bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AATF Inhibition Exerts Antiangiogenic Effects Against Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Suresh Diwakar , Srin Akshatha N. , Prashant Akila , Satish Suchitha , Vishwanath Prashant , Kumar Divya
Published: December 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a highly fatal cancer with a mortality rate proportional to its incidence, continues to pose a global health care challenge. Angiogenesis is a key factor in the growth and metastasis of hepatic tumors and thus a potential therapeutic target in HCC. We previously showed that the apoptosis antagonizing transcription factor (AATF) affects tumor growth and metastasis in a mouse xenograft model. However, the regulatory role of AATF in tumor angiogenesis and its underlying mechanisms in HCC remain unknown. In the current study, we identified high levels of AATF in human HCC tissues compared to adjacent normal liver tissues, and the expression was found to be correlated with the stages and tumor grades of HCC. Inhibition of AATF in human HCC cells showed high levels of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) compared to controls as a resultant of reduced matric metalloproteinases activity. Conditioned media from AATF knockdown (KD) cells inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells as well as the vascularization of the chick chorioallantoic membrane. Furthermore, the VEGF-mediated downstream signaling pathway responsible for endothelial cell survival and vascular permeability, cell proliferation, and migration favoring angiogenesis was suppressed by AATF inhibition. Of note, PEDF inhibition by its respective antibody profoundly reversed the anti-angiogenic effect of AATF KD. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that inhibition of AATF suppresses angiogenesis in HCC via PEDF. Thus, a therapeutic strategy based on the inhibition of AATF to disrupt tumor angiogenesis may be a promising approach for HCC treatment.
Understanding the Mapping of Encode Data Through An Implementation of Quantum Topological Analysis
Authors: Vlasic Andrew , Pham Anh
Published: December 2022

Topological Data Analysis (TDA) is a well-established field derived to give insight into the geometric structure of real-world data. However, many methods in TDA are computationally intensive. The method that computes the respective Betti number has been shown to obtain a speed-up from translating the algorithm into a quantum circuit. The quantum circuit to calculate a particular Betti number requires a significant number of gates and, without a small record of data, is currently unable to be implemented on a NISQ-era processor. Given this NISQ-era restriction, a hybrid-method is proposed that calculates the Euclidean distance of the encoded data and computes the desired Betti number. This method is applied to a toy data set with different encoding techniques. The empirical results show the noise within the data is intensified with each encoding method as there is a clear change in the geometric structure of the original data, exhibiting information loss.
Sentiment analysis of It Companies- Features and Feelings Profiling, as well as Data Mining for Employee Input
Authors: Bose Amaresh , Khatoon Naghma
Published: December 2022

With so many businesses and organizations to choose from, making a final decision may be time-consuming and laborious. There are several metrics available for evaluating companies, but what's required is a metric that takes into account all of the aspects that contribute to employees' overall opinions of the company. To tackle this problem, our study concentrates on creating an aspect-sentiment-based analysis for corporations. To do this, we will rely on the honest feedback of our employees on these companies. We collected a large dataset of corporate reviews from the omnipresent ‘Glassdoor.com’ and used a novel ensemble approach to analyze the reviews' sentiment across a wide range of variables. In addition, we provide various insights from the dataset to aid customers in better comprehending their options and making educated choices when picking businesses.
Alignment of Human Aquaporin 4 and beta-amyloid proteins may indicate involvement of beta-amyloid in prevention of brain edema
Authors: Lehrer Steven , Rheinstein Peter
Published: December 2022

Background: Because brain edema has occurred during Alzheimer Disease (AD) clinical trials of most anti-amyloid antibodies, we hypothesize that beta-amyloid might be an important element in brain water homeostasis. Removing beta-amyloid could harm some AD patients. To investigate this idea, we analyzed structures of aquaporin-4 and beta-amyloid from the RCSB protein data bank. Aquaporins, a family of water channel proteins that have been found in animals, may provide an explanation for AD brain edema. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4), the most significant form of aquaporin in the central nervous system, mediates water homeostasis in healthy and pathological settings, such as severe brain injury. APOE isoform affects neurological prognosis following intracerebral hemorrhage. Poor functional outcome and higher cerebral edema are linked to APOE4.
Methods: We examined two RCSB Protein Data Bank molecules: 2D57. Double layered 2D crystal structure of Aquaporin-4; Solution structure of the first PDZ domain of beta-amyloid A4 precursor protein-binding family A, member 1. The protein structures were superimposed and aligned on PYMOL v 2.5.0 with the Super command, which super aligns two protein selections.
Results: Pymol performed 5 cycles of calculations on 29 aligned atoms of aquaporin-4 and beta-amyloid proteins, with a final root mean square deviation of atomic positions (RMSD) of 0.300 Å for 21 atoms. Lower values of RMSD indicate that alignment is validated with higher accuracy. RMSD values of 1 Å or less indicate very good alignment. The 21-atom alignment is excellent.
Conclusion: Alignments are a powerful way to compare related protein sequences. They can be used to record a variety of information about matched sequences, such as shared structural function or common evolutionary ancestry. Our analysis indicates that AQP4 and beta-amyloid may have shared functions, including maintenance of brain water homeostasis and prevention of brain edema. Asymptomatic vasogenic edema has been found in AD patients who have received no treatment at all. Therefore, focal, localized vasogenic edema may be part of the AD pathologic process. We conclude that beta-amyloid may protect against vasogenic brain edema. Removing beta-amyloid from AD patients may promote vasogenic brain edema and bleeding. Screening for AQP4 polymorphisms and APOE4 isoform, as well as ABCC8 polymorphisms and haptoglobin form, could identify patients at high risk of brain edema and hemorrhage before anti-amyloid treatment for AD is begun. The association of APOE4 with brain edema may be one reason for increased AD risk in carriers of APOE4. Further studies are warranted.
Enabling analysis of transcriptomic data related to Ageing Processes through the GTEx-Visualizer web portal
Authors: Guzzi Pietro Hiram , lomoio ugo , Veltri Pierangelo
Published: December 2022

Motivation: Studying ageing effects on molecules is considered an important new topic for life science. To perform such studies the need for data, models, algorithms, and tools arises to elucidate molecular mechanisms. Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) is a web data portal containing transcriptomics data of patients, annotated with information related
to: (i) tissues, (ii) gender and (iii) human age. GTEx is the reference platform for ageing molecule studies. Nevertheless, it lacks howewer functionalities which would allow users to query data at the sex/age level, as well as tools for protein interaction studies. Users also need to download query results to proceed to further analysis such as retrieving the expression of a given gene on different age classes in many tissues.
Results: We design and implement GTExVisualizer, a web based platform to query and analyze GTEx data. GTExVisualizer contains a user interface able to: (i) graphically represent and study query results; (ii) analyse genes by means of sex/age expression patterns, also integrated with networks based modules; (iii) report results as plot based represen-
tation as well as (gene) networks. Finally, some basic statistics are also available.
Conclusion: The proposed framework can be considered a useful support for studying ageing/sex-related molecular processes based on the analysis of expression data.
Availability: GTExVisualizer is freely available and can be used from: http://gtexvisualizer.herokuapp.com
Robustness Analysis of Smart Manufacturing Information Systems
Authors: Zhu Jianhua , Zheng Yonghua
Published: December 2022

Purpose-Robustness plays a vital role in the operation of smart manufacturing information systems (SMISs). This article aims to establish a robust analysis theory, to explain how companies can perform robust analysis of information systems in real time during normal operations and perform robust control over unstable information systems.
Design/methodology/approach-(1) Using of Maximum Variance Unfolding (MVU) algorithm to fuse secondary index data into primary index data. (2) Using data-driven modeling to establish a robust evolutionary dynamics model of SMISs. (3) Using synergetic and self-organization theory to analyze the dynamic model of the robustness of SMISs. (4) Using dynamic programming and stability theory to conduct robust optimal control.
Findings-(1) The primary indicator data can maintain the characteristics of the secondary indicator data by using the improved MUV method; (2) Dynamic programming and stability theory used to conduct optimal robust control can give investment strategy to improve the robustness of SMISs; (3) The combination of the synergetic theorem and machine learning can quantitatively describe the SMISs, effectively solve the complex calculation problems caused by the increase of the variable dimension.
Originality-(1) this paper proposes for the first time the use of Maximum Variance Unfolding (MVU) algorithm to fuse secondary index data into primary index data;(2) For the first time combining complex system theory with machine learning and optimization theory to analyze the robustness of information systems.
Paper type Research paper-The construction of a model
Study on the retention effect of condensed water at different soil levels in exposed areas of Hoh Xil lake upon water recession
Authors: Li Bei , Liu Jing Tao , Shi Wan Peng , Zhang Yu Xi , Xie Fie , Zhou Bing
Published: December 2022

In order to investigate the absorption and retention characteristics of condensed water at different soil layers in the bare desertification area at the bottom of a receding lake in Hoh Xil, Qinghai Province, the characteristics of condensate variation, condensate formation time, condensate volume, and its absorption capacity were investigated in July 2021 using a micro-osmometer. The research area was the artificial water retention layer and bare ground of the exposed sandy bottom formed under the influence of the warming–wetting trend that occurs when water recedes in the salt lake area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as well as the two conditions of underpass and underseal. According to the results, the time of condensation generation during the observation period in the salt lake area of Hoh Xil begins at about 0:00 and ends at about 10:00. The artificial water retention layer had little influence on the condensation generation time, and the trend of the condensation rate is the same. The unidirectional condensation phenomenon of water vapor in the near-surface air at a depth range of 0–5 cm when an artificial water retention layer is applied is clearly superior to that of other layers; accordingly, its frequency of condensation phenomenon is also the highest. The amount of condensed soil water vapor from the lower part of the ground when an artificial water retention layer is applied at depth ranges of 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, and 0–10 cm were 3.60, 6.39, and 10.27 times that of the near-surface air, respectively. The total amount of bidirectional condensed water under the condition of the artificial water retention layer at 0–10 cm was the largest. Conversely, the total amount of condensed water from the near-surface air at a depth range of 0–5 cm under the unidirectional condensation condition was the highest, being twice as great as the total amount of condensed water in other layers, which demonstrates the promoting effect that the artificial water retention layer has on the adsorption of water vapor in the near-surface air. Due to the existence of permafrost in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the heat zero-flux plane in the area of the Salt Lake has a migration range of divergence of approximately 30 cm from the surface to the ground. An analogous humidity coefficient characterizes the retention effect of condensed water in certain areas, which serve to demonstrate how the artificial water retention layer distributed at a depth of 0–5 cm, regardless of bidirectional or unidirectional condensation, has the best capacity for adsorption. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for condensate absorption capacity and vegetation restoration in the bare ecologically degraded areas of the lake bottom.
Therapeutic Applications of Fucoidans and their Potential to Act Against
COVID-19
Authors: Yadav Dhananjay , Song Minseok
Published: December 2022

In this review article, we present the updated evidence of therapeutic applications of fucoidan (a seaweed polysaccharide) and its novel potential to treat infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Because of their many biological activities, seaweeds have been identified as a rich and useful source of bioactive chemicals. Sulfated polysaccharides from the sea are considered a source of physiologically active chemicals that might be used in medication development. Antitumor, antiviral, antioxidant, antibacterial, anticoagulant, and immune-inflammatory properties have all been described for these compounds. By interfering at various phases of viral infection, marine sulfated polysaccharide has a virucidal effect. As a result, it opens the door to the development of antiviral treatments. Virus entry into host cells is an initial process, avoiding this type of entry makes any precautionary measure effective. The inhibitory action of certain marine sulfated polysaccharides against coronavirus was tested, and fucoidan, iota-carrageenan, and sea cucumber sulfated polysaccharides all showed a substantial antiviral impact. Fucoidan is one of the useful sulfated polysaccharides that has been widely studied and explored in various research. There are different sources of fucoidans, which have been used in the treatment of viral infection. Additionally, we highlight the mechanism of action of fuocidan against COVID-19. Hence, we could suggest that COVID-19 might be prevented and treated using these sulfated polysaccharides. This review thus highlights ample evidence to support the hypothesis that a large number of drugs have been developed from powerful compounds isolated from marine seaweeds.
Bridging Integrator 3 (BIN3) Downregulation Predicts a Poor Prognosis in
Patients with Esophagus Carcinoma: A Study based on TCGA Data
Authors: Li Daohang , Deng Weiming , Huang Guozheng , Xiao Xin
Published: December 2022

Background:

Bridging integrator 3 (BIN3) has been reported to play a key role in certain
tumors. Nevertheless, little is known about the role and clinical value of BIN3 in esophagus
carcinoma (ESCA). This study aimed to investigate the pathological and prognostic role of BIN3
in ESCA patients.

Methods:

Genes significantly correlated with the prognosis of ESCA patients were screened and
identified by comprehensive analysis of differentially expressed genes associated with overall survival
(OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and progression-free interval (PFI) in ESCA. The expression
of BIN3, pathological features correlation and subgroup overall survival analysis were
performed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GTEx databases. Moreover, the potential
signaling pathways in which BIN3 was involved were analyzed by GO-KEGG enrichment analysis
and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Immune infiltrates correlation of BIN3 in ESCA was
performed by TIMER and ssGSEA. The influence of BIN3 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition
(EMT) was validated by western blot.

Results:

There were two differentially expressed genes related to the prognosis of ESCA patients,
which were identified from three gene clusters associated with overall survival (OS), diseasespecific
survival (DSS) and progression-free interval (PFI) in ESCA patients. The BIN3 mRNA
level was found to be significantly decreased in ESCA compared to normal tissues (p < 0.05). The
decreased expression of BIN3 in ESCA was significantly correlated with the clinical stage (p =
0.015), T stage (p < 0.05), histological type (p < 0.001), age (p < 0.05) and gender (p < 0.05).
ESCA patients with high BIN3 expression were observed to be correlated with T stage (T3 & T4),
age (＜＝60), gender (male), primary therapy outcome (PD) and columnar metaplasia (No) of favorable
OS. GO-KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that BIN3 was involved in endocytosis.
GSEA showed that several pathways were enriched in BIN3, such as O linked glycosylation of
mucins, PID HNF3B pathway, biocarta TFF pathway, WP pregnane X receptor pathway, reactome
regulation of beta cell development, WP Urea cycle and associated pathways and others. BIN3 was
significantly related to the infiltration level of T cells (p < 0.001), Tregs (p < 0.001), B cells (p <
0.001), NK cells (p < 0.001), and macrophage M2 (p < 0.001). In addition, BIN3 overexpression
inhibited N-cadherin expression and promoted E-cadherin expression in ESCA cell lines TE-1.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that BIN3 might be a potential prognostic biomarker in ESCA.
BIN3 functions as a tumor-suppressor role in ESCA, which is significantly associated with the
immune infiltration of ESCA.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors as Cognitive Enhancers and Modifiers of
Mood and Behavior
Authors: Pal Dilipkumar , Sahu Pooja , Mishra Abhishek K. , Hagelgans Albert , Sukocheva Olga
Published: December 2022

Background:

Epigenetic regulation of gene signalling is one of the fundamental molecu-lar mechanisms for the generation and maintenance of cellular memory. Histone acetylation is a common epigenetic mechanism associated with increased gene transcription in the central nervous system (CNS). Stimulation of gene transcription by histone acetylation is important for the devel-opment of CNS-based long-term memory. Histone acetylation is a target for cognitive enhancement via the application of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. The promising potential of HDAC in-hibitors has been observed in the treatment of several neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective:

This study assessed the current state of HDAC inhibition as an approach to cognitive en-hancement and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Our analysis provides insights into the mechanism of action of HDAC inhibitors, associated epigenetic priming, and describes the thera-peutic success and potential complications after unsupervised use of the inhibitors.

Results and Conclusion:

Several chromatin-modifying enzymes play key roles in the regulation of cognitive processes. The importance of HDAC signaling in the brain is highlighted in this review. Recent advancements in the field of cognitive epigenetics are supported by the successful develop-ment of various HDAC inhibitors, demonstrating effective treatment of mood-associated disorders. The current review discusses the therapeutic potential of HDAC inhibition and observed complica-tions after mood and cognitive enhancement therapies.
Synthesis and Reactions of Thieno[2,3-c]quinolines from Arylaldehyde and
Arylamine Derivatives: A Review (Part VIII)
Authors: Abu-Hashem Ameen Ali , El-Gazzar Abdel-Rhman Barakat Ahmed , Hafez Hend Nagah , Abdelgawad Ahmed Awad Mohamed , Gouda Moustafa Ahmed
Published: December 2022

In this review article, many thieno[2,3-c]quinoline derivatives are shown from many aspects,
including different preparation and processing methods, by the use of recent systems and high
technology. This review includes many chemical reactions that show the preparation of thieno[2,3-
c]quinoline derivatives from aryl-aldehyde, arylamine derivatives, and other chemical reagents. Several
synthesized thieno[2,3-c]quinoline derivatives are described in this review article, including: benzothieno[
2,3-c]quinoline; 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoline; benzothieno [2,3-c]tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoline;
acetyl-amino-benzothieno[2,3-c]quinolinones; methoxythieno[3',2': 4,5]thieno[2,3-c]quinoline; amino-
thieno-thieno[2,3-c]quinoline-methaniminium chloride; thieno [3',2':4,5]thieno[2,3-c]quinolineimidazole;
thieno[2,3-c]phenanthroline; naphtho[1,2-f]thieno [3',2':4,5]thieno[2,3-
c][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoline; naphtho-tetrazolo[1,5-a]thieno[3',2':4,5] thieno[2,3-c]quinoline; and
benzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-c]quinoline-2-carbonitrile.
Fabrication of Zein/PVA Fibre Blends: Optimizing Concentration and
Applied Voltage
Authors: Kubheka Nompumelelo S.M. , Moloto Makwena J. , Mkhumbeni Nolutho
Published: December 2022

The fabrication of polymer fibre blends has gained much attention for the development of
innovative nanomaterials. Polymer fibre blends are nanomaterials with different functionalities and
properties such as a sizeable surface-to-area ratio, high porosity, flexibility, and stability. The focus of
this study was to produce zein/PVA fibre blends using the electrospinning technique and varying parameters
such as concentration and applied voltage. The two parameters are key driving factors for the
production of fibres. Zein as a natural polymer has challenges in developing fibre materials which require
artificial polymer like PVA to create a good blending mixture for electrospinning.

Methods:

The zein/PVA nanofibre blends were fabricated using the electrospinning technique. The
FE-SEM (Leo, Zeiss) was used to study the surface morphologies of the zein/PVA nanofibers blends.
The optical properties of the nanofibre blends were determined using the UV-vis spectrophotometer
and the chemical structure and composition of zein/PVA nanofibers blends were studied using Thermo
Scientific Nicolet iS50-FTIR spectrometer, universal ATR with the diamond detector.

Results:

The SEM images showed smooth zein/PVA ribbon-like nanofibre blends of 90/10, 80/20,
70/30, 60/40, and 50/50. SEM images of zein/PVA (80/20) electrospun at 25 kV were obtained to be
the maximum fibre yield due to zein/PVA compatibility, increased conductivity, and enhanced fibre
formation. The optical properties (absorption spectroscopy) suggested that the zein/PVA (80/20) fibre
blend was miscible, and the FTIR spectra confirmed their functional groups. Therefore, the characterization
results showed that the polymer blended solutions concentration and applied voltage increment
affected fibre size distribution and morphology.

Conclusion:

Optimizing concentration and applied voltage successfully produced smooth, uniform
bead-free zein/PVA fibre blends as parameters are increased.
Naturally-occurring Bioactive Molecules with Anti-Parkinson Disease Poten
Authors: Kabra Atul , Uddin Kamal , Sharma Rohit , Kabra Ruchika , Capasso Raffaele , Ivette Fernandez Verdecia Caridad , Hano Christophe , Cruz-Martins Natália , Singh Baghel Uttam
Published: December 2022

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex limiting neurodegenerative disorder,
with a rising incidence. Current therapeutic options for PD have multiple limitations,
and naturally occurring biomolecules, often known as phytochemicals, with potent
neuroprotective activities, have been searched to meet the need. Thus, this chapter
encompasses in-depth information on reported anti-PD activities of medicinal plants in
light of available pre-clinical and clinical studies and shares the mechanisms of action
proposed in fighting PD. Published information from PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct,
Springer, Google Scholar, and other allied databases was analyzed. There is rising
interest among researchers in investigating medicinal plants and their isolated
compounds for their anti-PD efficacy. Scattered information about the anti-PD
potential of plants and bioactive compounds is reported in the scientific domain. A
total of 92 medicinal plants belonging to 63 families, exhibiting anti-PD activity were discussed. Botanical species have revealed an extreme potential, encouraging future
examination. Data discussed here can be used for further research and clinical
purposes.
Neuroprotective Sri Lankan Plants: Back to the Future with Phytomedicine
Authors: Wijekoon Nalaka , Imran Yoonus , Attanayake Darshi , Gonawala Lakmal , de Silva K. Ranil D.
Published: December 2022

Sri Lanka is listed as the top 34th biodiversity hotspot globally and has the
highest biodiversity per unit area of terrestrial in the Asian continent. Intriguingly, it
has been reported that 3771 flowering plant species are grown in Sri Lanka, of which
927 (24%) are endemic to the country, and 1430 species are considered medicinal
plants. Surprisingly, it is reported that up to 40% of all new molecular entities
submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval are either natural
products or natural product-derived compounds. This chapter aims to explore the
therapeutic potential of Sri Lankan plants/natural products in neuroprotection as
possible synergistic targets of the nuclear factor erythroid (NF-E2)-related factor 2
(Nrf2) pathway. Nonetheless, the symptoms of neurological diseases are different;
oxidative stress plays a central role in pathogenesis, thus, Nrf2 activation will
counteract common pathogenic processes involved in neurodegener-ative/neuro.muscular disorders. Therefore, targeting Nrf2 signaling may provide a therapeutic
option to delay onset, slow progression, and ameliorate symptoms of neurological
disorders. However, when translating from the bench to the bedside, the knowledge of
the timing of Nrf2 modulating compounds and dosage is crucial to define at which
point should an Nrf2 activator be used versus an Nrf2 inhibitor. In this scenario, blends
of natural products that synergize and provide multi-site action on Nrf2 regulation via
different pathways are vital and will pave the way for the development of evidence.based effective neuro-nutraceuticals with a stride of innovation.
Phytochemicals from Indian Medicinal Herbs in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders
Authors: Verma Himanshu , Shivavedi Naveen , Kumar Nayak Prasanta
Published: December 2022

Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's
disease, Huntington's disease, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are the major cause of
disability and mortality. These disorders are appearing in the current era due to aging
and stress-full lifestyles. For the treatments of these disorders, several conventional
drugs are available but due to higher cost and dangerous adverse effects. Therefore,
scientists are focusing more on medicinal herbs containing phytochemicals because
these medicinal herbs are more effective, low cost, and show less harmful side effects
to cure neurodegenerative disorders. Indian medicinal herbs are the most effective
medicines and indigenous to India. Since ancient times, medicinal herbs have been
used for treating neurodegenerative disorders. Indian medicinal herbs containing
phytochemicals possess beneficial therapeutic effects for the treatment of
neurodegenerative disorders, majorly having various compounds such as alkaloids,
sesquiterpenes, triterpenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, and essential oils
which show anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. In this chapter, we
highlighted and discussed the importance of some Indian medicinal herbs, such as
Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi), Centella asiatica, Curcuma longa (turmeric), Allium
sativum (garlic), Terminalia chebula (haritaki), Celastrus paniculatus (Jyotishmati),
Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice), and Acorus calamus (Vacha) containing phytochemicals
with their mechanism of action on neurodegenerative disorders.
Factors impact the current status of logistics service providers in Vietnam and strategies for development
Authors:   Faculty of Transport Economics, University of Transport Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam, Tran Tuan The , Dinh Toan Quang ,   Student Support Center Startup and Corporate Relations, University of Transport Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam, Phan Trang Thu ,   Falculty of International Business and Economics, Thuongmai University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Published: December 2022

Logistics service providers (LSPs) are experiencing strong growth in recent times, especially in some developing countries like Vietnam. However, the development of LSPs is affected by many factors both internal and external. This paper aims to analyze the implications for the current status of LSPs. The authors conducted a survey for LSP in Central Vietnam. The survey results show that factors such as digital transformation, government policies, and infrastructure are the factors that affect the current situation of LSPs. Based on the research results, the article also makes some policy suggestions for the government to improve the policy mechanism and encourage the development of LSPs in Central Vietnam in particular and in Vietnam as a whole.
La domesticación de la desigualdad. El caso de San Juan de Abajo, León, Guanajuato, México
Authors: Gasca Moreno Claudia Teresa , Ávila Quijas Aquiles Omar
Published: December 2022

El presente trabajo ofrece una explicación a partir del trabajo etnográfico que se realizó en una colonia periurbana de León, Guanajuato, México, sobre la manera como sus habitantes generan estrategias que les permiten garantizar su supervivencia, a pesar de las condiciones adversas a las que tienen que hacer frente. Para ello, se presentan casos de desigualdad urbana particulares, lo que nos permite plantear que estas áreas son residuales en la dinámica de la ciudad neoliberal.
The Effect of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions Implemented in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic on Seasonal Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Analysis of Google Trends Data
Authors: Ravkin Hersh D , Yom-Tov Elad , Nesher Lior
Published: December 2022

Background

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory infection in children. Despite usually following a consistent seasonal pattern, the 2020-2021 RSV season in many countries was delayed and changed in magnitude.

Objective

This study aimed to test if these changes can be attributed to nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) instituted around the world to combat SARS-CoV-2.

Methods

We used the internet search volume for RSV, as obtained from Google Trends, as a proxy to investigate these abnormalities.

Results

Our analysis shows a breakdown of the usual correlation between peak latency and magnitude during the year of the pandemic. Analyzing latency and magnitude separately, we found that the changes therein are associated with implemented NPIs. Among several important interventions, NPIs affecting population mobility are shown to be particularly relevant to RSV incidence.

Conclusions

The 2020-2021 RSV season served as a natural experiment to test NPIs that are likely to restrict RSV spread, and our findings can be used to guide health authorities to possible interventions.
Effects of online mindfulness intervention on physiological and psychological health in adults during COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (Preprint)
Authors: Lee Tso Ying , Li Pei Shan , Yu Jia Hua , Lin Wei , Hsu Tzu Chi , Hsieh ChiaJung
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had negative impacts on people's health, causing physiological and psychological problems. The benefits of online mindfulness intervention (OMI) are known from existing studies. However, no comprehensive reviews and extensive meta-analyses of their effectiveness have been conducted.

OBJECTIVE

The primary purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of OMI on physiological and psychological health in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic; the secondary aim was to perform subgroup analysis to determine which protocol could maximize the benefits.

METHODS

We electrically searched for randomized controlled trials published from January 2000 to June 2022 in the CEPS, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE, and EMBASE. The PRISMA checklist was used.

RESULTS

We identified 20 studies for inclusion. OMI has a large effect on depression and anxiety; a medium effect on sleep problems and perceived stress; and a small effect on mindfulness. Subgroup analysis indicated that OMI was more effective on depression and anxiety in COVID-19 patients than in non-COVID-19 patients. The group approach of OMI was discovered to exert a greater effect on depression and the individual approach to be more effective on anxiety. By the GRADE approach, the quality of this evidence was deemed “moderate”, and the effect of the intervention is Favors.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the heterogeneity of outcomes across studies, our study suggested that OMI can be a complementary and effective tool during an epidemic. Therefore, these interventions will be one of the important ways to overcome quarantine, maintain social distancing and maintain physical and mental health.

CLINICALTRIAL

This research was constructed following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and registered on PROSPERO (CRD 42022320783)
Few-Shot Learning for Clinical Natural Language Processing Using Siamese Neural Networks: Algorithm Development and Validation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Oniani David , Chandrasekar Premkumar , Sivarajkumar Sonish , Wang Yanshan
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND

Natural language processing (NLP) has become an emerging technology in health care that leverages a large amount of free-text data in electronic health records to improve patient care, support clinical decisions, and facilitate clinical and translational science research. Recently, deep learning has achieved state-of-the-art performance in many clinical NLP tasks. However, training deep learning models often requires large, annotated data sets, which are normally not publicly available and can be time-consuming to build in clinical domains. Working with smaller annotated data sets is typical in clinical NLP; therefore, ensuring that deep learning models perform well is crucial for real-world clinical NLP applications. A widely adopted approach is fine-tuning existing pretrained language models, but these attempts fall short when the training data set contains only a few annotated samples. Few-shot learning (FSL) has recently been investigated to tackle this problem. Siamese neural network (SNN) has been widely used as an FSL approach in computer vision but has not been studied well in NLP. Furthermore, the literature on its applications in clinical domains is scarce.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study is to propose and evaluate SNN-based approaches for few-shot clinical NLP tasks.

METHODS

We propose 2 SNN-based FSL approaches, including pretrained SNN and SNN with second-order embeddings. We evaluate the proposed approaches on the clinical sentence classification task. We experiment with 3 few-shot settings, including 4-shot, 8-shot, and 16-shot learning. The clinical NLP task is benchmarked using the following 4 pretrained language models: bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT), BERT for biomedical text mining (BioBERT), BioBERT trained on clinical notes (BioClinicalBERT), and generative pretrained transformer 2 (GPT-2). We also present a performance comparison between SNN-based approaches and the prompt-based GPT-2 approach.

RESULTS

In 4-shot sentence classification tasks, GPT-2 had the highest precision (0.63), but its recall (0.38) and F score (0.42) were lower than those of BioBERT-based pretrained SNN (0.45 and 0.46, respectively). In both 8-shot and 16-shot settings, SNN-based approaches outperformed GPT-2 in all 3 metrics of precision, recall, and F score.

CONCLUSIONS

The experimental results verified the effectiveness of the proposed SNN approaches for few-shot clinical NLP tasks.
Smart home ward: decentralized at-home hospital-level care service in China (Preprint)
Authors: Cheng Weibin , Cao Xiaowen , Lian Wanmin , Tian Junzhang
Published: December 2022

UNSTRUCTURED

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the dangers of tying healthcare delivery to brick-and-mortar healthcare facilities and has highlighted an ongoing need to create a distributed healthcare delivery ecosystem centered in patients’ homes and the community. Hospital-at-home has been practiced for several decades. However, the wide adoption and implementation of hospital-at-home by patients and service providers remain low. Based on the 5G smart hospital infrastructure, we further explored the smart home ward to extend hospital-based care services to the home setting, which strives to break through the "wall" of trapping centralized hospital-based healthcare services. The home smart ward is a seamless hospital unit managed by health professionals in the hospital. Patients at home receive hospital-level services, including medical monitoring, ward rounds, consultation, and medical care. Smart home ward can be adopted with the two hospital-at-home models: early-supported discharge (ESD) and admission avoidance (AA), offering integrated health monitoring services, medical care, and rehabilitation in the home setting.
Practical Benefits, Challenges, and Recommendations on Social Media Recruitment: Multi-Stakeholder Interview Study (Preprint)
Authors: Goldman Nina , Willem Theresa , Buyx Alena , Zimmermann Bettina M
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND

The increasing use of social media opens new opportunities for recruiting patients for research studies. However, systematic evaluations indicate that the success of social media recruitment in terms of cost-effectiveness and representativeness depends on the type of study and its purpose.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the practical benefits and challenges of recruiting study participants with social media in the context of clinical and nonclinical studies and provide a summary of expert advice on how to conduct social media–based recruitment.

METHODS

We conducted semistructured interviews with 6 patients with hepatitis B who use social media and 30 experts from the following disciplines: (1) social media researchers or social scientists, (2) practical experts for social media recruitment, (3) legal experts, (4) ethics committee members, and (5) clinical researchers. The interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

We found diverging expert opinions regarding the challenges and benefits of social media recruitment for research studies in four domains: (1) resources needed, (2) representativeness, (3) web-based community building, and (4) privacy considerations. Moreover, the interviewed experts provided practical advice on how to promote a research study via social media.

CONCLUSIONS

Even though recruitment strategies should always be sensitive to individual study contexts, a multiplatform approach (recruiting via several different social media platforms) with mixed-methods recruitment (web-based and offline recruitment channels) is the most beneficial recruitment strategy for many research studies. The different recruitment methods complement each other and may contribute to improving the reach of the study, the recruitment accrual, and the representativeness of the sample. However, it is important to assess the context- and project-specific appropriateness and usefulness of social media recruitment before designing the recruitment strategy.
The age disparity in the association between Internet use and trust in doctors among Chinese adults (Preprint)
Authors: Yang Peisen , Yuan Dianqi , Hu Xiyuan , Guo Chao
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND

Doctors have become the focus of social attention, and trust in doctors is related to everyone's health.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the association between Internet use behaviors, network information literacy, and trust in doctors. And to analyze the age heterogeneity of the relationship mentioned above and test the mediation role of subjective well-being (SWB).

METHODS

The data of this study are from the 2020 publicly released data of the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS). This study used Multiple linear regression to test the association between Internet use behaviors, network information literacy, and trust in doctors. This study also analyzed the age heterogeneity of the relationship mentioned above and tested the mediation role of subjective well-being in such a path with the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method.

RESULTS

The results of the study found that Internet use including using mobile devices decreased trust in doctors among older adults and increased trust among young adults. SWB played a mediating role (contributing 24.12%, p =0.029) in the young adult sample and a suppressing role (contributing -24.48%, p =0.002) in the older adult sample. However, in mobile device users, improving network information literacy would increase trust in doctors for both older and young adults. SWB also played a mediating role in the young and older samples.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings contributed to the literature pool by revealing the potential difficulties of Internet function in older adults, and the importance of network information literacy. It highlighted the necessity to guide older people to use the Internet correctly in the Internet era and improve their trust in doctors by improving their network information literacy.
Rates and Predictors of Uptake of a Chatbot Aimed to Promote Mental Health Services Use for Eating Disorders Following Online Screening (Preprint)
Authors: D'Adamo Laura , Grammer Anne Claire , Rackoff Gavin N. , Shah Jillian , Firebaugh Marie-Laure , Taylor C. Barr , Wilfley Denise E. , Fitzsimmons-Craft Ellen E.
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND

Most individuals with eating disorders (EDs) do not receive treatment. Leveraging digital tools such as chatbots may be a promising method to mobilize mental health care utilization following ED screening.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined rates and predictors of uptake of a chatbot aimed to promote mental health services use among adults who screened positive for clinical/subclinical EDs on an online ED screen.

METHODS

Following screening, eligible individuals (≥18 years, screened positive for a clinical/subclinical ED, not in treatment) were shown the study opportunity. Participants who enrolled were instructed to initiate an SMS conversation with the chatbot. Chi-square tests and logistic regressions explored differences in demographics, ED symptoms, suicidality, and probable ED diagnoses between those who enrolled and engaged with the chatbot versus those who did not.

RESULTS

Of 6,747 respondents shown the study opportunity, 205 (3.0%) enrolled, of whom 185 (90.2%) subsequently used the chatbot. Chatbot uptake was more common among individuals aged ≥25 versus young adults and less common among individuals engaging in regular dietary restriction. No other differences across demographics or ED presentations were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall chatbot uptake was low, reflecting a need for additional strategies to promote help-seeking behaviors. However, chatbot uptake was high among those that enrolled and equal across most demographics or ED symptoms. Differences by age and dietary restriction in chatbot uptake indicate a need to better engage those who are younger or report restriction.
Ending the epidemic of viral hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus infection, and tuberculosis, we recommend a screening tool: a colour-coded electronic health sign (Preprint)
Authors: Chen Fang , Huang Lifan , Xu Jian
Published: December 2022

UNSTRUCTURED

Viral hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and tuberculosis are the most frequently reported communicable diseases all over the world. The detection rate is not high in China because universal screening for these diseases has not been achieved; and thus increasing the proportion of patients hiding in the community and leading to the continuous transmission of the source of infection in the local community. Therefore, identification of these patients hidden in the community timely is fundamental to achieve these targets including End TB strategy, eliminate viral hepatitis, and End the AIDS epidemic. Here, we recommend a colour-coded electronic health sign that used in screening for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China to screen viral hepatitis, HIV infection, and tuberculosis, to help to promote the healthy coverage in China.
Mercury Pollution and Alimentation Change through the Globalization Process in two Amazon River Communities
Authors: Corvelo Tereza CO , Prado Bianca S , Martins Dinelma J , Pinheiro Maria CN
Published: December 2022

Background: Excess body weight and metabolic comorbidities represent a risk for the emergence of chronic diseases and premature deaths, a growing phenomenon observed in riverside communities in the Amazon. Methods: The study developed was a descriptive and analytical cohort of the risk factors predisposing to excess body weight in communities of the Tapajós valley region exposed to mercurial contamination. The sample population includes 130 adult individuals from Barreiras and 80 from São Luiz do Tapajós, of both sexes, who agreed to participate in this study. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to obtain epidemiological and nutritional information, and validated conventional methods were used to evaluate the anthropometric parameters. Results: Total mercury in hair was measured using the atomic absorption spectrometry technique. In both communities, the prevalence of overweight was 60%, and abdominal adiposity among these individuals was higher than in those without overweight. The consumption of fish in the overweight and eutrophic groups in the inhabitants of the community of São Luiz do Tapajós differed, as well as and the average levels of mercury in the hair were higher in those who were overweight. However, this association was not observed in the community of Barreiras, where about approximately 61% of individuals, regardless of body weight, consumed little fish and in turn had low average levels of mercury in their hair. Conclusions: The evidence indicates changes in the eating habits of the studied communities, determining a nutritional imbalance through an increasing body weight gain among individuals, high BMI, and consequently the measurement of abdominal adiposity, which are factors for non-transmissible chronic diseases. Moreover, not only the excessive caloric intake and sedentary lifestyle, but also it is note, that mercurial toxicity must have contributed to affect affecting endocrine homeostasis and the physiology of metabolism; and, therefore, it is essential to seek appropriate interventions to combat public health diseases in communities exposed to mercurial contamination.
METADISCURSIVE NOUNS IN ACADEMIC ABSTRACTS: A CORPUS-BASED COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MUSIC STUDENTS’ DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS IN CHINA AND THE US
Authors: Liu Yun , Chen Jing
Published: December 2022

The growing interests in metadiscursive noun make it a heated topic for scholars to conduct various intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary researches in this field. However, the research about academic writing in the discipline of music still remains blank. This article makes a comparative study to explore the use of all categories of metadiscursive nouns in a corpus of 40 English abstracts of music students’ doctoral dissertations in China and the US. The research results have indicated: 1) L1 students of English tend to use more metadiscursive nouns to express their stance and promote their research; 2) They also employ diverse lexico-syntactic structures to encapsulate these metadiscursive nouns, thus making the abstracts coherently link together; 3) Students from China and the US both prefer to use entity nouns in “Determiner+N” sentence pattern. This comparative study has pedagogical implications for EFL teaching in China and raises Chinese music students’ awareness to improve their academic writing skills.