bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel dammarane triterpenoid alleviates atherosclerosis by activating the LXRα pathway
Authors: Huang Yan , Ran Xiaodong , Liu Hongmei , Luo Mingming , Qin Yiyu , Yan Jinqiong , Li Xiaohui , Jia Yi
Published: February 2023

Background
We have previously demonstrated that ginsenoside compound K can attenuate the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Therefore, ginsenoside compound K has potential for atherosclerosis therapy. How to improve the druggability and enhance the antiatherosclerotic activity of ginsenoside compound K are the core problems in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. CKN is a ginsenoside compound K derivative that was previously reported to have excellent antiatherosclerotic activity in vitro, and we have applied for international patents for it.
Methods
Male C57BL/6 ApoE-/- mice were fed a high-fat and high-choline diet to induce atherosclerosis and were subjected to in vivo studies. In vitro, the CCK-8 method was applied to evaluate cytotoxicity in macrophages. Foam cells were utilized, and cellular lipid determination was performed for in vitro studies. The area of atherosclerotic plaque and fatty infiltration of the liver were measured by image analysis. Serum lipid and liver function were determined by a seralyzer. Immunofluorescence and western blot analysis were conducted to explore the alterations in the expression levels of lipid efflux-related proteins. Molecular docking, reporter gene experiments and cellular thermal shift assays were used to verify the interaction between CKN and LXRα.
Results
After confirming the therapeutic effects of CKN, molecular docking, reporter gene experiments and cellular thermal shift assays were used to predict and investigate the antiatherosclerotic mechanisms of CKN. CKN exhibited the greatest potency, with a 60.9% and 48.1% reduction in en face atherosclerotic lesions on the thoracic aorta and brachiocephalic trunk, reduced plasma lipid levels and decreased foam cell levels in the vascular plaque content in HHD-fed ApoE−/− mice. Moreover, CKN in the present study may exert its antiatherosclerotic effects through activated ABCA1 by promoting LXRα nuclear translocation and reducing the adverse effects of LXRα activation.
Conclusions
Our results revealed that CKN prevented the formation of atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− mice by activating the LXRα pathway.
Size and timing of giant Chilean earthquake controlled by rock composition and forearc structure
Authors: Julve Joaquín , Barbot Sylvain , Moreno Marcos , Tassara Andrés , Araya Rodolfo , Catalán Nicole , Crempien Jorge , Becerra Valeria
Published: February 2023

In 1960, the Southern Chile subduction zone produced the Mw9.5 Valdivia mega-quake, the largest earthquake on record, breaking up the entire seismogenic zone for 1,000 km along the Chile Trench. Crustal deformation in the aftermath involved a combination of fault motion and viscoelastic flow. The region has recovered its seismic potential, as evidenced by the 2016 Mw7.6 Melinka earthquake that only partially affected the 1960 rupture zone below the continental shelf. The succession of such partial and full ruptures at subduction megathrusts controls seismic hazards but remains poorly understood. Here we show how the distribution of frictional and rheological properties within the forearc and the surrounding lithosphere, controls the size and timing of great and giant earthquakes at the Chile Trench. We build numerical simulations of the seismic cycle in Southern Chile using frictional and viscoelastic properties calibrated to geologic, geodetic, and geophysical information. The model explains the recurrence times of great and giant earthquakes from paleoseismic data, but also the fault slip distribution and crustal deformation associated with the Melinka and Valdivia earthquakes. Our synoptic model illuminates the structural and geological controls on seismicity, explaining the typical sequence of blind and trench-breaking ruptures at subduction zones.
A new combined approach of two neural-metaheuristic techniques based on the Cuckoo optimization algorithm and backtracking search algorithms for predicting and appraisal of landslide susceptibility mapping
Authors: Moayedi Hossein , Dehrashid Atefeh Ahmadi
Published: February 2023

In this research, a hybrid Backtracking Search Algorithm (BSA) and Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (COA)-based artificial neural network (ANN) model (BSA-MLP and COA-MLP) was used to predict landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) in an area in the province of Kurdistan, west of Iran. The input dataset includes elevation, slope angle, rainfall, and land use. The output is a value that shows how likely a landslide will happen. The parameters and weights of the BSA and COA algorithms were fine-tuned to produce the most accurate LSM. Table 2 illustrates the effect of the number of layers and neurons on the accuracy of models produced using the standard ANN approach. Root-mean-squared error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (R2) were used to compare different network designs. Table 2 shows that feed-forward back-propagation with six hidden layers (a transit function and six neurons in the hidden layer) gave the best results. The model got more accurate as the number of hidden layers and neurons increased, but it stopped getting better when there were four hidden layers. After a certain point, the model became too complicated to be worth the benefit of being more accurate. A model may be overfitted if it employs several hidden layers and neurons. The results of the first optimization stage serve as the basis for further operations. The succeeding parts thus use the findings of these networks. In the next step, to make the models better, the number of neurons in each hidden layer will be changed. This suggests that the number of neurons may increase or decrease depending on the results of the first phase. Many networks with different types of neurons and combinations of layers have been built to find the best architecture. The most successful network design was generated via a feed-forward back-propagation algorithm with six hidden layers. A model may be overfitting if it has several hidden layers and neurons.
CUTS: A Fully Unsupervised Framework for Medical Image Segmentation
Authors: Liu Chen , Amodio Matthew , Shen Liangbo , Gao Feng , Avesta Arman , Aneja Sanjay , Wang Jay , Priore Lucian Del , Krishnaswamy Smita
Published: February 2023

In this work we introduce CUTS (Contrastive and Unsupervised Training for Segmentation), the first fully unsupervised deep learning framework for medical image segmentation to better utilize the vast majority of imaging data that is not labeled or annotated. Segmenting medical images into regions of interest is a critical task for facilitating both patient diagnoses and quantitative research. A major limiting factor is the lack of labeled data, as obtaining expert annotations for each new set of imaging data or task can be expensive, labor intensive, and inconsistent across annotators. Thus, we utilize self-supervision from pixels and their local neighborhoods in the images themselves. Our unsupervised approach optimizes a training objective that leverages concepts from contrastive learning and autoencoding. Previous contrastive learning approaches either focused on image-level contrastive training and therefore lacked sufficient patch-level information necessary for segmentation or framed themselves as pre-training steps that require further supervised fine-tuning. In contrast, our framework segments medical images with a novel two-stage approach without relying on any labeled data at any stage. The first stage involves the creation of a "pixel-centered patch" that embeds every pixel along with its surrounding patch, using a vector representation in a high-dimensional latent embedding space. The second stage utilizes diffusion condensation, a multi-scale topological data analysis approach, to dynamically coarse-grain these embedding vectors at all levels of granularity. The final outcome is a series of coarse-to-fine segmentations that highlight image structures at various scales. In this work, we show successful multi-scale segmentation on natural images, retinal fundus images, and brain MRI images. Our framework delineates structures and patterns at different scales which, in the cases of medical images, may carry distinct information relevant to clinical interpretation. Quantitatively, our framework demonstrates beyond 100% improvement on dice coefficient and Hausdorff distance compared to existing unsupervised methods on geographic atrophy segmentation in retinal fundus images. When segmenting ventricles in the brain MRI images, our framework outperforms existing unsupervised methods by a factor between 2% to 300% on dice coefficient and between 14% and 77% on Hausdorff distance. As we tackle the problem of segmenting medical images at multiple meaningful granularities without relying on any label, we hope to demonstrate the possibility to circumvent tedious and repetitive manual annotations in future practice.
Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation combined with Cognitive Training for Treating ADHD: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Nahum Mor , Dakwar-Kawar Ornella , Mairon Noam , Hochman Shachar , Berger Itai , Cohen-Kadosh R
Published: February 2023

Non-invasive brain stimulation has been suggested as a potential treatment for improving symptomology and cognitive deficits in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder. Here, we examined whether a novel form of stimulation, high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), applied with cognitive training (CT), may impact symptoms and neural oscillations in children with ADHD. We conducted a randomized, double-blind sham-controlled trial in 23 unmedicated children with ADHD, who received either tRNS over the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC) or sham stimulation for 2 weeks, combined with CT. tRNS + CT yielded significant clinical improvements (reduced ADHD rating-scale scores) following treatment, compared to the control intervention. These improvements were maintained at a 3-week follow-up. Moreover, resting state (RS)-EEG periodic beta bandwidth of the extracted peaks was reduced in the experimental compared to control group immediately following treatment, with further reduction at follow-up. A marginally lower aperiodic exponent which reflects a higher excitation/inhibition was seen in the experimental compared to control group. The experimental group further exhibited longer sleep onset latencies and more wake-up times following treatment compared to the control group. No significant group differences were seen in executive functions, nor in reported adverse events. We conclude that tRNS + CT has a lasting clinical effect on ADHD symptoms and on beta activity. These results provide a promising direction towards a novel intervention in paediatric ADHD that induces sustained effects.
Correlation analysis between sleep quality and dyslipidemia in the elderly
Authors: Mu Haosheng , Xue Zhilin , Fu Xiaomin , Li Hai , Li Ting , Wang Jinyao , Zijun Meng
Published: February 2023

Background: To provide a scientific basis for the early prevention of dyslipidemia, we investigate the relationship between sleep quality and dyslipidemia in the elderly.
Methods: The survey subjects for questionnaires, physical measurements, and laboratory tests were permanent residents aged 65 years and older in a community who participated in physical examination at the Public Health Management Center of Zuoyun County Medical Group in Shanxi Province from August 2020 to September 2020. Questionnaires were used to collect the demographic characteristics and sleep status of the survey subjects to measure height, weight, and blood pressure; to collect fasting venous blood; and to determine total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The association between sleep quality and dyslipidemia was determined by binary logistic regression models. Age, gender, current smoking, current drinking, obesity, and hypertension were adjusted as confounders. Odds-ratio (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported as effect measurements.
Results: In 292 study subjects aged 65–92 (71.8 ± 5.1) years, the proportion of sleep disorders in the elderly was 40.4%, and the detection rate of dyslipidemia was 45.9%. The prevalence rates of abnormal TC, abnormal TG, and dyslipidemia were 27.1%, 28.0%, and 53.4%, respectively, in those with sleep disorders, which were significantly higher than those in those without sleep disorders (13.2%, 17.2%, and 40.8%, respectively). After further adjustment for age, gender, smoking, drinking, hypertension, and obesity, the aforementioned phenomena persisted, and having sleep disorders was a risk factor for abnormal TC [OR (95% CI) = 2.204 (1.160–4.190)], abnormal TG [OR (95% CI) = 1.904 (1.025–3.535)], and dyslipidemia [OR (95% CI = 1.741 (1.046–2.898)] (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Sleep quality in the elderly is strongly associated with the prevalence of abnormal TC, abnormal TG, and dyslipidemia, and sleep disorders may increase the risk of developing dyslipidemia.
Enabling high quality dielectric passivation on Monolayer WS2 using a sacrificial Graphene Oxide template
Authors: Wyndaele Pieter-Jan , de Marneffe Jean-Francois , Sergeant Stefanie , Rosa César Lockhart de la , Brems Steven , Caro Arantxa , De Gendt Stefan
Published: February 2023

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDC’s) hold a wide variety of applications, among which microelectronic devices. However, various challenges hinder their integration e.g., good dielectric deposition on the 2D TMDC surface. In this work, a sacrificial, Graphene oxide (GrO)-based buffer layer is used to 1) serve as a passivation layer, protecting the underlying 2D TMDC (WS2) and 2) act as a nucleation layer, enabling uniform dielectric (HfO2) growth. A Graphene layer is transferred on monolayer WS2, after which polymeric transfer residues are cleaned via a combination of wet- and dry treatments. Next, the cleaned Graphene is functionalized via a dry UV/O3 oxidative exposure. It is shown that the Graphene UV/O3 oxidation rate is substrate dependent and proceeds slower when Graphene is transferred on WS2 compared to SiO2, due to UV-light induced, ultrafast charge transfer between the Graphene and WS2 monolayer. The carbon-oxygen groups formed on Graphene’s basal plane act as nucleation sites in a subsequent HfO2 atomic layer deposition process, achieving a smoother dielectric layer in comparison to direct deposition on bare WS2. Finally, by means of a GrO FET device, it is shown that the GrO nucleation layer does not compromise the device transport characteristics i.e., will not give rise to significant leakage currents in a 2D heterostack device.
Environmental stress insults in 2HIT model synergistically produce disorder-associated microglia and macrophages in the cerebellum
Authors: Yamawaki Yuki , Parvez Md Sorwer Alam , Wada Yayoi , Oe Souichi , Hirahara Yukie , Koike Taro , Hikosaka Momoka , Kumagai Asuka , Matsui Sae , Sakurai Takeshi , Kitada Masaaki , Narumiya Shuh , Ohtsuki Gen
Published: February 2023

A pivotal role of microglia is the maintenance of brain homeostasis, but the function is severely altered in the brains with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Previous pathological and physiological findings indicate a localized deficit in the cerebellum of the patients. However, it is unknown if the accumulation of inflammatory stress alters microglia morphology, localization, molecular expression pattern, and phenotype. Here, using translational mouse models that exploit known risk factors for mental disorders: maternal infection and repeated social defeat stress, we investigated the brain immune environment of psychiatric disorder models with multiple immune stress. The synergy of maternal immune activation and repeated defeat stress on mice brought forth reactive microglia specifically in the cerebellum. The increase in the reactive microglia in 2HIT correlated with cerebellar Purkinje neuron loss. Highly-multiplexed imaging mass cytometry with originally-customized 26 markers demonstrated a TREM2-positive immune-cell population of disease-associated microglia/macrophages (DAMIMCs) being close at near-vasculature. Single-cell proteomic clustering indicates sIL-6R- and TGFBR2-signaling with cell transition from progenitor cells to mature DAMIMCs, which implies synergistic disruption of neurophysiological properties and functioning in the 2HIT cerebellum. Our study identifies the distinct immune cells in the cerebellum, which may influence cognition and behavior.
Reconfigurable, non-volatile neuromorphic photovoltaics
Authors: Li Tangxin , Miao Jinshui , Fu Xiao , Song Bo , Cai Bin , Zhou Xiaohao , Zhou Peng , Wang Xinran , Jariwala Deep , Hu Weida
Published: February 2023

Reconfigurable image sensors for the recognition and understanding of real-world objects are now becoming an essential part of machine vision technology. The neural network image sensor — which mimics neurobiological functions of the human retina —has recently been demonstrated to simultaneously sense and process optical images. However, highly tunable responsivity concurrently with non-volatile storage of image data in the neural network would allow a transformative leap in compactness and function of these artificial neural networks (ANNs) that truly function like a human retina. Here, we demonstrate a reconfigurable and non-volatile neuromorphic device based on two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting metal sulfides (MoS2 and WS2) that is concurrently a photovoltaic detector. The device is based on a metal/semiconductor/metal (M/S/M) two-terminal structure with pulse-tunable sulfur vacancies at the M/S junctions. By modulating sulfur vacancy concentrations, the polarities of short-circuit photocurrent —can be changed with multiple stable magnitudes. Device characterizations and modeling reveal that the bias-induced motion of sulfur vacancies leads to highly reconfigurable responsivities by dynamically modulating the Schottky barriers. A convolutional neuromorphic network (CNN) is finally designed for image process and object detection using the same device. The results demonstrated the two-terminal reconfigurable and non-volatile photodetectors can be used for future optoelectronics devices based on coupled Ionic-optical-electronic effects for Neuromorphic computing.
Clinical follow-up at half a year after transcatheter tricuspid valve
Authors: Zhao Xu , Xue Jiao , Rao Guosheng , Zhong Yue , Li Chuntian , Zhou Manhong , Liu Guiqing , Wang Feng
Published: February 2023

Approximately 80% of significant tricuspid valve regurgitation cases are secondary as a result of left ventricular dysfunction or serious mitral valve disease, which causes pulmonary hypertension, and right ventricular dysfunction[1]. In South Asia, most cardiac surgeons usually take a conservative treatment for secondary tricuspid valve disease or had a secondary thoracotomy operation. These reasons for choose conservative treatment or secondary thoracotomy operation of the secondary tricuspid valve disease are: 1. Most doctors considered that the progression of aggravation of tricuspid valve disease was comparatively slow, so the long-term benefit of the surgical therapy of tricuspid valve lesions was underestimated. 2. It is commonly believed that the secondary tricuspid insufficiency can be gradually remitted after left heart valve surgery. 3. Most cardiac surgeons choose secondary thoracotomy operation because it is more effective in solving secondary tricuspid valve and has better long-term benefits for patients, but the surgical trauma of secondary thoracotomy operation should also be considered. In the case, we hoped to provide some new ideas for surgical plan and postoperative review of secondary tricuspid valve disease.
A comprehensive model for predicting the defense system development of the most important plant: a novel approach to assess the physiological indices
Authors: Afzali Sayed Fakhreddin , Sadeghi Hossein , Taban Azin
Published: February 2023

Caper is a multi-purpose halophytic plant growing in semi-arid or arid environment. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of different salt ratios of CaCl2 to NaCl on antioxidant defense system, photosynthesis pigments and morphophysiological parameters of caper under drought stress. Predictive regression modeling, principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson's correlation and path analysis were implanted to explore the possible relationships among inter correlated variables and understanding the possible mechanisms. Based on the PCA results, caper had a highest shoot and leaves growth, content of pigments, proline and antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase) activity and the lower leaf tissue density at the salt ratio of 1:3 (CaCl2:NaCl) under 75% FC. Predictive equation models with high significant R2 were developed for the estimation of antioxidant enzymes activity and proline content (>0.94) as well as pigments (>0.58) were developed. Path analysis studies indicated that proline is the most important regressor (significant positive effect) in four antioxidant enzymes activities while in the case of chlorophylls, leaf tissue density was the most effective variable (significant negative). It was found that caper has a better performance under moderate to high NaCl-salt stress and mild droght stress. Moreover, the network of inter correlated variables revealed that there is a close relationship between antioxidant defense system, pigments and morpholoigical parameters of caper under stress condition. The results of this study would be a useful guide for caper producers as well as plant ecophysiological researchers.
Comparison of Bone Loss and Associated Risk Factors in Men with Spinal Cord Injury and Community-dwelling Adults
Authors: Kim Onyoo , Hong Namki , Han So Ra , Shin Sungjae
Published: February 2023

Study Design: retrospective chart audit
Objectives: In individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), bone loss proceeds rapidly to the area below the level of injury, leading to increased risk of fracture. However, there are limited data on the degree of bone loss in individuals with SCI and associated factors in comparison with community-dwelling adults.
Settings: rehabilitation center in Seoul, Republic of Korea; community in Republic of Korea
Methods: Data from men with SCI who underwent Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry at the National Rehabilitation Center (2008 to 2020) between 12 and 36 months after injury were analyzed. Data from community-dwelling men in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2008–2011) were 1:1 matched for age, height, and weight as the control group.
Results: Among 226 men (SCI, n = 113; control, n = 113), femoral neck (-1.9 versus [vs.] -0.6) and total hip T-scores (-1.6 vs. -0.1; all, p <0.001) were significantly lower in the SCI group than in the KNHANES group, whereas the lumbar spine T-score did not differ between groups (-1.1 vs. -0.8, p = 0.105). The group difference in the femoral neck T-score remained significant after adjustment for covariates (adjusted β: -1.27, vs. KNHANES, p<0.001). Among men with SCI, low body mass index and cervical level of injury (vs. thoracolumbar level) were negatively correlated with femoral neck bone mineral density.
Conclusions: Men with SCI had lower femoral neck and total hip T-score than community-dwelling men, independent of age, BMI, and other covariates.
Deep Subwavelength Broadband Sound Absorption by a Buckled Plate Resonator
Authors: Han Erjing , Xing Tuo , Li Xianhui
Published: February 2023

The absorption performance and the sample thickness need to satisfy the causal relation, and the sound absorption bandwidth of a thin layer structure is often very narrow to achieve high sound absorption at low frequency. In this paper, a buckled plate resonator is proposed to achieve the low frequency broadband sound absorption in the deep subwavelength range. The resonator consists of an air-tight back cavity sealed by an elastic circular thin plate. A uniform in-plane compressive force is applied on the thin plate to make the plate buckling produce negative stiffness, and the resonator operates in the pre-buckling state. By adjusting the structural stiffness, the buckled plate resonator achieves the purpose of adjusting Beff and B0, which weakens the causal principle requirement of minimum acoustic structure thickness and realizes broadband low-frequency sound absorption. The final experimental results show that one 3mm(λ/220) back cavity, 0.89 sound absorption is achieved at 515Hz, and the corresponding relative sound absorption bandwidth is 19.4%. From the causal relation, the calculated minimum sample thickness is 6.7mm for the observed absorption spectrum. Compared with traditional plate-type acoustic metamaterials, which achieve low-frequency sound absorption by increasing the mass, the absorption bandwidth is too narrow due to the influence of the quality factor Qm, our work provides a design paradigm for the low frequency broadband acoustic absorbers.
Developing a signature based on necroptosis-related lncRNAs to predict the prognosis and immunotherapy response of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Liu Yao , Fu Lei , Qu Genyi , Peng Shifang
Published: February 2023

Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks third among the diseases that cause death related to tumors worldwide. Here, we attempted to establish a necroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (nrlncRNA) risk coefficient model to predict survival and systemic pharmacological treatment response in HCC patients.
Methods
The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) provides information regarding the transcriptome and clinical aspects of HCC specimens. Then, nrlncRNAs were screened by Pearson correlation coefficients > 0.5 and p < 0.001, and differentially expressed nrlncRNAs (DEnrlncRNA) pairs were recognized by univariate analysis. In addition, we used the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selector Operation (LASSO) regression analysis to construct the DEnrlncRNA pairs risk model. Subsequently, the Kaplan-Meier test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the model's ability to predict prognosis. Per the optimal cut-off value of the ROC curves, HCC patients were classified into high-risk and low-risk groups. Finally, we compared the differences in prognosis, clinicopathological information, immune cell infiltration, the half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of chemotherapeutic drug, and immune checkpoint expression between the two subgroups.
Results
We identified 199 DEnrlncRNA pairs, and 16 of them were screened for building the risk model. It showed higher prognostic predictive power than traditional clinicopathological factors. Moreover, the risk model indicated that HCC patients between subgroups showed significant variations in the immune microenvironment, expression of multiple immune checkpoints, and response to different chemotherapeutics.
Conclusion
The model conducted by DEnrlncRNA pairs can accurately predict prognosis, providing a reference for clinical selection of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chemotherapeutic drugs for HCC patients.
Causal relationships between ischemic stroke and epilepsy: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Chen Shi Hao , Huang Wenting , Jin Xing , He Tao , Zhang Mulan , Xu Huiqin
Published: February 2023

Background
Epidemiological evidence suggests that ischemic stroke may increase the risk of epilepsy. However, the causal relationship between these two conditions is currently inconclusive. We aimed to elucidate the possible causal relationship between ischemic stroke and related subtypes of epilepsy by a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.
Methods
We extracted 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with ischemic stroke from a large genomic association study (GWAS) of European individuals (440328 individuals) as instrumental variables and used the GWAS of epilepsy-related subtypes provided by the International League Against Epilepsy as an outcome data source. Inverse variance weighting (IVW) was used as the primary method to assess effect estimates. Sensitivity analysis was performed using weighted median, MR-Egger and MR-PRESSO to assess heterogeneity and pleiotropy.
Results
In the IVW random-effects model, 11 SNPs were used as instrumental variables, and a significant causal relationship was found between genetic susceptibility to ischemic stroke and generalized epilepsy (OR, 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09, 1.42; P = 0.0009). The results of the weighted median and MR-Egger methods were in general agreement. Sensitivity analysis showed no heterogeneity or polymorphism. Reverse MR analysis failed to detect a causal relationship between generalized epilepsy and ischemic stroke. In addition, we found no causal relationship between ischemic stroke and focal epilepsy (OR, 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.93, 1.20; P = 0.3957).
Conclusion
There is a causal relationship between ischemic stroke and the occurrence of generalized epilepsy, but not with focal epilepsy.
Linear Spaces Ranking in Concepts Generation
Authors: Roth Yehuda
Published: February 2023

Defining a hierarchy of spaces, we herein propose a mathematical model to describe a learning process based upon fundamental concepts uploaded to higher-rank areas so as to generate more advanced items. We implemented mathematical tools borrowed from quantum mechanics: linear algebraic spaces, the Fock space, and the quantum collapse theory.
Parallel Design of SFO Optimization Algorithm Based on FPGA
Authors: Naji Hamid Reza , Shadravan Soodeh , Jafarabadi Hossien Mousa , Momeni Hossien
Published: February 2023

Taking a lot of time to solve optimization problems has become a challenge for metaheuristic algorithms. Due to independence of the metaheuristics components, parallel processing is a good option to reduce the computational time and to find high quality solutions that are close to the optimum with an acceptable cost. One of these metaheuristic algorithms is the Sailfish Optimizer (SFO) which inspired by a group of hunting sailfish. The SFO algorithm uses a simple method to provide a dynamic balance between exploration and exploitation phases, creates a swarm diversity, avoids local optima, and guarantees high convergence speed. It has been shown that the SFO algorithm outperforms various state-of-art metaheuristic algorithms for multimodal and high dimensional benchmark functions and complicated real-world optimization problems in terms of accuracy and speed by CPU and GPU implementation. In this paper, to speedup this algorithm and increase its performance we propose a reconfigurable hardware version of SFO implemented on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The FPGA-based SFO can be a very good option in many applications with massive calculations. Due to the inherent parallelism and high computing capabilities of FPGA, the SFO algorithm gain optimum computational time despite the complexity of optimization problems. We have compared the performance of the proposed FPGA-based SFO with its CPU and GPU implementation and some other metaheuristic algorithms. The results show the FPGA implementation is considerably faster than the CPU and GPU implementation. Also, it outperforms other compared FPGA-based metaheuristic algorithms in terms of execution time and convergence speed.
Performance Enhancement in Clustering Cooperative Spectrum Sensing for Cognitive Radio Network Using Metaheuristic Algorithm
Authors: Srivast Vikas , Singh Parulpreet , Mahajan Shubham , Pandit Amit Kant , Askar S. S. , Abouhawwash Mohamed
Published: February 2023

Spectrum sensing describes, whether the spectrum is occupied or empty. Main objective of cognitive radio network (CRN) is to increase probability of detection (Pd) and reduce probability of error (Pe) for energy consumption. To reduce energy consumption, probability of detection should be increased. In cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS), all secondary users (SU) transmit their data to fusion center (FC) for final measurement according to the status of primary user (PU). Cluster should be used to overcome this problem and improve performance. In the clustering technique, all SUs are grouped into clusters on the basis of their similarity. In cluster technique, SU transfers their data to cluster head (CH) and CH transfers their combined data to FC. This paper proposes the detection performance optimization of CRN with a machine learning-based metaheuristic algorithm using clustering CSS technique. This article presents a hybrid support vector machine (SVM) and Red Deer Algorithm (RDA) algorithm named Hybrid SVM-RDA to identify spectrum gaps. Algorithm proposed in this work outperforms the computational complexity, an issue reported with various conventional cluster techniques. The proposed algorithm increases the probability of detection (up to 99%) and decreases the probability of error (up to 1%) at different parameters.
Normative Dimensions of Portal and Systemic Intraabdominal Veins of Children on CT
Authors: Bayramoglu Zuhal , Ersoy Berke , Ayyildiz Hakan , Cingoz Eda
Published: February 2023

Background: Chronic liver diseases cause portal hypertension resulting in portal vein enlargement. Vascular compression syndromes and the status of hydration of the body are determined by vein diameters.
Objective: It is aimed to provide normative values of the major intraabdominal portal and systemic vein diameters in several age groups of children on contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography.
Materials and Methods: 800 pediatric patients (468 male, 332 female) who were referred to the Radiology Department of our institution were enrolled. Age groups included 0-2, 3-5, 5-10, 10-15, and 15-18 years of life. The largest diameter of the major portal vein, right and left portal vein branches, superior mesenteric and splenic veins, right and left renal vein and vena cava inferior were measured. The ratios were also calculated right to left portal vein, right to the left renal vein and portal vein to vena cava inferior for age groups. Descriptive statistics of the data were expressed as means with standard deviation. The percentiles of vein diameters were calculated for all age groups. Differences in mean diameters among ages were compared with the ANOVA test. Differences among gender groups were analysed with independent samples t-test.
Results: No statistically significant difference was found among gender groups (p:0.6). There have been statistically significant differences in mean diameters among consecutive age groups (p:0.001) for splanchnic and renal venous system and also vena cava. There has been a statistically significant positive correlation (p:0.001; r:0.5-0.79) of diameters with ages. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean ratios of vein diameters by age groups.
Conclusions: Intraabdominal major vein diameters were not affected by gender. We provided a diameter range for several age groups. Age would be a reliable parameter to predict the diameters of major veins.
Dedicated neuroimaging in children with primary headache: prevalence of lesions and comparison between migraine and non-migraine
Authors: Jeon Cha Woong , Lim Gye Yeon , Moon Ja Un
Published: February 2023

Purpose
This study evaluated the prevalence and types of intracranial lesions through dedicated imaging analysis of primary headaches in children and compared them between migraine and non-migraine patients.
Methods
This study included 190 children diagnosed with primary headache who underwent neuroimaging, including brain computed tomography (CT), CT angiography (CTA), and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients were divided into two groups based on data from electronic medical records. Clinical characteristics and imaging findings were evaluated and compared between the two groups.
Results
Migraine patients were old and had a longer period from symptom onset to diagnosis. CT was normal in 71 of 95 patients, whereas 7 of 29 patients who underwent CTA had vascular lesions; the migraine group (n = 6/20, 30%) had higher incidence of vascular lesions than the non-migraine group (n = 1/9, 11.1%); however, there was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.382). Furthermore, 57.5% (61/106) of children showed normal brain MRI. The most common brain MRI finding was dilated perivascular space (n = 18, 16.8%). Most perivascular spaces were located in the basal ganglia (n = 72, 75.8%) and were in linear patterns (n = 58, 63.0%). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups.
Conclusion
Low prevalence of significant abnormalities was found in children with primary headaches. Dilated perivascular space was the most common finding in both groups on MRI. CTA showed more vascular lesions in the migraine group than in the non-migraine group. Therefore, further evaluations are needed to reveal the relationship between vascular lesions or dilated perivascular space and pediatric primary headaches.
Anchoring Ni3S2/Cr(OH)3 hybrid nanospheres on Ti3C2@NF dual substrates for efficient urea electrolysis by ion exchange
Authors: Liu Yifeng , Chen Qianqiao , Zhong Qin
Published: February 2023

Urea-assisted hydrogen production is an energy-saving protocol, so it is particularly important to develop high-performance non-noble metal urea oxidation reaction (UOR) catalysts in simple ways. Herein, exploiting the surface electronegativity of Ti3C2, the electrode covering Ti3C2nanosheets and Ni3S2/Cr(OH)3nanospheres were synthesized on a nickel foam substrate by electrostatic adsorption and ion exchange for the first time, and both steps were completed within 2 hours at room temperature. The required overpotential are 130 mV and 169 mV at 10 mA·cm− 2for UOR and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER), respectively. It delivers current density of 10 mA·cm− 2at 1.52 V in a two-electrode system, and shows excellent stability. The superior performance of electrodes is mainly attributed to the synergy between the Ni3S2crystals and the Cr(OH)3amorphous structure, as well as the large adsorption surface and excellent electrical conductivity provided by the double substrate formed by the uniform coverage of Ti3C2on NF. The mild preparation process contributes excellent electrode stability to the protection of nickel foam structure. The ingenious structural design of Ni3S2/Cr(OH)3-Ti3C2@NF and the facile preparation method provide ideas for the development of low-cost and efficient electrodes with industrial application prospects.
Individualised 3d-printed Landmarks as Floating Duating Duoys for Poor Man's See-through Neuro-navigation in High Grade Glioma Surgery
Authors: KARAKAS Asli Beril , GOVSA Figen , BICEROGLU Huseyin , OZER Mehmet Asim , ERASLAN Cenk , BATI Ayse Hilal
Published: February 2023

Surgical treatment of gliomas requires an intervention that does not leave residual tumor tissue in the brain and preserves functional centers. Although orientation parameters are not present in the traditional-MRI navigation information calculated from MRI, poor mans are observed for the neuro-oncological surgery in most parts of the world. The aim of this study is to obtain instant personalized neuro-navigational information through a 3D-patient-specific model to perform functional resection of the brain. 20 patients diagnosed with gliomas were included in this study. Neuro-oncological navigation calculations of 10 patients were carried out with traditional-MRI support and the remaining 10 with the 3D-model. In this way, the actual size of the tumor, its distance from cortical structures, and perioperative surgical planning were made by the 20 neurosurgeons based on the patient-specific model. They were required to compare their perception level of the cases with traditional-MR and 3D-models in terms of identifying the invasion of the mass, making the proximity to functional centers and anatomical structures as part of perioperative planning. All neurosurgeons have given higher scores for 3D-model supported neuro-navigations. 80–90% of them preferred the model in preoperative planning as they are beneficial in anticipating determining and envisaging the entire process of the functional resection covering the location and extent of craniotomy, the extent of tumor resection on functional areas. For this, orientation parameters of the neuro-navigation information such as tumor size, margin size of surgical resection, presence of functional areas in the gyrus/sulcus where the tumor is located, proximity of the tumor, anatomical structures as (ventricles, arteries, veins, myelinated pathways, capsula interna, basal ganglia) should be included. It also target the perioperative advantages of 3D supported neuro-navigational information over the traditional method.
A Novel Cost-efficient Parallel Binary Adder without Crossover in QCA with Energy Dissipation Analysis
Authors: Chugh Hemanshi , Singh Sonal
Published: February 2023

Quantum dot cellular automata(QCA) is a computational paradigm which uses tiny semiconductor crystals as the basic units of information in computer circuits that can be used to process information similar to transistors. This work introduces a novel half-adder design in single-layer using 90◦ cells in a single clock zone. Moreover, a full adder circuit using 37 cells in one layer with 0.5 latency is proposed which further forms the basis of a nano-scale parallel binary adder(RCA) design in QCADesigner v2.0.3. The proposed 4-bit design uses 174 cells without the use of any cross-wiring with a latency of only 1 clock. The detailed energy dissipation study of the circuits is also investigated for different tunneling energies using the QCAPro tool. The comparison results of the adder circuits in respect of quantum cost, latency, cell count and total average energy dissipation show significant improvement as compared to the latest QCA-based adder designs.
Comparison of methods to prioritise plant diseases and their hosts for surveillance
Authors: Mitchell Ruth Joy
Published: February 2023

Non-native plant pests/pathogens are a mostly overlooked threat to biodiversity. Surveillance for plant diseases is key to early detection yet is rarely undertaken in semi-natural habitats. Currently there is no standard methodology available to help managers prioritise where surveillance should occur. This study compared five potential methods (M). Prioritisation of: pests/pathogens most likely to establish (M1); plant genera known to host the pests/pathogens most likely to establish (M2); habitats known to host the greatest number of pests/pathogens most likely to establish (M3); plants classed as foundation species (those that drive ecosystem functioning and support populations of dependent biodiversity) (M4); habitats with low plant species diversity and hence low resilience (M5). Twelve habitats and 22 heathland vegetation communities in the UK were used as a case-study. M1 gave 91 pests/pathogens to monitor and relied on having up-to-date lists of pests/pathogens relevant to plant species in semi-natural habitats. M2 gave 121 plant genera to monitor across all habitats and 14 within heathlands. M3 and M5 prioritised different habitats because M3 is based on existing lists of pests which are biased towards those of commercial importance. M4 gave 272 foundation species for surveillance across all habitats and 14 within heathlands. Surveillance of habitats and plants prioritised on potential ecological impact (M4-5) is recommended rather than known pests/pathogens (M2-3) as this avoids biases within existing lists of pests/pathogens, removes the need for the prioritisation to be regularly updated as new pests/pathogens are identified and takes account of impacts on associated biodiversity and ecosystem functions.
Application of a web-based multi-factor intelligent precision feeding system for fish
Authors: Liu Xiaojuan , Zhang Chuyi , Du Kaihua , Sha Zongyao , Luo Yi , Wang Chunfang F.
Published: February 2023

Precise feeding is an effective guarantee to improve the welfare of aquatic animals, increase culture efficiency and reduce environmental pollution, whereas internet of things (IoT) technology is an important means to promote the development of informatization and intelligence of aquaculture. In order to improve the precision, informatization and intelligence of fish feeding management, this paper proposed a multi-factor feeding system based on IoT technology, which integrates feeding management model, water quality monitoring system, fish feeding activity sensor, automatic feeding machine and software platform. Through the step-by-step regulation of general control + fine adjustment + precision adjustment to adjust the feeding amount, feeding speed and feeding duration of the automatic feeding machine, the system can not only achieve the precise and intelligent control of the feeding operation, but also realize the remote centralized management of cultured ponds or tanks. Through the comparison between the intelligent feeding system and the manual feeding system, the results showed that the use of the system not only improved the growth of fish, but also reduced the feed consumption and discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus wastes. The successful application of the feeding system confirms the effectiveness, convenience, and provides data and technical support for future modern and sustainable development of aquaculture.
Blinatumab versus chemotherapy in the treatment of relapsed and refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia：A meta-analysis
Authors: li yongli , xing hongyun
Published: February 2023

Objective The objective of this study was to conduct an umbrella review of the efficacy and safety of Blinatumab in the treatment of relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R ALL) and provide evidence based reference for its clinical application.
Methods We searched PubMed, Cochrane,Embase,Web of Science,CNKI, WanFang, VIP database, and CBM from their inception to September 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where the effects of Blinatumab (experimental groups ) versus traditional chemotherapy (control group) for R/R ALL were collected. The risk of bias was evaluated according to the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB2).The RevMan 5.4 software was used to perform meta-analysis.
Results A total of 1622 R/R ALL patients were included in this study,1094 patients received Blinatumab and 528 patients received chemotherapy.Compared with traditional chemotherapy, Blinatumab had longer mOS (HR=0.68; 95% CI, 0.57-0.81) (P<0.0001), better EFS (HR=0.57; 95% CI, 0.42-0.76) (P=0.0002),better CR. and the negative rate of MRD was higher (OR=4.49; 95% CI, 3.09-6.51) (P<0.0001);Blinatumomab had lower incidence of anemia (OR=0.10; 95% CI, 0.04-0.25) (P<0.0001), mucositis (OR=0.07; 95% CI, 0.03-0.20) (P<0.0001), infection (OR=0.06; 95% CI, 0.04-0.11) (P<0.0001), neutropenic fever (OR=0.03; 95% CI, 0.01-0.06)(P<0.0001),neutropenia (OR=0.18; 95% CI, 0.12-0.27) (P<0.0001), thrombocytopenia(OR=0.06; 95% CI, 0.01-0.60) (P=0.02),and sepsis (OR=0.13; 95% CI, 0.07-0.26) (P<0.0001),while the incidence of Cytokine release syndromehigher and Adverse events of nervous system were higer.
Conclusion Overall, the safety and effectiveness of blinatumomab for R/R ALL is better than that of traditional chemotherapy.