bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods Is Associated with Abdominal Obesity in Individuals on Hemodialysis
Authors: Gering Sara Jarske , Martins Cleodice Alves , Marques Nina Mara Paterlini , Cattafesta Monica , Cunha Alexandre Cardoso da , Soares Fabíola Lacerda Pires , Neto Edson Theodoro dos Santos , Salaroli Luciane Bresciani
Published: May 2024

Consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with abdominal obesity, but this association has not yet been investigated in individuals on hemodialysis. This cross-sectional study, developed with 1014 individuals, aimed to analyze the prevalence of abdominal obesity and its association with the consumption of ultra-processed foods in individuals on hemodialysis. Consumption of ultra-processed foods was measured using a questionnaire, whose list of foods was based on the Surveillance System of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases through Telephone Enquiry. Waist circumference was used to determine the presence of abdominal obesity. The difference in proportions between the independent variables and the outcome was verified using Pearson's chi-square test. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to determine the association between the outcome and the independent variables. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 77.22%. In the final model, higher consumption of ultra-processed foods, be male and an adult, have between 8 and 11 years of schooling and practice physical activity below the recommended level increased the chances of having abdominal obesity. The research provides a basis for the creation and improvement of public policies that promote improvements in these health determinants.
Complete Blood Count-Based Biomarkers as Predictors of Clinical Outcomes in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with First Line Chemoimmunotherapy
Authors: Putzu Carlo , Serra Riccardo , Campus Rachele , Fadda Giovanni Maria , Sini Claudio , Marongiu Andrea , Ginesu Giorgio Carlo , Fois Alessandro Giuseppe , Palmieri Giuseppe , Zinellu Angelo , Cossu Antonio , Paliogiannis Panagiotis
Published: May 2024

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate a series of complete blood cell count – based biomarkers of systemic inflammation as predictors of clinical outcomes in patients who underwent first-line chemoimmunotherapy for advanced NSCLC. Methods: Consecutive patients with pathologically diagnosed stage III/IV NSCLC who underwent first-line chemoimmunotherapy were retrospectively enrolled. The clinical outcomes used for biomarker evaluation were Objective Response Rate (ORR) and Overall Survival (OS). Results: Non-responders had significantly higher values of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR, median: 5.36; IQR: 2.78–10.82 vs. 3.31; IQR: 2.15–4.12, p = 0.019), neutrophil to monocyte ratio (NMR, median: 14.00; IQR: 8.82–21.20 vs. 9.20; IQR: 7.45–11.20, p = 0.013), and systemic inflammation index (SII, median: 1,395; IQR: 929–3,334 vs. 945; IQR: 552–1,373, p = 0.025), but only NLR and NMR remained independently related with clinical response in multivariate logistic regression. In univariate analysis white blood cells (OR:1.2202; 95% CI: 1.0339 - 1.4400, p=0.019), neutrophils (OR:1.2916; 95% CI: 1.0692 - 1.5604, p=0.008), NLR (OR:1.3601: 95% CI: 1.0949 - 1.6896, p=0.005) and NMR (OR:1.2159; 95% CI: 1.00396 - 1.4221, p=0.015) were significantly associated with survival; Cox regression models confirmed that neutrophils, NLR and MLR were independently associated with survival; NLR at a cut-off value of 4.0 showed the better AUC (0.749) in predicting survival. Conclusions: Baseline complete blood cell count biomarkers, especially the NLR, can predict clinical outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy.
The Asymmetric Effects of Oil Price Volatility on Stock Returns: Evidence From Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange
Authors: Truong Loc Dong , Friday H. Swint , Doan Nhien Tuyet
Published: May 2024

This study is the first to investigate the asymmetric effects of oil price volatility on stock returns for the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE). We utilized weekly series of VN30-Index, WTI crude oil prices, geopolitical risks (GPR) index and gold prices spanning from 6 February 2012 to 31 December 2023 as data sources. Using a nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) bounds testing approach, we found that in the short-term, oil price volatility has negative asymmetric effects on the market returns. Specifically, in the short-term, a one percent increase in oil price volatility immediately leads to a 2,6868 percent decrease in the market returns while a similar magnitude decrease in oil price volatility is associated with 6.3180 percent increase in the market returns. In addition, the results obtained from the NARDL model indicated that, in the long-term, the negative and positive changes of oil price volatility have significantly negative effects on the market returns. Finally, the findings derived from the error correction model (ECM) show that 98.21 percent of the disequilibria from the previous week are converged and corrected back to the long-term equilibrium in the current week.
Applications of Asymptotic Solutions of the Diffusivity Equation to Infinite Acting Pressure Transient Analysis
Authors: Wang Zhenzhen , Li Chen , King Michael J.
Published: May 2024

Understanding how pressure propagates in a reservoir is fundamental to the interpretation of pressure and rate transient measurements at a well. Unconventional reservoirs provide unique technical challenges as the simple geometries and flow regimes [wellbore storage (WBS) and radial, linear, spherical, and boundary-dominated flow] applied in well test analysis are now replaced by nonideal flow patterns due to complex multistage fracture completions, nonplanar fractures, and the interaction of flow with the reservoir heterogeneity. In this paper, we introduce an asymptotic solution technique for the diffusivity equation applied to pressure transient analysis (PTA), in which the 3D depletion geometry is mapped to an equivalent 1D streamtube. This allows the potentially complex pressure depletion geometry within the reservoir to be treated as the primary unknown in an interpretation, compared with the usual method of interpretation in which the depletion geometry is assumed and parameters of the formation and well are the unknown properties. The construction is based upon the solution to the Eikonal equation, derived from the diffusivity equation in heterogeneous reservoirs. We develop a Green’s function that provides analytic solutions to the pressure transient equations for which the geometry of the flow pattern is abstracted from the transient solution. The analytic formulation provides an explicit solution for many well test pressure transient characteristics such as the well test semi-log pressure derivative (WTD), the depth of investigation (DOI), and the stabilized zone (SZ) (or dynamic drainage area), with new definitions for the limit of detectability (LOD), the transient drainage volume, and the pseudosteady-state (PSS) limit. Generalizations of the Green’s function approach to bounded reservoirs are possible (Wang et al. 2017) but are beyond the scope of the current study. We validate our approach against well-known PTA solutions solved using the Laplace transform, including pressure transients with WBS and skin. Our study concludes with a discussion of applications to unconventional reservoir performance analysis for which reference solutions do not otherwise exist.
Preparation and Performance of High-Temperature-Resistant, Degradable Inorganic Gel for Steam Applications
Authors: Chen Lifeng , Zhang Zhaonian , Zeng Huiyong , Huang Feiyang , Lu Xuanfeng , Sheng Weiwei
Published: May 2024

To address the problems of steam channeling caused by the nonhomogeneity and fluid compatibility of the reservoir in heavy oil reservoirs and the permanent damage to the reservoir easily caused by traditional plugging agents, this study adopted polyaluminum chloride (PAC) as the main agent, urea as the coagulant promoter, and thiourea as the stabilizer and prepared a high-temperature-resistant (up to 350°C) degradable inorganic aluminum gel with excellent performance. Initially, scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were conducted on gels with and without urea. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)-mapping analysis of gels immersed in water with different mineralization levels for 5 days was then performed. The results revealed that the addition of urea led to a tighter and more complete crosslinked structure, significantly enhancing the mechanical strength of the gel. As water mineral content increased, the gel’s microstructure became denser and smoother. Metal cations on the cross-sectional surface increased gradually and distributed uniformly, further confirming the mechanism of the synergistic salt effect of soluble strong electrolytes and urea in strengthening the gel. Finally, the plugging and degradable properties of the gel were evaluated, and the results showed that the plugging percentage of the gel could still reach 97.6% after aging at 350°C for 30 days, and the gel had excellent plugging and diversion in dual sandpack experiments where the permeability ratio was less than 44. At 250°C, the degradation percentage of the gel was more than 98% at 5 days under the nonacid degradation system and 94% at 5 days under the acid degradation system. The gel showed good degradability and effectively reduced the damage to the reservoir.
Social Capital and Sustained Viral Suppression Among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) Initiated on Anti-Retroviral Therapy in South-Eastern, Nigeria
Authors: Obokon Gabriel Omen , Oparaocha Evangeline Tochi , Chukwuocha Uchechukwu Madukaku , Ekeleme Uzochukwu Godswill , Dozie Ugonma Winnie. , Chukwu Rita Ogechi , Enejoh Victor , Eteike Precious Okechukwu , Uka-Kalu Ezinne Chioma
Published: May 2024

The global health challenge posed by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists. Although significant strides have been made in enhancing the quality of life for individuals with HIV through expanded access to anti-retroviral therapy, the attainment of continuous viral suppression remains a multifaceted challenge. Consequently, this research explored the relationship between social capital and viral suppression in individuals undergoing anti-retroviral therapy for HIV infection. We conducted hospital-based unmatched Case-control study among 1,202 PLHIV, aged ≥ 10yrs on ART. The Word Banks social capital integrated questionnaire–SC–IQ) was adapted and used to measure social capital among study participants, their viral-load records were extracted from hospital-based electronic-medical-records. Data were entered into SPSS Version-26 software and analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using logistic regression at < 0.05 statistical significance. Majority were females 748 (62.2%), 365 (30.4%) were aged 25–34 years, the smallest age group was ≥ 55yrs 131 (10.9%) and mean age was 17.7yrs (St. dev = 12.2 years). A 35.8%, 21.3% and 42.9% level of low, moderate and high social capital respectively was discovered among participants. High social capital was recorded among virally suppressed patients (cases)-81.8%, while low social capital was majorly seen among virally non-suppressed (controls)–80.9%. Low and high social capital were significantly associated with viral suppression among PLHIV on ART at (P < 0.0001). Revealing that Patients with high social capital were 2.88 times more likely to achieve sustained viral suppression as compared to those with low social capital (AOR = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.68–4.93). Social capital was discovered to be positively associated with viral suppression. Therefore, promoting strong social capital can enhance sustained viral suppression among PLHIV on ART, which is the ultimate goal of HIV care and treatment interventions, as well as pivotal in achieving HIV epidemic control efforts.
Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Cinobufacini in Patients with Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders: An Open-Label Pilot Study
Authors: Liu Yang , Huang Ping , Wang Yuhong , Wang Yuanyuan , Wei Minghui , Cui Yuan , Wei Jiao , Wang Xinwen
Published: May 2024

Objective
Herein, we collected preliminary data on the effects of cinobufacini, a Chinese medicine extracted from Venenum Bufonis, to assess its safety and efficacy in patients with potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs).
Methods
Patients with histologically confirmed OPMDs were enrolled in this open-label uncontrolled pilot clinical study for a four-week treatment. The main outcome measures were efficacy (lesion size, activity score, and numerical rating scale) and safety (blood cell count, general biochemistry, liver and adrenal function tests, and adverse effects).
Results
A fifteen-patient cohort (9 females and 6 males; average age, 53.67 ± 11.69 years) with various OPMD types successfully completed the four-week cinobufacini treatment. Among them, only two patient (13.33%) exhibited partial clinical response (lesion size reduction, ≥ 50%). It was observed that the lesion size decreased in 10 participants (66.67%), the mean area score showed a significant reduction from 6.53 ± 2.16 to 4.50 ± 1.60 (P < 0.05). When assessed using the activity scoring system, 9 participants (73.33%) demonstrated a decrease in their activity score, with a significant decrease in mean activity score from 5.40 ± 1.48 to 3.13 ± 0.68 (P < 0.05). The mean numerical rating scale (NRS) score showed a significant reduction from 3.23 ± 1.73 to 1.73 ± 0.92 (P < 0.05). Remarkably, four patients had a histopathological complete response after extending treatment to 12 weeks. Overall, most patients had no adverse effects except four cases reporting mild gastrointestinal discomfort.
Conclusions
The findings from this open-label pilot study highlight the potential of cinobufacini as a promising therapy for OPMDs, underscoring the need for larger and longer-term trials.
The trial registration number (TRN): IRB-YJ-2022005；The date of registration:01/06/2022
Optimality Results for Non-Differentiable Multiobjective Fractional Programming Problems under E-B-Invexity
Authors: Mishra S. K. , Singh Dhruv , Kumar Pankaj , Singh Vandana
Published: May 2024

In this paper, we deal with non-convex multiobjective fractional programming problems involving E-differentiable functions (MFPE). The so-called E-Karush-Kuhn-Tucker sufficient E-optimality conditions are established for non-smooth vector optimization problems under E-B-invexity hypothesis. To illustrate the established results, we present an example in which the involved functions are E-B-invex.
MSC Classification: 90C32, 90C46, 49J52, 90C30, 90C29
Acquired Hemophilia Successfully Treated with Recombinant Factor Ⅶa: A Case Report
Authors: Mahmoudiandehkordi Shaghayegh , Hadipour Pedram
Published: May 2024

Acquired Hemophilia A (AHA) is a disorder characterized by the impaired clotting ability of the blood, primarily resulting from a deficiency in factor VIII, a crucial clotting protein. It is an infrequent disorder that affects a minority of individuals. This condition can pose a life-threatening risk, with reported mortality rates reaching as high as 22%. The diagnosis of AHA is challenging owing to its non-specific presentation and low prevalence rate. The primary objectives of treatment for AHA encompass the cessation and prevention of bleeding episodes, eradication of the inhibitor, and management of the underlying disease in secondary cases. This case report summarizes the successful treatment of a patient with AHA and major bleeding with the repeated use of prednisolone, recombinant factor VIIa, and rituximab.
Suspected illegal abortion and the use of misoprostol leading to the silent uterine rupture: A case report
Authors: Mahmoudiandehkordi Shaghayegh , Hadipour Pedram
Published: May 2024

Uterine rupture is an uncommon, serious, and potentially life-threatening complication characterized as a disruption of the whole uterine muscle and the visceral peritoneum. Herein, we report a case of silent uterine rupture following illegal abortion via misoprostol administration. A 28-year-old female Gravida 2 Parity 1 living 1 at 18 weeks of gestation with a history of previous cesarean section presented to the hospital. She took 1000 µg of misoprostol tablet 1 day prior to her admission and due to unsuccessful abortion, presented to the hospital. The evidence of uterine perforation was not identified in the ultrasonography investigation. Following several attempts for abortion using misoprostol, oxytocin, trans-cervical Foley catheter, and dilation and evacuation (D & E) procedure, patients underwent exploratory laparotomy. Uterine rupture was diagnosed during surgery. The uterus was torn, and the fetus and placenta were found in the abdominal cavity with omentum sealing the rupture of the uterus. The fetus and placenta were removed and after proper toileting and controlling of bleeding, the uterus was closed. This case highlights the need for high-quality obstetric care and skilled paramedical and medical staff. It warns that medications such as prostaglandins and oxytocin should be administered only by experts and, lastly, that health facilities should not manage deliveries if they are not equipped well for the complications of delivery and labor. Our case also highlighted the possibility of silent uterine rupture in which the diagnosis is even harder. As a result, in cases where abortion approaches are unsuccessful, health practitioners should think about the possibility of uterine rupture.
Tracking ChatGPT Research Insights From Scientometric Analysis
Authors: wagay Javaid
Published: May 2024

Little is known about the scientific literature regarding the new revolutionary tool, ChatGPT. We aim to perform a Scientometric analysis to identify ChatGPT-related publications A comprehensive study delving into the realm of ChatGPT has been undertaken, utilizing a robust methodology. Leveraging web of science, 1298 documents were meticulously analyzed through scientometrics, shedding light on publishing trends, productive countries, and keyword dynamics. The year 2023 witnessed a surge in scientific productivity centered around ChatGPT, with a substantial corpus of 1298 documents contributing to the discourse. The average citations per document, standing at approximately 9.298, underscore the significant engagement and interest within the academic community. collaborative nature of research on ChatGPT is evident from the involvement of 3938 authors, with an average of 3.73 co-authors per document. This indicates a significant level of collaboration within the scholarly community, fostering interdisciplinary exchange and knowledge sharing. Annals of Biomedical Engineering" stands out with a significant h-index of 150 and an impact factor of 3.8. With 250 total citations and 42 publications, this journal, published by Springer Netherlands, has been instrumental in advancing knowledge at the intersection of biomedical engineering and artificial intelligence, including the application of ChatGPT in healthcare contexts.Another prominent source is "Nature," renowned for its high impact factor of 69.5 and impressive h-index of 1331. The United States leads the pack with 310 articles, indicating a significant contribution to research on ChatGPT. China closely follows with 250 articles, demonstrating the growing presence and investment in AI-related research within the country.India emerges as a notable contributor with 156 articles, showcasing its increasing involvement in advancing knowledge and understanding of ChatGPT.
Opportunities for energy-free groundwater extraction through artificial autoflow well: a conceptual feasibility in Indian context
Authors: Dwivedi S N , Chowdhuri Sujatro Ray , Singh Madhukar
Published: May 2024

Prospects for converting a water well tapping confined aquifer into an artificial autoflow well exists in several areas. However, the energy advantage offered by a confined aquifer is generally ignored and even in areas where the piezometric head in the well rests at very shallow depth from the ground surface, pumps are lowered for extracting groundwater. In this paper, we present a conceptual feasibility of converting wells constructed in confined aquifers into an artificial autoflow well. There exists a promising prospect of creating an artificial autoflow condition which can lower the dependence on energy for groundwater extraction. Such wells are feasible in areas with multi-aquifer set-up where a thick layer of surficial clay overlies the main aquifers making the area unsuitable for dugwells; areas where the water level in the top unconfined aquifer (phreatic aquifer) has declined below 20 m from ground level resulting in drying up of dugwells and shallow handpumps and; areas where the shallow aquifer is contaminated and not suitable for drinking and domestic uses and the deeper confined aquifers are contamination free. A suitable design for an artificial autoflow well is proposed in the paper which can provide an energy free alternative for groundwater extraction for meeting the requirement of small and marginal farmers as well as for meeting the drinking and domestic requirements of rural households in areas where the shallow aquifer system is either contaminated or desaturated.
Evaluation of oropharyngeal structure and DISE findings for successful soft palatal webbing flap pharyngoplasty in obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Han Seung Cheol , Kim Minju , Kim Hyun Jung , Oh Jayoung , Han Doo Hee , Won Tae-Bin , Kim Dong-Young , Rhee Chae-Seo , Kim Hyun Jik
Published: May 2024

Soft palate webbing flap palatopharyngoplasty (SPWFPP) has been introduced to enhance the stability of the lateral pharyngeal wall with minimal post-operative complications by eliminating the need for tonsillectomy in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. We analyzed the anatomic findings of oropharynx for determination of outcome in OSA patients requiring SPWFPP. Twenty-eight OSA patients who underwent SPWFPP combined with septoturbinoplasty were included in this study. Patient medical records, including endoscopic findings, polysomnography (PSG) data, and drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), were analyzed. PSG data revealed that SPWFPP provided significant improvements of AHI score in severe OSA patients with lateral pharyngeal wall collapse, whereas AHI scores of mild and moderate OSA cases minimally declined following SPWFPP. Notably, some experienced abrupt increase in AHI level after surgery particularly in mild OSA cases, and those patients showed collapse of the epiglottis before surgery according to DISE findings. The outcome of SPWFPP was successful in severe OSA patients whose epiglottis was not collapsible on preoperative DISE findings and in patients with palatal collapse of grade III or higher. Therefore, a close analysis of DISE findings before SPWFPP reveals important indicators for predicting better surgical results and selecting OSA patients suitable for SPWFPP.
Uncertain interrupted time series analysis
Authors: Li Xiuheng , Sheng Yuhong
Published: May 2024

The uncertain time series (UTS) is a sequence of uncertain observations in chronological order. The uncertain autoregressive (UAR) model is one of the basic UTS models believes the uncertain time series value relies mainly on it's historical values linearly. This paper proposes uncertain interrupted time series (UITS) models aiming at analysing time series datas with large-scale interventions on the base of uncertain autoregressive model. The UITS model can reflect the effect of an intervention and makes prediction about the future in the presence of intervention. Three types of uncertain interrupted time series models are introduced in this paper. In addition, residual analysis and prediction intervals are also proposed. Finally, some numerical examples are given.
Anti-inflammatory effects of the polyherbal mixture Vital Air Herb™ on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells
Authors: Lee Seung-Jun , Hwang Jeongyun , Cho Kyoung Hwan , Kim Jong Cheol , Park Ju Wan , Shim Doo Bo , Shin Ji Hun , Kim Yoo Kyung , Kim Jae Youn , Kwag Seung-Jin , Hah Young-Sool
Published: May 2024

Background
Dysregulated inflammation is a key factor in chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. This study explores the anti-inflammatory potential of Vital Air Herb™ (VAH), a blend of thirteen traditional East Asian medicinal plants, against a specific inflammatory disease (e.g., allergy).
Methods
VAH extracts were prepared by maceration in water or ethanol. The IncuCyte® system was used to assess VAH's cytotoxicity on RAW264.7 macrophages, and its effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation. Quantitative analyses of the effect of VAH extracts on pro-inflammatory cytokines and key inflammatory pathways were performed using real-time PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and western blotting.
Results
The VAH extracts exhibited no cytotoxicity, indicating safe profiles. Additionally, these extracts significantly suppressed the release of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1β. The VAH extracts also modulated essential inflammatory pathways, as evidenced by changes in the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase, nuclear factor-kappa B, p65, and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.
Conclusions
The VAH extracts effectively controlled inflammation by suppressing pro-inflammatory mediators and pathways. These findings suggest their potential for developing anti-inflammatory treatments for targeted diseases.
The Role of miR-92b-3p in Notch Signaling and Monitoring of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Koo Bon Seok , Piao Yudan , Jung Seung-Nam , Im Mi Ae , Zheng Sicong , Oh Chan , Jin Yan Li , Shen Shan , Nguyen Quoc Khanh , Park Se-Hee , Kim Young il , Chang Jae Won , Won Ho-Ryun
Published: May 2024

Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) influences diverse hallmarks of cancer, including proliferative signaling, metastasis, and resistance to cell death. We explored the contribution of miR-92b-3p in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its potential as a monitoring biomarker. Analysis of TCGA, GEO, and our own cohort revealed dysregulation of miR-92b-3p in OSCC, which correlated with aggressive tumor characteristics. miR-92b-3p overexpression augmented proliferation and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in both YD8 and SCC25 cell lines and xenograft models. Mechanically, augmented miR-92b-3p expression suppressed ATXN1 and CPEB3, activating the Notch signaling pathway and thereby promoting metastasis and cisplatin resistance. In our cohort, serum miR-92b-3p expression reflected the disease status, including relapse. Our results suggest that miR-92b-3p might be an onco-miR involved in OSCC through regulating the ATXN1/CPEB3/Notch pathway. These findings provide novel insights for treating and monitoring OSCC.
Characterization of Organic Aerosols in the Ambient Air of Raipur, Central India: Distribution, Seasonal Variations, and Source Apportionment
Authors: Ramteke Shobhana , Sahu Bharat Lal , Patel Khageshwar Singh Singh , Pandey Piyush Kant , Yurdakul Sema , Martín-Ramos P. , Ren P. , Fu P.
Published: May 2024

Due to their influence on climate and human health, organic aerosols, a substantial component of atmospheric particulate matter (PM), are a major area of scientific focus. This study investigates the distribution, seasonal variations, and sources of organic constituents —including n-alkanes, alkanol acids, alkanols, sugars, phthalate esters, lignin and resin products, sterols, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)— in the coarse mode (PM10) of ambient air samples collected in Raipur, India. The total concentration of the organic aerosols ranged from 5106 to 29099 ng m− 3, with a mean value of 16701 ± 3355 ng m− 3. Fatty acids, phthalates, and levoglucosan were the major components. Seasonal analysis revealed higher concentrations of n-alkanes, PAHs, and lignin products during the winter, while alcohols, fatty acids, sterols, and sugars exhibited elevated levels in both autumn and winter. Size segregation analysis showed that all organic species, except phthalates and PAHs, accumulated predominantly in the fine and ultrafine particle fractions. Source apportionment through factor analysis revealed a complex mixture of sources shaping aerosol composition, including vehicular emissions, various combustion activities (biomass burning and charbroiled cooking), natural background factors, and the combination of urban dust and biogenic materials. The findings highlight the significant climatic and health implications of organic aerosols in the study region, necessitating urgent mitigation measures to address air pollution.
Assessing the awareness and perception of the role of climate change factors in aggravating conflict among farmers and pastoralists in North Central Nigeria
Authors: Bwala Madu Ali , Amaza Paul
Published: May 2024

This study explored the role of climate change in aggravating conflict among farmers and pastoralists. Multistage sampling technique was used to draw respondents randomly, after a purposive selection of the areas of study in three states in Nigeria. The Likert scale was the main tool of analysis supported by descriptive statistics. Findings revealed the use of herbicides (90%), clean clearing, non-establishment of green reserves by farmers around the perimeter of the farm as aggravators. For the pastoralists, non-storage of fodder, underutilization of pasture or grazing grounds and non-planting of pastures were identified as aggravators. Other factors that contribute to aggravate the conflict situation include herd size, non-planting and destruction of trees. Potential climate related conflict resolving strategy identified include storage of fodder, designated grazing areas and establishment of green reserves will prevent most of the conflict between the pastoralists and the farmer. In the same vein, establishment of water points and halting of bush-burning. It was therefore concluded that climate change plays a role by aggravating the conflict between the pastoralist and the farmer. It was therefore recommended that in resolving the conflict between the two groups, a climate change mitigating strategy should be included in the package.
Enhancement and Evaluation for deep learning-based classification of volumetric neuroimaging with 3D-to-2D Knowledge Distillation
Authors: Yoon Hyemin , Kang Do-Young , Kim Sangjin
Published: May 2024

The application of deep learning techniques for the analysis of neuroimaging has been increasing recently. The 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) technology, which is commonly adopted to encode volumetric information, requires a large number of datasets. However, due to the nature of the medical domain, there are limitations in the number of data available. This is because the cost of acquiring imaging is expensive and the use of personnel to annotate diagnostic labels is resource-intensive. For these reasons, several prior studies have opted to use comparatively lighter 2D CNNs instead of the complex 3D CNN technology. They analyze using projected 2D datasets created from representative slices extracted from 3D volumetric imaging. However, this approach, by selecting only projected 2D slices from the entire volume, reflects only partial volumetric information. This poses a risk of developing lesion diagnosis systems without a deep understanding of the interrelations among volumetric data. We propose a novel 3D-to-2D knowledge distillation framework that utilizes not only the projected 2D dataset but also the original 3D volumetric imaging dataset. This framework is designed to employ volumetric prior knowledge in training 2D CNNs. Our proposed method includes three modules: i) a 3D teacher network that encodes volumetric prior knowledge from the 3D dataset, ii) a 2D student network that encodes partial volumetric information from the 2D dataset, and aims to develop an understanding of the original volumetric imaging, and iii) a distillation loss introduced to reduce the gap in the graph representation expressing the relationship between data in the feature embedding spaces of i) and ii), thereby enhancing the final performance. The effectiveness of our proposed method is demonstrated by improving the classification performance orthogonally across various 2D projection methods on the well-known Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) dataset. Notably, when our approach is applied to the FuseMe approach, it achieves an F1 score of 98.30%, which is higher than that of the 3D teacher network (97.66%).
The Role of Remnant Cholesterol and Its Interaction with Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Bai Jiang , Dong Zhouyu , Zhang Lijuan , Li Suhang , Chen Rong , Di Jingkai , Wang Wenyu , Wu Yawen , Zhou Yun
Published: May 2024

Background
The growing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) presents a substantial public health issue. Furthermore, the continuous advancements in lipid-lowering strategies and medications highlight the ongoing importance of the correlation between remnant cholesterol (RC) and CKD. This study aims to investigate the link between RC and CKD risk, particularly focusing on the interplay between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and RC.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included 7747 participants in wave 2009 of the China Health and Nutrition Survey which has been in progress since 1989. We enrolled 7747 individuals in the present study from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, with exclusion criteria applied to individuals under 18 and pregnant participants. CKD was defined as eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, following the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2012 Clinical Practice Guideline. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the associations between discordant/concordant levels of LDL-C and RC with CKD. Subsequently, a mediation analysis was performed to identify potential mediators.
Results
Within the clinical cohort of 7747 patients, 910 individuals (11.8%) were diagnosed with CKD, with RC levels categorized into quartiles. Logistic analysis revealed significant associations between elevated RC levels and the prevalence of CKD (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06–1.60 for Group 2; OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.22–1.83 for Group 3; and OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.08–1.63 for Group 4). The results of restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis suggested an “inverted U-shaped” association of RC with CKD. The analysis of discordant/concordant grouping showed that participants in Group 2 (high LDL-C/low RC) and Group 3 (low LDL-C/high RC) were associated with an increased risk for CKD. The odds ratios were 2.35 (95% CI 1.83–3.03) for Group 2 and 1.51 (95% CI 1.14–2.01) for Group 3, compared to Group 1 (low LDL-C/low RC). Causal mediation analysis indicated that inflammation partially mediated the association between RC and CKD.
Conclusions
This study presented evidence of a non-linear relationship between RC and CKD, suggesting that the association was influenced by LDL-C levels and mediated by the pro-inflammatory state.
Flutamide exacerbates steatosis and promotes early hepatocarcinogenesis in high-fat diet-fed non-obese steatotic rats: Insights from clustering analysis of mitophagy regulators AMBRA1 and LC3
Authors: Hara Emika , Ohshima Kanami , Zeng Wen , Uomoto Suzuka , Kobayashi Mio , Shibutani Makoto , Yoshida Toshinori
Published: May 2024

Flutamide (FL), a non-steroidal drug used for its anti-androgenic, anticancer,and disrupting endocrine properties, induces mitochondrial toxicity and drug metabolism enzymesand promotes hepatocarcinogenesis. The inhibition of mitophagy, leading to the accumulation of damaged mitochondria, is implicated in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we investigated the effects of FL in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced non-obese steatosis rats, categorized into four groups: basal diet (BD), BD + FL, HFD, and HFD + FL. The introduction of FL exacerbated HFD-induced steatosis and marginally increased preneoplastic lesions. To analyzehepatic preneoplastic lesions, we divided them into clusters based on the expression ratios of the mitophagy regulators LC3 and AMBRA1. The expression rates of LC3 and AMBRA1 in these precancerous lesions were classified into three clusters using k-means clustering. The HFD group exhibited an increased ratio of mitophagy inhibition clusters, as indicated by decreased LC3 and increased AMBRA1 levels in background hepatocytes and preneoplastic lesions. FL counteracted HFD-mediated mitophagy inhibition, as indicated by increased LC3 and decreased AMBRA1 levels in background hepatocytes. Our clustering analysis revealed that FL-induced mitophagy induction relied on Parkin expression. The present study underscores the significance of cluster analysis in understanding the role of mitophagy within small preneoplastic lesions and suggests that FL may potentially exacerbate NAFLD-associated hepatocarcinogenesis by affecting mitophagy.
Antibacterial methacrylamide chitosan modified viscose/poly(ε-caprolactone) hydrogel membranes for wound healing
Authors: Li Xueyan , Hou Xiuling , Yang Anle , Li Dekun , Zhou Fang
Published: May 2024

Herein, antibacterial ChMA and tannic acid modified viscose/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fibrous hydrogel membranes were developed for accelerating wound healing. The morphology, chemical structure, swelling capacity, degradation, mechanical, antibacterial properties and cell viability of the modified membranes were investigated. The results indicated that the ChMA/tannic acid modified viscose membranes exhibited a larger swelling ratio ca. 200% and a lower degradability than the modified PCL membrane. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the ChMA/tannic acid modified PCL membrane were about 3.2 ± 0.4 MPa and 618.2 ± 18.2%, respectively, larger than the values of the modified viscose membrane. Simultaneously, both of the ChMA/TA modified viscose and PCL hydrogel membranes showed high-efficiency antibacterial ratio against S. aureus (95%) and a DPPH free radical scavenging rate (91%). Moreover, the modified viscose membranes maintained superior cytocompatibility and accelerated the wound healing process in vivo. The as-prepared modified hydrogel membranes enabled the maintenance of high bioavailability of tannic acid and synchronization with the porous structure of ChMA hydrogels, which enhanced the wound healing performance of the fibrous membrane. Considering the ease of accessibility of viscose and the simplicity of the current approach, the ChMA/tannic acid modified viscose hydrogel membranes have great potential in wound dressings.
Examining the Relationship between Curriculum Design Approach Preferences and Their Commitment to the Curriculum of Physical Education and Sports Teachers
Authors: AYDIN EBRU , KANGALGİL Murat
Published: May 2024

In our research, it was aimed to examine the relationship between physical education and sports teachers' curriculum design approach preferences and their commitment to the curriculum and to determine the variables that affect these two concepts. In this regard, a total of 780 physical education and sports teachers, 400 women and 380 men, who agreed to fill out the survey form applied to the study on a voluntary basis, participated. The data of the research were collected using the "Personal Information Form", "Curriculum Design Preference Scale" and "Curriculum Commitment Scale". Independent T-Test, One-Way Anova, Pearson Correlation and Linear Regression analysis were applied to the data found to be normally distributed. In the analysis results, a significant difference was found in education program design approach preferences in terms of age and years of experience, and in commitment to the curriculum in terms of gender and years of experience (p<0.05). It was also observed that design approach preferences were associated with commitment to the program and design approach preferences were a significant predictor of commitment to the program (p<0.05). The conclusion of this study indicate that teachers' preferred instructional design approaches influence their adherence to the curriculum, particularly emphasizing the significance for physical education and sports teachers. Furthermore, it has been determined that teachers' preferences for instructional program design vary according to their years of experience and gender, and these factors have an impact on their commitment to the curriculum. While young teachers tend to prefer student-centered design approaches, more experienced teachers tend to adopt content and problem-centered design approaches. In this regard, it is believed that supporting studies aimed at enhancing teachers' adherence to programs and contributing to the effectiveness of the teaching process, especially for physical education teachers, is necessary.
General relativistic analysis of the periodicity uncoveredby Leibowitz in the X-ray flare sequences from Sgr A*
Authors: Chauvineau Bertrand , de Souza Armando Domiciano , Radulescu Nicholas
Published: May 2024

In a recent series of papers, Leibowitz unveiled two pacemaker frequencies associated to flares observed near the Sgr A* location: one for the X-ray flares and the other one for the IR flares. He proposed an astrophysical model to account for these two frequencies, involving a unique body orbiting the Sgr A* black hole (supposed non rotating) close to its Innermost Stable Circular Orbit. In the framework of this model, the Roche lobe contacts the star’s surface near the periastrons, which generates matter pullouts. The resulting X events are then separated by time intervals which are close to integer multiples of the radial orbital frequency, which explains the X pacemaker. One revisits this X sequence orbiting-body interpretation but in a full General Relativistic framework, which is more appropriate than the pseudo-Newtonian Paczy´nski-Wiita potential approach used by Leibowitz. One concludes that no main sequence (or giant) star can survive the tidal effects on the orbits compatible with the X pacemaker frequency, even if large eccentricities are allowed. This confirms the result obtained by Leibowitz (on the impossibility of a main sequence star, since the only solution he found involves an ”unusual internal structure star”) but (1) in the framework of true relativistic calculations and (2) extending the result to the eccentric case.
Spatial accessibility to emergency department and surgical treatment for patients with acute appendicitis in South Korea
Authors: Kim Kyungsik , Sung Ho Kyung , Lee Kyung-Shin , Kim Eunyoung , Shin Hansu , Min Hye Sook
Published: May 2024

Background Acute appendicitis is a representative lower-risk condition requiring emergency general surgery (EGS), which has often been overlooked in terms of service and accessibility. Recent concerns regarding the delivery of surgical services in South Korea emphasize the need for close monitoring of spatial access to surgical care in patients with acute appendicitis at the regional level.Methods This study included emergency department (ED) visits with acute appendicitis and subsequent appendectomies from the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) database (2015–2021). The 252 administrative districts in South Korea were classified by population density according to statistical terciles. Travel distances to the hospital were measured, and the proportion of patients admitted to regional hospitals was visualized on a geographic map. Factors related to complicated appendicitis were analyzed using logistic regression.Results Among 207,344 patients who visited the EDs, those from areas with low population density had higher proportions of patients aged ≥ 65 years (23.2%), Medical Aid recipients (4.8%), transfers from other hospitals (39.3%), and cases of complicated appendicitis (7.0%) compared to other regions. Additionally, patients in low-density regions exhibited the highest proportion of traveling 50 km or more (27.7%), compared to those in mid- (5.9%) and high-density (2.5%) regions. In the multivariate analysis, patients aged ≥ 65 years exhibited a stronger association with complicated appendicitis compared to other age groups. In some low-density regions, a significant proportion of the population traveled more than 50 km to seek surgical care despite the availability of community hospitals within the region.Conclusions The current results suggested that regions with low population density experienced low access to surgical care, revealing significant regional disparities linked to population density. Given the rapidly aging population in South Korea, urgent policy action is needed to guarantee the adequate delivery of EGS services in low-density regions.
Boundedness of composition operators in Orlicz-Morrey spaces
Authors: Ikeda Masahiro , Ishikawa Isao , Kawasumi Ryota
Published: May 2024

In this paper, we investigate necessary and sufficient conditions on the boundedness of composition operators on the Orlicz-Morrey spaces. The results of boundedness include Lebesgue and generalized Morrey spaces as special cases. Further, we characterize the boundedness of composition operators on the weak Orlicz-Morrey spaces. The weak Orlicz-Morrey spaces contain the Orlicz-Morrey spaces.
2020 Mathematics Subject Classification. 46E30, 42B35, 42B20, 42B25.
Exploring high corrosion-resistant refractory high-entropy alloy via a combined experimental and simulation study
Authors: Yan Yu , Zhao Xinpeng , Huang Haiyou , Su Yanjing , Qiao Lijie
Published: May 2024

Refractory high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have attracted considerable attention due to their stable phase structure and excellent high-temperature properties. In this work, we performed first-principles calculations, coupled with experiments, to explore HEAs with high corrosion resistance. The results revealed that TiNbTa-based HEAs exhibited a lower tendency for corrosion. However, the appearance of local chemical fluctuations (CFs) increased the corrosion tendency of TiNbTa-based HEAs. Comprehensive SHapley Additive exPlanations analyses uncovered that in a sample with configurational CFs, the atomic order near the surface was altered. Therefore, corrosion behavior was affected. Based on experiments, the annealed samples exhibited typical chemical segregation and declined corrosion resistance.
Modified scarf osteotomy has a possible capability to be indicated against very severe hallux valgus deformity
Authors: Noguchi Takaaki , Hirao Makoto , Tabuse Yuki , Higuchi Yusei , Ebina Kosuke , Etani Yuki , Okamura Gensuke , Tsuboi Hideki , Okada Seiji , Hashimoto Jun
Published: May 2024

Background:
Generally, scarf osteotomy is recommended for moderate-severe hallux valgus (HV) deformity. Although severe HV deformity is defined to be more than 40 degree (°), this definition of angular setting includes broad range of HV angle (HVA). Actually, very severe HV deformity such as more than 60° of the HVA is often seen. At present, whether scarf osteotomy would truly contribute to maintaining the correction status against such very severe deformity is elusive. Then, in this study corrective effectiveness of modified scarf osteotomy including very severe deformity (HVA ≥ 60°) was evaluated.
Methods:
A retrospective, observational study of 93 feet [mean follow-up: 56.0 months after the surgery] was performed. Hallux scores of the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF), a self-administered foot evaluation questionnaire (SAFE-Q), and pre-postoperative radiographic parameters were evaluated. The patients were categorized into three groups [44 feet: (mildly severe) 40° ≤ HVA < 50°, 30 feet: (moderately severe) 50° ≤ HVA < 60°, 19 feet: (very severe) 60° ≤ HVA].
Results:
Both JSSF hallux and SAFE-Q score showed significant improvement in all groups, except social activity score in SAFE-Q, in very severe cases (P = 0.08). HVA also significantly improved in all groups without significant change of the HVA between post 1-month and final follow-up in each groups. No difference was seen among the three groups in complications after surgery and frequency of recurrence of HV deformity.
Conclusion:
Modified scarf osteotomy has sufficient possible capability to be indicated against very severe (HVA ≥ 60°) deformity, however it might be recommended until getting 60° of HVA in the perspective of clinical score improvement.
Level of evidence:
Level III