bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation of micro EDM drilling in the CFRP using response surface methodology
Authors: Kaushik Nitish , Jha Sanjay Kumar , Anand Ravi Shankar
Published: June 2023

Recently, most of the conventional (industrial) materials such as steel, aluminum, and copper are being replaced by composite materials. Among the various composite materials, CFRP material is one of the most popular materials in many industries due to its excellent mechanical properties like-high strength, high modulus, compressive strength, etc. However, the micro hole in micro EDM drilling in the CFRP composite material is challenging due to fiber orientation, uneven distribution of conducting fiber, and delamination affecting the material removal rate (MRR) and micro hole quality performance. The objective of the article is to optimize the process parameters for optimum hole quality in the micro EDM drilling of CFRP composites. For this purpose, response surface methodology is applied to investigate the effect of the input process parameters which are voltage, capacitance, and tool rotation speed on material removal rate, roundness error, and tapper of the micro-hole. The experiments have been conducted according to the box behnken design of experiments. Regression equations, and response surfaces are developed. Optimum responses are determined by the desirability function approach. The experimental investigation shows that capacitance is the highly significant factor among the input process parameters affecting hole quality output responses such as material removal rate, roundness error, and tapper. The MRR increases with increasing the capacitance and tool rotation speed initially but its value decreases on further increasing the capacitance at a particular voltage. Roundness error and the tapper initially decrease on increasing capacitance and tool rotation speed then increases. The optimum material removal rate and hole quality are obtained in a range of 150–250 nF capacitance, and 1400–1600 rpm tool rotation speed, at 100 voltage.
Rechallenge with EGFR-TKI after failure of immunotherapy is considered an effective treatment for advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR exon 19 deletion: a case report
Authors: Chen Shubin , Yu Qitao , Jiang Wei , Lu Yukun , Zhao Yun , Wang Huilin
Published: June 2023

In advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have an excellent and long-lasting therapeutic response; however, virtually all patients eventually develop drug resistance and experience disease progression. The use of immunotherapy after EGFR-TKIs may be a successful therapeutic option for individuals who are resistant to them. It is still unclear if EGFR-TKIs can be administered again after immunotherapy has failed. We describe a case of a 37-year-old woman who was found to have T4N3M1a stage IVa lung adenocarcinoma. Amplification refractory mutation system PCR (ARMS-PCR) genetic testing suggested EGFR exon 19 deletion. The patient was initially treated with a regimen of icotinib (125  mg tid) combined with anlotinib (8  mg qd d1-d14) with an optimal efficacy rating of partial response (PR) and was granted a PFS of 7  months. In second-line treatment, the patient received three cycles of a KN046 (KN046 is a bispecific antibody inhibitor of PD-L1 and CTLA-4) 295  mg d1, pemetrexed 800 mg d1, plus carboplatin 750  mg d1 regimen, with an optimal efficacy rating of stable disease (SD) on CT. The third-line therapy was chosen to be afatinib with docetaxel, and the patient was evaluated for PR on CT. Up to 15 August 2022, the patient had a progression free survival (PFS) of 14 months. The successful treatment of this patient is a reminder that EGFR-TKI rechallenge in EGFR exon 19 deletion patients with EGFR-TKI resistance, in which immunotherapy has failed, may be effective.
Comparative effectiveness of biologics for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis and special area involvement: week 12 results from the observational Psoriasis Study of Health Outcomes (PSoHO)
Authors: Piaserico Stefano , Riedl Elisabeth , Pavlovsky Lev , Vender Ronald B. , Mert Can , Tangsirisap Nithi , Haustrup Natalie , Gallo Gaia , Schuster Christopher , Brunner Patrick M.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Psoriasis localized at the scalp, face, nails, genitalia, palms, and soles can exacerbate the disease burden. Real-world studies comparing the effectiveness of treatments for these special areas are limited.

Methods

Psoriasis Study of Health Outcomes (PSoHO) is an international, prospective, non-interventional, study comparing the effectiveness of anti-interleukin (IL)-17A biologics (ixekizumab and secukinumab) compared to other approved biologics and the pairwise comparative effectiveness of ixekizumab relative to five other individual biologics for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. To determine special area involvement, physicians answered binary questions at baseline and week 12. The proportion of patients who achieved special area clearance at week 12 was assessed. Missing outcome data were imputed as non-response. Comparative treatment analyses were conducted using frequentist model averaging.

Results

Of the 1,978 patients included, 83.4% had at least one special area involved at baseline with the scalp (66.7%) as the most frequently affected part, followed by nails (37.9%), face/neck (36.9%), genitalia (25.6%), and palms and/or soles (22.2%). Patients with scalp, nail, or genital, but not palmoplantar or face/neck psoriasis, had significantly higher odds of achieving clearance at week 12 in the anti-IL-17A cohort compared to the other biologics cohort. Patients with scalp psoriasis had a 10–20% higher response rate and significantly greater odds (1.8–2.3) of achieving clearance at week 12 with ixekizumab compared to included biologics.

Conclusion

Biologics demonstrate a high level of clearance of special areas at week 12 in a real-world setting. Patients with scalp, nail, or genital involvement have significantly higher odds of clearance at week 12 with anti-IL-17A biologics compared to other biologics.
Little reason to call them small noncoding RNAs
Authors: Ferrara Silvia , Brignoli Tarcisio , Bertoni Giovanni
Published: June 2023

Hundreds of different species of small RNAs can populate a bacterial cell. This small transcriptome contains important information for the adaptation of cellular physiology to environmental changes. Underlying cellular networks involving small RNAs are RNA–RNA and RNA-protein interactions, which are often intertwined. In addition, small RNAs can function as mRNAs. In general, small RNAs are referred to as noncoding because very few are known to contain translated open reading frames. In this article, we intend to highlight that the number of small RNAs that fall within the set of translated RNAs is bound to increase. In addition, we aim to emphasize that the dynamics of the small transcriptome involve different functional codes, not just the genetic code. Therefore, since the role of small RNAs is always code-driven, we believe that there is little reason to continue calling them small noncoding RNAs.
Laser speckle imaging for visualization of hidden effects for early detection of antibacterial susceptibility in disc diffusion tests
Authors: Balmages Ilya , Reinis Aigars , Kistkins Svjatoslavs , Bliznuks Dmitrijs , Plorina Emilija Vija , Lihachev Alexey , Lihacova Ilze
Published: June 2023

Rapid identification of effective antibiotic treatment is crucial for increasing patient survival and preventing the formation of new antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to preventative antibiotic use. Currently utilized “gold standard” methods require 16–24 h to determine the most appropriate antibiotic for the patient’s treatment. The proposed technique of laser speckle imaging with subpixel correlation analysis allows for identifying dynamics and changes in the zone of inhibition, which are impossible to observe with classical methods. Furthermore, it obtains the resulting zone of inhibition diameter earlier than the disk diffusion method which is recommended by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). These results could improve mathematical models of changes in the diameter of the zone of inhibition around the disc containing the antimicrobial agent, thereby speeding up and facilitating epidemiological analysis.
Amyloid beta-correlated plasma metabolite dysregulation in Alzheimer's disease: an untargeted metabolism exploration using high-resolution mass spectrometry toward future clinical diagnosis
Authors: Yang Jingzhi , Wu Shuo , Yang Jun , Zhang Qun , Dong Xin
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, and it has rapidly become an increasingly burdensome and fatal disease in society. Despite medical research advances, accurate recognition of AD remains challenging. Epidemiological evidence suggests that metabolic abnormalities are tied to higher AD risk.

Methods

This study utilized case-control analyses with plasma samples and identified a panel of 27 metabolites using high-resolution mass spectrometry in both the Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitively normal (CN) groups. All identified variables were confirmed using MS/MS with detected fragmented ions and public metabolite databases. To understand the expression of amyloid beta proteins in plasma, ELISA assays were performed for both amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42) and amyloid beta 40 (Aβ40).

Results

The levels of plasma metabolites PAGln and L-arginine were found to significantly fluctuate in the peripheral blood of AD patients. In addition, ELISA results showed a significant increase in amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42) in AD patients compared to those who were cognitively normal (CN), while amyloid beta 40 (Aβ40) did not show any significant changes between the groups. Furthermore, positive correlations were observed between Aβ42/Aβ40 and PAGln or L-arginine, suggesting that both metabolites could play a role in the pathology of amyloid beta proteins. Binary regression analysis with these two metabolites resulted in an optimal model of the ROC (AUC = 0.95, p < 0.001) to effectively discriminate between AD and CN.

Discussion

This study highlights the potential of advanced high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) technology for novel plasma metabolite discovery with high stability and sensitivity, thus paving the way for future clinical studies. The results of this study suggest that the combination of PAGln and L-arginine holds significant potential for improving the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in clinical settings. Overall, these findings have important implications for advancing our understanding of AD and developing effective approaches for its future clinical diagnosis.
Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice develop neurodegeneration, age-dependent astrogliosis and obesity-induced changes in microglia immunophenotype which are partly reversed by complement component 5 neutralizing antibody
Authors: Seidel Florine , Fluiter Kees , Kleemann Robert , Worms Nicole , van Nieuwkoop Anita , Caspers Martien P. M. , Grigoriadis Nikolaos , Kiliaan Amanda J. , Baas Frank , Michailidou Iliana , Morrison Martine C.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Obesity has been linked to vascular dysfunction, cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases. However, experimental models that recapitulate brain pathology in relation to obesity and vascular dysfunction are still lacking.

Methods

In this study we performed the histological and histochemical characterization of brains from Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice, an established model for obesity and associated vascular disease. First, HFD-fed 18 week-old and 50 week-old Ldlr-/-.Leiden male mice were compared with age-matched C57BL/6J mice. We then assessed the effect of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity on brain pathology in Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice and tested whether a treatment with an anti-complement component 5 antibody, a terminal complement pathway inhibitor recently shown to reduce vascular disease, can attenuate neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Histological analyses were complemented with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analyses of the hippocampus to unravel molecular pathways underlying brain histopathology.

Results

We show that chow-fed Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice have more severe neurodegeneration and show an age-dependent astrogliosis that is not observed in age-matched C57BL/6J controls. This was substantiated by pathway enrichment analysis using the NGS data which showed that oxidative phosphorylation, EIF2 signaling and mitochondrial dysfunction pathways, all associated with neurodegeneration, were significantly altered in the hippocampus of Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice compared with C57BL/6J controls. Obesity-inducing HFD-feeding did not aggravate neurodegeneration and astrogliosis in Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice. However, brains from HFD-fed Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice showed reduced IBA-1 immunoreactivity and increased CD68 immunoreactivity compared with chow-fed Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice, indicating alteration of microglial immunophenotype by HFD feeding. The systemic administration of an anti-C5 treatment partially restored the HFD effect on microglial immunophenotype. In addition, NGS data of hippocampi from Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice showed that HFD feeding affected multiple molecular pathways relative to chow-fed controls: HFD notably inactivated synaptogenesis and activated neuroinflammation pathways. The anti-C5 treatment restored the HFD-induced effect on molecular pathways to a large extent.

Conclusion

This study shows that the Ldlr-/-.Leiden mouse model is suitable to study brain histopathology and associated biological processes in a context of obesity and provides evidence of the potential therapeutic value of anti-complement therapy against obesity-induced neuroinflammation.
Discovering the neuronal dynamics in major depressive disorder using Hidden Markov Model
Authors: Jiang Wenhao , Ding Shihang , Xu Cong , Ke Huihuang , Bo Hongjian , Zhao Tiejun , Ma Lin , Li Haifeng
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of worldwide disability, and standard clinical treatments have limitations due to the absence of neurological evidence. Electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring is an effective method for recording neural activities and can provide electroneurophysiological evidence of MDD.

Methods

In this work, we proposed a probabilistic graphical model for neural dynamics decoding on MDD patients and healthy controls (HC), utilizing the Hidden Markov Model with Multivariate Autoregressive observation (HMM-MAR). We testified the model on the MODMA dataset, which contains resting-state and task-state EEG data from 53 participants, including 24 individuals with MDD and 29 HC.

Results

The experimental results suggest that the state time courses generated by the proposed model could regress the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score of the participants and reveal differences between the MDD and HC groups. Meanwhile, the Markov property was observed in the neuronal dynamics of participants presented with sad face stimuli. Coherence analysis and power spectrum estimation demonstrate consistent results with the previous studies on MDD.

Discussion

In conclusion, the proposed HMM-MAR model has revealed its potential capability to capture the neuronal dynamics from EEG signals and interpret brain disease pathogenesis from the perspective of state transition. Compared with the previous machine-learning or deep-learning-based studies, which regarded the decoding model as a black box, this work has its superiority in the spatiotemporal pattern interpretability by utilizing the Hidden Markov Model.
A consequence of immature breathing induces persistent changes in hippocampal synaptic plasticity and behavior: a role of prooxidant state and NMDA receptor imbalance
Authors: Arias-Cavieres Alejandra , Garcia Alfredo J.
Published: June 2023

Underdeveloped breathing results from premature birth and causes intermittent hypoxia during the early neonatal period. Neonatal intermittent hypoxia (nIH) is a condition linked to the increased risk of neurocognitive deficit later in life. However, the mechanistic basis of nIH-induced changes to neurophysiology remains poorly resolved. We investigated the impact of nIH on hippocampal synaptic plasticity and NMDA receptor (NMDAr) expression in neonatal mice. Our findings indicate that nIH induces a prooxidant state that leads to an imbalance in NMDAr subunit composition favoring GluN2B over GluN2A expression and impairs synaptic plasticity. These consequences persist in adulthood and coincide with deficits in spatial memory. Treatment with an antioxidant, manganese (III) tetrakis (1-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin (MnTMPyP), during nIH effectively mitigated both immediate and long-term effects of nIH. However, MnTMPyP treatment post-nIH did not prevent long-lasting changes in either synaptic plasticity or behavior. In addition to demonstrating that the prooxidant state has a central role in nIH-mediated neurophysiological and behavioral deficits, our results also indicate that targeting the prooxidant state during a discrete therapeutic window may provide a potential avenue for mitigating long-term neurophysiological and behavioral outcomes that result from unstable breathing during early postnatal life.
Association between appendicular lean mass and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: epidemiological cross-sectional study and bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Fu Chengjie , Yang Hongchang
Published: June 2023

Background

The association of BMI with COPD, and sarcopenia in COPD have been both confirmed by several studies, but research on the relationship and causality of body lean mass and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains to be discovered. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between lean mass and COPD risk as well as to further examine the causal relationship in the findings.

Methods

Three thousand four hundred fifty-nine participants from NHANES 2013–2018 were included in the epidemiological cross-sectional study to assess the association between relative lean mass and COPD by restricted spline analysis (RCS) and weighted multiple logistic regression. Furthermore, to verify the causality between lean mass and COPD, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) with inverse variance weighting (IVW) method was used to analyze GWAS data from European ancestry. Genetic data from the United Kindom Biobank for appendicular lean mass (450,243 cases) and lung function (FEV1/FVC) (400,102 cases) together with the FinnGen platform for COPD (6,915 cases and 186,723 controls) were used for MR.

Results

Weighted multiple logistic regression showed a significant correlation between relative appendicular lean mass and COPD after adjusting for confounders (OR = 0.985, 95% CI: 0.975–0.995). Compared to the lower mass (155.3–254.7) g/kg, the high mass (317.0–408.5) g/kg of appendicular lean apparently decreases the risk of COPD (OR = 0.214, 95% CI: 0.060–0.767). Besides, in the analysis of MR, there was a forward causality between appendicular lean mass and COPD (IVW: OR = 0.803; 95%CI: 0.680–0.949; p = 0.01), with a weak trend of causality to lung function.

Conclusion

Our study not only found an inverse association between appendicular lean mass and COPD but also supported a unidirectional causality. This provided possible evidence for further identification of people at risk for COPD and prevention of COPD based on limb muscle exercise and nutritional supplementation to maintain skeletal muscle mass.
Quantitative structure–activity relationship study of amide derivatives as xanthine oxidase inhibitors using machine learning
Authors: Yang Xiaoda , Qiu Hongshun , Zhang Yuxiang , Zhang Peijian
Published: June 2023

The target of the study is to predict the inhibitory effect of amide derivatives on xanthine oxidase (XO) by building several models, which are based on the theory of the quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR). The heuristic method (HM) was used to linearly select descriptors and build a linear model. XGBoost was used to non-linearly select descriptors, and radial basis kernel function support vector regression (RBF SVR), polynomial kernel function SVR (poly SVR), linear kernel function SVR (linear SVR), mix-kernel function SVR (MIX SVR), and random forest (RF) were adopted to establish non-linear models, in which the MIX-SVR method gives the best result. The kernel function of MIX SVR has strong abilities of learning and generalization of established models simultaneously, which is because it is a combination of the linear kernel function, the radial basis kernel function, and the polynomial kernel function. In order to test the robustness of the models, leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) was adopted. In a training set, R2 = 0.97 and RMSE = 0.01; in a test set, R2 = 0.95, RMSE = 0.01, and Rcv2 = 0.96. This result is in line with the experimental expectations, which indicate that the MIX-SVR modeling approach has good applications in the study of amide derivatives.
Non-invasive brain stimulation for patient with autism: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Annan , Gong Chao , Wang Bobo , Sun Jiaxing , Jiang Zhimei
Published: June 2023

Objective

To comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in randomized controlled trials (RCT), providing a reference for future research on the same topic.

Methods

Five databases were searched (Pubmed, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library) and tracked relevant references, Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software.

Results

Twenty-two references (829 participants) were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that NIBS had positive effects on repetitive and stereotypical behaviors, cognitive function, and executive function in autistic patients. Most of the included studies had a moderate to high risk of bias, Mainly because of the lack of blinding of subjects and assessors to treatment assignment, as well as the lack of continuous observation of treatment effects.

Conclusion

Available evidence supports an improvement in some aspects of NIBS in patients with ASD. However, due to the quality of the original studies and significant publication bias, this evidence must be treated with caution. Further large multicenter randomized double-blind controlled trials and appropriate follow-up observations are needed to further evaluate the specific efficacy of NIBS in patients with ASD.
Personalized training as a promoter for physical activity in people with depressive disorder—a randomized controlled trial in Germany
Authors: Keller-Varady Katriona , Haufe Sven , Schieffer Elisabeth , Kerling Arno , Tegtbur Uwe , Kahl Kai G.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Adopting an active lifestyle is an important goal, but can be difficult to achieve for people with depressive disorders. Current guidelines recommend the integration of physical activity in the multimodal treatment of depressive disorders. However, the possibilities to provide individual support for physical activities are frequently limited. The aim of our study was to examine how physical activity can be increased in a real-world setting by combining physical training and psychological interventions.

Materials and methods

In this randomized-controlled interventional study, 31 outpatients diagnosed with moderate to severe depression were recruited from the region of Hannover. The intervention group (n = 16) was offered six weekly individual sessions lasting between 60 and 90  min with a sports scientist, including Motivational Interviewing and accompanied exercise activities. The control group (n = 15) received a written booklet with information on steps toward becoming more active. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) as the primary outcome was analyzed using activity sensors before and after the 6-week intervention, and 3  months subsequently. Secondary outcomes included the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Sit-to-Stand test (STS), and mental health assessed with self-rating questionnaires.

Results

In the intervention group, MVPA increased significantly between baseline and the first follow-up and remained at an increased level at the second follow-up in comparison to decreased levels in the control group (difference of 15.5  min/day between groups over time, SE = 6.2  min/day, 95%-CI[2.7, 28.3], p = 0.020). The increased activity level was associated with markers of increased fitness (6MWT and STS) in the intervention group. Both groups showed comparable improvements in depressive symptoms, while the number of patients receiving antidepressants increased in the control group and decreased in the intervention group. Two patients dropped out of the intervention group during the trial.

Conclusion

The intervention proved to be a feasible and effective aid to promote a physically active lifestyle for patients diagnosed with depression. Furthermore, the higher level of physical activity was maintained for the follow-up period. Given the success of the approach evaluated in this project, individual support for physical activity should be investigated in larger sample sizes and potentially be considered in the multimodal treatment of depression.

Clinical trial registration

[https://clinicaltrials.gov/], identifier [DRKS00023257].
Toward One Health: a spatial indicator system to model the facilitation of the spread of zoonotic diseases
Authors: Jato-Espino Daniel , Mayor-Vitoria Fernando , Moscardó Vanessa , Capra-Ribeiro Fabio , Bartolomé del Pino Leticia E.
Published: June 2023

Recurrent outbreaks of zoonotic infectious diseases highlight the importance of considering the interconnections between human, animal, and environmental health in disease prevention and control. This has given rise to the concept of One Health, which recognizes the interconnectedness of between human and animal health within their ecosystems. As a contribution to the One Health approach, this study aims to develop an indicator system to model the facilitation of the spread of zoonotic diseases. Initially, a literature review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to identify relevant indicators related to One Health. The selected indicators focused on demographics, socioeconomic aspects, interactions between animal and human populations and water bodies, as well as environmental conditions related to air quality and climate. These indicators were characterized using values obtained from the literature or calculated through distance analysis, geoprocessing tasks, and other methods. Subsequently, Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques, specifically the Entropy and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods, were utilized to combine the indicators and create a composite metric for assessing the spread of zoonotic diseases. The final indicators selected were then tested against recorded zoonoses in the Valencian Community (Spain) for 2021, and a strong positive correlation was identified. Therefore, the proposed indicator system can be valuable in guiding the development of planning strategies that align with the One Health principles. Based on the results achieved, such strategies may prioritize the preservation of natural landscape features to mitigate habitat encroachment, protect land and water resources, and attenuate extreme atmospheric conditions.
Feeling the beat: a smart hand exoskeleton for learning to play musical instruments
Authors: Lin Maohua , Paul Rudy , Abd Moaed , Jones James , Dieujuste Darryl , Chim Harvey , Engeberg Erik D.
Published: June 2023

Individuals who have suffered neurotrauma like a stroke or brachial plexus injury often experience reduced limb functionality. Soft robotic exoskeletons have been successful in assisting rehabilitative treatment and improving activities of daily life but restoring dexterity for tasks such as playing musical instruments has proven challenging. This research presents a soft robotic hand exoskeleton coupled with machine learning algorithms to aid in relearning how to play the piano by ‘feeling’ the difference between correct and incorrect versions of the same song. The exoskeleton features piezoresistive sensor arrays with 16 taxels integrated into each fingertip. The hand exoskeleton was created as a single unit, with polyvinyl acid (PVA) used as a stent and later dissolved to construct the internal pressure chambers for the five individually actuated digits. Ten variations of a song were produced, one that was correct and nine containing rhythmic errors. To classify these song variations, Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithms were trained with data from the 80 taxels combined from the tactile sensors in the fingertips. Feeling the differences between correct and incorrect versions of the song was done with the exoskeleton independently and while the exoskeleton was worn by a person. Results demonstrated that the ANN algorithm had the highest classification accuracy of 97.13% ± 2.00% with the human subject and 94.60% ± 1.26% without. These findings highlight the potential of the smart exoskeleton to aid disabled individuals in relearning dexterous tasks like playing musical instruments.
An evaluation of the application of the circular production model in agriculture: case study of Nyanza district, Rwanda
Authors: Sangwa Sixbert , Keza Larissa Diane , Uwumuremyi Delphine , Nijman-Ross Elke
Published: June 2023

Introduction

This research explored the status of the application of circular economy (CE) principles in the agricultural sector in the Nyanza district of Rwanda.

Methods

A multi-methodological approach was used to collect mixed data from farmers and key stakeholders operating in two selected sectors of Muyira and Busasamana to evaluate the solid waste management value chain, assess the adoption of ecological latrines and explore farmers' perception on human waste fertilizers as a CE principle. Quantitative data was collected through interviews with a sample of 1244 farmers randomly selected from Busasamana (n = 598) and Muyira (n = 646). The data were interpreted according to the research questions and analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings

The results indicated that waste management is still at a rudimentary stage in the localities studied, with a waste sorting rate of 2.2% and 1.1% but with a willingness of 96.9% in Busasamana and 99.5% in Muyira sector to sort waste from organic to non-organic at source. The majority of participants, represented by 80.3% of the surveyed farming households in Busasamana and 97.5% of their counterparts in Muyira generate between 1-2 sacks of household waste per week. Food-related waste was the most predominant in Busasamana households, accounting for 99.5% while Muyira farmer households generate both food and yard wastes in proportions of 58% and 41.6% respectively. It's worth knowing that waste is dumped in the domestic rubbish pits in the two sectors, with 88% and 77.9% in Busasamana and Muyira sectors. Furthermore, the research revealed the absence of a waste collection and transport provider and a landfill in the Muyira sector, while waste collection facilities are available in Busasamana. Low adoption rates of eco-friendly latrines were observed, as farmers trick to the use of traditional pit latrines at 98.2% of the households in Busasamana and 100% in Muyira sector. Muyira being far ahead of its Busasamana counterparts in toilet dislodging (67% vs. 33%).

Conclusion and recommendations

Greater involvement of all actors in the system to ensure the success of the application of CE practices and initiatives was recommended as well as awareness raising and capacity building on the use of ecological latrines.
Sport mega-event fantasies to financialization: the case of Porto Maravilha
Authors: Bhimani Zainab , De Lisio Amanda
Published: June 2023

This paper examines the relationship between sport mega-event construction and the financialization of housing in Rio de Janeiro. It focuses on the area of Porto Maravilha, constructed prior to the 2016 Olympic Games, and the particular use of the 2001 federal Statute of City and 1995 Strategic Plan for Rio de Janeiro to create new possibilities for neoliberal-capitalist expansion, initially disguised as democratized access to land yet, in effect, further commoditized land into a form of fictitious capital. To do so, we follow the work of Brazilian architect and author, Raquel Rolnik, and her argument that the legal-institutional emphasis on wealth distribution in urban legislation, propagated at the time of the internationally recognized sport mega-event in Brazil, was not adequately harnessed and instead used to endorse real estate speculation and uneven development in the metropolitan area. The coordination and collaboration between state and nonstate entities in mega-event construction is typically associated with deepened socio-spatial inequities, the privatization of public resource material, and the in/direct displacement of low-income communities. We review pertinent literature to better understand the role of sport mega-event fantasies in the construction of Porto Maravilha—which we come to understand as a speculative logic lubricant for finance. We do this to call attention to future studies to be particularly attuned to financialization in mega-event cities.
Feeding Strategies in Newborns and Infants During the COVID-19 Pandemic—Polish Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wesołowska Aleksandra , Walczak Bartłomiej , Kalita-Kurzyńska Kinga , Mołas Aleksandra , Bzikowska-Jura Agnieszka
Published: June 2023

Objective: We aimed to analyze factors affecting feeding strategies of newborns and infants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland.

Methods: The cross-sectional study using a self-developed CAWI questionnaire was conducted between February and April 2021 among Polish mothers. The analysis included responses from 1,485 women who delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The inferential analysis uses Parson’s chi-square test and the series of logistic models. The data were weighted to adjust age and educational level distribution.

Results: When hospitalized, lack of skin-to-skin contact (OR = 0.094; p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.057 0.156]), not being informed about direct breastfeeding in the pandemic (OR = 0.195, p = 0.006, 95% CI [0.61 0.62]) and being suspected for COVID-19 (OR = 0.379, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.223 0.642]) reduced the probability of breastfeeding. Feeding plans and feeding after leaving the hospital were impacted only by the educational level (OR = 2.463, p = 0.028, 95% CI [1.1 5.518]).

Conclusion: While the mother’s education level plays a key role in the nutrition plans and long-term feeding strategy, PUI status and hospital practices (lack of skin-to-skin and proper information) had a major negative impact on breastfeeding rates in the hospital.
Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Lung-Deposited Surface Area in Zurich Switzerland: Lung-Deposited Surface Area as a New Routine Metric for Ambient Particle Monitoring
Authors: Edebeli Jacinta , Spirig Curdin , Fluck Stefan , Fierz Martin , Anet Julien
Published: June 2023

Objective: To assess the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of lung-deposited particle surface area concentration (LDSA), while testing the long-term performance of a prototype of low-cost-low-maintenance LDSA sensors. One factor hampering epidemiological studies on fine to ultrafine particles (F-to-UFP) exposure is exposure error due to their high spatiotemporal heterogeneity, not reflected in particle mass. Though LDSA shows consistent associations between F-to-UFP exposure and health effects, LDSA data are limited.

Methods: We measured LDSA in a network of ten sensors, including urban, suburban, and rural environments in Zurich, Switzerland. With traffic counts, traffic co-pollutant concentrations, and meteorological parameters, we assessed the drivers of the LDSA observations.

Results: LDSA reflected the high spatiotemporal heterogeneity of F-to-UFP. With micrometeorological influences, local sources like road traffic, restaurants, air traffic, and residential combustion drove LDSA. The temporal pattern of LDSA reflected that of the local sources.

Conclusion: LDSA may be a viable metric for inexpensively characterizing F-to-UFP exposure. The tested devices generated sound data and may significantly contribute to filling the LDSA exposure data gap, providing grounds for more statistically significant epidemiological studies and regulation of F-to-UFP.
Audio Anti-Spoofing Based on Audio Feature Fusion
Authors: Zhang Jiachen , Tu Guoqing , Liu Shubo , Cai Zhaohui
Published: June 2023

The rapid development of speech synthesis technology has significantly improved the naturalness and human-likeness of synthetic speech. As the technical barriers for speech synthesis are rapidly lowering, the number of illegal activities such as fraud and extortion is increasing, posing a significant threat to authentication systems, such as automatic speaker verification. This paper proposes an end-to-end speech synthesis detection model based on audio feature fusion in response to the constantly evolving synthesis techniques and to improve the accuracy of detecting synthetic speech. The model uses a pre-trained wav2vec2 model to extract features from raw waveforms and utilizes an audio feature fusion module for back-end classification. The audio feature fusion module aims to improve the model accuracy by adequately utilizing the audio features extracted from the front end and fusing the information from timeframes and feature dimensions. Data augmentation techniques are also used to enhance the performance generalization of the model. The model is trained on the training and development sets of the logical access (LA) dataset of the ASVspoof 2019 Challenge, an international standard, and is tested on the logical access (LA) and deep-fake (DF) evaluation datasets of the ASVspoof 2021 Challenge. The equal error rate (EER) on ASVspoof 2021 LA and ASVspoof 2021 DF are 1.18% and 2.62%, respectively, achieving the best results on the DF dataset.
Application of Social-Life Cycle Assessment in Urban Settings: Social Impact Assessment of Green Roofs
Authors: Mazzucco Giulia , Canepa Maria , Perini Katia
Published: June 2023

Sustainability brings together three dimensions: environment, economy and society, as according to the Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally, and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact the environment. To define whether an intervention or process is ‘sustainable’, these spheres must co-exist and be equally contemplated. Green roofs have been extensively studied from environmental and economic perspectives, but as far as the social dimension is concerned, the literature is limited. Indeed, to define these interventions as ‘sustainable’, the social dimension must also be investigated. Over time, Social-Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA), an extension of the better-known Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), has become widespread. S-LCA allows assessing the potential impact that a production process, and consequently a product, can have on people. This paper aims to propose a model for analyzing green roofs by identifying the possible categories of stakeholders involved in the implementation process, and the impact categories to be referred to. By defining these elements, it is possible to estimate the positive or negative social impact that interventions cause. The results of the survey offer insights into social issues related to the implementation of green roofs by focusing on the stakeholders involved within the entire life cycle.
Using Endoscopy in the Diagnosis of Pancreato-Biliary Cancers
Authors: Chaves Julia , Fernandez Y Viesca Michael Fernandez Y , Arvanitakis Marianna
Published: June 2023

Pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma are life threatening oncological conditions with poor prognosis and outcome. Pancreatic cystic lesions are considered precursors of pancreatic cancer as some of them have the potential to progress to malignancy. Therefore, accurate identification and classification of these lesions is important to prevent the development of invasive cancer. In the biliary tract, the accurate characterization of biliary strictures is essential for providing appropriate management and avoiding unnecessary surgery. Techniques have been developed to improve the diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of pancreato-biliary lesions. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and associated techniques, such as elastography, contrasted-enhanced EUS, and EUS-guided needle confocal laser endomicroscopy, may improve diagnostic accuracy. In addition, intraductal techniques applied during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), such as new generation cholangioscopy and in vivo cellular evaluation through probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy, can increase the diagnostic yield in characterizing indeterminate biliary strictures. Both EUS-guided and intraductal approaches can provide the possibility for tissue sampling with new tools, such as needles, biopsies forceps, and brushes. At the molecular level, novel biomarkers have been explored that provide new insights into diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of these lesions.
Role of Glucose Metabolic Reprogramming in Breast Cancer Progression and Drug Resistance
Authors: Lei Pan , Wang Wenzhou , Sheldon Marisela , Sun Yutong , Yao Fan , Ma Li
Published: June 2023

The involvement of glucose metabolic reprogramming in breast cancer progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance has been increasingly appreciated. Studies in recent years have revealed molecular mechanisms by which glucose metabolic reprogramming regulates breast cancer. To date, despite a few metabolism-based drugs being tested in or en route to clinical trials, no drugs targeting glucose metabolism pathways have yet been approved to treat breast cancer. Here, we review the roles and mechanisms of action of glucose metabolic reprogramming in breast cancer progression and drug resistance. In addition, we summarize the currently available metabolic inhibitors targeting glucose metabolism and discuss the challenges and opportunities in targeting this pathway for breast cancer treatment.
Association between Computed Tomography-Determined Loss of Muscle Mass and Impaired Three-Month Survival in Frail Older Adults with Cancer
Authors: Tolonen Antti , Kerminen Hanna , Lehtomäki Kaisa , Huhtala Heini , Bärlund Maarit , Österlund Pia , Arponen Otso
Published: June 2023

As patients with solid (non-hematological) cancers and a life expectancy of <3 months rarely benefit from oncological treatment, we examined whether the CT-determined loss of muscle mass is associated with an impaired 3-month overall survival (OS) in frail ≥75-year-old patients with cancer. Frailty was assessed with G8-screening and comprehensive geriatric assessment in older adults at risk of frailty. The L3-level skeletal (SMI) and psoas (PMI) muscle indexes were determined from routine CT scans. Established and optimized SMI and PMI cut-offs were used. In the non-curative treatment group (n = 58), 3-month OS rates for normal and low SMI were 95% and 64% (HR 9.28; 95% CI 1.2–71) and for PMI 88%, and 60%, respectively (HR 4.10; 1.3–13). A Cox multivariable 3-month OS model showed an HR of 10.7 (1.0–110) for low SMI, 2.34 (0.6–9.8) for ECOG performance status 3–4, 2.11 (0.5–8.6) for clinical frailty scale 5–9, and 0.57 (0.1–2.8) for males. The 24-month OS rates in the curative intent group (n = 21) were 91% and 38% for the normal and low SMI groups, respectively. In conclusion, CT-determined low muscle mass is independently associated with an impaired 3-month OS and, alongside geriatric assessment, could aid in oncological versus best supportive care decision-making in frail patients with non-curable cancers.
Differentiating Thyroid Follicular Adenoma from Follicular Carcinoma via G-Protein Coupled Receptor-Associated Sorting Protein 1 (GASP-1)
Authors: Rong Yuan , Torres-Luna Cesar , Tuszynski George , Siderits Richard , Chang Frank N.
Published: June 2023

Follicular neoplasms are classified as benign or malignant depending on the presence or absence of capsular and/or vascular invasion. Due to incomplete capsular penetration or equivocal vascular invasion, the evaluation of these features can be challenging using histologic examination. In the current study, we analyzed the involvement of G-protein coupled receptor-associated sorting protein 1 (GASP-1) in the development and progression of thyroid neoplasms. Affinity-purified anti-GASP-1 polyclonal antibodies were used for routine immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. Thyroid tissue microarrays containing normal thyroid tissue, follicular adenoma, follicular carcinoma, papillary thyroid carcinoma, and anaplastic carcinoma were analyzed. We found that the level of GASP-1 expression can differentiate follicular adenoma from follicular carcinoma. When numerous cases were scored for GASP-1 expression by a board-certified pathologist, we found that GASP-1 expression is 7-fold higher in thyroid malignant neoplasms compared to normal thyroid tissue, and about 4-fold higher in follicular carcinoma compared to follicular adenoma. In follicular adenoma tissues, we observed the presence of many mini-glands that are enriched in GASP-1 and some mini-glands contain as few as three cells. GASP-1 IHC also possesses several advantages over the conventional H&E and can be used to identify early thyroid cancer and monitor cancer progression.
Feasibility and Implementation of an Oncology Rehabilitation Triage Clinic: Assessing Rehabilitation, Exercise Need, and Triage Pathways within the Alberta Cancer Exercise–Neuro-Oncology Study
Authors: Capozzi Lauren C. , Daun Julia T. , Francis George J. , de Guzman Wilding Marie , Urgoiti Gloria Roldan , Langelier David , Culos-Reed Nicole
Published: June 2023

Individuals living with and beyond cancer face physical impairment and inactivity in survivorship. Neuro-oncology populations have especially high rates of sedentary behaviour and functional deficits, including impaired balance, motor skills, and cognition. Our purpose was to assess the rehabilitation and exercise needs of patients with brain tumours while examining the feasibility of a rehabilitation triage clinic as a part of the Alberta Cancer Exercise–Neuro-Oncology study, where patients were referred to a triage clinic, where health, neurologic, and functional status was assessed, followed by a referral to one or multiple resources, including exercise, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, or physiatry. Qualitative perception of the triage clinic was collected. Overall, the triage clinic was feasible and safe for participants, facilitating referral into rehabilitation and exercise resources. Pre-determined enrollment and attendance rates were met, but referral rates to the triage clinic were not met. Oncology clinic staff reported forgetting to refer patients or uncertainty of who was appropriate for rehabilitation as barriers. Oncology clinic-based screening may improve the identification of patients who are sedentary or have a physical impairment. A proposed screening tool, the Cancer Rehabilitation and Exercise Screening Tool (CREST), is presented within our Cancer Rehabilitation and Exercise Pathways Model. The CREST can identify patients who are sedentary or have a functional impairment, facilitating referral to appropriate rehabilitation resources and ultimately improving patient recovery and functioning.