bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thioredoxin 1 plays a beneficial role in Alzheimer's disease by regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Xia Xun , Xiao Jiujia , Li Qinxuan , Xiong Li , Li Siyu , Guo Chuan
Published: June 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disease, has a complex pathological mechanism involving oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and other pathways. Thioredoxin 1 (Trx-1), the major redox regulator, may be an effective treatment strategy for AD. Therefore, the present study explored the role and possible mechanism of Trx-1 in AD. The expression of Trx-1 in the hippocampus of AD was verified by WB and RT-PCR, and the effects of Trx-1 on behavioral function and neuropathological damage of AD mice were analyzed by open field test, water maze experiment, HE staining, and protein expression analysis of amyloid β-protein (Aβ), Tau protein (Tau) and p-Tau. At the same time, oxygen species (ROS) and ER stress were detected to further analyze the mechanism. Trx-1 expression in the hippocampus of AD model mice was reduced, and the oe-Trx-1 remarkably enhanced it. We observed an obvious behavioral cognitive dysfunction and neuropathological damage in AD model mice. Trx-1 significantly ameliorated the anxiety-like behavior and cognitive ability in AD mice, alleviated the pathological damage of hippocampal tissue, and reduced the protein expressions of Aβ, Tau, and p-Tau, suggesting that Trx-1 could alleviate behavioral cognitive dysfunction and neuropathological damage in AD. In addition, Trx-1 significantly reduced ROS levels and the GRP78, PERK, IRE1α, and CHOP protein expression and relieved ER stress in AD mice. Trx-1 may alleviate behavioral cognitive dysfunction and neuropathological damage in AD mice by regulating ER stress.
Therapeutic Efficacy of Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Juice in Experimental Eimeria Tenella Infected Broiler Chickens
Authors: UGWUOKE GARBA MATTHIAS , OBI CHUKWUNONSO FRANCIS , Onu Ifeoma Juliet , Idika Idika Kalu
Published: June 2023

The in vivo anticoccidial activity of Citrus aurantifolia juice (CAJ) against Eimeria tenella-infected broilers was evaluated in an effort to obtain scientific information for usage by the natives in Nigeria. C. aurantifolia fruits were collected, identified, cut transversely using a sterile knife and the lime juice extracted and stored airtight for further experiment in a refrigerator to reduce oxidation and fermentation. A total of 72, three-week-old experimentally E. tenella-infected broilers consisting of 6 groups, n = 12 (4 replicates with 3 birds each) were orally treated in drinking water with graded doses of (Group A - 20 ml/l, 10 ml/l for B, and 5 ml/l for C) of C. aurantifolia juice in the 7-day oocyst reduction and curative tests study. Group D - Amprolium (1.5 mg/ml) and group E – (infected/untreated) were used as positive and negative controls respectively while group F served as normal control. Results showed that CAJ highly suppressed the parasites irrespective of the dose, decreased oocyst per gram of faeces (OPG), enhanced caecal lesion and caused statistically significant (P < 0.05) rise in PCV content. Amprolium-treated broilers (Group D) was more potent in OPG reduction to 290 ± 0.22 oocysts by day 6. Group- A had an OPG drop to 1000 ± 0.06 oocysts on day 8 following therapy, in contrast to infected/untreated which recorded 2377 ± 13.0 oocysts on day 12 post treatment. Citrus aurantifolia ameliorated the effects of Coccidiosis caused by E. tenella in broiler chickens.
Serum metabolites and childhood-diagnosed ADHD: Prospective Cohort Study and Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Authors: Zhu Yun , Liu Gang , Zhou Weijie , Zhang Lili , Chen Limei , Wu Yukang , Wang Jinming , Ma Qianqian , Huo Xiang
Published: June 2023

ADHD, a neurological condition that onset in childhood is now an important part of the disease burden in the global population. ADHD is usually diagnosed at school age, and there are no authoritative research to articulate whether ADHD in adult shares a common pathogenic mechanism with ADHD in children. Previous studies have elucidated metabolic profiles as functional mediators, and the present study is the first to combine metabolomics and Mendelian randomization(MR) to elucidate the causal relationship between serum metabolites and ADHD diagnosed in children. A metabolomic study of childhood-diagnosed ADHD and normal children in a prospective cohort of preschoolers. Metabolomic results of preschool children enrolled in the cohort study identified 112 differential metabolites, with 69 metabolites upregulated and 43 metabolites downregulated. For MR studies, single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with childhood-diagnosed ADHD were identified from metabolite-wide association studies for IVW analysis. MR results revealed that the IVW approach revealed a total of 15 significant pathogenic association profiles from 486 metabolites, including 10 known metabolites and 5 unknown metabolites. Combining the results of MR analyses from metabolomic studies and cohort studies, arginine and α-tocopherol were two important metabolites affecting the diagnosis of ADHD in childhood. The metabolic pathways of primary bile acid biosynthesis and arginine/proline metabolism were the overlapping metabolic pathways in both studies.
The hospital classroom, an opportunity for educational inclusion
Authors: Bastidas-Rivera Stefany , Sánchez José Eduardo , Gil Yari Lorena Sierra , Cabal Luisa Fernanda González
Published: June 2023

This article analyzes the challenges, strengths and opportunities that were recognized from the pilot phase of the Aula Lili program of the Fundación Valle del Lili. The document is the product of the systematization of the pilot phase of the program, carried out between 2021 and 2022, through the recovery of the voices of the participating actors. It was found that the educational intervention of Aula Lili has a comprehensive vision of the hospitalized child that integrates the roles of patient and student, as well as their biological, psychological and social needs. Care is proposed as the purpose of hospital pedagogy that articulates the purposes of the hospital, the school and the family as institutions interested in the development of the hospitalized child.
Stroboscopic control and tracking of periodic states
Authors: Dittus Anna , Kruse Niklas , Wallner Hannes , Böttcher Lukas , Barke Ingo , Speller Sylvia , Starke Jens , Just Wolfram
Published: June 2023

Numerical continuation tools are nowadays standard methods for the bifurcation analysis of dynamical systems. Unfortunately the full power of these methods is still unavailable in experiments, in particular, if no underlying mathematical model is at hand. We here aim to narrow this gap by providing control based continuation of periodic states which can be ultimately implemented in real world experimental setups. Taking inspiration from atomic force microscopy, we develop experimentally relevant control and tracking tools for time periodic solutions in driven nonlinear oscillator systems based on stroboscopic maps.
MSC Classification: 37N35 , 34C15 , 34C55 , 93B52 , 93A30
Reference values of cardiopulmonary exercise test parameters in the contemporary paediatric population
Authors: Amedro Pascal , Matecki Stefan , Santos Taissa Pereira dos , Guillaumont Sophie , Rhodes Jonathan , Yin Suellen Moli , Hager Alfred , Hock Julia , Villeon Gregoire De La , Moreau Johan , Requirand Anne , Souilla Luc , Vincenti Marie , Picot Marie-Christine , Huguet Helena , Mura Thibault , Gavotto Arthur
Published: June 2023

Background: The evaluation of health status by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) has shown increasing interest in the paediatric population. Our group recently established reference Z-score values for paediatric cycloergometer VO2max, applicable to normal and extreme weights, from a cohort of 1141 healthy children. There are currently no validated reference values for the other CPET parameters in the paediatric population. This study aimed to establish, from the same cohort, reference Z-score values for the main paediatric cycloergometer CPET parameters, apart from VO2max.
Results: In this cross-sectional study, 909 healthy children aged 5 to 18 years old underwent a CPET. Linear, quadratic, and polynomial mathematical regression equations were applied to identify the best CPET parameters Z-scores, according to anthropometric parameters (sex, age, height, weight, and BMI). This study provided Z-scores for maximal CPET parameters (heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio, workload, and oxygen pulse), submaximal CPET parameters (ventilatory anaerobic threshold, VE/VCO2 slope, and oxygen uptake efficiency slope), and maximum ventilatory CPET parameters (tidal volume, respiratory rate, breathing reserve, and ventilatory equivalent for CO2 and O2).
Conclusions: This study defined paediatric reference Z-score values for the main cycloergometer CPET parameters, in addition to the existing reference values for VO2max, applicable to children of normal and extreme weights. Providing Z-scores for CPET parameters in the paediatric population should be useful in the follow-up of children with various chronic diseases. Thus, new paediatric research fields are opening up, such as prognostic studies and clinical trials using cardiopulmonary fitness outcomes.
Trial registration: NCT04876209 - Registered 6 May 2021 - Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04876209.
Circling the Void: Using Heidegger and Lacan to think about Large Language Models
Authors: Heimann Marc , Hübener Anne-Friederike
Published: June 2023

The essay aims to unite two currently distinct lines of thinking and working with language. Large Language Models and continental philosophy, especially Martin Heidegger’s thinking about language and, building upon Sigmund Freud, Jaques Lacan’s structural psychoanalysis. We show that the concept of language that Heidegger, Freud and Lacan discuss and utilize in clinical frameworks is matched quite strongly by modern LLMs. This allows us to discuss a problem of negation and negativity that is central to the continental discourse but missing in current LLM research. This also means that we offer a radically different approach than it is usual in the philosophy of artificial intelligence, since we base our concepts on thinkers that are often disregarded in the analytic philosophy discourse that is closer linked to AI research. To this end we also mark, where the ontological differences of the proposed approach lie. However, our aim is to address AI researcher and continental philosophers.
Fresh Evidence from Temperature Effects on Growth and Economic Policy Uncertainty: A Panel Quantile Approach
Authors: Leventis Flora , Palaios Panagiotis
Published: June 2023

This paper provides fresh evidence of temperature effects on GDP per capita growth and economic policy uncertainty (epu). We apply the quantile via moments methodology (Machado and Santos Silva, 2019) in a sample of 35 countries for the period 1980–2021, the most current time frame of the work we reviewed. To the best of our knowledge, temperature effects on epu, in a panel quantile setting, have not been examined before. Our empirical results provide evidence in favor of asymmetric temperature impacts on both growth rates and epu. Specifically, we find that: First, the impact of temperature and of its interaction with economic policy uncertainty on the growth rate is negative, quadratic, and more intense for poorer countries. Second, the combined temperature and policy uncertainty effect on growth rates is of greater magnitude compared to the simple temperature effect. Third, hotter countries are more vulnerable to economic policy uncertainty, with the effect being more pronounced as uncertainty increases.
JEL Classification: C33, O13, Q54, Q56.
Musashi-1 regulates cell cycle and confers resistance to cisplatin treatment in Group 3/4 medulloblastomas cells
Authors: Chagas Pablo Shimaoka , Veronez Luciana Chain , de Sousa Graziella Ribeiro , Cruzeiro Gustavo Alencastro Veiga , Corrêa Carolina Alves Pereira , Saggioro Fabiano Pinto , Queiroz Rosane Gomes de Paula , Marie Suely Kazue Nagahashi , Brandalise Silvia Regina , Cardinalli Izilda Aparecida , Yunes José Andres , Júnior Carlos Gilberto Carlotti , Machado Hélio Rubens , Santos Marcelo Volpon , Scrideli Carlos Alberto , Tone Luiz Gonzaga , Valera Elvis Terci
Published: June 2023

Groups (Grp) 3 and 4 are aggressive molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma (MB), with high rates of leptomeningeal dissemination. To date, there is still a paucity of biomarkers for these subtypes of MBs. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance and biological functions of Musashi-1 (MSI1) in Grp3 and Grp4-MBs. First, we assessed the expression profile of MSI1 in 59 primary MB samples (15-WNT, 18-SHH, 9-Grp3, 17-Grp4 subgroups) by qRT-PCR. MSI1 mRNA expression levels were also validated in an additional public dataset of MBs (GSE85217). The ROC curve was used to validate the diagnostic standards of MSI1 expression. Next, the potential correlated cell-cycle genes were measured by RNA-Seq. Cell cycle, cell viability, and apoptosis were evaluated in a Grp3/Grp4 MB cell line after knockdown of MSI1 and cisplatin treatment. We identified an overexpression of MSI1 with a high accuracy to discriminate Grp3/Grp4-MBs from non-Grp3/Grp4-MBs. We identified that MSI1 knockdown not only triggered transcriptional changes in the cell cycle pathway, but also affected G2/M phase in vitro, supporting the role of knockdown of MSI1 in cell cycle arrest. Lastly, MSI1 knockdown decreased cell viability and sensitized D283-Med cells to cisplatin treatment by enhancing cell apoptosis. Based on these findings, we suggest that MSI1 modulates cell cycle progression and may play a role as biomarker for Grp3/Grp4-MBs. In addition, MSI1 knockdown combined with cisplatin may offer a potential strategy to be further explored in Grp3/Grp4-MBs.
Evaluation of chemical constituents of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and Honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia) as adenosine A1/A2A receptor ligands
Authors: Gouws Liezel , Rensburg Helena Dorathea Janse van , Terre'Blanche Gisella , Walt Mietha Magdalena Van der
Published: June 2023

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and Honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia) are popular tisanes in South Africa and are of growing interest due to the wide variety of flavonoids and other phytochemicals they contain. Despite their history as herbal teas and traditional medicines, the chemical constituents of these tisanes have yet to be studied for their effects on adenosine receptors. Flavonoids have previously shown promising affinity toward the adenosine receptors. A series of 30 commercially available constituents of Rooibos and Honeybush were investigated via radioligand binding studies to determine their adenosine A1 and A2A receptor affinity at both rat and human subtypes in order to establish structure-activity relationships and identify novel adenosine receptor ligands. In addition, in silico evaluations of the 30 test compounds were also performed to investigate their physiochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. The most promising constituent was kaempferol (28) which showed sub-micromolar affinity towards the rat A1 subtype (rA1Ki = 0.7287 μM; hA1Ki = 9.88 µM) and acted as an antagonist toward adenosine rA1 receptors. Additionally, quercetin (2), chrysoeriol (8), luteolin (9), eriodyctiol (12), and naringenin (27) also showed adenosine A1 and/or A2A receptor affinity. It was observed that a flavonol scaffold is preferred to flavone and flavanone scaffolds, and within the flavonols, C4’-OH substitution on ring B is preferred to C3’,4’-diOH substitution. These phytochemicals, specifically kaempferol (28), may be considered lead-like and valuable in designing novel ligands, based on in vitro and in silico evaluation.
Deployment Drift Detection in Spatiotemporal Fusion Intelligent Sensor Networks
Authors: Qiao Libo , Zhu Qianwen , Du Rongfang , Han Zongyi , Wang Wei
Published: June 2023

The node deployment problem is a primary concern in wireless sensor network (WSN) technologies. Optimizing the placement of nodes can significantly enhance network monitoring performance. In contrast to most existing algorithms for optimal deployment of sensor network nodes, this paper proposes a spatiotemporal fusion algorithm for detecting deployment drift in intelligent sensor networks (ISNs), which aims to determine when sensor network deployment needs to be optimally updated. The algorithm begins by collecting the location information of each sensor and dividing the network space into several regions using Voronoi diagrams. Subsequently, the clustering centroids of each region are calculated based on the monitored data, serving as new nodes for constructing a graph signal. Graph neural networks (GNNs) are utilized to explore the structural information in graphs to obtain graph embedding. Additionally, the Transformer is employed to capture tensor graph embedding within a fixed window length, emphasizing temporal characteristics. The ideal timing for updating network deployment is determined by comparing tensor graph representations between adjacent windows. Experimental results on the Intel_Lab_Data and CIMIS validate the efficacy of the proposed approach.
Assessment of potential drug-to-drug interaction with antifungal agents in men with cardiovascular disease – a cross-sectional study of Polish population
Authors: Rys-Czaporowska Anna , Szykut-Badaczewska Agata , Ulc Ewelina , Platek Anna E. , Semczuk-Kaczmarek Karolina , Olszewska Małgorzata , Religioni Urszula , Merks Piotr , Szymanski Filip M.
Published: June 2023

Background
Treatment of dermatological diseases in patients with concomitant cardiovascular is difficult due to reported interactions between antimycotic and cardiac drugs. The aim of the study was to assess the prescription frequency of drugs, causing potential interaction with antifungal drugs of superficial mycoses in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Methods
The study consisted of 166 consecutive men discharged from a tertiary cardiac department who were screened for topical fungal infections and were analyzed for drugs prescribed at discharge, with possible interference with typically used antimycotic treatment.
Results
The mean age of the study population was 62.8 ± 12.1 years. 57 (49.1%) of patients had a clinical suspicion of superficial mycosis and were referred for further dermatological investigation. The use of cardiovascular drugs was frequent, with 24.5% taking NOACs, 54.8% receiving diuretics and 76.5% receiving statins. No difference in the use of any drug was noted according to the mycosis status.
Conclusions
Polypharmacy with drugs exhibiting a potential for drug-to-drug interaction with antifungal agents is common in patients with cardiovascular disease. When choosing the appropriate option for superficial mycoses treatment, the knowledge of potential interaction is crucial in dermatologists and cardiologists to avoid their harmful consequences including serious bleeding or live threatening arrhythmias.
The chloroplasts genomic analyses of Caragana arborescens and Caragana opulens
Authors: Liu LiE , Li HongYan , Li JiaXin , Li XinJuan , Hu Na , Wang Honglun , Zhou Wu
Published: June 2023

Background
Numerous species within the genus Caragana have high ecological and medicinal value. In this genus, however, species identification based on morphological characteristics is quite complicated; this issue can be resolved by analyzing the complete plastid genomes.
Results
We obtained the chloroplast genomes of two species using lllumina sequencing technology: Caragana arborescens and Caragana opulens, with lengths of 129,473 bp and 132,815 bp, respectively. The absence of inverted repeat sequences in the two species allowed them to be ascribed to the inverted repeat-lacking clade (IRLC). They comprise a total of 111 distinct genes (4 rRNA, 31 tRNA, and 76 protein-coding genes). In addition, 16 genes containing introns were identified in two genomes, the majority of which contained a single intron. C. arborescens and C. opulens were found to contain 129 and 229 repeats, as well as 277 and 265 simple repeats, respectively. The codon usage bias analysis revealed that the two Caragana species exhibit similar codon usage patterns. rpoC2-rps2, accD-cemA, rps18-clpP, rpoA-rpl36, and rpl2-rpl23 were identified as the five regions most likely to be mutated based on analysis of nucleotide diversity (Pi). Analysis of sequence divergence revealed that certain intergenic regions (matK-rbcL, psbM-petN, atpA-psbI, petA-psbL, psbE-petL, and rps7-rps12) are highly variable. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. arborescens and C. opulens were related and clustered together as the other four Caragana species. And the genus Astragalus and Caragana were relatively closely related.
Conclusions
In our research, the chloroplast genomes of C. arborescens and C. opulens were sequenced and their genomic structural characteristics were compared. We have also confirmed that both plants lack IR regions, which resulted in unclear boundary analysis, and that two plants could be classified as IRLC. This study provides a foundation for future phylogenetic research and the development of molecular markers for Caragana plants.
Parasites infection in Black-necked Cranes Revealed by Piloting High-throughput
Sequencing of V4 and V9 Regions of 18S rDNA
Authors: wang yeying , Zhang Yu , Zhang Xu , Li Xianyu , Su Haijun
Published: June 2023

Illumina high-throughput sequencing is a representative tool for understanding the diversity of eukaryotic community. We compared the parasites diversity of 24 fecal samples from the wintering black-necked cranes in Caohai wetland using the Illumina sequencing of 18S rDNA V4 and V9 regions. Globally, 237 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 197 OTUs were detected using the V4 and V9 primer sets, respectively. Taxonomic analyses of these OTUs revealed that the number of phyla, families, genera and species in V4 datasets were higher than V9 datasets and at the level of class and order was lower than V9 datasets. The alpha diversity index for V4 were all higher than V9, which also illustrates that datas from the V4 region are more rich. However, the V9 datasets detected Echinostoma caproni which was a common parasite in birds while the V4 datasets were failed, so we strongly recommend both V4 and V9 regions be used to assess the diversity within the parasites in fecal samples. After in-depth discussion on the species level and phylogenetic analysis of parasites, we finally confirmed that the black-necked cranes were infected with E. reichenowi, E. gruis, C. struthionis and E. caproni. Among them, E. caproni was a zoonotic parasite, C. struthionis had unknown pathogenicity, and E. reichenowi and E. gruis had the greatest threat to the health of black-necked cranes. These four parasites should be given great attention and sustained attention in the follow-up study. The results enriched the application of high-throughput sequencing technology in bird parasite detection.
Evaluation of capacitance-based soil moisture sensors in IoT based automatic basin irrigation system
Authors: Pramanik Monalisha , Khanna Manoj , Singh Man , Singh D K , Sudhishri Susama , Bhatia Arti , Ranjan Rajeev
Published: June 2023

A field experiment was carried out at the Research farm, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi under bare soil and wheat crop to evaluate the performance of capacitance-based soil moisture sensors in an automatic basin irrigation system. Three capacitance-based soil moisture sensors (SMS) were placed at 25%, 50% and 75% of field length at 37.5 cm (SMS-1), 15 cm (SMS-2) and 7.5 cm (SMS-3) soil depth, respectively. An automatic basin irrigation system consists of capacitance-based soil moisture sensors, a check gate at the inlet and a cloud server. The system could be operated from anywhere with a mobile/ web-based application. Irrigation events were scheduled when soil moisture reached up to 40, 30, and 20% of field capacity. A total of nine irrigation events were monitored over three months period. SMSs were evaluated based on performance in terms of quick response, accuracy, robustness and energy consumption. The results showed that the capacitance-based soil moisture sensors quickly responded to moisture changes and successfully sent data at predefined time intervals. The capacitance-based soil moisture sensors successfully schedule irrigation in wheat crop based on the real time soil moisture status and helped to save 72.5 mm water as compared to manual control irrigation system. The soil moisture sensor recorded a 2 to 8% error compared to the gravimetric method. The solar-powered soil moisture sensor worked well with a 4 to 5 hrs solar charge. It was found that the soil moisture sensor was quite robust and easy to handle and requires the least maintenance. The low energy consumption by the sensor makes it suitable to incorporate in a wireless automatic basin irrigation system.
Formulation, standardization, and evaluation of the anti-colitis activity of Qur-e Gol, a Persian polyherbal formulation in acetic acid-induced colitis
Authors: Baghaei Amir , Amrollahi Zahra , Sadeghi-Ghadi Zaynab , Amiri-Andebili Marziyeh , Bozorgi Atefeh Hajiagha , Jahandideh Maryam , Shirzad Meysam , Ghane Talat , Ahmadian-Attari Mohammad Mahdi
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one of the chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The prevalence of IBD is worldwide but socioeconomic impacts of it on low- and middle-income countries are more destructive. Therefore, investigating the effects of inexpensive available traditional formulations on IBD is noticeable. The aim of this study was to investigate anti-ulcerative colitis activity of a traditional formulation, Qurs-e Gol, on acetic acid-induced colitis in rats. Methods: Damask rose, rumex, starch, gum Arabic, and gum tragacanth were separately ground, sifted, and then mixed with suitable excipients to formulate Qurs-e Gol tablet. Induction of colitis in male Wistar rats was done by intrarectal administration of 3% acetic acid. 24 hours after induction of colitis, the rats received Qurs-e Gol with the doses of 200, 400, and 800 mg/ kg by oral gavage and dexamethasone with 2 mg/kg by i.p. injection. Two another groups including sham and negative control (receiving 14-day oral normal saline) were also used. Treatment continued for 14 days and 24 hr after the last day, blood samples were taken from the heart to measure serum TNF-α. Animals were finally sacrificed to remove their colon for histopathologic studies. Results: Macroscopic evaluations showed that 400 and 800 mg/kg of Qurs-e Gol for 14 days attenuate inflammation and ulcers compared with the control group (P < 0.001). Microscopic analysis showed that these doses can reduce depth of lesions in colon (P < 0.001). anti- colitis effects of these doses were comparable with dexamethasone. The best suppression of tumor necrosis factor-α was observed at a dose of 800 mg/kg (P < 0.001) but both 200 and 400 mg/kg were also effective (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Qurs-e Gol has anti-inflammatory effects in ulcerative colitis and can be a good candidate for future animal and human studies.
In vitro cadmium exposure induces structural damage and endothelial dysfunction in female rat aorta
Authors: Mulher Lorraine Christiny Costa Sepulchro , Simões Rakel Passos , Rossi Karoline Alves , Schereider Ingridy Reinholz Grafites , Nascimento Camilla Lóren Silva , Ávila Renata Andrade , Padilha Alessandra Simão
Published: June 2023

Cadmium is a heavy metal that is widespread in the environment and has been described as a metalloestrogen and a cardiovascular risk factor. Experimental studies conducted in male animals have shown that cadmium exposure induces vascular dysfunction, which could lead to vasculopathies caused by this metal. However, it is necessary to investigate the vascular effects of cadmium in female rats to understand its potential gender-specific impact on the cardiovascular system. While its effects on male rats have been studied, cadmium may act differently in females due to its potential as a metalloestrogen. In vitro studies conducted in a controlled environment allow for a direct assessment of cadmium's impact on vascular function, and the use of female rats ensures that gender-specific effects are evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro effects of Cadmium Chloride (ClCd2, 5µM) exposure on vascular reactivity in the isolated aorta of female Wistar rats. Exposure to ClCd2 damaged the architecture of the vascular endothelium. ClCd2 incubation increased the production and release of O2•-, reduced the participation of potassium (K+) channels, and increased the participation of the angiotensin II pathway in response to phenylephrine. Moreover, estrogen receptors alpha (Erα) modulated vascular reactivity to phenylephrine in the presence of cadmium, supporting the hypothesis that cadmium could act as a metalloestrogen. Our results demonstrated that in vitro cadmium exposure induces damage to endothelial architecture and an increase in oxidative stress in the isolated aorta of female rats, which could precipitate vasculopathies.
COVID-19 inpatient mortality in Brazil from 2020 to 2022: a cross-sectional overview study based on secondary data
Authors: Portela Margareth Crisóstomo , Martins Mônica , Lima Sheyla Maria Lemos , de Andrade Carla Lourenço Tavares , Pereira Claudia Cristina de Aguiar
Published: June 2023

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic occurred in an unfavorable political context in Brazil, and problems accumulated in the Unified Health System (SUS) over time. The preparedness and response of the healthcare system, involving the SUS and a private sector, was affected by large socioeconomic inequities across the country. This work was aimed at studying variations in COVID-19 inpatient mortality in Brazil throughout the pandemic in the period from 2020–2022, focusing on differences across public, private and philanthropic (private nonprofit) inpatient healthcare units, providers and nonproviders of services to the Unified Health System (SUS).
Methods
This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The main data source was the SIVEP-Gripe, which comprises data on severe acute respiratory illness records prospectively collected. We also employed the National Record of Health Establishments, the SUS’ Hospitalization Information System (SIH-SUS) and municipalities' data from IBGE. We considered adult COVID-19 hospitalizations registered in SIVEP-Gripe from February 2020 to December 2022 in inpatient healthcare units with a minimum of 150 cases in the period. Data analyses explored the occurrence of hospitalizations and inpatient mortality over time and across the groups of hospitals defined by juridical ownership and participation in SUS. Moreover, general linear mixed models were estimated to identify independent effects on COVID-19 inpatient mortality of characteristics of patients, healthcare processes, healthcare units and municipalities.
Results
Approximately 70% of the COVID-19 hospitalizations in Brazil were covered by the SUS, but SUS hospitals had worse inpatient mortality than others. Northern Brazil experienced the highest chances of inpatient mortality, with no significant differentiation among inpatient care unit types. Black individuals had higher chances of COVID-19 inpatient mortality in all regions of the country, as well as indigenous individuals in the North and mixed-race individuals in the South. Additionally, inpatient mortality was higher in the first (Apr-Aug 2020) and second (Dec 2020-May 2021) pandemic waves, becoming lower in 2022, even during the third wave (Jan-Feb 2022).
Conclusions
COVID-19 exposed SUS healthcare weaknesses resulting from long-term disinvestment, and its lower performance is a problem to be addressed.
Improved diagnosis of the Carbonate Reservoirs: A case study from the Potwar Basin, northwest Pakistan
Authors: Ahmad Sajjad , Khan Suleman
Published: June 2023

The key obstacles to the development of the four wells in the Pariwali Block of the Potwar Basin in Pakistan continue to be an accurate age diagnosis of the reservoir intervals, facies variation, and locating the hydrocarbon target for future development wells. The purpose of this work is to offer integrated biostratigraphic, facies, and sequence stratigraphic information from well cuttings in order to more fully characterize the carbonate reservoirs. The diagnosis of exact stratigraphic units, their ages, and order of cyclicity were constrained by larger benthic foraminiferal biostratigraphy, and the facies integration has made it possible to identify the sequence stratigraphic architecture. The Paleogene Lockhart, Sakessar, and Chorgali Formation were diagnosed, which were deposited on a ramp carbonate platform in a range of environments, including tidal flats, the inner ramp, the proximal middle ramp, and the outer ramp. The Transgressive Systems Tract and the Regressive Systems Tract, which make up a third-order cycle, were validated by the Lockhart, Sakessar, and Chorgali Formation in the Potwar-5, 2, and 7 wells. The facies correlation of the Potwar-2, 4, 5, and 7 wells shows a distinct vertical and lateral change. The occurrence of LBF wackestone-packstone facies possesses excellent reservoir rock characteristics as seen in the Potwar 2, 4, and 5 wells. The poor reservoir intervals are indicated by the lime mudstone facies and their absence in the Potwar-2, which may have contributed to optimal hydrocarbon recovery. The repetition of lime mudstone facies has caused the reservoir compartmentalization in Potwar 4 &7 wells.
IoT Empowered Smart Cybersecurity Framework for Intrusion Detection in Internet of Drones
Authors: Ashraf Syeda Nazia , Manickam Selvakumar , Zia Syed Saood , Abro Abdul Ahad , Obaidat Muath , Uddin Mueen , Abdelhaq Maha , Alsaqour Raed
Published: June 2023

The emergence of drone-based innovative cyber security solutions integrated with the Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized navigational technologies with robust data communication services across multiple platforms. This advancement leverages machine learning and deep learning methods for future progress. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the utilization of IoT-enabled drone data management technology. Industries ranging from industrial applications to agricultural advancements, as well as the implementation of smart cities for intelligent and efficient monitoring. However, these latest trends and drone-enabled IoT technology developments have also opened doors to malicious exploitation of existing IoT infrastructures. This raises concerns regarding the vulnerability of drone networks and security risks due to inherent design flaws and the lack of cybersecurity solutions and standards. The main objective of this study is to examine the latest privacy and security challenges impacting the network of drones (NoD). The research underscores the significance of establishing a secure and fortified drone network to mitigate interception and intrusion risks. The proposed system effectively detects cyber-attacks in drone networks by leveraging deep learning and machine learning techniques. Furthermore, the model's performance was evaluated using well-known drones’ UNSW-NB15, CICIDS2017, and KDDCup 99 datasets. We have tested the multiple hyperparameter parameters for optimal performance and classify data instances and maximum efficacy in the NoD framework. The model achieved exceptional efficiency and robustness in NoD. The system attains precision values of 89.10% and 90.16%, accuracy rates of 91.00% and 91.36%, recall values of 81.13% and 90.11%, and F-measure values of 88.11% and 90.19% for the respective evaluation metrics.
Anoikis-Related Gene EZR is a Potential Factor Associated with Neutrophil Extracellular Traps(NETs) in Ankylosing Spondylitis with Hip Arthropathy
Authors: Feng Sitan , Liu Chong , Huang Chengqian , Zhang Bin , Chen Tian , Zhou Chen , Huang Shengsheng , Chen Liyi , Sun Xuhua , Ye Zhen , Guo Hao , Chen Wu , Yao Yuan , Zhu Ji , Wu Fengshao , Fan Binguang , Yang Zhenwei , Gu Wenfei , Wang Yihan , Wei Wendi , Zhan Xinli
Published: June 2023

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the spine and sacroiliac joint. Anoikis is a newly recognized form of programmed cell death that has been implicated in the progression of several diseases. Thus, the objective of this research is to investigate the factors associated with anoikis that contribute to the progression of ankylosing spondylitis.
Methods: Two datasets for AS were obtained from the gene expression omnibus database. By analyzing the differentially expressed genesbetween the AS and control groups, as well as the genes associated with anoikis,the differentially expressed genes related toanoikis (AnDEGs) were identified. Toinvestigate the immune cell infiltration in AS, the CIBERSORT method was employed. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to assessthe function of the genes. Using machine learning algorithms, a set of bub-anoikis-related genes was identified and used to classify 68 AS samples into two distinctsubclusters. We then performed Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment, Gene Set Variation Analysis,and immune infiltration analysis to evaluate the characteristicsof thesesubclusters. Finally, to validate the results of our bioinformatic analysis, immunohistochemistry, proteomic analysis, and blood routine examinationswere conducted.
Results: We identified a total of 11 AnDEGs,and using machine learning algorithms, four hub genes, namelyID2, DNMT1, EZR, and ITGB3, were further identified. The majorityof these hub genes exhibitedlower expression levelsin AS samples,and their expression was found to be negatively correlated with immune cell infiltration. Two distinct subclusters exhibiting differential expression of genes primarilyassociated with the immune response process were constructed. Immune signalingpathways were enrichedin cluster2. Consistently, the level of immune infiltration was higher in cluster2. Immunohistochemistry verified the differentialexpression of the hubgenes, and blood routine examination confirmed differences in immune infiltration between the two subclusters. However, proteomic analysis detected only differentialexpression of EZR in AS patients with hip arthropathy.
Conclusion: The dysregulation of EZR appears to bethe crucialfactor associated with neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs) in ankylosing spondylitis patients with hip arthropathy.
Ketamine alone or ketamine with fentanyl to improve post tonsillectomy analgesia in children
Authors: Zouche Imen , Sellami Moncef , Kharrat Ines , Grati Faiza , Keskes Mariem , Ketata Salma , Charfeddine Ilhem
Published: June 2023

Objectives
To evaluate the effects of ketamine used instead of or as an adjuvant to fentanyl on postoperative pain s in children undergoing tonsillectomy.
Materiel and Methods:
We conducted a double blind prospective randomized study including children, aged between 2 and 7 years, undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: group G1 received 2 µg/ kg of fentanyl, group G2 received 0.5 mg/ kg of ketamine, and group G3 received fentanyl 1µg/ kg and 0.25 mg / kg of ketamine. We recorded postoperative additional analgesic requirements and side effects. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the unidirectional ordered data between groups. Least-significant difference (LSD) was used to compare the data between two groups.
Results
Sixty children aged between 2 and 7 years scheduled to undergo adenotonsillectomy were included. Twenty patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Better control of pain was noted in group G3, with a significant difference at 30 min compared to both groups G1 (p = 0,008) and G2 (p = 0.036). The need for additional analgesia and side effects were comparable for the three groups.
Conclusion
ketamine associated with fentanyl provides a satisfactory early analgesia and can even replace fentanyl during tonsillectomy.
A long-term operational scheme for hybrid hydro-PV systems that considers the uncertainties in reservoir inflow and solar radiation based on scenario trees
Authors: Cao Han , Qiu Jun , Zuo Hui-Min , Li Fang-Fang
Published: June 2023

The majority of available long-term operation models of hydropower stations use deterministic historical data as inputs, and cannot update the decision scheme in real-time according to the actual solar radiation and inflow conditions. This results in a disconnect between the given plan and actual decision-making. To address existing challenges in the long-term operation of hydro-PV complementary power stations, a multi-stage rolling reservoir decision model considering the uncertainties of solar radiation and inflow is presented. This model can guide the formulation of long-term operation scheme of hydro-PV system. The typical wet, normal, and dry years are analyzed. We take the solar radiation series and inflow series generated by the scenario tree (ST) as the inputs of the reservoir optimal operation model, and use genetic algorithm (GA) to solve the model. During the solution process, the scheme is adjusted according to the actual solar radiation data and inflow data. The results illustrate that the model can better mentor the formulation of long-term operation rules for hydro-PV stations contrasted to the actual operation scheme and the traditional deterministic model.
Inequalities for Rational Functions in the Complex plane
Authors: Qasim Idrees
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we establish inequalities for rational functions with prescribed poles, and zeros inside or outside a disk of radius k. We find generalized extension of the polynomial inequalities of Govil, 1973 and 1980, to rational functions. We also find the relationship between maximum modulus of rational function on a circle of radius k, k ≥ 1 and on the unit circle. Refinements of some inequalities by Li, Mohapatra and Rodriguez,1993, are also deduced.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 30A10, 30C15, 30D15
Object Detection Based on Lightweight YOLOX for Autonomous Driving
Authors: He Qiyi , xu ao , Ye Zhiwei , Zhou Wen , Cai Ting
Published: June 2023

Object detection algorithm is one of the key elements for implementing autonomous driving technology, and the high accuracy and fast inference speed requirements of the algorithm are crucial for safe autonomous driving. In the process of autonomous driving, low accuracy or slow inference speed can both lead to fatal accidents. Therefore, a high-precision and high-efficiency detection algorithm is needed for autonomous driving applications. In this paper, a lightweight feature extraction model, ShuffDet, is proposed to replace the CSPDark53 model used by YOLOX, by improving the YOLOX algorithm. At the same time, an attention mechanism is introduced into the feature pyramid network (FPN) to make the network focus more on important information in the network, thereby improving the accuracy of the model. This model, which combines two methods, is called ShuffYOLOX, and it can improve the accuracy of the model while keeping it lightweight. The performance of the ShuffYOLOX model on the KITTI dataset is tested in this paper, and the experimental results show that compared to the original network, the mean average precision (mAP) of the ShuffYOLOX model on the KITTI dataset reaches 92.20%. In addition, the number of parameters of the ShuffYOLOX model is reduced by 34.57%, the Gflops is reduced by 42.19%, and the FPS is increased by 65%. Therefore, the ShuffYOLOX model is very suitable for autonomous driving applications.
Can AMH levels predict the need to step up FSH dose for controlled ovarian stimulation in PCOS women?
Authors: Huang Hui , Gao Haijie , Shi Yingying , Deng Bingbing , He Xuemen , Lin Jin , Li Ping
Published: June 2023

Background
To explore the role of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in predicting the need to step up recombinant FSH (rFSH) dose in IVF/ICSI cycles of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) women.
Methods
This is a retrospective cohort study of 825 PCOS related infertility enrolled from Jan 2019 to Dec 2021. The daily rFSH dose at which the first response to rFSH were recorded. The dose at which the first response to rFSH was based on folliculometry during follow up in which two or more follicles reached ≥ 11mm. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was done to investigate the ability of AMH to predict the need to step up initial rFSH dose.
Results
PCOS women who needed to step up initial rFSH dose had a significantly higher AMH compared with those didn’t step up initial rFSH dose (11.37 ± 3.25ng/ml vs. 8.69 ± 3.16ng/ml, P < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, increased AMH level was an independent factor for the need to step up initial rFSH dose in PCOS patients after adjusted for confounding factors. ROC curve analysis showed AMH could predict the need to step up initial rFSH dose (AUC = 0.738, 95%CI: 0.704–0.773), having 75.4% specificity and 63% sensitivity when the threshold AMH concentration was 9.30ng/ml. 58.8% PCOS women with AMH > 9.30 ng/ml required increased rFSH dose compared to 18.8% of women with AMH ≤ 9.30ng/ml (p < 0.001). Although the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were not significantly different, there was a higher incidence of OHSS among women with AMH > 9.30 ng/ml vs. AMH ≤ 9.30ng/ml (20.8% vs. 15.3%, p = 0.043).
Conclusion
PCOS women with AMH > 9.30 ng/ml were resistant to rFSH stimulation and require increased dose for the cycle recruitment of ovarian follicles.
The triglyceride-glucose index is associated with the risk of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients
Authors: Zhang Rongting , Shi Shanshan , Zhang Kaijun , Zhao Yukun , He Yibo , Wang Yani , Lin Xueqin , Liao Lihua , Guo Qian , Li Shihai , Liao Ying , Fang Yong
Published: June 2023

Background
The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a reliable alternative biomarker of insulin resistance (IR) and is associated with renal dysfunction. We aimed to investigate the correlation between TyG index and the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients.
Methods
A total of 2,716 participants were recruited to the study from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database. Patients were divided into four groups according to quartiles (Q1–Q4) of TyG index. The TyG index was calculated as ln [fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting blood glucose (mg/dL)/2]. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between TyG index and AKI. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression model was used to outline the relationships between the TyG index and outcomes.
Results
A total of 1,335 (49.15%) participants were identified with AKI. The incidence of AKI was 44.56% in Q1, 45.13% in Q2, 51.34% in Q3, and 55.67% in Q4 (P < 0.001). In the multivariable model, the highest quartile (Q4 group) of TyG index was more strongly correlated with the risk of AKI than the lowest quartile (Q1 group) after adjusting for potential confounding risk factors (adjusted odds ratio = 1.98, 95% confidence interval = 1.39 − 2.83; P < 0.001). The RCS regression model revealed that the risk of AKI increased linearly with increasing TyG index (P for non-linearity = 0.969).
Conclusions
The findings showed that a high TyG index was significantly and independently associated with an increased risk of AKI in critically ill patients.