bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fluorescent properties of cyanine dyes as a matter of the environment
Authors: Fan Fan , Povedailo Vladimir A. , Lysenko Ivan L. , Seviarynchyk Tatsiana P. , Sharko Olga L. , Mazunin Ilya O. , Shmanai Vadim V.
Published: May 2023

In non-viscous aqueous solutions, the cyanine fluorescent dyes Cy3 and Cy5 have rather low fluorescence efficiency and short excited state lifetimes due to their structural features. In this work, we investigated the effect of solubility and rotational degrees of freedom on the fluorescence efficiency of Cy3 and Cy5 in several ways. We compared the fluorescence efficiencies of two cyanine dyes sCy3 and sCy5 with the introduction of a sulfonyl substituent in the aromatic ring as well as covalently bound to T10 oligonucleotides. The results show that because of the different lengths of the polymethine chains between the aromatic rings of the dyes, cis-trans-isomerization has a much greater effect on the Cy3 molecule than on the Cy5 molecule, while the effect of aggregation is also significant.
Could continuous cover forestry on drained peatlands increase the carbon sink of Finnish forests?
Authors: Lehtonen Aleksi , Eyvindson Kyle , Härkönen Kari , Leppä Kersti , Salmivaara Aura , Peltoniemi Mikko , Salminen Olli , Sarkkola Sakari , Launiainen Samuli , Ojanen Paavo , Räty Minna , Mäkipää Raisa
Published: May 2023

Land-based mitigation measures are needed to achieve climate targets. One option is mitigation of currently high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of nutrient-rich drained peatland forest soils. Continuous cover forestry (CCF) has been proposed as a measure to manage this GHG emission source; however, its emission reduction potential and impact on timber production at regional and national scale have not been analysed. To quantify the potential emission reduction, we simulated four management scenarios for Finnish forests: (i) clearcutting of nutrient-rich drained peatlands replaced by selection harvesting (CCF) and (ii) the current prevailing forest management regime (BAU), and both at two harvest levels, namely (i) the mean annual harvesting (2016–2018) and (ii) the maximum sustainable yield. The simulations were conducted with a forest simulator (MELA) coupled with hydrological model (SpaFHy), soil C model (Yasso07) and empirical GHG exchange models. Simulations showed that the management scenario (CCF) that avoided clear-cutting on nutrient-rich drained peatlands produced approximately 1 Tg CO2 eq. higher carbon sinks annually compared to the BAU at equal harvest level for Finland. This emission reduction can be attributed to the maintenance of higher biomass sink and to the mitigation of soil emissions from nutrient-rich drained peatland sites.
Phylogenomic Analysis and Dynamic Evolution of Chloroplast Genomes of Clematis nannophylla
Authors: Qin Jinping , Liu Ying , Wang Yanlong
Published: May 2023

Background Clematis nannophylla is a small perennial shrub of Clematis with a high ecological, ornamental, and medicinal value and is distributed in the arid and semi-arid areas of northwest China. In this study, we successfully determined the complete chloroplast genome of C. nannophylla and reconstructed a phylogenetic tree of Clematis.Results The chloroplast genome of C. nannophylla was 159801 bp in length, including a large single-copy (LSC,79526bp), a small single-copy (SSC,18185bp), and a pair of reverse repeats(IRa and IRb,31045bp). The C. nannophylla cp genome contained 133 unique genes, including 89 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. In addition, 61 codons and 66 simple repeat sequences (SSR) were identified, of which 50 dispersed repeats (including 22 forward, 21 palindromic and 7 reverse) and 24 tandem repeats were found in C. nannophylla. Many of the dispersed and tandem repeats were between 20–30 bp and 10–20 bp, respectively. The chloroplast genome of C. nannophylla was relatively conserved, especially in the IR region, where no inversion or rearrangement was observed. The six regions with the largest variations were trnF-ndhJ, ndhE-ndhG, ndhF-rpl32, ccsA-ndhD, ccsA, and ndhD (Pi > 0.008), which were distributed in the LSCS and SSCs. A comparison of gene selection pressures indicated that purification was the main mode of selection for maintaining important biological functions in the chloroplast genome of C. nannophylla. However, to adapt to the living environment, ycf1 was positively selected (C. nannophylla and C. florida). Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. nannophylla was more closely related to C. fruticosa and C. songorica.Conclusions Our analysis of the C. nannophylla cp genome provides reference data for molecular marker development, phylogenetic analysis, population studies, and chloroplast genome processes, as well as for better exploitation and utilisation of C. nannophylla.
Efficient Sequential Delivery Nanosystem of Betulinic Acid and Celastrol for Inhibition of Tumor- Associated Fibroblast-Induced Resistance and Metastasis
Authors: Li Chunhong , Wang Zhen , Zhang Yifeng , Zhu Yuqing , Xu Maochang , Lei Hui , Zhang Dan
Published: May 2023

Background
The growth, metastasis and treatment sensitivity of tumors can be strongly influenced by Tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs) in the microenvironment. Effective cancer therapies may need to target not only the tumor cells directly but also the TAFs that protect them.
Results
We developed and validated a novel drug delivery system consisting of micelles-in-liposomes loaded with the anti-cancer drug betulinic acid and the anti-fibrosis drug celastrol. The folic acid was chosen as targeting ligands to modify the liposomes for target tumor cells. First, the liposomes released celastrol into the extracellular matrix to induce apoptosis of TAFs and thereby reduce the cellular density and collagen content of the matrix. This matrix “loosening” then helped betulinic acid enter tumor cells. The co-loaded nanoformulation proved more effective against tumor growth in mice than formulations with either drug on its own.
Conclusion
Targeting TAFs with celastrol sensitizes tumor cells to chemotherapy, increasing the efficacy of betulinic acid. The combination of drugs targeting tumor cells and TAFs may lead to more effective therapies against various cancers.
Supportive care needs among older Mexican adults with metastatic cancer
Authors: Torres-Perez Ana Cristina , Ramos-Lopez Wendy Alicia , Covarrubias-Gómez Alfredo , Sánchez-Roman Sofía , Quiroz-Friedman Paulina , Alcocer-Castillejos Natasha , Milke-García María Del Pilar , Carrillo-Soto Mónica , Morales-Alfaro Andrea , Chavarri-Guerra Yanin , Soto-Perez-de-Celis Enrique
Published: May 2023

Purpose
To compare supportive care needs between older adults with cancer (age ≥ 65 years) and their younger counterparts.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of patients with newly diagnosed metastatic solid tumors. Supportive care needs were assessed at baseline and at 3-month follow-up. Patients were divided into two groups (aged ≥ 65/<65 years). Differences in clinical characteristics and supportive care needs were compared utilizing descriptive statistics. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine patient characteristics associated with specific supportive care needs.
Results
Between 2018 and 2022, 375 patients were enrolled. Median age was 66 years (IQR 19–94). At baseline, older adults had a higher number of supportive care needs (4.8 vs. 4.2 p = 0.01), and were at higher risk of malnutrition (75 vs. 65%, p = 0.05). Increasing age (OR 1.02 (95%CI 1.0-1.04, p = 0.03) and an estimated life expectancy < 6 months (OR 3.0, 95%CI 1.5–6.1; p < 0.01) were associated with higher odds of malnutrition, while a higher educational level was associated with decreased odds (OR 0.68, 95%CI 0.5–0.8; p < 0.01). At 3-month follow-up, older adults still had a higher number of supportive care needs (3.8vs.2.6, p < 0.01) and were more likely to have fatigue (62 vs. 47%, p = 0.02). An estimated life expectancy < 6 months was associated with increased odds of fatigue (OR 3.0, 95%CI 1.5–6.3; p < 0.01).
Conclusion
Older adults reported significantly more supportive care needs, particularly risk of malnutrition and fatigue. This information can inform the creation of supportive care services tailored for the needs of older individuals.
Combining Color Texture and Shape Features In a Multi-Input Convolutional Neural Network for Efficient Face Recognition In Unconstrained Environments
Authors: Bahroun Sahbi
Published: May 2023

Developing an effective feature representation for face recognition in an un-constrained environment is still a challenging research field. However, in that environment, face images suffer from several issues that could affect the achieved results such as facial expression, occlusion, low resolution, noise, illumination and pose variation. In this paper, an end-to-end multi-input deep convolu-tional neural network architecture was designed for face recognition. The newly designed CNN structure can take full advantage of multi-modal 2D/3D features extracted from face such as: 3DMM-Mesh LBP image, LBPC image, and the face image itself. Through experiments conducted on the LFW, YTF, Multi-PIE, and Bosphorus databases, the obtained results showed a significant improvement compared to traditional state-of-the-art methods which demonstrated the strength of introducing a multi-input convolutional neural network for face recognition in uncontrolled environments.
Parametric uncertainty propagation of kinematic source models in ground motions at near-fault mountain-valley areas
Authors: Meng Si-bo , Li Wen-xuan , Liu Zhong-xian , Liu Ying
Published: May 2023

The source uncertainty causes spatial variability of ground motions in mountain-valley sites near the fault. This study aims to analyze how the uncertainty propagation in the source model affects the near-fault and local site effect when there is a mountain-valley site in the near-fault area. This study considers the uncertainty of the asperity intensity and rupture velocity by random variables, and considers the randomness of the position of the asperity and the initial rupture point by setting three rupture scenarios. The impact of the local site on the variability of ground motions is compared, and the correlation between the variability of ground motion and the fault distance and dip angle is discussed. To solve multi-dimensional uncertainty problems, the multiplicative dimensional reduction method (M-DRM) with high accuracy and efficiency is employed, and the physical process of fault rupture to site response is simulated by the indirect boundary element method (IBEM). The results indicate that M-DRM is applicable to solving ground motions in near-fault complex sites with uncertain parameters. The uncertainty is transmitted with the propagation of seismic waves, and the scattering of seismic waves in mountain-valley sites amplifies this uncertainty. The local site effect increases the frequency band ranges and peak values of velocity pulses, and the uncertainty only affects the values of the velocity pulses. Considering the mean plus once the variance caused by the uncertainty, the maximum value of vertical velocity pulse can be increased by 34%. The variability of ground motion parameters decreases with the increase of fault distance and dip angle. It is necessary to quantify the uncertainty of the sources in ground motion simulation based on physical models.
First distribution record of Schistura scaturigina McClelland, 1839 in river Tons, a tributary of river Yamuna in Uttarakhand, in morphological and molecular approach
Authors: Panda Soumya Prasad , Nandy Saurav , Kumari Mala , Kunui Arghya , Sahoo Amiya Kumar , Meena Dharmendra Kumar , Bhakta Dibakara , Paul Samir Kumar , DAS BASANTA KUMAR
Published: May 2023

Background The Tons River, one of the significant potential tributaries of the Yamuna, flows through the Uttarakhand region of Garhwal. Fish that prefer cold water habitats often predominate in this river. The natural distribution of Schistura scaturigina McClelland, 1839 (Family: Nemacheilidae) was described (n = 15) from river Tons during the study period of 2019–2021 along with other fish species. For the first time, this species' geographic distribution has now been extended, spreading from hill streams in the Northeast and other regions to new habitats in the Garhwal Himalaya. According to morphometric studies and molecular examination of the mtDNA COI and 16S rRNA, this is the first instance of S. scaturigina being discovered in the Tons River.Methods The Specie (S. scaturigina) was confirmed through a morphological and molecular platform.Results Morphometric measurements and molecular analysis of mtDNA COI and 16S rRNA revealed this to be the first occurrence of S. scaturigina in the Tons River.Conclusion According to the aforementioned study, this is the first extended distribution report for the species S. scaturigina from a new location in the Tons River of Naitwar-Mori, Uttarakhand.
Factors influencing staff attitudes to COVID-19 vaccination in care homes in England: A qualitative study
Authors: Friedrich Bettina , Forbes Gillian , Jhass Arnoupe , Lorencatto Fabiana , Shallcross Laura , Antonopoulou Vivi
Published: May 2023

Background.
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected people living and working in UK care homes causing high mortality rates. Vaccinating staff members and residents is considered the most effective intervention to reduce infection and its transmission rates. However, uptake of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in care homes was variable. We sought to investigate factors influencing uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in care home staff to inform strategies to increase vaccination uptake and inform future preparedness.
Methods.
Twenty care home staff including managerial and administrative staff, nurses, healthcare practitioners and support staff from nine care homes across England participated in semi-structured telephone interviews (March-June 2021) exploring attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine and factors influencing uptake. We used thematic analysis to generate themes which were subsequently deductively mapped to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. The Behavioural Change Wheel (BCW) was used to identify potential intervention strategies to address identified influences.
Results. Enablers to vaccine uptake
included the willingness to protect care home residents, staff and family/friends from infection and the belief that vaccination provided a way back to normality (reflective motivation); convenience of vaccination and access to accurate information (physical opportunity); and a supporting social environment around them favouring vaccination (social opportunity). Barriers included fears about side-effects (automatic motivation); a lack of trust due to the quick release of the vaccine (reflective motivation); and feeling pressurised to accept vaccination if mandatory (automatic motivation).
Conclusions
We identified influences on COVID-19 vaccine uptake by care home staff that can inform the implementation of future vaccination programmes. Strategies likely to support uptake include information campaigns and facilitating communication between staff and managers to openly discuss concerns regarding possible vaccination side effects. Freedom of choice played an important role in the decision to be vaccinated suggesting that the decision to mandate vaccination may have unintended behavioural consequences.
Flexible Genetic Algorithm for Complex Optimization Problems
Authors: Hemmak Allaoua
Published: May 2023

In this work we propose to specify, describe and test a variant of a more powerful and flexible genetic algorithm that could be better suitable to tackle complex optimization problems such as in dynamic, stochastic or robust optimization. Our main goal is to give a new strong tool more efficient in terms of both solution quality and time processing for complex NP-hard optimization problems, which know great importance these past few decades in economy, management, manufacturing and many other fields. This algorithm gives a significant improvement to the basic genetic algorithm of J. Holland in order to imitate and simulate as close as possible the naturel selection phenomenal established in the theory of C. Darwin. Thus, in the evolution process of generations, the population should not keep a fixed size, but it should evolve over the generations. In the other hand, the population should contain several breeds of the species under study. Therefore, much kind of crossovers could be applied randomly such as crossover of pure or hybrid breeds. In addition, many types of mutation would be possible such as substitution, addition or deletion which could also happen randomly in the nature. The main idea is based on the maximal projection of the evolution theory on the optimization field to tackle complex problems. We aim to design flexible genetic algorithm by looking empirically for good compromise of adjusting the genetic parameters on sample cases.
Characterization and Treatment Performance of an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Jet- Operated Spinning Disc Reactor for the Treatment of Rhodamine B Dye
Authors: Ganzallo Foluke Jennifer , Su Xudong , Yatom Shurik , Vasilev Mikhail , Mededovic Selma
Published: May 2023

A spinning disc reactor is a design widely adopted in chemical process industries because of its capability to produce thin fast-moving films, which enhance the diffusive and convective transport of solutes. However, this configuration has yet to be explored for plasma-based water treatment, where mass transport limitations in the bulk liquid often limit reactor degradation efficiency. This study presents a novel plasma spinning disc reactor (PSDR) for degrading rhodamine B dye and characterizes its performance. The impact of discharge power, gas flowrate, liquid flowrate, disc rotational speed, and bulk liquid concentration on dye degradation was investigated. The results indicate that mass transport limitations within the fluid were the primary limitation to efficient degradation. Higher degradation rates were achieved primarily through changes in the plasma area, fluid velocity across the disc, and increased bulk liquid concentration, resulting in enhanced contact between the solute and the plasma. Residence time, a function of plasma area and fluid velocity, was used to describe and predict degradation rates on the PSDR using a 1-D fluid element model, which indicated that lower residence times favored dye degradation, especially for systems limited by small plasma areas.
The HIF-1/ BNIP3 pathway mediates mitophagy to inhibit the pyroptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Hong Zhongyang , Zhang Feng , Zhang Lingling
Published: May 2023

Background: Synovial hypoxia is a crucial pathological characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that significantly contributes to synovitis and synovial hyperplasia. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) respond to hypoxic conditions by undergoing adaptive changes that involve the modulation of gene expression, with hypoxia inducible factors (HIF) playing a pivotal role. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the abnormal activation of FLS in response to hypoxia.
Methods: The study employed Western blot and immunohistochemistry techniques to identify the presence of mitophagy in synovial tissue affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Mitophagy was further confirmed through the use of Western blot, immunofluorescence, qPCR, and CUT&Tag assays conducted under hypoxic conditions. Pyroptosis was observed through electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and Western blot analysis. The level of ROS was assessed using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. The silencing of HIF-1α and BNIP3 was achieved through the transfection of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) into cells. Chloroquine was utilized to inhibit mitochondrial autophagy.
Results: The present study observed a significant increase in the expressions of BNIP3 and LC3B in the synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Following exposure to hypoxia, BNIP3-mediated mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis were activated in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) of RA. Furthermore, the activation of mitophagy was found to significantly inhibit hypoxia-induced pyroptosis by reducing the intracellular content of reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Conclusion: In summary, BNIP3-mediated mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis are both involved in the activation of FLS in RA patients under hypoxia. And mitophagy could inhibits hypoxia-induced FLS pyroptosis by clearing ROS and inhibiting HIF-1α/NLRP3 pathway.
Comprehensive treatment obtained complete remission in recurrent refractory metastatic esophageal cancer
Authors: Luo Yunxiu
Published: May 2023

Background To explore the efficacy and toxicity of multimodal radical radiotherapy and systematic therapy in refractory recurrent metastatic esophageal cancer.
Patient and Methods. A 57-year-old man with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) presented with supraclavicular lymph nodes and bone metastases six years after radical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. After multiline systemic therapy, the tumor progressed with the involvement of lymph nodes in the left neck, supraclavicular, subclavian, and axillary regions, as well as the C6 vertebral bone. The patient exhibited Horner’s syndrome on the left side as well as brachial plexus nerve injury with serious pain. Adaptive intensity-modulate radiotherapy (IMRT) combined with high-dose branchy radiotherapy (BRT), and stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT) was applied to control local foci, together with systemic treatment using target and immunotherapy as maintenance.
Results The patient showed complete remission (CR) of symptoms and signs, including the complete disappearance of the left neck metastatic lymph nodes, CR of the left upper-neck metastatic lymph nodes, and satisfactory local control of bone metastases. The progression-free survival (PFS) was more than 20 months, with CR of pulmonary metastases, satisfactory control of hepatic metastases, and PFS for lung and liver foci of over 17 months. No significant adverse events were observed, and the overall survival (OS) was more than 30 months.
Conclusions Adaptive IMRT combined with high-dose branchy implantation radiotherapy and maintenance therapy can effectively improve both local control and PFS in patients with refractory recurrent metastatic esophageal cancer.
The outcome of total hip arthroplasty without subtrochanteric shortening osteotomy and in severe developmental dysplasia of the hip
Authors: Meybodi Mohammad Kazem Emami , Shirvani Shahram , Jannesari Morteza , Mohammadnabi Sajjad , Shater Mohammad Mahdi
Published: May 2023

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a surgical technique to correct Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Various THA-based techniques have been described for the management of end-stage osteoarthritis in patients with DDH Crowe type III or IV. In this study we evaluate the Harris Hip Score (HHS) before and after THA without subtrochanteric shortening osteotomy (STO) in patients with DDH Crowe type III or IV who were candidates for THA, as well as the complications and the need for revision operation.Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted retrospectively on patients with DDH crown type III and IV, who were candidate for THA with Watson Jones technique without shortening STO. HHS was calculated and recorded in their medical files before the operation. Patients with missed or uncompleted medical files, without written informed consent, neurovascular diseases, use of immunosuppressive drugs, congenital bone and articular anomalies, low back pain with spread to the lower extremities, existence of simultaneous fractures, positive history of lower extremities fractures or articular infection were excluded. HHS was recalculated in the outpatient follow-up. Neurovascular defects and the need for reoperation were also evaluated. All data were recorded and then analyzed.Results: Thirty-two patients were enrolled with mean ± SD age of 50.34 ± 15.45 years, and most of them were women (75%). The patients were followed range 2 to 5 years. The nerve defect after the operation was seen in only 1 (3.1%) patient. Also hip reoperation was performed in 1 (3.1%) patient. The mean ± SD of HHS before the operation was 50.10 ± 12.48, which was raised to 77.99 ± 15.60 after the operation, significantly (P < 0.001). Moreover, HHS before and after the intervention were evaluated in both gender, separately, that in each gender, HHS raised significantly.Conclusion: THA without shortening osteotomy could improve HHS in patients with DDH Crowe III and IV and deliver satisfactory outcomes in these patients. On the other hand, complications such as neurological defects and the need for reoperation are negligible in this method.
Acute changes in the metabolome following resistance exercise combined with intake of different protein sources (cricket, pea, whey)
Authors: Lanng Sofie Kaas , Oxfeldt Mikkel , Johansen Frank Ted , Risikesan Jeyanthini , Hansen Mette , Bertram Hanne Christine
Published: May 2023

Introduction
Separately, both exercise and protein ingestion have been shown to alter the blood and urine metabolome. This study goes a step further and examines changes in the metabolome derived from blood, urine and muscle tissue extracts in response to resistance exercise combined with ingestion of three different protein sources.
Methods
In an acute parallel study, 52 young males performed one-legged resistance exercise (leg extension, 4 x 10 repetitions at 10 repetition maximum) followed by ingestion of either cricket (insect), pea or whey protein (0.25 g protein/kg fat free mass). Blood and muscle tissue were collected at baseline and three hours after protein ingestion. Urine was collected at baseline and four hours after protein ingestion.
Results
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics resulted in the annotation and quantification of 25 metabolites in blood, 35 in urine and 21 in muscle tissue. Changes in the muscle metabolome after combined exercise and protein intake indicated effects related to the protein source ingested. Muscle concentrations of leucine, methionine, glutamate and myo-inositol were higher after intake of whey protein compared to both cricket and pea protein. The blood metabolome revealed changes in a more ketogenic direction three hours after exercise reflecting that the trial was conducted after overnight fasting. Urinary concentration of trimethylamine N-oxide was significantly higher after ingestion of cricket than pea and whey protein.
Conclusion
The blood, urine and muscle metabolome showed different and supplementary responses to exercise and ingestion of the different protein sources, and in synergy the summarized results provided a more complete picture of the metabolic state of the body.
Neurofibromatosis type I identified in a patient with four concurrent neoplasms (neurofibroma, GIST, pheochromocytoma and ampullary NET): a case report with literature review
Authors: Hanif Sana , Khursheed Soffia , Adil Muhammad Jahangir , Khan Farhanullah
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND
Neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF1) is a multi-organ and multi-systemic disorder. Diagnostic features include café au lait spots, freckling in axilla or groin, neurofibromas (cutaneous or plexiform) and first-degree relation to a NF1 person. Some people may present with unusual symptoms and tumors, thus remain underdiagnosed.
CASE PRESENTATION
We present a case of 42-year-old laborer from north of Pakistan who was diagnosed with NF1 after he underwent workup for four co-existing tumors i.e., Cutaneous neurofibroma, GIST, pheochromocytoma and ampullary duodenal NET. He presented with 2 months history of melena (4 to 5 episodes/day) & abdominal discomfort. Physical examination showed blood pressure of 160/95 mm hg, multiple cutaneous nodules (1 to 3 cm), café au lait spots and axillary freckling. Ultrasound abdomen showed a complex cystic area at the upper pole of right kidney. Differentials included Pheochromocytoma. CT scan KUB confirmed the above finding. Another small intraluminal lesion in 2nd part of the duodenum along with atrophied pancreas was also seen. Lab investigations showed mildly raise direct bilirubin & significantly raised urinary VMA levels. Biopsy of cutaneous nodules which revealed Neurofibroma on histopathology. Patient underwent exploratory laparotomy & right adrenalectomy, partial gastrectomy, cholecystectomy with partial pancreatectomy & small bowel resection up till jejunum. Adrenalectomy specimen revealed pheochromocytoma on histopathology with diffuse chromogranin positivity. Small bowel showed multiple GISTS on serosal surface which were confirmed on histopathology by diffuse positivity of CD117 and DOG 1. Sections from ampulla showed a well differentiated neuroendocrine tumor that showed ki-67 of < 2%. On follow up, patient was doing well & complains had subsided. Ultrasound abdomen only showed mild hepatic cholestasis due to post surgical edema. All lab investigations & blood pressure of patient were within normal range.
CONCLUSION
It is imperative to investigate extensively all the patients that may come with hallmarks of NF1 such as cutaneous neurofibromas. Presence of synchronous multiple tumors must be investigated for an underlying syndrome. Especially the occurrence of GIST, ampullary NET and pheochromocytoma together must alert the physician to consider the possibility of NF1.
Spatial clusters of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli causing community-onset bacteriuria due to repeat infections: cluster analysis from a large urban medical center, San Francisco, 2014-2020
Authors: Raphael Eva , Inamdar Pushkar P. , Belmont Cheyenne , Shariff-Marco Salma , Huang Alison , Chambers Henry
Published: May 2023

Background
Urinary tract infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E. coli) may occur as outbreaks due to common-source exposures. Yet, it is currently unknown if they cluster geographically as would be expected as part of an outbreak.
Methods
We collected electronic health record data on all patients living in San Francisco with culture-documented community-onset E. coli bacteriuria in a safety-net public healthcare system from January 2014 to March 2020 (diagnosed < 48 hours after hospital admission or in outpatient clinical settings without a hospitalization in the past 90 days). We assessed the presence of spatial clusters of (1) ESBL-E. coli bacteriuria episodes, and (2) individuals with any ESBL-E. coli bacteriuria episode, with Global and Local Moran’s I. We evaluated differences in prevalence of bacteriuria recurrence by ESBL-production by Poisson regression.
Results
Out of 4,304 unique individuals, we identified spatial clusters of ESBL-E. coli bacteriuria episodes (n = 461) compared to non-ESBL-E. coli bacteriuria episodes (n = 5477; Global Moran’s p < 0.001). Spatial clusters of individuals with any bacteriuria caused by ESBL-E. coli were not identified (p = 0.43). Bacteriuria recurrence was more likely to occur with ESBL-E. coli (odds ratio [OR] 2.78, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.10, 3.66, p < 0.001), particularly after an initial ESBL-E. coli bacteriuria episode (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.82, 2.83, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
We found spatial clusters of ESBL-E. coli bacteriuria episodes. However, this was partly explained by clustering within individuals more than between individuals, as having an ESBL-E. coli bacteriuria was associated with recurrence with ESBL-E. coli.
Effect of p-GaN Layer and High-k Material in InGaN/GaN LED for Optical Performance Enhancement
Authors: Saranya G , G Saranya , Mangai Siva , Babuji R , Kalaivani C T , Suganthi S
Published: May 2023

The p-GaN layer adjacent to the quantum well is proposed for InGaN/GaN Light Emitting Diode (LED), it enhances the output optical power and internal quantum efficiency. The physical simulator Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) is used to analyze the performance of the proposed LED. In the simulation, physics-based models are used to obtain optical properties such as luminous power and recombination rate. The suggested InGaN/GaN LED outperformed conventional LEDs in terms of internal quantum efficiency and luminous power. At the injection current of 700 mA, the output luminous power and internal quantum efficiency in the proposed LED are improved by 24% and 18%, respectively. Furthermore, the suggested InGaN/GaN LED has a smaller Auger recombination than conventional LEDs. Thus, the proposed p-GaN layer technique in GaN LED is a promising one for future solid-state lighting applications due to its high internal quantum efficiency of 90% at 100 mA injection current.
Using the improved YOLOv5 network to detect the real-time and effective position of milk and construct the milk data set
Authors: Xia Shicheng , Wang Lei , Ran Changyan , Xi Hengliu , Yang Caiyun , Yao Guiting
Published: May 2023

In order to improve the detection speed of YOLOv5(You Only Look Once v5) in complex environments and dense target scenarios, a target detection method CN-YOLOv5(Cow Milk-You Only Look Once v5) improved YOLOv5 model is proposed. The traditional YOLOv5 network structure is improved, and the ability of the algorithm to extract features is improved by adding the SE (Squeeze and Excitation) attention module structure, and the accuracy of milk identification is improved. By improving the SPP (Spatial Pyramid Pooling) structure to SPPF (Spatial Pyramid Pooling Fast) structure, the detection speed is accelerated, and the CN-PAN (Cow Nipple Path Aggregation Network) model is proposed based on the PAN (Path Aggregation Network) module. Based on the PAN structure in the traditional YOLOv5 network, the iteration of small target detection is lightweight. Based on YOLOv5s, the milk image dataset CNmodel-YOLOV5s(Cow Milk model-You Only Look Once v5) was created. Experimental results show that the two algorithms can be tested before and after the improvement by using the milk dataset CNmodel-YOLOV5s. The improved algorithm on the test equipment increases the detection speed by up to 13% with almost no impact on accuracy. The improved YOLOV5 algorithm can identify milk targets more quickly, which provides theoretical support for subsequent detection of medium and large targets in complex environments and dense target scenarios.
A novel nomogram and risk classification system for estimating survival in tracheal cancer patients treated with surgical intervention
Authors: Wei Shi , Ning Yanhong , Xin Liu , Hang Liu , Zhao Chunjuan , Wu Liyun , Luo Shuming , Zhou Jinling
Published: May 2023

Purpose
Although surgery has been considered as the first choice treatment for patients diagnosed with tracheal cancer, the prediction of overall survival (OS) for those who undergo surgical intervention is poor. To address this issue, we developed a nomogram that combines a risk classification system to estimate OS of tracheal cancer patients who have undergone surgical intervention.
Methods
The 525 qualified patients were identified from the SEER database between 1975 and 2018 and randomly divided into training cohort(TC) and validation cohort(VC). The parameters were detemined by Cox regression analyses for predicting OS and to form nomogram and risk classification. The nomogram predictive ability was tested by calibration curves and ROC curves. Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn and compared using the log-rank test for different risk classification groups.
Results
The results indicated that age, stage, histology, and tumor size were independent prognostic factors (PFs) and were included in the predictive model. The calibration plots demonstrated that the 24- and 36-month OS rates generated by the nomograms were in good agreement with the actual observed value of the 24- and 36-month OS rates. The ROC curves suggested that the predictive model had good discrimination ability. Furthermore, in the total cohort, TC and VC, the low-risk group had a better prognosis than the high-risk group.
Conclusions
A novel nomogram system to predict OS and identify independent PFs for tracheal cancer patients who have undergone surgical intervention was established in this study. This model performance has the potential to assist doctors in making decisions about treatment options.
Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Associations between malaria infections, personally used prevention measures, and risk factors in Al Gezira State, Sudan
Authors: Salah Mohamed Ahmed , AbdElbagi Hanadi , Fathelrahman Omnia , Ahmed Abdallah Elssir , Ali Mohamed Sir Alkhatim , Ahmed Mohamed Ali , Osman Duha Isam , Ali Yousif , Abubakr Mustafa , Siddig Emmanuel Edwar , Ahmed Ayman , Mohamed Nouh Saad
Published: May 2023

Background: The burden of malaria continues to disproportionately affect Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Sudan, due to various risk factors that influence malaria transmission. This study aimed at investigating the risk factors associated with malaria in three hyper-endemic areas in Al Gezira state, central Sudan. Where malaria transmission extend from January to September and get interrupted by the heavy rains during October-December.
Methods: a descriptive cross-sectional study was implemented between January and September 2022. Febrile patients attending to the healthcare facilities seeking medical care in randomly selected healthcare facilities in the three localities were recruited. In addition to the results of malaria diagnosis, we interviewed the participants using a well-established questionnaire to collect data about potential risk factors for malaria infection. The risk estimates with Odds Ratio of 95% Confidence Interval was used to test the association of risk factors with malaria positive cases. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between the risk factors and malaria positive cases. A p-value < 0.5 was considered a statistically significant.
Results: A total of 469 patients were enrolled, of them, 334 (71.2%) tested positive for malaria. The analysis of preventive measures and risk factors showed that wearing protective clothing (covering most of the mosquito-biting body-sites) is significantly protective against malaria, with a negative beta coefficient of -0.757 (p-value 0.003). The relationship of using insecticides and presence of trees with reduced malaria infection was found statistically significant; p-values were 0.040 and 0.035, respectively. Similarly, the presence of stagnant water was a significant risk factor for malaria, with a negative beta coefficient of -0.483 (p-value0.022).
Conclusions:
The study's outcomes highlight the importance of advocating towards using preventive measures such as wearing clothes that reduce mosquito bites, and avoid being close to potential breeding sites (bodies of stagnant water) in malaria-endemic regions.
Synecological approach of novelty responses in bird assemblage inhabiting Atlas cedar afforestation (Cedrus atlantica(Endl.) G. Manetti ex Carrière) of Mount M’Cid, Northeastern Algeria
Authors: Menaa Mohcen , Guellati Kaouther , Boutabia Lamia , Telailia Salah , Maazi Mohamed Cherif
Published: May 2023

The degradation of Algerian forests caused by repeated fires, pests, diseases, and illegal cutting has led to significant losses in the natural heritage. Afforestation activities play a crucial role in restoring the degraded ecosystem, but the ecological characteristics of the forests are often overlooked when selecting single or multiple native or exotic coniferous species for afforestation. This study used a multivariate synecological approach (such as, Redundancy Canonical Analysis, a variation partitioning approach based on partial RDA and multivariate regression tree with indicator species) to analyze the relative contributions of environmental factors in forest bird community assembly in Atlas cedar stand afforestations. The survey used the point count method to observe the spatial distribution of breeding forest birds across the wooded landscape with respect to habitat predictors, summarizing woodland physiognomy and landscape-scale variables. A total of 47 forest bird species were observed, and the used multivariate synecological analysis has identified three major patterns of relationships among breeding birds and afforested area: the first was related to changes in tree structure during growth, the second was associated with the height of the grass layer, and the third was the gradient of height elevation.
Application of hydrological indices and GIS for the detection of areas at risk of erosion - case study Oued Rhumel watershed, East Algeria
Authors: Miloud Koussa , Berhail Sabri
Published: May 2023

In Algeria, the loss of water capacity in dams poses a major challenge due to the strong increase in water demand. This loss of resource is due to the silting of basins, one of the most serious consequences of erosion. For geographic information systems to correctly map areas at risk of erosion, hydrological indicators are a great source of information. In this work we used a coupling of the Geographic Information System Weighted Method and hydrological indices (such as slope, curvature, compound topography index, sediment transport index, and stream power index) derived from a digital terrain model with a resolution of 30×30 m, The importance of the spatial analysis tool of the Geographic Information System was used to delineate the vulnerable areas. The results obtained showed that 24.35% of the area of the basin suffer in the zone of high / very high erosion and requires immediate protective interventions
Establishing an ecological network to enhance forest connectivity in the South Korea DMZ
Authors: Lim Chi Hong , Cho Yong Chan
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to establish an ecological network to enhance ecosystem functions in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of South Korea by improving connectivity of forest landscapes using spatial autocorrelation analysis and the minimum cumulative resistance model. We identified source patches critical for maintaining forest landscape connectivity. The ecological network was derived considering topography and land use of four regions comprising the study area. Morphological spatial pattern analysis was used to select source patches. Among all forest regions in the DMZ, the ratio of the core class was approximately 60%, accounting for the largest area; this was higher toward the east, while that of the edge class was higher toward the west. The average connectivity index (dPC) of core patches in the DMZ was 0.45. A final ecological network with a total length of 452.36 km connecting source patches for each region was derived, connecting the main habitats of the endangered species functioning as an ecological corridor. The total forest area corresponding to the network was 730.17 km2, and the designated forest protection area was 165.84 km2. From this, we identified 564.33 km2 of previously undesignated forest areas as candidates for protected forest areas to enhance forest connectivity in the DMZ.
An Ontology Driven Machine Learning Applications in Public Policy Analysis: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Kero ADMAS ABTEW , Demissie Dait , Kekeba Kula
Published: May 2023

This systematic literature review aims to explore the role of ontology-driven machine learning applications in public policy analysis. The study employs the PRISMA methodology to identify and analyze relevant literature published between 2012 and 2022. The review includes studies that investigate the use of machine learning techniques in policy analysis, the integration of ontologies in machine learning models, and the potential of this approach in improving policy-making processes. The findings suggest that ontology-driven machine learning applications have great potential in enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of policy analysis, while also addressing the challenges and limitations of traditional methods. The review provides insights into the key domains, methods, and outcomes of studies on this topic and discusses the implications for future research and practice in public policy analysis.
Managing the EU energy crisis and greenhouse gas emissions: Seasonal ARIMA forecast
Authors: Kuzior Aleksandra , Vakulenko Ihor , Kolosok Svitlana , Saher Liudmyla , Lyeonov Serhiy
Published: May 2023

Changes in the logistics of energy resources and their potential shortage are causing a review of the EU energy policy. The energy sector significantly affects the progress toward achieving climate policy goals due to significt greenhouse gas emissions. The REPowerEU plan, implemented in the EU27 to overcome the energy crisis, requires new forecasts of greenhouse gas emissions due to a change in European energy policy. This paper aims to examine the consequences of the management of the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on EU climate policy. This study focuses on forecasting greenhouse gas emissions in the EU until 2030 and uses the Seasonal ARIMA model based on quarterly time series in the EU27. Depending on energy management and changes in energy policy to overcome the energy crisis, a positive or negative scenario for greenhouse gas emissions may occur. An important parameter that should be considered when determining the scenario of the EU energy development according to climate policy was defined by correlation analysis.According to the negative scenario and under the influence of the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the value of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU at the beginning of 2030 will be 0.752911 tons per capita. The positive scenario shows greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced to 0.235225 tons per capita.The study results proved two extreme scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions, depending on how to overcome the energy crisis.
AcknowledgmentThe authors appreciate the copyright holder: © European Union, 1995–2022, as well as the source of the extracted data, which is the European Commission website, Eurostat http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (accessed on 16 October 2022). This study was funded by the European Union (the project No. 101048079 – EU4SmartED – ERASMUS-JMO-2021-HEI-TCH-RSCH); by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (projects No. 0122U000788, 0122U000769, 0121U109553, 0120U102001, 0122U000777).This research was funded by Faculty of Organization and Management of the Silesian University of Technology (grant number: 13/990/BK_23/0178).
Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Based Electrospun Nanofibers with Improved Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Machado Paola , Fraga Gabriel , Medeiros Alessandra , Pellá Michelly , Colauto Nelson , Linde Giani , Cavalheiro Fernando , Faria Maria , Dragunski Douglas , Caetano Josiane
Published: May 2023

Electrospinning was used to produce poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based nanofibers containing nerolidol (NER) as the antimicrobial agent. The scanning electron microscopy results indicated the formation of homogeneous fibers in the absence of NER. However, its incorporation into the fiber prevented the complete solvent evaporation, ultimately leading to the coalescence of the fibers. It became more evident as the amount of NER increased from 0 to 50% m/v. The incorporation of NER also decreased the crystallinity of the fibers from 10 to ca. 6.5%. However, this decrease was not proportional to the concentration of NER. The contact angle results confirmed the presence of NER molecules on the surface of the fibers especially due to the increase of the contact angle from 0 (PVA/NER0) to 27.8° (PVA/NER50). The fibrous mats exhibited good antimicrobial activity, being even more efficient than the control in some cases, suggesting their potential for wound-dressing purposes.