bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eficiencia en las autorizaciones sanitarias de medicamentos por la Cofepris 2019-2022
Authors: Svarch-Pérez Alejandro Ernesto , Molina-Gasman Alexandro Manuel , Enríquez-Ríos Natán , Olivares-Trejo Martha Patricia , Molina-Leza Joaquín Felipe , Alcocer-Varela Jorge Carlos
Published: February 2024

Objetivo. Medir la eficiencia en la emisión de autorizaciones sanitarias de medicamentos analizando las solicitudes de trámites -entradas- y la emisión de dictámenes -salidas-, y su relación con las modificaciones de las condiciones de registro en los últimos cuatro años. Material y métodos. Revisión de la base de datos automatizada de la Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (SIIPRIS), a partir de un modelo de regresión polinomial de grado 3 para corroborar la validez de las tendencias observadas. Resultados. Hubo un incremento de entradas y salidas de trámites entre 2019 y 2022, matizada con reducción de éstos en 2020 y primera mitad de 2022. En 2022 el incremento de los trámites culminados fue mayor a 200% con respecto a 2019, y entre 2021 y 2022 se redujo el tiempo promedio de los trámites, con lo que se duplicó el porcentaje de concluidos en menos de 90 días y disminuyó a la mitad el porcentaje de los mayores a 360 días. Conclusiones. Hay un notorio progreso en la eficiencia vinculado con medidas como el incremento del personal dictaminador, automatización de procesos y ajustes en la organización interna. Persiste el desafío de cerrar la brecha de trámites sin concluir y se alcance culminarlos en menos de 90 días promedio.
Reconocimiento a revisoras y revisores 2023
Authors: Cuerpo editorial Salud Pública de México
Published: February 2024

No disponible
Machine Learning approach to fix Routing Problems in IoT Networks
Authors: V Sitharamulu , Naulegari Janardhan , Reddy Sudheer , G Srihari Babu , Abualigah Laith
Published: February 2024

The Internet of things, an outstanding scientific technology in the current computational society, is usually made of intelligent electronic gadgets and sensing devices. IoT focuses on the interaction and communication of objects to extract human necessities. Wireless sensor networks have become the pivotal architecture for building the efficient and rigid functionality of the IoT. Usually, a wireless sensor network performs its activities based on the nodes established in the network. The node explicitly exhibits various attributes like sensing the signals, computing complex computations, and other wireless computing strategies over the web. The sensor node in the network transmits data and information using numerous available transmission techniques. It optimizes the routines from available routes over the network path. Optimizing the working span of WSN (Wireless Sensor Networks) is essential. This paper elucidates the optimization techniques to improve network sensors' performance and lifespan ratios in a reliable and stable network. Hence, the proposed mechanisms soundly speak about reinforcement learning and fuzzy logic systems from ML (Machine Learning). Both these variants work based on the types of available wireless nodes, the energies from the nodes, the existing bandwidth, and non-reliable distances between the nodes (sink). The paper also compares the proposed techniques using IEEE protocols and the fuzzy logic approach. The outset of the presentation reveals the optimized-enhanced lifespan and power consumption of WSNs through OPNET (Optimum Network Performance).
A Novel Dual Feature Extraction using Fine-Tuned ResNet with GWO and Deep Dense Neural Network for Multiple Lung Disease Classification
Authors: Kauhsik Baijnath , khan yusera farooq , Chadha Akshma , Ashok Malvika , Pant Pushpesh Gokul
Published: February 2024

Lung diseases are one of the primary causes of mortality worldwide. The majority of lung disorders are not discovered until they have progressed significantly. Therefore, the development of systems and methods that allow for immediate and earlier diagnosis will play a crucial role in the modern world. Computer Aided Diagnosis (CADx) systems presently performs this role and are being expanded. This study investigates the feasibility of employing methods for learning features from fine-tuned adaptive learning rate deep learning architectures to provide robust and comprehensive features on NIH Chest X-ray Dataset for three class (are Cardiomegaly, Emphysema, and Hernia) lung disease. A novel dual feature extraction using residual networks with nature inspired Gray Wolf Optimization (GWO) algorithm and Deep Dense Neural Network (ResNet-GWO-DD) is proposed in this study. Dual feature extraction is experimented using two fine-tuned ResNet-50 and ResNet-101 Transfer Learning (TL) architectures. The deep learned features were optimized using Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO). The global best optimal features extracted using GWO are combined for classification using Deep Dense Neural Network. The dual learning of deep features using ResNet-50 and ResNet-101 help the GWO to learn global best optimal features. These dual learning capabilities greatly enhance the performance of the proposed model and achieve significant accuracy while comparing the state-of-the-art methods. The performance of proposed method is further evaluated using three different optimizers such as Adam, stochastic gradient descent (SGD), and Continuous Coin Betting (COCOB). Deep features extracted using GWO and optimizer Adam has yielded maximum accuracy of 99.68%, 96.63% and 96.58% for Hernia, Emphysema, and Cardiomegaly respectively compared to SGD and COCOB.
Association of IL-23R rs1569922 with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease in Mexican patients and analysis of frequent etiological factors
Authors: Olivas Armando Odiseo Rodríguez , Reyes-Maldonado Elba , Casas-Avila Leonora , Lezama-Palacios Ruth Angelica , Zamora Edgar Hernández
Published: February 2024

Background
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) is an idiopathic hip disorder that produces ischemic necrosis of the growing femoral head. LCPD is a complex illness; the lack of knowledge regarding its etiology is considered the main difficulty to its study. Various theories on the etiology of LCPD have been proposed, these include environmental, metabolic, and genetic factors. However, it has not been possible to reach a consensus on what triggers LCPD. The aim of this study was to determine if some genetic polymorphisms associated with pro-inflammatory and hypercoagulable states are involved in the appearance of LCPD.
Results
This is a comparative study, in which were included a total of 46 children: 23 with LCPD (cases) and 23 without the disease (controls). Hematologic and thrombotic analyses were performed as well as qPCR. Statistically significant differences were found in prothrombin time, Factor V and Factor IX activity, as well as homocysteine concentration, these values imply that there may be hypercoagulable states in patients, which can cause thrombotic events. on the other hand, significant differences were also found in neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and systemic immune inflammation index, showing mayor inflammation states at patients’ group, as well as statistically significant differences were found in the IL-23R rs1569922 polymorphism, it was found that carriers of the T/T and C/T genotypes have increased risk of developing LCPD.
Conclusion
Our results show a greater hemostatic activity and inflammation in the group of patients, supporting these various theories previously proposed. Therefore, we believe that LCPD is a multifactorial condition in which hemostatic, inflammatory, and genetic factors play a central and triggering role in the disease.
Protocol for a feasibility registry-based randomised controlled trial investigating a tailored follow-up service for stroke (A-LISTS)
Authors: Cadilhac Dominique A , Ross Andrew G , Bagot Kathleen L , Blennerhassett Jannette , Kilkenny Monique , Kim Joosup , Purvis Tara , Moss Karen Barclay , Ellery Fiona , Morrison Julie , Cranefield Jennifer , Kleinig Timothy , Grimley Rohan , Jaques Katherine , Wong Dana , Murphy Lisa , Russell Grant , Nelson Mark , Thijs Vincent , Scott Colin , Middleton Sandy
Published: February 2024

Background
Stroke affects long-term physical and cognitive function; many survivors report unmet health needs, such as pain or depression. A hospital-led follow-up service designed to address ongoing health problems may avoid unplanned readmissions and improve quality of life.
Methods
This paper outlines the protocol for a registry-based, single-blind, randomised controlled trial. Based on an intention-to-treat analysis, we will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, potential effectiveness, and cost implications of a new tailored, co-designed, hospital-led follow-up service for people within 6–12 months of stroke. Participants (n = 100) from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry who report extreme health problems on the EQ5D-3L between 90–180 days after stroke will be randomly assigned (1:1) to intervention (follow-up service) or control (usual care) groups. All participants will be independently assessed at baseline and 12–14 weeks post-randomisation. Primary outcomes are the proportion of participants: receiving follow-up services; complete ng the trial; and reporting satisfaction (clinicians and participants). Secondary outcomes include: extreme health problems (EuroQoL 5 Dimensions 3 Level Version), unmet needs (Longer-term Unmet Needs questionnaire), unplanned presentations and hospital readmission, functional independence (modified Rankin scale), and health service utilisation. To inform future research or implementation, the design contains a process evaluation including clinical protocol fidelity and an economic evaluation.
Discussion
The results of this study will provide improved knowledge of service design and implementation barriers and facilitators, and associated costs and resource implications and inform a future fully powered effectiveness trial of the intervention.
Trial registration
ACTRN12622001015730pr
Spatio-Temporal Variations of Surface runoff of Saroor Nagar Urban Watershed of Telangana Using Geospatial and Artificial Intelligence Techniques
Authors: Vaddiraju Shiva Chandra , Talari Reshma
Published: February 2024

Hydrological modelling is an effective tool for predicting the hydrological response of a watershed to develop strategies for efficient water management. The overarching goal of this study was to simulate rainfall-runoff processes in the Saroor Nagar urban watershed, Telangana, for the years 2008, 2014, 2020, and 2026 using geospatial and deep learning techniques. The Land Use Land Cover (LULC) maps of 2008, 2014, and 2020 are generated using the Support Vector Machine(SVM) algorithm, and a Cellular-Automata-based artificial neural network model is used to simulate the LULC for the year 2026. Daily rainfall in 2026 is forecasted using the Long- Short Term Memory (LSTM) technique using univariate daily rainfall data from twenty-two years from 2000–2022. The HEC-HMS model is used to simulate the rainfall-runoff process. The infiltration loss, the conversion of the excess rainfall into surface runoff, and the flow routing of the channel reach were all modelled using the SCS-Curve Number method, the SCS unit hydrograph method, and the Muskingum routing method. As the watershed is ungauged, the calibration and validation of the proposed model are performed by considering the discharge data of the Hussain Sagar catchment using the method of regionalization. The performance of the model is evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE). The study revealed that the built-up area increased by 55.18% at the cost of vegetation and barren land during 2008–2020, and the waterbodies have by 29% during 2008–2020 due to the removal of encroachments and measures taken by the Government of Telangana to protect lakes. The vegetation layer has increased by a marginal 6%, whereas barren land has decreased drastically by 75.8%. The future LULC of 2026, simulated using the CA-ANN technique, revealed that the built-up area is expected to increase further by 17.4% at the cost of other LULC classes. The waterbodies are expected to decrease by 8.3%, the vegetation by 17.7%, and the barren land is expected to reduce to 1.25%. The annual rainfall in 2026 is expected to be 1484mm. The analysis of the HEC-HMS model reveals that the simulated peak discharge increased from 44.4 m3/s to 57.1 m3/s during 2008–2020 and is expected to increase to 66.1 m3/s in the year 2026. During calibration, R2 was 0.88 and NSE was 0.75, and during validation, the R2 values were 0.83 and 0.89, respectively. The study's findings clearly demonstrate the proposed model's ability to adequately simulate stream flow in the basin and can be taken as an input for judicious use of water resources in the watershed.
Heavy Metal Pollution in Street Dust: A Comprehensive Study on Risk Assessment and Source Identification in a Highly Industrialized Area of Bangladesh
Authors: Rahaman Md. Hasibur , Rahman Md. Alinur , Khanam Rahamoni , Ahmed Minhaz , Islam Md. Sayedul , Akteruzzaman Md. , Rabbi Fahim Muntasir , Hasan Md. Kamrul , Asharof Sohely , Hasan Nahid , Jahan Towhida , Chowdhury Pragga , Debnath Partha Chandra , Das Tusar Kumar , Rahman Mohammad Mahfuzur
Published: February 2024

The study is intended to report the level of heavy metals (HMs) contamination, their potential source, and their impacts by analyzing street dust (SD) samples collected from thirty distinct sampling locations in Narayanganj Sadar Upazila, Bangladesh. The results suggest that the average concentrations of Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Manganese (Mn), Sodium (Na), Calcium (Ca), and Magnesium (Mg) were 317.25 ± 62.25, 247.86 ± 25.76, 53.26 ± 16.76, 3.53 ± 2.03, 56.35 ± 31.76, 443.94 ± 6.48, 227.18 ± 33.86, 101.74 ± 3.79, 4842 ± 203.90, and 79.46 ± 1.70 mg kg− 1, respectively. Both Cr and Cu levels were over five and ten times higher than the background values, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) suggest that industrial activities and heavy traffic on the street could be the potential sources. Moreover, Cr, Cu, and Cd all exhibit 'very high’ contamination factors (CF), with corresponding enrichment factors (EF) categorized as 'significant', 'very high’, and 'high', respectively. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) found a moderately to strongly polluted category for Cu and a strong to extremely polluted category for Cd. Risk indices indicate that potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were notably higher for children compared to adults, with the primary mode of exposure being ingestion.
Combined effect of zinc and cadmium ions on nitrification performance during the biological nitrogen removal of livestock breeding wastewater
Authors: Wang Zhanpeng , Huang Jian , Zhang Hua , Luo Tao , He Chunhua
Published: February 2024

Zinc and cadmium ions are usually found in livestock breeding wastewater, and the mixed ions will have an impact on the biological nitrogen removal. Nitrification performance plays an important role in biological nitrogen removal. In order to investigate the combined effect of zinc and cadmium ions on nitrification performance and to reveal the interactions between zinc and cadmium ions, three concentration ratios of zinc and cadmium ions, as well as 18 different concentration gradients were designed with the direct equipartition ray and the dilution factor method. The effect of pollutants on the nitrification performance of biological nitrogen removal was analyzed by the nonlinear regression equation, and the concentration-addition model was conducted to probe into the relationship between the mixed pollutants and the nitrification performance. The results showed that the effect on nitrification performance increased significantly with the increase of reaction duration and pollutant concentration, which indicated that the effects are concentration-dependent and time-dependent. The concentration-addition model suggested that the interactions between zinc and cadmium ions with different concentration ratios were mainly antagonistic. However, the three concentration ratios of mixed pollutants have different interaction strengths, compared to the zinc and cadmium ions ratio of R1, the ratios of R2 and R3 are more antagonistic and have a greater impact on nitrification performance.
Prospective environmental mitigation potential of deploying waste-to-nutrition pathways
Authors: Javourez Ugo , Tiruta-Barna Ligia , Pizzol Massimo , Hamelin Lorie
Published: February 2024

Transforming residual biomass into food and feed ingredients is increasingly promoted to mitigate the environmental impacts of food systems, but it remains unclear which, how and under which conditions implementing these strategies would effectively yield net impacts reduction. Here, the environmental performances of several waste-to-nutrition pathways and conventional waste management practices were assessed considering variability in process efficiencies, input composition and deployment contexts. The results show that stringent conditions such as the substitution of meat commodities, unconstrained availability of environmentally-efficient energy supplies, and substantial technological improvements are all required to secure the environmental benefits of waste-to-nutrition pathways compared to other waste valorization strategies. Yet, processing woody residues, manure and sludge into edible microbial biomass could become the best strategy to adopt if the environmental impacts of food systems keep exacerbating.
Evaluating Monkeypox Knowledge Among Jordanian Pharmacists and Pharmacy Students: Bridging the Knowledge Gap
Authors: Nassar Razan I. , Ahmad Alhareth , Fino Leen , Barakat Muna , Nassar Noor , Omar Amin M.
Published: February 2024

Introduction
The World Health Organization has declared Monkeypox a global public health emergency. The involvement of healthcare providers, such as pharmacists, plays a crucial role in disease control. Evaluating pharmacists' knowledge and their skills in diagnosing and managing monkeypox is crucial for developing effective response plans to control the disease.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess monkeypox knowledge among Jordanian pharmacists and pharmacy students, and their ability to diagnose and manage monkeypox cases. An extensive literature review was conducted to develop the first draft of the survey, which was subsequently assessed for face and content validity. The survey comprised three main sections addressing various topics of interest. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science.
Results
A total of 586 participants completed the survey, with a mean age of 24.94 years. The primary information source about monkeypox was published researches. The total knowledge scores (TK-score) ranged from − 5 to 17, with a mean of 6.37 while the symptoms knowledge scores (SK-score) ranged from − 5 to 9, with a mean of 2.71. A statistically significant difference in TK-score was observed between males and females (p-value = 0.025). The majority of the participants were not confident in their ability to diagnose (82.9%), or manage (79.9%) monkeypox cases. Approximately half of the participants believed that having COVID-19 increases the risk of experiencing serious symptoms from monkeypox. According to nearly half of participants, monkeypox is the potential next epidemic after COVID-19.
Conclusion
Study participants demonstrated higher knowledge concerning monkeypox virus symptoms, in contrast to their understanding of virus transmission modes and prevention. The findings revealed low levels of confidence among participants in diagnosing and managing monkeypox.
A neurological paraneoplastic syndrome in a patient affected by severe obesity: a case report
Authors: Caldarelli Mario , SPUNTARELLI VALERIO , Mingrone Geltrude , GASBARRINI ANTONIO , Capristo Esmeralda
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Obese women experience a greater occurrence of tumors that impact the reproductive system, frequently leading to delayed diagnosis because of postponed access to medical care and unconventional manifestations.
Case presentation: A 52-year-old woman was hospitalized due to an unexplained fever. After ruling out the typical reasons for fever, our patient experienced an episode of metrorrhagia she attributed to her regular menstrual cycle. Further assessments, including measurements of FSH and LH levels, as well as subsequent diagnostic imaging, revealed the existence of an abnormal growth mass affecting the uterus.
Conclusion: The objective of our paper is to emphasize the significance of exploring paraneoplastic signs and symptoms in this kind of subjects, enabling prompt diagnosis and the subsequent establishment of an appropriate therapeutic approach.
Co-Creation and Evaluation of Online Care Maps for Children with Medical Complexity
Authors: Adams Sherri , Dharmaraj Blossom G. , Beatty Madison , Clara Moore , Desai Arti D. , Bartlett Leah , Erin Culbert , Cohen Eyal , Stinson Jennifer N. , Orkin Julia
Published: February 2024

Background Care maps are a caregiver-created diagrammatic tool to support the care of children with medical complexity (CMC). They provide a high-level overview of care, allowing the care team to appreciate the interrelatedness of medical and non-medical aspects of care. Limitations currently exist for the usability, shareability, and integration of care maps into clinical care as they are typically paper-based and caregiver held. Therefore, the aims of the study were to 1) collaborate with caregivers and care team members (CTMs) of CMC to determine the design requirements of an online care map, and 2) explore its usability and feasibility from multiple perspectives.Methods This mixed methods study utilized an explanatory sequential design. In Phase 1 (Design and Development), the design features for an online care map were identified through semi-structured interviews with caregivers and CTMs. An online care map creation tool, housed within an online patient-facing platform, was created. In Phase 2 (Feasibility Testing), caregivers created, updated, and shared online care maps with CTMs. A usage survey and descriptive visual content analysis of the care maps was completed. Semi-structured interviews with caregivers and CTMs were conducted to explore the usability and feasibility of the online care maps.Results In Phase 1, interviews were conducted with caregivers (n = 16) and CTMs (n = 16). Three primary themes related to the design requirements were identified: 1) useful features, 2) suggestions, and 3) future use. In Phase 2, thirty-six caregivers registered on the online platform, with 70% (n = 25) creating a care map. Semi-structured interview data with caregivers (n = 15) and CTMs (n = 13) generated four primary themes: 1) clinical usage, 2) benefits, 3) challenges, and 4) suggestions to improve usability.Conclusion The development of a co-designed online care map tool was shown to be usable and feasible. Caregivers expressed how the care maps provided a holistic picture of their child and CTM’s described an enhanced ability to provide clinical care as it provided information that could have great impact on care decisions. Caregivers and CTMs desired that it be accessible in the EMR for easy distribution and access. Opportunities exist to explore integration into mainstream electronic medical records and pathways for care.
Observation of a subretinal tumor-like lesion in a patient with polypoidal choroid vasculopathy
Authors: Zhang Zhou , Zhang Xi , Luo Yingyue , Wang Xian , Li Yingqi
Published: February 2024

Purpose: To report a patient with a subretinal tumor-like lesion observed during vitrectomy for the treatment of vitreous hemorrhage secondary to polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).
Observation: A 56-year-old Chinese male was referred to our department for the treatment of vitreous hemorrhage in his left eye. During vitrectomy, a massive tumor-like lesion located at the inferotemporal fundus was observed. Histological examination excluded its malignancy and multimodal imaging confirmed the diagnosis of PCV. Medication was delivered topically and systemically to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) after surgery. The patient was treated by a single intravitreal injection of aflibercept, showing anatomical and functional improvement.
Conclusions and Importance: The case documents an uncommon manifestation of PCV. Prompt recognition and appropriate treatment are essential for visual recovery.
GWAS combined with QTL mapping reveals the genetic loci of leaf morphological traits in Cigar tobacco
Authors: Ji Yan , Liu Guoxiang , Yan Sifan , Jiang Xun , Wu Mengting , Liu Wei , Li Yuan , Yang Aiguo , Dai Peigang , Du Shuaibin , Li Yangyang , Wang Jun , Zhang Xingwei
Published: February 2024

Background
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an important commercial crop. Cigar tobacco plants, which are derived from the same species, possess special leaf characteristics consistent with its industrial usage, including leaf flatness, leaf thickness, lateral vein diameter and leaf vein angle. Exploring the key QTLs determining the quality of cigar leaves and ultimately applying them to the molecular breeding of cigars are therefore highly important.
Results
In this study, GWAS and QTL mapping were simultaneously performed using a natural population containing 185 accessions collected worldwide and an F2 population consisting of 240 individuals, respectively. A total of 26 QTLs related to leaf morphological traits were mapped in the F2 population at three different developmental stages, and some QTL intervals were repeatedly detected for different traits and at different developmental stages. Among the 206 significant SNPs identified in the natural population, several associated with the leaf thickness phenotype were co-mapped via both GWAS and QTL mapping. By analysing linkage disequilibrium and transcriptome data from different tissues combined with gene functional annotations, 7 genes from the co-mapped region were identified as the causal genes associated with leaf thickness traits.
Conclusions
These results presented a valuable cigar resource showing the genetic diversity regarding its leaf morphological traits at different developmental stages. It also provides valuable information for novel genes and molecular markers that will be useful for further functional verification and for molecular breeding of cigars as well as other crops in the future.
Heterogeneously deacetylated chitosans possess an unexpected regular pattern favoring acetylation at every third position
Authors: Moerschbacher Bruno M. , Hellmann Margareta J. , Gillet Dominique , Trombotto Stéphane , Raetz Sonja , Cord-Landwehr Stefan
Published: February 2024

Chitosans are promising natural polymers with diverse industrial, medical and agricultural applications, but their properties and bioactivities depend on their structural characteristics, including their pattern of acetylation (PA). Chitosans produced by homogeneous deacetylation or chemical N-acetylation are assumed to have a random PA, but almost all commercially available chitosans are heterogeneously deacetylated, and whether they possess a random or block-wise PA has been the subject of a decades-long debate. Here we used a novel combination of analytical tools to address this unanswered question and found that both assumptions are wrong. Our combination of in vitro experiments and in silico modeling surprisingly revealed a more regular PA in heterogeneously deacetylated chitosans, with acetylated units overrepresented at every third position in the polymer chain. This unanticipated regular PA increases the elicitation activity of chitosans in plants compared to a random PA, and also generates different product profiles and distributions in enzymatic and acid hydrolysates. A regular PA may be beneficial for some applications but detrimental for others. Researchers in academia and in industries that use chitosans should therefore be aware that today’s commercial chitosans differ fundamentally from enzymatically produced natural chitosans and niche products produced by homogeneous deacetylation or N-acetylation.
A study on the correlation between ocular biometric parameters and myopia in children and adolescents: a large-scale population-based study in Chengdu, China
Authors: Duan Junguo , Li Shi-Ming , He Mingguang , Xiao Jianqiang , Mu Jingyu , Han Xiaotong , Jing Wei , Nie Yingying , Zhang Youruo , Mi Qiulin , Liu Chunmeng , Geng Haoming , Peng Tianli , Wang Ningli
Published: February 2024

PURPOSE:To investigate the characteristics and correlation of myopia and ocular biometric parameters among students in Chengdu.
DESIGN:This cross-sectional analysis of the Chengdu included students between the ages of 3 and 18 years (n = 509 530).
METHODS:Myopia, defined as spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ -0.50 D and UCVA > 0.3 logMAR for participants aged 3 years, SE ≤ -0.50 D and UCVA > 0.2 logMAR for those aged 4-5 years, SE ≤ -0.50 D and UCVA > 0 logMAR for those aged ≥6 years. All participants received non-cycloplegic autorefraction,uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and ocular biometric parameters. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression model were used to analyze the relationship between ocular biometric parameters and myopia.
RESULTS: The overall prevalence of myopia was 40.9% (95% CI: 40.77- 41.04% ). SE had strong correlations with axial length(AL), AL/CR ratio, and vitreous chamber depth, moderate correlations with lens thickness(LT) and anterior chamber depth, and weak correlations with keratometry and central corneal thicknesss ( P< 0.001). The slopes of changes in AL and LT were highly consistent between myopic and non-myopic children aged 3-6 years. However, between 6-9 years of age, myopic children exhibited faster AL increase and greater LT thinning than non-myopic children (P < 0.001) with age. After 9 years of age, changes in both AL and LT gradually stabilized.
CONCLUSIONS:In children aged 6-9 years, a rapid increase of AL has occurred and accompanied by compensation from LT to maintain emmetropization, which gradually diminishes after age 9, suggesting that AL and LT are essential indicators for myopia control in children.
RETRACTED: Fluorinated Chitosan Mediated Transepithelial Delivery of Sanguinarine-Loaded Platinum (IV) Prodrug for Intravesical Instillation Therapy of Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Authors: Lei Qifang , Hu Xinzi , Li Guangzhi , Kong Chenfan , Deng Dashi , Xin Guizhong , Wu Song
Published: February 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Igniting interest in insight
Authors: Yanagisawa Hideyoshi , Ueda Kazutaka , Wu Xiaoxiang
Published: February 2024

In generating novel ideas during the creative process of insight, what ignites positive emotions like “Aha” experiences of interest? This study explored this by validating the biological plausibility of a mathematical model predicting emotions when shifting perspectives to recognize alternate information regarding an event. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we assessed brain activity as participants watched card magic videos with experimentally varied ease of information recognition. Results indicated that when shifting from certain to uncertain belief-based recognition, subjective interest arises if the new recognition is distant from the prior certain belief but close to the subsequent uncertain belief, accompanied by brain activations related to positive emotions. These suggest that interest emerges when deviating from conventional ideas towards unexpected yet easily comprehensible new ones, providing strategic insights for ideation.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in mortality of cancer patients in Brazil
Authors: Cunha Amanda Ramos da , Antunes José Leopoldo Ferreira
Published: February 2024

Objectives
To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mortality from all types and the five most common types of cancer in Brazil and investigate the relationship between the density of hospital beds and mortality from COVID-19 in cancer patients in Brazil’s Intermediate Geographic Regions (RGIs).
Methods
The Brazilian Mortality Information System provided data on the deaths from trachea, bronchus, and lung, colorectal, stomach, female breast, and prostate cancer and all types of cancer, and from COVID-19 in individuals who had cancer as a contributing cause of death. Death rates from the pandemic years (2020–2022) were compared to pre-pandemic ones. An association analysis, through multivariate linear regression, was carried out between mortality from COVID-19 in cancer patients, the rate of hospital beds per 100,000 inhabitants, and the Human Development Index of the 133 RGIs of Brazil. Results: In 2022, mortality from all cancers was higher than in 2019 (3.0%), as well as the mortality from colorectal (8.5%), female breast (5.2%), and prostate cancer (2.2%). Mortality from COVID-19 in cancer patients, which reached its peak in 2021 (6.0/100,000), was negatively associated with the density of hospital beds in the public health system. Conclusions: This study suggests an increase in mortality from cancer, especially the treatable ones, in 2022 as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the burden that the new disease imposed on health services. Also, the findings suggest a protective role of the availability of hospital care concerning deaths due to COVID-19 in cancer patients.
Caution for Psychiatrists: Malignant Hyperthermia Risks Following Electroconvulsive Therapy
Authors: Nakano Masaki , Takata Taketo , Wakisaka Riko , Koyama Genki , Koreki Akihiro , Ishida Takuto , Uchida Hiroyuki , Mimura Masaru , Funayama Michitaka
Published: February 2024

Background Malignant hyperthermia is a potentially lethal condition triggered by specific anesthetic drugs, especially a depolarizing muscle relaxant of suxamethonium. Despite the frequent use of suxamethonium with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), there has been no reported case of potentially lethal malignant hyperthermia following ECT. In addition, the time interval between the administration of suxamethonium and the onset of malignant hyperthermia has not been outlined in the context of ECT.Case presentation We present the case of a 79-year-old woman suffering from severe depression, who experienced severe malignant hyperthermia due to suxamethonium administration during ECT sessions. She presented with a high fever of 40.2°C, a tachycardia of 140/min, hypertension with a blood pressure exceeding 200 mmHg, significant muscle rigidity, and impaired consciousness. These symptoms emerged two hours after ECT and reached their peak in less than 24 hours. She was given 60 mg of dantrolene, which quickly reduced the muscular rigidity. Subsequently, she received two additional doses of 20 mg and 60 mg of dantrolene, which brought her fever down to 36.2°C and completely eased her muscle rigidity within two days after ECT.Conclusions This is the first reported case of potentially lethal malignant hyperthermia after ECT. In addition, it highlights the delayed onset of malignant hyperthermia following an ECT procedure, emphasizing the necessity for psychiatrists to recognize its onset even after the treatment. In the light of potentially lethal consequences of malignant hyperthemia, it is critically important for psychiatrists to closely monitor both intraoperative and postoperative patient’s vital signs and characteristic physical presentations, promptly identify any symptomatic emergence, and treat it immediately with dantrolene.
Robust senescence evaluation by transcriptome-based hUSI to facilitate characterizing cellular senescence under various conditions
Authors: Ni Ting , Wang Jing , Wang Weixu , Yao Jun , Zhou Xiaolan , Wei Gang
Published: February 2024

Despite the manifestation and contribution of cellular senescence to tissue aging and aging-related disease, the identification of in vivo senescent cells and the recognition of senescence-specific communication still remain challenging. Current senescence evaluation methods rely greatly on expression level of well-known senescence markers, enrichment of aging-related gene sets or weighted sum of curated genes. However, focusing on limited senescence aspects, these methods could not adequately capture the comprehensive senescence features. To evaluate senescence in a more general and unbiased way from the most common and easily accessible transcriptome data, we developed human universal senescence index (hUSI) to quantify human cellular senescence based on a series of weighted genes learned from representative senescence RNA-seq profiles using a machine learning algorithm. hUSI demonstrated its superior performance in distinguishing senescent samples under various conditions and robustness in handling batch effects and sparse profiles. hUSI could uncover the accumulation of senescent cells of various cell types in complex pathological conditions, and reflected the increasing senescence burden of patients and provided potential senotherapeutic targets. Furthermore, combined with gaussian mixture model, hUSI successfully inferred senescent tumor cells in melanoma and identified key target signaling pathways that are beneficial for patient prognosis. Overall, hUSI provides a valuable choice to improve our ability in characterizing cellular senescence under various conditions, illustrating promising implications in aging studies and clinical situations.
Biogeography of hot spring photosynthetic microbial biofilms in Southeast Asia
Authors: Pointing Stephen , George Christaline , Kortheerakul Chananwat , Khunthong Nithiya , Bhunjun Chitrabhanu , Chan Kok-Gan , Daroch Maurycy , Hyde Kevin , Lee Patrick , Luo Danli , Goh Kian Mau , Waditee-Sirisattha Rungaroon
Published: February 2024

Hot springs are tractable model systems in microbial ecology for investigating the interactions of photosynthetic microbial biofilms. This is because they occur across broad geographic scales, possess readily identified major abiotic variables, and are subject to minimal influence from metazoans. Despite this regional scale investigations are lacking, and major questions persist concerning the evolutionary drivers responsible for biofilm turnover at broad geographic scales. Here, we present the largest study to date, incorporating concurrent measurement of biotic and abiotic diversity and rigorous statistical analysis and modelling. We characterized 395 biofilms from neutral-alkaline hot springs spanning a 2,100km latitudinal gradient in Southeast Asia. The data clearly resolved six biogeographic regions with each defined by a core microbiome comprising specific cyanobacteria and other diverse photosynthetic, chemoheterotrophic, and chemoautotrophic taxa. Our findings demonstrated that the most influential abiotic variables (pH, conductivity, carbonate) accounted for relatively little of the observed variation in biofilm communities, and that extensive biotic interactions spanned multiple trophic levels. Importantly, we present quantitative evidence that stochasticity due to ecological drift was the most important evolutionary driver of spatial turnover at a regional scale. These insights establish a pivotal milestone in understanding of this model system, fostering enhanced testing and comparison with more intricate microbial ecosystems.
An improved YOLOv8 safety helmet wearing detection network
Authors: Song Xudong , Zhang Tiankai , Yi Weiguo
Published: February 2024

In the field of industrial safety, wearing helmets plays a vital role in ensuring workers’ health. Aiming at addressing the complex background in the industrial environment, caused by differences in distance, the helmet small target wear detection methods for misdetection and omission detection problems are needed. An improved YOLOv8 safety helmet wearing detection network is proposed to enhance the capture of details, improve multiscale feature processing and improve the accuracy of small target detection by introducing Dilation-wise Residual(DWR) attention module, Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling(ASPP) and Normalized Wasserstein Distance(NWD) loss function. Experiments were conducted on the SHWD dataset, and the results showed that the mAP of the improved network improved to 92.0%, which exceeded that of the traditional target detection network in terms of accuracy, recall, and other key metrics. These findings further improved the detection of helmet wearing in complex environments and greatly enhanced the accuracy of detection.
The Causal Relationships between Mitochondria and Six Types of Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Tang Jincheng , Zhang Jingting , Yang Renyi , Chen Hongyao , Yu Xiaopeng , Zeng Puhua , Peng Wei
Published: February 2024

Background
Mitochondria play a pivotal and multifaceted role in the progression of cancer. However, the causal relationship between mitochondria and cancer remains to be elucidated. To enhance comprehension, this study employs Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the potential causal links between mitochondria and six types of cancer.
Methods
Through MR analysis, employing the Inverse Variance Weighted method (IVW), MR-Egger method, and Weighted Median method (WM) to analyze the causal relationships between mitochondria and six types of cancer. Additionally, utilizing Cochran's Q test, leave-one-out test, and MR-Egger test to assess the reliability and stability of the causal relationship, employing Steiger directional test to determine whether mitochondrial-related exposure is an upstream factor leading to cancer.
Results
We observed a negative correlation between "39S ribosomal protein L34, mitochondrial", and others, with hepatic cancer, while "[Pyruvate dehydrogenase (acetyl-transferring)] kinase isozyme 2, mitochondrial", and others exhibited a positive correlation with hepatic cancer. "Phenylalanine–tRNA ligase, mitochondrial", and others demonstrated a negative association with colorectal cancer, whereas "Methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase, mitochondrial", and others exhibited a positive correlation with colorectal cancer. "Succinate dehydrogenase assembly factor 2, mitochondrial" exhibited a negative correlation with lung cancer, while "Superoxide dismutase [Mn], mitochondrial levels" showed a positive correlation with lung cancer. "Lon protease homolog, mitochondrial" demonstrated a positive correlation with esophageal cancer. "Iron-sulfur cluster assembly enzyme ISCU, mitochondrial", and others exhibited a negative correlation with thyroid cancer, while "Diablo homolog, mitochondrial", and others showed a positive correlation with thyroid cancer. "ADP-ribose pyrophosphatase, mitochondrial", and others exhibited a negative correlation with breast cancer, while "39S ribosomal protein L34, mitochondrial", and others showed a positive correlation with breast cancer.
Conclusions
Our findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the causal relationships between mitochondria and the six types of cancer. Additionally, it was observed that identical single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) serve as instrumental variables (IVs), influencing different cancers through mitochondrial-related exposures. This study provides relevant evidence for mitochondria to be further explored as targets for treating cancer and improving prognosis. Simultaneously, it also aids subsequent research on treating various cancers through targeting a single SNP.
Prevalence and characterization of band-shaped tail lesions in Danish Holstein dairy cows
Authors: Jensen Henrik Elvang
Published: February 2024

Band-shaped tail lesions in Danish Holstein dairy cows are present either as wounds or in the form of connective tissue formations. Both types are characterized by a median localization 7 cm from the tip of the tail, are always occurring on the dorsal side of the tail, which they can envelop completely or to varying degrees, and are often present as single lesions (93%). The prevalence of band-shaped tail lesions was observed to be 25% among 2099 cows examined in 16 Danish dairy herds with a variation from 18–40% between herds. In the herds the wound lesions and the connective tissue formations accounted for 22% and 78% of all band-shaped tail lesions, respectively. Among 458 cows examined at an abattoir the prevalence of band-shaped tail lesions was 23%, i.e. similar to the prevalence within the herds. At the abattoir the share of band-shaped wound lesions was 67% and the band-shaped connective tissue formation 33%. Associations between the occurrence of band-shaped tail lesions and parity and lack of the tail tip were observed.
Dual-energy CT-based virtual monoenergetic imaging via unsupervised learning
Authors: Liu Chi-Kuang , Chang Hui-Yu , Huang Hsuan-Ming
Published: February 2024

Since its development, virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI) derived from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has been shown to be valuable in many clinical applications. However, DECT-based VMI showed increased noise at low keV levels. In this study, we proposed an unsupervised learning method to generate VMI from DECT. This means that we don’t require training and labeled (i.e. high-quality VMI) data. Specifically, DECT images were fed into a deep learning (DL) based model expected to output VMI. Based on the theory that VMI obtained from image space data is a linear combination of DECT images, we used the model output (i.e. the predicted VMI) to recalculate DECT images. By minimizing the difference between the measured and recalculated DECT images, the DL-based model can be constrained itself to generate VMI from DECT images. We investigate whether the proposed DL-based method has the ability to improve the quality of VMIs. The experimental results obtained from patient data showed that the DL-based VMIs had better image quality than the conventional DECT-based VMIs. Moreover, the CT number differences between the DECT-based and DL-based VMIs were distributed within \(\pm\)10 HU for bone and \(\pm\)5 HU for brain, fat, and muscle. Except for bone, no statistically significant difference in CT number measurements was found between the DECT-based and DL-based VMIs (p > 0.01). Our preliminary results show that DL has the potential to unsupervisedly generate high-quality VMIs directly from DECT.
Strategies used for management of patients with COVID- 19: A comparative study of Iranian and Chinese Nurses’ experiences
Authors: Varaei Shokoh , Caihong Zhang , Siqi Zhang , Mahmoodi Parvin , Guo Honghua
Published: February 2024

Background: Availability of medical infrastructures, the ability to comprehend the transmission of a disease, the application of control strategies and proper implementation of logistic policies are vital for successful management of an epidemic in a country but all of them are under the influence of the health and management policies of countries. Thus, the present study aimed to compare the strategies used by Iranian and Chinese nurses for management plan of patients with COVID- 19.
Methods: The present study was conducted based on the conventional content analysis method and Graneheim & Lundman approach. The participants were recruited by purposeful sampling and based on inclusion criteria from the nurses working in the COVID-19 wards of Shariati hospital in Tehran of Iran and Haikou hospital in Hainan of China. The data were collected by conducting semi-structured, in-depth, one-to-one interviews until reaching data saturation. Then the differentiation of the strategies used in the two countries was investigated.
Results: In-depth interviews with 9 Chinese and 10 Iranian nurses were done. “managers as key element to overcoming the crisis” as the main category, 6 categories and 22 subcategories were excluded from Iranian interviews. “Action to Control Crisis” as the main category, 8 categories and 19 subcategories were excluded from Chinese interviews.
Conclusion: Nursing managers in China have given more importance to the process of training and preparing nurses to take care of patients with Covid-19 and reduce the transmission of infection between Health care workers. However, nursing managers in Iran have focused more on using measures to compensate for the shortage of nurses, limiting the days of hospitalization of patients and daily monitoring of nurses' performance and ventilator settings of patients.