bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organic Electrochemical Transistor Immuno-Sensors for Spike Protein Early Detection
Authors: Barra Mario , Tomaiuolo Giovanna , Villella Valeria Rachela , Esposito Speranza , Liboà Aris , D’Angelo Pasquale , Marasso Simone Luigi , Cocuzza Matteo , Bertana Valentina , Camilli Elena , Preziosi Valentina
Published: July 2023

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had severe consequences from the social and economic perspectives, compelling the scientific community to focus on the development of effective diagnostics that can combine a fast response and accurate sensitivity/specificity performance. Presently available commercial antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) are very fast, but still face significant criticisms, mainly related to their inability to amplify the protein signal. This translates to a limited sensitive outcome and, hence, a reduced ability to hamper the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection. To answer the urgent need for novel platforms for the early, specific and highly sensitive detection of the virus, this paper deals with the use of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) as very efficient ion–electron converters and amplifiers for the detection of spike proteins and their femtomolar concentration. The electrical response of the investigated OECTs was carefully analyzed, and the changes in the parameters associated with the transconductance (i.e., the slope of the transfer curves) in the gate voltage range between 0 and 0.3 V were found to be more clearly correlated with the spike protein concentration. Moreover, the functionalization of OECT-based biosensors with anti-spike and anti-nucleocapside proteins, the major proteins involved in the disease, demonstrated the specificity of these devices, whose potentialities should also be considered in light of the recent upsurge of the so-called “long COVID” syndrome.
Listening Effort in Tinnitus: A Pilot Study Employing a Light EEG Headset and Skin Conductance Assessment during the Listening to a Continuous Speech Stimulus under Different SNR Conditions
Authors: Cartocci Giulia , Inguscio Bianca Maria Serena , Giliberto Giovanna , Vozzi Alessia , Giorgi Andrea , Greco Antonio , Babiloni Fabio , Attanasio Giuseppe
Published: July 2023

Background noise elicits listening effort. What else is tinnitus if not an endogenous background noise? From such reasoning, we hypothesized the occurrence of increased listening effort in tinnitus patients during listening tasks. Such a hypothesis was tested by investigating some indices of listening effort through electroencephalographic and skin conductance, particularly parietal and frontal alpha and electrodermal activity (EDA). Furthermore, tinnitus distress questionnaires (THI and TQ12-I) were employed. Parietal alpha values were positively correlated to TQ12-I scores, and both were negatively correlated to EDA; Pre-stimulus frontal alpha correlated with the THI score in our pilot study; finally, results showed a general trend of increased frontal alpha activity in the tinnitus group in comparison to the control group. Parietal alpha during the listening to stimuli, positively correlated to the TQ12-I, appears to reflect a higher listening effort in tinnitus patients and the perception of tinnitus symptoms. The negative correlation between both listening effort (parietal alpha) and tinnitus symptoms perception (TQ12-I scores) with EDA levels could be explained by a less responsive sympathetic nervous system to prepare the body to expend increased energy during the “fight or flight” response, due to pauperization of energy from tinnitus perception.
Selecting the Best 3D Concrete Printing Technology for Refugee Camp’s Shelter Construction Using Analytical Hierarchy Process: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Jordan
Authors: Almomani Mohammed A. , Al-Ababneh Nedal , Abdalla Khairedin , Shbeeb Nadim I. , Pantouvakis John-Paris , Lagaros Nikos D.
Published: July 2023

Upgrading the Syrian refugee shelter design serves humanitarian needs, especially since the currently used T-shelters have a life span of 2–4 years, and there are no clear signs of an imminent return of Syrian refugees to their country, even after the end of the civil war. The use of 3D concrete printing can provide a promising method to construct new durable shelters with a long life span and provide better protection against extreme change in the desert climate, privacy, and cultural constraints. This research aims to use multi-criteria decision methods—in particular, the Analytical Hierarchal Process (AHP) method—to select the best 3D concrete printing to construct these shelters. The proposed model takes the following into consideration: the machine’s technical characteristics, building structure characteristics, and economic and environmental aspects. The three basic developed technologies—contour crafting, D-shape, and concrete printing—were used as alternatives in the model. The results show that contour crafting is the best technology for this application, and the inconsistency test and sensitivity analysis indicate an effective and reasonable technology ranking.
Minimizing Single-Family Homes’ Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Life Cycle Costs: An Improved Billiard-Based Optimization Algorithm Approach
Authors: Ghafourian Hossein , Ershadi Seyed Sepehr , Voronkova Daria K. , Omidvari Sayeh , Badrizadeh Leila , Nehdi Moncef L.
Published: July 2023

In recent years, research has focused on designing buildings with higher energy efficiency and lower emissions by considering multiple objectives. This can impact financial savings, smaller environmental footprints, and energy consumption optimization. The purpose of the current study is to develop a new technique to solve this challenging multiple-objective optimization problem. While there are different methods to solve optimization problems, based on the NLP theory, there is not any metaheuristic algorithm that can solve all the problems accurately. Sometimes, the outcome of a basic algorithm is a local optimum. Therefore, to reach the global optimum, we propose the Improved Billiard-based Optimization Algorithm (IBOA). Moreover, in some cases, the basic model suffers from premature convergence, which prevents reaching an accurate result. Hence, this study aims to solve this problem and attain better convergence results using the proposed method to minimize CO2-eq emissions and life cycle costs. The design variables include some parameters of the envelope of a single-family residential dwelling to indicate the efficiency of the presented method. Based on the Pareto optimum solutions achieved, it is proved that the method is effective.
Drivers of and Barriers to Energy Renovation in Residential Buildings in Spain—The Challenge of Next Generation EU Funds for Existing Buildings
Authors: Pérez-Navarro Julián , Bueso María Carmen , Vázquez Gemma
Published: July 2023

The aim of this research was to analyze the drivers and barriers facing the agents involved in the energy renovation process and the effective use of existing subsidies for this purpose. The drive for energy renovation in buildings is undeniable. European policies aiming to completely decarbonize the economy by 2050 will give an important boost to the building sector in Europe by improving comfort conditions in renovated homes. In this study, a questionnaire was developed using the free software LimeSurvey, which was then evaluated by experts. The questionnaire included representative indicators of energy refurbishment and was segmented into the intervening groups to highlight their differences. The results were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test for group comparisons and Pearson’s correlation coefficient to assess the relationships between the responses. This analysis reveals the complexity of a process, in which excessive bureaucratic requirements to obtain Next Generation EU funds, economic aspects (80%) and owners’ lack of awareness are the barriers that were most highlighted by those surveyed (77%). In terms of motivation, we found that, apart from economic savings (88%), the most valued aspect for users was noise insulation (93%), which is not directly related to energy improvement. This study highlights the lack of knowledge and information that the agents responsible for this change have about energy improvement and their differences in opinions on motivations and barriers.
CD45RA and CD45RO Are Regulated in a Cell-Type Specific Manner in Inflammation and Sepsis
Authors: Ahmed Muhammad G. T. , Limmer Andreas , Hartmann Matthias
Published: July 2023

CD45 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is located on the surface of all leukocytes and modulates both innate and adaptive immune system functions. In a recent study, inflammation modulated the CD45 expression in leukocytes, but the effect on the expression of CD45 subtypes is unknown. In the present study, we therefore investigated the effect of inflammatory conditions in humans (surgery, sepsis) and ex vivo incubation with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on the expression of the subtypes CD45RA and CD45RO in granulocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes. Whole blood samples were obtained from healthy volunteers, postoperative patients, and patients with sepsis at day 1 of diagnosis, respectively. Samples were incubated with fluorescent antibodies directed against CD45, CD45RA and CD45RO in the absence and presence of lipopolysaccharide and subjected to flow cytometry. In comparison to volunteers, CD45RA surface expression in postoperative and septic patients was reduced by 89% exclusively on granulocytes, but not on lymphocytes or monocytes. In contrast, CD45RO was exclusively reduced on lymphocytes, by 82%, but not on other cell types. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses demonstrated that CD45RA (on granulocytes) and CD45RO (on lymphocytes) allow a good differentiation of volunteers and patients with sepsis (AUC = 0.9; p = 0.0001). The addition of LPS to the whole blood samples obtained from volunteers, postoperative patients, and septic patients markedly increased the CD45RO expression in granulocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes. In contrast, LPS reduced CD45RA exclusively on monocytes. In conclusion, the surface expression of CD45RA and CD45RO is regulated in inflammation in a cell-type- and stimulus-specific manner. Considering that CD45 subtypes are critically involved in immune system signaling, the pathophysiologic and diagnostic implications warrant further investigation.
Comparative Simulation Study of the Performance of Conventional and Inverted Hybrid Tin-Based Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Arayro Jack , Mezher Rabih , Sabbah Hussein
Published: July 2023

A hybrid tin-based (GA0.2FA0.78SnI3-1% EDAI2) perovskite solar cell (PSC) with a p-i-n inverted structure has been reported to pass all the rigorous standard tests successfully and achieve a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.3%. Our previous numerical study showed that this PCE could be considerably increased to 24.1% by engineering and controlling the interfaces of the cell. The aim of the current study is to compare the performance of a conventional n-i-p structure with its inverted p-i-n analog quantitatively, and demonstrate that, by improving the conventional structure, it can achieve a PCE score approximately equal to the inverted p-i-n structure. To that end, the absorber layer was chosen to be GA0.2FA0.78SnI3-1% EDAI2, while four ETL (electron transport layer) materials (TiO2, WS2, SnO2, and ZnOS), and four HTL (hole transport layer) materials (PEDOT:PSS, Cu2O, CuSCN, and CuI) were considered. Most used ETL/HTL combinations have been rigorously investigated with the aim of finding the ultimate configuration, providing the highest photovoltaic properties. Additionally, the effect of the layers’ thicknesses and their doping concentrations were inspected, and their impact on the photovoltaic properties of the PSC was investigated. The optimized structure with CuI (copper iodide) as the HTL and ZnOS (zinc oxysulphide) as the ETL scored a PCE of 24.1%, which is comparable to the value found with the inverted structure (26%). The current numerical simulation on GA0.2FA0.78SnI3-1% EDAI2 could be considered as a milestone in its chances for commercial development.
Methods for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Home Oral Hygiene Measures—A Narrative Review of Dental Biofilm Indices
Authors: D’Elia Gerarda , Floris William , Marini Lorenzo , Corridore Denise , Rojas Mariana Andrea , Ottolenghi Livia , Pilloni Andrea
Published: July 2023

Dental plaque is a biofilm structured in an extracellular matrix of polymers of host and microbial origin; the microorganisms can coexist in harmony with the host, thus guarantying oral health. Environmental modifications can lead to dysbiosis and onset of oral diseases; in fact, plaque is the etiological agent both of periodontal disease and dental decay. The use of an effective oral hygiene index should be considered as a relevant goal for the clinicians and the researchers, and consequently, numerous plaque indices have been proposed during the years. The present literature review aims primarily to obtain a complete summary of these scores to assess plaque deposits. It is useful because the clinician/researcher will select the right scoring method for the specific situation only if he knows the available options and if he is aware of both their strengths and weaknesses. This review applies a basic classification of plaque indices that distinguishes the ones that use non-quantitative methods from the ones that use quantitative methods. Non-quantitative methods are more subjective because they are based on the ability of the clinician to point out the presence or the entity of deposits, while quantitative methods introduce objectifiable means to measure plaque deposits.
Effects of Different Toothpastes on the Nanomechanical Properties and Chemical Composition of Resin-Modified Glass Ionomer Cement and Composite Resin Restorations
Authors: Moda Mariana Dias , Dos Santos Paulo Henrique , Pini Nubia Inocencya Pavesi , Furini Leonardo Negri , Briso André Luiz Fraga , Assmann André , Fagundes Ticiane Cestari
Published: July 2023

Purpose: This study evaluates the effects of different toothpastes on the nanohardness and chemical compositions of restorative materials and dental surfaces. Methods: Bovine enamel (n = 72) and dentin (n = 72) blocks were obtained and restored using RMGIC (n = 36) or CR (n = 36) to create the following surfaces: dentin adjacent to RMGIC (DRMGIC), enamel adjacent to RMGIC (ERMGIC), dentin adjacent to CR (DCR), and enamel adjacent to CR (ECR). After restoration, one hemiface of each specimen was coated with an acid-resistant varnish to facilitate the creation of control (C) and eroded (E) sides; the latter were achieved by erosion–abrasion cycles as follows: erosion with 1% citric acid: 5 days, four times for 2 min each day; 1% citric acid/abrasion, two times for 15 s, followed by immersion in a toothpaste slurry for 2 min. Toothpastes without fluoride (WF; n = 12), with sodium fluoride (NaF; n = 12), and with stannous fluoride (SnF2; n = 12) were used for RMGIC or CR. The specimens were analyzed for nanohardness (H), and chemical composition using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman microscopy. The data were statistically analyzed using two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). Results: Lower H values were obtained with NaF for DRMGIC-C, with a statistically significant difference from the H value obtained with WF (p < 0.05). The calcium and phosphorus concentrations in DCR-E were significantly lower with WF than with the other types of toothpaste (p < 0.05). Fluoride-containing toothpastes are capable of preserving the main chemical components of the dentin adjacent to the restorative materials under erosive–abrasive conditions.
New Evidence about Skill-Biased Technological Change and Gender Wage Inequality
Authors: Nogueira Manuel Carlos , Madaleno Mara
Published: July 2023

In recent decades, the wage gap between higher- and lower-skilled workers has steadily widened around the world, and this gap is widening. There are several approaches in the literature to understand the causes of this steady increase, with Skill-Biased Technological Change (SBTC) being the most used and the results more consistent. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of this wage gap among workers in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, using cluster analysis and then modeling through simultaneous equations for the period between 2007 and 2020. Albeit with varying intensity, we conclude that in all clusters, there is a strong influence of the wage gap of the less skilled on the widening of the wage gap of the more skilled, with this influence being even more intense in the case of women. The SBTC approach can also be detected in all clusters but with greater intensity in the case of countries that invest more in research and development (R&D). Education spending and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita also play a role in widening the wage gap as well as in reducing gender inequalities. We also conclude that each cluster has its specificities that justify the choice made and that a slow reduction in gender wage inequality is observed in all clusters.
Teachers’ Beliefs and Their Influence on Math Instructions for Gifted English Learners
Authors: Yang Jenny , Özbek Gülnur , Cho Seokhee
Published: July 2023

The dynamic interplay between teachers’ beliefs and practices significantly impact the quality of instruction and the trajectory of talent development in young students. This case study explores the beliefs and practices of two elementary teachers instructing gifted ELs in mathematics. The constant comparison method was used to analyze data collected from classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and field notes. Three factors were found to affect the (in)consistency between teachers’ expressed beliefs and observed practices: compatibility among core and peripheral beliefs, knowledge about evidence-based practices, and classroom management skills. Students exhibit higher levels of participation, communication, and engagement in critical thinking skills when their teacher embraces constructive perspectives in teaching mathematics, demonstrates pedagogical expertise, and employs a proactive classroom management approach. Conversely, students encounter restricted opportunities to independently construct their own understanding of mathematics when their teacher holds maladaptive beliefs about teaching mathematics, has limited knowledge of evidence-based practices, and has an authoritarian classroom management style. These findings underscore the need for a new approach to professional development (PD) that encourages teachers to critically examine the connection between their beliefs and instructional practices and their impact on the student’s mathematical talent development.
Promoting Students’ Interaction in Higher Education: A Reciprocal Interview Activity Carried out during the First Class Session in Management Subjects
Authors: Petchamé Josep , Iriondo Ignasi , Mallol Roger , Solanellas Francesc
Published: July 2023

This study analyzes students’ thoughts and reflections on an activity carried out during the first day of class of management subjects which are part of technological programs. The purpose of the activity was to promote student interaction during the first session of class of these subjects, with the aim to positively influence the class climate and the students’ wellbeing. A reciprocal interview activity between the students and the team of instructors was conducted in the first session of the subjects, instead of a standard ‘one direction’ presentation of the syllabus by the instructor. Once the activities were completed, students were asked to answer a survey about the activity through qualitative and quantitative questions with a twofold research aim: (1) to analyze the effects of the activity on the students; (2) to gather feedback from the students to improve future editions of the activity. The results obtained showed a clear preference for this type of interactive technique, as opposed to the more classical approach to the first session of a subject.
Supervisory Feedback on Chinese Doctoral Students’ Drafts of a Research Article
Authors: Tian Yuan , Guo Qian
Published: July 2023

Doctoral students need guidance from both language teachers and academic supervisors for academic publication. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on corrective feedback from language teachers. The small number of studies on supervisory feedback were mainly undertaken in English-speaking countries on theses and dissertations, and mostly examined supervisors in applied linguistics, who probably have much in common with language professionals. To fill the research gaps, we investigated the foci of the feedback from a non-English-speaking supervisor on drafts of his doctoral students’ research article intended for a top conference in computer science. The results show that the supervisor commented not only on the content but also on the requirements for research writing, the logical flow of ideas, surface-level language issues, and visual elements. The findings can inform language teachers of what supervisors may value so that language professionals can provide feedback that better caters to the needs of students in research writing.
Automatic Labeling of Natural Landmarks for Wheelchair Motion Planning
Authors: Ngo Ba-Viet , Nguyen Thanh-Hai , Vu Chi Cuong
Published: July 2023

Labeling landmarks for the mobile plan of the automatic electric wheelchair is essential, because it can assist disabled people. In particular, labeled landmark images will help the wheelchairs to locate landmarks and move more accurately and safely. Here, we propose an automatic detection of natural landmarks in RGBD images for navigation of mobile platforms in an indoor environment. This method can reduce the time for manually collecting and creating a dataset of landmarks. The wheelchair, equipped with a camera system, is allowed to move along corridors to detect and label natural landmarks automatically. These landmarks contain the camera and wheelchair positions with the 3D coordinates when storing the labeled landmark. The feature density method is comprised of Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF (ORB) feature extractors. Moreover, the central coordinates of the marked points in the obtained RGB images will be mapped to the images with the depth axis for determining the position of the RGB-D camera system in the spatial domain. An encoder and kinematics equations are applied to determine the position during movement. As expected, the system shows good results, such as a high IoU value of over 0.8 at a distance of less than 2 m and a fast time of 41.66 ms for object detection. This means that our technique is very effective for the automatic movement of the wheelchair.
Design and Implementation of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Simulation System Based on MOOS and Unreal Engine
Authors: Zhang Xiaofang , Fan Yu , Liu Hongjie , Zhang Yunzhong , Sha Qixin
Published: July 2023

An effective autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) simulation system can greatly improve development efficiency and reduce the cost and risk of actual equipment operation. In this paper, a comprehensive simulation system is developed using Mission Oriented Operating Suite (MOOS) and Unreal Engine 4 (UE4). The former provides an open-source development framework and application components, which are widely used in the field of underwater robots. The latter is a well-known game development engine that has realistic effects and various plugins. As far as we know, there are few simulation systems based on MOOS and UE4. Moreover, a modular architecture for the simulation system is designed and implemented in the paper. The developed system consists of four subsystems, including the simulation editing and controlling subsystem, shore-based operation subsystem, simulation engine subsystem, and three-dimensional (3D) visualization subsystem. These subsystems have modular characteristics and independent functions and communicate with each other through network sockets. Through the system, users can customize simulation scenarios, send missions and control simulation progress from the graphic user interface. And the system can be used in operation training, software testing, algorithm verification of AUV, etc.
Design and Analysis of Pattern Reconfigurable Antenna Based on RF MEMS Switches
Authors: Deng Zhongliang , Wang Yucheng , Lai Chengqi
Published: July 2023

The research on reconfigurable antennas has some disadvantages such as low working frequency and large size. This paper presents a Ka-band patch antenna with pattern reconfigurability using RF MEMS switches. The antenna contains one main patch, two sub-patches, two parasitic patches, and two RF MEMS switches. By controlling the states of the RF MEMS switches, the antenna can achieve three different radiation patterns (−8°, 0°, and +8°) at 35 GHz. The pattern analysis was based on the electric field vector addition method. The analytical, simulated, and measured results agree well with each other. Due to its compact and thin structure of 3.7 mm × 5.2 mm × 0.4 mm, this antenna can be applied in fields such as satellites, smartphones, etc.
International Cooperation to Support the Diagnosis of Forestry Pests: The Role of EPPO and Euphresco
Authors: Petter Françoise , Giovani Baldissera , Trontin Charlotte
Published: July 2023

Plant pests are a threat to biodiversity, food security, and the economy. The challenges posed by the introduction of plant pests have triggered the establishment of cooperative mechanisms such as the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), an international treaty to protect plant health, but also of Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs), such as the European and Mediterranean plant Protection Organizations (EPPO). RPPOs participate in activities in their regions to promote and achieve the objectives of the IPPC. Because accurate and reliable detection and identification of pests are essential in order to be able to take appropriate measures against a pest and thus avoid or reduce the economic, social, and environmental costs that it can cause, the IPPC and EPPO have established a specific program on diagnostics. The main aim of this article is to present the diagnostic activities conducted by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization and Euphresco. Some information is also presented on other initiatives in diagnostics.
Candidate Gene Association Studies in Atopic Dermatitis in Participants of European and Asian Ancestry: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Pontikas Alexandros , Antonatos Charalabos , Evangelou Evangelos , Vasilopoulos Yiannis
Published: July 2023

Atopic dermatitis (AD) has been extensively investigated for genetic associations utilizing both candidate gene approaches and genome-wide scans. Here, we comprehensively evaluated the available literature to determine the association of candidate genes in AD to gain additional insight into the etiopathogenesis of the disease. We systematically screened all studies that explored the association between polymorphisms and AD risks in cases of European and Asian ancestry and synthesized the available evidence through a random-effects meta-analysis. We identified 99 studies that met our inclusion/exclusion criteria that examined 17 candidate loci in Europeans and 14 candidate genes in Asians. We confirmed the significant associations between FLG variants in both European and Asian populations and AD risk, while synthesis of the available data revealed novel loci mapped to IL18 and TGFB1 genes in Europeans and IL12RB1 and MIF in Asians that have not yet been identified by genome-wide association studies. Our findings provide comprehensive evidence for AD risk loci in cases of both European and Asian ancestries, validating previous associations as well as revealing novel loci that could imply previously unexplored biological pathways.
Exploring the Potential Role of Ribosomal Proteins to Enhance Potato Resilience in the Face of Changing Climatic Conditions
Authors: Valencia-Lozano Eliana , Herrera-Isidrón Lisset , Flores-López Jorge Abraham , Recoder-Meléndez Osiel Salvador , Uribe-López Braulio , Barraza Aarón , Cabrera-Ponce José Luis
Published: July 2023

Potatoes have emerged as a key non-grain crop for food security worldwide. However, the looming threat of climate change poses significant risks to this vital food source, particularly through the projected reduction in crop yields under warmer temperatures. To mitigate potential crises, the development of potato varieties through genome editing holds great promise. In this study, we performed a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis to investigate microtuber development and identified several differentially expressed genes, with a particular focus on ribosomal proteins—RPL11, RPL29, RPL40 and RPL17. Our results reveal, by protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analyses, performed with the highest confidence in the STRING database platform (v11.5), the critical involvement of these ribosomal proteins in microtuber development, and highlighted their interaction with PEBP family members as potential microtuber activators. The elucidation of the molecular biological mechanisms governing ribosomal proteins will help improve the resilience of potato crops in the face of today’s changing climatic conditions.
ChatGPT Knowledge Evaluation in Basic and Clinical Medical Sciences: Multiple Choice Question Examination-Based Performance
Authors: Meo Sultan Ayoub , Al-Masri Abeer A. , Alotaibi Metib , Meo Muhammad Zain Sultan , Meo Muhammad Omair Sultan
Published: July 2023

The Chatbot Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) has garnered great attention from the public, academicians and science communities. It responds with appropriate and articulate answers and explanations across various disciplines. For the use of ChatGPT in education, research and healthcare, different perspectives exist with some level of ambiguity around its acceptability and ideal uses. However, the literature is acutely lacking in establishing a link to assess the intellectual levels of ChatGPT in the medical sciences. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the knowledge level of ChatGPT in medical education both in basic and clinical medical sciences, multiple-choice question (MCQs) examination-based performance and its impact on the medical examination system. In this study, initially, a subject-wise question bank was established with a pool of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) from various medical textbooks and university examination pools. The research team members carefully reviewed the MCQ contents and ensured that the MCQs were relevant to the subject’s contents. Each question was scenario-based with four sub-stems and had a single correct answer. In this study, 100 MCQs in various disciplines, including basic medical sciences (50 MCQs) and clinical medical sciences (50 MCQs), were randomly selected from the MCQ bank. The MCQs were manually entered one by one, and a fresh ChatGPT session was started for each entry to avoid memory retention bias. The task was given to ChatGPT to assess the response and knowledge level of ChatGPT. The first response obtained was taken as the final response. Based on a pre-determined answer key, scoring was made on a scale of 0 to 1, with zero representing incorrect and one representing the correct answer. The results revealed that out of 100 MCQs in various disciplines of basic and clinical medical sciences, ChatGPT attempted all the MCQs and obtained 37/50 (74%) marks in basic medical sciences and 35/50 (70%) marks in clinical medical sciences, with an overall score of 72/100 (72%) in both basic and clinical medical sciences. It is concluded that ChatGPT obtained a satisfactory score in both basic and clinical medical sciences subjects and demonstrated a degree of understanding and explanation. This study’s findings suggest that ChatGPT may be able to assist medical students and faculty in medical education settings since it has potential as an innovation in the framework of medical sciences and education.
Virtual Non-Contrast Spectral CT in Renal Masses: Is It Time to Discard Conventional Unenhanced Phase?
Authors: Bucolo Giuseppe M. , Ascenti Velio , Barbera Simone , Fontana Federico , Aricò Francesco M. , Piacentino Filippo , Coppola Andrea , Cicero Giuseppe , Marino Maria Adele , Booz Christian , Vogl Thomas J. , D’Angelo Tommaso , Venturini Massimo , Ascenti Giorgio
Published: July 2023

Dual-layer Dual-Energy CT (dl-DECT) allows one to create virtual non-contrast (VNC) reconstructions from contrast-enhanced CT scans, with a consequent decrease of the radiation dose. This study aims to assess the reliability of VNC for the diagnostic evaluation of renal masses in comparison with true non-contrast (TNC) images. The study cohort included 100 renal masses in 40 patients who underwent dl-DECT between June and December 2021. Attenuation values and standard deviations were assessed through the drawing of regions of interest on TNC and VNC images reconstructed from corticomedullary and nephrographic phases. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed in order to assess equivalence of data and Spearman’s Rho correlation coefficient to evaluate correlations between each parameter. The diagnostic accuracy of VNC was estimated through the performance of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Differences between attenuation values were, respectively, 74%, 18%, 5% and 3% (TNC-VNCcort), and 74%, 15%, 9% and 2% (TNC-VNCneph). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test demonstrated the equivalence of attenuation values between the TNC and VNC images. The diagnostic performance of VNC images in the depiction of kidney simple cysts remains high compared to TNC (VNCcort-AUC: 0.896; VNCneph-AUC: 0.901, TNC-AUC: 0.903). In conclusion, quantitative analysis of attenuation values showed a strong agreement between VNC and TNC images in the evaluation of renal masses.
Predicting Long-Term Ventricular Arrhythmia Risk in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Using Normal Values of Ventricular Repolarization Markers Established from Japanese Cohort Study
Authors: Takeguchi Masahiro , Kusumoto Satoshi , Sekiguchi Kazuhito , Suenobu Souichi , Ihara Kenji
Published: July 2023

Background: Cardiac complications due to anthracycline treatment may become evident several years after chemotherapy and are recognized as a serious cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients or childhood cancer survivors. Objectives: We analyzed ventricular repolarization parameters in electrocardiography for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients during chemotherapy and in long-term follow-up. To establish the reference values of ventricular repolarization parameters in children, we retrospectively summarized the Tpe interval, QT interval, QTc interval, and Tpe/QT ratio in healthy Japanese children. Methods: Electrocardiography data recorded from students in 1st and 7th grades were randomly selected from a database maintained by the school-based screening system in the Oita city cohort, Japan. Subsequently, chronological data of the Tpe/QT ratio in 17 pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were analyzed over time. Results: The mean ± standard deviation of the Tpe interval in 1st and 7th graders was 70 ± 7 and 78 ± 17 ms, respectively, while the mean ± standard deviation of the Tpe/QT ratio was 0.21 ± 0.02 and 0.22 ± 0.02 ms, respectively. During the intensive phase of treatment, the Tpe/QT ratios of 3 high-risk patients among the 17 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia exceeded the upper limit. Conclusion: The Tpe/QT ratio has a potential clinical application in predicting the risk of long-term ventricular arrhythmia of cancer patients or childhood cancer survivors from childhood to adulthood.
Rupture of Splenic Artery Aneurysm in Patient with ACTN2 Mutation
Authors: Palughi Martina , Sirignano Pasqualino , Stella Nazzareno , Rossi Michele , Fiorani Laura , Taurino Maurizio
Published: July 2023

Here, we report a case of splenic artery aneurysm rupture in a patient with known heterozygosity mutation of the ACTN2 gene (variant c.971G > A p.Arg324Gln). The patient came to our emergency department with epigastric pain radiating to the lumbar area, with an absence of peritonism signs. An abdominal computed tomography angiography showed a ruptured huge (5 cm) splenic artery aneurysm. Therefore, the patient underwent emergency endovascular coil embolization with complete aneurysm exclusion. The postoperative course was uneventful, until postoperative day five when the patient developed a symptomatic supraventricular tachycardia in the absence of echocardiographic alterations. The signs and symptoms disappeared after three days of medical management. The patient was discharged on the 14th postoperative day in good clinical condition under verapamil and anti-platelet therapy. Although ACTN2 mutation was associated with cardiac and peripheral vascular disease occurrence, to the best of our knowledge, the present case is the first report of a visceral (splenic) aneurysm directly linked with this rare mutation.
High Serum VE-Cadherin and Vinculin Concentrations Are Markers of the Disruption of Vascular Integrity during Type B Acute Aortic Dissection
Authors: Wang Shiyue , Li Xin , Jiang Han , Zhang Jian
Published: July 2023

Background: In the present study, we measured the serum vascular endothelial cadherin (VEC) and vinculin (Vcn) concentrations in patients with type B acute aortic dissection (TBAD) to evaluate their diagnostic value for this condition. Methods: A total of 100 patients with TBAD and 90 matched controls were included in the study. The serum concentrations of VEC and Vcn were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: The serum VEC and Vcn concentrations were significantly higher in participants with TBAD than in healthy controls. Compared with patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the serum concentrations of VEC and Vcn in patients with TBAD were higher, and the Vcn showed significant difference, with statistical significance. Receiver operating characteristic analysis generated areas under the curves for VEC and Vcn that were diagnostic for TBAD (0.599 and 0.655, respectively). The optimal cut-off values were 3.975 ng/μL and 128.1 pg/mL, the sensitivities were 43.0% and 35.0%, and the specificities were 73.3% and 90.0%, respectively. In addition, the use of a combination of serum VEC and Vcn increased the AUC to 0.661, with a sensitivity of 33.0% and a specificity of 93.33%. A high serum Vcn concentration was associated with a higher risk of visceral malperfusion in participants with TBAD (odds ratio (OR) = 1.007, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001–1.013, p = 0.014). In participants with refractory pain, the adjusted OR for the serum VEC concentration increased to 1.172 (95% CI: 1.010–1.361; p = 0.036), compared with participants without refractory pain. Conclusion: This study is the first to show the diagnostic value of serum VEC and Vcn for AAD and their relationships with the clinical characteristics of patients with TBAD. Thus, VEC and Vcn are potential serum markers of TBAD.
Principles of Rational COVID-19 Therapy in Pediatrics
Authors: Nemyatykh Oksana D. , Maistrenko Marina A. , Demchenko Dina D. , Narkevich Igor A. , Okovityi Sergey V. , Timchenko Vladimir N.
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this review was to conduct a comparative assessment of the concepts of therapy for pediatric patients with COVID-19 in the framework of global clinical practice. A structural analysis of the range of drugs and treatment strategies in the context of etiotropic, pathogenetic, and symptomatic therapy has shown that in the global context and in real clinical practice, the etiotropic-pathogenetic approach based on information about the effectiveness of individual medical technologies prevails today. It has been established that eight international nonproprietary/grouping names are present in international practice as means of etiotropic therapy for pediatric patients with COVID-19, and 18 positions are used for pathogenetic therapy. In terms of frequency of occurrence, the leading positions are occupied by remdesivir and the combination of nirmatrelvir with ritonavir, as well as dexamethasone and tocilizumab. The paper emphasizes the relevance of research in the field of evaluating the effectiveness of individual treatment regimens as well as the analysis of the delayed consequences of pathology suffered in childhood under the conditions of using various approaches to pharmacotherapy.
Safety and Effectiveness of Concomitant Mitral Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair and Left Atrial Appendage Closure
Authors: Frazzetto Marco , Sanfilippo Claudio , Costa Giuliano , Scandura Salvatore , Castania Giuseppe , De Santis Jessica , Sanfilippo Maria , Di Salvo Maria Elena , Uccello Salvatore , Rugiano Gerardo , Rizzo Sofia , Barbera Chiara , Tamburino Corrado , Barbanti Marco , Grasso Carmelo
Published: July 2023

Background: Concomitant mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) and left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) showed to be a feasible approach to optimize the treatment of patients eligible for both procedures, but mid-term outcomes are unclear. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients undergoing M-TEER and enrolled in the local prospective Getting Reduction of Mitral Insufficiency by Percutaneous Clip Implantation (GRASP) registry. We compared patients undergoing isolated M-TEER (n = 58, 58.5%) with those undergoing concomitant M-TEER and LAAC (n = 41, 41.5%) from January 2018 to December 2022. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, stroke or systemic embolism, hospitalization for heart failure, and bleeding at 1 year. The co-primary endpoint was procedural success. Results: The primary endpoint was similar between patients undergoing concomitant M-TEER+LAAC or isolated M-TEER (Kaplan Meier (KM) estimates 36.6% vs. 44.8%; plog-rank = 0.75). Procedural success was also similar (92.7% vs. 94.8%; p = 0.69). At 1- year, minor bleeds were lower in patients undergoing concomitant M-TEER and LAAC (KM estimates 0.0% vs. 18.9%; plog-rank < 0.01). Conclusion: In patients with concomitant MR and AF and eligible for M-TEER and LAAC treatment, a combined approach of M-TEER and LAAC was as safe as an M-TEER-alone strategy and associated with lower minor bleeding at 1 year.
Boosting Creativity through Users’ Avatars and Contexts in Virtual Environments—A Systematic Review of Recent Research
Authors: Liu Jiayin , Burkhardt Jean-Marie , Lubart Todd
Published: July 2023

As an artificial space extended from the physical environment, the virtual environment (VE) provides more possibilities for humans to work and be entertained with less physical restrictions. Benefiting from anonymity, one of the important features of VEs, users are able to receive visual stimuli that might differ from the physical environment through digital representations presented in VEs. Avatars and contextual cues in VEs can be considered as digital representations of users and contexts. In this article, we analyzed 21 articles that examined the creativity-boosting effects of different digital user and contextual representations. We summarized the main effects induced by these two digital representations, notably the effect induced by the self-similar avatar, Proteus effect, avatar with Social Identity Cues, priming effect induced by contextual representation, and embodied metaphorical effect. In addition, we examined the influence of immersion on creativity by comparing non-immersive and immersive VEs (i.e., desktop VE and headset VE, respectively). Last, we discussed the roles of embodiment and presence in the creativity in VEs, which were overlooked in the past research.
Sea Surface Temperature Changes Reflected by Diatoms in the P6-10 Core from 1893 to 2013 from Prydz Bay, Antarctica
Authors: Huang Yue , Ma Ruiwen , Li Jie , Tu Shuyu
Published: July 2023

Identification and analysis was conducted on the diatoms from the 19 cm sediment of the P6-10 core, drilled from China’s 29th Antarctic Expedition, to attempt to semi-quantitatively reconstruct the annual sea surface temperature (SST) of Prydz Bay from 1893 to 2013. There were 30 species within the 12 genera of diatoms found, and the main contributors were Fragilariopsis curta, F. cylindrus, F. sublinearis, F. ritscheri, and Thalassiosira antarctica. They were divided into three categories based on their ecological affinity. The percentages of four specific species, i.e., F. curta, F. cylindrus, F. ritscheri, and F. separanda, which might be low SST indicators, were added together to represent the SST of Prydz Bay. With the help of cluster analysis, diatom assemblages were divided into diatom zones. Therefore, SST changes were divided into five stages by both the percentage of those four diatom species and the diatom zones: the high-temperature stage from 1893 to 1903, the cooling stage from 1903 to 1936, the stable and warm stage from 1936 to 1983, the low-temperature stage from 1983 to 1996, and the temperature rising stage from 1996 to 2013. On the multidecadal scale, SST change was affected by adjustments to solar radiation. On the contrary, the ENSO events mainly affected SST on the interannual scale. In addition, regarding the unique geographical environment (such as regional atmospheric circulation and a wind field) in Prydz Bay, volcanic eruptions and the like also played important roles in some exceptional periods.
Experimental Study of Hot Spot Stress for Spatial CHS KK-Joints
Authors: Wang Kang , Wang Yuhang , Gao Shan , Wang Bin , Chen Jinzhong , Luo Pengjun
Published: July 2023

In offshore structures such as offshore wind turbine jacket foundations, prolonged exposure to wind and wave loads can lead to fatigue failure, especially at the joint connections. Currently, international codes primarily evaluate the fatigue performance of tubular joints using the hot spot stress (HSS) method, with stress concentration factor (SCF) being the most crucial parameter. Numerous studies have investigated the SCF of tubular joints and proposed corresponding calculation formulas. However, most of these studies have focused on simple basic loading cases. To comprehensively understand the distribution pattern of the HSS method at spatial tubular joints, this study selects the spatial CHS KK-joints as the research subject and performs the HSS testing on spatial KK-joints. The research indicates that, in CHS joints, the distribution of the HSS on the chord side remains consistent under tensile or compressive loading conditions along the brace axis. Additionally, within spatial joints, the loading conditions of neighboring braces near the reference brace significantly affect the distribution of HSS on the chord side and exhibit varying spatial effects on the SCF. Furthermore, this study applies recommended calculation formulas from codes to analyze the experimental results. The findings reveal significant discrepancies between the SCF calculation formulas recommended by CIDECT and the test results, rendering it inadequate for accurately calculating the SCF of spatial KK-joints. Therefore, further research is required to develop suitable calculation formulas for SCFs in spatial KK-joints.