bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cryptic Oral Microbiota: What is its Role as OSA-related Periodontal Pathogens?
Authors: Téllez Corral Mayra Alexandra , Herrera Daza Eddy , Cuervo Jimenez Hayde Kamila , Bravo Becerra María del Mar , Villamil Jean Carlos , Hidalgo Martinez Patricia , Roa Molina Nelly S. , Otero Liliana , Cortés María E. , Parra Giraldo Claudia M.
Published: November 2022

Commonly the periodontitis has been linked to periodontopathogens categorized in Socransky's microbial complexes, however, there is a lack of knowledge regarding “other microorganisms” or "cryptic microorganisms", which are rarely thought of as significant oral pathogens and are neither previously categorized nor connected to illnesses in the oral cavity. This study hypothesized that these cryptic microorganisms could contribute to the modulation of oral microbiota present in health or disease (periodontitis and/or OSA patients). For this purpose, the presence and the correlation among these cultivable cryptic oral microorganisms were identified and their possible role in both conditions was determined. Data from oral samples of individuals with or without periodontitis and with or without OSA were obtained from a previous study. Demographic data, clinical oral characteristics, and genera and species of cultivable cryptic oral microorganisms identified by MALDI-TOF were recorded. The data of 75 participants were analyzed to determine the relative frequencies of cultivable cryptic microorganisms’ genus and species, microbial clusters and correlations tests were performed. According to periodontal condition, Gingivitis - dental biofilm-induced in reduced periodontium and stage III periodontitis were found to have the highest diversity of cryptic microorganism species. Based on the experimental condition these findings showed that there are genera related to disease conditions and others related to healthy conditions, with species that could be related to different chronic diseases being highlighted as comorbidities periodontitis and OSA. The cryptic microorganisms within the oral microbiota of patients with periodontitis and OSA are present as potential pathogens, promoting the development of dysbiotic microbiota, and the occurrence of chronic diseases, which have been previously proposed to be common risk factors for periodontitis and OSA. Understanding the function of possible pathogens in the oral microbiota will take more research.
Lightweight Tennis Ball Detection Algorithm Based on Robomaster EP
Authors: Zhao Yuan , Lu Ling , Yang Wu , Li QiZheng , Zhang Xiujie
Published: November 2022

To address the problems of poor recognition, low detection accuracy, a large number of model parameters and computation, complex network structure, and unfavorable portability to embedded devices in traditional tennis ball detection algorithms, this study proposes a lightweight tennis ball detection algorithm YOLOv5s-Z based on Robomater EP. The main work is as follows: Firstly, constructing lightweight G-Backbone and G-Neck network layers to reduce the number of parameters and computation of the network structure. Secondly, the convolutional coordinate attention is incorporated in G-Backbnone to embed the location information into the channel attention, which makes the network obtain the location information in a larger area through multiple convolutions and enhances the expression ability of the mobile network learning features. In addition, the Concat module in the original feature fusion is modified into a weighted bi-directional feature pyramid W-BiFPN with settable learning weights to improve the feature fusion capability and achieve efficient weighted feature fusion and bi-directional cross-scale connectivity. The EIOU loss is introduced to split the influence factor of aspect ratio and calculate the length and width of the target frame and anchor frame respectively, combined with Focal-EIOU Loss to solve the problem of imbalance between difficult and easy samples. The activation function Meta-ACON is introduced to achieve an adaptive selection of whether to activate the neurons and improve the detection accuracy. Finally, the experimental results show that compared with the original algorithm, the YOLOv5s-Z algorithm reduces the number of parameters and computation by 42$\%$ and 44$\%$, the model size by 39$\%$, and 2$\%$ improvement in average accuracy mean value, which verifies the effectiveness of the improved algorithm and the light weight of the model to meet the deployment requirements of embedded devices, and adapts Robomaster EP for accurate detection and real-time recognition of tennis balls.
The Association Between Physical Environment and Externalising Problems in Typically Developing and Neurodiverse Children and Young People: A Narrative Review
Authors: Baird Alister , Candy Bridget , Flouri Eirini , Tyler Nick , Hassiotis Angela
Published: November 2022

The physical environment is of critical importance to child development. Understanding how exposure to domains of the physical environment such as greenspace, urbanicity, air pollution or noise affects externalising problems in typical and neurodiverse children is of particular importance given the significant long-term impact of those problems. In this narrative review we investigated the evidence for domains of the physical environment that may ameliorate or contribute to the display of externalising behaviours. We have considered a broad range of study designs that include typically developing and neurodiverse children and young people aged 0-18 years. We used the GRADE system to appraise the evidence. Searches were performed in 8 databases in July 2020 and updated in June 2022. Additional articles were further identified by hand-searching reference lists of included papers. The protocol for the review was preregistered with PROSPERO. Results: We retrieved 7174 studies of which 67 are included in this review. The studies reported on green space, environmental noise and music, air pollution, meteorological effects, spatial density, urban or rural setting, and home elements (e.g., damp/sensory aspects/colour). They all used well validated parent and child reported measures of externalising problems. Most of the studies were rated as having high or probably high risk of bias. Greenspace rurality and interior design had most evidence, although the certainty of the association was low. As expected, noise, air pollution, urbanicity, spatial density, colour and humidity appeared to increase the display of externalising behaviours. There was a dearth of studies on the role of the physical environment in neurodiverse children. The studies were heterogeneous and measured a range of externalising behaviours from symptoms to full syndromes. Greenspace exposure was the most common domain studied but certainty of evidence for the association between environmental exposures and externalising problems in the child or young person was low across all domains. We found a large knowledge gap in the literature concerning neurodiverse children, which suggests that future studies should focus on these children, who are also more likely to experience adverse early life experiences including living in more deprived environments as well as being highly vulnerable to the onset of mental ill health. Such research should also aim to dis-aggregate the mechanisms of action for both environmental influences on the externalising problems the results of which may point to pathways for public health interventions and policy development to address inequities that can be relevant to ill health in neurodiverse young people.
Determine the Exact Value of the Square Root of 2
Authors: Li Qing
Published: November 2022

The calculation of the exact value of the square root of 2 is requested. In order to obtain its infinite value, A new concept is proposed where the accumulations of the infinitely many of finity is indicated by the change in direction which means that there is a jump from finity to infinity .The meaningless for an infinite number with a decimal point is indicated by this jump because any decimal number only have meanings within a finite range values and there is only an infinite integer quantity that can not be operated by algorithms like operations of multiplication，division,addition, and subtraction . The final result of the change in direction is two quantity where the second quantity and the first quantity extend in parallel line and never intersect and the second quantity represent the size of the first quantity. The first quantity is the infinitely great that can't be talked about anything outside of it and can compress any quantities outside of it to nothing and it is the exact value of the square root of 2 .
Public Attitudes Toward Decontamination and Regional Regeneration: A Case Study of Hanford Site in Washington
Authors: Nakamura Tetsuya , Lloyd Steven , Maruyama Atsushi , Masuda Satoru ,   Kyoei University 4158 Uchimaki, Kasukabe, Saitama 344-0051, Japan,   Chiba University, Matsudo, Japan,   Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Published: November 2022

The Hanford Site in Washington State is the most contaminated area in the United States and is one of the biggest decontamination efforts in the world. During the Cold War, the area was shrouded by secrecy, including denials of any dangers to the environment, workers, and local communities downwind of the site. Efforts to regenerate neighboring areas are ongoing, including establishing the area as a national park and national monument, investing in local communities, plans to re-establish a town, encouraging viticulture and other agricultural activities, and encouraging the return of spawning salmon to the Columbia River. Rising costs and delays have hampered efforts in the clean-up process. Through an online survey, this study examines the local people’s attitudes toward these various efforts at urban and agricultural regeneration, their attitude toward information from the authorities, and budgeting for decontamination. It was found that there is widespread support for the establishment of park status for the site and that organic certification of produce has had a positive impact on purchasing intentions. However, there remains a degree of skepticism about the information about the decontamination process, and support for budgeting plans falls largely along partisan lines.
SO2 Concentration and the Occurrence of Acute Respiratory Infection in Children Under Five
Authors: Lestari Puji Amrih , Haryanto Budi
Published: November 2022

Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia, with 10.7 million inhabitants with poor air quality as of 2020. Higher levels of pollution often come with an increase in the number of health risks and pneumonia cases. This study aimed to determine the association between SO2 concentration and the occurrence of acute respiratory infection in children under five. An ecological time series design was implemented during the study by utilizing secondary data of SO2 concentrations and ARI from the Indonesian Agency for Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysics, the Special Capital Region of Jakarta Environmental, and Health Office. Statistical correlation tests were performed to analyze the association between SO2 concentration and ARI prevalence in five administrative cities in Jakarta from 2018-2021 based on the rainy and dry seasons. The average concentration of SO2 was 18.06–20.89 μg/m3. There was no significant correlation between SO2 concentration and the occurrence of ARI in children under five in Jakarta in 2018–2021, with a weak relationship (r = 0.24). It seems that children under five in Jakarta spent their time indoors rather than outdoors, so they were exposed to fewer transportation emissions.
Storms and deforestation prior to Triassic – Jurassic Boundary? Evidence from woody fossils at upmost Xujiahe Formation, Southwestern China
Authors: Zeng Jianli , Zhang Tingshan , Popa Mihai Emilian , Wang Yongdong , Li Liqin , Xu Yuanyuan , Lu Ning , Zhang Xiaoqing
Published: November 2022

Global climate and environmental changes were the main causes of the end-Triassic mass extinction. However, direct sedimentological evidence of environmental catastrophes is rare in Triassic – Jurassic interval, especially in the eastern Tethys region. The newly discoveredin-situtrunk fossils in paleosol surface and a set of unique branch-supported sandstones below may record the environmental disaster at the Triassic-Jurassic interval in the northern Sichuan Basin. Sedimentological data showed the strong storm prevalent induced the lodging direction of in-situ trunks is opposite to the direction of paleocurrent. Enhancement of large-scale runoff along with the dramatic increase of woody detrital input may indicate the deforesting at the Triassic -Jurassic boundary in eastern Tethys, Sichuan Basin.
Priming mesenchymal stromal cells with neurotrophic factors boosts the neuro-regenerative potential of their secretome
Authors: Teli Prajakta , Nachanekar Aditya , Kale Vaijayanti , Vaidya Anuradha
Published: November 2022

Aim: To explore the neuroprotective potential of the secretome (conditioned medium, CM) derived from neurotrophic factors-primed mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs; primed CM) using an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced in vitromodel system.
Methods: Establishment of ER-stressed in vitro model, immunofluorescence microscopy, real-time PCR, western blot.
Results: Exposure of ER-stressed Neuro-2a cells to the primed-CM significantly restored the neurite outgrowth parameters and improved the expression of neuronal markers like Tubb3 and Map2a in them compared to the naïve CM. Primed CM also suppressed the induction of apoptotic markers Bax and Sirt1, inflammatory markers Cox2 and NF-κB, and stress kinases such as p38 and SAPK/JNK in the stress-induced cells.
Conclusion: The secretome from primed MSCs significantly restored ER stress-induced loss of neurogenesis.
Estimated Impact of Oral Nirmatrelvir;Ritonavir on Reductions in Hospitalizations and Associated Costs within High-Risk COVID-19 Patients in the US
Authors: Sandin Rickard , Harrison Cale , Draica Florin , Wiemken Timothy Lee , Ma Cuiying , Fusco Manuela Di , Markson Leona , Dzingina Mendwas
Published: November 2022

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus is estimated to cost the United States (US) economy trillions of dollars over the next decade. Mass immunization has played a major role in reducing morbidity and mortality related to COVID-19 in the US, but the high-risk population remains vulnerable to developing severe COVID-19. A large clinical trial and several real-world evidence (RWE) studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of nirmatrelvir; ritonavir in reducing hospitalizations or death in high-risk patients. This study aimed to estimate the economic impact of using nirmatrelvir; ritonavir in a high-risk US population infected with COVID-19 as measured by reduction in hospitalizations and associated costs during a time of Omicron predominance.MethodsAn economic model was developed to estimatethe impact of nirmatrelvir; ritonavir in reducing hospitalizations and associated costs from a healthcare perspective. The model compared nirmatrelvir; ritonavir with no treatment in the outpatient setting among patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 at high-risk of progressing to severe disease as consistent with the EPIC-HR trial. Hospitalization rate reductions were derived from recent RWE studies conducted during the Omicron period while costs were gathered from the literature. A simulated population of 100,000 COVID-19 patients was modelled and was restricted to patients ≥12 years of age. Sensitivity analyses applied alternative model assumptions.ResultsResults from the model showed that treatment with nirmatrelvir; ritonavir was associated with fewer hospitalizations compared to no treatment, 3,269 vs 6,134 per 100,000 patients, respectively, with a reduction of 2,865 hospitalizations per 100,000 patients and an estimated cost savings of $133,754,359 per 100,000 patients ($152,634,256 for nirmatrelvir; ritonavir and $286,388,614 for no treatment). Varying the rate of hospitalization by 10% showed similar results.ConclusionTreatment with nirmatrelvir; ritonavir during the Omicron period could result in substantial cost savings due to reduction in hospitalizations. This is an important outcome measure that will help reduce the devastating economic burden that COVID-19 has imposed on the US health care system.
Diversity, community composition and phylogeny of culturable fungal endophytes of Dioscorea bulbifera L.
Authors: Sharma Supriya , Dhar Manoj K , Kaul Sanjana
Published: November 2022

The origin of endophytic symbiosis dates long back in evolutionary history. Over the period of evolution, they have established a special relationship with their host plants. The research nowadays is focused on understanding the ecology, evolution and bioactive potential of endophytes. The current study is aimed to describe the biodiversity of culturable fungal endophytes associated with Dioscorea bulbifera L. Overall, the endophytic fungal taxa belonged to two phyla, four classes, ten orders, twenty-five genera and thirty-eight species showing abundant diversity. The class Dothidiomycetes was reported to be the richest and most abundant in terms of species richness. Diversity indices demonstrated significant diversity of fungal endophytes within and between the different tissues. Moreover, fungal isolates such as, Acrocalymma medicaginis, Curvularia lycoperscii, Talaromyces macrospora, Fusarium laceratum, Paecilomyces formosus and Microascus cirrosus obtained in this study have not been reported earlier as endophytes from any plant. The endophytic fungal isolates, Nigrospora oryzae, Flavodon flavus and Talaromyces sp., have been reported first time as endophytes from D. bulbifera L. Since, the relevance of endophyte-plant interactions is still indistinct therefore, deeper understanding of these interactions at molecular and genetic level is required to be done.
Oligoribonuclease mediates high adaptability of P. aeruginosa through metabolic conversion
Authors: Yang Lulu , Bajinka Ousman , Qi Mingming , Wang Lili , Wu Guojun , Tan Yurong
Published: November 2022

Oligoribonuclease (Orn) of P. aeruginosa is a highly conserved exonuclease, which can regulate the global gene expression levels of bacteria through regulation of both the nanoRNA and c-di-GMP. NanoRNA can regulate the expression of the bacterial global genome as a transcription initiator, and c-di-GMP is the most widely second messenger in bacterial cells. This study seeks to elucidate on the regulation of orn on pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa with orn deletion was constructed by suicide plasmid homologous recombination method. The possible regulatory process of orn was analyzed by TMT quantitative labeling proteomics. Then experiments were conducted to verify the changes of Δorn on bacterial motility, virulence and biofilm formation. Bacterial pathogenicity was further detected in cell and animal skin trauma models. ELISA detection c-di-GMP concentration and colony aggregation and biofilm formation were observed by scanning electron microscope. orn deletion changed the global metabolism of P. aeruginosa and reduced intracellular energy metabolism. It leads to the disorder of the quorum sensing system, the reduction of bacterial motility and virulence factors pyocyanin and rhamnolipids. But, orn deletion enhanced pathogenicity in vitro and in vivo, a high level of c-di-GMP and biofilm development of P. aeruginosa. Orn regulates the ability of P. aeruginosa to adapt to the external environment
Characterization of Acoustic Parameters in Phases of Masticatory Sequence
Authors: Xia Yue , Wang Lu
Published: November 2022

Background: Chewing food produces characteristic sounds of the breakage of food. Due to the limitations of sound collection devices, there have been few studies on chewing sounds in the different phases of mastication. Thus, there has been no significant progress in the field of mastication sound. In addition, the characterization of acoustic signals in mastication remains unclear. Our aim was to investigate the correlation between mastication indicators and acoustic signals and the variations of these metrics throughout the entire phase of chewing process. Methods: Fifty-two volunteers with healthy dentition consumed natural foods (peanuts), and the mastication sounds at four stages in the mastication process were recorded by a bone-conduction microphone and further analysed by the acoustic software Praat 5.4.04. The granulometry of the expectorated food boluses was characterized by the median particle size (D50, D50a, D50b, D50c) in each of the four phases of the chewing sequence. Kinematic parameters, including the chewing cycles (CC, CCa, CCb, CCc), and the chewing frequency (CF, CFa, CFb, CFc), and acoustic parameters, including mastication sound pitch (MP, MPa, MPb, MPc) and mastication sound intensity (MI, MIa, MIb, MIc) were recorded and analysed by Praat 5.5.04. Independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVAs and Pearson correlation analyses were used where applicable.
Results: Significant differences in the chewing cycles (CC, CCa, CCb, CCc), mastication sound intensity (MI, MIa, MIb, MIc) and granulometry of food boluses (D50, D50a, D50b, D50c) parameters were found in all four stages when compared by sex (t-test, p<0.01, p<0.01, p<0.01, respectively). Significant differences were observed in mastication sound intensity and granulometry of the food bolus group between different phases of mastication (one-way ANOVA, p<0.01, p<0.01). Comparing all of the indicators, a highly negative correlation was found between mastication sound intensity and granulometry of food boluses at each stage of mastication: MI and D50, MIa and D50a, MIb and D50b, and MIc and D50c (r=-0.94, r=-0.85, r=-0.94, r=-0.95, respectively; p<0.01). No significant correlation was found between the remaining acoustic and mastication parameters.
Conclusions: Variations in mastication sound intensity and the granulometry of the food bolus were highly correlated in all four phases of mastication. Mastication sound intensity may be a new and essential approach for studying mastication.
Decomposition of Matrix Product States into Shallow Quantum Circuits
Authors: Perdomo-Ortiz Alejandro , Rudolph Manuel , Chen Jing , Miller Jacob , Acharya Atithi
Published: November 2022

Tensor networks (TNs) are a family of computational methods built on graph-structured factorizations of large tensors, which have long represented state-of-the-art methods for the approximate simulation of complex quantum systems on classical computers. The rapid pace of recent advancements in numerical computation, notably the rise of GPU and TPU hardware accelerators, have allowed TN algorithms to scale to even larger quantum simulation problems, and to be employed more broadly for solving machine learning tasks. The "quantum-inspired" nature of TNs permits them to be mapped to parametrized quantum circuits (PQCs), a fact which has inspired recent proposals for enhancing the performance of TN algorithms using near-term quantum devices, as well as enabling joint quantum-classical training frameworks which benefit from the distinct strengths of TN and PQC models. However, the success of any such methods depends on efficient and accurate methods for approximating TN states using realistic quantum circuits, something which remains an unresolved question.
In this work, we compare a range of novel and previously-developed algorithmic protocols for decomposing matrix product states (MPS) of arbitrary bond dimension into low-depth quantum circuits consisting of stacked linear layers of two-qubit unitaries. These protocols are formed from different combinations of a preexisting analytical decomposition scheme with constrained optimization of circuit unitaries, and all possess efficient classical runtimes. Our experimental results reveal one particular protocol, involving sequential growth and optimization of the quantum circuit, to outperform all other methods, with even greater benefits seen in the setting of limited computational resources. Given these promising results, we expect our proposed decomposition protocol to form a useful ingredient within any joint application of TNs and PQCs, in turn further unlocking the rich and complementary benefits of classical and quantum computation.
African Society for Immunodeficiency (Asid) Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Inborn Errors of Immunity in Africa: Core Concept, Development and Initial Results
Authors: Goda Rayan , Sobh Ali , Nermeen Galal , Radwan Nesrine , Barbouche Mohamed-Ridha , Ben-Mustapha Imen , Bousfiha Aziz , Jeddane Leila , Mahlaoui Nizar , Elfeky Reem
Published: November 2022

Background and aims
The African Society for Immunodeficiency (ASID), looked to form concise region-friendly guidelines for the clinical diagnosis and management of Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI). The main objective was to develop these guidelines to accommodate for the locally prevalent endemic diseases and the disparity of resources within the continent. Furthermore, the society aimed to publish these guidelines to increase awareness among African physicians, and facilitate patient capture, diagnosis and initial management.
Methods
The African Society for Immunodeficiency convened an African IEI guidelines taskforce, which developed an initial standard operating procedure. This document entailed the main list of IEI in need of urgent guidelines formulation, validation and review processes. The first group of diseases chosen to start the formulation of the guidelines were diseases of immune dysregulation. Simultaneously, this was associated with assigning a local African IEI guidelines working party, consisting of mainly locally established experts and young doctors.
Results
Two pilot studies were produced for the project targeting the clinical diagnosis and management of autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome and Immune Dysregulation with Colitis, respectively. These guidelines will ensure better patient capture, diagnosis, and management especially given local endemic diseases and lack of resources. Moreover, it shall increase local inter-centre or regional collaboration with pioneers and experts within the field inside as well as outside the African continent.
Hemorrhoidal Disease among doctors from Grade-A Tertiary Hospitals in Big Cities of China: results from web-based doctors as patients survey
Authors: Qiu Xiaoyuan , Liu Yuxin , Shi Weikun , Lin Guole
Published: November 2022

Background Doctors are at high risk of developing hemorrhoidal disease (HD), but it’s still not clear that how much doctors aware of this problem. OASIS (dOctors AS patIentS) study was conducted to understand the prevalence, awareness, diagnosis and treatment of HD among doctors in big cities of China.
Methods From August to October in 2020, an online survey was conducted through questionnaire among doctors from grade-A tertiary hospitals in 29 provinces across China.
Results A total of 1227 questionnaires were collected. The prevalence of HD was 56.8%, with a significant difference between internists and surgeons (P=0.01). 15.6% doctors with HD did not know well about the chronic nature of HD. 91.5% of doctors adopted general treatment, and 83.0% doctors considered that “oral medications are used only after ineffective topical medications”. Among the oral medications, the Micronized Purified Flavonoid Fraction (MPFF) performed best on the scores of the three most valuable aspects, but only 17% doctors had received treatment with MPFF.
Conclusions Doctors are at higher risk of developing HD, and HD is highly prevalent among Chinese doctors, but the awareness of that is not enough. There is a gap between the HD clinical practice and guideline recommendations even in doctors, such as late initiation of oral drug therapy and inadequate oral drug therapy. Therefore, awareness and standardized treatment of HD should be strengthened among Chinese doctors, and what’s more, ordinary people.
The changes of chromium speciation in limestone samples during simulated natural attenuation processes
Authors: Zhao Jiujiang , Zhang Jing , Liu Yongbing , Zhao Hong , Zhao Wenbo
Published: November 2022

To study the Cr(VI) natural attenuation processes, Cr(VI) diffusion-reaction experiments for limestone samples were conducted. After experiments, synchrotron radiation µ-XRF maps showed that for organic-rich limestone samples, most of Cr distributed close to the surface, and some high Cr spots were found to be associated with organic matters; whereas, Cr distributed evenly in the samples containing low organic matter. These results indicate that Cr(VI) reacts with organic matter in the fractures and pore space of organic-rich limestone samples, and the reducing products (Cr(III) precipitates) might aggregate and block the pore throats, which might retard the further diffusion of Cr(VI) into the rock matrix. The distributions of Cr chemical forms, which were obtained by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, showed that for organic-rich limestone samples, the Cr(OH)3 fraction in the center was higher than that on the surface, whereas, for the samples containing low organic matter, no such significant difference was found. One possible explanation for these findings is that in organic-rich limestone samples, the Cr(III) hydroxides, which aggregate in the zones close to the surface, might age and transform from crystalline to the stable chemical forms of Cr(III) oxyhydroxide or even Cr(III) oxides, which could enhance the effect of Cr(VI) natural attenuation. By using synchrotron radiation based techniques, this work provides a feasible way to investigate the changes of chromium chemical forms during its diffusion-reaction processes in rock samples and can be used to study the mechanism of Cr(VI) natural attenuation.
QSAR modeling for predicting the larvicidal activity of essential oils targeting Culex pipiens pallens (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Alem Samia , Driouche Youssouf , Haddag Hamza , Bouslama Zihad
Published: November 2022

The search for new larvicides suited for vector control of mosquitoes requires considerable time, an enormous budget, and several analytical setups.
Fortunately, the use of quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling allows the prediction of the larvicidal activity of structurally diverse chemicals against mosquitoes in a way quick and costless. This approach can be helpful to study for making biolarvicide with highest ability to destroy mosquito larvae.
We propose a quantitative structure-activity relationship model using two different statistical methods, multiple linear regression (MLR) and Support vector machine (SVM) for predicting the larvicidal activity of 30 compounds of essential oils (EOs) isolated from the root of Asarum heterotropoides against Culex pipiens pallens. A model with four theoretical descriptors derived from Dragon software was developed applying the genetic algorithm (GA)-variable subset selection (VSS) procedure. The statistical parameters, R2 = 0.9716, Q2LOO = 0.9595, s = 0.1690 of the model developed by MLR showed a good predictive capability for log LC50 values. The comparison between the results of MLR and SVM models showed that the SVM model present a good alternative to construct a QSAR model for the prediction of the larvicidal activity.
Whole genome sequencing of 2,023 colorectal cancers reveals mutational landscapes, new driver genes and immune interactions
Authors: Tomlinson Ian , Cornish Alex , Gruber Andreas , Houlston Richard , Sud Amit , Law Philip , Lakatos Eszter , Culliford Richard , Househam Jacob , Graham Trevor , Wood Henry , Quirke Philip , Lopez-Bigas Nuria , Arnedo-Pac Claudia , Chubb Daniel , Leathlobhair Maire Ni , Noyvert Boris , Kinnersley Ben , Cross William , Murugaesu Nirupa , Sosinsky Alona , Mitchell Jonathan , Alexandrov Ludmil , Zapata Luis , Fernandez-Tajes Juan , Thorn Steve , Sherwood Kitty , Gul Guler , Hawari Aliah , Sottoriva Andrea , Church David , Caravagna Giulio , Wedge David , Frangou Anna
Published: November 2022

To characterise the somatic alterations in colorectal cancer (CRC), we conducted whole-genome sequencing analysis of 2,023 tumours. We provide the most detailed high-resolution map to date of somatic mutations in CRC, and demonstrate associations with clinicopathological features, in particular location in the large bowel. We refined the mutational processes and signatures acting in colorectal tumorigenesis. In analyses across the sample set or restricted to molecular subtypes, we identified 185 CRC driver genes, of which 117 were previously unreported. New drivers acted in various molecular pathways, including Wnt (CTNND1, AXIN1, TCF3), TGF-β/BMP (TGFBR1) and MAP kinase (RASGRF1, RASA1, RAF1, and several MAP2K and MAP3K loci). Non-coding drivers included intronic neo-splice site alterations in APC and SMAD4. Whilst there was evidence of an excess of mutations in functionally active regions of the non-coding genome, no specific drivers were called with high confidence. Novel recurrent copy number changes included deletions of PIK3R1 and PWRN1, as well as amplification of CCND3 and NEDD9. Putative driver structural variants included BRD4 and SOX9 regulatory elements, and ACVR2A and ANKRD11 hotspot deletions. The frequencies of many driver mutations, including somatic Wnt and Ras pathway variants, showed a gradient along the colorectum. The Pks-pathogenic E. coli signature and TP53 mutations were primarily associated with rectal cancer. A set of unreported immune escape driver genes was found, primarily in hypermutated CRCs, most of which showed evidence of genetic evasion of the anti-cancer immune response. About 25% of cancers had a potentially actionable mutation for a known therapy. Thirty-three of the new driver genes were predicted to be essential, 17 possessed a druggable structure, and nine had a bioactive compound available. Our findings provide further insight into the genetics and biology of CRC, especially tumour subtypes defined by genomic instability or clinicopathological features.
Diverse, abundant and stable coastal RNA viruses identified by spatiotemporal metatranscriptomics
Authors: Sun Jianhua , Zheng Kaiyang , Liang Yan , Shi Mang , Han Meiaoxue , Liu Gang , Gu Chengxiang , Zhang Xin , Chen Xuechao , Gao Chen , Shao Hong , Guo Cui , He Hui , Wang Hualong , Sung Yeong Yik , Mok Wen Jye , Wong Li Lian , Wang Zongling , McMinn Andrew , Wang Min
Published: November 2022

The diversity and spatiotemporal dynamics of a coastal RNA virus community, was investigated focusing on the effects of a bloom of the macroalgae U. prolifera through a metatranscriptomic reconstruction of ~ 880Gb of Qingdao Coastal RNA sequences from May 2019 to December 2020. 6,079 RNA viral contigs were identified and these generated 2,351 viral operational taxonomic units within known orders. The analysis found that structural components of the coastal marine RNA virus community are diverse, abundant and stable. The viruses were mainly associated with eukaryotes from Intramacronucleata, Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta and Dinophyceae, bacteria from Flavobacteriales and Rhodobacterales and MGII and Nitrosopumilales from archaea. The viral auxiliary metabolic genes indicate that coastal RNA viruses manipulate reprogramming of diverse host metabolisms, including carbon cycling, signaling pathways, membrane transport, transcription and translation. Together these results provide critical insights for incorporating RNA viruses into marine ecological and epidemiological models.
Progress of mental strain in German public administrations in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Claassen Kevin , Wrede Sammy J.S. , Kettschau Jan P. , Anjos Dominique Rodil dos , Broding Horst C.
Published: November 2022

Purpose
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an acceleration in the usage of digital working methods occurred in the setting of German public administrations. Besides the ostensible risk of infection due to the virus, compound mental stress arose for the employees. A subsequent progression of mental strain is to be examined. The aim is to estimate a residual pandemic effect approximated by controlling common influencing factors.
Methods
An online survey was conducted in 2020 and repeated 2022 among > 500 employees from three public administrations in Germany. Mental strain was measured using the Wuppertal Screening Instrument for Psychological Strain. The temporal variation was operationalized by the 1st and 2nd survey as an independent variable. For hypothesis testing, a t-test was calculated. A pooled OLS regression of the time-dependent differences was performed as a pre/post evaluation, supplemented by Breusch-Pagan and Durbin-Watson tests as well as calculation of variance inflation factors.
Results
More than 70% of the public administration’s employees experienced non-optimal mental strain. The multiple regression model showed a significant increase in mental strain as well when the influence of socio-demographic changes on the department level was controlled for (β = -0.095, t = -2.275, df = 30, p < 0.05). Children, age and university degree were significant predictors of mental strain. The R-square revealed that about 40% of the variance in the temporal variation of mental strain could be explained by the temporal variation of the independent variables.
Conclusion
The observed influential factors explain a significant proportion of the increased mental strain in German public administration workers. Still, more than half of the increase remains unexplained. Environmental influences within the observed period were largely determined by the pandemic conditions. The results place emphasis on the health-related challenges as consequences even beyond the pandemic.
Subclassification of Breast Cancer through Comprehensive Multi-omics Data to Benefit Distinct Survival Outcomes
Authors: Fan Yuxuan , Zhang Ling , Gao Zhaorong , Wei Jiayi , Wang Jun , Shi Xiujing , Guo Zhen , Wang Xiao
Published: November 2022

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous complex of disease consisting of several subtypes which display different biological and clinical behaviors. Traditional classification methods regarding histological types, tumor size and histological grade have limitations in classification of breast cancer subtypes. In the past decade, the development of high-throughput technologies in omics allowed us to discover breast cancer’s molecular subtypes and biomarkers. In this study, different feature selection techniques consist of t-test, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Boruta were applied to select the most significant features from the omics data, including exon expression RNA-seq, methylation450k and gene expression RNA-seq collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The significant features being selected were used as inputs for machine learning classifiers for breast cancer classification. We evaluated five different classification models including random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), naive Bayes (NB), k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS). The results show that the performances of the combined model based on exon expression and gene expression RNA-seq were better than other classification methods in terms of accuracy. Interestingly, our partitioning of luminal samples by SVM, NB and MARS would have a clinical advantage over the PAM50 partition of the luminal samples though their predictions only moderately agree with PAM50 calls. Based on the methylation data, the screened four methylation-driven genes (PRDM16, ADPRHL1, SPRY1, and TBCC) were identified to associate with tumorigenesis. Moreover, survival analysis showed DNA methylation profiles improved prediction of survival outcomes for luminal A and luminal B subtypes. Our results suggested that RNA-seq, exon expression and methylation hold complementary information for classifying breast cancer subtypes. Analysis of samples using methylation data demonstrates that the sample partitions predicted by SVM, NB and MARS show a higher relation with methylation patterns. We delineated genomic epigenomic characteristic for breast cancer subtypes as well as their specific survival. Compared with the PAM50 standard, our improved and refined feature selection and classification provide diagnostic markers and may contribute to the precision of diagnosis and thus, to more personalized treatment.
The effect of “PCMC+Scenario simulation” PAD class mode on midwifery students
Authors: Wang Yuji , Yang Jianying , Huang Yan
Published: November 2022

Objective: To investigate the effect of “PCMC (Problem-originated Clinical Medical Curriculum) + Scenario simulation” PAD (presentation–assimilation–discussion) class mode in the teaching of midwifery students.
Backgroud: Assessment ability is the core of midwives’ effective judgment and treatment of clinical problems. The clinical assessment ability of midwifery students in China is mostly at a medium or low level. Improving clinical assessment ability, especially critical thinking of midwifery students, is of great significance to midwifery practice education.
Method: A total of 104 midwifery students in four grades of West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University were selected as the research objects. Grades 16 and 17 were the control group for routine teaching in Midwifery Health Assessment, and Grades 18 and 19 were for the experimental group, using the "PCMC + Scenario simulation" PAD class mode, and a questionnaire survey was conducted after the intervention.
Results: After intervention, the critical thinking ability of the experimental group was higher than the control group (284.81±27.98 and 300.94±31.67, p=0.008). And the four dimensions of Open-mindedness (40.56± 5.60and 43.59± 4.90, p=0.005), Analyticity (42.83± 5.17and 45.42± 5.72, p=0.020), Systematicity (38.79±4.70 and 41.88±6.11, p=0.006), and Critical thinking self-confidence (41.35± 5.92 and43.83±5.89, p=0.039) were higher than the control group. And the course satisfaction of the experimental group was higher than the control group (84.81± 8.49 and 90.19± 8.41, p = 0.002).
Conclusion: The “PCMC + Scenario simulation” PAD class mode can improve the critical thinking ability of midwifery students. And enhance the curriculum satisfaction.
The Effect of Guided group Reflection on the Ability and Convenience of Breaking Bad News in Pre-hospital Emergency Staff
Authors: Zarezadeh Mohammad Reza , Mirzaei Samaneh , Mirjalili Seyed Mohammad Javad , Nasiriani Khadijeh
Published: November 2022

Background:Bad news refers to the category of news that create negative changes in a person's understanding or expectations of his present and future. Breaking bad news (BBN) is a stressful task that may have disturbing effects on the professional performance and general health of the medical staff. Pre-hospital emergency staff often needs to break bad news to the patient or his family. This study was conducted to determine the effect of Guided group Reflection training on the ability and comfort of BBN in pre-hospital emergency staff.
Methods:This quasi-experimental study was conducted on a total of 95 operational staff of the pre-hospital emergency ward in Yazd, Iran, in two groups: the case and the control groups. For the case group, a 4-hour training workshop on BBN was held, and then a group was formed in virtual space to discuss and exchange opinions about the scenarios of encountering and reflecting on it. Data collection tools were SPIKES Questionnaire and the Convenience of Breaking Bad News Questionnaire. The data were analyzed with SPSS.
Results: The mean score of the ability to break bad news after the intervention was 44.01±6.21 in the case group and 31.40±4.51 in the control group, and a significant difference was found using the independent t-test (P=0.0001). Besides, the mean scores of the convenience of BBN in post-test was 5.52±1.64 in the case group and 3.50±1.28 in the control group using the independent t-test with a significant difference (P=0.0001).
Conclusion:According to the findings, training in Guided group Reflection improved the ability to report bad news and its convenience in pre-hospital emergency staff; so, the use of this method in training and retraining for this group is suggested.
Breakthrough: A First-In-Class Virtual Simulator for Dose Optimization of ACE Inhibitors in Translational Cardiovascular Medicine
Authors: Schneider Benjamin K. , Ward Jessica , Sotillo Samantha , Garelli-Paar Catherine , Guillot Emilie , Prikazsky Marc , Mochel Jonathan P.
Published: November 2022

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-systems (RAAS) play a central role in the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure (CHF), justifying the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) in dogs and humans with cardiac diseases. Seminal studies in canine CHF had suggested that the pharmacological action of benazepril was relatively independent of doses greater than 0.25 mg/kg P.O, thereby providing a rationale for the European labeled dose of benazepril in dogs with CHF. However, most of these earlier studies relied on measures of ACE activity, a sub-optimal endpoint to characterize the effect of ACEi on the RAAS. The objectives of this study were (i) to expand on previous mathematical modeling efforts of the dose-exposure-response relationship of benazepril on biomarkers of the RAAS which are relevant to CHF pathophysiology and disease prognosis; and (ii) to develop a software implementation capable of simulating clinical trials in benazepril in dogs bedside dose optimization. Our results suggest that 0.5 mg/kg PO q12h of benazepril produces the most robust reduction in angiotensin II and upregulation of RAASalternative pathwaybiomarkers. This model will eventually be expanded to include relevant clinical endpoints, which will be evaluated in an upcoming prospective trial in canine patients with CHF.
Comparison of hook wire combined with indocyanine green and hook wire alone for localization of pulmonary nodules in TV-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
Authors: Qian Jianhua , Huang Bo
Published: November 2022

Objectives：Comparison of hook wire combined with indocyanine green（ICG） and hook wire alone for localizing pulmonary nodules in TV-assisted thoracoscopic surgery（VATS).
Methods：From September 2020 to October 2022, a total of 117 patients underwent computed tomography-guided localization of pulmonary nodules prior to VATS at the same medical institution. Among them, 42 patients received dual localization with hook wire combined with ICG, constituting a dual localization group, and 75 patients received only hook wire localization, constituting a single localization group. We performed a retrospective comparative analysis of the preoperative localization and major intraoperative problems in these 117 patients.
Results：No serious complications occurred in either positioning group. The cough complication rate was higher in the dual localization group (9.5% versus 0.0%, P=0.015). The difference in positioning time between the two groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.452). Seven patients in the single localization group required extended pneumonectomy compared with none in the dual localization group (9.3% versus 0.0%, P = 0.048).
Conclusions：Hook wire combined with ICG increases cough complications compared to hook wire alone for localizing pulmonary nodules but is effective in reducing the enlargement of the pneumonectomy.