bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utility of synthetic MRI in distinguish benign and malignant breast lesions and further in predicting the expression status of immunohistochemistry markers in breast cancer
Authors: Li Xiaojun , Fan Zhichang , Jiang Hongnan , Niu Jinliang , Bian Wenjin , Wang Chen , Wang Ying , Zhang Runmei , Zhang Hui
Published: August 2022

Objective To evaluate and compare the performance of synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (SyMRI) in classifying benign and malignant breast lesions and predicting the expression status of immunohistochemistry (IHC) markers.Methods We retrospectively analysed 121 patients with breast lesions who underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and SyMRI before surgery in our hospital. DCE-MRI was used to assess the lesions, and then regions of interest (ROIs) were outlined on SyMRI (before and after enhancement), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps to obtain quantitative values. After being grouped according to benign and malignant status, the breast lesions were divided into high and low expression groups according to the expression status of IHC markers. Logistic regression was used to analyse the differences in independent variables between groups. The performance of the modalities in classification and prediction was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Results In total, 57 of 121 lesions were benign, and the other 64 were malignant. Quantitative values from proton density-weighted imaging prior to an injection of the contrast agent (PD-Pre) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) after the injection (T2-Gd), as well as its standard deviation (SD of T2-Gd), were valuable SyMRI parameters for the classification of benign and malignant breast lesions, but the performance of SyMRI (area under the curve, AUC=0.716) was not as good as that of ADC values (AUC=0.853). However, ADC values could not predict the expression status of breast cancer markers, for which SyMRI had excellent performance. The AUCs of androgen receptor (AR), oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), p53 and Ki-63 were 0.687, 0.890, 0.852, 0.746, 0.813 and 0.774, respectively.Conclusions SyMRI had certain value in distinguishing between benign and malignant breast lesions, and ADC values were still the ideal method. However, to predict the expression status of IHC markers, SyMRI had an incomparable value compared with ADC values.
Reliability and Validity of a Global Physical Activity Questionnaire Adapted for use Among Pregnant Women in Nepal
Authors: Algallai Noha , Martin Kelly , Shah Krupali , Shrestha Kusum , Daneault Jean-Francois , Shrestha Archana , Shrestha Abha , Rawal Shristi
Published: August 2022

Background: Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in optimizing health outcomes throughout pregnancy. In many low-income countries, including Nepal, data on the associations between PA and pregnancy outcomes are scarce, likely due to the lack of validated questionnaires for assessing PA in this population. Here we aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of an adapted version of Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) among a sample of pregnant women in Nepal. Methods: A pilot cohort of pregnant women (N=101; age 25.9±4.1 years) was recruited from a tertiary, peri-urban hospital in Nepal. An adapted Nepali version of GPAQ was administered to gather information about sedentary behavior (SB) as well as moderate and vigorous PA across work/domestic tasks, travel (walking/bicycling), and recreational activities, and was administered twice and a month apart in both the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Responses on GPAQ were used to determine SB (min/day) and total moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA; min/week) across all domains. GPAQ was validated against PA data collected by a triaxial accelerometer (Axivity AX3; UK) worn by a subset of the subjects (n=21) for seven consecutive days in the 2nd trimester. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and Spearman’s rho were used to assess the reliability and validity of GPAQ.Results: Almost all of the PA in the sample was attributed to moderate activity during work/domestic tasks or travel. On average, total MVPA was higher by 50 minutes/week in the 2nd trimester as compared to the 3rd trimester. Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, almost all of the participants were classified as having a low or moderate level of PA. PA scores for all domains showed moderate to good reliability across both the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, with ICCs ranging from 0.45 (95%CI: (0.17, 0.64)) for travel PA at 2nd trimester to 0.69 (95%CI: (0.51, 0.80)) for travel PA at 3rd trimester. Agreement for total MVPA was higher in the 3rd trimester compared to 2nd trimester [ICCs 0.62 (0.40, 0.75) vs. 0.55 (0.32, 0.70)], whereas the opposite was true for SB [ICCs 0.48 (0.19, 0.67) vs. 0.64 (0.46, 0.76)]. There was moderate agreement between the GPAQ and accelerometer for total MVPA [ICC=0.55 (0.0, 0.8)] while the agreement between the two was poor for SB [ICC=0.35 (0.0, 0.7)]. Conclusions: The modified GPAQ appears to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing moderate PA, but not SB, among pregnant women in Nepal.
Identification of extracellular matrix-related prognostic biomarkers and their role associated with multiple myeloma
Authors: Li Shuai , Zheng Zhenzhong , Wang Bing
Published: August 2022

Background: The extracellular matrix (ECM) has progressively gained prominence in multiple myeloma (MM), however, poorly understood is the prognostic role of ECM-related genes in MM. This project aimed to construct a prognostic signature and brought a new theoretical support for MM patients (TRN: ChiCTR8529409910, Data: October 23).Methods: Expression data from MM samples in GSE24080 and GSE57317 were downloaded and analyzed. Subsequently, prognostic signature was constructed. The underlying mechanism analysis was interpreted by gene ontology (GO) analysis, kyoto encyclopedia of genes genomes (KEGG), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). In addition, the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) and Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) algorithms were utilized to predict the sensitivity of MM patients to chemotherapy and immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment. Also, potential drugs were predicted for the treatment of MM. A classifier for predicting ICB response was constructed. Finally, we validated KCTD3 expression and function in MM cells.Results: After a series of downscaling, FABP5, XK, KCTD3, CISH, CCSAP, BCAR3, LATS2, TRIM59, TRIM2 and FKBP1B were maintained and applied to construct a prognostic feature, and then a risk score was calculated. Patients in the high-risk group stratified by median risk score had a poorer prognosis. The risk score had a high accuracy [area under curve (AUC) > 0.7]. 138 small molecule compounds with potential targeting risk score were predicted for MM patients through the Connectivity Map (CMap) database. In addition, a classifier capable of accurately predicting immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) responses was constructed. KCTD3 has high expression in MM, and KCTD3 silencing inhibited MM cell proliferation.Conclusion: This study provided a reliable prognostic signature for MM and suggested the potential compounds for prognostic treatment of MM. Also, our study offered a sizable reference for ICB treatment prediction in MM.
Accounting for Skill Premia across Countries and Time
Authors: Schroeder Sarah
Published: August 2022

This paper uses the structure of a two-sector two-factor model to attribute changes in the skill premium across countries to three potential sources: (i) changes in the relative abundance of skilled workers, (ii) technological change and (iii) market size effects due to external economies of scale. I employ the development and growth accounting methodology as analytic tool to assess the relative importance of each one of these channels in explaining changes in the skill premium across countries and time. My findings add to the growing evidence that there is hardly any association between changes in the relative supply of skills and the observed evolution of the skill-premium. Furthermore, I show that the measure of the importance of market size effects governs the strength of the relationship between technological change and the skill-premium. Moreover, for strong enough economies of scale, an increase in the relative supply of skills increases the the skill premium. Importantly, this finding points out that the scale of the economy is an important factor in shaping developments of the skill premium, independent of the specific features of technological change.JEL Classification: E24 , I24 , J21 , J14 , J31
Comparing visual cortex of children and adults reveals a late-stage change in the architecture of V1
Authors: Himmelberg Marc , Tünçok Ekin , Gomez Jesse , Grill-Spector Kalanit , Carrasco Marisa , Winawer Jonathan
Published: August 2022

Adult visual ability differs markedly with stimulus polar angle location: relative to fixation, visual performance is best for stimuli along the horizontal, intermediate for stimuli along the lower vertical, and poorest for stimuli along the upper vertical meridian of the visual field. These polar angle asymmetries in visual performance are paralleled by cortical asymmetries in the visual field representation in primary visual cortex (V1). Whereas children, like adults, have better performance for stimuli along the horizontal than vertical meridian, children show no difference in performance for stimuli along the lower vs upper vertical meridian. Is the difference in visual performance between children and adults matched by a difference in the amount of V1 surface area representing these regions? We used fMRI to measure the distribution of cortical surface representing the visual field in children (n=24) and adults (n=24). Two properties of the V1, V2, and V3 maps were mature in children –overall map surface area and surface area variation as a function of eccentricity. Further, like adults, children had greater V1 surface area representing the horizontal than vertical meridian. However, unlike adults, children did not have greater V1 surface area representing the lower than upper vertical meridian. These data indicate a late-stage change in the architecture of V1 that may drive the emergence of a visual performance asymmetry along the vertical meridian by adulthood.
Enhanced activity of West North Pacific typhoons in response to anthropogenically-forced weakening of the Indian summer monsoon
Authors: Sagar Aswin , Krishnan R. , Sabin T.P.
Published: August 2022

The West North Pacific (WNP) is a breeding ground for tropical cyclones (TC) all through the year with peak activity during August-September, in contrast to the North Indian Ocean where tropical cyclones (TC) are observed mainly during April-June and October-December but suppressed in July-August due to the strong vertical wind shear of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM). Interannual variations in the WNP tropical cyclones (typhoons) are known to be closely linked to El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) with higher number of typhoons forming during El Nino phases as compared to La Nina; however the response of WNP typhoon to human-induced climate change is not well understood. Here, we compare two sets of high-resolution climate model simulations for the historical period 1951-2005 viz., HIST [includes both natural (solar irradiance, volcanic aerosols) and anthropogenic forcing (greenhouse gasses (GHG), aerosols and land use land cover changes)] and HISTNAT (natural-only forcing) to understand the influence of climate change on the ISM and WNP typhoon activity. It is found that an anthropogenically-forced weakening of the ISM circulation, largely due to the influence of Northern Hemispheric aerosols which oppose the GHG forcing, tends to significantly enhance the genesis potential of WNP typhoons. Our results suggest that a forced weakening of the ISM circulation reorients the large-scale flow over the tropical Indo-Pacific in a manner that is conducive for enhanced WNP typhoon genesis through enrichment of low-level relative vorticity, while the intensified mid-latitude westerlies over the Far East and North Pacific region steer the WNP typhoons to move northward with recurving tracks. Additionally the area of extremely low sea-level pressure (SLP) around Taiwan and mainland China is substantially larger in the anthropogenically- forced simulation as compared to the natural run.
Theoretical modeling and experimental study on grinding force of straight groove structured grinding wheel
Authors: Yi Jun , Yi Tao , Deng Hui , Chen Bing , Zhou Wei
Published: August 2022

Structured grinding wheel has obvious advantages in reducing grinding force, and the structural parameters of grinding wheel have important influence on the reduction effect of grinding force. In order to determine the influence law of structural parameters on grinding force, the following theoretical modeling and experimental research work are carried out in this paper. Firstly, single grit scratching experiments of the workpiece material are carried out to determine the critical cutting depth for ploughing and cutting transition. The influences of structural parameters on the maximum undeformed chip thickness and the average contact arc length during grinding are analyzed in detail. The abrasive grains are simplified into a cone with a cone apex angle of 120 degrees, the surface topography model of the structured grinding wheel is established according to the measured results of the distribution law of abrasive grains on the surface of the grinding wheel and the structural characteristic parameters. Combined with the grinding force model of single abrasive grain in ploughing and cutting stages, the calculation model of grinding force in the grinding process of straight groove structured grinding wheel is established. Finally, grinding experiments are carried out to verify the accuracy of the theoretical grinding force model. The results show that the calculated values of grinding force are in good agreement with the experimental values, and the maximum calculation errors of tangential grinding force and normal grinding force are 14.5% and 11.8%, respectively. It is found that when the intermittent ratio of structured grinding wheel is constant, the groove width has little influence on grinding force. However, when the groove width is constant, the intermittent ratio has a great influence on the grinding force, and with the increase of the intermittent ratio, the grinding force decreases obviously.
Increasing Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index and Pregnancy Outcomes in the United States: Analysis of the US Vital Statistics Records (2015-2019)
Authors: AKINYEMI OLUWASEGUN , Tanna Resham , Adetokunbo Stella , Omokhodion Ofure , Fasokun Mojisola , Akingbule Akinwale , Martins Chidi , Ajogbasile Oluwole , Fakorede Mary , Ogundipe Tayo , Filani Oladunni
Published: August 2022

Background: With 42% of adult Americans obese and 2/3rd of Americans overweight or obese, increased body mass index (BMI) is fast becoming normalized. There is a need to continue highlighting the association between pre-pregnancy obesity and adverse pregnancy outcomes in the country. The aim of the present study is to determine the association between increasing pre-pregnancy BMI and pregnancy outcomes.Methods: We utilized the United States Vital Statistics records to collate data on all childbirths in the United States between 2015 and 2019. We determined the association between increasing pre-pregnancy BMI and adverse pregnancy outcomes using multivariate analysis. Neonatal outcomes measures include the 5-min Apgar score, neonatal unit admission, neonates receiving assisted ventilation > 6 hours, neonatal antibiotics use, and neonatal seizures. Maternal outcomes include cesarean section rate, mothers requiring blood transfusion, unplanned hysterectomy, and intensive care unit admission. In addition, we controlled for maternal parameters such as race/ethnicity, age, insurance type, and preexisting conditions such as chronic hypertension, and prediabetes. Other covariates include paternal race, age and education level, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), induction of labor, weight gain during pregnancy, gestational age at delivery, and delivery weight. Results: We studied 15 627 572 deliveries in the US vital statistics records between 2015 and 2019. Among these women, 3.36% were underweight, 43.19% were with a normal BMI, 26.34% were overweight, 14.73% were in the obese class I, 7.23% were in the obese class II, and 5.14% in the obese class III. Increasing pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with significant adverse outcomes across all measures of maternal and neonatal outcomes. Conclusion: Increasing pre-pregnancy body mass index is associated with significant adverse pregnancy outcomes. Since pre-pregnancy BMI is a modifiable risk, women should be encouraged to lose weight before pregnancy to improve pregnancy outcomes.
The Observation of Rare, but Strong Individual Increase of Self-Reported Sexual Arousal while being Confronted with Experimental Sexual Stimuli – an Issue for Forensic Research?
Authors: Jordan Kirsten , Fromberger Peter , Müller Isabel , Wild Tamara , Müller Jürgen
Published: August 2022

Confronting persons with sexual stimuli to measure sexual interest is common practice in experimental forensic research. In own projects, the presentation of such stimuli resulted in strong individual increase of subjective sexual arousal in some participants and premature study termination for one forensic inpatient due to increased emotional lability and decompensation. It cannot be excluded that the confrontation with sexual images could have increased the risk for (sexual) recidivism in these few patients. Thus, we exploratively analyzed individual, self-indicated sexual arousal of 241 forensic inpatients, outpatients and non-forensic participants before and after being confronted with sexual stimuli in three different experiments. We found moderate, but significant increase in experienced subjective sexual arousal after all experiments. Looking at individual cases, up to 14% of participants indicated high sexual arousal values. The patients among them were more likely to be diagnosed with paraphilia (pedophilia) or affective disorders, and to receive anti-depressive treatment. We assume a higher emotional lability or/and reduced emotion regulation abilities in those patients. By means of this data analysis, we want to sensitize researchers to potentially dangerous consequences of sexual stimulus presentation. A careful weighing up of anticipated scientific knowledge gain and a potentially increased risk of recidivism or decompensation seems indispensable.
Lactoferrin affects fertilization, implantation, and pregnancy in rats
Authors: Massa Estefanía , Gola Aldana , Moriconi Marianela , Celso Agustina Lo , Madariaga María José , Pelusa Fabián , Ghersevich Sergio
Published: August 2022

Lactoferrin (LF) is present in the oviduct, reduces in vitro gamete interaction, and affects sperm capacitation parameters in humans. Our aim was to investigate LF actions on further stages of the reproductive process in the Wistar rat model. Motile sperm were obtained from cauda epididymis to assess LF binding by direct immunofluorescence and LF effect on acrosome reaction (AR) using a Coomassie blue staining. After ovarian hyperstimulation of female rats, oocytes were surgically recovered and coincubated with motile sperm and different doses of LF to estimate the in vitro fertilization (IVF) rate. To evaluate the LF effect on pregnancy and embryo implantation, female rats (80 days old) were placed with males and received daily intraperitoneal injections of LF during one complete estrous cycle (pregnancy experiments) or during the first 8 gestational days (implantation experiments). The number of pregnant females and live born pups was recorded after labor. Moreover, the number of implantation sites was registered during the implantation period. LF was able to bind to the sperm head, midpiece, and tail. Ten and 100 µg/ml LF stimulated the AR but reduced the IVF rate. The administration of 100 and 200 mg/kg LF significantly decreased the number of implantation sites and the litter size, whereas 100 mg/kg LF declined the pregnancy rate. The results suggest that LF might interfere with the reproductive process, possibly interfering with gamete interaction or inducing a premature AR; nevertheless, the mechanisms involved are yet to be elucidated.
Single Stage Long Lifespan LED Driver using Resonant Converter
Authors: JUNAID K A MOHAMED , SUKHI Y , JEYASHREE Y , AHAMED A FAYAZ
Published: August 2022

This paper proposes novel approach to design single stage LED driver which suppresses the ripples in the lamp. This converter assures high power factor in the input supply side. The resonant elements limit the ripple current which passes through the lamp. Because of the resonant elements in the circuit, the bulk capacitance is eliminated and film capacitors are used, better efficiency and discontinuous conduction assures high power factor. Load power is controlled by the variation of duty cycle of the MOSFET switches with constant frequency. Design values of the converter elements are calculated using the equations derived during the modes of operation. Experimental setup is built for 24W LED lamp and results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed LED driver.
Constructing Molecular Bridge for High-Efficiency and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells based on P3HT Hole Transport Material
Authors: Xu Dongdong , Gong Zhiming , Jiang Yue , Feng Yancong , Wang Zhen , Gao Xingsen , Lu Xubing , Zhou Guofu , Liu Jun-Ming , Gao Jinwei
Published: August 2022

Poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is one of the most attracting hole transport materials (HTMs) for the pursuing of stable, low-cost and high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the poor contact and the severe recombination at P3HT/perovskite interface lead to a low power conversion efficiency (PCE). Thus, we have constructed a molecular bridge, MDN, whose malononitrile group can anchor the perovskite surface while triphenylamine group can form π − π stacking with P3HT, to form a charge transport channel. In addition, MDN was also found effectively passivate the defects and reduce the recombination to a large extent. Finally, a PCE of 22.87% has been achieved with MDN doped P3HT (M-P3HT) as HTM, much higher than the efficiency of PSCs with pristine P3HT. Furthermore, MDN gave the un-encapsulated device an enhanced long-term stability that 92% of its initial efficiency has been maintained even after two months of aging at 75% relative humidity (RH) followed by one month of aging at 85% RH in the atmosphere, and the PCE has not been changed after operating at the maximum power point (MPP) under 1 sun illumination (~ 45oC in N2) over 500 hours.
Unsupervised EEG Preictal Interval Identification in Patients with Drug-resistant Epilepsy
Authors: Leal Adriana , Curty Juliana , Lopes Fábio , Pinto Mauro F. , Oliveira Ana , Sales Francisco , Bianchi Anna M. , Ruano Maria G. , Dourado António , Henriques Jorge , Teixeira César
Published: August 2022

Typical seizure prediction models aim at discriminating interictal brain activity from pre-seizure electrographic patterns. Given the lack of a preictal clinical definition, a fixed interval is widely used to develop these models. Recent studies reporting preictal interval selection among a range of fixed intervals show inter- and intra-patient preictal interval variability, possibly reflecting the heterogeneity of the seizure generation process. Obtaining accurate labels of the preictal interval can be used to train supervised prediction models and, hence, avoid setting a fixed preictal interval for all seizures within the same patient. Unsupervised learning methods hold great promise for exploring preictal alterations on a seizure-specific scale.
Multivariate and univariate linear and nonlinear features were extracted from scalp electroencephalography (EEG) signals collected from 41 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy undergoing presurgical monitoring. Nonlinear dimensionality reduction was performed for each group of features and each of the 226 seizures. We applied different clustering methods in searching for preictal clusters located until two hours before the seizure onset.
We identified preictal patterns in 90% of patients and 51% of the visually inspected seizures. The preictal clusters manifested a seizure-specific profile with varying duration (22.9±21.0 minutes) and starting time before seizure onset (47.6±27.3 minutes). Searching for preictal patterns on the EEG trace using unsupervised methods showed that it is possible to identify seizure-speciﬁc preictal signatures for some patients and some seizures within the same patient.
In-situ suture based on a nasoseptal mucosal flap for repair of grade 3 leaks associated with an expanded endoscopic endonasal approach
Authors: Song Pingan , Hu Guowen , Xiong Yuanyuan , Lv Shigang , Li Shaoguang , Xu Jiang , Guo Hua , Wu Lei
Published: August 2022

Background
To investigate the reliability and efficacy of a modified technique for preventing postoperative grade 3 leaks associated with an expanded endoscopic endonasal approach (EEEA).
Method
This study was a retrospective review of 33 patients who presented with intraoperative grade 3 leaks after the use of an EEEA for resection of skull base lesions from January 2017 to February 2022. Patients who received the conventional method from January 2017 to December 2019 were included in Group A. Patients who received the modified in-situ suture technique from 2020 onward were included in Group B. The Whitney test and chi-square test or Fisher's exact test were conducted to analyze the differences in several postoperative outcomes between the two groups.
Result
Five cases of postoperative CSF leaks and a single intracranial infection occurred in Group A. No postoperative CSF leaks or intracranial infection occurred in Group B. The in-situ suture technique avoided the need to take autologous fat and fascia lata from the thigh (p < 0.001), reduced postoperative bed rest (p < 0.001), and decreased the incidence of postoperative CSF leaks (p = 0.049) and the total hospital stay (p = 0.011). No significant differences in re-repair, hospitalization costs or postoperative intracranial infection were noted between the two groups.
Conclusion
This modified technique could represent an effective and safe option for repairing grade 3 leaks associated with the EEEA. In the future, the focus should be on increasing the number of surgeries and continuing follow-up to monitor and evaluate the long-term efficacy of this approach.
Inevitable-Metaverse: A Novel Twitter Dataset for Public Sentiments on Metaverse
Authors: Hayawi Kadhim , Shahriar Sakib , Serhani Mohamed Adel , Alothali Eiman
Published: August 2022

Metaverse has emerged as a novel technology with the objective to merge the physical world into the virtual world. This technology has seen a lot of interest and investment in recent times from prominent organizations including Facebook which has changed its company name to Meta with the goal of being the leader in developing this technology. Although people in general are excited about the prospects of metaverse due to potential use cases such as virtual meetings and virtual learning environments, there are also concerns due to potential negative consequences. For instance, people are concerned about their data privacy as well as spending a lot of their time on the metaverse leading to negative impacts in real life. Therefore, this research aims to further investigate the public sentiments regarding metaverse on social media. A total of 86565 metaverse-related tweets were used to perform lexicon-based sentiment analysis. Furthermore, various machine and deep learning models with various text features were utilized to predict the sentiment class. The BERT transformer model was demonstrated to be the best at predicting the sentiment categories with 92.6% accuracy and 0.91 F-measure on the test dataset. Finally, the implications and future research directions were also discussed.
Magnetic anchor technique assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection for early esophageal cancer
Authors: Pan Min , Zhang Miaomiao , Xu Shuqin , Lyu Yi , Yan Xiaopeng
Published: August 2022

Esophageal cancer has high incidence globally and is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. This study intends to explore the feasibility and applicability of magnetic anchor technique (MAT)-assisted ESD for early esophageal cancer. Isolated pig esophagus was used as the experimental model, and the magnetic anchor device was designed by us. The soft tissue clip and the target magnet (TM) were connected by a thin wire through a small hole at the tail end of the TM. Under gastroscopic guidance, the soft tissue clip was clamped to the edge of the lesioned mucosa, which was marked in advance. By changing the position of the anchor magnet (AM) outside the esophagus, the pulling force and pulling direction of the TM could be changed, thus exposing the mucosal peeling surface and assisting the ESD. Herein, MAT-assisted ESD was successfully completed for 10 isolated esophageal putative mucosal lesions. During the entire experiment, the TM remained firmly connected with the soft tissue clip and did not affect the opening, closing, and release of the soft tissue clip. The interaction between the TM and AM could provide sufficient tissue tension and completely expose the mucosa, which greatly assists the surgeon with the operation. There was no avulsion of the mucosa, and mucosal lesions were intact when peeled. We found MAT-assisted ESD safe and feasible for early esophageal cancer. It could greatly improve the endoscopic operation experience and showed good clinical application prospects.
Geospatial Variabilities and Trends in Extreme Agroclimatic Indicators in the Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Chalchissa Fedhasa Benti , Diga Girma Mamo , Feyisa Gudina Legese , Tolossa Alemayehu Regassa
Published: August 2022

Floods, droughts, and heat waves are becoming more common in Ethiopia, inflicting havoc on the country's rain-fed agricultural productivity. The objective of the study was to investigate the patterns and volatility of the extreme agroclimatic indicator in the Jimma zone. Raw data of daily rainfall temperatures from ten weather stations recorded between 1991 and 2020 was processed using the Climate Impact version 2 (ClimPact2) tool to extract extreme agroclimatic indicators. A regression model and descriptive statistics were used, respectively, to examine the spatial and time-series patterns of the 12 significant extreme agroclimatic indicators that were selected from a total of 27. The geographic distribution of the variables was displayed using ArcMap. The results show that the coefficient of variation for the number of consecutive dry days, the number of days with heavy rain, very heavy rain, and extremely heavy rain is greater than 30%. The annual mean of consecutive dry days was 35 days per year, with a 44% coefficient of variation. The minimum and maximum values of the indicators were recorded at Gera (11 days per year) and Omo-Nada (77 days per year), respectively. The total annual average rainfall was extremely heavy (248.28 mm) and very heavy (59.80 mm), with very high coefficients of variation of 45 and 62%, respectively. The western and northeastern portions of the research area were eroded as a result of these rainfall extremes. The eastern portion of the research area was impacted mostly by the coldest day temperatures, the warmest day temperatures, and consecutive dry days. The number of cool nights and cool days both dropped significantly at all stations, while the number of warm nights, cold (TXn), and warm (TXx) daytime temperatures over the study area. There can be no dispute regarding the socio-economic effects of climate variability and change, which are increasingly being detected to harm residents because of a significant increase in agroclimatic extreme events. It is suggested that studies on the impacts of agroclimatic indicators on agriculture be conducted.
South–South Trade and Economic Growth: Panel Data Tests of Africa’s Market Integration
Authors: Musila Jacob , Yiheyis Zelealem
Published: August 2022

Policymakers in the South have initiated several regional trading schemes in the last four decades aimed at increasing South-South trade believing that it will help achieve rapid economic growth and development. Although many analysts have examined the impact of regional trade arrangements on South-South trade, little is known about the impact of South-South trade on economic growth of the member states. This paper uses panel data for the period 1996-2018 to estimate the impact of intra-African trade on economic growth of 47 African countries. Applying the instrumental variable – fixed effects and Driscoll – Kraay standard errors estimation approach, we obtain negative and statistically significant relationships between real GDP per capita growth and the various measures of intra-African trade intensity. Our empirical results suggest that the gain to African countries is higher with multilateral trade expansion than with only an expansion of intra-African trade. Besides trade, we also find that traditional factors such as rate of investment and institutional quality have significant and positive influences on real GDP per capita growth.JEL: C33, F15, O47, O55
Accounting for complex intracluster correlations in longitudinal cluster randomized trials: a case study in malaria vector control
Authors: Ouyang Yongdong , Kulkarni Manisha A. , Protopopoff Natacha , Li Fan , Taljaard Monica
Published: August 2022

Background: The effectiveness of malaria vector control interventions is commonly evaluated using parallel-arm cluster randomized trials with outcomes assessed using repeated cross-sectional surveys. A key requirement in designing and analyzing cluster randomized trials is to account for the intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC). In addition to exchangeable correlation (which assumes a constant ICC over time), correlation structures proposed for longitudinal cluster trials are block exchangeable (which allows a different within- and between-period ICC) and exponential decay (which allows the between-period ICC to decay at an exponential rate). More flexible correlation structures that do not require a decay are available in statistical software packages and, although not formally proposed for longitudinal cluster trials, may offer some advantages. Our objectives were to empirically explore the impact of these correlation structures on treatment effect inferences, identify gaps in the methodological literature, and make practical recommendations for investigators designing and analyzing such trials.Methods: We obtained data from a longitudinal parallel-arm cluster randomized trial conducted in Tanzania to compare four different types of insecticide-treated bed-nets. Malaria prevalence was assessed in repeated cross-sectional surveys of 45 households in each of 84 villages at baseline, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months post-randomization (19,083 children in total). We re-analyzed the data using mixed-effects logistic regression according to a prespecified analysis plan but under five different correlation structures as well as a robust variance estimator under exchangeable correlation and compared the estimated correlations and treatment effects.Results: The estimated correlation structures varied substantially across different models. The unstructured model was the best-fitting model based on information criteria. Although point estimates and confidence intervals for the treatment effect were similar, allowing for more flexible correlation structures led to different conclusions based on statistical significance. Use of robust variance estimators generally led to wider confidence intervals.Conclusion: More flexible correlation structures should not be ruled out in longitudinal cluster randomized trials. This may be particularly important in malaria trials where outcomes may fluctuate over time. In the absence of robust methods for selecting the best-fitting correlation structure, researchers should examine sensitivity of results to different assumptions about the ICC.
Analysis of the Unsteady Surface Pressure Distribution of a Pitching Airfoil using Modal Decomposition
Authors: Nikoueeyan Pourya , Naughton Jonathan
Published: August 2022

This work presents an exploratory attempt to understand how modal decomposition can be utilized for characterizing the behavior of the unsteady surface pressure distribution on a pitching airfoil. The unsteady aerodynamics of a thick airfoil geometry across a wide range of conditions were studied. Analyzing the pressure distributions across cases with different levels of flow separation yielded results that exhibited transitional behavior that encouraged modal analysis. The utility of the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition in capturing the distinct physical features of the unsteady pressure distribution was then evaluated. The first four global spatial modes extracted from surface pressure data resemble important and understandable attributes of the pressure distribution for an oscillating airfoil. The four-mode description sufficiently reconstructs the surface pressure data even for conditions with complex unsteady flow interactions. The resulting reconstructed pressure distributions can be used to approximate lift and moment coefficients with good accuracy.
The antifungal effects of the essential oils of Artemisia argyi and Acorus tatarinowii on Panax notoginseng root rot disease
Authors: Ling Cui-Qiong , Liao Hong-Xin , Nie Hong-Yan , Wen Jin-Rui , Xu Fu-Rong , Dong Xian
Published: August 2022

Essential oils (EOs) have a potent antifungal effect. Traditional Chinese medicines Artemisia argyi and Acorus tatarinowii have significant research value. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to examine the chemical components of EOs from two therapeutic products. Panax notoginseng root rot pathogenic fungi were employed as target strains. The effect of EOs on pathogenic fungi was confirmed using the Oxford cup method and the chessboard method. The findings revealed that the two EOs as well as their principal chemical components exhibited potent inhibitory effects on pathogenic P. notoginseng. The combination of A. argyi, A. tatarinowii and hymexazol improved the inhibition of Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani. This finding demonstrates that EO has strong antifungal properties and has the potential to be widely manufactured and used in agriculture. Thus, it is hypothesized that understanding the antifungal activity of plant EOs, such as those from A. argyi and A. tatarinowii, will aid in the resolution of agricultural cultivation problems, such as crop diseases caused by P. notoginseng, and lay the groundwork for the future development of green pesticides.
Synergistic effect of oxaliplatin and nanocurcumin in dendrosomal carrier to inhibits ovarian cancer cells invasion and metastasis through the long non-coding RNA MEG3
Authors: Hosseini Elahe Seyed , Zarei Marziyeh Alizadeh , Kashani Narjes Riahi , Kashani Hamed Haddad , Nikzad Hossein
Published: August 2022

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a common female cancer with a high mortality rate. Maternally Expressed Gene 3 (MEG3) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) located on chromosome 14q32.3 and act as an anti-tumor factor in various cancers. In this study we aimed to determine the role of siRNA–mediated MEG3 knockdown under dendrosomal nanocurcumin (DNC) and Oxaliplatin (OXA) treatment on ovarian cancer cell lines, also the expression levels of cancer-associated gene of Bcl-2, BAX, MMP-2 and MMP-9.Methods: We performed the MTT assay, flow cytometry for cell cycle analysis and Annexin V-FLUOS approach to evaluate the apoptosis, transwell migration and invasion assay in ovarian cancer cell lines. The expression analysis of lncRNA MEG3 and Bcl-2, BAX, MMP-2 and MMP-9 genes was also done using real-time PCR. Results: As result, we found MEG3 expression was significantly increased in two cell lines while it was in a time-dependent manner with OXA (24h and 48h) (P <0.01) and DNC (24h and 48h) (P <0.001) in OVCAR3 cell line. Also, siRNA-meditated MEG3 could significantly suppress many aspects of DNC and OXA anticancer effects in ovarian cancer cell lines. Real time analysis data demonstrated the increased expression of MMP-2 only in DNC (P <0.01) and combination treatment (P <0.001) and increased MMP-9 expression level only in OXA treatment after MEG3 downregulation (P <0.01).Conclusion: The findings of the current study illustrate MEG3 knockdown potentially can affect anti-cancer effects of DNC treatment in migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cell lines by change the expression levels of metastasis-associated genes MMP-2 and MMP-9. Then, it seems DNC and OXA combination treatment act as novel and efficient therapy in ovarian cancer, also MEG3 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for drug –resistance ovarian cells.
Comparison of Functional and Oncological Outcome of Conformal Sphincter Preservation Operation, Low Anterior Resection and Abdominoperineal Resection in Very Low Rectal Cancer; A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study with Propensity Score Matching
Authors: Sun Ge , Lou Zheng , Zheng Kuo , Chen Yuntao , Zhang Hang , Wen Rongbo , Gao Xianhua , Meng Ronggui , Gong Haifeng , Bai Chenguang , Furnée Edgar J.B. , Zhang Wei
Published: August 2022

Purpose: Conformal sphincter preservation operation (CSPO) procedure is a sphincter preservation procedure for preserving the anal canal function for very low rectal cancers. This study investigated the functional and oncological outcome of conformal sphincter preservation operation by comparing with low anterior resection (LAR) and abdominoperineal resection (APR).
Methods: This is a retrospective comparative study. Patients who received conformal sphincter preservation operation (n=52), low anterior resection (n=54) or abdominoperineal resection (n=69) were included between 2011 and 2016 in a tertiary referral hospital. Propensity score matching was applied to adjust the baseline characteristics which may influence the choice of the surgical procedure.
Results: Twenty-one pairs of conformal sphincter preservation operation vs. low anterior resection and 29 pairs of conformal sphincter preservation operation vs. abdominoperineal resection were selected. The first group had a higher tumor location than the second group. Compared with the low anterior resection group, the conformal sphincter preservation operation group had shorter distal resection margins, however, no significant differences were identified in daily stool frequency, Wexner incontinence score, local recurrence, distant metastasis, overall survival, and disease-free survival between both groups. Compared with the abdominoperineal resection group, the conformal sphincter preservation operation group had shorter operative times and shorter postoperative hospital stay. No significant differences were identified in local recurrence, distant metastasis, overall survival, and disease-free survival.
Conclusion: Conformal sphincter preservation operation is oncologically safe compared to APR and LAR, and has similar functional findings to LAR. Studies comparing CSPO with intersphincteric resection should be performed.
Does matching degree matter for proximal femoral intramedullary nail on reoperation rate in intertrochanteric fractures?
Authors: Wang Fei , Zou Ji-Long , Shang Jian
Published: August 2022

IntroductionPrevious articles reported on the tip-apex distance, lag screw placement, fracture pattern, reduction quality, osteoporosis and other factors associated with second surgery. The current study focused on investigating the association of the matching degree between proximal femoral intramedullary nail and femoral medullary cavity on reoperation rate.Patients and methodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted. It included patients with intertrochanteric fracture who were treated with proximal femoral anti-rotatory intramedullary nail (PFNA) between January 2016 and April 2021. The gap between the intramedullary nail and the femoral medullary cavity was equal to the difference in diameter between the two. According to the gap size, all patients were divided into three groups, as follows: high-matching group: gap ≤ 2 mm; middle-matching group: 2 < gap < 4 mm; and low-matching group: gap ≥ 4 mm. The mean gap was measured through standard images. The primary observational index was whether the reoperation was needed, and secondary observational indexes included operative time, length of hospital stay. Patient characteristics were recorded, as follows: age, sex, follow-up time, fracture pattern, reduction grade and length of intramedullary nail.ResultsA total of 203 eligible patients were recorded, including 78 males (38.4%) and 125 females (61.6%). They had a mean age of 77.8 ± 9.9 years old and an average follow-up time of 58.1 ± 24.0 weeks. Twenty-seven patients (13.3%) needed a second operation. Coxa varus combined with screw cutting was the most common reason for reoperation (11 cases). Unstable fracture pattern with poor reduction grade tended to contribute to reoperation, whose odds ratio (OR) was 6.61 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.98–22.09; p = 0.002). The three groups had 11 cases (13.7%), 12 cases (13.8%) and 4 cases (11.1%) of reoperation respectively and logistic regression showed no significant association was noted between matching degree of intramedullary nail and reoperation rate.ConclusionsThe matching degree between proximal femoral intramedullary nail and femoral medullary cavity did not seem to be an important factor for reoperation, which offered more options of intramedullary nail size intraoperatively and reduced implants stock from inventory.
Climatological changes in rain distributions at different rain-rates under Qinghai-Tibet Plateau warming during 1981-2060
Authors: Ayantobo Olusola Olaitan , Wei Jiahua , Wang Guangqian
Published: August 2022

Climatological changes in rainfall affect the Tibetan Plateau’s eco-hydrological processes and water resource regimes. To better understand these changes, we examined how rain amount distribution (RAD) and rain frequency distribution (RFD) has changed as well as future change under Tibetan Plateau warming. Daily rain accumulation from two observed datasets (Climate Prediction Center and Climate Forecast System Reanlysis) and CMIP6 models for SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585 are used to estimate RAD and RFD at each grid point. To capture the full range of rainfall from light to heavy, we used logarithmically distributed rain-rate bins, whose coordinates enable mathematical operations. This means that each rain-rate bin is a percentage wider in log coordinates than the previous one, with the same bin center. Results showed that RAD magnitudes varied from 0.74 to 0.93 mm/day at moderate rain-rates, with the broadest and narrowest curves occurring in 2011-2020 and 1991-2000, respectively. These distributions changed strongly from moderate to higher rain-rates at 2.8 mm/day/K. Further, RFD magnitudes ranged from 13.03% (1991-2000) to 13.51% (2011-2020), with a negative response at light rain-rates (-10.33%/K) and positive response at moderate rain-rates (10 %/K). Under future warming, RAD magnitudes were around 0.42 mm/day for the SSPs at moderate rain-rates, which shifted to higher rain-rates, implying that the RAD curve will become larger with more rain at higher rain-rates. Besides RAD whose response was around 2.85%/K under SSP126 at light rain-rate, most SSP126 responses were negative at light rain-rate but shifted positively and increased with SSP245 and SSP585 at higher rain-rates. This study will raise awareness of unexpected future events by showing how rain distribution changes with global warming.