bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of 1-Stage Versus 2-Stage Revisions After Hip Prosthetic Joint Infection
Authors: Patel Devon , Sparks Addison , Blood Dalton , Liu Jiayong
Published: October 2023

Background:

Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are significant complications of total joint arthroplasties. The incidence of this dangerous complication is expected to rise, but there is not a unanimous solution. Two-stage surgical revisions are the traditional gold standard of treatment, but recent literature suggests that 1-stage revisions can be equally effective. A comparison of the outcomes of 2-stage revisions vs. 1-stage revisions has not been thoroughly investigated. This systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to compare the outcomes of 2-stage exchanges vs. 1-stage exchanges in the treatments of hip PJI based on comparison studies.

Methods:

MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane were searched for relevant studies that compared the effectiveness and outcomes of 1-stage and 2-stage procedures from January 2000 to May 2023. Keywords relating to hip PJI were used, and comparison studies of 1-stage vs. 2-stage procedures that reported patient characteristics and outcomes including success rates, rates of reinfection, or other outcomes such as functional outcomes (e.g., mean Harris hip scores), infection-free survival, and blood loss were included. Statistical analysis for this study was conducted using Review Manager 5.4 with a standard p-value of ≤ 0.05 for statistical significance.

Results:

Fifteen articles and 1,017 patients were included in the meta-analysis. One-stage revision procedures (320 patients) were found to have greater success rates (i.e., lower rates of reinfection) than 2-stage revisions (697 patients) (p = 0.04). One-stage revisions (184 patients) had shorter durations of operation and less blood loss than 2-stage revisions (90 patients) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

One-stage revision procedures are associated with lower reinfection rates, blood loss, and durations of operation compared with 2-stage revisions.

Level of Evidence:

I.
Outcomes of Sling Procedure Using a Free Vascularized Fibular Graft After Resection of the Proximal Humerus
Authors: Tsuchiya Ryuto , Kobayashi Eisuke , Fukushima Suguru , Arikawa Masaki , Ogura Koichi , Iwata Shintaro , Akazawa Satoshi , Kawai Akira
Published: October 2023

Background:

The proximal humerus is a common site for both primary and metastatic bone tumors. Although various methods have been developed for reconstruction following resection of the proximal humerus, a consensus on which technique is best has not been established. We focused on the sling procedure using a free vascularized fibular graft (FVFG) and conducted what we believe to be the largest retrospective study of patients to undergo this surgery to date.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the data of 19 patients who underwent the sling procedure with use of an FVFG at our hospital between 1998 and 2022. The median age was 20 years, and the median follow-up duration was 63.1 months. Surgical data, oncological outcomes, the postoperative course, complications, and functional outcomes as measured with use of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score were thoroughly reviewed.

Results:

The median operative duration was 555 minutes, and the median blood loss was 374 mL. The median length of the bone defect was 17.0 cm, and the median length of the graft was 20.0 cm. With respect to oncological outcomes, 9 patients were continuously disease-free, 9 patients had no evidence of disease, and 1 patient was alive with disease. Bone union was present in 13 of the 17 patients for whom it was evaluable. The median time to bone union was 4 months. Graft growth was observed in 2 pediatric patients. Postoperative fracture was a major complication at the recipient site. The incidence of pseudarthrosis significantly increased when the FVFG could not be inserted into the remaining humeral bone or was split in half (p = 0.002). Although a few patients demonstrated peroneal nerve palsy at the donor site, the symptom was temporary. The overall functional outcome was favorable, with an average MSTS score of 66.9%.

Conclusions:

The sling procedure demonstrated a low complication rate and a favorable functional outcome overall. Therefore, we believe that this procedure is a useful reconstruction method for patients in a broad age range who have a wide defect of the proximal humerus.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
A Real-Time Inversion Approach for Fluid-Flow Fractures in Unconventional Stimulated Reservoirs
Authors: Sheng Guanglong , Zhao Hui , Huang Luoyi , Huang Hao , Liu Jinghua
Published: October 2023

Fluid-flow fractures, through which fluids can move under pressure, make a more significant contribution to increasing production than do microseismic and propagation fractures. An accurate description of the distribution of fluid-flow fractures is the basis for evaluating hydraulic fracturing and oil/gas recovery. In this study, a real-time inversion approach for fluid-flow fractures was proposed, and the complex fluid-flow fracture morphology was obtained in real time by updating the data of the fracturing construction curve. First, a dynamic permeability model was proposed to describe the filtration rate of the fracturing fluid during hydraulic fracturing. Combined with the point source function, the flowing bottomhole pressure (pwf) can be quickly calculated based on the fracture morphology and displacement of the fracturing fluid. The variance of pwf and bottomhole pressure (pwb) obtained by pump pressure were used as an objective function, and the length of fluid-flow fractures and fracture morphology were used as fitting parameters. The length of the fluid-flow fractures was updated with the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) to achieve a rough fitting of the bottomhole pressure. On this basis, a probability function was used to constrain the randomness of the fractures, and the fracture morphology with a fixed fracture length was continuously simulated and finely matched. Finally, a complex fluid-flow fracture morphology was obtained. The method was used to analyze the fluid-flow fracture morphology of multifractured horizontal wells in shale reservoirs, and the fitting rate of the fracturing construction curve was more than 95%. The results show that the total length of the fluid-flow fractures in one stage in naturally fractured reservoirs was approximately 629 m, and those in homogeneous reservoirs and high-stress difference reservoirs were 564 m and 532 m, respectively. The length of fluid-flow fractures with “grooves” in the fracturing construction curve was longer than the length of fluid-flow fractures with “bulges.” The effectively stimulated reservoir area with fluid-flow fractures was only approximately 28–51% of the stimulated reservoir area with microseismic fractures.
Cost drivers of international grains and oilseeds trade
Authors: Verschuur Jasper , Vittis Yiorgos , Obersteiner Michael , Hall Jim
Published: October 2023

Despite the importance of international trade for food security, high production costs and trade frictions are still prevalent, contributing to regional heterogeneities in the landed cost of food commodities. Here, we quantify the landed cost for six grain commodities across 3,500 subnational regions. We find large heterogeneities in the costs of imported foods, which are highest in Oceania, Central America and landlocked Africa. While some regions have uniform landed costs across sourcing locations, others face large cost spreads across trading partners causing volatility in food prices. Regions with high transport costs are more sensitive to price shocks to food production/transport inputs. We find that most regions could benefit from a targeted approach to reduce landed cost while others benefit from a mixed strategies approach. Our results highlight that spatial information on production, trade and transport is essential to inform policies aiming to build an efficient and resilient global food system.
Management of hyperleukocytosis and results of leukapheresis in childhood acute leukemia: A single center experience and review of the literature
Authors: TERZİ ÖZLEM , Ayçiçek Ali , Uysalol Ezgi Pasli , Hançerli Özgü , Solgun Hüseyin Avni , Göktürk Osman , Ekinci Mehmet Selim , Bayram Cengiz
Published: October 2023

Background
Hyperleukocytosis in pediatric acute leukemia is associated with increased morbidity/mortality and there is no consensus on the use of leukapheresis(LP) for its management.The aim was to review patients' clinical characteristics and outcomes with newly diagnosed leukemia with hyperleukocytosis(HL).
Methods
A retrospective case control study reviewed data from a single institution over a 5-year period.Hyperleukocytosis was present in 41 patients with acute leukemia and were included in the study.Treatment strategies included hyperhydration, administration of allopurinol or rasbirucase, early induction of induction chemotherapy(CT), and LP.
Results
Twenty seven (65.9%) of the 41 patients were male and the median age was 7(range 1–17) years.LP was used in 9 of 41 (13%) patients with hyperleukocytosis and a total of 25 LP procedures were performed.The mean leukocyte value after apheresis was 65,529/mm3.In patients with and without LP, tumor lysis syndrome was seen in 2(23%) and 2(6.25%) patients, respectively.Pulmonary leukostasis was seen in 2 patients, one of whom underwent LP.The mean leukocyte count in patients who received LP versus those who did not was 520.000 cells/mm3 and 158.800 cells/mm3, respectively(p = 0.01).The time from presentation to the initiation of CT was the same between those who received LP and those who did not (mean of 17h and 18h) (p > 0.05).During the first 30 days after presentation, cerebral leukostasis/coagulopathy or pulmonary leukostasis-related early death did not occur in patients with leukemia.
Conclusions
The use of LP in patients with hyperleukocytosis is safe and effective.
Double-stranded RNA targeting white mold Sclerotinia sclerotiorum argonaute 2 for disease control via spray-induced gene silencing
Authors: Marzano Shin-Yi Lee , Beligala Gayathri , Mukherjee Soumya , Feng Chenchen
Published: October 2023

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the causal agent of white mold infection, is a cosmopolitan fungal pathogen that causes major yield losses in many economically important crops. Spray induced gene silencing has recently been shown to be a promising alternative method for controlling plant diseases. Based on our prior research, we focus on developing spray-induced gene silencing approach to control white mold by silencingS. sclerotiorumargonaute 2 (SsAgo2), a crucial part of the fungal small RNA pathway. We compared the lesion size as a result of targeting each ~500-bp segments of SsAgo2 from 5’ to 3’ and found that targeting the PIWI/ RNaseH domain of SsAgo2 is most effective. External application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) suppressed white mold infection using eitherin vitroorin vivotranscripts was determined at the rate of 800 ng/0.2cm2area with a downregulation of SsAgo2 from infected leaf tissue confirmed by RT-qPCR. Furthermore, magnesium/iron-layered double hydroxides (MgFe-LDH) nanosheets loaded within vitroandin vivotranscribed dsRNA segments significantly reduced the rate ofS. sclerotiorumlesion expansion.In vivoproduced dsRNA targeting the PIWI/RNaseH domain of the SsAgo2 transcript showed increased efficacy in reducing the white mold symptoms ofS. sclerotiorumwhen combined with LDH nanosheets. This approach is promising to produce a large scale of dsRNA that can be deployed as an environmentally friendly fungicide to manage white mold infections in the field.
Assessing the Influence of Shifting Thermal Regimes on Tomato fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) in the Eastern Himalaya: Implications for Pest Management Strategies
Authors: Patra Sandip , Chakraborty Debasish , Verma V. K. , Pande Rachna , Sangma Rumki H. Ch. , Chakraborty Mahasweta , Layek Jayanta , Hazarika S.
Published: October 2023

Climate change especially the change in the temperature is having profound impacts on the pest population of tomato, a crucial commercial crop, in the Eastern Himalayan Region of India. To understand the impact of different thermal regimes on the fruit borer of tomatoes, field experiments were conducted at three locations with altitudes ranging from <500 to >1500 meters. At lower altitudes, fruit borer incidence was found to commence earlier in the season (5th - 18th March) and had a higher peak population (1.47 to 1.73 larvae/plant) causing more fruit damage (26-29%) as compared to the highest location (~9%). Correlation analysis indicated that maximum and minimum temperatures had significant positive impacts on the H. armigera incidence and fruit damage. Climatic datasets indicate an increase in the temperature of the region during the tomato growing season, thereby increasing the risk of fruit borer impact. As an adaptation option, we evaluated eight different tomato varieties/genotypes and studied biochemical parameters to understand their tolerance. Results showed a strong positive association of fruit borer incidence with total soluble solids and lycopene whereas negative association with acidity. Among the varieties/genotypes, Cherry tomato (7.62%) and MT-2 (10.04%) had relatively lower fruit damage; MT-3 (50.92 t/ha) and MT-2 (50.57 t/ha) consistently yielded the highest across all locations. Hence, the selection of appropriate genotypes and the development of varieties with suitable characteristics hold the key to fruit borer management. These findings can be valuable for pest management, understanding its further spread, and agricultural planning in the region.
ST6GALNAC1-mediated sialylation in uterine endometrial epithelium facilitates the epithelium-embryo attachment
Authors: Yu Ming
Published: October 2023

Successful embryo implantation necessitates a synergistic interaction between the receptive uterine endometrium and the competent embryo. During the "window of implantation" stage, the endometrial epithelium is coated with a layer of glycocalyx, where terminal sialic acid and fucose on glycans play a crucial role in facilitating embryo attachment. In this article, we study the role of ST6 N-acetylgalactosaminide alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GALNAC1) and its regulated Sialyl Thomsen-nouvelle (sTn) glycan structure in controlling endometrial function. IHC results showed that ST6GALNAC1 and sTn are mainly located in the endometrial epithelium, and their expression is elevated in receptive endometrium relative to non-receptive endometrium. In vitro embryo implantation model verified that manipulating the endometrial sTn by over- or down-regulation of ST6GALNAC1 influenced the receptiveness of AN3CA and Ishikawa cells to JAR-spheroids. Immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry identified certain adhesion molecules (CD44 and integrin β1) are highly modified with sTn by ST6GALNAC1 in endometrial cells. We next focus on sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin 6 (Siglec-6) since it recognizes sTn and analysis results of published single-cell sequencing dataset showed that SIGLEC6 was mainly concentrated in the polar trophectoderm of the human embryo. Ectopic expression of Siglec-6 promotes the adhesiveness of HTR8/Svneo-spheroids on endometrial cells, and more importantly, we confirmed that Siglec-6 binds with sTn-modified CD44. This study demonstrates that endometrial sTn regulated by ST6GALNAC1 facilitates embryo attachment via binding with trophoblastic Siglec-6, which gives a better understanding of the glycobiology of implantation.
Polyaniline Decorated TiO2 nanocomposite as Efficient Catalyst for Ultrasound Synthesis of Dihydropyrimidinones.
Authors: Handore Kalpana N. , Chabukswar Vasant , Jagtap Smita
Published: October 2023

The paper describes the synthesis of conducting polyaniline - TiO2 nanocomposite by using chemical oxidative polymerization method using aniline as a monomer. TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by sol gel method using TiCl4 and ethanol. Synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles and nanocomposite were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques UV, FT-IR, XRD, SEM and TGA. The XRD pattern confirms the appearance of sharp diffraction patterns indicates the small size with high purity TiO2 nano particles are highly agglomerated with spherical morphology. The polyaniline-TiO2 nanocomposite was employed as a promising heterocyclic, reusable catalyst for most of the organic synthesis. Nanocomposite of polyaniline -TiO2 is an efficient, solvent free, ultrasound assisted synthesis of biologically active dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one/thiones (DHPM) derivatives. The advantages of this methodology are mild reaction conditions with short reaction time, excellent yields, low loading and reusability of catalyst.
Catching Astrocyte Ensembles: Astrocytic Ensembles Control
Cue-motivated Behavior
Authors: Navarrete Marta , Serra Irene , Quintanilla Juan , García-Marqués Jorge
Published: October 2023

Astrocytes, dynamic cells that play a crucial role in brain function, have traditionally been overshadowed by the emphasis on neuronal activity in regulating behavior. This is in part due to the lack of tools to experimentally map and manipulate specific subsets of astrocytes based on their functional activity, which hampers our understanding of how astrocyte networks contribute to the organization of behavior. Here, using a tool that can translate astrocytic activity–mediated calcium signals into gene expression in a light-dependent manner, we have identified an active astrocytic ensemble -which refers to active astrocytes working together- associated with cue-motivated behavior in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc), a central hub in the reward system. We mapped behavior-related astrocytic ensemble activity to the ventral and posterior regions of the NAc. Furthermore, we demonstrated that direct activation of this specific astrocytic ensemble through optogenetics was sufficient to retrieve the direction of labeled reward behavior. Overall, these findings uncover the fine-tuning role of astrocytic ensembles in shaping salient behavior.
Porphyromonas gingivalis promotes the transendothelial migration of monocytes through the MIF/p38/JAM-A axis in monocytes
Authors: Park Hae Ryoun , Rho Jee Hyun , Woo Bok Hee , Hyeon Jin Yi , Kim Hye Jung
Published: October 2023

Although several previous studies have reported that periodontitis is associated with the progression of atherosclerosis, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Periodontal bacteria can cause atherosclerosis by promoting the attachment of monocytes to endothelial cells through the circulatory system. However, it has not been elucidated whether periodontal pathogens stimulate transendothelial migration (TEM) of monocytes and the mechanisms. In the present study, we investigated the effect of periodontal bacteria on the development of atherosclerosis by observing the contribution of periodontal pathogens on TEM. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) promoted both the adhesion and TEM of THP-1 cells, whereas Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) only promoted adhesion. Interestingly, infection of monocytes with F. nucleatum induced aggregation, which may inhibit TEM of monocytes. Pathogen infection in THP-1 cells had significantly increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Pathogen infection increased the expression of adhesion-related molecules in both THP-1 and EA.hy926 cells. However, the expression of junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) increased in THP-1 cells but decreased in EA.hy926 cells following infection. Promotion of JAM-A expression by periodontal pathogens in THP-1 cells was found to be regulated by the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) signaling pathway. P38 signaling activated by P. gingivalis stimulation was reduced by neutralizing the MIF receptor CD74 antibody, but JNK and ERK1/2 pathways were not involved. Increased adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells was also observed in mice intravenously injected with P. gingivalis. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms by which P. gingivalis promotes monocyte adhesion and TEM via the MIF–p38–JAM-A axis.
Pharmacologic Treatment and Length of Hospitalization for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in an Open Bay Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Using Novel Non-Pharmacologic Interventions
Authors: Robinson Tonya , Stikes CLC RNC-NIC MSN Reetta , Sorrell C-ONQS C-EFM CLC RNC-OB BSN Jaki , Gater RNC-NIC RN MSN Amanda , Gardner RNC-NIC MSN Amanda , Greenwell RN BSN Colleen , Booth Ph Adam , Businger BCPS PharmD Shannon , Low PharmD Ryan , Petrie CIMC DPAM MSCS OTR/L MS Rachael
Published: October 2023

Objective
Evaluate effectiveness of a novel horizontal rocking bassinet for the management of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
Study Design:
Prospective cohort study of infants ≥ 35 weeks admitted to an open bay neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for NAS. Three patient subsets analyzed: controls/Group 1, structured non-pharmacologic interventions (NPI)/Group 2, and structured NPI including the novel bassinet/Group 3.
Results
Group 3 had significant increases in length of stay (LOS) compared to Group 1 (p = 0.006) and Group 2 (p = 0.013). Group 3 had significantly higher length of treatment (LOT) than Group 1 (p = .041). Group 3 had significantly higher total mg/kg morphine exposure than Group 1 (p = .006).
Conclusion
The novel bassinet was not effective as a NPI based on LOS, LOT, and total mg/kg morphine exposure for NAS patients in this study. Further research is needed before novel bassinets are adopted for routine NAS care.
Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 genetic evolution in vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients from the Kenyan population
Authors: Oyola Samuel
Published: October 2023

Vaccination is a key control measure of COVID-19 by preventing severe effects of disease outcomes, reducing hospitalization rates and death, and increasing herd immunity. However, vaccination can affect the evolution and adaptation of SARS-CoV-2, largely through vaccine-induced immune pressure. Here we investigated the recombination events and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on SARS-CoV-2 genome in non-vaccinated and vaccinated patients in the Kenyan population. We identified recombination hotspots in the S, N, and ORF1a/b genes and showed the genetic evolution landscape of SARS-CoV-2 by comparing within-wave and inter-wave recombination events from the beginning of the pandemic (June 2020) to (October 2022) in Kenya. An in-depth analysis of (SNPs) on the S, ORf1a/b, and N genes identified previously unreported mutations. We detected a minority variant in non-vaccinated patients in Kenya, that contained immune escape mutation S255F of the spike gene and showing a differential recombination pattern within the non-vaccinated patients. Detailed analysis of recombination between waves suggested an association between increased population immunity and declining risk of emergence of variants of concern. Overall, this work identified unique mutations in SARS-CoV-2 which could have significant implications for virus evolution, virulence, and immune escape.
Integrating mangroves in dike designs: effect of tree growth and failure
Authors: Mancheño Alejandra Gijón , Vuik Vincent , Wesenbeeck Bregje (B.K.) van , Jonkman Bas (S.N.) , Hespen Rosanna van , Kazi Swarna , Urrutia Ignacio , Ledden Mathijs van , (J.R. Roelof
Published: October 2023

Mangrove forests reduce wave attack along tropical coastlines, decreasing the design requirements of coastal embankments. Wave reduction by mangroves depends on their surface area and stability against storms, but both aspects are often oversimplified or neglected in coastal protection designs. Here we present a framework to evaluate how mangrove belts influence embankment designs, including mangrove growth and failure by overturning and trunk breakage. This methodology is applied to Sonneratia apetala mangroves seawards from embankments in Bangladesh, considering forest widths between 10-1000 m (cross-shore). For design water levels of 5 m, wave reduction by mangrove forests shorter than 1 km mostly affects the slope protection and the bank erodibility, whereas the embankment height is less influenced by mangroves. Sonneratia apetala trees induce a relative maximum in wave attenuation by 10 years old, due to their large submerged canopy area. Once trees grow older than 20 years old, their canopy is emergent, and most wave attenuation is caused by trunk and roots. Canopy emergence exposes mangroves to wind loads, which are much larger than wave loads, and can cause tree failure during cyclones. These results stress the importance of including tree surface area and stability models when predicting coastal protection by mangroves.
Scientific research on glass Jue found in the Iron Age of Southeast Asia and its indications for contacts with China
Authors: Huang Juewei , Li Qinghui , Dong Junqing , Liu Song , Yuan Yimeng
Published: October 2023

In this paper, 44 glass Jue collected in Southeast Asia have been scientifically studied by means of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical microscopy (OM) and confocal laser Raman microspectroscopy(LRS). Chemical compositions, phase components, internal physical structures and surface micromorphology of the Jue samples are obtained. According to the scientific analysis results, the glass types of the Jue samples can be classified into three types, potash glass, soda-alumina glass and potash-lead glass. 42 samples belong to potash glass, and the 2 samples left belong to soda-alumina glass and potash-lead glass, respectively. Two subgroups, m-K-Al subgroup and m-K-Ca-Al subgroup, are found for potash glass. Only 4 potash glass samples belong to m-K-Ca-Al subgroup, the others are m-K-Al subgroup potash glass. Drawing, casting and cold-working techniques were applied during the process of glass making. Samples are colored by iron ions, or colored by iron and copper ions, except for one sample(SEAG-031) which is opacified by lead tin yellow. Combining with the glass types, shapes, traditions and distributions of Jue, the origins of the raw materials and productions centers for the glass Jue samples collected in Southeast Asia are discussed. The contacts between China and Southeast Asia/South Asia are also discussed. The results obtained in this paper shed some new lights on contacts between China and other countries along the Maritime Silk Road.
Generation and Capture of Both Sides of the 7-Norbornylidene — Bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-yne Fritsch–Buttenberg–Wiechell Rearrangement
Authors: Thamattoor Dasan
Published: October 2023

The strained caged alkyne bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-yne, previously reported to be inaccessible, was generated via the Fritsch–Buttenberg–Wiechell rearrangement of 7-norbornylidene carbene. Computational experiments predict the alkyne to be more stable than its corresponding alkylidenecarbene, and both of these intermediates can be intercepted with the use of appropriate trapping agents.
Exploring the role of fibular extremities as indicators of mobility patterns and locomotor behavior in Homo sapiens from Mid- Late Upper Paleolithic to the modern age
Authors: Pietrobelli Annalisa , Sorrentino Rita , Sparacello Vitale S. , Mottes Elisabetta , Fontana Federica , Sineo Luca , Benazzi Stefano , Marchi Damiano , Belcastro Maria Giovanna
Published: October 2023

The human fibular shape has been scarcely analyzed in anthropology. However, studies on athletes and human archaeological samples suggest the importance of including fibular structural properties to reconstruct mobility patterns in past populations. This study analyzes human fibular variation in relation to mobility patterns, environmental conditions, subsistence economies, and shoe use to further explore the role of this bone in reconstructing mobility patterns in past populations. The sample consists of 173 individuals from archaeological and modern skeletal collections spanning the Mid-Late Upper Paleolithic to the 20th century and includes hunter-gatherers, agriculturalists, herders, and post-industrialists. Virtual three-dimensional models of left fibulae were acquired by computer tomography and surface scanning. Fibular proximal and distal epiphyseal morphologies were investigated through 3D semilandmark-based geometric morphometric methods and compared among populations and mobility categories. Our analysis reveals a trend separating groups based on their subsistence strategy and chronology. Some fibular traits (e.g., horizontal proximal tibiofibular and tilted distal talofibular articular surfaces, robust interosseous membrane, broad malleolar fossa, projecting m. biceps femoris insertion) indicate greater mobility of fibular joints and load sharing during ankle and knee excursion in foraging groups, which are presumably highly active, frequently traversing uneven terrain with absent/minimalist foot coverings. Stiffer fibular joints (e.g., obliquely oriented tibiofibular and vertical talofibular articular surfaces) are observed in sedentary populations, which may suggest a restricted ankle excursion and limited lower limb loading and use, consistent with their sedentary lifestyle in plain urban settlements with hard-shoe coverings. Other fibular traits (e.g., shorter subcutaneous triangular surface, projecting and anteriorly-facing malleolus, concave peroneal groove and proximal peroneal insertion) might indicate for mobile groups a more everted foot posture with increased moment arm in eversion, more efficient for barefoot/minimal footwear running in a forefoot-strike gait and concurring in the stabilization of the first metatarsophalangeal ray. These results further stress the functional role of fibular morphology and its importance in studies investigating past population mobility patterns.
Necrotic Apoptosis -Associated Signature Predicts Prognosis and Immunotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Bi Kaixin , Wang Qi , Song Shan , Zhang Yaochen , Hu Jingxi , Feng Yue , Wu Li , Jia Hongyan
Published: October 2023

Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks targeted therapies and is associated with a poor prognosis, especially for women. Necrotic plays a critical role in the progression of TNBC. To investigate the prognosis of TNBC patients, we aimed to explore characteristics of Necrotic apoptosis (NRGs) and construct a risk signature based on NRGs.Methods The TNBC transcriptome and corresponding were obtained from the TCGA database. Ninety-nine normal mammary epithelial tissue samples from the GTEx database were analyzed. Genes associated with NRGs were extracted from the MSigDB database. We conducted differential gene expression analysis using the limma package. Cox regressions and LASSO were analyzed to identify the genes associated with NRGs. Predictive models were constructed using multivariate Cox regression analysis. The K-M survival curve and the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to evaluate the predictive ability of the prognostic model. The fractions of immune cells were determined using the CIBERSORT algorithm. In this study, we investigated somatic mutations in the analyzed samples and utilized our findings to predict the potential effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients. The expression patterns of risk genes were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis.Results A total of 200 differentially expressed NRGs were acquired. A risk model containing three NRGs. The high-risk group demonstrates a significantly shorter survival time than the low-risk group (p < 0.05). The ROC curve areas for 3-year, 5-year, and 8-year survival were 0.891, 0.833, and 0.845, respectively. This model exhibited highly accurate prognostic predictions in both the training and test data sets, and it proved to be an independent prognostic factor. An analysis of the immune environment and immunotherapy was conducted. High-risk and low-risk groups differed significantly in gene mutations. Western blotting and RT-qPCR revealed significantly higher CCL25 and GGT7 expression (p < 0.05) in cancer tissues, whereas TNSRSF11B expression was lower.Conclusion Our study has resulted in the development of independent prognostic indicators for TNBC, which can aid in the customized treatment of patients with varying levels of risk. We analyzed genetic mutations, which offered new insights into the immunological properties of the high and low-risk subgroups, and evaluated the possibility of incorporating immunotherapy into personalized breast cancer management.
Experiential Learning for Understanding Health and Societal Transformation in Tourism and Hospitality: An Observational Study for Education for Sustainable Development for 2030
Authors: Lo Wei-Shuo
Published: October 2023

An effective teaching strategy from classroom to community is necessary to understand the relationship between sustainability and human health. This study explored how experiential learning can combine sustainability and human health education, particularly in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a practical approach towards learning how to meet “Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production,” which is applicable to the tourism and hospitality industry. The major approach adopted was to use the five senses, which enhances human environmental attitude and behavior. A three-stage learning program was designed for university students: (1) a classroom interactive boardgame for teaching seafood education, (2) a field visit to a fishing village for experiential learning of seafood supply chain and concepts, and (3) reflections and presentations. The results show that experiential learning is a useful approach towards attaining the Education for Sustainable Development for 2030 goal of societal transformation, allowing students to learn to face real-world threats like the pandemic by recognizing how responsible consumption can lead to responsible production and avoid potential health risks to food supply chains. This study hopes to foster students’ pro-environmental behavior and cognition in biological and health education toward achieving sustainability in everyday life.
Climate change vulnerability and impacts on tropical fisheries and aquaculture in Asia: A bibliometric and meta-analysis
Authors: Habib Ahasan , Borazon Elaine Q. , Macusi Edison D. , Islam Mohammad Mahmudul , Nor Siti Azizah Mohd , Kamaruzzaman Yeny Nadira , Hossain M Belal , Fadli Nur , Ghaffar Mazlan Abd , Rahman Md Moshiur
Published: October 2023

This review aimed to explain vulnerability and climate change impacts on tropical aquatic fisheries and aquaculture focused on the Asian setting using a systematic literature review. In particular, the present study applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to evaluate the available literature from 1990 to 2020. The study results showed clustering of texts, keywords and titles based on the search terms, e.g. climate, change, fisheries, Asia, adaptation, climate change, fisheries, and aquaculture. Using the text, links with high scores showed the following categorization per cluster: 1) Climate change and food security; 2) Biodiversity and environmental protection; 3) Conservation of resources; 4) Climate change impacts in Asia; 5) Fisheries. While for the abstracts and titles produced the following clustering: 1) Livelihood and food security; 2) Fisheries catch; 3) Approach to stakeholders; 4) Ecosystem services. Climate change or global environmental change dominates vulnerability and adaptation scholarship, but it is only one of the stressors causing vulnerability among fishing and aquaculture sectors. Several studies suggest adaptation as a solution leading to less vulnerability and resilience of fishing communities. However, our findings showed that social and economic factors of climate-induced vulnerability are still relatively neglected. Besides, keeping biodiversity and enhanced environmental protection can lead to a more productive and food-secure environment for farmers and fishers. Therefore, the interventions needed would always lead towards adaptation. Finally, establishing a science-based “adaptive fishery co-management” to further engage with fishing communities by addressing their wider vulnerabilities and aspirations (livelihood needs).
Embracing AI Assistants: Unraveling Young Researchers' Journey with ChatGPT in Science Education Thesis Writing
Authors: Anik Mehedi Hasan , Raaz Shahriar Nafees Chowdhury , Khan Nushat
Published: October 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, in particular language models like ChatGPT, are attracting attention for their potential ability to replicate human text generation. AI-powered helpers in education, like ChatGPT, have the potential to improve thesis writing. The experiences of Dhaka University students who used ChatGPT extensively to write their science education theses in Bangladesh were examined in this study. It compared the difficulties folks who do not utilize AI confront to the advantages experienced by frequent ChatGPT users. Data was acquired using semi-structured questionnaires and then evaluated using coding techniques utilizing a case study methodology. The results brought to light the difficulties researchers face regarding methodological decision-making, tools development, data interpretation, etc. ChatGPT proved to be a useful tool that offers new perspectives, effective comparisons, quick responses, and more comprehensible research. However, due to ChatGPT's limitations, cautious use was suggested. The incorporation of ChatGPT opens up fresh research opportunities, highlighting the interdependence of technical support and human intuition. With useful applications for educational settings, the study demonstrated AI's capability at various phases of the thesis. Its findings give educators and organizations pointers on how to use AI to improve thesis writing procedures and aid researchers in their scholarly endeavors.
The immunomodulation effects of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide G (SNRPG) in human brain tumors
Authors: Zhao Junfeng , Guo Tianlin , Jiang Yiran , Ren Tong , Jiao Yongqing , Shang Wei , Wang Xun
Published: October 2023

Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide G (SNRPG) or Smith protein G (SmG) is vitally involved in the biogenesis of the major and minor spliceosome precursors that are spliceosomaluridyl-rich small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (U snRNPs; U1, U2, U4 and U5). The plausible involvement of SNRPG in tumor formation and oncogenesis has made it the center of studies. In this study, for the first time, this tumorigenic and immune-modulating functioning of SNRPG employing TCGA and GEO dataset-derived brain tumors has been scrutinized by us. Most tumors demonstrate higher SNRPG expression compared with normal ones, including various human brain tumors. The TCGA cohorts also displayed variation in SNRPG genetic status in different tumor samples. Experimental validations supported the oncogenic effect of SNRPG, and furthermore, the mechanism might be associated with the regulation of immune response. Further bioinformatics analysis revealed that some malignancies demonstrated a link between the SNRPG expression and CD8 + T-cell while others were linked with fibroblast infiltration. Moreover, the mechanistic aspects of SNRPG entailed spliceosome-associated functions among others. More in-depth research indicated that SNRPG may impact tumorigenesis of human brain tumors via exerting post-transcriptional modulation of TP53 through the mechanism of alternative polyadenylation (APA) at the region of 3’ untranslated regions (UTRs). However, more research should be done to further confirm the preliminary results in our current study. Overall, current research presents the first detailed scrutiny of the oncogenic and immune-modulating functioning of SNRPG in several malignancies of human brain.
Effect of testosterone on within-sex gene expression across 40 human tissues
Authors: Cheruiyot Evans Kiptoo , Zhu Zhihong , McRae Allan F
Published: October 2023

Background
Variations in testosterone levels is associated with pronounced health risks, often in a discordant manner between males and females. While studies have demonstrated a sex-specific genetic architecture for testosterone, the biological basis for the differential impact on diseases between the sexes is largely unknown. In this study, we correlated predicted testosterone and within-sex gene expression measures across 40 human tissues to identify genes that show sex-differential control of gene expression and examine how this varies across tissues.
Methods
Gene expression measures were obtained from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project (v8 GTEx release), with sex-specific genome-wide summary statistics from the UK Biobank used to construct polygenic scores as proxies for total testosterone and bioavailable testosterone. We quantified the proportion of variance in the genomically predicted testosterone levels that was captured by gene expression measures within each sex/tissue pair. The association between predicted testosterone measures was tested within each sex/tissue pair for over 20,000 gene transcripts.
Results
Gene expression was able to capture a consistently higher proportion of predicted testosterone variance in females than in males across the majority of study tissues. Gene expression levels in the mammary breast and adipose (visceral omentum) tissue explained the largest proportion of total testosterone variance in females, while various brain tissues (anterior cingulate cortex BA24, putamen basal ganglia and cerebellum) captured the largest proportion of total testosterone variance in males. Association analyses identified significant associations between total testosterone and gene expression across four transcripts (NUPR1L, PTPRD, PSPHP1, and RP11-208G20.3) in the skeletal muscle, tibial artery, and pancreas tissue for females but were not associated in males. No transcript/gene showed a significant association with predicted bioavailable testosterone across all study tissues in males and females.
Conclusions
The relationship between testosterone and gene expression levels is complex, showing variation across tissues and between the sexes. While we found limited numbers of associations between individual gene expression levels and predicted testosterone levels, our whole transcriptome approach found that a substantial proportion of testosterone levels could be captured by gene expression levels, indicating that more associations could be identified with larger sample sizes and directly measured hormone levels.
Exploring the Determinants of Personality, Color Perception, and Color Preference Among Young Adults
Authors: Asad Ushna
Published: October 2023

The study focuses on how color perception, preference and personality of an individual associates with each other. Previous studies have shown that colors play a key role in both human and natural contexts, and they facilitate various psychological functions. Moreover, the color psychology literature has established a convincing argument that color is about more than just aesthetics. The study is comprised of qualitative exploration, phase I, and a quantitative approach, phase II, aimed at the detailed investigation of the study variables. Sample (N=400) was selected through convenient sampling from the population of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The scales used in study II were Big Five Inventory (BFI), Color Emotion Scale (CES) and Color Preference Scale (CPS). And for the qualitative part six open ended questions were asked from the participants. The conventional content analysis of open-ended questions, correlation, t-test et cetera revealed significant results and significant differences in gender.
An Exploratory Evaluation of Code Smell Agglomerations
Authors: Santana Amanda , Figueiredo Eduardo , Pereira Juliana Alves , Garcia Alessandro
Published: October 2023

Context.
Code smell is a symptom of decisions about the system design or code that may degrade its modularity. For example, they may indicate inheritance misuse, excessive coupling and size. When two or more code smells occur in the same snippet of code, they form a code smell agglomeration.
Objective.
Few studies evaluate how agglomerations may impact code modularity. In this work, we evaluate which aspects of modularity are being hindered by agglomerations. This way, we can support practitioners in improving their code, by refactoring the code involved with code smell agglomeration that was found as harmful to the system modularity.
Method.
We analyze agglomerations composed of four types of code smells: Large Class, Long Method, Feature Envy, and Refused Bequest. We then conduct a comparison study between 20 systems mined from the Qualita Corpus dataset with 10 systems mined from GitHub. In total, we analyzed 1,789 agglomerations in 30 software projects, from both repositories: Qualita Corpus and GitHub. We rely on frequent itemset mining and non-parametric hypothesis testing for our analysis.
Results.
Agglomerations formed by two or more Feature Envy smells have a significant frequency in the source code for both repositories. Agglomerations formed by different smell types impact the modularity more than classes with only one smell type and classes without smells. For some metrics, when Large Class appears alone, it has a significant and large impact when compared to classes that have two or more method-level smells of the same type.
Conclusion.
We have identified which agglomerations are more frequent in the source code, and how they may impact the code modularity. Consequently, we provide supporting evidence of which agglomerations developers should refactor to improve the code modularity.
StochGradAdam: Accelerating Neural Networks Training with Stochastic Gradient Sampling
Authors: Yun Juyoung
Published: October 2023

In the rapidly advancing domain of deep learning optimization, this paper unveils the StochGradAdam optimizer, a novel adaptation of the well-regarded Adam algorithm. Central to StochGradAdam is its gradient sampling technique. This method not only ensures stable convergence but also leverages the advantages of selective gradient consideration, fostering robust training by potentially mitigating the effects of noisy or outlier data and enhancing the exploration of the loss landscape for more dependable convergence. In both image classification and segmentation tasks, StochGradAdam has demonstrated superior performance compared to the traditional Adam optimizer. By judiciously sampling a subset of gradients at each iteration, the optimizer is optimized for managing intricate models. The paper provides a comprehensive exploration of StochGradAdam's methodology, from its mathematical foundations to bias correction strategies, heralding a promising advancement in deep learning training techniques.