bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Prevalence of Anemia and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Clinic at ALERT Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2022
Authors: Mohammed Fuad Ahmed , Woldegiorgs Juhliad Lebenu , Taye Tehetena Assefa
Published: December 2023

Background: Anaemia is a condition when there are not enough red blood cells to meet the body's physiologic needs, which affects their ability to carry oxygen. Women who are expecting are among the most vulnerable demographics. Anemia is present in roughly 36.5% of pregnant women. Pregnant women are encouraged to take iron-folate supplements, eat foods high in iron, and avoid intestinal worms in order to prevent anaemia. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at ALERT hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: A Hospital based descriptive cross sectional study on the sample of pregnant women was conducted using constructed questionnaire to explore prevalence of anemia and associated risk factors from July 4, 2022 - August 4, 2022 GC. A simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 174 pregnant women. The data was collected by trained two Nursing professionals being under supervision by the principal investigator. Then, it was cleaned, entered and analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 statistical software and MS excel.
Results: One hundred and thirty one (75.3%) of the pregnant women were less than 30 years of age with the mean age being 27.06 + 5.049 years. 156 (89.7%) were third trimester pregnant women, 121 (69.5%) were multigravid. 164 (94.3%) had taken Iron-folic acid supplement tablets, 1o9 (66.5%) had good adherence and 145 (83.3%) had good knowledge on iron-folic acid tablets supplements. The prevalence of anemia was 6.9% while 75% (9 out of 12) were mildly anemic and 25% (3 out of 12) were moderately anemic. Less frequent consumption habit of meat and animal products was associated with anemia in pregnancy
Conclusion and Recommendations: The majority of them were at third trimester of their pregnancy and multigravid. The majority had taken IFAS and most had good adherence and knowledge to IFAS. Frequent feeding habits of meat and animal products during pregnancy is recommended.
Whether the log-likelihood ratio-based IVF-PGTA assay is a more efficient method？
Authors: Li Shaoying , Luo Yang , He Jianchun , He Wenzhi , Lin Shuangru , Zhang Mincong , Kong Lingyin , Liang Bo , Li Qing , Li Lei
Published: December 2023

At present, two different bioinformatic analysis for both chromosomal ploidy and parental contamination detection were reported to be applied in conventional in-vitro fertilization (cIVF) embryo for PGT. One is based on the informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) loci combined with parental genetic information. IVF-PGTA assay is performed for chromosomal ploidy with a regular PGT-A analysis algorithm and for contamination testing with a log-likelihood ratio (LLR) based prediction model. However, which method is more efficient for IVF-PGT is unknown. Comparative research with the effectiveness of two different methods for IVF-PGT is conducted with 17 clinical cIVF embryos. Results shows that with two different bioinformatic analysis, no parental contamination is detected among 51 cIVF embryonic specimens. Moreover, the rate of chromosomal ploidy concordance is 100%, the rate of diagnostic concordance between TE1/TE2 and ICM is 76.5% (13/17). However, in view of the cost and practicability, LLR-based IVF-PGTA maintains high accuracy at coverage of just 0.03×, and parental genetic information is not required for contamination testing. LLR-based IVF-PGTA assay shows more economical and efficient than SNP-based analysis. This comparative study provides a more efficient treatment for IVF-PGT, especially for couples with non-male factor infertility.
The efficacy and safety of hybrid arch debranching and open total arch replacement for aortic arch reconstruction: a meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Meng , Wang Chen-xi , Chen Tong-yun , Chen Qing-liang , Jiang Nan
Published: December 2023

Background
The present meta-analysis was to explore the long-term prognostic differences between traditional open total arch replacement (OTAR) and hybrid arch repair (HAR) for aortic arch-related pathological disease.
Methods
We searched the PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases for studies published during the period from January 2009 to January 2019. Survival information was extracted from the Kaplan-Meier curve included in the study with Engauge Digitizer software. A meta-analysis was performed to compare early postoperative mortality, overall survival, and postoperative complications between groups.
Results
A total of 13 studies with 2080 patients in OTAR and 725 patients in HAR were included in the meta-analysis. The survival rates after HAR were similar to that after OTAR. There was no significant difference between the OTAR and HAR groups in the occurrence of early complications. The results of the sensitivity analysis revealed more acute renal dysfunction but less risk for post-operative stroke in the OTAR cohort compared to the HAR cohort.
Conclusion
There were no significant differences between OTAR and HAR in terms of overall survival, early mortality, or postoperative spinal cord injury. Both procedures are safe and effective treatments for the treatment of disease affecting the aortic arch.
Toward Out-of-Domain Binding Affinity Prediction
Authors: Zhao Zehan , Fang Shujun , Wang Haohan
Published: December 2023

Binding affinity prediction is pivotal in drug design, offering insights into the interactions between ligands and protein targets and thereby significantly influencing the drug development pipeline. Its potential to expedite the identification of drug candidates has led to extensive research focused on developing machine learning algorithms for predicting binding affinity. However, most developments have concentrated on independently and identically distributed (i.i.d) data. In real-world scenarios, prediction models may encounter novel chemical substructures, protein families absent from the training set, variations in experimental conditions, and evolving drug resistance mechanisms. These factors can lead to a significant degradation in performance, causing models to suggest suboptimal compounds or overlook promising candidates—challenges commonly referred to as Out-of-Domain (OOD) in the machine learning community. To address the OOD challenges in binding affinity algorithm development, several benchmarks have been introduced. However, we observe that many lack a convenient codebase framework for swift algorithm evaluation.In this paper, building upon the DrugOOD dataset, we introduce a comprehensive benchmarking framework to assess the resilience and adaptability of OOD algorithms in binding affinity prediction. Our framework offers a streamlined approach for evaluating algorithmic performance in OOD scenarios. Furthermore, we propose a method that surpasses existing state-of-the-art approaches in our benchmark tests. We anticipate that our contributions will spur further research addressing OOD challenges and enhance the reliability and robustness of binding affinity predictions in drug design. Code available at: https://github.com/zehanzz/BioFrontierOOD.git
Examining inequalities in spatial access to National Health Insurance Fund contracted facilities in Kenya
Authors: Kazungu Jacob , Moturi Angela K. , Kuhora Samson , Ouko Julia , Quaife Matthew , Nonvignon Justice , Barasa Edwine
Published: December 2023

Background Kenya aims to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030 and has selected the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as the ‘vehicle’ to drive the UHC agenda. While there is some progress in moving the country towards UHC, the availability and accessibility to NHIF-contracted facilities may be a barrier to equitable access to care. We estimated the spatial access to NHIF-contracted facilities in Kenya to provide information to advance the UHC agenda in Kenya.Methods We merged NHIF-contracted facility data to the geocoded inventory of health facilities in Kenya to assign facility geospatial locations. We combined this database with covariates data including road network, elevation, land use, and travel barriers. We estimated the proportion of the population living within 60- and 120-minute travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility at a 1-x1-kilometer spatial resolution nationally and at county levels using the WHO AccessMod tool.Results We included a total of 3,858 NHIF-contracted facilities. Nationally, 81.4% and 89.6% of the population lived within 60- and 120-minute travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility respectively. At the county level, the proportion of the population living within 1-hour of travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility ranged from as low as 28.1% in Wajir county to 100% in Nyamira and Kisii counties. Overall, only four counties (Kiambu, Kisii, Nairobi and Nyamira) had met the target of having 100% of their population living within 1-hour (60 minutes) travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility. On average, it takes 209, 210 and 216 minutes to travel to an NHIF-contracted facility, outpatient and inpatient facilities respectively. At the county level, travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility ranged from 10 minutes in Vihiga County to 333 minutes in GarissaConclusion Our study offers evidence of the spatial access estimates to NHIF-contracted facilities in Kenya that can inform contracting decisions by the social health insurer, especially focussing on marginalised counties where more facilities need to be contracted. Besides, this evidence will be crucial as the country gears towards accelerating progress towards achieving UHC using social health insurance as the strategy to drive the UHC agenda in Kenya.
Woody carbon stock estimation and factors affecting their storage in Munessa Forest, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Gelasso Mengistu , Junqing Li , Hordofa Temesgen
Published: December 2023

The potential carbon stock of the forest can be influenced by various factors, which need to be studied in order to understand the determinants that affect woody carbon storage in the forest. Thus, this study aims to assess the woody species carbon stock in the Munessa dry Afromontane forest and its variations within plant community types, as well as altitudinal, slope, and aspect gradients. A systematic sampling technique was used to acquire vegetation data. At a100 m altitudinal drop, five transect lines were established. Ten quadrats were laid on each transect line (total 50 quadrants) at 200 m distance intervals. The woody carbon was estimated using an appropriate allometric equation formulated for tropical forests. The data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA in R software. The results show that the total woody carbon stock of the Munessa forest is 210.43 tons/ha. The analysis of variance revealed that woody carbon stock varied significantly along altitude, slope, and aspect gradients, whereas community types had no significant effect. Middle elevations (2367₋2533 m.a.s.l.), lower slopes (0₋13%), and west-facing aspects had the highest mean carbon stock. ThePodocarpus falcatus-Croton macrostachyuscommunity type also contributed a higher woody carbon stock since larger tree size classes and older trees are dominant. Overall, the carbon sequestration potential of woody species in the studied forest is strongly associated with environmental variables. Furthermore, the uneven distribution of species with larger DBH in the studied forest might be linked to anthropogenic factors, as the current forest growth indicates characteristics of a secondary forest. Therefore, our study suggests developing and implementing a sustainable forest management strategy particularly prioritizing middle elevation, lower slope, and west aspects of the forest to maximize the forest's carbon sequestration capacity and mitigate climate change
Homing-based gene drives can introgress rapidly into local genetic backgrounds with minimal chromosomal conversion in Anopheles gambiae
Authors: Nolan Tony , Pescod Poppy , Bevivino Giulia , Anthousi Amalia , Shepherd Josephine , Shelton Ruth , Lombardo Fabrizio
Published: December 2023

CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive control strategies use a homing selfish genetic element which induces a double-stranded break at the target site and is copied into the opposing chromosome, breaking an essential gene and ensuring super-Mendelian inheritance. During the copying process SNPs could potentially be transferred from one chromosome to another, converting tracts of the target to match the recipient. This would reduce the ability of gene drives to escape their genetic background of origin, with potential impacts on carrier fitness and the success of the strategy. In this study we use Anopheles gambiae strains with variation around the target site to determine the extent of chromosomal conversion during gene drive activity and the mechanism of inheritance bias. We confirm a homing-based mechanism and show that two thirds of homing events are resolved within 50 bp, showing that gene drive introgression into a wild strain can occur within one generation.
Modal Parameter Identification of Beam Structures Based on Improved Empirical Fourier Decomposition
Authors: Sun Hu , Du Zhuyao , Rong Chen , Jia He , Yan Wang
Published: December 2023

In order to enhance the accuracy of modal parameter identification for beam structures, this paper proposes an improved empirical Fourier decomposition (EFD) method to decompose signals and identify modal parameters under environmental excitations. The identification method includes two aspects. First, the segmentation boundaries of signal frequencies are determined through multiple signal classification (MUSIC), replacing the Fourier spectrum that is susceptible to noise interference. Second, an improved EFD (EFDM) is employed to decompose the collected vibration responses into multiple modal components. The free vibration responses of these modal components are obtained through the Hilbert transform (HT) and random decrement technique (RDT), and applied to identify the modal parameters of the target structure. Numerical and experimental studies confirm the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method to identify the modal parameters of the structures, demonstrating its noise resistance and robustness.
Awareness, working intention and willingness for home care among Macau nurses
Authors: Wong Ion-Hong , Lee Kumsun
Published: December 2023

Background Home care is one of the essential parts in elderly long-term care. Lack of nursing manpower in home care are obvious in Macau like other countries. This study aims to investigate the awareness and willingness of Macau nurses to work in home care, along with related influencing factors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire among 266 clinical nurses in various healthcare facilities. The questionnaire covered demographic data, attitudes towards filial responsibility, awareness of elderly home care, and overall attitudes towards home care. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were used for analysis. Results Most of the nurses recognized the demand for elderly home care and demonstrated a general understanding of home care characteristics. However, 43.2% (N = 102) of nurses had difficulty distinguishing the differences between hospital care and home care. Furthermore, a majority (N = 152, 64.4%) of nurses reported insufficient knowledge about the social resources available for elderly home care. In the binary regression analysis, factors significantly associated with higher working intention of home care included an interest in elderly home care (P < 0.01) and awareness of home-based nursing (P < 0.01), Conversely, nurses with a stronger sense of filial responsibility exhibited a significantly lower intention to work in home care (P < 0.05). Conclusion This study recommends expanding home care services with hospitals as affiliated institutions to provide diversified work model for nurses. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of incorporating home care education in nursing curriculum, providing more clinical opportunities to home care, and offering home care training courses to enhance nurses' awareness and interest in this field. Additionally, efforts should be made to improve the compensation and benefits structures for nurses, aiming to reduce the disparities between those working in private and public healthcare institutions.
Eurasian spruce bark beetle detects anti-attractant lanierone using a highly expressed specialist odorant receptor, present in several functional sensillum types
Authors: Yuvaraj Jothi Kumar , Kandasamy Dineshkumar , Roberts Rebecca E. , Hansson Bill S. , Gershenzon Jonathan , Andersson Martin N.
Published: December 2023

Background. Insects detect odours using odorant receptors (ORs) expressed in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the antennae. Odours important to fitness are believed to be detected by selective and abundant OSNs; hence, ORs with high antennal expression. However, little is known about the function of highly expressed ORs in beetles, since few ORs have been functionally characterized. Here, we aimed to functionally characterize the most highly expressed OR (ItypOR36) in the Eurasian spruce bark beetle Ips typographus L. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae), a major pest of spruce trees. We hypothesized that this OR would detect a compound important to beetle fitness, such as a pheromone component. We next investigated the antennal distribution of this OR using single sensillum recordings (SSR) and in situ hybridization, followed by field- and laboratory experiments to evaluate the behavioural effect of the discovered ligand.
Results. We expressed ItypOR36 in HEK293 cells and challenged it with a large panel of ecologically important odours. The OR responded exclusively to the monoterpene-derived ketone lanierone with high sensitivity. Lanierone is used in chemical communication in North American Ips species but had never been studied in relation to the ecology and sensory physiology of I. typographus. Single sensillum recordings revealed a novel and abundant lanierone-responsive OSN class with the same response profile as ItypOR36. These OSNs were co-localized in sensilla together with seven different previously described OSN classes, suggesting a promiscuous OSN co-localization principle in bark beetles. We further revealed lanierone to be a potent anti-attractant, strongly reducing attraction of I. typographus to its aggregation pheromone in the field at low release rates.
Conclusions. Our study highlights the importance of the so-called ‘reverse chemical ecology’ approach to identify novel semiochemicals for ecologically important insect species. Our finding that OSN co-localization is not stereotypic as in Drosophila suggests fundamental organisational differences in the peripheral olfactory sense between insect orders. The lack of evidence that I. typographus produces lanierone and its anti-attractant effect imply that lanierone is used in interspecific pheromone inhibition and that the compound is a good candidate for incorporation in semiochemical-based protection of susceptible spruce stands.
Unprecedented Canadian forest fire carbon emissions during 2023
Authors: Byrne Brendan , Liu Junjie , Bowman Kevin , Pascolini-Campbell Madeleine , Chatterjee Abhishek , Pandey Sudhanshu , Miyazaki Kazuyuki , Werf Guido van der , Wunch Debra , Wennberg Paul , Roehl Coleen , Sinha Saptarshi
Published: December 2023

The 2023 Canadian forest fires have been unprecedented in scale and intensity. Here, we quantify the carbon emissions from these fires to be 639 TgC (range: 572–705 TgC) over a five-month period (May-Sep) based upon inverse modeling of satellite carbon monoxide observations. This magnitude is comparable to the annual fossil fuel emissions of large nations, with only India, China and the U.S.A. releasing more carbon. Widespread fire weather was a major driver of fire spread, as 2023 was the warmest and driest year since at least 1980. Although extreme relative to the historical record, climate projections indicate that these temperatures will be typical during the 2050s, even under a moderate climate mitigation scenario (SSP2-4.5). Such conditions are very likely to drive increased fire activity and suppress carbon uptake by Canadian forests, calling into question the long-term durability of these forests as a carbon sink.
Applied anatomy of mandibular canal
Authors: Grigoryants Aleksandra G. , Khatypova Asie E. , Makalish Tatiana P. , Kutya Sergey A.
Published: December 2023

The mandibular canal (canalis mandibulae) runs in the thickness of the mandible from the mandibular foramen (foramen mandibulae) to the mental foramen (foramen mentale). The knowledge of its topography and relations with the dental root apices is of great practical importance for the prevention of iatrogenic injuries of the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle during endodontic and orthodontic treatment and during a number of surgical procedures, such as extraction, resection of the apices of the roots of the teeth, cystectomy, removal of intraosseous neoplasms, as well as during conduction anesthesia. The purpose of this work is to summarize information about the variants of the structure and topography of the mandibular canal. The article considers variants of the structure, course, and topography of the mandibular canal, including in cases of adentia, revealed on the basis of various methods of research. In addition to the use of natural preparations (cuts of the lower jaws), modern radiation research methods, such as radiography, computed tomography and cone-beam computed tomography, are widely used to study the topography of the mandibular canal. The mandibular canal is characterized by significant variability in its course and complex relationships with surrounding structures. The most common variation in the structure of the canal is its bifurcation, which is associated with the peculiarities of embryonic development and is of great clinical importance. Up to date, there are several classifications of variants of its structure that can be used in clinical practice. Further accumulation and systematization of data on its anatomical and topographic features are important for the diagnosis and implementation of therapeutic manipulations in this area.
Oxford Nanopore Technology and its Application in Liquid Biopsies
Authors: Levkova Mariya , Chervenkov Trifon , Angelova Lyudmila , Dzenkov Deyan
Published: December 2023

Advanced medical technologies are transforming the future of healthcare, in particular,
the screening and detection of molecular-genetic changes in patients suspected of having a neoplasm.
They are based on the assumption that neoplasms release small amounts of various neoplasm-
specific molecules, such as tumor DNA, called circulating DNA (cirDNA), into the extracellular
space and subsequently into the blood. The detection of tumor-specific molecules and specific
molecular changes in body fluids in a noninvasive or minimally invasive approach is known
as “liquid biopsy.” The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of the application
of ONT for analyzing circulating DNA in the field of liquid biopsies among cancer patients.
Databases were searched using the keywords “nanopore” and “liquid biopsy” and by applying
strict inclusion criteria. This technique can be used for the detection of neoplastic disease, including
metastases, guiding precision therapy, and monitoring its effects. There are many challenges,
however, for the successful implementation of this technology into the clinical practice. The first
one is the low amount of tumor-specific molecules in the body fluids. Secondly, a tumor molecular
signature should be discriminated from benign conditions like clonal hematopoiesis of unknown
significance. Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) is a third-generation sequencing technology
that seems particularly promising to complete these tasks. It offers rapid sequencing
thanks to its ability to detect changes in the density of the electric current passing through nanopores.
Even though ONT still needs validation technology, it is a promising approach for early diagnosis,
therapy guidance, and monitoring of different neoplasms based on analyzing the cirDNA.
Cellular Senescence and Senolytic Agents: Recent Updates on Their Role and Applications
Authors: Chandrakar Lokesh , Ambatwar Ramesh , Khatik Gopal L.
Published: December 2023

Cellular senescence, an eternal condition of cell cycle arrest due to cellular stressors, is a sign of aging. Senescent cells (SCs) build up in tissues as they age, impairing their ability to repair themselves by causing the cell cycle to seize in progenitor cells and producing proinflammatory and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) or matrix-degrading molecules. SASP aids in the emergence of several age-related diseases. Genetic studies have shown that removing SCs can delay aging and prolong life. Senolytics are small molecules designed to treat numerous age-related disorders can selectively kill SCs. A detailed discussion on senolytics and their potential as therapeutics to treat neuro-disorder and slow down aging is described herein. Emerging natural products, such as quercetin, dasatinib, fisetin, piperlongumine, and curcumin, have recently been reported to be effective senolytic agents, and some structurally modified analogue of these have also been explored for better selectivity and efficacy in animal models. These showed significant potential in clinical studies and could be developed as senolytic drugs in the future.
Subcutaneous Cavernous Haemangioma in a Patient with Klippel-Trenaunay
Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Liu Yixin , Liu Ling , Liu Xia , Liu Rengui , Cui Chunmao , Cao Huaize
Published: December 2023

Background::

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare congenital disease that mainly involves blood vessels and is characterized by the presence of capillary
malformations (port wine stains), varicose veins, soft tissue and/or bone hypertrophy.

Case Presentation::

We report a 28-year-old man who was diagnosed 20 years ago with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome. Approximately 3 years ago, he found an
enlarged mass on both upper extremities and a new dark red mass that was pathologically diagnosed as cavernous haemangioma appeared on the
right index finger.

Conclusion::

KTS is a rare and potentially multisystem disease requiring multidisciplinary management for which imaging examination is an important auxiliary
diagnostic method. Various complications may occur during its development, so regular follow-up is required to prevent serious accidents.
Discerning the Multi-dimensional Role of Salicin: Bioactive Glycoside
Beyond Analgesic: Different Perspectives
Authors: Pal Rashmi Saxena , Pal Yogendra , Lalitha Chaitanya Motamarri Venkata Naga , Mazumder Avijit , Khurana Navneet , Tharu Prabin Kumar
Published: December 2023

:

Salicin is a glycoside that can be found in several Salix and Populus species. Salicin is also
connected to the glycoside populin, commonly known as benzoyl Salicin, in the Salicaceae tree barks.
D-glucose is a component of the alcoholic glycoside Salicin (C13H18O7). The willow tree, as well as
other trees like poplar and aspen, contains the natural chemical Salicin, which is a member of the
salicylate family. Salicin is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic used in conventional medicine, and it
served as the inspiration for the creation of aspirin. This molecule may have important human pharmacological
actions that need to be considered in determining the efficacy and safety of willow herbal
medicines. The extracts obtained from the bark of the tree, belonging to the Saliceae family in different
solvents have been known for possessing many important medicinal values by potent pharmacological
actions. The current effort deals with exquisite detailed aspects and concerns related to Salicin,
which will be fruitful for the futuristic approaches to Salicin.
A Comprehensive Review of the Pharmacological Effects of Genus Ferula
on Central Nervous System Disorders
Authors: Bagheri Seyyed Majid , Esmailidehaj Mansour
Published: December 2023

Background:

Plants of the genus Ferula have long been used to treat neurological
diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), pain, depression, and seizures. The main compounds
include coumarins, monoterpenes, sulfide compounds, and polyphenol compounds, which can
improve the functioning of the nervous system.

Objective:

This article has been compiled with the aim of collecting evidence and articles related to
the Ferula effects on central nervous system disease.

Methods:

This review article was prepared by searching the terms Ferula and analgesic,
anticonvulsant, antidepressant, anti-multiple sclerosis, anti-dementia, and neuroprotective
effects.The relevant information was collected through searching electronic databases such as ISI
Web of Knowledge, PubMed, and Google Scholar.

Results:

Genus Ferula has a protective effect on nerve cells by reducing cytokines such as IL-6, IL-
1b, and TNF-α. Therefore, the effects of Ferula plants and their effective ingredients can be used to
prevent or improve diseases that destroy the nervous system. The members of this genus play a role
in strengthening and improving the antioxidant system, reducing the level of oxidative stress, and
inhibiting or reducing inflammatory factors in the nervous system.

Conclusion:

Although the effects of several species of Ferula on the nervous system have been investigated,
most studies have not clearly identified the molecular mechanisms as well as the specific
functional regions of the brain. The present study was compiled in order to investigate different
aspects of the effects of Ferula plants on the central nervous system.
Understanding the Relationship between the Ketogenic Diet and the Heart: A Novel Therapeutic Potential for Cardiovascular Health
Authors: Shah Priyanshi , Sawhney Aanchal , Anamika FNU , Kanagala Sai Gautham , Parikh Kinna , Mendpara Vaidehi , Garg Nikita , Jain Rohit
Published: December 2023

:

Obesity and cardiovascular diseases are major health problems worldwide, and weight
loss is used as a treatment strategy to enhance various aspects. While there are many weight loss
methods, one of the most effective is through a dietary approach. The ketogenic diet (KD),
which is characterized by low carbohydrates and high levels of fat and/or protein, is used in
obese patients as it is a promising treatment option for weight loss as well as for controlling the
risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, as seen in its effects on cardio-metabolic outcomes, particularly
in obesity, heart failure, and hypertension. In this review, we summarize the clinical
evidence of the efficacy and safety of the KD in controlling risk factors for cardiovascular diseases
and discuss the possible mechanisms of action based on recent evidence in understanding
the influence of the KD at the cellular and molecular levels.
Thymus atlanticus (Ball) Roussine Aqueous Extract Exerts Lipid-lowering
and Anti-atherosclerotic Effects in Hyperlipidemic Guinea Pigs
Authors: Elbouny Hamza , Ouahzizi Brahim , Bekkouch Oussama , Bennani Amal , Amrani Souliman , Ramchoun Mhamed , Sellam Khalid , Alem Chakib
Published: December 2023

Background::

Thymus atlanticus (Ball) Roussine (T. atlanticus) is traditionally used in
the Moroccan high Atlas Mountains to treat several disorders, including cardiovascular disease.
In the present study, the lipid-lowering and anti-atherosclerotic activities of the traditionally used
aqueous extract of T. atlanticus were evaluated on guinea pigs subjected to chronic hyperlipidemia.

Methods::

Animals were given a diet containing 2% cholesterol and 20% lard for 12 weeks.
Moreover, thyme extract was given daily at 400 mg/kg. At the end of the experiment, lipid levels
and paraoxonase arylesterase activity were measured, and aorta histology was studied.

Results::

Our findings revealed that there was an important elevation of blood lipids in the HFD
group along with a significant decrease in paraoxonase arylesterase activity (-40.06%). Moreover,
the consumption of fat altered the histology of aorta by thickening the intima media and
forming atherosclerotic lesions and foam cells in these tissues. However, the administration of
thyme extract attenuated HFD-caused alterations by decreasing blood lipids, elevating
paraoxonase activity (+24.04%), and limiting the progression of atherosclerotic lesions.

Conclusion::

We conclude that the supplementation with the aqueous extract of T. atlanticus
could potentially protect against hyperlipidemia and consequently, the development of atherosclerosis
Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Palonosetron Hydrochloride in
Preventing Nausea And Vomiting After TACE: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Lu Haohao , Zheng Chuansheng , Liang Bin , Xia Xiangwen
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

To investigate the mechanism of nausea and vomiting after TACE, and
analyze the efficacy and safety of palonosetron hydrochloride in the prevention of nausea and
vomiting after TACE.

Methods:

The data of 221 patients who underwent TACE in the Department of Intervention
Therapy from August 2018 to August 2020 were collected. The patients were divided into two
groups: those who did not use palonosetron hydrochloride before TACE (TACE group, N=116);
and those who used palonosetron hydrochloride before TACE (TACE+palonosetron group,
N=105). Primary study endpoint: The control rate of nausea and vomiting in the two groups at
0-24 h (acute), 24-120 h (delayed), and 0-120 h. Secondary Study Endpoints: Adverse events of
palonosetron hydrochloride.

Results:

TACE group vs TACE+palonosetron group: 0-24 h, 74 vs. 44 patients with nausea
(63.8% vs. 41.9%); 24-120 h, 50 vs. 16 patients with nausea (43.1% vs. 15.2%); 0-120 h after
TACE, 81 vs. 50 patients with nausea (69.8% vs. 47.6%). 0-24 h, 52 vs. 26 patients with vomiting
(44.8% vs. 24.8%); 24-120 h, 24 vs. 8 patients with vomiting (20.7% vs. 7.6%); 0-120 h after
TACE, 64 vs. 26 patients with vomiting (55.2% vs. 24.8%). The incidence of nausea and
vomiting after TACE was significantly lower in the TACE+palonosetron group than in the
TACE group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Palonosetron hydrochloride can significantly reduce the incidence of nausea and
vomiting in patients after TACE, with exact effect and high safety.
Effects of Preheating Temperature and Fuel-Air Equivalence Ratio on Pollution Control in Hydro Carbon Combustion
Authors: Renane Rachid , Allouche Rachid , Abdelkader Nour
Published: December 2023

Burning fossil fuels produces a great part of our energy production today
and probably it will still do for at least the next few decades. Combustion is
encountered in many practical systems such as heaters, power plants, aeronautic
engines, buildings, etc. The growing expectations on increasing efficiency and reducing
fuel consumption and pollutant emissions make the design of combustion systems
much more complex and the science of combustion a rapidly expanding field.
Comprehension and analysis of complex physical mechanisms start with the study and
control of temperature and species in flame is an important challenge for industrial and
environmental issues. We focus our study on a Kerosene, Methane and Gasoil flame
simulated with detailed chemistry. The mathematical model is based on the enthalpy
conservation between two states, and this model is used with the first law of
thermodynamics to define enthalpies of reaction and adiabatic flame temperatures at
constant pressure [1, 4]. To reach this objective, we must know the products of
complete hydrocarbon combustion and all species of combustion products after
dissociation and their molar fractions and equilibrium equations of dissociation
reactions. Also, we calculate the elementary equilibrium reactions enthalpy and entropy
by using (Bonni Mc Bride et al.) coefficients [2, 3] to compute thermodynamic
functions such as specific heat, enthalpy and molar entropy. The obtained system of
equations is resolved by Newton Raphson method. Among the obtained results are: To
reduce the pollutants (CO2
, CO) and the fuel consumption, the mixture of fuel-air must
be lean, therefore, the equivalence ratio must be lower than the unit. According to this
study, if the fuel consumption is reduced via the equivalence ratio from 1.1 to 0.95, the
combustion temperature remains constant, however, the production of CO will be
reduced by 25%.
Theoretical Study of the Geometrical Parameters Effect on the Behavior of a Solar Chimney Power Plant
Authors: Nasraoui Haythem , Driss Zied , Kchaou Hedi
Published: December 2023

Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP) is a large scale setup designed for
generating green power from the thermal solar energy. In this work, a theoretical SCPP
model was developed to study the impact of the main design parameters on the SCPP
performance. Based on the Manzanares prototype, the proposed model was verified and
validated with the experimental data. The thermodynamic characteristics of the SCPP
were analyzed by varying the chimney height, the chimney radius and the collector
radius. Results show that the chimney height presents an important effect of the air
flow behavior. Otherwise, the proposed model has a good agreement to predict the
SCPP performance.
An Entity Extraction Pipeline for Medical Text Records Using Large Language Models: Analytical Study (Preprint)
Authors: Wang Lei , Ma Yinyao , Bi Wenshuai , Lv Hanlin , Li Yuxiang
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

The study of disease progression relies on clinical data, including text data, and extracting valuable features from text data has been a research hot spot. With the rise of large language models (LLMs), semantic-based extraction pipelines are gaining acceptance in clinical research. However, the security and feature hallucination issues of LLMs require further attention.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to introduce a novel modular LLM pipeline, which could semantically extract features from textual patient admission records.

METHODS

The pipeline was designed to process a systematic succession of concept extraction, aggregation, question generation, corpus extraction, and question-and-answer scale extraction, which was tested via 2 low-parameter LLMs: Qwen-14B-Chat (QWEN) and Baichuan2-13B-Chat (BAICHUAN). A data set of 25,709 pregnancy cases from the People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, was used for evaluation with the help of a local expert’s annotation. The pipeline was evaluated with the metrics of accuracy and precision, null ratio, and time consumption. Additionally, we evaluated its performance via a quantified version of Qwen-14B-Chat on a consumer-grade GPU.

RESULTS

The pipeline demonstrates a high level of precision in feature extraction, as evidenced by the accuracy and precision results of Qwen-14B-Chat (95.52% and 92.93%, respectively) and Baichuan2-13B-Chat (95.86% and 90.08%, respectively). Furthermore, the pipeline exhibited low null ratios and variable time consumption. The INT4-quantified version of QWEN delivered an enhanced performance with 97.28% accuracy and a 0% null ratio.

CONCLUSIONS

The pipeline exhibited consistent performance across different LLMs and efficiently extracted clinical features from textual data. It also showed reliable performance on consumer-grade hardware. This approach offers a viable and effective solution for mining clinical research data from textual records.
The Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Assessing Fall Risk: Systematic Review (Preprint)
Authors: González-Castro Ana , Leirós-Rodríguez Raquel , Prada-García Camino , Benítez-Andrades José Alberto
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

Falls and their consequences are a serious public health problem worldwide. Each year, 37.3 million falls requiring medical attention occur. Therefore, the analysis of fall risk is of great importance for prevention. Artificial intelligence (AI) represents an innovative tool for creating predictive statistical models of fall risk through data analysis.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review was to analyze the available evidence on the applications of AI in the analysis of data related to postural control and fall risk.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted in 6 databases with the following inclusion criteria: the articles had to be published within the last 5 years (from 2018 to 2024), they had to apply some method of AI, AI analyses had to be applied to data from samples consisting of humans, and the analyzed sample had to consist of individuals with independent walking with or without the assistance of external orthopedic devices.

RESULTS

We obtained a total of 3858 articles, of which 22 were finally selected. Data extraction for subsequent analysis varied in the different studies: 82% (18/22) of them extracted data through tests or functional assessments, and the remaining 18% (4/22) of them extracted through existing medical records. Different AI techniques were used throughout the articles. All the research included in the review obtained accuracy values of >70% in the predictive models obtained through AI.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of AI proves to be a valuable tool for creating predictive models of fall risk. The use of this tool could have a significant socioeconomic impact as it enables the development of low-cost predictive models with a high level of accuracy.

CLINICALTRIAL

PROSPERO CRD42023443277; https://tinyurl.com/4sb72ssv
Neuroscience and the heart: emotion detection through smart wearable devices for use in cardiology (Preprint)
Authors: Corallo Francesco , Cappadona Irene , D'Aleo Piercataldo , Duca Antonio , BRAMANTI PLACIDO , Pagano Maria
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

The link between neuroscience and the heart in emotions is a field of study that seeks to understand the interactions between the nervous system, brain and heart function during an individual's emotional state. Through smart wearable devices, which can be used in cardiology and monitor physiological signals, it is possible to evaluate emotional experiences related to the heart-brain axis.

OBJECTIVE

This review focused on studies that evaluated emotions by means of single-parameter and multi-parameter smart wearable devices that can be used in cardiology in order to verify their effectiveness.

METHODS

We reviewed studies that evaluated emotions through wearable devices used in cardiology. Our search was performed on the PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Lybrary databases. Of the initial 1227 studies from the past ten years, 8 studies met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

All studies reviewed showed that wearable devices that can be used in cardiology for emotional recognition are effective. However, the studies that used single-parameter wearable devices were more adequate than the multi-parameter studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Devices can be valuable tools to provide information on an individual's emotional responses and consequently on the connections between the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system. Further studies are needed as the link between neuroscience and the heart needs more insights into emotional assessment through wearable devices in order to develop personalised approaches and optimise clinical interventions
Effects of Injury Registry Data on Policy Making, Hospitalizations, and Mortality: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Medeiros-de-Souza Ana Cláudia , Lopes Luana Emanuelly Sinhori , de Oliveira Bruno Zocca , Rother Edna Terezinha , Correia Lucas Reis
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

Initiated in 2021, a Brazilian project aims to establish a national injury registry, compiling comprehensive data on events and individuals across the country, irrespective of injury severity. The registry integrates information from prehospital and hospital care, diverse health systems lacking interoperability, and sectors such as firefighters and the police. Its primary goal is to enhance health surveillance by providing timely, high-quality information, guiding prevention strategies, and informing policy making. The project still aims to reduce long-term morbidity and mortality associated with injuries.

OBJECTIVE

A knowledge gap remains regarding the effects of injury registries in relation to policies and injury outcomes. This protocol outlines a systematic review and meta-analysis to answer “What is the effect of implementation and use of injury registry data on policy making, hospitalization, and mortality?”

METHODS

The systematic review follows PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, focusing on studies reporting results related to the implementation and use of injury registries, including trauma registries. Outcomes of interest include policy making, hospitalization rates or duration, and mortality. Registries within well-defined administrative boundaries will be included. Data will be collected from PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Lilacs, and references. Records will be independently screened by 2 reviewers, with any disagreements resolved through arbitration by a third reviewer. Homogeneous studies, with 3 or more evaluating the same outcome, may undergo meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses by registry type, injury groups, and other selected variables of interest will be conducted. Sensitivity analysis, risk of bias assessment, publication bias evaluation, and quality appraisal will also be performed.

RESULTS

This systematic review will run from November 2023 to June 2024. No identical review was found. Search strategies were finalized, the bibliographic search started, duplicates were eliminated, and title and abstract screening began. Of 35 studies retrieved, 85 were excluded due to duplication, leaving 50 for selection.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is timely, aligning with ongoing national efforts to implement an injury registry. By synthesizing available evidence, we will identify the potential of injury registries to guide the decisions of Brazilian policy makers.

CLINICALTRIAL

PROSPERO CRD42023481528; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=481528

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

PRR1-10.2196/55029
Studies of the Electrical Resistivity Tomography Monitoring of the Issyk-Ata Fault Zone (Northern Tien Shan)
Authors: Rybin Anatoly , Bataleva Elena , Zabinyakova Olga , Nepeina Kseniia
Published: December 2023

In 2023, monitoring geophysical studies were carried out using the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method along three profiles that cross the strike zone of the Issyk-Ata fault in the transverse direction. A detailed study was carried out of the observed variations in apparent electrical resistivity, which characterize the change in the electrical properties of the upper part of the Earth's crust section with a 40-minute discretization in time. Using the analysis of difference pseudo-sections of apparent resistivity, constructed based on the results of ERT monitoring, the most informative pseudo-depth interval from the point of view of geoelectric activity was determined for all three monitoring profiles. Accordingly, for a pseudo-depth of 24 m on each monitoring profile, an assessment was made of the geodynamic activity of these sections of the Issyk-Ata fault based on an analysis of the magnitude of two parameters: the amplitude of apparent resistivity variations and the correlation coefficient of electrical resistivity variations with lunar-solar solid tides. High values of these parameters, in our opinion, determine the location of modern active fault zones.