bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional Analysis of the Channelrhodopsin Genes from the Green Algae of the White Sea Basin
Authors: Karpova Olga V. , Vinogradova Elizaveta N. , Moisenovich Anastasiya M. , Pustovit Oksana B. , Ramonova Alla A. , Abramochkin Denis V. , Lobakova Elena S.
Published: August 2024

Optogenetics, the method of light-controlled regulation of cellular processes is based on the use of the channelrhodopsins that directly generate photoinduced currents. Most of the channelrhodopsin genes have been identified in the green microalgae Chlorophyta, and the demand for increasing the number of functionally characterized channelrhodopsins and the diversity of their photochemical parameters keeps growing. We performed the expression analysis of cation channelrhodopsin (CCR) genes in natural isolates of microalgae of the genera Haematococcus and Bracteacoccus from the unique Arctic Circle region. The identified full-length CCR transcript of H. lacustris is the product of alternative splicing and encodes the Hl98CCR2 protein with no photochemical activity. The 5′-partial fragment of the B. aggregatus CCR transcript encodes the Ba34CCR protein containing a conserved TM1-TM7 membrane domain and a short cytosolic fragment. Upon heterologous expression of the TM1-TM7 fragment in CHO-K1 cell culture, light-dependent current generation was observed with the parameters corresponding to those of the CCR. The first discovered functional channelrhodopsin of Bracteacoccus has no close CCR homologues and may be of interest as a candidate for optogenetics.
Synthesis and Structure of Copper(I) Halide Complexes with Halogen-Functionalized Isocyanide Ligands
Authors: Vlasova V. , Toikka Yu. N. , Suslonov V. V. , Smirnov A. S. , Bokach N. A.
Published: August 2024

Eleven copper(I) halide complexes [CuX(CNR)3] (X = Cl, Br; R = C6H3-2,6-Cl2, C6H3-2-Cl-6-Me, C6H3-2,6-Br2, C6H3-2-Br-6-Me; X = I, R = C6H3-2,6-Cl2, C6H3-2-Cl-6-Me, C6H3-2-Br-6-Me) bearing halogen-functionalized aromatic isocyanide ligands were synthesized. The compounds were characterized by atomic emission spectroscopy (Cu), IR, 1H NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The structure of nine compounds was determined by X-ray diffraction. Structural studies allow to reveal that the supramolecular structure of the complexes is based on weak C–H···X (X = Cl, Br, I) interactions and π-stacking of the aromatic rings of isocyanide ligands.
Non-specific presentation of metastatic small bowel adenocarcinoma with diagnostic challenges
Authors: Chakroun Dora , Marnas Nathalie , Kapoglou Ioannis , Berger Martin D , Wartenberg Martin , Schiemann Uwe
Published: August 2024

Diagnosing small bowel adenocarcinomas presents challenges due to non-specific symptoms, rarity and gastroscopy and colonoscopy’s limited small intestine access, highlighting targeted diagnostic procedures’ necessity. We present a late-diagnosed metastatic small bowel adenocarcinoma case in a man in his 80s who had asymptomatic mild iron-deficiency anaemia 1 year before diagnosis, with no active bleeding found on endoscopies. He experienced a single rectal bleeding episode 9 months prediagnosis, with subsequent severe iron-deficiency anaemia and no clear gastrointestinal source identified on gastroscopy. For 2 months, he had intermittent postprandial diarrhoea without abdominal pain, infectious or inflammatory causes. He experienced significant weight loss over 3 months prediagnosis. Subsequent gastroscopy indicated duodenal-gastric food retropulsion, suggesting a downstream blockage. Magnetic resonance enterography showed proximal jejunum thickening. Push enteroscopy confirmed jejunum adenocarcinoma. CT scans detected liver and peritoneal metastases. After one chemotherapy cycle, his condition worsened, leading to his passing 2 months post diagnosis.
Evaluating the effectiveness of large language models in patient education for conjunctivitis
Authors: Wang Jingyuan , Shi Runhan , Le Qihua , Shan Kun , Chen Zhi , Zhou Xujiao , He Yao , Hong Jiaxu
Published: August 2024

Aims

To evaluate the quality of responses from large language models (LLMs) to patient-generated conjunctivitis questions.

Methods

A two-phase, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University. In phase 1, four LLMs (GPT-4, Qwen, Baichuan 2 and PaLM 2) responded to 22 frequently asked conjunctivitis questions. Six expert ophthalmologists assessed these responses using a 5-point Likert scale for correctness, completeness, readability, helpfulness and safety, supplemented by objective readability analysis. Phase 2 involved 30 conjunctivitis patients who interacted with GPT-4 or Qwen, evaluating the LLM-generated responses based on satisfaction, humanisation, professionalism and the same dimensions except for correctness from phase 1. Three ophthalmologists assessed responses using phase 1 criteria, allowing for a comparative analysis between medical and patient evaluations, probing the study’s practical significance.

Results

In phase 1, GPT-4 excelled across all metrics, particularly in correctness (4.39±0.76), completeness (4.31±0.96) and readability (4.65±0.59) while Qwen showed similarly strong performance in helpfulness (4.37±0.93) and safety (4.25±1.03). Baichuan 2 and PaLM 2 were effective but trailed behind GPT-4 and Qwen. The objective readability analysis revealed GPT-4’s responses as the most detailed, with PaLM 2’s being the most succinct. Phase 2 demonstrated GPT-4 and Qwen’s robust performance, with high satisfaction levels and consistent evaluations from both patients and professionals.

Conclusions

Our study showed LLMs effectively improve patient education in conjunctivitis. These models showed considerable promise in real-world patient interactions. Despite encouraging results, further refinement, particularly in personalisation and handling complex inquiries, is essential prior to the clinical integration of these LLMs.
Systematic mapping review of player safety, sport science and clinical care in lacrosse
Authors: Wallace Kyle , Scarneo-Miller Samantha E. , Monnin Jennifer , Lincoln Andrew E , Hraky Omar , Gosnell Griffith , Jeong Suin , Skinner Wilson , Schaefer Eliana , Desai Dharmi K , Caswell Shane V
Published: August 2024

Objective

The objective is to comprehensively classify the types, topics and populations represented in the published lacrosse literature.

Design

Mapping review. Protocol registration at Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/kz4e6).

Data sources

10 electronic databases were searched from inception to 31 March 2023.

Eligibility criteria

Peer-reviewed studies in English that included lacrosse were eligible. Publications without participant demographic or lacrosse-specific data were excluded.

Results

We identified 498 articles pertaining to lacrosse, with 270 (54.2%) focused on player safety, 128 (25.7%) on sport science and 74 (14.9%) on clinical care. Musculoskeletal injury was the focus of 179 studies (35.9%), and the most common study design was cross-sectional (n=162, 32.5%). Most (n=423, 84.9%) originated in the USA. Over half (n=254, 51.0%) were published since 2017. 216 articles (43.4%) included female and male athletes, while 112 (22.5%) and 142 (28.5%) focused solely on female and male athletes, respectively. Collegiate athletes were the most frequent study population (n=277, 55.6%), and traditional field lacrosse was the focus of 298 (59.8%) articles. We observed that 77.1% (27/35) of quasiexperimental, 91.3% (21/23) of randomised controlled trials and 62.1% (18/29) of systematic reviews had a high or moderate risk of bias.

Conclusion

The vast majority of lacrosse research originates from the USA, is in collegiate athletes, with a focus on player safety, and has a high risk of bias. With the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics and growing global participation, higher quality research studies that are more inclusive and adaptable to diverse athletic groups and changing gameplay parameters are needed.
Adipose tissue–derived adipsin marks human aging in non-type 2 diabetes population
Authors: Maity Sujay Krishna , Das Sharma Avinil , Sarkar Jit , Chaudhuri Tamonash , Tantia Om , Chakrabarti Partha
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Adipsin or complement factor D is an adipokine that augments insulin secretion, is altered in various degrees of obesity, and is involved in alternative complement pathway. However, whether adipsin has any independent association with risk factors and biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains elusive.

Research design and methods

We performed an oral glucose tolerance test on a subset of 43 patients with T2D from the community health cohort to access the role of adipsin in insulin secretion. We further cross-sectionally examined the role of adipsin in plasma, adipose tissue (AT), and secretion in a community cohort of 353 subjects and a hospital cohort of 52 subjects.

Results

We found that plasma adipsin has no significant correlation with insulin secretion in people with diabetes. Among the risk factors of T2D, adipsin levels were independently associated only with age, and a positive correlation between plasma adipsin and age among subjects without T2D was lost in patients with T2D. Plasma adipsin levels, AT adipsin expression, and secretion were upregulated both in T2D and aging, with a corresponding drop in Homeostatic Model Assessment for assessing β-cell function. Adipsin expression was positively associated with other aging biomarkers, such as β-galactosidase, p21, and p16. These results also corroborated with existing plasma proteomic signatures of aging, including growth, and differentiation factor-15, which strongly correlated with adipsin.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate an increase in circulating adipsin in T2D and aging, and it scores as a candidate plasma marker for aging specifically in non-T2D population.
Associations of gut microbiota features and circulating metabolites with systemic inflammation in children
Authors: Bohn Bruno , Tilves Curtis , Chen Yingan , Doyon Myriam , Bouchard Luigi , Perron Patrice , Guérin Renée , Massé Éric , Hivert Marie-France , Mueller Noel T
Published: August 2024

Objective

Gut microbes and microbe-dependent metabolites (eg, tryptophan-kynurenine-serotonin pathway metabolites) have been linked to systemic inflammation, but the microbiota-metabolite-inflammation axis remains uncharacterised in children. Here we investigated whether gut microbiota features and circulating metabolites (both microbe-dependent and non-microbe-dependent metabolites) associated with circulating inflammation markers in children.

Methods

We studied children from the prospective Gen3G birth cohort who had data on untargeted plasma metabolome (n=321 children; Metabolon platform), gut microbiota (n=147; 16S rRNA sequencing), and inflammation markers (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and tumour necrosis factor-α) measured at 5–7 years. We examined associations of microbial taxa and metabolites—examining microbe-dependent and non-microbe-dependent metabolites separately—with each inflammatory marker and with an overall inflammation score (InfSc), adjusting for key confounders and correcting for multiple comparisons. We also compared the proportion of significantly associated microbe-dependent versus non-microbe-dependent metabolites, identified a priori (Human Microbial Metabolome Database), with each inflammation marker.

Results

Of 335 taxa tested, 149 were associated (qFDR<0.05) with at least one inflammatory marker; 10 of these were robust to pseudocount choice. Several bacterial taxa involved in tryptophan metabolism were associated with inflammation, including kynurenine-degradingRuminococcus, which was inversely associated with all inflammation markers. Of 1037 metabolites tested, 315 were previously identified as microbe dependent and were more frequently associated with PAI-1 and the InfSc than non-microbe dependent metabolites. In total, 87 metabolites were associated (qFDR<0.05) with at least one inflammation marker, including kynurenine (positively), serotonin (positively), and tryptophan (inversely).

Conclusion

A distinct set of gut microbes and microbe-dependent metabolites, including those involved in the tryptophan-kynurenine-serotonin pathway, may be implicated in inflammatory pathways in childhood.
Self-care in patients affected by inflammatory bowel disease and caregiver contribution to self-care (IBD-SELF): a protocol for a longitudinal observational study
Authors: Napolitano Daniele , Vellone Ercole , Iovino Paolo , Scaldaferri Franco , Cocchieri Antonello
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Supporting patient self-care and the contribution of their caregivers is crucial in chronic illness care. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition whose prevalence is expected to double, especially in Western countries. IBD symptoms can negatively impact patients’ well-being, causing high anxiety, depression, stress and reduced quality of life. These symptoms also affect the health of family members and friends, who often take on caregiving roles during exacerbations. Knowledge about self-care in IBD (IBD-SELF) is limited, and few studies have explored this context. This paper outlines a research protocol for a multicentre longitudinal study to investigate patient self-care and caregiver contributions to IBD-SELF.

Methods and analysis

A sample of 250 consecutive patients diagnosed with IBD and their caregivers will be recruited from 9 dedicated IBD units in northern, central and southern Italy during outpatient visits. Data collection will occur at baseline, 6 and 12 months after enrolment. Multivariable regressions, path analyses and structural equation models will identify predictors (eg, health literacy, caregiver burden and depression) and outcomes (use of healthcare services, disease severity and quality of life) of self-care and caregiver contributions. Dyadic analyses will control for the interdependence of dyad members.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was obtained from the Territorial Ethics Committee (Lazio 3) N. 0023486/23 and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier number:NCT06015789). This study will enhance our understanding of the self-care process in the patient–caregiver dyad in IBD, aiding the design of future educational interventions and promoting greater patient and caregiver involvement in the care pathway.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT06015789.
Defining and identifying the critical elements of operational readiness for public health emergency events: a rapid scoping review
Authors: English René , Carlson Heather , Geduld Heike , Nyasulu Juliet Charity Yauka , Louw Quinette , Berner Karina , Charumbira Maria Yvonne , Pappin Michele , McCaul Michael , Joseph Conran , Gobat Nina , Boulanger Linda Lucy , Emiroglu Nedret
Published: August 2024

Introduction

COVID-19 showed that countries must strengthen their operational readiness (OPR) capabilities to respond to an imminent pandemic threat rapidly and proactively. We conducted a rapid scoping evidence review to understand the definition and critical elements of OPR against five core sub-systems of a new framework to strengthen the global architecture for Health Emergency Preparedness Response and Resilience (HEPR).

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science, targeted repositories, websites, and grey literature databases for publications between 1 January 2010 and 29 September 2021 in English, German, French or Afrikaans. Included sources were of any study design, reporting OPR, defined as immediate actions taken in the presence of an imminent threat, from groups who led or responded to a specified health emergency. We used prespecified and tested methods to screen and select sources, extract data, assess credibility and analyse results against the HEPR framework.

Results

Of 7005 sources reviewed, 79 met the eligibility criteria, including 54 peer-reviewed publications. The majority were descriptive reports (28%) and qualitative analyses (30%) from early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Definitions of OPR varied while nine articles explicitly used the term ‘readiness’, others classified OPR as part of preparedness or response. Applying our working OPR definition across all sources, we identified OPR actions within all five HEPR subsystems. These included resource prepositioning for early detection, data sharing, tailored communication and interventions, augmented staffing, timely supply procurement, availability and strategic dissemination of medical countermeasures, leadership, comprehensive risk assessment and resource allocation supported by relevant legislation. We identified gaps related to OPR for research and technology-enabled manufacturing platforms.

Conclusions

OPR is in an early stage of adoption. Establishing a consistent and explicit framework for OPRs within the context of existing global legal and policy frameworks can foster coherence and guide evidence-based policy and practice improvements in health emergency management.
Social provisions in patients with mitochondrial diseases
Authors: Haque Sameen , Crawley Karen , Schofield Deborah , Shrestha Rupendra , Davis Ryan , Sue Carolyn M
Published: August 2024

Background

Mitochondrial diseases often follow a chronic, multimorbid disease course in adults. Like other chronic conditions, mitochondrial diseases present a challenge to public and community health models and patients are potentially at higher risk of social isolation and loneliness. However, there is lack of data on social provisions in mitochondrial diseases.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional observational study on patients with a confirmed genetic or clinical diagnosis of mitochondrial disease, recruited between September 2018 and December 2021. Participants completed the Social Provisions Scale (SPS) as a measure of social support. Designated carers similarly completed the SPS in carer-specific questionnaires.

Results

95 mitochondrial disease patients and 24 designated carers completed the SPS. Social provisions were met for all six subscales of SPS in the mitochondrial disease cohort: (1) guidance 90.5% (n=86), (2) reassurance of self-worth 82.8% (n=77), (3) social integration 88.4% (n=84), (4) attachment 83.2% (n=79), (5) opportunity of nurturance, 61.1% (n=58) and (6) reliable alliance 95.8% (n=91). All social provisions were also met in the carer cohort.

Conclusion

Patients with mitochondrial diseases and their carers demonstrate a high perceived level of social support in the setting of a tertiary referral centre specialised in mitochondrial disease despite the burden of chronic disease.
Effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on fear of falling and physical activity in Parkinson’s disease: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Gwak Jiyoung , Park Jinse
Published: August 2024

Introduction

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing the fear of falling (FOF) and promoting physical activity in individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Methods and analysis

This is a prospective, multicentre, rater-blinded and randomised controlled trial. Patients with PD and a history of falls will be randomly assigned to either an 8-week ACT intervention group or a control group receiving standard care. The primary outcomes measured will include FOF assessment using the Falls Efficacy Scale-International and physical activity levels measured via wearable sensor devices. Secondary outcomes will encompass the assessment of motor function, balance and fall frequency using the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go test. Objective measures of balance and physical activity will be obtained through static posturography and wearable sensors over a 3-day period, both before and after the intervention. Data will be analysed using mixed-effects models to evaluate the impact of ACT on FOF and physical activity.

Ethics and dissemination

We hypothesised that ACT would lead to a significant reduction in FOF and an increase in physical activity levels compared with standard care. Additionally, this study will also examine the relationship between reduced FOF and improvements in balance and motor function. Our results will provide valuable evidence to support the effectiveness of ACT in reducing FOF and promoting physical activity among patients with PD, and if validated, ACT could be recommended as a beneficial intervention to enhance the quality of life and reduce fall-related morbidity in patients with PD.
Implementation of the WHO standards to assess the quality of care for children with acute diarrhoea: findings of a multicentre study (CHOICE) in Italy
Authors: Lazzerini Marzia , Sforzi Idanna , Liguoro Ilaria , Felici Enrico , Martelossi Stefano , Bressan Silvia , Trobia Gian Luca , Lubrano Riccardo , Fasoli Silvia , Troisi Angela , Pandullo Michela , Gagliardi Marta , Moras Paola , Galiazzo Silvia , Arrabito Marta , Sanseviero Mariateresa , Labruzzo Mariangela , Dal Bo Sara , Baltag Valentina , Dalena Paolo
Published: August 2024

Background

There is no documented experience in the use of the WHO standards for improving the quality of care (QOC) for children at the facility level. We describe the use of 10 prioritised WHO-Standard-based Quality Measures to assess QOC for children with acute diarrhoea (AD) in Italy.

Methods

In a multicentre observational study in 11 paediatric emergency departments with different characteristics and geographical location, we collected data on 3061 children aged 6 months to 15 years with AD and no complications. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted.

Results

Study findings highlighted both good practices and gaps in QoC, with major differences in QOC across facilities. Documentation of body weight and temperature varied from 7.7% to 98.5% and from 50% to 97.7%, respectively (p<0.001); antibiotic and probiotic prescription rates ranged from 0% to 10.1% and from 0% to 80.8%, respectively (p<0.001); hospitalisations rates ranged between 8.5% and 62.8% (p<0.001); written indications for reassessment were provided in 10.4%–90.2% of cases (p<0.001). When corrected for children’s individual characteristics, the variable more consistently associated with each analysed outcome was the individual facility. Higher rates of antibiotics prescription (+7.6%, p=0.04) and hospitalisation (+52.9%, p<0.001) were observed for facilities in Southern Italy, compared with university centres (−36%, p<0.001), independently from children characteristics. Children’s clinical characteristics in each centre were not associated with either hospitalisation or antibiotic prescription rates.

Conclusions

The 10 prioritised WHO-Standard-based Quality Measures allow a rapid assessment of QOC in children with AD. Action is needed to identify and implement sustainable and effective interventions to ensure high QOC for all children.
Injury prevention in the US Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting programme
Authors: Shields Wendy , Shiang Evelyn , Omaki Elise , Kenney Anne , Gielen Andrea C
Published: August 2024

Background

Many home-based interventions have been demonstrated to reduce unintentional and intentional injuries in young children aged 0–4 years, but an understanding of their inclusion in federally-funded home visiting programmes in the USA is needed.

Methods

The study team administered a survey to key informants at each of the 21 home visiting models approved for United States Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program funding being implemented in 2023. Respondents were based across the United States and in other developed countries. The survey collected information about the content used by models to address unintentional injury, parental health/wellbeing, and child abuse/neglect in children aged 0-4 years.

Results

Completed surveys were returned by all respondents (n=21). Most models reported the inclusion of some unintentional injury, parental health/well-being and child abuse/neglect content. While models on average covered four of the five child abuse/neglect topics listed, only five of the nine topics listed for unintentional injury and parental health/well-being were covered. Among the services used by models to address topics, covering content via standardised curriculum and referrals were the most frequent while less than one-quarter of models (n=5) provided families with safety equipment to address unintentional injury. Less than half of the models evaluated outcomes from their injury prevention services, and no models conducted cost-effectiveness evaluations.

Conclusions

Home visiting programmes are a promising way to reduce injuries in children at high risk, but further development and evaluation of their injury prevention content could increase their impact in the USA.
Biallelic variants in α-tubulin isotypes cause female infertility characterised as recurrent preimplantation embryo arrest
Authors: Hu Huiling , Wan Xian , Zhang Honghui , Sun Jiaqi , Meng Fei , Zhang Shuoping , Gu Yifan , Gong Fei , Zhao Han , Lin Ge , Zheng Wei
Published: August 2024

Background

Recurrent preimplantation embryo developmental arrest (RPEA) is the most common phenotype in assisted reproductive technology treatment failure associated with identified genetic abnormalities. Currently known maternal genetic variants explain only a limited number of cases. Variants of the β-tubulin subunit gene,
TUBB8
, cause oocyte meiotic arrest and RPEA through a broad spectrum of spindle defects. In contrast, α-tubulin subunit genes are poorly studied in the context of preimplantation embryonic development.

Methods

Whole exome sequencing was performed on the PREA cohort. Functional characterisations of the identified candidate disease-causing variants were validated using Sanger sequencing, bioinformatics, in vitro functional analyses and single-cell RNA-sequencing of arrested embryos.

Results

Four homozygous variants were identified in the PREA cohort: two of
TUBA1C
(p.Gln358Ter and p.Asp444Metfs*42) and two of
TUBA4A
(p.Arg339Cys and p.Tyr440Ter). These variants cause varying degrees of spindle assembly defects. Additionally, we characterised changes in the human arrested embryo transcriptome carrying
TUBA4A
variants, with a particular focus on spindle organisation, chromosome segregation and mRNA decay.

Conclusion

Our findings identified
TUBA1C
as a novel genetic marker and expanded the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of
TUBA4A
in female infertility and RPEA, which altogether highlighted the importance of α-tubulin isotypes in preimplantation embryonic development.
Sildenafil’s effectiveness in the primary coronary slow flow phenomenon: a pilot randomised controlled clinical trial
Authors: Andishmand Abbas , Seyedhosseini Seyedmostafa , Namayandeh Seyedeh Mahdieh , Adelzadeh Elnaz , Entezari Amin , Mirjalili Seyed Reza
Published: August 2024

Background

On the one hand, the primary coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP) can cause recurrence of chest pain, prompting medical examinations and further healthcare costs, while on the other hand, it can lead to myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Nevertheless, there is not any agreement on the optimal treatment for primary CSFP, so we decided to examine the effectiveness of sildenafil in this context.

Methods

This pilot study is a 12-week, triple-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial for receiving either 50 mg daily oral sildenafil or placebo. Twenty eligible patients aged 30–70 years from a tertiary hospital in Yazd were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to two groups. The primary outcomes were the alterations in functional capacity (metabolic equivalents, METs), Duke treadmill score (DTS) and angina severity (Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class). The study protocol registration code is IRCT20220223054103N1.

Results

The angina severity in the Sildenafil group improved, with all receivers achieving a state of being asymptomatic during regular physical activity (CCS I). Whereas just 40% of the recipients in the placebo group achieved the same level of improvement (p=0.011). Mean METs at baseline were 9.9 (SD: 3.1) and at week 12 were 13.1 (SD: 3.3) for sildenafil and 9.56 (SD: 2.1) and 9.63 (SD: 2.4) for placebo (difference favouring sildenafil with a median increase of 3.1 (IQR: 1.1 to 4.1, p=0.008)). Median DTS scores at baseline were 3 (IQR: 0 to 9) and at week 12 were 9.5 (IQR: 7.75 to 15) for sildenafil and 7 (IQR: −1.5 to 9.25) and 8 (IQR: 1.5 to 11.25) for placebo (difference favouring sildenafil with a median increase of 5.5 (IQR: 1 to 9.2, p=0.01)).

Conclusions

We suggest that a daily low dose of sildenafil could be a valuable therapeutic option for primary CSFP.

Trial registration number

IRCT20220223054103N1.
Defining characteristics of categorical general surgery resident lateral transfers
Authors: Mokhtari Ava K , Scrushy Marinda G , Mashbari Hassan Naser A , Saillant Noelle N , Dumas Ryan Peter , Bankhead Brittany K
Published: August 2024

Background

Few studies describe rationales for intraspecialty (‘lateral’) general surgery (GS) resident program transfers.

Objective

We aimed to describe the key features of GS residency programs reporting lateral transfers, to characterize reasons behind transfer events, and to compare transferring resident skill sets against their new institutional peers.

Methods

A survey was administered in October 2020 to capture program features and demographic information of residents who transferred into or out of a GS residency program during a 5-year period. This survey was approved and distributed by the Association of Program Directors in Surgery to all participating GS program directors and coordinators. Survey responses were collected, and descriptive analyses were performed.

Results

Of 69 program responses (21.5% survey response rate), 42 (61%) indicated the presence of any type of transfer event (in or out); 19 of 69 (27.5%) programs reported having at least one categorical GS resident transfer out, and 31 of 69 (44.9%) programs reported having at least one transfer in. Most transfer-out events (94.7%) were resident initiated, and the most commonly cited rationale was family obligation (78.9%). Most programs reported that residents who transferred in were on par with the existing resident cohort with respect to their medical knowledge, administrative abilities, and communication skills.

Conclusion

GS transfers were not uncommon and most were resident initiated secondary to family obligations. The majority of transfer resident skill sets met institutional expectations by the time of graduation. Programs surveyed were content with their decision to accept transfer residents.

Level of evidence

III.
Explainable AI and tree-based ensemble models: a comparative study in predicting chemical pulmonary toxicity
Authors: Jaganathan Keerthana , Geethika P. R. , Ramakrishnan Shanmugam , Sundaram Dhanasekar
Published: August 2024

Chemical-induced pulmonary toxicity, characterized by adverse respiratory effects from various drugs or chemicals, is increasingly becoming a point of concern for the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors, as well as public health. Traditional toxicity prediction methods are not only expensive but also demand significant time and effort. In response to these challenges, we focus on computational models to identify potential pulmonary toxicants early in the drug development process. Early identification of toxicity not only enhances the safety and efficiency of drugs and chemicals but also helps prevent late-stage drug withdrawals. In this study, we compared various sets of molecular descriptors and fingerprints using Mordred and RDKit software. We systematically employed feature selection techniques to identify the key molecular and structural features that significantly affect the model’s performance. We then applied a variety of tree-based ensemble machine-learning algorithms to build the proposed model, using a tenfold cross-validation methodology to enhance the model’s ability to predict pulmonary toxicity. We subsequently evaluated the proposed model’s performance using both a test set and a separate external validation set to assess reliability. The proposed optimal tree-ensemble model achieved an accuracy of 85.07% during tenfold cross-validation and 86.88% on the test set. Additionally, we applied the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach to gain deeper insights into the crucial molecular features influencing pulmonary toxicity predictions. Thus, the proposed model emerged as a promising tool for the early screening of potential pulmonary toxic compounds, enhancing chemical safety and providing interpretability for the predictions.
CNFET-Based Energy-Efficient 4:2 Compressor for Multiplier Applications
Authors: Hussain Inamul , Chaudhury Saurabh
Published: August 2024

Diverse applications in today’s digital era have a high demand for low-power, faster, and high-performance arithmetic circuits. In a multiplier, the power is the costliest part of carrying out partial products. A compressor type of adder is used for faster operation and has lesser power consumption. In this paper, a low-power, energy-efficient 4:2 compressor design has been presented. The proposed design is based on multi-threshold logic. A capacitive network has been used at the input side instead of resistors for better circuit operations. The CNFET-based network is used to design the same. Powers, delay, PDP, and EDP of the proposed design have been computed. It is observed that with 32[Formula: see text]nm CNFET technology it shows a maximum improvement in PDP and EDP of 69% and 70%, respectively. Moreover, extensive performance analyses against power supply, channel length, temperature, load, and operating frequency have been presented. Finally, the proposed compressor is applied to design Wallace’s multiplier which shows that it outperforms all other designs considered in this study. This indicates that the proposed compressor is quite useful for low-power VLSI circuits and systems applications.
DYNAMIC ANALYSIS AND HAMILTONIAN ENERGY ASPECTS OF HYPERCHAOTIC MEGASTABLE OSCILLATOR
Authors: VIVEKANANDHAN GAYATHRI , RAJAGOPAL KARTHIKEYAN , KARTHIKEYAN ANITHA , BOULAARAS SALAH , ALHARBI ASMA
Published: August 2024

Megastable oscillations are a subject of significant research interest due to their broad range of potential applications. Typically, megastable systems are driven into oscillation by a forcing term. In this paper, we propose a novel megastable oscillator that utilizes a combination of Signum and trigonometric functions. To the best of our knowledge, no 3D megastable system has been found to exhibit hyperchaotic behavior without any forcing term. We demonstrate the megastability of our oscillator using phase portraits and basins of attraction and confirm the oscillations using the Hamiltonian energy method. We also conduct a stability analysis to explore the system’s nature and investigate the impact of parameters using a bifurcation diagram. Furthermore, we present a Lyapunov spectrum to identify regions of chaos, hyperchaos, and periodic oscillations. The results we obtain demonstrate the complexity of the system and its sensitivity to initial conditions, making it well-suited for applications such as random number generation and secure communication.
Multi-Similarity Checking-Based Spoken Content Video Retrieval Using Enhanced Mayfly Optimization-Based Weighted Feature Selection
Authors: Debnath A. , Sreenivasa Rao K. , Das Partha P.
Published: August 2024

The general mechanism of “cascading automatic speech recognition (ASR)” with the retrieval of text information has been very successfully used for performing spoken content retrieval. Since retrieval presentation seriously depends on ASR accuracy, this approach performs better when the ASR accuracy is relatively high. However, it is less applicable to difficult real-world scenarios. This difficulty prompts the development of different methods for spoken content retrieval that is over the fundamental strategy of “cascading ASR with text retrieval” to achieve retrieval performances with higher ASR accuracy. Therefore, this paper develops an efficient spoken term retrieval model from videos based on the multi-similarity function. This model is performed under the testing and training stage. In the training phase, the experimental videos are collected from the real-time platform. Then, the audio is retrieved from the videos, from which the spectral features are extracted, and are further transferred to the optimal weighted feature selection process. Here, the weight is tuned by the offered Inertia weight upgraded mayfly optimization algorithm (IWU-MOA). The tuned weight value is then multiplied by the extracted spectral features to generate the novel set of features and it is reserved in the feature database. In the testing phase, the query is obtained as the spoken words, and further, the spectral features are extracted from the spoken term. The extracted spectral features are searched on the trained feature database by considering the multi-similarity function for retrieving the appropriate videos based on the user requirements. The efficacy of the offered retrieval model is analyzed with the conventional spoken word retrieval models to display the efficacy of the proposed framework. The improvement of the designed technique is applicable for the real-time alerting benefits and automatic human activity detection systems. The major downside of during the development and testing of the model is class imbalance and also it is quite limited for some of the datasets which will be resolved in the upcoming works.
Molecular dynamics simulations of ribosome-binding sites in theophylline-responsive riboswitch associated with improving the gene expression regulation in chloroplasts
Authors: Berahmand Rahim , Emadpour Masoumeh , Javaran Mokhtar Jalali , Haji-Allahverdipoor Kaveh , Akbarabadi Ali
Published: August 2024

The existence of an efficient inducible transgene expression system is a valuable tool in recombinant protein production. The synthetic theophylline-responsive riboswitch (theo.RS) can be replaced in the 5[Formula: see text] untranslated region of an mRNA and control the translation of downstream gene in chloroplasts in response to the binding with a ligand molecule, theophylline. One of the drawbacks associated with the efficiency of the theo.RS is the leak in the RS structure allowing undesired background translation when the switch is expected to be off. The purpose of this study was to detect the factors causing the leak of the theo.RS in the off mode, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations the appropriate balancing of the simulation system, using the necessary commands, a 40[Formula: see text]ns simulation was conducted. Analysis of the solvent-accessible surface area for both ribosome-binding site (RBS) regions indicated that nucleotide 79 of the theo.RS, a guanine, had the highest surface exposure to ribosome access. These results were verified with the study of hydrogen bonding of RBS regions with the RNA structure. Therefore, redesigning the RBS regions and avoiding the unmasked nucleotide(s) in the structure may improve the tightness of theo.RS in off mode resulting in the efficient inhibition of translation.
Improving Tone Recognition Performance using Wav2vec 2.0-Based Learned Representation in Yoruba, a Low-Resourced Language
Authors: Bengono Obiang Saint Germes B. , Tsopze Norbert , Melatagia Yonta Paulin , Bonastre Jean-Francois , Jiménez Tania
Published: August 2024

Many sub-Saharan African languages are categorized as tone languages, and for the most part, they are classified as low-resource languages due to the limited resources and tools available to process these languages. Identifying the tone associated with a syllable is therefore a key challenge for speech recognition in these languages. We propose models that automate the recognition of tones in continuous speech that can easily be incorporated into a speech recognition pipeline for these languages. We have investigated different neural architectures as well as several feature extraction algorithms in speech (FBs (Filter Banks), LEAF (Learnable Frontend), CS (Cestrogram), MFCC (Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients)). In the context of low-resource languages, we also evaluated W2V (Wav2vec 2.0) models for this task. In this work, we use a public speech recognition dataset on Yoruba. As for the results, using the combination of features obtained from CS and FBs, we obtain a minimum TER (Tone Error Rate) of 19.54%, whereas for the evaluations of the models using W2V, we have a TER of 17.72%, demonstrating that the use of W2V provides better performance than the models used in the literature for tone identification on low-resource languages.
T-Rec: Fine-Grained Language-Agnostic Program Reduction Guided by Lexical Syntax
Authors: Xu Zhenyang , Tian Yongqiang , Zhang Mengxiao , Zhang Jiarui , Liu Puzhuo , Jiang Yu , Sun Chengnian
Published: August 2024

Program reduction strives to eliminate bug-irrelevant code elements from a bug-triggering program, so that (1) a smaller and more straightforward bug-triggering program can be obtained, (2) and the difference among duplicates (i.e., different programs that trigger the same bug) can be minimized or even eliminated. With such reduction and canonicalization functionality, program reduction facilitates debugging for software, especially language toolchains, such as compilers, interpreters, and debuggers. While many program reduction techniques have been proposed, most of them (especially the language-agnostic ones) overlooked the potential reduction opportunities hidden within tokens. Therefore, their capabilities in terms of reduction and canonicalization are significantly restricted.

To fill this gap, we propose

\(\mathsf{T}\)

-

\(\mathsf{Rec}\)

, a fine-grained language-agnostic program reduction technique guided by lexical syntax. Instead of treating tokens as atomic and irreducible components,

\(\mathsf{T}\)

-

\(\mathsf{Rec}\)

introduces a fine-grained reduction process that leverages the lexical syntax of programming languages to effectively explore the reduction opportunities in tokens. Through comprehensive evaluations with versatile benchmark suites, we demonstrate that

\(\mathsf{T}\)

-

\(\mathsf{Rec}\)

significantly improves the reduction and canonicalization capability of two existing language-agnostic program reducers (i.e., Perses and Vulcan).

\(\mathsf{T}\)

-

\(\mathsf{Rec}\)

enables Perses and Vulcan to further eliminate 1,294 and 1,315 duplicates in a benchmark suite that contains 3,796 test cases that trigger 46 unique bugs. Additionally,

\(\mathsf{T}\)

-

\(\mathsf{Rec}\)

can also reduce up to 65.52% and 53.73% bytes in the results of Perses and Vulcan on our multi-lingual benchmark suite, respectively.
PVDF Binder in All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries with NCM/Sulfide/PVDF Cathode, Oxide/PEO SE Layer, and Li-metal Anode
Authors: Kang Byeong-Su , Jeon Se-Hyeon , Park Sang-Jun , Song Young-Woong , Lim Jinsub , Hong YoungSun , Kim Min-Young , Kim Ho-Sung
Published: August 2024

Sulfide-based solid electrolyte such as Li6PS5Cl (LPSCl) is unstable in contact with Li metal electrode due to decomposing to by-product resulting in poor performance. Therefore, the introduction of an interlayer to suppress reactivity is essential. In this study, instead of an interlayer, an oxide/polymer composite electrolyte was applied to suppress side reactions, while a sulfide-based electrolyte was used at the cathode to improve interfacial control between the cathode and the electrolyte. All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASLBs) were prepared by applying sulfide-based solid electrolyte (argyrodite, Li6PS5Cl) including NCM424, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and Super-P in a composite cathode layer, and a composite solid electrolyte (CSE) layer by mixing an oxide-based solid electrolyte (garnet, Al-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO)), polymer (PEO, polyethylene oxide) and lithium metal as the anode. In this study, NCM424 powder was coated with LiNbO3 to prevent chemical reaction with the sulfide electrolyte. As the PVDF binder was applied to the cathode of the ASLB, the discharge capacity of the cell was approximately 163 mAh g−1 at 70 °C, 0.1 C, and 4.2 V cut-off and its capacity retention was 83% after 50 cycles. The effects of the PVDF were evaluated using both pouch-type cells. The capacity and cycle retention are greatly dependent on the PVDF content of the cathode materials and the drying temperature during the fabrication of the cathode. When the cathode with PVDF binder was dried at 130 °C, initial cycling was required for activation of the pouch cell, and it was possible to overcome this by adding a plasticizer.
Mitigation of Dendrite Growth in Zinc-iodide Flow Battery with Tröger’s Base Anion Exchange Membrane
Authors: Nikumbe Devendra Y. , Bavdane Priyanka P. , Bora Dimple , Dave Vidhiben , Bhatt Bhavana , Nagarale Rajaram K.
Published: August 2024

Tröger’s base anion exchange membrane (TB-AEM) was readily prepared by condensation polymerization of biphenyl diamine and dimethoxymethane in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid followed by quaternization with methyl iodide. The film cast from N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent displayed good mechanical strength, a tensile modulus of 1.18 GPa with elongation at break of 17%, and a glass transition temperature (Tg) at 248 °C. It exhibited OH− ion conductivity of 108 mS cm−1 by impedance measurement at 80 °C in 1M KOH. The membrane exhibited good affinity toward I2, resulting in the formation of I2Br− ions in the membrane matrix. Over 300 charge/discharge cycles at a 50 mA cm−2 current density, the battery exhibited 95.5% Coulombic efficiency (CE), 76.4% voltage efficiency (VE), and 74.0% energy efficiency (EE) and delivered a capacity of 24.8 Ah L−1. Over a span of 60 h, the open-circuit voltage (OCV) of the cell remained constant at 1.2 V. Collectively, our findings suggest that the anion exchange membrane's charge and porosity tuning are key factors in the design of new generation separators for zinc-iodide flow batteries.
In Vivo Anthelmintic Efficacy of Adansonia digitata and Anogeissus leiocarpa against Haemonchus contortus Infestation Induced in Sheep
Authors: Kuiseu Julienne , Konmy Basile , Dansou Christian Cocou , Sounkere Tony Taofick Babalola Abiodoun , Houssoukpe Claude Gbemeho , Hounzangbe-Adote Sylvie Mawule , Edorh Patrick Aleodjrodo , Olounlade Pascal Abiodoun
Published: August 2024

The aim of the present study was to assay the in vivo anthelminthic activity of Anogeissus leiocarpa (Al) family of the Asteraceae and Adansonia digitata (Ad) family of Malvaceae leaf powder against the nematode Haemonchus contortus (Hc) in sheep. Twenty‐eight sheep were artificially infected with 3000 Infective larvae (L3) of Hc and divided into four groups. Groups 1 and 2 received 3.2 g/kg of Ad and Al leaf powder according to the body weight for three days by oral route. This treatment was repeated after 14 days. Group 3 received albendazol 5 mg/kg and group 4 received water. The treatment was repeated 14 days later. Examination of faecal samples, packed cell volume and biochemical analyses and necropsy were carried out to determine egg counts, worm burdens, and reduction in worm fecundity and changes in blood parameters. The results showed a reduction in egg excretion of 72.22% and 88.49%, respectively, with Al and Ad leaf powder. Egg laying of adult female worms was reduced by 55.22% and 64.96% with Ad and Al, respectively. FAMACHA score (≤2 in the treated animals) and packed cell volume were improved with Ad and Al. The results of this study revealed that Ad and Al powder may be used as an alternative anthelminthic to control haemonchosis in small ruminants.