balance of osteogenic and osteoclastic development in BMSCs, but its significance in AIS osteopenia is unknown. The goal of this work was to look into the mechanism of mitophagy in AIS osteopeniapatients' BMSCs and give a new diagnostic and therapeutic target for AIS osteopenia.
Methods: The gene expression profiles of BMSCs from AIS patients are available in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) collection. Consensus cluster analysis of mitophagy-related genes was used to identify molecular isoforms.Using machine learning, identify mitophagy-related diagnostic indicators of osteopenia in AIS. The biological function and immunological features of diagnostic biomarkers were then assessed using GSEA and ssGSEA.
Results: Immune cell infiltration was found to differ between mitophagy-related subtypes, implying that the development of AIS osteopenia may be associated with immune cell infiltration. UBA52 was identified as the best mitophagy-related diagnostic biomarker for osteopenia in AIS by machine learning methods, and GSEA revealed that UBA52 mostly affected osteopenia in AIS through oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, UBA52 regulates immune cell infiltration and may contribute to osteopenia in AIS patients.
Conclusion: According to our findings, AIS patients can be split into two mitophagy subgroups. Furthermore, we used machine learning to identify UBA52, a mitophagy-related diagnostic marker, and discovered that UBA52 played a significant role in increasing osteopenia in AIS.
Classification of Diverse AI Generated Content: An In-Depth Exploration using Machine Learning and Knowledge Graphs
Authors: Vora Vismay , Savla Jenil , Mehta Deevya , Gawade Aruna , Mangrulkar Ramchandra
Published: October 2023

As the use of AI-generated content grows, it becomes imperative to recognize which data is human-developed and which is not. AI-generated content comes in several modalities such as deepfakes, text and images. This article proposes techniques that can be used to tackle this problem. To identify deepfakes we can take advantage of characteristics that make us human: blood circulation, human emotions and winks among other things. Text recognition takes a different approach, using a combination of large-scale language models, style analysis, and visual analysis. The generated images can be recognized by analyzing the pixels and common colors and patterns. It can be concluded that AI-generated content is the future, and it is difficult to develop a model that can identify it with 100\% accuracy. Validating content before submitting it and using it responsibly are the steps we should take to adapt to a world where both types of content coexist.
Structural characterization of SLYM - a 4th meningeal membrane
Authors: Plá Virginia , Bitsika Styliani , Giannetto Michael , Ladron-de-Guevara Antonio , Gahn-Martinez Daniel , Mori Yuki , Nedergaard Maiken , Møllgård Kjeld
Published: October 2023

Traditionally, the meninges are described as 3 distinct layers, dura, arachnoid and pia. Yet, the classification of the connective meningeal membranes surrounding the brain is based on postmortem macroscopic examination. Ultrastructural and single cell transcriptome analyses have documented that the 3 meningeal layers can be subdivided into several distinct layers based on cellular characteristics. We here re-examined the existence of a 4th meningeal membrane, Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane or SLYM in Prox1-eGFP reporter mice. Imaging of freshly resected whole brains showed that SLYM covers the entire brain and brain stem and forms a roof shielding the subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled cisterns and the pia-adjacent vasculature. Thus, SLYM is strategically positioned to facilitate periarterial influx of freshly produced CSF and thereby support unidirectional glymphatic CSF transport. Histological analysis showed that, in spinal cord and parts of dorsal cortex, SLYM fused with the arachnoid barrier layer, while in the basal brain stem typically formed a 1–3 cell layered membrane subdividing the subarachnoid space into two compartments. However, great care should be taken when interpreting the organization of the delicate leptomeningeal membranes in tissue sections. We show that hyperosmotic fixatives dehydrate the tissue with the risk of shrinkage and dislocation of these fragile membranes in postmortem preparations.
Towards a comprehensive COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions’ index for the province of Quebec.
Authors: Mamri Asma , Pereira Camila Correa Matias , Gilani Vahid Najafi Moghaddam , Batomen Brice , Brown Thomas Gordon , Cloutier Marie-Soleil , Ouimet Marie Claude , Paquet Cynthia , Giroux Claude , Tremblay Joël , Turmel Émilie , Vanlaar Ward , Nazif-Munoz Jose Ignacio
Published: October 2023

Objectives: The primary objective of this project was to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions’ index for the province of Quebec (QCnPI-Index), Canada. The resulting and open access database systematically categorizes, multiple non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the 17 administrative regions (AR) of the province of Quebec in the form of an index.
Data description: Data represent interventions and groups of interventions implemented during the COVID-19 period in Quebec. They are a compilation of policies, guidelines, and governmental interventions related to COVID-19, considering temporal and geographical dimensions. Data were collected, from March 2020 to July 2022, for all 17 ARs of Quebec using dates and ARs as unit of analysis. Data were collected and coded by an interdisciplinary research team.
Contribution: This quantitative instrument offers the necessary granularity for nuanced spatial and temporal studies within the province of Quebec, using AR, for instance, as unit of analysis. With this database, pre-, during-, and post-COVID periods can thus be better analyzed. Additionally, the innovative methodologies employed for data collection, coding, and weighting offer valuable insights that may have broader applications in public health, epidemiology, and other research domains. The QCnPI-Index could be instrumental for public health, epidemiology, and transportation researchers investigating the multifaceted impacts of non-pharmaceutical interventions on various societal domains, such as road safety, alcohol and cannabis consumption, and/or mental health, in the province of Quebec.
Microfiber coating for propeller noise reduction
Authors: Hasegawa Mitsugu , Sakaue Hirotaka
Published: October 2023

The popularity of small aerial vehicles has dramatically increased in recent years and propeller noise from such vehicles is a public health concern. Further advancement and utilization of small aerial vehicles requires a substantial focus on noise reduction. Surface and coating technology are applied in a variety of ways to address this engineering challenge. This study investigates a microfiber coating as a passive means for reducing propeller noise. The microfiber coating is comprised of a fibrous surface and has been previously shown to be a passive mean for reducing drag on a circular cylinder. To begin testing the efficacy of the microfiber coating for propeller noise reduction, microfiber-coated strips are placed at different spanwise locations on propeller blades. The sound pressure level produced by the rotating propeller is measured using a sound-level meter. The microfiber-coated propeller exhibited a lower sound pressure level than that of the uncoated propeller. At a Reynolds number of 7.4 × 104 based on the chord at the 75% spanwise station of the propeller blade, the microfiber-coated propeller achieved a noise reduction of up to 1.6 dBA compared to that of the uncoated propeller. The microfiber coating is effective in reducing broadband noise associated with the interaction of the turbulent boundary layer with the trailing edge as well as vortex shedding associated with laminar boundary layer separation. It is found that the noise-reduction performance is a function of the spanwise location of the microfiber-coated strips.
Causal relationship between tea intake and bone mineral density at different ages: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Shen Ting , Guan Yining , Cai Jiaru , Jin Yizhou , Jiang Yixin , Lin Jiaying , Yan Chenxin , Sun Jiawei
Published: October 2023

Background:
Based on research evidence, bone mineral density(BMD) is closely related to the occurrence of osteoporosis and fractures, and tea intake in daily diet has an important impact on bone density changes. However, the inherent relationship between them is not clear. We adopted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to evaluate the causal effect of tea intake on bone density and further explore whether it has specificity in different age groups.
Methods：
Analyzed meta-data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on tea consumption. Used single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) closely associated with tea consumption as instrumental variables (IVs) for a two-sample Mendelian randomization, the MR-Egger, IVW, Weighted median, Weighted mode methods were used to assess the causal analysis of tea intake between BMD at different ages.
Result:
Including 31 single nucleotide polymorphisms as instrumental variables. According to the results of inverse variance weighting (IVW), we found that tea intake had a positive causal effect on systemic BMD, but different age groups (0-15 years; 15-30 years; 30-45 years; 45-60 years; over 60 years) showed positive causality only in the 45-60 age range, with no significant statistical effect in other age groups. Evidence suggests that there is no genetic pleiotropic effect of tea intake on the causal effect of systemic BMD or between the five age groups (P> 0.05). In the IVW method, Cochran Q statistic and MR-Egger regression were used to calculate heterogeneity, and P > 0.05 indicates the absence of significant heterogeneity.
Conclusion:
The results of MR analysis showed that tea intake had a positive causal relationship on total body BMD, while in different age groups, tea intake only positively affected BMD in the 45–60 age group. This means that tea is beneficial for maintaining or increasing BMD in this age group, and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fracture.
Randomized Placebo-Controlled Phase 2 Study of Extended-Release Ketamine Tablets (R-107) for Treatment-Resistant Depression – the BEDROC Study
Authors: Glue Paul , Glue Paul , Loo Colleen , Fam Johnson , Lane Hsien-Yuan , Young Allan , Surnam Peter
Published: October 2023

Ketamine has rapid-onset antidepressant activity in patients with treatment-resistant major depression (TRD). The safety and tolerability of racemic ketamine may be improved if given orally, as an extended release tablet (R-107), compared with other routes of administration. In this phase 2 multicentre clinical trial, adult patients with TRD and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores >20 received open label R-107 tablets 120mg/day for 5 days and were assessed on Day 8 (enrichment phase). On Day 8, responders (MADRS scores <12 and reduction >50%) were randomized on a 1:1:1:1:1 basis to receive double-blind R-107 doses of 30, 60, 120, or 180mg, or placebo, twice weekly for a further 12 weeks. Non-responders on Day 8 exited the study. The primary endpoint was least square mean change in MADRS for each active treatment compared with placebo at 13 weeks, starting with the 180mg dose, using a fixed sequence step-down closed test procedure. Between August 2016 and April 2020, 329 individuals were screened for eligibility, 231 entered the open label enrichment phase (Days 1-8), and 168 responders were randomized to double-blind treatment. The primary objective was met; the least square mean difference of MADRS score for the 180mg tablet group and placebo was -6.1 (95% CI 1.0-11.16, p=0·019) at 13 weeks. Relapse rates during double-blind treatment showed a dose-response, from 70.6% for placebo, to 42.9% for 180mg. Tolerability was excellent, with no changes in blood pressure, minimal reports of sedation, and minimal dissociation. The most common adverse events were headache, dizziness and anxiety. During the randomised phase of the study most patient dosing occurred at home. R-107 tablets were effective, safe and well-tolerated in a patient population with TRD, enriched for initial response to R-107 tablets. Clinical Trial Registration ACTRN12618001042235.
Flemish critical care nurses’ experiences regarding the influence of work-related demands on their health: A descriptive interpretive qualitative study
Authors: Billiau Lukas , Bolliger Larissa , Clays Els , Eeckloo Kristof , Ketels Margo
Published: October 2023

Background: Critical care nurses (CCNs) around the globe face other health challenges compared to their peers in general hospital nursing. Moreover, the nursing workforce grapples with persistent staffing shortages. In light of these circumstances, developing a sustainable work environment is imperative to retain the current nursing workforce. Consequently, this study aimed to gain insight into the recalled experiences of CCNs in dealing with the physical and psychosocial influences of work-related demands on their health while examining the environments in which they operate. The second aim was to explore the complex social and psychological processes through which CCNs navigate these work-related demands across various CCN wards.
Methods: A qualitative study following Thorne’s interpretive descriptive approach was conducted. From October 2022 to April 2023, six focus groups were organised. Data from a diverse sample of 27 Flemish CCNs engaged in physically demanding roles from three CCN wards were collected. The Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven was applied to support the constant comparison process.
Results: CCNs reported being exposed to occupational physical activity, emotional, quantitative, and cognitive work-related demands, adverse patient behaviour, and poor working time quality. Exposure to these work-related demands was perceived as harmful, potentially resulting in physical, mental, and psychosomatic strain, as well as an increased turnover intention. In response to these demands, CCNs employed various strategies for mitigation, including seeking social support, exerting control over their work, utilising appropriate equipment, recognising rewards, and engaging in leisure-time physical activity.
Conclusions: CCNs’ health is challenged by work-related demands that are not entirely covered by the traditional quantitative frameworks used in research on psychologically healthy work. Therefore, future studies should focus on improving such frameworks by exploring the role of psychosocial and organisational factors in more detail. This study has important implications for workplace health promotion with a view on preventing work absenteeism and drop-out in the long run, as it offers strong arguments to promote sufficient risk management strategies, schedule flexibility, uninterrupted off-job recovery time, and positive management prolonged well-being and sustainable careers of the CCN workforce.
Parental feeding styles and early childhood caries in Egyptian children: a cross- sectional study
Authors: Taha Aya , Essam Wafaa , Tantawi Maha El
Published: October 2023

Background
Early childhood caries (ECC) affects the quality of life for young children and has the potential to increase caries susceptibility in permanent teeth. It is linked to eating or drinking sugary meals, beverages, or snacks. It may also be linked to unhealthy eating habits including emotional eating and instrumental feeding. This study examined the relationship between parental feeding practices and ECC in Egyptian children.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was carried out from 2022 to 2023. It included children aged 2–6 years old attending with their parents a dental clinic in a public hospital for children in Alexandria, Egypt. Data collection included oral examination to assess ECC using dmfs and oral hygiene using plaque index. Parents were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their children’s feeding and dietary habits using the parental feeding style questionnaire (PFSQ). The PFSQ contains four domains: control over eating, prompting/encouraging to eat, instrumental feeding, and emotional feeding, with 27 items scored from 1 to 5. A higher score indicated greater adoption of a feeding style. Binary logistic regression assessed the relation between having ECC experience (dependent variable) and parental feeding styles and sugary drinks intake (independent variables) controlling for confounders identified using directed acyclic graph (DAG).
Results
Responses and clinical data were available for 412 children out of 450 children (response rate = 91.7%). Most children (333, 80.8%) had ECC. There were significant differences in parental feeding styles between children with and without ECC. In multivariable regression, ECC was significantly higher in older children (AOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.68, 3.59) and in children with more instrumental feeding (AOR = 8.13, 95% CI: 3.67, 18.01) and significantly lower in females (AOR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.76) and children with more prompting/ encouragement to eat (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.67).
Conclusion
ECC was significantly associated with some parental feeding styles. Identifying parental feeding styles may help target at-risk children by preventive and health education programs.
Potentially protein-destabilizing C3 polymorphism in a case of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome with life-threatening extrarenal manifestations
Authors: Enya Takuji , Miyazaki Kohei , Kuge Sakina , Morimoto Yuichi , Kondou Hiroki , Sakata Naoki , Joh Kensuke , Nagano China , Ito Nobutoshi , Hakata Yoshiyuki , Miyazawa Masaaki , Sugimoto Keisuke
Published: October 2023

Background:
Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare, life-threatening disease caused by uncontrolled complement activation. It is frequently associated with a genetic factor including various polymorphisms at the C3 gene locus; however, no functional amino acid substitution in the C-terminal domain has been reported. We experienced a pediatric case of aHUS with multisystem involvements including refractory hypertension and gastrointestinal bleeding in which immunohistochemical, genetic, and molecular structural analyses were performed.
Methods:
Biopsy specimens were stained for renin and C5b-9. Serum factor Ba levels were measured to evaluate the alternative pathway activation. Genomic DNA was obtained with consent for targeted Sanger sequencing. The possible effects of the identified amino acid substitution on the molecular structure of C3 were analyzed by computer-aided simulation.
Results:
Immunostaining revealed intense renin staining in the hyperplastic juxtaglomerular apparatus. Endothelial cells of renal and intestinal blood vessels were positive for C5b-9. Serum Ba level in the active phase was higher than control level. Genetic analyses showed a C3 polymorphism resulting in M1604T substitution in the C345C domain. Although previously reported to be a variant of unknown significance, molecular structural analysis indicated that this amino acid substitution results in the formation of a large space within the hydrophobic core of the C-terminal domain, possibly destabilizing the spherical structure of C3. Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors for refractory hypertension were effective in this patient.
Conclusions:
M1604T substitution in the C345C domain of C3 molecule may functionally underlie the observed life-threatening extrarenal manifestations.
The contribution of milkfish (Chanos chanos) pond farming to socio-economics and coastal community livelihoods for a sustainable blue economy
Authors: Shalli Mwanahija S. , Mmochi Aviti , Rubekie Alex P. , Yona Gloria , Shoko Amon , Limbu Samwel , Mwitad Chacha J. , Lamtanee Hieromin A. , Hamedf Salum S. , Jiddawi Narriman S. , Mapenzi Levinus L.
Published: October 2023

The socio-economics and livelihoods of milkfish (Chanos chanos) pond farming to coastal communities is limited in most countries including Tanzania. This study assessed the milkfish (Chanos chanos) pond farming contribution to the socio-economics and livelihoods along the Tanzanian coastline. Sixty three milkfish farmers were interviewed through semi-structured questionnaire. The results indicated that, milkfish pond farming is characterized by low production due to low farmers’ education. The milkfish pond production is postively influenced by farmers’ experience, the number of fingerlings stocked and pond fertilization. However, milkfish pond farming is significantly negatively affected by pond production period and age of the farmers. Interestingly, our results showed that, milkfish pond farming is a source of income to the farmers after selling their fish through retail, wholesale and on-farm sales via mobile phone communications. However, milkfish pond farming in the studied areas is currently not profitable. Interestingly, milkfish pond farming is a source of food, income and employment to the community. Nevertheless, milkfish pond farming is constrained by inadequate feeds, seeds, funds, technical support and existence of theft and predators. Therefore, addressing these challenges is necessary for enhancing milkfish pond farming contribution to the socio-economics well-being and livelihoods support for the coastal communities.
3D-SegNet: A deep learning framework for three-dimensional airborne laser scanning point cloud segmentation for building identification
Authors: Yadav Manohar , Singh Dheerendra Pratap
Published: October 2023

The airborne laser scanning (ALS), a state-of-the-art 3D mapping technique is used for the fast and comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) data acquisition of urban environment. In this paper, a 3D-SegNet method is presented for identification of buildings using 3D ALS point cloud data. This method is mainly divided into two main steps: data preprocessing, and SegNet convolutional neural network: Urban building segmentation. In data preprocessing, the various LiDAR and geometric features are generated using point-wise 3D analysis in local spherical neighborhood. These features are processed and rasterized into feature images. Feature images along with buildings masks are used for the proposed 3D-SegNet model training and testing. The proposed 3D-SegNet model is straightforward to implement, where accurate segmentation of buildings are effectively dealt in several complex cases, such as buildings with varying dimensions, incomplete building geometry and data gaps; overlapped and connected objects with one of the objects as building, etc. The 3D-SegNet method performance for buildings segmentation was reported as average IOU, accuracy and F1-score of 76.19%, 91.19% and 77.45%, respectively employing the method on two datasets having different scene complexity. The proposed method is straightforward to implement and can be used as standard tool in urban planning strategies formation.
Electroporation Response in Mitochondria and the Endoplasmic Reticulum to Nanosecond Electric Pulses: Numerical Assessments of Geometry, Proximity and Multi- Electrode Effects
Authors: Baker C. , Willis A. , Milestone W. , Baker M. , Garner A. L. , Joshi R. P.
Published: October 2023

Most simulations of electric field driven bioeffects have considered spherical cellular geometries or probed symmetrical structures for simplicity. This work assesses cellular transmembrane potential build-up and electroporation in a Jurkat cell that includes the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, both of which have complex shapes, in response to external nanosecond electric pulses. The simulations are based on a time-domain nodal analysis that incorporates membrane poration utilizing the Smoluchowski model with angular-dependent changes in membrane conductivity. Consistent with prior experimental reports, the simulations show that the ER requires the largest electric field for electroporation, while the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is the easiest membrane to porate. Our results suggest that the experimentally observed increase in intracellular calcium most likely results due to a calcium induced calcium release (CICR) process that is initiated by outer cell membrane breakdown. Repeated pulsing and/or using multiple electrodes are shown to create a stronger poration. The role of mutual coupling, screening, and proximity effects in bringing about electric field modifications is also probed. Finally, while including greater geometric details might refine predictions, the qualitative trends are expected to remain.
Sleep Disorders in Patients with Parkinson Disease and its Correlation to Motor Symptoms Severity
Authors: Fadol Rabwa Khalil Mohammed , Daoud Mahmoud Hussien Salih , Saeed Mohamed KhalafAllah , Mohmed Mohmed Hussien Ahmed , Ali Khalid Mohammed , Elsayed Muaz Abdellatif Mohammed
Published: October 2023

Background: Sleep disturbances are non-motor manifestations, which occurs in up to 96% of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). They include insomnia, disorders of daytime somnolence, sleep-related breathing disorders, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and rapid eye movement behavior disturbances. Sleep disorders have significant impact on the quality of life in Parkinson's disease patients.
Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at three neurology referral hospitals. The aim was to assess the frequency and pattern of sleep disturbances among patients with PD. Questionnaires were used to obtain the demographic, clinical features and evaluation of sleep disturbances using PD sleep scale-2 (PDSS-2). The correlation of quality of sleep with the duration of the disease and severity of motor symptoms was assessed using Hoehn and Yahr staging. SPSS version 25 was the tool used for analysis—p value <0.05.
Results: 71 patients with confirmed PD were studied. Males represented 70.4% and the mean age was 64.66±9.6 years.
38% had significant nocturnal sleep disturbances (PDSS-2≥18). The most common sleep disorders were nocturia 72% (51), sleep maintenance insomnia 46% (38), sleep refreshment 46%(34), waking up due to pain in arms or legs 45%(32) and(21%) 15 had nocturnal hallucinations. Poor sleepers exhibited longer disease duration but revealed no association with PD severity.
Conclusion: In 71 patients with Parkinson's disease, one-third had significant sleep disturbances. PDSS-2 score was positively correlated to prolonged duration but not motor symptoms' severity.
Instance-level detection and region partition ofHPT blade by slot localization
Authors: 黄 Rui , Cheng 徐毅 , 张 Chaoqun , 王 Ruofei , 电风扇 Wei
Published: October 2023

Accurately partitioning a high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade is very importantfor deciding the severity of the damage occurring on an HPT blade. Although itis important, there is no autonomous HPT blade partition method. A direct wayis to segment an HPT blade by the state-of-the-art (SOTA) instance segmenta-tion method trained with abundant labeled images. But the segmentation-basedstrategy is restricted by the number of pixel-level labels, which cannot meet thedifferent partition standards of variant aeroengines. In this paper, we study topartition an HPT blade without pixel-level labels. Our method is based on slotlocalization, dubbed as SL-BP, which can decouple the HPT blade partition withinstance segmentation, and make SL-BP can be easily applied on a new typeof aeroengine without relabeling. Given the indexes of localization slots, SL-BPcan easily generate promising HPT blade partition results. To improve the bladepartition results further, we propose “smart YOLACT”, which is pretrained withpseudo labels generated by SL-BP and finetuned with a small number of pixel-level labeled images. We build an HPT blade partition dataset, named BPD,with 107 images of the HPT blade. Compared with the instance segmentationbased method that trained with pixel-level labels, SL-BP can achieve compa-rable performance only with bounding box annotation on slots of HPT blades.Besides, finetuned with half number of labeled images, our “smart YOLACT”even outperforms YOLACT trained with all the labeled images.
The Constants and Dark Energy Computed and Explained with Entire Function of Dynamical Systems
Authors: Jian Yufeng
Published: October 2023

Metaphysically and physically, this paper presents a general theoretical framework with correspondingly metaphysical models definition and one general physical model variating in specific cases in a uniform mathematical structure in dynamical systems view. With this framework, the Constant Family that is composed of the Fine-Structure Constant (FSC), the Coulomb Constant, the Newton Gravitational Constant, the Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment and the Electroweak Electromagnetic Moment together with Electroweak Constant Coefficient has been computed theoretically in General Solution scheme. Specific values or value scope for different schemes have been determined by the experimental Constants’ values with probability evaluations to indicate capability for predictions for further more precise measurements. The theoretical framework is appeared to be able to unify the electromagnetic field, the electric field and the gravitational field at dynamical energy flowing and transforming system level in coordinated relativistic structural view. By rights of such unifying capability, the theoretical framework is able to explain “Dark Energy” and clarify concepts such as “energy superposition state” and misconceptions such as “Asymptotic Freedom”.
Mathematically, this works originally was to continue the ongoing mathematics works on FSC carried out by Sir. Michael. Atiyah. The mathematical structure developed from this works plays the role of General Solution to Yang-mills and Mass Gap mathematical proposition proof. Sir. Michael. Atiyah’s insights and employing renormalization approach and Todd polynomials techniques has provided demonstration from the uniqueness proof for any defined analogue for (infinite) iteration of exponential set. This paper is on those analogues, jointly shaping existence and uniqueness proof for multiple mathematical aspects. The future work can be further conducted on existence proof in relation to Yang-mills proposition.