bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The application of autofluorescence system contributes to the preservation of parathyroid function during thyroid surgery.
Authors: Shi Xian Biao , Lv Guan , Ding HaoRan , Qin JiaBo , Li YiXuan , Zheng LuLu , Sang JianFeng
Published: November 2023

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of autofluorescence technology on postoperative parathyroid function and short-term outcomes in patients undergoing thyroid surgery.
Methods
A total of 546 patients were included in the study, with 287 in the conventional treatment group and 259 in the autofluorescence group. Both groups underwent central lymph node dissection, which is known to affect parathyroid function. Short-term outcomes, including rates of postoperative hypocalcemia and parathyroid dysfunction, blood calcium and PTH levels on the first postoperative day, as well as the need for calcium supplementation, were analyzed. A multivariable analysis was also conducted to assess the impact of autofluorescence on postoperative parathyroid dysfunction, taking into account factors such as age, BMI, and preoperative calcium levels.
Results
The autofluorescence group demonstrated significantly lower rates of postoperative hypocalcemia and parathyroid dysfunction compared to the conventional treatment group. The autofluorescence group also had better blood calcium and PTH levels on the first postoperative day, and a reduced need for calcium supplementation. Surprisingly, the use of autofluorescence technology did not prolong surgical time; instead, it led to a shorter hospitalization duration. The multivariable analysis showed that autofluorescence significantly reduced the risk of postoperative parathyroid dysfunction, while factors such as age, BMI, and preoperative calcium levels did not show a significant correlation.
Conclusion
This study provides evidence that autofluorescence technology can improve the preservation of parathyroid function during thyroid surgery, leading to better short-term outcomes and reduced postoperative complications. The findings highlight the potential of autofluorescence as a valuable tool in the management of parathyroid hypofunction. Further research and validation are needed to establish the routine use of autofluorescence technology in thyroid.
Immunogenicity after vaccination of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with cancer: a prospective, single center, observational study
Authors: Katsuya Yuki , Yoshida Tatsuya , Takashima Atsui , Yonemori Kan , Ohba Akihiro , Yazaki Shu , Yagishita Shigehiro , Nakahama Hiroko , Kobayashi Osamu , Yanagida Masatoshi , Irino Yasuhiro , Hamada Akinobu , Yamamoto Noboru
Published: November 2023

Background:
Patients with cancer, particularly those undergoing chemotherapy, are at risk from the low immunogenicity of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) vaccines.
Methods:
This prospective study assessed the seroconversion rate of COVID-19 vaccines among patients with cancer and hospital staff. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein-specific IgG (S-IgG) concentrations were evaluated before the first vaccination, and 1–3 and 4–6 months after the second vaccination. The primary endpoint was the seroconversion rate measured 1–3 months after the second vaccine.
Results:
In total, 590 patients and 183 healthy hospital staff were analyzed. At 1–3 months after the second vaccination, the S-IgG antibody concentration exceeded the cut-off value (20 BAU/mL) in 96.1% (567/590) of the patients with cancer and 100% (183/183) of the healthy controls (p = 0.0024). At 4–6 months after the second vaccination, the S-IgG antibody concentration exceeded the cut-off value (20 BAU/ml for S-IgG) in 93.1% (461/495) of the patients with cancer and 100% (170/170) of the healthy controls (p < 0.0001). Old age, being male, and low lymphocyte count were related to low SARS-CoV-2 S-IgG levels 1–3 months after the second vaccination among patients, while body mass index, smoking history, and serum albumin level were not. Patients undergoing platinum combination therapy and alkylating agent among cytotoxic drugs, and PARP inhibitor, mTOR inhibitor, and BCR-ABL inhibitor exhibited a low S-IgG antibody concentration compared to the no treatment group.
Conclusions:
COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity was reduced among patients with cancer, especially under several treatment regimens.
Nanoliposomal irinotecan with fluorouracil and folinic acid, FOLFIRINOX, and S-1 as second-line treatment for unresectable pancreatic cancer after gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel
Authors: Shibuki Taro , Otsuka Taiga , Shimokawa Mototsugu , Nakazawa Junichi , Arima Shiho , Fukahori Masaru , Miwa Keisuke , Okabe Yoshinobu , Koga Futa , Ueda Yujiro , Kubotsu Yoshihito , Makiyama Akitaka , Shimokawa Hozumi , Takeshita Shigeyuki , Nishikawa Kazuo , Komori Azusa , Otsu Satoshi , Hosokawa Ayumu , Sakai Tatsunori , Oda Hisanobu , Kawahira Machiko , Arita Shuji , Honda Takuya , Taguchi Hiroki , Tsuneyoshi Kengo , Kawaguchi Yasunori , Fujita Toshihiro , Sakae Takahiro , Nio Kenta , Ide Yasushi , Ureshino Norio , Shirakawa Tsuyoshi , Mizuta Toshihiko , Mitsugi Kenji
Published: November 2023

This study aimed to compare second-line treatment outcomes for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer previously treated with gemcitabine plus nab–paclitaxel (GnP) therapy. We conducted an integrated analysis of two retrospective studies included 318 patients receiving nanoliposomal irinotecan + 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (Nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV) (n = 102), S-1 (n = 57), or FOLFIRINOX (n = 14) as second-line treatment. Median overall survival (OS) in the Nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV group was 9.08 months, significantly better than S-1 (4.90 months, P = 0.002). FOLFIRINOX had a median OS of 4.77 months, not statistically different from Nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV. Subgroup analyses of OS indicated Nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV was generally superior, however, a statistical interaction was observed between the treatment regimen in serum Alb < 3.5 g/dL (P = 0.042) and serum CRP ≥ 0.3 mg/dL (P = 0.006). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.93 months for Nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV, significantly better than S-1 (2.53 months, P = 0.024), while FOLFIRINOX had a comparable PFS (3.04 months, P = 0.948). Multivariate analysis identified the serum CRP, serum CA19-9, duration of first-line GnP therapy, and use (yes/no) of S-1 for second-line treatment as independent predictors for OS. This study concludes that second-line Nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV therapy demonstrated a more favorable OS compared to S-1 therapy, however, it is still important to consider the patient background characteristics while selecting the most appropriate treatment.
Optimization of Naringin and rutin molecules targeting DNA damage: Invitro and Insilico investigations
Authors: Pravin Badhe , Nanaware Vivek , Ashwini Badhe , Wondmie Gezahign Fentahun , Jardan Yousef A. Bin , Bourhia Mohammed
Published: November 2023

Discovering the molecular mechanisms of DNA damage response pathways has led to new therapeutic approaches in oncology. Our study optimized DNA damage- targeting molecules naringin and rutin in breast cancer cells. Our study involved MTT assays for the detection of its toxicity and proliferative activity in breast cancer cells and normal cancer cells. Our studies determined the molecules' antioxidant properties using the DPPH assay. The role in reducing free radicals has been evaluated using a variety of free radical scavenging activity assays. Further evaluation of the molecules was carried out by high alkaline comet assay (pH > 13) to test for genotoxicity. Human Dermal Fibroblast cells (2DD) (1x105 cells/ml) and breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) were pre-incubated with Naringin and Rutin (10 µM) for one hour. In normal cells, rutin and naringin molecules do not cause genotoxicity, but they cause DNA damage in breast cancer cells when they are diluted to 10µM. The results from our study indicate that both molecules cause 60–70% DNA damage in breast cancer cells.
Real-world survival outcomes to first-line chemoimmunotherapy and biomarker analysis in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Panagiotou Emmanouil , Vathiotis Ioannis A. , Montgomery Austin , Moeckel Camille , Livanou Maria Effrosyni , Mastrogeorgiou Michail , Evangelou Georgios , Charpidou Andriani , Mouratidis Ioannis , Georgakopoulos-Soares Ilias , Syrigos Nikolaos K.
Published: November 2023

Background
Recent approval of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors in the first line of treatment has transformed the therapeutic landscape of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC); real-world (rw) evidence of efficacy is currently limited.
Patients and Methods:
We retrospectively assessed patients with SCLC, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) or combined histology receiving chemoimmunotherapy in the first-line treatment setting at “Sotiria” General Hospital for Chest Diseases, Athens, Greece. Patient demographics and disease characteristics were extracted using a standardized form. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to calculate rw progression-free survival (rwPFS) and rw overall survival (rwOS). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was utilized to identify associations between patient characteristics and outcome.
Results
One hundred patients were included in the analysis. Median rwPFS was 7.2 months (95% CI, 6.7–12.0 months) and median rwOS was 14.4 months (95% CI, 9.4–18.6 months); efficacy metrics were similar between patients treated with durvalumab and atezolizumab. In the multivariate analysis, the number of metastatic sites was associated with increased risk of death (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.11–1.94; p = 0.007), while BMI was associated with decreased risk (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81–0.97; p = 0.008). Exploratory biomarker analysis revealed a correlation between different prognostic scores (RMH, GRIM, LIPI, and EPSILoN) and rwOS.
Conclusion
Real-world data confirm the efficacy of first-line chemoimmunotherapy in patients with ES-SCLC. The association between prognostic scores and survival outcomes in ES-SCLC should be explored in prospective studies.
Dual-matrix fiber-reinforced lightweight ablative thermal protection composites with outstanding micron-scale ablative recession
Authors: Wang Hebing , Yan Xiaojie , Huang He , Jin Xiangyu , Pan Yiwu , Wu Can , Hong Changqing , Zhang Xinghong
Published: November 2023

Developing lightweight thermal protection materials that can efficiently resist ablation and provide heat insulation in extreme aerodynamic heating environments remains a significant challenge for ensuring aerospace safety. Fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) are a crucial choice for thermal protection materials due to their lightweight nature and excellent thermal insulation properties. However, the application is limited by ablative recession despite their unique sacrificial thermal protection mechanism. This study introduces an innovative fiber-reinforced composite with distinct matrices for the upper and lower regions. The upper matrix consists of a silicone-based ceramicizable resin mixed with high-temperature-resistant fillers, while the lower matrix incorporates a porous phenolic aerogel with a high residual carbon rate. In comparison to conventional ablative thermal protection materials, the linear ablation setback can be significantly reduced, reaching levels as low as 0.11 µm/s and 6 µm/s for ablations at 1.5 MW and 3.6 MW, respectively. Furthermore, these materials exhibit exceptional dynamic ablation thermal insulation and repeatability over a certain number of cycles. This approach offers a fresh perspective on the design and preparation of lightweight ablative thermal protection materials, breaking through the limitations of ablation setback and expanding the application scope of such materials in aerospace vehicles.
Prevalence and associated factors of cigars in China: Findings from nationwide China Health Literacy Survey during 2018-19
Authors: Liu Yi , Xiao Dan , Li Yinghua , Xia Xin , Liu Zhao , Zhen Su , Qin Rui , Xie Ying , Cheng Anqi , Zhou Xinmei , Li Jinxuan , Huang Zhenxiao , Wei Xiaowen , Song Qingqing , Zhao Liang , Wang Chen
Published: November 2023

Background
Cigar prevalence is increasing year by year and is more and more harmful, but little is known about the prevalence of cigars in Chinese groups.
Methods
The data were divided from the 2018–2019 National Health Literacy Survey, which employed a rigorous multi-stage stratified sampling method. Finally, 86,701 individuals were included in the final analysis. Logistic regression was employed to analyze the odds ratio (OR) and calculate the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) to assess the association between demographic characteristics and cigar use. To estimate the nationwide proportion of cigar users, appropriate data weighting was applied.
Results
The proportion of cigar users in China was currently 4.47% among smokers. Cigar prevalence varied greatly between provinces, it was related to the economic development and customs of cities. Cigar users had distinct demographic characteristics, mainly concentrated in urban (P = 0.009) and high education level (P < 0.001) population. Males (OR = 1.427, 95% CI 1.036–1.965, P = 0.030), education level more than middle and high school (OR = 1.654 95%, CI 1.306–2.095, P < 0.001), self-report health status was poor (OR = 1.416, 95% CI 1.124–1.784, P = 0.003) adults had the high risk to use cigars. It was estimated that about 10.464 million (10.401–10.527 million) cigar users were currently in China, mainly men (10.218 million [10.173–10.263 million]).
Interpretation
Higher education levels, living in rural areas, and belonging to ethnic minority groups are at a higher risk of cigar use in China. Cigar use by teenagers should not be underestimated.
The bifiltration of a relation and extended Dowker duality
Authors: Vaupel Melvin , Dunn Benjamin
Published: November 2023

We explain how homotopical information of two composeable relations can be coherently combined within two different simplicial categories that respectively augment the relations row and column complexes. We show that both of these categories realize to weakly equivalent spaces, which amounts to a non-trivial extension of Dowker's duality theorem. We also prove a functorial version of this result. Specializing the above construction, a bifiltration of Dowker complexes that coherently incorporates the total weights of a relation's row and column complex into one single object is introduced. This construction is motivated by challenges in data analysis that necessitate the simultaneous study of spatial information derived from a data matrix's rows and columns. To illustrate the applicability of our constructions for solving those challenges we give an appropriate reconstruction result.
Piperine Enhances Antimalarial Activity of Methyl Gallate and Palmatine Combination
Authors: Adegunloye Adegbenro Peter , Adebayo Joseph Oluwatope
Published: November 2023

Purpose
Multiple reported treatment failures of malaria with artemisinin combination therapies, the first-line antimalarials, necessitate the search for novel combination of compounds. Methyl gallate and palmatine have been reported to exhibit antiplasmodial activities but the antimalarial activity of their combination has not been evaluated. Therefore, the evaluation of the combination of methyl gallate and palmatine for antimalarial activity in vitro and in vivo in the presence of piperine was carried out.
Materials and Methods
The inhibitory potential of methyl gallate and palmatine combination on β-hematin (hemozoin) formation was studied in vitro. Also, the antimalarial activity of methyl gallate and palmatine combination with/without a bioenhancer (piperine) was evaluated in Plasmodium berghei NK65-infected mice.
Results
Methyl gallate and palmatine in the ratio 3:2 acted synergistically in vitro and had the highest inhibitory effect (IC50 = 0.73 µg/mL) on β-hematin (hemozoin) formation. The 3:2 combination of methyl gallate and palmatine exhibited no antimalarial activity in vivo in the absence of piperine but caused reduction in parasitemia that exceeded 40% in the presence of piperine at the dose of 25 mg/kg body weight on days 6 and 8 post-inoculation in mice.
Conclusion
The 3:2 combination of methyl gallate and palmatine in the presence of piperine exhibited antimalarial activity in vivo, possibly by synergistic inhibition of hemozoin formation which may cause accumulation of haem within the food vacuole of Plasmodium spp. and its death.
Exploratory Analysis of Serum HER2 Extracellular Domain for
HER2 Positive Gastric Cancer Treated with SOX plus Trastuzumab
Authors: Wakatsuki Takeru , Ishizuka Naoki , Hironaka Shuichi , Minashi Keiko , Kadowaki shigenori , Goto Masanori , Shoji Hirokazu , Hirano Hidekazu , Nakayama Izuma , Osumi Hiroki , Ogura Mariko , Chin Keisho , Yamaguchi Kensei , Takahari Daisuke
Published: November 2023

Background
The aim of this study was to explore the clinical utility of serum HER2 extracellular domain (sHER2 ECD) using data from a clinical trial evaluating trastuzumab combined S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) in HER2 positive gastric cancer.
Methods
sHER2 ECD were prospectively measured at baseline and subsequent treatment courses. Based on each quantile point of baseline sHER2 ECD levels and its early changes, patients were divided into two groups and compared clinical outcomes.
Results
43 patients were enrolled, and 17 patients (39.5%) were positive for baseline sHER2 ECD. Higher baseline sHER2 ECD levels tended to have lower hazard ratios (HRs). When divided into two groups by baseline sHER2 ECD of 19.1 ng/ml, median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was longer in the higher group (mPFS: 16.8 vs 8.7 months, p = 0.342. mOS: 35.5 vs 20.6 months, p = 0.218), respectively. After initiation of treatment, sHER2 ECD significantly decreased up until the third cycle. Higher reduction rates of sHER2 ECD within 3 cycles also tended to have lower HRs. When divided into two groups by reduction rate of 42.5%, mPFS and mOS was longer in the higher reduced group (mPFS: 14.7 vs 7.5 months, p = 0.221. mOS: Not reached vs 20.6 months, p = 0.168), respectively. Furthermore, higher reduction rates could surrogate higher objective response rates (ORR) (ORR: 90% vs 63.2% for 29.5%, p = 0.065. 100% vs 70% for 42.5%, p = 0.085), respectively.
Conclusions
Baseline sHER2 ECD levels and its early decline may be useful biomarkers for SOX plus trastuzumab efficacy in HER2 positive gastric cancer.
ANN-CA Model Construction under SD Constraint: A Case Study on the Land-use Change Trend in Ya'an City
Authors: Zhao Jingyao , Zhou Yazhou , Zhu Xiaofan , Zhang Fan , Gao Lei
Published: November 2023

Land systems are closely related to various factors, including social issues, national economies, natural environments, etc. However, the dynamic evolution simulation of land systems is quite complex. There are many problems in terms of land use in China, such as extensive development, significant regional differences, and imbalanced development. From this perspective, it is imperative to study systematic land use evolution according to local contexts. In this study, two methods that are commonly used to solve complexity issues— “top-down” system dynamics and “bottom-up” cellular automata—were combined to investigate the land use evolutionary trend in Ya’an City. Firstly, a system dynamics model of land resource use was constructed based on the causal relationship between land and macroscopic elements, and the quantitative future predictions of land use structures in Ya’an were obtained. Next, an ANN-CA model containing three steps—artificial neural network training, optimization of cellular automata parameters, and model calibration—was constructed. The land use scenario in Ya’an City in 2018 was simulated and the quantity and space accuracy verification were conducted. Finally, the spatial layout of land use in Ya’an City in 2028 and 2038 was predicted, and the land use evolution trend was studied using the model under the constraint of the quantitative prediction results of system dynamics. The results demonstrated the good simulation effect of the ANN-CA model under the SD constraint. The overall simulation accuracy of the model is the highest (93.93%) when the threshold of transformation is 0.8 and the diffusion coefficient is 1. In the future, the spatial distribution of different land types in Ya’an City will change slightly, and construction land presents an expansion law from the center to surrounding areas.
Study on the evolution law of oxidation characteristics of unloaded coal based on the change of buried depth
Authors: Ma Zhihui , Ma Zhiyong , Duan Zheng , Teng Fei
Published: November 2023

To obtain the change law of oxidation characteristics of unloaded coal at different burial depths, the experimental coal samples were loaded and unloaded with various degrees of stress according to the in situ stress characteristics of the Changcun coal mine in China. Through low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LNMR) and temperature-programmed experiments, the change law of oxidation characteristic parameters and pore structure parameters of unloaded coal under different stresseswas tested. The main conclusions are obtained through the analysis of the experimental results. ①With increasing burial depth, the oxidation reaction products of unloaded coal under different stresses regularly changed. ② With increasing burial depth, the oxidation characteristics of unloaded coal at different burial depths gradually increased and gradually slowed down after 1200-1600 m, and the concept of the "critical depth" of unloaded coal oxidation characteristics was proposed. ③ With increasing burial depth, the porosity of the unloaded coal body gradually decreased, the number of micropores increased, and the number of small pores, mesopores and macropores gradually decreased. It is further concluded that the difference in oxidation characteristics of unloaded coal at different depths was caused by the change in the number of micropores.
In vitro tetraploid induction and plant regeneration of Pinellia ternata, a pearl-like herb
Authors: Ren Yan , Gao Jinrong , Dong Xian , Yan Hongmei , Huang Hengyu
Published: November 2023

Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) is a widely used Chinese medicinal herb in many countries around the globe. However, asexual reproduction causes the germplasm of P. ternata to degrade, and there is little research on genetic breeding. This study aims to induce tetraploid ‘Pearl’ P. ternate plants using colchicine-treated leaves and tubers to obtain superior germplasm resources. The in vitro medium of autotetraploid plants was then optimized through orthogonal experiments, and the morphology, tissue, and cells of diploid and tetraploid plants were compared. The results indicated that the number of chromosomes in diploid plants was 2n = 2x = 66, while the tetraploid plants was 2n = 4x = 132 by somatic chromosome counting and flow cytometry analysis. The leaf was more suitable than the tuber for polyploid induction, and the maximum induction rate was 29.49% when leaves were treated with a 0.05% colchicine solution for 96 h. In MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg L− 1 6-BA, 0.1 mg L− 1 NAA, and 1.0 mg L− 1 KT, tetraploid leaves could develop into plantlets with roots, and there was a 100% transplant survival rate. The tetraploid P. ternata had larger and denser leaves, thicker petioles, and larger stomata, but shorter plants than the diploid. Meanwhile, the number of tubers produced by tetraploid leaves grows. This study induced tetraploid in P. ternata and established a tetraploid artificial rapid propagation system for P. ternata, providing the theoretical foundation and experimental support for its genetic breeding and variety enhancement.
Knowledge of HIV status, age-disparate sexual partnerships, and sexual risk behaviour among HIV positive men in South Africa: Evidence from two cross-sectional samples.
Authors: Byaruhanga Ronald , Govender Kaymarlin , Inkinen Ville , Beckett Sean , Cowden Richard
Published: November 2023

This study investigated the association between sexual risk behaviors, self-reported HIV status, and engagement in age-disparate relationships (defined as a 5 + year age gap) among men. Two cross-sectional household surveys were conducted in the uMgungundlovu district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, spanning June 2014 to June 2016. Structured questionnaires administered by trained interviewers collected data from 3801 men aged 20 to 49 years who disclosed their HIV status. The analysis revealed that HIV-positive men had decreased odds of their three most recent relationships meeting age-disparity criteria (model (3): Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 0.70; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.53, 0.92; model (4): AOR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.96). HIV-positive respondents also showed reduced likelihood of engaging in specific sexual risk behaviors, such as multiple partnerships (AOR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.96), inconsistent condom use (AOR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.28, 0.52), and casual sexual relationships (AOR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.87). These findings underscore the critical role of men’s HIV testing in reducing HIV incidence and transmissions. The study emphasizes the need for interventions addressing barriers to HIV testing among men, including limited access, confidentiality concerns, stigma, low risk perception, and discrimination to enhance testing uptake.
Composition of the rumen microbiome and its association with methane yield in dairy cattle raised in tropical conditions
Authors: Fregulia Priscila , Dias Roberto Júnio Pedroso , Campos Mariana Magalhães , Tomich Thierry Ribeiro , Pereira Luiz Gustavo Ribeiro , Neves André Luis Alves
Published: November 2023

Background Methane (CH4) emissions from rumen fermentation are a significant contributor to global warming. Cattle with high CH4 emissions tend to exhibit lower efficiency in milk and meat production, as CH4 production represents a loss of the gross energy ingested by the animal. The objective of this study was to investigate the taxonomic and functional composition of the rumen microbiome associated with methane yield phenotype in dairy cattle raised in tropical areas.Methods and Results Twenty-two Girolando (F1 Holstein x Gyr) heifers were classified based on their methane yield (gCH4/kgDMI) as High CH4 yield and Low CH4 yield. Rumen contents were collected and analyzed using amplicon sequencing targeting the 16S and 18S rRNA genes. The diversity indexes showed no differences for the rumen microbiota associated with the methane yield phenotypes. However, the partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) revealed different taxonomic profiles of prokaryotes related to High- and Low CH4, but no difference was found for protozoa. The functional profile of both prokaryotes and protozoa differed between High- and Low CH4 groups.Conclusions Our results suggest differences in rumen microbial composition between CH4 yield groups, with specific microorganisms being strongly associated with the Low- and High CH4 groups (e.g. Veillonellaceae and Entodinium). Additionally, microbial functions were also differentially abundant when comparing the Low- with High CH4 animals (e.g. K19341 and K05352). This study posits that identifying the key functional niches within the rumen is vital to understanding the ecological interplay that drives methane production.
An evaluation of different methods assessing the Nitrogen management in crop production
Authors: Husen Wilhelm van , Kern Martin Andreas , Häußermann Uwe , Wagner Anne
Published: November 2023

Nitrogen (N) balance, budget and surplus calculations as well as efficiency calculations differ regarding the parameters that they consider and hence also the results that they provide. In this study, we (1) reviewed literature and gathered, classified and evaluated different methods to assessing potential N losses to adjacent ecosystems and N use efficiency of N management in agricultural crop production. Subsequently, (2) we applied these methods to a model German farm in order to demonstrate the differences between the methods and their extent. Finally, (3) we examined the availability and relevance of the parameters required for each method.
(1) We identified 35 methods and classified them into one group of N balance, budget and surplus calculations and several groups of efficiency calculations. While the latter methods can be helpful for answering various specific practical and scientific questions, only balance, budget and surplus calculations can be used to determine the potential environmental impacts caused by N inputs into ecosystems. (2) Applying the data from our model farm to these methods demonstrated differences in their resulting output values depending on the input parameters utilized. Hence, if any of these methods are to be used as an indicator for N governance, a standardization that specifies the parameters and defines the system boundaries is required. (3) Most relevant input parameters are in general available. However, more accurate data on N inputs via organic fertilizers, biological N fixation and deposition as well as more research regarding the role of soil N stock changes is needed.
Automatic Discovery of Collective Communication Patterns in Parallelized Task Graphs
Authors: Knorr Fabian , Salzmann Philip , Thoman Peter , Fahringer Thomas
Published: November 2023

Collective communication APIs equip MPI vendors with the necessary context to optimize cluster-wide operations on the basis of theoretical complexity models and characteristics of the involved interconnects. Modern HPC runtime systems with a programmability focus can perform dependency analysis to eliminate the need for manual communication entirely. Profiting from optimized collective routines in this context often requires global analysis of the implicit point-to-point communication pattern or tight constrains on the data access patterns allowed inside kernels. The Celerity API provides a high degree of freedom for both runtime implementors and application developers by tieing transparent work assignment to data access patterns through user-defined range-mapper functions. Canonically, data dependencies are resolved through an intra-node coherence model and inter-node point-to-point communication. This paper presents Collective Pattern Discovery (CPD), a fully distributed, coordination-free method for detecting collective communication patterns on parallelized task graphs. Through extensive scheduling and communication microbenchmarks as well as a strong scaling experiment on a compute-intensive application, we demonstrate that CPD can achieve substantial performance gains in the Celerity model.
Infection Control Strategies for MDRO Based on Failure Mode and Effects Analysis: An Empirical Study on Postoperative Infections in Cancer Patients
Authors: Wu Chunlin , Tian Qingqing , Wang Hui , Yang Weiwei , Liu Anran , Tang Jiayang , Nie Xiaoyan , Pu Ruiying , Huang Qin
Published: November 2023

Objective
This study aims to comprehensively and systematically evaluate the effectiveness of infection prevention and control for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in postoperative cancer patients using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
Method
This study was conducted in a tertiary A-level cancer specialty hospital in China, employing Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to assess the risks of hospital infections. Intervention measures were implemented for high-risk and medium-high-risk factors. Through the hospital's infection information system, data on patients who underwent surgical treatment from 2017 to 2022 were extracted. Data from 2017 to 2019 served as the control group, and data from 2020 to 2022 as the intervention group, to compare the changes in hospital infection incidence and MDRO infection incidence before and after the intervention.
Results
Prior to the intervention (2017–2019), the incidence rate of hospital infections was 1.66%, which decreased to 1.22% after the intervention (2020–2022), showing a statistically significant difference (ꭓ2 = 48.83, P < 0.001). The incidence rate of MDRO infections also decreased from 1.808‰ before the intervention to 1.136‰ after the intervention, with a statistically significant difference (ꭓ2 = 11.417, P = 0.001).
Conclusion
This study confirms the effectiveness of the FMEA method in preventing and controlling MDRO infections in postoperative cancer patients. It highlights the practicality and value of widespread adoption of this method, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Joint Learning Model for Aspect-based Sentiment Analysis via Machine Reading Comprehension and Graph Convolutional Network
Authors: Wang Jiajun , Li Xiaoge , An Xiaochun
Published: November 2023

Aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) consists of two fundamental subtasks: aspect term extraction (AE) and aspect-level sentiment classification (ASC). Existing research inevitably leads to severe error propagation, and the model cannot effectively capture the relationships between words. To tackle these problems, in this paper, we propose a novel joint learning model: MRC-GCN: Machine Reading Comprehension-Graph Convolutional Network. Firstly, aspects are extracted through MRC combined with pre-training models. In order to enhance the feature representation of the query, we utilize Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) combined with self-attention mechanism and concatenated the original sentence and query using certain rules before inputting them into the model. Subsequently, due to better capture and aggregation of words and the relationship between words being effective for ASC, we combine the multiple latent information graph structures of sentences to form a text graph and use GCN with an attention mechanism to achieve sentiment classification. Experimental results on three public datasets show that our model is more effective than the previous models, demonstrating that our method can significantly empower ABSA models. In addition, we have designed ablation experiments for specific modules to verify their effectiveness.
Physical simulation study of proppant settling and migration within deep shale narrow fractures
Authors: Lin Hun , Zhang Ye , Yang Bing , Yuan Yong
Published: November 2023

Hydraulic fracturing is an important technology in shale gas reservoir development. Effective improvement of proppant sanding in the “long narrow fracture” in deep shale reservoirs is important. In this study, based on the simulation of long narrow fractures in deep shale reservoirs with a flat plate experimental setup, we conducted comparative experiments with various parameters (e.g., fracturing fluid viscosity, injection pump flow rate, proppant particle size, sand concentration, fracture width, and proppant type) to understand the settlement and migration pattern of the proppant particles in the long narrow fractures in deep shale reservoirs. The results showed that, compared to that in wide fractures, under the same conditions, the sand bed formed by proppant particles in the long narrow fracture in deep shale has a smaller front edge slope and lower height difference between the front and end of the sand bed, resulting in a more even and smooth overall sanding of proppant particles. In the long narrow fractures in deep shale, the percentage of the area of the sand bed at the outlet end to the area of the whole sand bed increases with fracturing fluid viscosity and the injection pump flow rate, while it is less influenced by the sand concentration. The micro-sized proppant particles also promote the placement of the sand bed at the outlet end and are more conducive to the overall uniform placement of the sand bed. The contracting width of the long narrow fracture in deep shale has no significant effect on the placement of the sand bed in the fracture in front of the contraction, but it impedes the proppant particle flow distribution in the fracture behind the contraction. The coverage area and equilibrium height of the sand bed after the contraction decreased, and the overall sanding was more even. However, the amount of settled proppant decreased, increasing the difficulty of effective fracture support in deep shale reservoir fractures. The results of this experimental research provide strong support to the reforming design of fracturing in deep shale reservoirs.
Return to School Practices After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Survey of Transplant Centers in the United States
Authors: Bhatt Neel , Meyer Christa , Mau Lih-Wen , Auletta Jeffery , Baker K. Scott , Broglie Larisa , Carpenter Paul , Choi Sung Won , Dandoy Christopher , Devine Steven , Phelan Rachel
Published: November 2023

Current literature lacks transplant center recommendations on return-to-school timing and related support for hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) survivors. We describe findings from a two-phase, cross-sectional, web-based survey: In Phase I, medical directors of pediatric HCT centers from the National Marrow Donor Program/ Be The Match Registry were asked regarding the availability of a return to school standardized operating procedure (SOP). In Phase II, HCT physician members of the Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Consortium were approached to study inter-physician practice variability regarding return to school post-HCT, factors affecting their decision-making, and support provided by HCT centers for return to school. Out of 46 respondents in Phase I (55% response rate), 28 (61%) reported having a SOP. Wide variations in recommendations were noted in 12 received SOPs. In Phase II, 122 physicians (60 centers) responded (30.6% response rate). The majority (60%) recommended autologous HCT recipients return to school within 6 months post-HCT but 65% recommended allogeneic HCT recipients return to school after 6 months or once off immunosuppression. Response variations were also noted within HCT centers. The top factors considered by physicians were health complications and graft vs. host disease/ immune suppression for autologous and allogeneic HCT recipients, respectively. There is a lack of consensus within and across HCT centers regarding recommended timing of HCT survivors’ return to school. Guidelines to standardize the return to school process are needed to ensure patient safety and re-integration into school to foster academic and social development for pediatric HCT recipients.
Using Symbolic Machine Learning to Assess and Model Substance Transport and Decay in Water Distribution Networks
Authors: Laucelli Daniele Biagio , Enríquez Laura , Saldarriaga Juan , Giustolisi Orazio
Published: November 2023

The evaluation of the substance concentration at each node of a water distribution network can be performed by integrating the advective diffusion in the network domain using a decay formulation and a Lagrangian scheme for differential equations. The kinetics of the substance decay can be formulated using a specific reaction order. The first order corresponds to a decay rate with a constant reaction rate, while higher order captures the reaction rate’s dependency on substance concentration. The aim of the present work was to discover the intrinsic mechanism of the substance transport in water distribution networks using the symbolic machine learning. We used the strategy named Evolutionary Polynomial Regression. To this purpose, we consider the chlorine transport, without imparing the generality of the procedure, assuming the first or second order for kinetic model. We demonstrated, using one real network and two test networks, that the concentration at each node of the network mainly depends on the substance decay along the shortest path(s) between the source and each node. Additionally, the symbolic machine learning allowed discovering the relationship between the source concentration and the residual one at each node of the network with a unique formula based on kinetic reaction model structure and its water age, possibly surrogated by travel time in the shortest path(s) to make the prediction faster.
Deep lipidomics profiling captures the impact of improved dietary fat quality on cardiometabolic risk and provides potential tools for precision nutrition approaches
Authors: Wittenbecher Clemens , Eichelmann Fabian , Schulze Matthias , Prada Marcela , Lovegrove Julie , Jackson Kim , Sellem Laury , Salas-Salvado Jordi , Razquin Cristina , Martínez-González Miguel , Estruch Ramon , Rexrode Kathryn , Guasch-Ferré Marta , Sun Qi , Willett Walter , Hu Frank
Published: November 2023

Current guidelines for cardiometabolic disease prevention recommend increasing dietary unsaturated fat intake while reducing saturated fats. However, standard cardiometabolic risk markers may not fully capture the metabolic benefits. Here, we demonstrate that a deep lipidomics-based multi-lipid score (MLS) accurately reflects the metabolic impact of controlled dietary substitution of saturated fats with unsaturated fats. We then show that the difference in this MLS, induced by a healthy fat-rich diet, is associated with a significant reduction in relative disease risk, such as 32% fewer incident cardiovascular disease and 26% fewer type 2 diabetes cases. These relative risk reductions surpass those extrapolated based on changes in standard surrogate biomarkers such as non-HDL cholesterol. Additionally, we utilize longitudinal lipidomics data to link long-term MLS changes with altered diabetes risk. Finally, we show a significant effect modification in a dietary intervention trial. An olive oil-rich Mediterranean diet intervention primarily reduced diabetes incidence among participants with unfavorable pre-intervention MLS levels. Together, our findings highlight the potential of lipidomics-based scores for targeting and monitoring dietary interventions in biomarker-guided precision nutrition approaches.
High Ki-67 Expression is an Important Predictor of Good Outcomes after Radioiodine Therapy in PTC Patients: A Retrospective Study
Authors: luo Xiaoqin , Luo Jiaxin , Li Chunyan , Xiong Xiaoli , Xie Jiahao , Chen Yuan , Zhang Xinlei , Liu Xiaoyue , Li Dong , Chen Pan , Wang Jing , Xian Jialang , Feng Huijuan , Ouyang Wei
Published: November 2023

Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the influence of primary Ki-67 expression in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and determine its association with clinical prognosis.
Methods
We assessed samples from 187 PTC patients taken from January 2015 to December 2019 for expression of Ki-67 labelling index (LI). We divided samples into low-LI (≤ 5%) and high-LI (5–10%) groups. Then, correlations of Ki-67 LI with clinicopathological variables were analyzed via χ2 test, and survival was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier curves. Furthermore, we used the Cox regression model to assess the diagnostic value of Ki-67 LI.
Results
Ki-67 LI was low in 85.0% (159/187) and high in 15.0% (28/187) of patients. All clinicopathological features were not significantly different between these two groups, except for Hashimoto's thyroiditis (χ2 = 4.936, P = 0.026) and stimulated thyroglobulin / serum antithyroglobulin antibodies (sTg / sTGAb) levels (χ2 = 7.932, P = 0.034). Moreover, Ki-67 LI was also an independent prognosticator of disease-free survival (DFS) in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.473; 95% CI, 0.233–0.960; P = 0.038).
Conclusions
Our data showed that high Ki-67 LI was associated with good outcomes in PTC patients after RAI therapy. Therefore, initial poor outcomes caused by high Ki-67 LI could be partially changed by RAI activities.
Flow past over a three cylinders arranged in side by side configuration with an oscillating central cylinder: A Numerical study
Authors: Manikjade Akshay , Kore sandeep , Nalawade Dattatyaya , Ambhore Nitin
Published: November 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Identification of ferroptosis and autophagy-related diagnostic markers in hepatocellular carcinoma based on machine learning
Authors: Wang Dingxue , Huang Wenqi , Yang Bing , Shui Huili , Tang Dongxin
Published: November 2023

Background
The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor of the hepatic domain that is one of the most prevalent malignancies of the digestive system worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma, ferroptosis, and autophagy are closely related. The understanding of these relationships enables researchers to uncover the pathogenesis of liver cancer and develop new treatment strategies.
Methods
Four genes most related to the prognosis of LIHC were screened, and a risk score model was established. The model classifies HCC patients from different datasets and platforms into low-risk and high-risk groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that the model was an independent prognostic factor for HCC.
Results
Our results showed significant differences in gene expression profiles in HCC samples compared to normal tissues, with 2596 genes significantly up-regulated and 3036 genes significantly down-regulated. In addition, our results showed that the proportion of Macrophages M0, NK cells activated and T cells CD4 memory resting was significantly increased in HCC samples compared to normal tissues. In addition, our analysis showed that a combination of four ferroptosis and autophagy related genes including CDKN2A, HSPA5, GABARAPL1, and MAPK3 could serve as the optimal markers for the diagnosis of HCC. The combined analysis of these four genes accurately diagnosed the occurrence of HCC.
Conclusions
In this study, we investigated new biomarkers associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on ferroptosis and autophagy. We aimed to establish a risk scoring model to predict the prognosis of HCC, with the goal of providing appropriate treatment strategies for HCC patients.
POLE-mutant colon adenocarcinoma – case presentation and histopathological evaluation
Authors: Pancsa Tamás , Vasas Béla , Melegh Zsombor , Tóth Erika , Torday László , Sejben Anita
Published: November 2023

Introduction: POLE mutant phenotype in colon adenocarcinomas represents a rare molecular subtype. These tumours are generally responsive to immune-checkpoint inhibition therapy; therefore, are currently considered as a subtype with good prognosis. We hereby present the first detailed case presentation of a POLE mutant colon adenocarcinoma with useful microscopic features.
Case report: A 53-year-old male patient’s colon adenocarcinoma showed wide variety of growth patterns and massive lymphocytic infiltrate. Immunohistochemistry revealed proficiency in mismatch repair proteins and SMARCB1 deficiency. Next-generation sequencing panel confirmed a pathogenetic mutation in POLE exon 9: p.Pro286Arg, c.857C>G.
Conclusion: The diverse, high-grade morphology and increased intratumoral lymphoid infiltration should raise suspicion for POLE-mutated adenocarcinoma during everyday histopathological practice. Mismatch repair proficiency results on immunohistochemistry should not determine the final diagnosis, as only a minor percentage of these tumours are MSI. In every case suspicious for POLE-mutated adenocarcinoma, a 500-cancer gene panel should be carried out.