bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical Management of Hip Dislocation in a Patient with SCARF Syndrome
Authors: Chandankere Vidyasagar , Reddy Maryada Venkateshwar , A.V. Reddy Gurava
Published: April 2023

Case:

We report a six-year-old child with SCARF syndrome (skeletal anomaly, cutis laxa, ambiguous genitalia, mental retardation and distinct facial features) who presented with unilateral teratologic hip dislocation. She underwent an open reduction of her hip with femoral and pelvis osteotomies. At six years follow-up, she was asymptomatic with a mild lurch, a leg length discrepancy of 1.5cms and a good range of motion at the hip. A mild shortening of the femoral neck was noted but the joint was congruous and concentrically reduced at 6 years.

Conclusion:

The management principles must follow an aggressive approach which includes open reduction of the hip, femoral and pelvic osteotomies with a good capsular repair. We may expect good hip development after surgical intervention even in a child with increased elasticity due to this genetic condition.
“Champagne Fracture”: A Superior Fracture-Dislocation of the Proximal Humerus
Authors: Bozon Olivier , Vial D'Allais Paul , Barret Hugo , Chiche Léo , Chammas Michel , Coulet Bertrand
Published: April 2023

A 79-year-old right-handed woman presented with an indirect trauma to her left shoulder after a fall down the stairs. X-rays and computed tomography showed a four-part glenohumeral fracture-dislocation with a subcutaneous ectopic location of the humeral head in the retroclavicular space. A reverse total shoulder arthroplasty was performed using a deltopectoral approach with direct superior extraction of the humeral head. The result at 2 years was a subjective shoulder value of 80%, an absolute Constant score of 59, and a relative Constant score of 92/100. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description in the literature of such a lesion of superior glenohumeral fracture-dislocation and its treatment.
Nutrisi dan Komponen Bioaktif pada Sayuran Daun
Authors:   Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, Saidi Ida Agustini , Azara Rima , N Syarifa Ramadhani
Published: April 2023

Puji syukur kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa, sehingga dapat diselesaikan buku yang berjudul “Nutrisi dan Komponen Bioaktif pada Sayuran Daun”. Buku ini disusun dan dipersiapkan sebagai salah satu bahan ajar mata kuliah Teknologi Pengolahan Hasil Tanaman Hortikultura. Buku ini akan membahas materi yang berkaitan dengan nutrisi dan komponen bioaktif pada berbagai jenis sayuran daun yang merupakan komponen nutrisi maupun non nutrisi yang diperlukan oleh tubuh, manfaatnya bagi kesehatan, serta sifat-sifat fungsionalnya dalam menghindarkan tubuh dari berbagai jenis penyakit.Buku ini akan menguraikan tentang beberapa topik bahasan yang dirangkum dalam 5 BAB
Buku Ajar Ilmu Pendidikan Islam
Authors:   Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, Nadlif Ainun
Published: April 2023

Puji syukur kehadirat Allah Swt., Tuhan Yang Maha Esa hanya kepada-Nya kita berserah diri dan mencari ridla-Nya. Semoga kita selalu memperoleh petunjuk dan bimbingan- Nya kejalan yang benar dan mampu meraih kebahagiaan hidup di dunia dan akherat. Shalawat serta salam tetap tercurahkan kepada Nabi Muhammad saw hamba Allah swt terbaik, keluarga, sahabat, dan para pengikutnya yang selalu tunduk kepada ajaran yang disampaikannya.
Buku Ajar Manajemen Organisasi dan Sumber Daya Manusia
Authors:   Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, Jakaria Ribangun Bamban , Sukmono Tedjo , Sumarmi Wiwik
Published: April 2023

Perubahan kurikulum prodi teknik industri menyebabkaan adanya perubahan MK, yang diikuti perubahan silabus dan SAP sehingga buku ajar manajemen organisasi dan SDM perlu di tulis untuk mendukung pembelajaran yang dilakukan. Buku ajar ini merupakan kombinasi MK. Organisasi Manajemen Industri (2 sks) dan Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia (2 sks), yang dilebur menjadi MK baru yaitu Manajemen Organisasi dan SDM (4 sks), sehingga dengan berubahan tersebut, SAP masing- masing MK. di gabung dan disesuaikan, sehingga buku ajar ini dimungkinkan menjadi buku ajar yang lengkap yang beda dengan buku ajar lainnya. Sasaran pengguna buku ini adalah Mahasiswa Teknik Industri, sementara sasaran umum adalah Praktisi dan Konsultas SDM serta khalayak yang berkutat pada permasalahan manajemen organisasi dan SDM. Buku ajar ini meruapakan kombinasi 2 mata kuliah yang berbeda serta memiliki capaian pembelajaran yang berbeda pula, sehingga perlunya mempelajari buku ini secara runtut agar tahapan materi yang di susun dapat dipahami. Sistematika buku Manajemen Organisasi dan SDM terdiri atas 10 bab
Rapid screening methods for universal binding peptide aptamers against SARS-CoV-2 variant spikes, including omicron variants, and their application to diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
Authors: Hayashi Nakanobu , Abe Chikako , Kikuchi Jiro , Hayashi Momoko , Hayashi Sakura , Ueda Masahiro , Suzuki Koyu , Sugitani Masahiko , Taniguchi Hiroaki , Wake Toru , Furukawa Yusuke
Published: April 2023

The development of mRNA vaccines and oral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 has been useful in protecting against Covid-19 infection. Since then, however, many variants of delta and omicron strains with enhanced infectivity and immune escape capacity have emerged. A 7-amino acid random peptide ribosome display library screening system was used to perform a rapid in vitro screening of peptide aptamers that universally bind to the SARS-CoV-2 wild-type, delta, and Omicron variant BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5 spike RBD (Receptor Binding Domain). Screening resulted in four peptide aptamers that showed positive binding reactions in ELISA. Interestingly, Amino Acid Sequence Determination of the four clones predicted that three of the four clones contain 2 ~ 3 Cys residues in their sequences, forming a complex higher-order structure with disulfide (S-S) bonds. The 7-amino acid random peptide ribosome display library screening system allows for rapid in vitro screening of peptide aptamers that bind to other unknown emerging infectious disease pathogens that may be pandemic in the future. The peptide aptamers are as small as 30 amino acids and can be easily synthesized and purified as peptides or proteins, or simply used as mRNA drugs.
Preoperative Supine Time for Adrenal Venous Sampling: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Liu Zhenjie , He Minzhi , Zhang Yuhao , Song Xiaoxiao , Zhang Tianyue , Yu Hailan , Chai Peifei , Chen Bing , Xu Xiaohong
Published: April 2023

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common form of secondary hypertension, accounting for 5% of hypertensive patients and 17-23% in patients with resistant hypertension. Compared to the primary hypertension, PA is more prone to cause severe organ damage and even early death. Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is an effective confirmatory test for subtyping unilateral and bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, helping physicians to make an accurate decision between surgery or medication to treat PA. Supine in bed before AVS is recommended for a desirable result of AVS according to guidelines. However, investigating study about the most optimal preoperative supine time before AVS is lacking.
Methods/design: This is a single-center prospective randomized controlled study. 120 patients diagnosed as PA and with willing for further AVS examination will be included. Participants will be randomly allocated to 15-min supine time group or 2-hours supine time group. The primary outcome is the degree of biochemical remission (serum potassium and orthostatic ARR). The secondary outcomes are degree of the clinical remission (blood pressure, type and dose of antihypertensive drugs), the technical success rate and the adverse event of AVS (selective index≥2 is considered as successful surgery without corticotropin stimulate).
Discussion: PA is an intractable public health problem, and many techniques including AVS have been developed to correctly identify this disease. This study will help to understand whether the length of preoperative supine time would affect the diagnostic efficacy of AVS, and thus help to formulate a more reasonable AVS procedure.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT05658705. Registered on 10 September 2022.
Associations of Antihypertensive Medication Consumption and Drug-Drug Interaction with Statin and Metformin with Reduced Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Risk among Hypertensive Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment using High Volume Claims Data
Authors: Tao Cui , Lundin Sori , Hu Xinyue , Feng Jingna , Lundin Karl , Chen Yong
Published: April 2023

Background: While hypertension is a modifiable risk factor of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
(ADRD), limited studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of antihypertensive medications (AHMs) in altering the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to ADRD; similarly, few studies have assessed drug-drug interactions of AHMs with drugs targeted to modify other risk factors of ADRD such as type Ⅱ diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.
Method: 128,683 unique hypertensive patients with MCI on US-based Optum claims data were identified. Diuretics, beta blockers (BBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), and angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARBs) were identified as five major AHM classes. Baseline characteristics were compared. Cox proportional hazards (PH) models were used to study the association between specific AHM exposure and the progression from MCI to ADRD while controlling for demographic variables, comorbidities, and the use of Statins and Metformin. To examine the association of AHM-Statin or AHM-Metformin interaction with ADRD progression, we also investigated models controlling for the aforementioned confounders, as well as drug-drug interactions.
Result: The study included 100,678 patients who were taking at least one class of AHM and 28,005 who were not taking any AHMs during the study period. AHM users had a higher incidence of comorbidities (all P≤0.039) and consumption of Metformin and Statins (both P<0.001) compared to non-users. Users of each major AHM class showed significantly lower risk of developing ADRD compared to non-users of that specific drug class (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.96-0.98; all P≤0.048). Within patients on monotherapy (using only one AHM drug), no specific AHM class had significantly lower risk of ADRD diagnosis compared to other AHM drug classes (aHR: 0.97-1.11; all P≥0.053). Use of Diuretics or CCBs in combination with Metformin consumption (aHR: 0.89, 0.91, respectively) showed lower risk of MCI to ADRD progression than use without Metformin consumption (aHR: 0.97, 0.98, respectively), whereas use of any of the five major AHMs with Statin consumption (aHR: 0.91-0.94) all showed lower risk than without Statin consumption (aHR: 0.98-1.04).
Conclusion: All five major AHM classes showed a protective effect against ADRD progression among hypertensive patients with MCI. Also, certain combinations of AHMs with Metformin or Statins showed a stronger protective effect compared to AHMs alone, and some drug-drug interactions of AHMMetformin or AHM-Statin also showed protective effects against progression from MCI to ADRD.
Heterogenous biosynthesis of medicarpin using engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Lu Chujie , Du Rui , Fu Hao , Zhang Jizhao , Zhao Ming , Wei Yongjun , Lin Wei
Published: April 2023

Background
Medicarpin is one important bioactive compound with multiple medicinal activities, including anti-tumor, anti-osteoporosis, anti-bacterial effects. Medicarpin is assigned to pterocarpans derived from medicinal plants, such as Sophora japonica, Glycyrrhiza uralensisFisch. and Glycyrrhiza glabra L.However, these medicinal plants only contain low amounts of medicarpin. Moreover, the planting area for medicarpin-producing plants is limited, thus, current medicarpin supply cannot satisfy the great demands of medicinal markets.
Results
In this study, eight key genes involved in medicarpin biosynthesis were identified by comparative transcriptome analysis and bioinformatic analyses. In vitro and in vivoenzymatic activities assays confirmed the catalytic functions of candidate enzymes were responsible for the biosynthesis of medicarpin and medicarpin intermediates. Further engineering of these genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae achieved the heterogenous biosynthesis of medicarpin using liquiritigenin as the substrate, and the final medicarpin titer was 0.82 ± 0.18 mg/L. By increasing the gene copy number of VRand PTS, the final titer of the medicarpin increased to 2.05 ± 0.72 mg/L.
Conclusion
This study provides a solid foundation for the economical and sustainable production of medicarpin by synthetic biology strategy.
Integration of phenylalanine precursor feeding and elicitor treatment in concert with the cellulase-assisted extraction approach to improve stilbene compound production
Authors: Tothong Chonnikan , Pankaew Chanyanut , Chayjarung Phadtraphorn , Kongbangkerd Anupan , Limmongkon Apinun
Published: April 2023

Trans-resveratrol (RES), trans-arachidin-1 (Ara-1), and trans-arachidin-3 (Ara-3) are major stilbene compounds found in elicited peanut hairy root culture and exert diverse potential biological and pharmaceutical activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the various approaches for enhancing the productivity of prenylated stilbene. The fast-growing peanut hairy root K2-K599-C line was elicited with chitosan (CHT), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and cyclodextrin (CD) (CHT+MeJA+CD) as combined elicitors together with phenylalanine (Phe) as a precursor to feeding at 24, 48, and 72 h. The accumulation of stilbene compounds was investigated in this study as well as stilbene biosynthesis-related genes and plant defense gene expression. Upon an exogenous supply of Phe, elevated amounts of Ara-1 and Ara-3 were detected through the entire 72 h elicitation period while the non-Phe precursor feeding conditions exhibited an increasing amount of Ara-1 and Ara-3 up to 48 h, decreasing at 72 h. In addition, Phe precursor may serve as an early regulator of gene expression for the stilbene biosynthesis pathway, transcription factors, and pathogenesis-related proteins while a delayed response in transcriptional regulation was observed in the elicitation without Phe precursor feeding. Cellulase-assisted extraction was performed prior to solvent extraction of the culture medium. The results indicated a significant 1.73-fold and 1.57-fold increase in Ara-1 and Ara-3, respectively, compared to the non-cellulase-assisted process. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to propose an integrated approach to improving stilbene compound production in peanut hairy root culture.
Observations of the delayed-choice quantum eraser using coherent photons
Authors: Kim Sangbae , Ham Byoung S.
Published: April 2023

Quantum superposition is the cornerstone of quantum mechanics, where interference fringes originate in the self-interference of a single photon via indistinguishable photon characteristics. Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiments have been extensively studied for the wave-particle duality over the last several decades to understand the complementarity theory of quantum mechanics. The heart of the delayed-choice quantum eraser is in the mutually exclusive quantum feature violating the cause-effect relation. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the quantum eraser using coherent photon pairs by the delayed choice of a polarizer placed out of the interferometer. Coherence solutions of the observed quantum eraser are derived from a typical Mach-Zehnder interferometer, where the violation of the cause-effect relation is due to selective measurements of basis choice.
A nomogram for predicting mortality of patients initially diagnosed with primary pulmonary tuberculosis in Hunan province, China: a retrospective study.
Authors: Li Dan , Li Linqi , Tang Siyuan , Lei Sheng , Xie Hebing
Published: April 2023

Background: According to the Global Tuberculosis Report for three consecutive years, tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading infectious killer. Primary pulmonary tuberculosis( PTB) leads to the highest mortality among TB diseases. Regretfully,no previous studies targeted the PTB of a specific type or in a specific course, so models established in previous studies cannot be accurately feasible for clinical treatments.This study aimed to construct a nomogram prognostic model to quickly recognize death-related risk factors in patients initially diagnosed with PTB to intervene and treat high-risk patients as early as possible in the clinic to reduce mortality.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 1,809 in-hospital patients initially diagnosed with primary PTB at Hunan Chest Hospital from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors. A nomogram prognostic model for mortality prediction was constructed using R software and was validated using a validation set.
Results: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that drinking, hepatitis B virus (HBV), body mass index (BMI), age, albumin (ALB), and hemoglobin (Hb) were six independent predictors of death in in-hospital patients initially diagnosed with primary PTB. Based on these predictors, a nomogram prognostic model was established with high prediction accuracy, of which the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.881 (95% confidence interval [Cl]: 0.777-0.847), the sensitivity was 84.7%, and the specificity was 77.7%internal and external validations confirmed that the constructed model fit the real situation well.
Conclusion: The constructed nomogram prognostic model can recognize risk factors and accurately predict the mortality of patients initially diagnosed with primary PTB. This is expected to guide early clinical intervention and treatment for high-risk patients.
SMYD2 Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switching and Intimal Hyperplasia via Interaction with Myocardin
Authors: Zhou Yu , Sharma Shaligram , Sun Xiaonan , Guan Xiaoqing , Hou Yuning , Yang Zhe , Shi Hang , Zou Ming-Hui , Song Ping , Zhou Jiliang , Wang Shenming , Hu Zuojun , Li Chunying
Published: April 2023

The SET and MYND domain-containing protein 2 (SMYD2) is a histone lysine methyltransferase that has been reported to regulate carcinogenesis and inflammation. However, its role in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) homeostasis and vascular diseases has not been determined. Here, we investigated the role of SMYD2 in VSMC phenotypic modulation and vascular intimal hyperplasia and elucidated the underlying mechanism. We observed that SMYD2 expression was downregulated in injured carotid arteries in mice and phenotypically modulated VSMCs in vitro. Using a SMC-specific Smyd2 knockout mouse model, we found that Smyd2 ablation in VSMCs exacerbates neointima formation after vascular injury in vivo. Conversely, Smyd2 overexpression inhibits VSMC proliferation and migration in vitro and attenuates arterial narrowing in injured vessels in mice. Smyd2 downregulation promotes VSMC phenotypic switching accompanied with enhanced proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, genome-wide transcriptome analysis and loss/gain-of-function studies revealed that SMYD2 up-regulates VSMC contractile gene expression and suppresses VSMC proliferation and migration, in part, by promoting expression and transactivation of the master transcription cofactor myocardin. In addition, myocardin directly interacts with SMYD2, thereby facilitating SMYD2 recruitment to the CArG regions of SMC contractile gene promoters and leading to an open chromatin status around SMC contractile gene promoters via SMYD2-mediated H3K4 methylation. Hence, we conclude that SMYD2 is a novel regulator of VSMC contractile phenotype and intimal hyperplasia via a myocardin-dependent epigenetic regulatory mechanism and may be a potential therapeutic target for occlusive vascular diseases.
CCT2 prevented β-Catenin proteasomal degradation to sustain cancer stem cell traits and promote tumor progression in epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Chen jiayao , Hu Qiong , Zhou chenhao , Jin danwen
Published: April 2023

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is featured by rapid progression and dismal outcomes clinically. Chaperonin Containing TCP1 Subunit 2 (CCT2) was identified as a crucial regulator for tumor progression, however, its exact role in EOC remained largely unknown.
Methods: CCT2 expression and prognostic value in EOC samples were assessed according to TCGA dataset. Proliferation and mobility potentials were assessed by CCK8, colony-formation, wound healing, and Transwell assays. Cancer stem cell (CSC) traits were evaluated by RT-PCR, WB assays, sphere-forming assay and chemoresistance analysis. Bioinformatic analysis, co-IP assays, IF staining and ubiquitin assays were performed to explore the mechanisms of CCT2 on EOC cells.
Results: CCT2 highly expressed in EOC tissues and predicted poor prognosis of EOC patients by TCGA analysis. Silencing CCT2 significantly restrained cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, CCT2 could effectively trigger epithelial-mesenchymal transition to confer extensive invasion potentials to EOC cells, Importantly, CCT2 positively correlated with CSC markers in EOC, and CCT2 knockdown impaired CSC traits and sensitize EOC cells to conventional chemotherapy regimens. Contrarily, overexpressing CCT2 achieved opposite results. Mechanistically, CCT2 exerted its pro-oncogene function by triggering Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Specifically, CCT2 could recruit HSP105-PP2A complex, a well-established dephosphorylation complex, to β-catenin via direct physical interaction to prevent phosphorylation-induced proteasomal degradation of β-catenin, resulting in intracellular accumulation of active β-catenin and increased signaling activity.
Conclusions: CCT2 was a novel promotor for EOC progression and a crucial sustainer for CSC traits mainly by preventing β-catenin degradation. Targeting CCT2 may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for EOC.
Short protocol with progesterone-CIDR shows high ovulation synchrony and high fertility following artificial insemination in hair sheep
Authors: Moreira Nathalia Hack , Brasil Oscar Brasil Oliveira , Conceição Fábia Fernanda Cardoso de Barros da , de Oliveira Rodrigo Vasconcelos , Ramos Alexandre Floriani
Published: April 2023

In this study, three experiments were conducted to (1) evaluate estrus and ovulation synchronization using the short progesterone-CIDR or the medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) sponge protocol; (2) assess fertility after cervical insemination 8 or 4 h before the ovulation time; (3) evaluate the fertility of cervical artificial insemination or laparoscopic artificial insemination of ewes. The progesterone-CIDR protocol anticipated estrus (27.7 ± 5.8 vs. 43.1 ± 14.6) and ovulation (57.9 ± 3.9 vs. 80.0 ± 21.2) and improved estrus synchronization and ovulation compared with the ewes treated with intravaginal medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) sponges. Therefore, a progesterone-CIDR protocol was later used to evaluate fertility rates by cervical insemination with frozen semen at 50 or 54 hours after removal of the progesterone device, corresponding to 8 or 4 h, respectively, before the mean ovulation. However, the fertility rate did not differ between the two groups and was close to 20%. In contrast, laparoscopic insemination increased the fertility rate compared with cervical insemination (74.4% vs. 12.5%, P < 0.0001). Based on our findings, we conclude that using a short protocol with progesterone-CIDR improved estrus synchronization and ovulation in relation to using sponges containing MAP. However, using frozen semen for cervical artificial insemination near the time of ovulation using the progesterone CIDR protocol does not result in good fertility rates necessitating the use of laparoscopic insemination.
Agent-based modeling to estimate impact of parameters like events on a pandemic exemplified on Sars-CoV-2
Authors: Nitzsche Christian , Simm Stefan
Published: April 2023

In actual pandemic situations like COVID-19 it is important to understand the influence of single mitigation measures as well as combinations to create most dynamic impact for lockdown scenarios. Therefore we created an Agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the spread of Sars-CoV-2 in an abstract city model with several types of places and agents. In comparison to infection numbers in Germany our ABM could be shown to behave similarly over the first wave. In our model we implemented the possibility to test the effectiveness of mitigation measures and lockdown scenarios on the course of the pandemic. Thereby we focused on parameters of local events as possible mitigation measure and ran simulations including varying size, duration,frequency and the proportion of events. Most changes of single event parameters, except of frequency showed only a small influence on the overall course of the pandemic. By applying different lockdown scenarios in our simulations we could observe drastic changes in the number of infections per day and depending on the lockdown strategy even an delayed peak in infection numbers of the second wave. As an advantage of the developed ABM it is possible to analyse the individual risk of single agents during the pandemic. By this in contrast to standard or adjusted ODEs we could observe an 21% (with masks) / 48% without masks increased risk for single reappearing participants on local events with a linearly increasing risk based on the length of the events.
LIBS Sensing for In-Situ Iron Detection and Quantification in Wastewater Outfall
Authors: Bhatt Chet Raj , Hartzler Daniel , McIntyre Dustin
Published: April 2023

Iron measurement in water is important to ensure its quality. Although iron is essential for good health, when its level in water exceeds the permitted limit, it can cause health- and environmental-related issues. In this study, a spectroscopic methodology based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been developed for in-situ detection and quantification of iron in water. Wastewater from the foundation of a historic building at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Morgantown site was collected for ten continual days and analyzed with the LIBS benchtop system and NETL’s LIBS probe. Spectral signatures of iron in the LIBS spectra were identified which demonstrated the significant presence of iron in the test samples. Machine learning tools, principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), were used to distinguish the ten liquid samples. For quantitative study, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. While two strong emission lines of iron, Fe I 371.9 nm and Fe I 373nm, were used to develop the calibration curve for univariate analysis, whole spectra in the selected wavelength range were utilized to plot the partial least square regression (PLS-R) curve. These calibration curves were then used to estimate the iron content in water samples, and the estimated values were compared to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements. The relative difference was found to be less than 15%, which shows that the iron content in liquid can be reliably detected and quantified by the LIBS-based spectroscopic technique.
Design parameter study based on nonlinear analysis of a bolt-connected precast concrete composite wall panel structure
Authors: Wang Yuhao , Liu Ye , Xiong Feng , Chen Wen
Published: April 2023

This paper presented an innovative numerical modelling method for bolt-connected precast wall panels, and a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model based on a full-scale two-story bolt-connected precast concrete composite wall panel structure tested on a shake table was proposed for nonlinear dynamic analysis. The wall panels were schematized with multilayer shell elements, whereas all bolted joints were described with 3-DoF nonlinear springs. The mean error rates between the numerical and experimental results of translational periods, maximum lateral displacements, and maximum accelerations were 13.10%, 10.71%, and 8.31%, respectively, showing that the proposed FE model possessed the ability to capture global and local responses. Parametric studies were conducted based on the verified FE model to evaluate the effects of the design parameters, such as the column-to-column connection, size of window openings, and number of stories, on the seismic performance of the bolt-connected precast wall panels. In addition, a three-story structure with a window-to-wall ratio of 0.50 without connections between columns was modelled and loaded by high-intensity seismic excitation, which meets the plastic story drift limit of θu = 1/120 and shows good safety margins against earthquakes.
On the Effectiveness of Microcredit and Health Insurance Access on Vulnerable People: Evidence from Cameroon
Authors: Nguena Christian-Lambert , Feutsa Sostella Arida Tchouala
Published: April 2023

Using secondary data collected from Dschang in the West region of Cameroon, we examine the effectiveness of micro-credit and health insurance access on vulnerable groups which includes the physically disabled and other forms of vulnerability. We undertake a statistical and qualitative econometric analysis using a logit model and obtain the following results: microcredit and health insurance access reduce the vulnerability of people via their health, financial and social status. Our findings are at the basis of some economic measures that should be taken to assist vulnerable people. From a macroeconomic perspective, these measures include the implementation of a food policy targeted towards increasing access to nutrition; a financial policy to improve access to drugs for individuals, and a social policy to achieve a high level of integration of vulnerable peoples and a high level of literacy of individuals. From a microeconomic perspective, we recommend that microfinance managers should develop more products specific to and targeting the vulnerable population as well as those involved in small jobs and in the informal sector with specific loans that can help them move to formal and more conventional jobs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper with this objective and using the same case study methodology.
JEL Classification: G21; I32; I13; I18; P46.
System characteristics comparison of the Walk-Through Total-Body PET and the Biograph Vision Quadra PET/CT
Authors: Dadgar Meysam , Maebe Jens , Akl Maya Abi , Vervenne Boris , Vandenberghe Stefaan
Published: April 2023

Background: Although a new generation of tomographs with a larger axial field of view called total-body PET has been developed, they are not widely utilized due to their high cost compared to conventional scanners. The walk-through total-body PET scanner is introduced as a high-throughput and cost-efficient alternative to total-body PET scanners, by making use of a flat-panel geometry and lower cost, depth-of-interaction capable, monolithic BGO detectors. The main aim of the presented study is to evaluate the system characteristics of the walk-through total-body PET scanner by comparing it with the Siemens Biograph Vision Quadra total-body PET.
Methods: The walk-through total-body PET is comprised of two flat detector panels, spaced 50 cm apart. Each panel, 70 x 106 cm^2 in size, consists of 280 BGO-based monolithic detectors. The Biograph Vision Quadra, one of the most common total-body PET scanners with 106 cm of axial field-of-view, is constructed with pixelated LSO scintillation crystals. The spatial resolution, sensitivity, count rate performance, scatter fractions and image quality of both scanners are simulated in the GATE simulation toolkit for comparison.
Results: Due to the DOI-capable detectors used in the walk-through total-body PET, the spatial resolution of this scanner was below 2 mm in the entire volume of the tomograph. This resolution is a large improvement compared to the values of the Quadra. This feature allows the walk-through total-body PET to use its maximum sensitivity (∼ 26%) for data acquisition and image reconstruction. While the Biograph Vision Quadra has a higher primary sensitivity (∼ 31.5%), after applying an 85 maximum ring difference cut to limit axial resolution loss, the corresponding value dropped by a factor of three (∼ 11.2%).
Conclusion: Based on the excellent combination of very good spatial resolution and high sensitivity of the walk-through total-body PET, along with a 2.2 times lower scintillation crystal volume and 1.8 times lower SiPM surface, this scanner can be a very cost-efficient alternative for total-body PET scanners.
Giant coronary aneurysm of Behcet's disease with sudden syncope: a case report
Authors: Feng Jingwei , Miao Qi , Zhang Chaoji
Published: April 2023

Behcet's disease is a chronic inflammatory syndrome that can affect arteries and veins of all sizes, rarely involving arteries, and is an unusual cause of myocardial infarction. We report a 28-year-old female patient who was admitted to our hospital with multiple sudden syncope. Cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension (HT), diabetes and obesity were not found in her. Preoperatively, imaging examinations suggested thrombosis of inferior and superior vena cava and right heart combined with coronary artery aneurysm. The patient was finally diagnosed as a huge coronary artery aneurysm proximal to the left anterior descending artery. Syncope is considered to be caused by right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The patient received successful aneurysm resection and had an uneventful postoperative recovery.
Simulation of English part of speech classification based on artificial intelligence and additive logistic regression
Authors: Jia Hongchun
Published: April 2023

English part-of-speech classification technology is a technology that can process text data, can effectively solve the problem of messy data in text information categories, make data structured and organized, and facilitate people to obtain effective information implicit in the text. This article transforms the original polynomial distribution into a generalized linear model and uses logistic regression algorithm for specific implementation. Moreover, the model proposed in this paper inherits the good explanatory characteristics of the decision tree, and it locally uses logistic regression to fit the data, which greatly improves the function space that logistic regression can fit. In addition, due to changes in the decision theory of logistic regression leaf nodes, the corresponding tree branch theory also needs to be changed accordingly. Finally, this paper designs experiments to study the performance of the model constructed in this paper. The research results show that the model constructed in this paper has high accuracy in the extraction and classification of English part of speech features.
Strong and Tough Conductive Hydrogel with High Sensitivity via Self-Assembly-Induced Bridge Crosslinking
Authors: Li Tian , Qi Haobo , Zhao Yijing , Dong Xinyu , Guo Xiao , Zhao Miao , Li Xinwei , Zhai Wei
Published: April 2023

Conductive hydrogels possess remarkable potential for applications in soft electronics and robotics, owing to their unique combination of high electrical conductivity, stretchability, and impressive self-healing capabilities. Nonetheless, the limited strength and toughness of these hydrogels have traditionally impeded their practical implementation. Inspired by the hierarchical architecture of high-performance biological composites found in Nature, this study successfully fabricates a novel type of strong and tough conductive hydrogel through self-assembly-induced bridge crosslinking of MgB2 nanosheets and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels. By combining the micro- to nano-level hierarchical lamellar structures of PVA hydrogels with the robust molecular-level B-O covalent bonds, the resulting conductive hydrogel exhibits an exceptional strength of 8.58 to 32.7 MPa and a high toughness of 27.56 to 123.3 MJ/m3. Moreover, the hydrogel demonstrates exceptional sensitivity (with a response/relaxation time of 20ms and a detection lower limit of ~ 1Pa) under external deformation, thanks to its nanoscale MgB2 nanosheets/PVA lamellar structure and extremely low compressive modulus. These unique characteristics enable the conductive hydrogel to exhibit superior performance in advanced soft sensing applications, particularly in non-contact speaking detection. This study represents a major breakthrough, introducing a new class of conductive hydrogel that integrates exceptional strength, toughness, and sensitivity, thereby opening up exciting possibilities for the development of high-performance conductive hydrogels.
Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy Post SARS-CoV-2 Infection in an Adult Patient: Case Report
Authors: Hernandez-Dehesa Itzel Ariadna , Alvarez-Castro José Alfonso , Aguilar-Hidalgo Keren Magaly , Santellan-Hernandez Jose Omar , Castro-Soto Fernando
Published: April 2023

Purpose Show the MRI findings in a rare case of Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy Post SARS-CoV-2 Infection in an Adult PatientIntroduction Acute necrotizing encephalopathy is a rare condition characterized by the presence of symmetrical multifocal lesions with predominantly thalamic involvement, as well as involvement of the brainstem, white matter of the brain, and cerebellum.Case Presentation We describe a case of a 26-year-old male, with a medical history of medulloblastoma that was disease-free after treatment, and who tested positive in a PCR for SARS-CoV-2 in cerebrospinal fluid. Upon evaluation at the emergency department one week later, the patient was found to be awake, oriented, and focused, and could maintain attention for periods. Mixed dysarthria persisted, characterized by being flaccid and hypokinetic. On magnetic resonance imaging, there were multiple hemorrhagic lesions with surrounding edema in the right thalamus with an extension to the posterior arm of the internal capsule, a smaller one, in the left thalamus, and another expanded to the ipsilateral peduncle.Conclusion Acute necrotizing encephalopathy presents a great clinical and diagnostic challenge, Close clinical and radiological follow-up is essential, and magnetic susceptibility sequences (T2 or SWI) should be included in the diagnosis protocol.
WITHDRAWN: Fluorescence detection of three types of pollutants based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer and its comparison with colorimetric detection
Authors: Kong Yifei , Liu Dan , Guo Xinran , Chen Xinyue
Published: April 2023

Three types of pollutants investigated are commonly used and pose a great threat to both environment and human health. This article was aimed at the representative three kinds of pollutants, mainly to explore a fast, simple, sensitive, visible naked eye detection method. The colorimetric detection by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was first tried. The cross-linking reaction occurred owing to the strong forces between targets and AuNPs, leading to the aggregation and color change. However, large-scaled aggregation was easily formed and settled which failed to realize accurate quantification. Thus, AuNPs were considered to be used in fluorescence detection as reaction bridge. The introduction of AuNPs could effectively quench the fluorescence of Rhodamine B based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Since three types of pollutants had great affinity with AuNPs, Rhodamine B dissociated from the solution, causing the recovery of red fluorescence. The fluorescent responses toward three targets were established, resulting in the good linearity in a wide range with low detection limits. The selectivity was well investigated among the same types of interferences. This simple, fast and sensitive fluorescence detection system was first used for simultaneously detecting three types of pollutants and finally successfully applied to real samples.
First evidence of a key role of the peroxymonosulfate radical (SO5•−) in a Fenton-like process based on metabisulfite
Authors: farinelli giulio , Gil Angela Garcia , Marugan Javier , Minella Marco , Fabbri Debora , Laurenti Enzo , Tiraferri Alberto , Vione Davide
Published: April 2023

The complex of iron and tetra-amido macrocyclic ligand (Fe-TAML), or Collin’s reagent, is a promising catalyst to carry out Fenton-like degradation of contaminants. Previously, the ability of Fe-TAML to activate sulfite and metabisulfite (S2O52-, MBS) other than hydrogen peroxide, was reported, which could lead to cheaper, safer, and almost equally efficient oxidation of contaminants. However, the actual species involved in the Fe-TAML/MBS is not yet clear. Experiments reported here included a combination of tests involving the presence of various scavengers, modified atmospheres (air vs. N2), as well as measurements with electron paramagnetic resonance. Specifically, the tests were designed to positively exclude the presence of various active species and identify the most likely one. Thus, we theorize the involvement of the peroxymonosulfate radical (SO5·-) in the presence of the Collin’s reagent and metabisulfite and provide indirect evidence of the activity of this species. Specifically, we demonstrated that this system triggers a Fenton-like process, able to induce the degradation of phenol. The exploitation of such a reactive species may be favourable, as it may selectively induce the degradation of target contaminants in the presence of excess interfering agents, starting from the cheap, safe, and easily handled metabisulfite, which is an interesting substitute for hydrogen peroxide.
Does aggressive treatment make benefit for patients with spinal metastasis in years lost due to disability?
Authors: Su Meng-Lei , Lo Wei-Cheng , Chiang Yung-Hsiao , Lo Wen-Cheng , Lin Jiann-Her
Published: April 2023

Introduction
Spinal metastasis (SM) can cause pain and neurological deficits that devastate the life-quality of patients. While surgery can relieve pain and prevent neurological deficits, its high-costs and the relatively short-expected survival time raises concerns about cost-effectiveness. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether aggressive treatment can decrease years lost due to disability (YLD) in SM patients and to identify the factors that distinguish cost-effective from non-cost-effective groups. This retrospective study included 41 patients who received aggressive treatment for SM between 2016 and 2021. We developed a worst-case model assuming that patients would only receive palliative care to assess the cost-effectiveness of aggressive treatment. We compared the YLD for each patient in the real-world scenario to those in the worst-case scenario and conducted a cost-effective analysis of medical expenses during hospital admission and one-year postoperative follow-up. The patients were divided into cost-effective and non-cost-effective groups based on cost-effectiveness definition. 13 patients were categorized as cost-effective, while 28 patients were not. The cost-effective group had better preoperative performance status (PS), lower spinal instability neoplastic score, longer predicted survival time based on the Tomita score/revised Tokuhashi score, and higher risk of deterioration based on the image study/SM location.
Thermoelectric coupling effect in BNT-based pyroelectric ceramics for low-grade temperature driven energy harvesting
Authors: Shen Meng , Liu Kun , Zhang Guanghui , Li Qifan , Zhang Qingfeng , Zhang Guangzu , Zhang Haibo , Jiang Shenglin , Chen Yong , Yao Kui
Published: April 2023

Pyroelectric energy harvesting has received increasing attention in recent years due to its ability to convert low-grade waste heat into electricity for sustainable development. However, the low output energy density driven by low-grade temperature limits its practical applications. Here, we report a high-performance hybrid BNT-BZT-xGaN thermal energy harvesting system with environmentally friendly lead-free BNT-BZT pyroelectric matrix and high thermal conductivity GaN as dopant. The theoretical analysis of BNT-BZT and BNT-BZT-xGaN with x = 0.1 wt% suggests that the introduction of GaN facilitates the resonance vibration between Ga and Ti, O atoms, which not only contributes to the enhancement of the lattice heat conduction, but also improves the vibration of TiO6 octahedra, resulting in simultaneous improvement of thermal conductivity and pyroelectric coefficient. Therefore, a thermoelectric coupling enhanced energy harvesting density of 80 µJ cm−3 has been achieved in BNT-BZT-xGaN ceramics with x = 0.1 wt% driven by a temperature gradient of 2 oC, at the optical load resistance of 600 MΩ. This theoretical understanding provides a guidance to establish new principles for designing pyroelectric materials with further improved thermal energy harvesting performance.
Repurposing niclosamide as a novel anti-SARS-Cov-2 drug by restricting entry protein CD147
Authors: Yang Zhe , Zhang Qi , Wu Xiaoqing , Hao Siyuan , Hao Xinbao , Jones Elizabeth , Zhang Yuxia , Qiu Jianming , Xu Liang
Published: April 2023

Background The burst of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing the global COVID-19 pandemic. But until today only limited numbers of drugs are discovered to treat COVID-19 patients. Even worse, the rapid mutations of SARS-CoV-2 compromise the effectiveness of existing vaccines and neutralizing antibodies due to the increased viral transmissibility and immune escape. CD147-spike protein, one of the entries of SRAR-CoV-2 into host cells, has been reported as a promising therapeutic target for developing drugs against COVID-19.Methods CRISPR-Cas9 induced gene knockout, western blotting, tet-off protein overexpression, ribonucleoprotein IP and RNA-IP were used to confirm the regulation of HuR on mRNA of CD147. Regulation of niclosamide on HuR nucleo-translocation was assessed by immunofluorescence staining of cell lines, IHC staining of tissue of mouse model and western blotting. Finally, the suppression of niclosamide on SARS-CoV-2 infection induced CD147 was evaluated by ACE2-expressing A549 cells and western blotting.Results We first discovered a novel regulation mechanism of CD147 via the RNA-binding protein HuR. We found that HuR regulates CD147 post-transcription by directly bound to its 3'-UTR. The loss of HuR reduced CD147 in multiple cell lines. Niclosamide inhibited CD147 function by blocking HuR cytoplasmic translocation and diminishing CD147 glycosylation. SARS-CoV-2 infection induced CD147 in ACE2-expressing A549 cells, which could be neutralized by niclosamide in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion Together, our study reveals a novel regulation mechanism of CD147 and niclosamide can be repurposed as an effective COVID-19 drug by targeting the virus entry, CD147-spike protein.
Effects of different intensity of atrial pacing on atrial electrophysiology and nerve remodeling
Authors: Yang Zhi , Fan Jianing , Xue Wenjing , Lei Fuhua , Zhang Feng
Published: April 2023

Background and Objective
Atrial fibrillation (AF) could be induced by different intensity of atrial pacing, however the detail information during these processes have not been fully explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different intensity of atrial pacing on atrial electrophysiology.
Methods
Twenty-four dogs were randomly subjected to 16 hours atrial pacing at 500 beats/min (bpm) or 1000 bpm as follows: no stimulation (control, n = 8), 500 bpm stimulation (500 bpm, n = 8) and 1000 bpm stimulation (1000 bpm, n = 8). Programmed and burst atrial pacing were performed at baseline and at the end of every 2 hour to determine AF inducibility, sustained time of AF and atrial effective refractory period (ERP). Moreover, the electrical activities of vagus nerve including discharge frequency, signal area were also recorded. In addition, serum acetylcholine (Ach) was determined by ELISA to explore the relationship with AF and vagus nerve features.
Results
Increased AF inducibility, sustained time of AF and ERP were found in dogs from 1000 bpm group compared to 500 bpm group. Moreover, increased discharge frequency and signal area of vagus nerve were also found in dogs from 1000 bpm group compared to 500 bpm group. Correlation was found between the serum Ach and AF.
Conclusions
Our results demonstrated that different intensity of atrial pacing exerted different effects on atrial electrophysiology and nerve remodeling, while high-frequency electrical stimulation are more prone to autonomic nervous activity induction.