bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using the Elixhauser Risk Adjustment Model to Predict Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized in Internal Medicine at a Large, Tertiary-Care Hospital in Israel
Authors: Katz David E. , Leibner Gideon , Esayag Yaakov , Kaufman Nechama , Brammli-Greenberg Shuli , Rose Adam J.
Published: May 2023

Background: In Israel, internal medicine admissions are currently reimbursed without accounting for patient complexity. This is at odds with most other developed countries and has the potential to lead to market distortions such as avoiding sicker patients. Our objective was to apply a well-known, freely available risk adjustment model, the Elixhauser model, to predict relevant outcomes among patients hospitalized on the internal medicine service of a large, Israeli tertiary-care hospital.
Methods: We used data from the Shaare Zedek Medical Center (SZMC), a large tertiary referral hospital in Jerusalem. The study included 55,946 hospitalizations between 01.01.2016 – 31.12.2019. We modeled four patient outcomes: in-hospital mortality, escalation of care (intensive care unit (ICU) transfer, mechanical ventilation, daytime bi-level positive pressure ventilation, or vasopressors), 30-day readmission, and length of stay (LOS). We log-transformed LOS to address right skew. As is usual with the Elixhauser model, we identified 29 comorbid conditions using international classification of diseases, clinical modification, version 9 (ICD-9 codes). We derived and validated the coefficients for these 29 variables using split-sample derivation and validation. We checked model fit using c-statistics and R2, and model calibration using a Hosmer-Lemeshow test.
Results: The Elixhauser model achieved acceptable prediction of the three binary outcomes, with c-statistics of 0.712, 0.681, and 0.605 to predict in-hospital mortality, escalation of care, and 30-day readmission respectively. The c-statistic did not decrease in the validation set (0.707, 0.687, and 0.603, respectively), suggesting that the models are not overfitted. The model to predict log length of stay achieved an R2 of 0.102 in the derivation set and 0.101 in the validation set. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test did not suggest issues with model calibration.
Conclusion: We demonstrated that a freely-available risk adjustment model can achieve acceptable prediction of important clinical outcomes in a dataset of patients admitted to a large, Israeli tertiary-care hospital. This model could potentially be used as a basis for differential payment by patient complexity.
Pharmacists in general practice – What do they do? A qualitative case study
Authors: Kempen Thomas Gerardus Hendrik , Koumi Rouzi , Sporrong Sofia Kälvemark
Published: May 2023

Background Pharmacists working in general practice are a relatively new phenomenon in many European countries. Providing insight into what pharmacists do in general practice may support further implementation of general practice-based pharmacists and their contribution to health care.Aim To explore the tasks performed by pharmacists in general practice in Sweden.Method A case study was conducted in 7 general practices in Region Uppsala, Sweden, where a pharmacist was employed. Activities other than medication reviews performed by pharmacists were self-reported during March 2021. Participant observations of and semi-structured interviews with pharmacists were conducted between October and November 2021. Self-reported activities were categorised and analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analysed with conventional content analysis.Results In total, 174 activities were self-reported by 7 pharmacists. Two pharmacists were observed for 2 days each, and 6 pharmacists were interviewed. Their main task was conducting medication reviews in older patients with polypharmacy. In addition, they handled a broad variety of drug-related questions and treatment follow-up. Pharmacists described working in a more efficient and need-based manner over time. They stressed that working at the practice increased their accessibility for and to other healthcare professionals, and enabled them to meet patients face-to-face. Future challenges include defining tasks more clearly, assuming greater responsibility for patient care, and meeting the growing demand for pharmacists in general practice.Conclusion Pharmacists in general practice in Sweden perform a broad variety of tasks related to identifying, resolving and preventing drug-related problems, mainly in older patients with polypharmacy.
Significance of preoperative tooth loss in patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer
Authors: Azumi Yuki , Kanaji Shingo , Sawada Ryuichiro , Harada Hitoshi , Urakawa Naoki , Goto Hironobu , Hasegawa Hiroshi , Yamashita Kimihiro , Matsuda Takeru , Oshikiri Taro , Kakeji Yoshihiro
Published: May 2023

Purpose
The relationship between gastric cancer and oral health has been reported in several studies. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the postoperative prognosis of gastric cancer and oral health by using preoperative tooth loss as a simple index.
Methods
We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into two groups according to the number of tooth losses. The survival curve was constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method. We also performed univariate and multivariate analyses of overall survival based on Cox proportional hazard regression to determine the prognostic factors.
Results
A total of 191 patients were divided into two groups: those with seven or more tooth loss and those with less than seven tooth loss. The three-year overall survival rate was 71.5% in the group with seven or more tooth loss and 87.0% in the group with less than seven tooth loss. The group with seven or more tooth loss had significantly lower overall survival than the group with less than seven tooth loss (P = 0.0014). Multivariate analysis revealed that age, clinical T stage, CEA level, and serum albumin level were independent poor prognostic factors. However, tooth loss was not an independent prognostic factor.
Conclusion
Preoperative tooth loss was not a prognostic factor for gastric cancer after gastrectomy, but tooth loss may be a simple and useful method for evaluating frailty in patients.
Evaluation of genetic diversity in Cicer arietinum L. (Kabuli Chickpea) germplasm based on multivariate analysis
Authors: Yadav Abhinav , Nath Shiva , Kumar Sujit , Kumar Vinay , Boro Jutika , Yadav Kuldeep
Published: May 2023

Genetic diversity among 43 genotypes of chickpea for 11 quantitative characters; in which Seed yield/plant exhibited positive and highly significant correlations coefficients with biological yield/plant (0.9447), pods/plant (0.7559), seeds/pod (0.5475), harvest index (0.5400) and secondary branches/plant (0.3766). Path coefficients analysis identified biological yield/plant (0.7963g) followed by harvest index (0.2792%), pods/plant (0.0435), 100 seed weight (0.0430g) and days to maturity (0.0417) important direct components for seed yield/plant. Pods/plant (0.6259), seeds/pod (0.4434), secondary branches/plant (0.3307), primary branches/plant (0.3132), days to 50% flowering (0.2431) and days to maturity (0.2339) via biological yield/plant were found important indirect components for seed yield/plant. The characters identified above as important direct and indirect components merit consideration in the formulation of an effective selection strategy in chickpeas for developing high-yielding varieties. So, plant breeders can utilize this germplasm for further crop improvement.
Study on the influence of vibration characteristics on surface roughness in quick-point grinding and prediction model
Authors: pan shuai , Ma Lianjie , yu xueqiao , shan quan
Published: May 2023

The characteristic frequency of vibration was obtained by extracting the vibration characteristics of fluorophlogopite in quick-point grinding, and the characteristic frequency deviation rate was proposed to study the effect of vibration characteristics on surface roughness. Meanwhile, the influence of five process parameters, such as the grinding speed, table feed speed, grinding depth, deflection angle, and inclining angle, on the characteristic frequency deviation rate and surface roughness was also investigated. It reflected the relationship between deviation rate and surface roughness. The experimental results indicated that the process parameters influenced the deviation rate and surface roughness, and the changes of both were synchronized. Moreover, the modified model of the quick-point grinding surface roughness was proposed in the paper, which was based on the prediction model of several scholars. The model included vibration characteristic parameters and five process parameters, which not only kept the accuracy of the prediction model but also realized the introduction of vibration characteristics. It was proved that the prediction effect of the modified model was accurate and reliable. Based on the prediction model of surface roughness including vibration features, the idea of monitoring and controlling surface roughness by real-time vibration signal was put forward.
Terlipressin reduces the incidence of delayed graft function in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Ma Maolin , Han Fei , Li Heng , Hong Liangqing , Ye Yongrong , Miao Bin , Fang Youqiang , Huang Zhengyu , Na Ning
Published: May 2023

Background
Delayed graft function (DGF) is the most common complication experienced by kidney transplant recipients; therefore, it is critically important to develop an effective method of reducing DGF. Terlipressin can improve kidney function in patients with hepatorenal syndrome; therefore, we hypothesized that terlipressin plays a protective role in DGF and allograft function after transplantation.
Methods
In this retrospective, observational cohort study, we reviewed the medical records of 362 patients who underwent kidney transplantation at our organ transplant center between February 2015 and December 2019. The eligible recipients were divided into two groups based on whether they received terlipressin (Terlipressin group; n = 162) or dopamine (Control group; n = 200) on days 0–2 post-transplantation. The association between DGF and various clinical parameters was assessed using logistic regression analyses, and linear regression analysis was performed for predicting allograft function 30 days after transplantation.
Results
Compared to the Control group, the Terlipressin group had a significantly lower DGF rate (14.2 vs. 23.0%, P = 0.034), a higher estimated glomerular filtration rate during the two days post-transplantation (day 1: 9.54 ± 6.90 vs. 6.35 ± 4.95 mL/min/1.73m2, P < 0.001; day 2: 15.35 ± 11.96 vs. 11.60 ± 10.49 mL/min/1.73 m2, P = 0.002), and a lower urinary tract infection rate (8.0 vs. 16.0%, P = 0.022). Terlipressin (odds ratio [OR], 0.544, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.297–0.998, P = 0.049) and female recipient (OR, 0.366, 95% CI, 0.172–0.780, P = 0.009) were independent protective factors for DGF. DGF was negatively associated with allograft function 30 days after transplantation (β = 130.210, 95% CI, 103.731–156.688, P < 0.001).
Conclusions
Terlipressin reduced the incidence of DGF in kidney transplant recipients, indicating that it could be used as a new strategy for DGF prevention.
Dynamically electrocatalytic CO2 reduction on Cu-N-C single-atom catalysts
Authors: Qin Yanyang , Zhao Wenshan , Yu Li-Juan , Zhang Jianrui , Wu Tiantian , Su Yaqiong
Published: May 2023

The electroreduction of CO2 (eCO2R) to multi-carbon products, like ethanol, is highly efficient on metallic Cu surfaces. However, recent studies show that Cu-N-C single-atom catalysts (SACs) can also produce high ethanol yields, implying an unknown mechanism. Herein, we systematically investigated Cu sintering during eCO2R over Cu-N-C through multi-scale simulations. We identified two pathways for Cu sintering at negative potentials: direct sintering with H assistance, and Cu agglomeration facilitated by synergistic adsorption of CO and H. The kinetic barriers of Cu spillover through the second pathway were estimated to be lower than that for the first pathway at -1.0 VSHE combining with the constant-potential ab initio molecular dynamic simulations. The sintered Cu clusters alternatively preside over the C2 products. Our findings contribute to understanding the Cu sintering mechanism during eCO2R and the activity origin of Cu-N-C SACs.
Habitat configuration influences mammal populations at a wider spatial extent than habitat composition: a meta-analysis of forest mammal datasets
Authors: Gengler Nicholas W. , Acevedo Miguel A. , Branch Lyn C.
Published: May 2023

Context The spatial extent at which landscape variables most strongly influences wildlife populations (i.e., scale of effect) is of key importance to ecology and conservation. Many factors can influence scales of effect, but these relationships are poorly understood. In particular, the way scales of effect vary with different landscape metrics has not been extensively tested. Objectives Our study examined whether metrics of landscape configuration have wider or narrower scales of effect than habitat composition. We also examined how a variety of factors (i.e., species traits and landscape context) influence the magnitude of these differences in scales of effect between metrics. Methods We calculated scales of effect for four metrics of habitat configuration and one metric of composition directly from species presence/absence data in online repositories. We did so for 102 species of mammals from 33 studies across the globe. Results Two metrics of configuration had significantly wider scales of effect than habitat composition, while the difference between the other two metrics of configuration and composition were not significant. The magnitude of the difference between metrics varied among samples, but none of the factors tested explained this variability. Conclusions If the scale of effect of a metric of composition is known, then a metric of configuration’s scale of effect can be expected to be roughly 15–20% wider. However, this pattern may not hold for metrics of configuration that do not measure attributes of the landscape that mediate species dispersal or that are correlated with the metric of composition.
Predictors for early recurrence beyond up-to-7 or distant metastasis after hepatocellular carcinoma resection: Proposal for borderline resectable HCC
Authors: Harimoto Norifumi , Tsukagoshi Mariko , Seki Takaomi , Hoshino Kouki , Hagiwara Kei , Norihiro Ishii , Igarashi Takamichi , Araki Kenichiro , Shirabe Ken
Published: May 2023

Background
The recurrence rate after curative resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) reaches over 70% after 5 years. Furthermore, early HCC recurrence (within 1 year) is now recognized as having a poor prognosis and has limited treatment options.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed 184 consecutive patients who underwent curative hepatic resection for HCC in our institute. Severe early recurrence was defined as multiple (beyond up-to-7) liver recurrence or distant metastasis after hepatic resection within 1 year. We divided the participants into two groups according to severe early recurrence and analyzed clinicopathological and long-term outcomes.
Results
Among the patients with hepatic multiple, up-to-7 out, and distant metastasis (n = 59), 49 patients (83%) had recurrence within 1 year. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were significantly worse in the severe early recurrence group than in the others group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that severe early recurrence was significantly associated with macroscopic vascular invasion (MVI), tumor burden score (TBS) > 4.70 and ALBI grade 2. In patients with a score of 2 and 3 (the sum of the three factors in the multivariate analysis (MVI, TBS > 4.70 and ALBI grade 2)), OS and RFS rates were significantly poorer than those of patients with a score of 0 or 1. Positive predict value and negative predict value for severe early recurrence was 68.4% and 84.2%, respectively.
Conclusions
In this retrospective analysis, we found that MVI, TBS and ALBI could predict severe early recurrence after hepatic resection for HCC, and patients with these risk factors had a poor prognosis.
A Novel Glycosylation-Related Transcriptome Panel with Immune and Clinical Value Predicts Prognosis and Drug Sensitivity in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Lin Chenwei , Wu Lei , Lin Sihua
Published: May 2023

Clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) are characterized by relatively high morbidity and mortality worldwide among all types of renal carcinomas. Identifying new targets and molecular prognostic biomarkers is critical for more accurate clinical diagnosis and therapy. Glycosylation shows a great impact on the development of ccRCC and may be of great help for its prognosis. Herein, we constructed a thirteen glycosylation-related genes (GRGs) risk model. Two groups were identified by their scores and we applied survival analysis to characterize independent risk factors for prognosis. The high-risk group had a worse clinical outcome than the low-risk group. In addition, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) expression level was in positive relation with the risk score according to the correlation analysis and drug sensitive data were evaluated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) 60 human tumour cell line anticancer drug screen (NCI-60). Furthermore, the molecular gene cluster of ccRCC based on the glycosylation level performed well in the prognosis prediction together with immune response feature and might provide novel strategies for application in improving the performance of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. In summary, our study provided a novel prediction tool for ccRCC patients with immune and clinicopathological characteristics. It could act as a risk factor and may participate in the prediction of immunotherapy.
WITHDRAWN: Green method for the analysis of nitenpyram and pymetrozine in tea
Authors: Yu Huan , Wang Xinru , Sun Hezhi , Liang Yabo , Guo Mingming , Yu Jiawei , Zhang Xinzhong , Yang Mei , Luo Fengjian , Chen Zongmao , Zhou Li
Published: May 2023

Nitenpyram and pymetrozine are widely used polar pesticides as well as in tea cultivation. More costly and toxic organic reagents were involved in the present detection methods. There is a continuing search for more eco-friendly methods. An eco-friendly approach was established and optimized to analyze the presence of two hydrophilic insecticides including nitenpyram and pymetrozine in tea. The method involved the use of boiling water instead of organic solvent, followed by PCX solid phase extraction (SPE) cleanup and determination with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). On average 83.2–98.8% of nitenpyram and pymetrozine were recovered from tea with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 7%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.025 mg·kg-1. This organic solvent-saving approach offers a reliable and effective alternative for detecting nitenpyram and pymetrozine from tea samples, which can serve as a practical tool for tea safety and market supervision.
The role of bidirectional associations of depression, anxiety and emotional exhaustion on turnover intention among nurses: a multicenter cross-sectional study in China
Authors: Qin Ning , Yao Ziqiang , Guo Meiying
Published: May 2023

Background: A high turnover rate in nursing has become a global concern. Mental health issues may increase the turnover intention of nurses and lead to turnover behaviors. However, very little is known about the role of bidirectional associations between emotional exhaustion and depression/anxiety on turnover intention. This study aimed to examine the associations among depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion and turnover intention, and to test the role of bidirectional associations of depression, anxiety and emotional exhaustion on turnover intention among nurses.
Methods: An online multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in Hunan Province, China, from December 2021 to February 2022. The questionnaire captured data on the Turnover Intention Scale, the Emotional Exhaustion Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-2, as well as sociodemographic information. Data analysis was performed by univariate analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and structural equation modeling.
Results: The average turnover intention score among Chinese nurses was 14.34±3.75. The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 25.9% and 22.3%, respectively. Depression (r = 0.378, P<0.001), anxiety (r = 0.391, P<0.001), and emotional exhaustion (r = 0.532, P<0.001) were positively associated with turnover intention. Emotional exhaustion partially mediated on the associations between depression/anxiety and turnover intention, with both mediating effects accounting for 60.7%. The mediating ratios of depression/anxiety on the associations between emotional exhaustion and turnover intentions were 17.6% and 16.5%, respectively.
Conclusions: Depression, anxiety and emotional exhaustion showed significant positive effects on turnover intention among nurses. Emotional exhaustion played a partial mediation role between depression/anxiety and turnover intention, while depression/anxiety played no significant mediations between emotional exhaustion and turnover intention.
A Novel Immune-Related LncRNA Pair Model to Predict the Prognosis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Li Jing-ying , Fan Ping , Peng Hui , Wang Shi-yan , Chen En-Qiang
Published: May 2023

Background
Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer type and is the principal cause of cancer-related death in women. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy has shown promising activity in metastatic TNBC, but the potential factors affecting its efficacy have not been elucidated. Immune-related long noncoding RNAs (irlncRNAs) have been reported to be involved in immune escape to influence the carcinogenic process through the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway. Therefore, exploring the potential regulatory mechanism of irlncRNAs in PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy in TNBC is of great importance.
Methods
In the current study, we retrieved transcriptome profiling data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and identified differentially expressed irlncRNA (DEirlncRNA) pairs. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was performed to construct a risk assessment model.
Results
Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that the risk model may serve as a potential prediction factor in TNBC patients. Clinical stage and risk score proved to be independent prognostic predictors by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Subsequently, we investigated the correlation between the risk model and tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints. Finally, we identified USP30-AS1 through the StarBase and MEM databases, predicted the potential target genes of USP30-AS1, and then discovered that these target genes were closely associated with immune responses.
Conclusion
Although the current study did not investigate the specific mechanism by in vivo and in vitro experiments, we constructed a risk assessment model by immune-related lncRNA pairs regardless of expression levels, which has the potential to predict the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy and provide a novel strategy for TNBC treatment.
Service quality evaluation of county-level public hospitals in Chongqing under smart healthcare
Authors: Qiu Yuantang , Xiao Chun , Li Jing
Published: May 2023

Background:Based on the perspective of patient experience, this study investigates patients' perceptions and expectations of the quality of smart healthcare services, to provide a reference for the development of smart healthcare in hospitals at the same level.
Methods: From October to November 2021, county 10 public hospitals were selected using cluster sampling. Based on the SERVQUAL scale, patient expectations and perception scores were surveyed across 24 items in four dimensions: ability, application, platform, and effectiveness. The gap between perception and expectation was calculated, and the influencing factors were analyzed. Finally, the IPA model was used to analyze and evaluate the results.
Results: A total of 915 patients were included in the outpatient and inpatient departments. The average perception score of patients was 3.86, and the average expectation score was 4.44, with a gap of -0.58. Paired sample t-tests showed that there were significant differences between patients' perceptions and expectations across the 24 items (P < 0.05). IPA quadrant analysis showed that 5 items fell into quadrant IV. The results of a generalized linear model indicated that patients with college degree (β=-0.146,95%CI:-0.259~-0.033), patients with income between 2001~3500RMB (β=0.280,95%CI:0.144~0.416), and patients with income between 3501~5000RMB (β=0.250,95%CI:0.130~0.370). Patients whose insurance type is urban and rural residents' medical insurance (β=-0.234,95%CI:-0.37~0.098) will affect the evaluation of service quality.
Conclusions: The services provided by smart healthcare have not met patients' expectations, and the personalized medical needs of different patients should be valued. Further improvement is needed in the control of medical expenses, system design and operation, and the balance of technology and human care.
Anoikis-Related LncRNA Signature Predicts Prognosis and Is Associated With Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Zhu Jiahong , Zhao Wenjing , Zhao Suming , Yang Junkai , Liu Cheng , Wang Yilang , Zhao Hui
Published: May 2023

Anoikis is a term used to describe the programmed cell death that takes place when cells become disconnected from the extracellular matrix[1]. Numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be linked to anoikis resistance in various tumors, including glioma[2], breast cancer[3], and bladder cancer[4]. There is a lack of studies examining the relationship between ARLs and HCC prognosis. Further research is needed to explore this potential link and understand the role of ARLs in HCC progression.
Patients and methods:
In this study, we acquired 36 genes associated with anoikis through the GO and GSEA databases, and identified 22 differentially expressed lncrnas that were correlated with these genes based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Using Cox regression analyses, we created an anoikis-related lncRNA signature (ARlncSig) in a training cohort, which we then validated in both a testing cohort and a combined cohort composed of data from both cohorts. Then, we collected 8 pairs of liver cancer tissues and adjacent tissues from Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University.
Results:
Five ARLs were developed as a risk stratification system to categorize patients into low- and high-risk groups. The high-risk group exhibited a notably lower overall survival (OS) rate in comparison to the low-risk group. The model's predictive performance is supported by the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration of nomogram, clinical correlation analysis, and clinical decision curve. Furthermore, differential analysis of immune function, immune checkpoint, response to chemotherapy, and immune cell subpopulations indicated significant discrepancies between the high and low-risk groups. IC50 analysis determined that commonly prescribed drugs were more effective for patients in the high-risk group. Lastly, quantitative real-time PCR validated the expression levels of the five lncRNAs in specific drug-resistant cell lines. In conclusion, our ARlncSig model possesses critical predictive value in the prognosis of HCC patients, and it may provide clinical guidance for personalized immunotherapy.
TB-TBP: A Task-Based Adaptive Routing Algorithm for Network-On-Chip in Heterogenous CPU-GPU Architectures
Authors: Fang Juan , Wei Zhichao , Liu Yaqi , Hou Yumin
Published: May 2023

With the rapid development of heterogeneous Network-on-Chip (NoC), a vast amount of shared resources are integrated into NoC. Intense resource competition exists between CPUs and GPUs, leading to congestion and a decrease in overall network performance. Reasonable node placement can minimize network confficts at the topology level. This paper ffrst discusses the placement of shared last-level cache (LLC) and memory controller (MC), then selects a more rational placement method and optimizes the path. To solve the hot spots problem for center placement method, a task-based routing algorithm is designed to plan the path. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared to the traditional routing algorithm, the overall network latency is reduced by 9%, and the CPU performance is improved by 13.6%. Furthermore, a dynamic task-based routing algorithm is proposed. Compared to the static task routing algorithm, the overall network latency is reduced by 2.08%, and the CPU performance is improved by 4.09%.
Aiming to a Smart Agriculture through the Electrochemical Impedance of a Chitosan-Molybdate Membrane as a Function of Available Phosphate Species
Authors: Beltrán-Ortega M. A. , Oropeza-Guzmán M. T. , Calva-Yáñez J. C.
Published: May 2023

The identification and quantification of nutrients in the soil is of great importance in agriculture because plants depend on their presence in the soil or their supply as fertilizer to grow properly. However, there is currently no well-defined method for quantifying macronutrients in the field. Therefore, chitosan membranes that have been developed are biocompatible and biodegradable and are applied to stainless steel and carbon inks whose function is to adsorb phosphorus (P) species present in cultivated soils. Studies on Z-potential were carried out on chitosan solutions, varying the pH to measure the surface charge. It was found that as the pH of the solution increased, from 2 to 10, the surface charge decreased until a negative surface charge (from 59.9mV to -5mV). The chitosan/chitosan molybdate membranes were also examined by atomic force microscope (AFM) to observe their roughness and morphology. The chitosan membrane has a smoother appearance than the chitosan-molybdate membrane, confirmed by roughness at the micrometric scale. Electrochemical characterization included electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements in solutions containing hydrogen phosphide ions HPO4= to determine the changes in resistance of the chitosan/chitosan-molybdate membranes. As the ion concentration in the solution increased, the charge transfer resistance (Rtc) decreased. However, when ammonium molybdate was added to the chitosan membrane, it acted as a promoter for the uptake of HPO4= by the membrane. Thus, based on their characterization, chitosan biosensors have shown that they are capable of attracting anionic species, which contributes to the minimization of preference zones on the surface of a sensing electrode.
Analyzing Forest Management Practice in Different Felling Series: A Case Study from Community Forest of Rupandehi District, Nepal
Authors: Acharya Bishwabandhu , Khanal Yajnamurti , Ojha Susil
Published: May 2023

Scientific Forest management (SciFM) in community forestry emphasizes establishing and growing regeneration by adopting different silvicultural systems. To assess the effectiveness of forest management practices, we examined the regeneration condition and its pattern in the forest with a scientific forest management plan. Data relating to regeneration status and its growth pattern were collected from two community forests using stratified random sampling. The results depicted good regeneration conditions (Seedling > 5000, Sapling > 2000) in all the felling series of both the forest. The number of seedlings and saplings was found highest in the sixth-year felling series (22,000 per ha) in Kanchan CF while it was highest in the fifth-year felling series (35,700 per ha) in the case of Rajapani CF. The forest of both the CF was dominated by Sal (Shorea robusta) followed by Asna (Terminalia alata) and Karma (Adina cordifolia). The number of seedlings per hectare was found higher in the strata with the latest regeneration felling while the number of poles per hectare is found higher in the strata with the oldest regeneration felling in a condition where there was less human pressure. The overall growth pattern of regeneration based on average diameter and an average height of Kanchan CF showed an upward sloping curve with the increase in years after the regeneration felling while that of Rajapani CF showed a slightly irregular curve representing irregular growth of regeneration based on average height. There were altogether 14 and 13 species in Kanchan CF and Rajapani CF respectively where both CF showed a similar degree of species richness and evenness. This research contributes to assessing forest sustainability based on regeneration growth with appropriate management strategies. It recommends the implementation of SciFM with proper monitoring and continuous management practices to enhance the forest's health and growth.
"Orthopedic injuries in Yemen civil war: a retrospective study of incidence, management, and outcomes".
Authors: Hutaif Mohammad
Published: May 2023

Background:
The Yemen civil war has caused a humanitarian crisis and a high incidence of orthopedic injuries. However, little information exists on how the war has affected their management in Yemen.
Objective:
To analyze the incidence, management, and outcomes of complex orthopedic injuries in Yemen civil war.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of orthopedic injuries treated in three major teaching hospitals in Yemen from January 2015 to May 2021. We collected data using a checklist that included injury type, cause, demographics, treatment method, treatment time, and outcomes. We analyzed the data using SPSS software with descriptive statistics and logistic regression models.
Results:
We reviewed the medical records of 3050 patients who received treatment for orthopedic injuries, mostly males (67%) with an average age of 32 years. Explosions were the primary cause of injury (70%), followed by gunshots (15%). Fractures were the most frequent type of injury (88%), followed by dislocations (10%) and ligament and tendon injuries (2%). Among the fractures, the femur (35%), tibia (30%), and humerus (18%) were the most frequently affected bones. The average hospital stay was 30 days, and the death rate was 7%. Soft-tissue/neurovascular injuries occurred in up to 94% of cases. Most orthopedic injuries required surgery (85%), with external fixation being the most frequently used surgical procedure (60%), followed by open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) (30%) and amputation
(10%). Surgical complications were high, potentially requiring further surgery. Furthermore, 20% of patients who underwent ORIF needed more surgery due to infections, implant failure, or malunion. Open fractures accounted for 91% of all fractures observed in the study.
Conclusions:
The Yemen civil war has significantly affected the incidence and management of complex orthopedic injuries. The high incidence of these injuries has resulted in a significant burden on the healthcare system in Yemen. The findings from this study emphasize the urgent need for resources and medical care to manage these injuries effectively.
Random Frogs: Using future climate and land-use scenarios to predict amphibian distribution change in the Upper Missouri River Basin
Authors: Campbell Kaitlyn S. , Baltensperger Andrew P. , Kerby Jacob L.
Published: May 2023

Context
Climate change and anthropogenic stressors have contributed to rapid declines in biodiversity worldwide, particularly for amphibians. Amphibians play important ecological roles, yet little is known about how distribution hotspots may change or the factors influencing distribution patterns in the North American Great Plains.
Objectives
Ecological niche models improve understanding of biotic and abiotic factors associated with species' distributions and can highlight potential threats to species conservation. Here, we identify important predictors of amphibian distributions and predict how land use and climate change may alter distributions in the Upper Missouri River Basin.
Methods
We used publicly available occurrence data, 16 environmental and climatic predictors, and the machine-learning algorithm, Random Forests, to create spatially-explicit distribution models for eight amphibian species. Models were scored to current conditions (2005) and two future climate-change/land-use scenarios to predict changes in amphibian distributions for 2060.
Results
Models were highly accurate and revealed more pronounced distributional changes under the intensive RCP8.5/CONUS A2 scenario compared to the moderate RCP6.0/CONUS B2 scenario. Both scenarios predicted gains for most southeastern species (i.e., Blanchard’s cricket frogs, Plains leopard frogs, Woodhouse’s toads, and Great Plains toads) and declines for all western montane species. Overall, distribution changes were most influenced by climatic and geographic predictors, (e.g., summer temperature, precipitation, and elevation), and geography, versus anthropogenic land-use variables.
Conclusions
Changes in occurrence area varied by species and geography, however, high-elevation western species were more negatively impacted. Our distribution models provide a framework for future conservation efforts aiding the persistence of amphibian species across a warming, agriculturally dominated landscape.
Nexus between ethnobotany and urban life: native plants customarily used as medicine and food in Karachi, Pakistan (country’s largest metropolis)
Authors: Perveen Anjum , Ijaz Shabir , Iqbal Javed , Ashraf Saima , Kousar Shazia
Published: May 2023

Traditional medicine uses and knowledge is more famous and well documented in rural/remote areas in Pakistan and worldwide than the urban areas. The present effort was made to document the ethnomedicinal practices among the communities of Karachi city and provides the basis for the development of natural drug discovery. We are aware of no other quantitative ethnobotanical investigation on the use of medicinal plants in the study area prior to this study. For ethnobotanical data collection, 177 local informants and traditional healers were interviewed, using semi-structured interviews.Various quantitative indices such as relative frequency of citation (RFC), fidelity level(FL), use value(UV), and the Jaccard Index (JI) were applied to the documented data. The traditional medical uses of 97 plants species belonging to 47 families were reported. Solanaceae (seven taxa) followed by Boraginaceae and Fabaceae (six taxa each), Cucurbitaceae (five taxa); Amaranthaceae, Convolvulaceae, Malvaceae, Verbenaceae and Zygophyllaceae (four taxa each) were the leading families contributed with the highest number of taxa. The highest plant-used part was leaf, with 45 reports (28.84%), followed by fruit (15.38%). It was observed that the majority of species were used to treat stomach problems, respiratory issues, general wellness, skin conditions, liver-related conditions, and fever respectively. The ethnomedical findings reported in this study offer concrete proof of the Karachi city residents' use of therapeutic plants. The research also showed that the region's medicinal plants constitute a significant source of herbal medicines used to treat ailments. This survey can serve as a starting point for future scientific research to create new plant-based pharmaceuticals for the market.
Head-to-head comparison of two loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) kits for diagnosis of malaria in a non-endemic setting
Authors: Ivarsson Anna-Clara , Fransén Elin , Broumou Ioanna , Färnert Anna , Persson Kristina , Söbirk Sara Karlsson
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Light microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) have long been the recommended diagnostic methods for malaria. However, in recent years, LAMP techniques have been shown to offer superior diagnostic performance, in particular concerning low-grade parasitaemia, by delivering higher sensitivity and specificity with low laboratory capacity requirements in little more than an hour. In this study we assessed the diagnostic performance of two Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) kits head-to-head, compared to highly sensitive quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), in a non-endemic setting.
Methods: In this retrospective validation study two LAMP kits; Alethia® illumigene Malaria kit and HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria Pan Detection (PDT) kit, were evaluated head-to-head for detection of Plasmodium-DNA in 133 biobanked blood samples from suspected malaria cases at the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of Region Skåne, Sweden to determine their diagnostic performance compared to qPCR.
Results: Of the 133 samples tested, qPCR detected Plasmodium DNA in 41 samples (the true positives), and the two LAMP methods detected 41 and 37 of those, respectively. The results from the HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria PDT kit were in complete congruence with the qPCR, with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 91.40 - 100%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI 96.07 – 100%); and the PPV and NPV were both 100%. The Alethia® illumigene Malaria kit had a sensitivity of 90.24% (95% CI 76.87 – 97.28) and a specificity of 95.65% (95% CI 89.24 – 98.80) as compared to qPCR. The PPV was 90.31% (95% CI 78.06-96.07) and the NPV was 95.62% (95%CI 89.58-98.23) with the malaria positivity rate of 30.8 % in the study material. This performance would give a PPV of 69.75% (95% CI 46.80 – 85.81) and NPV 98.88% (97.20 – 99.56) in a situation where samples tested had a 10% positivity rate, which more accurately resembles the situation in Skåne.
Conclusions: This head-to-head comparison showed superior performance of the HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria PDT kit compared to the Alethia® illumigene Malaria kit for detection of malaria.
Primary intracranial histiocytic sarcomas: a report of six cases and a pooled analysis of individual patient data
Authors: Zuo Pengcheng , Zhang Mingxin , Wu Wenhao , Wang Yu , Li Tian , Sun Tao , Wang YuJin , Wu Zhen , Zhang Junting , Zhang Liwei
Published: May 2023

Objective:
Primary intracranial histiocytic sarcomas (PIHSs) are extremely rare with limited reported cases, making their prognostic factors and management uncertain. This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics of PIHSs and propose a treatment protocol for this entity.
Methods:
Clinical data were collected from six patients diagnosed with PIHSs at Beijing Tiantan Hospital between March 2011 and October 2022. Additionally, a comprehensive search of the PubMed database was conducted using the keywords "primary intracranial" or "primary central nervous system" combined with "histiocytic sarcoma" or "histiocytic sarcomas" between 1996 and 2022, identifying 24 cases. A pooled analysis of individual patient data was performed to assess risk factors for overall survival (OS).
Results:
The six cases included four males and two females, with a mean age of 42.2 ± 13.3 years. In total, 24 cases of PIHSs were identified from previous studies. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that gross total resection (GTR) was the only factor predicting a longer OS (p = 0.027). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that GTR (p = 0.0013), solitary lesions (p = 0.0048), and radiotherapy (p = 0.0492) were associated with a longer OS.
Conclusion:
PIHSs are rare brain tumors with poor clinical prognosis. Patients with solitary lesions have a longer OS than those with multifocal lesions. Gross total resection must be the first choice. Radiotherapy may bring benefits for these patients, but chemotherapy may not be useful. Further studies involving larger cohorts are necessary to validate these findings.
Metabolomic profiling of human bladder tissue extracts
Authors: Ossoliński Krzysztof , Ruman Tomasz , Copié Valérie , Tripet Brian P. , Kołodziej Artur , Płaza-Altamer Aneta , Ossolińska Anna , Ossoliński Tadeusz , Nieczaj Anna , Nizioł Joanna
Published: May 2023

Introduction Bladder cancer is a common malignancy affecting the urinary tract and effective biomarkers and for which monitoring therapeutic interventions have yet to be identified.Objectives Major aim of this work was to perform metabolomic profiling of human bladder cancer and normal tissue and to evaluate cancer biomarkersMethods This study utilized nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution nanoparticle-based laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) methods to investigate polar metabolite profiles in tissue samples from 99 bladder cancer patients.Results Through NMR spectroscopy, six tissue metabolites were identified and quantified as potential indicators of bladder cancer, while LDI-MS allowed detection of 34 compounds which distinguished cancer tissue samples from normal tissue. Thirteen characteristic tissue metabolites were also found to differentiate bladder cancer tumor grades and thirteen metabolites were correlated with tumor stages. Receiver-Operating Characteristics analysis showed high predictive power for all three types of metabolomics data, with area under the curve (AUC) values greater than 0.853.Conclusion To date, this is the first study in which human normal tissues adjacent to cancerous tissues are analyzed. These findings suggest that the metabolite markers identified in this study may be useful for the detection and monitoring of bladder cancer stages and grades.
Effect of collapse-type lateral pressure induced by irrigation
Authors: Guoqiang YU , xia zhang , lifeng Zhu
Published: May 2023

Loess collapse-type lateral pressure may have a landslide-promoting effect in loess slope areas. However, research on the magnitude and characteristics of collapse-type lateral pressure and its impact on slope stability remains blank. A study on the variability of loess collapse-type lateral pressure in the Heifangtai area and its sliding mechanism has been analyzed. Collapse tests and numerical simulations by FLAC3D of loess were conducted according to local safety field theory. The results indicate that Heifangtai loess is self-weighted collapsible loess; soil of the irrigated area at depths of 0-15 m are slightly collapsible; soil at depths of 20-25 m are moderately collapsible loess, and the loess in the unirrigated area regardless of depth is highly collapsible. As the depth or moisture content increases, the lateral pressure gradually increases, correspondingly the deformation becomes greater. In saturated state, the maximum lateral pressure reaches 123 kPa when collapsible deformation occurs, the collapse-type lateral pressure coefficient increases of up to 1.4 times, and horizontal deformation is also correspondingly large. As the water content of the slope increases from 4% to 20%, the total slope displacement increases from 12 mm to 140 mm and covers a large part of the slope, the lateral pressure coefficient also gradually increases, and the range of increase gradually expands; the slope safety coefficient also decreases, the area of failure becomes gradually wider until the slope toe is penetrated; the shear fractures move gradually toward the slope toe, and shear failure occurs at the 1/3 of the slope toe in the collapse deformation process. Collapse action leads to tensile stresses in the upper part of the slope, making it prone to collapse-type crack formation, resulting in dominant channels of surface water infiltration and forming landslide scarps. What’s more, collapse action also enables the formation of compressive stresses in the lower part of the slope, resulting in outward extrusion of deep soil, increased sliding force, and landslide formation.