bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated suppression of A4GALT rescues endothelial cell dysfunction in a Fabry disease vasculopathy model derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Shin Yoo Jin , Chae Seung Yun , Lee Hanbi , Fang Xianying , Cui Sheng , Lim Sun Woo , Lee Kang In , Lee Jae Young , Li Can , Yang Chul Woo , Chung Byung Ha
Published: September 2023

Backgrounds: The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated A4GALT suppression in rescuing endothelial dysfunction in Fabry disease (FD) endothelial cells (FD-ECs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs).
Methods: We differentiated hiPSCs (WT (wild-type), WTC-11), GLA-mutant hiPSCs (GLA-KO, CMC-Fb-002), and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated A4GALT-KO hiPSCs (GLA/A4GALT-KO, Fb-002-A4GALT-KO) into ECs and compared FD phenotypes and endothelial dysfunction. We also analyzed the effect of A4GALT suppression on reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and transcriptome profiles through RNA sequencing.
Results: GLA-mutant hiPSC-ECs (GLA-KO and CMC-Fb-002) showed downregulated expression of EC markers and significantly reduced α-GalA expression with increased Gb-3 deposition and intra-lysosomal inclusion bodies. However, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated A4GALT suppression in GLA/A4GALT-KO and Fb-002-A4GALT-KO hiPSC-ECs increased expression levels of EC markers and rescued these FD phenotypes. GLA-mutant hiPSC-ECs failed to form tube-like structure in tube formation assays with, showing significantly decreased migration of cells into the scratched wound area. In contrast, A4GALT suppression improved tube formation and cell migration capacity. Western blot analysis revealed that MAPK and AKT phosphorylation levels were downregulated whereas SOD and catalase were upregulated in GLA-KO hiPSC-ECs. However, suppression of A4GALT restored these protein alterations. RNA sequencing analysis demonstrated significant transcriptome changes in GLA-mutant EC, especially in angiogenesis, cell death, and cellular response to oxidative stress. However, these were effectively restored in GLA/A4GALT-KO hiPSC-ECs.
Conclusions: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated A4GALT suppression rescued FD phenotype and endothelial dysfunction in GLA-mutant hiPSC-ECs, presenting a potential therapeutic approach for FD-vasculopathy.
Construction and evaluation of neonatal respiratory failure risk prediction model for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Lei Yupeng , Qiu Xia , Zhou Ruixi
Published: September 2023

Background
Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) is a common respiratory disease in preterm infants, often accompanied by respiratory failure. The aim of this study was to establish and validate a nomogram model for predicting the probability of respiratory failure in NRDS patients.
Methods
Patients diagnosed with NRDS were extracted from the MIMIC-ⅳ database. The patients were randomly assigned to a training and a validation cohort. Univariate and stepwise Cox regression analyses were used to determine the prognostic factors of NRDS. A nomogram containing these factors was established to predict the incidence of respiratory failure in NRDS patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), calibration curves and decision curve analysis were used to determine the effectiveness of this model.
Results
The study included 2,705 patients with NRDS. Univariate and multivariate stepwise Cox regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for respiratory failure in NRDS patients were gestational age, pH, partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2), hemoglobin, blood culture, infection, neonatal intracranial hemorrhage, Pulmonary surfactant (PS), parenteral nutrition and respiratory support. Then, the nomogram was constructed and verified.
Conclusions
This study identified the independent risk factors of respiratory failure in NRDS patients and used them to construct and evaluate respiratory failure risk prediction model for NRDS. The present findings provide clinicians with the judgment of patients with respiratory failure in NRDS and help clinicians to identify and intervene in the early stage.
Well-dispersed fluorine-doped tin oxide nanoparticles on the one dimensional network structure of carbon nanofibers for enabling ultrafast lithium storage
Authors: Yoon Seon-Hee , Sung Ki-Wook , Ahn Hyo-Jin
Published: September 2023

The growing environmental concerns have spurred a surge in the interest in eco-friendly energy storage devices. Because of their advantages, such as high energy density and long cycle life, Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are used in electronic devices and electric vehicles (EVs). However, the specific capacity and ultrafast cycling performance of the LIBs used in EVs require further improvement. In this study, well-dispersed fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) using horizontal ultrasonic spray pyrolysis deposition to obtain a CNF/FTO electrode. The F atoms in tin oxide increased its electrical conductivity. The one-dimensional CNF network structure enhanced the electrical conductivity of the electrode. The abundant active sites in nanosized FTO facilitated Li-ion diffusion. The well-dispersed FTO NPs on the CNF matrix prevented the agglomeration of the electrode material and substantial volume changes in the electrode during its cycling. At a current density of 100 mA/g, the CNF/FTO electrode exhibited a superior discharge capacity of 487.96 mAh/g with a capacity retention of 66.7% and even at an ultrafast current density of 2000 mA/g, it demonstrated excellent performance with a discharge capacity of 289.3 mAh/g and a capacity retention of 93.6% after 500 cycles of operation.
A risk analysis of alpelisib-induced hyperglycemia in patients with advanced solid tumors and breast cancer
Authors: Rodón Jordi , Demanse David , Rugo Hope S. , Burris Howard A. , Simó Rafael , Farooki Azeez , Wellons Melissa F. , André Fabrice , Hu Huilin , Vuina Dragica , Quadt Cornelia , Juric Dejan
Published: September 2023

Background: Hyperglycemia is an on-target effect of PI3Kα inhibitors. Early identification and intervention of treatment-induced hyperglycemia is important for improving management of patients receiving a PI3Kα inhibitor like alpelisib. Here we characterize early grade 3/4 alpelisib-related hyperglycemia, along with associated incidence, management, and outcomes using a machine learning model.
Methods: Data for the risk model were pooled from patients receiving alpelisib ± fulvestrant in the open-label, phase 1 X2101 trial and the randomized, double-blind, phase 3 SOLAR-1 trial. The pooled population (n=505) included patients with advanced solid tumors (X2101, n=221) or HR+/HER2− advanced breast cancer (SOLAR-1, n=284). External validation was performed using BYLieve trial patient data (n=340). Hyperglycemia incidence and management were analyzed for SOLAR-1.
Results: A random forest model identified 5 baseline characteristics most associated with risk of developing grade 3/4 hyperglycemia (fasting plasma glucose, body mass index, HbA1c, monocytes, age). This model was used to derive a score to classify patients as high or low risk for developing grade 3/4 hyperglycemia. Applying the model to patients treated with alpelisib and fulvestrant in SOLAR-1 showed higher incidence of hyperglycemia (all grade and grade 3/4), increased use of antihyperglycemic medications, and more discontinuations due to hyperglycemia (16.7% vs 2.6% of discontinuations) in the high- vs low-risk group. Among patients in SOLAR-1 (alpelisib + fulvestrant arm) with PIK3CA mutations, median progression-free survival was similar between the high- and low-risk groups (11.0 vs 10.9 months). For external validation, the model was applied to the BYLieve trial, for which successful classification into high- and low-risk groups with shorter time to grade 3/4 hyperglycemia in the high-risk group was observed.
Conclusions: A risk model using 5 clinically relevant baseline characteristics was able to identify patients at higher or lower probability for developing alpelisib-induced hyperglycemia. Early identification of patients who may be at higher risk for hyperglycemia may improve management (including monitoring and early intervention) and potentially lead to improved outcomes.
Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01219699 (registration date: October 13, 2010; retrospectively registered), ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02437318 (registration date: May 7, 2015); ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03056755 (registration date: February 17, 2017)
Computational Discovery of Fast Interstitial Oxygen Conductors
Authors: Morgan Dane , Meng Jun , Sheikh Md Sariful , Jacobs Ryan , Liu Jian , Nachlas William , Li Xiangguo
Published: September 2023

New highly oxygen-active materials may enhance many energy-related technologies by enabling efficient oxygen-ion transport at lower temperatures, e.g., below ≈400 ˚C. Interstitial oxygen conductors have the potential to realize such performance but have received far less attention than vacancy-mediated conductors. Here, we combine physically-motivated structure and property descriptors, ab initio simulations, and experiments to demonstrate an approach to discover new fast interstitial oxygen conductors. Multiple new families were found which adopt completely different structures from known oxygen conductors. From these families, we synthesized and studied oxygen kinetics in La4Mn5Si4O22+𝜹(LMS), a representative member of perrierite/chevkinite family. We found LMS has higher oxygen ionic conductivity than the widely used yttria-stabilized ZrO2, and among the highest surface oxygen exchange rates at intermediate temperature of known materials. The fast oxygen kinetics is the result of simultaneously active interstitial and interstitialcy diffusion pathways. This work developed and demonstrated a powerful approach for discovering new families of interstitial oxygen conductors and suggests many more such materials remain to be discovered.
The Malnutrition in AECOPD and Its Association with Unfavorable Outcomes by Comparing PNI, GNRI with the GLIM Criteria: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Xueyang , Wang Yu , Cheng Zhe , Xu Minmin , Zhang Yuanyi , Lyu Quanjun
Published: September 2023

Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) in identifying malnutrition and predicting prognosis in AECOPD patients.
Design: Retrospective cohort study
Setting and participants: The research encompassed a cohort of 839 individuals aged 60 years and above, who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University during the period spanning January 2022 to December 2022, owing to acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).
Methods: From January 2022 to December 2022, a consecutive inclusion of AECOPD patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University was conducted. The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) defined malnutrition was detected by calculating the GNRI and the PNI using Receiver Operating Characteristic curves. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the risks associated with length of stay (LOS), hospitalization costs, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) based on GLIM, GNRI, or PNI.
Results: A total of 839 AECOPD patients were investigated in the study. The GNRI and PNI demonstrated a sensitivity of 89.5% and 74.1%, specificity of 77.2% and 66.4%, and an area under the curve of 0.834 and 0.702, respectively. The identification of high malnutrition-risk cases using the GLIM, GNRI and PNI were associated with a significant increase in the risk of LOS over 7 days [odds ratio (95% CI for GLIM, GNRI, PNI: 1.376 (1.033-1.833); 1.405 (1.070-1.846); 1.875 (1.425-2.468)] and higher hospitalization expenses [OR (95% CI) for GLIM, GNRI: 1.498 (1.080-2.080) ;1.510 (1.097-2.079)], but not with the CCI.
Conclusion: The utilization of GNRI and PNI as alternatives to GLIM in the context of AECOPD enables the identification of malnutrition. The presence of malnourished individuals experiencing AECOPD is correlated with heightened probabilities of extended hospital stays and escalated hospitalization costs.
Overcoming underfill defect with undermatching filler and establishing new acceptance criteria for underfill depth in laser beam welding of ultra-high strength steels
Authors: Lee Yoona , Park Sanghyeon , Seon Jeongan , Han Haksoo , Lee Kwanghyeon , Kang Namhyun
Published: September 2023

This study investigated the laser-beam-weld geometry and tensile properties under various butt-joint gap conditions for 2.3-mm thick ultra-high strength steels (UHSSs) as function of the use of undermatching filler. An undermatching filler wire having a yield strength of 430 MPa was used to overcome the underfill. Without the filler, the tensile properties were acceptable under a gap of up to 0.2 mm, which is less than 10% of the base metal (BM) thickness. With the filler, the gap tolerance increased to 0.5 mm, and the undermatching filler was proven to overcome the underfill issue. The underfill-depth acceptance criterion for realising good tensile properties was defined as 0.39 mm (= 17% of UHSSs’ thickness), which was significantly higher than the currently defined American Welding Society specification (7% of UHSSs’ thickness). These optimisation criteria can be used as guidelines for the butt joints of laser beam welding in UHSSs.
Multiregional transcriptomics identifies congruent consensus molecular subtypes with prognostic value beyond tumor heterogeneity in colorectal cancer.
Authors: Sveen Anita , Langerud Jonas , Eilertsen Ina , Moosavi Seyed , Klokkerud Solveig , Backe Ingeborg , Hektoen Merete , Sjo Ole , Jeanmougin Marine , Tejpar Sabine , Nesbakken Arild , Lothe Ragnhild
Published: September 2023

Intra-tumor heterogeneity compromises the clinical value of transcriptomic classifications of colorectal cancer. We investigated the prognostic effect of transcriptomic heterogeneity and the potential for a classification less vulnerable to heterogeneity in a single-hospital series of 1,093 primary and metastatic tumor samples from 692 patients, including 2–4 multiregional samples from 98 primary tumors and primary-metastasis sets from 35 patients. Intra-tumor heterogeneity of the consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) was frequent (40%) and associated with poor patient survival independently of tumor microenvironment markers. Multiregional transcriptomics uncovered cancer cell-intrinsic and low-heterogeneity signals that recapitulated the two intrinsic subtypes (iCMS2/iCMS3) proposed by single-cell sequencing. Further subclassification resulted in four congruent CMSs defining good-prognostic and poor-prognostic subtypes. Congruent CMS explained a larger proportion of variation in patient survival than intra-tumor CMS heterogeneity. Evidence of plasticity was found by discordant phenotypes of matched primary and metastatic tumors (28%), even according to the two-state intrinsic classification. In conclusion, multiregional sampling reconciled the prognostic power of tumor classifications from single-cell and bulk transcriptomics in the context of intra-tumor heterogeneity, and phenotypic plasticity challenges the reconciliation of primary and metastatic subtypes.
Association between coping profiles and cardiac health behaviors among patients with coronary artery disease
Authors: lee yesul , Choe Jeong Cheon , Jeong Hyesun , Jung Sunyoung , Lee Yoonju
Published: September 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Electrochemical Kinetic Energy Harvesting Mediated by Ion Solvation Switching in Two-Immiscible Liquid Electrolyte
Authors: Lee Seok Woo , Lee Donghoon , Song You-Yeob , Wu Angyin , Li Jia , Yun Jeonghun , Seo Dong-Hwa
Published: September 2023

The potential of kinetic energy harvesting is highly promising; however, current existing methods, such as those based on friction and deformation, necessitate high-frequency kinetic energy and demand materials with exceptional durability. We report a new two-phase immiscible liquid electrolyte system comprising identical Prussian blue analogue electrodes for the electrochemical kinetic energy harvesting accommodating low-frequency kinetic input. This system demonstrates the electrochemical conversion of translational kinetic energy, associated with the displacement of electrodes across different electrolyte phases, into electrical energy. The system generated 6.4 μW cm-2 of peak electrical power, accompanied by 96 mV of peak voltage and 183 μA cm-2 of peak current density when connected to a load resistor of 300 Ω. The load is several thousand times smaller than those typically employed in conventional methods. Moreover, the proposed method supplied a continuous current flow of approximately 5 μA cm-2 at the frequency of 0.005 Hz for 23 cycles without performance decay. The disparity in solvation Gibbs free energy from the two-phase electrolyte, arising from the removal and subsequent re-establishment of solvation shells surrounding solvated cations, acts as the driving for both voltage and electron flow within the system. Furthermore, we successfully demonstrated the operational functionality of our system in a microfluidic harvester. By harnessing the conversion of kinetic energy to propel the electrolyte through the microfluidic channel, our system achieved a peak power density of 200 nW cm-2. We believe that the microfluidic harvester possesses the potential to provide power supply solutions for various applications, including environmental monitoring sensors and Internet-of-Thing (IoT) devices.
Enhancing Level Set-Based Topology Optimization of Geometrically Nonlinear Structures with Consideration of Thermal-Mechanical Coupling Effects
Authors: Wang Sujun , Xu An , Zheng Qingxing , Zhao Ruohong
Published: September 2023

This paper presents an innovative approach to topology optimization of geometrically nonlinear structures considering the effects of thermal-mechanical couplings. Through geometric nonlinear finite element analysis, an expression for element coupling stress is derived, capturing the combined influence of mechanical and thermal loading. A topological model is then developed, aiming to minimize compliance while meeting displacement and frequency constraints to fulfill design requirements. To overcome convergence instability caused by large deformations, a novel Lagrange multiplier search method is proposed. Additionally, the method is extended to handle multi-constrained geometrically nonlinear topology optimization designs incorporating multiple physical field couplings. The proposed approach enhances the field of topology optimization by providing an effective solution for geometrically nonlinear behavior and thermal-mechanical couplings.
“Printing” on Polymer Single Crystals
Authors: Wu Tianyu , Ye Haimu , Pan Xinyi , He Yaning , Xu Jun , REITER Günter
Published: September 2023

Polymer single crystals are composed of well-ordered polymer chains and possess a characteristic symmetric shape. If one can precisely control the microregional morphology, polymer single crystals have the potential to be used as functional templates for applications like information storage or cell culture. However, with current experimental approaches, it is rather difficult to generate predictable structures of defined size within polymer single crystals. Here, we propose a novel research strategy based on a combination of fluorescence labeling and microregional heating by irradiation with focused red light. This approach enabled us to locally heat single crystals while simultaneously following the thereby induced changes via fluorescence imaging with a micrometer lateral resolution. We found that polymers diffused out of the heated region within a stacked single crystal and thereby produced a hole at the irradiated location. Our results revealed a competition of mechanisms of local melting and the generation of higher stacks of crystalline lamellae by recrystallization at the periphery of the molten region.
Effectiveness of the think-aloud approach combined with case-based learning on nursing teaching rounds for Chinese new nurses in a cancer hospital
Authors: Zhao Rui , Ding Ting Ting , Meng Jin Ping , Lei Miao , Ma Huili , Xu XiaoXia
Published: September 2023

Background
With the increasing prevalence of cancer, more clinical nurses are needed. However, the process of changing from being nursing students to working as new nurses is challenging. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of the think-aloud approach combined with case-based learning in teaching rounds for new nurses to provide guidance for training programs in cancer hospitals.
Methods
Convenience sampling was applied to new nurses in a Chinese provincial third-level first-class cancer hospital from 2020 to 2021. A total of 98 participants were recruited, 50 of whom were recruited in 2020 as the control group and 48 in 2021 as the observation group. Each rotation department conducted six nursing teaching rounds in weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. The approach to teaching rounds in the observation group was think-aloud combined with case-based learning while, in the control group, only case-based learning was applied. The differences in case analysis assessment scores and critical thinking abilities between the two groups were compared, and the learning strategies and nurses' feedback in the observation group were analysed.
Results
The scores for both case analysis and critical thinking ability were significantly lower in the control group than in the observation group (P < 0.05). The frequency of learning strategies applied in the observation group, from high to low, was as follows: cognitive, metacognitive, and social/emotional strategies.
Conclusions
Application of the think-aloud approach combined with case-based learning to nursing teaching rounds resulted in a significant improvement in the training effect and critical thinking ability of new nurses, thus providing a basis for improving teaching methods in cancer hospitals.
Lipid mediator profiling of serum in children with H1N1 infection
Authors: Chen Weijun , Gu Yitao , Ma Yongjun , Dong Lele , Pan Liangxuan , Ji Chai , Guo Lanlan , Qi Lianxin , Zhang Yuanyuan , Gao Fei
Published: September 2023

H1N1 virus can cause severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, and death in young children and the elderly. The H1N1 infection initiates the inflammatory responses that are directed toward containment and elimination of microbial invaders. Because various lipid mediators (LMs) are biosynthesized and play a critical role in fighting against the virus during inflammation, profiling the LMs in patients may uncover the disrupted pathways and reveal mechanistical insights of diseases. To date, little is known about the LM molecular alterations and pathogenesis of H1N1 in children. Here, we employed a targeted LC-MS/MS platform to map serum LM profiles from children with H1N1 and after recovery. We found that 22 LM species have changed in H1N1 children with mild symptoms. Analysis of LM profiles of children with recovery revealed that the level of 12 altered LM species in H1N1 infection were partially restored, including cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme-derived DIHETEs and HETEs from AA, and EpOMEs from LA, whereas PGs are decreased. Taken together, this study established a link between serum lipid mediators and H1N1 infection in children with mild symptoms. The LM species dramatically altered in H1N1-children could serve as potential therapeutics or adjuvants against H1N1 influenza.
Sentiment Analysis and Topic Modeling of Social Media Data to Understand the Response of Indonesian Public regarding the Enforcement of the Lockdown Policy during Covid-19-Pandemic
Authors: Alkhnbashi Omer , Andriansyah Andriansyah , Hudaifah Hudaifah
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption in many areas worldwide, and communication via social media has
extensively increased as a result of social distance and lockdown. This study analyses social media data to investigate the reaction
of the Indonesian public regarding the government's policy of lockdown implementation measures in response to the Covid-19
outbreak. The sentiment analysis and topic modeling were performed based on the corpus collected from twitter database using
keyword “PPKM” as the term used for public activity restriction during the year 2020 in Indonesia. The sentiment trend analysis
revealed a prominent dominance of negative tweets throughout the entire period under examination. Extensive increase in the
volume of tweets after the 23rd week of lockdown indicates a prevailing a massive dissatisfaction and frustration among the
Indonesian public due to lockdown. Several intriguing insights have been revealed by the analysis of hashtags and most popular
terms. Topic modeling carry out in this study successfully facilitated the identification of alterations in the topics that were being
discussed by the Indonesian citizen concerning the enforcement of the lockdown.
Systematic study on the variability in the gasoline sampling process at service stations and its contribution to the measurement variance
Authors: González-Hernández Jerson , Fuentes-Schweizer Paola
Published: September 2023

A full factorial experimental design (2^4) was performed to study the impact of the sampling and handling processes on the analysis of gasoline samples. Four independent variables were selected based on the most critical parameters to control during sampling. Vapor pressure determination and distillation curve were chosen as response variables, and the data collected were assessed by analysis of variance as a statistical approach. There were statistically significant differences related to the sample container's material and the sample's storage time in the laboratory before the analysis. Also, the measurement variance was estimated at 0.11 from the contributions of the variance of the sampling process and the variance of the analysis process considering vapor pressure results (kPa), which allows the evaluation and control of the random error associated with the sampling process.
Neoadjuvant therapy could improve survival outcomes of locally advanced biliary tract cancer by increasing opportunities for curative resection: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fu Jialu , Zhang Rui , Zhang Dong , Geng Zhimin
Published: September 2023

Background
Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) has been proposed as one of the promising treatment alternatives for biliary tract cancer (BTC). We report a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the impact of NAT on survival of BTC patients.
Methods
We included studies evaluating neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) for BTC patients published before October 2020. Published data were extracted and computed into hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS). Subgroup analyses of benefit based on tumor subtypes and treatment modalities were specified. Data were weighted by generic inverse variance and pooled using fixed-effect or random-effect model.
Results
16 studies involving 2512 patients were included in the systematic review. Single arm meta-analysis showed a pooled clinical benefit rate (CBR) of 72.86% and a curative resection rate of 37.73%. 9 studies comparing the survival of patients receiving NAT followed by curative resection (group 1) and patients receiving upfront curative resection (group 2) were included in the meta-analysis. Though patients receiving NAT were more progressive in tumor stages, there was no difference in OS between the two groups (pooled HR = 1.21; 95% CI: 0.86–1.70; P = 0.28). Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) patients in the neoadjuvant group seemed to have a worse survival outcome compared to upfront curative resection group (pooled HR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.08–1.80; P = 0.01) while extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) patients presented with a better survival outcome (pooled HR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.43–1.37; P = 0.37). Those receiving NACRT (pooled HR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.33–1.19; P = 0.16) derived greater benefit than NACT (pooled HR = 1.70; 95% CI: 1.23–2.35; P < 0.01).
Conclusion
For patients with non-metastatic locally advanced BTC, NAT could improve survival outcomes by increasing opportunities for curative resection to obtain a similar prognosis compared to those with initially resectable disease.
Modelling Impact of Urban Expansion on Fringe Farmlands by Using GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques: The Case of Wukro Town, Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Hagos fikre
Published: September 2023

Urban expansion is a spatial phenomenon that was indicates population growth, economic expansion, the importance of life on town/ city etc. The use of current and historical data in urban expansion analysis is necessary in urban spatially and temporally using remotely sensed data, GIS and statistical relative data’s. Four Landsat images (i.e. 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2015) TM, ETM+, and OLI sensors data used to determine urban expansion land use change The images were classified using ERDAS Imagen Maximum Likelihood supervised classification technique. The LULC classified into Built-up area, cultivated lands, Plantation, Rivers and Shrub land. The overall classification accuracy was 86.0% for 1985, 86.4% for 1995, 87.32% for 2005 and 89.32% for 2015. To demonstrate the reliability of the MOLUSEC QGIS model were implemented to analysis an urban expansion trends, urban expansion simulated process sand pattern in the study area .the obtained results provide a good rules for Modeling urban expansion process, understanding urbanization contributing factors and predicting the future patterns. Furthermore, the resulting the current paper to be used for decision makers and urban planners to identify past and present urban expansion trends to prepared for the future urban demands. Finally, using the same model the urban expansion will simulated for 2025. Accordingly, the built-up area of town predicted to be 585ha for 2025.
An Integrated Investigate of the Relationship Between the Soil Microbial Community and Chrysanthemum Zawadskii (Herb.) Wilt Disease
Authors: Wu Chao , Juan Peng , Song Tingting
Published: September 2023

Chrysanthemum wilt is a plant disease that exerts a substantial influence on the cultivation of Chrysanthemum zawadskii (Herb.) for tea and beverage production. The rhizobial microbial population exhibits a direct correlation with the overall health of the plants. Therefore, studying the rhizosphere of CZHZ microbial communities would be of great significance for finding methods to control this disease. This study collected rhizosphere soil samples from diseased and healthy strains and analysed their microbial composition using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the diversity of rhizosphere microorganisms in the diseased strains was considerably reduced, and the microbial community structure of the diseased strains underwent significant changes compared to the healthy strains. In addition, the relative abundance of pathogenic microorganisms, such as root rot fungi and phytophthora, significantly increased, while the beneficial micro-organisms (e.g. antagonistic bacteria and Actinomyces) decreased significantly in the rhizosphere soil of the diseased strains. The positive correlation between bacteria and environmental factors indicates that environmental factors may have a substantial impact on the abundance and species of fungi in soil. Our results show that we can prevent the occurrence of wilt disease by adjusting the physiochemical properties of the rhizosphere soil and by changing the microbial communities. However, by regulating and optimising the microbial community structure, new ideas and methods can be provided for the prevention and control of chrysanthemum wilt disease.
Temozolomide-associated Blepharoconjunctivitis
Authors: Kornhauser Tom , Pemberton John David
Published: September 2023

Background: Temozolomide (TMZ) is an effective oral alkylating agent used in treating various malignancies. It works by introducing methyl groups into DNA, inhibiting cell division. While highly effective in treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and high-grade gliomas, TMZ use is associated with increased adverse event risks.
Case Presentation: We present a case of a 58-year-old African-American man diagnosed with GBM. Following adjuvant TMZ treatment, he developed blepharoconjunctivitis, characterized by eyelid and conjunctival inflammation. Symptoms included eyelid swelling, crusting, and conjunctival discharge, which were promptly resolved with topical steroid cream and eye drops.
Conclusions: Reports specifically linking TMZ to blepharoconjunctivitis are limited. The exact mechanism remains unclear but may involve inflammation extending from blepharitis to the conjunctiva. Healthcare providers must recognize and manage ophthalmic complications promptly. This case report highlights blepharoconjunctivitis associated with TMZ use in a GBM patient. While TMZ is an effective treatment, ophthalmic side effects can occur.
Up-to-date quality survey and evaluation of neonatal screening programs in China
Authors: Zhang jinming , Jin lizi , Fei Yu , Li Wen , Jiang Ting , Zhang Zehao , He Falin
Published: September 2023

Aims
To thoroughly evaluate the quality of the entire process of neonatal screening (NBS) in China and compare it with existing reports worldwide.
Methods
We collected survey questionnaires from 54.4% (135/248) of NBS institutions in China and conducted on-site visits to 20 of these facilities to validate the data. The quality performance of the institutions was evaluated, and differences across various factors were analyzed. Key results were compared with data from developed countries.
Results
We analyzed surveys from 25 provinces. Merely 62.5% of the provinces had acceptable performance in neonatal screening. Institutions with limited staff were more prone to organizational management shortcomings. Institutions in provinces with a per capita GDP below 10,000 USD exhibited lower quality control levels than those with a per capita GDP between 10,000 and 15,000 USD. Obstetrics departments have a lower awareness of quality control compared to other blood collection facilities. The positive predictive values (PPV) of newborn screening tests in Germany and China were both suboptimal, with the German PPV significantly higher than the Chinese PPV.
Conclusions
Although neonatal screening in China is relatively balanced, it still lags behind that of developed countries. A nationwide, comprehensive quality control system for continuous enhancements in post-testing management, diagnosis, and treatment is imperative to ensure prompt diagnosis and intervention.
Beyond Resilience Triangle: Dissecting Resilience Curve Archetypes and Properties in Human Systems Facing Weather Hazards
Authors: Hsu Chia-Wei , Mostafavi Ali
Published: September 2023

Resilience curves have been the primary approach for conceptualizing and representing the resilience behavior of communities during hazard events; however, the use of resilience curves has remained as a mere conceptual and visual tool with limited data-driven characterization and empirical grounding. Empirical characterizations of resilience curves provide essential insights regarding the manner in which differently impacted systems of communities absorb perturbations and recover from disruptions. To address this gap, this study examines human mobility resilience patterns following multiple weather-related hazard events in the United States by analyzing more than 2000 empirical resilience curves constructed from high-resolution location-based mobility data. These empirical resilience curves are then classified using k-means clustering based on various features (e.g., residual performance, disruptive duration, and recovery duration) into archetypes. Three main archetypes of human mobility resilience are identified: Type I, with rapid recovery after mild impact; Type II, exhibiting bimodal recovery after moderate impact; and Type III, showing slower recovery after severe impact. The results also reveal critical thresholds, such as the bimodal recovery breakpoint at a 20% impact extent (i.e., function loss), at which the recovery rate decreases, and the critical functional threshold at a 60% impact extent, above which recovery rate would be rather slow. The results show that a critical functional recovery rate of 2.5% per day is necessary to follow the bimodal resilience archetype when impact extent exceeds more than 20%. These findings provide novel and important insights into different resilience curve archetypes and their fundamental properties. Departing from using resilience curves as a mere concept and visual tool, the data-driven specification of resilience curve archetypes and their properties improve our understanding of the resilience patterns of human systems of communities and enable researchers and practitioners to better anticipate and analyze ways communities bounce back in the aftermath of disruptive hazard events.
Regulating TKT activity inhibits proliferation of human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells
Authors: Huang Fang-Liang , Chang Yao-Ming , Lin Cheng-Yung , Yu Sheng-Jie , Fu Jing-Tong , Chou Ting-Yu , Yeh Sih-Wen , Liao En-Chih , Li Chia-Ling
Published: September 2023

Background
Among pediatric blood cancers, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common hematologic malignancy. Within ALL, the T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) accounts for 10 to 15% of all pediatric cases, and ~ 25% of adult cases. Their overall survival rate is 80%. The overall prevalence of ALL was 4/100,000 population. In Taiwan, it accounts for 25 to 30% of all childhood cancers and with ~ 200 newly diagnosed cases every year. Its recurrence and relapse after treatment remain problematic. It is therefore the need to develop new therapies for patients with T-ALL. Recent studies suggested regulating energy metabolism is a novel approach to inhibit tumor growth, likely a promising treatment of this cancer. Transketolase (TKT) is an important enzyme for modulating glucose metabolize in the pentose phosphate pathway.
Methods
Human T-ALL cell lines were treated with different doses of niclosamide and primary T-ALL PBMCs were analyzed by RNA sequencing. Cell viability were analyzed by CCK-8 assay. Human T-ALL cells treated with niclosamide were also conducted for Western blotting analysis and TKT activity assay. Metabolism evaluation of T-ALL cells were analyzed by ATP assay and seahorse analyses. Last, the effect of knockdown TKT on T-ALL tumor growth was examined in a T-ALL xenograft murine model. Tumor samples from T-ALL xenograft murine model were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining.
Results
In our study, we demonstrated that niclosamide reduced cell viability of T-ALL cells, and it also reduced expressions of TKT, TKTL1/2, transaldolase. In addition, niclosamide inhibited TKT enzyme activity, aerobic metabolism and glycolysis, finally leading to reduced ATP production. The tumor growth of xenograft T-ALL mice were inhibited by the knockdown of TKT.
Conclusions
Findings showed that niclosamide inhibits T-ALL cell growth by inhibiting TKT and energy metabolism.
A Multi-view Mask Contrastive Learning Graph Convolutional Neural Network for Age Estimation
Authors: Zhang Yiping , Shou Yuntao , Meng Tao , Ai Wei , Li Keqin
Published: September 2023

The age estimation task aims to use facial features to predict the age of people and is widely used in public security, marketing, identification, and other fields. However, this task is highly susceptible to internal and external attributes such as race, gender, and expression, and existing methods based on CNN methods cannot well reflect the relationship between facial local features. Therefore, this paper proposes a Multi-view Mask Contrastive Learning Graph Convolutional Neural Network (MMCL-GCN) for age estimation. Specifically, the overall structure of the MMCL-GCN network contains a feature extraction stage and an age estimation stage. In the feature extraction stage, we introduce a graph structure to construct face images as input and then design a Multi-view Mask Contrastive Learning (MMCL) mechanism to learn complex structural and semantic information about face images. The learning mechanism employs an asymmetric siamese network architecture, which utilizes an online encoder-decoder structure to reconstruct the missing information from the original graph and utilizes the target encoder to learn latent representations for contrastive learning. Furthermore, to achieve more robust contrastive learning, we adopt the strategy of masking nodes for the online encoder and masking the edges for the target encoder. In the age estimation stage, to fully use the features extracted by the online encoder, we design a Multi-layer Extreme Learning Machine (ML-IELM) with identity mapping. Then, a classifier and a regressor were constructed based on ML-IELM, which were used to identify the age grouping interval and accurately estimate the final age. Extensive experiments show that MMCL-GCN can effectively reduce the error of age estimation on benchmark datasets such as Adience, MORPH-II, and LAP-2016.
A Machine Learning Framework for Predicting Failures in Cloud Data Centers -A case of Google Cluster -Azure Clouds and Alibaba Clouds
Authors: Ng’ang'a Daniel Njuguna , Cheruiyot Wilson , Njagi Dennis
Published: September 2023

The large scale and dynamic nature of cloud has added extra complexity when it comes to fault detection and management. Availability directly depends upon how fast the cloud infrastructure can detect any faults and take necessary steps to troubleshoot the problem. It is critical for service providers to provide stable service or else it may cause losses for clients. It is important to detect a failure in its embryonic stages to employ preventive measures to avoid a disastrous failure before it occurs. Researchers have focused on pure-bred failure characterization and analysis machine learning models to enhance cloud failure prediction accuracy for large cloud data centers but limited research has been done with ensemble models. In this paper we develop an enhanced cloud failure prediction model based on Adaboost ensemble Machine Learning algorithms that predicts hardware and software failures using Google Cluster 2019, Azure Clouds and Alibaba clouds datasets. Our model employs ensemble classification using Logistic Regression, Random Forest Classifier and Decision Tree Classifier. Results indicate our approach recorded a marginal improvement in accuracy prediction compared with results from previous researchers in the area. Decision Tree yielded best average model performance results recording 91.7% Precision, 88.8% Recall, 89.7% F1 Score, 94.0% Accuracy and 89.0% AUC.
Effect of heating atmosphere composition and content on phase and morphology distribution of copper oxide layer
Authors: Lv Chufeng , Guo Yue , Zhao Jian , Dai Fangqin , Zeng Weidong , Liu Ming
Published: September 2023

When copper billet is heated in the rolling reheating furnace, some oxides which affect the surface quality may remain on the substrate. This study investigates the effects of different heating atmosphere compositions and contents (N2, O2, CO2 and H2O) on the micro-morphology and phase evolution of the exfoliated and residual oxides on copper billet surface by high-temperature oxidation experiments. The results show that the main phase of the exfoliated oxides is CuO attached to loose Cu2O, and the residual nodular oxides are also CuO which directly adhere to copper matrix; water vapour can increase the number and size of Cu2O particles on the interface between exfoliated oxide and copper matrix, and effectively reduces the number of residual nodular oxides; the vapour and its decomposition products may effectively eliminate the pores within the oxide layer and at the oxide-matrix interface, while CO2 may increase the pore size inside the oxide layer.
An overload of missense variants in the OTOG gene may drive a higher prevalence of familial Meniere disease in the European descendant population
Authors: Lopez-Escamez Jose A. , Parra-Perez Alberto M. , Gallego-Martinez Alvaro
Published: September 2023

Meniere's disease is a complex inner ear disorder with significant familial aggregation. A differential prevalence of familial MD (FMD) has been reported, being 9-10% in Europeans compared to 6% in East Asians. A broad genetic heterogeneity in FMD has been described, OTOG being the most common mutated gene, with a compound heterozygous recessive inheritance. We hypothesize that an OTOG-related founder effect may explain the higher prevalence of FMD in the European population. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the allele frequency (AF) and distribution of OTOG rare variants across different populations.
For this purpose, coding regions with high constraint (low density of rare variants) in OTOG coding sequence in Non-Finnish European (NFE) were identified. Missense variants (AF<0.01) were selected from a 100 FMD patients’ cohort, and their population AF was annotated using gnomAD v2.1. A linkage analysis was performed, and odds ratios (OR) were calculated to compare AF between NFE and other populations.
Thirteen rare missense variants were observed in 13 FMD patients, with two variants (rs61978648, rs61736002) shared by 5 individuals and one variant (rs117315845) shared by 2 individuals. The results confirm the observed enrichment of OTOGrare missense variants in FMD. Furthermore, 8 variants were enriched in the NFE population, and six of them were in constrained regions. Structural modeling predicts five missense variants could alter the otogelin stability.
We conclude that several variants reported in FMD are in constraint regions and may have a founder effect and explain the burden of FMD in the European population.
Factors Related to Physical Activity Among Older Adults: A Loughborough-Based Study
Authors: Guan Jiayin , Zitkus Emilene , de Bont Cees , Dong Hua
Published: September 2023

Population ageing has become a global challenge, impacting healthcare services and healthcare-related industries. Although physical activity has been proven positively related to healthy ageing, the number of older adults being inactive in the United Kingdom is still high. Factors related to physical activity should be better understood to motivate older adults to be more physically active. This paper presented factors related to physical activity based on the literature on behaviour change, motivation, and intervention. A survey was conducted in Loughborough, a town that has enormous sports culture and facilities in the United Kingdom, where 101 participants were recruited. The results of the data analysis revealed new insights into the relationship between behavioural and motivational factors. The physical capability was positively related to intrinsic motivation. Older adults with more social participation had stronger intrinsic motivation and identified regulation. Internet or social media use was significantly correlated to having enough balance training. Intrinsic motivation was significantly correlated with physical activity behaviour and enjoyment, while extrinsic motivation was unrelated. Feeling enjoyment was positively correlated to physical activity behaviour. Although fewer men participated in the study, they gave a significantly higher rating of having enough time for physical activity than female participants. A conceptual model was developed to promote sustained behaviour change using a concentric circle structure which contains three levels and two systems. The model can be used to design better interventions for older adults to increase their physical activity level, which will contribute to the goal of healthy ageing.