bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wheat leaf rust resistance conferred by the terminal region of Thinopyrum intermedium chromosome 7JsS
Authors: Yang Guotang , Zhang Na , Boshoff Willem H.P. , Li Hongwei , Li Bin , Li Zhensheng , Zheng Qi
Published: May 2023

Partial amphiploid Xiaoyan 78829 contains 14 Thinopyrum intermedium chromosomes and exhibits excellent resistance to fungal disease. To transfer this resistance to common wheat, a translocation line WTT26 was developed by pollen irradiation. Disease evaluation showed that WTT26 was nearly immune to 14 common races of Puccinia triticina, highly resistant to P. graminis f. sp. tritici Ug99 race PTKST at the seedling stage as well as to Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici under field conditions at the adult plant stage. Cytogenetic identification, single nucleotide polymorphism array analysis and Th. intermedium-specific marker amplification, revealed that WTT26 carries the T4BS·7JsS translocation. Novel translocation lines with desirable yield characters and excellent leaf rust resistance was developed using irradiation. A total of 124 specific markers were developed using specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing to further enrich the marker information of chromosome 7JsS. Furthermore, a refined physical map of chromosome 7JsS that contains 74 specific markers was constructed with its dissection into six physical regions. Combining data from specific marker amplification and resistance evaluation resulted in a new leaf rust resistance locus mapped in the 0–69.29 Mb region on chromosome 7JsS. These new developed translocation lines and markers will contribute to wheat breeding for disease resistance.
Finding spatially variable ligand-receptor interactions from spatial transcriptomes
Authors: LI Shiying , WANG Ruohan , LIU Sitong , Li Shuai Cheng
Published: May 2023

Spatial transcriptomics has emerged as a groundbreaking tool for studying ligand-receptor interactions between cells, where such interactions can exhibit spatial variability. To identify spatially variable ligand-receptor interactions (SVIs), we present SPIDER, which constructs cell-cell interaction interfaces with minimized Dirichlet energy, models interface profiles with knowledge-graph-informed interaction signals, and identifies spatially variable signals with multiple probabilistic models. We applied SPIDER to twelve datasets from five platforms of various tissues and obtained intriguing insights. First, applying SPIDER to mouse-developing embryo data identifies distinct SVIs that potentially drive the early dorsal-ventral separation of esophageal tracheal progenitors, and applying SPIDER to lung samples suggests the proximal-distal differentiation axis of lung development. Then, from the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas dataset, SPIDER identified two SVI-defined clusters at the tumor boundary and an immune niche of mixed immune cells. Furthermore, on a curated breast cancer database of seventeen samples from three cancer subtypes, SPIDER identified transient SVIs along the tumor-microenvironment trajectory that are invariant or specific to cancer subtypes. Finally, in mouse and human cortex samples with manual annotations, SPIDER identified SVIs that improved spot clustering, trajectory inference, and single-cell reconstruction.
Shikonin enhances the efficacy of PD-1 blockade in colorectal cancer by inducing immunogenic cell death
Authors: Chen Jinghua , Liu Jie , Liu Xiaolin , Wang Jun , Wang Xiumei , Ye Xin , Xie Qi , Liang Jing , Li Yan
Published: May 2023

Background: PD-1 blockade has shown impressive clinical outcomes in colorectal cancers patients with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H). However, the majority of patients with colorectal cancer who present low microsatellite instability (MSI-L) or stable microsatellites (MSS) show little response to PD-1 blockade therapy. Here, we have demonstrated that Shikonin (SK) could induce cell death of CT26 cells via classically programmed and immunogenic pathways.
Methods and Results: SK promoted the membrane exposure of calreticulin and upregulated the expression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70). The upregulation of Hsp70 was dependent on ROS induced by SK and silencing of PKM2 in CT26 cells reverts ROS upregulation. Besides, SK synergizes with PD-1 blockade in CT26 xenograft mice model, with the increase of intramural DC cells and CD8+T cells. The expression of Hsp70 in tumor tissue was also increased in combinational SK plus αPD-1 therapy group.
Conclusions: Our study elucidated the potential role of ‘Shikonin-PKM2-ROS-Hsp70-ICD’ axis in the promotion of efficacy of PD-1 blockade in CRC treatments, providing a potential strategy and targets for improving the efficacy of PD-1 blockade in colorectal cancer.
Ontogeny shapes individual specialization
Authors: Hertel Anne , Albrecht Jörg , Selva Nuria , Sergiel Agnieszka , Hobson Keith , Janz David , Mulch Andreas , Kindberg Jonas , Hansen Jennifer , Frank Shane , Zedrosser Andreas , Mueller Thomas
Published: May 2023

Individual dietary specialization, where individuals occupy a subset of a population’s wider dietary niche, is of key importance for species’ resilience against environmental change. However, the ontogeny of individual specialization, as well as associated underlying social learning, genetic, and environmental drivers remain poorly understood. Using a multigenerational dataset of female European brown bears (Ursus arctos) followed since birth, we discerned the relative contributions of social learning, genetic predisposition, environmental forcings, and maternal effects to individual dietary specialization. Individual specialization varied from omnivorous to carnivorous diets spanning half a trophic position. The main determinants of this dietary specialization were maternal learning during rearing (13%), environmental similarity (12%), maternal effects (11%), and permanent individual effects (8%), whereas the contribution of genetic heritability was negligible. Importantly, the offspring’s trophic position closely resembled the trophic position of their mothers during the first 3-4 years after separation from the mother, but this relationship ceased with increasing time since separation. Our study reveals that social learning and maternal effects are as important for individual dietary specialization as environmental forcings. We propose a tighter integration of social effects into future studies of range expansion and habitat selection under global change that, to date, are mostly explained by environmental drivers.
In-vivo biocontrol of Fusarium wilt in chilli plants using hypersaline Bacillus paralicheniformis strain MPSK23
Authors: Pawaskar M. , Kerkar S
Published: May 2023

Fusarium solani is the causative mycopathogen for wilting in chilli plants across India and results in a substantial yield loss of chillies. The current study aims at evaluating the potential of a hypersaline Bacillus paralicheniformis strain MPSK23 in the control of Fusarium wilt and its effect on the growth of the infected plants. Co-inoculation of MPSK23 with Fusarium solani, exhibited 94% decrease in weight of the pathogen in liquid media. Usage of MPSK23 as a biocontrol agent resulted in significant increase in germination percentage (100%) and germination energy (73.33%) of chilli seeds of Khola and Sitara variety. The treatment also reduced the mean germination time by 3 days in Khola and 1.5 days in Sitara. Both the hypocotyl and the root length of the seedlings exhibited increase after the MPSK23 treatment, with the vigour index of seedlings being 25 times higher than the control. In-vivo inoculation of chilli seedlings of both the varieties, with MPSK23 resulted in a complete suppression of wilt in plants hence exhibiting highest protective value against the pathogen. Increment in the plant’s defense enzyme activities (Peroxidase, Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, Polyphenol oxidase) along with total phenol content was also observed after treating with MPSK23. Similarly, the treated plants revealed better foliage, increase in total height of the plants and increase in the length and weight of roots and shoot. This study thus ascertains the role of Bacillus paralicheniformis strain MPSK23 as an effective and efficient biocontrol agent in the control of wilt in chilli plants.
PCV13 Vaccination Innovative Strategy in Weifang City, China - a case study
Authors: Wang Jiachen , Wang Yujue , XU Ruoyu , Zhang Ting , Jiang Yanyan , Wang Yuanyuan , Wang Yi , Du Yuanze , Sun Wenxue , Deng Kai , Yang Weizhong , Wang Zengwu , Feng Luzhao , Wang Chunping
Published: May 2023

Pneumococcal diseases (PDs) are highly prioritized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a vaccine-preventable disease. WHO recommends including Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) in national immunization programs worldwide. However, PCV is not included in the National Immunization Programs (NIP) and has a low vaccination coverage due to high costs in China. To address this issue, Weifang City implemented an innovative strategy for 13-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13) from June 1, 2021. This strategy aimed to provide one free dose of PCV13 to children aged 6 months to 2 years with household registration and adopt a commercial insurance model with one free dose of PCV13 in 2023 for children over 2 years old. The Weifang Municipal Health Commission and other departments conducted a comprehensive investigation and considered various factors, such as vaccine effectiveness, safety, accessibility, vaccine price, and immunization schedules for school-age children. They also solicited opinions from various stakeholders before implementing the policy. The Commission negotiated with vaccine manufacturers to maximize negotiating power and reduce vaccine prices. The implementation plan was introduced under the Healthy Weifang Strategy. After implementing the innovative strategy, the full course of vaccination coverage increased significantly, from 0.67% to 6.59%. However, the vaccination coverage is still lower compared to developed countries. Weifang's PCV13 vaccination innovative strategy is the first case in mainland China and an active pilot of non-immunization program vaccination strategies. To further promote the PCV13 vaccination, it is recommended that Weifang City continue to implement this strategy and explore appropriate financing channels. Regions with higher economic levels can innovate the implementation paths, broaden the financing channels, improve the accessibility of vaccination services, and advocate for more localities incorporate PCV13 into local expanded program on immunization or government benefiting projects. A monitoring and evaluation system should also be established to evaluate the implementation effects.
Long-Term Quality of Life and Psychological Outcomes in Live Donors Following Paediatric and Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Belgian Experience.
Authors: Onghena Louis , Poppe Carine , Nuyttens Marieke , Hecke Eline , Vanlander Aude , Troisi Roberto Ivan , de Hemptinne Bernard
Published: May 2023

Background
With an increasing shortage of deceased donors for liver transplantation, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) poses a valuable alternative. Therefore, it is important to investigate the risks healthy donors face during and after this procedure. We investigated complications and their impact on long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and physical and mental functioning.
Methods
Thirty-three out of 51 Belgian liver donors who underwent a donor hepatectomy at the Ghent University Hospital from 1/1/2000 – 31/12/2015 consented to participate. Blood samples, a liver ultrasound, a clinical examination by a liver surgeon, and a socio-psychological interview supervised by a transplant psychologist were conducted. Additionally, participants completed a survey that examined the HRQoL (SF-36 and EQ-5D-3L), Depression, anxiety and stress (DASS), and donor experiences. Fischer’s exact, Mann-Whitney-U test, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used, and statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 27.0.
Results
Donor complications were recorded in 24.8% without relation to long-term mental QoL and physical symptoms. Type of lobe donation had no significant effect on HRQoL, mood, anxiety and stress, and complications. Recipient complications and death, negative mood, anxiety, and stress were found to be related to a lower donor physical and mental HRQoL. Patients donating to pediatric recipients scored significantly better for mental and physical HRQoL.
Conclusions
Generally, donor experience is positive, with own complications having no lasting effect on QoL and mental health, however, complications in the recipient are more difficult to cope with and impact the mental HRQoL of the donor. LDLT in Belgium is ready to be standardized care for end-stage liver disease.
Association between ULK1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to multisystem tuberculosis
Authors: Zhang Juan , Xiang Xi , Liu Quan-xian , Wang Ming-Gui , He Jian-Qing
Published: May 2023

Objectives: The association of ULK1 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to tuberculosis or multisystem tuberculosis remains unclear.
Methods: We used a case‒control study in a Chinese Han population and included 411 patients with multisystem tuberculosis and 581 healthy controls. Four tag polymorphisms of the ULK1 gene at loci rs9481, rs7138581, rs11616018 and rs1134574 were selected and genotyped using a SNPscan Kit (Cat#: G0104, Genesky Biotechnologies Inc., Shanghai, China).
Results: The minor allele C of rs7138581 showed a significantly reduced risk of susceptibility to multisystemic tuberculosis (OR: 0.759, 95% CI: 0.597-0.965; P=0.025) and showed a significant association after adjusting for age and sex (ORa: 0.770, 95% CI: 0.605-0.980; Pa=0.034). In the analysis of the additive model and dominant model, rs7138581 still showed a significant reduction in the risk of multisystem tuberculosis after adjusting for age and sex (ORa: 0.761, 95% CI: 0.595-0.974; Pa=0.03 and ORa: 0.754, 95% CI: 0.573-0.993; Pa=0.044).
Conclusions: rs7138581 of the ULK1 gene may be associated with multisystem tuberculosis susceptibility in the Chinese Han population.
Ride comfort and segmental vibration transmissibility analysis of an automobile passenger model under whole body vibration
Authors: Guruguntla Veeresalingam , Lal Mohit , Ghantasala G S Pradeep , Vidyullatha P. , Alqahtani Malak S. , Alsubaie Najah , Abbas Mohamed , Soufiene Ben Othman
Published: May 2023

The examination of seated occupants' ride comfort under whole-body vibration is a complex topic that involves multiple factors. Whole-body vibration refers to the mechanical vibration that is transmitted to the entire body through a supporting surface, such as a vehicle seat, when traveling on rough or uneven surfaces.There are several methods to assess ride comfort under whole-body vibration, such as subjective assessments, objective measurements, and mathematical models. Subjective assessments involve asking participants to rate their perceived level of discomfort or satisfaction during the vibration exposure, typically using a numerical scale or questionnaire. Objective measurements include accelerometers or vibration meters that record the actual physical vibrations transmitted to the body during the exposure. Mathematical models use various physiological and biomechanical parameters to predict the level of discomfort based on the vibration data. The examination of seated occupants ride comfort under whole-body vibration (WBV) has been of great interest for many years. In this paper, a multi-body biomechanical model of a seated occupant with a backrest is proposed to perform ride comfort analysis. The novelty of the present model is that it represents complete passenger by including thighs, legs, and foot which were neglected in the past research. A multi-objective firefly algorithm (FA) is developed to evaluate the biomechanical parameters (mass, stiffness and damping) of the proposed model. Based on the optimized parameters, segmental transmissibilities are calculated and compared with experimental readings. The proposed model is then combined with a 7-dofs commercial car model to perform a ride comfort study. The ISO 2631-1:1997 ride comfort standards are used to compare the simulated segmental accelerations. Additionally, the influence of biomechanical parameters on most critical organs is analyzed to improve ride comfort. The outcomes of the analysis reveal that seated occupants perceive maximum vibration in the 3–6 Hz frequency range. To improve seated occupants' ride comfort, automotive designers must concentrate on the pelvis region. The adopted methodology and outcomes are helpful to evaluate protective measures in automobile industries. Furthermore, these procedures may be used to reduce the musculoskeletal disorders in seated occupants.
Lip reading of Sentence with combined model of long short-term memory network and temporal convolutional network.
Authors: MiLED Malek , MESSAOUD Mohamed Anouar BEN
Published: May 2023

Lip-reading is the process of recognizing speech based on lip movements. This is a difficult task because the actions of the lips when pronouncing some of the words are identical. Phoneme describes lip motions during a dialogue. During this work, we developed an accurate and robust phoneme sequence recognition system by lip reading. We applied a lip segmentation to input of the proposed network combined of long short-term memory network and temporal convolutional network. Our network is trained to predict phoneme labels from the corresponding mouth area input images. Finally, our evaluation results demonstrate that the use of lip segmented with neural network to predict phrase the performance of our system. Our proposed method improves that accuracy had 61.49% compared to other works.
Concordance of Targeted Sequencing from Circulating Tumor DNA and Paired Tumor Tissue for Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Huang Chi-Cheng , Tsai Yi-Fang , Liu Chun-Yu , Lien Pei-Ju , Lin Yen-Shu , Chao Ta-Chung , Feng Chin-Jung , Chen Yen-Jen , Lai Jiun-I , Cheng Han-Fang , Chen Bo-Fang , Hsu Chih-Yi , Chiu Jen-Hwey , Tseng Ling-Ming
Published: May 2023

Purpose
In this study we evaluated the concordance of targeted sequencing between paired circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and matched tumor samples from early breast cancers treated with curative intention. Most studies for liquid biopsy were performed for advanced disease, and we reported the scenario of early breast cancer.
Materials and Methods
The study VGH-TAYLOR comprised a subgroup of early-stage breast cancer. Molecular profiling was performed for both fresh-frozen paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue and plasma using the Oncomine Comprehensive Assay v3 and the Oncomine Breast cfDNA Assay v2, respectively. Common genes interrogated by both platforms were identified, and concordance between paired targeted sequencing results from the same individual was reported.
Results
A total of 612 patients underwent liquid biopsy; 239 (39%) of which reported at least one mutation. Among 246 early-stage patients assayed for both ctDNA and matched tumor, cfDNA assay detected 73 (29.6%) and comprehensive assay detected 201 (81.7%) breast cancers with at least one alteration (c2 test, p = 0.001). Sixty-seven (25.6%) were tested positive for both platforms, while cfDNA and comprehensive assay detected additional 10 (4%) and 138 (56%) cases, respectively. The most prevalent mutant genes were TP53 (68.3%) and KRAS (53.5%), while PIK3CA (39.4%), AKT1 (45.9%) and ERBB2 (17.1%) mutations constituted biomarkers for FDA-approved therapeutics.
Conclusion
Only one-quarter of breast cancers were concordant between tumor and liquid biopsy from the same subject. Early-stage breast cancer might shed fewer ctDNA from tumor and compromise detectability of liquid biopsy. Our study showed that tumor tissue should be the source of actionable mutation detection for early breast cancers.
Forces required to create impressions in clay
Authors: Lalicata Leonardo Maria , Stallebrass Sarah Elizabeth , McNamara Andrew
Published: May 2023

Several centrifuge and full-scale tests have demonstrated that an impression pile provides increased geotechnical capacity of up to 40% compared to a straight shafted pile depending on the quality of the indentations. The feasibility of creating indentations is governed by the strength of the clay, the capacity of the jack used in the impression tool, the impression shape and the area being impressed. Model tests and limit analyses have been carried out to optimise the impression tool. Results show that a flat-end or a flat-conical tip represents the best compromise between the need to reduce bearing capacity of the tip whilst maximising the indentation depth. Indentations must be spaced by at least 3 times their width to ensure a well-constructed impression pile with independent indentations.
Detection and Frequency of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Rifampicin Resistance Among Patients Attending the National TB Control Program in Sana'a, Yemen Using Xpert- MTB/RIF Assay
Authors: Alharazi Talal , Alzubiery Tawfique , Alcantara Jerold Casem
Published: May 2023

Background
Tuberculosis persists as the primary cause of illness and death globally and remains a significant public health issue. Multidrug resistant tuberculosis epidemic poses a significant threat to international and national tuberculosis control initiatives. The study sought to assess the frequency of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and rifampicin resistance in patients attending the National Tuberculosis Control Program, using the Xpert-MTB/RIF assay.
Methods
A large-scale cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 8896 clinical samples of suspected tuberculosis patients between 2019 to 2021. Samples were examined using the Zeil Neelsen stain and GeneXpert assay. Factors associated were identified using the chi-square and logistic regression. Multiple logistic regression was employed to find variables in binary logistic regression that were associated significantly at the P value ≤ 0.05 level.
Results
The frequency of MTB was 6.1%, with 9.1% having rifampicin resistant-MTB. MTB prevalence was significantly higher among those aged 16–30 years (P < 0.003). Patients from the Taiz governorate were significantly more likely to have MTB (P < 0.003). Old cases of TB patients, previously treated patients, were associated significantly to MTB (P < 0.040) and were highly likely to have RR-MTB (P < 0.031).
Conclusion
Patients who had previously received treatment for tuberculosis had a higher prevalence of MTB and rifampicin resistant-MTB. Thus, it is critical to implement effective control and prevention measures to limit the spread of TB, as well as improving the adherence of known TB patients to their treatment.
Knowledge Distillation of Multi-scale Dense Prediction Transformer for Self-supervised Depth Estimation
Authors: Song Jimin , Lee Sang Jun
Published: May 2023

Depth estimation is an inverse projection problem that estimates pixel-level distances from a single image. Although, supervised methods have shown promising results, it has intrinsic limitations in requiring ground truth depth from an external sensor. On the other hand, self-supervised depth estimation relieves the burden for collecting calibrated training data, while there is still a large performance gap between supervised and self-supervised methods. The objective of this study is to reduce the performance gap in supervised and self-supervised depth estimation. The loss function of previous self-supervised methods is mainly based on a photometric error, which is indirectly computed from synthesized images using depth and pose estimates. In this paper, we argue that direct depth cue is more effective to train a depth estimation network. To obtain the direct depth cue, we employed a knowledge distillation technique, which is a teacher-student learning framework. The teacher network was trained in a self-supervised manner based on a photometric error, and its predictions were utilized to train a student network. We constructed a multi-scale dense prediction transformer with Monte Carlo dropout, and multi-scale distillation loss was proposed to train the student network based on the ensemble of stochastic estimates. Experiments were conducted on the KITTI and Make3D datasets, and our proposed method achieved the state-of-the-art accuracy in self-supervised depth estimation. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/ji-min-song/KD-of-MS-DPT.
Pituitary abscess: A descriptive analysis of a series of 19 patients: a multi-center experience
Authors: Xue Qiang , Shi Xiuhua , Fu Xiaoling , Yin Yating , Zhou Hui , Liu Suiyi , Sun Qingfang , Meng Jin , Bian Liiuguan , Tan Hong , He Hua
Published: May 2023

Object: The study aims to investigate the intractable pituitary abscess (PA) diagnosis and assess the significance of combined intraoperative surgery with postoperative antibiotic treatment. Method: We retrospectively analyzed 19 pituitary abscess patients confirmed by histopathology, all consecutive patients who underwent transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) as pituitary adenomas after accepting comprehensive preoperative inspections, including routine tests, endocrine assay, and imaging examination. Result: Other sellar lesions were misdiagnosed prior to surgery. The favorable prognosis was largely due to surgical and active postoperative antibiotic therapy. Conclusion: Due to the lack of clarity in preoperative diagnosis, typical intraoperative findings and effective antibiotics are more indicative of the correct diagnosis than other tests. When it comes to therapy, optimal surgical and postoperative active antibiotic treatment benefits the PA dilemma.
An estimate of cumulative live birth rates and perinatal outcomes over multiple IVF/ICSI cycles in patients with diminished ovarian reserve at different ages: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Du Wenjing , Li Shaofei , Ma Xiaoling , Yang Yongxiu
Published: May 2023

Background
This study aims to estimate cumulative pregnancy outcomes and perinatal outcomes following frozen-embryo transfer (FET) in diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) patients who could obtain viable embryos with their eggs during in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) treatments.
Methods
This study retrospectively analyzed 1230 DOR women undergoing 2055 complete cycles from 2019 to 2021 with follow-up visits until 2022. Cumulative live birth rates (CLBRs) and perinatal outcomes across multiple IVF/ICSI cycles were compared in the study population stratified by age.
Results
The clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) per ovum pick-up (OPU) cycle for DOR patients in different age groups were 39.1%, 31% and 13.6%, respectively, but the cumulative clinical pregnancy rates (CCPRs) after OPU repeatedly reached 58.4%, 47.3% and 25.6%, respectively. The live-birth rate (LBR) was negatively associated with maternal age, with the highest LBR of 30.2% in younger DOR women (under 32 years of age) and the lowest LBR of 7.9% among women older than 38 years of age. With repeated oocyte retrievals, CLBRs per patient in the three groups reached 52.0%, 43.3% and 18.0%. Based on binary logistic regression, the number of transferred embryos per transfer and type of transferred embryos were positively associated with the CCPR and CLBR. In addition, we found that the incidence of low birth weight was highest in young DOR patients. However, there was no association between DOR and the obstetric outcomes.
Conclusions
Cumulative pregnancy outcomes following FET were reasonable for DOR patients with different ages using viable embryos derived from autologous oocytes through repeated oocyte retrievals.
Biosorption of nickel and cadmium using Pachira aquatica Aubl. peel Biochar
Authors: Nascimento Talita L. S. , Oliveira Karine F. S. , Junior Joemil O. D. , Pimenta Alexandre S. , Melo Dulce M. A. , Melo Marcus A. F , Braga Renata Martins
Published: May 2023

Chemical contamination of the environment by heavy metals is becoming a serious problem in the worldwide due to increased human activities and industrial development. Therefore, researchers have been looking for alternatives to remediate these contaminants with economical and efficient technologies. This work aimed to value Pachira aquatica Aubl. fruit peels through the applicability of this material in the biosorption process for removal of Ni(II) and Cd(II) metal ions. Characterization of Pachira aquatica Aubl. fruit peel biochar (PAB) was performed through the proximate analysis, helium pycnometry, XRD, SEM, point of zero charges, zeta potential, and Boehm titration method. Design of experiment (DOE) was carried out, as well as kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic batch biosorption, and finally, column biosorption tests were performed. The PAB presents potential as a biosorbent due to its low amount of moisture, density similar to that of commercial activated carbons, neutral point of zero charges, porous, irregular, heterogeneous, and negative surface within the presence of functional groups capable of efficiently connecting with heavy metal. The biosorption equilibrium time was obtained at 300 min for both ions, following a pseudo second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. The column tests presented an exhaust volume of 40.2 mg/L and 29.2 mg/L for Ni(II) and Cd(II), respectively. Thus, it is concluded that the PAB has the potential as a biosorbent for the removal of heavy, it leads to the valorization of this co-product and the reduction of environmental pollution.
Effect of duration of adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 (6 versus 12 months) for resected pancreatic cancer: the multicenter clinical randomized phase II postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy S-1 (PACS-1) trial
Authors: Kayashima Hiroto , Itoh Shinji , Shimokawa Mototsugu , Hayashi Hiromitsu , Takamori Hiroshi , Fukuzawa Kengo , Ninomiya Mizuki , Araki Kenichiro , Yamashita Yo-ichi , Sugimachi Keishi , Uchiyama Hideaki , Morine Yuji , Utsunomiya Tohru , Uwagawa Tadashi , Maeda Takashi , Baba Hideo , Yoshizumi Tomoharu
Published: May 2023

Background: Six months of adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 is standard care for resected pancreatic cancer in Japan; however, the optimal duration has not been established. We aimed to evaluate the impact of duration of adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1.
Methods: We performed a multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase II study. Patients with histologically proven invasive pancreatic ductal carcinoma, pathological stage I–III, and no local residual or microscopic residual tumor were eligible. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive 6 or 12 months of adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1. The primary endpoint was 2-year overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS) and feasibility.
Results: A total of 170 patients were randomized (85 per group); the full analysis set was 82 in both groups. Completion rates were 64.7% (6-month group) and 44.0% (12-month group). Two-year OS was 71.5% (6-month group) and 65.4% (12-month group) (hazard ratio (HR): 1.143; 80% confidence interval (CI): 0.841–1.553; P = 0.5758). Two-year DFS was 46.4% (6-month group) and 44.9% (12-month group) (HR: 1.069; 95% CI: 0.727–1.572; P = 0.6448). In patients who completed the regimen, 2-year DFS was 56.5% (6-month group) and 75.0% (12-month group) (HR: 0.586; 95% CI: 0.310–1.105; P = 0.0944). Frequent (≥ 5%) grade ≥ 3 adverse events comprised anorexia (10.5% in the 6-month group) and diarrhea (5.3% vs. 5.1%; 6- vs. 12-month group, respectively).
Conclusions: In patients with resected pancreatic cancer, 12 months of adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 was not superior to 6 months regarding OS and DFS.
Geometrically Stable 3D-Point Cloud Encryption via Chaotic Permutations and Pointwise Rotations
Authors: Annaby M. H. , Mahmoud M. E. , Abdusalam H. A. , Ayad H. A. , Rushdi M. A.
Published: May 2023

Three-dimensional point-cloud data has been enormously abundant with the emergence of numerous technologies for 3D data acquisition, processing, and visualization. Encryption algorithms have been recently introduced to ensure secure storage and communication for this type of data. However, maintaining the correctness and the geometric stability of such algorithms are still key challenges towards the construction of reliable, trustful, and practical ciphers of 3D point clouds. Few attempts have been made to establish geometrically stable algorithms for 3D point cloud encryption, without compromising the cipher robustness. In particular, Jolfaei et al. [IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security , vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 409-422, 2015] proposed a 3D object encryption algorithm along with geometric notions of dimensional and spatial stability. However, these notions are not consistent and the geometric stability and correctness of that cipher are not guaranteed as we show through counterexamples. In this paper, we introduce an enhanced cipher with correctness, reversibility, and geometric stability guarantees. The soundness and significance of the proposed scheme are demonstrated by rigorous mathematical proofs, extensive experimentation, and comparisons against state-of-the-art methods.
Effect of cold atmospheric surface micro-discharge plasma on the microbial safety and physicochemical property of Chinese yam flour
Authors: Yang Xudong , Ju Siyao , Liu Mengjie , Feng Junxia , Du Mengru , Zhuang Jie , Ma Ruonan , Jiao Zhen , Zhou Rusen , Cullen Patrick J.
Published: May 2023

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) as an emerging non-thermal technology holds great potential in food sterilization and biopolymer modification. This study investigated the antifungal effects of CAP against spoilage fungi in Chinese yam flour and its effects on the physicochemical and nutritional properties of Chinese yam flour. The results show that CAP treatment for 5–20 min achieved a microbial reduction of Fusarium moniliforme ranging from 0.56 to 2.40 log10 CFU/g at day 0 and 1.50 to 3.73 log10 CFU/g at day 9. The inactivation efficiency was increased with the CAP treatment time and storage time. For the physicochemical properties, CAP caused surface corrosion and formed aggregations on the surface of flour granules, as well as enhanced the absorption of carboxyl or carbonyl peak at 1730 cm− 1. The swelling power, starch solubility, and pasting viscosity of Chinese yam flour was increased after CAP treatment, while the endothermic enthalpy was decreased possibly due to the disruption of amorphous and crystalline structure of starch granules. A distinct color change was observed in CAP-treated Chinese yam flour, which became more bright and less yellow. The results of nutritional properties demonstrate that CAP caused a redistribution of dietary fiber components from insoluble to soluble fractions and changed the amino acids composition in Chinese yam flour. The SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed that CAP treatment could degrade or depolymerize the macromolecular proteins into small molecular subunits. Thus, CAP can be a promising technology to modify the physicochemical and nutritional properties of Chinese yam flour and ensure its microbial safety.
Construction of a mitochondria genes-based model for prognosis prediction, drug guidance and immune feature analysis in ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma
Authors: Shen Dongsheng , Wu Chenghao , Ding Zhongyue , Zhou Zixuan , Zhang Shasha , Li Huaifang , Tong Xiaowen , Zhu Xinxian , Guo Yi
Published: May 2023

Background Ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OSC) is the most common pathological subtype of ovarian cancer (OC) associated with high mortality. Albeit dysregulated mitochondrial metabolism has been implicated with OC, the role of mitochondrial genes in OSC remains unclear. We sought to construct a model based on mitochondrial genes for prognosis prediction, drug guidance and immune feature analysis of OSC. Methods Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and mitochondrial-related DEGs (MRGs) were identified through the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-OV dataset. Consensus clustering algorithm was applied to classify OSC patients into distinct MRGs subtypes. Prognosis-related MRGs were screened to construct the prognosis-related Risk score model, which was verified using GSE26193 dataset and immunohistochemistry (IHC) score model based on staining intensity and extent scores of MRGs. A visualized nomogram was developed to predict 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and drug response. The correlation of MRGs subtypes with risk subgroups and the association of Risk score model with immune response and infiltration were also investigated. Results 341 MRGs were identified from TCGA-OV, and OSC patients could be mainly divided into two MRGs subtypes. A novel prognostic Risk score model based on 7-MRGs, includingACOT13,ACSS3,COA6,HINT2,MRPL14,NDUFC2andNDUFV2, was developed and validated via GSE26193 dataset and IHC score model. Patients in the low-risk group had a significantly longer OS. The nomogram exhibited good prognostic assessment accuracy in both training and validation datasets. Drug sensitivity analysis indicated that cisplatin, paclitaxel and docetaxel were more sensitive in the low-risk group; VEGFR inhibitor Axitinib, and BRAF inhibitors Vemurafenib and SB590885 showed better sensitivity in the high-risk group; moreover, patients in the low-risk group could have better anti-PD-1 immunotherapy response. Patients in “cluster1” MRGs subtype had lower risk scores and better immunotherapy response scores than the “cluster2” subgroup. More significant infiltrated tumor killing cells (CD8+T cells) and higher M1 / M2 macrophage ratio were in “cluster1” patients. Conclusions Our novel 7 MRGs-based Risk score model has huge prospects to evaluate the prognosis and guide drug treatment. The favorable prognosis associated with the low-risk group is closely related to better immune response and more significant anti-tumor cellular infiltration.
Determinants of citations in tourism and hospitality studies
Authors: Correia Antonia , Rodrigues Paulo Manuel Marques , Kozak Metin , Raposo Pedro
Published: May 2023

Citation metrics are frequently used to assess research and rank journals and researchers. Nevertheless, this is still a process with asymmetric information. Tourism and hospitality research have matured within a small community and through a multidisciplinary scientific paradigm. This paper aims to understand the determinants of tourism and hospitality research citation patterns. To this end, a total of 101,968 papers within fifteen years (2004–2018) is analysed. Our empirical results suggest that authors’ prestige, the multidisciplinary nature of research, and the impact factor of journals and bibliometric articles are likely to increase an article’s citations. This paper represents a step forward in understanding the citation formation process in tourism and hospitality research.
Macro-micro elements distribution, nutritional value and age-based risk assessment of branded liquid and powder milks available in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Alam Md Nur E , Ullah A. K. M. Atique , Hosen M. Mozammal , Akon Shamima , Nahar Quamrun , Jolly Ferdousi , Quraishi Shamshad B.
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to assess the level of concentration, nutritional contribution, and possible health risk for various age groups owing to the consumption of branded liquid and powder milk. Using atomic absorption spectrometry, sixteen liquid and thirty powder milk samples were tested for 13 elements. The concentration of essential elements showed the trends of K>Ca>Na>Mg>Fe>Zn>Mn>Cu and K>Ca>Na>Mg>Fe>Cu>Mn>Zn for liquid and powder milk samples respectively but the potentially hazard metals/metalloids showed the same trends (Cr>Pb>Hg>As>Cd) for both items. Except for Cr, Hg, and Fe, the elemental compositions of both milk categories differed considerably (<0.05). When compared to the metals/metalloid’s threshold values for milk samples (liquid and powder): Fe (19% and 27%), Mn (100% and 63%), Cu (0% and 23%) Zn (94% and 0%), Pb (25% and 13%) and Cr (0% and 3%) were found to be above the permissible limits. The nutrient input from macro-minerals (Na, K, Ca, Mg) was highest for Ca (27.2% and 18.7%), followed by Mg, K, and Na. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of all trace metals/metalloids was within the daily permissible limit in both the milk category except age group (<3) and the female category. In terms of non-carcinogenic risk, the THQs and TTHQs levels compared to the threshold value (<1), the population of age groups ≤3 and 3<X≤14 especially female category will experience a more detrimental adverse effect. The probable carcinogenic risks indicated unacceptable risk level (<1.00E-04) for the ingestion of Cr through powder milk samples for child male and female categories.
Efficiency of New modified inverted Y Cleft lift advancement flap in primary and recurrent sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease with low laying tracts near the anus
Authors: Elshazly Walid , Radwan Ahmed , abdelhalim Mohamed , MOAZ AHMED
Published: May 2023

Propose:
The aim of this study was to asses’ efficiency of the new modified inverted Y cleft lift procedure, utilizing an advancement flap technique with off-midline primary wound closure in-patient with lower pits of the sinus near to the anus.
Methods:
This clinical study conducted from September 2018 to september 2020. Forty patients with sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease with lower pits near the anus new cases or recurrent. All patients offered the new modified inverted Y cleft lift advancement flap patients followed up for 48.5 (range, 21– 57) months Patients evaluated in terms of operation time, postoperative complications, recurrence rate, return-to-work time, and cosmetic satisfaction.
Results:
The average age was 27.4 (range, 16–52) years, 29 patient (72.5%) were male and 11 (27.5%) were female. The mean operating time was 25 (range, 22– 45) min. and the mean length of hospital stay was 0.8 (range, 0.4 − 2) days. Primary healing occurred in 35 (87.5%) patients. Complete healing for complicated wounds (5 patients) achieved in an average of 21 (14–60) days. Two (5%) patients developed a superficial wound infection, 4 (10%) a seroma and five (12.5%) a partial dehiscence (some complications observed in the same patient). There was no case of deep infection, haematoma formation or complete dehiscence.
Conclusion:
This series proved that the new modification inverted Y cleft lift flap reconstruction is an effective operative procedure for primary and recurrent pilonidal sinus with pits very near to the anus, associated with low complication and recurrence rates
An Inhomogeneous Model for Laser Welding of Industrial Interest
Authors: Munafó Carmelo Filippo , Palumbo Annunziata , Versaci Mario
Published: May 2023

An innovative non-homogeneous dynamic model for recovering the absolute temperature during the laser welding process of Al-Si 5% alloy plates, as per the industrial activity of an Italian company with proven experience operating in the laser welding area, is presented here. Firstly, the model considers that, metallurgically, during welding, the alloy melts with the presence of solid/liquid phases until total melting, and after-wards re-solidifies with the reverse process. Further, a particular polynomial substitute thermal capacity of the alloy has been chosen, according to experimental evidence, so that the volumetric solid state fraction is easily identifiable. Moreover, to the usual radiative/convective boundary conditions, to make the model more realistic, the contribution due to the positioning of the plates on the workbench is considered (endowing the model with Cauchy-Stefan-Boltzmann boundary conditions). Having verified the well-posedness of the problem, a Galerkin-FEM approach has been implemented on MatLab PDE ToolBox to numerically recover the absolute temperature maps, obtained by modeling the heat sources due to the laser with formulations depending on the laser sliding speed. The results achieved have shown good adherence to the experimental evidence, opening up interesting future scenarios for technology transfer.
Deferoxamine Reduces Endothelial Ferroptosis and Protects Cerebrovascular Function after Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Liang Yidan , Wang Yanglingxi , Sun Chao , Xiang Yi , Deng Yongbing
Published: May 2023

Cerebrovascular dysfunction resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI) significantly contributes to poor patient outcomes. Recent studies revealed the involvement of iron metabolism in neuronal survival, yet its effect on vasculature remains unclear. This study aims to explore the impact of endothelial ferroptosis on cerebrovascular function in TBI. A Controlled Cortical Impact (CCI) model was established in mice, resulting in a significant increase in iron-related proteins such as TfR1, FPN1, and FTH, as well as oxidative stress biomarker 4HNE. This was accompanied by a decline in expression of the ferroptosis inhibitor NCOA4. Moreover, Perls' staining and nonhemin iron content assay showed iron overload in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and the ipsilateral cortex. Immunofluorescence staining revealed more FTH-positive cerebral endothelial cells, consistent with impaired perfused vessel density and cerebral blood flow. As a specific iron chelator, DFO treatment inhibited such ferroptotic proteins expression and the accumulation of lipid-reactive oxygen species following CCI, enhancing glutathione peroxidase(GPx) activity. DFO treatment significantly reduced iron deposition in endothelial cells and brain tissue, and increased density of the cerebral capillaries as well. Consequently, DFO treatment led to improvements in cerebral blood flow (as measured by laser speckle imaging) and behavioral performance (as measured by the NSS scoring, rotarod test, and Morris water maze test). Taken together, our results indicated that TBI induces remarkable iron disorder and endothelial ferroptosis, and DFO treatment may help maintain iron homeostasis and protect vascular function. This may provide a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent cerebrovascular dysfunction following TBI.
Neurobehavioral impairments predict specific cerebral damage in rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Lynch Daniel G , Shah Kevin A , Powell Keren , Wadolowski Steven , Ayol Willians Tambo , Strohl Joshua J , Unadkat Prashin , Eidelberg David , Huerta Patricio T , Li Chunyan
Published: May 2023

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a severe form of stroke that can cause unpredictable and diffuse cerebral damage, which is difficult to detect until it becomes irreversible. Therefore, there is a need for a reliable method to identify dysfunctional regions and initiate treatment before permanent damage occurs. Neurobehavioral assessments have been suggested as a possible tool to detect and approximately localize dysfunctional cerebral regions. In this study, we hypothesized that a neurobehavioral assessment battery could be a sensitive and specific early warning for damage in discrete cerebral regions following SAH. To test this hypothesis, a behavioral battery was employed at multiple time points after SAH induced via an endovascular perforation, and brain damage was confirmed via postmortem histopathological analysis. Our results demonstrate that impairment of sensorimotor function accurately predict damage in the cerebral cortex (AUC: 0.905; sensitivity: 81.8%; specificity: 90.9%) and striatum (AUC: 0.913; sensitivity: 90.1%; specificity: 100%), while impaired novel object recognition is a more accurate indicator of damage to the hippocampus (AUC: 0.902; sensitivity: 74.1%; specificity: 83.3%) than impaired reference memory (AUC: 0.746; sensitivity: 72.2%; specificity: 58.0%). Tests for anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors predict damage to the amygdala (AUC: 0.900; sensitivity: 77.0%; specificity: 81.7%) and thalamus (AUC: 0.963; sensitivity: 86.3%; specificity: 87.8%), respectively. This study suggests that recurring behavioral testing can accurately predict damage in specific brain regions, which could be developed into a clinical battery for early detection of SAH damage in humans, potentially improving early treatment and outcomes.