bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Colistin-Resistant Escherichia coli from Poultry in South Asian Developing Countries
Authors: Dawadi Prabin , Bista Shrijana , Bista Sayara
Published: October 2021

Background. Antimicrobial resistance has become a huge problem in animal and public health worldwide. Inadvertent use of antibiotics in poultry has led to the emergence of resistance against many antibiotics, even to last resort of drugs like colistin. Aim. This study aimed to provide uniform quantitative estimate on the percentage prevalence of E. coli as well as to analyze their colistin resistance in poultry in South Asian developing countries. Methods. Two electronic databases, PubMed and Research4Life, were used to search studies as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The pooled data on the prevalence of E. coli and colistin resistance were analyzed. Results. In the meta-analysis of 9 studies in South Asian region (Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India), the pooled prevalence of E. coli was 73% (95% CI, 0.549–0.916). The pooled prevalence of colistin resistance against E. coli from poultry was found to be 28% (95% CI, 0.158–0.438). Conclusion. There is high prevalence of E. coli and their resistance rate against colistin in poultry. Therefore, antimicrobials in raising livestock should be supervised.
The Predictive role of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Mean Platelet Volume-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (MPVLR) for Cardiovascular Events in Adult Patients with Acute Heart Failure
Authors: Angkananard Teeranan , Inthanoo Teeraporn , Sricholwattana Suchat , Rattanajaruskul Nattapun , Wongsoasu Arthit , Roongsangmanoon Worawut
Published: October 2021

Introduction. The inflammatory response plays a potential role for the pathogenesis and adverse outcomes of heart failure (HF). We aimed to explore the predictive role of baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume-to-lymphocyte ratio (MPVLR) on cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients hospitalized with acute HF. Materials and Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 321 patients with HF between January 2017 and December 2019. The association between their NLR, MPVLR, and combined NLR and MPVLR and CVEs, rehospitalization for HF, in-hospital death, and a composite outcome was explored by survival analysis using a Cox proportional hazard model. They were separately investigated and compared with the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). Results. Up to the end of the 3-year follow-up, 96 (29.9%) had CVEs, 106 (33.0%) died, 62 (19.3%) were rehospitalized with HF, and 21 (6.5%) died during admission. The NLR and MPVLR were significantly associated with CVEs (adjusted HR for

NLR
≥
3.29

, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.98-4.89;

MPVLR
≥
8.57

, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.87-4.39), readmissions for HF (adjusted HR for

NLR
≥
3.58

, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.58-4.61;

MPVLR
≥
6.43

, 2.84; 95% CI,1.59-5.07), in-hospital mortality (adjusted HR for

NLR
≥
3.29

, 9.54; 95% CI, 2.19-41.40;

MPVLR
≥
8.57

, 7.87; 95% CI, 2.56-24.19), and composite outcome (adjusted HR for

NLR
≥
3.32

, 4.76; 95% CI, 3.29-6.89;

MPVLR
≥
7.07

, 3.64; 95% CI, 2.58-5.15). The AUC of NLR and MPVLR for CVEs were 0.67 (95% CI, 0.61-0.72) and 0.63 (95% CI, 0.58-0.69). Combined NLR and MPVLR increased the AUC to 0.77 (95% CI, 0.72-0.83) with statistical significance. Conclusion. The elevated NLR and MPVLR on admission in patients with acute HF were independently associated with worse CVEs, rehospitalization for HF, in-hospital death, and composite outcomes. These economical biomarkers should be considered in the management and follow-up care of patients with acute HF.
Studies on Mechanical Properties of Kevlar/Napier Grass Fibers Reinforced with Polymer Matrix Hybrid Composite
Authors: Ganesamoorthy R. , Meenakshi Reddy R. , Raja T. , Panda Pradeep Kumar , H. Dhoria Sneha , Nasif Omaima , Alfarraj Saleh , Manikandan Velu , Jenish I.
Published: October 2021

A percentage of natural fibers is used for developing a composite, the materials are quite increasing in recent trends, and they can be a potential replacement of synthetic fibers in the reinforcement phase of hybrid composite. In this research, the combination of natural fibers and synthetic fibers can be used as reinforcement, and epoxy polymer can be used as matrix material. The fibers of Kevlar and Napier grass are reinforced with epoxy matrix to develop a new composite by using conventional hand layup fabrication process and to quantify the effect of this hybrid composite laminate, with five different sequences following. To identify the mechanical properties of this hybrid composite through tensile, flexural, compression strength, impact strength, and hardness tests, among all five samples, sample A was given the maximum mechanical strength, such that the tensile strength is 210 MPa, flexural strength is 165 MPa, the impact energy absorption is 23 J, the average is 40% over the other samples, and, at the same time, the compression strength of sample E is 19 MPa, revealing the negative influence of hybrid composite. The SEM morphology was carried out to identify the failure mode of the hybrid composites.
Glycyrrhizic Acid Scavenges Reactive Carbonyl Species and Attenuates Glycation‐Induced Multiple Protein Modification: An In Vitro and In Silico Study
Authors: Alvi Sahir Sultan , Nabi Rabia , Khan Mohd. Shahnawaz , Akhter Firoz , Ahmad Saheem , Khan M. Salman
Published: October 2021

The current study is aimed at studying the inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizic acid (GA) on D‐ribose‐mediated protein glycation via various physicochemical analyses and in silico approaches. Being a potent free radical scavenger and a triterpenoid saponin, GA plays a vital role in diminishing the oxidative stress and thus could be an effective inhibitor of the nonenzymatic glycation process. Our data showed that varying concentrations of GA inhibited the in vitro BSA‐AGEs via inhibiting the formation of fructosamines, fluorescent AGEs, scavenging protein carbonyl and hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) content, and protection against D‐ribose‐induced modification of BSA as evident by increased free Arg and Lys residues in GA‐treated Gly‐BSA samples. Moreover, GA also attenuated D‐ribose‐induced alterations in the secondary structure of BSA by protecting the α‐helix and β‐sheet conformers and amide‐I band delocalization. In addition, GA attenuated the modification in β‐cross amyloid structures of BSA and in silico molecular interaction study too showed strong binding of GA with higher number of Lys and Arg residues of BSA and binding energy (ΔG) of ‐8.8 Kcal/mol, when compared either to reference standard aminoguanidine (AG)‐BSA complex (ΔG: ‐4.3 Kcal/mol) or D‐ribose‐BSA complex (ΔG: ‐5.2 Kcal/mol). Therefore, GA could be a new and favorable inhibitor of the nonenzymatic glycation process that ameliorates AGEs‐related complications via attenuating the AGE formation and glycation‐induced multiple protein modifications with a reduced risk of adverse effects on protein structure and functionality; hence, it could be investigated at further preclinical settings for the treatment and management of diabetes and age‐associated complications.
Use of Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Technology to Analyze the Mechanism of Action of Velvet Antler in the Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Authors: Guo Kuiting , Wang Tiancheng , Luo Enjing , Leng Xiangyang , Yao Baojin
Published: October 2021

Deer velvet antlers are the young horns of male deer that are not ossified and densely overgrown. Velvet antler and its preparations have been widely used in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) in recent years, although its mechanism of action in the human body remains unclear. To screen the effective ingredients and targets of velvet antler in the treatment of PMOP using network pharmacology and to explore the potential mechanisms of velvet antler action in such treatments, we screened the active ingredients and targets of velvet antler in the BATMAN-TCM database. We also screened the relevant targets of PMOP in the GeneCards and OMIM databases and then compared the targets at the intersection of both velvet antler and PMOP. We used Cytoscape 3.7.2 software to construct a network diagram of “disease-drug-components-targets” and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network through the STRING database and screened out the core targets; the R language was then used to analyze the shared targets between antler and PMOP for GO-enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway-annotation analysis. Furthermore, we used the professional software Maestro 11.1 to verify the predictive analysis based on network pharmacology. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and micro-CT were used to observe the changes in trabecular bone tissue, further confirming the results of network pharmacological analysis. The potentially effective components of velvet antler principally include 17β-E2, adenosine triphosphate, and oestrone. These components act on key target genes such as AKT1, IL6, MAPK3, TP53, EGFR, SRC, and TNF and regulate the PI3K/Akt-signaling and MAPK-signaling pathways. These molecules participate in a series of processes such as cellular differentiation, apoptosis, metabolism, and inflammation and can ultimately be used to treat PMOP; they reflect the overall regulation, network regulation, and protein interactions.
Characterization and miRNA Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles from Human Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Multipotential Stromal Cells (MSCs)
Authors: Sanjurjo-Rodríguez Clara , Crossland Rachel E. , Reis Monica , Pandit Hemant , Wang Xiao-nong , Jones Elena
Published: October 2021

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a heterogeneous disease in which the cross-talk between the cells from different tissues within the joint is affected as the disease progresses. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are known to have a crucial role in cell-cell communication by means of cargo transfer. Subchondral bone (SB) resident cells and its microenvironment are increasingly recognised to have a major role in OA pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the EV production from OA SB mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and their possible influence on OA chondrocytes. Small EVs were isolated from OA-MSCs, characterized and cocultured with chondrocytes for viability and gene expression analysis, and compared to small EVs from MSCs of healthy donors (H-EVs). OA-EVs enhanced viability of chondrocytes and the expression of chondrogenesis-related genes, although the effect was marginally lower compared to that of the H-EVs. miRNA profiling followed by unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis revealed distinct microRNA sets in OA-EVs as compared to their parental MSCs or H-EVs. Pathway analysis of OA-EV miRNAs showed the enrichment of miRNAs implicated in chondrogenesis, stem cells, or other pathways related to cartilage and OA. In conclusion, OA SB MSCs were capable of producing EVs that could support chondrocyte viability and chondrogenic gene expression and contained microRNAs implicated in chondrogenesis support. These EVs could therefore mediate the cross-talk between the SB and cartilage in OA potentially modulating chondrocyte viability and endogenous cartilage regeneration.
Suprasellar Melanocytoma with Leptomeningeal Seeding: An Aggressive Clinical Course for a Histologically Benign Tumor
Authors: Maaloul Imen , Moussaoui Marwa , Salah Ameni , Feki Wiem , Fourati Hela , Charfi Nadia , Mnif Zeineb
Published: October 2021

Introduction. Meningeal melanocytoma (MM) is a very rare neuroectodermal neoplasm arising from the leptomeninges. Primary suprasellar melanocytomas are exceedingly rare, with only a handful of cases reported. The systemic spread of a nontransformed meningeal melanocytoma is an unusual occurrence. Herein, we report the first case of a primary sellar melanocytoma with cerebral and spinal meningeal seeding. Case Report. A 30-year-old male with no previous medical history presented to the endocrinology department with a loss of body hair. The endocrine workup concluded with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain and sella revealed a large suprasellar mass continuous with the infundibulum of the pituitary gland. It was heterogeneously hyperintense on T1-, T2-, and FLAIR-weighted images and was enhanced with contrast, along with cerebral and spinal leptomeningeal spread. The patient was referred to the neurosurgery department, and a lumbar spine biopsy was indicated. The histopathological examination was suggestive of a grade I meningeal pigmented melanocytoma. Conclusion. Thus, primary sellar melanocytomas with leptomeningeal spread are an extremely rare phenomenon. Metastatic malignant melanoma should be ruled out. Being aware of differential diagnosis and the unusual behavior of meningeal melanocytoma will be necessary to manage the patient appropriately. Complete tumor resection is the best treatment whenever possible, and radiotherapy should be considered in case of unresectability or partial resection.
Viscous Dissipation Effect in the Free Convection of Non-Newtonian Fluid with Heat Generation or Absorption Effect on the Vertical Wavy Surface
Authors: Moslemi Mehdi , Javaherdeh Kourosh
Published: October 2021

The present article analyzes the effect of viscous dissipations on natural convection heat transfer. The power law model for non-Newtonian fluid with heat generation or absorption effect along a sinusoidal wavy surface with isothermal boundary condition is investigated. A simple coordinate transform is employed to map the wavy surface into a flat surface, and also, the fully implicit finite difference method is incorporated for the numerical solution. The findings of this study can help better understand the effect of parameters such as the Brinkman number, heat generation/absorption, wave amplitude magnitude, and generalized Prandtl number on convective heat transfer in dilatant and pseudoplastic non-Newtonian. Results show that as the Brinkman number increases, the amount of heat transfer decreases. This is physically justifiable considering that the fluid becomes warmer due to the viscous dissipation, decreasing its temperature difference with the constant temperature surface. Also, the effect of the power law viscosity index is surveyed. It is demonstrated that the magnitude of the local Nusselt number in the plane leading edge has the smallest quantity for pseudoplastic fluids compared to dilatant Newtonian fluids. Additionally, as the distance from the plane leading edge increases, the heat transfer declines.
iMPT-FDNPL: Identification of Membrane Protein Types with Functional Domains and a Natural Language Processing Approach
Authors: Chen Wei , Chen Lei , Dai Qi
Published: October 2021

Membrane protein is an important kind of proteins. It plays essential roles in several cellular processes. Based on the intramolecular arrangements and positions in a cell, membrane proteins can be divided into several types. It is reported that the types of a membrane protein are highly related to its functions. Determination of membrane protein types is a hot topic in recent years. A plenty of computational methods have been proposed so far. Some of them used functional domain information to encode proteins. However, this procedure was still crude. In this study, we designed a novel feature extraction scheme to obtain informative features of proteins from their functional domain information. Such scheme termed domains as words and proteins, represented by its domains, as sentences. The natural language processing approach, word2vector, was applied to access the features of domains, which were further refined to protein features. Based on these features, RAndom k-labELsets with random forest as the base classifier was employed to build the multilabel classifier, namely, iMPT-FDNPL. The tenfold cross-validation results indicated the good performance of such classifier. Furthermore, such classifier was superior to other classifiers based on features derived from functional domains via one-hot scheme or derived from other properties of proteins, suggesting the effectiveness of protein features generated by the proposed scheme.
IDBR: Iot Enabled Depth Base Routing Method for Underwater Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Farooq Umer , Ullah Mohib , Khan Rafi Ullah , Alharbi Abdullah , Uddin Muhammad Irfan , Haq Muhammad Inam Ul , Alosaimi Wael
Published: October 2021

Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) gained the attention of researchers due to their substantial applications in various fields. The major application areas of UWSN are environmental monitoring, underwater oil and gas extraction and military surveillance, smart farming, communication, and others. However, UWSNs are also prone to significant issues, such as limited network lifetime, the low processing capability of nodes, high energy consumption to run routing protocols, and difficult node replacement. Therefore, enhancing the lifetime of UWSN by reducing energy consumption and processing is a research issue. In this research, we proposed the IoT enabled depth base routing method (IDBR) to utilize energy efficiently. The performance of the proposed IDBR method is compared with conventional DBR protocol using simulation conducting in MATLAB. The performance of both the methods (i.e., IDBR and DBR) is evaluated in network energy consumption, the number of alive nodes, sink utilization, and end‐to‐end delay. The simulation‐based experiment results show that IDBR consumes 27.7% less energy and increases network stability than the DBR. Similarly, the utilization of the surface sinks in IDBR is more as compared to DBR as in IDBR, and sinks work as relay forward data to the base station without processing which increases the power of field nodes. The proposed mechanism improves the network’s lifetime and increases the accessibility and security of the sensed data.
English Listening Teaching Device and Method Based on Virtual Reality Technology under Wireless Sensor Network Environment
Authors: Xue Yuxiu , Wang Jingjing
Published: October 2021

This paper presents an in‐depth study and analysis of the design and implementation of English listening instruction using wireless sensing microprocessors combined with the technology of virtual environments. Inaccurate speech hinders smooth communication and restricts the development of various skills in foreign language learning. To learn English well, mastering phonetics is a crucial first step. Especially for learners in junior and senior high schools, phonics teaching is considered an essential part. In the face of the new standards which put higher demands on phonetic intonation, the traditional methods of teaching phonetics have little effect on improving phonetics and are even somewhat overwhelming. Therefore, increased researchers are trying to find effective phonics teaching methods to improve the current problems in high school phonics teaching. Important definitions of virtual reality, augmented reality, and teaching resources are collected and organized, typical applications of augmented reality in education at the present stage are summarized, important events in the development of augmented reality are reviewed, key technologies of augmented reality are briefly described, hardware and software resources required to realize the effect of augmented reality are introduced, and pedagogical theories underlying the study of augmented reality in English teaching resources are discussed. The results of the student walk‐through quizzes are analyzed using SPSS with independent sample t‐tests, and the distribution of the number of scores is statistically analyzed in the form of graphs, and interviews with students and teachers are used to gain a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of the resource in teaching practice. The value of the application of the augmented reality primary school English teaching resource is explored.
Approximate Solution of a Reduced-Type Index-kHessenberg Differential-Algebraic Control System
Authors: Abd Ghazwa F. , Zaboon Radhi A.
Published: October 2021

This study focuses on developing an efficient and easily implemented novel technique to solve the index-kHessenberg differential-algebraic equation (DAE) with input control. The implicit function theorem is first applied to solve the algebraic constraints of having unknown state differential variables to form a reduced state-space representation of an ordinary differential (control) system defined on smooth manifold with consistent initial conditions. The variational formulation is then developed for the reduced problem. A solution of the reduced problem is proven to be the critical point of the variational formulation, and the critical points of the variational formulation are the solutions of the reduced problem on the manifold. The approximate analytical solution of the equivalent variational formulation is represented as a finite number of basis functions with unknown parameters on a suitable separable Hilbert setting solution space. The unknown coefficients of the solution are obtained by solving a linear algebraic system. The different index problems of linear Hessenberg differential-algebraic control systems are approximately solved using this approach with comparisons. The numerical results reveal the good efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method. This technique is applicable for a large number of applications like linear quadratic optima, control problems, and constrained mechanical systems.
[Retracted] Wireless Sensor Network Topology Theory for Data Collection and Analysis of Sports Training Human Body
Authors: Fu Beibei
Published: October 2021

This paper is based on wireless sensor network topology for sports training human data collection, and the collected data are studied and analyzed in depth. According to the application requirements of sports training, a sports training system consisting of an embedded data collection terminal, and a database server is designed using wireless sensor network technology. The hardware is designed with sensor nodes and base stations to collect athletes’ motion parameters in real time. The software is designed with node and base station control software and sports database management system to realize the receiving, storing, and analyzing of sports parameters. And the system experiments were conducted, and the experimental results show that this system meets the application requirements of sports training and provides an effective tool for scientific training decision research. The needs of designing sports training systems under wireless sensor networks are analyzed, and the system is designed and implemented. Our results confirm that the use of wireless sensor network technology in the design of the sports training system improves the system application performance by 16%. And the interactivity of the sports training system in practice has increased by 8%. All of these show that the design of the sports training system under the wireless sensor network meets the actual system application requirements and has a positive impact. The design of base station control, node control, and sports database software is implemented in the software system, which can effectively realize the collection, storage, and analysis of sports parameters. Finally, the designed wireless sensor network‐based sports training system is tested, and the test results indicate that the system designed in this paper can meet the needs of sports training use.
Heme Sequestration Effectively Suppresses the Development and Progression of Both Lung Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Dey Sanchareeka , Ashrafi Adnin , Vidal Chantal , Jain Nivesh , Kalainayakan Sarada Preeta , Ghosh Poorva , Alemi Parinaz Sadat , Salamat Narges , Konduri Purna Chaitanya , Kim Jung-whan , Zhang Li
Published: October 2021

Lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are two most common subtypes of lung cancer. Here, to identify new, targetable molecular properties of both subtypes, we monitored changes in the levels of heme- and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-related proteins during lung tumorigenesis. Heme is a central molecule for oxidative metabolism and ATP generation via OXPHOS. Notably, both lung ADC and SCC tumors can be induced in the genetically engineered KLLuc mouse model harboring the G12D Kras mutation and a conditional Lkb1 knockout. We found that the levels of the rate-limiting heme synthesis enzyme ALAS1 and uptake protein SLC48A1, along with OXPHOS complex subunits, progressively increased as lung tumorigenesis advanced. Our data demonstrated that elevated levels of heme- and OXPHOS-related proteins were associated with both ADC and SCC. Importantly, treatment of KLLuc mice with a heme-sequestering protein, HeSP2, that inhibits heme uptake in tumor cells effectively arrested lung tumor progression, and both ADC and SCC tumors were strongly suppressed. Additionally, HeSP2 effectively suppressed the growth of both SCC and ADC tumor xenografts in NOD/SCID mice. Further analyses indicated that HeSP2 effectively diminished OXPHOS in both ADC and SCC, reduced angiogenesis, alleviated tumor hypoxia, and suppressed cell proliferation. These results show that the advancing of lung tumorigenesis requires progressive increase in cellular heme synthesis and uptake, leading to intensified OXPHOS activity and ATP generation and promoting aggressive tumorigenic functions.

Implications:

Heme sequestration is an effective strategy for the suppression of both ADC and SCC tumor initiation and development.
Intravitreal Tissue Plasminogen Activator Injection for Treatment-Resistant Diabetic Macular Edema of the Vitrectomized Eye
Authors: Aoki Ren , Hatano Makoto , Higashijima Fumiaki , Yoshimoto Takuya , Mikuni Masanori , Ogata Tadahiko , Kobayashi Yuka , Wakuta Makiko , Kimura Kazuhiro
Published: October 2021

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the main cause of visual loss in patients with diabetic retinopathy. DME has been treated using intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs, steroids, laser photocoagulation, vitreoretinal surgery, and their combinations. These modalities are generally effective in preserving vision, but they sometimes produce only limited responses in patients with persistent or refractory DME. The levels of various inflammatory factors, including cytokines, chemokines, and extracellular matrices, as well as VEGF in the vitreous fluid, are increased in patients with DME. Excessive fibrinogen/fibrin levels in the vitreous fluid or fibrin deposition in the retina also contribute to DME pathogenesis. Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) promotes the degradation of fibrinogen or fibrin. Intravitreal t-PA injection is a commonly used treatment for subretinal hemorrhage secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Intravitreal t-PA injections have previously been used to restore vision by inducing posterior vitreous detachment in patients with DME. Herein, we describe the visual outcomes of intravitreal t-PA injection in a 78-year-old woman with treatment-resistant DME in her vitrectomized eye after several previous treatments. Before the injection, her best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.7 logMAR and central foveal retinal thickness (CRT) was 735 μm. At 1 month after the injection, her BCVA was 0.8 logMAR and CRT was 558 μm, and 3 months later, her BCVA was 0.8 logMAR and CRT was 207 μm. Her BCVA was sustained, and CRT showed gradual improvements. These findings suggested the effectiveness of intravitreal t-PA injections for DME in the vitrectomized eye.
Capturing PROMs in Oncology Through Consistent Nutrition Risk Identification: An Opportunity to Optimize Care by Embedding Patient Participation Facilitated by eHealth Tools
Authors: Couto Irving  Susana 
Published: October 2021

Patient-reported outcome measures obtained via E-Health tools ease the assessment burden and encourage patient participation in cancer care (PaCC Study). Background: E-health based patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have the potential to automate early identification of both nutrition status and distress status in cancer patients while facilitating treatment and encouraging patient participation. This cross-sectional study assessed the acceptability, accuracy, and clinical utility of PROMs collected via E-Health tools among patients undergoing treatment for stomach, colorectal, and pancreatic tumors. Results: Eight-nine percent mostly, or completely, agreed that PROMs via tablets should be integrated in routine clinical care. Men were significantly more likely to require help completing the questionnaires than women (inv.OR = 0.51, 95% CI = (0.27, 0.95), p = 0.035). The level of help needed increased by 3% with each 1-year increase in age (inv. OR = 1.03, 95% CI = (1.01, 1.06), p = 0.013). On average, a patient tended to declare weight which was 0.84 kg inferior to their true weight (Bland and Altman 95 % CI = (–3.9, 5.6); SD: 2.41) and a height which was 0.95 cm superior to their true height (Bland and Altman 95 % CI = (−5, 3.1); SD 2.08). Patient-reported nutrition status was significantly associated with the professionally generated assessment (95% CI = (2.27, 4.15), p < 0.001). As nutrition status declined, the distress score increased (95%CI = (0.88, 1.68), p < 0.001). Of the patients, 48.8% who were both distressed and malnourished requested supportive care to address their problems. Conclusion: Patient-reported assessments utilizing E-health tools are an accurate and efficient method to encourage patient participation in cancer care while simultaneously ensuring that regular assessment of psycho-social and nutritional aspects of care are efficiently integrated in the daily clinical routine.
Identification of Candidate Genes in Early-Stage Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Patients with High-Risk Mortality Using Genes Commonly Involved in Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Hung Chih-Chiang , Huang Hsin-I. , Hung Chao-Ming , Moi Sin-Hua
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast is a heterogeneous disease characterized by multiple subtypes. IDC survival is highly impacted by tumor burden, molecular subtypes, and gene profiles. Gene mutation is a type of genomic instability regarded as having a considerable effect on IDC prognosis. Using integrated survival analysis, this study identified candidate genes and a high-risk group of patients with early-stage IDC to provide further understanding of the genetic characteristics associated with poor survival. Methods: The gene mutation profiles, baseline demographics, clinicopathologic variables, and treatment characteristics of the early-stage IDC subpopulation were downloaded from an open access data platform. These data were analyzed for a total of 444 patients. In total, 40 genes commonly involved in IDC were listed, and the genes exhibiting significant differences (as estimated using the log-rank test) were selected as the candidate genes. Results: The patients were divided into control, low-risk, and high-risk groups according to their gene mutation profiles. The 5-year overall survival rates of low-risk, control, and high-risk patients were 97.4%, 96.1%, and 73.0%, respectively. The high-risk group had a significantly higher risk of poor overall ­survival (adjusted hazard ratio = 6.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.51–28.7, p = 0.012) than that of the control group, and the low-risk group did not have a significant survival difference compared with control group. Conclusions: This study proposed an integrative approach for the identification of candidate genes for risk assessment of overall survival in these patients through typical survival analysis methods. The 14 candidate genes selected are particularly involved in cell-cycle processes, deoxyribonucleic acid repair, and drug resistance; their mutations were found to be generally associated with disease progression or therapeutic resistance, which is commonly associated with poor overall survival outcomes in IDC.
Long-Term Survival due to Chemotherapy including Paclitaxel in a Patient with Metastatic Primary Splenic Angiosarcoma
Authors: Takehara Masanori , Miyamoto Hiroshi , Fujino Yasuteru , Tomonari Tetsu , Taniguchi Tatsuya , Kitamura Shinji , Okamoto Koichi , Sogabe Masahiro , Sato Yasushi , Muguruma Naoki , Bando Yoshimi , Takayama Tetsuji
Published: October 2021

A primary splenic angiosarcoma is a rare type of soft tissue sarcoma and is associated with an extremely poor prognosis. In this study, we describe the case of a patient who was diagnosed with metastatic primary splenic angiosarcoma and survived for about 2 years. A 62-year-old female was referred to us for the treatment of splenic angiosarcoma with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and multiple liver and bone metastases. Paclitaxel therapy resulted in recovery from DIC and enabled her to continue sequential treatment through to sixth-line chemotherapy. We reviewed all splenic angiosarcoma case reports which were described as stage IV to date and compared with our case. From these data, we found that the median overall survival was 105 days, and the prognosis of splenic angiosarcoma of stage IV was worse than conventional case series. Splenectomy was performed in more patients than chemotherapy as a treatment. Moreover, various chemotherapeutic regimens were used. These data suggest that administering chemotherapy including paclitaxel to patients with splenic angiosarcoma might improve their prognosis.
Apixaban Causing Hepatic Cystic Bleeding: A Rare but a Life-Threatening Complication
Authors: Shehi Elona , Fortuzi Ked , Ghazanfar Haider , Mehershahi Shehriyar , Balar Bhavna
Published: October 2021

Cystic lesions of the liver are a heterogeneous group of disorders with varied etiology, prevalence, and clinical manifestations. Fibropolycystic liver disease encompasses a spectrum of related liver and biliary tract lesions caused by abnormal embryologic development of the ductal plates. These disorders include congenital hepatic fibrosis, biliary hamartomas, polycystic liver disease (PCLD), choledochal cysts, and Carolis disease. PCLD is arbitrarily defined as a liver that contains >20 cysts. Most liver cysts are incidentally found on imaging studies, and the majority of the patients with liver cysts are asymptomatic. Rarely, complications such as compression, infection, and bleeding within the cyst can occur. Under the effect of the increased pressure, the epithelial lining of the cyst undergoes necrosis and sloughing, causing injury of the fragile blood vessels, leading to intracystic bleeding. The bleeding within or from the cyst can be precipitated by anticoagulation. We present a patient with PCLD who developed intracystic bleeding after he was started on apixaban for the prevention of thromboembolism.
Successful Treatment of Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia in a 26-Year-Old Female Patient
Authors: Kemper Marcel , Lenz Georg , Mesters Rolf Michael
Published: October 2021

Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) has already been described after vaccination with ChAdOx2 nCov-19 (AstraZeneca) and Ad26.COV2.S (Johnson & Johnson/Janssen). However, less knowledge so far has been gained about optimal therapeutic regimens in VITT-suspected patients. Here, we report the case of a 26-year-old female patient, who developed bilateral deep vein thrombosis in the lower legs and severe thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx2 nCov-19 vaccination. After initial anticoagulation therapy regimens including fondaparinux, apixaban, and danaparoid failed, the patient was successfully treated with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins in combination with parental anticoagulation therapy with argatroban. As vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 affects billions of people worldwide, medical facilities and hospitals have to be prepared and provide effective treatment options in VITT-suspected patients, including rapid application of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins, to improve patient outcomes.
The Impact of Chronic Kidney Disease on Outcomes of Patients with COVID-19 Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Brogan Maureen , Ross Michael J.
Published: October 2021

Context: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately impacts patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially those with kidney failure requiring replacement therapy (KFRT). Patients with KFRT have increased risk of developing COVID-19, and though initial reports suggested that mortality of these patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting is prohibitively high, those studies suffered from significant limitations. Subject of Review: The Study of the Treatment and Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 (STOP-COVID) is a multicenter cohort study that enrolled adults with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs in 68 medical centers across the USA. STOP-COVID investigators compared characteristics at the time of ICU admission and clinical outcomes in 143 patients with KFRT, 521 with nondialysis-dependent CKD (ND-CKD), and 3,600 patients without CKD. Patients with KFRT were less likely to have typical COVID-19 symptoms but more likely to have altered mental status at the time of ICU admission and were less likely to require mechanical ventilation during hospitalization than those without kidney disease. Approximately, 50% of patients with KFRT and ND-CKD died within 28 days of ICU admission, and in fully adjusted models, patients with KFRT and ND-CKD had 1.41- and 1.25-fold higher risk of 28-day mortality than those without CKD. Patients with KFRT and ND-CKD were also less likely to receive emerging therapies for COVID-19 than those without CKD. Second Opinion: This study provides important new data demonstrating differences in clinical presentation in patients with KFRT and ND-CKD with COVID-19. Alhough patients with severe CKD had higher mortality than those without CKD, approximately half survived after 28 days, demonstrating that patients with COVID-19 and severe CKD can benefit from ICU care. The markedly lower use of emerging COVID-19 treatments in patients with severe CKD highlights the need to include these patients in clinical trials of new COVID-19 therapies and for clinicians to ensure equal access to care in patients with severe CKD and COVID-19.
The Review of the Difference between Patients and Physicians in Terms of Severity Assessment and Therapeutic Goals in Androgenetic Alopecia in Japan
Authors: Harada Yuya , Niiyama Shiro , Fukuda Hidetsugu
Published: October 2021

We often come across differences in the severity of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) as assessed subjectively by the patients themselves and objectively by the attending physicians. For the purpose of examining the differences in the assessment of AGA between patients and physicians, we presented the Norwood classification to male patients and the Shiseido classification to female patients and asked them to assess the degree of hair loss by themselves. We compared the results with the severity as assessed by 2 specified dermatologists. The results show that the assessments of the severity of AGA were consistent between the patients and physicians in 42% (15/36) of cases, the physicians reported a higher grade of severity than the patients themselves in 30% (11/36) of cases, and the patients reported a higher grade of severity than the physicians in 28% (10/36) of cases; however, the Wilcoxon signed rank statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the patients and physicians assessments. AGA should be treated in accordance with individual symptoms and wishes and not a standardized treatment protocol.
Peritoneal Chlamydia trachomatis Infection as a Cause of Ascites: A Diagnosis Not to Be Missed
Authors: Barros Luísa Leite , Silva Jessica Calheiros da , Dantas Anna Carolina Batista , Martins Leandro Aurelio Liporoni , Klajner Sidney , Farias Alberto Queiroz
Published: October 2021

Ascites is a common complication of several conditions, but it is rare in cases of Chlamydia trachomatis infection. We report a 36-year-old patient presenting with abdominal swelling for a week prior to hospitalization. An extensive workup excluded liver or heart disease and malignancy. A computed tomography scan demonstrated massive ascites and severe thickening of peritoneal reflections. Laboratory tests showed low serum-ascites albumin gradient, high total protein, and low adenosine. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed inflammatory signs of both fallopian tubes. The histopathological results from peritoneal biopsy were consistent with lymphoid proliferation with reactive lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. A gynecological investigation showed a positive DNA for C. trachomatis in the cervical swab. After treatment with doxycycline, there was a complete resolution of ascites.
Combined fuzzy PID regulator for frequency regulation of smart grid and conventional power systems
Authors: Nayak Smrutiranjan , Kar Sanjeeb Kumar , Dash Subhransu Sekhar
Published: October 2021

In continually increasing area and structure of modern power system having burden demand uncertainties, the use of knowledgeable and vigorous frequency power strategy is essential for the satisfactory functioning of the Power system. A combined fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (CFPID) controller is suggested for frequency supervision of the power system. To optimize the controller parameters, a review of sine and cosine work adjusted improved whale optimization algorithm (SCiWOA) has been utilized. The next practical application of power-system frequency control is performed by designing a CFPID controller using the proposed SCiWOA technique for a smart grid system having inexhaustible sources like sun oriented, wind, photovoltaic and capacity gadgets like a battery, flywheel just as module electric vehicles. The first advantages of the SCiWOA tuned CFPID controller over hybrid-particle-swarm-optimization and pattern-search (hPSO-PS) adjusted fuzzy proportional-integral (FPI) controller, hybrid bacterial foraging optimization algorithm-particle swarm optimization (hBFOA-PSO) adjusted proportional-integral (PI) controller, genetic algorithm (GA) tuned proportional and integral (PI) controller, BFOA adjusted PI controller, jaya algoritm (JA) tuned PID with derivative filter (PIDN) controller and teaching learning based optimization (TLBO) tuned proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller are demonstrated for the two-area non-reheat thermal power system. The second advantages of the SCiWOA tuned CFPID controller over artificial-bee-colony (ABC) tuned PID controller, SOSA tuned PID controller and Firefly algorithm (FA) tuned PID controller are demonstrated for two-area reheat thermal power system. It is seen that SCiWOA based CFPID controller is more effective in controlling the recurrence comparative with PID regulator.
Diabetic retinopathy classification using deep convolutional neural network
Authors: L. Akshita , Singhal Harshul , Dwivedi Ishita , Ghuli Poonam
Published: October 2021

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a diabetic impairment that affects the eyes and if not treated could lead to permanent vision impairment. Traditionally, Ophthalmologists perform diagnosis of DR by checking for existence and any seriousness of some subtle features in the fundus images. This process is not very efficient as it takes a lot of time and resources. DR testing of all the patients, a lot of which are undiagnosed or untreated, is a big task due to the inefficiency of the traditional method. This paper was written with the aim to propose a classification system based on an efficient deep convolution neural network (DCNN) model which is computationally efficient. Amongst other supervised algorithms involved, proposed solution is to find a way to efficiently classify the fundus images into 5 different levels of severity. Application of segmentation after the pre-processing and then use of deep convolutional neural networks on the dataset results in a high accuracy of 91.52%. The result achieved is high given the limitations of the dataset and computational powers.
Method for improving ripple reduction during phase shedding in multiphase buck converters for SCADA systems
Authors: Varghese Mini P. , Manjunatha A. , Snehaprabha T. V.
Published: October 2021

In the current digital environment, central processing unit (CPUs), field programmable gate array (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuit (ASICs), as well as peripherals, are growing progressively complex. On motherboards in many areas of computing, from laptops and tablets to servers and Ethernet switches, multiphase phase buck regulators are seen to be more common nowadays, because of the higher power requirements. This study describes a four-stage buck converter with a phase shedding scheme that can be used to power processors in programmable logic controller (PLCs). The proposed power supply is designed to generate a regulated voltage with minimal ripple. Because of the suggested phase shedding method, this power supply also offers better light load efficiency. For this objective, a multiphase system with phase shedding is modeled in MATLAB SIMULINK, and the findings are validated.
A new framework for utilizing side information in sparse representation
Authors: Rafsanjani Seyed Hadi Hashemi , Maghrebi Saeed Ghazi
Published: October 2021

An underdetermined system of linear equation has infinitely number of answers. To find a specific solution, regularization method is used. For this propose, we define a cost function based on desired features of the solution and that answer with the best matches to these function is selected as the desired solution. In case of sparse solution, zero-norm function is selected as the cost function. In many engineering cases, there is side information which are omitted because of the zero-norm function. Finding a way to conquer zero-norm function limitation, will help to improve estimation of the desired parameter. In this regard, we utilize maximum a posterior (MAP) estimation and modify the prior information such that both sparsity and side information are utilized. As a consequence, a framework to utilize side information into sparse representation algorithms is proposed. We also test our proposed framework in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) sparse channel estimation problem which indicates, by utilizing our proposed system, the performance of the system improves and fewer resources are required for estimating the channel.
Engaging students to fill surveys using chatbots: University case study
Authors: Belhaj Nadir , Hamdane Abdemounaime , Chaoui Nour El Houda , Chaoui Habiba , El Bekkali Moulhime
Published: October 2021

The use of chatbot or conversational agents is becoming common these days by the companies in many fields to make smart conversations with users. Backed by artificial intelligence and natural language processing they provide a strong platform to engage users. These positive aspects of chatbots can be beneficial in the educational sector, especially in conducting online survey. This study aims to explore the feasibility of a new chatbot approach survey as a new survey method in Moroccan university to overcome the web survey’s common response quality problems. Indeed, having student feedback before and after graduation is essential for university assessment. This new approach keeps students engaged, supportive, and even excited to offer feedback without getting bored and dropping the conversation, especially in Moroccan universities known by an overcrowding of students where it is difficult to get their feedback. This feedback feeds into our university' databases for further reporting and decision making to improve the quality of educational content and student-oriented services. Finally, we have shown the effectiveness of our approach by a comparative data study between the traditional online survey and the use of this chatbot.