bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pars Plana Vitrectomy for refractive Diabetic Macular Oedema with or without Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling: A systemic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Miao Jingpeng , Zeng Yiyun , Chen Xiaosi , Gong Zhizhong , Zhang Xinyuan
Published: March 2023

Objective: To determine whether pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined with the internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling technique improves the anatomic and functional outcomes of refractory diabetic macular oedema (DME) in comparison with PPV alone.
Methods: All relevant articles published in English were retrieved from PubMed, google scholar, web of Science, scopes, and Cochrane library databases between January 1st 1990 and September 28 2022. The meta-analysis was conducted using the Statistical software R 4.2.2.
Results: Among 709 articles that were initially identified, 10 studies involving 1126 eyes with DME were found to be eligible for this meta-analysis and systematic review. Our results revealed that postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was better in the non-peeling group than in the ILM peeling group (MD=-0.08, 95% CI: -0.12, -0.04, p<0.001), the improvement of BCVA was not significant between the two groups (RD=5.59, 95% CI: -4.81, 15.99, p=0.13). The random effects model showed that changes in central macular thickness were not significantly different between the ILM peeling group and the non-ILM peel group (MD=23.10, 95% CI: -53.82, 100.02, p=0.56).
Conclusion: The functional and morphological clinical outcomes in the non-inferior group are equal to that of the ILM peeling group. Yet, further large-scale prospective, randomized, controlled trials are warranted to further validate the reported results.
Ethics and Biomedical Engineering for Wellbeing: a cocreation study for informing the design of a remote service of monitoring and support
Authors: Maccaro Alessia , Pagliara Silvio Marcello , Zarro Marianna , Piaggio Davide , Abdulsalami Faridat , Su Wanzi , Haleem Muhammad Salman , Pecchia Leandro
Published: March 2023

The wellbeing of students and staff directly affects their output and efficiency. This study presents the results of two focus groups conducted in 2022 within a two-phase project led by the Applied Biomedical and Signal Processing Intelligent e-Health Lab (ABSPIE), School of Engineering of the University of Warwick (UoW) and British Telecom within “The Connected Campus: University of Warwick case study” program. The first phase, by involving staff and students of the University of Warwick, aimed at collecting preliminary information for the subsequent second phase, about the feasibility of the use of Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) for wellbeing support on Campus. The main findings of this first phase are interesting technological suggestions from real users and they helped in the design of the scenarios and in the selection of which key enabling technologies are considered as the most relevant, useful and acceptable to support and improve wellbeing on Campus. These results will inform future services to design and implement technologies for monitoring and supporting wellbeing, such as hybrid, minimal and even intrusive (implantable) solutions. The user-driven co-design of such services, leveraging the use of wearable devices, Artificial Intelligence deployment will increase their acceptability by the users.
Circ-0081343 binds and activates RBM8A nuclear translocation to promote autophagy in Fetal growth restriction
Authors: Zheng Linmei , Tang Rong , Fang Junbo , Hu Haoyue , Tang Qiong , Liu Jinfu , Zhong Mei , Li Jing
Published: March 2023

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a common disease that occurred during pregnancy and is the second leading cause of perinatal death, affecting neonates' short- and long-term prognosis. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of FGR are poorly understood. Recent study found that circ-0081343 is significantly reduced in human FGR placenta and is involved in cell migration, invasion, and apoptosis of trophoblast in vitro. However, the mechanism of how circ-0081343 regulates placental development have not been fully understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the function of circ-0081343 in pathogenesis of FGR placenta using in vitro experiment and FGR mouse model. Overexpression of circ-0081343 in HTR-8/SVneo increased the binding of circ-0081343 to RNA binding motif protein 8A (RMB8A). Furthermore, it also inhibited the nuclear translocation of RMB8A via downregulating the importin 13 (IPO13), which transported RMB8A across the nuclear membrane into the nucleus. Based on the integration of RNA-seq and Chip-seq, we found that phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway was the target of circ-0081343. circ-0081343 bound to RMB8A and inhibited its nuclear translocation, resulting in inactivation of PI3K/AKT pathway via interaction with PI3K3C3, thereby regulating autophagy in HTR-8/SVneo cells. In FGR mouse model, overexpression of circ-0081343 was able to restore the impaired autophagy through inhibition of PI3K/AKT pathway, improving pathological placenta and bodyweight of pups. These results provided new molecular targets and ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of clinical FGR from the perspective of circRNA affecting the nuclear translocation of binding proteins and leading to abnormal transcriptional control.
Effects of exclusive breastfeeding duration on the occurrence and course of pneumonia in infants up to six months
Authors: Kang Yu-Lan , Zheng Qing-Xiang , Chen Xiao-Qian , Huang You-Cheng , Zheng Fan
Published: March 2023

Background
The pneumonia is the second most common cause of infant and child mortality in developing countries, while exclusive breastfeeding and basic immunizations protect infants and children from pneumonia infection. We aimed to analyze the effects of exclusive breastfeeding duration on the occurrence and course of pneumonia in infants up to 6 months of age.
Methods
This study was a prospective cross-sectional study and conducted in a Grade A tertiary hospital from August 2020 to August 2022. A total 255 hospitalized infants aged up to 6 months were included, who was diagnosed with bronchopneumonia. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to analyze data in this study by SPSS 25.0.
Results
The number of pneumonia incidences, hospitalization duration and costs in infants up to 6 months of age were significantly affected by exclusive breastfeeding duration (P < 0.001). The number of pneumonia incidences in infants aged up to 6 months in different places of residence and exclusive breastfeeding duration was also statistically significantly different (P < 0.001). Moreover, the shorter the exclusive breastfeeding duration, the higher the pneumonia incidence in infants.
Conclusion
Overall, the longer the exclusive breastfeeding duration in infants up to 6 months of age, the lower the recurrence of pneumonia, the shorter the hospital stay, the lower the hospital cost, and the faster the recovery of the infant.
Reference population database for 24 STR loci of selected provinces of Argentina.
Authors: Caputo Mariela , Sala Andrea , Corach Daniel
Published: March 2023

Argentinean population is the result of admixture between South Amerindians, Europeans and to a lesser degree, Africans. Since the advent of forensic molecular genetics, the construction of local reference databases became mandatory.
Aiming to further extend the technical quality reference database of Argentina, we present herein the allele frequencies for 24 autosomal STRs, including D22S1045, and SE33 (not previously reported for Argentina in STRidER).
Genotypes of 6454 unrelated individuals (3761 males and 2694 females) from 13 out of 23 provinces were analysed. Forensic parameters were calculated for each marker. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.661 (TPOX) to 0.941 (SE33). The locus SE33 was revealed to be the most informative marker showing the highest values for PIC (0.955), GD (0.952), TPI (8.455) and PE (0.879). On the other hand, TPOX turned out to be the least informative marker: PIC (0.618), GD (0.669), and PE (0.371).
The high number of analyzed individuals allowed detecting low frequency alleles and microvariants in CSF1PO; D16S539 and D21S11 D18S51; PENTA D; PENTA E and at locus D6S1043.
This study is the most extensive for Argentina and complements the already reported information concerning the autosomal STRs commonly used in forensic identification. The results were submitted passing STRidER quality control standards (QC), receiving the reference number STR000327 v.2.
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a prognostic factor reflecting immune condition of tumor microenvironment in squamous cell lung cancer
Authors: Ohashi Kana , Nishito Yukari , Fukuda Hironori , Sadahiro Ryoichi , Yoshida Yukihiro , Watanabe Shun-ichi , Motoi Noriko , Sonobe Yukiko , Mizuno Hideaki , Tsunoda Hiroyuki , Tatsumi Koichiro , Suzuki Takuji , Ochiai Atsushi , Aoki Kazunori
Published: March 2023

Inflammatory factors in the peripheral blood, such as the C-reactive protein level and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), are prognostic markers in multiple types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the association between inflammatory factors and prognosis based on histological types has not been adequately reported. In addition, the relationship between these factorsand the immune condition of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is unclear. In this study, we first investigated the relationship between preoperative inflammatory markers and clinical outcomes in 176 patients with NSCLC who underwent surgery. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) showed no significant prognostic marker, whereas for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), a multivariate analysis showed that a high NLR was significantly associated with postoperative recurrence. In LUSC patients, the median time of postoperative recurrence-free survival in patients with a low NLR was longer than that in patients with a high NLR. We then compared the tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) profile with inflammatory markers in peripheral blood and found that the NLR was negatively correlated with the frequencies of T cells and B cells in LUSC tissues. Thus, the NLR is a useful predictive biomarker for postoperative recurrence and may reflect the immune condition of the TME in LUSC.
The prognostic significance of serum lactate dehydrogenase for patients with small cell lung cancer treated first-line therapy: a retrospective analysis of 163 consecutive cases
Authors: Zhang Lu , Pan Zhangchi , Wang Han , Shi Chunmei , Lin Xiaoyan , Cao Yingping
Published: March 2023

Purpose: To investigate the association between lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the prognosis of first-line therapy in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Methods: 163 small cell lung cancer patients were consecutively included from January 2011 to June 2020 as initial therapy in Fujian Medical University Union Hospital. A retrospective analysis of the clinical data were conducted to explore the association between LDH, the progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). PFS and OS were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test.
Results: 163 patients were divided into 90 patients in the high LDH group (pre-treatment LDH≥202 IU/L) and 73 patients in the low LDH group (pre-treatment LDH <202 IU/L). The low LDH group has a longer PFS than the high LDH group (6.23±0.28 months vs. 5.24±0.21 months; P=0.002). In the subgroup analysis of extensive stage (ES), the low LDH group has a longer PFS than the high LDH group (6.67±0.35 months vs. 5.02±0.23months; P=0.000). In the high LDH group, patients have a significantly longer PFS when treated with the cisplatin-etoposide (EP) regimen compared to those treated with the carboplatin-etoposide (EC) regimen(5.72±0.29 months vs. 4.72±0.28 months; P=0.029). Among the high-LDH group, the PFS of EP regimen in the LS subgroup was longer than that of EC regimen, with a statistical difference (6.39±0.58 months vs. 4.71±0.45 months; P=0.018). After 2 cycles of first-line treatment, the OS in the group with LDH-significant-decrease group was longer (10.44±0.77 months vs. 14.79±1.67 months; P=0.009), compared with LDH-non-significant-decrease group. In the subgroup analysis of ES patients, OS in the LDH-significant-decrease group was longer than that in the LDH-no-significant-decrease group(13.96±2.25 months vs. 9.49±0.81 months; P=0.027). In the subgroups using EP regimen, OS in the LDH-significant-decrease group was longer than that in the LDH-no-significant-decrease group (16.67±2.33 months vs. 10.20±1.03 months; P=0.004).
Conclusion: LDH is of certain significance to the efficacy of first-line chemotherapy of small cell lung cancer. Higher LDH is a biomarker of poor clinical prognosis. The decrease of LDH after 2 cycles of first-line treatment may suggest longer PFS and OS for patients with SCLC. Patients with high pretreatment-LDH choosing EP treatment may have a longer PFS.
A two-pronged approach against glioblastoma: Drug repurposing and nanoformulation design for in situ‑controlled release
Authors: Mendes Maria , Branco Francisco , Vitorino Rui , Sousa João , Pais Alberto , Vitorino Carla
Published: March 2023

Glioblastoma (GB) is one of the most lethal types of neoplasms. Its biologically aggressive nature and the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) limit the efficacy of standard therapies. Several strategies are currently being developed to both overcome the BBB and deliver drugs site-specifically to tumor cells. This work hypothesizes a two‑pronged approach to tackle glioblastoma: drug repurposing with celecoxib and a nanoformulation using ultra-small nanostructured lipid carriers (usNLCs).
Celecoxib antitumor druggable activity was inspected bioinformatically and screened in four glioma cell lines aiming at the comparison with temozolomide, as standard of care. Delving into formulation design, it was tailored aiming at (i) improving the drug solubility/loading properties, (ii) assigning a thermal-triggerable drug release based on a lipid matrix with a low melting point, and (iii) enhancing the cytotoxic effect by selecting a template targetable to tumor cells. For this purpose, an integrated analysis of the critical material attributes (CMAs), critical process parameters (CPPs) and critical quality attributes (CQAs) was conducted under the umbrella of a Quality by Design approach.
CMAs that demonstrate a high-risk level for the final quality and performance of the usNLCs include the drug solubility in lipids (solid and liquid), the lipid composition (envisioning a thermoresponsive approach), the ratio between lipids (solid vs. liquid), and the surfactant type and concentration. Particle size was shown to be governed by the interaction lipid-surfactant followed by surfactant type. The drug encapsulation did not influence colloidal characteristics, making it a promising carrier for lipophilic drugs. In general,usNLCs exhibited a controlled drug release during the 72 hours at 37 ºC with a final release of ca. 25 %, while at 45 ºC this was doubled. The in vitro cellular performance depended on the surfactant type and lipid composition, with the formulations containing a sole solid lipid (Suppocire® NB) and Kolliphor® RH40 as surfactant being the most cytotoxic. usNLCs with an average diameter of ca. 70 nm and a narrow size distribution (PdI lower than 0.2) were yielded, exhibiting, high stability, drug protection, sustained and thermo‑sensitive release properties, and high cytotoxicity to glioma cells, meeting the suitable CQAs for parenteral administration. This formulation may pave the way to a multi-addressable purpose to improve address GB treatment.
Optimal Floor Plan for Residential Houses leveraging Vaastu Shastra: A neural approach
Authors: Chaturvedi D.K. , Bandopadhyay Boudhan
Published: March 2023

Net Zero Sustainable Buildings are needed to protect the environment as .Architects and building owners are trying to focus on utilizing sustainable and energy efficient methods to design the spaces of the future which in turn would contribute to the global net zero effort. To achieve the above objective, the western thinking can be facilitated with the ancient eastern architectural perspectives such as Vaastu-Sastra to build sustainable and eco-friendly habitat is the prime focus of this paper. The deals with neural approach to predict the optimal layout for a particular design of a residential house based upon a compatibility score for the same leveraging Fuzzy Inference System to decide on the compliance of the new design.
Development of a neural architecture to predict the thermal conductivity of nanofluids
Authors: Shahrivar Iraj , Ghafouri Ashkan , Niazi Zahra
Published: March 2023

The present study proposes an artificial neural network (ANN) model for correctly estimating the thermal conductivity property of nanofluids. The ANN model was designed based on using 800 existing experimental data containing spherical nanoparticles of TiO2, ZnO, CuO, Al2O3, ZrO2, Fe2O3, Fe3O4, SiO2, CeO2, MgO, Fe, Al, Cu, Ag, Sic and diamond in various fluids of oil, ethylene glycol, water, and radiator cooling. Here, effective parameters of thermal conductivity of the base fluid and dispersed nanoparticle, nanoparticles volume fraction (0.4 − 0.4%), temperature (10 − 80 ℃), and particle diameter (4 − 150 nm) were considered as input variables, while the thermal conductivity of nanofluid was defined as the target variable. The Levenberg-Marquardt (L-M) back-propagation algorithm was used to design this model. According to the results, the best R and lowest MSE using 5-13-1 topology were founded to be about 0.9975 and 0.000238, respectively, indicating good fitting between predicted results and target points. Also, the results of the comparison between the ANN model and experimental points indicated successful validation of the presented model for estimating the thermal conductivity of nanofluids.
Distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups in patients with endometriosis at King Abdulaziz University Hospital: A case control study
Authors: Alhammadi Maisam H. , Alsaif Afnan A. , Alghamdi Dalal A. , AlBasri Samera F.
Published: March 2023

Background: There is no sound evidence for the association of blood groups with the risk of endometriosis, and no studies from Saudi Arabia have examined this association. Therefore, the present aim was to determine whether there is an association between the distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups and the incidence of endometriosis in a cohort from Saudi Arabia.
Methods: Methods: This case-control study included women diagnosed with endometriosis (n = 44) who presented to King Abdulaziz University Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between 2010 and 2021. Women from the blood donors database of King Abdulaziz University Hospital were included as a control group (n = 184). The total sample size was 228. Demographic data, diagnosis method, ABO blood type, and Rh blood type were obtained from hospital records. In addition, data were collected from self-reported questionnaires, which included family history, dysmenorrhea, age of menarche, age of childbearing, number of children, history of abortion, parity, number of children, use of oral contraceptives for alleviating dysmenorrhea, iron deficiency, duration of menstrual flow, and volume of bleeding during menses. Odds ratio, Pearson chi-squared test (χ2), and independent t-test were used to analyze the associations between variables.
Results: Most of the participants had blood type O (n = 117, 51.3%), which was followed by blood type A (n = 59, 26.0%), and the majority were Rh+ (n = 215, 94.3%). There was no significant difference in the risk of endometriosis according to ABO (P = 0.237) and Rh (P = 0.283) blood types. However, endometriosis was found to have a significant relationship with dysmenorrhea, heavy bleeding during menses, history of abortion, long duration of menstrual flow, lower number of children, late pregnancy, and use of oral contraceptive pills to relieve dysmenorrhea (p ≤ 0.05).
Conclusions: The present results indicate that ABO and Rh blood types are not associated with the risk of endometriosis. However, there was a strong, significant association between endometriosis and other factors.
The dietary fiber and micronutrient composition of traditional foods from Lebanon and their contribution to dietary adequacy: A call for action
Authors: Hoteit Maha , Zoghbi Edwina , Rady Alissar , Shankiti Iman , Sacre Yonna , Hanna-Wakim Lara , Mahfouz Rana , Al-Jawaldeh Ayoub
Published: March 2023

Diet quality is a limiting factor to micronutrients sufficiency. The aim of this work is to evaluate, through chemical analysis, the dietary fibers and micronutrients content for vitamin A, D, E and C and their contributions to daily values in frequently consumed traditional dishes and Arabic sweets in Lebanon. Thirty types of traditional Lebanese dishes were collected from five central kitchens in the main Lebanese governorates and thirty-seven types of Arabic sweets were selected from popular confectionary stores. Among all the traditional dishes and Arabic sweets, 23% and 30% were considered good sources of dietary fibers, respectively. Vitamins A, D, E and C were found in trace levels in almost all traditional dishes and Arabic sweets.Micronutrients and dietary fibers are deficient in the Lebanese traditional dishes and Arabic sweets.
Treating peri-trochanteric hip fractures with intramedullary nail. When a second anti-rotational screw is necessary?
Authors: Tilaveridis Panagiotis , Iliopoulos Efthymios , Georgoulas Paraskevas , Drosos Georgios , Ververidis Athanasios , Tilkeridis Konstantinos
Published: March 2023

Introduction:
Fragility fractures around the proximal end of the femoral bone have been increasing the last years, increasing the pressure at the national health care systems and the hospital expenses. Peri-trochanteric fractures have been treated successfully with anatomic intramedullary nails of the proximal femur, giving a stable fixation in order to allow early mobilisation of these frail patients. Some of these nail allow a second (anti-rotational) screw through the nail in the femoral head. In the present study the use of this additional screw is studied, in terms of quality of reduction, mobilization and complications.
Materials & methods
All patients who were treated in the same hospital for peri-trochanteric fracture between January 2017 and December 2019 were included in the study. The patients were randomly assigned into group A, were the treatment included intramedullary nailing using one femoral hip screw, and group B, were the treatment included a second anti-rotational screw as well. The patients were followed up clinically and radiologically, for at least 3 months post-operatively. Demographic and operation data were collected alongside with radiographic and complication data.
Results
A total of 118 patients aged 82.7 years were included in the study after exclusions. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the ASA grade, Nottingham Hip fracture score, Koval score, Mental score, operation time, transfusion and operative radiation dose and time (p > 0.05). In group A more complications were observed (p < 0.05). The radiological measurements were statistically significant different. CART analysis revealed that the use of a single screw in the femoral head for the subgroup of the unstable peri-trochanteric fractures (Jensen Type 4–5 – AO31A2.2 and above), has the tendency of developing more post-operative complications.
Conclusion
The use of an additional anti-rotational screw for the unstable peri-trochanteric fractures (Jensen Type 4–5 and AO 31A2.2 and above) could prevent complications such as varus collapse and cut-out.
Identifying energy model fingerprints in mitigation scenarios
Authors: Dekker Mark , Daioglou Vassilis , Pietzcker Robert , Rodrigues Renato , de Boer Harmen Sytze , Longa Francesco Dalla , Drouet Laurent , Emmerling Johannes , Fattahi Amir , Fotiou Theofano , Fragkos Panagiotis , Fricko Oliver , Gusheva Ema , Harmsen Mathijs , Huppmann Daniel , Kannavou Maria , Krey Volker , Lombardi Francesco , Luderer Gunnar , Pfenninger Stefan , Tsiropoulos Ioannis , Zakeri Behnam , Zwaan Bob van der , Usher Will , Vuuren Detlef van
Published: March 2023

Energy models are used to study mitigation pathways compatible with the Paris Agreement goals. These models vary in structure, objectives, parameterization, and level of detail, which yield differences in the computed mitigation pathways. To interpret model differences, diagnostic indicators are already common practice in many scientific fields, e.g., physical climate science1,2. However, they have not been applied systematically yet in climate mitigation literature, beyond addressing individual model dimensions3,4. We address this gap by quantifying energy model typology along five dimensions: 1) model responsiveness, 2) mitigation strategies, 3) energy supply, 4) energy demand, and 5) mitigation costs and efforts, each expressed in several diagnostic indicators. The framework is applied to a diagnostic experiment with eight leading energy models in which we explore ten scenarios focusing on Europe. Expressing the indicators relative to the full model-scenario ensemble yields a comprehensive “energy model fingerprint” that reveals patterns among models and indicators, and can be used to contextualize model differences in future model intercomparison studies.
Nitrogen deposition further increases Ambrosia trifida root exudates invasiveness under global warming
Authors: Xu Ke , Liu Xinyue , Zhao Changxin , Pan Qingmin , Chen Xiaoxing , Jiang Ning , Du Cuiping , Xu Yufeng , Shao Meini , Qu Bo
Published: March 2023

Invasive plants can change the soil ecological environment in the invasion area to adapt to their growth and reproduction through root exudates. Root exudates are the most direct manifestation of plant responses to external environmental changes, butthere is a lack of studies on root exudates of invasive plants in the context of inevitable global warming and nitrogen deposition. In this report, we used widely targeted metabolomics to investigate Ambrosia trifida root exudates during seedling and maturity under warming and nitrogen deposition to reveal the possible mechanisms of A. trifidaadaptation to climate change. The results showed that the organic acids increased under warming condition but decreased after nitrogen addition in the seedling stage. Phenolic acids increased greatly after nitrogen addition in the mature stage. Most phenolic acids were annotated in the phenylpropane metabolic pathway and tyrosine metabolism. Therefore, nitrogen deposition may increase the adaptability of A. trifida through root exudates, making it more invasive under global warming. The results provide new ideas for preventing and controlling the invasion of A. trifida under climate change.
WITHDRAWN: Physical and Mathematical Consistency of the Janus Cosmological Model
Authors: ZEJLI Hasnae , ZEJLI Hicham
Published: March 2023

The Janus Cosmological Model is based on a system of two coupled field equations. It explains the nature of dark matter and dark energy with negative mass and without the runaway paradox that arises in general relativity. We first recall how this system was built, from a simple Newtonian toy model to a relativistic bimetric theory, that is now improved in order to fulfill mathematical constraints and set up on a Lagrangian derivation.
Association of waist circumference with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in diabetes from NHANES 2003-2014
Authors: Tian Tian , Geng Yang , Li Xuehui , Sun Xueli , Liu Yan , Pei Changjun , Wang Xin , Cao Ling , Chen Hui , Zhang Hengzhong , Wu Yumei , Song Bin
Published: March 2023

Background
In diabetes mellitus (DM), the relationship between waist circumference (WC) and mortality is scarce. Herein, we explored all-cause and cardiovascular mortality relationships with the baseline WC among individuals with DM.
Methods
US adults with DM (2256 women and 2427 men) from NHANES 2003–2014 who had WC measurement at the baseline were included. The national death index was employed to obtain their survival data from the enrollment till 2015. The mortality risk was calculated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, smooth curve fitting, and threshold effect analysis.
Results
Among a total of 4683 participants with diabetes, 346 women and 482 men died during the median follow-up of 5.7 and 5.4 years, respectively. With all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, WC exhibited a U-shaped association among females and a J-shaped trend among males. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause mortality given WC values below and above 107.0 cm were 0.98 (0.96–0.98) and 1.03 (1.01–1.05), respectively, among women, and those below and above 89.5 cm were 0.91 (0.87–0.96) and 1.04 (1.02–1.05), respectively, among men.
Conclusions
WC presented a U-shaped relationship among women, and a J-shaped relation among men regarding all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among US adults with DM from NHANES.
Prevalence of oral Helicobacter pylori infection in an indigenous community in Southwest Mexico
Authors: Garza-Ramos Myriam Angelica De La , Gonzalez-Brosig Karen Ivonne , Salazar-Garza Alina Abigail , Gomez-Flores Ricardo , Tamez-Guerra Patricia , Urrutia-Baca Victor Hugo
Published: March 2023

Epidemiological studies have been conducted to improve the health and economic quality of life of indigenous communities in Mexico. These studies showed that infections cause frequent health problems. Helicobacter pylori are responsible for conditions ranging from gastritis to stomach cancer. This study determined the prevalence of H. pylori in families from Siltepec, Chiapas, Mexico. Ninety-nine dental plaque samples from 36 families were studied. Real-time PCR was performed to detect H. pylori using previously reported primers. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for the statistical analysis. According to the family role of H. pylori-positive individuals, the VacA s1/m1 genotype and CagA gene correlated. The mother had the highest expression of VacA s1/m1-/cagA- with 19% (8/42), followed by the first child with 14.3% (6/42). The major roles for the vacA s1/m1+/cagA- were the mother and first child with 9.5% (4/42), followed by the remaining children with 4.8% (2/42). The vacA s1/m1-/cagA + genotype was 7.1% (3/42) for the mother and 4.8% (2/42) for the father. Finally, the vacA s1/m1+/cagA + genotype only appeared in the mother, son I, and son III with 2.4% (1/42). The vacA s1/m1/cagA genotypes predominated in the mother, suggesting potential transmission between the mother and child during the first years of life.
Optimizing cancer immunotherapy response prediction by tumor aneuploidy score and fraction of copy number alterations
Authors: Chang Tiangen , Cao Yingying , Shulman Eldad , Schäffer Alejandro , Ben-David Uri , Ruppin Eytan
Published: March 2023

Identifying patients with low tumor mutation burden (TMB) that are likely to respond to cancer immunotherapy is an important, yet highly challenging clinical need. Using 3,139 patients across 17 different cancer types, we comprehensively studied the ability of two common copy number alteration (CNA) scores – the tumor aneuploidy score (AS) and the fraction of genome encompassed by copy number alterations (FGA) – to predict survival following immunotherapy in both pan-cancer and individual cancer types. We propose an elbow-point based method to optimize the cutoff used for calling CNAs. The optimized AS and FGA scores show significantly improved predictive performance compared to the arbitrary cutoffs reported in the literature. However, our data suggests that the use of AS and FGA for predicting immunotherapy response is currently limited to only a few cancer types. Therefore, larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate the clinical utility of these measures for patient stratification in other cancer types.
Multiple factors driving the acquisition efficiency of apple proliferation phytoplasma in Cacopsylla melanoneura
Authors: Corretto Erika , Trenti Massimiliano , Serbina Liliya Štarhová , Howie James Malcolm , Dittmer Jessica , Kerschbamer Christine , Candian Valentina , Tedeschi Rosemarie , Janik Katrin , Schuler Hannes
Published: March 2023

Phytoplasmas are bacterial pathogens located in the plant’s phloem that are responsible for several plant diseases and are mainly transmitted by phloem-sucking insects. Apple proliferation (AP) is an economically important disease caused by ‘CandidatusPhytoplasma mali’ which is transmitted by two psyllid species. While Cacopsylla picta is a confirmed vector in different regions, the vector efficiency of Cacopsylla melanoneura varies between different populations. This species is considered the main AP vector in Northwestern Italy but plays a minor role in Northeastern Italy and other European regions. To investigate whether the psyllid and/or the phytoplasma subtype drive the phytoplasma acquisition in C. melanoneura, we set-up a phytoplasma acquisition experiment using single mating couples including different psyllid populations and phytoplasma subtypes. All analyzed insect populations acquired phytoplasma, but with different efficiencies and concentrations. The main factors driving the acquisition were the phytoplasma subtype and its concentration in the leaves of the infected trees together with the psyllid family. The phytoplasma concentration in the psyllids was again influenced by the phytoplasma subtype, the psyllid family and the region of origin, whereas the phytoplasma concentration in the leaves and the psyllid haplotype defined with the cytochrome oxidase I gene had only a minor impact on the phytoplasma concentration. This is the first study evaluating the roles of both the psyllid haplotype and the phytoplasma subtype on the acquisition process shedding new light on the importance of C. melanoneura as AP vector.
Dietary Assessment of Type 2 Diabetic Patients using healthful plant-based diet score in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alali Rudaynah A , Alateeq Suad A. , Almuhanna Afnan F , Eleq Abdulmohsen H Al , Albaker Waleed I , Habara Alawi , Alrubaish Fatima A , babuvatte Chitti , Loza Bao-Li , Al-Muhanna Fahad A , AlAli Amein K.
Published: March 2023

Background
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by a wide range of metabolic problems. The current study sought to assess nutritional habits of Saudi subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D), in order to propose recommendation to improve these patients' dietary habits and delay possible disease complications.
Methods
Over a period of three years, (2017–2019) 577 patients with T2D attending the outpatient’s diabetic clinics at King Fahd Hospital of the University Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia were invited to participate in this study. Dietary intake data were collected by trained nurses using a pretested structured validated semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The dietary data were collected using 7-day dietary recall questionnaire. A modified score system that associates dietary habits with glycemic control and lipid profile was used.
Results
Overall, a high healthful plant-based diet score was associated with a significant (P = 0.018) reduction in TG level (difference, -3.78%; 95% CI, -0.65% to -6.81%) and a near statistically significant (P = 0.06) increase in HDL levels (difference 1.87%; 95% CI -0.06–3.84%) in T2D patients from the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, in our patient cohort, the prevalence of coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, and chronic kidney disease in T2D patients was 11.3%, 6.2%, 3.3%, and 8.4%, respectively.
Conclusion
The present study showed that adherence to a healthful plant-based diet is associated with a favorable outcome in glycemic control and lipid profile in T2D patients in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Prior assessment of total diet quality may be beneficial when giving nutritional advice to patients with T2D with the objective of improving glycemic control and lipid profile.
Postoperative vision-related quality of life and functional vision outcomes with the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis
Authors: Bansal Jahnvi , Ghani Nimra , Naidu Abhishek , Chaudhary Khurram M.
Published: March 2023

Background
The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis (Second Sight Medical Products, California) was developed to enhance visual outcomes in patients with degenerative retinal diseases. The primary objective of this study was to describe changes in vision-related quality of life based on patient responses to the National Eye Institutes Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) over a two-year postoperative period. The secondary objective was to assess a relationship between subjective NEI VFQ-25 scores and objective functional vision outcomes.
Methods
Five patients who were fitted with the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis due to profound retinal dystrophy were assessed in this study. The NEI VFQ-25 was given to patients prior to implantation, at month 12, and month 24 post-implantation. Functional vision data and images from each visit were extracted from the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis Post-Approval Study. Data analysis was completed on IBM SPSS.
Results
Between Month 0 and Month 24, there was a significant increase in VFQ score in the ‘Social Functioning’ subscale (p < 0.05), and there were other subscale trends towards increase over time. Spearman’s rank-order tests revealed significant positive correlations between various VFQ subscales and functional vision measures. ‘Dependency’ correlated with direction of motion (DOM) (rs = 0.745, p < 0.05) and with electrode array-retina gap distance (rs = 0.778, p < 0.05). ‘General Vision’ correlated with DOM (rs = 0.541, p < 0.05) and with electrode array-gap distance (rs = 0.581, p < 0.05). ‘Role Difficulties’ correlated with DOM (rs = 0.527, p < 0.05). No VFQ subscale correlated significantly with ‘square localization (SL).’
Conclusions
In patients with the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis, there may be change in vision-related quality of life over time, as postoperative changes in NEI-VFQ subscales were demonstrated. There may also be a relationship between vision-related quality of life and functional vision outcomes postoperatively, as exhibited by several significant correlations found between NEI-VFQ subscales and both direction of motion and electrode array-retina gap distance. It is essential to assess the role of patient-reported outcome measures and functional vision outcomes in helping clinicians guide long-term postoperative management and in helping innovators develop enhanced retinal implant technology.
Transgender Attitudes and Beliefs Scale-Greek (TABS-Gr) Version: Translation and Initial Evaluation of Psychometric Properties among Medical Students.
Authors: Voultsos Polychronis , Papana Angeliki , Alexandri Stella , Zymvragou Christina-Erato
Published: March 2023

Aim: Transgender people face significantly greater health inequities than cisgender people and experience discrimination in health care settings. The role of education in eliminating this discrimination and health disparities has been increasingly recognized by many medical schools. However, transgender-health content lacks or is sparse and considerably varying across different medical curricula in many countries. In Greece, there is limited research on medical students’ attitudes towards transgender people. This study aims to contribute to filling this knowledge gap.
Method: The study adopted a cross-sectional, comparative-descriptive research design. Purposive non-probability sampling was used to recruit the study participants (N=203). The study was designed to validate the Transgender Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (TABS)-Greek version scale and examine medical students’ attitudes towards transgender people. The data was collected between December and February 2023.
Results: The overall reliability of the TABS questionnaire is high (Cronbach's α = 0.961, Sig. from Hotelling’s T-Squared Test < 0.000). High Cronbach’s alpha values were estimated on the three subscales with α = 0.958 for Interpersonal Comfort, α = 0.906 for Gender Beliefs, and α = 0.952 for Human Value. Hotelling’s T-Squared Test confirmed that all items on the scale have the same mean (Sig. < 0.001 for all subgroups). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated adequate fit. Its convergent and discriminant validity was validated based on the estimated correlations. The three-factor structure of Greek TABS Version has been confirmed. The mean total score was 155.95 (SD. = 30.63) indicating that medical students had a moderately positive attitude towards transgender people. Participants showed significantly less biased (more tolerant, positive) attitudes towards transgender people on the Interpersonal Comfort (IC) and Human Value (HV) subscales than on the Sex/Gender Beliefs (SGB) subscale. Overall psychometric findings provide support for further use of the TABS-Gr in Greek medical schools. A demographic comparison was conducted and demonstrated correlation between scores and socio-demographics, except for sexual orientation and place of origin. A statistically significant increase in total mean score was estimated for females compared to males.
Conclusion: This study provide support for further use of the TABS in Greece and can contribute to providing the evidence required to persuade universities to make changes to their curriculum to ensure that future physicians are in the position to provide high quality health care for transgender patients.
Determination of Heavy Metal Contents in Some Medicinal Plants from Region of Oran from Algeria
Authors: Mokred Mohamed rabie , mohamed Talbi , kambouche Nadia , Berrabah Ahlem , bellahouel Salima
Published: March 2023

Some of the heavy metals found in our environment are toxic; once absorbed by plants, they build up in tissues and are phased out. Other heavy metals are trace elements that are necessary for human health, but can be toxic in excessive concentrations.
The purpose of this study is both to confirm the necessary metals' recognized medicinal virtues and to raise awareness of the presence of harmful non-essential metals that could harm humans and the environment.
This study depicts a profile of existence of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Fe) in some important herbal plants used in some parts of the country as a food condiment like (Moringa oleifera, Artemesia campestis, Nigella sativa, Asparagus stipularis, Sesamum indicum, Ruta montana, Rhamnus alaternus , Pistacia lentiscus using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Heavy metals in these herbal plants were in the range of 0.38-0.56ppm of Zn, 0.00-0.69 ppm of Cu, 0.13-0.16 ppm of Cd, 0.26-0.52 ppm of Pb, 1.10-8.89 ppm of Fe. Of the eight medicinal plants/products examined, the prescribed limits were respected.
For each plant, mineralize a test sample of 2 grams of powder. Each mineral is analyzed by injection. For each element, a calibration curve is generated. – Assay with atomic absorption devices (lead, copper, cadmium, nickel, manganese). The results are expressed in mg/L for different species. The highest value is: lead. Copper content is present in various extracts and is considered a good source. The zinc contained in Moringa is very valuable. The presence of iron in the species Rhamnus alaternus confirms its use in traditional medicine as an antianemic.
Farmyard manure regulated the defense signalling network in mash bean by countering stress responses of inglorious couple of charcoal rot fungus and copper
Authors: Akhtar Sundus , Shoaib Amna , Javiad Iqra , Qaiser Uzma , Tasadduq Raazia
Published: March 2023

In the era of global warming, stress combinations instead of individual stresses are realistic threats faced by plants, which affect the metabolic activities in an inimitable mode unlike individual stress. In the current study, charcoal rot disease stress caused by notorious fungal pathogen viz., Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid coupled with toxic levels of heavy metal copper (Cu) was investigated on morpho-physio-biochemical and molecular responses in mash bean [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] plants. Soil application with 2% Farmyard manure (FYM) was also used as a warfare agent against the stress/s responses in the plans. Therefore, soil spiked Cu (50 and 100 mg/kg) was inoculated with the pathogen, amended with 2% FYM was sown with mash bean seeds. The individual stress of MP or Cu resulted in more drastic changes in biological (growth, biomass, and yield), and physio-biochemical [(total chlorophyll content, carotenoids, reducing sugar total protein content, and total phenolic, catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO)] attributes with the greater translocation factors and bioaccumulation factors as compared to stress combination. The expression levels of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, cytokinin-resistant gene as well as protein profiling and other metabolic changes (activity of CAT, POX, and PPO) were more up regulated under single stress conditions by mash bean plants. Alteration in studied parameters in mash bean plants provided the basis of cross-tolerance (hormesis) induced by Cu against the pathogen under stress combination. Nonetheless, 2% FYM in soil encounters the negative effect of stress responses provoked by the pathogen, Cu or both by decreasing Cu uptake by the plants. FYM worked better at lower concentrations (50 mg/kg) of Cu than at higher ones (100 mg/kg), hence could be used as a suitable option to reclaim soil health and better plant productivity.
Optimal Machine Learning- and Deep Learning- driven algorithms for predicting the future value of investments: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Parisi Luca , Manaog Marianne Lyne
Published: March 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing competitive landscape have led asset management companies to consider investing in applying Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven technologies to minimise the risk and maximise the profitability of the investment funds they manage. Thus, a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the relevant literature were conducted to provide evidence-based informed recommendations on which AI-driven technologies could be leveraged for such purpose. Data on both Machine Learning (ML)- and Deep Learning (DL)-driven technologies applied to aid the management of investment funds in China and, specifically, in and around Shenzhen, were pooled from eleven eligible and recent studies (since 15 September 2017) and analysed accordingly. The key business-relevant and human-interpretable metrics representing their performance were identified in the root mean squared error (RMSE), in the same unit of currency of the investment funds, and the correlation strength between the predicted and actual values. One ML- and one DL-based algorithms were recommended to be used in the short and long terms respectively. In particular, the ML-based Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) algorithm was found the most accurate in the relevant literature, e.g., 28.16% more accurate than the Support Vector Regressor (SVR), also having a highly competitive ability to capture trends in the actual values of investment funds (83.7% of correlation strength), whilst the Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM)-GBDT model was identified as the most accurate DL-based algorithm, 15.05% more accurate than the GBDT and with 13.2% higher ability to capture trends in the actual investment funds’ values than the GBDT.