bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visualization and Analysis of Gene Expression in Calcific Aortic Valve Tissue Section by Spatial Transcriptomics
Authors: Liu Shaoyan , Wang Ai , Zhai Changlin , Zhao Yun , Chen Jiehui , Yang Zhaohua , Lan Yang , Lin Tzuchun , Lin Kaibin , Zhang Qianyu , Hu Huilin , Yan Yan
Published: May 2023

Background: To identify the aortic valve spatial location information through spatial transcriptomics (ST) technology and explore the spatial expression and role in valve calcification of the key factors at the transcriptome-wide scales, thus providing new insight for clinical prevention and treatment of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD).
Methods: Six cases of human active valve stenosis calcified valves from valve replacement surgery and two cases of relatively normal aortic valves from heart transplantation were collected between March 1, 2021 and September 1, 2021. We constructed tissue-wide gene expression sequencing during aortic valve calcification formation using ST and performed comprehensive mapping of differentiation transitions and spatial expression information in the calcified area of the valve.
Results: We identified 6736 genes based on the count level of gene expression at different locations and obtained the spatial distribution map of the three-layer structure of the main 9 cells of the aortic valve during the formation of valve calcification and proportions of aortic valves. Shear stress factors were significantly enriched in the aortic valve. The differential expression of TRP family genes was significantly based on spatial transcriptome analysis.
Conclusion: Herein, we elucidated the spatial resolution of the transcriptome and tissue scope of the adult aortic valve, providing a basis for a better understanding of the cellular origin and complex cytopathological differentiation process of CAVD. Our findings further the understanding of the pathogenesis and heterogeneity of aortic valve calcification and the implementation of more effective personalized treatment methods.
An ensemble surrogate-assisted adaptive reference point guided evolutionary algorithm for expensive many-objective irregular problem
Authors: You Xiongxiong , Niu Zhanwen , Tang Diyin , Zhang Mengya
Published: May 2023

Surrogate-assisted evolutionary algorithms (SAEAs) are one effective method for solving expensive optimization problems. However, there has been little attention to expensive many-objective irregular problems. To address this issue, we propose an ensemble surrogate-assisted adaptive reference point guided evolutionary algorithm for dealing with expensive many-objective irregular problems. Firstly, a reference point adaptation method is adopted in the proposed algorithm to adjust the reference point for calculating indicators and guide the search process. Secondly, the enhanced inverted generational distance (IGD-NS) indicator is improved by using the modified distance to obey the Pareto compliant, which can maintain a balance between convergence and diversity in the population. Thirdly, an infill sampling criterion is designed to select elite individuals for re-evaluation in case the Pareto fronts are irregular. The added elite individuals update the ensemble surrogate model, which is expected to assist the algorithm in efficiently finding the Pareto optimal solutions in a limited computational resource. Finally, experimental results on several benchmark problems demonstrate that the proposed algorithm performs well in solving expensive many-objective optimization problems with irregular and regular Pareto fronts. A real-world application problem also confirms the effectiveness and competitiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Association between mRNA 133b and Patients with Coronary Artery Ectasia and Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Vega-Gomez Jorge Alberto , Ríos-Arce Luis Fernando De los , Sánchez-Muñoz Fausto , Ruiz-Beltrán Arturo Maximiliano , Belderrain-Morales Nayeli , Sarabia-Chao Vianney , Peña-Peña Mario , Jacobo-Albavera Leonor , Mariana Robles-Ledesma , Najera-Rojas Nitzha Andrea , Alonso-Bringas Alma Paola , Sanchez-Leony Giovanna , Gonzalez-Salido Jimena , Gopar-Nieto Rodrigo , Martinez Daniel Sierra-Lara , Gonzalez-Pacheco Hector , Garaygordobil Diego Araiza , Arias-Mendoza Alexandra
Published: May 2023

Background
Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is an abnormal coronary dilatation that exceeds 1.5x the size of the adjacent coronary normal segments, considered a manifestation of atherosclerosis. However, information regarding its etiology and pathophysiology is scarce. MicroRNAs are small circulating proteins that regulate diverse biological processes and may be involved in tissue development, homeostasis, and cellular communication. We aimed to explore a signature of microRNAs in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and CAE.
Methods
a prospective case & control study including consecutive patients with ACS (STEMI and NSTEMI) with and without CAE. Plasma samples were obtained, and consequently, quantification of plasma levels of miR-208, miR-208b, miR-1, miR-133b, miR-21, miR-155, miR-126, and miR-16 was performed by qRT-PCR. For analytical purposes, patients were divided into two groups: patients with ACS and CAE and patients with ACS and obstructive CAD. We included 47 patients, 24 with CAE and 23 with obstructive coronary disease.
Results
Patients with CAE showed a higher incidence of obesity (50 vs 21.7%, p = 0.04) and a higher left ventricular ejection fraction (52 vs 41%, p = 0.01). The rest of the baseline clinical characteristics were well-balanced. Among the selected signatures of microRNAs, patients with ACS and CAE showed higher levels of miR-133b than those without CAE. All other analyzed miRNAs were similar among groups.
Conclusions
In patients with ACS and CAE, we found higher miR-133b. Future studies are required to expand the findings of this research work and propose using miR-133b.
Trial Registration
Protocol received approval by the institutional ethics and research committee with the number 21-1248.
Adaptable bio-based dynamically cross-linked networks via disrupting physical cross-linking and chain entanglement for electromagnetic interference shielding materials
Authors: Hu Yun , Chen Lei , Jia Puyou , Ma Yufeng , Huang Qin , Hu Lihong , Zhou Yonghong
Published: May 2023

Dynamically cross-linked networks combine the uniqueness of thermoplastics and thermosets to allow for reprocessability while being covalently crosslinked, but the lack of functionality seriously limits practical applications. Here, we propose a strategy to develop tung oil based dynamically cross-linked networks (PNMETs) by introducing primary amine to disrupt the physical cross-linking and chain entanglements, and achieved tunable mechanical strength and toughness, chemical stability, self-healing, solid state plasticity, and topological transformation. The constructed PNMETs based on hydrogen bonds and the dynamic imine bond exhibited multiple stimulus responses for light, heat, microwave and infrared radiation, and achieved excellent recycling and self-healing without any catalyst. By doping multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and nano Fe3O4in PNMETs, the resulted electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials (PNMETs/MWCNT@Fe3O4) were fabricated and realized dual characteristics of dynamically cross-linked networks and EMI shielding material for the first time. PNMETs/MWCNT@Fe3O4composite based on the topological rearrangement of PNMETs showed shape memory behavior, reprocessing, recycling and self-healing property under the conditions of infrared radiation and voltage, as well as exhibited EMI shielding effectiveness of 20–23 dB in the X-band with thickness less than 1 mm, meeting the standards for commercial applications. This work provides a simple but highly practical strategy for the fabrication of functional materials that integrated with dynamically cross-linked polymer and EMI shielding performance suitable for harsh environments.
Synthesis and Characterization of nano γ-Alumina/β -Cyclodextrin as Adsorbent for Heavy Metal Adsorption
Authors: Leila Esfanjani. , Nazanin Farhadyar , Shahbazi Hamid Reza , Fathi Fereshteh
Published: May 2023

Nano γ-alumina (γ-Al2O3) is widely used to adsorb heavy metals due to excellent properties such as high surface area, thermal stability, and high adsorption capacity. Due to poor adsorption of toxic metals on nano γ-Al2O3 surface, coating with β-cyclodextrin improves its adsorption efficiency. The aim of this study was to synthesize nano γ-Al2O3/β-cyclodextrin by co-precipitation method to be used for future study in Cd(II) removal. The Fourier Transmission Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X- ray powder Diffraction (XRD) and, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were evaluated. The results of XRD and SEM showed nano γ-Al2O3/β-cyclodextrin with 20–30 nm. Also, synthesized nano γ-Al2O3/β-cyclodextrin had suitable structure for cadmium removal as water toxic metal.
Staying on the current niche: Consensus model reveals the habitat loss of a critically endangered dragonfly Libellula angelina under climate changes
Authors: Liu Tong , Liu Haoyu , Li Yuntao , Yang Yuxia
Published: May 2023

Climate change is expected to exert a large impact on the spatial distribution of insects, yet limited analyses are available for assessing the influences of climate change on the distribution of Libellula angelina (Odonata: Libellulidae), which hindered the development of conservation strategies for this critically threatened dragonfly species. Here, a consensus model (BIOCLIM, GAM, MaxEnt and Random Forest) and niche analysis approach were applied to predict the dynamic change of potential distribution areas and ecological niche for L. angelina under future climate change. Meanwhile, the important environmental variables affecting the potential distribution of L. angelina were identified. The results demonstrated that the potential distribution pattern and ecological niche of L. angelina will not shift significantly in face of future climate change, but its highly suitable area in southern Beijing (China), the western and southern South Korea, and the southern Honshu Island (Japan) will decrease constantly. Further analyses indicated that the human influence index (32.3% of variation) is the second highest factor in predicting the potential distribution of L. angelina, following the precipitation of warmest quarter (42.6% of variation). Based on the obtained results, we suggest that extensive cooperation among the countries (China, South Korea and Japan) be advocated to formulate the international conservation strategies, especially more attention and conservation efforts should be paid in those high-suitability areas of L. angelina to gain better protection efficiency, and proper artificial ecological restoration measures should also be exerted. Implication for insect conservation: Our results show that although the critically endangered dragonfly L. angelina will still stay the current niche under climate change, its suitable area (especially highly suitable area) will decrease significantly. Therefore, we suggest that more attention and conservation efforts should be implemented in those high-suitability areas to reduce the extinction risk of L. angelina.
Educational methods used to teach infection prevention and control in nurse training: survey of French training institutes
Authors: Mohammedi Stephanie Bouget , Dinh Claire , Landelle Caroline
Published: May 2023

Context: French nursing students attend classes in Infectiology and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) during their first semester of training.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the educational techniques used in nurse training to teach IPC and evaluate which factors contribute towards successful exams.
Method: A study was conducted in October 2021 on 320 nurse training institutes in France. An online questionnaire was developed. Factors predicting student success during exams were researched.
Results: In total, 169 institutes took part in the survey, representing 52.8% of all institutes. In these establishments, 91.73% of students passed their IPC examination and the average score was 12.32 out of 20. The exam success rate was significantly linked to the North-West region (Odds Ratio (OR)=1.060, Confidence Interval 95% [CI95%, 1.006-1.117]) and to a number of students higher than 93 (OR=1.034, CI95% [1.004-1.065]) adjusted to the number of educational techniques used. The educational methods applied were varied. There were significant differences in the number of lectures attended and the assessment methods used.
Conclusion: The exam success rate was highly satisfactory but the average score achieved on the exam was not very high.
Assessment of the geotechnical properties and suitability of borrow pit soil for construction works in some Niger Delta communities in Nigeria
Authors: Owamah Hilary Ijeoma , Umukoro Lucky Osiwime , Atikpo Eguakhide
Published: May 2023

Detailed investigation of the geotechnical properties of borrow pits soils, used for road and other construction works in major Niger Delta communities of Nigeria was carried out. The particle size distribution, specific gravity, liquid limit (LL), plastic limit (PL), plasticity index (PI), maximum dry density (MDD), optimal moisture content (OMC), free swelling index (FSI) and Californian bearing ratio (CBR) of the sampled soil were measured in accordance with the British Standard (BS) code and America Standard Testing Material (ASTM) code. Based on the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), the borrow pits soil can be classified as poorly graded sand with clay. Also, the results depicted that the borrow pits soil Specific gravity, LL, PI values and PL valued ranged from 2.6-2.71, 21.1% -34.08%, 6.29%-13.58% and 15.81% - 20.23%, respectively. OMC, MDD and CBR ranged from 14.53%-15.17%, 1.53 kg/m3 -1.69 kg/m3 and 20.19% -47.15%, respectively. The study affirmed that some of the soils can be useful for the construction of roads and other civil engineering structures, without stabilization.
Intergenic transcription in in vivo developed bovine oocytes and pre-implantation embryos
Authors: Ranjitkar Saurav , Shiri Mohammad , Sun Jiangwen , Tian Xiuchun
Published: May 2023

Background Intergenic transcription, either failure to terminate at the transcription end site (TES), or transcription initiation at other intergenic regions, is present in cultured cells and enhanced in the presence of stressors such as viral infection. Transcription termination failure has not been characterized in natural biological samples such as pre-implantation embryos which express more than 10,000 genes and undergo drastic changes in DNA methylation.Results Using Automatic Readthrough Transcription Detection (ARTDeco) and data of in vivo developed bovine oocytes and embryos, we found abundant intergenic transcripts that we termed as read-outs (transcribed from 5 to 15 kb after TES) and read-ins (transcribed 1 kb up-stream of reference genes, extending up to 15 kb up-stream). Read-throughs (continued transcription from TES of expressed reference genes, 4–15 kb in length), however, were much fewer. For example, the numbers of read-outs and read-ins ranged from 3,084 to 6,565 or 33.36–66.67% of expressed reference genes at different stages of embryo development. The less copious read-throughs were at an average of 10% and significantly correlated with reference gene expression (P < 0.05). Interestingly, intergenic transcription did not seem to be random because many intergenic transcripts (1,504 read-outs, 1,045 read-ins, and 1,021 read-throughs) were associated with common reference genes across all stages of pre-implantation development. Their expression also seemed to be regulated by developmental stages because many were differentially expressed (log2 fold change ≥ 2, P < 0.05). Additionally, while gradual but un-patterned decreases in DNA methylation densities 10 kb both up- and down-stream of the intergenic transcribed regions were observed, the correlation between intergenic transcription and DNA methylation was insignificant. Finally, transcription factor binding motifs and polyadenylation signals were found in 27.2% and 12.15% of intergenic transcripts, respectively, suggesting considerable novel transcription initiation and RNA processing.Conclusion In summary, in vivo developed oocytes and pre-implantation embryos express large numbers of intergenic transcripts, which are not related to the overall DNA methylation profiles either up- or down-stream.
Altered brain tissue composition and microstructure during migraine attacks
Authors: Birkl Christoph , Filippi Vera , Steiger Ruth , Frank Florian , Mangesius Stephanie , Gizewski Elke R. , Broessner Gregor
Published: May 2023

Detailed pathophysiological mechanisms causing migraine are still elusive, however, there is evidence that iron metabolization might play a role. Studies using R2 (=1/T2) or R2* (=1/T2*) relaxometry, a common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based iron mapping technique, reported increased R2 and R2* values in various brain structures of patients with migraine, indicating an iron accumulation compared to healthy controls. The aim of this first-of-its-kind study was to investigate if there are alterations in R2* in the brain caused by the migraine cycle. Therefore, quantitative MRI, including R2* relaxometry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of a patient with migraine was acquired on 21 consecutive days, comprising headache free days and days with a migraine attack. Combining R2* with DTI, allowed to separate isotropic and anisotropic R2* contributions in white matter. A significant difference in R2* between left and right hemisphere was found in the nucleus accumbens (p = 0.02), the amygdala (p < 0.001) and the pallidum (p < 0.001). During a migraine attack, R2* decreased in the amygdala of the left hemisphere by 13.9% (p = 0.01) and in the nucleus accumbens of the right hemisphere by 7.8% (p = 0.01). In contrast, R2* increased in the caudate of the left hemisphere by 5.3% (p = 0.01). In white matter, isotropic R2* increased by approximately 1.9% (p = 0.04) and anisotropic R2* decreased by approximately 30% (p = 0.02) during a migraine attack. Our study revealed a decrease and increase in iron content in various brain regions during the migraine cycle. Furthermore, white mater iron content increased accompanied by a decrease in anisotropic tissue components during a migraine attack. The observed alterations in R2* indicate that the iron content fluctuates over time depending on the migraine phase. However, the altered iron content reaches normal levels after the migraine attack resolved.
Upregulation of C1QTNF6 mediated by ncRNAs correlates with poor prognosis and immune cells infiltration of clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Dong wenjing , Feng Shengxing , Zhou Dongsheng , Li Yueming , Qiu Shaopeng , Lin Tianxin , Luo Jinquan , Yuan Runqiang , Gong Mancheng
Published: May 2023

Background
C1q/tumor necrosis factor (C1QTNF) superfamily plays an important role in carcinogenesis of various human cancer types. However, its potential molecular mechanisms for genesis and development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remind unclear.
Methods
In our research, pan-cancer analysis for C1QTNF6’s expression and prognosis in patients with ccRCC were conducted by using TCGA data and GTEx data. Target gene prediction tools and StarBase were applied to predict the regulatory pathway of C1QTNF6 in ccRCC. Using TIMER website, we analyzed the the relationships between C1QTNF6 expression level and tumor microenvironment in ccRCC.
Results
Our study revealed that C1QTNF6 might be a carcinogenic gene in ccRCC. Moreover, through correlation analysis, expression analysis and survival analysis, the most potential upstream regulatory pathway of C1QTNF6 in ccRCC, named LINC01694/hsa-miR-10a-5p/C1QTNF6 axis, was established. In addition, our results suggested that the relationships between C1QTNF6 expression level and tumor immune cells infiltration, biomarkers of immune cells and immune checkpoints expression of CTLA-4 and PD1 were significantly positive in ccRCC.
Conclusions
High expression of C1QTNF6 mediated by ncRNAs is related to poor prognosis in patients with ccRCC and might fulfill its partial oncogenic function by increasing tumor immune cells infiltration and immune checkpoints expression.
WITHDRAWN: A comparison of national skin disease burden with standardized exam content for dermatology physician assistants
Authors: Young Peter A. , Prajapati Stuti , Bae Gordon H. , Feldman Steven
Published: May 2023

The dermatology physician assistant (PA) workforce is growing rapidly. The National Commission for Certification of PAs released a standardized written exam in spring of 2023, to formally verify the competence of PA dedicated to dermatology. How well this test prepares PAs to meet the needs of their future patients is not well known. We compared this exam’s content blueprint with existing data on the burden of skin disease in the United States, to characterize whether examinees will be tested on skin disease which significantly affect their presumed patient population. Our findings suggest reasonable concordance between written exam content and the actual burden of skin disease, with some potential areas for refinement based on the high prevalence and mortality of skin cancers, which might presently be under-tested.
Changes in retinal vascular density measured by optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with carotid artery stenosis after carotid artery stenting and angioplasty
Authors: Karapapak Murat , Ermiş Serhat , Bolat Petek Aksöz , Cingöz Mehmet , Erdim Çağrı , Özal Ece , Özal Sadık Altan
Published: May 2023

Purpose
The aim of this study was to compare the effect of carotid artery stenting and angioplasty (CASA) on retinal vascular density (VD) in patients with severe carotid stenosis with a healthy control group and to evaluate using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
Methods
For this prospective study, eyes on the operated side constituted the ipsilateral eye group, and the other eye constituted the contralateral eye group. 40 eyes of 40 patients with ipsilateral eye of carotid artery stenosis (CAS), 34 eyes on contralateral side, and 30 healthy eyes (control group) were included in this study. We performed quantitative OCTA analyses of retinal VD changes, before and after CASA. The main outcome measures were the quantitative changes of VD of superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP).
Results
We evaluated the VD of ipsilateral eyes and contralateral eyes separately before and after the procedure. All patients did not have visual symptoms. There was no significant difference in the VD of SCP in all groups before the procedure. No significant change was observed in all groups when the VD of the SCP was compared before and after the procedure. The VD of the DCP in the ipsilateral and contralateral group improved significantly after CASA.
Conclusion
OCTA could noninvasively detect retinal VD improvements after CASA in CAS patients. Quantitative changes in VD evaluated using OCTA are thought to be early indicators in the diagnosis of CAS and in the follow-up of treatment success.
A Socio-metabolic Perspective on the Urbanization Process: Material Flows and the Ecological Rucksack
Authors: Contreras-Escandón Christian , Flores Lisseth , Albarracin Giovanni
Published: May 2023

Urbanization is experiencing an accelerated development due to population growth and social metabolism. Since society needs nature to produce and consume, transforming matter and energy entropically has generated socio-environmental inequalities and pollution. For this research, we propose two biophysical indicators as methods to measure socio-environmental problems: 1) Analysis of Material Flows (AMF) and 2) Ecological Rucksack (ER) to quantify the flows of the leading materials involved in the construction process of urbanization. As a result, we found poor materials management, waste generation, and consequent environmental pollution. Finally, we recommended that managing these indicators (AFM and ER) at design levels of urbanization could anticipate the difficulties that these generate in the environment. In addition, modelling future scenarios can be helpful to improve relations with nature and reduce socio-environmental impacts.
Developing a TaqMan real-time RT-PCR protocol for detecting rice stripe necrosis virus in plant material and soil
Authors: Moz Brenda , Almeida Roberson Diego Souza , Favero Débora , de Moraes Marcelo Gravina , Bertolini Edson
Published: May 2023

Rice is one of the main staple foodstuffs for the world's population; however, several diseases caused by phytopathogens cause yield losses in rice crop. Rice crinkle is an emerging disease in rice cultivation, caused by rice stripe necrosis virus (RSNV). RSNV is transmitted by the soil plasmodiophoromycete, Polymyxa graminis, which can remain in the soil through resistance structures for decades. The symptoms caused by the virus are often confused with other causes, making a correct diagnosis and the adoption of effective management and control measures difficult. RSNV is detected through tests such as plate trapped antigen – enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PTA-ELISA) and conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction RT-PCR. The objective of this study was to develop a protocol for RSNV detection via real-time RT-PCR using a TaqMan probe associated with direct sample preparation methods, which has not been published to date. The RT-PCR detection protocol developed was 100–1,000 times more sensitive than conventional RT-PCR, allowing for the detection of RSNV in contaminated plant material and soil. The direct sample preparation method associated with real-time RT-PCR exhibited similar sensitivity to the nucleic acid purification methods.
Transcriptome analysis revealed the existence of family-specific regulation of growth traits in grass carp
Authors: Ye Weidong , Shi Mijuan , Chen Sijia , Duan You , Jiang Yanxin , Cheng Yingyin , Zhang Wanting , Wang Yaping , Xia Xiao-Qin
Published: May 2023

The grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is the most productive freshwater fish in the world. However, little is known about the functional genes and genetic regulatory systems that control its growth traits. In this study, we used two superior grass carp parents with fast-growing offspring and two inferior grass carp parents with slow-growing offspring to create three grass carp families, namely, the superior-superior family (SS), the inferior-inferior family (II) and the superior-inferior family (SI). The average body weight of the offspring of these families showed a stable ranking (SS > SI > II) under the satiation and starvation feeding modes. Then, the transcriptomes of the brain and the hepatopancreas of grass carp with different growth rates were obtained for each family, and it was found that the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the different organs showed family specificity. The DEGs were mainly found in the hepatopancreas of SS and the whole brain of II, while they were more balanced in SI. There were 14 common DEGs among the three families, including 3 negatively correlated genes (ahsg2, lect2 and drd5) and 11 positively correlated genes (sycn, pabpc4, zgc:112294, cel, endou, ela2, prss3, zbtb41, ela3, fabp7 and endod1). Deleting ahsg2 in zebrafish significantly increased the upper limit of individual body weight during the experiment, but only slightly increased the average growth rate of the population. In addition, we analyzed the SNP in each family and preliminarily analyzed the potential genetic mechanisms of family-specific regulation of growth traits. This study revealed for the first time the family specificity of the growth regulation mechanism of grass carp at the transcriptional level, verified the function of a growth negative regulatory gene ahsg2, and further analyzed the possible molecular mechanism of growth differences among different families. This study provides new insights into the genetic regulation mechanism of grass carp growth.
Nonmonotone conjugate gradient algorithm without gradient Lipschitz continuity for nonconvex minimizations
Authors: Qin Yan , Huang Ruping , Liu Kejun , Yuan Gonglin
Published: May 2023

For this article, a nonmonotone nonlinear gradient method framework is designed for nonconvex optimization problems. Using two classical nonmonotone line search techniques, the global convergence is proven, and we do not need the assumption that the gradient is Lipschitz continuous. Furthermore, a specific nonlinear gradient method using the Hardmar product instead of the normal inner product is designed, which has sufficient descent features with no need for line search technology. Numerical experiments in engineering problems and colour image restoration indicate that the specific nonlinear gradient algorithm is comparable with other analogous nonlinear gradient algorithms.
Which value type promises more value in marketing communications?
Authors: Voorn R.J.J. , Veen Gerrita van der , Rompay T.J.L. van , Pruyn prof. dr. A.T.H.
Published: May 2023

This study is based on research focused on the importance of values in marketing communication. It looks into the effects of self-transcendent values as used by purpose brands, in comparison to self-enhancement values. In this context, values are important life goals on which the attitudes and actions of people in various situations are based. The results of an experiment (N = 1000) set up to this end show that self-transcendental values are considered to be more important than self-enhancement values. Also, the use of self-transcendental values leads, both directly and indirectly, to stronger perceived product quality, a more positive brand attitude and increased consideration to buy than the use of self-enhancement values. The indirect and positive effect of values on the dependent variables is the result of mediation through consumer brand identification. The current study complements previous research conducted into the importance of different value types in consumer behavior and provides new insights into which value type is more beneficial for purpose marketing efforts.
WITHDRAWN: Safety and probiotic properties of Weissella Strains Isolated from Spontaneous Fermented Vegetables in Shaanxi, China
Authors: Liu Chen , An Chao , Zhang Jingjing , Liu Yao , Zhang Qiwen , Ding Hao , Ma Saijian , Xue Wenjiao
Published: May 2023

The genus Weissella, frequently isolated from fermented foods, is the major group of Lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Numerous Weissella strains have been suggested as probiotics because of their biotechnological potential, but some of them may act as opportunistic pathogen that limit its use in food applications. This study aimed to improve the knowledge related to the exploitation of the biotechnological potential of Weissella spp by evaluating the safety and functional properties of Weissella strains isolated from Shaanxi spontaneous fermented vegetables as probiotics. In total, 9 Weissella strains were accessed for their safety and probiotic potential. The safety assessment showed that antibiotic susceptibility of 16 − 2, 38 − 3, 69 − 3, 91 − 3, 91 − 5, 104-4, 106-5 were similar or superior to the reference strain LGG. Hemolytic, and ammonia production properties were evaluated in addition. No positive results were observed. Further probiotic experiments result shown 91 − 5 performed better on survival rate in simulated gastrointestinal fluids, cell surface properties (hydrophobicity, adhesion to Caco-2), ABTS + scavenging ability, antimicrobial activity, and the cholesterol assimilation in vitro. The EPS yield of 104-4 was 35.11 ± 0.59 g/L after 48h of culture, with the MRS- sucrose (60g/L) medium, which was higher than that reported in most literature. These results provide evidence for the further use of 91 − 5 and 104-4 as a probiotic candidate for new functional food supplements. Furthermore, this study expand the theoretical basis of Weissella strains as a novel probiotic strain.
Perceived Susceptibility to Pregnancy, Contraceptive Use and Associated Factors Among College Female Students in Fitche Town, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022
Authors: Alemu Seyoum , Sahlu Degemu , Mekuria Mulugeta
Published: May 2023

Background: -Women who choose not to use contraception or who use inefficient methods may be at risk of unintended pregnancy because they mistakenly assume that they will not become pregnant. Despite the wide availability and accessibility of contraceptive methods globally, their use remains low among young women in low- and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. One of the reasons young women have reported their non-use of contraceptive methods is that their perceived susceptibility to pregnancy makes them decide not to use or discontinue contraceptive methods. This study aimedto assess perceived susceptibility to pregnancy, contraceptive use, and associated factors among female college students in Fitche Town.
Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 08 to May 07/2022 among college female students in Fitche Town. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 419 participants. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to gather the data. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 22. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and P-value < 0.05, were used to assess the strength and existence of association with the outcome variable.
Results: In total, 419 respondents participated in the study making a response rate of 100%. Approximately 78% (95%CI:64.21,91.79) of the respondents had high perceived susceptibility to pregnancy, and 40.1%(95%CI:34.21,45.99) of the study participants never used contraceptives. Respondents aged 20-24 years (AOR=2.21; 95%CI: 1.19, 4.13) and the number of current sexual partners (AOR=0.041;95%CI:0.02, 0.73) were significantly associated with perceived susceptibility to pregnancy, while marital status (AOR=0.144; 95%CI:0.043, 0.488), Ever had discussed family planning with parents (AOR=7.273;95% CI:1.33,39.86) and contraceptive knowledge (AOR=13.65;95%CI: 2.38,78.21) were significantly associated with contraceptive use.
Conclusion and recommendation: The prevalence of perceived susceptibility to pregnancy was high, and contraceptive use was within the acceptable range when compared with a previous study. There should be work in the area of disseminating reproductive health information by establishing and promoting sexual and reproductive clubs in schools to increase awareness and knowledge of reproductive health and contraceptive methods.
What Primary Care mechanisms impact mortality in children under five?
Authors: de Oliveira Catia , Anjos Eduarda Ferreira dos , Martufi Valentina , de Lima Acacia Mayra Pereira , Flores-Quispe Maria Del Pilar , Santos Helena Paula Guerras dos , Luz Leandro Alves da , Vieira-Meyer Anya Pimentel Gomes Fernandes , Aquino Rosana , Ichihara Maria Yury Travassos , Barreto Mauricio Lima , Junior Elzo Pereira Pinto
Published: May 2023

Background
Countries with health systems centered around Primary Health Care tend to achieve better results in maternal and child health, especially in relation to lower morbimortality rates due to preventable causes and health inequalities. However, Primary Health Care is a complex, multifaceted intervention, making it fundamental to understand how its mechanisms address relevant population health outcomes. This paper seeks to identify, classify, evaluate and summarize existing evidence on Primary Health Care mechanisms that influence mortality in children under five, based on a critical realistic epistemology, to inform decision-making.
Main body
A realist, five-step synthesis was conducted to grasp such mechanisms. As the first step, a theoretical model depicting comprehensive primary health care was developed, based on the analysis of documents from Brazilian regulation on maternal and child health care. The next steps involved an article search, selection and review of relevant sources, extraction and synthesis of evidence, and, finally, the reaching of a consensus on the final theoretical model in step five, based on the evidence encountered in the selected studies.
One hundred and thirty-five studies were included, covering research in several countries, exemplifying primary health care as an effective intervention to improve children’s health in different contexts. Additionally, this review revealed that specific interventions, based on selective primary health care, are less powerful, signaling the importance of a systemic approach that acknowledges the interconnection and interaction of Primary Health Care’s multiple components. Furthermore, significant gaps in existing evidence related to specific structuring components of Primary Health Care and how they affect child health, including, but not limited to, planning and organization of services and work processes, or the referral and regulation system.
Conclusions
We envision that the results of this study may support decision-makers with a deeper understanding of Primary Health Care and how it can be most effective in the improvement of the population’s health. We recommend further studies addressing Primary Health Care as a complex and comprehensive intervention, in different contexts, specifically in relation to the components and indicators of our theoretical model.
State ordering and classification for analyzing non-sparse large Markov Models
Authors: Mohagheghi Mohammadsadegh
Published: May 2023

Markov chains and Markov decision processes have been widely used to model the behavior of computer systems with probabilistic aspects. Numerical and iterative methods are commonly used to analyze these models. Many efforts have been made in recent decades to improve the efficiency of these numerical methods. In this paper, focusing on Markov models with non-sparse structure, a new set of heuristics is proposed for prioritizing model states with the aim of reducing the total computation time. In these heuristics, a set of simulation runs are used for statistical analysis of the effect of each state on the required values of the other states. Under this criterion, the priority of each state in updating its values is determined. The proposed heuristics provide a state ordering that improves the value propagation among the states. The proposed methods are also extended for very large models where disk-based techniques are required to analyze the models. Experimental results show that our proposed methods in this paper reduce the running times of the iterative methods for most cases of non-sparse models.
Automated Analysis of Causal Relationships in Customer Reviews
Authors: Piriyakul Intaka , piriyakul rapepun
Published: May 2023

As the volume of unstructured data on social media continues to grow, it's becoming increasingly important to have a proactive marketing strategy that can extract knowledge from this data. This study explores the use of ChatGPT for detecting causal relations and analyzing significant themes in order to build models for marketing analysis. Using 400 sample reviews and contemporary techniques, a causal graph was synthesized and tested, showing good model fit. All paths in the causal network were found to be significant except for the one from "Customer experience" to "Customer Advocacy." The system identified three serial mediators: "Exceptional hospitality" ➔ "Quality lodging" ➔ "Customer experience" ➔ "Enjoyable time" ➔ "Customer Advocacy," with an effect size of 0.0106. This research highlights the potential of linguistic data for developing mathematical models in marketing research and expands the scope of scientific inquiry in this field.
A hypoxia-related five-lncRNA signature predicts osteosarcoma prognosis
Authors: Wang Xin , Bai Qian , Xin Bo , Tai Yunheng , Cai Yong , Zhang Kailiang , Zhou Yong
Published: May 2023

Background
Recently, several long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in hypoxia-associated cancer process including osteosarcoma (OS), enabling an adaptive survival under hypoxic stress conditions. However, hypoxia-related lncRNA signatures have rarely been reported. This study aimed to screen hypoxia-associated lncRNA signatures and assess their prognostic value in OS.
Methods
OS-related expression data were downloaded from the GEO and TARGET databases. Hypoxia-associated mRNAs were obtained from the HALLMARKHYPOXIA database. Hypoxia-associated lncRNAs were identified by correlation analysis with hypoxia-associated mRNAs. The tumor samples were clustered into different subtypes based on these lncRNAs, followed by immune microenvironment comparison. Prognostic hypoxia-associated lncRNAs were selected via univariate Cox regression analysis, and a prognostic signature was established using LASSO regression analysis. A risk score (RS) model was constructed, followed by pathway analysis, immunocorrelation analysis, and drug susceptibility prediction.
Results
Thirty hypoxia-related lncRNAs were selected. The OS samples were classified into two subtypes based on lncRNAs. Nine immune cell types showed significantly different levels of infiltration between the two subtypes. Furthermore, five prognostic hypoxia-related lncRNAs were screened out through LASSO regression analyses, and an RS model was constructed. The high- and low-risk groups showed differences in prognosis, pathway, and drug susceptibility. The present study divided OS into two subtypes. A prognostic signature was constructed based on five hypoxia-related lncRNAs.
Conclusions
The study sucessfully identifies five hypoxia-related lncRNAs and this lncRNA signature may have significant prognostic value in OS.
Deep Embedded Lightweight CNN Network for Indoor Objects Detection on FPGA
Authors: Afif Mouna , Ayachi Riadh , Yahia Said , Atri Mohamed
Published: May 2023

indoor objects detection and recognition present an active research axis in computer vision and artificial intelligence fields. Various deep learning-based techniques can be applied to solve the objects detection problems. With the apperance of deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) a great breakthrough for various applications was achieved. Indoor objects detection present a primary task that can assist blind and visually impaired persons (BVI) during their navigation. However, building a reliable indoor objects detection system used for edge devices implementations still presents a serious challenge. To address this problem, we propose in this work to build an indoor objects detection system based on DCNN network. Cross-stage partial network (CSPNet) has been used for the detection process and a lightweight backbone based on EfficientNet v2was used as a network backbone. In order to ensure a lightweight implementation of the proposed work on FPGA devices, various optimizations techniques have been applied to compress the model size and reduce its computation complexity. The proposed indoor objects detection system was implemented on a Xilinx ZCU 102 board. Training and testing experiments have been conducted on the proposed indoor objects dataset that count 11000 images containing 25 landmark classes. The proposed work achieved very competitive results in terms of detection accuracy and processing time for the original CSP-EfficientNet v2 network as well as for the proposed compressed version.
UHP eclogite from western Dabie records evidence of polycyclic burial during continental subduction
Authors: Xia Bin , Shang Yunfeng , Lu Xianbin , Wu Yuanbao
Published: May 2023

Understanding the behavior of continental crust during subduction is important for investigating dynamic processes at convergent plate margins. Although simulations have predicted continental crust may experience multiple burial-partial exhumation cycles during subduction, petrological evidence of these cycles is scarce. In this study at Sidaohe, western Dabie, we combine microstructural observations and mineral chemistry with phase equilibrium modeling, Amp-Pl thermobarometry and Zr-in-rutile thermometry to constrain the P-T evolution for three eclogite samples. All samples have a similar mineral assemblage of garnet + omphacite + symplectite (amphibole + plagioclase ± clinopyroxene) + quartz, with accessory rutile/ilmenite. Element mapping and analytical traverses across large garnets from two samples show obviously systematic variations in Ca and, less strongly, Mg, Fe, and XMg [Mg/(Mg+Fe2+)]. Based on phase equilibrium modeling and calculated isopleths for grossular, pyrope and XMg in garnet, we show that P first increased from 23.0 to 28.5 kbar, then decreased to 24.0 kbar, before increasing again to a maximum of 30.5 kbar (±1.0 kbar, 2 sigma error) concomitant with a small increase in T from 580 to 605 °C (±20 °C, 2 sigma error) at the late prograde stage. These data are interpreted to indicate multiple burial cycles and partial exhumation of eclogite during ongoing continental subduction. After the Pmax stage, T first increased to a maximum of 664–644 °C at 25.0–20.0 kbar, then decreased to 581–561 °C (±30 °C, 2 sigma error) at 15.0–10.0 kbar based on results of Zr-in-rutile thermometry. Further decompression and cooling occurred across P-T fields of 590–567 °C at 12.0–10.0 kbar and 520–504 °C (±40 °C, 2 sigma error) at 8.0 kbar. Fine-grained symplectite (clinopyroxene + plagioclase ± amphibole) in the matrix is interpreted to have formed after omphacite due to dehydroxylation of nominally anhydrous minerals during decompression from the Pmax stage. By contrast, formation of coarse-grained symplectite (amphibole + plagioclase) and a veinlet of rutile + quartz that crosscuts one sample may be related to influx of externally sourced H2O. This study shows that: (1) evidence of cyclic burial and partial exhumation may be retained in low-T eclogite during continental subduction, and (2) fluid contributing to widespread retrogression of eclogite during exhumation may be internally and/or externally sourced.
Quantum-inspired tempering for ground state approximation using artificial neural networks
Authors: Albash Tameem , Smith Conor , Campbell Quinn , Baczewski Andrew D.
Published: May 2023

A large body of work has demonstrated that parameterized artificial neural networks (ANNs) can efficiently describe ground states of numerous interesting quantum many-body Hamiltonians. However, the standard variational algorithms used to update or train the ANN parameters can get trapped in local minima, especially for frustrated systems and even if the representation is sufficiently expressive. We propose a parallel tempering method that facilitates escape from such local minima. This methods involves training multiple ANNs independently, with each simulation governed by a Hamiltonian with a different "driver" strength, in analogy to quantum parallel tempering, and it incorporates an update step into the training that allows for the exchange of neighboring ANN configurations. We study instances from two classes of Hamiltonians to demonstrate the utility of our approach using Restricted Boltzmann Machines as our parameterized ANN. The first instance is based on a permutation-invariant Hamiltonian whose landscape stymies the standard training algorithm by drawing it increasingly to a false local minimum. The second instance is four hydrogen atoms arranged in a rectangle, which is an instance of the second quantized electronic structure Hamiltonian discretized using Gaussian basis functions. We study this problem in a minimal basis set, which exhibits false minima that can trap the standard variational algorithm despite the problem’s small size. We show that augmenting the training with quantum parallel tempering becomes useful to finding good approximations to the ground states of these problem instances.