bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydroxyapatite/Alginate/Polyvinyl alcohol/Agar Composite Double-Network Hydrogels as Injectable Drug Delivery Microspheres
Authors: Ghazagh Parisa , Frounchi Masoud
Published: November 2023

An injectable and biodegradable drug delivery system to release antibiotics at a controllable rate to treat anti-bone infection was prepared. The system was based on nanocomposites of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAP) and double-network (DN) hydrogels of sodium alginate (SA)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) prepared in the form of microspheres embedded in injectable agar gel. The double-network hydrogels of SA/PVA were prepared by sequential crosslinking of sodium alginate with calcium ions and then PVA by freeze-thawing method. The agar gel was used as a thermos-reversible gel to facilitate injection of microspheres. The characteristics of microspheres were analyzed by FTIR, XRD, SEM and water swelling. The drug release rate of the microspheres was measured at various compositions of the delivery system components. The results showed that increase in PVA content of hydrogels led to a tighter double-network which consequently reduced the drug release rate. Loading of the drug into HAP nanoparticles as drug nano-containers, prolonged the drug release time from 1 day to 6 days when the content of HAP nanoparticles was within the range of 2.5–5%. The antibacterial activities of the drug-loaded composite hydrogels were evaluated against E. coli bacteria by disc diffusion tests showing anti-bacterial effectiveness of such drug delivery systems.
School Nursing Practices in the Scope of Public Health Nursing Course with Undergraduate Students
Authors: Kesgin Makbule Tokur , Çağlar Songül , Zengin Seher
Published: November 2023

This study was to use the school health model as a framework for school nursing practices in public schools where there are no school nurses. The study evaluated school nursing practices using the “Global School Health Model” in a Public Health Nursing course at a university 2018–2019 academic year. The program was conducted with 3 lecturers and 128 nursing students in 16 schools. In school nursing practices, which lasted for a total of 14 weeks. In the vision screening, it was determined that 350 students had a decrease in distance visual acuity. A total of 262 teachers and school staff were blood pressure scanned. Health education was given to 6637 students and 276 school personnel in all schools. In schools where school nurses are not assigned, the health care services needed by students can be provided by undergraduate nursing students under the supervision of instructors.
Terahertz holographic data storage with a 3D printed phase plate
Authors: Constable Evan , Gospodaric Jan , Pimenov Andrei
Published: November 2023

A sub-terahertz holographic image of a two-dimensional 576-bit data code is produced using a diffractive phase-plate element. The phase plate was designed using a modified Gerchberg-Saxton iterative algorithm to encode a focused image of the data code into a phase modulation profile. The complex phase plate structure is fabricated from polylactic acid using fused deposition modeling, a common three-dimensional-printing technique. The design allows for a significantly simplified optical setup, consisting of a 0.14 THz diverging source, the holographic phase plate and a scanning detector, in co-linear alignment. The information stored in the data code is an example of a cryptography private key. Specifically, the private key for a Bitcoin wallet address. Convincing detection of the encoded information demonstrates a practical use case for terahertz holographic data storage, using a storage medium that can be fabricated with consumer-level three-dimensional-printing techniques.
Insect Sound Recognition Using MFCC and CNN
Authors: Kulkarni Atharva , Naik Vedant , Kumavat Suresh
Published: November 2023

Throughout the whole human history insects have been intimately related to our well being, in both positive and negative ways. For example, insects and pests consume and destroy around 40 billion USD worth of food each year. In contrast, insects pollinate at least two-thirds of all the food consumed in the world with bees alone responsible for one-third of this total. Pesticides and insecticides thus sprayed to avoid diseases transmitted through insects reach a destination other than their target species, including non-target species, air, water and soil, reducing biodiversity and threatening rare species. Thus in this project we create an alarm system based on the sound recognised by the movement, feeding and mating calls of the insects. The insects are classified into harmful and useful categories accordingly. The sound recognition is done using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with the input features being Mel Frequency Cepstrum Coefficients (MFCC), which consists of coefficients from frequencies scaled according to human auditory systems.. These two factors work together to produce the highest recognition rate with highest efficiency and relatively low processing power. The sound of the insect is recognised as accurately as possible by the proposed method and subsequently classified as mentioned above. The recognition rate we are aiming for is above 90\% with and the average identification time should be less than 10 seconds. Thus by classifying the sounds of the insects, the harmful insects are separated from the useful ones and appropriate action can be taken pertaining to the situation.
Prolonged disease course leads to impaired brain function in anxiety disorder: a resting state EEG study
Authors: Mou Shaoqi , Yan Shiyu , Shen Shanhong , Shuai Yibin , Li Gang , Shen Zhongxia , Ping Shen
Published: November 2023

Objective Anxiety disorder (AD) is a common disabling disease. The prolonged disease course may lead to impaired cognitive performance, brain function, and a bad prognosis. Few studies have examined the effect of disease course on brain function by electroencephalogram (EEG).Methods Resting-state EEG analysis was performed in 34 AD patients. The 34 patients with AD were divided into two groups according to the duration of their illness: anxious state (AS) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Then, EEG features, including univariate power spectral density (PSD), fuzzy entropy (FE), and multivariable functional connectivity (FC), were extracted and compared between AS and GAD. These features were evaluated by three previously validated machine learning methods to test the accuracy of classification in AS and GAD.Results Significant decreased PSD and FE in GAD were detected compared with AS, especially in the alpha 2 band. In addition, FC analysis indicated that GAD patients’ connection between the left and right hemispheres decreased. Based on machine learning, AS and GAD are classified on a six-month criterion with the highest classification accuracy of up to 0.99 ± 0.0015.Conclusion The brain function of patients is more severely impaired in AD patients with longer illness duration. Resting-state EEG demonstrated to be a promising examination in the classification in GAD and AS using machine learning methods with better classification accuracy.
Prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia in Chinese maintenance hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dou jun-kai , LI LI , Yang shun-ying , Zhang Ying , Yang Liang , Liu Huan , Shi Xue-zhi
Published: November 2023

Background: Patients with maintenance hemodialysis often suffer from sarcopenia, but there are differences in the prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia in some studies. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors for sarcopenia in Chinese maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.
Methods: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, Chinese Biological Medical Database, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library were searched through their inception to 11 April 2023. Cross-sectional, case-control and cohort studies published in the Chinese or English, and performed on prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia among Chinese MHD patients. Two reviewers independently conducted data extraction and assessed the quality of the studies. The prevalence of sarcopenia and the ORs of potential associated factors were synthesized by Stata V.14.0 software.
Result Twenty-eight studies involving 6123 MHD patients were included. The overall pooled prevalence of sarcopenia in Chinese MHD patients was 29.0% (95% CI 25.0% to 32.0%). Age, BMI, dialysis duration, hs-CRP, MQSGA, upper arm circumference and gender were significantly related to sarcopenia, with the OR of 1.17 95%CI (1.10 to 1.24), 0.67 95%CI(0.56 to 0.81), 1.16 95%CI(1.08 to 1.25), 1.35 95%CI(1.14 to 1.58), 1.75 95%CI(1.37 to 2.23), 0.72 95%CI(0.65 to 0.79) and 2.63 95%CI(1.44 to 4.83), respectively.
Conclusion The overall sarcopenia among Chinese MHD patients is high. Age, dialysis duration, hs-CRP, MQSGA score, and female are possible risk factors for sarcopenia.
Characteristics and mechanism of down-flow in front of a cylindrical pier under clear-water local scour
Authors: Wang Weizheng , Wei Song , Zhu Dayong , Wang Jun , Duan Haipeng
Published: November 2023

Local scour of bridge piers is an important factor affecting the stability of piers and down-flow is one of the flow structures involved in local scouring, which is regarded as one of the important factors. But the characteristics and mechanism of down-flow are not yet clearly understood for lack of characteristic parameters. This paper discussed qualitatively that the pressure stress can represent the effect of down-flow, and the pressure stress was accurately measured by installing sensors on the 3D printing models which perfectly reproduces the scour hole at different times.The down-flow is investigated by analyzing the stress state and the scour hole morphology in the scour hole. The results show that the down-flow has a strong interaction with the horseshoe vortex system, which reduces the pressure stress. From the perspective of the flow structures, the water particles collide and rub with each other, producing an effect similar to energy dissipation, which weakens the impact of the down-flow and reduces the pressure stress on the surface of the riverbed. From the perspective of energy transfer, the horseshoe vortex system needs to absorb the energy carried by down-flow to develop during its formation, reducing the energy brought into sediment by down-flow, and reducing the pressure stress. Moreover, this paper found a relationship between the stress state and the tangent slope. The shear stress is an important factor in maintaining the high tangent slope. When the shear stress decreases, a phenomenon of sediment sliding deeper is found, and the tangent slope decreases rapidly. When the shear stress is stabilized, the tangent slope increases with the increase of the pressure stress, which means that the down-flow can promote the development of scour depth.
The urbanization of coastal wetlands in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Authors: Isla Federico Ignacio
Published: November 2023

Different coastal wetlands of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina) were already urbanised notwithstanding initiatives for a National Law declaring them as natural reserves subject to conservation. Coastal urban sprawls either at the Parana Delta or at coastal barriers demanded the drainage of these wetlands. At the delta, several isolated neighbourhoods were constructed, some of them without authorisation. The lottery proposed along the marshes of the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon was forbidden in the past due to the floods of 1980 (Country Costa del Sol). Today, a new initiative (Lagos de Mar) has been temporarily cancelled within a trial that lasted several years. The Alfar neighbourhood was conceived during the middle of the XX century occupying another wetland (Corrientes lagoon) that was overfilled with sand dredged from the coastal dunes. The Reta coastal lagoon is becoming progressively flooded due to channels dredged at the watershed (Los Gauchos creek). Today, the neighbourhood Balneario Reta is growing at the flooding surroundings of this lagoon that receives marine water in occasion of episodic storms or exceptional high tides. Some of these villages are frequently flooded and these processes will be worse considering forecasted climatic trends.
Knowledge, Practice towards Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at Nyamagana Health Centre in Mwanza Tanzania
Authors: Marandu Sr. Gotfrida , Mwaiswelo Victor
Published: November 2023

Background:Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPACR) is a key component of globally accepted safe motherhood programs, including those in Tanzania. BPACR helps to ensure that women deliver safely when labor begins and reduces complications during labor. The aim of the study was to assess knowledge and practice towards birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at Nyamagana Health Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Method: This study used a quantitative cross-sectional facility-based design to assess birth preparedness among pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic in Mwanza-Tanzania. A total of 107 pregnant women were selected randomly and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to generate frequencies and proportions, and the Chi-square test was used to test the association of independent and dependent variables.
Result: In this study of 107 pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic in Mwanza, Tanzania, (89.7%) of the women responded. Almost half (60%) of the women had poor knowledge of danger signs and birth preparedness, 26% had fair knowledge, and only 14% had adequate knowledge. The mean percentage of knowledge on obstetric danger signs was 42.7% during pregnancy, 42.8% during labor, and 32.3% during the postpartum period.
Conclusion: Pregnant women in Mwanza, Tanzania have low levels of knowledge about danger signs and birth preparedness. This is a concern because it can lead to delays in seeking care for pregnancy complications and childbirth emergencies. To address this problem, we need to strengthen antenatal care services and provide women with access to reliable information about danger signs and birth preparedness, training antenatal care providers to educate women on danger signs and birth preparedness.
Composition of heavy minerals in the Gulf of Guinea beach sediments
Authors: Bela victorine Ambassa , Bessa Armel Zacharie Ekoa , Armstrong-Altrin John S. , Ngueutchoua Gabriel , Sababa Elisé
Published: November 2023

A mineralogical survey was conducted in the Gulf of Guinea sands to assess the transport history, depositional environment, weathering conditions and, provenance. Heavy mineral assemblages are abundant in augite, followed by opaque minerals, diopside, zoisite, enstatite, tourmaline, zircon, rutile, sillimanite, garnet, apatite, hornblende, epidote, kyanite, chloritoid and staurolite. The variety of this minerals show that the sands studied come from the igneous source rocks, mainly from a metamorphic source, in particular the gneisses and basalts, which is consistent with the geology of the study area. The bulk mineralogy detected using XRD and the chemical properties obtained by SEM-EDS reveals that the sands were dominated by quartz. Nineteen microtextures were observed on heavy minerals like hornblende, chloritoid, sillimanite, garnet, augite and staurolite, which were subsequently classified as mechanical (13 features), chemical (4 features), and combined mechanical and chemical (2 features) origins. The dominance of mechanical features suggest that the grains underwent high-energy transport. The abundance of angular and subangular heavy minerals indicate distance or nearby source. The mineral composition suggests that the source rocks underwent moderate weathering. The sub-rounded and rounded heavy minerals indicate a long transport. The predominance of heavy minerals in sediments suggest that the nearby source rocks are rich in heavy minerals.
Antidepressant and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SNEDDS) of Escitalopram
Authors: Asaad Muhammad Junaid , Majeed Abdul , Abbas Ghulam , Siddique Farhan , Iqbal Furqan Muhammad , Shah Syed Nisar Hussain , Rasool Muhammad Fawad , Ali Sidra Muhammad , Nisar Naveed , Bashir Maryam , Jardan Yousef A. Bin , Nafidi Hiba-Allah , Bourhia Mohammed
Published: November 2023

Escitalopram (ETP) has poor oral bioavailability due to its low water solubility, hence the goal of this work was to design and optimize a self-nano-emulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS). Using the results of the investigations on solubility and emulsification, a pseudo-ternary phase diagram was produced. The three main ingredients chosen for the formulation were polyethylene glycol 400 (co-surfactant), tween 80 (surfactant), and geranium oil (lipid). ETP-SNEDDS was evaluated for the size of particles and surface charge. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to evaluate the chemical compatibility and thermal stability. Ex-vivo permeability, in vitro digestion, and in vitro dissolution investigations were carried out and compared with reference tablets. The bioavailability of ETP-loaded SNEDDS was evaluated in comparison to the control in Wistar rats (n = 6). With a droplet size of 145 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.120, and an emulsification period of almost one minute, the synthesized SNEDDS were thermodynamically stable. The ETP-loaded SNEDDS displayed 96% dissolution in FSSIF. The permeation investigation revealed that, in comparison to the ETP powder and reference tablet, respectively, the SNEDDS increased drug penetration by 4.2 and 3.1-folds. The enhancement of in vitro dissolution, in vitro digestion, and ex-vivo permeability was found significant (p < 0.05). In comparison to the reference, SNEDDS had Cmax and AUC increases of 5.34 and 4.71 fold, respectively. These findings suggested that the SNEDDS formulation would be a promising method for increasing the oral bioavailability and absorption of ETP.
Production of Alkaline Plasma Activated Tap Water using Different Plasma Forming Gas at Sub-Atmospheric Pressure
Authors: Rathore Vikas , Watanasit Karaket , Kaewpawong Suttirak , Srino Dhammanoon , Tamman Arlee , Boonyawan Dheerawan , Nisoa Mudtorlep
Published: November 2023

The present study demonstrates the successful production of alkaline plasma-activated tap water (PATW), addressing the challenge of acidity in traditional PATW for various applications. By carefully controlling the plasma-forming gases (oxygen, air, argon) and process parameters, such as PATW production at sub-atmospheric pressure, it is possible to shift the pH of acidic PATW towards the alkaline range, making it suitable for applications like agriculture, aquaculture, sterilization, wound healing, disinfection, and food preservation. The investigation involved the characterization of plasma and the identification of various plasma species/radicals. The impact of different plasma-forming gases on the pH of PATW and the concentration of reactive species in PATW was thoroughly analyzed. Plasma created using oxygen and argon led to the production of reducing or alkaline PATW, while air and air-argon mixtures resulted in an acidic or oxidizing nature. The study also discussed the stability of nitrate ions, nitrite ions, and hydrogen peroxide in PATW, shedding light on their behavior over varying plasma treatment times and plasma-forming gas. Finally, the investigation explored the effects of gas flow rates, gas pressures, water volume, and plasma discharge powers on the concentration of H2O2 in PATW, providing valuable insights into optimizing the production process.
The COL6A5-p.Glu2272* mutation induces chronic itch in mice
Authors: Rasheed Ameer Abu Bakr , Birling Marie-Christine , Lauria Giuseppe , Gaveriaux-Ruff Claire , Herault Yann
Published: November 2023

Pruritus is a common irritating sensation that provokes the desire to scratch. Environmental and genetic factors, altering barrier skin dysfunction, or hypersensitivity of sensory nerves, contribute to the onset of pruritus. However, the itch can become a major burden when it becomes chronic, like in neuropathic itch. The rare Collagen VI alpha 5 (COL6A5) gene variant p.Glu2272* was recently identified in two families and an independent patient with chronic neuropathic itch. These patients showed reduced COL6A5 expression in the skin and normal skin morphology. However, little progress has been made until now toward understanding the relationships between this mutation and chronic itch. Therefore, we developed the first mouse model that recapitulates COL6A5-p.Glu2272* mutation using the CRISPR-Cas technology and characterized this new mouse model. The mutant mRNA, measured by RT-ddPCR, was expressed at normal levels in dorsal root ganglia and decreased in skin. The functional exploration showed changes in the behavior of control individuals kept with mutant carriers and confirmed the effect in the mutant mice with some sex dysmorphology. Spontaneous scratching was detected in male and female mutants, with increased anxiety-like behavior in female mutants and despair-like behavior in sex-grouped mutants. These results suggest that the COL6A5-p.Glu2272* mutation found in patients contributes to chronic itch and probably induces additional behavioral changes. The COL6A5-p.Glu2272* mouse model could elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying COL6A5 role in neuropathic itch and help identify potential new therapeutic targets.
A Lightweight Public Key Encryption Scheme with Equality Test for Distributed Healthcare System
Authors: Inayat Kashif , Muslim Fahad Bin , Khan Safiullah , Kim Intae , Hwang Seong Oun
Published: November 2023

Most of the healthcare systems electronics medical records (EMRs) are inefficient , and innovation in this domain is slow. Recently, researchers have proposed distributed EMRs using blockchain, in which healthcare system medical data of patients is publicly available for doctors and researchers to improve health quality of patients. Patient medical data are very private information, but blockchain does not provide full anonymity to medical data in distributed EMR of health-care systems. To overcome this issue, this paper presents an application scenario of distributed healthcare record and medical network (DHRMN), in which we make blockchain fully anonymous by utilizing the equality test property of Public Key Encryption with Equality Test (PKEET). However, most existing PKEET schemes have two main issues: (1) Once a server gets the trapdoor from a user to perform equality test, then the server can perform equality test on all ciphertexts of that user without further authorization; (2) Previous schemes require significant computation cost to perform equality test because they used bilinear pairing to perform equality test. These aforementioned two issues of PKEET might lead to privacy leakage or make DHRMN slow. Therefore, this paper presents the first secure lightweight public key encryption with equality test (LW-PKEET), where each trapdoor can only be used to perform the equality test on a particular ciphertext of any user, and to improve the performance, bilinear pairing operation is not used in key generation, encryption, decryption, trapdoor or equality test procedure of the proposed scheme. Moreover, we prove that the security of our LW-PKEET scheme is one-way secure against chosen ciphertext attacks (OW-CCA) in the random oracle model (ROM) under the Computational Diffie-Hellman (CDH) assumption.
A Reliable Wideband Cooperative Spectrum Sensing Algorithm for Internet of Things
Authors: Jia Lu , Zhang Weidong , Shi Wenbing , Li Miao , Shi Yitong , Wang Wencai
Published: November 2023

Cognitive radio (CR) has dynamic spectrum resource management capability and is an effective way to solve the overcrowding of the Internet of Things (IoT) network spectrum. Broadband spectrum sensing plays an increasingly important role because it can simultaneously tap a large number of dynamic spectrum access opportunities. However, sensing methods based on Nyquist or sub-Nyquist sampling still have many challenges in practical applications. Aiming at the low performance of the traditional sampling scheme in the wide-band domain, and the unsatisfactory detection accuracy of the compressed spectrum sensing in the case of high sparse level, we leveraged the compressed spectrum sensing scheme based on modulated wideband converter (MWC) to reconstruct the signal support, and analyze the reasons why some missing elements always exist in the recovering procedure of support. Furthermore, a binary decision model suitable for wideband detection is established, and a distributed broadband cooperative spectrum sensing algorithm based on hard fusion is proposed to improve the overall support recovery accuracy. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm improves the recovery probability significantly in restructuring support and shows strong robustness, which can provide reliable support for IoT network communications.
A genetic study of FGG/FGA‎ mutations effect on D-dimer levels among COVID-19 patients in Jordan
Authors: AL-FAWARES O'la , Albalbaki Mohammad , Aburayyan Walid , Seder Nesrin , Shatnawi Mohammad Nazeeh
Published: November 2023

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study aims to investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of fibrinogen genes (FGG/FGA) monitored by the D-Dimer elevated levels in COVID-19 Jordanian patients. Blood samples were collected from 120 participants among which 90 were infected with COVID-19 while the rest 30 were used as healthy controls. The potential association between mutations in the fibrinogen gene and the elevated D-Dimer levels in COVID-19 patients was examined using Multiplex PCR and Sequencing. The results showed a correlation coefficient of 0.378 and a p-value of < 0.00 between D-Dimer levels and Covid-19 status. In addition, the results showed an escalation in COVID-19 incidence in the relevant age group of‏ ‏the study population (r = 0.209, ‎p < 0.022)‎. However, the current findings indicate that there is no link between D-Dimer levels and FGA/FGG mutation. These results suggest that the presence or absence of mutations in the FGA and FGG genes does not significantly affect D-Dimer levels in COVID-19 patients among the Jordanian population. Further study was required to examine the association between other factors and the D-Dimer elevated levels of COVID-19.
Compaction of Course-Clastic Soils at an Experimental Site During the Earth Dam Construction
Authors: Artykbaev Darkhan , Nazarov Kamol , Kanat Baibolov
Published: November 2023

This paper examines the results of laboratory and field studies on the compaction of coarse-clastic soils. In the laboratory conditions, a 300 mm diameter vibratory unit and a standard compaction device, developed by SRI Soyuzdor, were used for the soil compaction. In the field conditions, the compaction was carried out using a smooth SANY-type roller weighing 27 tons. In the laboratory, to determine the maximum density and optimal moisture content, a dry soil density – moisture content curve was plotted; the maximum density and optimal moisture values were determined according to the maximum of the obtained curve. The paper presents the results of soil compaction in the field conditions at a layer thickness of 50, 70, and 80 cm. The densities in these cases were 2.19, 2.10, and 2.04 t/m3, respectively. The soil compaction was implemented using a 27-ton roller compactor for 6–8 passes along one track. In addition, the effectiveness of the applied method of drilling and blasting in a quarry for obtaining stone material with the required fractional composition is shown
Investigation on the Oxytocin Effect on Proliferation and Osteogenic/Odontogenic Differentiation of Human Stem Cells from the Apical Papilla: An in vitro study
Authors: Khoshbin Elham , rasooli maryam , najafi rezvan , Barabadi Zahra , Karkehabadi Hamed
Published: November 2023

Objective
This experimental study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of oxytocin (OT) on the proliferation and osteo/odontogenic differentiation of human stem cells from the apical papilla (hSCAPs).
Material and Methods
hSCAPs were isolated from the apical papilla of the incomplete root of human third molar. MTT assay was performed in three concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 nM OT at 24, 48 and 72 hours to evaluate cell viability and proliferation. 100 nM OT was given to the experimental groups in osteogenic environment. Osteogenic differentiation of hSCAPs was evaluated using alizarin red staining, ALP activity and qPCR on days 7, 14 and 21. The ANOVA analysis, Tukey’s test, and t-test was implemented to analyze the data (α = 0.05).
Results
After 24 hours all there concentrations (25,50and 100nM) and after 48 and 72 hours only 100 nM concentration of OT had a significant positive effect on the survival/proliferation rate of hSCAPs (P < 0.001). Alizarin red staining evaluation showed successful differentiation of the cells of all groups. Quantitative analysis of the staining revealed treatment with OT increased the osteogenic differentiation of hSCAPs. Molecular analysis by qPCR showed increased expression of osteogenic genes, including ALP, COL1A1 and RUNX2, and as well as odontogenic genes, including DSPP, and DMP1. And also, ALP activity of the cells under OT treatment, at all three time points was higher than the control group.
Conclusion
The results of the present study showed that OT has a positive effect on the proliferation and osteo/odentogenic differentiation of hSCAPs. It suggested, the potential application of OT in regenerative endodontics.
Effects of freeze-thaw cycles on the quality of a novel mixed grain composite dough and its product (Potato-oat yu): hybridisation of potatoes and oats
Authors: Zhang Xi , Ren Guangyue , Liu Wenchao , Li Linlin , Cao Weiwei , Wang Libo , Duan Xu
Published: November 2023

This investigation examines changes in the quality of potato-oat composite dough and its resulting product during freeze-thaw cycles. The study reviews key aspects such as moisture content, dynamic rheological properties, water state, protein secondary structure, colour, textural properties, and sensory assessment. The influence of these factors on the product's quality is analysed. The findings revealed that the freeze-thaw treatment caused a reduction in water content, freezable water, and deeply bound water, as well as an increase in weakly bound water, β-sheet, Random coil, and α-helix, and a decreased β-turn of the potato-oat composite dough. Additionally, the dough treated by freeze-thaw cycles resulted in darker colour and increased adhesiveness, springiness and cohesiveness. The sensory properties of the product were affected significantly after exceeding three freeze-thaw cycles. Moreover, an increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles resulted in an upward trend of moisture content for the composite dough, whereas G' initially increased and then decreased. The G" of the composite dough peaked after the third freeze-thaw cycle. Therefore, the usage of potato oat composite dough should not exceed three cycles.
Feelings and care pathways of patients assessed for suspected Lyme borreliosis in the French Amazon: a qualitative study
Authors: CARTAU Tom , TAREAU Marc-Alexandre , Walter Gaelle , ELDIN Carole , DJOSSOU Félix , EPELBOIN Loïc
Published: November 2023

Background and objectives: Subjective nonspecific symptoms can persist after well-treated Lyme disease (LD) (known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome). On the other hand, a link between borreliosis andso-called chronic Lyme disease (CLD) has never been demonstrated, while approximately80% of patients with suspected LD suffer from another disease. However, these patients are truly suffering and wonder for an explanation for their pain. The aim of this study was to focus for the first time onthe care pathway of patients assessed for a suspected LD in French Guiana.
Methods: We performed a qualitative study with semiconducted interviews. All patients assessed for a suspicion of LD at the Hospital of Cayenne could be included, regardless of whether the diagnosis was confirmed.
Results: Nine patients were interviewed. Four major themes were highlighted after analysis: a long pathway to a diagnosis, an opposition between patients and the healthcare system, a lonely medical journey, and a negative impact of the disease on quality of life.
Self-diagnosed CLD is still a challenging reason forconsultation, supported by the over mediatization of LD and an opposition with the healthcare system. This opposition is highlighted in French Guiana, where no LD is described to date and whereaccess to healthcare is different as in mainland France.
Conclusion: Patients with nonspecific symptoms attributed to LD are truly suffering and are asking for a listening ear. An empathic but rigorous approach is needed to manage these patients, to find a possible differential diagnosis and to improve patient care.
Urbanization Impact on Groundwater Quality of Selected Rural and Urban Areas in Ondo State, Nigeria Using Water Quality Index
Authors: Ojo Joy Toluwani , Ojo Ochuko Mary , Olabanji Taiwo Oreoluwa , Taiwo Rebecca
Published: November 2023

Groundwater is the primary source of water in Ondo state, Nigeria, the study area for the research. However, there has been a rising concern in recent times with regard to the contamination of this important water source as a result of urbanization. This study quantified thirteen physicochemical parameters (Turbidity, Conductivity, pH, Mg2+ Hardness, Ca2+ Hardness, Total hardness, Alkalinity, Chloride, Nitrate, Sulphate, Phosphate, TDS and TSS) in ten groundwater samples collected from dug wells in urban and rural study areas and compared them with the WHO drinking water standards. The comparison reveals that 30.8% of the parameters had levels above the WHO standard limits in the study areas, while 69.2% were within the recommended limits. Water Quality Index (WQI) computations were also carried out which revealed that 60% of samples from the urban study area were of good quality and 40% were poor, while in the rural, 80% of the samples were good and the remaining 20% were poor. Based on the statistical and WQI results, groundwater in the urban study area is generally of lower quality than that of the rural. Possible factors influencing this include surface sealing, seepage of domestic and industrial effluents into aquifers and over-exploitation of groundwater, which characterize urbanized areas. The study thus recommends regular monitoring of groundwater quality, integration of effective systems for safe disposal of sewage and strategic city planning of urbanized zones to maximize runoffs for groundwater recharge to improve groundwater quality.
Patient-reported use of pancreatic enzyme replacement treatment (PERT) in pancreatic cancer in New Zealand and Australia: cross-sectional survey study
Authors: Landers Amanda , DipHomeSci Helen Brown , Ruheili Juhaina Al , Russell Kylie , McKenzie Clare , Agar Meera R , Yenson Vanessa , Clarke Kate , Windsor John
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study investigated pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy(PERT) use in people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in New Zealand (NZ) and Australia (AU).

Methods

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted using a mixed-media campaign to recruit people with pancreatic cancer and collect information about current PERT use. The questionnaire gathered data on participant demographics, awareness of PERT, prescribing practices and efficacy of enzyme replacement.

Results

Over 300 people with pancreatic cancer were recruited, 135 from New Zealand and 199 from Australia. Every region, state and territory was represented except for the West Coast (NZ) and the Northern Territory (AU), the lowest populated areas in both countries. In New Zealand, 60% of participants had heard about PERT, compared to 69.3% in Australia. Dosing regimens were inconsistent in both countries, with 18% and 27% of participants being prescribed PERT, considered best practice in New Zealand and Australia, respectively. Before PERT commencement, 70% of participants experienced symptoms of malabsorption, with all symptoms improving after therapy was established. The majority of participants were compliant with their medication.

Conclusion

PERT use in pancreatic cancer in New Zealand and Australia was highly variable and not compliant with international guidelines where PERT is recommended as standard therapy. Enzyme replacement is effective for improving the symptoms of malabsorption in patients with pancreatic cancer. Clinician education may be needed to help improve the use of PERT in people with pancreatic cancer.
CircRNA HIPK3 facilitates the metastasis and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma through regulation of miR-381-3p-YAP axis
Authors: Liang Qizhi , Wang Junlong , Pei Yuchen , Yu Xi , Liu Qi , Lan Tian , Chen Wei
Published: November 2023

Over the past few years, an increasing amount of research has uncovered the noteworthy contribution of circRNAs to the onset and advancement of tumors. Nevertheless, the complete comprehension of the molecular mechanisms and roles of circHIPK3 in hepatocellular carcinoma remains elusive. The study revealed a notable increase in the expression of circHIPK3 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue when compared to the surrounding non-cancerous tissue. Moreover, we noticed that the suppression of circHIPK3 significantly impeded the metastasis and migration capabilities of cell lines associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Crucially, we validated that circHIPK3 acts as a miR-381-3p sponge, alleviating its suppression on YAP and consequently triggering the activation of the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway, resulting in the advancement of hepatocellular carcinoma. The identification of this finding could potentially offer novel targets for the diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Iodine-Mediated Cyclization Unveils a Serene Path to 2-Thioxo-2,3- Dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one Derivatives through the Harmonious Union of 2-Aminobenzyl Alcohol and Isothiocyanates
Authors: Sayahi Mohammad Hosein , Sepahdar Asma , Yadollahi Mahtab , Shamkhani Fatemeh , Mahdavi Mohammad , Bahadorikhalili Saeed
Published: November 2023

In this paper, a novel and facile method is reported for the synthesis of 2-thioxoquinazolinone. For the synthesis of the products, a reaction is introduced based on the molecular iodine catalyzed reaction of 2-aminobenzyl alcohol and isothiocyanates in DMSO. The reaction is simple and the products are obtained in good to excellent yields. FT-IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra were used for the exact characterization of all the products.
Same crisis, different effect? Dropout intention at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, among medical, social science, and computer science students
Authors: Apolinarski Beate , Becker Karsten , Ehrhardt Marie-Christin , Afshar Kambiz
Published: November 2023

Background
During the first COVID-19 lockdown, universities were forced to implement digital teaching within a very short timeframe. This transition was more difficult for programs of study characterised by a less flexible teaching structure and a high proportion of practical units (e.g., medicine). The present study investigated how pandemic-related changes in university education affected students’ dropout intention, comparing medical and non-medical students.
Methods
Data from two German cross-sectional studies conducted in 2016 and 2020 were analyzed with a focus on medical, social science, and computer science students. OLS regression models were used to predict dropout intention before the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 243) and during the first lockdown (n = 846). An Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition was calculated to explain subject-related differences in dropout intention.
Results
Dropout intention increased in all three student groups from 2016 to 2020, with medical students displaying the most moderate increase. During the first lockdown, greater time flexibility due to the digital teaching and greater ability to follow course content were associated with lower dropout intention. Contrary to social science and computer science students, medical students showed no association between dropout intention and overburden, but a high association between dropout intention and academic and social integration with peers.
Conclusions
Some degree of digital or hybrid teaching should be maintained, as the increased time flexibility it affords students is associated with lower dropout intention. However, on-campus teaching remains important for ensuring social exchange between students and conveying practical skills, which cannot be fully taught digitally.
Accessible Authentication Methods for People with Diverse Cognitive Abilities
Authors: Campi Alessia Michela Di , Luccio Flaminia L.
Published: November 2023

The technological world offers a plethora of resources that could be potentially engaging for users with diverse cognitive abilities. However, access to these resources is often secured by authentication mechanisms that can pose accessibility barriers. To comprehend how these mechanisms could be better designed to enhance accessibility, we conducted a literature review and subsequently conducted a study, gathering empirical data through online questionnaires administered to 34 users with diverse cognitive abilities. Our investigation and analysis focused on their experiences with various authentication methods, aiming to identify the challenges they commonly encounter.
This paper's primary contribution lies in presenting evidence that many conventional authentication approaches lack accessibility. Additionally, we advocate for the adoption of biometric authentication systems as a promising direction, emerging as the most accessible solution based on our study results. Furthermore, drawing insights from existing works, we extracted and synthesized a set of guidelines that we believe IT experts should consider when developing an accessible authentication system. We validated these guidelines through our questionnaire, emphasizing which ones our user group deems most relevant.
Factors influencing inappropriate management of upper respiratory infections in general practice
Authors: Charton Léa , Séverac François , Hansmann Yves , Chambe Juliette
Published: November 2023

Background
Upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) are common in general practice, and inappropriate antibiotic prescribing remains a major concern that contributes to antimicrobial resistance. This prospective study aims to examine the factors influencing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for URIs in general practice.
Methods
The study was conducted during the winter of 2017 by 15 general practice trainees in Alsace, France, in collaboration with 25 general practitioners. Data from random general practice consultations were collected, and specific grids were used for URI-related consultations.
Results
Out of the 807 consultations, 173 were related to URIs. Antibiotics were prescribed in 35% of cases, and management was deemed appropriate in 75% of cases. Amoxicillin was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic. Certain infections, such as sinusitis and bronchitis, were more likely to result in inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. Factors influencing inappropriate management included a light clinical examination compared to systematic clinical examination (OR 4.83, 95% CI: [1.55–15.08], p = 0.007), perceiving the patient as "at risk" (OR 7.05, 95% CI [2.55–19.50], p < 0.001), repeated consultations for the same reason (OR 4.13, 95% CI [1.51–11.27], p = 0.006), and diagnostic uncertainty (OR 4.99, 95% CI [1.40–17.71, p = 0.013). Diagnosis explanation decrease the risk of inappropriate management (OR 0.41, 95% CI [0.17–0.99], p = 0.047]. Physicians who received visits from pharmaceutical industry representatives were more likely to improperly prescribe antibiotics (OR 4.59, 95% CI [1.51–13.95].
Conclusions
While inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for URIs remains significant, this study highlights the complexity of the clinical reasoning underlying this practice. The study identifies modifiable factors, including conducting a thorough clinical examination, patient explanation, and independence from pharmaceutical promotion. It also highlights the critical role of managing diagnostic uncertainty. Rapid diagnostic tests and antibiotic prescription software help to reduce uncertainty, but it is equally important to learn to work with uncertainty in daily practice. These findings remain valid in the post-COVID period and call for ongoing medical education and public health policies aimed at promoting prudent antibiotic use in general practice.
RETRACTED: Suppressed ZNF816 expression enhance keratinocyte growth and reduce apoptosis by activating the AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Yin Xueli , Yuan Ying , Ni Shuangying , Dai Yueyang , Zhang Shengquan , Zhu Zhengwei
Published: November 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
An Integrated Subacute Stroke Ward within a Community Hospital Increases Rehabilitation Efficiency and Reduces Healthcare Expenditure
Authors: Tay San San , Goh Teck Kheng Edward , Tun Mon Hnin , Neo Edmund Jin Rui , Lee Onn Kei Angel
Published: November 2023

Background
Stroke is a leading cause of hospitalisation, disability, and death in Singapore. The healthcare system’s rehabilitative care model has seen ongoing evolution in response to changing patient needs and healthcare financing demands. Changi General Hospital (CGH) and St. Andrew’s Community Hospital (SACH) collaborated on an integrated subacute stroke ward (SSW) in 2019 to optimise the transfer of stroke patients to the subacute rehabilitation setting.
Objective
To evaluate the outcomes of the integrated SSW.
Methods
This was a retrospective study. Anonymised data was used to evaluate functional, financial, and length-of-stay (LOS) outcomes.
Results
There were 71 patients in the control group (historical cohort) and 226 patients in the SSW cohort. Both groups were demographically, medically, and functionally similar except for a higher proportion of lacunar infarcts (LACI) in the SSW group. Although functional scores by Modified Barthel Index (MBI) were similar on discharge, there was a total LOS fell significantly (20 days) for the SSW group, with significant improvements in median rehabilitation efficiency (19.6 vs 10.9) but not median rehabilitation effectiveness (31.0 vs 34.8). Subgroup analysis revealed no impact from the disproportionate number of LACIs. Gross bill size, when corrected for inflation, was significantly lower across the combined hospitalisation ($31,270 vs $40,005).
Conclusions
This collaboration achieved savings in healthcare expenditure and LOS without compromising functional outcomes. The community hospital is a potent bridge for care transition and integrated services such as the SSW can optimise the rehabilitation journey for patients with stroke. Innovation in care provision can help to address the ever-changing challenges of healthcare.