bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
eco2AI: Carbon Emissions Tracking of Machine Learning Models as the First Step Towards Sustainable AI
Authors: Budennyy S. A. , Lazarev V. D. , Zakharenko N. N. , Korovin A. N. , Plosskaya O. A. , Dimitrov D. V. , Akhripkin V. S. , Pavlov I. V. , Oseledets I. V. , Barsola I. S. , Egorov I. V. , Kosterina A. A. , Zhukov L. E.
Published: January 2023

Abstract—

The size and complexity of deep neural networks used in AI applications continue to grow exponentially, significantly increasing energy consumption for training and inference by these models. We introduce an open-source package eco2AI to help data scientists and researchers to track the energy consumption and equivalent CO2 emissions of their models in a straightforward way. In eco2AI we focus on accurate tracking of energy consumption and regional CO2 emissions accounting. We encourage the research for community to search for new optimal Artificial Intelligence (AI) architectures with lower computational cost. The motivation also comes from the concept of AI-based greenhouse gases sequestrating cycle with both Sustainable AI and Green AI pathways. The code and documentation are hosted on Github under the Apache 2.0 license https://github.com/sb-ai-lab/Eco2AI.
Fifteen-minute consultation: Approach to the adolescent presenting with hirsutism
Authors: Cross Alexandra Selina , Moustafa Manar , Elder Charlotte Jane
Published: January 2023

Hirsutism, unwanted terminal hair growth in androgen-dependent areas, is a common presentation to general paediatricians, dermatologists and endocrinologists. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common cause but can be challenging to diagnose in young people due to the significant overlap of features with the healthy adolescent population. There are other rare, but important, causes to consider such as non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia and androgen-secreting tumours. Hirsutism carries a significant psychological burden for those living with it. This 15 min consultation piece describes the causes of hirsutism, introduces a novel assessment tool and suggests an approach to investigations and management, including signposting to psychological support.
Neonatal herpes simplex presenting as a zosteriform eruption
Authors: Anderson Elizabeth , Johns Emma , Conlon Joseph , Saleh Ezzeldin
Published: January 2023

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in newborn infants is a potentially devastating disease leading to death and disability. Skin, eye and mouth (SEM) infections account for approximately half of the cases in the USA. The appearance of skin findings often guides clinicians towards early diagnosis of HSV infection, prompt interventions and life-saving management; however, less than half of neonates with proven disease present with characteristic vesicular lesions. Furthermore, if SEM infections are not treated promptly, there is significant risk of progression to central nervous system and disseminated disease. We present a case of HSV-2 infection in a neonate with an atypical zosteriform eruption on day 3 of life. This case demonstrates that neonatal HSV can unusually present in a zosteriform rash. By elucidating this unique presentation, we highlight atypical HSV skin presentation and emphasise on the importance of earlier diagnosis and antiviral treatment to prevent the associated morbidity and mortality.
Gestational age at birth and cognitive outcomes in adolescence: population based full sibling cohort study
Authors: Husby Anders , Wohlfahrt Jan , Melbye Mads
Published: January 2023

Objective

To investigate the association between gestational age at birth and cognitive outcomes in adolescence.

Design

Nationwide population based full sibling cohort study.

Setting

Denmark.

Participants

1.2 million children born between 1 January 1986 and 31 December 2003, of whom 792 724 had one or more full siblings born in the same period.

Main outcome measures

Scores in written language (Danish) and mathematics examinations as graded by masked assessors at the end of compulsory schooling (ninth grade, ages 15-16 years), in addition to intelligence test score at military conscription (predominantly at age 18 years) for a nested sub-cohort of male adolescents. School grades were standardised as z scores according to year of examination, and intelligence test scores were standardised as z scores according to year of birth.

Results

Among 792 724 full siblings in the cohort, 44 322 (5.6%) were born before 37+0 weeks of gestation. After adjusting for multiple confounders (sex, birth weight, malformations, parental age at birth, parental educational level, and number of older siblings) and shared family factors between siblings, only children born at <34 gestational weeks showed reduced mean grades in written language (z score difference −0.10 (95% confidence interval −0.20 to −0.01) for ≤27 gestational weeks) and mathematics (−0.05 (−0.08 to −0.01) for 32-33 gestational weeks, −0.13 (−0.17 to −0.09) for 28-31 gestational weeks, and −0.23 (−0.32 to −0.15) for ≤27 gestational weeks), compared with children born at 40 gestational weeks. In a nested sub-cohort of full brothers with intelligence test scores, those born at 32-33, 28-31, and ≤27 gestational weeks showed a reduction in IQ points of 2.4 (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.6), 3.8 (2.3 to 5.3), and 4.2 (0.8 to 7.5), respectively, whereas children born at 34-39 gestational weeks showed a reduction in intelligence of <1 IQ point, compared with children born at 40 gestational weeks.

Conclusions

Cognitive outcomes in adolescence did not differ between those born at 34-39 gestational weeks and those born at 40 gestational weeks, whereas those with a gestational age of <34 weeks showed substantial deficits in multiple cognitive domains.
The role of the private sector in delivering essential packages of health services: lessons from country experiences
Authors: Siddiqi Sameen , Aftab Wafa , Venkat Raman A , Soucat Agnès , Alwan Ala
Published: January 2023

Many countries are adopting essential packages of health services (EPHS) to implement universal health coverage (UHC), which are mostly financed and delivered by the public sector, while the potential role of the private health sector (PHS) remains untapped. Currently, many low-income and lower middle-income countries (LLMICs) have devised EPHS; however, guidance on translating these packages into quality, accessible and affordable services is limited. This paper explores the role of PHS in achieving UHC, identifies key concerns and presents the experience of the Diseases Control Priorities 3 Country Translation project in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Zanzibar. There are key challenges to engagement of the PHS, which include the complexity and heterogeneity of private providers, their operation in isolation of the health system, limitations of population coverage and equity when left to PHS’s own choices, and higher overall cost of care for privately delivered services. Irrespective of the strategies employed to involve the PHS in delivering EPHS, it is necessary to identify private providers in terms of their characteristics and contribution, and their response to regulatory tools and incentives. Strategies for regulating private providers include better statutory control to prevent unlicensed practice, self-regulation by professional bodies to maintain standards of practice and accreditation of large private hospitals and chains. Potentially, purchasing delivery of essential services by engaging private providers can be an effective ‘regulatory approach’ to modify provider behaviour. Despite existing experience, more research is needed to better explore and operationalise the role of PHS in implementing EPHS in LLMICs.
Associations between alcohol brief intervention in primary care and drinking and health outcomes in adults with hypertension and type 2 diabetes: a population-based observational study
Authors: Chi Felicia W , Parthasarathy Sujaya , Palzes Vanessa A , Kline-Simon Andrea H , Weisner Constance M , Satre Derek D , Grant Richard W , Elson Joseph , Ross Thekla B , Awsare Sameer , Lu Yun , Metz Verena E , Sterling Stacy A
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To evaluate associations between alcohol brief intervention (BI) in primary care and 12-month drinking outcomes and 18-month health outcomes among adults with hypertension and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Design

A population-based observational study using electronic health records data.

Setting

An integrated healthcare system that implemented system-wide alcohol screening, BI and referral to treatment in adult primary care.

Participants

Adult primary care patients with hypertension (N=72 979) or T2D (N=19 642) who screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use between 2014 and 2017.

Main outcome measures

We examined four drinking outcomes: changes in heavy drinking days/past 3 months, drinking days/week, drinks/drinking day and drinks/week from baseline to 12-month follow-up, based on results of alcohol screens conducted in routine care. Health outcome measures were changes in measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and BP reduction ≥3 mm Hg at 18-month follow-up. For patients with T2D, we also examined change in glycohaemoglobin (HbA1c) level and ‘controlled HbA1c’ (HbA1c<8%) at 18-month follow-up.

Results

For patients with hypertension, those who received BI had a modest but significant additional −0.06 reduction in drinks/drinking day (95% CI −0.11 to −0.01) and additional −0.30 reduction in drinks/week (95% CI −0.59 to −0.01) at 12 months, compared with those who did not. Patients with hypertension who received BI also had higher odds for having clinically meaningful reduction of diastolic BP at 18 months (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.09). Among patients with T2D, no significant associations were found between BI and drinking or health outcomes examined.

Conclusions

Alcohol BI holds promise for reducing drinking and helping to improve health outcomes among patients with hypertension who screened positive for unhealthy drinking. However, similar associations were not observed among patients with T2D. More research is needed to understand the heterogeneity across diverse subpopulations and to study BI’s long-term public health impact.
Protocol for Shenzhen Ageing Cohort Study (SZ-ageing): a prospective observational cohort study of elderly disability and cognitive impairment
Authors: Ni Wenqing , Peng Xiaobo , Yuan Xueli , Sun Yuanying , Zhang Hongmin , Zhang Yan , Xu Jian
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The incidence and prevalence of disability and cognitive impairment, which are age-related, increase as China has become an ageing society. This study aims to establish the Shenzhen Ageing Cohort Study (SZ-ageing) to explore the epidemiological situation, risk factors and biomarkers of disability and cognitive impairment among Chinese elderly individuals.

Methods

About 3000 participants aged 65 years and older are to be recruited from communities in Shenzhen by using a multistage sampling method. They will receive a baseline investigation between 2022 and 2024. The comprehensive data on disability and cognitive impairment will be collected by using standardised questionnaires, standardised scale assessments, clinical measurements and clinical laboratory tests. Active follow-up surveys with the same content as the baseline investigation will be conducted every 3 years.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval has been obtained from the ethics committee of the Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control (SZCCC-2022-001-01-PJ; 21 February 2022). The research findings will be presented at professional conferences and submitted to peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200060055).
Investigating the risks of cardiovascular disease among premenopausal women using oral contraceptive: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fabunmi Oyesanmi A , Dludla Phiwayinkosi V , Ngcobo Siphamandla R , Nkambule Bongani B
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The use of oral contraceptives (OCs) is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in women of reproductive age. CVD remain one of the top causes of death worldwide, with at least three-quarters of deaths occurring in low-income and middle-income nations. The impact of various types of combined oral contraceptive (COC) on several modifiable risk factors associated with CVDs in premenopausal women is inconsistent regardless of genetic mutations. The aim of this systematic review will be to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the available evidence on the impact of COC usage on modifiable risk factors associated with CVDs and assess ethnic and geographic disparities in the reported prevalence of CVD.

Methods and analysis

This systematic review protocol was prepared in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols 2015 statement. An extensive search on the Embase, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library will be conducted from inception until. Two reviewers will independently screen for eligible studies using a predefined criterion. The risk of bias and quality of included studies will be assessed using the modified Downs and Black’s checklist. Whereas the overall quality of included studies will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation assessment tool.

Ethics and dissemination

This is a review of existing studies and will not require ethical approval. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication. The use of OC and the risk of CVDs including arterial and venous thrombosis remain a major concern among women of reproductive age. Thus, given the impact of COCs on the risk variables linked with CVDs, this review may provide an insight and assistance during COC use.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020216169.
Observational study on resource utilisation of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) at a high-LEP serving community hospital emergency department
Authors: Kwok Matthew Mo Kin , Sandarage Ryan , Kahlon Manjot
Published: January 2023

Communication barriers often result in healthcare disparities. Language barriers in patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) frequently results in higher healthcare expenditures and potentially poorer patient-centred outcomes. Therefore, we decided to assess resource utilisation of patients with LEP at our high-LEP serving community hospital emergency department (ED) in Canada. Specifically, we examined whether LEP patients have a higher rate of CT utilisation and/or a higher rate of hospital admission from the ED.

We enrolled 100 patients who presented to the ED in our study. Each patient’s English proficiency was rated. We classified 31 patients as LEP patients and 69 patients as non-LEP patients. Within the LEP patients’ group, 13 out of 31 patients (42%) received a CT scan, while in the non-LEP patients’ group, 30 out of 69 patients (43%) received a CT scan. In addition, 28 out of 31 patients (90%) from the LEP patients’ group were admitted to the hospital after the initial ED consultation, while in the non-LEP patients’ group, 51 out of 69 patients (74%) were admitted.

We did not find a difference in CT scan utilisation between LEP and non-LEP patients (p=0.89). Although there is a trend towards a higher hospital admission rate in LEP patients, our finding was not statistically significant (p=0.062).
Reducing unnecessary diagnostic phlebotomy in intensive care: a prospective quality improvement intervention
Authors: Bodley Thomas , Levi Olga , Chan Maverick , Friedrich Jan O , Hicks Lisa K
Published: January 2023

Background

Critically ill patients receive frequent routine and recurring blood tests, some of which are unnecessary.

Aim

To reduce unnecessary routine phlebotomy in a 30-bed tertiary medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) in Toronto, Ontario.

Methods

This prospective quality improvement study included a 7-month preintervention baseline, 5-month intervention and 11-month postintervention period. Change strategies included education, ICU rounds checklists, electronic order set modifications, an electronic test add-on tool and audit and feedback. The primary outcome was mean volume of blood collected per patient-day. Secondary outcomes included the number blood tubes used and red cell transfusions. Balancing measures included the timing and types of blood tests, ICU length of stay and mortality. Outcomes were evaluated using process control charts and segmented regression.

Results

Patient demographics did not differ between time periods; total number of patients: 2096, median age: 61 years, 60% male. Mean phlebotomy volume±SD decreased from 41.1±4.0 to 34.1±4.7 mL/patient-day. Special cause variation was met at 13 weeks. Segmental regression demonstrated an immediate postintervention decrease of 6.6 mL/patient-day (95% CI 1.8 to 11.4 p=0.009), which was sustained. Blood tube consumption decreased by 1.4 tubes/patient-day (95% CI 0.4 to 2.4, p=0.005) amounting to 13 276 tubes (95% CI 4602 to 22 127 tubes) saved over 11 months. Red blood cell transfusions decreased from 10.5±5.2 to 8.3±4.4 transfusions/100 patient-days (incident rate ratio 0.56, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.88, p=0.01). There was no impact on length of stay (2 days, IQR 1–5) and mortality (18.1%±2.0%).

Conclusion

Iterative improvement interventions targeting clinician test ordering behaviour can reduce ICU phlebotomy and may impact red cell transfusions. Frequent stakeholder consultation, incorporating stewardship into daily workflow, and audit and feedback are effective strategies.
Soluble and cell-based markers of immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated nephritis
Authors: Sise Meghan E , Wang Qiyu , Seethapathy Harish , Moreno Daiana , Harden Destiny , Smith R Neal , Rosales Ivy A , Colvin Robert B , Chute Sarah , Cornell Lynn D , Herrmann Sandra M , Fadden Riley , Sullivan Ryan J , Yang Nancy J , Barmettler Sara , Wells Sophia , Gupta Shruti , Villani Alexandra-Chloe , Reynolds Kerry L , Farmer Jocelyn
Published: January 2023

Background

Non-invasive biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ICI-nephritis) are urgently needed. Because ICIs block immune checkpoint pathways that include cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4), we hypothesized that biomarkers of immune dysregulationpreviously defined in patients with congenital CTLA4 deficiency, including elevated soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2R) and flow cytometric cell-based markers of B and T cell dysregulation in peripheral blood may aid the diagnosis of ICI-nephritis.

Methods

A retrospective cohort of patients diagnosed with ICI-nephritis was compared with three prospectively enrolled control cohorts: ICI-treated controls without immune-related adverse events, patients not on ICIs with hemodynamic acute kidney injury (hemodynamic AKI), and patients not on ICIs with biopsy proven acute interstitial nephritis from other causes (non-ICI-nephritis). sIL-2R level and flow cytometric parameters were compared between groups using Wilcoxon rank sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to define the accuracy of sIL-2R and flow cytometric biomarkers in diagnosing ICI-nephritis. The downstream impact of T cell activation in the affected kidney was investigated using archived biopsy samples to evaluate the gene expression ofIL2RA,IL-2 signaling, and T cell receptor signaling in patients with ICI-nephritis compared with other causes of drug-induced nephritis, acute tubular injury, and histologically normal controls.

Results

sIL-2R level in peripheral blood was significantly higher in patients with ICI-nephritis (N=24) (median 2.5-fold upper limit of normal (ULN), IQR 1.9–3.3), compared with ICI-treated controls (N=10) (median 0.8-fold ULN, IQR 0.5–0.9, p<0.001) and hemodynamic AKI controls (N=6) (median 0.9-fold-ULN, IQR 0.7–1.1, p=0.008). A sIL-2R cut-off point of 1.75-fold ULN was highly diagnostic of ICI-nephritis (area under the curve >96%) when compared with either ICI-treated or hemodynamic AKI controls. By peripheral blood flow cytometry analysis, lower absolute CD8+T cells, CD45RA+CD8+ T cells, memory CD27+B cells, and expansion of plasmablasts were prominent features of ICI-nephritis compared with ICI-treated controls. Gene expressions forIL2RA, IL-2 signaling, and T cell receptor signaling in the kidney tissue with ICI-nephritis were significantly higher compared with controls.

Conclusion

Elevated sIL-2R level and flow cytometric markers of both B and T cell dysregulation may aid the diagnosis of ICI-nephritis.
Modified percutaneous coronary intervention-derived risk models (PARIS and CREDO-Kyoto integer scoring systems) applied to Japanese transcatheter aortic valve replacement patients
Authors: Ohya Masanobu , Kohsaka Shun , Kumamaru Hiraku , Ikuta Akihiro , Nakano Jota , Shimamoto Takeshi , Watanabe Yusuke , Shimamura Kazuo , Maeda Koichi , Komiya Tatsuhiko , Fuku Yasushi , Kadota Kazushige
Published: January 2023

Objective

Postprocedural ischaemic and bleeding risks after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remain a major concern. Nevertheless, no reliable risk models incorporating both possibilities are currently available. We aimed to assess the accuracy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-derived models and the performance of a recalibrated model that included variables more applicable to TAVR.

Methods

This study included 26 869 patients who had been enrolled in a national registry. Ischaemic events were defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischaemic attack or peripheral embolism at 1 year. Bleeding events were defined as any bleeding based on the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 consensus document at 1 year. Patterns of Non-adherence to Anti-Platelet Regimen in Stented Patients (PARIS) and Coronary Revascularisation Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto (CREDO-Kyoto) integer scoring systems were tested. The models were recalibrated by applying new variables using the Fine and Gray method.

Results

The 1-year cumulative incidences for ischaemic and bleeding events were 2.7% and 3.1%. Patients with high PARIS and CREDO-Kyoto risk scores had higher incidences of both ischaemic (3.3% vs 2.4% vs 2.4%, p<0.001 and 2.8% vs 2.0% vs 0.8%, p<0.001) and bleeding events (3.3% vs 2.5% vs 0.8%, p<0.001 and 3.7% vs 3.0% vs 2.4%, p<0.001) when compared with intermediate and low-risk patients. The receiver operating characteristic area under the curves for these models were 0.53, 0.58, 0.56 and 0.55, respectively. After the models were recalibrated to incorporate variables more applicable to TAVR, the performance of ischaemic and bleeding models modestly improved (0.58 and 0.61, respectively).

Conclusions

The PCI-derived models demonstrated modest accuracy but was inadequate for risk stratification of TAVR patients at 1-year follow-up.

Trial registration number

3395.
Is explicitly correlated double-hybrid density functional theory advantageous for vibrational frequencies?
Authors: Mehta Nisha , Santra Golokesh , Martin Jan M.L.
Published: January 2023

We have investigated the effect of F12 geminals on the basis set convergence of harmonic frequencies calculated using two representative double-hybrid density functionals, namely, B2GP-PLYP and revDSD-PBEP86-D4. Like previously found for energetics (Mehta N.; Martin J. M. L. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2022, 18, 5978), one sees an acceleration by two zeta steps, such that even the cc-pVDZ-F12 basis set is quite close to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. However, the basis set convergence problem is not as acute as for energetics, and compared with experimental harmonic frequencies, conventional orbital calculations with augmented triple zeta quality basis set are acceptably close to the CBS limit, and can be carried out using analytical second derivatives. An efficient implementation of double-hybrid F12 analytical derivatives would make the F12 approach attractive in the sense that even an spd orbital basis set would be adequate. For the accurate revDSD-PBEP86-D4 functional, the role of differing local correlation terms (Perdew–Zunger 1981 versus VWN5) in different electronic structure programs has been investigated, while optimal double-hybrid parameters and performance statistics for energetics as well as frequencies differ slightly between the two implementations; these differences are insignificant for practical purposes.
W boson mass in minimal Dirac gaugino scenarios
Authors: Benakli Karim , Goodsell Mark , Ke Wenqi , Slavich Pietro
Published: January 2023

We investigate the conditions for alignment in Dirac Gaugino models with minimal matter content. This leads to several scenarios, including an aligned Dirac Gaugino NMSSM that allows a light singlet scalar. We then investigate the compatibility of minimal Dirac Gaugino models with an enhanced W boson mass, using a new precise computation of the quantum corrections included in the code SARAH 4.15.0.
Three-dimensional Newtonian gravity with cosmological constant and torsion
Authors: Concha Patrick , Rodríguez Evelyn , Rubio Gustavo , Yañez Paola
Published: January 2023

In this paper we present an alternative cosmological extension of the three-dimensional extended Newtonian Chern–Simons gravity by switching on the torsion. The theory is obtained as a non-relativistic limit of an enhancement and U(1)-enlargement of the so-called teleparallel algebra and can be seen as the teleparallel analogue of the Newtonian gravity theory. The infinite-dimensional extension of our result is also explored through the Lie algebra expansion method. An infinite-dimensional torsional Galilean gravity model is presented which in the vanishing cosmological constant limit reproduces the infinite-dimensional extension of the Galilean gravity theory.
Efficiency of combined MA-XRF and CXRF to give nondestructive insights about changes of a historical painting
Authors: Tapia José , Eveno Myriam , Calligaro Thomas , Pichon Laurent , Laval Eric , Ravaud Elisabeth , Reiche Ina
Published: January 2023

Historical paintings with important iconographical changes represent an analytical challenge. Considering the case study of a fifteenth-century French painting studied during its restoration, the efficiency of a combined noninvasive approach of two-dimensional scanning macro-X-ray fluorescence imaging (MA-XRF) and a laboratory-based depth-resolved confocal micro-X-ray fluorescence (CXRF) is discussed. Large chemical maps of several elements were obtained by MA-XRF, enabling the identification of zones of interest representing changes in the painting composition. In these areas, depth profiles were measured with CXRF, allowing to evidence overlaying paint layers. The advantages of this technique are that it can give direct information on the stratigraphy of paint layers in a nondestructive way and can reduce the sampling needed, as well as increase the locations analyzed (in our study twenty-two depth-resolved scans). These results complement information obtained by scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy-dispersive X-ray analyzing system (SEM–EDX) on three cross-sectional samples taken in the areas of interest. Additionally, the three cross sections of the painting were studied by CXRF lateral scans (y) in order to evaluate the efficiency of the CXRF analyses against SEM–EDX. The study shows the benefits of the combination of MA-XRF and CXRF for analyzing painting compositions, as such a high number of cross sections would have been impossible to sample. From an art-historical and conservation perspective, this combined study provides an understanding of the original painting’s paint sequence and its later retouches, helping to make informed conservation treatment decisions.

Graphic Abstract
Mechanistic Role ofScutellaria baicalensisGeorgi in Breast Cancer Therapy
Authors: Yu Peng , Li Jingyang , Luo Yanqing , Sun Jiayi , Hu Yingfan , Lin Bo , Meng Xianli , Xiang Li
Published: January 2023

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women, and exhibits high metastasis, recurrence and fatality rates. Novel therapies for breast cancer are constantly emerging, such as targeted therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, and immunotherapy. Despite their potential, these new therapies are still in their infancy, and chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for breast cancer. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop safe and efficient treatment drugs or adjuvants for breast cancer treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long clinical history in China, in which Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi exhibits favorable antibreast cancer activities. We therefore conducted a systematic review of the available literature to better understand the molecular mechanisms of S. baicalensis in breast cancer treatment. S. baicalensis and its active components (baicalein, baicalin, wogonin, wogonoside, oroxylin A and scutellarin) exhibited promising antibreast cancer activity through proliferation inhibition, apoptosis induction, invasion and metastasis blockading, and drug-resistance and non-coding RNA regulation. Additionally, senescence, autophagy, angiogenesis, and glycolysis mechanisms were observed to play a role in their antibreast cancer activity. Furthermore, multiple signaling pathways contributed to the antitumor effects of S. baicalensi, such as the NF-[Formula: see text]B, Wnt/[Formula: see text]-catenin, SATB1, Bcl2 family proteins, Caspase, PI3K/Akt, mTOR, ERK, p38-MAPK, TGF-[Formula: see text]/Smad, and Hippo/YAP pathways. This review provides valuable insights into the role of S. baicalensis as a breast cancer treatment and acts as a foundation for further investigations in this field.
Amelioration of Lung Fibrosis by Total Flavonoids of Astragalus via Inflammatory Modulation and Epithelium Regeneration
Authors: Yang Chen-Guang , Mao Xue-Li , Wu Jun-Fei , An Xiang , Cao Jia-Jia , Zhang Xiao-Yu , Li Min , Zhang Fang-Fang
Published: January 2023

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is identifiable by the excessive increase of mesenchyme paired with the loss of epithelium. Total flavonoids of Astragalus (TFA), the main biologically active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine, Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi), shows outstanding effects on treating pulmonary disorders, including COVID-19-associated pulmonary dysfunctions. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of TFA on treating pulmonary fibrosis and the possible mechanisms behind these effects. A549 cells were treated with TGF-[Formula: see text]1 and TFA to observe the potential effects of TFA on regulating alveolar epithelial cell proliferation, TGF-[Formula: see text]1-induced EMT, and the underlying mechanisms in vitro. Then, mouse pulmonary fibrosis was induced with a single intra-tracheal injection of bleomycin, and TFA was administrated by i.p. injection. Lung fibrosis was evaluated through histological and molecular analyses, and the possible mechanisms were explored using immunological methods. The results demonstrated that TFA could promote cell proliferation but inhibit TGF-[Formula: see text]1-induced EMT on A549 cells. TFA attenuated BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice by modulating inflammatory infiltration and M2 macrophage polarization; it furthermore modulated EMT through regulating the TGF-[Formula: see text]1/Smad pathway. In addition, TFA augmented the expression of the Wnt7b protein, which plays an important role in alveolar epithelium reparation. In conclusion, TFA alleviated bleomycin-induced mouse lung fibrosis by preventing the fibrotic response and increasing epithelium regeneration.
An Accelerated Regularized Chebyshev–Halley Method for Unconstrained Optimization
Authors: Xiao Jianyu , Zhang Haibin , Gao Huan
Published: January 2023

In machine learning, most models can be transformed into unconstrained optimization problems, so how to solve the unconstrained optimization problem for different objective functions is always a hot issue. In this paper, a class of unconstrained optimization where objection function has [Formula: see text]th-order derivative and Lipschitz continuous simultaneously is studied. To handle such problems, we propose an accelerated regularized Chebyshev–Halley method based on the Accelerated Hybrid Proximal Extragradient (A-HPE) framework. It proves that convergence complexity of the proposed method is [Formula: see text], which is consistent with the lower iteration complexity bound for third-order tensor methods. Numerical experiments on functions in machine learning demonstrate the promising performance of the proposed method.
Semi-Online Scheduling on Two Identical Parallel Machines with Initial-Lookahead Information
Authors: Zheng Feifeng , Chen Yuhong , Liu Ming , Xu Yinfeng
Published: January 2023

This work investigates a new semi-online scheduling problem with lookahead. We focus on job scheduling on two identical parallel machines, where deterministic online algorithms only know the information of [Formula: see text] initial jobs (i.e., the initial-lookahead information), while the following jobs still arrive one-by-one in an over-list fashion. We consider makespan minimization as the objective. The study aims at revealing the value of knowing [Formula: see text] initial jobs, which are used to improve the competitive performance of those online algorithms without such initial-lookahead information. We provide the following findings: (1) For the scenario where the [Formula: see text] initial jobs are all the largest jobs with length [Formula: see text], we prove that the classical LIST algorithm is optimal with competitive ratio [Formula: see text]; (2) For the scenario where the total length of these [Formula: see text] jobs is at least [Formula: see text], we show that any online algorithm has a competitive ratio at least 3/2, implying that the initial-lookahead knowledge is powerless since there exists a 3/2-competitive online algorithm without such information; (3) For the scenario where the total length of these [Formula: see text] jobs is at least [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]), we propose an online algorithm, named as LPT-LIST, with competitive ratio of [Formula: see text], implying that the initial-lookahead information indeed helps to improve the competitiveness of those online algorithms lacking such information.
Collective coordinates for the hybrid model
Authors: Pereira C. F. S. , dos Santos Costa Filho Etevaldo , Tassis T.
Published: January 2023

In this work, we investigate the soliton scattering problem for anti-kink/kink and kink/anti-kink configurations. To this end, we employ two distinct methods, full simulation and collective coordinates, and compare them. We apply the collective coordinate approximation method to describe both scattering configurations in the hybrid model and show that, similar to the polynomial models [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], the method has limitations with respect to the initial scattering velocities. In such a way that, for certain initial velocities, the solution of collective coordinates agrees with the full simulation, and for other velocities, there is a discrepancy in the solutions obtained by these two methods. We investigate the time evolution for kink/anti-kink and anti-kink/kink scattering in the hybrid model, taking into consideration the null-vector problem. As an appendix, we performed the same inspection for kink/anti-kink scattering in the [Formula: see text] model.
Schwinger pair creation for monolayer graphene in a constant electromagnetic field, and in noncommutative phase space coordinates
Authors: Moures Nadjiba , Boudjedaa Tahar , Benzair Hadjira
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we study the creation of particles from the vacuum in monolayer graphene by an electromagnetic field in a noncommutative (NC) phase space coordinate considering the Schwinger method. For two different gauges, the probability of particle creation is calculated using the effective action, and special cases are considered. The essential result is that the noncommutativity of the phase space contributes to the effective action and consequently it has an influence on the process of pair creation from the vacuum.
Some computations on instanton knot homology
Authors: Li Zhenkun , Liang Yi
Published: January 2023

In a recent paper, the first author and his collaborator developed a method to compute an upper bound of the dimension of instanton Floer homology via Heegaard diagrams of [Formula: see text]-manifolds. In this paper, for a knot inside [Formula: see text], we further introduce an algorithm that computes an upper bound of the dimension of instanton knot homology from knot diagrams. We test the algorithm with all knots up to seven crossings as well as a more complicated knot [Formula: see text]. In the second half of the paper, we show that if the instanton knot Floer homology of a knot has a specified form, then the knot must be an instanton L-space knot.
Dynamics of a delay-induced prey–predator system with interaction between immature prey and predators
Authors: Pandey Soumik , Sarkar Abhijit , Das Debashis , Chakraborty Sarbani
Published: January 2023

In biological pest control systems, several pests (including insects, mites, weeds, etc.) are controlled by biocontrol agents that rely primarily on predation. Following this biocontrol management ecology, we have created a three-tier prey–predator model with prey phase structure and predator gestation delay. Several studies have demonstrated that predators with Holling type-II functional responses sometimes consume immature prey. A study of the well-posedness and local bifurcation (such as saddle-node and transcritical) near the trivial and planer equilibrium points is carried out. Without any time lag, the prey development coefficient has a stabilizing impact, while increasing attack rate accelerates instability. Energy transformation rate and handling time are shown to cause multiple stability switches in the system. Numerical results demonstrate time delay is the key destabilizer that destroys stability. Our model can replicate more realistic events by including time-dependent factors and exploring the dynamic behavior of nonautonomous systems. In the presence of time delay, sufficient conditions of permanence and global attractivity of the nonautonomous system are derived. Finally, MATLAB simulations are performed to validate the analytical findings.
Transmissive multifocal laser speckle contrast imaging through thick tissue
Authors: Chen Ruoyu , Miao Peng , Tong Shanbao
Published: January 2023

Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is a powerful tool for monitoring blood flow changes in tissue or vessels in vivo, but its applications are limited by shallow penetration depth under reflective imaging configuration. The traditional LSCI setup has been used in transmissive imaging for depth extension up to [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] is the transport mean free path), but the blood flow estimation is biased due to the depth uncertainty in large depth of field (DOF) images. In this study, we propose a transmissive multifocal LSCI for depth-resolved blood flow in thick tissue, further extending the transmissive LSCI for tissue thickness up to [Formula: see text]. The limited-DOF imaging system is applied to the multifocal acquisition, and the depth of the vessel is estimated using a robust visibility parameter [Formula: see text] in the coherent domain. The accuracy and linearity of depth estimation are tested by Monte Carlo simulations. Based on the proposed method, the model of contrast analysis resolving the depth information is established and verified in a phantom experiment. We demonstrated its effectiveness in acquiring depth-resolved vessel structures and flow dynamics in in vivo imaging of chick embryos.
Teleoperated and Automated Control of a Robotic Tool for Targeted Prostate Biopsy
Authors: Padasdao Blayton , Lafreniere Samuel , Rabiei Mahsa , Batsaikhan Zolboo , Konh Bardia
Published: January 2023

This work presents a robotic tool with bidirectional manipulation and control capabilities for targeted prostate biopsy interventions. Targeted prostate biopsy is an effective image-guided technique that results in the detection of significant cancer with fewer cores and a lower number of unnecessary biopsies compared to systematic biopsy. The robotic tool comprises a compliant flexure section fabricated on a nitinol tube that enables bidirectional bending via actuation of two internal tendons, and a biopsy mechanism for extraction of tissue samples. The kinematic and static models of the compliant flexure section, as well as teleoperated and automated control of the robotic tool are presented and validated with experiments. It was shown that the controller can force the tip of the robotic tool to follow sinusoidal set-point positions with reasonable accuracy in air and inside a phantom tissue. Finally, the capability of the robotic tool to bend, reach targeted positions inside a phantom tissue, and extract a biopsy sample is evaluated.
In SilicoIdentification of Triclosan Derivatives as Potential Inhibitors of MutantMycobacterium tuberculosisInhA
Authors: Panahi Nasrin , Razzaghi-Asl Nima
Published: January 2023

Enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA) is a crucial enzyme for the biosynthesis of mycolic acids which are major compartments of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) cell wall. Direct inhibition of InhA without activation by drug-NADH adduct has clinical utility to overcome drug resistance. We aimed at the in silico identification of triclosan derivatives with the potential inhibitory effect of S94A-InhA as a clinically important mutant form. Caver Web 1.0 server was used to analyze the ligand transport through access tunnels. Two macrocyclic triclosan derivatives ( 4 and 6) could be identified with more energy-favorable transfer routes toward the enzyme active site. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (50 ns) of the best-scored compounds revealed the stability of enzyme structure upon binding to 4 and 6. Compound 4 could better retain enzyme stability upon target binding. Results of intermolecular H-bond analysis indicated that both complexes were mediated through hydrophobic contacts. Declined solvent accessible surface area (SASA) for the apo and bound enzyme states indicated non-destabilizing behavior and no structural relaxation. Electrostatic and van der Waals interactions between triclosan derivatives and their surroundings were used to acquire binding free energies through the linear interaction energy (LIE) method based on MD simulations (Average [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] kcal/mol and [Formula: see text] kcal/mol). Both of the triclosan derivatives showed relatively stable energy variations and their steady accommodation inside enzyme active site could be confirmed during 50 ns. These results may be implicated in further structure-guided approaches against drug-resistant Mtb.
Polynomial Kernel for Interval Vertex Deletion
Authors: Agrawal Akanksha , Lokshtanov Daniel , Misra Pranabendu , Saurabh Saket , Zehavi Meirav
Published: January 2023

Given a graph
G
and an integer
k
, the
Interval Vertex Deletion (IVD)
problem asks whether there exists a subset
S
⊆
V
(
G
) of size at most
k
such that
G-S
is an interval graph. This problem is known to be
NP
-complete (according to Yannakakis at STOC 1978). Originally in 2012, Cao and Marx showed that
IVD
is fixed parameter tractable: they exhibited an algorithm with running time 10

k

n
O
(1). The existence of a polynomial kernel for
IVD
remained a well-known open problem in parameterized complexity. In this article, we settle this problem in the affirmative.
Bottom-up and Top-down Object Inference Networks for Image Captioning
Authors: Pan Yingwei , Li Yehao , Yao Ting , Mei Tao
Published: January 2023

A bottom-up and top-down attention mechanism has led to the revolutionizing of image captioning techniques, which enables object-level attention for multi-step reasoning over all the detected objects. However, when humans describe an image, they often apply their own subjective experience to focus on only a few salient objects that are worthy of mention, rather than all objects in this image. The focused objects are further allocated in linguistic order, yielding the “object sequence of interest” to compose an enriched description. In this work, we present the Bottom-up and Top-down Object inference Network (BTO-Net), which novelly exploits the object sequence of interest as top-down signals to guide image captioning. Technically, conditioned on the bottom-up signals (all detected objects), an LSTM-based object inference module is first learned to produce the object sequence of interest, which acts as the top-down prior to mimic the subjective experience of humans. Next, both of the bottom-up and top-down signals are dynamically integrated via an attention mechanism for sentence generation. Furthermore, to prevent the cacophony of intermixed cross-modal signals, a contrastive learning-based objective is involved to restrict the interaction between bottom-up and top-down signals, and thus leads to reliable and explainable cross-modal reasoning. Our BTO-Net obtains competitive performances on the COCO benchmark, in particular, 134.1% CIDEr on the COCO Karpathy test split. Source code is available at
https://github.com/YehLi/BTO-Net
.
Detection of Offensive Language and ITS Severity for Low Resource Language
Authors: Saeed Ramsha , Afzal Hammad , Rauf Sadaf Abdul , Iltaf Naima
Published: January 2023

Continuous proliferation of hate speech in different languages on social media has drawn significant attention from researchers in the past decade. Detecting hate speech is indispensable irrespective of the scale of use of language, as it inflicts huge harm on society. This work presents a first resource for classifying the severity of hate speech in addition to classifying offensive and hate speech content. Current research mostly limits hate speech classification to its primary categories, such as racism, sexism, and hatred of religions. However, hate speech targeted at different protected characteristics also manifests in different forms and intensities. It is important to understand varying severity levels of hate speech so that the most harmful cases of hate speech may be identified and dealt with earlier than the less harmful ones. In this work, we focus on detecting offensive speech, hate speech, and multiple levels of hate speech in the Urdu language. We investigate three primary target categories of hate speech: religion, racism, and national origin. We further divide these categories into levels based on the severity of hate conveyed. The severity levels are referred to as
symbolization
,
insult
, and
attribution
. A corpus comprising more than 20,000 tweets against the corresponding hate speech categories and severity levels is collected and annotated. A comprehensive experimentation scheme is applied using traditional as well as deep learning–based models to examine their impact on hate speech detection. The highest macro-averaged F-score yielded for detecting offensive speech is 86% while the highest F-scores for detecting hate speech with respect to ethnicity, national origin, and religious affiliation are 80%, 81%, and 72%, respectively. This shows that results are very encouraging and would provide a lead towards further investigation in this domain.