bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Nicorandil in Preventing Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients with ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: QIAN GENG , Chen Si , Jiang Xiao-si , Zhang Ying , A Xin , Li Ping , Chen Yun-dai
Published: November 2023

Objective: It is widely reported that nicorandil could reduce contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) after selective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary angiography. The aim of this multi-center prospective randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy of nicorandil for the prevention of CIN after primary PCI in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
Methods: Patients with STEMI received primary PCI were enrolled, and they were randomly assigned into nicorandil group and placebo group, receiving intravenous nicorandil or placebo before PCI, respectively. The endpoint was the incidence of CIN, defined as an absolute increase in serum creatinine (SCr) > 0.5 mg/dl or a relative increase > 25% compared with baseline SCr. The secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) within a year.
Results: The final study population comprised 238 randomized patients, and 226 of them (n=113 for each group) were included in the primary analysis. Compared with the placebo group, the final TIMI grade in the nicorandil group was significantly better (P = 0.001), and the incidence of CIN in nicorandil group was significantly lower (9.7% (11/113) vs. 24.8% (28/113), P = 0.003). The logistic regression analysis revealed that nicorandil was significantly associated with the decreased odds of CIN (OR: 0.379, 95% CI: 0.166-0.861, P=0.021). Nicorandil is an independent protective factor for the development of CIN in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI.
Conclusions: Our study indicated that intravenous nicorandil could prevent CIN in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI.
The Impact of Folic Acid/VB12 Deficiency on Essential Hypertension in Children and Adolescents: from a Nested Case-control and a Cohort Study
Authors: Liang xiaohua , He Yun , Hu Guomin , Tong Jishuang , Ren Yanling , Chen Lan , Wang Yuwei , An Xizhou , Jiang Xiaoping , Tahir Muhammad Fahad , Bi Yang , Liu Qin
Published: November 2023

Aims
To explore the relationship between serum folic acid (FA) or Vitamin B12 (VB12) and elevated BP in children and adolescents.
Methods
A nested case-control study was conducted to select 326 subjects (116:210) from an established cohort. And a cohort study was also conducted, which included 270 participants without hypertension at baseline and followed in 2019. Questionnaires, physical examinations, and blood biochemical tests were performed at baseline and follow-up. The relationships between FA, VB12, and blood pressure (BP) levels /elevated BP in children and adolescents were investigated using both a nested case control and a cohort study.
Results
FA and VB12 levels were lower in the elevated BP group than in the control group, and homocysteine levels were higher than that in the control group. In the elevated BP group, overweight/obese children had lower FA than overweight/obese children in the control group. FA was positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and Apo lipoprotein A (APOA), but negatively correlated with triglyceride (TG). FA was significantly correlated with elevated BP in children and adolescents (β=-0.353, P = 0.032), after adjusting VB12, and homocysteine (HCY), and the interaction effect of FA*HCY was significant. Both systolic and diastolic BP levels were statistically lower in the FA high exposure group than in the FA low exposure group in the cohort study.
Conclusions
This study found that FA deficiency in childhood was correlated with elevated BP levels, which may affect BP by regulating lipid levels, and confirmed the importance of FA supplementation in childhood.
Surface mining identification and ecological restoration effects assessment using remote sensing method in Yangtze River watershed, China
Authors: Xu Suchen , Wang Kechao , Xiao Wu , Tong Tong , Sun Hao , Li Chong
Published: November 2023

Mineral resource development is necessary for economic growth, but its negative impacts on land, ecology, and the environment are significant and cannot be ignored. Identification the mine restoration process in a large scale is challenging without specific mining location information. Besides, how to quantitatively evaluates the ecological restoration effects became important for management and supervision. Here, we propose a systematic workflow that utilizes open-source remote sensing data to identify and assess large-scale surface mining areas' restoration status and ecological quality without prior knowledge of mine locations, and implemented in Yangtze River region, the largest watershed area in China. The process includes: (1) extracting surface mining areas using masking, morphological operations, and visual interpretation techniques; (2) constructing time-series of Bare Surface Percentage (BSP) for each mining area on the Google Earth Engine platform to distinguish between abandoned and active mines and examine their restoration rates; (3) constructing the Remote sensing Ecological indicator for Mining areas (REM) to quantify ecological quality and its temporal changes. The results show that: (1) the proposed method effectively identifies surface mining areas with higher boundary delineation accuracy and smaller omission numbers; (2) a total 1,183 mine sites were identified in the study area, of which 381 abandoned mines showed a significant decreasing trend in BSP from 2016 to 2021, with a median decreasing from 98% in 2016 to 81% in 2022, indicating better vegetation recovery during this period. (3) the REM of abandoned mines generally showed a stable upward trend from 2016 to 2022, and vice versa. This study provides a systematic solution for identifying surface mining areas and monitoring restoration scope and ecological quality on a broader scale. It can be extended to other areas and support further ecological restoration decision-making.
Capillary Skimming Floating Microplastics via a Water-Bridged Ratchet
Authors: Kim Seong Jin , Cho Seohyun , Park Sang Jin , Lee Young Jin , Lee You Jun , Lee Young A , Kim Ho-Young , Chung Seok , Moon Myoung-Woon
Published: November 2023

Floating microplastics (MPs) have recently become a major concern in marine pollution; however, current filter-based technology is hardly effective for directly removing such MPs from the water surface because of specific mesh size and clogging issues. This paper introduces a new skimming concept for removing floating MPs utilizing capillary force mediated by the elevation of a hydrophilic ratchet at the air − water interface. MPs floating near the ratchet surface are spontaneously forced toward the ratchet with a concave water meniscus, driven by the Cheerios effect. The MPs can then be skimmed and temporarily held by the deforming concave water meniscus as the ratchet rises. Here, it is found that the stability of the water bridge plays a crucial role in skimming success because it provides capillary adhesion between the MP and the ratchet. The proposed capillary skimming method is demonstrated to be effective across nearly all types of floating MPs, ranging in size from 1 µm to 4 mm, and with densities varying from 0.02 to 0.97 g/cm³, which is also demonstrated by a prototype water-bridged ratchet drum.
Land Use Land Cover Change Detection using remote sensing Indices in Rasik Beel Wetland, West Bengal, India.
Authors: DEBNATH MANOJ , Alam Md. Khurshid , Islam Nazrul , Hossain Saddam , Sarkar Bappa , Roy Ranjan
Published: November 2023

Land use and land cover changes are critical in understanding the dynamics of the environment and its impact on human livelihoods. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) are commonly used remote sensing techniques to detect the changes in LULC.Rasik Beel is a wetland and a popular eco-tourism destination located in the Koch Bihar district of West Bengal, which faced rapid alteration of LULC.This study aims to utilize GIS tools to detect the temporal changes in the pattern of Rasik Beel wetlands from 1991 to 2021 to promote sustainable resource management practices.The analysis reveals notable changes in land use and land cover (LULC) in Rasik Beel over the last 30 years, particularly the conversion of 1284.42 hectares of cropland to vegetation. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that the water surface area in Rasik Beel has experienced fluctuations over time, with a significant decline in shallow water areas that have been transformed into non-water surfaces.Moreover, the findings could assist in sustainable resource management by providing the needed information.
Schistosoma japonicum complex: relatedness of parasites and relatedness of its intermediate hosts in evolution
Authors: Nelwan Martin
Published: November 2023

Purpose: In this research, I report the relationship between S. ovuncatum, S. sinensium, S. japonicum, S. mekongi, and S. malayensis. Additionally, I also report the kinship relationship between five species of Oncomelania with Neotricula aperta, Robertsiella spp, and Tricula spp. Furthermore, I describe the formation of the genus Oncomelania from its predecessor forms.
Principal Results: The results of nucleotide BLAST showed that S. ovuncatum shared a 99.69% identity with S. sinensium, 98.68% identity with S. mekongi, 97.98% identity with S. malayensis, and 97.85% identity with S. japonicum. The tree-view slanted cladogram showed that S. sinensium is a sister to S. ovuncatum. It split into S. japonicum. Schistosoma japonicumsplits into S. mekongi and S. malayensis. The results also showed that Oncomelania robertsoni shared 86.12% identity with Neotricula aperta, 85.88% identity with Robertsiella spp., and 85.28% identity with Tricula bollingi. The tree-view slanted cladogram showed that Tricula spp. split into N. aperta and Robertsiella spp. This study showed that Oncomelania emerged from its predecessor forms.
Conclusions: Nucleotide BLAST results showed that S. ovuncatum is close to S. sinensium. Schistosoma sinensium split into S. japonicum, S. mekongi, and S. malayensis. Oncomelania robertsoni was closer to N. aperta than to Robertsiella spp., and Tricula spp. (Tricula bollingi). Oncomelania species emerged from their predecessor forms.
Towards quantifying (meta-)stability of multi-principal
element alloys: from configurational entropy to
characteristic temperatures
Authors: Zhang Yanhui , Zhou Yunkai , Dong Lisheng , Wang Li-Min , Liu Riping , Sanvito Stefano
Published: November 2023

Understanding the thermodynamics of multi-principal-element alloys (MPEAs), although crucial for their design, remains an elusive task. The configurational entropy, Sconf, is a critical thermodynamic quantity determining stability, but its calculation for real materials poses a hard computational challenge. Strong of a highly efficient cluster expansion, constructed on density functional theory data,and of an advanced sampling technique, we are able to compute Sconf over the huge configurational and compositional space of the prototype bcc Ti-Zr-Hf-Nb-Ta system. In particular, we explore around 200,000 atomic arrangements across more than 200 compositions. The main features of the computed Sconf-vs-temperature curves can be captured by the definition of two characteristic temperatures, which are then used to define a dimensionless descriptor. This, together
with Sconf, enable us to rank alloys according to their (meta-
)stability across a broad composition range, going from equiatomic to nonequiatomic, and even to the regions covered by conventional alloys. Such classification is informed and validated against hundreds of experimental results. Our analysis allows us to revise the classification scheme of alloys into high-entropy, medium-entropy and low-entropy and, in general, sheds light into the thermodynamic origin of their metastability, ultimately helping in the design and development.
Childhood growth of singletons conceived following assisted reproductive technology - does gonadotropin stimulation matter?
Authors: Minger Mirja Amadea , Sommer Grit , Mitter Vera Ruth , Purtschert Livia Amanda , von Wolff Michael , Schwartz Alexandra Sabrina Kohl
Published: November 2023

Purpose: To investigate whether gonadotropin stimulation influences growth or weight gain of children conceived following assisted reproductive technology.Methods: We conducted a single-center, prospective cohort study (2010–2017) including children (n = 139) born after natural-cycle intracytoplasmic sperm injection (NC-ICSI) or conventional gonadotropin stimulated intracytoplasmic sperm injection (c-ICSI) treatment. Growth parameters up to 24 months were collected. Standard deviation scores based on growth references were calculated.Results: The median birth weight in NC-ICSI children was 3.4kg (0.1 standard deviation score (SDS)) compared to 3.3kg (-0.3 SDS) in c-ICSI children (p = 0.61). Median length at birth was 50cm in both groups (NC-ICS (-0.5 SDS), c-ICSI children (-0.8 SDS), p = 0.48). At age 24 months, median weight in NC-ICSI children was 12.2kg (0.3 SDS) versus 12.2kg (0.2 SDS) in c-ICSI children (p = 0.82) and median length 87.5cm (0.1 SDS) versus 88.0cm (0.4 SDS) (p = 0.43).Conclusion: We found no difference in growth between children conceived after stimulated and unstimulated ICSI. Growth parameters of both treatment groups did not differ from Swiss national growth references. One of the main limitations of our study was the small sample size (N = 139) and the high drop-out rate of 49% (68/139).
A comparative assessment of five precipitation products in the Saharan desert of Morocco: Sakia El Hamra basin case study
Authors: El-Alaouy Nafia , GOUMI Said EL , LAFTOUHI Nour-Eddine , Lahrouni Abderrahmane , Bouras El Houssaine , Amazirh Abdelhakim , Gouzrou Abdeljalil
Published: November 2023

The Sakia El Hamra basin, located in the Saharan region of southern Morocco, presents risks of sudden and devastating floods despite a generally arid climate. In this complex hydro-climatic context, the accurate estimation of rainfall is of paramount importance for the management of water resources and flood forecasting. However, the low density of rain gauges networks as well as the rugged topography of the Saharan Atlas, limit the knowledge of rainfall regimes. This study aims to evaluate the performance of five satellite precipitation products (GPM IMERG, TRMM 3B42, ERA5, PERSIANN and CHIRPS) compared to monthly observations from two weather stations (Laayoune and Essmara) over the period 2001–2017. The results reveal notable differences between the satellite products. On a monthly scale, the GPM IMERG product has the best overall accuracy with a mean square error (MSE) of 16.8 mm/month. However, TRMM 3B42 shows better temporal correlations with correlation coefficient (CC) of about 0.83. On an annual scale, TRMM 3B42 performed better than other products with the highest accuracy.
All-Photon Bipolar Reversible Modulation Artificial Synapse for Color Perception and Mitigation of Glare Phenomenon
Authors: Dai Haitao , Fu Yikai , Li Jia , Wang Changlei , Zhao Dewei , Zhang Xiaoli , Liu Changlong , Lv Qieni , Wang Yong , Xiao Yin , Feng Shouzhong
Published: November 2023

The focus of artificial synaptic device researches has gradually shifted towards synaptic devices with specific functionalities. In this work, we report an optically responsive memristor (with a configuration of Ag:AgI/MA0.4FA0.6PbI3/Ag:AgI) that achieves bidirectional switching of resistive states utilizing 450 nm and 650 nm light at an ultra-low readout voltage of 0.001 V. The device presents artificial visual synapses (AVS) features in terms of short-term plasticity (STP)/long-term plasticity (LTP) to pulsed light in the range of 300-700 nm. Under 450 nm blue light, an abrupt shift from low to high resistance can be observed, resembling the effect of glare. Intriguingly, the introduction of 650 nm red light can expedite the recovery following blue light exposure. These attributes underscore potential of the device for tasks encompassing color recognition, memory functions, and adaptation, suggesting promising prospects within artificial visual neural networks for ultraviolet and visible light sensing, transmission, and memory applications.
Imaging-based chromatin and epigenetic age, ImAge, quantitates aging and rejuvenation.
Authors: terskikh Alexey , Alvarez-Kuglen Martin , Rodriguez Delany , Qin Haodong , Ninomiya Kenta , Fiengo Lorenzo , Farhy Chen , Hsu Wei-Mien , Havas Aaron , Feng Gen-Sheng , Roberts Amanda , Anderson Rozalyn , Serrano Manuel , Adams Peter , Sharpee Tatyana
Published: November 2023

Biomarkers of biological age that predict the risk of disease and expected lifespan better than chronologi-cal age are key to efficient and cost-effective healthcare1–3. To advance a personalized approach to healthcare, such biomarkers must reliably and accurately capture individual biology, predict biological age, and provide scalable and cost-effective measurements. We developed a novel approach – image-based chromatin and epigenetic age (ImAge) that captures intrinsic progressions of biological age, which readily emerge as principal changes in the spatial organization of chromatin and epigenetic marks in single nuclei without regression on chronological age. ImAge captured the expected acceleration or deceleration of bio-logical age in mice treated with chemotherapy or following a caloric restriction regimen, respectively. Im-Age from chronologically identical mice inversely correlated with their locomotor activity (greater activity for younger ImAge), consistent with the widely accepted role of locomotion as an aging biomarker across species. Finally, we demonstrated that ImAge is reduced following transient expression of OSKM cassette in the liver and skeletal muscles and reveals heterogeneity of in vivo reprogramming. We propose that Im-Age represents the first-in-class imaging-based biomarker of aging with single-cell resolution.
Developing a clinical judgment model-based online education program for palliative wound care in nursing homes: A quasi-experimental study
Authors: Lee Ye-Na , Kim Dayeong , Choi Young-Rim , Park Won Hee , Kwon Dai-Young , Chang Sung Ok
Published: November 2023

Background
Many issues when combined can make wound management complicated, including the types of wounds and symptoms most commonly affecting palliative care residents and the presence of concurrent comorbidities and their associated treatment in nursing homes. In those complex situations, a nursing staff's clinical judgment is essential for effective decision-making. This study aimed to (1) develop an e-learning program using the clinical judgment model to enhance clinical decision-making competencies and (2) examine the effectiveness of the developed education program.
Methods
In Step 1, developing the program, the characteristics of the learners and the necessary educational content were identified through qualitative interviews. Subsequently, the program was designed and created by considering the educational goals and content identified in the interviews. In Step 2, evaluating the program, its effectiveness was assessed using a quasi-experimental nonequivalent pretest-posttest design. The participants (n = 52) were randomly allocated into an experimental group (n = 26) and a control group (n = 26).
Results
The education program was developed based on the analysis of the educational needs suggested by 10 interviewees, who responded to 11 questions covering elements such as noticing, interpreting, responding, and reflecting, all based on the clinical judgment model. The results indicated that the e-learning program significantly improved clinical judgment in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.01).
Conclusions
This study developed an e-learning program for palliative wound care and assessed its impact on the clinical judgment of nursing staff in nursing homes. The results are expected to enhance palliative wound care competency and contribute to more effective nursing care for residents in nursing homes.
Evaluation of pneumonia indexes associated with mechanical ventilation in a COVID-19 unit with dentist
Authors: Feitosa Alinne , Veras Pedryna , Sampaio Eliane , Filho Edson Cetira , Matos Ylana , Carvalho Aristea
Published: November 2023

Objective:The aim of this research is to evaluate whether there was a difference after the insertion of the dental surgeon in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that cares for patients with COVID-19 in relation to VAP control, length of stay and mortality.Materials and methodsThe dentist was added to the multidisciplinary team for three months. A training session with the nurses and nursing technicians was held at the start of every month. The Hospital Infection Control Service gathered data on VAP, hospital stay length, and ICU mortality in the three months before and three months after the dentist joined the team.Results:After statistical analysis, the hospitalization rate increased in the period in which the dentist was working in the COVID-19 unit, but the p value was not significant in this variant (p > 0.062). The percentage of VAP in the period before and after the dentist's intervention in the COVID-19 unit decreased with a significant difference between the evaluated periods (p < 0.0001). Regarding mortality, it was found that there was an increase in the number of deaths over time, however without statistical significance (p > 0.2790).ConclusionThe pandemic came to confirm the importance of dental care in the hospital environment and the integration of the professional dentist in the health team, contributing to the oral health and quality of life of critical patients.Clinical significance:As a contribution to clinical practice, our study shows that the increase in the number of dentists in the multidisciplinary teams, providing training and support to the team with oral care in critically ill patients, together with the fixed protocol on hygiene in intubated patients passed on to the team at the beginning of each month, added to her interest in learning correctly, contributed significantly to the reduction of VAP.
Catechol-Conjugated Alginate Biopolymer for Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles: A Promising Approach for Photothermal and Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer Treatment
Authors: Ghaffarlou Mohammadreza , Rashidzadeh Hamid , Mohammadi Ali , Mousazadeh Navid , Barsbay Murat , Sharafi Ali , Gharbavi Mahmoud , Danafar Hossein , Javani Siamak
Published: November 2023

Radiation therapy and phototherapy are commonly used treatments for cancer that offer advantages such as a low risk of adverse effects and the ability to target cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. A promising strategy for cancer treatment involves using nanoparticles (NPs) in combination with radiation and photothermal therapy to target cancer cells and improve treatment efficacy. The synthesis of gold NPs (AuNPs) for use in biomedical applications has traditionally involved toxic reducing agents. Here we harnessed dopamine (DA)-conjugated alginate (Alg) for the facile and green synthesis of Au NPs (Au@Alg-DA NPs). Alg-DA conjugate reduced Au ions, simultaneously stabilized the resulting AuNPs and prevent aggregation, resulting in particles with a narrow size distribution and improved stability. Injectable Au@Alg-DA NPs significantly promoted ROS generation in 4T1 breast cancer cells when exposed to X-rays. In addition, their administration raised the temperature under a light excitation of 808 nm, thus helping to destroy cancer cells more effectively. Importantly, no substantial cytotoxicity was detected in our Au@Alg-DA NPs. Taken together, our work provides a promising route to obtain an injectable combined radioenhancer and photothermally active nanosystem for further potential clinic translation.
Hydroxytyrosol, a component of olive oil for breast cancer prevention in women at high risk of cancer
Authors: Puri Akshjot , Yin Zheng , Granados-Principal Sergio , Ensor Joe , Guzman Liliana , Rosato Roberto , Zhao Hong , Wong Stephen , Wang Lin , Patel Tejal , Chang Jenny
Published: November 2023

Background
This study evaluates the effects of hydroxytyrosol (HT), a component of olive oil, on mammographic breast density reduction. We explored effects of HT on Wnt β-catenin and other pathways involved in cancer stem cell renewal, DNA repair, cell proliferation and differentiation.
Methods
25mg/day oral dose of HT were given for 12 months in pre- and post-menopausal women at increased risk of breast cancer. Out of 51 patients enrolled, 41 completed the study. The annualized percent decrease in maximum mammographic volumetric breast density (Max VBD%) between baseline (BL) and end-of-treatment (EOT) was analyzed. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and multiplex analysis was performed on the breast biopsies to compare the BL with EOT samples.
Results
Max VBD% showed a non-significant change; however, in women 60 years or older, the max VBD% decrease was significant (3.7%, p=0.0391), especially in those with high baseline mammographic density. Using RNA-Seq, 3,330 unique transcripts were identified (p<0.05). Mitotic telophase/cytokinesis, DNA damage were upregulated, whereas Wnt, Notch, and Oxidative stress-induced senescence pathways were downregulated (p<0.05). These pathways were confirmed by Nano string n counts where significant decrease in proliferative genes (RELA and CDK4), Wnt pathway (R-HSA-195721 and R-HAS-201681) were observed (p< 0.05).
Conclusions
Hydroxytyrosol significantly reduced breast density only in women over 60 years, especially in those with high baseline breast density. HT also reduced proliferation and affected Wnt signaling pathway. This study lays the foundation for future larger studies in exploring a natural compound with well tolerability and overall nontoxic profile for chemoprevention of breast cancer.
The effect of behavioral activation play therapy in adolescents with depression: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Huang Xiaolong , Chen Yuqi , Luo Jiacheng , Luo Wei , Wang Dongdong , Yang Chanjuan , Zhou Yanling
Published: November 2023

Background
Depression is a common psychological problem in adolescents worldwide. Although the World Health Organization recommends physical activity to reduce depressive symptoms in this population, compliance with this recommendation is often low. Furthermore, although behavioral activation therapy (BAT) is recommended as a treatment for adolescents with depression, the reported effect size is small. Compared with traditional exercises, gamified physical activities (GPA) can be particularly appealing to adolescents because they are considered to be enjoyable experiences. Thereby, they often have good uptake in adolescent populations. In this study, we integrated BAT and GPA to create behavioral activation play therapy (BAPT). We designed a clinical trial to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of this treatment in adolescents with depression.
Methods
The study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a single-blind, two-arm design, conducted to validate the effectiveness and applicability of BAPT for adolescent depression. On the basis of conventional treatment and care, we will compare the outcomes of BAPT and BAT. The intervention group and control group will receive nine sessions of BAPT or BAT, respectively. The number of adolescents recruited will be 200, with a 1:1 distribution ratio.
Discussion
This is the first RCT to explore the effectiveness and adaptability of BAPT in adolescents with depression. This study will provide evidence that may help to decrease depressive symptoms in adolescents, and will demonstrate the treatment effectiveness in terms of increasing levels of physical activity, reducing the rate of non-suicidal self-injury behaviors, and improving sleep quality. We also hope to assess other possible clinical effects of BAPT.
Trial registration:
Chinese Clinical Trial Register Center, ChiCTR2300072671. Registered on 20 June 2023.
The value of HIFI model based on cell-free DNA genomic features in early diagnosis and prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Li Linhan , Lu Xiaobo , Wang Xiaozhong , An Xuan , Zhang Quan , Hu Peng , Cai Dachuan , Lan Yinghua , Zhang Dazhi , Kang Juan
Published: November 2023

Background The detection of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a promising early diagnosis method for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We validated the cfDNA-based comprehensive diagnostic model (HIFI) and explored its value in the early diagnosis and prediction of HCC.
Methods cfDNA detection was performed in 126 patients, the results of HIFI were obtainedand compared with HCC markers. Moreover, we conducted a comparison between the predictive ability of aMAP score and the HIFI model for HCC at 10 months of follow-up.
Results Chi-square test and Kappa analysis showed that the diagnostic consistency between HIFI model and traditional methods was significantly higher than that of AFP and PIVKA-II (Kappa=0.461 vs 0.251 vs 0.287, P≤0.05). Moreover, the consistency of HIFI model combined with PIVKA-II was higher than that of AFP combined with PIVKA-II and HIFI model combined with AFP (Kappa=0.564 vs 0.267 vs 0.317, P≤0.05). We compared HIFI model with aMAP score at 10 months, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of HIFI model in predicting HCC was 70.59%, 90.32%, 66.67% and 91.80%. When 50/60 is set as the cut-off value of aMAP score, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV was 94.12 / 76.47%, 29.03 / 72.58%, 26.67 / 43.33% and 94.74 / 91.84%.
Conclusions The study demonstrated the superiority of the cfDNA-based HIFI model as a method of early warning and diagnosis of HCC. Moreover, the predictive efficacy of the HIFI model remained high at 10 months, in terms of specificity and PPV, the HIFI model was better than aMAP score.
Juvenile Eosinophilic Fasciitis: A Single Center Case Series
Authors: Stubbs Leigh Anna , Ogunbona Oluwaseun , Beil Emily , Szafron Vibha , Adesina Adekunle , Anvari Sara , Lai Jamie , Ramirez Andrea , Ditzler Matthew , De Guzman Marietta
Published: November 2023

Background:Eosinophilic fasciitis (EF) is a rare disease characterized by skin induration and musculoskeletal abnormalities. Diagnostic criteria for EF are based on adult populations. There is a need to expand the literature on EF in children due to limited reported cases and potential differences compared to adults.Methods:We conducted a retrospective review of medical records for six pediatric patients diagnosed with EF at our institution between November 2011 and April 2023. Inclusion criteria required patients to be under 18 years of age at the time of diagnosis and to have confirmed diagnosis through clinical history, imaging, and histology.Results:Most of our cohort were female (83%) and non-Hispanic white (50%). Age at diagnosis ranged from 4 to 16 years. Duration of symptoms before diagnosis varied from 1 to 12 months. Follow-up periods ranged from 14 to 123 months. Concurrent medical conditions included localized scleroderma, acquired thrombophilia, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Patients presented with progressive painful swelling, severe joint limitations, and positive prayer sign. Initial regimens involved corticosteroids and methotrexate. Hydroxychloroquine, immunoglobulin, mycophenolate mofetil, rituximab, and tocilizumab were also used depending on the patient’s disease severity and course.Conclusions:Juvenile EF may manifest as swelling and progressive induration without apparent skin abnormalities. Unlike adult populations, no underlying malignancies or associations with trauma were observed in our cohort. Our cases did not exhibit systemic involvement observed in previous studies on juvenile EF. While non-specific, the prayer sign may aid in early recognition of juvenile EF and help prevent long-term disability.
Cooperative control for multi-player pursuit-evasion games embedded on communication technology with reinforcement learning
Authors: kavin Balasubramanian Prabhu , K Aravinda , Kamala Praveena Rachel , E Naresh , Pareek Piyush Kumar
Published: November 2023

Recent advances in research on the Multi-agent System (MAS) optimal control issue will help sectors like robotics, communications, and power systems. This work looks at the intelligent design of a large-scale multi-pursuer and multi-evader pursuit-evasion game. Based on reinforcement learning, a distributed cooperative pursuit method with communication is created. The famed Curse of Dimensionality poses a serious danger to multi-player pursuit-evasion game designs due to the sheer number of agents, especially in hostile areas where there aren't many communication options available to encourage player information exchange. In order to find the best pursuit-evasion strategies using a novel type of probability density function (PDF) rather than exhaustive data from all the remaining teams or agents, the Mean Field Games (MFG) theory has been used. A novel MAS optimum type oversight system with a decentralised and computer-friendly decision method is urgently needed. Mean field game theory is used to create the Actor-critic-mass (ACM), a decentralised optimal control system, to address the aforementioned issues. Additionally, the homogeneous decentralised Actor-critic-mass (HDACM) which improves the ACM method, does away with restrictions like homogeneous agents and cost functions. Finally, two applications make use of the PAS algorithm.
A meta-analysis of differentially expressed microRNA during mastitis disease in dairy cattle
Authors: Panahi bahman , hasanpour karim , ghahramani nooshin , rafat abbas , shodja jalil
Published: November 2023

Background:Bovine mastitis is an important inflammation disease that affects the mammary gland and causing adverse effects on the quality and quantity of the produced milk, leads to a major economic lost in dairy industry.Streptococcus uberisis one of the bacteria commonly responsible for inducing mastitis in dairy cattle. Susceptibility to develop mastitis is a complex multifactorial phenotype and the improvement of the miRNAs and their target genes has not been comprehensively illustrated.Methods and Results:The purpose of this investigation was to perform a meta-analysis of the miRNAs expression profiling datasets to detect the key miRNAs, targets, and regulatory networks associated with mastitis. To this, publicly available miRNA datasets belong to three experiments on dairy cattle which challenged withS. uberiswere included in our meta-analyzed. The identified differentially expressed miRNAs were used in TargetScan to identify their target genes. The functional impacts of the meta-miRNAs were further analyzed using Gene ontology and Protein-Protein Interaction network analysis. Three meta-miRNAs, namely bta-miR-98, bta-miR-138 and bta-miR-193a-3p, were obtained to be associated with the progress of the immune system and cell differentiation of the mammary gland during the mastitis. A total of 2061 target genes were identified that which bta-miR-98, bta-miR-138 and bta-miR-193a-3p were regulated 1121, 268 and 672 target genes respectively. Gene ontology analysis results were represented 237 biological process, 41 molecular function, 54 cellular component roles and nine KEGG pathways in mastitis disease. A total of 319, 113 and 124 target genes for bta-miR-98, bta-miR-193a-3p and bta-miR-138, respectively were inputted to cytoscape. The resulted network analysis showed that bta-miR-98 and bta-miR-138 have nine, bta-miR-138 and bta-miR-193a-3p have six, and bta-miR-193a-3p and bta-miR-98 have four common target genes. Twenty-one common genes were revealed by combing 360 common meta-genes in our previous research and 2061 meta-miRNA target genes. The procedure reported in this research offers a comprehensive scheme for the identification of the key miRNAs and target genes in mastitis disease by using global transcriptome data, meta-analysis, gene ontology, enrichment analysis and protein protein interaction.Conclusion:The findings of the current work suggest miRNAs are crucial amplifiers of inflammatory response by controlling metabolic pathway and inhibitors of several biological processes duringS. uberisinfection.
Neoadjuvant Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy Combined with Surgical Treatment for Renal Cell Carcinoma and Inferior Vena Cava Tumor Thrombus: A Prospective Pilot Study
Authors: Chen Jiyuan , Liu Zhuo , Peng Ran , Liu Yunchong , Zhang Hongxian , Wang Guoliang , Tian Xiaojun , Pei Xinlong , Wang Junjie , Zhang Shudong , Wang Hao , Ma Lulin
Published: November 2023

Background
Surgical treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus (TT) is difficult and has a high postoperative complication rate. This study aims to explore the safety and oncologic outcomes of neoadjuvant stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) combined with surgical treatment for RCC and IVC-TT.
Methods
Patients with RCC and IVC-TT were enrolled in this study. All of them received neoadjuvant SABR focused on IVC at a dose of 30 Gy with 5 fractions, followed by 2 ~ 4 weeks of rest. Then, radical nephrectomy and IVC tumor thrombectomy were performed on each patient. Adverse effects, perioperative outcomes, and long-term prognosis were recorded.
Results
From June 2018 to January 2019, 8 patients were enrolled, including 4 with Mayo II TT and 4 with Mayo III TT. 4 (50%) patients had complicated IVC wall invasion according to CT/MRI. All patients received neoadjuvant SABR as planned. Short-term local controls were observed in all 8 cases. Only grade 1–2 adverse events were reported. In total, 3 (37.5%) laparoscopic surgeries and 5 (62.5%) open surgeries were performed. The median operation time was 359 (IQR: 279–446) min, with a median intraoperative bleeding volume of 750 (IQR: 275–2175) ml. The median postoperative hospital stay was 7 (5–10) days. With a 26 (range: 5–41) month follow-up period, the estimated mean overall survival was 30.67 ± 5.38 months.
Conclusions
As the first preoperative radiotherapy study in Asia that focused on TT, this study revealed the appreciable safety of neoadjuvant SABR for RCC with IVC-TT.
Trial Registration
This study was registered in Chinese Clinical Trials Registry in 2018-03-08 (ChiCTR1800015118). For more information, please see the direct link (https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=25747).
Nomogram predicting the cardiovascular disease mortality for the older patients with colorectal cancer: a population-based study reflecting the real world
Authors: Tan Jiayu , Shen Shuohao
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Cardio-oncology has received more and more attention in the older patients with colorectal cancer(CRC). We aimed to identify the prognostic factors and construct a nomogram-based model to predict the cardiovascular disease(CVD) mortality for the older patients with CRC.Materials and Methods: The data on the older patients diagnosed with CRC were retrieved from the SEER database from 2004 to 2015. The prognostic factors and a nomogram-based model predicting the CVD-specific mortality was performed by the Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression.Results: A total of 141251 eligible patients with CRC were enrolled, of which 41459 patients died of CRC and 12651 patients died of CVD. The age at diagnosis, sex, marital status, the year of diagnosis, surgery and chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors associated with CVD-specific mortality in the older patients with CRC. And we used these variables to develop the model predicting the CVD-specific mortality. The calibration curves for CVD-specific mortality probabilities showed that the model was in good agreement with actual observations. The C-index value of the model in the training cohort and testing cohort for predicting CVD-specific mortality was 0.728 and 0.734, respectively.Discussion: The proposed nomogram-based model of the CVD-specific mortality could be used to predict the accurate prognosis for the older patients with CRC. This model could be a useful tool for clinicians to identify high-risk patients and develop personalized treatment plans. The derived nomogram-based model could be adopted to assistant clinicians including oncologists and cardiologists to providing screening recommendations and choosing an optimum treatment regimen.
Temporal and spatial evolution of ecosystem services value in Hefei city based on land use change, and multi-scenario prediction
Authors: Lu Zhipeng , Dong Bin , Xu Zhili , Wang Cheng , Wei Zezhu , Liu Xiao
Published: November 2023

Ecosystem service value (ESV) is an important index to measure regional ecological well-being, and its spatio-temporal evolution is of great reference significance for promoting the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Based on the change law of land use and ecosystem service value in Hefei City from 2000 to 2020, this paper uses FLUS model and ecosystem service value (ESV) evaluation method to simulate the ecosystem service value of Hefei City in 2040 under four scenarios of natural development, cropland protection, urban development and ecological protection, so as to explore the impact of future land use change on ecosystem service value. The results show that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the area of cropland in Hefei City continued to decrease, the area of construction land and grassland increased significantly, and the area of other land types changed little. (2) From 2000 to 2020, the total value of ESV in Hefei increased first and then decreased. The total value of ESV increased significantly from 2000 to 2010, and the total value of ESV decreased by 703.75 CNY billion from 2010 to 2020. (3) Under the multi-scenario simulation, the ESV values of Hefei City in 2040 under urban development and cropland protection have different degrees of loss, but the ESV under the natural development and ecological protection scenarios not only did not decrease but increased by CNY 1.5358 and CNY 8.0757 billion respectively. Among the four scenarios, the most ESV loss was the urban development scenario, with a total reduction of CNY 117.52 billion. The research results can provide a scientific basis for the optimization of land use structure and the establishment of a long-term mechanism for ecological protection and restoration in Hefei in the future.
LRRK2 kinase activity is necessary for development and regeneration in Nematostella vectensis
Authors: Holmes Grace , Ferguson Sophie R. , Lewis Patrick Alfryn , Echeverri Karen
Published: November 2023

Background: The starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, is an emerging model organism with a high regenerative capacity, which was recently found to possess an orthologue to the human LRRK2 gene (nvLRRK2). The leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene, when mutated, is the most common cause of inherited Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Its protein product (LRRK2) has implications in a variety of cellular processes, however, the full function of LRRK2 is not well established. Current research is focusing on understanding the function of LRRK2, including both its physiological role as well as its pathobiological underpinnings.
Methods: We used bioinformatics to determine the cross-species conservation of LRRK2, then applied drugs targeting the kinase activity of LRRK2 to examine its function in development, homeostasis and regeneration in Nematostella vectensis.
Results: An in-silico characterization and phylogenetic analysis of nvLRRK2 comparing it to human LRRK2 highlighted key conserved motifs and residues. In vivo analyses inhibiting the kinase function of this enzyme demonstrated a role of nvLRRK2 in development and regeneration of N. vectensis. These findings implicate a developmental role of LRRK2 in Nematostella, adding to the expanding knowledge of its physiological function.
Conclusions: Our work introduces a new model organism with which to study LRRK biology. We show a necessity for LRRK2 in development and regeneration. Given the short generation time, genetic trackability and in vivo imaging capabilities, this work introduces Nematostella vectensis as a new model in which to study genes linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s.
In severe first episode major depressive disorder, psychosomatic, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia symptoms are driven by immune activation and increased immune-associated neurotoxicity.
Authors: Maes Michael , Almulla Abbas F. , Zhou Bo , Algon Ali Abbas Abo , Sodsai Pimpayao
Published: November 2023

Background
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is accompanied by activated neuro-immune pathways, increased physiosomatic and chronic fatigue-fibromyalgia (FF) symptoms. The most severe MDD phenotype, namely major dysmood disorder (MDMD), is associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and negative life events (NLEs) which induce cytokines/chemokines/growth factors.
Aims
To delineate the impact of ACE + NLEs on physiosomatic and FF symptoms in first episode (FE)-MDMD, and examine whether these effects are mediated by immune profiles.
Methods
ACEs, NLEs, physiosomatic and FF symptoms, and 48 cytokines/chemokines/growth factors were measured in 64 FE-MDMD patients and 32 normal controls.
Results
Physiosomatic, FF and gastro-intestinal symptoms belong to the same factor as depression, anxiety, melancholia, and insomnia. The first factor extracted from these seven domains is labeled the physio-affective phenome of depression. A part (59.0%) of the variance in physiosomatic symptoms is explained by the independent effects of interleukin (IL)-16 and IL-8 (positively), CCL3 and IL-1 receptor antagonist (inversely correlated). A part (46.5%) of the variance in physiosomatic (59.0%) symptoms is explained by the independent effects of interleukin (IL)-16, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) (positively) and combined activities of negative immunoregulatory cytokines (inversely associated). Partial Least Squares analysis shows that ACE + NLEs exert a substantial influence on the physio-affective phenome which are partly mediated by an immune network composed of interleukin-16, CCL27, TRAIL, macrophage-colony stimulating factor, and stem cell growth factor.
Conclusions
The physiosomatic and FF symptoms of FE-MDMD are partly caused by immune-associated neurotoxicity due to Th-1 polarization, T helper-1, and M1 macrophage activation and relative lowered compensatory immunoregulatory protection.
Insights into incipient oral squamous cell carcinoma: A comprehensive South-American study
Authors: Saldivia-Siracusa Cristina , Araújo Anna Luíza Damaceno , Arboleda Lady Paola Aristizabal , Abrantes Thamiris , Ramos Mariana Bitu , Mendonça Nathalia , Torres Karina Cordero , Gilligan Gerardo , Piemonte Eduardo , Panico René , Álves Fábio De Abreu , Villarroel-Dorrego Mariana , Pérez Raiza Toro , Romañach Mário José , Abrahão Aline Corrêa , González-Arriagada Wilfredo Alejandro , Hunter Keith D , Ribeiro Ana Carolina Prado , Lopes Marcio Ajudarte , Vargas Pablo Agustin , Santos-Silva Alan Roger
Published: November 2023

Background
To describe demographic and clinicopathological aspects of a South-American cohort of incipient oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
Methods
A cross-sectional, observational study was performed to assess demographic and clinicopathological characteristics of incipient oral squamous cell carcinoma patients from 6 South-American institutions.
Results
One hundred and seven patients within the histopathological spectrum of incipient oral squamous cell carcinoma (in-situ and microinvasive) were included. Fifty-eight (54.2%) patients were men with a mean age of 60.69 years. Forty-nine (45.8%) and thirty-nine (36.5%) patients had history of tobacco and alcohol use, respectively. Clinically, most of the lesions were plaques (82.2%), ≥ 2 cm in extension (72%), affecting the lateral border of the tongue (55.1%), and soft palate (12.1%) with a mixed (white and red) appearance. Eighty-two (76.7%) lesions were predominantly white and 25 (23.3%) predominantly red.
Conclusions
To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest cohort of incipient oral squamous cell carcinoma patients, which raises awareness of clinicians’ inspection acuteness by demonstrating the most frequent clinical aspects of this disease, potentially improving oral cancer secondary prevention strategies.