bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Habitat suitability modeling of Aurelia jellyfish (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) in the Gulf of Mexico suggests distinct species’ distributions based on tolerance limits
Authors: Frolova Alexandra , Retchless David , Miglietta Maria Pia
Published: June 2023

Aurelia is a genus of Scyphozoan jellyfish with cosmopolitan distribution and a propensity to form large aggregations, or “blooms.” Along the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) coast, blooms of Aurelia have caused problems for human enterprise. Mature Aurelia medusae are observed each season, yet their benthic originators, the polyps, have never been found in nature in the GoM. The absence of information on polyp locations greatly limits our understanding of bloom formation as we are unable to identify bloom origins or study medusae production in situ. To address the lack of knowledge on polyp distribution, suitable settlement, and natural and artificial colonization habitats for two Aurelia species (A. sp. 9 and A. sp. 18) were modeled using a GIS spatial analysis, utilizing previously published experimentally determined species’ tolerance ranges for temperature and salinity. The results revealed that the GoM coastal waters are suitable for A. sp. 9, but not A. sp. 18, and that water temperature, but not salinity, limits distribution of both species. Also, 94% of GoM artificial reefs and 97% of gas platforms are suitable for A. sp. 9, while only 37% of the reef and 40% of the gas platforms offer suitable habitats for A. sp. 18. Based on the models, A. sp. 18 is an offshore species restricted to the deeper shelf waters of the GoM by summer high water temperatures and future increases in water temperature, such as those expected with climate change, may negatively impact jellyfish populations in the northern GoM.
Metformin-induced PCSK9 inhibition further decreases LDL-C following statin treatment in non-diabetic patients with coronary artery disease and hyperlipoproteinemia(a)
Authors: Hu Die , Qin Donglu , Kuang Jie , Yang Yang , Weng Shuwei , Chen Jin , Wu Sha , Wang Shuai , Mao Ling , Peng Daoquang , Yu Bilian
Published: June 2023

Purpose: Previous studies have revealed that metformin can downregulate PCSK9 expression in vitro, which provides a strong rationale for a possible beneficial impact on lowering atherogenic lipoprotein particles by metformin combination therapy. We aimed to investigate whether adding metformin could counteract the adverse effect of statins on PCSK9 and thus further improve lipid profiles in non-diabetic patients with CAD and hyperlipoproteinemia(a).
Methods: This was an open-label, placebo-controlled, randomized trial (ChiCTR1900026925). Non-diabetic CAD patients with hyperlipoproteinemia(a) were randomized 1:1 to CLA (Cholesterol-Lowering Agents alone: atorvastatin+/-ezetimibe, n=38) and Met+CLA groups (metformin plus CLA, n=33). The primary endpoint was the therapeutic effect of 1-month metformin combination treatment on the LDL-C, Lp(a), and PCSK9 levels, analyzed using an enzymatic-based method, latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay, and ELISA, respectively. Atherogenic lipoprotein particle components were assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Results: In our study, baseline medium LDL-C, Lp(a), and PCSK9 levels were 76.18 mg·dL-1, 201.30 nmol·L-1, and 80.54 ng·mL-1, respectively. After one month, metformin combination treatment significantly reduced LDL-C (-20.81%, P<0.001), allowing 72% of the patients to achieve guideline-recommended LDL-C goals. Additionally, there were notable drops in PCSK9 levels (-15.03%, P<0.001), but not in Lp(a) levels. Moreover, metformin plus CLA lowered LDL particle number (LDL-P) markedly more than CLA alone (-10.65% vs 1.45%，P=0.009), attributed mainly to a decrease in small-dense LDL particle (sdLDL-P) number in the Met+CLA group. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that metformin inhibited human hepatocellular cell PCSK9 expression induced by statins.
Conclusion: One-month metformin combination treatment resulted in an incremental reduction of LDL-C levels in non-diabetic CAD patients with hyperlipoproteinemia(a) via inhibiting PCSK9 expression.
Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry identifier: ChiCTR1900026925 (10/26/2019)
Impact of lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) concentration on lithium intercalation into graphite monitored with Step Potential ElectroChemical Spectroscopy (SPECS)
Authors: Mackowiak Adam , Galek Przemyslaw , Jezowski Pawel , Fic Krzysztof
Published: June 2023

Step Potential Electrochemical Spectroscopy (SPECS) analysis of lithium intercalation into graphite was performed. Four different solutions of lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) salt in EC:DMC solvent (1:1, v:v) with various concentrations (0.1, 1, 5 and 10 mol L-1) were selected as electrolytes. SPECS allowed for calculating the capacity resulting from lithium intercalation between the graphite layers and the capacity that comes from the adsorption of ions on the outer electrode surface, resistance, as well as the diffusion coefficient. Additionally, to compare the results obtained, the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) was performed under the same conditions. However, it turned out that initially, similar diffusion parameters are not identical in their meaning. Hence, SPECS can offer fresh insights into the lithium intercalation process in highly concentrated electrolytic solutions, enhancing existing approaches.
An Ultra-Low-Cost, Pressure Sensing and Haptic Feedback-Enabled Transradial Prosthesis
Authors: Bell Okezue
Published: June 2023

Transradial prostheses frequently lack intuitivity and responsiveness, constraining their suitability for everyday use. The high prevalence of below-the-elbow amputations in low- and middle-income countries underscores the need for affordable and functional prostheses. This study presents WeArm, a low-cost prosthesis that is lightweight, flexible, and provides haptic and pressure feedback. Our innovative design merges soft and articulated robotics, incorporating a 3D-printed, five-finger polyarticulated joint system made of rigid and flexible resin. Thin-film pressure sensors regulate soft inflatable haptic actuators, relaying a sense of touch to the amputee. We developed a gradient convolution kernel compensation algorithm (gCKC) for detecting and decoding amputee motor units. The gCKC, coupled with a convolutional neural network demonstrated an ROC of 90.38 ± 0.05%, a sensitivity of 0.83 (IQR 0.16), and a specificity of 0.89 (IQR 0.18) in decoding sEMG signals and accurately actuating the prosthetic arm, determined using sixfold cross-validation. The complete system cost $379.89 to produce. WeArm introduces a novel, cost-effective, and efficient prosthetic solution with the potential to enhance amputees’ quality of life and mobility.
Tubular basement membrane deposits after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Zhou Wenyan , Qi Chaojun , Zhang Minfang , Hou Xiaotao , Ni Zhaohui
Published: June 2023

Background
Extraglomerular immune complex deposition is rare and only a few membranous nephropathy cases with tubular basement membrane deposits have been reported following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Case presentation
We reported a 56-year-old man with increased serum creatinine after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation who underwent a renal biopsy. Tubular interstitial nephritis was identified on light microscope. The unique histologic features were diffuse tubular basement membrane immune complex deposition detected by both immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, while the glomerular involvement was inconspicuous. The differential diagnosis from other forms of tubular basement membrane deposition is discussed.
Conclusion
The potential pathogenesis in our patient likely involves chronic graft-vs-host disease driven antibodies against tubular basement membrane components. However, the target antigen remains unknown.
XbaI polymorphism in the APOB gene and its association with increased cholesterol in children and adolescents: Ouro Preto Study
Authors: de Souza Thomás Viana , Batista Aline Priscila , de Menezes-Júnior Luiz Antônio Alves , Costa Anna Carolina Motta , Louzada Cibelle Ferreira , Lourenção Luciano Garcia , de Oliveira Wandeir Wagner , Lima Matheus Costa , Araujo Maisa Aparecida Marques , Baptista Izabela Vieira Duarte , Soares Ana Carolina de Souza , Guedes Raquel Laranjeira , Machado-Coelho George Luiz Lins
Published: June 2023

Purpose: Atherosclerotic vascular changes can begin during childhood, providing a favorable environment for the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adulthood. Identifiable risk factors such as dyslipidemia accelerate this process for some children. The apolipoprotein B (APOB) gene could help explain the inter-individual variability in lipid levels among young individuals and identify groups that require greater attention to prevent cardiovascular problems in adulthood. However, there is few research on genetic risk factors for dyslipidemia in young individuals from mixed-race groups.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with elementary school students aged 6 to 17 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, between April and December 2021. The study evaluated sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical, and biochemical variables and XbaI polymorphism in the APOB gene for associations with increased cholesterol.
Results: The study found that the prevalence of increased cholesterol was notably high, reaching 68.9% in the study population. Carriers of the variant T allele were 1.45 times more likely to develop increased cholesterol in a dominant model (CI: 1.09-1.94). After adjustments, excess weight and a family history of dyslipidemia interacted significantly with XbaI polymorphism in increased cholesterol, resulting in Odds Ratio of 1.74 (CI: 1.11-2.71) and 2.04 (CI: 1.14-3.67), respectively.
Conclusions: The results suggest that XbaI polymorphism in the APOB gene may affect the lipid profile of Brazilian children and adolescents living in urban areas and could contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and, consequently, CVD in adulthood.
The dilemmatic role of medicine in adolescent obesity from the perspective of reduced natural selection
Authors: Henneberg Maciej , You Wenpeng
Published: June 2023

Objective Relaxed natural selection has been indexed with the Biological State Index (Ibs), which indicates the opportunity for an average member of a population to pass genes to the next generation. This study explores the correlation of Ibs to adolescent obesity prevalence.Methods Population level variables (adolescent obesity prevalence, self-calculated Ibs, GDP, urbanization and calories) are extracted from or calculated with the United Nations data agencies for the correlation analyses. To examine the Ibs-adolescent obesity relationship, the five non-normally distributed variables are analysed in curvilinear regression models with raw data and linear regressions with log-transformed data. Countries are grouped for exploring the regional Ibs-adolescent obesity correlations.Results Linear correlation and the first order curvilinear regression identified that Ibs-adolescent obesity correlation is significant, and this relationship remains in the third order curvilinear regression and partial correlation when the confounding effects of GDP, urbanization and calories are removed. Ibs-adolescent obesity correlation also presents in different country groupings. It is highlighted that Ibs-adolescent obesity is significantly stronger in developing countries than developed countries. Stepwise multiple linear regression identified Ibs as the second most influential risk factor for adolescent obesity. Caloric intake does not show significant effects on predicting adolescent obesity in both enter and stepwise regression models.Conclusions Reduced natural selection may drive obesity associated genetic background to accumulate in population through allowing people to participate in reproduction. The magnitude of reduced natural selection correlates with adolescent obesity prevalence. This suggests that reduced natural selection is another major risk factor for adolescent obesity.
Research on intelligent recognition method of software vulnerability severity based on event extraction
Authors: Wu Xiaoxue , Wen Shenwei , Lin Hui , Zheng Wei , Weng Shiyu , Sun Xiaobing
Published: June 2023

The number of vulnerability reports is rapidly increasing, and relying on human resources for vulnerability analysis will become more difficult. In addition, the current vulnerability report research is mainly based on general vulnerability disclosure (CVE) or other foreign open source projects, and there are few researches on Chinese vulnerability reports. With the development of deep learning, the research on event extraction has also been greatly developed. In order to contribute to the vulnerability analysis of Chinese vulnerability report, this paper adopts the method of event extraction to automatically mine the vulnerability report of the National Information security Vulnerability Sharing platform (CNVD). A new vulnerability analysis method is proposed, that is, the severity level of vulnerability report is evaluated by the vulnerability description information and the event information. At the same time, a convolutional neural network method named EICNN is proposed to realize this new vulnerability analysis method by integrating event information. An application that obtains the vulnerability reporting event information and evaluates the vulnerability severity at the end.
A Guided Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization Approach for the Traveling Repairman Problem
Authors: Jmal Sirine , Haddar Boukthir , Chabchoub Habib
Published: June 2023

This paper focuses on the Traveling Repairman Problem (TRP), an extension of the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP), which has gained significant attention in various practical fields such as humanitarian logistics, machine scheduling, computer networking, and service-based distribution. Previous research on the TRP has primarily focused on exact and approximate algorithms, with limited attention given to heuristics. This paper introduces a new hybrid method called Guided Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization (GQPSO) to effectively solve the TRP. This GQPSO apporoach combines the Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization (QPSO) metaheuristic with the Guided Local Search (GLS) algorithm. We introduced several enhancements to improve the efficiency of QPSO when addressing the TRP: (i) The initialization phase of the QPSO algorithm is modified. (ii) A guided local search method is integrated within QPSO and used as an intensification strategy for each position generated throughout the search process. (iii) Several acceleration strategies are implemented to expedite the process of the local search procedure. The experimental results achieved on a collection of benchmark problems sourced from the literature clearly prove the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid approach for addressing the TRP when compared to other heuristic methods from the state-of-the-art.
Investigating the Economic Fallout of Hospital-Acquired Infections and Multidrug-Resistant Organisms of Neonatal Sepsis at a Chinese NICU
Authors: Lin Hui , Zhao Yan Jun , Tung Tao-Hsin , Hanafi Waqqas U , Xiong Cai Lian
Published: June 2023

Introduction:
Neonatal sepsis refers to a condition in newborns characterized by systematic inflammation caused by an infection, leading to higher rates of illness and death in neonatal intensive care units worldwide. Despite extensive research on its causes, the financial costs associated with this harmful occurrence, particularly healthcare-associated and multidrug-resistant sepsis in neonatal intensive care units, have not been thoroughly assessed. This study was carried out to estimate the economic consequences of newborn sepsis of newborn sepsis among neonates hospitalized to intensive care units at a general hospital in Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.
Methods:
A hospital-based case-control study with retrospective medical records review was conducted among admitted newborns at the neonatal intensive care unit in Taizhou hospital. The study population consisted of 6,507 neonates who were admitted between January 1st, 2020, and December 31st, 2022. Among these neonates, we identified 155 cases of sepsis. To ensure comparability, we used the propensity score matching technique to match each septic case with four controls, resulting in a total of 620 controls. We then compared the length of hospitalization and the overall financial burden among neonates with hospital-acquired sepsis (HAI-sepsis), sepsis caused by multidrug resistant organisms (MDRO-sepsis), and those without sepsis.
Results:
The overall incidence of neonatal sepsis was 2.4%. Hospital-acquired sepsis (HAI-sepsis) was associated with an additional cost of $6,287 (95% CI: 2,372-11,688), while sepsis caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO-sepsis) incurred an extra expense of $15,199 (95%CI: 9,450-18,511). Moreover, HAI-sepsis and MDRO-sepsis were found to significantly prolong the length of hospital stay by 31 (95%CI: 16-43), and 41 days (95%CI: 31-50), respectively.
Conclusion:
This study highlights the substantial financial implications of nosocomial infections. It underscores the importance of implementing antimicrobial stewardship and preventive measures against healthcare associated infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to effectively reduce healthcare resources utilization and enhance the efficiency of services provided.
Utilizing AI for Skin Disease Classification: Enhancing Early Identification and Differentiation
Authors: Samokhin Valentin , Nechaev Dmitry , Ivanova Ekaterina , Pchelnikov Alexey
Published: June 2023

This article explores the application of computer vision (CV) in skin disease classification. While working with images obtained on regular camera instead of dermatoscopic images, we focus on the significance of early identification the developed tool provides. The public datasets obtained through web crawling for the experiments include a wide range of skin diseases, from spot diseases to skin conditions. The diversity of prepared datasets allows to train model capable to find signs of 104 pathologies with 0.90 top-3 sensitivity.
Enhancing Strength and Toughness of Aluminum Laminated Composites through Hybrid Reinforcement using Dispersion Engineering
Authors: Sadeghi Behzad , Cavaliere Pasquale , Sadeghian Behzad
Published: June 2023

In order to address the challenge of balancing strength and ductility, we propose a novel approach of creating a hybrid aluminum matrix composite with a combination of in-situ and ex-situ reinforcement. This approach aims to achieve a uniform distribution of reinforcements and establish strong bonding between the reinforcements and the matrix. To harness the advantages of both intergranular and intragranular dispersion of reinforcements, we have synthesized nano-sized Al3BC particles in-situ within ultrafine-grained (UFG) aluminum. This in-situ synthesis was accomplished by incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into the elemental powder mixture, followed by mechanical activation and subsequent annealing. The resulting in-situ nano-scaled Al3BC particles were uniformly dispersed within the elongated UFG aluminum grains, effectively impeding dislocation movement and preserving their strength under stress. This led to enhanced strength and strain hardening. Compared to the counterpart material without the in-situ nano-Al3BC reinforcement, the fabricated (Al3BC, CNT)/UFG Al composite exhibited simultaneous improvements in both strength (394 MPa) and total elongation (19.7%). These results demonstrate the promising reinforcing effects of the in-situ/ex-situ approach, which benefits from the uniform dispersion of reinforcements and the establishment of a strong semi-coherent interface with the matrix.
A novel hybrid nanoreinforcing via elemental powder mixture was adopted to the first time to achieve an excellent strength-ductility combination in CNT/Al composites.
6 February 2023, Orthopedic experience in Kahramanmaras Earthquake and surgical decision in patients with crush syndrome
Authors: kundakci bugra , mirioglu akif , tekin mustafa , bagir melih , bicer omer sunkar , arslan yusuf kemal , ozkan cenk , ozbarlas hilmi serdar
Published: June 2023

Background:
The decision of fasciotomy or amputation in crush syndrome is controversial and challenging for surgeons. We aimed to share our experiences after the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake, to predict the severity of crush syndrome and mortality, and to guide the surgical decision.
Methods:
The clinical data of patients during their first week of hospitalization were analyzed retrospectively. Totally 233 crush syndrome patients were included. Demographic data, physical and laboratory findings, surgical treatments, and outcomes were recorded.
Results:
The mean time under the rubble was 41.89±29.75 hours. Fasciotomy and amputation were performed in 41 (17.6 %) and 72 (30.9%) patients. One hundred and two patients (56.7%) underwent hemodialysis. Fifteen patients (6.4%) died. Lower extremity injury, abdominal trauma, and thoracic trauma were associated with mortality. Mortality was significantly increased in patients with thigh injuries (p=0.028). The mean peak CK concentration was 69.817,69 ± 134.812,04 U/L. Peak CK concentration increased substantially with amputation (p=0,002), lower limb injury (p<0.001), abdominal trauma (p=0.011), and thoracic trauma (p=0.048).
Conclusions:
Thigh injury is associated with the severity of crush syndrome and mortality. Late fasciotomy should not be preferred in crush syndrome. Amputation is life-saving, especially in desperate lower extremity injuries.
Dual-function Covalent Organic Polymers Rich in N, O, S Heteroatoms for Sensitive Detection and Efficient Capture of Mercury (II)
Authors: Zhu Ye , Ni Cailing , Zhang Chao , Liu Zhimin , Wu Guanghui , Qin Yuancheng
Published: June 2023

As a serious threat to environmental safety and public health, mercury ((Hg2+) has been noted as a global hazard because of its high toxicity. Recently, significant effort has been invested in developing novel strategies for simultaneous detection and remove of Hg2+. Herein, we designed and synthesized three types of nitrogen-, oxygen- and sulfur-rich covalent organic polymers (COPs) for Hg2+ detection and adsorption from solutions. For comparison, the aldehydes building blocks containing one, two, or three thiophene rings condensed with the flexible hydrazide terephthalate to obtain the COPs named as HTDP-1, HTDP-2 and HTDP-3, respectively. With electron rich thiophene-bicyclic systems, the HTDP-2 exhibited a fast adsorption capacity for Hg2+ (91.2% within 10 min). In addition, the polymer also has excellent fluorescence properties, which can realize the fluorescence detection of Hg2+ in a with a detection limit of 0.70 ppm. This work provides a novel design concept for the rational construction of dual-function Hg2+ repair materials and broadens the application of COPs materials in the field of heavy metal ions detection and repair.
A Novel Deep RCNN-DCLSTM Classifier for Finding the Quality of Web-Page Based On Review Dataset
Authors: Srivast Atul Kumar , Pandey Dhiraj , Agarwal Alok
Published: June 2023

Nowadays, internet has numerous of web contents but it is difficult to find the web page quality. For predicting the quality of web page, a technique is necessary. Therefore, for determining the quality of the web page, a novel Residual Convolutional Neural network and Drop Connect Long Short Term Memory (RCNN-DCLSTM) technique is proposed. It consists of two stages: pre-processing and classification. In the preprocessing stage, tokenization, identification of slang, stop word removal, and lemmatization processes improve the level of accuracy during classification. In the classification stage, the proposed deep learning classifier based on RCNN-DCLSTM is used to classify the quality of web page as very high quality, high quality, moderate quality, low quality, and very low quality based on reviews. Here, the Drop connect regulation system on hidden-to-hidden weight metrics with LSTM is used to avoid the fitting problem. The proposed RCNN-DCLSTM accuracy is tested on four data sets and compared with previous methods. Based on the estimation result, the proposed RCNN-DCLSTM gives the accuracy of 0.91, precision of 0.909, recall of 0.908, and F-1 measure of 0.91. Hence, it is proved that the proposed RCNN-DCLSTM technique accurately finds the quality of web page.
Comparison of amoxicillin administered twice and three times daily in children with acute otitis media
Authors: Storch-De-Gracia Pilar , Antoñanzas-Bernar Valeria , Vergara-Muñoz Beatriz , Lamagrande-Casanova Nuria , Campli-Zaghlul Mariana , Suárez-Bustamante María , Añón-Hidalgo Juan , Maiques Miguel
Published: June 2023

Purpose
To compare the effectiveness of amoxicillin administered in regimens of two or three daily doses in children with acute otitis media (AOM). As a secondary aim, we measured and compared treatment adherence between the two groups.
Methods
A prospective observational study was conducted in the emergency department of a children’s hospital.
Results
We recruited a total of 353 patients having a median age of 1.58 years. Twice-daily dosing was prescribed to 58%, while 42% received three doses per day. The clinical course of AOM was favourable in 92% of the patients who received two doses of amoxicillin and in 95% of those who received three doses (P = 0.25). Four patients (1%) had persistent symptoms beyond day seven. None developed intracranial complications. In the group receiving three doses daily, 31% reported difficulties with the dosing schedule, and 9.6% faced challenges when administering the medication at the specified volume, compared with 5.8% and 25% of those who received the two-dose regimen, respectively.
Conclusion
Twice-daily amoxicillin has similar efficacy to a three-dose daily regimen and can offer advantages for caregivers in terms of administration schedule.
A novel targeted immunotherapy for autoreactive B cell depletion in autoimmune diseases
Authors: Perico Luca , Casiraghi Federica , Sônego Fabiane , Todeschini Marta , Corna Daniela , Cerullo Domenico , Pezzotta Anna , Isnard-Petit Patricia , Faravelli Silvia , Forneris Federico , Thiam Kader , Remuzzi Giuseppe , Benigni Ariela
Published: June 2023

Targeted therapies for autoimmune diseases are an unmet clinical need. Here, we designed and tested a novel class of immunotherapeutic molecules, Bi-specific AutoAntigen-T cell Engagers (BiAATEs), intended for autoreactive B cell depletion in autoimmune diseases for which the autoantigen has been identified. Specifically, we focused on a prototype autoimmune disease, membranous nephropathy (MN), an immune-mediated disease of the kidney in which phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) serves as primary nephritogenic antigen. We designed a BiAATE expressing the immunodominant Cysteine-Rich (CysR) domain of PLA2R linked to an antibody against the T cell antigen CD3. The BiAATE created an immunological synapse between autoreactive B cells bearing a CysR-specific surface Ig+ and T cells isolated form MN patients, leading to anti-PLA2R antibody secreting B cell depletion while sparing normal B cells. Systemic administration of BiAATE to mice transgenic for human CD3 reduced anti-PLA2R antibody levels following active immunization with PLA2R. These findings indicate that BiAATEs have the potential to initiate a new avenue for the development of off-the-shelf therapies in autoimmune diseases.
Thylakoid-Inspired Microreactors Continuously Synthesize CO2 into Glucose Precursor at 15.8 nmol min-1
Authors: Zhu Yujiao , Xie Fengjia , Wun Chung Kit , Lin Huan , Tsoi Chi Chung , Jia Huaping , Chai Yao , Lo Ben , Leu Shao-Yuan , Jia Yanwei , Ren Kangning , Zhang Xuming
Published: June 2023

Excessive CO2 and food shortage are two grand challenges of human society. Directly converting CO2 into food materials could simultaneously alleviate both, like what green crops do in nature. Nevertheless, natural photosynthesis has a limited energy efficiency due to low activity and specificity of key enzyme D-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO). To enhance the efficiency, many prior studies focused on engineering the enzymes, but we chose to learn from nature to design more efficient reactors. This work is original in mimicking the stacked structure of thylakoids in chloroplasts to immobilize RuBisCO in a microreactor using the layer-by-layer strategy, obtaining the continuous conversion of CO2 into glucose precursor at 1.9 nmol min-1 with enhanced activity (1.5 times), stability (~8 times) and reusability (96% after 10 reuses) relative to the free RuBisCO. We further scaled out the reactors to explore the potential of mass production that would benefit both food supply and carbon neutralization.
Understanding the mix of services for mental health care in urban DR Congo: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Mayoyo Erick Mukala , Criel Bart , Sow Abdoulaye , Coppieters Yves , Chenge Faustin
Published: June 2023

Background: Mental health workers (MHWs) may be exposed to conflicts of competencies in performing tasks related to mental health care provision. This may be linked to a lack of understanding of their tasks as caregivers and providers. Furthermore, in most low-income settings, it is unclear how the available services are organized and coordinated to provide mental health care. To understand the above, this study aimed to identify the current mix of services for mental health care in urban Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was carried out in the city of Lubumbashi from February to April 2021. We conducted 7 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 74 key informants (family members, primary care physicians, etc.) and 13 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with key informants (traditional healers, psychiatrists, etc.). We performed a qualitative content analysis, guided by an analytical framework, that led to the development of a comprehensive inventory of MHWs from the household level to specialized facilities, exploring their tasks in care delivery, identifying existing services, and defining their current organization.
Results: Analysis of transcripts from the FGDs and IDIs showed that traditional healers and family caregivers are the main providers in Lubumbashi. The exploration of the tasks performed by MHWs revealed that lifestyle, traditional therapies, psychotherapy and medication are the main types of care offered/advised to patients. Active informal caregivers do not currently provide care corresponding to their competencies. The rare mental health specialists available do not presently recognize the tasks of primary care providers and informal caregivers in care delivery, and their contribution is considered marginal. We identified five types of services: informal services, traditional therapy services, social services, primary care services, and psychiatric facilities. Analyses pointed out an inversion of the ideal mix of these services.
Conclusions: Our findings show a suboptimal mix of services for mental health and point to a clear lack of collaboration between MHWs. There is an urgent need to clearly define the tasks of MHWs, build the capacity of nonspecialists, shift mental health-related tasks to them and raise awareness about collaborative care approaches.
CA-125 level as a prognostic factor for response in medical treatment of fallopian ectopic pregnancy
Authors: Jayervand Fatemeh , Mohamadianamiri Mahdiss , larijani Samaneh Saghafian , Kazerooni Mitra
Published: June 2023

Background
Ectopic pregnancies (EP) are a complication of pregnancy in which an ectopic pregnancy sac form. EP can be associated with rupture / hemodynamic instability / hemorrhagic shock and eventual death. Recent studies have shown that the use of markers such as CA-125 can be very accurate in predicting the clinical course of these patients. The present study was designed to measure the accuracy of CA-125 in the diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of this group of patients and to investigate the relationship of this marker with the occurrence of some EP complications such as rupture in patients undergoing medical treatment.
Patients and Methods‎:
In this prospective cohort study, all patients with EP candidates for medical treatment with methotrexate entered the study after obtaining informed consent. On days 1, 4 and 7, βhCG and CA-125 markers were measured in patients. Patients were monitored for EP complications leading to surgery as well as response to single-dose drug therapy and βhCG titer. The course of CA-125 levels in the blood and its relationship with the incidence of complications and βhCG levels were also examined.
Result
100 patients with a mean age of 6.1 ± 29.8years were included in the study. 22 patients (22%) required a second dose of methotrexate and 30 patients (30%) required surgical intervention. The result of single-dose treatment was successful in 48% of patients, but 52% failed treatment, including surgery and the second dose of methotrexate. Statistical analysis showed that CA125 levels were higher on days four and seven in patients who needed the next dose of MTX (P < 0.001). CA-125 levels were higher in patients who underwent surgery, which was also statistically significant on day 1 (P < 0.001). The mean level of CA-125 on all days was significantly higher in patients who failed treatment (P < 0.001).
Conclusion
It can be concluded that by performing serial CA-125 in tubal pregnancy, it is possible to understand the possibility of rupture of the pregnancy sac and the need for surgical intervention or administration of a second dose of MTX.
WT-BiFPN: A Novel Approach for Efficient Face Detection using Improved EfficientDet Architecture and Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transform
Authors: Pouyan Shima , Charmi Mostafa , Azarpeyvand Ali , Hassanpoor Hossein
Published: June 2023

Face detection is a crucial task in computer vision and image processing with various practical applications including security, surveillance and entertainment. In recent years, approaches based on deep learning methods improved significantly with high-accuracy detection results. In this paper, we propose a new framework for anefficient face detection based on improved EfficientDet architecture and wavelet transform. Our method utilizes a combination of innovated bi-directional feature pyramid network (BiFPN) and a dual-tree complex wavelet transform called WT-BiFPN to ameliorate feature representation of faces at multiple scales. We evaluate our approach on two benchmark datasets, including WIDER FACE and our gathered dataset with specific details close to real-world images. Our proposed architecture achieves more than 5% performance improvement on previous state-of-the-art EfficientDet-based methods in terms of mean average precision (mAP). Our method provides an effective accurate face detection solution for several applications and can prevail over low resolution and occlusion in images.
Evaluation of dry milling characteristics and polyphenolic contents of fourteen conventionally bred colored corn varieties for value-added coproducts recovery
Authors: Kumar Ravinder , Agliata Joseph , Wan Caixia , Flint-Garcia Sherry , Salazar-Vidal Miriam Nancy , Mustapha Azlin , Cheng Jiayue , Somavat Pavel
Published: June 2023

Corn pericarp is a low value cellulosic coproduct. However, colored corn pericarp contains disproportionately higher amounts of polyphenolic compounds such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, flavonols, tannins and phenolic acids, and can be selectively utilized for their economic recovery. Due to the diverse industrial applications of these value-added phytochemicals, colored corn can supplement the lower economic value of conventional yellow dent corn. In this study, dry milling characteristics and polyphenolic contents (anthocyanins, total phenols, and condensed tannins) of fourteen conventionally bred and midwestern US grown colored varieties and their milling coproducts were ascertained and compared with a commercial purple corn. With mean large grits yield of 22.98% (db), colored varieties had a dominant softer endosperm, suitable for wet milling and dry grind industry. The mean starch content of colored varieties was lower than conventional yellow dent corn (~9.91%, db), and the mean protein content was higher (~1.70%, db). Although purple corn contained the highest amounts, four experimental varieties had high concentrations of polyphenols. Through HPLC analyses, a diverse mix of various anthocyanin forms, phenolic acids, and flavonoids were identified. The antioxidant potential of polyphenolic extracts from five varieties were evaluated using four different assays, and significant antioxidant activities were observed. Histological analysis was conducted on polyphenol-rich varieties, and most of the pigments were found to be concentrated in pericarp. The pericarp thickness was greatest for the variety containing the maximum polyphenolic compounds. Adapted colored corn varieties can be valorised to recover value-added polyphenolic compounds in line with the circular bioeconomic paradigm.
Empowering Efficient Human Pose Estimation with Semantic Splitting
Authors: Patel Harsh A. , Patel Dhaval K. , Shah Kashish D. , Saikia Manob Jyoti , Ranger Bryan J.
Published: June 2023

For real-world applications of human pose estimation (HPE), high efficiency and accuracy are essential.To achieve high accuracy, many state-of-the-art methods employ deep neural networks. However, these approachesoften utilize complex architectures, and performance may be compromised due to high levels of computationalcomplexity. To address this limitation, we propose a novel semantic splitting-based approach that aims to find amore optimal balance between accuracy and computational cost. We incorporate our approach into two existingbenchmarks: the stacked hourglass network, and the simple baseline network. Individual modules within ourproposed network estimate key points for particular body regions such as the upper body and lower body, leg, andhand. The hierarchical splitting of the network is based on different semantic features at each network stage. Thenetwork with this type of splitting needs fewer parameters to accomplish the HPE task, reducing the computationalcomplexity. We evaluated our proposed networks using two benchmark data sets: the MPII human pose data setand the 2017 Microsoft COCO key-point data set. Results demonstrate similar accuracy and a significant reductionin the number of network parameters compared to other state-of-the-art models. Our network is a lightweight andefficient approach for HPE that maintains a high accuracy at decreased computational cost, and has the potentialto be applied to other applications that use deep neural networks.
Study on the Efficiency Improvement, Photocatalytic Kinetics and Mechanism of Trace GO on TiO2 for Removing Cr(VI) under Visible Light Conditions
Authors: Wu Yinwei , Du Xu , Pan Jingyuan , Zhou Qiaoyun , Zhang Jinghong , Li Ming , Fu Dong
Published: June 2023

This work focuses on the enhancement of removal performance of titanium dioxide (TiO2) by the introduction of trace amout of graphene oxide (GO) composite. It was found that the GO-doped material had the highest performance in the improvement for Cr (VI) treatment after being compounded into TiO2 among various synthesis methods. The removal rate of hexavalent chromium by TiO2-GO(0.05%) was 95.96% which is 13.58% higher than that of TiO2. It can be confirmed that GO was successfully doped on TiO2 by XRD, XPS, and FT-IR characterizations. In addition, SEM, TEM, N2 adsorption isotherm, UV-Vis spectra, and photocurrent response elucidate the mechanism of potency enhancement. The addition of trace GO reduces the particle size of TiO2 and results in the agglomeration phenomenon of TiO2, so that the specific surface area of TiO2 becomes larger and the distribution is more uniform, which expands the photoresponse range, and elevating the photoelectron response, thus, the absorption ability of visible light is greatly improved. The reported method provides a more economical option for treating Cr(VI) wastewater.
The analysis of the genotype of Sapovirus outbreaks in Zhejiang Province
Authors: Su Lingxuan , Mao Haiyan , Sun Yi , Yan Hao , Ge Qiong , Zhang Yanjun , Gong Liming
Published: June 2023

Background
Sapovirus is an important causative agent of acute gastroenteritis in children. In addition, there are only a few reports on the genotype of Sapovirus in Zhejiang Province. Therefore, we analysed the genotypes of Sapovirus from seven outbreaks in the Zhejiang Province.
Methods
A total of 105 faecal samples from seven outbreaks of Sapovirus were collected from the Zhejiang Provincial Central for Disease Control and Prevention. The genotype was analysed using RT-PCR to perform Sanger sequencing, and next-generation sequencing was used to obtain a complete genome to analyse the amino acid mutations of the VP1 protein.
Results
According to the results, we found that there were four genotypes (GI.6, GI.1, GI.2, and GII.5) that were detected, with the higher detection rate of GI.6. Most patients were > 5 years old. Seven outbreaks often occurred in primary school and during the cold season. In addition, based on the alignment outcomes of whole sequences and the amino acid sequence of VP1, strain GI.6 induced outbreaks showed high homology. There were some substitutions in VP1.
Conclusion
There were diversity in genotypes of Sapovirus in seven outbreaks. And GI.6 might be the main genotype responsible for the Sapovirus outbreak in Zhejiang Province in 2022 with high homology, which might provide a reference for SaV prevention and control.
The effect of metformin on the efficacy and survival of patients with diabetes and prostate cancer: a meta-analysis
Authors: Li GuangZhi , Zhang Dongmei , Ni Jie , Wang Shizhen , Liu Xiang
Published: June 2023

Background
Current epidemiological data show that diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, is considered to be a complicated factor in the prevalence and prognosis of prostate cancer.
Methods
The computer retrieves four databases to obtain controlled trials at home and abroad on the efficacy and prognostic effect of metformin in patients with diabetes and prostate cancer. After a rigorous literature quality evaluation, we utilized the RevMan 5.3 software for analyzing the data.
Results
We included the 8 studies for this comprehensive meta-analysis. These studies were considered to be controlled or array trials. For comparing the test group and the control group, we collected the data recurrence rate from the 5 studies. We revealed that the 5-year recurrence rate was not statistically different (OR: 0.92; 95% Cl: 0.67,1.28; P = 0.631). Similarly, we found the 10-year recurrence rate (OR:0.81; 95% Cl: 0.25,2.58; P = 0.715), 5-year mortality rate (OR:0.66; 95% Cl: 0.14,3.11; P = 0.597), and 10-year mortality rate (OR: 0.44; 95% Cl: 0.26,0.74; P < 0.01). Although we found the asymmetrically distributed effective rate in the funnel plot analysis, publish bias was not potentially found in Egger’s test (P = 0.958).
Conclusion
This meta-analysis demonstrated that metformin is not potentially effective in patients with diabetes and prostate cancer, as evidenced by the 5-year recurrence rate, 10-year recurrence rate, 5-year mortality, and 10-year mortality, and the above conclusions need to be verified by more high-quality research.
Systematic analysis of apoptosis-related genes in the prognosis of Lung squamous cell carcinoma: a combined single-cell RNA sequencing study
Authors: Zhu Peiquan , Yang Wenxing , Wang Biao , Hu Zhi , Zhang Dengguo , Yang Ze , Wang Kaiqiang , Pu Jiangtao
Published: June 2023

Purpose
Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) has a poor prognosis and lacks appropriate diagnostic and treatment strategies.Apoptosis dysregulation is associated with tumor occurrence and drug resistance, but the prognostic value of apoptosis-related genes (ARGs) in LUSC remains unclear.
Methods
We constructed an ARGs model that can predict LUSC through univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and multivariate Cox regression analysis based on differentially expressed ARGs. We conducted correlation analysis of prognostic ARGs by combining the dataset of normal lung tissue from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. Then, we constructed a risk model and the predictive ability of the model was evaluated by using ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve) analysis. NSCLC single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Cell subgroups were determined and annotated by dimensionality reduction clustering, and the cell subgroups in disease development were clarified by establishing pseudotime analysis using Monocle.
Results
We identified four apoptosis prognostic genes and constructed a stable prognostic risk model. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the high-risk group had a poorer prognosis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the ROC curve confirmed that the model had good predictive value for LUSC patients. Through analysis of single-cell sequencing data, apoptosis prognostic genes were found to be enriched in epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and T cells. Pseudotime analysis was used to infer the differentiation process and time sequence of cells.
Conclusions
This study identified apoptosis-related genes that are associated with prognosis in LUSC, and constructed a risk model based on these prognostic genes that accurately predicts the prognosis of LUSC. Single-cell sequencing analysis provided new insights into the cellular-level development of tumors. These findings provide more guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of LUSC patients.
Deep Inspiratory Breath-hold Technique (DIBH) In Postoperative Radiotherapy For Patients With Left-sided Breast Cancer: Dosimetric Analysis, Clinical Evaluation, and Prediction
Authors: SHEN Jing , ZHANG Kun , Meng Xiangyin , Yang Bo , Ma Jiabin , Hu Ke , Hou Xiaorong , ZHANG Fuquan
Published: June 2023

Background: Radiotherapy has long been connected with a risk of cardiovascular disease. In order to help in the selection of DIBH patients for patients with left breast cancer who underwent radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery, our research aims to evaluate the dosimetric advantages of deep inspiration breath holding technique (DIBH) and the clinically available prediction criteria.
Materials and Methods: 58 patients with left breast cancer who had had breast conserving surgery were scanned with planned CT for free breathing (FB) and DIBH. The IMRT plan was created, the dosimetry and anatomical characteristics of the two groups were assessed and analyzed, myocardial enzymes were tested in all patients within 2 weeks before to, throughout, and 6 months after radiation. The paired t-test and correlation were evaluated using Pearson correlation. Linear regression is used to select prediction parameters.
Results: 1)The average cardiac dose Dmean of the DIBH group signifificantly dropped as compared to the FB group, 3.81 Gy vs 1.65 Gy, p=0.001, and the cardiac V40, V30, V25, V10, and V5 likewise dramatically decreased. LAD's mean and maximum doses both reduced signifificantly, with LAD Dmean 20.29 Gy and LAD Dmax 42.73 Gy and p values of 0.001 and 0.001, respectively. 2) 9/58 patients (15.51%) had changes in myocardial enzymes ,with CTnI was the most sensitive(5 patients) and 4 patients had changes in NTproBNP. Using the method of cross table and binary logic analysis, the changes of myocardial enzymes have no clear statistical correlation with other factors but the exposure dose of the heart, and the ROC curve analysis shows that AUC is 0.6. 3) When the average cardiac dose of Dmean is taken as cut-off 2Gy, SE and SP are both more than 0.7, and the incidence of cardiac events is high, Pearson coefficient is 0.874.
Conclusion: DIBH can significantly reduce the cardiac radiation dose of left breast cancer patients, and the cardiac radiation dose is strongly related to the changes of myocardial enzymes. The cardiac radiation dose Dmean more than 2Gy and the incidence of cardiac events can better screen patients with greater benefits from DIBH.