bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renal vascular lesions in Childhood-onset Lupus Nephritis
Authors: Lin Ying Kit , Chan Eugene Yu-hin , Mak Yuen-fun , To Ming-chun , Wong Sze-wa , Lai Fiona Fung-yee , Ho Tsz-wai , Tong Pak-chiu , Lai Wai-ming , Yap Desmond Yat-hin , Ma Alison Lap-tak
Published: March 2024

Background: This study aimed to determine the clinical significance of renal vascular lesions (RVLs) in childhood-onset lupus nephritis (cLN).
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all children with biopsy-proven cLN between 2004-2020 to evaluate the prevalence of RVLs on kidney biopsy and its associated factors and long-term outcomes. The composite renal outcome was defined as advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3-5, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and death.
Results: 107 biopsies from 84 Chinese patients were analysed. RVLs were observed in 19 patients (22.6%), including non-inflammatory necrotizing vasculopathy (NNV, n=6), thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA, n=4), arterial sclerosis (AS, n=3), concurrent NNV with AS (n=4), concurrent NNV with TMA (n=1) and concurrent true renal vasculitis with AS (n=1).
The presence of RVLs was associated with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (66.9±40.3 vs 95.6±39.4ml/min/1.73m2, p=0.005), haemoglobin level (9.1±1.9 vs 10.4±1.9g/dL, p=0.008) and platelet count (150.1±96.4 vs 217.2±104.8 x 109/L, p=0.01). LN classes and activity/chronicity indices were similar.
Patients with RVLs had poorer composite renal outcomes, though not reaching statistical significance (log-rank test, p=0.06). The presence of NNV was associated with inferior survival free from composite renal outcome (log-rank test, p = 0.0018), compared to other forms of RVLs and those without RVLs. Univariate analysis revealed NNV (HR 7.08, 95% CI 1.67-30.03) was predictive of composite renal outcome.
Conclusion: RVLs are present in one-fifth of cLN patients and are associated with severe presentation. NNV is associated with worse long-term renal outcome. Routine evaluation of RVLs is warranted and should be incorporated into future classification criteria.
Genetic variants in NER pathway genes predict hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma survival
Authors: Wei Junjie , Qiu Moqin , Cao ji , Zhou Zihan , Zhan Shicheng , jiang Binbin , Qin Liming , Lin Qiuling , jiang Yanji , Liang Xiumei , Chen Peiqin , Wei Yuying , Wei Xiaoxia , Guo Qian , Li Jianxu , Yu Hongping , Liu Yingchun
Published: March 2024

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is an important DNA damage repair pathway involved in prognosis of cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between genetic variants in NER pathway genes and overall survival (OS) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses was performed to investigate the associations between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in candidate genes and OS of 866 patients with operable hepatitis B virus (HBV) related HCC. The relationship between SNPs and corresponding genes was estimated by GTEx database and 1000 Genomes project. Online biological information databases were used for functional annotation of SNPs. Gene expression was calculated using data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Kaplan‐Meier plotter was used to evaluate the relationship between gene expression and OS in HBV-HCC patients. cBioPortaldatabase was applied to observe the mutation rate of genes in HCC tumor tissues. We identified two independent functional SNPs were significantly associated with OS of HBV-HCC patients [USP45 rs4840048 T>C: Hazard ratio (HR)=0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.48-0.86, P=0.003) and PRPF19rs7116665 C>A: HR=1.31, 95%CI=1.13-1.53, P<0.001). Besides, rs4840048 T allele was significantly correlated with higher USP45 mRNA expression levels (P=0.010), while rs7116665 A allele was significantly correlated with decreased PRPF19 mRNA expression levels (P=0.003). In the TCGA database, high expression of USP45 and PRPF19 was associated with poorer survival in HCC patients (P=0.026 and P<0.001, respectively). Our finding indicated that the two SNPs in NER pathway genes may be novel biomarkers of the survival in HBV-HCC patients.
Experiments of Few-Nucleon Scattering to Explore Three-Nucleon Forces
Authors: Sekiguchi Kimiko
Published: March 2024

Few--nucleon scattering offers a good opportunities to study dynamical aspects of three-nucleon forces, that are momentum, spin and iso-spin dependent.In the paper, the experimental results of deuteron-proton elastic scattering at $¥sim ~¥rm 100$ MeV/nucleon obtained in the course of the study are presented.The experimental study of few-nucleon scattering has been recently extended to the proton-$^3 ¥mathrm{He}$ scatteringwith the aim of approaching the isospin $T=3/2$ channel in three-nucleon forces.The data are in comparison with the rigorous numerical calculationsbased on state-of-the-art nuclear potentials with three-nucleon forces.
Application of Digital Thread Impacts on Sustainable Manufacturing and Smart Production Systems
Authors: Damtew Alie Wube
Published: March 2024

The big technological transformation included smart objects, simulation software, and digital frameworks to enhance intelligence, automation capabilities, the production process, and intelligent decision-making. The big technology including digital twin, digital thread, and internet of things are providing unprecedented opportunities to enhance efficiency and reduce the cost of the existing system of manufacturing industries. This article aims to study the great impacts of digital thread applications on sustainable manufacturing and smart production systems. A statistical descriptive, regression, and correlation analysis approach was adopted using a questionnaire based on the study model and previous related literature. Around 125 respondents were incorporated into the data collection process. The findings suggest that adoption and application of integrated and enabled digital thread strategies have the highest and most positive impacts on the performance of sustainable manufacturing and smart production systems in productivity, energy efficiency, agility and sustainability. The benefits of implementing big technology like digital thread have great impacts on manufacturing industries to enhanced smart design, a smart production process, utilizing resources, and improving the performance of the entire production and sustainable manufacturing processes. Also, the digital threads have great positive impacts on smart production, the reduction of climate change, and net-zero CO2 emissions (CC). This study confirms that, integrated and big technological practices, including Industry 4.0 and digital threads, mediated roles between sustainable production and sustainable performances. Based on these investigations, the digital thread model was developed to improve the performance and sustainability of manufacturing industries. The results of these investigations could deliver valuable insights to scholars, officials, and business leaders in order to boost smart and sustainable productions throughout the manufacturing process.
Differential Attainment in Assessment of Postgraduate Surgical Trainees: A Scoping Review
Authors: Jones Rebecca L , Prusmetikul Suwimol , Whitehorn Sarah
Published: March 2024

Introduction
Solving disparities in assessments is crucial to a successful surgical training programme. The first step in levelling these inequalities is recognising in what contexts they occur, and what protected characteristics are potentially implicated.
Methods
This scoping review was based on Arksey & O’Malley’s guiding principles. OVID and Embase were used to identify articles, which were then screened by three reviewers.
Results
From an initial 386 articles, 44 reported on the presence of differential attainment in postgraduate surgical assessments. The majority of these were quantitative studies (75%), primarily retrospective designs, and 11.4% were qualitative. Differential attainment affects a varied range of protected characteristics. The characteristics most likely to be investigated were gender (59%), ethnicity (23%) and socioeconomic background (6.6%). Evidence of inequalities are present in many types of assessment, including: academic achievements, assessments of progression in training, workplace-based assessments, logs of surgical experience and tests of technical skills.
Conclusion
Attainment gaps have been demonstrated in many types of assessment, including supposedly “objective” written assessments and at revalidation. Further research is necessary to delineate the most effective methods to eliminate bias in higher surgical training. Surgical curriculum providers should be informed by the available literature on inequalities in surgical training, as well as other neighbouring specialties such as medicine or general practice, when designing assessments and considering how to mitigate for potential causes of differential attainment.
Genetic variants and structure-function predictions of protein models related to familial hypercholesterolemia in Vietnam
Authors: Kim Ngoc-Thanh , Do Doan-Loi , Nguyen Mai-Ngoc Thi , Le Hong-An , Le Thanh-Tung , Truong Thanh-Huong
Published: March 2024

Genetic studies have contributed to our understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in cholesterol homeostasis in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Recently, computational modeling in silico have provided a useful tool for structure-function predictions of mutant protein. However, there is still much to unravel in FH, and further investigations are needed. In this study, we aimed to further characterize these mutations in the Vietnamese population and to provide structure-function predictions for protein modeling. In total, 28 FH variants were identified—21LDLR, 6APOB, and 1PCSK9variants—with a detection rate of 43.6% in the patient cohort. Three novelLDLRmutations (Gly396_Glu714del, Pro476Arg, and Asp843Glufs*86) and one novelAPOBmutation (His3583Leu) were identified.LDLRmutations, such as Asp227Glu and His583Tyr, affected protein stability and interactions and consequently impacted cholesterol metabolism. Similarly, other mutations in less conserved regions, like Gln660Ter and Cys318Arg, disrupted stability and interactions.APOBmutations, including Arg1386Trp and Phe2469Cys, modified protein stability and interactions, potentially affecting APOB–LDLR binding. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic diversity and dynamic nature of FH, furthering our understanding of the molecular basis of FH and aiding the development of potential therapeutic interventions.
Scale-free Networks Enhance the Spread of Better Strategy
Authors: Konno Tomohiko
Published: March 2024

In this study, we mathematically demonstrate that heterogeneous networks accelerate the social learning process, using a mean-field approximation of networks.
Network heterogeneity, characterized by the variance in the number of links per vertex, is effectively measured by the mean degree of nearest neighbors, denoted as ⟨knn⟩. This mean degree of nearest neighbors plays a crucial role in network dynamics, often being more significant than the average number of links (mean degree). Social learning, conceptualized as the imitation of superior strategies from neighbors within a social network, is influenced by this network feature. We find that a larger mean degree of nearest neighbors ⟨knn⟩ correlates with a faster spread of advantageous strategies. Scale-free networks, which exhibit the highest ⟨knn⟩, are most effective in enhancing social learning, in contrast to regular networks, which are the least effective due to their lower ⟨knn⟩.
Furthermore, we establish the conditions under which a general strategy A proliferates over time in a network. Applying these findings to coordination games, we identify the conditions for the spread of Pareto optimal strategies. Specifically, we determine that the initial probability of players adopting a Pareto optimal strategy must exceed a certain threshold for it to spread across the network. Our analysis reveals that a higher mean degree ⟨k⟩ leads to a lower threshold initial probability.
We provide an intuitive explanation for why networks with a large mean degree of nearest neighbors, such as scale-free networks, facilitate widespread strategy adoption. These findings are derived mathematically using mean-field approximations of networks and are further supported by numerical experiments.
JEL: C73, D85, D83, R10
Diagnosis of ectopic thyroid glands in pancreas: a case report and imaging insights
Authors: Diao Zongping , Tao Le , Zhang sai , Li Cheng , Zhao Jiaqi
Published: March 2024

Background
Ectopic thyroid (ET) is a rare developmental disorder, the detection of abdominal ET is often an accidental event. As there are few reports of ET in the pancreas, detailed imaging findings of ET in pancreas have not been described. Thus, we described a case of ET in the pancreas and reviewed all the reported cases of ET in the abdomen. We also summarized the imaging features, prevalence of ET in the pancreas, which may be helpful for the diagnosis and treatment.
Case summary
We present a case of ET in the pancreas, including orthotopic thyroid goiter. A 68-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain for half a year. Computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound gastroscopy revealed a cystic and solid mass measuring 41 mm×33 mm×32 mm in the head of the pancreas, with clear margins and patchy calcifications, providing initial evidence of a pancreatic neuroendocrine or solid pseudopapillary tumour. The mass was surgically removed and histological examination confirmed an ectopic multinodular goiter. To date, the patient has had no complaints or symptoms but normal thyroid hormone levels at 12 months follow-up.
Conclusion
Because ET in the pancreas is rare, preoperative diagnosis is difficult. This is the first report to summarise the imaging features of pancreatic ET. It is important to use a multimodal diagnostic system when necessary to increase diagnostic accuracy, and cystic degeneration and internal calcifications may be helpful in the diagnosis.
Investigation of corneal sub-basal nerve plexus and dendritic cell density by in vivo confocal microscopy in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy patients
Authors: Guleser Umit Yasar , Yildiz Ayse , Sezer Havva , Ozisik Secil , Kesim Cem , Hasanreisoglu Murat , Deyneli Oguzhan , Yazici Dilek , Sahin Afsun
Published: March 2024

Purpose
To investigate corneal sub-basal nerve plexus (SBP) and dendritic cell (DC) density by in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and the association between corneal involvement and clinical features in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy patients.
Methods
Thirty-three patients diagnosed with TAO and thirty-six age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Central corneal sub-basal nerve fibers and DC were evaluated with in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy and analyzed using NeuronJ, a semi-automated ImageJ software and ImageJ's Cell Counter.
Results
Corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL), corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), and corneal nerve branch density (CNBD) were significantly reduced in TAO patients compared to healthy controls. The DC density was significantly increased in TAO patients compared to healthy controls (Table 3) (Figs. 1 and 2). No correlation was found between IVCM parameters and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), Graves’ disease duration, The Clinical Activity Score (CAS), and thyroid receptor antibody (Trab) level. There are significant negative correlations between DC density and corneal SBP IVCM parameters, including CNFL, CNFD, and CNBD.
Conclusion
Decreased sub-basal corneal nerve fibers correlated with increased corneal DC density, indicating corneal nerve loss associated with corneal inflammation in TAO patients. However, elucidation of the exact underlying mechanisms warrants further study.
Exhaled breath metabolites reveal postmenopausal gut-bone cross-talk and non-invasive markers for osteoporosis
Authors: Sukul Pritam , Fischer Dagmar-Christiane , Broderius Celine , Grzegorzewski Simon , Rahn Anja , Mittlmeier Thomas , Kreikemeyer Bernd , Reuter Daniel A , Schubert Jochen K. , Miekisch Wolfram
Published: March 2024

Menopause driven decline in estrogen exposes women to risk of osteoporosis. Detection of early onset and silent progression are keys to prevent fractures and associated burdens. In a discovery cohort of 120 postmenopausal women (aged: 49 – 90 years), we combined repeated quantitative pulse-echo ultrasonography of bone, assessment of grip strength and serum bone markers with mass-spectrometric analysis of exhaled metabolites to find breath volatile markers and quantitative cutoff levels for osteoporosis. Obtained markers and cutoffs were validated in an independent cohort of 49 age-matched women with 6 months apart seasonal follow-ups. Within the discovery cohort median concentrations (ppbV) of exhaled end-tidal dimethyl sulfide (DMS), allyl-methyl sulfide, butanethiol and butyric acid increased significantly (p≤0.005) by 45.24%, 42.83%, 38.29% and 33.66% in subjects (n=27) with bone density at high-risk of osteoporosis and fracture, when compared to subjects (n=62) with normal bone mineral density (BMD). Increased age and decreased grip strength were concomitant. All these changes were reproduced within the independent validation cohort including seasonal follow-ups. Exhaled metabolite expressions remained age independent in either cohort. Serum bone markers showed random expressions without any reproducibility. DMS exhalations even differed between patients with recent (<1 year), old and without fractures. Metabolite exhalations and BMDs were down-regulated during winter mirroring the regional climate change. ROC analysis in the discovery cohort yielded high classification accuracy (AUC=0.86) of DMS with a cutoff at 15.88 ppbV for osteoporosis, which predicted subjects at high-risk within the independent validation cohort with high (>91%) sensitivity and specificity during both follow-ups. Non-invasive analysis of exhaled DMS allowed more reliable classification of osteoporosis risk than conventional serum bone markers. We identified associations of exhaled organosulfur and short-chain fatty acid markers to bone metabolism in postmenopausal osteoporosis via a gut-bone axis.
Longitudinal cohort protocol study of children with cerebral palsy in China: functional developmental trends, genetic etiology and imaging features of brain
Authors: Peng Tingting , Peng Tingting , Li Jinling , He Zhaoyao , Luo Jie , Zhang Yuan , Hou Qingfen , Fan Danxia , Zhong Mengru , Zhang Yage , Liao Rongji , Zhang Jingbo , Zhou Hongyu , Liu Liru , Zheng Yun , Gao Ting , He Lu , Tang Hongmei , Zhang Jing , Wu Fan , Pi Lei , Lu Jinhua , Liu Hongsheng , Zhou Wenhao , Xu Kaishou
Published: March 2024

Introduction:Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability in children, which brings heavy economic and mental burden to families and society. Nowadays, the clinical management of CP faces with huge challenge due to the unsatisfactory therapeutic effects and the enormous heterogeneity in etiology and clinical manifestations. This study aims to investigate the functional changes and the influential factors of Chinese children with CP, and elucidate the characteristic of brain structure and genetic etiology, thus to provide solutions for the prevention and treatment of children with CP and the decision-making of health management in this group.
Methods and analysis: This prospective cohort study aims to recruit 1547 children with CP in China. Participants will receive basic information investigation (such as birth history, family history and comorbidities), functional assessments (gross and fine motor function, cognitive and linguistic function, quality of life, social life ability, eating and drinking ability, behavior problems, sleep, pain and nutritional status) and regular follow-ups, whole-genome analysis, brain and musculoskeletal imaging examination. In addition, quality of life and emotional problems will be analysed for caregivers. Correlation analysis, logistic regression binary or multivariate logistic regression, linear/non-linear mixed-effects regression models and structural-equation models will be conducted in this study.
Discussion: This study will observe the functional changes and their risk factors in children with CP their caregivers. Plus, the pathogenic genes and imaging features will be explored in this study. These will help understand the the progression of disease changes in children with CP and the impact of the targeted disease on caregivers. Also, more new and valuable evidence about etiology of CP will be unveiled.
Trial registration: The study protocol (2023-12-22) has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (NO. ChiCTR2300079017).
Development of QSARs for Cysteine-containing di- and tripeptides with antioxidant activity. Influence of the cysteine position
Authors: Garro Lucas A. , Andrada Matias F. , Vega-Hissi Esteban G. , Barberis Sonia , Martinez Juan Ceferino Garro
Published: March 2024

Antioxidants agents play an essential role in the food industry improving the oxidative stability of food products. In the last years, the search for new natural antioxidants has increased due to the potential high toxicity of chemical additives. Therefore, the synthesis and evaluation of the antioxidant activity in peptides is a field of current research. In this study, we performed a Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship analysis (QSAR) of cysteine-containing 19 dipeptides and 19 tripeptides. The main objective is to bring information on the relationship between the structure of peptides and their antioxidant activity. For this purpose, 1D and 2D molecular descriptors were calculated using the PaDEL software, which provide information about the structure, shape, size, charge, polarity, solubility and other aspects of the compounds. Different QSAR model for di- and tripeptides were developed. The statistic parameter for di-peptides model (R2train = 0.947 and R2test = 0.804) and for tripeptide models (R2train = 0.863 and R2test = 0.789) indicate that the generated models have high predictive capacity. Then, the influence of the cysteine position was analyzed predicting the antioxidant activity for new di- and tripeptides, and comparing with glutathione.
Dietary silymarin improves performance by altering hepatic lipid metabolism and intestinal microbiota function and its metabolites in late laying hens
Authors: GUO Yanghao , Xu Yudong , Wang Derun , Yang Shihao , Song Zehe , HE XI
Published: March 2024

Background
Liver lipid dysregulation in late laying hens is one of the most major factors resulting in performance production decline. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of silymarin (SIL) on performance, liver lipid metabolism, cecal microbiota and its metabolites in late laying hens.
Results
A total of 480 sixty-eight weeks Roman Pink layers were randomly assigned to 5 groups: control group fed with basal diet (CON), experimental groups fed the basal diet with 250, 500, 750 or 1,000 mg/kg silymarin (SIL250, SIL500, SIL750, and SIL1000, respectively). Results showed that there was a quadratic increase in laying rate (P < 0.05) with increasing addition of SIL during 1 to 4 weeks. And the laying rate of CON group during 9 to 12 weeks were significantly declined compared with 1 to 4 weeks (P < 0.05), while SIL supplemented groups showed no significant during the whole experiment period (P > 0.05). The average egg weight of SIL500 and SIL750 group were higher than CON group during 5 to 8 weeks (P < 0.05). Compared with CON group, average daily feed intake of hens during the whole period in SIL750 group was significantly higher and feed-egg ratio in SIL500 group from 5 to 8 weeks was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Additionally, shell strength at week 4 and thickness at week 8 increased quadratically (P < 0.05) in response to the increasing addition of SIL at week 4(P < 0.05.) SIL500 group significantly decreased the serum ALT and AST activity compared with CON group (P < 0.05). Serum triglycerides, total cholesterol levels decreased quadratically (P < 0.05) in response to the increasing addition of SIL at week 12. Moreover, the SIL groups significantly regulated the expression of FASN, ACC, Apo-VLDLⅡ, FXR, CYP7A1 in liver (P < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary SIL supplementation altered the cecal microbiological structure and three species of phocaeicola were dominated microbial functions which were enriched in secondary bile acid synthesis. Targeted metabolomics analyses revealed 9 metabolites that were significantly different that enriched in Thiamin metabolism and the ATP-binding cassette transporters (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Dietary silymarin improves performance by altering hepatic lipid metabolism and intestinal microbiota function and metabolites in late laying hens.
Evidence of Significant Intratumoral Transcriptomic Heterogeneity in Non-functioning Pituitary Adenomas Based on Location and Texture
Authors: Behzadi Faraz , Woldt Parker L. , Tsiang John T. , Zisgray Brandon , Luy Diego D. , Singh Meharvan , Larsen Peter , Germanwala Anand V.
Published: March 2024

Purpose
Pituitary adenomas are one of the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system, and surgical resection remains a standard treatment. These tumors have significant intratumoral variability of growth rates and texture hardness. This preliminary study aims to identify variations in gene expression of different locations and textures within the same tumor in the hopes of better explaining tumor pathophysiology and potentially providing a basis for further investigation.
Methods
Non-functioning pituitary adenoma tissue samples were collected from four non-consecutive surgical adult patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal resection and were sent for next generation transcriptomics. Significantly differentially expressed (SDE) genes were analyzed within different locations of tumor and tumor firmness and across patients. Ontology analysis was carried out on the SDE genes.
Results
One hundred and sixty-four SDE genes were identified: 264 across tumor texture (firm vs soft), and 68 across location marginality (core vs edge). A total of 132 gene ontology annotations were matched to all SDE genes. More than 80% of these annotations involved a combination of cell metabolism, cell-cell interactions, and cell division.
Conclusions
There was significant evidence of variations and uniqueness in intratumor genetic heterogeneity within areas of different location, tumor texture, and across patients. The tumor edge had a higher expression of cell-cell interaction genes such as cadherin binding proteins. Soft tumors experienced an upregulation of anaerobic metabolism and cell division genes. The uniqueness of gene expressions can be tested for biological function, prospectively, with the potential targets for gene-therapy.
CATEcor: an Open Science, Shaded-Truss, Externally Occulted Coronagraph
Authors: DeForest Craig E. , Seaton Daniel B. , Caspi Amir , Beasley Matt , Davis Sarah J. , Erickson Nicholas F. , Kovac Sarah A. , Patel Ritesh , Tosolini Anna , West Matthew J.
Published: March 2024

We present the design of a portable coronagraph, CATEcor, that incorporates a novel “shaded truss” style of external occultation and serves as a proof-of-concept for that family of coronagraphs. The shaded truss design style has the potential for broad application in various scientific settings. We conceived CATEcor itself as a simple instrument to observe the corona during the darker skies available during a partial solar eclipse, or for students or interested amateurs to detect the corona under ideal non-eclipsed conditions. CATEcor is therefore optimized for simplicity and accessibility to the public. It is implemented using an existing dioptric telescope and an adapter rig that mounts in front of the objective lens, restricting the telescope aperture and providing external occultation. The adapter rig, including occulter, is fabricated using fusion deposition modeling (FDM; colloquially “3D printing”), greatly reducing cost. The structure is designed to be integrated with moderate care and may be replicated in a university or amateur setting. While CATEcor is a simple demonstration unit, the design concept, process, and trades are useful for other more sophisticated coronagraphs in the same general family, which might operate under normal daytime skies outside the annular-eclipse conditions used for CATEcor.
Psychological factors and Quality of Life in children with palliative needs: A predictive analysis
Authors: Toro-Pérez Daniel , Camprodon-Rosanas Ester , Bolancé Catalina , Guillen Montserrat , Vilarrubí Sergi Navarro , Limonero Joaquin T.
Published: March 2024

Children with palliative needs present physical and psychological symptoms and it is important to be aware of their self-perception to improve their quality of life.
Purpose: Determine the predictive value of sociodemographic, disease and psychological variables in relation to the self-perceived Quality of Life (pQoL) of children with limiting and life-threatening diseases.
Methods: A cross-sectional study with children aged 8 and over, where sociodemographic and disease variables are collected through clinical history. Psychological evaluation is carried out using specific tools validated in the child population on Emotion Regulation, Cognitive Strategies and Risk of Depression and Anxiety, and on their pQoL using a visual analogue scale. Descriptive means and standard deviations are calculated, and three linear regression models are estimated.
Results: The sample was made up of 60 children with an average age of 16.0 (SD=4.2), 33.3% girls, with a mean pQoL of 7.0 (SD=1.8). 45% presented emotional symptoms; 46.7% relationship problems with peers; 33.3% behavioral problems; 22% risk of Depression and 30% of Anxiety; and 18.3% Emotion Regulation difficulties. The regression model explained 54.7% of the variance of pQoL, showing the following to negatively influence pQoL: aged 14 and over (p=0.03), exacerbated symptoms (p=0.01), Risk of Depression (p= 0.01) and the use of the Cognitive Rumination and Catastrophizing Strategy (p<0.01).
Conclusions: The holistic perspective, being a model that can identify psychological variables that influence QoL, best explains the variability of children's perception of quality of life. Psychological interventions should be aimed at improving depressive symptoms, cognitive strategies, and relational skills.
Enhancement of Biomethanation Process of Eichhornia Crassipes Using Ferric Chloride Catalyst
Authors: Banerjee Saikat , Sivamani Selvaraju
Published: March 2024

In tropical areas, water hyacinth is one of the significant and large sources of biomass that can be used to produce biogas. The purpose of this strategy is to enhance sustainability, precise energy present, ease of transport, etc. of the original biofuel feedstock or to extract gases. In a semi batch digester, an experimental investigation on biomethanation of water hyacinth was carried out. Temperature, stirring speed and catalyst concentration affect the rate of biogas production. The catalyst has been discovered to primarily boost the rate of biogas production from water hyacinth. As the catalyst is used here to boost up the biomethanation reaction, the effect of catalyst in different kinetic parameters is investigated.
Disambiguating usernames across platforms: the GeekMAN approach
Authors: Masud Md Rayhanul , Treves Ben , Faloutsos Michalis
Published: March 2024

How can we identify malicious hackers participating in different online platforms using their usernames only? Establishing the identity of a user across online platforms (e.g. security forums, GitHub, YouTube) is an essential capability for tracing malicious hackers. Although a hacker could pick arbitrary names, they often use the same or similar usernames as this helps them establish an online “brand”. We propose GeekMAN, a systematic human-inspired approach to identify similar usernames across online platforms focusing on technogeek platforms. The key novelty consists of the development and integration of three capabilities: (a) decomposing usernames into meaningful chunks, (b) de-obfuscating technical and slang conventions, and (c) considering all the different outcomes of the two previous functions exhaustively when calculating the similarity. We conduct a study using 1.8M usernames from three different types of forums: (a) security forums, (b) malware authors from GitHub, and (c) mainstream social media platforms, which we use as reference. First, our method outperforms previous methods with a Precision of 81-86% on technogeek datasets. Second, we find 6327 forum users that match malware authors on GitHub with a high similarity score (≥0.7). Finally, we provide a translation dictionary for slang terms with 5.8K entries, and create GeekMAN platform to facilitate further studies https://geekman.streamlit.app.
The Impact of 3-MA on Autophagy and Atherosclerosis via Wnt/β-catenin and AMPK/mTOR Pathways
Authors: Nie Bin , Fang Yulin , Qu Shifang , Jin Nan , Li Han , Zhu Lu , Zhang Kuanxin
Published: March 2024

Objectives To study the mechanism of 3-methyladenine (3-MA) regulating autophagy and atherosclerosis (AS).Methods Ox-LDL-treated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were used to construct an in vitro model of AS. The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) tetrazolium assay was selected to detect the absorbance (OD) value of VSMCs. WB(Western Blotting) was utilized to analyze the levels of Beclin-1, p62, ULK1, α-SMA, SM22-α, OPN, Wnt, β-catenin, AMPK and mTOR proteins. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RTqPCR) was used to detect the expression of α-SMA, SM22-α, OPN, Wnt, β-catenin, AMPK, p62 mTOR, Beclin-1 and ULK1. Transwell was used to detect the migration ability of VSMCs. Lipid droplets in VSMC were stained by oil red O staining method.Results The protein expression levels of p62 in 3-MA + ox-LDL group were higher than those in ox-LDL group, while the protein expression levels of Wnt, β-catenin, p-AMPK/AMPK, p-mTOR/mTOR, Beclin-1 and ULK1 were lower than those in ox-LDL group. The gene expressions of p62 in 3-MA + ox-LDL group were higher than those in ox-LDL group, while the gene expressions of Wnt, β-catenin, AMPK, mTOR, Beclin-1 and ULK1 were lower than those in ox-LDL group. Reversing the regulation of the corresponding genes was achieved by IWP-4 intervention.Conclusions This study demonstrated that 3-MA can promote autophagy inhibition of AS via the Wnt/β-catenin and AMPK/mTOR pathway. It provides theoretical basis for improving clinical diagnosis and treatment of AS.
Procalcitonin and interleukin-6 in predicting prognosis of sepsis patients with cancer
Authors: lyu Yang , Han tao , Zhang Zhen , Wu Yulin , Guan Qingpei , Hong Enlyu , Gao Wenbin , Wang Donghao , Lu Jia
Published: March 2024

Objective: To evaluate the ability of infection indicators to predict the prognosis of sepsis patients with tumor.
Methods: A total of 317 patients admitted to ICU from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021 were enrolled. Among them, 163 patients were infected during peri-operative period, and 98 patients were ultimately diagnosed with sepsis. The infection indicators were analyzed forprediction of sepsis prognosis.
Results: Comparison of infection indicators between sepsis and non-sepsis patients showed that procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6(IL-6) showed significant changes in sepsis patients, and PCT combined with IL-6 could significantly improve specificity of early screening for sepsis and have highest positivity predictive value for sepsis. Peak value combination of PCT and IL-6 could achieve high specificity to predict poor prognosis. Peak value combination of PCT and IL-6 for prediction specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value was 0.935, 0.692, and 0.682 respectively.
Conclusion:Abnormal increase of PCT and IL-6 has a good early warning effect on sepsis in cancer patients, and the combination of PCT and IL-6 can improve predictive specificity and increase positive predictive ability of sepsis diagnosis. PCT combined with IL-6 shows the value in predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients with cancer.
Improving Separation Efficiency for Compound Specific Stable Chlorine Isotopic Analysis of Perchloroethylene
Authors: huang zitong , zhang yi , Liao Haiqing , Yang Fang , Wang Qianqian , Ji Meichen , Pan Ting , Feng Dongxia , Feng Weiying , Duarte Isabel
Published: March 2024

Compound-specific chlorine isotope analysis (Cl-CSIA), combined with isotopic fingerprinting, is an important method for evaluating the characteristic sources of perchloroethylene (PCE) and exploring the environmental behavior of trace PCE, which is a carcinogen in a contaminated aquifer. By adjusting certain parameters of the instruments, gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for PCE with an innovative HP-5 MS column (30 m × 0.25 mm i.d. × 0.14 µm film thickness) was achieved, thereby improving separation efficiency for the Cl-CSIA of PCE. Study results show that the 37Cl/35Cl ratio of PCE (> 99.5%, GCS, Sinopharm Group Co., Ltd.) was stable at different concentrations and reduced the chromatographic peak time to 3.89 min. The separation time was 10% shorter than that in the conventional method. The most accurate 37Cl/35Cl ratio obtained in the molecular ion method was 0.3156 ± 0.0010 at a concentration of 0.0020 µg/mL. The chlorine isotope ratio calculated using the ion fragment method was 0.3207 ± 0.0018. A relatively large error was obtained at 0.05 µg/mL. Samples whose contents were between 1 and 50 µg/mL were sufficient for the achievement of a chlorine isotope ratio precision (σ) of 1‰. Optimal concentrations were determined, and the relative accuracy and stability of the method were verified by two evaluation methods. Therefore, given the high separation efficiency, a large number of mixed samples containing organochlorine contaminants can be tested within a short period, which can reinforce the research on organic contaminants in groundwater.
Multiscale computational analysis of the Steady Multiscale Fluid Flow through a Lymph Node
Authors: Girelli Alberto , Giantesio Giulia , Musesti Alessandro , Penta Raimondo
Published: March 2024

Lymph Nodes (LNs) are crucial to the immune and lymphatic systems, filtering harmful substances and regulating lymph transport.
LNs consist of a lymphoid compartment (LC) that forms a porous bulk region, and a subcapsular sinus (SCS), which is a free-fluid region. Mathematical and mechanical challenges arise in understanding lymph flow dynamics. The highly vascularized lymph node connects the lymphatic and blood systems, emphasizing its essential role in maintaining the fluid balance in the body. In this work, we describe a mathematical model in a steady setting to describe the lymph transport in a lymph node. In particular, we couple the fluid flow in the SCS described by an incompressible Stokes equation with the fluid flow in LC, described by a model obtained by means of asymptotic homogenisation technique, taking into account the multiscale nature of the node and the fluid exchange with the blood vessels inside of it. We solve this model numerically and we analyze the lymph transport inside the node.
Beyond Juul – The New Face of Underage Nicotine Addiction
Authors: Riggs Griffin , Church Terry David
Published: March 2024

Background
Youth nicotine addiction is a major public health concern in the United States. Disposable Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), or disposable vapes, are commonly sought out by youth despite not having received premarket authorization from the FDA. The objective of this study was to identify factors contributing to underage consumption of disposable ENDS.
Methods
An anonymous survey was deployed to college students to understand young adults’ perceptions and patterns of use of disposable ENDS.
Results
Disposable ENDS are very popular among youth. The results of this study revealed the popular brands, flavors, modes of access, and attractive aspects of disposable ENDS. Survey results combined with information from the literature reveal that disposable ENDS gained popularity in the years following the decline in the popularity of pod-based ENDS, such as JUUL, following strict regulatory action from the FDA.
Conclusion
To ultimately address underage nicotine addiction, the FDA must hold disposable ENDS to the same regulatory standards as other tobacco products and produce regulations specifically targeted at disposable ENDS. The results of this study emphasize the importance of making effective regulatory reform and functional educational resources to prevent young people from initiating the use of disposable ENDS.
A Visual Approach to Tracking Emotional Sentiment Dynamics in Social Network Commentaries
Authors: Hossain Ismail , Puppala Sai , Alam Md Jahangir , Talukder Sajedul
Published: March 2024

The expansion of social media has unlocked a real-time barometer of public opinion. This paper introduces a novel framework to analyze sentiment shifts in social network comment sections, a reflection of the broader public discourse over time. Leveraging a pre-trained uncased RoBERTa model, we predict emotional scores from user comments, mapping these to key sentiment trends such as Approval, Toxicity, Obscenity, Threat, Hate, Offensive, and Neutral. Our methodology employs machine learning techniques to train a dataset that connects emotional scores with these trends, generating trend probability scores. We utilize a bottom-up recursive algorithm to aggregate emotional scores within comment threads, enabling the prediction of trend scores using three distinct aggregation methods. The results demonstrate that our emotional prediction model achieves an AUC of 0.92, and XGBoost stands out with an F1 score exceeding 0.40. Our research elucidates the temporal evolution of online public sentiment, enhancing the understanding of digital social dynamics and offering insights for strategic online interaction, intervention, and content moderation.
Prioritizing Nrf2/HO-1-Mediated Intrinsic Antioxidant Upregulation: The Foremost Neuroprotective Mechanism of Melittin in a Scopolamine-Induced Animal Model of Neural Stress, Preceding Anti- Inflammatory Effects
Authors: Yoo Jaehee , Nguyen Cong Duc , Jeong Sang Jun , Yang Ji Hye , Lee Gihyun , Shin Jeong Cheol , Kim Jae-Hong
Published: March 2024

Oxidative stress is a key driver of neurodegeneration, and the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway serves as a primary defense mechanism against this stress. Melittin, derived from bee venom, has shown promise in mitigating cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment. This study for the first time investigates whether melittin can revive the compromised Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in neurodegenerative animals’ brains and whether this pathway is the initial target of melittin's action. In a scopolamine-induced neurodegeneration model in mice, melittin administration led to its significant accumulation in the hippocampus, indicating its direct interaction with neural tissues. Comprehensive analysis revealed that melittin's earliest effect was the restoration of the Nrf2/HO-1 system, reinforcing its role as an antioxidant defense against oxidative stress. In vitro studies with mouse hippocampus HT22 cells showed that melittin triggered the translocation of Nrf2 from the cytosol to the nucleus. Notably, the most significant inhibition of melittin's protective effects was observed with an HO-1 inhibitor, suggesting a close association between melittin's action and the HO-1 pathway. In summary, this study demonstrates for the first time melittin's ability to upregulate the compromised Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in neurodegenerative animals, with evidence pointing to its primary action through this pathway. The direct effect of melittin on the Keap-1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway were further solidified with invitro evidences. These findings enhance our understanding of melittin's neuroprotective mechanisms and its potential as a therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative disorders, warranting further clinical exploration. This evidence strongly corroborates the prevailing trend of harnessing the activation of cellular antioxidation as a potent therapeutic strategy against neurodegeneration.
Teaching quality evaluation model construction of university industry and education integration by adaptive BP and DDAE-SVR
Authors: Zhang Xu , Weng Fuyuan
Published: March 2024

To adapt to changing teaching modes in colleges and universities, and better predict and analyze the students' learning situation, this study aims at a series of deficiencies existing in the traditional teaching quality evaluation index system. By leveraging deep learning, the evaluation model is enhanced and constructed. Firstly, the system is refined by integrating the concept of integrating industry and education. Secondly, the traditional back propagation neural network is improved, and the model is built by incorporating deep noise reduction auto-encoder and support vector regression technology. Model test showed that model used in this study had good iterative performance. When the number of iterations was 62, the model started to enter a stable state, and the optimal fitness value in the stable state was 0.25. In addition, the detection accuracy was up to 0.98, and prediction effect can be satisfied by most teachers and students. To sum up, the quality evaluation model can accurately evaluate teaching quality, provide a reliable reference for colleges and enterprises, and promote the in-depth integration development of industry and education.
Assessing the Dynamics of Forest Ecosystem Services to Define Forest Use Suitability
Authors: Krsnik Goran , Reynolds Keith M. , Aquilué Núria , Mola-Yudego Blas , Pecurul-Botines Mireia , Garcia-Gonzalo Jordi , Olabarria José Ramón González
Published: March 2024

Adopting a multi-criteria approach in forest management is essential for maintaining or improving specific benefits while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Determining the appropriate long-term management approach for a forest requires considering heterogeneous environmental and social factors, as well as over-time changes in forest characteristics. Conducting a strategic assessment of forest use suitability (FUS) (namely productive, protective, conservation-oriented, social and multifunctional) at the national level, taking into account the dynamins in provision of forest ecosystem services and the trade-offs between FUS alternatives, can guide the development of customized management strategies and policies that align with the specific requirements and conditions of the forest. In this study, we evaluate the supply and over-time changes of diverse ecosystem services of Pinus sylversitris stands in Spain and utilize a decision model to determine the most suitable forest use alternative (FUS) that maximizes the provision of these services. To achieve this, we utilize the last version of Ecosystem Management Decision Support (EMDS) system, a spatially focused decision support tool capable of generating precise results for multi-criteria assessment. We simulated forest growth over a 100-year period and evaluated changes in forest ecosystem services over the studied period. According to the results, the dominant FUS is protective. Nevertheless, for the final assignment of FUS, an exhaustive trade-off analysis between all alternatives is required, resulting in flexible outcomes and increased multifunctionality.