bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical Experimental Study on the Wave Reflection and Run-Up of a New Ecological Hollow Cube
Authors: Zhao Haitao , Ding Feiyue , Ye Junwei , Jiang Huabing , Chen Wei , Gu Weifang , Yu Gengfeng , Li Qiang
Published: March 2024

A new type of artificial block is proposed by modifying the traditional block. Based on the physical model experiment, the wave reflection and run-up characteristics of the new ecological blocks under regular waves were examined, and the influence of the height of the "planting trough" border on the hydrodynamic properties was analyzed. The results indicate that the wave reflection and run-up would decrease with a decrease in the breakwater slope. As wave height increases, wave run-up increases, and the reflection coefficient falls. Wave reflection and run-up increase with an increasing wave period. The relative depth of the water has a smaller impact on the wave reflection than the wave run-up. The reflection coefficient of the new ecological blocks is consistently lower than that of the conventional and continues to decrease as the border of the "planting trough" is raised. The raised borders prevent water loss in the trough, resulting in no significant improvement in the wave run-up performance of the new blocks. The reflection coefficient and the relative run-up R/H gradually increase with the average wave breaking parameter ξ increase. The crude permeability coefficients for the new blocks, New Heights 1 and New Heights 2, are 0.53, 0.53, and 0.54, respectively.
Nanofibrous ε-Polycaprolactone Matrices Containing Nano-Hydroxyapatite and Humulus lupulus L. Extract: Physicochemical and Biological Characterization for Drug Delivery Applications
Authors: Villanueva-Lumbreras Jaime A , Rodriguez Ciro , Aguilar María Rosa , Aviles-Arnaut Hamlet , Cordell Geoffrey A. , Rodriguez-Garcia Aida
Published: March 2024

Oral bone defects occur as a result of trauma, cancer, infections, periodontal diseases, and caries. Autogenic and allogenic grafts are the gold standard used to treat and regenerate damaged or defective bone segments. However, these materials do not possess the antimicrobial properties necessary to inhibit the invasion of the numerous deleterious pathogens present in the oral microbiota.
In the present study poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp), and a commercial extract of Humulus lupulus L. (hops) were electrospun into polymeric matrices to assess their po-tential for drug delivery and bone regeneration.
The fabricated matrices were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FT-IR assay, and in vitro hydrolytic degradation. The antimi-crobial properties were evaluated against the oral pathogens Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. The cytocompatibility was proved by the MTT assay. SEM analysis proved the nanostructured matrices have suitable fiber size.
The present research provides new information about the interaction of natural compounds with ceramic and polymeric biomaterials. The hop extract and other natural or synthetic medicinal agents can be effectively loaded into PCL fibers and has the potential to be used in biomedical applications.
ISLS: An Illumination-aware Sauce-packet Leakage Segmentation Method
Authors: You Shuai , Lin Shijun , Feng Yujian , Fan Jianhua , Yan Zhenzheng , Liu Shangdong , Ji Yimu
Published: March 2024

The segmentation of abnormal regions is vital in smart manufacturing. However, the existing segmentation system for detecting sauce-packet leakage on intelligent sensors encounters an issue of imaging blurring caused by uneven illumination. This issue adversely affects segmentation performance, thereby impeding the rapid production of industrial assembly lines. To alleviate this issue, we propose the two-stage Illumination-aware Sauce-packet Leakage Segmentation (ISLS) method for intelligent sensors. The ISLS comprises two main stages: Illumination-aware region enhancement and leakage region segmentation. In the first stage, YOLO-Fastestv2 is employed to capture the Region of Interest (ROI), which reduces redundancy computations. Additionally, we propose an image enhancement to relieve the impact of uneven illumination, enhancing the texture details of ROI. In the second stage, we propose a novel feature extraction network. Specifically, we propose the Multi-scale Feature Fusion Module (MFFM) and the Sequential Self-Attention Mechanism (SSAM) to capture discriminative representations of leakage. The multi-level features are fused by MFFM with a small number of parameters, which capture leakage semantics at different scales. The SSAM realizes the enhancement of valid features and the suppression of invalid features by adaptive weighting of spatial and channel dimensions. Furthermore, we generated a self-built dataset of sauce-packets, including 606 images with various leakage areas. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that our ISLS method shows better results than several state-of-the-art methods, with additional performance analyses deployed on intelligent sensors to affirm the effectiveness of our proposed method. Our code is available at https://github.com/LSJ5106/SauceDetect.
Heterotopic Ossification of Bilateral Hips Post–COVID-19 and Prolonged Immobilization
Authors: van de Langerijt Olaf N. , Groot Olivier Q. , Janssen Michiel M.A.
Published: March 2024

Case:

A 43-year-old healthy man developed hip pain post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) immobilization. Imaging confirmed bilateral bridging heterotopic ossification (HO) of the hips, Brooker Class IV. Bilateral HO caused functional arthrodesis (45° flexion: −20° internal rotation). Bilateral HO resection resulted in almost full mobility at 1-year follow-up (90° flexion; 30° internal rotation).

Conclusion:

Many cases of HO after immobilization for COVID-19 have been reported, but as far as we know, this is the first case report describing surgical intervention as an adequate treatment option for severe restricted mobility caused by HO due to COVID-19–induced prolonged immobilization. Caution and preoperative 3D planning are recommended of HO formation near neurovascular structures.
Antecubital Burn Resulting From Antenna Coupling
Authors: Paskey Taylor L. , Ren Mark , Arvind Varun , Tyler Wakenda K. , Bogue Jarrod T. , Strauch Robert J.
Published: March 2024

Case:

We present the case of a 54-year-old man who underwent elective hip disarticulation complicated by third-degree burn of the left antecubital fossa requiring skin graft. After careful review, it was determined that “antenna coupling” as a result of electrosurgery was the likely cause. We present an experiment demonstrating this phenomenon.

Conclusion:

Antenna coupling is a real but rare cause of intraoperative burns not previously described in the orthopaedic literature. Care should be taken to avoid coiling or running bovie or other electrosurgical device cords with other metallic cords or corded devices.
Optimization of Digital Platforms as Part of SEO-Based Digital Marketing Strategy to Appear on Google
Authors: Wijaya Naufal Ariq , Ade Eviyanti
Published: March 2024

This study aims to analyze the benefits of utilizing five digital platforms, namely Pinterest, ISSUU, Tumblr,Flickr, and Carousell, to appear in Google search. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method with datacollection techniques through observation, analysis, and documentation. The results of the study show that eachdigital platform has different characteristics and functions in digital marketing. Digital platforms also have theirown advantages and disadvantages in increasing visibility and relevance in Google search. This study providesrecommendations for products or services that want to use digital platforms as part of their SEO-based digitalmarketing strategy.
Assessing Food Safety Risks in Wafer Production
Authors: Yuwana Nurria Peppi , Wahyuni Hana Catur
Published: March 2024

Ensuring food safety and halal compliance is crucial for the competitiveness of food products, especially in Indonesia where issues with unsafe and non-halal food distribution persist. This research investigates the implementation of food safety and halal systems in the wafer production process. Through employee interviews and utilizing the 5W + 1H method, alternative strategies and risk controls are identified. The study reveals that the company's efforts to enhance food safety and halal compliance include implementing the HACCP system and the Halal Product Guarantee System. Observations indicate that continuous monitoring of the HACCP system in the production area is essential for improving food quality and safety. This research bridges a gap in understanding the implementation of food safety and halal systems in the food industry, providing insights for companies aiming to enhance their practices and meet regulatory requirements effectively.
Highlights :

Investigation into food safety and halal systems in wafer production.
Utilization of employee interviews and 5W + 1H method for analysis.
Implementation of HACCP and Halal Product Guarantee System to enhance compliance and quality.

Keywords : Food safety, halal compliance, wafer production, HACCP system, risk controls
Text Preprocessing on Emotional Tweets Case Study: Covid-19 Vaccine Rejection
Authors: Putri Dewi Melisa , Findawati Yulian
Published: March 2024

Emotion is a feeling, response, reaction to an event or event experienced by a person, can be expressed verbally (spoken) or non-verbally (body language). In the digital world, more precisely text-based social media, humans express their emotions by giving opinions through text / typing and there is a need for emotional analysis related to what opinions are conveyed by that person. Therefore, to overcome the above problems, it is necessary to classify to find out what type of emotion is conveyed in the text. Emotion classification is a technique to extract information in the form of a person's response or opinion on an issue or event which is then grouped based on the types of emotions. The opinions used will be taken from social media twitter. The types of emotion grouping are divided into seven classes, namely anticipation, pleasure, trust, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness. In this practical work, the author has created a dictionary that contains key words for each aspect of emotion
How to make manga more interesting to readers: Using lattices derived from rough sets
Authors: Matsui Tetsuya
Published: March 2024

In manga (comics) and Japanese animation, “symbol-base theory,” which has its roots in Azuma’s data base theory, is widely accepted. This theory suggests that the elements of a character can be arbitrarily combined, and the elements of appearance and inner personality correspond one-to-one with each other. Mastui and Gunji showed that a method for deriving lattices from rough sets can be used to disprove symbol-base theory in terms of the impressions readers have of characters. In this paper, I applied this method to manga. I hypothesized that manga that created a non-linear lattice is perceived to be more interesting than manga that created using a linear lattice and that manga created a non-linear lattice is perceived to have characters that are more easily distinguishable than manga created a linear lattice. To verify these hypotheses, I constructed three manga using the software “Koikatsu” and conducted an experiment on the web. All manga have the same story, only the character’s hair and tone are different. Character hairstyle and tone of voice create a linear or nonlinear lattice. Manga 1 and Manga 2 created linear lattices and Manga 3 created non-linear lattice. In the experiment, participants read the manga and were asked questions about their impression of it. After that, I conducted a one-way ANOVA on the results. The manga that did not have a one-to-one correspondence between hairstyle and tone and that created a non-linear lattice was perceived to be funnier than the other manga. Also, this manga had no disadvantages in terms of the perceived readability and the ease of distinguishing characters. These results question symbol-base theory.
Changes in the Iris and retinal vessel on optical coherence tomography angiography after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor in diabetic macular edema
Authors: Zou H-D , Jia Yanwen , Xue Wenwen , Tong Xiaowei , Wang Yulan , Cui Lipu
Published: March 2024

Objectives
Analyze quantitative changes of iris and retinal vessels in diabetic macular edema (DME) after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) and evaluate their correlations.
Methods
This was a case-cohort study. A total of 26 eyes of DME patients received anti-VEGF treatments and were reviewed three times of follow-up. Images of iris and retinal vessels were obtained before and after treatment and the area density of the vessel (VAD) and the density of the vessel skeleton (VSD) were quantitatively analyzed.
Results
There was no significant change in the iris VAD after the third injection (p > 0.05), but the VSD of iris decreased (p ＜0.05). Further linear regression analysis showed that the difference between postoperative and pretreatment iris VSD was negatively correlated with baseline(R = 0.793, B = -1.242, p = 0.000), but not with age, sex, and baseline visual acuity (all p > 0.05).
Conclusions
Iris vessels are more sensitive to anti-VEGF than retinal vessels.
Dopaminergic deficits along the spectrum of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Pilotto Andrea , Galli Alice , Sala Arianna , Caminiti Silvia , Presotto Luca , Liguori Claudio , Mercuri Nicola , Premi Enrico , Garibotto Valentina , Frisoni Giovanni , Chiaravalloti Agostino , Schillaci Orazio , D'Amelio Marcello , Paghera Barbara , Lucchini Silvia , Bertagna Francesco , Perani Daniela , Padovani Alessandro
Published: March 2024

Both post-mortem and in vivo data argue for dopamine dysfunction in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). However, the timing and regional progression of dopaminergic systems alterations in AD are still debated. Aim of the study was to investigate in vivo the pattern of dopaminergic changes and connectivity using DAT-SPECT imaging in patients across the AD spectrum. Fifty-nine A + T + N + AD patients (n = 21 MCI-AD; n = 38 AD-DEM) and n = 45 age and sex-matched controls (CG) entered the study and underwent 123I-FP-CIT dopaminergic imaging. The occipital binding was used as reference region to obtain single-subject binding in different brain regions. Between-groups differences in 123I-FP-CIT binding in both mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways were assessed using an ANCOVA test-adjusting for the effect of center of imaging acquisition, age, and sex. Regions resulting from the voxel-wise direct comparison between MCI-AD and AD-DEM were considered as a seed of interest for a voxel-wise interregional correlation analysis. Both MCI-AD and AD-DEM patients showed dopaminergic depletion within the basal ganglia, whereas cortico-limbic regions (namely hippocampus, amygdala, anterior and middle cingulate, frontal cortex and thalamus) resulted impaired only in the dementia phase. The brain voxel-wise interregional correlation analysis showed a progressive pattern of disruption of caudate/thalamus dopaminergic connectivity to hippocampus and amygdala from MCI-AD to AD-DEM stages. This study indicates basal ganglia dopaminergic alterations and connectivity disruption in the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic systems already in early stage AD, extending to several cortico-limbic regions in dementia phases.
Suicidal risk is associated with hyper-connections between frontal-parietal and limbic networks in patients with depression
Authors: Li Rena , Ren Yanping , Li Meiling , Yang Chunlin , Jiang Wei , Wu Han , Pan Ruiqi , Yang Zekun , Wang Xue , Wang Wei , Wang Wen , Jin Wenqing , Ma Xin , Liu Hesheng
Published: March 2024

Suicide is a complex behavior strongly associated with depression. Despite extensive research, an objective biomarker for evaluating the suicide risk precisely and timely is still lacking. Using the precision resting-state fMRI method, we studied 61 depressive patients with suicide ideation (SI) or suicide attempt (SA), and 35 patients without SI to explore functional biomarkers of suicide risk. Among them, 21 participants also completed electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment, allowing the examination of functional changes across different risk states within the same individual. Functional networks were localized in each subject using resting-state fMRI and then an individualized connectome was constructed to represent the subject’s functional brain organization. Compared to patients without SI, patients with suicide risk showed hyper-connectivity involving the frontoparietal network (FPN, p = 0.001). ECT treatment normalized these hyper-connections, with connectivity between the FPN and limbic system (LMB) showing the most significant reduction (p < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis indicated that the FPN-LMB connectivity was also significantly altered in the SA group compared to the SI group (p = 0.001), which may reflect the elevation of suicide risk across these two groups. These findings suggest that functional coupling between the FPN and LMB may constitute an important biomarker for evaluating suicide risk and may provide potential targets for interventions such as non-invasive brain stimulation.
Circuit mechanism underlying fragmented sleep and memory deficits
in 16p11.2 deletion mouse model of autism
Authors: Chung Shinjae , Choi Ashley , Smith Jennifer , Wang Yingqi , Shin Ray , Kim Bo Won , Wiest Alyssa , Xi Jin , An Isabella , Hong Jiso , Antila Hanna , Thomas Steven , Bhattarai Janardhan , Beier K , Ma Minghong , Weber Franz
Published: March 2024

Sleep disturbances are prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and have a major impact on the quality of life. Strikingly, sleep problems are positively correlated with the severity of ASD symptoms, such as memory impairment. However, the neural mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances and cognitive deficits in ASD are largely unexplored. Here, we show that non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMs) is highly fragmented in the 16p11.2 deletion mouse model of ASD. The degree of sleep fragmentation is reflected in an increased number of calcium transients in the activity of locus coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NE) neurons during NREMs. Exposure to a novel environment further exacerbates sleep disturbances in 16p11.2 deletion mice by fragmenting NREMs and decreasing rapid eye movement sleep (REMs). In contrast, optogenetic inhibition of LC-NE neurons and pharmacological blockade of noradrenergic transmission using clonidine reverse sleep fragmentation. Furthermore, inhibiting LC-NE neurons restores memory. Rabies-mediated unbiased screening of presynaptic neurons reveals altered connectivity of LC-NE neurons with sleep- and memory regulatory brain regions in 16p11.2 deletion mice. Our findings demonstrate that heightened activity of LC-NE neurons and altered brain-wide connectivity underlies sleep fragmentation in 16p11.2 deletion mice and identify a crucial role of the LC-NE system in regulating sleep stability and memory in ASD.
Perspectives of Biochar-Aided Advanced Oxidation Processes for the Remediation of Emerging Dyeing Contaminants
Authors: Katika Raveena Malkari , Mandapati Ramesh Naidu , Tondepu Subbaiah , Davuluri Syam Babu , Boddu Sumalatha
Published: March 2024

Biochar-aided Advanced Oxidation Processes (BC-AOPs) have emerged as a novel and promising method for degrading wide organic contaminants in water and wastewater treatment. In this investigation, the principles, processes, and possible applications of BC-AOPs are highlighted. AOPs produce highly reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH), to oxidize and mineralize organic contaminants. Biochar, a carbonaceous material derived from biomass pyrolysis, serves as a catalyst or support in AOPs, enhancing their efficiency and stability. Biochar distinctive physicochemical features, such as large pore volumes, functional groups, and high surface area, contribute to its catalytic role in enhancing OH production. The combination of biochar and AOPs creates synergistic effects, enabling the degradation of a wide range of recalcitrant dyeing contaminants, inclusive of many industries. BC-AOPs offer several advantages, including low-cost materials, versatility, and the potential for sustainable synthesis through the utilization of various biomass residues. However, challenges remain in optimizing biochar characteristics, understanding reaction kinetics, and evaluating the long-term stability and reusability of biochar in AOPs. BC-AOPs hold significant promise as an effective and environmentally friendly technology for water and wastewater treatment, contributing to the mitigation of water pollution and ensuring water resource sustainability.
Forecasting strong subsequent events in the Italian territory: a National and Regional application for NESTOREv1.0
Authors: Brondi Piero , Gentili Stefania , Giovambattista Rita Di
Published: March 2024

The Italian territory is one of the most seismically active areas in Europe, where Strong Subsequent Events (SSEs), in combination with the strong mainshock effects, can lead to the collapse of already weakened buildings and to further loss of lives. In the last few years, the machine learning-based algorithm NESTORE (Next STrOng Related Earthquake) [Gentili and Di Giovambattista 2017, 2020, 2022, Gentili et al. 2023, Anyfadi et al. 2023] was proposed and used to forecast clusters in which the mainshock is followed by a SSE of similar magnitude. Recently, a first new version of a MATLAB package based on this algorithm (NESTOREv1.0) has been developed to improve SSE forecasting for research purpose and on-line sharing (Gentili et al. 2023). In our analysis, we considered both a nationwide and a regional approach for Italy, by studying the seismicity recorded over the last 40 years in two areas covering most of the Italian territory and northeastern Italy, respectively. In both approaches, using two dedicated catalogs, we trained NESTOREv1.0 on the clusters occurring approximately in the first 30 years of catalogues and we evaluated its performance on the last 10 years. The results showed that 1 day after the mainshock occurrence the rate of correct SSE forecasting is larger than 85% in both areas, supporting the application of NESTOREv1.0 in the Italian territory. Furthermore, by training the software on the entire period available for the two catalogs, we obtained good results in terms of near-real-time class forecasting for clusters recorded from 2021 onward.
Sarbecovirus RBD indels and specific residues dictating multi-species ACE2 adaptiveness
Authors: Yan Huan , Si Junyu , Chen Yuanmei , Gu Mengxue , Sun Yehui , Huang Meiling , Shi Lulu , Yu Xiao , Yang Xiao , Xiong Qing , Ma Chengbao , Liu Peng , Shi Zhengli
Published: March 2024

Sarbecoviruses exhibit varying abilities in using angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor1-3. However, a comprehensive understanding of their multi-species ACE2 adaptiveness and the underlying mechanism remains elusive, particularly for many sarbecoviruses with various receptor binding motif (RBM) insertions/deletions (indels)4-11. Here, we analyzed RBM sequences from 268 sarbecoviruses categorized into four RBM indel types. We extensively examined the capability of 14 representative sarbecoviruses and their derivatives in using ACE2 orthologues from 51 bats and five non-bat mammals. We revealed that most sarbecoviruses with longer RBMs (type-I), present broad ACE2 tropism, whereas viruses with single deletions in Region 1 (type-II) or Region 2 (type-III) generally exhibit narrow ACE2 tropism, typically favoring their hosts’ ACE2. Sarbecoviruses with double region deletions (type-IV) exhibit a complete loss of ACE2 usage. Subsequent investigations unveiled that both loop deletions and critical RBM residues significantly impact multi-species ACE2 tropism in different ways. Additionally, fine mapping based on type-IV sarbecoviruses elucidated the role of several clade-specific residues, both within and outside the RBM, in restricting ACE2 usage. Lastly, we hypothesized the evolution of sarbecovirus RBM indels and illustrated how loop length, disulfide, and adaptive mutations shape their multi-species ACE2 adaptiveness. This study provides profound insights into the mechanisms governing ACE2 usage and spillover risks of sarbecoviruses.
Assessment of Rainfall Variability in Ladakh amidst of evolving Climate
Authors: Singh Richa , Bhatla Rajeev
Published: March 2024

Ladakh is characterized by a cold desert and fragile ecosystem that is geographically connected to the Western Himalaya and highly susceptible to changing climate. In the current scenario, the region is receiving more extreme rain events, which have disturbed ecosystem balance and triggered disasters like flash floods and landslides. Therefore, a comprehensive study of rainfall patterns over the past 90 years has been done here, which provides insight into climate trends. In this study, the rainfall pattern has been statistically quantified on a tricadal (30-year period) and decadal (10-year period) basis from 1932 to 2021 by using gridded rainfall data from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to analyze changes in rainfall in all four seasons, namely pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter, and calculate the trends by using non-parametric tests like Mann-Kendall (MK) and Sen’s slope. The results indicate that certain seasons have seen higher rainfall than others. This study employs the precipitation concentration index (PCI) for rainfall variation estimation, accounting for overlapping time segments. PCI values show uniform and highly concentrated rainfall, which indicates the potential for extreme weather events. The study indicates a decadal shift possibly linked with broader climate cycles along with an increased frequency of extreme rain events. Long-term trends are visible in the tricadal analysis, with increased pre-monsoon rainfall in T1 (1932–1961) and decreased monsoon and post-monsoon rainfall in T2 (1962–1991) and T3 (1992–2022). This study is useful in water resources management, agriculture, and ecosystem services.
Long-Term Coastal Observatory-High Frequency Radar Commissioning Process and Considerations
Authors: Fuller Christopher , Ernest Andrew , Scoggins Mitch , Haselbach Liv , Wu Xing , Ogbodo Cletus , Fitzgerald Rosa
Published: March 2024

High Frequency Radar (HFR) has gained world-wide use as a land based remote sensing technology capable of measuring ocean surface currents and ocean waves at ranges up to 200 km or more. Regional HFR networks support a variety of services including support for search and rescue, marine spill response, and resource management operations. HFR data is also applicable to validate and calibrate hydrodynamic models that are used to forecast storm-surge and combined flooding. Long-term time series data are also needed to assess changes in ocean/estuary currents in response to changes in climate, hydrology, and major coastal infrastructure. The main objective of this paper is to document the commissioning process for Coastal HFR networks to measure estuary currents in Galveston Bay and Sabine Lake Texas in Southeast Texas. The general process included several steps including: site selection, site access negotiation, permitting, station design, station commissioning, network operation and maintenance, and long-term resilience considerations, many of which also used data from remote sensing platforms. To some degree, these processes could be considered sequential, however in practice intermediate steps were essentially iterative in nature. Differing from a document focused on best practices for HFR deployment, this paper provides an overview of technical and administrative considerations involved in the establishment of long-term environmental observatories.
Relation Between Albumin multiply by high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and severity of coronary stenosis
Authors: He Li , Chen Sisi , Zhu Xuan , He Fang
Published: March 2024

Objective The relationship between serum albumin (ALB), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c) and cardiovascular events is well established. However, few studies have explored the relationship between these two indicators in combination and CHD. Therefore, we will explore its association with the degree of coronary heart disease and predict the severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients with coronary heart disease. Methods We included 937 patients who underwent coronary angiography and reviewed their general conditions and laboratory test results for retrospective analysis. According to Gensini score, CHD patients were divided into mild, moderate and severe coronary artery stenosis, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to detect the relationship between serum indicators and the severity of coronary artery stenosis. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors affecting the severity of coronary artery disease. Results Compared with the control group, the level of ALB*HDL-c in the CHD group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the subgroups of coronary artery disease, the severe disease group differed greatly from the other three groups as the degree of coronary disease increased. Gensini score was negatively correlated with ALB*HDL-c. Multiple regression analysis showed that ALB*HDL-c was significantly correlated with coronary heart disease. ALB*HDL-c is an independent predictor of CHD. ROC analysis showed that the critical value of ALB*HDL-c to predict CHD was 40.599, the sensitivity of 84.1% and the Yoden index of 0.475 could predict CHD, and the area under ROC curve was 0.804 (95% CI 0.772 to 0.837, P < 0.001). Conclusion ALB*HDL-c is an independent risk factor for CHD, which is closely related to coronary artery stenosis and can be used as an independent indicator of the severity of coronary artery stenosis.
Rapid degradation of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate by dielectric barrier discharge synergized with persulfate: Performance, mechanism, pathway and toxicity assessment
Authors: Duan Yu , Dong Bingyan , Li Zhendong , Wang Peixiang , Tan Yanwen , Zhang Qin
Published: March 2024

In this study, a dielectric barrier discharge reactor was designed for the rapid and efficient degradation of methylparaben (MeP), an organic pollutant in wastewater. The superiority of the degradation performance against MeP was jointly evaluated by degradation, voltage-current waveform plots, kinetic curves, energy efficiency and synergy factor. The single DBD discharge performance was investigated and it was determined that the coaxial electrode structure achieves an optimal energy consumption of 0.28 g/kWh at a dielectric tube thickness of 1 mm gas gap of 2 mm peak voltage of 21 kV.The degradation rate of MeP reached 70.1% after 15 min of treatment at discharge frequency of 7.8 kHz, aeration flow rate of 8 L/min, initial MeP concentration of 30 mg/L and pH=7. The DBD synergized persulfate (PS) system conforms to first-order kinetics, with a kinetic constant increase of 0.080 min-1 over single DBD. The highest synergy factor was 2.50 at a PS addition of 15 mM, and the highest energy efficiency was 0.99 g/kWh at an initial concentration of 90 mg/L of MeP. Common inorganic anions, CO2-3 promoted degradation, SO2- 4 inhibited degradation, Cl-and HPO2-4 had little effect. •OH, •O-2, and SO-4• all participate in the reaction, with •O-2 contributing the most. H2O2 and O3 were equally involved in degradation.The actual intermediates of the degradation process were identified by LC-MS and combined with DFT calculations to predict the MeP degradation pathway, and toxicity analysis by QSAR model.
The Application of Wing-shaped Window Decompression Device in the Treatment of Large Odontogenic Keratocyst: A Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Liu Haifeng , Liu Kai , Zhou Nuo , Huang Xuanping
Published: March 2024

Background: In order to improve the decompression and drainage effects after marsupialization of large Odontogenic Keratocyst in the jawbone, a new type of cyst plug was designed, and the feasibility of its clinical application was explored.
Methods: A total of 42 patients with large Odontogenic Keratocyst requiring decompression were included and randomly divided into two groups: Control group (n=21) and Experimental group (n=21). Patients in the Control group underwent traditional drainage tube insertion, while patients in the Experimental group received personalized wing-shaped plug. The clinical efficacy of the wing-shaped plug was evaluated, and the postoperative recovery time of the two groups of patients was compared.
Results: The average wearing time of the wing-shaped plug was approximately 14 months. Compared to the control group, the treatment duration was shortened by about 3 months, with better fit, comfort, less food residue, minimal irritation to surrounding tissues, aesthetically pleasing appearance, and less experienced pain.
Conclusion: The adaptive wing-shaped plug provides better prognosis for patients undergoing decompression of Odontogenic Keratocysts and holds significant potential in clinical application.
Deciphering the Synergistic Influence of Bacterial Proliferation and EPS Secretion on Soil Water Dynamics
Authors: Wang Qiandan , Li Shengtao , Lu Ying , Shi Min , Wu Yuhui , Yang Yuesuo , Zhu Yingqi
Published: March 2024

Bio-clogging is critical to the efficiency of soil aquifer treatment. Herein, utilized a percolation recharge device to investigate dynamic changes in biofilm and the corresponding response changes of three typical hydraulic properties of media within the percolation column. The results revealed that the biofilm exhibited a five-stage growth morphology: bacterial stage, colony stage, biofilm with filamentous EPS stage, biofilm with mesh EPS stage, and dense biofilm stage. The hydraulic conductivity exhibited nonuniform decay across five stages: initial fluctuation period, swiftly declining period, accelerated declining period, gently decreasing period, and equilibrium stabilizing period. Both bacteria and EPS contribute to the attenuation of the infiltration properties. Due to its hydrophilic nature, EPS played a more prominent role in storing and dispersing water. As such, significant changes in water holding capacity and material transport mechanism occurred at EPS secretion onset. From 0-18h, bacterial colonisation enhanced water-holding capacity somewhat, whereas the hydraulic dispersion coefficient gradually rose. After 18 hours, a substantial amount of extracellular polymers were produced, considerably enhanced water-holding capacity and altered medium migration from convection to dispersion.
Integrative analysis of the immunological features and immunotherapy response of positive regulators of T cell function in colorectal cancer
Authors: Pu Ke , Gao Jingyuan , Feng Yang , Hu Jian , Tang Shunli , Yang Guodong , Xu Chuan
Published: March 2024

Background: The positive T-cell function regulators (PTFRs), known for their role in T-cell proliferation and activation, have emerged as potential prognostic indicators in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the influence of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the response to immunotherapy remains unclear.
Methods: In this study, we conducted an analysis of PTFR related CRC subtypes based on highly ranked prognostic PTFRs using four independent transcriptome datasets. By identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in two subtypes, we constructed a PTFR risk model using LASSO and Cox regression techniques. Subsequently, we investigated the association between the TFPR risk model and various factors including survival time, clinical information, TME characteristics, tumor mutation profile, microsatellite instability (MSI), Cell stem cells (CSC) index, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
Results: The PTFR risk model exhibited significant predictive ability for CRC, enabling the estimation of immune cell content, HLA expression levels, immune checkpoint blade expression, mutation burden, CSC index characteristics, and immunotherapeutic efficacy.
Conclusions: These findings contribute to our understanding of PTFRs in CRC development and introduce a novel assessment system for CRC immunotherapy, enhancing our ability to predict treatment outcomes and personalize therapeutic approaches.
Recent inter-seasonal variability of EDW in the North Atlantic using Volume Index
Authors: Sonfack Brice - Rousvel , Mpame Guilène , Nzeukou Armand , Kenfack-Sadem Christian , Vondou appolinaire Derbertini , Sandjon Alain Tchakoutio
Published: March 2024

The inter-annual, intra-seasonal, and seasonal variability of Eighteen Degree Water (EDW) volume was investigated in this paper using a new metric called the Volume Index (VI), based on the vertical integration of ocean’s layer probability to have a temperature in the mode water range over a given time range t. It has been applied to BOA-Argo datasets from 225,792 existing temperature profiles for the period 2004-2019 over the Subtropical North Atlantic region and sought to capture the variability of EDW volume. Monthly North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) data from CRU and ENSO data from PSL-NOAA have also been used and compared to the trend of the EDW volume variability to understand its cause. We have analyzed the total volume of EDW during winter (JFM) and summertime (JAS) and have compared their signal and the major results of this paper demonstrate the total volume of EDW is more important in summer (JAS) than in winter (JFM). Our study has shown the EDW total volume fluctuates around 60Svy reaching its maximum at 72Svy. In addition, the EDW total volume fluctuates around 65Svy with values varying between 55-72Svy in summer, while it is around 52Svy with values varying between 41-106Svy in winter. The Inter-annual variability brought out a slight increase from 2004 to 2008, a signal oxalate around a stable from 2008 to 2014, and a remarkable downward trend during 2014- 2017. Volume Index displayed a good stratification of EDW in the ocean. NAO correlates well with the noticeable downward trend in EDW volume during 2015-2017. Intra-seasonal variability also showed the same downward trend in both winter and summertime. We equally have observed the weak signal of the EDW volume during the winter season of 2011, which is also well correlated with El Niño 2009-2011. Finally, the metric VI, the method of Volume Index proved to be an efficient analysis tool to capture the variability of EDW volume with a statistical uncertainty of around 0.1.
Proportion of Vitiligo and Associated Factors Among Patients Visiting Dermatology Opd in Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital and Addisalem Primary Hospital, Bahirdar City, Ethiopia,2023.
Authors: kibret girum , teklit abel , abebe Yared , ADMASSU ELENI , gemechu robel
Published: March 2024

Background vitiligo is a chronic acquired pigmentary disorder that results from the loss of functioning melanocytes resulting in white patches of skin and is rarely accompanied by itching. Different studies show the prevalence and associated factors of vitiligo in developing and developed countries, but studies are limited in our country.Objective this study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitiligo and factors associated among patients visiting the dermatologic outpatient department at Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital and Addisalem Primary Hospitals Bahir Dar from September 15 to November 15, 2023, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted using SPSS version 26, multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used.Result out of 460 patients that visited the outpatient clinic, 243 (52.8%) were females, and 133(28.9%) were between 25–34 years. The prevalence of vitiligo was 34 (7.4%). Residence, Family history of vitiligo, and Aggravating factors (Trauma) were significant predictors of Vitiligo at p < 0.05. Rural residents were 3 times more likely to be affected by vitiligo than urban residents (AOR: 3.18; 1.10–9.18). family history of vitiligo had 2 times more chance to be affected by vitiligo (AOR: 2.20; 2.16–4.76). In addition, patients who have aggravating factors have a great chance of being affected by vitiligo (AOR: 1.08; 1.01–2.08).Conclusion vitiligo prevalence is notably high, with generalized vitiligo being the most frequent type. The highest prevalence occurs within the 14–24 age group. We suggest intensifying awareness campaigns among young adults in this age bracket to educate them about the condition, including its causes, symptoms, and available treatment options.
Quantum Annealing-aided Design of an Ultrathin-Metamaterial Optical Diode
Authors: Kim Seongmin , Park Su-Jin , Moon Seunghyun , Zhang Qiushi , Kim Sun-Kyung , Luo Tengfei , Lee Eungkyu
Published: March 2024

Thin-film optical diodes are important elements for miniaturizing photonic systems. However, the design of optical diodes relies on empirical and heuristic approaches. This poses a significant challenge for identifying optimal structural models of optical diodes at given wavelengths. Here, we leveraged a quantum annealing-enhanced active learning scheme to automatically identify optimal designs of 130 nm-thick optical diodes. An optical diode is a stratified volume diffractive film discretized into rectangular pixels, where each pixel is assigned to either a metal or dielectric. The proposed scheme identifies the optimal material states of each pixel, maximizing the quality of optical isolation at given wavelengths. Consequently, we successfully identify optimal structures at three specific wavelengths (600, 800, and 1000 nm). In the best-case scenario, when the forward transmissivity is 85%, the backward transmissivity is 0.1%. Electromagnetic field profiles reveal that the designed diode strongly supports surface plasmons coupled across counterintuitive metal–dielectric pixel arrays. Thereby, it yields the transmission of first-order diffracted light with a high amplitude. In contrast, backward transmission has decoupled surface plasmons that redirect Poynting vectors back to the incident medium, resulting in near attenuation of its transmission. In addition, we experimentally verify the optical isolation function of the optical diode.
Interaction between type 2 diabetes and past COVID-19 on active tuberculosis
Authors: Calles-Cabanillas Liz E. , Aguillón-Durán Genesis P. , Ayala Doris , Caso José A. , Garza Miguel , Joya-Ayala Mateo , Cruz-Gonzalez America M. , Loera-Salazar Raul , Prieto-Martinez Ericka , Rodríguez-Herrera Javier E. , Garcia-Oropesa Esperanza M. , Thomas John M. , Lee Miryoung , Torrelles Jordi B. , Restrepo Blanca I.
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND
The global setback in tuberculosis (TB) prevalence and mortality in the post-COVID-19 era have been partially attributed to pandemic-related disruptions in healthcare systems. The additional biological contribution of COVID-19 to TB is less clear. The goal of this study was to determine if there is an association between COVID-19 in the past 18 months and a new TB episode, and the role played by type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) comorbidity in this relationship.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 112 new active TB patients and 373 non-TB controls, identified between June 2020 and November 2021 in communities along the Mexican border with Texas. Past COVID-19 was based on self-report or positive serology. Bivariable/multivariable analysis were used to evaluate the odds of new TB in hosts with past COVID-19 and/or DM status.
RESULTS
The odds of new TB were higher among past COVID-19 cases vs. controls, but only significant among DM patients (aOR 2.3). The odds of TB given DM was 2.7-fold among participants without past COVID-19 and increased to 7.9-fold among those with past COVID-19.
CONCLUSION
DM interacts with past COVID-19 synergistically to magnify the risk of TB. Latent TB screening and prophylactic treatment, if positive, is recommended in this COVID-19/DM/latent TB high-risk group.
A Framework for Game Theoretic Model for Cyber Treats Prevention
Authors: philip Adisa Solagbade , Olufisoye Akanbi Caleb , Kazeem Ogundoyin Ibrahim
Published: March 2024

The dynamic nature of cyber treatspresents formidable challenges in thwarting and managing cyberspace. Conventional security measures often lag-behind swiftly evolving tactics employed by cybercriminals, necessitating a more proactive approach. This paper introduces a framework that advocates for the integration of game theoretic models to introducestrategies for preventing cyber threats. The framework explores how attackers and defenders interact in the cyber using ideas from Non-Cooperative Non-Zero-Sum game theory and linear algebra was used to formulate the model. By comprehensively analyzing and modeling the decision-making processes of both parties, it becomes possible to implement proactive measures that fortify cybersecurity defenses. Two distinct performance metrics—residual energy and success rate—were used to assess the model's effectiveness. The results show that, under realistic assumptions, the model developed obtained an amazing success rate of 99.65%. This implies that a non-cooperative non-zero-sum approach can be put into place to improve the system's defence against cyber threats.
Identification of Therapeutic Potential of Triazole Antifungal Drugs in Psoriasis using Network Pharmacological Approach
Authors: Satpathy Rimpal , Sahu Nilanchala , Nagpal Dheeraj , Madan Swati , Ahmed Sarfaraz , Alam Perwez , Saxena Shikha
Published: March 2024

Psoriasis (PSO) is a chronic immune-mediated skin condition characterized by abnormal keratinocyte growth and inflammation. Clinical occurrences have hinted to a potential connection between fungi and psoriasis as several Malassezia species and Candida Albicans species have been linked to distinct psoriasis subtypes. Triazoles Antifungal drugs have been used mainly to treat Fungal diseases. In this study, we intend to find out different target mechanism pathway through which triazoles drugs can act in the pathophysiology of psoriasis by Network pharmacology approach. Utilizing Swiss Target Prediction, GeneCard, Pharmmapper, Venn diagram analysis, String database, and Cytoscape, the study identified 76 mutual targets out of 4492 for psoriasis and 294 for triazole derivatives. The PPI network highlighted core targets such as CASP3, CCL5, SRC, PPARG, STAT1, MMP9, EGFR, IL2, ESR1, and AKT1. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis unveiled relevant pathways, including proteoglycans in cancer and Th17 cell differentiation. The network pharmacology study and molecular docking method shows multi-target pathway mechanism of triazole antifungal drugs.